From the heart-pounding action of the Mint 400 to the jaw-dropping craftsmanship showcased at the Detroit Autorama’s prestigious Ridler Awards, the auto industry served up adrenaline and excitement of all flavors this week. The Engine Block has information on all the thrills (and spills), as well as the latest updates on Waymo’s expansion approval in California, the UAW’s recent organizing successes, and Rivian’s polarizing production plans for its newest R2 and R3 debuts.
All that and more in this week’s Auto Industry News.
“Flawless” Mint 400 for Adam Householder
Once again, the legendary Mint 400 lived up to its reputation as one of the most grueling off-road races in America. The punishing desert course gobbled up several big-name contenders early on, knocking Rob MacCachren, Casey Currie, and reigning champ Eric Hardin out of the running before the end of the first lap.
Top qualifier Nic Whetstone kicked things off, but quickly handed the lead to Ryan Arciero. The Mint 400 has long been an elusive win for Arciero and, despite his best efforts, remained so this year. His bad luck came around the race’s halfway point when a bum alternator threw him into third place behind Christian Sourapas and Adam Householder.
Both Arciero and Sourapas stayed in the game, until the latter lost his brakes on the last lap. Arciero moved into second place and pushed hard to make up the 12 minutes separating him and Householder. Unfortunately, his driveline couldn’t survive the effort and broke within the hour.
Kyle Jergensen and Troy Grabowski didn’t wait for an invitation, quickly capitalizing on the shake-up. They finished second and third, respectively, behind Householder – who captured the top of the podium without a single incident.
“We had a flawless day—no issues, no anything, we never had to get out,” exclaimed Householder at the finish line. “This is incredible. We won!”
Householder adds this victory to his overall win at the Parker 400 earlier in January. Together, these events mark two of three rounds in the Unlimited Off-Road Racing Series, which concludes in October at the California 300. Householder will be eying up that third leg to see if he can replicate his 2023 success and sweep the series for the second year in a row.
For a full list of results from every race and class, head to https://live.themint400.com/results/
Big Ridler Win for Kindig-It
Speaking of flawless finishes, get a closer look at the 1953 Corvette that just took home the 2024 Ridler Award at the Detroit Autorama.
The Ridler Award, handed out each year at the Detroit Autorama, is one of the country’s most prestigious automotive awards.
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Inspired by the Chevy Corvette Corvair concept from the 1954 General Motors Motorama — not to be confused with the “one-car accident” compact model castigated by Ralph Nader — the winner pays homage to a never-produced fastback version of the iconic car.
In truth, “pays homage” may even be too strong of a description. Completely hand-built by Kindig-It Design over nearly five years, the “TwelveAir” is a true reimagination.
And yes, the name is referencing the unique naturally-aspirated V12 engine under the hand-formed aluminum hood. Built by the mad scientists over at Race Cast Engineering, it’s based on GM’s LS V8 architecture and displaces 9.2 liters. An eight-speed automatic sourced from the C7 Corvette drives the wheels, which are custom-designed by Dave Kindig himself.
“TwelveAir is more than just a car,” the shop said in a celebratory Facebook post. “It’s a testament to our team’s craftsmanship, creativity, and sheer determination. Every aspect of this masterpiece has been handcrafted to our highest standard, from the scratch-built all-aluminum body to the custom-built V12 engine, and F1-style monospring suspension.”
Better yet, owners Dave and Tracey Maxwell of Saltsburg, Pennsylvania say once the TwelveAir sheds its show wheels, it’ll become a driver to ensure they can fully enjoy it.
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Waymo Branches Out
While Detroit enthusiasts were celebrating classic hot rodding, the Silicon Valley set were toasting a very different type of automotive success. Just days after saying it would delay its decision until June, the California Public Utilities Commission gave self-driving company Waymo the green light to expand its robotaxi services throughout the Bay Area and into Los Angeles.
The swift turnaround raised some eyebrows, particularly those of San Mateo County Supervisor David Canepa, who expressed feeling “confused and a bit suspicious,” according to the San Francisco Chronicle. CPUC attempted to clarify matters by saying that the June date was simply a maximum timeline, not a set deadline.
Additionally, Waymo is not without its supporters, and while the commission received many objections from law enforcement and local government agencies, it also received letters of support from 81 organizations and individuals.
Regardless of how long it mulled over the decision, CPUC officially granted its approval. That means Waymo can now significantly grow its footprint — including onto freeways.
The tech company already launched driverless freeway testing in Arizona back in January. So far, however, the only riders are Waymo employees. It appears the company plans a similar rollout in San Francisco.
Even with the new CPUC approval, Waymo vehicles still remain barred from picking up and dropping off riders at San Francisco International Airport – at least for now. SFO spokesperson Doug Yakel told SFGATE that the airport authorities would need to see how the company first does in the surrounding areas before they began “entertaining a digital mapping exercise and permit process.”
Did you know…?
Orlando’s autonomous Swan Shuttle is back in action after shutting down services four months ago. The pause in operations came after a minor collision between the BEEP-owned shuttle and a city LYNX bus in November 2023. After an official investigation, it was determined that the shuttle’s onboard human attendant mistakenly guided the vehicle into the path of the turning bus. The company says it has worked with NHTSA to institute robust new training standards and will now operate with two attendants instead of one.
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What Else You Need To Know This Week
Here are a few headlines we’re keeping an eye on and think you should too.
UAW Momentum Building
Building upon its recent majority support at a Tennessee Volkswagen plant, the United Auto Workers union can now add a Mercedes Benz Alabama factory to its list of organizing successes. According to the UAW, more than 50% of the plant’s 6,100 employees have signed cards in support of joining the union.
Mercedes said in a statement that it has a “proven record of competitively compensating team members and providing many additional benefits” over the past 25+ years in Alabama. However, in a video released by the union, plant worker Jeremy Kimbrell said employees were specifically standing up against low pay, noting that “management gave us a 42-cent raise over a six-year period while making record profits.”
Other key issues highlighted in the announcement included Mercedes use of a two-tier wage system and the exploitation of low-paid temporary workers.
Shortly after the announcement in Alabama, workers at a critical Toyota plant in Troy, Missouri launched their public campaign to join the UAW. The move came after more than 30% of the factory’s 1,000 workers signed union authorization cards. It is the first Toyota plant and the fourth non-union plant nationwide to go public with their campaign.
Geneva Motor Show Returns
After three years of cancellations and one year in Qatar, the Geneva Motor Show returned to the European auto show circuit this year. Unfortunately, it was not quite the triumphant homecoming that enthusiasts and industry professionals were hoping for.
Attendance expectations were tempered to about 200,000 visitors – roughly a third of what the event drew in 2019 when rumors of its death were already starting. To make matters worse, virtually none of the big-name automakers showed up, save for Renault.
Still, the show must go on and Geneva put on a brave face. It hosted 23 European and World premieres of new vehicles, mainly electric and mostly Chinese.
BYD, now emerging as the world’s leading electric vehicle manufacturer, made a big impression at the show, Forbes reports, “introducing the Seal plug-in hybrid and the big Tang 7-seater SUV, plus vehicles from its upmarket brands Denza and Yangwang.” Yes, this is the same BYD eyeing up a new factory in Mexico.
Despite the lukewarm reviews, organizers seemed happy with the results. They touted the “flexibility” of the more compact format and said they plan to return in 2025.
Rivian Shows New Vehicles, Pauses $5B Georgia Factory
As promised, EV maker Rivian showed off its upcoming smaller and more cost-effective R2 model. In a surprise twist for fans and investors, the brand also revealed an even smaller SUV, the wagonesque R3 which will have a sporty counterpart, the R3X.
Amid the excitement, the automaker mentioned it would be ramping up production at its existing factory in Normal, Illinois in order to get deliveries out by early 2026. That means, the brand is pressing pause on its $5B planned plant in Georgia… You know, the one that cost Georgia taxpayers $1.5 billion in tax credits and incentives, making it one of the biggest auto assembly subsidy packages in U.S. history.
Considering that this time last year CEO R.J. Scaringe told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Rivian was so committed to Georgia that “there’s not another option,” this about-face is not exactly the best look. (Especially since the state just spent $32M to clear and grade the site in preparation for Rivian’s arrival.)
In truth, the decision is not entirely unexpected considering the current tricky state of the EV market. Also not entirely unexpected is that investors absolutely loved the news.
According to Reuters, Rivian shares closed up 13.4% at $12.51 and the company added nearly $2 billion to its market cap – roughly the same amount of money it is expected to save by halting Georgia construction until “later.”
The Engine Block is your one-stop source for any and all auto industry news. Keep an eye on our weekly round-up of enthusiast coverage, product reviews, vehicle spotlights, auto show/expo features, and more. Be sure to check back Wednesday to learn more about the benefits of drop-in bedliners. Then, on Friday, don’t miss our latest tech corner that unpacks everything you need to know about piston failures.