In a back lot at the Orange County Fair, near the beautiful California coast, several wrecked derby cars sit under a perfect evening sky. Not a single one appears functional, yet alone safe enough for competition; each vehicle looks like forgotten junkyard scrap, just waiting to be neatly pressed into unrecognizable stacks.
Five years ago, putting the words "luxury" and "Kia" in the same sentence would have elicited groans among auto industry fans. But after a complete brand overhaul and some terrific new talent, Kia has turned into one of today's most liked car makers, thanks in no small part to the company's new Optima. With its new Cadenza, can lightning strike twice for the Korean company? This is the...
Self-driving cars: putting those words together sounds like a science fiction fantasy. In the short existence of motor vehicles, it always seemed crazy to think about cars that drive themselves. Surely technology can't replace an actual human behind the wheel. Turns out, the prospect of conceding complete control over to an autonomous vehicle might not be all that far off. Among Google...
What if the government could control how fast you drive? The EU apparently wants to do just that, with a new proposal saying that all cars could be fitted with devices that limit vehicles from surpassing 70mph. There's no denying such a measure would keep some maniacs under control, and could even cut some vehicle-related deaths. But the EU's plan is so terribly flawed that could wind...
In addition to co-founding PayPal, running SpaceX and envisioning groundbreaking new modes of transportation with Hyperloop, mad scientist Elon Musk has been turning heads with Tesla. The car company has received a lot of positive publicity recently after its Model S was bestowed a perfect safety rating, and sales are picking up as well—in a lot of instances demand is exceeding supply....
Last week, TechnoBuffalo's Driven visited the demolition derby, and this week's show is a little more low-key. Instead of watching cars smash each other into smithereens, Jon takes a trip down memory lane and shares what cars he misses most from years gone by. These aren't the cars your grandparents grew up driving, but they're vehicles from the past ten years or so that we wish would...
We don't often venture too far out of our comfort zone here at TechnoBuffalo's Driven, but the opportunity recently presented itself in the form of a Demolition Derby, and we couldn't pass it up. Instead of reviewing a car or talking about new green technology, we visited Orange County's annual fair where the spectacle was taking place. On the episode, we got to see first-hand the kind...
You think BMW is only focused on the all-electric segment of the automotive industry? Think again. Following the announcement of its i3 all-electric vehicle, the Munich-based company has unveiled a brand new gas-electric supercar that’s capable of going from 0 to 60 in 4.5 seconds. Oh, and it promises up to 95 miles per gallon. Yeah, this car is awesome. About the size of its Z4 coupe...
BMW this week introduced a legit EV, dubbed i3, that’s been completely designed from the ground up. Based on looks alone, the electrified vehicle pushes the limits of BMW’s engineers and creates new territory for the Munich-based company. It certainly stands out, and will no doubt turn a few heads when it hits the road next year for U.S. customers. The car itself packs a 22 kWh lithium...
At TechnoBuffalo, we have a soft spot for alternative fuel vehicles. In addition to driving some of the most recent eco-friendly rides, we’ve visited the Fisker headquarters, and talked about some future tech shaping the industry. On this week’s episode of TechnoBuffalo’s Driven, Jon drives Honda’s Fit EV, and gives his thoughts on the car’s tech, performance and how it handles. Don’t...