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2017 North American Car, Truck, and Utility of the Year entries announced

Over 40 vehicles will compete for the 2017 North American Car, Truck, and Utility of the Year awards. If that name looks a little strange, it's because the competition added a third category. In years past, pickup trucks, crossovers, SUVs, commercial vans, and minivans competed for the same award. That's why there were occasionally weird comparisons, like last year's competition between the Volvo XC90 and Nissan Titan XD. The new format separates pickups and commercial vans into the truck contest and CUVs, SUVs, and minivans into the utility competition. A complete list of eligible vehicles is below, but here are a few highlights. For one, the entire list of entries has a luxurious lean. Of the 43 vehicles, nearly half of them are from premium brands. There are two eligible Bentleys – the Bentayga and Mulsanne – the Rolls-Royce Dawn, Jaguar F-Pace, Audi Q7, and the Mercedes-Benz GLS-, E-, and S-Class Maybach. The performance ranks are lofty, too, with the Audi R8, Acura NSX, Alfa Romeo Giulia, Mercedes SL- and SLC-Class, Porsche 718, and F-150 Raptor. The mainstream entries are just as comprehensive. From the Chrysler Pacifica to the Chevrolet Cruze to the Fiat 124 Spider to the Mitsubishi Mirage, NACTOY has covered an enormous price range with this year's contestants. Of course, these are only the eligible vehicles. They'll need to run through three rounds of judging, starting in September at NACTOY's traditional Hell, MI, test drive. The Canadian and American journalists involved in the judging will announce this year's nine finalists – three in each category – on December 6. Cars Acura NSX Alfa Romeo Giulia Audi A4 Audi R8 Bentley Mulsanne Buick Cascada Buick LaCrosse Cadillac CT6 Chevrolet Bolt Chevrolet Cruze Fiat 124 Genesis G90 Hyundai Elantra Infiniti Q60 Jaguar XE Kia Cadenza Lincoln Continental Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedan Mercedes-Benz S550 Maybach Mercedes-Benz SL-Class Mercedes-Benz SLC-Class Mini Clubman Mitsubishi Mirage/G4 Porsche 718 Boxster and Cayman Rolls-Royce Dawn Toyota Prius Prime Volvo S90 SUVs Audi Q7 Bentley Bentayga Buick Envision Cadillac XT5 Chrysler Pacifica GMC Acadia Infiniti QX30 Kia Sportage Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class Jaguar F-Pace Mazda CX-9 Nissan Armada Trucks Ford F-Series Super Duty pickups Ford F-150 Raptor Honda Ridgeline Nissan Titan half-ton Related Video: Featured Gallery Bentley Bentayga View 23 Photos News Source: Automotive News - sub.

Rolls-Royce electric airplane smashes record, hits 387.4 mph

Just two months after its maiden flight, Rolls-Royce's "Spirit of Innovation" has hit a top speed of 387.4 mph, tentatively smashing the speed record for electric airplanes, Gizmodo has reported. It also claimed the top speed of 345.4 MPH over a 3 kilometer (1.86 mile) course and lowest time to a 3,000 meter (9,843 feet) altitude (202 seconds). The records have yet to be certified, but if the 345.5 mph speed stands, it would beat the current record of 213 mph — held by a Siemens-powered Extra 330LE — by an impressive 132 mph.  Rolls-Royce (the aviation, not the car company), conducted the tests on November 16 as part of its ACCEL (accelerating electrification of flight) project. To have the records certified, it's submitting the trials to the Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI), the body in charge of world aviation records. If confirmed, the speeds would be pretty impressive considering that the plane only made its maiden flight in September — suggesting that with more time, it could go even faster. 51690212450_7e8bcb3ad8_k View 12 Photos The Spirit of Innovation is an old-school "tail-dragger" airplane (steering at the rear) with the canopy pushed way back, and looks as fast as it goes. It's powered by a 400 kW (535 HP), 750 volt motor. Rolls-Royce said it uses the "most power-dense propulsion battery pack ever assembled in aerospace," with 6,480 cells.  As Engadget detailed in an explainer, electric airplanes aren't practical since current batteries are 50 times less energy dense than jet fuel. However, they do hold some promise for very short trips, like a 30 minute jaunt between Vancouver and Victoria in Canada. And unlike non-turbocharged ICE engines, electric motors retain full power as an airplane climbs, making them ideal for time-to-altitude record attempts — as the Spirit of Innovation has just shown.  Green Rolls-Royce

Rolls-Royce bringing three customer-commissioned cars to Beijing show

Rolls-Royce inaugurated a customization center called Private Office in Shanghai, China, in 2023, and it will bring the first three cars created in the facility to the 2024 Beijing show. The builds are based on the Spectre, the Phantom, and the Ghost, and they're inspired by travel. The cars are grouped under the Spirit of Expression label, and each one is given a name. Shown above, the Spectre is named "Escapism" and finished in a color combination that references a flower called lantana found in the South American tropics. The top part of the coupe is painted in Tempest Gray while the bottom wears Lantana Red paint. This color also appears on the center caps fitted to the 23-inch wheels. Inside, there's Selby Gray, Purple Silk, and Sunset leather upholstery, Sunset piping, and a Starlight headliner with Sunset-colored lights. Rolls-Royce Phantom Spirit of Expression View 15 Photos Somewhat more subtle than the Spectre, the Phantom is an extended-wheelbase model named "Magnetism" that's also characterized by a two-tone look. Designers headed to Sicily's Cala Luna beach for inspiration: There's Kabira Blue paint above the beltline and Cala Luna Sand paint below it. Arctic White and Cala Luna Sand accents add a finishing touch to the look. The interior gets a Starlight headliner with white and Galileo Blue lighting, an array of stainless-steel inlays, as well as Blue Gray, Navy Blue, and Arctic White leather upholstery. Rolls-Royce Ghost Spirit of Expression View 12 Photos We're off to Boracay Island in the Philippines for the Ghost, which is called Expressionism. Boracay Blue paint "evokes the sunsets over Boracay Island," according to Rolls-Royce, and it's accented by a hand-painted Lime Green stripe added as a reminder of the island's tropical landscapes. Black, Arctic White, and Lime Green leather upholstery dominates the interior. Look up, and you'll see a Starlight headliner that features a unique wave pattern, "like silk in the wind," created with over 1,000 "stars." There are eight shooting stars, too. Rolls-Royce notes that the three Spirit of Expression cars were commissioned by customers, so they'll presumably head off to their new home when the Beijing show closes its doors. The brand will open additional Private Office centers later in 2024, meaning we'll undoubtedly see additional one-off models before the end of the year. Rolls-Royce points out that most of its clients pay extra to customize their car.