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.
Rivian CEO R.J. Scaringe wants his startup to be the Patagonia of electric cars
Rivian is the latest startup hyping new electric cars. But unlike most other startups, Rivian is focusing on off-road vehicles. It launched an electric pickup truck and SUV at the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show. CEO R.J. Scaringe explains why Rivian chose these vehicles instead of luxury sedans or crossovers.
7 insane roads that will push self-driving cars to their very limits
Self-driving cars are getting better all the time, but we won't ever be convinced of their readiness for prime time till we see them comfortably handle a full range of challenges. So, ask yourself, would you be happy climbing into a driverless car for a ride on THESE insane roads?
Audi’s E-Tron GT concept is so close to production we can nearly taste it
Audi has introduced the E-Tron GT concept at the 2018 Los Angeles auto show. It's not a simple design study, though. Pre-production has already started and the concept will spawn the first electric Audi Sport model in 2020. It promises 590 horsepower from two electric motors for high-speed cruising.
E-tron GT concept is the latest volley in Audi’s electrified offensive
Concepts have traditionally been an exercise in “what if,” serving as a means of stoking the public’s imagination with engineering fantasies that are unburdened by the realities of volume production. But with the e-tron GT concept, Audi assures us that “this will be.” We'll see a production model in showrooms by 2020.
From EVs to forbidden fruit, car lovers have a lot to be thankful for this year
Thanksgiving is about food, football, family, and great deals. For us, it's also about cars. The members of Digital Trends' car team are taking a minute to reflect on what we're thankful for in 2018. We're glad that the station wagon is coming back and that electric cars are better than ever, among other things.
Fisker failed. But now the EV pioneer is ready for an epic redo
Digital Trends sat down with Henrik Fisker to detail his plans for an autonomous electric shuttle bus, a mass-produced affordable EV, the new Fisker E-Motion luxury sports EV, and his patented new battery design. We also asked about the lessons he’s learned and how they shaped his new plan.
Infiniti is using Formula One racing to hone its hybrid skills
Infiniti is partnering with the Renault Sport Formula One team, and not just to put sponsor stickers on the race cars. The luxury brand claims its engineers are working with their F1 counterparts to develop future hybrid tech. But how much of this racing tech will actually make it to future Infiniti luxury cars remains to be seen.
With benefits — and risks — software updates are coming to the car
Automatic over-the-air updates have been happening for years on laptops, phones, even TVs. They remain rare in the automotive industry, partly because companies are afraid of opening the door to hackers. And yet, over-the-air compatibility can make driving safer and more convenient for a number of reasons.
How VW plans to leave its dirty diesel past behind with its own EV charging network
We sat down with Volkswagen Group of America’s CEO, Hinrich J. Woebcken during the annual Monterey Car Week in California, who explains how the company plans to support its new line of electric vehicles with a factory-backed charging network in collaboration with start-up, Electrify America.
Volvo plans to face the future without sacrificing its identity
Volvo is embarking on an ambitious push to fill its lineup with electric and hybrid cars, as well as an infotainment partnership with Google. Volvo Americas CEO Anders Gustafsson explains how the Swedish automaker plans to pull that off, and what customers can look forward to over the next few years.
How General Motors is preparing for an electric, autonomous, connected future
How does an established automaker like General Motors adapt to new tech trends? By looking for people and solutions outside the mainstream, says Ken Kelzer, GM VP of global vehicle components and subsystems. See how GM is preparing for connected, autonomous, and electric cars.
Flat, fast, and flexible, Volkswagen’s new electric platform can power any car
VW recently took us to its Transparent Factory in Dresden for a deep dive into its work and plans for the all-new MEB (Modular Electric Toolkit) architecture. This new platform is designed exclusively for EV use and VW expects to produce up to 330,000 electric vehicles a year starting in 2020.
How Audi took its ambitious e-tron concept from dream to driveable
The Audi e-tron, the German luxury automaker’s first mass-market electric car, wasn’t designed to be a futuristic spaceship. It was designed to appeal to normal buyers, said Audi of America product management VP Filip Brabec. That puts Audi on a different track than rivals like Tesla and Jaguar.