Aurelia Butler

Tesla has been the subject of a great deal of criticism for its Autopilot semi-autonomous technology.The newest report, a video series by the Wall Street Journal, shows footage of several crashes that have been reported to be linked to the use of the Autopilot system.The Journal concludes that reliance on computer sensors and cameras, rather than lidar, is one reason for its problems. Despite being investigated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) over its controversial semi-autonomous drive mode, Autopilot, Tesla hasn’t faced any substantial consequences. Tesla models new and old continue to roam city streets and interstates with technology that—while technically an SAE Level 2 semi-autonomous drive mode—can be misused as a fully autonomous system. Hence the controversy over the name Autopilot, and among the reasons for the myriad investigations into Tesla by the federal government as well as news outlets. The most recent investigation by the Wall Street Journal attempts to identify why some Teslas have crashed.The WSJ’s roughly 11-minute video, which requires a subscription to view, is the second in a series that puts Tesla’s Autopilot system under the microscope. It links the cause of some crashes to Autopilot’s overreliance on computer vision, which is basically a way of teaching computers to understand information based on digital inputs such as video. 1000 Tesla Crashes Reported to NHTSAAutomakers in the U.S. have had to report all serious real-world crashes involving SAE Level 2 or higher automated driving systems since NHTSA issued a General Order on crash reporting in June 2021. Tesla has reportedly submitted over 1000 crashes to NHTSA since 2016, but the WSJ claims most of that data is hidden from the public because Tesla considers it proprietary. However, the news outlet says it worked around that by gathering reports from individual states and cross-referencing them with crash data that Tesla submitted to NHTSA.Among the 222 crashes the WSJ says it pieced together for this report, the paper said 44 occurred when a Tesla with Autopilot activated suddenly veered, while another 31 crashes reportedly happened when Autopilot failed to yield or stop for an obstacle. Incidents where the Tesla failed to stop are said to result in the most serious injuries or death. The WSJ had experts analyze one fatal accident where Autopilot didn’t recognize an overturned truck on the highway and the car crashed into it.That’s what some experts who were interviewed by the Journal said is evidence of Autopilot’s gravest flaw. Unlike some other automakers that have radar computer vision and lidar laser imaging to detect objects, Tesla mainly relies on camera-based computer vision with radar as a backup on some models. John Bernal, who was fired from Tesla in 2022 for posing videos of Autopilot failing, tells the WSJ that he has found that the cameras used on some Tesla models are not calibrated properly. He says that when the cameras don’t see the same thing, they can have problems identifying obstacles. And as the investigation suggests, Tesla’s overreliance on cameras to control Autopilot can lead to crashes.One thing is certain: This investigation, and Tesla’s responses to it, will be important to follow.Eric Stafford’s automobile addiction began before he could walk, and it has fueled his passion to write news, reviews, and more for Car and Driver since 2016. His aspiration growing up was to become a millionaire with a Jay Leno–like car collection. Apparently, getting rich is harder than social-media influencers make it seem, so he avoided financial success entirely to become an automotive journalist and drive new cars for a living. After earning a journalism degree at Central Michigan University and working at a daily newspaper, the years of basically burning money on failed project cars and lemon-flavored jalopies finally paid off when Car and Driver hired him. His garage currently includes a 2010 Acura RDX, a manual ’97 Chevy Camaro Z/28, and a ’90 Honda CRX Si. More

Over 1.8 million Tesla models are part of a recall over faulty software that might not detect an unlatched hood, which could then possibly fly open.The recall affects certain Model S, Model 3, Model X, and Model Ys from the 2020 to 2024 model years.Tesla says the issue can be fixed via an over-the-air software update that’s free.On certain Tesla models, there’s a chance that a software issue might prevent the vehicle from detecting a hood that’s not fully latched. The worst-case scenario is that the hood flies open while the car is driving down the road and obstructs the view ahead. And if you can’t see the road, the odds of getting in a crash obviously increase.This defect is pretty widespread too, with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reporting that 1,849,638 Tesla models could be affected. The list of recalled Teslas include the Model S (2021 to 2024 model years), the Model 3 (2021 to ’24), the Model X (2021 to ’24), and the Model Y (2020 to ’24). The Cybertruck was not included in the recall.Michael Simari|Car and DriverWhile the amount of Tesla models affected by the recall is in the millions, the good news is that none of them have to be taken in for physical service. Instead, Tesla says the faulty hood-latch-detection software can be fixed with a free over-the-air update that the automaker has released.Owners will be notified with a letter in the mail by September 22, 2024. They can also check the Tesla customer service website or the NHTSA recalls website to see if their vehicle is affected.More Tesla NewsEric Stafford’s automobile addiction began before he could walk, and it has fueled his passion to write news, reviews, and more for Car and Driver since 2016. His aspiration growing up was to become a millionaire with a Jay Leno–like car collection. Apparently, getting rich is harder than social-media influencers make it seem, so he avoided financial success entirely to become an automotive journalist and drive new cars for a living. After earning a journalism degree at Central Michigan University and working at a daily newspaper, the years of basically burning money on failed project cars and lemon-flavored jalopies finally paid off when Car and Driver hired him. His garage currently includes a 2010 Acura RDX, a manual ’97 Chevy Camaro Z/28, and a ’90 Honda CRX Si. More

Recaro Automotive has filed for bankruptcy, as first reported by Autocar. The German automotive seat supplier has been approved for self-administration, but it’s unclear how that will affect the brand’s future.Recaro was bought by a U.S.-based private investment company back in 2020.Recaro has filed for bankruptcy. The company, which has supplied seats to various car manufacturers for decades, was yesterday approved for self-administration by a German court, per a report by Autocar.It’s unclear how the filing will affect Recaro, who provides sports seats for brands such as BMW, Ford, the VW Group, and others. The seat maker’s employees were unaware of the bankruptcy, according to Autocar, who also reported that the IG Metall trade union that represents 215 workers at Recaro’s factory in Kircheim unter Teck, Germany, has demanded transparency from the supplier’s upper management.Chris Doane Automotive|Car and DriverBack in January 2020, Recaro Automotive announced that it had sold its business to Raven Acquisitions LLC, which is a privately owned investment corporation based in Detroit, Michigan. At the time, Recaro reported that it had made approximately $150 million in revenue in 2019, and it said that the new ownership would allow the company to prioritize making seats “with shorter and faster decision-making processes allowing greater flexibility to better meet the requirements of the market.” It’s currently unclear what financial moves led to the insolvency.Recaro’s history dates back to 1906 when “master saddler” Wilhelm Reutter began designing and building car bodies and interior components. In 1965, Recaro launched its first sports seat, and then in ’67 it introduced the first road-legal full shell seat. Future innovations would include a seat with speakers in the headrest (1977), the Recaro A8 sports seat with a plastic backside (1989), and it would go on to make the first retrofit seat with a universal side airbag in 2004 followed by designing a seat with a new lightweight composite shell in 2005.RecaroRecaroRecaro-Related ReadingEric Stafford’s automobile addiction began before he could walk, and it has fueled his passion to write news, reviews, and more for Car and Driver since 2016. His aspiration growing up was to become a millionaire with a Jay Leno–like car collection. Apparently, getting rich is harder than social-media influencers make it seem, so he avoided financial success entirely to become an automotive journalist and drive new cars for a living. After earning a journalism degree at Central Michigan University and working at a daily newspaper, the years of basically burning money on failed project cars and lemon-flavored jalopies finally paid off when Car and Driver hired him. His garage currently includes a 2010 Acura RDX, a manual ’97 Chevy Camaro Z/28, and a ’90 Honda CRX Si. More

We absolutely adore the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing. Its 668-hp supercharged 6.2-liter V-8, available manual transmission, adult-sized rear seat, and sweet balance between everyday comfort and ferocity when prodded has made it a three-time 10Best winner and one of our favorite sports sedans of all time. Cadillac is leaning into the Blackwing’s angry side for 2025 with a comprehensive suspension-upgrade option called the Precision package. After driving a prototype at one of our favorite tracks, Virginia International Raceway, we came away very impressed.This new offering builds upon the 2025 facelift for the entire CT5 lineup, including a revised front fascia, larger dashboard screens, and an overhauled version of its onboard Performance Data Recorder telemetry. The CT5-V’s new Precision package is all about making the Blackwing more direct and more rapid on track. Development engineer Derek Zalewski tells us this project was somewhat inspired by former GM performance boss John Heinricy running a CT4-V Blackwing in SCCA’s T2 class. What else could be done to up the CT5 Blackwing’s track game? The answer: Spring rates are 70 percent stiffer up front and 60 percent in the rear, there’s a stiffer front anti-roll bar, and pretty much every bushing has been replaced. There are bits inherited from the Camaro SS 1LE and ZL1 1LE and—in the most extreme case—one of the rear cradle bushings is now 1000 percent stiffer. Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires remain standard, but track-oriented Cup 2R rubber is available, and the 285-section width is 10 millimeters wider than the stock PS4Ss. (Interestingly, in the interest of development time and cost, these are off-the-shelf tires versus the GM norm of having them customized for the vehicle.) The front suspension knuckles had to be revised to be able to accommodate 2.8 degrees of negative camber up front, and a second set of rear toe-control links are provided—they come in the trunk, and are about 0.1 inch longer—to be able to adjust the rear alignment to negative 2.0 degrees of camber (stock track alignment is -2.4 degrees front, -1.5 degrees rear). Finally, to make it all sing, the electronic controls—steering, MR dampers, stability control including Performance Traction Management, and the electronically controlled limited-slip differential—get a retune. In case you were wondering, engineers say the LT4 V-8 is already at the limits of balancing power and emissions, so there’s no more power. But 668 horsepower is still a lot.The added grip from the Cup 2R tires is instantly noticeable at VIR. The fronts just grip and grip and grip with no squeal. Average grip through Turn 1 is up nearly 10 percent over the last Blackwing we ran at Lightning Lap, and that’s with just a handful of cold laps. With our normal three days of lapping, expect an even bigger gap. The other two areas where the CT5’s added stiffness really blew us away is the increase in stability under braking and in the most challenging cornering sections. On our first lap braking into Turn 1 was, well, uneventful. We still remember the feeling of the standard Blackwing’s rear waggling under braking. Another highlight is NASCAR, where a preceding fast left-hand sweeper leads into the braking zone. It’s a dicey section to carry lots of speed through the left and then get the braking done in time to make NASCAR’s apex, and a spot that trips up many cars (drivers, too). This CT5 felt so much more stable and predictable there, making it much easier to gather it up and get to the apex cleanly. Similarly, the fast off-camber left-hander after the climbing esses is another spot where the CT5’s newfound, well, precision is sure to lead to quicker times. That slight rear wallow that you sometimes feel in the stock Blackwing has been absolutely banished.Considering how large of an improvement the Precision package felt like on track, we were pleasantly surprised at how perfectly livable it remains on the street. About the worst of its newfound stiffness is a bit more head toss over low-speed impacts such as putting one side over a parking-lot speed bump. It otherwise proved remarkably refined and streetable considering the serious stiffening underneath. We’ll put it this way: It’s a serious on-track upgrade, but we’d choose it for our daily driver too, further solidifying GM’s ride-and-handling engineers as some of the best in the business. Cadillac hasn’t yet announced pricing for the Precision package, but it will go on sale in early 2025. Ticking that box will require the carbon-ceramic brake option, but it will be available with or without the carbon-fiber aero packages. There was no time for an official lap time during this teaser drive. Cadillac also wouldn’t quote us a bogey time for a Precision-package-equipped Blackwing at VIR, but the team is confident the car has what it takes to become the fastest gas-powered four-door in our Lightning Lap history. Being just 1.7 seconds quicker than before would do it, getting its nose across the finish line just ahead of the Porsche Panamera Turbo S. More Cadillac CT5 StoriesDave VanderWerp has spent more than 20 years in the automotive industry, in varied roles from engineering to product consulting, and now leading Car and Driver’s vehicle-testing efforts. Dave got his very lucky start at C/D by happening to submit an unsolicited resume at just the right time to land a part-time road warrior job when he was a student at the University of Michigan, where he immediately became enthralled with the world of automotive journalism. More

The new Pagani Utopia Roadster is a convertible version of the Utopia coupe.The droptop model isn’t any heavier than its coupe counterpart, and both have an 852-hp twin-turbo V-12 without hybrid assist—but with a manual option. The Pagania Utopia Roadster costs around $3.4 million and only 130 copies will be sold around the globe.Artistry and state-of-the-art automotive technology converge on the new Pagani Utopia Roadster. It’s the topless follow-up to the Utopia coupe that was revealed back in 2022, but Pagani didn’t just lop off the roof and reinforce the body. Instead, the Italian hypercar maker meticulously redesigned the Carbo-Titanium monocoque for maximum rigidity without adding weight. That means the Utopia Roadster isn’t any heavier than its coupe counterpart, which Pagani claims weighs a feathery 2822 pounds without any fluids.A Topless UtopiaLike its fixed-roof sibling, the Utopia Roadster is among the few new hypercars that doesn’t have a hybrid powertrain. Another anomaly is that it caters to purists by offering a seven-speed manual transmission. The stick-shift setup routes power from the twin-turbocharged 6.0-liter V-12 to the rear wheels. Developed by Mercedes-AMG, the Utopia’s hand-assembled engine makes a hefty 852 horsepower at 6000 rpm and 811 pound-feet of torque from 2800–5900 rpm. You can also choose to skip the Utopia’s third pedal and opt for the seven-speed automatic, which allows paddle-shifted gearchanges. Pagani didn’t share any performance estimates, but it did quote the droptop’s electronically limited top speed of 217 mph.The Utopia Roadster’s hardtop roof features a glass panel that helps keep the two-seater cockpit feeling airy. That top can also be removed and placed on a stand for safe keeping. What about when you’re out for a drive and bad weather unexpectedly strikes? Well, Pagani stores a supplementary soft top behind the seats. And when it comes to storing luggage, every Utopia includes two matching suitcases made of carbon fiber and leather that go in compartments on either side of the engine bay. The accessorizing doesn’t stop there as a separate set of matching garment bags live behind the headrests.PaganiAs you’d expect from a roughly $3.4 million hypercar, the personalization options are virtually limitless. The Utopia Roadster pictured here is painted Habanero Red, and it allows the car’s carbon-fiber bodywork to show through. This specific car, which will make its public debut at the upcoming Monterey Car Week, is also equipped with the optional Sport package that includes exclusive bits made from Pagani’s Carbo-Titanium material. This applies to the convertible’s movable exterior flaps to the seat structures to the gear shifter.Inside, the Utopia Roadster represents a simpler time when the gauges and switchgear were more mechanically complex. Besides the single digital display facing the driver, which allows access to the infotainment system, navigation, and backup camera, everything else in the cabin is appropriately ornate and appears to be wonderfully tactile, from the shifter’s exposed linkage to the toggles on the dash to the steering wheel. Pagani says the latter actually started life as a single piece of aluminum before it was milled for 28 hours into a steering wheel weighing just 3.5 pounds. We also dig the checkered pattern on the seat cushions, with Pagani calling this interior design Grecale and Huayra Signature leather. Interestingly, the Utopia’s key is shaped like the car itself and has a dedicated nook on the center console.Release the leather straps that secure the Utopia’s rear hood and raise it skyward and the Roadster’s eye candy continues. The V-12 is dressed with bronze valve covers, carbon fiber, and other flashy bits, some of which can be seen from the outside via a small window. The Pagani’s distinctive quad-tipped center-exit exhaust also helps identify the car. The forged 21-inch front and 22-inch rear wheels offer a turbine-like design that’s said to help cool the brakes. Those Brembo stoppers include carbon-ceramic rotors that measure 16.1 inches in front and 15.4 inches in back and feature a set of monoblock six- and four-piston calipers, respectively. Pagani also says the Utopia Roadster offers Pirelli’s Cyber tire that uses a sensor on the inside of the tread. The sensor then transmits data to the car’s electronic control units (i.e. ABS, stability control, and traction control). Along with a standard set of Pirelli P Zero Corsa and P Zero winter tires, the Utopia Roadster can be equipped with stickier Pirelli P Zero Trofeo RS rubber.The Pagani Utopia Roadster has been homologated for sale in the United States. However, with only 130 copies planned for global production, being filthy rich is by no means a guarantee that you can own one. More Pagani StoriesEric Stafford’s automobile addiction began before he could walk, and it has fueled his passion to write news, reviews, and more for Car and Driver since 2016. His aspiration growing up was to become a millionaire with a Jay Leno–like car collection. Apparently, getting rich is harder than social-media influencers make it seem, so he avoided financial success entirely to become an automotive journalist and drive new cars for a living. After earning a journalism degree at Central Michigan University and working at a daily newspaper, the years of basically burning money on failed project cars and lemon-flavored jalopies finally paid off when Car and Driver hired him. His garage currently includes a 2010 Acura RDX, a manual ’97 Chevy Camaro Z/28, and a ’90 Honda CRX Si. More