Autos

Every so often, Aston Martin likes to honor its fantastic Le Mans-winning 1950s DBR1 racer—something that we enthusiastically endorse. The 2021 Aston Martin V12 Speedster is the latest canvas for such deserving DBR1 hero-worship, itself a limited-run of very special V-12-powered cars. The DBR1 specification will be optional for any or all buyers within the ’21 Speedster’s 88-unit run. See all 24 photos The carbon-fiber-bodied Speedster is pretty neat even without the DBR1 fixings. For something without a windshield (and, for that matter, no fancy airflow management tech like the McLaren Elva), it has a lot of firepower. The 5.2-liter twin-turbo V-12 under its sinister hood pumps out 700 hp and can propel the Aston to 198 mph. Oh, this experience starts at $950,000. Those are se...

General Motors wants to make it easier to charge the raft of new electric vehicles it has coming, and Ultium Charge 360 is the umbrella for a number of initiatives it has planned, including apps and services integrated into a growing charging network, which ought to improve the overall EV ownership experience. GM CEO Mary Barra has said from the outset that a seamless customer experience and the elimination of range anxiety are keys to the adoption of electric vehicles. Charged Up Ultium Charge 360 aims to improve the at-home and public charging experience, GM’s chief EV officer Travis Hester said. GM is working with third parties to improve its overall charging network, signing agreements with seven major charging providers, including Blink Charging, ChargePoint, EV Connect, EVgo, F...

Update: Lars Moravy, Tesla’s vice president of vehicle engineering, claimed during the company’s latest investor relations call that the steering wheel of the car in this incident showed signs of deformity, indicating an individual was behind the driver’s seat. We reached out to local authorities for comment about this new information but have yet to hear back. We will continue to update this story as more details emerge. Two men are dead after a Tesla Model S ran off the road and struck a tree in Texas—an incident that is garnering national attention because authorities believe neither man was behind the wheel of the Model S at the time of the crash. After impact, the vehicle was engulfed in flames, though authorities quickly brought the fire under control. The incident ...

Ford is establishing a battery cell research and development center in Michigan as a next step to manufacturing its own batteries for electric vehicles, rather than relying solely on suppliers. It is a tangible example of a mind shift at Ford under new CEO Jim Farley who recognizes the automaker must throw past caution to the wind when it comes to embracing electric vehicles. Under Farley, Ford will accelerate the transition to battery electric vehicles from traditional internal combustion engines and reverse the stance of former CEO Jim Hackett who did not see the value in bringing capital-intensive battery cell manufacturing in-house. Farley sees the EV market developing quickly, creating the scale necessary to justify integrating cell assembly. Shortages of semiconductor chips have heig...

Compared to TruckHouse’s work, the Caravan Outfitter’s mods here are real straightforward. First, you need a truck. For Caravan, the truck in question is a 2020 Nissan Frontier—with the new 310-hp V-6 and nine-speed automatic transmission combo that’ll appear in the heavily revised 2022 Frontier, as well. The primary enhancement listed by Caravan Outfitter is the Ikamper Skycamp Mini roof tent, which has been mounted on a massive Yakima-brand rack that sits atop the Nissan’s pickup bed. The Yakima rack also holds a set of recovery boards for getting the truck out of tight spots, and there is a Yeti Tundra 45-quart cooler—which you can only get if you pre-order the rig, for some reason—for getting you into relaxed, cold-beverage-enjoyment spots. Caravan Outfitter als...

Oh, America. Your penchant for “more everything, all the time” sometimes reaps unexpected consequences. As evidence, we present this: the Ram 1500 TRX, transformed into the Hennessey Mammoth SUV. More everything, in this instance, includes seats—seven, in total. Here are the headline figures. The first is an eye-popping 1,012 horsepower and 969 lb-ft of torque from the TRX supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 that lowers the claimed 0-60 sprint time to 3.2 seconds—for reference, the TRX we tested did the deed in 4.1 seconds. But the extra power from a new supercharger, new high flow injectors, a new intake, and some high flow cats isn’t the biggest news here. That’s actually the fact that Hennessey plans to turn your supercharged pickup into an SUV with seating for seven...

Toyota is attempting to pull a Subaru by serving up a toughened-up family vehicle for more adventurous buyers. The automaker is also promising to donate some money from every sale of this buffer vehicle to a worthy cause—in this case, the National Environmental Education Foundation. So, what’s Toyota serving up would-be Subaru buyers? The 2022 Sienna Woodland Special Edition minivan, which is beefed up with extra ground clearance, a tow hitch, and a 1,500-watt power outlet. Starting with the all-wheel-drive Sienna variant (front-wheel drive is standard elsewhere in the Sienna lineup), the Woodland model’s suspension is jacked up by way of special shocks and springs that add 0.6 inch more ground clearance to Toyota’s people mover. The lift is subtle on paper. In photos, ho...

Toyota Motor Corporation is acquiring Lyft’s self-driving vehicle division in a $550 million deal through its subsidiary Woven Planet, a company dedicated to developing autonomous driving and advanced mobility technologies. The acquisition of Lyft’s Level 5 automation will also include multiyear non-exclusive commercial agreements between the ride-hail company and Woven Planet. In addition to enhancing safety, this partnership will help expedite the development of self-driving technology and the commercialization of automated vehicles. According to the press release, Lyft spent nine years building a transportation network that is uniquely capable of scaling AVs. The Level 5 team at Lyft will join Woven Planet to form a world-class team of engineers and scientists all working to...