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- Doug’s Tesla Model Y Verdict, GM’s Billion Miles, McLaren Hypercar
Doug’s Tesla Model Y Verdict, GM’s Billion Miles, McLaren Hypercar
PLUS: Stellantis Pivot, Defender V8, Aston Miata
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2026-04-29
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Releases & Reviews
On the Doug DeMuro channel, the refreshed Model Y comes off as Tesla's most well-rounded crossover yet — smoother ride, updated interior, and fewer of the polarizing quirks that defined earlier iterations. His verdict: "boring" is exactly what this car needed to be.
After a tire bulge sends the long-term K4 to a Kia dealer, the dashboard erupts with 11 warning lights and nine alert messages — every safety system offline. The service writer's verdict: "This is very bad." He meant the lack of an appointment, not the failed brakes.
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Technology, Market Data & Analysis
Hands-free Super Cruise has crossed 1 billion miles (1.6 billion km) since debuting on the 2017 Cadillac CT6, now active across nearly 750,000 vehicles. The geofenced highway network has expanded from 160,000 miles (258,000 km) to roughly 700,000 miles (1.1 million km), with renewals running near 40 percent.
At the Beijing Auto Show, Xiaomi's auto chief Hu Zhengnan declared the smartphone giant aims to crack the top five global automakers within 20 years. The plan: a Munich R&D center, executive hires from BMW, Mercedes, Lamborghini, and Porsche, and a 2027 European market entry.
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Car Culture
On Jay Leno's Garage, Leno explores the 1938 Phantom Corsair, an Art Deco one-off built by Heinz heir Rust Heinz that anticipated streamlined design by decades. Nicknamed the "Flying Wombat" for its low silhouette, the six-passenger oddity died with its creator before reaching production.
Jason Torchinsky takes down a Chinese-car influencer's claim that the Li Auto L9's jackless tire change spells the "end of Western car manufacturers." His receipt: the 1955 Citroën DS pulled the same trick — and famously kept driving with three shot-out tires during a De Gaulle assassination attempt.
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Miscellaneous
A British Columbia couple got a $9,500 CAD (~$6,900 USD) bill from Enterprise after returning their Dodge Durango rental, accused of misfueling it with diesel. Their pump receipt — plus a photo proving the station had no diesel dispenser — killed the claim, but only after media pressure forced Enterprise's hand.
McLaren Racing unveils its new Le Mans hypercar, the MCL-HY, on May 4 — twin-turbo V6 from Autotecnica Motori, Dallara chassis, headed for the WEC's top class. Alongside it: a customer-only MCL-HY GTR track variant, McLaren's first since the Senna GTR nearly a decade ago.
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Quick Links
TheStraightPipes review the Lotus Eletre Carbon, the British brand's polarizing top-trim electric SUV — putting Lotus's hyper-EV ambitions through their comparison-driven lens.
Towing a 4,800-pound (2,177 kg) U-Haul-and-Civic combo near the Passport's 5,000-pound (2,268 kg) limit, the 285 horsepower (213 kW) V6 stayed unfazed on highway and city driving alike — length and braking were the bigger adjustments.
CEO Antonio Filosa's new strategy concentrates funding on Jeep, Ram, Fiat, and Peugeot — the company's most profitable global volume — while Dodge, Chrysler, Alfa Romeo, and others continue building on borrowed tech.
Top Gear takes a Defender modified to 1,500 horsepower (1,119 kW) twin-turbocharged V8 spec — a wide-body bruiser that turns Land Rover's icon into something closer to a Trophy Truck.
Owners reported 659,880 vehicle thefts in 2025 — a 23 percent decline year-over-year — with the Hyundai Elantra, Honda Accord, and Hyundai Sonata occupying the top three spots.
Nearly Unrecognizable Mazda Miata Listed for Sale on Bring a Trailer, Then Withdrawn (3 minute read)
Simpson Design's coachbuilt Aston Martin tribute on a third-gen Miata chassis — 166 horsepower (124 kW), 26K miles (42K km) — got pulled from BaT mid-auction after Aston Martin's trademark team objected to the badging.
Hyundai's blacked-out flagship trim packs 442 horsepower (330 kW) and 516 lb-ft (700 Nm), a 110.3-kWh battery good for over 300 miles (483 km), and pricing expected to top $80,000.
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