Motorsport

Check Out This Life-Size Tesla Model 3 Hot Wheels We Helped Create

Editor’s note: Our European colleagues at Motor1 and InsideEVs Italy have all the fun! They teamed up with several brands, including Hot Wheels, to create this very cool car that brings out the kid in all of us. Here’s the story of the Tesla Model 3 Hot Wheels.

If you are an enthusiast of any automotive genre, you likely played with Hot Wheels as a kid. Hell, you might play with Hot Wheels as an adult, and we’re totally on board with that. In fact, we’re so on board that we teamed up with Hot Wheels and other companies to create a car we can actually drive. Behold the Tesla Model 3 Hot Wheels, coming to you in 1:1 scale.

Tesla Model 3 Hot Wheels
Tesla Model 3 Hot Wheels
Tesla Model 3 Hot Wheels

This is the brainchild of our Italian editions for Motor1 and InsideEVs, and it certainly looks like a proper Hot Wheels car. It comes to life with a body wrap using a satin anodized blue base for the background – a proper Hot Wheels shade. Of course there’s a proper Hot Wheels logo along the sides, emblazoned in the classic red flag that spans a majority of the side. The wrap also features lightning bolts and the number 3, reflective of this being an electric Tesla Model 3. Why a Tesla you ask? Because small-scale Hot Wheels cars are silent, just like this large-scale version.

The customization doesn’t stop there. The Tesla Model 3 Hot Wheels rides on 19-inch OZ Racing Superturismo Aero-E wheels. These are specifically designed for high-performance electric cars, and they wear Goodyear F1 tires. And to give the Model 3 a bit more visual punch, it wears a modest carbon-fiber body kit including a spoiler and diffuser at the rear, and a splitter at the front. It’s a special kit that provides additional downforce without compromising the Model 3’s range.


Motorsport

Richard Hammond Crashes Another Car in New Grand Tour Trailer

The Grand Tour has released an extended clip from the upcoming Eurocrash special, which shows Richard Hammond crashing once again. Hammond was racing a Soviet-era open-wheel race car when a part fell off, causing the engine to blow up. Fortunately, he only suffered a hurt leg and was otherwise fine. The episode is set to premiere on June 16.

In the clip, Hammond starts off strong by quickly overtaking some cars ahead of him. He engages in a fierce battle with a bright blue car.


Motorsport

VW Explores Unique Versions of the Bulli, Including a Bus with Tracks

The Volkswagen Bus holds a significant place in the history of the company. It gained immense popularity and became an iconic vehicle for millions of people. In a new video, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles’ vintage division in Germany takes us on a journey through the model’s legacy. The video showcases some of the noteworthy models produced by the company.

One of the most fascinating VW Bulli variants featured in the video is a special 1968 T1 Kombi. This particular vehicle was equipped with half-tracks, making it truly unique. When it arrived at the facility, it was disassembled and came in three or four separate boxes containing individual parts. In the late 1960s and 1970s, the bus underwent a conversion that added two extra axles, with tracks wrapped around the rear two. This transformed the bus into a formidable off-road monster, primarily used in mountainous regions of Austria. It’s important to note that only the rear axle is powered, while the front two axles are used for steering.


Motorsport

Best Spy Shots For The Week Of June 12

Motor1.com regularly shares spy shots of upcoming vehicles, often on a daily basis. If you want to stay up-to-date on the latest developments, here is a list of all the vehicles that have been spotted in the past week.

According to Audi’s new naming system, the A4 will now be known as the A5. These spy shots capture the production-ready version of the A5 Sportback variant.


Motorsport

Stellantis Reduces Availability of Combustion-Only Vehicles in 14 States

Stellantis, the automaker, has made the decision to no longer stock combustion-only vehicles in 14 states across the United States. This choice is a response to the emissions regulations established by the California Air Resources Board, which are more stringent than the nationwide standards. However, customers in these 14 states can still place orders for gasoline-powered vehicles with Stellantis.

The company has announced that it will only allocate models with internal combustion engines and no electric support to dealerships if there are specific customer orders. On the other hand, dealerships in states that do not follow the California Air Resources Board regulations will no longer receive deliveries of plug-in hybrid models unless there are customer orders.

The 14 states that adhere to the emissions guidelines established by the California Air Resources Board are Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington.


Motorsport

2024 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro Introduces a New Terra Paint Color Resembling Lava

The 2024 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro now offers an exclusive Terra color option. This new addition joins the existing nine color choices available for the truck’s lineup.

Terra is a unique blend of brown and rusty red shades, creating a distinctive appearance. The fender flares, roof, grille, mirror caps, and hood scoop of the Tacoma TRD Pro are all black, contributing to a darker overall aesthetic.


Motorsport

Porsche Mission X Concept Reveals its Secrets in a Walkaround Video

In celebration of its 75th anniversary, Porsche has bestowed upon itself a very special gift. The automaker unveiled the Mission X concept at its Museum in Zuffenhausen earlier this month—an all-electric hypercar that aims to become the fastest production vehicle to ever lap the Nurburgring. However, there is much more to this vehicle than just record-breaking ambitions, and a new video by TopGear provides us with all the details.

Our colleagues from TopGear were provided with the opportunity to spend some time with the Mission X in a location near Paris, France, free from any interruptions. Let’s begin with the major news—the likelihood of an official production version. Although Porsche has yet to officially confirm it, Porsche CEO Oliver Blume hinted at the strong possibility of a production decision being made within the next month, stating that there are “good opportunities.”


Motorsport

2023 Toyota Crown Receives Modifications from Tuner Including Quad Exhaust and Rear Wing

The world of Japanese tuning is expansive, and it’s not uncommon for Toyota to offer Gazoo Racing appearance packages for cars like the Prius and some minivans straight from the factory. Therefore, it’s no surprise that a domestic tuner has taken on the task of modifying the new Crown. Tom’s has customized the vehicle, starting by lowering the suspension to bring it closer to the ground.

This modification significantly changes the appearance of the car and aligns it more closely with the Crown Sedan that Toyota plans to release later this year in Japan. In addition to the suspension adjustment, Tom’s has added a substantial front spoiler lip, chunkier side skirts, and a sporty diffuser. However, the rear of the vehicle raises some questions. The quad exhaust tips and large wing may seem excessive.


Volkswagen

Sustainable and Affordable Batteries: PowerCo Develops “Gamechanger” Technology for Cell Production

PowerCo SE is planning to introduce a completely new manufacturing process in its battery cell production plants in Europe and Northern America. The new technology will significantly boost efficiency and sustainability in volume battery cell production. A subsidiary of Volkswagen Group and based in Salzgitter, Niedersachsen, the battery company aims to industrialize the so-called Dry Coating procedure. The technology allows a decrease in energy consumption of about 30 percent, internal tests have already proven successful. Together with German printing machine specialist Koenig & Bauer AG, PowerCo will further develop and industrialize the Dry Coating procedure.

Thomas Schmall, Group Board Member for Technology at Volkswagen AG and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of PowerCo SE, said, “Technologies like Dry Coating showcase PowerCo’s technological prowess. We have the necessary know-how and the right experts to take cell production to a new level and offer significant cost advantages to our customers. Our objective is to establish an industrial production of sustainable and affordable batteries.”

To achieve this goal, PowerCo and Koenig & Bauer have signed a Joint Development Agreement. Together they will develop a roller press for powder coating electrodes at a large industrial scale. The Dry Coating procedure allows manufacturing electrodes without wet-coating and subsequently drying them at high costs. With the new procedure, the most energy-intensive part of cell manufacturing and the use of chemical solvents are no longer required. PowerCo is already testing and optimizing the technology in a pilot line in one of its laboratories in Northern Germany. As a printing specialist, Koenig & Bauer will develop a machine for the industrial powder coating.

According to PowerCo estimates, the new technology has the potential of saving about 30 percent of energy as well as 15 percent of required floor space, resulting in saving hundreds of millions of Euros each year. Frank Blome, CEO of PowerCo SE, stated, “What the solid-state cell is to the product, Dry Coating is to production – a real game changer. If scaled successfully, it will give us a unique position on the market and definite competitive advantages.”

Powder instead of Slurry: Specifics of the Dry Coating Procedure

The electrodes (cathode and anode) are the “centerpiece” of the battery cell, defining energy density and battery performance. In modern industrial electrode production, the battery materials are mixed with additives and liquid solvents to form a slurry. Afterwards, they are coated onto foils of copper or aluminum, then dried and calendered.

PowerCo’s Dry Coating procedure allows for calendering the powdery basic materials directly onto the foil, similar to a printing procedure. As a result, two of the four process steps in electrode manufacturing become obsolete. The powder coating can be applied onto the foil in an extremely fine and even manner, resulting in a layer that is about as thin as a hair. This guarantees excellent spatial energy density and a long life cycle, while improving the fast-charging ability of the battery.

Breakthrough for Green Batteries

The new technology reduces the required floor space by 15 percent, which has an enormous saving potential. Per building block of a regular Gigafactory with a production capacity of 20 GWh, four parallel coating and drying lines can be saved, equaling an area of 7,000 square meters. As a result, the exterior length of the plant can be reduced by about 100 meters. Not having to operate the energy-intensive drying furnaces and suction systems will save energy equivalent to the annual consumption of 40,000 private households.

Furthermore, the use of chemical solvents that have to be laboriously recycled at high energy costs in silo-like towers outside the plants is no longer necessary.

Koenig & Bauer: Leading Printing Press Manufacturer Worldwide

As the oldest manufacturer of printing presses in the world, Koenig & Bauer offers the industry’s largest product portfolio. The core competency of our partner is the manufacturing of technologically innovative and cost-efficient printing systems. The new processing technology is expected to exit the development stage at the end of 2024. For the time after, exclusive rights have been agreed upon. The contractual details are confidential, and separate agreements have also been made. The estimated start of production is 2026/2027. PowerCo’s Chief Operation Officer Sebastian Wolf stated, “Our plants are designed for quick and easy retrofits. In total, we have anticipated about 30 foreseeable innovations in products and production, so we are able to adjust our plants to all relevant new processes as soon as they enter the market.”

The game changer in battery cell production: Dry Coating

The game changer in battery cell production: Dry Coating

ToyotaUk

Crafting a Vision: Calty Design Research and the Colorful Legacy of the TRD Pro Series

Color has a powerful impact on our emotions and perceptions. In the world of automotive design, color plays a vital role in conveying a vehicle’s identity and appeal. For Toyota’s Calty Design Research team, the development of a signature color for the TRD Pro series is a testament to their artistic vision and commitment to innovation. Let’s take a closer look at the captivating story behind the TRD Pro color for the 2024 model year – Terra.

The Genesis of Calty Design Research

In 1973, Shoichiro Toyoda established Calty Design Research, the first major automotive design studio by a Japanese automaker in North America. This demonstrated Toyota’s recognition of the importance of design in shaping the future of mobility. With locations in Newport Beach, California, and Ann Arbor, Michigan, Calty has been at the forefront of Toyota’s design revolution, leaving its mark on numerous models produced by Toyota.

Color selection for the TRD Pro series involves a team effort that includes collaboration with various departments such as planning, marketing, engineering, and manufacturing. Sellene Lee, CMF senior lead designer at Calty’s Newport Beach location, describes it as a fun challenge to find a color that aligns with everyone’s vision.

The Art of Selecting the Annual TRD Pro Color

Each year, Calty’s team takes on the exciting challenge of developing a new TRD Pro color. This exclusive color is available only on select TRD Pro series vehicles and embodies their unique blend of power, toughness, and style. The selection process involves ensuring that the chosen color looks good on all four models (Tundra, Sequoia, 4Runner, and Tacoma). It’s a complex process that involves analyzing market trends, understanding consumer insights, and letting creativity flow. Past TRD Pro colors include Quicksand in 2016, Voodoo Blue in 2019, and Lime Rush in 2022.

Once a color is chosen, the real challenge begins – perfecting the science behind the paint. Factors like temperature, humidity, and equipment can affect the color outcome, so it’s essential to ensure that the final color matches the initial intention. Sometimes, it takes several attempts to fine-tune the color to achieve the desired result.

The most recent TRD Pro series color, Solar Octane, is a vibrant orange inspired by a bright sunbeam. The color incorporates a dash of pearl for a captivating effect in sunlight, reflecting Toyota’s commitment to design excellence.

The TRD Pro Color Odyssey Continues

The future of the TRD Pro color palette is as exciting as its past. Calty and Toyota are always listening to customers and using their insights to fuel creative inspiration. The TRD Pro series colors symbolize the vehicles’ exceptional off-road capabilities, durability, and spirit of adventure. Each model year, a new color tells a unique story, carrying forward Calty’s legacy of exceptional design. Benjamin Jimenez, general manager of Calty in Ann Arbor, teases that customers can expect the unexpected as they look forward to the colors of the future.