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   Chevrolet announced in early September that it plans to bring back its "Build Your Own Engine" program for the Corvette Z06 starting in the second quarter of 2023. The program, which allows buyers to come into the factory and help workers assemble the engine before it goes into their car, will only be available for Corvettes utilizing the LT6 powertrain, which, for now, only means the Z06. "This is a real challenge for us because this is such a new engine and it's much more complex than what we've ever done in the past," plant director Kai Spande said at a 28th-anniversary celebration for the Corvette Museum, recorded by Corvette Blogger. "We've done some things that I think will be very much appreciated by those that build their engine," Spande continued. Previous iterations of the Build Your Own Engine program meant buyers would join assembly-line workers to help assemble their motor. For 2023, though, the Bowling Green, Kentucky, plant ha...

      It still had exotic aluminium, plastic and steel elements in its construction yet was simpler than its predecessor, being monocoque-Laguna-related rather than complicated spaceframey. The general specification has all the usuals, while Privilege trim adds alloys and climate control and uppermost Initiale brings leather upholstery.  There are plenty of decent petrol and diesel options. If you don’t do the miles, the 3.5-litre petrol V6 is going to be the bargain buy, along with the 2.0-litre four-pot. Realistically, it’s the 2.2-litre diesel four that delivers reasonable pep and MPG in the mid-to-high 30s, but the 1.9 dCi is a decent enough plodder and the 2.0 dCi is the easiest to find. There’s also an uncommon 3.0-litre diesel V6. The Espace was revamped a couple of times, in 2005 and 2006. You might notice the redesigned dashboard and front end. Of more use, though, was a sliding rail for the rear seats. As for problems, it’s usually electrics, meaning all th...

  "Can I be geeky and take a closer look?” asks a man charging his   Nissan Leaf , no sooner than I’ve plugged the   VW ID 3   into an Instavolt charger in Banbury. Why of course you can, sir, although one question: as an electric vehicle convert, driving the world’s most populous EV, does the arrival of the new ID 3 still feel like a significant moment? “Absolutely.” Interesting. You can already buy an electric vehicle that does everything an ID 3 does. You’ve even been able to buy an electric Volkswagen before now. But, somehow, the ID 3, in the UK here in ‘1st Edition’ trim, still feels like a waypoint on the road. It sits, as you’ll doubtless know, on Volkswagen’s MEB electric architecture, so although, at 4.3m, it’s about the length of a Volkswagen Golf, it has a longer wheelbase and, it’s claimed, much more interior space. The battery (this one is the mid-range 58kWh unit with a WLTP range of 260 miles and a 100kW charge capacity) sits beneath th...

     Have you ever wondered how we produce some of the fantastic photography that accompanies  MotorTrend 's written words? In short, automotive photographers will put their bodies on the line and shove themselves into and out of just about any opening in order to get the best possible shot. If we're lucky, we use a vehicle with a cushy ride and a hatch to hang out of as we shoot car-to-car—those pretty, in-motion action shots you see all over  MT  stories. Most of the time, our bodies end up sticking halfway out the side window, feet hooked to any willing crevice, core muscles clenched and arms taut. (Yes, we use harnesses.) We can use nearly any vehicle to capture those bread-and-butter  car-to-car photos , but there are usually plenty of compromises to be made. That's why the  MT  photo team was so eager to give the Arcimoto Cameo prototype— an Arcimoto FUV  made more camera- and photographer-friendly with an open-air rear-facing seat...

      Among the crucial models in development as part of Volvo’s EV onslaught is the all-new, all-electric and all-important successor to the   Volvo XC60 . The SUV has been the Swedish brand’s best-selling car for the past four years running.  Due in 2024 to fill the gap between the XC40 Recharge electric SUV and the long-awaited electric replacement for the XC90 SUV coming later this year, the XC60 successor (which will have a name rather than a numerical designation) will play a core role in taking Volvo to its goal of all-out electrification by 2030.  EVs accounted for just 6.5% of Volvo’s global sales last year (its best on record), but the Swedish company aims to boost that figure to 50% by 2025 on the way to ditching combustion entirely by 2030. A swiftly expanding line-up of EVs, heavy investment in production facilities and new car construction processes will be key to achieving this goal, as Volvo looks to emerge as a front runner a...

     A Jeep that starts up silently is not something many will be used to. The new Jeep  Jeep Renegade   does just that, thanks to a new e-Hybrid powertrain that, the firm says, marks the latest step in its move to an all-electrified model range. The model, along with the larger Jeep Compass e-Hybrid, joins Jeep’s line-up alongside the newly introduced plug-in 4xe hybrid variants. Unlike the 4xe, the e-Hybrid is front-wheel drive only. It also commands a £7000 premium over the entry-level, petrol Renegade and is slightly cheaper than the basic plug-in hybrid 4xe.  The all-new powertrain consists of a 128bhp 1.5-litre turbocharged engine, a 20bhp electric motor and a 48V battery that is positioned between the two front seats. Torque stands at 177lb ft. Jeep also claims emissions and fuel consumption improvements of up to 15%.  A second electric motor is attached to a new seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, which, Jeep says, al...