670-HP Jeep Recon, Dodge Copperhead, $15 Cybercab ride
PLUS: $65K GLC EV, 350-HP Tucson N, Hammond's kept cars
Releases & Reviews
2026 Jeep Recon First Drive: Quick on Pavement, Happier Off It
The Recon launches in a single Moab trim with dual motors making 670 horsepower and 620 lb-ft, and Jeep estimates 0-60 mph in 3.6 seconds. It is longer and wider than a four-door Wrangler. MotorTrend finds the soft off-road suspension bouncy on pavement and the steering muted.
2027 Honda Passport TrailSport Now Has the Ground Clearance of a Jeep Wrangler
Honda redesigned 28 suspension and chassis parts to lift ground clearance to 9.65 inches, within a fraction of an inch of a base Wrangler. Approach and departure angles each rise two degrees to 25. The Drive calls the TrailSport more comfortable and better to drive than the Toyota 4Runner.
Technology, Market Data & Analysis
Honda’s Top Bosses Explain How They’re Avoiding Toyota’s Engine Nightmare
Honda executive Noriya Kaihara tells The Drive that a quality department separate from development signs off on every new technology before it advances. American Honda CEO Eiji Fujimura says Honda now sends teams to China to study software and manufacturing, and will not match Chinese rivals on speed to market.
Stellantis Plans for a Big Performance Offensive and More Affordable Models
Stellantis is spending $25 billion on 11 new North American models. Automotive News reports the revived SRT division is developing a Dodge GLH hot hatch, a Dodge Copperhead muscle car, and high-output Jeep and Ram SUVs. Ram also gets its first SUV and a mid-size Dakota pickup.
Car Culture
The SLK Was a Mercedes Like None Before It
The R170 SLK's Vario Roof folded from coupe to roadster in 25 seconds, and the SLK 230 Kompressor made 192 horsepower from a supercharged four-cylinder. Hagerty says top-condition values peaked just over $26,000 and have since fallen about 20%, and calls the R170 one of the best modern-classic bargains on the market.
The Cozy Coupe Has Sold Out Kids And It’s Absolute Effing Garbage
Little Tikes is selling an all-white Cozy Coupe in a new Cloud Collection aimed at design-conscious homes, with an Amazon launch on September 15. Jason Torchinsky argues it is the first Cozy Coupe designed for parents rather than children, and pans it as part of a wider drift toward beige.
Miscellaneous
Aston Martin AMB 002 Is the Brand’s First Road-Legal Motorcycle
Built with Brough Superior, the AMB 002 uses a 1,083-cc V-twin making 128 horsepower and an 11-pound titanium frame milled from billet. Curb weight is 419 pounds. Each bike is hand-assembled in France, with the run capped at 300 units and first deliveries in late 2027.
I spent an hour riding inside Tesla’s steering-wheel-free Cybercab
The Verge's Mack DeGeurin waited about 45 minutes for his first ride and paid $15 to $21 per trip, in line with a base Uber. He finds the cabin more comfortable than a Waymo's, and faults hesitant lane changes, wipers running on a sunny day, and mid-road drop-offs.
Quick Links
2027 Mercedes-Benz GLC EV Nets 350 Miles, Costs $64,950
The GLC 400 4Matic Electric makes 483 horsepower and 590 lb-ft from a dual-motor setup, undercuts the gas AMG GLC 53 by about $6,000, and reaches dealers in the third quarter.
NEW VW ID. Polo Review: They FINALLY Listened to Us
Autotrader tests the new Volkswagen ID. Polo, the small electric hatchback that opens VW's next-generation EV lineup, and weighs whether its cabin and controls answer earlier complaints about the brand's electric cars.
NHTSA: Banned Airbag Inflators Have Now Killed 11 People
The latest death, in Texas in late August, involved a replacement driver-side inflator marked DTN60DB in a Chevrolet Equinox, and NHTSA says every one of the 11 crashes was otherwise survivable.
Private Equity Is Coming For Your Local Tire Shop
Percheron Capital's Big Brand Tire agreed in July to buy the 185-store Belle Tire chain, and Leonard Green-backed Sun Auto now runs over 600 locations, with buyers drawn by recession-proof demand and low equipment costs.
Richard Hammond Looks Back on The Grand Tour
On DriveTribe, Richard Hammond answers viewer questions about the cars he kept from the original Grand Tour, starting with the 1971 Buick Riviera boat-tail he chose for the Scotland lockdown special.
Hyundai Could Turn Its Best Seller Into A 350-HP Performance SUV
Auto Express reports the next-generation Tucson will get a hybrid N variant, with Hyundai N boss Joon Park saying the division will keep building gas-based cars, and the 320-horsepower Toyota RAV4 GR Sport as the likely target.
2027 Honda Civic Type R HRC Sounds Like Way More Than an Aero Package: TDS
Japanese press reports say the production version of the HRC concept shown at Tokyo Auto Salon may carry a Super Taikyu-derived K20C engine and chassis upgrades, and The Drive expects a price well above a standard Type R.