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  • Z06s Cheap, Manual Maserati, Steer-by-wire doubts,

Z06s Cheap, Manual Maserati, Steer-by-wire doubts,

PLUS: Leno’s GTD lap, Slowest 2025 cars, Ferrari's EV secret

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2025-07-30

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Releases & Reviews

Ford’s track-focused Dark Horse couples a 500 horsepower (373 kW) 5.0-liter V8 with MagneRide dampers and sticky Pirellis, masking its roughly 4,000 lb (1,814 kg) mass on canyon roads. Autoweek praises razor-sharp steering, robust cooling, and value—an $81,550 tester feels exotic yet livable.

Doug DeMuro finds the 2025 Civic Hybrid’s two-motor setup delivers 200 horsepower (149 kW) and 232 lb-ft (315 Nm) with Accord-like smoothness, yet 50 mpg (4.7 L/100 km). He hails best-in-class cabin tech, subtle styling tweaks, and pricing that undercuts rival compact hybrids.

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Technology, Market Data & Analysis

The once-pioneering Autopilot now lacks eye-tracking, automated lane changes and hands-free certification offered by GM and Ford. Hardware stagnation and a $12,000 Full Self-Driving upsell leave the Model Y’s 2023 software feeling merely average in today’s ADAS arms race.

Top Gear explains steer-by-wire’s variable ratios: parking-lot flicks need just 90° of wheel, while 75 mph (121 km/h) cruising slows inputs for stability. Lexus, Nissan and Mercedes prototypes ditch the column entirely, promising tighter packaging, driver-adjustable feel and integration with lane-keep algorithms.

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Car Culture

Harry’s Garage recounts 5,500 miles (8,851 km) of McLaren 650S ownership: flawless reliability, £3,000 (~$3,900) annual servicing, and soaring twin-turbo V8 thrust—641 hp (478 kW) launches it to 204 mph (328 km/h). He praises hydraulic suspension comfort yet warns resale values still trail Ferrari.

From the Ferrari F40’s thunderous 471 hp (351 kW) surge to Subaru’s 1990s Impreza WRX, Top Gear relives five turbo classics where lag feels like a countdown, not a flaw. Their spirited list celebrates the era when boost gauges, whistling wastegates and patience ruled.

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Miscellaneous

There are 1,702 unsold Corvette Z06s nationwide, some advertised below MSRP after early flipper markups evaporated. Despite 670 hp (500 kW) and a shrieking 8,600 rpm flat-plane V8, high insurance and $113,000 entry pricing have cooled demand—deal-hunters can finally skip the waiting list.

Maserati is plotting a limited, flagship grand tourer packing a twin-turbo Nettuno V6 and gated six-speed, targeting over 620 hp (462 kW). The brand hopes analog engagement and exclusivity will rekindle enthusiasm lost to EV announcements and tepid Grecale sales.

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In this Jay Leno's Garage episode, Jay tours the carbon-bodied, track-prepped Mustang GTD, unveiling its 800 horsepower (597 kW) supercharged 5.2-liter V8, adaptive aero, and sub-7-minute Nürburgring target while justifying the roughly $300,000 price.

Citing tariff uncertainty, rising EV costs, and shifting U.S. demand, VW has pushed Cupra’s arrival until after 2030, scrapping plans to launch the 335 horsepower (249 kW) electric Formentor and larger three-row SUV this decade.

Inventory analyst CarEdge found vehicles like the Audi e-tron GT and Porsche Macan lingering more than 425 days on lots, revealing which 2025 models may command steep discounts as dealers race to clear space.

Audi’s September IAA concept will preview a production model arriving by 2027 that designers say channels the original TT’s purity while riding PPE architecture with 800-volt charging and a projected 400 mile (644 km) range.

Spy shots of a yellow Xiaomi SU7 Ultra leaving Maranello suggest Ferrari benchmarked the 1,526 horsepower (1,138 kW), three-motor, 62 mph (100 km/h) in 1.98 second rocket while finalizing its 2026 Elettrica electric sedan.

Ars Technica finds the U.S.-built Polestar 3’s 489 horsepower (365 kW) dual-motor punch and adaptive air suspension deliver genuine sport-SUV poise, but laggy Google-based infotainment and fussy capacitive buttons occasionally undermine its 300 mile (483 km) cruising range appeal.

MotorTrend’s rundown crowns the 2020 Shelby GT500, recording an 11.3-second quarter-mile at 131.6 mph (212 km/h), while celebrating 25 years of Mustang evolution from 320 horsepower (238 kW) SVT Cobras to today’s 800 horsepower (597 kW) GTD.

Revisiting its 2006 sport-sedan showdown, MotorTrend notes the 306 horsepower (228 kW) Lexus IS 350 out-accelerated BMW’s 255 horsepower (190 kW) 330i and Mercedes’ 268 horsepower (200 kW) C350, yet the BMW’s chassis balance still clinched overall victory.

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