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Showing posts from March, 2024

NY/NJ Cops Fight Car Thieves With Forced Traffic Jams, GPS Darts And More High-Tech Tricks

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New York and New Jersey police are willing to use various tactics to find and secure stolen vehicles. They include GPS tracking darts, Apple AirTags, intentional traffic jams, and more. However, whether all these tactics are working or not requires additional data. Combating auto theft is a tricky problem but police in New York and New Jersey believe they’ve stumbled upon some helpful aids. Across the region, they’re trying everything from GPS tracking darts to intentional traffic jams to catch thieves. The tactics appear primed to drastically reduce the need for dangerous high-speed pursuits. Police chases can be deadly. That’s the case not only for the fleeing suspect but for the officers and sometimes innocent bystanders too. At the same time, auto theft is a major issue across the nation. So how do authorities balance the need to hold criminals accountable while also doing what they can to reduce potential risk? In New York and New Jersey, it’s all about using vario...

Good News: Ford’s V8 Mustang Isn’t Going Anywhere Just Yet

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Ford executives believe that Mustang sales will continue to be solid because it is the last V8 muscle car on sale. Demand for the V8-engined Mustangs continues to impress, even outside of the U.S., despite consumer push towards greener alternatives. No word on an all-electric or hybrid version yet. Ford is sitting pretty at the top of the muscle car tree and wants to capitalize on its position by growing Mustang sales. In the absence of some of its traditional rivals, such as the Chevrolet Camaro and Dodge Challenger, the Mustang is now the last of the “traditional” American muscle cars powered by a good ol’ V8. Despite the reluctance of Ford’s rivals to bring a new eight-cylinder sports car to market, the Blue Oval sees an opportunity to pander to those who have a hankering for a large-displacement, big-power machine. Currently V8 engine ‘Stangs account for 52 percent of U.S. model sales, with European consumers preferring the larger engine too. More: Ford Mustang 60th...

Subaru Dealer Technician Learning Stick Shift Damages Customer’s WRX, Lawsuit Claims

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The lawsuit alleges a young technician from the Connecticut Subaru dealership learning stick shift damaged the clutch, stalled the engine, and even bent the front license plate. The WRX owner further alleges the technicians took the car to a car wash despite his request not to, possibly to hide evidence of the joyride. Learning to drive a manual transmission is undoubtedly more challenging than mastering an automatic, which explains why most people, especially in the U.S., prefer the latter. But there are definitely sometimes when it is absolutely, 100 percent the wrong time to start learning how to drive stick, including when a client has dropped off their Subaru WRX for an oil change. The timing is so inappropriate for learning that it’s the subject of legal action in New Haven, Connecticut. Daniel Yopp Jr. has filed the suit against Dan Perkins Subaru, whose technicians allegedly took his “ dream car ” out for a joyride recently. Read: Dashcam Shows Honda Service Tech ...

A $130k Rolls-Royce Parts Car? YouTube Car Builds Just Got Really Crazy

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If you’ve been watching any automotive YouTubers over the past couple of years you won’t have failed to notice a couple of trends. One is that the guys buying and fixing wrecked performance cars are getting far more of our time than the those just buying them then moving them on. That might have worked in 2015 , but not today. And the other trend is that those guys doing the rebuilds are getting more and more ambitious when choosing their projects, and then going to crazy lengths to get them finished. None more so than Brit Matt Armstrong, whose YouTube subscriber count is deservedly going through the roof thanks to the way he and his crew take something that looks fit to be made into tuna cans and bring it back to life in record time. More: Florida Woman Crashes Rolls-Royce Dawn Into $3M Statue, Has No Memory Of Accident But more than that, he does it in such entertaining fashion that it makes each of us watching desperately wish we were there with them at 3AM trying to undo th...

Classic Ford Mustang Reborn As A Roofless STL-1 Resto Beast

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BorromeodeSilva, a Milan-based design firm known for restomods, took a 1968 Ford Mustang Fastback and completely revamped it. It ditches the Mustang’s classic look for a V8-powered off-road crossover design, built for open-air adventures. The chassis boasts independent suspension and high-performance coilovers, while power is delivered by a modern 5.0L V8 engine sourced from the 2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302. The original Ford Mustang is one of the most iconic muscle cars in history. But what happens when you toss it into the hands of an Italian design wizard? Enter the world of BorromeodeSilva. And well, they didn’t just restore it to its former glory. Oh no. They turned it into the STL-1, a V8-powered crossover beast built for off-road thrills and open-air adventures. The Milan-based firm is no stranger to the restomod business, having worked on the design of the Automobili Amos Futurista (Lancia Delta), Eccentrica’s Lamborghini Diablo, and Nardone Automotive’s Porsche 92...

Mitsubishi, Nissan To Team Up On Pickup, PHEV And EV For North America

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This collaboration allows Nissan to tap into Mitsubishi’s experience with plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs). Mitsubishi, on the other hand, will gain access to Nissan’s established electric vehicle (EV) technology The two companies will develop a pickup truck that will be built in Mexico, avoiding the United States’ infamous chicken tax. For the first time since they became alliance partners, Nissan and Mitsubishi will partner on vehicles for the North American market. The companies will trade electrification technology, which will give Mitsubishi an EV, Nissan a plug-in hybrid, and will lead to the creation of a pickup truck for both brands. The plans will help each automaker navigate the difficulties of developing electrified powertrains, and will help them cut costs. Perhaps the most exciting product for North Americans will be the pickup truck, which is expected to act as the followup to the Frontier for Nissan. Read: Nissan’s “The Arc” Business Plan Includes Indian, ...

Is The Era Of The Flagship Sedan Over?

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Flagship sedans used to be the pride and joy of many automakers as they sat at the top of the lineup and offered all of the best equipment. Some of the latter would eventually trickle down to lesser models, which made these luxury sedans all the more important. Fast forward to today and, in an SUV-saturated market, it seems like flagship sedans are a thing of the past. While BMW and Mercedes have given us new versions of the 7-Series and S-Class, as well as all-new electric counterparts, they’re the outliers. More: Audi A8 Faces Another Facelift As EV Successor Delayed The Audi A8 practically feels abandoned at this point, although there have been occasional hints and rumors about an all-new model. However, spy photographers haven’t encountered a single prototype and the latest reports suggest the car has been pushed back to at least 2027. Despite the neglect, Audi of America sold 2,259 units last year. That’s a drop in the bucket, but sales actually climbed 42% from 2022...

Dodge Sellers Still High On Demon Fumes: 20 Challengers Listed From $300K To $400K

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It seems like some Dodge dealers and Challenger owners appear to be huffing something as they’re continuing to demand exorbitant prices for their muscle cars. And we’re not just talking about Demon 170s either; they’re asking for as much as $385,000 for non-Demon Hellcat Redeye models. Let’s take a closer look at the cars available, each marked up by six figures that we discovered on Autotrader alone. Dealers and sellers might try to hide their shady greedy pricing tactics, but on Autotrader, they have to be transparent. That’s allowed us to get a clear and clean look at what they actually want for these cars. Kicking things off is a used Demon 170 listed as a Hellcat Redeye for $286,631. That’s about double what MSRP likely is on the car. More: Is A Dodge Demon 170 With A $40k Markup Now Considered A Good Deal? Three different Demon 170s feature prices of $299k and this time, all three are “new.” From this point forward, every car is well over twice its original MSRP inclu...

Toyota Considering Tacoma And Tundra PHEVs And EVs

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Toyota trucks could eventually be offered with plug-in hybrid or electric powertrains. The company is studying both options, but hasn’t made a decision yet. A compact pickup remains a possibility in the future. The Toyota Tacoma and Tundra offer high-performance hybrid powertrains, but their electrification journey might not be complete. Quite the opposite, as the models could eventually be offered with plug-in hybrid or electric power. Speaking at the New York Auto Forum earlier this week, Toyota Motor North America Executive Vice President Jack Hollis said the company is considering eco-friendly powertrains for the pickups. These would ultimately have to balance consumer interest with increasing fuel economy and emission standards. Lackluster demand for electric pickups could be why Toyota now seems open to trucks with plug-in hybrid powertrains. This shift has hit the F-150 Lightning hard and the segment will soon be crowded with electric entries. That being said, ...

No One Told EV Owners Their Tires Will Wear Faster, And That’s Making Them Unhappy

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The extra weight and big torque of electric vehicles mean that their tires wear out significantly faster than traditional combustion vehicles. However, EV buyers feel like they weren’t warned about this difference and they don’t like it. “The widening satisfaction gap between EVs and gas-powered vehicles highlight an opportunity for tire manufacturers and automakers to educate EV owners on the differences in performance,” said Ashley Edgar, J.D. Power’s senior director of benchmarking. And this isn’t just a problem when it comes to customer satisfaction. Tire wear also leads to increased emissions. The emissions that come off tires can lead to respiratory problems, kidney damage, and neurological damage. Since EV tires wear faster, they pollute more , in this respect. Read: Indy Shops Shine, Kia, Hyundai, Jeep Dealers Lag In Service Satisfaction Survey Unfortunately, the nature of manufacturing tires for EVs makes this a difficult problem to solve. J.D. Power reports tha...