Dollars to Donuts
THE ADAGE "Win on Sunday, sell on Monday" justified automakers' NASCAR efforts in the 1950s. But is boosting car sales still the reason manufacturers invest in motor racing? With sky-high budgets to compete in Formula 1, any additional sales attributable to a Sunday win likely aren't enough to cover the massive costs. Automakers unable to stomach the hundreds of millions of dollars in annual spending it takes to field a competitive F1 team have plenty of other racing series to compete in, but even sales linked to success in one of these still may not net enough of a profit to cover the expense of competition. However, factor in potential vehicle sales from brand exposure in racing with the earnings from sponsorship deals, potential prize money, andin some series-revenue-sharing models, and motorsports involvement can help an automaker stay in the black.
This story is from the March - April 2025 edition of Car and Driver.
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This story is from the March - April 2025 edition of Car and Driver.
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AN AMERICAN TOURING SCOTLAND IN AN ENGLISH CAR BUILT IN CHINA
In Dornbach, Scotland, Kitman walks past a modern MG and a Morris Minor, its distant relative. From left: Motoring through the Scottish Highlands; lobster traps in Dunbeath; taking on electrons at Gridserve; traversing the North Sea coast.
THE MAD SCRAMBLE
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Spite Defender
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The Revivalist
The Nissan Murano emerges fresh-faced and revitalized from a long-overdue redo.
ELECTRICAL CONNECTION
The Toyota Camry, the Honda Accord, and the Hyundai Sonata all take different approaches to hybridization, but which one does it best?
The Achilles Kneel
Mercedes-Benz W123 wagons doing the Carolina Squat can get their droopy self-leveling rear suspension back up to snuff courtesy of a Californian.
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