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- XC90 shines, 992.2 GTS daily, Tariff talks heat
XC90 shines, 992.2 GTS daily, Tariff talks heat
PLUS: BMW style updates, Stellantis new CEO, Alpine 1000-HP hype
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The Daily Upside was founded by investment professionals to arm decision-makers with market intelligence that goes deeper than headlines. No filler. Just concise, trusted insights on business trends, deal flow, and economic shifts—read by leaders at top firms across finance, tech, and beyond.
2025-05-29
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Releases & Reviews
The Smoking Tire’s 600-mile (966 km) week with the 992.2 GTS reveals the hybrid’s instant electric torque erases low-speed lag, yet its 18 mpg (13 L/100 km) real-world economy and firm bucket-seat ride temper daily-driver appeal. Start-stop is smooth, but still annoying.
Mid-year 2025.5 update brings sharper nose, Google-based 11.2-inch screen and softer base dampers; the B6 now makes 295 hp (220 kW) and hits 60 mph in 6.8 s. Plug-in T8 offers 32-mile (51 km) EV range yet still sprints to 60 mph in 4.8 s.
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Technology, Market Data & Analysis
At ACT Expo, Bosch, Cummins and Volvo touted hydrogen ICEs delivering diesel-like torque while claiming up to 52 % thermal efficiency versus today’s 50 % diesels. A Scania 12.7 L test engine hit 600 hp (447 kW) and 2,213 lb-ft (3,000 Nm) using high-pressure direct injection with minimal CO₂ tailpipe output.
BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen are negotiating a June accord with the U.S. Commerce Department that would offset future import duties by crediting vehicles exported from their Alabama and South Carolina plants. EU officials are simultaneously drafting retaliation lists, underscoring the €100 billion ($109 billion) trade stakes.
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Car Culture
Driven! This Range Rover Restomod Costs More Than a Lambo, But It May Be Way Cooler (11 minute read)
Kingsley’s KSR rebuild pairs a 270 hp (201 kW), 310 lb-ft (421 Nm) 4.6 L V-8 with adaptive TracTive dampers, digital dash and tartan-accented leather. Despite a 9.8-second 0–60 and 120 mph (193 km/h) top end, its $300,000 bespoke craftsmanship and classic greenhouse make modern SUVs feel claustrophobic.
From a 720 hp (537 kW) Ferrari F40 GTE shedding 300 lb (136 kg) to the one-off twin-hull 1967 OSI Silver Fox prototype, this Lake Como roundup spotlights nine sensational classics plus a Monaco-run Countach safety car, culminating in a twin-supercharged Alfa Romeo Tipo B winning Best of Show.
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Miscellaneous
A software fault can freeze or blank the rear camera on 1.1 million 2021–2024 Ford and Lincoln models, prompting an over-the-air fix or dealer flash. The bug already caused one minor crash, and follows a 2023 fine over a similar 600,000-vehicle recall.
GM will pour $888 million into its Tonawanda, New York plant to launch a sixth-gen small-block by 2027, targeting more than today’s 420 hp (313 kW), 460 lb-ft (624 Nm) 6.2 L while slashing consumption via advanced combustion and thermal management—proof that Detroit’s push to 2035 all-EV still has rumbling detours.
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Quick Links
The 25-year Fiat-veteran will shift from Americas COO to the top seat on June 23, inheriting lagging North-American sales and looming 25 percent U.S. import tariffs.
June 2’s V-8 hybrid Bentayga will pack nearly 740 hp (552 kW), a sport exhaust and a new drift-friendly calibration, eclipsing the outgoing 600 hp (447 kW) W-12 Speed.
Due in 2028, Alpine’s tri-motor turbo V-6 hybrid will channel 1,000 hp (746 kW) through all wheels, serving as both Ferrari-fighting halo and rolling lab for future Renault-group tech.
BMW design chief Adrian van Hooydonk says the iX3-previewed Neue Klasse styling will sweep every model—including a facelifted 5-Series—within 42 months, preventing combustion cars from feeling like yesterday’s relics.
Munich-trained designer Dominik Anders envisions the Obsidian EV as a low-poly five-door sports car with pixel lighting and active aero, echoing ’80s wedges while previewing Hyundai’s minimalist, ground-effects future.
On Jay Leno’s Garage, Ford icon-chief Dave Pericak recounts building the Le Mans-winning GT, flat-plane Mustang GT350R and 760 hp (567 kW) Bronco restomod before terrorizing Leno on a tire-smoking ride.
Q by Aston Martin sprinkles glass-flake Frosted Blue paint, white pin-striped aero and palm-leaf stitched Aurora Blue/Ivory leather across this one-off DB12 Volante commissioned by Palm Beach to woo bespoke droptop buyers.
In SavageGeese’s round-table rant, hosts argue Nissan should fold Infiniti unless its SUVs gain true mechanical separation, warning that badge-engineered luxury can’t survive today’s screen-obsessed, cost-bloated marketplace.
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