John Voelcker, Contributor
Articles
-
The 2024 Audi Q8 E-Tron and E-Tron Sportback are updated versions (with new names) of the battery-electric SUV and “coupe SUV” the German luxury brand has sold since 2019 and 2020,...
-
Review: 2023-2024 Dodge Hornet freshens a muscle-car brand in transitionThe 2023-2024 Dodge Hornet adds some sting to a usually reserved compact crossover segment.
John Voelcker -
Ride along: Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 ePerformance challenges gas with electronsToday’s most powerful Porsche is electric—and we got a ride.
John Voelcker -
Review: 2021 Genesis GV80 carves out its own brand of luxuryThe 2021 Genesis GV80, the brand's first SUV, appeals for its style and luxury.
John Voelcker -
2020 Porsche Taycan Turbo vs. Turbo S: Electric-car battery tech, specs, and pricingThe 2020 Porsche Taycan is making its debut in two forms, neither of them very affordable. Here are the differences between them.
John Voelcker -
Toyota's take on autonomy: Guardian "amplifies" human control, not replaces itIt's not every carmaker that leads off a press conference by re-enacting a spectacular three-car freeway crash. But at the 2019 Consumer Electronics Show on Monday, Toyota had a point to make. Its Guardian active-safety system could have mitigated the effects of the crash, the company says. Perhaps...
John Voelcker -
Volkswagen used this week's 2018 Geneva International Motor Show to unveil the ID Vizzion concept, a large electric sedan that is more or less a replacement for the Phateon that ended production two...
-
Car on which Jeremy Clarkson dropped a piano is for sale, mid-restoration (it's a Morris Marina)Fans of the original "Top Gear" cast may vaguely recall an incident from a promotion for their new Amazon show in which Jeremy Clarkson dropped on a piano from a crane onto a small black sedan. You likely forgot the sedan, but remembered the piano. And the results. The hapless British car was...
John Voelcker -
This man converted a 50-year-old Land Rover to run on coal (as one does)The classic Land Rover Defender evolved over its long life from frequent use as a farming implement to new life as an iconic all-wheel-drive trophy truck. The end of Defender production in January 2016 was practically a national day of mourning in England. Now, you can even get Defenders entirely...
John Voelcker -
2020 Mazda 3 prototype first drive: Can spark-less engines ignite our passions?In late August, exactly six next-generation 2020 Mazda 3 hatchbacks existed anywhere in the world. Each was a hand-built prototype, riding on a next-generation chassis and powered by a radical new 2.0-liter engine. We'll take two. But the car’s styling and design haven’t been...
John Voelcker -
The Quail celebrates the postwar sports car, 1945-1960Monterey Car Week draws everything from microcars to one-off coachbuilt classics of the 1920s and 1930s, all of them crowd-pleasers for the thousands of visitors swarming tasteful venues centered on Pebble Beach. But it was sports cars that lured two generations of drivers into the appeal of exotic...
John Voelcker -
1960s American Dream Cars wow crowds at tony Pebble Beach ConcoursThey just don't make dream cars like they used to. And the crowds thronging a special display class at Sunday's Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance attested to the popularity of outrageous, over-the-top fantasies of what cars could look like half a century ago. Called "American Dream Cars of the...
John Voelcker -
After more than two days covering last weekend's FIA Formula E New York ePrix race, held on a tight course with a view of the Statue of Liberty, we have a greater appreciation for the challenges of...
-
2017 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid SH-AWD first drive reviewThe Acura MDX is the most popular three-row luxury crossover vehicle, says Honda's premium division, with 850,000 sold since 2001. The vast majority of those were sold in North America, since the Acura brand is almost entirely focused on the U.S. The MDX was also Acura's highest-selling vehicle...
John Voelcker -
Futuristic Chinese traffic-straddling bus abandoned, blocking trafficLast summer, a seemingly cool "straddling bus" project in China made headlines. The futuristic thing swooped above traffic on rails at the side and center of the road. Well, after a whole lot of hoopla and promotion—including a happy video—it all came crashing down. Not literally, mind...
John Voelcker -
This guy hit 240 green lights in a row in NYCYou probably know both hot-doggers and smooth, skillful drivers. But Noah Forman will put them all to shame. What could he possibly have done? Well, first, Forman drives in New York City. For a ride-sharing service. And that was after he switched over from driving a yellow cab. Already that means...
John Voelcker -
Tesla Model S mangles Mercedes E-Class, British dealership in crash (video)Somewhere in the U.K., a group of Mercedes-Benz employees has learned just how much of a threat electric-car maker Tesla poses. Except in this case, the threat was literal. The video above shows the immediate aftermath of a Tesla Model S 70D that apparently left the road, jumped a hedge, rode...
John Voelcker -
Now there are seven (or maybe nine): Bugatti Royale prototype re-createdThe Bugatti Type 41, better known as the Royale, was intended to be the biggest, most luxurious, most expensive car in the world. It was to be sold only to royalty. Launched into the teeth of the Great Depression, just six of a planned 25 were built. None of the original six has changed hands since...
John Voelcker -
Quick, name an event in which cars 110 years apart compete against each other to race up a hill.
Stumped?
Welcome to the Goodwood Festival of Speed, a unique, surreal, one-of-a-kind event in...
-
Citroën Advanced Comfort suspension bids adieu to hydropneumaticsFrench maker Citroën has been known for the comfortable ride of its cars for 60 years, since it pioneered the use of hydropneumatic suspension on the streamlined DS model unveiled to an astonished world at the 1955 Paris Motor Show. Now part of PSA Peugeot-Citroën, the company is...
John Voelcker -
Nissan proposes ethanol for future fuel cell cars, to avoid hydrogen fuelingElectric cars are showing up all over the place, but hydrogen fuel-cell cars have lagged behind, with only three Asian makers committed to offering them in the U.S. That's partly because setting up a network of hydrogen stations to fuel them is slow and expensive. Now Nissan has a better idea...
John Voelcker -
2017 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Cabriolet first drive reviewWith the arrival of the small CLA sedan three years ago as its entry vehicle, Mercedes-Benz has moved the latest version of its C-Class range up in size, style, and features. Now the C-Class Cabrio soft-top convertible has been unveiled as the last of the four C-Class variants, following the...
John Voelcker -
2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Interior Revealed, All-Glass Dash Display: VideoHow do you interpret "modern luxury" when consumer electronics change every 18 months but a luxury car has to last 15 years? That was the challenge facing the designers of the next Mercedes-Benz E-Class interior, and their answer was to blend recognizably Mercedes design cues with a fully digital...
John Voelcker -
Subaru Impreza 5-Door Concept: Tokyo Motor Show Live Photos & VideoSubaru has released the first details of the new Impreza 5-Door Concept that it unveiled today at the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show. Acknowledged by the company to be a preview of the all-new 2017 Subaru Impreza hatchback, the concept features a "blend of bold expressions of Subaru's Dynamic & Solid...
John Voelcker