by Gabrielle DeSantis

Can we borrow some sunglasses? The 2022 Toyota Tundra is shining bright with tons of flair. The new Toyota Tundra is a lot brighter than expected, and we’re here to watch it take the spotlight with incredible upgrades. 

The 2022 Toyota Tundra is stealing the show 

The 2022 Toyota Tundra | Toyota

We’re still counting the seconds until the 2022 Toyota Tundra comes out. It was supposed to be revealed in the middle of 2021, and new models were expected to arrive at dealerships by the end of the year. 

Now it’s almost fall, and the new Toyota Tundra is still only teasing us with clues. But the clues reveal a much flashier truck than before. This makes sense because the Tundra was last redesigned back in 2013. 

We got used to seeing its shape and look for almost a decade. But now it’s shaking things up with a new look that’s totally attention-grabbing. The exterior has a boxier shape with a massive grille. 

The large grille features new LED lights under the logo and has two more lights on top of the bumper. The headlights also wrap around the grille and the sides of the truck. It sits on 285/65 Falken Wildpeak all-terrain tires and a new set of TRD Pro wheels. 

Along with new textured fender flares, you can expect a new rear end. The black textured accents from the front bumper match the rear, and the TRD Pro logo can be seen spanning across the tailgate. 

The 2022 Tundra has a bright interior 

The 2022 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro model will have a bright red interior. In case the exterior look doesn’t get enough attention, the red seats will definitely turn heads. The seats also feature TRD Pro embroidery. 

We’re excited to get a glimpse at a few of the tech upgrades. You can see a vertical wireless phone charging pad. This will allow drivers to see who is calling them without having to pick up their phones. 

Another interior shot displays an electrochromic rear-view mirror. This will show a wider rearward area with a longer distance behind the truck. It will improve visibility for hard-to-see areas. 

Also, you can expect the new Tundra to come with a massive new touchscreen that includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The massive panoramic moonroof and power rear window is exciting too. 

How much power with the new Tundra have? 

2022 Toyota Tundra interior teasers
2022 Toyota Tundra interior teasers | Toyota

Clues suggest that the 2022 Toyota Tundra will come with the new twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 engine with 409 hp and 479 lb-ft of torque. The MAX lettering on the engine is outlined in blue, suggesting that it could be a hybrid powertrain. 

Also, an interior dial suggests that the 2022 Tundra will feature new off-roading modes. Along with hill-descent control, and new Crawl Control feature is on the way. This will act as an off-road cruise control system. 

Pricing for the 2022 Tundra hasn’t been revealed. The 2021 model begins at about $34,025. With all of the upgrades for 2022, it’s safe to expect the price to rise a little. It could start around $35,000 with pricier trims pushing $55,000. We will keep you updated as we learn more.

RELATED: Why Is The 2020 Toyota Tundra The Worst Truck?

The post The 2022 Toyota Tundra Is Flashier Than Expected appeared first on MotorBiscuit.

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Some riders who own sport bikes want to make the occasional track day. If they have unlimited money, then they have a crew that loads up a box truck with the bike, some tools, and spare parts. However, if the rider is on a budget, they may opt for something cheaper, like a truck or a van. The best for towing sport bikes, however, is a Chevrolet El Camino, and here’s why.

El Caminos Have a Low Ride Height

1960 Chevrolet El Camino | Getty Images

Loading a motorcycle into a truck bed is harrowing. It requires balance and strength, to wheel the motorcycle onto a ramp and into the truck bed. Being tall also helps a great deal, making it easier to hop into the bed with both arms still on the handlebars. If the bike tips over while going up the ramp, someone could get injured. 

Lowering the truck’s rear suspension could help mitigate this problem, but the truck bed will still be on the taller side. An El Camino, however, sits so low that stepping into the bed from the ground isn’t a problem even for someone who’s of average height. 

What’s more, is that a sportbike, like the Honda CBR600RR, measures about 80-inches long, while the El Camino’s bed measures 80.75. When loading a motorcycle into a truck bed, some riders compress the front suspension before they latch it down, which would give even more clearance.

El Caminos Can Fit Almost Any Engine

1964 chevrolet el camino engine bay
1964 Chevrolet El Camino Engine Bay | PHILIP FONG/AFP via Getty Images

El Camino engine bays are massive. Some came with the 454, Chevrolet’s biggest engine block at the time, so there’s plenty of room for virtually any engine. The El Camino had 450 gross horsepower from the 454 at its most powerful, which a lighter and smaller LS1 can easily accomplish. 

GM built the third-generation until 1972, which makes it a smog-exempt car. Living in states with smog laws can be difficult, especially when shopping for a budget car that can tow a motorcycle. Buying an El Camino before 1975 is the bare minimum, but getting one between 1968-1972 is optimal, considering the massive horsepower numbers.

Rear Suspension Upgrades Exist for Extra Payload Capacity

Rear end of a black Chevrolet El Camino.
Chevrolet El Camino Rear End | Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images

Although El Caminos are technically classified as pickups, the payload capacity was just 650 pounds. GM also provided options to increase that number to 1150 pounds from the factory. 650 pounds is plenty enough to hold a 600cc sportbike and some equipment, but any heavier bike might require some suspension and axle upgrades. 

As the El Camino is considered a pickup, its axle was designed to handle a passenger car, so by design, it won’t be as strong as the rear end from a truck. It also doesn’t need to be, if it’s only carrying a small 400-pound motorcycle.

El Caminos solve a lot of problems when it comes to motorcycle towing. They are low enough that loading the bike can be done relatively safely with one person, they are smog exempt so registration shouldn’t ever be an issue, and almost any engine will fit inside of the engine bay.

Also, El Caminos can provide a place to sleep. If camping in the paddock between track days, there are tents that can use truck beds as a base, that attach at the wheel wells. It’s also going to be the coolest bike transport at the track.

RELATED: What Are the Best Ways to Carry Luggage on Your Motorcycle?

The post Why El Caminos are the Best for Towing Sport Bikes appeared first on MotorBiscuit.

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Fans of ABC’s Shark Tank are familiar with businessman Robert Herjavec, one of the celebrities who invests in aspiring entrepreneurs’ startups on the show. Viewers know Herjavec for his business investment savvy, but they’re likely less familiar with his passion for investing in automobiles. In fact, he has amassed quite a collection of cars over the years, including rare models. 

Who is Robert Herjavec?

Robert Herjavec | Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for Mercedes-Benz

Herjavec is an investor and businessman who made his fortune in the technology industry. According to his website, Robert Herjavec, he moved to North America from Yugoslavia with his family when he was young. Eventually, he created a computer company out of his basement, and his business career began. 

He founded the cybersecurity firm Herjavec Group in Canada in 2003 and later gained success throughout North America and Europe. In fact, most of his company’s growth is now coming from those latter markets, MotorTrend reports.

Herjavec is one of the longest-running judges on Shark Tank. He told MotorTrend that some of his biggest investment successes on the show are products such as ChordBuddy, which helps users learn to play the guitar, and the clothing line Tipsy Elves. 

All of these achievements have put Herjavec in the enviable position of being able to afford one of his favorite hobbies: collecting cars

What cars does Herjavec own?

Herjavec doesn’t just collect cars. He also loves to race them. HotCars reports that the businessman sponsors a race team and was also a “Gentleman Driver” in the Ferrari Challenge program, where he won five races. It’s appropriate, then, that Herjavec is a proud Ferrari owner.

One of Herjavec’s favorite cars for racing is his Ferrari F12 Berlinetta, which he drives every chance he gets. He told MotorTrend that he considers it the best front-engine car the Prancing Horse has produced and that there’s absolutely nothing he dislikes about it. 

Herjavec is also proud of his 1958 Porsche 356, which he lovingly refers to as his “James Dean car.” Because it’s an older model, Herjavec doesn’t drive it as often as he might like, but he enjoys every minute of it when he does take it out on the road. “Nothing better than driving [the Pacific Coast Highway] with the top down in that car,” he told MotorTrend. 

In addition, the celebrity investor also gives a perfect 10 rating to his 2011 Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe, which HotCars indicates he bought from the rapper 50 Cent. These cars aren’t for the budget-conscious: Cars.com reports they start at a whopping $492,000. 

Do cars make good investments?

Normally, investors don’t consider cars moneymakers. After all, most vehicles depreciate the minute they roll off the lot. But as with any rule, there are exceptions. And if anyone would know where to find them, it would be Herjavec. 

Certain limited-production cars actually make good investments because their low supply can drive prices up over the years rather than down. Take the LaFerrari, for example. Ferrari made only 499 of these supercars, The Verge reports. Due to this car’s limited supply, JamesEdition has recommended it as a good investment Ferrari. 

What’s more, prices on some used cars these days have thrown certain previous assumptions out the window, thanks to rising prices associated with the pandemic. iSeeCars put together a list of car models that currently cost more used than new. They include many vehicles that, though popular, don’t normally come to mind as investments, such as the Kia Telluride and Honda Civic

So even if you’ve never thought of yourself as someone with the funds to invest in cars, now is the time to reconsider. You no longer need to be a celebrity like Robert Herjavec to own an investment vehicle.

RELATED: Does ‘Shark Tank’ Star Robert Herjavec Have a Problem With Crashing Ferraris?

The post ‘Shark Tank’ Star Robert Herjavec Invests Big in Cars appeared first on MotorBiscuit.

by Gabrielle DeSantis

When it comes to off-road capability and on-road reliability, there’s almost no better choice for an SUV than the Toyota 4Runner. The 4Runner nameplate has been in the automotive spectrum for the past 40 years and we doubt that it will go away soon. In order to continue the SUVs heritage, Toyota recently released the 4Runner Trail Edition for the 2021 model year.

This special edition will be limited to 4,000 models and is offered in four different colors: Black, white, Cement, and Army Green. Aside from a limited color palette, the 4Runner Trail Edition has a lot to offer despite being one of the lower trim levels. Here are five reasons the Trail Edition could be the best value among the 4Runner lineup.

The Toyota 4Runner Trail Edition is priced well

2021 Toyota 4Runner Trail Edition | Toyota

The 2021 Toyota 4Runner is currently available in nine different trim levels and is priced from $36,000 to $50,000. Since the Trail Edition is basically a gussied-up version of the base-trim SR5, it’s priced accordingly. It has a starting MSRP of $38,740 for the two-wheel-drive model with the option of four-wheel drive for $2,000 more. This makes the Trail Edition a more obtainable proposition over its pricier upper-trim siblings.

The 4Runner Trail Edition has enough ground clearance

2021 Toyota 4Runner Trail Edition | Toyota
2021 Toyota 4Runner Trail Edition | Toyota

While the 4Runner Trail Edition isn’t as ruggedly equipped or set up as its TRD Pro stablemates, it does have enough clearance to tackle mild trails. With 9.6 inches of clearance, you might not be able to crawl over boulders with the Trail Edition, but you can at least traverse an off-road path with ease.

This semi-base trim level has enough off-road tech

2021 Toyota 4Runner Trail Edition | Toyota
2021 Toyota 4Runner Trail Edition | Toyota

The Toyota 4Runner Trail Edition might be closer to a base model trim, but it still has enough off-road tech to get you through the rough parts. In the interior of the SUV, you won’t find a CRAWL control knob or different off-road settings like you will in the TRD Pro. However, the Trail Edition still includes Toyota’s A-TRAC active traction control system, which aids in wheel spin when going off-road.

Additionally, four-wheel-drive models have the added benefit of downhill assist control (DAC). Essentially, there’s enough off-road tech for the novice enthusiast as well as 90 percent of other 4Runner buyers.

The sliding cargo tray and matching cooler make the Trail Edition picnic-ready

2021 Toyota 4Runner Trail Edition | Toyota
2021 Toyota 4Runner Trail Edition | Toyota

In order to add to the 4Runner Trail Edition’s outdoorsy appeal, Toyota even added a color-matched cooler as a standard feature. This cooler features a lockable lid, tie-down straps, and a freezer-grade gasket to keep food and drink items cold. In case you need help getting that cooler out of the storage area, there’s even a sliding cargo tray that slides out of the cargo area easily and conveniently.

There’s even a Yakima rooftop basket

2021 Toyota 4Runner Trail Edition | Toyota
2021 Toyota 4Runner Trail Edition | Toyota

Just in case the 47.2 cubic feet of cargo volume behind the rear seats isn’t enough, Toyota even tacked on a Yakima basket to the Trail Edition’s roof for more storage. Sure, you can easily find one in the aftermarket and do it yourself, but the Trail Edition has you covered as its basket is already lumped into the car’s selling price.

The 4Runner Trail Edition has everything you need and nothing you don’t

2021 Toyota 4Runner Trail Edition | Toyota
2021 Toyota 4Runner Trail Edition | Toyota

Unless you really need a higher ride height, a skid plate, and all of the tech gadgetry and cameras for the crazy off-road trails, the 2021 Toyota 4Runner Trail Edition should suit all of your needs. It has enough technology and accessories to make your daily commute comfortable while providing a good amount of capability when it’s off the beaten path. Couple all of that with its low price of entry, and we think that the 4Runner Trail Edition could be everything you need in a rugged SUV and nothing you don’t.

RELATED: 3 Reasons You Don’t Want a 2021 Toyota 4Runner

The post 5 Reasons the 2021 Toyota 4Runner Trail Edition Is the Best Bang for Your Buck appeared first on MotorBiscuit.