Back in the 1970s, Ford had a trim package for its light trucks that was called Free Wheeling, something only the most dedicated Blue Oval fans may be able to remember today. Ford has announced this week that the Free Wheeling package, noted for its sunset-themed horizontal stripe panels, will be making a comeback as an option on the 2024 Ford Bronco Sport line, for which orders are just now being taken.

The new Free Wheeling package matches the 1970s version with red, yellow and orange horizontal gradients, along with painted wheels that also form part of the package. Black finishing on the grille, bumpers and mirrors is another visual element. There’s also a new, somewhat more understated Black Appearance Package for the Bronco Sport, which is the four-door version of the revived Bronco. The Free Wheeling edition also includes all the cosmetic and functional upgrades of the existing Big Bend appearance package.

Chevrolet’s subcompact EV, the Bolt, has had an up-and-down history since its first sales in California in 2017, going through a series of recalls because of issues with batteries supplied by development partner LG. The Bolt was taken out of production in 2022 when its assembly plant in Orion Township, Michigan, was repurposed to produce electric Equinox SUVs and Silverado pickups. So it was something of a surprise when investors learned this week that General Motors is planning a new-generation version of the Bolt.

Timing of the new Bolt’s rollout has yet to be determined. Its powertrain and energy supply will be based on new-generation GM Ultium batteries, which are the central ingredient for current Chevrolet EVs. GM chairwoman Mary Barra promised an “accelerated timeline” for getting the new-generation Bolt into the showrooms.

Chevrolet is entering the 2024 model year with an all-new interpretation of its midsize Traverse SUV, which boasts three rows of seats. While some SUVs widely promote their car-platform origins, Chevrolet is celebrating the Traverse’s evolution to more truck-like proportions, motivated by an all-new 2.5-liter turbocharged, standard four-cylinder powertrain that produces a claimed 315 horsepower. A 19 percent boost in torque and available towing capacity of 5,000 pounds is part of the Traverse portfolio.

Offered across four trim levels, including a new Z71 off-road package, the new Traverse offers the Chevy Safety Assist suite of driver aids, including collision avoidance, as standard fare. Rear park and lane-change assists will also be standard. Production is scheduled to commence in early 2024.

One of the truly great automotive events in this world is the Goodwood Festival of Speed in Great Britain, a glorious celebration of competition cars from the past whose activities include an all-out hillclimb that runs up the host estate’s long driveway. Subaru of America showed up last year with a very tricked-out interpretation of a 1983 Subaru GL station wagon that had been modified almost beyond recognition by Vermont SportsCar, which prepares the Subaru U.S. rally team’s weapons. The wagon placed first in class in the hillclimb in 2022 and this week, repeated the trick at Goodwood.

This year, extreme sports star and Subaru rally driver Travis Pastrana led the charge up the hill, with the GL again placing first in class and this time, second overall among all competitors, with Pastrana appropriately hooning it up in memory of the late Subaru rally star Ken Block. Despite two days of rain on the hill, the “Family Huckster” was able to tap its 863 turbocharged horsepower to emerge at the top of the summit. Pastrana would have unquestionably scored an outright win if McLaren hadn’t entered one of its gigabuck hypercars at the last minute.

BMW Motorrad, to use its formal name, is the firm’s branch covering two-wheeled transportation, which usually means a premium motorcycle with a flat-twin engine and shaft drive. BMW’s cycling arm is now moving into the growing field of highly personalized urban mobility, and while BMW doesn’t call this a scooter, it’s rolling out an electric-powered compact bike that looks ideal for navigating congested urban cityscapes.

Officially, this is the new 2024 BMW CE 02, a fully electric cycle that will boast up to 15 horsepower, a swing-arm rear suspension, antilock braking on the front wheel, electronic aids including Automatic Stability Control and Recuperative Stability Control, plus two standard modes of operation. Its saddle’s set at a low 29.5 inches, and two-up riding is accommodated. Suggested retail price is $7,599.

You’ve seen it in movie comedies: Some schmuck is pedaling down the street when he slams comically into a car door that’s been opened right in front of him. In the real world, such an incident is no joke and can easily lead to serious injuries. Thanks to its forthcoming 2024 Mustang, Ford and its planners in Dearborn are doing something about it.

The solution is Exit Warning, a new driver-assist aid that’s designed to protect bicyclists, scooter riders and pedestrians who find themselves looming alongside a 2024 Mustang. As a rider or walker approaches alongside, a radar-activated warning on the parked Mustang’s instrument panel triggers an alert that shows up as part of its SYNC electronics suite, warning the driver not to open the Mustang’s wide door. It’s a retained-power feature that continues to function for up to three minutes after the ignition is switched off. We like this idea, and reckon that people on fewer than four wheels will like it, too.

Back when he was running the USAC Sprint car, Midget and Silver Crown series all at once, and winning in all of them, the Missouri native Ken Schrader became known as America’s busiest race driver, racking up a man-breaking schedule that saw him race 100 or more times each year before joining, and winnng in, the NASCAR Cup Series. Schrader co-wrote his memoirs for the first time about 20 years ago, with our friends at Coastal 181 in Newburyport, Massachusetts handing a stellar publishing job.

Time’s moved on and so has Schrader’s career, which has transitioned away from NASCAR and now focuses on UMP-style Modifieds across the nation’s dirt tracks, including several Florida appearances at Volusia Speedway Park. Those changes are documented in a reissued and updated version of Schrader’s story, called Still Racing! and primarily written by the historian, journalist, and racing dynasty member Joyce Standridge. The book is told in Schrader’s voice, is strongly illustrated and tells this bona-fide competitor’s story up to the present day. It’s one of gobs of scholarly, exquisitely crafted books on American short-track racing that are Coastal 181’s publishing specialties.

Held in conjunction with the famed Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum in South Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Concours d’Elegance has just completed its sixth year of displaying stunning cars and raising funds for Cool Cars for Kids and the acclaimed Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. The concours featured a road rally through the countryside around the city, with grand marshal Luis Da Silva Jr., star of the “Fast and Furious” film franchise, waving the checkered flag over the rally participants.

When the judging was completed, the concours’ Best in Show award was presented to this 1966 Jaguar E-Type Series I OTS owned by Roland Schotland of Skillman, New Jersey, and photographed here by Andrew M. Taylor. The concours also marked the 75th anniversary of Porsche as an automaker, and resident Simeone historian Harry Hurst, our longtime pal, led a panel discussion on how racing built the Porsche brand, assisted by panelists Woody Woodard, formerly of Team Penske; and John Atkinson, the crew chief during the Brumos Porsche glory years. To that end, the Heart of the Champion Award, dedicated to museum founder Dr. Fred Simeone, was presented to the 1986 Porsche 962, formerly raced by James Weaver and Price Cobb for Dyson Racing, and presented to owner Gordon Zimmerman of Farmington, Connecticut.

Texas-based Hennessey, which does miraculous things with the hypercars and other performance vehicles that it creates, has unveiled the Cadillac to end all Cadillacs from a pure go-fast standpoint. Hennessey uses the word “herculean” to describe its H1000 Cadillac CT-5 V Blackwing, a monster of a performance sedan that also boasts the best in contemporary Cadillac luxury, with some well-chosen Hennessey upgrades.

The Blackwing was already the most potent car in Cadillac history; its supercharged 6.2-liter LT4 V-8 rated at 688 horsepower right off the showroom floor. Hennessey then fits ported cylinder heads, tubular exhaust headers and larger heat exchangers to give the H1000 a dynamometer-certified 1,000 horsepower, with 966-lbs.ft. of torque. That’s good enough for a quarter mile in a tick over 10 seconds, with an ungoverned top speed in excess of 200 MPH. Just what you need to put the smack on the Hellcat Charger your neighbor just scored.

Sure, we know that Ferrari just won Le Mans for the first time since 1965, but there’s other news in high performance from Italy, coming from the opposite end of the capability spectrum. Vespa, the purveyor of delightful little Italian motor scooters famed for their star turns in films such as Three Coins in the Fountain and Roman Holiday, has introduced the most muscular scooter in its history, the Vespa GTV. First introduced in 2006, the GTV has obtained a major power boost for 2023.

The GTV is immediately recognizable by its fender-mounted, or faro basso, front headlamp. Power comes from Vespa’s HPE (High Performance Engine) with a single cylinder, four-valve timing, and a romping output of 23.8 horsepower, making it the most potent engine ever installed in a Vespa. As the Italians have demonstrated for years, these are smart urban vehicles, now made more attractive with real point-and-squirt horsepower, just the thing for shooting through traffic in Rome, or closer to your home.