Category: My Blog

[ad_1] Ford has filed a patent application for what appears to be a bed-mounted gasoline range extender for electric pickup trucks. While an electric Ford F-150 is scheduled to go on sale in mid-2022, it's unclear if it will get this feature. First spotted by The Drive, the application is for "electrified vehicles with removable and interchangeable range-extending generators." It was submitted to the United States Patent and Trademark Office in April 2018, and published on September 15. Drawings accompanying the patent applications show a box-shaped generator unit—containing a small engine, fuel tank, control electronics and exhaust system—that would go in the bed of a pickup truck. The generator would plug into the truck using connectors similar to those used for charging stations. Automakers often file patent applications to protect…

[ad_1] BMW is preparing a front-wheel-drive hot hatch in the form of the new 128ti, based on the automaker's latest 1-Series hatchback. Prototypes are now in the final stages and a launch in Europe is slated for November. The latest 1-Series hatch isn't sold in the United States, so don't expect to see the 128ti here. BMW's ti badge dates back to the 1800 Ti of 1963. Short for “Turismo Internazionale,” it signified a practical car that was also sporty. It was later revived for the unloved 318ti of the 1990s. With only two doors and a wimpy 138-horsepower engine, the car was neither practical nor sporty. Thankfully, the new 128ti is closer in ethos to the 1800 Ti than the 318ti. It comes with a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 good…

[ad_1] When kids play on neighbors' driveways, the result is often raised voices and scowls of disapproval. But when one suburban resident noticed a kid riding a bicycle around his driveway, he decided to turn it into a racetrack. This was documented in a video posted on Twitter Thursday. After seeing the kid on his driveway security camera, the homeowner decided to build a track or, more accurately, draw it. Outlined with sidewalk chalk, it features plenty of turns, a long-ish back straight, and warnings like "slow" and "eyes up." "I don't know who's having more fun with this, him or me," the track's creator said in the video. He's one of the people behind motorcycle website CanyonChasers, and the video was originally posted to that site in a slightly…

[ad_1] Sunglasses. Check. Ballcap. Check. Sunscreen. Check. Spending the afternoon with the top down in a 2021 Porsche 911 Targa 4 instead of slaving over automotive safety ratings and proper hyphen usage. Check, please. Life during coronavirus has stripped us of many of the leisure activities we hold dear, but a top-down convertible drive on a sunny 87-degree day is still a simple joy that the virus can’t touch. The Targa 4 before me is absolutely stunning. Painted Gentian Blue, shod with $3,740 RS Spyder Design wheels, and wearing a classic aluminum Targa bar, it looks sinister, beautiful, and expensive. The looks aren’t deceiving. This is my first chance to drive a 992-generation 911 convertible and my first shot at the base powertrain. With relatively open mid-workday Michigan roads ahead…

[ad_1] Mercedes-Benz is committed to launching at least 10 electric cars by 2022. The first has been revealed as the EQC small SUV, and others we know of include the upcoming EQA and EQB compact SUVs, electric commercials like the eVito and eSprinter vans, and an EQE sedan and EQE SUV. We now have fresh spy shots of an EQS, a large electric sedan to sit alongside the S-Class. Mercedes execs have previously hinted at the car starting production in 2020, which means we'll likely see it arrive in showrooms as a 2021 model. 2021 Mercedes-Benz EQS spy shots - Photo credit: S. Baldauf/SB-Medien The latest prototypes have lost a lot of the camouflage gear of earlier testers, revealing that the EQS is a liftback sedan akin to the Tesla Model…

[ad_1] The 2020 Formula One World Championship finally got underway on Sunday after the long delay caused by the ongoing Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic. The first race on the calendar, which is still being finalized, was the Austrian Grand Prix, held at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg. It was a closely fought battle that saw Mercedes-AMG's Valtteri Bottas cross the finish line first. He was followed by teammate and reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton in second, and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in third, though Hamilton was later demoted to fourth place after being handed a five-second penalty for contact with Red Bull Racing's Alex Albon. It meant Leclerc was classified second, 2.7 seconds behind Bottas, and McLaren's Lando Norris was classified third, 5.491 seconds behind the winner. Hamilton took home fourth…

[ad_1] We already know the refreshed 2021 Mercedes-Benz E-Class will get a tweaked design, updated technology, and revised powertrains. The 2021 Mercedes-Benz E-Class hasn't even launched yet but now we learn the mac-daddy AMG model will launch with similar upgrades to smack down on rivals. On Wednesday, Mercedes unveiled the refreshed 2021 AMG E63 S sedan and wagon with an updated design and easier-to-use technology, but no extra power. 2021 Mercedes-AMG E63 S Like the more pedestrian E-Class, the E63 lineup receives extensive visual tweaks, including rounder LED headlights, a new bumper, and the AMG Panamericana grille with a wider lower opening. At the rear, the cars get new bumpers and CLA-like two-piece taillights that droop on the sides. The AMG-specific quad square exhaust outlets return. Inside, the the E63…

[ad_1] Bugatti has just launched the Chiron Pur Sport and describes it as the company's most extreme hypercar yet. The $3.6 million heavy hitter has been designed for the track, and comes with enough leeway in its stability control that steering via the throttle is possible. 2021 Acura TLX Acura unveiled its redesigned 2021 TLX this week, which includes a new Type S performance range-topper. The sedan offers a racier shape, a stiff new chassis, and an all-turbocharged powertrain menu with future performance potential. 2020 Honda Civic Type R Honda is out testing its next-generation Civic Type R, but the current generation still offers plenty of thrills. This week we tested the updated 2020 model. 2020 Toyota 86 Hakone Edition Another car we tested was the 2020 Toyota 86 Hakone…

[ad_1] Mercedes-Benz is months away from revealing a new generation of its S-Class, and the automaker has just teased the car in a video presented by CEO Ola Kallenius where he welcomes back workers returning after the coronavirus shutdown. A camouflaged example of the new S-Class appears at the 2:07 mark. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2E_PbyQ5r-M[/embed] Mercedes released the video on Tuesday, the same day that Cochespias posted multiple photos of an almost fully unmasked example on Instagram. The photos show the new S-Class from most angles and also reveals the interior, which looks to be taking on a very modern look. A large, tablet-like screen spans almost the full center stack and the steering wheel looks to contain most of the actual physical buttons of the car. What's perhaps most interesting is the…

[ad_1] We drove the 2020 Volkswagen Passat R-Line; a 1964 Pontiac Banshee prototype surfaced in a weird place; and Travis Pastrana said he's going stir crazy. It's the Week in Reverse, right here at Motor Authority. We spent some time in the 2020 Volkswagen Passat R-Line and found it fell short of being sporty. The 19-inch aluminum wheels are the sportiest thing on the handsome yet understated family sedan. The hard interior plastics impart the Passat's feel of a rental car from 2015, but it has a large rear seat perfect for Uber or Lyft duty. The Lexus GS is dead. The luxury automaker confirmed on Friday that the GS sedan would not return for the 2021 model year. The GS will end its run with a Black Line Special…