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According to YouTuber Morgan Crosbie, only about five percent of 2020 Corvette C8 owners plan on taking their Chevy supercars on a racetrack. As such, it stands to reason that Chevrolet would set its mid-engined sports car up with handling dynamics that favor sporty, on-road driving that also allows for longer tire life and forgiving limits of traction. But as the latest “Cars and Crosbie” video (embedded above) says, those who do plan on tracking their fancy new Corvette would do well to sort it out first.

Crosbie’s biggest tip is to make sure the Corvette is well broken-in before taking it to the track. For example, the tires need to be worn down a bit because brand-new rollers often have a slick film on them that’s left over from the vulcanizing process. That said, it’s not a great idea to succumb to the temptation to do a big burnout when leaving the dealership, since it will unevenly wear the tires before they’re broken in.

Crosbie also suggests burnishing the brakes to improve their grip. His technique is to find an empty stretch of road that will allow the driver to drive at freeway speeds, then hit the brakes to about 80 percent of their force, repeating this process eight to ten times.

Next, a break-in oil change at 500 miles is necessary, which helps keep the engine healthy. Then, the transmission needs a 1,500-mile break-in, at which point it needs to be drained and refilled of its AC Delco dual-clutch transmission fluid. Finally, before any track driving, Crosbie says the brake fluid needs to be flushed and refilled using a high-temperature substitute.

Once the Corvette C8 in question is broken in, Crosbie says to alter the Corvette’s alignment specs a bit. Negative camber (3 degrees up front and 2.5 degrees in the rear) help improve turn-in response and overall grip in corners, at the expense of tire life. A bit of toe and caster change likewise improve performance on the track, with some freeway drivability compromises. While track driving might not be for everybody, Crosbie says that he’s driven a Corvette on a closed course using those setup alterations, noting that it transforms the budget supercar’s handling.

The 2020 Chevrolet Corvette is one of those vehicles that just begs for branded accessories, apparel, and add-ons. Some are cool and some… not so much. Consider this C8.R–themed car cover firmly in the former camp.

Offered by Chevrolet Accessories, the Premium Indoor Car Cover with Fully Rendered Corvette C8.R does a very convincing impression of the racing car when draped over the mid-engined curves of the 2020 ‘Vette. With as stylish as it is, we’d be tempted to set up in the garage and just look at it.

Made from a lightweight, semi-porous material with a breathable cotton layer, the C8.R disguise helps protect its precious cargo from dirt, dust, and abrasions when it needs to be parked in the garage for an extended period of time. It’s not quite rugged enough to withstand wind and weather, but it’d be a pretty cool way to store a Corvette indoors during a long winter.

At $1,195, you’re paying for style though. Similar Chevrolet Accessories indoor car covers without the C8.R livery costs $450, and it’s not clear what the added $745 gets you except that racing-inspired theme. Whichever route you go, the indoor car covers include a protective carrying bag for when it’s time to take the C8 Corvette out to play.

Other Chevrolet Accessories for the 2020 Corvette include premium floor mats, body-color emblems, splash guards, an extensive line of cleaning products, and more. It’s likely that most aftermarket suppliers could offer similar products for cheaper, but Chevrolet Accessories are available at the dealer, and some of them might even be able to be included in a financing arrangement with the rest of the vehicle.

Tesla may be leading the charge in pure electric vehicle technology, especially in the United States, but the country’s biggest automotive company, General Motors, isn’t too far behind from the California-based tech company. Sure, the Chevrolet Bolt is the sole EV offering from GM, but the American company sees this decade as its launching point for its emission-free vehicles underway.

The return of the Hummer as an EV can be considered one of GM’s biggest step towards electrification, but its Cadillac flagship brand will still be The General’s crowning glory.

The Cadillac Celestiq takes the lead as the luxury marque’s flagship EV sedan, but did you know that it was originally planned to be powered by an internal combustion engine? In an interview with Automobile Magazine, Cadillac design director Brian Smith implied that Cadillac’s next flagship, which is the Celestiq, was already in the design process and was originally planned to have an internal combustion engine. That’s the time, however, when the team stop and questioned the direction that they’re taking. The rest, as they say, was history.

Smith continued on by saying that in the first set of scale models, the current Celestiq design – which was shown to the members of the media but wasn’t allowed to be photographed – stood out with its wild silhouette. This has become the vision for the rest of future Cadillac vehicles.

However, it isn’t hard to imagine what the Celestiq would look like. Apart from the rendering we made shown above, it will share most of its front design, including the lighting elements, with the Lyriq midsize crossover EV. The latter was supposed to debut way ahead of the Celestiq but got delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic, but its design was actually based on the sedan.

Production for the Cadillac Lyric is scheduled to begin by 2022, while the Celestiq will follow by 2025, according to the interview with Smith.

The Porsche 911 isn’t exactly the first vehicle you’ll turn to if you want a safari-themed adventure machine. The nameplate has been an icon as a road-going vehicle, revered for its balance, power, and driving manners. Porsche‘s flagship isn’t made for the roads less traveled, but one tuner from Wisconsin begs to differ.

Kelly-Moss Road and Race (KMR) has built a reputation in customizing Porsche 911 for racing. However, the company isn’t limiting itself to the tarmac – among its products are safari-spec 911s that could change the way you look at the legendary name.

Hoonigan Autofocus, of course, didn’t waste time and featured KMR’s creations on a video (embedded on top). If the cars you’re seeing here looks familiar, that’s because we’ve featured them before. The grey one is the bonkers 911 overlander that’s built strong enough to carry another 911 on its roof. With the help of a custom-fabricated cage, this classic 1984 911 Carrera has been rebuilt to withstand safari adventures, regardless of the climate.

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The other grey 911, the 991-series one, is subtly updated but it’s hiding a trick hybrid system within, courtesy of Vonnen. The hybrid system adds 150 horsepower to the 911 Turbo S, which, along with the safari-spec upgrades, could make this Porsche take on any terrain.

The bulk of details about these builds will fill this article to the brim, so make sure to check them all out on kellymoss.com.

As for the action itself, watch the video prepared by Hoonigan Autofocus and see how these Porsches have some dirty, white fun on a frozen lake. Next time someone asks you if 911s can go off-road, you know what to say.

Dear Car Talk:

I have a 2015 Nissan Frontier. It only has 57,000 miles and does not leak or burn oil, to my knowledge. I take it to a reputable national oil-change place every 3,000 miles for oil and filter. I have never checked the dipstick right after the oil change, as I assume that is being done professionally.

They now tell me I have “blow-by” on my air filter. I looked in my truck’s owner’s manual, and it said my vehicle takes 5.3 quarts. The past two repair slips say they put in 6.1 quarts and 5.8 quarts, respectively.

When I told them this, they drained out a bit of oil for me and gave me a new air filter. But could this “blow-by” be a result of them overfilling the oil, or is it something else? — Bob

For those who aren’t familiar with the term, “blow-by” doesn’t mean what happens when you’re waiting for the bus on a winter morning, and the driver doesn’t see you and blows right by the stop.

Blow-by is when exhaust gasses from inside the cylinders sneak past the piston rings, and get into your crankcase.

A little bit of blow-by takes place in every engine — even a new one. And normally, it’s not a problem. There’s a system called the PCV — positive crankcase ventilation — that regularly removes exhaust gasses from your crankcase by sending them back into cylinders to be burned.

But if your PCV system isn’t working properly, those gasses in the crankcase can build up.

And from your experience over a lifetime of eating beans, Bob, I’m sure you know what eventually happens when gasses build up in your combustion chamber.

That’s right, they find their way out! And in the case of blow-by, they push back through the air intake, and contaminate your air filter (which, I guess, is kind of like your car’s BVD system).

So if you’re seeing extensive oil on your air filter, the most likely cause is a stuck PCV valve — especially on a reasonably young engine like yours.

Overfilling the crankcase by half a quart or so is nowhere near enough to cause this problem.

On older engines, excessive blow-by can be caused by piston rings that are all worn out and let too much stuff get by them. And that’s a much more serious, and expensive, problem. But I think that’s unlikely in your case.

A new PCV valve for your truck costs about $10 online. And it’s really easy to change — I think it just sticks into one of the valve covers.

If you’re so inclined, you can buy one, take it out of the box, and then spend a Saturday afternoon trying to find a part that looks just like it on the top of your engine, and swap it out.

Or just let your mechanic replace it for you. Then, since you have a new air filter, at your next oil change, you’ll know whether that solved your blow-by problem. I’ll bet it does, Bob.

More than a year ago now, Subaru debuted its latest Desert Racer for the 2019 Baja 500. It looks radical, and probably one of the most badass Subaru Crosstrek (or XV in other markets) we’ve ever seen. Yes, it’s based on the small crossover, but we doubt you’ll recognize that.

With exposed tires, tall ride height, bull bars, and more, the Desert Racer looked like a race buggy that’s ready to devour sand and dressed in Subaru’s latest blue-and-gold livery. Even better, it’s powered by a 300-horsepower (223-kilowatt) 2.5-liter Boxer engine built by Quirt Crawford.

The Subaru Desert Racer was arguably an inspiration for tuners and off-road enthusiasts. Problem is, most of its parts aren’t found in your regular Crosstrek. So, what do you do? Well, you can start small by buying your crossover a lift kit, specifically a lift kit designed by the same company that made the boxer engine for the Desert Racer – Crawford Performance.

Available at the company’s website, the Crawford Performance CDR Series Lift Kit provides a 2-inch front lift and 1.5-inch rear lift. The aluminum spacer is designed to be corrosion resistant, as well, plus the sway bar link extensions keep the factory sway bar positioning. Even better, your Crosstrek’s OEM ABS sensors are kept intact with this upgrade, as are the brake line mounts.

Included in the Crawford lift kit are two 2-inch aluminum strut spacers (front), two 1.5″ aluminum strut spacers (rear), six long strut extensions (front), four short strut extensions (rear), and of course, all the necessary hardware. An installation guide is also available on the website.

For those interested, the Crawford Crosstrek lift will cost you $549.95. Only 10 units are available as of this writing.

It’s only been half of 2020, and while the coronavirus may have slowed things down when it comes to track days around the world, the Green Hell continues to impress with not just the amount of cool cars and driving experiences, but with some very sketchy moments. We all know how dangerous the Nürburgring Nordschleife can get, with over 160 corners, all varying in braking points, visibility, severity, and even surface. You add some overly-eager drivers and riders, all with varying skill levels, during “touristenfahrten” and you have the recipe for some rowdy behavior and close-calls. 

Auto Addiction, a famous YouTube channel that covers the cars, bikes, and culture that surrounds theNürburgring, has brought us this compilation of the most common errors and driving situations on the ‘Ring. If you check out the rest of his channel, most of the accidents and spin-outs happen at the corner called “Brünnchen”, a tricky pair of right-handers, with the first that goes downhill into a straight, then into a blind uphill portion. 

Of course, we’ll get to see the usual smattering of BMWs, Audis, Renaults, Hondas, and VWs, but there are also some sweet Nürburgring Endurance Racing cars losing it, too. The most common mistake is usually not braking enough for the second, blind right-hander, leading to some understeer on exit. That either puts you into the sand trap, the guardrail, or your car suddenly grabs traction again and the opposite lock snaps you around. Next seems to be a lot of getting on the gas way too early, and with some of the clips showing a wet track, its a surefire recipe for a bruised ego. 

Thankfully, many of these people are lucky, and a few dings and missing plastic bits are the biggest issues in the clips. As always, remember to keep right to let faster cars pass!

Portrait paintings are among the hardest forms of art. The process of capturing a person’s character and emotion is reserved for the gifted. Even the faintest smile could make or break a portrait, which is one of the reasons why Mona Lisa has become so popular among artists and enthusiasts alike.

Adam Ambro, a full-time architect from Golden, Colorado, tries to capture these characters from vehicles and paints them on newspapers as the canvas. It’s a daunting task, but one that he’s able to pull off nicely in these works of art.

Ambro refers to his works as automotive portraits. A cross between illustration, technical drawing, and fine art, he seeks to portray these cars on his unique canvas while using markers as his painting tools. While most of his works feature popular off-roaders and adventure vehicles like the Land Rover Defender or Jeep Wrangler, Ambro wasn’t particular with the subject for his artwork.

“Regardless of the make and model, certain cars just seem to have a unique character. It’s this character that I’m after,” he said in an interview by Motor1.

According to him, the whole idea started as “some late night screwing around” during his architecture graduate school. Markers and newspapers were the materials available at that time, but using his knowledge in watercolor painting, he was able to turn them into something brilliant.

A lot of Ambro’s early commissions but currently, he’s trying to be particular with the subject involved. A specific piece takes around two to three weeks to finish, depending on his schedule, of course, but motivation always stands as his initial cue.

You can see Ambro’s other works on his website and Instagram. There are pre-made pieces there with prices starting from $20 up to $80. If you want your personal vehicle to be made into an automotive portrait, don’t hesitate to drop Adam Ambro a message and see if he’s up for the job.

Last year, Lexus entered the minivan segment in the form of the Lexus LM. The huge posh MPV was based on the Toyota Alphard, which has gained popularity in Asia and other markets where massive people carriers are a hit. The already luxurious minivan has souped-up further in the LM, offering massive interior space and other niceties that owners would really appreciate. As you would have guessed it, the Lexus LM is initially offered in China and other Asian markets.

Now, if the LM isn’t your cup of tea, Instagram’s sugardesign_1 reimagines the 2021 Toyota Sienna into a Lexus minivan for the U.S. market.

 

Taking the body of the good-looking new Sienna and slapping a Lexus fascia on it, the final product looks great – at least on our end. The set of 20-inch rims fit the bill for a sporty look, matching the aggressive front fascia that Lexus vehicles don.

Compared to the LM, this “Lexus EM” should be a better-looking proposition for those in the market for luxury minivans. Whether for the family or for business executives, we’re digging the look, but too bad it’s just a fictional design exercise.

But then again, the new Sienna Hybrid is already an interesting vehicle design-wise, specifically the XSE trim that comes with 20-inch alloys and blacked-out accents. If this Lexus EM doesn’t make it to reality (which we highly doubt, really), sticking with the Sienna wouldn’t be a bad decision at all.

But then again, we’ll never know. Maybe Toyota is working on a more luxurious version of the Sienna for the American market. Let’s just hope that it will look as great as this rendering or even better.

The Jetta name carries a lot of cachet, both as one of Volkswagen’s most popular model lines and as a budget-priced sub-brand currently found only in China. Since it launched eight months ago, Jetta has established itself as a popular value-oriented brand in the world’s most populous country. Now, its popularity has Volkswagen divisions in other markets eyeing Jetta as a possibility.

Speaking to Automotive News Europe, Jetta president Harald Mueller said the brand had achieved about 1 percent of the market’s share of new vehicles. Jetta earned some of its early success as price-conscious consumers began looking for public transportation alternatives amid the coronavirus crisis.

“The successful start has of course also sparked interest from other markets in the Volkswagen world,” Mueller told Automotive News Europe.

Much like Nissan and its resurrected Datsun brand, Jetta is intended to give the brand a low-priced entry into the Chinese auto market, where other budget VW Group offerings (like Skoda) carry limited name recognition. Currently, Jetta sells the VA3 sedan and VS5 and VS7 crossovers. The VA3 is a significantly updated version of China’s previous-generation Volkswagen Jetta, while the VS5 and VS7 share a good bit with the Seat Ateca and Seat Tarraco, respectively.

Outside Mueller’s somewhat nebulous statement, there isn’t any confirmation that Jetta will move outside China’s borders. If it does, we’d expect it to move north to Russia and perhaps to markets elsewhere in Asia: the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, and the like. Regardless, hopefully Jetta avoids the same fate as Datsun, which is likely to be put out to pasture as Nissan cuts costs.

Jetta likely won’t make the jump across the pond or into European markets. American tastes likely wouldn’t respond to the cheaper interior and powertrain materials required of the Jetta brand. And VW already has budget offerings in Europe, thanks both to cheap Vee-Dubs like the Up! and the Polo and to the company’s already-established Skoda brand. The Volkswagen name is well-regarded and beloved in Latin America as well, so don’t count on seeing a Jetta VA3 or VS7 in Mexico or Brazil any time soon.