Best Shots: November 2020

Monday, November 30, 2020

What You Missed | Your Autoblog Daily Digest for November 30, 2020

Nov 30, 2020

Top Stories of the Day

Former halo skeptic Grosjean praises the device with saving his life

MANAMA, Bahrain — Romain Grosjean credited the halo protection bar with saving his life in a fiery crash that ripped his car in two on the opening lap of the Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix on Sunday. The Frenchman's Haas car speared through the barr…

GM scraps plan to buy stake in Nikola and build its electric pickup

DETROIT — General Motors and Nikola Corp on Monday announced a reworked agreement on a fuel-cell partnership that eliminates an equity stake in the startup for the Detroit automaker as well as plans for building Nikola's electric pickup truck. In Se…

BMW X7 facelift hiding a new and updated face in spy photos

The BMW X7 is getting a facelift soon, and today is our first look at what BMW's biggest crossover will look like with the changes. It's immediately apparent that BMW is only changing the styling on the front and rear, which is par for the course wit…

2021 Audi RS 6 Avant First Drive | A German fairy tale come true

Finally. A 2021 Audi RS 6 Avant sits at the curb. It's in Nardo Grey, arguably Audi's best shade of grey (of which there are many). Year after year has gone by without a proper Audi sports wagon being sold in the United States. We've always had to lo…

2021 Acura TLX Luggage Test | Perfectly reasonable trunk space

The 2021 Acura TLX has a 13.5-cubic-foot trunk according to the spec sheet. That would be comparable to a typical compact mainstream sedan despite the TLX's exterior dimensions being more akin to a midsize sedan (its 194.6-inch length is right smack …

Ford hasn't ruled out offering the next Mustang with all-wheel-drive

Longstanding rumors claim the next-generation Ford Mustang could offer all-wheel drive, and they may not be false. Although the company didn't confirm an all-wheel-drive option is on its way, it refused to rule it out. "As you know, the [Dodge] Chal…

Will Mazda transform the CX-5 into a full-fledged luxury car?

Mazda's next-generation CX-5 will graduate from premium to luxury to bolster the firm's upmarket push, according to a recent report. It will again take the form of a crossover, but it might spawn a fastback-like model. Japanese magazine Best Car lea…

Daniel Ricciardo disgusted with F1's 'Hollywood' coverage of Romain Grosjean's crash

Daniel Ricciardo blasted the "Hollywood" coverage of Romain Grosjean's fiery Bahrain Grand Prix crash on Sunday and said he was disgusted by Formula One showing endless replays while drivers were waiting for the race to restart. Grosjean was lucky t…

Lego Technic's first McLaren kit is an 830-piece Senna GTR

McLaren and Lego have worked together on several projects since 2015, but the British supercar manufacturer's models have never appeared in the more advanced Technic line of kits. That's scheduled to change in early 2021 when the Senna GTR comes to y…

These Cyber Monday deals could save you some serious cash

Autoblog may receive a share from purchases made via links on this page. Pricing and availability are subject to change. Cyber Monday is here, and with its arrival comes the final onslaught of deals for the season. If you're looking to pick up a gif…

Wednesday, November 25, 2020

What You Missed | Your Autoblog Daily Digest for November 25, 2020

Nov 25, 2020

Top Stories of the Day

Ferrari channels every ounce of its racing expertise into the 488 GT Modificata

Ferrari is developing its first SUV , but venturing into new segments is not an excuse to stop racing. It created the next track-only evolution of the 488 by putting technology from its GTE and GT3 race cars under the same roof. Called GT Modificata,…

[VIDEO] That viral TikTok star who got a free Nissan Frontier from Ocean Spray? He traded it for a Silverado

Remember when Ocean Spray gave Nathan Apodaca (more widely known as @420doggface208 on TikTok ) a brand new Nissan Frontier pickup? OK, maybe you don't, but the cranberry juice company did exactly that after one of Apodaca's TikToks absolutely blew up…

First-year International Travelall with just 35K miles is unbelievably preserved

Vintage SUVs are garnering more interest among car collectors, but the challenge with these vehicles is that they were workhorses back in the day, so finding one in preserved condition is all but impossible. That makes this 1953 International Harvest…

Lucid Air base sedan will be called the 'Pure'

Lucid announced Tuesday that the 406-mile base model of its new Air electric car will be called the "Pure," and hopefuls who would like to configure one can now find it in the company's online configuration tool . "Lucid Motors today announced the o…

2021 Chevy Tahoe and Suburban Review | Bigger and better than ever

When you need a vehicle that does absolutely everything – towing, carrying lots of people and cargo, going off-road, providing a civilized drive with some style – it's hard to top a full-size SUV. And for decades, the two that have ruled the segment …

Volkswagen ID.4 official EPA range is 250 miles

The feds have announced their official driving-range figure for the 2021 Volkswagen ID.4 , and the new EV is good for 250 miles. That's for the 201-horsepower, rear-motor, rear-wheel-drive ID.4 Pro and ID.4 First Edition, both of which use an 82-kWh b…

2022 Rivian R1T and R1S: Which one? And how we'd spec them

Turns out the Autoblog crew likes yellow electric trucks. Who knew? Rivian has officially opened its configurator to the public, so of course we all had to dive in and build our ideal Rivians. Both the R1T and R1S builder tools went live at the same …

Limited-edition Bugatti Chiron Sport bridges the gap between cars and planes

Bugatti is highlighting the little-known link between some of its earliest race cars and aviation with a limited-edition variant of the Chiron Sport named Les Légendes du Ciel. Although it doesn't gain wings and an air-cooled radial engine, the model…

2021 Lexus LC 500 Convertible Interior Driveway Test | Lexus at its best

The 2021 Lexus LC 500 Convertible is a blessing in the form of a car. Its 5.0-liter naturally aspirated V8 makes one of the best sounds in automobiledom, and one look will have anybody's jaws on the ground. Climb inside, and the hits don't stop comin…

2021 Honda Rebel 1100 puts a new spin on the definition of a cruiser

Honda released a bigger, more powerful version of the Rebel 500 that offers riders more than twice the engine displacement. Called Rebel 1100, it diverges from the commonly-accepted definition of a cruiser in several ways. The 487-pound Rebel 1100 i…

Tuesday, November 24, 2020

What You Missed | Your Autoblog Daily Digest for November 24, 2020

Nov 24, 2020

Top Stories of the Day

2021 Ram 1500 TRX First Drive | King of the Jurassic parking lot

Looking over the spec sheet of the 2021 Ram 1500 TRX, it's hard not to think America has hit peak pickup truck. Everything about the TRX is bigger, better and badder than any truck that's come before, including its one obvious bogey, the Ford F-150 R…

2022 BMW M2 spy photos show traditional M upgrades

Based on past spy photos, the next-generation BMW 2 Series coupe will be a traditional BMW with old-school proportions and rear-wheel drive. And just as expected, it will continue to have an M version, which we see for the first time in these latest …

Ford releases fuel economy figures for the 2021 Bronco Sport

Ford has given us one of the last missing pieces of the 2021 Bronco Sport puzzle: official fuel economy figures. While the EPA hasn't published them yet at fueleconomy.gov , following a tipster's lead (thanks, Jerry!) brought us straight to the Monron…

Ford Mustang Mach-E official EPA range numbers are in

Official EPA range estimates for the 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E are in, and they largely confirm Ford's initially released figures. The battery-powered 'Stang is good for up to 300 miles on a charge, but different variants have different range estimate…

GM pulls out of California emissions litigation, throws support to incoming Biden administration

General Motors has announced that it is withdrawing from the California emissions pre-emption litigation spearheaded by the outgoing Trump administration. In a letter signed by Chairman and CEO Mary Barra to 11 environment organization leaders, the c…

Yakima CBX Roof Box Review | A different kind of premium cargo box

It probably won't come as surprising news that more people have been using their cars to go on vacation instead of risking several hours breathing inside airplanes and airports. With longer trips comes more luggage, and if kids are in the equation, t…

2021 Mercedes-Benz Metris gets a new transmission, infotainment and other features

The 2021 Mercedes-Benz Metris has received a slew of updates that you might not notice at first, but which should thoroughly improve the driving experience for owners. It gets a new transmission, infotainment system and has a bunch of new convenience…

New Winnebago Ekko motorhome promises year-round, off-the-grid camping

The call of #vanlife and off-the-grid camping has proven especially strong during this COVID year, but what if you want a little more space than offered by the typical van conversion? You might try this Winnebago Ekko, which offers the space of a mot…

The C8 Corvette is the latest car to undergo the Rocket Bunny scalpel

Whether or not you like the Pandem Rocket Bunny C8 (or even understand that string of words) will probably depend on whether you wear your baseball caps flat-brimmed or "dad hat " style. For a certain subset of the enthusiast community, though, there'…

Toyota Yaris GR sets a Nurburgring Bridge-to-Gantry time of 7:56

We've felt confident saying the Toyota GR Yaris is a cracker of a car, even if an ocean separates us from some actual seat time. That claim has been proven by a new in-car video showing just how fast it can boogie around the Nürburgring. In the foota…

Monday, November 23, 2020

What You Missed | Your Autoblog Daily Digest for November 23, 2020

Nov 23, 2020

Top Stories of the Day

2020 Volvo V90 Cross Country Road Test | Taller is better

With all due respect to my colleague Zac Palmer and his road test of the regular Volvo V90 , taller is better. While I certainly appreciate and applaud Volvo's decision to buck convention and offer a conventional wagon without body cladding and a susp…

McLaren's first series-produced hybrid model will be called Artura

McLaren's first hybrid, the P1 , arrived in 2012 as an acclaimed, epoch-shaping hypercar built in strictly limited numbers. This bodes well for the Artura, the British manufacturer's first series-produced gasoline-electric car. Expected in showrooms …

VW Passat nearing the end of the road in the U.S.

Midsize sedans, once the dominant passenger-car species in the U.S. ecosystem, are starting to look endangered. The latest nameplate to exit the American marketplace is the Volkswagen Passat , which, according to a VW executive quoted in Wards Auto , w…

Ford Bronco R race prototype finishes the Baja 1000

Ford entered its Bronco R race prototype in the Baja 1000 for the second year in a row, and this time the Blue Oval's off-road machine finished the race. Last year, the Bronco R and its team's performance was marred by a number of issues that kept it…

GM to recall, repair 7 million trucks and SUVs with Takata airbag inflators

DETROIT — The U.S. is making General Motors recall and repair nearly 6 million big pickup trucks and SUVs equipped with potentially dangerous Takata air bag inflators. GM says it will not fight the recall, and it will repair another 1 million vehicl…

GM offers $500,000 to Cadillac dealers who want to opt out of the EV revolution

Automakers worldwide have pointed their businesses in one direction long-term: The future is electric. But what if you don't want to live in that future? Well, if you're a Cadillac dealer, you have an option: Take the money and run. According to Aut…

2021 Chevrolet Tahoe Infotainment System Driveway Test

The interior of the 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe can't possibly hold a candle to what you'll find in the new Escalade , but the good news is that the underlying tech isn't all that different. Plus, when it comes to GM's recent infotainment suites, they pretty…

Maserati Shamal restomod is sketched out and could become reality

Remember the Maserati Shamal? Alright, maybe you don't, but Maserati certainly hasn't forgotten. As this year's quasi-virtual SEMA show continues, Maserati has joined the fray by threatening to build a restomodded version of the Shamal. All we have …

Hyundai Nexo hydrogen technology could power the Ineos Grenadier 4x4

Hyundai has linked arms with chemical producer and 4x4 manufacturer Ineos to develop new ways to produce and distribute hydrogen. The tie-up also means some of the Nexo's technology could end up in the Grenadier . On paper, the memorandum of understa…

All-new Honda N-One adds old-school charm by including a manual transmission

The Japan-only N-One kei car has been a favorite among Honda enthusiasts since its debut in 2012. Mostly, that was due to its lovable styling — which was inspired by the 1967 N360 and the N600 , its U.S. market variant — even though its was only avail…