Toyota is recalling about 70,000 Toyota and Lexus brand vehicles in North America to replace air bag inflators that could explode and hurl shrapnel at drivers and passengers. The recall covers the 2003 to 2005 Corolla, the 2002 to 2005 Sequoia, the 2003 to 2005 Tundra and the 2002 to 2005 Lexus SC. Takata uses the chemical ammonium nitrate to …
Rivian Unviels R1T Electric Adventure Truck
After nine years of design and development, automotive startup Rivian unveiled not one but two new electric vehicles (each with Level 3 autonomy) at the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show on Tuesday. The R1T is a pickup built specifically for off-road adventuring while the swanky R1S looks to compete with Range Rover’s line of upscale SUVs in both looks and amenities. Both …
BMW Q3 Profit Falls 27%
BMW reported a 27 percent drop in third-quarter operating profit to 1.75 billion euros ($2 billion) amid currency headwinds, trade tensions and higher research and development expenses. Earnings were hit by higher raw material prices, currency effects, higher provisions for goodwill and warranty measures, tariffs between China and the U.S. and a price war in Europe. Despite a slight rise …
BMW reveals its all-new 3 Series
The BMW just unveiled the all-new next generation 3 Series sedan at the 2018 Paris Motor Show on Tuesday. Set to debut as a 2019 model in March, the seventh generation of BMW’s iconic 3 Series debuts looks to offer a blend of traditional driving pleasure as well as a whopping dose of modern technology set to rival Mercedes. The …
Porsche introduces new programs for short-term rentals
Porsche is introducing two new pilot programs to follow up Porsche Passport, the subscription service announced a year ago. Passport was launched with a fairly simple plan: For $2,000 a month Atlanta-based customers can access eight different Porsche cars depending on needs; for $3,000 the choice widened to 22 cars. Passport cars are available monthly. Now, there are two new programs called …
Audi drops manual transmissions from 2019 US-lineup
Fans of three pedals should shift their attention away from Audi showrooms for the 2019 model year. The automaker issued a statement on Friday that in response to weak demand it will no longer offer a manual transmission model in its U.S.-market lineup beginning next year. Audi also confirmed that it will pull the no-cost 6-speed manual option from its A4 …
Volkswagen’s Latest Pop-Top Camper Van Has Everything, including the Kitchen Sink
For those avid voyagers who think that the regular Volkswagen California camper van isn’t enough for their needs, there’s a new, even bigger VW pop-top called the Grand California. Based on the larger Crafter commercial van rather than the smaller Transporter, this bigger van is for those who want to live a larger van life. Bigger inside in nearly every dimension, the …
Audi’s latest infotainment system is a smarter driving companion
Audi is bringing in major updates to their MMI infotainment system. The new infotainment system, called MMI Touch Response, has done away with the rotary dial found on the previous version; there are now two displays instead of one. The top 10.1-inch main screen handles navigation, media and most of the car’s settings and the new, smaller 8.6-inch display takes care …
VW and Renault promise electric car sharing services
Automaker-run EV sharing services are still novelties now, but they could be plentiful before long. Both Volkswagen and Renault have announced plans for electric car sharing services in a bid to promote sustainable mobility. Volvo and Porsche already have subscription services available. BMW and Mercedes also work with outside companies to provide car sharing services in select cities. VW’s We platform will offer on-demand EVs …
Daimler ordered to recall over 200k cars amid diesel cheating allegations
Germany’s transport minister says the government is ordering automaker Daimler to immediately recall 238,000 vehicles equipped with software that turns off emissions controls under certain conditions. German weekly Bild am Sonntag said up to 1 million cars contained software to cheat emissions tests on diesel vehicles. Car makers use software to manage exhaust emissions filtering and engine performance. A device can …