We obsessively cover the auto industry…

Ferrari announced a panoramic roof option for its all-wheel drive FF at the 2012 Paris Motor Show, promising the new full-length glass panel would offer its well-heeled clientele "a genuine open-air driving feeling, while providing thermal and acoustic insulation." That statement was intriguing, as my experience with glass roofs usually ends abruptly after I close the opaque shade - as a Southern Californian, I always find tinted glass panels too hot during the day and too cold at night.

While the FF I reviewed in August was fitted with a solid aluminum roof, I was fortunate to catch up with a brand-new silver Ferrari FF (it only had about 160 miles on the odometer) with the optional panoramic roof at the Formula One race at Circuit of the Americas just last month. It was my lucky day, as I was about to spend about six hours with the four-place Italian, blissfully enjoying it during the warm day until long after the sun had set on the Texas horizon.

Driving Notes

• Unlike the electrochromatic sunroof Ferrari offered on its 612 Scaglietti a few years ago (which was able to vary the amount of light coming through its panel into the cabin with an electronically reactive color-changing gel sandwiched between its panels), the large glass roof on the FF does not utilize an electrical current to work. Instead, it employs a special reflective glass (LowE) that is coated during manufacturing to permanently minimize the amount of ultraviolet and infrared light that passes through. While the special glass blocks the invisible light that heats your skin and warms the cabin uncomfortably on hot summer days, it still allows visible light to pass through so the cabin stays bright. As an added benefit, the LowE glass has insulating properties, keeping temperatures from passing from one side to the other in extreme climates.
• While most automakers split their panoramic roofs into two or more panels, Ferrari has elected to go with one very large single piece of glass. The glass is fixed, meaning it does not pop-up or slide back, and it extends from the edge of the glass windshield rearward to the end of the roof. A small aluminum panel, about five inches wide and serving as a base for the satellite radio antennae, separates it from the glass rear window. The panel is offered in both body colors (as was the case on my silver test car) or painted black (as we saw in the first press release). After seeing both, I prefer it painted black, as the panel visually disappears and blends into the glass on either side.
• The FF's panoramic roof appears slightly reflective and dark from the outside, but the view from the inside is much lighter both day and night. The driver and front passenger enjoy the open cabin (the glass panel actually provides more head clearance), but their forward seating position means a glance upward still means looking at the opaque windshield header. Interestingly enough, the panoramic roof is actually better taken in the from the rear seats, where the view is unrestricted, expansive and rather dramatic. The clear roof visually opens up the cabin, giving the illusion that it is larger inside. After experiencing it during the day, evening and night, I couldn't find any faults. The new panoramic roof is not just a no-compromise improvement - it's a must-have upgrade.
• Thankfully, swapping a large aluminum panel for glass doesn't noticeably affect performance. The spectacular hand-assembled 6.3-liter V12 screams every bit as loudly, maybe even a bit more, with the new roof. The all-wheel drive FF remains a driver's car, with wickedly quick steering, strong brakes and more cornering grip than most passengers will tolerate. Only a short list of vehicles can best its exotic acceleration, and none of those will offer as much comfort when stuck in gridlock traffic.
• My car was loaded to the sills with roughly $85,000 worth of options(!!), including the aforementioned roof, which itself is about $18,000, range-topping LED steering wheel, diamond-quilted leather and carbon interior package.
• One final observation: A single afternoon with Ferrari's unusual FF is simply too short.

Humans are odd creatures. Some of us collect things associated with bad events, particularly when it comes to cars. Your author, for example, has the grille of his wrecked 2004 Mini Cooper S hanging on the wall. As a more extreme example, an 18-year-old Californian is in trouble with the LA police, but not for taking an item from his own car accident. Instead, he has been arrested for stealing from the wreck of the Porsche Carrera GT that killed actor Paul Walker and racer Roger Rodas.

And it wasn't a small piece, either. It was the Carrera GT's carbon-fiber roof panel. Making matters worse is word that the theft happened while the tow truck that was hauling the wrecked Porsche was sitting in traffic. According to the LA Sheriff's Department report, "A witness saw a male exit a vehicle that was following the tow truck. The male grabbed a piece of the wrecked Porsche off the tow truck bed." Besides the eyewitnesses, it didn't help that images of the roof panel were later posted on Instagram.

The man, Jameson Witty, was later arrested at his home, where police also found the roof panel. The driver of the car Witty was in when he took the roof panel, meanwhile, is planning on surrendering to the police, according to CNN. It remains unclear if the district attorney's office will charge the two, although if it does, they'll be facing felony grand theft and tampering with evidence.

Judging by the direction Audi is taking with recent concept vehicles, the forthcoming Audi Q1 crossover – confirmed for production in 2016 – should be an exciting little crossover. Last year, the automaker revealed the Crosslane Coupe Concept, and now it has announced it will reveal a new CUV concept at the Detroit Auto Show next month.

Teased in a trio of sketches, Audi says this unnamed concept is designed with a shooting brake style, which to us it makes it look like a combination of an Audi Allroad and a three-door A3. Little information is available on this concept, but it is about seven inches shorter than the Q3 and Audi notes that it will possess "design elements that are typical of e-tron models," which suggests some sort of powertrain electrification. There's still about a month before the Detroit show kicks off, but until then you can check out the sketches and press release (posted below) that Audi has provided.

We have on good authority that this is the all-new Chevrolet Corvette Z06, the hotter version of the 455-horsepower Corvette Stingray. Feast your eyes upon it, and know that we'll have a lot more when it makes its official debut at the 2014 Detroit Auto Show.

First, you'll notice we're calling it "Z06" instead of "Z07." That's because Chevy isn't going to shake things up too drastically, despite a previous report from Car and Driver. Like the C6, the model will be called Z06, but there will be a Z07 package. It's not clear what that will entail, but on the C6 generation, it included a number of upmarket style and performance features from the Corvette ZR1. As there is no ZR1 yet, we've no idea what to expect.

As we're still a bit in the dark in terms of details, here's what we think we know: It's very likely that the Z06 will receive a forced-induction engine. We previously reported that that could mean a twin-turbocharged setup, but considering GM's aversion to big, turbocharged engines in favor of big, supercharged engines, it'd be foolish to not consider that the Z06 will arrive wearing a blower. In fact, the engine shown above, which looks to be a supercharged LT4, has popped up on Instagram this morning thanks to American Velocity Performance. Regardless of what extras Chevy fits to the 6.2-liter V8 (that's right, the 7.0-liter is rumored to be kaput), power output is expected to far outpace the 505-horsepower of the C6 Z06, with rumors of over 600 ponies.

Visually, the Z06 looks even more aggressive than the already pugnacious Stingray, with prominent side sills and rear fender ducting, a jutting front air dam and a much larger rear spoiler. Note, too, the absence of the Stingray's namesake silver emblems on the front fenders.

We'll have much, much more on the next Corvette Z06 when it makes its live debut at the 2014 Detroit Auto Show in January. Until then, have your say about this newer, hotter Vette. Is 600 hp enough? Would forced induction ruin the whole point of the track-minded Z06? Let us know in Comments.

UPDATE: It appears that the yellow Corvette above is a well-done Photoshop product, not the real Z06. That said, we still believe it to be a very close representation of the real thing. The engine pic, however, is still believed to be authentic.

Autonomous vehicles are increasingly being tested on public roads around the globe, including Nissan in Japan and Google here in the US, and now Volvo is preparing to test its own self-driving cars on the streets of Sweden. In conjunction with the state government, Volvo's Drive Me project kicks off next year, starting with the development of customer research and infrastructure technology before setting 100 self-driving cars loose on the streets of Gothenburg in 2017.

These 100 cars will be in the hands of customers, and the tests will help Volvo and the Swedish government track varying aspects of self-driving cars including economic benefits, consumer confidence, traffic flow and passenger safety. The technology being developed by Volvo uses not only on-board radar and sensors but also map data gathered from the cloud, and it controls all driving systems including the brakes, throttle and steering. Drivers can engage and disengage the car's autonomous drive mode by pushing a button on the steering wheel, and the technology will also allow for a self-parking feature.

While the cars shown in this demo are S60 models, the test vehicles will be based on Volvo's upcoming Scalable Product Architecture (SPA), which underpins future models like the next-gen Volvo XC90. Scroll down for a video and press release marking the announcement.

Saleen may not be the first company you think of when it comes to electric cars. Tire-smoking modified muscle cars, sure, but not so much with the electric cars. That could, however, be about to change.

The company best known for tuning Mustangs just announced that plans to develop an electric vehicle it intends to eventually bring to market. But it's not saying much beyond that.

"We intend to enter this market with an offering that is truly innovative," said Steve Saleen. "I'm not prepared to give all the details of our electric vehicle project yet but I can tell you that it is unlike anything currently in the marketplace."

We'll just have to hold on to find out anything more – or if this project ever comes to fruition, for that matter – but you can read the full statement, such as it is, in the press release below.

Back in 2003, former Ford executive William Santana Li and former police officer Stacey Dean founded Carbon Motors, a company that designed a purpose-built diesel police car that recently filed for bankruptcy. But they're at it again, this time with a new company and a new invention that looks eerily similar to R2D2: a robotic security guard.

Their new Sunnyvale, California-based company is called Knightscope. Its product: the K5 Autonomous Data Machine. It's the fruit of the company's development of "technology that will predict and prevent crime with an innovative combination of hardware, software and social engagement," according to its website. K5 will be equipped with infrared-capable video cameras, microphones, radar, lidar (laser-based "radar") and thermal, air-quality and ultrasonic sensors. The data collected from all that equipment is then processed by the company's predictive analytics engine with help from "business, government and crowdsourced data sets." In a nutshell, K5 was designed to predict and prevent crime.

According to a report by The New York Times, Li says, "We founded Knightscope after what happened at Sandy Hook... You are never going to have an armed officer in every school." K5 can patrol school hallways as well as Silicon Valley businesses, and there are countless other potential applications for the robot. While there are positives to a robot like the K5, its invasive nature and sensing capabilities have already spurred privacy advocates to speak out against it.

Marc Rotenburg, director of the Electronic Privacy and Information Center, likened it to "R2D2's evil twin," according to The Times. "There is a big difference between having a device like this on your private property and in a public space," he said, adding, "Once you enter public space and collect images and sound recordings, you have entered another realm."

Head below to watch a promotional video on the K5, which is being unveiled at this week's Plug and Play Winter Expo in Sunnyvale.

Here at Autoblog, we've officially stamped December 5, 2013, as Ford Mustang Day. Sure, the sixth-generation Pony Car started leaking out onto the web days ago, but all of the official, non-embargoed hotness has come out today. And man, there's been a lot.

In terms of new car debuts, this is a really big one – not unlike all of the Corvette madness that kicked off the 2013 automotive season. So to make sure you haven't missed anything, here's a wrap-up of everything you need to know about the 2015 Ford Mustang.

• Deep Dive: 2015 Ford Mustang
  The most comprehensive, all-encompassing post with every last detail surrounding the new 'Stang. Ford is still keeping many of its specs – namely, performance – under wraps, but this Deep Dive covers all of the car's vital information that's presently available.
• 2015 Ford Mustang Convertible shown on Twitter
  We attended the reveal events in Dearborn, MI and Los Angeles, CA today, and sadly, neither one of them involved a look at the droptop version of the 2015 Mustang. But it's out there, and here's a closer look at the wind-in-your-hair model.
• Ford dissects the heart of the 2015 Mustang, its engine range
  As we said, official performance data for the new Mustang still hasn't been released, but that hasn't stopped Ford from giving us a closer look at the car's mechanicals. Here, you can check out cutaways of the 5.0-liter Coyote V8 and turbocharged, 2.3-liter EcoBoost inline-four. Expansive details about the Mustang's new independent rear suspension can be found here, too.
• J Mays on the 2015 Ford Mustang
  During the reveal event at Ford's headquarters in Dearborn today, we spoke to J Mays, the company's head of design, who not only gave us some insight into the styling of the new coupe, but gave us his thoughts on how the car should fare on a global scale, as well.

Of course, photos and text are only half of the story. Thankfully, we've scoured the depths of YouTube to bring you the latest and greatest videos of the 2015 Ford Mustang, including what appears to be the car's very first commercial. Here's a summary of all the videos we've embedded for you. Scroll down to watch all 12 of them.

• Introducing the all-new Ford Mustang via FordMustang
• Live reveal in Dearborn, MI via AutoGuide
• Live reveal in Sydney, Australia via Ford Australia
• Live reveal in Barcelona, Spain via CarParkru
• Ford Mustang: Seen for the first time via Ford Europe
• Ford Mustang revealed by Sienna Miller (plus behind the scenes) via Ford Europe
• 2015 Ford Mustang sneak preview via Automobile
• 2015 Ford Mustang first look via Motor Trend
• Original reveal video via Ford
• Mustang exterior design video via Ford
• Mustang interior design video via Ford
• Mustang colors and materials video via Ford

Of course, we want to know what you think of the 2015 Ford Mustang, so be sure to sound off in Comments, and vote in our poll below.

What is it about slow-motion video that makes everything so much cooler? Whether it's as simple as slapshot during a hockey game or as complex as a hypercar, filming in slow motion adds a new sense of depth, technicality and beauty to the subject. That's especially true when the video in question includes a rare Ferrari F50 and the team from Tax The Rich.

One Autoblog staffer called it "mesmerizing" the first time he watched it, and we're certainly inclined to agree. The F50 has never been a very pretty car, but in this setting, it's somehow incredibly compelling, as it drifts around a corner and does donuts at an agonizingly slow pace. Scroll down for the entire video, and let us know what you think in Comments.

A San Diego woman who was ticketed in October by the California Highway Patrol for wearing Google Glass while driving pleaded not guilty and will fight the citation in court, Yahoo reports. The woman, Cecilia Abadie, was pulled over for driving 80 miles per hour in a 65-mph zone.

After Abadie was pulled over for speeding, her attorney reportedly claims that the Google Glass switched on when she looked up at the CHP officer, who was standing by her window. The device was designed to respond to a head tilt by turning on.

Abadie's ticket is believed to be the first citation issued for wearing Google Glass while driving, but California has no laws specifically banning the use of the device while behind the wheel. There are places that are considering legislation to ban wearing Google Glass while driving, such as West Virginia, Delaware, New Jersey and in the UK.

To use Google Glass, one must look up into a screen slightly above the right eye. Users can read texts, search the Internet, make calls and more with the hands-free device, and it can even be used for GPS navigation.

American consumers will remember the Land Rover Defender as a utilitarian SUV that was sold in the US for a short time. What many may not realize, though, is that in its home market the Defender is arguably one of the most versatile vehicles around, available in a number of different body styles ranging from a three-door hardtop to a chassis cab. Naturally, there's a pickup variant.

As Land Rover continues to wrestle about what to do with the next Defender, it throws into question the future of Land Rover's hauler. Now, a report from What Car? is claiming that we'll see a new Defender-based pickup in 2017, and that it will rival Volkswagen's Amarok.

What Car? spoke with Gerry McGovern, Land Rover's design boss, who indicated that a pickup will join the Defender's replacement, but only after more conventional five- and seven-passenger SUVs are launched. Unlike the current Defender pickup, this new model would follow more of a luxury theme as well, although just how luxurious Land Rover could go without alienating the rough-and-tumble bunch that value the Defender's spartan nature remains unclear.

Even if a new Defender Pickup is launched, much like the Amarok, we shouldn't count on it making a trek across the pond (although there's still hope for the standard model), according to Motor Trend. Blame America's Chicken Tax for that.

Whether the board of the Morgan Motor Company was justified or not in ousting its former chief executive from its ranks, you could understand that Charles Morgan might take a defiant stand. He is, after all, the grandson of the company's founder, and before the board stepped in, it was his show to run. But don't expect Charles to be starting up a rival outfit any time soon.

Rumors of Charles' possible intentions emerged after he reportedly indicated that he wanted to "stay involved in the car industry". But when contacted by Autocar for comment, Charles kiboshed the idea of establishing a rival operation. For one thing, Charles remains a major shareholder in the company he used to run. For another, he says there's just not enough room in the industry to support two Morgans.

He may be right, particularly with niche automakers across the UK and Europe going belly-up. Just don't tell that to the people behind Castle Three, which aims to take on Morgan in the retro three-wheeler business.

The Grand Theft Auto videogame series is loved and loathed by many, and, as it turns out, Lindsay Lohan can be added to the latter group - unless GTA's publisher, Rockstar Games, cuts her a check. More specifically, TMZ reports, the troubled actress and her lawyers are drafting a lawsuit against the publisher demanding money for using what she says is her likeness in Grand Theft Auto V without permission.

The character in question includes a cover image of a blonde woman holding a cellphone. In the game, there are two missions involving characters that are claimed to resemble Lohan. One mission features a female character (named Lacey Jonas) who asks for help avoiding paparazzi and to be driven home, and the other has players visiting a location resembling Los Angeles' Chateau Marmont hotel - a known Lohan hangout and her previous residence - to take pictures of a female character having sex.

Take a look at the woman in the cover image (pictured) and feel free to head below to watch a TMZ video report of the situation with in-game footage of the "Lacey Jonas" mission. What do you think: is Lindsay Lohan in GTA V?

Wolfgang Egger, Audi's chief designer, is leaving the company according to a Automotive News Europe, which cites a report from Germany's Automobilwoche. Egger won't be going far, though, remaining within the Volkswagen family and taking up head design position Italdesign Giugiaro, a VW subsidiary as of 2010.

Egger took over the position at Audi from Walter de Silva, and has been responsible most recently for the Audi A6 and A3, as well as the 2010 Quattro Concept and the E-Tron Concept. He previously was head of design at Lancia and then at Alfa Romeo, where he was responsible for the achingly gorgeous 8C Competizione.

If Egger does move to Italdesign, his successor is likely to be Marc Lichte, the Volkswagen designer behind the current Golf. Of course, these personnel changes haven't been officially confirmed, and Audi is thus far refusing to comment on either Egger or Lichte's possible career shifts. We'll stay with this one, so sit tight.