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Tuesday, October 27, 2020

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

Oct 27, 2020

Top Stories of the Day

2021 Toyota Sienna First Drive | Functional efficiency with style

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The minivan segment isn't a huge one, and it's largely dominated by three players. There's the stylish Chrysler Pacifica, with the excellent plug-in hybrid option. The Honda Odyssey unapologetically leans into its minivan-ness and …

Tesla Autopilot safety shows improvement as Full Self Driving fail videos rise

Tesla released its latest Vehicle Safety Report , and it shows a slight improvement in the figures recorded for its Autopilot driving assist technology. Here's the latest update: In the 3rd quarter, we registered one accident for every 4.59 million…

Updated Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator caught in new spy photos

Face-lifted Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator prototypes were spotted in the wild Monday wearing fairly extensive camouflage disguising updated bodywork for the 2022 model year. Ford's two body-on-frame offerings (BOFferings? Nope. Pretend that d…

Ford apparently won't be allowed to offer the 2021 Bronco with donut doors

Enthusiasts who can't wait to put donut doors on their 2021 Ford Bronco will need to find an aftermarket solution, according to a recent report. Although middle-less doors were shown on some of the Blue Oval's early prototypes, insiders confirmed tha…

Flying car achieves 88 mph takeoff speed — no flaming tire tracks, though

Great Scott! A flying car outfit says that its V4-powered vehicle has achieved 88 mph on a runway. That happens to be its required takeoff speed but, sadly, it doesn't travel through time. Like Doc Brown's DeLorean in "Back to the Future Part II," th…

Donkervoort D8 GTO-JD70 R is only for the track, can pull 2.25 Gs

If the Donkervoort D8 GTO-JD70 wasn't extreme enough for you, Donkervoort has news you'll want to hear today. The Dutch company just released details on a track-only R version with even higher limits than the street car. Donkervoort's big number it …

2021 BMW X5 Review | High-tech and high-powered

The 2021 BMW X5 remains a strong competitor in the luxury midsize crossover segment. Two model years into its newest generation, it still feels fresh in terms of style and technology, while offering a driving experience that's comfortable and refined…

Honda Grom gets an updated engine and a new sense of style

It's been six years since Honda introduced the cute little Grom mini machine, and at this point it's safe to say it's had a very successful run. Now it's time for a refresh. The updates seen here specifically apply to the European version of the Grom…

Yakima introduces innovative new Exo hitch-based cargo system

Yakima has introduced an innovative and comprehensive hitch-based cargo system that essentially combines the versatility and variety of roof-mounted cargo options with the greater capacity and easier access of mounting things to a trailer hitch. It's…

Kia boss details 5-year plan to overhaul brand with EVs front and center

Kia's new boss has detailed an aggressive, $25 billion plan to electrify much of its lineup by 2025 and change its brand image. Hosung Song, promoted to President in March, wants to move faster than parent company Hyundai into EVs and PBVs, or purpos…

Monday, October 26, 2020

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

Oct 26, 2020

Top Stories of the Day

Ferrari Roma First Drive | Not every Ferrari has to shout

I would never call the Ferrari Roma a "retro" sports car. To do so would downplay and deny the forward-looking aspect of its design and 612-horsepower performance. Yet the Roma does summon Ferrari ghosts, the ones that haunt the more-traditional bran…

2021 Genesis G80 First Drive | A dashing debutant comes into its own

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Genesis has garnered the attention of the automotive industry, from observers and enthusiasts like ourselves, to that of its competition. The stunted brand rollout may have raised questions at first, but the cars we've driven — esp…

Sportier Subaru Forester gets 175-hp turbo four, suspension tweaks in Japan

Subaru has finally put a turbocharged flat-four under the hood of the fifth-generation Forester. Called Sport, the model is exclusively available in its home country of Japan — for the time being, at least. Power for the Sport model comes from a 1.8…

Rallies, ski jump and Le Mans: Audi celebrates 40 years of Quattro

Audi's heritage is rooted in front-wheel drive. DKW, one of the companies that merged to form Audi, began sending power to the front axle in 1931. It took an unplanned encounter with a little-known Volkswagen off-roader to make Audi an all-wheel-driv…

2021 Toyota Venza earns IIHS Top Safety Pick award

In addition to a stylish design and hybrid fuel economy, the 2021 Toyota Venza can now brag about its safety ratings. The IIHS has awarded the crossover its second-highest Top Safety Pick rating for its all-around superb safety scores. The only thing…

2021 Ford Bronco: How we'd spec it

The configurator for the 2021 Ford Bronco is now live, so fans of the SUV can now create and price their own ideal build. Count us among those fans, which naturally meant that productivity at Autoblog HQ slowed to a crawl as several editors worked up…

Ram 1500 TRX fuel economy figures are out — and economy isn't the right word

Ram published many statistics when it introduced the 1500 TRX, but one part of the puzzle was missing: fuel economy. It finally released those figures, and they confirm that supercar-like power brings supercar-like thirst. Driven with a light right …

Tesla 'full self-driving' comes under fire: 'This is actively misleading people'

DETROIT — Earlier this week, Tesla sent out its "full self-driving" software to a small group of owners who will test it on public roads. But buried on its website is a disclaimer that the $8,000 system doesn't make the vehicles autonomous and driver…

This Mod Top 1969 Plymouth Barracuda has real flower power

This 1969 Plymouth Barracuda, currently up for auction on Hemmings.com , is not only notable for its fantastically restored condition but even more so because it has one of the most unusual options of the late '60s/early '70s: a Mod Top vinyl top with…

Junkyard Gem: 1987 Ford Escort GL Station Wagon

Station wagons began their fall out of favor among car-buying Americans as the decade of the 1980s went on, with trucks and minivans shoving aside the Country Squires , Kingswood Estates , and Crestwoods that once roamed American highways in huge numbe…

Friday, October 23, 2020

What You Missed | Your Autoblog Daily Digest for October 23, 2020

Oct 23, 2020

Top Stories of the Day

2021 Ford Bronco: Here are the top features 190,000 reservation holders want

We knew the 2021 Ford Bronco was going to be a hot SUV based on interest in the vehicle, the sharp retro styling and the impressive feature set. Exactly how hot was the question, and we have a much better idea of that now that Ford has revealed the n…

2020 Porsche 718 Cayman T Road Test | A taste of the GTS

I slip out of the house under the cover of darkness. It feels like a getaway. In reality it's a midweek errand, though the distilled driving dynamics of the 2020 Porsche 718 Cayman T lend the air of an escape. It's mentally freeing to drive a sports …

Ram 1500 TRX fuel economy figures are out — and economy isn't the right word

GMC shows how the 2022 Hummer could have looked even more futuristic

Excitement filled the room when GMC asked its designers to resurrect the Hummer in April 2019, but a tinge of uneasiness permeated the department after executives locked in an early 2020 unveiling date. Luckily, stylists knew what they wanted early o…

2021 Mini Cooper 1499 GT adds sporty, retro attitude to the three-cylinder Mini

When you think of sporty Minis, you probably think of the Mini Cooper S and John Cooper Works models with their (relatively) large turbo four-cylinder engines. But with the 2021 Mini Cooper 1499 GT special edition , Mini is trying to bring a dash of s…

Dodge says three new variants of the Charger and Challenger are on their way

Introduced in 2008, the current Dodge Challenger is one of the oldest new cars on the American market. It's not ready to retire, and documents published by Canadian union Unifor confirm it will remain in production until at least 2023. Better yet, th…

2021 Jaguar E-Pace spied on the Nurburgring hiding its styling changes

We just spied a Jaguar E-Pace lapping the Nürburgring covered in camouflage from front to back. Jaguar released the first E-Pace as a 2018 model year , so we're fast approaching what will be the model's first light refresh. Things don't appear to be …

Brabus turns AMG GT 63 S into a wide-bodied, 900-horsepower Rocket

With a 3.1-second zero-to-60-mph time, the GT 63 S is one of the quickest members of the Mercedes-AMG lineup. German tuner Brabus saw room for improvement, so it added the sedan to its Rocket range of supercars by making it considerably more powerful…

The BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe aces its crash tests, but it's not a Top Safety Pick

The 2020 BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe , the brand's smallest four-door model, performed well in a series of crash tests conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) but missed earning a Top Safety Pick award due to its headlights. The 2 …

Tesla releases Full Self Driving Beta as regulators watch closely

The U.S. auto safety regulator on Thursday said it was closely watching Tesla's release of a software version intended to allow its cars to drive themselves, saying it stood ready to protect the public against safety risks. Tesla on Tuesday night re…

Thursday, October 22, 2020

What You Missed | Your Autoblog Daily Digest for October 22, 2020

Oct 22, 2020

Top Stories of the Day

The Hummer EV Edition 1 is sold out and it'll be years before other trims arrive

When the 2022 GMC Hummer EV was revealed , GMC noted that there would be lower trims available. The company has since provided a few more details on those lower trims, which is helpful to know now that the only trim on sale next year, the Edition 1, w…

2022 GMC Hummer EV dimensions, clearances and off-road features explained

There are two things that almost everyone immediately thinks of when they hear the word "Hummer." And they are size and off-road capability. Looking at the numbers on the 2022 GMC Hummer EV , it seems the electric pickup has literal truck loads of eac…

2020 Polestar 1 Road Test | A humble suggestion

"Wow, what a stunner!" That was my first thought when I saw the Polestar 1 in my driveway. Its chunky grille, sleek proportions, big, glossy black wheels over gold brakes, and broody Midnight Blue paint evoke an automotive emotion adjacent to lust. …

2021 Toyota Corolla Apex First Drive | Not the pinnacle of cheap performance

Toyota has had something of a performance car revival over the past few years. It has released the Toyota 86 and Supra sports cars, and has even developed TRD versions of the Camry and Avalon . Things are even more exciting overseas with the wild, tur…

Mercedes-Benz SUVs recalled: Backlit grille logo can turn off the power steering

Mercedes-Benz is recalling 12,799 units of the GLE and the GLS equipped with a backlit star on the grille. It noticed a problem with one of the wiring loom's grounds can deactivate key functions, like the power steering. Sold as a $500 option, the i…

Ford Bronco Wildland Fire Rig Concept is a classy, functional tribute to Forest Service trucks

For decades, Ford has offered Broncos in emergency vehicle form for all variety of services. One of the more well-known ones has been the U.S. Forest Service with their distinct green SUVs. With that in mind the company, along with outdoor gear manuf…

Your Bentley interior can literally rock with stone trim

The ultra-luxury car market has been moving in the direction of ever more customization to provide buyers the most unique products possible. The latest move comes from Bentley and its Mulliner division, which has added some special interior trims to …

Torsus builds a monster-truck school bus even adults will want to ride in

Riding in a yellow school bus is part of growing up for many Americans, but it's an experience most of us are happy to leave behind the minute we get a driver's license. Czech Republic-based firm Torsus has unveiled a giant bus named Praetorian that …

De Tomaso claims it's moving to America so we can relearn how to design cars

De Tomaso is a truly international carmaker. It was founded by an Argentinian racing driver, it's ostensibly based in Italy, and it's owned by a Hong Kong-based group of investors. Now, it has announced the next leap in its geographical game of hopsc…

Here are 12 electric pickups in the works

With the unveiling of the GMC Hummer EV, the list of planned electric pickups is expanding. Legacy automakers like Ford and Chevy have theirs coming, as do startups like Tesla, Rivian and Bollinger, as well as some lesser known brands. Here are all t…