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Thursday, October 24, 2019

What You Missed | Your Autoblog Daily Digest for October 24, 2019

Oct 24, 2019

Top Stories of the Day

2019 Porsche GT3 meets its family on a California road trip

OJAI, Calif. — California State Route 33 north of Ojai is a truly wonderful stretch of asphalt that crests a mountain range in Los Padres National Forest in Ventura County north of Los Angeles. Its miles of curving canyon roads contain plenty of shar…

Bollinger prices its B1 and B2 electric trucks

Bollinger Motors , which recently unveiled its electric B1 four-door sport utility truck and B2 pickup, has now attached a price tag to the pair of rugged EVs. They'll have an MSRP of $125,000. So what do you get for that price? They're both Class 3 …

Check out the Ford Super Duty lineup rolling into SEMA 2019

Ford has already showed us the Rangers and SUVs of its 2019 SEMA lineup , and today we get to see the Super Duty agenda. There are five Super Duty trucks in total, and their packaging/modifications range greatly. Various upgrades are coming to the 20…

This Nissan Leaf has 501 pound-feet of torque and AWD, previewing future Nissan EVs

The electric Nissan Ariya Concept made its big debut at the Tokyo Motor Show a couple of days ago, but the electric news spout from Nissan isn't done flowing yet. Behold: an all-wheel drive twin-motor Nissan Leaf . It has 304 horsepower and a stonking…

Rats can drive tiny cars, and they find it relaxing, scientists say

We now have an answer to the age-old question of whether rats can learn to drive a vehicle, and the result is a resounding yes. What's more, the vermin even seem to find the whole endeavor relaxing. Researchers at the University of Richmond in Virgi…

2020 Ducati Streetfighter V4 packs 208 hp in a 400-lb package

Over a thousand attendees wildly cheered as Ducati boss Claudio Domenicali unveiled the 2020 Streetfighter V4, a racing-inspired motorcycle that weighs less than a Chevrolet big-block engine yet packs more power than a Subaru BRZ . It's revving proof …

Ducati Panigale V2 joins revised V4, Multistrada and Diavel

RIMINI, Italy — Ducati doesn't just have customers; it has fans, followers, and worshippers. Your next-door neighbors might have bought a Toyota RAV4 because it's safe and it gets good fuel economy, or because they got a killer deal on it, but no on…

Lawsuit blames Tesla motorized door handles for death of driver stuck in burning car

Tesla is facing a wrongful death lawsuit in Broward Country, Florida, claiming that the motorized door handles on the Tesla Model S prevented the rescue of the driver of the car who died after a crash. Bloomberg initially reported the news. The cras…

Tesla posts surprise quarterly profit, sets deliveries record

Tesla posted a surprise quarterly profit on Wednesday, making good on Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk's promise, and said it was "highly confident" in exceeding its target of delivering more than 360,000 cars this year. Shares of the company shot …

TV reporter fired after climbing on cars live at auto show

TV news is no stranger to using stunts to attract eyeballs — think reporters struggling to do standups in roaring hurricanes and pouring rain — but this will make enthusiasts and automotive journalists cringe. It's a live segment that happened Sunda…

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

What You Missed | Your Autoblog Daily Digest for October 23, 2019

Oct 23, 2019

Top Stories of the Day

2020 Ford Escape Review & Buying Guide | New and more carlike

The new 2020 Ford Escape takes a huge step forward in the competitive compact crossover market with a new platform, styling and powertrains. It's now being built on Ford's new modular architecture, and is the first vehicle riding on it to come to the…

Lexus LF-30 Electrified Concept announces the brand's entry in EVs

The star of the Lexus booth at the biennial Tokyo auto show is an extremely futuristic concept named LF-30 Electrified that previews the firm's cars could look like — and be powered by — in 2030. The LF-30 Electrified uses clever technology to take L…

Mazda MX-30 crossover is brand's first EV, with sporty, coupe-like looks

TOKYO — Mazda's first production full electric car has finally been revealed, and it's called the MX-30. And the name and shape point to it being a sporty, fun EV, though we're still waiting for more details. Starting with the name, the 30 designati…

All-new, all-hybrid Honda Fit hits the Tokyo Motor Show stage

The Honda Fit, that small-on-the-outside, big-on-the-inside car that has been bending perceptions of three-dimensional space since 2001, was revealed in its fourth generation guise Tuesday at the Tokyo Motor Show. Details were limited, beyond a pro…

Mitsubishi Mi-Tech turbine-PHEV buggy blows the doors off our dreams

TOKYO — For this year's Tokyo Motor Show , Mitsubishi went all out with the Mi-Tech concept. It's a tough-looking open off-roader with a wild hybrid powertrain. It's glorious, which makes it all the more sad it will likely never see the light of day. …

This restored 1968 Winnebago is beyond adorable

The stove is teal! The fridge is too, as are the drapes, the carpet, the dining benches and the Winnebago 'W' on the side. Everything about this 1968 Winnebogo F17 RV currently up for auction on Bring a Trailer makes you grin from ear to ear. It's ju…

Driving the Mercedes-Benz Vision EQS Concept in Japan

There is something eerie about driving concept cars. It's not that they're priceless one-offs, painstakingly created by a host of craftspeople. And it's not that they're champingly bridled, powered by a full battery array, yet only able to be driven …

[VIDEO] Michigan dealer turns a Jeep Gladiator into a Scrambler tribute

Motor1 discovered this gem buried on YouTube, a Jeep Gladiator made over into a tribute to the Jeep CJ-8 Scrambler. Built by Preferred Jeep in Grand Haven, Michigan — and still for sale at the time of writing — the Scrambler look-back just about nail…

Yamaha confirms it's out of the automotive industry

Don't expect Yamaha to introduce a head-turning concept car during the 2019 edition of the biennial Tokyo Motor Show. The Japanese giant went to the event to confirm its exit from the automotive industry. "Cars do not feature in our long-term plans …

Junkyard Gem: 1995 Lincoln Mark VIII

Except for a pause during the 1960s, the Lincoln Mark Series of personal luxury cars stayed in production from the 1956 through 1998 model years. These were big, swanky machines loaded with the latest in gadgetry and — other than the handful of 1984-…

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

What You Missed | Your Autoblog Daily Digest for October 22, 2019

Oct 22, 2019

Top Stories of the Day

2020 C8 Chevy Corvette spins up an eye-popping mystery on the dyno

The intrigue around the 2020 Chevrolet Corvette isn't close to ending. Motor Trend secured a pre-production build of America's sports car for two weeks of testing, including a trial at the Hyundai-Kia proving grounds for MT's Car of the Year roundup.…

Mahindra Roxor Second Drive | Aiming for the mud

Only a few vehicles in the world can label themselves a truly unique proposition. In this case, we're not using the word unique lightly. Some cars may have a unique aero setup or suspension technology, but establishing your own segment? There's a lot…

2020 Lexus LC 500 Luggage Test | Hey, why not?

I will admit that I initially did this as a joke. A seemingly endless parade of SUVs had been passing through Autoblog Portland HQ, each of which was subjected to my luggage test . Then the 2020 Lexus LC 500 showed up resplendent in metallic Flare Yel…

Pedestrian and cyclist deaths rise to highest level since 1990

WASHINGTON — U.S. traffic deaths fell 2.4% in 2018 to 36,560, although the number of pedestrians killed rose to its highest level in nearly three decades, according to the latest study from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration . NHTSA s…

2020 Nissan Titan XD breaks cover with more tech, new styling, fewer configurations

The 2020 Nissan Titan XD is here, and just as we expected , it's down a powertrain option for its mid-cycle refresh. Cummins quit producing the diesel engine that was available in the XD, so now all XDs will come with an updated version of the 5.6-lit…

Another aluminum-air battery promises 1,500 miles of range from a charge

With billions of dollars being poured into battery electric vehicles, what seems like millions of new innovations crop up every year. Some inventions will find successful implementation. Most will wash up on the shore as EV industry jetsam. The Daily…

Dodge has released 500 million horsepower onto American roads since 2005

Dodge started using horsepower to measure sales when it launched its Power Dollars rebate program in August 2019. The clever campaign has paid off, and the company reached its goal of putting 500 million horsepower in the hands of enthusiasts two mon…

[VIDEO] Toyota TRD turns Supra into a throwback 3000GT concept for SEMA

Toyota's TRD boffins are cooking up a special Supra for SEMA next month, a redux of the MkIV A80 1994 Supra 3000GT based on the new A90 Supra. TRD hasn't explained what we'll be seeing, instead releasing a five-minute video and a couple of photos as …

Next-gen BMW M3 photo supposedly leaked from factory floor

Spy shots of the next-gen BMW M3 have floated around the internet for awhile now, but we've never seen it without the camouflage on. That changes today. Evolve Automotive posted a photo of what it claims is the rear end of the G80 M3 on its Facebook …

Fat fuel for fat cats: Luxury jets are flying on meat waste

LAS VEGAS — At the world's biggest industry show in Las Vegas, luxury jets are luring buyers with their sleek silhouettes, plush cabins — and increasingly, their use of alternative fuels. Fuel producers and jetmakers are keen to showcase novel forms…

Monday, October 21, 2019

What You Missed | Your Autoblog Daily Digest for October 21, 2019

Oct 21, 2019

Top Stories of the Day

Watch Alex Márquez's insane save on wet Moto2 track

We've watched this clip of Alex Márquez's ridiculous save several times already, and we're going to watch it again. And we're not the only ones. Marc Márquez, Alex's older brother, MotoGP champion and no stranger to amazing motorcycle saves himself, …

Burt Reynolds' former 1978 'Smokey' Pontiac Trans Am in big auction by feds

A 1978 Pontiac Trans Am once owned by Burt Reynolds as a memento of the car he drove in the film "Smokey and the Bandit" will be among nearly 150 muscle cars and luxury vehicles seized from the alleged perpetrators of an $800 million investment schem…

2020 Mazda3 Review & Buying Guide | The connoisseur's choice

Completely redesigned last year, the 2020 Mazda3 pretty much carries over, continuing to be the connoisseur's choice for a compact car. For starters, its elegant sedan and unique hatchback body styles are considerably more stylish than expected for t…

Garrett E-Turbo marks the evolution of electrically-assisted boost

Garrett Motion, the well-known purveyor of turbochargers since 1950, has gone public with its E-Turbo, the evolution of the electronically assisted turbo. As Forbes explains , the unit puts an electric motor on the shaft between the turbine wheel and …

Ford Mach E getting RWD trim and different battery options?

Last week, Ford announced a partnership with Electrify America to benefit buyers of the Mustang-inspired crossover that we're calling the Mach E until we get something official. The crossover owners will pay for charging through FordPass, but won't n…

2019 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S 4-Door Review | Awesome and confusing

On paper, the Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S 4-door makes sense. There are probably plenty of folks who love the AMG GT coupe's looks and performance, but need something with cargo space for long trips or to be able to ferry around friends and family. Now havi…

Tesla's Nurburgring run revs up debate over speed records

FRANKFURT, Germany — Tesla's attempts to humble Porsche with a new lap record on Germany's legendary Nürburgring Nordschleife racetrack have reignited a controversy about the value of lap times, as the circuit steps in to quash claims of cheating. P…

Oil companies wasting natural gas, emitting large amounts of greenhouse gases

The New York Times recently looked at data on the way energy companies deal with natural gas in the three largest U.S. shale oil fields — the Eagle Ford and Permian Basin fields in Texas, and the Bakken field in North Dakota that straddles the border…

Mazda will introduce a groundbreaking new diesel engine in 2020

Mazda is preparing to introduce its first series-produced electric car , but it's not sending the diesel engine to the automotive graveyard. The company remains committed to turbodiesel technology, and it will take its efficiency to the next level whe…