Feds slash MPG rules, Tesla's hidden wing, manual Pagani
PLUS: Detuned Lexus TZ, Subaru's secret code, two-tone F-150
Releases & Reviews
The 2028 Volkswagen ID.Tiguan Is the ID4 Replacement We’ve Waited For
Volkswagen will sell the second-generation ID.4 as the ID.Tiguan, with a reveal set for early October. It reaches Europe in early 2027 and the US later that year as a 2028 model. MotorTrend says the ID.4 fell behind the Kia EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq 5 on range and charging.
New Pagani Hypercar: Worth £11mil? | 4K
The Huayra Codalunga Speedster pairs an 852-horsepower twin-turbo AMG V12 with a seven-speed open-gate manual. Pagani is building 10, each on a carbon and titanium chassis unique to the model. Top Gear's Ollie Kew calls the engine shockingly savage and praises the steering and ride.
Technology, Market Data & Analysis
Trump Administration Slashes Fuel-Economy Standards
The new rule requires a fleet average of 34.9 mpg by model year 2031, down from about 50 mpg under Biden-era rules. The CAFE credit trading program ends with the 2028 model year. The Transportation Department claims the rule will cut the average new-car price by $1,300.
Tesla Roadster Patent Shows A Hidden Wing That Can Make 1,543 Pounds Of Downforce
The two-piece active wing sits flush when stowed, deploys in under three seconds and has a low-drag mode modeled on Formula 1's drag-reduction system. In a crash it retracts into the bodywork. Motor1 notes the filing does not confirm the wing for the production Roadster.
Car Culture
The First Baja Bug Was Totaled. Rod Emory Recreated It for His Dad | Jay Leno's Garage
Gary Emory built the first Baja Bug in 1967 from a wrecked 1957 Beetle. After Gary died in 2025, his family finished a tribute, painted by his brother Don, now 80, in the original chrome yellow. On Jay Leno's Garage, son Rod Emory details its roughly 190-horsepower Type 4 engine.
Something Weird Is Happening In The Lexus LC 500 Market
Every 2024-or-newer LC 500 sold at auction on Cars & Bids has topped its original sticker price. A convertible bought new and driven for five months sold for $157,000, about $37,000 over sticker. Thomas Hundal credits the end of production and the 2024 swap from trackpad to touchscreen.
Miscellaneous
My City Just Banned Flock After My Wrongful Stop Made National News
The city council in Plymouth, Minnesota, voted to cancel its Flock license-plate camera contract. The Drive's Joel Feder says police tracked him and his wife with the cameras before wrongfully stopping them in June. Mayor Jeff Wosje cast the only vote to keep Flock.
Oil Changes Are Getting a Lot More Expensive at Walmart and Costco
The Wall Street Journal reports that 10 quarts of Costco's Kirkland motor oil now cost $58, up from $22 in May. The Iran war has cut supply of the base oils in synthetics such as 0W-20. Valvoline puts the added cost at roughly $5 to $7 per oil change.
Quick Links
2027 Lexus TZ Starts Under $65K but Has Less Power than First Announced
The TZ450e Premium makes 308 horsepower rather than the announced 402, and dealers can restore full output only on the top Luxury trim, which starts at about $81K.
2027 Mercedes-Benz CLA350 4Matic First Test: This Is the Future of Mercedes
The electric CLA350 covered 368 miles in MotorTrend's 70-mph highway test, the largest margin over an EPA rating in the magazine's records.
2027 Subaru WRX And BRZ Get Manual-Only Special Editions
Subaru will build 350 WRX GD25 sedans with a carbon-fiber swan-neck wing and stiffer suspension, plus 300 BRZ ZC15 coupes in Ceramic White with bronze wheels.
How This Ford Mustang Became The Most Successful Road Racing Car Of All Time
The Roush-built All Sport Mustang that Tommy Kendall drove to 11 straight Trans-Am wins in 1997, breaking Mark Donohue's 1968 record, sold at Mecum's Nashville auction last weekend.
Gary Holyoak’s 1963 Chevy C10 Wins World’s Most Beautiful Truck 2026
Owned by the Holyoak family since 1969, the shortbed pickup now rides on a Roadster Shop chassis with an LS3 V8 and a Tremec six-speed manual, and took a $12,500 prize at the Grand National Truck Show.
Ford Reintroduces Two-Tone Paint Option for the 2027 F-150
Offered through Ford Custom Garage, the accent stripe comes in Oxford White, Carbonized Gray or Agate Black and is limited to XLT and Lariat SuperCrew trucks with the 5.5-foot bed.
A Hidden Trunk Button Lets Owners Unlock Their Subaru Without A Key, But It’s Hilariously Complicated
Owners set a five-digit PIN by pressing a dedicated trunk button as many times as each digit, a feature meant for locking a disabled key fob inside the car during a hike or canoe trip.