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Golf GTI First Look, Tariff Whiplash, BMW M3 Showdown

PLUS: Big-Rig Armada Test, Kia K5 GT Bargain, S5 Surprises

May 01, 2025

Today in Cars logo

2025-05-01

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Releases & Reviews

The uprated 4.0-liter biturbo V8 now makes 717 hp (534 kW) and 663 lb-ft (900 Nm), launching the carbon-roofed DBX S to 62 mph in 3.3 s and 193 mph (311 km/h). Larger turbos, a quicker wet-clutch nine-speed and 23-inch magnesium wheels trim weight, while the price rises to ÂŁ210,000 (~$263,000).

VW’s mid-cycle “Mk 8.5” refresh fixes the maligned interface with a 12.9-inch screen, back-lit sliders and real steering-wheel buttons. Output remains 241 hp (180 kW) and 273 lb-ft (370 Nm), but the beloved six-speed manual is gone; the DSG-only hot-hatch now opens at $33,670.

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Technology, Market Data & Analysis

Trump’s volatile 25 % auto-import tariff has rattled boardrooms: Stellantis and Mercedes joined GM and Volvo in withdrawing 2025 earnings outlooks, while VW offered only a floor. Mercedes warns a year of tariffs could slice three margin points from car sales, deepening planning paralysis amid a slower EV transition.

Toyota and Waymo Are Teaming Up To Build a New Autonomous Car (3 minute read)

The new partnership pairs Toyota’s mass-production expertise with Waymo’s robotaxi stack, which already logs 250,000 rides weekly. Early hints suggest “guardian” driver-assist tech could precede full autonomy, expanding Waymo’s fleet beyond Jaguar I-Pace and Chrysler Pacifica hosts and targeting global-volume deployment.

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Car Culture

We Drove Three of the Best BMW M3s Ever. One Stood Out (7 minute read)

Motor1 compares the 333 hp (248 kW) E46, 414 hp (309 kW) V8-powered E92 Lime Rock, and 473 hp (353 kW) G80. While the latest car is brutally quick, the author crowns the dual-clutch, naturally aspirated E92 Lime Rock as the sweetest, most balanced M3 of the trio.

Greenwich Concours d’Elegance returns May 31–June 1 with Packard guru Ralph Marano as Grand Marshal. Saturday’s Concours de Sport celebrates the Lamborghini Countach’s 50th birthday, while Sunday honors Chrysler’s 100th alongside Porsche prototypes, Art Deco streamliners and other themed classes beside Long Island Sound.

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Miscellaneous

California Is (Sort Of) About to Run Out of License Plate Numbers (3 minute read)

California’s “1AAA000” sequence will hit 9ZZZ999 by late 2025—45 years early—thanks to 13.2 million registered cars and roughly 1.7 million new sales a year. The DMV will flip to a “000AAA0” format next spring, a pragmatic fix for the nation’s most car-hungry state.

Iowa’s unanimously approved House Bill 645, effective July 1 2025, shields racetracks from noise-nuisance lawsuits when the circuit predates complaining neighbors. Backed by SEMA and PRI, the law secures grassroots ovals and Iowa Speedway alike, preserving motorsport’s economic engine against redevelopment pressure.

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Now packing a twin-turbo 3.5-liter V-6 with 425 hp (317 kW) and 516 lb-ft (701 Nm), the Pro-4X hits 60 mph in 5.9 s, gains 9.6 inches of clearance and class-leading 33° approach capability.

Riding on the Neue Klasse EV platform, the forthcoming i3 Touring will launch after the iX3 with a 300 hp (224 kW) rear-drive base model and spawn a four-motor electric M3 flagship.

After 9,000 miles (14,484 km), a 2023 manual 911 Carrera T with $20,000 in options fetched $133,000—beating its $131,320 MSRP—thanks to its 379 hp (283 kW) flat-six and purist spec.

VW Brings Back Harlequin Polo as a Gravel-Slingin’ Rally Car (3 minute read)

To celebrate the Polo’s 50th birthday, VW UK wrapped a 2018 Polo R World Rallycross car in classic Chagall Blue, Flash Red, Ginster Yellow and Pistachio panels, honoring the quirky 1995 Harlequin and the model’s four-time WRC dominance.

After 18,000 miles (28,968 km) and eight track days on a Subaru BRZ, Brembo’s $4,100 Pista FF6 kit—6-lb forged six-piston calipers and 355 mm rotors—delivered flawless pedal feel, minimal wear and AP-beating performance.

Republicans want to tax EV drivers $200/year in new transport bill (2 minute read)

House Republicans’ transport bill would force battery-EV owners to pay a $200 yearly federal registration, hybrids $100 and diesel pickups just $20 from 2030, indexing fees to inflation yet still leaving the Highway Trust Fund $222 billion short by 2035.

Throttle House finds the new 367 hp (274 kW) B10 Audi S5 quicker and more playful than before—thanks to a dual-clutch, torque-vectoring rear diff and drift-friendly tuning—yet still hampered by numb steering and oversized touchscreens.

Raiti’s Rides touts the 2025 K5 GT’s value: a 290 hp (216 kW), 311 lb-ft (422 Nm) 2.5-liter turbo, 5-second 0–60 mph, 155 mph (249 km/h) top speed and $34,000 entry price, though front-drive traction remains its Achilles heel.

The Dubai Police force has added a Mansory-tuned Rolls-Royce Cullinan to its fleet (2 minute read)

Dubai Police’s latest tourist-patrol toy is a Mansory-widebody Rolls-Royce Cullinan whose 6.75-liter twin-turbo V-12 now makes 602 hp (449 kW), ensuring suspects enjoy quilted custody at unmistakably opulent speeds.

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