Cars

It seems like I only just recovered from the 2012 SEMA Show and the Los Angeles Auto Show is already looming on the horizon. Not that I'm complaining; the 2012 LA Auto show is looking to be a good one. Of the cars that we're expecting to see, there seems to be a good mix of small electric cars, exciting, unattainable supercars, and sensible crossovers and sedans. We've rounded up a selection of these rides to hold you over until our coverage kicks off on November 28.

2014 Chevrolet Spark EV Chevrolet takes its electric vehicle program … Read more

As automakers contemplate diminishing energy supplies, downsizing their vehicles appropriately, Mercedes-Benz prepares for a different possible future, one where flesh-eating zombies roam the earth, and small bands of humans survive anyway they can. Mercedes-Benz released renderings of what its go-anywhere G-class truck might look like if it has reason to continue building the model in 2025.

The Ener-G-Force, sporting a name that sounds like a futuristic zombie fighting organization, smoothes out the boxy angles of the current G-wagon, lowers the center of gravity, and replaces its internal combustion engine with an electric power train. That latter feature comes in handy … Read more

Ever since 2009, Audi has been showing off enticing electric cars under the E-tron name, its brand for any electrified power train. I finally got to drive one during a green industry conference in San Francisco, but it was a far cry from the original sporty-looking E-tron concept. However, the A3 E-tron looks a lot more like a car that Audi would put into production.… Read more

Automakers, recognizing some buyers' need for speed, oblige by tuning up their inexpensive compact models, delivering more power and better handling. At the same time, most of these cars retain their basic practicality, whether it is the stylish and easily parked Fiat 500 Abarth or the cargo-friendly hatchback design of the Focus ST.

Not only do these cars cost less than top performance models, they can also work as your only car, good for the daily commute, a road trip, and maybe even a track day.

Here are five cars designed to perform. … Read more

The 2013 Motor Trend Car of the Year has all the features you'd expect from a vehicle that has earned that honor. It has a light body, advanced design, a roomy cabin, and plenty of load capacity. What the Tesla Model S doesn't have is an internal combustion engine.

Motor Trend heaps praise on the Model S, saying it drives like a sports car and sashays like a supermodel working a Paris catwalk. I never thought about a car being able to sashay, but it's certainly an evocative comparison.

This all-electric supermodel starts at $58,570 and has a range of 265 miles. That's not enough for a cross-country road trip, though a new network of Supercharger fast charging stations could make it more practical for long journeys.… Read more

When Apple announced the iPhone 5's new Lightning connector, a replacement for the 30-pin connector of past iPhones, iPads, and iPods, it also announced an adapter to maintain compatibility with 30-pin accessories and docks. I tested the iPhone 5 with its biggest 30-pin accessory, a Volkswagen.

Volkswagen uses the same iPod integration system as Audi, which it calls the Media Device Interface. This system consists of a proprietary port in the car with adapter cables for 30-pin iPod connector, USB, Mini-USB, and auxiliary input. As Volkswagen has not come out with a Lightning cable for its Media Device Interface, you have to get Apple's 30-pin-to-Lightning adapter, and connect it to the car's adapter cable. Not exactly an elegant solution.… Read more

Dutch designer Daan Roosegaarde thinks we drive on dumb roads. So he teamed with mega European construction company Heijmans Infrastructure to create a vision of a "smart highway" for the Netherlands -- and possibly the rest of the world.

Perhaps the most exciting aspect of these future roads is the fact that two concepts of the bunch -- glow-in-the-dark roads and dynamic paint -- should arrive by mid-2013. The group plans to introduce the rest of the concepts before 2015, giving the world a glimpse at how technology could revolutionize the way we drive by making it a safer and more sustainable experience. … Read more

What does a car for women look like, exactly? Does it look different than a car for a man? What, pray tell, is a gender-specific car?

I don't know the answers to those questions, but apparently Honda does. The Japanese automaker is offering a Honda Fit subcompact designed specifically for women -- it's badged "She's" -- that's pink on the outside (though it can also be had in "eyeliner brown," black, or white); pink on the inside (yes, even the stitching); and in many ways a throwback to the 1950s. … Read more

Instructables user cory4281 scores a major win for geek moms everywhere with an impressive DeLorean push car and Marty McFly costume for her son on Halloween.

The "Back to the Future"-inspired costume began with a red puffy vest her son already had and an innocent aside about Marty McFly. It ended with the transformation of a push car into a little souped-up DeLorean with wheels rotated down, ready to fly through time.… Read more