BMW 3 Series revealed, Dark Horse SC rules, Ram's V8 SUV
PLUS: Ferrari 296 Speciale, Roadster delayed, Price Is Right Bug
Releases & Reviews
The 2027 BMW 3 Series Is Here With 437 HP And A Factory Drift Mode
The 330 starts at about $50K with a 255-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder, and the M350 xDrive costs about $66K. The lineup adopts the Neue Klasse styling of the electric i3. Drift Moment, which cuts power to the front wheels, comes to the M350 by software update sometime in 2027.
2026 Ford Mustang Dark Horse SC First-Drive Review: The Perfect Mustang Doesn’t Need a Stick
The supercharged 5.2-liter V8 makes 795 horsepower, and prices start at about $105,000. The Drive's Byron Hurd ran a 10.9-second quarter-mile at Sonoma Raceway. He scores it 9.5 out of 10 and calls it even better than the last GT500.
Technology, Market Data & Analysis
Nissan Is Targeting a Stacked Hybrid Lineup in the U.S. by 2030
The redesigned 2027 Rogue brings Nissan's e-Power hybrid system to the US in November, starting at about $37K. Nissan expects the hybrid to make up 30 to 40% of Rogue sales. A V6 hybrid is expected to debut in the 2028 Xterra, a body-on-frame SUV built in Mississippi.
2028 Ram Ramcharger Is a Burly V-8-Powered SUV Worth Waiting For
Ram's first SUV shares its body-on-frame platform with the Jeep Grand Wagoneer. Stellantis has confirmed V8 power in place of the Jeep's inline-six, plus an eventual SRT version. Car and Driver expects a 395-horsepower Hemi base engine and starting prices in the $60,000 range.
Car Culture
The Mercedes-Benz C32 AMG Wagon Is The Unknown AMG
Mercedes built about 1,500 C32 AMG wagons, each with a supercharged V6 of roughly 350 horsepower, and never sold them in the US. This federalized example is up for auction on Cars & Bids. Doug DeMuro calls it sportier than expected and gives it a DougScore of 55.
Japan’s Most Expensive Cars Are Newer and Cheaper than Their Rivals
Hagerty finds most of the 20 priciest Japanese cars sold at auction were built after 2000, and together they total about $28M. That is less than the single top sale for German, Italian, American or British cars. A Japanese car first topped $1M in 2013, with a Toyota 2000GT.
Miscellaneous
Your car’s data privacy problems are worse than you think
Researchers from Northeastern University and Consumer Reports found that all 21 vehicles they tested sent data to at least one third-party domain. Over half contacted advertising, tracking or analytics firms. Seven companion apps, including HondaLink and myChevrolet, sent VINs, phone numbers and precise locations to ad networks.
Why Consumers May Soon Be Able To Buy Cheaper Red-Dyed Diesel
A 30-day Texas disaster declaration lets farmers and truckers use tax-exempt, red-dyed off-road diesel on public roads. Federal and state taxes add about 60 cents a gallon, per Bloomberg. The Autopian's Matt Hardigree calls it a short-term fix that could leave a shortfall in transportation funding.
Quick Links
This May Be One Of The Best Cars Ever Offered On ‘The Price Is Right’
A 1973 episode offered a Volkswagen "Elegant Beetle" with a Rolls-Royce-style hood kit and painted roof, valued at $2,650, or about $20,000 in today's money.
Chris Harris on Cars: Ferrari 296 Speciale Aperta
After laps at Anglesey, Chris Harris calls the open-top 296 Speciale one of the more impressive cars he has driven this year, praising its hybrid integration and the return of physical steering-wheel buttons.
BMW’s revamped i3 boasts up to 468 miles of range
The i3 50 xDrive starts at about $63K including destination and arrives in early 2027, with two motors making a combined 463 horsepower.
Tesla’s Roadster 2 launch just got pushed back two more weeks.
Tesla moved its outdoor Roadster event from October 1 to October 15, citing a severe weather forecast, a week after reopening reservations for the car first revealed almost a decade ago.
This Special Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale Is a Stealthy Salute to Carbon Fiber
The Perla Nera, one of 33 bespoke 33 Stradales, wears a body of hand-laid, matte-black carbon fiber in place of paint and is on display at the Alfa Romeo Museum until October 18.
There’s a Surprising Twist in CAFE’s Emissions Rollback
From the 2030 model year, a vehicle counts as a light truck only if its towing plus payload capacity reaches 8,500 pounds, which The Drive says could push many midsize crossovers into the stricter passenger-car category.
Indianapolis 500 Legend Gordon Johncock Dies at 90
Johncock won 25 IndyCar races, and his 1982 Indy 500 victory over Rick Mears by 0.16 seconds was then the closest finish in the race's history.