The Acura ARX-06 LMDh prototype has made its first foray into its natural habitat, the racetrack. The new hypercar successfully completed two days of testing at France’s Paul Ricard circuit.

These are our best photos yet of Acura’s latest generation of prototype racer. Set to compete in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s GTP class starting in 2023, the racecar will feature a hybrid powertrain, though details on it remain scant.

Driving duties during this test were handled by Wayne Taylor Racing driver Ricky Taylor and Honda Performance Development engineer Matt McMurry. Taylor is a two-time IMSA DPi champion and has won the Rolex 24 at Daytona with Acura.

Read Also: Acura Teases The Hybrid LMDh Hypercar It Will Race In IMSA Starting In 2023

McMurry, meanwhile, along with being a Vehicle Performance engineer, is also a successful racer. He has competed at Le Mans three times and won the IMSA GTD Drivers’ Championship in 2020. During this test, he led development work on several software control systems that will be utilized by the ARX-06.

“Of course, it is still early days, but I would have to say we’re quite pleased with the results of both the initial shake-down runs last week at Paul Ricard; followed by two days this weekend, which ran into the night both on Saturday and Sunday,” said David Salters, HPD President and Technical Director. “Everyone on our team from ORECA, HPD, the Wayne Taylor and Meyer Shank organizations, worked together extraordinarily well in preparing for and conducting these initial runs. Now the truly hard work begins!”

The car’s name, ARX-06, stands for “Acura Racing eXperimental, generation 6,” according to the brand. As that suggests, it follows in the footsteps of prototype racers that have previously led Acura to IMSA DPi championships in 2019 and 2020, as well as overall victories at the Rolex 24 at Daytona in 2021 and 2022.

Based on a chassis designed by ORECA, the Acura ARX-06 is just the latest LMDh racecar to start being revealed to the public this summer. It will compete against the likes of Porsche and Cadillac in 2023.

Tesla profits have jumped on the back of price hikes across its range despite encountering production issues.

Second quarter results published by the electric car manufacturer reveal that net income jumped to $2.26 billion compared with $1.14 billion in the second quarter of 2021. Tesla's operating income also improved to $2.5 billion in the second quarter, resulting in a 14.6 per cent operating margin.

Tesla ended the quarter with $18.9 billion in cash, cash equivalents and short-term marketable securities, an increase of $902 million over the previous quarter. The company also revealed that as of the end of Q2, it had converted approximately 75 per cent of its Bitcoin purchases into fiat currency, adding $936 million of cash to its balance sheet.

Read Also: Tesla Ordered To Pay $10.5M Over Fatal 116MPH Model S Crash Despite Being Found Only 1 Percent At Fault

"We continued to make significant progress across the business during the second quarter of 2022," the carmaker said. "Though we faced certain challenges, including limited production and shutdowns in Shanghai for the majority of the quarter, we achieved an operating margin among the highest in the industry of 14.6%, positive free cash flow of $621M and ended the quarter with the highest vehicle production month in our history."

While Tesla may have ended the quarter strongly, total Q2 production topped out at 258,580 units, down from the 305,407 vehicles produced in the first quarter and the 305,840 that were built in the fourth quarter of 2021. Total deliveries also dropped from 310,048 in Q1 2022 to 254,695 in Q2 2022.

Tesla reiterated its ambitions growth plans in its investor relations statements.

"We plan to grow our manufacturing capacity as quickly as possible," the company said. "Over a multi-year horizon, we expect to achieve 50% average annual growth in vehicle deliveries. The rate of growth will depend on our equipment capacity, factory uptime, operational efficiency and the capacity and stability of the supply chain."

Porsche’s long-awaited initial public offering may arrive at a steep discount due to fears of recession, energy shortages, and the ongoing war in Ukraine.

The German automaker's IPO has been in the works for quite some time and some bankers involved had valued it at more than €80 billion ($81.89 billion). However, two unnamed individuals involved in the listing claim that a large markdown may be required, noting that Porsche may need to settle for as little as €60 billion ($61 billion).

Reuters suggests that the current owners of Porsche have differing views on how much it is worth, while a separate source revealed that investors have yet to agree on a valuation formula. Porsche's chief finance officer Lutz Meschke recently noted that the car manufacturer was "financially resilient" and that revenues in 2022 should rise to €38 billion ($38.69 billion), up from the €33 billion ($33.6 billion) of 2021, even though deliveries have fallen by 5 per cent.

Read Also: Porsche Confirms New Electric Flagship SUV, Will Debut In The Mid-2020s

Bernstein Research says that Porsche could be valued at between €55 billion ($56 billion) and €100 billion ($101.8 billion), setting a fair value at roughly €75 billion ($76 billion) while noting that it is a "great company but not Ferrari."

Reuters also spoke with a top-20 Volkswagen shareholder who wasn't particularly keen on the IPO, noting that only a small amount of stock will be sold meaning new shareholders will have little influence.

Important bankers behind the deal will survey market conditions at the end of August with a final Porsche board decision to come after. Sources suggest that an IPO date on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange is likely towards the end of the third quarter or early in the fourth quarter.

A key motivator for Porsche to go public are its electric vehicle plans. The car manufacturer wants EVs to account for 80 per cent of its sales by 2030 and the funds generated by an IPO will help to finance this shift.

This is the 2023 Civic Type R, the most powerful R-branded Honda road car ever built, and arguably the most important enthusiasts' machine of the year.

The sixth Civic Type R since the series was launched in 1997 is based on the latest 11th generation Civic hatch, but it closely follows the template established by the previous R model that was launched in 2017. And that means, unlike the Civic Si, which comes only as a sedan, that the hottest Civic is very definitely a hatch.

There had been some wild speculation during the new model’s early development that it might switch to all-wheel drive, along with some slightly more believable predictions that the 2023 machine would adopt a hybrid setup, or offer a dual-clutch transmission. But the car as delivered is simpler, more familiar, and probably all the better for it from a driver’s perspective.

More Power But Same Philosophy

Honda has stuck with the existing K20 2.0-litre turbo engine and six-speed manual transmission, making only detail improvements to both, though those changes mean the 2023 R generates even more power. Exactly how much of an advance it makes on the outgoing U.S.-spec FK8’s 306 hp (310 PS) and 295 lb-ft (400 Nm) of torque (Japanese and European versions were rated at 316 hp/320 PS) Honda isn’t saying just yet. But whatever it kicks out it once again sends to the front wheels through a mechanical limited slip differential.

Related: Honda Reveals New 2022 Civic Si With 200 HP Turbo And Type R's Rev-Matching Tech

No performance figures are available, and Honda hasn't released a weight figure to help us accurately estimate them, but the 2023 car is likely to shortcut the crazy (for a FWD car) 4.9 seconds the old Type R required to reach 60 mph (96 km/h) in Car & Driver's hands, and guaranteed to be quicker on any track you care to name. It has already set a new production-car record for a front-wheel drive car at the Suzuka Circuit in Japan, though recovering its Nürburgring crown by beating the smokin' 7 min 20 seconds time set by the Lynk & Co 03 Cyan Concept in 2019 might be too much to ask.

If you fancy having a go yourself you'll be able to track your progress using the Honda LogR data logger that displays real-time information on the car's behavior and is backed by a digital stopwatch. You can even share your driving videos from the comfort of your all-red Type R bucket seats, which are upholstered in a suede-style fabric to prevent you sliding around during high-G maneuvers.

Premium Materials, Full Digital Gauge Pack

The polished metal gear shifter looks like a carryover from the old car, but almost everything else is new. The 11th generation Civic's horizontal dashboard design and 10.2-inch infotainment touchscreen gives the 2023 Type R a distinctly premium look, and is enhanced with a simple leather-wrapped steering wheel and a digital instrument cluster that can show two conventional engine- and road-speed dials in normal driving, or switch to a horizontal supercar-like tach-dominated layout when you engage the R+ driving mode. The finishing touch is the numbered Type R plaque, which moves from behind the gear shifter to a more prominent home on the honeycomb-pattern trim panel above the glovebox.

Smaller Wheels, Wider Tires

Honda hasn't yet detailed the chassis upgrades that turn the regular 11th-gen Civic into a Type R, or how this 2023 car improves on its predecessor, but it does describe the body as "lightweight and highly rigid", claiming that the driving feel is increased by "enhanced suspension and steering performance."

Which doesn't really mean anything, but the pictures show reveals some key changes. The image above shows four-piston Brembo monobloc calipers at the front end of the car gripping floating steel rotors that are neither drilled or grooved, which is what you’d find on the outgoing car. But look at the wheels. The old car rolled on 20-inch rims, but these are nineteens, which should mean they're lighter and have less rotational mass, and therefore improve handling. But to retain a decent footprint the rubber (in this case, Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S) moves from 245/30 ZR20 to 265/30 ZR19. If you want to geek out on how downsizing wheels and tires can affect handling, there's a great article on that subject and how it relates to the old FK8 Type R over at Road & Track.

Muscular Styling, But More Muted

Despite losing an inch of diameter, the 2023 car's rims fill the new fat fender flares just fine, and Honda also flared the doors to make sure the wide arches don't look like crude add-ons. It's great to see that Honda has ditched the nasty fake mesh bumper inserts that spoiled the last version's credibility, we welcome the return of the triple-tailpipe exhaust, and the new motorsport-inspired spoiler gets a big thumbs up.

Related: Does A Honda Civic Type R Have Any Hope Against A VW Golf R And BMW M240i?

But this Type R definitely has a more subtle vibe than its predecessors, and we can't help wondering if some Type R fans might wish it was a little more visually arresting, particularly given the reception given to Toyota's aggressive new GR Corolla. Picking the right paint might help out here: the 2023 Type R is available in Rallye Red, Racing Blue Pearl, Crystal Black Pearl, Sonic Grey Pearl and, of course, Championship White.

Exact prices and details of any available options and packs will be dished out closer to the fall-2022 on-sale date, but we expect the 2023 Civic Type R to come with an MSRP of around $40,000, making it slightly more affordable than the $44k Volkswagen Golf R.

Do you think Honda has hit the spot with the 2023 Civic Type R? Does it look aggressive enough and would you pick it over a GR Corolla or Golf R? Leave a comment and let us know.

BMW has announced pricing and specification details for the 2023 7-Series and i7 that have just landed in Australia.

Just a single variant of the 7-Series and i7 will be offered. On the ICE front is the 740i, priced from AU$268,900 ($185,720) locally while the i7 takes the form of the xDrive60, starting from AU$297,900 ($205,774).

Slotted under the hood of the BMW 740i is a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six petrol engine with 48-volt mild-hybrid technology that pumps out a total of 280 kW (375 hp) and 540 Nm (398 lb-ft) of torque, all of which is funneled to the rear wheels courtesy of an eight-speed Steptronic transmission. The powertrain includes a 48-volt electric motor/generator that delivers a boost of up to 9 kW (12 hp) and 200 Nm (147 hp) and also serves as the starter motor.

This 48-volt system then recuperates kinetic energy during coasting and braking and converts it into electrical energy when the car is in generator or motor reverse cycle modes.

Read Also: 2023 BMW 7-Series "The First Edition" Is A Luxurious Flagship For Japan Only

Among the key standard features of the new 740i are 20-inch wheels, remote engine start, tire pressure monitor, integral active steering, adaptive 2-axle air suspension, BMW Crystal Headlights, an illuminated kidney grille, panorama glass roof, M carbon fiber interior trim, Driving Assistant Professional, Parking Assistant Professional, Bowers and Wilkins Surround Sound system with 20-speakers, and an interior camera.

As for Australia's 2023 BMW i7 xDrive60, it features two electric motors that combine to produce 400 kW (536 hp) and 745 Nm (549 Nm) of torque. It sports a 106 kWh battery and is able to hit 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.7 seconds while traveling up to 625 km (388 miles) on a single charge. Australian customers will receive five years of complimentary Chargefox charging with the i7.

The i7 xDrive60 includes all the same basic features as the 740i but adds larger 21-inch M alloy wheels, the Executive Drive Pro system with Active Roll Stabilization and Active Roll Comfort technology, automatic doors, multifunction seats, executive lounge rear console, a 39-speaker Bowers and Wilkins Diamond Surround Sound system, and acoustic protection for pedestrians.

Zoox, an autonomous technology company owned by Amazon, said on Tuesday that it is preparing to launch a robotaxi business in California. It will apply for a permit to operate the vehicl, that has no steering wheel or pedals, in the state, reports Reuters.

"We really invested the extra time and resources to build a vehicle that doesn’t require exemptions and then that basically lets us control our own destiny and also deploy our vehicles at scale," Jesse Levison, the company’s co-founder and chief technology officer, said.

Zoox ultimately wants to move people, saying that robotaxis will be more lucrative than, say, using the autonomous vehicles to deliver packages.

"We can compete with, for example, Uber and Lyft and make money and be very cost competitive even in the early days of this technology," Levison said.

Read Also: GM's Cruise Gets First Permit In California To Carry Paying Passengers In Driverless Cars

On July 11, Zoox announced that it had become the first company to self-certify a purpose-built, fully autonomous passenger vehicle known as the VH6. The all-electric autonomous vehicle looks like many of the concepts proposed by other automakers, featuring a toaster-like body shape outside and four seats that face each other inside.

Zoox said that it has created a vehicle that complies with FMVSS requirements, and therefore satisfies all regulatory requirements to operate on public roads. It says that it subjected the vehicle to physical tests, computer simulations, and engineering analyses to ensure it meets these criteria.

"Self-certification of a purpose-built vehicle that does not rely on traditional human driver controls is a historic milestone in the autonomous vehicle industry," said Dr. Mark Rosekind, Chief Safety Innovation Officer, in a statement. "Safety is foundational to everything we do at Zoox, and this achievement is a testament to this mindset."

Other competitors, such as GM’s autonomous vehicle company, Cruise, have opted to apply for a special exemption from U.S. regulators in order to test their autonomous vehicles on the road. Doing this, though, places limits on the number of vehicles that can be manufactured, as well as the period of production.

Cruise argues, however, that it is a more transparent process that keep regulators in the loop. Indeed, it became the first company to earn a license to operate a robotaxi service in California that can charge for rides, albeit that announcement was quickly followed by a letter from an alleged whistleblower who called the company’s safety culture “chaotic.”

As EVs began to make their way into the mainstream about 10 years ago, one big question on everyone’s mind was how these cars would hold up over time. And thanks to a new video by Out of Spec Reviews, we can get a sense of exactly that.

The video covers a 2017 Tesla Model X 100D with over 200,000 miles (321,869 km) on it, which we’d say is a sufficiently well-traveled vehicle. On top of that, the owner of the vehicle said 65 to 80 percent of his charges were at Superchargers and other fast-charging stations, which would theoretically deteriorate the battery more than standard ones.

The result of all that? Only a 9.8 percent reduction in battery capacity. When new, the car’s battery was rated at 93.7 kWh of available energy, and now, after 5 years, 200,000 miles, and plenty of hard charging, the battery still hold around 85.4 kWh.

See Also: Tesla Model X Somehow Falls Into A Marina, Starts Releasing Bubbles And Smoke On The Water

Read More: Tesla Must Reimburse German Owner After Court Rules Autopilot Could Pose "Massive Danger"

That’s pretty impressive if you ask us. And not only that, but since the video was filmed in Germany, the owner mentioned that just before the day of filming he was able to take the Model X out on the Autobahn, and it had no trouble getting up to its top speed.

Aside from the battery and powertrain, there are a few points of wear on the car, but nothing too out of the ordinary for its age and mileage. The body is in good shape, the interior’s upholstery is only slightly wrinkled, and there’s minor surface rust around some of the areas of the car that open up. The only major issue is that the leather on the steering wheel has begun to deteriorate after such frequent use.

Overall, though, according to the owner, all the parts that wore out did so like they would on normal cars, and it was actually the unconventional powertrain that showed the best longevity.

Toyota is rumored to be working on a new electric MR2 sports car, but beyond a few concept teasers there's little sign it will be here anytime soon. Which means you’ve definitely got time to get your mid-engined rocks off in this good-as-new first-generation MR2 while you wait for the genuinely new one to arrive.

Registered in Northern Ireland in 1990, it's one of the last of the angular series 1 cars, that being the year the curvier, second generation model arrived, and it's covered only 1,377 miles (2,216 km) since. You might conclude that the first owner didn't really take to the car, except that he decided to keep it for 31 years, only parting company with it in 2021, so maybe it was more a case of not being able to bear seeing it get worn out through use.

It's certainly not worn out. Having covered the equivalent of six weeks of normal mileage in three decades, it's in stunning condition, and if that odometer read zero miles you'd be inclined to believe it based on these images. The white paint is blemish-free, and unlike the same-color, same-year example I owned almost 20 years ago you can bet the underside doesn't contain more mig weld than floorpan metal.

The gray velour interior is equally tidy and free from mods, right down to the funky fingertip-operated rotary dials for lights and wipers located either side of an instrument binnacle housing a rev counter that's redlined at 7,700 rpm. That was a fairly serious rev limit for the 1980s and made possible because Toyota's legendary 4A-GE 1.6-liter four is slotted behind the seats.

Related: Did You Know Zagato Once Designed A Toyota MR2-Based Model?

This is the same 16-valve motor fitted to the front-engined, rear-wheel drive AE86 Corolla GT coupe and AE82 front-wheel drive Corolla GT hot hatch, and was rated at 120 hp (122 PS) and 105 lb-ft (143 Nm) in Europe, which didn't get the punchier supercharged MR2 available in North America. That torque output looks laughably small but thanks to final drive gearing better suited to eighth-mile drag racing than freeway use, the MR2 could dispatch 60 mph (96 km/h) in 8 seconds.

We've no doubt the all-new electric MR2 will be substantially quicker, but it might not be substantially more expensive. UK-based dealer Appreciating Classics wants £34,999 ($42,162) for this pristine 1990 car, making it almost exactly the same price as a U.S-spec 2022 GR Supra ($43,540), and the kind of money we’d love to see Toyota ask for the next MR2 to keep it attainable.

Decades ago the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle, otherwise known as the Humvee, made its name on the battlefield. It was so noteworthy that it spawned production models built for the public and today has been reincarnated as the GMC Hummer EV. Now, in a move that seemingly brings the brand full circle, the United States Army has procured one production Hummer EV for testing.

While it’s obvious that the commercial automotive market is making a transition to electrified vehicles, government entities tend to move much slower. Still, we’ve seen some governmental agencies begin to make the switch and now the Army is following suit. Last week, we reported that upstart EV maker Canoo had been awarded a government contract to supply one vehicle to the Army for evaluation and now it seems that GM Defense, a subsidiary of GM, has also made that list according to a report in the Detroit Free Press.

While the company could’ve selected any EV in its arsenal, the Hummer EV is the obvious choice. In short, the big supertruck will provide the government with another potential candidate for future contracts. According to a document related to the deal, “The purpose of this requirement is to procure a new light to heavy duty Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) or series-hybrid electric wheeled vehicle, for Government analysis and demonstration.”

Read More: This Low-Mileage 2006 International CXT Dump Truck Will Let You Look Down On The New Hummer EV

So at this point, there’s no specific plan for what this Hummer EV or future ones would be used for. Despite that, the same document lays out what the Army is looking for long-term citing the “need to incorporate a scalable and adaptable capability that reduces reliance on fossil fuels both in the operational and garrison environments for the Army. The vehicle will also demonstrate the ability to effectively generate, store and distribute power to the Soldier.”

"Leveraging GM's advanced technology, this demonstration will prove to our U.S. Army customer what an all-electric supertruck can do and how the underlying technology can be leveraged for future defense needs, whether on an installation or in a tactical environment," said the president of GM Defense, Steve duMont.

GM Defense has already won a number of government contracts since it was created in 2017 so now we await to see what the Army makes of the Hummer EV.

Ford will reportedly cut up to 8,000 jobs in the coming weeks as it continues its march towards an electric vehicle future.

Unnamed sources with information about the plan asserts that the majority of the job cuts will come from the Ford Blue unit that handles the production of the carmaker's internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. Ford is also said to be targeting cuts at other salaried operations.

Bloomberg reports that the job cuts are expected to begin this summer and may come in phases. Most of the cuts are expected to be made from its 31,000-strong U.S. workforce and will involve Ford's salaried ranks in a host of different operational functions.

Ford has denied requests to comment on possible job cuts, simply noting that it is looking at ways to cut costs and expands its presence in the EV market.

"As part of this, we have laid out clear targets to lower our cost structure to ensure we are lean and fully competitive with the best in the industry," Ford chief communications officer Mark Truby said.

Read Also: Ford Announces $3.7B Investment And 6,200 New Union Jobs In Michigan, Ohio, And Missouri

Ford chief executive Jim Farley has previously committed to cut $3 billion in costs by 2026 and wants to turn Ford Blue into "the profit and cash engine for the entire enterprise."

"We have too many people," Farley added in February. "This management team firmly believes that our ICE and BEV portfolios are under-earning."

Ford revealed that it will boost spending on EVs to $50 billion and intends on building 2 million electric vehicles annually by 2026. Funding the automaker's electric growth will be its combustion-powered vehicles.

"The funding for that $50 billion, it's all based on our core automotive operations," Farley said. "That's why we created a separate group called Ford Blue, because we need them to be more profitable to fund this."

Buying your first car is a big deal, but sometimes it's not a smooth process.

That's especially true these days thanks to skyrocketing inflation and low inventory levels. However, TikTok’s Summar Marie faced an entirely different set of issues.

In a clip noticed by Tire Meets Road, a Sunridge Nissan salesperson makes an over-the-top announcement celebrating Summar's purchase of a Versa. While that would have been embarrassing enough for most people, the salesperson then directed her to kick the massive gong that resides in the middle of the showroom.

Also Watch: Nothing To See Here, Just Another Ford Mustang Drifting And Getting Stuck On The Median

@summar.marie

Buying my first car went… embarrassing, to say the least watch until the end! #bigkick #belairdirectdrivechallenge #trending #fyp #nissan #embarrassing #foryou #canada #firstcar

♬ original sound – Summar Marie

Following a countdown, Summar kicks the gong and things quickly take a turn for the worse. Instead of loudly ringing out, the stand holding the gong tips over and smashes onto the hood of a Nissan Maxima, before falling to the ground.

Everyone appears stunned in the initial aftermath, but the salesperson made a valiant effort to catch the gong. While this was ultimately unsuccessful, the dealership soon burst into laughter as this is certainly something you don't see every day.

Summar appears to be able to see the humor in the situation and an apparent dealership employee commented on the video saying, "I can honestly attest that no car was harmed in the making of this video. There was a rubber smudge, but it came right off. No scratch or dent!" Summar backed this account up by saying this "is what actually happened to the car." As for the gong, maybe it should be long gone.

An issue with Mercedes-Benz's MBUX infotainment system has prompted it to issue a recall for several thousand S-Class and EQS models in the United States.

The car manufacturer has revealed that deviations in the development processes of two different suppliers mean the MBUX system on certain vehicles may not operate as intended and fail to meet current production specifications. If the issue is present, the central display may not be activated as intended when the vehicle is unlocked.

In addition, the rearview camera image may not be displayed in the central display when the driver is reversing and instead, may remain black. The car then fails to meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard S5.5.3 that requires the rearview camera image to be available within 2 seconds of the reverse gear being selected and could, therefore, impair rear visibility that could increase the risk of a crash.

Read Also: Mercedes-Benz S-Class And EQS Get Software Fix As TV Could Be Watched While Driving

Mercedes-Benz received two field reports about a central display failure in November 2021 in EQS models and launched an investigation. It later initiated an investigation into S-Class models, noting that they too could experience the same issue.

The recall involves a total of 8,530 vehicles. They include a total of 13 Mercedes EQS 53 models built between July 13, 2020 and January 19, 2022, a further 13 EQS 580 models built between the same dates, a single EQS 450 built, 305 Mercedes S500s manufactured between July 13, 2020 and January 19, 2022, 8,019 examples of the 2021 S 580 built between the same dates, and 190 Mercedes-Maybach S580 units.

To resolve the issue, Mercedes-Benz dealerships will simply update the MBUX infotainment system. Dealers were notified of the impending recall on July 18, 2022 and owners will be notified before September 9, 2022.