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Guitar lovers, hot-rod fans, ZZ Top – there’s a lot of crossover between those groups, and if that includes you, you’ll love this book. This expanded edition is written by Gibbons, one-third of the band ZZ Top, and is split into three sections: The Life, The Cars and The Guitars. Petrolheads will enjoy the middle section about Gibbons’ collection of custom-built hot rods. It can be a bit challenging to read for long periods, but is very entertaining. Buy now from Amazon Bugatti Supercars: A Century of GeniusLance Cole (The Crowood Press, crowood.com) Price: £45 Rating: 4.5 stars The new…
Audi announced Monday that it will upend a naming scheme announced last year and have internal-combustion and electric vehicles share nameplates. In an effort to fit more electric models into its traditional alphanumeric format, Audi previously said it would assign odd-numbered designations to combustion models like the A5 and Q5, and reserve even numbers for EVs along with its current E-Tron suffix, as with the A6 E-Tron and Q6 E-Tron. But that’s no longer the case. Numbers will once again refer only to a model’s size and positioning in the lineup, Audi said in a press release. The letters A…
The BMW M8 is a bittersweet tale of ambition and unrealised potential. The 1980s were an era of excess, where extravagant lifestyles led to equally outrageous cars. The race for the title of ‘world’s fastest car’ pushed the limits of engineering as the supercar market boomed. Porsche’s 959 and Ferrari’s F40 broke the 200mph barrier, while aftermarket beasts like RUF’s CTR Yellowbird and the Callaway Sledgehammer hit 217mph and 255mph, respectively. This need for speed ramped up in the 1990s, with new challengers like Jaguar’s XJ220, Lamborghini’s Diablo, and Bugatti’s EB110 entering the mix. BMW M, already renowned for creating…
High-spec Takumi models feature a bright and airy white leather finish, with blonde timber inserts, high-gloss metal-look trim and textured fabrics, but if this all feels a little delicate for a family hauler, the Homura’s black Nappa leather seems just as premium. Its overall design isn’t exactly cutting-edge and potentially lacks the coolness exuded by rivals such as the Hyundai Santa Fe, but there’s nothing wrong with the quality or construction. Sat-nav, stereo and infotainmentEvery CX-80 is equipped with a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a 12.3-inch central display. It’s worth noting, though, that the latter is not a touchscreen, because Mazda…
Audi introduced a new naming strategy in 2023 to better differentiate between models equipped with internal-combustion engines and those powered purely by batteries. Under the strategy, models with gas or diesel engines, including hybrids, were to use an odd number in their names, while EVs would use an even number. However, on Monday, Audi announced it was abandoning this approach following feedback from customers and dealerships. Instead, the automaker will revert to its original naming strategy, in which the number in the name reflects only the model’s size or position in the lineup. “This decision is the result of intensive…
I can’t look away. Every swipe brings forth new footage of homes on fire and decimated communities across Los Angeles. Doom scrolling eats my days as I scan for evacuation notices and new information. Parting the blinds to look outside makes things worse. I live just south of Altadena, the city most affected by the Eaton fire, and my window provides an unobstructed view of the glowing flames as they consume the San Gabriel Mountains. It’s Thursday, January 9th, as this natural disaster enters its third day, powered by unprecedentedly potent Santa Ana winds. We’ve just returned to our house…
Classic cars can be a joy to drive. The sounds, the smells, and the tactile feel of the materials are all sensations that new cars can’t beat. However, the fun usually stops when the sun goes down, and you realize there’s nothing nostalgic about old headlight technology. Ruf, a niche German sports car manufacturer that also specializes in upgrades for various Porsches, understands this issue and has developed its own modern LED lighting system for the 993-generation Porsche 911. Ruf said the system has a plug-and-play design, making installation simple even at home. The company also said the system meets…
ChargePoint last week announced an agreement with AAA to expand deployment of its electric vehicle chargers. The agreement will secure “preferred pricing” on charging hardware for businesses associated with AAA, according to a press release. Such businesses include towing companies, repair shops, and similar automotive-related businesses that could make use of EV chargers. ChargePoint Omni Port This pricing applies to Level 2 AC and DC fast-chargers, as well as service plans provided by ChargePoint. AAA expects to offer it to more than 12,000 businesses associated with 27 of its U.S. auto clubs, as well as CAA clubs in Canada. Some…
Are plug-in hybrids an on-ramp to fully electric vehicles, or undue cost and complexity? Are they something consumers asked for, or something created by bureaucrats and regulators? At least in some respects the answer includes all of the above. It’s complicated. Plug-in hybrids’ greater complexity is intended to pay off by greening the ownership experience for a specific kind of driver—those who can plug in most days for the commute but need a gas tank because of road-trip charging concerns. Thus, PHEVs have an engine and, typically, a much larger battery than hybrids. If you don’t charge a plug-in hybrid,…
A redesigned Jeep Cherokee is expected to debut in 2025 Latest prototype sighting points to a bigger, brawnier design for the new Cherokee Jeep officials have hinted at a hybrid powertrain for the new Cherokee Stellantis’ SUV brand, Jeep, has several new models in the pipeline, and a prototype for one of them has just been spotted. The prototype is believed to be for a redesigned sixth-generation Jeep Cherokee, expected to hit the market later this year, likely as a 2026 model. The last Cherokee bowed out after the 2023 model year. The heavily camouflaged prototype is unmistakably a Jeep,…