explainers

It doesn’t happen too often, but this is one of those times where I’m writing an article because of something my…

Ever notice that some big trucks sometimes have random-looking extra tires attached to them that seem to be…

Have you ever wondered about the length of car antennae? Of course you have—you’re a human being (or advanced AI, or…

No matter what kind of car you’re driving, power likes to go to whichever drive wheels have the least traction.…

On Jan. 1, 2019, a new rule went into effect changing the way California cops can bust you for exhaust noise…

The frenetic dirtbike races taking over baseball and football stadiums known as Supercross are a blast to watch on…

Automobiles and the infrastructure around them are complicated, which is why Jalopnik takes pride in writing explaine…

If you’re like me, you’ve been staring agape at the 2020 Chevy Silverado HD’s ominously vengeful face since last…

The rowdiest car show of the year is going down this weekend in airy Ocean City, Maryland. Or rather, it isn’t. H2Oi…

Honda’s Variable Valve Timing & Lift Electronic Control system, known as VTEC instead of the more accurate VVTLEC,…

I recently strolled through a junkyard with my friend Taylor when he asked: “What are these flaps on the rear…

You’ve heard the term compression ratio before, but have you ever wondered exactly what it means? Well, it’s time to…

Direct injection motors are the new cool kids on the block and it’s becoming more an more common on newer cars. What…

I don’t know if you have noticed this but I certainly did when I first moved to Southern California: People insist…

Most of us know that the CAN Bus is the nervous system of a modern car. It’s the network that all of a modern car’s…

Many of us have a basic idea of what our car’s clutch does, but still find all the teeth and springs confusing when…

What’s with the clamp on the wing? Why do racing fuel hoses have two lines? Why am I asking you all these things…

Much like Olympic wrestlers or supermodels, talking about cars can get pretty weight-obsessive. How much a car or…

In the U.S., diesel engines are often only associated with huge work trucks, whereas elsewhere around the globe,…