- Orders are now open for the 1,004-hp 2023 COPO Camaro
- Ford hikes price on entry-level all-electric F-150 Lightning, but Canada is unaffected
- Police recover more than 200 vehicles from GTA organized theft ring
- Canada’s new ZEV mandate raises questions about the country’s automaking future
- 2024 Kona gets EV styling across all powertrains
- Coleman Molnar
Welcome to our roundup of the biggest breaking stories on Driving.ca from this past week. Get caught up and ready to get on with the weekend, because it’s hard keeping pace in a digital traffic jam.
Here’s what you missed while you were away.
Orders are now open for the 1,004-hp 2023 COPO Camaro
Chevrolet didn’t say how many of the track-only 2023 COPO Camaros it’ll mint, or how much they’ll cost when it announced the new product this week, but it won’t be many and it will be a lot. And getting one won’t be easy. The car is being sold exclusively through U.S. dealerships and requires not just the connection, but a US$15,000 deposit as well.
The 2023 COPO Camaro will be available with three powertrain options including a new 10.3-litre V8, Chevy’s most power crate engine to date, good for 1,004 horsepower at 6,600 rpm and 876 lb-ft of torque at 5,600 rpm. Other powertrains include a naturally-aspirated COPO 427-cubic-inch (6.9-litre) V8 that makes 470 horsepower and a supercharged 350-cubic-inch producing 580 horsepower.
Get a primer on the “Central Office Production Order” special that dates back to the 1960s and learn more about the 2023 COPO Camaro here.
Ford hikes price on entry-level all-electric F-150 Lightning, but Canada is unaffected
Ford F-150 Lightning Photo by Ford
Ford is adjusting the sales details of its electric pickup, the F-150 Lightning, based on popularity and resulting availability (or lack thereof). Since its launch in April of 2022, the base Pro model has crept up a total of 38.9 per cent in MSRP in the U.S. But that price creep, according to a Ford spokesperson who spoke with Motor Authority, will not touch top-tier trims. And it’s also not touching the Canadian market, which still lists the same prices as in August, which is the last time we saw a price spike on the first electric Ford pickup: $79,000 for the XLT, $90,000 for the Lariat, and $121,000 for the Platinum.
The price increase comes at a time when other electric automakers like Tesla and Rivian are struggling to deliver products on time and as promised due to tight supply lines.
Police recover more than 200 vehicles from GTA organized theft ring
Sûreté du Québec Photo by Sûreté du Québec /Facebook
An operation involving a number of police organizations and targeting a number of criminal organizations has resulted in the recovery of 215 stolen vehicles valued at over $17 million. GTA-based Project Touchdown spanned six months and led to the arrest of 51 people who were hit with a total of 150 charges between them.
The project was a joint investigation involving police from CN rail and CP, the Canada Border Services Agency and Équité Association, Peel Regional Police, the Durham Regional Police Service, and the Halton Regional Police Service.
Canada’s new ZEV mandate raises questions about the country’s automaking future
A big hurdle for electric vehicle adoption in Canada is the number of chargers needed to make that happen Photo by Patrick T. Fallon /Getty Images
In a gathering that seemed small compared to the enormity of the subject matter, the Canadian government revealed its zero-emission-vehicle mandate this week, called the Proposed Light-Duty Zero-Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Regulations. Motor Mouth columnist David Booth breaks down the regulations’ significance, including how it puts a future boycott on fossil-fuelled ICE vehicles sales as of 2035, with projected sales figure reductions of 20 per cent set as early as 2026. He also explains how it will severely penalize those who don’t sell enough of the right kind of cars.
The hope is that it spurs national action in EV development, but as always, there are loopholes. One such hole to loop is that the regulations don’t count the sale of hybrids, even PHEVs, but only apply to fully electric vehicles. Read the column in the link above for more on the developing issue.
2024 Kona gets EV styling across all powertrains
2024 Hyundai Kona Photo by Hyundai
Hyundai debuted the 2024 Kona recently as an EV, a hybrid, an ICE model, and an N Line. All ride on the same architecture and bear styling cues championed by the electric Kona, and all are a bit larger than the current model, allowing for more expansive interiors.
Globally released images of the new Kona EV reveal pixelated graphics on a number of exterior elements and a horizontal light bar across the car’s front end. The Kona’s interior features a 12.3-inch centre screen, ambient lighting and “curve-less” second-row seats.
It’s not known which 2024 Kona variants will ship to North America, but the 2023 Kona is available in Canada as a gas, electric, or N Line, but not as a hybrid.
Coleman Molnar
Coleman Molnar learned to drive in his family’s rusty farm pickup as a teenager and continues the forearm-strengthening tradition today from behind the wheel of his 1983 Volkswagen Westfalia. Spot him in the slow lane, or on Instagram @Lietco
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Keyword: News Roundup: A 1,004-hp COPO Camaro, Canada's new ZEV mandate, and more