Patent

Mazda certainly has been on a patent spree as of late. We've reported on Aston Martin-style doors and even a twin-turbo and electrically supercharged engine. Now, the Japanese automaker has filed to protect an active rear spoiler. While plenty of active rear spoilers are on the market, Mazda earned...

File this to Ford's growing list of obscure patents the American automaker has moved to protect over the past few years. It looks like Ford may be interested in ensuring drivers' beverages arrive intact with a self-leveling cupholder. Ford moved to protect the self-leveling cupholder with the U.S...

We still don't know what exactly the bright minds at Mazda are up to with regards to a new RX-branded sports car, but the Japanese automaker hasn't been shy about patenting some interesting things. For example, Mazda most recently patented Aston Martin-like doors. Why? We don't know, but they open...

We have to hand it to Mazda. Lately, the small Japanese automaker has punched well above its weight with the announcement it would bring a gasoline Homogenous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI) to market in 2019, dubbed Skyactiv-X. But, what's this? Another piece of news surrounding a future Mazda...

Long gone are the days of narrow roof pillars that not only looked good from the outside but provided optimal visibility from inside the cabin. Safety standards, while necessary, have enlarged car pillars to sizes that sometimes make it pretty difficult to check surroundings. Toyota may have...

The manual transmission faces an uncertain future. Increasing emissions standards, future safety technology, and dwindling take rates could spell its demise. But a new patent shows Toyota gives a shift, as we like to say, and it could give the manual gearbox an extended lease on life. Roadshow...

BMW is working on a long-wheelbase version of its second-generation X1 compact crossover that we’ve already spied in prototype form. The vehicle is expected to offer third-row seats, but given its small stature we’re not expecting it to be made available in the United States. Instead...

Patent drawings for a vehicle with distinct BMW-design cues recently surfaced and were initially thought to be for a new research vehicle from the German automaker, one equipped with a hydrogen fuel cell stack. It’s since been revealed that the patent drawings are in fact for a BMW research...

You know what no one out there likes? Potholes. They take over a stretch of local road and soon enough your alignment is off, your suspension is creaking, and you're blowing out tires and mending bent wheels. Potholes are the mosquitoes of the automotive world. CHECK OUT: The Inner Workings Of The...

It seems that the Ford Motor Company [NYSE:F] is looking for new ways to brighten your motoring experience. Patent applications discovered by Car and Driver show the automaker wants to create body panels that are capable of being lit up. There is a bunch of scientific/engineering style jargon you...

There's little evidence to support reincarnation when it comes to humans, but what about cars? Fans have eagerly awaited a new Honda S2000 since the original iteration of this sprightly roadster left the physical plane in 2009. However, like a spirit entering a new body, it could come back as...

The Ford Motor Company [NYSE:F] unveiled its Smart Mobility Plan earlier this year and it's proceeding full steam ahead towards autonomous vehicle research. Looking at some patents that were published yesterday we can get an idea of some of the interior design and safety aspects the automaker is...

Maserati has gone to great lengths to hide the look of its new Levante, with even the most recent test mules relying on makeshift Ghibli bodies in order to keep the final design a secret. Unfortunately for the Italian brand, some patent drawings that are likely to be the real deal have just...

New patents have emerged suggesting Porsche is serious about launching zero-emission versions of its upcoming mid-size sedan due towards the end of the decade. Nicknamed the Pajun, short for “Panamera junior”, the mid-size sedan is being developed as a rival for the Maserati Ghibli and...

Honda gave us an early look at its next-generation Civic with the debut of the Civic Concept at the recent 2015 New York Auto Show. The concept was in the form of a coupe and hinted at the styling we can expect for new versions of both the Civic sedan and Civic Coupe that are being introduced for...

Toyota will license its fuel-cell patents to other companies for free.

Anyone who has been lucky enough to get behind the wheel of a Ferrari will be aware just how sharp they are to drive, but Ferrari has recently patented a steering system that could make future offerings even sharper. ALSO SEE: LaFerrari XX Proves Too Potent For Its Own Good: Video According to Evo...

Tesla CEO Elon Musk views patents as a brake on the success of electric cars,

The internet loves a good rumor and a bit of wild speculation, and the latest you might have seen is a set of patent drawings that supposedly prove Porsche is working on a plug-in hybrid version of its iconic 911 sports car. Now, it may indeed be true that Porsche is working on a plug-in 911. It...

Some of Audi's future technological advances have been revealed in the latest round of patent applications to hit the internet. Of a selection of new Audi patents noted by Autocar, the most interesting--yet most complex--is a new take on the firm's quattro all-wheel drive system, using an...