Technology and Culture Editor

Jordan Lundberg

Jordan Lundberg covers car technology and engines for MotorGrail, and the culture around cars: the films, the games and the museums.

Beat: Car technology, engines and car culture: films, games and museums · 295 stories

Midtown Madness: The 1999 Chicago Street Racer That Built an Open City

Need for Speed Unbound: Story, Cars and Lakeshore City

Midnight Club 3: Dub Edition: Three Cities, Car Clubs and the Remix

AUTOSAR Explained: The Software Standard Behind Modern Car Electronics

Ford EEC: The Engine Control Units Behind Ford's Engines

RalliSport Challenge 2: The Xbox Rally Game With Career Mode, Damage and Xbox Live

WP.29: The UN Forum Behind Global Vehicle Rules

Pull-Rod Suspension: How Formula One Teams Moved the Springs Inside the Car

Mad Tracks: The Spring-Powered Toy Car Racer From Paris

Liquid Nitrogen Engines: Cold Power, Clean Exhaust and Hard Limits

Midtown Madness 3: Paris, Washington and an Undercover Xbox Sandbox

Close-Ratio Transmission: How Tight Gear Spacing Keeps a Sports Engine in Its Power Band

Ridge Racer V: The PlayStation 2 Launch Racer That Went Back to Basics

Super Monaco GP: Sega's Arcade Grand Prix and the Marlboro Parody Row

Cars 3 (2017): Lightning McQueen's Comeback, the Florida 500 and the Franchise's Lowest Gross

Direct TPMS: How Tyre Pressure Sensors Talk to the Car

Need for Speed: Undercover and the Tri-City Bay Sting Behind the Wheel

Baby Driver (2017): The Car Chases, Cast and Box Office Behind Edgar Wright's Getaway Film

Rear Mid-Engine, Rear-Wheel-Drive Layout: Why Engineers Moved the Engine Behind the Driver

Out Run: Sega's Ferrari Arcade Racer and Its Lasting Influence

Daytona USA: How Sega Built Its 1994 Arcade Stock Car Racer

Antifreeze: How Coolant Chemistry Works, From Methanol to Modern OAT Formulas

Shift 2 and the Sim Sequel With Helmet Cams, Night Racing and Autolog

OnStar Explained: GM's Connected Safety Service From Crash Alerts to Stolen Car Recovery

Grid Autosport: Codemasters' Race-First Return to Authentic Driving

Transmission Control Unit: How the TCU Decides When Your Automatic Shifts

Cars 2 (2011): Pixar's Spy Sequel, the World Grand Prix and the Critical Backlash

Impact of Self-Driving Cars: Safety, Traffic, Jobs and the Environment

Driver: Parallel Lines: New York in 1978 and 2006

Need for Speed: Underground and the Olympic City Scene That Put Import Tuners on the Map

ISO 26262 Explained: How the Road Vehicle Functional Safety Standard Rates Risk and ASIL Levels

Need for Speed High Stakes: The 1999 Racer That Bet Your Car on Every Race

Formula One Grand Prix: The 1991 MicroProse Simulator Behind World Circuit and F1GP

TrackMania Nations: The Free 2006 Racer Built for the Electronic Sports World Cup

Cars (2006): Pixar's Route 66 Film, Its Cast, Cars and Legacy

Takata Corporation: From Parachute Lines to the Largest Auto Recall in History

Internal Combustion Engine Cooling: Air, Liquid and Why Cars Chose Water

Active Suspension: How Cars Control Each Wheel and Why Few Keep the System

OBD-II PIDs: The Codes Behind Modern Car Diagnostics

rFactor 2: The Modifiable Racing Simulator Used by Real Race Teams

Front-Engine, Front-Wheel-Drive Layout: How FWD Cars Are Built and Why

Metropolis Street Racer: The Dreamcast Game With Kudos, Three Cities and 262 Tracks

Assured Clear Distance Ahead: The Stopping Rule Behind Driving Law

Automobile Handling: What Makes a Car Corner, Brake and Stay Stable

Need for Speed: Carbon and the Palmont Crews That Fought for the City

Automated Emergency Braking: How AEB Works, Where It Is Mandatory and What It Prevents

Regulation of Self-Driving Cars: Laws, Treaties and Testing Rules Around the World

Two-Lane Blacktop: The 1971 Road Film Shot Across the American Southwest

Need for Speed: Underground 2 and the Bayview Open World That Opened the Series Up

TrackMania United: The 2006 Racer That Brought Every TrackMania Environment Together

Need for Speed: ProStreet and the Move From Public Streets to Closed Circuits

Tucker: The Man and His Dream and the Story Behind the Tucker 48

Self-Driving Car Liability: Who Pays When an Autonomous Car Crashes?

Air Suspension: How Air Springs Work, From 1901 Patents to Modern ECAS

Trionic T5.5: Saab's Engine Management System Explained

Tachographs Explained: How Drivers' Hours Are Recorded

Forza Horizon 5: Mexico, Local Weather and a Record-Breaking Launch

Gran Turismo 7: The Eighth Main Game, Its Updates and the Review Storm

Torsion Bar Suspension: How a Twisting Steel Bar Carries the Weight

Forza Horizon: The Festival Racer That Swapped Tracks for Public Roads

Windshields Explained: How Laminated Glass Became the Front Window Every Car Relies On

Death Proof (2007): Tarantino's Stunt-Car Film and Its Release

Car Platforms: How Shared Underpinnings Cut Costs and Build Model Families

Dashboard: From Splash-Board to Digital Cockpit

Torsen Differentials Explained: How a Torque-Sensing Gear Set Shares Power Between Wheels

Air Filters Explained: How Engine and Cabin Filters Trap Particles

Ferrari Lampredi Engine: The V12, Four and Six Behind Ferrari's 1950s Racing

V-Rally: The 1997 Rally Simulator That Sold Millions Across Europe

Car Navigation Systems: From 1981 Gyrocators to Self-Driving Maps

BMC C-Series Engine: The Morris-Designed Straight-Six Behind the Austin 3-Litre and MGC

Test Drive Unlimited 2: Ibiza, Oahu and the Solar Crown

Vehicle Identification Number (VIN): The 17-Character Code Explained

Insane 2: Targem Games Takes the Off-Road Series Into Its Sequel Era

Need for Speed (2014): Cars, Crashes and the Film Behind the Game

Crumple Zones: How Cars Trade Crush Distance for Occupant Safety

Custom Cars Explained: Hot Rods, Styles, Paint and the Awards That Count

Front-Wheel Drive: How the Layout Took Over Modern Cars

Automated Manual Transmissions: Clutchless Gearboxes From the 1940s to Today

Power Steering Explained: From Hydraulic Pumps to Steer-by-Wire

Headlamps Explained: From Candles to Laser High Beams

Ground Effect Explained: How Race Cars Use the Road to Stick to the Track

Fluid Couplings: The Hydraulic Clutch That Gave Cars Smooth Starts

Internavi: Honda's Connected Navigation Service and Its Floating Car Traffic Network

Car Spoilers: What They Do, How Racing Uses Them and Why Many Are Just for Looks

iRacing: The Subscription Sim That Runs Racing Like a Season

Monocoque Construction: How Stressed Skins Shaped Aircraft, Racing Cars and Bikes

The Gear Stick Explained: Positions, Shift Patterns and the Move to Buttons

Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum: Winning Cars, Hall of Fame and the 2025 Reopening

Automotive Engineering Explained: The Disciplines That Shape Every Car, From Crash Safety to Quality Control

Type 6 Connector: India's DC Fast Charge Plug for Electric Two- and Three-Wheelers

Gran Turismo (2023): The Gamer Who Became a Racing Driver, the GT Academy and the Box Office

Fast & Furious (2009): Reunion, Fuel Heist and the Record-Setting Fourth Film

The Apple Car Project: How Titan Went From Ambitious Self-Driving Plans to Cancellation in 2024

Wheelchair-Accessible Van: Side Entry, Rear Entry, Ramps and Lifts Explained

Pole Position: The 1982 Arcade Racer That Wrote the Genre's Rules

Driveclub: The PS4 Club Racer That Took Years to Arrive

The Crew: Ubisoft's Open-World Road Trip, Its Shutdown and the Fight to Save It

Event Data Recorders: The Car Black Box, Its Rules and Its Role in Court

Leaf Springs: How One of the Oldest Suspension Designs Still Carries Trucks, Vans and Coaches

Gran Turismo 5: The PlayStation 3 Racer With 1,089 Cars and Real Damage

Hydrogen Vehicles: How They Work, Where They Stand and Why Critics Doubt Them

Forza Motorsport 3: The 2009 Xbox 360 Sim With 400 Cars and an Assist Mode

Forza Horizon 4: Seasons, Shared Worlds and a Fictional Britain on Wheels

Vehicle Safety Technology: From Safety Glass to Automatic Emergency Braking

Ignition Interlock Devices: How Breath Tests Keep Cars From Starting

Assetto Corsa: The Sim That Built a Modding Empire

Vehicle Frames: From Ladder Chassis to Unibody Structures

Duel (1971): Spielberg's Truck Chase, the Plymouth and the Peterbilt

Virtua Racing: The 1992 Arcade Game That Made Polygons Mainstream

Re-Volt: The 1999 RC Racer That Turned Toy Cars Into Weapons

DARPA Grand Challenge: How a Desert Race Launched the Driverless Car

Freewheels and Overrunning Clutches: How Bicycles, Cars and Starters Let Parts Spin Free

Snow Tyres Explained: How Winter Rubber Grips Snow, Ice and Packed Roads

Ford SYNC: How a Voice-Controlled Car System Grew Into Android

Automatic Transmissions: From the 1904 Sturtevant to the Ten-Speed

Vanishing Point (1971): The Dodge Challenger Road Film That Became a Cult

Car Collection of the 29th Sultan of Brunei: Ferraris, Bentleys and a Lost Empire of Cars

Mercedes-Benz COMAND: The Cockpit System From COMAND 2.5 to NTG5

The Steering Wheel: From Tillers to Yokes and Squircles

Preselector Gearboxes: How Pre-Selection Shaped 1930s Cars, British Buses and Wartime Tanks