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- Dark Horse SC Debuts, Hyundai's Rise, Diablo Matures
Dark Horse SC Debuts, Hyundai's Rise, Diablo Matures
PLUS: ZR1X Runs 1.68s, BMW V12 Lives, Cheapest Car $20K+
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2026-01-16
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Releases & Reviews
Ford bridges the gap between the Mustang Dark Horse and the $330,000 GTD with a supercharged V8 producing over 800 hp (597 kW). The "SC" designation confirms what enthusiasts suspected: this is essentially a GT500 rebadged, sharing the GTD's forced-induction powerplant with street-legal calibration and a far more accessible price point.
The compact off-road SUV segment heats up as Honda's new TrailSport joins Subaru's trail-blazing Wilderness and Toyota's Woodland editions. Each brings unique strengths—the Forester's ground clearance, the RAV4's reliability pedigree, and the CR-V's refined packaging—making the winner highly dependent on buyer priorities.
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Technology, Market Data & Analysis
For its first 30 years, Hyundai's only selling point was being cheap—the cars weren't well-made or enjoyable. A dramatic quality push beginning around 2000 transformed the Korean automaker into a global powerhouse, arguably the most impressive turnaround in automotive history.
December 2025 saw new car buyers paying an average of $50,326—a record high representing a 1.1% jump from November and 0.8% year-over-year increase. Strong luxury and pickup truck sales drove the surge, while average MSRPs also climbed to a record $52,627.
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Car Culture
Following the impossible-to-top Countach, the Diablo proved a worthy sequel with its combination of outrageous styling and raw performance. Once overshadowed by its predecessor's poster-car status, collectors now recognize the Diablo as a significant piece of Lamborghini heritage with values climbing accordingly.
Shipping a 1949 Morris Minor overseas and driving 1,600 km (1,000 miles) through Europe—including UK driving on the opposite side—sounds ambitious bordering on foolish. Paired with a 70-year-old woodie wagon, the adventure with Morris Minor Owners Club members proved that old cars need to be driven, not just admired.
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Miscellaneous
Dodge has officially ended production of its most affordable vehicle, the $31,990 Hornet, after just three model years. Built in Italy, the compact SUV fell victim to 25% import duties, following a production pause that began last summer.
Mercedes-Benz is pausing Drive Pilot, the conditionally automated system that allowed drivers to take their eyes off the road. The revised S-Class arriving this month will instead feature a new point-to-point Level 2 system that rivals Tesla's Full Self-Driving, marking a strategic retreat from true autonomous technology.
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Quick Links
On a prepped surface with street-legal calibration and pump gas, the all-wheel-drive hybrid supercar also ripped a quarter-mile in the 8-second range—numbers that redefine what's possible from a factory Corvette.
This archive test reveals a Ferrariesque mid-engine sports car from a 35-person French manufacturer that delivered the style and performance of Italian exotics without the painful ergonomics.
Developed by two-time King of the Hammers champion Loren Healy and drift legend Vaughn Gittin Jr., the Bronco RTR offers high-speed off-road performance with beefed-up steering and 33-inch tires at a lower price than the Raptor.
Despite looming Euro 7 emissions regulations, BMW confirms its inline-six, V8, and even Rolls-Royce's V12 will survive, with the next-gen M3 keeping its six-cylinder heart.
The fourth-generation RDX will debut with Acura's first-ever two-motor hybrid-electric powertrain, arriving at dealerships within the next couple of years as the brand balances gas, hybrid, and EV offerings.
New spy shots reveal the electric Cullinan successor maintains the SUV's brick-like proportions and bold styling, with subtle updates to the light signatures and rear deck.
In an era of six-figure Fox-body Mustangs and rebuilt-title S2000s commanding Civic prices, this under-the-radar Swedish wagon offers turbocharged AWD performance with a proper manual transmission.
With the Nissan Versa discontinued, the Hyundai Venue now claims the dubious honor of being America's most affordable new vehicle—and the entire sub-$20,000 segment has officially ceased to exist.
Celebrating eight-and-a-half decades, Jeep's special edition Wrangler features retro plaid seats and Berber floor mats, with a matching Gladiator coming soon as part of 12 anniversary models planned this year.
One of Gar Wood's legendary hydroplanes—the fastest vessels over open water in the 1920s and '30s—heads to Mecum Kissimmee, where this piece of racing history could command a seven-figure sum.
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