Author Archives: shinymetalboxes

2021 Ford F-150 Raptor Released

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Tom Liu said it had to be “instantly recognizable.” He also said that he was influenced in the exterior design of the vehicle, which he helped create, by the F-22 Raptor, which, ironically enough, is a stealth fighter, which is, by its design, not to be seen (OK, at least not by sensors).

There was also a convenience to this: Liu was talking about the design of the 2021 Ford F-150 Raptor, the third generation of the vehicle that is built to be able to perform off road and fast—desert racing, in particular, as Carl Widmann, Ford Performance chief engineer, said, “Raptor is rooted in Baja 1000 racing,” and added, “And like a trophy truck, every aspect of Raptor has been engineered to deliver precision capability when your foot is flat on the floor, way out in the middle of nowhere roaring across the desert.”

What “menacing” looks like. (Images: Ford)

To the point of Liu and the Raptor the fighter jet and Raptor the truck that is literally engineered to catch air during some of its off-road exploits, he said that like the aircraft, the truck is “Fast, nimble and technologically advanced. It is American power and performance. It is packed with technology—and it looks menacing.”

So there are things like a heat extractor on the power dome hood and functional side vents at the top trailing edges of the front fenders that are to provide a visual nod to the air intakes on the F-22. There are shear surfaces that are stealth-like. And adding to the menace are aspects including the blacked-out grille, blacked-out taillights, massive steel front and rear bumpers, and a massive front skid plate.

It looks fit for purpose and its purpose probably isn’t making a run to the store for a gallon of milk. (Not that you couldn’t, of course.)

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The F-150 Raptor is based on the F-150 that contractors and others who are not likely to do much in the way of rock crawling in. It is built on the same assembly line at the Dearborn Truck Plant in Dearborn, Michigan (or about 2,400 miles from Ensenada, where the Baja 1000 starts: there isn’t a whole lot of desert around Dearborn).

But it is an F-150 that has been built to take a whole different set of parameters in terms of what it is likely to encounter: for example, while they start with the heavy payload, fully boxed steel frame from the “regular” truck, Jack Cooper, architecture engineer for Ford Performance, said that they’ve modified and reinforced it.

A notable difference truck-wise is the chassis. There is a newly developed five-link rear suspension that features extra-long trailing arms, a Panhard rod, and 24-inch coil springs. “We couldn’t find it in the parts bin,” program manager Tony Greco says of why they had to devise a new rear suspension. The front suspension has been redesigned, as well. One of the key aspects of the suspension for a vehicle like a Raptor is wheel travel. The suspension for this third-generation vehicle is 14 inches in the front and 15 inches in the rear.

The shocks are FOX Live Valves. These internal bypass shocks feature electronic control technology that permits damping rate adjustments at a rate of 500 times per second; the shocks, which have 3.1-inch diameter anodized aluminum bodies, feature base valves that provide 1,000 pounds of damping per corner at racing speeds.

While the standard Raptor runs on 35-inch tires, it can be equipped with a package that brings it up to 37 inches, or what Ford says are the largest factory-fitted tires on a light-duty full size pickup.

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Among the tech aspects of the new Raptor are:

  • Terrain Management System: dial in adjustments that change the steering feel, transfer case behavior, stability control, active valve exhaust, active damping, throttle mapping, shift points, and digital display. There are seven modes: Slippery, Tow/Haul, Sport, Normal, Off-Road, Baja and Rock Crawl.
  • Trail 1-Pedal Drive: In situations that call for two-pedal driving like crawling rocks or negotiating trying trails, this function allows throttle and brake modulation through the brake pedal. The driver gets acceleration by pushing down on the throttle and braking by lifting.
  • Trail Control: Cruise control—for off-road situations.
  • 360-degree camera package: This option, in addition to providing an all-around view, provides a real-time tire track overlay for the front view, which means that the path ahead of the wheels can be seen such that a spotter may not be necessary.

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The Raptor has a 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 engine with twin turbos. While the horsepower and torque numbers aren’t released as of this writing, Ford describes it as a “high-output engine delivering torque low in the rev range where it counts,” so presumably it has the stuff to deal with the sand as well as that to skim over it. And on the subject of driving hard, it has high-power fans built into the cooling system. The compression ratio is 10.5:1.

What to do with a Raptor.

The engine is mated to a 10-speed automatic which, in turn, is attached to a torque-on-demand transfer case.

There are standard electronic locking rear diff and an available Torson front limited-slip differential. They are fitted with 4:10 final drive ratios.

There is something that seems a bit odd about the powertrain system. There is a 36-gallon gas tank. It is recommended that it be filled with premium unleaded.

Do they have premium in the desert?–gsv

Ford & Google, Part 2

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Here’s something to consider about the relationship announced yesterday between Ford and Google. The companies indicated their collaboration “This may include projects ranging from developing new retail experiences when buying a vehicle, creating new ownership offers based on data, and more.”

The word that doesn’t appear in the announcement is monetization.

As in “data monetization.” As in getting a return from the data that is associated with the owner, driver, passenger of a vehicle.

You know: the sort of thing that drives the valuation of companies like, well, Google.

A question is “who owns the data”? While you might think that you do, again, look at the valuation of Alphabet (or Facebook): where do you think the value comes from?

Let’s say for example that the value for the data from a given vehicle is $5.

Let’s further say that the two companies split it. (That’s what “partners” do.)

In 2020, a not particularly good year so far as vehicle sales goes, Ford sold 2,044,744 units in the U.S.

So if the value per vehicle is $5, and each gets half, then $2.50 x 2,044,744 = $5,111,860 each. If it is $10 per vehicle (remember, they’re also talking about using this during the “retail” portion of the transaction, so sliding in a few bucks is not necessarily going to be all that noticeable), then that would be $10,223,720 each.

Pretty soon it is evident it is real money.

Google & Ford: When Is a Customer a Partner?

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Until December 13, 2016, what is now known as “Waymo,” the company that is developing “fully autonomous” vehicle technology, was known as the “Google Self-Driving Car Project.” In the four years since, Waymo has gone far beyond something that would be described as a “project.” What’s more, it has raised a few billion dollars in outside investment so it is no longer a Google—or more appropriately, an Alphabet—solo undertaking.

Alphabet is a huge company. A company with a market cap on the order of $1.29-trillion. It doesn’t break out the Waymo numbers, but it is now estimated that the company is worth some $30-billion.

Ford has a market cap of $42.6 billion.

Which puts it ahead of Waymo but way behind Alphabet.

And what’s interesting to note is that while Ford has had the number-one selling pickup truck for 44 years running—and sold 787,422 last year alone—Waymo has sold 0 anything.

However, Ford and Google announced that they’ve entered into “a unique strategic partnership.” I wonder how much this is like when an OEM comes out with a new vehicle and calls it the “First-ever [fill-in-the-name].” Of course it is the first-ever. There hasn’t been one.

(Image: Ford)

So Ford doing something extensive with Google is “unique” because they haven’t done it before.

Ford is buying space on the Google Cloud. This brings with it all sorts of opportunities in terms of data analytics and AI and, well, all that those giant clouds bring. Here’s one: it will help Ford “Fast track the implementation of data-driven business models.” Of course.

There will be a “new collaborative group” named “Team Upshift” that “will push the boundaries of Ford’s transformation, unlock personalized consumer experiences, and drive disruptive, data-driven opportunities.”

Ford will start using the Android operating system as the OS for its vehicles starting in 2023.

Ford president and CEO Jim Farley: “As Ford continues the most profound transformation in our history with electrification, connectivity and self-driving, Google and Ford coming together establishes an innovation powerhouse truly able to deliver a superior experience for our customers and modernize our business.”

Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and Alphabet: “From the first moving assembly line to the latest driver-assist technology, Ford has set the pace of innovation for the automotive industry for nearly 120 years. We’re proud to partner to apply the best of Google’s AI, data analytics, compute and cloud platforms to help transform Ford’s business and build automotive technologies that keep people safe and connected on the road.”

To be sure, this is a big deal for Ford, especially as General Motors announced a similar(ish) deal with Microsoft a couple weeks ago. Perhaps the third shoe will fall and someone will announce a partnership with Amazon.

As for Google, well, they like customers partners. After all, how else to get to a valuation of over $1-trillion?–gsv

Does Tueor Technologies Have a Better Idea for Vehicle Control Systems?

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Although one of the claimed benefits of the Digital Current System (DCS) developed by Tueor Technologies is that it is “hack-proof,” what is possibly more compelling is that according to Dan Greene, chief operations officer for the company, is that it eliminates from 80 to 90% of the wiring needed for a vehicle’s electrical control system.

Just one loop of coaxial cable. It carries power. It carries data. It combines grounding and feedback.

There is a master control node running the system. There are sensor nodes, switching nodes and slave nodes. Each of the nodes has a varying level of intelligence, from obtaining information to essentially doing a single task, such as locking and unlocking a door.

Tueor’s simple, safe system. (Image: Tueor Technology)

Should the cable break, the DCS keeps working, Greene says.

The unhackability is predicated on the fact that it is a closed system and should there be an update necessary—over-the-air or otherwise—it cannot be loaded into a vehicle system unless there is explicit permission given by the owner. And to prevent something non-desirable from piggybacking onto a valid update, Greene says a check-sum system can be setup so if something is supposed to be X and it is seen to be X + 1, then it will not be permitted to load into the system.

According to Greene, Tueor began its work on the system to address the ability to hack medical devices like pacemakers and insulin pumps. Then they moved on to satellites. Then to military vehicles, working with AM General on the Stryker armored vehicle.

Auto application?

Not yet.

Seems that OEMs and suppliers are not engaging with the Tueor team.

Greene and his colleague John Dinkel talk about the DCS on “Autoline After Hours” to “Autoline’s” John McElroy; Henry Payne, auto critic for the Detroit News; and me.

Then John, Henry and I discuss a number of subjects, with a particular focus on electric vehicles, as Henry is an enthusiastic owner of a Tesla Model 3 and as on the day of the show GM’s Mary Barra announced that the corporation plans to be carbon-neutral in both its operations and products by 2040. Part of that undertaking includes “an aspiration to eliminate tailpipe emissions from new light-duty vehicles by 2035,” which means an increase in the number of vehicles it puts on the road that don’t have internal combustion engines but possibly frunks under the hoods.

We talk about innovation and corporate cultures. And a whole lot more.

All of which can be seen right here.

2020 Car Sales: Goodbye Affordability (Unless You’re Rich)

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Auto sales plummeted by one-third in the second quarter of last year, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence, and at the time it felt the like tip of disaster for the car business. The global pandemic stifled demand as the supply side was strangled by shuttered factories and parts and components that couldn’t be shipped to automakers.

General Motors had to shut its Chevrolet Corvette assembly plant for several weeks, but this turned out to be more a supply problem for the automaker than a demand problem, as consumers on the $60,000-plus end of the sports car market generally weren’t the people losing jobs and income.

This gets to a drum I’ve been beating for years. The idea of building brand-new cars and light trucks for working class and middle-class Americans, the very model incubated by the Curved-Dash Oldsmobile and brought to life by the automated assembly lines of Henry Ford’s Model T, the car that put America on wheels, is over.

Latest proof is the comeback of new vehicle sales from those dark days at the end of the first quarter in 2020 and through the second quarter, into much healthier third and fourth quarters. Calendar year 2020 vehicle sales in the U.S. dropped 14.4% from 2019, to 14,645,049 cars and light trucks says Automotive News, but that’s far better than anyone expected from that second quarter drop.

2021 Cadillac Escalade. Big. Powerful. Tech-intensive. Expensive. (Image: Cadillac)

Even with a pandemic that most economists say created our most severe economic crisis since the Great Depression 90 years ago, the 14.6-million sales number is far more palatable to the industry than the 2008-2009 Great Recession, when sales dipped below 11 million at its nadir. With the current pandemic, the auto industry mirrors the economy in general, in which college-educated professionals, management and executive-level employees and their employers spend their workdays in home offices, seeing their colleagues and clients on Zoom rather than in person.

Presently, of Americans who can work at home, unemployment is 3.9%, but for those who have to report to a work site, the rate is 8.9%, KMPG chief economist Constance Hunter told The Washington Post. (Jan. 28, 2021).

About the same time that auto sales fell by one-third, the April 2020 U.S. unemployment rate reached 14.8%. By December 2020, auto sales climbed to near-pre-pandemic levels, but the U.S. unemployment rate was still high at 6.7%, compared with just 3.5% for January and February 2020, according to tradingeconomics.com. The rate for Black and Hispanic Americans is significantly higher, and the Congressional Research Service singles out heavy job loss in the leisure, hospitality industry and restaurants. Your favorite waiter or waitress at the local Olive Garden isn’t shopping for a new Kia, let alone a new Cadillac these days.

Meanwhile, tech barons and big-time investors in tech stocks like Amazon, Facebook and Apple are buying new cars, if the strength of the luxury market is any guide.

In its sales report issued the first week in January, General Motors boasts the all-new 2021 Cadillac Escalade that launched in the middle of the ’20 calendar year—when shutdowns and job losses were growing–“retook market leadership” in the fourth quarter, meaning it began to outsell the Lincoln Navigator again. And here’s the kicker: GM noted that 43% of the new Escalades have “a transaction price of more than $100,000.”

Clearly it was more supply problem and less demand accounting for the 14.4% dip for the year which included phase-out sales of the last of the old model as well as the new, ’21 ‘Slade. Before the pandemic, the average new car transaction price hovered around $38,000, already up significantly from the low-$30s earlier in the ‘10s. The current average is now $40,573, according to Edmunds. Meanwhile, the U.S. Census Bureau estimates the median household income was $68703 (latest figures). Yikes.

BMW was one of the few leading luxury marques that suffered a sales drop worse than the industry average in 2020, of 17.5%. Archrival Mercedes-Benz also had a sales decline, 8.9%, but that was better than the overall industry 14.4% decrease. Tesla was up 20.3%. Jaguar sales dropped 29.8% to 18,586 vehicles; its sister brand, Land Rover was down just—comparatively speaking–15.5%, to 80,034.

The boom in the SUV and truck market plays a big role in making luxury items of brand-new vehicles, even among the commodity brands. Small sedans and hatchbacks that many brands have cut from their lineups in the last few years were entry-level models. Small sport/utilities and crossovers generally are priced a size category up from their sedan counterparts. One surviving commodity compact sedan, the 2021 Honda Civic LX, starts at $22,425 (including destination charge), while the CR-V LX, a compact SUV sharing many of the Civic’s bits, starts at $26,525, and that’s with front-wheel-drive. Good luck finding a FWD compact SUV of virtually any brand on a dealer’s lot in the north. If you want an AWD CR-V, you must move up to the EX trim level, and that starts at $29,035 before adding floor mats, $6,610 more than the Civic LX sedan.

Toyota’s CR-V rival is the RAV4, America’s bestselling vehicle after full-size Ford, Chevy and Ram pickup trucks. Last year’s RAV4 sales were down just 3.9% to 430,387. Toyota’s luxury division undoubtedly more than made up for that dip with much higher profit margins on the 2,574-unit increase in Lexus GXes sold last year, up 9.9% to 28,519, a sport-utility that starts at $54,275. The Lexus GX was the only model among Toyota’s two North American-market brands to post a sales increase last year. The full Lexus lineup is off just 7.7%, compared with the Toyota brand’s 11.9% drop.

So what’s the average Joe to do? There’s always the used market, but even that is become a bit rich. According to Edmunds, in Q4 2020 the average monthly payment for a used car was $ 437, and that for a 68.1-month loan.—Todd Lassa

COVID, the UK and bp

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The UK has become the first European country to pass 100,000 deaths from COVID-19.

And while there is nothing good to say about that, the energy company bp (once known as “British Petroleum”) is doing something good:

  1. Providing fuel free of charge for UK emergency services vehicles until March 31
  2. Teaming with Deliveroo on its “Lunch for Lifesavers” program and donating 250,000 bp/M&S meals to staff and volunteers at vaccination centers and to front line NHS workers in the UK

The vehicles that qualify for the free fuel include police, fire, NHS ambulances, NHS trust non-emergency vehicles, blood bikes, and vehicles used by NHS-contracted companies involved in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Last year bp ran a similar program and supplied more than 10-million liters of fuel.

Explaining why the company is doing this, Bernard Looney, bp chief executive, said, “A year into this crisis, it continues to take a ‎heavy toll on our neighbours and our nation. These latest initiatives use our resources and ‎reach across the country to support essential services and the people who are working ‎around the clock to keep us all safe. The UK has been our home for over a century and we ‎feel it’s important that we do our bit to help.”

Credit to the company for pitching in.

Polestar: The Green Car Company You’ve Probably Not Heard of (Yet)

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Polestar is a brand that you may not be familiar with at the moment. But that is likely to change, as it is dedicated to producing electric vehicles (EVs) that combine Swedish style with performance.

Polestar was established in 2017 as an independent brand by Volvo Cars and Geely Holding. (This is a little complicated because Volvo Cars in under the Geely umbrella, so the way to think about it is that it is a company that Volvo developed and that Geely is underwriting.)

The forthcoming Polestar Precept. Stylish. Electric. (Images: Polestar)

There are presently two models, that the company has on offer, the Polestar 1, a hybrid that is exceedingly limited in production, and the Polestar 2, a 2020 model that is a high-volume sedan that offers AWD and 300 kW from the motor. There will then be the Polestar 3, an SUV, and then the Precept, a car that emphasizes three definitional aspects of the brand: sustainability, digital technology and design.

Polestar has a factory in Chengdu, China. It calls it the “Polestar Production Centre.”

Inside the Polestar factory. Yes, factory.

But there’s something interesting about what they’re doing there: operating the plant on 100% renewable electricity. Some 65% of all of the electricity powering the factory comes from hydroelectric with the balance from solar, wind and other renewables.

What’s more, there is no industrial water discharge from the plant and they are establishing a circular approach to waste handling (including carbon fiber) so as to reduce landfill demands.

The factory, designed by Norwegian architecture firm Snøhetta, has earned Gold status in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system, the only automobile plant in China to do so.

Said Fredrika Klarén, Head of Sustainability at Polestar, “For Polestar, sustainability is not just about the electric powertrain. It impacts everything we do. We want to promote sustainable manufacturing in China. This objective entails a relentless pursuit of circular and climate-neutral solutions, and also being a responsible employer and presence in the area.”–gsv

2020 Buick Encore GX

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Alfred P. Sloan was the president, chairman and CEO of General Motors, a company that he was to come to after having been the president and owner of Hyatt Roller Bearing, which just goes to show you that even things like ball bearings can lead one to places you’d never imagine you’d go. Prior to building bearings Sloan had obtained an engineering degree from MIT, so the fact that when he was at GM he came up with an idea that changed vehicle marketing is somewhat remarkable.

That is, the accumulated portfolio that was General Motors was rationalized. The phase “a product for every purse and purpose” was the organizational approach. The “purse” portion is probably the most powerful in that line in that it led to a stair-step approach to the brand organization.

Simply put, it was about affordability and rising incomes.

One would start with a Chevy and work his or her way through to Cadillac.

Sloan figured that this approach would keep people within the GM family through their entire lives.

In this organizational approach Buick was one position below Cadillac. It offered big, comfortable sedans that were aspirational to the upper middle class. Back in the proverbial day, a model with a name like “Park Avenue” really meant that someone was (1) going places and (2) had arrived.

2020 Buick Encore GX. Premium small crossover with a competitive price. (Images: Buick)

Times change, and so has Buick. Whereas it was once all about plush, floaty sedans with accoutrements like seats covered with a velour-like substance and exterior bling like ventiports, it has become a brand that is all about the crossover.

Go to a Buick dealership right now and you’re faced with four vehicles, all of which are (1) crossovers and (2) begin with the letter “E.”

And these vehicles are Sloanism in action, as you start with the Encore, work up to the Encore GX, move to the Envision and arrive at the Enclave.

This all-crossover approach has a customer advantage in that it not only simplifies the shopping experience, but it allows the Buick designers and engineers to concentrate on one type of vehicle.

Focus is helpful.

What is odd about the Encore GX is that it is rather different than the Encore. This isn’t a different trim level. It is actually one of those Sloan steps within the brand.

Consider the dimensional differences between the two vehicles:

                     Encore GX                         Encore

Wheelbase   102.2 in                            100.6 in

Length          171.4 in                            168.4 in

Width           71.4 in                              70.1 in

Height          64.1 in                               65.2 in

Those are not trivial differences, especially the length and the width, as there are significant differences where it really counts: the interior.

The Encore GX offers 94.3 cubic feet of passenger room, while the Encore is at 92.8 cubic feet.

The Encore GX offers 23.5 cubic feet of cargo room behind the second row and 50.2 cubic feet if that rear seat back is folded down. The Encore is at 18.8 cubic feet behind the second row and 48.4 cubic feet max.

These are distinctively different vehicles.

(And I would argue that the fact that the Encore GX is both wider and lower made it a more attractive vehicle.)

While it shares the “Encore” with the Encore, the Encore GX is a different vehicle.

The standard powertrain for the Encore GX is a 1.2-liter turbocharged I3 that produces 137 hp; the vehicle I drove had the optional 1.3-liter turbo that produces 155 hp. It is mated to a continuously variable transmission. The vehicle as driven was FWD. Were it an AWD vehicle, then the transmission would have been a nine-speed automatic.

For a small SUV it has a lot on offer. Even with the options. . .

  • Advanced technology package (HD surround vision camera; head-up display; adaptive cruise control; infotainment with navi)–$1,790
  • Experience Buick package (power moonroof; 18-inch wheels)–$1,500
  • Convenience package (automatic parking assist with braking; wireless charging, rear camera mirror with washer; rain sensing windshield wipers)–$770
  • Liftgate package (hands-free power)–$520
  • Upgraded exterior paint–$495
  • Upgraded engine–$395

. . .the vehicle, including destination ($995) came in at $34,965.

On the one hand, it is a bargain. Yet on the other hand, it is a well-appointed, reasonably well handling and powered vehicle that is in a premium category.

The bargain and premium almost seem at odds.

Even Alfred Sloan might be confused.–gsv

Gentex: Mirrors and Much, Much More

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That rear-view mirror you have in your vehicle? It was probably made by Gentex Corp., a company on the west side of Michigan that completely dominates the market

And if you have a Homelink button that is fitted within the housing of that mirror (or elsewhere, for that matter), know that Homelink is a Gentex development.

If you’ve been in a Cadillac CT6 and saw that the rear-view mirror was not just a reflective surface but through activation was transformed into a video monitor showing what is behind the car even if there happens to be members of an NBA team sitting in the backseat and consequently obstructing the view, know that that was a Gentex development.

Gentex mirror that is both a typical reflective type as well as a video screen fed by a back-mounted camera. (Image: Gentex)

The company, which started out as a provider of smoke detectors, has become an instrumental part of safe vehicle operation (if you’ve ever tried to drive without your mirrors, you know that it is a dodgy situation—at best).

One of the things that’s interesting about Gentex is that while it has expertise in glass processing (no surpsie), it has extended its range to accommodate capabilities in electronics and microelectronics, software, chemistry, sensors and more.

This, explains Neil Boehm, chief technology officer, is driving the company to develop things that go well beyond what might be expected.

For example, imagine when there are shared autonomous vehicles. Nowadays, although there is a reduced number of people who smoke (and even vaping has taken a bit of a downward turn), let’s say that there is someone in an AV—one that you might be the next in line to get—who lights up a stogie. Boehm says that they’ve taken their knowhow in the smoke detector arena and have developed a system that can be embedded in the HVAC system: Smoke is detected and—remember, there’s that electronics capability (that goes well beyond Homelink)–a message is automatically sent to the AV service provider, which then knows it may have to bring that vehicle back to the depot. And another message—possibility along with the notification of a fine—can be sent to the phone of the cigar smoker.

Boehm talks about these and other developments (e.g., electrochromatic windows; V2I toll and gas pump paying technology; nanofibers that can detect explosives [think of an AV being used as a mobile bomb—an unfortunate thing to have to consider]) on this edition of “Autoline After Hours” with “Autoline’s” John McElroy, Lindsay Brooke, editor-in-chief at SAE International, and me. Gentex is obviously a company that is leveraging its people’s imaginations as well as the developed technologies.

McElroy, Brooke and I also talk about an array of other subjects, including Microsoft’s partnership with General Motors on the Cruise AV program, whether Apple is going to get into the automobile business and what company might manufacture the vehicle, and the implications of the microchip shortage on the auto industry, which has led to the stoppage of production at plants the world over, and something that may have implications going forward for the auto industry.

And you can see the show here. —gsv

Hyundai’s Winning Ways

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Hyundai, with Bryan Herta Autosport, is going to be campaigning the new Hyundai Elantra N TCR race car in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge series.

Hyundai entered the North American Touring Car racing scene in 2018, and since then it won three back-to-back TCR championships and the 2020 Manufacturers title.

And speaking of the 2021 Elantra and winning, that vehicle was named the 2021 North American Car of the Year, a non-trivial victory.

Hyundai 2021 Elantra. Won the North American Car of the Year (NACTOY) award; looking to win at tracks like Daytona. (Image: Hyundai)

To mark that big win, if you look closely you can see the NACTOY badge on the hood of the Elantra N TCR vehicle, shown here at the Daytona International Speedway, flanked by Bryan Herta Autosport drivers Michael Lewis and Taylor Hagler.

The first race of the IMPC series will be held on January 29 at Daytona.–gsv