The DBX SUV will go where no Aston Martin has gone before
When it launches in 2019, the Aston Martin DBX will be the British automaker's first SUV. In the meantime, camouflaged DBX prototypes will undergo strenuous testing around the world. The SUV will be built at Aston Martin's new factory in St. Athan, Wales, which will also build electric cars.
Car parts maker ZF is using drones to deliver components to its factories
ZF is a car parts manufacturer, but it's trying to keep the roads clear with its latest initiative. The company recently became the first in Germany to receive approval to use drones to deliver spare parts its central warehouses to its workshops. The six-motor drones can carry up to 6.5 pounds of goods.
Lime’s first carsharing service motors into Seattle this week
Lime is better known for its app-based bike and scooter rental services, but this week it's launching its very first carsharing service similar to Car2go and Zipcar. Starting in Seattle, Washington, customers can make use of 50 "Limepod" Fiat 500 cars, which cost a dollar to unlock and 40 cents per minute to drive.
Quick! Someone petition Ferrari to make this luscious tribute to the F40
Ferrari looks toward the future as it designs hypercars like the LaFerrari. Designer Samir Sadikhov turned his eye toward the past to create a modern interpretation of the 1987 F40. The F40 Tribute is a rendering and not a preview of an upcoming production model.
VW will use Siri as the designated driver for its connected car party
Volkswagen of America added an enhanced version of Apple's Siri to help drivers control and interact with their connected cars. Owners can customize voice commands to tell Siri to change access settings such as vehicle lock status, and fuel checks. VW-Car-Net also allows car access via mobile apps.
Autonomous cars could lead to sex on wheels, study shows
Fully autonomous cars can change the way we commute, but they can also have a far-reaching impact on the tourism industry. Two researchers published a study that outlines how self-driving technology could affect the hotel industry, car rental companies, restaurants, tour bus operators, and even brothels.
Jaguar’s rally-ready F-Type roadster is happiest off the pavement
Jaguar is celebrating the XK120's 70th birthday by turning the F-Type roadster into a rally warrior. Built to FIA specifications, the model receives suspension and braking upgrades plus a full roll cage to protect the occupants. It's not going to race, though; Jaguar told Digital Trends it built the car just for fun.
Tesla brings track mode to Model 3 Performance
Being behind the wheel of a Tesla sometimes feels like you're in a race car, especially when accelerating. Now a new mode literally makes the Tesla 3 Performance model ready to take home the checkered flag. The new Track Mode adds stability to the drive and is designed for closed track courses.
Tesla raises prices and simplifies options on Model S and Model X
Tesla is making changes to its offerings of the Model S and Model X. The lower-range 75D models will increase in price, while the higher-range 100D models will decrease in price. Fewer options for the interiors and configurations will be offered in the future in order to streamline production.
Roborace wants human drivers and machines to work together
Roborace believes the future of racing is autonomous, but it's keeping human drivers in the picture for now. For its first race season, Roborace will use a car called DevBot 2.0 that can be driven by humans or machines. Roborace plans to switch to fully autonomous racing in 2021.
Bosch, Daimler team up to deploy autonomous Mercedes-Benz S-Classes in San Jose
In 1986, when Bosch and Daimler joined an autonomous car research project, the technology seemed overly futuristic. The two partners now see the light at the end of the tunnel, and they're teaming up to make a production self-driving car by the early 2020s. They'll test the tech through a pilot program in California.
Ford buys scooter-sharing service Spin as it looks to expand beyond cars
Ford has acquired San Francisco-based scooter-sharing company Spin. The Blue Oval believes mobility services like scooter sharing can complement its existing car business going forward. Spin competes in a crowded market with the likes of Bird and Lime, as well as Uber and Lyft.
Ares turns the Tesla Model S into a two-door roadster with Italian flair
Italian coachbuilder Ares has done what Tesla won't. It's taking a Model S, chopping off the roof, and sending the rear doors back to the parts bin to create a roadster ready for the French Riviera. The model is at the embryonic stage of development and technical specifications haven't been released yet.
Tesla appoints Robyn Denholm as chair, Elon Musk steps down
Tesla co-founder and CEO Elon Musk agreed to step down from his role as chairman as part of a settlement deal with the SEC. Tesla has named a 55-year-old Australian businesswoman named Robyn Denholm as his successor, though Musk will remain CEO. Denholm brings decades of experience in finance to Tesla.
This hydrogen-powered Chevrolet Silverado looks like it’s straight out of Halo
General Motors' defense division has released video footage of a rugged, Halo-like truck called Silverado ZH2. The pickup is powered by the next evolution of GM's hydrogen fuel cell drivetrain. Technical specifications are vague at best but GM quotes a 400-mile range, four-wheel drive, and a trick suspension system.
This hydrogen semi truck could help clean up Europe’s roads — if it gets built
The Nikola Tre is the latest in a proposed line of hydrogen fuel-cell semi trucks from Nikola Motor Company. Nikola hasn't delivered any trucks yet, but claims to have $11 billion in reservations from companies such as Anheuser-Busch. The Tre was designed specifically for the European market.
Safety driver in Waymo autonomous car causes collision with biker
Safety drivers are supposed to take control of a self-driving car when a potentially dangerous situation occurs that appears to be beyond the capabilities of the vehicle's autonomous technology. But when a driver in one of Waymo's cars recently took control, they caused an accident with a motorcyclist.
Uber wants to restart self-driving car tests in Pennsylvania
Uber is seeking to resume testing self-driving cars on the streets of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania following a fatal crash in Arizona that shut down on-road testing for months. Uber claims to have made safety improvements, including better software and new policies for human safety drivers.
Man in Japan drives sports car ‘faster than a bullet train’ in YouTube stunt
A motorist in Japan is in serious trouble with the law after he drove his Nissan GT-R sports car at a speed that would've seen it overtake some of the nation's famously fast bullet trains. The unnamed driver recorded the stunt and put it on YouTube because he "wanted everyone to watch it."
Audi gets animated with a cartoon concept car for ‘Spies in Disguise’
Car manufacturers are always working on new concepts, but you probably have never seen one quite like this. Audi went to the drawing board and mocked up a futuristic car that you might never be able to buy but you'll definitely be able to see. The car will star in the animated film 'Spies in Disguise.'
Porsche 911 GT2 RS retakes Nürburgring lap record, with an asterisk
The Porsche 911 GT2 RS has reclaimed its Nürburgring lap record, but that isn't the whole story. Porsche turned to Manthey-Racing to produce a specially modified version of the car for its latest record attempt. The 911 GT2 RS MR is still street legal, according to Porsche, but it isn't a stock GT2 RS.
Hot Wheels is turning this insane, jet-inspired custom car into a toy
Hot Wheels has selected the winner of its 2018 Legends contest. It will turn the 2JetZ, a custom-made machine that exists at the intersection of planes and cars, into a toy and sell it all around the world. Built by Luis Rodriguez, 2JetZ is powered by a 627-horsepower straight-six engine from Toyota.
Former luxury car buyers turning to premium pickup trucks instead
Luxury car brands face pressure from a once unlikely source: pickup trucks. Ford, Chevy, and Ram trucks are selling faster than ever and the greatest demand is for the top-trims. Loaded with comfort and entertainment features and priced up to $100,000, high-end pickups are attracting former luxury car owners.
Bentley claims connected car bragging rights with super-fast in-car Wi-Fi
Bentley and Viasat offer new super-fast in-car connectivity for all 2019 Bentley models. The Bentley Advanced Connectivity option aggregates mobile operator signals in a secure virtual private network. Passengers can access multiple entertainment and productivity applications simultaneously including high-def video.
Austrian e-car drivers get Go-Faster card, raising the speed limit by 30 percent
A recent Austrian speed limit policy amendment allows all-electric vehicles to travel at higher speeds than non-EVs under certain conditions. Home to the Jaguar I-Pace electric SUV production facility, Austria hopes to encourage more people to buy electric vehicles. The higher speed allowance is tied to air quality.
GM’s luxury brand hits the pause button on Book by Cadillac subscription service
Referring to its subscription service as a pilot program, a spokesperson for the automaker confirmed that Book by Cadillac will shut down December 1. Promising a comeback after making "adjustments," Cadillac said its first subscription model gave the luxury car maker insights into innovative customer experience needs.
Pizza Hut tricks out a Toyota Tundra to whip up a pie in 7 minutes
Spotlighting the importance of future technology for both companies at the 2018 SEMA Show, Toyota and Pizza Hut built the Tundra Per Pro. Powered by a converted fuel-cell electric power plant that also drives the truck, the robotic kitchen in the truck bed cranks out freshly cooked pizzas in under seven minutes.
Bright idea: this motorcycle jacket has built-in lights that sync with your bike
Motorbike leathers are there to protect riders from injury, but they can make bikers difficult to see in the dark. A new Kickstarter campaign hopes to help change that -- thanks to a stylish leather jacket that features some smart LED lighting technology. Here's what it does.
Hyundai wants you to park in the scorching sun to charge your car
Hyundai has announced it will begin mass-producing solar panels for electric and hybrid cars after 2019. The technology can charge between 30 and 60 percent of a hybrid car's battery pack per day. Of course, you're more likely to see a 60-percent charge if you live in Arizona than if you live in Oregon.
Lime gearing up to add cars to its fleet of bikes and scooters
It's already operating bike and scootersharing schemes in multiple cities around the world, and now Lime is gearing up to add electric cars to its range of short-trip transportation options. Seattle, Washington, is expected to be its first market, with details expected in the next few weeks about vehicles and costs.
Yikes! These cars shouldn’t bother dressing up for Halloween
The first thing you notice about a car is its design, not its horsepower output or its infotainment system. There's no widely accepted definition of what makes a car beautiful or ugly, but some designs offend more eyes than others. In time for Halloween, here are the cars that look like they're already dressed up.
Honda turned its Ridgeline truck into a larger-than-life ATV
The Honda Rugged Open Air Vehicle concept is a Ridgeline pickup truck with the body stripped off to create the feel of an oversized side-by-side ATV. It's exactly the kind of craziness you get from the annual SEMA show. Wouldn't it be cool if Honda actually put something like this into production?
Uber now offers a $15 monthly plan for access to cheaper fares
Uber riders in five cities across the U.S. can now pay a monthly fee of $15 ($25 in Los Angeles) for access to cheaper fares. Ride Pass is available for UberX and UberPool, with fares unaffected by surge pricing or other factors that can sometimes surprise Uber customers when they request a ride.
Waymo receives first permit to test fully driverless cars in California
Waymo has been given the green light by California to test fully driverless vehicles on the state's public roads. It means that Waymo can take its cars onto the roads without anyone behind the wheel, making it the first company to receive such a permit in the Golden State.