INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
TechCrunch occasionally reviews cars
Why? Vehicles are some of the most complex, technical consumer electronics available
Vehicles, especially those available for the consumer, are the culmination of bleeding-edge advancements in computing, manufacturing, and
And some can go fast — zoom zoom.
Over the past 12 months, we&ve looked at a handful of vehicles from ultra-luxury to the revival of
It been a fun year full of road trips and burnouts.
In the last weeks of 2018, we drove Audi first mass-produced electric vehicle
I spent a day in an Audi e-tron and drove it hundreds of miles over Abu Dhabi perfect tarmac, around winding mountain roads and through
sand-covered desert passes
The e-tron performs precisely how a buyer expects a mid-size Audi SUV to perform
On the road, the e-tron is eager and quiet, while off the road, over rocks, and through deep sand, it sturdy and surefooted.
Read the review
here.
A few months later, we got an Audi RS 5 Sportback for a week
It was returned with significantly thinner tires.
This five-door sedan is raw and unhinged, and there an unnatural brutality under the
numerous electronic systems
Its twin-turbo 2.9L power plant roars while the Audi all-wheel drive system keeps the rubber on the tarmac
It insane, and like most vacations, it lovely to visit, but I wouldn&t want to live with the RS 5.
Read the review here.
At the end of
Spring, a 2019 Bentley Continental GT blew us away.
The machine glides over the road, powered by a mechanical symphony performing under the
The W12 engine is a dying breed, and it a shame
It stunning in its performance
This is a 200 mph vehicle, but I didn&t hit those speeds
What surprised me the most is that I didn&t need to go fast
The new Continental GT is thrilling in a way that doesn&t require speed
It like a great set of speakers or exclusive liquor
Quality over quantity, and in this mechanical form, the quality is stunning.
Read the review here.
In late May, we drove Audi 2019 Q8 from
Michigan to New York City and back
To the passengers, it was comfortable
For the driver (me), it was unpleasant.
Yet after spending a lot of time in the Q8, I found it backwards
Most crossovers provide the comfort of a sedan with the utility of an SUV
This one has the rough comfort of an SUV with the limited utility of a sedan
Worse yet, driving the Q8 around town can be a frustrating experience.
Read the review here.
The BMW i8 is a long for this world, so we
took it out for one last spin, several years after reviewing it just after it was released.
The BMW i8 is just a stepping stone in BMW
It a limited-edition vehicle to try out new technology
From what I can tell, BMW never positioned the i8 as a top seller or market leader
It was an engineer playground
I love it.
Read the review here.
This fall, we went to Las Vegas to get the first taste of Ford latest GT500
It exhilarating and yet manageable.
During my short time with the 2020 GT500, I never felt overwhelmed with power when driving it on city
The 2020 GT500 is an exercise in controlled restraint
Somehow this 760 HP Ford can hit 60 mph in 3.3 seconds and still be easy to putz around town
It surprising and a testament to the advances made within Dearborn.
Read the review here.
Supercars are often an exercise in excess, and
yet the McLaren Senna GTR is something different
It a testament to how McLaren operates.
Sliding into the driver seat, I feel at home
The cockpit is purposeful
The track was cold with some damp spots, and the GTR is a stiff, lightweight race car with immense power on giant slick tires
Conventional wisdom would suggest the driver — me in this case — should slowly work up to speed in these otherwise treacherous
However, the best way to get the car to work is to get the temperature in the tires by leaning on it a bit right away
Bell sent me out in full &Race& settings for both the engine and electronic traction and stability controls
Within a few corners — and before the end of the lap — I had a good feel for the tuning of the ABS, TC, and ESC, which were all
intuitive and minimally invasive.
Read the review here.
Quick thoughts on other cars we drove this year.
2020 BMW M850i xDrive Coupe
A grand
tourer for the modest millionaire
With all-wheel drive, a glorious engine, and heated armrests, the 850i is exciting and comfortable anywhere.
2019 Ford GT350
Forget the
The GT350, with a standard gearbox and naturally aspirated 5.2L V8, is a pony car that gives the driver more control and more thrills than
its more expensive, supercharged cousin.
2020 BMW M2 Competition Coupe
This small BMW coupe is perfectly balanced
It powerful, controllable, and, during our week with it, gave endless thrills (and donuts)
This was my favorite car this year.
2019 Ford Raptor
Need a pickup that faster than a sports car? You probably don&t, but if so, we
discovered the Raptor was capable and enjoyable if not a bit unwieldy in traffic thanks to its wide body.
