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Thursday, March 18, 2021

What You Missed | Your Autoblog Daily Digest for March 18, 2021

Mar 18, 2021

Top Stories of the Day

Hyundai unveils spaceship-inspired Staria minivan; close encounters coming soon

Hyundai has lifted the veil off of the Staria, a new minivan whose design draws inspiration from spaceships. Developed for businesses and families alike, the people-mover will go on sale in select global markets in 2021. Several versions of the Star…

RVer flat-tows new Jeep Wrangler in low gear; carnage ensues

If you've ever seen photos of an interference engine that has been over-revved, you probably think you know what catastrophic engine damage looks like. This 2021 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon's engine bay absolutely redefines the concept. This four-door lo…

2021 Genesis GV80 earns IIHS Top Safety Pick+ award

The 2021 Genesis GV80 just earned a Top Safety Pick+ award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety . Ever since Tiger Woods crashed a GV80 , the new Genesis crossover has been in the safety spotlight . There are still no safety ratings from the …

Trailer safety chain stops couple's pickup from plunging into Idaho gorge

When trucker Rod Drury pulled up to the wrecked camper on the Malad Gorge Bridge on I-84 near the Snake River in southern Idaho on Monday afternoon, he was sure it was the scene of a fatality. And it almost was. As he approached the wreck, he realize…

2021 BMW 4 Series Review | Just call it Cyrano

Like Cyrano de Bergerac, it's impossible to get past the nose of the 2021 BMW 4 Series. Keen to make a bolder, even controversial design statement, BMW has expanded its signature kidney grille to an extent not seen since the early 1950s when tall rad…

A chat with Derek Jenkins, Lucid Motors senior V.P. of design

A few years ago , we spoke with the folks at Lucid Motors — specifically CEO and CTO Peter Rawlinson and Senior Vice President of Design Derek Jenkins — as they worked to develop the Air electric luxury sedan and break ground on their Arizona factory.…

Acura announces 2021 TLX Type S on-sale date and approximate price

Acura is clearing up a few nagging questions we had about the 2021 TLX Type S today. The company's latest announcement spells out both the starting price and a precise on-sale date. You'll be able to drive a 2021 Acura TLX Type S home in May this y…

2021 Honda Accord Luggage Test | The segment leader is declared

Every 2021 Honda Accord has a trunk that measures 16.7 cubic-feet in volume, including the Accord Hybrid whose past versions had severely reduced cargo capacity. That means it should have the best cargo space of any midsize family sedan. Although I'v…

Perseverance records itself driving on Mars, and it sounds brutal

One of the unexpectedly interesting things about Perseverance, the plucky rover that landed on Mars last month, has been its ability to record sound, using two onboard microphones . We've heard the haunting, wispy wail of the most lonesome desert wind…

Toyota cuts production in North America due to supply chain issues

WASHINGTON — Toyota and Honda announced new North American production cuts, citing supply chain issues that have wreaked havoc with the auto industry. Toyota said it would cut production this week at four plants in Kentucky, West Virginia and Mexico…

Wednesday, March 17, 2021

What You Missed | Your Autoblog Daily Digest for March 17, 2021

Mar 17, 2021

Top Stories of the Day

Sabine Schmitz, 'Queen of the Nurburgring,' dies at 51

NÜRBURG, Germany — Former racing driver Sabine Schmitz, the 'Queen of the Nürburgring' who was also a presenter of the popular BBC "Top Gear" television program, has died at age 51. Schmitz won the 24 Hours of Nürburgring touring car race with BMW i…

Celebrating green cars for St. Patrick's Day

2020 Volvo S60 T8 Long-Term Review Wrap-Up | Final verdict

Twelve months of motoring in the 2020 Volvo S60 T8 went by quickly. Our time in Volvo's sharp, plug-in hybrid sedan is over, and it's time for a final verdict. The S60 saw two entirely different worlds in its time with us. We took delivery in normal …

The WEVC Coupe has a Porsche 356a-inspired body and a fully electric powertrain

The British EV startup Watt Electric Vehicles promised to give life to the coachbuilding industry with a new electric vehicle platform to work off of, and today the company reveals its first car. It's simply called the WEVC Coupe, and it borrows heav…

2021 BMW M550i Road Test Review | A seriously good M sedan

The 2021 BMW M550i is the stepping stone to an M5 , and yet in many ways, it's the more enjoyable sports sedan to drive. BMW updated the 5 Series lineup for 2021 — we sampled the 540i first — adding more tech and revised exterior styling among other r…

2022 Kia Stinger gets 300-hp I4, new sport exhaust for V6

The 2022 Kia Stinger comes out swinging with a larger, 300-horsepower 4-cylinder engine and a new active sport exhaust for the V6-powered GT model. The sporty, rear-wheel-drive sedan also gets some styling updates inside and out to match Kia's new br…

BMW Group announces an armada of EVs that includes the full Mini range

BMW plans to significantly increase the number of electric cars in its range during the 2020s. It outlined plans to launch several battery-powered models, including M cars, and transform Mini into an EV-only brand by 2030. In the medium-term future,…

1938 Alfa Romeo 158 Alfetta homage, built by TV's Ant Anstead, coming to Barrett-Jackson

The Alfa Romeo 158 "Alfetta" was the dominant racing car in the inaugural Formula One season of 1950. The car finished 1-2-3 in the first Grand Prix at Silverstone and won all 11 of the races it entered that year. Now, there's a re-creation of that f…

BMW i4 revealed as the 3 Series' EV sidekick

BMW's first purpose-designed electric sedan made its global debut online. Called i4, and previewed by a close-to-production concept in 2020, it was developed as a battery-powered alternative to the 3 Series . Designers made several tweaks to the i4 t…

Honda will temporarily cut production in the U.S. and Canada

WASHINGTON — Honda said late Tuesday supply chain issues will force a halt to production at a majority of U.S. and Canadian auto plants for a week. The Japanese automaker added the issue will result in some production cuts next week at all U.S. and …