Sean Szymkowski, Contributor
Articles
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Ford's famed flathead V-8 was revolutionary when the automaker put the engine into production in 1932. It brought the V-8 to the mass market and ready power to hot rodders for decades to come. But...
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Can the Roborace self-driving racer beat professional driver Ryan Tuerck?It's a classic scenario: man versus machine. In this case, we're talking about Roborace and professional driver Ryan Tuerck. The challenge? To see if Roborace's DevBot self-driving race car is quicker around a Formula E circuit than Tuerck. Roborace first burst onto the scene in 2016 when the...
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Show-off blow off: Audi joins other luxury makes to skip 2019 Detroit auto showFollowing similar announcements from Mercedes-Benz and BMW, Audi announced on Thursday that it will join the rival makes and no longer attend the Detroit auto show. It's the most recent in a series of blows to what many believe is North America's premier auto show. In a statement to Automotive News...
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Lamborghini Marzal concept to revisit MonacoBefore the Lamborghini Espada came to be, the Lamborghini Marzal previewed the distinctive wedge shape that was to come. The striking concept made its first appearance at the 1967 Geneva auto show but that wouldn't be its final stop. Unlike your typical concept, the Marzal has a richer history than...
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Tesla just teased a cloaked car, is it the Model Y?Tesla has released a hype video to show off the big things it has in store this year and in the near future. While the video's pleasant enough to watch, observers will note a teased vehicle around the 0:15 mark. Of course, it leads us to wonder: is the vehicle shown the Model Y crossover? The...
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Owner of Ford Mustang that melted in Hawaii speaks outRemeber video showing lava from Hawaii's Kilauea volcano engulfing and melting a Ford Mustang? The video quickly spread across the internet, and the owner has spoken out since the lava reached his home on the state's Big Island. In an interview with WX Chasing, owner Michael Hale explained why he...
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Citizens of Frisco, Texas, the self-driving cars have arrived. Drive.ai plans to launch a self-driving car ride-hailing service in the Dallas suburb this July in a limited geo-fenced area. The...
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New Audis can now communicate with traffic lights in 10 US citiesAudi's Traffic Light Information system (TLI) now works in 10 separate U.S. cities. The German luxury brand announced on Wednesday that drivers of select 2017 and 2018 Audi vehicles can now use TLI in Kansas City, Kansas, and Phoenix, Arizona. The two latest cities join Las Vegas, Nevada;...
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Dodge didn't build a Viper Targa, so one company did it for themWe waved goodbye to the Dodge Viper last year as production came to an end. The Viper's production end still stings, but perhaps what hurts a smidge more is the fact we never saw a factory Viper convertible or targa top for the fifth-generation sports car. After all, every other Viper generation...
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AMG Speedway opens its gates in South KoreaMercedes-AMG has marked a milestone in South Korea. AMG Speedway has opened to become the first racetrack to bear the tuner's name. The new track sits outside the South Korean capital of Seoul, where it stretches 4.3 kilometers (2.7 miles) and will not only serve as a place for motorsports but as a...
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BMW won't make an M2 convertible, but this German company didBMW does not offer the wonderful M2 as a convertible, but that hasn't stopped a German company by the name of Lightweight from modding the standard convertible into something comparable. With some modifications and M2 parts, Lightweight will transform a standard 2-Series convertible into a drop-top...
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Uber shows off its new flying taxi prototypeUber is dead set on bringing its ride-hailing service to the skies, and the company showed off its latest flying taxi prototype on Tuesday. The prototype bowed ahead of Uber's Elevate conference, which will bring the aviation, real estate, and infrastructure industries together with government...
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Last year, 30.7 million cars were recalled in the U.S. That's more or less one car, every second for the entire year—otherwise known as "routine."
The Porsche 918 is anything but routine. Same...
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Volvo plans to embed Google services in next-generation infotainment systemVolvo's next-generation infotainment system may look a lot more like a smartphone. The Swedish luxury brand announced on Monday that it plans to embed Google's connected services in its upcoming infotainment system. Altogether, the system will feature the voice-controlled Google Assistant, Google...
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Elon Musk "super serious" about starting candy companyPerhaps we'll soon see yet another ambitious project from Tesla and SpaceX CEO, Elon Musk. The outspoken executive recently took to Twitter to announce he's "super serious" about starting...a candy company. Where did the idea for a candy company originate? It appears Musk and Warren Buffet, CEO of...
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Ford might turn Detroit eyesore into self-driving, EV hubFord has its eye on a landmark building nestled in Detroit's Corktown neighborhood. The automaker revealed it has plans to purchase the rotting Michigan Central Station and renovate the space to house an electric- and self-driving car hub. The potential purchase follows Ford's decision to relocate...
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Is a BMW M7 on the way?It appears BMW may have another M-division vehicle on the horizon. The automaker has applied to trademark the "M7" name with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. First discovered by Bimmerfest, the automaker officially filed and had the trademark approved for use on April 27. The...
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2019 Chevrolet Suburban RST to offer 420-hp 6.2-liter V-8The Chevrolet Suburban Rally Sport Truck (RST) may not be a new thing, but the 6.2-liter V-8 engine under the hood is. Chevy has decided to roll out the RST Performance package as an available option for the 2019 edition of its largest SUV, the Suburban. Recall, the Suburban and Tahoe RST made...
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For the second time, Honda has given its raucous Civic Type R a price bump. Now, the hot hatch costs an extra $600.
Cars Direct reported on Friday that as of May 1, a new Civic Type R will set buyers...
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GM banks on 3D printed parts for lower costs, vehicle weightsFuture automotive components could look less like rigid pieces and more like organic shapes. General Motors announced on Thursday that the automaker has worked with Bay-area software company Autodesk to create a 3D-printed component to preview future manufacturing processes. The part is a seat...
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Amazon accidentally ships F1 race clutch to BMW M3 customerSomeone, somewhere has made a serious boo-boo. An M3 Forum user by the name of "breadvan" posted to convey his confusion over a replacement ZF Sachs clutch kit for his BMW M3. When the box arrived, it appears he actually received a Formula One-spec carbon racing clutch. It's quite apparent this...
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A "controversial" Bugatti Chiron variant is comingBugatti, Volkswagen Group's French hypercar brand, has a new Chiron variant in the works. Apparently, this won't be a typical special edition model. Instead, the vehicle is quite "controversial." That's the word YouTuber Whitesse JR used to describe the new Chiron variant. The cameraman was...
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Budweiser brewer orders 800 Nikola hydrogen-powered semi trucksNikola Motor Company, the startup maker of hydrogen-electric-powered semi-trucks, has received quite an order. On Thursday, Anheuser-Busch announced it plans to purchase up to 800 of the company's semis. The order will effectively replace Anheuser-Busch's entire semi fleet with trucks powered by...
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Genesis can't make up its mind on how to sell carsGenesis, Hyundai's luxury division, has reneged on a previous decision to create dedicated dealerships under new franchises. The decision left current Hyundai dealers in the cold over the chance to set up their own Genesis dealerships, but made others feel welcome back into the fold. Automotive...
Sean Szymkowski