By Joey Klender Posted on October 31, 2020 Ever since Tesla gained notoriety for its high-performance electric cars, one song, flashing headlights, and a pair of Model X falcon-wing doors have been popular among YouTube surfers. Among Tesla enthusiasts, the worn-out Trans-Siberian Orchestra dance from the Model X is always a way to gain attention
Month: October 2020
DETROIT — See if this sounds familiar: A start-up EV company is basically gifted a modern plant chock-full of world-class production equipment. To reduce product-development costs and time, its first vehicle uses thousands of proven off-the-shelf parts from major suppliers and established automakers. Lordstown Motors is closely following Tesla’s early playbook as it gears up
Nissan Skyline GT-Rs from the R32, R33 and R34 generations are true Japanese icons and are becoming hugely desirable among enthusiasts throughout the United States. Matt Farah recently had the opportunity to test an R33 model. This Skyline GT-R is owned by none other than Rutledge Wood, one of the former hosts of Top Gear
MILAN — Fiat Chrysler expects the costs of launching full-electric and plug-in hybrid cars to negatively affect its money-losing European business even more in the fourth quarter than in the third quarter. That is because the industrial costs associated with the automaker’s electrification program will increase, FCA Chief Financial Officer Richard Palmer told analysts during
The SSC Tuatara is not the fastest production vehicle on the planet, at least not yet, officially. After much controversy, the world will get to find out what the Washington-based automaker’s Tuatara supercar can do, again. On Friday night, SSC CEO Jerod Shelby released a video on the company’s YouTube channel stating the Tuatara will
TurboZentrum’s heavily-modded Toyota Supra A80 crashed earlier this month during the TTT half-mile drag racing event held at the Lausitzring racetrack in Germany. According the company, Yalcin Belen, who was driving the 1,500-horsepower dragster, had to swerve to avoid an obstacle while doing around 220 km/h (137 mph) in fourth gear. Watch Also: Which Sounds
As automakers seek to make their vehicles increasingly connected — especially given the myriad benefits that can be provided — there are still some wrinkles to iron out. Chief among them? Cybersecurity threats, consumer data privacy concerns and the possibility of connectivity — or a lack thereof — affecting safety-critical functions of a vehicle. In
It was only a few days ago that Suzuki revealed the Across, a rebadged and lightly restyled Toyota RAV4 (and not sold in the United States). We thought it was strange, interesting, and unique. Unfortunately for Suzuki, Mitsuoka just dropped its own restyled RAV4, the Buddy, and it makes the Across seem positively ordinary. Mitsuoka is
After more than 15 years on the market with only minor styling tweaks, the Nissan Frontier finally receives a notable revision for the 2021 model year. Despite its age, the midsize pickup‘s mechanical bits are due to carry over largely unchanged. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, as the Frontier’s frame is a stout piece
Instead of its annual jam-packed gathering in Las Vegas, the SEMA show is hosting a virtual event this year to celebrate the aftermarket parts industry and culture. This predictable—in 2020—twist hasn’t stopped Mopar’s plans to showcase some sweet Jeep Performance parts. Ahead of the “event,” Mopar has released a sketch of its new Jeep concept
MotorTrend Group visits Richard Childress Racing’s massive NASCAR museum to check out some cool history and some cooler cars! While we were at Richard Childress Racing (RCR) waiting to shoot a story in connection with MotorTrend’s new docuseries, NASCAR 2020: Under Pressure, we decided to check out the Richard Childress Racing Museum and, man, we’re
Being a segment leader is hard work, especially in a segment as hot as subcompact SUVs, which continues to grow rapidly. Subaru already has a solid foundation to stay on top, and now, the Forester‘s 2.5-liter flat-four engine is finding its way under the Crosstrek‘s hood in Sport and Limited trims. Will a more powerful
Can a car get pudgy? That was the question I asked myself every time I saw our long-term 2020 Nissan Sentra languishing in my driveway. Without a commute to MotorTrend headquarters, for the time being, the Nissan had been making jaunts no more demanding than the half mile trip to the supermarket and the mile drive to
The latest online used-vehicle company preparing to go public has spotted the same trends its predecessors have: a highly fragmented market, relatively low e-commerce penetration and a consumer appetite for online shopping. But CarLotz Inc., a consignment platform that expects to go public via a reverse merger this quarter, raising $321 million in cash, should
This week on the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy, including Tesla’s service push, changes to Tesla’s regen braking, Model 3 2021 gets its EPA rating, and more. Sponsored by Electrify America: Discover all the new and innovative ways that Electrify America is providing freedom for electric vehicle
WASHINGTON — A group of business leaders and public policy experts on Friday launched a new body to grapple with thorny questions surrounding the future of transportation including self-driving and electric vehicles. The group, the Future of Mobility Commission, plans to propose a new regulatory framework to address a global transportation sector “on the cusp
The new Cadillac Escalade has a lot going for it and, shortly after we had the opportunity to test it out in ESV Premium Luxury Platinum guise, Throttle House has tested out the massive SUV in ESV Sport trim. In the United States, prices for the new Escalade ESV Sport start at $85,595. It is
Continental CEO Elmar Degenhart is stepping down amid a push by the supplier to overhaul management and speed up structural changes. Degenhart, 61, is resigning his post “for reasons of immediately necessary preventive health care,” Continental said in a statement on Thursday. The company did not name Degenhart’s successor. It said its supervisory board will
EV startups Fisker and Lordstown Motors are now publicly listed companies, though neither has delivered a product yet. They followed in the footsteps of fellow EV startup Nikola by entering a so-called “reverse merger” with a special purpose acquisition company whose shares are already publicly traded. And more EV-related deals are in the pipeline, including
The driver of a Mini Cooper drove onto the Interlagos circuit in Brazil over the weekend during an official Sao Paulo Automobile Championship race. The race, made up exclusively of Mercedes-Benz models, was proceeding as normal until a white Mini Cooper found its way onto the circuit, forcing race officials to deploy the safety car.
Profitability among Toyota and Lexus dealers year-to-date is up almost a third to near-record results, and is tracking even higher as the automaker works to climb back to pre-COVID production levels. “We’re in a completely different place” from six months ago, said Bob Carter, Toyota Motor North America’s head of sales, during a teleconference last
Lucid Motors held a limited-invite media event in New York City the past two days and we were on hand to capture what we believe to be the first published pictures of the Lucid Air in Zenith Red. In addition to the new Zenith Red, the Lucid Air will also offer the color choices of
Fisker Inc. said Thursday it completed a deal to go public by merging with a special-purpose acquisition company, with the proceeds funding operations and development of its first electric vehicle through the start of production in late 2022. Shares of the combined company are expected to trade on the New York Stock Exchange starting Friday
By Simon Alvarez Posted on October 29, 2020 Elon Musk has previously noted that the improvements in the capabilities of Tesla’s Full Self-Driving system will be rapid once the company rolls out its Autopilot rewrite. Based on recent real-world tests of the FSD beta in action, it appears that improvements are indeed coming quickly, with
BOSTON — A federal judge on Thursday granted a last-minute request to stop the U.S. government from turning over to Japan two Massachusetts men to face charges that they helped smuggle former Nissan Motor Co. Chairman Carlos Ghosn out of the country while he was awaiting trial on financial crimes. U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani
Just a few days after the Brabus Rocket was unveiled to the world, a handful of automotive journalists have had the opportunity to put it through its paces. Priced from €427,000 ($504,000), the Brabus Rocket is not cheap. In fact, its price makes other fast sedans like the BMW M5 Competition seem like a bargain
MILAN — Italy’s biggest auto show has been postponed for a second time because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Milano Monza Open-Air Motor Show is now scheduled to take place next spring, with the exact dates yet to be announced. Italian businessman and classic car enthusiast Andrea Levy, the show’s director, said the country’s auto
Genesis on Wednesday released the first photos of a new crossover SUV called the GV70 which is coming to showrooms next year as the latest entry in the competitive small premium SUV segment. Genesis’ first SUV was the mid-size GV80 which is just reaching showrooms after coronavirus delays quashed the original summer release. The third
Swiss designer Philipp Plein has lost a legal battle against Ferrari and been ordered to pay €300,000 ($352,000) in compensation to the Italian car manufacturer. The case relates to a spring 2018 runway show that Plein held in Milan in June 2017. During this event, Plein featured a host of exotics, including Ferraris, Lamborghinis and
In an unpredictable year upended by the coronavirus pandemic and the resulting recession, next week’s presidential election should answer at least one question: Who will shape the nation’s policy affecting the auto industry over the next four years? Incumbent Donald Trump and challenger Joe Biden, though starkly different in campaign rhetoric and approach, do converge
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