Hemi Durango Returns, Kia's Microbus Rival, Audi's $10K EV Deal
PLUS: Model 3 vs Bolt, $25K Used CX-90, Robot Racers Crash
Releases & Reviews
2026 Dodge Durango R/T Tested: A Powerful Relapse
The 6.4-liter Hemi returns as standard equipment in the R/T at about $52,000, roughly $25,000 below the old SRT 392. Car and Driver's test car hit 60 mph in 4.5 seconds and ran the quarter-mile in 13.2 seconds at 104 mph. They observed 16 mpg over 700 miles.
2026 Kia PV5 Passenger First Drive: Is This the Real Successor to the VW Microbus?
The PV5 is the first vehicle on Hyundai Motor Group's E-GMPS commercial platform, with a flat floor and front-wheel drive. MotorTrend expects a loaded US version at about $40,000, roughly two-thirds the price of a base VW ID Buzz, and calls the van spacious and surprisingly fun.
Technology, Market Data & Analysis
Bugatti’s VW Era Is Officially Over as Porsche Exits Rimac Partnership: TDS
A consortium led by HOF Capital completed its purchase of Porsche's minority stake in Bugatti Rimac on Thursday. Rimac keeps 55% and control of the French hypercar maker. Chief operating officer Christophe Piochon, with the brand since the Veyron era, steps down and is replaced by Rimac Technology's Marko Brkljačić.
Volvo cancels EX40 in the US, updates XC40 with better sensors and Gemini AI
The electric EX40 leaves the US lineup after slow sales, with the larger EX50 expected by mid-2027 at just under $50,000, according to Automotive News. The refreshed mild-hybrid XC40 reaches dealers early next year with an 11.2-inch screen, Google Gemini voice control and a new radar and camera safety suite.
Car Culture
Meet the Guy Who Owns Every 2007 Chrysler Model in the Same Shade of Blue
Ryan Maruca, 25, of Erie, Pennsylvania, owns a 300C, Aspen, Crossfire SRT-6, Pacifica, PT Cruiser, Sebring and Town and Country, all in Marine Blue. The collection started with the supercharged Crossfire and grew to cover every 2007 body style. Maruca says he loves the cars for being German-engineered and American-designed.
What’s the Right Number of Cars for You?
Eight Hagerty writers name their ideal fleet size, ranging from three vehicles to a self-described "comically double-digit excessive" collection that needs paring down. Most land between three and seven, typically a daily driver, a pickup, a sports car and a project. The piece asks readers to post their own number.
Miscellaneous
The Most Googled Car in Every State
The Civic ranks first in 15 states, ahead of the F-150 in 12 and the Camry in 10, in Car Mats Customs' analysis of August Google searches. California, with the Model Y, is the only state to pick an EV. Autoweek ties the trend to gas over $4 a gallon.
Audi EV Lessees Get Up To $10,000 To Keep Their Cars
Current lessees can take the discount at lease-end buyout through the end of September. The E-Tron GT gets the full $10,000, the Q4 E-Tron $5,000 and the Q8 E-Tron $4,000. Motor1 links the program to returned EVs coming back worth less than their contracted residual values.
Quick Links
Tesla Model 3 vs. 2027 Chevy Bolt Comparison Test: Clash of the Affordable EVs
MotorTrend pits a roughly $39K Model 3 Standard RWD against a roughly $33K Bolt RS, both close to $40,000 as tested, and picks the Tesla for its performance, range, refinement and technology.
Why Hybrid Cars Are Suddenly More Popular Than EVs
Conventional hybrids took a record 16% of US light-vehicle sales in the second quarter of 2026, against 6% for battery EVs, which slipped after the federal tax credit expired last September.
A Software Glitch Took Down Our Tesla Cybercab Robotaxi Ride
MotorTrend hailed more Cybercab rides in Austin during the Circuit of the Americas race weekend and reports a software fault ended one of them, along with notes on the flat cab-grade seats and near-silent cabin.
Can the Baby Bronco Keep Up? Ford Bronco Sport Sasquatch vs. Ford Bronco
Edmunds' Emme Hall runs a roughly $48,000 Bronco Sport Badlands Sasquatch against a roughly $51,000 base two-door Bronco Sasquatch, and finds the big Bronco wins the rock climb while the Sport is faster and more controlled in sand.
Champagne Wishes and Caviar Dreams: 1992 Mercedes-Benz 400SE Tested
Car and Driver's 1991 archive test praises the 282-horsepower V8 sedan's hushed ride at a base price of about $87,000, and scores BMW's 750iL as the better all-round sedan.
The Mazda CX-90 Is Not The Perfect Family SUV, But The Used Deals Look Insane
David Tracy finds lightly used inline-six CX-90s with about 50,000 miles listed near $25,000, well under comparable Grand Highlanders and Pilots, and links the discount to the model's weak Consumer Reports reliability rating.
Autonomous Race Cars Battle—and Crash—at Imola
The Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League's first European race ran 550-horsepower driverless Dallara Super Formula cars over 12 laps, with a pole lap under a second off the human benchmark and one car rear-ending a stalled rival.