By Christopher A. Sawyer
The Virtual Driver

(August 13, 2018) “Brake-by-wire.” Let those words sink in for a moment as you think of the last time your smartphone, tablet or personal computer threw a wobbly and left you scratching your head. Better yet, remember the punch line to the joke about the car filled with engineers that suddenly stops at the side of the road. After the mechanical, chemical, and electrical engineers each give a diagnosis and plan of action, all eyes turn to the computer engineer who says plaintively: “I was thinking that we could turn it off, get out of the car, get back in, and restart it.” Fills you with confidence, doesn’t it?

(August 12, 2018) DEARBORN, Mich. — Ford has revealed its all-new Mustang NASCAR Cup race car, the first time Mustang — the world’s best-selling sports car — will compete in NASCAR’s top-level Cup racing series. “Mustang has raced since it was first sold in 1964,” said Hau Thai-Tang, Ford’s executive vice president, Product Development and Purchasing, who was on hand to help unveil the car. 

(August 11, 2018) POMONA, Calif. — The Grand National Roadster Show, the world’s longest running indoor car show, has been named one of the 10 Best Car Shows in America for 2018 by the readers of USA Today. Over the last 69 years, The Grand National Roadster Show has become known as “The Grand Daddy of Them All,” and this most recent accolade further solidifies the show’s reputation.

By Russ Heaps
Clanging Bell

(August 10, 2018) Every Mercedes-Benz showroom is packed full of a diverse assortment of high-end hardware prompted by the German carmaker's relentless obsession to create a model in every luxury nook and cranny. The 2018 Mercedes-Benz AMG E 43 I recently piloted for a week is just one example of that obsession.

One of four core grades of the E-Class sedan, it slots in between the 329-horsepower E 400 and the 603-hp AMG E 63 S. The 241-hp E 300 anchors the powertrain-based E-Class line-up.