Visual History of the Honda Civic, Generation by Generation

Cadillac's New FaceHand AssemblyAluminum Spaceframe With Applied Panels Four First-Class Eames ChairsTheatrical Red With Ombre ShadingCoffee-Tanned Leather, Pillar-to-Pillar Screen.Return of the GoddessHow Much of This Will Make Production?When, How, and How Much?2024 Cadillac Celestiq Specifications BASE PRICE $300,000 (est) LAYOUT Front- and rear-motor, AWD, 4-pass, 4-door hatchback MOTORS 2 x 315-hp/400-lb-ft (est) AC, permanent-magnet electric TRANSMISSIONS 1-speed auto CURB WEIGHT 6,000 lb (est) WHEELBASE 120.0 in (est) L x W x H 210.5 x 79.7 x 57.5 in (est) 0-60 MPH 4.5 sec (MT est) EPA FUEL ECON Not yet rated EPA RANGE, COMB 300 miles (est) ON SALE Early 2024 Show All

The 2023 Chevrolet Colorado is a brand-new midsize pickup truck. If you're thinking, "well, that's obvious," you're right. But we do point it out because, when Chevy resurrected the previously compact Colorado as a midsize truck for 2015, it introduced a not-quite-as-new rig, a modified version of a truck it had been selling for years in global markets such as Thailand and Brazil.Alas, with a Silverado-derived frame, American-market-specific powertrains and cabin appointments, the Colorado was hardly some cobbled-together beast. The outgoing pickup is one of the best midsize pickups out there—to be accurate, it is the best, despite its age. Snatching an existing truck from Thailand proved to be such a savvy move that Ford basically did the same thing when it brought back the once-compact Ranger from the dead as a larger midsize truck—and Colorado competitor—for 2019. Given how the old Colorado was in some ways already several years old when it landed stateside eight years ago, the 2023 Colorado's ground-up newness, therefore, is one of its biggest standout features.New Is as New DoesJust looking at the new Colorado, the styling clearly benefited from this redesign. Where the old Colorado was soft-edged and fairly generic-looking, in keeping with the more budget-conscious global model, the new truck adopts a bold, assertive new look that positively screams "America, truck yeah!"Chevy moved the front axle forward, lengthening the wheelbase 3.1 inches in the process and shortening the front overhang. The net effect is a longer, more horizontal hood and improved approach angles for the nose, a boon off-road. The designers capitalized on this blocky new shape with a Silverado-like mug with slim headlights and bold inserts that give the impression of a full-width, full-height grille yawning from the bumper to the hood. (Also like on the Silverado, that mug is slightly different on nearly every trim level.) Along the body sides, there is a deeper channel cut into the door skins, which help visually puff out the squared-off fender bulges front and rear.Another big change? The previous-generation Colorado's entry-level extended-cab body style was pitched in the dustbin. You can now only purchase the Colorado as a four-door crew cab with a short bed (5-foot, 2-inch bed). Chevy says this move simplifies things on its manufacturing end, but primarily gets in line with the configuration that attracted the most buyer interest on the last Colorado. One Little Engine that CanAlso simplifying the lineup is the 2023 Colorado's move to a single engine choice. A 2.7-liter turbo I-4 engine replaces the old Colorado's entry-level 2.5-liter I-4 (which was limited to base Work Truck models anyway), 3.6-liter V-6, and 2.8-liter turbodiesel I-4 options. This engine isn't entirely new; it was introduced a few years ago on the larger Silverado 1500, and strategy-wise, it is comparable to the Ford Ranger's single, lineup-wide 2.3-liter turbo I-4 engine.Unlike the Ranger's four-cylinder, the Colorado's is available in three states of tune, offering up at least some choice. Entry-level Colorado Work Truck and LT models make 237 hp and 259 lb-ft of torque. Optional on those Colorados and standard on the Z71 and Trail Boss models is a 310-hp, 390-lb-ft version. And limited to the range-topping Colorado ZR2 (which we've covered in depth here), the ultimate off-road iteration of the new truck, is a 310-hp, 430-lb-ft 2.7-liter I-4. Chevy says that, for the most part, the power differences are achieved via tuning of the computers, though the lowest-output version has some minor hardware differences. Every Colorado mates its 2.7-liter I-4 to an updated eight-speed automatic transmission.Fuel economy estimates for the new engine are forthcoming, but the power story—both compared to the old Colorado and its primary competitors—is interesting. With 310 hp in top guise, the Colorado ties the Nissan Frontier's V-6 in terms of hp, but smashes it in the torque department in its upper two states of tune, so we're dubbing it the most powerful midsize pickup you can buy. Granted, the old V-6 at one time held the same title (in both the Colorado and its GMC-badged twin, the Canyon), with 308 hp, before the Frontier's current engine arrived for 2020; the now-discontinued diesel engine produced a mighty 369 lb-ft of torque, but that figure's easily eclipsed by the midrange 2.7-liter I-4. Even the new base models generate nearly as much torque than the old V-6, albeit at a higher rpm (5,600 vs. 4,000). The higher-output 2.7s deliver their peak torque at just 3,000 rpm.The 2.7-liter turbo is a truck engine through and through, having been designed from the outset for duty in the full-size Silverado (and playing an unusual secondary role in the Cadillac CT4-V). In the smaller, lighter Colorado, it should prove quite burly. It also includes standard cylinder deactivation, which can shut down two cylinders under light loads. Yep, that means this'll be the only (temporarily) two-cylinder midsize pickup you can buy.Five Grades, Mostly Off-RoadEven though the Colorado comes in Work Truck, LT, Z71, new-to-Colorado Trail Boss, and hardcore ZR2 guises, all five models share key standard features, including a new (sharp-looking) 11.3-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, an 8.0-inch fully digital gauge cluster, eight bed tie downs, and a segment-exclusive electronic parking brake. Chevy says the base Work Truck and mid-grade off-road Trailboss models share a more "rugged aesthetic that is ready for work and play" inside, which we take to mean more basic, abuse-resistant, and plastickier cabin materials. The LT swaps in silver trim, plusher accents, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel, while the Z71 gets a "sportier ambiance" with black and red accents and a mix of cloth and vinyl on the seats.Again, like the newly bold exterior, the Colorado's interior goes from uninspired to competitive, with a brash, full-width dashboard panel and its round outboard air vents giving us plenty of Camaro feels. The new touchscreen perches in the middle, tombstone-style, but close to the steering wheel for what looks like a comfortable reach. There are more upmarket details throughout, though most examples—the stitching on the dashboard and padded panels around the center console—are limited to the higher trim levels. And like the Camaro, the central air vents are buried low on the dash; that pays off for the ergonomics of the climate controls, which nestle up under the touchscreen, but is probably not great for airflow above chest height for front-seat occupants. A drive mode selector lives on the left of the console on models so equipped (mostly the off-road models), pushing the shifter to the right.Other differences between the models are clearer from the outside. The Work Truck gets an all-black-plastic face like the larger Silverado WT, 17-inch steel wheels, and that's pretty much it. LT models distinguish themselves with more streetable 17-inch wheels and tires, more body color elements on the front end, and more chrome. Finally, there are the trio of off-road versions, ranging from the relatively tame Z71 to the Trail Boss (which gets a 2.0-inch suspension lift and burlier tires) to the ZR2 (which sits 3.0 inches higher than WT/LT/Z71 models and has a wider track). The grille and bumper treatments get wilder the closer to the ZR2 you get, with the ZR2 out-crazying the rest of the lineup with flared fenders, meaty bumpers, and even an available bed-mounted roll bar with lights and beadlock-capable wheels via a special-edition Desert Boss package.Off-road equipment varies from optional four-wheel-drive on the WT and LT to a standard limited-slip rear differential (standard on Z71 and Trail Boss) to power-locking front and rear diffs on the ZR2, which also once again rides on Multimatic DSSV spool-valve, frequency selective dampers. Those fancy shocks passively take the edge off the worst terrain with valving that slows faster inputs and handles slower amplitudes more softly. The net result is better wheel control over washboard surfaces and more controlled bump stop events. Ground clearance tops out at an outstanding 10.7 inches for the ZR2, with the Trail Boss standing 9.5 inches off the deck and the other Colorados perched at 7.9 to 8.9 inches.If you're thinking Chevy's inclusion of three off-road models and switch to more aggro styling and the single crew-cab bodystyle signals an intent to chase after adventurous types with the new Colorado, you're right. The automaker also hopes the new truck bed's available 110-volt household outlet, motorcycle-tire indents in the forward bed wall, and newly available in-tailgate storage will appeal to weekend warrior types. That tailgate storage, in particular, carries whiffs of the Honda Ridgeline's in-bed "trunk," an underfloor, watertight cubby with a drain that doubles as a cooler. The Colorado's lockable, weathertight hollow tailgate is less useful, probably, but at 45 inches wide and 4 inches deep can still probably be stuffed with ice and some cold snacks.If Chevy can keep the current truck's decent road manners and roomy interior in place while improving things with the new 2.7-liter engine and expanded off-road offerings, consider the 2023 Colorado a ringing success. But it'll have stiff competition: Ford is on the cusp of launching its also-all-new 2023 Ranger, and Toyota's sales-leader Tacoma is about to be redesigned, as well. We'll see how the new Colorado shakes out when it goes on sale midway through 2023.2023 Chevrolet Colorado Specifications BASE PRICE $28,000-$50,000 (est)  LAYOUT Front-engine, RWD or 4WD, 5-pass, 4-door truck ENGINE 2.7L/237-310-hp /259-430-lb-ft turbo DOHC 16-valve I-4 TRANSMISSION 8-speed auto CURB WEIGHT 4,750-5,300 lb (mfr) WHEELBASE 131.4 in L x W x H 213.0-213.2 x 84.4 x 78.8-81.9 in 0-60 MPH 7.0-7.5 sec (MT est)  EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON TBD  EPA RANGE, COMB TBD miles ON SALE Spring 2023 Show All

Every one of us has a dream car. Doesn't matter what it is or why we want it, what matters is the desire. Many of us won't be so lucky as to own our dream car—or even sit in it. Some do, though. Paul Walker had a dream car and was lucky enough to have the means to afford it. For two short years, he was able to live his dream behind the wheel of this 1973 Porsche 911 RS 2.7.Walker needs little introduction, so here's a short one: He was one of the original stars of the Fast and Furious franchise, headlining the first seven wildly successful movies before his untimely death in 2013 at the age of 40.Two years earlier, Walker got himself a present. Those who knew him say it was his dream car. Not just any old Porsche, but a 911 Carrera RS 2.7, the car that made the 911 a legend. Maybe that's why he wanted it. Maybe it was because, as he pointed out to Jay Leno in a The Tonight Show interview a few months before the purchase, it was made the year he was born. Maybe he wanted it because its VIN was 901, matching the internal code for the first-generation 911. Maybe all three.What we know for sure is that the car was purchased on his behalf by his friend and business partner, Roger Rodas, at the Russo and Steele auction in Monterey, California, in August 2011. Curiously, Walker told Leno he'd already bought the car sight unseen after seeing an ad for it on the internet; we can only assume an earlier deal fell through for some reason. We also know, from the car's documentation, it was originally sold to Adolf Hiller (no "T") in 1973. It was sold several times around Europe before being purchased by Dr. Herminio Cuervo in 1980. Cuervo was a U.S. Air Force doctor stationed in Germany who took the car home with him to Florida after his rotation was up. From there, it changed hands several more times in the States before being sold to a doctor in Modesto, California, who had the engine and transmission restored in the '90s before eventually consigning it to auction in 2011, where Walker acquired it.We may not know exactly why Walker wanted a Carrera RS 2.7 or this specific car, but we know why the car is highly sought after by most collectors. In his words, it's from the "golden era of Porsche." The mighty 917 was dominating Le Mans, the crowning achievement of a then-small brand that had been building a name for itself in road racing, particularly with the 906 and 908. The little air-cooled cars from West Germany were beating Ferrari at its own game.Not the 911s, though. Introduced in 1963 as a '64 model, the roadgoing 911 just wasn't finding the same success in racing as its purpose-built brethren. Part of the issue was its rear-mounted engine that gave it unusual snap-oversteer handling characteristics, and that problem was exacerbated by its aerodynamics, which created lift at high speeds instead of downforce.Aerodynamicist Hermann Burst was brought over from the 917 development team to sort it out. Despite its racing success, Porsche was still a tiny company and Burst's budget was tiny. Not only that, he couldn't mess with the 911's shape. With the help of fellow aerodynamicist Tilman Brodbeck and stylist Rolf Wiener, the famous "ducktail" spoiler was born. Paired with a new front air dam, the car not only made downforce, but it also reduced drag, allowing for a higher top speed. To top it all off, the ducktail even improved engine cooling.The Carrera RS 2.7 is more than just a rear spoiler, though. To really make it competitive in FIA Group 4 racing, more had to be done. Porsche engineers fitted wider rear wheels (a first for the 911), necessitating wider bodywork in the rear. To reduce weight, the entire body was made from thinner steel than a standard 911, and the same was done for all the glass. Sound insulation was also removed, and if you ordered a RS 2.7 Sport model, so were the rear seats, the clock in the dashboard, the glove compartment lid, and all of the carpeting.Behind those wider wheels and tires the race engineers fitted stiffer springs and thicker anti-roll bars all around. Crossmembers under the car were also strengthened. In the rear, they even found the budget to upgrade the suspension control arms.The pièce de résistance, of course, was the engine. Bored out to 2.7 liters from the production 2.4, the deeper-lunged flat-six made 210 horsepower. Claimed to weigh just 2,116 pounds in sport trim and 2,370 pound fully dressed, the Carrera RS 2.7 was among the quickest road-legal cars on the planet. Officially, it had a top speed of 152 mph and could hit 60 mph in just 5.8 seconds, the latter number likely conservative.How to Watch the Mecum Auctions Monterey Event Live on MotorTrend+ and MotorTrend TV: August 19-20 / 1-5 p.m. EST Simulcast on Discovery: August 20 / 1-3 p.m. EST Sign up for a free trial to MotorTrend+ today! You feel it the first time you drop the throttle and let the engine sing all the way to its 7,200-rpm redline. The tight cockpit, low seating position, and thin components make the RS 2.7 feel twice as quick as any modern, insulated, and isolated car that does a 5.8-second sprint to 60 mph. This car is made of the bare minimum of parts necessary to be road legal and stay in one piece, and it never lets you forget it.This particular RS 2.7 isn't just a 50-year-old survivor, either. Documentation shows it was sent to esteemed Porsche specialist Jerry Woods Enterprises in the '90s to have its engine and gearbox gone through. You can tell, because it has the best shifter of any early, air-cooled 911. If you've driven a few, you know the gear locations noted on the shift knob are rough approximations. Not this car. The lever is a lot longer than one from a modern Porsche, but the throws and the gear spacing aren't far off.Not wanting to put a rare car with celebrity provenance in any jeopardy, we didn't push the racing suspension or the old-school Avon tires hard. Still, even at moderate speeds, there's a crispness to the steering and a confidence in the body and suspension movements you don't get in other early 911s.If nothing else, you can imagine how that might be appealing to an accomplished driver like Walker, who'd taken up club racing in the real world when he wasn't street racing on the silver screen. Only close friends and family would know how much he drove the car in the two years he owned it, but we hope it was a lot.We do know he had plans for it. Before his and Rodas' death in a recently purchased Porsche Carrera GT, the RS 2.7 was disassembled at their shop, AE Performance, and sent to the current owner's shop to be repainted. Walker wanted the car returned to its original yellow instead of the white respray it was wearing when he purchased it.Once the paint dried, though, everything stopped. Estates had to be settled and lawyers had to determine who owned what. 13 months later, in December 2014, it was determined that Walker owned the car and the current owner was granted permission to buy it from his estate. Not just the parts in the paint shop, but everything removed and stored at AE. After that, the project sat, unfinished.Eventually, the current owner (who wishes to remain anonymous) decided to have it put back together. They knew from past conversations what Walker's plans were for the car and began the reassembly process in 2019. The car received new upholstery, including the tweed seat inserts Walker specified and the new tires. As many original parts as possible were reused, and the owner estimates only a few small parts like the horn had to be replaced.Since final assembly, the owner's put fewer than 100 km on the European speedometer, plus a few more courtesy of MotorTrend. Having been a friend of Walker and Rodas, they consider the car too special to risk driving around much, nor do they want it simply collecting dust down at the garage. It's slated for the Mecum Monterey auction on August 19, where it's expected to bring between $1 million and $1.25 million.Who knows why the future owner will buy it. Maybe they're big fans of Walker. Maybe they've wanted a Carrera RS 2.7 just as badly as he did. That this restored Porsche legend meant an awful lot to someone we in the car hobby remember fondly just adds an extra layer of poignancy.