Autos
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7-Eleven to Install Hundreds of EV Chargers at Its Convenience Stores
Convenience store chain 7-Eleven is preparing for the electric vehicle‘s future in North America with plans to dramatically increase the number of EV chargers it owns and operates, going from a mere 22 such chargers at 14 stores scattered about four states to a total of at least 500 chargers at 250 stores located by the end of 2022. In other words, 7-Eleven plans to increase its EV charging infrastructure by nearly 2,200 percent over a period of fewer than two years. These 500 new DC fast chargers are due to dot the U.S. and Canada, although 7-Eleven did not disclose the specific states or provinces of stores it plans to install the units at. We wager 7-Eleven stores in major metropolitan areas are more likely to receive this new batch of chargers over stores in more rural environmen...
2022 BMW i4 M50 First Look: M3 Performance in an EV Package
The BMW i4 is getting a high-performance sibling, and it goes by the name i4 M50. Underneath the skin, the i4 M50 is much the same vehicle as the run-of-the-mill i4 eDrive40. This means the lesser i4’s interior, 84-kWh battery pack, so-called “Gran Coupe” body style, and updated iDrive infotainment system are all accounted for within the i4 M50. The major difference is just how much more potent the i4 M50 is compared to the i4 eDrive40. Thanks to its two electric motors (one at each axle), the i4 M50 makes a peak of 536 hp and 586 lb-ft of torque. The i4 eDrive40, for comparison, makes do with 335 horses and 317 lb-ft of torque. BMW claims the i4 M50 sprints to 60 mph in less than 4.0 seconds. For reference, a 2021 BMW M3 Competition ran to 60 mph in 3.5 se...
Rimac Nevera First Look: The C_Two Becomes a 1,914-HP, 258-MPH Electric Hypercar
Rimac has been around for some time, but everything it’s built (so far) has a proof of concept. There were the electric C_One (C1) and C_Two (C2), successive hypercar concepts (the “C” in their names standing in for the word “concept”) previewing future salable efforts. Now, the C2 has finally evolved into a production car called Nevera, trading in its concept-related moniker for a name inspired by a type of Mediterranean storm that rapidly forms on the coast of Croatia, Rimac’s home country. The Nevera, like the two concepts that came before it, is a super-EV that boasts massive performance and power claims. The headline figures are 1,914 hp, 1,741 lb-ft of torque, a 258 mph top speed, and a price tag of more than $2.4 million. The body is made of carbo...
Porsche Boxster at 25: 1997* Original vs. 2021 Anniversary Edition
“Putting Porsche in the Pink.” That was the headline on a New York Times story published on January 20, 1996, detailing the German marque’s effort to turn around its finances and reinvent the way it had built cars for more than 40 years. As the newspaper pointed out, the company that produced must-have products for the upwardly mobile during the cartoonishly decadent ’80s—in 1986, North American sales exceeded 30,000 units—had reached its last gasp. Antiquated, inefficient manufacturing processes collided head-on with an economic recession and a misjudged, aging product range to result in just 3,713 sales in the same region in 1993. Threatened with bankruptcy, Porsche had to change. As the 968 and 928—the latter originally and inconceivably meant to replace the 911—...
What Is Toyota Safety Sense? How It Works and What Models Include It
Value has long been a hallmark for Toyotas, and their features-per-dollar appeal increases as Toyota Safety Sense (or TSS for short) technologies spread across the automaker’s lineup. Toyota Safety Sense bundles modern driver aids and automated safety systems. These features help ease the work you do behind the wheel and can intervene in dangerous road situations. Nearly every 2021 Toyota model includes TSS. Here’s how TSS works, the features it includes, and which models come with it. How Does Toyota Safety Sense Work? See all 3 photos Toyota Safety Sense works using hardware and software integrated into the vehicle. In terms of hardware, a camera mounted at the top of the windshield behind the rearview mirror provides a view of the road ahead. That’s supplemented by a r...
2023 Kia Sportage Flaunts Giant, Escalade-Style Infotainment Screen
Kia is on the cusp of revealing its latest Sportage, and so it has kicked off a game of “tease-the-new-crossover.” Enter these darkened images of what looks to be a concept version of the 2023 Sportage. We’ve lightened the photos to reveal a bit more, which is how we determined the compact SUV lacks door handles—a sure sign this may not be the final, dealership-ready design. But these images are likely close to the real deal, as evidenced by other seemingly production-appropriate bits such as the side mirrors, aerodynamic winglets flanking the rear window, and an interior with a massive infotainment screen that’s reminiscent of the Cadillac Escalade and Lyriq SUVs’ displays. See all 9 photos So, What’s New? A lot, actually, though the 2023 Kia Sportage s...
Jeep Spreads Freedom—Adds Freedom Variants to Entire Lineup
As the saying goes, freedom ain’t free. In order to honor those who serve, including those servicemen and servicewomen who’ve paid the ultimate sacrifice, Jeep is rolling out Freedom Editions of every truck and SUV in its lineup. But this is no mere flag-waving sticker and badge package—okay, it is. That said, Jeep will donate $250 to the United Service Organizations (USO) for every Freedom Edition model it sells. The Jeep brand is, of course, inextricably linked forever with the American military thanks to the original Willys that helped defeat tyranny and evil in the 1940s. Today’s Wrangler owes a great deal of its appeal to that skinny-tired, open-topped war machine. It is one of the reasons the Jeep brand is so widely known globally. So, naturally, the Wrangler has of...
2022 Kia Stinger Scorpion Special Edition Brings a Stylish Sting
The Kia Stinger forced enthusiasts to look at the Kia brand differently, and the brand hopes the low-volume 2022 Stinger Scorpion Edition will keep the enthusiast momentum for the sleek four-door alive. Hinted at when we got our first look at the 2022 Stinger a few months ago, the Scorpion Special Edition is limited to just 250 units … per month, until Kia decides to end the run, which depends on market demand. In the United States, Stinger sales have hovered in the high three-figure or low four-figure range each month, so 250 units represents very roughly a quarter of an average month’s sales this year. See all 8 photos Even so, the Scorpion package’s aesthetic features are the stuff of special edition models. For one, there’s the rear wing, which flows nicely ...
MotorTrend Makes Father’s Day Gift Shopping Easy
It’s the same problem every year: June arrives, you start to plan the summer’s events, then you have that stomach-drop-cold-sweat moment—”Oh, crap, Father’s Day is just around the corner and I have no idea what to get for Dad!” And dads never make it easy on us; choosing a Father’s Day gift is so arduous most people resort to the cliche—ties, fancy grooming products, gift cards, and the general tchotchkes that no one really wants or likes—but there is a better way. For a limited time, in honor of Father’s Day, the MotorTrend App is only $3 a month. Only $3 a month for the best all-automotive streaming service on the planet? We might be a little biased, but where else can you watch Top Gear America or Roadkill? Hint, those are MotorTrend App exclusi...
The Chrysler Aviat Was the Cooler Neon Coupe That Never Was
Chrysler originally offered its Dodge and Plymouth Neon models in both coupe and sedan forms. However, it seems the American automaker at least explored the idea of expanding the Neon’s chassis beyond those two body styles, as evidenced by the Neon-based Chrysler Aviat concept. Revealed at the 1994 North American International Auto Show, the Aviat evolved the friendly face of the Neon to better fit the concept car’s more aerodynamic shape. See all 8 photos Despite its mid-engine-like styling, the Aviat retained its Dodge and Plymouth kins’ front-engine and front-wheel-drive architecture. Those cavities, located aft of the Aviat’s two doors, aided airflow around the concept coupe’s body, as did the skirts covering the rear wheels. That said, Chrysler...
2022 Ferrari Portofino M First Drive: The Impressionist Review
Ferrari Portofino Full Overview Imagine you’re an editor for FloralTrend, invited on a deluxe junket to Paris to experience a new species of water lily. You arrive only to discover your “experience” involves a dark room full of giant paintings of the flowers done by a mostly blind guy. All you can smell is linseed oil, and they all look blurry. The flowers themselves are just 45 miles away in Giverny, but you’re not allowed to go there. How will you accurately describe these Nymphéas to your readers? That’s the conundrum our first drive of the 2022 Ferrari Portofino M presents. We were invited to Miami with no other journalists or PR folks and allowed to freely drive the 2022 Ferrari Portofino M unchaperoned for 48 hours with two nights pre-paid at a lovely re...
Total (Car) Recalls: What They Are and How to Check if Your Car Has One
Everybody makes mistakes, everybody has those days—the timeless lyric from none other than Hannah Montana has helped us through more than one internal crisis, and it applies to automakers, too. Once in a while, an automotive manufacturer or one of its parts suppliers will make an error that could potentially put you in danger. Luckily, there are systems in place to right those wrongs. Tens of millions of vehicles are recalled every year in the U.S.—more than 31 million from 786 recalls in 2020 alone, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). We’re here to spell out why and how car recalls are issued, the cost of recall work, and how to check if there’s an active recall on your vehicle. Let’s dive in. What Is a Car Recall? In the automotive s...
