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More than $2 Billion in Refunds Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis will receive a tariff refund. Auto News reports that import tariff refunds for American automakers total around $2.3 billion. With this, we can expect these brands to have a bit more breathing room and a better financial outlook, given the current global landscape. The tariffs were deemed unconstitutional in February of this year, but the U.S. Supreme Court. The U.S. Government is set to return its collected tariffs to affecte

Lines Are Being Drawn Canada’s decision to let Chinese automakers enter its market under lower tariffs and in limited numbers has further strained relations with the U.S., as the Trump administration has threatened Canada with steeper tariffs. Now, the tensions appear to be escalating further after U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra said Chinese-made electric vehicles would not be allowed to cross the border. Automotive News reported that the decision to block those vehicles from crossing t

If we look at the strategy announcements of various global automakers over the last year, the prevailing trend has been to sustain or reintroduce gas engines, even as EV development and sales continue concurrently. In the United States, a large part of the reasoning for this is the loss of the federal tax credit, and in Europe, an adjustment to carbon neutrality targets. On either side of the Atlantic, customer interest is not as high as it once was, and a new report from Automotive News, using

The Sovereign State of California The state of California has always stood out in the automotive world. It has always been the state's stance that it takes the environment seriously, to the point that it has its own rules on fuel economy and emissions regulations. Because of this, manufacturers must abide by these special rules, often different from those in the rest of the country. As we all know, California is a major state with a big car-buying and driving population, even bigger than entire

Tesla-Style door handles get their day in Congress A U.S. lawmaker is proposing legislation that would effectively require automakers, including EV firms like Tesla and Rivian, to address genuine safety concerns with electrically-operated flush-mounted door handles directly; a design element popularized by the Elon Musk-led brand. The Securing Accessible Functional Emergency Exit Act, or SAFE Exit Act, was introduced on the floor of the House of Representatives by U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly (IL-02)

American Reverse-Imports Coming Soon to Japan In a bid to soften trade deficits, Japan's automakers will soon be selling U.S.-built cars on its home soil. Toyota has confirmed the American-made models it will be sending over to Japan, while Honda and Nissan are seriously considering that move. There's nothing confirmed yet from the latter two companies, but Toyota is pretty much locked in. From Toyota, the cars that will be sent there are the Camry, the outgoing Highlander, and, of all things, t

The recent spate of lawsuits involving Tesla door handles shows no signs of abating. In a new lawsuit, the automaker has been sued after an Uber driver crashed the Model Y crossover he was driving and became trapped inside. Although the plaintiff survived the crash and a passerby managed to free him from the burning vehicle by smashing a window, he suffered serious injuries. The incident again highlights the dangers of electronic door handles, which may not function properly or at all after an a

Rivian is quickly positioning itself as the pioneer in the autonomy space, and its latest deal with Uber shows just how serious those ambitions are. The two companies are teaming up to deploy thousands of fully autonomous vehicles based on the upcoming Rivian R2, forming the backbone of what could become one of the largest robotaxi networks yet. Uber’s $1.25 Billion Bet On Robotaxis Rivian

(Words by Jim McIlvaine, Photos by Kaleb Kelley) The 2026 season of OPTIMA’s Ultimate Street Car series officially kicked off at G2 Motorsports Park in Anna, Texas. When the grid lined up, the field included the defending OPTIMA Ultimate Street Car Invitational (OUSCI) champion, Austin Barnes, five of the regular season class champions from 2025 and five of the top-10 OUSCI finishers from last season. What do they all know about G2 Motorsports, that compelled them all to make sure they started t

From Nürburgring Lessons to Road-Car Reality Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda – otherwise known as Morizo – doesn’t just put his name on Gazoo Racing projects. He gets behind the wheel himself. Last year, he led the Toyota Gazoo Rookie Racing (TGRR) at the Nürburgring 24 Hours endurance race, which led to the creation of the most hardcore GR Yaris yet. Meet the Toyota GR Yaris Morizo RR – a more track-focused, Nürburgring-bred take on an already wild hot hatch. Morizo himself had a hand in molding it

A Purist Ferrari, Frozen in Time The Ferrari 360 is often regarded as a purist’s car, offering an analog driving experience before widespread technological advancements reshaped supercars in the late 2000s. Ferrari also produced a more extreme, track-oriented version called the Challenge Stradale, and one of its 1,288 examples is now up for sale via DK Engineering. This particular example is even rarer than most, as it is one of just 42 cars finished in the factory Blu Tour de France exterior pa

The most potent Mercedes CLE Coupe you can buy right now is the CLE 53. This AMG model’s 3.0-liter six-cylinder turbocharged mill makes 443 horsepower, which is plenty, but it also leaves room for an even more powerful ‘63’ model higher up in the lineup. We now know just how powerful—and exclusive—this CLE will be, thanks to information obtained by Automotive News. A special-edition CLE 63 two-door is on the way and will pack 646 hp, but production will be limited to just a few units globally. F

A Unicorn Goes to Auction The Nissan Skyline GT-R R32, R33, and R34 are undeniably some of the most iconic models from the Japanese marque, but the Nismo 400R may be the most coveted of them all – arguably matching the R34 Z-Tune in collector appeal, which itself is rumored to have sold for nearly $2 million. One of the 44 400R examples is currently listed through Broad Arrow Auctions and is expected to fetch seven figures, with estimates reaching as high as $1.1 million. Based on the R33 platfo

If there’s one car most Audi fans would like to bring back from the dead, it’s the iconic R8. The supercar went out of production after the 2023 model year, leaving a gaping hole in the brand’s lineup that can’t be filled by any other expensive Audi. Fortunately, there’s always the used market to turn to if you want to get your hands on one of this century’s best supercars. A particularly special example of the R8 has popped up for sale, and with four days to go before the auction ends, the high

The fourth-generation Toyota Supra needs no introduction. Quicker and more advanced the current one may be, but the fourth-gen Supra is a JDM legend and one of Toyota’s most revered sports cars. Neat examples of the Mk4 Supra sell for serious money these days, and a unicorn 1998 example just sold for a staggering $242,000 this past weekend at the Mecum Kissimmee auction. This is close to the record for a stock, road-legal Mk4 Supra, so let’s take a look at why this example is so special. Unmodif

Unreal Adventure is back and we’ve got Part 4 of the adventures where the drivers and crew learn what Washington state has to offer in the world of hardcore trails! We’re super excited to see how the 2025 edition of Unreal Adventure will play out, because the 2024 edition was awesome! I want to build a rig to take so bad! I need another project like a hole in my head, but 2026 is going to be the year where I get a bunch of my stuff up and running so maybe 2027 is the year I build my dream off-ro

Unreal Adventure is back and we’ve got Part 5 of the adventures where the drivers and crew learn what Washington’s hardcore trails like to do to fullsize rigs! We’re super excited to see how the 2025 edition of Unreal Adventure will play out, because the 2024 edition was awesome! I want to build a rig to take so bad! I need another project like a hole in my head, but 2026 is going to be the year where I get a bunch of my stuff up and running so maybe 2027 is the year I build my dream off-road ri

Unreal Adventure is back and we’ve got Part 6 below! Don’t worry, if you missed the previous videos we’ve got links to those as well.  In the last episode, drivers and crews learned what Washington’s hardcore trails like to do to fullsize rigs, and in this episode they are crossing the Columbia river on more Washington trails in order to get back to Oregon. We’re super excited to see how the 2025 edition of Unreal Adventure will play out, because the 2024 edition was awesome! I want to build a

Unreal Adventure is back and we’ve got Part 6 below! Don’t worry, if you missed the previous videos we’ve got links to those as well.  In the last episode, drivers and crews learned what Washington’s hardcore trails like to do to fullsize rigs, and in this episode they are crossing the Columbia river on more Washington trails in order to get back to Oregon. We’re super excited to see how the 2025 edition of Unreal Adventure will play out, because the 2024 edition was awesome! I want to build a

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has raised concerns about the prevalence of performance-focused car advertisements, given the high number of fatalities linked to speeding and aggressive driving. A new study run by the safety authority looked at car ads airing between 2018 and 2022 and found that 43% of them focused on vehicle speed, maneuverability, traction, stopping, or power. Researchers also found that speed was promoted over twice as often as safety, highlighting a lack of

The Rotsun is, well, rotten. Hence the name. But how much rust is too much? Is this thing structurally okay, is it a total loss, or does it just need a little love. I once drove from Dallas, TX to Buffalo, NY to buy a 1967 Camaro Stock Eliminator car only to find that the floor pans and trunk pan were as much fiberglass as steel. Unfortunately for me it was a long drive to find out that this otherwise wonderful car was not safe or good for me. Because the roll bar was bolted to floors that weren

Automakers have made some big improvements in EV range over the last several years, even while dropping prices, with a number of $30,000 models coming to market in the next few years. But there’s another big hurdle the industry needs to overcome before many potential buyers will be ready to plug in. Kia And that’s where a start-up called Ionna hopes to shake things up. Based in Du

No To Chinese, Says NADA The National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) is the latest major industry body to advocate for keeping Chinese automakers out of the U.S. market. According to a report from Automotive News, NADA leadership has expressed strong support for policies designed to prevent Chinese OEMs from entering the country. The group’s position centers on concerns over unfair competitive practices, state-backed industrial advantages, and potential national security risks tied to con

It’s time for the Drag Illustrated Winter Series in Florida to continue! The US Street Nationals are on this weekend, and while the rest of the easter half of the country will be freezing, the weather is going to be lovely in central Florida at Bradenton Motorsports Park. With temps expected in the 70s, and sun shining overhead, the racing should be great for the racers and fans alike. All the action will be coming to you live on Flo, so pay per view is your only way to watch once the official e

A Long-Awaited Debut for Magma The Genesis GV60 Magma has been in the spotlight for good reason. It’s not just another trim level. This is the first real production car from Genesis’ Magma performance division, and since the concept debuted, people have been waiting to see whether the production version would deliver. Genesis took its time entering the performance EV market. It has been refining the E-GMP platform across different models before finally going all-in. The GV60 Magma is that shift.