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(Photos by Kim Fuller & Ken Hughes) • Leah Pruett closed out Pomona Winternationals qualifying with a strong run, but her first No. 1 qualifier since 2023 and 16th in her career was clinched on the strength of Friday’s 3.724 at 329.75-mph in her Rinnai Tankless Water Heaters-backed Top Fuel Dragster. Since there are only 15 Top Fuelers, he’ll get a first-round bye on Sunday to open eliminations, Pruett has a great opportunity to pick up her first victory of the season. “We’re thrilled wit

The Sierra Nevada storm originally reported by Autoblog on Friday has escalated significantly. What started as a Winter Storm Warning for Mono County and the Donner Pass area has expanded into warnings covering every major mountain corridor in California, from Lassen County south through Yosemite, Kings Canyon, and Sequoia National Parks. Snowfall totals have been revised sharply upward. Wind forecasts have increased. And the worst of it is arriving now. What Has Changed The original forecast ca

Cars That Don’t Sit Still Anymore Over-the-air (OTA) updates have changed what it means to own a car. Instead of being stuck with whatever features your car had when you bought it, modern vehicles – especially EVs – can keep getting better long after you drive them home. That might mean sharper driver assistance, new apps, better efficiency, or just a smoother interface. Of course, it also means you’ll sometimes wait for downloads, run into the odd bug, and realize your car now acts more like a

With modern cars becoming increasingly appliance-like by incorporating planned obsolescence and all but ignoring the right-to-repair, classic cars are currently more desirable than ever. Whether as an expression of individuality or simply for the joy of driving something with personality, this is true across the spectrum of socioeconomics. British engineering firms Halcyon and Evice Technologies, both founded by the same trio of engineers, understand this well, offering a limited run of electric

The Visual Identity Game Car design may not be as tangible as in-car technology, but it can still play a critical role in a vehicle’s success – and in some cases, it can even prove polarizing, as seen with the Tesla Cybertruck. For Maserati, that makes its upcoming concept car, set to debut at the 2026 Paris Motor Show, especially important, as it is expected to define the brand’s design direction for years to come. Gilles Vidal, Stellantis’ newly appointed head of design for Europe, told Auto E

Not Totally All-New Prior to the current model, the Nissan Z languished without a full redesign for an incredibly lengthy time. The 370Z was produced from 2008 to 2020, and some markets continued to sell it as late as 2021. Sure, it received a facelift in 2013, but there were few changes over 12 years. The Z finally got the redesign it so desperately needed in 2021 for the 2023 model year. There was new sheetmetal, an overhauled interior, more tech, a revamped chassis, and a serious boost in per

A Shift Years in the Making Chinese cars have long faced skepticism over quality, often tied to perceptions of low-cost manufacturing. That stands in contrast to Japanese automakers, which are widely associated with craftsmanship – an identity brands like Lexus have long leveraged. But as technology and production methods continue to improve, Chinese cars are advancing quickly and beginning to put pressure on automakers around the world. With the U.S. remaining hostile to Chinese cars, most Amer

Mahindra’s tough-as-nails UTV, the Roxor, is currently on offer with 0% finance options and cashback deals ranging between $3,000 and $5,000, depending on the selected variant. The Roxor is not shy of controversy; from its introduction in 2018 until it was brought back in November 2021 after the International Trade Commission’s ruling that its revised design no longer infringed on Jeep’s trade dress, the Roxor has been making headlines for being Mahindra’s problem child in America. Since then, h

In the center of the Mojave Desert lies Baker, California, with little else to offer other than sunshine, which, as it happens, was all PowerStation Charging needed. This startup's first DC fast charging station is off-grid, with 1080 solar panels producing enough energy to push electricity into a 3.4 MWh battery pack that keeps four CCS fast chargers running around the clock, rain or shine. There’s no membership or app required to use the station and no bill either, until May 31st, 2026. There

There’s something delightful about digging your toes into the warm sand along a South Florida beach. It’s another matter entirely when it’s your coastal condo sinking into the sand. That’s what’s happening at the Porsche Design Tower in Miami, a luxurious 60-story condominium on Sunny Isles Beach, a community along the Atlantic just north of Miami, a new study revealing that its one of 35 high rises that have sunk as much as three inches into the sand at a time when the ocean is rising due to gl

In February this year, a report claimed that Scout would only launch in 2028, something the Volkswagen-backed automaker denied in a forum post, though it did concede that delays related to setting up a new factory and launching multiple powertrains were certainly possible. Now, a new report from AutoForecast Solutions, first noted by Automotive News, suggests that customer vehicles may not start to reach driveways in late 2027 or early 2028 as planned, but that the Traveler SUV will only enter p

Dreams on Four Wheels Some are not as interested in concept cars, preferring to wait for the actual road-going model before paying them much attention. Others find them fascinating because they offer a glimpse of what the brand’s future may look like. For automakers, meanwhile, concept cars provide room to experiment with different ideas, some of which can eventually influence their production lineup. Rolls-Royce, the British luxury marque known for its bespoke approach to individualization, is

Still Pushing the Envelope The Aston Martin Valkyrie is, without question, one of the most important models to come out of the brand, having been shaped by Formula 1 learnings while retaining a V12 powertrain. As such, it would not be surprising to see Aston Martin do more with the model, and a single-seater variant may be in the pipeline. A TikTok post by scubachef1969 claims that an unnamed car was being tested on the track, appearing to blend elements of the Valkyrie LM and a Formula 1 car. I

McLaren is getting ready for a major reveal this summer. While details about its future models remain under wraps, one thing is already clear: fully electric cars are not part of the plan. In an interview with Autocar, CEO Nick Collins outlined a roadmap centred on brand-new ICE-powered hypercars to succeed the 750S and the very real possibility of an SUV. The Next Chapter Starts This Summer McLaren

A Slow Start After a Difficult Year Porsche entered 2026 still feeling the effects of a tough 2025. Even strong US sales couldn’t make up for shrinking profits and bigger industry challenges. Rising costs, changing EV demand, and a need to rethink strategy forced Porsche to work more closely with Audi just to keep things steady. Anyone hoping for a fresh start in 2026 will be disappointed. The first quarter shows Porsche still wrestling with old problems – and picking up a few new ones. Model ch

The year’s gotten off to a bad start for the U.S. auto industry, sales tumbling by 6.3% during the first quarter, with only a handful of brands in the black. Buick definitely wasn’t one of them, demand down by nearly a third year-over-year. There are plenty of headwinds facing manufacturers, including record high prices, rising fuel costs and high interest rates. But Buick faces its own unique set of challenges crippling a brand that has faced a long, on-and-off struggle survival. Point your fin

Quantity Over Quality As automotive manufacturers fight to stay competitive in the rapidly evolving automotive landscape, more and more models are launched each year. These brands seek to have a car in every segment of the market, though sometimes the rapid growth leaves some niggling issues with quality control. In some cases, the simple things are affected. A lawsuit has been filed against German automaker Audi over a basic car feature we've been using for decades: door locks.

Body-On-Frame SUV Resurgence, Anyone? Before crossovers, midsize SUVs were based on pickups with ladder-frame chassis. A whole load of those popped up in the '80s and '90s, and prime examples include the Toyota 4Runner, Nissan Pathfinder, Ford Bronco II and Explorer, and the GM twins of Chevrolet S-10 Blazer and GMC S-15 Jimmy. Today, only the 4Runner remains true to the tried-and-tested formula in the U.S., as all of its original rivals have shifted to more car-like platforms. However, there's

A Turnaround in the Making JaguarLand Rover has seemed off the pace in recent years, hit by a cyberattack that halted production last year and an all-electric transition that has proven challenging, particularly for Jaguar. But there are clearer signs of a turnaround, with the British government confirming £380 million (about $510 million) in support for Tata Group’s new battery factory in southwest England. According to Automotive News, the British government subsidy seeks to support electric v

Trailhawk Is Back The Jeep Grand Cherokee got a fairly comprehensive refresh for the 2026 model year, but one notable absence stood out. The Trailhawk – long considered the most off-road-capable version of the SUV – didn’t make the cut. But its absence didn’t last long. Stellantis has now confirmed that the Grand Cherokee Trailhawk will return later this year. In a brief statement, the company described it as part of a broader product push, emphasizing capability and Jeep’s purpose-built identit

Curbing The Effects Even with a ceasefire announcement and agreement between the United States and Iran, gas prices remain high, and the ongoing volatility in the "peace talks" keeps oil prices uncertain for the time being. All over the world, we're seeing car owners feel the pain at the pump, and most are jumping ship from conventional internal combustion cars to electrified vehicles like hybrids and EVs. A trend like this is hard to ignore, and Hyundai has just made a move reflecting the times

Here’s gallery #2 from Mike Brooks coverage of the Run to the Sun car show in Myrtle Beach South Carolina. If you missed gallery #1, use the link below to check them out too. (Photos by Mike Brooks) The Run to the Sun car show in Myrtle Beach South Carolina celebrated it’s 37th anniversary this year and as usual had a sellout crowd. This show sells out every year, and features some awesome Pre-1990 muscle cars, hot rods, street machines, and trucks. It’s a special event, that’s for sure, and wh

I love Tony Angelo now more than ever. We get along great and he’s super fun to be around, but now that I know what his favorite muscle car is I think I love him even more! After dreaming about a ride like this his whole life, Tony found it after sitting for 40 years in a barn. It’s like a love story. They should make a Hallmark movie about this and have one of those male model looking dudes that always star in the Romcoms play him. You know, like a taller, better looking, more charm and less ed

Shannon and Jess are moving right along on the FJ40 and things just keep getting better. If you like a Landcruiser, you’ll dig this one. But if restored to factory is your jam, this one might not be quite up your alley. We dig them all, so we are in. Check it out as they put together a new roll cage for this beast. If you missed this FJ40 project that Shannon Campbell is working on, we’ve got a link below, but if you are back for the next installment in this build series you are in luck as well

Alex Hernandez and I have been friends for several years, and the night we met was pretty funny. We were both invited to dinner with a group of people that lets just say were a little mismatched, at least on the surface. Because all of us were car guys, there was some common language, but when Alex and I realized that we were both from Northern California we had an instant connection. Everyone knows that there is always some connection between people that grew up in the same area, even if they w