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Friday, March 19, 2021

What You Missed | Your Autoblog Daily Digest for March 19, 2021

Mar 19, 2021

Top Stories of the Day

McLaren 720S GT3X throws out the rule book to go faster than a race car

Race cars are some of the fastest machines on Earth. And they could be faster, if it weren't for these pesky things called "rules." Proving this point is the McLaren 720S GT3X, which takes the basic GT3-class race car and cranks up the performance, b…

2021 Mazda CX-30 Interior Review | An affordable, premium heavyweight

There isn't a single tiny crossover out there at the 2021 Mazda CX-30's price point that has a more lavish and upscale interior. That makes perfect sense, considering it was exactly Mazda's aim to punch up into the entry-level luxury market. Mazda l…

Ford Bronco legendary Baja 1000 winner 'Big Oly' headed to auction

Before O.J., the most famous Ford Bronco was Parnelli Jones' Baja 1000 winner. The truck was barely a Bronco, completely rebuilt with technology never before been seen on an off-road racer. Nevertheless, it brought Jones and Ford renown for winning t…

The world's car community honors Sabine Schmitz

The world said its goodbyes to beloved former racing driver, Nürburgring wizard and all-around car legend Sabine Schmitz this week after she succumbed to a years-long battle with cancer. The 51-year-old won the 24 Hours of Nürburgring in 1996 and 199…

This 6-wheel Fiat 500 C is way cooler than any 6x6 G-wagen

Now that seemingly everyone and their mom has a 4x4 pickup truck, some have turned to six-wheel beasts like the Mercedes G-wagen 6x6 in order to stand out. But with those trucks also fast becoming a cliché, we present this charming alternate take on …

[VIDEO] Everything we know about the 2021 Ford Bronco

Porsche makes it clear: 911 won't be electric this decade — at least not fully

Setting the record straight once and for all, Porsche confirmed the 911 will not join its growing range of EVs during the 2020s. The model won't escape electrification, however, and it will gain a hybrid system in the coming years. Rumors about a ga…

The 2022 Genesis GV70 is available in a surprising rainbow of colors

The Audi Q5 and BMW X3 xDrive30i are offered in only one color: blue. All other choices are a grayscale palette of white, black and gray. And if you've been around a luxury car dealership, you'll know this isn't an isolated incident. We suspect this …

Spy photos reveal Chevrolet Silverado 'ZR2' prototype suspension

Chevrolet is working on a Silverado with bigger teeth than its current Trail Boss, and new spy photos distributed today provide some proof that what we're looking at is more than some appearance package. Whether GM chooses to refer to it as a "ZR2 " o…

Ford to build F-150, Edge without some computer modules, install them later

DETROIT — Ford Motor Co said on Thursday it for now will assemble its flagship, highly profitable F-150 pickup trucks and Edge SUVs in North America without certain parts and idle two assembly plants due to the global semiconductor chip shortage. Th…

Thursday, March 18, 2021

What You Missed | Your Autoblog Daily Digest for March 18, 2021

Mar 18, 2021

Top Stories of the Day

Hyundai unveils spaceship-inspired Staria minivan; close encounters coming soon

Hyundai has lifted the veil off of the Staria, a new minivan whose design draws inspiration from spaceships. Developed for businesses and families alike, the people-mover will go on sale in select global markets in 2021. Several versions of the Star…

RVer flat-tows new Jeep Wrangler in low gear; carnage ensues

If you've ever seen photos of an interference engine that has been over-revved, you probably think you know what catastrophic engine damage looks like. This 2021 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon's engine bay absolutely redefines the concept. This four-door lo…

2021 Genesis GV80 earns IIHS Top Safety Pick+ award

The 2021 Genesis GV80 just earned a Top Safety Pick+ award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety . Ever since Tiger Woods crashed a GV80 , the new Genesis crossover has been in the safety spotlight . There are still no safety ratings from the …

Trailer safety chain stops couple's pickup from plunging into Idaho gorge

When trucker Rod Drury pulled up to the wrecked camper on the Malad Gorge Bridge on I-84 near the Snake River in southern Idaho on Monday afternoon, he was sure it was the scene of a fatality. And it almost was. As he approached the wreck, he realize…

2021 BMW 4 Series Review | Just call it Cyrano

Like Cyrano de Bergerac, it's impossible to get past the nose of the 2021 BMW 4 Series. Keen to make a bolder, even controversial design statement, BMW has expanded its signature kidney grille to an extent not seen since the early 1950s when tall rad…

A chat with Derek Jenkins, Lucid Motors senior V.P. of design

A few years ago , we spoke with the folks at Lucid Motors — specifically CEO and CTO Peter Rawlinson and Senior Vice President of Design Derek Jenkins — as they worked to develop the Air electric luxury sedan and break ground on their Arizona factory.…

Acura announces 2021 TLX Type S on-sale date and approximate price

Acura is clearing up a few nagging questions we had about the 2021 TLX Type S today. The company's latest announcement spells out both the starting price and a precise on-sale date. You'll be able to drive a 2021 Acura TLX Type S home in May this y…

2021 Honda Accord Luggage Test | The segment leader is declared

Every 2021 Honda Accord has a trunk that measures 16.7 cubic-feet in volume, including the Accord Hybrid whose past versions had severely reduced cargo capacity. That means it should have the best cargo space of any midsize family sedan. Although I'v…

Perseverance records itself driving on Mars, and it sounds brutal

One of the unexpectedly interesting things about Perseverance, the plucky rover that landed on Mars last month, has been its ability to record sound, using two onboard microphones . We've heard the haunting, wispy wail of the most lonesome desert wind…

Toyota cuts production in North America due to supply chain issues

WASHINGTON — Toyota and Honda announced new North American production cuts, citing supply chain issues that have wreaked havoc with the auto industry. Toyota said it would cut production this week at four plants in Kentucky, West Virginia and Mexico…

Wednesday, March 17, 2021

What You Missed | Your Autoblog Daily Digest for March 17, 2021

Mar 17, 2021

Top Stories of the Day

Sabine Schmitz, 'Queen of the Nurburgring,' dies at 51

NÜRBURG, Germany — Former racing driver Sabine Schmitz, the 'Queen of the Nürburgring' who was also a presenter of the popular BBC "Top Gear" television program, has died at age 51. Schmitz won the 24 Hours of Nürburgring touring car race with BMW i…

Celebrating green cars for St. Patrick's Day

2020 Volvo S60 T8 Long-Term Review Wrap-Up | Final verdict

Twelve months of motoring in the 2020 Volvo S60 T8 went by quickly. Our time in Volvo's sharp, plug-in hybrid sedan is over, and it's time for a final verdict. The S60 saw two entirely different worlds in its time with us. We took delivery in normal …

The WEVC Coupe has a Porsche 356a-inspired body and a fully electric powertrain

The British EV startup Watt Electric Vehicles promised to give life to the coachbuilding industry with a new electric vehicle platform to work off of, and today the company reveals its first car. It's simply called the WEVC Coupe, and it borrows heav…

2021 BMW M550i Road Test Review | A seriously good M sedan

The 2021 BMW M550i is the stepping stone to an M5 , and yet in many ways, it's the more enjoyable sports sedan to drive. BMW updated the 5 Series lineup for 2021 — we sampled the 540i first — adding more tech and revised exterior styling among other r…

2022 Kia Stinger gets 300-hp I4, new sport exhaust for V6

The 2022 Kia Stinger comes out swinging with a larger, 300-horsepower 4-cylinder engine and a new active sport exhaust for the V6-powered GT model. The sporty, rear-wheel-drive sedan also gets some styling updates inside and out to match Kia's new br…

BMW Group announces an armada of EVs that includes the full Mini range

BMW plans to significantly increase the number of electric cars in its range during the 2020s. It outlined plans to launch several battery-powered models, including M cars, and transform Mini into an EV-only brand by 2030. In the medium-term future,…

1938 Alfa Romeo 158 Alfetta homage, built by TV's Ant Anstead, coming to Barrett-Jackson

The Alfa Romeo 158 "Alfetta" was the dominant racing car in the inaugural Formula One season of 1950. The car finished 1-2-3 in the first Grand Prix at Silverstone and won all 11 of the races it entered that year. Now, there's a re-creation of that f…

BMW i4 revealed as the 3 Series' EV sidekick

BMW's first purpose-designed electric sedan made its global debut online. Called i4, and previewed by a close-to-production concept in 2020, it was developed as a battery-powered alternative to the 3 Series . Designers made several tweaks to the i4 t…

Honda will temporarily cut production in the U.S. and Canada

WASHINGTON — Honda said late Tuesday supply chain issues will force a halt to production at a majority of U.S. and Canadian auto plants for a week. The Japanese automaker added the issue will result in some production cuts next week at all U.S. and …

Tuesday, March 16, 2021

What You Missed | Your Autoblog Daily Digest for March 16, 2021

Mar 16, 2021

Top Stories of the Day

2022 Audi RS E-Tron GT First Drive Review | The halo EV arrives

CALABASAS, Calif. — The 2022 Audi E-Tron GT doesn't go on sale in the United States until sometime this summer, but last week we got the chance to drive a German-spec RS E-Tron GT version out of Ingolstadt's pre-production fleet (pictured above). Aud…

2021 Volvo XC90 Recharge Road Test Review | I could've had a T8!

Second thoughts … sometimes even buyer's remorse. Nagging doubts can follow life's big decisions — and buying a car is a biggie. Was it the right choice? Or as the poet said: "You may find yourself behind the wheel of a large automobile / And you may…

Gordon Murray's V12-powered supercar hits the track for the first time

Gordon Murray Automotive is busily bringing what it refers to as "the greatest analog driver's car" to production. Called T.50, it was introduced in August 2020, and completed its first test laps on a race track in March 2021. Company founder Gordon…

2021 Chevy Silverado, GMC Sierra fuel economy to go down due to global chip shortage

Production of the 2021 Chevy Silverado and 2021 GMC Sierra is continuing, but the global semiconductor chip shortage is resulting in a mid-year change. Or rather, an omission. Basically, the availability of cylinder deactivation for the 5.3-liter V…

6 trailblazing women in the Automotive Hall of Fame

In honor of Women's History Month, we're showcasing six legendary women in the Automotive Hall of Fame.

Grab this vintage single-seat Porsche, one of 224 ever built

Wow 'em at the next club meet with this rare single-seat Porsche, which is almost certain to be the only one of its kind on the show field. This 1983 example boasts many desirable features including a manual transmission, Fuchs wheels, a whale-tail r…

2021 Ford F-150 Responder police truck is faster, more capable than before

For 2021, the Ford F-150 Responder is an even more impressive police pickup truck. Not only is it faster, but it boasts upgrades that make it more capable. While the output of the twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 is unchanged from the consumer truck a…

Nissan 370Z safari Z-Adventure is ready to rally on Yokohama 33s, gold wheels

The Nissan 370Z might be on its way out the door, but it still has a few tricks left. The long-serving sports car has seen just about every type of modification, and now that list includes a safari-style rally raid race car. Called the Z-Adventure, t…

Why is there a huge bulge in 2021 Lexus IS 300 AWD's driver footwell? We explain

After an initial turn a few weeks ago for the 2021 Lexus IS first drive review , the revised luxury sedan has returned to the Autoblog garage for a second look. This middle-of-the-road IS 300 AWD pairs a 260-horsepower V6 with a six-speed automatic tr…

Used Vehicle Spotlight: 2013-2019 Ford Flex

A lot of people weren't sure what to make of the Ford Flex when it hit the market for the 2009 model year. Was it an SUV or a big station wagon? A style-first fashion statement or a family car people hauler? In reality, it was a little bit of all tho…