Shelby’s gnarly Raptor, Subaru closes BRZ order books, mash-up on Minnesota highway

Shelby American’s latest F-150 Raptor is as gonzo as you’d expect

Intake: Shelby American just announced its new take on the Ford F-150 Raptor and, as expected, things have indeed been taken up a notch—or four. The Shelby Raptor takes Ford’s twin-turbo 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 and tacks on new intake components, a performance exhaust, and an additional intercooler to coax 75 more horses out of the engine, now up to 525 total. A BDS suspension lift, functional off-road bumpers with LED lighting, and 37-inch BFG KM3 mud terrain tires on 18-inch alloy wheels bolster already impressive capabilities where the road ends. This limited-production truck will feature a serialized plaque in the custom interior, and the whole package can be yours for $124,820, including the cost of a donor truck.

Exhaust: The F-150 Raptor is already ludicrously capable in stock form, but these add-ons elevate the visual presence immensely, and who doesn’t want an extra 75 ponies cranking under the hood? There’s also the prestige of getting added to the official Shelby Registry, no doubt an appeal for a certain type of clientele.

4-rotor Mazda 3 to take on Pikes Peak

Intake: “Mad Mike” Whiddett, the drift driver known for his wild RX-7 builds, will campaign a four-rotor Mazda 3 at this year’s Pikes Peak International Hillclimb. The car, rendered in bold Red Bull livery, was shown off via Instagram. The RWD car will make somewhere in the neighborhood of 1200 hp, and features some gnarly aero to help keep this screamer planted as it ascends the famous race route.

Exhaust: Rotary engines remain one of the best ways to turn gasoline into noise, so be prepared for one heck of a show as the car tackles the daunting climb up the mountain this summer. With the high altitude and thin air, the four-rotor will need all of the help it can get to cram air into the combustion chambers, so we’re looking forward to learning more about the turbocharged beast nearly as much as we’re looking forward to simply hearing it race.

Subaru halts customer orders for 2022 BRZ

Intake:Intake: If Subaru hasn’t already confirmed your order for a 2022 BRZ, you might have to sit tight for a while. Order books for the debut model-year of Subie’s second-gen rear-drive sport coupe are closed, according to a new report from CarBuzz. Subaru spokesperson Jessica Tullman told Hagerty verified the report but provided the following clarification: “The Sold Order allotment was met but customers can go to a Subaru retailer to purchase a 2022 BRZ.” Translation: special-order BRZs are toast for this year, but dealer-lot examples are readily available.

Exhaust: The second-gen BRZ (and its Toyota GR86 twin) arrives with some key improvements, among them a new 2.4-liter, 228-horse flat-four engine which replaces the anemic 2.0-liter four-pot found in the first-gen car. Our first-look review of the 2022 BRZ showed that the new engine did wonders to address the 2.0-liter’s infamous mid-range torque dip. Here’s to hoping dealer stock skews heavily toward cars equipped with six-speed manual transmissions.

Mashed potatoes: Spuds scattered across Minnesota expressway after semi-trucks collide

The Minnesota Department of Transportation has announced the eastbound I-94 near CSAH 19 in Albertville is closed after an accident caused a semi truck to drop its cargo – potatoes – on the freeway. No timetable has been given when the road will reopen https://t.co/vs2qYVLxDM pic.twitter.com/Reqqt3oBRy

— Wright County, MN (@WrightCountyMN) January 20, 2022

Intake: There was a quite a mash-up on a Minneapolis-area expressway Thursday morning when two semi-trucks collided and one dumped a load of potatoes onto the roadway. Fortunately, no injuries were reported. Police say other cars were struck by the potatoes and debris from the crash, and traffic was closed in the eastbound lane of I-94 near Albertville for hours.

Exhaust: We’re relieved that no one was injured in the rush-hour accident and also happy to report that nothing was baked or fried. Some of the potatoes were indeed mashed in the accident, however. In case you’re wondering (or maybe it’s just us), the other semi was not loaded with meat or eggs, or we could have kept this joke going for another two paragraphs. Happy Friday!

Another year passes, another David Brown Speedback is delivered

Intake: British car-telier David Brown says it takes 8000 hours to built each of its Speedback grand tourers. That’s 333 full days, so it’s no wonder it’s been a year since the last Speedback announcement. The latest hand-built model is one of ten Silverstone Editions, and, like previous Speedbacks, sits on Jaguar XKR underpinnings, complete with a five-liter supercharged V-8. The body is all panel-beaten aluminum and styled to be reminiscent of the Aston Martin DB5. The Silverstone edition adds some new aeronautical flourishes including body-colored sill extensions, 20-inch “Afterburner” alloy wheels and a jet-inspired, rifled quad exhaust. The interior, meanwhile, is lavishly trimmed in oyster leather and open-pore wood.

Exhaust: Just painting this Speedback in metallic black took eight weeks, so it’s no wonder the price runs to $700,000. If your budget won’t stretch that far then David Brown’s Mini Remastered models are a mildly more affordable $100,000.

257 mph Czech Chiron driver causes upset on no-limits Autobahn blitz

Intake: A Czech millionaire has been slammed by Germany’s Transport Ministry for using his car exactly as its maker intended. Radim Passer filmed himself driving his Bugatti Chiron at up to 257 mph on the A2 Autobahn between Berlin and Hannover, and posted the film to YouTube where it has over five million views so far. Like much of Germany’s Autobahn network, the six-mile stretch Passer used has no speed limit, so he wasn’t breaking any laws. He said that he had “visibility along the whole stretch” and that “Safety was a priority, so the circumstances had to be safe to go.” Nonetheless, the German Transport Ministry was quick to state that it “rejects any behavior in road traffic that leads or can lead to endangering road users.” Drivers are required to “only drive so fast that the vehicle is constantly under control,” the Ministry added.

Exhaust: In the video you can clearly see that Passer waits for a dead straight and clear section of three-lane road, and during run, he passes only a handful of cars, all of which are in the inside lane, so he has used some common sense. The car also looks remarkably stable throughout. We just hope he checked his tires carefully before the attempt.