Sean Szymkowski, Contributor
Articles
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Rinspeed will grace the Geneva motor show and celebrate 40 years of attendance with its latest concept vehicle, the Snap, which debuted first at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show. As the name...
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Nissan Terra body-on-frame SUV officially revealed for China could preview new XterraNissan has revealed the Terra, its new body-on-frame SUV for China and other Asian markets. Just don't call it an Xterra. In China, where Nissan has big plans for the SUV, the vehicle will replace the Paladin nameplate. Elsewhere, Nissan has retained the Xterra name, though the brand hasn't...
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Volvo says it's done developing gas-powered enginesThe current portfolio of Volvo engines will be its last. The Swedish luxury brand confirmed it's finished with gasoline-powered engines as it paves the way for a fully electric future. At the Volvo V60's reveal, the brand's CEO Håkan Samuelsson and other executives told Road & Track, in a...
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Volkswagen plans for T-Roc convertible crossoverVolkswagen will mix open-air driving with the functionality of a crossover, a formula Nissan and Land Rover have experimented with in the Murano Cross Cabriolet and Evoque convertible. On Friday, VW confirmed plans for a T-Roc convertible, its first convertible crossover. The announcement said VW...
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What's the difference between horsepower and torque?We toss the words "horsepower" and "torque" around pretty often in the automotive industry, but perhaps the meaning of both gets lost along the way. Never fear, Engineering Explained is here. In a new video, EE host Jason Fenske helps explain in the simplest of ways what power and torque are, and...
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Mini plans to build electric vehicles in ChinaBMW Group, Mini's parent automaker, has signed a letter of intent to initiate a joint venture with China's Great Wall to produce battery-electric Minis in the country. Currently, the Mini plant in Oxford, England, is set to produce an electric Mini in 2019. The German automaker said production...
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Volvo's trio of SUVs—the XC40, XC60, and XC90—may have to make room for another model next decade: a coupe-like SUV in the vein of the BMW X6/X4 and Mercedes-Benz GLE and GLC Coupes.
Yes,...
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Demonic drawings: Dodge shows concept sketches for Demon logoWith the Demon, Dodge turned a muscle car into a halo car. We're sure the project was fun for all involved, from the engineers to the designers to the marketers. The designers not only got to play with the sheet metal, but they also had the chance to dabble in the macabre and design a Demon logo to...
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2019 Porsche 911 teased with nod to future hybridPorsche promises the next-generation 911 will be the same sports car we know and love, only better. On Friday, the brand released official teaser images and a lengthy preview of the 992-generation 911 touching on the topics of autonomous driving, connectivity, and electrification. The teaser images...
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Dutch firm turns old Porsche 911s into electric carsThe Dutch sure do have an adventurous spirit. Not only is one Dutch firm working on a Tesla Model S shooting brake, but another by the name of Voitures Extravert is now taking old Porsche 911s and turning them into electric cars. The company calls its project the "Quintessenza": a 1970s or 1980s...
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Ex-Williams F1 engineer designs Perrinn 424 electric LMP1Thus far, Formula E is the only major motorsport to embrace totally electric powertrains for racing, but this all-electric LMP1 racer may have something to say about that. Nicolas Perrinn, an ex-Williams F1 engineer, has developed an all-electric LMP1 racer called the Perrinn 424. The powertrain is...
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BMW M8 Gran Coupe concept rumored for Geneva debutWe'd already suspected we'd see the production version of the BMW 8-Series make its formal debut at the 2018 Geneva motor show, but a new rumor suggests we may see another 8-Series variant in concept form as well. BMW Blog reported on Thursday that Geneva will play host to the debut of the M8 Gran...
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Toll booth transponders may soon be a thing of the past in new Audi vehicles. The German luxury brand announced on Wednesday that it will roll out integrated toll-payment technology on select...
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Sony preparing AI-powered taxi-hailing systemIn an effort to expand its artificial intelligence (AI) presence in the commercial and business sector, Sony now plans to lead a project to develop an AI-powered taxi-hailing system. Nikkei Asian Review reported on Tuesday that the system, which will first be offered in Japan, will help dispatch...
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2018 Yenko Silverado hauls in an 800-HP V-8The true Yenko of last century has been long gone, but Specialty Vehicle Engineering (SVE) has kept the name and image alive. Aside from its various modern-day interpretations of Yenko Camaros, the company on Monday revealed another take on the Yenko name with the 2018 Yenko Silverado. Complete...
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Which is better: a supercharger or turbocharger?There are two relatively simple options to boost (pun intended) horsepower in a vehicle: superchargers and turbochargers. But, which is better? Once again, Jason Fenske of Engineering Explained is here with an answer. It's important to understand how both options function first. A turbocharger...
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Hennessey Exorcist Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 tops out at 217 MPHHennessey Performance Engineering revealed the 1,000-horsepower Exorcist Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 last April, and since then the car's become an assailing answer to Dodge's Challenger Demon, even if it's not an OEM package. We know 959 of its 1,000 horsepower actually makes its way to the rear wheels...
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4th lawsuit filed over C7 Corvette Z06 cooling issuesOwners of the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 have banded together to serve General Motors a new class-action lawsuit over the sports car's alleged cooling system defects. In fact, it's the fourth lawsuit over the matter. Overheating issues surrounding the current-generation Corvette Z06 have plagued the...
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Lotus has revealed a fitting farewell to its track-focused 3-Eleven with one final evolution.
The British sports car maker on Tuesday unveiled the 3-Eleven 430, which comes with substantial upgrades...
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BMW M4 Convertible 30 Jahre Edition marks 30 years since the first M3 drop-topBMW's M division began to celebrate its various anniversaries with special models in 2014, but the party goes on. On Tuesday, the German automaker revealed the M4 Convertible 30 Jahre Edition, which marks 30 years since the first M3 Convertible launched in 1988. Jahre is the German word for...
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An electric Koenigsegg could be in the brand's futureKoenigsegg CEO and namesake Christian von Koenigsegg has peered into his company's future and an electric supercar could be part of it. The CEO, whose daily driver is a Tesla Model S, told AutoGuide in an interview published Friday that his company is incredibly interested in electrified...
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Allow funny man Tim Allen to show you his new Ford GTWell-known car guy, actor, and comedian Tim Allen has a new toy he wants to show off, and it's none other than the Ford GT. Allen is one of the lucky few to have been selected by Ford to purchase a new GT, as was Allen's longtime pal, Jay Leno. Leno already detailed his GT in his own video, but...
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Bring home a slice of 007: Daniel Craig's Aston Martin Vanquish heads to auctionDaniel Craig will give up the keys to his personal 2014 Aston Martin Vanquish Centenary Edition when it heads to auction at The Exceptional Sale at Christie’s in New York. Fittingly, the 2014 Vanquish is serial number 007—Craig is the most recent individual to portray James Bond...
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East Coast Defender rolls out Heritage CollectionEast Coast Defender might be based in Florida, but the Land Rover modifier looks back on the brand's British history with its new Heritage Collection. The custom Defenders incorporate classic elements from the past with a few modern touches and the images shown so far certainly drip with English...
Sean Szymkowski