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Lexus builds an actual hoverboard [w/video]

Sometimes a story comes along that your heart desperately wants to be true, but every brain cell is screaming that something is amiss. For one of the best examples of this in recent memory, take a good look at the Lexus Hoverboard. Despite seeming like pure science fiction, the company vehemently claims this vision of the future isn't a joke or a hoax. It all seems so hard to believe, though. Like us, your first question is probably how this thing works if it is real. Unfortunately, Lexus is being very cagey with the details at this time. The Hoverboard allegedly runs on "magnetic levitation with liquid nitrogen-cooled superconductors and permanent magnets." That's all we know for the moment, but the Japanese automaker claims to be working with "experts in super-conductive technology." While not the first functioning hoverboard, this one can apparently work on concrete, based on the teaser video. The company's spokespeople aren't giving away any of the tricks, either. "It is indeed real. We have worked with companies to make this happen, and there will be more demonstration of this later this summer," Nik Pearson, Press Relations Manager for Toyota and Lexus in the UK, said to Autoblog. "The technology mentioned in the release is accurate." According to Lexus, the Hoverboard prototype is being tested in Barcelona. So any readers in the Spanish city should keep an eye out for someone floating by. Get any Back to the Future 2 dreams out of your head right now, though. The company is clear that this thing isn't going on sale. Pearson also reiterated that point to Autoblog: "Don't expect it in showrooms any time soon." The teaser video below shows off more of the board but still raises a lot of questions. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. LEXUS CREATES ADVANCED HOVERBOARD Design and technology collaboration achieves creative breakthrough for new Lexus Amazing in Motion project A Lexus has always been a vehicle that rides on wheels, in contact with the ground. Until now. This summer a new Lexus takes flight, bringing the stuff of science fiction closer to real world fact. Lexus has worked with experts in super-conductive technology to create one of the most advanced Hoverboards the world has seen. The concept is the fourth project in its Amazing in Motion campaign, demonstrating its commitment to pursuing new possibilities in advanced design and technology.

BMW reclaims US luxury sales crown from Mercedes

The numbers, they are in: BMW has reclaimed the luxury-sales crown from Mercedes by a margin of 9,347 cars. Mercedes donned the king's headgear in 2013 after a strong final quarter of 2013 when the new CLA and S-Class poured out of dealerships. This year, led by the 3 Series/4 Series and X5, BMW sold 339,738 units – a 9.8-percent increase year-on-year. Mercedes, led by the C-Class and M-Class, saw its sales go up by 5.7 percent to 330,391 units. We'll have to wait a bit to see if there's another registrations-vs-sales challenge as in 2012, when BMW was anointed US luxury ruler. Behind them, a dark horse named Lexus nudged closer to the leading Teutons, selling 311,389 cars. The Japanese luxury automaker also had the biggest gain among the top three, its sales rising by 13.7 percent compared to 2013. Audi had the biggest sales of anyone among the top five, though, with a 15.2-percent gain to 182,011, which moved it a spot ahead of Cadillac; the Wreath-and-Crest brand dropped 6.5 percent to 170,750. Acura (167,843), Infiniti (117,300), and Lincoln (94,474) took the final positions. Speaking of Lincoln, sales at the once-mighty luxury marque stand as the mightiest jump of any on this list, up 15.6 percent. That's the power of Matthew McConaughey... and better cars and a new crossover, sure. So now that we're back to Round One of 2015, in case no one else has said it yet: "Ok, fight!"

Google shares more details on self-driving car accidents

Google has pledged to release monthly reports on the status of its self-driving car program, and says these updates will include information on accidents involving the vehicles. But the company won't release the actual accident reports, a sore point for activists who recently have clamored for the company to be more transparent in the way it tests this promising technology on public roads. "Google is dribbling out bits of information in the hope to silence legitimate calls for full transparency," said John Simpson, privacy director for Consumer Watchdog, a nonprofit that has asked Google to release reports from the 12 accidents the company says it has been involved in over the past six years. "They are testing on public roads, and the public has a right to know exactly what happened when something goes wrong." Under California law, the accident reports are not considered public records. Google has attributed all accidents to human error, and says drivers of the other cars involved caused 11 of the 12 accidents. In eight of those, the Google cars were rear-ended, and the autonomous vehicles were sideswiped in two other crashes. One of the accidents occurred at an intersection when a human driver failed to yield at a stop sign, and in one incident, a Google driver accidentally rear-ended another car while manually driving. Google had previously provided those details. The first monthly report installment sheds new light on which types of self-driving vehicles were involved, directions of travel, locations, and whether the cars were operating in autonomous or manual mode. Update: Google says this information comes directly from the OL 316 forms used to report accidents involving autonomous cars in California, though it has "edited the summaries lightly to protect other drivers' information." But Google still will not release the original OL 316 forms, nor the "traffic collision report" forms used in California to report accidents. Another company that has been involved in a single self-driving car accident, Delphi Automotive, has released this information, which verified its car was not at fault. Regarding Google, Simpson said, "We now know a few more details of what happened. The problem is that it's Google's version and they want us to take their word for it." The Google self-report adds information that goes beyond accidents, with further details on the company's overall program.