HI, I'M JOHN DAVIS AND THIS IS MOTORWEEK !

JOIN US AS WE CUT THROUGH THE CORNERS IN THE BMW M3 COMPETITION XDRIVE... WE GET A LESSON ON SCHOOL BUS EFFICIENCY.

PAT GOSS HAS THE KNOW-HOW TO HANDLE RUST... AND WE TREK ABOUT THE TERRAIN IN THE FORD F-150 RAPTOR...

SO, COME DRIVE WITH US, NEXT!

CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY MARYLAND PUBLIC TELEVISION.

* Announcer: MOTORWEEK , TELEVISION'S ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE MAGAZINE BROUGHT TO YOU BY... FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS LUCAS OIL PRODUCTS HAS HELPED PEOPLE TACKLE MECHANICAL PROBLEMS IN THE AUTOMOTIVE, MARINE, AND INDUSTRIAL FIELDS.

FROM OUR ORIGINAL FOUR CORE PRODUCTS... LUCAS OIL HAS DEVELOPED OVER 400 CUSTOM PRODUCTS TO HELP BOTH PROFESSIONALS AND DO IT YOURSELFERS.

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TIRERACK.COM IS PROUD TO SUPPORT MOTORWEEK .

AND NOW, A VERY BRIEF HISTORY OF TIRERACK.COM.

FIRST, THERE WAS THE WHEEL.

THEN, THE TIRE.

"WE'LL CALL IT TIRE RACK."

FORTY YEARS LATER, WE'RE NOT SLOWING DOWN.

TIRERACK.COM.

ROCKAUTO HAS AUTO PARTS FROM HUNDREDS OF MANUFACTURERS, OFFERING A VARIETY OF BRANDS, PRICES, AND SPECIFICATIONS.

ROCKAUTO.COM, ALL THE PARTS YOUR CAR WILL EVER NEED.

John: NO ONE CAN ARGUE WITH THE FACT THAT THE BMW M3 IS A HIGHLY POTENT TRACK WEAPON.

BUT IN THE INTEREST OF "COMPETITION," THERE'S AN M3 THAT'S TAKES THINGS TO YET ANOTHER LEVEL.

AND, YOU GUESSED IT, IT'S CALLED "THE M3 COMPETITION."

WELL, NOT EVERYONE HERE AT MOTORWEEK GETS A TROPHY, SO LET'S HIT THE TRACK AND SEE WHAT THE COMPETITION HAS TO WORRY ABOUT TO KEEP UP WITH THE M3.

* COMPETITION IS NOTHING NEW FOR BMW'S M3, AS IT HAS BEEN BATTLING INTENDERS AND PRETENDERS EVER SINCE IT ARRIVED ON THE SCENE IN THE MID-1980s.

THE CURRENT GENERATION 3-SERIES SEDAN ARRIVED FOR 2019, WITH THE HIGH-PERFORMANCE M3 VARIANT ARRIVING 2-YEARS LATER.

FOR 2022, BMW CONTINUES TO DELIVER SOMETHING EXTRA FOR HARDCORE ENTHUSIASTS WITH DEEPER POCKETS: THE M3 COMPETITION XDRIVE.

YES, XDRIVE IS IN THE NAME FOR A REASON, AS THIS IS THE FIRST-TIME BUYERS CAN GET 4-WHEEL TRACTION IN AN M3, AND IT IS AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY ON THE COMPETITION MODEL.

BMW PROMISES THE ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE SYSTEM IS NOT A HINDRANCE TO GO FAST, BUT IS IN PLACE TO HELP YOU EXPLOIT THE M3'S POWER TO THE FULLEST.

AND NOT ONLY IS POWER BEING SHUFFLED FRONT TO BACK, BUT SIDE TO SIDE WITH BMW'S ACTIVE M DIFFERENTIAL; ALL DELIVERIES FILTERED THROUGH DYNAMIC STABILITY CONTROL.

REAR-BIASED BY DEFAULT, 4WD SPORT MODE SENDS EVEN MORE POWER TO THE REAR; WHILE SHUTTING OFF D-S-C COMPLETELY ALLOWS FOR REAR-WHEEL-DRIVE ONLY.

IN ADDITION TO ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE, COMPETITION MODELS ADD MORE POWER; A 30 HORSEPOWER JUMP FROM 473 TO 503; MORE SIGNIFICANT IS THE ADDED TORQUE, A LEAP FROM 406 POUND-FEET TO 479.

DO NOTE; 8-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANS ONLY.

STILL, IT ALL WORKS TOGETHER TO PROVIDE A SUPERCAR-LIKE LAUNCH.

NO HESITATION, NO TURBO LAG, NO NONSENSE; JUST GRIP AND RIP TO 60 IN ONLY 3.4 SECONDS.

SHIFTS ARE IMPRESSIVELY QUICK AND PRECISE, WITH A QUARTER-MILE OF 11.6 SECONDS AT 121 MILES PER HOUR.

NOW, YOU WOULD THINK THAT WITH THAT SPEED, AND ALL OF THAT ADDITIONAL TORQUE, THERE'D BE SOME LEVEL OF FEROCIOUSNESS HERE.

OR, EVEN SOME ROUGH EDGES, BUT IT'S ALL TYPICAL ULTRA-SMOOTH BMW POWER DELIVERY.

THE NUMBERS, AS WELL AS THE SENSE OF SPEED, ARE PALPABLE.

WE'VE DRIVEN CARS WITH 100 MORE HORSEPOWER THAT DON'T FEEL THIS QUICK.

IT'S NOT OUT OF CONTROL FAST-- QUITE THE OPPOSITE; JUST LOCKED-DOWN, ARROW STRAIGHT, AND EXTREMELY FAST.

AS FOR THE ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE APPLICATION ON THE REST OF THE TRACK, THERE'S A FINE LINE BETWEEN BEING ULTRA-RESPONSIVE AND HYPER-JITTERY, AND THE M3 COMP SEEMS TO FALL ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THAT LINE MOST OF THE TIME.

THOUGH, BMW'S EVER-PRESENT LACK OF STEERING FEEL DOES NOT HELP MATTERS.

BUT BOY DOES THIS THING FLY AROUND A RACE TRACK.

WHAT IT LACKS IN STEERING FEEL, IT MAKES UP FOR WITH SEAT OF THE PANTS CHASSIS FEEDBACK, AS WELL AS SHEER INTUITION, AS IT SEEMS TO KNOW THE BEST WAY TO GET THROUGH CORNERS, AND WILL BABY YOU THROUGH THEM WITH AS MUCH OR AS LITTLE ELECTRONIC HELP AS YOU NEED.

IT'S AN EXTREMELY CAPABLE CAR, WITH PHENOMENAL HANDLING ABILITIES, THANKS TO A NICE TIGHT SUSPENSION, AND THE ABILITY TO LOOSEN UP THE REAR NO MATTER WHAT DRIVE MODE OR SETTINGS YOU'RE IN.

YET, ACCOMPLISHES ALL OF THAT WITHOUT FEELING OVERLY HARSH OR STIFF.

OF COURSE, THE ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE HARDWARE ONLY ADDS WEIGHT TO THE ALREADY HEFTY M3; BUT THE M COMPOUND BRAKES ARE PRETTY DARN IMPRESSIVE WITH THEIR ABILITY TO SCRUB SPEED IN A HURRY, WITHOUT GETTING OUT OF SORTS NO MATTER HOW HARD WE POUNDED THE PEDAL.

THE PADDLE SHIFTERS WORK PRETTY WELL, BUT LEFT IN AUTO THE M3 SEEMS TO BE ON THE SAME PAGE WITH US; UP AND DOWNSHIFTING AT THE APPROPRIATE POINTS ON THE TRACK, AND HOLDING GEARS STEADILY THROUGH CORNERS.

THROUGH ALL OF ITS SUPERCAR-LIKE PERFORMANCE, THE M3 REMAINS A SUPER PRACTICAL VEHICLE WITH PLENTY OF PASSENGER AND CARGO SPACE TO BE THE ULTIMATE DAILY DRIVER SEDAN.

THOUGH IF THAT IS YOUR PRIORITY, YOU MIGHT NOT WANT TO OPT FOR THE AVAILABLE M CARBON BUCKET SEATS.

LOOKS ARE ALWAYS SUBJECTIVE, AND THE LATEST 3-SERIES IS CERTAINLY AN ACQUIRED TASTE; BUT I THINK WE CAN ALL AGREE THE MUSCULAR STANCE AND AGGRESSIVE NATURE OF THE M3 COMPETITION MAKES IT MUCH MORE LIKABLE.

OFF TRACK GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS ARE 16-CITY, 22-HIGHWAY, AND 18-COMBINED.

THAT'S A MUCH WORSE THAN AVERAGE ENERGY IMPACT SCORE, CONSUMING 18.3 BARRELS OF OIL YEARLY WITH 7.9 TONS OF CO2 EMISSIONS.

COMPETITION XDRIVE PRICING STARTS AT $78,095, WHICH SOUNDS LIKE A LOT, BUT IT'S ONLY 7-GRAND OVER A STANDARD M3; MAKING IT AN EASY CHOICE IF YOU PLAN ON TAKING IN SOME TRACK DAYS.

COMPETITION CAN BRING OUT THE BEST IN PEOPLE, AND IT CAN ALSO INSPIRE CARMAKERS LIKE BMW TO KEEP PUSHING BOUNDARIES.

THE 2022 BMW M3 COMPETITION XDRIVE IS A SUPERCAR IN SEDAN CLOTHING, MAKING IT AN EXTREMELY DIFFICULT CHALLENGE FOR THEIR COMPETITION TO MATCH.

* THESE DAYS, IT SEEMS LIKE EVERY AUTOMAKER OFFERS A PLUG-IN ELECTRIC MODEL.

WELL NOW, WE'RE SEEING AN UPTURN IN THE NUMBER OF LARGER PASSENGER VEHICLES MAKING THAT EV SWITCH TOO.

SO, FOR MILLIONS OF SCHOOL STUDENTS, THAT MEANS THEIR RIDE TO SCHOOL IS ABOUT TO GET CLEANER AND QUIETER.

* NEARLY EVERY DAY, IN VIRTUALLY EVERY COMMUNITY AND NEIGHBORHOOD AROUND THE COUNTRY, 500,000 YELLOW BUSES HIT THE STREETS, TRANSPORTING 26 MILLION CHILDREN TO AND FROM SCHOOL.

TAKEN AS A WHOLE, SCHOOL BUSES MAKE UP THE NATION'S LARGEST PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION NETWORK, BUT ABOUT 95 PERCENT OF THOSE BUSES RUN ON DIESEL FUEL.

THAT PUTS THE MOST VULNERABLE MEMBERS OF OUR POPULACE AT RISK FOR RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS AND OTHER ISSUES LINKED TO BREATHING EXHAUST FUMES.

THE RECENT GROWTH OF ELECTRIFICATION FOR CARS AND TRUCKS PRESENTS AN OPPORTUNITY TO CHANGE THAT, AND THE RECENT INFRASTRUCTURE LAW INCLUDES TWO AND A HALF BILLION DOLLARS IN FEDERAL AID, SPECIFICALLY TO HELP SCHOOL DISTRICTS PURCHASE ZERO-EMISSION ELECTRIC SCHOOL BUSES AND AN EQUAL AMOUNT FOR OTHER LOW EMISSION AND ELECTRIFIED VEHICLES.

BUT MAKING THE ELECTRIC SWITCH REQUIRES EDUCATION FOR THOSE WHO WILL MANUFACTURE, PURCHASE, AND USE THOSE BUSES, AND THAT'S WHERE PROGRAMS LIKE MEEP COME INTO PLAY.

MEEP IS THE MID-ATLANTIC ELECTRIC SCHOOL BUS EXPERIENCE PROJECT, SPEARHEADED BY THE VIRGINIA CLEAN CITIES COALITION AND BEGUN WITH FUNDING FROM THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY IN 2019.

MEEP IS WORKING WITH BUS MANUFACTURERS, SCHOOL DISTRICTS, AND OTHER PARTNERS TO PROVIDE HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE AND EXTENDED DEMONSTRATION LOANS OF ELECTRIC SCHOOL BUSES TO SCHOOL BUS FLEETS THROUGHOUT VIRGINIA, MARYLAND, DC, PENNSYLVANIA, AND NEW JERSEY OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS.

Alleyn Harned: WE'VE KICKED OFF THE PROGRAM AND ALREADY DONE MORE THAN TWENTY SUCCESSFUL DEMONSTRATIONS, AS WELL AS SIX VIRTUAL EVENTS.

THIS HAS LED TO THE DEPLOYMENT OF 100 ELECTRIC SCHOOL BUSES WITHIN THE REGION.

John: THIS BUS, KNOWN AS JOULEY, IS MANUFACTURED BY THOMAS BUILT BUSES IN NORTH CAROLINA, USING AN ELECTRIC PROPULSION SYSTEM DEVELOPED BY PROTERRA, AND ALREADY PROVEN THROUGH 8-MILLION SERVICE MILES ON ELECTRIC TRANSIT BUSES ACROSS AMERICA.

JOULEY HAS A DRIVING RANGE OF ABOUT 138 MILES AND CAN RECHARGE IN JUST THREE HOURS USING A DC FAST CHARGER.

Jim Beasley: WELL, THE ROUTES THAT IT RUNS.

IT RUNS IN THE AM AND THE PM MOSTLY, PREDOMINANTLY.

THEY'RE EASY TO CHARGE BECAUSE THERE'S DOWNTIME IN BETWEEN, AND THEY'RE SITTING OVERNIGHT.

THEY'RE QUIET, THEY RUN THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOODS, AND THEY'RE NON-POLLUTERS.

John: THE ELECTRIFICATION OF SCHOOL BUSES IS GAINING A GROUNDSWELL OF SUPPORT FROM COMMUNITY LEADERS, PARENTS AND THE STUDENTS THEMSELVES.

Speaker: I AM SO PROUD OF OUR STUDENTS AND THE AWARENESS THEY HAVE, AND THEY KNOW NOW IS THE TIME TO TAKE THE ENVIRONMENTAL LEGACY INTO THEIR HANDS.

Paul D'Andrade: AND THE MAIN THING IS ABOUT OUR KIDS, YOU KNOW.

WE WANT THEM TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE ZERO EMISSION BUSES, TO HAVE A NICE QUIET RIDE, AND LESS EFFECTS ON THEIR HEALTH.

OUR TOTAL AMOUNT OF BUSES IS JUST OVER 1600.

WE HAVE EIGHT ELECTRIC BUSES, AND WE HAVE TEN WE SHOULD GET SOMETIME NEXT SCHOOL YEAR, AND WE PUT IN THE APPLICATION FOR ANOTHER GRANT FOR AN ADDITIONAL TEN.

John: ELECTRIFYING OUR NATION'S SCHOOL BUS FLEET WON'T HAPPEN OVERNIGHT.

THAT 2-AND-A-HALF BILLION DOLLARS IS EXPECTED TO ADD ABOUT 10,000 ELECTRIC BUSES TO THE NATIONAL TOTAL OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS; BUT IT'S AN INVESTMENT THAT WILL CONTINUE TO PAY HUGE DIVIDENDS IN AWARENESS AND ONE THAT WILL DRIVE US TOWARDS A CLEANER FUTURE FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.

WITH THE UNEXPECTED PASSING OF PAT GOSS, MOTORWEEK LOST NOT JUST A CONTRIBUTOR, BUT A FRIEND, MENTOR, AND AN IRREPLACEABLE PILLAR OF OUR PROGRAM.

NOW OUT OF RESPECT, WE WILL SOON BE RETIRING THE GOSS' GARAGE FEATURE, BUT PAT LEFT US WITH A FEW REMAINING UNAIRED SEGMENTS, AND WE KNOW HE WOULD WANT TO SHARE THEM WITH YOU.

SO, HERE'S PAT WITH A FEW TIPS FOR WHEN YOUR ROCKERS START TO RUST.

* Pat Goss: VIRTUALLY, EVERY AUTOMOBILE HAS PARTS THAT ARE MADE OUT OF STEEL.

AND STEEL HAS A NASTY HABIT: IT RUSTS.

NOW, IF YOU CATCH RUST EARLY, SUCH AS WE SEE BACK HERE ON THE JEEP, WELL, THAT CAN BE TAKEN CARE OF RELATIVELY EASILY.

AN OLDER VEHICLE LIKE THIS VAN MAY NOT BE WORTH THE EXPENSE OF TAKING IT TO A BODY SHOP FOR A PROFESSIONAL REPAIR, BUT THERE ARE SOME DO-IT-YOURSELF OPTIONS FOR IMPROVING YOUR CAR'S APPEARANCE AND PREVENTING THE SPREAD OF EXISTING RUST.

ONE SOLUTION IS TO ENCAPSULATE THE RUSTED AREAS WITH A RUBBERIZED UNDERCOATING OR SPRAY-IN TRUCK BED LINER.

REMOVE ALL THE LOOSE RUST, CLEAN THE AREA THOROUGHLY, AND BE SURE TO COAT THE ENTIRE AREA, ESPECIALLY INSIDE AREAS LIKE FRAME RAILS AND BODY CREVICES WHERE DIRT AND MOISTURE LIKE TO HIDE.

THIS WILL KEEP MOISTURE AWAY AND HELP PREVENT A BAD SITUATION FROM GETTING WORSE.

FOR ONE SIDE OF THIS VAN, OUR PRODUCER DECIDED TO FILL IN A SMALL RUST HOLE USING A METAL BACKING MESH AND REINFORCED BODY FILLER.

PREPPING THE AREA TO REMOVE LOOSE RUST AND SCUFF AWAY FLAKING PAINT TOOK AN HOUR OR SO.

THESE SANDING DISKS ARE READILY AVAILABLE AND CAN BE USED WITH A CORDLESS DRILL OR PNEUMATIC GRINDER, AND MAKE QUICK WORK OF THIS KIND OF JOB.

TAKE CARE WHEN MIXING BODY FILLERS.

MOST USE A HARDENER TO ACTIVATE THE PRODUCT AND THE RATIO CAN BE AS LITTLE AS A FEW DROPS, SO BE SURE TO READ AND FOLLOW THE LABEL INSTRUCTIONS.

INEXPENSIVE PLASTIC SPREADERS CAN BE USED TO MIX AND APPLY BODY FILLER, AND ALSO REMEMBER THAT THE WORKING TIME OF THESE PRODUCTS IS TYPICALLY JUST A FEW MINUTES, SO BE SURE YOUR PREP WORK IS DONE AND YOU HAVE ALL THE TOOLS AND MATERIALS YOU'LL NEED CLOSE AT HAND BEFORE YOU START.

AND SPEAKING OF HANDS, IT'S ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA TO WEAR PROTECTIVE GLOVES WHEN HANDLING ANY CHEMICALS, AND A VENTILATOR MASK WHEN WORKING AROUND HEAVY FUMES, DUST, PAINT, OR OTHER AEROSOLS.

ONCE, THE BODY FILLER HAS HARDENED, IT CAN BE SANDED SMOOTH TO MATCH THE SURROUNDING BODYWORK.

IN OUR CASE, WE ADDED A LAYER OF RUBBERIZED UNDERCOATING BEHIND THE REPAIR TO ENCAPSULATE THE RUSTY AREAS AND KEEP IT FROM GETTING WORSE, AND WE ALSO COATED THE ENTIRE OUTSIDE OF THE ROCKER PANEL TO HIDE THE REPAIRED AREA AND PROTECT AGAINST FUTURE DAMAGE.

THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS VAN HAD A LOT MORE HIDDEN DAMAGE, SO WE DECIDED TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE ROCKER PANEL SECTION.

THESE REPAIR PANELS ARE AVAILABLE FOR A LOT OF VEHICLES AND ARE RELATIVELY INEXPENSIVE.

THEY CAN BE WELDED OR RIVETED IN PLACE, BUT WE DECIDED TO TRY PANEL BONDING ADHESIVE.

THIS IS A TWO-PART EPOXY DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY FOR JOINING METAL BODYWORK.

THE BIG CAUTION HERE IS TO TAKE TIME TO TEST FIT THE NEW PANEL, BEND AND TRIM IT AS NECESSARY, BEFORE APPLYING THE ADHESIVE.

AGAIN, READ AND FOLLOW THE LABEL INSTRUCTIONS AND YOU CAN GET GREAT RESULTS.

SO, A WEEKEND'S WORTH OF WORK CAN LEAD TO A LONG-LASTING, GOOD-LOOKING REPAIR THAT'LL ADD A LOT OF MILES TO THE LIFE OF YOUR VEHICLE.

* John: WE'VE ALREADY DRIVEN A FEW EXAMPLES OF PORSCHE'S LATEST 911 GT3, BUT SINCE WE HAD A TRACK RENTAL ALREADY LINED UP, WE TOOK A CHANCE PORSCHE MIGHT BE WILLING TO SEND US A 2022 PORSCHE 911 GT3 WITH THE OPTIONAL MANUAL TRANSMISSION FOR A FEW HOT LAPS, AND HAPPILY THEY AGREED.

NOBODY OPTS FOR THE 6-SPEED MANUAL WITH 0-60s IN MIND, AS THE STANDARD 7-SPEED PDK TRANSMISSION IS MUCH QUICKER; BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN IT'S NOT FUN RIPPING THROUGH THE GEARS, AND 3.7 SECONDS TO 60 IS GETTING IT DONE NO MATTER WHAT THE GEARBOX.

CLUTCH IS FIRM, SHIFTER THROWS SHORT AND PRECISE.

INDEED, IT'S OUT ON AN OPEN TRACK WHERE THE 6-SPEED MANUAL REALLY SHINES, PROVIDING AN ADDITIONAL LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT, AND AT LEAST THE IMPRESSION THAT YOU'RE A LITTLE MORE IMPORTANT TO THE WHOLE PROCESS.

IT FEATURES REV-MATCHING, WEIGHS A WHOPPING 37 POUNDS LESS THAN THE PDK WHICH IS ALWAYS NICE, AND COMES WITH A MANUAL LOCKING REAR DIFFERENTIAL AS OPPOSED TO THE PDK'S ELECTRONIC ONE.

POWER IS FROM THE SAME NATURALLY-ASPIRATED 4.0 LITER FLAT-6 ENGINE WHICH MAKES 502 HORSEPOWER, REVS TO 9,000 RPM, AND MAKES SOME OF THE BEST NOISES IN ALL OF AUTOMOTIVE-DOM.

BUYING A 911 GT3 IS ONE OF THE BEST WAYS TO MAKE YOURSELF FEEL LIKE A FORMULA 1 DRIVER, AS IT MAKES EVERYTHING SO EASY; NO UNDERSTEER, VERY FORGIVING, JUST AN AMAZING VEHICLE.

2022 PORSCHE 911 GT3 PRICING STARTS AROUND $163,000; AND OF COURSE, THE 6-SPEED MANUAL IS A NO COST OPTION.

AND WE'LL HAVE MORE QUICKSPINS, SOON!

* Greg Carloss: IT'S BEEN ELEVEN MONTHS SINCE THIS 2021 SUBARU CROSSTREK SPORT ROLLED ONTO OUR LOT; THE LATEST IN A LINE OF CROSSTREKS THAT WE'VE BEEN FORTUNATE TO HAVE IN OUR LONG-TERM FLEET.

WE SAY FORTUNATE BECAUSE THIS LITTLE ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE SUBI ALWAYS SEEMS TO BE UP FOR WHATEVER WE GET INTO, NO MATTER THE WEATHER OR THE ROAD SURFACE.

AS MUCH AS WE'D LOVE TO SPEND MORE TIME DRIVING THIS CROSSTREK ON RUT-FILLED TRAILS, THE FACT IS OUR SEAT TIME IS ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY ON PAVED SURFACES.

LUCKILY, ITS ROAD MANNERS ARE MORE POLISHED THAN THEY OUGHT TO BE FOR A UTILITY WITH THIS MUCH GROUND CLEARANCE ON A RELATIVELY SHORT WHEELBASE.

SO, WE CAN'T COMPLAIN TOO MUCH ABOUT STAYING ON THE BEATEN PATH.

BETWEEN HOLIDAY TRAVEL, AND OUR ANNUAL ROAD TREK SOUTH FOR WINTER TESTING, WE TACKED A HEALTHY 3,200 MILES ONTO THE ODOMETER SINCE OUR LAST REPORT; BRINGING OUR TOTAL TO JUST OVER 15,000, AND OUR FUEL ECONOMY AVERAGE TO 29.4 MILES PER GALLON.

IT'S A CHECK-UP ON OUR NISSAN PATHFINDER, ON THE NEXT MOTORWEEK LONG-TERM ROAD TEST UPDATE!

John: NO DOUBT FORD UNLEASHED A WHOLE NEW KIND OF PERFORMANCE TRUCK WHEN THE SVT RAPTOR ARRIVED FOR 2010.

THE 2ND-GEN RAPTOR ENTERED FOR 2017, MORE CAPABLE IN MANY WAYS, BUT WITH A TWIN-TURBO V6 INSTEAD OF A MONSTROUS V8.

WELL, NOW IT'S ON TO THE 3RD GENERATION.

SO, LET'S SEE WHAT SURPRISES FORD HAS IN STORE THIS TIME!

* FOR MOST OF ITS FIRST TWO GENERATIONS AND 10 MODEL YEARS, THE FORD F-150 RAPTOR EXISTED WITHOUT ANY REAL COMPETITION.

THAT CHANGED LAST YEAR WITH THE ARRIVAL OF THE RAM 1500 TRX.

SO NATURALLY, FORD FELT A NEED TO UP THEIR GAME, AND HAD A NEW F-150 PLATFORM TO BUILD UPON.

THE BIGGEST DEPARTURE FOR THIS 3RD-GEN RAPTOR IS IN THE SUSPENSION SETUP, WHERE IT SWAPS THE F-150'S LEAF SPRINGS FOR SOME COILS, HELPING THE REAR STAY BETTER IN LINE DURING HIGH SPEED DESERT RUNS.

DELIVERING A SMOOTHER RIDE IN DAILY USE IS A SIDE BENEFIT, TOO, AS IS LESS WEIGHT.

THE FRONT SUSPENSION ALSO GETS BEEFED UP A BIT, AS WELL AS SLIGHTLY ALTERED GEOMETRY.

PLUS, THE 3.0 INCH FOX SHOCKS DELIVER AN INCH OF ADDITIONAL TRAVEL OVER LAST YEAR FOR BOTH FRONT AND REAR.

ATTACHED TO THE SUSPENSION ARE 17 INCH WHEELS WITH 35 INCH BF GOODRICH T/A KO2s AS STANDARD, BUT 37s ARE NOW AVAILABLE; DONE NO DOUBT TO KEEP UP WITH THE TRX.

REGARDLESS OF WHICH TIRES ARE FITTED, YOU CERTAINLY HAVE A COMMANDING VIEW OF THE ROAD.

AND WE TALKED SUSPENSION FIRST BECAUSE THERE'S NOT MUCH UNDER THE HOOD TO DISCUSS.

SAME ENGINE AS BEFORE, WITH 450 HORSEPOWER AND 510 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE, BUT THE 3.5 LITER TWIN-TURBO V6 IS TWEAKED TO BE A LITTLE MORE RESPONSIVE, AS WELL AS DELIVER BETTER LOW-END TORQUE.

AND, IT GETS A NEW 3.0 INCH ACTIVE EXHAUST SYSTEM WITH QUIET, NORMAL, SPORT, AND BAJA MODES.

MOST AGREE, AT ITS MOST AGGRESSIVE, IT SOUNDS MUCH BETTER THAN BEFORE, BUT IT'S STILL NO V8, AND STILL TOTALLY OUT OF PLACE IN A VEHICLE SUCH AS THIS.

THE 702 HORSEPOWER TRX WILL REIGN SUPREME FOR NOW IN REGARDS TO POWERTRAIN; AT LEAST UNTIL THE SUPERCHARGED V8 RAPTOR R ARRIVES LATER THIS YEAR.

SAME 10-SPEED AUTOMATIC, BUT UPDATED TO PROVIDE QUICKER SHIFTS; AND REVISED GEARING ALLOWS FOR TOWING AN ADDITIONAL 200 POUNDS; 8,200 THE NEW MAX.

OUTSIDE, IT'S THE SAME BASIC ULTRA-AGGRESSIVE LOOK OF PREVIOUS RAPTORS, WITH NOTICEABLY UPDATED LIGHTING.

TO THE ALREADY TERRIFIC INTERIOR OF THE LATEST F-150, RAPTOR ADDS A NEW STEERING WHEEL, ALUMINUM PADDLE SHIFTERS, HEAVILY BOLSTERED FRONT SEATS, AND YOUR CHOICE OF ALUMINUM OR CARBON FIBER TRIM.

WITH ALL OF THAT OFF-ROAD HARDWARE, THERE'S A COMPROMISE TO BE HAD ON THE STREET; BUT THE RAPTOR IS NOT TOO BAD AT ALL FOR DAILY DRIVING AND EVEN MANAGING CITY STREETS.

IT'S A FACT THAT YOU SEEM TO SEE RAPTORS EVERYWHERE YOU GO THESE DAYS.

AND WITH THE ADDITIONAL STABILITY OF THAT REAR SUSPENSION, FORD FELT COMFORTABLE TO UP THE TOP SPEED LIMITER FROM 107 TO 120.

AS FOR GETTING TO 60, IT WAS OFF TO OUR MASON DIXON DRAGWAY PROVING GROUNDS TO SEE IF THE MINOR POWERTRAIN TWEAKS WERE ABLE TO MAKE IT ANY QUICKER.

THROTTLE RESPONSE IS IMMEDIATE, AND POWER STILL COMES ON LIKE A WRECKING BALL RIGHT FROM THE GET GO; BUT IT ACTUALLY TOOK US A TENTH OF A SECOND LONGER TO HIT 60 THAN BEFORE, AT 5.9 SECONDS.

SHIFTS FROM THE 10-SPEED AUTOMATIC ARE SO SMOOTH YOU CAN BARELY FEEL THEM; AND WHETHER IT'S QUICKER SHIFTING HERE, OR THE MORE CONSISTENT TORQUE DELIVERY, IT QUICKLY MADE UP THAT DEFICIT AND THEN SOME, WITH A QUARTER-MILE TIME THAT WAS ACTUALLY TWO-TENTHS QUICKER THAN BEFORE, AT 14.3 SECONDS AND 95 MILES PER HOUR.

ANYTHING THAT SITS THIS HIGH OFF THE GROUND IS NEVER GOING TO FEEL GLUED TO IT, BUT IF YOU HAVE ANY EXPERIENCE DRIVING LIFTED BIG-RIGS THROUGH A CONE COURSE, YOU'LL KNOW THIS ONE'S NOT TOO BAD AT ALL, ESPECIALLY IF YOU TIGHTEN THING UP IN SPORT MODE.

STEERING IS VERY LIGHT, AND IT REQUIRES A LOT OF INPUT, BUT THE RAPTOR ITSELF DEFINITELY FEELS HEAVIER THAN THE TRX.

GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS ARE 15-CITY, 16-HIGHWAY, AND 15-COMBINED.

WE SAW 15.2 MILES PER GALLON ON PREMIUM.

AS FOR NOW, ALL RAPTORS ARE SUPERCREWS; NO MORE SUPERCAB; AND BETWEEN ALL OF THE UPDATES AND INFLATIONARY PRESSURES, BASE PRICING SEES A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE TO $67,070.

IN ITS CURRENT CONFIGURATION, THE 2022 FORD F-150 RAPTOR MAY NOT BE ABLE TO MATCH THE TRX WHEN IT COMES TO HORSEPOWER, BUT IT'S STILL A FANTASTIC OVERALL PACKAGE, IMPOSING TO LOOK AT, WHILE BEING FASTER THAN WHOLE LOT OF SPORTS CARS.

IT'S EVEN A LITTLE MORE FUN THAN MANY OF THEM TOO.

John: WELL, THAT'S OUR SHOW, I HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT.

NOW FOR MORE MOTORWEEK , INCLUDING DAILY NEWS UPDATES, PODCASTS, AND EVEN COMPLETE EPISODES, CRUISE ON OVER TO PBS.ORG/MOTORWEEK.

AND I HOPE YOU'LL JOIN US NEXT TIME, WE CHECK OUT THE FIRST REWORK FOR THE SUBARU BRZ AND AUDI'S TAKE ON A SUPER SPORT UTILITY, THE SQ5.

UNTIL THEN, I'M JOHN DAVIS.

WE'LL SEE YOU RIGHT HERE ON MOTORWEEK !

Announcer: TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MOTORWEEK , TELEVISION'S ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE MAGAZINE, VISIT... MOTORWEEK HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO YOU BY... FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS LUCAS OIL PRODUCTS HAS HELPED PEOPLE TACKLE MECHANICAL PROBLEMS IN THE AUTOMOTIVE, MARINE, AND INDUSTRIAL FIELDS.

FROM OUR ORIGINAL FOUR CORE PRODUCTS... LUCAS OIL HAS DEVELOPED OVER 400 CUSTOM PRODUCTS TO HELP BOTH PROFESSIONALS AND DO IT YOURSELFERS.

TO LEARN MORE VISIT LUCASOIL.COM.

LUCAS OIL, KEEP THAT ENGINE ALIVE.

TIRERACK.COM IS PROUD TO SUPPORT MOTORWEEK .

AND NOW, A VERY BRIEF HISTORY OF TIRERACK.COM.

FIRST, THERE WAS THE WHEEL.

THEN, THE TIRE.

"WE'LL CALL IT TIRE RACK."

FORTY YEARS LATER, WE'RE NOT SLOWING DOWN.

TIRERACK.COM.

ROCKAUTO HAS AUTO PARTS FROM HUNDREDS OF MANUFACTURERS, OFFERING A VARIETY OF BRANDS, PRICES AND SPECIFICATIONS.

ROCKAUTO.COM, ALL THE PARTS YOUR CAR WILL EVER NEED.

* Announcer: THIS PROGRAM WAS PRODUCED BY MARYLAND PUBLIC TELEVISION, WHICH IS SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS CONTENT.

[SOUND OF CAR ENGINE REVVING] * YOUR WATCHING PBS.