Stuck in a snowbank in a priceless, pre-pro, game-changing EV
My latest globe-trotting adventures, published.
Hello from the best place, A.K.A. home. It's been a whirlwind few weeks since I last checked in from Japan. I went from there to Germany, drove up to Austria, got snowed in pretty comprehensively, but still managed to escape back home for a day (barely) before slinging my way out to California and back.
Yeah, I'm pretty tired. And my internal clock is fried, which is why I'm writing this at 4:09am. That's also why this may have a few more typos than usual, which, as ever, I hope you'll forgive.
Nevertheless, it's been an incredible few weeks, and I've got a few fresh bylines I'm really thrilled to share. I also have some fun stuff coming up that I look forward to sharing in future updates, including a new electric machine hiding in my garage that I’ll be experimenting with over the next month and change. More on that to come.
Putting the new CLA to the ultimate test
Mercedes-Benz's initial electric offerings haven't exactly taken off like wildfire, but that hasn't stopped the company from working tirelessly to raise the bar. The Vision EQXX concept from a few years back, which broke all sorts of records for range and efficiency, is finally about to bear fruit.
That sweet offspring is called the CLA, and while I haven't had a go behind the wheel yet, I did get a ride up a very snowy hill in Austria in one. So snowy, in fact, that we had to stop multiple times due to the whiteout conditions and even got stuck in a snowbank at one point.
A disappointment, then? Hardly. I'm more excited than ever for Mercedes to finally strip the vinyl off this thing and give me a go behind the wheel.
Plug-in excellence in the E53
That wasn't the only Mercedes I slid around in the snow in Austria, nor was it my only Car and Driver publication that I have to share this week. I also got some time in the Mercedes-AMG E53 while in Austria, this time behind the steering wheel. It's a big, luxurious plug-in sedan with oodles of power and up to 42 miles of all-electric range. It's an impressive machine with only one real flaw: It's perhaps a bit too refined and restrained.
I'm also happy to say this plus the CLA write-up above mark my first drive/ride pieces for Car and Driver. I've written a fair few explainers and other features for that great outlet over the past few years, but these are the first times I've been asked to share my take on what it's like from behind the wheel -- or in the passenger seat, as it were. I felt hugely privileged to get the call to tackle this for such a great outlet.
Amping up Ariya
A drive impression in MotorTrend, too, this week? Yes, I'm a lucky boy. This is what brought me out to Japan previously, a chance to wheel Nissan's electric Ariya NISMO around on the track. Hopefully, someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but I think this makes me the first American journalist to have a chance to try this thing out.
As far as NISMO upgrades go, the Ariya NISMO is pretty scant, but the wheel, tire, suspension, and software upgrades do add just a bit of an edge to what was already a reasonably quick and solid EV. Nobody at Nissan was willing to say whether we might have a chance of getting it in the U.S., so I hope I did well at delivering the experience vicariously for you.
The epic cars of NISMO Festival
Sampling the NISMO Ariya was a nice privilege, but that wasn't the only thing that brought me to Japan. I also was there to check out NISMO Festival, an annual celebration of everything to do with Nissan Motorsport. 2024 marks the 40th anniversary of the company's performance division, and the cars on display were utterly epic.
That's enough for now. Things are starting to wind down for me on 2024, but I'm still up to my eyeballs in CES planning. I'm also pulling together what looks to be an epic trip that might just have me flying into the new year. More on that in due time.
Also, I'm currently wrapping up my evaluation on the recently refreshed Rivian R1S Tri, the 850-horsepower monster SUV. I'll be filming a little video in the next few days and would appreciate some questions to answer. What do you want to know about the thing? I'd love it if you took a moment to drop me a comment or find me on one of the 80 social networks I’m endeavoring to cover these days.
Otherwise, wishing you the most relaxed of Sundays and great weeks ahead.