Jalopnik - Obsessed with the culture of cars

Tesla Allegedly Misled Thousands Of South Korean Customers About 'Full Self-Driving'

staff@jalopnik.com (Andy Kalmowitz) — Wed, 04 Nov 2026 19:54:19 +0000

Currently, just 20% of Teslas registered in South Korea can legally use FSD because they're built in the U.S., while the rest are made in China.

Flock Won't Take No For An Answer, Keeps Cameras In Service After Communities Cancel Contracts

staff@jalopnik.com (Justin Hughes) — Tue, 03 Nov 2026 17:25:00 +0000

Police departments are resorting to unplugging or removing the cameras themselves when Flock ignores requests to take down the surveillance equipment.

Hackers Figured Out How Flock Camera Systems Actually Work By Pulling One Apart

staff@jalopnik.com (Brontë Wieland) — Sun, 01 Nov 2026 20:25:00 +0000

Flock camera systems are controversial to say the least, but hackers have now pulled them apart to unveil their deepest and darkest secrets.

Bad Flock Info Leads Police To Tow Wrong Car, Then Towing Company Totals It

staff@jalopnik.com (Justin Hughes) — Sun, 01 Nov 2026 14:05:00 +0000

It was bad enough when the police followed a bum steer from a Flock camera to a woman's home at 2 a.m. and towed her car. Then the towing company wrecked it.

Semi-Truck Fleets Looking To Fight High Diesel Prices Have A New Aerodynamic Aid

staff@jalopnik.com (Charles Krome) — Sat, 31 Oct 2026 22:25:00 +0000

With diesel prices still hovering well above $6 per gallon, this simple 30-lb fuel economy hack seems like a no-brainer for any long-haul fleet.

The BMW X3 M50 Just Got An Extra 44 HP For 2027

staff@jalopnik.com (Chris Tsui) — Wed, 28 Oct 2026 19:23:24 +0000

BMW will add enough horsepower to its X3 M50 that it will be in shouting distance of its chief competitor. And that's not all the automaker has changed.

Audi's New Digital Matrix Lights Project Turn Signals Onto The Road And Won't Blind Other Cars

staff@jalopnik.com (Logan K. Carter) — Tue, 27 Oct 2026 15:25:00 +0000

The Q9 and SQ9 are the first Audis programmed to meet the recently updated U.S. headlight requirements, while still providing functional matrix headlights.

Ford's Sub-$30,000 Fathom EV Will Power Your Home Without Requiring An Expensive Inverter Install

staff@jalopnik.com (Collin Woodard) — Tue, 27 Oct 2026 13:00:00 +0000

The Fathom will also come be able to charge your battery while the electricity is cheap and then automatically switch to powering the home once rates rise.

Airplanes Got ABS Brakes In The '40s — Production Cars Didn't Get Them Until The 1960s

staff@jalopnik.com (Logan K. Carter) — Tue, 27 Oct 2026 02:25:00 +0000

There's some debate as to which production vehicle had ABS first, but there's no arguing over how important anti-lock brakes are as a modern safety feature.

Why China's GAC Tried Developing A 4-Cylinder Engine That Ran On Ammonia

staff@jalopnik.com (Michael Frank) — Sun, 25 Oct 2026 19:25:00 +0000

Ammonia might be famous for its smell, but some car makers are developing engines that run on the stuff. The question is, why would you want to?

Trabant Finally Got A 4-Cylinder Engine Just As East Germans Could Buy Western Cars

staff@jalopnik.com (Charles Krome) — Sun, 25 Oct 2026 11:05:00 +0000

Trabant dominated the roads of East Germany back when the Berlin Wall was up. But it wouldn't even last for a year by the time its engine got four cylinders.

Rivian And Volvo Make The Only Large SUVs To Get IIHS Top Safety Pick+ Ratings In 2026

staff@jalopnik.com (Chris Tsui) — Sun, 25 Oct 2026 09:25:00 +0000

Most large SUVs missed the IIHS' highest safety honor in 2026. Take a closer look at two electric luxury models that made the cut and what sets them apart.

The First Car To Get Four-Wheel Hydraulic Brakes Was A Duesenberg

staff@jalopnik.com (Charles Krome) — Sat, 24 Oct 2026 23:25:00 +0000

Duesenberg brought four-wheel hydraulic brakes to production cars in the 1920s, but its racing success and the innovations that preceded it add to the story.

Flatbed Vs Wheel-Lift Tow Trucks: What Are The Differences?

staff@jalopnik.com (Beverly Braga) — Sat, 24 Oct 2026 09:25:00 +0000

When you're stranded and have to make that dreaded call to get your car towed, does it really matter what type of tow truck arrives? It does, and here's why.

Data Center Builder Puts Construction Workers In Barge Previously Used To Detain Migrants, Welcome To Late-Stage Capitalism

staff@jalopnik.com (Justin Hughes) — Fri, 23 Oct 2026 20:45:00 +0000

Building data centers requires lots of human workers, but with nowhere for them to live, some companies are turning to barges aimed at migrant detention.

Ford Maverick Owners Report Trucks Randomly Starting With No Driver Inside

staff@jalopnik.com (Chris Tsui) — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 20:25:00 +0000

Without any explanation, owners are finding their Ford Mavericks up and running, and the internet has all kinds of theories as to why this is happening.

MapQuest Includes Flock Camera Locations Now

staff@jalopnik.com (Justin Hughes) — Mon, 19 Oct 2026 18:25:00 +0000

MapQuest has joined the resistance as a spunky upstart among the giants like Google and Apple that pushed it out of the spotlight in the first place.

Teslas Have A Halloween Mode Now, Here's What It Does

staff@jalopnik.com (Kiran Menon) — Sun, 18 Oct 2026 23:50:00 +0000

If you think Teslas are too gimmicky, wait until you hear about Halloween Mode. It's rolling out now with update 2026.38.3, and it's as goofy as it sounds.

Why Manual Cars Switched To Hydraulic Clutches Instead Of Cable Clutches

staff@jalopnik.com (Peter Nelson) — Sun, 18 Oct 2026 21:05:00 +0000

Hydraulic clutches changed how manual cars feel behind the wheel, but their advantages over traditional cable systems come with a few tradeoffs worth knowing.

Why Cars With Cylinder Deactivation Can Experience More Mechanical Problems

staff@jalopnik.com (Viraaj Bhatnagar) — Sun, 18 Oct 2026 01:25:00 +0000

More than four decades after its invention, cylinder deactivation tech remains a polarizing fuel-efficiency measure for all the serious issues it can invite.