August 2nd Throttle 🏎️💨

What’s up Throttle Heads 😎 It is our first newsletter of the month and with Monterrey Car Week almost here things are certainly heating up in the car world.

Ford Drops The 2025 Mavrick With A Sick New Look

After only being on dealer lots for four years, the Ford Maverick is already getting a refresh ‼️The best-selling compact truck has stolen hearts in the truck community and it will only become more of a heartbreaker with its new refresh. This new Maverick not only features a more aggressive front end but also packs some big tech and performance upgrades.

The hybrid powertrain across trim levels can now be optioned with the all-wheel drive system. Ford says this was the number one most requested feature from current Maverick owners. Hybrid models can not be optioned with the Tow Package which could previously only be found on the turbo four-cylinder. Oddly, the power output of the four-cylinder has dropped from 250 horsepower to 238 horsepower. But maybe it will get better mpg 🤷‍♂️

The 2025 Maverick ads more distinction between trim levels with the higher-end trims now getting LED headlights. Each trim has a unique grill design with the highest end Lariat getting the fanciest. The Tremor, previously an offroading package has been expanded to be an entire trim level. Inside, the Maverick features an eye-catching 13.2-inch screen which features Ford’s latest Sync 4 infotainment. The Maverick also features 5G Connectivity to enable over-the-air updates. The new tech features are rounded out with a 360-degree camera and Ford’s Pro Trailer Backup Assist. These new features are not without increased cost as the new Maverick is seeing an average price increase of roughly $2,500 compared to the previous generation. Considering the $27,000 starting price this is steep.

Audi Steals Jonathan Wheatly From Red Bull To Serve As Team Principal

Audi is at it again‼️Audi’s F1 project has just announced Jonathan Wheatley is set to leave Red Bull to become Audi’s team principal during the inaugural season in 2026. Since Wehatley is currently working at Red Bull, he will not be allowed to work with another team for the 2025 season due to Formula One regulations. These regulations are designed to project team secrets pertaining to the development of a car from making their way to a competing team and giving them an unfair advantage.

Wheatly has been at Red Bull Racing for 18 years serving as the outfit’s sporting director where he has enjoyed a decorated career. Wheatley was instrumental in the thirteen world championships Red Bull won during his tenure with the team. Upon news of his departure, Team principal Christain Hornor spoke fondly of his departure.

At Audi, Wheatly will work closely with Mattia Binotto who was recently announced to be heading up the project as Chief Technical Officer (CTO) and Chief Operating Officer (COO). Wheatly as well as Binotto will bring a wealth of experience to the Audi outfit which will hopefully give them a fighting chance as they attempt to take Sauber from the worst place on the grid to fighting for wins and championships in a matter of years. The rest of the grid should be fearful for their 2026 debut.

13 Fatal Tesla Autopilot Crashes Linked To Overreliance On Cameras Says Wall Street Journal

Despite being involved in thirteen fatal crashes over the past several years, and numerous investigations from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), Tesla has come out relatively unharmed with little harm done to the company or increase in government oversight over their self-driving program. All Teslas roaming the streets have access to Tesla’s Autopilot System. This is a Level 2 Autonomous Driving System, which can assist an individual in driving but can not fully drive the car. Level Two Autonomous Systems require the driver to be attentive and watch the road at ALL times.

American Automakers are required to report all crashes to the NTSB that occurred when Level Two or higher autonomous systems were in use. Since 2016, Tesla has reported 1,000 collisions to the NTSB. The Wall Street Journal Used 222 of these collisions in their report. Out of these crashes, 44 occurred when a Tesla on autopilot suddenly veered into another lane and 31 of these occurred when the Tesla was unable to stop in time to avoid an obstacle. The Wall Street Journal concludes these were the most deadly types of collisions.

Unlike other automakers who use radar and lidar in addition to cameras in their autonomous driving systems, Tesla relies almost exclusively on cameras. To judge the depth or the distance between one car and another it uses proprietary algorithms. Some older models also use radar as a backup. The Wall Street Journal found these cameras are not accurate enough when they are not properly calibrated which resulted in the deadly collisions. Overall, the investigation concluded Tesla’s overreliance on cameras is problematic for safety. How Tesla and regulators respond to the investigation has yet to be seen.

Maserati Bringing Street-Legal Racing-Inspired MC20 To Pebble Beach

Maserati: the once famed Italian manufacturer who fell from greatness in the 21st century. That is until the debut of the MC20. The stunning supercar not only brought Maserati back by channeling its rich racing heritage but also launched the outstanding 3.0 liter Nettuno engine which served as the foundation for its later cars. Now, Maserati is attempting to be in its “brat” era but reinventing itself even more. The brand confirmed in a press release they are going to unveil a new car at Pebble Beach Car Week which will “bridge the gap between race and road cars”.

Details of the new car remain sparse other than the teaser image released in the press release (shown above). Maserati has teased this new mystery model will feature impressive aero performance. Given how Maserati released a GT2 version of the MC20 early this year which started racing this summer, what we could be looking at is a street-legal version of the MC20 GT2. But who really knows 🤷‍♂️. Only time will tell.

The GR Corolla Is No Longer Manual Only 😭

Yes, folks, you read that correctly. What was once a fantastic manual-only car now also has an automatic 😭. Thankfully, you can still get a manual transmission but still, it would be cool to still have a car in 2024 where the only transmission you could get is a manual. The automatic you do get is a pretty sweet one with 8 gears and paddle shifters 😍. The transmissions has been specifically tuned for the sport mode so you should get some extra performance when driving the car in that mode. Everyone knows the only proper way to drive a performance car is in sport mode.

Toyota has tweaked the 1.6 liter three cylinder engine so torque is up from 273 to 295 and horsepower stays constant at 300. Front and rear limited-slip differentials will also be standard on all models with all-wheel drive models which should make launches extra quick. The suspension has also been tweaked which will enable me fun and spirited driving😎. That should make up for the fact an automatic is now also an option on the car.