Latest news with #Automotive
Car and Driver
4 hours ago
- Automotive
- Car and Driver
View Photos of the Refreshed 2026 Land Rover Defender
After five years on sale, Land Rover is giving the Defender off-road a series of small updates to keep the SUV fresh, with the changes applying to all Defenders from the two-door 90 to the extra-long 130 model. Read the full story
The Drive
6 hours ago
- Automotive
- The Drive
Check Out This Weird SOHC-Converted Chevy Small Block for Sale
The latest car news, reviews, and features. If the only thing holding you back from a GM V8 swap is some sort of social-media-hardened dislike for overhead-valve (OHV, aka pushrod) motor designs, Bring a Trailer may have just the thing for you: a single-overhead-cam-swapped small block Chevy V8. It's not some oddball motor from a limited-production race car, but a garden-variety 327 with a purpose-built SOHC conversion. Pretty wild, huh? According to the accompanying Hot Rod article, the upgraded motors were good for 350 horsepower after the cam swap alone—or about the same amount you got from the L84 package engine in 1963, and that was the top-of-the-line engine with mechanical fuel injection. The low-compression (and carbureted) version offered only 250 horses. Sure, the power's nice, but there are plenty of other ways to get that from a small-block V8 without performing a lobotomy. Why go through all the trouble then? An overhead-cam engine benefits from a tighter valvetrain package with less reciprocating mass. Pushrods are simple, but they're long and heavy, and along with the rocker arms, they both contribute a good bit to an OHV engine's overall parasitic losses and limit their ability to rev higher. The overhead-cam setup eliminates them from the design while also allowing for lighter valve springs, and less mass is always good when you're trying to make top-end power. This particular conversion kit was produced by Pete Aardema. If that name rings a bell, that's because he's always doing something crazy with internal-combustion engines. Remember the land speed record car we featured a while back with a home-built V12? Yep, same guy. While a conversion kit is certainly less ambitious than a home-built engine, this thing is nonetheless impressive. It's effectively a bolt-on upgrade, and it even preserves the factory camshaft to continue functioning as a distributor drive. This could all be done with the heads in place, and all signs point to it being completely reversible. In this case, you get the kit pre-installed on this 1963 Chevrolet 327. And for such a novelty, it's pacing to go for a bit of a bargain. Those numbers always go up near the auction's end, of course, but this little bit of obscurity may not necessarily fetch top dollar. Got a tip? Send it in: tips@
Motor 1
a day ago
- Automotive
- Motor 1
The Dodge Durango Hellcat Refuses to Die
The Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat was supposed to be a one-and-done. Dodge initially created this supercharged V-8 SUV for the 2021 model year only, but it proved so popular that the Durango Hellcat made a comeback in 2023. Unfortunately for Dodge, that pissed off a number of 2021 owners who thought they were getting a true limited-edition SUV. But the Durango Hellcat was too good to kill off. For 2026, the Durango Hellcat enters its fourth consecutive year of production, its fifth in total. It may just be indestructible. Photo by: Dodge Dodge revealed details on the 2026 Durango on Friday, though it only just confirmed the SRT Hellcat would continue for the next model year, offering no further information. The brand said it would reveal more in the third quarter of this year. For 2026, the base V-6 Durango GT lives on, and its $40,490 base price stays the same, too. The Hemi V-8-powered R/T gets a new 20-inch wheel design, and the Tow N Go package is now available as a standalone option, where it previously only came on the R/T 20th anniversary editions. For $5,990, you get all the performance upgrades that used to come with the Durango SRT 392, minus the engine, and everything that comes with the $1,195 tow package, including a trailer brake controller. Photo by: Dodge In a statement, Dodge CEO Matt McAleer said Tow N Go accounted for 25 percent of Durango orders at various points, so the brand wanted to expand it across the lineup. The R/T also gets the $3,495 Blacktop Redline package that debuted with the Durango GT last year, which includes unique wheels, black and red racing stripes, and red stitching inside. Like the GT, Dodge didn't raise Durango R/T pricing for 2026, with the $51,990 base price remaining as before. Next year will be the 15th on the market for the current Durango, making it one of the oldest models you can buy today. But, as Dodge struggles with the Hornet and the new V-8-less Charger, it needs the Durango. It might be old, but that just means Dodge has long since paid off the development and tooling costs, making it profitable. Plus, customers still love it, and all of this is doubly true with the Hellcat. More on Dodge You'll Have To Wait Longer for the Dodge Charger Sixpack The New Dodge Charger Sedan Is Here. And It's Powerful Get the best news, reviews, columns, and more delivered straight to your inbox, daily. back Sign up For more information, read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use . Gallery: 2026 Dodge Durango 4 Source: Dodge Share this Story Facebook X LinkedIn Flipboard Reddit WhatsApp E-Mail Got a tip for us? Email: tips@ Join the conversation ( )
Motor 1
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Motor 1
The 2026 Land Rover Defender Keeps the Supercharged V-8 Alive
Land Rover gave the Defender an extremely subtle facelift for the 2026 model year, but what's most interesting about this updated 4x4 is what isn't new: Its supercharged 5.0-liter V-8. Yes, the Defender V8 gets a stay of execution, living alongside the new, twin-turbo V-8 Defender Octa for the immediate future. Land Rover hasn't confirmed US specs for the 2026 Defender yet, so we've reached out to see if we'll get the 5.0-liter here, and we'll update if and when we hear back. This supercharged V-8 is one of the oldest engines on the market. Jaguar developed this, the AJ-V8, in the mid-1990s under Ford ownership. The 5.0-liter version debuted in 2009, and for a while, it was available in many models across the Jaguar Land Rover lineup. But with J aguar soon ending gas-car production entirely —the F-Pace is still soldiering on for a bit—and Range Rover models all switching to a BMW-sourced 4.4-liter twin-turbo V-8, the Defender is very likely the last car to get this supercharged engine. Photo by: Land Rover The changes for the 2026 Defender are very minor otherwise. Exterior changes are a new headlight design, standard fog lights, smoked taillights, revised trim pieces, plus new colors and wheel designs. Inside, things are mostly the same, except for a 13.1-inch infotainment display in place of the old 11.4-inch unit. The Defender gains the option of Land Rover's Adaptive Off-Road Cruise Control system, which automatically adjusts speed depending on obstacles. This, Land Rover says, contributes to "unruffled" off-road driving. How very English. And with the three-row Defender 130, Land Rover offers an in-built air-compressor for airing up your tires after off-roading. In Europe, the 2026 Defender is already on sale, but presumably, we'll have to wait a bit longer to get it in the US. And while our emissions regulations are more lax than those elsewhere, we can't imagine the supercharged V-8 is long for this world. Get one while you still can. More on Land Rover Jaguar Be Damned: JLR Just Had its Best Profit in a Decade The Range Rover SV Sport Hauls Ass Handsomely: First Drive Review Get the best news, reviews, columns, and more delivered straight to your inbox, daily. back Sign up For more information, read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use . Gallery: 2026 Land Rover Defender 49 Source: Land Rover Share this Story Facebook X LinkedIn Flipboard Reddit WhatsApp E-Mail Got a tip for us? Email: tips@ Join the conversation ( )
Auto Express
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Auto Express
2026 Land Rover Defender updates look subtle, but they fix one huge annoyance for owners
Dig deep into the new model year 2026 Land Rover Defender configurator and you'll note one new option that answers a call Defender buyers have been making since the model was first revealed. Alongside the previous iconic set of 18-inch steel wheels, Land Rover has revealed a new set of 20-inch steel options that can be specified on cars with more powerful engines. Advertisement - Article continues below This addresses a key issue many customers complained about, because the 18-inch pressed steel wheels are not able to be fitted with more powerful powertrain options – such as the plug-in hybrid and top-spec diesel models – due to their larger brakes. However, the MY26 models are now available with a larger set of steel wheels that cover the larger optional brake package. This doesn't mean all models can now be fitted with a set of cool 'steelies', though, because top-spec X models and those with V8 engines still can't be specified with them. These new wheels are, of course, available alongside a range of changes to the whole range, including the commercial Hard Top model, which like the rest of the updated range is now available to order from £57,135 – reducing the entry point to the Defender range by £295. Other than the wheels, the rest of the changes are pretty subtle, with new LED headlights and foglights as standard, plus smoked lenses for the rear lights and new exterior colours – Woolstone Green and Borasco Grey. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below Details such as the faux treadpattern are now gone, with the bonnet inserts and side vents featuring a more contemporary pattern along with fresh optional 22-inch seven-spoke alloys. Every model also now gets gloss black Defender-branded wheel caps, plus a gloss black grille bar with a dark Land Rover badge. Advertisement - Article continues below These changes will be introduced on the entire Defender line-up of three-door 90 and five-door 110 and 130 models, but the new range-topping OCTA super-SUV gets its own special tweaks. The ferocious 626bhp OCTA now comes with extra unique exterior paints, including Sargasso Blue and Patagonia White, with the latter mated to a matt protective wrap. A new 'chopped' carbon-fibre effect on exterior and interior accents can also be added on the OCTA. While previously entry-level Defenders were fitted with a 10-inch touchscreen, and higher-end X-Dynamic HSE and above versions got an 11.4-inch display, there's now a new 13.1-inch touchscreen taken from the Range Rover Sport that is said to provide a 'fast and intuitive interface'. We've found the screen in the Range Rover Sport to be a huge improvement over the previous unit, thanks to Land Rover's uprated infotainment system, boasting sharper graphics and quicker responses to inputs. The interior doesn't just feature a new screen, however; there's also a reshaped centre console design, and if you specify the 'Signature Suite' upgrade, you'll get removable side pockets. Some new technological updates have arrived, too, including the optional adaptive off-road cruise control. This is an evolution of Land Rover's 'All Terrain Progress Control' and should help reduce driver effort while off-roading – particularly in a convoy. A new driver-attention monitor has been added as well to provide audio-visual alerts to ensure drivers remain alert. Land Rover is keen to point out that this can be disabled using the driver-assistance menu. The company hasn't mentioned any powertrain changes for the updated Defender, so we can expect the same choice of mild-hybrid 3.0-litre straight-sixes in diesel or petrol form, a supercharged 5.0-litre V8, the 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder plug-in hybrid and the breathtaking BMW M-derived 4.4-litre V8 in the OCTA. Latest Land Rover Defender deals Now check out for our list of the best 4x4s and off-road cars ... Find a car with the experts Electric car drivers won't ever go back to petrol or diesel Electric car drivers won't ever go back to petrol or diesel Editor Paul Barker thinks the EV transition is coming whether we like it or not It's only a matter of time before Jaguar Land Rover builds a factory in the USA It's only a matter of time before Jaguar Land Rover builds a factory in the USA Mike Rutherford thinks Jaguar's 'Reimagine' strategy will result in the company exploring further opportunities in the USA Car Deal of the Day: Bag the iconic Volkswagen Golf GTI for under £300 a month Car Deal of the Day: Bag the iconic Volkswagen Golf GTI for under £300 a month It's arguably been the daddy for 50 years, and can be snatched for a low price right now. The VW Golf GTI is our Deal of the Day for 27 May
