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Numbers released by the National Insurance Crime Bureau show there was an 11 percent increase in the number of vehicles stolen in the U.S. last year, with the two most popular targets being Ford and Chevrolet half-ton pickups.The Honda Civic and Accord were the next most popular cars to steal, in part because late-1990s versions of these vehicles still on the road are unlikely to have anti-theft devices built in.The FBI, which uses different methods to calculate crime statistics, found that motor vehicle thefts in the U.S. jumped 16.6 percent in 2020 compared to 2019. The year 2020 was tough for most everyone on the planet, but the hundreds of thousands of people who had their vehicle stolen last year got to deal with an extra helping of “Seriously, this too?” amid the pandemic. Thanks to numbers released by the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), drivers of Ford and Chevy full-size pickups were most likely to have to deal with having their vehicle disappear unexpectedly than anyone else.

In its annual “hot wheels” list (get it?), the NICB found that, overall, vehicle thefts were up 11 percent in 2020 compared to 2019. The top ten most stolen makes and models add up to just over 231,000 vehicles, led by full-size Ford pickups with 44,014 units stolen and full-size Chevy trucks in second place at 40,968. Coming in third and fourth places last year, respectively, were the Honda Civic and Accord. Late-1990s versions of these vehicles are popular targets for thieves because they were some of the last models built without anti-theft technology, NCIB said.

NICB

For the most part, thieves tend to pick older vehicles, the NICB found. For the Ford trucks, for example, the most common model year stolen was 2006, while the 2004 was the most common Chevy truck stolen. There are some surprises in the bottom half of the Top 10 most stolen vehicle list, though, with the Toyota Camry (fifth place overall), Nissan Altima (sixth), and Toyota Corolla (eighth) having their most common model year stolen being either 2020 or 2019. Rounding out the top 10 are the GMC full-size pickups at number seven, the Honda CR-V in ninth place, and the full-size Dodge pick-ups in tenth.”Auto thefts saw a dramatic increase in 2020 versus 2019 in part due to the pandemic, an economic downturn, law enforcement realignment, depleted social and schooling programs, and, in still too many cases, owner complacency,” said David Glawe, NICB president and CEO, in a statement. The FBI, which uses different data collection methods than the NICB, found that, overall, there were around 407,000 motor-vehicle-theft incidents in 2020, a 16.6 percent increase over the 315,000 such incidents in 2019 and the 270,000 incidents that were reported in 2018. The real numbers of vehicles stolen in the U.S. are higher, as the FBI collects its data through the Uniform Crime Reporting Program, which relies on numbers submitted by local law enforcement, and not all local agencies share their information with the Bureau. In 2020, for example, the FBI estimated national crime statistics based on data received from 15,875 of 18,623 law enforcement agencies that year.However many vehicle thefts actually happened last year, the NICB offers some common-sense tips on how not to add to the statistics next year. The super-easy ones: always lock your car, park in well-lit areas, and don’t leave your keys in the car. Installing a warning device or something that will immobilize or track your car will take a bit more effort, but it is worth considering if you think your vehicle is at risk.

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Lucid reveals details of DreamDrive advanced driver-assist system, designed to offer semi-autonomous features and upgrades via OTA updates.The automaker’s system will include driver attention monitoring to make sure drivers keep their eyes on the road and hands on the steering wheel, pointing to Level 2 capability.Lucid says it is working on Level 3 features as well, which will be functional in some driving conditions.This week Lucid Motors, just days after starting production of its 520-mile Air sedan, has revealed the first details of its DreamDrive advanced driver-assist system, which is expected to compete with Tesla’s Autopilot and Full Self-Driving systems, among others. The system boasts 32 sensor inputs, including ultrasonic and radar sensors, 18 cameras, solid-state Lidar, and sensors to monitor driver attention.

DreamDrive will offer a group of features dubbed Highway Pilot, which combines adaptive cruise control with lane centering, as well as Traffic Jam Assist, which will function at speeds between zero and 40 mph, working to center the electric sedan in the lane in tight traffic and respond to the movement of other vehicles around it. “An infrared driver camera tracks head position, eye gaze, and blinking, while hands-off detection prompts the driver to return their hands to the steering wheel immediately,” the automaker notes.DreamDrive will also offer an Auto Park feature, which will allow the sedan to identify parallel and perpendicular spots and will enter them automatically, managing steering and drive inputs.

Lucid Motors

The hardware behind the system is something Lucid calls an Ethernet Ring, which is a high-speed data network that uses four computer gateways, each positioned in one of the four corners of the sedan, to relay data at gigabit speeds, allowing for system redundancy and quick data transmission.”DreamDrive Pro has been designed to grow in capability, thanks to our ability to deliver software over-the-air and key equipment already in place in the vehicle,” said Eugene Lee, senior director of advanced driver-assist systems (ADAS) and autonomous driving at Lucid Motors. “Thanks to highly integrated hardware and software teams, Lucid has the ability to develop new functionality for DreamDrive Pro in-house. This can benefit every facet of the DreamDrive Pro experience, from the frequency of updates to the planned rollout of the Highway Pilot system for conditional automated driving on select roadways in the coming years.”At this point it’s prudent to note just what DreamDrive does not promise. For starters, it does not promise that drivers will be able to take their attention off the road. It also does not promise that drivers will be able to keep their hands off the steering wheel, because driver monitoring sensors will make sure that they do so at all times. So there are certainly a few caveats here that point to a system with no eyes-off, brain-off capabilities of Level 3 and Level 4 systems, some of which are already available in other vehicles. For now, it appears that it will be a purely Level 2 system, like Tesla’s Autopilot and FSD.The company does mention that Level 3 capabilities are in the works, at least for limited circumstances.”The Lucid DreamDrive technology suite supports 19 key safety, driving, and parking assist features that will be available on Lucid Air immediately upon start of production, with another eight features expected to be available later via over-the-air (OTA) updates. Additional DreamDrive capabilities to enable Level 3 driving in certain conditions are also in development,” Lucid said in 2020.The company also adds that Highway Pilot with conditional hands-free capability is something that will be offered in the future.While the major hardware advantage with Lucid’s system could be the inclusion of solid-state lidar, something that Tesla has shunned over the years in favor of transitioning to a camera-only system, DreamDrive appears to be taking a very careful approach to Level 2 autonomy to the point of not offering hands-free driving at the moment, unlike GM’s upcoming Ultra Cruise system. So while it will certainly feature a far fuller sensor suite than that offered by other advanced driver-assist systems on the market, it won’t be pushing the envelope for the time being.

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We all know by now that Tesla doesn’t follow the rules or traditions of other automakers as it launches new models, so the fact that previously announced specs for the upcoming Cybertruck have disappeared from the company website isn’t exactly a huge surprise.The removal of these details does make us wonder if the recently announced production delay is really about changing more than the delivery date.If you want to buy an actual, physical Cybertruck, you can do that by checking out the $250 Mega X Cybertruck brick model, which comes with cute Easter eggs re-created in plastic.The Tesla Cybertruck saga continues to roll along on its own path. From its divisive, angular styling to delays for when the truck is supposed to go into production, the Cybertruck is the perfect vehicle for those uninterested in a standard new-vehicle buying experience. The latest twist is that even the few details Tesla previously offered about the truck might not be as locked in as fans might wish.

Previously, for example, Tesla said the Cybertruck would come in three main flavors: a rear-wheel-drive model for $39,990, an all-wheel-drive option for $49,990, and a tri-motor option for $69,990. These prices and other specs, like its 500-plus miles of range and zero-to-60-mph time of under 2.9 seconds (in the top tri-motor configuration), were removed from Tesla’s website this week.Tesla doesn’t have a traditional PR department, so the company did not release a statement about why details about the Cybertruck were taken off the site. Similarly, CEO Elon Musk’s Twitter feed is silent on the matter.

Tesla

While the specs have been taken down from Tesla’s official site, you can still find them on Car and Driver and other automotive sites. The big question now is if Tesla is simply updating the specs as it reconfigures what, exactly, it will offer when the truck actually goes on sale in the future or if the continued delays and this spec disappearance hint at larger changes coming between what was promised and what will be delivered. Tesla was supposed to start production of the Cybertruck this year, but that was recently pushed back to 2022, and it’s not inconceivable that the delay means details on what will eventually be delivered have changed. Without an official statement from Musk or Tesla, though, all we can do is guess about the reasons behind the removal.For what it’s worth, Tesla is still taking $100 refundable deposits for the Cybertruck. Now, though, instead of picking a trim based on specs that Tesla has previously promoted, if you click to pay your deposit, the site simply says, “You will be able to complete your configuration as production nears in 2022.”

Mega

Hot Wheels R/C 1:64 Scale Rechargeable Radio-Controlled Racing Cars for Onor Off-Track Play, Includes Car, Controller & Adapter for Kids 5 Years Old & Up

Hot Wheels
amazon.com

$19.99

The good news is you can still buy an actual, physical Cybertruck online today, just not from Tesla. In addition to the Hot Wheels RC Cybertruck we told you about recently, there’s a new one from Mattel. The toymaker has started taking orders for a $250 Mega blocks (i.e., non-Lego plastic toy) model you put together yourself called the Mega X Cybertruck. This “collector’s building set” is made up of 3283 pieces and costs $250, with a limit of two per person. As befitting a desktop toy for the Cybertruck lover, this model includes a working tonneau cover, a folding tailgate, and Easter eggs like driver’s-side windows that look like they’re cracked, a nod to the ironic “these windows won’t break” demonstration when the truck was unveiled in 2019 and the window did, indeed, shatter. Mattel is promising that orders for the Mega X Cybertruck model placed now will be shipped out in December. If the company really wants to provide customers with an authentic Cybertruck experience, it should push that back to January, at the very least.
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A newly released Batmobile Lego Technic set is a retro-looking car based on the vehicle that will be featured in the 2022 film The Batman. This set contains 1360 pieces and includes two light bricks, moving pistons, a spinning flame exhaust, front steering, rear differential, and opening doors and hood. This set is available for pre-order and will start shipping on November 1, priced at $99.99. Lego is releasing a new Batmobile Technic set based on the personal vehicle that the caped crusader will be driving in the upcoming film The Batman starring Robert Pattinson. The film was expected to release this year but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but this Lego set is a good outlet for fans waiting for its eventual release.

Lego.com

Batman and his Batmobile, of course, are legendary superheroes, and the iconic car has been present in every iteration of Batman. Every Batmobile has features that make it unique and stand out from the previous versions. This new and presumably improved version has yet to be seen, so consider this Lego version a teaser. It shows some resemblance to a Chevrolet Camaro or Dodge Challenger from the late 1960s or early 1970s era.

LEGO Technic THE BATMAN – BATMOBILE 42127 Model Building Kit (1,360 Pieces)

LEGO
walmart.com

$100.00

The set comes with 1360 individual pieces, so it’s not going to be quick or easy to build. The kit includes are two light bricks: the yellow light will illuminate the grille, while the red light will glow over the transparent rear engine. The set also includes front-wheel steering, a rear differential, and a hood and two doors that open and close. To top it all off, there is a spinning flame on the back of the car imitating the fire that backfires from the exhaust in the films.

LEGO DC Batman 1989 Batmobile 76139 Building Kit (3,306 Pieces)

LEGO
amazon.com

$249.95

An earlier, more elaborate Batmobile Lego set was released in 2019, based on the 1989 Batmobile. That set contained 3306 pieces and took a long time to build. The new Batmobile set has almost 2000 fewer pieces but will still take a lot of time to construct. The previous version had a price of $249.99 while this one only costs $99.99—a bargain in Lego terms for a set this big.The new set is available for preorder and will begin shipping on November 1.

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