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Jeff Zurschmeide

Jeff Zurschmeide

Contributor

Jeff Zurschmeide is a freelance writer from Portland, Oregon. Jeff covers new cars, motor sports, and technical topics for a variety of newspapers, magazines, and online outlets. Additionally, Jeff is the author of eight published books on automotive topics, including photo histories of Portland International Raceway and Portland Speedway. His current automotive passion is divided between his 1976 Mini Cooper and his 1920 Model T Ford. His daily driver is a Mazda Miata, because duh.

2020 Mazda CX-30 first drive

2020 Mazda CX-30 first drive review: Right-sized

Mazda's all-new 2020 CX-30 aims to fill a gap in the small SUV market. It's small, but not too small. It has premium features, but the price isn't outrageously high. Mazda hopes this will be the right fit for many buyers. Is it the right fit for you?
papadakis 1000 hp toyota supra dyno test stephen

Behind the horsepower: Papadakis shares the secrets of his 1000hp Supra

2020 Hyundai Ioniq EV

New Hyundai Ioniq electric vehicle gets big boosts in range and horsepower

Hyundai pulled the cover off the 2020 Ioniq Electric in Los Angeles today, revealing that it has received a whole host of upgrades over the previous model. Giving showgoers a peek into future crossover plans, Hyundai also gave a glimpse of a new concept called the Vision T.
mid engined hyundai rm19 hot hatch unveiled at los angeles auto show 1

Hyundai shocks us with its mid-engined RM19 sports car concept

Hyundai revealed its all-new RM19 mid-engine racing prototype at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The latest idea from Hyundai’s performance N sub-brand carries a two-liter engine rated at 390 horsepower, and points the way toward future road cars. It’s not a production model, but we’re hoping it becomes one.
Lamborghini-Museum

The Lamborghini Museum houses 55 Years of technical innovation

The Lamborghini story begins with angry words between Enzo Ferrari and Ferruccio Lamborghini and ends with a company that currently creates some of the most exciting and revolutionary technologies is all the car world. Their Museum is a perfect place for a trip down a technological memory lane.
Mustang Mach E Feature

Ford unveils all-electric Mustang Mach-E

Ford is making a huge leap of faith, planting their most prestigious performance car badge on a vehicle that shares precisely none of the Mustang’s traditional first principles. It’s incredibly fast and supremely cool, but is it really a Mustang?
2020 mercedes glc review glc300 coupe dt

2020 Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class first drive review: Achievable Luxury

The 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class has been substantially redesigned, bringing in the latest in infotainment tech and advanced driver assistance. But more than that, this is an SUV that you will really love to drive.
paradais racing interview plans for 1000hp new supra sup  07607 02engineremoval 0125

Exclusive: Papadakis tells us the parts he needs to make a 1000 horsepower Supra

Award-winning engine builder Stephan Papadakis set out to wrest 1,000 horsepower out of the new Toyota-BMW B58 engine found in the 2020 Toyota Supra. In the third episode, Papadakis shows us how he assembles a high performance racing engine.
2020 audi rs 7 sportback packs 600 horsepower intuitive infotainment system 9

Everything that’s new and updated from Audi in 2020

Audi is holding steady, with only minor changes to most of its product lineup for the new year. The strategy is simple and designed to allow the new RS6 Avant performance wagon take the spotlight. Here's the full rundown of all 2020 changes.
1000hp Supra Stephan Papadakis

Exclusive: 1000 hp Supra could be six-figure project Papadakis says

Stephan Papadakis has released the second installment of his quest to squeeze 1,000 horsepower from the new Toyota Supra engine. We sat for an exclusive interview as he delves into the hard parts he has to find or make to achieve his goal.
Volvo XC90 R

Performance, Luxury, and Subscription – Everything That’s New with Volvo in 2020

Volvo took Digital Trends to Banff, Canada to drive the new 2020 XC60, XC90, and V60 Cross Country SUVs. This year, the venerable Swedish automaker is focused on performance with new Polestar models, new safety and tech features, and making Volvos more convenient and affordable through the Care by Volvo subscription service.
Stephan Papadakis standing in front of a Toyota Supra

In exclusive interview, legendary racer tells us his plans for 1,000hp new Supra

The 2020 Toyota Supra is barely off the trucks at dealerships, but award-winning engine builder Stephan Papadakis is already tearing into it to find more power. He thinks 1,000 horsepower is possible from the new BMW/Toyota joint venture. Best of all, he’s capturing the whole process on a series of four videos. We caught up with him to ask him how he plans to tackle this challenge.
the porsche 911 hybrid is here from aftermarket firm vonnen 2

Vonnen can make you a 911 Hybrid before Porsche can

Vonnen has created an aftermarket hybrid system designed to boost performance on Porsche 911 models made since 2012. The system installs over the stock drivetrain and adds up to 150 foot-pounds of torque. The system works with both manual and twin-clutch transmissions, and supports both RWD and AWD Porsche 911s, plus Boxsters and Caymans.
Maven car sharing Chevrolet Bolt EV

Is your EV actually powered by coal?

Where you live in America determines how your electricity is generated. If you’re considering buying or leasing a new electric vehicle to help reduce climate changing emissions, where you live has a huge impact on your carbon footprint. Read this before you flip the switch.
BMW Driver Assistance

BMW shows us how advanced tech help make you a better driver

A modern performance car carries a bewildering array of advanced driver assistance features. We wanted to understand how these systems work together to keep the driver in control. To learn a little more we asked the experts at the BMW Performance Center for a primer, and the chance to drive their best M vehicles like we stole them.
2019 Audi Q3

2019 Audi Q3 first drive review

The 2019 Audi Q3 isn’t perfect, but it’s very good. This is a small SUV that you can use and enjoy every day. It’s small enough to take into the city without a worry, and big enough to haul your stuff and be comfortable. Most of all, it’s affordable. The Q3 really covers all the bases very well.
xnrgi develops ev battery tech that extends range to 700 miles images products cells 001

How re-engineering an old technology could give us EVs with 700 miles of range

The electric vehicle industry anxiously awaits the next generation of EV Battery technology. EV adoption is still limited by range and charge time anxiety. Now Portland-based XNRGI thinks they have the solution. Their new battery uses old silicon wafer technology to improve energy density for greater range and reduced charging time.
2019 Ford F-150 Raptor

It’s tough to buy a fully American-made car, but here’s 15 that come close

Once upon a time, it was easy to say whether a vehicle was American or an import, but not any more. Today, every major automaker is multi-national, or rather trans-national because the companies build cars in every major market where they are sold.
2020 Mercedes-Benz GLS 450 first drive

2020 Mercedes-Benz GLS first drive review

The 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLS replaces the aging second-generation GLS as Mercedes’ premium three-row SUV. Mercedes claims the all-new GLS is “the S-Class of SUVs.” We put that boast to the test. It’s fair to say the GLS offers a competent interpretation of S-Class luxury, but what surprised us is what happened when the road ended.
2019 Ford Fusion Energi Review

2019 Ford Fusion Energi review

2020 Jeep JT Scrambler concept

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.
clay car model being drilled into

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.
2020 sierra gets diesel adaptive cruise elevation crew cab

2020 GMC Sierra sees a bunch of updates, including adaptive cruise

GMC announced updates to its 2020 GMC Sierra half-ton pickup truck, including much-needed adaptive cruise control, a 3.0-liter turbo-diesel engine option, improved towing cameras, and expanded availability of the 10-speed automatic transmission.
six off road tech features kia telluride feat

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.
gmc carbon fiber pickup bed 2019 sierra denali carbonpro edition feat

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.
2019 nissan kicks review feat

2019 Nissan Kicks review

The 2019 Nissan Kicks is a subcompact crossover, but without the AWD pretensions of many small SUVs. Simply put, this is a next-generation hatchback that’s fun, useful, and affordable. There’s a lot to like here, and plenty of good reasons why the Kicks should be at the top of your test-drive list.
smartdrive

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.
2019 Mazda Mazda3 AWD review

2019 Mazda3 AWD first drive review

Since its introduction in 2003, Mazda’s compact Mazda3 has been a mainstay of the brand’s driver-oriented strategy. Mazda now plans to move upmarket, and the all-new 2019 Mazda3 offers some clues about how that’s going to work. This model also receives available all-wheel drive for the first time in its history.
2019 nissan rogue review feat

2019 Nissan Rogue review

The 2019 Rogue is the latest iteration of Nissan’s consistently successful compact crossover SUV. This model routinely outpaces the giants from Honda and Toyota in sales, and there are a few good reasons for that, including a good-looking exterior, reasonably nice interior, and good performance at a value price.
road rave chargeway ev charging stations beacon feat

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.
2019 toyota rav4 review 2019toyotarav4 feat

2019 Toyota RAV4 review

The new 2019 Toyota RAV4 offers more tech, more luxury, and a higher price tag than prior generations. It’s also more capable off-road. Taken together, these changes signal an upmarket move for Toyota’s best-selling compact crossover SUV. Is the RAV4 following the 4Runner into near-premium territory?
Three-Wheel EV

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.
2020 Corolla

2020 Toyota Corolla first drive review

The Toyota Corolla is the best-selling car of all time, with more than 46 million sold in the last 53 years. The latest update is true to the formula that made the Corolla a winner: a quality compact car at a bargain price. The winning factor is a full suite of advanced technology features at a stunning price point.
Locan Clampitt Mazda Hot Lap Challenge

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.