Did you know?

Whale oil was used in some car transmissions until 1973. In the US, whale oil was used in cars as a constituent of automatic transmission fluid until it was banned by the Endangered Species Act.

Tesla to charge vehicles left plugged in after charging.

Tesla Motors is following up on its promise to make drivers pay if they leave vehicles at a Supercharger station long after they are fully charged.

In a blog post published this month, the company said it will charge a 40-cents-a-minute fee for vehicles at its Supercharger stations that aren't unplugged after charging. The "idle fee" follows a blog post in November stating that Tesla owners who order their vehicles after Jan. 1, 2017, will not have unlimited access to the Supercharger network and will be charged a fee after they go through an annually allotted 400 kWh of charge. Despite the new fees, Tesla said in November the network "will never be a profit center."

Tesla's Supercharger network has been key to growing its customer base. The extensive system, which allows owners to drive across the U.S., Europe, Asia and Australia, reaches half a charge in 20 minutes. Charging electric vehicles at other stations, such as those of the ChargePoint network, can take an hour or more.Tesla's fast and convenient charging has been a selling point for EV customers. Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak said on Facebook this month that he decided to buy a second Model S rather than a Chevy Bolt because it would work better for road trips.

The recent changes are intended to help expand the 769-station network and ease congestion, according to Tesla. They also come as the automaker gears up to deliver the first Model 3 sedans in late 2017. Tesla has said it has received 373,000 pre-orders for the $35,000 vehicle, which could significantly contribute to Supercharger congestion.

Overcrowded Supercharger stations have become a growing problem for Tesla owners, who have to wait for a charger while vehicles sit fully charged but still plugged in. The Tesla app allows an owner to monitor a car's charging status remotely, but the feature has done little to prevent people from overstaying their welcome at the stations.

Owners have complained about the backups on Twitter, and Tesla CEO Elon Musk wrote in a response to one such tweet on Dec. 10 that he would "take action." A week later, Tesla announced the idle fee, which gives an owner a five-minute grace period to unplug a vehicle once it has finished charging. Violators will have to pay accrued fees on their next visit to the service centers.

Musk added on Twitter that fees will not be charged at stations that are "basically deserted."

The company, however, expects the changes to be temporary. In its blog post, Tesla said: "We envision a future where cars move themselves once fully charged, enhancing network efficiency and the customer experience even further."

Source: http://autoweek.com/

2017 Subaru Impreza - Review (CarAdvice)

Here's what happens when a car spring meets the hydraulic press.

BMW is showing off a holographic touchscreen at CES 2017.

Holographic interfaces will be the future of infotainment systems if BMW has anything to say about it. That’s right: Remember those fancy holographic interfaces you see on crime dramas and in sci-fi flicks? BMW wants to bring those into the cockpit someday.

The German motor company will be showing off something it calls “BMW HoloActive Touch” at the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show. It functions how one might expect a holographic infotainment system to work. There’s a virtual touchscreen projected from a strange black slab by the center console that is operated through finger gestures made in open-air.

BMW says that commands to the infotainment system are confirmed to the driver through a perceived “tactile feedback.” We're curious about how holograms can reach out and touch you back, but hey, anything is possible in the future.

Obviously, the big advantage/cool factor here is that every function can be controlled without any physical contact with materials. BMW was able to do this by combining some of its technologies used in current vehicles, such as a head-up display and the gesture control in the 5 and 7-Series. The actual floating display is visible to the driver through some fancy reflection work, and projects itself to the right of the steering wheel for easy driver access. When your fingertip comes into contact with something on the projected screen, a pulse is emitted and the image reacts to your input.

BMW says this technology is part of its i Inside Future study, which pertains to autonomously driven cars sometime in the future, so don’t expect to see it popping up in the next 3-Series any time soon. Let’s just hope the holographic screen of tomorrow is easier to navigate than most manufacturer’s infotainment screens are now.

Source: http://autoweek.com/

2017 Volvo XC90 - Review (CarAdvice)

A McLaren 570S is the automaker's 10,000th car.

McLaren finished building its new production facility in 2011. Around that time, its first modern supercar, the 12C, started rolling off assembly lines. Of course, chasing the 12C's tail is the 12C Spider and limited-run P1 in 2012. Since the 12C first rolled off the line, the British automaker is celebrating its 10,000th car's production, a McLaren 570S finished in Ceramic Grey paintwork sourced from McLaren Special Operations “Defined” color palette.

“The production of the 10,000th McLaren is a significant milestone in the short history of the company,” said McLaren CEO Mike Flewitt. “The fact that it took us 42 months to build our 5,000th car and just 22 months to build the next 5,000 speaks volumes about the pace of development of the company. Much of that development is thanks to the introduction of the Sports Series family of cars, and it is therefore fitting that the 10,000th car is a McLaren 570S.”

Earlier this year, McLaren added a second shift to its production center in Woking, England, taking capacity from 10 cars per day to 20. More capacity was needed to meet demand after the Sports Series of McLarens -- 540C, 570S and 570GT was introduced. This year saw McLaren nearly double its car sales from 1,654 cars to over 3,000 by year’s close.

If you were hoping to possibly buy the special 570S, we have some bad news: The coupe will not be sold. Instead, it will be placed in the company’s Heritage Collection.

Source: http://autoweek.com/

2017 Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe - Review (CarAdvice)

The first 2017 Ford GT rolls off the assembly line.

It’s been almost two years since we saw the Ford GT at the 2015 Detroit auto show. Since then, we’ve had plenty of GT news. Today, the first of Ford's latest supercar will roll off the assembly line at the Multimatic facility in Markham, Ontario, and eventually make its way to one of the lucky few who got on the list.

We spotted prototypes out in the wild testing in all sorts of weather conditions. Dealers had to spend $30,000 in upgrades just to service the new supercar. A GT took its class at Le Mans, along with third and fourth place. Eager applicants waited to hear if they would get an opportunity to even buy the 2017 GT. And we’ve been patiently waiting for this day.

“When we kicked off 2016, we had two primary objectives for our Ford GT supercar: to excel at Le Mans and to start deliveries before year-end,” says Raj Nair, Ford executive vice president, global product development, and chief technical officer. “We’ve achieved both.

“For everyone involved in designing and developing this car, including all of our employees and suppliers, this is a moment to celebrate," he added. "The all-new Ford GT is a showcase of our strength in innovation and our commitment to delivering more for our customers -- especially related to lightweight materials, aerodynamics and EcoBoost engine technologies.”

The 2017 Ford GT is powered by a 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged EcoBoost V6, which is said to make more than 600 hp. The engine is home to a host of new technologies such as port/direct dual fuel-injection and low-friction roller-finger-follower valvetrain.

Source: http://autoweek.com/

2017 Lexus LC500 - Review (CarAdvice)

Lucid Motors unveils its 400-mile range luxury EV.

After a few sneak peeks during the LA auto show, Lucid has finally ripped the camouflage off its luxury electric sedan: the $100,000-plus Air. The luxury vehicle is taking aim not only at Tesla's Model S but also traditional gas-powered cars like the BMW 7 Series and Mercedes-Benz S-Class. The company is expected to start production in 2018 at its Arizona factory.

Today's event showed both what the luxury car looks like as well as its battery pack -- the largest in the automotive world. The standard Air comes with a 100 kWh battery, the same as what Tesla currently uses in the Model S, but Lucid also plans to offer a 130 kWh option. According to Lucid and its energy partner Samsung SDI, that car has a range of 400 miles per charge.

The company said the Air will fill the luxury, sports car and commuter needs of drivers. When it comes to power, each electric motor outputs 600 horsepower. That powertrain has been integrated with the HVAC and suspension system in the front of the vehicle. The rear wheels get the same set up with an integrated transmission, motor and suspension. By pacing everything together, CTO Peter Rawlinson said the car has more seating capacity since everything is pushed to the edges of the car.

The company said the Air will fill the luxury, sports car and commuter needs of drivers. When it comes to power, each electric motor outputs 600 horsepower. That powertrain has been integrated with the HVAC and suspension system in the front of the vehicle. The rear wheels get the same set up with an integrated transmission, motor and suspension. By pacing everything together, CTO Peter Rawlinson said the car has more seating capacity since everything is pushed to the edges of the car.

Source: www.engadget.com

World's most expensive number plate sold for £7.25m.

Plate "1" has earned itself a place in the in the Guinness Book of Records and sold for more than double the price of the previous most expensive number plate.

It was bought by Emirati businessman Saeed Abdul Ghaffar Khouri. The previous record holder Plate "5", was sold for £3.5m in May 2007, which worked out at nearly ten times the value of the luxury car it adorns. The auction, which was the sixth event organized by Emirates Auction, attracted 750 participants, and generated a record £12.12m from the sale of 90 number plates.

Abdulla Matar Al Mannaei, Managing Director of Emirates Auction, said: “The expectations going in were huge. We were confident of delivering a positive outcome, but the final value exceeds our wildest hopes and dreams."

Emirates Auction now hold the record for the top seven most expensive plates worldwide, including nine of the top ten. Plate “1” was only the third one-digit number plate to go on sale.Along with “1,” a total of 90 license plates were sold, including special numbers such as 96, 100, 212, 1111, 2001 and 31313.

All proceeds from the auction will go towards building a national rehabilitation centre for traffic accident victims, the first of its kind in the UAE. It will be run along the lines of the most advanced rehabilitation centers in the world and will provide physiotherapy, and other medical, psychological, social, occupational and recreational support.

The exclusive event was held at the Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi.

Source: http://www.express.co.uk/

Uber Expands Self-Driving Car Service to San Francisco. DMV Says It’s Illegal.

Uber has been ordered by state regulators to stop using self-driving cars in California, according to the Associated Press, at least until it secures the necessary permit issued by the state to allow companies to test autonomous vehicles on public roads. The California Department of Motor Vehicles issued a statement saying Uber was expected to secure such a permit, but Uber maintained that it did not require this clearance because its vehicles were not fully self-driving and have a driver on board at all times.

The self-driving pilot program in San Francisco is an expansion of Uber’s original launch of the service in Pittsburgh earlier this year. This city expansion featured Volvo’s XC90 SUV, a third-generation version of Uber’s autonomous test vehicle.

Uber said earlier that it did not intend to pursue this permit, the requirements for which are detailed by the California DMV on a site dedicated to autonomous vehicle operation on public roads. In a letter to Uber telling it to end the launch of its self-driving service, the DMV states that Uber will face “legal action, including but not limited to, seeking injunctive relief” if it does not comply.

Prior to the state regulators explicitly ordering Uber to stop, Uber’s vehicle was caught on camera apparently running a red light, thought the circumstances of this incident aren’t known at this time (including whether this was while the car was human or computer-operated when it ran the light). Uber told TechCrunch it is looking into this matter as “safety is a top priority.”

That means it’s only been less than one day since Uber started its test, had its first documented incident with the vehicles and was ordered by the state to stop what it was doing. This definitely looks more like the risk-happy Uber of the early days that often acted in contravention of local regulators to achieve its business goals.

“It seems to me from my reading of the law that while this [permit pertains to the] concept of an autonomous vehicle, there’s a human in it [in Uber’s case],” Uber advisor and shareholder Bradley Tusk told TechCrunch in an interview. “Beyond that, to take a bit of the excitement out of it, Uber often does something innovative and new, regulators don’t quite comprehend it at first, then it gets worked out.”

We’ve reached out to both Uber and the California DMV for further comment. The California DMV provided the following letter, which it sent to Uber earlier this afternoon.

Source: https://techcrunch.com

2017 Mercedes E-Class Crash Test.

The First Official Fast and Furious 8 Trailer. (2017)

Google has reportedly stopped developing its own self-driving car.

Google has reportedly shelved its long-standing plan to develop its own autonomous vehicle in favor of pursuing partnerships with existing car makers.

The Information reports that Google’s self-driving car unit — known internally as Chauffeur — is working with established automotive names to develop cars that will include some self-driving features, but won’t ditch the steering wheel and pedal controls. The firm is already working with Fiat Chrysler, per a partnership announced in May, and that could be the start of others to come.

Google first set out to do away with the steering wheel and pedals approach, but this backtrack is from Alphabet CEO Larry Page and CFO Ruth Porat, who found the original approach to be “impractical,” according to the report. That’s despite Google’s autonomous vehicles clocking over two million miles of tests on public roads.

While Google may be taking its foot off the gas for self-driving vehicles, The Information’s sources suggest it still harbors ambitious plans and is working to introduce an autonomous taxi service before the end of 2017. Google has long been rumored to move into the on-demand car space — it offers carpooling via its Waze business — and this would bring it into direct competition with Uber. Uber began trialing self-driving taxis in Pittsburgh this year, while another, younger company, Nutonomy, is conducting similar tests in Singapore and Boston, so Google is very much playing catch-up here.

The company is hosting a media event around its self-driving car business in California on Tuesday, so we’ll have more details soon.

Source: https://techcrunch.com

How it's Made Dream Cars (Discovery Channel): Lamborghini Aventador.

Faraday Future targets Ferrari, Tesla, and Bentley with a new teaser.

Faraday Future, set to reveal its first production vehicle at CES in just under a month, has left little doubt as to its ambition with its latest teaser video. The company likely hopes to avoid a repeat of last year's underwhelming visit to Las Vegas, when hordes of tech journalists expecting a Tesla rival found a concept car instead. Leading up to this year's event, the company has been setting expectations with a series of short teasers of a camouflaged prototype car in testing. The most recent shows us that Faraday is aiming high, with the new EV benchmarked against Bentley, Ferrari, and Tesla.

That means we can probably forget the idea of Faraday Future exploiting some new niche in the EV marketplace. No, we think the new electric SUV is gunning straight for the Tesla Model X, a vehicle that's both bonkers-fast and also rather practical. And we think the inclusion of Bentley's Bentayga as another rival means a more upmarket interior than the rather barebones Tesla.

However, we still don't even know the name of the production car, nor an expected price, how long it will take to charge, or pretty much anything concrete. And although we asked for a sneak peek before CES, it seems we'll have to wait until January 3 to find out the answers to those questions.



Source: http://arstechnica.com/

Limited-edition Ferrari J50 revealed in Japan.

The limited-edition Ferrari J50 has been revealed which revives the targa-roof style used on models in the 1970s and 80s. Unveiled in Tokyo, it marks 50 years of the Italian company trading in Japan, hence the ‘J’ designation.

Based on the 488 Spider, the J50 uses the same 3.9-litre V8 but with power increased to 690hp. Only 10 J50s will be built and each will be made to suit the customer’s tastes.All have front radiators that have been moved closer together to reduce the aerodynamic frontal area. There’s also a lower windscreen header rail to let more air flow over the aero foil incorporated into the rear deck and tail spoiler.

Ferrari’s Special Projects department has also lowered the bonnet and added two carbon fibre air channels reminiscent of the F50. Raised front wheelarch crests add to the visual aggression of the front, which has a prominent lower spoiler and full-width mesh grille.

Along the sides, there’s a black belt line similar that seen on the 288 GTO and F40. More inspiration from the company’s back catalogue can be seen in the sloping angle of the door windows. Ferrari says this is a nod to its competition barchettas and creates a ‘helmet visor’ effect. The two-piece carbon fibre targa roof is stored behind the rear seats in a similar way to the 488 Spider’s single aluminium panel. Two roll bar hoops are incorporated into the lift-up cover and there’s a transparent polycarbonate engine cover. At the rear, the J50 has four tail lamps and a rear diffuser Ferrari says has been inspired by jet engine afterburners. Rounding off the exterior are 20-inch forged alloy wheels in a unique design for this limited run model.

Inside, the sports seats have an Alcantara centre section where the shape mimics the design of the rear deck. Customers will also be able to specify their own colour combinations for the upholstery. Ferrari has not confirmed any pricing or performance figures for the J50 and all 10 will be sold to existing loyal customers.

Source: http://www.autocar.co.uk/

Cars 3 Official Trailer - Teaser (2017).

Cars 3 is an upcoming American 3D computer-animated sports film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is the third installment in the Cars franchise and is being directed by Brian Fee, a storyboard animator on Cars(2006) and Cars 2 (2011). The film is scheduled to be released on June 16, 2017.

Blindsided by a new generation of blazing-fast racers, the legendary Lightning McQueen is suddenly pushed out of the sport he loves. To get back in the game he will need the help of eager young female race technician Cruz Ramirez, with her own plan to win, plus inspiration from the late Doc Hudson. Proving that #95 isn’t through yet, he will test the heart of a champion on Piston Cup Racing’s biggest stage against his new rival, Jackson Storm.

How it's Made Dream Cars (Discovery Channel): Tesla Model S

Nissan Juke Takes A Record Setting ‘Blind' J-Turn.

What Exactly Is A Blind J-Turn?,

Many people would normally be impressed by something unless they know exactly what it is. The J-turn is also known as a 180-degrees turn, a maneuver that only the most skilled drivers can pull off. The blind J-turn makes things more difficult. According to a report from TopSpeed, the blind J-turn that the Nissan Juke took involved blacking out all the windows and the driver had to pull off the maneuver using only the onboard cameras of the Juke and its small infotainment screen to see where he is going.

Paul Swift, the driver of the Nissan Juke needed to execute the blind J-turn between two lines that are 18 centimeters longer than the Nissan Juke. The same report stated that Swift was not able to do it the first time but he eventually managed to execute the maneuver properly and thereby setting a record.

The Role Nissan Juke Played,

It does take a skilled driver to pull off a J-turn but even the most skilled driver will not be able to do a blind 180-degrees turn without any help. In a report from Phys, it was stated that Nissan has an Intelligent AVM system with four cameras that provide a 360-degrees view of the driver's surrounding. The images from the cameras are projected through the Nissan Connect infotainment screen situated on the car's dashboard. It was also mentioned that this feature allows the drivers to park the Nissan Juke in an easier manner.

Do Not Try It At Home,

As cool as it looks to try and do a J-turn, it is advised not to be tried at home. "I don't recommend drivers try to park using AVM and a J-turn like I did, but I can really see how using the AVM technology in everyday driving situations would be a real benefit to Nissan customers," said Swift in a report.

Source: http://www.itechpost.com/

2016 BMW X6 30d - Review (CarAdvice)

Ken Block Drifts London - Top Gear (EXTENDED Director's Cut)

Matt LeBlanc on a tour of London with Ken Block and his Hoonicorn Mustang. (Top Gear Season 23)

Ex-Bugatti designer moves to Hyundai luxury brand Genesis.

The 33-year-old was responsible for the exterior designs of the Chiron and Vision GT concept. Before that, he worked at Lamborghini and was part of the team that created the Huracán. Selipanov, who is also known by the first name of Sasha, will start working at the Global Genesis Advanced Studio in Europe from January. He will report directly to Luc Donckerwolke, head of design at Genesis.

“I am sincerely excited about this opportunity, because it will be a new chapter in my career,” said the Russian. “As I have been working with well-established brands so far, Genesis is a new and refreshing challenge to me.”

The Genesis brand was launched in 2015 as a luxury marque to compete with the likes of BMW and Mercedes-Benz. It is expected to enter the UK market by 2018 with a new SUV model.

Bugatti Chiron

“I am honoured to join this exciting journey, as it is a very rare chance to launch a luxury automotive brand and be part of its history,” said Selipanov. “With growing expectations and curiosity around Genesis, I cannot wait to contribute my expertise and passion to the brand.”

Genisis already produces cars for other markets, including its native South Korea and the US. The marque’s flagship model is the G90, which Autocar has driven, and it recently launched the 365bhp G80 Sport to rival hot variants of the BMW 5 Series.

Source: http://www.autocar.co.uk/

Did you know?

An average car has roughly around 30,000 parts.

2017 Land Rover Discovery Sport SE - Review (CarAdvice)

The 500th LaFerrari Sold For $7.5 Million.

Not so much a hybrid, as a V12 hypercar with a punch of electric nitrous. This, ladies and gentlemen, is the very last LaFerrari ever built - number 500 - and it has just sold for a whopping $7,000,000 at auction. That makes it, apparently, the most “valuable 21st Century automobile ever sold at auction”.

You’ll recall that a few months ago, Ferrari boss Sergio Marchionne revealed his plans to build one final LaFerrari and offer it up for sale. This is that LaFerrari. The proceeds of will go to charity, which helps the reconstruction of central Italy following the devastating earthquakes earlier this year.

So this is it. The last ever LaFerrari you could have actually bought straight from Maranello. It’s red, naturally, and gets a “white dream line” on the bonet and rear windscreen. There’s also a small Italian flag on the bonnet, along with a “one-of-a-kind” interior featuring a special commemorative plaque.

What else do you need to know? That it of course houses a 6.3-litre V12, an electric motor for additional boost, 950bhp and over 663lb ft of torque, the ability to go from 0-62mph in 2.9s, 0-124mph in 6.9s, 0-186mph in 15s flat and top out at over 218mph. So pretty quick, then.

It’s was offered up for auction yesterday via RM Sotheby’s in collaboration with the National Italian American Foundation’s Earthquake Relief Fund. The venue? Ferrari’s ‘Mondiali’ end-of-year bash at Daytona.

Source: http://www.topgear.com/