Cars

We knew that the next-gen police cruiser from the Blue Oval was in works. Finally, we have something to show for. A set of new spy photos of the Ford Explorer in uniform have surfaced the net. From what we see under the camouflage, we have to admit that the fear-inducing machine looks even better now.

The holiday season is just around the corner, and we all know that, at least on New Year’s Eve, fireworks are a big part of the celebrations. As much as we, humans, love watching the pyrotechnic shows that light up the skies on January 1st, our dogs hate all of the banging noises. To keep them away from all the disturbing explosions, Ford has developed a cool doghouse with state-of-the-art noise cancellation technology.

Ford calls it the ’Quiet Kennel,’ and it’s just a prototype at the moment. It looks like something that would fit in the sumptuous, yet minimalistic, penthouse of a movie star and it uses technology from Ford’s vehicle lineup to keep dogs cool and quiet at all times.

BMW took a lot of flak when it revealed the E60 5-Series, designed by Chris Bangle. Back then the car was seen as a bit ugly with a fat looking rear end, and opinions on how it looked didn’t get better once the fire-breathing M5 was launched back in 2005.

2018 has been a crazy year for concept vehicles. We’re used to seeing “traditional” concepts sporting traditional powertrains, and while those concepts still arrived in abundance this year, automakers mixed their offerings up to introduce what we like to call “new-age” concepts that tout electrification, autonomous driving technology, and over-the-top power and performance numbers. We saw a lot of those concepts, too. The specs and features of these concepts may be arbitrary and far-fetched, but their features point to where automakers are spending their time and money with an eye towards the future of the industry. Picking this year’s coolest concept cars was more challenging than in past years, but we were able to narrow it down to 10 concepts that, we believe, best embodies the year in the business that’s about to come to a close.

The ride-hailing industry is witnessing a lot of changes lately. Moving from car services to cycles, to pressing autonomous cars into service, etc., this industry is seeing a lot of things happening rapidly. Now, two giants, Uber and Lyft have decided to go public. Both companies have already filed the necessary S-1 paperwork with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, confirming their intent to go public on the New York Stock Exchange.

The 2019 Santa Fe created quite a furor when it was announced for the U.S. market. The reason behind it being that it was going to be the South Korean’s first model to feature a diesel engine. However, the automaker has now said that the Sante Fe diesel won’t be coming to the States after all.

Introduced in 2016, the tenth-generation Lincoln Continental marked the iconic nameplate’s return to the market after 14 years. In late 2018, Lincoln added a special-edition model to the lineup. Called the Coach Doors Edition, it features rear-hinged rear doors, just like the fourth-generation model from the 1960s.

Built in limited numbers, the Coach Doors Edition is obviously a tribute to the fourth-gen Continental, the car in which John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963. Although the center-opening doors were only offered on this model in the 1960s, they somehow became synonymous with the Continental. So Lincoln went ahead and recreated this unique feature almost 50 years after the original was discontinued. It also celebrates 80 years since the first Continental was introduced back in 1939.

Aston-Martin has been using Mercedes-AMG V-8 engines for five years now but the days of the 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged unit seem to be numbered as the British company is developing a new straight-six of its own for use in future models.

Aston-Martin models currently come with one of two engines: the DB11 and the new Vantage are fitted with the 4.0-liter, twin-turbocharged, V-8 of Mercedes-AMG origin while the DBS Superleggera is equipped with an old-school 5.2-liter V-12. The new straight-six engine could be derived from the beefy V-12 according to Autocar magazine although key Aston-Martin figures pointed out that the partnership with Mercedes could continue in one way or another as Aston-Martin gears up on its hybridization dreams.

Volkswagen will put the ID all-electric hatchback into production in 2019, but we still have to wait until the vehicle is officially revealed. We expect it to have a more restrained and toned down design compared to the concept that previewed it, but at the same time, it will retain its overall shape and several design details.

When you think about famous car chases in movies, the classic footage of a dark green Mustang jumping up and down San Francisco’s hills in pursuit of a stoic, black Dodge Charger will most certainly roll in your memory. One of the two Mustangs used by the late Steve McQueen in that movie, ’Bullitt,’ has been found and it looks just as cool now as it did back in 1968.

Movie cars have always had a special aura surrounding them. Think about the DeLorean DMC-12 used in the ’Back To The Future’ trilogy. For all intents and purposes, John Z. DeLorean’s attempt at a supercar was laughable, although it did look the part. But, once it shone on the silver screen as a time-traveling machine, its place in history was forever assured. Same goes for the Dodge Monaco used by the Blues Brothers or Herbie, the cute Volkswagen Beetle that appeared in ’The Love Bug.’ Same goes for the Ford Mustang GT Fastback that was used by Steve McQueen’s character, Lt. Frank Bullitt, in the movie of the same name.

However, the Highland Green 2-door Fastback has become a cult classic also, in part, due to the mystique that shrouded it. There were, actually, two cars used during filming: one for all the action shots and one that was driven by McQueen during the more serene moments o the film. That car, chassis #8R02S125559, was thought to have been lost after McQueen failed to buy it in the late ’70s. Happily, now, both cars have been relocated, so the story does have a happy ending.

Following in the same tactic it used for the previous Horizon game, the developer will launch DLCs that include new content and a new map for players to explore; Forza Horizon received three such DLCs, and now the first one for Horizon 4 is out. It’s called Fortune Island and is available to download now

Volkswagen is readying a more rakish-looking, coupe-like variant of its Atlas high-rider and these leaked shots show us exactly what it’s going to look like from the outside. The overall shape remains true to that of the Atlas Cross Sport Concept shown this year at the New York auto show, but pretty much every detail has been toned down.

If you are in the business of finding the best subcompact SUV, I am quite sure that you have at least peaked at the rear seats trying to figure out how much use you could get from them. Well, I’ve compiled a list of 13 subcompact SUVs, crossovers, or whatever you call them, and ranked them by the rear seat room. Sure, this is not the most important measurement to find out which one is the best subcompact SUV, but it is an important factor for sure.

Power, consumption, or the cargo room in the boot are as important. And yes, I included that too. So, without further ado, let’s see what 13 of the most important subcompact SUVs bring to the table in the U.S.

BMW has planned its near-future quite well. Even though its latest design philosophy– we’re talking about electric cars designs, not the infamous “twinning” concept – has garnered a lot of heat, BMW is still banking on zero-emission cars to safely propel the company into the EV revolution. To achieve this, the automaker is leaving no stone unturned to make sure that all kinds of folks are pleased. As such, the i4 EV is said to be a true driver’s car, through and through.

Earlier in April, at the Beijing Auto Show, Buick revealed a new high-tech compact crossover concept, called the Enspire, that featured a huge number of exciting features and design cues. Now, it’s looking like that concept will soon hit the production line, but the question is - what will it bring to the table?

As one of the most recognizable names in the car industry, the Porsche 911 is expected to evolve with every new generation and the new 992-gen isn’t any different. The 2020 Porsche 911 992 takes some crucial evolutive steps that didn’t cause a drastic transformation, but it did transform it into something better. In every conceivable way. I am giving you 17 facts that prove the new 992 911 is far more than just a redesign. It is a reimagination on such a scale that the 911 kept all the traits of the predecessor, but all traits Porsche engineers and magicians could possibly enhance were incrementally improved.

We’ve been digging for info on the supposed Apple iCar for years, and like clockwork, we’re now getting another new rumor that goes to support claims that the tech giant has its own proprietary automobile in the works. The latest points to Apple’s poaching of Andrew Kim, a designer from Tesla, which reinforces the idea that we may see an Apple-branded EV in the near future.

Excited about the first production Toyota Supra going up for auction soon? Well, you need to make room for another cool sports car in your garage, as Ford just announced plans to auction off the very first Shelby GT500.

It’s been more than two decades since Subaru stopped offering a subcompact hatchback developed in-house, but this could change in a couple of years. What’s more, it could hit the market in a higher performance version too. In order for this to happen, recent rumors about Subaru planning to return to the World Rally Championship need to become reality.

According to a couple of Japanese websites, Subaru is tempted to return to WRC, the competition that made both the brand and the Impreza nameplate famous in the 1990s and 2000s. But to do so, the Japanese firm needs to build a brand-new car, as the Impreza and WRX are no longer suitable for the series. Instead, word has it Subaru is working on a brand-new subcompact car the size of the Ford Fiesta,] Hyundai i20, and Toyota Yaris.