Weekend News Roundup September 28, 2024

Car technology seems to get better by the year. From hands-free driving tech to in-car entertainment, we’re spoiled. While not everyone may use the technology that’s available to them, much of it is helpful if you need it. Ford’s latest patent can help with something you’ll probably never have to deal with, except as an AI-generated hypothetical situation on your uncle’s Facebook feed. - Lawrence Hodge Read More

A restoration and consignment sales company specializing in Porsches that has been in the business for over 40 years is in hot water over not doing business properly. NBC San Diego reports the company is facing millions in lawsuits over not completing work it was paid to do. - Lawrence Hodge Read More

Many automakers have already begun to remove AM radio from the list of options available in new cars. We live in a supply and demand world, and nobody is demanding AM radio in their cars, so it’s going away. Not to mention the difficulty and expense necessary to reduce and shield interference from high voltage electrical systems in hybrid and battery electric vehicles enough to allow AM radios to even function in new vehicles. A bill recently passed committee vote in the U.S. House of Representatives, however, that would mandate all new cars be delivered with AM radios installed. - Bradley Brownell Read More

Police departments across the country have been scrambling to be the first to purchase one of Tesla’s Cybertrucks. For whatever reason, the low-res truck appeals to law enforcement. Irvine, California looks to be the first police department in the country to have purchased the electric truck, and after it was been revealed just how much money the department dropped on the truck, a lot of people are unhappy. - Lawrence Hodge Read More

Paying for car insurance sucks now more than ever. Premiums seem to keep rising and consumers aren’t receiving any benefits for their extra expenditure. Previously, we shared the worst performing car insurance companies according to a Consumer Reports survey, so now we’re going over the top car insurance companies. No company received perfect scores, with the highest overall score being 72 out of 100 possible points, and no company scored above a 3 out of 5 for customer satisfaction for the price of premiums. There’s no perfect car insurance company, but there are some that are better than others. - Logan Carter Read More

A federal judge ruled on Tuesday that the government is primarily responsible for a snowmobiler crashing into a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter that was parked on a trail at night in March 2019. While the judge also criticized the 48-year-old man for speeding and wearing tinted goggles, he was awarded $3.3 million in damages. - Ryan Erik King Read More

During a speech on the economics in Savannah, Georgia on Tuesday, former president Donald Trump doubled down on his desire to impose a triple-digit percentage tariff on cars imported to the U.S., allegedly in an effort to increase the number of cars built on American soil. Economic history tends to indicate the opposite, actually, as large-scale tariffs “result in significant declines in domestic output and productivity, higher unemployment, more inequality, and real exchange rate appreciation, implying a loss of international competitiveness, while having only small effects on the trade balance.” - Bradley Brownell Read More

The Dodge Durango Pursuit police vehicle has been a total headache for police in Indiana. Just a few months after Indiana State Police pulled 18 percent of its fleet from service over oil cooler issues, another Indiana police agency has announced that it’s getting rid of some of its Durango Pursuit fleet because of problems related to the oil cooler issues, CBS News reports. - Lawrence Hodge Read More

There isn’t much on Alibaba, Temu or Shein that you need in your life. The vast majority of the ultra cheap stuff coming from these Chinese bargain sellers is scam garbage that will make your life worse. But if you’ve got a rusty, clapped-out AE86 Toyota Corolla hatchback in need of restoration and rust repair, this brand new shell might be the ticket. The availability of brand new metal-stamped chassis isn’t new, as they have been available for things like Camaros and Mustangs for years. As these ‘80s icons age (and increase in value), they’re getting in line for repop. Hopefully these new shells are a match for 1980s Toyota quality. - Bradley Brownell Read More

If you’ve always wanted a family SUV with an Italian V12 up front and the aesthetic cleanliness of a Dodge Viper ACR that crashed into an AutoZone full of stick-on fender flares, then you absolutely want the new 755-horsepower Mansory Pugnator. There isn’t a single thing that is subtle, restrained, or classy about this beastly machine, but somehow it manages to look better than the godawful “pure blood” Ferrari it’s based on. Only seven of these things will be built, so you’re all but guaranteed to never see another one. - Bradley Brownell Read More