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2026-05-29

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Releases & Reviews

2027 Audi RS5 first drive: A performance PHEV with split personalities (2 minute read)

Audi Sport pairs a turbocharged V6 with an electric motor—echoing its new F1 power units—in a chassis sharing only its hood with the A5. Flared arches add 3.5 inches (90 mm) of width, and OLED taillights flash a checkered-flag pattern.

2027 Rezvani Fortress Revealed as Apocalypse-Ready Stronghold (3 minute read)

Built on the Ford F-150 Raptor, the Fortress offers up to 850 horsepower (634 kW) from a supercharged V-8 and a buffet of doomsday options: ballistic armor, EMP protection, a smoke screen, night vision, and even onboard water storage. Just 100 will be built.

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Technology, Market Data & Analysis

US auto safety regulator opens probe into nearly 115,000 Rivian vehicles (1 minute read)

The NHTSA opened a preliminary probe after two owners reported the rear toe link separating mid-drive, sending R1S and R1T EVs swerving across lanes—one into a barrier. Rivian, which recalled nearly 20,000 vehicles in January over the same part, says the joints work as intended.

The Rise of China’s Auto Industry Seriously Threatens Some of the World’s Largest Automakers (2 minute read)

After visiting a Shanghai factory, Honda’s CEO admitted “we have no chance against this,” while Ford’s Jim Farley says Western firms are “in a fight for our lives.” Government subsidies, superior software, and battery tech let brands like BYD and Xiaomi undercut and out-feature legacy rivals.

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Car Culture

80s Kids Loved These Low-Speed, High-Torque 4X4s That Made Slow Cool (7 minute read)

The “4x4s” here are Stomper toys—battery-powered, four-wheel-drive miniatures geared for torque, with real filament headlights, that captured the monster-truck craze of 1981. Bodies ranged from the Jeep Honcho to a Subaru BRAT, and mint boxed examples now fetch up to $1,000.

Debunking the Autobahn Myth (5 minute read)

The unrestricted-speed paradise is mostly fiction: more of the 8,000-mile (12,872 km) network now carries limits, and an advisory 81-mph (130 km/h) pace prevails. The author recounts hitting 180 mph (290 km/h) in a 582-horsepower (434 kW) Brabus Mercedes before traffic—and nerves—intervened.

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Miscellaneous

2028 Jeep Wrangler Scrambler Is a V-8 Desert Runner Worth Waiting For (4 minute read)

Atop a revamped Wrangler lineup, this two-door pickup revives an ’80s nameplate and breaks Jeep tradition with independent front suspension for higher desert speeds. An SRT version should pack the 470-horsepower (351 kW) 6.4-liter Hemi V-8, with pricing possibly nearing $100,000 when it arrives in 2028.

The Ultimate Vehicle Crash Simulator Is Coming To PlayStation 5 (3 minute read)

After a decade exclusive to PC, BeamNG.drive—revered for soft-body physics that re-evaluate every vehicle 2,000 times per second—finally lands on PS5 later this year. The mod-friendly sandbox lets players build cars, run drag races, or simply smash their creations together.

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Quick Links

Just Wow: Driving the 2027 Xiaomi SU7 Ultra With Glorious Power, Bargain Price (4 minute read)

The smartphone-maker’s first performance car wields 1,526 horsepower (1,138 kW) and 1,305 lb-ft (1,769 Nm), hits 62 mph in a claimed 1.98 seconds, and holds the Nürburgring’s four-door record—yet costs less than a Porsche 911.

It Was Impossible For Ferrari To Get The Luce RIght (5 minute read)

In the debut of The Autopian’s “Carbage Time” podcast, Matt Hardigree argues Ferrari trapped itself: unlike volume-brand Porsche, Ferrari sells scarcity, so a $640,000 five-seat EV with mediocre range was doomed regardless of how Jony Ive styled it.

Toyota’s pulling the plug on its new Lexus EV. (1 minute read)

Toyota has halted development of the production LF-ZC—the sleek sedan concept it touted in 2023—pushing the once-2026 electric Lexus to indefinite limbo as the company refocuses on SUVs.

Are Americans Finally Getting Tired of Trucks? (5 minute read)

With the average full-size pickup now $66,700 and gas at $4.50 a gallon, Ford F-Series sales fell 16% in Q1 as shoppers—especially younger ones—increasingly search out cheaper sedans like the Camry and Accord.

Not-So-Great Eight: The Most Controversial Cars of the 2000s (So Far) (8 minute read)

Sparked by the Ferrari Luce backlash, this roundup revisits eight love-to-hate machines—from the Pontiac Aztek and “Bangle butt” BMW 7-series to the Tesla Cybertruck and Dodge Charger EV—asking which deserved the scorn.

Priced out of an Acura NSX? Here Are 4 Mid-Engine Alternatives (6 minute read)

With clean Acura NSX-Ts now fetching north of $200,000, this guide rounds up four mid-engine alternatives—a Ferrari 348, Lotus Evora, Porsche 987 Cayman S, and Toyota MR2 Turbo—some for under $50,000.

Stellantis Partners With Wayve to Advance Autonomous Driving Solutions (2 minute read)

The automaker will fold Wayve’s AI into its STLA AutoDrive platform to enable hands-free “Level 2++” driving—a step between supervised and self-driving—in cities and on highways, targeting a first North American rollout in 2028.