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Automotive April Fools' joke roundup [w/videos]

Happy April, everyone. And we all know what this first day of the month means: April Fools' Day. Today is a national holiday for pranksters with the Internet acting as a serious enabler, and it's always fun to see what kind of vivid imaginations exist out there in the automotive world. The abundance of fake news gets a little old as the day rolls on, but we did manage to get in a few chuckles thanks to a handful of major automakers and automotive news outlets that got into the pranking spirit this year
Some of our favorites this year includes Subaru showing what happens when you combine a bunch of rumors, a Corvette some may have already thought was a joke or Honda providing some in-car innovation circa the late 1980s. Honestly, we're still waiting for official confirmation from Mitsubishi that the recently introduced 2014 Mirage is an elaborate April Fools' joke using a failed design intended for the 1995 Geo Metro. We dug up as much "official" OEM foolishness we could find, as well as some of our other favorites, and posted them all below.

Chip maker Nvidia adds Volvo to list of self-driving partners

Chipmaker Nvidia Corp announced on Monday it was partnering with Volvo Cars and Swedish auto supplier Autoliv to develop self-driving car technology for vehicles due to hit the market by 2021. Volvo is owned by China's Geely Automobile Holdings. Silicon Valley-based Nvidia also announced a non-exclusive partnership with German automotive suppliers ZF and Hella for artificial intelligence technology for autonomous driving. Nvidia came to prominence in the gaming industry for designing graphics processing chips, but in recent years has been a key player in the automotive sector for providing the so-called "brain" of the autonomous vehicle. The company, whose many partners already include Tesla, Toyota, Ford, Audi, BMW, and tier one supplier Robert Bosch, announced its latest deals at an automotive electronics show in Ludwigsburg, Germany. Nvidia's Drive PX artificial intelligence platform is used by Tesla in its Models S and X and upcoming Model 3 electric vehicles. Volkswagen AG's Audi is also using the system to reach full autonomous driving by 2020. In a call with reporters, Nvidia's senior automotive director Danny Shapiro said carmakers and their main suppliers are now moving away from the research and development phase of autonomous vehicles and into concrete production plans. The system developed jointly by ZF and Hella, and using Nvidia's Drive PX platform, will combine front cameras with radar and software to create technology meeting the Euro NCAP safety certification for so-called "Level 3" driving, in which some, but not all, driving is performed by the car. Volvo is already using the Drive PX for the self-driving cars in its "Drive Me" autonomous pilot program. Volvo's production vehicles built on Nvidia's platform, as announced on Monday, are planned for sale by 2021.Reporting By Alexandria SageRelated Video: Auto News Green Tesla Toyota Volvo Technology Emerging Technologies Autonomous Vehicles nvidia autoliv

2022 Volvo C40 Recharge First Drive Review | All electric, all Swedish

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. — Volvo doesnÂ’t rock the design boat often, but the 2022 Volvo C40 Recharge is an exception to the Swedish car companyÂ’s staid, yet handsome norm. The C40 is a fully-electric crossover coupe, and it is VolvoÂ’s first vehicle to adopt this fastback shape. Not only that, but itÂ’s also VolvoÂ’s second electric car, following closely on the heels of the XC40 Recharge, a vehicle weÂ’ll drive soon. With the C40 Recharge being a new shape for Volvo, the design and technology teams are using it to debut some new ideas both inside and out. The rear end features new LED taillight technology from Volvo that features segmented LEDs and sequentially activating turn indicators for a different look than the typical fully-lit Volvo taillight. Its grille is debuting a new “Iron Mark” that houses a brand-new (and improved) suite of radar for the driver assistance systems — the logo is also now heated to ensure that neither ice nor snow buildup will stop the systems from functioning.  As for the crossover coupe part of this design, youÂ’ll notice the rear is full of spoilers. VolvoÂ’s head of design, Eric Beak, tells us that the dual, fin-like rooftop spoilers are there as aerodynamic aids in a bid to increase range. Meanwhile, the big spoiler jutting out on the carÂ’s trailing edge is designed to give the car greater stability at high speeds by reducing lift. The 20-inch wheels you see pictured here are the only option, so hopefully you like them. We do, and we like the look of this car overall. Photographs donÂ’t properly capture the angularity and shape of the body panels, but the C40 is a striking crossover coupe when you get up close to it. What could ultimately be even more controversial than the exterior design are the interior material choices. You wonÂ’t find an inch of leather covering the C40Â’s interior. Instead, Volvo is focusing on sustainable materials made using recyclables. For example, the seats are constructed of VolvoÂ’s suede-like Microtech material that is made of recycled polyester. Ditching leather is great, so long as the replacement is suitable for a luxury vehicle at a luxury price, and in this case, it works in nearly every area. Our one complaint is the steering wheel, for the synthetic leather substitute used here feels too much like plastic and is nowhere near as nice or supple to hold as quality leather is. When it comes to driving and charging the C40, the experience is a vaguely familiar one.