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Friday, December 27, 2019

What You Missed | Your Autoblog Daily Digest for December 27, 2019

Dec 27, 2019

Top Stories of the Day

2020 Nissan Rogue Review and Buying Guide | The value play

The 2020 Nissan Rogue is a compact crossover that checks many of the boxes folks are looking to fill in this segment. It has slick styling, a spacious interior and up-to-date tech. This generation of Rogue may be getting old in model years (six years…

The first 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 is an homage to the 1968 Green Hornet

The first 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 rolled off the assembly line in October this year, and it's a special one. Purchased for charity at a Barrett-Jackson auction by Craig Jackson (the Barrett-Jackson chairman and CEO), it's painted in a bespoke …

Turkey unveils first fully homemade car in $3.7 billion bet on electric

ISTANBUL — Turkey unveiled its first fully domestically-produced car on Friday, saying it aimed to eventually produce up to 175,000 a year of the electric vehicle in a project expected to cost 22 billion lira ($3.7 billion) over 13 years. The projec…

Volkswagen will put one million EVs on the road sooner than expected

Volkswagen's electric car offensive is moving faster than expected. The group announced it will sell its millionth battery-powered model in 2023, which is two years earlier than it originally planned. The numbers are mind-boggling. In the coming yea…

Junkyard Gem: 2005 Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart Sedan

Ever since I pined for a new Starion while I was driving a beige Toyota sedan in high school, I've had a great affection for sporty Mitsubishis. That means that I keep my eyes open for such cars while making my appointed junkyard rounds , especially t…

Tesla set to begin deliveries of China-made Model 3 cars on December 30

BEIJING/SHANGHAI — U.S. electric vehicle maker Tesla will begin delivering Model 3 vehicles built at its Shanghai factory on Monday, a company representative told Reuters. Construction of its first plant outside the United States began in January an…

2 former UAW presidents drove corrupt spending, report alleges

The New York Times is out with its own deep-dive into the graft and influence peddling that is at the heart of an ongoing federal investigation into a scandal at the United Auto Workers union. And it uncovers a litany of eye-popping details, includin…

Volkswagen ID.3 reportedly suffering software problems

Reports earlier this year spoke of delays with the Mk8 Volkswagen Golf over software issues, Automotive News saying the bugs were serious enough to change the hatchback's launch and production schedule. A new report in Germany's Manager Magazin (tran…

[VIDEO] Bisimoto Porsche 935 K3V is an electric restomod

Bisi Ezerioha was born and raised in Nigeria, went to university in California, has spent 20 years drag racing, and worked in pharmaceutical research before turning to automotive tuning with Bisimoto. His shop's creations combine just as many threads…

Nissan orders drastic spending cuts to stem profit slide and 'conserve every yen,' say sources

BEIJING — Japan's Nissan Motor Co has told its managers to slash non-essential spending as the automaker grapples with slumping car sales and tumbling profits, three company sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters. The penny-pinching drive…

Tuesday, December 24, 2019

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

Dec 24, 2019

Top Stories of the Day

The Dodge Challenger 1320 is rarer than the vaunted Demon

Dodge stopped making the 840-horsepower Challenger Demon after the 2018 model year, and it filled the gap the coupe left in its range with a slightly tamer variant called 1320 . While it wasn't a limited-edition model, production figures released rece…

2020 Ram 1500 Review & Buying Guide | The class home run

The 2020 Ram 1500 is a home run, plain and simple. From the humble Tradesman to the opulent Limited and every flavor in-between, this thoughtfully designed and well-executed truck impresses like none other. It possesses the capability expected of a h…

Stanford builds an electric, autonomous DeLorean that drifts like a pro

Researchers at Stanford University built an electric, autonomous DeLorean DMC-12 and taught it how to drift like a pro. They're burning rubber through a slalom course at the Thunderhill Raceway Park in California to learn more about how autonomous ca…

Sixteen Power's 2,200-hp V16 marine engine ready for automotive use

When Michigan-based Sixteen Power unveiled a V16 crate engine for boats at the 2019 SEMA show , hot-rodders immediately wondered what it would take to stuff it in a car. The company took notice, made a few small tweaks to its 16-cylinder, and transfor…

[VIDEO] Hennessey Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk takes a Christmas tree home at 181 mph

Aerodynamics what? Hennessey likes strapping Christmas trees to cars and then seeing how fast they'll go. Awesome, it makes for some great entertainment. The tuner company used a Dodge Challenger Hellcat Widebody for its first run a couple years ago ,…

Ford could include a 400-hp Focus RS hybrid in its electrification push

Ford will leverage the benefits of hybrid technology to make the next-generation Focus RS quicker than its predecessor while staying on the good side of emissions regulations, according to a recent report in British magazine Car . The gasoline-electri…

Ford's Breadcrumbs feature helps off-roaders find their way home

Ford's software engineers drew inspiration from a 207-year old German fairy tale to create a feature named Breadcrumbs that helps adventurers find their way home far off the beaten path. The Ranger inaugurates this function in the United States, but …

Junkyard Gems: 15 Greatest American Wrecks

Here are 15 of our the most interesting American cars and trucks from our long-running Junkyard Gems series by resident expert Murliee Martin.

[VIDEO] Top Gear magazine climbs all over the McLaren Elva

Top Gear deputy editor Jack Rix took a camera crew to McLaren's Technology Center for a closer look at the Elva roadster. Not only did Rix provide his usual, thorough once-over and explanation of design features, but thanks to the magic of moving pic…

This WRX STI S209 is the rarest (and most expensive) Subaru ever | Behind the Wheel S01 // E08

Behind the Wheel is a video series that shows you a bit of what it's like to work at Autoblog. The Editors and Video Producers will show you the cars we have in our fleet, and you'll get a behind the scenes look at some of the personalities that help…

Monday, December 23, 2019

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

Dec 23, 2019

Top Stories of the Day

2020 Ford Escape Plug-In Hybrid starts at $34,235

Doing what it does best, CarsDirect happened on a dealer guide for the 2020 Ford Escape Hybrid. Pricing begins at $32,040, plus a $1,195 destination charge, for a total of $34,235 for the entry-level SE trim before any tax credits. That's $4,945 more…

Why an independent rear suspension for GM's new, full-sized SUVs wasn't easy

A Motor Trend report last month laid out how Cadillac's 4.2-lier twin-turbo Blackwing V8 could be an orphan due to cost concerns in the GM empire. Last-minute chassis changes to Cadillac's new sedans and XT6 crossover led to engine bays that couldn't…

2020 Nissan Versa Review & Buying Guide | Same value, more style

Like a once-ugly caterpillar emerging from its cocoon, the completely redesigned 2020 Nissan Versa adopts a modern and far more attractive design that should attract buyers for reasons other than a rock-bottom price tag and abundant room. Now only av…

825-hp Shelby Super Snake Bold Edition is a colorful tribute to the past

The mighty, Ford Mustang -based Shelby Super Snake is entering the 2020 model year with a limited-edition appearance package inspired by its illustrious past. The Bold Edition model blends eye-catching design cues and paint combinations with one of th…

2019 Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid Drivers' Notes | A plug-in performer

The 2019 Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid is a sneaky performance crossover disguised as a plug-in hybrid. Porsche places it below the Cayenne S in its price and performance hierarchy, but the E-Hybrid is arguably more fun and enjoyable to drive than the S. …

Junkyard Gem: 1992 Pontiac Sunbird convertible, with extremely rad W25 Appearance Package

Radwood has sparked a revival in the appreciation of goofy 1980s and 1980s automotive fashions, from neon-colored tape stripes to excessive TURBO badging to ads featuring horrifying Nagel-style women with radio faceplates instead of eyes . I see a lot…

Some 2019 Toyota RAV4 Hybrids may not accept a full tank of fuel

The 2019 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid could have a fuel tank issue that prevents owners from completely filling it up, according to a report from Automotive News . Toyota has issued a statement to confirm it is "investigating a fuel tank shape issue on certain …

[VIDEO] Sherp The Ark is the dream we weren't brave enough to have

Sometimes what hurts most is realizing your dreams weren't big enough. Here we've been lusting after #VanLife, when we should have been imagining the possibilities for an overlanding Sherp. The Ukrainian go-anywhere 4x4 began trundling over and throu…

What went wrong with the Ford Bronco R prototype at the Baja 1000

There were two entries in Class 2 for the 2019 Baja 1000 – which was actually 800.5 miles long – the Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus Boot and the Ford Bronco R Prototype. Only the former crossed the line, the second-to-last vehicle of the 145 finishers,…

McLaren Speedtail hits 250 mph over 30 times at Kennedy Space Center

The McLaren Speedtail was billed as having a 250-mile-per-hour top speed when it was revealed over a year ago, and now McLaren is proving it. High-speed testing at the Johnny Bohmer Proving Grounds at Kennedy Space Center in Florida saw a Speedtail p…

Friday, December 20, 2019

What You Missed | Your Autoblog Daily Digest for December 20, 2019

Dec 20, 2019

Top Stories of the Day

Here are all the vehicles sold by the 12 brands of the Fiat Chrysler PSA merger

Whether or not the formal merger between Italian-American automaker Fiat Chrysler and European conglomerate PSA Group means the return of Peugeot to the U.S., one thing's for certain: The combined company will have a truckload of different brands. S…

250-hp Toyota Yaris GR looks like one of 2020's wildest cars

One of the most exciting cars due out in 2020 is a Toyota Yaris. It's not a run-of-the-mill econobox , though. It's a full-blown, street-legal rally machine that channels the Celica GT-Four's spirit. Named Yaris GR, Toyota's newest pocket rocket shar…

Russell Built Fabrications off-road Porsche 911 is epic in these photos

Just before the SEMA show we heard about ex-Singer fabricator TJ Russell whipping up his first solo creation, a safari-type Porsche 911 based on the 964 series . We got photos of the jacked-up jumper on the SEMA show floor, but those images couldn't s…

Last 991-gen Porsche 911 rolls off the assembly line

The sun has set on the seventh generation of Porsche's iconic 911 sports car, as the final 991-generation model has rolled off the assembly line. The final tally for the seventh-generation 911 is 233,540 examples, the last of which is a silver Speeds…

2020 Toyota Highlander vs other 3-row crossovers: There can only be one!

We've done quite a few spec comparison posts involving three-row family crossovers , and when included, the Toyota Highlander has always been the runt of the group. While the rest increasingly seemed to be benchmarking each other toward greater girth,…

A conversation with Robert Bollinger of Bollinger Motors | Autoblog Podcast #608

In this week's Autoblog Podcast , Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore and Senior Editor, Green, John Beltz Snyder visit Bollinger Motors to speak with the startup's CEO and founder Robert Bollinger. We talk about the B1 and B2 electric trucks , and Bollinger…

[VIDEO] Watch this GMC pickup crash through a wall into a Florida airport terminal

A man in Florida has been accused of driving his pickup truck through airport grounds and through a wall into the airport's baggage area. It is unclear whether or not the incident was on purpose or an accident, but the shocking scene was captured by …

2020 Audi Q3 Review & Buying Guide | Relative value

There are plenty of non-luxury compact SUVs that when fully loaded are priced right around where the 2020 Audi Q3 begins. This, despite it being smaller and less equipped than the range-topping Mazda CX-5's and Honda CR-V's of the world. To some, tha…

Mercedes-AMGs could be hard to come by under 2020 EU emission rules

Automakers that sell cars in Europe are facing what the Financial Times called the "carbon crunch" next year. In 2020, carmakers will pay fines to European regulators if their fleetwide CO2 emissions exceed a certain number. The number is different f…

You can own this motorcycle-engined road 'rocket'

It's a car, it's a plane, it's a motorcycle, it's street-legal, and it could be yours.This weird mashup is available now on eBay . Designed by aircraft engineer Jim Bede, the vehicle initially was known as the Litestar Autocycle, but the the name cha…