Doug Drives Audi Q9, $30K Ford Home Battery, 7-Car Recall
PLUS: 1,300-HP Honda Truck, Mopar Charger, Porsche Snubs US
Releases & Reviews
2027 Audi Q9 Review: The Biggest, Craziest Audi Luxury SUV Ever
The Q9 is Audi's first full-size SUV, and Doug DeMuro describes it as Tahoe-sized with Range Rover levels of luxury. Its 123.5-inch wheelbase runs 2.6 inches longer than an Escalade's, and pricing starts just under $90,000. DeMuro walks through the quirks of the V-8 SQ9 before driving it.
2028 Aston Martin Valhalla Spider First Look: Top Off, 217-MPH Top Speed, No Problem
The Spider keeps the coupe's 1,064-hp hybrid twin-turbo V-8 and 2.3-second 0-60 time, and Aston Martin says it reaches 217 mph with the targa roof removed. Aston expects one in four of the 999 Valhallas to be Spiders, priced about 40% above the coupe. US deliveries begin in late 2027.
Technology, Market Data & Analysis
Ford’s $30K Fathom EV Can Double as a Home Power Generator
The Fathom carries an integrated inverter, so Ford's Home Power Station and backup panel should cost about $2,300 together, against roughly $7,000 for the kit a Chevy Bolt needs. Ford says the panel costs at least 60% less than the F-150 Lightning's setup. Truck plus hardware could total around $32,000.
Mazda Combines CX-70 and CX-90 SUVs for 2027
The two-row CX-90 replaces the CX-70 in two Premium Sport trims, and the only other 2027 change is revised rear suspension bushings. Powertrains carry over, with a 280-hp or 340-hp turbo inline-six and a 323-hp plug-in hybrid. Pricing starts at about $41,000 with destination.
Car Culture
I Started Collecting Fast & Furious Cars, and Now I Can’t Stop
The collector bought 15 replicas from an estate, then added screen-used cars including Vin Diesel's Chevelle wheelie car and the Fast Five Charger. The Chevelle arrived with a 250-hp small-block and welded-on rear weights, so he fitted a 620-hp 572 V-8. He calls the 2 Fast 2 Furious Skyline his favorite.
Joie de Vivre Instead of Ennui: We Test the 1976 Renault 17 Gordini
Car and Driver's August 1976 test clocked the 95-hp fuel-injected coupe to 60 mph in 9.2 seconds. The base price was about $6,700, and the magazine praised the five-speed gearbox and build quality. It called the Gordini possibly the best value in sporting cars sold in America.
Miscellaneous
Koenigsegg Recalled Every CC850 In America. All Seven Of Them
NHTSA filings say the electronic parking brake can fail to engage, a flaw found after an owner left a running CC850 in reverse on an incline and it rolled away. The recall covers the 2025 and 2026 model years. Koenigsegg will fix the control software with a free over-the-air update.
The C8 Corvette Quietly Solved Screen Overload With a 30-Year-Old Idea
Turning the C8's brightness knob fully down enters Night Mode, which darkens nearly every screen and backlit button and leaves only speed, temperature and fuel on the cluster. The Drive traces the idea to Saab's Night Panel from the 1990s and argues GM should offer it beyond its sportiest models.
Quick Links
‘27 Mopar Dodge Charger Marks 90 Years of the Famous Name
The roughly $11,000 Mopar '27 package adds a carbon-fiber hood, splitter, spoiler and cold-air intake to the Charger R/T or Scat Pack Plus, limited to 270 cars across three colors ahead of a SEMA debut in November.
Jeep Finally Gives Gladiator Fans What They Wanted Most
The 35-Inch Tire Launch Edition for Willys, Rubicon and Rubicon X trims adds a one-inch lift, heavy-duty Dana axles and beadlock wheels, raising ground clearance to 12.9 inches, with pricing still unannounced.
Porsche Says No To US Factories While Audi Pours $4 Billion Into Georgia
Porsche finance chief Jochen Breckner says low volumes rule out US production even for the Cayenne, and the company is planning around a permanent 15% tariff after roughly $580 million in duties so far this year.
KTM's Lightweight Supercar Is Finally Coming To America
The US-market X-Bow GT-XA will be built one at a time in Graz, Austria, with 30 first-year allocations, $50,000 refundable deposits and pricing expected under $490,000, pending street-legal approval.
Honda Teases New Trophy Truck That Uses the Passport Name
The 1,300-hp Passport Baja Spec debuts Thursday in Los Angeles ahead of a SEMA showing, and two-time Baja 1000 winner Bryce Menzies will race it in the SCORE Baja 500 next June.
Morgan Supersport 400 Review
The most powerful Morgan ever built pairs a 402-hp BMW turbo inline-six with a claimed 3.6-second 0-62 time, and Throttle House weighs it against rivals at its roughly $180K UK price.
5 New Toyota Snowhunter Concepts Are Here to Tackle Winter
The Tundra, Tacoma, 4Runner, Land Cruiser and Sequoia concepts each wear Snowhunter camo paint, a lift kit, Rigid lighting and white powder-coated snow tracks, with the Tundra fitted out as a rolling base camp with an articulating roof rack.