2020 BMW X3 M and X4 M Competition first drive review
BMW is launching the first M versions of its X3 and X4. The 2020 X3 M and X4 M Competition pack a new 503-horsepower 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged inline-six and BMW’s usual array of performance tech. But is that enough to make these two SUVs worthy of BMW’s vaunted M badge?
The technologies your car inherited from race cars
From disc brakes to the rearview mirror, many things you might take for granted in your current car were honed on the racetrack. Formula One, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and World Rally Championship racing has contributed many important innovations. Buckle up and see how racing tech has influenced modern car design.
From GoPro to Lenovo, Trump tariffs would have raised prices on tech from Mexico
While the Trump Administration's efforts to place tariffs on Chinese exports to the U.S. have obvious consequences for American businesses and consumers, Trump's Mexico tariffs might have a much more immediate and potentially economy-killing effect.
Buick launched the first in-car touchscreen when the NES was still cutting edge
While it looks like the smartphone had a formative influence on the in-car touchscreen, it's actually the other way around. Buick released the first series-produced car with a touchscreen-based infotainment system back in 1986. The feature later spread to other models but motorists found it too distracting.
Let’s take a moment to marvel at how incredibly high-tech modern car tires are
When you think about it, an ordinary car tire is an amazing piece of work. It’s soft enough that you can leave a mark in it with your fingernail, but it lasts 20,000 to 50,000 miles on your car. In the course of an average tire’s service life, it may have to work in sub-zero temperatures or up to 180 degrees on a hot summer day.
Tesla is now doomed. Here’s how its EV dream will soon come crashing down
Tesla completely transformed the automotive landscape and has done more to further the electric game than anyone else. It deserves total credit for making EVs a part of the discussion when it comes to the future of the automobile. Tesla has changed the world. It’s also doomed.
1950s engine tech was as efficient as today’s. So why didn’t we use it?
Engine technology from the 1950s produced better mpg at the same time as more horsepower. Many thought it was too good to be true, but the U.S. Army tested it and proclaimed it the most efficient engine ever. So why isn’t your family hatchback using an adiabatic engine today?
Car designers can predict your future desires. This is how they do it
Auto designers have an impossible job. They have to interpret crazy and contradictory input from customers, predict where the market is going, and try to understand what people are going to want years before buyers know they want it. It’s a steep challenge, but that’s the game.
Lamborghini’s ST-X will likely spawn a super-Urus with the soul of a race car
Lamborghini is taking the Urus racing in 2020. The racing version will be lighter than the production model it's based on, and we expect it will be a good deal quicker. Digital Trends also learned the ST-X will likely help Lamborghini design a possible SV version of the Urus.
Six advanced tech features that make off-road driving easy
SUVs and pickups carry more advanced off-road driver assistance technology than ever before. We looked at six unique tech features on current-year trucks and SUVs that make any modern AWD or 4WD vehicle a mighty off-road vehicle.
How Nissan’s ‘invisible-to-visible’ tech could pave the way for autonomous cars
Nissan is experimenting with what it calls “invisible-to-visible” (I2V) tech. Unveiled at CES 2019 and currently undergoing testing in Japan, it’s meant to connect cars to a virtual world. It will also be vital for future self-driving cars, says Nissan’s Roel de Vries.
Volkswagen is launching a full range of EVs, but it doesn’t want to be Tesla
Volkswagen is preparing to release the 2020 ID.3, an electric, Golf-sized model developed for Europe. It sheds insight into the brand's future EVs, including ones built and sold in the United States. Digital Trends spoke to Volkswagen board member Jurgen Stackmann and learned what it means for the future of VW.
How GMC built a carbon-fiber truck bed that laughs at cinder blocks
From exotic Lamborghini sports car bodies to working pickup truck beds, carbon fiber construction is gaining popularity for its light weight and surprising toughness. GMC took Digital Trends behind the scenes at its Fort Wayne, Indiana factory where the new CarbonPro bed is made for the 2019 GMC Sierra pickup.
This guy designed Nissan’s beastly GT-R. Here’s what he’s doing next
Known to fans as “Godzilla,” the Nissan GT-R is one of the most formidable performance cars around. Hiroshi Tamura is in charge of keeping this monster sports car in fire-breathing shape. He spoke with Digital Trends about what the future holds for the GT-R and 370Z, two cars that embody Nissan's performance ambitions.
In Moab, Jeep isn’t just having fun off-road; it’s planning its future
Every year, Jeep travels to the Moab Easter Safari to unveil a handful of concept cars. Some are based on production models, while others are classic rigs upgraded with modern components. The company isn't only having fun on the trail; it's planning its future. Digital Trends sat down with Mark Allen to learn more.
5G will make cars chattier and smarter, but there’s also a fun side to it
Qualcomm calls 5G "the invention age," and it predicts the benefits of faster download speeds and instantaneous communication will stretch far beyond smartphones. It will make cars safer, smarter, while unlocking new entertainment options currently only found in homes. Here's what a 5G-enabled car could look like.
There’s finally a way to retrofit your old car with modern crash-avoidance tech
New cars routinely come with a full suite of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) designed to prevent or mitigate collisions. Several companies offer products designed to retrofit ADAS to older vehicles. They’re being tested on commercial vehicles, but could soon upgrade your existing personal vehicles.
From cars to computers: How data is transforming F1 racing
After a single weekend of racing, a Formula 1 pit crew typically pulls around 2TB of data from the car. Everything, from tire pressure to the temperature of the track, is recorded and analyzed in the name of boosting performance -- and not all drivers are happy about it.
Mercedes wants to turn your car into a comfortable shopping mall on wheels
Mercedes-Benz designed its MBUX infotainment system with e-commerce in mind. Motorists can upgrade compatible cars via an over-the-air software updating system, but the brand wants to take this technology to the next level. It will soon let its customers buy anything, from a shirt to Thai food, through its cars.
Audi’s traffic light information system shows the challenges facing V2X tech
Audi’s traffic light information system is among the first commercial applications of potentially game-changing vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology. Based on a real-world experience of the system, which predicts when traffic lights will change, it looks like the technology is still a work in progress.
Unrestrained by heritage, Polestar sets its sights on becoming a digital brand
With no heritage to worry about, Polestar is free to move full-speed ahead towards its goal of becoming a digital brand. All of the company's upcoming models will be electric, and they will inaugurate an Android-powered infotainment system. Polestar COO Jonathan Goodman explains what the brand stands for.
Automakers are spending billions on self-driving technology people are afraid of
Automakers are spending billions of dollars on developing the technology that will power self-driving cars, but research shows consumers have no interest in giving up control. Will they ever recoup their investment? The future doesn't look bright in 2019, but the next decade will bring major perception changes.
Road Rave: Taking the guesswork out of public EV charging stations
Chargeway is a startup company with a bold idea: it wants to catalog every public electric car charging station in America, and use a free app to show you only the stations that match your car. It will also help you plan a road trip, and manage your accounts with different charging station providers.
Can electric motors finally make three-wheeled cars great?
Every few years, someone tries to sell a three-wheeled vehicle to Americans. Historically, it hasn’t gone very well. We’ve got our suspicions about why people don’t buy trikes, and they boil down to this: To compete as a car a vehicle has to work like a car, and a trike is just not a real car.
How VR, 3D modeling, and craftsmanship help Ducati design alluring motorcycles
Passion fuels Ducati's team of designers as its members create some of the most alluring bikes on the planet. Digital Trends went behind the scenes in Ducati's design studio to learn how the company balances craftsmanship and tech to stay true to its roots, and how designers plan to future-proof their motorcycles.
Audi taught cars to talk to traffic lights, and they’re set to be even chattier
Audi started teaching its cars the language of traffic lights in Las Vegas, Nevada, in 2016, and it has continued to expand the reach of this technology ever since. Digital Trends talked to one of the company's connectivity experts to find out how traffic light information technology works, and what's next for it.
Mercedes-Benz predicts cars will evolve more in the next decade than ever before
Mercedes-Benz lead designer Gorden Wagener needs to push the company's design language further without diluting it. He also wants to use the growing amount of tech packed into modern-day cars to his advantage. Digital Trends sat down with Wagener to gain insight into how Mercedes-Benz design will evolve.
Sim racing gets real: iRacing gamer wins test in pro race car
The Mazda Hot Lap Challenge is a partnership between iRacing and Mazda Motorsports to give the best drivers in the gaming world a shot in the real world. Anyone can play at home or at any IMSA race throughout the year. After a shootout at the Rolex 24, the winner gets a test day in a Global MX-Cup car.
In smart cities, 5G won’t just lessen congestion, it could save lives too
We all know 5G wireless networks are part of a smart city plan, but how will they benefit? When it comes to cars, it could help with congestion. For citizens, it could keep them safe and alive. We spoke with Qualcomm and Verizon during the 2019 CES on how they’re leading the effort.
5G will turn your car into a talking, thinking supercomputer. And it’s coming soon
Consumers understand that 5G can enable a better driving experience by bringing up to 20 Gbps data speeds to your vehicle. What might get lost is that 5G is also going to enable smarter, more connected vehicles on the road through Cellular Vehicle-to-Anything (C-V2X) communications.
Lyft and Aptiv’s self-driving car program has come a long way (but not far enough)
Many companies talk about self-driving cars, but Lyft and Aptiv are already using a fleet of them to transport paying customers in Las Vegas. The two companies claim to have given about 30,000 rides in modified BMW 540i luxury cars over the past year, with rave reviews from passengers.
Driving Daimler’s 40-ton eCascadia big rig isn’t just fun, it’s electrifying
Daimler Trucks brought its all-electric eCascadia semi-truck to the 2019 CES, and invited us to take the wheel. What does it feel like to drive one? Simply electrifying, of course. Here’s what truckers can look forward to in the future.
Peloton’s tech lets truckers play follow the leader to boost fuel economy
Peloton Technology offers technology that can help semi trucks save fuel by running close together on the highway through platooning. Using shor- range wireless communications, trucks get a kind of super cruise control. This technology is on the road today, and it works.
Driving a prototype 2020 Passat at Volkswagen’s Arizona Proving Ground
Volkswagen’s Arizona Proving Ground is where new cars are torture tested, including the 2020 Passat midsize sedan. The new Passat and other models are subjected to Arizona’s sweltering summers, frozen in giant test chambers, and run for thousands of miles on test tracks.