322-HP Rear-Drive GTI, McLaren SUV, Leno's Law Passes
PLUS: 2.4-Sec Vette, Mitsubishi Truck, 78-Mile Volvo PHEV
Releases & Reviews
Volkswagen Just Made A Rear-Wheel-Drive GTI And It’s Not A Fluke
The ID.3 GTI mounts a 322-horsepower motor on the rear axle, with 403 lb-ft of torque and a 79 kWh battery. Volkswagen claims 0-62 mph in 5.6 seconds and adds adaptive dampers and fully defeatable stability control. The Autopian notes the car is unlikely to reach the US.
The Ferrari 296 GT Modificata Is a Race Car That Can’t Be Raced
The twin-turbo V-6 rises from 592 horsepower in the GT3 Evo to 720, with 590 lb-ft. Ferrari claims a Fiorano lap three seconds quicker than the race car, and a passenger seat with intercom is added for an instructor. Buyers get two years in the Club Competizioni GT program.
Technology, Market Data & Analysis
Toyota’s Engines Keep Failing. Honda Told Us How It’s Avoiding the Same Fate
Honda executives Noriya Kaihara and Eiji Fujimura tell The Drive that quality control now runs alongside development rather than after it. Honda is also keeping a naturally aspirated V6 for its next Pilot, Odyssey and Ridgeline hybrids. Toyota's turbo V6 recall has reached about 270,000 Tundra engines.
McLaren Confirms First SUV with Huge Investment in U.K. Production
The £500 million (about $670M) investment from Abu Dhabi fund L'IMAD pays for a new UK assembly plant and two in-house engines and transmissions. McLaren says the plan creates at least 1,000 jobs by 2032. A 2025 report described the SUV as a five-seat V-8 hybrid with all-wheel drive.
Car Culture
Some Hero Put Nearly 323,000 Miles On A Honda S2000 Then Sold It For Surprisingly Good Money
The one-owner roadster sold on Bring a Trailer for $17,500 after 22 years, roughly 14,500 miles a year. The listing admits the engine burns oil and smokes under acceleration. The Autopian calls it the quickest reliable sports car of its kind and notes a clean example costs nearly $30,000.
I Drove The Mercedes C 111, The Legendary Sports Car It Never Actually Built
Mercedes-Benz Classic lent Motor1 a V8 test car, a 3.5-liter with 197 horsepower in a body just over 2,200 pounds, rather than the four-rotor Wankel. Motor1 finds it drives like a quick grand tourer with slow steering and a grabby clutch. A 1979 development version reached nearly 251 mph.
Miscellaneous
‘Leno’s Law’ Finally Passes: Here’s What That Really Means for Classic Car Owners
The California bill exempts collector cars at least 35 model years old from smog checks if insured as collectors or driven under 1,000 miles a year. The exemption phases in from 2028, one model year at a time, and stops at pre-1986 cars. The Drive calls it a small step.
House approves AM radio requirement for new cars.
The bill now moves to the Senate, where a companion measure already has 60 cosponsors. Sponsor Senator Ed Markey calls AM radio an emergency lifeline for tens of millions of Americans. Several automakers have dropped AM from EVs, citing shrinking audiences and interference from electric powertrains.
Quick Links
2026 Porsche Panamera GTS First Test: The V-8 Four-Door Porsche Still Has a Point
The GTS pairs a 493-horsepower twin-turbo V-8 with all-wheel drive and a lowered suspension, and MotorTrend notes the quicker Taycan GTS costs less than this car's roughly $169,000 base price.
2027 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport X First Test: Daily Drivable Hybrid Dynamite
MotorTrend recorded 0-60 mph in 2.4 seconds and a 10.4-second quarter mile from the 721-horsepower hybrid, and it says the front electric drive numbs the steering.
The McLaren Artura’s Days Appear to Be Numbered: TDS
An anonymous source tells Automotive News the V6 hybrid coupe may be retired after the 2027 model year and replaced by a car codenamed P34, following launch delays and early quality issues.
Mitsubishi Is Bringing A New Pickup Truck To The US. Here's Everything We Know
Mitsubishi says the truck will come through its collaboration with Nissan, and Motor1 expects a Frontier-based body-on-frame pickup built in Mississippi, arriving as a 2029 model at roughly $35,000.
Plug-In Hybrids With 70+ Miles of Electric Range Are Here Thanks to Volvo
The refreshed XC60 and XC90 are rated at 78 and 73 miles of electric range from a 38 kWh battery, more than double the outgoing plug-ins and ahead of the Mercedes GLC's current record.
The best VW Golf GTI ever? Driving the brilliant "Edition 50" | Henry Catchpole - The Driver’s Seat
Hagerty's Henry Catchpole drives the 321-horsepower Edition 50, the fastest front-drive production car around the Nürburgring at 7:44.5, and calls it possibly the best GTI in 50 years.
The world’s best racing driver is about to race 100 karts at once
Max Verstappen was set to start behind 100 content creators and Red Bull athletes in identical karts at Silverstone on September 16, with 30 laps to pass every one of them.