YouTubers The Zunigas couldnt wait for Tesla and Ford to settle their tug-of-war beef, so they decided to stage a rematch of their own. In case you missed the Cybertruck reveal and all the memes that followed, Elon played a video clip of a Cybertruck skipping away with an F-150 in a tug-of-war like it was child dragging a reluctant puppy to the park.But skeptics, some at Ford included, pointed out the truck chosen was a two-wheel-drive F-150 and therefore not the best comparison.Enter The Zunigas guys, who happen to own a Ford F-150 Raptor with a twin-turbo V6 tuned to around 600 horsepower and a Tesla Model X, the most powerful SUV made by the brand and arguably the closest thing to a Cybertruck available. Heres the thing, if Elon wants a real challenge, he shouldve gone up against a Raptor, a big boy car, says Jose, on Team Ford, at the beginning of the video, going on to call the Tesla a Mom car and predicting that hed jack up its chassis with his truck. But when the electric Mom car was strapped to the big boy Raptor and the throttles buried, thats not exactly what happened. (Heads up, skip to the 3:00-minute mark to hear the trash talk, or to about 4:20 for the actual contest.)The Tesla comes out strong and doesnt let up, pulling the Raptor back a good distance before both drivers let up. But all may not be equal where rubber hits the road, with the Tesla wearing what some might call more appropriate tires designed for pavement, while the Raptors shoes are (likely) for off-road terrain. Is this the inevitable outcome of the Cybertruck vs F-150 rematch, or just another mismatched comparison? Give us your take
Origin: Watch: Tesla Model X and Ford Raptor engage in tug-of-war
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Watch: Tesla Cybertruck rolls into intersection, knocking over traffic sign
New video of the Tesla Cybertruck concept driving around L.A. Saturday night, reportedly with Elon Musk himself at the wheel, shows the prototype has quite a bit of body roll through corners, more than youd expect for a vehicle weighed down by a floor full of batteries. Maybe chalk it up to the suspension design on the demonstration vehicle not being quite finalized?The video, of Musk leaving high-end Japanese restaurant Nobu in the Cybertruck, was posted by celebrity blog TMZ, and ends with the truck clipping a pylon or traffic sign as it rolls through a red light.While many have speculated Musk either didnt hear the clunk of the strike, or didnt care, we figure its much more likely Musk did it on purpose as a faux PR gaffe to draw media attention to the truck, since nothing Musk does ever happens by accident.Whos driving @ElonMusk or the Auto-Pilot?$TSLA pic.twitter.com/xvmyHPG8Ol GuruLeaks (@Guruleaks1) December 8, 2019UPDATE: It’s being reported the truck did not technically run a red light, as there is no traffic signal specifically facing that restaurant exit; and that the sign the truck knocked over is a “Right turns only” warning sign.Later on in the night, the Cybertruck was also seen driving down a California highway.In video from YouTube user Roberto Cruz, the truck cruises down the 405 South, a main public highway. We mention the public highway part because, as a prototype, the vehicle and its manufacturer plates only technically clear its use for testing purposes, and were not quite sure a night out at Nobu and a drive back on the 405 counts, there.The Cybertrucks tires are wider than the body, something also not allowed for new vehicles. Plus it lacks physical rearview mirrors, as you couldve guessed from Musk hitting that pylon.So, a whole bunch of no-nos from the CEO and his wild Blade Runner truck. But, once again, it was likely done to make us journalists take notice, and write a bunch of articles about it. Pretty clever for a guy that breaks the windows of his own truck and knocks over traffic
Origin: Watch: Tesla Cybertruck rolls into intersection, knocking over traffic sign
Watch the 2021 Jaguar F-Type hit 480 km/h (in Hot Wheels form)
Here at Driving, we dont usually cover mid-model refreshes you know, those largely cosmetic functionally-unchanged updates automakers try to pass off as all-new models.But were making an exception for Jaguars new 2021 F-Type because a) the already-sexy sports coupe has been rendered even more sensuous; and b) it was introduced with a tremendously cool Hot Wheels track that ran through Jaguars entire Gaydon design facility.Indeed, Jag says the entire track stretches 232 metres 761 feet from its top-of-stairs, soapbox-style launch to its outdoor, running-into-the-real-F-Type finale. And, according to our count, there are no less than 25 of Hot Wheels famous loop-the-loops and three Jaguar calls them gravity-defying jumps that I am sure, what with my experience some 50 years ago, took multiple takes.In between, the camouflaged it is a super-secret prototype after all! miniature raced past CAD/CAM prototyping computers, a pretty nifty clay model of the Jag two-seater, through the headrest of the revised Windsor leather front seats and through the prototyping final assembly area. In between, Mattel estimates the tiny F-Type reached scaled speeds of 480 kilometres an hour!According to Jaguar, Mattel used the companys own CAD drawings to craft the ultra-precise 3D-printed model, recreating, says the company, every beautiful detail of the new F-Type, including its striking new clamshell bonnet, distinctive super-slim Pixel LED headlights and more sculpted front and rear bumpers. The Hot Wheels team also faithfully recreated the new Velocity Blue colour which Jaguar is making a big noise about from the SVO Premium Palette, and even hand-painted the F-Type badge on the back before the model was camouflaged ahead of its own reveal in the film.As for the car itself, the 2021 Jaguar F-Types powertrains turbocharged 2.0-litre four, 3.0L supercharged V6 and supercharged 5.0L V8 remain largely unchanged, although the all-wheel-drive Rs honking V8 gets a boost from 550 hp to 575, good enough, says Jaguar, to scoot to 100 kilometres an hour in just 3.7 seconds.Coping with that increased power is the Rs uprated chassis that includes stiffer springs and anti-roll bars, beefier rear knuckles and ball joints and revised adjustable shock damping.As for styling, a new clamshell bonnet is bordered by super-slim Pixel LED headlights and a subtly enlarged grille. Theres also something Jaguar calls Liquid Metal surfacing, but if youve got any idea what that is, let me know.The hind end likewise gets a design, this time with what Jaguars styling boffins call an unmistakeable chicane signature to its LED lights. Again, I will plead artistic cretinism, but the automaker says theyre inspired by the Jaguar I-PACE all-electric Performance SUV, with subtle monogram pattern detailing and a fine pinstripe beneath.Inside, theres the aforementioned Windsor leather and something called satin finish Noble Chrome. Details include monogram stitch patterns in the seats and door trims, Jaguar Leaper motifs in the headrests and subtle Jaguar Est. 1935 markings on the centre console.First Edition F-Types powered by either the 2.0L turbocharged four or the 3.0L supercharged V6 will be available with an Exterior Design Pack, Black Contrast Roof, unique 20-inch wheels and those 12-way Windsor Leather Performance Seats.Pricing for the 2021 Jaguar F Type starts
Origin: Watch the 2021 Jaguar F-Type hit 480 km/h (in Hot Wheels form)
Watch: ICBC rules Tesla’s driverless Smart Summon feature not allowed in B.C.
B.C.s government-run insurance body says the sort of driverless operation made possible by Teslas new Smart Summon feature is prohibited in the province, and that collisions involving Smart Summon may not be covered.Local outlet Richmond Newsthis past week shared a reader’s video showing a Tesla Model 3 being controlled via the Smart Summon app attempting to drive into a Richmond, B.C. parking lot in the oncoming lane.Had that car crashed, the ICBC told the newspaper, the owners insurance may not have provided coverage.Currently, B.C. laws do not permit driverless vehicles on our roads, ICBC said in a statement. A vehicle being driven autonomously in a shopping mall parking lot, for example, is not allowed. The driver is responsible for the operation of the vehicle including when driver assistance is activated.The videos were taken at a parking complex in Richmond, B.C., and show a white Tesla Model 3 with no driver at the wheel, driving to meet up with its owner, who was controlling the cars progress via the Smart Summon app a few hundred feet away.As the vehicle enters the parking lot it crosses the yellow center line, perhaps to avoid the person walking across the crosswalk. There are fewer painted lines on the pavement in shopping mall areas, so its possible the Teslas software was confused about its whereabouts.The video shows the car hesitating, and in the second video, a diesel VW Jettas driving past it seems to further confound the tech. The woman who shot the video says a security guard came running out of the mall to chase the vehicle before it was stopped, when a man thought to be a friend of the owners appeared. The Smart Summon feature was only rolled out in Canada a few weeks ago, and Transport Canada has yet to outline any specific standards governing its use. However, drivers generally arent even allowed to take their hands off the steering wheel while in a vehicle controlled by semi-autonomous tech, so their being completely outside the vehicle should be, by extension, prohibited, too.While many U.S. Tesla Smart Summon features have had no problem with the technology, there have also been dozens of videos of Smart Summon-controlled vehicles narrowly avoiding collisions and behaving bizarrely, prompting the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) there to launch a formal
Origin: Watch: ICBC rules Tesla’s driverless Smart Summon feature not allowed in B.C.
Watch: This guy rebuilt a Dodge Challenger Hellcat that’d burnt to the ground
What do you do when youre hankering for a Hellcat but only have half the cash? Wed actually recommend against the labour-intensive route taken by YouTube channel D.I.Y GANG, which bought up a 2016 Dodge Challenger Hellcat that had been written off after being in a fire and restored it back to better-than-new condition.This isnt the first time the YouTube channel has done a massive re-build like this; their other videos chronicle them putting back together a McLaren 570S, a Jeep Cherokee Trackhawk and an Infiniti G37. The Hellcat, however, is their most ambitious restoration yet.The channels latest video, done time-lapse-style, shows the incredible work involved re-assembling a new car after removing all the ruined parts of the crispy Challenger which was pretty much every part except the floor pan.During the rebuild process, a few upgrades were installed, including an upgraded engine turning out Challenger Demon-esque horsepower numbers; a performance clutch; a custom paint job; and custom wheels.The entire build apparently took about nine months to complete. Even though most of the free labour came from the hands of the YouTubers own family, the build still cost US$39,492.16. Once you factor in all the parts costs and the time it took to do, theres no doubt this build cost more than just buying a brand-new Hellcat.Even though the car was totally rebuilt and painted, we still question the structural properties of the burnt steel. The Hellcat was subjected to the high, high heat of the fire for an extended period of time, which means the mechanical properties of the metals have changed. A loss of strength and stiffness could have very well occurred.At the end of the day, thats why wed not recommend considering this A-for-effort method of Hellcat ownership yourself: when youre building a burnt car, its going to cost more money than a new one, and it will never be as
Origin: Watch: This guy rebuilt a Dodge Challenger Hellcat that’d burnt to the ground
Watch: News reporter damages, disrespects classic cars at a show
A reporter with CBS Sacramento 13 Good Day Sacramento has been sacked after he damaged and disrespected several new and classic cars at a local auto show, apparently as part of a gag.Angel Cardenas was reporting on the Sacramento International Auto Show ahead of its opening to the public when he decided to exhibit complete and utter negligence of the rules of pretty much every car show ever.As the anchors in the studio throw to him on-air, he walks around the car show, which apparently has no security, and then proceeds to commit the biggest car show faux-pas ever.No one is out here to tell me which car I cant go in because some of these are off-limits so Im going to live on the wild side, he dares. Tell me what you think about this pose right here, Tina?He then proceeds to jump up on the rear of a yellow Ford Thunderbird, and put his feet on the beautiful show car paint, possibly damaging it. The anchors giggle and laugh as the idiot makes a total fool of himself.Next he dings a different Thunderbird with the door of another.At one point, Angel jumps up on the hood of a brand-new 2020 Ford Explorer Hybrid, a car that hasnt even seen showroom floors yet.Our question: who hired this guy in the first place? He clearly didnt do any research about the show before showing up to report on it, and even admits hes winging it, which doesnt really cut it on the news. This guys delivery is so bad, he couldnt get a job at Dominos.Baffling-ly, it seems Angel somehow thought this approach was acceptable funny, even despite boasting on his LinkedIn profile that hes a professional.Were glad this guy will never be reporting on any car show in our
Origin: Watch: News reporter damages, disrespects classic cars at a show
Watch: Five times Sentry Mode put Tesla-haters in their place
Teslas Sentry Mode is a powerful tool against people who want to do ill will, and although it cant stop accidents or idiots from doing harm, its a great way to capture irrefutable evidence to use against them.What exactly is “Sentry Mode”? Probably just one of the most well-received features Elon Musks ever pushed across an over-the-air update to his cars software.If you lean on, bump into or scratch a Tesla with Sentry Mode activated, it will display an alert on the screen that says the cameras are recording and, as warned, it will activate several cameras all around the car to capture whats happening to it.If a window is broken, or the car is broken into, Sentry will sound the alarm, increase the screen brightness to full, and plays music through the audio system at maximum volume.Owners will get a notification on their Tesla app if this occurs, and they will be able to download a video of the incident.Suffice it to say, many, many Tesla owners have already found this digital guard dog very helpful. Here are five times Sentry Mode put Tesla-haters in their place.Patriotic KeyingPlenty of people have keyed Teslas, and plenty of those key-ings have been caught by Sentry Mode, but this video really takes the cake.Two dudes walk up from what we can only assume is an old-time-y saloon, drunk out of their minds and ready to give the beat down to anybody who disrespects Merica (as spelled out on the one guys patriotic T-shirt).Since electric cars are, obviously, the most un-American thing in the whole world, the two men decide to key the Tesla, and then stand back to admire their work. Not enough patriotism! were imagining one saying to the other, before going in for a second key-ing and smashing their drivers door into the side of the American-designed American-built American-owned Tesla.The two individuals actually turned themselves in two days later, after being visited in a dream by the ghost of Abraham Lincoln, probably.Swerving TruckThis incident happened to a Tesla Model X driver in Los Gatos, Spanish for the cats. Unlike los gatos, though, heres nothing cute and cuddly about what happened here. A Ford F-150 crosses the double-yellow line and swerves to smash into the front of the vehicle on a downhill section of road in California.Perhaps the truck driver was upset the Tesla turned onto the main road while the Ford was quickly coming down the hill, forcing the driver to apply the brakes, but that doesnt really permit him to cross a double-yellow line and deliberately crash into the Tesla.This could have turned out much worse, as a crash at high speeds could have sent the vehicle into a spin, or activated the airbags, or led to a myriad of other potentially life-threatening situations. After the video was posted, the truck driver was identified as Dennis Munns, 32; he was charged for a hit-and-run.Spinning MercedesUnlike the other videos on this list, this one actually doesnt involve a Tesla being damaged in any way. However, Sentry Mode can also capture when vehicles get close enough to do harm, and this definitely could have done some harm.For some reason, the driver in this Mercedes decided it would be a fun idea to swerve right up next to the Tesla perhaps just to give the owner a funny video to watch? At any rate, his driving talent runs out almost immediately, and he ends up spinning onto a neighbours lawn. Way to go, you really showed that Tesla owner whos boss!A bunch of teenagers jump out of the car and flee, while the driver runs over his own inner wheel well and drives off with all the doors open. Clearly, were looking at some upstanding individuals, all with ambitions of being the next president of the United States. Or theyre drunk.Fist FightWhat starts off as what looks like two friends walking into a parking lot together in Washington D.C. turns into a flailing, flopping punching match, and its all caught on camera by a nearby Tesla.At one point, one of the men actually flicks his flip-flop at the other one in an attempt to distract him and go in for the big one, but his overreaching punch is dodged. The comments of the video suggest its staged and fake, which would explain why everybody is wearing the same t-shirt, unless this is a very strange team-building exercise.Throughout the entire fight, its not clear if either of the men actually land a good hit on each other, but nevertheless, its great entertainment thanks to Teslas Sentry Mode. Whether or not they were arrested or given a TV show is unknown.Breaking ButtsTeslas Sentry Mode caught this incident on camera in Stanford, California, of a man who decided to try and break into the vehicle by breaking the quarter window and accessing the trunk.The owner posted on Twitter about the incident, praising the Telsa for having a subtle but powerful layer of protection thanks to Sentry Mode. Too bad the perp didnt have an extra layer of protection over his cheeks.Sorry to be an old man, but seriously, dude, nobody wants to see
Origin: Watch: Five times Sentry Mode put Tesla-haters in their place
Watch: video suggests you’re paying for car wheel spokes you don’t need
When trying to explain the physics behind driving a car, you can go the charts-diagrams-and-calculations route or you can go the tinkering-until-something-breaks route.When it comes to answering the questions Can you drive a car on a wheel with all but three spokes cut out? Two spokes? One? Russian YouTuber Garage 54 chose the latter, pulling off an interesting and, uh, scientific experiment by completely destroying some old rims.His YouTube channel works basically like a Russian car-themed Mythbusters — we really dig the clip where he tries driving a Lada with four engines strapped end-to-end.But more than that one, we dig his most recent video. It starts with a bunch of junk, some mismatched wheels and a question: how many spokes can you cut out and still drive?After being fitted to the car, each of the three wheels receives some added lightness by way of removing the spokes, one by one. First, a six-spoke wheel is cut down to three; a 16-spoke is cut down to eight; and an eight-spoke cut down to four.None of the wheels seem to notice the lack of structure, and perform their job dutifully. Its when the wheels start to become more asymmetrical that problems start to occur, and Garage54 keeps cutting at the rims until there is only one spoke left on each.The conclusion? Its amazing what kind of forces the single spoke of an alloy car wheel can take when put under some pretty extreme stresses. Eventually, all the wheels are destroyed, but, surprisingly, they lasted a pretty long time. Obviously, absent the aforementioned charts and diagrams, we cant really go into the details of the forces acting upon any part of the wheels at a given point.But its safe to say the video is entertaining and that maybe you can afford to get away with a couple fewer spokes on your
Origin: Watch: video suggests you’re paying for car wheel spokes you don’t need
Watch: Classic Ford truck goes up in flames in Ontario
An unlucky classic car enthusiast in Windsor, Ontario saw his vintage Ford F-150 almost burn to the ground after a small engine fire turned into something much larger.The incident, captured in a now-viral video post shared on Facebook by Firefighter World, involved an incredibly clean-looking classic 1980-to-1986-gen Ford F-150 Stepside pickup.Initially, the owner tries in vain to put out the flames with a pair of pants.The woman riding in the vehicle searches for a fire extinguisher or some water from nearby businesses, while the man frantically tries to put the fire out by himself.The owner can be heard repeatedly crying out I just finished it today!Eventually, he finds a fire extinguisher and tries to put out the growing blaze himself, but the fire had by then gone past the point of handheld extinguishers, and the man is forced to watch his truck burn until firefighters arrive to put out the blaze.The cause of the fire is not known, but being a likely carbureted classic truck, the engine may have backfired due to incorrect tuning and caused the air cleaner to catch fire. At one point the chrome air cleaner top is seen falling off the fender and onto the ground.Its also possible the fuel lines werent all tightened up properly, causing fuel to drip onto the exhaust manifold. This is a stark reminder of why classic car owners or any car owner really should carry a fire extinguisher in their vehicle. Theyre cheap, and in some cases can save you a phone call to your insurance provider.Commenters on the video have been mostly sympathetic, and our hearts cry for this guy, too, who doubtlessly poured his soul into this truck just to watch it go up in smoke. Somebody want to start a
Origin: Watch: Classic Ford truck goes up in flames in Ontario
Watch two thieves effortlessly steal a Tesla using a homemade antenna
Gone in 33 seconds! A video of two men apparently stealing a Tesla from a driveway in a town near London demonstrates just how simple it may be to fool a car’s electronic security system. From the time the man with the backpack antenna-transmitter walks through the front gate to the time the Tesla backs out off the driveway, about 33 seconds pass.The video was shot by a doorbell camera and allegedly shows the two men stepping onto the property, one walking toward the door carrying a bag on his chest and holding a wire above his head, the other standing next to the drivers side of the electric car.The process they use to get the Tesla open and running in seconds is known as a Signal Amplification Relay Attack (SARA). It’s pretty simple and works the same on any car with a fob key, not just Teslas. Basically, the makeshift antenna (the wire) grabs the signal being emitted by the key fob, which likely sits inside the door, transmits it to a transceiver probably concealed in the bag on his chest, which spits it over to a second receiver being held by the accomplice next to the car.When the Tesla senses the signal, which it thinks is coming from the fob, being broadcast near the door, it pops open. Then the pair drives off with their shiny new EV, probably headed to a chop shop to remove all the pieces that won’t signal the car’s whereabouts back to Tesla and the authorities. Theres a lesson here, and were pretty sure its this: park in the garage whenever
Origin: Watch two thieves effortlessly steal a Tesla using a homemade antenna
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