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Happy 50th, Golf GTI It may not be the first hot hatch ever made, but the Volkswagen Golf GTI can be best described as the car that defined the genre. Introduced in 1976, it was the result of an ad hoc team that wanted to prove to management that a sporty Golf is a worthwhile endeavour. Thankfully, they were proven right, as the GTI is still around and spawned countless competitors over the decades. In 2026, it celebrates its 50th anniversary, so now would be a good time to take a quick look bac

Back on the Streets The Tesla Cybercab has been spotted testing once again – this time on public roads in Austin. However, based on images and videos shared by several users on X, the test vehicles have a steering wheel and a human driver, both of which are uncharacteristic of the production-intent version. The Cybercabs seen on public roads were also equipped with side mirrors, a feature that was notably absent when the EV maker unveiled its dedicated robotaxi during the “We, Robot” event last

Kia is turning the Times Square New Year’s Eve countdown into a rolling commercial for its all-new 2027 Telluride, using one of TV’s most watched minutes to relaunch its American flagship SUV. At 11:59 p.m. on 31 December, the giant screen directly under the famous ball at One Times Square will hand over the final 60 seconds of 2025 to Kia’s second-generation Telluride and the team that builds it. Kia

The Unicorn Behind the Legend If there’s one poster car that transcends generations of enthusiasts, it’s the 1967 Shelby GT500. When Ford redesigned the Mustang platform for 1967, Carroll Shelby seized the opportunity and dropped the 428 big-block V8 between the fenders, birthing a legend. So when the Gone in 60 Seconds production team needed a hero car, they selected a 1967 GT500 fastback as the template to create one of the most recognizable muscle cars in existence: Eleanor.  This genuine She

Off-Road Sports Car, for Less Performance cars equipped with genuine off-road mods aren’t a new idea—think of the Porsche 911 Dakar and the Lamborghini Huracán Sterrato. The problem, of course, is accessibility. Cars like these are wildly expensive, placing them well out of reach for most enthusiasts. Japanese tuner Kuhl Racing aims to offer an alternative for one of the most attainable modern sports cars on the market: the Toyota GR86. The rally-inspired package—officially called Kuhl Outroad—g

A New Era for Alpina BMW and Alpina may be closely related, but the latter has been an independent automaker in its own right from the start. However, that all changed when BMW bought the rights to the company in 2022. The move was made to ensure the survival of the brand, and it's not because Alpina isn't making enough money. If anything, Alpina is doing too well for what's supposedly a small-volume manufacturer. As a result, it could no longer skirt the emissions regulations it has long tried

A recent study revealed that over half of drivers surveyed viewed the loss of Apple CarPlay as a deal-breaker, making General Motors' decision to eventually abandon the system look like a big mistake. But cross-town rival Ford won't be going the same way. Speaking at the 2025 Barclays Global Auto and Mobility Tech Conference, Ford Chief Financial Officer Sherry House said that it wants customers to have options, not limit them to a single type of interface. "We think it's very important to give

The Price Gap at Launch Volkswagen’s upcoming entry-level electric vehicle, the ID. Polo, is now expected to miss its previously promised affordable price point of €25,000 (around $29,300). A report from Germany’s Handelsblatt indicates that the model will initially arrive at dealerships with a starting price north of €30,000 (roughly $35,000), with that figure applying to a mid-spec variant. The German automaker will still deliver its mass-market EV, but prospective buyers may need to wait long

It seems that Ferrari is preparing to produce a new one-off supercar, and it may already have a name. According to Road & Track, which discovered a new trademark with the World Intellectual Property Office, that name may be "HC25." If you have a bank account with nine figures in it, buying "regular" supercars and hypercars like the Ferrari 12Cilindri or Bugatti Chiron just doesn't cut it. If you're a Bugatti aficionado, you can commission something like the one-off Brouillard, and if you're

We love all the folks that we regularly showcase here on BANGshift.com and one of our favorites is Tommy Lee Byrd, the Hot Rod Hoarder. He hits great events, features some great historical race cars and hot rods, and also has some fun builds like his cool Henry J gasser. So when Tommy puts out a video with the best vintage drag cars of 2025, we’re going to share it because we know these are truly special. Check out the video below and let us know which one is your favorite of 2025. Video Descr

Dig or Die Christmas Clash 6 is in the books but boy was it fun! In the video below you’ll get to see all the action from the 2025 race thanks to our friends at Spoold Media. Check out all the video below and let us know what you think. We’re sending off 2025 with some great drag racing action. \Video Description: The baddest of the bad street cars congregated at the Rock as it was time for Dig or Die!!! From imports to domestics, it would be a battle to the end as we would see who would take

The 1990’s were awesome for the custom car and truck scene because horsepower was just starting to come back and everyone was into making big visual changes to their rides in order to keep them from looking like a stock jelly bean. While I dig the Impala/Caprice/Roadmaster platform they were plenty mundane looking without some visual help. The Impala SS looked significantly better with just some trim, badging, and monochrome treatment before adding a bigger wheel and tire combo. But if you wante

Goodwood puts on some really cool events, and there Revival and Festival of Speed are two of the most famous. They recently showed this year’s Festival of Speed livestream replay, and now it’s time for the Goodwood Revival livestream replay. If you are looking for something fun to watch while you pretend to work today, or while you lounge around on your day off, check out the Goodwood Revival livestream replay! Video Description: Lofi Hip Hop Radio? Not quite.  This is something far better: wa

Do you want to be a race car driver? If you grew up as a gearhead or car enthusiast as a child, there is a big chance that when you were asked what you wanted to be when you grew up by a parent or teacher, the answer would be "race car driver" alongside other dream jobs like "test driver" or "car designer." While it may be nice to dream of ourselves on a podium alongside Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, or Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin, chasing the motorsports dream requires a full commitment t

Range anxiety is (still) real Apart from the recent dissolution of the Federal EV tax credit back at the end of September and the loosening of corporate average fuel economy rules, one persistent factor that has kept many American buyers out of battery-electric vehicles is range anxiety: an issue exacerbated by the lack of public EV charging infrastructure throughout the country. One response that automakers such as Ford, Stellantis, and Volkswagen's upcoming Scout brand are developing as a pote

YouTuber Mike Martin has turned one of Jeep’s smallest crossovers into something a lot closer to a Dodge muscle car. His Hemi-swapped Renegade project, documented in a long-running video series, takes a 2015 Jeep Renegade shell and drops it onto major components from a wrecked Dodge Charger R/T, complete with a 5.7-liter Hemi V8, ZF eight-speed automatic and rear-wheel drive.

Drivers in the state of Texas can no longer assume they know the roads well enough to stick with the speeds they've always done, as new variable speed limits are rolling out across the state. Digital speed limit signs are being installed to change the legal limit on certain roads after a deadly February 2021 crash, originally attributed to icy roads, raised safety concerns. A multi-car pileup took place on I-35W during an intense winter storm, and temperatures had fallen below freezing for over

Tesla is putting a firm price on bad passenger behavior in its driverless ride service. The company has introduced a two-tier cleaning fee policy for its robotaxis, and the top tier is clear: if you vomit or leave other “biowaste” in the car, you can be billed up to $150 on top of your fare. Getty How Tesla’s Cleaning Fees Work Tesla’s robotaxi policy now splits extra cleaning int

A Closer Look In November 2025, Stellantis recalled more than 320,000 Jeep Wrangler and Grand Cherokee 4xe models over a high-voltage battery pack issue that could pose a fire risk if left unaddressed. Now, one owner affected by the safety campaign – identified as manufacturer recall number 68C – has offered a behind-the-scenes look at how dealers carry out the fix, filming the repair process as technicians work on the vehicle. The YouTube channel Jeeps On The Run shared footage of a dealer serv

The first production 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 70th Anniversary Edition, VIN 001, is heading to Barrett-Jackson’s Scottsdale 2026 sale, giving Corvette collectors a rare shot at the C8 that opened the anniversary run. With ultra-low mileage, the full Z51 package and every key anniversary cue still in place, it is a time-capsule take on one of the most collectible modern Stingrays.

Drawing the Line China is set to impose the world's first hard cap on electric-vehicle energy consumption beginning next year. According to CarNewsChina, newly produced EVs weighing around two tonnes (about 4,400 pounds) will be limited to 15.1 kWh per 100 km, which translates to roughly 139 MPGe under Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) metrics. That efficiency target places the rule in roughly the same territory as the Tesla Model Y. Officially titled Energy Consumption Limits for Electric V

488 GT3 For The Streets While this Ferrari 488 looks like a track-only build, it’s actually designed to live on public roads. The man behind the project is TJ Hunt, who explained how the car came together – especially given Ferrari’s strict stance on heavily modified builds – during a conversation with YouTuber and automotive photographer Larry Chen. The inspiration dates back roughly seven years, when Hunt saw a GT3 widebody build based on a Ferrari 458, the 488’s predecessor. He decided to pur

Manual transmissions are becoming increasingly scarce, and for numerous reasons, and if two-pedal driving is the norm, two new patents filed by Porsche aim to make shifting gears via paddles as enjoyable as possible. Automatics are easier to produce, are more often bought by most customers, and are now capable of handling more torque than manuals, but according to two patents filed with the European Intellectual Property Office, they have room for improvement, reports CarBuzz, specifically when

A Ghost That’s Meant to Intimidate Dubai-based car customization brand Venuum Black has unveiled its take on the Rolls-Royce Ghost, dubbed the RR Ghost Vanta. Purists may want to look away, as the ultra-luxury sedan receives a series of visual modifications that give it a far more aggressive stance – an approach not traditionally associated with the Rolls-Royce brand. Perhaps the most noticeable change is the lowered ride height, which gives the Ghost a more street-oriented presence. That look i

The only factory white Ferrari 250 GTO ever built is heading to auction, and it might be the next car to flirt with a 70 million dollar price tag. Chassis 3729GT, a 1962 250 GTO finished in Bianco with blue interior, is one of just 36 GTOs and one of only a handful in right hand drive. It will cross the block at Mecum’s 2026 Kissimmee sale, which runs from January 6-18, as one of the most historically loaded GTOs to come to market in years.