José Rodríguez Jr.

Readers Say These New Cars Are Unrecognizable From Previous Generations

We asked readers what cars are the most unrecognizable from previous models and generations earlier this week. It’s amazing what a few decades will do to a person and/or car — for better or worse. Some models go from being beloved SUVs to blobby crossovers, while others go from being coupes or sedans to, well, blobby crossover and SUVs.

By José Rodríguez Jr.

Even SpaceX Would Apparently Rather Use A Ford F-150 Lightning Than Tesla Cybertruck

The Ford F-150 Lightning has earned the SpaceX seal of approval before the Tesla Cybertruck, and it has been photographed bearing the livery of Elon Musk’s commercial spaceflight company. It seems even SpaceX would rather rely on Ford’s EV pickup than the Cybertruck when it comes to the serious business of launching rockets and people into space — at least for now, while Tesla is ironing out the kinks in the Cybertruck’s shiny and ill-conceived design.

By José Rodríguez Jr.

What New Car Is Unrecognizable From Its Previous Generations?

The Porsche 911 is timeless and therefore hasn’t changed that much in 60 years. Not every car is blessed with the 911's good looks, nor its enduring style, leading some modern cars to have little-to-no resemblance to their predecessors. What new car do you think is unrecognizable from previous generations or models?

By José Rodríguez Jr.

Ford's Mustang Supercharger Kit Buys You 810 Horsepower And A Warranty For $10,000

Ford Performance has finally revealed the pricing details and specifics of the supercharger kit that’ll bump the 2024 Ford Mustang’s output to a whopping 810 horsepower. The supercharger kit will cost $9,995 and can be fitted to the Mustang GT and Dark Horse, which are powered by a 5.0-liter V8 engine. Full power increases depend on whether the Mustang has an active exhaust system or not, but the supercharger kit’s output doesn’t dip below 800 horses, all told.

By José Rodríguez Jr.

Sovereign Citizen Arrested For Fake Diplomatic Plates Claims Diplomatic Immunity And Gets Stopped Again

A sovereign citizen and mildly-famous singer from Florida has been arrested and detained by police on multiple occasions for using fake diplomatic plates on more than one car. The 32-year-old woman, Cecilia Mercado, goes by the name “Sessi” as a singer, and has a modest fanbase on social media. Video of her being forcibly dragged out of an Audi Q5 went viral after Mercado’s boyfriend posted the footage online, as WSVN reports.

By José Rodríguez Jr.

Mercedes-Benz X-Rayed A Car Crash To See What Happens Inside A Wreck

Mercedes-Benz conducted a crash test that goes beyond merely recording what happens to a car in a collision from a few exterior and interior angles, and has recorded through the car’s sheet metal and components with an X-ray machine. The test is the first of its kind, according to the Deutsch automaker, which was able to conduct the X-ray crash test with the help of the Fraunhofer-Institute for High-Speed Dynamics, or Ernst Mach Institute (EMI), in Freiburg, Germany.

By José Rodríguez Jr.

Metallica Will Go On Tour Using Electric And Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Big Rigs

An unlikely partnership between Metallica and Iveco is behind a fleet of big rigs powered by batteries and hydrogen fuel cells hitting the road this summer for the European leg of Metallica’s M72 World Tour. The Italian heavy truck maker and American heavy metal band first teamed up last year, and Iveco celebrated by showing off a special-edition livery that the trucks will wear on tour, making stops along nine major European cities, as the Cool Down reports.

By José Rodríguez Jr.

The 2025 Polestar 3 Will Be $10,000 Cheaper Than Originally Announced

The upcoming Polestar 3 hasn’t gone into production yet, but parent company Geely has already decided to give it a discount that slashes the EV’s price by nearly $10,000. Carmakers are usually timid with pricing forecasts for their latest models because final MSRPs are (supposedly) subject to things like volatile supply chains and the ever-increasing cost of labor and materials. In reality, carmakers would rather not leave money on the table. So, the prices of new models tend to go up from their

By José Rodríguez Jr.

EVs Will Soon Be Cheaper To Make Than Gas-Powered Cars But Will Cost Much More To Repair

The cost of making EVs is decreasing faster than the industry anticipated. EV production will reach cost parity with ICE-equipped cars in as little three years, and the latest forecast from Gartner predicts that EVs will actually be cheaper to make than gas-powered cars by 2027. One would expect prices to go down as EVs get cheaper to make, but sticker shock could still await buyers when it’s time to insure and repair these so-called cheap EVs, as Notebook Check reports.

By José Rodríguez Jr.

Trucks

The Ford Explorer Sport Trac Was An 'SUV' With The Soul Of An Old Work Truck

The Ford Explorer Sport Trac is possibly one of the most forgettable vehicles that Ford has ever made. The Sport Trac was only around for two generations, and there was a curious gap in the available model years for 2006, but the truck was more interesting than it seems at first glance. It was Ford’s first midsize truck with four doors, and the last of its U.S. pickups with a very “trucky” feature: cargo tie-downs, or anchor points, on the outside of the bed.

By José Rodríguez Jr.

These Are Some Of Akira Toriyama's Best Automotive Creations And Car Cameos

The announcement of Akira Toriyama’s death on March 8 prompted a flood of farewells from fans of the manga artist’s many creations. Toriyama died at the age of 68 on March 1 due to an acute subdural hematoma, and fans are mourning the late character designer, who was so beloved around the world that he was knighted in France in 2019. As a lifelong fan of Toriyama, it’s my duty to light a candle for him before the altar of St. Goku, and to remember the artist by sharing some of his best automotiv

By José Rodríguez Jr.

These Are The Vintage Muscle Cars That Should Be Reborn As EVs

Dodge calls the Charger EV Daytona the first EV muscle car, which may or may not be true in the era of plentiful and instantaneous torque. Whether you agree with Dodge’s designation or not, the revived Charger Daytona sure looks good. So, we asked readers what other muscle cars should be brought back as EVs.

By José Rodríguez Jr.

Planelopnik

Sea Barnacles Could Hold The Key To Finding Missing Malaysia Arlines Flight

Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared in 2014, 10 years ago to the day and it remains one of the biggest mysteries of commercial aviation. Millions of dollars have been sunk into locating the wreckage of the MH370, but search efforts have been futile. Investigators now believe that Gooseneck barnacles growing on the recovered bits of debris from the MH370 could trace a path to the plane’s crash site ending the decade-long search, as Intelligencer reports.

By José Rodríguez Jr.

Toyota Turned A Boring EV Into A Real-Life Catbus From Studio Ghibli

We finally have a reason to be excited about a fully-electric Toyota, now that the carmaker turned its Accessible People Mover EV into the “Catbus” from My Neighbor Totoro. Ever since sisters Mei and Satsuki climbed aboard the feline in the seminal Studio Ghibli film, kids and former kids alike have dreamed of taking a ride on the “Nekobus.” And now they can, although it’ll require a trip to Japan.

By José Rodríguez Jr.

Chevrolet

2024 Chevrolet Aveo: Driving The Compact Expat In Mexico City

The Chevy Aveo makes no sense for America. At least, that’s the message we got when Chevy killed off the Aveo in 2011. But after chasing down tacos and clay coffee mugs across Mexico City in a 2024 Chevrolet Aveo, I’m reconsidering the notion that the Aveo deserved to die. Because even outside of a major city like CDMX, the subcompact is an excellent daily and an eminently practical car.

By José Rodríguez Jr.

Ford

The 2001 Ford F-150 SuperCrew Opened The Floodgates For 4-Door Trucks

The Ford F-150 was the best-selling vehicle in America last year and the year before that. And the year before that. You’d have to go back decades to find a year that the F-150 didn’t dominate sales in one way or another, but America’s love affair with four-door trucks took off in the early aughts, when Ford debuted the first full-size pickup with four doors in 2000 — much to my chagrin.

By José Rodríguez Jr.

What Vintage Muscle Car Should Be Reborn As An EV?

Dodge is the latest automaker to debut a retro-inspired EV along with Renault, which recently released the throwback Renault 5 E-Tech. Dodge is touting the Charger Daytona EV as the first fully-electric muscle car, which got our wheels turning and led to today’s question: What vintage muscle cars should be reborn as EVs?

By José Rodríguez Jr.

Crime

Cop Slashes Tires At A 'Free Palestine' Protest On Cars Complying With Orders

An incident involving a police officer slashing the tires of vehicles at a Free Palestine protest on February 9 is under investigation in Seattle, Washington. The actions of the Seattle Police Department, which targeted a minivan and other vehicles despite compliance from their drivers, are now under review by the Office of Police Accountability after a complaint was filed on February 13, according to Real Change News.

By José Rodríguez Jr.

Spacelopnik

NASA Revives The Retro 'Worm' Logo For Next Mission To The Moon

NASA Engineers have just finished applying the final coat of clear over the beloved “worm” logo on the rocket boosters of the Artemis II, which marks the return of the bold red letters that best embody the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The worm logo has come crawling back, according to Space, bringing its retro charm to the upcoming lunar mission that will send humans back to the moon for the first time in over 50 years.

By José Rodríguez Jr.

New EVs Still Can't Beat The Efficiency Of A Plug-In Hybrid

The Toyota Prius Prime has beat out the latest EVs for the title of greenest car. Despite more EVs coming to market, none of the latest fully-electric vehicles in the U.S. managed to outdo the efficiency of the humble Prius plug-in, according to the Washing Post and recent findings in the 2024 GreenerCars report.

By José Rodríguez Jr.

Car Design

Renault 5 E-Tech's Denim Interior Is A Throwback To The 1980s R5 Blue Jeans Edition

The Renault 5 E-Tech Electric is bringing style and fun back to the European auto market with a retro design that looks just as good in 2024 as it did in 1972, when the original Renault 5 came out. The 5, also known as the R5 and Le Car, was a huge success for Renault, spawning myriad models and versions across two generations, including the 1989 Renault 5 Blue Jeans Edition, which had a denim interior similar to that of the new Renault 5 E-Tech.

By José Rodríguez Jr.

Crashes and Safety

Twin Sisters Charged For Covering Up Who Killed Two Kids In Amish Buggy Crash

A 35-year-old woman is facing felony charges for falsely claiming she crashed into an Amish buggy, killing two children and injuring two others. The crash happened on the morning of September 25, 2023, in Spring Valley, Minnesota, and the woman immediately confessed to the Fillmore County Sheriff that she was responsible for the fatal collision. It turns out she was standing in for her twin sister, who rear-ended the buggy and killed the two Amish kids while driving high on methamphetamine, acco

By José Rodríguez Jr.

Trucks

I Miss The Little Fangs On Old Truck Bumpers

Bumpers are not really bumpers anymore because they no longer offer much protection. They used to be plain, protective parts fixed to the front and rear of a vehicle, but bumpers have been integrated into car design for years now, if not decades. Not only has this made bumpers suck at their job, but it’s also killed off interesting bumper designs, such as those of classic Chevy trucks and SUVs that resembled little fangs, also known as bumper guards.

By José Rodríguez Jr.

These Are The Cars That Should Never Go EV

In light of the little stumble EVs have taken lately, we asked readers what cars should never go EV. It turns out Jalopnik readers are more amenable to EVs than their car enthusiast loyalties would suggest, because loving cars isn’t really about pitting ICE versus EVs. It’s more about what makes a car great, no matter the propulsion method.

By José Rodríguez Jr.

Cell Phone Use In Cars Went Up During The Pandemic And Never Went Back Down

The global pandemic has given way to another pandemic in America, where distracted driving is causing thousands of deaths on public roads and shows no signs of abating. New data shows the COVID-19 pandemic led to an increase in distracted driving specifically involving cell phone use in cars, which surged by 20 percent between 2020-2022, and has failed to decrease to pre-pandemic levels, according to Vox.

By José Rodríguez Jr.