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- Porsche Kills Macan, GM Bets on V8, Ford’s 33rd Recall
Porsche Kills Macan, GM Bets on V8, Ford’s 33rd Recall
PLUS: New Durango, Manthey 911, GM vs Iran
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2026-05-01
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Releases & Reviews
A recalibrated active suspension cuts body movement by 10 percent, while faster shift times and tweaked V-12 cabin acoustics sharpen the daily-drivable SUV without dulling it. Carbon-fiber side shields, matte black tips, and a black Prancing Horse badge mark the Speciale, with U.S. pricing expected between $550,000–$600,000.
The long-promised affordable hatchback offers up to 208 horsepower (155 kW) and 282 miles (454 km) of WLTP range. Pricing starts near $29,000 in Germany, with a 223-hp (166 kW) GTI variant due next year — though VW won't sell it stateside.
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Technology, Market Data & Analysis
The DOE will lend just $4.5 billion of the $6.6 billion the Biden administration originally agreed to, forcing Rivian to scale planned annual Georgia capacity from 400,000 vehicles to 300,000. Construction starts this year, with vehicle production still targeted for late 2028. R2 builds are already underway in Normal, Illinois.
The half-billion-dollar Ontario investment will produce sixth-generation V-8s for the automaker's next round of trucks and SUVs, though GM has not disclosed displacement or output figures. The move signals continued bets on internal-combustion power for full-size haulers even as legacy automakers court electrification on smaller platforms.
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Car Culture
Honda's official YouTube channel released startup clips of three icons: the 1965 RA272 F1 V-12 (240 hp / 179 kW at 12,000 rpm), the 1985 NSR500 two-stroke V-4 (140 hp / 104 kW), and the 2010 HSV-010 V-8 (500 hp / 373 kW). Each is a masterclass in race-engine acoustics.
The Dreame Nebula Next 01 Jet Edition pairs four electric motors making 1,876 horsepower (1,400 kW) with two solid-fuel rocket boosters adding 22,500 pounds (10,193 kg) of thrust. Dreame claims 0–60 mph drops to 0.9 seconds with both engaged. Whether it leaves anywhere but a salt flat is another matter.
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Miscellaneous
The campaign covers 4,922 Bronco SUVs from the 2021–2025 model years, where prior service work may have left the transmission and transfer case misaligned, wearing the splines and risking rollaway or loss of motive power. Ford updated its workshop manuals in February and is inspecting affected vehicles for damage.
Porsche's CFO confirmed the combustion Macan stops production this summer, with no gas replacement expected until a 2028-targeted second-generation model. ICE variants outsold the electric Macan in the U.S. roughly two-to-one last year, partly because the AWD electric trim costs about $18,600 more.
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Quick Links
Top Gear examines the latest Manthey kit on the 911 GT3, weighing track-day upgrades and Nürburgring pace against the harder-core RS variant.
savagegeese argues Subaru's 2026 update finally lifts the Solterra out of dumpster-fire territory, with sharper styling, better range, and a cabin that finally feels finished.
CEO Mary Barra warned that war-driven energy and logistics costs could erase tariff savings; GM also pulled 7,500 full-size SUVs back to North America from the Middle East.
With pump prices climbing past $4 a gallon, this roundup highlights cheap-to-feed classics from the Honda CRX HF and BMC Mini to the bubble-cute BMW Isetta 300.
A 2021 infrastructure law requires impaired-driver detection in new cars by 2027, but NHTSA admits no production technology comes close to the accuracy needed without millions of false positives.
Dodge CEO Matt McAlear confirmed an "evolutionary" successor for the 15-year-old SUV, with Stellantis pumping $130 million into the Detroit plant and V-8 muscle expected to carry over.
Burrito Loco at South of the Border on I-95 burned overnight Sunday, and with no insurance on the building, the iconic roadside attraction faces a self-funded rebuild.
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