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ZR1 Misses the Record, Still Stuns A stock 2026 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 has delivered a seriously impressive lap at the Circuit of the Americas, reminding everyone how deep Chevrolet’s performance bench now runs despite costing so much less than its peers. Driven by Hennessey President Alex Roys, the ZR1 Coupe equipped with the ZTK Performance Package recorded a 2:13.80 lap time. The run was completed in sub-par weather and less-than-ideal track conditions, with no vehicle modifications and no sp

A Milestone Years in the Making Despite facing headwinds in the EV space, the Volkswagen Group has reached a global milestone by producing five million electric drive units. The achievement is spread across the company’s plants in Győr, Kassel, Tianjin, and Zuffenhausen, with the Kassel facility alone producing around 850,000 units last year – a 24 percent year-on-year increase. These electric drive units are used across the Volkswagen Group’s brands, including Volkswagen, Škoda, and Cupra—the l

If you're in the market for a three-row electric SUV and aren't wowed by the Hyundai Ioniq 9 or the Kia EV9, Sweden offers the Volvo EX90, and for the new model year, it's become more affordable. While the Volvo USA website still only shows the 2025 model, which is exclusively available in twin-motor all-wheel-drive form, Car and Driver reports that the 2026 EX90 will soon be offered in a new, more affordable single-motor RWD variant. In addition, the top-tier Twin Motor Performance trim is much

Audi has given the 2026 A6 TFSI–the gasoline model, not the all-electric A6 e-tron–significant mid-model-year hardware and software updates less than a year after its debut as an all-new model for 2026MY. Audi says the updates improve the driving and ownership experience, closely mirroring the new driver and customer-centric features recently announced for the 2026 A5 and Q5 gas models and the 2027 A6 e-tron and Q6 e-tron EVs. Highlights include a new design for the Audi MMI (Multi Media Interfa

Against the odds, Lincoln managed to increase sales by 2% in 2025. That was a solid result for the luxury brand, especially since it’s down to just three models—the Navigator, Aviator, and Nautilus—after the Corsair was discontinued. Without the Corsair, Lincoln has no vehicle below the $50,000 mark, creating a glaring gap in the manufacturer’s range. But Lincoln has devised a strategy to retain buyers at this lower price point, and current Corsair customers looking to upgrade will benefit from

True Innovation When it comes to speed, we're at the apex of technology. Mankin's interest in breaking speed records and finding every possible way to be the fastest has driven us forward. We've reached a point in time where 1,000 hp is as normal as having doors on your car. What is sometimes shocking and awe-inspiring is how unique and out-of-the-box certain brands are when it comes to achieving high speeds. One such brand took the motoring world by storm on one of the biggest stages of motorsp

Plugless Hybrid Now Getting a Plug Nissan’s e-Power system was built as a stepping stone for buyers who want an EV-like drive but aren’t ready to deal with charging. The wheels get their power from an electric motor, while a gasoline engine runs only as a generator. What doesn’t get talked about enough is how much effort Nissan put into the driving experience. Engineers actually benchmarked e-Power against the GT-R, aiming for quick response and smooth power instead of just chasing fuel economy.

Active aerodynamic systems, in which various flaps and/or wings are automatically adjusted based on the requirements of the car to which they are fitted, as and when necessary, are typically created with the goal of improving outright performance. The Porsche 911 GT3 RS, for example, can open or close its rear wing to reduce drag or increase downforce, respectively, but General Motors is looking at active aero from a whole new angle: easier drifting. A new patent filed with the United States Pat

Honda Recentralizes Auto R&D Honda will shift its automobile development operations back under its R&D subsidiary, Honda R&D Co., Ltd., effective April 1, 2026. The move reverses a 2020 reorganization that placed mass-production vehicle development within the parent company to streamline efficiency during a downturn. Honda is now prioritizing speed, integration, and creative autonomy as competition from Chinese automakers intensifies and next-generation technologies reshape the indus

Turning the Volume All the Way Up While Hennessey Performance has been making headlines with its C8 Corvette ZR1 build, Specialty Vehicle Engineering’s take on the platform shouldn’t be overlooked. SVE has reworked the C8 Corvette E-Ray with its 2026 Stage III Yenko/SC package, pushing output to as much as 1,564 horsepower – roughly 900 more than stock. That dramatic increase comes from an extensively reworked 6.2-liter LT2 V8 featuring upgraded internals, including a forged steel crankshaft, fo

Dynasty Mindset There's no doubt about it, when it comes to Chinese car manufacturers, BYD is number 1. While America continues to shun these brands, BYD has expanded into every region, slowly chipping away at their market share in each country. The reason for its success is that it offers very affordable, decent-quality models. There is, though, still a certain level within the brand that caters to the more affluent individuals, and these cars are categorized as "Dynasty line" models – and the

The world has known about the Tesla Semi for the better part of a decade, as the Class 8 electric truck was unveiled in November 2017 at an event where the Tesla Roadster sports car was also introduced. Fast forward to 2026 and neither the Tesla Semi nor the Roadster have entered mass-production yet, despite ambitious start-of-production targets (2019 for the Semi) that Tesla invariably broke on several occasions. Well, it looks like the Semi, which received a facelift in November 2025 (see main

Tech Nerds Would Know the Name Jony Ive isn’t a household name unless you follow tech closely, but his influence is everywhere. As the designer who put the iPhone on the map, he changed how we use technology by making touch the default way in. So when his name popped up in connection with Ferrari, it got people’s attention. Ive was tapped to help design the interior of Ferrari’s first all-electric model, the Luce. On paper, you’d expect that to mean a dashboard dominated by touchscreens, especia

From Smartphones to Super SUVs As the world’s largest car market, China inevitably exerts pressure on global automakers as increasingly compelling models continue to emerge from the country. One of the latest examples is the Xiaomi YU7 GT, which reportedly delivers an almost absurd on-paper proposition, boasting close to 1,000 horsepower. According to CarNewsChina, the YU7 GT—the performance-oriented variant of the YU7 SUV – features a dual-motor electric powertrain. The front motor produces 288

Mercedes-AMG has revealed the latest iteration of the GLC 53, and it's more exciting than ever. Not only does the turbocharged 3.0-liter straight-six mild-hybrid setup produce more power and more torque, breathing through a new exhaust system, but in a first for any AMG SUV, there's a drift mode. In fact, the GLC 53 is rear-driven more often than not, with the front axle only active when necessary, such as when activating Race Start launch control. The 2026 model produced 428 horsepower and 413

The Rivian R2 is one of the new EV launches we’re most excited about in 2026. The EV maker has impressed with the full-size R1S and R1T, but those models’ high prices limit their widespread appeal. The smaller R2 will change that, and Rivian says its new electric SUV is now a lot closer to reaching showrooms. The R2 has officially entered final validation testing, so it’s close to concluding a rigorous series of torture tests conducted by Rivian to ensure the SUV’s reliability. Related: Rivian’s

Tesla’s Move Leaves a Gap Tesla’s plan to end production of the Model S and Model X, confirmed in a recent investor call, wasn’t a surprise. Both models have been around for a while, and Tesla is now putting its energy into higher-volume models and new platforms. What’s less talked about is where buyers go if they still want a big, premium electric sedan or SUV after these two models are gone. The Model S and Model X were never huge sellers, but they filled a clear niche: large, quick, high-end

After lagging behind in the race to electrify its lineup, Subaru is finally catching up with a more diversified lineup. The new Forester Hybrid began rolling off the production line earlier this month, but Subaru is also expanding its EV range at a rapid rate. The Solterra was the first to arrive, and the new Trailseeker and Uncharted EVs are both arriving this spring. But a fourth Subaru EV is also coming, and it will be the automaker’s largest one yet. Related: Subaru’s Fastest Car Ever Isn’t

If you aren’t a regular watcher of metal shaping and sheet metal fabrication videos, you might not know that one of the common sheet metal replacement techniques is called the cut and butt method which is a very straight forward way of replacing sheetmetal for patch panels and such. It creates a clean, full penetration, butt weld that allows for excellent metal finishing results. In this particular video, Fitzee shows the method on a windshield surround. Fitzee may not have invented cut and but

The F40 is getting an engine! But remember, this is just the process for figuring out if the engine will even fit. This car originally came with a V8, and that means there are several cylinders worth of space that this new engine is going to take up. Ever heard the term 10 lbs of crap in a 5 lb bag? Yeah, it might kinda be like that. Let’s see. I have worked on a Ferrari F40 pretty extensively. I know that sounds weird coming from me, but the truth is that I’ve done some stuff to a Ferrari F40,

Sometimes a trade is even better than just making a straight buy. When two parties agree that what they both have is a fair trade, and that they would like to own the other’s item, that’s a pretty cool way to get a new hot rod, project, or race car. In the video below, Tony does some selling, swapping, and trading to get himself something really special. Check it out. Video Description: Sometimes you just NEED another car! This week on Stay Tuned, Tony Angelo and the dudes scoop up a fresh pro

Oil, no oil, clean oil, dirty oil. It seems to me that those are the options when and engine starts and I guess I’m a fan of having oil flowing, clean OR dirty, rather than having no oil flow at all. What about you? Video Description: Does a cold start really force your oil filter into bypass? A lot of people believe freezing temperatures and thick oil automatically open the oil filter bypass valve—but is that actually true? In this video, we test a frozen oil filter at below-freezing temperat

How do so many cool cars and trucks get forgotten and left to return back to the earth? It always makes me wonder, and then I look at the pile of cars and trucks I have sitting around at the shop and wonder no more. I’ve got enough projects for 5 regular people, or 3 hardcore car junkies. Derek at Vice Grip Garage has enough for 30 or more. In the video below he’s back at it, this time with this awesome big block powered Bronco. It’s been damaged in a fire, which never does a vehicle any good, s

Engineering Masterclass We often overlook Bugatti as a brand nowadays; we're so used to the idea that they exist in that realm of ultra-speed machines. However, back in the day, Bugatti was the pioneer of the Hypercar segment. The Veyron pushed the boundaries of what was possible: an ultra-luxury, comfortable, yet otherworldly-powered coupe capable of 250 mph. To those who don't know, the follow-up wasn't supposed to be the Chiron; in the works at the time was a sedan version of the Veyron call

Those of us who are solar-powered and despise the cold but are forced to live in it during this time of year may be cursing the winter, but it's giving premium Euro automakers a chance to prove that their upcoming products are capable in all conditions. Among them is BMW, and our spies have caught the Bavarian brand's smallest crossover enduring the snow and ice of Sweden. The third-generation U11 (short-wheelbase) BMW X1 arrived in 2022, and that means it's almost due for its mid-life update, o