Sean Szymkowski, Contributor
Articles
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Tesla CEO Elon Musk revealed the electric-car maker has plans to introduce an electric-semi truck in the near future, but new information reveals the truck will use self-driving capabilities.
The...
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BMW might bring the front-wheel-drive 1-Series to the US after allBMW has expanded its "Ultimate Driving Machine" mantra to include front-wheel-drive vehicles around the globe, but a sedan? Blasphemy. Such a car exists in China—the 2017 BMW 1-Series—and it seems the German brand may have plans to introduce the car in the U.S. as well. A new report...
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Volvo's discounting the 2017 XC90 T8 Excellence by up to $23,500The Volvo XC90 T8 Excellence is the Swedish marque's take on opulence and its finest motoring experience available. With adjectives like that, it's easy to expect a high price of entry; the XC90 T8 Excellence has a sticker price that starts at a whopping $105,895. However, Volvo has put the 2017...
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2018 Ford F-150 boasts best-in-class towing rating, improved fuel economyThe Ford F-Series has been the best-selling vehicle line in the United States for decades, and Ford isn't ready to give that crown up anytime soon. Instead, it has doubled down on technology to boast best-in-class towing and payload ratings, and fuel-economy figures for the 2018 Ford F-150. The...
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One of six Ferrari Sergios is for sale for $5 millionThe Ferrari Sergio—produced to mark the 85th anniversary of Pininfarina and the late Sergio Pininfarina—may not be the Prancing Horse's best-known sports car, but it's certainly one of the rarer modern nameplates Ferrari has produced. In fact, only six of them were built and each was...
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A 1996 Porsche 911 GT2 to be auctioned in MontereyPorsche creates some fine sports cars today, but arguably some of its best came from yesteryear. Case in point: the Porsche 993 911 GT2. For those looking for the ultimate expression of performance from the air-cooled era, the 911 GT2 is a one-stop shop, and one is heading to the Mecum Auction...
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Flipping through pages is so 2016. Genesis wants to bring luxury into the future with the launch of its augmented reality (AR) owner's manual application.
Instead of opening up a thick booklet of...
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GM is testing a ride-sharing app for self-driving electric carsGeneral Motors envisions a future in which self-driving cars aren't simply owned personally; they also pick up and drop off individuals. Along with its Cruise Automation subsidiary that it bought last year, the automaker has begun beta testing a ride-sharing app to hail self-driving Chevrolet Bolt...
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Volkswagen didn't originally want to build the GTICould you imagine the world without the Volkswagen Golf GTI? While it's one of many options for those seeking practicality with a splash of fun, it truly was the nameplate that birthed an entire segment, which many of us like to call the "hot hatch." Volkswagen wasn't too hip on building the...
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Singer and Williams team up for 500-hp, 9,000-rpm Porsche 911 engineSinger Vehicle Design and Williams Advanced Engineering are clearly trying to coax us into making poor financial decisions because the duo have announced plans for one hell of an engine collaboration. It's an air-cooled, 4.0-liter Porsche flat-6 engine that makes—wait for it—500...
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No manual transmission for 2019 Toyota Supra, but 4- and 6-cylinder engines plannedEvery time a new piece of 2019 Toyota Supra information hits the web, it causes a flurry. Why? Because the car was held in such high regard and its return has been eagerly awaited by so many. While we have high hopes for the 2019 Supra, it looks like it will forego one thing we love: a manual...
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Sporty Volkswagen Passat GT coming in 2018Volkswagen has mulled the idea of a sportier Passat variant for over a year. Now, a 2018 Volkswagen Passat GT has officially been given the green light. A VW spokesperson confirmed to Motor Authority the 2018 Volkswagen Passat GT will launch next year and it will resemble the Passat GT concept...
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The 2018 Jeep Wrangler (JL) will finally show its face at the 2017 Los Angeles auto show later this year, but leaked information has given us a few nuggets of information ahead of its official...
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Volkswagen views Tesla as competitor, possible threatTimes are changing in the automotive industry when traditional automakers begin to view disruptors—such as Tesla—as true competitors. The latest such comments come from the world's largest automaker by sales: Volkswagen Group. Volkswagen brand CEO Herbert Diess told Reuters it...
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Tesla CEO Elon Musk now plans to build his own HyperloopAlthough Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk originally birthed the idea of the Hyperloop, the entrepreneur was never officially tied to one particular Hyperloop project. Instead, other start-up companies borrowed Musk's blueprint and got to work on the concept. However, it seems Musk has had a change...
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Italians drive Tesla Model S 669 miles to set recordTesla CEO Elon Musk said it could be done, and now it has been. After once stating that the Model S was capable of traveling over 1,000 kilometers on a single charge (roughly 621 miles), a Tesla owners group from Italy recently managed to actually accomplish the feat. Actually, they surpassed it...
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Rolls-Royce CEO takes dig at Bentley BentaygaA battle of British ultra-luxury brands is underway after Rolls-Royce CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös took a dig at the Bentley Bentayga. Specifically, the Rolls-Royce CEO called out the Bentley SUV for its Volkswagen Group underpinnings. The Bentayga is largely based on an Audi Q7, with...
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Italdesign Zerouno sold out, roadster being consideredPut those pocketbooks away because the ultra-exclusive Italdesign Zerouno is officially sold out. The supercar, born from the recently established Italdesign Automobili Speciali road car division, is limited to five units and buyers have been chosen from across the world, according to the company...
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In a shocking decision by a German court, Ferrari has lost the rights to the "Testarossa" name in the country. A German toy maker will now use the Testarossa name and has plans for some oddball items...
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Mazda launches Miata NA restoration program, but only for JapanIt's hard to believe it's been nearly 30 years since the first Mazda roadster, which would be dubbed the NA generation, debuted. A lot has happened in that amount of time, and like many older cars, the original Mazda MX-5 Miata has become a rarer breed. Mazda of Japan wants to restore the magic...
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What's the difference between flat-4 and inline-4 engines?The 4-cylinder engine has become a standard across the automotive industry thanks to its compact size and efficiency. But, one variant of 4-cylinder engine doesn't rule. There are two popular variations of the 4-cylinder engine: inline-4 and flat-4. Each comes with benefits and downfalls, which is...
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German firm plans Tesla Gigafactory-rivaling battery plantThe race to capitalize on the growing need for electric car batteries is well and truly underway. Although Tesla has an early start with its massive 35-gigawatt-hour Gigafactory, a German firm has announced plans for its own battery plant to rival Tesla's operation. A consortium known as Terra E...
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Jay Leno's Ford GT window sticker reveals $450,750 base priceSince the modern Ford GT was first shown at the 2015 Detroit auto show, the Blue Oval has been shy about revealing just how much its marvelous supercar costs. However, a window sticker has finally revealed how much the GT actually costs for those fortunate enough to be deemed worthy of ownership...
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Toyota 86 Cup Car arrives to prove "slow car fast" still worksThe Toyota 86 really sits in a segment all its own. It's a no-frills coupe with a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter flat-4 that produces a modest 205 horsepower—the pinnacle of "slow car fast." But that doesn't mean it can't be fun, and the new Toyota 86 Cup Car racer is here to prove that...
Sean Szymkowski