Sean Szymkowski, Contributor
Articles
-
Mercedes-Benz has a next-generation SL-Class in the works, but the brand has been quiet on details surrounding the convertible sports car until now.
According to a Wednesday report from the...
-
VW poaches Apple executive for self-driving car developmentVolkswagen has successfully hired former Apple executive Alexander Hitzinger to help lead self-driving technology development. His larger role is direct responsibility for technical development for commercial vehicles, and he will also lead the company's Mobility as a Service initiative, which...
Sean Szymkowski -
Jaguar-Land Rover to cut 4,500 jobs worldwideJaguar-Land Rover plans to reduce its workforce around the world by 4,500 employees, citing a sales downturn in the United Kingdom over Brexit and in China. Bloomberg reported on the job cuts Thursday. JRL said they come as demand for diesel-powered vehicles continues to fall. The 4,500 cuts come...
Sean Szymkowski -
Ford GT to wear historic liveries for Rolex 24 at DaytonaFans will be treated to historic liveries on a pair of Ford GTs set to do battle in the Rolex 24 at Daytona later this month. Ford Performance and Ford Chip Ganassi Racing unveiled two throwback liveries for the numbers 66 and 67 GT race cars on Thursday. It's the first time the GT will sport...
Sean Szymkowski -
Electric Volkswagen off-road SUV on the tableThe Volkswagen brand may build a dedicated off-road electric SUV as part of the ID family of vehicles. Call us intrigued. Auto Express reported on Thursday that VW is considering building an off-road electric SUV and said VW’s strategic head Michael Jost is personally championing the effort...
Sean Szymkowski -
Ford tests to make sure its seats can withstand our sweaty buttsIt sounds odd, but Ford has a test for sweaty derrieres. It's all in the name of long-term quality. The automaker showed off its robotic sweaty butt simulator, appropriately named "Robutt," in a Wednesday announcement that explained how the Blue Oval ensures seat quality. Ford first used Robutt to...
Sean Szymkowski -
Modified vehicle owners, beware the streets of California. A new state law now makes excessively loud modified exhaust systems on cars and motorcycles a fineable offense, according to a report from ...
-
French company reveals camera system to make trailers invisibleBlind spots remain a headache in nearly every new vehicle, but for those who tow, the problem becomes magnified. Enter the French company Valeo, which introduced a new camera-based system at the 2019 Consumer Electronics Show this week. The trick system, called the XtraVue Trailer system, mounts...
Sean Szymkowski -
BMW's self-riding motorcycle demonstrates its ghostly capability at 2019 CESBMW brought its self-riding motorcycle to the 2019 Consumer Electronics Show to show off its technology for the first time in the United States. The bike rode around by itself in a parking lot, looking like a motorcycle possessed. The concept BMW demonstrated at CES came to life after two years of...
Sean Szymkowski -
Stunning Shelby GR-1 concept headed to production thanks to SuperformanceWhat's old is new again at Superformance, but that is fine with us because in this case, we're talking about the 2004 Ford Shelby GR-1 concept car. Superformance has received official licensing rights from Ford to build the retro concept car. Car and Driver reported Monday that Superformance CEO...
Sean Szymkowski -
This is not a drill: Jeep Wrangler 6x6 with 707-hp Hellcat V-8 existsIf America had an official SUV, it would probably look something like this. Hellcat power has eluded the Jeep Wrangler from the factory, but the mad individuals at Exotic Custom Motorsports in Huntington Beach, California, have gone ahead and done it. Oh, and for good measure, they tacked on a...
Sean Szymkowski -
Audi reveals back seat virtual reality platform at 2019 Consumer Electronics ShowAudi wants to transform the ride experience for back seat passengers. The German luxury marque revealed a new virtual reality platform at the 2019 Consumer Electronics Show on Monday aimed at doing just that. The VR platform was developed by Audi subsidiary Audi Electronics Venture. Both companies...
Sean Szymkowski -
Embattled auto industry icon and former Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance boss Carlos Ghosn appeared in court on Tuesday for the first time since his Nov. 19 arrest. The appearance gave him his...
-
Jeep may have high-performance Gladiator Hercules pickup in the worksJeep revealed its long-awaited Gladiator pickup truck last November and now it appears off-road-focused brand may have a performance-oriented version in the works. On Tuesday, Motor1 spotted information posted on the Jeep Gladiator Forum. A forum staff member published what he calls inside...
Sean Szymkowski -
Harley-Davidson LiveWire electric motorcycle starts just under $30,000, 0-60 in 3.5 secHarley-Davidson's hushed hog will start around $30,000 when it reaches showrooms later this year. The Wisconsin-based motorcycle maker announced Monday at the 2019 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas that the electric LiveWire motorcycle will cost $29,799, not including destination charges...
Sean Szymkowski -
Ford selects 5G networks to integrate V2X technology in 2022Numerous automakers have begun preparing for a connected-car future, but Ford is the latest to step into the arena. The automaker announced on Monday that it will use 5G networks to integrate vehicle-to-everything technology in all of its vehicles by 2022. Ford calls the technology C-V2X, or...
Sean Szymkowski -
Hotter Subaru WRX STI S209 teased ahead of Detroit auto showA hotter version of the Subaru WRX STI is coming to America, and Subaru has confirmed the car as the S209. We've already known about the car for sometime since Subaru's confirmation follows the discovery of a trademark application for the name made by the automaker last month. The world debut will...
Sean Szymkowski -
Gordon Murray receives CBE from Queen Elizabeth II for services to motoringGordon Murray presents one heck of a resume, but now he can add "Commander of the British Empire" to it. Queen Elizabeth II awarded Murray the accolade in December for his "services to motoring." Hemmings reported on the honor on last Friday. The CBE designation is one of five classes of the...
Sean Szymkowski -
It's the end of the road for Audi's European delivery option for buyers in the United States. Autoblog first reported last Friday the program came to an end with the conclusion of 2018.
Motor...
-
Experts predict 2018 to be peak year for internal-combustion engine salesWe may have lived through the peak year of car sales with internal-combustion engines (ICE) in 2018. Experts and analysts from several firms believe sales of ICE-powered cars will only shrink from here on out. The analysis comes from a Financial Times (subscription required) report on Sunday, Dec...
Sean Szymkowski -
Koenigsegg Agera successor reportedly limited to 125 units, won't be called RagnarokWe've known Koenigsegg has an Agera successor in the works, but now we have a few new details on the hypercar. Swedish newspaper Dagens Industri reported last Wednesday the Agera successor, which will debut in March at the 2019 Geneva International Motor Show, will not wear the rumored Ragnarok...
Sean Szymkowski -
Customized BMW 8-Series comes with meteoritic materialsBMW looked outside of planet Earth as inspiration for a highly customized version of its reborn 8-Series. The automaker, courtesy of the in-house BMW Individual Manufaktur customization facility, revealed the 850i Night Sky on Thursday as the Earth was treated to its first meteor shower of 2019...
Sean Szymkowski -
Nissan reveals connected car technology to reveal the invisible for driversAt next week's 2019 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nissan will show off its Invisible-to-Visible (I2V) technology, which will help drivers anticipate what lies ahead. The technology uses sensors from inside and outside of the vehicle and works with data stored in the cloud, likely via...
Sean Szymkowski -
Eyes on you: Volvo to offer in-car cameras to monitor driversVolvo is prepared to install optional in-car cameras to track drivers come 2020. The brand told Car in a Monday report that the cameras will open up a host of new technology benefits, though it recognizes consumer fears over privacy. Atif Rafiq, Volvo’s chief digital officer, said Volvo will...
Sean Szymkowski