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Thursday, March 25, 2021

What You Missed | Your Autoblog Daily Digest for March 25, 2021

Mar 25, 2021

Top Stories of the Day

Ford's long-lost turbine semi truck 'Big Red' found, in good shape

Back in the 1960s, turbine power was quite the fascination for car companies. Obviously there was the Chrysler Turbine car, but Ford was in the game, too. The difference was that they were considering turbine power for commercial trucks. While a wide…

2021 Toyota Sienna XSE Road Test Review | It's the 'sporty' one

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The 2021 Toyota Sienna isn't what you'd think of as fun or sporty. It's a minivan. Also, it's a hybrid. Sure, hybrid isn't as correlated with slow as it used to be, but Toyota plus hybrid together conjures images of Priuses driving…

Volvo XC90 Coasting Transmission Deep Dive | Best coast

In our recent 2021 Volvo XC90 Recharge review, its turbocharged-supercharged-hybridized powertrain delivered impressive horsepower and fuel economy. But Volvo has one additional trick up its sleeve, propelling a car with power that's simpler, cheaper…

'Why isn't he stopping?' Mini driver describes being pushed sideways by dump truck

Yesterday, a video out of Toronto made the rounds on social media. It was scary to watch, as a dump truck pushed a Mini sideways a half-kilometer (third of a mile). But there were no details about why this accident happened or who was involved. Today…

Dodge Challenger, Charger get new anti-theft trick: going super slow

People who buy Dodge Challengers and Chargers with the big V8s get them because they're powerful and can go fast. But that becomes a bad thing if some ne'er-do-well steals it for a joy ride. That's where Dodge's latest feature, Security Mode, comes i…

Ford discovers $100,000 worth of leather and will donate it to Detroit businesses

When was the last time you found over $100,000 worth of things that you forgot you owned? Oh, never? Same here. However, Ford cannot relate, as the company just unearthed over $100,000 worth of unused leather hides (that's a lot of leather) as it was…

Women now hold the majority of seats on GM's board of directors

General Motors on Thursday said it is expanding its board of directors to 13 persons, with women holding seven of the seats. GM named two new directors, Meg Whitman and Mark Tatum. Whitman, 64, is a longtime tech executive and former Republican can…

Volkswagen Amarok midsize pickup previewed in design sketch

There's a new teaser for the upcoming Volkswagen Amarok pickup out today. It's intriguing to see the truck be previewed, because this is the first pickup that will be born of the Ford-Volkswagen technology sharing partnership . The new Amarok will be …

2022 BMW Alpina B8 Gran Coupe has M8-rivaling power

BMW usually is careful to ensure its M-badged models are the most potent of any one line. But it frequently lets BMW tuner Alpina build them a car that rivals its M models for all-out grunt, and that's the case with the 2022 BMW Alpina B8 Gran Coupe.…

Daymak says it's making the world's fastest three-wheeled EV

If you're in the market to buy a three-wheeled car that can go from 0-60 mph in 1.8 seconds, then, goodness, does Daymak have the electric vehicle for you. The company is crowdfunding the Spiritus, a two-seater EV that apparently "rides like a go-kar…

Wednesday, March 24, 2021

What You Missed | Your Autoblog Daily Digest for March 24, 2021

Mar 24, 2021

Top Stories of the Day

2022 Hyundai Kona N caught undisguised during video shoot

The 2022 Hyundai Kona N was caught on German roads during a video shoot this week. Our spy managed to snag photos of it from just about every angle, giving us our first complete picture of Hyundai's new performance-oriented CUV. We often seen spy p…

Why Stellantis needs Chrysler

Stellantis has a secret weapon. It's called Chrysler. Rumors swirled this year that the 96-year-old namesake brand of the former Chrysler Corp. could be on the chopping block, but Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares promptly shot them down . Now what? The …

2021 Chevy Tahoe Suspension Deep Dive | Explaining the IRS you should be happy about

For years, the Chevrolet Tahoe had something in common with the Ford Mustang: both were the last holdouts in their respective segments to employ solid rear axles long after it became obvious that independent rear suspension would make them better. Fo…

GM's latest production delays: Colorado/Canyon, Cadillac CT4/CT5, Camaro

DETROIT — General Motors Co extended production cuts in North America on Wednesday due to a worldwide semiconductor chip shortage that has impacted the auto sector. The U.S. automaker said its Wentzville, Missouri, assembly plant would be idled duri…

Tesla Model S and Model X apparently getting touchscreen shifter

Tesla already made headlines for the yoke-style steering wheel that might be offered on the refreshed Model S and Model X. But it seems the wheel is only the start of the company's efforts to reinvent tried-and-true vehicle controls. The Tesla Owners…

Subaru previews more outback- and wilderness-friendly Outback Wilderness

Subaru's popular Outback will inaugurate a line of off-road-focused models bundled under the Wilderness label . The firm released a preview image to give us an early look at what it calls its most capable station wagon to date. Starting with the Outb…

Toyota 86 is reportedly delayed to differentiate it from Subaru BRZ

Subaru's second-generation BRZ made its global debut in late 2020, and it's scheduled to arrive in showrooms in 2021, but Toyota's version of the car remains shrouded in secrecy. Although it's still on its way to production, a recent report claims it…

Didi ride-hailing service considers New York stock IPO at $100 billion valuation

HONG KONG - China's top ride-hailing firm Didi Chuxing is leaning toward picking New York over Hong Kong for its initial public offering (IPO), eyeing a valuation of at least $100 billion via the float, two people with direct knowledge of the matter …

Tesla officially launches bitcoin car transactions in the U.S.

As promised earlier this year , Tesla customers can now buy its electric vehicles with bitcoin, its boss, Elon Musk, said on Wednesday, marking a significant step forward for the cryptocurrency's use in commerce. "You can now buy a Tesla with bitcoin…

'Judge Dredd' movie truck could be your ride for the dystopian future

While there are many vehicles that adopt a dystopian future aesthetic , few have actually been a part of the media that has helped shape our idea of such a world. One of those few could be in your garage: this movie vehicle from the 1995 film "Judge D…