2011 Ford E350 Super Duty Xlt on 2040-cars

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Acura Integra, Ford F-150 Lightning, Kia EV6 win 2023 North American Car, Truck, Utility Vehicle of the Year

After much testing and deliberation, the winners have 2023 North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year (NACTOY) Awards have been announced. Previously whittled down to three finalists in each category over the course of the past year, the 2023 NACTOY winners are as follows: 2023 North American Car of the Year: Acura Integra 2022 Acura Integra A-Spec front low View 38 Photos The Acura Integra has won in this year's Car category, beating out the Hyundai Genesis Electrified G80 and Nissan Z. The Integra nameplate has been revived for the 2023 model year, with the Honda Civic-based sedan offering an affordable sport compact from the luxury brand. You can read our First Drive review of the Acura Integra here. 2023 North American Truck of the Year: Ford F-150 Lightning Ford F-150 Lightning front low View 48 Photos The Ford F-150 Lightning has taken the award in the Truck category, knocking out the other two finalists, the Chevy Silverado ZR2 and the Lordstown Endurance. It was interesting to see two all-electric contenders in the pickup field, one based on a legacy platform, and the other coming from a new company and using novel, in-wheel motor technology. It's Ford's third NACTOY Truck win a row. The battery-powered Ford F-150 Lightning is the most powerful F-150 to ever roll off the factory floor, and it has proven itself to be wildly popular, and for good reason. You can read more about it in our First Drive review. or our buying guide. Also worth noting is that the truck's Onboard Scales and Smart Hitch technology won Autoblog's 2022 Technology of the Year Award. 2023 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year: Kia EV6 2022 Kia EV6 GT-Line AWD front three quarter mid View 35 Photos Kia EV6 has taken the top spot in the Utility Vehicle category, over two other all-electric rivals, the Cadillac Lyriq and Genesis GV60. This seems like it was probably the toughest choice for the NACTOY jurors, as these are each excellent EVs. The Kia EV6 is built on the same E-GMP electric platform as the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and the Genesis GV60, which means it has 800-volt battery architecture for extremely fast charging, available all-wheel drive and plenty of power. The EV6 has quickly become a favorite at Autoblog, especially since joining our long-term fleet. Read more about it in our First Drive, buying guide and long-term reviews.

Ford Fiesta rally car warms up in Sweden

Rallycross is seeing a sudden surge in popularity with two series bringing the racing to the US and Europe. The Ford OMSE team is competing in both championships this season, and it saw no reason not to hold practice with a highly modified Fiesta in the snow of Northern Sweden. It brought together Andreas Bakkerud from the European-focused FIA World Rallycross Championship and Patrik Sandell from the North American-focused Global Rallycross series for some training and fun. They certainly appear to be enjoying themselves, too, with some lovely pirouettes in the powder.
If you're unfamiliar with rallycross, the discipline combines the best of rallying and circuit racing. Drivers (with no co-drivers) race rally cars over a circuit that generally mixes dirt and asphalt, and unlike traditional rallying, multiple cars compete side-by-side at once. Even better, it's often a very two-fisted form of motorsports with lots of car-to-car contact. Global Rallycross and World Rallycross will both kick off their seasons in May. With spring on the way, scroll down to watch the Fiesta kick up some of the last snow drifts of the year.

Ford Mustang GT350 seen and heard in motion for the first time

We just recently saw our first spy shots of the next-gen hi-po Ford Mustang slated to replace the Shelby GT500, but now we're getting our first look - and listen - of prototypes captured on video. Mustang6g.com has the video (along with some different spy shots), which show that, if nothing else, SVT knows how to tune an exhaust system. The :50 mark is a good example of this, but fast-forward to around 2:00 where the driver revs the engine and really gets on the throttle hard taking off from a stop.
There's still no definitive evidence that the next-gen SVT Mustang - said to be called GT350 - will be naturally aspirated, but it sounds just as menacing as the current Shelby GT500. While the video posted below exhibits the sort of quality that is to be expected from someone driving while trying to film someone who is attempting to elude being filmed, it's still exciting to see and hear this new Mustang in motion.