Lewis Hamilton’s Winning Formula 1 McLaren Is Being Auctioned Off

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Interested in buying the Formula 1 McLaren that Lewis Hamilton won the 2010 Turkish Grand Prix in? Get your bid ready. For the first time, attendees of the Formula 1 Pirelli British Grand Prix will be able to bid on a Hamilton-driven vehicle.

Lewis Hamilton’s Formula 1 McLaren is up for auction

Formula 1 drivers Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton pose for photographs beside the McLaren Mercedes Formula 1 racing car | Adrian Dennis AFP via Getty Images

The Formula 1 Pirelli British Grand Prix is taking place on July 18. At which time you can take home the Formula 1 McLaren vehicle that Lewis Hamilton drove back in 2010. This Grand Prix will be different anyway, as the new Sprint Qualifying format will be there to shake things up a bit.

The McLaren #1 MP4-25A vehicle led Hamilton to victory back in 2010 at the Turkish Grand Prix. It was the same race that Red Bull Racing’s Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber collided. The auction could bring in between $5 million and $7 million. The auction is already up on the RM Sotheby’s website though the action has not started yet.

The Formula 1 McLaren MP4-25A

Lewis Hamilton’s Formula 1 Winning McLaren
Lewis Hamilton’s Formula 1 Winning McLaren Is Being Auctioned Off

The auction will start after the first-ever Sprint Qualifying on Saturday, July 17. This race will mark the first time the Sprint Qualifying will take place. Also, it is the first time a Lewis Hamilton winning Formula 1 McLaren car will be offered for a public sale.

“The availability of this particular example, Chassis no. 1 is an unrepeatable opportunity given the model’s scarcity. While client confidentiality precludes knowing exactly how many cars exist in private ownership, it’s believed to be only a scarce few. As such these examples remain highly coveted and largely in private hands, unlikely to be sold in the near future.”

RM Sotheby’s

Silverstone circuit is historic for Formula 1, but it is also Lewis Hamilton’s home track. Silverstone allows fans to attend the race and bid on the race car while driving around the circuit. Not only is that exciting, but it sounds like this is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

There are a few situations ahead of the bidding. RM Sotheby’s is not allowing online bidding for the McLaren. However, bidders may register online and participate via telephone or absentee bid. The buyer can also bid in person at Silverstone in the Paddock Club. The buyer has to pay in full before the next business day.

How many F1 titles did Hamilton win with McLaren?

While every vehicle that Hamilton drives on the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula 1 team is historical, some vehicles will have more value. In fact, Hamilton won his first title with McLaren in this vehicle. He was the youngest driver in Formula 1 history to become a champion. Hamilton went on to drive for McLaren for four seasons before switching to his current team. Since then, he has gone on to win six more titles.

It isn’t crazy to think the current W12 vehicle could bring in quite a bit of money one day after Hamilton retires. However, he just signed another two-year contract with Mercedes, so that isn’t happening quite yet. We foresee some interesting races soon with Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing ahead of him in the points.

RELATED: A Single Formula 1 Car Can Cost More Than a Fleet of Ferraris

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The 2022 GMC Hummer EV Almost Stole This Rad Jeep Wrangler Feature

by Gabrielle DeSantis

The 2022 GMC Hummer EV made quite the splash when it was officially released last year. The old earth-crushing monstrosity has been remade into an equally dramatic monster truck, but this time it’s polar bear friendly. In all of the electric Hummer’s many features, GM almost added a very Jeep Wrangler esq feature that ultimately didn’t make the cut. 

The GMC Hummer EV is loaded with features

Although the 2022 GMC Hummer EV is often lumped in with the Jeep Wrangler and Ford Bronco, it really isn’t a competitor. The electric Hummer is a six-figure luxury EV that offers off-road capability but is honestly closer to a Mercedes-Benz G-Class than it is to a Wrangler. However, that didn’t stop GM from looking to the Wrangler for inspiration. 

According to CarScoops, GM seriously considered making Jeep-like removable doors for the beastly electric Hummer. However, given the luxurious nature of the Hummer, GM ultimately decided against the more rugged feature. 

How nice is the 2022 GMC Hummer EV?

The GMC Hummer EV | GM

While the Hummer still conjures images of desert storm humvees, massive H1s and H2s sucking down 100 gallons of fuel per mile, and earth-crushing weight and size, the Hummer EV aims to change all that. 

This might be off-road capable, but the new electric Hummer isn’t a rugged trail boss. If someone takes the 2022 GMC Hummer EV deep in the trails, it’s more of a luxurious cabin in the woods than it is camping. 

In an interview with John Mack, a lead Hummer EV exterior designer, by the folks at Muscle Cars & Trucks, he said, “We looked into [removable doors] and this truck being premium, we felt like if you do removable doors or anything like that, it would take away from the (premium) execution,” he explained. “But as far as off-road cues – flag mounts and things like that – that’s something that accessories can get into.”

The electric Hummer still took some design cues from the Jeep Wrangler 

Hummer EV parked in the desert at sunset
The GMC Hummer EV | GM

Even though GM didn’t choose to go with removable doors, the Hummer did get the multi-part removable roof. The roof isn’t the only Jeepish quality the Hummer EV possesses. In the future, the Hummer EV, like the Bronco and Jeep Wrangler, is getting over 200 accessories added to the massive eco-warrior. 

“We’ve added a lot of things like the lightbar and the GoPro camera mount on the front hood that really enable the off-road experience in a really new way,” Mack said. “A techy way as well, the underside cameras that can also look at the rocks you’re clearing. They take the off-road experience into a new era.”

The 2022 GMC Hummer EV is coming soon

GM begins deliveries for the 2022 GMC Hummer EV Edition 1 later this year at the very unjeepy price of $112,595. Other cheaper, less-optioned models will drop over the next few years. 

Understandably, the 2022 GMC Hummer EV has many people excited for this next wave of super-powerful electric SUVs. The options lists, capability, and newness give the Hummer EV an edge over the other new SUVs. Hummer has always been fully over the top, and it seems to be picking up right where it left off. 

RELATED: Rivian R1T Borrows Coolest Feature From the Ford Bronco and Jeep Wrangler

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Americans Admit to Some Scary Driving Habits in New Survey

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Though speeding can get drivers in trouble, tickets aren’t the worst consequences of bad driving habits. In fact, some car insurance companies claim that as many as 90 deaths or more happen every day, and some could’ve been prevented by following basic car safety rules. 

Hankook Gauge Index recently surveyed American drivers to learn about their driving habits. And the results are scary. 

What the survey reveals about car safety and driving habits

Bad driving habits including checking your phone messages on the road | Arterra/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

According to Hankook, vehicle maintenance is an important factor in ensuring car safety. But it turns out, 28 percent of the people who took the survey don’t know how to change a tire or don’t have them rotated periodically.

Interestingly, millennials are the most likely to change a tire when necessary. The survey indicates that 61 percent report they have the proper tire jack in their vehicle to do it if needed, while 12 percent claim they don’t know how to change a tire.  

Asked about their driving test, 10 percent of drivers admitted they failed their first test, while a handful reported they have driving habits today that wouldn’t pass any test now.

And when it comes to tires and wear-and-tear, 14 percent of American drivers surveyed claimed they occasionally hit their brakes too harshly or turn too fast. 

What is the worst habit many drivers are guilty of?

Among the worst things while driving are distractions. They can divert your attention from the road for a few seconds, which is long enough to get into a car accident. 

Some things that can divert drivers’ attention include texting, interacting with the infotainment system, and even turning around to children with tasks. But texting is the worst because it can take a driver’s eyes off the road for approximately five seconds. That’s “roughly the equivalent of driving the length of a football field with your eyes closed,” Hankook reports.

The survey also reveals that 24 percent of people sing at the top of their lungs when they drive, and 21 percent eat behind the wheel. Other distractions that aren’t quite as bad as texting, which 11 percent of surveyed drivers admitted to doing, are putting on makeup or shaving while driving, which 3 percent claim to do. 

NHTSA’s goal to combat bad driving habits

One of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s goals is to combat poor driving habits so that fewer accidents happen each year from distractions. Education is by far the most important way to get the point across to drivers, but the NHTSA wants to make it even more effective. 

One way is by empowering teens to speak up to their friends when they see them texting while driving. The NHTSA reports that teens are likelier to listen to their peers than anyone else. Parents can step up and be good examples to their kids by always driving without distractions. Basically, parents should instill good driving behaviors early on. 

While the NHTSA works with state and local officials on laws to prevent distracted driving, you can help by getting involved and supporting those laws to ensure they get passed.

We’ve all had our not-so-great moments while driving, but they don’t always amount to anything serious. However, on occasion, one distraction for only a few seconds can result in serious injury or even death if we’re not careful. By pledging to be distraction-free, we can lower the number of car accidents every year. 

RELATED: 5 Most Dangerous Driving Behaviors in 2020

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The 2022 Ford Bronco Borrows More From the Jeep Wrangler

by Gabrielle DeSantis

t’s impossible not to be at least a little bit excited about the Ford Bronco’s return. However, it has the massive goal of dethroning the Jeep Wrangler. To beat the best, sometimes you have to borrow a few features, which is exactly what the 2022 Ford Bronco is doing, but it’s also taking things a step further. 

The 2022 Ford Bronco gains Jeep Wrangler features 

2021 Ford Bronco | Ford Motor Company

Like the Jeep Wrangler, you can remove the doors from the 2022 Ford Bronco. This allows you to feel the breeze and provides better visibility for off-roading. So, how could the Bronco take on the Wrangler without this feature? 

Then a nanny named Bianca from Los Angeles pointed out one issue. Where do you put the doors after you remove them? Now the Bronco will incorporate a place to store the doors if you want to remove them in a pinch. 

Removing the doors was challenging with the four-door Bronco. They were too heavy and a little clunky. Then they were too big to fit in the back. So, like the Jeep Wrangler, the removable doors have a smaller, lightweight design. 

How similar are the Bronco and Jeep Wrangler? 

The 2022 Ford Bronco and Jeep Wrangler both have historic nameplates. The Wrangler emerged around World War II, and the Bronco was introduced in 1965. However, the Wrangler was never discontinued like the Bronco. 

Both of these boxy SUVs have a similar boxy design with four doors. They are modernized versions of their ancestors with round headlights, similar grille styles, and a similar bumper shape.

They both have massive spare tires mounted on the tailgate too. Like the Wrangler, you can also get the Bronco with 35-inch tires to improve its ground clearance and crawling ratios. Like the Wrangler, the Bronco has multiple driving modes such as Sport, Snow, Mud, and Rock crawling. 

You can remove the roof off of both SUVs too. They both have soft and hardtops. The hardtops have removable sections to make it easier and lightweight to go topless. The two-door Bronco will gain a soft top option for the 2022 model year. 

How are the Wrangler and Bronco different? 

A yellow 2021 Jeep Wrangler driving on a road in the woods
2021 Jeep Wrangler | Jeep

With the Jeep Wrangler, you can fold the windshield down and remove the mirrors. The 2022 Ford Bronco is working on new door designs so the mirrors can be removed. The mirror may make it more complicated to fit on narrow trails and limit visibility. 

The Ford Bronco currently only has two engine options. The Jeep Wrangler has four engine options, including a diesel variant and a mighty Hemi V8. Also, the 4xe is the hybrid variant. The Bronco will probably go hybrid too. 

The Wrangler has a more traditional design with solid axles. The Bronco has an independent suspension which is attributed to providing a more comfortable ride on the road. It’s been keeping up with the Wrangler in the wild so far. With the Bronco, you get a hydraulically controlled stabilizer that can be disconnected. The Wrangler has an electronically disconnecting sway bar and locking differentials. 

You may notice that the Ford Bronco has an interior with updated tech and a more modern feel, but it did just come out. The Jeep Wrangler has plenty of time to upgrade its infotainment system and goodies, and the Bronco evolves. The battle between these SUVs is just getting started.

RELATED: The Worst Ford Bronco for Off-Roading Is Deadly

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