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Tuesday, March 31, 2020

What You Missed | Your Autoblog Daily Digest for March 31, 2020

Mar 31, 2020

Top Stories of the Day

Sega's 'F355 Challenge' versus ... the real thing

For most '90s kids, the idea of driving a Ferrari F355 seemed a distant dream. Albeit one brought closer to reality by Sega's incredible F355 Challenge, its fully immersive booth challenging a generation of arcade goers with its authentic force feedb…

2020 Genesis G80 3.3T Sport Drivers' Notes | A big luxury sedan bent on sport

The 2020 Genesis G80 Sport is meant to be the driving enthusiast's pick of the G80 line. It comes with the 3.3-liter twin-turbo V6 as standard, pumping out 365 horsepower and 376 pound-feet of torque. Genesis doesn't quote a 0-60 mph time, but the se…

The Learmousine, a 42-foot jet turned into a street-legal limo, is for sale

There has never been a better time to start a collection of eccentric vehicles modified for road use. Start by buying the BoatCar , a 24-foot Sea Ray boat hull dropped onto a Ford E-350 frame, and wait for your chance to bid on the Learmousine, a Lear…

Here's what the giant kidney grille looks like on a BMW 4 Series Convertible

BMW is slowly revealing more of the 4 Series' gigantic, vertical kidney grille. We've seen it on the Coupe in a couple different dresses of camouflage, but now we're looking at the grille attached to the convertible version of the 4 Series. Or is the…

GM's redesigned full-size 2021 SUVs face delay over coronavirus

As General Motors works to conserve cash for the coronavirus pandemic, the automaker reportedly told suppliers that it is postponing development of several future vehicles. The situation may cause GM to delay the launch of the 2021 Cadillac Escalade,…

The world's first-known VW Golf race car is for sale

Eight illustrious generations of GTI-badged Volkswagen hatchbacks have almost made enthusiasts forget that the original Golf wasn't designed with performance in mind. It was a humble, commuter-friendly economy car. German tuner Rolf Nothelle built th…

Hybrids, batteries promise us the quickest, 'most capable Jeep ever'

Jeep quietly introduced a trio of plug-in hybrid SUVs at the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Full technical details about the 4xe-badged off-roaders haven't been announced yet, but the company is already planning to speed up its electrification…

Gasoline's average price falls below $2 a gallon

The average retail price for a gallon of gasoline in the United States fell below $2 a gallon on Tuesday, the American Automobile Association said. Nationwide, the average price for gasoline stands at $1.997 per gallon, having dropped by 45 cents in…

Fiat Chrysler execs, salaried employees taking pay cuts during coronavirus pandemic

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' top executives and salaried workers around the globe will take pay cuts in an act of "shared sacrifice" brought on by the coronavirus pandemic that has shuttered the automaker's plants in Europe and North America, according…

Man arrested after teaching his dog to drive a Buick 100 mph

A Washington state man riding shotgun in an old Buick was arrested after fleeing a hit-and-run incident and leading police on a high-speed chase on an Interstate freeway. Meanwhile, the driver, his pet pit bull, got off scot-free. Such was the scene…

Monday, March 30, 2020

What You Missed | Your Autoblog Daily Digest for March 30, 2020

Mar 30, 2020

Top Stories of the Day

Jeep Wrangler Unlimited High Altitude takes the 4x4 further upmarket

The Jeep Wangler Unlimited Sahara exists as the calmer, road-oriented Wrangler trim to contrast with the deep woods, rock-bashing Rubicon that headlines Jeep's reputation. As more buyers flock to America's 4x4, many want an even more plush Jeep exper…

2021 Genesis G80 powertrain and technology details revealed

While we already got a look at the 2021 Genesis G80's styling earlier this month , only now has the company revealed details on the car's powertrains and technology. It picks up most of its parts from the also recently revealed Genesis GV80 crossover,…

2020 Detroit Auto Show canceled; venue will be converted into field hospital

DETROIT — The 2020 Detroit Auto Show, scheduled for June, was canceled Saturday, and its venue will be converted into a field hospital as the coronavirus pandemic increasingly devastates Michigan. The Detroit show, officially known as the North Amer…

2020 Lincoln Corsair Review & Buying Guide | Old-school, value-priced luxury

The 2020 Lincoln Corsair is a compelling alternative to the compact luxury crossover establishment. It's distinctively stylish inside and out, very spacious, and it clearly focuses on comfort rather than performance. Not only that, it has a base pric…

2020 VW Passat Luggage Test | Das boot

We've reviewed a lot of midsize sedans in the past few days, so it only seems appropriate to cover one in our latest luggage test. In this case, the 2020 VW Passat and its 15.9 cubic-foot trunk, which is the largest sedan trunk to pass through the vi…

Dominic Toretto's 'Fast and Furious' Lego Dodge Charger lives its life a quarter mile at a time

Fan of the "Fast and Furious" franchise and Lego kits? You're in luck. The brick-builder announced that it is now taking pre-orders for a new kit dedicated to the 1970 Dodge Charger widebody driven by Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) in the car heist fil…

Recalled 2020 Toyota Highlanders might have faulty start-stop

Toyota has announced a recall for select 2020 Toyota Highlanders. On models with a 3.5.-liter V6 engine, the Engine Control Unit (ECU) might have an error that could cut off the fuel supply during start-stop. The recall, which affects up to 38,810 ve…

Filmmaker explains how to shoot a Bugatti Chiron accelerating to 248 mph

Bugatti set a world record in 2017 when a Chiron traveled from zero to 248 mph (400 kph) to zero in 42 seconds. It caught the record on film, but it has never revealed how it captured footage of a 1,500-horsepower car traveling at nearly four times t…

BMW details its next-generation hydrogen technology

BMW will soon expand its range of i-badged electric models, but it's not putting hydrogen technology on the back burner. The company released preliminary specifications about its next hydrogen-electric drivetrain. Developed jointly with Toyota, the …

Britain orders 10,000 ventilators from F1/McLaren/Mercedes/Ford/Rolls-Royce/Airbus

Paramedics and ambulance personnel get instructions from a command unit outside London's ExCel Centre arena, which is being turned into a 4,000 bed temporary hospital called NHS Nightingale to deal with coronavirus patients. The hospital is due t…

Friday, March 27, 2020

What You Missed | Your Autoblog Daily Digest for March 27, 2020

Mar 27, 2020

Top Stories of the Day

2020 Ford Escape SE Sport Hybrid Drivers' Notes | Green sleeper

The 2020 Ford Escape Hybrid aims to offer peak efficiency, but it doesn't shout its green cred from the heavens above. Ford is confident enough in the hybrid's ability to be fun that it's applied this powertrain to a trim called SE Sport. It's no spo…

Honda introduces trail-ready Hunter Cub CT125

"You meet the nicest people on a Honda," according to a decades-old ad, but you might not run into anyone if you use the new Hunter Cub CT125 on the type of terrain it was designed to tackle. Unveiled online, it's an evolution of the perennially popu…

As GM races to help build ventilators, White House balks at cost, shops around

A week ago, General Motors announced plans to partner with a company called Ventec Life Systems to increase production of medical ventilators , becoming one of the first automakers to signal it was joining the fight against the coronavirus. Now the pr…

1990 Chevrolet C/K 454 SS with 26 miles costs more than a Toyota Supra

Chevrolet no longer makes a high-performance, street-oriented pickup. But if you want a new one, you're in luck because there's a 1990 C/K 454 SS with 26 miles on its odometer listed for sale for the price of a Toyota Supra. Florida-based Classic Ca…

Cleveland CycleWerks reveals Falcon electric motorcycle with retro-futurist design

Electric motorcycles are fast becoming a trend in the two-wheeled world, and today we have another contender for you. It comes from Cleveland CycleWerks, and it's called the Falcon. The, yes, Cleveland-based company has made a bike that is more of a …

[VIDEO] Video shows Tesla Model 3 automatically stopping for red light

Tesla owners who bought the $7,000 Full Self Driving (FSD) option have been waiting for what Tesla CEO Elon Musk calls the "feature complete" version of the autonomous software, as there remain driving maneuvers a Tesla can't pull off on its own. In …

2021 Mini Cooper S Sidewalk Edition priced just under $40,000

Earlier this year, Mini announced the return of the Sidewalk Edition visual package for the 2021 Mini Convertible , one that appeared way back in 2007 with the first drop-top Mini. Now pricing has been announced at a base price of $39,250, and it will…

A population stuck inside may be getting more interested in Jeeps

An unexpected consequence of confining a big chunk of the American population is that interest in the Jeep brand is growing, according to a recent study. Exploring the great outdoors is more appealing than ever before. In March 2020, research firm Y…

2021 BMW 330e PHEV launched in America with 22 miles of electric range

It's been well over a year since BMW announced the 330e plug-in hybrid 3 Series for Europe . Back then, we were promised a U.S.-spec 3 Series PHEV, and today we're finally getting it. This plug-in is being introduced as the 2021 BMW 330e, and it featu…

After scrapping electric car project, James Dyson turns to coronavirus ventilators

Now that it's abandoned its work developing an electric vehicle , the company founded by inventor James Dyson is tackling a new and decidedly timely pursuit: building ventilators to help tackle the coronavirus pandemic in his native U.K., where Prime …

Thursday, March 26, 2020

What You Missed | Your Autoblog Daily Digest for March 26, 2020

Mar 26, 2020

Top Stories of the Day

2020 BMW M850i xDrive Gran Coupe Drivers' Notes | A practical, luxury rocket ship

The 2020 BMW M850i xDrive Gran Coupe is a mouthful, but it's a splendid one at that. There are numerous versions and variations of the new 8 Series , and this one is the biggest and nearly the most powerful. Only the big-M M8 Gran Coupe can top this o…

2020 Mazda6 Signature Driveway Test | A luxury car interior with a non-luxury price

The 2020 Mazda6 Signature is pure luxury on the inside. If one were to remove the Mazda badges and replace them with Audi's four rings, or Lexus' stylized L, customers may not even bat an eye. Alas, that is the point of Mazda's range-topping Signatur…

2020 Toyota Highlander gets Top Safety Pick award from IIHS

Toyota's redesigned 2020 Highlander midsize SUV has earned a Top Safety Pick rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, with the familiar caveat that the rating applies only to certain headlight packages available in certain trim levels.…

2020 Nissan Altima Review & Buying Guide | Hey, look, a sedan

Though trucks, crossovers and SUVs rule the earth, there are still a lot of good, honest sedans around. And many people actually like them. Though sales in the segment have slipped, automakers still moved more than 1.5 million sedans in the U.S. last…

U.S. auto sales in states with coronavirus lockdown orders could drop 80%

Vehicle sales in U.S. states that implemented lockdown orders to curb the spread of coronavirus will drop 80% or more, analysts said on Wednesday. Auto retail sales through the week of March 22 declined 22% nationwide on a yearly basis and as much a…

Stimulus package will grant automakers a lifeline — but don't call it a bailout

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., reacts to a final deal on the $2 trillion coronavirus economic stimulus bill, which passed the Senate late Wednesday. / AP WASHINGTON/DETROIT — The $2 trillion economic rescue…

Ford's coronavirus manufacturing push could hinge on 3D printing

Much remains unknown about how exactly Ford plans to fast-track production of ventilators and powered air-purifying respirators with two established medical device makers as it hurries to join the fight against the expanding coronavirus outbreak. But…

Detroit automakers' big transition to electric cars? Don't hold your breath

DETROIT — It's a strategy that has been spelled out for years at General Motors and at Ford : Pay for the transition to electric vehicles by selling profitable trucks and SUVs right now. But despite their continued insistence that they are committed t…

Listen to Lamborghini's 830-horsepower track special scream its heart out

Lamborghini's next V12-powered hypercar is around the corner, and there's a good chance you'll hear it coming before you see it. The company released a preview video that confirms its 12-cylinder sounds better than ever. The 17-second clip shows the…

IndyCar joins other racing series by going virtual, with Indy 500 in doubt

IndyCar isn't sure when it can get its cars on track to officially start the season. For now, the series will follow the lead of other racing leagues and go virtual. IndyCar's first iRacing event will be Saturday with a 25-car field. The track is st…