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Uber releases fleet of self-driving vehicles to select few in Pittsburgh

Starting today, a select group of Uber users in Pittsburgh, PA will have the ability to request a self-driving vehicle. If a self-driving vehicle is in the area, Uber will send it, as well as a safety driver, to drive loyal customers to their destination. The announcement to give customers the opportunity to get a ride in one of Uber's self-driving vehicles comes roughly a year and a half after the company set up its Advanced Technologies Center in the city. On Tuesday, the company offered a few members of the press the opportunity to ride in one of the company's self-driving cars. The fleet, despite Uber's collaboration with Volvo, was comprised of 14 Ford Fusions equipped with a host of self-driving technology, reports TechCrunch. Uber is giving away free rides as a way to obtain real-world testing, which is crucial for self-driving technology. Recently, nuTonomoy beat Uber to the punch by launching the world's first autonomous taxis in Singapore. While the choice to release its self-driving cars in Pittsburgh mainly comes down to the fact that its ATC is located there, the city faces four seasons and its difficult streets that are comprised of bridges, railroad lines, and an irregular grid layout will prove to be a challenge for the autonomous cars. Since the self-driving vehicles are still being tested, the cars will come with two full-time Uber employees. One employee will loosely grasp the car's steering wheel, ready to take over if something goes awry, while the other will monitor the computer's software. As TechCrunch points out, Uber's autonomous vehicles drove in a similar manner to a regular driver. It obeyed traffic laws, mimicked a driver by coming to stops gently and at other times abruptly, as well as driving slightly into another lane to dodge a poorly-parked vehicle, reports TechCrunch. There's no word on whether regular Uber customers will get a ride in one of the company's Fusions or one of the Volvo's that its working on. Automakers and companies alike have been in a race to put autonomous vehicles on the road. Tesla recently updated its Autopilot system, Apple laid off dozens of employees to reboot its self-driving car project, and Google is working giving its autonomous vehicle the ability to detect emergency vehicles. While this is a large step for Uber, vehicles with autonomous capabilities still have a long way to go.

Ford Focus RS makes US debut in New York, hits dealers Spring 2016

Attendees at the 2015 New York Auto Show will be among the first American consumers to see the all-new, third-generation Ford Focus RS. The Blue Oval announced the super-hot hatch will make its US debut in the Big Apple next week and will arrive in dealers roughly one year from now. We've covered the raging Ford, which is being sold in the US for the very first time, ad nauseam. It debuted in early February, made its auto show debut at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show and is finally crossing the Atlantic, complete with at least 315 horsepower from a 2.3-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder. A trick, torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive system, an industry-first Drift Mode, a proper six-speed manual transmission and looks that can kill round out what we're wagering is a wildly entertaining package. On top of announcing the Focus RS will hit dealers in the spring of 2016, Ford gave us our first look at a production color. While the Geneva Focus RS was finished in the same Liquid Blue as the Ford GT, Mustang GT350R and SVT Raptor that showed up in Detroit, the hue on the NYAS car, called Nitrous Blue, is one of four that will actually be sold on the Focus RS. While we're waiting to see it in person to render our final judgment, based on pictures alone, we're smitten. Alongside Nitrous Blue, Ford will offer the Focus RS in Stealth Gray, Shadow Black and Frozen White. In other news, your author will be starting the official campaign to bring back the gorgeous green from the last-gen RS immediately. Check back next week. Until then, scroll down for the official press release from Ford. All-New Ford Focus RS Makes U.S. Debut in New York • All-new Focus RS makes North American debut at New York International Auto Show introducing advanced performance technologies for ultimate hot hatch experience; pioneers innovative Ford Performance All-Wheel Drive with Dynamic Torque Vectoring, industry-first drift mode, additional drive modes • Third-generation high-performance hatch features specially engineered 2.3-liter EcoBoost® engine producing more than 315 horsepower, most powerful RS brake system ever with Brembo front calipers • Ford Focus RS will be at dealerships in the United States in spring 2016 DEARBORN, Mich., March 25, 2015 – The all-new Ford Focus RS is set to debut on U.S. soil at the 2015 New York International Auto Show.

Ford drops Focus RS teaser ahead of Feb 3 reveal

Ford is trying to get us hyped for the unveiling of the latest Focus RS on February 3 with this new video teaser. The clip showcases the hot hatch doing some big slides in the wet and dry during testing in Europe and the US, and it definitely makes us even more curious about what the Blue Oval has in store with the RS. Even in this short teaser, Ford continues to dress the more aggressive nose of the Focus RS in camouflage, like the previous test cars. Unfortunately, what's going on under all of that concealment remains a bit of a mystery. Rumors suggest the RS likely uses a tuned version of the Blue Oval's 2.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder estimated to make between 325 and 350 horsepower. A speculated torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive system should keep fears of torque steer at bay, and larger brakes on the test mules indicate that bringing it all to a halt shouldn't be a problem, either. We do know that the hotter Focus will be among the "more than 12" vehicles that the new Ford Performance division will develop through 2020, and the RS will come to the US for the first time. However, US-spec RS models will likely be imported from Europe, which will keep numbers here low and will mean prices estimated to be around $30,000 or more. Until the official specs become available, at least enjoy watching this hot hatch's ability to slide.