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Weekly Recap: Autonomous driving goes commercial in Nevada

Nevada granted Daimler Trucks North America the first license to run an autonomous commercial vehicle on public roads in the United States Tuesday, marking another milestone in the technology's rapid advancement. Gov. Brian Sandoval and Daimler truck chief Wolfgang Bernhard promptly used the license to lap Highway 15 near Las Vegas in a newly revealed Freightliner Inspiration Truck. It was a clear signal that autonomous driving is big-rig reality, though it's still a long way from widespread use. Nevada certified two of Daimler's Freightliner Inspiration Trucks, which use the company's Highway Pilot system with a stereo camera, radar, and lane-keeping collision-prevention features to regulate the brakes and steering. The radar component has a long-range sensor that can cover 820 feet at an 18-degree angle and a shorter-range unit that stretches 230 feet at a 130-degree angle. The Inspiration trucks are based on the existing Freightliner Cascadia Evolution model used on US roads. In addition to the autonomous technologies, it also has futuristic design cues, including blue lighting in the front and a new hood and grille. While there are only two Freightliner Inspiration trucks in existence, Daimler expects to bring the Highway Pilot system into mass-produced big rigs by 2025, in time to capitalize on the market's predicted growth. The German truckmaker predicts the global hauling market will triple by 2050, and the United States will be a key part of that growth. Trucks carry 69.1 percent the nation's domestic freight tonnage and hauled 9.7 billion tons of freight in 2013, according to the American Trucking Association. Daimler expects autonomous driving to augment this growth, and perhaps evolve the role of the truck driver. Still, the company points out autonomous tech is not meant to replace drivers, but to assist them and relieve fatigue and monotony on long hauls. The driver has to stay in control for passing, in city traffic, and when hooking up the trailer. The company said autonomous driving also offers the potential for improved fuel economy – tests showed a five-percent gain – and lower maintenance costs. Daimler also said the technology could reduce congestion on the road. Much of this is attributable to the constant flow of traffic, which is aided by autonomous driving. While the benefits are becoming increasingly apparent, autonomous technology is still met with skepticism.

Mansory tunes Lamborghini Huracan to 838 hp

The Lamborghini Huracan is a pretty potent package right out of the box, but the tuners at Mansory are showing that it's always possible to squeeze just a little bit extra out of a performance car for the willing buyer. The company's more aggressive interpretation of the coupe makes its public debut at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show. The Lambo's revised styling might be too brash for some people, but Mansory at least backs the looks up with a significant boost in power. The company keeps the 5.2-liter V10 in place but bolts on a single turbo, new exhaust and retunes the engine and transmission software to push output up to 838 horsepower and 575 pound-feet of torque. Thanks to the boost, the sprint to 62 miles per hour now takes a claimed 2.9 seconds, and the top speed reportedly grows to 205 mph. The stock Huracan is almost curvaceous by Lamborghini standards with a set of tightly focused flowing arcs making up its shape, but Mansory completely ditches subtlety for its carbon-fiber body kit. Up front, the the new lip spoiler adds tiny flying buttresses to each corner, and the wider fenders at the rear cover up the 12.5-inch-wide, 21-inch-diameter forged wheels. There's also a behemoth of a diffuser and massive wing at the back to suck the turbocharged Lambo to the road. If buyers want it, the tuning company offers a bespoke leather interior, as well. MANSORY refines the Lamborghini Huracan to the highest level Deeply rooted in the MANSORY philosophy is the motto to continually provide automotive masterpieces. Shortly before the Geneva Motor Show 2015, MANSORY, specialists for the refining and customisation of exclusive sports cars, granted a first glimpse of the refining program for the Lamborghini Huracan. A wide bodied development model is planned as a world premier at the Geneva Motor Show. The soon to be presented bodywork program makes it clear that MANSORY differs significantly from the standard series vehicle. In addition to design elements such as the specially designed daytime driving lights and the new carbon wing mirrors, targeted design interventions provide for an increase in aerodynamics. Whether front, rear bumper or side skirts - all body components are exclusively shaped and cured under high pressure and high temperatures in an autoclave using high-tech carbon materials. The advantages of this method are proven: Acceleration, stopping distances and fuel consumption are all improved due to the weight reduction of the car.

Latest Forza Motorsport 5 car pack leaves us scratching our head (in a good way) [w/video]

As we scrolled down the roster of the latest car pack for Forza Motorsport 5, the Hot Wheels Car Pack, our expression became bemused over the strange mix of vehicles that we now have at our disposal. This is quite unlike any of the other sets of DLC Turn 10 Studios has offered. Sure, there are the typical headliner cars – the Lamborghini Veneno and 2015 Audi S3 – that will appeal to the mainstream racing fan or auto enthusiast. But this latest car pack is so jammed full of nuggets of automotive weirdness that it's hard not to get excited. The Hot Wheels pack has no shortage of racers, with a particular focus on historical offerings. A 1939 Auto Union Type D covers the pre-war era of Formula One, while a 1967 Lotus 49 and a 1952 Ferrari 375 represent post-war racing. For a modern twist, a Mazda USF2000 car slots in below the Indy Lights car from the Nurburgring booster pack. From here, things get vintage and weird. There are a pair of delightfully offbeat coupes, in the form of a 1974 Toyota Celica GT and a 1973 Ford XB Falcon GT (here's hoping we get a vintage Holden Monaro in the future). Those two are joined by a 1956 Ford F-100, which your author already plans on converting into a dragster with vinyl flames down the side (because that's what all vintage pickups should be). The new ride we're most excited about, though, is the 1983 GMC Vandura G-1500. Yes, that's the van from The A-Team, and we're sure it will prove to be an excellent canvas for the artists of FM5 to cover with airbrushed, fire-breathing unicorns and mystical, gray-haired wizards (or just poorly painted letters that read "Free Candy"). This latest car pack is the final monthly car pack for FM5, although Turn 10 is quick to point out that while the monthly updates are over, there will still be new batches of cars made available to gamers. As for the Hot Wheels pack, it's available now on Xbox Live for $9.99. Scroll down for the press release from Turn 10 Studios, as well as a video of the newest additions to Forza Motorsport 5's vehicle roster. Forza Motorsport 5 Hot Wheels Car Pack Now Available Turn 10 Studios is bringing the Hot Wheels® Car Pack to "Forza Motorsport 5," available for download today. The pack features a collection of vehicles built from the ground up for the new generation that car fans can collect and customize while putting their virtual driving skills to the test.