Vehicle aerodynamics are as important as ever. As electric vehicles become a more significant portion of new cars available, automakers are trying to make them as slippery as possible to maximize their range. Companies have been working on reducing drag coefficients for decades. The AVT concept was BMW’s effort to show off a more aerodynamic exterior all the way back in 1981.

BMW Head of Design Domagoj Dukec went digging through the brand’s archives and came up with these seldom-seen images of the AVT for an Instagram post. He calls it “one of the most mysterious concept cars in the history of BMW.” According to Dukec, the company built it to have something exciting to show at the brand’s new wind tunnel at the time.

AVT stands for Aerodynamischer Versuchsträger, which translates from German as aerodynamic test vehicle. Being a design buck, there was no drivetrain or interior. It was simply a sculpture for wind tunnel testing.

The design features a low-slung nose that flows to the windshield in a clean arc. A tiny version of BMW’s trademark kidney grilles could be found on the tip of the front end. Pop-up headlights keep the hood looking smooth. 

Covers conceal the front wheels to keep the sides aerodynamic. There are flowing flanks that lead to wider rear fenders with fairings over them. Since there’s no interior, it’s unclear how the doors would open, but gullwing hinges appear to be the most likely layout.

The rear features a Kammback tail where the back slopes downward and then cuts off vertically. This type of styling reduces drag, which is the whole point of the AVT concept.

Dukec’s post is also interesting because it includes both sketches and photographs of the AVT. The car changed little in the transition from drawings to a three-dimensional model. The little vents in the lower front fascia and the NACA ducts ahead of the rear fenders didn’t make it to the real-world design.

The BMW’s shape has some similarities to the Volkswagen XL1. They share elements like smooth styling and fairings over the rear wheels. If you’re designing a vehicle to maximize its aerodynamics this is the silhouette for achieving that. Unlike the AVT, the XL1 had a limited production run, with deliveries beginning in 2014.

We reached out to BMW to find out the fate of the AVT today. A spokesperson told Motor1 that “usually, once non-running concepts like this have made the auto show circuit, they are either put into long-term storage or destroyed.” We look forward to finding out the fate of the AVT. We’ll be sure to update this article if we find out more.

In a culmination of extensive research spanning hundreds of hours and three rounds of voting, the 2024 North American Car, Truck, and Utility Vehicle of the Year award winners were officially disclosed. The announcement took place during a press conference jointly hosted by the Detroit Auto Dealers Association (DADA) and the Automotive Press Association (APA) at the M1 Concourse in Pontiac.

Securing the coveted title of North American Car of the Year was the Toyota Prius and Prius Prime duo, while the North American Truck of the Year accolade went to the Ford Super Duty. The Kia EV9 claimed the title of North American Utility Vehicle of the Year, rounding out the trio of winners in the respective categories.

“Our winners reflect the fact that a modern vehicle must be a combination of style, utility, and technology,” commented NACTOY President Jeff Gilbert. “I commend our fifty jurors for coming up with some excellent choices.”

NACTOY, commemorating its 30th anniversary this year, initiated the awards process in July by unveiling an initial list of 52 eligible vehicles. This list was further refined to 25 vehicles recognized as “The Best of 2024” at the Detroit Auto Show in September. Subsequently, the selection was narrowed down to a final set of 9 exceptional finalists, which were revealed at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

Last year, the Acura Integra won the car category, while the Ford F-150 Lightning was named Best Truck. Kia took home the title of Best SUV with the EV6. Back in 2022, the Ford Bronco grabbed the prize in the SUV segment, the Ford Maverick was crowned as best truck of the year, and the Honda Civic claimed the car of the year win.

Mugen has over 50 years of experience in tuning and motorsport. The company has turned its attention to the Civic Type R by bringing a pair of modified examples to the 2024 Tokyo Auto Salon that runs from January 12 through 14. They feature updated body kits and some mild performance tuning.

Mugen calls the two flavors of modified Civic Type R the Group A and Group B. For now, there’s only a single image of each car, but a video offers some additional details about each trim.

Honda Civic Type R Group A By Mugen

Honda Civic Type R Group B By Mugen

The Group A kit is the milder one of the pair. Mugen adds a more aggressive front splitter and gives the front corner inlets a sharper shape. There are revised side sills and a reshaped wing out back. While not visible in this photo, the back bumper also has some styling changes. In all, it looks like something Honda could come up with for a special edition Type R from the factory.

The Group B kit goes much further. It has the same front splitter and side inlets as the Group A, but there’s also a carbon-fiber hood with lots of vents and slits. The top of the front fenders have additional openings to vent air from the wheel wells, while broad side sills give the flanks a more muscular appearance. Out back you’ll find a tall wing and a modified bumper. The flamboyantly designed pieces give the Civic Type R a more stereotypical “tuner car” look that evokes the modded Civics from the early 2000s.

These kits are not purely about aesthetics. Mugen used computational fluid dynamics to tune the pieces to help the Civic Type R’s aerodynamic performance.

The upgrades aren’t limited to looks, either. Mugen is also developing new performance parts for the Type R. New dampers and BBS-sourced forged 19-inch wheels are part of the package. The Group A gets a stainless steel exhaust and new brake pads. The Group B has titanium pipes in addition to new brake calipers and rotors. 

Inside, the tuned Civic Type Rs feature a new steering wheel with Mugen branding on the bottom, bucket seats, a new shift knob, and carbon-fiber trim on the center console.

Mugen will announce pricing for these parts at the Tokyo Auto Salon. We should also get a better look at the cars to see how much the body kits alter the Type R’s appearance. 

Last year, two unlikely sports cars got the safari treatment: the Porsche 911 Dakar and the Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato. But so far as we can tell, nobody has ever turned the iconic Nissan R32 GT-R into an off-roader – until now.

Inspired in part by the 911 Dakar, YouTuber and enthusiast Adam LZ created the first “Safari GTR.” Adam started his build with an engine-less R32 GT-R donor car that he snagged for $10,000 and had partially restored at a shop in Connecticut. He quickly fitted it with a modified RB26 inline-six from one of his other R32 projects, complete with a Gen 2 turbo, a new intercooler, and a tweaked ECU, giving the Safari GTR a healthy 500 horsepower at the wheels.

From there, the GT-R gained a custom long-travel suspension with 10.5 inches of ground clearance – nearly double the lift of a stock R32 and more than enough for tackling trails. Meanwhile, the 17-inch Rays wheels are wrapped in Nitto Nomad Grappler tires (215/65R17) and WRX mud flaps further enhance the off-road aesthetic. And an aftermarket selectable four-wheel drive controller offers extra traction on dirt roads but can be switched to RWD for drifting fun.

The front end has a custom powder-coated bash bar with six-inch LED fog lights, while the roof gets a powder-coated Nismo roof rack with four-inch fog lights. But given that the R32 didn’t come with a roof rack from the factory, Adam and his build team had to cut directly into the roof to install the rack. The body wears a cool olive green wrap, and the interior gets a full roll cage with custom seats and camouflage four-point harnesses.

The build reportedly took less than three weeks to finish and the entire project was documented in a series of videos on Adam LZ’s YouTube channel. But he has even bigger plans for the project down the line – eventually the R32 will get even more suspension travel, better brakes, and probably a snorkel for deeper puddles. Not that this GT-R can’t already drive through some deep water as it is.

During the Japan Mobility Show in November last year, Toyota reintroduced the Land Cruiser 70. For the uninitiated, this is a version of the SUV that debuted 40 years ago but is now sold with modern safety systems such as Hill Start Assist Control and Downhill Assist Control and a more powerful and efficient engine. To celebrate the model’s 40th anniversary and its market launch in Japan, the automaker now introduces a special one-off off-roader based on the Land Cruiser 70.

The information is scarce at the moment but Toyota plans to display the matte black SUV you see depicted in the gallery during the Tokyo Auto Salon next week. It is based on the resurrected 2024 version and features visual and a few small hardware upgrades coming from Toyota Auto Body, a subsidiary of the company focused on developing enhancements for Toyota products. It will be interesting to see whether the tweaks seen on this concept will later become available for customers.

The matte black exterior finish has to be the highlight of this one-off vehicle, though that’s not all. There’s also an additional snorkel, a front bumper with a modified design and a winch support, chrome side mirror caps, a roof rack, and others. Those black wheels with a chrome barrel enhance the off-road look, while the clear lenses for the turn signals remind us it is 2024 now. The production model’s fender-mounted mirror is still present.

There’s no mention of mechanical upgrades under the hood, though. This means power most likely comes from the standard 2.8-liter turbodiesel engine with 201 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque. The power reaches all four wheels through a six-speed automatic gearbox. The one-off model will sit alongside a restored Land Cruiser J40 during the Tokyo Auto Salon, which will open its doors to the public on January 13.

With the GR Yaris, Toyota has proved good things do really come in small packages. The pocket rocket’s turbocharged three-cylinder engine is good for 268 horsepower. You’ll find a variation of the 1.6-liter mill inside the GR Corolla where it pumps out a whopping 300 hp. Should you want even more, tuners will happily oblige.

This supermini uses a heavily modified configuration of the “G16E-GTS” engine that produces 530 horsepower on pump gas. The three-pot can also take ethanol, but at this stage, it’s “only” making 457 hp at the wheels. The tuner struggled to extract more power with E85 because of the small wastegate. The latter is a valve that controls the flow of exhaust gas to the turbine of a turbocharger. The owner reckons it should be possible to extract somewhere in the region of 660 hp with additional modifications.

The fully forged engine has been in and out of the car five times in the owner’s quest to obtain more power from the tiny three-cylinder unit. The GR Yaris has been built by SRD Tuning and utilizes a Plusar turbocharger but as with project cars, the build is never truly finished. The owner wants to install a sequential gearbox, a custom suspension, and bring the wheels further out to complement the widebody. He has already spent a colossal £130,000 to bring the hot hatch where it is now. That’s about $164,000 at current exchange rates.

Mind you, this isn’t even the most powerful GR Yaris in the world. Powertune Australia tuned that three-cylinder engine last year to a ludicrous 741 hp. It’s a good thing the rally-bred machine has all-wheel drive from the factory. Rumor has it Toyota intends to give the GR Yaris 300 hp out of the box with an upcoming update. The 2024 model year might also bring a newly developed eight-speed automatic transmission.

As to which automaker holds the title for the most powerful three-cylinder engine, Koenigsegg’s twin-turbo “Tiny Friendly Giant” makes 600 hp in the Gemera.

You know the DeLorean DMC-12. Everybody knows it, thanks to a certain movie franchise. And because of that franchise, many people think DeLoreans are fast. In reality, the rear-mounted V6 engine only made 130 horsepower. It wasn’t dangerously slow, but given the car’s sleek shape, its performance didn’t come close to matching its sporty looks.

This particular DeLorean solves that problem most satisfyingly, especially if you’re a Honda fan. Owned by John Thompson and featured in a new YouTube video from HondaPro Jason, the six-pot is replaced by a K24 Honda four-cylinder. That alone would be an improvement over the original 2.8-liter engine, but this 2.4-liter four also gets a turbocharger and it’s tuned to run on E85 fuel. According to the video, this DeLorean now has 400 hp when running pump gas. Switch to E85 and that increases to 450 hp.

Moreover, the engine swap didn’t add gobs of weight to the back of the car. Lest we forget, the DeLorean is a proper rear-engined vehicle with the mill positioned largely behind the axle. As such, a six-speed manual transmission from a Porsche 911 is used to get that power to the ground. The suspension is upgraded with coilovers and poly bushings, and the powertrain sits neatly in the bay thanks to custom mounts for the engine and transmission.

It looks remarkably clean under the engine cover, and actually, the video claims it was largely a bolt-in process with minimal changes to the car. The DeLorean’s original air conditioning system was even retained in the process, and based on the reactions we see in the video during a test drive, it’s a very entertaining machine behind the wheel. Uncontrolled laughter accompanies the rush of boost from the turbo as the revs climb, though the driver does confess the car feels “sketchy” at speed.

In a world of LS and 2JZ swaps, a boosted K24 could be a primo choice for building a properly fun DeLorean. At the very least, it’s quick and sounds good to boot. There’s nothing wrong with that.

Porsche has a new ultra high-performance Taycan on the way, and it just set a record around the Nurburgring. Giddy with excitement, the Stuttgart automaker hasn’t even confirmed what the car is called or detailed any of its performance metrics. It has just told us the time. A ‘pre-series Taycan’ lapped the ring in just 7:07.55. This makes it the fastest electric Porsche to ever turn a wheel in anger around the legendary track. It has also buried the Tesla Model S Plaid’s previous record-holding 7:25.231 time by 17.681 seconds.

The new top-dog Taycan’s time is 26 seconds faster than the current Taycan Turbo S, and within spitting distance of the Rimac Nevera’s time of 7:05.298. The Porsche did receive minor modifications to make it safer and more trackable. Racing bucket seats and a roll cage were installed.

According to Porsche, a video of the drive will be released in mid-March. That will likely coincide with more information about the car itself as well as a mid-cycle refresh for the entire Taycan range.

Speculation is running wild about this new sedan. Likely called the Taycan Turbo GT, it’s rumored to feature a tri-motor drivetrain in the neighborhood of 1,000 horsepower. An extra motor on the rear axle will not only allow for better thermal management but also advanced traction control techniques.

It’s unclear if a new battery has been installed in this trim, but a change in cell chemistry or design to better support long bursts of high current would be necessary if the Taycan Turbo S’ pack isn’t cutting it. Silicon carbide inverters are another possible change, as Porsche has already said it’s applying that tech to the rear axle of the new electric Macan. This change will allow for more efficient operation at higher sustained currents which tracks like the Nurburging demand.

The equally significant part of this record is its repeatability. Porsche says its development driver Lars Kern clocked several laps, all of them almost exactly the same time. It’s worth repeating: the Nurburgring’s long straights and 12.9-mile length is a torture test for electric drivetrains in particular. Levels of heat-inducing current that are only sustained for a few seconds in daily driving are held for ages on the track. Battery cells compromised for energy and power density are stressed in the latter direction to their absolute limits. Porsche’s record is almost overshadowed by the advanced engineering behind it, and we can’t wait to learn more about this new machine.

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Rimac, the Croatian automotive company that gained global recognition with its Nevera hypercar, is set to venture into new territory. The automaker, known for its cutting-edge electric vehicles and as the parent company of Bugatti, is expanding into the mass-mobility market through its Project 3 Mobility initiative.

Scheduled to unveil a highly autonomous robotaxi in early 2024 as a pilot prototype, Rimac reportedly envisions having it in commercial operation by 2026. While specific details about the project are currently limited, Autocar reports that Rimac has confirmed that the development of the robotaxi is being supported, in part, by Kia. Founder and CEO Mate Rimac told the publication that Rimac wants to “change the lives of more people” by providing accessible and eco-friendly urban transport.

It is anticipated that the vehicle will possess the capability to operate without human input. Rimac’s comprehensive plan includes the development of supporting infrastructure such as chargers, storage hubs, and parking spaces. Mate Rimac describes the robotaxi as “a car but a completely different type.”

Rimac’s discreet approach to unveiling the robotaxi stems from a deliberate strategy to avoid “underdelivering.” Project 3 operates as a stand-alone brand within the Rimac Group portfolio, distinct from both the high-performance supercar maker and Bugatti.