Survivor of 60-mph crash tells story, ex-Rahal S2000 aims high, behold Lincoln’s EV future
Survivor of 60-mph, head-on crash explains safety design
Intake: Adrian Lund, retired president of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the Highway Loss Data Institute, experienced a severe collision last summer which helped him put his previous work in context. Lund was driving a 2020 BMW 540i at a rate of 60 to 65 mph when a 2016 BMW 228i driving the wrong way at 50 mph hit him in a manner similar to IIHS’ offset crash testing scenarios. He credits the BMW’s design for saving his life and ensuring no leg injuries from the offset impact, which took the life of the other driver as they were not using their seatbelt and were subsequently ejected from the car.
Exhaust: We are glad to hear Mr. Lund recovered from this terrible accident, and this story is proof positive that people must wear their seatbelts, no matter what vehicle they drive. That said, IIHS and HLDA serve a purpose, and this isn’t the first time one of their presidents opened up about experiences with automobile safety: Brian O’Neill famously sold his mid-engine Toyota Previa after witnessing its design flaws firsthand, even going on Dateline NBC to say “when I saw the results of this test I decided this is not a vehicle for my family.” He went further to explain the value of hard data from IIHS crash testing, telling the New York Times, “I thought it looked decent, but you can’t tell by looking.”
This S2000 CR is poised to set a long-standing record
Intake: Perfect storms are becoming more frequent in the days of online auctions, and the most recent 2009 Honda S2000 to hit Bring a Trailer’s pages packs all the right stuff. For starters, it’s a 2009, the S2000’s final year of production. It’s also one of about 700 Club Racer (CR) models produced for the U.S. market, further elevating its desirability. With just 123 miles and noteworthy provenance—this one was part of famous IndyCar racer Graham Rahal’s collection—this Rio Yellow two-door has the makings of a serious record-setter. With two days left in the sale, this one looks like it’s headed for the top of the pile.
Exhaust: The S2000 has blossomed from cult favorite to mainstream darling in recent years, and prices for cherry examples have jumped accordingly. We reached out to our resident import expert Greg Ingold for some perspective on whether this yellow CR has the right stuff to break the standing $122,500 record for the model: “A low mile, six-figure Honda S2000 CR is no longer an anomaly. These hardcore versions of Honda’s hardcore roadster have turned into astonishing investments for those with the foresight to buy one early on. It’s just a shame it wasn’t enjoyed as intended, driven hard on the track in extreme anger.” A track-prepped car that doesn’t even have enough miles to have burned through the full tank of gas that the window sticker says it was delivered with is a little sad, but this museum-quality example is likely best kept that way.
Miami GP greenlit after last-minute legal battle
Intake: The inaugural Miami Grand Prix will take place as planned the weekend of May 8 after a judge dismissed claims from a group of residents who said noise from the race would cause hearing damage, reports Autosport. “The bottom line here is I’m not going to schedule a preliminary injunction hearing prior to May 6,” says Judge Alan Fine. “The evidence proffered so far regarding the potential hearing loss is, in my view, very highly speculative. It is not based on any current Formula 1 noise information, and the most recent affidavit from overnight does not take into consideration the south wall (a noise barrier).”
Exhaust: Although the ruling means the race can proceed as planned it may not be the end of the legal shenanigans. Judge Fine says he would expect a “full-blown evidentiary hearing in four to five months.” If the verdict goes against race organizers, then the Miami GP would be one of the shortest-lived in history.
How high will this Canadian Countach fly, eh?
Intake: A pristine 1987 Lamborghini Countach 5000 Quattrovalvole has already hit $500,000 on auction site Bring a Trailer, with four days to go. With its odometer showing just 7300 km (4536 miles) it’s probably covered more distance in the back of assorted transporters than it’s ever been driven. Originally delivered to Ontario, Canada, the car was imported to the U.S.A in 1989 and registered in Florida. It then went to North Carolina and Ohio and is now for sale in New York. This Countach is one of 610 QVs made between 1985 and 1988 and has factory-installed Bosh K-Jetronic fuel injection, which only 65 other cars came with. Kevlar front and rear deck lids saved a little weight in the Red Senape bodywork. The car’s interior is in Senape leather and has a period-appropriate Alpine tape deck, and Jeager clock, along with air conditioning. This Countach rides on 15-inch OZ Racing wheels and Pirelli Cinturato tires, with a set of P7s also included in the sale. The buyer will also receive the original owner’s manual, stamped service book, a framed poster, a scale model of the car, and a DVD of The Cannonball Run!
Exhaust: The 5000 QV was second-only to the final 25th Anniversary edition in popularity, accounting for 610 of the 1,983 Countachs sold. The Hagerty valuation guide puts a #1 (Concours) condition car at $575,000, but this example looks set to raise the bar even higher.
Lincoln’s EV future has room for your slippers
Intake: Meet the Star Concept, Lincoln’s bold new preview of EVs to come. The exterior is a radical evolution of Lincoln’s current styling, with a sloping roofline, an upright, grille-free front end, and a sharp, angled rear with ritzy Lincoln badging. The absence of an engine gave designers space to include a high-tech frunk with a glass lid that darkens at a standstill, but on the go, will let light into the cabin. If the exterior is bold, the interior is downright extravagant. From the illuminated front floor to the massive, curved screen spanning the width of the dashboard, to the extravagant backseats with storage compartments and slide-out leg rests with slippers, this is clearly a concept meant to coddle inhabitants regardless of which throne they’re perched in. Lincoln’s design team blended audio, unique scents, and cabin lighting to create individual “rejuvenation moods” that occupants can employ to maximize those in-between moments. The brand is readying three all-electric models for 2025, and a fourth due in 2026, which will result in over half its global volume being all-electric the middle of the decade.
Exhaust: Concepts posit what could be. The Star fits that brief beautifully, reimagining what a vehicle could be at the electrified inflection point. While the exterior feels like a mashup of a Tesla Model Y and the new Range Rover, that interior is absolutely marvelous. Expect the forthcoming EVs to tone down the opulence some—safety and production constraints may neuter things like those futuristic front seats—but we’d expect to see elements like that full-width screen integrated in some fashion on these inbound EVs. Hesitant to leave behind combustion power? Lincoln is still committed to current models such as the Nautilus and the Navigator, so you can expect ICE models to continue into the late 2020s.
