2023 Intro

In October 2012, Urban Outlaw, a film directed by Tamir Moscovici, was posted online. A month earlier, the 30-minute documentary had made its debut in London at the 2012 Raindance Film Festival, but opening it up to the world put it into the hands of those who would appreciate it the most – the car community. And they ran with it, sharing the film far and wide. The Urban Outlaw personified – Magnus Walker – became an instant icon in the automotive space.

The Porsche builder and collector’s trademark work has been featured on Speedhunters numerous time since then, but it’s hard to beat the feature Sean Klingelhoefer put together on the custom 911 that Magnus named ‘STR’. It’s been over 10 years since that story was published, so it’s time to visit it again for this week’s Throwback Thursday post.

2013 Feature

I know this is a pretty bold statement, but this is probably going to be the coolest thing you see all day. Hell, if you’re a Porsche fanatic like myself, it might be the coolest car you see all month. What I’m talking about is the legendary Urban Outlaw Magnus Walker’s latest creation; the 1972 911 that he himself is referring to as his best build to date.

Spoiler alert: if you’re expecting this to be another one of those posts about how cool Magnus and his massive collection of Porsches are, I’ve got bad news for you; this isn’t that post. There are plenty of those already floating around the web (including our own) and in magazines. This then, is a serious feature of a serious car.

Don’t get me wrong, Magnus is a very cool guy and he does have an amazing shop that I want to die inside of every time I visit, but this is such a strong build that I believe it can retain your full attention without all the mystery and hype typically surrounding the atypical Porsche enthusiast. I think that this is the build that will truly elevate Magnus from a dreadlocked guy in a shed bolting together nine-elevens to a highly regarded car builder.

In short, I think that this will be the 911 that cements the true arrival of Magnus Walker. He’s not some rich ‘freak’, he’s not a famous internet documentary star, and he’s not the stylist to the rock gods; he’s a world class Porsche builder. While all of his life’s past experiences have definitely helped to shape his automotive vision, this car is so epic that it would stand out in a crowd regardless of who built it.

Those in the know will quickly recognize many of Magnus’ signature bits like his now synonymous louvered engine cover and integrated R taillights. While there are certainly similarities between this and his first ‘STR’ build, the practice and experience he’s gained from building these cars for years is really beginning to show.

There’s an effortless flow to the car, one where an unassuming bystander might very well think that this is just a pristine example of a showroom stock vehicle. For the Porsche addict there are lots of little details waiting to be spotted and appreciated, many of which are not only fun but rewarding for the die-hard to discover.

For a while now Walker’s work has often been compared to what the guys at Singer Vehicle Design are doing, which is very good company to be associated with no doubt. Up until this car, I would have said they’re a world apart, but I think Magnus is closing the gap quickly. To the naked eye the cars may appear to be extremely similar on the surface, but what actually lies beneath the sheet metal is an entirely different story.

While Singer have made a name for themselves by converting newer Porsches into long-hood replicas complete with the latest and greatest running gear, Magnus sticks to the tried-and-true retro-mod methodology. Like all of his other well-known builds, this car started out its life as an early 91, Walker has simply accentuated, tuned and tweaked what was there.

This car is Walker’s most thorough build to date and he went through virtually every nut and bolt this time around, leaving no screw unturned. As petrol heads, you’ll all know what I mean when I say that you build your first couple of cars by trial and error, but eventually comes a day when all of your mistakes lead to a more perfect build. For Magnus, this is that build.

I think it’s safe to say that Magnus has never owned a car that wasn’t drop-dead gorgeous, but this time around that wouldn’t be enough. This time the car had to drive as well as it looked. That meant going against his traditional low-displacement roots and building a powerful 3.2L short-stroke monster.

When I first visited Magnus with Ben and Larry back in November, the car was still a work in progress. While the boys carried on about this, that and the other for Ben’s article, I mostly kept to myself and made mental notes about the way these cars are built. I made a promise that day to return to shoot this incredible car once it was all buttoned up.

It seemed for a while like that day might never arrive, but good things always come to those who wait. The finished product is perhaps more beautiful than I ever imagined a car could be. Regardless of whether or not you like Porsches – hell, even if you’re not a petrol head at all – if this photo doesn’t get your heart pumping you’re simply not human.

It’s very hard for me to look at this car and not get emotional; there’s just something about the silhouette of a 911 that makes me weak in the knees. Watching how the light and shadow dance across its glorious curves makes me go crazy. I don’t think I could conceive of a more perfect subject. I could literally photograph nothing but this car every day for the rest of my life and die a very happy man.

The keen eye will have noticed by now that the rear fenders are anything but stock. They have been painstakingly reprofiled to add a wider and more aggressive stance to the car without upsetting the natural body lines. The care that was taken to smooth out the edges where the arch begins shows growth in Magnus’ work.

In fact the entire car seems to be a much more refined example of his tastes, something that typically grows with age and experience. You can tell that Magnus is still very interested in modifying his 911s, but he wants to do so in a subtle way that gives a nod and pays respect to the original concept. Take for example the back-dated chrome bezels on the gauges, not many people would have even considered that.

In fact the whole interior comes together exceptionally well. It’s an exquisite balance of form and function and has all the right ingredients to make up a badass track car without coming off boy-racer-ish. Although the car has a roll bar and 4-point harnesses, it looks elegant and inviting. Very well done if I do say so myself.

The steering wheel doesn’t seem out of place either and has a nice vintage patina without being worn out and disgusting. It says to me ‘come hold me, steer me, feel me kicking back at you Sean…’ It’s only by some cruel twist of fate that such a glorious opportunity doesn’t belong to me. One day.

As with most older Porsches, once the engine is completely assembled and shoe-horned back into the bay, there isn’t much eye candy floating about. Once again the key here is subtlety. There aren’t any super slick do-dads to be spotted, but all of the equipment is spic and span with fresh zinc coating and brand new rubbers and plastics.

Of course, for Magnus it would be sacrilege to put a water-cooled engine in such a car, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have some beefy fluid lines running to the front. The attention to detail on this build really goes above and beyond with the small touches like the way that the Elephant Racing finned oil cooler lines have been finished in a gold that exactly matches that of the pin-striping and Group 4 wheels.

If you really want to see something sexy you have to get down on your hands and knees to take peek underneath, but for your effort you’ll be rewarded handsomely. At long last, there’s some beautiful stainless to feast your eyes upon. As good as it looks, I can ensure you that the sound is tenfold as impressive.

Hearing the car tearing through Lower Grand Avenue in downtown Los Angeles was music to my ears. I’d even go so far as to say it was the best sound for miles around, which says a lot considering that the Walt Disney Music Hall where the LA Philharmonic play was only a few hundred meters away.

Last but certainly not least, the compartment under the bonnet has also been given a good once-over. To keep things simple, most of the trunk has been covered in a flat black which allows the gloss black of the long filler-neck gas tank to stand out as the centerpiece.

In addition to miscellaneous bits and pieces of hardware which have been refreshed or replaced, a Rennline battery kit has also been installed complete with a lightweight Odyssey battery. Magnus tells me he is already in talks with Rennline about making his own branded line of accessories like this with a special Urban Outlaw twist.

So there you have it, Magnus Walker’s self proclaimed “best build” which also happens to be my personal favorite. It’s the culmination of a life long passion and determination to build the perfect Porsche. While he might not think he’s there yet, I’d say he’s gotten pretty damn close – I literally can’t stop staring at it.

The car incorporates all of the best bits from his two favorite models of the nine-eleven, the ST and the R, hence the ‘STR’ moniker. It’s somehow fast, loud and violent, yet subtle and sexy. If there were ever a car that could appeal to virtually every person on earth, I think this is it. After taking dozens of photos of it I was forced to make one of the most difficult decisions of my life; choosing a main image.

If you’re like me and simply can’t get enough of this thing, be sure to head over to Magnus’ blog where he has a complete build post containing dozens of photos of the assembly process. Each time I look at this gorgeous machine I’m filled with violent emotions of love and pain in equal parts. I guess in the case of a 911, it’s better to have loved and never owned than to never have loved at all. One day…

Sean Klingelhoefer
Instagram: gentlearguments

It is an inarguable fact that not only is “Mad Max: Fury Road” the greatest piece of automotive cinema ever released, it is one of the greatest movies of all time, full stop. Now we’ve finally gotten our first look at the prequel, as Warner Bros. has released the official trailer for “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.”

The new film stars Anya Taylor-Joy in the titular role, a younger version of the character played by Charlize Theron in 2015’s “Fury Road,” and George Miller is once again returning to direct. While the trailer is mostly a montage of quick action shots with not a lot of plot details to go off of, Warner Bros.’ official description gives us an idea of what to expect:

As the world fell, young Furiosa is snatched from the Green Place of Many Mothers and falls into the hands of a great Biker Horde led by the Warlord Dementus. Sweeping through the Wasteland, they come across the Citadel presided over by The Immortan Joe. While the two Tyrants war for dominance, Furiosa must survive many trials as she puts together the means to find her way home.

Despite the lack of concrete details, the trailer got me more excited than I have been for anything this entire year. We see Taylor-Joy’s Furiosa donning a skull mask, shooting a harpoon gun, drifting over a sand dune and just generally looking extremely badass, and the movie appears to show the story of her she got that mechanical arm (including an early version of it). Chris Hemsworth plays the villainous Warlord Dementus, and he’s got a Thor-like cape and his muscles on display (thank god). “Furiosa” will also feature a younger version of Immortan Joe, the disgusting antagonist of “Fury Road,” as well as performances 

Most importantly, there are some incredible apocalypse rides throughout the trailer, ranging from motorcycles and hot rods to monster trucks and tanker semis. Of course, every single vehicle is covered in spikes, guns and other weapons, and there is tons of shiny chrome and huge exhaust pipes. One identifiable car is a heavily modified Plymouth Valiant, seemingly owned by Furiosa, with off-road tires and a pair of bikes on the roof.

There’s no release date yet, only the promise that “Furiosa” will be only in theaters in 2024. I can’t freakin’ wait.

The time has come. Four years after its initial reveal, Tesla is handing over the first production units of its mold-shattering Cybertruck electric pickup — 10 units, to be exact. Yes, this launch party at Tesla’s Texas gigafactory feels like a long time coming, after multiple delays, and even Elon Musk saying, “We dug our own grave with the Cybertruck.” Citing “enormous challenges” with production, it should be awhile before the truck starts making Tesla any money.

But it likely matters little to the first Cybertruck customers that Tesla isn’t making money off their early purchases. They get to be the first to cruise the neighborhood in a vehicle that still looks more like a concept car than something you’d expect to see on a job site or towing a boat.

As for the hard details, Musk didn’t offer much during the livestream, but Tesla has published some online. According to the configurator:

• The Rear-Wheel Drive model, coming in 2025, starts at an estimated $60,990. It offers an estimated 250-mile range and a 6.5-second 0-60 time, and can tow 7,500 pounds.
• The All-Wheel Drive dual-motor version starts at $79,990. Its specs are more impressive, with 350 miles of range, 600 horsepower, a 4.1-second 0-60 sprint and 11,000 pounds of towing. It comes in 2024.
• Finally, the Cyberbeast also comes in 2024, with an estimated price tag of $99,990. With 845 horsepower, it will do 0-60 in 2.6 seconds on the way to a top speed of 130 miles per hour. Tesla estimates 320 miles for the Cyberbeast, and says it’ll also tow 11,000 pounds.

Inside, the AWD and Cyberbeast get an 18.5-inch touchscreen display, with another 9.4-inch touchscreen for the rear passengers.

Customers will also benefit from Tesla’s Supercharger network, an infrastructure that is the envy of other EV drivers. Without providing battery specs, Tesla states the AWD model can add 136 miles in 15 minutes while fast-charging, while the Cyberbeast will add 128 miles in the same timeframe. Interestingly enough, the Tesla site mentions a “range extender” for the Cybertruck, which also increases the range of the AWD to 470+ miles, and the Cyberbeast to 440+ miles. Musk confirmed on X that the “range extender” is an “optional pack that fits in about 1/3 of the truck bed.” The added range it provides is meant for longer trips or towing.

At the delivery event, Elon Musk lauded the Cybertruck’s strengths. Its Tesla-designed steel alloy is tough, providing the truck with more “torsional stiffness than a McLaren P1.” It can also withstand .45-caliber bullets, as he demonstrated in a video. The glass is “basically rock-proof” and helps isolate sound from the cabin. He showed it towing rocket components, and outperforming its competitors in a county fair-like truck pull. Video showed it winning a quarter-mile drag race with a Porsche 911 while towing a Porsche 911. Neat stuff, but we imagine that was the Cyberbeast model doing the work. 

Musk gave a few other details during the presentation. The Cybertruck has a 4×6-foot bed, and can tow up to 11,000 pounds. With 35-inch tires and 17 inches of ground clearance in “Extract” mode, it should have some capability on less-than-ideal terrain. It has locking differentials and torque vectoring (exclusive to the tri-motor Cyberbeast), four-corner adaptive suspension, a steer-by-wire system and four-wheel steering. It uses a 48-volt electrical system. Other details from the event confirm that the Cybertruck will have a power-opening frunk, come with a tow hitch integrated into the rear bumper, feature a bed made of “sheet-molded composite” and use 4680 battery cells. We’re not sure about what color wraps will be offered, but Tesla says that wraps will be available, similar to what we’ve seen made purchasable on other Tesla models.

Getting to this point took a lot of time, filled with hard work, setbacks, and plenty of uncertainty and doubt to get those first Cybertrucks into customers’ hands. The problems started early, when during the reveal, the truck’s “armored glass” windows cracked during a demonstration of their strength. Just days after its debut, the story seemed better, as Tesla garnered 200,000, then 250,000 reservations for its Cybertruck — with a refundable deposit of $100. In those early days, we saw the Cybertruck play tug-of-war with a Ford F-150, Then the delays came, and what was supposed to arrive in 2021 was pushed back. To be fair, other automakers promised their own electric trucks by 2021, and only Rivian (after a delay of its own) managed to get any into customers’ driveways that year. But Rivian and Ford both got head starts on Tesla with excellent products. Tesla, though, thinks its Cybertruck is in a league of its own, and it’s hard to argue with that. Just look at the thing.

And the uncertainty still lingers. The early adopters and Tesla fanbase are surely won over, but what will living with the Cybertruck be like? Will build quality be an issue? (Though the first trucks off the line look quite clean.) Will the mono-wiper be a pain? Will customers be satisfied with its performance? What other problems will arise in the Cybertrucks early days, and as Tesla ramps up production? What other software, hardware and performance breakthroughs will Tesla incorporate down the line, as it has done with its other models? Although it’s already four years in the making, the Cybertruck story doesn’t end with the handover of the first keys. Stay tuned.

Hyundai and Kia have unveiled a new type of electric drive system that has the potential to free up considerable space in electric vehicles.

Called the Universal Wheel Drive System, or Uni Wheel for short, the system moves the electric motor adjacent to the wheel, and the reduction gear inside the wheel, freeing up space between two wheels where the motor normally sits.

Such a design gives most of the packaging benefits that in-wheel motors deliver, but without the durability issues of having the actual motor mounted inside the wheel.

The Uni Wheel sits where you would normally find a CV joint, a component that the Uni Wheel replaces with a planetary gear set with a central sun gear, four pinion gears on each side, and a surrounding ring gear connected to the wheel. The electric motor spins the sun gear which in turn engages the pinion gears to rotate the ring gear and connected wheel.

A linkage enables the pinion gears to move and follow the movement of the wheel as it drives over a road’s surface, something that enables torque delivery to be constant, while still enabling the wheel to move freely. This helps improve efficiency as well as vehicle control.

The design is scalable and modular in nature, meaning an individual Uni Wheel can be used for each wheel in an EV, allowing for highly precise torque vectoring. And to further aid handling, the Uni Wheel can be combined with adjustable air suspension that can lower the vehicle during high-speed driving, or raise it for rough terrain.

Hyundai and Kia are still conducting durability tests for the Uni Wheel but have already filed for eight patents with intellectual property offices in the U.S., South Korea, and Europe. The automakers are looking to use the technology not only in future EVs but all forms of mobility that rely on driven wheels.

Hyundai has also previously shown a system known as the e-Corner, which combines suspension, steering, driving, and braking functions in a package small enough to fit in the wheel hub of a conventional vehicle. The e-Corner enables a wheel to be turned up to 90 degrees, allowing a car to drive sideways.

The 2023 season will certainly go down in the history books as among the worst in seven-time Formula 1 Champion Lewis Hamilton’s 16-year career. Despite beating everyone in the World Drivers’ Championship bar and two Red Bull teammates, he saw just six podiums from 22 races, his lowest ever in the sport. He scored just 234 points this year, which is his lowest points tally in a decade. That kind of performance will weigh on a guy who won six championships and 81 races between 2014 and 2021.

According to Hamilton, it was enough to make him doubt his ability to continue racing at the top level.

“Ultimately,” Hamilton said in an interview with the BBC, “when you have difficult seasons like this, there are always going to be moments when you’re like: ‘Is it me, or is it the car? Do you still have it? Has it gone?’

“Because you’re missing that, you know… when the magic happens, when everything comes together, the car and you, and that spark, it’s extraordinary. And that’s what you’re in the search for.”

“I’m only human,” continued the 38-year-old. “If anyone in the world tells you they don’t have those things, they’re in denial. We’re all human beings.”

Hamilton admits that he knew immediately he’d end another season without a win when he first drove this year’s Mercedes-AMG F1 W14 chassis. Following a terrible 2022 season, the driver’s first in F1 without a single victory, Hamilton knew the car had to make big sweeping changes for the 2023 season. At that first test session the new car didn’t feel any different to drive than it had the prior year. “I had asked for certain changes, and they weren’t done.”

“Having the experience of the previous year, I just applied myself, in terms of digging down, sitting with the guys. We were having much better meetings.

“I was able to stay a lot more positive during the year and be like: ‘It’s going to be a long season, but let’s not give up. Let’s keep pushing towards getting the maximum out of the car, whatever that may be.’

This season the Red Bulls, Max Verstappen, and Adrien Newey’s RB19 chassis just had the measure of the field. Max won 19 of 22 Grands Prix this year, and that kind of trouncing is just downright demoralizing. When the whole field is finishing half a minute down to Max at the checkered flag, it has to cross your mind that you just don’t have the talent anymore.

Hamilton gave a long and sweeping interview to the BBC, and it’s well worth reading. You should head over there now to check out the rest of what he had to say.

The same thought kept cropping up throughout the day of testing for the 2023 Autoblog Technology of the Year award: Mercedes’ audio system is something else. Mind you, it takes a lot to impress a room full of folks who are constantly testing the latest and greatest in automotive audio. From McIntosh to Panasonic and the countless Harman-owned brands in between, we’ve heard them all. But when we finally set to testing the Dolby Atmos-powered audio system now featured in several new Mercedes-Benz products, we knew there was something special on our hands.

Yes, a new-to-cars (but hardly new to home theater) audio software system integrated into a Mercedes-Benz wins the 2023 edition of Autoblog’s Technology of the Year award, and it did so against stiff competition. If you follow the latest happenings of in-home or theater audio, you’ve likely heard of Dolby Atmos before and maybe even seen the logo pop up on your TV screen as you’re firing up your most recent Netflix binge. The sound bar or speakers you use as a home theater setup might be Dolby Atmos-capable units, but up until recently, Atmos hasn’t been available in vehicles.

“The silky sound of the Mercedes-Benz Dolby Atmos system enhances the in-car experience and is a signpost for the future of in-car audio,” Autoblog Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore said. “Mercedes and Dolby have created a system that makes listening to music deeply satisfying. More than just a flashy sound system in an expensive car, Mercedes Dolby Atmos is what music should sound like in cars of the future.”

To determine Technology of the Year, three main questions are asked and editors assign point values based on how well the technologies answer those questions. How significant is this tech? How well does it work? And lastly, what’s its “Wow Factor?” Needless to say, the Dolby Atmos-powered Burmester audio system in the 2024 Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 was eliciting “wows” at a high rate.

The Winner: Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600’s Dolby Atmos audio system

So, why should you care about a special audio software program tested on a vehicle that costs a lot more than many homes throughout the country? Per usual with Tech of the Year, one of the big factors for being declared a winner is how applicable the tech is to other vehicles within or outside of the carmaker bringing the tech to market. Vehicle-to-load (V2L) systems similar to Ford’s Pro Power Onboard, the winner from 2021, are available or will be available in a number of other new vehicles, and we’re exceedingly glad to see that. Dolby Atmos Spatial Audio has a similar potential to proliferate, as the same software is already being offered on many Mercedes models, and Lucid is similarly partnered with Dolby to offer the experience in its vehicles. Volvo and Lotus have partnerships to bring it to future vehicles, and we fully expect others to jump onboard the Atmos train. We’re not saying it’s going to be offered on the next Toyota Corolla, but there’s every opportunity to start upping the audio quality of cars everywhere with Dolby Atmos.

Describing how Dolby Atmos audio works is a rather long-winded exercise and may actually put you to sleep, but the quick and dirty is that it’s a shockingly better way to do surround sound. Your car may have a “surround sound” toggle, but it has nothing on a true Dolby Atmos setup. The key addition with Atmos is that it adds a height channel – home theater setups typically use up-firing speakers in soundbars to facilitate the audio experience – which allows artists to let you listen to their music in what Dolby calls a “three-dimensional sound field.” Tracks mixed for Dolby Atmos place sound elements within that field. Ultimately, that allows artists greater customization in how they mix their tracks and wish to present it to listeners. Universal Music Group is actively promoting Spatial Audio and partnering with Mercedes-Benz to bring tracks that carry the “Approved in a Mercedes-Benz” tagline. It’s no marketing joke or gimmick – the music is stupid-good.

The listening experience of all the meddling and customization work from artists and their recording studios will have you losing your mind at instrumentals or sounds that you didn’t even know existed or blended into the background in songs before. Not to sound too corny, but it feels like you’re sitting in the middle of a circle with the singer, their backup singers and an entire band around you. And on top of that, all those musicians are seemingly moving around the circle, bringing you new sounds from various corners throughout a song, always keeping you on your listening toes. 

The 360-degree nature of what Dolby Atmos software is able to provide can’t be understated. You’ll hear the lyrics move from one corner to another and various instruments wash forward and overhead with such precision and clarity that it almost doesn’t feel real. Switch between a Spatial Audio track and the same version of that song without Dolby Atmos software applied, and you’ll hear the difference in depth instantly. Sure, maybe the music is still in a surround format, but that sense of being in the middle of a stage dissipates. Those instruments that were so easy to pick out before start to clash; the sheer amount of detail and clarity takes a step back, too. The difference is stark enough to have us skipping songs that don’t feature Spatial Audio programming for those that do, and we have a feeling you’ll be doing the same.

Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” left our mouths agape at the absolute landscape of a sound production it is. For the Swifties out there, Taylor Swift’s massive catalog of albums are nearly all available in Atmos’ Spatial Audio, and it’s almost guaranteed that you’re going to gain an even greater appreciation for her music once you listen to it like this. Pink Floyd’s “The Dark Side of the Moon” is hard to touch for Dolby Atmos enjoyment, and the list goes on. You could spend hours – and we did – just idling and listening to the wide range of Spatial Audio tracks available out there.

The actual availability of songs in Dolby Atmos Spatial Audio is one of the only “buts” to this whole operation, though at least it’s a small one. If you want to take advantage of this tech, you need to be listening via Apple Music with Dolby Atmos activated in the car, so you can’t just fire up a song on Spotify via Bluetooth and think that it’ll work. Only so many tracks have been engineered for it and are available in Dolby Atmos for the time being, but those figures are constantly increasing, and you can ensure that you get the right songs by just searching for “Spatial Audio” in the app. The interface is a touch clunky within the MBUX infotainment system, but it’s still functional and not a serious hindrance to listening.

And while it may not be the star of this software-driven show, the 27-speaker Burmester hardware in the Maybach GLS 600 is the perfect soundstage for Atmos-powered audio to show its full potential. Most home audio setups don’t have anywhere near as many speakers, but with this number of audio sources (and various placement locations for speakers), Dolby Atmos can come alive in a way that we’ve never heard in car audio before. We can only hope that more automakers make this a trend by integrating this special software into their vehicles.

The competition

Second Place: BMW 7 Series’ Theater Screen

This was an early favorite to win, and it’s easy to see why. A 31.3-inch 8K screen that swivels down from the ceiling in a dramatic show of opulence is about as fancy as it gets for new car tech in 2023. That it’s powered by Amazon Fire TV and a 5G data connection is just icing on the cake, and boy is it an enticing cake. 

We liked how easy it was to operate the screen and its various apps, and the overly showy presentation is so good that we wouldn’t have it any other way, but the Theater Screen had its drawbacks that kept it from being a winner. For one, while the screen is utterly massive, its size and placement within the car make it a compromised experience. Video content is simply not sized to fill a screen with a 32:9 aspect ratio. You can choose to put the video playback in the center or canted to either side of the screen, but it’s still a bit odd to have such a vast area of emptiness while watching a show. It’s tough to love ergonomically, too. Instead of traditional headrest-mounted entertainment screens, the Theater Screen will force you to turn your head or body slightly toward the center of the vehicle to interact with it. Plus, when it’s being used, the driver cannot see out of the rear window, because the screen takes up the entire area and BMW doesn’t offer a digital rearview camera mirror as a backup. 

Associate Editor Byron Hurd’s experience with the Theater Screen is a perfect example of how much of a mixed bag it ended up being.

“My experience with BMW’s Theater Screen wasn’t exactly flawless, but it’s clear that BMW put some thought into this setup,” Hurd writes. “The ability to tilt and slide the screen back and forth is welcome, especially if you can’t quite eliminate incoming glare with the rear seat privacy shades alone. The controls are also simple to use, and the integration with the car’s audio system is fantastic (make sure you fiddle with that bass setting!). Using external devices is a bit of a mixed bag; it took me some trial-and-error to get my MacBook synced up, and my personal Windows PC never played nice with the audio despite recognizing the display on the first try. That said, the input lag will make anything more than clicking through a PowerPoint presentation rough to do in real-time (forget about using it for gaming; the delay will kill you), but for kicking back to watch a stream, it’s spectacular.”

 

Third Place: Ford Mustang’s Remote Rev

Before you admonish us for being childish and including Remote Rev in this year’s competition, go try it out yourself and try not to giggle a little bit. Cars are supposed to be fun, after all, and the 2024 Ford Mustang’s Remote Rev feature is a perfect example of what that looks like. Truthfully, its only real downside is in the tech’s significance. Being able to rev your Mustang without even being in the driver’s seat is hilarious, but the usefulness versus others in this test is dubious at best, and the scores reflected as much.

Senior Editor for Autoblog Electric John Beltz Snyder may have used a half tank of fuel in just one day of Remote Rev testing. But again, before you call it useless or silly, go try it out and tell us you don’t want to hit the button again.

“Remote Rev solves one particularly small and specific problem,” Snyder writes. “How do I listen to the exhaust note from outside my car? With this tech, you press a sequence on the key fob, and the Mustang gives you a pre-programmed little exhaust performance. It’s cool once or twice. It’s cool for a few more times if you’re the type of person who speaks the love language of unnecessary repetition (guilty). But it doesn’t serve a purpose beyond a few seconds of audio entertainment.

“But, like I said, it’s a pre-programmed rev sequence. You can’t rev it live, as though you had a little accelerator pedal on the fob. That’s what I was really hoping this tech would let me do. Still, I could see myself hiding behind a bush and remote-revving when someone walks past my car. It is loud, after all, and the scares would be funny.

“Is it world-changing? No. But this product arrives at a time in automotive history where it seems like the tide of internal combustion is receding. When most of the cars are electric, and you’ve got a Mustang with Remote Rev in your stable, it’ll be pretty fun at barbecues to open the garage door and say, ‘Hey, check this out.’ It’ll at least bring back some memories.”

 

Fourth Place: Ford Super Duty in-tailgate camera and parking sensors

The 2023 Ford Super Duty is full of the usual Ford smattering of innovations, but none caught our attention more than the second set of sensors and backup camera sitting on the top of the tailgate. Why would Ford point a camera and sensors up at the sky, you ask? Well, in case you need to do some driving or reversing with the tailgate down, that is. Pickups until now have only ever had a single backup camera and rear sensors that functioned with the tailgate in the normal upright and locked position. When you go to get hitched up to a trailer that requires the tailgate to be down, though, those niceties disappear as your camera and sensors point directly at the ground. No more!

It might sound simple, but the second set of sensors and camera on the top of the tailgate allow you a lot more flexibility. And they’re especially helpful because when you’re carrying a load that may require the tailgate to be down, it might be when you need that camera or backup sensors the most.

All the above said, we were a little disappointed to see a backup camera with fewer features (no gridlines) and worse quality than the standard backup camera (above left) when we tried it out. Plus, the camera itself (seen above right) is offset, which makes for some odd angles and distortions when you’re trying to be precise backing up. The sensors work just as they’re billed to, but overall, we didn’t see this pickup innovation as one that’s going to change how people use their trucks like past F-Series Tech of the Year winners.

 

Fifth Place: Honda Pilot’s removable second-row middle seat

Honda made the list of Tech of the Year finalists with what is arguably the least tech-sounding feature on the list, but that removable seat is an innovation in utility nonetheless. Perhaps best suited to the individual who can’t decide if they want captain’s chairs or a full middle row when purchasing their new three-row SUV, the easily removable center seat ensures you won’t have to make a decision either way. Leave the seat in place, and you get maximum people capacity or a flat three-across seat – News Editor Joel Stocksdale was particularly glad to have that capability for his four-legged friend who likes to sprawl across the second row.

Alternatively, you can remove that second row and open up a passthrough for people to easily get into the third row or to create floor space for more cargo. And if you’re one who relishes the luxurious thought of captain’s chairs, removing that middle seat essentially leaves you with a pair of captain’s chairs in the second row. A key element here, though, is that Honda lets you store that seat in an underfloor compartment so that you can easily grab it and install it should the need arise.

Our biggest beef with this removable seat is its weight and clunky storage process. The strap you’re meant to use to secure it is annoying at best, and we wish the seat itself were a little easier to get in and out of the vehicle. Honda’s installation process is simple, but the seat is unwieldy and could prove too heavy for many. Plus, getting in and out of the vehicle via sliding the second-row seat forward isn’t much different than clambering through the middle passthrough with the seat out. The idea is a good one, and a clear point of differentiation for the Pilot versus its many tough three-row SUVs rivals, but there were simply stronger tech competitors in this year’s Autoblog Technology of the Year competition.

“The Honda Pilot’s removable center seat is a welcome piece of seat removal and storage innovation, though it’s one that is questionably useful,” Stocksdale notes. “It’s definitely nice to have the flexibility of adding or removing an extra place in the vehicle, and to not have to leave the seat behind. And as previously mentioned, a bench seat is mighty handy for a larger dog like my own. But getting that middle seat past the outboard positions is a bit awkward, and the access or perceived comfort provided by the captain’s chairs arrangement is questionable at best. And having it in the back means that handy deep cargo well is filled with a seat. It’s certainly interesting, and maybe will be good in niche cases, but it may be too niche.”

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These five technologies all proved to be more interesting and multi-faceted than they might’ve looked on the surface, but it’s Mercedes’ Dolby Atmos audio system that ended up being the best and brightest of them all. We’re already compiling lists for the 2024 competition, and it’s looking like a strong field, but for now, go find yourself a new Mercedes-Benz product and try out the Spatial Audio – you’ll be glad you did.

As it is in a number of other Southeast Asian countries, car culture is on the rise in the Philippines. But it didn’t start in the archipelagic country; Filipinos living in America and elsewhere abroad have been building cars and being part of the culture for a very long time.

Philippines-based group Stance Pilipinas/Manila Fitted was inspired by casual car gatherings in California during the mid 2010s, and after 80 meets in the Philippines decided to hold its first event stateside.

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Timed to coincide with Filipino Heritage Month 2023 in October, the meet drew more than 250 cars, plus their owners, friends, family and the wider community to AT230 Cars and Coffee in La Habra, Orange County.

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Stance Pilipinas/Manila Fitted are known to host some of the most laid-back events in the Philippines’ capital, but they also promote a positive automotive environment through tastefully-built vehicles. The California event echoed this, with a car turnout that was diverse and of high quality.

Covering the event was a tough task; the main spot at AT230 Cars and Coffee filled up very fast, so cars were parked in a few different lots and out on the street.

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To properly celebrate Filipino Heritage Month, a prepared menu for the event covered home country favorites. For several attendees who had not been back to the Philippines since their youth, this rekindled memories from the past and made it a full experience.

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The California meet was special as it bridged several groups: Filipino veteran car builders in the USA, track day regulars, stance fans, and owners of classics, exotics and JDM cars.

Porsche has a big enthusiast following in the Philippines, and you may have seen that in the Manila 911 60th anniversary meet I shared on Speedhunters back in September. In La Habra, various 911s were on show, from one of the first RWBs in the USA, to a Clubsport-inspired 991 and an OEM+ PTS GT3 Touring, plus many more.

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Euro enthusiast cars have always been popular in the US, but as era-correct builds are only becoming more and more popular, I wasn’t surprised to see a number of 1970s, ’80s and ’90s German cars present.

With the 2023 SEMA Show being held two weeks after this event, a few prominent Filipino car builders weren’t able to display their very latest creations. But a number of prominent builds were still present.

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I mentioned veteran American Filipino car builders a moment ago, and they represented the old school scene with everything from an Opel Kadett GT/E Cosworth to a Mercedes-Benz W114 coupe with a retrofitted C36 M104 AMG engine.

Some of you may know the name Joel Tan, but even if you don’t, you’ll probably recognise his cars, two of which were previously featured on Speedhunters – namely his Hakosuka and Corolla. Joel, who was a huge advocate for the Filipino car scene in the USA, sadly passed away in 2022.

The idea of a Filipino car show in California was talked about with Joel as far back as 2014, so with this being the first event, it was dedicated to him. Joel’s daily-driven truck made a poignant appearance, and his SEMA 2021 jacket was gifted to one of the meet’s organisers.

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The overall ambiance at this event was amazing. Despite the early call time and a long drive for many, everyone felt at home for a few hours on a peaceful Sunday morning.

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The streets of California are where it all began for Filipino car culture, so to bring it back here was something special.

At the end of the day, car culture is not bound by the builds, but the people and the community behind it.

Kevin Carlos
Instagram: kevcarlos

IAMTHESPEEDHUNTER related stories on Speedhunters

How To join the IATS program: We have always welcomed readers to contact us with examples of their work and believe that the best Speedhunter is always the person closest to the culture itself, right there on the street or local parking lot. If you think you have what it takes and would like to share your work with us then you should apply to become part of the IAMTHESPEEDHUNTER program. Read how to get involved here.