All the Automotive News You Missed This Week That You Should Know About

It was a prolific week here at the Gear Patrol motoring desk. We reviewed the hybrid Jeep Wrangler 4xe (check out the GP podcast for a further breakdown), the Infiniti QX55 and the Volvo V60 Cross Country. We also looked at what you should know about the new Toyota Tundra, some cool new features for the Ford F-150, Toyota’s new three-row SUV and a trail-ready minivan.

Alas, we’re mortal. We couldn’t quite around to everything. Here are some of the noteworthy items we missed, and a truly epic video involving a parking garage and a U Haul.

Elon Musk made $11 billion this week, did some other stuff

BRITTA PEDERSEN

Elon Musk/Tesla news swamped the automotive media this week. The Technoking of Tesla is hosting Saturday Night Live in May. He also claimed the Model Y would be the world’s best-selling vehicle by 2022…or 2023. And investors are tetchy because Tesla padded its profits with bitcoin speculation and selling pollution credits to other automakers. And there’s the ongoing Tesla crash investigation in Texas.

But let none of those things distract you from Tesla’s performance, which netted the great Elon stock option bonuses worth $11 billion.

Enter to win an Outback, help a great cause

Gear Patrol

We’re big fans of the Subaru Outback here at Gear Patrol. If you’re looking to stick one in your driveway but would rather save the cash for something else, here’s a way to try and win one: Omaze is currently offering an Outback in a sweepstakes that helps Meals on Wheels America feed at-need populations. It’s a win/win.

Hennessey made the Ram TRX into a 1,000 horsepower, 3-row SUV

Hennessey Performance

We get it. You love the idea of a Ram TRX, but you need a bit more space for the kiddos and 702 horsepower is a bit pedestrian by your standards. Well, Hennessey has the truck SUV for you with the Ram TRX-based, three-row Mammoth 1000 SUV.

The characteristically subtle Hennessey build delivers 1,012 horsepower and 969 lb-ft of torque from its 6.2-liter V8. It will accelerate from 0-60 mph in 3.2 seconds — no word on estimated fuel economy. Hennessey plans to build 20 of them. And it can be yours for the low, low price of $375,000.

The best color for car resale value is…yellow?

Porsche

New car buyers prefer achromatic vehicles, with black, white, silver and gray being the most popular choices. But the best color for car resale value is a surprising one, yellow. An iSeeCarsstudy showed yellow cars depreciated at only 54% of the average rate over three years. If you needed some justification to sell your significant other on a Nacho Clear Coat Jeep Gladiator, you’re welcome.

The Most Important Pieces of Gear You Need for Car Camping

Huckberry

Car camping makes getting away easy as pie. These items make it even tastier.

This may be the most stunning Rolls-Royce we’ve ever seen

Oli Tennent

Rolls-Royce and Hermès collaborated on the Phantom Oribe, a handcrafted bespoke build for Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa. The car is finished in two-tone MZ Oribe Green and Cream paint for a look inspired by Japanese ceramics. He commissioned the build to be a “land jet” to match his actual private jet.

Volkswagen unveiled a new sub-brand for its EV sub-brand

MAGROUND GmbH

Volkswagen unveiled its performance-branded version of the ID.4 crossover, the ID.4 GTX. It appears to be a Europe-only thing for now. The GTX is all-wheel-drive, offers a little under 300 horsepower, and it doesn’t appear to be much different from the all-wheel-drive ID.4 already coming to America.

If you like the look, you can upgrade an ID.4 Pro S with the Gradient Package and get red paint with a contrasting black roof for an extra $395.

You can now put a deposit down on your flying car

NFT

Flying car startup NFT is now taking $5,000 pre-order deposits (fully refundable, thankfull) for its Aska flying car on track for 2026. The vehicle will have a 250-mile range, take off and land vertically, and have a 50-foot wingspan. The full price will be steep, starting at $789,000.

These Are the 16 Best Cars to Buy in 2021

Ford

Kelley Blue Book has released their best cars to buy awards for 2021. The results may surprise you.

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