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- New VW Camper, Porsche GT3 Manthey, Honda's $9B Loss
New VW Camper, Porsche GT3 Manthey, Honda's $9B Loss
PLUS: Land Cruiser FJ, V8 AMG Mythos, Hybrid Accord Returns
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2026-05-15
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Releases & Reviews
Volkswagen brings the ID Buzz back to America for 2027 with a Tourer Camp trim: fold-out mattress for two, blackout shades, captain's chairs, and a retractable tow hitch. AWD becomes broadly available, a Tesla Supercharger adapter is included, and the infotainment is refreshed. Pricing should hold near $60,000.
The $70,657 Manthey kit shaves 5.5 seconds off the GT3's Nürburgring lap without changing the 502 horsepower (374 kW) or weight. Aero tweaks make nearly 1,200 pounds (544 kg) of downforce at 177 mph (285 km/h), yet new manually-adjustable dampers ride more supple than the stock GT3.
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Technology, Market Data & Analysis
Honda booked its first annual loss in nearly 70 years after a $9 billion EV writedown. CEO Toshihiro Mibe scrapped the goal of 20% EV sales by 2030 and indefinitely suspended an $11 billion Canadian plant. A profitable motorcycle business is expected to fund a return to profit.
Stellantis is reportedly in talks with Huawei and Anhui JAC to co-develop Maserati EVs in China, with vehicles sold as Maseratis abroad and Maextros at home. The plan reverses a six-year made-in-Italy pledge after sales collapsed 57% in 2024 to 11,300 cars. Filosa lays out Stellantis' broader vision May 21.
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Car Culture
A retired Chevrolet QC manager retraces how a 1979 yellow Corvette became the lone working car used to train 400-600 Bowling Green hopefuls — none of whom were hired, thanks to UAW negotiations. It was parted out at a vocational school before a Corvette-obsessed local rescued it for the museum.
Mattel's 1970 Hot Wheels Factory let kids inject heated "Plastix" into two-piece molds, producing chassis-weighted die-cast-style cars in 10 body styles right on the kitchen table. This new column traces the lineage from the earlier Vac-U-Form and burn-your-fingers Thing Maker to today's chemically-mixed (and floppier) modern revival.
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Miscellaneous
Twenty years into development, three-wheeled solar-EV startup Aptera has finally assembled five validation vehicles on its new 14-station Carlsbad line. The co-CEOs say the run is about proving repeatability before delivering to roughly 50,000 reservation holders. The aero-pod design still looks closer to aerospace than automotive.
Toyota's Land Hopper — a folding three-wheeled electric trike with chain-driven front axle, rear swing-arm suspension, and disc brakes at both ends — enters production next Spring. It folds flat into the cargo bay of the new Land Cruiser FJ, channeling Honda's 1981 Motocompo as a trail-going last-mile companion.
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Quick Links
The next-gen Accord and Acura RDX hybrid prototypes preview Honda's reboot strategy — a new hybrid system targeting 30% lower cost and 10%+ better fuel economy, paired with a fresh electric all-wheel-drive unit.
Sitting between SV and Pro-4X, the Sport Edition adds 32-inch Hankook all-terrain tires, blacked-out trim, an aluminum skid plate, LED fog lights, and yellow cabin accents over the standard 7-inch and 12.3-inch screens.
The CLE-based AMG Mythos coupe leaks more aero — Panamericana grille, fender vents, an adjustable rear wing — and could pack 650 horsepower (485 kW) and 590 pound-feet (800 Nm) from a twin-turbo flat-plane-crank V8.
Slotting below the 250 and 300, Toyota's baby Land Cruiser pairs body-on-frame construction with a 163 horsepower (122 kW) 2.7-liter four and part-time 4WD; pricing starts around $26,000 in Japan with no confirmed U.S. plans.
Jaguar names its all-electric luxury 4-door GT the Type 01, with a teaser drop and a Monaco unveil at the upcoming Formula E race; it's the first product of the controversial Bentley/Rolls-Royce-rival rebrand.
Renault chops its E-Tech 4 into a two-door dual-motor AWD beach buggy with half-doors, glassless rear, surfboard X-brace on the roof, and emerald-green/orange paintwork; debuts at the 2026 French Open.
Android Auto picks up Material 3 design, 60-fps HD video while parked on supported BMW/Ford/Genesis/Hyundai/Kia models, 3D Immersive Navigation in Google Maps, and Gemini-powered hands-free errands rolling out through the year.
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