03 Hummer H1, Highly Optioned, Pristine, 1 Owner, Alpha Look Wheels, 01,02,04,06 on 2040-cars

Auto blog

IIHS: High numbers of drivers treat partially automated cars as fully self-driving

WASHINGTON — Drivers using advanced driver assistance systems like Tesla Autopilot or General Motors Super Cruise often treat their vehicles as fully self-driving despite warnings, a new study has found. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), an industry funded group that prods automakers to make safer vehicles, said on Tuesday a survey found regular users of Super Cruise, Nissan/Infiniti ProPILOT Assist and Tesla Autopilot "said they were more likely to perform non-driving-related activities like eating or texting while using their partial automation systems than while driving unassisted." The IIHS study of 600 active users found 53% of Super Cruise, 42% of Autopilot and 12% of ProPILOT Assist owners "said that they were comfortable treating their vehicles as fully self-driving." About 40% of users of Autopilot and Super Cruise — two systems with lockout features for failing to pay attention — reported systems had at some point switched off while they were driving and would not reactivate. "The big-picture message here is that the early adopters of these systems still have a poor understanding of the technologyÂ’s limits," said IIHS President David Harkey. The study comes as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is scrutinizing Autopilot crashes. Since 2016, the NHTSA has opened 37 special investigations involving 18 deaths in crashes involving Tesla vehicles and where systems like Autopilot were suspected of use. Tesla did not respond to requests for comment. Tesla says Autopilot does not make vehicles autonomous and is intended for use with a fully attentive driver who is prepared to take over. GM, which in August said owners could use Super Cruise on 400,000 miles (643,740 km) of North American roads and plans to offer Super Cruise on 22 models by the end of 2023, did not immediately comment. IIHS said advertisements for Super Cruise focus on hands-free capabilities while Autopilot evokes the name used in passenger airplanes and "implies TeslaÂ’s system is more capable than it really is." IIHS in contrast noted ProPILOT Assist "suggests that itÂ’s an assistance feature, rather than a replacement for the driver." NHTSA and automakers say none of the systems make vehicles autonomous. Nissan said its name "is clearly communicating ProPILOT Assist as a system to aid the driver, and it requires hands-on operation.

Sega's 'Hummer Extreme Edition' may be the most 2000s arcade racing game ever

There's a reason GM is leaning on the Hummer name for its upcoming electric truck, and it's because it has amazing name recognition. No matter who you are, you know the name, and there's probably a lot of imagery you associate with it, both good and bad: big, brash, capable, in-your-face. Of course a lot of this was in vogue in the 2000s, so it shouldn't have come as a surprise that there was an entire arcade game based on the brand called "Hummer" and "Hummer Extreme Edition" by Sega. Though, ironically, it launched in 2009, just as Hummer was near its death. And, man, this game sure exemplifies the brand. There were a number of different form factors for the game, all of which involved a car seat, wheel and pedals, and they all had bright yellow paint and some representation of the brand's most polarizing model, the H2, sitting over the screen or behind the seat. Some flyers indicate that some machines could be had in less garish black, green or red colors, but we doubt they were as popular. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Watching actual gameplay, captured by YouTube user iPlaySEGA, "Hummer Extreme Edition" appears to stay true to the brand identity with the SUVs smashing through big outdoor race courses. There's a big emphasis on the smashing part, as that, along with jumps and stunts rewards the driver with extra boost to get ahead of the competition. Players have a choice among the H1, H2 and H3, and each one has modified variants with either meaty tires and brush guards, or slammed on giant wheels with neon and sound systems. According to a description from arcade machine vendor Primetime Amusements, the machine featured four tracks, the ability to link up to four machines for multiplayer, a force-feedback steering wheel and a 32-inch LCD display. Since the game was launched in 2009, it may be difficult to find an example at a local arcade, but it seems like one worth keeping an eye out for. It is possible to purchase one used from various online arcade retailers. A British retailer called Liberty Games is offering a two-person setup for the not unsubstantial price of 9,999 pounds, which comes to just over $13,000. We'd recommend looking for an arcade with one, or, at that price, actually buying a real Hummer H2. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.    

Cadillac CT6 production ceases January 2020 as part of D-Ham layoffs

General Motors filed paperwork under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act with Michigan's Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity this week, detailing events to come at the automaker's Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Plant. Starting February 28, 814 salaried and hourly workers at D-Ham, as its called, will be laid off. The 753 workers represented by the UAW will begin receiving offers in January to relocate to facilities in Michigan and Ohio, or buyout offers. As the 4-million-square-foot plant winds down through April 3 to a skeleton crew, the Cadillac CT6 ceases production in January 2020, and the last Chevrolet Impala comes off the line on February 28. The loss of the CT6 represents the end of Cadillac's latest brief, and highly regarded, adventure into flagship sedans. It might also mean the end of the 4.2-liter Blackwing twin-turbo V8 engine, at least for the moment. Both casualties are calamities. The death of the Impala closes the door on a nameplate in production for 52 years since 1957, having started off as a top-tier trim for the 1958 Bel Air known as the Bel Air Impala, once advertised with the line, "Lets you know you're the boss." As part of the new four-year labor agreement with the UAW, GM is keeping D-Ham open to build a new line of battery-electric vehicles, ultimately investing $3 billion and tripling employment to 2,225 workers when fully operational. The agreement described the coming EV as a "van" that would commence production in late 2021, but various reports say what's actually coming is a range of premium EVs in pickup and SUV bodystyles under the program codename BT1. The easy predictions put an electric GMC Sierra and Cadillac Escalade among the EV fold, but not until 2023, according to auto industry forecaster LMC Automotive. Before that, LMC claims an electric van will debut in late 2021, along with a battery-powered rebirth of the Hummer brand in pickup and SUV forms, also in late 2021.