Car Trends and Innovation

Thieves and thugs will always find a way to take something they didn't work for. But just how vulnerable are modern automobiles to a high-tech attack?

By Akweli Parker

In an age of diminishing fuel resources and increasing gasoline costs, auto manufacturers are doing everything they can to make cars more energy efficient.

By Christopher Lampton

It's no secret that technology changes fast -- and the auto industry is no exception. So what's in store for future cars?

By Christopher Neiger

Fred Flintstone had a car that he had to power with his own feet; by that standard, all of today's cars are pretty easy to use. But cars are becoming even more user-friendly -- so user-friendly, in fact, that they may not even require a user at all.

By Molly Edmonds

Hybrid manufacturers tend to keep their focus on gas mileage and power, but that's starting to change as eco-plastics debut in some of the market's most popular cars. Where might you find eco-plastic in your hybrid?

By Julia Layton

It seems as if hybrid cars are all the rage these days. Everyone wants to live an eco-friendly lifestyle, but are hybrids as green as they look?

By Josh Clark

When most people are ready for a new car, the process typically involves a local car dealer or a few hours of online auto shopping. For others, it's the start of a project that may take years to finish.

By Eric Baxter

Synthetic motor oils have evolved rapidly in recent years to improve gas mileage, increase time between oil changes, clean out harmful engine deposits and more.

By Kristen Hall-Geisler

Would you be surprised to learn that automakers are using adhesives to bond components on modern vehicles? We're not talking about the glue you'll find on a typical craft table. These are automotive structural adhesives.

By Ed Grabianowski

Some of the most insane hypercars have hit the market in the last few years. Whether you have a few million bucks to drop on a new set of sick wheels or not, you definitely want to check out the cars on this list.

By Kristen Hall-Geisler

Most race fans dream of slipping behind the wheel of a purebred race car. As it turns out, your own car already has several features that were originally designed for racing. So what are they?

By Jamie Page Deaton

People are bad drivers. But as the DARPA Urban Challenge proves, sometimes cars are, too. Why does a department of the U.S. government conduct an annual race for fully robotic cars?

By Jamie Page Deaton

If your car were skinny enough, you could follow that guy on the bicycle who is threading his way through parked traffic. What a joy that would be. Is there such a car?

By Cristen Conger

The glory days of the over-sized SUV have ended. The lighter the vehicle, the less fuel it needs to get up and go. How light can a car be?

By Cristen Conger

Sure it'd be nice to have your car ferry you through the morning commute, but that's the stuff of sci-fi dreams, right? You'll be surprised at what driverless technology is already under your hood.

By Jamie Page Deaton & Kristen Hall-Geisler

The next time you're at the grocery store, take a moment to glance at the stacked shopping carts -- their space-saving design may be the basis for automobiles of the future.

By Robert Lamb

If life is a highway, get ready to take a long subterranean trip. Underground automated highways will allow drivers to relax while self-driving vehicles steer, and tunnels could help conserve land.

By Robert Lamb

High gas prices have many of us feeling the pinch, but for truckers, the situation may be even more serious. Can a German visionary transform the semi and get the trucking industry back on the road?

By Josh Clark

If pressed upon to name features in the luxury cars of the future, Japanese Zen garden might not be the first thing to come to your mind. But perhaps it should be. What concept cars are influencing future autos?

By Josh Clark

If you've been sassed or swindled by a taxi driver, relish the thought that future taxis might be driverless. Personal rapid transportation may be coming to a city near you in the future.

By Josh Clark

Speed is a constant: 100 mph will always be 100 mph. But the source of speed is up for grabs -- especially since we may have reached peak oil. Will high-speed hydrogen or all-electric cars dominate our roads one day?

By Josh Clark

We're not just talking about Hollywood cars like K.I.T.T. -- computerized cars are on our roads today. They're outfitted with high-tech features, but why are they called digital?

By Josh Clark

Maybe you budget for oil changes and new tires, but setting aside $1,600 for new headlights is a little steep. If cars are expensive to repair now, what does the future hold?

By Josh Clark

Lowriders are decked-out cars with lowered suspensions that rumble, growl and even dance their way to parks, streets and cruise-ins. So how do you lower and raise a car's suspension?

By Jamie Page Deaton

People drive underwater all the time in movies. But this isn't the movies. In reality, your car would stop running almost immediately.

By Marshall Brain