2.7-Sec Corvette GS, F-150 V8 Returns, GM Keeps CarPlay
PLUS: $110K M2 CS, 78-Mile XC60, Crown Vic Cult
Releases & Reviews
2027 Ford F-150 Brings the V8 Back to Every Trim in the Lineup
Ford drops the naturally aspirated V6 and the 2.7-liter EcoBoost for a new 3.0-liter EcoBoost. The new engine keeps 325 horsepower and 400 lb-ft, and the Coyote V8 returns to the Platinum and King Ranch for the first time since 2023. BlueCruise gains hands-free towing on mapped routes.
2027 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport First Test: A Perfectly Magical Mix of Everything
The Grand Sport's 6.7-liter LS6 V8 makes 535 horsepower and 520 lb-ft through an eight-speed dual-clutch. MotorTrend recorded 0-60 mph in 2.7 seconds and 1.23 g of lateral grip on optional Michelin Cup 2 R tires. MotorTrend praises the front-end grip and pricing and lists poor visibility as a drawback.
Technology, Market Data & Analysis
GM Finally Gave Up the Fight Against CarPlay and Android Auto: TDS
GM's redesigned infotainment interface arrives on its trucks first and integrates Apple CarPlay and Android Auto after the company had floated dropping them from all its vehicles. Phone projection runs in a large card window beside native apps such as trailering and vehicle status rather than filling the screen.
Land Rover and Stellantis Aim to Build a Defender Truck in the U.S.
Automotive News reports the first JLR-Stellantis product will be a Defender pickup developed for the US and built at a Stellantis plant. Imported Defenders face a 15% tariff, and North America made up nearly 30% of JLR's sales last year. Car and Driver says the truck is years from production.
Car Culture
I Bought a Mercedes-Benz E55 AMG Wagon!
Doug DeMuro imported a 2000 E55 AMG wagon, a body style never sold in North America, from the Netherlands. The 5.5-liter V8 makes about 355 horsepower, and a black third-row seat was retrofitted for his third child's ride home from the hospital. DeMuro values these wagons at about $20,000.
I Drove A Traded-In 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer And Now I’m Convinced This Might Be One Of America’s Most Underrated Cheap Cars
The base Lancer pairs a 152-horsepower 2.0-liter engine shared with the Dodge Caliber with an Aisin five-speed manual. It listed for about $14,000 new, and used examples now sell for around $5,000 with 30 mpg highway. David Tracy credits the shifter for the appeal and calls the car underrated.
Miscellaneous
Cops Need A Reason To Look You Up On Flock, But The Reasons Can Apparently Be ‘LOL’ And ‘HaHa’
An Electronic Frontier Foundation review of Flock camera search logs found thousands of police lookups with reasons entered as "LOL," "LMAO," or random keystrokes. A Kentucky officer once ran over 2,000 searches on an ex-girlfriend. Jason Torchinsky argues Flock's fix, a drop-down of offense types, hides frivolous searches further.
Do You Really Need An Alignment With New Tires? Probably Not
Replacing tires does not change suspension geometry, so an alignment is warranted only with evidence such as uneven wear, a pull to one side, or an off-center steering wheel. Motor1 says shops recommend it because the car is already in the bay, and advises asking for alignment measurements before agreeing.
Quick Links
2028 Volvo XC60 Has a Prettier Face and a Lot More Electric-Only Range
The plug-in hybrid's battery more than doubles to 38 kWh for an estimated 78 miles of electric range, the most of any PHEV sold in the US, ahead of an early-2027 launch at pricing near the current $51,000.
Kia’s electric van lineup is getting more interesting with reveal of PV7
Shown at IAA Transportation, the PV7 is about 2 feet longer than the PV5, claims about 285 miles of WLTP range, and launches in Europe and Korea in late 2027 with no US date.
2027 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra: Way Smarter Screens, Passenger Display, and 19 Cameras
The redesigned interface pins CarPlay or Android Auto to the right of the center screen and leaves a driver-side area for programmable shortcuts such as a geofenced garage-door opener, while off-road models add two underbody cameras.
The Ford Crown Victoria Is Now a Popular Secret Handshake
The last Crown Victoria left Ford's St. Thomas plant in Ontario 15 years ago this week, after 1.5 million were built alongside 1.7 million Mercury Grand Marquis twins on the same Panther platform.
12 Best Picks from Jack Roush’s Personal Car Collection Going to Auction
Mecum's inaugural Nashville sale, September 22 to 26 at Nashville Superspeedway, offers cars from the Roush Automotive Collection, including IMSA and Trans-Am championship race cars, engineering prototypes, and Jack Roush's personal street cars, for the company's 50th anniversary.
BMW M2 CS G87 | Best Modern M Car?
Savagegeese calls the 523-horsepower M2 CS its favorite modern M car for its M4 CSL-derived dampers, and its main objection is a price that reaches about $110,000 with carbon-ceramic brakes.
Range Rover Promises To Shrink Screens As Drivers Get Tired Of Too Much Tech
Managing director Martin Limpert tells Carsales that future Range Rovers, starting with the electric GT, will use a slim instrument cluster and a low-mounted center touchscreen, skip passenger displays, and not bring back banks of physical buttons.