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Wednesday, January 6, 2021

What You Missed | Your Autoblog Daily Digest for January 6, 2021

Jan 06, 2021

Top Stories of the Day

Cars we're most looking forward to driving in 2021

Huzzah, it's 2021! Everything's totally better now, right? No, not in the slightest, but at least there are some new cars we can all look forward to. Without the traditional auto show circuit, new car reveals were more scattered throughout 2020, and…

2022 Honda Civic Hatchback emerges in new spy photos

The five-door variant of the new Honda Civic was caught by a spy photographer in Europe this week, giving us a good idea of what to expect from the new hatchback. Honda revealed the design of the production 2021 Civic sedan back in November, stayin…

2020 sales wrap-up: The good and the bad of an ugly year

Automakers are awakening from their holiday slumbers with full-year sales data for 2020. It goes without saying that the coronavirus pandemic had a massive impact on global auto sales last year, but just about every player in the market reported impr…

Honda and Acura electric crossovers will be built by General Motors

General Motors will partially offset the cost of developing electric technology by manufacturing battery-powered cars for Honda and Acura, according to an unverified report. Ultium battery technology is at the center of the deal. Without citing sour…

Here's your chance to buy Carroll Shelby's personal Dodge Omni GLHS

Carroll Shelby's personal 1965 427 Cobra could fetch over $2 million when it crosses the auction block in January 2021. Collectors who want to own one of Shelby's former cars without venturing into seven-digit territory will have the opportunity to b…

Kia unveils new logo and slogan, sets Guinness World Record for fireworks

Kia introduced its new logo by bringing out the fireworks — literally. It unveiled the design by setting a Guinness World Record in the skies above Incheon, South Korea, and it also revealed its new global brand slogan. Every member of the Kia range…

2021 Nissan Kicks First Drive | Adding value and attitude

The Nissan Kicks is one of Nissan's better ideas of the past few years. It's a lightweight, super-spacious and efficient crossover that's priced to fly off lots. Nissan's 2021 refresh addresses a few of our biggest quibbles, and it doesn't mess up wh…

This 1956 Packard pickup conversion imagines a progenitor to today's luxury trucks

Packard never built a pickup truck — if they had, maybe they'd be in business today — but that didn't dissuade the enterprising folks at Speedwell Garage in Parkton, Maryland. The result is this custom-bodied conversion created from a 1956 Packard Pa…

Mazda MX-30 coming to the U.S. in electric and rotary forms

Ever since Mazda revealed its first electric car, the MX-30 , and especially after it it announced there would be a range-extended version using a rotary engine , we've had one question: will it come to America? And as you probably noticed in the headl…

Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon spied testing with half doors, coming for 2021

Update: A commenter found that an option for half doors is listed in the 2021 Jeep Wrangler configurator already. It's a $3,995 option on four-door Unlimited models and a $2,350 option for two-door Wranglers. Jeep doesn't provide any official photos …

Tuesday, January 5, 2021

What You Missed | Your Autoblog Daily Digest for January 5, 2021

Jan 05, 2021

Top Stories of the Day

Singer reimagines the Porsche 911 as an all-terrain racer

Singer has an extensive history modifying awesome Porsches. Porsche has an extensive history modifying its own cars to go off-road racing. The two finally meet with the Porsche 911 Reimagined by Singer – All-terrain Competition Study (which we will h…

2021 Toyota Mirai First Drive | The sequel is far better

It's an ecological fantasy about as old as the automobile: Drive as much as you want, but spew nothing but pure HO out the tailpipe. Though hydrogen cars can seem ideal in theory, the first-gen Toyota Mirai faced monumental hurdles when it launched i…

2021 Ford Expedition XL STX is a new base model with fewer seats, lower cost

For 2021, Ford is lowering the price of entry for its Expedition SUV with a new base model, the XL STX. (Previously, the Expedition XL was a fleet-only model.) At a starting price of $49,995, the XL STX represents a savings of $2,815 compared to the …

Toyota Grand Highlander could be on the way as bigger three-row crossover

The Toyota Highlander is one of the better three-row crossovers on the market, but one consistent knock against the recently redesigned vehicle is size. Sure, there are three rows, but the rearmost of those is rather cramped with a paltry 27.4 inches…

Walter de Silva reveals never-before-seen 2008 Porsche 550one concept

One of the unreleased concepts that Porsche shed light on in late 2020 was a modern take on the 1954 550 RS Spyder built in 2019. It wasn't the first time the German firm tried to channel that part of its heritage. Walter de Silva, the Volkswagen Gro…

2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E Luggage Test | Escape for the weekend

Rest assured, there's a lot more coming down the pipe from Autoblog about the exceptional 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E . As we prep those pieces, however, here's a quick appetizer. The Mach-E looks pretty big and crossover-y in pictures, but whether on …

MG will return to the sports car segment with an electric coupe

MG's on-again, off-again electric sports car has received the green light, according to a recent report. Previewed by the 2017 E-Motion concept, the coupe is scheduled to make its global debut before the end of 2021. Sports cars are a significant pa…

Electric cars rise to record 54% of market share in Norway in 2020

OSLO — The sale of electric cars in Norway overtook those powered by petrol, diesel and hybrid engines last year, with German auto-maker Volkswagen replacing Tesla as the top battery-vehicle producer, new data showed on Tuesday. So-called battery el…

Ford Bronco will reportedly add a Heritage Edition trim for 2022

Production of the hotly anticipated sixth-generation Ford Bronco won't start until May 2021 at the earliest , but the company is already planning the truck's second model year on the market. Leaked documents seemingly confirm that the 2022 lineup will…

Fisker electric pickup truck previewed in rendering

Fisker CEO and car designer Henrik Fisker has posted an illustration of an electric pickup, promising class-leading efficiency and radical design. The rendered truck features muscular flared fenders, a rooftop spoiler that doubles as a center high-mo…

Monday, January 4, 2021

What You Missed | Your Autoblog Daily Digest for January 4, 2021

Jan 04, 2021

Top Stories of the Day

The Chrysler brand could be axed under Stellantis management

MILAN — While running Nissan's North American operations from 2009 to 2011, Carlos Tavares had a reputation for closely watching costs with little tolerance for vehicles or ventures that didn't make money. Experts say that means Tavares, currently t…

Stellantis mega-merger gets approval from FCA, PSA shareholders

MILAN — Shareholders of Fiat Chrysler and PSA Peugeot decisively voted Monday to merge the U.S.-Italian and French carmakers to create world's 4th-largest auto company. Addressing separate meetings, both PSA Peugeot CEO Carlos Tavares and Fiat Chrys…

Roll like His Airness in this Mercedes SLR McLaren previously owned by Michael Jordan

Often called the greatest basketball player of all time, Michael Jordan also has an interest in fast machines, as evidenced by the recent announcement that he would be establishing a NASCAR team , 23XI Racing, together with Denny Hamlin and featuring …

2021 Bentley Bentayga Hybrid revealed with tech improvements, same powertrain

The 2021 Bentley Bentayga Hybrid is here, and it's treated to the same round of updates as the rest of the refreshed Bentayga lineup. That means it gets the new exterior design, a thoroughly revised interior and plenty of new tech. Nothing on the po…

Mitsubishi Outlander Sport an even better value for 2021

Mitsubishi released pricing information for the 2021 Outlander Sport, its best-selling model in the United States. Redesigned for 2020 , the crossover enters the new year with a cheaper base price thanks to a new trim. Pricing for the 2021 Outlander …

Junkyard Gem: 1974 AMC Gremlin Levi's Edition

Famed designer Pierre Cardin died just as 2020 was coming to a close, and we in the automotive universe knew him best for one towering achievement: the wild interior of the 1972-1973 Pierre Cardin Edition AMC Javelin . While I've managed to find a dis…

Photo gallery: 2021 Dakar Rally kicks off

Defending champion Carlos Sainz took the lead in the Dakar Rally car category after winning Sunday's first proper stage in the Saudi Arabian desert ahead of Mini teammate Stephane Peterhansel. The Spaniard was eight seconds clear of 'Mr Dakar' Peter…

Tesla delivered 499,550 vehicles in 2020

Tesla delivered 499,550 vehicles in 2020 , including a record 180,570 in the fourth quarter of the year. That's an increase of 36% over 2019. Total production was 509,737 vehicles. So, the automaker didn't quite fulfill its goal of delivering 500,000 …

861 cars were set on fire in France on New Year's Eve

2020 ended in a fiery mess for the 861 cars set ablaze across France on New Year's Eve. Burning cars is a decades-old tradition, especially in major cities, but coronavirus-related restrictions kept last year's number low. Setting a car on fire is a…

Lego Technic adds a pair of two-in-one monster trucks to its catalog

After spending time in the pits , Lego Technic is visiting the wild world of monster trucks by releasing a pair of kits created for kids age seven and up. Its Grave Digger and Maximum Destruction replicas are relatively easy to assemble, they feature …

Thursday, December 31, 2020

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

Dec 31, 2020

Top Stories of the Day

These cars won't return for 2021

As 2020 ticks to a close, we're doing our final inventory of the automotive marketplace, which will be short a couple dozen models when the dust is settled and the 2021s are stocked up. This year was yet another rough one for enthusiast cars, but the…

Ford Fusion crossover prototype photos leak via Instagram

A prototype for what appears to be a Ford Fusion crossover wagon has leaked via Instagram. While the Fusion was sold in the States exclusively as a sedan, it has been offered in other variants overseas, where it is known as the Mondeo. Rumors have su…

Jim Glickenhaus challenges Elon Musk to a Cybertruck showdown in the Baja 1000

Jim Glickenhaus has challenged Elon Musk to race in the 2023 edition of the Baja 1000. Posted on social media, the duel invitation aims to prove the merits of hydrogen-electric technology. "You have said that hydrogen technology is 'mind-bogglingly …

Ford F-250 SuperCrew Six-Passenger Driveway Test | Send in the clones!

We rigorously tested the revised 2020 Ford F-250 Super Duty back in January or, if you prefer, "the before times." We towed a 12,000-pound trailer up a mountain in Arizona with an F-350 equipped with the new 6.7-liter PowerStroke diesel V8 and its 1,…

Toyota previews modified Supra, GR Yaris, Mirai ahead of 2021 Tokyo Auto Salon

Toyota has unveiled part of its 2021 Tokyo Auto Salon lineup. The aftermarket extravaganza has been canceled due to a spike in COVID-19, but the cars are ready and waiting. A bright yellow GR Supra headlines this first batch, showing off some new pe…

The Aspark Owl, dubbed the fastest accelerating car in the world, is now on sale

The Aspark Owl, a 1985-horsepower electric hypercar that has been dubbed the fastest accelerating car in the world, has gone on sale. A showroom opened in Aspark's hometown of Osaka, Japan, yesterday, and the company is taking orders from Europe and …

Ford touts pandemic aid as it asks USA to #FinishStrong against coronavirus

As we pass the final hours of 2020, Ford is asking Americans to #FinishStrong in a new campaign to encourage people to maintain safe behaviors and look out for one another as the country approaches what is expected to be a major turning point in the …