By now, weve all seen, heard about and most likely laughed about Elon Musks disastrous Telsa Cybertruck launch.And sure, hes already allegedly received over 250,000 deposits for the Homermobile-esque monstrosity, and is already laughing his way to the bank.But the truck is still ridiculous, and the internet agrees.To its credit, though, the Telsa Cybertruck might be the thing the internet was made for. Even more than cat photos and GIFs that reference 90s sitcoms. Ad evidence, weve gathered here a small collection of the best Cybertruck smackdowns from this week, courtesy of your friends, the internet trolls.LEGO Nails It PerfectlyDid LEGO spank Tesla so hard they had to use a safe word? Yes. Will we probably pay $24.99 for this three-brick model of the Cybertruck? Also yes. Guaranteed shatterproof. Pure gold.LISTEN: In this week’s episode, we talk about all the electrifying news coming out of the 2019 Los Angeles Auto Show with Postmedia Driving senior writer David Booth, including Ford’s bold Mustang Mach-e SUV. And, of course, we get Booth’s take on Tesla’s Cybertruck. Plugged In is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts.Is the player not working? Click here.Read the CommentsIm not always one to read the comments, but in this case, yes: Read the comments. For example, this Instagram post by car builders EastWoodCo was good enough as it is, but the replies from readers deliver, too. View this post on Instagram Every time 🤦♂️ A post shared by Eastwood Company (@eastwoodco) on Nov 22, 2019 at 12:51pm PSTMy favourite comment was from franktech_automotive, who wrote: Had 6 months to work on final assignment. Waits until 12am the last night to hand it in at 8.Safelite AutoGlass with an Alley-OopSocial media marketing managers wait their entire lives for weeks like this, and lets be honest, the team at Safelite AutoGlass nailed this one. Their seven-tweet onslaught is best highlighted by this gem.Pullin up to Safelite like (3/7) pic.twitter.com/oHRt6iFjAq Safelite AutoGlass® (@safelite) November 22, 2019And it ends with “Best.Day.Ever.”Letting Yourself GoSci-Tech Universe took a bit of time out from sharing interesting space facts and clever sci-fi memes to take a little chirp at Musk as well, pointing out the decline in aesthetic standards that Tesla has suffered through its short but controversial history.@elonmusk pic.twitter.com/Oen7NlfBWP Sci-TechUniverse.com (@scitechuniverse) November 23, 2019Lets be honest though, weve all felt a little like the fifth panel from time to time.And Of Course Reddit Chimed InAjalleee on reddit hit the jackpot and earned themselves some car-knowledge credit with this doozy. Tesla Cybertruck from memes Stainless steel like a DeLorean? Check. Weird slanted back like a Honda Ridgeline? Check. Joke about what happens when two obscure and controversial cars love each other very much? Hey-o!Recalling a ClassicWe couldnt find the source of this one, but its been around a few times now, simple and straightforward in its referencing the classic Windows program, MS Paint.The Wexit EditionChad Whitehead on Facebook shared this beauty, and I like it for its Canadian flavour. I mean, sure, a Cybertruck on stilts would likely be upside-down before you can say Blade Runner or Ew, gross! but you do know that some Albertan will put a lift kit on one within minutes of its on-sale date. Or attempt to, at least.Right on the FridgeThere are literally hundreds of variations of this concept, including this one, and they all make us laugh.At the end of the day, its not often you see a prototype that looks not only like something the parent of a toddler taped to a refrigerator, but also like the refrigerator, too.Just found in Elon Musks childhood scrapbook #cybertruck pic.twitter.com/NYmbGXfRPw Greg Bohn (@gregbohn) November 22, 2019Greg Bohn seems to have been first to get his edition live, though.Are the Dubai Police Being Cheeky?When the Dubai police force tweeted the Tesla Cybertruck would join its fleet of insanely obscure and expensive cars in 2020, most people thought,Well, of course it will. But heres the kicker: the Cybertruck wont actually be built until 2021.شرطة دبي 2020 Dubai Police #CyberTruck pic.twitter.com/V9rMPLgjS4 Dubai Policeشرطة دبي (@DubaiPoliceHQ) November 26, 2019Is this a classic subtle troll, or do the Dubai police have superhuman powers when it comes to the early acquisition of vapourware? We may never truly know.The Final WordDoes Elon Musk know his Cybertruck is being heckled, sniped at and ridiculed from backside to breakfast time? Yes. Does he care? No.250k Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 27, 2019The final word in this thread will go to this tweet from the Telsa boss referencing the number of $100 (thankfully refundable) pre-order deposits he has received so far:Nuff
Origin: The best Tesla Cybertruck memes from Twitter and beyond
First Drive: 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500
Lots of cars have angry eyebrows. Not that many cars have the moves to back them up. But the 2020 Shelby Mustang GT500 does and its very angry indeed. Even when painted in a jovial shade of safety-cone orange, the leering face bristles with vents, scoops, spoilers, and splitters. The very first second you fire it up you realize that the multi-mode exhaust has no fewer than four settings but they only range from antisocial to jet-engine. It wasnt built to make friends.It was built to be the ultimate performance Mustang. And with 760 horsepower, its far and away the most powerful Mustang ever built. Two of Steve McQueens rowdiest 1968 GT390s would still need a Mustang II stacked on top to equal the power of the mad supercharged 5.2L V8. Remember those this is your brain on drugs ads? Well this is your 5.2L GT350 Voodoo engine on copious amounts of boost. The bones of the same captain-insane-o flat-plane-crank V8 that we adored in the GT350 has been treated to a healthy dose of Roots blower which pushes 12 psi of go-fast squeeze through the mill. It makes 620 lb.-ft. and will rev out to 7,500 RPM. The engine is a treasure. We will be talking about this engine 25 years later as one of the mechanical greats. It revs, it pulls, its linear, and boy is it mean. The idle has an off-key warble like a V10 Viper thanks to the cross-plane-crank breathing through one intake plenum. Its everything you loved about the GT350 motor but with more of everything everywhere.Coupled to this engine exclusively is a paddle-shift-equipped seven-speed dual-clutch Tremec automatic. I can hear the pitter patter of #savethemanuals typers already, but honestly, the average human and buyer will not be able to shift fast enough to keep up with 760 hp. The shift points come at you faster than the music notes in Guitar Hero when you try to play Iron Maiden at full difficulty. The paddle is an honestly welcome companion to the GT500 engine and the shifts are absolutely fierce when you need them to be. Otherwise, it seems content to waft you along and seamlessly shift around in traffic. Its a very good transmission. Every bit as good as that transmission is the suspension tuning. The GT500 is fully aerodynamically optimized and that combined with just honestly good suspension engineering make the GT500 not as scary to drive as you might think. The magnetorheological suspension is not too harsh and jouncy on real roads. Sport mode is just about perfect for fast driving. The steering lacks feel compared to what youd find in a Porsche 718 or even across town in a Camaro. But the weight feels right and the entire package inspires tons of driving confidence. And youll want confidence when youre piloting 760 hp around.When you slap the accelerator down in a Hellcat, all kinds of amusing and terrifying things happen. The tires light up and the car goes sideways no matter what speed youre already doing. Its fun in the same way that base jumping is. But the Mustang simply rears up on those 315 section tires and explodes forward. Mat the gas at any speed above first gear and it just moves out like no muscle car youve ever seen, accompanied with a wild banshee wail. Lots of muscle cars have big power but the GT500 lets you use that power pretty much anywhere. 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 Clayton Seams The cabin is nothing to write home about. You sit in a pair of nicely-shaped Recaros but those are the only seats youll find inside. The rears have been replaced with a little bit of foam. The GT500 is a true two-seater. Though it may cost a full $94,675 in Canada, the door panels, dashboard pad, and console are made from the very same materials youd find in a humble four-cylinder Mustang. But if youre buying this car, you know exactly where your money has been spent. Your money went to fund all the amazing pieces that transform the Mustang into a 100-percent capable track car. And frankly, I dont know where youd find more performance capability for under $100,000.Despite its angry face and its back-off exhaust tone, the GT500 is actually friendly to drive once you wrap your head around the sheer speed of it. Its the GT2 RS to the GT350s GT3. The manually-shifted GT350 is more pure and is the true drivers car of the two. The GT350 also has just that extra little bit of hard-edge sound thanks to its sky-high 8,200 RPM redline. Which is the better car? Well, frankly, the GT350 may be ticket fast but the GT500 is jail fast. The 350 is ideally suited for canyon carving and fast road driving. And while you can canyon carve the GT500, it wants for something more. The GT500 deserves a racetrack to be let loose on, and a big one at that. Then you can show all the other cars how angry it can truly
Origin: First Drive: 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500
Ford recalling 30,000 heavy-duty trucks in Canada for tailgates falling open
2018 Ford F-250 Super DutyDerek McNaughton / Driving Ford is recalling more than a quarter-million heavy-duty trucks in North America over concerns their tailgates could fall open while driving.Some 29,953 Ford F-250 and F-450 pickups from model years 2017 through 2019 are affected in Canada, and another 231,664 in the U.S.On affected vehicles, the electric tailgate latch release switch inside the tailgate handle could short circuit when it comes in contact with water, letting the latches the loose and dropping the tailgate unexpectedly, either while the vehicle is sitting still or driving.Only trucks with an electronic tailgate handle are affected, of course.A separate recall the automaker also announced early December will see some 4,000 new Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator SUVs recalled in North America over a possible fuel leak risk.On 2020 models, a protective sleeve on the liquid fuel line may be too short, allowing it to contact a vapor fuel line and, over time, possibly rub through it. If this happens, it could create a gas
Origin: Ford recalling 30,000 heavy-duty trucks in Canada for tailgates falling open
News Roundup: Key-fob-relay thieves hit Ontario, CR names the year’s best and worst, and more
Sometimes, a defective key fob can be the cause of glitches with your cars alarm system.Supplied / iStock.com Welcome to our weekly round-up of the biggest breaking stories on Driving.ca from this past week. Get caught up and ready to get on with the weekend, because it’s hard keeping pace in a digital traffic jam.Here’s what you missed while you were away.Look out Toyota and Lexus owners! Key fob relay thefts on the rise in CanadaCanadian thieves have been capitalizing on the key fob’s imperfect digital security to steal dozens of newer Lexus and Toyota vehicles from Ontario driveways. A report by the CBC explains how tech-savvy criminals are making hay by catching the key fob’s wireless signal near the front doors of a drivers’ homes, and tossing them to a second device which is then used to open and start the vehicles. Scary, but there’s good news: you can protect yourself with something called a Faraday pouch. Consumer Reports names 2019’s most (and least) reliable modelsConsumer Reports released a pair of insightful lists, naming the year’s most and least reliable vehicles, as identified through driver surveys. The research organization landed on a pretty typical collection of worst and best, with mostly Japanese-made cars on the top and mostly American-made on the bottom.Beating out Lexus for the number-one spot was the Mazda MX-5 Miata (that’s right, a sports car!) while the Chevrolet Colorado brought up the rear at the very bottom. Reports suggest GM will take a loss on base CorvettesThe new Chevrolet Corvette is a predator, and not just because it looks like the kind of creature that, if it had a chance under the cover of darkness, would totally eat your baby. It’s also priced like a predator. According to a GM source quoted by Motor Trend, the $69,998 tag on the C8 ‘Vette “would have to go through the roof in order to cover GM’s cost” in the coming years. So brace, if you want a base, or buy now. Jaguar F-Type 2021 hits 450 km/h (on Hot Wheels track)Jaguar took to the toy chest to hype up a mid-model refresh of its F-Type. With a video of a camouflaged toy car ripping down a 232-metre Hot Wheels track, the British brand teased and then revealed (in pieces) the new two-seater. You can watch the stunt, which includes multiple loop-the-loops, “gravity-defying” jumps and peaks at the bits of the actual F-Type including its grille, head rest and wheels before its full reveal at the end, right here. 2020 Nissan Qashqai gets priced just over $20,000As Nissan’s second-best-selling model in Canada, the Qashqai is worthy of any SUV shopper’s attention. With a recently announced starting price of $21,498 for the base S MT FWD model, the Qashqai is $1,300 more than its predecessor, but comes with a bunch of added comfort features like rear-seat heating and cooling, and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, plus a suite of intelligent safety systems including high-beam assist, rear sonar, traffic sign recognition and driver attention
Origin: News Roundup: Key-fob-relay thieves hit Ontario, CR names the year’s best and worst, and more
Chevrolet Suburban first vehicle with star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame
CHEVROLET SUBURBAN RECOGNIZED BY FILM INDUSTRY, GETS HOLLYWOOD STAR.Chevrolet The Chevrolet Suburban SUV has just earned itself a major award for its work not on the pavement, but on the silver screen.Usually its humans who get their names shown off on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, but its impossible not to recognize the contribution Chevys carry-all hauler has made to the film industry.When a convoy of black Suburbans appears on screen, you know thats not the time to leave your seat to buy popcorn, points out Dennis McCarthy, Hollywood picture car coordinator.His dossier includes big-budget films like The Avengers, Black Panther, and a few Fast and Furious installments.The Suburban first debuted on screen in 1952, and since then its appeared in over 1,750 TV shows and films. Since 1956, a Suburban has been in at least one TV show per year, and at least one film per year since 1960.The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce awarded the honor to the Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban nameplates, though the star only names the Suburban. More than its role in films, the Suburban also gets recognition for having the longest-running vehicle nameplate in history, dating all the way back to 1935.The nameplate will continue for the foreseeable future, with an all-new version (along with a new Tahoe) to be unveiled soon, perhaps with independent rear
Origin: Chevrolet Suburban first vehicle with star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame
The 2021 Hyundai Sonata N-Line is coming, but a full-fat N is not
2020 Hyundai SonataBrian Harper / Driving During our first drive of the next-generation Hyundai Sonata, we learned an N-Line version of the car would soon be coming to the lineup but also learned a full-blooded N performance model is not in the cards.I dont see it happening in the future; thats not our intention with the Sonata, Motor1 got a product planner to confirm on record.This makes perfect sense its a family sedan, not an all-out performance vehicle with track capabilities. Hitting the twisties is better left to other cars in Hyundais range, like the Veloster N, and sister company Kias Stinger.The still-sporty N-Line should be good enough for most people, especially since Hyundai plans to put a 2.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder under the hood, making 290 horsepower and 310 lb.-ft. of torque. All that power will be sent to the front wheels only, via an active torque vectoring system. For now, that powertrain will be exclusive to the Sonata N-Line. On top of the power upgrades, the N-Line will also look and sound the part, thanks to quad exhaust tips and 19-inch wheels, an upgrade from the 18-inch units on the standard Sonata.We drove the N-Line at the same time as the regular Sonata, but unfortunately, were not allowed to talk about it yet its still in camouflage mode.What do you think, is the N-Line enough for you? Or were you hoping for a full-blooded performance sedan from
Origin: The 2021 Hyundai Sonata N-Line is coming, but a full-fat N is not
Uber reports 3,000 sexual assault claims last year in its safety review
In this March 15, 2017 file photo, a sign marks a pick-up point for the Uber car service at LaGuardia Airport in New York.Seth Wenig / Associated Press Uber found more than 3,000 allegations of sexual assaults involving drivers or passengers on its platform in the U.S. last year, part of an extensive and long-awaited review in response to public safety concerns.The ride-hailing company released an 84-page safety report Thursday, seeking to quantify the misconduct and deaths that occur on its system and argue that its service is safer than alternatives.U.S. customers took about 1.3 billion trips last year, Uber said. About 50 people have died in Uber collisions annually for the past two years, at a rate about half the national average for automotive fatalities, according to the company. Nine people were killed in physical assaults last year, Uber said.Uber drivers reported nearly as many allegations of sexual assault as passengers, who made 56 per cent of the claims. There is little comparable data on assaults in taxis or other transportation systems, and experts have said the attacks are widely under-reported. The assault claims reported to Uber ranged from unwanted kissing to forcible penetration. Uber is very much a reflection of society, said Tony West, Ubers chief legal officer who helped spearhead the two-year research effort. The sad, unfortunate fact is that sexual violence is more prevalent in our society than people think. People dont like to talk about this issue.Uber had committed more than a year ago to release a safety study, a promise Lyft Inc. made soon after. Lyft, the second-biggest ride-hailing provider in the U.S., has yet to publish a report. On Thursday, Uber said it would regularly share data with Lyft and other companies about drivers accused of serious safety lapses and continue publishing safety reports every two years.Uber has faced a steady stream of complaints in court across the country over driver misconduct, and Lyft has recently seen an explosion in legal claims by passengers. Just in California, at least 52 riders have sued Lyft this year over allegations they were assaulted or harassed by their drivers, according to filings reviewed by Bloomberg.Uber has faced similar complaints in countries beyond the U.S. The company was sued in 2017 by a woman who alleged top executives violated her privacy after one of its drivers in India allegedly raped her.Regulators in London cited uncertainty about Ubers ability to ensure the well-being of its passengers as a reason they revoked the companys license to operate there last week. Uber will be able to continue operating in the U.K. capital as it appeals the decision. Dara Khosrowshahi, the chief executive officer, said at an event earlier this week that a precursor to trust is transparency.According to the study, the proportion of assaults to total trips decreased by 16 per cent last year as Uber implemented new safety tools, such as contacting drivers and customers when the system identifies unusual activity, as well as adding a button to dial 9-1-1 from the app. I do think Uber is one of the safest ways to get from point A to point B, said West.Uber disclosed five categories of sexual assault allegations. In 2018, Uber received 1,560 reports of non-consensual touching of a sexual body part, 594 reports of non-consensual kissing of a non-sexual body part, 376 reports of non-consensual kissing of a sexual body part, 280 reports of attempted non-consensual sexual penetration and 235 reports of non-consensual sexual penetration.The extent of sexual misconduct, while staggering, isnt unique to Uber, said Ebony Tucker, executive director at Raliance, an advocacy and consulting firm focused on preventing sexual violence. Ubers findings didnt surprise any of us, she said. Sexual assault is pervasive. Its everywhere.Counting assaults is a complicated exercise. Only about a third of claims the company received about penetration without consent were reported to the police, Uber estimated. In about a quarter of cases, Uber said its team didnt successfully communicate with the victim after the initial report. Women reported 89 per cent of the rape allegations, the company said.Uber opted not to disclose many other troubling forms of sexual misconduct that it had previously identified as possible reporting categories. For instance, the company didnt say how many times drivers and riders made inappropriate comments to one another, nor did it disclose incidents of indecent
Origin: Uber reports 3,000 sexual assault claims last year in its safety review
Ford partners with McDonald’s to create car parts made of coffee
Ford Motor Company and McDonald’s USA will soon be giving vehicles a caffeine boost by using part of a familiar staple in the morning routine, coffee beans, in vehicle parts such as headlamp housing.Ford Cars and coffee? Its usually a gathering of car folks that takes place on the weekend, early in the morning. But that aint the kind of cars-meet-coffee crossover Fords researchers are interested in.The automaker is instead, believe it or not, teaming up with McDonalds to turn the restaurants coffee bean waste into car parts, to help reduce Fords carbon footprint.The parts are made of coffee chaff, which is the dried skin of the coffee beans that naturally falls off during the process of roasting them. Chaff is usually used for garden mulch, but through an innovative process, Ford thinks its able to turn them into reinforcing material for plastic.The chaff is heated under pressure in a low-oxygen environment, and mixed with other materials to create pellets that can be formed into car components. Headlight housings and other interior and underhood components could be made from the material. The bioplastic made from the chaff is up to 20 per cent lighter and uses 25 per cent less energy to mold. The heat properties of the chaff are also better than the components that Ford currently uses.A lighter car that uses less energy to build will help Ford reach its targeted CO2 emissions reductions, as well as better its fuel economy ratings.So next time you pull up to a cars and coffee event in your Mustang and somebody offers you a hot cup of joe, tell them youve already got one under the hood. Then get a regular coffee, before they look at you
Origin: Ford partners with McDonald’s to create car parts made of coffee
McLaren: no-go on SUVs, but yes to hybrids that do 96 km/h in 2.3 seconds
McLaren GT McLaren bosses say an SUV is (still) out of the question, but note there will be room in the lineup for new technologies, like hybrid hypercars capable of zero-to-96-km/h times under two-and-a-half seconds.When Car and Driver recently prodded him on the prospect of building an SUV, McLaren Automotive CEO Mike Flewitt says trucks are still a non-starter for the British brand.Why would we? he says. We dont have to.Wed never get a return on it, Flewitt says. The cost of designing a brand-new platform would cost well over $1 billion, and besides that, were all getting sick of thoroughbred supercar manufacturers building SUVs just to make a profit.Instead of trying to fit more people in the back of its vehicles, McLaren is trying to fit more power, and thats why there will definitely be another hybrid model, as well as a pure EV, although it is less keen on those. Flewitt says current batteries are too heavy, too expensive and not dense enough to meet the brands standards.As for the hybrid model, its already in the works. Riding on a next-generation platform set to be unveiled in the spring of 2020, the vehicle will rock a hybrid powertrain with all-wheel-drive.The target zero-to-60-mph (96 km/h) time is in the realm of 2.3 seconds, since launches will be aided by an electric front axle. The model will be the first of an eventual all-hybrid lineup, which will gradually subsume the gas-only car range over three or four
Origin: McLaren: no-go on SUVs, but yes to hybrids that do 96 km/h in 2.3 seconds
New Mercedes-Benz GLA previewed in new shots ahead of reveal this week
The new Mercedes-Benz GLA will be officially revealed on 11 December, with new spyshots and a design sketch giving us an early glimpse of the BMW X2 rival. Although still featuring some front and rear disguise, we can see that the GLA crossover’s shape takes plenty of inspiraton from the A-Class hatchback on which it is based, while the headlights are slimmed down variants of those found on the new GLB SUV. Although it sits lower to the ground than its predecessor, Mercedes has previously confirmed that the GLA’s roofline is more than 10 centimetres higher off the ground, allowing for enhanced headroom and a more upright seating position in line with larger SUV models. Legroom is said to have been improved as well, despite the model being 1.5cm shorter overall than the outgoing car. Earlier this year, our spy photographers captured the interior of the compact crossover for the first time. The image shows that the dashboard is also set to be very similar to that of the A-Class and Mercedes’ other new compact models, featuring rounded air vents and the twin touchscreens of the MBUX system. The new GLA will join Mercedes’ MFA platform-based range alongside the A-Class hatchback, A-Class saloon, CLA four-door coupé, CLA Shooting Brake estate and B-Class MPV. It also now sits below the GLB, the largest car on that platform and a new, fully fledged rival to the BMW X1 and Audi Q3. That leaves the GLA to compete with smaller compact crossovers such as the Audi Q2 and Ford Focus Active and is why it likely has a lower, more car-like profile. Minimal technical details of the GLA have been released yet, but we know it will be closely linked to the A-Class in terms of interior design and technology, engines and gearboxes. That means it will adopt Mercedes’ latest touchpad and voice-controlled MBUX infotainment system, alongside more advanced safety features and increased material quality. The engine range will kick off with a 1.3-litre turbocharged petrol unit developed in conjunction with the Renault-Nissan Alliance. This will likely be available in two states of tune, while a 2.0-litre engine will top out the range for the time being. A 1.5-litre diesel will also be offered. Later on in the GLA’s lifespan, we will see a return of the AMG-tuned GLA 45, putting out anything up to 416bhp through a performance-focused four-wheel drive system. Before that arrives, there will be a 302bhp 35 variant, as is now available on the A-Class. The GLA will be produced alongside the A-Class at Mercedes’ factory in Rastatt, Germany. The A-Class will also serve as the basis of the EQA, an electric hatchback that’s scheduled to arrive next
Origin: New Mercedes-Benz GLA previewed in new shots ahead of reveal this week
All about car 