BMW takes on FSD, Corvette SUV axed, $3M hypercar crash
PLUS: 525-HP Ariel Atom, Ford data vow, John Hughes' cars
Releases & Reviews
2028 Mercedes-AMG GT63 SUV Quick Drive: 1,153 HP’s Worth of Electrified Performance With V-8 Theater
The GT63 SUV makes 1,153 horsepower and 1,475 lb-ft in Race mode. Mercedes claims 0 to 60 mph in 2.4 seconds, matching a Bugatti Chiron, from a vehicle weighing about 5,700 pounds. MotorTrend calls the synthesized V-8 soundtrack AMG's theater of the absurd.
2027 BMW 7 Series First Drive: Trickle-Up Tech Makes the Updated 7 Even Better
The refresh adopts BMW's Neue Klasse electrical architecture, which the company says is 20 times faster than the system it replaces. The electric i7 50 xDrive gains a larger battery and 373 miles of EPA range, with prices from about $101K for the 740. MotorTrend calls it a much more compelling flagship.
Technology, Market Data & Analysis
Chevy Reportedly Axes Plans for the Corvette SUV and EV
GM Authority reports, citing company sources, that the Corvette SUV, an electric Corvette, and a rumored four-door sedan have all been shelved. GM never confirmed the plans, and Chevrolet declined to comment to Car and Driver. The outlet suggests softer EV demand or loyalist backlash as possible reasons.
BMW is taking on Tesla’s FSD with urban driver assist starting in 2027
The navigation-guided Level 2 system handles lane changes, turns, and roundabouts on city streets. Drivers must keep their hands on the wheel in town, while highway driving stays hands-free. It arrives in Germany in 2027 via an over-the-air update to models such as the 3 Series, 7 Series, X5, and iX3.
Car Culture
Ferrari Built This One-Off, $1 Million Pace Car in the ’80s. It Just Resurfaced
Ferrari spent $1 million in 1987, about $3M today, turning a Mondial T into a PPG pace car for the CART series. Turin design firm I.DE.A. stretched the wheelbase and redid the cabin in Kevlar and suede. The 300-horsepower car paced races from 1988 to 1991 and now sits in The Caretakers Collection.
Modern Hemi V8s Make a Horrible Ticking Sound. This Guy Might’ve Found the Fix After 17 Years
Dave Miller of Hemi Garage Hacks says he has rebuilt over 2,000 Hemis. His borescope footage shows 2009-and-later blocks lack an oiling hole for the lifter rollers, which he blames on a longer camshaft snout for variable valve timing. He is now developing a modified lifter, funded by a GoFundMe.
Miscellaneous
BYD's $3-Million Hypercar Crashed Hard During High-Speed Testing: Video
The 2,977-horsepower Yangwang U9 Xtreme lost control on a closed track and hit a barrier hard enough to tear off the rear axle. The driver reportedly walked away without serious injury. The four-motor car holds the production-EV record at 308 mph and was due to attempt 311 mph in the UAE.
‘Billie’ Is a 650-HP Modified Pontiac GTO from Ringbrothers
Ringbrothers started with a 1965 Pontiac Tempest and widened the body five inches to honor a GTO the client's mother once owned. A supercharged 6.2-liter LT4 V-8 sends 650 horsepower through a 10-speed automatic to the rear wheels. The company says the build took more than 5,500 hours.
Quick Links
Ford promises not to sell your driving habits to data brokers
The pledge follows GM's $220 million settlement, and Ford says customers will be able to adjust how much data they share, with standard exceptions for police requests and service providers remaining in its privacy policy.
US Engine of the Year goes to Chevy’s new small-block LS6 V8… there’s just one problem
Top Gear praises the new 6.7-liter naturally aspirated V8 in the 535-horsepower Corvette Grand Sport for its ram-air intake, forged internals, and cross-plane bellow, and its only complaint is the name.
1985 Ford F-250 Restomod Sends Raptor Brand to the ’80s at SEMA
Oregon mechanic Matt Johnson built the former $800 shop truck with Ford Performance around a 575-horsepower Boss V-8, documenting the project in a 92-part social-media series ahead of its SEMA debut this week.
Director John Hughes Knew How to Cast Cars as Supporting Players
Hagerty's survey of Hughes's films covers the Ferrari 308 GTS in Vacation, Jake Ryan's Porsche 944, Steff's 911 SC in Pretty in Pink, and the Audi 5000S Turbo Quattro driven by Ferris Bueller's father.
Track-Optimized Fluidity: We Drive the 2027 Ariel Atom 4RR
The 525-horsepower, roughly 1,500-pound 4RR uses a blueprinted Civic Type R engine, costs an estimated $325,000, and reaches US buyers next summer through distributor Forman Motorworks, with Car and Driver calling it exceptionally fluid on the road.
Ferrari Purosangue Handling Speciale | V12 Hot Hatch
Savagegeese spends 14 minutes with the Handling Speciale version of Ferrari's naturally aspirated V12 Purosangue, the brand's four-door, four-seat crossover.
Factorial Thinks It Can Finally Make Solid-State Batteries Real
Factorial's semi-solid-state cells powered a Mercedes EQS 748 miles on one charge in 2025, will appear in Karma's Kaveya coupe late next year, and the company says fully solid-state Solstice cells arrive by the end of the decade.