Street News

Automakers Continue Tightening Their Belts The car industry is feeling the pinch. Demand is cooling off, costs are climbing, and the competition is fiercer than ever. In the past year, we've seen big names slash jobs to stay afloat and brace for whatever comes next. Now, BMW is jumping on the bandwagon. BMW isn't rolling out a massive layoff plan like some of its rivals, but after yet another profit warning, the company says it's tightening its belt even more. With automakers everywhere rethinki

“This will change you forever.” The first time I heard Nik Miles say that I didn’t really understand what he meant. After all, I already had a dog, a big Labrador Retriever named Miles. What difference would it make that I was going to spend the next few days traveling cross country with a menagerie of two dozen rescued beagles headed for new homes? A lot it turned out. That was 1

The Koenigsegg Sadair's Spear is the latest and greatest hypercar from the Swedish automaker, and it's no stranger to records. Neither is its full-size Lego recreation, which has just become the fastest of its kind, achieving a top speed of 69 mph. That beats the full-size Lego McLaren P1 that achieved 40 mph in 2024 and the 1:1 Bugatti Chiron from 2018 that managed a total of 12 mph. In other words, this is the first full-size Lego build that can achieve freeway speeds, despite weighing 3,968 l

Ford is making a significant leap forward in the race to dominate the American electric vehicle market. In a historic move, the Detroit automaker has officially started producing its own low-cost lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery cells using CATL technology right here in the United States. LFP batteries have propelled Chinese automakers to global prominence, and these are the batteries that Ford is counting on for its highly anticipated $30,000 compact electric truck, slated to hit the roads

All American Sports Car The Chevrolet Corvette has always been America's true sports car; throughout each generation, it has striven to challenge and be just as good as any sports car offering from around the world. Since it's been around for decades and has proudly represented true American engineering, it naturally makes sense to use the Corvette as a symbol of being a proud American, just as some owners did on a special day.

The Queue Debate Returns Placing an order for a newly launched vehicle can be frustrating, especially when automakers appear to let some customers who recently placed a reservation configure their vehicles before those who reserved much earlier. Ford faced similar criticism when the Bronco returned in 2021, and now Rivian is encountering similar concerns as it begins sending out configuration invites for the R2. According to RivianTrackr, Rivian's configuration email rollout started slowly but i

Texas Gas Prices Today The trend is finally moving in the drivers' favor. The statewide average in Texas is $3.49 a gallon for regular, nine cents less than a week ago, though still 69 cents higher than this day last year, according to the AAA Texas Weekend Gas Watch. That puts Texas roughly 50 cents under the national average, which is hovering right around $4.00. AAA Texas Why Texas Stays Cheaper Than Most Texas runs 15 to 25 cents a gallon below the US average year-round thanks to 29 refineri

The National Picture: Up Nearly 29% in a Year If your last fill-up stung, you are not imagining it. The national average reached $4.04 a gallon on June 16, up 28.8% from $3.14 a year earlier, and AAA's daily tracker now puts the national average near $3.97. Nearly every state posted a double-digit percentage increase over the past year, which is what turns a routine summer bump into a genuine national story. The steepest year-over-year jump landed in New Hampshire, up 41.9%, with New York and Ve

Where Auto Loan Rates Stand Now As of today, June 19th 2026, Bank of America is offering a new car (dealer) 5.39% APR, a used car (dealer) 5.59% APR. It's important to note that credit is a major factor, and not everyone is going to qualify for these rates, as banks publish the most favorable terms. If financing a car feels expensive right now, the numbers back you up. The average APR is about 6.78 percent for new-car loans and 12.01 percent for used, and rates have been holding near those leve

Southern California: The 405 Is Still the Big One If you are driving Los Angeles this weekend, the I-405 Pavement Rehabilitation Project through the Sepulveda Pass remains the corridor to avoid. The $143.7 million repave between Van Nuys and Westwood keeps producing overnight northbound lane reductions and ramp closures, and Caltrans has scheduled K-rail and survey work the week of June 22 to 26. Expect the heaviest squeeze overnight, when crews drop the northbound 405 to as few as two lanes and

The EPA has official fuel economy figures for the 2027 Corvette Stingray's new 6.7-litre LS6 V8, and the numbers are about as painless as a power upgrade gets. The EPA's comparison tool puts the annual fuel cost difference between last year's 495-hp LT2-powered Stingray and the new 535-hp LS6 car at around $250 over a full year of driving. That's roughly the price of a couple of tanks of premium. For 40 more horsepower, 50 more pound-feet of torque, and quicker straight-line performance, most bu

Italian automaker has just revised its core range for 2027, updating the GranTurismo, GranCabrio, and Grecale. All of these are available as all-electric Folgore versions, and for the new model year, the two-door EVs have seen a massive cut in pricing of around $57,000. The GranTurismo Folgore started at $199,690 for 2026, and for 2027, it starts at a still hefty $141,995 ($57,695 cheaper than 2026). Meanwhile, the drop-top GranCabrio Folgore now starts at $152,195, a saving of $56,395 over the

If you're after a premium three-row SUV with plug-in hybrid power, your options have just been reduced by one after Lexus quietly discontinued the TX 550h+. The Lexus build configurator no longer shows the TX 550h+ Luxury AWD PHEV, which was previously available for $81,060 (including destination). First introduced in 2023, this delivered 404 horsepower and could run on all-electric power for an estimated 33 miles, but if you're disappointed, don't be; the change seems to be temporary, with the

More Than Just A Successor To The Chiron The Bugatti Tourbillon doesn’t exactly need help turning heads. It’s the Chiron’s successor, packing a wild 8.3-liter V16 (yes, sixteen cylinders) and a hybrid system for a bonkers 1,800 metric horsepower. Instead of giant screens everywhere, Bugatti went old-school, borrowing cues from classic watchmaking and mechanical wizardry. But while everyone’s gawking at the V16 and that wild bodywork, Bugatti’s engineers have been sweating over something way less

The Growing Fight Over Vehicle Data Recent concerns over data privacy in connected-car services have led to legal action and regulatory scrutiny. For instance, General Motors was sued for allegedly sharing driver data with third parties, including insurers, which allegedly used the information to raise premiums or deny coverage based on a driver's behavior behind the wheel. Connected services like GM's OnStar can track a vehicle's location, which can be useful in emergencies but also raises priv

A New Chapter for JLR in North America JaguarLand Rover has its sights set on North America, and it looks like big changes are brewing. What we know so far is that JLR wants to beef up its US presence with a little help from Stellantis. If all goes to plan, we might even see Stellantis-based, Defender-badged models built just for American tastes. The timing here is hard to ignore. As the Stellantis partnership begins to take shape, JLR North America is also replacing its top boss. Eberhardt, who

The Risk Of Driverless While the improvement and development of autonomous driving technology continues, there are still moments when we are reminded of the risks and dangers of the idea. Some forward-thinking states have allowed a more liberal use of autonomous driving in mass transit via robotaxis. It has come to light that some of Waymo's self-driving taxis are experiencing a software issue that poses a risk of accidents harming both passengers and pedestrians.

BYD Shifts the EV Charging Paradigm in China One of the biggest gripes about getting an EV is how long it takes to charge. While Western markets grapple with slow public infrastructure, Chinese automaker BYD is currently rewriting the playbook in its home market. During the launch of its Great Tang SUV, the brand announced it has already deployed 6,682 flash chargers across 321 Chinese cities. This massive rollout is part of an aggressive "Flash Charging China" campaign launched earlier this spr

Volvo has just made public charging easier for U.S. owners of its EX90 electric crossovers. The electric crossover now benefits from Plug & Charge capability, which eliminates the need for opening an app, swiping a credit card, or manually starting a charging session at participating public chargers. This capability will also be available on the new EX60 when that model starts arriving at dealerships later this year. It removes a significant pain point for EV owners, especially those transit

Open-Air Freedom The Ford Bronco is all about open-air freedom. Just like its arch-rival, the Jeep Wrangler, the boxy SUV lets you peel off the roof and get that wind-in-your-hair, bugs-in-your-teeth experience. It’s a huge selling point, but there’s always been one big question: where do you stash those roof panels once you’ve gone topless? Ford’s been tinkering with solutions for years. We’ve seen patents for all sorts of clever ways to stow away those panels without leaving them in your garag

Something Wicked This Way Comes Ferrari will be launching a very special model in the next couple of weeks. The announcement was allegedly made by company CEO Beneditto Vigna during a recent dealer conference in Las Vegas, according to The Supercar Blog. At the time, he didn't say what kind of car the brand would be premiering. "In a few weeks, if you can bear with us a little bit, then you will see something new where we put together something from the past with eyes on the future," said the ex

The Pickup Brand Is Eyeing The Throne Stellantis has 14 automotive brands, but in the U.S., Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram are the names that matter most. Although Fiat has been Stellantis' top-selling brand globally, Jeep remains its sales leader in the U.S. That could change, however, as Automotive News reports that Ram could take the crown by the end of the decade. It's not hard to see why. Since Dodge and Ram split in 2009, Ram has focused heavily on pickup trucks, one of the most lucrative

Toyota Has Too Many Cars, And Its Own CEO Knows It Toyota sold over 2.5 million vehicles in the US alone in 2025, up 8 percent from the year before. Globally, it retained the title of world's largest automaker for the sixth consecutive year. On paper, that's a company firing on all cylinders. But Kenta Kon, who took over as CEO in April, isn't entirely satisfied with the view from the top. After touring Toyota's R&D facilities, he noticed something unsettling. Engineers are being pulled in t

Good Reception So Far As far as new EV launches go, the BMW i3 seems to get the least amount of hate. Sure, there were still comments about its styling, but from what we've observed, the reception has been fairly positive. Just as surprising is the clamor for this model. Due to popular demand, BMW has opened reservations for its i3 ahead of schedule. Do note that it's for the European market, but it does show that there is a strong interest in this model.

Toyota has published a series of mid-year price increases for several key models. We’ve already covered big SUV price hikes for models like the Sequoia and Grand Highlander, but buyers in more budget-oriented segments are likely to feel the pricing pressure more. The Camry, Prius, and Corolla Hatchback have all had their prices raised. It follows a statement from a Toyota executive in February this year that at least three price increases were on the way for the automaker in 2026. Related: Toyot

The 2026 Volkswagen Jetta is one of the cheaper ways to get into a brand new sedan this month, and you can do it without a down payment. Volkswagen's advertised June program lists the compact Jetta at $263 a month with $2,000 due at signing. Roll that $2,000 into the payment instead of writing a check for it, and the Jetta comes out to roughly $319 a month for 36 months with nothing down beyond your first payment, taxes, and fees. For a car that just got a styling refresh and still undercuts mos

Honda is giving the revived Prelude a dose of exclusivity in Japan with a new special edition, aptly named the 2027 Limited Edition. The newcomer retains the coupe's sleek styling and hybrid powertrain but adds a more distinctive finish inside and out. It's set to arrive at Japanese dealerships in August, less than a year after the Prelude returned to its home market. A Red-Themed Take On The Prelude Honda