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Cars

Why Jaguar Uses Aerospace Aluminum to Build Its Cars

One big challenge facing Jaguar in its switch from steel to aluminum was how to utilize this lighter, less flexible alloy

Decisions made by engineers today will determine how all cars drive.

The Ethical Challenges Self-Driving Cars Will Face Every Day

The biggest ethical quandaries for self-driving cars arise in mundane situations, not when crashes are unavoidable

Malcolm Barrett as Rufus Carlin, left, with Joseph Lee Anderson as race car driver Wendell Scott

'Timeless' Recapped

“Timeless” Races Back to the ’50s in ‘Darlington’

The second episode of the season highlights an underappreciated NASCAR driver from the sport’s earliest days

Where’s my bus?

Dozens of U.S. Cities Have ‘Transit Deserts’ Where People Get Stranded

Living in these zones makes it hard to access good jobs, health care and other services

Ralph Teetor (right), cruise control in hand, with William Prossner, president of Perfect Circle, in 1957.

The Sightless Visionary Who Invented Cruise Control

Self-driving cars were far from Ralph Teetor’s mind when he patented his speed control device

Only 18 Alfa Romeo 4Cs Are Created Per Day. Here’s Why.

Producing the Alfa Romeo 4C supercar is a process that the automaker refuses to rush

New Research

Blame Tailgaters for Your Traffic Woes

Keeping an equal distance between cars ahead and behind may eliminate “phantom” traffic jams

Why Building a Carbon Fiber Car Is So Labor-Intensive

To make the lightest possible sports car, Alfa Romeo knows it needs to build key components using carbon fiber

Here’s How a Mercedes-AMG V8 Engine Is Built

Each Mercedes-AMG GT engine is put together by one person, not by an assembly line. In total, it takes that person 11 steps, and approximately three hours

How Engine Placement Gives This Mercedes-AMG Its Edge

The secret to the high performance of the Mercedes-AMG is the placement of the front end engine: right behind the axle

Times Square traffic jam

Should U.S. Cities Use Congestion Pricing To Ease Traffic?

New York may soon charge a fee to drive into central Manhattan as a way of reducing traffic and raising funds for public transit

On long-term loan from Warner Bros., the Burton Batmobile will be on view at the National Museum of American History for the next 3 years.

What the Batmobile Tells Us About the American Dream

Fans of DC Comics will go batty for this new installation at the National Museum of American History

What is that sound?

This App Can Diagnose Your Car Trouble

MIT engineers have developed an app that uses smartphone sensors to determine why your car’s making that funny noise

A family of four buying gas at a service station.

A Short Picture History of Gas Stations

Gas stations have evolved a lot from their humble roots

Existing cars can stop when they detect pedestrians.

Computer Systems and Sensors Could Put a Stop To Car-Based Attacks

Driver aid systems and self-driving vehicle control systems could override a driver who is trying to strike people

The Abbey Road crosswalk, which has been moved slightly since 1969, in modern times.

A Short History of the Crosswalk

Pedestrian crosswalks and roads have a complicated relationship

A Hybrid III model crash test dummy.

These Dummies Gave Us a Crash Course on Auto Safety

Many of your car’s safety features owe a lot to these inanimate people

None

John Z. DeLorean Thought He Was Designing the Car of the Future

Instead its almost-instantly out-of-date styling made it a legend

The $5 Million Dollar Ferrari

Years of wheeling and dealing collectible cars have taught Robert M. Lee that it never hurts to ask

A self-driving shuttle at Texas A&M

Are Self-Driving Cars the Future of Mobility for Disabled People?

Combining machine learning, artificial intelligence and autonomous vehicles could revolutionize how people with disabilities get around their communities

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