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Volvo's oldest model earns IIHS Top Safety Pick+ award [w/video]

Volvo ought to be tooting its horn over this one. The XC90, an SUV that has essentially been on sale for over 10 years, just captured a Top Safety Pick+ award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The TSP+ is a new title, reserved for cars that earn "Good" or "Acceptable" ratings on each IIHS crash test.
This is a difficult feat for a new car - Toyota's new Corolla infamously failed to net a Top Safety Pick+ earlier this year - largely because of the new small overlap front tests, which have left many automakers struggling. But Volvo, somehow, was able to conquer the tests with a car that predates the original iPhone by a few years. The XC90 earning a Top Safety Pick+ is like Betty White taking the gold in the decathlon. With Volvo in the midst of working on the XC90's replacement, we're curious to see just how well a more modern version does in crash testing. Take a look down below for the crash test video and a press release from IIHS.

Volvo P1800-based gasser is UK's entry in the Hot Wheels Legends Tour

Hot Wheels has spent the past few months touring the United States in search of the next custom car it will add to its catalog of 1/64-scale diecast models. It's not stopping there: It also headed to the United Kingdom to add a bit of international flair to the competition, and it selected a Volvo P1800 that has been heavily modified into a gasser as the winner that will move on to the semifinal round. Owner Lee Johnstone explained he built his P1800 — which he nicknamed "Ain't no Saint" — starting with a bare shell that had been stripped and that was too far gone to properly restore. Volvo's 1960s four-cylinder engines are famously tunable, but Johnstone looked across the pond for an engine suitable to make his dream car a reality. He chose a 454-cubic-inch V8 sourced from the Chevrolet parts bin and supercharged to develop about 600 horsepower. Ain't no Saint reportedly runs a 10.01-second quarter mile at 133 mph. Johnstone regularly races the P1800 with his three daughters. He consequently named his team Johnstone & Daughters (JD) Racing. "This is a beautiful example of a gasser — a drag racer with street car form. Often with dragsters, the chassis is so important that the body gets overlooked, but this example is fabulous with great attention to detail," explained former Jaguar design director Ian Callum, who was one of the judges that selected the P1800 as the United Kingdom's finalist. "It completely hits the Hot Wheels brief." Hot Wheels has already released several gassers, including one based on a 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air. Time will tell if Johnstone's P1800 will become the next addition to the series. Its next stop is the global semifinal round scheduled for November 4, 2021, where it will compete against some of the previous winners. There are two semifinal rounds taking place before the grand finale planned for November 13.

Our interview with Jeremy Clarkson and James May, plus SEMA! | Autoblog Podcast #491

This week, David Gluckman and Mike Austin talk SEMA madness, mis-aligned steering wheels, wireless charging, McLarens (they're sports cars!), and decals. We also have an excerpt from a recent interview with James May and Jeremy Clarkson of The Grand Tour and Top Gear fame. As always, we talk about a variety of cars we've been driving and then respond to some questions from listeners. And as a bonus, there's a trivia question mixed in. The rundown is below. Remember, if you have a car-related question you'd like us to answer or you want questionable buying advice of your very own, send a message or a voice memo to podcast at autoblog dot com. Oh, and please send trivia questions! You'll get the honor of stumping your fellow listeners, and we'll thank you too. Autoblog Podcast #491 The video meant to be presented here is no longer available. Sorry for the inconvenience. Topics and stories we mention Stars Selling Cars The Ford Flex is dying SEMA! Dodge Durango Shaker concept New Mercedes inline-six engines Our interview with Jeremy Clarkson and James May Mercedes-Benz E-Class McLaren 570S Ad of the Week: Volvo ABCs of Death Spend My Money on used cars Rundown Intro - 00:00 The news - 02:15 Clarkson/May interview excerpt - 17:12 What we've been driving - 21:12 Ad of the Week - 39:02 Spend My Money/listener questions - 44:13 Total Duration: 57:05 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Feedback Email – Podcast at Autoblog dot com Review the show in iTunes Celebrities Podcasts SEMA Show Cadillac Dodge Ford McLaren Mercedes-Benz Volvo ford flex the grand tour mclaren 570s SEMA 2016