Steve Abrams

The History of the Ford Mustang's Independent Rear Suspension

When the 2015 Ford Mustang finally goes on sale this fall, it will be the first time in the pony car's 50-year history that every example will sport an independent rear suspension system. Aside from a few thousand SVT Cobras between 1999 and 2004,…

How powerful will the Ford Mustang EcoBoost really be?

It's been more than five months since Ford revealed the 2015 Mustang. Since then, Ford has discussed things like the convertible top, aerodynamic development, launch control, and line lock, but they've remained coy about the technical specs everyone…

Mercedes gives Apple and Google users the power of choice

Given the fact that consumer electronics technology evolves much more rapidly than automotive technology, taking an agnostic approach to supporting smartphone platforms seems like a wise choice—and that's exactly what Mercedes-Benz is doing this week…

Apple reveals CarPlay at Geneva Motor Show

Just as automakers invaded CES in recent years, Apple flipped the script and made a splash today in Switzerland, announcing the launch of CarPlay on the eve of the 2014 Geneva Auto Show. CarPlay rolls out later this year on selected vehicles from…

Saleen and AC Propulsion team up for a bespoke electric sports car

Saleen Automotive has revealed it will be partnering with California-based AC Propulsion to develop the powertrain for a new electric performance vehicle. Earlier in February, Saleen announced that its first electric vehicle would be based on the…

The Fisker Karma is back, thanks to Bob Lutz and China

If China's Wanxiang Group follows through on its plans, the Fisker Karma may soon rise from the dead—and it could even end up being built in America. This week, an American bankruptcy court cleared the way for Wanxiang to purchase the remains of the…

The BMW i8 beats Audi in the laser headlight arms race

When the production BMW i8 hits the streets this fall, it will be the first car in the world to offer laser headlight technology. Whether these state-of-the-art lights actually make it to American roads remains to be seen, but at least Europeans will…

Tesla hires "Hacker Princess" to help lock down the Model S

Over the past decade, computer network security has been a growing field, and hackers play an important role. One of the newest employees at Tesla Motors is Kristin Paget, whose job title is Security Geek. To be clear, Paget is a hacker. The news of…

How your car can be hacked remotely by a tiny device

Yet another security researcher is demonstrating a better way to break into vehicle electronic systems, taking control from drivers in a way that could wreak havoc on the roads. While we aren't in imminent danger of wireless drive-by hacks on our…

Saleen turns to Tesla Model S for its first battery-powered effort

Late last week, high-performance tuner Saleen Automotive announced that its next project would be an "upgraded" version of the Tesla Model S. The announcement comes seven months after the company merged with the previously unknown W270, Inc. The June…

NHTSA Looks at Mandating Vehicle-to-Vehicle Communications for Future Cars

This week, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), took the first step toward bringing talking cars to America's roads by enabling vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication systems. This is all about vehicles silently talking to each…

You can 3D print these free Honda concept car models at home

The day when we can skip a trip to the parts store and just download and 3D-print what we need to fix our cars is probably still many years in the future. Until that time arrives, we'll have to satisfy ourselves with printing out small-scale versions…

Toyota goes their own way with the AWD TS040 LMP1 car

Toyota's announcement of the new TS040 means that the top LMP1 class for the 2014 World Endurance Championship (WEC) will feature three works teams with three distinctly different powertrain configurations. While the TS040, Audi R18, and Porsche 919…

Subaru thinks cameras are better than radar cruise

Subaru's twin-camera-based EyeSight driver assist system is getting a big upgrade for 2015 with a switch to color and more processing power. First announced in 2010, EyeSight remains unique among advanced driver assist by utilizing dual cameras to…

Watch the Stig go sideways on Google Street View at Dunsfold

While we all patiently wait for the debut of the next season of Top Gear in just over a week, we can now take a virtual tour of the Top Gear test track at Dunsfold Aerodrome courtesy of Google and one of its camera-sprouting Street View cars. When…

Porsche Reveals More Technical Details about the 919 Le Mans Prototype

As sports car teams ramp up preparations for the opening round of the World Endurance Championship at Sebring in March, Porsche continues to dole out a trickle of details about its new 919 hybrid prototype. Thanks to a new microsite that launched a…

A Samsung smartwatch that talks to your BMW EV

At this year's International CES in Las Vegas, so-called 'wearable technology' was a big theme. This year, BMW jumped on the bandwagon with an electric-vehicle management app for the Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch. Battery management apps have been a…

Toyota will sell you a hydrogen fuel cell car in California next year

After 20 years of research and development, Toyota says it's finally ready to start selling hydrogen fuel cell vehicles to consumers next year. The official announcement came from Bob Carter, senior vice president of Toyota Motor Sales US, at the…

How Ford's SYNC conference at CES could mean powerful new apps

Ever since Ford first came to what was then the Consumer Electronics Show in 2007 to announce SYNC, mobile device connectivity has been at the heart of the automaker's infotainment strategy. This year, Ford is adding new capabilities for SYNC AppLink…

Google and Nvidia want to put Android in your car

The lessons of the mobile industry ecosystem wars of the last several years have clearly not been lost on the automotive industry. Google, Hyundai, Honda, Audi, General Motors, and chip maker Nvidia have teamed up to make sure they don't get left…