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2025-05-16

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Releases & Reviews

2026 Jeep Grand Cherokee Reveal Shows Off Sharper Styling & Revamped Interior in First Look (3 minute read)

Jeep’s facelift sharpens the Grand Cherokee with narrower LEDs, tweaked grille and refreshed bumper, while a reorganized dash adds larger screens yet retains real climate buttons. Two- and three-row bodies plus the 4xe PHEV remain, expected to use the proven 3.6-liter V6 and incur only a modest price rise.

Tested: 2025 Toyota Tacoma TRD PreRunner Is a 4x2 in 4x4 Clothing (6 minute read)

Car and Driver’s track test shows the rear-drive TRD PreRunner hustling to 60 mph in 7.0 sec and running the quarter in 15.3 sec at 92 mph (148 km/h). Its 278 hp (207 kW), 317 lb-ft (430 Nm) turbo-four and leaf-spring rear keep price $3,680 lower than a TRD Off-Road, but ride and 11 L/100 km fuel economy lag coil-spring siblings.

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Technology, Market Data & Analysis

China's BYD plans to establish European centre in Hungary, CEO says (1 minute read)

BYD CEO Wang Chuanfu says the Chinese EV giant will build a European centre in Hungary, adding 2,000 jobs for sales, after-sales, localisation and testing. The hub joins BYD’s Komárom bus plant and upcoming car factory, deepening ties with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán as the brand readies broader EU expansion.

Apple CarPlay Ultra Is an Inflection Point for Automakers (11 minute read)

MotorTrend argues CarPlay Ultra marks a pivotal moment: Apple’s new version can replace every dashboard display, imposing Apple fonts, widgets and limited colour palettes while siphoning data through the iPhone. Automakers must weigh handing over interface control—and potential subscription revenue—to Cupertino or following GM in dropping phone mirroring altogether.

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Car Culture

Behold: Callum Designs’ utterly sublime E-Type restomod concept (2 minute read)

Ian Callum’s first Portfolio Project envisions a respectfully modernised E-Type: ride height dropped, arches flared, aero-disked three-spoke wheels and subtle new LED housings enhance the silhouette without losing the exposed grille. A bespoke, wood-and-red-leather cockpit and five-speed manual underline its ICE focus—straight-six or V12, buyer’s choice.

Barn Find Ford GT40: GREATEST Ever? All original & Hidden 43 Years | Barn Find Hunter (20 minute watch)

Barn Find Hunter’s Tom Cotter films the sale of GT40 chassis 1056, an unrestored street car parked since 1982 with its 360 hp (268 kW) 289 cu in V8, Bari wire wheels and original body panels still tagged. New owner Chad vows to recommission the drivetrain but leave the 43-year patina untouched.

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Miscellaneous

GM Truck Owners With ‘Fixed’ 6.2L V8s Sue Over Reduced Fuel Economy (3 minute read)

Seven owners have filed a prospective nationwide class action alleging GM’s recall fix for 600,000 L87 6.2-liter V8 trucks—switching from 0W-20 to 0W-40 oil after lifter failures—cuts efficiency enough to burn “hundreds of extra gallons” over a vehicle’s life. GM is reviewing the complaint but hasn’t commented.

America, Where Trucks That Accelerate Faster Than Corvettes Are Legal, But Tiny Imports Are Not: COTD (2 minute read)

The Autopian’s Comment of the Day skewers regulatory irony: states ban 25-year-old Japanese kei cars as “unsafe” while the 9,063 lb (4,111 kg) GMC Hummer EV—capable of Corvette-beating acceleration from roughly 1,000 hp (746 kW)—is perfectly legal. The piece argues safety rules should tolerate both microcars and mega-trucks.

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Quick Links

Land Rover has lightly updated the Discovery and unveiled two new special editions (2 minute read)

Tempest and Gemini editions add matte copper trim, 22-inch wheels and family-focused cabin tweaks while every Discovery now uses the D350 mild-hybrid six delivering 345 hp (258 kW) and 516 lb-ft (701 Nm), from £64,810 (~$81,000).

Dodge Is Already Killing Off the Base Charger EV: Report (3 minute read)

Dodge will drop the 496 hp (369 kW) Charger Daytona R/T, leaving the 670 hp (505 kW) Scat Pack—good for 241 miles (388 km) range—as 2026’s sole EV after sluggish demand leaves 3,500 unsold R/Ts on dealer lots.

Ram Announced an EV in 2021. It’s Been Delayed Again Until 2027 (2 minute read)

Stellantis has postponed the Ram 1500 REV again, sliding launch to summer 2027 as a 2028 model and canceling its touted 500-mile (805 km) variant, while the range-extended Ramcharger slips to early 2026 with 350 mile (563 km) range.

Jaguar's Rebrand Might Get a Rebrand. Would That Make It a Re-Rebrand? (3 minute read)

As Jaguar quietly shops for a new ad agency, insiders say its controversial “Copy Nothing” makeover—complete with logo swap, pop-art campaigns and a two-year product pause—could itself be scrapped before the 2026 electric four-door GT arrives.

BMW Guys Will Literally Build a Twin-Turbo Hybrid V12 6×6 Pickup Before Buying an F-150 (4 minute read)

Florida fabricator Brian Lutton is turning a second E38 BMW 7-Series into a 6×6 ute, pairing a twin-turbo 5.4-liter V12 with an X5 AWD driveline and Tesla Model 3 motor for a hybrid tow monster.

Man Arrested After Trying to Tow a Car Backwards on a Highway (2 minute read)

Texas troopers jailed 32-year-old Dante Brown after his Ford Expedition flat-towed a Saab 9-3 convertible backward down Houston’s I-610, the swinging, driverless drop-top weaving across lanes and shocking onlookers but luckily causing no injuries.

Apple CarPlay Ultra Is Honeycrisp Sweet (6 minute read)

CarPlay Ultra debuts in 2025 Aston Martins, extending Apple’s interface to the gauge cluster, adding vehicle, climate and radio widgets, and requiring an iPhone 12 or newer on iOS 18.5 for the fully wireless experience.

New Apple CarPlay Ultra tested: hands-on with every new feature (8 minute read)

Hands-on testing in an Aston Martin DBX 707 shows CarPlay Ultra blending phone apps with “local” car data and punch-through native pages, booting near-instantaneously and offering swipe-selectable, brand-themed instrument clusters across multiple screens.

Apple’s CarPlay Ultra is finally here, if you have a new Aston Martin (2 minute read)

Apple confirms CarPlay Ultra’s rollout begins with new Aston Martins and will expand to Hyundai, Kia and Genesis, projecting live gauges, ADAS, maps and tire-pressure widgets across all driver screens via iPhone 12-plus running iOS 18.5.