Mason Gibbons

The Force India name will disappear from Formula 1 next year with the team being renamed Racing Point F1

Earlier this year, Volvo announced its next-generation infotainment system will bake in Google and use the Android operating system. Now we know where we'll see the system first. Volvo research and development boss Henrik Green said in an interview at the 2018 LA Auto Show that the Polestar 2 would be the first car to feature the system...

A custom 1954 Chevrolet 3100 truck built for and previously owned by action movie star Bruce Willis will hit the Barrett-Jackson auction block in January. The auction listing said the truck was built for the Die Hard star in the early 1990s. He owned it until November 2014, when he sold it to a friend in Santa Monica, California, who then sold it...

Porsche wants to take drivers to some of the world's best driving roads, and now, there's an app for that. The brand announced its new "Porsche Road Trip" app for iOS on Friday, which pegs the best roads across the world for drivers to experience. So far, Porsche has mapped roads in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and the United States. The company...

Ford's flagship SUV gets a mid-life overhaul, introducing sharper styling and a revised interior. Can it make Ford's priciest model stand out? According to Ford’s own research, exterior design isn’t simply one of the factors that drives SUV purchasing decisions; it is actually the most important factor. Never mind the badge on the nose, the quality of the cabin or the anything remotely connected to the driving experience. No, what most people in the market for a large 4x4 care about first and foremost is the way a particular model looks.Ford’s biggest and most expensive family car has been overhauled only a couple of years after it first arrived in the UK. In line with its own research, Ford has worked especially hard to improve on what one senior designer described as the outgoing version’s ‘heavy-handed’ styling. The sculpted bodywork and sharply raked C-pillars remain, but the front end is more sophisticated now while the rear loses its full-width light strip at a time when...

The Kia e-Niro's range has been downgraded following a test error External independent test firm blamed for failing to apply correct WLTP procedures The official range of the electric Kia e-Niro has been downgraded after the firm discovered a external test agency hadn't followed correct procedures for the Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP). As a result, the higher-spec 64kWh e-Niro now has an official range of 282 miles rather than 301 miles, while the 39.2 kWh e-Niro is rated at 179 miles rather than 193 miles. All new cars to be sold in the European Union are subject to the WLTP test procedure, which was introduced this autumn. Kia says that the independent organisation overseeing the test process accidentally provided an incorrect testing methodology and then approved the results it generated. This led to the e-Niro being tested for a disproportionate length of time on the WLTP urban cycle, comprising lower overall vehicle s...

Ford teased the upcoming Shelby GT500's engine and confirmed its debut; startup Rivian debuted the R1T and R1S electric pickup and SUV concepts; Jeep revealed the 2020 Gladiator pickup truck. It's the Week in Reverse, right here at Motor Authority. Ford not only confirmed the 2020 Shelby Mustang GT500 will make its grand debut at the 2019 North...

There are many Porsche purists out there but just one "Mr. 911" as far as the automaker is concerned. Porsche announced Tuesday at the 2020 Porsche 911's debut that August Achleitner, 63, will move on from the iconic sports car—just as the company revealed his final act. On Friday, Porsche announced that Frank-Steffen Walliser will take over...

At the 2018 LA Auto Show, BMW offered some clarification on its back-and-forth stance on the manual transmission. Klaus Fröhlich, head of vehicle development, told Road & Track in an interview published Thursday that there will absolutely be a manual transmission in the next BMW M3 and M4. His statement nixes the notion that BMW's M...

Thousands of diesel-powered Volkswagens were bought back by the company after Dieselgate. Where will they all end up? Have you ever wondered the fate of those thousands of diesel Volkswagens that the company bought back from their American owners in the wake of the diesel emissions cheating scandal ?  There were a spectacular 350,000 of them that have been stored in 37 compounds across the country. Crushing them all would be a horrendous waste, not to mention a further abuse of the environment. So, what’s happening to them? According to a Volkswagen spokesman at the Los Angeles motor show , they’re being retrofitted with corrective hardware and then, depending on their age and condition, sold to Volkswagen dealers for retail or sent to auction.  The cars are being sent in waves in order not to flood the market and lower their value. According to our man, the residual values have been better than you might expect, because, he says, there are quite a lot of people who stil...

Long-standing SUV enters a new generation - can all-round improvements turn it into a Nissan Qashqai rival? Toyota’s efforts to add interest to the styling of its cars takes another step forward with the all-new, fifth-generation RAV4 SUV, which is certainly more distinctive than its bland predecessor. Some of the polygon-inspired sculpting about this latest RAV4’s flanks might look strange, but the overall effect is of a more dynamic and individual machine.But the overhaul is about a lot more than styling. This new RAV4 uses Toyota’s highly versatile Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA), which is 57% stiffer in this application, lowers the car’s centre of gravity and provides the sophistication of double-wishbone rear suspension, improved steering feel, optimised weight distribution and a suite of safety features. In spite of the lower centre of gravity, ground clearance increases by 15mm, and the overhangs have been trimmed by extending the wheelbase within a fractionally shorter l...

Turn 16 at Atlanta Motorsports Park is a test of a driver’s courage and a car’s ability to stick to the track. Though it’s only a slight right-hander, it follows the turns 13, 14, and 15 left-handers that link to create one big, high-speed arc. Turn 16 is the moment of truth when the weight shifts from the right side of the car...

As Volkswagen's first mass-produced car finally approaches the end of the line, the company is reviving its second The VW Beetle is about to die for a second - and almost certainly final - time. The third generation of Volkswagen’s original model will go out of production in June 2019 .  The reason VW decided to announce its demise so far ahead of time is because sales will now tick up as the clock counts down. Telling potential customers that a unique car is dying and won’t be replaced is a sure way of stoking demand. And US sales of the Mexican-built model were down to just 15,000 units last year. The Beetle and its van sister have a huge place in California’s automotive heritage. The two vehicles were an integral part of the hippy era and Beetle ownership on the West Coast is a bit like Mini ownership for middle-aged Brits. Everyone either owned one or spent a lot of time travelling in one. VW’s US advertising for the Beetle is now also part of America’s media ...

The iconic 911 is a purebred sports car, but the petrol electric Panamera saloon has real-world pace to spare. Which is faster in a straight line? The seventh-generation Porsche 911 is, in Turbo S guise , a cruise missile of a sports car. With 580bhp being sent to all four wheels and a top speed of over 200mph, there are some supercars that would have a hard time keeping up with it in a straight line. You might think a four-door saloon has no hope of matching it for outright pace, but Porsche has something that should put up a good fight. The Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid is the fastest Panamera Porsche has ever built. It may be at a 700kg weight disadvantage, but its petrol-electric powertrain produces an even more impressive 671bhp.  Join Dan Prosser as he pits the two Porsches against each other in a half-mile drag race, to see which will cross the line first. READ MORE New 2019 Porsche 911: eighth-generation sports car revealed Porsche Panamera 4 E-Hybrid review N...

Mercedes-AMG has just launched the new GT R Pro but this isn't the end of the performance road for the sexy GT sports car. Still in the works is a Black Series which AMG's boss has confirmed will start testing in the open next summer. He's also said the car will have what it takes to challenge the McLaren 720S and Porsche 911 GT2 RS. BMW's 507 is...

Five years after the passing of "Fast and Furious" star Paul Walker, Virgil Films announced the release of a longer version of its "I Am Paul Walker" documentary on Friday to honor his life and achievements. The documentary first aired on the Paramount Network this past August, but the documentary released on Friday runs 30 minutes longer than the...

Nissan in 2011 graced us with a race car concept based on the first-generation Leaf electric hatchback. Nissan built the concept to draw attention to the seemingly untapped performance potential of electric cars, though the concept wasn't particularly fast, its electric motor generating just 107 horsepower and 207 pound-feet of torque, and thus it...

Racing Point Force India has finally confirmed Lance Stroll's expected move to the team to partner Sergio Perez in the 2019 Formula 1 season

Behold the slippery snake that will sit atop the nuclear warhead posing as an engine in Ford's next Mustang Shelby GT500. After confirming on Wednesday the debut of the new GT500 at the 2019 North American International Auto Show in Detroit next January, Ford on Thursday released a new teaser photo showing the car's engine and famous “super...

It's been three years since we first saw Mazda's RX-Vision concept, but the idea behind it isn't dead Brand's design boss hopes a premium sports car will be in the future line-up A production version of Mazda’s RX-Vision concept is still on the table, according to Ikuo Maeda, Mazda ’s design boss. The concept car was revealed at the Tokyo motor show in 2015 and, at the time, was considered to signify Mazda’s intentions to launch a new range-topping sports car powered by a rotary engine. Since then, no such car has prevailed but we have seen some of its design features appear on the new Mazda 3 . However, in response to being asked whether the RX-Vision could come to fruition, Maeda said: “I hope I can say yes – this is my dream.” He confirmed he has prepared a design for a sports car which “is kind of a production car”. More industry insight from the LA motor show Maeda added: “When it is decided as a brand that we need a sports car, that’s when we will prod...

Mercedes-AMG has only just unveiled the GT R Pro as the new flagship of the GT sports car range, but the boss of the Affalterbach-based tuner is already hinting at the performance potential of a planned GT Black Series to sit even higher up the food chain. AMG boss Tobias Moers sat down for a chat with Motor Trend prior to the debut of the GT R...

Carlos Sainz Jr says he has "a lot of information to analyse" after making his testing debut for the McLaren Formula 1 team earlier this week

As a sign of the growing importance of its Cruise self-driving business, General Motors President Dan Ammann is taking over as CEO of the San Francisco-based startup. GM announced Thursday that Ammann will take over from current Cruise CEO Kyle Vogt on January 1, 2019. Vogt founded Cruise (originally Cruise Automation) together with Daniel Kan in...

Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk Twenty examples of the supercharged petrol V8-powered large SUV will be sold in Britain, priced from £89,999 The Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk , a 700bhp performance version of the American firm's largest SUV , will be sold in the UK from next year, with a starting price of £89,999. The Trackhawk is powered by the Mopar Hellcat , a 6.2-litre V8 engine featuring a 2.4-litre IHI supercharger. As well as producing 700bhp at 6000rpm, Jeep says the unit delivers 640lb ft of torque, allowing the Trackhawk to do 0-62mph in 3.7sec and go on to a top speed of 180mph. The four-wheel-drive machine has been tuned by Jeep’s SRT performance division. It features an eight-speed automatic gearbox with five driving modes, Bilstein active damping suspension to improve the handling, Brembo brakes and 20in titanium wheels. The exterior features a number of styling tweaks from the standard Grand Cherokee, including a sculpted bonnet with vents, body-coloured wheel a...

The BMW 507 is one rare bird, but if you're in the market for one your chance is coming up. A 1958 507 is headed to Bonhams' Bond Street Sale auction in the United Kingdom, and this particular example was owned at one point by the man who designed the car. Count Albrecht Graf von Goertz, the car's chief designer, is the third registered owner of...

Valtteri Bottas has vowed to adopt a "drive like I stole it" attitude next year as he fights for his Mercedes future after a difficult 2018 Formula 1 season

Nissan Leaf Nismo RC Track-honed Leaf can do 0-62mph in 3.4 seconds and will be used for demonstration runs at events worldwide Nissan has revealed a new Leaf Nismo RC electric race car concept, which produces 322bhp and 472lb ft of torque. The new machine is the second race-tuned Leaf produced by the firm’s Nismo racing arm. With dual electric motors and all-wheel drive, it is capable of achieving 0-62mph in 3.4 seconds, twice as fast as its predecessor from 2011 . Six examples of the car will be built to perform demonstration runs at various events, including Formula E race weekends. Nissan executive vice-president Daniele Schillaci said the Leaf “shows how we’re setting our sights even higher when it comes to raw power and performance – making electric vehicles even more exciting for customers.” The drivetrain system from the race Leaf is based on the road version , featuring lithium-ion batteries and inverters, while the all-wheel drive can send power independently to each ...

The new Toyota Corolla Return Corolla name to the UK will available with a 2.0-litre hybrid, but no diesel, from March 2019 Toyota has confirmed prices for its new, rebadged Corolla hatchback ahead of its introduction in spring 2019. The Ford Focus rival will start from £21,300 when it goes on sale in March next year alongside the Touring Sports estate , with Toyota now accepting pre-orders for both models. Both will be built at the Burnaston plant in Derbyshire. Entry-level Icon models will arrive with 16in alloy wheels, an 8in infotainment system with reversing camera, heated front seats and automatic LED headlights, while more advanced Icon Tech models get a 7in digital instrument cluster, built-in navigation and parking sensors. The new 2.0-litre hybrid engine is only available on step-up Design models and above. They gain 17in alloys, electric heated door mirrors, rain-sensing wipers and LED fog lights, with prices starting from £23,375 for the 1.2-litre manual. Top-spe...

Toyota has confirmed UK pricing for the estate version of its hybrid Ford Focus rival ahead of early 2019 Toyota has announced pricing for the Corolla Touring Sports, following its debut at the Paris motor show earlier this year. The Seat Leon ST rival will go on sale in March alongside the regular hatchback, a rival to the Ford Focus, with Toyota now accepting pre-orders. Entry-level Icon models will start from £22,570, with a 1.2-litre turbo engine and manual gearbox. 1.8-litre hybrid models with a CVT gearbox start from £25,020. 2019 Toyota Corolla Touring Sports 2.0 Hybrid prototype review Icon trim includes 16in alloy wheels, automatic LED headlights, heated front seats, 8in touchscreen infotainment system with reversing camera. The step-up Icon Tech trim starts from £23,620 and adds a 7in digital instrument cluster, parking sensors and built-in satnav. Design spec cars begin at £24,645 and get 17in alloys, rain-sensing wipers, electric heated wing mirrors and rea...

Newly-confirmed 2019 Toro Rosso Formula 1 driver Alexander Albon says he almost quit racing after being dropped by Red Bull in 2012

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner believes the 2018 Formula 1 season could have looked "quite different" if his cars had an extra 40kW of power

Audi's different take on a top-end estate focuses on refinement and tech appeal The object of our attention this week might be the best estate car in the world.The Audi A6 Avant is certainly acclaimed as such by its owners and, being an Audi Avant executive load-lugger, is picking up from a line of predecessors that have, almost without exception, sold particularly strongly in this country.So what can the latest version of the biggest Avant in the showroom do for the station wagon breed?The A6 entered its fifth model generation earlier this year, appearing first in saloon form. But, as any keen follower of Audi’s bigger saloons will tell you, it’s actually misleading to think of this car as the fifth generation of anything; the original A6 of 1994 was simply a facelifted version of the ‘C3’ – or third-generation – Audi 100.The 100’s roots go all the way back to the late-1960s, and it’s in recognition of this lineage (and to rather snub the influence of the ’90s-era model nomenclat...

Sport sedan fans can look forward to a redesigned S6, prototypes for which have been spotted on multiple occasions. Audi has already unveiled the redesigned version of the regular A6 and judging by the lack of camouflage gear on testers for the S6 its debut can't be far. Look for the debut to take place early next year. A redesigned S6 Avant wagon...

Prior's flirtation with varifocal lenses was brief Our road tester has been offered varifocal lenses, which has got him thinking: can everyone on the road see well enough to drive? When you’re a young lad, glasses make you look studious and add a few points to your perceived IQ. For the past few decades, I’ve rather liked wearing them: they’re part of the facial furniture to the extent that without them I look like a panda with no black fur around his eyes.  Recently, though, I told my optician that I’d started raising my glasses and using the naked eye for very close work: to read whether he was serious about the price of frames, for example.  He asked how old I was, and I mumbled something about definitely not yet being middle aged, at which point he introduced me to a condition called presbyopia.  Presbyopia is a stiffening of the eye lens, which makes it harder to shift focus, or perhaps prevents many from focusing on close things at all; which is why people wit...