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2025-10-24

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Releases & Reviews

The 2027 Kia Telluride Shows Off Some of its New Muscles (3 minute read)

Kia’s second‑gen Telluride trades soft edges for a boxier stance, adding triple‑vertical LED DRLs up front and matching rear signatures. Teasers show chunkier surfacing and a squared grille to separate it from the Palisade. Expect interior and tech updates to follow the brawnier sheetmetal.

Comparison Test: Honda CR-V Hybrid, Mazda CX-50 Hybrid, Subaru Forester Hybrid, and Toyota RAV4 Hybrid (18 minute read)

Editors weigh real-world economy, cargo usability, and daily drivability over spec-sheet heroics. The four hybrids take different paths—Honda’s two-motor system, Toyota’s eCVT architecture (also in the Mazda), and Subaru’s mild hybrid—yielding distinct ride, noise, and brake-feel characters that separate them more than power figures.

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Technology, Market Data & Analysis

GM Will Phase Out Apple CarPlay and Android Auto on Its Gas-Fed Cars (3 minute read)

CEO Mary Barra confirmed on a podcast that GM will remove CarPlay and Android Auto from future gas models, expanding a policy already applied to its EVs. The shift begins with 2028 vehicles on new computing hardware, steering owners to GM’s embedded, Google-based infotainment ecosystem.

IIHS To People Who Complain About Blinding Headlights: It’s All In Your Head (5 minute read)

An IIHS study finds no evidence that modern headlight brightness is driving a surge in nighttime crashes, despite widespread complaints. The analysis points instead to glare perception and mounting height differences, suggesting better aim and automatic leveling matter more than raw lumen output.

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Car Culture

From Sketch to Shelf: The Surprisingly Intense Process Behind Every Hot Wheels Car (12 minute read)

Mattel’s pipeline from sketch to die-cast involves designers, 3D printing, and track specialists iterating to ensure cars run and look right. The scale lineup is staggering: roughly 50 new castings and 400 color or graphic variations roll out each year across seven series.

10 Future Classics vs 6 Cars That Will Age Like Milk (40 minute watch)

Extra Throttle House debates 10 cars likely to age well—low-volume specials, engaging manuals, and distinctive styling—against six likely duds due to derivative design or complex tech. Their criteria emphasize long-term desirability over lap times, with auction trends and parts support shaping the prognoses.

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Miscellaneous

Concept Car Catches on Fire at GM Design Studio, But Report of Massive Blaze Is Wrong, GM Says (2 minute read)

GM says a blaze at its new Pasadena Advanced Design Studio was contained to a single concept vehicle, despite early reports of a massive structure fire. The incident began around 5:45 p.m. and was extinguished by 7:30 p.m.; no injuries were reported, and operations continue.

The Ford Mustang GTD Is at the Nurburgring Attempting To Steal Its Record Back From the Chevy Corvette (3 minute read)

Hours after the Corvette ZR1X and ZR1 eclipsed its Nürburgring lap, Ford sent a modified Mustang GTD back to the track to answer. Spy shots show added aero including rear-wheel aerodiscs and revised elements, signaling a renewed push to reclaim the production-car crown.

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Quick Links

'No More Fuses:' How GM's New Architecture Will Transform Gas Cars, Too (8 minute read)

GM’s new zonal electrical architecture replaces dozens of fuse boxes and standalone ECUs with software‑defined controllers, enabling over‑the‑air updates, shorter wiring runs, and a single platform that lowers cost and complexity for both EVs and gas models.

Ford Is Getting F-150 Production Back in Overdrive After Major Setback (3 minute read)

Ford will add a 1,200‑person third shift at the Rouge Complex, create about 900 new jobs, and hire 100 at Kentucky Truck, offsetting output lost to a supplier fire and ramping F‑150 and Super Duty production.

Toyota's Mini Land Cruiser FJ Might Be the Coolest SUV We (Probably) Can’t Buy (6 minute read)

Toyota’s prototype Land Cruiser FJ debuts in Japan with boxy styling, modular exterior panels, and customization galore, but early signals suggest production is aimed at Japan and Southeast Asia rather than the U.S. market.

Tesla Recalls Some Model 3 and Model Y EVs That Could Lose Power (2 minute read)

Documents show 12,963 Model 3 and Model Y vehicles—5,038 2025 Model 3s and 7,925 2026 Model Ys—risk sudden power loss if a battery‑pack contactor solenoid opens while driving; Tesla will fix affected cars.

EarthRoamer Reveals Two Super-Sized Off-Road Camping Vehicles (3 minute read)

EarthRoamer’s new Chevy‑based SX 2.0 and updated Ford LTx adopt 24‑volt electrics, pack 24‑kWh or 18‑kWh lithium batteries, add a 9000‑watt inverter, and support up to 1800 watts of solar for quicker off‑grid replenishment.

Yangwang U9 Xtreme Is Now the Fastest EV Ever Around the Nürburgring (1 minute read)

BYD’s Yangwang U9 Xtreme lapped the Nürburgring Nordschleife in 6:59.157, the first sub‑seven for an EV in its class, after recently hitting 308.4 mph (496 km/h) in testing, underscoring the hypercar’s growing performance credibility.

Game on! Ford is working on a more-extreme Mustang GTD (2 minute read)

Ring‑side spy shots suggest Ford is developing a wilder Mustang GTD to retake the record from Chevrolet’s 1,250 hp (933 kW) AWD Corvette ZRX1 at 6:49.3, which edged the GTD’s 6:52.1; the 1,064 hp (794 kW) ZR1 was close.

Turo's Solution To Ultra-High Car Prices: Rent One For A Year (6 minute read)

Amid rising payments and higher rates, Turo is pitching year‑long rentals as a simpler alternative to buying or leasing, bundling flexibility and predictable costs to help budget‑conscious drivers stay mobile without long‑term debt.

RIP HONDA CRV! (20 minute watch)

TheStraightPipes review a new hybrid compact SUV with 324 hp (242 kW), praising punchy acceleration and practical packaging while suggesting Honda’s CR‑V now faces tougher competition on performance, features, and value.

Porsche’s New W18 Engine Concept Would Make Its Next Hypercar Truly Special (3 minute read)

A newly published WIPO patent reveals Porsche exploring a compact W18 layout for a future halo model, hinting at continued combustion ambitions even as EV plans evolve, though patents rarely guarantee production intentions.