Automotive

BMW Vision M Next: This Concept Redefines The Autonomous Car

BMW Vision M Next: This Concept Redefines The Autonomous Car A new BMW concept shows how self-driving cars from the brand might look in time.
With a turbocharged and hybrid powertrain, the Vision M Next hits 60 in three seconds.
For now, the Vision M Next is only a concept but it does make our imagination run wild.
Admittedly, there are many delicious elements in the BMW Vision M Next concept. For one thing, just look at it! It’s a stylish reinterpretation of past and present BMW vehicles. To be more specific, it’s like the lovechild of a 1972 BMW E25 Turbo Concept and i8 PHEV. The wedge-like design is also a fitting ode to the E26 BMW M1. The ’70s and ’80s are back, and I’m loving it!
However, the one thing that really stands out in the Vision M Next is BMW’s ideas on autonomous driving.
The BMW Vision M Next is an autonomous car, yes. But it’s the type of autonomy where the controls can be overridden by the driver. In short, it’s a concept car worth waiting for and something traditional car lovers can sink their teeth into.
BMW Vision M Next: The Brand’s Future?
The German manufacturer says all future BMW vehicles will be built utilizing the D+ACES philosophy. This means Design, Autonomous Driving, Electrification, and Services are carefully blended to produce the ultimate driving machine of the future. “The BMW Vision M Next provides a glimpse into the future of sporty driving,” says Adrian Van Hooydonk, Senior Vice President of BMW Group Design. “It demonstrates how state-of-the-art technology can also make the experience of driving yourself purer and more emotionally engaging.”
It’s no secret things are shaking up at BMW HQ. The company is now struggling to cope with the onset of fully-electric vehicles like the Tesla Model S and Model X. And I find this unsettling considering BMW was among the first to sell an EV in the form of the i3 in 2013. It seems upper management underestimated the potential of full EVs, and they’re now playing catch up. Turning up last is not necessarily a bad thing; in fact, you can use it your own advantage. And if the BMW Vision M Next is any indication, it’s safe to say gearheads, car lovers, and auto enthusiasts can look forward to a bright and enjoyable future.
BMW Vision M Next. Photo: BMW of North America, LLC.
The Good Kind of Hybrid Power
We already established the BMW Vision M Next is a looker. It has all the elements of a poster car: a retro-delectable, wedge-shaped silhouette, gullwing doors, ridiculous color schemes, and illuminated elements on the kidney grille. The blade-shaped triangular elements on the air intakes remind me of the snout of a Lamborghini Aventador. In short, the BMW Vision M Next is every inch a supercar. But what makes a car super in the purest sense of the word is vast reserves of power. In this regard, the BMW Vision M Next has you covered.
It’s actually a hybrid supercar, but it’s the good kind of hybrid power. The car has a turbo four-cylinder motor and an array of electric motors. BMW didn’t say how many, but with the capability to engage electric all-wheel drive or pure rear-wheel drive, we assume it has no less than two or three electric motors. All told, you have 600 horsepower at your disposal, good for a top speed of 186 mph (300 km/h).
And I mean, wow! I personally don’t like hybrids. I think they’re clunky, too complicated, and extremely dull on the road. But if a hybrid has 600 horsepower and can go from zero to 60 mph in three seconds, I wouldn’t mind having one, most especially if it looks exactly like the BMW Vision M Next.
In the future, what if you have to pass by certain zero-emissions zones? No problem. The Vision M Next has an all-electric range of 62 miles (100 km), which frankly is not enough. However, 62 miles is mostly enough for quick city jaunts, so maybe this isn’t bad at all.
Photo: BMW of North America, LLC.
EASE & BOOST Mode
Remember the part about the BMW Vision M Next being an autonomous car? You can engage full-autonomy in EASE mode. Meanwhile, if you want to drive it like how a BMW should be driven, BOOST mode is the way to go.
Easy, right? You can read the newspaper, upload a selfie, or chat with fellow passengers in EASE mode, all while traveling at speed. But if you want to drive, BOOST mode will place you at the helm. This all sounds amazing: being able to enjoy both autonomy and actual driving. I sincerely hope other car makers are looking to what BMW is doing in the Vision M Next. If manufacturers want full autonomy to become a reality, it’s important to give consumers an option on whether or not to drive. We want autonomous cars, but we want to choose when it should do so.
Related: BMW Group and Daimler AG partner on autonomous driving.
Boost Pod: The Beauty of Simplicity
The ultra-minimalist interior in the BMW Vision M Next is a triumph in modern design. The most striking feature is the accent line in the driver’s area. It runs forward from the seat over to the steering wheel. This represents the ideal line of sight as you drive, which speaks highly of BMW’s performance intent.
You’ll find hi-tech woven synthetic fibers, anodized titanium, and painted surfaces in the cabin. Surprisingly, leather is only found in the hand touch points of the steering wheel and door pull handles. The visible roof structure is crafted from recycled carbon fiber while the headliner has a tone-in-tone paint finish.
The highlight of the interior is the Boost Pod, which is BMW future-speak for the Speed Racer-inspired steering wheel and instrument console. Instead of traditional dials or large display screens, all the driving information is projected to an array of glass panels behind the steering wheel. It’s basically like a visor that projects information.
BMW Vision M Next interior layout. Photo: BMW of North America, LLC.
Thrilling Soundtrack
I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: electric cars are too quiet for their own good. But BMW – who happens to be late in the EV game – has come up with something brilliant. The BMW Vision M Next has its own musical soundtrack penned by no less than Hans Zimmer. The man won an Academy Award for Best Original Musical Score for the movie Lion King in 1995 and has composed music for more than 150 Hollywood films.
It’s safe to assume BMW hired the right man for the job.
Conventional EVs, like the BMW i3, have exterior speakers to alert pedestrians. This is good, but it does nothing to liven up the driving experience. With its own dedicated soundtrack, the BMW Vision M Next won’t end up sounding like a brash muscle car, but at least it won’t sound like an appliance either.
Welcome To The Future
And it’s time to come back to Earth. Sadly, the BMW Vision M Next is just a concept. Yet it shows BMW is moving in the right direction. With that being said, I propose a toast to other car makers taking notice of what the future of driving should really be about. Cheers to the future, lads!
Alvin Reyes is the Associate Editor of Automoblog. He studied civil aviation, aeronautics, and accountancy in his younger years and is still very much smitten to his former Lancer GSR and Galant SS. He also likes fried chicken, music, and herbal medicine.
BMW Vision M Next Gallery

Photos & Source: BMW of North America, LLC.

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National Holiday Reminds Us Why Stick Shifts Are Awesome

National Holiday Reminds Us Why Stick Shifts Are Awesome Long live the stick! That’s the idea behind the Cars.com holiday, National Stick Shift Day.
To coincide, a survey gauging American opinion on the manual transmission was conducted.
More people than you initially might think can actually drive a car with a manual transmission.
National Stick Shift Day gets at the deeper appreciation and connection we have with automobiles.
Back in the day – as in 1994 – my friends and I loved the arcade hit Daytona USA. The Sega-developed racing game placed you in a large, car-like structure complete with a Motorsport-style seat and steering wheel. It was the first 3D racing game of its kind. In terms of video game development and graphics, Daytona USA was ahead of its time. The Saturday afternoons at the local bowling alley melted away in spectacular fashion, thanks to the sublime visuals and sensational wrecks. You could chose from different views via the “VR” buttons; ones above the car or right inside the cockpit, for example.
And you could chose between an automatic or manual transmission.
Rolling Starts & Time Extensions
Of course, my friends and I would slam away on the four-speed stick located just below the screen and off-set to the right of the steering wheel. There was no “well, the advanced technology in the automatic makes it faster” . . . no, none of that. Top Daytona USA bragging rights went to the person who won the race with the manual shifter. Plain and simple. Such love and appreciation for the manual transmission is the inspiration behind National Stick Shift Day, this coming Tuesday, July 16th. Cars.com launched the holiday last year to celebrate the times we had to shift our own gears; or as some might call the good old days.
“We’re bummed by how they’re slowly vanishing from the market, especially here in the United States,” explained Joe Wiesenfelder, Cars.com Executive Editor. “We created National Stick Shift Day hoping to inspire other fans to come out in support of stick shifts and perhaps encourage others to learn how to drive and consider buying them.”
National Stick Shift Day is Tuesday, July 16th.
Survey Says
Ahead of National Stick Shift Day 2019, Cars.com conducted a survey of more than 1,000 consumers. Participants shared their thoughts on manual transmissions despite automatics being more common. Interesting enough, 78 percent can actually drive a manual, while 72 percent say it’s something everybody should learn. 48 percent said they would gladly learn if given the opportunity.
“At minimum, people who learn to drive stick have a feeling of accomplishment and they’re prepared in case they find themselves in a situation where they need to drive a stick, either in an emergency or when traveling abroad,” Wiesenfelder said. “We also believe a manual driver is a more engaged driver and, arguably, a better one.”
Cars.com then analyzed internal data to determine the top five most-purchased stick shifts on their website. Leading the way is the Subaru WRX, with the Honda Civic and Ford Mustang following closely; then the Civic Si and Jeep Wrangler Unlimited. Wiesenfelder says they were a little surprised to see the list shake out the way it did.
“Until we dug a little deeper and thought it through, and in short order things started to make more sense,” he continued. “The Subaru WRX as a whole doesn’t sell in volumes as high as the Civic, Mustang or others, but it is very much a performance-oriented model that appeals to enthusiasts, and those are the drivers who are drawn to manual transmissions nowadays.”
2019 Subaru WRX. Photo: Subaru of America, Inc.
No Love For The CVT
The Subaru WRX is available as an automatic, however it’s a continuously variable transmission. According to Cars.com, nearly 85 percent of WRX models are sold with the manual, the highest rate for any nameplate offering both transmission types. Wiesenfelder says this is because CVTs in any form, from any manufacturer, are the opposite of what driving enthusiasts want. Last year, Subaru overhauled the WRX’s six-speed manual with a new synchro design to enhance shifter feel and clutch take-up.
“Similarly, the Civic Si comes only as a stick shift, so it places high in the list of manuals despite its relatively low overall sales,” Wiesenfelder added. “People may think of the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro first as sports cars, but these volume-sellers are also popular for cruising and come in convertible versions as well, which have historically leaned more toward automatic transmissions.”
By comparison, the top five most-viewed vehicles with a manual on Cars.com differed slightly from the five most-purchased. Of the most-viewed, the Ford Mustang led the list with the Camaro and Corvette following behind. Spots four and five belong to the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited and Dodge Challenger.
2019 Ford Mustang interior layout. Photo: Ford Motor Company.
Manual Transmissions Versus Autonomous Transactions
Last year, Hagerty began hosting a series of town hall discussions on the importance of driving. Autonomous vehicles and their impact on society was one of Hagerty’s first such discussions. Wayne Carini of Chasing Classic Cars and former General Motors Vice Chairman Bob Lutz served as panelists. At the same time, Hagerty commissioned a survey in response to the development of autonomous vehicles. The poll consisted of millennials, Gen Xers, and baby boomers.
“One of our goals will be to work with policymakers so that years or even decades from now when the bulk of cars are fully autonomous, the act of driving is protected,” explained McKeel Hagerty, CEO of Hagerty, last year. “We also want to facilitate the discussion about what driving looks like in the future – now’s the time to have those conversations.”
Related: The disconnect between the industry and consumers with autonomous cars.
In that survey, 79 percent of all respondents from ALL generations are still passionate about driving. 81 percent said learning to drive is a rite of passage worth preserving. Still another 85 percent said driving is an important part of American culture; the same percentage said they want the option of driving a car themselves, autonomous or otherwise.
“Having covered self-driving tech for 20 years, I don’t think autonomy is going to overtake the market anytime soon,” Wiesenfelder said. “But if it ever does, I wouldn’t expect driving enthusiasts to hand over the keys quietly.”
“I believe going through driver’s training and getting your license is important for young adults. It not only teaches them a skill but also teaches them responsibility,” added Lauren Witt, a Detroit-based Automotive Product Specialist who works with automakers on their consumer ride-and-drive programs. “For most, it is their first step towards freedom and adulthood.”
In Hagerty’s survey, 81 percent said learning to drive is a rite of passage worth preserving.
Related: Younger generations are embracing classic cars.
Dad Knows Best
Indeed, automatic transmissions are superior today to manual ones in terms of performance and efficiency; more gears, wider ratios, and computer technology has made that possible – but it’s only part of the equation. National Stick Shift Day digs at something a little more – something even the best technology cannot replicate. In American culture, there is an ever-present image of a father teaching their children how to properly care for and drive a car. At the center is often a manual transmission, especially for those who grew up in a rural area.
In the Cars.com survey, 67 percent said they learned how to drive a manual transmission from their father.
“I counted down the days until I got my driver’s license; then when I was 17 my dad taught me how to drive a stick,” Witt said. “So for me, driving really was and is an experience and skill I love and take pride in. I’m excited to see what happens with autonomous vehicles, but they can’t replace the feel you get when actually driving a car.”
In American culture our elders often teach us about cars.
Grinding Gears & Killing The Engine
Wiesenfelder says don’t worry about this – it’s part of the process when leaning to drive a manual. “There’s really no way around it,” he adds, saying first-timers need to take it in stride. Understand even though gears may groan and the engine may stall, you probably won’t break anything. In other words, it’s not the end of the world. If you’re feeling shifty for National Stick Shift Day, watch Wiesenfelder’s video below. By the time you are done, you will be an old pro.
“Though we’re clearly advocates for manual gearboxes for many reasons, we’re journalists first and foremost, so we have to make clear that manual transmissions are seldom the consumer’s most fuel-efficient choice anymore,” he added. “If you’re buying a stick-shift car, it’s probably for your own enjoyment – or to lower its odds of being stolen by a millennial.”
Carl Anthony studies mechanical engineering at Wayne State University, serves on the Board of Directors for the Ally Jolie Baldwin Foundation, and is a loyal Detroit Lions fan. Before going back to school, he simultaneously held product development and experiential marketing roles in the automotive industry.

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2020 Dodge Charger: When The Widebody Comes To Town

2020 Dodge Charger: When The Widebody Comes To Town Given already to the Dodge Challenger, the Charger now receives the brand’s Widebody treatments.
More than just looks, the Charger Widebody boasts of number of performance and tech upgrades.
Pricing has not been announced for the new muscle cars, although the order books open this fall.
You can’t say Mopar is inconsistent. Essentially the philosophy of Dodge in the modern era – any time post-1960 or so – is simple: What’s the biggest, highest horsepower engine we got? Put it in everything! Whatever vehicles the company is producing, said engines will eventually make it into everything. For example, the Dodge Durango SRT. With the bigger engines, come bigger cars, like the Challenger’s Widebody treatments two years ago. And now here we are with the 2020 Dodge Charger getting a Widebody upgrade of its own.
Here Is The. Point.
Thus spoke Zarathustra: “Designed and Engineered to Push the Boundaries of What a Four-door Family Sedan Can Be, the New 2020 Dodge Charger … ” Yeah, blah, blah, blah, here’s the deal: Supercharged, 6.2 Hemi Hellcat V8, 707 horsepower, 650 lb-ft. of torque. Sure, sure, you can argue “But the BMW M5 this!” or “The AMG that!” or whatever you want, but I’ll see you at the end of The Strip, Klaus. No, not by a country mile is the Dodge Charger as refined, or as good all-around, as those built by Germans (and a good slice of Japanese or the British), but to FCA’s way of thinking, that’s kind of beside the point.
The Point here was one they figured out back when Brian Jones was leaving The Stones. The Point is quarter mile performance is everything. Acceleration. Torque. Tire-smoking, explosive, head-snapping, retina-detaching acceleration. So we’re not going to talk about nav systems and infotainment packages and leather dye colors. That stuff is beside The Point.
2020 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Widebody. Photo: FCA US LLC.
2020 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Widebody
The Widebody package is standard on Charger SRT Hellcat and available for the Charger Scat Pack. If you get the Widebody, which you should, the fender flares add 3.5 inches of width. Dodge says this makes for “an even more aggressive, planted stance.” Gee, ya think? At any rate, thanks to the humongoid flares, you have lots of room for the wider, 20 by 11-inch wheels wrapped in Pirelli 305/35ZR20 tires. Sure, you might think that’s kind of overkill, but I direct your attention back to that torque figure of 650 lb-ft.
Also, those big wheels give you plenty of room for stuff like the Brembo two-piece front brake rotors (15.4 inches) with six-piston calipers. Stopping distance is now four feet shorter (107 feet) from 60 to 0 mph (and you’re going to need that, let’s face it). The 6.2 supercharged Hemi and TorqueFlite 8HP90 eight-speed automatic send the Hellcat Widebody to a top speed of 196 mph. 60 mph comes up in just 3.6 seconds with a quarter-mile time of 10.96 seconds. In case you are interested, the new Charger Hellcat Widebody pulls .96 g on the skidpad.
Naturally the Widebody’s suspension gets special tuning all around. Front spring rates increase to provide a jump in stiffness of 32 percent, versus the existing Charger Hellcat. Larger sway bars enter the picture, expanding from 32 mm to 34 mm in front and from 19 mm to 22 mm out back. An SRT-tuned, Bilstein three-mode adaptive suspension and a new electric power steering system are also on deck.
Hellcat Widebody Performance Tech
On top of all this, there are four race-inspired tech goodies standard for 2020. Race Cooldown keeps cooling the supercharger/charge air cooler after the engine is shut off so things don’t overcook. Line Lock, an old school personal favorite, engages only the front brakes so you can do burnouts. Launch Control handles tire slip for more consistent straight-line acceleration. (To me, this is cheating, but that’s another story.) And then Launch Assist, via the wheel speed sensors, modifies torque (in milliseconds) to prevent driveline-damaging wheel hop during launch.
2020 Dodge Charger Scat Pack Widebody. Photo: FCA US LLC.
Related: Black is the new black: meet the Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Octane Edition.
2020 Dodge Charger Scat Pack Widebody
Now with the 2020 Dodge Charger Scat Pack Widebody – which might be your best choice in a performance versus cost equation – you get the 6.4 392 Hemi, which puts out 485 horsepower. The engine is mated to a TorqueFlite 8HP70 eight-speed automatic. All the aforementioned suspension bits and performance-enhancing mistresses; including Launch Control, Launch Assist, and Line Lock – all of it is still there with the Scat Pack Widebody.
Versus the “normal” Scat Pack, the Widebody stops three feet shorter. Acceleration improves too, with the Widebody Scat Pack hitting 60 mph in 4.3 seconds, the quarter-mile in 12.4 seconds at 111 mph, and a .98 g lateral grip figure on the skidpad. The Widebody Scat Pack also runs 1.3 seconds faster on a 2.1-mile road course, equal to eight car lengths per lap.
Standard wheels are these 20 by 11-inch, split-five spoke deals with a low-gloss granite finish. Optional are the 20-inchers in Carbon Black. Pirelli 305/35ZR20 all-season performance tires are standard; three-season tires are optional.
Photo: FCA US LLC.
Ordering & Availability
So look, you’ve got a family, you need a sedan, you might (might!) want to consider the Charger. With the Widebody Scat Pack. Or the Hellcat if you are a greased-stained gearhead with only a partial amount of sanity like myself. The order books for the Widebody Chargers open this fall, with deliveries expected early next year.
Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He is the author of Bricks & Bones: The Endearing Legacy and Nitty-Gritty Phenomenon of The Indy 500, available in paperback or Kindle format. Follow his work on Twitter: @TonyBorroz.
Photos & Source: FCA US LLC.

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Porsche 911 GT2 RS Fastest 911 Ever With Staggering Nürburgring Lap

Porsche 911 GT2 RS Fastest 911 Ever With Staggering Nürburgring Lap

Somehow over the years, the Nürburgring has become the de facto benchmark for carmakers. What once started out as a make-work project by the Nazis (no, really) and ended up being the venue for the German Grand Prix for decades was, for a while there, seemingly consigned to being a footnote in racing history. Niki Lauda’s near-fatal crash in ’76 sounded the death knell for the track as a GP venue in favor of safer more anodyne locations like Hockenheim or the new Nürburgring GP circuit.
Local Attraction, Digital Destination
The old track, properly referred to as the Nürburgring-Nordschleife, was still there, draped around the countryside, ringing the ancient ruins of a Medieval castle, used on occasion for sports car races, and, for no sane, logical, reasonable explanation, open to the average driver as a public road. You could, and still can, for a not-unreasonable fee, take any car with a license plate for a lap around the old Nordschleife. Everything from 2CVs to big bore Ferraris were welcome and this, over the years, grew organically into a yardstick to measure yourself and your car.
Automotive manufacturers cottoned to this growing level of cachet right around the same time that Sony and Microsoft were establishing themselves in the game console market. Before you could legally drive on a public road in this country, you could lap the Nürburgring-Nordschleife just as fast as your digital car could go in a PlayStation or Xbox.
And now, setting a hot lap time around the old circuit means something, and boy, did Porsche just blast off a hot one a few days back with their 2018 911 GT2 RS. For those of you that want to cut to the chase, here’s the number: 6:47.3. That is, to use the engineering term, really &#%$^*$ fast! I mean mein Gott in Himmel fast. Seriously. Power up your PlayStation or your Xbox and give it a go. See how fast you can go. G’head. Take your time. I can wait . . . see? Not that easy, is it?
Photo: Porsche Cars North America, Inc.
Sunday Driver
And do keep in mind that although the 2018 Porsche 911 GT2 RS is a factory stripper hot rod, it is also a fully street legal sports car. This is no track day special. You could hang a license plate off your 911 GT2 RS and drive it to work if you wanted to. I know I would, but I’m funny like that.
Porsche’s best lap time of 6:47.3 minutes surpassed Zuffenhausen’s internal target by 17.7 seconds, a huge gap to say the least. Frank-Steffen Walliser, Head of Motorsport and GT Cars for Porsche, stated flatly, “this result makes it official: The GT2 RS is not only the most powerful, but also the fastest 911 model ever built.”
As if that lap record wasn’t intimidating enough, it’s also worth noting that it wasn’t a single, go for broke, banzai lap. Porsche points out that once drivers Lars Kern and Nick Tandy broke the previous record for street legal sports cars of 6:52.01, they immediately proceeded to lap the track in under 6:50 on five separate occasions. Although Kern and Tandy were each trading the quickest times back and forth, it was Kern, a Porsche test driver by trade that set the quickest mark of the day.
Photo: Porsche Cars North America, Inc.

Power & Performance
The specs for the 911 GT2 RS are just as staggering as that lap time. It’s the fastest and most powerful road-going 911 thanks to a 3.6-liter twin turbo flat-six engine, producing 700 horsepower and 553 lb-ft. of torque. The two-seater tips the scales at 3,241 pounds and is shod with standard N-spec Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires. All this adds up to a 0 to 60 launch of 2.7 seconds and a top speed of 211 mph.
The Porsche 911 GT2 RS is the cover car in Microsoft’s upcoming Forza 7. Forza 7 will be one of the main launch titles for the soon-to-be-released Xbox One X which means, given the inclusion of the Nürburgring-Nordschleife in Forza, that you could have a tilt at those lap times laid down by Messrs. Kern and Tandy. I know I’ll be trying.
Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He means well, even if he has a bias toward lighter, agile cars rather than big engine muscle cars or family sedans.

Photos, Video & Source: Porsche Cars North America, Inc.

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2018 Toyota RAV4 Adventure Arrives With Tow Package, New Features

2018 Toyota RAV4 Adventure Arrives With Tow Package, New Features

There is a new trim level for Toyota’s RAV4 called the Adventure. Perhaps that’s the subtle work of the marketing department, or maybe that’s done on purpose. Maybe it’s a more cleaver and less redundant way of saying “adventure starts with the new RAV4.” Of course the other, and much bigger question is: Starting at approximately $28,000! I thought these things were supposed to be cheap?
Bang For The Buck
Nearly $30,000 seems like a lot of scratch, to me, for an entry-level cute-ute/crossover/thingo. $30k can get you a lot of ride, even if you’re looking for something more or less off-road capable. So if you were to drop that much on Toyota’s RAV4 Adventure, what do you get for your money?
The condensed version is that the 2018 Toyota RAV4 Adventure adds select exterior styling features and grade-specific interior bits and bobs. Falling between the XLE and SE versions, the Adventure gets large over-fender flares and big 18-inch five-spoke black alloy wheels, mounted with 235/55R18 tires. Toyota says this means the RAV4 Adventure is “ready to play in the dirt,” and I can hear you serious off-roaders, King of The Hammers participants, mud-boggers, and all the rest chuckling from here.
Adventurous Stance
But let’s face facts: 90% of rides like the RAV4 Adventure are bought by people who will never take them off-road. So yeah, Toyota is playing to that ego-fault and, like other crossover-thingo manufactures, Toyota is making money hand over fist. The RAV4 Adventure also comes with exclusive gray lower valance panels and rocker panel guards, black headlight bezels, black fog lamp surrounds, roof rails, and exclusive Adventure badging. You know, since it says Adventure, it better look the part. It also sits a bit higher with an overall height increase of 10-millimeters, while ground clearance is up a total of 6.5-inches from 6.1-inches.
Interior Treatments
On the inside there are exclusive interior features such as carbon-fiber-like trim panels, a leather-wrapped shift knob, and RAV4 Adventure logos on the door sill protectors. There are also all-weather floor and cargo mats with RAV4 Adventure badging and a 120V/100W power outlet in the cargo area to serve as a convenient portable charging station and/or handy power source during tailgate parties, camping trips, and the like.
Drive Options & Towing
The 2018 RAV4 Adventure (which Toyota hilariously terms as being “active lifestyle-inspired”) comes in front-wheel drive with an Automatic Limited Slip Differential. If you choose the all-wheel drive version, you get Dynamic Torque Control. Whether you choose the front driver or the more off-road suited all-wheel drive model, both versions feature a standard Tow Prep Package with an upgraded radiator and additional engine oil and transmission fluid coolers. With the available tow hitch receiver and wiring harness, the RAV4 Adventure is capable of towing 2,900 lbs. (FWD) and 3,500 lbs. with Dynamic Control equipped AWD models. Not too shabby in either case.
Safety & Security
Like all RAV4 models, the Adventure comes standard with an alphabet soup of safety, comfort, and convenience gizmos. You get Toyota Safety Sense P that includes Toyota’s Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection, Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist, Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, and Automatic High Beams; you also get Hill-Start Assist Control.
Colors & Availability
The RAV4 Adventure comes in five exterior colors: Black, Magnetic Gray Metallic, Silver Sky Metallic, Super White, and Ruby Flare Pearl, which is both new to the RAV4 and an additional cost. Other exclusive features include heated seats, a power driver’s seat, heated leather steering wheel, and wiper de-icer as part of a new Cold Weather Package. The 2018 Toyota RAV4 Adventure is available now starting at $27,700 for the FWD model and $28,400 for the AWD variant.
Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He means well, even if he has a bias toward lighter, agile cars rather than big engine muscle cars or family sedans.
Photo & Source: Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.

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Ford, Virginia Tech Help Autonomous Cars Talk To Us

Ford, Virginia Tech Help Autonomous Cars Talk To Us

Well this is kind of a goofy question to answer, but honestly, I’m glad someone is thinking to ask it now versus waiting for an autonomous car to plow through a Times Square crosswalk: How will autonomous cars let us know they see us? If you think about it, this is not usually an issue for pedestrians and drivers interacting on the streets today. It’s kind of pointing out the obvious, but being either a pedestrian or a driver and interacting at a crosswalk is pretty easy because there are people involved.
Communication Breakdown
What happens when you take people, flawed and distracted though they may be, out of half of that equation? How will an autonomous vehicle be working, what it be needing to do, and how will it communicate that to us? For me, it has always been rather easy to tell what a car (and therefor its driver) is going to do. I spend a lot of time around cars and racetracks and end up paying a lot of attention to what cars are doing. So it’s easy for me to tell if a car/driver “sees” me and whether it’s okay to walk into the street.
Dive, squat, roll, transitioning from one vehicle state to another is something you pick up at racetracks almost by instinct. “Yeah, he’s on the brakes early,” you can say because, over the years, you have been training yourself to notice things like weight transfer, causing the front to nose down by half an inch because the driver has gotten off the throttle. And it’s easy to transfer those traits from the racetrack to every day life.
A lot of people, however, do not think in ways that your everyday, run-of-the-mill gearhead does. Those are the people that, when waiting to cross at a crosswalk wait. They wait until they not only see the car is slowing, but until they see it is coming to a stop, and then they, sometimes, wait even further until the car comes to a complete stop and they make eye contact with the driver and the driver gives them a nod or motions them forward (or both) and then they cross the street.
For those people, who are the majority, how will the inevitable autonomous car let them know it’s okay to cross? Ford Motor Company and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute have been working on just that.
Photo: Ford Motor Company.
Signals & Signs
FoMoCo and Virginia Tech are conducting user experience studies to suss out a way to communicate the vehicle’s intent by soliciting real-world reactions to self-driving cars on public roads. The team thought of using text displays, but reasoned that would require all people understand the same language. I would have rejected it because it requires people to stop, read, cognate, and react and that takes too much time. They also thought of using symbols, but that was nixed because symbols historically have low recognition among consumers.
Ford and VTTI found that lighting signals are the most effective means for creating a visual communications protocol for self-driving vehicles. Think of it as being akin to turn signals and brake lights, only more so. Turn signals and brake lights are already standardized and widely understood, so they reckon the use of lighting signals is the best way to communicate. The lighting signals will communicate if a vehicle is in autonomous mode or if it’s beginning to yield or about to accelerate from a stop. Makes sense, no?
To signal the vehicle’s intent to yield, two white lights that move side to side were displayed, indicating the vehicle is about to yield and come to a full stop. Active autonomous mode was signaled by a solid white light. Start to go was conveyed by a rapidly blinking white light that indicated the vehicle would soon be accelerating from a stop.
Photo: Ford Motor Company.
Candid Camera
To test this out, Ford equipped a Transit Connect with a light bar on the windshield. To go even further and not tip their hand that there was an actual human driving the thing, the VTTI team developed a way to conceal the driver with a “seat suit” so it looked like the van was empty. I know, I know, that’s going a bit far, isn’t it? Then again, this is real science, and a real study, and you best be figuring out how to negate outside undue influences and such. This is why studies are double-blind and things of that nature: eliminate all variables that can skew the results.
Ford and VTTI took it a step further even. While driving the simulated autonomous Transit Connect on public roads in northern Virginia, they captured pedestrian’s reactions on video. They logged over 1,800 miles of driving and more than 150 hours of data, including encounters with pedestrians, bicyclists, and other drivers at intersections, in parking lots, garages, and even airport roadways. The vehicle was studded with high-definition cameras to capture the behavior of other road users and provide a 360-degree view of surrounding areas as well.

Universal Language
Ford is hoping to create an industry standard and is already working with several organizations including the International Organization for Standardization and SAE International for a common visual communications interface across all self-driving vehicles, in all locations. Ford is also working on ways to communicate with those who are blind or visually impaired as part of this project too.
Will it work? They didn’t seem to run over anyone in northern Virginia so it worked in that sense, and besides, festooning cars with more lights and signals and all that, it does seem like a plausible and workable solution. Besides, we’ll have to do something along these lines, or nobody – cars, people the whole lot – will know what to do when the traffic light turns green.
Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He means well, even if he has a bias toward lighter, agile cars rather than big engine muscle cars or family sedans.
Photo: Ford Motor Company.
Photos & Source: Ford Motor Company.

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Airbag Recalls: Quick Facts & How To Check Your Car

Airbag Recalls: Quick Facts & How To Check Your Car With the summer travel season in full swing, have your car checked for safety recalls.
The Takata airbag recall continues to affect vehicle owners across the United States.
Free resources are available for you to view any and all safety recalls on your car.
When was the last time you checked your vehicle for safety recalls? If you can’t remember, now is a good time, especially with the summer travel season in full swing. A recent AAA Travel survey finds nearly 100 million Americans – four in 10 U.S. adults – are planning a family vacation this year. With regard to summer road trips specifically, 68 percent of all travelers say they will embark on a summer getaway. If you are planning a trip, we want to help keep you safe. Taking care of any outstanding recalls – especially airbag recalls – before you embark is always a good idea.
Even if you are not hitting the road this summer, it’s still a good idea to check. Here is what you need to know.
What Are “Open” Safety Recalls?
A recall originates when a manufacturer or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) determines that a certain vehicular component poses a safety risk or fails to meet minimum standards. “Open” is in reference to an incomplete or outstanding recall. By law, automakers must address these recalls by replacing the part for free. The United States Code for Motor Vehicle Safety (Title 49, Chapter 301) defines motor vehicle safety as something that should protect the public against the unreasonable risk of accidents (i.e. death or injury) due to the design, construction, or performance of a motor vehicle.
More than 53 million vehicles – approximately one in five – have open safety recalls.
Automakers send letters to original vehicle owners within 60 days notifying them of the defect and how to get it fixed. However, the National Safety Council says the recall repair rate is just 44 percent for vehicles five to 10 years old. Within that time frame, an owner may have moved, or sold or traded the vehicle in question. As a result, current owners may not be aware of such recalls; still others know but perceive it as unimportant.
For these reasons, NHTSA recommends updating your vehicle registration and mailing address, and taking the necessary actions regarding safety recalls.
According to the National Safety Council, 42 million vehicles have unaddressed airbag recalls.
Airbags Among The Highest Number of Recalls
Of the 53 million vehicles with open recalls, a staggering 42 million have unaddressed issues pertaining to Takata airbags. If these airbags deploy, occupants are at risk of injury or death from metal fragments acting as projectiles. According to NHTSA and as detailed by Consumer Reports, the Takata airbags in question use an ammonium nitrate-based propellant absent a drying agent. Heat and humidity over time can cause these airbags to improperly inflate and explode upon deployment; thus spaying metal fragments into the cabin.
Based on NHTSA’s findings, there have been at least 24 deaths and 300 injuries globally.
Vehicles manufactured by BMW, Ford, Honda, Mazda, Nissan, Subaru, and Toyota are among those affected. Last year, Consumer Reports noted that U.S. lawmakers were frustrated by the lack of progress with regard to the issue. Officials expect another round of Takata airbag recalls, which may span the next couple years. NHTSA describes the Takata airbag recall as the largest and most complex in U.S. history.
Some Affected More Than Others
Airbag Recall, an organization that champions awareness about airbag safety recalls, says vehicle owners in North Carolina and Hawaii are at risk. Their first report finds more than 600,000 North Carolina residents are driving a vehicle with defective airbags. In Hawaii, more than 70,000 residents own a vehicle with open airbag recalls. According to the law offices of Newsome Melton in Orlando, Florida, the Sunshine State is the most impacted by the recall, affecting 1.3 million vehicles statewide.
Nationally, the recall campaign encompasses tens of millions of vehicles from 19 manufacturers, and over 200 models and model years; although some vehicles are more susceptible than others.

What You Can Do To Stay Safe
Have your mechanic or service advisor check when you take your car in for routine service. They can look for open recalls while you are there and possibly even fix them the same day. Get in a habit of checking for safety recalls each time you get your oil changed.
NHTSA’s Safercar.gov website and corresponding mobile apps allow you to look up recalls by VIN number. The mobile apps will send recall alerts as they happen; or you can sign up to receive e-mail updates regarding recall notices. The National Safety Council’s Check To Protect program is another valuable resource for vehicle owners. Supported by automakers, safety advocates, and industry leaders, CheckToProtect.org is free and instantly checks for open safety and airbag recalls.
Sources: Airbag Recall, Consumer Reports, National Safety Council, NHTSA.

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This Free E-Book Will Help You Prepare For Your Summer Road Trip

This Free E-Book Will Help You Prepare For Your Summer Road Trip Spend more time enjoying your vacation and less time worrying about it.
Free for a limited time this summer, our comprehensive guide will help.
The summer road trip is a quintessential part of American culture. Be it a family vacation or romantic getaway, we have been seeking the other side of the horizon since the time of the Model T. With longer days and warmer temps, there are plenty of places to go and things to see across this great country.
A recent AAA Travel survey finds nearly 100 million Americans – four in 10 U.S. adults – are planning a family vacation this year. With regard to summer road trips specifically, two-thirds of all travelers (68 percent) say they will embark on a summer getaway.
If only it wasn’t so stressful to plan and pack everything.
Simple But Comprehensive
Detroit auto journalist and Automoblog.net Managing Editor Carl Anthony brings you and your family this brief but comprehensive guide. Anthony, an advocate for responsible driving, worked with top safety experts in the field, from state law enforcement agencies to national organizations. As a former dealership service manager, Anthony understands the importance of readying your car for the miles ahead, especially in the hot summer sun.
Preparing For Your Summer Road Trip: The Ultimate Guide consists of three essential parts: getting your vehicle ready, what to pack, and how to stay safe while driving. You and your family will have a comprehensive checklist to take your mechanic before you leave; know what to put in your emergency kit, including something we too often overlook; and the best times of the week to drive. Anthony also provides safe driving tips and advice on how to prevent your car from being stolen on your trip. Each section is summarized at the end with easy-to-remember bullet points.
Valuable Insights & Data
Featured experts include representatives from the California Highway Patrol, National Safety Council, REAL Volkswagen Parts, The Law Offices of Siegfried & Jensen, and YourMechanic. Supplemental data is either provided by or sourced from AAA, Avvo, Esurance, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, National Insurance Crime Bureau, and the National Sleep Foundation.
Availability
Preparing For Your Summer Road Trip: The Ultimate Guide is available in Kindle format for only $0.99 on Amazon. However, for a limited time, the guide is available for a free download! Just fill out the form below and we’ll send you the eBook for free!

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You’re Not Actually Riding Those Waves: An Analogy On Automated Cars

You’re Not Actually Riding Those Waves: An Analogy On Automated Cars Will automated cars take away the thrill and joy of driving?
What will happen to those who enjoy driving on their own?
Automoblog columnist Tony Borroz with a perspective.
Recently, I read and reviewed a very well done book on the future of automated cars and driving. While banging through the review, I had to examine my own thoughts on automation and what it means for me as a car enthuiast. Unsurprisingly, I’m not a big fan, but not completely opposed to it either. It’s just that, by and large, self-driving cars seem like an answer to a question that I (and many other gearheads) never asked.
Who Enjoys Driving Anyway?
90 percent of my beef with self-driving cars comes down to one instance. Some years back, I saw a press conference with some Google execs about their then-new autonomous car program. One of them, Brin or someone, I don’t recall who, said, “Seriously: Who actually enjoys driving a car?” And that, right there, is our problem specifically, and the greater “problem” that tech brings to the table with all of its disruptive “solutions.”
Tech’s biggest failing, circa 2019, is how they think they are solving problems; but they never grok to the fact they don’t fully understand a given problem. Take that quote: “Seriously: Who actually enjoys driving a car?” Obviously that was uttered by someone who didn’t enjoy driving a car. Ergo, since he didn’t enjoy it, why would anyone else? Well thanks for coming to my rescue, but I was doing just fine and, more to the point, I didn’t ask you to rescue me.
Here is my analogy as to why this is both philosophically and logically the wrong path to go down.
Photo: Hyundai Motor America.
Related: Do consumers really trust automated cars?
Automated Cars & Surfing Safaris
Imagine a tech guy – smart, rich, overworked, thinks he’s a Divine gift to the world – is finally forced to take a vacation after solid months of programming from his office in Mountain View or Redmond or Boston. For some reason, he goes to Hawaii. Someone takes him out to The North Shore and shows him what surfing is.
The picked a good day. Sunset is huge, Waimea might go off and Pipeline is firing, 16 to 18 feet and glassy. A wave comes up, a guy catches it, makes the drop, snaps it off the lip, comes back down for another bottom turn and boom!, hooks a rail and wipes out. He’s standing there, zinc sunscreen on his nose, Teva sandals with socks, every inch the haole nerd.
“Do they always fall like that?” asks the tech guy.
“Most of the time, yeah. It ain’t easy brah!” says the local taking him around.
Tech bro nerd guy then has a brainstorming session.
Catching Waves Via Smartphone
A year later, he comes back to The North Shore. This time with his new start-up in tow. They rent the Volcom House (money is no object). They have a roll-out party to end all parties. Kalua pork, three-finger poi, Kim Taylor Reece is taking pictures, they even get Jake Shimabukuro to play (because money is no object to tech bros). And then the big moment arrives: the big unveiling.
He pulls the covers back and shows off his new invention: The fully automatic surfboard!
He goes into his pitch. “Our new surfboard, the SrfRyder, is the world’s first fully-automated surfboard! With miniaturized water jet engines and ring gyroscope stabilization, catching and riding waves is just a tap on your smartphone away. Never again will you just miss a wave. Never again will you fall, mid-ride. You will be able to catch any wave you see and you will be able to ride any wave you catch. Using our Waterman smartphone app . . . blah blah blah . . .”
Last year, Hagerty began hosting a series of town hall discussions on the importance of driving. Autonomous vehicles and their impact on society was one of the first discussions, with Wayne Carini of Chasing Classic Cars and former General Motors Vice Chairman Bob Lutz as panelists.
Related: Americans still love driving, despite onset of automated cars.
Playing Versus Sitting On The Sidelines
Granted, this is just a story and an analogy. This would never happen. You know why this would never happen? Because if a machine is doing it for you, you are not surfing. And the whole point of surfing is not about traveling from the line up into the beach while standing up, no. The point of surfing is to surf. To catch a wave yourself and then ride it as you see fit, and to the best of your abilities. If a machine does it for you, you’re not a surfer, you’re merely floating. You’re not actually riding those waves.
Same with automated cars. You’re going but you’re not actually engaged in the joys and thrills of driving.
In Defense of Driving
And sure, one day there might be some tech bro standing on a beach, seeing a guy just getting worked after losing it at Pipe, and the tech bro might say to himself, “Seriously: Who actually enjoys surfing?” And that’s fine. He’s entitled to his opinion. But woe unto him if he ever were to make something like an automated surfboard. It completely misses the point of what a surfboard is.
And for some of us, driving is that way. I have no problem using a self-driving car the same way I have no problem with taking a cab or a bus. Just don’t force me to.
Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He is the author of Bricks & Bones: The Endearing Legacy and Nitty-Gritty Phenomenon of The Indy 500, available in paperback or Kindle format. Follow his work on Twitter: @TonyBorroz.
Photo: Volvo Car Group.

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