Tag: jalopnik.com

When Rudolf Diesel (yes, really) first conceived of a design for a sparkplugless engine that used heat and compression to ignite fuel in each cylinder, he was chasing a theoretical design premise meant to chase maximum efficiency. Diesel motors do accomplish this, with their denser, slower-burning fuel contributing to significant mileage gains compared to gasoline…

We hate to break it to you, but there’s no such thing as a “lifetime” transmission filter. This also applies to the automatic transmission fluid (ATF) or continuously variable transmission (CVT) fluid, since no oil or lubricant is immune to degradation or wear. The farthest we’ve been so far is synthetic lubricants, which are mainly…

Head Florida Man Governor Ron DeSantis announced the sunshiniest State’s plans to keep itself at the forefront of aerospace and aviation, despite NASA doing a pretty good job of that lately, by going all-in on VTOLs (Vertical Take-Off and Landing aircraft). Ok, it’s not all-in on the VTOLs per se, but Monday, DeSantis signed Florida…

This year, Jeep is introducing a new 2.0-liter Hurricane 4 engine option as an option on the Grand Cherokee, in addition to its Pentastar V6. Despite the modest displacement, the new four-cylinder Hurricane puts out an impressive 324 hp, but it also contains technology not found in most consumer vehicles: Turbulent Jet Ignition (TJI). This follows on the…

The pain of shelling out over $100 to fill up your large SUV or truck is all too common. These prices can make swapping your gas-guzzling V8 for an EV quite compelling. However, range anxiety exists, and where would you plug it to charge at night — especially if you live in an apartment? But what if…

Like most things in the automotive world, the trucking industry has pretty well modernized itself over the past few decades. However, one piece of old-school tech is still around: the CB radio. Sure, with the advent of cellphones, navigation systems and other forms of entertainment, the CB radio is not used as much as it…

Go to most fuel pumps in the U.S., and you’ll find three or four grades of gasoline, but just one lonely nozzle for diesel. Did you know there are multiple grades of diesel and a few different blends on top of that? It’s true – making diesel fuel involves a complex refinement process, and, depending on…

It used to be that car owners went to dealerships for servicing and warranty repairs, but that’s not practical for those far away from the closest Toyota or Honda dealership. So automakers are shifting their sights to mobile servicing and, in essence, bringing the dealership’s service bay to the customer’s home or office. Admittedly, we’ve…

There are so many gorgeous and delightfully varied places to go on this ridiculous marble floating in space. I have gone on ridiculously long road trips for basically no reason at all other than I could, and been stunned by the scenery, the cultures, and the communities around every turn. I can’t recommend a good road trip enough…

Law enforcement officials announced the indictment of six people in connection with 117 car thefts in Washington, D.C. last year. Findings of a federal and local investigation alleged that this theft ring used a key programmer to steal cars with blank key fobs. Transportation theft is as old as the hills. Before cars, thieves stole horses,…