Porsche 911 Edition 50 Years Porsche Design: Special Targa, Awkward Name

toyota corolla-hybrid Full OverviewWith gas prices taking a bigger bite than ever out of everyone's wallets, suddenly an ultra-efficient car like the Toyota Corolla Hybrid is having a moment. Yearning for an SUV or anything "cooler?" Just think about all you could do with the cash you save at the pump. We figured the time is ripe for our first check-in with the fuel-sipping sedan since its debut, even before the revised 2023 version arrives later this year with a new touchscreen, upgraded safety features, a new hybrid battery, and optional all-wheel drive.Why It's ImportantThe 2022 Toyota Corolla Hybrid is a rolling shrine to affordability in a time of grotesque price inflation. How does 52 mpg and a $25,075 price tag sound? In 2022, that's practically talking dirty to any weary car shopper who's facing $5/gallon gas and average new-car transaction prices pushing $50,000.To recap, the Toyota Corolla Hybrid is cheaper than a Prius and the more stylish Hyundai Elantra hybrid, though not quite as efficient. It trades the regular the Corolla's 1.8-liter gasoline engine for a hybridized version assisted by dual electric motors. This 121-hp, 105-lb-ft powertrain (including its continuously variable automatic transmission) is pulled directly out of and nails the same 52-mpg combined rating as the base Prius. You might notice the hubcapped lightweight aluminum wheels and hybrid badges, though the smaller 11.4-gallon fuel tank (regular Corollas get 13.4-gallon tanks) and 600-volt lithium-ion battery stuffed under the rear seat are well hidden.Pros: What We LikeWe mentioned the 52 mpg, right? During the course of 200 miles of tooling around Dallas for a week, we easily achieved that figure, which theoretically delivers nearly 600 miles of range per fill-up. We drove the 2022 Toyota Corolla Hybrid normally, too, squirting in and out of traffic like we needed to get someplace; oh, and there was a heatwave, so we blasted the A/C to combat average daytime temps hovering past 100 degrees. In other words, we didn't "hypermile" the Corolla Hybrid by treating its gas pedal like an eggshell, coasting more than a mile to a stop, or sweating without A/C. Nor does the Toyota make pained noises when you demand everyday acceleration from it. Credit the hybrid's seemingly substantial ability to drive around under electric power alone. Even at higher speeds, the engine will wink off and you can even (gently) accelerate on electrons alone. There's an electric-drive mode, too, though it only delivers about a mile of EV-only travel at a time, and at slower speeds.The powertrain is smooth and mostly quiet, with the engine note picking up only when you mat the throttle. While objectively slow—our most recent test data says it needs more than 10 seconds to reach 60 mph—the Toyota feels adequately powered. Select the "PWR" mode, and engine revs stay higher, and it almost feels punchy up to about 40 mph. Avoid the Eco mode, as it dulls most inputs and reminds you of just how leisurely this sedan's performance really is.This is no penalty box, either. With its relatively small-diameter wheels (15-inchers!) and soft suspension tuning, the 2022 Toyota Corolla Hybrid rolls quietly and smoothly over even the worst city streets. An 8.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, automatic single-zone climate control, a mostly digital gauge cluster, LED headlights, adaptive cruise control, and lane-keep assist are standard. An optional package adds blind-spot monitoring for $500, and a Premium package throws some leather on the steering-wheel rim, replaces the cloth seat upholstery with eco-friendly faux leather, and adds front-seat heaters. The trunk is big and has a nicely shaped opening, and even offers a pass-through to the cabin.Cons: What We Don't LikeThree years into its lifespan, the Toyota Corolla is neither as nicely appointed nor well-packaged as the Honda Civic. Interior materials are just OK, the rear seat is tighter, and storage throughout the interior is lacking. The center console has only a single cubby buried under the dash that can't fit a regular-sized iPhone, and the armrest cubby is tiny. Rear passengers do without air vents, USB ports, or door pockets that can hold anything of note. There is at least a fold-down center rear armrest with two cupholders.Other complaints include the fuzzy graphics on the touchscreen—soon to be addressed with the sharp new Toyota Multimedia Audio system on the 2023 model—and the doughy handling. Between the soft suspension and hard, fuel-economy-biased tires, the Corolla rolls more than is typical for a compact sedan and can require corrections at the wheel when it meets bumps while turning or sailing up an off-ramp. Also, yes, if you're the sort of driver that shoots for gaps in traffic or regularly drag races others from stoplights, the Hybrid is not quick, something also being addressed on the newer model next year.The Bottom LineThe 2022 Toyota Corolla Hybrid is the right car for the times, and it's better-looking than a Prius. But wait for the 2023 model if you want some of its flaws ironed out.Looks good! More details?2022 Toyota Corolla Hybrid 2022 Toyota Corolla Hybrid BASE PRICE $25,075 LAYOUT Front-engine, FWD, 5-pass, 4-door sedan ENGINE 1.8L/121-hp/105-lb-ft Atkinson-cycle DOHC 16-valve I-4, plus 71-hp/105-lb-ft electric motor; 121 hp/105 lb-ft comb TRANSMISSION CVT CURB WEIGHT 2,900 lb (mfr) WHEELBASE 106.3 in L x W x H 182.3 x 70.1 x 56.5 in 0-60 MPH 10.3 sec (MT est) EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON 53/52/53 mpg EPA RANGE, COMB 600 miles ON SALE Now Show All

Ford's Director of North American Product Communications Mike Levine sure loves to share stuff about all things Blue Oval on Twitter. That is, of course, his job, but lately some of that sharing has included peeks at hotly anticipated new 2022 Ford Bronco models such as the Raptor and the Everglades. As shared on the Bronco6G forums, Levine has helped make it look as though Ford is really taking the capability of the ultimate adventuring Bronco very seriously—well, mostly seriously.Snow Testing, In California?If you've been unaware of conditions here in California, we've come mostly out of our drought with a very rainy end of December 2021 and into the middle of January 2022. This has also led to some amazing snowfall in the mountains of Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties. Especially so near Death Valley, the relatively flat land between Los Angeles and Las Vegas.This seemingly rare instance of precipitation in California apparently was perfect for some snow testing of the upcoming 2022 Bronco Everglades. From the looks of the first image, the camouflaged Everglades prototype—apparently the same one seen testing back in December of 2021—hasn't changed much. It's also "Mr. Plow"-ing its way through a snow-covered trail just ahead of another Bronco. The second image shows it roosting its way forward in an impressive display of snow flying out from the wheel wells.Another Interesting Feature?Also visible in this preview? The seamless onboard integration of onXMaps via Apple CarPlay in the Bronco. This allows drivers with the app to display trail maps with topographic and satellite views on the Bronco's touchscreen, a handy feature when out trail driving—certainly handier than holding your phone while wheelin' or using a dash mount like it's 2012. What we're interested in is if this isn't a sneak peak into the interior of the Everglades as the images are cropped just enough to potentially hide its factory installed snorkel.

There's a rather oddball car coming up for sale at the upcoming Mecum auction, and we genuinely can't decide if it's awesome or awful: a 1999 SEMA show car built by General Motors as the Oldsmobile Intrigue 442.For those unfamiliar, the 4-4-2 is, or at least was, an institution as Oldsmobile. First introduced in 1964 in response to Pontiac's GTO—this was at a time when GM brands were competing with each other—the Cutlass-based 4-4-2 offered a beefed-up chassis, bigger brakes, and a 330-cubic-inch (5.4-liter) V-8 souped up to 310 horsepower. The 4-4-2 designation indicated a four-barrel carburetor, four-speed manual transmission, and dual exhausts. (The designation stuck even after Olds started selling 4-4-2s with two-speed automatics.) The 4-4-2 was a huge hit, and despite the collapse of the muscle car market and the onset of the Malaise Era, Olds delivered a 4-4-2 every year through 1980.Aside from a one-year revival in '85 (when Olds applied the name to the '83-84 Hurst Olds, itself a credible companion to Chevy's Monte Carlo SS and Buick's Grand National), there were no 4-4-2s in the '80s, but in 1990 the name reappeared in the most unlikely of places: Oldsmobile's aging Calais. The oft-forgotten (and now dehyphenated) Calais 442 version featured the high-output Quad 4 engine, GM's first serious attempt at a modern 16-valve DOHC I-4. Oldsmobile said the designation stood for four cylinders, four valves per cylinder and two camshafts, which was still pretty hot stuff at the time.Turns out the "2" also stood for how many years this model lasted. When the even more forgettable Achieva replaced the Calais for '92, Olds turned its back on yesterday, naming the equally unsuccessful performance version SCX. And that was it for the 442—until the 1999 SEMA Show, when this strange little gem appeared. Oldsmobile was trying to imbue its dull-as-paper Intrigue with some actual intrigue, so it stuffed a 550-hp Cadillac Northstar V-8 under the hood.Let us repeat that salient detail, lest it escape you. Olds, in the throes of General Motors' dullest days, right smack dab in the middle of creating some of the most forgettable cars in the corporation's then-90-year history, put a 550-hp Northstar V-8 in an Intrigue.That sentence is truly magnificent, at least until you get to the last word.That's why we can't decide of the Intrigue is awesome or awful. The Northstar's shine had begun to dull by the end of the '90s, but it was a good, smooth-running engine (the antithesis of the Quad 4!), and 550 hp is nothing to sneeze at, even if it was delivered through the front wheels. The Intrigue was a semi-credible sedan that Oldsmobile less credibly tried to sell as a luxury/performance car. In reality, our own testing found that it rivaled the Toyota Camry for both road manners and anonymity. There is a reason the Oldsmobile Intrigue is not the stuff of car shows.We can't decide if the Intrigue 442's details are cool or crud. There's the white-and-gold paint, a nod to the Hurst/Olds versions of the 4-4-2 that appeared sporadically throughout the '60s, '70s, and '80s. But the application of the old trim—as a stripe bracketed between gold renditions of Oldsmobile's anonymous new logo—is clumsy. The twin-scoop hood is cool, but the gills on the front bumper look like room vents bought at Home Depot. (They are apparently actual grille inserts from a 1970 4-4-2, which just goes to show that real estate agents are right: Location is everything.) And those wheels—Hellooooo, Y2k!We can't imagine what this thing is like to drive; the torque steer must be epic. Nor will we know if GM ever planned to turn this one-off into a production car, because in December 2000, GM abruptly announced its plans to shutter the Oldsmobile brand. Development on new products stopped, the Intrigue was killed after 2002, and by the end of 2004, the historic brand was itself history.And that is what makes this strange muscle car so intriguing—the last factory-produced 4-4-2 is a genuine GM-built piece of what might have been. The auction page doesn't tell us a whole lot about this car, but it looks clean and largely original, and it's selling with no reserve. If you buy it—and by all means, you should buy it—will you take us for a ride? Please?