Base Mercedes-AMG EV Gets Fake Six-Cylinder Noises. V8 Sounds Cost Extra

Who doesn't love simple vehicle repairs or tricks that make life easier? Especially if it greatly cuts down on replacement time. After all, time is money, and we all have more important things to do in life, like read Jalopnik or peruse Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace for our next project car. Replacing accessory belts is generally easy on most cars, especially if they run on a single serpentine belt that powers all accessories. Like this author's experience with their own 2011 BMW 128i. De-tension the tensioner with the proper hex socket attached to a breaker bar, slide the old belt off, slide on the new one, route it correctly, then pull the wrench off the tensioner so it resumes doing its job. But what if one could simply change a belt with just the belt itself and a screwdriver? Old-school VW owners are familiar with this parlour trick: the five-second belt change on air-cooled four-cylinder VWs is both impressive and terrifying. It involves a well-timed jab with a screw driver and a steady hand, and could either look cool as hell or send a screwdriver flying at your eye or soft tissue.

Many automakers have opted to add an electric motor (or two) and a high-voltage battery pack to form a hybrid power train to make an internal-combustion engine more fuel-efficient, but you can go the route of cylinder deactivation. As the name suggests, cylinder deactivation temporarily shuts down some cylinders when the engine does not need its full power output, which helps with fuel efficiency and thereby reduces carbon-dioxide emissions. You'll usually find cylinder deactivation tech in larger engines, such as Chevrolet's 5.3-liter EcoTec V8, although some four-cylinder engines also use it — Volkswagen's 1.5-liter TSI Evo 2 and Mazda's 2.5-liter Skyactiv-G come to mind. But while the idea of shutting down cylinders to save on fuel and cut emissions sounds great on paper, things aren't so cut-and-dry in real life. Cylinder deactivation adds mechanical and electronic complexity to an engine. Depending on the design, a cylinder deactivation system may rely on oil-pressure-controlled valve lifters and specialized valve mechanisms to switch cylinders on and off.

It’s science: Why noises travel farther and sound louder during the winterEver wonder why a train horn or barking dog sounds louder on a crisp winter morning? Turns out, it's not just your imagination — there's real science behind it. The weather culpritIn the winter, we often see warmer air set up above a pocket of cooler air near the surface, as shown in the image below. This is called a temperature inversion. This is the opposite of what we typically see in the summer where the sun heats up the ground, creating a layer of warmer air near the surface with cooler air above. And it makes all the difference in what your ears can hear.(MORE: Here's when fall's first freeze arrives in your town)A visual representation of a temperature inversion, which is common during the winter.(Madie Homan)Now, add in the sound wavesThe key is that sound waves travel faster in warmer air than in cooler air. Get More of Our News on GoogleSet The Weather Company as a 'Preferred Source' to get quicker access to the news you value. When warmer air sets up above cooler air, the contrast between the two causes the sound waves to bend down toward the ground, closer to your ears.

If last week’s headlines proved anything at all, it’s that the long wait for flying, flipping, fully self driving electric vehicles is finally over – especially if you’re shopping at Tesla’s competitors. On today’s episode of Quick Charge, we’ve got a full rundown of hot new EVs that you can fly, flip, and (most importantly) take delivery of today. After nearly a decade of waiting, Tesla Roadster 2.0 buyers still don’t have a car – and, despite last week’s thrilling demo, the fine print says they may never get their new Roadster, flying or otherwise.

Apologies to anyone else who spent afternoons after class playing Gran Turismo, but the gaming series turns 30 next year. But if you can't wait that long to celebrate, here's a new update and merch for you to enjoy. At least the plus side is that the update is free and includes a Ferrari F355, a French economy car, and a minivan. If that's not Gran Turismo, what is? Let's dive into the details. We've already briefly told you about the game's Spec IV update, but today, we know more about what's included. Released on October 15, update 1.72 adds six vehicles. They include the Ferrari F355 Berlinetta, the 1986 Citroën 2CV 6 Charleston, the 1987 Honda Civic Si Group A race car, the 2023 Honda Step WGN Spada Premium Line, the 2026 Mazda RX-VISION GT3 EVO, and Xiaomi Vision Gran Turismo. It's an appropriate lineup for a series that often includes both extreme concepts and cars like the Daihatsu Midget. On top of that, or below it rather, is a new track as well.