Auto Industry News: Rumors, Rumors, and the Bittersweet Truth

Uber Under Fire

Last month, Uber CEO Travis Kalanick resigned for undisclosed reasons, though many suspect recent mass firings from sexual harassment allegations within the company spurred the decision. Now, however, Uber is under federal investigation for illegally tracking drivers of the competitive ride-hailing app Lyft. The investigation is founded on the suspicion that illegal software gave Uber an edge in markets where both companies operate. Uber supposedly employed the software named “Hell” to identify the locations of Lyft drivers as well as their own. And it’s suspected that Uber used this information to strong-arm employees that work for both companies into driving Uber exclusively.

Whoever would have guessed that the company that tracks your location and capitalizes on alcoholism for profit would be up to something sketchy?

For now, the company is said to be cooperating with the investigation.

The Ranger Raptor

Speaking of rumors, there are rumblings that Ford plans to release a Ranger version of the fan favorite Raptor. The Ranger is a highly anticipated release on its own merit to begin with. So just when you thought the mid-size market couldn’t be any more exciting, things get juicier. It’s already got a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? The Ranger Raptor.

As Autoblog has pointed out, it makes sense that the truck will have Ford’s 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 for ensured power. But other than that assumption, there is no word out on the Ranger Raptor’s official specs.

But before Ford fans shell out the cash to hold the reigns of one, they’ll have to wait at least a year. As the video above indicates, the Raptor Ranger is set to debut only in the Australia and New Zealand market. With the swarm of comeback vehicles Ford will be releasing, this hybrid of nostalgia and badassery comes as a tease. But you can be sure that like always, the Ford frat eagerly awaits its arrival.

The New TVR Griffith

While comeback vehicles have established themselves as the new norm, TVR has jumped in on the fun. The British automaker injected life into the sports car world when it announced the 2019 return of the Griffith last week. There have been several iterations of the Griffith but the latest was produced back in 2001. So this comes as a sweet surprise to those who follow the low-volume company.

From what we can see, the new and improved Griffith is damn pretty. But let’s not beat around the bush here. This thing is going to have some serious power. It has a 500 HP V8 and can top out at 200 mph. And if that wasn’t enough to get the blood pumping, TVR told Top Gear that the Griffith can go from 0 to 100 in six seconds. Sweet Jesus. 

Drag Week Has Arrived!

Let’s keep things moving fast, shall we? It’s Drag Week!

The Hot Rod Magazine sponsored event kicked off Sunday and will continue all through the week. For those who want to see the most capable dragsters thrown down or just drive around and look good, Hot Rod’s official website will have a live stream starting Monday.

NASCAR

It was a weird week in racing. One of the strangest headlines from NASCAR came when Subway dropped their sponsorship of driver Daniel Suarez. Why? Because NBC aired a segment in which he handed out doughnuts. That’s some ride or die dedication to a company tagline right there.

But the real news is the that the playoff field is set. And this past weekend’s race at Richmond put the final stamp on NASCAR’s regular season. Kyle Larson snagged the win and no changes occurred in the 16-driver field. However, some race fans were paying close attention to the driver who finished in 13th.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. needed to win at Richmond in order to shake up the field and claim a playoff spot. But the beloved driver’s final competitive season before retirement had no such storybook ending. A frustrating finish for sure, as Earnhardt felt his team could have run that well all season. But in spite of all this, Earnhardt was able to stop and reflect positively on the surreal season when speaking with USA Today.

“The reaction from the fans and everything that I’ve experienced from week to week has been really uplifting,” he said. “It’s been a positive, fun experience. It’s meant a lot to me.”

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