Watch A Tesla Model S Drag Race A 24-Year-Old Formula 1 Car

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Tesla is no stranger to electric car speed. A base Tesla Model 3 can dash to 60 in just 3.1 seconds, thanks to that instant torque. EVs in general make pegging the petal to the floor more fun than ever before. But can this Tesla Model S hold its own against an actual F1 race car? It’s a comparison nobody asked for, but one we’re glad we got.

The Tesla Model S vs the Benetton B197

Tesla Model S (Top) and Benetton B197 (Bottom) | Tesla; Paul-Henri Cahier/Getty Images

These two competitors represent two ends of a spectrum: a gas-powered straight-line screamer versus an environmentally conscious symbol of status. The only real comparison to be made is that each is powerful, but that power hits the tarmac in vastly different ways.

The Tesla Model S P100D has two electric motors, one in the front and one in the rear, that make a combined 671 hp. On top of that, 700 lb-ft. of torque is instantly available to the driver when they mash their foot down. It’s got five seats, dual climate control, and Bluetooth/WiFi capabilities. In other words, it’s fully loaded.

This Benetton B197 (raced in 1997) is the complete opposite. The 3.0L V10 engine makes 770 hp (100 more than the Tesla) and 383 lb-ft of torque (327 less than the Tesla). Seats? One. Air conditioning? The wind in your face. It’s a bare-bones, streamlined engine with a person strapped to it. And it’s wicked fast.

The Tesla is quicker off the line, but is no match for the Benetton

The two cars competed in four events, starting with a typical quarter-mile drag race. The Tesla Model S made the sprint in just 10.8 seconds, which is nothing to sneeze at. And for the first half of the race, the Tesla was well ahead of the F1 car. But once those fat racing tires got a grip, the Benetton propelled itself down the strip in just 9.6 seconds.

The same was true for the rolling quarter mile drag race. Both cars started at 40mph and raced to the finish. The Tesla pulled ahead, then fell back behind. The 0-60-0 test, where each driver accelerated to 60mph before slamming on the brakes, resulted in another Benetton win. Then there was the “moose test.”

A test designed to see how a car can evade an obstacle, cones laid out on the track forced the drivers to swerve. The Tesla failed to dodge the cones at 75mph, whereas the Benetton glided through them at 80. There’s no denying the Benetton, even in its old age, was built to race. But can you blame the Model S for giving its all and coming up short?

Can you really compare a Tesla to an F1 car?

A red Tesla Model S racing down the road
Red Tesla Model S | Tesla

No matter how old, F1 cars were designed to be race cars. They don’t have five seats, they don’t have a trunk, and they don’t really care about emissions. The fact that the Tesla Model S could keep up with the Benetton is impressive in and of itself. You’re asking a luxury commuter car to do quarter miles and handling tests, and it went above and beyond what it’s supposed to do.

That being said, if you’re after an insane electric car that, theoretically, would’ve beaten the Benetton in a drag race, there’s the Tesla Model S Plaid. Having recorded quarter-mile times of just 9 seconds, it’d edge out a win against this racing machine and still carry all your friends.

Even still, some manufacturers recognize that you won’t be racing an F1 car every day, providing a plethora of budget options. But it’s fun to know that, as we electrify the future, some EVs will be able to hang with the big boys.

RELATED: Most Electric Cars Are Really Fast…Once in a While

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Can the 2022 Honda Civic hold more cargo than the 2022 Ford Maverick?

by Gabrielle DeSantis

When Ford released the 2022 Ford Maverick, it called out the popular Honda Civic. Ford claims the Maverick has better gas mileage and lower pricing than a Honda Civic. However, the Civic actually has more legroom in the rear seat than the Maverick. Can the 2022 Honda Civic Hatchback hold more cargo than the Ford Maverick too? 

The Honda Civic Hatchback | Anusak Laowilas/NurPhoto via Getty Images

The 2022 Ford Maverick’s pickup truck bed gives it an obvious advantage

a blue 2022 ford maverick with bikes and a surf board in the bed
2022 Ford Maverick | Ford

The fact that the 2022 Civic has a bigger back seat than the Ford MAverick interior is pretty interesting. This is an especially compelling piece of information for families that have older kids or young children in car seats. Or, for those that plan to carpool with friends. 

But we are here to talk about cargo space. We are going to run down the numbers of the cargo volume in cubic feet between the Ford Maverick and the Honda Civic, and Civic hatchback. 

The 2022 Ford Maverick, with its little truck bed, has a total of 33.3 cubic ft. of cargo volume. Being every bit a compact car in this area, the 2022 Honda Civic has 14.8 cubic ft. of cargo volume. The hatchback version raises that far closer to the compact pickup truck’s capacity at 24.5 cubic ft. of cargo volume. 

However, with all of the seats down, CarBuzz reports that the 2022 Honda Civic Hatchback offers 46.2 cubic feet of cargo space. The Ford Maverick also has a clever interior storage capacity. While the truck has a larger cargo capacity overall, it’s rather remarkable how close the Civic Hatchback actually comes to Ford’s new ute. 

The 2022 Civic also has its strengths in terms of interior storage

The very blue 2022 Honda Civic hatchback
2022 Honda Civic Hatchback | Honda

The Honda Civic is known for its spacious interior that’s streamlined for utility. There are two cup holders up front and two in the rear. Plus, the side door pockets offer amples storage space as well.

It’s worth noting as well that all of the 2022 Civic’s storage space is covered. Drivers will rarely have need for tie downs of any sort. And they won’t ever need a bed cover for exposed cargo.

Ford’s ute takes an absolute win here, but the fact that a compact car can even compare to a pickup truck is pretty cool

loading the Ford Maverick pickup bed full of landscaping supplies
2022 Ford Maverick 2L-EcoBoost AWD | Ford Media

There’s a reason the Honda Civic is so well-loved. Its powertrain, racing legacy, and utilitarian grace give it an edge against most of the other compact car contenders. However, it can’t overtake the 2022 Ford Maverick. 

This fact doesn’t exactly come as a surprise. The 2022 Ford Maverick is really shaking things up. When the Ford Maverick interior gets called things like “a Swiss Army knife” by Roadshow, you know there are going to be some sweet interior storage features. 

Both of these city cars are perfect for different types of people

A red 2022 Honda Civic Sedan Touring drives down a city highway
2022 Honda Civic Sedan Touring | Honda

The 2022 Honda Civic and Honda Civic Hatchback have their appeal. It’s a good car that’s fun to drive and it offers plenty of cargo space for its compact car size. There are certainly always going to be plenty of people who find the Civic compelling enough to buy. 

But the 2022 Ford Maverick might bring some buyers across the line in the sand. It’s finding ways to get the attention of people from all of the existing vehicle classes. Each of these options is a city car at heart, though vastly different.

RELATED: Here Are 2 of the Best Used SUVs Under $10,000

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Three Men Drove to Every State in the US, Setting a New Record

by Gabrielle DeSantis

If you’ve ever taken a road trip, you know exactly how taxing driving cars for long periods can be. Now, three men have made it look easy, visiting every contiguous state in the U.S, setting a new record. The trio completed the Cannonball Run-style trip in record time, only stopping for gas and bathroom breaks. What takes some a lifetime, done one state at a time, took the trio only three days and change.

What is the Cannonball Run?

Empty roads in New Mexico | Andrew Lichtenstein via Getty Images

Now, some of you may be wondering what the Cannonball Run is. However, it isn’t just a cheesy 80s comedy movie. No, this is an unsanctioned all-out highway blast from one end of the country to the other. The famous Brock Yates started the whole thing back in May of 1971. The journey covers nearly 2,800 miles. It begins at the Red Ball Garage in New York City, and finishes in the parking lot of the Portifino Hotel in Redondo Beach, California.

However, Cannonball Run is highly illegal. After all, the protest of strict traffic laws was the point of the original run. Now, hopeful new record-holders employ a number of police countermeasure techniques to help them evade the law in the pursuit of speed. It has to be said that the Cannonball Run is an extremely dangerous and irresponsible thing. It’s one of the more controversial aspects of the automotive community. But, what does that have to do with three guys and a Mercedes?

The trio set record time

New record holders Todd Heckel, Grady Leno, and Peter Loforte with the record-holding car
The dynamic trio | Heckel, Leno, and Loforte

This new record for crossing every contiguous state shattered the previous record of 94 hours 42 minutes and 35 seconds. It required meticulous planning, as Grady Leno, the trip’s defacto planner pointed out in an interview with Road and Track. Per Leno, it took roughly 60+ hours of planning to get their Cannonball-style speed run planned out. Just like the official Cannonball Run, the group, comprised of Leno, Todd Heckel, and Peter Loforte, used a modified vehicle to aid in their quest for the new record.

The vehicle in question was a modified Mercedes-Benz SL550, a fast car in its own right. Additionally, the group made use of a litany of GPS units, fuel logging strategies, and other in-cabin assists to complete their version of the Cannonball. However, this run differs from the Cannonball in another crucial way. The group began their journey in a different place, at Wicked Awesome BBQ in Vermont. The run also ended in a different place, just across the Columbia River in Washington.

The debate on the morality of these runs rages on

The interior of the Mercedes SL550 used to drive across the country
The interior of the Mercedes in question | Heckel, Leno, and Loforte

At the end of their literal odyssey, the group clocked an astounding 86 hour and 19-minute drive. Their route took them over 6677 miles and to every connected state in the U.S. It’s an impressive record to be sure, but the debate on the legality of such things will surely continue to rage on. Frankly, attitudes on these high-speed cross-country runs seem to shift all the time, especially when larger media outlets pick up the story. These men are certainly seen as heroes by some, and to others, outlaws.

RELATED: Cheap Luxury Car Ownership Cost Isn’t as Bad as You Think

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Fire Recalls or Not: NHTSA Says Chevy Bolt Owners Should Take “Precautions”

by Gabrielle DeSantis

For the second time in less than a year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration wants owners of the 2017-2019 Chevy Bolt to take precautions. It suggests owners not park their Bolt in enclosed areas for concern over a spontaneous fire occurring. And this applies to previously recalled Bolt models as well. 

“Owners of the Chevy Bolt should park them outside away from homes and structures”

2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV | Chevrolet

The NHTSA also suggests keeping an eye on the vehicle while charging. “Owners of these vehicles should park their vehicles outside away from homes and other structures immediately after charging and should not leave their vehicles charging overnight,” says the NHTSA consumer alert.

The previous recall was back in November. Then, GM offered a hardware fix for potential near-capacity battery charges. It was attributed to “high voltage cells produced at LG Chem’s Ochang, Korea facility,” according to GM.

But now the NHTSA says it was informed of two Bolts that were “repaired” catching on fire. So whatever GM thought its recall fixed for earlier fires has proven not to be the case. In November, GM announced a recall of 68,000 Bolts based on five fires and two injuries.

NHTSA’s Chevy Bolt investigation first started in October 2020

car fire and firemen
Bolt fire | Getty

The NHTSA originally opened an investigation into the fires in October 2020. After 2019 GM switched battery manufacturers. So even though the first generation Bolt ran through 2020 the recall only took in 2017-2019 models. 

At first, GM engineers had no idea what was causing the fires. As an interim fix, it told owners to not fully charge their Bolts. Then this April, it announced what it would do to actually fix what it saw as the problem.

What was Chevy’s original “fix” for the Bolt?

A man looks in the window of a used Chevrolet
Car shopping at Chevrolet | Ty Wright via Getty Images

Dealer technicians would diagnose batteries and replace those with “anomalies.” It also said that software would be added that could detect battery charging issues. After the procedures, the cars were allowed to go back to being fully charged. 

To its credit, GM has treated the issue mostly with positive actions. In May, MotorBiscuit reported on GM quietly buying back troublesome Bolts from owners. Some owners were even given the full purchase price back from Chevy. 

But now things have changed. With this directive from the NHTSA, it has been revealed problems still exist beyond what GM’s fix was to have repaired. If you have a 2017-2019 Chevy Bolt you can go to the NHTSA website or Chevy’s Recall Center. At some point, further directions beyond it suggesting you don’t park in an enclosed structure will be offered. Or better yet, GM will have a fix to ward off future fires. 

RELATED: Don’t Dismiss the 2017 Chevy Bolt Quite Yet

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