Car Tech

  • Local Motors Strati 3D-printed car concept

    Last year, boutique company Local Motors announced a contest to design a 3D printed car. And now, Automotive News (subscription required) is reporting that the company says it will have a version of the winning design, dubbed the Strati, available to consumers in 2017. According to the Local Motors website, its electric running gear—along with its suspension and electronics—will come from Renault's golf-cart-like Twizy. But major components like the chassis and body panels with be printed from carbon fiber composite ABS. Details about the cars performance and features are slim...

  • Tesla Charger Prototype
    Tesla's Robotic Charger Prototype Proves Humans Are Doomed: Video

    There's no indication when—or if—this Tesla charger prototype will go on sale. It's undeniably cool, however, and as autonomous cars begin to make their way to market, a charging system that doesn't require any human action is certainly attractive. Obviously, this solution would be...

  • How the manual transmission works
    This Is How A Manual Gearbox Works

    You. Yes, you there. You're clearly a man or woman who knows everything there is to know about the inner-workings of the automobile, correct? Of course you are. Well, what if you have to explain something to, oh a friend or family member that might not fully understand the combustion engine and all...

  • 2016 Tesla Model S
    Tesla Model S Hacked... Wait... Tesla Model S Fixed

    Last year, some hackers in China proved that the Tesla Model S was a hackable machine. In the wake of some more recent hackable automotive news, it shouldn't be quite as surprising that such a connected car like the Model S is exploitable. Still, Tesla Motors [NSDQ:TSLA] seems to be far more in...

  • 2016 Toyota Tacoma
    Toyota officially rejects Apple CarPlay and Android Auto

    In a move that's puzzled industry insiders, Toyota has decided to shun Apple and Google in its next-generation navigation and in-car entertainment systems, opting instead to go with the interface from little-known company Telenav. Other major automakers, including General Motors Company [NYSE:GM]...

  • Vehicle collecting data for HERE
    Audi, BMW and Mercedes acquire Nokia’s HERE Maps in $3.1 billion deal

    In a historic move, Germany’s three major premium automakers Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz parent company Daimler have joined forces to acquire Nokia’s HERE digital mapping and location services business. The deal, which should be finalized by early 2016, is valued at 2.8 billion euros...

  • OnStar Theft Alarm Notification

    Connected cars promise better safety and security, but like anything connected to a network, they can be susceptible to attacks from hackers. And General Motors Company [NYSE:GM] is just the latest automaker in the news due to cyber security concerns. ALSO SEE: BMW Offers EnLighten App Connectivity To Predict Traffic Signals Security researcher—or "white hat" hacker—Samy Kamkar has posted a video on YouTube showing him using a device called "OwnStar," which allows an unauthorized user to access some of the functionality of GM's OnStar system. During the demonstration, he is able...

  • BMW EnLighten app integration
    BMW Offers EnLighten App Connectivity To Predict Traffic Signals

    BMW claims to be the first carmaker to offer the EnLighten traffic-signal app.

  • 2016 Mercedes-Benz C450 AMG 4Matic
    Mercedes-Benz Says No To Water Injection Systems

    The automotive world can seem like a grand illustration of monkey see, monkey do. While there are always government regulations—see turbos and hybrid systems—to consider, there's plenty of terminology and tech, like four-door "coupes," and fake engine noise, which spreads among...

  • Milford Active Safety Testing Area
    GM Opens Active Safety Testing Area At Milford Proving Grounds

    When when think about the General Motors Company's [NYSE:GM] Milford Proving Grounds, we tend to imagine barely sub-sonic laps of the "Lutz Ring," or other kinds of high-performance testing. But of course, plenty of other activity takes place at the historic facility. ALSO SEE: Updated A3 Expected...

  • Audi virtual cockpit (reconfigurable display)  -  2016 Audi TT
    Updated A3 Expected To Receive Audi Virtual Cockpit

    A number of the latest Audi models starting with the 2016 TT are fitted with an almost fully digital interface that the German automaker calls the Virtual Cockpit. The main instrument cluster has been replaced with a single, customizable screen, while at the same time lesser-used functions are...

  • 2014 Jeep Cherokee
    FCA Recalls 1.4M Vehicles In Response To Jeep Cherokee Hack: Video

    Last week, Wired posted a story demonstrating the potential for the 2014 Jeep Cherokee to be remotely hacked. During the experiment—recklessly conducted on a busy freeway—writer Andy Greenberg was left completely at the mercy of hackers Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek. The pair was...

  • German Student World Record Electric Car

    Here in the States we talk about 0-60-mph runs when it comes to discussing the specs and performance of your average performance machine. Across the pond, our enthusiast friends who smartly embrace the metric system, measure a nearly similar jaunt as a car travels from 0 to 100 kilometers per hour. Translated to America-speak, that works out to a 0-62-mph blast. Well, there's a brand new record in this space, and it's blisteringly quick. Hailing from the University of Stuttgart, in Germany, the Green Team Formula students have created an electric vehicle that can run from 0 to 62 milers per...

  • 2016 Toyota Tacoma GoPro Mount
    2016 Toyota Tacoma Comes With GoPro Mount; Is This The Start Of A New Trend?

    The Tacoma has long been a beloved small truck amongst those who put the pickup to work. Now that doesn't have to be just work in the 9-to-5 sense, of course. Tacoma owners seem to relish opportunities to get their trucks covered in dirt. That means adventure. That means fun. And that means Tacoma...

  • 2016 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 shift light indicator
    Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 Head-Up Display Comes With Customizable Shift Light Indicator

    The Ford Motor Company’s [NYSE:F] new Mustang Shelby GT350 is almost ready for its showroom debut in the fall, but today we have details on one of the tech features coming in the 526-horsepower track-focused muscle car: a customizable shift light indicator. The feature comes standard in both...

  • 2014 Jeep Cherokee
    FCA Responds To Hackers' Scary Breach Of 2014 Jeep Cherokee: Video

    On Tuesday, Wired posted an account of writer Andy Greenberg's ongoing experiment to demonstrate the potential of the 2014 Jeep Cherokee to be remotely hacked. During this round, partners Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek were able to access the vehicle's climate control, entertainment...

  • Camera-Based Advanced Front Lighting System
    Ford Developing Headlights Smarter Than Your Average Glare: Video

    In the late '40s, the Tucker Torpedo featured a third headlight dubbed the Cyclops Eye. The centrally mounted unit was connected to the steering rack, and thus could pivot its beam around corners. It was just one of the many innovative safety features found on Preston Tucker's doomed machine. And...

  • F-150 Air Curtains
    Mustang Tech Makes Ford F-150 Slipperier Than Ever

    Ford has pulled out all the stops to make its latest F-150 pickup truck more fuel efficient than ever before. And while its lightweight aluminum construction and available 2.7-liter EcoBoost V-6 are huge factors in the quest for better MPGs, there are loads of other details which contribute to make...

  • Hankook iFlex Non-Pneumatic Tire

    A number of tire manufacturers have been portraying airless tires as the way of the future. A few have even moved into production capacity on the airless front. These non-pneumatic rollers have been utilized mostly in commercial applications. A few years ago, however, America's own Polaris introduced an airless tire for one of its quad offerings. Now Korea's Hankook is showing off its latest conceptual version of its own airless piece of the potential future pie. The tire is called the iFlex, and it uses similar technology that we've been seeing since Michelin showed off its Tweel concept...

  • Volkswagen V-Charge
    VW Working On Automated Parking And Electric Car Charging: Video

    Even if you're pretty enthusiastic about driving, parking is probably more of a chore than a joy. That's why Volkswagen is working on a way to potentially skip over that part. The German automaker is testing a system called V-Charge in Europe that combines automated parking with automated charging...

  • Audi RS 7 Piloted Driving concept at Sonoma Raceway, July 2015
    Audi RS 7 Autonomous Concept Drops 880 Pounds, Laps Sonoma Raceway

    Step by step, a fully autonomous Audi is edging closer to reality. Late last year we saw the brand with the four rings send an RS 7 concept around Germany’s Hockenheimring without anyone onboard. Impressively, the car lapped the circuit in a similar time achieved with a professional driver...

  • 2016 BMW 7-Series production
    Watch how BMW adds carbon fiber to its 2016 7-Series

    BMW proved with its i3 and i8 that carbon fiber in the form of carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) could be used effectively in the mass production of vehicles. Now the automaker is implementing the lightweight yet sturdy stuff in its regular models, starting with the 2016 7-Series flagship...

  • Ford Patent Luminescent Body Panels
    Ford Looks To Patent Luminescent Body Panels

    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...

  • Maxion Wheels
    Aluminum-Carbon Hybrid A More Affordable Alternative To Pure Carbon Wheels

    Only yesterday we brought you news that the Ford Motor Company’s [NYSE:F] upcoming Mustang Shelby GT350R will be fitted as standard with light yet sturdy carbon fiber wheels, a technology previously the domain of the aftermarket and exotic supercars. While companies like Ford are helping to...

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