Autos

Though it continues to dominate truck sales, the Ford F-150 has fallen behind in the trick tailgate game. Its full-size competitors from GMC and Ram both offer fancy multi-way tailgates, with the former blazing a trail with its MultiPro tailgate and the latter recently introducing the barn door-style Multifunction tailgate. Not to be outdone, Ford is reportedly working on a complex tailgate gimmick of its own. According to Ford Authority, Ford is considering several prototype tailgate designs for development. Sources close to the project say a barn door setup like Ram’s is a top contender. The Ram 1500’s available Multifunction tailgate opens two ways: It can drop down like a traditional tailgate or swing open thanks to side-hinged 60/40 split barn doors. Those barn doors make ...

We are all ears whenever Jeep announces it’s doing something to the Wrangler. The rugged SUV is the bedrock of Jeep and the brand is the price of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA). Our enamor with the current Wrangler is no secret. In fact, we named our 2019 SUV of the Year. And we have known for some time that a plug-in hybrid version was due for a 2020 launch. FCA is great about releasing five-year plans that get us all excited, but the automaker also is more crisis-prone than most automakers. As such, we have learned virtually all the company’s plans are subject to change on a whim. See all 72 photos So we were heartened to learn during FCA’s 2020 annual shareholder meeting that the Wrangler 4xe plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) is still on track for a 202...

The Batman director Matt Reeves just revealed the new Batmobile on Twitter, and it’s a definite departure from past movie cars. The movie press had earlier heard rumors that the new Batmobile would be more of a muscle car than the military-inspired Tumbler that appeared in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight film trilogy. That is exactly what we have here, although the mid-mounted engine is a bit of a surprise. What we can see resembles a lot of different classic muscle cars, and that’s probably intentional. The deeply recessed front headlamps have a generic late 1960s look to them: a bit of Mopar, a bit of Mustang, maybe even a hint of De Tomaso Mangusta. Extremely swoopy rear fenders with pointed trailing ends that hang over three-element taillights are the closest thing we...

There are some car enthusiasts who insist that Nissan’s glory days are behind it. That cars like the R34 Skyline GT-R, 240Z, and 300ZX were a high watermark that the brand hasn’t been able to live up to in recent years. But even legends like that can be forgotten, and this 1994 Clayton Cunningham Nissan 300ZX IMSA racer who’s spare body (and a number of other bits and pieces) was found in a storage unit last week is no exception. In 1994, the No. 76 300ZX was powered by Nissan’s VRH35 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V-6 engine. In race specification it made 641 horsepower at 6,800 rpm and 520 lb-ft of torque at 4,400 rpm. The entire engine only weighed just 370 pounds. No. 76 also raced at Sebring and Daytona that year where it took home first place with American r...

Even if you don’t spot the iconic Mercedes-Benz three-pointed star badge, you might think every Sprinter van you see in America is, well, a Mercedes. Well, they are, except when they’re Freightliners. Mercedes-Benz started selling Sprinters in the States under the U.S.-based truck company’s name in 2001 (Daimler has owned Freightliner since 1981) but will no longer do so after the 2021 model year. That leaves the Sprinter as a Mercedes-Benz and nothing else in America—as Benz’s tagline goes, the best or nothing, right? Why no more Freightliner Sprinter? Apparently, Mercedes was selling far more Mercedes-Benz Sprinters than Freightliner versions. And with predicted slowdowns in sales and the sort of economic activities that drive van purchases, Mercedes-Benz decided ...

Is the new Mercedes-Benz G-Class just a bit to glitzy for your liking? Maybe the once hardcore mil-spec go-anywhere do-anything utility vehicle has been sanitized by the addition of all that leather and comfort. Or maybe the new G is just a bit too pricey. Either way, if you’re one of the people who longs for something a bit more rugged and rustic than anything Mercedes offers here, and you happen to live in Southeast Asia, you might want to take a look at the Force Gurkha. It isn’t some crazy million-dollar G-Wagen restomod. Instead, it’s an unrelated but rugged vehicle that draws inspiration from the famous Mercedes off-roader. There are a couple of engine options, including a turbocharged 2.2-liter inline four-cylinder diesel engine that makes 140 horsepower and 237 lb...

Find Tinder lacking in electricity? Does Bumble and its rules for courtship engagement need more autopilot? Wish eHarmony was better at plugging into your emotional needs? Are you hoping to open up your relationship with your Tesla to include a third party? Worry not, lost would-be polyamorous electric vehicle lover, because we think there might finally be a digital matchmaker for you: Tesla Dating. This new dating app under development—website here—promises to connect like-minded Tesla fans for the purposes of courtship. That is, if someone so far up Tesla’s, um, charging port can peel away from bragging to their friends about how their car “drives itself” to find a partner equally engrossed in their electric car. See all 19 photos Amusingly, the app’s creator, Aji...

It comes as no surprise, but for those interested in ordering the 2021 Ram 1500 TRX Launch Edition, don’t bother. It’s too late, already. Hot on the heels of Ram’s announcement of what it considers to be the fastest, quickest, and most powerful pickup truck on the market, all 702 orders allotted for the special Launch Edition were filled in about three hours. The number of available Launch Editions, a paltry 702, celebrates the truck’s 702-hp 6.2-liter supercharged Hemi V-8 mated to an eight-speed TorqueFlite 8HP95 automatic transmission—the only engine offering for the TRX. The TRX is 8 inches wider than a normal Ram 1500 and is set up with custom suspension components that can handle high-speed desert runs comfortably. The Ram 1500 TRX has a base price of $69,995 ...