Archive for November 2020

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Beyond Cars (2)

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    Creepy 'Smart' Streetlight Cameras In San Diego Can't Be Turned Off

    You never expect a story about infrastructure to take a terrifying turn, but what’s happening in San Diego right now sounds like the setup for a dystopian cyberpunk novel. After the San Diego city council voted to nix funding for a project in which cameras attached to streetlights gather data, the mayor ordered the cameras to be shut down. But the cameras are still up — and still recording — only now the private company that owns the cameras is the only one with access to the footage.

    By Erin Marquis Read More

BMW (1)

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    2020 BMW Z4 M40i Jalopnik Review: Now I Hate Myself

    The 255 horsepower, four-cylinder 2020 BMW Z4 is a fun but relaxing pricey roadster. But I drove the hotter, more powerful 382 horsepower BMW Z4 M40i this summer, and my feelings were too complicated by the end to be able to face myself.

    By Erik Shilling Read More

Boatlopnik (2)

Buying (18)

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    Should I Avoid Buying A New Car Made On A Monday Or A Friday?

    As Jalopnik’s resident car-buying expert and a professional car shopper, I get emails. Lots of emails. I’ve picked a few of your questions and will try to help out. This week we are discussing whether you should avoid new cars made on a certain day of the week, and ordering a car from a previous model year.

    By Tom McParland Read More
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    The Ginetta G55 GTA Makes Modifying A Street Car Seem Silly

    Any car designed to operate on the road requires a lot of engineering effort to make it street legal and comfortable enough to drive without a helmet. You may not understand how much those efforts inherently compromise a car for the track until you’ve driven a machine designed for track greatness from the very beginning. Behold, the U.S. Ginetta G55 GTA.

    By Justin T. Westbrook Read More
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    What Do You Want To Know About The Really Cheap Nissan Leaf I Bought?

    Move aside Changli, there’s a new contender for cheapest EV around these parts. Okay, maybe that’s a stretch. This 2011 Nissan Leaf isn’t a brand new vehicle, but it can zip from zero to 60 in just 9.9 seconds and continue on to a top speed of 93 miles an hour. Those are breakneck speeds to Jason and his Chinese electric car. Add in air-conditioning, cruise control, bluetooth audio, seating for five adults and 50-state road legality, and this old Nissan is a bit more car than the Changli. Which

    By Bradley Brownell Read More
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    Which Automakers Have The Worst Dealers?

    As Jalopnik’s resident car-buying expert and a professional car shopper, I get emails. Lots of emails. I’ve picked a few of your questions and will try to help out. This week we are discussing the rankings of automaker dealer networks and what to do when your leased car gets damaged and the insurance company doesn’t want to use the right parts.

    By Tom McParland Read More
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    Peeling The Protective Stuff Off Of Your New Car Should Be A Dealer Option

    While the car has always been closely tied to its manufacturing origin, politically, socially and all over its marketing, it shocks me how hard dealerships work to remove all evidence of the assembly process and the long perilous journey to the buyer. The dealer preps a new car for its future owner by removing all of the protective covers and stickers put in place to prevent scuffs and scratches in transit, but they should just leave it alone. Let me do that.

    By Justin T. Westbrook Read More
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    I'm Looking For A Zesty But Sensible First Car! What Should I Buy?

    Hisham is a high school student in New York who just got his driver’s license, and now he needs a first car that will be what he calls “zesty but sensible.” It obviously needs to be safe, but he wants something fun though not too sporty, as his parents still need to approve. What car should he buy?

    By Tom McParland Read More
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    The 2020 Porsche Cayenne S Coupe Interior Is One Of The Best On The Road

    A few years ago, someone at Porsche looked at the handsome Porsche Cayenne SUV and decided to chop some of the roof off, as is the style with many contemporary luxury crossovers and SUVs. The Porsche Cayenne Coupe was born. Creating a new, cut-down roofline is a big change to the basic SUV formula, but it’s that the change doesn’t alter the fundamental Porsche Cayenne formula that sells me on the car overall.

    By Justin T. Westbrook Read More
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    Do Those Paint Upcharges Really Cost The Automaker That Much More?

    As Jalopnik’s resident car-buying expert and a professional car shopper, I get emails. Lots of emails. I’ve picked a few of your questions and will try to help out. This week we are discussing paint upcharges from the factory and whether it’s more eco-friendly to keep your current car or trade for one that’s more efficient.

    By Tom McParland Read More
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    Jalopnik Editors Review The New Polestar 1 And Polestar 2

    Polestar has worked very hard to make the new Polestar 2 EV available to reviewers in different cities across the country (despite the multiple early recalls). The result is that a few of our editors were able to test drive it. Rory, Norman and Justin have all driven the Polestar 1 hybrid as well, and here’s our overall look at the “new” Polestar brand as it tries to differentiate itself from its sibling company, Volvo.

    By Justin T. Westbrook Read More
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    Used Car Prices Rose Almost 10 Percent Compared With Last Year: Study

    Despite what some industry folks predicted early on in the pandemic, the coronavirus did not crash the car market. In fact, due to inventory shortages and many buyers wanting their own transportation aside from ride-hailing and public transit, the car market was booming in certain areas. Used cars especially were affected, and according to a recent study by iSeeCars.com, buyers paid an average of 9.5 percent more in October compared with last year.

    By Tom McParland Read More
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    Will It Be Possible To Buy A New Bronco And Resell It With Minimal Loss?

    As Jalopnik’s resident car buying expert and a professional car shopper, I get emails. Lots of emails. I’ve picked a few of your questions and will try to help out. This week we are discussing the resale value on the new Bronco and whether or not those “monitor” devices for insurance companies actually save you money.

    By Tom McParland Read More

Culture (140)

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    Under-Appreciated Fake Cars From Music Videos: That Huge-Ass Truck From Björk's Army Of Me

    I suspect that for many of us, this past Thanksgiving was pretty surreal, at least when compared to your life’s normal experiences with the holiday. This whole year’s been a little surreal, and I’m not interested in fighting that anymore. I just want to embrace it, which is why I’d like to bring to your attention one of the most criminally underrated vehicles in music videos, the Björk’s Big-Ass truck from her Army of Me video (directed by Michel Gondry), the same video where she fights a gorill

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    This CLK GTR Replica Is An E-Class Living Its Best Life

    I’m not going to lie: I’ve been staring at this replica of the famed Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR for about 20 minutes now, unsure how to even begin writing about it. I could pick it apart in excruciating detail, but the more I study it, the closer I come to the conclusion that such an exercise would be pointless.

    By Adam Ismail Read More
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    The Badger Is Dead As Nikola Walks Back Its Partnership With GM

    It was in February when Nikola announced its alternative-fuel Badger truck, before Nikola was called an “intricate fraud,” before Nikola’s CEO Trevor Milton stepped aside, before Nikola announced a partnership that included a GM stake in Nikola, a proposal that GM later waffled on.

    By Erik Shilling Read More
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    This Widebody Duster Has Shaken Something Loose Inside Me

    I see Renault Dusters all the time in South Texas, making their way north from the border town of Hidalgo or in downtown shopping centers. They look like average crossovers and seldom wrest my attention as they drive past, but a product render from Prior Design is making me rethink my opinion of the Duster.

    By José Rodríguez Jr. Read More
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    It's Time To Consider This $15,000 Tunisian Jeep Alternative

    If you’re a fan of the distinctive looks of a Jeep but will mostly be driving it on paved roads, like a normal-human car, and you don’t have $28,000 for the cheapest new Wrangler, you should be asking yourself one important question: why aren’t I looking to Tunisia? It’s the question we should all be asking ourselves about so many things, but in this particular case, it’s even more relevant. That’s because Tunisia is where they make the Wallyscar Iris.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    QOTD: Would You Buy A Car With 150,000 (Or More) Miles?

    I notice my 2015 Volkswagen TDI SportWagen had finally climbed over 40,000 miles this weekend. A momentous occasion, but considering the long life of diesel engines, I’ve barely broken in my little red wagon. Modern cars, in general, are lasting longer and longer, which made me wonder if buying a high-mileage car is really such a big deal anymore.

    By Erin Marquis Read More
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    QOTD: What Are Your Best Winter Driving Tips?

    I looked outside the window this morning and let out the kind of exhausted, chest-heaving sighs that only come with the winter: We got about six inches of thick, damp snow overnight, and I was supposed to be running errands today. Oh, hell.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
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    QOTD: What Car Would You Buy Off Your Local Craigslist Right Now?

    Tis the season for scrolling endlessly through Craigslist and sighing at all the cool-ass cars you want to buy but doubt you can convince your family to get for you. Well… it is in my family, at least. I’m sure you’ve found something excellent in your scrolling so far, and I want to know what it is.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
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    Movies, ATVs, And All The Weird Things You Could Rent From U-Haul In The 1980s

    Like my colleague Bradley, I am no stranger to renting a vehicle from U-Haul. When I flipped motorcycles in 2018 I rented a U-Haul motorcycle trailer every couple of weeks and towed them using my trusty Smart Fortwo. U-Haul is typically known for its vehicle rentals and storage, but decades ago they rented absolutely everything from ATVs to VHS movies.

    By Mercedes Streeter Read More
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    It's Kind Of Wild That This Simple And Incredibly Useful Feature Didn't Become Standard On Everything Sooner

    Not every automotive innovation needs to be some grand, world-changing bit of genius. Sometimes, an incredibly useful and life-improving innovation can be very simple, even as simple as, say, four lights and a little drawing of a car. The innovation I’m talking about is the little display on a car’s dashboard that shows which door is open, and I’m here to tell you how much I love it and how baffled I am that it didn’t become standard on every four-door car right away.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    For Turkey Day Watch Some Videos Of The Best Sports Car From Turkey

    Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! As you know the holiday is sometimes called “Turkey Day” colloquially, since that bird is the one most often eaten (beating out emu) and it just sounds better than “Ham Day.” Super-sleuth readers likely know there’s a country called Turkey, too, and they build cars, so I like to highlight those on this day of thanks-shoving. This time I’m going to be like a substitute teacher and just show some movies, though.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    QOTD: What Car-Related Activity Do You Enjoy During The Holidays?

    For many car enthusiasts across the country, the holidays can be a challenging time. It’s cold, the roads are salty and you don’t want your sweet ride to rust. But you can’t just cancel being a car enthusiast during this time. The love of cars lives inside all of us no matter the season.

    By Mercedes Streeter Read More
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    Ford Is Buying Extreme-Cold Freezers For Coronavirus Vaccines For Its Workers

    Ford at one point estimated that it was going to lose $5 billion due to the pandemic, and even though it later said the number turned out to be $1.9 billion, the factory shutdowns really did look for a time like an existential threat. Which means, going forward, Ford will do almost anything to avoid that again. Which is how the company found itself ordering ultra-cold freezers this week. It’s been a weird year.

    By Erik Shilling Read More
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    Here's New Slightly Offensive License Plate Mottos For Every State

    I’ll be honest here — I can’t exactly recall what made me want to come up with new license plate slogans for every state and then Photoshop them all onto license plates, but after cranking out 50 of these things, it’s possible I might regret it, a little bit. But, I hope you won’t! All I ever wanted was to make you happy, and if that means using a sophisticated AI to figure out new, better mottos for every state’s license plate, then so be it.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    The 2021 Kia Sedona Is Getting A New Name And New Truckier Styling

    Kia’s been on a roll lately, producing strong products and pulling down record sales numbers. ?It has not, however, been setting sales records with its minivan, the Sedona. Maybe a new name and new styling is the answer. ?The Korean Car Blog? and ?Motor1? report that a new Carnival minivan will replace the weak-selling Sedona and that it will get SUV-like styling — just like the Chevy Uplander.

    By Lawrence Hodge Read More
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    QOTD: Do You Use Winter Tires?

    We’ve been accused of being overly obsessed with winter tires on this site. We just want you to be safe, how dare we? (Imagine me saying this with as much motherly Catholic guilt as possible.) I will admit with a dash of shame, however, that last year we had such a warm winter in Detroit that I didn’t bother to put snowshoes on my Volkswagen TDI Sportwagen. I kept waiting and waiting for it to get cold enough to justify running up to the tire shop, but it just never happened. They sat in the gar

    By Erin Marquis Read More
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    The Volkswagen Passat Leaves The United States In 2023

    The Passat nameplate has been a feature of Volkswagen showrooms in the U.S. for three decades now. Through the years, buyers have had such wonderful choices as wagons, diesel models and even the unconventional W8 engine. Now, the crossover and SUV world domination has taken another victim: Volkswagen will stop selling the Passat in the United States in 2023.

    By Mercedes Streeter Read More
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    GM Agrees To Colossal Takata Airbag Recall

    GM said today it would be moving on from the Trump administration. Also today: GM said it would comply with a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration decision forcing GM to recall 5.9 million SUVs and trucks with Takata airbags in the U.S., costing GM an estimated $1.2 billion. Were these events related? Probably not, but the timing is still funny.

    By Erik Shilling Read More
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    GM Jumps Ship On Trump

    GM said Friday it would have 30 electric vehicles by 2025, part of its bigger electric push that until now coincided with a baffling decision to side with the Trump administration on emissions rules, along with Toyota, Fiat Chrysler, Subaru and others. Today, GM said it was no longer on Trump’s side.

    By Erik Shilling Read More
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    The Manual-Only Honda N-One RS Is Precious And We Must Protect It

    Earlier this fall, Honda introduced the second generation of its N-One kei car. The new N-One went on sale in Japan this past weekend, and while it looks a whole lot like its predecessor, and most of the changes have been reserved for the interior, the sportiest RS version does have one particular characteristic that is sure to earn it a great many fans: It comes only with a six-speed manual.

    By Adam Ismail Read More
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    This Fantastic Russian Cyberpunk Farm Video Has A Nice Twist Ending And Some Wonderfully Crappy Robots

    I didn’t realize it, but there’s a name for the wonderfully ramshackle mash-up of clunky but high-tech machines, half-assery, and a certain kind of genial safety-adverse Russianness: Birchpunk. A great example of this whole deal can be seen in this incredible little video about a “Russian Cyberfarm,” complete with robots, hovering drones, and a jet-modified UAZ-452 van.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    QOTD: What Car Scared You?

    Over the last several years, I’ve been lucky to be in a position where people hand me the keys to very fast cars. Usually, they’re modern cars with a lot of power, a lot of tire and a lot of careful traction control tuning. Usually, they aren’t inclined to get squirrely unless you’re trying to get squirrely.

    By Rory Carroll Read More
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    Toronto Police Pull Over Car With 30-Year Expired Plates

    What’s more appealing: a $110 fine for expired plates or spending $120 per year on renewing your plates when you’ve been getting by just fine without it? One Toronto driver has opted for the former, making it by for 30 years without renewing his plates.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
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    Public Transportation Has Been Key To Civil Rights Movements Throughout History

    In an essay published after his death, civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. called public transportation—buses, subways, trams, and more—as a “genuine civil rights issue.” He pointed out the crucial factor that Atlanta’s public transit systems were designed to serve white communities, not the Black communities—and it has a serious impact on the socioeconomic status of civil rights movements.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
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    The First Mercedes Hit The Road 120 Years Ago Today

    On November 22, 1900, entrepreneur Emil Jellinek took his specially-crafted Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft machine out for a test drive. It was lighter, sleeker, and faster than anything the company had made before, and to honor the occasion, the car was named Mercedes after Jellinek’s daughter.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
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    QOTD: Who Taught You The Most About Cars?

    Some people get into cars through a strong family love for four-wheeled machines. Some people meet someone later in life who shows them that cars are for more than just getting from Point A to Point B. Some people don’t have any of that, but they still dive in and start learning more no matter what. Who taught you the most about cars?

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
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    Electric Car Makers Have Finally Formed A Lobbying Group

    Lobbying groups are a mainstay in American politics, designed to influence lawmakers to vote in their favor. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, they’re here to stay—and electric vehicle manufacturers like Tesla, Rivian, Lucid Motors, and Uber have joined forces to form Zero Emission Transportation Association (ZETA), a lobbying group designed to encourage that 100 percent of new car sales be electric by 2030.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
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    QOTD: How Do You Make Your Pets Comfortable In The Car?

    As I write this blog, I have two large dogs firmly seated on either side of me, and I’ve been thinking a lot about how I’d like to drive these bad boys out to a nice trail and take them for a walk. The main problem is, I have never actually transported a dog in a vehicle before, and I can’t say my experiences with seeing other people do so in the past have been model examples.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
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    Listen To The First Episode Of Our Car Advice Radio Show

    We did it, everyone! The successful launch of a new radio show all about cars is here. Podcasts are so cliché these days that we went back to terrestrial radio for the true hipster car nerd experience. In this episode I make the connection between fried chicken and the current state of the automotive landscape in America, then answer a bunch of really insightful questions. You can currently listen to the first episode on Spotify right here! I am working on getting the show available for all podc

    By Bradley Brownell Read More
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    Volkswagen's Electric ID.4 Is Already Delayed For America: Report

    The Volkswagen ID.4 is the next electric car America is getting from Volkswagen, following the death of the e-Golf, a car I certainly have never forgotten. The ID.4 was supposed to get here by the end of this year in some places, though according to a new report, we’re now going to have to wait a little longer.

    By Erik Shilling Read More
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    Here's What A Two-Owner Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagen TDI Looks Like After 355,000 Miles

    As you’re getting to know by now, I love some high-mileage warriors. My 2012 Smart Fortwo has 175,000 hard-earned miles, and save for my manual Passat W8 , every Volkswagen I own has more than 200,000 miles. Usually, high mileage means rust and failing parts, but one car refuses to give me any problems at all. My 355,000-mile 2012 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Sportwagen can’t be bothered to break or rust out.

    By Mercedes Streeter Read More
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    The 2021 Lincoln Nautilus Is A Complete Interior Reset

    The Lincoln Nautilus used to be called the MKX, last refreshed in 2017/2018 and rechristened as the Nautilus because alphanumeric names were on the outs. Now Lincoln has refreshed the Nautilus again! Don’t go away just yet, though. I promise that the changes to the interior are somewhat interesting.

    By Erik Shilling Read More
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    Quick Question: Who Would Shit Their Pants First In A Car, Abraham Lincoln Or Isaac Newton?

    As I’m sure you’re well aware, you can’t just stumble through life without really examining and evaluating, really scrutinizing, this curious experience we call existence. Doing so means not being afraid of the questions that will inevitably arise. When those questions arise, you have to face them head-on, look them in their murky ultraviolet, pulsating eyes and do all you can to drag out answers. Questions like who would last longer in a car before shitting their pants in fear, Abraham Lincoln

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    Maserati's Project Rekall Is Preying On My Nostalgia, And It's Working

    If you haven’t noticed, stodgy old brands are doing everything in their power to excite the youths. In fact, BMW has been so committed to this strategy that the company felt it necessary to piss off the only people old and rich enough to afford its products. How bold! No one had ever been brave enough to try it before!

    By Adam Ismail Read More
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    QOTD: Do You Still Care About Nürburgring Lap Records?

    Earlier this week, Mercedes-Benz announced it set a production car lap record around the Nürburgring Nordschleife using the new AMG GT Black Series, with a time of 6:43.616. The previous record-holder, the Lamborghini Aventador SVJ, ran a 6:44.97 in 2018.

    By Adam Ismail Read More
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    GM Has Fighting Words For Tesla

    GM is finally making its big electric push, while also going on an electric car hiring spree. But that was all before today, when GM said that it would go even bigger into electric.

    By Erik Shilling Read More
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    This Is Why You're Not Supposed To Let Moose Lick Your Car

    Look, I get it. It’s been a profoundly shitty year, and most of us would love nothing more than to get in car, drive up to the wilds of Canada and just let a moose go to town on the car with its tongue, licking that damn thing from bumper to bumper. It’s what we want, maybe what we need. But I’m sorry to say you can’t do it. I know, I know, shut up. It wasn’t my idea, but there’s a good reason.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    OK Sony, When Is Gran Turismo 7 Actually Coming?

    Like many people, I’d like to own a PS5 or Xbox Series X one day. Of course, there’s no telling when I’ll have the chance, seeing as how the damned contraptions go out of stock in milliseconds. But my one comfort is that Gran Turismo 7 and the new Forza Motorsport still don’t have release dates. So why rush?

    By Adam Ismail Read More
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    QOTD: Ever Had A Car Problem A Mechanic Couldn't Solve?

    I used to own an almost perfect Volkswagen Passat TDI wagon. I say almost perfect because it suffered from some unknown demon that kept acceleration leisurely and forced it into limp mode when approaching highway speeds. The previous owner had brought it to his local Volkswagen dealership, and he decided to sell when the dealership mechanics couldn’t figure it out.

    By Mercedes Streeter Read More
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    Behold These Hilariously Off-The-Mark Car Models From Old Racing Games

    There was a time when calling a video game photorealistic was just about the greatest praise you could offer. Times have changed, of course. Sure, some games today look more convincing than others, but with modern hardware flailing hundreds of millions of polygons at your face, all shiny and ray-traced, the bar for what constitutes realism is decidedly higher than it was just a decade ago.

    By Adam Ismail Read More
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    The QX55 Feels Like One Of Infiniti's Last Chances

    Infiniti finally debuted its new QX55 this week, which it says is the “spiritual successor” to the Infiniti FX, later known as the QX70, later not known at all. The QX55 is the kind of car that from a product planning perspective makes a ton of sense but also feels like the opposite of a gamechanger.

    By Erik Shilling Read More
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    These Are What The First Modern Flashing Turn Signals Looked Like

    Over this past weekend I sent my telepresence robot to BlinkerFest, the annual turn-signal enthusiasts’ meetup, held this year in Barcelona. Due to COVID reasons, only telepresence robots or service animals were allowed to attend, and while an all-remote solution would have made more sense, the deposit on the banquet hall was already made and non-refundable. At the event, a fellow indicator enthusiast (via an iPad) approached me on his service ostrich, and began to berate me, loudly and profanel

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    2022 Honda Civic Prototype: This Is It

    When it comes to car reveals, automakers sometimes like trying things a little bit different. A recent example is BMW, which did a bizarre social media assault in a weird defense of a controversial design. Not to be outdone, Honda decided to reveal the new 2022 Civic through Twitch on their Head 2 Head channel.

    By Mercedes Streeter Read More
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    Former UAW Vice President Gets Prison Time For Money Laundering And Fraud

    Fifteen people have been convicted in connection with a federal corruption investigation into the UAW. Joe Ashton, a former UAW vice president, is among them, having pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering and wire fraud last year. Tuesday, he was handed one of the longest prison sentences to arise from the scandal.

    By Erik Shilling Read More
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    The 2021 Toyota Mirai Deserves More Than A Little Consideration

    We’ve already mostly seen the second-generation Toyota Mirai, but now we know most of its features, too. It has a fancier trim for the first time and is, in my mind, very much a looker with its updated styling, though I know there are still a lot of Mirai skeptics out there.

    By Erik Shilling Read More
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    Toyota Patents An Autonomous EV Charging Vehicle Idea I Had Three Years Ago

    While I’d like to believe that major carmakers have implanted cameras and microphones in my dogs and cats and are reading the contents of my thoughts via complex analyses of my stools, which they harvest, I think the truth is that the reason so many of my ideas have been taken by carmakers is that they’re just, you know, solid ideas. I’d like to think that’s why Toyota’s recent patent for an AV vehicle that recharges/refuels your car is so much like the idea I had in 2017, and not that Toyota is

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    The Torchinsky Files: Let's Compare The Most Popular Video- Game Speech Modules Of The 1980s

    As someone who was alive and at least semiconscious during the 1980s, I vividly remember the strange thrill of having a machine talk. For reasons that I think are more emotional than rational, there was a time when the idea of having a talking computer or video game system was a Big Deal, at least in short bursts. Everyone was excited when a Berzerk arcade machine would announce “coin detected in pocket!” or when the computer in WarGames asked if you wanted to play a game. Speech seemed like a b

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    Help Me, I'm Defending Seatbelt Pads

    I’m unsure exactly what is happening, but here we are. I’m telling you that we were wrong all this time: seatbelt pads are really very good. Let me explain myself.

    By José Rodríguez Jr. Read More
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    QOTD: Which State Has The Best License Plates?

    If you have to bolt something on to your car, you want it to be stylish, or at the very least, interesting. While no one from the state is going to force you to strap colorful MaxTrax board or rad rally lights to your ride, they will make you display a license plate, sometimes two of them. A nicely designed license plate can make a person at least partially excited to spend time at the DMV. So we gots to know; which state’s license plate design is your favorite?

    By Erin Marquis Read More
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    Tesla Never Really Had Its Heart In The $35,000 Model 3

    I’m old enough to remember when the Tesla Model 3 was supposed to be the affordable Tesla, the one that costs “only” $35,000, except we only ever really saw the $35,000 Model 3 in fits and starts. Now it looks as if Tesla might soon be moving on from the $35,000 Model 3 for good.

    By Erik Shilling Read More
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    Tesla Set To Join S&P 500, Boosting Share Price Again

    The Standard & Poor’s 500 has long been considered the standard bearer of the health of the United States economy. This index measures the stock performance of 500 large, publicly traded companies in the U.S. On Monday, the index announced it would be adding Tesla to its list of 500 on December 21st. Tesla was snubbed for inclusion in September, despite meeting the criteria set by the committee.

    By Bradley Brownell Read More
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    QOTD: What's The Best Concept Car That Never Made It To Production?

    If you’ve been following the headlines over the past week, you know that Porsche has been going a bit crazy with concept cars. Stuttgart trotted out a batch of its top-secret prototypes to promote an upcoming book, Porsche Unseen. So far, 14 vehicles have been brought to light as part of the project, ranging from a van to a roadgoing version of the Le Mans-winning 919 Hybrid racecar.

    By Adam Ismail Read More
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    Ford Might Start Making Its Own Batteries To Create More Jobs

    A few months ago, former Ford CEO Jim Hackett said there was no advantage to Ford building its own batteries for its electric vehicles. Now, the new CEO Jim Farley has reversed the company’s position, saying on Friday that making its own EVs would actually be a pretty solid way for Ford to create more jobs.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
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    Italian Police Use Lamborghini To Transport Donor Kidney 300 Miles In Two Hours

    In what may be one of the most Italian things that has ever happened, the Italian State Police rushed a donor kidney from Padua to Rome for a transplant in a Lamborghini Huracan. Last week’s journey is around 300 miles, but with the help of a specially-outfitted supercar, the police made it happen in just about two hours at an average speed of 143 mph—and that’s a journey that normally takes around six.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
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    QOTD: What Do You Listen To In The Car?

    There are few things I hate more than inane conversation when I’m driving. I feel bad about it, but there hits a point two hours into a cross-country drive where I just don’t want to hear what my husband is thinking. I love the man, but I am probably already annoyed at traffic or weather or one of our bodily functions or something, and I want to tune it all out. I want music.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
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    The Chevy Bolt Recall Is A Weird One

    Chevy is recalling over 68,000 Bolts from model years 2017-2019 because of the risk of fire, with 50,925 of those in the U.S., after cases of parked Bolts catching fire. Chevy has offered Bolt owners a slightly complicated band-aid of a solution until Chevy can offer a more permanent one.

    By Erik Shilling Read More
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    QOTD: What Would You Want In A Car Focused Multi-Tool?

    For about the last decade or so, I’ve been in the habit of carrying a Leatherman in my right front pocket pretty much all the time. I’m not really a “gear” person, but I find it’s something I use several times a day most days. On days where I’m doing emergency roadside repairs, a basic Leatherman has several times been the difference between the abject humiliation of calling a tow truck and continuing on my merry way. Oddly though, I’ve never seen a multi-tool specifically designed for working

    By Rory Carroll Read More
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    This Man Owns Over 100 Cars Including That Road-Legal Porsche 962

    It started out simply enough. Travel two hours north of Tokyo before an official lockdown is implemented to see the Mike Tyson Special Koenig Testarossa, for sale at a dealer in the countryside of Gunma Prefecture. What I found was far more interesting, the kind of almost-unbelievable stories you can expect to hear in the hidden-gem shops Japan is famous for.

    By Ken Saito Read More
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    Rivian Announces Pricing For Pickups And SUVs And Patents A Removable Battery Pack

    Our pals over at the presciently named Rivian Owners’ Forum have been going through old man Rivian’s trash and discovered some interesting stuff. Stuff like the electric truckmaker’s first official pricing information, and a patent on a removable auxiliary battery. The age of electric trucks is happening. But, they’re not cheap, at least not yet.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    The Ford E-Transit Is The Most Exciting Electric Car In Years

    Ford debuted its all-electric E-Transit van this morning, and I have to say, of all the electric car debuts we’ve seen in recent years — the Volkswagen ID.4, the Mustang Mach-E, the Hummer EV, the Cadillac Lyriq, yes, even the Polestar 2 and Honda E — the E-Transit is more exciting than them all.

    By Erik Shilling Read More
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    Mazdaspeed Is Really Truly Once-And-For-All Dead, For Real This Time

    Mazda’s efforts to shift upmarket have been critically successful. But commercially they are, well, less than ideal. Mind you, in 2020 “less than ideal” seems to be the baseline for practically every automaker, so we won’t knock the company for that. What we will knock them for, however, is leaving Mazdaspeed behind.

    By Adam Ismail Read More
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    The BMW iX Is A 300-Mile Electric Flagship And A Huge Deal For BMW

    “The BMW iNext Will Lead The Brand To Its Electric Future,” we wrote in 2019 about an upcoming fully electric crossover meant to make BMW competitive in the EV space after years of playing it safe. Now the iNext is here in production form, and it’s called the iX. Here’s what we know.

    By David Tracy Read More
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    QOTD: What Car Did You Unreasonably Love As A Kid?

    Humans are emotional creatures and, against our better judgment, sometimes we take a shine to cars for no logical reason. As the guy who wrote about a fancy C-HR yesterday, I’m acutely aware of this. But when I think back to my childhood, I’m reminded of so many cars I loved as a kid that I simply don’t think about all that often anymore.

    By Adam Ismail Read More
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    Hell Yes Bizzarrini Is Back

    You remember Bizzarrini right? The Italian sports carmaker best known for making the 5300 GT Strada before flying too close to the sun and fizzling out in 1969? Well, Bizzarrini is back.

    By Erik Shilling Read More
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    The Cars That Time Can't Kill

    Some cars are like cockroaches, hard to kill. Year after year, they keep selling in numbers large enough to justify their existence without requiring substantial updates. Some are near-ubiquitous, some are niche cars in niche segments. Here are seven vehicles that refuse to change.

    By Lawrence Hodge Read More
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    This Video Of A Man Delighted With His Fiat 126 Is Making Me Quite Happy

    I’ve always really liked the Fiat 126, Fiat’s “modernization” of the old 500 if you’re willing to accept that modernity just means swapping bubbly shapes for boxy shapes. I find them wildly appealing little cars, full of odd decisions and clever engineering and a certain kind of extremely budget-conscious charm that never fails to get me. This video by UK-based car-reviewer Mat Watson is a fairly straightforward video of a man just pleased with his car, and I think it’s great.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    Plug-In Hybrids Could Save The Day For Mercedes-Benz In Europe

    Fully electric vehicles are a transportation revolution moving full steam ahead. Whether it’s a Volkswagen ID.3, Tesla Model 3 or even electric pickups, the world loves giving EVs attention (if not sales). However, while electric cars steal the headlines and hearts, plug-in hybrids are the cars helping automakers in Europe with few EV offerings like Mercedes-Benz to lower CO2 emissions and avoid fines.

    By Mercedes Streeter Read More
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    Hyundai Isn't Messing Around With Its N Cars

    Almost every other automaker is out here talking about how much they’re doing with electric cars, Hyundai this week was like: That’s cool and all but how about good old SPORTINESS and PERFORMANCE.

    By Erik Shilling Read More
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    GM Is Going On An Electric Car Hiring Spree

    GM said Monday that it was rapidly ramping up its EV development engineering teams. GM also revealed the screen in its upcoming Bolt EUV. Nikola, meanwhile, revealed Monday that its deal with GM has not closed. There was a lot going on with GM today!

    By Erik Shilling Read More
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    Volvo Recalls Over 54,000 S80 And S60 Sedans

    Airbag makers can’t catch a break. An incident that occurred last year, which resulted in one motorist fatality, is now leading to the recall of a little over 54,000 Volvos, as reported by Reuters over the weekend. The recall affects 2001-2003 model year Volvo S80 and S60 “light vehicles.” This time, though, it’s not Takata that’s getting grief but Germany’s ZF.

    By José Rodríguez Jr. Read More
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    Huge News: Stellantis Bestows Its Official Logo To The Peoples Of Earth

    Everyone, everyone, gather ‘round because I have fantastic news. Stellantis, the company formed by the mergers of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) and Groupe PSA (you know, the old Peugeot-Citroën) have unveiled its new logo to the world, and it only looks a little like a brand of tooth-whitener! Looks like everything’s gonna be okay now!

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    Land Rover Once Made An Edible Survival Guide And I'm Trying To Find One, To Eat

    Like most people willing to listen to me talk about cars for more than 15 seconds, I have a sort of irrational affection for Land Rover. They’re extremely capable machines in extreme environments and kind of ridiculous to use in civilization, well, at least the old ones were, but they’re full of rugged, unpolished charm. That general sense of capable absurdity is well-reflected in one of my favorite Land Rover marketing ideas: in 2012, they made a promotional survival guide that you could eat. A

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    Why I Sometimes Wear A Mask Even While Driving

    Every once in a while, I see memes or social media posts making fun of people who are wearing face masks while behind the wheel. “Why would anyone wear a mask while driving?” Well, there are several reasons. You might be wearing a mask if you are driving with someone outside your contact circle (which, even with a mask, is terribly dicy) or you could do what I do: Wear your mask while driving as a reminder not to touch your face.

    By Erin Marquis Read More
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    I've Encountered A Type Of VW Beetle Turn Indicator I've Never Seen Before And I'm Going Nuts

    The other night I was hanging out at Flashing Amber’s, my local turn-signal fetishists’ bar (not to be confused with The Red Lantern, the pub I go to when I want to talk about taillights) when a friend I know from the turn indicator enthusiast community came up to me, slightly drunk and with a devious-looking smirk on her face. She was holding her phone and wanted to show me something on it. Something to do with turn signals.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    What Are The Quirks Of Your Local Car Culture?

    What you see above could only be described as Pure Michigan. It’s a scene from a car meet and Woodward cruise our own David Tracy spontaneously decided on Friday to throw the next day in suburban Detroit. We were talking about the peculiarity of the Michigan car scene in Jalop Slack, and it made me wonder: What is enthusiast car culture like in different parts of the country?

    By Erin Marquis Read More
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    Here's Why The Same Jeeps Showed Up To All Of Joe Biden's Speeches

    President-elect Joe Biden gave his victory speech accepting the United States presidency last night, and after a week of uncertainty, plenty of folks started noticing something: the exact same vehicles appeared in the front row at every one of the drive-in rallies. Here’s why.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
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    What We Know So Far About President-Elect Joe Biden's Auto Policy

    The longest race in the world has been unofficially decided: former Vice President Joe Biden has been tentatively named the President Elect of the United States. Whether that sticks until inauguration day remains to be seen since there are still pending lawsuits regarding the whole “vote counting” situation, but at the very least, we can have a conversation about the things we do know: cars and Joe Biden.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
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    QOTD: What Car Made You An Enthusiast?

    Like many of you, I grew up around cars. Most of my family was involved in the auto industry, and my dad had a Barracuda, a Mustang, and a Trans Am in the pole barn that I remember helping him work on for the earliest parts of my childhood. It was a point of pride for me that I could correctly identify the make and model of a Hot Wheels car faster than any of my male classmates.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
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    We're Starting A Car Advice Radio Show, So What Do You Need Help With?

    I’ve had an idea for a new car advice and education radio show rattling around in my head for a couple of years now. An opportunity came up with local public radio station KWNK Reno, and I jumped at the chance to put my weird voice on the airwaves. I’ve always wanted a radio show, K wink rules, and by working together we can create a new show for the Jalopnik audience to enjoy. The station has been gracious enough to offer me around 90 minutes of airtime for the show, which we’re calling Ten & T

    By Bradley Brownell Read More
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    Detroit Police Take Trump Unity Bridge And Its Owner Into Custody For 'Riding Dirty'

    If you’ve been keeping an eye on the news the last four years, you may have seen this rolling altar to mediocrity in the background of rallies and protests across the country. The Trump Unity Bridge has been everywhere, from LA to Oklahoma, where it was briefly stolen and then crashed, and back up to its home in Michigan. It seems it will stay there for a while, as Detroit police seized the trailer Friday, along with its owner Livonia, Mich., resident Rob Cortis.

    By Erin Marquis Read More
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    Detroit-Area Jalopnik Readers: Let's Cruise Woodward On Saturday

    The pandemic is a disaster, the election is a shit-show, and before you know it, the weather is going to bring more doom and gloom to our lives. But that’s not happening this weekend, so fire up your cars one last time before salt threatens to destroy them, and let’s pointlessly burn a shit-ton of gasoline on Woodward Avenue.

    By David Tracy Read More
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    Greetings From South Texas

    Hello, Jalopnik! I am one of the new writers on staff here, and I want to introduce myself to all of you. My name is José Rodríguez Jr., and I am E36 crazy. Not because I have an extensive fleet like that of our own Deutsche-car-obsessed Mercedes Streeter or our in-house Jeep maniac David Tracy, but because like a moth to the flame, I keep coming back to the E36 platform and BMW in general.

    By José Rodríguez Jr. Read More
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    There's Some Exciting Droid Shit In The New Season Of The Mandalorian UPDATED

    We’re in a period of time, right at this very moment, when escapist entertainment is not just welcome, but could possibly be considered a medical necessity. Thankfully, there’s a new season of The Mandalorian starting, and it’s already delivering with some quality droid content which, you’ll recall, is the only content that matters.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    Turns Out DJ Marshmello's Stolen Huge 6x6 Truck Makes A Pretty Crappy Police Chase Vehicle

    As someone who once lived in Los Angeles for almost 20 years, I can tell you that, like all Angelenos, I’ve spent an unhealthy amount of time considering police chases. They’re a staple on LA news and, when you’ve seen enough of them, you start to really think about what sort of car you’d want to get away from cops most effectively and, ideally, with the most style. A recent police chase demonstrated that if you think a custom Ford Raptor with three axles and massive tires stolen from a well-kno

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    I Looked At A Porsche 911 Weird And Somehow It Became A Pickup Truck

    You ever have something stupid in your head and you can’t shake it until you, in some way, see it through? I feel like an embarrassing number of my life decisions are the result of this and, just so you know, so is this post. You see yesterday I saw a picture of a side view of a Porsche 911 in passing, and my brain somehow misinterpreted it as a picture of a weird cab-forward pickup truck. I couldn’t get the image out of my head, so here we are.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    Massachusetts Passes Powerful Right-To-Repair Protection

    Remember a few months ago, when we told you about a ridiculous fear-mongering campaign regarding a ballot initiative in Massachusetts that would protect the right for car owners to get access to the data their vehicles generate, so that owners and independent repair shops could work on cars with the same tool that manufacturers and dealers have access to? Sure you do. Well, good news, because it passed! This is an important right-to-repair event, and gives Massachusetts one of the strongest righ

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    Europeans Aren't Buying The Honda E So Now Honda Has To Team Up With Tesla

    Honda is humming the tune of the Jackson 5’s “ABC” today as it combines efforts with Fiat Chrysler and Tesla to comply with emissions standards in the EU. It is likely that Honda is joining FCA and Tesla because of lower-than-expected sales of its BEV, the Honda E. As reported by the Japan Times, Honda is joining a pooled fleet with its competitors:

    By José Rodríguez Jr. Read More
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    Florida Person Finds A 10-Foot Python In A Mustang's Engine

    I think we all know the real problem with this story: it’s not that there was a colossal, ten-foot snake coiled in the engine bay of this Floridian’s Ford Mustang. It’s Florida, there’s going to be giant snakes in things. No, the problem here is that the Mustang in question is not an SVT Cobra, because then the headline could have been Python Found Inside Cobra, and that would have been so much better. I mean, as it is, it’s fine, because that is an alarmingly huge snake.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    Ferrari Says It'll Never Go 100 Percent Electric

    The Ferrari SF90 Stradale is Ferrari’s first production hybrid car, which it released last year, when it also said it would have more hybrids on the way and an all-electric Ferrari by 2030. But don’t fret, Ferrari said today it would never go all electric.

    By Erik Shilling Read More
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    That Popular Netflix Series The Queen's Gambit Has Some Excellent Car-Casting

    At the moment of this writing, the most popular show on Netflix right now is somewhat unexpectedly a period drama set in the ’50s and ’60s about an orphan girl who becomes an international chess prodigy. It’s good! Even if you don’t know much about chess, like me, someone whose deepest foray into chess was pitting an Atari 2600 and an Apple II against each other in a low-stakes early pandemic-era battle. Also, if you’re more into cars than chess, you’re in luck as well, as the series features so

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    Volvo Is Doing A Tesla Imitation

    There are basically two ways to mass-produce a car: You can hire someone else to do it, or you can do a lot of it yourself and outsource the rest. Almost every automaker is in that latter group, including Tesla, even if it aspires to do everything on its own. So is Volvo, though Volvo said Monday that it would move one big aspect of its EV program in-house.

    By Erik Shilling Read More
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    Ford's Farley Wants To Build More Affordable Electric Compacts

    Jim Farley has officially been in charge of Ford for one month now, and he’s already making big sweeping statements that have a lot of impact on the future of the blue oval. In a recent discussion with Wards Auto, Farley indicated that—perhaps as an attack on GM’s super expensive Hummer EV—Ford isn’t in the game of building six-figure EVs for the elites. His plan involves a full suite of electric Fords ranging from $20,000 to $70,000, including compacts for the everyperson.

    By Bradley Brownell Read More
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    Of Course That Texas 'Trump Train' Was 'Protecting' That Biden Bus

    There’s been an awful lot of noise lately about an incident that happened over the weekend when a Biden-Harris campaign bus that was leaving Austin, Texas was surrounded by a “Trump Train” composed of various Trump-flag-bearing trucks and SUVs. While many have interpreted this as a hostile act, President Trump described the trucks as “protecting” the Biden-Harris bus because “they’re nice” at a Michigan campaign rally. Well, duh, right?

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    Dutch Train Wreck Ends Up Becoming Part Of Huge Sculpture And I Think It Works

    The Dadaists, especially Marcel Duchamp, tended to embrace acts of chance when it came to their art. One of his pieces, The Bride Stripped Bare By Her Bachelors, Even was on glass and partially shattered, which allegedly delighted Duchamp. In this context, the accident involving a metro train outside of Rotterdam that crashed through a barrier and was prevented from plummeting off a bridge and into the surrounding water by a huge sculpture of a whale’s tail, where it came to rest, could be consi

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    Watch This Datsun 280z Get Its First Wash Ever

    Imagine you crack open a barn that no one has touched in decades and finding a Datsun 280Z with a mere 350 miles on it. If you’re a car enthusiast, your brain is probably immediately roaring with ideas about what you’re going to do with this car. But before any of that, you have one task: Wash it.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
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    Volkswagen Forgets How To Tighten Bolts, Recalls Jetta

    I’ve got bad news for you find folks who own a 2016-2018 Volkswagen Jetta equipped with the CZTA engine. Your car is likely one of the 218,192 units being recalled because its engine fuel rail bolts haven’t been properly tightened.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
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    QOTD: What's The Worst Possible Vehicle You Could Electrify?

    I have to be honest, folks. I still haven’t moved on from the electric Hummer. It is an affront to nature. A Halloween costume gone wrong. GMC literally faced God and decided to walk backwards into hell on that one, and I have a feeling it’s not going to be the only awful vehicle that’s going to get an EV makeover in the near future.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More

Car Design (18)

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    Why Use A Crash Sled When You Can Launch A VW Golf Into A Scania?

    Have you ever wanted to know what happens when you send a small car like a Volkswagen Golf into a big rig? As a small car driver and someone with a morbid mind, I’ve had that thought many a time. And, apparently, so does Scania—although they’re out here doing it for research.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
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    The Film Interstellar Was Actually About Nissan's Implosion

    There’s an Easter egg hidden in the latest Nissan logo redesign. The logo alludes to Christopher Nolan’s film, Interstellar, and it may be proof that Nissan has become trapped inside of a time-warp and is desperately trying to reach its true self.

    By José Rodríguez Jr. Read More
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    Let Honda's Product Planning Boss Walk You Through The New 2022 Civic Prototype

    I know we all love to learn what goes into building wild machines like hypercars or race cars, but there’s something really nice about learning how an automaker has designed your daily driver to maximize comfort and efficiency. And that’s what a new video with head of product planning American Honda Motor Co., Gary Robinson, does with the 2022 Honda Civic prototype.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
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    These Are The Most (And Least) Reliable New Vehicles On The Market

    When you’re buying a new car, the big thing you want is reliability. Yes, all those fancy doo-dads, gadgets, and features are nice, but if your machine is breaking down all the time, you don’t actually ever get to use any of that. Thankfully, you don’t have to go out and test every single vehicle available right now to determine which is the most reliable: Consumer Reports has already done that for you.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
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    Let's Talk About These Bonkers-Looking Old Volkswagen Aero Bumper Things

    The other day, someone on Twitter reached out to see if I knew anything about a particular vintage Volkswagen accessory, something seen in a picture on a ‘50s-era Beetle in a magazine. The accessory was an aftermarket bumper, but this bumper did not look like a defensive part of a car; it looked downright offensive, perhaps in both senses of the word. It’s a big, aluminum, dangerous-looking blade affixed at an angle on the front of the car. What’s going on here?

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    Let's Take A Deeper Look At The New 2022 Subaru BRZ's Design

    We got our first look at the new take on Subaru’s fun little unpretentious sports car, the BRZ, earlier today. While it hasn’t changed dramatically, the styling changes are significant and are evidence of a larger and welcome design trend. I’m going to demand you join me as we dig a bit deeper into the design, so brace yourself.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    Mini's Urbanaut Concept Is A Room On Wheels That We've Seen Before And We'll See Again

    Mini showed the world its new concept car on Tuesday. It’s essentially an electric-powered wheeled room that’s filled with interesting and clever design details. There’s not much here that we haven’t seen before in various forms since as early as the 1930s, but it’s a solid idea and, if you’re thinking in terms of an autonomous future, it’s a design that makes a lot of sense. One warning, though: most of the terms and way the Mini marketing team has decided to describe this car will make you abs

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
  • 0

    The R34 GT-R's Multifunction Display Was Secretly Its Coolest Feature

    Though it may be hard to recall today, the world was fascinated by and enamored with the idea of computers in our cars for a great many years. In the days before GPS was commonly offered across various makes and models, and certainly before you could plug in your phone in to play media and get directions, infotainment displays were reserved for the most luxurious marques, and even then, they looked terrible and were frustratingly slow.

    By Adam Ismail Read More
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    Sports Cars Don't Have To Look Angry

    In the timeline of groundbreaking icons and over-the-top designs, the understated 1970 Lamborghini Jarama gets glossed over. But it remains relevant for one reason: it doesn’t look pissed off.

    By Raphael Orlove Read More
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    Showdown: Which Bustleback Was The Best?

    I always like it when a little bit of collective, shared insanity takes over a group of people. In the early 1980s, there were many examples of this, from the idea that eating quiche was gendered, to the cubes of Rubik to being forced to push up sleeves on everything you wore, but my favorite example may be how the Big Three all decided that they needed luxury cars with weird-looking trunks. These are sometimes called “bustlebacks,” and I think we should take a moment to consider them, and who p

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    Legendary McLaren P1 Designer Sketched A Redesigned Ferrari F40

    Hey now, look at that! You may have just finished reading Jalopnik’s great interview with legendary designer Frank Stephenson. Well Frank has moved on from working on McLarens to now making internet videos, and in his latest he attempts to redesign the iconic Ferrari F40.

    By Justin T. Westbrook Read More
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    Legendary Designer Frank Stephenson Says Modern Car Design Lacks Soul And Warns Against Buying Friday-Built McLarens

    Look back through the history books of automotive design. It won’t take long, there have only been 120 years of cars anyway. Wherever you look, you’ll have a hard time finding someone with as broad a range and more iconic designs than this Moroccan-born genius with a pen, Frank Stephenson. Frank has frequently been given the task of creating a brand identity in his career, and those brands have absolutely taken off.

    By Bradley Brownell Read More
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    Lexus Dreamed Up Two Different Autonomous Futures That Will Help Us Relax

    When it comes to autonomous vehicles, one of the biggest complaints is that they’ll take away the reactive, human elements of driving that see us making split-second decisions and not, y’know, immediately crashing into walls when the car is unleashed. It’s hard to relax and let some code control your vehicle. But Lexus has paired with two TED Fellows to design two different ways we might start relaxing into our autonomous cars.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More

Concept Cars (5)

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    Porsche Once Designed A Car To Put Itself Out Of Business

    I don’t generally proclaim myself to be a skilled, or even competent, or even a non-severely untalented businessperson, but I do know that a great way to make money in the car business is to sell more cars. I also know that if you sell cars that don’t need to be replaced for at least three decades, that’s probably not a great business move. Very likely, that’s why Porsche’s research into a long-life vehicle never actually resulted in a production model. Because Porsche likes to sell cars.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    The Lotus Ethos City Car Concept Didn't Get Enough Attention Ten Years Ago And It's Time To Rectify That

    Think back a decade to the Paris Motor Show of 2010. The big story there has become a total joke as the then-Dany Bahar run and Proton-owned Lotus delivered six new concepts to the show and then never followed through on any of them. “Wait,” you say, “Lotus only showed five concepts at Paris that year; Elise, Elite, Elan, Esprit, and the Eterne sedan.” You know your Lotus press releases, and that’s exactly what Lotus would have you believe if you look at their press materials of the day. But the

    By Bradley Brownell Read More
  • 0

    Dany Bahar's Coachbuilding Company Will Hack Your C8 Corvette Into A Gorgeous Supercar

    By all accounts, Chevrolet’s new mid-engine Corvette is an instant hit. It drives great, punching way above its tax bracket. But, and it’s a big but, the C8-generation Corvette is hardly a looker. It’s a little too wannabe Ferrari and not enough standalone icon. If you’ve got enough scratch to pay for the carbon fiber, secretive coachbuilder ARES Design will gladly pitch your ‘Vette’s body panels in the trash and build this wild body atop the mechanical remains.

    By Bradley Brownell Read More

Crashes and Safety (5)

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    How I Nearly Crashed A $100,000 Porsche Taycan Into A Wall

    In August, Porsche invited journalists to the Hockenheimring to watch Chris Harris get behind the wheel of a Porsche Taycan to attempt the world record for the longest drift in an electric car. Afterward, Porsche gave journalists a chance to drift the EV around the wet skid pad, and though I had no drifting experience outside of Jeeps in mud and snow, I was never going to turn down this opportunity. The result of this YOLO attitude was a near-crash.

    By David Tracy Read More
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    Stoned Tesla Driver Crashes So Hard It Sends Batteries Flying Into Nearby Apartments

    Guess what Tesla-stans! There was a Tesla wreck that I am not going to suggest was related to the use of Telsa’s Level 2 semi-autonomous Autopilot system! Nope, this one was caused by good, old-fashioned human brains, rendered high via the application of some drugs. No need for advanced AI systems here, just a bunch of that plant Elon always likes to talk about. Luckily and incredibly, nobody was hurt, though cells from the Tesla’s smashed battery pack ended up in some nearby apartments.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
  • 0

    Infamous Low-Ass Bridge Helps RV Owner With A/C Delete

    Ever since the infamous 11-foot-8 bridge in Durham, North Carolina, gained 8 inches in clearance, we’ve had an empty spot in our hearts where bridge can-opener justice once filled the void. Despite the road below now having a full 12-foot-4 of clearance, the bridge is here to say it can still deliver a laugh or two. In crash No. 158, the “11-foot 8+8" bridge removed two air conditioners from a lengthy fifth-wheel RV.

    By Mercedes Streeter Read More
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    Watch Volvo Drop Cars From A 100-Foot Crane For Shits, Giggles And Important Research

    Sure, crash testing cars horizontally is extremely useful, but who wants to be cooped up inside a drab crash test facility all day? Remember how exciting it was when your professor told you class would be held outside? Well, crash testers are no different and enjoy mixing it up a bit in the great outdoors, too. That’s why Volvo dropped a bunch of new cars and SUVs from a 100-foot crane to the ground. Well, that and also because doing so gave rescue workers extremely valuable data, training, and

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
  • 0

    This Video Of A Terrifying High-Speed Tesla Wreck Is A Reminder That Autopilot's Problems Aren't Just Technical

    We’ve written about the hacker/security researcher who goes by GreenTheOnly on Twitter before, as he has done a lot of digging into the data stored in modern cars, with a focus on Teslas. As a result, occasionally salvage yards will send him black boxes and memory modules from cars, which is how he acquired this video and data from a wrecked Tesla. The video shows a pretty harrowing high-speed impact with another car, and while Autopilot was not active right at the time of impact, I think the pr

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More

Crime (5)

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    Police Impound Man's New Car 30 Seconds After He Purchased It

    We’ve all had bad days behind the wheel. Maybe your project car breaks down miles from home, or maybe you get into a little fender bender. But a man from Northampton, Northamptonshire, England is here to challenge all of our bad car days. He managed to get his Renault Megane impounded a mere 30 seconds after purchasing it.

    By Mercedes Streeter Read More
  • 0

    Belgian Security Researchers Find A Clunky But Effective Way To Steal A Tesla In Minutes

    Here’s a warning for Tesla owners: if you see a sort of Belgian-looking person (I assume that means they resemble TinTin?) walking around you and car, holding a box full of electronics and wires, maybe play it safe and smack the box out of their hands, then stomp on it. Because it’s possible they could be part of COSIC, a research group from the University of Leuven in Belgium, that just discovered a huge security hole in Tesla Model S and X’s keyless entry system that would allow the car to be

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
  • 0

    Florida Man Steals Utility Pole, Doesn't Look Obvious At All

    It’s 2020 and times are tough. Sometimes you have to get a bit creative to make a little cash. Like for instance, taking trashed metal to a scrapyard for some extra dough. But this Florida man and his Toyota Camry? He’s taking an entire utility pole from the side of an interstate highway.

    By Mercedes Streeter Read More
  • 0

    Cops Use A 'Grappler Bumper' To Catch A Speeding Jackass Who Was Ramming A Car

    We’ve written before about an impressive and excitingly alarming automotive device called the Grappler Police Bumper. The Grappler Bumper lets one car snare and capture another, an action much like you would witness if such a thing as car rodeos existed. While the potential for misuse is pretty high, it looks as if the Grappler Bumper has been used for good, as in this case of a cop using it to snare and stop a road-rageful driver who was repeatedly hitting another driver’s car.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More

Entertainment (1)

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    These Are The Most Exciting Car Chases In Film According To Science

    Everyone who likes car chase movies has their favorite classic. Whether it’s Bullitt, The French Connection, or even Fast and Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, you’ve probably got a few favorites, and you probably have strong feelings about them. But what does science have to say about how truly exciting those chases are?

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More

Ford (1)

Found For Sale (8)

  • 0

    A 1972 Chevy Blazer Just Sold For $115,000 On Bring A Trailer So Hope You Won't Miss Things Making Sense

    Seeing how much various things sell for on the popular car auction site Bring a Trailer has become a great way to remind yourself that reality isn’t always bound by rules you think are rational, or make sense. We’ve seen this happen with air-cooled Volkswagen and Porsche prices launching like a Coke/Mentos geyser into the mesosphere, and now we’re seeing similar insanity with a Chevy K5 Blazer, as one just sold for a spit-take inducing $115,000. What.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
  • 0

    Oh My God Look At This Hummer

    Look, we at Jalopnik have some respect for the Hummer brand. But this Hummer H2 we found on eBay has so much going on that my brain’s misfiring just trying to comprehend it. With that said, I’m going to try to get through a description of this...vehicle.

    By Mercedes Streeter Read More
  • 0

    Someone On Craigslist Is Trying To Sell A VW Rabbit With A Hitler Speedometer

    I’m a firm believer that everyone should be allowed to modify their own car as they see fit, as long as, you know, those modifications aren’t about hurting anyone. It’s your car, so, enjoy it, however that may play out! That said, that doesn’t mean I understand the choices people may make, and I can’t think of a better example than this 2007 Volkswagen Rabbit for sale in the Bay Area. The one with a speedometer and tachometer modified to be two little Hitlers.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
  • 0

    Meet The Bonkers Home-Built Wedge And The Man That Drove It 5,000 Miles In A Road Rally

    I think most of us oil-soaked gearheads can appreciate the charm and novelty of a really bonkers one-off car. Even if the design is confusing or downright ill-conceived, you have to respect the effort and force of will it takes to build a whole idiosyncratic car from, essentially, scratch, all by yourself. A car like this doorstop-shaped Wedge is a perfect example of that. But to go beyond just appreciating such a car, though, takes a special sort of person. A person like Jim Forbes, who actuall

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
  • 0

    Audi TT, Volkswagen Beetle TDI, Jeep Liberty CRD: The Dopest Cars, Trucks, Motorcycles And Buses I Found For Sale Online

    I’m a bit of a sorceress when it comes to finding cool cars for not a whole lot of cash on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace. I intentionally scrape the bottom of the barrel looking for dastardly cheap cars and trucks that, with a little work, could be amazing daily drivers. Even when I have a full stable, I’m always online looking at cars I find myself drooling over owning. The list that follows has 10 cars, trucks, buses and motorcycles I’d happily own if I had unlimited cash reserves.

    By Mercedes Streeter Read More
  • 0

    This Volkswagen VR6-Powered Smyth Performance GF3 Is An Almost-Finished Sleeper

    I know a common saying in the car community is “you should never take on someone else’s project.” But what if that someone’s project is a midengine roadster kit car powered by a Volkswagen Jetta VR6 paired with a manual shift and a limited-slip differential? Because that’s what I found browsing online ads in Connecticut. Up for grabs on Craigslist is this 1999 Volkswagen Jetta VR6 turned into a Smyth Performance GF3 kit car for $12,500. 

    By Mercedes Streeter Read More

Motorcycles (11)

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    I Took A Harley-Davidson LiveWire On A Road Trip And Everything That Could Have Gone Wrong Did

    The school of hard knocks never gives out a diploma. You’re never done learning things the hard way if you’re an idiot like me. I recently took a class on what happens when you fail to plan ahead and while I definitely learned something, it was probably something I should have already known to begin with. Anyway, this is the story of how I borrowed a brand new Harley-Davidson LiveWire in Los Angeles and rode it 500 miles home to Reno, Nevada.

    By Bradley Brownell Read More
  • 0

    Harley-Davidson Is Done With Factory-Backed Racing

    One of the coolest parts about Harley-Davidson has to be its rich racing history. Behind the big motorcycles and the biker cosplayer jokes is a Motor Company and partners that actually know a thing or two about winning races. However, after a century of factory-backed racing, Harley-Davidson is pulling the plug.

    By Mercedes Streeter Read More
  • 0

    BMW's Definition CE 04 Electric Scooter Is The Cyberpunk City-Commuter Future We All Need

    Yesterday we saw the launch of BMW’s electric iX sport utility, a strong hint at the future of Munich’s next-gen EV design. The other half of BMW, the company’s motorrad division, also launched a near-production concept to point at future design: the Definition CE 04. Aside from its silly name, this totally rad electric city scooter could be the catalyst for a two-wheeled urban revolution.

    By Bradley Brownell Read More
  • 0

    Riding An Alta Redshift MXR Makes It Even More Devastating That They Don't Make These Anymore

    Whatever you do, don’t ever ride an Alta Redshift MXR. It won’t do you any good. You’ll simply be ruined for all future off-road motocross riding experiences. There is no easy way to say this, but these electric motocross bikes are the G.O.A.T. and the worst part is they already went out of business. If you want one, you’ll have to be prepared to pay out the nose for a used one, because 2018 was the last year these glorious things were made. The company’s assets were sold off to BRP last year, a

    By Bradley Brownell Read More
  • 0

    The World's Largest Motorcycle Is A Crime Against Nature And I Love It

    I, along with many other people in this world, have a morbid fascination with the World’s Largest Things. Whether it’s the world’s largest pizza or the world’s largest ball of rubber bands, these things have no reason to exist and yet they do, despite everything in our bodies that says it’s wrong. And that is exactly how I feel about the world’s largest motorcycle.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
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    Ducati's Multistrada V4 Packs 170 Horsepower And An All-New Chassis

    Ducati has an ambitious schedule of new bike launches coming over the next five weeks, with the first of them completely revamping the company’s iconic Multistrada. Not only does the Multistrada V4 have a brand new engine—hence the V4 in its name—but the Italians have crafted a totally new aluminum monocoque chassis for the bike that can tackle all of the stradas. I really enjoyed my time with the Multistrada 1260S earlier this year, but everything new on this bike sounds like a huge improvement

    By Bradley Brownell Read More
  • 0

    Max Biaggi Broke Eleven Different Speed Records On This 254 MPH Electric Motorcycle

    Almost a year and a half ago I first reported about this record-breaking attempt effort forged between Venturi’s Voxan electric motorcycle brand and World Superbike champ Max Biaggi. It took the company a very long time to actually make it happen, but make it happen they have. With a bike they call the Voxan Wattman, Biaggi hit a top speed of 254 mph on his way to setting eleven new FIM records.

    By Bradley Brownell Read More
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    What Do You Want To Know About The 2020 Zero SR/S Electric Motorcycle?

    It’s the bike that goes nyooom. Zero’s SR/S is the company’s newest design, a fully faired upright sport bike that runs on electrons. This one is based on the same platform as last year’s SR/F naked bike, but the aerodynamic fairings allow it to achieve more range and more speed. With the optional “power tank” extra battery, it can achieve up to 200 miles of city range, and pushes out to a top speed of 124 miles per hour.

    By Bradley Brownell Read More

News (12)

  • 0

    BMW Launches Bizarre Marketing Campaign To Defend Its Ugly Car

    The 2022 BMW iX, like many recent big-grilled automobiles from the Bavarian automaker, has drawn torrents of criticism for its polarizing styling. But instead of just letting the complaints slide, BMW is defending the electric iX using a strange new marketing campaign called “What’s your reason not to change?” The automaker even uses the phrase “OK Boomer” on Twitter, and defends itself against a complaint that the vehicle looks like an “Allegro with squirrel teeth,” referring to an Austin model

    By David Tracy Read More
  • 0

    Get Ready For The Audi Porsche Bentley Landjet

    Audi has some kind of not-so-secret EV project in the works called Artemis. It’s a bid to catch up to Tesla, though Audi is years behind. Artemis doesn’t seem to be a specific vehicle, exactly, but an entire project. Still, according to various reports a so-called Landjet for Audi, Porsche and Bentley is in the works.

    By Erik Shilling Read More
  • 0

    Mexico Is Getting A Chevy Crossover That's So Much Better Than The Blazer

    General Motors Mexico announced an upcoming vehicle that may be irresistible if you’re among those who felt that the Trailblazer was too small and the Blazer too large — or if you plain just hated the Blazer for betraying the K5 badge. GMM wants to capitalize on the crossover craze with the 2022 Chevrolet Captiva, which it will release as early as the spring or summer of next year. And this Chevy is worth looking at because it seems like an overall better package than our current crossovers.

    By José Rodríguez Jr. Read More
  • 0

    Oppo Is Dead/Long Live Oppo

    When I started here, I was under the mistaken impression that Oppo had been killed a while back. I was relieved to discover that not only was Opposite Lock alive, but that it was thriving. I’ve done some poking around there since, and it’s a damn good blog. We even hired a couple of Opponauts when we had positions open last month.

    By Rory Carroll Read More
  • 0

    Please Stop Me Because I Actually Kinda Dig The C-HR GR Sport

    I know I shouldn’t like the new Toyota C-HR GR Sport crossover that the Japanese automaker just debuted for the European market. I know it isn’t a “real” Gazoo Racing creation. I know this vehicle shares nothing, save for a badge, in common with the GR Super Sport that we’ve been repeatedly told will one day herald the return of hypercars on the Mulsanne. And yet...

    By Adam Ismail Read More
  • 0

    The Hummer EV Almost Brought Back The Avalanche's Midgate

    General Motors recently resurrected the infamous Hummer off-roader as the GMC Hummer EV. The all-electric truck has some neat tricks, like its dramatic Watts to Freedom launch control and the Crab Mode feature that allows the rear wheels and front wheels to steer at the same angle at low speeds, creating a “crab walk.” I love the little space exploration Easter Eggs and the giant light bar up front that also indicates charge level. General Motors had another trick up its sleeves with the idea to

    By Mercedes Streeter Read More
  • 0

    I Am Obsessed With The Hot Rod Honda Fit In Nora From Queens

    It’s the start of another week in quarantine and with all of us stuck indoors, there are still a few things we can do to sate our car lust. We can finally get around to finishing (or starting) that COVID project. We can fire up Gran Turismo Sport and scream down Brazil’s Autodrómo De Interlagos in a BMW Vision Gran Turismo. Or we could binge a show for the cars alone. Might I share a recommendation?

    By José Rodríguez Jr. Read More
  • 0

    Why I Had To Give Up On Two Volkswagen Passat Diesel Wagons

    I’m a big fan of German cars, as I noted in my introduction. My first loves are all generations of the Smart Fortwo. But recently I’ve been drooling over Ferdinand Piëch-era Volkswagens. I’m not sure what it is about them that draws me in. They’re cheap, some of them are fast even for today, their styling isn’t overdone and a few examples are just downright bonkers. That said, Volkswagens from this era do have a reputation for being quite unreliable.

    By Mercedes Streeter Read More
  • 0

    2021 Ford Bronco To Launch Without Donut Doors

    The automotive world has been abuzz since Ford blew us all way with the return of the Bronco. One of the attention-grabbing design features of the two-door Cyber Orange debut Bronco was the “donut hole” in the door of that concept. However, in a move that’s disappointed Bronco fans, Ford confirmed that the retro-heavy SUV will go on sale without these awesome doors. 

    By Mercedes Streeter Read More

Nice Price or No Dice (19)

Nostalgia You Can Taste (1)

Planelopnik (6)

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    2020 "The Worst Year" In Aviation History Says Industry Head

    Despite the fact that millions of folks took to the skies to travel for the holidays, 2020 is set to be “the industry’s worst financial year, bar none” according to the International Air Transport Association CEO Alexandre de Juniac. And there’s not really an end in sight.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
  • 0

    Here's Everything Boeing Did To Fix The 737 MAX After Two Deadly Crashes

    American Airlines says it will start flying its Boeing 737 MAX airliners again on Dec. 29, marking the return of that troubled plane to commercial service after two disastrous crashes led to a 20-month grounding. The Federal Aviation Administration has now cleared the 737 MAX to fly, which made me wonder what changes Boeing made to earn recertification. We have the details here.

    By Mercedes Streeter Read More
  • 0

    How To Tell If You're Flying On A Recently Recertified Boeing 737 MAX

    The Boeing 737 MAX will soon be back in the sky, following a 20-month grounding. American Airlines is expected to be the first U.S. airline to return the troubled aircraft to service, with flights starting December 29. However, passengers may not be able to easily tell which plane version they’re flying on, as some airlines are dialing back usage of the MAX name. We’re here to help.

    By Mercedes Streeter Read More
  • 0

    For Sale: A Gold-Slathered Sikorsky S-76B Helicopter Owned By Soon-To-Be Former President Trump

    President Donald Trump has a thing for old aircraft. Ever since he failed to run an airline, Trump has kept a small personal fleet of aging planes and helicopters. The fleet started off with a 1968 Boeing 727, then a 1991 Boeing 757, and it has grown to include a 1997 Cessna Citation X and three Sikorsky S-76 helicopters. This 1989 Sikorsky S-76B with registration code N76DT is arguably his most famous and it’s up for grabs.

    By Mercedes Streeter Read More
  • 0

    Massive Soviet Ekranoplan Rises From The Caspian Sea

    The Ekranoplan is one of the coolest machines designed to demonstrate the technological innovation of the Soviet Union. Part boat and part airplane, this massive machine kicked ass. And now an Ekranoplan is being pulled from the Caspian Sea in order to be part of a theme park attraction.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More

Racing (58)

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    Sergio Pérez Should Seek A Ride In Another Series Rather Than Wait For An F1 Seat

    I really feel for Sergio Pérez right now, I do. The guy had a hell of a weekend, ran an incredible race in Bahrain only to be rewarded with an engine failure with a handful of laps remaining in the Grand Prix. He was on track for a podium and a strong fourth in the driver’s championship points standings, despite missing two races with a positive Coronavirus test earlier this year. He has outperformed his Racing Point teammate, Lance Stroll, this season through consistency and regularly landing i

    By Bradley Brownell Read More
  • 0

    Audi Is Shaping Its Motorsport Future Around Le Mans And Dakar Efforts

    In a press release on Monday morning, Audi confirmed three things. Thing one, it would be entering the Dakar Rally in 2022 with a brand new factory-effort plug-in hybrid electric buggy. Thing two, it would be kicking off a new top-class sports car effort in IMSA and the WEC with a factory-built LMDh starting in 2022. Thing three, it would be leaving Formula E as a factory effort at the end of season seven next summer. Any one of those would be world-rocking admissions in the motorsport arena, bu

    By Bradley Brownell Read More
  • 0

    Romain Grosjean's Horrific Crash Is Proof That The Halo Was Worth It

    Romain Grosjean walked away from the worst Formula 1 crash in years on Sunday, and the halo safety structure, mandated on Formula 1 car cockpits since 2018, surely played a role in his escaping nearly unscathed. He sustained burns on his hands but was otherwise fine. Grosjean, who drives for the Haas team, said in a video from his hospital bed that previously he didn’t support halos on Formula 1 cars. But, he admitted, “Without it, I wouldn’t be able to speak to you today.”

    By Erik Shilling Read More
  • 0

    This Is The Route For The 2021 Dakar Rally

    ‘Tis the season to start getting pumped about the Dakar Rally. The prologue kicks off on January 2, 2021 with the full rally beginning on January 3, after all—and now we have a route.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
  • 0

    What's Going On With Pirelli's Tires For The 2021 Formula One Season?

    Pirelli is struggling. Formula One drivers had a chance to test the different compounds for the 2021 tires during the Bahrain Grand Prix practice sessions, and, at the moment, the prognosis is not good. In fact, it seems like we have a redux of the 2020 placeholder compound, which was almost universally hated. What the hell is going on?

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
  • 0

    A Hydrogen-Powered Car Will Compete In The Dakar Rally In 2024

    While most automotive companies have been pivoting to electrification instead of hydrogen when dreaming up more sustainable power sources, some folks are still hellbent on proving that hydrogen works. One of those companies is GCK (or Green Corp Konnection) Motorsport, which is aiming to bring a hydrogen-powered car to the 2024 Dakar Rally.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
  • 0

    Excellent News: The Dog That Stopped F1 Practice In Bahrain Has Been Rescued

    During Friday’s second Formula One practice session ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix, a nasty crash by Alex Albon brought the session to a halt. After cleanup, cars hit the track for another go, only to be foiled by a second red flag just 27 seconds later. A dog had somehow made its way onto the track surface of the Bahrain International Circuit. This morning, the track’s Twitter account announced that the dog had been rescued.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
  • 0

    Tony Kanaan's IndyCar Farewell Tour To Continue In 2021

    When Tony Kanaan announced his retirement from IndyCar racing in the 2020 season, it was with the hope that he’d be able to go out on a high: racing hard, celebrating with fans, and enjoying a little fanfare after over two decades in the sport. COVID-19 put a damper on those plans, turning what should have been a celebratory part-time season into a bit of a disappointment.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
  • 0

    Visibility Matters: How Out Motorsports Is Defining A Place For The LGBTQ+ Family In Racing

    “I don’t think that being a car person is something that you can turn on and turn off, much like how you can’t do that with your gender, your sexual orientation, your race, or whatever,” Out Motorsports co-founder Jake Thiewes mused in a recent interview with Jalopnik. “So, how do you embrace both of those things and come to a world where both are able to be realized? We’ve been trying to help build that community for a certain subset of the population.”

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
  • 0

    Formula E's First Night Race Will Be In Saudi Arabia

    While night races are a favorite among fans of pretty much every motorsport discipline, Formula E has wrapped up six seasons without having run after dark. The reason is pretty simple: The series is dedicated to being eco-friendly, and few things are quite as wasteful as turning on a ton of lights just for fast cars to drive in circles. But when it comes to Saudi Arabia, FE has decided it’s time to do something a little different.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
  • 0

    Endurance Racing Cars Need More Power

    Mark Donohue, driver and champion in the Penske Porsche 917/30 Can Am car shown above, once famously wrote of the already terrifyingly fast car, “If you can leave two black stripes from the exit of one corner to the braking zone of the next, you have enough horsepower.” At one point, the car in question had 1200 horsepower, and probably could lay quite a bit of black stripe, but even that wasn’t enough for him. They’re faster now, but modern day race cars have drifted from that old-school spirit

    By Bradley Brownell Read More
  • 0

    Aston Martin's Rumored Addition To F1's Safety Car Crew Signals The End Of An Era

    Mercedes-Benz has been the exclusive provider of safety cars for Formula One since 1996. That arrangement looks like it will change beginning next year, as Aston Martin is rumored to join the German automaker and split duties over course of the 2021 calendar, kicking off a new era in the fascinating, but rarely discussed, history of F1 safety cars.

    By Adam Ismail Read More
  • 0

    Formula One Wind Tunnels: Explained

    In its push to drastically reduce costs and be a lot more ecofriendly, Formula One has been tossing around the idea of banning—or at least seriously restricting—the use of wind tunnels in car development. But to really understand the ramifications of that decision, you have to really delve into the wind tunnel: its importance, its history, its use—all of that good stuff. So buckle in, because we’re guiding you through.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
  • 0

    You Can Start Streaming A New Colin McRae Documentary ASAP

    25 years ago today, November 22, 1995, Scottish rally driver Colin McRae climbed out of his royal blue Subaru Impreza the youngest ever World Champion. And you can stream a new documentary about the whole affair called Colin McRae: 25 Years a Champion.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
  • 0

    Formula E Is Moving To CBS Next Season

    Formula E has been a notoriously difficult race series to watch in America. It’s normally been relegated to obscure channels at obscure times, and trying to stream it hasn’t even been simple. But starting for the 2020-21 season, FE is moving to CBS and CBS Sports alongside the promise of a slightly more accessible viewing experience.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
  • 0

    Charles Leclerc's Post-Race Meltdown Is Still Hard To Watch

    Lewis Hamilton won a record-tying seventh Formula One title on Sunday after taking home the Turkish Grand Prix. Charles Leclerc was running second until he locked a wheel on the antepenultimate turn and let two cars past. I still am not quite over Leclerc’s subsequent meltdown on the radio.

    By Erik Shilling Read More
  • 0

    It's OK To Admit That Lewis Hamilton Is The GOAT

    This weekend we all got to witness a single race that demonstrates just how great a driver Lewis Hamilton is. The Turkish Grand Prix was a pure masterclass of the patience, determination, driving skill, tire management and strategy that Hamilton has developed over the course of his record-breaking career. In qualifying it was plain to see that the Mercedes chassis didn’t really respond well to water on the track surface, and he could do no better than sixth on the grid. Hamilton, and the Mercede

    By Bradley Brownell Read More
  • 0

    Everything You Need To Know About The 2021 Extreme E Season

    We’re six months out from Extreme E’s first ever event, which means it’s time to start digging into what, exactly, this series is all about. And while we’ve talked about it before on Jalopnik, this is your comprehensive guide to getting too know this electric off-road racing series.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
  • 0

    A Book On The HANS Device Is Going In The Smithsonian Library

    The HANS device—or Head and Neck Support device—has revolutionized motorsport safety since it was first designed in the 1980s. This one simple piece of equipment has managed to reduce concussions and basilar skull fractures, which can be fatal, in the event of an accident in a race car. And now CRASH! by Jonathan Ingram, a book dedicated to parsing out safety in auto racing, has been selected for inclusion in the Library at the Smithsonian’s Museum of American History, according to Jim Donnelly,

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
  • 0

    Joan Mir Becomes First New MotoGP World Champion Since 2013

    Joan Mir may have finished seventh in Valencia, but that was all he needed to secure his first World Championship. The Suzuki rider brought the marque its first title in 20 years while also becoming the first new rider to win a championship since Marc Marquez took his first title in 2013 and only the sixth Suzuki rider in MotoGP history to take the title.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
  • 0

    Lewis Hamilton Wins Turkish Grand Prix, 7th World Championship

    The 2020 Turkish Grand Prix may have started with a shock pole winner and a damp track, but it ended in a way Formula One fans have known to grow familiar: Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes took the win—and the World Drivers’ Championship. His seventh championship equals the record-high ever scored by Michael Schumacher.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
  • 0

    Michèle Mouton And Girls On Track Are Dedicated To Brightening The Future For Women In Motorsport

    To this day, Michèle Mouton remains one of the most accomplished women in motorsport and the only woman to win an FIA-certified World Championship. A championship-winning rally driver and a dominating force at Pikes Peak, her name will forever remain etched in the annals of racing history. And now, she’s setting up young women for their own futures in the world of sport.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
  • 0

    A Nice Sim Racing Setup Actually Makes A Huge Difference

    My husband got into iRacing as something of an afterthought. He wanted to race with his friends, and we’d finally gotten an internet connection (and a computer) capable of streaming a video game. He set up an old wheel and pedals from about a decade ago, and voila: he was racing.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
  • 0

    Formula One Wants To Ban Wind Tunnels And That Sounds Like A Great Idea

    Following the Portuguese Grand Prix at the end of October, the F1 Commission held a meeting to discuss the future of the sport. One of the ideas brought forward in this meeting to reduce not only costs for teams, but also to meet the sport’s needs for meeting sustainability goals. Wind tunnels take a lot of energy to operate, after all. Significantly more than comparable designs done in computational fluid dynamics.

    By Bradley Brownell Read More
  • 0

    An All-American Team Is Going To Take On Dakar With This Factory-Backed Polaris

    The SSV class at the 2021 running of the Dakar Rally is in for an all-American assault with the Polaris-supported entries of Craig Scanlon, Wayne Matlock, and Kristen Matlock. A trio of RZR Pro XPs will blast across the Saudi desert. This is the first time the company has provided factory support for the Dakar event, and this is the first time each of the drivers will have competed in the Dakar. At least they’ll be in familiar equipment.

    By Bradley Brownell Read More
  • 0

    Porsche Motorsport Says Goodbye To IMSA With A Very America Stars And Stripes Livery

    Since the 2014 season Porsche Motorsport North America has partnered with South Carolina’s CORE Autosport to run a pair of 991-generation 911 RSR race cars in IMSA’s GTLM category against the best factory teams the world has to offer. While some years have been better than others, Porsche has come out of seven seasons of competition with a pair of class drivers championships, a pair of teams championships, a trio of manufacturers championships, and a further five endurance titles. But this Satur

    By Bradley Brownell Read More
  • 0

    Daigo Saito's Most Extreme Toyota Engine Swap Is Real And It Works

    Daigo Saito has blessed us with yet another 2JZ swap, and we can’t look away from what the madman has wrought. This time, it’s a Yaris GR. The D1 Grand Prix and Formula Drift champ is no stranger to engine-swapping Toyota platforms, and we at Jalopnik held his 2JZ Supra as the crowning achievement, even if it was not long for this world.

    By José Rodríguez Jr. Read More
  • 0

    NASCAR Truck Series Racer Wants You To Know The Swastika He Drew On A Pastry Was 'Taken Out Of Context' [UPDATED]

    Josh Reaume is a 30-year-old driver in the NASCAR Xfinity and Truck series, and in his spare time, he likes to doodle swastikas on Toaster Strudels and post pictures of them online, because scrawling racist symbols on the pastry is just one of those totally normal things well-adjusted people do, right? Haven’t you ever been about to take a bite of a danish and then paused, thinking “you know what would make this danish taste even better? If it hated Jews!” Sure you have. We all have. Oh, and NAS

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
  • 0

    Formula Drift Now Has An Official Underglow Because It's 2002 Again

    If teams want to drift onto the Formula D podium, they will have to comply with a new rule that requires cars running in night events to be outfitted with underglow. The requirement takes effect immediately, ahead of the upcoming Irwindale Title Fight competition. The rule will apply through the 2021 season, too. A Formula D statement details the incredible response from fans and viewers to a recent video campaign, citing this response as the catalyst for the new rule.

    By José Rodríguez Jr. Read More
  • 0

    Harley-Davidson Hints That The Future Of Motorcycle Drag Racing Is Electric

    When it comes to evaluating motorcycle drag racing performance on the strip, you could hardly find a better group of folks set up for the task than the Vance and Hines Harley-Davidson Pro Stock team. A year ago when I interviewed Andrew Hines following his championship-winning season on the FXDR, I asked him what he thought of electric performance and whether a LiveWire electric bike might someday find its way into the NHRA ProStock ranks. While I obviously got a non-committal answer from the ra

    By Bradley Brownell Read More
  • 0

    Chase Elliott Takes His First NASCAR Cup Series Championship

    NASCAR pulled off something pretty incredible this 2020 season. Despite the coronavirus pandemic, it managed to put on a full season, making the most of this historic year. And Chase Elliott from Hendrick Motorsports can walk away as 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Champion, winning the first championship race at Phoenix International Raceway and the first championship of his career.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
  • 0

    This Is What Makes A Track Work For Formula One

    Not every race track in the world is designed for Formula One—and even some of the ones that are specifically designed to host the series fall short. There are just some elements of a track that just work for F1. And, alongside Chain Bear on YouTube, we’re going to break it down.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
  • 0

    MotoGP Sees Yet Another First-Time Winner In 2020 With Joan Mir

    Who would have guessed that a pandemic-postponed season would be one of MotoGP’s most exciting in years? Suzuki’s Joan Mir was the only rider in the top six in the championship standings who hadn’t won a race this year, but he finally struck that one off his list at the European Grand Prix. He’s the ninth winner this year.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
  • 0

    Dissecting The SSC Tuatara Record Run With Math And Science

    I have refused to subject my brain to the complexities of math and science since I finished my last core requirement for my liberal arts degree, but 2020 keeps forcing me to acknowledge the existence of both. Today, looking at the SSC Tuatara record run in order to understand if it really broke a record and how fast it actually went.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
  • 0

    What You Need To Know About The 2021 MotoGP Schedule

    The provisional 2021 MotoGP schedule has been released, and it’s looking good. The 20-race season has largely been sorted out, with 19 events, one left to be determined, and three reserve venues. Let’s break down what we can expect.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
  • 0

    DTM Finally Has A Good Idea With This 1000 HP Electric Touring Car

    It seems like just a few months ago we were watching the wholesale collapse of DTM when Audi announced it would be leaving the series, just a year after Merceded pulled out, and a half-assed Aston Martin effort collapsed. the decades old German touring car series has evolved over the years into a formula that costs tens of millions of dollars to run with the cars left little more than formula racers with carbon bodies. Some recent revelations by the series indicate that it’s headed for a turnaro

    By Bradley Brownell Read More
  • 0

    Hayden Paddon's Electric Hyundai Kona WRC Car Would Kick Your Car's Ass

    We can all agree that 2020 has been pretty messed up, but perhaps the coolest thing that had to get shelved this year was Hayden Paddon’s attempt to compete in Rally New Zealand with an all-electric Hyundai Kona rally car. Because New Zealand has been extremely cautious about the coronavirus pandemic, the country has seen very few cases compared to the rest of the world, but as a result the WRC round there was cancelled, and we don’t get to see this electric monster run this year.

    By Bradley Brownell Read More
  • 0

    Here's What It's Like To Compete In HooptieX, The Off-Road Race For Total Junkers

    We’ve covered Gambler 500 shenanigans numerous times here on Jalopnik and I’m happy to deliver more. The Gambler 500 has grown and spread across the country, with several states now offering their own flavor of the combined endurance rally, trail cleanup and charity event. Now there is a spinoff event called HooptieX, which adds a serious competitive aspect to an already fun meet-up. Over the weekend I participated in my first HooptieX, in southern Indiana, and I’m already addicted.

    By Mercedes Streeter Read More
  • 0

    As Coronavirus Cases Surge Some Worry The 2021 WRC Season May Not Even Happen

    The World Rally Championship kicked off in January of this year with a plan to run thirteen rounds. After Monte Carlo and Sweden had completed, the Coronavirus took over the world and shut everything down. Rally Mexico managed to squeak in under the wire in mid-March before all of the travel restrictions and quarantines were enforced. Ten further rounds were scrubbed from the calendar in 2020. The series managed to scrape together three rounds in September and October to get six.

    By Bradley Brownell Read More
  • 0

    Dyno-Testing A Le Mans Racing V10 Engine Is Hardcore

    I’m sure you’ve watched a dyno video or two. The car thuds through the gears, slowly roars up, rising to a rev limit crescendo and zoom! It quickly winds down. This is not the case if the engine you’re testing is a Judd GV4, built with racing at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in mind. You get to the rev limit and you stay there.

    By Raphael Orlove Read More
  • 0

    Lewis Hamilton Is Questioning His Future In Formula One

    Lewis Hamilton took victory at Imola this morning, and his performance allowed Mercedes to take its seventh Constructors’ Championship. But he still hasn’t signed a contract for the 2021 season, and it doesn’t sound like he’s in any rush to do it.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
  • 0

    This Might Be The Slowest Drag Race Ever

    We normally set up drag races to test the acceleration of a car in a straight line. It’s a good way to evaluate power, and it makes for some pretty great stats. But I think carwow’s latest drag race might take the cake for slowest drag race in the world.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
  • 0

    Driving With The Devil Adds Depth To The Forgotten Parts Of NASCAR's History

    We all know the origin story of NASCAR: a bunch of folks got together in Daytona Beach after a few years of unsanctioned stock car races, and Bill France decreed the birth of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, now known as NASCAR. But how did we get there? Who else contributed to the birth of the series we know today? What names have been forgotten along the way? That’s the story Driving with the Devil aims to tell.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More

Spacelopnik (2)

  • 0

    SpaceX Launches Second Crew To Space Station But There's Even More Exciting Space Stuff To Be Excited About That Has Nothing To Do With Space Karen

    Yesterday, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched a Crew Dragon capsule with four astronauts to the International Space Station, the second flight of a crewed Crew Dragon and the official first operational (as in, not a test) flight of the spacecraft. This is a very big deal, not just because this represents the first regular private, commercially developed regular-use orbital spacecraft, but because it frees NASA up to do what it was really born to do: explore.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
  • 0

    NASA's New Water-Hunting Rover Will Be The First Off-Planet Rover To Have Headlights

    It’s kind of hard to believe that, of all the wheeled rovers and robots that have been sent from Earth to other places — three crewed Apollo-era lunar rovers to the moon, two Soviet Lunokhods, a Chinese lunar rover-bot, and five wheeled American robots to Mars (one of which is en route) — none of them have actually had headlights of any kind. That’s unexpected, right? I mean, it’s not like there are lots of streetlights on the Moon or Mars. NASA’s next lunar rover, VIPER, is going to change that

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More

Technology (18)

  • 0

    We Might Finally Be Getting Global Self-Driving Standards

    There’s been something of multiple discovery-esque situation in the self-driving car world: Tons of different manufacturers are all competing to refine autonomous technology, often in wildly different ways. That means we have a lot of variable ways of understanding and implementing the self-driving challenge. The problem is, regulators have lagged behind.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
  • 0

    The Ultimate Gift Guide For Racing Gamers And Tech-Loving Car Folks

    This holiday season, a number of irresponsible carmakers will goad you into giving entire automobiles to friends and family, festooned with oversized bows on their roofs. But friend, cars happen to be expensive. And once you’ve gifted your seventh or eighth one, the debt starts to add up — trust me. There’s got to be an easier way!

    By Adam Ismail Read More
  • 0

    Another Tesla Roof Flies Off But This Time It's Not Tesla's Fault, Tesla Says

    People can get really fixated about certain details on their cars, can’t they? Details like roof retention. Some people just absolutely lose their pickles if one roof happens to unexpectedly fly off their car, like what happened to a Tesla Model Y last month. If you’re a real stickler for your roof staying on the whole time you drive your car, then you probably wouldn’t be happy to own this other Tesla, this time a Model S, that lost its roof in China. This time, though, Tesla says it’s not on t

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
  • 0

    A New FCC Vote Trades Autonomous Connectivity For WiFi

    The Federal Communications Commission voted this week to completely restructure the way cars are going to function in the future in a way that has set them at odds with the Department of Transportation. Basically, more than half of the radio spectrum that’s currently dedicated to cars is going to be reassigned to plenty of other stuff—including WiFi.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
  • 0

    Tell NHTSA All Your Thoughts On Autonomous Cars

    Do you have thoughts on autonomous cars? Maybe some reasonable concerns, some fears, some excitement? Well, get ready to put it all into words, because the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration wants to know what you have to say.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
  • 0

    NHTSA Opens Investigation Into Widespread Tesla Media Control Unit Failures And The Cause Seems Weirdly Preventable

    Over 12,000 Tesla Model Ss and Xs built between 2012 and 2018 have had failures of their Media Control Units; the computer system that runs the big center-stack touchscreen and controls all kinds of things, from rearview camera displays to some HVAC functions to even the little clicking sound when the turn indicators are on. These units have been failing at an alarming rate, making cars almost undrivable and costing thousands of dollars to repair. The NHTSA has started an engineering analysis, a

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
  • 0

    Here's Some Weird Things We Found In The 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E Owner's Manual

    Okay, maybe “weird” is a bit of hyperbole, but these are at least some interesting and perhaps unexpected things that I found while looking through the 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E owner’s manual, which was uploaded to the internet prior to actually getting into any buyer’s hands by our pals over at the Mach-E Forum. Fundamentally, it’s just an owner’s manual, but it does reveal some interesting things about the Mach-E, Ford’s first real mass-market electric car.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
  • 0

    Why Big Wheels Clobber Efficiency And Slash Your Car's Range

    Installing gigantic wheels on your car is a tempting proposition when you’re eager to maximize style and minimize tire sidewall. Automakers make it easy to select an optional wheel and tire package that offers larger-diameter rims fitted with lower-profile tires, smartly filling the wheel openings. To keep everything working as the engineers intended, the overall height of the new combination ends up being almost exactly the same as the basic wheels fitted as standard equipment.

    By Mercedes Streeter Read More
  • 0

    Dutch Students Make A Car Completely Out Of Recycled Materials

    Using recycled materials to build cars has been all the rage lately in the automotive world—but most of those automakers note that their ideas are firmly in the realm of the concept or prototype. Yes, we can use recycled material to craft a car... but we don’t have to. Not yet. So, a group of Dutch students at the Technical University of Eindhoven set out to show that it’s totally possible.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
  • 0

    All The Cool Features In Your Car Will Probably Be Subscription-Based In The Future

    There is not a single person in this entire world who looks at hidden fees in any purchase and does a fist-bump of victory. Well, maybe the people who put those fees in there in the first place. But the plague of extra fees to use certain aspects of a thing you already paid for is likely going to be taking over the automotive world here in the near future.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
  • 0

    Jeep Teases Production 2022 Wrangler With 392 Hemi V8 In New Video

    Back in July, Jeep confirmed that the 6.4-liter V-8 Wrangler Rubicon 392 Concept was definitely a thing—but today we got our first video, and it confirms the news that the marque has been hinting at: We’re going to be getting a production Jeep Wrangler with a V8 engine, and it’s going to be available to buy in 2021.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
  • 0

    Skoda Knows It's All About The Little Things

    When it comes to designing a car, it seems like plenty of manufacturers get so caught up trying to do something Big that they forget that, sometimes, the best changes you can make are the little ones. Skoda has recognized this and, as aa result, kicked off the Simply Clever catalog of features that are the epitome of “why hasn’t anyone thought of that before?” It’s genius.

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More

The Morning Shift (19)

  • 0

    Automakers Are Fighting 'Right To Repair' Laws Again

    Massachusetts voters scored a victory for car owners everywhere when they approved a ballot initiative for a “right to repair” law a few weeks back, over industry opposition. Well, carmakers are back at it again, dragging things to court. All that and more in The Morning Shift for November 30, 2020.

    By Raphael Orlove Read More
  • 0

    Tesla Has Some Fresh Recalls

    A new report indicates Brexit could be bad, hood ornament history, and Tesla has some new recalls. All that and more in The Morning Shift for November 25, 2020.

    By Erik Shilling Read More
  • 0

    Fiat Chrysler Has Spoken The Forbidden Words

    The “merger of equals” has returned, the most terrifying words you can say about Chrysler. Years after the littlest of the Big Three made it out of Daimler’s purgatory, Stellantis has used the same language to describe its merger. All that and more in The Morning Shift for November 24, 2020.

    By Raphael Orlove Read More
  • 0

    Tesla Is Declared Essential In California

    Tesla is essential, the UN says Carlos Ghosn’s arrests were “abuse,” and Cadillac dealers who don’t want to bother with electric vehicles are offered hundreds of thousands of dollars to not sell EVs. All that and more in The Morning Shift for November 23, 2020.

    By Erik Shilling Read More
  • 0

    This New Nissan EV Truck Plan Makes No Sense

    Nissan, a major manufacturer of electric vehicles on its own, is reportedly planning on partnering with a startup for its next big electrification project. I... why? All that and more in The Morning Shift for November 20, 2020.

    By Raphael Orlove Read More
  • 0

    GM Hits Emergency EV Override

    Cadillac already had a $20 billion plan to go all-electric by 2030. That’s not enough, apparently, and things are going faster. All that and more in The Morning Shift for November 18, 2020.

    By Raphael Orlove Read More
  • 0

    Tesla Has Reached The Big Time

    Tesla really can’t be denied anymore, Joe Biden met with the UAW and GM, and Mahindra wants to revive BSA. All that and more in The Morning Shift for November 17, 2020.

    By Erik Shilling Read More
  • 0

    Mitsubishi Might Go Free

    The most incomprehensible pairing in the auto industry may be coming to an end, GM dealers are OK with less inventory and Honda is streamlining. All that and more in The Morning Shift for November 16, 2020.

    By Raphael Orlove Read More
  • 0

    Orlando Ready To Kick $800,000 To This Flying Car Bullshit

    The world has not been kind to the development of flying cars. Orlando, Florida, though is ready to kick $800,000 in potential tax rebates to this airport launch-pad Jetsons-wannabe proposal that’s clearly going nowhere. I don’t know how this is real. All that and more in The Morning Shift for November 12, 2020.

    By Raphael Orlove Read More
  • 0

    Honda Says It's Doing A Semi-Autonomous First

    Honda has big hopes for semi-autonomous cars, Continental is on struggle street, Rivian reveals its service plans, and Lyft wants in on food delivery. All that and more for The Morning Shift for November 11, 2020.

    By Erik Shilling Read More
  • 0

    GM Just Made An Absurd Amount Of Money

    GM surged up 74% in net income versus last quarter, all the way up to $4 billion in profits. Honestly, I have no idea how this is possible, but let’s try and figure this out together. That and more in The Morning Shift for November 5, 2020.

    By Raphael Orlove Read More
  • 0

    Uber And Lyft Spent Millions To 'Delay The Inevitable'

    As the dust refuses to settle on the national election, we do have at least one clear result: California voted yes on Prop 22. That yes vote means that gig workers have lost in what has a typically confusing but extraordinarily expensive (the most expensive in history!) ballot measure. All that and more in The Morning Shift for November 4, 2020.

    By Raphael Orlove Read More
  • 0

    Ford's Big Electric Push Only Goes So Far

    Ford is making an electric F-150, but its electric truck game only goes so far; Toyota is boosting production; and Volkswagen is very close to its emissions targets in Europe. All that and more in The Morning Shift for November 3, 2020.

    By Erik Shilling Read More
  • 0

    The Rental Car Business Is Back

    People are back to renting cars, range anxiety is disappearing in Europe and China’s EV projections are getting more serious. All that and more in The Morning Shift for November 2, 2020.

    By Erik Shilling Read More

Trucks (11)

  • 0

    The Suzuki Jimny Sold Out In Mexico In Just 72 Hours

    The 2021 Suzuki Jimny has officially sold out in Mexico, and it took just 72 hours. That outcome was more or less expected, considering Suzuki Motors of Mexico will import just 1,000 of the trucks into that market for now. The Jimnys will start reaching owners very early next year, beginning January 15, 2021.

    By José Rodríguez Jr. Read More
  • 0

    The 2021 Jeep Wrangler 392 Is A 470-HP V8 Off-Road Monster With A Huge Hood Scoop

    For the first time ever, the four-door Jeep Wrangler is actually quick. Ever since the Wrangler became a family-hauler for the 2007 model year, the two-ton beast has been saddled with engines making horsepower in the 200s. But now the big Jeep cranks the dial up to 470 courtesy of the 6.4-liter V8 found in the Dodge Charger and Challenger. Just look at this monster.

    By David Tracy Read More
  • 0

    I'm Driving A Truck For The First Time. What Do You Want To Know?

    If you’ve been following me on Jalopnik for a while now, you know that I have strong feelings about trucks. As in, I don’t like them. Now, I finally have the opportunity to put my convictions to the test. I’ll be driving a 2020 Ram 2500 Power Wagon Crew Cab 4x4. What would you fine people like to know about this machine?

    By Elizabeth Blackstock Read More
  • 0

    It's HHUMMERH

    The 2022 GMC Hummer EV is a truck, and if there’s one thing truck people love it is easter eggs. They adore this shit. Stick a tiny Jeep in a Jeep taillight and people lose their minds. This, I fear, has backfired with the HHUMMERH.

    By Raphael Orlove Read More
  • 0

    The Chevy HHR Is A Better Car Than You Remember

    What you’re about to read is something the kids apparently call a “hot take.” I was a long time reader of this site and definitely know the Chevrolet HHR isn’t necessarily a popular car among readers. And so I’m going to try to defend this car’s — and to a smaller extent, the Chrysler PT Cruiser’s — existence. The Chevy HHR is not as bad of a car as you remember it being. In fact, I’d call it cool. Here we go!

    By Mercedes Streeter Read More
  • 0

    More Proof That We Need Coupe-Utes In The USA

    A Wisconsin driver decided to haul his Polaris snowmobile atop his Toyota Corolla, as recently reported by our friends at The Drive. Clearly, this driver wants to be able to haul his skimobile every now and again, but since he knows the value of a small, practical car like the Corolla, he may not be keen on getting something as big and cumbersome as the new F-250. There is a solution to your woes, Wisconsin.

    By José Rodríguez Jr. Read More
  • 0

    Here's How To Tell The Year Of A Mail Truck Instantly

    As you may be aware, we’re currently in the waning days of the most-common vehicle you’re likely to see that’s not from a company known for building cars: the Common North American Mail Truck, also known as the Grumman Long Life Vehicle (LLV). We’ve already seen the venerable LLV begin to be replaced by (slightly disguised) Mercedes Metris vans before the still-undecided, all-new replacement shows up. So, before it’s gone, here’s a fun little LLV Easter egg you can use to impress almost nobody!

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More

Wrenching (13)

  • 0

    How I Fixed A Broken Sunroof In One Of The Most Unreliable Cars Of The Modern Era

    When I bought my holy grail Volkswagen Passat W8 manual there was one thought constantly hanging over my head: “Winter is coming.” The sleeper of a sedan has some pressing issues, like a misfire, and annoyances like a front passenger door that’s entirely the wrong color. However, the most important issue to me is that the entirety of the car is open to the elements through the hole where the sunroof used to be.

    By Mercedes Streeter Read More
  • 0

    How Fixing Even The Smallest Defect Can Make Your Old Car Feel Like New

    Some days, starting my 1997 BMW 318ti is less “sheer driving pleasure” and more “dammit, now what?” I used to get frustrated about running into one (or more) of the failings in my hatch, but I’ve made peace with the fact that things are bound to break in my beater Bimmer and that taking the time to fix these small annoyances could make my old car feel new.

    By José Rodríguez Jr. Read More
  • 0

    How I Finally Got My Glorious 1979 Jeep Cherokee Golden Eagle Back On The Road

    I’ve owned my 1979 Jeep Cherokee Golden Eagle for almost three years, but I’ve only ever driven it a total of five miles. For far too long, the Jeep sat in my driveway bothering my neighbors’ blight-sensitive eyes, but this weekend, that changed. Here’s how I got my glorious Golden Eagle back up and running, and what it was like driving such an epic vehicle for the first time in what feels like forever.

    By David Tracy Read More
  • 0

    This Indian Car Has The Best Spare Tire Bolt-Tightening Instructions You've Ever Seen

    As you may know, I’ve been a fan of Indian cars for a long time. India is a unique market with a lot of interesting demands, including low cost of purchase and ownership, efficiency, extreme durability and plenty of utility and flexibility. It’s not an easy market, and as a result, the cars developed for there tend to be rugged and clever. The same goes for maintenance, which is why I think the instructions I’m going to show you here really could only be from India.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
  • 0

    I Have A Bike Thought So Tedious I Am Compelled To Share It With You

    Every day I wake up and think my Bike Thoughts. I think about handlebar wrap colors. I think about about reach and bike fit. I think about riding the Pyrenees and Shimano’s eight-speed XTR cassettes made partially out of titanium. I normally text these thoughts to my bike friends and let them drift out of my mind. But I have a new bike thought so tedious that I can’t even bring myself to voice it aloud. I have no choice but to share it with you, all you total strangers.

    By Raphael Orlove Read More
  • 0

    Here's A Comparison Of Different Tools To Help You Remove Rounded Bolts

    Working on your high-mileage warrior can be a challenge. If your car happens to have lived much of its life in the Rust Belt, wrenching on it is likely to be a nightmare. For the DIY wrencher, this often means running into a bolt so rusty that the corners of the head go round as soon as you apply any twist. To help with those bad wrenching days, here are some rounded bolt and nut removers.

    By Mercedes Streeter Read More
  • 0

    My 250,000-Mile Chrysler Minivan's First Test Since The German Inspection Was A 500-Mile Trek To Belgium

    A few weeks ago, the 250,000-mile diesel manual Chrysler Voyager that I’d bought sight unseen for $600 narrowly squeezed through Germany’s absurdly strict safety inspection. But as trying as that ordeal was, to really learn what my van was made of, I had to hit the road. So that’s what I did, pointing “Project Krassler” west from Nürnberg towards Ghent, Belgium 500 miles away.

    By David Tracy Read More
  • 0

    Check Out This Cheap Wireless Endoscope

    Working on your own car can be great loads of fun, saving you some big money while you learn new skills. One of the challenges of fixing your own cars is getting your eyes places they can’t normally get to. Given the fact humans don’t have wireless eyes, I’ll have to offer you the next best thing: A Cheap Wireless Endoscope.

    By Mercedes Streeter Read More
  • 0

    This Seemingly Beautiful Jeep Cherokee Is A Nightmare Example Of Why Mandatory Safety Inspections Make Sense

    Mandatory safety inspections can be a threat to car culture and to the livelihoods of low-income families. As an enthusiast, it’s hard for me to support such measures without reservation. But after taking a $600 minivan through Germany’s rigorous inspection and then returning to the U.S. to find a Jeep that I thought was in nice shape actually turn out to be hiding dangerous faults, I’m more convinced now than ever: Mandatory safety inspections make sense.

    By David Tracy Read More
  • 0

    Here's Everything Wrong With My Ludicrously Cheap 'Holy Grail' Volkswagen Passat W8 Manual

    In August — that feels like years ago — I bought a crashed Volkswagen Passat W8 for $800 with the intention of turning it into my next off-roader. I didn’t think these cars were any more special than a Phaeton V8 or an Audi A8, so it never clicked that I shouldn’t kill this beast. On the drive home, I realized I had unintentionally bought an incredibly rare piece of Volkswagen history. And now, like my colleague David Tracy and his holy grail Jeeps, I have a holy grail manual-shift Passat W8

    By Mercedes Streeter Read More
  • 0

    Hold Up Buddy Is That A Swench?

    If you want to do some off-roading, it’s recommended that you air down your tires. And if you air down your tires, you’re going to end up standing around shooting the shit while you air them back up before heading back out on the highway. During one such recent session, Swench-owner Zach walked up to me, handed me a wrench and said something like, “Hey, I thought you might appreciate this. It’s a manual impact.” To which, I replied, “What?”

    By Rory Carroll Read More