In addition to independent movement, the wheels can also be locked into "wheel walking mode, " where treacherous terrain can be traversed by crawling instead of rolling over it.

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This Wheel of Fate mode could just as easily prove fatal.

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The latest complication occurred over the weekend when the six-wheel rover entered safe mode after experiencing a software file error.

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The first GM-designed and built electric motors are scheduled to debut in 2013 in its next-generation, rear-wheel-drive, two-mode hybrid technology.

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Then we came to a stop, deactivated Winter mode and traction control, turned the steering wheel to full lock, and romped on the throttle.

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To ensure consistency, we set all of the smartphones to auto shooting mode, with our trusted senior mobile editor Myriam Joire behind the wheel.

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This gearbox includes a sport mode for slightly more aggressive shift points, along with a manual shift mode, which in the Supercharged version can be engaged via either the gear selector or steering wheel-mounted paddles.

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