[Auto-Moto] This Week in Cars: NSX Type S, No New York Auto Show, and an EV Mandate

[Cyber Punk]

The New York Auto Show, poised for a post-pandemic comeback, has been canceled for the second year due as it becomes clear that we are still more mid- than post-Covid. The California-based Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance and Monterey Car Week events, kicking off this weekend, appear to be proceeding as planned.

 

This Week in Sheetmetal

Porsche announced the super-limited-run 911 GT2 RS Clubsport 25, a race car with a 690-hp twin-turbo flat-six engine, an adjustable racing suspension, carbon-fiber bits on the exterior, and a massive rear wing. Porsche is only building 30 of the cars, which commemorate the 25th anniversary of Porsche's partnership with Mathey-Racing. Only six Clubsport 25s will make their way to the U.S. They'll cost $620,000 apiece.

 

McLaren unveiled an even more exclusive project this week in the one-off edition of its Speedtail grand tourer, already a limited-run model. The Speedtail Albert features a mesmerizing striped paint scheme that took 12 weeks to apply. The car was commissioned by the McLaren Beverly Hills dealership

 

Acura will send the NSX off with a hotted-up Type S for 2022 model year, which will be the last model year for this generation of NSX. All 350 2022 NSXs will get the S treatment, which includes an "enhanced" version of the base car's twin-turbo V-6 hybrid system that we expect to top 600 hp. There will also be tweaks to the suspension, wheels and tires, and brakes.

 

Toyota has no such farewell planned for the Avalon sedan, which will leave production in 2022.

The Era of Big Government Is Not Over

It appears that President Biden will get his infrastructure bill, after months of negotiations and a few political fumbles that threatened to doom the package. The bill the Senate is expected to vote on this weekend is the result of bipartisan negotiations and will provide $550 billion for infrastructure projects, including $15 billion for EV-related projects and $110 billion to build or upgrade roads and bridges.