Good morning, hello to a new week, and welcome to Cold Start. Since your last roundup on Friday morning, we've reported on Rimac's belief that future cars will hit 60 mph in under one second, seen a new Nissan Z crashed by a dealer employee, and discussed Elon Musk's controversial claim that the Tesla Cybertruck will be legal without wing mirrors while verifying what the NHTSA claims on the matter.
But this morning's recap focuses on the exit of one team from Formula 1 as another prepares to join the grid. We're also going to chat about New York's proposed new law that would require wholesale changes to all new cars sold in the state, and we'll have a look at a flaw we've found with the Toyota GR86. Elsewhere, we give you a preview of seven new cars from Mercedes and a heap of unfinished trucks from Ford. Let's get this Monday started.
Audi Announces F1 Entry As Alfa Romeo Exits Grid
It was the worst-kept secret in motorsport, but it's now official. Audi, satisfied with the FIA's new regulations for Formula 1 from 2026, has announced that it will enter the sport as a power unit supplier. Engines will be built in Germany, marking the first time in over a decade that the country has hosted a Formula 1 engine manufacturer. At this point, Audi is not saying which chassis manufacturer it will partner with, but Sauber is rumored to be the front-runner.
Shortly after Audi's news broke, Alfa Romeo announced that it will be leaving Sauber and the sport as a whole at the end of next season. This seems to have paved the way for Audi to take over, but what banner will Sauber compete under in 2024 and 2025?
Click here to learn more about Audi's F1 entry
Click here to learn more about Alfa Romeo's F1 exit
Ford Is Stashing Hundreds Of Unfinished Trucks At Kentucky Speedway
If the semiconductor chip shortage has taught us anything, it's that having all your eggs in one basket (or ordering all your chips from one supplier) is not a good idea. The crisis has been ongoing for an age now, and Ford is still suffering as a result, as are many other automakers. The situation has got so bad for the Blue Oval that its Kentucky assembly plant is running out of space for unfinished trucks that can't be delivered and has begun stashing them at Kentucky Speedway. There are so many of them that the trucks are said to be visible from space. Hopefully, Ford's supply issues are resolved soon.
Click here to read the full article
Mercedes To Launch 7 New Models By 2023
Mercedes has just announced changes to 23 model ranges, but we've picked seven of the most important. Among them is the 2023 EQE sedan that will arrive in various guises, including a 677-horsepower AMG model. A new trim is coming to the EQS, specifically the EQS 450 4Matic, which adds a more affordable all-wheel-drive option to the range. The EQS SUV joins the lineup as a range-topping SUV, while the entry-level EQB gets a new base trim starting at $52,400. If you don't care about EVs, the regular C-Class will be bolstered by a zesty AMG C43 model with 402 hp, while the GLC SUV will also arrive by the end of 2023.
Click here to read the full report
Toyota GR86 Engines Could Self-Destruct Without Warning
We recently covered the news that a Toyota GR86 owner's warranty was not being honored after his engine blew. Toyota ultimately backtracked and did honor the warranty, but our investigations didn't stop there, and we found ourselves tumbling down a rabbit hole as we looked for evidence that the engine did not fail due to abuse by the owner. Our suspicions have now been confirmed, as it seems that both Japanese-market and US-spec GR86 and Subaru BRZ engines have been poorly assembled. Well, the engines themselves are fine, but the oil pans appear to have been closed up with an excess amount of RTV sealant, which can wear away and fall into the pan. The oil pickup then sucks this up and gets clogged, which can obviously lead to oil starvation and all its negative consequences. Toyota appears to be fixing this case-by-case, but if you own one of these cars, we'd get the oil pan checked out before something bad happens to your motor.
Click here to read the full report
New York Wants Speed Limiters To Be Standard Equipment
Cars are getting faster and people are getting more distracted. As a result, crashes on the roads are becoming more frequent and more dangerous, and the first quarter of this year was already the deadliest since 2002. But instead of just bemoaning these problems, something should be done. New York State Senator Brad Hoylman has proposed a new bill that aims to improve road safety by making it illegal to sell cars in the state unless they are equipped with numerous advanced safety assistance systems as standard, including speed limiting tech. The bill also proposes changes to the design of cars over a certain weight but has not listed specifics as to how this would be enforced. However, the feds will have the final say on all road matters, so it remains to be seen if this bill will ever be legal.
Click here to fully understand how the bill could change new cars
