Automotive

Run For The Roses: Ram Kentucky Derby Edition Arrives

Run For The Roses: Ram Kentucky Derby Edition Arrives Ram has unveiled a limited edition 1500 to commemorate the 144th running of the Kentucky Derby. The 2019 Ram Kentucky Derby Edition is modeled after the top Limited trim and will feature distinctive “Run for the Roses” fender graphics.
“The Kentucky Derby has long been among America’s most cherished sporting events,” explained Mike Manley, Head of Ram Brand – FCA. “The close ties between Ram trucks and the equine community have led us to the introduction of the 2019 Ram 1500 Kentucky Derby Edition.”
Features & Colors
The special Ram 1500 has a Uconnect 12-inch touchscreen radio with Sirius XM, navigation, four-corner auto-leveling air suspension, power running boards, trailer hitch with sway control, and blind spot monitor with automatic trailer detection. The Ram Kentucky Derby Edition includes premium, heated and cooled leather reclining seats, front and rear, and authentic wood and metal trim.
The truck comes in six colors: Delmonico Red, Diamond Black Crystal, Granite Crystal, Max Steel, or Patriot Blue. Ivory White Tri Coat is also available, a first for the Ram lineup.
Photo: FCA US LLC.
Configurations
The Ram Kentucky Derby Edition is available in 4×2 or 4×4 Crew Cab configurations, with a 5 ft.-7 in. bed. When properly equipped, the 2019 Ram 1500 can tow up to 12,750 lbs.
“The Ram 1500 is a no-compromise truck that delivers capability, durability, technology, and safety and is well-suited to meet the needs of all kinds of owners, including those who love horses,” Manley said.
Pricing & Availability
The Ram Kentucky Derby Edition is on sale now, although production is limited to 2,000 units. Starting MSRP is $53,190, plus a $1,645 destination charge.
The 144th running of the Kentucky Derby takes place on Saturday, May 5th at Churchill Downs. 2018 marks the 9th year Ram has been the Official Truck of Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby.
The Automoblog Staff contributed to this report and can be reached anytime.
Ram Kentucky Derby Edition Gallery

Photos & Source: FCA US LLC.

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2018 Volkswagen Atlas V6 SEL R-Line Review

2018 Volkswagen Atlas V6 SEL R-Line Review
Volkswagen has moved into the three-row family vehicle category with its all-new Atlas SUV. It offers a spacious cabin, V6 power, room for seven passengers, and an R-Line appearance package setting it apart from the standard model.
This weekend, we drove the near top-of-the-lineup, 2018 Volkswagen Atlas V6 SEL with the R-Line trim.
What’s New For 2018
The Volkswagen Atlas is entirely new for 2018 as a midsize, three-row crossover aimed at families. Built in Tennessee, alongside the Passat, the Atlas focuses on the American market, competing with the Ford Explorer, Honda Pilot, Toyota Highlander, and new Subaru Ascent.
Features & Options
The 2018 Volkswagen Atlas V6 SEL ($40,890) comes standard with simulated leather upholstery, push-button start, automatic headlights, a power driver’s seat, heated front seats, rear sunshades, a blind-spot monitoring system, a larger eight-inch touchscreen interface, and the option for captain’s chairs in the second row. Tech features include remote start, automatic three-zone climate control, a power rear liftgate, adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist, and automatic emergency braking.
The SEL trim adds a panoramic sunroof, power-adjustable front passenger seats, and park distance control. This SEL tester came with the optional R-Line appearance package ($1,960) featuring 20-inch alloy wheels, R-Line bumpers, badging and trim, and stainless steel pedal cluster. Total MSRP including destination: $43,775.

Interior Highlights
The cabin of the new Atlas is spacious up front with lots of leg and headroom for drivers and passengers. The all-black leatherette interior is in sharp contrast to the all-white exterior of this three-row SUV. The cabin design is conservative with clean lines, and was well thought out with its logical controls and easy to understand displays.
The quality of materials lags behind the competition, but there’s still enough soft-touch materials to give an up-class feeling. In the back, there’s more hard plastic, but that’s a good thing with the kids spilling things, offering easier cleanup for parents on the go.
The second row also offers stretch-out space and taller adults won’t feel cramped on long trips. The second-row bench splits 60/40 and slides forward to grant access to the rear compartment. The third row is exceptionally roomy and we think it wins best-in-class honors. It’s even capable of transporting average-size adults. With the second and third rows folded flat, the Atlas offers 96.8 cubic feet of cargo carrying ability.
Overall, the Atlas cabin is impressively spacious and versatile, functional and easy to use, and cargo space excels.

Engine & Fuel Mileage Specs
This Atlas tester came with the optional 3.6-liter V6 engine, generating 276 horsepower and 266 lb-ft. of torque. It’s mated with an eight-speed automatic transmission with Triptronic. This particular Atlas came with front-wheel drive, but Volkswagen’s 4Motion all-wheel drive ($1,800) is an option for V6 models.
The Stop/Start system is standard and shuts off the engine at traffic lights to save fuel and reduce emissions. EPA fuel mileage estimates come in at 18/25 city/highway and 20 combined.
Driving Dynamics
While the raw numbers of the optional V6 would suggest this three-row family hauler would be underpowered, we found it to have more than enough grunt for most driving situations. The new Atlas has a composed attitude with smooth acceleration, solid stability at high speeds, a comfortable ride on the highway, and responsive handling in the corners.
On the road, the new Atlas feels lighter than expected for a vehicle of its size and weight. Even with the optional R-Line 20-inch wheels, our rear passengers over the weekend said it was a smooth, comfortable ride. Even on dirt roads, the fully independent suspension absorbed the bumps capably and confidently.
We pushed the Atlas hard around the tight mountain corners west of Denver, and it remained composed with little body lean. When pushed uphill at altitude, we found it had enough power and the eight-speed automatic wasn’t hunting for the right gear.
However, the V6 isn’t as frugal by today’s fuel efficiency standards as some of the competition, even without all-wheel drive.
Conclusion
The 2018 Volkswagen Atlas is especially spacious inside and offers lots of flexibility for your cargo-carrying needs. There’s room for seven passengers, and adults can even ride in the back for more than a few blocks.
Denis Flierl has invested over 25 years in the automotive industry in a variety of roles. Follow his work on Twitter: @CarReviewGuy
2018 Volkswagen Atlas R-Line Gallery

2018 Volkswagen Atlas Official Site.
Photos: Volkswagen of America, Inc.

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Automoblog Book Garage: Muscle Car Barn Finds

Automoblog Book Garage: Muscle Car Barn Finds
One man’s trash is another man’s treasure is probably the best idiom to sum up the automotive barn find movement. Back in that old shed, surrounded by clutter, and underneath all that dust and dirt is a rare gem just waiting to be discovered. Those who seek such prizes are like the automotive equivalent of Indiana Jones – minus the encounters with snakes – but then again, depending on where you come across these buried treasures, snakes might be part of the ordeal.
You go on ahead and look around in there. We’ll wait.
The Hunt
Muscle Car Barn Finds comes to us by way of “Automotive Archaeologist” Ryan Brutt, who shows us old bulls do come back from the pasture. The book takes us through the small towns and back roads, under tattered tarps, and behind garage doors for a look at what long forgotten cars are stashed there. Finding an abandoned car is one of the most common dreams among collectors and a catalyst for the hobby, with car shows now having entire classes devoted to barn find vehicles. And we get a good taste of that thrill in Muscle Car Barn Finds.
Restoration & Imagination
Perhaps the best part about a barn find is seeing what the car could become again. Sure, it may not look like much now – it may look pretty rough – but with a little love and elbow grease, these barn finds can become just as majestic today as they were in their time. Muscle Car Barn Finds inspires our imagination in that way, and reminds us why we enjoy cars so much in the first place. This is an ideal book for any classic or muscle car enthusiast to have on the coffee table.
Author
Brutt travels the United States documenting lost and abandoned automotive gems. He is a Contributing Editor for Hot Rod Magazine and organizes the barn finds class for the Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals. He is also the author Amazing Barn Finds and Roadside Relics and lives in Skokie, Illinois.
Muscle Car Barn Finds is available through Motorbooks and other online retailers.
Muscle Car Barn Finds Gallery

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Memory Lane: Bumbershoot Festivals & Defensive Driving

Memory Lane: Bumbershoot Festivals & Defensive Driving

Part one of this series here.
It’s been a few weeks since the anger over losing my beloved F-150 has faded, as if losing my truck was more important than the fact that I was not seriously injured. According to the United States Department of Transportation, male drivers aged 16 to 29 are the most dangerous people on the road.
The guy who hit me and totaled both vehicles in the process was 28.
As much as I want to be in denial about it, I was a young driver and fitted that category perfectly. My angst towards the guy subsided when I remembered the accidents I had caused, and how I became more respectful of the machines I drove over time.
Forty Dollar Folly
When I was 18, or so, I borrowed a co-worker’s 1965 Plymouth Valiant with a push button transmission. It was black with red interior. I lived up north and was driving on a clear road, except it was covered with black ice. Due to my inexperience, I failed to recognize it and lost control of the car. I ended up down an eight-foot embankment, the car smashing dead on a boulder. The rock didn’t move, but the front of the car was pushed back quite a ways and it was totaled.
I only suffered a scratched knee when it busted the 8-track tape.
Of course, there was a cost to my poor driving and I had to reimburse my co-worker for what the car was worth to the tune of $40.00 per paycheck, a lot back then. I felt bad about the whole thing, but at least there was no one else involved in the crash. After that, I was a little less careless. I would have the occasional distraction, like hitting the rear bumper of a car waiting at a yield sign when I was too preoccupied to see if the road was clearing up so I could get on the freeway.
But I still drove too fast, especially in wintertime, and would lose control of my car once in a while and hit a curb.
According to Safety Insurance, at least 77 percent of traffic accidents are the result of driver error. Photo: Pexels.

Proactive Position
I became much more responsible when I had the good fortune of taking a defensive driving and skid control course. It is one of the best courses I have ever taken, still putting into practice what I learned so many years ago. The main thing I realized is I was following too close, and I can see to this day how many people tailgate. The other thing I realized was an overconfidence in the braking ability of cars. Aside from driving too closely and having little time to react, braking also takes time.
From the moment your brain tells your foot to switch to the brake pedal, it may already be too late. So, I’ve learned to keep my distance, at least three seconds behind, not two, and to know the limits of the car, and not just in terms of braking. Speeding was the last thing to be stricken off my list of do’s and don’ts. I even lost my driver’s license because of too many speeding tickets.
Wintertime Woes
The defensive driving course helped me countless times. There was a particular trip in winter when the sun was shining. I was driving a 1989 Thunderbird LX, climbing a hill next to a large body of water. The combination of moisture from the lake, sun, and cold air had turned the road into an ice rink. On the other side of the hill, I came upon a surreal sight. At least a dozen vehicles had skidded off the highway. There was a Greyhound bus way out in the field, the driver outside waiting.
None of the cars had overturned and no one was injured. They were waiting for the police and tow trucks to come along.
There was no one else on the actual road except me. I decided not to stop and made the conscious effort to stay away from the brake pedal. Had I stopped, I would likely have ended up off the road, or been an obstacle for future traffic since there was not enough space on the shoulder. Besides, there was nothing I could do and there were enough people around to help one another. I glided safely past this particular spiderweb of winter and eventually to the ice free pavement up ahead.
According to AAA Exchange, applying the gas slowly to accelerate is the best method for regaining traction and avoiding skids during wintertime driving. Photo: fancycrave1.
Weekend Outing
Another time, I was driving my friend’s Chevy Lumina on the I-5. We were off to Seattle to attend Bumbershoot over Labor Day weekend. My friend was up front in the passenger seat and his two sons were in the back seat. The traffic was heavy, but we were making good time by staying in the left lane. All of a sudden, a Honda Accord positioned in the center lane loses a wheel. The Accord does a 180 but stays in its lane coming to a stop. The driver, still wondering what had happened, was now fearful of being hit head-on by the cars following behind.
I drive past the Accord, still in the left lane, but the wheel was bouncing ahead. It’s all happening at 60 mph too. We don’t know where the wheel is going to end up and a guy driving a Grumman van in the slow lane doesn’t know either. He is afraid of getting hit by the wheel and as he tries to avoid it, makes his way through the center lane and into our lane. We are gradually being squeezed between the van and the median barrier. I apply the brakes slowly and manage to avoid the barrier and the van. Thank you, defensive driving course.
We made it okay to our hotel near Seattle Center. I particularly enjoyed the Brazilian Girls, the New York Dolls, and the icing on the cake, Iggy Pop and the Stooges. “I want to be your dog.” Yeah, man! If you’ve never been to Bumbershoot, it’s worth putting on your bucket list.
Seattle Skyline. Photo: Unsplash.

Mindful Considerations
I cannot count the number of times the skills I learned during that course helped me out of jams. It seems too easy to obtain a driver’s license. At least it was when I started driving. I’m not judging. I was an overconfident and irresponsible driver in my youth. When young, we think of ourselves as invincible and oftentimes, we carry that to our senior years, especially when we sit behind the wheel.
In fact, a refresher course should be mandatory for all seniors of a certain age. I know so many “old guys” who should not be driving, but won’t give it up. They will lose their freedom, maybe their identity if they stop driving. For the young, defensive driving should be greatly emphasized as it teaches respect for a vehicle, something we all should have the moment we grab onto those handlebars or that steering wheel. This is challenging to inculcate since today’s cars are much safer and reliable, which only adds to the false sense of security.
Michael Bellamy is the author of our Memory Lane series. He enjoys driving his 1997 Lincoln Mark VIII LSC and until an untimely collision claimed it, his 2001 Ford F-150 7700.
Cover Photo: Pexels.

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2018 Audi S5 Sportback: The Semi-Sleeper In Wait

2018 Audi S5 Sportback: The Semi-Sleeper In Wait

Audi says the 2018 S5 Sportback “leads the segment in performance,” and who am I to disagree? My question is: what segment is that, exactly? The semi-big coupe, mid-hatchback segment, I suppose?
And it’s not like I’m really complaining here, it’s just the Audi 5 Series really doesn’t need much dodging around when it comes to performance. Audi has, for a while now, pretty much stolen the march on other German car brands, in terms of leveraged performance.
They’ve pretty much owned Le Mans for a very long while, and they show no hesitancy when it comes to putting performance stuff into their road cars. Ergo, the S5, the more performance oriented version of the A5 coupe, is no slouch in either in the go/turn/stop departments.
Power & Performance
Audi’s 2018 S5 Sportback has an all-new 3.0-liter TFSI V6 engine living under the hood. It produces a rather vigorous 354 horsepower and 369 lb-ft. of torque. That power band spreads from 1,370 to 4,500 rpm, which is nice and mesa-like. Power from the V6 plant gets to the bahn via a newly prepared eight-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission, optimized for the V6’s low-end torque.
The 2018 S5 Sportback blastoffs from 0 and hits 60 mph in 4.5 seconds, topping out at 155 mph when equipped with summer performance tires. Not bad, not bad at all. The standard Audi drive select comes with four different modes: comfort, auto, dynamic, and individual. S5 Sportbacks come standard with quattro all-wheel drive, because, duh.
Photo: Audi of America, Inc.
Styling & Design
There’s a wider, flatter Singleframe grille (yes that’s one word, and yes, Audi went and registered it, and yes, I think that’s overreaching) and a longer, lower hood line to highlight the V6 mill. The wave-design shoulder line is more distinct than earlier generations, and there are wider wheel arches. The slim sculptural LED taillights are joined by a horizontal design line to offer a markedly muscular look, and to emphasize vehicle width.
The S5 Sportback is recognizable by its aluminum-optic side mirror housings, the Platinum Gray Singleframe grille with aluminum-optic double horizontal blade bars, S model specific rear diffuser with honeycomb structure, and quad exhaust outlets with chrome tips. Consider it a semi-sleeper.
Interior Treatments
The sophisticated interior of the S5 has seating for up to five, as long as the backseat passengers are not NBA hopefuls or typical Wal-Mart shoppers. There’s three-dimensional decorative inlay trim with climate control integration that spans from the door panels and across the dashboard. There’s also 35 cubic feet of cargo capacity with the rear seats folded down.
Photo: Audi of America, Inc.

Standard Equipment
The list of standard equipment for the all-new S5 Sportback is rather extensive, but the high points include full-LED headlights, the aforementioned drivetrain, a leather/Alcantara trimmed interior, heated eight-way power front seats with four-way power lumbar support, and driver’s memory. The seats are diamond stitched with power side bolsters and massage function.
Other niceties include a power sunroof, power tailgate, and three-zone automatic climate control with digital rear display.
Optional Features
Options? Oh yeah, you got options. 19-inch 5-spoke-cavo design wheels with summer performance tires, a full-color heads up display, tunes via a Bang & Olufsen sound system with 3D sound, and Audi MMI touch with handwriting recognition. Yeah, I don’t get why it needs handwriting recognition either, and good luck recognizing mine, bub.
The driver assistance package includes adaptive cruise control with traffic jam assist, Audi active lane assist, high beam assistant, and traffic sign recognition (cause you’re a distracted baboon and need all the assistance you can get). A heated, 3-spoke steering wheel with shift paddles are part of the cold weather package, as are heated rear seats. The warm weather package gets you ventilated front sport seats.
Photo: Audi of America, Inc.
Pricing & Trim Levels
Pricing? Well, that’s where the bad news starts.
The dollars start flowing right away for the 2018 Audi A5 Sportback: $42,600 for the Premium level, all the way up to $66,700 for the 2018 S5 Cabriolet in Prestige trim, which is about what a new Corvette costs. And I highly recommend you think about that for a bit. The middle of the road, pricing-wise, seems to be the S5 Coupe starting at $54,600. But still, that’s not out of the ordinary for the market and for what Audi is bringing to the table here.
If you go for the S sport package you get red brake calipers, sport adaptive damping suspension, and rear sport differential, and really, you should go for this. Don’t be a poseur – go and get all the performance goodies you can.
Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He means well, even if he has a bias towards lighter, agile cars rather than big engine muscle cars or family sedans.

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McLaren 720S: The Logical Progression

McLaren 720S: The Logical Progression

After monkeying around, McLaren has finally released the specs on its 720S supercar, and it’s pretty amazing. It seems to be a logical progression from McLaren’s 650S, which was a logical progression from the MP4-12C. But logic, schmogic, the McLaren 720S can haul the mail.
First off, that name. Yes, it’s a number, and not a name (minus points for that) but that 720 does not refer to the engine displacement. Which is kind of sad, really, cause a big, whompin’ 7.2 liter V8 in the back of this thing would have been so much fun, a la the 1960s McLaren CanAm cars.
Power & Performance
No, the “720” is actually the power output of the thing. Yes, that’s the power output in European standards. The good ‘Murican horsepower figures are 710. Which is, and not to use too technical of a term here: a LOT!
The main figures breakdown thusly: 710 bhp at 7,500 revs and 568 lb-ft. of torque (5,500 rpm). Like I said, that’s a lot. Especially given how little this thing actually tips the scales. That would be 3,128 pounds at the curb (or 1,419 kilos for you metric types out there). Combine those hard points for the golden calculation that is power-to-weight ratio, and you don’t have to be Isaac Newton to figure out where this is going.
0-60 mph comes up in a searing 2.8 seconds, 0-124 mph is reached in 7.8 seconds, with a maximum speed of 212 mph. Quick and fast, no? These numbers spool out thanks to the new M480T engine powering the 720S. It’s a 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8, with power and torque fed to the tarmac via a 7-speed semi-auto box.
Every road car built by the British manufacturer since the McLaren F1 in 1993 has utilized a carbon fiber chassis. The same is true for the new 720S. A range of aluminium alloys are also used extensively in the chassis, as well as for some body panels. Photo: McLaren Automotive.

Handling & Aerodynamics
The architecture of the 720S is based around a new carbon fiber “tub” and upper structure, which McLaren refers to as the Monocage II. Essentially, it’s both the tub and a roll cage in one combined piece. It is extremely strong and rigid. McLaren doesn’t give specific torsional rigidity figures, but c’mon, these are the people who first used carbon fiber in a car – any car – back in their John Barnard era.
Handling, something the Brits have always excelled at, comes courtesy of McLaren’s Proactive Chassis Control, a new suspension design and McLaren’s power-assisted, electro-hydraulic steering. Grip? By the metric tonne. Balance? Like a Romanian gymnast on the uneven bars.
A interesting feature, design-wise, about the 720S is the lack of radiator intakes on the flanks of the car. They get cold air over the radiators via the unique “double-skin” aerodynamic shape of the dihedral doors. This channels air to the high-temperature heat exchangers for cooling the mid-mounted engine.
Interior Treatments
The interior is anything but Spartan. There’s yards of fine leather and lots of machined aluminum throughout the cabin. The new McLaren Driver Interface contains a Folding Driver Display and Central Infotainment Screen. The cabin offers excellent visibility, more space than you’d think, and a great deal of comfort.
Pricing & Availability
You can order a new McLaren 720S now – the first customers are expected to receive their cars in May. Price? A not all that unreasonable £208,600, which is around $250,000 USD. Three grades of the car are available, with different performance and luxury trims to suit a variety of tastes.
I’ll take mine in Papaya Orange, mate!
Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He means well, even if he has a bias towards lighter, agile cars rather than big engine muscle cars or family sedans.
McLaren 720S Gallery

Photos & Source: McLaren Automotive.

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Automated Drive West: VSI Labs Going Cross County In Autonomous Car

Automated Drive West: VSI Labs Going Cross County In Autonomous Car It’s a hot afternoon in the Twin Cities and the offices of VSI Labs are bustling. The team only has so much time before their upcoming cross-country trip in an autonomous test car. The company’s engineers and researchers are combing over every last detail before they depart for the Automated Drive West. Road trips are one thing, but traveling 2,000 miles in an autonomous vehicle is another ball game. VSI Founder and Principal Advisor, Phil Magney, who races Porsches in his spare time, ducks into his car to talk about the upcoming trip.
It’s the only quiet place he can find this particular afternoon.
“I just want to emphasize that we aren’t out to prove anything here, that’s not what we’re doing,” Magney said. “We’re researchers; it’s all about discovery, understanding the limits, and finding the gaps when it comes to automated driving.”
Automated Drive West: The Test Car
VSI will make the 2,000-mile journey from their Minneapolis, Minnesota home to Santa Clara, California for the Drive World conference starting on August 27th. The Automated Drive West will expose their test car, a 2018 Ford Fusion with a Dataspeed by-wire control system, to a variety of terrains and weather conditions. On the journey, the team will examine and evaluate things like precision lane models and advanced GPS technology. The goal being to improve the performance and safety of both systems as they relate to autonomous driving.
“We will be able to test some of the automated features in data collection environments that we’re not normally used to, like a lot of rural highways, mountainous areas, and tunnels and what not,” Magney explained. “The data will be tremendously useful because we can document precisely where the vehicle runs into trouble; we can replay these problem areas when we get back and apply more permanent fixes.”
Among the high-tech systems within the VSI test Fusion is a special Linux-based computer, custom-built by the engineering team. This computer is essentially the brain, acting as the central controller for the car’s on-board autonomous driving systems. As the test vehicle’s most vital organ, careful measures are being taken to protect it. “The computer gear we have in the trunk generates a lot of heat, so we are engineering a unique kind of adaptation of the HVAC system to provide proper cooling,” Magney said.
The 2018 Ford Fusion test vehicle VSI Labs will operate for the Automated Drive West. Photo: VSI Labs.
Examining The Ecosystem
VSI Labs is an ambitious and robust company when it comes to automotive safety and technology research. The company builds vehicles to examine how different technologies interact with each other; and to better understand how they function when it comes to autonomous driving. VSI’s engineering team routinely analyzes by-wire control systems, sensor fusion applications, and precision localization; each important to the inner-workings of an autonomous vehicle. From there, VSI offers various research portals that support product and technology planning; competitive analysis and IP discovery; and product engineering and development.
Magney worked in automotive technology for 20 years, serving in senior leadership roles before starting VSI Labs in 2014. He describes the VSI approach as a decomposition of the ecosystem. The mindset allows Magney and his team to get a more accurate picture of autonomous vehicle technologies, their corresponding systems, and their overall capabilities.
“I felt that was going to be extremely important: to really understand the underpinnings of this technology,” he continued. “That really understanding, for example, the ecosystem according to sensors: so who makes these sensors? What are they used for? What do they look like and so forth. But it doesn’t stop there because there are a lot of components necessary to build up an active safety or automated driving system.”
From RC Cars To Real Ones
VSI today has examined thousands of products and represented over 800 companies, from Silicon Valley startups to multinational OEMs. Magney says things began humbly enough with “desk research,” but quickly evolved. “Within about a year and a half, we realized that to really understand this space we’ve got to go deeper and that means setting up a lab,” he recalled. “Honestly it started with building a 1/10 scale car, like an RC car, and automating that. Nearly right after, we ordered our first real vehicle. We used that to start building safety applications and lower-level automation features.”
Photo: VSI Labs.
Safety First
We first met VSI Labs at AutoSens Detroit in May of last year. The team brought a Tesla from their Minneapolis office they routinely work on and benchmark. “We wanted to come to Detroit to show AutoSens attendees and delegates some of the new features we put in the car,” Magney told us when we met him. Later that day, we took a ride in their automated Tesla with Engineering Project Manager and chief driver Sara Sargent. “Safety is always the goal with this technology,” she said as we cruised across Warren Avenue in Detroit in autonomous mode.
“I always come at it from a safety background, so to me, the stuff we’re working on is as much about safety as it is automated driving,” Magney added. “I know it sounds like a cliché, but we believe everything we do helps advance that goal, that mission, or that trajectory of these technologies.”
Driving With Purpose
Sargent will assume the same role when they depart the Twin Cites on August 20th for the Automated Drive West. She, like Magney, doesn’t get too carried away. This is more about hands-on science versus hands-off the steering wheel. “The Automated Drive West isn’t about reading emails, watching movies, or napping,” Sargent explained. “This trip will apply a few technologies that are particularly useful in rural settings where infrastructure is at a minimum.”
“To give you a little more background, we are using something called Real-Time Kinematics, often used in agriculture and in some marine applications,” Magney said. “It augments the accuracy by a great deal, so coupling that high-end GPS with our high-definition maps; those two working together will do most of the heavy lifting on the journey.”
Representatives from VSI perform an autonomous driving demonstration in the company’s Tesla at Wayne State University during AutoSens Detroit 2018. Photo: Alex Hartman for Sense Media.
Eagle Eyes
During the Automated Drive West, VSI’s test Fusion will employ two important autonomous vehicle applications: adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist. Both will utilize data from high-definition maps and on-board sensors, supported by algorithms developed by the engineering team. Special scripts were then written so map data, relative to the vehicle’s location, can be downloaded at any given time. The adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist systems will adjust accordingly to any new map data while on the trip.
“What it boils down to is our GPS system in this car has accuracy down to a few centimeters rather than a few meters,” Magney explained. “In other words, we’ll be able to localize with precision using our high-end GPS.”
As the new map data arrives, the Fusion’s steering slowly transitions from the current path to the new one. Although not always necessary, the gradual transition allows the driver time to react should any errors occur in the loading of the new map. “One of the significant things about this test is that we can isolate the functionalities of these technologies,” Magney said. “A lot of times we will be tweaking the algorithms on the fly in order to make certain adjustments. And we always have a trained safety operator and driver behind the wheel.”
The VSI team for the Automated Drive West. From left to right: Ryan Sargent, traffic law expert; Sara Sargent, Engineering Project Manager and chief driver; Jacob Miller, Autonomous Vehicle Solutions Engineer. Photo: VSI Labs.
Follow The Automated Drive West
The Automated Drive West kicks off in Minneapolis on August 20th. The VSI team will drive four days to their destination in Santa Clara. On arrival, they will offer demo rides in the vehicle at Informa’s Drive World Conference & Expo from August 27th to the 29th. You can follow the journey in real-time on social media, either through the VSI Labs Twitter and/or Facebook page. The team plans on stopping at places like Mount Rushmore, The Great Salt Lake, and Olympic Valley.
“It’s going to be a terrific test of these systems because we’ll see so many unique environmental conditions along the way,” Magney said. “Of course, we will have live telemetry and other neat kinds of features so people can follow along with how we’re doing.”
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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The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering Goes Hollywood

The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering Goes Hollywood The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering is teaming with the Petersen Automotive Museum this year.
A new display will include six cars and one motorcycle from some of Hollywood’s most adored films.
You know about The Quail, right? Officially dubbed The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering, it’s one of the very fun things to do at the Monterey Historics every year. You have been down to Monterey, right? Well, if you haven’t, go. If you’re thinking about going back this year, then definitely do so. Because The Quail is partnering with LA’s Petersen Museum to bring some rather tasty rides to their annual event.
Hollywood Dream Machines
I actually covered the Petersen Museum’s Hollywood Dream Machines exhibit back in May. The exhibition features over 40 Hollywood vehicles, props, and costumes. The Audi RSQ concept, driven by Will Smith in i, Robot; the Warthog from Halo; the DeLorean time machine from Back to the Future, and a bunch of other instantly-recognizable rides are on display. And while this is a fun thing see, someone came up with the bright idea of taking the show on the road, so to speak.
The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering will showcase a selection of these iconic movie cars from the Petersen Automotive Museum, beginning Friday August 16th. The display will include six cars and one motorcycle from some of our favorite films. Once again, the legendary 1981 DeLorean from Back to the Future will be on display. Michael Keaton’s Batmobile from the 1989 Batman film will also be on display (that would be the first big Hollywood version, the one directed by Tim Burton). Joining them is the 1999 Mach 5 Prototype race car inspired by the classic 1966 animated series Speed Racer. (And this might be the same one from the Wachowskis over-the-top movie, but info is sketchy).
Mach 5 Prototype as depicted in the animated TV series Speed Racer (1967-1968) and the film Speed Racer (2008). Designer: Mark Towle.
Shagin’ Wagon
Austin Powers fans can enjoy the “Shagmobile,” the 1998 VW Beetle Mike Meyers drove around; while those old enough to remember will appreciate the race-prepared, 1961 VW Beetle from The Love Bug. Wait, scratch that. It’s from the 2005 film Herbie: Fully Loaded that starred the unfortunate Lindsay Lohan. The last of the six is the 1946 Ford “Greased Lightning,” customized by world-famous car builder George Barris for the 1975 John Travolta, Olivia Newton John movie Grease. The lone motorcycle is the LEGO Batcycle.
Special Classes
In addition to all the tinsel town glitz and glamour, The Quail will also do its usually impressive gearhead related stuff. Essentially, world-class displays of all classes on the picturesque rolling fairways of the Quail Lodge & Golf Club. There are three special classes this year. The first will be 100 Years of Bentley Motors, celebrating W.O.’s finest. Some of the highlighted Bentley vehicles include a 1929 Le Mans, 1926 Speed Six, 1958 S1 Continental Coupe by Park Ward, and a 2018 Supersports. The second special class is the 25th anniversary celebration of the McLaren F1, which makes me feel older than I am. The third special class, “A Tribute to the Electric Car Movement,” is probably a real politik way of staving off a horde of granola-munching hippies descending on the Monterey Peninsula from the hills of Los Altos or some such.
Photo: Bentley Motors.
Family & Pet Friendly
If you attend, you will enjoy The Quail’s unique garden-party setting with an array of culinary pavilions, wine vendors (award-winning of course), and a fireside chat series. You can also attend the Bonham’s Quail Lodge Auction taking place simultaneously on the Quail Lodge Farm Field. And shoot, bring the kids and the dog, because, as always, the show will offer a family and pet-friendly environment. More information and a complete list of all the festivities can be found here.
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.

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Letter From The UK: Quintessentially Cinquecento

Letter From The UK: Quintessentially Cinquecento Just because a car is small doesn’t mean it’s not an absolute blast to drive.
Geoff Maxted of DriveWrite Automotive Magazine examines in this latest Letter.
At the time of writing this, your friendly English correspondent is driving what on the face of it is a Fiat Cinquecento city car (aka the 500), but this is no ordinary diminutive Italian runaround. The front and rear badges proudly declare this to be an Abarth. The mainstream name of Fiat does not appear anywhere because an Abarth is something different entirely.
In 1949 an Italian-Austrian fellow named Carlo Abarth founded the eponymous racing and road car brand, its logo being a shield with a stylized scorpion on a yellow and red background hinting at the intention. Old Carlo sold out to the major Italian brand in 1971 and the Abarth name is now attached to an independent unit within the Fiat organisation. The brief: take the standard car and breathe upon it with fire and brimstone.
The 500 Becomes The 595
The version this writer is driving is the 595 Turismo, a hot hatchback that offers a whole heap of fun, all the while oozing character and that quintessentially Italian charm. It costs around $24,000 in the UK and is worth every hard-earned penny. The 595 in this case is powered by a 1.4 liter turbo-jet petrol engine developing 165 bhp. That’s plenty for a car that weights about the same as Sandra Bullock. I don’t know why I thought of Sandra Bullock at this point. Maybe it’s just me. Reese Witherspoon then; whatever: this car is light despite the addition of over-sized 17-inch Gran Turismo alloy wheels.
The base model offers a still healthy 145 bhp whilst the top edition gets 180 bhp and some performance upgrades, including a trick exhaust that makes the little car sound like an Atlas rocket. Top speed is 135 mph, but we didn’t try it because the sound of this motor at full chat is hardly shy and retiring, attracting attention even in the subtle ‘Record Grey’ as seen here. Ideally it should be red or yellow.
Feels Faster Than It Looks
The 595 as tested will attain the European benchmark of 62 mph (100 km/h) in 7.3 seconds, which is in fact a bit slower than the Ford Fiesta I mention below, but it feels fast probably due to the fact it’s so small. The trunk isn’t all bad considering the car’s overall dimensions; certainly enough room for a weekend’s luggage. The down side is that the rear seat space is cramped. The 595 is a two-door vehicle which means rear seat passengers have to enter and leave in the manner of Harry Houdini. It is cramped in there; children only I guess. Anyone over say six feet tall may never emerge at all unless they clamber out of the big rear hatch like an escaping victim.

Driving The 595 Versus The Fiesta ST
In the past My Lady has made it clear that she does not like small, hot cars. Previously she has spurned them; she repudiated them and thus accompanied yours truly on test drives with enormous reluctance. A few weeks ago, however, we trialled Ford’s feisty Fiesta ST (seen below in red), whipping through Summer lanes and she loved it. That’s how good Ford made the car and it is almost the same with the 595.
We drove the 595 to Nightingale Woods in deepest Wiltshire for a run out and to take the images seen here. I was badly bitten by a horsefly, not that you care. Needless to say, we completely forgot about the access road which has more potholes than the moon or, worse still, the road outside my house. Quickly, the occupants become aware that the suspension is seemingly made from iron, stripped from old decommissioned battleships. Stay on the black-top if you value your spine.
On the road it was as if we were somehow inside a well-controlled ice hockey puck, streaking forward only to suddenly change trajectory as skilled hands applied the next input. Wow.
The diminutive turbo-engine really spools up over 3000 rpm which is where you need to be to squeeze out the maximum from the motor. There’s even a little turbo gauge like a mouse’s ear atop the dashboard if that sort of thing is of interest. Personally, driving the thing is so much fun and such a handful that it’s doubtful this driver even glanced at it.

Sick With The Stick
Our test vehicle had the option of Normal and Sport modes. This can be changed on the fly so it makes sense to save a bit of fuel in traffic or on long motorway stints but otherwise the car really wants the Sport mode as default. It’s stick-shift and five gears unless the buyer opts for the ‘robotized’ sequential five-speed auto; it’s expensive though. Stick with the stick.
It’s a front-wheel drive car, but it gets around the understeer issue with a device called Torque Transfer Control as standard on all variants. It works by automatically braking the inside wheel and using it as a pivot point when accelerating through a corner, tightening the car’s line which allows the pilot to carry more speed through the curves. It works very well, giving this driver confidence to push the 595 that little bit more.

Would I Buy One?
Yes, like a shot if I had an abundance of money and thus be able to have a small stable of lively vehicles to play with. Sadly, I am but a humble scribe; that impoverished writer you see pressing his face up against the plate glass window of the expensive restaurant as nightly you dine finely. So no; I wouldn’t. The 595 is very niche and day-to-day would be wearing to drive. The Ford Fiesta would be my choice. That said, the Abarth 595 retains the charm and looks of the original Cinquecento, yet still manages to add genuine performance. Characterful and fun.
Geoff Maxted is a motoring writer, photographer, and author of our Letter From The UK series. Follow his work on Twitter: @DriveWrite

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