Rivian CEO Announces Level 3 ‘Eyes-Off’ Autonomous Driving Plans

Rivian, the electric vehicle startup, has announced ambitious plans to rapidly advance its autonomous driving technology. CEO RJ Scaringe revealed the company is working on a supervised hands-free driving system set to launch later this year, with an eyes-off driving system targeted for 2026. Speaking at the opening of a new Rivian store in San Francisco on January 23, Scaringe emphasized that the company is “hyper-focused” on developing this technology. The planned supervised hands-free system would be classified as Level 2 on the SAE scale of self-driving capability, requiring drivers to monitor the road and be ready to take control

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Bentley Le Mans collection wears pieced, race-winning engine

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Winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans is among the most prestigious accomplishments in motorsports. Two decades ago, the Breitling-liveried Bentley Speed 8 finished two laps ahead of the pack, taking the marque’s sixth victory. To commemorate the achievement and the 20 years since that victory, Bentley has produced a limited run of 48 Le Mans Collection Continentals. Each of the Collection’s 48 Continentals keeps the Speed 8 memory alive by incorporating a piece of the 2003 race winner in each of the new vehicles. How is Bentley doing that? It’s as unique as it gets in automotive manufacturing. After

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Tesla delivers new Model S with high hopes for luxury electric sedan

The Tesla Model S, which the controversial carmaker calls "the world's first premium electric sedan," has arrived to its initial customers with a starting price of just under $50,000 after federal tax incentives. The "affordable" sedan is about half the price of its older, svelte sibling, the two-door Roadster. With its vast array of options, the new Tesla's price can reach nearly $100,000. "It's certainly not mass market by General Motors or Toyota standards," Edmunds.com senior analyst Michelle Krebs told NPR Morning Edition co-host Renee Montagne. "Tesla says they're going to make 5,000 of these this year, and then increase

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Honda Civic 2012 gets dubious most disliked car honor

Picking the best cars of the year is rather pedestrian. Plenty of automobiles qualify because competition among manufacturers just keeps getting better. But the worst cars of 2012? That's more difficult. Are there really 10 horrible new cars? CNN.Money.com thinks so. It stops short of calling the selectees to its dubious honors list the worst cars. Rather Alex Taylor III, an at-large senior editor, lumps models from Honda, Nissan, BMW, Chevrolet, Fiat, Jaguar, Infiniti on his 2012 Most Disliked Cars list. For example, here's how the Taylor in part describes the Honda Civic, his pick as the most disliked of

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Ferrari unveils 458 Spider price: 257K in U.S, 309K in Europe

The Ferrari 458 Spider, which replaces the 430 Spider and features an aluminum retractable hardtop, will be priced at $257,000 in the United States and will be available to the public in January 2012, according to the Italian manufacturer. In Europe, where sales of the car begin in October, the Ferrari 458 Spider will cost 226,800 euros or about $309,000 with current exchange rates. Ferrari customers in Europe also usually spend the equivalent of 15-20 percent on top of the car’s list price to purchase personalization items from the company’s Carrozzeria Scaglietti program. These items include carbon fiber seats ($7,800)

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Ho-Hum, It's Another Hummer (Truck?)

Hummer will enter the competitive pick-up truck market beginning in early February when the manufacturer’s 2009 H3T pick-up truck is unveiled at the Chicago Auto Show. The Hummer H3T is a ‘three-quarter’ truck, slightly bigger than a midsize truck and somewhat smaller than a full-size truck. Martin Walsh, Hummer general manager said: “It offers the combination of truck versatility and Hummers off-road prowess that delivers customers to the trail in style.” Besides the usual Hummer design, the H3T features a five-foot truck bed, seats five and can tow up to 5,900 pounds with either a Vortec 3.7L I-5 (242 horsepower)

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Toyota Prius owners will soon have option to make some noise

Toyota said the device was intended to help indicate the vehicle’s proximity and movement, and “aimed to alert but not to annoy.” Toyota’s announcement to offer synthetic noise for its top-selling hybrid is the outcome from safety risks since an increased amount hybrid and electric cars are nearly silent at low speeds. A study by National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) last year found that hybrids were twice as likely to be involved in a pedestrian crash than conventional cars when slowing, stopping, backing up, or entering or leaving a parking space. Nissan, which will begin selling its electric Leaf

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James Bond Aston Martin set for London auction, $5 million predicted

One of the most significant cultural icons of the 20th century, the James Bond car will be part of the annual “Automobiles of London” event at the Battersea Evolution in London. The car will be for sale or the first time and is expected to attract a purchase price of $5 million. Globally known by its original UK registration number, FMP 7B, the Aston Martin is one of only two, and the sole remaining, of the original ‘007’ DB5s as featured on screen with Sean Connery behind the wheel in the enormously popular Goldfinger and Thunberball  movies. With its ‘rather

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Toyota? Toyoda? What's in a name? Try rice paddies and good fortune

The original name of the car was Toyoda. But in 1937, Toyoda had a public competition to design a new logo. The winning entry of 27,000 was the three Japanese katakana letters for Toyoda (トヨダ) in a circle. But family member Risaburo Toyoda (her married name is Toyoda) preferred the word Toyota (トヨタ). It took eight brush strokes, two less than Toyoda. Eight is also a number of good fortune in Japan. But there’s more. The literal translation of Toyoda is “fertile rice paddies.” Toyota was also adopted to distance the company from old-fashioned farming methods. It was trademarked and

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California car magnate buys vintage Ferrari fleet in Dutch bankruptcy deal; will sell 20, keep 1

Buying and selling luxury cars is nothing knew for Tom Price. That’s what Price does for a living in the San  Francisco Bay Area. But when the purchase is a Ferrari collection of 21 vintage cars, that’s a different matter. Price, a car magnate in Belvedere, California, who owns several luxury car dealerships, purchased the collection of undisclosed Ferrari models on Feb. 2 from bankrupt Dutch vehicle-distributor Kroymans, according to a report in the Marin Independent Journal newspaper. Price declined specify the amount he paid for the vehicles, but the newspaper speculated the price at $30 million. The transaction was

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Bugatti in spotlight for 2010 Monterey Historic Automobile Races

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“The Bugatti Grand Prix that will be held at the prestigious historic races in Monterey allows our owners to share the remarkable Bugatti heritage and to show the lineage that defines who Bugatti is today,” said Alasdair Stewart, director of sales and marketing at Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S. “Bugatti has stood for uncompromising performance, luxury and exclusivity, and these attributes are as true today in the Veyron as they were in what was one of the most successful race cars of all time, the Bugatti Type 35.” Bugatti was founded in Molsheim, France, as a manufacturer of high performance automobiles by

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Volvo V70, 2006: The Weekly Driver Car Review

If a buyer’s purchase priorities are comfort, performance and safety, Volvo is a fine choice. The 2006 Volvo V70 R (station wagon) further adds to the already nice Volvo overall package with its substantial cargo room. Still, the V70 finds itself in a tough crowd among the industry’s fastest growing sales segment, the premium midsized class. It includes the Mercedes Benz E-Class, the Audi all-road Quattro, Cadillac CTS and Infiniti G35, among others. My test drive for the week was the Volvo V70 R (all-wheel drive), one of four model options including the XC70 (raised suspension). The six-speed automatic features

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Honda Civic, 2004 (Hybrid): The Weekly Driver Car Review

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The first time I came to a stoplight, the car was so quiet I thought the engine had stalled. I tried to restart the car, but the 2004 Honda Civic hybrid’s engine was already on, and I advanced when the light changed in my favor. But the same thing happened at the next spotlight and again at the third red light I reached. It wasn’t like I was driving a “high-tech” vehicle and didn’t know how properly operate it. Rather, it was “only” Honda Civic Hybrid — the first hybrid I’ve had as a weekly test drive. But finally I

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Nissan Rogue, 2008: Nice Wheels, Bad Name

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A few friends and I drove around the recent Monterey Auto Week in a 2008 Nissan Rogue. It’s a new sport utility vehicle that offers a lot for a good price point — around $23,000. What the Rogue doesn’t have is a good name. My friends and I had a pretty easy and fun time calling ourselves rogues. And there we were finding our way around Pebble Beach and Laguna Seca and parking next to wondrous machines with well-heeled nameplates like Bentley, Maserati and Ferrari. So why would Nissan call its new SUV Rogue? As a noun, rogue is defined:

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Why Classic Ford Broncos Are Surging in Value Across the U.S. Collector Market

Once considered a rugged utility vehicle for ranchers and off-road adventurers, the classic Ford Bronco has undergone one of the most impressive market transformations in the collector car world. Today, early-generation Broncos are commanding six-figure prices at auctions, drawing interest from serious investors, automotive enthusiasts, and lifestyle buyers alike. This resurgence isn’t a coincidence—it’s the result of powerful market forces, cultural relevance, and a limited supply of high-quality survivors. Understanding why these vintage 4x4s are surging in value offers valuable insight for anyone considering entering the classic SUV market. The Historical Significance of the Classic Ford Bronco First introduced in

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Honda NSX for Sale: Experience Supercar Performance at a Great Price

The Honda NSX is an iconic supercar that offers thrilling performance and everyday reliability. It’s a great way to experience world-class engineering without breaking the bank. The NSX, which stands for New Sportscar eXperimental, has been turning heads since 1990. It combines performance, technology, and Japanese precision in a unique package. Let’s look at what makes this Japanese supercar special and why you might want to add one to your garage. Key Takeaways: A Brief History of the Honda NSX Honda created the NSX to compete with the best European supercars while keeping their famous reliability. The first NSX, launched

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