Here's what we know about autonomous cars: A. They're coming. B. They'll wreak havoc among automakers, with upstarts like Google emerging as viable competitors. C. They'll have an effect on related sectors, too -- like auto insurance.  What we don't know about autonomous cars is when they'll arrive in showrooms, o...Read more

Every auto brand has an image to uphold, a claim to fame. Jeeps are rugged, Mercedes-Benz cars are long-lasting, Hondas are reliable -- or so marketers would have us believe. For years, Volvo's buzzword has been "safety". Mention to co-workers, neighbors, or family members that auto safety is your #1 concern when shopp...Read more

On November 17, 2006, Douglas D. Bahl was pulled over in St. Paul for allegedly running a red light. Ordinarily, a driver in that situation would've provided a license and other documents, chatted with the police officer, and maybe gotten off with a warning. (Or not.) That's not what happened. Bahl is legally...Read more

Nearly ten years ago, Raechel and Jacqueline Houck were killed in a horrific accident when the Chrysler PT Cruiser they'd rented from Enterprise Rent-A-Car caught fire, causing the sisters to lose control of the vehicle and collide with an 18-wheeler. Later, the Houck's family and friends learned that the PT ...Read more

We're not mutual fund managers, but if we were, we'd be taking a good, long look at Facebook right now. Though its stock prices faltered after the IPO, recent developments suggest that Facebook will retain its 800-pound gorilla status for years to come, thanks to a renewed focus on mobile devices. First we saw Facebook...Read more

Back in February, the folks at Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington hosted a TEDx conference. One of the event's speakers was Ron Johnston-Rodriguez. Johnstron-Rodriguez founded Plug In North Central Washington. That sounds as if it might be a regional chapter of Plug In America, but its goals are slight...Read more

No doubt about it: Audi's new commercial starring Leonard Nimoy and Zachary Quinto is 31 flavors of awesome. Dubbed "The Challenge", the clip manages to work in numerous Trekkie gags while hyping the Audi S7. We even get a glimpse of Shelley, the autonomous Audi TT designed by Stanford University's Center for Auto...Read more

We receive plenty of curious press releases here at The Car Connection. Some hype "experts" that we might want to interview. (We don't.) Some tout products suited for "mature" websites. (We may be old, but we're rarely mature.) And some are just plain weird. We'll let you decide where to file the latest missive from Tu...Read more

As automakers go, Terrafugia is a niche company. In fact, let's call it "super-niche": manufacturers like Tesla may cater to a very limited subset of buyers, but Terrafugia's target market is even narrower. That's because Terrafugia makes flying cars. They're not as cool-looking as the rides you've seen in movies and c...Read more

We all remember what it was like to be a kid, trapped in the back seat, cutting up with brothers or sisters or schoolmates. Our parents would turn around and give us "that look", promising all sorts of punishments if we didn't keep still. Occasionally, they'd pull over to the side of the road, which was the most ominou...Read more