Wednesday, October 30, 2019

What You Missed | Your Autoblog Daily Digest for October 30, 2019

Ram 1500 diesel overlander, off-road Jeep Wrangler show present and future of Mopar, 2019 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio Review | Heck of a third impression, 2020 Mazda CX-9 gets more torque and second-row captain's chairs and more...

Oct 30, 2019

Top Stories of the Day

Ram 1500 diesel overlander, off-road Jeep Wrangler show present and future of Mopar

Ram and Jeep both have some heavily customized off-roaders for SEMA this year. The Ram is a 2020 1500 Rebel with the diesel engine and an overlanding theme, and the Jeep is a 2020 Wrangler Unlimited with a general off-road theme. Each features loads …

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2019 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio Review | Heck of a third impression

The 2019 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio does not make a good second impression. The first impression? A-OK, as you approach its distinctive Alfa face, admire its tight proportions and wonder why someone would paint it something other than Alfa Rosso…

2020 Mazda CX-9 gets more torque and second-row captain's chairs

The 2020 Mazda CX-9 is here, and it's even more enticing than the 2019 model year SUV . It's not a full redesign, but Mazda shook up the features list to make it more competitive with other three-row crossovers. Most notable (arguably) of all changes …

1968 Dodge D200 'Lowliner' adds low-down diesel torque to a lowrider

When Mopar does a custom classic car, it's always spectacular, whether it's a Dodge muscle car like the 1,000-horsepower Super Charger or the monster Jeep Five-Quarter off-road pickup . For SEMA this year, Mopar skipped another Dodge sports coupe in f…

Firefighters drive straight through the California Kincade fire in harrowing video

The Kincade fire continues to scorch California, forcing thousands to evacuate. The latest information from officials, reported by local news outlets, is that the fire has consumed over 75,000 acres of land. As of now, it's still only 15 percent cont…


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Shelby American could push the 2020 Mustang Shelby GT500 beyond 1,000 hp

After a daylong media drive, auto media and enthusiasts have only just opened the discussion on the 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 . Nevertheless, the only thing better than the great toy you have in your hands is the potentially greater toy you might…

De Tomaso P72 gets a 5.0-liter Ford V8 with 700+ horsepower

All the comments the Hong Kong-based Consolidated Ideal TeamVentures (CIT) have made about resurrecting the De Tomaso brand have stressed the company's focus on staying true to De Tomaso's intentions and the values of his car company. The first proof…

Ford shows off polished new Sync 4 infotainment software

Ford Sync 3 launched on various 2016 model year Ford vehicles, but now it's time to begin sunsetting that tech in favor of the next iteration. Today, Ford is taking the wraps off its newest infotainment software, Sync 4. The new software is set to ar…

Early 2020 Nissan Sentra shows new 2.0-liter, more power, but no manual

CarsDirect again rubbed its magic lantern, and out popped another order guide, this time for the 2020 Nissan Sentra. In April, we got a preview of certain design changes on the way when Nissan debuted the China-market Sylphy — our Sentra by another n…

This might be a next-gen Nissan Z car mule

A Nissan 370Z successor is coming, and here's our first physical indication of the next-gen sports car in early testing phases. The photos of the car in question here are nothing special. At first glance, everything appears completely in order. Howev…

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

What You Missed | Your Autoblog Daily Digest for October 29, 2019

2020 Ford Shelby GT500 First Drive Review | Bring on the C8, Next-gen BMW M3, M4 delayed until 2021, but grille leaks for Halloween, Kia teases next-gen K5 in South Korea, foreshadows our Optima and more...

Oct 29, 2019

Top Stories of the Day

2020 Ford Shelby GT500 First Drive Review | Bring on the C8

LAS VEGAS — The 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 has a lot riding on it, literally and figuratively. In the literal sense, it's got nearly 4,200 hulking pounds of mass on its tires, the majority of which is over its front wheels. This is hardly a recip…

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Next-gen BMW M3, M4 delayed until 2021, but grille leaks for Halloween

While in South Africa for the BMW M Festival at the Kyalami circuit, BMW M boss Markus Flasch told Australian outlet CarSales that the next-gen M3 and M4 won't go into production until late 2020. Market launch won't happen until early 2021, including…

Kia teases next-gen K5 in South Korea, foreshadows our Optima

Now that the redesigned Hyundai Sonata is down the road burning gas, Kia's loading the next-generation Optima into the chute. The automaker teased the South Korean-market K5 — our Optima — on Facebook, revealing a sedan that will bring a new attitude…

Mercedes-Benz EQS electric flagship interior spied

The Mercedes-Benz EQS electric sedan has been spied once again . There isn't much to report on the exterior, but our spy photographer managed to get shots of the interior, giving us our first glimpse inside. While the center stack is covered up, we c…

Mazda creates reproduction parts program for North American MX-5 Miata

In 2017 Mazda announced a restoration program for the MX-5 Miata in Japan. The good news was that owners of Miatas that looked like they'd been thoroughly enjoyed for decades could get their convertibles returned to as-new condition. The bad news is …


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GM cuts earnings forecast, says strike cost it $3 billion in lost profit

DETROIT — General Motors on Tuesday slashed its earnings forecast for 2019, saying that a 40-day U.S. labor strike by the United Auto Workers union that brought virtually all of its North American operations to a standstill would cost it around $3 bi…

2020 Toyota Supra GT4 details announced, makes 429 horsepower

The 2020 Toyota Supra GT4 race car was introduced earlier this year at the Geneva Motor Show , and saw its first race at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring . But only now has Toyota provided key mechanical details about the car. And the big news is that the S…

Hyundai HDC-6 Neptune hydrogen truck looks like it's from RoboCop's Detroit

The Hyundai HDC-6 Neptune semi-truck has been revealed, previewing a possible future of hydrogen fuel-cell commercial trucks. Despite being a preview of the future, Hyundai says it looked to the past for design cues, specifically the 1930s with strea…

Alpine A110S First Drive | Faster and stiffer, but better?

In the markets in which it sells, the Alpine A110 's success as a viable Porsche 718 Cayman alternative is thanks to its defiantly French refusal to engage on equal terms. By increasing power, grip and suspension stiffness, however, the new A110S play…

Factory Five developing new supercar with 755-hp LS V12

Factory Five has produced its mid-engined GTM supercar for more than 10 years, that car using C5 Chevrolet Corvette internals wrapped in a steel tube frame chassis and original composite bodywork. The Massachusetts-based company is working on a repla…

Monday, October 28, 2019

What You Missed | Your Autoblog Daily Digest for October 28, 2019

Porsche Taycan Turbo S Sport Turismo runs hard at the 'Ring, The Ford Flex is dead. We say a heartful goodbye, 2020 Mini Cooper SE electric hatchback pricing, availability announced and more...

Oct 28, 2019

Top Stories of the Day

Porsche Taycan Turbo S Sport Turismo runs hard at the 'Ring

The Porsche Taycan laid down a lot of rubber at the Nürburgring during its development, and continues to do so. However, none of the videos of Porsche's new electric sedan lighting up The Green Hell have conveyed the Taycan's full dynamic might. A sh…

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The Ford Flex is dead. We say a heartful goodbye

To the surprise of no one, Ford has announced that it is ending production of the Flex . The model has been skating on thin ice for the past few years, despite being one of the most handsome vehicles in the national motor pool — at least in the eyes o…

2020 Mini Cooper SE electric hatchback pricing, availability announced

The 2020 Mini Cooper SE electric hatchback now has a price and an on-sale date for America. The retail price including destination charge is $30,750 before any tax credits are applied. Seeing as other BMW electric cars still qualify for the full $7,5…

2020 Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo arrives with new aero, same great Italian looks

The new Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo race car is here. And though it's not a whole lot different than the 488 that debuted a few years back , Ferrari has a comprehensive round of changes coming its way for the 2020 racing season.  To start, the 488 retains it…

2019 Volkswagen Tiguan earns IIHS Top Safety Pick+

Volkswagen 's 2019 Tiguan midsize crossover has been named a Top Safety Pick+ by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety when equipped with LED headlights and optional front crash prevention system. The institute's highest rating applies to models …


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2020 Subaru Legacy Review & Buying Guide | It's a sedan! And a good one

The 2020 Subaru Legacy is facing a very steep climb. Though redesigned and massively improved, it's still a sedan in an increasingly SUV world – and a sedan, no less, that has always struggled to attract shoppers away from the Honda Accord and Toyota…

2020 BMW M340i xDrive Touring joins its sedan sibling. But not here

The 2020 BMW M340i xDrive Touring joins the sedan on sale in November in global markets that don't include the U.S. Sharing the same 3.0-liter single turbo inline-six with the sedan, there's 374 horsepower (versus our 382 hp likely because of the gas…

2020 Mazda6 starts at $24,920, $200 more than 2019 model year

Mazda increased the price of all five trims of the 2020 Mazda6 by $200. The entry-level Mazda6 Sport starts at $24,000 before $920 destination charge ($965 in Alaska), for a total of $24,920. The only changes for next year are a new key fob likely co…

Tesla's new Solar Roof costs less than a new roof plus solar panels

Tesla has launched the third iteration of its solar roof tile for residential home use, which it officially detailed in a blog post on Friday and in a call with media. Tesla CEO Elon Musk kicked off the call with some explanatory remarks on the V3 …

Junkyard Gem: 1973 Buick LeSabre Custom Hardtop Sedan

The steps on Alfred Sloan 's "Ladder of Success," in which you'd start your career by buying a Chevrolet and then move up through the GM marques as your wealth increased, stayed rigidly fixed from the 1930s into the late 1960s. By the early 1970s, tho…

Friday, October 25, 2019

What You Missed | Your Autoblog Daily Digest for October 25, 2019

2019 Tokyo Motor Show Mega Photo Gallery | EVs and kei cars rule, All-new Volkswagen Golf is an evolution outside, revolution inside, Watch speeding driver, on course to hit family with stroller, get T-boned at last second and more...

Oct 25, 2019

Top Stories of the Day

2019 Tokyo Motor Show Mega Photo Gallery | EVs and kei cars rule

TOKYO — The 2019 Tokyo Motor Show was once again held at the Tokyo Big Sight convention center, but most of the sights inside were quite small. Most automakers were revealing production and concept cars smaller than the average Honda Civic. Electric …

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All-new Volkswagen Golf is an evolution outside, revolution inside

This is the all-new, eighth-generation Volkswagen Golf, and while its world premiere would have received undivided attention in the past, the Golf must now share its fame. That's because VW almost simultaneously launched the ID.3, the electric car of…

Watch speeding driver, on course to hit family with stroller, get T-boned at last second

A family trying to cross a busy intersection with their baby in a stroller at night may have the stars to thank after a drunk driver who looked certain to plow into them after blowing through a red light was T-boned at the last second by an oncoming …

Sen. Schumer proposes $462 billion national car swap — gas for electric

WASHINGTON — Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is moving Democrats' climate talk to where the rubber meets the road, proposing a $462 billion trade-in program to get millions of Americans out of climate-damaging gas vehicles and into electric or h…

[VIDEO] Jaguar unveils Vision Gran Turismo electric race car for 'Gran Turismo Sport'

We've driven some hot Jaguars, one of our favorites being the deliciously fast, all-electric I-Pace. Unfortunately, that car costs around $70,000 to start. Too rich for your blood? Jaguar has designed an all-electric race car specifically for PlaySta…


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2019 Tokyo Motor Show Editors' Picks

This year's Tokyo Motor Show was full of interesting vehicles, but one car ran away with our best-in-show award.

Woman, 81, was trapped in a partially submerged VW Golf for hours

An 81-year-old woman spent hours in the water early Thursday at the Higel Marine Park near Venice, Fla., and it wasn't some re-creation of her teenage night swimming years. She was trapped in her partially submerged Volkswagen Golf before a passing k…

Ford teases Mustang-inspired EV crossover ahead of Nov. 17 debut

The steady drumbeat of hype for Ford 's forthcoming Mustang -inspired battery-electric crossover continues, with the Dearborn automaker releasing a new teaser video and darkened sketch that give us arguably our best look yet at what will be Ford's firs…

Tesla overtakes GM as most valuable U.S. automaker — and short sellers get burned

Tesla shares soared 17% on Thursday after the electric carmaker surprised Wall Street by delivering on Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk's promise of a profit in the third quarter, even as doubts remained about its long-term prospects. Trading at $2…

Subaru WRX STI EJ20 Final Edition a Japan-only goodbye

Just before Subaru stopped selling the WRX STI in the UK and Continental Europe, the automaker released 150 examples of a WRX STI Final Edition for the UK . Now that the Japanese-market WRX STI is about to give up its 2.0-liter EJ20 flat-four engine, …