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The Drive
a day ago
- Automotive
- The Drive
The Dacora Wants To Be America's Fanciest Car—With a Wooden Hood
The latest car news, reviews, and features. I take every 'new EV startup' announcement with more salt than you'll find on the rim of a Chili's Presidente margarita. But the ultra-luxe Dacora sedan concept is so arrestingly unique-looking that we just need to talk about it. I can't decide whether or not I like it, but I do appreciate the creativity on display here. Dacora seems to have come out of nowhere this week with a press release stating, 'In 2026, Dacora will open its 100-acre Hudson Valley Garage—a one-of-a-kind automotive campus with on-site production, design atelier, guest accommodations, and immersive experiences. Each new owner receives a symbolic set of keys, granting access to curated events, the Hudson Valley estate, and behind-the-scenes interaction with Dacora's craftspeople and designers.' Sounds like quite the party. The release also says 'reservations already exceeding 150% of its planned first-year production capacity,' so this thing must have been on somebody's radar. (Or maybe first-year production capacity is one car, and three people have expressed interest.) Dacora Whoever is interested in getting one of these will have to be loaded. Starting price is $500,000, and the reservation page asks for a $50,000 (refundable) deposit. The exterior design is what caught my attention, though. The word 'timeless' appears a few times in Dacora's descriptive copy, but I don't think that applies at all. On the contrary, the vehicle has a distinctly 1930s- Rocketeer -robber baron streamliner aesthetic. With the covered rear wheel, chrome trim, and acres of wood? Come on, it's straight out of a Howard Hughes fever dream. Dacora That said, there are a few fancy-pants features I have never heard of any car having, and they do sound like things people spending half a million on a novelty car might go for. I'll just rip the bullet points right from Dacora's release: Swappable Upholstery Collections: Twice-yearly drops let owners change interiors like wardrobes—think wool for winter, linen for summer, and limited-edition materials for seasonal expression. Modular Seating Configurations: Choose from 3 to 7-seat layouts tailored to any lifestyles, from rear-lounge executive setups to family-friendly bench options. Each seat includes independent lighting and climate controls. Adjustable Floor System: Engineered for ergonomic precision across all driver body types. Heritage Wood Options: Owners can supply personal materials to integrate into the cabin's finishes. These images are pretty small for inspecting detail, but if you look closely, you can see that the central navigation screen appears to be overlaid with translucent wood or something. Dacora Seasonally updateable upholstery—wow. Again, I don't know how practical or cool it will be in execution, but conceptually, that's pretty neat. And bring-your-own wood? They really are trying to revive the era of coach-built cars here. There are a few more interesting features promised, too, like a solid wood dashboard, exterior luggage compartments for each passenger, and of course, a hood 'hand-hewn from walnut or a wood of your choice.' Can you imagine what it's going to cost to insure one of these? The crash-test videos will be fascinating. There are performance specs too, but I'm a little reticent to care about that at this point. The design elements and ideas have already been brought to life on at least one prototype, but I'm going to cling to some skepticism regarding its functional specifications. Here's what Dacora's planning to deliver, though: Range: 400 miles Curb Weight: 6,500 pounds Rear Leg Room: 45 inches Horsepower: 800 Storage Capacity: 25 cubic feet Ground Clearance: 7.5 inches My buddy William Clavey wrote that this car will have an 800-volt architecture on Top Speed , but I haven't seen any more specs in Dacora's limited official postings. I'm a lot more interested in this as a design exercise than as an actual car. Another land yacht to ferry royalty around doesn't do much for me, but I do love to see creative-looking vehicles, and this certainly steps up in that department. And now that I know they're building these in my neighborhood, I'll try to find out more and report back. Meanwhile, you can check out this little sizzle reel to get a few more angles on the car: Got a tip? Send us a note at tips@
Motor 1
13-05-2025
- Automotive
- Motor 1
Another EV Startup Is on the Brink of Death
Remeber Bollinger Motors? The last time we checked in on the EV startup, it was filing a lawsuit against UK-based Munro for patent infringement. Prior to that, the company decided to step away from plans to build its blocky B1 SUV and B2 pickup in favor of a large commercial vehicle called the B4. Now, that all could be coming to an end. The company is reportedly in receivership pending liquidation, according to Automotive News . The company's founder and former CEO Robert Bollinger filed a lawsuit on March 21 claiming he was owed $10 million. Bollinger stepped away from the company in June 2024; it's currently owned by California-based Mullen Automotive Inc. The lawsuit claims Bollinger issued a $10 million loan to the company that required periodic interest payments, and those payment terms haven't been met. Automotive News reports Bollinger requested the company be put into receivership to secure all its assets, which were collateral for the loan. Apparently, representatives for Mullen didn't show up to a May 7 court hearing on the matter, so the judge granted the receivership request. That means all of Bollinger Motors' assets are now frozen, including an unknown number of B4 trucks assembled and awaiting buyers. Furthermore, Robert Bollinger apparently isn't the only one taking legal action in the matter. Automotive News claims at least two other lawsuits involving suppliers are also in the mix. The appointed receiver has 30 days from the date of the ruling to submit a plan for Bollinger Motors to pay its debts, which could include a full liquidation of the company. In an email to Motor1 , Bollinger Motors President and CEO Bryan Chambers provided the following statement: 'We can't comment on the outcome of the court case at this time. During this period, we are focused on moving forward and remain committed to bringing our customers a world-class vehicle, and we remain optimistic about our future and the impact we will have on the commercial vehicle market." 'We continue to work with our dealers to sell and service the Bollinger B4. We have temporarily paused production as we adjust to current market conditions and plan for Model Year 2026 production.' A quick check of Bollinger Motors' website shows a press release from April 29 announcing a Bollinger B4 sale to the Lower East Side Ecology Center in New York. Another press release states "multiple" Bollinger B4 sales to EnviroCharge on April 15, with the first slated to appear at the Advanced Clean Trucking (ACT) Expo in California starting April 28. It's unclear if the truck was there. The Struggles With Startups Borgward Brand Dies Again, Declared Bankrupt: Report Fisker Files for Bankruptcy 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 . Source: Automotive News Share this Story Facebook X LinkedIn Flipboard Reddit WhatsApp E-Mail Got a tip for us? Email: tips@ Join the conversation ( )
