Matthew Wilde

Articles by Matthew Wilde

Pope Francis goes climate big in small way with Fiat 500

The frugality of Pope Francis is not a new topic. But when the pontiff disembarked the plane at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Sept. 22 he showed the world audience another example of his preferred lifestyle. He chose a black Fiat 500L in which to ride from the airport into Washington, D.C. The Fiat 500L, which has a base price of just under $20,000, was dwarfed by numerous blacked-out SUVs in the Pope’s motorcade. But for his first visit to the United States, Pope Francis was simply continuing his preferred method of travel. During his papacy, Pope Francis has used modified Toyotas, Kias, Hyundais and Land Rovers among others. When he is in Rome, he often opts for either

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Volkswagen CEO Winterkorn quits in emissions scandal

Martin Winterkorn, the CEO of Volkswagen, resigned Sept. 23, one day after the manufacturer acknowledged 11 million Volkswagen-made cars have software that dupes official emissions tests. “I am shocked by the events of the past few days,” Winterkorn said in a statement. “Above all, I am stunned misconduct on such a scale was possible in the Volkswagen Group.” The announcement came less than one week after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said the car company put software in diesel cars that turns emissions control systems off when the car isn’t undergoing official tests. Volkswagen is faced with several fallouts, investors punished its stock to the chance that the U.S. government will levy billions of dollars in fines. There’s also the

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Volkswagen emissions scandal affects 11 million cars globally

The software Volkswagen used to cheat on official diesel engine emissions tests affects 11 million cars globally dating to 2009, the carmaker and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have announced. The EPA, which unveiled its findings on Sept. 18, reported it found wide variations in emissions from VW cars that use a “defeat device” to fool emissions tests. The EPA also announced it’s ordering VW to issue a recall for about 482,000 VW and Audi cars that have 4-cylinder turbo diesel engines. The cars being recalled are equipped with software that detects when an official emissions test begins — and when the cars aren’t being tested, they “emit up to 40 times more pollution” than allowed under U.S. standards, according

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Janis Joplin’s psychedelic Porsche set for Sotheby’s auction

The 1965 Porsche 356C 1600 Cabriolet that Janis Joplin drove as a daily driver throughout California will be part of the RM Sotheby’s exclusive “Driven by Disruption” sale in New York City on December 10. The vintage sports car is described by an auction representative as, “without question one of the most important Porsches of all time.” Joplin purchased the Porsche in September 1968, but she decided the original Pearl White finish was slightly too conservative. She engaged Dave Richards, a friend and roadie with her band, Big Brother and the Holding Company, to customize the car with a kaleidoscopic mural. Described by Richards to represent ‘The History of the Universe’, the dramatic artwork included such graphics as butterflies and

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Porsche goes electric to chase Tesla dominance

Porsche, the sports car manufacturer well-established in performance and craftsmanship, is now seeking to establish a market to counter the dominance of Tesla in the luxury electric car segment. Porsche recently unveiled its first electric concept, the Mission E, at the Frankfurt Auto Show. Observers commented it looked like a futuristic version of a Porsche 911. The German carmaker said the four-door Mission E will be able to drive approximately 310 miles on a single charge. Porsche said the model should take 15 minutes to charge to about 80 percent of its capacity. The Tesla currently requires about 30 minutes to reach the same level of charge. With an 80 percent capacity charge, the Porsche Mission E is predicted to

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NEW CAR PREVIEW: 2016 Honda Civic gets sporty

Honda has introduced, via YouTube, the 2016 Honda Civic sedan, the 10th generation of the enduring compact car. The sedan trim is among several new Civic models that will debut in the fall of 2105. The coupe, high-performance Si models, a 5-door hatchback and the first Civic Type-R model for the U.S. market will also be unveiled later this year as part of the new chapter in the Civic’s 43-year history. The 2016 Honda Civic will feature two all-new engines – including the first application of Honda turbo engine technology in the U.S. These powerful and fuel-efficient new engines combine with a sophisticated new body and chassis design to deliver incredibly responsive and sporty performance with a higher level of

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VW made $600 car for China, but did world’s cheapest car vanish?

A new cheap single-seat car, introduced several years via a prototype, was scheduled for release recently China and would have made the Tata Nano, the not-too-long ago world’s cheapest car, seem expensive. Made in Hamburg, Germany, and shown only to Volkswagen stockholders in secrecy, the unnamed vehicle was said to 4,000 Yuan or the equivalent of $600. That’s about one-third of the cost of the original Tata Nano, the India-made vehicle that debuted via much publicity in 2009. (But has anyone heard anything further about arguably one of oddest-looking vehicles in history?) The new vehicle, built in Germany, was predicted to travel 100 kilometers (62 miles) on one liter (28 ounces) of fuel, also making it the world’s most economical

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Carsquare.com: the easiest, best way to buy or lease a car

Carsquare.com is a new website that provides something previously absent from the online car-buying experience. Whether a consumer is looking to purchase a new car in a specific price range or interested in reading used car reviews, Carsquare.com features a diverse offering — from the best used car tools to educating yourself about buying a new car to generating a specific vehicle’s used car history check. The Carsquare.com platform aggregates information from the best automotive industry companies available on the Internet and has developed relationships with Carfax, eBay Motors, CarsDirect, Usedcars.com, MyCarMatch, LotLinx, Swapalease.com, and others. The new portal provides all the tools to help make a consumer’s search simple, precise and ongoing, whether looking for new or used, to

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Model-T still reigns among best Ford cars ever made

The Ford Motor Company has celebrated numerous milestones. Its current achievement is the 2015 Mustang, now 50 years old. The iconic sports car’s success at its half-century mark brings to mind many other Fords. More specifically, since Ford‘s debut in 1903, the manufacturer has made so many automotive industry revered vehicles, it’s hard to pick the carmakers’ best. It’s a subjective choice, certainly. The Best Car Ever Made in History Choosing the best car ever made in history is a complex and subjective endeavor, as it involves weighing a myriad of factors that span technological innovation, design, impact on the automotive industry, and cultural significance. This article aims to explore these criteria and provide insight into how one might approach

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Rare Bugatti Veyrons at auction, rare pedal car an option

The first and last hardtop Bugatti Veyron supercars made, numbers #001 and #300, went up for aution in RM Sotheby’s auction Thursday night, Aug. 13 during Monterey Auto Week. It will be nteresting to note what prices the two rare cars attract as well as the difference between the selling points the two iconic vehicles. The three-day auction, which began with a preview Aug. 12, is being held at the Portola Hotel and Spa in Monterey. The original Bugatti, a 2006, Bugatti Veyron 16.4, is predicted to sell for $1.8-$2.4 million. The second Bugatti, a 2012 Veyron 16.4 Super Sports, is predicted to sell for about $1 million. Bugatti enthusiasts can also take note: If you didn’t make the highest

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Ferrari has nine of top-10 most expensive auctioned cars

With Monterey Auto Week and its collection of high-end car auctions on the horizon in mid-August, it’s always interesting to see how much car enthusiasts will pay for rare automobiles. They’re often Ferrari models. What’s surprising is that some vintage cars attract little attention and sell for reasonable amounts. And, of course, there are cars that attract international investors willing to pay whatever amount it takes. The current highest amount paid at auction is for a 1962-63 Ferrari 250 GTO Berlinetta. It sold for $38.1 million in August 2014 to an investment group at Bonham’s Quail Lodge Auction in Carmel, California. As described in an article on thestreet.com, the 250 GTO has a unique history. Henri Oreiller, a retired Olympic

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2016 Honda Accord: Five cool new features for sedan icon

Manufactured since 1976 and soon debuting in its 10th generation, the 2016 Honda Accord remains among the most popular and reliable vehicles in the United States. The new edition will be available at dealers in August and it will showcase a new exterior and interior and a good share of new technology. The new features of the 2016 Honda Accord can be grouped into five distinct categories. Here’s the list: New, Modern Wheels A host of new designs will be available, including 19-inch options. The new choices will provide the vehicle with a more aggressive appearance. Bright Lights At Night With new angles taken from its higher-end relative, the Acura, the new Accord will have new new LED headlights and

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NEW CAR PREVIEW: 2016 Honda Accord

With an emphasis on technology and safety, the 2016 Honda Accord will debut in August. It will have new exterior and interior look and will be the first Honda to offer both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Further advancing, the vehicle’s modernization, the 2016 Honda Accord sedan and coupe will have HD Radio, heated rear seats, front and rear parking sensors an several additional upgrades. The 2016 Accord’s facelift will mean sportier, more sophisticated styling, front and rear. The front restyling will be more sharply creased and with a intricately structured bumper fascia with outside edges that tuck into intake-like meshed areas that house new LED fog lights (Sport trim and above). A new aluminum hood features sharper character lines

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Barrett-Jackson debuts car care products

Barrett-Jackson, the name synonymous with automobile auctions, has debuted a line of car care products for interior and exterior cleaning, waxing and restoration. The exterior car care includes washes, waxes and detailers formulated with Carnauba wax, providing a durable finish and deep wet look shine. The wash and wax is a blend of cleaners, lubricators and hydrophobic polymers that gently lift and wash off dirt. It produces a renewed appearance with a lasting shine and is biodegradable and safe for all finishes. Barrett-Jackson’s paste wax, spray wax, rapid detailer and liquid wax kit are formulated with hydrophobic polymers and work on all exterior surfaces including plastic, rubber and trim. For quick touch-ups, the rapid detailer provides spray-on and wipe-off convenience,

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Hack attack prompts Chrysler recall of 1.4 million vehicles

In the aftermath of two security researchers hacking into the wireless system of a Jeep, Chrysler has announced the recall of 1.4 million vehicles in the United States dating to 2013 models. The vehicles recalled may be affected by a hackable software vulnerability in Chrysler’s Uconnect dashboard computers. The vulnerability was first demonstrated earlier in July when Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek wirelessly hacked and assume control over dashboard functions, steering, transmission and brakes. The recall doesn’t require Chrysler owners to bring their cars, trucks and SUVs to a dealer. Instead, they’ll be sent a USB drive with a software update they can install through the port on their vehicle’s dashboard. Chrysler says it’s also taken steps to block the

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Chrysler has new car industry issue, remote hacking

If you own a Jeep Cherokee, Chrysler 200, Dodge Ram or one of several other Chrysler vehicles made in the last three years and something goes seriously wrong while you’re driving, you could have been hacked — remotely. The problem? Hackers can control the vehicles over the Internet and cut the brakes, shut down the engine, drive the car off the road or short the electric system. The issue can only occur in Chrysler products equipped with Uconnect, a wireless system that connects the vehicles on the Sprint cellphone network. The flaw was discovered by researchers, Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek. The duo first demonstrated the hack to Wired Magazine by remotely hijacking a Jeep Cherokee driven by a news

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