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Lowering the bar According to new reports published on December 2 by Reuters and Bloomberg, sources close to the Trump White House told the outlets that the administration is prepared to introduce newly adjusted fuel economy standards as soon as Wednesday, December 3, in an effort to lower what it sees as a barrier to new car affordability. The unnamed sources stated that executives from Detroit's Big Three manufacturers, including the CEO of Stellantis, Antonio Filosa, as well as senior officia

Following the sharing of a shadowy teaser image in September, heralding the imminent introduction of a new G-Class Cabriolet, Mercedes-Benz has now released clear images of a prototype thereof, with the body still wrapped in camouflage. The trio of images was accompanied by a short spiel announcing that development mules for the new open-top G-Class have begun road and track testing in Austria, where traditional Gs are built by Magna Steyr. After this, the prototypes will head to the chilly cli

The Kia Stinger may be about to make a comeback as an all-electric sedan. The Stinger was foreshadowed by the 2011 GT Concept and the Kia GT4 Stinger Concept before finally entering production in 2017. With a front-engine rear- or all-wheel-drive setup and sharp styling, it drew comparisons to the BMW 3 Series, and all who drove it applauded its keen handling. However, sales weren't strong enough to justify its continued existence, and in April 2023, production came to an end. But new images and

The Reliability Crisis We Should’ve Seen Coming  There’s no escaping the fact that modern engines are failing at alarming rates. Toyota, Honda, and General Motors have all issued massive recalls involving hundreds of thousands of vehicles due to catastrophic engine failures. Engines are seizing up, catching fire, and leaving drivers stranded. Even brands with reputations for reliability are putting out engines that should last 200,000 miles, yet are barely making it past warranty periods. It com

Mazda unveiled the all-new CX-5 a few months ago, and one of the major talking points was its new user interface, now dominated by a large touchscreen. Many Mazda fans were critical of the layout, since the Japanese automaker was one of the last to make the switch to this Tesla-like interface. Perhaps in response, Mazda has released a new video with Matthew Valbuena, the brand’s Project Manager for In-Vehicle Technologies & HMI. In it, Valbuena highlights the new layout’s many advantages whi

A Look Back at a Truck We Won't Get When Nissan first showed the Frontier Pro earlier this year, it grabbed attention for something unexpected: its subtle Hardbody-era throwback. The Shanghai design team modernized the three-slot hood motif from the 1980s D21 and used it as inspiration for the LED light signature, creating a fresh but familiar face. Now that the truck has officially gone on sale in China, it still feels like Americans are missing out on the new-age Frontier we won't get. What ma

Can't Beat ICE When the new-generation Dodge Charger was announced to be going full-electric, most people, especially fans of the legendary nameplate, were skeptical. First impressions of the new Charger upon launch were mixed, but Dodge eventually promised to introduce some ICE models for those craving the authentic muscle car experience. And introduce, Dodge did. Back in August, the automaker launched the 2026 Scat Pack Charger. It featured a turbocharged SixPack high-output (H.O.) engine that

Stellantis has Berlin's back According to a new report published by Reuters on December 1, the large multinational automaker known as Stellantis is backing the German government's plea to soften the European Union car emissions rules that are set to take effect in about a decade, noting that the German Chancellor's proposal is aligned with demands to increase growth in the Automotive industry on the continent. "We welcome the German government's support for revisions to the European regulations

A Lifeline for the Flagship Quadrifoglio Models The most powerful versions of the Alfa Romeo Giulia and Stelvio almost reached the end of their production run. For a moment, it seemed like the Quadrifoglio badge would quietly slip away as the brand transitions toward electrification. Thankfully, Alfa Romeo reconsidered and extended the life of its combustion Quadrifoglios a little longer. Even better, the automaker has confirmed that the Giulia Quadrifoglio and Stelvio Quadrifoglio are getting t

Robovan Back in the News The Tesla Robovan concept was unveiled at the company’s ‘We, Robot’ event in October last year to quite a positive reception. The proposed fully-autonomous people carrier is seeing renewed interest following hints from a senior executive that it may evolve into a self-driving recreational vehicle. This recent buzz has put the spotlight back on one of Tesla’s boldest transportation concepts.  Tesla

A PDM, or Power Distribution Module, is like a smart fuse panel. They can not only control the application of power to certain circuits, but can do so based on user defined parameters. I’m not going to get into the meat and potatoes of PDM in the writeup though because the video covers that to help you decide which one of these is the correct module for your project. Make no mistake, with the right PDM and the right configuration, the resulting convenience and performance of your electrical syst

A (Very) Condensed History of BMW 3.0 CSL BMW has been involved since the mid-'30s and became even more active by the mid-'60s. Spurned by the successes on track largely thanks to Alpina and Schnitzer, the M division was formed in 1972 when Bob Lutz focused his efforts on building up a factory race team. There was also the intention to sell road versions of said race cars, which has been quite a successful venture, we must say. The very first official BMW M project was the 3.0 CSL. Affectionatel

Sheet metal intake manifolds are super cool when finished and a huge pain in the butt if you aren’t good at them and don’t have the ability to make the various components quickly and cleanly. There is a reason these things cost real money, and always have. Hell, it is easier to build one in 2025 than it was in 1995, that’s for sure. But if you have all the parts already sized and cut and finished and ready to weld together, it can be a fairly straight forward process. But how straight forward? W

The Grocery-Getter From Hell Among one-off automotive projects, few creations capture the imagination like a Hellcat-powered minivan. A Tennessee-based fabrication shop has now turned that fantasy into a fully functional machine, completing an extensive year-long build that transforms a humble 2021 Chrysler Pacifica into what the builders jokingly call the “Pacifi-Cat.” The project began innocently enough: a flood-damaged, fully loaded Pacifica was purchased from auction as a blank canvas. But

I’ve owned a lot of air ride equipped rides in my day and that means always having on board air, at least as long as you plumb yourself a fitting for an air hose and chuck. But what if you don’t have onboard air? Tons and tons of drag and drive folks don’t, and I’ve seen them using all kinds of inflators to air their drag radials back up and such. So how good are these things? And is it best to just buy a cheap one and not worry about it, or do the high dollar name brand units really perform bet

If you aren’t familiar with a Predator carburetor, don’t beat yourself up about it. That is unless you were alive during the heyday of Pro Street in which case you should be ashamed. But I digress. The Predator Carburetor was introduced in the early 1980s and was primarily targeted toward racing engines. They are a variable venturi design that has air doors that open as the engine needs more airflow. They only open as far as the engine needs and all fuel delivery is done based on the opening of

The recently launched BMW iX3 is proving popular among buyers and winning awards, and in 2026, Munich will capitalize on that positive momentum with the launch of the all-new 3 Series and its electric sibling, the i3. While we wait, a reliable insider has revealed what paint colors will be coming to the sedan pair. First noticed by BMW Blog, the information was shared on the Bimmer Post forum by user ynguldyn, an insider who has repeatedly proven reliable in the past. According to the post, the

Chevrolet LUV trucks are awesome little pickups, and they seem to be more popular now than ever, which is saying something. My kid has one, and there are a jillion of them out there at the track, especially in small tire racing where they are a hit. They weigh nothing, are easy to work on, will fit most engines although they can be tight up front, and they are loved by nearly everyone. So if you are a fan, watch this latest video with Magneto to see what he can tell us about one of these little

The appeal of old cars typically lies in their design alone, because living with, sourcing parts for, and maintaining a classic is an experience that can be uncomfortable, difficult, and expensive. This solution fixes at least two of those problems, and compared to the original, arguably even all three; Signature Autosports has created a replica of the 1954-1957 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing using a 2014 SLK 55 AMG. The restomod is dubbed the 355 SL, and it channels the beauty of the iconic 300SL

Without any warning, Jaguar design boss Gerry McGovern has reportedly been abruptly fired in a shakeup said to have been instigated by the new CEO of parent company Tata Motors, PB Balaji. According to Autocar sources, McGovern was "escorted out of the office." McGovern was with JLR for 21 years, with his most recent work being overseeing the design of the polarizing and controversial Type 00 concept. As we've discussed before, this completely new approach to Jaguar styling (and marketing) has i

Ad Personam Takes Another Swing at the Huracán Successor Lamborghini isn't shy about promoting both its outgoing models and its newest hybrid supercars, but the brand's Ad Personam department is where things get more interesting. The studio is known for building Lamborghinis that only a handful of people ever see in person, and the program has already taken a crack at the Temerario, with the first one leaning toward show car energy. However, the one-off division's latest attempt at the Huracan s

Maintaining Classics is a Tough Hobby When it comes to the ownership of special and iconic models from brands, upkeep is a major consideration. Owners of said vehicles tend to want to keep their cars as close to original as possible, especially the classics. It's hard enough to maintain old cars, but finding the required parts is even harder. Porsche is making things a little easier for those looking to keep their classic interiors original by reissuing some of its iconic, nostalgic seat pattern

ID.4 Sales Gain Ground as VW Holds Pricing Volkswagen’s Q3 2025 results show a noticeable uptick for the ID.4, which jumped 176 percent year-over-year with 12,470 units sold. It was one of the few bright spots in VW’s US lineup, which saw overall sales fall 6 percent for the quarter. Beneath the surface, timing likely played a role. The expiration of federal EV tax credits earlier in the year pushed many buyers to finalize EV purchases sooner than planned, and the ID.4 was one of the models that

The street is dark, your neighbors’ houses are out, and your kids are still watching Netflix like nothing happened. The difference is sitting in your driveway. Vehicle-to-home charging turns a Kia EV9 or Hyundai Ioniq 9 into a giant backup battery for your house, not just a way to skip gas stations. Following up on our earlier piece on Vehicle to Grid (V2G) implementation status,

Kia had another bumper sales month in November, with the Korean marque selling 72,002 vehicles in the United States. This is a 3% year-over-year increase and the brand’s best November ever. Kia also says the November result ensures it will achieve its third consecutive all-time annual sales record. This positive news comes even though Kia’s EV sales continued to decline, an industry-wide trend after the federal tax credit was cut at the end of September. Multiple gas-powered models contributed t