The Auto World

AI-powered cameras are facing growing resistance in cities across America. Critics argue the systems enable mass surveillance of ordinary drivers. Supporters say the technology helps solve crimes and recover vehicles. The fight over automated license plate readers is no longer limited to privacy advocates and civil liberties groups. Across America , residents, elected officials, and even entire city councils are increasingly pushing back against AI-powered camera networks that record passing vehicles and store vast amounts of data about where they travel. What started as a crime-fighting tool is rapidly becoming one of the most divisive technologies on American streets. A City Boils Over The debate recently exploded in Troy, New York, where a city council meeting stretched past midnight as residents blasted local leaders for continuing to use cameras supplied by Flock Safety. According to reporting by The Wall Street Journal , opponents de...

BMW’s X2 crossover SUV is getting the brand’s Neue Klasse face. X2 will also inherit iX3’s pillar-to-pillar Panoramic iDrive system. Electric iX2 in line for Neue Klasse updates but with blanked grille. BMW ‘s design overhaul isn’t slowing down. In fact, it’s picking up the pace and the latest model headed for a Neue Klasse-inspired makeover is the X2. Fresh spy shots show the coupe crossover wearing camouflage ahead of a mid-cycle refresh that should bring it into line with its iX3 and X5 big brothers. More: 2027 BMW X5 Drops Door Handles For Wings, Adds A 435-Mile Electric iX5 Sightings of this X2 prototype come after we spied facelifted versions of its X1 twin , which isn’t surprising given the two crossovers share so much beneath the skin. Like its more practical sibling, the X2 is set to receive a visual refresh rather than a complete redesign, but the changes should be obvious enough to make i...

Japan’s Prime Minister was spotted with a new ride. Sanae Takaichi traded her Century sedan for an SUV. The model features a black livery and strobe lights. The ride of a country’s president or prime minister has to be relevant to local automakers, and Japan is lucky on that front because Toyota’s Century sub-brand builds exactly the right kind of car for the job. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has just traded her Century sedan for a new Century SUV, keeping the tradition of the phoenix badge alive. The vehicle turned up in Tokyo a few days ago. Local media tracked it carrying Takaichi from her official residence to the National Diet Building and out to Haneda Airport, trailed as always by a small fleet of previous-generation Lexus LS sedans running security. More: Toyota’s Most Luxurious SUV Can Now Block Out The World In Seconds The PM’s new Century SUV wears full black and skips the two-tone paint that ...

Signature Autosports’ special 911 includes upgraded bumpers and lights. Buyers will be offered loads of customization options when they order. New suspension boosts the car’s ride height and its off-road credentials. Tired of Porsche 911s from Singer feeling too polished, too married to the pavement? Signature Autosports thinks it has an answer, and it calls it the Meridian 911. Built as a modernized version of classic off-road-focused Porsche 911s from yesteryear, the Meridian 911 sits on aftermarket suspension that boosts the ride height and will make it much more capable off the beaten path. Fitted alongside the new suspension components are all-terrain tires. Read: The Safari Sportsman Could Be The Ultimate Porsche 911 Off-Roader The car hasn’t actually been built yet, and for now exists only in what a...

A Tasmanian adventurer is funding a new Prado entirely with river gold. His target is a base Land Cruiser Prado priced near AU$80,000. One canyon dive on his best day pulled 22 grams worth thousands of dollars. Instead of wrestling with high interest rates or a trade-in negotiation, Tasmanian content creator and adventurer Rob Parsons is trying to fund his next vehicle the hard way, using nothing but ancient prospecting techniques to get there. He wants a brand-new off-roader, and his plan is to pull the money out of the ground one riverbed at a time. The explorer, known for his navigation skills and solo expeditions, has launched a multi-day challenge to gather enough gold from remote waterways to cover the keys to that new truck. It sounds like a gimmick, and yet the math works. More: Aussie Toyota Land Cruiser Prado Gets A Weird Grille Option The target of this wilderness operation is the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado. The rugged SUV r...

Ford tested the Ranger PHEV against a common portable gas generator. The pickup truck emitted far fewer pollutants during power generation. Fuel use reportedly dropped to about a third once the truck warmed up. Ford is making a big claim about its new Ranger Plug-In Hybrid . For many buyers, it can replace an entire piece of equipment they’ve been hauling around for years. According to the automaker, customers who rely on portable generators for work sites, events, or remote jobs may no longer need one at all thanks to the Ranger PHEV’s available Pro Power Onboard system. If Ford’s testing is accurate, the pickup does more than just replace a generator. It improves on it in nearly every meaningful category. One catch for North American readers, though. The Ranger PHEV is sold in Europe, the UK, and Australia, and Ford has no current plans to bring it to the States. How Ford Ran the Numbers ...