MotorAuthority

2014 BMW X5 Spy Shots

Thu, 24 May 2012 06:45:00 +0000

A prototype for the upcoming third-generation BMW X5 has been captured in testing once again, this time with the least amount of camouflage we've seen yet. Code-named F15, the new X5 will bring sleeker looks, lighter weight, more efficient engines, and more high tech to the luxury SUV brand. Weight reduction, as with other recent BMW models, will...

Dallara Modifying INDY DW12 Rear Underwing Supports For Safety

Thu, 24 May 2012 06:00:00 +0000

There have been five accidents since Indianapolis Motor Speedway opened for business in preparation for the 96th Indianapolis 500 on May 27. In three of those incidents, the car lifted slightly off the racetrack during qualifying weekend after impacting the SAFER barrier with the car's centerline parallel to the wall. Because Dallara Automobili...

Ferrari Pays Tribute To The Mille Miglia With 140 Cars: Video

Wed, 23 May 2012 21:30:00 +0000

If you're a fan of classic Ferraris, modern Ferraris, historic events, or smooth Jazz, then this is the video for you. Replete with the lush sounds of some funky fresh guitar and saxophone, not to mention the occasional snippet of V-8, V-12 or flat-12, this video shows off some of the best Prancing Horse hardware from the past 54 years en route...

2013 Volkswagen Golf GTI (MkVII) Spy Shots

Wed, 23 May 2012 20:30:00 +0000

Earlier this week we saw spy shots of a prototype for the next-generation MkVII Volkswagen Golf, which is expected to be launched late next year as a 2013 model. Today we have new spy shots of a pair of prototypes for the sporty GTI model, adding to the shots of a three-door variant captured undergoing hot weather testing in the extremes of...

Arie Luyendyk Jr: Young Man Of Many Roles

Wed, 23 May 2012 19:00:00 +0000

Arie Luyendyk Jr has raced Indy cars, Firestone Indy Lights cars and A1GP formula cars, among his higher-profile gigs. He currently serves as one of the squadron driving the street-legal Indy car that makes the rounds at every stop on the IZOD IndyCar Series and takes patrons for rides around the tracks. He also works with Zanardi America...

Volvo Explains Its Pedestrian Airbag System

Wed, 23 May 2012 18:30:00 +0000

Airbags inside of automobiles are nothing new, and have saved thousands of lives worldwide since being put into widespread use. Volvo, always at the forefront of vehicle safety, believes that airbags can be used to protect pedestrians, too. According to Volvo’s research, 25-percent of traffic fatalities in China are pedestrians. While the...

Mercedes-Benz Driver Narrowly Evades Death By Tanker: Video

Wed, 23 May 2012 18:00:00 +0000

You know you're having a good day, cruising down a winding Russian road in your classic Mercedes-Benz in the sunshine. It's an especially good day when the tanker truck in the oncoming lane misses squashing you like a metallic bug by mere feet. The truck driver following the Benz, and catching the too-fast cornering and subsequent rollover on...

Driven Tours The McLaren Technology Center: Video

Wed, 23 May 2012 17:30:00 +0000

Perhaps the most noticeable thing about McLaren’s state-of-the-art Production Center, where the MP4-12C supercar is assembled, is how little it resembles an automotive assembly plant. Sure, there are racks of components and cars in various stages of assembly, but what’s absent is the dim lighting, dangling air and electric lines and...

Gymkhana FOUR Bonus Edit: Behind The Hoons

Wed, 23 May 2012 17:00:00 +0000

OK, so Ken Block's Gymkhana series doesn't pack quite the punch it once did, as it's been blasted everywhere and promoted to no end. The newness is worn off, and we've all had our fill of tire-smoking, powersliding rally cars. Right? Maybe not just yet. The "bonus edit" of Gymkhana FOUR: The Hollywood Megamercial does away with the glitz and...

A Night Lap Of The Nürburgring In A Porsche 911 GT3 Cup: Video

Wed, 23 May 2012 16:30:00 +0000

Driving a racetrack you know intimately in the dark is a very humbling experience. Even in an endurance race car, there’s barely enough lighting to cope with the kind of speeds typically encountered on a track. Putting together a fast lap, then, requires more than vision. It’s as much about timing and a sense of location as it is about...

Red Bull Spy App Goes Mobile

Wed, 23 May 2012 16:00:00 +0000

Red Bull Racing is bringing its full range of Formula One knowledge, driver facts and other insider information to cell phones beginning May 23--to coincide with the most prestigious Grand Prix of the year in Monte Carlo, Monaco. If fans want to know what's going on in the Monaco F1 paddock, the pit lane or on the city's race track--and...

Stage Two Of Nissan's Crowd-Sourced 370Z: Video

Wed, 23 May 2012 15:30:00 +0000

When you want to promote the launch of a refreshed sports car with a near-rabid worldwide following, what better way is there than turning over the design of a one-off build to your Facebook fans? To promote the refreshed 370Z, that’s exactly what Nissan did, crowd-sourcing the build options to fans of the Nissan Performance Facebook page...

Mazda MX-5 Goes Alfa, 2013 Camry NASCAR, 458 Italia Crash: Today's Car News

Wed, 23 May 2012 15:00:00 +0000

The next generation of the Mazda MX-5 will donate its platform to a reborn Alfa Romeo Spider. While we're eagerly looking forward to both the Alfa 4C and the next MX-5, it'll be interesting to see what comes of the collaboration. The 2013 version of Toyota's Camry NASCAR Cup racer has been unveiled, and we're glad to see it looks a good bit more...

Porsche Motorsport North America Relocating To Los Angeles

Wed, 23 May 2012 14:30:00 +0000

Porsche is sparing no expense on building its upcoming West Coast Experience Center, which will be located in Carson, California just minutes from Los Angeles International Airport. When completed, the facility will have a test track, a handling course, an off-road area and surfaces that can replicate wet, icy or snow-packed roads. It will also be...