Articles by Jeff Glucker

A team of computer security experts aims to explain exactly what can be accomplished when it comes to hacking a car. Modernvehicles are fitted with all sorts of computers, and any computer can be hacked if the person doing so knows what they're up against.To prove their point, the two shared a unique driving experience with Forbes' Andy Greenberg. The resulting drive is rather eye-opening.Sitting in the rear seat, the two hackers showed Greenberg a slew of hacks they could perform. Randomly removing the brakes, getting the steering wheel to jerk and tugging on the seat-belt tensioner were just a few of the many items the duo could affect.Additionally, the display could be altered so that it read that the fuel tank was full when it was actually down to one quarter remaining. It all comes off as rather startling, and it's easy to see how someone's drive could turn ugly quickly.Still, this type of hack was done with the hacking team in the car and wired into the computer systems. A remote attack may be a bit more difficult. That isn't to say it's impossible, of course.The hacking team will reveal their findings on car hacking at the upcoming DefCon event in Las Vegas. There, other "white hat" hackers can pore over the information and find ways for carmakers to button up their security systems. It's not just the Toyota in the video that can hacked, but pretty much any car with a modern computing system buried beneath its skin.You can bet that representatives from many of the car manufacturers will be paying close attention to the information presented at DefCon.www.motorauthority.comMeanwhile, a British High Court judge has banned three scientists from presenting a research paper that shows security flaws in the immobilisation system chip used by several car brands. Volkswagen and French defence group Thales sought the judgement to stop the paper being presented at a conference in August.The research team -- University of Birmingham computer science lecturer Flavio Garcia, and Radboud University Nijmegen, Netherlands, security researchers Baris Ege and Roel Verdult – had informed the chipmaker of the research nine months ago so it could take steps to improve the security of its product. They also asked at the time that the chipmaker inform the car brands that purchase the chip.

Reevu is a company keen on reinventing the helmet as we know it. Most recently, the company touted a rearview camera that keeps track of the action going on behind your head. This is rather useful for motorcyclists and could be adapted by those racing open-top cars.Now Reevu is looking to push commercial helmet technology even further. Get ready to get your fighter pilot style on, because helmets are getting head-up displays.Already available in military applications, the helmet-based HUD hasn't trickled down into civilian applications... until now. Reevu has created a helmet that utilises an optical display, which can be adapted to provide a wealth of information.GPS can be integrated to show directions; a phone can be paired with the helmet so that calls can be taken without a rider moving his or her hands away from the bike, and his or her eyes away from the road.Reevu says that a system could even be devised to display engine data so the rider is aware of the current conditions of their machine. At the moment, the systems are currently geared towards the world of motorsports.It's not hard to see this technology trickling down to everyday applications. It will need to be refined so that it doesn't create a distraction for the rider, but when done right it could be a great tool in keeping the rider moving along in a safer manner. An extra set of “eyes” is a good thing on a bike.www.motorauthority.com  

Need for Speed is getting a movie. Hot Wheels will be adapted for film. It should come as no surprise then, seeing how original Hollywood likes to be, that Gran Turismo will get the movie treatment. Sony is reportedly teaming up with the producers behind the upcoming 50 Shades of Grey flick to produce a film based on the Gran Turismo video game series.Hollywood news site The Wrap mentions that a GT film could possibly wind up looking similar to the career path of one Lucas Ordonez. Fans of sim racing no doubt know that name.Ordonez is the young man who beat out many thousands of other online competitors to earn a shot at a real seat. He now races for Nissan all across the globe.It's an easy "dreams do come true" story to turn into a movie, but we're not sure if the Gran Turismo film would follow the same idea. Especially if it wants to compete with franchises like Fast and Furious and Need for Speed.Instead, we imagine a high-speed race of sorts that pits high-end machines and drivers against each other on tracks around the country. Of course, it could also just be a montage of every Honda Civic ever made parading in front of the camera for two hours... this is Gran Turismo we're talking about after all.www.motorauthority.com 

It started with driver Perry McCarthy and the title was eventually handed over to Ben Collins. A few others may have donned the suit over the years as well, but it appears that racer Gordon Shedden could be latest wheelman to be crowned the Stig.That is, per The Daily Record, what fans of Top Gear have been stating as of late. The evidence presented by viewers seems to make sense too.Shedden has been a part of the show in the past. Most recently, he was the winner of a race to find the world's best taxi. Shedden won the race at the wheel of a Hindustan Ambassador. Additionally, he was recently spotted riding a certain high-speed lawnmower, which was a joint project between Honda and Top Gear. The 135-mph Mean Mower showboating can be chalked up to his racing work with Honda, but it can also lend credence to the potential for his Stig work.Gordon was pressed by folks asking if he is, in fact, the Stig. His response wasn't exactly a no: "I don’t think anyone can say that. At the end of the day, it is just a person in a white suit. It’s more about the myth about Stig than who it is."That's certainly not a yes, either. It does, however, provide fuel for Stig speculators. It's also a smarter response than former-Stig Ben Collins gave when he revealed that he was the man in the white suit. He wrote a book detailing his Stigitude and was promptly let go by Top Gear.www.motorauthority.com 

Volkswagen recently rolled out its new hyper-efficient XL1, and the stats are impressive. It's a lightweight two-seater designed with a sharp focus on returning superior fuel economy. Volkswagen has learned plenty of new engineering tricks over the course of the development of the XL1.Now comes word that the automaker may be looking to ply those tricks into the development of a high-performance machine. Is there a super lightweight sporting variant of the XL1 on the horizon? It seems the answer might be yes and no.According to CAR, Volkswagen is taking a look at what they might be able to produce based on the knowledge gained from producing the XL1. This includes carbon-fibre composite monocoque construction, aerodynamic shaping, and the ability to shave massive amounts of weight.The XL1, after all, is a sleek two door that weighs in at just 787kg. Now imagine around that much curb weight being pushed by more than a two-cylinder diesel and an electric motor. The resulting car, internally being called the XR1, could push production car power-to-weight figures to new heights.It's wonderful to hear that efficient technology could find a way to make sports cars more exciting. Rumor has it that the XR1 could be poised to take on such performance icons as the Porsche 911. Power would come from the VW 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder unit, which would allow the XR1 to blast from 0-100 kilometres per hour in under 5 seconds while also returning stellar fuel economy.Keep your eyes and ears open for more on this one, we know we'll be paying close attention for any updates on the XR1 project.www.motorauthority.com 

A car-versus-car race can be exciting enough. Make it a car-versus-plane race and you're moving in the right direction. Now, if the car is actually the new Range Rover Sport and the plane is a vintage Spitfire you have a recipe for a wonderful match worthy of our viewing time.That's precisely what the good folks at Land Rover have done by pitting their latest (and fastest) Range Rover against a vehicle that's a bit more powerful. The race is a head-to-head blast down a grass runway with the Rover staying grounded as the Spitfire takes to the sky.The driver of the Range Rover Sport plops the now-more-shapely vehicle into Dynamic mode so the suspension can cope with the slight undulations of the slippery runway. Meanwhile, the Spitfire pilot just pulls back on the yoke to escape the slower surface.Once in the air, the Spitfire can use all 1305 kilowatts provided by its supercharged Merlin V12 engine. Of course, the plane requires quite a bit wider area to make its turn and that gives the Rover runner an edge on the way back.You're going to have to watch the video for yourself to see how it ends, but we can tell you it’s worth a look. Not just to see what happens, but also to hear that Spitfire fire up and roar down the runway. It's a wonderful machine that is a beautiful sight to behold as it soars through the air up to its 644km per hour top speed.www.motorauthority.com 

Opel is reportedly set on bringing a rear-wheel-drive coupe to the market.The concept version of this should be arriving to wow crowds at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show, and an early report from AutoExpress suggests the vehicle could take on the likes of the BMW 4-Series and the Audi A5. This Opel is apparently set on hunting down the luxury machines in the upscale two-door club.Rumour has it that the Monza Coupe will draw upon the same chassis found under the skin of the Cadillac ATS.That's certainly a smart choice since that rear-wheel-drive setup turns the ATS into a wonderful driving machine, which is what the Opel would have to be in order to draw buyers way from the BMW and Audi options.Since the Monza Coupe could run on the ATS platform, it's also likely that it will receive a wide range of engine options. There's the 2.0-litre turbo four as well as the the 3.6-litre V6 unit, but there's also a string of powerplants that European customers would clamour for, including a diesel mill.For now this is all just rumour and speculation but it's grounded in some very real reality. Stay tuned for more once we get our eyes on the actual concept when it's shown in Germany.www.motorauthority.com 

Looking rather resplendent in its bright orange paintwork, this final performance two-door marks the end of a truly wonderful era. Why is this the last coupe? Because the brand will apply the M moniker to the upcoming 4-Series coupe going forward. M4 certainly doesn't have the same ring to it, but we will all get used to it in time. It will likely still be one of the best driver's cars on the road, and remain a performance target for other manufacturers. Still, it's a bit sad that we can't speak about the latest M3 coupe anymore. That's been a favorite bit of news to look forward to over the last few decades, and each iteration provided something new and special for the next generation of enthusiasts who were lucky enough to afford the highly capable machines. From E30 through E92, the generations of the BMW M3 coupe still find fans of all ages. Will these folks covet the M4 in the same way? Most likely... but we still prefer the old badge, and we wouldn't be surprised if a few 3 badges wind up on the tails of the 4. Kicking it older school with some new school tech is a way to celebrate the future while remembering the past. www.motorauthority.com  

The Global Rallycross series is currently making its way around a few circuits in the US before heading back to Europe for a battle in Germany. But apparently there's a US city feeling a bit left out, and it would like a date on that schedule. Detroit wants to host a GRC event, and it took to the streets in a Ford Fiesta ST to make its case.The Fiesta ST has become a potent weapon in the series, helping Ford to a massive lead in the manufacturers' points standing. So it should be no surprise that the Ford ST was used as the vehicle of choice to highlight a run through the Detroit area. There's the standard disclaimer of "Closed Course/Pro Driver" warning before we're treated to a video of a person manhandling the racecar through the city.Starting atop Cobo Hall, the Fiesta ST is thrown through the streets of Detroit in a bid to highlight why the city would make a great stop along the GRC route. It's a very well-shot clip that also highlights why the Fiesta ST GRC would be an absolute blast to pilot around an empty carpark, never mind an entire city. There's no word on who the driver is, but it could be an in-house shoe such as Brian Deegan, Tanner Foust, or Toomas Heikkinen.www.motorauthority.com 

One of the most exciting vehicles you can buy doesn't have four wheels. It doesn't have two wheels either. It's the Morgan Three Wheeler, and it's a trike that provides a wildly thrilling motoring experience unmatched by many vehicles on the road.The seating position is low, the engine is loud, and the handling is... different. The Morgan Three Wheeler is something that truly needs to be experienced to be believed. It's also a vehicle that didn't just spring to life out of the blue.There's heritage at play here, and that is something that the team at Morgan are once again examining thanks to the strong sales of this titillating trike. Back in the 1930's, Morgan produced an array of Three Wheelers. There were single seaters, double seaters, and even the F-Series four-passenger Morgans.The success of the modern Three Wheeler has Morgan considering rolling out an updated variety of this latest iteration. Per Autocar, the current version is expected to exceed 600 units sold.That's more volume than the rest of the Morgan family, and it shows the manufacturer that folks are (relatively) highly interested in their entertaining vehicle. We say the more the merrier, and we hope Morgan does push forward with its plan to expand upon the Three Wheeler family.www.motorauthority.com