Tesla discounts, Toyota and Dodge recalls, a lawsuit from Adam Levine

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Welcome to our round-up 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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Here’s what you missed while you were away.

The Tesla Model X is now $21,000 cheaper than it was two months ago

The yo-yo that is Tesla’s pricing strategy let out a little more string this week. After a round of price cuts to the Model X SUV back in January (which caused some customers who purchased earlier to feel like they’d been duped), Tesla is following it up with another slash to the tag, this time to the tune of $7,000. that makes the Model X is now $21,000 more affordable than it was at the onset of 2023.

“We found that even small changes in the price have a big effect on demand, very big,” Musk said at Tesla’s recent investor day. He also said Tesla fever was “indistinguishable from infinite,” and that the demand for vehicles would “go crazy” with drops. But why the double discount then, Elon?

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In Canada, the Model X dual-motor AWD now opens at $135,990, while the Plaid trim starts at $149,990, even with the Plaid Model S.

A first look at the 2024 Hyundai Kona

Hyundai is ready to run another lap with the Kona nameplate, which has just entered its second generation for the 2024 model year. The crossover is presented with three powertrain options this time around, an upgraded design largely inspired by the Tucson, and a load of new tech. Those power sources include a 64.5-kWh battery with a WLTP range of 490 km range, a 2.0L, and a 1.6L turbo in the N-Line.

Both gas and electric models have been stretched in size to make the model one of the largest in its segment.

Externally it’s more aggressive looking overall, with pronounced fenders and a solid-piece light bar up front. And inside a 12.3-inch digital panoramic screen anchors the cabin from the front, facing optionally heated and cooled seats, including one (the front passenger) that folds nearly flat, perfect for catching some Zs while the car catches some Es at a charging station . There’s more to learn herebut no trim or pricing details just yet.

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Toyota and Dodge issue recalls for parts that could detach at speed

A total of 18,163 Dodge Durango SUVs from model years 2021 to 2023 and 13,556 Toyota Tundra pickup trucks are being recalled by their makers due to parts that may detach from the vehicles while driving. Another 139,019 Durangos and around 130,000 Tundras are being recalled Stateside as well.

So far 60 Durango owners have reported issues with the spoiler at the top of the liftgate. When the liftgate is opened or closed, it can hit a misaligned spoiler, which can come loose and fall off while the vehicle is on the go. Owners can listen to a crunching sound when the liftgate is opened or closed, or a rattle from that area while driving. In the case of the Tundra, it’s the “optional Toyota genuine truck bed accessory tonneau cover” that may come loose and cause mayhem on the highway. Toyota dealers will inspect the vehicle and remove those defective covers.

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Maroon Five singer Adam Levine sues Maserati seller over alleged fake credentials

Singer and torso tattoo enthusiast Adam Levine thought he was picking up a rare classic when he traded two vintage Ferraris plus $100,000 cash for a 1971 Ghibli SS Spyder. The Maser was allegedly one of just 25 models ever made with a 4.9L eight-cylinder.

But instead he got a, well, something else, according to the artist, who is suing the seller, saying he’s now out a million bucks for a car that is already owned by a collector in Switzerland. Awkwards! Apparently there are incongruences with the VIN number, chassis and engine stamping — could the car have undergone an engine swap at some point, or was it converted to a Spyder? Hopefully the courts will tell us soon enough.

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Ford fetes female inventors on International Women’s Day with ‘Men’s Only Edition’ Explorer

Can you spot anything missing from this Ford Explorer? Give you a hint: it’s all the stuff invented by women. Ford introduced the Explorer Men’s Only Edition on International Women’s Day (March 8) as a way to visually demonstrate the contributions made by women in the development of the automobile. Features the Men’s Only Edition does not includes are GPS, a rearview mirror, turn signals, windshield wipers, or a heater.

A press release for the not-quite-complete Explorer also includes some of the stories behind the inventions, including that of Mary Anderson of Alabama. Mary went to NYC and rode the streetcar on a snowy day. After watching the driver stop and get out to wipe the window multiple times, he came up with the idea for windshield wipers. That was in 1902. Click here to learn about the other women-invented automotive parts and features.

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Compensating for something? Buy the airplane-engine-powered custom ‘The Beast’

Looking at ‘The Beast’ from the rear quarter forward is almost enough to make you dizzy. The one-off was completed in 1972 by eccentric British builder John Dodds, who purchased it from a customizer, wrapped it in a fiberglass body, and replaced its Rolls-Royce Merlin V12 sourced out of a Centurion battle tank with a 27-litre V12 pulled from a WWII Spitfire fighter plane.

It was the world’s most powerful car by Guinness’ record back in the day with a 700-800-hp engine, burned down in its first iteration, and caused Rolls-Royce to (successfully) sue Dodds. And now you can own it! So what if it’s skin-colored, six meters long — most of that hood — and so scooped that it looks veiny. Nobody will think you’re compensating for anything…

‘The Beast’ will cross the auction block at UK-based site Car and Classic from March 9-16.