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Do you often fear that your new Mustang Mach-E will get hit by a rogue shopping cart while you're inside Costco, chowing down on organic microwavable spring roll samples? You may be in luck. Ford recently published a patent (number US-12617393-В2), originally found by Road & Track, for a "System for detecting moving objects," and it would allow a car to move itself, to either avoid a moving object or at least reduce the probability of impact. While it's just a patent for now, and car companies patent weird tech that never gets made all the time, this is a good idea and could help many Ford owners rest easier.

Ford originally filed for this patent back in 2023, so it's been thinking about autonomous impact dodging for a while. And it won't take any radical new hardware to make, so it's entirely possible that Ford actually puts this tech into production. The system uses sensors that monitor potential impacts around the car, and if it finds any, the car can try to move out of the way. Given that Ford already uses a myriad of sensors in many of its cars to surveil their surroundings while using its Level 2 hands-free Blue Cruise system, it stands to reason that the company currently has the tech to make this happen.

Dennis Elzinga/Wikimedia Commons

In practice, it seems like a pretty simple system. Of course, the technical bits are complicated enough to fry my little brain, but from the outside it seems simple enough. The car will use its array of sensors to track the trajectories of objects around it. If it senses that something will hit it, like another car, a shopping cart, or a drunken street sweeper, the car will let out a visual and audible warning by flashing its lights and hitting the horn. If the warning doesn't change the object's trajectory and impact seems certain, the car will try to move and reduce the likeliness of a crash. It will also always be aware of the stationary objects around it, like other parked cars, barriers, structures, or pillars, so it'll know if it has room to maneuver.

In theory, this seems like a good idea, as it could prevent a ton of minor crashes and impacts, or at least lessen them. The big question is whether autonomous car regulations will eventually allow Ford to let its cars move on their own without a driver on board. I feel like that's the biggest hurdle, as the technical part seems doable with tech that Ford already has. Although, I could also see people "scaring" other peoples' Fords by approaching them with shopping carts or bicycles until they move, just for laughs.

11 New SUVs With Impressive Towing Capacity

Sun, 10 May 2026 21:37:37 +0000

By Josh West

Everybody knows you buy a pickup truck if towing is a priority. That's not what we're talking about today. For a certain kind of buyer — the one who wants to haul a boat on Sunday afternoon and still roll up to the school pickup line on Monday without looking like they just came off a jobsite — you need something that can wear both hats. Sure, you've seen your share of SUVs on the highway barely keeping it together while dragging an RV that's clearly testing the limits of physics, let alone the spec sheet. But modern SUVs are better than that. Buy the right one, stay within reason, and you can absolutely get something that tows real weight without turning your daily driver into a compromise.

That's what this list is about. It's not a definitive ranking of the highest tow ratings (your favorite might not be here), but a look at the different ways automakers are sneaking real capability into vehicles that don't scream "tow rig." And while your average sedan can tow surprisingly well, that's not the point either. Keep in mind that in some cases, the vehicles on this list will require options or packages to get to their advertised towing capacity, but these are SUVs that can handle the big(ish) stuff and then disappear into a mall parking lot like nothing happened.

Grand Wagoneer

Jeep

The Jeep Grand Wagoneer isn't beautiful enough for its name, but man can it tow. This is the full-size heavy hitter that you probably don't think much about as it's easy enough to mistake in a crowd for its non-grand equivalent, the comparatively puny Wagoneer. It leads the large sport utility segment, and thus tops our entire list here, with a 10,000-pound towing capacity. With the discontinuation of the 540-horsepower engine option in favor of the Stellantis Hurricane turbo six-cylinder, you're now getting 420 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque.

The only trade-offs in this equation are an alarmingly high MSRP (you can push one past $100,000 if you want), a fairly pedestrian interior if you don't opt for one of the pricey ones, and abysmal predicted reliability, according to Consumer Reports. You can ride in comfort with total seating of up to eight (if you get the second-row bench), though, so a certain type of buyer just might decide that this thing threads the needle just right.

Ford Expedition

Ford

The Ford Expedition wants to be your everything, and especially in the context of this conversation, it kind of pulls it off. It's the major full-size contender that rivals (but notably doesn't beat) the Grand Wagoneer's maximum towing capacity as the Expedition boasts up to 9,600 pounds. It gets there with another turbocharged V6, this time Ford's 3.5-liter EcoBoost, good for 400 horsepower and 480 pound-feet of torque. This one is also available with seating up to eight and it's another option that will barely get you a second look when you're driving around doing non-towing things.

Although Car and Driver has nice enough things to say about the Expedition, we do want to take this opportunity to do a bit of a reality check in terms of the SUV audience. At least some of you out there are leaning into this SUVs-that-tow premise because you've got a family to wrangle, so for you it might be The Car Mom, not the enthusiast magazines, who really has a finger on the pulse. She named the Expedition her Car Mom Car of the Year, which likely either means nothing to you or quite a lot. It's the Expedition. It's exactly what you expect it to be and, by all accounts, plenty easy to live with.

Toyota Sequoia

Toyota

If you were already raising a skeptical eyebrow as you read about the two turbocharged V6s above taking up space once reserved for rumbling V8s, well... it's time to stop worrying and love the Toyota Sequoia. Because at this point we're not just talking about a turbo six, but Toyota's i-FORCE MAX twin-turbo V6 hybrid powertrain, towing up to 9,500 pounds with 437 horsepower and 583 pound-feet of torque. It's closely related to the engine in the Tundra and paired with the same 10-speed automatic.

So is it time to let go of outdated notions about the supremacy of big internal combustion motors and embrace a turbocharged, electrically assisted future? Your call. This is a complex powertrain that might not be the kind of thing you want to be thinking about once the warranty runs out. It is not the same configuration affected by the Tundra and Lexus recall that led to a wave of engine replacements on Toyota's dime. That aside, reviewers have noted a cramped third row and limited cargo space, so the Sequoia may involve more trade-offs depending on your needs, but 9,500 pounds is still 9,500 pounds.

Lexus GX550

Lexus

The Lexus GX550 is a hell of a way to see the Northern Lights, but it's easy to overlook that you could tow more than 9,000 pounds on your way up there. The Lexus's 3.4-liter twin-turbo V6 is paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission for an oddly specific maximum towing capacity of 9,096 pounds. Sharing its platform with the Sequoia, it earns some of the same complaints about rear legroom and cargo space, but with the Lexus the trade-off calculation is a little different.

This isn't a soulless grocery-getter that's going to annoy the absolute crap out of you when the groceries aren't actually fitting where you want them. It's a rugged but comfy, body-on-frame SUV with enough credibility for the Lexus GX to become big in the off-road community. So it's less like being annoyed with your Toyota Sienna and more like being annoyed with your G-Wagen — those are very different experiences. Sometimes you have to pay the cost to be the boss, after all. Trade-offs are trade-offs, but when you're doing the math on the GX550, being able to tow 9,000 pounds plus a six-year-old is certainly a point in its favor.

Nissan Armada

Perhaps unfairly, this one doesn't get the love and consideration it deserves on its merits. But the 2025 Nissan Armada did finally live up to its Patrol heritage and could be worth your consideration from the perspective of enthusiasts and everyday I-just-need-an-SUV folks alike. It's practical enough and interesting enough, even if it comes with less interior space than you might expect and some cheap-looking materials. It's a Nissan, is what we're saying.

But underneath all that is some attention-getting towing capability, with a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 delivering 425 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque for a maximum tow rating of 8,500 pounds. That doesn't touch the highest numbers on this list, and unless you're a Nissan Patrol enthusiast, the Armada may not feel quite as compelling as something like the Lexus, but 8,500 pounds isn't nothing. If what you need to tow fits under that ceiling, this could be a real contender. It's also pretty big.

Land Rover Defender 130

Land Rover

So yeah, the Land Rover Defender 130 finally has a V8, and a supercharged one at that. If you opt for that available V8, you'll have 493 horsepower and 450 pound-feet of torque for a towing capacity of 8,200 pounds. And when you're not towing something, it'll do 0 to 60 in 5.4 seconds. Of course, this is a Land Rover, and if you want to roll like that you're going to have to pay for the privilege — the Defender V8 sits at the top of the 130 lineup and starts at $123,900.

If you can swing that, by all means. But the good news here is that the Defender 130's towing capacity isn't limited by its power, meaning you get that same 8,200 pounds of the entry-level Defender S at a comparatively reasonable $73,000. You won't go 0 to 60 in 5.4 seconds (it'll do 7.5), but with 296 horsepower and 347 pound-feet of torque from the 3.0-liter six-cylinder, it'll get the job done and look plenty sharp doing it. Some would argue that the design of the Land Rover Defender 130 is yet another step toward automotive homogeneity, but if you're into it, you're into it.

Rivian R1S

Rivian

The all-electric Rivian R1S has a couple of dual-motor options that deliver either 533 or 665 horsepower, starting at $75,900. There's also a tri-motor variant good for 850 horsepower, priced north of $100,000, and a mildly preposterous quad-motor with 1,025 horsepower. But you don't need to spring for extra motors to get the R1S's maximum towing capacity, with every version in the lineup rated to tow up to 7,700 pounds across all available battery sizes. If you're into the whole automotive whimsy vibe Rivian has going on and have towing needs compatible with the fully electric experience, this might be the oval-headlight sleeper tow mule you've been waiting for.

If nothing else, Rivian is offering a fun and relatively attainable glimpse into the future of electric towing. The company's R1T with the Max battery will actually out-tow anything on this list at 11,000 pounds, so even though it's a truck and not an SUV, it proves electrification deserves a spot in these conversations. At the end of the day, anything from Rivian is going to have a lot of charm, stand out in a parking lot, and potentially underwhelm with respect to missing creature comforts like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but it's still a compelling option for buyers with relatively limited towing-range needs or plenty of patience at the charging station.

Jeep Grand Cherokee

Jeep

The 2026 Jeep Grand Cherokee's 324-horsepower Hurricane turbo four-cylinder may be unrefined, but it's powerful and capable of towing up to 6,200 pounds with 332 pound-feet of torque. That's not a gigantic towing capacity — if that's what you're after from your family-sized Jeep SUV, go ahead and scroll back up to the Grand Wagoneer — but it is a pleasantly surprising amount of capability in an effortlessly dailyable vehicle with genuine off-road credibility.

Once you come in from the dirt or drop the dry cleaning back at the house and throw the tow hitch on, you've got something ready to pull a small RV, a horse trailer, or even a track car on an open trailer depending on the specifics of your setup. The Jeep Grand Cherokee just might change your opinion of Jeeps, if you let it. It's a capable midsize benchmark that helps bridge the gap between the SUV tow beasts where we started and some of the smaller overachievers we're about to get into. And if you don't actually need 9,000 pounds of towing capacity, there's a certain liberation in getting away with a much smaller vehicle that can still seat up to seven people in the Grand Cherokee L.

Mazda CX-90

Mazda

At this point the Mazda CX-90 feels like a bona fide luxury SUV. Plus, it can tow. And we don't mean "it can tow" in the sense of a pop-up trailer being dragged behind a late-'90s Honda Accord wagon like the little engine that could, but properly tow. Not all CX-90s are created equal in this regard, though, with a 3,500-pound towing capacity for the Select and Preferred trims, as well as the plug-in hybrid. Opt for one of the higher gas-powered trims instead and you'll have the 3.3-liter turbocharged inline-six generating up to 340 horsepower while towing as much as 5,000 pounds.

Towing aside, this is a vehicle that has had a compelling evolution lately. The Mazda CX-90 is a big and beautiful SUV built like a sport sedan, and it's earned consideration from buyers shopping in the luxury or luxury-adjacent SUV space who probably weren't thinking about Mazda until now. As for actually living with it, that'll ultimately be up to you. Reviewers have consistently noted frustrating infotainment and a third row that's less usable than some of the larger SUVs we've talked about here, but if you're after something that's pretty nice and pretty okay at towing, this might be one to think about.

Hyundai Palisade

Hyundai

Over a relatively recent span of time, the Hyundai Palisade and its cross-brand sibling, the Kia Telluride, quietly became quite good vehicles. And just to be clear, for the sake of not taking up two spots on the list, this entry could really be either one, but we went with the Palisade. The shared V6 puts up modest numbers — 287 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque — but it's enough to stand next to the CX-90 in terms of towing, with the same 5,000-pound maximum capacity. And yes, the Kia is the same. With or without being able to pull a U-Haul trailer in a pinch, we thought the Hyundai Palisade should be a wake-up call to other automakers, and the "hmm, not bad" tow rating only strengthens the argument.

It gives you a third row, if not a huge one, and you start getting amenities that approach luxury competitors at a downright attractive price point, provided you don't get too deep into the upper trim packages with names like "Calligraphy." So whether you're a Hyundai person or a Kia person (is anyone either?) the Palisade is probably a little more capable than you realized.

Subaru Forester Wilderness

Subaru

We've said before that the Subaru Forester Wilderness is wildly capable off-road and more refined on-road. But are we now telling you that these factory-amped-up Fozzies are putting up giant towing numbers, too? No, but they can tow up to 3,500 pounds and that's kind of more than you'd think. It's enough to creep down a fire road to haul a teardrop camper full of climbing gear, rescue dogs, and coffee equipment deep into the woods so somebody can explain pour-over technique to their friends under a string of Edison bulbs, or whatever it is you Subaru folks are into these days.

Anyway, to get to the 3,500 pounds of towing you do need the Wilderness package, which adds, among other things, a beefier transmission cooler and a temperature sensor for the rear differential. The engine itself remains a 2.5-liter boxer four-cylinder making 180 horsepower and 178 pound-feet of torque, so this isn't suddenly a heavy-duty tow rig. But that's also kind of the point. The Forester Wilderness closes out this list at the opposite end of the spectrum from the Grand Wagoneer, proving that "impressive towing capacity" doesn't always mean "biggest towing capacity." Sometimes it just means enough capability to do something interesting in a vehicle you never expected to do it.

Porsche Engines That Aren't Flat-Sixes

Sun, 10 May 2026 21:37:36 +0000

By Benjamin Gracias

Since 1963, an air-cooled (later water-cooled) six-cylinder boxer engine has been used in a car so iconic that both its engine placement and configuration have largely remained unchanged. It's the Porsche 911 and its famed flat-six engine, a combination that has come to define the brand itself. Today, we associate Porsche with flat-six engines, but that wasn't always the case. Porsche has dabbled with different engine configurations, both before and after the flat-six was conceived.

In fact, while 911 was busy becoming an icon, Porsche's motorsport division was obsessed with winning. To dominate Le Mans, it built the legendary air-cooled flat-12 for the 917 racecar — a monster that produced around 1,000 horsepower in the terrifying turbo Can-AM 917/30. Porsche also experimented with a 7.2-liter flat-16 engine, which was a massive naturally aspirated unit. Porsche's obsession also yielded failures, like the Type 3512 V12 for the Footwork-Arrows F1 team in 1991, which turned out to be too heavy and too weak to compete properly.

For brevity, however, let's focus on the road-going Porsches. The brand started off with the flat-four engine configuration, later introducing the inline-four, V6, V8, and even a V10 engine.

The flat- and inline-four: beginnings followed by balance

Ethan Yetman/Shutterstock

The four-cylinder Porsche is often treated like the budget choice, but it was more about precision and survival. In the 1930s, there was the Porsche 356, which used a flat-four motor based on the Volkswagen Beetle engine. But when the 911 arrived, it was expensive, and the brand found itself needing a budget sports car. The solution came in the form of the 912, a car with the 911 body and a 1.6-liter flat-four from the 356 SC. In fact, the 912 was lighter and more balanced than the early tail-happy 991s.

The real shift happened in the '70s with what Porsche calls the "Transaxle era". The 924 was launched with a 2.0-liter inline-four that was water-cooled and mounted in the front. This engine originated in an Audi and was even used in AMC Gremlins. By the time the 944 arrived, it used a 2.5-liter powerhouse, which essentially was half of a V8 engine. With the help of counter-rotating balancer shafts from Mitsubishi, the 944 was smooth and reliable. This evolution culminated in the 968, which featured a 3.0-liter inline-four, one of the largest four-cylinder engines ever put in a production car — and it managed to produce 236 horsepower.

Today, the four-cylinder lives on in forced induction and flat-four guise in the 718 Boxster and Cayman. This motor is proof that you don't need six cylinders to make a car feel like a precision instrument; you just need Porsche's obsession with weight distribution.

The V6 engine: twin-scroll hot-V dynamics

Sue Thatcher/Getty Images

We can't be talking about non-flat-six Porsches without addressing their workhorse, the V6. For a long time, Porsche used a Volkswagen-sourced VR6, but the brand has reclaimed the design for itself in the last decade. Its current 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6 found in the Macan S and GTS is a masterpiece of "hot-V" engineering. In this layout, the twin-scroll turbochargers are nestled inside the 90-degree "V" of the engine, which makes for extremely short exhaust paths between the exhaust valves and the turbos. This creates near-instantaneous boost and offers instant throttle response.

The engine also features an advanced thermal management system where the exhaust manifolds are integrated into the cylinder heads and cooled by the engine's coolant jacket. This allows the engine to warm up faster and also lowers exhaust gas temperature under high-load conditions. It's a Porsche-developed heart that delivers 434 horsepower and over 405 pound-feet of torque in the Macan GTS.

The V6 is the engine that bridges the gap between the efficiency of a four-cylinder engine and the raw power of a V8. While it might not feel as evocative as the flat-six, it is smooth, torque-rich, and surprisingly vocal when you pin the throttle. It's good enough for Porsche to drop plans for an EV-only power train for its upcoming flagship SUV.

The V8 engine: Alusil block with 90-degree V8 integration

Ethan Yetman/Shutterstock

In the mid-1970s, Porsche leadership believed the 911 was reaching the end of its lifespan. This caused the brand to push for the development of the high-tech, front-engined 928. To power this grand tourer, it used a brand-new all-aluminum 90-degree V8. This engine block used Alusil, a silicon-aluminum alloy. Instead of using traditional heavy iron liners, the cylinder bores were chemically etched to expose hard silicon crystals, creating a lightweight, low-friction, and extremely durable wear surface.

The 928's V8 evolved from a 4.5-liter unit with about 237 horsepower to the 5.4-liter monster producing 345 horsepower and revving up to 6,250 rpm. After the 928's retirement in 1995, Porsche returned to V8s in 2002 with the Cayenne, saving the company from financial ruin. These modern V8s moved to a Hot-V turbocharged configuration in the Panamera and Cayenne Turbo models, where twin turbochargers are placed between the cylinder banks.

The current 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 found in the Cayenne Turbo GT makes incredible strides in modern internal combustion. It features central injector positions and Plasma cylinder coatings (a process where a molten iron is sprayed onto the aluminum bore to create a tough, low-friction surface). This allows for tighter tolerances and a higher compression ratio, aiding its output of 650 horsepower. Porsche made a good call in sticking to this engine design, especially because V8s are not going out of fashion anytime soon.

The V10 engine: a 68-degree high-revving masterpiece

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The holy grail of non-flat-six Porsche engines is the 5.7-liter V10 found in the Carrera GT. Its origins are purely competitive, beginning as a 3.5-liter F1 engine and evolving into a 5.5-liter unit for the LMP 2000 Le Mans project. The production 980/01 engine utilized a 68-degree bank angle, and was a melting pot of exotic materials like forged titanium connecting rods, Nikasil-coated bores, and sodium-cooled exhaust valves.

Technically, the most significant innovation was the removal of a traditional flywheel. Instead, the Carrera GT uses the Porsche Ceramic Composite Clutch. This twin plate ceramic dry clutch is incredibly compact and lightweight, allowing the engine to be mounted extremely low in the chassis for a lower roll center. The V10 revs up to its 8,400 rpm redline with the instantaneous, violent response of a racing engine.

The engine also employs a complex dry-sump lubrication system, and with a compression ratio of 12.0:1, it produces 603 horsepower and 437 pound-feet of torque. It was so good that its performance was held back by the tires of its time. With modern tires, the Carerra GT posted a significantly quicker Nürburgring lap time.

T-Hybrid and electric propulsion: The shift from traditional flat-six engines

Sue Thatcher/Getty Images

Yes, it's unfair to compare Porsche's hybrid and EV drivetrains with its iconic flat-six, but the writing is on the wall — the former two are the future. Thankfully, Porsche's move towards electrification is defined by a refusal to sacrifice performance for efficiency. This began with the 918 Spyder, which used two electric motors and a 4.6-liter V8 to achieve a total system output of 874 horsepower. The Taycan took this forward by being the first production EV to utilize an 800-volt system architecture, rather than the industry-standard 400V. This allows for significantly higher charging speeds (up to 350KW) and reduced cable weight due to lower current requirements for the same power output.

The most recent technical milestone is the T-Hybrid system in the 2024 Carrera GTS. This is a performance hybrid that ditches the heavy batteries of a plug-in for a lightweight 1.9 kWh high-voltage unit. The centerpiece is the electric exhaust turbocharger which uses an integrated electric motor capable of spooling it to maximum boost instantaneously, regardless of engine load. This motor also acts as a generator, recovering up to 11kW of energy from the exhaust alone.

Complementing the eTurbo is a permanently-excited synchronous motor integrated into the new eight-speed PDK transmission. The motor provides an additional 110 pound-feet of torque from a standstill, filling the gaps in the combustion engine's torque curve. By moving to an electric A/C compressor and eliminating the belt drive for the starter generator, the weight penalty for this hybrid system is just 110 pounds.

This Might Be The Slowest Sustained Engine RPM Ever

Sun, 10 May 2026 21:37:36 +0000

By Erik Sherman

We've all heard a lumpy V-8 idle brutishly at 650 RPM. It's a great sound, but that's practically Iron Maiden's "The Trooper" compared to some lazy, low-rev single-cylinder tractor engines. We're not talking about 400 or 500 RPM, mind you. We're talking about an engine that can idle at zero revs. You read that right. This old-school agricultural mill operates in such a way that it can idle without completing a full rotation even once. Well, technically.

It's the handiwork of Italian inventor and businessman Giovanni Landini, a man with his sights set on making agrarian life easier through invention and innovation. And though time and technology left this "hot-bulb" engine in the rearview, the crude, albeit awesome application was an interesting chapter in early 1900s agricultural machinery. Sure, a goose egg for idle speed is one thing. But wait until you hear how you start this thing. It easily earns its place among the strangest engines ever built.

A Landini 'hot-bulb' engine can technically run at zero RPM

Lellovski77/Wikimedia Commons

In traditional single-cylinder tractors like the SuperLandini SL 50, the hot-bulb mill served as a simple means to run agricultural equipment on crude fuel like kerosene. Despite the weird name, the basic componentry is pretty familiar: A controlled combustion process moves a piston (a pretty big one at that) inside of a cylinder, and that motion drives a crankshaft. Sounds like your typical internal combustion process, right? Not quite.

In a hot-bulb engine like that of a classic Landini tractor, the combustion process takes place in a chamber, or bulb, hanging off the front of the motor. A metal plate inside the bulb provides a hot surface for fuel to vaporize, interact with the air, and combust. The byproduct gases of that combustion would then travel down a short path and drive the piston inside the cylinder walls. Presto, you've got the sort of early-century mechanical magic that produced as much as 30 horsepower prior to 1925.

Here's the thing, though: some hot-bulb tractors could idle without completing a single revolution. Due to its two-stroke design, the engine can let fuel into the bulb to allow combustion to happen before hitting top-dead-center. That means the crankshaft can rock back and forth rather than completing a trip around. So, technically, the Landini tractor can run at zero revs.

That said, the starting procedure was nowhere near as simple as using a hand crank or thumbing an electric start. An operator would need to heat the bulb, often with a blow torch, for minutes on end. After it was warm and toasty enough, someone would spin the huge flywheel on the side of the engine until the engine kicked on and start idling.

Not the only hot-bulb tractor engine

Etienne (Li)/Wikimedia Commons

It's a mind-blowing design. A hot-bulb sending gases to a single, massive piston isn't exactly the sort of tractor technology you'll find in a Landini showroom today. It's certainly a far cry from the diesel-powered tractors Ford made for decades. But the Italian agricultural equipment builder wasn't the only name in hot-bulb engine-powered tractors. The German-built Lanz Bulldog, for instance, also made use of a hot-bulb engine, though the later Lanz tractors displaced roughly 630 cubic inches to the SuperLandini's massive 745 cubes.

Like the Landini, the Bulldog could technically run at zero RPM by rocking its crankshaft back and forth without making a full revolution. Better yet, energy of the huge piston, crankshaft, and flywheel moving has a tendency to shake the entire tractor rhythmically, making a 74-year-old tractor look like it's dancing. Look out, that single-cylinder old-timer is about to get down! Even automakers like Porsche made lovely little tractors, but nothing quite as strange as the torquey Italian with the ability to run at zero revolutions.

Why Shriners Drive Those Little Cars

Sun, 10 May 2026 21:37:36 +0000

If a fully grown man in a playful costume drives past in a tiny little car, you're probably going to stop and stare. We're not referring to your weird neighbor in a Smart Roadster — incidentally one of the greatest small cars of all time – but rather Shriners. More specifically the tiny cars they seem to pilot at almost every town parade you've ever attended. You shouldn't feel bad for looking. They actually want you to stop and stare – that's kind of the whole point.

See, Shriners (of Shriners International) operate within a fraternity that's dedicated to providing care for families and children in need. The first Shriners Children's Hospital was established back in 1922, and now there are 22 locations across three countries, available to families of children who need help, regardless of their ability to pay.

A bold and admirable act of philanthropy, but not one that's free to operate. Shriners Children's relies mostly on donations to survive effectively, and so fundraising is a hugely important part of being a Shriner. The guys within the fraternity figure, what better way to raise awareness and publicity for the cause, than to don a Fez and drive around in tiny cars?

It's a wonderfully unique way to stand out, and it no doubt brightens the day of many parade attendees. While the mission is admirable, this is Jalopnik, so allow us to momentarily distract ourselves from the mission and instead shine a curious spotlight onto these tiny cars.

Coast-to-coast/Getty Images

Before the tiny cars came along, Shriners would try other methods to garner attention at parades, such as juggling in crazy costumes. It wasn't really until the 1950s that the car thing began to take off, with popular choices such as the J.C. Penney Micro Buggy coming from mail-order catalogs.

As the years progressed, so did tiny-car manufacturing practices. Creating car bodies out of blow-molded plastic became cheaper and easier, allowing Shriners a wider selection of designs. As a result, different car bodies began cropping up, with a variety of vintage hot rods, vans, and Jeep-esque designs joining the mix. In the past, a good number of classic and motorsport-inspired Shriner cars came from Go Kart Works, in Illinois, powered by 6.5-hp Honda and Tecumseh engines, whereas old-school karts took motivation from 3-hp Briggs & Stratton units. Today, they are made by a variety of custom shops such as Promo Karts USA.

Unfortunately, not just anyone can become a Shriner — you first have to become a Master Mason, which is the highest honor in Freemasonry. Not to worry though, you could always build your own go kart from flea market parts on the cheap and just donate to the cause instead. It might all seem a little silly, especially when seeing a gaggle of guys doing donuts and riding on two wheels as part of a town parade, but as one Shriner told Car and Driver back in 2008, "Everything we do is for the hospitals," neatly bringing the silliness back into perspective.

The Evel Knievel Experience Is Opening In Las Vegas

Sun, 10 May 2026 21:37:35 +0000

By Justin Hughes

Evel Knievel was a daredevil legend in the 1960s and 1970s, and he continues to inspire today. Personalities like Travis Pastrana not only break his amazing records, but also break their bones almost as much as he did. Visitors to Las Vegas will soon be able to explore his legacy for themselves at the Evel Knievel Experience, opening on June 27.

The attraction is part museum, part interactive experience. It started as the Evel Knievel Museum in Topeka, Kansas, featuring artifacts from Knievel's history. Topeka isn't exactly a tourist hotspot, so it's packing up, moving, and expanding to a new location in the downtown Las Vegas arts district. Exhibits include some of the motorcycles he jumped, and the jumpsuits he wore while doing it. The helmet he wore when he jumped the fountains at nearby Caesar's Palace in 1967 is on display. He came up short on the landing and spent 29 days in a coma, so it's no exaggeration that this helmet saved his life.

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Also on display is Big Red, Knievel's Mack truck and trailer that transported him, his crew, and his bikes from one show to another. Big Red is not only a major part of Knievel's history, but the Evel Knievel Experience as well. After its restoration, the original idea was to turn it into a rolling memorabilia exhibit until they decided to build the museum in Topeka instead.

The Vox Agency

My favorite artifact on display is the X-2 Skycycle, which famously tried, and failed, to jump across the Snake River Canyon in 1974. As a side note, much of that jump ramp still exists in Twin Falls, Idaho. I visited it in 2022, but I didn't try to make the jump myself. Eddie Braun already did.

It's not just about artifacts and memorabilia, though. The rebrand to "Evel Knievel Experience" emphasizes the interactive exhibits beyond Knievel's old stuff on display. A virtual reality jump puts you on a motorcycle and simulates a death-defying jump over 16 cars. The jump planner lets you set up your own virtual jump and see if you can make it, without the risk of broken bones. But if you're into broken bones, a "Bad to the Bones" exhibit lets you explore the numerous injuries Knievel collected over his career as well.

The Evel Knievel Experience doesn't open until June 27, but tickets are already available on the website. I was born a little too late to grow up with Knievel as one of my childhood heroes, but I definitely want to visit the next time I'm in Vegas. I thought the closest I'd ever get to understanding what it's like to jump the Caesar's Palace fountains was when Travis Pastrana spontaneously explained the Indian Scout FTR750's mid-air handling characteristics to me. Now anyone will be able to take a VR ride and experience Knievel's wild jumps for themselves.

Can You Mod Your Muscle Car To Perform Like A Sports Car When The Roads Get Twisty?

Sun, 10 May 2026 21:37:35 +0000

By Benjamin Gracias

Imagine spending a fortune building a big-block muscle car that can warp time in a straight line, but as soon as the road turns into a squiggly line, you end up fighting for your life, trying to keep your expensive toy on the road. It's an American tragedy. Traditionally, classic muscle cars – not to be confused with pony cars – have been blunt-force instruments that are more at home on a drag strip than on a mountain road. However, it's possible to make your muscle car handle almost as well as a sports car.

The fundamental hurdle in making a muscle car handle is its archaic suspension geometry. Most classic — and even many modern — muscle cars were designed with a nose-heavy weight bias due to the large block sitting over the front wheels with their live rear axles held in place by leaf springs. To make a muscle car turn properly, you have to address the roll center and front suspension camber curve.

On a stock classic muscle car, the front suspension gains positive camber as it compresses. So when you take a corner, the outside tire leans away from the turn, reducing the tire contact patch and causing the car to understeer. A great way to fix this is a set of tubular upper control arms. These arms come with increased caster for better high-speed stability and provide a negative camber during suspension compression.

A live axle with leaf springs can result in axle wrap and lateral movement, which can cause the wheels to hop during acceleration and make handling unpredictable. Using a Watt's link keeps the rear axle centered under the car, regardless of suspension travel. Add adjustable coilovers with compression and rebound tunability, and you can transform the pogo stick ride into a more stable one.

Improving stopping power and grip

ehudson/Shutterstock

Improved handling isn't just about turning well — it also includes better stopping power. Most classic muscle cars came from the factory with drum brakes or primitive single-piston discs. The first step in improving braking performance is switching to multi-piston calipers and large rotors, such as 13- or 14-inch rotors with six-piston calipers up front. It's not only about stopping power, but it's also about sustained braking. Vented and slotted rotors increase the brake cooling surface area, preventing the brake fluid from boiling. When brake fluid boils, gas bubbles form, causing your brake pedal to feel spongy and reducing braking power. A switch to a better high-temperature tolerance DOT 4 to DOT 5.1 brake fluid is recommended.

Then there are the tires. You can have the best performance and the best suspension, but if you are running hard-compound all-season tires that are designed for longevity, you're missing out on a lot of grip. For your muscle car to perform like a sports car, you need extreme-performance summer tires. These tires utilize sticky silica compounds that offer superior lateral grip in dry conditions.

While drag racers love skinny front and fat rear tires, a handling-focused muscle car needs more rubber in the front to combat understeer, which usually means a square setup: equal-width tires in the front and rear. This could require rolling your fenders, but fatter front tires ensure the front end bites well when you turn the wheel at high speeds.

A stiff steering and a stiffer frame

JoshBryan/Shutterstock

The "Saginaw" steering boxes found in many classic muscle cars have a very slow and unresponsive steering ratio, often requiring close to four turns lock to lock. That's why, to make your muscle car handle more like a sports car, you need a quick-ratio rack and pinion steering or a modern 12.7:1 steering box. This tightens the on-center steering feel and allows for micro adjustments mid-corner, without the need for sawing at the wheel like a bus driver.

The unibody or body-on-frame designs of '60s and '70s muscle cars — the era where the muscle car segment peaked – often flex under load. When the chassis flexes, it acts like a giant spring, storing and releasing energy in the corners and completely undermining your expensive suspension. To solve this, you need to tie the front and rear of the car together with subframe connectors. These steel rails weld into the floor pan, helping turn the car into a rigid box.

The final piece of the puzzle is the weight distribution. Sports cars handle well owing to their light designs and balanced mass. You can reduce your muscle car's front-end weight bias by moving the battery to the trunk and swapping the cast-iron intake manifold for a lightweight aluminum one. Every pound you move from the front of the axle to between the wheels reduces the polar moment of inertia and makes the car more willing to rotate. Do these mods, and you no longer have a muscle car in the traditional sense, but a Pro Touring machine that combines the soul of an American muscle car with the reflexes of a European sports car. And if these pointers make you itch for a restomod project, here are some great deserving cars.

Here's What A Wet Kit On A Semi Truck Does

Sun, 10 May 2026 21:37:35 +0000

Flint Creek Transport/YouTube

Oakley Trucking/YouTube

On the face of things, it seems that semi trucks do pretty simple work. Sure, specialist trucks like the largest semis in the world have differing applications, but generally speaking, semi trucks drive from one place to another, delivering goods. Dig a little deeper, though, and the average person would discover the fact that semis are actually far more versatile. For example, some come equipped with dump trailers, blowers, and walking floors. These extras allow semi trucks to take on a more advanced role, but they all require hydraulic power. Enter the wet kit. It's essentially an additional system which allows the truck to power hydraulic equipment.

Here's how it works: the truck's engine — typically an inline-six (as semi trucks don't use V8s) — provides the power through the transmission, which runs a hydraulic pump to move pressurized hydraulic fluid from a reservoir, enabling it to operate attached equipment. That's where the name comes from, as the system relies on "wet" hydraulic fluid rather than mechanical or electrical power. The oil heats up during this process, which forces the truck to cool and filter it. Pretty simple in theory, but it's important to use the correct system and install everything correctly, so these are generally fitted by specialists rather than being a DIY job.

Understanding the three main types of wet kits

There are three major wet kit systems: single-line, dual-line, and three-line. The style of accessory that is to be powered will dictate which configuration of wet kit is required. There are various intricacies to each type, but generally speaking, a single-line setup uses one hose and is the simplest option for basic jobs. It only makes use of simple physics to move oil back into the truck instead of having a dedicated line. They're also the cheapest, and while they're ideal for simple applications like dump trailers, weaknesses can show in more demanding circumstances, so they aren't the best match for frequent and continuous use.

For more advanced work, dual-line systems use two hoses, with the second used as a return line. This allows for cooler operating temperatures, making them ideal for more frequent use, but along with that comes a slightly elevated initial cost. For heavy-duty applications, though, a three-line system is the way to go. While a dual-line system sends hydraulic oil out and back through two hoses, a three-line system introduces a separate return line into the mix. This works to reduce pressure, enabling the system to handle heavier, more demanding operations without overheating.

Wet kits do require regular maintenance

Welcomia/Getty Images

As ideal as it would be, wet kits are not "fit-and-forget" systems. THEY require frequent checks and maintenance. First and foremost, it is important to keep an eye on the hydraulic fluid. Much in the same way that there are different grades of motor oil, the same is true of hydraulic fluids, too.

Not only does the correct grade of hydraulic oil need to be selected, but operators should keep an eye on the condition, too. Water can contaminate the fluid and heat can damage it, so operators should regularly inspect the oil. A milky or particularly dark finish would indicate that it's time to refresh the fluid. In addition, filters within the system should be changed on a regular basis, too, in order to keep the fluid clean and healthy.

More concerning signs that maintenance has been missed include loud noises, excessive heat, difficulty in actually carrying out the operation, and — of course — leaks. Over time, leaks can develop, fluid levels can drop, and operation can slow. Issues like these need addressing quickly, as they can quickly spiral into critical failure. That naturally translates into semi truck downtime, so spending a little extra time and money on keeping the system in good order is worth it.

You May Not Be Familiar With This Tire Brand, But Consumer Reports Ranks It Above Pirelli

Sun, 10 May 2026 21:37:34 +0000

Unless you are constantly swapping from beater to beater, or opting for a new-car lease every year, the chances are that paying for tires is a semi-regular part of your maintenance regime. While budget-conscious shoppers, or those who really don't commute much, might be tempted to shell out only for cheap brand names and lower-quality tires, the rest of us generally want to choose something that inspires confidence. After all, tires are the only part of the car that connects to the road, and if you're behind the wheel of a 5,000-pound SUV, hurtling down highways every day, a nice set of Michelins or Pirellis beneath you can make all the difference.

However, there are other solid options out there, even if they don't carry the same weight as legacy brands. Independent tests are a solid way to determine which new tire brands genuinely are worth considering over the tried-and-trusted brands that normally carry a price premium, and, according to Consumer Reports (CR), Vredestein is one such brand. This isn't a tire brand that's popped up out of nowhere overnight, but it certainly isn't a household name, which is why it might come as a shock to find that CR actually rates Vredestein's tires higher than they do those of Pirelli. CR didn't precisely state in which areas Vredestein outperformed Pirelli, but it did recommend all seven types of tires tested and noted that the brand regularly sits near the top of any category it finds itself within.

A lesser-known name doesn't always mean a subpar product

John Keeble/Getty Images

We said Vredestein didn't just jump out of nowhere, and we meant it — this Danish tire brand first started sticking tires on cars back in 1912, and bicycles 2 years prior, so you'd imagine the folk behind the name know a thing or two about making black circles by now. Still, Pirelli beat the Dutch brand to business by some decades, so in the eyes of Italian stalwarts, Vredestein may very much still qualify as the new kid on the block.

Vredestein credits much of its success to its European roots. Sure, a good tire could be made anywhere, but Vredestein says the wide range of road surfaces and qualities throughout Europe, in addition to the unpredictability of the weather there, has enabled it to develop tires that are adaptable and versatile. Furthermore, while manufacturing has traditionally taken place in the Netherlands, and continues to do so, a huge investment, courtesy of owners 'Apollo Tyres, into a new high-tech Hungarian factory back in 2017 has allowed Vredestein to fight fit at the very top of the market.

So, a rich history and modern facilities have helped Vredestein in building a solid name for itself, and industry experts tend to agree. Industry reviewers state the firm develops durable tires for a wide range of use cases, with unique tread patterns, and recently, the brand has even begun to look into more eco-conscious choices for rubber production.

Vredestein's real strength lies in its product range

JoshBryan/Shutterstock

All of the above is great, and no doubt contributed to CR's decision to rank them above Pirelli. However, Vredestein would never be able to take on industry giants such as Pirelli without developing a vast range of products, which it has done.

From the longest-lasting SUV tires through to the best bang-for-buck tires, Vredestein seemingly has a product for most needs. Checking out some of the rankings on a variety of different Vredestein tires on TyreReviews gives a clearer idea of what owners value most in its products. Buyers liked the dry grip and stability of Vredestein's extreme-performance summer tire, the Ultrac Vorti, while Vredestein's Sprint Classic tire performed strongly in terms of comfort. There is also the Sprint Classic, which boasts an era-correct tread pattern so as not to detract from the aesthetics of a '50s or '60s sports car.

CR certainly didn't rank Pirelli poorly, so while Vredestein clinched a higher result this time, there is certainly no need to dismiss Pirelli products. However, what's clear is that Vredestein tires certainly deserve to be in the running when next picking out a set of quality tires.

With 12,000 Flights Canceled In May Already, We've Got Bad News About Your Summer Vacation

Wed, 06 May 2026 21:29:23 +0000

By Lalita Chemello

The U.S. is now two months deep into an unprovoked war with Iran and the results have not been kind to anyone. In the states inflation tripled with surging gas prices, which quickly reached an average of over $4.00/gallon nationally. And in a world completely dependent on fuel, any shortage in the supply system hurts everyone, especially concerning air travel. It's bad enough that Matt Smith, Kpler director of commodity research warned on CNBC's "Squawk Box" that the 12,000 flights have been cancelled in May — of which we're only five days in — was only the beginning. Expect jet fuel prices to affect your summer travel, or even cancel it.

A little math goes a long way into explaining how this happened, and Smith did a good job giving us the highlights. On average, global jet fuel exports alone account for two billion barrels per day. At least, that's what it should be when everything is up and running and there isn't a war slowing any of that down. Right now, those global exports for jet fuel are 1.3 million barrels a day. The math comes out to a shortage of 35 percent of jet fuel production, daily. That's not a blip. That's not a fraction. That's over a third of just jet fuel oil supply just not being produced or distributed around the world.

The domino effect ruining travel plans

Without Middle East crude, Asian jet fuel production is suffering as refiners desperately try to meet domestic demand. "It is a series of dominos that are falling here," Smith explained. "Jet is the first one to go. Asia is the first region, but it's going to spread across the globe, and it's going to spread across the products as well."

The U.S. is paying for its actions as it pumps some of its own 16-17 million barrels of production a day into the global market. That also includes American-produced jet fuel making its way to Europe. Sure, American oil producers may see some nice payouts as jet fuel pricing surged 70-110% since the war in Iran started according to Barron's, and but its at the cost of everyone else who needs to use it.

What the war is costing the world

Leopatrizi/Getty Images

Jet fuel can account for as much as a quarter of an airlines travel costs, explaining why exponential rising fuel costs were the final nail in the coffin that is Spirit Airlines. Delta airlines announced they'll begin cutting food and drink offerings on flights of less than 250 miles to offset fuel costs beginning May 19, and is one of among many airlines, as compiled by The Independent, already thinning out flight availability or increasing prices for baggage fees, tickets, fuel surcharges, etc., to make up even just a little bit of the difference.

Any further airline cancellations Smith said, will come to a couple of things: either prices get so out of control no one will buy them, or regions actually run out of jet fuel.

"This is something that is coming — it's a slow-motion car crash and we're just kinda sleepwalking through it."

The First-Ever Crew Cab Truck Wasn't Made By Ford Or Chevy

Wed, 06 May 2026 21:29:23 +0000

By Charles Krome

No, it wasn't a Dodge, either. It was actually an International Harvester — a brand whose legacy still lives on in the form of Volkswagen-owned Scout Motors, which is set to release its first electrified Traveler SUV in 2028. As for that first International Harvester crew cab, it launched in 1957 as the Travelette, although it wasn't quite a traditional setup. The '57 models did have two rows of seating for up to six people, allowing the truck to carry a full job crew in the cabin and save the bed for work-related cargo. Still, it only had three doors –one for the driver and two for the crew — before a four-door crew-cab version arrived in 1961, which was still a few years before any of the traditional Big Three got in on the action.

The original Travelettes was also available with other new-for-their-time features, including a smooth-sided bed instead of a traditional stepside configuration with exposed rear fenders. This may not seem like a big deal now, but the differences between stepside vs. fleetside truck beds led to a major shift in pickup design and functionality. The stepside setup generally mounts the bed between the wheels, making it narrower than if the side walls extended the full width of the truck.

Innovations like these didn't do much for the Travelette's sales numbers, however. The truck was built on International Harvester's A-120 4x4 platform, and while the company allegedly only produced 8,873 trucks with that chassis for 1957, only 17 are believed to have been Travelettes.

Hotrodimports/YouTube

Sales numbers such as those may be one reason that International Harvester's rivals didn't begin building their own crew cabs until roughly 5 years after the Travelette debuted: The next entry in the segment was the Dodge D200, which premiered in 1963. Technically, the D200 was a rear-wheel-drive pickup, with four-wheel-drive versions getting a "W" prefix instead of the "D," but both versions were available with crew cabs. Dodge's design was also uniquely eye-catching, with the automaker using the same stampings for the rear doors as for the front, giving all four doors a distinctive curved rear edge for their window frames.

The 1965 Ford F-250 was the first pickup from the Blue Oval to offer a crew cab, and the first crew-cab Chevrolet didn't come until 1973 — when the C/K Series launched the industry's first crew-cab dually truck. Now, to be clear, that means that all of the original domestic crew-cab models were medium-duty trucks, not light-duty rides like the Ram 1500, Ford F-150, and Silverado 1500.

None of those half-ton trucks got true crew cabs until the beginning of the 21st century –- though there had been four-door extended-cabs, and the Dodge Quad Cab, with smaller cabin dimensions, before then. There was also the Ford Explorer Sport Trac that debuted in 2000, but that was considered an SUV with an open bed. Anyway, the 2001 Ford F-150 is widely considered the first proper light-duty crew cab, with the Chevrolet Silverado joining the club in 2004. Dodge/Ram didn't introduce its first "real" crew cab until 2009. The rest, as they say, is history, and the crew cab has grown into the best-selling pickup cab style today.

What's Your Airport Ritual?

Wed, 06 May 2026 21:29:22 +0000

Bustling airports filled with screaming children, muffled gate change announcements, and inevitably the largest crowd of spatially inept people you could possibly encounter can be a stressful experience depending on your disposition. At the airport, odds are you're either leaving your home to fly somewhere else with a few days worth of rations, or you're heading home after an exhausting trip with bags full of dirty laundry, and there are a million other variables to worry about all at the same time.

How do we cope with stress? Say it together everyone: drink! Or at least that's one option for coping with the stress of flying at most airports. Regardless of which maladaptive coping mechanism you choose, or even the healthy ones, we want to know what your airport ritual is. Do you arrive three-hours early just in case, or do you try to cut it as close as possible? Do you pass security and head straight for the bar, or do you find the sensory room and pretend you're not in public? Sound off in the comments below.

Smith Collection/gado/Getty Images

I am generally terrified of being unprepared even when I'm just spending the night at a friend's place, let alone something with as much logistics as travel requires, so first off, I arrive at the airport at least two hours before boarding time if it's a major airport like LAX. You never know what horrors could be awaiting you in the security line.

Then I do the whole song and dance of walking to my gate to make sure I have visual confirmation that it exists, and then immediately turn around and find somewhere to eat. I'm big and usually hungry, so I make sure to get a good meal before a long flight. Maybe a beer or four to take the edge off, or start the vacation if that's my reason for travel. And if I'm flying in a fancy boy class like I often do for work, I find the nearest lounge and see what goodies await inside. So what about you? What's your airport ritual?

At $13,998, Will This 2006 Audi A8L W12 Quattro Prove A Rare Bargain?

Wed, 06 May 2026 21:29:22 +0000

By Rob Emslie

Competing with BMW's 7 Series and the segment's standard-bearer, the Mercedes S-Class, Audi's A8 has always seemed like an also-ran. Let's see if this uber-rare — and claimed properly preserved — W12 edition is priced to win both our interest and our Nice Price or No Dice vote.

It seems like every generation has its collectible crap that, for a short period of time, tons of people spend hard-earned money on, only to cast aside when the fun and fad wears off. Whether it's Pet Rocks, Beanie Babies, or Labubu dolls, none of these frivolities is particularly enduring. That's why it's always intriguing to come across something well-kept long after the fad or favor has passed.

The 1985 Chrysler LeBaron convertible we considered on Tuesday was one such consumable good. No one, least of all its maker, ever expected a mass-produced, built-to-a-price car like the LeBaron to offer much joy to its owner after more than a few years of use. That made our car, which, according to its ad, had been "babied" for decades by its owner, such a unique proposition in this day and age. While a throwback car, it didn't come with an equally old-school price. At $12,000, even its limited collectible value was pushing the limit. That resulted in an overwhelming 88% 'No Dice' loss in the voting.

For what it's worth

Iain Tyrrell Cars Limited, located at the Hawarden Aerodrome, at the very north end of Wales, stakes its reputation on the nut-and-bolt restoration and ongoing maintenance of some of the world's rarest and most exotic classic cars. Think Lamborghini Miuras and Monteverdi 375s, and you'll get an idea. That renown made the 2006 Ford Mondeo ST220, which was the focus of last Sunday's video on the shop's Tyrrell's Classic Workshop YouTube channel, such an outlier. Even Iain noted that at the outset of the video, but explained that the hot wagon held massive sentimental value for its owner, who was willing to spend a huge amount of cash to restore it to what looks to be better-than-new condition. Some cars just elicit such loyalty and fealty, despite the cost and frustration in keeping them on the road.

Today's 2006 Audi A8L W12 Quattro might require such adoration to buy and maintain, as it might just prove a finicky and expensive plaything. The A8 is Audi's top-of-the-line executive attraction, and does battle with like range-toppers from BMW and Mercedes, either of which would typically be the more likely choice. This car, however, has a few tricks up its sleeve that make it a contender.

Same as the old boss

This A8 hails from the model's second generation, produced between 2003 and 2010. We're now on the model's fourth generation and, if you juxtapose this edition with the new one, it's remarkably difficult to tell much difference between the two. Oh sure, the new car has squintier headlamps and a narrower full-width tail lamp panel, but in silhouette, it's like they're twinsies.

This older model has the new car beat on a number of fronts, most important of which lies under the aluminum hood. It's there that the car's party piece resides: a 6.0-liter edition of Volkswagen's diabolically ingenious W12 gas engine. Shared with the contemporary VW Phaeton and various Bentleys, the W12 is more compact than Audi's 4.2-liter V8 and, at 444 horsepower, it corrals just as many ponies as the Lamborghini-derived and substantially longer V10 of the S8.

Behind that engine is a ZF-sourced six-speed automatic with Tiptronic shifting available. That feeds Audi's safe, secure Quattro AWD, ensuring all four wheels do their jobs. According to the ad, this A8 has been meticulously maintained by a local Audi dealer "since day one." To date, it sports a modest 105,000 miles and comes with a clean title and an unremarkable Carfax report. The smog has also been done for a muss-free transfer of that title. The seller notes that the tires are brand new; however, they are a Walmart staple, the unremarkable Lionhart brand, so another set might be in the cards.

Long, but not long in the tooth

Things are looking better above the off-brand tires. The factory alloys to which they are attached show little wear and no signs of curbing. This is the long-wheelbase L edition of the A8, which adds about 4.5 inches of rear legroom and overall length. That also gives it a limo-like gravitas, something elevated by the elegant black paint and simple brightwork. Overall, it remains an extremely handsome car with a commanding presence. The Auto Union-inspired trapezoidal grille was introduced on the W12 model and still looks good today.

It's a similar story in the cabin, only with more leather and wood and every accessory and feature that 2006 could offer. This is where the A8 shows its age, as the cabin is festooned with chiclet-sized buttons rather than fingerprint magnet screens. There is one screen in the dash, and that is driven by Audi's early MMI Multimedia Interface infotainment system, so it's not like the car's a knuckle-dragger or anything.

More screens are mounted on the backs of the front-seat headrests so backseat passengers can get in on the show. Everything in the cabin looks to be in excellent condition. Along with the car, the next owner will receive a plethora of paperwork, all original documentation and manuals, two keys and the rear-seat remote, and both the boot-mounted tool kit and the emergency kit in the rear armrest. That's a lot of stuff!

A whole lotta' car

Suffice to say, this Audi is all kinds of extra, as the youths say. It's likewise appreciably rare and a very atypical choice for either a classic sedan to pamper or as a daily driver. On the downside, it's unimaginably complicated, with that W12 engine, multiplex optical fiber electrical system, and adaptive air suspension among its most daunting aspects to nurse and maintain. When new, this complicated Q ship cost over $120,000, high even by Audi standards. At $13,998, this 20-year-vintage edition asks just a little over 10% of that. And, as we noted, it's not all that different in looks from the current model, which costs—you guessed it—over $100 grand and only comes with a V6.

What's your opinion on this classic A8 and that $13,998 asking price? Does that seem like a screamin' deal for someone looking for luxury? Or is this, like yesterday's LeBaron, another case of someone holding on too long to something few people will want?

You decide!

Los Angeles, California, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.

Help me out with Nice Price or No Dice. Hit me up at robemslie@gmail.com and send a fixed-price tip. Remember to include your commenter handle.

Why Do Diesel Engines Need A Crankcase Breather?

Wed, 06 May 2026 21:29:22 +0000

PowerStroke Tech Talk w/ARod/YouTube

Put simply, the crankcase breather is a system designed to vent gases out of an engine's crankcase safely. The crankcase is a sealed, lower half of an engine that houses the crankshaft, which is what converts the pistons' vertical motion into rotational power to turn the wheels. During typical use, it's inevitable that small amounts of fuel will slip past the piston rings and into the crankcase — this is called blow-by. These gases carry various combustion byproducts and unburnt fuel, and if they aren't dealt with, pressure builds up within the crankcase. That pressure is then free to force oil past various seals and gaskets, which leads to leaks and contamination, in addition to emission and efficiency issues.

Older engines would simply dump these gases into the atmosphere, but thanks to legislation brought forward in the 1960s, modern engines instead route those gases back into the intake system to be burned again. The end result is that the engine's internal pressure remains in check, without harmful emissions finding their way out. These systems are necessary for all modern cars, but diesel vehicles use a special type of crankcase ventilation system, and for good reason. Diesel engines have higher compression ratios in order to facilitate combustion without spark plugs, and these higher compression ratios can lead to increased levels of blow-by. Because of this, crankcase ventilation systems are especially vital for these types of vehicles.

Further understanding crankcase ventilation systems

There are two primary types of crankcase breather systems: open crankcase ventilation and closed crankcase ventilation. As covered above, older engines will sport an open crankcase ventilation system, in which the unwanted gases are simply let out into the atmosphere. In comparison, modern gas and diesel engines will have a closed system.

In a closed system, the vapors are dealt with internally, rather than simply being let out into the air. A diesel engine's closed crankcase ventilation valve is commonly referred to as a CCV, and it's quite a complex beast, capable of oil-gas separation. Fine oil mist is caught in a CCV filter and is then free to drain back into the crankcase, maximizing lubrication, while the gases are sent back into the intake system. Gas engines tend to use a variation of the closed system called a positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) system, which features a valve that can adjust airflow based on engine conditions.

Sending those vapors back through the intake system helps sidestep the reliability concerns that arise when gases are kept within the crankcase. However, this process is also what enables modern diesel engines to continue meeting strict emission regulations.

How to know when a crankcase ventilation system needs attention

Nongasimo/Getty Images

Crankcase breather systems generally need very little care and attention. However, they can cause grief as cars begin to age, and some diesel specialists suggest filter changes every 50,000 to 60,000 miles. Fortunately, if a crankcase breather is beginning to fail, there will usually be an array of telltale signs. These include blue smoke from the exhaust, an unstable idle, discolored engine oil, a check engine light, unusual noises — like a high-pitched whistle or hissing sound — and oil leaks caused by excessive pressure that damages seals and gaskets. As mentioned, a small amount of blow-by is normal during regular operation, which is why crankcase ventilation systems are necessary in the first place. However, too much blow-by is what can cause many of those issues above, in addition to real performance and efficiency problems.

At the more serious end of the scale, excessive blow-by can even lead to diesel runaway. In this situation, unburned diesel mixed with oil finds its way into the combustion chamber, essentially providing the engine with a continual and uncontrollable source of fuel.

These Are Your Favorite Cars Named After Places

Wed, 06 May 2026 21:29:21 +0000

It's a no-brainer to say "cars transport you to another place." That's like, the whole point of cars. But when the simple act of being inside a car turns into a transformative transportation experience, then you know you have a vehicle that is something special. That's why I asked you about your favorite cars with place names last week. I wanted to know what cars conjure up images of fancy racetracks, relaxing winding roads, or just engaging driving experiences with simply their names. As always, you delivered.

I said the Renault Floride because of course I did. A French roadster designed by Carrozzeria Ghia? Be still my heart! But while I asked for your favorites, one commenter, Former Autoblog (and if you really are from the Former Autoblog, hello from an also former Autoblogger) turned the question on its head and called out lame cars for using beautiful or engaging locals to boost its allure. I will admit, the Chevy Monte Carlo is probably the least Monte Carlo-looking car in existence. Take a look at all the place name cars we conjured up last week and do a little sight-seeing from the comfort of your home.

As beautiful as the town it's named after

John Keeble/Getty Images

The Alfa Romeo Montreal.

A beautiful little thing with a V8 named after one of my favorite cities.

With all the Alfa charms and frustrations

From JaredOfLondon

A less beautiful town these days, but Bonneville Salt Flats remains pretty cool

Different_brian/Getty Images

Answer with bonus answer. Pontiac Bonneville

Pontiac Michigan and the Bonneville Salt Flats.

From Alf Enthusiast

Place names aren't always appropriate

Different_brian/Getty Images

Let's take the opposite direction for fun. Some cars named after some places can invoke feelings of sheer blasphemy and irony. Let's start with the Chevy Monte Carlo. As if anyone in that city would want to be associated with such a crude, not elegant and dare I say, mass produced vehicle. Talk about attaching your name to something to lift it up and out of mediocrity. Tahoe, Yukon, Taos, Denali, etc. Some of the most pristine and untouched parts of the world, with the most resource-intensive, destructive and polluting vehicles named after these locations. Are you kidding me? Oh the irony.

and

Any vehicle named after any physical location should have some realistic attachment to the place, a pedigree of sorts. I see the Lancia MonteCarlo has already been mentioned. That works. The GM vehicle with the same name? It doesn't.

From Former Autoblog and RC in CA

A car that actually deserves the Monte Carlo name

Wirestock/Getty Images

Lancia Montecarlo as seen in the very last episode of Grand Tour.

From fabey

A true boat

R. Gates/Getty Images

Buick Riviera – It's fitting that being named for gorgeous oceanside resorts, you created a true boat of a car (that looked spectacular in Gen 1 and 2).

From potbellyjoe

California dreamin'

CCBain/Wikicommons

Easy, Ferrari 250GT California...

From Jimboy II, The Sequel

I would have loved to watch this thing go down a bobsled track

Traveller70/Shutterstock

Ford Cortina. They ran it down the bobsled run in Cortina as part of the promotional campaign and when Lotus go their hands on it, it dominated racing and was the E30 M3 of its era.

From ChickenCaesar

Can't go wrong with Ferrari

Sjoerd Van Der Wal/Getty Images

Ferrari 575M Maranello, an absolute timeless design and still a dream car.

From 242_Flathood

And it shall be Leon

Geoff Jones/Wikicommons

Oh it has to be the car I am currently waiting to become legal. A first generation SEAT Leon Cupra R, whose model line is named after the city of Leon, Spain. While lesser-spec Leons are already old enough to legally import into the U.S., the Cupra R didn't come out until 2002 which means we have to wait until next year to bring that trim level in.

From Giantsgiants

A car with a presence as big as the city its name after

Heritage Images/Getty Images

Also, the Chrysler New Yorker, the perfect land yacht

From Luc Desaulniers (minardi)

Not only does it count, but you get extra imaginary internet points for creativity

BMW

I'll go with the M5. Assuming you can consider a motorway a "place." The M5 doesnt go through the most impressive of destinations, but it's not horrible. And my old e39 M5 is still one of my favorite cars I've owned.

From SantaCruzin

Another twofer

Let me go outside the box and say the Saturn Sky.

For one brief moment in time Detroit built nimble sports cars.

From JohnnyRingo

Artemis Astronauts Explain Why Nutella Tastes Different In Space (And So Does Everything Else)

Wed, 06 May 2026 21:29:21 +0000

By Nicholas Werner

Last month, in a truly historic moment for mankind, NASA launched its Artemis II mission to achieve the once unthinkable: it sent Nutella around the Moon. Yes, the beloved hazelnut cocoa spread, widely used in countries around the world that aren't the U.S., has now traveled further from the Earth than any human being. Well, except for Artemis II's four crew: Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen. NASA needed somebody to actually eat the Nutella!

Here's the wild thing: while these astronauts may have had Nutella, they didn't actually taste Nutella. On a recent interview with CNN's Anderson Cooper, he jokingly asked if the spread was any different in space and got a more involved answer than he might have expected. "Everything tastes different," pilot Victor Glover explained. "Mainly because you don't have the difference in potential. Warm things don't create rising air, so, you know, you don't get to smell your coffee."

Since smell is deeply tied to taste, when you sniff the inviting aroma of a well cooked meal, you're priming your mouth for a great time. But that very smell is rising up to you, which is accelerated if it's hot. In microgravity, there's no up or down or anything else. Everything just floats around in any direction. That means heat and/or smell can't "rise" in a conventional sense. It can just hang in place in a sort of bubble.

Without the normal smell, you won't get the normal taste, either. But don't worry: it gets weirder! Because your body fluids get in the way in space, too.

Nasa/Getty Images

Gravity! We so take it for granted, don't we? As it turns out, so do our bodies. Our whole circulation system is designed on the assumption that fluids will get pulled down. When an astronaut gets into space, one of the first things that happens is that their face gets all puffy because their sinuses get congested. Basically, they get cold symptoms, except without an actual cold. This is called "fluid shift." When NASA talks about the grandeur of its missions, it tends to skip over this part. Of course, when your nasal passages are all blocked, you can't smell, and everything tastes really bland.

Lastly, it's also the case that four people were confined to a small spacecraft without showers for nine days. In other words, there may have been, uh, other smells competing with Nutella (and all the other food). Combined with how hard it is for aroma to move around in microgravity, and it's possible that the taste buds were reacting to something very different from hazelnut. I encourage you not to think about this any further.

For all these reasons, astronauts have for decades tried to spice up their meals, literally. Hot sauce, chili, soy sauce, anything to give their struggling tongues some help. But what of Nutella? Glover did offer future astronauts a ray of hope: apparently, Nutella on a tortilla was "one of the things that maybe tasted the most like it did on Earth." This was apparently in part due to the prowess of mission specialist Jeremy Hansen, who demonstrated skills with a knife that should probably be considered mission-critical from now on.

Lucid Suffers A Net Loss Of $1 Billion In The First Quarter Of 2026

Wed, 06 May 2026 21:29:21 +0000

Good morning! It's Monday, May 4, 2026, and this is The Morning Shift, your daily roundup of the top automotive headlines from around the world, in one place. This is where you'll find the most important stories that are shaping the way Americans drive and get around.

In this morning's edition, Lucid suffers heavy losses, everyone is excited about the Rivian R2 EV, including Rivian, SpaceX is flashing some serious cash to build a chip factory in Texas, and Tesla is recalling almost 220,000 cars for bad backup cameras.

1st Gear: It isn't easy being green...

Sjoerd Van Der Wal/Getty Images

Lucid had to toss out its whole production guidance for 2026 on bad news about first quarter sales. The eye-watering $1 billion net loss in Q1 sent the EV automaker's stock tumbling another 5%, adding to the startling 75% drop over the last 12 months. Production guidance won't be updated until the end of Q2, CFO Taoufiq Boussaid told investors on a call last week. The company is sticking to its goal of raising yearly production to 25,000-27,000 vehicles by 2027; from Automotive News:

Lucid said it produced 5,500 vehicles in the first quarter but delivered just 3,093 vehicles of its Air sedan and Gravity crossover, roughly flat from a year earlier.

Gravity deliveries were significantly affected in February by a rear-seat defect that triggered a recall. Lucid said deliveries rebounded in March but did not provide a figure.

"Lucid is taking further steps to align production with anticipated deliveries and customer demand," Lucid said in its earnings report.

Lucid's $1 billion net loss widened from $366 million a year earlier. Revenue rose 20 percent to $282 million.

Wall Street analysts had expected about $440 million in revenue, making the shortfall the largest in more than four years, according to Reuters.

This might seem dire, but Lucid is sitting on a pile of money courtesy of its majority owner, the Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund. I will never get over some of the coolest EVs in the world being built by oil money. It's poetic. The company is looking forward to ramping up production and sales in 2027, with a new factory in the Saudi kingdom focused on building the mid-size Cosmos crossover.

2nd Gear: ... unless you're Rivian

Phillip Faraone/Getty Images

Even before traditional automakers canceled all their upcoming EVs, the Rivian R2 was the most exciting future EV out there. Rivian recognizes that what the world needs now is love, and an affordable EV SUV. The R2 will be hitting driveways next month, but the automaker is already planning several spin-offs of the cute little hatchy-back SUV. From Reuters:

"There are other variants of R2, which we haven't shown," CEO RJ Scaringe said in an interview with Reuters, when asked about a pickup variant of R2.

"What we're building in Georgia allows for different variations," he said, referring to a ⁠new plant where Rivian will eventually expand production of R2 vehicles. Scaringe did not disclose details on what the other variants would look like.

Demand for EVs has taken a hit with the removal of key tax credits in the United States, although high gasoline prices have raised some interest in battery-powered vehicles. Affordable EVs are seen as a bright spot in the electric vehicle industry since borrowing costs remain high.

Not only are we getting a sick-looking EV, but we're getting more sick-looking EVs! As a reminder, the R2 MSRPs for around $48,490, gets a range of 345 miles and boost at 350 horsepower engine, rear-wheel drive and can get to 60 mph from a dead stop in about three seconds. We're absolutely giddy over it and can't wait to see the R2, and any future brothers and sisters, on the road.

Rivian, like most automakers right now, reported an operating loss in the first quarter of 2026, but not as big as predicted, which is nice. Stock price dropped on the news of this stronger-than-expected showing because the stock market is made up and you can't tell me otherwise. Anyway, if anyone can give Tesla a run for its money, it's Rivian.

3rd Gear: SpaceX, Tesla wants to spend $55 billion on a Terafab chip facility in Texas

Samuel Boivin/Shutterstock

Elon Musk is tired of global supply chains messing with his companies' access to computer chips and, in true Musk fashion, has proposed a gigantic manufacturing center to make all he needs for his two most technologically material intensive operations; SpaceX and Tesla. The initial investment sits at $55 billion, with potentially as much as $119 billion. Experts say it'll take a lot more than that to get the factory off the ground, if it ever does, Reuters reports:

The facility, a joint project with Tesla (TSLA.O), opens new tab, comes as Musk seeks to secure in-house access to advanced chips, though analysts say the scale of capacity he has outlined would likely require far greater investment.

[...]

The filing also highlighted risks around supply, noting the company lacks long-term contracts ⁠with many direct chip suppliers and will continue to rely significantly on third parties. SpaceX added there is no assurance it will meet its Terafab objectives within expected timelines, or at all.

The plan aligns with a broader U.S. push ⁠to expand domestic semiconductor manufacturing amid geopolitical tensions and supply chain risks.

The chips would go not just in SpaceX products, but in self-driving Teslas, robots, and AI centers, if they ever get made at all. Right now, Musk sources chips through Intel's 14A process. It's very likely this manufacturing center will end up as an other "cool story, bro" Musk moment, but some solution is badly required to keep the U.S. humming when global trade systems break down as we've seen multiple times in the last few years.

4th Gear: Tesla recalls 218,868 cars for bad back-up camera images

Jonathan Weiss/Shutterstock

We've said it before, and we'll say it again: Making cars is hard. They're complex machines that need to rumble around a rough and tumble world, so of course, some things are going to go awry. Today it's Tesla's turn, as the Texas-based automaker is recalling 218,868 Model 3, Model Y, Model ‌S, ⁠and Model X vehicles because the backup camera image might be delayed in displaying to the driver, Reuters reports.

This is a reduced visibility issue which, yeah, not showing up on the screen will certain reduce visibility. The fix is an over-the-air software update, so owners don't need to do much to get their cars fixed. Tesla recently dodged a two-million-car recall, so I'm sure this tiny OTA fix isn't causing any stress at Tesla's Texas home offices.

Reverse: Is he related to Cary Grant?

Age ain't nothing but a number when it comes to left-hand turns.

The Fuel Up

Another day where the markets are promising cheaper gas, another day of average cost of a gallon of unleaded regular costing more than the day before. We had quite a jump over night, from $4.48 per gallon on average to $4.53. WTI Crude Oil Futures are down, at least, from $103.28 yesterday to $93.58 today. Brent Crude dropped as well, from $112.17 to $103.76.

AAA

This drop in futures (but not gas prices) is thanks to China stepping in to the U.S.-Israel war against Iran and saying "hold your horses, please." It makes sense, as Asia is already starting to feel the pinch of a shortage of fuel on its shores.

China met with Iran's foreign minister Wednesday to start putting pressure on both parties to knock it off already, according to The New York Times. In response, U.S. markets rallied and oil prices fell. Hopefully, China can continue making inroads that will allow us all to go back to our regularly scheduled dystopia.

On The Radio: Sunset Rubdown - 'Us Ones In Between'

All the younger millennials/Gen Z writers at Jalopnik are on trips. Quick! Post eerie, strange early 2000s Canadian indie tunes.

2027 BMW iX3 Will Launch In U.S. With 434-Mile Range For $62,850

Wed, 06 May 2026 21:29:20 +0000

By Daniel Golson

When BMW revealed the fully electric iX3 back in September, it said the Neue Klasse crossover would have an estimated range of up to 400 miles on the EPA cycle, exceeding the iX by 60 miles and making it one of the longest-range EVs you can buy. Now BMW has released full pricing, details and range specs for the U.S.-spec iX3, and it's even better than we thought.

The SUV will first launch in dual-motor iX3 50 xDrive guise, which has 463 horsepower and 476 pound-feet of torque. Not bad at all, especially considering that with a starting price of $62,850 including destination, the iX3 is five grand cheaper than an X3 M50. Making it an even better deal is the iX3's official range rating: BMW says it will do 434 miles if you go for the 20-inch wheels with summer tires, but even the least-efficient setup will still do 383 miles on a charge. That makes the iX3 one of the longest-range EVs you can buy, being beat only by certain versions of the Lucid Air and Gravity, and GM's ginormous trucks.

Bigger wheels don't bring too big of a penalty

BMW

Standard fitment on the iX3 are 20-inch wheels with all-season tires, which will get you a 383-mile range, but the summer tires are a no-cost option, and there's a couple different designs to choose from. Upgrade to 21-inch wheels and the iX3 boasts a range of either 398 miles or 399 miles, depending on if you get summers or all-seasons, respectively. There are also two 22-inch wheel options that are only available with summer tires, which BMW says have a 392-mile range. This bodes really well for the iX3's sedan sibling, the i3, as BMW has already said it'll have an estimated 440-mile range.

The iX3's 800-volt architecture allows it to DC fast-charge at up to 400 kW, which can take it from 10% to 80% in 21 minutes, and 185 miles of range can be gained back in just 10 minutes of charging. In the U.S., a Tesla-style NACS port is standard. For $950 you can get a BMW Wallbox Plus home charger that can handle 15 kW of power, and BMW also offers multiple adapters for vehicle-to-home, vehicle-to-load and vehicle-to-vehicle functions.

Every iX3 already comes pretty well-equipped with features like the new Panoramic Vision display and that awesome rhombus-shaped touchscreen, ambient interior lighting, a wireless charger, digital key functionality, and BMW's Driving Assistant Plus active-safety suite along with active blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control with steering assist, automated emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, and parking sensors. The $750 Parking Assistance package adds a surround-view camera system and automated parking features, while the $2,500 Driving Assistance Professional package brings BMW's Level 2 hands-free driving Highway & Commuting Assist system that works at up to 85 mph.

There are some real colors

BMW

A $1,500 Comfort package adds a heated steering wheel, more-adjustable seats with massage, and a panoramic glass sunroof with UV and infrared protection. (That sunroof can be taken out of the package for a $750 credit, or separately added outside of the package for $950.) For $1,900, the Technology package gets you a 3D head-up display, a Harman Kardon premium sound system and the Iconic Glow lighting that illuminates the grille, complete with welcome and goodbye animations. The sound system is offered separately for $650, and the Iconic Glow for $850.

Other standalone options include $650 M Sport brakes with blue calipers, heated rear seats for $500, three-zone climate control for $200. BMW of course offers a $2,500 M Sport package that has its own interior and exterior styling cues, while the $4,000 M Sport Professional package has that look but with blacked-out trim. Best of all, the iX3 comes in some real colors. On the outside there's Vegas Red Metallic, Ocean Wave Blue Metallic and Eucalyptus Green Metallic, plus the option of a satin-finish silver that does look cool. Inside, you can get the veganza upholstery in Castanea red, Digital White or, my favorite, Agave Green (shown above). If you want real leather, it only comes in black.

BMW says the iX3 will start reaching dealers on September 25, but customers can currently build their spec on the now-live configurator, put down a $1,000 deposit on the website, and reserve the car through their preferred dealership.

2026 Aston Martin DB12 S Turns Up The Volume

Wed, 06 May 2026 21:29:20 +0000

By Daniel Golson

I've been living in Los Angeles for nearly six years, and ever since my first week here my favorite thing to do is go for a drive along the Pacific Coast Highway through Malibu. Even if the sky is grey and I'm in a boring car, cruising that winding route with the ocean by my side is always freeing. It clears my mind, improves my mood and sparks my creativity, with a bonus of being host to some of the best driving roads in the country. Some cars are much better than others at a weekend drive on PCH, though, and being behind the wheel of a bright orange Aston Martin DB12 S on a sunny day, it's hard to think of something greater.

The formula here is the same as in the DBX S and Vantage S: Aston made a bunch of little tweaks to the DB12's powertrain, chassis and styling that result in a car that's a bit shoutier and more engaging. On the canyon roads above PCH it's not quite as sharp or sporty as its Vantage S sibling, but the DB12 S makes up for that in increased grand touring ability, and perhaps an even greater visual punch — at least when you've got a color scheme as absurd as the one on my test car.

Full disclosure: Aston Martin gave me the keys to a DB12 S for an afternoon so I could drive it from Westlake Village to Malibu and back.

Plenty of power

Daniel Golson/Jalopnik

Under the DB12's very long hood is the same Mercedes-AMG–derived twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 that's in every other Aston save for the Vanquish. It's now got 690 horsepower, an increase of 20 horses over a standard DB12 and 19 more than the Vantage S, with torque staying the same at 590 pound-feet. (The ridiculously good DBX S has them both beat with 717 hp and 664 lb-ft.) Aston says the DB12 S will hit 60 mph in 3.4 seconds, a tenth quicker than the DB12 but a tenth slower than the Vantage S, and 100 mph arrives in 7.0 seconds.

This isn't really a "numbers" car, though. It feels both quick and fast, of course, but not noticeably more so than a normal DB12. Much more important is how Aston increased the accelerator's responsiveness, giving it a specific drive-by-wire throttle mapping and a more progressive feel to the pedal. Combined with shift times that have been reduced by more than 50% and other shift calibration changes, the powertrain is definitely more reactive to driver inputs and more satisfying to wring out.

Daniel Golson/Jalopnik

What really ups the drama is the new exhaust setup fitted to the S. Instead of the DB12's fairly subtle pair of round pipes, the DB12 S gets two rectangular exhaust tips stacked on top of each other in each corner of the bumper. This active stainless steel system has a much deeper bass than the base car's, and it sounds awesome. It's got a more hearty bellow tone than the Vantage, and it'll make plenty of barks and pops and bangs. Sadly my test car doesn't have the optional titanium exhaust, which saves 26 pounds of weight and increases not only overall volume but the bass, mid and treble.

S is for sharper

Daniel Golson/Jalopnik

Even though Aston slashed gearshift times, the 8-speed automatic transmission is my biggest problem with the DB12 S. Its programming is pretty good, but it's not as eager to downshift on its own as I'd like. Redline comes at you really fast in second gear, so even in fairly slow corners you have to go into third, which then feels a bit sluggish. Don't get me wrong, this car will blast out of a corner, the gearing just isn't as suited for canyon carving as in the Vantage. This isn't so much of a problem on roads made up of longer sweepers, like on Mulholland.

The DB12 already was a big upgrade over the DB11 in terms of handling dynamics, and the S takes the chassis a little further. Its rear anti-roll bar is 7% stiffer, the steering and electronic rear differential have been recalibrated, the Bilstein DTX dampers have better pitch and roll control, and the camber, castor and toe have been changed. Turn-in is more precise, the car rotates more easily around tight turns, and the handling feels a little more balanced and neutral overall. This isn't an outright sports car, but it's fun, and it feels more agile than you'd expect given the car's size. Buyers of the DB12 S will be more than pleased when they decide to go for a weekend rip in the canyons.

Daniel Golson/Jalopnik

They'll be pleased when they have to step on the brakes, too. Large carbon-ceramic brakes are standard, which allowed Aston's engineers to more finely tune the suspension setup. New software makes the car more stable when trail braking, and the rear-axle torque vectoring is more predictable and consistent. There's no annoying sounds or fade from the brakes even after a day of pretty hard driving, and they're easy to modulate around town.

The default drive mode is GT, with Sport and Sport+ each adding more layers of performance and sporty character. Aston made the differences between the drive modes more stark, and it does feel very intense in Sport+. In their softer settings, the Bilstein DPX dampers provide a fairly smooth ride fitting of a big luxury coupe, and it doesn't get too choppy or rough even in the stiffer setting. It's quiet inside at freeway speeds, the seats are very comfortable, and the interior feels really high quality. Gliding along PCH on a sunny day, making use of that more-responsive gas pedal and louder exhaust every so often, the DB12 S feels right at home. It's much calmer when cruising than the Vantage, which is basically always "on" — its base drive mode is Sport.

It deserves a spec like this

Daniel Golson/Jalopnik

Not much visually distinguishes the DB12 S from the base car, but the DB12 is already a phenomenal thing to behold. There's a more complex front splitter, new hood vents that extract more air from the engine, a lower side skirt, a redesigned diffuser holding the stacked exhaust, and a fixed spoiler. All of those changes are apparently functional, improving aerodynamics or reducing lift. You also get enamel S badges on the front fenders, and unique embroidery and logos inside that are both embossed and debossed.

And man, can we talk about this spec for a moment? The exterior color is called Synapse Orange, and it costs $9,700. For how good it looks in the sunlight, and for how many looks I get in it, I'd say it's worth it. This car also has $16,000 in twill carbon-fiber trim on the lower parts of the exterior and $13,300's worth on the upper parts, with the carbon roof being another $6,700. The gloss black grille is a comparative bargain at $800, but the center of the rear diffuser being matched to the body color? That'll be $7,200.

Daniel Golson/Jalopnik

Inside is where Aston's PR team really went wild with the spec. Going for a tri-tone leather scheme adds $11,200 to the sticker, with the three colors here being Californian Poppy, Forest Green and Light Argento Metallic. The Poppy sections added $6,400 to the sticker, and the Obsidian Black carpets another $2,400. Aston Martin's latest interior designs look fine in darker colors or more muted tones, but an outrageous scheme like this is so much better, and the S-specific color split is very cool. I don't mind the carbon-fiber trim inside ($10,800), as the pieces are thin and well-sculpted, though wood trim would look even cooler.

Worth the upgrade

Daniel Golson/Jalopnik

As with the other S models, it feels like an easy choice to go with the DB12 S over a regular DB12 because it's not much more expensive in the grand scheme of things — the DB12 S starts at $272,000 before any added charges, which is just $10,000 more than the base car. Those carbon-ceramic brakes cost $14,400 on a normal DB12, so those being standard alone make the S a bargain. You do have to give up $4,000 for destination and $1,000 for a gas-guzzler tax, and the window sticker also shows an "import costs" line that's a whopping $23,100. With all of the options included, my test car comes out to a cool $400,300.

That's a lot of dough, but it's about in line with its main competitor, the Bentley Continental GT. The Bentley is probably the better overall car, and maybe even sportier than the Aston. Its gorgeous looks are out-gorgeous'd by the DB12, though, especially in such a superhero-like color scheme. The Aston has more flair and sense of occasion than almost any other front-engine GT, and that certainly counts for something. A more reasonable DB12 S spec, without all of the unnecessary carbon fiber, would probably be around $325,000, a much easier pill to swallow.

Daniel Golson/Jalopnik

Pitting the DB12 S against the Vantage S — I drove both within a couple months of each other on almost the exact same route — the two cars feel like they're for different people and purposes despite being so similar under the skin. The Vantage is more exciting all of the time, a real focused sports car, while the DB12 has the drama and breadth of ability you want from a GT. I don't think they'd be out of place in a garage together, either. The Vantage is much cheaper, starting at under $200k, but for the people buying Aston Martins, I don't think it really matters whether or not the DB12 S is "worth" the extra 70-ish grand over its sibling.

What matters is how the DB12 S makes you feel when you see it (and are seen in it), the excited shiver up your spine when you rev the engine, the smile it elicits when you whip around a corner. With this new variant, Aston Martin turned up the volume — in terms of visual impact, driver engagement, and of course literal volume — to great effect. On a perfect day driving on the perfect road, the DB12 S feels special, and that's why you want a car like this.

Little Tikes Cozy Coupe Goes Woke With Pretend EV Charger

Wed, 06 May 2026 21:29:20 +0000

You know what I've had? It. One of the last unaffected bastions of the American childhood experience has finally tumbled to the ground, and now everything is officially political. Those with weak stomachs be warned, what you're about to read may upset you. The Woke Mind Virus appears to have taken over the product planning department at Little Tikes, the maker of the iconic Cozy Coupe children's toy car, since it is now offering a pretend EV charger accessory for the red-and-yellow foot-powered toy. The kids are officially cooked.

Okay, I may be catastrophizing a bit. Little Tikes isn't forcing EV propaganda onto America's youth, it's just offering it as an alternative to the Cozy Coupe's long-standing gas pump accessory. Given that the entire Cozy Coupe (as well as the EV charger accessory itself) is made from petrochemicals, it's almost ironic, in fact. The Cozy E-Charging station has a battery-powered button-activated charging noise function, glow-in-the-dark decals, and a "plug" that's compatible with the Cozy Coupe's fuel door.

The Cozy Coupe has played a role in the imaginations of America's youth since 1979, with over 10 million sold by 2009; it even became the best-selling car in 1991 with an annual production of over 500,000 units, according to Car and Driver. With the introduction of the Cozy E-Charging Station, Little Tikes says it "Introduces eco-friendly concepts through fun, engaging pretend play."

This new Cozy E-Charging Station is nowhere near as ornate as the classic Cozy Pumper, which is also compatible with Cozy Coupes and has eyes and a mouth as well as interactive pin pad and fuel grade selection, but the charger looks arguably more realistic.In another parallel to reality, the Cozy E-Charging Station is also slightly more expensive than the Cozy Pumper, with a price of $32.99 compared to the Pumper's $29.99 price tag. It's a shame those government incentives were taken away — maybe the kids could have learned a thing or two about tax breaks for the wealthy folks who can afford to spend more money on new technologies.

This SUV's Reputation As Longest-Lasting Isn't Just Hearsay

Wed, 06 May 2026 21:29:19 +0000

By Monday Goma

The average car on U.S. roads today is nearly 13 years old (12.8 to be exact), according to an S&P Global Mobility study. That figure underlines how durable cars have become, seeing as back in 2000, the average was just nine years. One modern vehicle that really epitomizes durability is the Toyota Sequoia. In fact, an iSeeCars study found that it is the longest-lasting vehicle in the world, with a 39.1% chance of hitting 250,000 miles or more.

This finding validates what many gearheads and Toyota aficionados have known for years: Sequoias are nearly indestructible. People have stories of their Sequoias hitting 250,000 miles with nothing more than preventative maintenance. Among the numerous highlights is a 2004 Toyota Sequoia that was posted on YouTube in 2014, having clocked 600,000 miles.

But you don't have to limit yourself to the Tundra-based full-size SUV if you're in the market for a rugged and reliable car. Close behind the Sequoia in the iSeeCars study rankings is the midsize Toyota 4Runner, with a 32.9% chance of making it to 250,000 miles. The Toyota Highlander Hybrid (31.0%) is third on the list, with the Toyota Tundra (30.0%) and Lexus IS (27.5%) coming fourth and fifth out of the 25 models in the study.

Toyota

Toyota is known for manufacturing well-engineered, overbuilt engines that are made to run for a long time, and some of them have found their way into the Sequoia. The 4.7-liter 2UZ-FE V-8 nestled beneath the hood of the first-generation Sequoia is one good example. It was designed specifically for trucks and was built with incredibly strong internals to withstand heavy loads and prolonged use. Keep in mind, though, that the 2UZ is an interference engine and uses a timing belt instead of a chain, which has a much longer lifespan. If the timing belt snaps while running, it could ultimately damage your pistons, valves, and other engine components, which is why it is recommended to replace it after 90,000 miles.

For its second-generation run, the Sequoia was offered with the 5.7-liter 3UR-FE V-8 engine that became famous for its robust construction and bulletproof reliability. Where the 4.7-liter V-8 came with a cast iron block and timing belt, the 5.7 V-8 utilized aluminum. The 5.7 also featured a timing chain instead of a belt as part of efforts to improve reliability and reduce long-term maintenance costs.

For the 2010 model year, the 4.6-liter 1UR-FE V-8 was introduced as a replacement for the entry-level 4.7 2UZ-FE V-8. Although it proved to be a short-lived effort, as Toyota dropped the 4.6 after the 2012 model year, leaving the 5.7-liter V-8 the sole powertrain option for the remainder of the second-generation. The current third-generation Toyota Sequoia, meanwhile, features a new i-FORCE MAX hybrid engine in a marked departure from its predecessors, and its durability remains to be seen. Nonetheless, the iSeeCars list does instill confidence that it could be just as long-lasting as the previous Toyota V-8 powerplants.

Billionaire Ted Turner Once Budgeted His Cash By Daily Driving A Toyota Cressida

Wed, 06 May 2026 21:29:19 +0000

Ted Turner, the American media titan, billionaire, environmentalist, and philanthropist, died Wednesday at 87. Turner created CNN and a restaurant chain focused on conservationism, and he had one of the biggest personalities of any American businessman. However, despite all of his enormous wealth and success, environmentalism was always among his biggest passions in life. So much so that he drove frugal, fuel-sipping cars for most of his adult life. In recent years, Turner was known for driving a Prius, but his automotive frugality goes back to the '70s and '80s, when at one point he drove a Toyota Cressida.

He didn't only drive fuel-sipping economy cars, though. Turner owned all sorts of stuff over his many decades of driving life, including a Ferrari that he might have even towed a boat with. But aside from the occasional splurge, Turner mostly chose to save money and fuel with his cars. So it's ironic that he used to drive a car that gets him certified car-nerd cred, since the Cressida was a cool, rear-wheel-drive luxury sedan that enthusiasts do 2JZ and LS swaps with.

PolAlVl/Shutterstock

It isn't uncommon to see famous rich people buying hybrids and EVs. For a time, the Prius was the it car in Hollywood, but Turner was driving in fuel-sippers long before the Prius came out. He was driving his cheap little Cressida in 1988, according to the New York Times, during the decade perhaps best known for its exuberance and excess. It was an era in which cops on TV drove Ferraris but Turner, someone much richer any cop from Miami or Hawaii, didn't daily such an Italian exotic.

According to Turner's own website, it was in 1973 when he traded in his Cadillac for a Toyota Corolla, following the oil embargo, and he seemingly never looked back. In 2010, Turner was an honoree at the Toyota-hosted 20th Environmental Media Awards in California, celebrating TV and movies that pushed environmentalist messages. That same year, during an interview with Stanford University, Turner proudly admitted his Prius ownership. "That's my main car and I'm a billionaire still," he said, "and I don't have a gigantic house, so I don't feel guilty about living there."

Turner leaves behind a frankly ridiculous legacy. The man created one of the largest media empires in history, was the largest land owner in America at one point (with 1.9 million acres), owned and temporarily managed the Atlanta Braves, founded Cartoon Network, and was even married to Jane Fonda for a decade, to name only a few achievements from his highlight reel. But for us car nerds, he'll also be known as the billionaire who used to rock around in one of the coolest classic Toyota sedans of them all.

Nissan's Roll-Up Tailgate For Pickup Trucks Is As Clever As It Is Confusing

Wed, 06 May 2026 21:29:19 +0000

Engineers at Ford and GM better get their thinking caps on. Somehow, in a modern pickup truck market in which most tailgates move like Transformers, Nissan might have just come up with the most unnecessarily complicated design yet. Rather than have a tailgate that can bend and fold in every which direction, Nissan designed one that simply gets out of the way entirely. A new Nissan patent filing, originally spotted by Autoblog, shows off a tailgate that rolls up into the bed like a garage door.

Every major pickup truck maker has some kind of unconventional tailgate system. GM has the MultiPro tailgate that folds in several different ways, Ford has the Pro Access tailgate that has a side-hinged door in the middle of it, and Honda's Ridgeline tailgate is hinged at the bottom and at one side, so it can either fold down or open sideways. Nissan's idea is to just slide it completely out of the way, and I'm not sure how much more helpful that is than just dropping the tailgate down as you would on any pickup truck in history.

Paramount Pictures/YouTube

According to patent drawings, the tailgate is split horizontally, with an upper and lower section. Both sections have their own handle, which looks odd, but each handle does something different. The top handle opens the tailgate normally, allowing it to simply drop down. But the second handle unlocks the slide function, allowing you to slide it up and backwards. It moves along tracks that sit just beneath the top of the bed rails, so it will slide underneath any tonneau covers or tie-down points. The drawing shows that the tailgate sections can slide toward the back of the bed and then take a 90-degree turn down, mirroring its original position only upside down.

The patent also suggests this system can be powered, which would make retrieving the tailgate from the back of the bed much easier. It would be kinda cool if it worked via the key fob, too. You could open your tailgate like you would one an SUV.

But I'm still struggling to see the point of this. What good does it do to not have a tailgate in place, but also not have the benefit of the extended floor you get by dropping the tailgate down? Getting cargo from the back of the bed might be easier this way, but that could be as easily achieved with a side-swinging hinge. We even know that keeping a tailgate in place improves fuel economy.

Now, this doesn't mean Nissan is definitely going to make this "garage door" tailgate. Car companies try to patent stuff all the time, just to call dibs so no one else comes out with their idea first. But with truck companies making more and more complex tailgates, I wouldn't be surprised if Nissan puts this into production.

10 Used Crossovers With Surprisingly Large Cargo Capacities

Wed, 06 May 2026 21:29:18 +0000

By Ivo Gievski

We own more stuff than at any point in human history. Naturally, we are also hauling more stuff than ever before in our cars, so we need vehicles with big trunks. Station wagons would be an obvious choice, but only a few such models remain on sale in the United States. Nowadays, crossovers are a better option than sedans, as they provide 1.5 times the cargo capacity while costing just 5% more on average, according to Consumer Reports.

And while modern crossovers have tremendous cargo capacities, they can be expensive. Used crossovers won't break the bank but will still provide you with enough space for all your belongings — and we aren't talking just about mid-size or large crossovers. Many used subcompact and compact crossovers have surprisingly large cargo capacities, no matter if the back seats are in place or not. So let's have a closer look at some used crossovers that punch above their weight.

2014 to Present Kia Soul (24.2 cu. ft. / 62.1 cu. ft.)

Kia

The Kia Soul is a case study in how boxy shapes maximize interior volume. The third-generation model, which has recently been discontinued, measures just 165.2 inches long, 70.9 inches wide, and 63 inches high, yet it has a sizeable 24.2 cu. ft. cargo capacity with all seats in place. Fold the rear seats, and the capacity grows to an astonishing 62.1 cu. ft. The second-gen Kia Soul is also great for hauling cargo. It has the same 24.2 cu. ft. capacity with the seats in place, and 61.3 cu. ft. with the rear seats folded. And at 163 inches long, it's even shorter than its successor.

But the last two generations of the Kia Soul are also good for carrying people, with both seating rows offering enough room for adults. The trunk also has a dual-level floor, which can be raised to deliver a flat loading floor with the rear seats folded. Yes, it's a very practical little thing, but we also found the 2023 Kia Soul GT-Line very charming. It's just a cool-looking car, and with the 1.6-liter turbocharged engine with 201 hp, it's peppy off the line.

Unfortunately, the turbo-four was short-lived, with Kia discontinuing it for the 2023 model year. Still, you can get the third-gen Soul with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder with 147 hp. Prices for the third-gen model range from $13,000 to $18,000. Meanwhile, the second-gen Soul came with a weak 1.6-liter engine with 130 hp, a 2.0-liter unit with 164 hp, or as an EV. Prices for the second-gen model range between $7,000 and $16,000.

2003 to 2011 Honda Element (25.1 cu. ft. / 74.6 cu. ft.)

Honda

The Honda Element is easily one of the weirdest cars sold in the U.S. since the start of the millennium. Some would say it looks dorky, others might find it cool, but there is no question that the Element is a practical little thing. How little? Well, at launch, it measured just 166.5 inches long, 71.5 inches wide, and 70.4 inches high, meaning it was only slightly bigger than the Kia Soul. The facelifted Element grew a tiny bit, but at 169.9 inches long and 71.6 inches wide, it retained its tiny footprint.

Inside, the Element felt like a crossover from the class above. Both seating rows could comfortably accommodate adults, and you could fold all seats flat to turn the interior into a giant sleeping area or surfboard storage. One can only hope that Honda brings back the Element. It would be perfect for the overlanding crowd — no tents required. And it gets better. The Element's cargo area can swallow 25.1 cu. ft. with the rear seats up, or 70.1 cu. ft. with them folded. However, you could also remove the seats entirely and get a cavernous 74.6 cu. ft. of volume.

You must be thinking that Honda botched it in the engine department, but no — the Element was equipped with the legendary K24 engine. With 160 hp initially and 166 hp after the upgrade, the 2.4-liter four-cylinder was never fast, but it's a very stout, reliable engine. The Element was also available with 4WD, making it an outstanding surfer car. Used Honda Elements range between $4,000 and $10,000.

2022 to Present Volkswagen Taos FWD (27.9 cu. ft. / 65.9 cu. ft.)

Volkswagen

The Volkswagen Taos lacks the personality of the Kia Soul and Honda Element, but hey, the same is true for most current crossovers. Crucially, the front-wheel-drive version of this subcompact crossover packs a surprisingly large cargo capacity of 27.9 cu. ft. with all seats in place, or 65.9 cu. ft. with the rear seats folded. The 4WD Taos has a smaller, but still usable 24.9 cu. ft. trunk, which grows to 60.2 cu. ft. with the rear seats folded.

Unfortunately, the Taos' seats don't fold flat, which limits practicality a bit. To its credit, Volkswagen equipped its smallest crossover with a spare tire, which is increasingly rare nowadays. What's more, the Taos has plenty of room for adults in both rows — impressive considering it is just 175.8 inches long and 72.5 inches wide.

The Taos was first introduced in the U.S. in 2022, and came exclusively with a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine. With 158 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque, it's not hugely powerful, but gets the job done. The facelifted 2025 Volkswagen Taos we reviewed was bumped to 174 hp, though, giving it a bit more oomph.

There are some caveats you need to be aware of, though. Notably, the FWD model is equipped with a torsion beam at the rear, while the AWD model has a multilink setup. Moreover, before the facelift, the Taos FWD came with a regular eight-speed automatic, while the AWD was offered with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. Prices on the used market start at around $17,000 and go up to $28,000.

2006 to 2012 Toyota RAV4 (37.2 cu. ft. / 73 cu. ft.)

Toyota

At 181.1 inches long, 71.5 inches wide, and 66.3 inches high, the third-gen RAV4 is significantly larger than the previous entries on this list. However, it was also the first compact crossover with seating for seven! The optional third row was a bit cramped, but it could accommodate young children.

Perhaps more problematic was the 12.3 cu. ft. cargo volume with all three rows in place, which was somewhat limiting. However, the five-seat model had a spacious, 37.2 cu. ft. trunk with all seats in place, and up to 73 cu. ft. with the rear seats folded. Passengers could enjoy ample space in both seating rows, too. Do we need to mention the third-gen RAV4 also came with a full-size spare?

This was also the first RAV4 to be equipped with a V6 engine, which gave it performance on par with some sports cars from its era. With 269 hp and 246 lb-ft on tap, the 3.5-liter unit brought Toyota's compact crossover to 60 in 6.3 seconds, according to Car and Driver. A five-speed auto was standard on the V6. The base RAV4 came with a more sedate 2.4-liter unit, good for 166 hp and 165 lb-ft of torque, or 179 hp and 172 lb-ft of torque in later models. The four-cylinder came exclusively with a four-speed auto. Third-gen RAV4 prices range between $5,000 and $12,000 on the used market.

2022 to Present Hyundai Tucson (38.7 cu. ft. / 73.8 cu. ft.)

Nissan

Hyundai introduced the latest Tucson for the 2022 model year, and it was quite the upgrade. It looked way more futuristic than its bland predecessor, and brought new hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains. The Tucson got bigger on the inside, too. While the previous generation model had a middling 31 cu. ft. trunk capacity, the 2022 Tucson offered significantly more usable cargo space of 38.7 cu. ft. With the rear seats folded, the capacity grew to cavernous 73.8 cu. ft.

Crucially, the Tucson Hybrid had the same cargo capacity as the regular model. The electrified version is also faster and more efficient. Equipped with a 1.6-liter turbo-four and a 59-hp electric motor, the Tucson Hybrid produced 226 hp and returned an EPA-rated 36 mpg combined. Meanwhile, the base 2.5-liter four-cylinder produces only 187 hp and is only good for 29 mpg combined. With 261 hp on tap, the Tucson PHEV was the most powerful of the bunch, though. It could also travel 32 miles on electricity alone, thanks to the 13.8-kWh battery. Unfortunately, the large battery reduced the cargo capacity to 31.9 cu. ft. with the seats up and 66.3 cu. ft. with the seats folded.

Hyundai further refined the formula in the refreshed 2025 Hyundai Tucson, which came with an upgraded infotainment system. The regular hybrid was also bumped to 231 hp, while the PHEV version produced 268 hp. Cargo capacity remained the same, though. Depending on the model year, used Tucson prices range from $20,000 to $30,000 or more.

2007 to 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander (39.3 cu. ft. / 69.2 cu. ft.)

Mitsubishi

The latest Mitsubishi Outlander is one of the few compact crossovers with three seating rows, and a great showcase of practicality and comfort. But Mitsubishi's popular crossover has always aced the practicality game since the second-gen model, which had a massive cargo volume of 39.3 cu. ft. with all seats in place. This figure remained the same in 4WD models and grew to 69.2 cu. ft. with the rear seats folded.

Much like the third-gen RAV4, the Outlander was also available with a third row, suitable for young children. Meanwhile, space in the first two rows was sufficient even for taller adults. An interesting feature was the flip-down liftgate, which extended the trunk when you needed to load longer items. It helped with loading the trunk, too.

The third-gen Outlander was available in the U.S. with a 3.0-liter V6 and a six-speed automatic, though that powertrain was exclusive to the top-tier GT trim, while other models came with a 2.4-liter four-cylinder and a CVT. With 220 hp and 204 lb-ft on tap, the engine wasn't as potent as the RAV4's 3.5-liter V6, but it was an upgrade over the base four-cylinder engines of its rivals. According to Car and Driver, the Outlander needed 8.1 seconds to reach 60 mph. Prices for the third-gen Mitsubishi Outlander range from about $8,000 to $20,000.

2020 to 2025 Subaru Outback (32.5 cu. ft. / 75.7 cu. ft.)

Subaru

The new 2026 Subaru Outback stretched the boundaries of what we previously considered a lifted station wagon. It still has a wagon-type body, but it now leans more toward crossover territory. Meanwhile, the previous Outback was primarily a wagon, based on the Legacy sedan, but with more rugged, off-road bits added.

What mattered was that the wagon body translated into a very practical interior. The sixth-gen Outback could swallow 32.5 cu. ft. with all five seats in place, growing to an excellent 75.7 cu. ft. with the rear seats folded. Furthermore, the Outback's low trunk lip made loading heavier items easier than in a regular crossover.

Okay, those are some standard features for a station wagon, but what about the crossover part? Well, despite its wagon roots, the sixth-gen Outback is actually a more capable off-roader than most crossovers. Every trim came standard with AWD and 8.7 inches of ground clearance, making it usable on light terrain.

Prices of the sixth-gen Outback range between $17,000 and $35,000. You can choose between two engines paired with CVTs. The base 2.5-liter boxer produces just 182 hp and feels lethargic, while the 2.4-liter turbocharged boxer produces 260 hp. The latter may be better suited for the Outback, bringing it to 60 in 6.3 seconds according to Car and Driver.

2014 to 2020 Nissan Rogue (39.3 cu. ft. / 70 cu. ft.)

Nissan

The current generation of the Nissan Rogue debuted in 2021, bringing sharper looks, improved driving dynamics, and a high-tech interior. Now, the previous, second-gen model looked duller, but it's the more practical crossover. With all five seats in place, it can swallow 39.3 cu. ft. worth of cargo, compared to 36.5 cu. ft. for its successor. In addition, the 2014-2020 Rogue came with the Divide-N-Hide removable shelf, which allowed different loading configurations. That said, the newer Rogue has more space with the rear seats folded (74.1 cu. ft. vs. 70 cu. ft.).

Unlike the latest Rogue, which is strictly a five-seater, the previous model was also available with an optional third row. Those seats were tiny, though, and really suited only for toddlers. Not to mention, with all seven seats in place, the cargo capacity is down to a barely usable 9.4 cu. ft. Still, the saving grace are the first two rows, which offer plenty of room for adults.

Perhaps the biggest limitation of the second-gen Rogue was the underpowered 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with 170 hp and 175 lb-ft of torque. Nissan kept the same engine in the facelifted 2017 Rogue, which made it the least powerful base AWD compact crossover at the time. What's more, it was only available with a CVT, though at least you could get AWD. Prices for the second-gen Rogue range from $7,500 to $16,000.

2019 to 2025 Honda Passport (41.2 cu. ft. / 77.9 cu. ft.)

Honda

With a more rugged design and new off-road hardware, the brand-new 2026 Honda Passport has dipped its toes deep into adventure territory. But that's not to say it threw practicality out the window — the 2026 Passport has a class-leading cargo space of 44 cu. ft. with the rear seats up, and up to an astonishing 83.8 cu. ft. with the seats folded.

Still, at $46,445 (including destination fees), the latest Passport is quite expensive. Fortunately, you can purchase the previous model for as little as $20,000 without losing much on the practicality front. Launched for the 2019 model year, the third-gen Passport packed a sizeable 41.2 cu. ft. trunk behind the rear bench and 77.9 cu. ft. with the seats folded. The cabin is also plenty spacious for adults, with seats that make longer journeys more comfortable. That said, despite competing in the mid-size category, the Passport wasn't available with a third row.

Like the current model, the 2019 Passport came with a 3.5-liter V6, good for 280 hp. Paired to a nine-speed automatic, the V6 brought the Passport to 60 in just 5.8 seconds according to Car and Driver. And it's not just straight-line speed; the Passport also drives well in the corners without sacrificing ride comfort. Not to mention, the 2019 Honda Passport is still solid as a casual adventure SUV. 4WD models had a decent 8.1 inches of ground clearance, including the TrailSport trim, introduced in the refreshed 2022 Passport.

2009 to 2019 Ford Flex (20 cu. ft. / 43.2 cu. ft. / 83.2 cu. ft.)

Paul79UF/YouTube

Ford discontinued the Flex after the 2019 model year — not at all surprising for a vehicle with a station wagon shape, though with 5.9 inches of ground clearance, it's more of a crossover. But we'd argue that people didn't appreciate the Ford Flex enough. After all, it's a perfect remake of the classic American station wagon, with a sleek, squared-off design that stands out from the crowd. This is particularly true for the refreshed 2013 Flex, which is quite the looker.

That boxy design paid its dividends inside. The Flex had three seating rows inside, with the first two providing passengers with ample space in all directions. Behind the third row, there was a decently sized 20 cu. ft. cargo area, which grew to 43.2 cu. ft. with the third row folded. With only the two front seats in place, the Flex transformed into a cargo van with an excellent 83.2 cu. ft. capacity. The best part? The second and third rows folded completely flat.

But the Flex was not only practical; with the right engine, it was also a rocket in a straight line. And that engine would be the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6, which produced a whopping 365 hp. Accompanied by the standard six-speed auto, the EcoBoost brought the Flex to 60 in just 6.2 seconds, according to Car and Driver. The boxy crossover was also available with a naturally aspirated V6, initially good for 265 hp, or 285 hp after the 2013 refresh. Prices of used Ford Flex crossovers range between $8,000 and $26,000.

8 Celebrities Who Love Motorcycles With A Passion

Tue, 05 May 2026 21:11:20 +0000

By Andrew Ekuwem

Paparazzi often go crazy about celebrities and their love for cars and watches. They're not as loud about motorcycles, despite two-wheelers being arguably more ubiquitous in the hands of collectors. And yet, movie stars like Steve McQueen, Keanu Reeves, and Tom Cruise have helped shape the way pop culture views motorcycles through Hollywood. In their hands and on the big screen, you can see iconic vintage Harley-Davidsons, ultra-cool Ducatis, BMWs, and much more. Across them all, one common theme remains: passion.

Cars are great, but motorcycles offer a more intimate connection. For celebrities constantly under scrutiny, that matters. It's easier to disappear on a Triumph Tiger 800 than in a loud, attention-grabbing Lamborghini Aventador SVJ. And for many stars, that freedom isn't just a hobby. It's an escape, and in some cases, a way of life. We're not here to say who has the largest or priciest two-wheeled fleet, but to talk about celebrities with an itch only a motorcycle can scratch. Here are eight celebrities who love motorcycles with a passion.

Jay Leno

Getty Images/Getty Images

It should come as no surprise that the man with one of the most enviable garages in the world loves motorcycles. That man is Jay Leno, a TV host-turned-collector with an exquisite 180-plus car collection featuring some of the most expensive cars in the world, complemented by a fleet of over 160 motorbikes. Leno finds, buys, and keeps these bikes — not because he wants them as mere collectibles, but because he actually loves riding. As he once wrote with Hagerty Magazine, "Riding keeps you sharp, that's for sure. But best of all, it makes me feel young."

Starting with his very first bike — a modest 350 cubic-centimeter Honda — his collection has grown into a rolling archive of motorcycling history. His garage now houses samples such as a 1952 Vincent Black Lightning, and a 1955 Egil-Vincent Black Shadow. There's also a 1922 Megola and a helicopter-engine-powered MTT Manufacturing Y2K bike. However, the crown jewels of his fleet are undoubtedly the several Brough Superiors – bikes that have been favorably compared to Rolls-Royce.

Keanu Reeves

Jun Sato/Getty Images

"When I don't ride a motorcycle, I go through withdrawal. It's not good for my health." These words from Keanu Reeves to GQ Magazine sum up the actor's obsession with bikes. So it's odd to hear that some of Reeves' early film contracts banned him from riding, but it's not too shocking given the risks of a motorcycle crash to such a valuable star. But much like his character in "John Wick," Reeves didn't let some clause stop him from following a passion he's had since motorcycle gangs massed in the Yorkville section of Toronto, where he was living when he was 10 years old.

He learned to ride in while filming in Munich, starting on an Enduro. By 2011, that passion had evolved into brand ownership, with Reeves co-founding Arch Motorcycle. At the company's headquarters in Hawthorne, California sits his second-ever motorcycle, a 1973 Norton Commando 850 MK2A, notable for its rubber-mounted engine. Nearby is a 2004 998 Ducati, famously featured in the 2003 action film "The Matrix Reloaded."

Of course, there's the Arch line itself. The 124 cubic-inch V-Twin KRGT-1 wears a rigid, billet-aluminum chassis with a single-tube frame and a lightweight swingarm. The sportier Arch 1s Motorcycle features a mainshaft engineered for high-torque performance. A closing note on Reeves: he also highlighted motorcycles in his now-concluded 2025 limited TV series, "Visionaries," which covered multiple subjects focused on how far human innovation has come.

Ewan McGregor

Scott Barbour/Getty Images

Perhaps best known for his role as Obi-Wan Kenobi in three "Star Wars" films and a six-episode TV spinoff, Ewan McGregor is as passionate about motorcycles as he is about acting. In fact, he once told Esquire that riding is "the best feeling in the world." It's a passion rooted so deeply that it drove the Scottish actor — and his friend, Charley Boorman — to ride from London to New York in April 2004 for the TV series "Long Way Round." The duo did so astride a 1,130cc flat-twin BMW R1150GS, covering 22,345 miles across Europe, Asia, and North America.

15 years later, they were back at it, this time from the southern end of South America to Los Angeles. And they rode atop prototype electric-powered Harley-Davidson Livewires. Considering their electric nature, that trip could have led to many things going wrong, but both McGregor and Boorman managed to make the trip successfully.

McGregor's personal collection reflects both taste and history. Highlights include a 1972 Moto Guzzi V7 Sport, a 1974 Eldorado Police Bike (Moto Guzzi's most popular model), an Indian Larry-style Chopper (courtesy of the famous late New York Mechanic, Indian Larry), and a 1952 BSA Bantam D1. As a side note, classic motorcycle enthusiast and author Gordon May rode a vintage Bantam D1 of his own from the U.K. to Egypt and back in 2009. It makes for an interesting coincidence, even if McGregor didn't use the Bantam for his own cross-country trip.

Richard Hammond

Drivetribe/YouTube

Richard Hammond of "Top Gear" is a familiar name to car enthusiasts. What might not be quite as familiar is his love for bikes. In October 2025, he did something uncharacteristically revealing: He assembled his collection all in one place for a DriveTribe videoshoot. The lineup featured a who's who of the bike world, with a mid-'70s BMW R90S sitting just a concrete slab away from a Kawasaki ZXR 750 while a Brough Superior SS80 tries to humbly blend in with the crowd. His interest goes past just collecting. In an interview with Motorcycle News, Hammond says, "I just love riding motorcycles; not on track but just to ride. I love it."

The Suzuki Katana is also a proud member of Hammond's garage — one he rightly describes as "bedroom-wall poster territory" — as are two red Ducati 916s, one of them a 114-of-202 Carl Fogarty SPS limited edition sample. For reference, Fogarty is an English superbike legend who holds four world titles astride Ducatis. British bikes are also represented, with units such as an early 1930s OK-Supreme race bike and a Royal Enfield INT 650 (now owned by Eicher Motors of India). Elsewhere in the collection are standout pieces like a 1946 Indian Chief, a Yamaha FZR750, an Indian FTR R Carbon, a Suzuki GSX-R1100, and a BMW R 1200 RT.

Brad Pitt

Hollywood actor Brad Pitt has "always loved the bike," noting that he'd take them "over a car any day" when speaking with Shortlist. Pitt proudly counts himself among the devoted owners of iconic Harley-Davidson machines like the Harley-Davidson Panhead, but it's not this brand that can be best described as his fleet's pièce de résistance. That distinction belongs instead to the Custom 1974 Ducati Shinya Kimura and the Ecosse Titanium Series XX that grace his garage.

As with any creation by legendary Japanese motorcycle customizer Shinya Kimura, the bespoke Ducati carries a soul of its own: raw, minimalist, and unmistakably handcrafted down to its 3mm-thick aluminum tank. The ultra-exclusive Ecosse is an even better representative of the pinnacle of luxury motorcycling, pairing titanium bodywork with a monstrous 225 horsepower supercharged intercooled engine. Also tucked within Pitt's garage is a BMW R1150GS — the same model made famous by Ewan McGregor on his cross-continental tour — as well as a custom Roughchild Moto-built BMW R80, a Zero Engineering Type 9, a 989cc Ducati Desmodedici RR, and a Husqvarna Nuda 900R.

Ryan Reynolds

Bryan Rowland/YouTube

Hollywood star Ryan Reynolds once recalled in a short YouTube film that bikes saved him from the madness of Hollywood as a young actor. "I know it sounds, like, hyperbolic to say it, but bikes kind of saved my life. That was my outlet, that was my kind of place I would go." (Of course, that was before his time on "Deadpool" gave him even more widespread popularity.) Hyperbole or not, the truth is, the Canadian actor clearly finds solace on two wheels. His journey started humbly, with a "pile of crap" (in his own words) Honda CB750, bought when he was 15. Years later, deep into stardom, he stepped things up with a custom build of another CB750 from Raccia Motorcycles.

His collection isn't as glamorous as Jay Leno's or as storied as Richard Hammond's (even though he could certainly afford it with his multi-million-dollar net worth), but it's certainly not ordinary. One standout is a heavily customized Triumph Thruxton by Dustin Kott. Stripped down and rebuilt for performance and style, it features a redesigned rear, a new frame and seat, improved engine breathing via upgraded intake and exhaust, and — of course — bespoke paintwork. Reynolds also owns a Ducati Paul Smart 1000LE and an Arc motorcycle Vector model that's worth somewhere between $135,000 and $203,000.

Norman Reedus

CNET/YouTube

Nothing says "I love bikes" quite like hosting your own motorcycle travel series. We've seen it with Keanu Reeves and Ewan McGregor. Norman Reedus completes the trio with his "Ride with Norman Reedus" docuseries. But what of his actual rides? Let's start with the most unique one: an Indian Sport Chief Chopper specially built for him. It's redesigned from tank to tail for both striking style and rider comfort, with an upgraded 116ci V-Twin engine and refined components. Interestingly, before this build, Reedus had never rode on a motorcycle from the brand. He also owns a custom Hammerhead Jack Pine Triumph Scrambler and a replica of the custom Classified Moto-built 1992 Honda CB750 used in "The Walking Dead." Speaking of Hondas, the actor's first bike was a Honda Rebel.

Reedus also had a BMX Mongoose when he was little which he used as an escape mechanism: "It was an escape thing for me," he says in an interview with Mr. FeelGood, "and to feel like I was in control of something. So that turned into motorcycles ... you're by yourself, nobody can bother you, you can't answer the phone, it's just this sense of freedom."

Harley-Davidson's presence might be shutting down across America, but no collection is complete without it. Reedus checks that box with a 2008 Sportster alongside a vintage 1946 Knucklehead and a custom 1987 FXR. Reedus' taste, however, resides not in the Harleys — or even the Buell S1 Lightning from his earlier riding days — but the Triumph Tiger 800. "The Triumph Tiger is like a personal favorite of mine," he says in an interview with CNET.

David Beckham

TopHitVids/YouTube

For English soccer legend and the co-owner of Inter Miami team, David Beckham, motorcycles offer a special form of invisibility. As per The Daily Mail, David made an Instagram post that says "Clear your head, [freedom]'s all you have to think about." This mindset is reflected in the icon's collectibles, featuring a lineup of heritage and design. Think a custom "Super Vintage" 93-inch Knucklehead, a Confederate F131 Hellcat Combat, a British Customs DBSC, and two Triumphs: a Bonneville, and a custom 850 Street Scrambler.

The Triumph Bonneville T100 deserves spotlighting since it was his first major custom motorcycle. It was also used in his 2014 BBC documentary, "David Beckham Into the Unknown," which saw him and a trio of friends riding into the Amazon region of Brazil. The custom T100 has wheels laced with Sun Aluminum racing rims for easier flicking into corners and a Beringer four-piston racing brake for massive stopping power with minimal effort.

As impressive as the Bonneville is, it arguably won't turn more necks than Beckham's Super Vintage 93 Knucklehead. Powered by an S&S KN93 engine, this custom bike comes courtesy of the Garage Company and sports a deliberately rugged and worn-out finish. Plus, it carries the soul of a 1940s-style Knucklehead and blends it with modern engineering via the five-speed transmission and electric start.

At $12,000, Is This 1985 Chrysler LeBaron Convertible A Very Special K?

Tue, 05 May 2026 21:11:20 +0000

By Rob Emslie

The seller of today's Nice Price or No Dice LeBaron claims it has been "Babied its Whole Life!" That shows in the ad's pictures and the low 39,601 miles on the odometer. Let's see if this fancy pants K-Car can, as a result, command some serious cash.

With the Pontiac Fiero in 1984, General Motors introduced a new and innovative form of construction, comprising a space-frame chassis upon which plastic outer body panels are bolted and riveted. This method of production expanded to GM's shovel-nose minivans and the Saturn marque's entire early lineup. Today, only Chevy's Corvette still waves the flag as a plastic fantastic, as GM has otherwise reverted to more traditional chassis-and-body combos.

That's not to say that plastic doesn't play an important role in the contemporary auto industry. But instead of body panels, it's in the form of vinyl wraps that allow cars to change colors, serve as rolling billboards, and, more generally, create wrapping work that AI won't eventually make obsolete.

The 2009 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT-8 we looked at on Monday had an eye-wearing yellow wrap over its more staid black factory finish. It also had a handful of mods, mostly focused on air flow. Based on the comments, most of you hated the mods and, even more, loathed the wrap. The added cost of undoing the tomfoolery put added onus on the $14,900 asking price, which, once the dust settled, ended up in a hefty 76% "No Dice" loss.

Not Jon Voight

One factor driving down the desirability of thirsty SUVs like yesterday's Jeep is the ever-increasing cost of a gallon of gas. That has shot from a minor inconvenience to a major drain on the ol' wallet faster than a Mustang loses its composure leaving a car show.

The 1985 Chrysler LeBaron convertible standing before us today represents a response to another fuel crisis: the OPEC-driven supply strangulations of the 1970s. A double whammy during the disco days, constrained gas supplies drove the downsizing of models from American manufacturers, an explosion in sales of more fuel-efficient imports, and, most egregiously, a national speed limit of 55 miles per hour. Yawn.

As a result of these factors, Chrysler laid out a plan for a series of models based on a compact, lightweight front-wheel-drive format dubbed the K Platform. From basic rental-grade sedans to fancy landau-roofed luxury cars and the first American-built convertible since the 1976 Cadillac Eldorado, the K Car chassis spawned a cornucopia of models spanning almost every automotive niche imaginable. The LeBaron even found its way into popular culture, featuring prominently in both a memorable Seinfeld episode and as the "Automobile" in the beloved Thanksgiving season staple "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles."

The door is ajar

Both the Seinfeld and movie star LeBarons feature the Town and Country package, which notably offered faux-wood siding in the vein of Chrysler's '40s models of the same name. This car is the standard edition and lacks that frippery. Instead, it offers handsome burgundy paint matched with a white top, alloy wheels, and lots of skinny chrome trim. That color combination is carried over into the cabin, across a red dash and white leather seating surfaces. Atop that is some faux wood trim (so, sort of like the Town and County), and argent accents on the instrument cluster and factory AM/FM/cassette stereo. One fun feature of this generation of LeBaron is the oddball Electronic Voice Alert messenger. That announces in a scratchy synthesized voice, notifications such as "A door is ajar," or "Fuel level low." The system used the same speech chips as a Speak & Spell toy, so you probably can imagine exactly what this car sounds like. Hopefully, that is still functioning. The ad notes that the car has a meager 39,601 miles on the clock, while the seller describes its overall condition as excellent.

The turbo two-point-two

Also excellent is the engine under the hood. The twin vents in that hood make it known that that engine is the turbocharged 2.2-liter SOHC four: the LeBaron's top option for this year. While it lacks the intercooler that would extract even more power in later iterations, for its era, the 146 horsepower and 168 pound-feet of torque, both available at reasonably low rpms, are respectable.

Sharing space in the engine bay with the turbo four is an A413 TorqueFlite three-speed automatic transaxle driving the front wheels. Yes, that is a bit of a buzzkill until you realize the intended market for this model, as also evidenced by its whitewall tires and subtly pinstriped flanks.

Everything on the car looks to be in great condition, right down to the silver paint on its badging, which most typically gets rubbed off after years of car washes and baking in the sun. The interior is just as nice as the exterior, and so is the engine bay, although the latter could use a bit of detailing to really impress.

A hand-me-down

According to the seller, the LeBaron belonged to their dad, who babied the car its whole life. They also kept it out of trouble, as it's being sold with a clean title. For anyone with a sense of nostalgia for the 1980s, or someone looking to draw a crowd at the next Radwood, this car would probably prove a hit. That's, of course, if we find the $12,000 asking price just as show-worthy. And despite this being a "Dad's Car," which invites the inevitable expectation of "Dad Jokes" at its expense, the seller demands "Serious Inquiries Only."

What do you think? Is this excellent example of a fancy K Car worth that $12,000 asking as it sits? Or does that price have you thinking this is no "Le-Bargain?"

You decide!

Butte, Montana, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.

Help me out with Nice Price or No Dice. Hit me up at robemslie@gmail.com and send a fixed-price tip. Remember to include your commenter handle.

These Are The Famously Unreliable Cars You Would Magically Make Reliable

Tue, 05 May 2026 21:11:19 +0000

By Andy Kalmowitz

Having magical powers or getting three wishes from some sort of fairy godparent would be sick as hell. There's no doubt about that. I mean, the ability to do whatever you want is pretty hard to beat. For us car enthusiasts, we could even put those powers to use for something that would only benefit us: changing reality to make famously unreliable cars actually reliable. That idea is what led me to the question I asked you all last week.

I wanted to know what unreliable car — if you had some sort of mythical ability — would you turn reliable. There was also the added caveat (which many of you ignored) that you could only pick one car. Because of that, you had to choose very carefully. I mean, why waste such an awesome ability on a car that 1) isn't that unreliable and 2) doesn't cost that much to fix? To make your wish/magic worth it, you've gotta pick a real POS.

Luckily, you all did, and that's why there are some really wonderful cars that just happen to be ruinously terrible to maintain on today's list. That's enough out of me, though. How about you scroll on down below and check out the famously unreliable cars your fellow Jalops would magically turn reliable? If your car is on the list, I hope you're either rich or you've got the requisite magical powers.

Cadillac XLR

Cadillac

Also, parts are available and reasonable to replace. Many times I've said no to a well priced used example but been scared off by the potential Northstar and top issues

Submitted by: JaredOfLondon

Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio

Alfa Romeo

Such an awesome car, looks great, drives great, but comes with that Italian reliability.

Submitted by: Michael Tonelli

Volkswagen Phaeton

Volkswagen

It was an amazing car, especially in W12 form. I want one that runs forever without issue, please.

Submitted by: DTEL77

E60 BMW M5

BMW

Easy. BMW E60 M5, and its gloriously fragile V10.

Submitted by: teauxmater

Jaguar XJR

Jaguar

The 00's era XJRs.

Submitted by: Chongolian

Volkswagen Touareg V10 TDI

Volkswagen

5.0L twin turbo diesel with 310 hp and 553 ft-lb of torque. With flawless reliability? YES PLEASE.

Submitted by: msuitepyon

Saab 9-5

Saab

SAAB 9-5 sedans and wagons. Love those! I like that they are a bit boxier in styling than modern cars, I love the features inside, especially night mode and the air cooled seats. The huge trunk on the sedan. The tough cage. Just need to solve the pesky electrical problems.

Submitted by: MMOSB

BMW 6 Series

BMW

Most recent BMW 6 series. They got the styling right. In dark colors it looks stunning. If it had Lexus LS type quality instead of plastics that crack and dissolve after so many heat cycles and age, it would be a car to keep 20+ years.

Submitted by: Tex

Volkswagen CC

Volkswagen

I always thought the VW CC was a nice looking car but would NEVER buy one.I actually enjoy driving the cars I own.

Submitted by: Bruno

Land Rover Range Rover

Land Rover

Maybe Range Rovers' reliability isn't as terrible as their running jokes make them out to be. But it was enough that it prevented me from buying one. I would love a reliable Defender or Rover.

Submitted by: Long time lurker

996 Porsche 911

Porsche

Early 2000s P-car's IMS and cylinder bore issues. Some of those are very cheap and the potential issues could be part of that reason but they're such good cars and it's a shame that those issues exist.

Submitted by: FragOut

Trump Makes Good On Promise To Hike Tariffs On European Cars To 25%

Tue, 05 May 2026 21:11:19 +0000

In this morning's edition, if you thought tariffs on European cars were settled business, you don't know Trump. Plus EU regulators are skeptical of Tesla's so-called "Full self-driving" software, Honda is keeping models around longer to help with its EV drawdown costs, and the rental car giant Avis is having a wild couple of weeks in the markets.

1st Gear: Trump tacks on 25% tariff to tied-up trade tiff

Roberto Schmidt/Getty Images

We told you on Monday that Trump was threatening a tariff rate hike on European cars, and here we are. Nothing is "official" official yet, but U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told Reuters the new 25% tariffs are going forward.

The hike is based on Trump accusing the EU of not complying with last year's trade deal, which the EU denies. There may be more to it than noncompliance of a trade agreement, as Trump's sudden shift seems more tied to Europe not running to the U.S. military machine's aid after we started yet another Middle East war with no plan, no clear end in sight, and no provocation, all while driving energy costs on the continent to astronomical rates. Imagine that. From Reuters:

Trump ‌fired off ⁠the tariff post amid escalating tensions between the U.S. and the EU over the war in Iran and European countries' refusal to send navies to open the Strait of Hormuz. The White House said Friday it plans to remove 5,000 U.S. troops from Germany after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the U.S. was being "humiliated" by ⁠Iran in talks to end the conflict in the Middle East.

The Trump administration last year imposed a 25% tariff on global automotive imports under a national security trade law, but reached a separate deal with the EU in ⁠August to lower those duties to a net 15%, inclusive of prior duties.Shares in German carmakers slid on Monday following Trump's decision to hike U.S. tariffs on imported European cars to 25% from the 15% levy ⁠previously agreed, dealing a fresh blow to the already battered sector.

Shares for European automakers fell on the news. Automakers are already eating EV development costs in the billions thanks to U.S. policy's manic swings, and now this. Audi in particular is exposed to risk thanks to these shifts, as the VW subsidiary has no U.S. production but big U.S. plans. Audi already intends to slash its workforce to the tune of 7,500 jobs in the next three years, and that was under the 15% tariff plan. Yikes.

2nd Gear: European regulators still not so sure about Tesla's whole full self-driving (supervised) thing

Pool/Getty Images

Europe fell out of love with Tesla over the last two years thanks to a stale lineup, cheaper Chinese options and Musk's far-right political machinations. The EV automaker lost 27% of its market share in 2025 and, while sales are climbing out of that hole, Tesla needs to offer something the cheaper alternatives in Europe do not; namely its advanced driver assistance system "Full Self-Driving (Supervised).

The Netherlands jumped on board early last month, and is seeking approval from the European Union; however new emails obtained by Reuters shows reluctance by the continent's safety regulators — including the early adopting Dutch — to sign on to sorta-self-driving Teslas:

But in previously unreported email correspondence, regulators in the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Norway – who could prove critical to Musk's approval push – have raised a number of concerns over the technology.

Those include the system's tendency to speed, whether it is safe to use on icy roads and drivers' ability to circumvent features designed to prevent cell-phone use, according to the emails, which were seen by Reuters through public records requests.

They also expressed frustration ⁠with Tesla's strategy of publicly encouraging vehicle owners to pressure regulators to approve FSD.

Tesla itself is pushing hard for countries to adopt FSD, but if there's one thing Nordic countries do not like, it's unsafe cars. Norway, for instance, will charge drivers thousands for speeding and Finland assesses fines based on income, leading to an eye-watering $130,000 speeding ticket for one wealthy scofflaw. Having a robot car that is allowed to speed is just not going to fly in these places. Still, I feel for these European countries, being inundated by Tesla fans who don't care about public safety and just want their toys to perform the latest tricks is no fun. Ask me how I know.

3rd Gear: Honda to keep models around a little longer to make up for $15.8 billion in EV losses

Honda

Traditional automakers took a bath on EVs in the U.S. following President Trump's murder of the EV tax credit, and Honda was no exception. Honda's cost? A cool $15.8 billion. The Japanese automaker has decided the best way to absorb those costs is to extend the lifecycle of the models it already has on sale. Honda went hard with EVs, and its now scrambling to bring hybrids to the U.S. after canceling three planned all-electric vehicles. From Automotive News:

The Japanese automaker is squeezing more cash from proven platforms while developing more efficient hybrid powertrains to drive future growth.

Honda, in a supplier memo reviewed by Automotive News, said it will extend production of the Odyssey, Accord and HR-V, as well as the Acura MDX and Integra.

Next-generation models of the nameplates won't arrive until the end of the decade at the earliest, according to the memo.

Acura is taking a similar game plan, with the current Integra getting three more years in the line-up, with no future product in the works. The MDX crossover will have been on sale for a decade by the time a new one shows up. As you can imagine, dealers do not find this plan very cash-money.

4th Gear: Rental car giant Avis Loses 70% Of Its Value In 2 Days

teshail/Shutterstock

Rental cars are a big business, but as we saw during Covid, it's can be hard to keep everything on track. Avis has been having difficulties keeping the tires on the road as its stock bounced up some 600%, along with stock short buys.

A worse-than-expected quarterly loss this week mixed with its largest stock owner selling a big chunk of its shares sent the stock price tumbling again. Analysis thought Avis would lose $6.87 a share, but it actually lost $8.01 per share. Wouldn't you know, all of this chaos might be tied to a private equity firm. From Bloomberg:

The heavily shorted shares fell as much as 15% after the markets opened in New York before paring the decline to 7.6% at 9:47 a.m., putting them on pace for the sixth straight daily drop. The stock has been on a wild ride over roughly the past six weeks, soaring more than 600% driven by a short squeeze before crashing in recent days.

In a two-day span last week, Avis lost about 70% of its value. One of Avis' largest shareholders, Pentwater Capital Management LP, sold 4.3 million shares recently at prices that ranged between about $250 and $700, according to regulatory filings late Tuesday. The hedge fund is now the second largest holder with 17.5% of the stock.

It missed its per share earnings target despite per-day revenue being up and a record amount of its fleet being rented out. Rising used car prices also helped Avis out, as it saw reduce depreciation across its fleet. Take the wins where you can get them, I guess.

Reverse: He's a rocketman

USA! USA! Alan Shepard was nipping at the heels of Yuri Gagarin, who beat Shepard to the skies by a little less than a month. It may have only been 15 minutes of sub-orbital flight, but it still counts.

The Fuel Up

Apparently, oil prices fell back a little bit this morning before the bell despite some shooting going on between the U.S. and Iran yesterday in the Strait of Hormuz. WTI Crude Oil Futures and Brent Crude are still a bit higher this morning than yesterday morning though, at $103.28 and $112.17 respectively. A gallon of regular unleaded shot up three cents over yesterday's average price.

AAA

Apparently there's a ceasefire in the strait right now, despite the U.S. sinking six small boats that supposedly attacked two American merchant ships. The United Arab Emirates, a close U.S. ally, also came under attack for the first time since the war began, the Associated Press reports, so who knows what oil prices will look like by the end of the day.

On The Radio: Florence + The Machine - 'Sympathy Magic'

The tragedy of my life is that I am more machine than Florence: born to writhe around in a pretty dress across the moors, forced to blog.

What's The Most Unbelievable Behavior You've Seen While Flying?

Tue, 05 May 2026 21:11:19 +0000

Flying is usually a complete nightmare, but if you do it enough you can at least find yourself entertained as well as annoyed, tired and broke. The stress of being turned into a physical cog in a bureaucratic machine that takes in travelers and spits out dazed, confused and sometimes groped hot messes would make anyone lash out. Then, the low-paid federal law enforcement officers unleash these messes — ladened with all their worldly goods for the next few days and possibly jet-lagged — into a place where alcohol is served without batting an eye at 6 a.m. The entire process is a recipe for odd and outlandish behavior.

I love a good body cam video and the best ones always come from the airport. Either too drunk, too entitled, or too mixed up to process that flight attendants have the final say on whether your fly or not, passengers always produce a towering meltdown. But that's not the only wild things you see in airports. Things can go sideways in surprising ways. So I got to know, what is the most unbelievable thing you've seen at an airport?

Nadezhda1906/Getty Images

I am a frequent flyer, as this gig takes you all of the world to drive cool cars. It isn't perfect, but it's still the best gig around. Anyway, I was in Detroit Metro Airport waiting for a flight to France with McLaren and a woman with a ton of bags sat near my gate with her stuff spread all over. A man seated next to her was staring at his phone, but they seemed to be together, as the four-year-old kid she was chasing was climbing all over both of them and he didn't seem to mind, though never acknowledged the kid. At some point, the little boy told his mom he needed to pee. I guess she didn't want to leave her bags in the care of her zoned out travel companion, but didn't want to lug everything with her to the bathroom either.

Instead, she led the little boy over to the large, black three-tiered garbage/recycling receptacle, picked her son up so he was standing on the side of it, and instructed the boy to let it fly. For a few seconds, I thought I was the only person seeing this, an arch of yellow liquid splattering against plastic bottles, until an airport custodian showed up and immediately started flipping out on the lady who began shouting right back at him. She pulled the kid off the receptacle fast, sending a stream of pee into the air and soaking the kid's jeans so badly he started crying his eyes out. Dad finally put the phone down at this point, but it was too late. They were asked to leave and their tickets were canceled.

It was just one of those "am I seeing what I'm seeing?" moments I'll never forget. So what about you, what is the worst thing you've seen while flying? It can be in the terminal or in the air, your choice!

Busted Bronx Auto Part Theft Ring Operated 'Like A Race Car Pit Crew In The Dead Of Night'

Tue, 05 May 2026 21:11:18 +0000

By Justin Hughes

CBS New York / YouTube

You don't have to drive one of the most likely vehicles to get stolen to become a target for thieves. An alleged auto part theft ring targeted everyday rides across nearly every NYPD precinct in the Bronx and beyond, according to Spectrum News NY1. The NYPD and the Bronx District Attorney's Office announced that 16 people have been arrested in connection with this well-organized operation. From CBS News:

"Like a race car pit crew in the dead of night. When I saw some of [the surveillance video footage], it's like you're looking at the 'F1' movie," Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark said.

Rather than the top-dollar cars of "Gone in 60 Seconds" or the high-end TVs and VCRs of "The Fast and the Furious," the crew reportedly targeted Honda and Toyota sedans and SUVs. This was not because their wheels are expensive, but because they're extremely common and in high demand. They were also quite easy to sell in person or on Facebook Marketplace for cash with no questions asked. Naturally, catalytic converters were in the mix, too.

Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark said the ring had hit 252 victims across the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens. The NYPD formed a special unit called Operation Pit Crew to investigate the rash of part thefts, naming it after the highly efficient manner the thieves operated. They allegedly worked in the middle of the night, dressed in black, bringing useful garage tools like impact wrenches to remove lug nuts, floor jacks to lift the cars, and milk crates to leave them on afterward. I've never seen milk crates used in an F1 pit stop, but everything else checks out.

Police say the ring sold $1.2 million of parts, while the cost of stolen property and vehicle damage was closer to $2 million. The 16 defendants are alleged to have been connected to the Trinitarios gang, and face a total of 971 indictments, including conspiracy, grand larceny, and auto stripping. Each of them faces eight to 15 years in prison if convicted.

The NYPD recommends using locking lug nuts to make sure your car doesn't end up sitting on milk crates. "If they see that lug nut, that lock nut, they'll move on to another car," NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny told CBS News. While there are ways to remove a locking lug nut without the key, thieves typically look for a fast grab and getaway. If your wheels are more difficult to steal, they'll likely look for an easier target.

Go Silently Into That Good Night With The 2027 Cadillac Lyriq Hearse

Tue, 05 May 2026 21:11:18 +0000

Jalopnik is a transportation blog, where we write about any and all forms of transport from space crafts to submarines, but no form of transportation is quite as occult as the hearse. They are purpose-built vehicles that have a sole mission: transport dead bodies. One car company tends to dominate the American hearse market, and that's Cadillac. If I ask you to envision a hearse, odds are you envision a black Cadillac, and GM's poshest brand is about to introduce a new type of hearse, the 2027 Cadillac Lyriq Coachbuilder Funeral Hearse.

Prior to this, Cadillac supplied coachbuilders with XT5s to convert into hearses, and prior to that, the XTS was the Cadillac of choice for hearse builders. According to GM Authority, the all-electric 2027 Cadillac Lyriq hearse "will be offered in a single rear-wheel-drive configuration, with an equipment package broadly aligned with the Luxury and Sport trims of the consumer-spec Cadillac Lyriq."

Cadillac

Unfortunately photos of the Lyriq hearse are not available at the moment, but we know the spec of these specialized cars will be quite unusual. Lyriqs with this package will not be available with Super Cruise, active noise cancellation, rear cross-traffic braking, or reverse automatic braking, which is fine considering the person in the back will already be dead. I guess Cadillac also thinks any trips a hearse takes will be well thought-out, short trips because Lyriq hearses only come with the 11.5 kW AC onboard charger, and the higher-capacity 19.2 kW charger option available on other models is not offered on the Lyriq Hearse.

They will be showered in sunlight though, since the SkyGlass roof that's only standard on one other Lyriq trim level, the Lyriq-V, is standard on the hearse. And they will be riding in style on 20-inch aluminum alloys that are exclusive to the hearse.

Given the Lyriq's unique rear-end and D-pillar designs, it will be interesting to see how that translates to the elongated design required of hearses, but we'll be left guessing until photos are released. There's no mention of it just yet, shockingly, but we are certainly keeping our fingers crossed in hopes for an enthusiast-focused Lyriq-V hearse.

Donald Trump Killed Spirit Airlines With High Fuel Prices, But Says Biden And Obama Are To Blame

Tue, 05 May 2026 21:11:18 +0000

By Ryan Erik King

After struggling to tread water for the past few years and filing for bankruptcy twice last year, Spirit Airlines has finally collapsed. The canary yellow carrier abruptly canceled all its flights early Saturday morning and announced that it started "an orderly wind-down of operations, effectively immediately." While Spirit hoped to emerge as a restructured airline after its second bankruptcy, the spike in jet fuel prices caused by President Donald Trump's war against Iran made it impossible for the carrier to continue operations without financial assistance, according to documents the company filed in bankruptcy court.

While Trump might have shuffled Spirit off this mortal coil, he did attempt to keep the low-cost airline in operation. However, it was less of a bailout and more of a takeover. The proposed deal would have given $500 million to Spirit, but the federal government would have taken a 90% stake in the airline. According to CNN, Trump even wanted a seat for himself on the airline's board. Spirit's shareholders understandably rejected the deal and let the airline fail, leaving 14,000 employees without work.

Roberto Schmidt/Getty Images

The Trump administration was eager to lay the blame for Spirit's demise on its Democratic predecessors, even before the airline was gone. Ignoring the poor business practices that put Spirit in its predicament, Trump claims that Joe Biden's blocking a $3.8 billion acquisition by JetBlue actually killed Spirit. The merger would likely have led to the same outcome as an outright collapse, with airfares rising in the absence of a large no-cost carrier to provide market competition.

Sleepy Joe isn't the only past President catching strays. Defying time and space, Trump even blamed President Obama for not allowing Spirit to merge with People Express. He said in the Oval Office two weeks ago:

"So, Spirit is, uh, an airline that's had some trouble. They were going to merge with People Express, or one of them, a number of years ago and Barack Hussein Obama decided it was a bad idea. How did that work out? It was bad for both of them. That would've been a natural merger."

Don't remember People Express? It was a low-cost carrier that collapsed in 1987, five years before Spirit began scheduled flights and Obama was still a community organizer in Chicago. Trump's disapproval rating has already hit an all-time record high. An airline collapsing, stranding passengers and leaving thousands of people unemployed, isn't popular with anyone. Trump is floundering and doesn't know what else to do but deflect the blame.

Hantavirus Outbreak On Luxury Antarctic Cruise Kills 3, Strands Nearly 150 Without Aid

Tue, 05 May 2026 21:11:17 +0000

By Ryan Erik King

A voyage to the far reaches of the planet on a ship packed with over 100 other people sounds like a recipe for disaster, not a luxury vacation. A suspected hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius has killed three passengers over the past month, with at least three others seriously ill. The Dutch vessel requested help off the coast of Cape Verde, but the island country's health ministry won't allow the ship to dock. This incident is reminiscent of the time the Diamond Princess was quarantined off the coast of Japan in February 2020 due to COVID-19 cases on board. Hantavirus isn't as contagious as the coronavirus, but it's far more lethal.

The MV Hondius left Ushuaia in southern Argentina on April 1 to begin a lengthy cruise. There were 88 passengers and 61 crew members onboard to spend over 30 days exploring Antarctica and several remote islands in the South Atlantic. However, a 70-year-old Dutch man died on the Hondius on April 11. Things would quickly escalate into a public health matter. According to the Associated Press, his 69-year-old wife left the ship in South Africa to fly back to the Netherlands. She later collapsed in the middle of O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, the continent's second-busiest airport. The woman was hospitalized and died. Her blood tested positive for the hantavirus.

Robert Hradil/Getty Images

South Africa has already begun contact tracing, but it's highly unlikely that there will be a global pandemic. Hentavirus is rarely ever transmitted person-to-person. According to the World Health Organization, it's a rodent-borne illness and is typically contracted by contact with an infected rodent or its urine, feces, or saliva. The source of the outbreak is still unknown because the virus can lie dormant for weeks before its flu-like symptoms emerge. The source could determine the lethality of this hentavirus variant. Infections in the Old World have a case fatality rate between 1% and 15%, while it can reach 50% in the Americas.

The MV Hondius is still in a tricky situation as it sits off Cape Verde. The body of the third victim, a German passenger, is still on board. Two crew members are showing symptoms and urgently need medical care. Cape Verde has sent a small medical team to the vessel three times, but WHO is planning medical evacuations. The hope is to transfer people from the Hondius to the airport by ambulance. If I didn't have the urge to go on a cruise before, it's most certainly gone now.

This Manual-Swapped Maserati Gran Turismo Might Be Worth The Risk Of Financial Ruin

Tue, 05 May 2026 21:11:17 +0000

Rustbelt Mechanic/YouTube

Cars and Bids

There are a few cars whose massive depreciation tempt me, but can never fully convince me, due to the fear of plunging my family into financial ruin. The first-gen Maserati Gran Turismo is one such car. I mean just look at it. It's hard for most people to keep their jaws properly affixed when staring at its near-perfect design or listening to its Ferrari-sourced V8, and yet you can pick one up for less than a new base-spec Honda Civic. Of course, it could also cost you as much as a new Civic in repairs annually. However, there is one that could be too tempting to pass on, regardless of any future wallet danger — this 2009 Maserati Gran Turismo S with a manual transmission swap up for sale on Cars and Bids.

Maserati never sold a manual Gran Turismo, sticking only with either a six-speed ZF auto, or the six-speed, single-clutch Graziano automated manual from the Ferrari F430. And while neither transmission were ever bad, neither were ever fun enough to match the engine's glorious high-revving nature. Which is a shame, because the Ferrari California came out at the same time and it had a great dual-clutch that Maserati should've borrowed, but that's a rant for a different day. What would have been better than any of those is a six-speed manual and this specific Gran Turismo has one.

Cars and Bids

This 2009 Gran Turismo S is said to be an ultra-low-mileage car, with just 13,936 miles on the odometer, but those must have been some hard-earned miles because it has more scrapes and bruises than you might expect from such mileage. The interior also has very melty interior plastics, which isn't uncommon for a car of this age but it seems like it was left in the sun all these years. Still, it's a cool spec, and I'm a sucker for silver cars with red and black interiors. But it's that metallic gated six-speed shifter that draws your eyes most.

Even though the suede base on which the shifter sits seems a bit out of place, a gated manual just looks so right in a Gran Turismo's cabin. You can hear its clicky shifts just looking at the pictures. And hearing them after revving out that sensational sounding engine is worth whatever repair costs befall you each year.

How reliable will the transmission swap be? The swap was done by European Auto Group (EAG) out of Texas, who makes manual swap conversion kits for several high-priced exotics, like the Ferrari 360 and Lamborghini Gallardo. There's some debate in this listing's comments section about how trustworthy EAG is, but the seller reportedly has bought several of EAG-swapped cars and hasn't had any issues. It does come with a two-year transmission warranty, at least.

There are a few red flags about this listing, like the unusually beat-up body for the mileage and the claims of EAG's shadiness. However, it wouldn't be a Cars and Bids listing without an accompanying Doug Demuro review and he drives it on camera, proving that it seems to work well enough. Does the appeal of a gated manual override the risk of financial disaster? Don't ask me, I'm currently Googling which non-vital organs are worth the most.

Almost 90% Of GM's Next-Gen Super Cruise Code Is AI-Generated

Tue, 05 May 2026 21:11:17 +0000

By Chris Tsui

General Motors had its Q1 2026 earnings call last week and CEO Mary Barra dropped an interesting tidbit in her opening minutes: "Today, nearly 90% of the code written by our autonomy team is generated by AI."

That autonomy team is currently working on the next-generation, "eyes-off, hands-off" rendition of Super Cruise set to debut on the Cadillac Escalade IQ in 2028. This being an earnings call with an audience primarily made up of money guys, Barra rattled off the "90%" stat as a badge of honor: "The way we're building this technology is a reflection of how seriously we're embracing AI across the enterprise," she said.

Look, as someone who did indeed take first-year college computer science, I feel like enough of software creation is rote and mechanical enough such that having AI write portions of code isn't as problematic as, say, having AI write this article you're reading right now. But still, 90% feels like a lot. For reference, a study by Science.org estimates that 29% of code produced in the U.S. by 2025 was "produced with substantial AI support."

General Motors

What's more, Barra isn't talking about having AI produce in-car weather apps or whatever. This is Super Cruise, the autonomous driving tech that's supposed to let Chevys, Cadillacs, GMCs, and Buicks practically "drive themselves" and keep occupants, pedestrians, and other vehicles on the road safe. And given this is GM and not some boutique EV brand that'll only sell 150 cars in SoCal, it's not an exaggeration to say that any errors here could easily become issues of public safety.

In any case, Barra says next-gen Super Cruise will be deployed "on both ICE vehicles and EVs and scale across multiple brands and price points." GM is apparently able to digitally stress test the technology by "simulating roughly 100 years of human driving every single day," in addition to recently beginning to do real-world road-testing in California and Michigan.

For all our sakes, I genuinely hope the next version of Super Cruise works as advertised, GM's autonomy team is indeed having qualified humans review all of the AI code, and that we can eventually look back on this story and be like, "That turned out fine, actually." But given corporate America's long, storied history of compromising the well-being of the public in the name of hype-driven cost-cutting and the fact that ChatGPT once tried to convince me that the Honda S2000 does not have a cabin air filter (hit me up on Instagram if you'd like a screenshot of this), that optimism should be taken very, very cautiously.

A Fuel Shortage 'As Big As In The 1970s' May Be Coming, Says Chevron CEO

Tue, 05 May 2026 21:11:16 +0000

By Brad Brownell

Ever since the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran began, the Straight of Hormuz has been closed for business. More than 20% of the world's oil is typically transported through Hormuz, and has been largely at a standstill for nearly two months. On Monday, Chevron CEO Mike Wirth warned that this chokepoint could lead to physical oil shortages for much of the world. Tightening supply will force demand to deflate as people feel the pinch at the pump, with deleterious effects on the global economy. We've already seen Spirit Airlines fail, an early victim of the supply crunch as jet fuel costs exploded. Buckle up, folks, it's about to get bumpy.

With rambling, 79-year-old President Donald Trump on the case, the man who called affordability a "good line of bullsh*t," it'll almost assuredly get worse before it gets better. Wirth, reports Reuters, even went so far as to invoke the twin oil supply crisis of the 1970s, which led to international rationing, political gridlock, and economic crisis. The current situation has escalated past the point where supply buffers built into the system can absorb the shock, and national strategic reserves, including our own, are being drawn down.

Wirth, as sitting Chief of a major international oil company, would obviously have significantly more visibility into any of this than you or I would, and if he sees a 1970s-style oil crisis on the horizon, it's probably time to start fretting a bit. Maybe that $10 per gallon gasoline is closer than we might have previously believed. If supply flows are basically shut down to the point where we can't produce or deliver as much fuel as is needed globally, what we're currently seeing will only be the tip of the iceberg.

Sven Hansche/Shutterstock

The warning continues with a prophecy. Asian markets will be the first to see major impact, and will be hit harder than the rest of the world. The major Asian nations are more reliant on Gulf oil than others, especially as sanctions continue against Russia. Growth economies like China and India are heavy users of fossil fuels, and the impacts of their inability to continue burning it will be long-lasting and far-reaching.

Because the U.S. is an oil-producing nation and a net exporter of petroleum products and, for the first time since World War 2, crude oil, we'll have a slightly safer position in the fallout of this impending crisis. Wirth noted in his discussion, however, that the United States' "protection" from implosion is both relative and temporary. The Port of Long Beach received the last scheduled shipment of crude from the Gulf states earlier this week. When Gulf imports fully dry up, prices will continue an upward trajectory of the pricing curve on a gallon of gasoline. From this moment onward, the U.S. economy will begin to see the effects of absorbing the full weight of the canal's closure. According to MSN, California has just four to six weeks of gasoline and diesel reserves to play with.

Due primarily to unrest in the Middle East, the 1973 Yom Kippur War and the 1979 Iranian Revolution, that decade was pockmarked by oil price spikes, shortages, and economic malaise. The first oil shock saw the price of a barrel of oil explode from $3 to nearly $12. During the second oil shock in 1979 a barrel more than doubled to $39.50 per barrel. In both cases inflation went up right alongside unemployment numbers, leading to heavy deficit spending and Ronald Reagan-flavored economic policy.

As we sit right now, the price of a barrel of Brent Crude is a whopping $111, peaking at nearly $130 in early April. If trends go as Mr. Wirth claims they will, we could be on the precipice of another massive oil shock.

Amtrak Ads Are Going Full Luxury Car

Tue, 05 May 2026 21:11:16 +0000

By Lalita Chemello

Luxury car ads are an automaker's love letter to its current and future customers. Like the one featuring Matthew McConaughey for Lincoln, or the millions of Jon Hamm-voiceover Mercedes-Benz ads I'm fed as a Mercedes owner, they focus on premium driving experiences and luxurious touchpoints all in a calming, but commanding, middle aged male voice. Amtrak wants a little of that allure for its latest and greatest high-speed train service, the NextGen Acela.

The 30-second video "The Build," dropped on the American passenger's service YouTube channel last week is reminiscent of most luxury and tech ads you'd come across today, down to the voiceover that sounded suspiciously like the guy who does the voiceover for many Honda car ads (at least the levels as well as the cadence are very similar). In it, the visuals build the componentry of Amtrak's new NextGen Acela trains, from gearing to the stitching of the seats, putting componentry together until the main character gracefully takes a seat on the actual train. It certainly felt like a car ad, but for the public passenger experience. If I know our readers, you are likely an enthusiast of both.

Experience a luxurious (train) ride with tops speeds of 160 mph

Amtrak

But in reality train travel is a mixed bag when it comes to what is offered in the U.S., which is why, although this ad is fun to watch, it comes with some mixed feelings. Most train travel is tiresome, with ok seating, and semi-questionable bathrooms. For some travelers it's a novelty trip. But people also need trains to travel for everything from everyday commutes to once in a while trips. Really, the analogy can be also be applied to how cars are divided into luxury and "other."

Enter Amtrak's NextGen Acela trains, introduced at the end of August last year, offering the opposite of tired and "ok" fixtures. The high speed train's spacious trainsets can accommodate 386 passengers with nicer amenities like personal outlets, complimentary Wi-Fi, adjustable reading lights, and oh yes, nicer restrooms, all while reaching smooth speeds of up to 160 mph.

The NextGens high speed trains are only available to the Northeast corridor of Amtrak's service like to and from New York City, Boston, Washington, D.C. — where professional people regularly commute by train and can afford a more lux experience. Seating choices are limited to Business, priced closer to higher-end coach pricing on other trains, and First Class, which tend to be substantially more (approximately 2-4 times more than Business seating).

Amtrak's expectations versus reality

Amtrak

It seems that for now, the more premium price reflects what you'd get with premium pricing in a luxury car. The only downfall is it hasn't consistently delivered on the higher speeds. In a Forbes review published in November, the writer explained he saved only five minutes of travel time on his typical travel route compared to when taking other trains.

In all fairness the last part isn't necessarily Amtrak's fault. It's not been provided the luxury of passenger-only rails like many of the real high-speed trains in other parts of the world, meaning this train stops for cargo, train changes, etc. It would be wonderful if that could change, but at the rate that high speed projects are being adopted and completed, that ideal often feels more like a pipe dream.

Despite that minor setback, in just the first month of five NextGen cars running, Amtrak moved 60,000 customers, which doesn't seem bad at all, especially with its limited offerings for travel days. Plans are to launch 23 more trainsets through 2027.

How The Rokon Two-Wheel Drive Motorcycle Works

Tue, 05 May 2026 21:11:15 +0000

By Benjamin Gracias

We live in an era where you see all-wheel-drive vehicles almost everywhere, from soccer-mom crossovers to 700-horsepower sport sedans. Yet, in the world of two-wheelers, AWD remains a bizarre niche – a mechanical unicorn seen mostly on experimental prototypes. And the Rokon.

While the rest of the two-wheeled world spent the last 60 years perfecting weight reduction and lean angles, a quiet factory in New Hampshire was diligently working on the "mototractor". Born of an idea that popped into Charlie Fehn's mind in 1958, the Rokon is a tool designed to survive the wild outdoors. It uses a patented mechanical AWD system that's gloriously analog.

Unlike your typical chain and sprocket drive setup, the Rokon sends power from its centrally mounted engine, usually a 208cc Kohler single-cylinder motor, through a torque converter and into a three-speed gear selector. From there on, it gets weirder. Power travels rearward via a standard chain, but a separate shaft extends forward towards the headstock. This shaft meets a universal joint and a miter box, which redirects the torque down to the front wheel via another chain drive. It's a crude piece of engineering, but effective enough to have the Rokon crawl up a 60-degree gradient.

The genius of Fehn's design is how it handles steering. On a conventional motorcycle, the front wheel travels a longer path than the rear during a turn. If they were getting the same amount of engine drive, the motorcycle would slip and stall. Rokon solves this with an over-riding clutch. This allows the front wheel to spin faster than the rear when turning, effectively "freewheeling" its way through the arc while the rear pushes forward.

Hollow wheels and hardtail suspension

Rokon media

If the drivetrain is a cool lesson in engineering, the wheels are the Rokon's party trick. These massive balloon-like tires aren't just for show. They are mounted on 12-inch hollow drum-like aluminum wheels that serve a dual purpose. If you leave them empty, they provide enough buoyancy to let the 218-pound Rokon float, and you can literally pull it across a river like a piece of driftwood. Conversely, you can fill those drums with up to 2.5 gallons of extra fuel or water per wheel. That's extra 5 gallons of fuel, which gives you quite the extended range. While you don't need an adventure motorcycle to go motocamping, a Rokon could be the perfect candidate.

Because the Rokon is designed to operate at crawling speeds (top speed is 37 mph), suspension is an afterthought. Older models feature a rigid rear, relying simply on the spring seat and massive 3 psi tires to maximize contact patch over rocks and soft mud, as well as soak up the small bumps that come in the form of boulders and fallen logs. The front now uses an "Auto-Grab" suspension with about eight inches of travel, but the real comfort comes from the single sprung saddle. Braking is equally unconventional. It uses disk brakes mounted high on the miter boxes rather than the wheels, keeping the sensitive hardware away from the abrasive silt, mud, and slush.

The frame is a rugged tubular steel setup that doubles up as an oil reservoir on older models. With a ground clearance of 14 inches and a narrow 30 inches width, the Rokon can go places where an all-wheel-drive ATV can't.

The Rokon is now street-legal!

Rokon media

For decades, the Rokon was a tool for hunters, forest rangers, and people who lived in the wilderness. The recent introduction of the Rokon Ranger Dual Sport Edition now brings this mechanical anomaly to the streets. To make it street-legal, Rokon added the bare essentials – A DOT-approved upgraded headlight, a digital speedometer, mirrors, turn signals, and a horn. It is now compliant in all US states.

The Rokon's street-legal status isn't about being an A-to-B commute. It allows you to ride it straight from your garage to the trail, without needing a trailer. Once you hit the dirt, the Rokon retains the same 2,000-pound towing capacity and rugged reliability that made the original Trail-Breaker famous. Compared to dirt bikes, the Rokon's low seat height makes it quite accessible as well, while the oversized metal luggage racks on the front and back makes a lot of space for carrying equipment. It could be the perfect motorcycle for you if you are done with adventure motorcycling. In fact, if there was a two-wheeled list for best off-roaders of all time, the Rockon would probably top it. In a world of 200-horsepower superbikes with more sensors than a NASA rover, the Rokon remains a refreshingly honest, mechanical reminder that sometimes, the best way to get across is slowly, with both wheels pulling.

Why Choosing Aluminum Or Cast-Iron Duramax Heads Isn't As Simple As Lightweight Vs. Rugged

Tue, 05 May 2026 21:11:15 +0000

By Charles Krome

General Motors' turbocharged 6.6-liter Duramax diesel V-8 is engineered to stand up to hard work in heavy-duty truck applications, but it comes from the factory with a cast-iron block and aluminum cylinder heads. In fact, it's the first diesel in the U.S. to use aluminum cylinder heads instead of cast iron ones to help save weight. So, at least someone at GM thought that combination would be plenty capable for the real world. But owners occasionally opt for cast-iron heads instead, based on the specific application in which the engine is used.

The mighty Duramax diesel dates back to 2000, when Chevy switched from Detroit Diesel to Duramax engines. Since then, more than 3.5 million of these V-8s have been produced, earning a strong reputation for reliability and power. The first Duramax mills made 300 horsepower and 520 pound-feet of torque — an 85 hp and 80 lb-ft improvement over their 6.5-liter predecessor.

Today, owners can enjoy 470 hp and 975 lb-ft of torque from the version in the current heavy-duty Chevrolet Silverado, which includes the trail-ready Silverado HD ZR2 Bison. Note that the same engine has been and still is used in the Silverado HD's corporate cousin, the GMC Sierra HD.

The Duramax V-8 is extremely reliable

Duramax Tuner/YouTube

Continuous improvement has no doubt helped the Duramax stay at the top of its game, but it's also important to note just how innovative the engine was when it first debuted. For instance, it was the first to bring a high-pressure common-rail fuel-injection system to the segment, which allowed more fuel to get into the cylinders and atomize it better, breaking it up into tinier droplets that can spread out across more of the combustion chamber — but this is just the main difference between common rail and mechanical injection diesels.

The Duramax's aluminum heads weigh about 40 pounds each, while comparable cast-iron options are closer to 100 pounds. It's also worth pointing out that GM engineers did opt for forged-steel rocker arms in those heads to boost durability, and the exact aluminum alloy used for the heads is known for its strength and enhanced mechanical performance. As a result, most drivers will find that the Duramax with its original aluminum heads can typically last for over 300,000-400,000 miles, as long as it remains limited to the factory power output numbers.

When to switch from aluminum to iron Duramax heads

lmfscrew/YouTube

It's when the Duramax faces the most extreme conditions, including running at extremely high temperatures, that the cylinder heads' aluminum construction becomes a factor. The basic issue, and the one that really propels some owners to swap in iron heads, is the differing thermal expansion rates of the two metals — specifically, how much they expand when heated. The bottom line is that the thermal expansion rate of A356 aluminum is more than twice that of cast iron.

When things get hot enough, the bottom surface of the heads expands more than the top surface of the block, increasing the risk of scraping against the gasket in between the two. The process is called "scrubbing," and if it happens often enough, it can completely wear through the gasket, causing compression issues, allowing coolant to mix with exhaust gases, leading to head gasket failure and eventually catastrophic engine failure. It's not something you can necessarily solve by simply choosing the right head gasket, either.

The Duramax's reliability is a testament that aluminum cylinder heads are fine when the Duramax is kept at or below GM's factory power outputs. However, if you're tuning the engine for maximum horses – some say anything above 500 horsepower at the rear wheels – cast-iron heads are the better bet.

These Are The Weirdest Things Our Readers Keep In Their Cars

Mon, 04 May 2026 21:27:22 +0000

By Collin Woodard

When you have a brand new car, you tend to do your best to keep it as clean and perfect as possible. At least in the beginning. You may add an emergency kit to the trunk, start leaving your phone's charging cable plugged in, or throw in a few other necessities, but you certainly don't want to mess it up. On the other hand, some people's definition of what counts as a "necessity" may not necessarily match everyone else's. Or anyone else's.

With that in mind, last Thursday, we asked you to share the weirdest things you keep in your cars. Logan, for example, keeps a Swiffer duster in his Mini because he's normal like that, and for the longest time, I kept an empty sports drink bottle in my center console because it's too deep to be useful for me, and I'm too cheap to buy a 3D printer.

We aren't meant to be the stars of the show, though. You are. So let's take a look at some of the most popular answers and then not act judgmental about anyone's choices. Sure, the weird thing they leave in their car may make them look like a serial killer, but if they are, do you really want to paint a target on your back? I'm doing my best to stay unmurdered here, and I'd hope you are, as well.

Just convertible things

Drazen Zigic/Getty Images

Perhaps not that weird, but I keep sunscreen in the glove box. I do too many things that accelerate aging, so sunscreen is an absolute must.

Suggested by: carsten

Cleaning buddies

Eyeswideopen/Getty Images

OK, love the swiffer idea. Similarly, I keep a small zippered bag with brushes and a dust-free cleaning cloth in my center console. When I'm stuck in a big traffic jam the brushes come out and I start detailing the dashboard. Helps pass the time and makes being stuck feel productive.

Suggested by: Buckfiddious

Twenties in a film cannister?

xshot/Shutterstock

It's becoming less useful in recent years, but I keep an empty tube or two of 35mm film rolls; one for quarters and one for other change.

Suggested by: EatTheRich

Olde timey navigation systems

Historical/Getty Images

Paper maps... I used to travel a lot in my job and just in case all my tech shuts down I always have paper back-ups

Suggested by: Jimboy II, The Sequel

and

A Rand Mcnally Road Atlas. My car comes factory equipped with navigation and I also have a Garmin Navigator on board but I still cling to that old fashioned book of maps printed on paper.

Suggested by: Random29

Can't forget the ping pong ball

Steph Chambers/Getty Images

3 things that might not be considered weird, but here we go:

1) 40$ cash hidden in my glove box. Emergency cash is always helpful.

2) a ping pong ball from a late night ping pong party from years and years ago. It's been in any of my cars since 2015 or something. I can hear it bounced in my glovebox when I hit super deep potholes. It brings me comfort.

3) Smashing Pumpkins' Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness on double cassette. This one is kind of a lucky charm. Been in my cars since 2001 when I purchased my first one. Long story short, it was left behind by the first lady I had intimate relations with, in said first car.

Suggested by: Yannick Wolfe

Father, I cannot click the book

Ponywang/Getty Images

Seeing what my wife and many others carry around in their vehicles, I can say with some confidence that the weirdest thing I carry around is air. I've seen my wife's vehicle so packed with stuff that you'd think a person was living in there. I have friends who carry all manner of junk around with them. To reduce clutter and to make my vehicle less tempting to break into, I don't carry anything superfluous. I don't carry extra clothes or shoes. I don't carry needless tools. I certainly don't have food wrappers and other garbage in my car. So in light of the junk I see in many other vehicles, I think carrying nothing but air is "weird" by some standards.

Suggested by: Mike-NB

Raw sex appeal

Yury Karamanenko/Getty Images

An electric unicycle (which is what my profile picture is). I use it to quickly zip around any large area that I am not allowed to drive my car in like a college campus or COTA. It also enables me to park my car much further away than usual to avoid expensive congested parking like at major sporting events and city wide festivals. It's as compact as a backpack so it barely takes up any trunk space but can still go 20+ mph for over 40 miles. Plus it has a built-in headlight and USB charging for any roadside emergencies.

Suggested by: EUC

Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat

Edward Berthelot/Getty Images

Hot sauce and lemon juice. You never know when you might want to zest something up. Also, exactly one dollar. The dollar is there because it was left behind by the previous owner. Now, I just keep the dollar in the glovebox of whatever's my daily driver. lol

Suggested by: Mercedes Streeter

Totally legitimate singles, babe

TeraMax/Shutterstock

Every dollar bill I get I keep in the glove box for road snacks. It looks like going to the strip club now.

Suggested by: XXLTall

Cultural relics

Hulton Archive/Getty Images

I have a stack of CDs which I never use in the center console. They include

Tubular Bells

Tubular Bells 2

Best of Jethro Tull

Dr Demento's 20th Anniversary

Best of Spike Jones

3 Weird Al Albums

All those are buried under a Garmin GPS unit that last worked in 2015.

So what do I win?

Suggested by: hoser68

Elon Musk's $158 Billion 2025 Tesla Compensation Is As Real As The Roadster

Mon, 04 May 2026 21:27:22 +0000

By Andy Kalmowitz

In this morning's edition, Elon Musk's $158 billion 2025 compensation package from Tesla is far less than meets the eye since he missed every goal, President Trump says he's raising tariffs on European-built cars to 25%, Volkswagen believes EV profits will lag behind their ICE counterparts until 2030 and Ford is coming in hot with recall number 34 of the year.

1st Gear: Musk should have achieved something if he wanted his $158 billion

Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Over the weekend, you probably saw a headline or a tweet about Elon Musk's 2025 compensation package hitting an eye-watering $158 billion. Here's the thing, though. It's fugazi. A fake. A farce. It's not real. He didn't get it. The man got a big fat zero from the company this year because he failed to meet any of the goals set out for him in the $1 trillion stock award pay package about six months ago. This is particularly funny because, as we've reported, even if he didn't meet all of his goals, there was still a chance he could make some money with the way the package was structured. The dude missed on everything... badly.

In Tesla's own regulatory filing, it said there was a "significant disconnect" between what the company reports as Musk's total compensation in a given year and "the value actually realized." I don't totally understand the point of doing something like this, but I also don't get a lot of the choices Musk and Tesla decide to make. In any case, here's why Musk got a big fat zero from Tesla in 2025. From Bloomberg:

[T]he unprecedented pay package awarded last year consisted entirely of equity award grants. It was structured so that the CEO will only cash in if Tesla's stock soars and the company achieves various operational milestones.

Since Tesla didn't reach any of the market value or operational targets set last year, Musk's total realized compensation was zero. He hasn't earned a salary from the company for years.

The total compensation figure included the maximum grant date fair value attributed to the award Musk received last year, assuming all performance conditions will be achieved. Tesla reported that fair value at around $132 billion.

The remainder of the total compensation — just over $26 billion — is the grant date fair value attributed to an interim award that Tesla's board approved for Musk in August. Musk ended up forfeiting that payout in April of this year, due to the reinstatement of a 2018 compensation package.

I don't want you to worry too much about Elon, though. He's still doing just fine. He's still the world's richest man with a $788.7 billion net worth, according to Forbes. However, it is down a bit from a peak of $839 billion. Perhaps we should start a GoFundMe. I've got a hunch he's going to be alright, considering how much his net worth has ballooned in just the last two years. In 2024, it stood at $195 billion.

I'm sorry if I've made you angry this morning. I've made myself angry, as well.

2nd Gear: Trump wants to up EU vehicle tariffs from 15% to 25%

Roberto Schmidt/Getty Images

It's very rare that I feel bad for multi-national mega-corporations, but for the love of God, they must be so tired. President Trump said that he's going to increase tariffs on cars and trucks built in Europe from 15% to 25% this week, alleging that the bloc hadn't complied with its trade deal with Washington. As you may have guessed, European politicians and trade groups are none-too-pleased. Some economists over there are calling on Brussels and the German government to "finally show some backbone" and impose retaliatory tariffs.

Perhaps Trump has finally overplayed his hand, but I sort of doubt it. The dude seems to kind of just get away with everything. From Reuters:

"Based on the fact the European Union is not complying with our fully agreed to Trade Deal, next week I will be increasing Tariffs charged to the European Union for Cars and Trucks coming into the United States," Trump wrote in a social media post.

"It is fully understood and agreed that, if they produce Cars and Trucks in U.S.A. Plants, there will be NO TARIFF."

Trump told reporters the higher tariff would force European car makers to move production to the U.S. more quickly.

"We have a trade deal with the European Union. They were not adhering to it. So I raised the tariffs on cars and trucks to 25%, that's billions of dollars coming into the United States, and it forces them to move their factory production much faster," he said at the White House.

The European Commission swiftly rejected Trump's claim that Brussels was not complying with last summer's trade deal and said it would keep its options open to protect EU interests if Washington breached the terms of the agreement.

Trump fired ⁠off the tariff post amid escalating tensions between the U.S. and the EU over the war in Iran and European countries' refusal to send navies to open the Strait of Hormuz. Trump this week threatened to reduce U.S. troop levels in Germany, Italy and Spain, after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the U.S. was being "humiliated" by Iran in talks to end the conflict in the Middle East.

Last year, Trump imposed a 25% global tariff on automotive imports, but he reached a separate deal with the EU in August to bring that number down to 15%. In exchange, the EU agreed to get rid of duties on U.S. industrial goods like autos and accept U.S. safety and emissions standards for those vehicles.

So far, automakers have been absorbing the brunt of tariff costs, but I don't expect that trend to last forever. Automakers like Bentley and Porsche have raised their prices to help cover added tariff costs, so I won't be surprised if others soon follow suit. In the end, the consumer is the one who really gets hurt by all this. No, I'm not saying we should cry for Bentley and Porsche owners, but if you think it won't trickle down to more mainstream automakers, you've got another thing coming.

3rd Gear: Volkswagen isn't hopeful for EV profit parity this decade

Christian Ender/Getty Images

Volkswagen has little faith that its battery-powered vehicles will reach profit margin parity with its combustion-engine vehicles until it introduces its next-generation SSP architecture near the end of the 2020s. It says it has narrowed the profitability gap with updates to the MEB Plus platform, but it only gets 70 to 80% of the way there, CFO Arno Antlitz said. SSP should make them "fully comparable." From Automotive News:

Within VW Group, the Scalable Systems Platform (SSP) will replace existing BEV architectures including MEB, MEB Plus and the PPE platform used for higher-end models such as the electric Porsche Macan, Audi A6 E-tron and Q6 E-tron.

VW aims to cut costs by 20 percent with SSP compared with today's MEB platform, while also enabling fully software-defined vehicles through the integration of Rivian's electronic architecture. The rollout of SSP has been delayed from its original 2026 target, with the company now guiding to a launch before 2030.

The platform will underpin a wide range of future models, including the electric successor to the VW Golf. Skoda is also expected to use SSP for an electric Octavia replacement early in the next decade.

High production costs for BEVs remain a key challenge for automakers as they expand their electric lineups to meet tightening CO2 regulations in Europe. Combustion-engine vehicles continue to deliver stronger margins, forcing automakers to balance BEV sales volumes against profitability.

Another issue VW faces with its current platform setup is the fact that it's not able to meet EU CO2 emission reduction targets in 2025, 2026 or 2027. It'll face penalties between $468 million and $586 million every year because of it. Pricing is also an issue, with the cars being sold far cheaper than they really should be in order to drum up demand.

4th Gear: Ford didn't tighten seat bolts on 180,000 vehicles down quite enough

Bill Pugliano/Getty Images

Oh, Ford. You silly goose. What are we going to do with you? The Dearborn-based automaker just issued its 34th recall of the year, and this time, 180,000 Broncos and Rangers are impacted because the automaker didn't tighten the front seat bolts correctly. Because of that, they can loosen over time, which isn't exactly ideal. Luckily, there haven't been any accidents or injuries related to the issue, but there have been a handful of warranty claims. From CarBuzz:

Specifically, the recall covers 2024 through 2026 model-year vehicles, affecting 179,698 trucks and SUVs in total. Here's what you need to know about the problem, and how Ford will fix it.

Per NHTSA documents, one or more of the seat frame height-adjust pivot bolts could become loose or dislodged in the frame. This is part of the pivot joint in the front seats, either the driver or passenger side. Since the rear seats have no such adjustments, they are unaffected. The recall report states that Ford's seat structure supplier "initiated a process to check the torque" of the aforementioned seat bolts, but apparently, that check "disrupted the curing of the adhesive patch on the threaded fastener...."

It's not uncommon to use adhesives like Loctite on threaded fasteners to help ensure they don't work loose. The recall documents make no mention of the kind of adheasive used, but the takeaway is this: checking the torque of the bolts after installantion apparently caused the adhesive to not do its thing. As the bolts are subjected to the weight and motion of people climbing into and out of seats, they can work loose. Obviously, loose seat bolts present a safety risk, especially in a crash.

If this sounds familiar, there was a previous recall (NHTSA 25V721) issued last October for the same problem. That recall covered 163,256 Broncos from 2021 through 2023. Ford continued to study the issue and decided to expand further, hence the new recall that now includes Ranger.

The good news is that Ford already has a fix in place, and it's about as straightforward as you might imagine. Owners of affected vehicles will stop in at a Ford dealer to have the front seats removed and inspected. If any bolt "fails inspection" it will be replaced. Presumably, a failed inspection will be anything that's loose. Dealer notification on recalled vehicles is already underway. Specific owner notification should start in July and be completed by July 17.

For those keeping score at home, this is — again — Ford's 34th recall of 2026. That puts it miles ahead of its next-closest competitors, Stellantis and Toyota, which have 12 apiece. It's not clear yet if we'll reach the 153 recalls Ford hit in 2025, but we're on a good pace. At the very least, I think we'll clear the over-12.3 million vehicles recalled in 2025. Right now, we're sitting at 9,812,890, and it's only May 4.

Reverse: This sucks

History.com

The most annoying dork you know owes his personality to this guy, who is, of course, British. If anyone says this to you today, you should be legally allowed to pop them in the jugular, and if you're reading this and thinking about how YOU were going to say "May the Fourth be with you," just stay inside. Ugh. Anyway, if you want to learn more, head over to History.com.

The Fuel Up

Scott Olson/Getty Images

I've got a little bit of good news, if you could even call it that. Gas prices are still climbing, but the rate of increase has slowed dramatically from what we were seeing last week. The thing is, I'm not sure that's going to last. President Trump says the U.S. Navy is guiding ships through the Strait of Hormuz, Iran claims it hit a Navy vessel with two missiles, but the U.S. is denying this happened. It's a goddamn mess. All of this has caused WTI Crude Oil Futures and Brent Crude to recoup any losses they saw in recent days, with both currently sitting at about $102.27 and $110.68, respectively, at the time of publication.

What this all boils down to is the fact that we've hit another new record for the average price of a gallon of gas in 2026, as prices rose another cent overnight to $4.56, according to AAA. We're now just 56 cents away from the all-time high of $5.02 set back on June 14, 2022.

Here's where national average prices stand right now, according to AAA:

AAA

On the radio: Sean Kingston, Justin Bieber - 'Eenie Meenie'

And suddenly, I'm 13 years old again at a middle school dance. What a time to be alive. When will the music industry be brave enough to retvrn to music like this? It's long overdue, clearly, because there's nothing on earth that sounds like this anymore. That's a damn shame if you ask me.

What's Your Favorite Car Named After A Place?

Mon, 04 May 2026 21:27:22 +0000

By Erin Marquis Paris Het Loo

Billy Shakesmen once asked in one of his plays "what's in a name?" Well, a whole lot. Names can evoke feelings and moods in the listener that can become permanently associated with the namee. Automakers love giving their cars animal names, for instance, that evoke power or strength. Last week, when I asked you about your favorite cars with animal names, I got some cool responses and learned about cars and animals I didn't know about. Neat! I'm recreating a bit of that magic with todays question: What's your favorite car named after a place?

It can be real, like the Volkswagen Taos, or imaginary (or rather, mythical) like an Aston Martin Valhalla. It can be a building, a park, a city, a country or, like my favorite place-named car, a state. It can even be another planet, like the the Vulcan or every Saturn. If you can stand on it or in it, it counts.

Charles01/Wikicommons

Now I know what you're thinking: shock me with that deviant choice, Marquis. Another cute Ghia-designed French car on Jalopnik. Oh look, it's an affordable roadster with no top and good wheels. I know I'm not blowing anyone's expectations off their hinges here, but I just think the Renault Floride is such a tidy, sweet little car. More than just a love of everything that makes the Floride, known in the U.S. and UK as the Caravelle, feel like a Florida car. Or at least the Florida of the early 1960s. Like the cute little Karmann Ghia, the Floride was rear-engined and rear-wheel drive, the car was a hit for Renault (Grace Kelly even owned one!) according to Hemmings, but didn't do quite the same numbers as Volkswagen's Ghia.

Eventually Renault dropped the Floride name, which I think was a mistake. I want to think of the Florida this car evokes: a sunny drive through the Keys to get a tropical drink and add another layer to your perfectly tanned skin along the way. Nowadays, Florida just seems like a place where giant floating pollution toilets dock, where a cartoon rat shakes kids upside for whatever is in their pockets, and where criminals make big numbers on YouTube. I'll take the slightly classier, Grace Kelly-owning, French vision of the Sunshine State thank you very much.

2026 Toyota Camry Nightshade Edition Adds A Dash Of Visual Excitement To An Otherwise Utilitarian Car

Mon, 04 May 2026 21:27:21 +0000

The Toyota Camry is the best-selling car in the country, and has been for over 20 years. There are lots of upsides to being the most popular car in the U.S., but the big downside of achieving such broad appeal is the loss of excitement that comes with seeing Camrys everywhere you look. When was the last time you were excited to see a Camry? My point exactly.

Toyota recognized this concern a while back, and every subsequent generation has gradually become less boring. The latest ninth-generation Camry debuted in 2025 with a hybrid-only engine lineup, bolder styling, and a more engaging driving experience. Even with a little added spice, the Camry still proved to have the winning formula, posting best-ever sales figures again in 2025. As a car nerd, I was excited to get behind the wheel of a 2026 Toyota Camry and see what all the fuss is about.

Logan K. Carter/ Jalopnik

Full disclosure: Toyota was kind enough to loan me this 2026 Camry Nightshade Edition for a whole week to use as my daily driver. I did lots of different kinds of driving over that week, and I feel like I got a pretty good feel for the car.

Nightshade edition is new for 2026, but not much else is

Logan K. Carter/ Jalopnik

My test car was the new Nightshade Edition, which the press release says gives the Camry a "blacked-out sporty appearance [that] enhances the undeniable Camry vibe." It elbows its way into the middle of Camry lineup, just below the XLE trim at a base price of $33,795 including a $1,195 destination charge; this one also had the $600 Convenience Package, beautiful red paint for $475, a larger 12.3-inch screen for $735, and a couple other extras that ran the price up to a still-reasonable $35,878.

None of the options on my press car felt like must-haves, so if you're a cost-conscious buyer considering a Camry, the base LE has everything you really need for $3,500 less than the Nightshade. If you wouldn't be caught dead behind the wheel of a base model, the sportier-looking Camry SE is $1,000 cheaper than the Nightshade, and only misses out on its blacked-out details.

Logan K. Carter/ Jalopnik

On the face of it, my press car certainly looked more exciting than any earlier Camry designs, with its Supersonic Red paint contrasting nicely with the Nightshade's Midnight Black Metallic grille, canards, door handles, mirror caps, antenna, rear diffuser and spoiler. The interior is typical Camry, with black fake leather and fabric seats, a standard 7-inch digital gauge cluster, and lots of hard plastics. Nothing objectively bad, but nothing particularly thrilling either.

Hybrid or bust

Logan K. Carter/ Jalopnik

One of the biggest pieces of news that came along with the 2025 Camry was the announcement that all Camrys are now hybrids. You can no longer get a gasoline-only Camry, and though some people think that's a mistake, I think it's a great move. The Camry is not known to be an enthusiast pick, and with more than 300,000 sold every year it's a perfect way to minimize fuel consumption on American roads. It also allows Toyota to produce more enthusiast-focused cars that might not be quite as environmentally conscious. This isn't a Miata, it's a Camry, so chuck in a hybrid powertrain with a CVT and let the masses flock.

Toyota is synonymous with hybrids anyway, and the new Camry proves why — the powertrain is supremely smooth, efficient, and actually quite powerful. The naturally aspirated 2.5-liter inline-4 engine is paired with a 134-horsepower front-mounted electric motor and a 0.6-kWh lithium-ion battery pack that together produce 225 horsepower in front-wheel-drive models like my press car. All-wheel drive is available on all trims, adding a small 40-hp electric motor to the rear axle for a total of 232 horsepower.

Logan K. Carter/ Jalopnik

It can return as much as 53 mpg city, 50 mpg highway, and 51 mpg combined in base LE front-wheel-drive configuration, or as little as 44 mpg city, 43 mpg highway, and 44 mpg combined in top XSE AWD form. You can't be mad at a car that goes from 0-to-60 mph in around 7 seconds and still returns as much as 53 mpg.

It's competent, but I wouldn't describe the driving experience as particularly fun

Logan K. Carter/ Jalopnik

Given how much I'd heard about the redesigned Camry's fun nature, I was expecting to be completely won over by it on the mountain roads I'm lucky enough to live by. While it impressed me, for a Camry, I would be lying if I said I found it truly enjoyable to drive. The most fun part about driving the Camry comes from the surprisingly punchy drivetrain, which feels quite quick thanks to its electric assistance.

Chucking it down a twisty road revealed a relatively quick turn-in response, followed by a bit more grip than I expected, but it never felt good to push harder. The car seemed to reluctantly accept the fact that I was pushing it down a winding road, but not happy to do so or especially eager to go faster. It's certainly competent, but I didn't walk away from the experience thinking, "wow, that was fun."

If you lift off the throttle in a turn to fight understeer and encourage rotation, the Camry barely budges; if you want any rotation, you have to tap the brakes to get the weight to transfer to the front of the car and then the nose tucks in. At least it tucks in, but it's by no means playful or eager. This may have something to do with the 235/40 Bridgestone Turanza tires that encircle the Nightshade Edition's standard 19-inch satin black alloy wheels, but hey that's what I had to play with.

Nobody buys a Camry for its driving excitement, though

Logan K. Carter/ Jalopnik

"Disappointed but not surprised" was a phrase that I used to utter frequently before I realized that we create our own worldview, but I'll bring it out of retirement to describe the Camry's so-called sporty driving dynamics. I was disappointed that it wasn't actually fun, but I wasn't surprised, given its utilitarian purpose.

When used for its intended objective of being an efficient and affordable source of transportation, though, the Camry began to impress. The hybrid powertrain felt torquey around town, and it can be driven pretty aggressively while still returning great gas mileage. I averaged 38 mpg over the course of my week-long test, which involved more than a little hard driving.

Logan K. Carter/ Jalopnik

The driving experience was totally smooth and seamless, from acceleration to braking to the lack of shifts from the ECVT, which can no doubt be attributed to Toyota's extensive experience building hybrid powertrains. Smoothness is the overarching theme with the new Camry. I had a few passengers during my week with it, and when I asked them their thoughts on the experience, they all said it was really smooth. The interior wasn't as quiet as I wanted at highway speeds, especially on concrete or broken roads, but it's not a dealbreaker.

All Camrys come standard with Toyota's suite of active driver-assistance features, which includes full-speed adaptive cruise control, lane departure assist, lane tracing, blind-spot monitoring, and automated emergency braking. I found the Camry's cruise control and lane tracing to work flawlessly, and take some of the fatigue out of LA's hectic freeways.

Logan K. Carter/ Jalopnik

Unfortunately, the 2026 Camry Nightshade continues with a fault that has plagued other Camry generations: a long, low front overhang. If you're going through a dip, you'd better slow way down, otherwise the nose will scrape. If you're pulling into a parking spot, do not pull up until your tires hit the curb or parking bumper, or you're liable to rip the entire bumper off when you try to back out. If you're trying to make a U-turn on a tight road, don't let the front of the car get too close to any curbs, or you'll scrape that low-hanging bumper. A front camera or surround-view camera system would help this, but it's only available as an option on top XLE and XSE trims.

The interior is simple and effective

Logan K. Carter/ Jalopnik

The Camry's interior strikes a great balance between technological integration and physical buttons for important and frequently used controls. My Nightshade Edition tester was a rarity among press cars, in that it wasn't a top spec model fitted with all the features and gadgets. Instead, it was pretty representative of what the average Camry you'd see on the road, which was a nice change as a reviewer. That means there's not much reason to dive into the 12.3-inch touchscreen's menus with any sort of frequency, so I found myself hopping in, putting my phone on the wireless charger, and hitting the road.

There are dead-simple physical controls for climate settings, so they're easy to adjust while driving, and wireless CarPlay worked great. The vast array of steering wheel–mounted buttons are another thing that makes the Camry easy to live with. They're all large and clearly marked, and like a good fidget toy, operations were palpably discernable without looking away from the road.

Logan K. Carter/ Jalopnik

The 6-speaker sound system in my test car was the same one that's standard across all Camrys, and I can't believe I'm saying this, but it sounded great. I love listening to music when I drive, and I can be quite picky about my sound systems, so considering that this is the standard system that comes on even the cheapest Camry LE, I was thoroughly impressed.

As far as interior room goes, the Camry is short on headroom. Yes, I'm a bit taller than the average person at 6-foot-8, but I have very long legs and a more average-size torso, so I was surprised by how little headroom I found in the Camry's driver's seat. My tester didn't even have a moonroof, which usually eats into headroom; even as a slicktop, the Camry doesn't have great headroom up front, or in the back seats, for that matter. The sloping roofline can likely be blamed for the lack of rear seat headroom. If your family is known for its long torsos, the Camry won't be a great choice for you. Legroom was fine in both rows, not outstanding in any way, but elbow room was great in both rows. Overall, the interior felt wide and roomy, but not tall.

Logan K. Carter/ Jalopnik

One feeling I couldn't shake was that everything about the Camry seemed hollow. When I'd shut the door, it sounded like the sheetmetal popped in for a split second before returning to its convex shape. Combined with the fact that the interior sounded boomy when going over big bumps, I was left feeling like the Camry was well screwed together, but not the most solid or vault-like product.

The 2026 Camry Nightshade is a lot of car for $36,000

Logan K. Carter/ Jalopnik

Sadly, we live in a time where the cheapest new car on sale is just over $22,000, and the average new car costs around $50,000. All things considered, the 2026 Toyota Camry Nightshade Edition is a lot of car for $36,000. It gets great gas mileage, which saves money in the long-run, and it's a Toyota, so it ought to be ultra-reliable and hold its resale value exceptionally well. It gives you everything you need, from the active-safety systems to wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and it has real room for a family of four.

I found the claims of the new Camry's "fun-to-drive" nature to be exaggerated, but depending on your persuasion and your priorities, that likely won't matter too much. As it turns out, the 2026 Toyota Camry is still a smart, affordable, and sensible choice after all these years on top, and there are no signs of that changing any time soon.

Understanding The Differences Between Generic And Manufacturer OBD-II Codes

Mon, 04 May 2026 21:27:21 +0000