Author: Tabitha

Hyundai’s three-door hatchback has been affordable and sporty. The 2019 Veloster became available in an N performance version rated at 275 horsepower, and for 2022, the N will be the only Veloster available. Based on 2021 pricing, that means buyers will have to cough up $33,250, which is thousands more than lesser trims. Hyundai isn’t alone in cutting out lower trims. The Volkswagen Golf will be available in GTI and R versions only, making 241 and 315 horsepower, respectively. Slow sales of the base Golf and Veloster have resulted in their retirements. For 2022, the only available Veloster model will…

The automaker has been teasing us for the past few years with an electric-minivan concept that somewhat resembles the original Beetle-based version. The latest spy shots show prototypes of the ID Buzz that, although disguised, appear similar to the original prototype. In Europe, the ID Buzz will be available in regular- and extended-wheelbase passenger and cargo vans. For North America, only the passenger-van version with the longer wheelbase will likely be available. Both rear- and all-wheel-drive models will be available with output maxing at 302 horsepower and range peaking at 300 miles. The ID Buzz is expected to arrive in…

Detroit-based Hercules Electric Vehicles has set late-2022 as the launch window for the full-size Alpha. Hercules joins a growing number of startups hoping to score in the EV pickup bracket. Hercules claims the Alpha will produce up to 1,000 horsepower and 800 pound-feet of torque, enough to deliver zero-to-60-mph times of four seconds. Although the image shown on Hercules’ website is a mock-up based on the Nissan Titan pickup, Hercules says Italian sports-car designer Pininfarina will create the Alpha’s finished appearance. Pricing has yet to be announced. Hercules says the Alpha electric pickup will have up to 1,000 horsepower. PHOTO:…

There’s no shortage of websites that sell photos and/or artwork depicting automotive-related scenes. What helps set U.K.-based Rear View Prints apart is that it offers a variety of sizes: eight by 12 inches, 12 by 16, 16 by 20 and 20 by 28. You can also select unframed, framed, canvas, or framed-with-border versions. Subject matter includes current and classic racing cars, film classics (a.k.a. star cars), race tracks and specific model-evolution themes, such as Porsche, Ferrari, BMW, etc. Prices generally start in the $26 range. Pick your favourites at www.rearviewprints.com.

“My Dad Had That Car: A Nostalgic Look at the American Automobile, 1920-1990” is a massive 1,376-page encyclopedia containing 12,500 illustrations and photos of vehicles produced by more than 250 automakers. Author and historian Tad Burness, assisted by automotive journalist Matt Stone, provide plenty of background info and overview commentary for each of the seven decades covered in the book. You can purchase the 5.4-pound tome in hardcover for $29, or order the electronic Kindle electronic version for $17 from www.amazon.com.

Was there actually a 200-mpg carburetor that was kept hidden by the oil companies? Are peanuts in the shell considered bad luck at NASCAR races? Did Bonnie and Clyde steal only V-8-powered Fords? These and many other questions are addressed in “History’s Greatest Automotive Mysteries, Myths, and Rumors Revealed,” authored by Matt Stone and Preston Lerner. The 256-page tome, published by Motorbooks, also contains humorous stories and anecdotes about various auto-industry personalities as well as factoids and surprising auto-related strangeness. Order for $18 at www.schulerbooks.com, or purchase the Kindle version for $12 at www.amazon.ca.

The Amalgam Collection produces classic and modern-era Grand Prix racing-car models in 1:18 and larger 1:8 scale. Yes, they are larger models and all appear to be correct down to the smallest detail. For example, this 1:8 scale 1938 Bugatti 57SC Atlantic — of which only four were ever produced — was created from the original vehicle using a digital scanning method. That car is owned by fashion designer Ralph Lauren. Bugatti Automobiles also helped with the correctness of the various components and color. The Bugatti sells for $15,000, but other 1:8 models are priced in the $10,000-$18,000 range (which…

It’s always big news when Ferrari unveils a new car. The ultra-sleek midengine 296 GTB plug-in hybrid comes with a 654-horsepower twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6. It combines with a 164-horsepower electric motor to generate a net 818 horsepower. An eight-speed automatic transmission directs power to the rear wheels. The 296 GTB can run for up to 15 miles on battery power alone. A special option package includes carbon-fiber body panels and a lightweight Lexan rear window to trim 33 pounds from the base 3,240-pound weight. Pricing in the United States is expected to start in the $280,000 range. The rear-wheel-drive 296…

Fans of the automaker’s WRX and WRX STI should be pleased that replacements are just around the corner. The WRX will run with the same 2.4-liter four-cylinder found in the Subaru Ascent that makes 260 horsepower and 277 pound-feet of torque. That’s slightly fewer horses but a bit more torque than the current WRX engine. The WRX STI gets a much stouter version of the 2.4 that makes 400 horsepower and 361 pound-feet. Both models are rumored to somewhat resemble the Viziv concept that was first shown in 2017. The replacements for the Subaru WRX and WRX STI are expected…

Image is everything in the full-size pickup class and the nose on automaker’s next-generation hauler, shown here in TRD Pro trim, is nothing short of massive. The new Tundra, which is similar in design to the rest-of-the-world Toyota Hilux pickup, will share the body-on-frame platform with the next Tacoma midsize pickup plus the 4Runner and Sequoia utility vehicles. The 5.7-liter V-8 is being replaced by a twin-turbo V-6 that will likely include an electric-motor assist. In any event, output is expected to exceed the V-8’s 381 horsepower by at least 50 ponies. Although it appears as though the front of…