Author: Tabitha

Your vehicle’s headlights are one thing, but the Lanmodo Vast 1080P Night Vision System is quite another. The high-resolution infrared-color-camera package consists of an 8.2-inch (diagonal) screen as well as dashboard and windshield mounts. The Vast connects to a 12-volt receptacle and has a 300-meter range — nearly 1,000 feet — which Lanmodo says is much greater than standard headlights provide. And then there’s what you see: “Drive at night is like during the day,” according to the company’s website. The Lanmodo Vast is priced at $499 while the added low-resolution rear view camera brings the price to $599. Order…

Ford owns the off-road pickup category with the Raptor, but that dominance will be put to the test by the 2021 Ram Rebel TRX. The new model comes with a 702-horsepower supercharged 6.2-liter “Hemi” V-8 that’s identical to the engine installed in the Dodge Challenger Hellcat model. There’s also 650-pound-feet of torque. Apparently Ford has accepted the challenge and will answer by installing the supercharged 5.2-liter V-8 that originates with the Mustang Shelby GT500. That engine makes 760 horsepower and has a torque rating of 625 pound-feet. There’s no word from General Motors as to if, or when, the company…

It’s common for upscale automakers to convert squared-off utility models into more attractive (but less roomy) hatchbacks. The latest such brand is Nissan’s Infiniti division, which will reveal the QX50-based QX55 this fall for the 2022 model year. It will also be the first of a number of new gasoline and electric vehicles to wear the Infiniti logo as Nissan attempts to revive what has become a slow-selling brand. The QX55 will likely use a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that in the QX50 makes 268 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque. The Sleuth is hearing that those numbers might be…

With large gatherings considered to be breeding grounds for mass transmission of the coronavirus, The Sleuth is not surprised that the upcoming annual Specialty Equipment Market Association show (the SEMA Show) and the CES technology event, both held in Las Vegas, have been cancelled. Organizers for both international events stress that while in-person attendance won’t happen, there will be virtual presentations. “CES 2021 is going all-digital.” The SEMA Show is held in early November and CES is held in early January. The upcoming SEMA Show and CES will be virtual events. Both are held in Las Vegas. PHOTO: WWW.OCTANELOUNGE.COM

The look — and the name — of the premium-class automaker’s luxury utility vehicle didn’t do much for The Sleuth when it was unveiled for the 2016 model year, but a redesign could change all that. For 2021, the Bentayga gets a more stylish nose and tailgate, more interior space and minor suspension revisions. There are no changes to the standard twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 that produces 542 horsepower and 568 pound-feet of torque. Bentley is expected to introduce a 626-horsepower W-12 Speed edition as well as a 443-horsepower V-6 plug-in hybrid model within the next year. As for the Bentayga…

An alternative to hauling a costly trailer is to go with a Superlite Roof Tent from Montana-based Go Fast Campers. The company claims its 80-pound hard-shell (roof and floor) pop-up-style model is the lightest on the market. The 50- by- 90-inch interior dimensions provide space for two adults and the six-inch-thickness when folded makes for easy storage. The side curtains that cover the interior mesh screens are made from heavy-duty polyester and the quick-connect latches allow the tent to be easily attached to and removed from your vehicle’s roof. The Superlite Roof Tent sells for $1,300, excluding a ladder option…

Here’s a unique gift for someone who’s into classic American vehicles from the 1950s. Each deck of American Dream Cars playing cards — produced by Austria-based Piatnik Design —comes with 55 different images (including three jokers) featuring graphic renderings of various Ford, Chrysler and General Motors vehicles. Many of the plastic-coated card images are based on print or billboard advertising that was common back in the day. Purchase your pack of Dream Cars cards for $10 at www.amazon.com.

With a reveal of the automaker’s upcoming two- and four-door off-roaders, there’s now a complete outline of each model’s features. The Sleuth is aware, however, that there is one more piece of news that hasn’t been mentioned much, which is that a hybrid version is in the works. Although there’s no word as to which of the Bronco’s two internal-combustion engines will be used, a best guess would see front and rear electric motors paired with the optional turbocharged 2.7-liter V-6 and not the base turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder. The Bronco hybrid will have more torque for rock crawling, and presumably…

A second battery-electric model from the Japan-based automaker is planned for 2021. The Ariya is about seven inches longer than the Nissan Leaf EV and is close in size and shape to the Nissan Murano. According to the automaker, front-wheel-drive versions delivers 214 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque, while all-wheel-drive versions with front and rear electric motors produce 389 horsepower and 443 pound-feet. Buyers can choose from two battery options — 63 and 87 kilowatt-hours — the latter expected to provide a range of up to 300 miles in front-wheel-drive models. There’s no official word on pricing yet (The…

Remember those great Volkswagen ads?” is the title of a coffee-table book written by three people who worked for the automaker’s U.S. advertising agency Doyle Dane Bernbach. The print and broadcast campaigns created by the firm in the 1960s and ’70s to promote VW’s brand and vehicles are generally regarded to be among the most creative — and the most effective — ever. The more than 450 reproductions contained in the hardcover tome from by Merrill Publishers include ads for the Volkswagen Beetle, Karman Ghia sports car, Fastback and Squareback models as well as the bus and Westfalia camper van.…