Street News

Mazda’s Next Big Engine Project Shows Signs of Life Mazda is still on a mission to prove the internal combustion engine isn’t dead yet. While everyone else is sprinting toward full electrification, Mazda’s been stubbornly straddling the line – tinkering with gas engines, hybrids, and EVs all at once. Now, it looks like Mazda’s latest engine development is inching closer to hitting the streets. A recent trademark filing in Japan, courtesy of Trademark Watch, shows Mazda has locked down the name "

A dangerous severe weather episode is unfolding across the Central Plains tonight, Tuesday June 9, 2026, with the Storm Prediction Center holding an Enhanced Risk (Level 3/5) for central Nebraska and a Tornado Watch active for much of the state through midnight CDT. The combined threat carries strong tornado potential, softball-sized hail, and damaging wind gusts to 80 mph. Peak Driving Danger Window The worst window runs from roughly 8 PM CDT Tuesday through 2 AM CDT Wednesday along I-80 betwee

As the global automotive industry rushes headlong into a future electrified by batteries, Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda is standing firm on a refreshingly different path. While many rival automakers have pledged to transition to battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) within the next decade, Toyota remains fiercely committed to a multi-pathway approach, while also polishing its EV game. For Americans, this means the brand will continue to offer a diverse lineup of gas-powered engines, traditional hybrids

Chrysler's Cheap-Interior Era Stellantis' current challenges center on its powertrains, particularly the now-discontinued 4xe plug-in hybrid models, as well as its overestimation of electric-vehicle demand, including products such as the all-electric Dodge Charger. However, before Fiat took control of Chrysler following its 2009 bankruptcy, the automaker faced a very different problem: poor interior quality. That issue was one of the key areas veteran Chrysler designer and current Stellantis Chi

Overview, Specs Details The 2026 Honda Accord continues to serve as a benchmark in the midsize sedan segment by blending daily usability with refined driving dynamics. The entry-level LX trim comes standard with a turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine making 192 horsepower paired to a continuously variable transmission. Inside the cabin drivers find a clean layout featuring a modern touchscreen alongside standard smartphone integration and a comprehensive suite of advanced safety features.

If you're looking for an SUV more aggressive than the Ford Expedition without resorting to Raptor-like levels of extremism, the latest offering from Hennessey may be the perfect solution. Based on the off-road-focused Expedition Tremor, the new VelociRaptor SUV makes no changes to the powertrain, with the twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 deemed hearty enough at 440 horsepower and 510 lb-ft of torque. Instead, Hennessey has focused on subtle aesthetic enhancements, better braking performan

Last month, BMW M CEO Frank van Meel shared a post on Instagram showing the BMW M Hybrid V8 Le Mans racecar, with its reflection depicted as a road-going car, potentially the electric M3. Recently, the BMW M YouTube channel has also been building hype for an all-electric M car with a series of videos showing off the technology coming to the first-ever electric M3, and now it seems that BMW is about to reveal an electric M of some sort at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, with images obtained by Autoblog.

Lucid has detailed a new over-the-air update for the Gravity electric SUV that brings advanced hands-free driving capabilities, Google Maps updates, and more. The update, called Lucid UX 3.6, comes not long after the Gravity’s key rival, the Tesla Model X, was discontinued. Lucid remains under severe financial pressure after a staggering $1-billion net loss in the first quarter of 2026. While the Gravity’s updates are welcome, the company needs to get a cheaper vehicle into showrooms sooner rath

Sustained Success Since joining the 24 Hours of Le Mans as an official factory race team back in 2000, the Corvette Racing program has captured 9 overall class wins across 2 decades of competition. This team has continued to ride out every installment of the world's most demanding race, finding success across four generations of the Corvette (C5-C8). Looking to recapture an overall win, this year's Corvette Racing Le Mans team will comprise four cars, the largest team assembled to compete in ove

Not Every Fast Truck Needs Dirt Tires Ram recently unveiled its new muscle truck, or street truck for the modern era, with the 1500 Rumble Bee. The new model sets itself apart from the off-road-focused trucks that seem to saturate the market, including nameplates like the Ford F-150 Raptor R. Longtime enthusiasts may already know what to expect, as Ram has built similar performance trucks before, including the SRT-10, which featured a Dodge Viper V10 engine. To share more about Ram’s latest proj

Not Following Toyota's Playbook Toyota's new generation of midsize truck-based models runs on downsized four-cylinder turbo engines. From the Tacoma to the Land Cruiser, all use the now-familiar boosted 2.4-liter mill. While there are some fuel economy gains, the engine has so far been criticized for its refinement, or lack thereof. Of course, many manufacturers are replacing displacement with turbos, but Nissan refuses to go that route for its more rugged offerings. After all, this is the same

New European Era Dodge has an interesting history in Europe, a past marked by an aggressive expansion plan in the mid-2000's that failed by the early 2010's. In fact, the brand has not been officially on sale in Europe since 2011; the parent company, Stellantis, has chosen to keep the European brands under its umbrella as the region's main mass-market drivers. Since the 2011 pullout, Dodge had remained present in the region due to "grey market" imports that were (sort of) backed by the brand. De

Stretching Life Cycles It's no secret that Honda is going through a challenging time right now. The company's bet on EVs had crumbled, costing it billions and, for the first time in nearly 70 years, causing annual operating losses. The next couple of years will be crucial for the brand, and it won't be easy as it has to tighten its belts while continuously developing new products. With that, Honda has to stretch the life cycles of its midsize offerings. That means cars like the Accord, Odyssey,

The Boxy Icons You can't miss a Jeep Wrangler or a Gladiator on the road. Whether it's a Wrangler chilling in a driveway or a Gladiator loaded up for a weekend adventure, these hulking boxes on wheels are everywhere – and they're the backbone of the Jeep lineup. But now, if you own a newer Wrangler or Gladiator, Jeep wants you to park outside “out of an abundance of caution.” Not for the fresh air, but because things could get a little too hot for comfort. In an official statement, Stellantis sa

The Only Game in Town For those in the market for a midsize pickup with a manual transmission, the only thing you can do is head on down to your nearest Toyota dealer and go for that Tacoma. It is, quite literally, the only model in its segment to offer such a transmission, and quite literally, the only pickup with a manual you can get in the U.S. Oh, how times have changed in the midsize pickup market. Back in the day, the manual was the standard transmission, but as customer demands and the ma

Sticking To The Same Formula Automakers typically introduce a facelift or mid-cycle update about three years into a model’s production run, followed by a major overhaul or next-generation version a few years later. This helps vehicles stay current with the latest trends, remain relevant in the market, and stay competitive against rivals. But as the saying goes, there is always an exception to the rule, and the Chevrolet Express may be the perfect example. According to GM Authority, the 2026 Expr

Mazda’s Carbon-Capturing Vision Moves Closer to Reality Mazda turned heads at last year’s Japan Mobility Show with the Vision X-Coupe – a futuristic take on the brand’s Kodo design language that had everyone guessing it was the next Mazda3 in disguise. But under the sharp sheet metal and rotary-powered electric guts, Mazda dropped something even bolder: Mobile Carbon Capture. For the uninitiated, Mazda’s Mobile Carbon Capture sucks carbon dioxide (CO2) straight out of the exhaust while you drive

The all-new Audi Q7 and its sporty sibling, the SQ7, have just been revealed for the 2027 model, and the third-generation three-row SUVs are both being touted as the quickest in their respective classes, with the Q7's 2.9-liter turbo V6 enabling 0-60 mph in 4.8 seconds and the SQ7's 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 helping deliver 0-60 mph in 3.7 seconds. The former produces 429 horsepower and 442 lb-ft of torque, while the latter makes 591 hp and 590 lb-ft, and both can tow up to 7,700 lbs. But the impr

The Rise of China and the Pentagon's Warning Chinese companies have been dominating the global automotive stage and putting legacy companies on blast. If current projections are to be believed, they are about to topple the top brand, Toyota, any time soon. However, a new report from Reuters has put one of its biggest brands, BYD, under a harsh light for allegedly aiding the Chinese military. On Monday, the U.S. government added EV titan BYD to a controversial list of suspected Chinese military b

The Countdown to the C9 Corvette Has Begun The Chevrolet Corvette C8 has officially lost its new kid status. As the first mid-engine Corvette, it shook up America’s sports car scene, but now it’s inching toward retirement. Chevy just confirmed there won’t be any more core C8 variants after the Grand Sport and Grand Sport X, which is a pretty big hint that the next-gen C9 is already cooking behind the scenes. GM isn’t spilling any secrets about its next sports car just yet, but a recent interview

It is a nightmare scenario for any car buyer: dropping nearly $100,000 on a top-tier luxury SUV, only to have the engine suffer a major failure before the odometer even hits 10,000 miles. The team at Dave's Auto Center recently tore down a Cadillac Escalade ESV Platinum to find out exactly why its L87 V8 engine experienced a head gasket failure with only 9,000 miles on the odometer. The teardown revealed the anatomy of what the mechanic calls General Motors' "billion-dollar boondoggle". What Fai

President Trump says executives from General Motors and Ford recently discussed concerns about consumers repairing their own vehicles, reigniting the debate over automotive right-to-repair legislation. Executives from both automakers, along with Penske Corporation chairman Roger Penske, met with him recently to discuss the proposal, according to Detroit Free Press. Neither the White House nor either automaker has publicly named or described a formal legislative proposal, but the conversation Tru

Not so long ago, hybrids seemed like an automotive fad, but the Toyota Prius proved that the hybrid powertrain could work. It conditioned the world to accept battery-assisted driving, achieving astonishing 50-mpg figures by wrapping a small engine combined with electric backup in an aerodynamic teardrop. But while the Toyota Prius was the pioneer, the Toyota Sienna is arguably the brand's most important hybrid in 2026. The Prius proved the concept; the Sienna proves that hybrid technology is sig

Another Launchpad Delay for Tesla's Halo Car Tesla has once again shifted the timeline for its next-generation Roadster, pushing the long-promised public demonstration back to August 2026. This latest delay comes after Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk missed a string of self-imposed deadlines, including an April Fool's Day target and subsequent promises of a late-spring reveal. According to The Information (via Carscoops), sources familiar with the project say Texas is now slated to host the ev

The EA839 V6 Has Plenty Of Fans, But Reliability Questions Persist Audi’s EA839 3.0-liter turbo V6 is widely used across the VW Group vehicles. You’ll see it in everything from the Audi S4 and S5 to the SQ5, A6, A7, Q7, Q8, and even some Porsche Cayennes. It has a good reputation for those who want an engine with plenty of tuning potential. However, this force-inducted V6 mill’s reliability isn’t exactly spotless. Piston failures and oil-guzzling are common, as are scored cylinder walls and cool

Range anxiety is still the number one reason people hesitate before going electric. For SUV buyers especially, the ask is simple: give me something efficient. Ford quietly answered that question in China. The company partnered with Jiangling Motors Corporation (JMC) to build the Bronco New Energy, a mid-size SUV that comes in two flavors: a full EV and an extended-range EV. The EREV version uses a 1.5-liter turbocharged engine purely as a generator for its 43.7 kWh battery, delivering a claimed

The Long-Term Battery Debate One of the biggest concerns about owning an electric vehicle is battery degradation, which can reduce an EV’s driving range over time. However, battery technology has advanced significantly in recent years. A study by Recurrent found that EVs retain about 97% of their original range after three years and 95% after five years. Now, a 2026 Tesla Model Y Juniper owner decided to document battery degradation himself, showing the effects of heavy EV use and frequent DC fa