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Renault may be serious about introducing its Alpine brand in the U.S. A new report indicates the French automaker is in talks with AutoNation over a deal centered on the Alpine performance brand, which offers a single car at present, the A110 sports car. Citing comments made by Renault CEO Luca de Meo, Bloomberg reported on Thursday that the automaker could team up with AutoNation to sell Alpine cars in the U.S. Bloomberg also reported that a partnership between Alpine and AutoNation could go beyond the simple placement of cars in dealerships, and that Alpine is also looking at options…
Honda is turning the CR-V Hybrid into an 800-hp race car. The completed project vehicle, simply dubbed Honda CR-V Hybrid Racer, will be revealed on February 28. Teaser photos released by Honda hint at a vehicle that only bears a superficial resemblance to the road-going CR-V Hybrid. The entire rear section of the body—including the hatch and rear doors—lifts up as one clamshell section, while the driver enters and exits through what appear to be Lamborghini-style scissor doors. 2023 Honda CR-V Hybrid Racer Typical racing modifications can be glimpsed as well, including a massive rear wing, and a complex aero…
Drivers in the Midwest could soon be paying more for fuel under an ethanol-blending policy supported by political interests in the region, according to a new study. First spotted by Transport Topics, the study was conducted by Baker & O’Brien Inc. for the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers, a U.S. fossil-fuel refining trade group. It predicts that Midwestern motorists will pay 8 cents to 12 cents extra per gallon under a push to get more E15—a blend of 15% ethanol and 85% gasoline—to more gas stations. The issue is that getting more ethanol out to stations will require new equipment…
Audi has been caught testing a prototype for a redesigned Q5. Expected in 2024 as a 2025 model, the new third-generation Q5 will be Audi’s last with internal-combustion power, as the automaker has confirmed that only electric vehicles will be launched beyond 2026. The prototype was spotted testing alongside a redesigned A4 that will be launched later this year. Both vehicles are expected to ride an updated version of Volkswagen Group’s MLB Evo platform found in the current Q5 and A4, meaning longitudinal mounting of engines and standard front-wheel drive. The new Q5 appears to be taking on a much…
BMW is nearly ready to unveil the updated version of the fourth-generation X5. The nip-and-tucked SUV is reportedly scheduled to make its debut in February 2023, and a short preview film posted on the company’s official Twitter page gives us a better idea of what to expect. Although the X5’s full design remains shrouded in darkness, the seven-second flick suggests that the visual changes made to the front end are relatively minor — that’s traditionally been par for the course when it comes to BMW’s mid-cycle updates. We spot new-look lights and redesigned kidney grilles that appear to be wider…
Ford has filed a patent application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for a dual-charge-port solution that would allow multiple EVs to charge in series from the same charging station. First spotted by CarBuzz, the system described in the patent application makes use of bidirectional charging capability. But instead of either charging or discharging through a single charge port, this solution allows vehicles to do both, taking in power through one charge port and sending it to another vehicle through a second port. In the patent application, Ford said this could be done with AC power sources,…
Under the request of federal regulators, Tesla is due to push an update that will restrict the behavior of its most controversial driver-assistance system, labeled Full Self-Driving Beta, because it poses “an unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety.” The recall, detailed by the NHTSA Thursday, affects 362,758 vehicles, including the 2016-2023 Model S and Model X, the 2017-2023 Model 3, and the 2020-2023 Model Y, as equipped with Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD Beta) upgrade, currently a $15,000 option. The issue relates to the vehicles’ behavior under that option and specifically, as the NHTSA lays out, what’s been termed FSD Beta…
The Volkswagen Touareg bowed out of the U.S. after 2017, with the automaker filling the gap with the more affordable Atlas. However, a redesigned third-generation model has been on sale overseas since 2018 and now it’s about to come in for a mid-cycle update. Prototypes for the updated Touareg have been spotted for more than a year and this week VW detailed some of the changes being made. There will be new styling front and rear, including the addition of a light strip at the front and more advanced matrix LED headlights boasting a brighter and more precisely controlled light…
Continental is looking at trash heaps and recycling bins to find sustainable materials for future tires. The company hopes to make all of its tires entirely from sustainable materials by 2050 at the latest, up from 15% to 20% renewable or recycled content today. In a press release, Continental explained how it’s looking at agricultural waste like rice husks and dandelions, as well as recycled plastic bottles, to help achieve that goal. A passenger car tire can be composed of up to 100 different materials, according to Continental, and one of the most important is natural rubber, which the company…
The Kia Sorento is about to come in for an update, as evidenced by a camouflaged prototype spotted in the wild. The thick camouflage gear suggests the update will be a major one, at least when it comes to the styling. New designs for the headlights and grille can be seen poking through the camouflage in some of the shots. The new look is similar to what we see on Kia’s larger Telluride SUV which itself was updated for 2023. A shot of the interior shows camouflage covering the dash, pointing to major changes here as well. A single panel…