by Gabrielle DeSantis

The Porsche 928 seems to be having a bit of a renaissance moment. As the automotive crowd becomes even more obsessed with seeking increasingly obscure cars and trucks, funky vintage sports cars like the 1979 Porsche 928 Tom Cruise drove in the film Risky Business, which is going to be auctioned at Barrett-Jackson Houston. 

“Risky Business” Porsche 928 | Barrett-Jackson

This Porsche 928 sale is actually coming at a good time. Not only are more obscure cars getting more respect (and valuable), the Porsche 928 has seen an uptick in interest after the modern reimagining from a pair of Brazilian designers. 

The Risky Business Porsche 928 that Tom Cruise drove can actually be yours

The collector car market can get a little crazy. Lately, we have seen extremely mundane cars, and sometimes super obscure cars sell for major money just because of super low mileage. However, one thing that will always bring out the bidders are vehicles iconic movies. These famous movie cars and motorcycles are often elevated simply because “it’s the one from the movie.” 

This makes perfect sense. Other than super rare cars and motorcycles, certain movies are what made certain cars collectible in the first place, like the Bullitt Ford Mustang, for instance, the Dodge Challenger from Vanishing Point, or the Trans-Am from Smokey and The Bandit

The Porsche 928 is a great example of the other side of these movie cars. The Porsche 928 in and of itself isn’t all that valuable. However, the gold 1979 Porsche 928 that Tom Cruise drove in Risky Business is likely to command a fairly high price. 

Which Porsche 928 is for sale? 

The Risky Business porsche 928 form the back
“Risky Business” Porsche 928 | Barrett-Jackson

As with most picture cars, multiple gold 1979 Porsche 928s were used to film Risky Business. Don’t worry; according to AutoBlog, this is not the 928 that ended up in Lake Michigan. It was likely that scene was what deterred Porsche from supplying cars for the production after all.

The Porsche 928 headed to Barrett-Jackson in September is actually the one used in the famous chase scene where Tom Cruise has to outrun the Guido the killer pimp and most other driving scenes. 

The Hero Porsche 928 was gold in the film but was originally painted green with a brown leather interior and powered by a 4.7-liter V8 paired with a five-speed manual transmission. On top of this, Porsche being such a famous car from an iconic film, there is the bonus that Tom Cruise couldn’t drive a stick before this movie. Since the Porsche was manual, he had to learn to drive a manual, and this was the car he learned on. 

The Tom Cruise Porsche 928 has an interesting past

As is common with many former picture cars, the Risky Business car was almost lost forever. The previous owner was unaware of its star-studded history had it sitting outside languishing away when it was found by a savvy car hunter. It was reportedly in horrible shape and in need of a great deal of work. 

As is clear now, It has since been restored to its former glory, and after its restoration, it was shown as part of “The Porsche Effect” exhibition at the Petersen Museum, adding to its provenance. 

How much is this Porsche 928 worth? 

Only time will tell. This is without question the most famous 928 in the world, and that will certainly make its price a bit more of a question mark. If this one weren’t in the film, it might be valued at around $15,000-$20,000, and that might be fairly generous. However, given its history and icon status, it’s likely to clear the six-figure mark. 

The Barrett-Jackson Houston auction is set for September. I guess we will find out then how much people care about Tom Cruise’s learner car. 

RELATED: The Captain America Bike Is the World’s Most Expensive Motorcycle, But It Has a Confusing Past

The post The Porsche 928 Tom Cruise Drove in Risky Business Is for Sale appeared first on MotorBiscuit.

by Gabrielle DeSantis

The 2021 Toyota Tundra is the second highest-rated pickup truck by Consumer Reports. Yet its not without flaws. In addition to its not-so-great safety ratings, the 2021 Toyota Tundra brakes are pretty awful. Let’s look at why Consumer Reports gave the Tundra brakes a 1/5.

2021 Toyota Tundra | Toyota

How does Consumer Reports do its brakes testing?

Consumer Reports tests vehicles at their enormous Colchester, Connecticut facility. To do brake testing, they take “a composite of wet and dry stopping distances and pedal feel. Braking distance is from 60 mph, with no wheels locked.” 

Braking is abdominal in the Tundra, at a 1. The Tundra takes 153 feet to brake from 60 mph on dry pavement and 178 feet on wet pavement. This is the worst score that a truck can get, and should make truck shoppers pause before purchasing a Tundra. 

Overall, the Toyota Tundra road test score is an ‘eh’ rating of 59. Consumer Reports gives the 2021 Toyota Tundra scores a 4/5 for its acceleration. Its transmission scores a 5/5. Routine handling receives a mediocre 3/5, while emergency handling only gets a 2/5. The Toyota Tundra’s max avoidance speed is 44 mph.

Safety ratings in the 2021 Toyota Tundra aren’t good, either

The 2021 Toyota Tundra comes standard with nearly all of the Consumer Reports recommended advanced safety features. The exceptions are blind-spot warning, rear cross traffic warning, and daytime running lights, which are optional. Unfortunately, lane-keeping assist isn’t available. 

The IIHS crash-tested the 2021 Toyota Tundra, and the results are mixed. The front moderate overlap, side crash, and rear crash test results are good. However, the roof crush score is only acceptable, and the front small overlap, driver side is marginal. The front small overlap, passenger side rating is poor. 

The NHTSA has crash-tested the 2021 Toyota Tundra and gave it four stars for its overall crash, overall frontal-crash, and overall frontal-crash on the driver and passenger side. The overall side crash, side-crash driver and rear passenger side, and side pole-crash all get five stars. The rollover rating for both the 4WD is four stars, but the 2WD score is only three stars.

Reliability in the Tundra is decent, as is owner satisfaction

To determine the reliability of the Tundra, Consumer Reports sends out surveys to people who have bought previous versions of the vehicle. They then combine this survey data with what they know about the current model. 

Based on this, Consumer Reports gives the 2021 Toyota Tundra a 4/5 for its predicted reliability. Reliability for the 2019 and 2020 Toyota Tundras is pretty good. The only score in the 2020 to be mediocre is paint and trim. In the 2019, the only problem area is body integrity.

The owner satisfaction score is also good, at a 4/5. Most notably, the driving experience is an 81 and comfort is a 74. Styling receives a 74. Value, however, is a fairly high 51, as far as value scores go. 79% of Tundra owners would buy their truck again, which is the most in its class.

Overall, although the 2021 Toyota Tundra is a popular truck, its brakes and safety ratings should give prospective buyers pause. While the Tundra has good reliability ratings and a decent road test score, it’s far from the perfect truck.

RELATED: Made In America: the Top 10 Most American Cars 

The post The 2021 Toyota Tundra’s Brakes Are Terrible appeared first on MotorBiscuit.

by Gabrielle DeSantis

The Hyundai Kona has been a sophisticated, fun drive with good gas mileage. But not everyone is looking for that kind of ride. Some want more zippiness behind the wheel. 

Hyundai News reports that the new Kona N is set to come out soon. How does it compare to the original Kona, and what other N models does Hyundai have?

How far the Hyundai Kona has come in its short life

2022 Hyundai Kona N | Hyundai Motor America

The Hyundai Kona debuted in June 2017. It comes in gas-powered and electric versions. The gas-powered Kona packs a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine generating 147 hp and paired with a six-speed automatic transmission.

Starting at $37,190, the Kona Electric has a front-wheel-drive setup and a 64.0-kWh battery pack. It produces 201 hp and 291 lb-ft of torque. This combination allows the Kona Electric to travel approximately 258 miles on a single charge. 

Cargo space isn’t bad for such a subcompact SUV. Behind the rear seats, you get 19.2 cubic feet of space. It increases if you fold down the last row of seats to reveal 45.8 cubic feet of room for storing all your goodies. 

Now, the newest Kona to come along is one entering Hyundai’s N lineup. The Kona N will offer the same excellent handling as the other models but will offer more speed.  

What the Hyundai Kona N brings to the mix

The Hyundai Kona N has sweet styling and a luxurious interior, but it was built to satisfy a hunger for speed. Under the hood is a 2.0-liter turbocharged GDI engine paired with an eight-speed wet dual-clutch transmission. This combination produces a 276 hp

That output comes in handy for acceleration. From 0 to 60 mph, the Hyundai Kona N gets it done in 5.5 seconds. Of course, times could vary with the five different driving modes it comes with. You can slip it into Eco, Normal, Sport, N, or Custom to adapt to whatever type of drive you need. 

It appears the Kona N rides much like the Veloster, with only a 68-pound weight difference. Even the performance is eerily similar to both the crossover and the compact car. The price of this N vehicle still isn’t known yet but could cost around $32,000. 

According to Hyundai, the Kona N will sport an N-Corner Carving differential, an electronically controlled suspension, an active sport exhaust system, and 19-inch N-Design alloy wheels with Pirelli P-Zero performance tires.

As for driver’s assistance features, the Kona N comes with plenty. It offers lane-keep assist, lane-follow assist, driver attention warning, blind-spot collision avoidance assist, and safe exit warning, to name a few. 

What other N models does Hyundai plan to produce?

Hyundai plans to expand not only its N lineup but also the N-Line as well, with up to 18 models through 2022. The N-brand will explore more avenues within the e-performance lineup. It’s likely Hyundai might pursue BEVs (battery electric vehicles) and a hydrogen fuel cell motor to power at least a few of them. 

The “Never Just Drive” N-brand slogan encompasses all the N vehicles. Besides the Kona N, Hyundai has the i30 N, i20 N, i30 Fastback N, and the Veloster N. You’ll also notice some of its other models are coming out N-branded as well. Two such examples are the Elantra N and Tucson N. All of them are engineered with the N-line technology, providing consumers with a fast and fun drive. 

RELATED: The 2022 Hyundai Kona N Actually Looks as Fast as It Is

The post The Hyundai Kona Isn’t Known for Speed, but the Kona N Means to Change That appeared first on MotorBiscuit.

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Faced with a large selection of luxury hybrid vehicles, buyers might be looking for something unique. Sports sedans from Karma Automotive may fit the bill. These vehicles provide some impressive performance and speed. The 2020 Karma Revero GT offers thrilling acceleration, while the 2021 Karma GS-6 offers a more affordable alternative.

Karma rose from Fisker’s ashes

Karma Revero | Raymond Boyd/Getty Images

In 2015, with only one production model, the Fisker Karma, the automotive company changed its name from Fisker Automotive to Karma Automotive, MotorTrend reported. The new name reflected an ownership change to the Chinese auto-parts manufacturer Wanxiang Group, new management, and a new production location.

Struggling at the time, the EV company was looking to separate itself from its founder and former executive chairman, Henrik Fisker, who had departed in 2013. Following recalls and stop-sale orders, concerns mounted that the company would file for bankruptcy in 2020. However, it raised $100 million from investors, TechCrunch reported.

How fast is the 2020 Karma Revero GT sports sedan?

The Karma Revero GT is the updated version of the Fisker Karma. This plug-in hybrid can zip from 0 to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds — or 3.9 seconds with launch control. It has an electronically limited top speed of 125 mph.

But it can’t quite keep up with some competitors. The BMW i8 zooms from 0 to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds. Its top speed is electronically limited to 155 mph. And the Porsche Panamera 4S E-Hybrid can blast to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds and has a top track speed of 185 mph.

The Revero’s speed comes from two electric motors that power the rear wheels. Both are connected to a 28.0-kW-hr battery. The engine, new for 2020, is a 1.5-liter turbo-three sourced from BMW. The engine and motors together produce 536 hp and 550 lb-ft of torque.

The EPA says the Revero has an electric range of 61 miles, but Karma says it can go for up to 80 miles. It’s still lower than that available from some rivals. It has a solar roof, which can extend the range on a sunny day.

This sedan is rated for a fuel economy of 70 MPGe combined, similar to the BMW i8 and better than the Porsche Panamera E-Hybrid, although less than the Tesla Model S Performance with 21-inch wheels. The Revero has a fuel economy of 26 mpg combined with its gas generator, which provides an extra 280 miles of range.

In addition, it boasts excellent design and a quiet interior. It has seating for four with a center console in the front and the back. The rear seats are smaller than those of some competitors, but there’s plenty of space in the front seats, TrueCar reports. The Revero provides 6.4 cubic feet of cargo space.

The interior features a virtual gauge cluster plus a haptic-touch infotainment screen. The Revero GT comes standard with a “360-degree camera system, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, front and rear parking sensors, forward collision warning, and lane departure warning,” MotorTrend reports.

Available as the GT Sedan, GTS Luxury Sedan, or GTS Sport Sedan, the Revero starts at $146,600. Fully loaded, it comes retails for $162,900, including a $12,000 set of wheels.

What about the cheaper 2021 Karma GS-6?

In 2021, Karma Automotive announced the GS-6, the first in the GS-6 series. This luxury vehicle is similar in design to the Karma Revero GT but with a more affordable price. It starts at $83,900. Like the Revero, the GS-6 produces 536 hp and 550 lb-ft of torque. As an “extended-range electric vehicle,” The GS-6 includes an onboard generator to produce additional electricity to power the motors for the wheels. Its interior finishes include carbon fiber and reclaimed wood salvaged from California wildfires.

In addition, the all-electric GSe-6 will soon be available for $79,900. This vehicle will be the first battery-electric vehicle (BEV) from Karma.

Though not among the fastest hybrid cars available, the 2020 Karma Revero GT offers plenty of acceleration and speed. Buyers interested in a Karma vehicle but looking to spend less will appreciate the 2021 GS-6.

RELATED: Instant Karma: This Rare Sports Sedan Tops TrueCar’s List of the Best Full-Size Luxury Cars of 2021a

The post How Fast Is a Karma Revero? appeared first on MotorBiscuit.