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Hyundai’s Cash Cow in the SpotlightThe Hyundai Tucson is the Korean marque’s best-selling model in the US, with 188,275 units sold as of October 2025. Since the latest generation landed for 2022, it’s been turning heads for its sharp looks, roomy interior, and tech-heavy cabin – making it a go-to for families and daily drivers. But being a crowd favorite doesn’t make the Tucson recall-proof. It’s already been called back once for a fire risk, and now there’s another recall – this time for a different issue. The latest one targets certain 2022–2024 Tucsons fitted with the optional trailer wiring harness. The number of confirmed cases is low, but the problem is serious enough that Hyundai and regulators aren’t taking any chances. Three Fire-Related Incidents ConfirmedAccording to the safety recall report published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), about 51,587 Hyundai Tucsons could be affected, all tied to an optional trailer wiring harness control module that isn’t sealed as well as it should be. That leaves the door open for water to sneak in and cause electrical problems. The fallout ranges from annoying to potentially dangerous. If water gets in, your trailer or brake lights might stop working, which ups the risk of a crash. In rare cases, an electrical short could cause overheating, melting, or even a fire. So far, Hyundai has confirmed three fire-related incidents in the US, but no injuries or crashes. Not every Tucson is in the crosshairs here. Only those with the optional harness, installed at the port or dealership, are affected. What Owners Should DoHyundai says you can keep driving your Tucson, but it recommends parking it outside and away from buildings until the fix is done. The solution is straightforward: swap out the old module for a better-sealed one, free of charge. Letters will start going out in February 2026, but you can already check if your VIN is affected. The last Tucson recall was also fire-related – affecting 2023 model-year units – due to an electric oil pump that could overheat and, in some cases, start an engine fire. That one also came with the same advice: park outside, just in case. View the 5 images of this gallery on the original article View the full article

A Louder Take on a Quiet SellerThe Lexus RZ has always flown under the radar. With just 5,339 units sold in the US as of September 2025, it’s nowhere near the brand’s hybrid offerings. But Lexus isn’t giving up on its first dedicated BEV just yet – instead, it’s dialing up the personality. Enter the new flagship: the RZ 600e F Sport Performance. This one sits above the RZ 550e F Sport and doesn’t shy away from making a statement. Lowered stance, oversized wheels, carbon aero bits, and paint options that look more at home at a tuner meet than a school run – Lexus clearly wants this SUV to stand out. If there’s one thing the electric family SUV crowd could use, it’s a little more drama. Lexus More Power, More AeroThe RZ 550e F Sport already packs 402 horsepower, so it’s no slouch. But the new 600e F Sport Performance bumps that up to 420 hp, thanks to a dual-motor AWD setup. That’s enough to push this 4,700-pound SUV from zero to 62 mph in 4.4 seconds. It won’t outrun a supercar, but for a family hauler with real cargo space, it’s quick – and half a second faster than the 550e. The upgrades go beyond the motors. Ride height is lowered by roughly 0.8 inches, while a collection of carbon-fiber add-ons claims to generate meaningful downforce. That includes a carbon roof, front and rear turning vanes, a carbon hood bulge, and not one but two rear wings. Huge 21-inch Enkei wheels fill the arches, hiding large brake rotors and six-piston front calipers. Lexus is still tweaking its steer-by-wire system, now matched with a yoke-style steering wheel. It even brought in air race pilot Yoshihide Muroya and racing driver Masahiro Sasaki for input. Still, let’s keep things in perspective: this is a battery-powered SUV, but it’s one that’s finally taking performance a bit more seriously. Lexus View the 2 images of this gallery on the original article Not Yet Confirmed for AmericaInside, the RZ 600e F Sport Performance keeps things simple: black cabin, blue stitching, and Ultrasuede trim. The sport seats use integrated foam molding for extra support, but Lexus promises you won’t lose out on comfort for daily drives. Range is pegged at about 326 miles on the more forgiving WLTC cycle, thanks to a larger 76.9-kWh battery. That’s a step up from the 550e, so expect more miles between charges. Pricing in Japan starts at around $58,000 for the black-and-gray version, with a small bump for the black-and-Hakugin II finish. Sales kick off in Japan on March 2, 2026. No US launch confirmed yet, but don’t be surprised if this eventually takes over from the 550e F Sport. If the design looks familiar, it should. This version is a close follow-up to the limited-run RZ 450e F Sport Performance shown at the 2024 Tokyo Auto Salon, where only 100 units were made. This time, there’s no mention of a production cap, which makes things a lot more interesting. Lexus View the 12 images of this gallery on the original article View the full article

Recall Round-Up Kawasaki ZX-6R Recall Recall number – REC-006514 Campaign number – DAM372A Original published date – 19 December 2025 Supplier details – KAWASAKI MOTORS PTY LTD Contact name – Kawasaki Motors Contact email – tsd.support@kawasaki.com.au Contact website – https://www.kawasaki.com.au KAWASAKI Ninja ZX-6R (ZX636J) Year range – 2023-2025 Affected units – 462 Variant applicability – […] The post Recall Round-Up: ZX-6R, CB1000SP, CBR600R, Ducati V2s appeared first on MCNews. View the full article

Shark Helmets When it comes to pushing boundaries in motorcycle safety and style, Shark Helmets remain at the cutting edge of design and innovation. The 2025 Shark helmets collection is built for riders who demand performance without compromise, and is now available in Australia. Shark Aeron GP The Pinnacle of Racing Developed alongside MotoGP champions, […] The post Shark Helmets Showcase – 2025 Collection appeared first on MCNews. View the full article

Online retail giant Amazon is under political heat after three US Senators raised alarm over used vehicles sold on Amazon Autos that still have open safety recalls. The lawmakers issued a formal letter to CEO Andrew R. Jassy, urging Amazon to pull affected listings from and improve transparency around vehicle safety. Selling new used cars with unrepaired recalls is legal in the United States, but whether it should be is something worth discussing. Senators Demand Amazon Remove Listings That Pose Safety Risks Amazon Senators Richard Blumenthal, Edward Markey, and Elizabeth Warren said they were "extremely troubled" by Amazon offering vehicles with unresolved recalls. In their December 22 letter, they warned that unrepaired defects pose life-threatening danger to drivers, passengers, and anyone sharing the road. They argue that Amazon should not expect customers to check recall status themselves through NHTSA and instead want all cars with active recalls to be taken down or, at a minimum, clearly labeled so buyers know exactly what they’re getting into. A Year of Big Safety Recalls Hyundai Amazon Autos currently features select models from Hyundai and used inventory made available through Ford dealers. The senators pointed to listings such as the Ford Bronco and Hyundai Santa Fe, each having recalls that cover more than 100,000 vehicles. The Senate's letter also considers that Amazon Autos deals with used inventory from Ford dealers; therefore, it mentions another recall-plagued model, the Jeep Wrangler 4xe. The number of recalls gets even worse. Ford recently issued a recall affecting more than 200,000 vehicles over a faulty park module that could cause rollaway, and Hyundai issued a monstrous recall relating to more than half a million cars earlier this year. With recall figures like these, inventory can change faster than repairs are done, meaning buyers browsing online could easily come across vehicles with known faults. Lawmakers Push for Immediate Action and Future Legislation Photo by Hu Yousong/Xinhua via Getty Images The senators point out that new vehicles can't legally be sold if they have unaddressed recalls, but no such rule exists for used cars. Their proposed Used Car Safety Recall Repair Act (S.2956) seeks to close that loophole. The Senate's support for prioritising car buyers doesn't stop there either. Recently, they noted growing concern over whether advanced driver assists are necessary considering it's a factor behind why the average new car price edged past the $50,000 mark. While legislation progresses, the trio of senators believe Amazon should act voluntarily by displaying recall status prominently instead of redirecting shoppers to federal databases. Amazon has not yet responded to the letter. View the full article

IHRA has completed acquisition of Memphis Motorsports Park, returning national drag racing to the historic Tennessee facility.View the full article

A Dodge Viper V10 engine turned into a glass-topped coffee table is up for auction on Bring a Trailer, offering Viper fans a way to bring an 8.3-liter centerpiece into their living room without needing a four-car garage. Built from genuine Gen 3 Viper hardware and finished as functional furniture, the piece is being sold at no reserve out of Pompano Beach, Florida. A Gen 3 Viper Heart Turned Into FurnitureThe table is built around the 8.3-liter V10 from a third-generation Dodge Viper (ZB I, roughly 2003–2006), the same family of engines that produced about 500 horsepower when complete and installed in a car. For coffee-table duty, the motor has been stripped of its internal components and reassembled as a display piece, keeping the weight manageable while preserving the unmistakable architecture of the big V10. The block and intake manifold are finished in black, the exhaust manifolds in silver, and the cam covers in red with Viper script, echoing the look of a complete engine bay. The whole unit sits on “piston feet” mounted beneath the block, so the pistons themselves serve as the visible supports. Above it all is a tempered-glass top measuring roughly 44 by 44 inches and standing about 21.5 inches high, with a central cutout that lets the intake plenum rise through the glass as the focal point. View the 2 images of this gallery on the original article Real Viper Hardware, Built As A One-Off ShowpieceThe seller states the components were cleaned and refinished before assembly in 2025. It’s strictly a display piece, not a running engine, but the detail level is higher than many generic “engine tables” that rely on dummy parts or covers. The table is listed in BaT’s automobilia category with a 10% buyer’s fee paid to the platform and the hammer price going directly to the seller. This kind of repurposed powertrain fits into a broader wave of Viper-specific collectibles. At the high end, some collectors are chasing full cars, from VIN 001 and 002 ultra-rare Hurst-edition Dodge Vipers to highly unusual builds. Preservation-focused examples, show how far some enthusiasts will go to keep their cars untouched. By comparison, this V10 coffee table is more about display than originality. But for someone who wants a genuine Viper engine as the centerpiece of a garage lounge, office, or living room, it may be one of the more practical ways to own a piece of the car’s hardware without buying an entire snake. View the full article

Everyone loves a tasteful, funny vanity plate. At roughly $200 or more for a personalized number plate in Illinois, it pays to make sure yours stands out for the right reasons. Still, the state draws a firm line where creativity turns into something else entirely. A new video from Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias shows exactly where that line landed for 2025, revealing the latest batch of rejected plate requests. Some are juvenile, some are crude, and most are so great that we're disappointed they didn't get approved. Full List of Banned 2025 Plates YouTube @ Illinois Secretary of State YouTube @ Illinois Secretary of State YouTube @ Illinois Secretary of State YouTube @ Illinois Secretary of State Each year, Illinois reviews tens of thousands of vanity and personalized plate requests, and 2025 was no exception. Out of more than 55,000 submissions, just over 550 were denied – about 400 fewer vanity plates that Ohio rejected. While the full Illinois list was not published, Giannoulias highlighted ten memorable rejects in the video: BBL BLUBALN BRICKED TYPESHT IBPOOPN ICUP PRIUSSY SNDNUDZ BDASMOM SYBAUOut of the bunch, our favorite would have to be having "PRIUSSY" on any generation of Toyota Prius. If any of these don't make sense to you, the Secretary of State offered some simple advice in the video: Just Google it. A Fine Line Between Accept and Reject Reddit r/LICENSEPLATES @u/MyNameIsAsterisk Reddit r/LICENSEPLATES @bruhhhlikewhut Reddit r/LICENSEPLATES @u/mrsbrattyb Reddit r/LICENSEPLATES @u/YungStrudel Many of you might argue that these plates mentioned are vague enough not to offend anyone outright, or so clever that you'd let the vulgarity slide. Furthermore, far raunchier plates have slipped through approval systems over the years. To illustrate that gray area, we delved into the r/LICENSEPLATES subreddit that highlights some of the funniest, most creative, and most controversial custom plates ever accepted. Here are some of the highlights: FCKOFFLICENSEOMW2FYBXQQQSMEANL 8OYFA99OTOH4FKSK3ATNA55MICRO PAnd many others we're not allowed to post on here without getting some very strong-worded comments and letters. Yet, they made the cut, even if it was just temporarily. The inconsistency follows suit regarding number plate frames too. Florida, for example, has recently hunkered down on plate decorations by criminalizing license plate covers. Creativity Still WinsUltimately, approval comes down to a small group of people deciding whether your joke belongs on public roads. That is why some drivers lean into cryptic spellings to spruce up a boring-looking license plate, hoping a reviewer will miss what "SYBAU" or "OMW2FYB" actually means. What works in a group chat does not always translate to something appropriate for all ages. That said, creativity is clearly not running dry. Judging by this year’s rejects, though, plenty of drivers will keep trying anyway. View the full article

Bugatti is using the new Tourbillon to reset what a modern hypercar cabin should feel like, and its interior concept goes in a very different direction from the usual wall of touchscreens. Led by Chief Interior Designer Ignacio Martinez, the team leaned into traditional watchmaking, mechanical detail and long-term usability instead of chasing tech trends that will age fast. It is also the stage-setter for Bugatti’s next era. View the 3 images of this gallery on the original article Analog Over Screens By DesignBugatti’s designers talk about “digital detox” for a reason. Rather than making the dashboard a giant tablet, they kept digital real estate to a minimum. The central display is hidden inside the dash by default and only folds out when the driver actually needs it. The rest of the key controls are physical, with carefully tuned resistance and feel, so you interact with real switches and knobs instead of menus. The basic layout still looks like a Bugatti. The familiar center line and sweeping C-shaped motif from the exterior are carried into the cabin to separate driver and passenger, and a horizontal color split helps define each side. Materials are “car couture” in Bugatti’s words, mixing leather with new tailor-made fabrics in a way that is meant to feel more like high fashion than a typical carbon-and-Alcantara supercar cockpit. View the 3 images of this gallery on the original article Watchmaking Meets HypercarThe showpiece is the instrument cluster. Bugatti worked with Swiss watchmakers to create a fully mechanical gauge set mounted behind the steering wheel. It uses milled aluminum, skeletonized elements and crystal-like covers so you can see some of the workings, more like a tourbillon watch than a traditional speedometer. The steering wheel itself uses a fixed hub, so the center section with the airbag and hub detail does not move. The rim rotates around it, and the driver looks through the wheel at the cluster, which is always in clear view. Controls and shift paddles are integrated into the rotating outer ring, so you still get modern functionality wrapped around this very analog centerpiece. It is the same mindset that has long driven Bugatti’s special editions. View the 2 images of this gallery on the original article Built To Last Through The Next Bugatti EraMartinez and design director Frank Heyl keep circling back to one idea: the Tourbillon interior should still look right decades from now. That is part of why they avoided a screen-led look just as Bugatti gets ready for more advanced powertrains, including the work Rimac is doing. Software and displays will keep evolving, but a mechanical cluster, a fixed-hub wheel and rich materials are easier to pass down through generations without feeling old. They also had to package all of this around real-world constraints like airbag placement, seat belt mounts and crash behavior, so the Tourbillon stays a functioning road car rather than a static sculpture. The end result is an interior that tries to make you feel like you are sitting inside a piece of fine watchmaking rather than a rolling smartphone, even as the rest of the brand moves into a more electric and experimental future. View the full article

The Z That Started It AllWhen it comes to Japanese sports cars, the classic Datsun 240Z is considered the benchmark for the Nissan Z line. The long hood, short deck, and clean lines have held up better than most, even now. I’ve always had a soft spot for the 240Z’s shape – enough that I once told myself I’d build one from scratch if I ever had the budget for a true passion project. This route means years spent tracking down parts, dealing with rust, and figuring out how much you want to be honest with its original form. Certain people love that process, but there’s another way: find a car that’s already been restored the right way. That’s exactly what this 240Z is. MZR Roadsports in the UK took it through a full restoration and development program, with the goal of building a classic Z that feels at home on today’s roads. Piston Heads A Carefully Reworked ClassicIt all starts with a clean 1973 shell from California, professionally converted to right-hand drive using genuine Nissan parts. The team stripped it down to bare metal, seam-sealed everything, and finished it in a custom color called MZR Heritage Green (not British Racing Green). The look is nothing showy and true to the era. Re-chromed bumpers, rare factory headlamp covers, and restored mirrors round out the exterior, keeping things authentic without going overboard. Step inside and you’ll see the same balance of old and new. The original dashboard is still there, uncracked, with those classic cowled gauges front and center. But you also get modern touches like a Bluetooth head unit that looks period-correct, inertia-reel seatbelts, and full soundproofing. Black leather and velour seats, Wilton carpets, a Moto-Lita wheel, and a matching gear knob give the cabin a classic feel. Piston Heads New Heart Under the HoodThis restored 240Z is powered by a 2.8-liter inline-six engine, replacing the original 2.4-liter. It’s the kind of upgrade focusing on torque and drivability rather than headline numbers. Power goes through a reconditioned Nissan S13 five-speed manual and an AP Suretrac limited-slip diff with a 3.54:1 ratio, so you get quick response on twisty roads but still have relaxed cruising on the highway. The suspension has been brought up to date with Eibach springs, Tokico dampers, polyurethane bushings, and a stiffer anti-roll bar. Power steering means you won’t struggle with parking or tight turns. Even better, since the rebuild, it’s only covered 5,500 miles. It’s currently listed on Piston Heads. The price? £79,950, or about $101,500, and it’s based in the UK, so you’ll need to factor in import costs. But if you’re after a classic Z that’s already sorted and ready to drive, this one is hard to ignore. Piston Heads View the 6 images of this gallery on the original article View the full article

Alpine is Renault's performance brand, and its long-rumoured arrival in the United States has had a few tariff-related speed bumps along the way. But the idea is far from abandoned. Talk of an Alpine A110 for American buyers, paired with the possibility of a performance SUV, suggests the brand is still serious about crossing the Atlantic. The conversation has shifted from whether Alpine should come to America to what it would need to launch with to actually survive there. The A110 is Alpine's Anchor Alpine Cars In an interview with Auto Express, Alpine CEO Philippe Krief made it clear that any US expansion has to start with the A110. Not because it is the most commercially sensible product, but because it defines what Alpine is. Even as Alpine pivots deeper into electrification, the A110 remains its philosophical north star. Lightweight, focused, and built for drivers rather than spec sheets. That same thinking trickles down to the rest of the lineup, including the A290 electric hot hatch. That said, the A110 also exposes a hard truth. While American enthusiasts have shown increasing interest in distinctive, niche sports cars, that audience alone doesn't always translate into sales. Alpine understands that passion builds credibility, but it does not keep showrooms open. A Performance SUV Makes Sense Alpine If the A110 builds the brand, something else would have to keep it afloat. Krief has acknowledged that Alpine needs a higher-volume product for the US, and history shows that SUVs sell like hotcakes, even ultra-expensive performance SUVs. The issue is size and positioning. Alpine’s current A390 electric crossover is compact by American standards, especially in a market where larger SUVs are the norm. A bigger performance SUV, closer in spirit to an electric Porsche Cayenne than the smaller Macan, would make far more sense. The risk, as Krief told Auto Express, is diluting Alpine’s identity by chasing mass appeal. The balancing act, as Krief told Auto Express, is ensuring such a vehicle does not drift too far from Alpine’s DNA. To make matters even more complicated, demand for EVs has dropped significantly over the year, leading to aging EVs piling up on dealer lots. Alpine's Cautious Roadmap, but Promising Future Alpine Apart from its US arrival, Alpine refuses to get comfortable, with a 1000-hp hybrid supercar arriving in 2028, proving they won't roll over and produce boring cars. Alpine’s American debut, if it happens, will have to be carefully executed. For now, the US remains a little bit of a gamble, especially with them trying to find their feet in the uncharted, cut-throat SUV segment. But if Alpine gets it right, led by the A110 and supported by a carefully conceived SUV, it could carve out a meaningful niche and give established US-beloved sports cars like the affordable Mazda Miata a run for its money. If it gets it wrong, Alpine will continue building quirky, fun-to-drive cars, but they won't reach American roads. View the full article

K-Car, not Kei CarIn '80s Japan, the economy was booming. Buying power was sky-high, and the homegrown carmakers knew it. It's one of the reasons why we ended up with such iconic JDM cars. Chrysler wanted to capitalize on that, and they likely believed that they could finally break through the Japanese market with the K-Car – not to be confused with President Trump's newest favorite, the Japanese Kei cars. Its entry was the Dodge Michigan, essentially a rebadged Reliant. More specifically, it was the facelifted 1985 version with a (slightly) rounded-off front end. Minimal changes were made for its trip to Japan in 1986. Dodge What's Changed?Believe us when we tell you that typing Dodge Michigan in the search bar wreaked havoc with our results. Searching for more photos was a near-impossible task, but we're thankful for the loads of brochure scans floating around. Anyway, what's different? Aside from the name, the taillights had amber turn signals. As far as we can tell, those were the only significant changes made for this export model. The JDM K-Car came with a floor shifter, although the left-hand-drive configuration was retained. That said, having a left-hand drive vehicle in Japan is a bit of a status symbol. Reddit - u/Material_Two_2529 Brochure HighlightsTranslated (literally) from Japanese, Dodge called the Michigan a car "Forged on the vast lands of America," and boasted that it had a "friendly design." They were also quite proud of the fact that the Michigan is the Japanese version of the K-car by boldly stating it on the front cover. Curbside Classic did a breakdown of the features, and one highlight we saw was that its three-speed automatic was patronizingly described as 'easy and safe for female drivers,' and that its 2.2-liter EFI engine was easy on fuel. While the latter is true for the U.S, this is a country that already finds 2.0-liter engines pretty big. Power figures are unchanged, meaning 94 hp and 122 lb-ft. Mind you, its rivals in Japan, namely the Honda Accord, Nissan Violet (Stanza in America), and Toyota Camry, made about the same power with smaller displacements. Reddit - u/Material_Two_2529 Trims and PricingSurprisingly, two trims of the Michigan were offered in Japan. It was sold in both two-door and four-door guises, although equipment levels were identical. Also, each purchase of the car included a care kit that threw in a chamois towel, a hand mop, car wax, a feather duster, and even booster cables. It's great that those were thrown in for free, but the Michigan wasn't exactly a cheap car by the time it landed in Japan. The two-door sold for ¥2,950,000, while the four-door carried a base price of ¥2,980,000. Based on exchange rate trends in 1986, the Michigan hovered between $15,000 $17,000, and that didn't include acquisition tax, weight tax, registration, and compulsory insurance fees. In comparison, the Reliant started at about $7,600 in 1986 money, and was a smidge under $9,000 fully-equipped. Adjust that for inflation, and you're looking at nearly $50,000...for a K-car. And just to drive that point home, a contemporary Honda Accord in Japan started at about ¥1,300,000 to just over ¥2,000,000 for the sporty Si model, complete with a twin-cam engine that made 158 hp. Plymouth How Many Left?With Japan's domestic automakers offering similarly-sized models with far better value, it's no surprise that the Michigan fell flat on its face. And, let's be honest here, cars like the Accord, Camry, and Stanza were better-built, better-equipped, and more suited in their home market. Importation costs meant that the Michigan was priced more like a junior luxury car over there, and Japan already had loads of them from home-grown brands. Imagine you're a well-compensated Japanese salaryman in 1986. With about ¥3,000,000 to burn on a brand-new car, would you rather get a K-Car or a Toyota Mark II (aka the Cressida in the U.S.)? We rest our case. Perhaps a better car to bring there was the original Dodge Caravan, as the Japanese went ham with minivans in the '80s, too. There are no exact sales figures for it, but the fact that it only lasted two model years ('86 to '87) would a strong indication that it wasn't a massive hit there. We doubt if there are any survivors, either. As the YouTube channel Corsicar pointed out, its last confirmed sighting was in 2003 when one was sold at an auction. Reddit - u/Material_Two_2529 View the 4 images of this gallery on the original article View the full article

Volkswagen’s latest brand story is not about lap records or Nürburgring times. It is about a C6 quadriplegic racer, a hand-control hot hatch, and how a Golf GTI can become a tool for independence instead of just a weekend toy. Torsten Gross, whose first car was a 1994 GTI, now steers a 2025 Golf GTI adapted with full hand controls as part of his Just Hands Foundation, using it to give other disabled drivers their first real taste of high-performance driving. View the 3 images of this gallery on the original article From Diving Accident To Hand-Control Hot LapsGross was 15 when a diving accident in 1994 left him with a C6 spinal cord injury and quadriplegia. He later became a rescue scuba diver, a marathon handcyclist and eventually a race car driver, competing in series like SCCA, WRL and International GT in a hand-control Porsche GT4 Clubsport. On track, he likes to say the car does not care that he uses a wheelchair. That is the feeling he is trying to scale. Through Just Hands Foundation, Gross and his wife organize track days where participants who drive with hand controls can sample proper performance cars in a safe, structured environment. Volkswagen of America has now provided a 2025 Golf GTI to the foundation, which has been fitted with bespoke hand-control hardware and featured in VW’s new short film “Just Hands: For the Love of Racing.” It is a neat full-circle moment for someone whose racing number “94” is a nod to his first-gen GTI. The choice of car matters. VW’s own engineers have admitted that the priciest special editions are not always the sweet spot. Gross leans into that same idea: what counts is an honest, approachable hot hatch that talks to you through the steering and pedals, not a museum piece. View the 2 images of this gallery on the original article Performance, Purpose And Where VW Goes NextVolkswagen is not just handing over a GTI and a camera crew. The Just Hands collaboration plugs directly into its Driver Access Program, which can reimburse up to $1,000 of the cost of adaptive equipment such as hand controls, lifts or pedal extensions on new or certified pre-owned Volkswagens. Gross is now a formal brand ambassador for that effort, advising on accessibility, speaking at internal events and putting a visible face on a part of the car market that usually stays invisible. There is also a bigger brand context here. Volkswagen is in the middle of rethinking what its halo products should look like. Against that backdrop, a story about a GTI, a racer in a wheelchair and a non-profit might seem small. VW clearly thinks it is the opposite. The company is betting that performance counts more when it has a purpose attached to it, whether that is giving a first-time track driver goosebumps from the passenger seat or making sure someone who uses a wheelchair can actually buy and adapt the same kind of car they just saw on screen. View the full article

Swiss mountaineer, Jiri Zak, took an EV Stark Varg to the Andes and made a New Guinness World Altitude record that saw him and the motorcycle hit 22,000 feet. View the full article

A major power outage in San Francisco turned Waymo’s driverless fleet into rolling roadblocks, as the company’s autonomous cars encountered dark intersections, stopped, and then mostly refused to move. The vehicles didn’t lose power or crash their software, but they did fall back into such a cautious fail-safe mode that they effectively “bricked” themselves in live traffic, forcing Waymo to suspend service while crews worked to clear the streets. Riley Walz A power outage in San Francisco caused autonomous cars to just freeze wherever they were. Apparently, Waymo engineers never thought to include a basic “pull over and park” fail-safe. 🤦🏽‍♀️ [image or embed] — Aalia Mauro (@aaliamauro.bsky.social) 21 December 2025 at 17:51 View the original article to see embedded media. How A Blackout Turned Robotaxis Into RoadblocksThe chain reaction started when a substation fire triggered a large-scale blackout, knocking out power to traffic lights across big chunks of the city. Waymo’s cars are programmed to treat dark signals like four-way stops and, in some cases, request remote “confirmation” from human supervisors before proceeding. In normal operations, that remote layer is meant to be a safety net. During the outage, thousands of signals went dark at once, generating an enormous spike in requests for human review. The assistance pipeline couldn’t keep up, so cars simply waited, and waited, in intersections and travel lanes for approvals that arrived too slowly or not at all. On the ground, that looked like clusters of driverless Jaguars sitting motionless with their hazard lights on, sometimes stacked nose-to-tail and blocking buses, cross traffic and turning lanes. For nearby drivers and pedestrians, it felt less like cutting-edge AI and more like a fleet of very expensive bollards. Getty Images Waymo’s Explanation Fits A Pattern Of Safety ScrutinyWaymo says the problem wasn’t that the software couldn’t handle a single dark intersection; the company points out its cars did navigate thousands of blackout-affected junctions correctly. Instead, it frames the failure as a systems issue: the outage created too many edge cases at once, overloading remote support and leaving vehicles stuck in conservative fail-safe logic. Waymo has promised software and operational changes so cars can recognize large-scale outages more intelligently and prioritize pulling over rather than sitting in the middle of junctions. The blackout incident lands on top of existing safety scrutiny. Earlier this year, Waymo issued a software recall after its robotaxis had trouble around stopped school buses. There has also been a steady drumbeat of lower-speed scrapes and odd behaviors in San Francisco, from blocked emergency scenes to awkward interactions with cyclists and pets. Getty A Stress Test As Waymo Plans To ExpandThe optics are awkward for a company that is actively pitching robotaxis as a practical replacement for a second car. Waymo has already laid out plans to expand its driverless service to additional markets. The San Francisco blackout exposed a different question: how resilient these systems are when infrastructure fails in ways that affect thousands of intersections at once. Waymo’s response, pausing service, promising fixes, and working with regulators, suggests it understands the stakes. For city officials and riders, the blackout will be remembered as an early stress test of a technology that needs to handle not just everyday traffic, but also rare, messy, city-wide failures without turning into a fleet of stranded obstacles. View the full article

It's been a tough year for automakers, from the loss of federal tax credits causing a greater slump in EV sales to the challenge of tariffs raising prices for everything else, and Ford will be especially happy to see the back of 2025 after achieving the worst recall record in American automotive history - something it managed within the first six months of the year. At the time, it had amassed 89 recalls, and now, at the tail end of December, it's surpassed 150 recalls after five new issues were lodged with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in a single day, taking its tally to 152. So far... Ford's Latest Recalls Ford The first recall concerns 87 examples of the 2022-2024 Maverick Hybrid and 2020 Escape Hybrid, whose powertrain control module software may shift the vehicles into neutral unexpectedly, causing a loss of drive power. The automaker has also been forced to recall 6,897 2025-2026 Maverick pickups over an instrument panel cover that may separate when the airbag deploys, and it's recalled just two examples of the 2022 Transit for a rearview camera that may not work - an issue that has prompted the company to launch a secret owner retention program. Almost comically, 35 examples of the 2021-2022 Bronco were recalled after a previous recall failed to address a problem in which the rearview camera would continue to display after the driver had completed a reversing maneuver. Related: Ford Is Secretly Offering Discounts on New Cars to Keep Frustrated Owners From Leaving The biggest recall on the day impacts 45,047 Mustang Mach-E EVs. Their light driver control modules may fail, preventing the entire headlight assembly from working. That means no turn signals, daytime running lights, low-beam headlights, or high-beam headlights. A Variety of Issues Across the Ford Range Ford Ford has been struck with numerous quality issues this year, from pickups and EVs that could roll away and faulty seatbelt retractor bolts to fuel injectors that could cause a fire and trim pieces that could fly off of tailgates. With the abovementioned Mustang Mach-E headlight problem, the automaker has now reached 152 recalls for the year, and we still have a week before 2025 comes to a close. If it gets just two more, it'll have doubled GM's previous record for the most recalls in a single calendar year (77). Ford is aware of its quality shortcomings and is implementing various changes to its quality control processes in a bid to make better vehicles, but don't expect a miraculous turn of events in 2026. Three years ago, Ford CEO Jim Farley said that it would take "several years" to improve overall quality, and many of the recent recalls we've covered have affected brand-new 2026 models. View the full article

The 1967 Corvette is arguably one of the most popular Corvette’s in history, and is certainly the most popular mid-year model as it was the final year for this body style and the one with the highest horsepower thanks to the famed 435 horsepower, tri-power equipped, 427 cubic inch Big Block. This particular ’67 that the guys at Horsepower Depot are putting together will have considerably more power than that, so let’s see how it’s coming along so far and we’ll keep updates coming. Video Description: We make some progress on our 67 corvette race car. Mocking up the front end, front frame, and the main hoop. Pretty excited to be back on this thing. The post Building a 1967 Corvette Racecar! Horsepower Depot Is Outfitting It With A 25.2 Chassis and 2500+HP! This Thing Will Be FAST! appeared first on BangShift.com. View the full article

Oh what fun it is to ride in a lots of horsepowers open sleigh! Westin Champlin is one goofy dude, and he’s a riot to be around, so it should come as no surprise to anyone that he’d build a V8 powered sleigh. I love it, and love the enthusiasm. Check it out and let us know what you think. Do you approve of the build? How would you build a V8 powered sleigh? And should we build one next year and have some kind of sleigh shootout? Perhaps. Let us know. The post Westin Champlin Built a V8 Powered Sleigh to Deliver Presents! Santa Might Have Some Competition! appeared first on BangShift.com. View the full article

This rollback has had an interesting life, and after a fire and some other drama, this one has got a new to it engine and transmission. The fire wasn’t on this truck. The fire was on the truck that donated the engine and trans. And to make matters even better, Derek traded the labor to do the swap on this thing for the old engine and trans that was in it. There is a whole story behind it, and we’ll let Derek tell you all about it. Check it out. Video Description: This Chevrolet squarebody has a chevron roll back bed on it. It was originally equipped with a carbureted 454 big block and a Sm465 manual transmission. It’s now been swapped for a Tonawanda TBI 454 and 4L80E automatic transmission. There’s been other improvements to the truck as well. This will be it’s first big test – hauling another vehicle for hours. We’ll either break it in, or it’ll break down. Let’s find out! The post Vice Grip Garage Christmas Extras: This BIG BLOCK Swapped Squarebody ROLLBACK Is Going On A Road Trip! Break In or Break Down? appeared first on BangShift.com. View the full article

TeamMoto Motorcycles Turns Up the Volume with the Boxing Day Parts and Accessories Sale Boxing Day is known for big crowds and bigger bargains, but this year TeamMoto Motorcycles is giving riders a reason to get in early and get excited. For four days only from Saturday, 27 December, TeamMoto is rolling out its Boxing […] The post TeamMoto Turns Up the Volume: Boxing Day Parts and Accessories Sale appeared first on MCNews. View the full article

(Words and Photos by Darr Hawthorne) • The 2025 MOONEYES Christmas Party Show & Drag rolled into Pomona’s historic In-N-Out Burger Drag Strip, and it kicked off exactly how you’d expect in December—under a thick fog bank that made everything feel a little eerie. Thankfully, the marine layer didn’t last long, and before midday it burned off into one of those perfect Southern California days that make you forget it’s almost Christmas. Once again, Chico Kodama and the MOONEYES crew answered the call and delivered the ultimate year-end car show and holiday get-together. The Pomona Fairplex was packed with thousands of hot rods, customs, gassers, low-riders, bombers, beaters—if it had wheels and personality, it was probably there too, with Big Jim Dunn’s MOONEYES funny car and Land Speed racers and bikes on display. The variety alone made this a show you couldn’t cover in a single lap. With past venue Irwindale Raceway shuttered earlier this year, Pomona now stands as the last spot in the Los Angeles area still cable of hosting 1/8-mile drag racing at a major event like this, and that fact wasn’t lost on anyone in attendance. Throw in the Pinup Girl Contest, pinstriping demos, vendors, live music, and nonstop action, and the MOONEYES Christmas Party once again proved why it remains one of the best ways to close out the SoCal car culture season for thousands of fans. CHECK OUT OUR FIRST GALLERY FROM THE MOONEYES CHRISTMAS PARTY The post 2025 MOONEYES Christmas Party Show & Drag At Pomona! appeared first on BangShift.com. View the full article

Volkswagen is giving its China-market mid-size sedan a serious electrified upgrade. The new Passat plug-in hybrid, badged Passat ePro, debuts as a China-only model with a bigger battery, much longer EV range and the kind of tech-heavy cabin Chinese buyers now expect. It’s also an important piece of VW’s local new-energy strategy at a time when its global finances are under real pressure. View the 2 images of this gallery on the original article 150+ Km EV Range, 1,300 Km TotalBuilt by SAIC-Volkswagen, the Passat ePro sits on a new plug-in-specific architecture and uses a hybrid system built around a 1.5-liter TSI EVO II turbo four and a 145-kW drive motor. A 22-kWh battery lives under the floor, delivering a claimed CLTC pure-electric range of more than 150 kilometers (about 93 miles). Combine that with the gas engine and VW quotes roughly 1,300 kilometers (around 808 miles) of total range on the same optimistic test cycle. That’s a big step up from earlier Chinese Passat PHEVs that topped out at roughly half that EV distance. It also shows how quickly plug-in tech is evolving alongside dedicated EVs like the ID.4. In China, though, VW clearly thinks there’s still strong demand for long-leg plug-in sedans that can run electric during the week and petrol on holiday trips. View the 5 images of this gallery on the original article Familiar Shape, Much More Tech InsideOn the outside, the ePro looks like a stretched, sharpened evolution of the latest Passat Pro. The sedan measures just over 5 meters long with a 2,871-mm wheelbase and leans on clean surfacing, slim LED headlights with a full-width light bar and matching through-type LED tail lights. It reads more upmarket and tech-forward than earlier Chinese Passats while staying conservative enough for corporate buyers. The cabin follows the same pattern. A horizontal, wraparound dashboard mounts a 12.9-inch central touchscreen, a 10.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a separate passenger-side display, backed by updated software and connectivity. Underneath, a MacPherson front and multi-link rear suspension are retuned to cope with the battery mass while preserving the soft, business-sedan ride that keeps the Passat near the top of China’s joint-venture sales charts. Why China Gets It FirstThe Passat ePro also lands at a delicate moment for Volkswagen globally. And in the U.S., a sharp 67% collapse in profits has already led VW to warn that buyers should not expect the same level of discounts and incentives. Against that backdrop, China remains VW’s most critical volume and profit base. A long-range plug-in Passat tailored specifically for that market is both a defensive move and a signal: even as the brand struggles elsewhere, it is still willing to invest in region-specific hybrids that sit alongside full EVs rather than replacing them. U.S. buyers may never see this car, but if the ePro lands well with Chinese commuters, its powertrain recipe and packaging could easily influence VW’s next generation of electrified sedans outside China. View the full article

Touchscreen ConcernsA detailed study presented at the 38th Annual ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology is now offering compelling evidence for something that most of us already know — that trying to interact with a touchscreen while driving is extremely distracting and can be downright dangerous. With physical buttons and knobs having been all but replaced by large, flat screens that lack any tactile features, researchers from the University of Washington and the Toyota Research Institute decided to quantify how this affects a driver’s cognitive load and ability to maintain focus. BMW Simulated TestsThe researchers monitored pupil dilation and electrodermal activity — established means to measure cognitive load, as well as precise eye and hand movements of 16 volunteers as they navigated a virtual urban environment in a highly-detailed and realistic driving simulator equipped with a 12-inch touchscreen. The test subjects were then asked to complete routine tasks that one may attempt while driving, while concurrently undertaking a simple memory test. Substantial Drop in Driver Performance The results of this experiment are hard to ignore. Drivers were drifting out of their lane 42 percent more often when asked to complete simple tasks on the touchscreen, with 26.3 percent shorter glances at the screen when under high cognitive load. Sensors also recorded a 58 percent drop in speed and accuracy in touchscreen operation when driving, with a further 17 percent drop when the driver was put under high cognitive load. These findings establish that not only did car control suffer when drivers attempted to use the touchscreen, but also that their screen usage got really sloppy when behind the wheel. Even increasing the size of the target areas on the screens showed no appreciable improvement in performance. The Future of Design and SafetyThis study highlights that touchscreen interfaces demand more of a driver’s eyes and mind than physical tactile controls. These findings pose a significant challenge for automotive interior design, which has, over the last decade, truly embraced the sleek aesthetic and versatility of touchscreen controls. Well, screens aren’t going anywhere anytime soon, so it is essential that a middle ground that balances the technology with real-world safety and usability is found. Smarter interface designs with the integration of physical knobs and buttons for frequently used functions could be a plausible way forward. A better understanding of how drivers interact with new tech, features, and interfaces, and the impact of these interactions on attention and car control, will be crucial in improving road safety in the years ahead. View the full article

It's that time of the year again. We've scoured our stats, done the sums, and compiled the 2025 edition of the notorious Bike EXIF Top 10.For the second year running, we've considered data from the start of December last year until the end of November this year, which means that any bikes that poppe... View the full article

A Rotary Revival Aims for the SkiesA report from CarNewsChina says Changan, via its Harbin Dongan Auto Engine subsidiary, has completed the first ignition of the R05E – China’s first high-power rotary engine prototype – on December 19. The milestone underscores China’s broader push to capitalize on the low-altitude economy, a sector projected to be worth as much as 3.5 trillion yuan (roughly $490 billion) by 2035. The low-altitude economy refers to commercial activity and services conducted in airspace below about 1,000 meters (approximately 3,281 feet), enabled by technologies such as eVTOL aircraft. Several automakers have already expressed interest in this space. Hyundai, for instance, explored advanced air mobility projects through Supernal, while Toyota has gone a step further by investing roughly $894 million in U.S.-based air taxi developer Joby Aviation. Now, Changan—one of China’s so-called “Big Four” state-owned automakers (along with SAIC, FAW, and Dongfeng)—expects to mass-produce the R05E rotary engine by 2027. XPeng Small, Light, and Built to RevSo why a rotary engine? Compared with conventional piston engines, rotary engines are typically more compact and lighter, while delivering a higher power-to-weight ratio. They are also known for smoother operation and favorable NVH (noise, vibration, and harshness) characteristics—key advantages for aviation applications—though long-term reliability can remain a challenge, particularly when it comes to sealing. According to the report, the R05E produces 53 kW (71 horsepower) and is capable of revving up to 6,500 rpm. Interestingly, the project is notable given Changan’s ongoing joint venture with Mazda, a brand synonymous with rotary engines thanks to icons like the RX-7 and the Le Mans-winning 787B, though Mazda does not appear to have any technical involvement in the R05E program. Technically, the R05E features a cast aluminum casing and employs an NDC (nanodiamond composite) anti-friction coating to reduce energy loss. The engine uses a curved-edge triangular rotor, paired with a low-mass eccentric shaft and dedicated balancing system—aimed at ensuring stable operation during flight. Changan Laying the GroundworkThe R05E, however, is just one part of Dongan’s broader development roadmap. The Changan subsidiary is also working on naturally aspirated and turbocharged rotary engines intended for medium- and high-altitude applications in partnership with companies like ARIDGE, XPeng's flying car division. These projects could eventually support a wider range of UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles), including drones used for logistics and aerial surveillance. While many developers are currently focused on large-scale air-taxi fleets, others are pursuing consumer-oriented personal aviation. California-based startup Pivotal Aero, for example, recently conducted a test flight in Northampton County, North Carolina, for its single-seat Helix, which starts at $190,000. Efforts like these highlight the direction the mobility industry appears to be heading in the coming years. Changan View the 3 images of this gallery on the original article View the full article