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Ultimate Driving Machine BMW is widely regarded as one of the top automakers in the world, not just for making cars but for creating some of the best driving cars the world has ever seen. The latter is confirmed by the brand's mantra, calling each car the Ultimate Driving Machine. Most people tend to agree that BMW's new and old models are known as driver's cars. However, with an ever-changing world, a key element of pure driving bliss has slowly disappeared. The manual transmission is now seen

Not Just Another Corolla The world has gone mad obsessing over a two-door Corolla, and for good reason. Blame Japan for crafting one of the most perfect underdog stories ever written about a tofu delivery boy and his beat-up Panda Trueno, sticking it to pretty boys and their expensive toys. Also, you can blame brands like Tom's for keeping the hype alive and the fandom dreaming. Toyota's humble little AE86 was positioned as an entry-level sports coupe, whose lineage continues to this day thank

A New Factory, and a Bigger Challenge Last August, Toyota announced it would build a new car factory near its home turf in Aichi Prefecture. This isn’t just another plant – it’s the first one it has built in Japan since 2012. The goal: keep churning out about 3 million vehicles a year from Japanese soil. The new plant is supposed to open in the early 2030s, and Toyota is calling it a 'plant of the future' – packed with new tech and built for a more diverse crew. That last bit isn’t just PR anymo

What is Marcos? The British car industry is, or rather, was awash with plucky sports car manufacturers. Some prime examples include TVR, Westfield, and Lotus. The thing is, those marques seem to be constantly on the brink of bankruptcy, or have been resurrected more times than Lazarus with mixed results. Marcos is one of several who have seen many revivals over the decades. Established in 1959 by Jem Marsh and Frank Costin, it built several lightweight coupes and roadsters, along with pint-sized

Stretching Imaginations When it comes to custom building trucks or rigs, the aftermarket scene is awash with examples, from the tastefully built all the way to the out-of-this-world creations. Most of these projects have the capability in mind, making them better able to traverse off-beaten paths or handle tricky situations. Some take that same philosophy and skew it in such a way that it becomes something entirely new. Someone put the time, effort, resources, and money into converting the heavy

Not Your Usual “Reverse Import” Toyota has already begun bringing some of its American-built models back to Japan. The Tundra and Highlander are now confirmed for the domestic market, and the Camry is likely next. It’s a slightly odd flow of products, called “reverse importing,” thanks to the trade pressures tied to US President Donald Trump. That approach might not be limited to Toyota models. There are signs that the Lexus TX is also headed for Japan, but not as a direct copy of the US version

White Paint Problems It seems that, in recent years, white paint has been causing a lot of headaches for many manufacturers. The exact cause varies by brand, but the end result has always been the same: a whole lot of flaking. Mind you, it's not just small chips that have been falling off cars, either. There have been reports of 'enveloped-sized' chunks flying off panels at highway speeds. We touched on that subject after Nissan and Toyota owners in Japan began coming forward about the matter. T

Everyone thinks of a Vega as being super small, because it was a compact car back in the day, and that an Impala is super huge because at the time they really were and especially when compared to a Vega. So how did these cars perform in crash testing back then? Cars had nearly no safety features in comparison to today’s compact cars and family sedans, but were considerably better than cars built 20 years before. These two are crashed into each other, under very precise control, at 47 mph for the

The Road Back to Le Mans Takes Shape A report from Sportscar365 states that Ford remains on schedule with the development of its new hypercar ahead of its return to top-level endurance racing. Program manager Dan Sayers said the car is set to undergo its first track test in the third quarter of this year, with the vehicle still unnamed. What is known so far is that the car will use a 5.4-liter Coyote-based V8, though it differs significantly from the 5.0-liter version found in the Ford Mustang s

Vapor blasting, or wet blasting as many people call it, is a media or sand blasting method that uses water and sometimes an added detergent. The water and abrasives combine to clean and slightly polish metals without big heat buildup. In many cases, blasting parts with a vapor blaster will create a finish that is incredibly close to a brand new finish. Sometimes it takes a more flat factory cast look and makes it more satin or semi gloss which is really nice as well. But vapor blasting systems c

Dirthead Dave is back at it, with the newly LS Swapped and running Butter Jeep out on the trails in Moab for a bit of tire testing. Dave has been wheeling Jeeps and everything else under the sun for decades and has tried too many tires to count, so it’s no wonder that tire companies want him to try out their latest. In this video you are going to see him putting a new set of Avix Trailtek R/T tires throught their paces on Butter Jeep. Check out the cool Moab trails he’s testing them on and let u

On September 4, 2024, two Colorado Department of Transportation workers, Trenton Umberger and Nathan "Nate" Jones, were struck and killed while standing outside their parked vehicle on a state highway near Grand Junction. They were doing their jobs. A passing car hit them both. Their names are now on a memorial list that CDOT updates every year. That list grew significantly in 2024. By November of that year, Colorado had recorded 28 work zone fatalities, a 75% jump from 2023, and more than the t

BMW’s historic assembly plant in Munich, the company’s oldest in the world, is undergoing a massive transformation that will see it convert from an internal combustion engine plant to an all-electric one starting in 2027. The automaker has confirmed that the factory will start series production of the BMW i3 all-electric sedan from August 2026. This will mark the start of the rollout of the Neue Klasse within BMW Group’s global production network, the carmaker said in a press release. The BMW i3

The Joy Of Toys It's important to make sure your brand stays relevant and recognizable. Automotive brands spend tons on marketing, and one aspect of that is collaboration. Toyota's upcoming supercar, the GR GT, is about to go racing in the form of the GR GT3. To hype up the car, they've gone for a special collaboration with two top brands. McDonald's iconic Happy Meals have brought joy to millions of children over the decades; the same can be said for Tomica, the die-cast brand that makes afford

Infiniti Without Red Sport It’s been a while since Infiniti put out a model with real performance intent. The Red Sport badge once brought some spark to the lineup, but that faded after the Q50 bowed out in 2024. Lately, Infiniti’s crossovers have focused more on comfort than on getting your pulse up. That changes with the all-new Infiniti QX65. Seeing it at the New York International Auto Show, away from the polished press shots, it immediately felt different from the usual crossover crowd. The

Dash cams have become a must-have accessory for many drivers seeking peace of mind, insurance security, and protection against fraudulent claims. A dash cam fitted to your car acts as an unbiased witness in the event of accidents, disputes, or vandalism, proving clear evidence for law enforcement. It can also be used to contest traffic tickets when you know you are not in the wrong. Automakers have realized this and have started to offer integrated or factory-approved, dealer-installed dash cams

Golden Anniversary The year 1976 saw its fair share of significant car launches. There's the near-indestructible W123 Mercedes-Benz, the cool (but terribly-built) Rover SD1, and the Honda Accord. Over in Bavaria, that year saw the premiere of the E24 BMW 6 Series. The original 6 Series has the honor of being the longest-running model BMW has ever produced. The first cars rolled out in '76, and they were retired in 1989, a total of 13 years. For over a decade, the E24 has well and truly establish

Gymkhana’s Latest Headliner Arrives in New York For those who love cars, there’s nothing quite like Gymkhana. It exists in that space beyond daily driving, where car control becomes spectacle, and consequences feel optional. It’s the kind of thing you watch knowing full well you’d never attempt any of it yourself. The Subaru Brataroo 9500 Turbo is the newest headliner in the series, and it showed up at the New York International Auto Show. Seeing it in person is a different experience. It’s fami

The Speed Camera That Waits For the longest time, apps like Waze available on Apple CarPlay have been used not only for navigation, but also to warn drivers about speed cameras – essentially prompting them to slow down or risk a ticket. That, however, may no longer be effective in certain parts of Colorado, as the state’s new automated vehicle identification systems (AVIS) base enforcement on a driver’s average speed. This type of enforcement under the Colorado Speed Enforcement program uses cam

Happy 30th, Expedition 2026 is a big year for the Ford Expedition. The full-size SUV celebrates its 30th anniversary, and it was a model that the Blue Oval needed at the time. It was Ford's long-overdue rival to GM's full-size SUVs, and has been a steady seller since. The current success of the Expedition wouldn't have been possible if it hadn't hit the right notes in the first place. So, with this milestone, we reckon now would be a good time to take a look back at the first-generation Expediti

Not Your Average Camaro The Chevrolet Camaro has gone through several iterations since its introduction in the late 1960s before being discontinued in 2024, but none compare to this MY2010 example listed on Bring a Trailer. That’s because this Camaro, dubbed “Turbinaro,” is powered by a Boeing T50 turboshaft engine said to be sourced from a military aircraft, complete with a dedicated overhead panel and an afterburner, effectively merging the worlds of aviation and automotive. However, it is far

Could be Better For every midsize truck enthusiast, there's probably a person or two who'll think it's too much or not enough. The makers of the outgoing Santa Cruz think that the midsize pickup truck segment is lacking in some key departments. Olabisi Boyle, Hyundai Motor America's vice president of product planning and mobility solutions, told The Drive that Hyundai has learned a lot from the compact Santa Cruz. In fact, those lessons will be on full display when the new Boulder Concept-based

USDM to JDM It's not surprising that automakers have specific models for each region or market they participate in. There's no sense selling a product that Japan wants, but the U.S. doesn't, which leads to USDM like the much-loved Murano SUV. Already in its fourth generation, the Murano has become a popular choice in the larger SUV market. It was also sold in Japan until 2015, but the 11-year absence is about to be broken. Nissan announced in March of 2026 that the Murano would return to Japanes

A Familiar Leader Returns The broader electric vehicle market may have slowed, but Tesla appears to be holding its ground at the start of 2026. The automaker delivered 358,023 vehicles in the first quarter, up 6.5 percent from the same period last year. The rebound also helped Tesla reclaim the global EV sales crown from BYD, the Chinese automaker that led the segment in 2025. According to the South China Morning Post, BYD sold 310,389 units (excluding non-full EVs) in Q1 2026, down 25.5 percent

Not Just an ICE Problem Anymore GM already has its hands full with lawsuits over its gas engines – a troublesome V8 here, a questionable inline-three there. But the headaches aren’t stopping with combustion models. Now, the spotlight is shifting to their electric lineup. This time, it’s the Cadillac Lyriq under fire. Two owners have taken GM to court, saying their luxury EVs have problems that run deeper than the typical new-model teething pains. The lawsuit raises a tough question for GM: Even