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| The Optiq is the smallest revealed of Cadillac's "IQ" EV SUVs. |
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| Roughly a 2014 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe with what looks to be Vogue wheels and matte paint on it. Nice! |
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| Hyundai Elantra N - first one I've seen in the wild. |
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| Lincoln Mark LT - every time I see one of these, I have to basically get a picture because I'm like "Lincoln really made not one, but TWO pickup trucks in my lifetime!" |
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| Might be hard to tell, but this truck-looking vehicle off in the distance is a Dodge Rampage, only made for 1983 and 1984! I'll put a link to an article below on the Rampage. |
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| This is the 2023 Cadillac Escalade V - the ESV variant. Its the first I've seen in the wild that was owned by an actual customer, and its exhaust is LOUD AND PROUD. As it should be. |
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| Modified Jeep Gladiator |
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| Dodge Stealth - haven't seen one of these, especially a mint one, in forever! Very 90s chic styling. |
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| Saab 9-3 sedan |
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| This may look like a normal Equinox, but look more closely at the little blue "TD" next to the "Equinox" lettering. This is a diesel Equinox! Very rare, along with the Chevy Cruze Diesel - both stopped production after 2019. The only similar thing more rare than this is likely a GMC Terrain Diesel. |
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| Classic Chrysler 300! I hope Chrysler lets the modern 300 nameplate stick around for at least awhile longer (with a redesign and an electrified variant). |
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| K5 Blazer! |
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| The looks to be a customized 2007 Subaru Outback XT. |
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| Here's a valuable Pontiac: the G8 GXP |
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| Here's some prototypes of the Hummer EV SUV testing. |
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| The 11th generation of the Ford Thunderbird was made from 2002-2005. This owner had their Thunderbird registered as a classic car since it was 20 years old, allowing them to not have to put tags on it. I'm thinking of doing the same for my Bravada when its 20 years old. But note - you have to only drive it a certain amount of miles per year to qualify. |
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| This is most definitely the new Dodge Hornet (a.k.a. the Alfa Romeo Tonale) crossover undergoing testing. The taillights match Dodge's current design language and this was near Auburn Hills, Michigan when I got this picture. The Tonale has different rear taillights, but a similar headlight design. |
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The Telluride is one of the fastest selling vehicles in North America, and it routinely has some of the largest markups and lowest inventory at dealers too. I see some on roads, but not many in the grand scheme of things. This Telluride here has custom brake calipers.
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| Nissan's sports coupe is due for a redesign and its coming very soon. |
Images of the 2022 Nissan 400Z have been leaked online! What do you think? Word is that this new sports coupe will have 400 HP, hence its name.
Update 3/27/21: The Nissan 400Z might just be called the “Z” and start around $35,000. It’s primary competitor would be the Toyota Supra 3.0.
Copyright © 2021 Adam's Autos, All Rights Reserved.
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| Sometimes Toyota and Lexus are hit or miss with styling I feel, but recent models have been better. And you can always count on the fact that they'll be reliable. |
I admit, I've been critical of Toyota and Lexus in the past. I've always felt like their cars are somewhat boring, but over-styled (especially Lexus). But I must say, I like the looks of the 2021 Lexus IS and Toyota Venza. They're quite interesting! If they make a Venza Prime in the future, I'd be all over that (all 2021 Venzas are hybrids with eAWD). I'd even consider a Lexus IS with AWD in the future. You know Toyota and Lexus always have made reliable vehicles, so if the styling fits as well, I say its an easy buy!
Copyright © 2021 Adam's Autos, All Rights Reserved.
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| Toyota may drop some famous model names while redesigning a popular one. |
Toyota is a company that plays it very safe with their cars.
They rarely outright discontinue products I’ve noticed. However, it appears as
if there a couple of models that are making an exit soon in Toyota’s portfolio.
One is the Land Cruiser, which might exit the U.S. market after 2021. If this
is true, this marks the end of one of the longest running nameplates in
America. This is akin to the Chevrolet Suburban line ending production! Toyota
sold its first Land Cruiser in America in 1958. Its worth noting that Lexus
will continue to offer the LX, the Land Cruiser’s luxurious cousin.
Toyota may also drop the Crown sedan, which we don’t get in
America, but is their longest-running model in their global portfolio. The
Crown is a large, four-door RWD sedan used as a police car, taxi, personal
vehicles and more in Japan. Think of it as Japan’s “Ford Crown Victoria”. As
you can imagine, sales for the Crown these days are poor due to SUV demand,
even in Japan. Rumor is that the Crown name might be reborn on a new crossover
based on the Highlander. That ought to make fans of the Crown very, very happy
I’m sure…
Finally, a new Tundra is on the way. We know this because it’s
been spotted testing in camouflage. It seems like the 2022 Toyota Tundra will
have a new interior design, front end design, and other new styling elements.
Its rumored that the new Tundra will come with a twin-turbo V6 engine. I also
wouldn’t be surprised to see a hybrid model at some point with eAWD (or 4WD),
since Toyota seems to be going big on this setup lately, like on the RAV4
Hybrid. Offering a twin-turbo V6 powertrain and an eAWD setup would allow
Toyota to compete with the new 2021 F-150 Hybrid while potentially offering
class-leading fuel economy figures.
Toyota seems to be more about slow innovation than
groundbreaking statements in my opinion. Hate it or love it, this is a strategy
that has worked well for them thus far. It’ll be interesting to see how
dropping historic nameplates such as Land Cruiser and Crown while continuously
innovating for an electrified future will shift the company.
Copyright © 2021 Adam's Autos, All Rights Reserved.
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| The 2021 Ford Bronco and Bronco Sport are looking to shake up the off-roading scene and rekindle some nostalgia. |
Ford has taken the wraps off its highly anticipated Bronco
and Bronco Sport SUVs, so let’s talk about each briefly and then I’ll show you
which one I’d consider for myself.
Bronco:
The revived Ford Bronco is aimed at the Jeep Wrangler and is built on a high-strength steel platform. There will be two and four-door models and engines offered will be a 2.3L turbo inline four-cylinder making 270 HP and 310 lb.-ft. of torque and a 2.7L turbo V6 making 310 HP and 400 lb.-ft. of torque. While the 2.7L V6 will have a 10-speed automatic, the 2.3L I4 will have a 10-speed automatic or an optional 7-speed manual transmission. Broncos will only have 4 wheel-drive with an independent front suspension and a solid rear axle. The advanced 4WD setup has a two-speed electric transfer case with a heavy-duty Dana rear axle and available front and rear locking differentials. The roof and doors on both the two and four-door Broncos can be removed for a “drop top style” ride. Ford’s SYNC 4 infotainment will be standard and includes several preloaded trails and allows users to share their off-road journeys as well. Of course, many skid plates, rock rails and other accessories will be offered through Ford (and I’m sure aftermarket as well as time passes).
Bronco Sport:
The Bronco Sport is aimed at the Jeep Renegade, Compass, and Cherokee among other “rugged” compact crossovers, such as the Toyota RAV4 Adventure and RAV4 TRD Off-Road. Unlike its big brother Bronco, the Bronco Sport is only offered as a four-door model. Trim levels are shared with the larger Bronco and are called Base, Big Bend, Outer Banks, Badlands, and the limited run First Edition. Lower trims will have Ford’s 1.5L EcoBoost 3-cylinder engine making 181 HP and 190 lb.-ft. of torque. Badlands and First Edition models get a 2.0L EcoBoost turbo I4 making 245 HP and 250 lb.-ft. of torque. Both engines have an 8-speed automatic transmission. The Bronco Sport will have an independent front and rear suspension, and on the Badlands and First Edition models you will get an advanced 4x4 system with a twin-clutch rear-drive unit and differential-lock. Drive modes are called “G.O.A.T.” (which means ‘goes over any type of terrain’ - this is also found in the bigger Bronco) and include Normal, Eco, Sport, Slippery, and Sand. Mud/Ruts, Trail Control, and Rock Crawl drive modes are included in the Badlands and First Edition models. Ford Co-Pilot360, which is Ford’s active safety package and ADAS, is standard across the Bronco Sport lineup.
Ford seems to be turning the Bronco into its own family within the Ford lineup. Reservations for the Bronco and Bronco Sport can be made for $100 on Ford’s website. You can build your dream Bronco Sport now. Speaking of which…
How I Would Buy It: 2021 Bronco Sport
The bigger Bronco isn’t quite my style, but here’s how I’d
get a Bronco Sport.
-Trim: Outer Banks
-Exterior Color: Alto Blue ($395)
-Interior Color: Ebony/Brown Leather Seats
-Features: 4WD, power passenger seat, reverse sensing system, heated
seats, heated steering wheel, cargo mat, Sync 3, SiriusXM Radio, front and rear
floor liners, class II trailer tow package ($495)
-Price: $35,095
Verdict: To me, this trim strikes the best value in the Bronco Sport lineup, since it has everything I’d personally want. 4WD, heated seats, a heated steering wheel, leather seats, and rugged looks make for a compelling package, along with sharp blue paint. Jeep would be smart to offer larger engine choices in the Compass, specifically.
Will you be reserving and buying a Bronco, and are you excited
for its return? The off-roading game is about to get interesting!
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| SPOTTED: Ford Transit Connect and Bronco Sport prototypes |
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| Seen in Metro Detroit - The 2021 F-150 and Mustang Mach-E |
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The 2021 Ford F-150 (top) will feature a desk in the front seats that can be used when the shifter is folded away. The Ford Mustang Mach-E (bottom) will feature a 15.5-inch touchscreen and B&O premium audio. Both vehicles will offer Ford's next generation Sync 4 infotainment software. What are your impressions of each? Is using the Mustang name on an EV SUV too controversial?
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