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Audi's Straight-Five Legacy It's safe to say that Audi is one of the pioneers of the inline-five engine. Even though it wasn't the first, five-cylinders have become one of its hallmarks, especially back in the '80s. That said, the first inline-five was from Mercedes-Benz, but its development was led by Ferdinand Piëch of the Porsche dynasty, who later returned to the family business to build one for Audi. The Audi 100, also known as the 5000 in North America, was Ingolstadt's first model to offe

Jaguar has issued a recall for over 16,000 I-Pace electric crossovers in the UK over a potential fire safety risk, sending owners into panic mode. In a notice issued to I-Pace customers, Jaguar said some of the EVs have experienced thermal overload in the battery, which “may present as smoke or fire.” Interestingly, while the UK’s Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) said over 26,000 vehicles built up to the end of 2021 model year are believed to be affected, Jaguar Land Rover said the fig

If you are planning to drive anywhere between the Rockies and the Great Lakes this Easter weekend, read this first. The National Weather Service has Winter Storm Warnings active across 12 states, and what should worry you is not the snow totals on their own. It is when those totals arrive. Two systems are stacking back-to-back, and the second drops its heaviest load Friday night into Saturday morning. That is peak Easter travel. Then it refreezes into Sunday, and roads that looked wet Saturday e

The Reverse Import Wave Now, reverse importing to Japan isn't new. Honda, Toyota, and Mitsubishi did it way back in the '90s. The practice is making a comeback, though, as a way of appeasement to avoid retaliatory tariffs that could make Japanese-built cars prohibitively expensive, as well as to improve Japan-U.S. trade relations. Toyota and Nissan have committed to the program, but it's Toyota that's first to bring in its American-made cars in its home country. The first models are the Tundra a

Nissan’s SUVs Are Doing All the Heavy Lifting Believe it or not, Nissan actually managed to get through 2025 in decent shape, posting slight gains largely thanks to its SUV-heavy lineup. That same script is playing out again in the first quarter of 2026, and it’s not exactly subtle. The Nissan Rogue remains the centerpiece, with 70,174 units sold from January to March. It didn’t just lead the lineup – it outsold Nissan’s entire passenger car range combined, which managed just 69,812 units in the

This weekend at the famed Santa Pod Raceway in England, there’s a big drag race called the Festival of Power going on, and all the action is LIVE right here! This event is a pre-cursor to the regular season and lots of the FIA guys use it as a tune up in their pro mods, alky funny cars, nitro bikes, and other machines. There is a ton of racing action going on, and you’ll see it all right here all weekend long. What a great way to spend Easter weekend! The post WATCH FREE LIVE Streaming Drag

Close to Launch It won't be too long before Jaguar restarts production with its first-ever electric GT. First impressions had been made, and it's said to be a promising product. The yet-to-be-named model is crucial for Jaguar, and if it fails, we might as well wave goodbye to the British automaker for good. The car is expected to be revealed sometime this year. While there are a few details about it, its price is still a huge question mark. Now, a German publication has published its estimates,

It’s Million Dollar Friday!!!! It’s that time of year folks, when the countries big dollar bracket racers head to Vegas for one of the biggest big-money bracket races in the world, the Spring Fling Million. We love this event and are so excited to share this year’s live-streaming video. Tons of cameras, finish line instant replay, and the Fling Staff is making sure to provide other cool content as well! You are going to get Tech Segments, tips and tricks, racer interviews, and more throughout th

When Cleetus first put up the challenge to pit the best two wheel drive no prep rides up against the best all wheel drive no prep rides, the world lost its mind. The arguing, smack talk, bragging, lies, and stories were unbelievable and led to an incredibly controversial list of cars and trucks that were going to battle it out at Bradenton Motorsports Park. And it was awesome. But the last one was much better than the first and this one promises to be just as good. Let’s see. If you aren’t fami

Our friend Brad King, an amazing pinstriper and letterer, is back with another Stories N’ Steel episode where he is interviewing another legend of the hot rodding world. This time it’s Rick Lefever, a guy who’s accolades in hot rodding are well known, but who’s path to get there might not be. You’ll want to watch this to see what interesting stories and history these two have to tell. CLICK HERE TO SEE OTHER STORIES N’  STEEL HERE ON BANGSHIFT Video Description: Rick “Speed” Lefever is an eni

The Peak Of Man and Machine Pikes Peak is a mountain range in Colorado that is normally just a geological feature, but it also has a long and storied motoring history. Dubbed the "Race to the Clouds," it began its inaugural race in 1916. The race takes place on a 12.42-mile course with 156 turns, climbing from an initial elevation of 9,390 feet to the 14,115-foot summit.  Over the decades, it has become a testing bed for man and machine. Pikes Peak has given the world some of the most iconic rac

Man these cars are something. Ugly? Kinda. Weird? Absolutely. 100% Mopar? You ain’t kidding. There is something about the 1950s to mid 1960s Mopars that makes them really stand out. Styling wise, they were out there on their own, and love them or hate them there was no way to see one and not know what it was. So when Freiburger, who is a semi closeted Moparsman, got the chance to pick up this 1961 Plymouth Belvedere and then drive it down through California, he had to take it. Our friend Dave Wa

There's a famous quote that says, "You don't have to be loud to be unforgettable." Well, the 2027 Ram 1500 SRT TRX didn't get the memo, and on static display at the 2026 New York International Auto Show, the way this Bloodshot Night Edition looks in person leaves no doubt that there's a monster of an engine under the hood, an impression that sticks with you even without hearing it rumble to life. The torn-effect graphics make it look like it just left the scene of a crime, which will leave easil

Nürburgring Supremacy It has been over three years since the Mercedes-AMG One reset the benchmark for production cars at the 12.9-mile Nürburgring Nordschleife. That 6:29.050 lap still stands in its official category, even after its own improvement run in 2024. But Ford has now stepped in with something different. Instead of chasing that exact production-car record, it brought out the Ford GT Mk IV. The result is a 6:15.977 lap, a time that comfortably clears the AMG’s figure, albeit in a differ

A Comeback Nissan Can’t Afford to Miss Nissan has been out of the rugged SUV game for a while, but the Xterra is finally making a comeback. It was a favorite among off-road fans before it left in 2015, and now, with more buyers looking for tough, go-anywhere SUVs, Nissan is returning to a segment it helped define. Nissan says the Xterra will land in 2028, but this isn’t just a throwback. The new model is aimed at the same crowd that shops the big names in off-road SUVs, and the real news is that

Only in the 1960s did a track like Baileyton Goodtime Dragstrip have an in house wheelstander. I mean it wasn’t theirs, but was regularly seen at the track and there are tons of stories about its history. In the video below, from the Hot Rod Hoarder Tommy Lee Byrd, we’ll see some great images and get all the info on the history of this fun machine. Video Description: Before “Farm Truck” and “Ol Heavy” there was another pickup truck that served as an exhibition drag racer. The Ole Tater Hauler

A late-season winter storm is delivering a punishing mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain across Wisconsin and Michigan's Upper Peninsula, prompting Ice Storm Warnings, Winter Storm Warnings and Winter Weather Advisories from multiple National Weather Service offices. The Weather Prediction Center is tracking the system as the first of back-to-back significant late-season storms, with ice accumulations up to 0.4 inches, snow totals reaching 4 inches in the Keweenaw Peninsula and wind gusts hitti

The 2026 New York Auto Show gives automakers a chance to show off the best they have on offer, especially American carmakers. Obviously, it was the perfect opportunity for Chevrolet to show off some futuristic hypercar concepts, the latest Corvette Grand Sport, as well as its fastest car on sale, the Corvette ZR1X. But instead of flaunting a mass-produced version of the ZR1X, Chevy exhibited a limited-edition version thereof, celebrating America's quarter-millennium birthday. Chevrolet’s 250-Yea

The biggest news at the 2026 New York International Auto Show was, without a doubt, the new Hyundai Boulder concept, an off-road, body-on-frame SUV that previews the Korean automaker's plans for the rest of the decade. Yes, this may just be a concept for now, but Hyundai intends to launch several products drawing influence from this concept by 2030, and since we were present at the launch, we got a good look at the Boulder from every angle. Unfortunately, Hyundai hasn't given us any idea of what

A Familiar Name, Now Playing a Bigger Game The Kia Seltos is a pretty important part of Kia’s US lineup. It’s one of the brand’s volume drivers, helping push record sales early this year. But until now, it’s also been one of the holdouts still relying purely on internal combustion. Adam Lynton/Autoblog That changes with the second-generation Seltos, which just debuted in N

Stars and Stripes Spec Sheet The 2026 Dodge Durango GT America250 is a rolling tribute timed to coincide with the United States’ 250th anniversary, and we finally see it in the metal after being unveiled at the New York International Auto Show. It is not a clean-sheet redesign, but a thematic special edition layered onto the existing Durango GT – one that leans heavily into Americana, both visually and philosophically. Dodge positions it as a celebration of “power, heritage, and patriotic grit,”

The Legend Forged in Sand: Porsche 959 Paris-Dakar The Porsche 959 Paris-Dakar is not just another homologation special. It is one of the most ambitious off-road experiments ever undertaken by Porsche. Built to conquer the Paris-Dakar Rally, the 959 redefined what a supercar could be. Twin turbocharging, advanced all-wheel drive, and adjustable ride height made it a technological leap. When it won in 1986, it validated years of engineering risk. That influence still echoes today. The Porsche 911

The EV federal tax credit has been dead for many months now, but a new discount offered by Honda for the Prologue electric SUV makes it feel like it never went away. The automaker has slashed the price of the 2026 Prologue by $7,500, which was the maximum amount EV buyers used to get as a tax credit. The discount is available across all trims, making the 2026 Prologue much better value for customers. It Starts at Just Under $40,000 After the Price Cut

Volkswagen is recalling 75,323 examples of the 2025 Jetta and 2025 Taos in the United States after confirming that a software error can cause the digital instrument cluster to go completely black while driving. Another 8,040 vehicles are affected in Canada, pushing the North American total past 83,000. The NHTSA recall filing, published March 25, 2026, under campaign number 26V185000, classifies the defect as a violation of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 101. That is the federal rule that

A One-Car Brand, Still Holding the Line It’s still a bit surreal that Chrysler is effectively a one-model operation. And that one model, the Chrysler Pacifica, happens to be a minivan. Not exactly the most glamorous segment, but it’s been doing the heavy lifting for years – and doing it well. It even topped its segment in 2025, which says a lot about how well-rounded the package still is. Chrysler keeps hinting at a bigger comeback, but for now, the 2027 update is what keeps the lights on. We sa