Vanderhall Brawley Wants to Crush Bronco and Jeep

by Gabrielle DeSantis

When we last visited Vanderhall’s latest dip into the EV pool it was to reveal its mysterious all-electric off-roader. Now we’ve got better shots of what the company is doing and can reveal its name. This is the Vanderhall Brawley, an off-road electric vehicle, and it will be available in 2022.

What is Vanderhall?

Vanderhall is not new to the whole vehicle mass-production deal. For years it has made a variety of three-wheel Vanderhall creations. One is the electric Edison, and the other two are the three-wheel Venice and Carmel models. Those two are powered by GM LFV 1.5-liter turbo four-cylinder engines. Edison uses two electric motors for its power.

The Brawley comes on the heels of these models with four electric motors for a combined 404 hp and 480 lb-ft of torque. Two battery sizes will be available with the 60 kWh version giving up to 200 miles of range. Beyond that, it is a pretty basic approach to off-roading.

The Brawley is a limited production bare-bones off-roader

2022 Vanderhall Brawley UTV | Vanderhall

See-through doors offer lower views of obstacles. Portions of the roof can be removed for an open option. And the overall look is of a tight, contemporary, bare-bones off-roader. It looks like a blast to drive.

Since Vanderhall is serious about production it is expanding its Utah factory to begin assembly of the Brawley. It is looking to produce around 10,000 Brawley off-roaders a year. While we have a video we don’t have word on price or precisely in 2021, the Brawley will become available. 

You can see the Brawley’s tight, contemporary proportions

2022 Vanderhall Brawley front 3/4 view
2022 Vanderhall Brawley UTV | Vanderhall

What it does show is a prototype hauling through the dunes. It is apparent that with the wheels pulled out to the very ends of the Brawley that there is little concern about hanging it up in ruts or tight places. And the longshots give one the idea of Brawley’s compact proportions. 

In all, it looks like a cool alternative to a Ford Bronco. If Vanderhall can crank out 10,000 a year as it states it wants to do it might keep the price within reason. That will increase its chance of better sales. We’ll keep you posted as it gets closer to launching this fun new project.

2022 Vanderhall Brawley UTV interior
2022 Vanderhall Brawley UTV | Vanderhall

RELATED: Morgan Just Killed Its EV3-Vanderhall Has An Alternative

The post Vanderhall Brawley Wants to Crush Bronco and Jeep appeared first on MotorBiscuit.

/by

2021 Genesis G70 3.3T AWD – Luxury Performance Built for the Winter

by Gabrielle DeSantis

When it comes to luxury vehicles, there’s nothing better than one built for winter. With these kinds of cars, you can do more than ride in style – you can also travel safely through potentially hazardous winter weather conditions. It’s the best of both worlds – you don’t have to sacrifice the car’s look and feel for having increased traction. 

Enter the Genesis G70, a car that blends modern luxury with practicality for all seasons. Let’s take a closer look at this car’s eclectic blend that pairs style, safety, and comfort all in one. 

Pairs sporty performance with solid traction

Genesis G70 | Hyundai Motor America

Whether you’re looking for a sports car or a car that can move freely in the snow, ice, or rain, the G70 has you covered. According to U.S. News and World Report, this car has the same platform as the Stinger GT. Its status as a car that combines luxury with performance features rivals that of a Kia sedan. Whether you’re looking to test the car’s mettle by driving it fast or simply make it from Point A to Point B in challenging weather, it’s a great car. 

U.S. News and World Report referred to the cabin of the Genesis as “high quality” and lauded its “long list of standard features.” In the magazine’s full review of the vehicle, the publication provided a rundown of the model’s pros and cons. First, the good aspects of the car: 

  • It handles remarkably well. 
  • Its cabin materials are high quality. 
  • As noted above, it has a comprehensive, long list of standard features. 
  • It grades well from a safety perspective – a critical component for any sports car. Looking sleek is great, but if a car isn’t safe, it’s going to be harder to justify driving it. 

Of course, it isn’t without its drawbacks. Some of the negative aspects of the vehicle include: 

  • Less than stellar fuel economy. 
  • Not an ideal amount of space for the rear seats. 
  • Less trunk space than average. 

The car received an 8.6 out of 10 rating overall. 

The performance specs for the G70

The G70 has a powerful 252-hp baseline engine and an available 365 horsepower, twin-turbocharged V6 engine. Both engines send their power through the vehicle’s automatic transmission. If you’re looking for rear-wheel and all-wheel drive capability, you’re in luck. Both G70 model options come with these features available. 

So, what’s the bottom line? This car is built for optimal performance. Along with its better-than-average acceleration ability, the G70 has adaptive suspension, which enables the vehicle’s software systems to adjust its suspension based on what’s needed at the moment. Additionally, it also comes with high-powered Brembo brakes. You shouldn’t have any performance issues with this vehicle, no matter how you’d like to drive it. 

The G70’s pricing is competitive

For a vehicle with such an intriguing combo of solid features and safety considerations, you’d think it would cost a pretty penny. However, the G70 matches up quite nicely compared to other luxury cars in its class. 

According to MSN, the 3.3T Standard AWD has an MSRP of $48,200. Compare that to an Audi S4, which can go as high as $59,200, or a Cadillac CT5, which can go all the way to $49,795. When viewed under that lens, the G70 doesn’t look too bad from a pricing perspective. When it comes to luxury small cars, the G70 appears to be in the same price point neighborhood as other cars in its class. 

What’s the final verdict on the G70? There are likely cheaper cars you can find, but few will combine the elegance and toughness quite like this one.

RELATED: 1 of the Best Parts of the 2021 Genesis G70 Is That It’s Insanely Cool

The post 2021 Genesis G70 3.3T AWD – Luxury Performance Built for the Winter appeared first on MotorBiscuit.

/by

The McLaren Formula 1 Car Is Making Improvements to Take on Mercedes

by Gabrielle DeSantis

The 2020 F1 season was a blur, with Lewis Hamilton and the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team sweeping the race track. However, times are changing. Winds are picking up! The sun is shining again! And teams other than Mercedes are making headlines. The McLaren Formula 1 team is one of those teams taking the 2021 Formula 1 season by storm.

McLaren Formula 1 team is moving up in the ranks

Lando Norris drives the McLaren Formula 1 car at the Austrian Grand Prix | Joe Klamar/AFP via Getty Images

The McLaren Formula 1 car, the MCL35M, has been going through some changes lately. That is evident in the performance of McLaren in the past few Formula 1 Grand Prix races. According to Motorsport, McLaren has been taking stock of what the other teams are doing. The strengths of certain designs and the weaknesses of others are all influencing how the team moves forward through the season.

McLaren was a late adopter to the new Z-shaped floor design that eight other teams were already using. At the Spanish Grand Prix, McLaren introduced a more tapered design to the floor. It also added a cluster of fins along the wide section to help redirect the airflow. This would also help reinforce the flow that the design was already creating.

Is McLaren still in Formula 1?

McLaren Formula 1 car floor comparison | Motorsport

One of the best parts of Formula 1 as a sport is that each team has its own designs, which are visible above. Red Bull Racing has five fins bunched together toward the back of the floor. Aston Martin has three fins in a row, while McLaren has a steep angle on the first fin. A second set of fins have been added just behind the first ones as well. The design might look different, but it serves the same purpose while being more efficient.

The Red Bull Ring happened to be an excellent testing ground for these changes due to the altitude. “The altitude emphasizes the trade-off between the need to keep the power unit within the operating window and a loss of aerodynamic efficiency from opening up the bodywork.” This change debuted at the French Grand Prix.

At the same race, McLaren also debuted a new rear wing endplate design. This design uses horizontal louvers on the lower half of the endplate to allow airflow in the correct direction. The usual design favors vertical strakes as opposed to the horizontal design.

McLaren in the 2021 Constructor Standings

As it stands right now, the McLaren Formula 1 team’s changes seem to be paying off. The top five drivers are Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton, Sergio Pérez, Lando Norris, and Valtteri Bottas. The second McLaren driver is Daniel Ricciardo, and he’s in eighth place. For the 2021 Constructor Standings, the top five teams are Red Bull Racing, Mercedes, McLaren, Ferrari, and AlphaTauri.

Lando Norris currently has 101 points, just behind Pérez with 104. Though Red Bull is in the lead, McLaren is certainly still at the top of the midfield…or the back of the front row. Whatever the McLaren Formula 1 team is doing behind the scenes, it seems to be working.

RELATED: Lewis Hamilton: Are Formula 1 Cars at Odds With Sustainability Push?

The post The McLaren Formula 1 Car Is Making Improvements to Take on Mercedes appeared first on MotorBiscuit.

/by

How Much Does Using Your Car’s AC Affect the Fuel Economy?

by Gabrielle DeSantis

It’s summer again, and that means that many people are taking a vacation, and others are simply turning on their air conditioning to stay cool. However, just like a home AC unit, your car’s air conditioning unit will actually have an impact on your gas usage and, thus, your fuel economy. Here’s a look at just how much gas your car’s AC uses and what you can do about it.

Just how much gas your car’s AC uses

Car Air Conditioning | Michal Fludra/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Like a home air conditioning unit, a car’s AC is a bunch of machines working together to cool you down. Since machines need power, it gets that power from your car. So, if you’re driving a gas-powered vehicle, that AC unit will ultimately get power from your engine burning through some gas. 

According to the EPA, a car’s AC unit can actually use quite a bit of fuel. However, it depends on a lot of factors. In the worst conditions, the EPA said that using the AC in your car can reduce your fuel economy by up to 25%. For a car that gets about 30 MPG, that’s equal to a loss of 7.5 MPG. An obvious solution may be to buy an EV. However, like the EPA notes, using the AC on an electric vehicle can also hurt its fuel economy by quite a bit.

Staying cool without an AC

Fortunately for budget-conscious drivers, windows do exist. Simply rolling down the windows and letting the breeze come in can cool you and your car down. With that being said, there’s a small problem with that advice. According to the EPA, rolling down the windows when driving on the highway will hurt your fuel economy, even compared to when using the AC. This is because of how aerodynamics work.

As such, the EPA’s advice is to roll down your windows at low speeds, while it may be better to bite the bullet and use the AC at highway speeds. However, that doesn’t mean that drivers need to use their AC at highway speeds. After all, there are other ways to stay cool without rolling down the windows.

For example, the Zebra wrote that one of the cheaper ways to stay cool is by getting a 12-volt portable fan that you can install on your dashboard or visor. Alternatively, you can also use windshield shades to block the sun from overheating the interior of your car. Other classic summer cooling techniques like drinking some cold water or sitting on a towel if your car has leather seats will also cool you down a bit.

Other ways to save gas

While some folks may want to turn off the AC to save a few bucks, other folks may not have a choice. Other techniques are used other than not using the AC if you need to conserve fuel for whatever reason. For example, driving at a steady pace below 50 MPH can dramatically improve your fuel economy, especially on highways. 

Other techniques are commonly used by folks who are called hypermilers. Hypermilers specialize in getting as much fuel economy out of their cars as possible, and their techniques work. For example, hypermilers will try to break as infrequently as possible. This is because it takes energy to slow the car down, so it will save fuel if your car is coasting for as long as possible. Obviously, however, this method isn’t as easy to do in the city compared to highways.

RELATED: Are You Guilty of Believing These Fuel Economy Myths?

The post How Much Does Using Your Car’s AC Affect the Fuel Economy? appeared first on MotorBiscuit.

/by