Cars

Tesla is a small automaker compared to the global giants, yet it leads the pack from a technical and technological standpoint in many areas. One such area is in the field of autonomous driving tech, and the automaker recently showcased its newest self-driving tech and how it intends to use them at a special event held at its headquarters in Palo Alto, California.

The McLaren Senna is the company’s latest track-ready supercar. A successor to theP1, the Senna dropped the hybrid drivetrain for pure V-8 power and adopted a more aerodynamic design. The Senna is essentially a race car for the road, but it also spawned a track-only GTR version. Come 2019, and Hennessey Performance launched a couple of upgrades for the supercar.

Yes, it’s hard to believe that the Senna can be further tweaked, but the folks over at Hennessey are known for their capability to push just about any car to the limit. If you think that the Senna’s 789-horsepower rating is impressive, you need to know that the British supercar can generate much more than that. Let’s find out more about that in the review below.

Aston Martin just unveiled the 2020 DBS Superleggera Volante! Framed as the convertible version of the brand’s hugely desirable DBS Superleggera coupe, the Volante pairs all the usual grand touring awesomeness with endless drop-top fun.

Mounted in that shapely frontend is the same engine as the hardtop DBS Superleggera, namely a turbocharged 5.2-liter V-12 producing 715 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque. Routing the power to the rear axle is an eight-speed automatic transmission from ZF.

Top speed clocks in at 211 mph, while the sprint to 62 mph takes 3.6 seconds. Keep your foot down, and the Volante will go from 0 to 100 mph in 6.7 seconds.

You’ll have eight body colors to choose from, as well as six headliner colors. Quad exhaust pipes are in the rear, while up front, the reworked aero blasts the brakes with cold air, while also reducing lift and enhancing stability. Interestingly, the new bodyworks produces up to 390 pounds of downforce at speed, just 6.6 pounds less than what you get with the coupe model.

The fabric roof takes 14 seconds to open and 16 seconds to close, but we’d recommend keeping it open to make it easier to hear that V-12 wail. Leather, carbon fiber, and metal accents make it nice inside the cabin.

Pricing for the 2020 Aston Martin DBS Superleggera Volante starts at $329,100. Look for deliveries to kick off in the third quarter of the year.

The 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLS represents the third generation of the company’s already iconic SUV. Introduced at the 2019 New York Auto Show, it offers more space, more comfort, and more luxury while retaining a familiar face. The GLS arrives to take on the BMW X7, the company’s first foray in the full-size SUV market, the Lincoln Navigator, and the Cadillac Escalade.

The GLS adopts Mercedes’ latest styling language, seen most recently on the smaller GLE crossover. The exterior has smoother surfaces and sportier fascias, while the interior borrows from the S-Class sedan but features a few unique cues as well. Under the hood, the GLS retains its two-engine lineup with V-6 and V-8 offerings for the U.S. market, but both units are paired to 48-volt mild hybrid systems.

Automotive electrification may mean that we’re moving toward a future where the internal combustion engine lives only in the history books, but all of this fancy electric technology actually comes with a silver lining. There will come a day when all you can by is an all-electric vehicle, but this very technology is also extending the life of the internal combustion engine. And, that’s a good thing. Take Mercedes-AMG, for example. The brand will one day deliver only electric sports cars, but that’s not coming as quickly as we originally thought. In a recent interview with Road & Track, Mercedes-AMG Boss, Tobias Moers, said that starting in 2021 all AMG branded models will feature some kind of hybrid drivetrain and that the company is “heading fast in that direction.” And, while this means that AMG-branded cars won’t lose that feeling of soul that you get from a rumbly, precision-turned engine, it also means that AMG cars will get more powerful, faster, and better. And, it all comes down to some tech that we’ve already seen – the 805-horsepower hybrid drivetrain from the 2017 Mercedes-AMG GT Concept!

On April 13, Elon Musk stated that the Model 3’s battery should last 300,000 to 500,000 miles, which is the equivalent of 1,500 cycles. The even more exciting announcement from Musk is that Model 3 battery’s design allows replacing modules instead of the entire battery, thus saving money for electric cars owners. Musk affirmed that replacing the battery modules will only cost between $5,000 and $7,000. The Model 3’s battery pack, which has four battery modules, is guaranteed to keep the 70% of its capacity for 100,000 miles. The warranty for the long-range Model 3 battery is 120,000 miles.

We all now that the Dirty VAG loves to share its technology and platforms among its various appendages – a Bentley is just an Audi, and an Audi is Just a Porsche. With that in mind, we already figured out that the J1 platform that underpins the Porsche Taycan will eventually funnel down to other automakers, with brands like Audi, Bentley, and even Lamborghini eventually placing their in-house designs on top of the same chassis and battery technology. Eventually, real-life cars will all feature the same guts underneath and bodies on top – kind of like remote control cars d today. And, that’s where we’re at now as Audi starts to plan a replacement for the aging Audi R8. In doing so, CAR Magazine reports that the company will take the Taycan’s J1 platform and place it under an all-new body, creating a car that will go by the name “E-Tron GTR.” We already know quite a bit about it, but how will it serve as a spiritual successor to the Audi R8? Well, it probably won’t.

On April 11, China’s highest-profile carmaker, Geely, announced the birth of a new premium electric car brand, named Geometry as well as the first model sold under the new brand, the Geometry A electric sedan.

The Geometry A, with a single electric motor that generates 161 horsepower, will be available with two battery options. The standard 51.9-kWh battery allows a maximum range of 255 miles and the long-range, 61.9-kWh battery that extends the range to 311 miles. Both models provide a powertrain rated at 120kW of power and 184 pound-feet of torque which enables an 8.8-second sprint to 62 miles per hour. It looks like a 30 minute top up is enough to take the charge level from 30 to 80 percent full. With tie-ins to Volvo within the Geely group, the Geometry is claimed to deliver class-leading safety and driver aids. The standard-range version starts at about $31,000 where the long-range version’s starting price is $34,000.

Mercedes not only invented the four-door coupe with the original CLS, but it also eventually launched a smaller version of that car, dubbed the CLA. Now in its second generation, the all-new CLA holds a lot of promise that stems from its exterior styling, bold and upmarket interior, and the news that it drives considerably better than the model it replaces.

BMW has officially teased the 2 Series Gran Coupe, but that doesn’t mean we haven’t seen the car already. No, I’m not talking about the renders; it’s the spy shots. Now, the so-called ’coupe’ has again been spotted on video doing some cold-weather test runs. The car has followed the footsteps of its elder sibling, the 6 Series Gran Coupe, and will soon feature a slanted, coupe-style roof. Is this a success mantra, or just a counter-attack to keep up with rivals?

Mazda doesn’t do hot versions of any of its cars anymore, even though the likes of the Mazda3 and Mazda6 MPS (or MazdaSpeed in some markets) were exceptional cars in their respective categories before they were phased out. But now, with the new Mazda3 hatch making its debut and being received quite well, it seems the Japanese automaker is again considering making a hot hatch version, and it on that could arrive before the year 2021.

Tesla is known for breaking from tradition, and that includes the way in which it updates its various model lines. Rather than creating an entirely new “generation” every five years like the rest of the industry, the California-based brand prefers a steady stream of incremental updates to keep things fresh. However, that could change with the forthcoming Model S and Model X, as rumor has it Tesla has a substantial powertrain update in the works, with tech bits pulled from the Model 3 compact sedan.

The 2020 Chevrolet C8 Corvette is almost here! After more than five decades of teasers and concepts, the Bow Tie is finally offering its iconic American sports car with a mid-engine layout, so it’s understandable that the hype train is now running at full steam. Chevy recently dropped a gallon of high-test into the mix by announcing the C8 would make its big debut on July 18th, and diehard fans are piecing together every scrap of info out there to figure out what’s in store. Plenty of folks also wanna know what the final production C8 will look like, so we’ve gathered up a few of our favorite renderings right here for your approval, all courtesy of MidEngineCorvetteForum.com.

Teased in one way or another for the last two years, the Porsche 911 Speedster finally showcased its gorgeous body at the 2019 New York Auto Show. Revealed in red, the glorious 911 celebrates the 70th anniversary of the production of rear-engine sports cars, and it is the most extreme representation of philosophy once started with the fantastic 356. With such an important job to do and an incredible heritage to justify, the new Porsche 911 Speedster - the ninth Speedster overall - is the best the 991.2 generation can possibly offer.

For that matter, Porsche garnished it with the latest technology and epic throwback easter eggs that elevate the 911 Speedster unique qualities. This is the list of the most unusual Porsche 911 Speedster’s quirks and features.

Few automakers have experienced such sustained and exponential growth (especially in terms of image and how it is perceived) over the last decade as Hyundai has. The Korean manufacturer has managed to bring about this shift through its own hard work and dedication but also by hiring bright engineering minds with experience working for rival automakers. Now it’s done it again as it has co-opted Tyrone Johnson, the chief engineer that oversaw the Ford Focus RS project and spent 33 years at the Blue Oval.

Volkswagen just showed off the SUV Coupe Concept at the 2019 Shanghai auto show, a coupe-like version of the China-only Tayron SUV. The automaker calls it a concept, but we already know it will go into production by the end of the year, so it’s more of a pre-production prototype, really.

Yet another Gladiator-based concept to mark its presence at the 2019 Easter Jeep Safari, the Jeep JT Scrambler concept is quite similar to the J6 - a throwback to the Jeep’s history. But this time, it’s not just about the colors, but also the graphics. The graphics and color combination strongly resonates with the CJ8 Scrambler from the ’80s. Just like all the other concepts present at this year’s Easter Jeep Safari, this one too is a showpiece to exhibit the Mopar performance parts. Actually, not just the performance parts, but also the bright, orange stickers around the body which are the highlight of this truck.

Mazda has created one of the most beautiful shapes in the compact hatchback segment, its new Mazda3 hatch, a shape that lifts it above any competitor in terms of design. It has a pretty face, nice sides, and a unique rear end that lends it a lot of personality, but at the same time, it also needs to do all the boring, practical stuff well in order to be a serious class contender.

Its interior feels upmarket, and the driving experience is precise and relaxed, especially if the power plant under the hood is Mazda’s latest diesel engine, still available in the 3 and other models the Japanese manufacturer sells in Europe. This latest model doesn’t feel as sharp as its predecessor nor is it the best in class, but it’s far more relaxed and refined than the car it replaces, and it exudes an overall desirable and premium feeling.

The car it replaces was a great all-rounder, although it suffered from excessive tire roar inside at speed (and generally not the best soundproofing), plus its interior didn’t feel as nice as some rivals’, and it also lagged behind in terms of tech. Mazda has addressed all these concerns and more with its new 3, and the result is a much better all-rounder with an even prettier face than before, plus that rear end that will sure to draw a lot of gazes.

Mercedes-Benz unveiled the third-generation GLS at the 2019 New York Auto Show, and the company is already talking about future products based on the full-size SUV. The German company confirmed at least two new variations but dismissed an electric model, so we hope you weren’t expecting one.