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- Audi V16 Revival, AMG V8 Returns, BMW M2 CS Test
Audi V16 Revival, AMG V8 Returns, BMW M2 CS Test
PLUS: BMW iX3 Beats Gas X3, R2 Pickup, GTI Ring King
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Releases & Reviews
The 2027 Lexus TZ is the brand's first three-row EV, offered with 76.96- or 95.82-kWh batteries, dual-motor AWD, up to 402 horsepower (300 kW), and an estimated 300 miles (483 km) of range. At 5,798 pounds (2,630 kg), it still hits 0-62 mph (100 km/h) in 5.4 seconds — and pipes the LFA's V10 howl through the speakers on demand.
BMW's CS treatment lifts the M2's twin-turbo 3.0L inline-six to 523 horsepower (390 kW) and 479 lb-ft (650 Nm), good for 0-60 in 3.3 seconds and 1.05 g on the skidpad. At $111,450 as tested with 3,725-pound (1,690 kg) curb weight, it's a stickier, torqueier rear-driver with a screaming auto-tuned soundtrack — but no manual and, somehow, no cupholders.
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Technology, Market Data & Analysis
April US auto sales fell 6.7% — the fourth straight monthly decline — yet hybrids set records across the board. More than half of all Honda CR-V and Accord sales were hybrids, Toyota's "electrified" mix hit 55.8% of brand sales, and the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid was up 171% year-over-year. Elevated prices, borrowing costs, and rising gas drove buyers toward efficiency.
Starting July 1, 2026, Assembly Bill 1777 lets California police issue "notices of autonomous vehicle noncompliance" to Waymo, Tesla, Uber, and other robotaxi operators for speeding, illegal turns, and rolling stops. The DMV processes citations and can suspend permits for repeat offenders, and the law also raises testing requirements to 500,000 miles (804,672 km).
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Car Culture
Audi has rebuilt the Auto Union "Lucca" Rennlimousine, a streamlined V-16 missile that hit 203 mph (327 km/h) on an Italian autostrada in 1935. Built over three years by Crosthwaite & Gardiner from period drawings, the recreation uses a 6.0-liter V-16 from the Type C race car making 512 horsepower (382 kW). It debuts in motion at this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Hagerty's quote data shows Gen Z gravitating toward cheap, compact, mostly Japanese fun: the Honda Beat, Toyota Celsior (the Japan-market LS), Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI, and Acura RSX dominate, plus one surprise — the Chevy Cobalt SS. Three of the five came over via the 25-year import rule, and most still trade for well under $20,000.
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Miscellaneous
Tesla is recalling 173 Cybertrucks from the 2024-2026 model years equipped with 18-inch steel wheels after discovering cracks in the brake rotor stud holes that can let wheel studs separate from the hub. Affected trucks may vibrate or make noise before failure, and Tesla will replace the wheel hubs and rotors free of charge.
AMG CEO Michael Scheibe confirmed the V8 returns by year-end, starting in SUVs before reaching coupes and sedans. The flat-plane-crank M177 Evo from the new S-Class is the likely donor, while the much-mocked four-cylinder C63 plug-in hybrid will be replaced by a straight-six like the GLC53's. PHEV variants stick around only where emissions rules demand them.
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Quick Links
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The 320-horsepower (239 kW) Golf GTI Edition 50 ran a 7:44.52 around the 20.832-kilometer (12.9 mile) Nordschleife, edging out the 2023 Civic Type R's 7:44.88 to claim the FWD production-car record.
The 1965 Hoonicorn Mustang from Gymkhana Seven joins Lego's Speed Champions range at $29.99 with gold wheels, oversized velocity stacks, and a Hoonigan-clad Ken Block minifigure, alongside new Toyota Supra and Ferrari 499P kits.
First-generation AMG GTs with around 65,000 miles (105,000 km) on the clock now trade in the low-$50,000 range — basically new Mustang GT Premium money — for a 503-horsepower (375 kW) coupe that hit 60 mph in three seconds flat.
Mat Watson Cars walks through the JDM imports he hauled to his market after Toyota refused to sell them locally, covering driving impressions and import logistics across a small fleet.
Hyundai's 2,900-acre Ellabell, Georgia plant currently builds the Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 9 with 1,623 workers and is scaling toward 500,000 vehicles per year and 8,500 jobs as Kia and Genesis production gets added.
CEO RJ Scaringe confirmed unshown R2 variants on the way, hinting at a pickup and a performance model with up to 656 horsepower (489 kW), with a sub-$45,000 trim planned to follow this year's $55,000 launch.
BMW's first Neue Klasse model starts at $62,850 — about $5,000 less than the gas X3 M50 xDrive — making 463 horsepower (345 kW) and 467 lb-ft (633 Nm), with up to 434 miles (698 km) of range on summer tires.
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