The 2025 Ford Explorer offers a new front face with a wider grille, a 13.2-inch touchscreen, and an updated center console. Four years after the complex and clumsy launch of the sixth-generation Explorer by Ford Motor Co., the automaker is simplifying the production of the three-row SUV by removing the hybrid version and offering more standard features on the 2025 model.

The officials hope that a new front end with a larger grille, a bigger touchscreen, and an updated center console will help the Explorer maintain its position as the best-selling large SUV. It reclaimed that title from the Toyota Highlander in 2023, even though the volume dropped by 10%.

The Explorer will start at $50,535 and will be based on the same platform as the current model, offering two existing engine choices: a standard 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder and an optional 3.0-liter, 400-horsepower turbocharged V6.

The Explorer will be offered in four trims with all-wheel drive standard: Active, ST, ST-Line, and Platinum. The XLT and King Ranch trims will be discontinued after 2024. The hybrid variant will be discontinued, except for the Police Interceptor Utility version.

Ford is also simplifying the buying options, with a 13.2-inch screen standard for all models, as well as features such as adaptive cruise control with blind spot monitoring, heated seats, and a towing package. Ford is targeting millennials, expecting them to soon make up the largest customer base for the Explorer.

Most of the Explorer trims will have the latest version of Ford’s hands-free driving assistance system BlueCruise, as well as the new Ford infotainment system, allowing for activities like watching YouTube or playing video games while stopped.

By simplifying the lineup and optimizing the features, Ford hopes to avoid the issues that plagued the launch of the redesigned Explorer in 2020. With some customization options remaining, the brand aims to offer an improved experience while staying true to the Explorer’s iconic reputation.

Fans of the Inspector Clouseau’s adventurous escapades will soon be able to purchase the 1960 Bentley S2 Continental that belonged to their favorite actor, the British Peter Sellers. This car will be a star in the auction presented by H&H Classics at the Imperial War Museum in Duxford, England, on March 13th.

A true exceptional model reserved for the elites, this Bentley was one of the most expensive cars in the world at the time. It was available starting at £8,246, which was enough to buy 16 Minis or a Ferrari 250 GT Pininfarina berlinetta AND a Jaguar Mark 2 sedan with a 3.8L engine.

When Peter Sellers bought this imposing convertible in November 1961 (with approximately 12,875 km on the odometer), he clearly wanted to display his celebrity status. He also wanted to enjoy the prestige associated with this convertible due to the fame of other famous buyers, including King Hassan II of Morocco and Prince Moulay Abdullah, his brother, as well as the Russo-American actor Yul Brynner, who bought one after filming “The Magnificent Seven”!

Of course, these Bentleys are not easy to come by. Between 1959 and 1962, the Crewe manufacturer delivered 388 S2 chassis to various coachbuilders who turned them into two-door models—coupes and convertibles. Of these, 125 became Drophead Coupes, the sophisticated designation used by British manufacturers to refer to convertibles. Peter Seller’s S2 Continental is one of the 60 cars built with right-hand drive and was bodied by Park Ward, a company affiliated with Rolls-Royce.

As the second owner of this car, Sellers kept it until July 1966. During this period, he entrusted its maintenance to the London dealer Jack Barclay Ltd, one of the oldest dealerships of the brand. It is believed that some modifications were made to the car there.

For example, the front fenders were redesigned, and the single spotlight headlights were replaced with double headlights, giving the car the look of a Park Ward S3 Continental, the model that succeeded the S2 Continental in 1962. There is also a presence of a smoked glass rearview mirror with a longer arm that allows the sun visor to be fully deployed.

Sellers often changed cars, according to Damian Jones, a senior specialist at the automotive department of H&H Classics. His friend and co-host of the radio comedy show “The Goon Show,” Spike Milligan, even said that for him, cars were like “metal underwear”! However, the fact that Sellers kept this Bentley for so long suggests that he cherished it more than his other cars, according to the specialist.

Jones acknowledges that this S2 Continental “needs love” today. It has never undergone major restoration, and its condition has remained largely original, as evidenced by the patina of its leather upholstery. “The car needs a recommissioning or a full restoration,” says Mr. Jones.

This assessment is likely also true for its engine. Its 6.2L overhead valve V8, paired with a Rolls-Royce 4-speed automatic transmission, would allow this 2-ton Bentley to reach a top speed of 185 km/h.

None of this prevents the auctioneer from believing that Peter Sellers’ celebrity status and the likelihood that this car has likely transported many celebrities of the time will generate great interest from buyers (Sellers regularly associated with Orson Welles, Frank Sinatra, Sophia Loren, Peter O’Toole, Stanley Kubrick, not to mention Britt Ekland, his second wife). This explains why it has been given a value of £120,000 to £150,000 (approximately $200,000 to $250,000).

The car is being offered at this auction by the owners of one of the world’s largest collections of Bentley S3 Continentals and Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud IIIs. In addition to the car, the lot includes a comprehensive historical file, including repair invoices related to the car’s presence on the set of the movie “The Wrong Arm of the Law,” a 1963 feature film directed by Cliff Owen in which Peter Sellers starred. An original promotional poster for this film is also part of the lot, as well as a 12-inch long-play record of the best episodes of the 1960 series “The Goon Show,” and an autographed photo of Inspector Clouseau by Peter Sellers, an essential piece for fans.

Photos: H&H Classics

GM has stated that it expects to earn nearly $10 billion in 2023, but it will need to address issues related to electric vehicle production and its Cruise robotaxi business in 2024.

The company begins 2024 with a clear vision of its labor costs after finalizing new union contracts in the United States and Canada, but there are still uncertainties to be resolved in other key areas of its business.

GM’s electric vehicle strategy has been hindered by production constraints, and its Cruise autonomous vehicle business has been shaken by an October accident that halted operations nationwide and triggered federal investigations.

GM is set to announce its fourth-quarter and full-year financial results on Tuesday. In November, the automaker said it expected to earn nearly $10 billion in 2023, even after accounting for the $1.1 billion loss from the six-week UAW strike in the fall.

CEO Mary Barra has said that GM plans to “fully offset” the higher labor costs for 2024, which amount to about $1.5 billion, or $500 per vehicle.

Analyst David Whiston is optimistic about the year ahead for GM, stating that 2024 “should be at least a strong year for them, if not better.”

However, he emphasizes that the focus will be on expectations for electric vehicles, as sentiment towards electrification has quickly deteriorated.

GM has encountered unexpected difficulties in ramping up production of electric vehicles based on its Ultium battery architecture, partly due to an issue with the automation equipment supplier that has slowed down battery module assembly.

Another priority is resolving issues at Cruise, GM’s autonomous vehicle subsidiary, following a pause in operations due to an October accident. Cruise has released the results of an external investigation, highlighting leadership shortcomings and judgment errors.

Cruise intends to resume operations in a single city, although the timing and location have not yet been disclosed.

Whiston predicts that GM will provide more details about Cruise’s future at an investor day in March, noting that the unit’s losses are expected to be much smaller in 2024 due to reduced spending.

A problem with the steering system of the 2024 Mazda CX-90 has led the Japanese manufacturer to recall over 43,700 units.

A recall notice from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reveals that owners of the new CX-90 may notice a sudden increase in steering effort. This is due to wear on the gear in the steering gearbox that transmits the assistance generated by the power steering motor.

Mazda states that they received their first field report regarding a potential steering problem in November 2022 and discovered in early 2023 that the issue was caused by grease being expelled from the gear teeth. They quickly implemented a fix by modifying the wheel teeth, but after a few months, it was determined that the improved parts also suffered from the same problem.

A second solution was then developed, which requires reducing the spring force applied to the worm wheel in order to prevent excess grease from being expelled from the gear teeth. The affected models are those produced between December 27, 2022, and December 11, 2023.

The first electric Porsche Macan is coming with a new platform, a new driver display system, and a seriously powerful transmission.

Porsche will offer the electric Macan in two versions for 2024. There is the Macan 4, which generates 402 horsepower and 479 lb-ft of torque with its two overpowered electric motors, and the Turbo Macan with 630 horsepower and 833 lb-ft of torque. The slower of the two reaches 100 km/h in 5.2 seconds, while the turbo only takes 3.3 seconds.

Compared to the gasoline model, which Porsche will continue to build with the old design, these are significant performance improvements. The fastest gasoline Macan is the GTS model with 434 horsepower, while the Macan and Macan T produce less than 300 horsepower.

Porsche is using its new Premium Platform Electric, developed in partnership with Audi. It features a 100 kWh battery and an 800V electrical system that allows it to charge up to 270 kW. Porsche claims it can go from 10 to 80% charge in 21 minutes and can charge at 11 kW in level 2.

The body is clearly Porsche, although the high and closed nose is awkward. The headlights and shape combine the EV Taycan with the Porsche SUV design for a recognizable model, even if it doesn’t instantly please.
This Macan is about the same size as the old gasoline model but offers a bit more cargo space inside. It also has a front compartment of 84 liters. The driver and passengers sit lower, which means an even lower center of gravity and more space in the cabin.

The dashboard is a familiar 12.6-inch screen found in other current Porsches. A 10.9-inch screen handles infotainment, and there is an optional 10.9-inch screen for the passenger that can be used to stream videos. The screens use a new infotainment system for Porsche, with improved voice assistant performance and the addition of augmented reality to the head-up display.

The Macan electric comes standard with Porsche Active Suspension Management’s air suspension. This includes new dampers with a wider range between comfort and firmness. Rear-wheel steering is optional, a first for the Macan line.

The 2024 Porsche Macan 4 starts at $99,300, roughly the same price as the 2024 GTS gasoline model. The Macan Turbo starts at $125,300, and deliveries are expected to begin in the second half of this year. Expect full information on range figures and options shortly before deliveries commence.