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Monday, February 8, 2021

What You Missed | Your Autoblog Daily Digest for February 8, 2021

Feb 08, 2021

Top Stories of the Day

Bruce Springsteen sends unifying tone in Jeep's Super Bowl ad

Jeep released its Big Game commercial on the morning of Super Bowl Sunday, and like several past messages from Jeep's parents Stellantis (the company that resulted when Fiat Chrysler merged with France's Peugeot), this one is meant to tug on patrioti…

Tesla invests $1.5 billion in Bitcoin and will accept it as payment for its cars

Tesla announced in an SEC filing this morning that it will begin accepting Bitcoin as a form of payment for its cars "in the near future." The California-based automaker further said it bought $1.5 billion in the digital cryptocurrency. According to …

2021 Mercedes-AMG GLA 35 First Drive | The XL hot hatch

STEVENSON, Wash. – At this point, just about anything could have the term "crossover" applied to it. It's inherently vague, and we've long since moved beyond the strict definition of an "SUV with a unibody platform." So if one wants to consider the 2…

Lotus bids farewell to the Elise and the Exige with Final Edition models

Lotus will put the Elise, the Exige, and the Evora out to pasture later in 2021 to make room for a new model that internally is being called Type 131 . Before it embarks on this major lineup overhaul, the firm will send off the Elise and the Exige — t…

Hyundai and Kia say the reported Apple car deal is now off

SEOUL — South Korea's Hyundai Motor Co said on Monday it is not now in talks with Apple Inc on autonomous electric cars, just a month after it confirmed early-stage talks with the tech giant , sending the automaker's shares skidding. Wiping $3 billio…

Automakers respond to GM's #NoWayNorway Super Bowl spot with... pizza and fish?

Ford and Audi took to social media this week to respond to General Motors' "No Way, Norway" Super Bowl spot, and somehow, a discussion about global automotive electrification has devolved to the point where we're questioning the size of each other's …

Porsche to debut the new 911 GT3 in a live video event next week

Porsche will reveal the new 911 GT3 in one week and one day. The company's media site is now host to a livestream video preview titled "Livestream Digital World Premiere for the youngest member of the Porsche 911 GT family from Stuttgart." Of course…

Suzuki Hayabusa superbike makes a triumphant comeback for 2021

Suzuki has introduced the highly anticipated third-generation Hayabusa. Developed for flat-out speed, the bike receives evolutionary styling updates, a redesigned engine, and a broader suite of electronic riding aids. The original Hayabusa unexpecte…

C2 Corvette to be re-imagined as 1,200+ horsepower EV, the AVA Stingray

The C2 Chevy Corvette, which was sold from 1963 to 1967, is about to enter a new chapter. The iconic American 1960s sports car is set to be reborn as an ultra-powerful electric car, the AVA Stingray. The effort is being undertaken by Studio AVA, a sm…

This converted Mercedes Sprinter camper van is a vacation home on wheels

Autoblog may receive a share from purchases made via links on this page. Pricing and availability are subject to change. No donation or payment necessary to enter or win this sweepstakes. See official rules on Omaze. It's been a year (or more) sinc…

Friday, February 5, 2021

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

Feb 05, 2021

Top Stories of the Day

2021 Ford F-150 Platinum Driveway Test | Max recline and stay awhile

We've been in the midst of a 2021 F-150 blitz around the various Autoblog home offices of late, as Ford has fire-hosed its overhauled half-ton into the waiting arms of critics all across the country. This was your author's second look at the new F-15…

The 300-series Lexus LX will have V8, greater differentiation from Land Cruiser

For the first time in 64 years, there will not be a Toyota Land Cruiser sold in the U.S. The venerable off-roader is not in Toyota's 2021 American lineup, but the rest of the world will still get the next-generation Cruiser, called the 300 series int…

Ford F-150 Raptor, Nissan Pathfinder and Frontier, and Cadillac Blackwings | Autoblog Podcast #663

In this week's Autoblog Podcast , Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by News Editor Joel Stocksdale and Associate Editor Byron Hurd . It's a packed show this week, and the three dive straight into the week's truck loads of news, starting with the …

The topsy-turvy history of the Nissan Pathfinder

With the introduction of the new 2022 Nissan Pathfinder, we wanted to take a look at the long-running SUV's history. And while this Pathfinder is more of an evolution of the previous model, it turns out that the SUV's history is a topsy-turvy one fil…

Nissan product blitz continues with a Qashqai teaser

Nissan has dropped some major product in recent weeks. There's been a new Rogue , updated Armada , Ariya EV, the long-awaited Z , and just yesterday, a new Frontier and Pathfinder . But Nissan's not done yet. They've also just dropped a teaser for the ne…

Toyota's Super Bowl commercial doesn't have anything to do with cars

While General Motors is touting its EV strategy and starting a feud with Norway , Toyota is taking a very different tack for its Super Bowl ad. It actually doesn't talk about cars at all, instead telling a short story about a Paralympic athlete. The …

Porsche and Tag Heuer announce Carrera Porsche Chronograph

Porsche and Tag Heuer are taking the next big step in their long-standing romance, announcing a deeper strategic partnership that will kick off with a new watch: the Tag Heuer Carrera Porsche Chronograph. Timepiece fans will tell you that the Tag He…

Glickenhaus shows the hydrogen-powered Boot-based truck it wants to race in Baja

Jim Glickenhaus challenged Elon Musk to a zero-emissions off-road showdown in 2020. Tesla has yet to accept the duel, but Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus is moving forward with its plans to race a hydrogen-powered truck. Although we knew that the Glick…

Infiniti 400 Red Sport engine confirmed for Nissan Z Proto

There has been much speculation about the Nissan Z Proto's engine. We've long suspected that the Z concept was powered by the 400-horsepower twin-turbo V6 from the Infiniti 400 Red Sport series. Now that hunch has been confirmed by photos of the Z Pr…

Thursday, February 4, 2021

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

Feb 04, 2021

Top Stories of the Day

2022 Nissan Frontier enters the modern midsize truck world with big redesign

The new and revamped 2022 Nissan Frontier is here and ready to rock the boat in the midsize pickup segment. It brings eye-catching styling, a new V6 engine (that actually debuted in the old truck ) and all the updated tech amenities you'd expect to fi…

2022 Nissan Pathfinder debuts with fresh new duds, no more CVT

Say hello to the new 2022 Nissan Pathfinder. It's the latest evolution of Nissan's three-row crossover, and it comes with a host of new reasons to like it. The first is design. Nissan did away with the soft, car-like styling of the outgoing Pathfind…

2022 Nissan Frontier keeps the previous Frontier's ages-old platform, and Nissan explains

The 2022 Nissan Frontier certainly looks all-new both inside and outside with its muscular sheetmetal and modern amenities. However, Nissan surprised us all when it declared the frame to be a massaged version of the frame underneath the previous gene…

2021 Ford F-150 Raptor vs. 2021 Ram 1500 TRX | How they compare on paper

Yep, the F-150 Raptor is back , though you'd be forgiven for not noticing that it ever left. Ford's off-road model is taking a few months off to accommodate the broader 2021 F-150 redesign from which it benefits. And the fine folks over at Ram took fu…

Daimler to spin off trucks, change name to Mercedes-Benz

FRANKFURT, Germany — Daimler will split itself into two independent companies by spinning off its truck and bus division, a move the company said would give both the freedom to operate more nimbly in a fast-changing environment focused on zero-emissi…

[VIDEO] The first Black-owned car company was C. R. Patterson and Sons

C. R. Patterson and Sons may not be a familiar name to many, but this small automobile manufacturer is the first and only African American-owned car company. Charles Richard Patterson was born enslaved on a Virginia plantation in 1833. Twenty eight y…

California man leads police officers on epic six-hour chase in Los Angeles

Suspects fleeing police normally try to drive as fast as possible to augment their chances of getting away. One California man tried the opposite approach: He led police on what some law enforcement officials call the longest chase they have ever hea…

SpeedKore unleashes carbon fiber-bodied 1970 Dodge Charger with 1,000 hp

Wisconsin-based SpeedKore wasted no time putting Mopar's mighty Hellephant V8 to good use. It dropped it in a one-off carbon fiber-bodied 1970 Dodge Charger that's raucous enough to earn the name Hellraiser. Built for actor Kevin Hart, who wrecked o…

2021 Chevrolet Traverse Review | A colossal crossover

Big is the operative word when it comes to the 2021 Chevrolet Traverse. Most three-row crossovers are large, but the Traverse apes all except the upcoming Jeep Grand Cherokee L in length. That's great for somebody who wants the most utility for their…

Jeep recalls stick-shifted Wrangler, Gladiator due to clutch-frying software

Jeep has issued a recall that applies to 42,887 examples of the Wrangler and the Gladiator equipped with a six-speed manual transmission. The company explained the clutch pressure plate can overheat and fracture. As its name implies, the pressure pl…

Wednesday, February 3, 2021

What You Missed | Your Autoblog Daily Digest for February 3, 2021

Feb 03, 2021

Top Stories of the Day

2021 Ford F-150 Raptor revealed, packing EcoBoost power, coil suspension and factory 37s

The new Ford F-150 Raptor is the latest iteration of Ford's trophy-truck-inspired nameplate. The 2021 model emerges from the far side of Ford's overhaul of its entire F-150 lineup looking on paper like merely an update of last year's truck, but while…

Ford F-150 Raptor R coming in 2022, and yes it will have a V8

We're smack dab in the middle of a horsepower war between Ford and Ram. Well, really, Ford and the entirety of the Dodge, Jeep and Ram lineups, with ever larger displacements and superchargers grafted onto V8 engines under the hoods of muscle cars an…

These are the best new car deals in February 2021

GM releases full Super Bowl ad with GMC Hummer, Cadillac Lyriq: Take that, Norway!

GM just dropped its big Super Bowl ad, and it's a good one. Will Ferrell, Kenan Thompson and Awkwafina all star in the 90-second ad titled "No Way, Norway." The point of the ad is to get Americans hyped up about the upcoming electric vehicle range o…

First batch of 2022 Cadillac CT4-V, CT5-V Blackwings already sold out

Just a couple of days ago, when the 2022 Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing and CT5-V Blackwing were revealed , Cadillac announced it would start taking reservations for the cars. More specifically, it was taking reservations for the first 250 of each model. Th…

2021 Honda CR-V Review | The objective baseline

Go ahead and consider the 2021 Honda CR-V the baseline for any compact SUV search. Objectively speaking, it's tough to beat due to its massive cargo capacity, voluminous back seat, strong-yet-efficient engines, well-balanced driving dynamics, competi…

Genesis is reportedly turning the GV80 into a BMW X6-fighting fastback

Genesis will follow the path blazed by BMW and turn the GV80, its first SUV, into a high-riding fastback, according to a recent report. The model will land in the same arena as the X6, among other coupe-like SUVs. South Korea's members-only GV80 Clu…

Karma wants to build hydrogen-powered cars that produce their own fuel

Karma Automotive has focused on developing plug-in hybrid and electric cars since it was born from the ashes of Fisker in 2014. It's still planning on releasing an electric sedan named GSe-6 , but it announced that it's in the early stages of designin…

Skoda 1203 camper concept is the VW Transporter's Czech cousin

Many of the Volkswagen Group's brands make models that compete in the same segment, but the Transporter has avoided internal competition for decades. What if that changed when the next generation arrives in 2021? Škoda designer Daniel Hájek imagined …

Ford Bronco Heritage Edition appears in spy photos with old-school grille, wheels

Last month we heard that the 2022 Ford Bronco might be getting a Heritage Edition . Today we have spy photos that seem to confirm just that. The Bronco prototype pictured may have heavy camouflage, but they don't cover up the retro wheels. There's als…