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Latest by S. Edelstein

Weird cars

Heads up, George Jetson: Terrafugia starts taking orders for its flying car

The Terrafugia Transition flying car will go on sale next year, roughly a decade after the first prototype rolled out of its hangar. Terrafugia promises several major improvements, including a hybrid powertrain, to make up for the long wait. The company is one of several entities developing flying cars.
Hennessey HPE1200 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk

Watch this 1,000-horsepower Jeep Trackhawk scorch supercars in the quarter mile

The Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is pretty quick out of the box, but Texas tuner Hennessey Performance Engineering never settles for stock. Its HPE1200 Trackhawk boasts over 1,000 horsepower, runs the quarter mile in under 10 seconds at 145 mph, and does 0 to 60 mph in 2.3 seconds.
Vanderhall Carmel

Vanderhall Carmel adds creature comforts to the basic three-wheeler formula

The Vanderhall Carmel is the fifth three-wheeler from Utah-based Vanderhall Motor Works. It takes the basic design of the Vanderhall Venice and adds a handful of creature comforts, as well as a more powerful engine. The Carmel goes on on sale in 2019, starting at just under $40,000.
Porsche Taycan assembly line rendering

Porsche upgrades German factory to build Taycan electric cars

A Porsche factory that currently builds the automaker's popular sports cars will soon begin churning out Taycan electric cars. In preparation, Porsche is upgrading the factory to be high tech and low emissions. The Taycan is expected to go on sale toward the end of 2019.
2019 volvo s60 review t6 feat

2019 Volvo S60 first drive review

The 2019 Volvo S60 borrows almost everything from other recent Volvo models, but that’s not a problem. From the Scalable Product Architecture platform to the T8 “Twin Engine” plug-in hybrid powertrain, Volvo’s latest luxury sedan uses a familiar formula to its advantage.
Ford Intersection Priority Management

Ford imagines a future without traffic lights or stop signs

Ford is using vehicle-to-vehicle communication (V2V) tech to allow cars to pass through intersections without stopping. The experimental "Intersection Priority Management" system basically acts as air traffic control for cars. Ford is testing the system in the United Kingdom.
2019 Chevrolet Silverado RST

2019 Chevrolet Silverado gets serious about MPG with new four-cylinder engine

In an aggressive bid to improve fuel economy, the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado will be offered with a 2.7-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine. Chevy claims comparable performance to other Detroit automakers' V6 trucks. But will truck buyers be willing to downsize that much?
general motors engineering executive ken kelzer interview gmbrownstownbattery01

How General Motors is preparing for an electric, autonomous, connected future

How does an established automaker like General Motors adapt to new tech trends? By looking for people and solutions outside the mainstream, says Ken Kelzer, GM VP of global vehicle components and subsystems. See how GM is preparing for connected, autonomous, and electric cars.
2019 Ford Edge Titanium

2019 Ford Edge first drive review

The 2019 Ford Edge midsize crossover gets significant refresh, including a host of new tech features and a new ST performance variant sporting a 335-horsepower, twin-turbocharged V6. Pricing starts at around $30,000 for a base SE model, but quickly climbs over $40,000 with options.
Audi e-tron FE05 Formula E race car

Audi’s latest Formula E race car is charged up, ready to vie for the green flag

The Audi e-tron FE05 electric car is ready to take the fight to BMW, Jaguar, and Nissan in the upcoming Formula E racing season. Like all new Formula E cars, Audi's latest incorporates some important changes. The battery pack can now store enough electricity to last an entire race.
2018 Cadillac Super Cruise

Cadillac Super Cruise beats Tesla Autopilot in Consumer Reports testing

Vayyar Imaging forgotten baby alert

Vayyar’s in-car breath sensor can save you and your kids from senseless tragedy

Vayyar Imaging claims to have developed sensors that can monitor the inside of a car as well as the area around it. Sensors can do things like count the number of passengers, and monitor their breathing. Vayyar announced two supplier partnerships at the 2018 Paris Motor Show.
Smart Forease concept

Smart’s roofless Forease concept is a sun-loving city car

The Smart Forease concept debuts at the 2018 Paris Motor Show, where Smart is celebrating its 20th anniversary. However, it's unclear where the brand will go over the next 20 years. For now, the Forease follows in the tire tracks of the Smart Crossblade and Forspeed concepts.
Audi e-tron

How Audi took its ambitious e-tron concept from dream to driveable

The Audi e-tron, the German luxury automaker’s first mass-market electric car, wasn’t designed to be a futuristic spaceship. It was designed to appeal to normal buyers, said Audi of America product management VP Filip Brabec. That puts Audi on a different track than rivals like Tesla and Jaguar.
2019 Nissan Altima

2019 Nissan Altima first drive review

Fresh from a ground-up redesign, the 2019 Nissan Altima boasts an array of new tech and mechanical features wrapped in more attractive bodywork. Will that be enough to get buyers to return to sedans from SUVs? Does it make the Altima any better than the numerous other midsize sedans competing for buyers’ attention?
2019 BMW i3

2019 BMW i3 electric car gets a bigger battery pack, range boost

BMW claims its updated 2019 i3 will have 153 miles of range when production begins in November. That's 39 miles more than the current i3 can travel on a charge. The improvement comes courtesy of a 42-kilowatt-hour battery pack. BMW will continue offering a range-extended model as well.
Local Motors Olli

LM Industries asks cities to find uses for its autonomous vehicles

LM Industries is launching a "fleet challenge" in Sacramento and Phoenix asking interested parties to propose uses for its Olli low-speed autonomous electric vehicles. Winners get a handful for vehicles to carry out their plans with. LM Industries plans to take the concept to other cities as well.
Vaughn Gittin Jr. drifts the Nürburgring screenshot

Watch this 900-horsepower Ford Mustang drift Germany’s Nürburgring

After drifting Germany's treacherous Nürburgring racetrack in a Ford F-150 Raptor pickup truck, pro drifter Vaughn Gittin Jr. returned with a proper drift car. Watch him wreak havoc in a 900-horsepower Ford Mustang. It's amazing that the tires survived for an entire lap.
Volvo V60 Cross Country

Volvo’s lifted V60 Cross Country wagon laces up its hiking boots

The Volvo V60 Cross Country is a V60 station wagon with jacked up suspension and more rugged looks. It's the latest Volvo to take advantage of the Swedish automaker's Scalable Product Architecture platform and advanced safety tech. The V60 joins the larger V90 Cross Country in Volvo's wagon lineup.
2019 Honda Civic Sedan and Coupe

2019 Honda Civic sedan and coupe add more standard driver-assist tech

The 2019 Honda Civic compact sedan and coupe get a handful of updates to stay fresh, including exterior styling tweaks, standard Honda Sensing driver aids, and a new Sport trim level. No significant mechanical changes, or updates for the Civic hatchback, have been mentioned yet.
inside bonneville salt flats land speed racing 2019 jetta feature

At Bonneville, a 210-mph Volkswagen Jetta is nothing unusual

The Bonneville Salt Flats are the ultimate temple of speed. Follow along as Volkswagen attempts to set a record with a modified economy car, and see what makes Bonneville so special. Racers have been setting speed records on the salt flats since 1914, and continue to push the limits every year.
Mercedes-AMG Project One prototype

Get your camera out: Mercedes-AMG Project One supercar tests on public roads

The Mercedes-AMG Project One is a hybrid supercar incorporating genuine Formula One racing DNA. The $2.7 million Project One is entering its final stage of development, including public-road testing. Only 275 Project Ones will be made, priced at an estimated $2.7 million each.
echo auto lifestyle

Amazon Alexa can now hitch a ride in any car with Echo Auto

At its massive hardware event, Amazon unveiled Echo Auto, a dashboard-mounted device that adds Alexa to any car. It is one of a broad range of ways Amazon is trying to integrate Alexa with cars. Echo Auto is available to select invitees and it will ship later this year.
2019 BMW Z4

BMW’s redesigned Z4 gets two turbocharged engines, long list of tech features

The redesigned BMW Z4 will be available in sDrive30i Roadster and M40i Roadster guises when it goes on sale next year. The more powerful M40i will do zero to 60 mph in just 4.4 seconds, according to BMW. The Z4 does not get a coveted manual transmission option, however.
Ferrari Monza SP1

Ferrari’s latest special editions are stripped down, old-school sports cars

The Ferrari Monza SP1 and SP2 are inspired by some of the Italian automaker's most legendary sports cars. They mix old school rawness with modern carbon fiber construction and 789-horsepower V12 power. Both models are expected to go into production for a limited run.
2019 Volkswagen Jetta land-speed record car

Volkswagen built a 210-mph Jetta, and broke a land-speed record with it

A modified 2019 Volkswagen Jetta just set a land-speed record at the Bonneville Salt Flats in the G/BGC class. Boasting a 600-horsepower engine, the Jetta hit 210 mph on the salt. The Bonneville land-speed race car serves as a preview of the upcoming Jetta GLI performance model.
2019 Volkswagen Beetle Final Edition

Volkswagen finally squashes the Beetle with 2019 Final Edition

2019 Volkswagen Beetle Final Edition marks the end of the line for VW's most iconic nameplate. Volkswagen has no immediate plans to replace the Beetle after production ends next year. The 2019 Beetle Final Edition is available as a coupe or convertible in SE or SEL trim levels.
2019 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter first drive

2019 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter first drive review

The 2019 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter boasts infotainment and driver-assist tech from Mercedes’ passenger cars. It’s not something normally seen on big vans, but it makes the Sprinter a much easier vehicle to use. Mercedes will build U.S.-market Sprinters at a new factory in South Carolina.
Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy

Would an electric SUV make a good race car? Jaguar thinks so

The Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy is a race series built around the Jaguar I-Pace electric SUV. The first race is scheduled for December 15, 2018, in Ad Diriyah, Saudi Arabia, with nine more rounds to follow.
Aston Martin Lagonda Vision concept

Aston Martin gears up to build electric cars at new Wales factory

Aston Martin will build electric cars alongside internal-combustion models at a new factory situated on a former air force base. Production of Aston's first electric car begins in 2019. That will be followed by all-electric models from the revived Lagonda brand in 2021.
Mercedes-Benz Vision Urbanetic concept

Autonomous Mercedes concept shape-shifts from cargo van to rideshare vehicle

The Mercedes-Benz Vision Urbanetic concept can switch bodies to become either a cargo van or a 12-passenger vehicle for ridesharing services. The concept vehicle is fully autonomous and uses an all-electric powertrain. It's unclear if anything like this will ever enter production, however.
Jaguar Land Rover Classic Infotainment Systems

Jaguar Land Rover offers modern infotainment systems for classic cars

Jaguar Land Rover is offering new infotainment systems that can be retrofitted to vintage cars. DIN-sized head units add Bluetooth, navigation, improved sound quality, and a 3.5-inch touchscreen. The systems are available to order online and can be installed at certain dealers.
2020 Kia Telluride at New York Fashion Week

2020 Kia Telluride SUV breaks cover at New York Fashion Week

The 2020 Kia Telluride is a burly eight-passenger SUV built for a segment dominated by U.S. brands. Four months ahead of its official debut in Detroit, Kia offered a sneak peek at New York Fashion Week. The Telluride goes on sale early next year, and will likely spawn a Hyundai twin.
BMW X3 M and X4 M prototypes

BMW M strays further from its heritage with X3 M and X4 M crossovers

Camouflaged prototypes of the BMW X3 M and X4 M appeared at a race at Germany's Nürburgring, with a full public reveal to follow at a later date. BMW M has built some great cars, but will these crossovers dilute the brand? They certainly won't do BMW any favors with enthusiasts.