Sean Szymkowski, Contributor
Articles
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UPDATE: BMW has clarified its statement to Motor Authority in an email. "The final decision as to whether or not the BMW X5 diesel variant will come to the U.S. market has not been made. BMW of North...
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Modern infotainment comes to classic Jaguars and Land RoversModern convenience, meet classic motoring. Jaguar-Land Rover announced last Friday that it now offers Classic Infotainment Systems with modern modern audio, navigation, and infotainment functionality for a number of its vintage vehicles. The Classic Infotainment Systems are compatible with most...
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Mercedes-Benz Vision Urbanetic concept aims to haul people and goods more efficientlyMercedes-Benz is the latest to tackle the future of transportation with this rather strange-looking concept vehicle. The company debuted the Vision Urbanetic concept on Monday. The concept's goal? It hails from the a Mercedes-Benz Van division, and it's meant to haul people and goods in the most...
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"Fast and Furious" spinoff "Hobbs and Shaw" begins productionAfter years of speculation, Universal confirmed Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Jason Statham will star in the first spin-off of the "Fast and Furious" franchise titled "Hobbs and Shaw." On Monday, Johnson took to Instagram to announce production has begun for the film. Johnson will reprise the role...
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Chevy Camaro engineering boss says Mustang's been "eating our lunch"The Chevrolet Camaro's chief engineer, Al Oppenheiser, knows the sixth-generation pony car hasn't been a runaway sales success. He offered up the truth when speaking to Automotive News (subscription required) in a Sunday report: the Mustang has been "eating our lunch." Oppenheiser made the comment...
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Lucid Air electric sedan tackles Laguna SecaLucid is (apparently) still alive after the company posted a video showing its Air electric luxury sedan taking to Laguna Seca. The electric sedan clocked a lap time of 1:41.67 at the track known for its tricky corkscrew. While the time isn't particularly impressive when looking at some of the...
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General Motors may be preparing to dive further into the car-subscription segment. The automaker filed to trademark the DriveScription name with the United States Patent and Trademark Office on...
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BMW introducing voice-activated digital assistantBeginning in March 2019, select new BMWs will have a digital co-pilot onboard. The German luxury brand announced Thursday the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant will help drivers and passengers with a host of functions in the car. The Intelligent Personal Assistant can work in a variety of...
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Ford has already ended national advertising for all cars bar the MustangAhead of Ford sending its passenger cars out to pasture, the automaker has ended national advertising for the Ford Taurus, Fusion, Focus, and Fiesta models. Automotive News (subscription required) reported Wednesday that Tier 1 (national) marketing efforts for the models has finished. Mark LaNeve...
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Walmart plans to purchase 30 more Tesla SemisAfter placing an order for 15 Tesla Semis, Walmart is keen to buy even more. The discount retailer plans to purchase 30 additional electric semi-trucks from the Silicon Valley automaker. Reuters reported Thursday that the 30 additional Tesla Semi trucks would operate in Canada and join 10 trucks...
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Apple developing headlights that highlight road hazardsApple has filed to patent another automotive system. This one involves headlights and provides drivers with more information to help keep them safe. Called the "System and Method for Light and Image Projection," the system imagines a few ways to give drivers a better idea of the road ahead by...
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2019 Lincoln Continental gets more features, higher pricesFollowing a price bump for the 2019 Lincoln Navigator, the 2019 Continental is now subject to a higher starting price. Like the full-size SUV, the full-size luxury sedan gains more standard features. Details come from CarsDirect, which reported the 2019 Continental will start at $47,140, or $985...
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Move over Ford Explorer Interceptors because there's a new sheriff in town. Utah-based Armormax has revealed its latest armored vehicle, and it's none other than the Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat.
First...
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Volvo proposes universal standard for self-driving cars to communicate with other driversVolvo shared its vision of future self-driving cars with the 360c concept. The concept vehicle doesn't feature a steering wheel, sports an electric powertrain, and is fully connected to communicate with other vehicles and the infrastructure around it. But, the Swedish brand believes the industry...
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FCA opening $30 million autonomous testing facilityFiat-Chrysler Automobiles' Chelsea Proving Grounds (CPG) is home to a new multi-million dollar autonomous technology testing facility. The automaker announced on Wednesday it has invested $30 million in the new facility, which begins testing this month. While CPG spans nearly 4,000 acres, the new...
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SSC Tuatara only car with "legitimate shot" at 300 mph, CEO claimsSSC is keen to reclaim the record for the world's fastest production car and clock 300 mph in the process. After unveiling the long-awaited Tuatara last month, the California-based supercar maker had some fighting words for rivals also looking to stake their claim as the first to 300 mph. Jerod...
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65-year-old car design brought to life at 2018 Grand Basel showA never-before-seen car design has been brought to life...65 years after it was completed. Yes, it was 65 years ago that Italian architect and industrial designer Gio Ponti penned his Linea Diamante, or "Diamond Line," and now a completed mockup of the car has been revealed. The covers came off on...
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Apple patented haptic seats and sunroofApple filed to patent more than 2,000 ideas last year, and we'll likely never see many of them reach daylight. But, automobile patents are becoming more common from the technology giant. The most recent patents, both awarded in the last couple of weeks, involve a trick sunroof and haptic-feedback...
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Volkswagen is digging back into its archives for a special-edition Golf GTI. The Rabbit Edition will join the GTI lineup for 2019.
The brand hasn't released pricing or fuel economy estimates for the...
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Spurred by Tesla, Koenigsegg aiming for 250 mph in 14 secondsKoenigsegg currently produces the world's fastest production car in the Agera RS, but the company isn't stopping there. Especially not after learning how quickly the 2020 Tesla Roadster will accelerate. Speaking to Top Gear in a Friday report, founder and namesake, Christian von Koenigsegg, told...
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The Lamborghini Huracán has 8 oil drain plugsThe Lamborghini Huracán doesn't call for an average oil change. Then again, the Huracán isn't an average car, either. But, for DIYers, a new video from Royalty Exotic Cars shows off to change the Italian sports car's oil. It all begins with sourcing the oil filter, which sits in the...
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Drive with Mercedes EQ app to check whether electric cars suit youDrivers around the world will need more information and education on electric cars if automakers are to realize zero-emissions goals. Mercedes-Benz has taken a creative step to show drivers that they may be ideal candidates for a switch to the electric lifestyle. The German luxury brand is testing...
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Tesla works on tech to flash indicators when drivers forgetThe turn signal is one of the most essential passive safety measures onboard every single new car. Yet, millions of drivers choose to ignore the ability, and let's face it, the decision puts other drivers at risk. Tesla appears ready to flick the indicators whether a driver likes it or not. The...
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Total seclusion: Rolls-Royce Privacy Suite turns Phantom into rolling meeting spaceElites will have no need to wait until their destination to discuss pressing matters, at least not when they're in the back seat of Rolls-Royce's Phantom. On Friday, the British ultra-luxury marque debuted its new "privacy suite" for the extended-wheelbase Phantom at the Chengdu auto show currently...
Sean Szymkowski