Auto Industry News: Kyle Larson Takes Second Bowl of Chili, GM Dominates CES 2021, NACTOY Winners Announced, and New Compact Pickup from Ford
It’s been an exciting week for the auto industry. Despite a small crowd, the 35th Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals roared into Tulsa last week and served up plenty of dirt and adrenaline. On the trade side, CES 2021 continued to virtually dazzle its attendees with wild new tech and auto innovation. GM probably made the biggest impression, proving itself to be all-in on the EV lifestyle. Plus, NACTOY results are in – and Ford wins big. The automaker also had some spy shots leaked this week of its all-new compact pickup, dubbed the Ford Maverick.
But first, let’s catch up on the 2021 Dakar Rally. The legendary endurance race wrapped up on Friday, and its final stages offered drama, adventure, and tragedy.
Dakar 2021 Results
Frenchman Stephane Peterhansel snatched the lead after Stage 2 and never let go, blasting through the desert sands to victory. He beat out fellow drivers Nassir Al-Attiyah and Carlos Sainz for the crown, nabbing his record 14th Dakar Rally title in the process. This win comes exactly 30 years after his first Dakar crown, when he won for Yamaha in the motorbikes class.
It’s fair to say Peterhansel dominated the race, showing remarkable consistency and enjoying a relatively trouble-free run. The same cannot be said of his contenders, especially second-place finisher and three-time winner Al-Attiyah.
Despite winning five stages (plus the Prologue) – the most of any driver in 2021 – Al-Attiyah suffered delays, navigation errors, and equipment failures. Frustrated, he lashed out at race organizers, claiming the rules are unfair because they allow buggies (like Peterhansel’s MINI) to compete against 4×4 trucks (like his Toyota). In fact, the Qatari driver threatened to boycott the race unless rules change.
Peterhansel hit back, saying:
“I don’t want to comment on that, because they’ve been complaining for years. Us, when we don’t win, we don’t cry. It’s just an ego thing. If he had a slightly different ego, he might have won the Dakar. His ego pushed him to the point where he wanted to win the Prologue, and I think that’s when he lost the race.”
Ouch.
As for the motorbikes, Monster Energy Honda driver Kevin Benavides (pictured above next to Peterhansel’s buggy) secured the overall win. He is the first South American to win the category, sharing the podium with teammate and last year’s champion, Ricky Brabec (America) and Red Bull KTM rider Sam Sunderland (UK).
Sadly, it wasn’t all dust and adventure.
Tragedy struck the Dakar Rally – again. French motorcyclist Pierre Cherpin passed away following his crash during the seventh stage of the race. After he was discovered unconscious, he was rushed to the hospital and placed into an induced coma until his passing on Sunday.
Sadly, this marks the 75th death during a Dakar Rally since 1979. More alarming, that number does not include the many spectators, journalists, and race organizers who have been killed over the years as well.
35th Lucas Oil Chili Bowl
This weekend completed the 35th running of the Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals – also known as the Super Bowl of Midget Racing. While there were many winners on the day, Kyle Larson took home the Golden Driller trophy – his second in as many years. Larson led every lap on his way to victory, fending off polesitter Justin Grant and three-time winner, Christopher Bell.
For a look at the full results from the many features, check out this breakdown from Speed Sport.
“To get two of these feels awesome,” Larson told ChiliBowl.com. “It was a different race than last year, but just thankful to get the chance to even come race here. I think a lot of us thought maybe we wouldn’t get to come run the Chili Bowl with the pandemic going on, so hats off to Emmett Hahn and everyone else with this event. It’s the greatest event in the world, and very lucky to be a part of it.”
Watch Larson sail to victory in the video below.
GM Takes Center Stage at CES 2021
Remember last week when we mentioned GM’s potential to make a big splash at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show? Well, the automaker took full advantage of its massive platform on the global electronics stage, making some pretty big announcements regarding its EV-dominant future.
Here’s a quick breakdown of some of the biggest changes that came this week.
New Logo, Who Dis?
As GM continues to evolve and rebrand in preparation for a fast-approaching EV future, apparently the first order of business was a fresh face. That’s right, one of the oldest, most popular, and renowned automakers changed up its logo last week.
What do you think?
The internet seems divided. However, GM believes the new logo is an updated, modern take on the classic emblem – one that reflects the energy and optimism of an electric revolution that the automaker plans very much to be a part of.
Central to the new brand identity is GM’s “Everybody In” campaign which aims to set an inclusive tone for a future of zero crashes, zero emissions, and zero congestion.
The initiative works on three main themes, per Aftermarket News:
- Exciting a new generation of buyers and accelerating EV adoption
- Demonstrating GM’s EV leadership, which includes the investment of $27 billion in EV and AV products through 2025 and the launches of 30 new EVs globally by the end of 2025
- Highlighting the range, performance and flexibility of the Ultium platform
New Delivery Gig
GM also announced plans to launch an all-electric commercial delivery van called the EV600 as part of its plan to invest $27 billion into the EV and autonomous vehicle space by 2025. The EV600 is the first vehicle under the commercial business unit called BrightDrop, and will be capable of an impressive 250 miles per charge.
The first 500 vans will go to FedEx at the beginning of this year and will become more broadly available in 2022. Maybe that means we’ll finally be able to get those packages we ordered before Christmas?
Flying Caddies?!
While Cadillac’s upcoming Lyriq midsize electric SUV and Celestiq flagship electric sedan are much closer to reality, the brand also debuted two very futuristic Cadillac concepts at CES. One, is an autonomous pod with wrap-around couches and luxury furnishings. The other, is a vertical takeoff and landing vehicle designed for short-distance, single-person travel. (Check out the video above.)
Outside of the cool Jetson’s tech, GM highlighted its new EV pipeline. Led by the Hummer EV and Lyriq crossover in early 2022, the automaker plans to follow up with three GMC models, four Chevys and four additional Cadillac vehicles. Buick has some fresh EVs on the docket as well.
Needless to say, GM is fully committing its future to making the EV thing work. I guess if you’re going to put all your eggs in one basket, at least make it a sustainable basket that runs on renewable fuel, eh?
NACTOY Awards Winners Announced
After months of deliberation, NACTOY judges narrowed down 43 nominees to just three winners.
For the three categories – car, truck, and utility vehicle of the year – this year’s winners are the Hyundai Elantra, the Ford F-150, and the Mustang Mach-E.
From the Detroit Free Press:
Ford cheered the news, noting it’s the first time since 2014 the same brand has won multiple North American vehicle of the year awards. Hyundai, however, did score wins in 2019 with two of its brands, Hyundai and Genesis.
Ford bested Fiat Chrysler Automobiles in the truck category, where the Ram 1500 TRX and Jeep Gladiator Mojave were finalists, and the Dearborn automaker was also tops in the utility category, where the electric Mach-E faced the Land Rover Defender and Genesis GV80.
Hyundai beat out the Nissan Sentra and Genesis G80 to take the car award.
SPIED: Compact Ford Maverick Pickup
If you thought the truck market couldn’t get more competitive, think again. As shots of Ford’s new Maverick leaked online this week, it’s clear: the compact pickup is back.
While we can’t tell too much just from the shots we saw online, it looks as if the Maverick’s front end is a mix between the Bronco Sport and the Ranger. We do know the vehicle will ride on a unibody, front-wheel-drive platform. (Likely, the same one that sat beneath the U.S. Focus.) The model seen on the assembly line spy shot is a crew cab, which Ford Authority reports will be the only configuration available.
The Ford blog also reports the Maverick should get either the automaker’s 1.5L EcoBoost Dragon I-3 or an optional 2.0L EcoBoost I-4, both of which are expected to be paired with FoMoCo’s 8-speed automatic transmission. A naturally-aspirated four-cylinder is also a possibility, as is a hybrid drivetrain. All-wheel drive will likely be an option as well.
Could this be the resurrection of the compact pickup?
As we’ve seen truck platforms balloon over the years, swelling up like a pro athlete using PEDs, the Maverick stands to be a compact option that’s sorely lacking in today’s market. While we’re not usually in favor of the Netflix production model, where every conceivable shopper has a specific vehicle targeted to their needs, we feel there is a real audience out there for compact pickups that ride like a car but actually look like a truck. And the Maverick seems to fit the bill.
If the Maverick takes off — and we think it will, judging by forum chatter — we could be seeing the rebirth of an exciting segment.
The Engine Block is your one-stop source for any and all auto industry news. Keep an eye on our weekly round-up of enthusiast coverage, product reviews, vehicle spotlights, auto show/expo features, and more. Be sure to check back Wednesday for our spotlight on BBK Performance, the world’s largest manufacturer of late model American muscle car and truck fuel injection performance parts.
