Archive for August 2019

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Beyond Cars (10)

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    Don't Name Your Beer For Nuking Somebody's Home

    A Texas-based beer company stirred up controversy earlier this month when it was revealed to have named a beer after the site of nuclear weapons tests. The Manhattan Project Beer Company recently re-released its Bikini Atoll beer, named after the site of U.S. nuclear weapons tests in the South Pacific in the 1940s. Somehow the government of the Marshall Islands and Marshall Islanders worldwide got wind of it and the result was about what you would expect: a shitstorm.

    By Kyle Mizokami Read More
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    In 1962, A Lost U-2 Spy Plane Nearly Triggered World War III

    In October 1962, the Cuban Missile Crisis threatened to escalate into global thermonuclear war. The United States and Soviet Union both mobilized over nuclear missiles in Cuba, and a single spark could have effectively ended civilization. But what’s not well-remembered today is that at the height of that dispute, a lost plane near the North Pole nearly led the world down the same path.

    By Kyle Mizokami Read More
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    Why The U.S. Is Selling Taiwan New F-16 Fighter Jets

    This week, the United States announced its intention to sell Taiwan a fleet of new F-16 fighter jets. The sale involves nearly 70 F-16 fighter jets worth $8 billion and is intended to help the island democracy defend its airspace against attack from the communist-dominated mainland. The People’s Republic of China’s growing economic, political, and military influence has left the United States the only country willing to sell arms to Taiwan, and even then the U.S. won’t give it everything it want

    By Kyle Mizokami Read More
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    Why The Pentagon Wouldn't Even Want Greenland

    Late last week, America’s attention was successfully diverted from unsettling economic news by the latest shiny bauble: news that President Donald Trump has discussed the idea of buying Greenland. The fact that Greenland was never for sale aside, owning Greenland would not be all that useful to the United States. At least, not militarily.

    By Kyle Mizokami Read More
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    What Really Happened On The Deadliest Single Day In Coast Guard History?

    The sinking of the ammunition ship USS Serpens in January 1945 was the single deadliest day in the history of the Coast Guard. The gigantic explosion, which killed 250 sailors and almost vaporized the ship, was blamed on an accident involving the ship’s explosive cargo. Now, new allegations push the theory that the ship was actually attacked by a Japanese submarine—and that U.S. Navy officials were covering this up as late as 2003.

    By Kyle Mizokami Read More
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    Don't Forget That The Recent Russian Nuclear Accident Happened While Developing A Truly Insane Weapon

    A few days ago, on August 8, there was an explosion on a barge in the White Sea near Nyonoksa, Russia. That explosion tragically killed seven people, nuclear engineers and technicians working on a project. The project was described as “an isotopic power source for a liquid engine installation,” but let’s be completely clear here: they were developing the nuclear propulsion system for a genuinely brutal and terrible weapon.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    North Korea Changes Up Its Game To Bypass U.S. Missile Defenses

    North Korea has conducted a round of long range rocket tests designed to kick down the door and destroy ballistic missile defenses protecting South Korea. The new rockets fly under U.S. high altitude missile defense weapons, paving the way for further missile strikes. The missiles are proof that, far from disarming, the country with an economy smaller than Hawaii’s is prepared to do what it takes to keep South Korea—and the wider world—in fear of its missiles.

    By Kyle Mizokami Read More
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    Why China's Army Still Rides Yaks

    The People’s Liberation Army—the official name of the Chinese Army—still rides yaks to patrol some of the country’s most difficult borders. The use of yaks, basically hairy cows adapted to mountain life, allows the PLA to go places tanks and armored vehicles can’t. Here’s why a surprising number of military forces, including the German Army and the U.S. Marine Corps regularly make use of, or at least train to use beasts of burden in modern war.

    By Kyle Mizokami Read More
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    What Exactly Is Nuclear 'No First Use'?

    During the Democratic presidential debates this week, candidates wrestled with a particularly thorny national security issue: whether they would forsake the use of nuclear weapons first in a conflict. This policy, known as No First Use, is the policy of just a handful of the declared nuclear powers.

    By Kyle Mizokami Read More

BMW (2)

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    The 2020 BMW 330e Plug-In Hybrid Is Full Of Surprises

    Full disclosure: I’ve never been hugely impressed by any of the hybrids I’ve driven. I like my cars sporty, with power outputs that should make you question their legality. Neither of those characteristics have been typically found in any hybrid I have driven. I figured, then, perhaps I’m not the right guy for BMW to ask to come to Munich and test the new 2020 BMW 330e plug-in hybrid.

    By Robb Holland Read More
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    The BMW E34 M5 Is Weirder Than You Remember

    The E34 BMW M5 of the ’80s and ’90s, with its husky body and four round headlights, still gets dismissed as an also-ran between the classic O.G. E28 M5 and perennial enthusiast-favorite E39 M5. After a quick blast in one of these rad sedans, I decided it’s worth revisiting.

    By Andrew P. Collins Read More

Boatlopnik (2)

Buying (34)

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    The 2002 Renault Avantime Is The Stuff Of A Child's Imagination

    What do a Mini Cooper, a DeLorean DMC-12 and a Lamborghini Countach all have in common? They were all conceived by design visionaries, people who simply wanted to do something a little different and have some fun in the process. When you think about it, car designers are nothing more than children trapped inside adult bodies.

    By William Clavey Read More
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    What Owning A Reformed Cheater Volkswagen Diesel Is Really Like

    “When are you going to get press cars again?” my mom asked. I looked down at my right foot, still in a support boot a month after snapping two bones in my ankle. She wasn’t concerned, or just casually inquiring about my driving schedule. I had let her borrow my 2015 Volkswagen TDI SportWagen for a few months before my injury while I was cycling through press car loans, and she wanted it back.

    By Erin Marquis Read More
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    Why Is My Credit Union Telling Me Which Dealers I Can Buy From?

    As Jalopnik’s resident car buying expert and professional car shopper, I get emails. Lots of emails. I’ve decided to pick a few questions and try to help out. This week we are talking about “approved dealers” from banks, getting out of a lease you don’t like, and how the tax credit savings is applied for an EV.

    By Tom McParland Read More
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    Reminder: You Can Still Get Awesome Deals On A Kia Stinger

    The Kia Stinger is probably the coolest car to come from the Korean brand. Rear- or all-wheel drive, sharp looks and driving dynamics on par with much more expensive German stuff make it a compelling proposition. Even better is the fact that Kia continues to throw rebates on the hood to move units before the summer ends.

    By Tom McParland Read More
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    The 2019 Jaguar F-Type V6 May Be Old But It Still Rips

    The 2019 Jaguar F-Type pretty much looks like the 2013 Jaguar F-Type; it’s old news. Then again, so are Converse sneakers and Coca-Cola. The F-Type is not the freshest or most technologically impressive modern car but I’ll be damned it doesn’t hit the spot every single time.

    By Andrew P. Collins Read More
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    The Lada Niva Refuses To Die, 42 Years And Counting

    If there was even a shred of hope for my objectivity, it was gone as soon as I climbed inside the 2019 Lada Niva, slammed its startlingly thin door shut, and felt the 84 horsepower engine rumble to life. Releasing the clutch, I heard the familiar ghost-like howl of the gearbox. Derived sometime in the 1960s from Communist-leaning Fiat engineers, it burrowed deep into my soul.

    By Misha Lanin Read More
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    Should The Average Buyer Really Care About Performance?

    As Jalopnik’s resident car buying expert and professional car shopper, I get emails. Lots of emails. I’ve decided to pick a few questions and try to help out. This week we are talking about buyer priorities, negotiating extended warranties on used cars, and performance ratios among trims.

    By Tom McParland Read More
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    Channel Your Inner Steve McQueen And Buy Yourself The Real Bullitt Mustang

    The iconic 1968 Ford Mustang from Bullitt is easily one of the top three greatest cars in the automotive history of Hollywood, one that inspired generations of youths (myself included) to fall in love with cars. Now, you can actually own the actual car used in the film, because it’s going to auction in January.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
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    Beware Of These Outdated Used Car Buying Tips

    Buying a used car can be a bit more stressful than purchasing a new one. While it is possible to get a quality pre-owned vehicle, it requires a bit of patience and vigilance. However, you will want to be aware that there are some outdated but still prevalent strategies out there that may not give you the results you want.

    By Tom McParland Read More
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    Here's A First Look At The New Non-Hybrid 2020 Ford Police Interceptor Utility In The Wild

    Planning on starting your own police force? Sure you are, who isn’t? That means you’ll probably like to know how much a new non-hybrid Ford Police Interceptor Utility will run you, and I bet you’ll like to know what kind of MPG the non-hybrid version gets, since we’ve only heard numbers for the hybrid, so far. Well, thanks to an anonymous Ford dealership employee, now we know.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    Here's What A $110,000 Mini Looks Like

    Minis are probably some of the most recognizable cars on the road, even though they’re not all that common anywhere anymore. Most of the Minis you see today are probably driven by enthusiasts rather than commuters, and some of the most extreme versions are currently being made by David Brown Automotive in England.

    By Alex Goy Read More
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    The 2019 Lada Vesta Sport Wants To Destroy The Russian Car Stereotypes

    It’s impossible to talk about Russian cars without delving into stereotypes. And this is because America is among the few places in the world where Russian cars—namely Ladas—were never sold. So whatever perceptions of Lada may exist in the states, they generally aren’t based on people living with them.

    By Misha Lanin Read More
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    The 2019 Nissan Leaf Plus Brings The Range And The Fun

    The moment I laid eyes on the 2019 Nissan Leaf Plus, I knew it had been improved. The front was finally fixed. Rejoice! Gone was the goofy, frog-like face. Here was something with a sharpened up facia and a long-range battery option to boot. This is the Leaf you want.

    By Kristen Lee Read More
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    Will My Local Dealer Match A Deal In Another State?

    As Jalopnik’s resident car buying expert and professional car shopper, I get emails. Lots of emails. I’ve decided to pick a few questions and try to help out. This week we are discussing leveraging out-of-state deals against a local store, how much reconditioning dealers do for used cars, the potential price difference between the 2019 and 2020 Volkswagen GTIs.

    By Tom McParland Read More
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    A Corvette Convertible Ended Up On This List Of Least-Driven Cars

    Recently, iSeeCars.com released another study of cars owners drive the most. It’s still populated largely by SUVs, so what is more fun is examining a list of cars people drive the least. I expected to see Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Aston Martins. I didn’t expect the “some people never drive their Corvettes” stereotype to be so blatantly true.

    By Kristen Lee Read More
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    My Mom Needs Another Fast Car! What Should She Buy?

    Spence has a very cool mom who likes some very cool cars. Unfortunately, her Audi S8 with the awesome V10 motor met the fate that most Audis do when they hit a certain age, so it’s time for a new ride. He is having trouble pointing her in the right direction and needs our help. What car should she buy?

    By Tom McParland Read More
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    Here's What It Will Cost Chevy Dealers To Sell And Service The Corvette C8

    If the base 2020 Corvette C8 really does get sold in any kind of quantity around its promised sub-$60,000 MSRP, it will be a pretty remarkable democratization of high-horsepower mid-engine performance. The car should be accessible once early hype cools off, but you won’t be able to rock up to just any Chevy store to get one.

    By Andrew P. Collins Read More
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    How Used Car Dealers Are Trying To Game The Online Pricing Model

    Now that most used cars from dealers are listed on major third-party sites like Autotrader, Cars.com, CarGurus and others, the strategy for pricing cars and determining the best deal is a lot different than it once was. Dealers have to be more competitive out of the gate, but some stores are still falling back on old tricks.

    By Tom McParland Read More
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    The Daihatsu Copen XPlay Brings Back Weird Sports Cars

    Sports cars these days are too grown up. What happened to the weird little niches that used to exist? Sure, cars like the Fiat Barchetta, Nissan Figaro, Pontiac Solstice, Ford Puma, and Mazda AZ-3 were never going to become sales success stories nor are they going to be displayed on a Concours lawn anytime soon. But these weird and wacky sports cars gave the everyday buyer a slightly more left-field alternative to the usual Miatas, Boxsters, and Z4s.

    By Ken Saito Read More
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    So Nice Honda CRXs Are Going For $33,600 Now

    This is an increasingly common phenomenon, but every now and then you’ll see a Bring a Trailer sale where the only reasonable response is: “Are you fucking kidding me?” The latest example is this, a 1991 Honda CRX Si that just sold at auction for an eyebrow-raising $33,600.

    By Patrick George Read More
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    What It's Really Like To Daily Drive A Modern Supercar

    Supercars are designed for a very specific type of customer. Picture someone undoubtedly very well off financially, typically living a busy, flamboyant lifestyle, flying in their private jet to their fancy condo in Dubai, and spending exorbitant amounts of cash on a watch, or a dog.

    By William Clavey Read More
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    With 306 HP, The 2020 Mini JCW Clubman Becomes A Legit Hot Hatchback With Barn Doors

    I underestimated Mini once and I promised myself I would never let that happen again. A few years back I tested the the Mini Cooper S Convertible in Los Angeles. Despite my initial misgivings I ended up really enjoying my time in the car, far more than I expected. You would think that after that experience, I wouldn’t dare prejudge a Mini with 306 horsepower and a sport suspension. You’d be wrong.

    By Robb Holland Read More
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    I Will Sell You My Kidneys For This 1914 Indian Board Track Motorcycle

    Board track racing is one of the most fascinatingly terrifying forms of motor racing, but I never thought it would actually be feasible to get my hands on one of the beautiful machines that actually competed. But now that one has popped up on Mecum, I would be more than happy to trade my organs for anyone who would be so kind as to purchase it for me.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More

Culture (152)

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    BMW Just Broke My Heart

    BMW has made some incredible M-wagons in the past. The E34 and E61 M5 wagons leap immediately to mind. Even the E46 M3 wagon concept was great, though it sadly never made it to production. Us nerds are always praying for a new M-wagon to drop, but it doesn’t seem like that’s going to happen at all now.

    By Kristen Lee Read More
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    Dolly Parton — '9 To 5'

    Traffic sucks, so why not start your morning off with some music? You provide the toast and we’ll provide the jams.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
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    Quick Question: Car Detailing Tool Or Suicide Device?

    Take a look at that picture up there. It’s from an old ad for a car accessory, and, yes, it’s a hose that connects right to your car’s exhaust pipe. So, what’s this thing for? Quietly ending all the pain of existence or getting shreds of errant taco cheese out of the seats?

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    The 2020 Porsche Macan Turbo Has 434 HP And Fancy Brakes

    The 2020 Porsche Macan Turbo, now also in its second generation, comes to us with a smaller engine, more power and an interesting set of brakes. All of that is rolled into the slightly more attractive styling of the current-gen. It’ll sell like nobody’s business.

    By Kristen Lee Read More
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    This Flyer For An Odd Little Car Uses One Of The Most Unsettling Performance Analogies Ever

    There’s a certain class of car that we almost never really see anymore, but it’s a class of car I’m particularly fond of: the dramatically up-rated shitbox. The basic idea is you take a cheap economy car, then re-work it to make it perform better, be much more luxurious, and imbue it with a certain elusive desirable status. Think a Radford Mini like every member of the Beatles had, or, maybe the most modern variant, an Aston Martin Cygnet. The one I want to talk about today is the Frazer Tickfor

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    Mercedes-AMG GLB 35 Packs A Family-Sized Punch

    A couple of months ago Mercedes-Benz showed us its new-for-2021 GLB compact CUV (with optional seating for seven), which is planned for assembly at the company’s plant in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. As with everything Mercedes-Benz does these days, it doesn’t take long for the Mercedes-AMG version of a new car to follow it up. The new GLB 35 AMG is coming, with a manic 306-horsepower 295 lb-ft 2-liter turbocharged four, and seating for seven.

    By Bradley Brownell Read More
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    These Mules Could Be The Upcoming BMW M3 And M5

    The 2020 BMW M3 hasn’t made its official debut yet, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t mules of it running around before the big launch. One might have been spotted recently, testing on a mountain road in Spain.

    By Kristen Lee Read More
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    New Hampshire Recalls Mom's License Plate After It Took 15 Years To Figure Out Joke About Urine

    First, let me address the New Hampshire Department of Motor Vehicles directly: you people suck. Deeply. Let this mom just have her sweetly silly mom-joke license plate. Keep in mind that the mom, Wendy Auger of Rochester, NH, has had her PB4WEGO license plate for a decade and a half, with no trouble. Somehow the DMV finally figured out it meant “pee before we go,” and now, all of a sudden, it’s deeply offended and wants to take the plate away. Come on.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    Volkswagen Wants You To Forget You've Seen The New Golf Already

    Back in March, which was a very long time ago, we published spy photos of the upcoming, eighth generation Volkswagen Golf. Photos that showed the whole thing, down to the last exterior detail. So it’s a little weird that Volkswagen trotted out this photo of a camouflaged Golf mule today, knowing full well that we all know what the car looks like already.

    By Kristen Lee Read More
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    The Genesis SUVs Are Coming

    Genesis, since its departure from Hyundai to be the fancy brand with the logo that often gets confused with Aston Martin’s, has been all about sedans. It’s been a nice break in a world where crossovers and SUVs are even taking over the luxury market, but it’s all about to end. The Genesis SUVs are coming.

    By Alanis King Read More
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    'Fastest Woman On Four Wheels' Jessi Combs Killed In Jet-Car Crash

    Yesterday, while attempting to beat her own land speed record, the 52,000 horsepower jet-powered car driven by racer, fabricator, and television personality Jessi Combs crashed in the Alvord Desert in Oregon, killing her, as local news reports. Combs was 39 years old and held the title of “fastest woman on four wheels” after breaking 398 mph in that same North American Eagle Supersonic Speed Challenger in 2013.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    People Are Already Renting Out Their Toyota Supras

    If I know anything about hype, it’s that there will always be a slew of people following right behind it, trying to profit. The 2020 Toyota Supra is perhaps the most hyped-up car of this year and it’s already landed on Turo, ready for folks to rent.

    By Kristen Lee Read More
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    Here's Some Car Show Pitches That Are Probably Going To Get Rejected By Netflix

    We sort of live in a new golden age of television, and a lot of that is thanks to streaming content providers like Netflix, Hulu, HBO, Amazon, and all those new ones like Nabisco Plus or whatever. This means that there’s many more outlets for innovative automotive programming, which should, ideally, mean that exciting and novel show concepts can be brought to reality.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    Here's How A Bright Yellow Plymouth Prowler Laps A Track

    If you’re like me, it’s been at least two decades since you got a good night of sleep. You lay awake at night. The bags under your eyes frighten people. Your mood has steadily worsened. And still, you stare at your bedroom ceiling and wonder what the Plymouth Prowler would be like on the track.

    By Justin T. Westbrook Read More
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    Never Pass Up An Opportunity To Drive On Track With An Instructor

    When you’re on track, you can pretty easily tell when you’re driving poorly. Everything becomes a thousand times harder, the tires are always squealing, you’re hitting curbs that shouldn’t be hit, and you’re having to re-correct your steering or braking almost constantly while moving through a corner. During Jalopnik’s big track day test last week, I knew I needed to be a lot smoother than I was—I just had no idea how to get to that point.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
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    The Armored BMW X5 Will Satisfy Your Need For A Crossover, Protect You From Grenades

    It’s hard to imagine needing an armored vehicle, as an everyday person who has only, thus far, had regular attacks thrown at them on Twitter (and those are usually weak, anyway). But there are people in the market for these things, and with the new armored BMW X5, they now have even more to choose from when it comes to shielding themselves from oh, just the usual grenades and rifle fire.

    By Alanis King Read More
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    Here's The 2020 Land Rover Defender Before You're Supposed To See It

    A new Land Rover Defender is on the way. It is apparently going to make its international debut on film in the new James Bond movie, because of course it is. Anything that makes its way onto a movie set is bound to be leaked, because people with cameras tend to end up on movie sets. And they know what to do with photographs.

    By Bradley Brownell Read More
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    The 2019 Acura NSX Absolutely Rips

    There are a lot of things people can, and do, say about the current Acura NSX. It’s “not as cool as the old one,” you’ll hear, or the front end “looks like it came off of a generic coupe.” From the outside, it might seem like Acura’s milking an old nameplate for $160,000 a pop, minus big rebates to entice more sales, just because it can. Who wouldn’t, after all?

    By Alanis King Read More
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    Jeep Gladiator Buyers Spend About $1,000 On Accessories

    There truly is nothing better than a good accessory. Look no further than a pair of statement-making earrings or the perfect work tote to see what I mean. And the accessories don’t just stop at personal fashion. You can accessorize your 2020 Jeep Gladiator, which apparently many people have taken to, and with gusto.

    By Kristen Lee Read More
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    What Makes A Great Car Decal?

    The other day I was watching a video on youtube about AMC and I was reminded of the Hurst SC/Rambler, a car that featured some really special decals on the hood.

    By Max Finkel Read More
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    The Mazda Miata-Based Fiat 124 Is Probably Not Getting A Replacement

    The Fiat 124 shares underpinnings with the Mazda Miata, which is good, because the Miata is a great car. But what’s not good is that, according to Autocar’s interview with Fiat’s CEO with the Frenchest name in all of automobiledom, Olivier François, the current 124 probably won’t get a replacement once its production run comes to an end.

    By David Tracy Read More
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    Porsche Wants To Destroy The Word "Turbo" And I'm Not Fucking Okay With That

    As you likely know, Porsche is just about ready to officially announce their all-new, all-electric sports sedan, the Taycan. It looks to be extremely fast and impressive and is likely to be the first real Tesla-fighter out there. You may have also heard that the first version to make it to market will be the higher-spec, faster model, which Porsche has been calling the Taycan Turbo. This is a terrible, terrible name for the car, because if there’s one thing you can absolutely say about the Tayca

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    Have You Ever Owned A Mazda RX-8, The Car That Helped Kill The Rotary Engine?

    Mazda officially launched the oddball RX-8 in 2003, just one year after the great RX-7 officially died in Japan. But whereas the RX-7's stature has only grown to near-mythic status in the past few years, the RX-8 died a grisly death in 2012, and few people have seemed to miss it since. But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a fascinating car.

    By Michael Ballaban Read More
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    The 2020 Honda Civic Si Goes Up In Price But Gets New Features

    The Honda Civic Si is back for another round in the 2020 model year with some subtle appearance tweaks, more responsive acceleration and certain driver-assist features as standard. The new car will also go up in MSRP and down in fuel economy, because that’s just the price we pay for nice things.

    By Alanis King Read More
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    What Do You Want To Know About The BMW M850i Convertible?

    For years when I ran this website remotely from Austin, I’d make fun of my New York City-based coworkers whenever they’d complain about their summer heat. I thought they were cowardly, soft. “It’s not really hot if it’s under 105 degrees!,” I’d say to them over and over again, as they desperately searched for ways to boot me out of Slack. But it turns out they were right: summer in New York City, particularly in August, is a special kind of humid swamp hell where the garbage and pee smells are j

    By Patrick George Read More
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    Volkswagen's New Logo Is Its Old Logo

    Volkswagen’s basic logo design has remained fundamentally the same since the 1940s, with only minor changes over the years like taking off the bits that looked too swasticky or varying the thickness of the lines. Nothing too major, until 2000, when it went to a three-dimensional, gradient-shaded logo that was more like an illustration of a physical badge than a logo. It now appears it’s going back to the flat, simple logo, much like the one it was using in the 1970s.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    Cheating Volkswagen Diesels Have Become A Hot Commodity

    After Volkswagen admitted to cheating on the emissions tests of hundreds of thousands of cars back in 2015, the company was forced to buy back the vehicles, modify them to produce fewer emissions but still perform well and resell the cars with a strong warranty. The resulting used VWs are surprisingly compelling, which is why—according to a report from the New York Times—people can’t get enough of them.

    By David Tracy Read More
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    The Electric Porsche Taycan Packs Five Screens And One Is Just For The Passenger

    Just ahead of the debut of maybe the first true Tesla competitor, the Porsche Taycan, the Stuttgart-based automaker shared official photos of the EV sedan’s interior. It’s filled with five screens, one of which is solely for the passenger, and the direction of the air flowing from the vents is controlled electronically and not by hand. Here’s a closer look the interior of Porsche’s upcoming electric sports sedan.

    By David Tracy Read More
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    If You Want Fun, Do You Buy A New Mazda Miata Or A Cheap Used One?

    Everyone knows the current Mazda Miata is fun, but I don’t think it gets enough credit for being the engineering marvel it is. The car weighs about 2,300 pounds, depending on equipment. And despite 30 years of improvements in safety technology—much of it required now—that’s only about 200 pounds heavier than the original one that launched in 1989. That’s amazing, and a testament to how fastidious Mazda’s engineers were about cutting weight.

    By Patrick George Read More
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    What's The One Car Every American Can Agree On?

    I realize this likely isn’t news to anyone, but current-day America is an extremely divided place. Everybody hates everybody else, and we’re all the absolute worst. I’d like to believe the cleansing, healing power of the automobile can help bridge the divide here, but even that is tricky. If you had to pick one car that any American, from any background, religion, cultural subgroup or whatever would at least be able to consider relatively cool, what would that car be?

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    These May Be The Most Superfluous-Seeming Pop-Up Headlights In All Motoring History

    I think most red-blooded people enjoy pop-up headlights on some level. Even if you’re not crazy about the oddly eye-less look of many cars with them, you have to appreciate that little extra bit of kinetic fun that comes when your lights don’t just switch on, but actually leap up or flip around or reveal themselves in some sort of way. It’s just fun. There is one car, though, where the position change of the headlight is so strange and subtle that you wonder why they even bothered at all. That c

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    Folks, The Nissan GT-R Might Be Here For A While

    It feels like just yesterday when I, a young, eager, bright-eyed car blogger still capable of feeling emotions, was writing about the next Nissan GT-R. It’d be faster than ever, I thought! It’d have hybrid power next time, like that Nissan LMP1 car nobody remembers now! We were even gonna call it Mecha Godzilla, because that seemed clever at the time. But like a next-generation Z, if you’re waiting for a new GT-R, you’re gonna be here a while.

    By Patrick George Read More
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    My Favorite Estonian EV Maker Is Up To Some Fun Stuff

    I’ve written about Nobe, the scrappy little Estonian electric car startup that’s designed what I think is the most disarmingly charming EV—hell, maybe any modern car, EV or not—before. It’s been a little while since we checked in with them, so I reached out, and found that there’s been some interesting progress. I know this is a little frustrating since you can’t just grab one of the grocery bags of cash you have stashed under your floor and just go buy one, at least not yet, but bear with me.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    Jim Dunne, The Godfather Of Car Spy Photography, Dies At 87

    These days it’s not at all uncommon to open up a car magazine or visit a car website and find a photo of some half-covered prototype long before a car company wanted you to see the thing. For that, you can thank Jim Dunne, the guy who might as well have invented the business of spy photography in the automotive world. He died yesterday at 87, according to news reports.

    By Raphael Orlove Read More
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    The British Builder Of This Homemade Electric Motorcycle Is Okay In My Book

    A police officer pulled over a driver on London’s M25 motorway—the busiest motorway in the UK—not because the vehicle was obstructing traffic or causing any sort of issue, but more because the officer was so confused about what the vehicle was. It turned out the vehicle was an electric motorbike with a special home-built aerodynamic shell made from balsa wood and duct tape, and the whole thing is completely legal.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    How I Use The Xbox Adaptive Controller To Play Forza Horizon 4 One-Handed

    Forza Horizon 4 is one of the best driving experiences you can have without getting off your couch. But it, like most video games, requires two hands to play. Luckily for those who are not so-equipped—like me, unfortunately, at the moment—Microsoft makes a special controller that can be configured for just about anybody and any body.

    By Andrew P. Collins Read More
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    Which Toyota Sports Car Is The Best?

    Toyota has had some real bangers in terms of sports cars over the years. Car enthusiasts around the world have been shelling out tens of thousands of dollars just to get their hands on a piece of history, and with a great selection of speed to choose from, we can see why. But what we want to know is which of Toyota’s sports cars you think is the best.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
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    Supergenius Arrested While Attempting To Repair Flat Tire With Band-Aids

    Okay, I get it. I see how it works. Apparently, in our current police state, it’s illegal to try and fix the tires on your own car with the crap you find in a forgotten office first aid kit. Well, maybe not illegal, but it is pretty stupid, and the part about being under the influence of drugs while driving, that part’s illegal. A Mercedes driver in Mission Viejo, California learned all this, empirically.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    Europe Won't Get The 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500, Sorry

    When you think of Europe, you probably think of culture. Refinement. High-brow art and old-world etiquette. You’d also think something brash and American, like the 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500, would be a welcome change of pace there, but it isn’t. La tristesse.

    By Kristen Lee Read More
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    The 591 HP 2020 Audi RS6 Avant Is Coming To America (Updated)

    There’s a new sporty wagon today, and it’s the 2020 Audi RS6 Avant. It’s reportedly supposed to be revealed later, but here it is, for your eyes, in all its long-roof glory, waiting for your appreciation and acknowledgement. It even might come with a surprise.

    By Justin T. Westbrook Read More
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    This Old Volkswagen Rabbit Brochure Makes A Couple Of Really Weird Points

    Recently, a kind reader possibly seeking to avoid the grim self-made prison of a hoarder, sent me about a hundred or so pounds of prime, uncut ’70s and ’80s-era car brochures. There’s so much good stuff in there, and it’ll take me forever to go through it all, but as I find interesting things, I’ll share them with you. Like this strange bit of copy in this 1978 Volkswagen Rabbit brochure.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    Why The Toyota Camry Is Still The Gold Standard

    The Toyota Camry is, for lack of a better term, the gold standard of mid-sized sedans. They are freaking everywhere. If a day goes by where I don’t see a Camry, it’d be a very weird day indeed. So, why are they so popular?

    By Kristen Lee Read More
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    Land Cruiser Canceled? Here's Toyota's Non-Denial Denial

    The Toyota Land Cruiser is one of the most capable SUVs on and off the road today. It’s also one of Toyota’s longest-running U.S. nameplates, but this week rumors have been circulating about its impending demise amid slowing sales. Toyota responded, but not in the most reassuring way.

    By Andrew P. Collins Read More
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    Beware The Greenwood Corvette

    Take caution! Take care! Do not get too close to the raucous beast that is this 1976 IMSA-spec Greenwood-built C3 Corvette race car. With giant bulging fender flares, tires like steam rollers, and a roar that could wake the dead, this slice of 1970s Americana is not for the easily queasy. And definitely don’t let it anywhere near small children.

    By Bradley Brownell Read More
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    Finnish Economist Delivers Economic Outlook Report In The Most Finnish Way Possible: From Inside A Rally Car

    The Finnish bank S-Bank, like many banks, employs economists to evaluate the current economic situation and try their best to extrapolate what may be coming next. They do this three times a year, when they release their Economic Outlook. Normally, these are pretty dry. But not this time. In order to inject a little much-needed fun into what is, let’s face it, a fairly grim vision of our economic future, S-Bank sent their Chief Economist out to deliver the Economic Outlook in the passenger seat o

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    A Chinese EV Startup Screwed Aston Martin Out Of Over $20 Million

    In October of 2018, Aston Martin reported that it had sold the tooling and intellectual property of the Vanquish to a mystery buyer for $26 million. Now, Aston Martin has reported that the mystery buyer was Detroit Electric and, well, Aston shareholders may not actually be seeing most of that $26 million.

    By Mack Hogan Read More
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    Aston Martin Is Getting Into The 'Evil Lair' Business

    Do you suspect that your car might be a super villain? Do you suspect that you, too, might be a super villain, perhaps by virtue of holding entire cities captive or taking so many trips in your private jet that you are, in fact, helping accelerate the murder of the biggest entity on the planet: the planet itself?

    By Alanis King Read More
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    The Incredible Mystery Of Why Gas Pump Interface Design Sucks So Badly

    This may seem like a trivial thing—and, really, it is—but it’s something that’s bothered me for a while, and I really want to try and understand it. It’s something that I suspect some of you have noticed before, but likely gave it no thought. But did give it some thought. And the more thought I gave it, the more confused I became. It started with an amateurish picture of a Camaro on a video screen.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    Aston Martin Valhalla: Now We're Talking

    Aston Martin has been promising us three new mid-engine cars, which is exciting. We’ve seen the highest performance model, the Aston Martin Valkyrie, in action already, but now the new Aston Martin Valhalla has also moved beyond the show floor stage with a “dynamic concept.”

    By Justin T. Westbrook Read More
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    VW's Electric Dune Buggy Finally Made It To The Beach

    Volkswagen has been coyly teasing its electric dune buggy concept as “feasible for production” but I wouldn’t get your hopes up. That said, there is a working model playing around in the California sand right now, and a few notes from folks who got to drive it.

    By Andrew P. Collins Read More
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    This Shadowy Two-Seat Roadster Will Be McLaren's Lightest Car Yet

    McLaren is busy building a portfolio of models to meet every customer’s needs, from the super rich to the ultra rich. From the subtle opulence of the McLaren GT to the brutal speed of the McLaren 720S Spider, the British automaker has something for everyone desperate to speed through those embarrassingly tacky upper-middle class neighborhoods to their double-gated driveways as quickly as possible. And today at Monterey Car Week, the carmaker announced it’s bringing a track-focused roadster on bo

    By Erin Marquis Read More
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    The Audi E-Tron Beats Chevy Bolt, Tesla Model S In IIHS Safety Tests

    It’s still pretty rare to see a full-battery vehicle rated by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, because there still aren’t that many of them. Even rarer is what the 2019 Audi E-Tron achieved: the Top Safety Pick+ award, making it the first battery-electric car to get that distinction.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
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    Here's The Bugatti EB110-Inspired Centodieci Before You're Supposed To See It

    Remember how you were complaining that Bugatti just didn’t make an expensive enough car for you, and how whatever they do make sure feels out of place if you try to take it to Radwood? Buddy, are you in luck, because official pictures have just leaked about Bugatti’s newest low-volume car, a nearly $9 million dollar beast designed to resemble Bugatti’s famous early 1990s supercar, the EB110.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    The 2020 Chevy C8 Corvette Will Start At $59,995

    Chevy said the mid-engine C8 Corvette would cost under $60,000 when the car launched, but didn’t reveal specifics. Now we know for sure. The 1LT base model will start at $59,995, Chevy said Thursday, with two other, more leather-y trims tacking on several thousand more.

    By Erik Shilling Read More
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    Need For Speed Heat's Hero Car Is A Turned-Up Polestar 1

    The Need for Speed games have been the gateway to car culture for youths across the globe for decades, introducing kids to badass cars that seemed like they could only feasibly exist in their imaginations. Its newest iteration, Need for Speed Heat, doesn’t disappoint—and it’s because it features a rad-as-hell hybrid Polestar 1.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
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    Chevy Once Designed An Amphibious Jeep Competitor Out Of The Corvair

    Prior to Ralph Nader’s book panning the Corvair, Unsafe at Any Speed, Chevrolet already had a plan to help make Corvairs unsafe, by placing them in contexts where they’d be shot at: war. Yes, in 1963, GM came up with a remarkable loosely Corvair-based amphibious military vehicle called the TUFI, for Truck Utility Floatable Independent. The army didn’t bite, but I think the world would have been much more exciting if they’d adapted a civilian version of this amazing thing.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    Ford's Dual-Clutch Transmission Continues To Be A Disaster

    Ford’s dual-clutch transmission, code-named DPS6 and used in its Fiesta and Focus, has been troubled for years. It’s the subject of a potential $4 billion lawsuit. It had Ford secretly telling dealers to fix it. Worse, Ford reportedly knew it was bad for years and failed to make fixes. Ford said today it would be extending warranties on some Fiestas and Focuses because of it, in what has surely been an utterly humiliating episode for the Blue Oval.

    By Erik Shilling Read More
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    Lexus Just Made The LC Even Better Looking

    The Lexus LC 500 was released three years ago to a hell of a lot of fanfare because it’s one hell of a good looking car with just the perfect amount of performance. Turns out, though, that it can be improved with just one little fix: a beautiful but subtle green limited edition paint job.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
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    Actually The 2020 Lincoln Aviator Makes Almost 500 HP For Some Reason

    When the new 2020 Lincoln Aviator hybrid was introduced last year, it was promised to have an estimated 450 horsepower and 600 lb-ft of torque. It turns out Lincoln was apparently way underselling it then, because the official numbers are now up to a ridiculous 494 HP and 630 lb-ft of torque, exactly what you want in your luxury crossover.

    By Justin T. Westbrook Read More
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    Why The Cadillac CT6 Is A Nearly Perfect Road Trip Car

    The Cadillac CT6 is the automaker’s flagship sedan, loaded up with power, American luxury and General Motors’ most advanced semi-autonomous driving tech to date. We find ourselves wishing more people bought it, because it’s kind of a hidden gem not enough buyers know about.

    By Kristen Lee Read More
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    Maybe The BMW i3 Should Have Been A Mini All Along

    Mini claims to have received over 45,000 deposit orders for the new electric Mini Cooper SE, and considering that’s about double the European sales of the BMW i3 last year running similar hardware, maybe the i3 should have always been a Mini.

    By Justin T. Westbrook Read More
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    The First-Gen Honda Civic's Trunk Doors Cause Me Immense Mental Anguish

    I’ve always really liked first generation (1972 to 1979) Honda Civics. They were really well-built and designed cars, with impeccable engineering (remember, Honda figured out how to avoid a catalytic converter) in an appealing, usable little package. These first Civics have also always baffled me with their weird trunks. Let me explain.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    This Governor Vetoed America's Worst Automotive Law And Should Be Remembered As A Motoring Hero

    When it comes to heroes of early motoring in America, most people tend to think of figures like Henry Ford, Ransom Eli Olds, or, if you want to go older and wackier, Oliver Evans. But in the mid-1890s, Pennsylvania Governor Daniel Hastings also had a very direct impact on America’s nascent automotive industry–defending it from the most oppressive and bonkers regulation ever concocted.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    Is Mercedes Trying To Tell Us Something?

    I try not to critique people in their decisions, so long as those decisions do not harm me, any other living being, or society as a whole, like most halfway decent people should do. But it’s time someone stepped in and tried to figure out what is going on at Mercedes, because whatever it is, it isn’t right.

    By Alanis King Read More
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    Jaguar Land Rover May Run To BMW For New Crossovers: Report

    You know, I often forget that Land Rover was owned by BMW for a brief period in the 1990s. This is important information, I know, but in my defense I have a lot to keep track of in any given day. At any rate, in the latest example of the future of the auto industry being tie-ups, partnerships and joint ventures, we could soon see BMW reunite with what’s now called Jaguar Land Rover for more crossovers.

    By Patrick George Read More
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    Bentley Rebuilt A 1939 Corniche Lost In World War II

    A lot of automakers are looking back to their iconic models, offering the moneyed classes an opportunity to buy brand-new versions of cars they previously only saw in movies. Aston Martin’s DB4 GT and Jaguar’s D-Type projects come to mind. But Bentley wasn’t satisfied with a project that reintroduced a previous success. When they recreated a classic to celebrate the company’s centenary, they went one-of-a-kind.

    By Max Finkel Read More
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    Audi Wants To Sell You An Electric Scooter You Can Charge In Your Trunk

    From the R8-based E-Tron 10 years ago to the production E-Tron electric crossover introduced back in September, Audi has already shown us more than a few forms its brand of electrification project can take. It even thinks it can grow its marketshare by moving downmarket with a cheaper version of its new crossover. This week Audi took things a step further, targeting not the Tesla Model X and the forthcoming Mercedes EQC, but something smaller, like a Bird or a Lime scooter.

    By Max Finkel Read More
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    I've Got An Idea For A New Kind Of Truck-Friendly Drag Racing

    You know what we have a lot of in America? Pickup trucks. You know what else we have a lot of? Drag strips. Most general-use pickup trucks, though, only get to drag strips in a worker’s capacity, towing drag cars or ferrying spectators. But why shouldn’t the hardworking trucks get to have some fun? There should be a type of drag racing that celebrates a truck’s virtues, which is why I’d like to propose the concept of Moving Day Drag Racing.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    Two Years And 180 Cars Later, Michigan Man Forced To Sell 20 Cars A Month Has Eight Days To Clear His Lot

    Roughly two years ago, a Michigan township told retired Ford powertrain dyno-cell technician Ron Dauzet that his 218-car automobile collection did not comply with a local ordinance, and so the vehicles had to go. Since then, the now-76-year-old has scrapped or sold approximately 180 cars, but the township is still after him to finish the job. And time is quickly running out.

    By David Tracy Read More
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    A Road Trip Down Route 66 Is Corny, But It's Also Necessary

    It’s a fading, crumbling snapshot of America as aspiring industrial superpower and as self-contained promised land. It’s part self-promotion, part nostalgia and all variety of landmarks, roadside attractions and stunning natural scenery. The sum of all its parts is a story—a story about leisure, escape, progress, decline. As it stands Route 66 is, in its way, the story of America.

    By Benjamin Preston Read More
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    Dodge Demon Burns At Race Track Because Everyone's A Dick

    If you’re considering a move into misanthropy but are having trouble transitioning because you just like people so dang much, I think I have something that will help. It’s this video of a guy who manages to catch his Dodge Demon on fire at a Michigan track. He then pisses off the track workers to the point that they don’t even feel like putting out his car fire, at least not quickly.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    Bugatti Already Has A Crossover Design But There's 'No Budget And No Decision' Right Now

    Crossovers and SUVs, over the past few years, have been the food coloring of the car industry. What starts as a few drops here or there in a giant bowl of white icing quickly spreads into a pale swirl, until, suddenly, that last bit of color gets mixed in and the whole thing turns a vibrant shade of whatever—in this case, bulky vehicles. That food coloring is reaching its veins into Bugatti right now, trying, terribly, to make it a crossover convert.

    By Alanis King Read More
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    Here's Chris Harris Driving The Ancestor Of All Porsches

    The Type 64—commonly cited as being the first Porsche ever made even though it actually technically isn’t a Porsche-branded car, proper—is as important as it is iconic. A strange little vehicle somewhere in between a Volkswagen and the Porsches we’ve come to know and love, the Type 64 is history on four wheels. And Top Gear’s Chris Harris has gotten behind its wheel to give us all an inside look into how it actually functions.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
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    This Little Beast Is One Of The Coolest Race Cars You've Never Heard Of

    I feel confident saying that this is a race car—and a whole race series—you’ve never heard of because Turkish readers make up a pretty small percentage of our vast, remarkably attractive readership. And this race car is so Turkish that it’s the first purpose-built racing car ever designed in Turkey. That’s pretty Turkish. It also may be a template for a possible future city car? It’s called a Volkicar.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    Fiat Chrysler Recalls One (1) Ram 1500 For Faulty Instrument Cluster

    Usually, when people talk about a “one in however many hundred thousand” chance of something happening, it’s about something beneficial, like winning the lottery or emerging from a horrific crash unscathed. Not this time, though. This time, our lucky winner isn’t getting money or a miraculous second chance at life. They’re getting a recall on their Ram truck.

    By Alanis King Read More
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    Renault's Record-Breaking Hottest Hatch Can Cost As Much As $90,000

    The front-wheel drive hot hatch wars have been raging on for decades. Volkswagen owned the scene with the GTI for a good long run, but in recent years it’s been bouncing around between Renault’s Megane, Honda’s Civic Type R, and the venerable German. With the most recent hot FWD Frenchie, the Megane RS Trophy-R, Renault sunk the plunger and dropped a stack of TNT in the middle of what was once a friendly card game. The hot hatch is no longer hot, it’s nuclear.

    By Bradley Brownell Read More
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    What's The Worst Car You Can Rent Right Now?

    As you may know, our latest set of rotating corporate overlords recently moved us to Times Square. It’s area of New York I had previously worked very hard to avoid, or at least treated like going to war—you only do it when you have to and you expect bad shit to happen when you do. (I was pleasantly surprised to learn, however, that Red Lobster has a better happy hour than anyone’s currently giving it credit for.)

    By Patrick George Read More
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    Crazy-Ass President Of Turkmenistan Proves He's Not Dead By Doing Donuts Around 'Gateway To Hell'

    We’ve written before about Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, the President of Turkmenistan, and not in flattering ways. He’s a clinically batshit oppressive despot who has banned women from driving and made black cars illegal, and is generally a power-mad insecure clown. I’m not a huge fan. That said, I do have to admit that proving to people that you’re not dead by driving donuts around what appears to be a flaming pit leading to Hell is a pretty baller move.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    Even Jay Leno Thinks Gasoline Cars' Days Are Numbered

    If you don’t think electric cars will eventually take the place of gasoline cars, then you should consider driving a modern EV or looking more closely at the world’s climate problem. If you’ve already done those, and you’re still not convinced, maybe take it from Jay Leno—a man with a huge garage filled with mostly gasoline-powered automobiles. He too thinks EVs are the future.

    By David Tracy Read More
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    Dead, For Now: Volkswagen Golf R

    I can think of few cars that have received near-universal praise on the level of the seventh-generation Volkswagen Golf R. Loved for its power, handling, all-wheel drive, practicality and premium feel, it’s finally worth the extra cost over the also-great GTI. But if you want a new seventh-gen Golf R, your time is running out.

    By Patrick George Read More
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    Give Us Your Most Absurd Fake Fernando Alonso Rumors

    What’s Fernando Alonso going to do in the future? It seems like everyone has some sort of an opinion or has heard some absurd rumor about what the two-time Formula One World Championship and Le Mans-winning driver will be doing next year—so why not throw your own idea into the mix?

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
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    How Have I Never Realized That There's No Dodge Challenger Convertible?

    I like to think of myself as someone who enjoys cars. A car “enthusiast,” you might say, who pays attention to trends for more than just the ability to claim a “hobby” and form some kind of occasional human connection in this cold, dead world. That being the case, how, in all of my years, have I never noticed that the modern Dodge Challenger doesn’t come with a convertible option?

    By Alanis King Read More
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    Here's Why The Toyota Corolla Is King Of Compact Family Cars

    In 2003 my dad packed himself, my mom, us two kids, all our luggage and a week’s worth of groceries into a rented Toyota Corolla to take us on an eight-hour drive to see Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks. The Corolla reigned supreme before compact SUVs became default transportation, and it’s still a more versatile car than you might think.

    By Kristen Lee Read More
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    Let's Find Out If Using Electric Eels To Charge Your Tesla Is A Good Idea

    For decades, the dream of motorists all over the world has been a car that could run on frothy buckets of cheap, garbage fish like tilapia or something. So far, though, that dream has eluded humankind. But now, thanks to the rise of modern electric cars, perhaps it’s possible with the intermediary help of electric eels. So let’s take a moment to really think this through: How well can you recharge an electric car using eels?

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    Japanese Electronics Company NEC Demos A Flying Car That's Not Really A Flying Car

    I know plenty of news outlets are calling this thing a flying car, but let’s be clear here: this isn’t a flying car. It’s a drone you and some of your pals can ride in. It’s not designed to drive on the roads like a car, and then transform into an air vehicle, which makes sense, because it’s not a flying car. The demo happened in Abiko, Japan, in a cage at NEC’s test facility, where it hovered about 10 feet above the ground for about a minute.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    Jaguar Knows Its Time Is Running Out

    There’s a new Land Rover Defender in the works, a new and electrified Jaguar XJ, and a new Range Rover. According to Autocar, there is also an all-electric version of the Range Rover coming, in addition to an all-electric Land Rover Discovery, said to be coming by 2025. Jaguar knows that it must change or die.

    By Erik Shilling Read More
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    A Pininfarina SUV Just Might Be A Thing In The Near Future

    When you think “Pininfarina,” you probably think “hypercar” or “high-performance,” not “sedans and SUVs.” But, according to CEO Michael Perschke, you might actually see a full range of Pininfarina vehicles on the market sometimes in the next three years.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
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    BMW Says The Upcoming M3 Will Be A Sedan-Shaped X3 M With The Same 473 HP And Available All-Wheel Drive

    We’ve known a bigger and badder 2020 BMW M3 is on the horizon for some time now, and we’ve suspected that it will make use of the M division’s new S58 engine, a punchy 3.0-liter twin-turbo inline six which first bowed in the X3 M and X4 M. We also surmised that the new M3 might at least offer AWD as an option. In a conversation with the head of BMW’s M division, Markus Flasch, CAR Magazine has confirmed our suspicions. Which is great.

    By Bradley Brownell Read More
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    The Manual Corvette Started Dying Before The C8 Even Debuted

    The eighth-generation, mid-engine Chevrolet Corvette is, if its claimed pricing pans out, an astounding thing—it’s a car six decades in the making, and would undercut the ultra-luxury supercars of the world at a sub-$60,000 base price. But unlike past Corvettes, it won’t come with the option for a manual transmission.

    By Alanis King Read More
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    Watch This Man Drive His Car On Wheels Made Of Chains

    It’s been over a week since we’ve brought you shenanigans from one of the Jalop-est channels on YouTube, Garage 54. So, to quench your thirst for goofy wrenching, here are the Russian Automotive “Scientists” driving a Lada with wheels made of chains. Yes, the team welded each individual link together into the shape of a circle, and put the weight of the car on the resulting chain-wheel.

    By David Tracy Read More
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    The Bugatti SUV Will Be Dumb

    The latest rumors indicate Bugatti may be developing an SUV as a second production model alongside the Chiron. As someone who normally doesn’t give a shit about companies wanting to make money with SUVs, this one makes me feel a little sick.

    By Justin T. Westbrook Read More
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    The Real Winner Of The 1986 Hungarian Grand Prix Was The Tatra T-623-R

    This weekend, Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen and the rest of their pals will battle it out on the Hungaroring in the 2019 Hungarian Grand Prix. Should something unfortunate happen requiring one of them (or one of the other drivers that are allegedly also competing in this race) to receive emergency medical attention, a Mercedes-AMG E63 Wagon will rush out to the track and use all 603 of its horsepower to get the doctor to the driver as soon as humanly possible.

    By Max Finkel Read More
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    What's Your Favorite Automotive Urban Legend?

    In 1958, a small company in Haifa, Israel called Autocars, Co. introduced the Susita, a small, boxy microcar with a Reliant-sourced motor. To keep manufacturing costs low in a developing nation only ten years old, Autocars decided that the body should be made of fiberglass.

    By Max Finkel Read More
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    The World Deserves Another Renault Clio V6

    What’s funny about the Renault Clio V6, even this later version with a higher-spec engine, is that it only makes 255 horsepower and 221 lb-ft of torque (as noted by EVO at the time, from a 3.0-liter mounted where the back seats ought to be.

    By Raphael Orlove Read More
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    Anything You Need To Know About The 2019 Hyundai Veloster N?

    This week I had the privilege of stepping out of a Porsche 911 Speedster into a Lotus Evora GT and finally swapping that for a 2019 Hyundai Veloster N and you know what, I’m not even that mad. I’ll be test driving this new hot hatch all weekend; lob some questions my way on your way out of work.

    By Andrew P. Collins Read More
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    Ferrari Wants Instagrammer To Remove Pics Of His Car Because It's Delusional About Who Buys Ferraris

    Oh, Ferrari. You make such lovely, fast cars. But, damn, are you in some serious denial right now. The Italian automaker is currently involved in a stupid tiff with a wealthy German fashion designer whose aesthetic sensibilities seem to be based on the result of mixing Red Bull and puréed Euro notes with the collected crotch sweat from a Berlin discotheque. Ferrari wants the designer, Philip Plein, to remove pictures of his own cars from his Instagram account, because they feel his feed “tarnish

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    Still Underrated: The First-Gen Lexus IS

    For years, the first-generation Lexus IS was a wannabe BMW with a weird clock dashboard. But slowly, surely, the car has revealed its true self. These cars are absolute classics and icons in equal measure.

    By Raphael Orlove Read More
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    The Very Green Toyota 86 Hakone Edition Package Will Cost You $30,825

    Hey gang. It’s Friday. We made it to the end of another week! I think it’s time for a little self-care, don’t you? I can think of nothing better to make yourself feel rejuvenated and sparkly new just in time for the weekend than gazing upon the oh-so-green Toyota 86 Hakone Edition. And for just over $2,000 more than the regular 86 GT, you can gaze on it every day.

    By Erin Marquis Read More
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    This Deleted Scene From The Godfather Reveals A Strange Fact About WWII-Era Cars In America

    A while back I encountered a clip of a deleted scene from The Godfather that caught my attention because of what was being discussed. Sure, there was plenty of mob stuff being talked about, but I was interested in one detail: a new car that came with wooden bumpers. I was confused, but interested, and then promptly forgot about it until I saw a post on the Facebook group Odd Vehicle Society. It was also about wooden bumpers, and explained what the hell was actually going on, which is fascinating

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    Elon Musk's Las Vegas Tunnel Kind Of Sucks?

    In Elon Musk’s mind-brain, the future is autonomous cars (Teslas) getting sucked into the earth and then fired through tunnels at speed in a clean, orderly new system for navigating cities. The reality has... not quite been that good. Now in Las Vegas, Musk’s tunneling venture The Boring Company is trying for a bold transportation for CES in 2021, but even that is showing its limitations—as it competes against Vegas’ monorail.

    By Aaron Gordon Read More
  • 0

    A Big-Ass Truck Does Not Make You Tough

    Yesterday, I shared some thoughts on the Ford Super Duty F-250 Limited with a few of my closest internet friends. Even though I had praise for the massive truck’s capabilities, I found it—not shockingly—not great for everyday driving and errands. I nevertheless found myself inundated with comments and emails that suggested that, most likely, this truck was just too much for me to handle, and I wasn’t tough enough to handle such a meaty chunk of man-quipment.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
  • 0

    Netflix's Hyperdrive Drives Cars The Way You're Too Chicken To

    Chances are, you are an average American driver. Which means you get into your car, back it out of the driveway or garage, go to work/school/the store and then put it back in the driveway or garage when you’re done. There is no stunting. But on Hyperdrive, there’s more than plenty of stunting to go around.

    By Kristen Lee Read More
  • 0

    No Automaker Would Ever Make A Car This Wild

    The auto industry loves to incorporate little elements of aftermarket style into production vehicles. Look at the widebody kit on the new batch of hi-po Dodges, for instance. But there is a level of style, of modification, that would make even the wildest automaker blanch.

    By Raphael Orlove Read More

Car Design (23)

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    Jaguar Could Use Some Italian Help

    Times are not good at Jaguar. Sales are down. China is not the market that the bosses at Tata thought it would be, and the brand’s star designer is out after 20 years. But there is hope, and it comes from Italy.

    By Max Finkel Read More
  • 0

    What Is The Point Of A Vantablack Car?

    BMW seemed to miss the “just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should” memo when they decided to paint a one-off of their new X6 in Vantablack, the color that’s so black it’s even blacker than black. I don’t know who decided this was a good idea, but I need to have a word with them to let them know why, exactly, this was such an absurdly stupid decision.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
  • 0

    VW's T-Roc Cabriolet Needs A Roll Bar

    Volkswagen showed off its new T-Roc Cabriolet last week, proving that not everyone was watching that closely when Land Rover dropped its convertible Evoque for the second generation. Still, VW’s new droptop crossover looks really good to me, even if it’s missing a roll bar.

    By Max Finkel Read More
  • 0

    We're Really Doing This, Aren't We

    By now you’ve no doubt seen those Mercedes-Benzes with the illuminated LED three-point stars in the grille. Mercedes describes this accessory as “subtle,” “sophisticated” and “eye-catching.” I think it’s only one of those things, the last one, and with any luck you—a person of class and taste—agree with me. But that’s not how the German Luxury Car War of Attrition works.

    By Patrick George Read More
  • 0

    Rolls-Royce Says 'Hell Yes' To Summer Pastels

    The sun is out and it’s hot as can be. It’s the middle of the summer and it’s warm out. What can cool you off more than some exquisite colors on some of Rolls-Royce’s best. Ghost, Wraith, and Dawn; each look better in pastel. Obviously I’d like to have one of each, with the Brooks Brothers pastel golf polo shirt to match. If you’re going to Rolls, you’d better Rolls in style.

    By Bradley Brownell Read More
  • 0

    C8 Corvette Design Director: 'Design It For A 10-Year-Old Kid'

    The Chevrolet Corvette, over its many decades, has garnered a reputation for its appeal to older men—an unfortunate stereotype for a vehicle that was pretty freakin’ sweet even before its eighth generation came around, and for the team that needs to market the car to younger folks in order for it to stay relevant.

    By Alanis King Read More
  • 0

    Yellow Cars Are Back, Praise Be

    The world is a hellscape, politics is a nightmare, a recession is expected and car sales are slowing but, by God, yellow is back. In a world full of uncertainty, yellow cars are certainly fantastic and thankfully here.

    By Mack Hogan Read More
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    The Acura Type S Concept Is The Cab-Back FWD Sedan We Need

    It has been said that sedans are dying, that the masses are hankering for oval-shaped raised hatches called “crossovers” and that the three-box shape isn’t long for this world. That would be a damn shame, though, because carmakers like Acura are just now getting the proportions right, at least when it comes to the front-wheel-drive sedans.

    By Max Finkel Read More
  • 0

    This Hot Rod Hudson Hides A Lot Of Cool Details

    There are few people in the world with quite the patience for detail like Jonathan Ward and his Icon crew. It’s no secret that this little shop in California has been turning out some of the coolest resto-mod four-wheel drives of the last decade or more, but the “Derelict” line of revamped patinated treasures is often so much more crazy cool. Ward found this ‘49 Hudson and knew it needed to be reborn. And thank the good lord above he did just that.

    By Bradley Brownell Read More
  • 0

    When I Grow Up, I Want To Be A McLaren GT

    The McLaren GT, to me, is like a rich person’s Toyota Avalon except with a lot less practicality and a lot more style. (Also, more speed.) It’s the grand tourer of the lineup, with softer facial features and an identity that screams, “Take me on your next road trip, not your next track day”—you know, if you have the money for all of that. It is what I want to be when I grow up.

    By Alanis King Read More
  • 0

    Here's Why The Names Of So Many Aston Martin Models Start With A 'V'

    If I had to rank all the letters of the alphabet from lamest to coolest, ‘v’ would be somewhere in the top five—it’s sharp and badass, commanding the kind of respect only the fronting letter of vampires and vacations can garner. But apparently Aston Martin has the same idea. From the Vantage to the Volante, most of their model names start with ‘v’. But why?

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
  • 0

    Renault's Kangoo Be Bop Was A Funky French Envoy XUV

    If you’re a French florist, you might think you’ve got plenty of choices when it comes to small vans. And you’d largely be right, at least until it comes time to deliver the weekly shipment of extra-tall Birds of Paradise to the reclusive heiress in the chateau on the outskirts of town. Then you’d only have one choice. You’d need to take the Renault Kangoo Be Bop.

    By Max Finkel Read More
  • 0

    How The 2019 Mercedes G550 Can Actually Climb Up A 100 Percent Incline

    Probably the biggest schtick about the 2019 Mercedes G-Class is that it can drive right up a perfect 100 percent incline (lord knows how many times I saw it do its thing at the G-Class Experience at the Rolex 24)—a pretty tough feat of engineering that requires a lot of planning to perfect. But it is actually possible... given a relatively particular set of circumstances

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
  • 0

    Is The Hyundai Nexo Available In Rose Gold? A Jalopnik Investigation

    Look, I’m not saying rose gold will mark the final evolution in jewelry fashion, or fashion in general. I’m not saying kids won’t easily be able to tell my age or preferred era of style upon seeing my rose gold wedding ring in 30 years, like I do now with rectangularly cut diamonds encased in thick walls of yellow gold. I’m not saying rose gold is forever. But rose gold is now, and it appears to be available on the Hyundai Nexo.

    By Alanis King Read More
  • 0

    The Acura Type S Concept Previews A Sportier New Direction For The Next TLX

    Acura has not had a sporty model wearing the Type S moniker since the Canada-only Civic-based CSX Type S, which left the world in 2011. In the 8 years since Acura has spent some time developing sporty hybrid models, including the totally awesome NSX hybrid sports car, and a series of performance minded A-spec badged models. The Type S concept car, set to be unveiled during Monterey Car Week later this month, is said to be a production-ready preview of the next generation TLX.

    By Bradley Brownell Read More

Concept Cars (1)

Crashes and Safety (4)

  • 0

    How My Wedding Turned Into The Worst Day Of My Life

    About a year ago, almost exactly, my fiancée and I were enjoying our destination wedding in Wyoming with a very small group of our people. Then I had to go and get airlifted to overnight surgery and a nine-day hospital stint. “Happiest day of my life” it was not.

    By Andrew P. Collins Read More
  • 0

    A Guide To Making Your Next Motorcycle Wreck More Instagrammable

    I think it’s safe to say that we’ve all been in wrecks in our cars, or motorcycles, and they’re scary and terrible even in situations where no one is seriously hurt. In the case of these no-serious-injury crashes, one of the biggest issues is that, for most of us, we just have no idea how to turn a wreck into quality Instagram content. This is a huge problem, globally, but thankfully there’s one dedicated Instagram influencer who has given the world the gift of demonstrating how to turn a minor

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
  • 0

    Gym Goers Slightly Inconvenienced By Car Crashing Into Lap Pool

    Seattle station KOMO News reports that a car crashed through the glass wall of a local LA Fitness pool this week, miraculously missing the three swimmers in the water at the time. The people in the pool area swam over to help, the report said, and managed to get the 69-year-old driver out of the car safely.

    By Alanis King Read More

Crime (8)

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    Welsh Guy Gets Fined For Driving With Another Car On His Roof And I'm Impressed

    I realize that what this guy did is a bad idea, and he potentially endangered other drivers, and I think he deserved the £195/$237 (£80 fine, plus surcharge of £30 and £85 in costs of some sort) fine he received. But that doesn’t change the fact that I’m pretty impressed he managed to haul an entire car body to a scrapyard on the roof of what appears to be a totally stock mid-2000s Volkswagen Passat.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
  • 0

    Please Don't Vandalize The Car Museums

    Early Friday morning police responded to a break in at the National Automobile Museum in downtown Reno, Nevada. I live in Reno myself, and have visited the museum a number of times, each one a treat. As soon as I heard the reports, a chill went down my spine. This museum is home to a number of highly significant cars, including the lone surviving Dymaxion, a Phantom Corsair, the 1908 New York to Paris winning Thomas Flyer, most of the Bill Harrah collection, and Ed Roth’s famous Beatnik Bandit.

    By Bradley Brownell Read More
  • 0

    Here's How Easy It Can Be To Steal A Car With Keyless Entry

    It’s no secret that keyless entry systems don’t fully protect you against car theft. That hasn’t prevented automakers from building such cars—or consumers from buying them—but this video showing how easy it is to steal several different keyless cars might start changing some minds.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
  • 0

    Subaru WRX Owners Are Getting All Of The Speeding Tickets: Study

    When it comes to cars, there are a few known stereotypes. Mustangs crash. Alfas break. Alfa purists defend the breaks. Camrys get dents. Big diesel trucks fart out black plumes of exhaust when they see Priuses. WRX bros will hoon in the face of anything—including, but not limited to, imminent traffic tickets. Sure, there are many exceptions to the rules, but most can take a joke related to them.

    By Alanis King Read More
  • 0

    Porsche Has Its Own Counterfeit Busters

    Ever since the dawn of human manufacturing and coveting of goods, there has also been counterfeiting and knocking off, I’m sure. This is enough of a problem that Porsche apparently has a crack team of “brand protection officers,” whose job it is to scour the markets for counterfeit items.

    By Kristen Lee Read More

Entertainment (6)

  • 0

    Ja Rule Might Have Had The Best Car In The Fast And The Furious

    “You’re not the typical Acura Integra GSR-with-graphics-on-the-side kind of owner,” Craig Lieberman said while interviewing Bill Kohl—a man now in his 70s—who owned the red Integra that Ja Rule drove in 2001’s The Fast And The Furious. He wasn’t, but his car was quietly one of the best in the movie.

    By Andrew P. Collins Read More
  • 0

    Hobbs & Shaw Is Fun But It's No Fast And Furious Movie

    While we eagerly await the ninth installment of the Fast and Furious franchise, we can take some temporary solace in the spinoff film currently sitting pretty in theaters, Fast and Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw. It’s been billed as an action-filled buddy-cop flick. I have five main takeaways to present to you at this time.

    By Kristen Lee Read More
  • 0

    The Big Strong Fast And Furious Men Have Very Fragile Egos: Report

    You would think, given the advanced state of musculature, experience, and career level of action stars like The Rock, Jason Statham, and Vin Diesel, that all three would feel very secure and self-actualized. You would, reportedly, be wrong! The Wall Street Journal hilariously says that all three top stars in the Fast and Furious cinematic universe have such massive egos that entire scenes have to be stroked and massaged around them.

    By Michael Ballaban Read More

Events (1)

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    The 2020 Mercedes-Benz EQV Beats Tesla And Volkswagen To The Electric Van Game

    Elon Musk has talked about making an electric Tesla van for a while, Volkswagen has teased the return of its iconic bus as an EV, but Mercedes-Benz beat everybody to the punch in this critical segment with the 2020 Mercedes-Benz EQV—an electric van that seats up to eight and runs a claimed range of over 200 miles. At least in Europe.

    By Justin T. Westbrook Read More

Found For Sale (12)

  • 0

    A Teenage Kansas Farmer Built This Diesel Off-Road Corvette And It's A Stroke Of Genius

    When the C8 Corvette debuted last month, I bet most of us were deeply disappointed that its 490 horsepower V8 engine was not a much, much less powerful, heavier, less-refined diesel motor. But there’s good news, because a compression-ignition Corvette does exist, though it wasn’t built by GM, but instead by a teenage farmer in Kansas, who’s now older and has the vehicle listed on Craigslist.

    By David Tracy Read More
  • 0

    I Challenge You To Find A Better Ten-Year-Old Car

    Like most folks, I ignore most of the emails from dealerships. Most of them are just ads, but I probably get a few hundred of these a week, so it takes something special to catch my attention. Then Aston Martin of San Diego dropped something attention grabbing in my inbox and I can’t stop thinking about it. It’s time we talked about the 2007-2012 DBS.

    By Tom McParland Read More
  • 0

    It's Yellow

    Hello. Today I would like to announce that it (a 2002 Lexus IS300 SportCross) is yellow. That is the color that it is, at this moment, as in all moments before it, dating back to the build date of it (the 2002 Lexus IS300 SportCross in question).

    By Raphael Orlove Read More
  • 0

    Here Are The Cheapest Cars And Bikes Sold At The 2019 Pebble Beach Auctions

    Oh, hello there. Did you go to Monterey Car Week this year? Did you have an opulent time? Did you drink opulent shooters, listen to opulent music? No? Good, because the list of cheapest cars sold at the 2019 Pebble Beach auctions is here. It will make you wish you’d dragged your ass over there with all the cash you have hidden in your mattress.

    By Kristen Lee Read More
  • 0

    The One-Of-A-Kind Chevy eCOPO Camaro Is Going Up For Auction

    The Chevy eCOPO Camaro was something of a surprise—no one was really expecting a fully electric drag racer to show up at the 2018 SEMA show. Just like how, I’m sure, no one could have reasonably expected to own the thing one day in the near future. But if you’ve got some cash just laying around, this bad boy is going to auction on Friday.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
  • 0

    There Are Somehow Still New 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demons For Sale

    It’s dealer-markup season again, with the fancy “Launch Edition” of the new “Toyota Supra,” which I hear is less Toyota and more some other manufacturer I cannot recall the name of right now, coming onto the market. But markups are nothing new, and they happen on most vehicles that mean anything to the car community—like the 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon, whose firestorm of markups began way back in 2017 and trickled all the way through 2018.

    By Alanis King Read More
  • 0

    You Aren't Really Cool Until You Roll Up To Radwood In A Geo Prizm

    The new trend for “vintage” cars is rides from the 80s and 90s. I say vintage in quotes because I don’t want to believe that I’m old yet. Now, you may think the best way to Radwood is a 993 Porsche—or maybe even the iconic Lamborghini Countach—but a real connoisseur brings a Geo Prizm.

    By Tom McParland Read More

Honda (1)

  • 0

    The Honda Africa Twin Helped Me Conquer My Fear Of Tall Bikes

    I love adventure touring bikes. Honestly, it’s mostly because they just look so damn cool! They’re modular, look like they can go from like Tierra del Fuego to Nova Scotia, and are usually quick as hell. But for a medium-sized boy like myself, they are often intimidatingly tall.

    By Aaron Brown Read More

Hyundai (2)

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    How The Hyundai Veloster N Became The New Office Favorite

    If you had told any of us five years ago that arguably the best value in the hot hatch segment would not just come from Hyundai, but it’d be a hotted-up version of the Veloster, we’d have been on the phone with your loved ones and your physician to stage an intervention. But here we are today, living in a world where the Hyundai Veloster N is unquestionably the real deal. And it’s a car that Team Jalopnik seems universally in love with.

    By Patrick George Read More
  • 0

    Why Pick A 2019 Hyundai Veloster N Over A Civic Type R, GTI Or Mini Cooper S?

    It’s an interesting era for high-performance hatchbacks. The Ford Fiesta ST, Focus ST and Focus RS have abandoned us. We have to wait a while for the next Volkswagen GTI and Golf R to drop. Small car sales are down across the board. But the remaining competitors are stronger than ever and the newest player in the mix, the 2019 Hyundai Veloster N, is coming out swinging hard.

    By Andrew P. Collins Read More

Jalopnik Investigates (2)

  • 0

    Uber And Lyft Take A Lot More From Drivers Than They Say

    In July, an Uber driver we’ll call Dave—his name has been changed here to protect his identity—picked up a fare in a trendy neighborhood of a major U.S. metropolitan area. It was rush hour and surge pricing was in effect due to increased demand, meaning that Dave would be paid almost twice the regular fare.

    By Dhruv Mehrotra Read More
  • 0

    How A Really Obscure Soviet Race Car Ends Up On A California Wine Bottle

    We get emails all the time from people asking us to identify cars they encounter, and these are some of my favorite emails we get, after the ones scolding me for my toilet-mouth. We just got one today that caught my attention, both because of the car and the context: the context was a wine label, and the car was a strange Soviet teardrop-looking thing. I was curious.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More

Motorcycles (2)

  • 0

    This Bonkers Hillclimbing Quad Has Active Aero And A GSX-R1000 Motor

    I’ve never been to Rod Millen’s Leadfoot Festival, but every time a new video from the event is unleashed upon the world, and I am introduced to a new incredibly crazy hillclimb machine from the antipodes, my desire to attend this event grows exponentially. This super fast “BRM Quadzilla” started out as a 500cc two-stroke Suzuki which is crazy enough, but then it got a GSX-R1000 swap for a mega 143 wheel horsepower. That’s enough to keep you up on the tiller and paying attention.

    By Bradley Brownell Read More
  • 0

    Build A Motorcycle From The Scraps Laying Around Your Garage

    There comes a sense of pride unlike any other when you manage to build something awesome from scratch in your garage. This “motorcycle” started as a pile of scrap steel, some bearings, an industrial engine, a set of car wheels, and a bike seat. Using some craftiness and ingenuity, this Doctor DS guy managed to become a motorcycle manufacturer, using nothing but a pile of largely useless scrap.

    By Bradley Brownell Read More

News (33)

  • 0

    Don't Be Stupid With Gasoline

    Hurricane Dorian, now a Category 4 storm, may make landfall along Florida’s Atlantic coast later this weekend. If you’re living in what may be the path of the storm, you’re going to want to get yourself prepared by stockpiling some fuel. Just make sure you do it safely.

    By Max Finkel Read More
  • 0

    Watch A Jeep Wrangler Lose An Off-Road Comparison To A Mercedes G-Class And Toyota Land Cruiser

    You might think that the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, with its solid front and rear axles, locking diffs, and stock 33-inch tires, is the most capable all-around modern off-road vehicle. And while that may be true, under the conditions of a recent comparison test in Spain, one reviewer found the Mercedes G-Class and Toyota Land Cruiser Prado (similar to the U.S.-market Lexus GX) both superior. Here’s a look at that test.

    By David Tracy Read More
  • 0

    The Toyota TJ Cruiser Could Be Headed For Production: Report

    According to reports from Japan, Toyota’s TJ Cruiser, which was shown at the Tokyo Auto Show in 2017, could be headed for production. The TJ concept, if you don’t remember, was somewhat of a cross between a rugged SUV and a van, with fold-flat seats for four and a toughened load space for durability.

    By Max Finkel Read More
  • 0

    Forget The RS6. What You Want Is This RS2.

    We all lost our minds this past Tuesday when Audi announced that its 2020 RS6 Avant is going to be available in the United States. That’s big news. Really, it is. But here’s the thing. A different hot Audi wagon can now be imported to the United States this year too, and now there’s finally one for sale here. Why wait for the RS6 when this RS2 is ready to go already?

    By Max Finkel Read More
  • 0

    The Time Bertone Built Volvo Limousines For East German Bureaucrats

    Volvo’s legendary 240-series sedan and wagon are far better known as rusty suburban dailies for high school kids than they are for ferrying statesmen around, but, with Bertone’s help, the venerable 240 didn’t just become the chopped down 262C coupe for buyers like David Bowie. It also became the 264 TE stretched limousine, whose buyers arguably loomed even larger over Berlin than Ziggy Stardust himself.

    By Max Finkel Read More
  • 0

    1995 Audi A4: Yuppies Need Not Apply

    In 1995, British stocks were hot and the FTSE 100 was on fire. Before 1996 came in, the index was up nearly 500 points and the growth curve was only steepening. If you were in the markets, you were trying to grab your piece and enjoy it. You were trying to show off just how well you’d made out.

    By Max Finkel Read More
  • 0

    Fake Chinese Policer Cars Roil Aussies

    Over the past few weeks, Australians in Adelaide, Perth and Melbourne have reported seeing cop cars they didn’t recognize around town. These didn’t look like patrol cars from the state over, though. They looked like you what you might get pulled over by in Shanghai or Shenzhen.

    By Max Finkel Read More
  • 0

    The New Supra Looks Best In White, Just Like The 2000GT

    The new Supra isn’t coming soon. It’s here, and there’s already a color that looks best. Some of us around here can’t get enough of the Nitro Yellow the car comes in, and it’s hard to blame them. A shouty car ought to be a shouty color, right? You didn’t buy a Supra to have it ignored along the curb, did you?

    By Max Finkel Read More
  • 0

    After Another Serious Crash, Driver Calls For IndyCar To Drop Pocono Raceway

    A serious crash stopped IndyCar’s ABC Supply 500 at Pocono Raceway on lap one today, a day that’s just year after another crash at the track paralyzed driver Robert Wickens from the waist down. Though no one sustained critical injuries this time, Wickens and many onlookers are calling for IndyCar to drop the infamous racetrack from the schedule.

    By Mack Hogan Read More
  • 0

    The Original Acura CL Type-S Is A Hidden Gem

    When Acura announced that it was bringing back the Type S, I was annoyed. Just two weeks after selling my 3.2CL Type-S, the name is making a comeback and I’m too late to cash in. I’ve long thought that the CL Type-S is underrated and underpriced, so hopefully the return of the Type S (now hyphenless) will bring it the attention it deserves.

    By Mack Hogan Read More
  • 0

    What's The Weirdest Problem Your Car Has Had?

    I’m diagnosing something strange on my Lexus LS 400. Sometimes, when I’m on the highway, a check engine light pops on. It’s accompanied by the traction control off light. I cannot figure out what’s going on.

    By Mack Hogan Read More
  • 0

    James Bond's Gadget-Filled Aston Martin DB5 Sold For $6.4 Million

    James Bond’s Aston Martin in Goldfinger was arguably the most important movie car of all time. While cars like the Mustang Bullitt and the DeLorean owe their fame to big-time film appearances, Aston Martin’s entire brand is defined by the company’s connection to James Bond. So when one of the four DB5's built to Goldenfinger spec was auctioned by RM Sotheby’s, it went for big money.

    By Mack Hogan Read More
  • 0

    Watch This Hero Blindly Navigate The Entire Nürburgring

    Misha Charoudin has lived at the Nürburgring for four years, instructing and driving on it almost every day. With thousands of laps behind him, he could probably direct someone around this track blindfolded. In fact, he’s put out a video of him doing just that.

    By Mack Hogan Read More
  • 0

    Rolls Royce Sends Off The Ghost With The Zenith Collection

    Ten years after the 200EX concept introduced a sub-Phantom sedan to the Rolls Royce lineup, the firm has decided to end the Ghost’s production run. Much like with the Phantom Coupe and Drophead Coupe before, Rolls is going to send off its smaller car with a run of Zenith Collection models featuring some special details to celebrate the model as it is retired.

    By Max Finkel Read More
  • 0

    The 2020 Honda Civic Hatchback Gets The Manual For The Top Trim

    While the styling may be a bit polarizing, the Honda Civic hatchback remains one of the benchmarks for a small, fun car. Buyers that chose the excellent six-speed manual, though, had to give up some upgrades in the higher trims. That won’t be the case for the 2020 model year, when you can get a fully-loaded Civic with three pedals on the floor.

    By Tom McParland Read More
  • 0

    Here's What $400 Of Mazda RX-7 Gets You

    If you, like me, often dream of buying one of the car world’s masterpieces, the first-gen Mazda RX-7, this will be of some interest to you. It’s how much RX-7 you get for $400. After some review, it appears to be, uh, not a ton.

    By Raphael Orlove Read More
  • 0

    What's Your 'I Can't Believe I Didn't Crash' Story?

    I’m a teetotaler so I can’t drive drunk. I don’t text while driving. I always wear my seatbelt. I’ve done teen driving and performance driving school. I drive 95 percent of my miles in brand new cars with tons of airbags. There’s every reason to think that I’d be safe from serious injury in a car. But I almost blew all of that by driving drowsy.

    By Mack Hogan Read More
  • 0

    The Aston Martin DBS Superleggera Is Only Fully Realized As A Convertible

    The Aston Martin DBS Superleggera Volante is one of the best looking cars on the road at the moment. Thanks to its V12, it’s also one of the best-sounding. So it’s refreshing that it isn’t pushing to be some cutthroat performance car, but instead keeping the character of a relaxed muscly grand tourer alive.

    By Justin T. Westbrook Read More
  • 0

    French EV Retrofit Start-Up Transition-ONE Wants To Future-Proof Your Hatchback

    New electric vehicles are coming, but if the goal is to get the general population driving emission free as soon as possible, we’re going to need to get moving a little quicker than that. A French company called Transition-One thinks they have a good solution. Rather than force everyone to get rid of their late-model hatches and buy something new, they’ll put a battery and electric motor under the hood for a far smaller price.

    By Max Finkel Read More

Nice Price or No Dice (22)

Nostalgia You Can Taste (1)

  • 0

    The Lexus LS 400 Lives Up To The Hype

    We idolize it, but ultimately, the first-generation Lexus LS 400 is pretty much just a sedan that debuted in 1989. I knew I wanted one, but as I set out to test drive a clean and well-priced example, I figured I had to lower my expectations. Like we’ve said, your heroes tend to disappoint you.

    By Mack Hogan Read More

Planelopnik (5)

  • 0

    Could You Endure 20 Hours In Coach? Qantas Plans To Find Out

    The world’s longest commercial flight is 9,534 miles from Newark to Singapore and takes anywhere from 15 to 19 hours depending on winds. Nineteen hours is a long time to spend anywhere consecutively other than a womb or a grave, both of which provide more legroom than coach, but Australian airline Qantas wants to know if we can possibly tolerate any longer.

    By Aaron Gordon Read More
  • 0

    This Is What It's Like To Be Rescued After Your Plane Crashes In The Forest

    Little planes go down all the time, and it would really help people get into them if the occupants didn’t die every time one did. That’s what makes the Cirrus SR22 such a brilliant little aircraft, as it has a parachute not just for the pilot, or the passengers, but the entire damn plane. And while that helps you get on the ground safely, you’re still in a hell of a lot of trouble if “the ground” still means “the absolute middle of nowhere.” So this is what it’s like to actually be rescued.

    By Michael Ballaban Read More
  • 0

    The Best Seat On The IL-76 Is Right Under Its Nose

    I am not a short man and I am also not a very rich man, so flying is an exercise in pain for me. Of course, that’s unless my flight is on an Ilyushin Il-76 (NATO callsign: Candid) strategic airlifter. If I’m on a Candid, the only seat for me is right underneath the cockpit behind the panoramic windows of the navigator’s post. I’ll accept no substitute.

    By Max Finkel Read More
  • 0

    There Was A Freaking Bat Flying Around Inside A Spirit Airlines Flight

    When it comes to flying on airplanes, is there anything better than getting nice and comfy in your seat, and just letting the soothing, leathery flapping of a random bat freaking the fuck out while flying in a panic all over the plane help you drift off to sleep? Wait, what? You don’t want a bat going, appropriately, batshit around your head in an airplane? Then it’s a good thing you weren’t on this Spirit Airlines flight to Newark on Wednesday.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More

Racing (59)

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    Weekend Motorsports Roundup: August 31 - September 1

    It’s Labor Day Weekend here in the United States and though it’s one of the biggest vacation weekends of the year, there’s no rest for the racers, on Sunday at least. It’s Grand Prix weekend in Belgium, Blancpain GT cars are running the Green Hell of the Nürburgring, the endurance cars are going to do their thing in Silverstone on Sunday and that’s just in Europe. Over here we’ve got a NASCAR Cup race at Darlington and Indy cars in Portland.

    By Max Finkel Read More
  • 0

    Every Racing Series Needs A Throwback Weekend

    This weekend, the NASCAR brigade heads to Darlington with vintage-styled cars in tow for its annual throwback weekend—truly a treat to behold. It’s something that every racing series needs to do.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
  • 0

    Even Newly-Promoted Red Bull F1 Driver Thinks Red Bull Promotions Are 'Laughable'

    The Red Bull Junior Program is pretty notorious for how damn brutal it can be, what with the whole ‘demoting drivers mid-season’ deal. It’s reached the point where it feels like a professional version of musical chairs, where Red Bull’s sponsored drivers just have to be happy with whatever seat they end up with. But at least they’re starting to realize it’s all kind of ridiculous.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
  • 0

    The Rich Energy Drama May Be Back Once Again

    Rich Energy, the mysterious and regularly embattled energy-drink company that adorns the Haas Formula One Team’s race cars, will apparently make a decision on its future as the team’s sponsor soon. But in the meantime, some other interesting things are happening: Rich Energy’s former CEO, who was removed amid countless problems at the company, appears to be back.

    By Alanis King Read More
  • 0

    Controlled Substance Charges Dismissed Against Suspended NASCAR Truck Series Driver

    After he was pulled over for an improper lane change this month and his vehicle was searched, New York State Police charged NASCAR Truck Series driver Tyler Dippel with criminal possession of a controlled substance, leading to a NASCAR suspension that’s sidelined him for at least one race. But Dippel said Wednesday that the charges were dismissed, and he’s hoping to get back on track.

    By Alanis King Read More
  • 0

    Silly Season Is Upon Us: What Are Your Favorite Rumors So Far?

    Late August is the perfect time of year for rumors of massive musical chairs-level changes happening to the driver lineups in pretty much every motorsport series across the board. Most of this stuff doesn’t end up happening, but that doesn’t mean we’re not all going to speculate until our brains are sore. And I want to know what you’re hoping is true and what you’re hoping is pure bullshit.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
  • 0

    The Rapid Response Documentary Transforms The Tragedy Of Death In IndyCar Into Romanticized Spectacle

    On September 6, Rapid Response will hit theaters. This film—based on the book of the same name, which has recently been re-released—is ostensibly about the vast safety improvements made by American open-wheel racing as a result of one doctor and his dedicated team. But if you’re looking for a serious and in-depth treatment of this topic, you’ll have to look somewhere else. Unlike the book, Rapid Response the film turns death into something more like gore porn.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
  • 0

    Here's Lando Norris' Three Golden Rules Of Attending A Race

    While Formula One drivers are probably more familiar with the race weekend experience than most of us will ever be, I can’t say I’ve found them to be particularly good about giving advice re: how to enjoy the weekend as a fan. But McLaren driver Lando Norris? He knows how it’s done. We can all learn a little something from him.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
  • 0

    Weekend Motorsports Roundup: August 24-25

    Lots of cars (and bikes!) on lots of tracks around the world this weekend. Personally, I’m trying to keep an eye on what’s happening at the Isle of Man Classic TT and in Germany at WRC’s Rally Germany, but with all the options out there this weekend it’s hard to miss something exciting. Some of these start real early on the East Coast, but what’s a car race without some bleary eyes, right?

    By Max Finkel Read More
  • 0

    Kids Will Be Able To Go Off-Road Racing In The 'Mini Mint 400'

    The Mint 400, a big ol’ bash around the desert near Las Vegas, is probably one of the better-known off-road races in America. It’s also pretty rocky, bumpy and challenging, for experienced adult racers, so it’ll be interesting to see how the 5-to-16-year-olds fare!

    By Andrew P. Collins Read More
  • 0

    Why We All Need To Be Paying More Attention To Formula E

    Getting on board with a brand-new racing series, especially one marketed as “world class” from the very start, can be hard. There’s already so much racing out there to watch, and so many drivers out there to follow, that it might not seem worth it to devote the time and energy to learning something completely new. Perhaps we’ve put Formula E, the all-electric open-wheel series, into that category without giving it enough of a chance to prove itself.

    By Alanis King Read More
  • 0

    Here's Your First Peek At What A 2021 Spec Formula One Car Might Look Like

    The next generation of Formula One regulations are supposed to fix the sport. We’re all well aware of how difficult passing can be in with the current specification car, as the turbulence caused by following in the wake of a car ahead makes your own aero wash out, which reduces grip and roots tires in quick time. By reducing the aero wash and the total dependence on aerodynamic grip, the hope is that the new cars will be easier to tuck up behind the car ahead to gain a draft advantage.

    By Bradley Brownell Read More
  • 0

    Yes But How Does The Archetypal Drift Car Handle The Nürburgring

    It’s abundantly clear that any yahoo can turn an S13 Nissan 200SX into a drift car. But what’s it like turning one into a “Ring tool,” as they say around the Nürburgring? What’s it like lapping one on the Nordschleife? Well, it looks, uh, maybe as sideways as you’d expect.

    By Raphael Orlove Read More
  • 0

    Watch An F1 Car And A Motorcycle Go Head-To-Head On A Slalom Test

    In case you’ve missed it, motorcycle racer Guy Martin and former Formula One driver David Coulthard have been competing in head-to-head challenges to examine the differences in science and technology between their two sports. It’s been a lot of fun—but none more so than the slalom challenge.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
  • 0

    How Much Standardization Is Too Much In Motorsport?

    Formula One is looking to make big changes for 2021, including proposing a lot more standardization in the rulebook regarding what parts teams can use and how much money can be spent. But is that additional degree of standardization too much?

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
  • 0

    Ford Finally Brings Its NASCAR Xfinity Series Mustang Out Of 2011

    If we think about it, 2011 was a simpler time. Half of the population didn’t yell “Fake news!” at every mention of, oh, climate change or any other existential crisis, NASCAR didn’t have elimination playoffs, and LMFAO was teaching us all how to party rock and exude self-confidence, one song replay at a time.

    By Alanis King Read More
  • 0

    This Hyundai Aims To Be The World's Most Capable Electric Rally Car

    While the World Rally Championship is switching to hybrid engines for the 2022 season, rally driver Hayden Paddon and a team of researchers are about to do WRC one better. They’re coming out with a Hyundai Kona EV rally car in 2020, a vehicle that will be able to complete a full-length event solely on electric power.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
  • 0

    Here's How To Tackle A Decreasing Radius Turn Like A Champion

    Decreasing radius turns are nasty buggers, especially if you aren’t expecting them. You’re cruising along happily at a good speed, taking the turn and then all of a sudden it starts getting way tighter than you anticipated. What do you do then? Let our friends at Team O’Neil Rally School show you the way.

    By Kristen Lee Read More
  • 0

    Explaining The Internet's Loudest BMW

    If you’ve ever fallen into an automotive YouTube hole, there’s a good chance you know this car: Georg Plasa’s Judd V8-powered BMW E36. It has ripped through the consciousness of all of us at least once, guaranteed. Now, you can get underneath the hood in video form to understand what it is, exactly, about this car that makes it so badass.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
  • 0

    Here's What The 2021 Formula One Rule Changes Will Look Like

    The Powers That Be at Formula One have come together to decide how, exactly, they can make the world’s most elite racing series actually more enjoyable to watch. We’ve talked a little bit about this announcement before, but now we’re getting a glimpse at how things will change, and why.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
  • 0

    Former F1 Driver Scott Speed Breaks Back In Rallycross Jump

    Scott Speed, who broke his back while landing a jump in a Nitro World Games rallycross heat race over the weekend but still finished the heat before getting out of the car, said on Instagram Sunday that he’s going the non-surgical route for his broken back. The recovery is expected to take six to eight weeks, he said.

    By Alanis King Read More
  • 0

    What Happened At Pocono, And Why It Needs To Change

    On Sunday, August 18, yet another bad crash at Pocono Raceway on the very first lap of the IndyCar race involved five cars, caused a lengthy red flag, and saw one driver taken to the hospital to inspect a non-fatal injury. Let’s break down what happened, and why.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
  • 0

    Slayer Livery Too Metal For Rick Ware Racing

    We were amped up to hear that Rick Ware Racing was going have its #54 car driven by J.J. Yeley liveried to promote the band’s final tour to tonight’s NASCAR Cup race in Bristol, Tennessee but today it seems like that idea has been shredded.

    By Max Finkel Read More
  • 0

    A Video Reminder That NASCAR Drivers Are Good As Hell

    Giant ovals seem to have a way of robbing our eyes of any sensation of just how fast Cup cars are going, and it’s easy to forget just how good NASCAR drivers are at, well, driving. Here is a good bit of a throwback to fix your mind.

    By Raphael Orlove Read More
  • 0

    Progress Isn't The Goal

    NASCAR has a problem. Not the attendance struggles or the fight to stay enticing in a world of ball sports with elimination playoffs, or the fact that the one woman running top-level Cup Series races lost her ride and subsequently retired. No, this problem is one NASCAR created all on its own, and whether the organization will admit it or not, it’s indicative of larger issues. The problem is Barstool Sports.

    By Alanis King Read More
  • 0

    How To Upgrade The Electronics On A Vintage Formula One Car

    Think about old PC games you used to play back in 1997. You wouldn’t be able to boot that up now, and you especially wouldn’t be able to use your modern computer to operate the exact same game. It’s a pretty similar standard when it comes to F1 cars. If you want to play that game, something needs to change.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
  • 0

    Red Bull Is Shaking Things Up In The Middle Of The F1 Season

    Max Verstappen has been the star of Red Bull Racing this year, and perhaps the entire Formula One field. He’s a breath of unpredictability, and success, in a sea of Mercedes team dominance. His teammate Pierre Gasly has been kind of the opposite, to the point that he just got demoted to the Toro Rosso junior team.

    By Alanis King Read More
  • 0

    Weekend Motorsports Roundup: August 10-11, 2019

    It’s a quieter late summer weekend than most when it comes to motorsports action, with just a few major events going on. That means, though, that we can tell you about some events that might not have made the cut on a normal weekend.

    By Max Finkel Read More
  • 0

    McLaren Is Finally Making A Full-Time Move To IndyCar

    After this year’s disastrous Indy 500, McLaren is coming back to prove that it can actually do this IndyCar thing, thank you very much... but with one caveat. It’s not rolling solo (by which, of course, we mean ‘partnering with Carlin and then pretending not to have actually done that’). McLaren will partner with current team Arrow SPM.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
  • 0

    Do It, Lamborghini. Enter Le Mans In The Hypercar Class

    While plenty of manufacturers race in Le Mans each year, not all of them go out of their way to design and produce a purpose-built racer for the series’ top class—the hypercar class in 2020/2021. Lamborghini has been one of those manufacturers. Except, it sounds like that might be changing.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
  • 0

    Formula E Wants Its Cars To Be Less Tough So Drivers Won't Hit Each Other As Often

    One of the perks of a racing series with entirely electric cars is that they barely make a sound, letting anyone around hear exactly what’s happening on track—including every bit contact, and there’s been a lot of that in Formula E this year. But the series apparently wants to cool it down, and may do so by making the cars easier to damage—at least, when a driver hitting another from behind.

    By Alanis King Read More
  • 0

    Why Daniel Ricciardo's Old Manager Is Suing Him For $12.8 Million

    It’s the year of the lawsuit over here in Formula One—after the Rich Energy saga, it seems like everyone else is keen to get in on the action. Namely, Renault driver Daniel Ricciardo’s former manager is seeking £10 million ($12.8 million) from the driver because he, uh, apparently didn’t get paid.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
  • 0

    In Speed Flies Wondercars Of Rally Action, Finland

    Here we see what is both speed and metal together with humans, cast aloft in celebration of speed and metal together with humans. Of difficulty. In difficulty, we have the speed. Transformational speed, in that it transforms a car into a car soaring through the air, that air being the air that exists above the ground, that ground being the ground upon which is run this year’s Rally Finland.

    By Raphael Orlove Read More
  • 0

    Dancing Is How You Get People Racing

    We at Jalopnik want people to be racing more cars. But racing is never a simple or cheap endeavor, even if the car itself is. But I have an idea for a spec series—say with an all-Mitsubishi Mirage grid—and its success hinges on getting people excited. Normal people, specifically. Normies. And I take my cues from Dancing With The Stars here.

    By Max Finkel Read More
  • 0

    Weekend Motorsports Roundup: August 3-4, 2019

    Welcome to the Jalopnik Weekend Motorsports Roundup, where we let you know what’s going on in the world of racing, where you can see it, and where you can talk about it all in one convenient place. Where else would you want to spend your weekend?

    By Max Finkel Read More
  • 0

    Formula One Is Bringing Back Safer Ground Effects For 2021

    Formula One has decided to do something radical in its new 2021 regulations: bringing back ground effects. Yeah. But how the hell is the series going to make sure we don’t all make the same dangerous mistakes that teams made back in the 1970s and ‘80s? Chain Bear F1 and Autosport have teamed up to talk it out.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More

Ram Trucks (1)

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    The 2020 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel Is A Torquier Version Of An Already Great Truck

    Ram started the half-ton diesel craze back in 2013 when it announced the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel. Since then, the brand lost ground to legal issues related to emissions and stiff competition from Ford and Chevy. But now Ram is back in the game with a new diesel engine for its latest “DT” generation truck, and after testing it, I can tell you: This might be the engine to get.

    By David Tracy Read More

Spacelopnik (1)

  • 0

    Hot Damn, We're Going To Europa

    Of all the planets and moons in our solar system that are likely to harbor life, Europa has to be one of the most promising. I mean, yeah, Earth is pretty good too, but after Earth, the ocean-world of the Jovian moon Europa is full of exciting possibility for biological life. It seems that we should be able to get some more insight into this possibility soon, as NASA has committed to a Europa-bound exploration mission by 2025.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More

Subaru (1)

  • 0

    The 2020 Subaru Legacy Mostly Nails It As Long As You Get The Turbo Engine

    While some automakers like Ford are all but giving up on slow-selling sedans, Subaru is coming out swinging with the 2020 Subaru Legacy. It carries on the, um, legacy of the Legacy as a competent and comfortable all-wheel drive mid-size sedan with a modicum of performance and some impressive tech. It does what the Subaru Legacy has always done well, but adds a bit more room for rear-seat passengers—which has been a common gripe for previous generations.

    By Bradley Brownell Read More

Technology (32)

  • 0

    Uber And Lyft Don't Have A Right To Exist

    On Wednesday, Uber and Lyft released a new petition against Assembly Bill 5, the California bill about to be debated in the Senate that, if passed, would almost certainly result in gig economy workers being designated as employees in the state rather than independent contractors. Uber and Lyft fear AB5 could tank their business. They’re right to be afraid.

    By Aaron Gordon Read More
  • 0

    Faulty Automatic Braking Has Drivers Afraid Of Their Own Cars: Report

    Advanced driver assistance systems, which include lane-keeping, adaptive cruise control and automatic braking, are designed to make cars and driving safer than ever. But sometimes, functions like automatic braking malfunction and have the opposite effect, wrecking a driver’s confidence in driving at all.

    By Kristen Lee Read More
  • 0

    School Buses Are Perfectly Suited To Be Electrified Cheaply, Efficiently, And Yes, Crappily

    For many of us with offspring that we don’t keep chained in basements or workhouses, today was the first day of school. I sent my own kid, Otto, off to his first day of third grade, which he was whisked to by a huge, yellow, loud, lumbering diesel beast that hasn’t changed appreciably in decades: a school bus. I’ve been thinking about school buses a lot, and I’ve realized they may be the perfect candidates for electrification. And not just any electrification—kind of crappy electrification. Let

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
  • 0

    Slower Charging Might Help Secure An EV Future: Report

    While it seems like most of the world is focused on finding ways to charge electric vehicles quickly, some European power companies have actually come to the opposite conclusion. It may actually be better—and more sustainable—to charge our EVs slowly during off-peak hours.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
  • 0

    The Smartphone Car Key Thing Needs To Stop

    People generally seem to be on board with the new 2020 Lincoln Aviator. I know I am. It looks great, is probably real comfortable and comes with a ton of power. But it also has a Phone As A Key feature, which is a terrible idea and a trend I wish automakers would drop altogether.

    By Kristen Lee Read More
  • 0

    You Won't Need A Phone To Use The Porsche Taycan's Apple Music

    Most new cars these days have some form of smartphone connectivity, whether it’s Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, but no one has figured out how to actually embed that operating system into their vehicle. Until now, at least. Porsche is including Apple Music in the all-electric Taycan so its drivers can enjoy their tunes without having to connect their phone.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
  • 0

    Mixing Shitty And Good Tires Is A Bad Idea Which We Knew But Sure Is Fun To Watch

    I suspect that most of you reading this are already aware, putting tires of dramatically differing qualities and grip on the same car is not a recipe for good handling. Just in case you’d like to see this demonstrated visually and dramatically, because why wouldn’t you, here’s a fun video that shows you, empirically, why this isn’t such a hot idea.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
  • 0

    How Electric Vehicle Makers Are Figuring Out 'Engine' Noise

    Sound is a huge part of a vehicle’s personality, especially when it comes to motorcycles. As electric bikes and cars become bigger parts of the transportation ecosystem, figuring out what they’ll sound like is a big deal. Not only do electric vehicles have to be distinctive, there are safety and regulatory factors surrounding noise, too.

    By Tim Huber Read More
  • 0

    This Volkswagen/Audi Engine Ended Up In The Most Unlikely Mix Of Cars

    I know there are lots of car engines that got stuffed into pretty much everything: the Iron Duke was shoved into everything from Camaros to mail trucks, and the original Volkswagen air-cooled flat-four powered everything from Beetles to Buses to Sno-Cats to Airplanes to Zambonis. This other VW engine isn’t going to beat that, as it was in a much smaller set of cars. But the set of cars it was in just makes for a wonderfully pleasing and befuddling group.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
  • 0

    Chevrolet Is Betting Its EV Future On This Electric Compact Crossover

    As part of a declaration of intent to the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Chevrolet released these images of the Menlo model ahead of its official unveiling early next month. Menlo is the Chinese-market name for the Bolt-based electric compact crossover, which will likely be called Bolt EUV here in the U.S. market. To be quite honest, I like the Menlo name a lot better.

    By Bradley Brownell Read More
  • 0

    Watch This First Full Tear Down Of The 2020 Toyota Supra Engine

    The Toyota Supra is one of those cars where the arcane alphanumeric droid-name of its best-known engine—the 2JZ-GTE—is almost as well-known as the car itself. So when it was announced that the reborn Supra would have an inline-six engine developed by its partner BMW, that was a confusing development for many Supra-stans. How did that BMW B58 engine turn out, and what’s it like inside? This video is the first really comprehensive tear down of the new Supra’s engine, so we can finally see.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
  • 0

    The Big Diesel Lie Grows While The Trump Administration Rolls Coal

    Who can forget Dieselgate, the headline-grabbing, reputation-destroying pollution scandal of 2015? In which Volkswagen AG, one of the planet’s largest carmakers, was exposed for installing defeat devices on up to 11 million of its diesels to trick regulators around the world into thinking these cars complied with emissions standards when in fact they didn’t come close, exceeding U.S. limits, for example, by 40 times or more.

    By Patrick George Read More
  • 0

    Here's One Way To Fix This Whole Semi-Autonomous Driving Thing

    Recently, I was driving along Interstate 90 in central New York in a Nissan Altima equipped with the company’s driver assist technology, ProPilot. This section of I-90 was your typical long and straight rural interstate. The lanes were well-marked, the road was smoothly paved, traffic was light, and skies were clear. In other words, it was a good day to let the computer drive. Or help me drive, as it were.

    By Aaron Gordon Read More
  • 0

    A Texas Startup Claims To Have Made The Biggest Advancements In Electric Motor Designs In Over A Century

    Fundamentally, electric motors haven’t changed all that much since they were developed well over a century ago: they’re still electromechanically spinning rotors inside of stators. There a Texas startup, though, that claims to have developed the first real, substantive improvements in the basic design of an electric motor, and they claim that its motor, the Linear Labs Hunstable Electric Turbine (HET) will perform so much better than conventional motors that electric cars with these motors can e

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
  • 0

    The War On Drive Thrus Has Begun

    Drive thrus had their moment; namely, the 1950s, when there was apparently nothing better to eat than processed meat and partially gelatinated, nondairy, gum-based beverages lightly tossed to you out of a window. Thankfully, we as a society have moved past this terrible time and now have a plethora of tastier and healthier options. The bar was very low on both fronts.

    By Aaron Gordon Read More
  • 0

    Sure Hope You Like Swarms Of Wasps In Chevy Malibus

    Just in case you’ve been going through your week and have, somehow, managed to avoid having any deep, gut-wrenching feelings of abject anxiety and horror to the degree where it feels like you just might terror-shit your pants, allow me to help you out by showing you some videos of cars absolutely teeming and swarming with thousands and thousands of wasps. You’re welcome!

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
  • 0

    Knee Airbags Don't Do Shit: IIHS

    Airbags are there to help make cars and driving safer by minimizing the amount of blunt-force trauma the human body absorbs in the event of a crash. They’re good and useful, but apparently not all airbags are as useful as they seem.

    By Kristen Lee Read More
  • 0

    Let's Be Realistic About The Hyundai Sonata Hybrid's Solar Roof

    Yesterday Hyundai released a version of their Sonata Hybrid car that includes a solar panel integrated into the roof, and along with it came a lot of exciting claims, like how it can recharge up to 60 percent of the car’s battery, and how it can provide enough power over the course of a year to let the car travel over 800 miles. It all sounds great, but, unsurprisingly, in reality it’s likely to be more of a nifty gimmick than anything actually really useful.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
  • 0

    Porsche Is Here To Assuage Your Climate Guilt

    You want the speed and thrills of a Porsche 911, but you also don’t want your grandkids to be living in a climate refugee colony somewhere in the Scottish highlands. You want to tear up those winding mountain passes in your brand new Boxster, but you also very much enjoy your annual sojourns to Napa wine country and would prefer it to not burn to the ground.

    By Aaron Gordon Read More
  • 0

    The Autonomous Vehicle Industry Would Turn Sidewalks Into Cages If It Could

    The challenges facing autonomous car companies are generally separated into two categories: getting the technology to work and getting society to accept the technology. And a recent New York Times article makes the case that the rest of society should make an awful lot of concessions to get out of the self-driving cars’ damn way, both figuratively and extremely literally.

    By Aaron Gordon Read More
  • 0

    See The 2020 C8 Corvette's Nose Lift In Action

    Among the many cool things about the 2020 Chevrolet Corvette, the hydraulically powered nose lift that works off of GPS is probably the coolest. Most sports cars need a nose lift feature. Here is the Corvette’s in action.

    By Kristen Lee Read More

The Morning Shift (22)

Transportation (4)

  • 0

    I Never Knew An Op-Ed Could Be So Stupid

    There’s nothing quite like a good fearmongering op-ed to get the blood boiling. Unfortunately for everyone, the Wall Street Journal published a whopper yesterday about transportation, homelessness, and urban policy that got my blood circulating faster than normal. Not because I am terrified of the cabal of leftist agitators coming for my...zoning codes?...but because it is quite possibly the dumbest thing I have ever heard or read on urban issues, an impressive feat considering I have attended

    By Aaron Gordon Read More
  • 0

    Vision Zero Is The Wrong Goal

    On February 28, 25-year-old bike messenger Aurilla Lawrence was killed by a truck driver in Brooklyn. After killing her, the truck driver did not stop. Following a familiar pattern whenever a cyclist is killed by a driver, the NYPD rushed to make excuses for the driver, hypothesizing the driver didn’t stop because they didn’t realize they had hit someone. According to a lawyer who viewed footage of the nighttime crash, as reported by Streetsblog, the truck approached Lawrence from behind and ac

    By Aaron Gordon Read More
  • 0

    High Speed Train To Mecca Open For First Hajj

    For centuries, the yearly Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca has been a massive logistical undertaking. Pilgrims have long piled into buses for overland journeys from India, onto ships for crossings of the Red Sea from Egypt, and into specially chartered planes arriving at temporary outdoor terminals. This year, though, a new option is available. On the way to circle around the Kabaa, pilgrims can take the Haramain High Speed Rail line.

    By Max Finkel Read More

Trucks (16)

  • 0

    The Canadian-Market Land Cruiser Normal People Can't Buy

    Though it’s far from confirmed, rumors abound that the current Toyota Land Cruiser could be the last one destined for the U.S. market. The robustly-built $90,000 SUV sells slowly to a small but dedicated fanbase, but they may have to settle for its Lexus-badged LX instead, just like our friends in Canada have for a few years now.

    By Max Finkel Read More
  • 0

    GMC Packs The Sierra Full Of Cameras To Make Towing So Much Easier

    The new GMC Sierra has 15 different camera views available to help you see out, behind, above, around, and behind any cargo you might have in the bed, or trailer you might be towing. This afternoon I hopped into the driver’s seat and tested out a few different towing options, including the new 2020 GMC Sierra 2500 HD hauling a giant camper and the new 2020 GMC Sierra 3-liter diesel hauling an 8,000 pound box trailer loaded down with ballast.

    By Bradley Brownell Read More
  • 0

    How To Conquer Greenland By Truck

    This week, we were talking about Greenland, for some stupid reason. Did you know it’s possible to conquer Greenland by truck? It is indeed possible to conquer Greenland by truck.

    By Max Finkel Read More
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    Scuderia Glickenhaus' Steve McQueen-Style Baja Boot Revival Looks Righteous

    Movie producer turned small-batch supercar guy James Glickenhaus has had a team working on a new version of the “Baja Boot”–a badass 1960s dune buggy famously driven by Steve McQueen–with the goal of making a street-legal vehicle capable of racing the Baja 1000. Now, it looks like the car’s really running and driving.

    By Andrew P. Collins Read More
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    Carry Less Crap On Your Roof

    Now that overlanding is firmly established as a popular car-look for 2019, I sure see a lot of trucks and SUVs lugging roof racks full of militaristic plastic boxes around the city. If that sounds like you, consider taking it easy on the top-heaviness.

    By Andrew P. Collins Read More
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    Freightliner And Autocar Are Fighting For The Soul Of The American Sanitation Engineer

    Unless you’re me at four years old, you probably don’t give garbage trucks much thought. Trash trucks are utilitarian machines by design. That much is clear. But behind the scenes, the sanitation management industry (not that one, the real one) is contending this year with the launch of two new ones from manufacturers Freightliner and Autocar. These trucks aren’t just new models. They represent completely different philosophies for how to design, build and market the rig that keeps our streets l

    By Max Finkel Read More
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    The MG Pickup Looks Better Than New American Trucks

    I might as well admit that I spent the morning thinking the MG Extender was a joke. A pickup truck wearing emblems of an old British sports car outfit, with a name like a sugar pill you’d get from a dispenser in a truck stop bathroom? Hilarious. But sometimes reality is stranger than fiction, and today is one of those days.

    By Andrew P. Collins Read More
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    The Nissan Titan XD Cummins Diesel Was A Flop

    The 2020 Nissan Titan half-ton and Nissan 2020 Nissan Titan XD “half-ton-and-a-half” pickups will get redesigned this year. But the Cummins diesel engine that the new XD version made headlines with is being taken off the board after just a few model years.

    By Andrew P. Collins Read More
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    The Jeep Wrangler Weird Grille Fetish Has Spilled Over To The Jeep Renegade

    Especially since the last-generation “JK” model debuted in 2006, Jeep folks have been installing hideous aftermarket grilles onto their Wranglers to make them look “tougher.” Now that pandemic has spilled over to the Renegade, with Italian tuner “Militem” going all-out to make the tiny, front-drive-based compact crossover look macho. For some reason.

    By David Tracy Read More
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    The Ripper ATV Is An Off-Road Scooter

    The Ripper ATV looks like a cross between agricultural equipment and something you might see toddling around an airport, but it’d be more accurately described as a backcountry Bird scooter. You can’t start it with an app, but it does look like more fun than walking.

    By Andrew P. Collins Read More

Wrenching (9)

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    Here's How Mobile Tire Installation Works And Why You Might Want To Try It

    Mobile auto services are more common than you might realize. At least in Los Angeles, it’s pretty easy to find a detailer, a mechanic or even a body and paint tech to come out and work on your car wherever. Now, you can even get tires mounted and balanced. Here’s how it works and what my experience with ZipTire, in particular, was like.

    By Andrew P. Collins Read More
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    How To Make A Cheap Steering Wheel Cover Look Not-Terrible

    If your steering wheel’s ratty from years in the sun, not to mention grease from your fast-food-loving hands, one of those slip-on steering wheel covers you can pick up wherever is a convenient solution. It’s also grossly inelegant. But there are ways to rock it without looking completely awful.

    By Andrew P. Collins Read More
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    How To Detail A Car That Hasn't Been Washed In 37 Years

    As you probably already know, I’m a bit obsessive when it comes to keeping my car clean. The way I see it is that it just cuts down on the amount of work I’d have to do later if I never cleaned it at all. But what about a car that hasn’t been cleaned or touched in 37 years?

    By Kristen Lee Read More
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    My $500 Postal Jeep Got Rammed By A Hummer H2 And Somehow I'm Still Alive

    At the top of my list of “nightmare car scenarios” is someone in a three-ton Hummer H2 failing to notice me in a rusted-out version of a vehicle that, even when new, was highly unsafe. But that’s what happened last week as I piloted my $500 Postal Jeep from the Detroit area to the Toledo Jeep Fest. Somehow, I survived the crash. And so did my Jeep.

    By David Tracy Read More
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    These Heroes Put A Manual Transmission In An Infiniti Q60 Red Sport 400

    Like many sporty cars these days, the Infiniti Q60 Red Sport 400 is only available with a transmission that is shifted by computer rather than three pedals and a hand rod thingy. The 3-liter twin-turbo Nissan VR30DDTT is a gem of an engine, and the Q60 chassis is pretty great, too. While the steering is a bit numb and weighty, and the automatic is a bit uninspiring, It’s still a really good car to drive. Phoenix, Arizona based Concept Z Performance fixed that transmission issue by swapping in a

    By Bradley Brownell Read More
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    I'm In A Mad Dash To Fix My Long-Dead Jeep J10 By Friday's Toledo Jeep Fest

    By now it should be clear that I am, often, a fool. Since buying my Jeep J10 in 2015, I haven’t driven it more than 30 miles due to copious issues like bearing noise from the trans, a major exhaust leak, electrical gremlins, engine stalling issues, and much more. Why, then, did I promise the organizers of the Toledo Jeep Fest that they could feature the truck as part of an exhibit? Because I’m a fool—one who has until Friday to fix a truck that probably hasn’t run right in a decade.

    By David Tracy Read More
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    How I Rebuilt My Jeep Truck's Transmission In My Kitchen For Under $150

    The 2020 Jeep Gladiator has been getting lots of attention lately, but unfortunately, my own Jeep pickup—a 1985 Jeep J10—has not. The descendant of the original Gladiator in my driveway has had a broken four-speed manual transmission for years now, but I recently got around to fixing it on my kitchen counter, and it was dirt cheap. Here’s how I did it.

    By David Tracy Read More