Tim Stevens
@timstevens.bsky.social
Freelance journo for great places like TechCrunch, The Verge, MotorTrend, Road&Track, Car and Driver, and more. Former EiC at Engadget and CNET's Roadshow. Fiction in Analog SF and elsewhere. Fortune once called me the Nicest Guy in Tech.
I drove the Slate! It's far more charming than its monochrome adequacy would imply, but of course it'll be up to you how much personality you inject here. Full impressions over at @engadget.com www.engadget.com/2226925/slat...
Slate Truck first drive: A minimalist's delight - Engadget
Slate's anti-truck EV is poised to deliver on all of its promises.
engadget.com
Damn, well, I'll just be over here streaming OutRun all day. pitchfork.com/story/kavins...
Kavinsky Dies at 50
The French touch DJ and producer who broke out with “Nightcall” from the Drive soundtrack died in Paris of a suspected stroke
pitchfork.com
This is framed as a feel-good story, but it should scare the wits out of anybody on the road. Tesla's deceptive marketing is convincing seniors that the cars drive themselves. In reality, a human must always be ready to intervene. If someone lacks the ability to do that, they shouldn't be driving!
Forget rideshare. How seniors are using Teslas for transportation
As Waymo and Tesla robotaxi services promise more rides for more cities, seniors are taking matters into their own hands and self-driving Teslas.
detroitnews.com
Back at it filming with the Capital One Auto Navigator crew today at a pretty special location today. Some good cars and thankfully good weather, too.
In my newsletter this week, in honor of the final week of the Tour de France, I'm dishing up an old adage from bicycle racing that I think about frequently: If you're not moving forward, you're falling behind. For me, it's a good reminder to always, always stay nimble or risk getting dropped.
Our first data point on how SpaceX's "fly, fail, fix" approach will be received by the stock market: tonight's sudden abort / seemingly multiple Raptor engine failure wiped 69 billion off of SpaceX's market cap in after-hours trading techcrunch.com/2026/07/16/s...
SpaceX suddenly aborts second Starship V3 launch after ignition | TechCrunch
The company didn't immediately say what went wrong. SpaceX's stock plunged more than 4% in after-hours trading before paring losses.
techcrunch.com
Thoughts on the first episode of the new Ghost in the Shell series: it's entertaining, but a big tone shift from the film and previous series. For better or worse, it's staying extremely close to the original manga of the early '90s, odd humor and all. I'm enjoying it and looking forward to more.
This picture, shared by Rochester meteorologist Eric Snitil, might be my least favorite jpg ever.
owdy from Bavaria, where I'm testing the new Porsche 911 GT3 S/C. Always wanted a GT3 but can't go anywhere without the wind in your hair? This is your solution, and that's about all I can tell you about it for now.
Nice to see that Edge has made some Workspaces updates, shows that the team hasn't totally given up on the concept. But how the heck did they still not add a search function, or even a rudimentary folder system? I have hundreds and now they're in a completely random order. c'mon @microsoft.com
This year's Pikes Peak Hill Climb was a fascinating battle of means of propulsion. The biggest story was the ZR1X's new production car record, but some questions remain about whether its replaces or augments the previous record. Details on @arstechnica.com arstechnica.com/cars/2026/06...
1,250 hp hybrid Corvette shatters the Pikes Peak production record
The high-altitude race is a unique test of car and driver.
arstechnica.com
Are Americans ready for a luxury van? I certainly am. Latest newsletter is up. As ever, this is the best way to keep up with whatever I'm up to and wherever I'm going. www.timstevens.me/p/mercedes-v...
Are Americans Ready for a Luxury Van?
Don't bother picking me up unless I can stream in 8K from the back seat.
timstevens.me
A few more shots of the 721-horse, hybridized Corvette Grand Sport X. As per usual I can't tell you what I think about it just yet, but here's what it looks like at Red Rocks! #cars
Greetings from Pikes Peak! I'm not only checking out the action at this year's Hill Climb for the first time, which I'm jazzed about, but I'm also spending some quality time behind the wheel of the Corvette Grand Sport X. (Dig those fender lines!) This should be an excellent few days.
This has been a long time coming. After many hours of PCB work and consternation, we have sound in our Street Fighter II Pinball restoration project! A combination of bad voltage, bad RAM, and tired capacitors have kept this thing quiet. A huge relief to hear this this morning.
I really wasn't sure what to expect from my first time behind the wheel of the Rivian R2. I was not, however, expecting it to be such an improvement over the R1S. Shame about the lease pricing, though... www.timstevens.me/p/rivian-s-r...
Rivian's R2 Isn't just Cheaper, It's Better
Plus, another collab with my best friend.
timstevens.me
The ads on the @hbomax.bsky.social Le Mans stream are draining my soul. God this is awful.
Trying something new out on my newsletter, Million Miler Reviews. I'm going to dtert evaluating the products I take with me around the globe again and again. First up? My Sony XM6 wireless headphones. They were great... Until they broke. #travel
Here's an easter egg in the new Lego Batman that I think all of you will REALLY appreciate. It's so good, I had to make a video.
Big day for our Street Fighter II Pinball restoration project, everything back in the cabinet and first games played. A few things that decided to stop working and I'm still stuck with no sound, but we're getting there. Maybe finished in time for the new movie...?
My latest for @theguardian.com, and my latest collab with my favorite coworker, is a deep dive on dog harnesses, including advice from a veterinarian on how to pick the right one. Some of these are wildly expensive. Worth it? Sometimes, yeah.
Here's an insider travel pro-tip from someone who flies a couple-hundred thousand miles a year: Don't name any of your Bluetooth devices "bomb." www.yahoo.com/news/us/arti...
A United Airlines flight to Spain turns back to Newark after a possible security threat
The airline said there were 190 passengers and 12 crew members on board the Boeing 767 aircraft. According to air traffic control audio, security came to inspect the aircraft after someone named thei...
yahoo.com
After months of debate and a good week of tinkering with settings, I've finally made the move and ported my newsletter away from Substack. Those in the newsletter game have surely seen no shortage of discussion online about the merits of staying vs. leaving and trust me it hasn't been an easy call.
I'm not sure whether to be amused or horrified that Red Bull Racing Crocs exist... especially for $95. #f1
I couldn’t help thinking about precedents of icons going electric and getting absolutely torn apart because of it. Please enjoy some thoughts on why I appreciate the Luce, even if it isn’t the brand’s most sultry car. However, there is one big reason why I’m concerned about its success…
The Ferrari Luce is as revolutionary for the brand as it is... controversial. I have the details for you over at @engadget.com www.engadget.com/2180674/ferr...
Ferrari Luce unveiled: Here's the first car from Jony Ive's design house - Engadget
Our first look at a complete version of Ferrari's upcoming luxury EV that was designed by LoveFrom.
engadget.com
Here's what I actually came to Germany to see, and to drive. It's the new Porsche Cayenne Electric Coupè, slightly swoopier version of Porsche's electric SUV, available with over 1,100 horsepower in Turbo trim. #ev
Spotted in the German countryside, it's a Porsche 718 prototype with no signs of combustion. No exhaust. No engine noise. After all the chatter of the EV being canceled, I'll take this as an encouraging sign that the project is continuing. #porsche
Please enjoy this picture of Koopa, relaxing amidst the entrails of his prey, tongue slightly askew.
