News Roundup: The new DeLorean and a Chinese Mini knockoff

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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.

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News Roundup: The new DeLorean and a Chinese Mini knockoff Back to video

Here’s what you missed while you were away.

DeLorean Alpha5 revealed ahead of summer debut

The future has arrived for the DeLorean Motor Company as the brand’s new Texas-run operation prepares to launch the Alpha5, a battery-electric four-seater with a 480-km range and those telltale gullwing doors. As the first car produced by the American marquee since the venerable DMC DeLorean of Back to the Future fame, the car has a fair bit of hype behind it. “There was this enormous responsibility to make sure we honoured the history of the DeLorean brand,” said Troy Beetz, DeLorean’s Chief Marketing Officer. DeLorean will reveal the Alpha5 in full this August at the Pebble Beach concours. 

A first look at the 2023 Lexus RX

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The fifth-generation of Lexus’ original luxury SUV, the RX, has arrived for the 2023 model-year with a new platform, a trio of electrified powertrain options, more interior space, and a reworked spindle grille. Our First Look coverage includes a comprehensive rundown of its four trims and two F Sport packages, including how each draws power, with or without an electrical assist, from the new four-pot engine which replaces the outgoing models’ six-cylinder. The 2023 Lexus RX is expected to be available for purchase later this year. 

Montreal RAV4 Hybrid owner files class-action suit over faulty wiring

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An issue being experienced by some RAV4 Hybrid and Prime owners is starting to gain traction in Canada as a Montreal owner has filed a class-action lawsuit. The alleged problem already has its own hashtag (#cablegate) and pertains to a cable/wire harness that runs power to the rear electric motor that can become corroded and cause the hybrid system to fail. Toyota’s three-year/60,000-km warranty covers the part rather than its eight-year/160,000-km hybrid warranty, but doesn’t help anyone who’s owned their vehicle for more than three years. The Montreal owner’s demands for $7,000 worth of repair costs plus another $300 in punitive damages lines up closely with another reported incident in Toronto where the owner was forced to pay over $6,500 for repairs. 

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BMW considers legal action over Chinese Mini lookalike

BMW is “examining legal action” against a Chinese automaker that made public plans to build an electric vehicle that Mini parent company BMW says looks like a Mini, and we have to agree. As reported by Hagerty, ​​Beijing Estech Technology Co. filed patent renderings for the EV, which features the famous silhouette and has a floor lined with batteries. If BMW sues, courts will have plenty of precedent to argue either side. Jaguar Land Rover has successfully stopped a Chinese replica of one of its vehicles, but many others have lost and seen Chinese knockoffs come to market. 

Toronto driver crashes into bicycle shop

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A downtown Toronto bike shop had to close for business last week after a driver of a black Volvo V60 lost control of their SUV, drove across a bike lane, over a sidewalk, and in through the store’s front window. Allegedly, two people had minor injuries and the driver momentarily trapped, but Sweet Pete’s Bicycle Shop saw the situation for what it was; a humorous if inconvenient accident, and something of a learning moment. “I’ve always wonder[ed] how a driver hits a building? Now I can ask one who’s done it,” the brand posted to social media, and also adding “Of course we sell reflective safety vests but don’t cover the shop with them.” Despite having its front entrance boarded up, Sweet Pete’s in Bloordale remains open for business with access through the back via Bagpipe Lane.