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Storm Clouds Over JLRLand Rover has long been associated with reliability concerns, and those issues appear to be weighing on Jaguar Land Rover’s finances. For the fiscal year ending March 31, 2026, JLR reported higher warranty costs, which, along with U.S. tariffs on imported vehicles and last year’s cyberattack, pushed the company to target £1.7 billion, or about $2.3 billion at current exchange rates, in spending cuts over the next two years. Automotive News reported that JLR posted an annual after-tax loss of £244 million, or about $325 million. Annual wholesales to dealers fell 23% to 307,915 vehicles, pushing the company below its break-even point. Warranty costs alone were £105 million, or about $139 million, higher in the fourth quarter than in the same period a year earlier. “Warranty costs remain stubborn despite our efforts,” JLR CFO Richard Molyneux said. Land Rover Stateside PressureJLR did not specify which models generated the highest warranty costs, though the company admitted the issue was more pronounced in the U.S. market. Because JLR lacks a domestic production line stateside, its imported vehicles – including models such as the Land Rover Range Rover – are exposed to tariffs, with the Trump administration even threatening to raise duties on European imports to 25%. For reference, JLR imports vehicles for the U.S. market from its plants in the U.K. and Slovakia. As mentioned, the cyberattack also contributed to the spending cuts. The incident, which halted production for five weeks before operations resumed in October 2025, reportedly cost JLR more than £1 billion, or about $1.33 billion, in revenue. The automaker also issued a recall through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration covering more than 170,000 vehicles in the U.S. due to a DC-to-DC converter module issue affecting mild-hybrid models, adding to its repair-related costs. Land Rover Charging AheadDespite the setback, Land Rover will continue launching new models, including the all-electric Range Rover. Jaguar, meanwhile, is moving ahead with its electric transition and its first model under the revitalized lineup, the Type 01, which is reportedly available with a tri-motor setup producing more than 1,000 horsepower. That could make it a potential rival to the Lucid Air Sapphire. But with tariffs, the more apparent EV slowdown in the U.S., and possible further challenges if reliability issues are not sorted out, it will be interesting to see how JLR navigates the uncertainty ahead. Land Rover View the 3 images of this gallery on the original article View the full article

2027 Will be Big for BrabusFounded by Bodo Buschmann and Klaus Brackmann in 1977, Brabus started out as a tuner primarily for Mercedes-Benz vehicles. Today, it's a manufacturer of high-performance vehicles, building some of the wildest and fastest cars ever made. By next year, the company will celebrate its 50th anniversary, and the party is already getting started this year. Brabus has revealed the Bodo, and it's named after its late co-founder, who passed away in 2018. Had Buschman been around, he'd definitely approve of the car's insane specs and claims. With his son, Constantin, at the helm of the company, it's safe to say that Brabus' future still aligns with the original vision from nearly 50 years ago. Brabus It's Not Based on a Mercedes-BenzWhile we'd typically associate Brabus with Mercedes-Benz vehicles from the past and present, it has opened its doors to other brands in recent years. Has tuned Smart models before, but it now also transforms Bentleys, Porsches, Land Rovers, Lamborghinis (with the Urus, of all things), and even Aston Martins (through Startech) into ultra-luxury rockets. It's even dipped its toes into the world of motorcycles. So, one would think that the Bodo (the car, not the person) would be based on a Mercedes. Surprisingly, Brabus chose the Aston Martin Vanquish as the basis for its tribute car. It then proceeded to thoroughly re-engineer the grand tourer to a point that the base vehicle is almost unrecognizable - not that we're complaining. Brabus Cranked to 11The car's bones are from Aston Martin, but everything else is from Brabus. Its exterior is completely redesigned, with its skin replaced by carbon fiber, resulting in a stunning shape that's both sinister and elegant. As for the interior, some parts may look Aston Martin, but there are more than enough changes to make it look different enough. Extensive changes were also made to the suspension, featuring double-wishbone and multi-link arrangements developed with KW. It's going to need it, as the engine has been modified to kingdom come. The 5.2-liter Aston Martin V12 gets a whole slew of upgrades to raise its power from 824 hp and 737 lb-ft to a staggering 986 hp and 885 lb-ft. Now is a good time to remind everyone that the Bodo, like the Vanquish, is rear-drive only. With that much power, stopping is perhaps even more important than going in the Bodo, so braking is provided by a set of carbon ceramic discs measuring 16.1 inches at the front and 14.1 inches at the rear. It also gets a deployable rear wing that props up at about 90 mph. Brabus Epic NumbersBrabus claims that the Bodo can hit 100 km/h (62 mph) in 3 seconds flat, which means its 0 to 60 times are likely a shade under that. Of course, that's achievable provided the driver doesn't end up roasting those rear tires in the first place. It can then hit 300 km/h (186 mph) in 23.9 seconds, and top speed is limited to 223 mph. We're genuinely curious how fast the car can actually go without restrictions. Just 77 of these cars will ever be made, and they are on a per-order basis. The number refers to the year Brabus was founded, 1977. Then we get to the price, which starts at €1,000,000, or about $1,162,700 at current exchange rates. All things considered, that's not half bad for something that will most definitely appreciate. Brabus Brabus View the 8 images of this gallery on the original article View the full article

Fuel Economy FlexWith electrification ramping up, several automakers have expanded not only their battery-electric vehicle lineups, but also their hybrid offerings, many of which deliver significantly better fuel economy than their gasoline-only counterparts. The Toyota Prius remains the benchmark in the non-plug-in hybrid segment with up to 57 mpg, with popular models such as the Honda Civic Hybrid and Toyota Corolla Hybrid not far behind. But over at Brigham Young University in Utah, a team of 20 students has built a vehicle that beats anything on the market right now in terms of fuel efficiency, at least in a controlled competition setting. KSL-TV reported that the vehicle is capable of delivering 2,145 mpg, enough to take first place in the Shell Eco-marathon competition last month. However, it is not quite as straightforward as it sounds. Built Like A Science ProjectThe “Supermileage” vehicle is stripped of several features, including air conditioning. That weight-cutting measure, along with the use of a carbon-fiber body, helps improve fuel efficiency, as heavier vehicles force powertrains to work harder and consume more fuel. The vehicle weighs just 108 pounds overall, roughly the same as a full set of four alloy wheels. Other trade-offs include a top speed of just 23 mph and driver limitations, including a maximum height of 5-foot-4 and a weight limit of 120 pounds. The run was conducted at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, home of famed races such as the Indy 500. The vehicle was fitted with a fuel tank consisting of a 30-milliliter ethanol container, though the report noted that, at its achieved efficiency, it could theoretically travel from Provo, Utah, to New York City on just one gallon of fuel. BYU Real-World Limits Kick InDespite the staggering mpg figure, the vehicle is nowhere close to being a practical solution, particularly for buyers looking for a daily driver. Still, it shows how far fuel-efficiency technology can be pushed, especially now that electrification and the industry’s effort to reduce fuel consumption are more important than ever. Poor fuel efficiency can leave automakers exposed to penalties, although a recent EPA proposal seeks to delay stricter emissions standards for light- and medium-duty vehicles by two years, giving combustion-powered vehicles more time before tougher rules take effect. At the moment, plug-in hybrids such as the Toyota RAV4 PHEV offer some of the best efficiency ratings on the market, with figures above 100 MPGe, but their added complexity can also raise reliability concerns. BYU View the 3 images of this gallery on the original article View the full article

After Two Years Price increases across the industry as several factors affect automakers' bottom line. Tesla chimed in with a price increase for the Model Y, the first time in two years. Reuters picked up on the story after the company posted its new prices on its website. Prospective buyers looking to buy a new Model Y will need to review the latest prices from Tesla. The company posted a price increase across all variants of the Model Y, including Premium Rear-Wheel Drive, Premium All-Wheel Drive, and Performance All-Wheel Drive. Tesla 'Y' though?As for the reason, Tesla hasn't given an answer yet, but it's assumed the current industry landscape hasn't been the best for dealers and car buyers. Pricing is getting out of hand, and in a previous story, we reported how car prices will increase by about $1,000, and Tesla's on the money for this one. Material prices could be to blame. Taking into account not only that parts are getting more expensive, but also that the price of doing business has gone up. Fuel prices aren't making it easy for brands to transport their stock, and it's no easier for businesses to deal with duties and tariffs when importing products. This may be the first time Tesla has increased the Model Y's price since 2024, but it also follows another news story in which Tesla raised prices on its discontinued models. Remaining inventory for Model X and Model S cars also saw a price bump. You could say Tesla can do it, since even used Model Xs are selling quickly on the secondhand market. Tesla Price Increase For the differences, the Tesla Model Y is now up to $1,000 more expensive than before, with the Model Y Premium trims getting a $1,000 bump. Meanwhile, the Tesla Model Y Performance All-Wheel Drive gets a $500 bump. The new prices for a new Tesla Model Y are as follows: Variant New MSRP Old MSRP Model Y Premium Rear-Wheel Drive $45,990 $44,990 Model Y Premium All-Wheel Drive $49,990 $48,990 Model Y Performance All-Wheel Drive $57,990 $57,490 Tesla View the full article

A late-season Pacific trough is dropping operational Winter Storm Warnings across southern Wyoming and Winter Storm Watches across the Colorado high country today, Sunday May 17, 2026, with up to 2 feet of snow forecast for the Snowy Range and gusts to 40 mph stacking against the I-80 Summit between Cheyenne and Laramie. NWS Cheyenne upgraded its Watches to Warnings at 150 AM MDT this morning, and NWS Boulder is expected to follow with operational Warning text for the Colorado high country before the storm window opens this evening. Peak Driving Danger WindowSunday evening through Monday morning carries the worst risk along both corridors, with the I-80 Summit between Cheyenne and Laramie facing 6 to 10 inches of heavy wet snow as the warning window opens at 6 PM MDT and Colorado's I-70 chokepoints seeing snow levels crash through Eisenhower Tunnel, Loveland Pass, and Vail Pass overnight. What to ExpectWyoming peak snow totals: 10 to 20 inches in the Snowy Range and North Laramie Range above 8,500 feet, including Centennial, Albany, and Garrett; 6 to 10 inches at the South Laramie Range including the I-80 Summit (Buford, Vedauwoo, Pumpkin Vine).Colorado peak snow totals: Up to 14 inches at the highest elevations of the Front Range and Western Slope above 9,000 feet, with 3 to 6 inches across mid-elevation foothills.Peak wind gusts: 30 to 40 mph at exposed passes per NWS Cheyenne, with potential for slightly higher at Colorado's Continental Divide passes including Eisenhower Tunnel and Berthoud Pass.Worst corridors: I-80 Summit between Cheyenne and Laramie, I-70 through Eisenhower Tunnel, Loveland Pass, and Vail Pass, US 40 over Berthoud Pass, US 285 across Kenosha Pass.The setup is a deep upper-level Pacific trough digging across the West, the same system that produced the 16-inch Wyoming Winter Storm Warning along I-80 in central Wyoming on Saturday. As the trough drops south and east, snow levels fall toward 8,500 feet across the Snowy Range and 9,000 feet across the Colorado high country. The NWS Cheyenne bulletin explicitly tells drivers along the I-80 Summit that "persons should delay all travel if possible." Road ConditionsThe I-80 Summit between Cheyenne and Laramie at 8,640 feet is a notorious winter weather chokepoint and is now under operational Winter Storm Warning. WYDOT closures here routinely run hours during spring storms, and heavy wet snow plus 30 to 40 mph gusts is the high-profile vehicle rollover scenario. Drivers crossing I-80 between 6 PM Sunday and 6 PM Monday MDT should bookmark wyoroad.info or dial 511 for live conditions and closure status. I-70 across the Colorado Continental Divide is the southern arm of the same event. Eisenhower Tunnel at 11,158 feet, Loveland Pass on US 6 at 11,991 feet, and Vail Pass at 10,662 feet are all inside the watch footprint and will likely fall under operational Warning text by midday Sunday. Colorado's Traction Law typically activates ahead of these events, and AWD alone does not exempt drivers from the Passenger Vehicle Chain Law once it activates. If you are weighing whether traction will be enough for the higher passes, our guide on the best cars for snow and winter driving breaks down AWD systems and ground clearance trade-offs. Cross-Border Travel and the Monday Mountain CommuteDrivers connecting Wyoming and Colorado via I-25 will encounter the heaviest snow stacked across the Snowy Range to the west and the Cameron Pass and Rocky Mountain National Park zone to the south. The Monday morning commute is the highest-risk window for both states, with mountain town residents from Centennial, Wyoming through Estes Park and Idaho Springs, Colorado expecting slick conditions before sunrise. Recreational traffic heading west out of Denver or Cheyenne Monday afternoon will encounter chain controls and deteriorating conditions through the storm's peak window Monday night into early Tuesday. Arapahoe Basin remains in late-season operations on the Colorado side and may extend its closing window into Memorial Day on the back of this snowfall. Winter Driving TipsTire tread: 4/32 of an inch is the minimum acceptable depth for snow traction; below 6/32, stopping distances on packed snow lengthen significantly. Colorado's Passenger Vehicle Traction Law requires at least 3/16 of an inch (roughly 6/32) when active. Our roundup of the best snow tires covers Three Peak Mountain Snowflake (3PMSF) options.Tire pressure: Pressure drops about 1 PSI for every 10°F of temperature drop. A tire set at 35 PSI in Denver at 70°F can sit 4 to 6 PSI low at Eisenhower Tunnel.Stopping distance: Triple your normal following distance on snow, slush, or ice. Never use cruise control in winter conditions; cruise can accelerate into a skid before you have time to respond.Chain readiness: Carry chains regardless of drive type when crossing the I-80 Summit or any Colorado Continental Divide pass during the warning window. AWD does not exempt you from the Colorado Passenger Vehicle Chain Law once activated.What to drive: Our roundup of the best cars and SUVs for snow and winter driving ranks options by AWD system, ground clearance, and snow-mode tuning.For live Wyoming road conditions, use wyoroad.info; for Colorado conditions and chain control status, use COtrip.org. TimingThe Wyoming Winter Storm Warning window opens 6 PM Sunday May 17 and runs through 6 PM Monday May 18, 2026 MDT. NWS Boulder is expected to upgrade its Colorado Watches to Winter Storm Warnings later today, with peak snow Monday night into Tuesday morning across the I-70 corridor. The storm clears the West by Wednesday May 20, 2026, leaving the long Memorial Day weekend (May 23-25) mostly clear for high-country travel. We'll update this article as conditions evolve. View the full article

For the third time in just under two months, Rajah Caruth left a NASCAR O’Reilly Series race feeling as though Jesse Love had valid reasons to be frustrated with him. This time at Dover, racing for the lead on Lap 100, Caruth bobbled under Love and they both ended up in the wall. It significantly damaged the Richard Childress Racing No. 2 and Love could only drive it to a 23rd place ...Keep readingView the full article

The Green Hell Turns 100The Nürburgring turns 100 this year. Known for its punishing 12.9-mile Nordschleife layout, dramatic elevation changes, and unpredictable weather, the famous German circuit has earned a reputation as one of the world's toughest proving grounds. Caterham’s tribute comes in the form of the Seven Nürburgring Edition – a lightweight sports car shaped by the legendary circuit itself. The goal: channel the spirit of the Green Hell, keeping the Seven’s pure formula but adding tweaks for both road and track. Only 100 will be built, and they will be serialized for good reason. Caterham’s history with the Nürburgring runs deep. The brand has tackled endurance races here before, even scoring a class finish at the 24 Hours back in 2002. Fittingly, this special edition will make its first public appearance at the 2026 ADAC 24 Hours Nürburgring. Caterham Nürburgring Details Inside and OutVisually, the Nürburgring Edition stands apart from the usual Seven 420R. Customers get three paint options, each pulled straight from the circuit’s own palette: Verkehrsrot, Achatgrau, and Basaltgrau. As expected, Nürburgring touches are everywhere – decals, grille details, and even the seat embroidery. Outside, there’s a red roll bar ready for track days, carbon front wings and aero whiskers, and LED rear lights. Caterham’s Black Pack darkens the windscreen frame and headlamp bowls, while a 620-style nose cone sharpens up the Seven’s classic lines. Inside, the limited-run Seven has leather seats featuring Nürburgring embroidery and red stitching, while carbon interior panels help maintain the lightweight philosophy. There's also a suede MOMO steering wheel with quick release, plus sequential shift lights and four-point harnesses. Despite its track-focused setup, the Seven Nürburgring Edition can be configured with several touring-oriented options. Buyers can upgrade the standard composite aeroscreen to carbon fiber, swap it for a full windscreen with a hood and side screens, or choose interchangeable aeroscreen packages paired with full weather equipment. Large chassis models can also be fitted with side-screen armrests when equipped with the full weather package, giving the lightweight roadster a bit more day-to-day usability without altering its minimalist character. Caterham Ford Power and Limited AvailabilityOut of the box, the Seven Nürburgring Edition is powered by a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter Ford Duratec four-pot mill, good for 210 horsepower. Those numbers are sent to the wheels via a Mazda five-speed manual, though the engine and transmission combo can be changed since the car will be sold as a rolling chassis. Performance figures are listed at a brisk 0-60 mph sprint of just 3.8 seconds and a top speed of 136 mph. For handling, Caterham slaps a custom set of Bilstein suspension, tuned specifically with the infamous 12.9-mile circuit in mind. The track car rides on a set of 13-inch Apollo alloys. Depending on where you are, the Nürburgring Edition rides on the Seven 420R platform. UK pricing starts at £48,995, while the US gets a base price of $56,595. Buyers can choose between standard and large chassis, along with a menu of track and weather options. Caterham View the 5 images of this gallery on the original article View the full article

Corey Day now has two wins in the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series, winning at Dover on Saturday. Driving the No. 17 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, he ran down the No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet of Justin Allgaier, passing him for the lead as they split the lapped car of Blake Lothian. Day didn't lead a single lap until passing Allgaier with four laps to go, driving away to take the win ...Keep readingView the full article

For nearly six decades, the Ford plant at Broadmeadows in Victoria was the beating heart of Australian car manufacturing. Ford Australia opened the Broadmeadows plant in August 1959, before introducing the first locally-made Ford Falcon the following year. Now, Singapore-based Zerra DC has lodged a planning permit with the Victorian government proposing a six-building data centre campus on the historic site. Australia's auto manufacturing legacy is being rewritten, one server rack at a time. Ford From Assembly Line to Server FarmAt its peak, more than 5,000 workers churned out over 600 cars a day, producing every generation of the Falcon right through to the final FG X, along with the Fairlane, the LTD, and the Falcon-based Territory SUV. It was genuinely one of the most productive auto plants in the Southern Hemisphere. Then, on October 7, 2016, the final vehicle — a Kinetic Blue FG X Falcon XR6 sedan — rolled off the Broadmeadows production line, and an era quietly ended. Ford View the 2 images of this gallery on the original article Ford Australia moved its headquarters to the Melbourne suburb of Richmond in 2016 and sold the Broadmeadows plant to the Pelligra Group in 2019. Now the site looks set for its most dramatic transformation yet. It would follow an increasingly familiar pattern in Australia. The former Holden Special Vehicles headquarters in Clayton, which also hosted Volkswagen Beetle manufacturing from 1954 and later served Datsun and Volvo, was demolished in 2025 to make way for a data centre. Why Old Factories Make Perfect Data CentersIt is not just happening in Australia, though. Vantage Data Centers acquired a former Ford engine plant in Bridgend, South Wales, to convert into a data centre campus. It’s a facility that had produced more than 22 million engines for Ford, Volvo, Jaguar, and Land Rover before closing. The logic is straightforward. Large industrial sites already come with the heavy-duty electrical infrastructure that data centers need, along with the land footprint to build at scale. Brownfield sites like these offer existing connections to high-voltage transmission lines and substations, built-in redundancy, and expansive parcels of land with secure perimeters — ideal for hyperscale or modular data centre campuses. For AI infrastructure developers racing to meet surging demand, a shuttered factory is a head start, not a relic. View the full article

A Billion-Dollar AgreementJeep's parent company, Stellantis, and Chinese automaker Dongfeng signed a strategic cooperation agreement on May 15, 2026, to expand production capacity for brands like Peugeot and Jeep's new energy vehicles (NEVs) in China. The partnership will start in 2027, according to a report by a Chinese news source, CLS. So what will Jeep do with the $1.18 billion investment? According to the agreement, Jeep-branded off-road vehicles will be produced at the Dongfeng Wuhan plant. These units will be slated for export to global markets. Alongside, Peugeot will join Jeep at the Dongfeng Wuhan plant, with production heading for local Chinese and international markets. On a separate note, Stellantis and Dongfeng also signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding that will see both companies sharing and cooperating on research and development and manufacturing. (C) 2025 Doug Berger | DBPics Jeep's Back in China A brand that's famous for its legendary off-roaders and its iconic styling, Jeep's been banking on its American image for most of its life. Iconic styling, rugged off-road performance, and returning to China in 2027. Dongfeng plant will start making new Jeep SUVs in Wuhan. The operative term here is NEVs, which means electrified powertrains are to be expected from this deal. Two new Jeep off-road NEVs are planned for production at the Wuhan plant. For now, no specific models have yet been disclosed from the report. The units produced will head to international markets outside China, according to the source. News of this might contradict or complement, depending on which models are involved, another news story we covered, which states that Jeep is going to use Toyota's hybrid technology in its Cherokee. Dongfeng is a new partner for Stellantis, following the auto group's end of its deal with GAC Motor in 2022. Now, Stellantis is back in China, and it may also end up using Dongfeng technologies in its future models, according to Car New China. Stellantis is also paying attention to the other Chinese new EV brands. This year alone saw a ton of new model releases that push the boundaries of what an electrified off-roader can do. Considering that some Chinese brands like GWM are making over 800 horsepower available to consumers in an SUV is something that we might see from the Dongfeng Stellantis venture. Antonio Filosa, Stellantis' CEO, said that the project would combine "cutting-edge EV technologies with what the conglomerate already has on hand with its brands. Earlier this year, Stellantis refocused its efforts to just four brands:Fiat, Peugeot, Ram, and, of course, Jeep. Stellantis Peugeot in the Mix Also part of the deal is Chinese Peugeot production, which will include NEVs produced at the Dongfeng Wuhan plant. Under the Dongfeng Peugeot Citroen Automobile (DPCA) joint venture, two new NEVs from Peugeot are expected, both for local Chinese and International markets. This venture follows the DPCA's plan of "China production, global sales" strategy, a phrase mentioned by the joint venture's general manager, Lu Haitao, at the recently concluded 2026 Beijing Auto Show. Peugeot is also expected to develop NEVs with Dongfeng for both the local Chinese and international export markets. In the near future, we can also expect models to take inspiration from the brand's latest concepts unveiled in China this year. Stellantis View the full article

If you find the BMW XM Label challenging to look at, you may want to avert your gaze. The German automaker has just revealed the XM Label Soundmachine, turning its wildest SUV into a rolling DJ stage for the likes of Carl Cox to perform from. Built by five apprentices at the BMW Group plant in Dingolfing, the monstrous creation is fully functional and makes its world premiere at the Electric Mountain Festival in Sölden, Austria, with a fully functional Pioneer DJ deck and a dBTechnologies sound system. As brutish as the XM is, it needed some upgrades to accommodate the weight of this setup. BMW Modifies the XM to Be a Mobile Event Location BMW The apprentices upgraded the roof to handle the extra weight of all the extra equipment, which includes a 6 m² double-sided LED screen behind the DJ booth. There are also four fog machines in the wheel arches, underbody lighting to make the smoke show dazzling, and a number of other fixed and moving stage lights. To ensure it has the capacity to entertain large crowds, the sound system includes four VIO C12 active speakers and four VIO S118R subwoofers, controlled via a Pioneer DJM V10 mixer and two CDJ 3000X players. This takes a lot of juice to run, but the XM Label's hybrid system can power the screen, sound, and lighting systems for up to an hour without any external power. As impressive as that is, the changes have doubled the vehicle's weight, adding 3,086 pounds for a total of roughly 6,173 lbs. Related: BMW's Outgoing CEO Teases New 3 Series Touring for Wagon Lovers As you can imagine, all this weight and bulk has taken its toll on performance. Despite the hybridized twin-turbo V8 developing 738 horsepower and 738 lb-ft of torque - enough to get to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds and up to a top speed of up to 175 mph with the M Driver's Package in a regular XM - this super SUV will be overtaken by cyclists, with this so-called Soundmachine now only able to do 15 kph, or less than 10 mph. BMW's Biggest Creation Yet Will Tour BMW View the 4 images of this gallery on the original article As noted earlier, this bizarre SUV first appeared at a music festival in Austria, and this weekend, it'll be at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring. After that, it'll head to France for the 24 Hours of Le Mans on June 13, before returning to Austria for the Spielberg MotoGP race on 19 September. While the one-off build clearly has no bearing on real-world vehicles, BMW may put the expansive 31-inch Theater Screen from the 7 Series in the XM, though the X7 seems a more likely candidate. View the full article

Historical SignificanceBrands with as rich a history as Maserati have produced some truly iconic race cars and sports cars over the many decades. In modern times, Maserati has acknowledged these iconic cars by introducing the Maserati Classiche heritage department. Not just a restorer or preserver of Maserati classics, Classiche is also there to certify some of the forgotten icons that are slowly making their way back to the limelight. One very rare model has just been certified, joining an exclusive club. Stellantis View the 2 images of this gallery on the original article One of ThirtyThe car in question is a 1957 Maserati 200S, built as a sports race car to compete in racing as well. This example is finished in the iconic Maserati red and was built using aluminum between 1955 and 1957. It is chassis number 2406 and is responsible for the Classiche department reaching an important milestone: 100 certified cars since the department's establishment. Another reason chassis 2406 is important is that back in the 1980s, it was rediscovered and restored by a highly revered member of the Maserati community, Ermanno Cozza. Cozza joined the company in 1951 and was part of the Experimental Department and the Technical Office, and later contributed to the creation of the Maserati Historical Archive. He continues to visit the company and even supported the team during the 200S's certification process. Like most icons, the 200S was born as an answer to the competition; Ferrari's 500 Mondial was dominating 1950s racing, making the Maserati A6GCS obsolete. The Trident brand built a new challenger using the 4CF2 engine, developed from 1952 for Formula 2, and evolved into the 200S project. It made its racing debut during the Trofeo Supercortemaggiore on 24 June 1956; although luck was not on the team's side, the car performed well enough for them to enter it into production. Stellantis View the 2 images of this gallery on the original article ClassicheThe 1957 200S, now certified by Classiche, had to undergo a rigorous certification checklist with 300 technical verification points. Part of the process is Classiche matching parts and components with official records from the Maserati Historical Archive. After passing the certification process, these cars are given a high-value Certificate of Authenticity, a personalized enamel emblem, and a bespoke dossier book. Stellantis View the full article

Out of the Blue Whenever Kimera is brought up in conversation, the usual topics are its classic Lancia-inspired designs, like the K-37 and K-38. The brand is no stranger to improvement and iteration, as is the case with the Kimera EVO38, whichfeatures a lightweight body, at just over 2,400 lbs, and up to just 650 horsepower. Now I say "just" because Kimera has one-upped itself again with the new Kimera K-39 - Powered by Koenigsegg. Coming in at just under 2,500 pounds and fitted with a Koenigsegg V8 engine, the K-39 makes a "safe" 1,000 horsepower. This is the same Koenigsegg motor that goes into its hypercars like the Regeras and Jeskos. Kimera Automobili View the 8 images of this gallery on the original article "Just" 1,000 Horsepower It's easy to forget just how impressive 1,000 horsepower was in production hypercars back in the day. When everything from supercars to extreme grocery getters is making 600, 700, or 800-plus horsepower, you tend to get numb to the news of a new-most-powerful-production SUV/crossover/sedan or whatever. Christian von Koenigsegg said it himself, "the K-39 is exactly the kind of project that deserves something truly special: independent, emotional, technically ambitious, and built with a clear sense of purpose. We developed a dedicated version of our twin-turbo V8 to match the character Kimera wanted for the K-39, and I am confident that this engine will give the car the performance, response, and reliability it needs to express its full potential. This collaboration is also a strong example of how Koenigsegg technology can support selected projects beyond our own cars, when the values and ambition are right." What's even more impressive is that Koenigsegg Technology Division (KTD) even detuned the twin-turbo V8 because Kimera wanted to "match the character" that the brand wanted for the K-39. While I think that's the case, I wonder if Koenigsegg purposely did this to keep the One:1's reputation with its power-to-weight ratio, because we know that the engine platform is capable of so much more. Kimera Automobili View the 4 images of this gallery on the original article Same Values Kimera Automobili's design language hasn't changed in the last three 'K' cars. The K-39 still takes from the classic Lancia designs of Group C machines. As expected from the brand, it delivered on its styling and nods to automotive history. Then they hit us with the phrase, 1,000 horsepower and 8,85lb ft lbs of torque, and our attention was secured. Do note that the car only weighs just over a ton, or about 2,500 lbs, dry, so it's safe to assume that this will be a very exciting drive. Also, with the Koenigsegg engine, owners will also be able to take advantage of Koenigsegg Cloud, a feature that's exclusive to Koenigsegg vehicles to deliver over-the-air updates and calibration for their specific market straight to their cars, which can now be used by Kimera's K-39. The most extreme Kimera model yet still calls back to the brand's other designs, taking cues from the 80s and molding them onto a modern engine and chassis. The brand is also planning to bring a race version of this car to Pikes Peak, and it might actually be one of the fastest cars on the grid. What's more is that the first 10 people who place an order for the K-39 will receive the Pikes Peak configuration, which is also a road-legal specification according to Kimera, and it goes way over the top with its aero kit and its Martini livery. Kimera Automobili View the 5 images of this gallery on the original article View the full article

A late-season Pacific trough is hammering the Western United States today, Saturday May 16, 2026, with up to 20 inches of snow forecast for the highest elevations of the Wyoming mountains and damaging wind gusts to 70 mph stacking against I-5, US 395, and the Mojave Desert highway grid. NWS Riverton has issued five Winter Storm Warnings for Sunday night into Monday, and the Weather Prediction Center extended discussion flags the trough delivering a round of late-season snow across the higher elevations of Colorado and Wyoming through Friday May 22, 2026. Peak Driving Danger WindowSunday evening through Monday morning carries the worst combined risk, with NWS Riverton calling out the Monday morning commute over South Pass as travel that could be "very difficult" while the Eastern Sierra and Owens Valley simultaneously face their highest wind gusts of the event along US 395. What to ExpectPeak snow totals: 8 to 16 inches in the Wind River Mountains East, with up to 20 inches at the highest elevations of the Tetons through Sunday night, and 7 to 14 inches on Casper Mountain.Peak wind gusts: 70 mph in the Eastern Sierra and Owens Valley along US 395, 60 mph on I-5 at Tejon Pass, 50 mph on I-80 across southern Wyoming.Worst corridors: I-80 East Sweetwater County (Wamsutter), I-5 at Grapevine, US 395 from Bishop to the Nevada border, I-15 across the Mojave, and I-70 across the Colorado high country once warnings issue.States under alert: California, Nevada, Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, Montana, Washington, and Arizona.The setup is a deep upper-level trough digging into the West while an anomalous ridge over the East Coast builds an early-season heat wave. The pressure gradient between them is generating both the heavy mountain snow and the damaging cross-trough winds on the California side. NWS Reno has a High Wind Warning posted for the Bishop and Mono County zones from 11 AM PDT Sunday through 5 AM PDT Monday. Road ConditionsThe I-80 corridor across southern Wyoming is the headline freight artery in the warning footprint. WYDOT closures on the Wamsutter to Rawlins stretch routinely run hours during spring storms, and 50 mph crosswinds plus accumulating snow is the high-profile vehicle rollover scenario. Drivers planning to cross I-80 Sunday night or Monday should bookmark wyoroad.info or dial 511. I-5 over Tejon Pass is the wind story rather than the snow story, with NWS LA/Oxnard expecting 60 mph gusts overnight Saturday into Sunday. The Grapevine is a chronic high-profile rollover zone even in fair weather. If you are weighing whether traction will be enough for the higher passes, our guide on the best cars for snow and winter driving breaks down AWD systems and ground clearance trade-offs. The Wind Story on US 395 and I-5The same trough driving the Wyoming snow is producing a damaging wind event on the California side. The Owens Valley and the wind-prone canyons along US 395 are the highest-gust zone in the country right now, with NWS Reno forecasting gusts to 70 mph from Sunday morning into Monday. I-5 at Tejon Pass, I-10 at San Gorgonio, and I-15 across the Mojave between Los Angeles and Las Vegas all face 55 to 65 mph gusts Sunday into Monday. The risk profile for high-profile vehicles like RVs, box trucks, and anything with a roof rack is lateral blowover; these corridors are not the places to push your luck this weekend. NWS Hanford is simultaneously flagging fire weather concerns across the southern San Joaquin Valley driven by the same pressure gradient. Winter Driving TipsTire tread: 4/32 of an inch is the minimum acceptable depth for snow traction; below 6/32, stopping distances on packed snow lengthen significantly. The Three Peak Mountain Snowflake (3PMSF) designation is the industry mark for severe snow capability, and our roundup of the best snow tires covers current options.Tire pressure: Pressure drops roughly 1 PSI for every 10°F of temperature drop. A tire set at 35 PSI in Denver at 70°F can sit 4 to 6 PSI low at 11,000 feet at Eisenhower Tunnel.Stopping distance: Triple your normal following distance on snow, slush, or ice. Never use cruise control in winter conditions; cruise can accelerate into a skid before you have time to respond.High-profile vehicles: RVs, box trucks, and vehicles carrying roof loads should avoid I-5 over Tejon Pass, I-15 across the Mojave, and US 395 through Owens Valley while High Wind Warnings are in effect. Lateral rollover is the single most common wind-related crash type on these roads.What to drive: Our roundup of the best cars and SUVs for snow and winter driving ranks options by AWD system, ground clearance, and snow-mode tuning.For California live road conditions, use Caltrans QuickMap. Wyoming, Colorado, and Washington each maintain their own state DOT live maps. TimingThe storm window opens Saturday night with peak winds on I-5 and across the Mojave, then transitions to the snow event Sunday night into Monday across Wyoming. Colorado and Utah warnings from NWS Boulder, Grand Junction, and Salt Lake City are expected to issue within 24 hours, putting I-70 through the Eisenhower Tunnel and Vail Pass under the same threat I-80 faces tonight. The system clears the West by Wednesday May 20, 2026, leaving Memorial Day weekend mostly clear for high-country travel. We'll update this article as conditions evolve. View the full article

JaguarLand Rover (JLR) has nothing against the new Freelander brand coming to the UK, the carmaker’s new CEO has said. PB Balaji told Autocar that the Chinese-built SUV that features signature Land Rover design cues won’t affect sales of current Land Rover products if they are sold in the UK and Europe. Longer, wider and taller than the standard wheelbase Range Rover, the Freelander 8 production luxury SUV was unveiled in early May in China as the first in a series of new Freelander-badged vehicles for global markets. JLR Says Freelander 8 Is Not a Competitor to Discovery, Defender Models Freelander Designed by JLR but engineered and built by Chery Auto under the Chery JLR joint venture in China, the Freelander 8 will be followed by a new model every six months for the next five years. The new Freelander brand is pitched as a premium technology EV brand, and its first product clearly demonstrates that. The Freelander 8 features an 800-volt extended-range EV architecture, Huawei’s Qiankun ADS 5.0 intelligent ADAS suite enabled by a 896-channel LiDAR, i-ATS intelligent all-terrain system that uses data from the LiDAR and binocular camera for terrain recognition, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8397 computing architecture, and more. Freelander Add to that the aggressive pricing strategy that Freelander is expected to adopt in overseas markets and the fact that its first product is similarly sized to the Land Rover Defender 110 and Discovery, and it’s a bit surprising that JLR doesn’t seem at all bothered by the prospect of the Freelander 8 landing in the UK and Europe. JLR’s CEO explained that the Freelander brand targets a different audience than its Discovery and Defender models. “The price positioning of Freelander and our price positions are different," PB Balaji told Autocar. "The product offerings are different. So we don't see ourselves competing with each other. We see it as ‘together we should be expanding the market.’” JLR Won't Stop Chery From Bringing Freelander SUVs to UK, Europe China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology Freelander 8 sales will kick off later this year in China before the SUV is exported to other regions. The Middle East is expected to become the first export market, but Chery has not ruled out bringing the 8 to Europe and the UK as well. Freelander CEO Wen Fei previously said that if the brands starts exporting vehicles to Europe, those models would be bespoke derivatives tailored to each market’s demands rather than just adapted Chinese-market models. China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology While JLR has licensed the Freelander name to Chery, it still owns it and could put a wrench in Chery’s overseas expansion plans if it wanted to. However, it would probably act against its own interest in doing so. Since it's part of the joint venture that makes the Freelander 8, it will likely get proceeds from its sales. Asked if JLR would give Chery its blessing to sell Freelanders in the UK, Balaji said that “it’s Chery’s car” and it's entirely up to them. Freelander View the 2 images of this gallery on the original article “The car will be sold primarily in China to begin with, and then they will have to decide their plans for bringing it out to the rest of the world,” the CEO added. “And from our perspective, our role is ensuring that the design is in sync with what JLR stands for, and thereafter it is completely their baby.” The latter part of the statement is a strong suggestion that Freelander SUVs won’t share showroom floor with Land Rover products or be marketed by JLR in the UK and Europe. Freelander View the 6 images of this gallery on the original article View the full article

A Long-Running Mercedes-Benz Hub Near the Port of Long BeachMercedes-Benz is getting ready to close its Long Beach R&D facility, marking the end of almost 30 years at the California site. Tucked away on Via Oro Avenue near the Port of Long Beach, the facility opened in 1997 and quietly became a key engineering hub for the brand in the US. Over the years, this spot helped create nearly 100 patents, covering everything from powertrains to autonomous driving and in-car tech. The 32,100-square-foot building has been home to engineers, technicians, project managers, and legal teams – about 186 people in all. Now, Mercedes-Benz is moving its operations elsewhere, Long Beach Post reports. According to a WARN notice filed with California, the company will start winding down in July and close the facility by December 2026. The property was listed for sale earlier this year, signaling changes were on the way. This closure ends one of Mercedes-Benz’s oldest engineering outposts on the West Coast, right as automakers everywhere are shifting their US operations to focus on software, EVs, and bigger, centralized research teams. Google Maps Employees Face Relocation or Severance as Atlanta Expansion GrowsMercedes-Benz says this is all part of a bigger plan to bring its US operations closer together. Most of the Long Beach work is headed to a new R&D facility near the company’s North American HQ in Sandy Springs, Georgia, just outside Atlanta. The new Atlanta tech center will take up about 60,000 square feet in the Northyards Business Park near Georgia Tech. State officials put the project at $34 million, with completion set for later this year. About 160 employees will work there. Some of the Long Beach employees have been offered the chance to move to Georgia, Ann Arbor, or other Mercedes-Benz sites in California. Others are only getting severance, depending on what the company needs. At least 72 jobs are directly on the line. Not every Mercedes operation is leaving Long Beach, though. The company’s Classic Center and port-related vehicle processing operations will remain open. Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz Wants Bigger Numbers in the USThe Long Beach shutdown is just one piece of a bigger shift at Mercedes-Benz. After years of chasing high-profit, low-volume sales, the company now wants to ramp up its mainstream premium business in the US. Mercedes-Benz USA CEO Adam Chamberlain says the goal is 400,000 US sales a year by 2030. That would put Mercedes head-to-head with BMW and Lexus at a level no other luxury brand has hit in America. To reach that goal, Mercedes-Benz is planning a major product rollout, with bout 30 new or updated models expected for North America in the next few years. Obviously, the Long Beach shutdown isn’t just a one-off. It’s part of a bigger reset for Mercedes-Benz in the US – from where it builds cars to how it develops tech and plans for growth over the next decade. Mercedes-Benz View the 4 images of this gallery on the original article View the full article

Rewriting The RoadmapThe Trump administration continues to roll back electric vehicle-friendly policies, with its latest move proposing a two-year delay to the Biden-era Tier 4 emissions standards for light- and medium-duty vehicles. The stricter rules were originally set to take effect for the 2027 model year and were expected to help accelerate EV adoption, but the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) argued that the timeline should be pushed back to MY2029. Pushing the MY2027 deadline back is projected to save automakers and consumers more than $1.7 billion. Instead of pushing EVs onto consumers, the agency says it wants to give American buyers the “freedom” to choose the cars they want. Keeping the current Tier 3 emissions standards in place would allow more combustion-powered vehicles to remain on the market without major compliance changes. EV Reality CheckAnother reason for the proposal is that EV adoption has not met the growth projections for the 2027 model year, making the Tier 4 emissions standards less practical in the agency’s view. That has been reflected across the auto industry, with automakers losing billions on EV investments and, in Stellantis’ case, taking a major financial hit tied to its EV reset strategy. If the proposal is finalized, the Tier 3 emissions standards are still projected to reduce emissions by up to 80% for MY2027 and MY2028 vehicles. The two-year delay is being positioned as additional time to develop rules that are “better suited” for the Tier 4 standards. With the recent policy changes in the U.S., including the discontinuation of the $7,500 EV tax credit last year, many automakers are shifting toward hybrids. Ford, for instance, has halted production of the all-electric F-150 Lightning in favor of a range-extender version. Meanwhile, the Toyota RAV4, one of the best-selling vehicles in the U.S., is now offered exclusively with hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains for the MY2026 lineup. (C) 2026 Doug Berger | DBPics The Choice ArgumentLee Zeldin, who became EPA administrator last year, said, “Freedom is the foundation of this nation, and this includes the freedom to choose the car you drive. The American people have been very clear; they do not want EVs forced upon them.” In addition to this proposal, the EPA has repealed the 2009 Endangerment Finding and all vehicle greenhouse gas regulations. The agency also removed the Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) sensor mandate, which was intended to lower emissions but can derate diesel engines when abnormalities are detected, affecting the livelihoods of people who rely on diesel trucks for work. Removing the mandate is projected to save farmers about $4.4 billion annually. These changes may be viewed as anti-EV, though from another lens, they can also be seen as more realistic than rapidly forcing an EV transition. Chevrolet View the 3 images of this gallery on the original article View the full article

Despite all the changes, Dover still largely feels like Dover according to NASCAR Cup Series drivers this weekend. The changes include, primarily, the first race at The Monster Mile, in which the new short track rules package and increased horsepower have been affixed to the NextGen car. Additionally, NASCAR and Speedway Motorsports have applied a light coating of resin across the entire ...Keep readingView the full article

NWS Riverton has issued Winter Storm Warnings for five zones in Wyoming, effective from 6 PM Sunday through 6 PM Monday MDT. Up to 16 inches of snow is forecast for the Wind River Mountains East, and a stretch of Interstate 80 in East Sweetwater County is explicitly named in the impacts. Wind gusts up to 50 mph are expected across the warning zones. The Five Zones Under Winter Storm WarningWind River Mountains East is the heaviest hit, with 8 to 16 inches of snow possible and gusts to 50 mph. The warning specifically calls out impacts to South Pass, the main route over the Continental Divide in central Wyoming. Casper Mountain is forecast to get 7 to 14 inches with gusts to 40 mph, threatening the Monday morning and evening commutes for the Casper metro area (population around 60,000). Green Mountains and Rattlesnake Range, including Jeffrey City, are expected to see 6 to 11 inches with gusts to 50 mph. East Sweetwater County, including Wamsutter, is forecast for 3 to 6 inches with gusts to 50 mph. This is the I-80 corridor: the warning text explicitly says travel could be difficult "especially along Interstate 80." Natrona County Lower Elevations, including the city of Casper, are under warning for 3 to 5 inches generally and up to 7 inches between Hiland and Casper, with gusts to 40 mph. What This Means for I-80Interstate 80 is the only year-round east-west interstate in southern Wyoming and one of the busiest freight corridors in the Mountain West. The 100-mile stretch through East Sweetwater County (Wamsutter, Rawlins approach, Continental Divide) routinely closes for winter weather, even in May. With 3 to 6 inches of snow forecast in the warning zone and 50 mph gusts, two factors stack against drivers: reduced visibility from blowing snow, and high-profile vehicle exposure on an open, treeless plain. WYDOT closures on this stretch typically come fast and last hours. If your route Sunday night or Monday takes you across southern Wyoming, plan an alternative or plan to wait it out. What Comes NextThe same storm system is forecast to move south into Colorado on Monday into Tuesday, where the WPC Winter Storm Outlook shows another large probability footprint of warning-criteria snow over the western Colorado mountains. Formal Winter Storm Warnings from NWS Boulder and NWS Grand Junction are expected to follow, putting Interstate 70 through Vail Pass and the Eisenhower Tunnel under the same threat that I-80 faces tonight. Driver Tips for the Wyoming Warning ZoneCheck WYDOT before you go. Live road conditions and closure status are at wyoroad.info or dial 511.High-profile vehicles (RVs, box trucks, anything tall) should avoid I-80 across southern Wyoming Sunday night and Monday. 50 mph crosswinds plus snow is the worst combination for rollovers.South Pass and Togwotee Pass travelers should carry chains, food, water, and a flashlight. South Pass sits at 7,412 feet and has no services for long stretches.The Casper commute Monday will be the most affected population center. Plan extra time or work remotely if possible.This article will be updated as conditions evolve. For the full picture of this late-season Western storm across all ten affected states, see our earlier report. Related: Winter Storm Warning: Up to 20 Inches of Snow and 70 mph Winds Hit I-5 and Western States View the full article

Spire Motorsports pit crew member Donovan Williams suffered minor injuries in a freak accident at Dover during All-Star weekend. The tire carrier for Daniel Suarez's No. 7 Cup car was in front of the heavy cart as they moved downhill towards the pit lane area when it began to roll away. Nearby was NASCAR on FOX reporter Amanda Busick, and Williams threw himself in front of the cart ...Keep readingView the full article

On May 28, 2026, sixteen days before the green flag drops on the 94th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, a new museum will open its doors at the main entrance to the Circuit de la Sarthe. It is called M24, the Museum of Motorsport, and it represents the most ambitious attempt ever made to tell the story of racing under one roof. Not just endurance racing. Not just Le Mans. All of it. The museum sits at 9 Place Luigi Chinetti in Le Mans, an address that carries weight for anyone who knows the sport's history. Luigi Chinetti was the Italian-American driver and Ferrari dealer who won Le Mans three times and single-handedly convinced Enzo Ferrari to enter the race. That his name marks the ground where this museum stands is not an accident. What it isM24 is the result of a four-year collaboration between the Automobile Club de l'Ouest and the Swiss luxury watchmaker Richard Mille, formalized in 2022 through a joint venture called MACO. The project transforms the former 24 Hours of Le Mans Museum, which first opened in 1961, was renovated in 1991, and came under ACO management in 2017, into something fundamentally different. The original building has been entirely restored and expanded with a new wing designed by architect Frédéric Audevard, bringing the total exhibition area to 8,600 square meters. Where the old museum told the story of Le Mans and only Le Mans, M24 uses the race as a doorway into the wider world of motorsport. The exhibition spans Formula One, IndyCar, rallying, Can-Am, motorcycling, and the engineering, rivalries, and people that connect them. The narrative is structured not as a chronological timeline but as a theatrical reconstruction of a Le Mans race weekend, with visitors moving through themed areas titled Scrutineering, The Start, The Night, and The Victory before the exhibition opens into the broader disciplines. The immersive design was created by Raphaël Daguet and his scenography firm The Immersers, who describe their approach as narrative rather than curatorial: telling stories rather than displaying objects. The collection The cars are why you go. And these cars are extraordinary. M24 houses over 100 vehicles across multiple disciplines, all kept in running order, with an on-site restoration workshop incorporated directly into the visitor experience. The oldest piece is the 1924 Bentley 3 Liter, the earliest surviving Le Mans winner, fresh from a 3,700-hour restoration. From there, the collection arcs through decades of competition: the Porsche 917 LH, the longtail prototype that dominated Le Mans in the early 1970s. The Mazda 787B, the only rotary-engined car to win the 24 Hours and the reason an entire generation of enthusiasts fell in love with a triangle-shaped combustion chamber. The Toyota TS050, the car that finally ended Toyota's decades of Le Mans heartbreak. Michael Schumacher's Ferrari F2002 was the machine that carried him to five consecutive championships. A Lancia Stratos in full Alitalia livery, arguably the most beautiful rally car ever built. A Ferrari 166 MM and Ford GT40 are currently in the workshop, visible to visitors as part of the restoration process. Many of the cars come from Richard Mille's personal collection. "I've been excited about beautiful cars ever since I was a small boy," he said during the project's unveiling at the Rétromobile show. "Today, they deserve to be shared with the greatest number of enthusiasts." The people M24 does not just celebrate machinery. "Champions Alley" pays tribute to 35 figures from across motorsport history, including Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher, Jacky Ickx, Tom Kristensen (the nine-time Le Mans winner known as "Mr. Le Mans"), Michèle Mouton (the only woman to win a World Rally Championship round), Odette Siko (one of the first women to race at Le Mans, in 1932), and Sébastien Loeb. Senna's actual racing suit is among the artifacts on display. There is also a detail that speaks to the museum's commitment to completeness: 4,800 scale models at 1/43 size document every car that has started the 24 Hours of Le Mans since 1923. Every single one. Over a century of competition represented in miniature, which is either a logistical marvel or a collector's fever dream depending on your perspective. Why it matters Motorsport museums exist. Good ones, too. The Porsche Museum in Stuttgart, the Ferrari Museum in Maranello, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, and the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles are all world-class institutions. But each of them tells the story of a single brand or a single culture. M24 is the first museum that treats motorsport as a whole, connecting Le Mans to Formula One to rally to IndyCar under one narrative, acknowledging that the sport's greatest stories have always crossed disciplines. The timing is deliberate. M24 opens in the 120th anniversary year of the Automobile Club de l'Ouest, the organization that created the 24 Hours of Le Mans and has governed it since 1923. It also opens at a moment when the sport is evolving faster than at any point in its history: hybrid powertrains, hydrogen prototypes, electric touring cars, and manufacturer lineups that shift yearly. By anchoring the future in a deeply felt presentation of the past, M24 makes the case that understanding where racing came from is essential to caring about where it goes. Before the ACO and Richard Mille began this project, the museum was already drawing 208,500 visitors annually. The target for M24 is 300,000 within two to three years. General admission is €20, with ACO members paying €10. Tickets are already on sale. When do the doors open?Richard Mille, characteristically, put it best. "M24 is a place where these stories will live on. It's where a kid can fall in love with a car and maybe decide one day to be an engineer, designer, or racing driver. If anyone comes out with their eyes sparkling a bit brighter than when they went in, then M24 will have served its purpose." Doors open May 28 at 10 a.m. The 94th 24 Hours of Le Mans begins June 13. If you are going to one, consider going to both. View the full article

All-Star Race qualifying at Dover was far from conventional, and not just because of the unique format. Drivers had to complete three laps, including a four-tire pit stop at the end of the second lap. The qualifying session featured numerous incidents, penalties, and loose wheels. Denny Hamlin, who won the Dover points race last year, secured pole position even after spinning on his warmup ...Keep readingView the full article

The More Accessible RivianRivian is one of the quieter EV brands on the market, not really drawing much attention to itself, yet still able to make and sell a decent number of cars. A lineup that used to consist only of the larger R1 model has now expanded to include a smaller, more affordable SUV in the R2. 2025 was an "okay" year sales-wise for Rivian, with sales dipping by 18%, some of which was deliberate to accommodate the R2. With the R2 now in the market, we decided to play around with Rivian's configurator to see just how many optional extras there are. View the 2 images of this gallery on the original article Performance FirstGoing to Rivian's website and finding the R2 configurator is pretty easy, given how straightforward the layout is. Another thing to note before anything else is how Rivian decided to launch the R2. You'd expect the brand to either launch all variants or release the entry-level first, with the top-end to follow, but no, Rivian has decided to launch the most expensive variant first, with the more affordable ones listed as "coming soon." This makes the starting price of the R2 (as of now) a relatively high $57,990, compared to the $53,990 of the Premium (coming in late 2026) and the $48,490 of the Standard (coming in 2027). The performance is listed with 330 miles of range and a 0-60 mph time of 3.6 seconds, thanks to an output of 656 hp. According to the configurator, the Launch Package, available for free for a limited time, includes Autonomy+, a special key fob, the tow package, and access to the special launch green paint. Also standard on the performance variant is the all-wheel-drive system; the first really costly optional extra is the green launch paint, listed at an additional $2,000. Next up, you can opt for the 20-inch All-Terrain rim-and-tire combo for an additional $1,000. The interior can only be had in black right now, but sometime this year, the coastal cloud signature scheme will be available for an additional $1,000. Rounding out the cost are the additional spare tire ($755), wall charger ($800), and multiple accessories, bringing the total to $64,510. View the 5 images of this gallery on the original article Competitors CheckThe Rivian R2, as mentioned, is the supposed affordable Rivian model, but looking at the price bracket, it still sits well above most of the competition in the base variant. However, once you start comparing the top-of-the-line models, the R2 suddenly comes into play in terms of pricing (without the optional extras). It'll be interesting to see how the market reacts to the R2, but with the current offerings, it isn't priced so badly, and I like how Rivian didn't overload the configurator with too many options. It took me less than 10 minutes to finish my build, compared to BMW's complicated iX3 configurator, which took me more than 30 minutes and exponentially increased the cost. View the full article

When Mercedes-AMG put a four-cylinder hybrid in its C 63, it fell flat with buyers, forcing Affalterbach to ax it earlier than initially planned. Now, Mercedes is working on a new version with a straight-six, taking the fight directly to the BMW M3. Well, not directly - this will reportedly debut with the name C 53, matching the CLE 53, which makes 443 horsepower and 413 lb-ft of torque, considerably less than the 523-hp M3 Touring. The wagon version has just been spied on the Nürburgring, and while what lies beneath the hood will be completely different, the bodywork's changes will be relatively mild. There will also be updates to the cabin designed to make interacting with the car more physical. Let's take a closer look. New C 53 Sees Styling Revisions Front and Rear SH Proshots/Autoblog View the 2 images of this gallery on the original article The entire front end of this prototype is covered in camouflage, from the bumper and hood to the fenders, the latter of which will have small fake AMG vent accents. The subtly bulging hood will flow into an updated fascia with a new grille design, either side of which the headlights are expected to gain star-shaped LED daytime running lights. The lower intakes will also be massaged slightly, with the side elements gaining a horizontal strake. Other than that, not much is changing up front. Further back, we see camouflage on the roof, but we don't expect this to herald anything significant, while on the tailgate, camouflage covers the top half of the rear end, including the taillights, which are also expected to gain new LED motifs but otherwise maintain the same shape as before. Lower down, the diffuser will once more feature a quartet of exhaust tips, but there will be no obvious indication of the new powertrain. Finally, the cabin is reportedly being refreshed with a new steering wheel that has more physical buttons than before. This will be paired with an updated MBUX infotainment system. AMG Is Also Building an Electric C 63 SH Proshots/Autoblog View the 3 images of this gallery on the original article Last year, our spies also spotted a pre-production development mule of an all-electric C-Class with AMG upgrades. This is expected to develop well over 600 horsepower and could be revealed before the end of 2026, which is also the timeframe in which we expect the combustion-powered model to arrive. Some reports had indicated that the C 63 could be temporarily killed off while Mercedes works on the new six-cylinder model, but this sighting of the C 53 version indicates that development is far along, meaning there won't be a real gap for very long. Will customers react favorably to two more cylinders, or will the craving for a V8 persist, which the CLE Coupe is getting? Time will tell, but we'll bring you more information as we get it. SH Proshots/Autoblog View the 2 images of this gallery on the original article View the full article

Fast And FrugalLexus currently offers four powertrains in its popular RX crossover: a conventional turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engine (RX 350), a hybrid (RX 350h), a plug-in hybrid (RX 450h+), and a turbocharged hybrid (RX 500h F Sport Performance). Of these, there's likely an option that everyone will love, but we think the 450h+ PHEV is possible the most interesting of the bunch. Jared Rosenholtz/Autoblog It pairs a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with an electric motor and 18.1 kWh battery, combining to deliver 304 total system horsepower, the second most of any RX behind the 500h. Though it isn't particularly sporty in how it delivers power due to its eCVT, technically a planetary gearset and not a true CVT, this powertrain is remarkably smooth no matter if it's running on electricity, gasoline, or a combination of both. Lexus says the RX 450h+ can hit 60 mph in around 6.2 seconds, but it was slightly quicker in our testing, getting to that speed in 6.12 seconds. We also recorded the same acceleration run using only the electric motor (which requires a careful foot as going past kickdown causes the engine to fire up) where the RX PHEV took a leisurely 10.51 seconds. For reference, the RX 500h with 366 hp and 406 lb-ft is quoted to hit 60 mph in 5.9 seconds. Explaining The PHEV ModesUnlike the RX 500h, the 450h+ has the ability to run on EV mode for an extended period courtesy of its 18.1 kWh battery. Lexus even lets drivers choose exactly how and when they'd like to deploy their stored electricity, an option not all PHEVs offer. Two buttons behind the shifter control the powertrain modes, and without consulting the owner's manual, it's not immediately apparent how each one functions or why they are divided into separate buttons. Jared Rosenholtz/Autoblog View the 3 images of this gallery on the original article The "AUTO EV/HV" button cycles between two modes, the full EV mode, and an auto hybrid mode that relies the battery and electric motor first before kicking on the gas engine for heavy acceleration only. In these two modes, you will deplete the car's 37-mile electric range pretty quickly. A second button, "HV EV HOLD CHG," can cycle through one of three functions. It can also turn on EV mode, but it can also active a different hybrid mode that functions more like the RX 350h, relying more on the gas engine to save the battery range for later. A light throttle can keep the car running on just the electric motor in HV mode. Holding this button triggers a charge mode, which uses the engine to refill the battery on-the-go. This hurts fuel economy, though we noticed the effect was smaller than we expected. The RX 450h averaged 34.8 MPG during a two-hour highway drive, and when we did the same trip going in the other direction with charge mode activated, fuel economy dropped to 30 MPG. Charge mode added about seven miles range per hour of driving. Luxury For EV Skeptics The RX 450h+ is the ultimate luxury SUV for EV skeptics. It delivers stellar fuel economy when running on its gasoline engine with the smoothness of an EV. If your daily commute is shorter than 18 miles, or you can charge at work, the 450h+ can drastically lower your monthly fuel cost and give you the flexibility to only use the gasoline engine for longer trips on the weekend. Jared Rosenholtz/Autoblog View the 3 images of this gallery on the original article There are other great PHEVs on the market, but few give you the same level of control over the powertrain as the RX. We love having the ability to switch between the Auto HV and HV modes because they serve different purposes. PHEV drivers may not always want their battery range being used. If you are getting on the highway, for example, it could be smart to switch the RX into HV mode, saving the battery for lower speeds where it can be more efficient. Toyota's most recent RAV4 PHEV took away the ability to charge the battery on the go because it wasn't efficient, and Lexus will likely update its vehicles when they receive the fifth generation Toyota Hybrid system. The RX Has Been A HitNot only is the Lexus PHEV powertrain a hit, but the RX is the perfect vehicle to have it in. This is perennially among the bestselling luxury vehicles in America, moving 113,256 units in 2025. Even in a down year for the RX (it sold 118,636 units in 2024), it was still the most popular premium vehicle in the country by a significant gap. The RX beat out its smaller sibling, the NX, by 36,420 units and the BMW X3 was about the same distance behind with 76,546 units sold in 2025. Jared Rosenholtz/Autoblog View the 3 images of this gallery on the original article Lexus created the luxury crossover segment with the RX back in 1998, and strong brand loyalty like that doesn't go away overnight. Over five generations, the formula has (mostly) stayed the same, delivering high-riding comfort in a right-sized packaged to the American audience. This current RX is the most versatile one yet, adding PHEV and F Sport Performance variants for EV and European car curious buyers who don't want to leave the Lexus brand. Lexus has already sold 29,336 RX units through one Q1 of 2026, an 18.7% increase from last year, so the brand's bestseller shows no signs of slowing down. View the full article