Street News

The Escort America Never Got The Ford Escort has a pretty ho-hum image in the U.S, but mention this model to folks across the pond, and you'll hear endless stories of it being a rally legend and an icon of Ford's European operations. One nameplate with opposing reputations and completely different histories. America only got the Escort starting in 1980, but the original European model debuted in 1968. It was an economy car built in the same vein as the Toyota Corolla from the same era. But then,

How Many Inches? The Chery Jaguar and Land Rover partnership is doing a big-screen teaser for its newest "revived" model, the Freelander 8. The numbers alone are enough to turn heads: 46.3 inches is the equivalent of an average-sized TV nowadays, and the Chery JLR Freelander packs that into its dashboard. However, when you look at it, it's not as crazy as it sounds, since the 8K panoramic screen spans 46.3 inches across a very wide space, similar to how BMW does it with its Panoramic Vision sc

The RS Standard Needless to say, the Porsche 911 GT3 RS is one of the benchmarks for street-legal, track-ready cars. It notably features a Formula 1-inspired drag reduction system (DRS) on its active rear wing, a technology Toyota could adopt for future versions of its latest flagship sports car. PistonHeads, which was invited by Toyota UK to take a closer look at the Toyota GR GT and GR GT3, reported that GR GT project manager Takashi Doi hinted that movable wings “aren't off the table for futu

Porsche never struggles to attract attention at the 2026 Goodwood Festival of Speed, but this year they have more art pieces than ever before. Alongside the breathtaking Tree of Life 911 GT3 Touring from Porsche's Sonderwunsch program, three one-off Porsche 911s, inspired by Toy Story 5, stole the spotlight. Of course, there was plenty of other automotive eye candy, including what appears to be the Lexus LFA's long-awaited successor and the quad-turbo V12-powered Zenvo Aurora Tur. Yet, few cars

The Cadillac EV Expansion Cadillac continues to aggressively expand its electric vehicle lineup to capture premium buyers transitioning away from internal combustion engines. We particularly liked its blend of distinct styling, modern cabin technology, and everyday driving range. These product efforts are yielding substantial commercial results, driving record sales growth across the brand's entire electric portfolio as traditional luxury buyers migrate away from legacy competitors. However, a m

Your favorite VW Group brand could look very different by 2030 The full extent of the Volkswagen Group’s restructure have become clearer over the last few weeks. Late in June, a report said VW was set to cut up to 100,000 jobs and would close four factories as competition from Chinese brands intensifies. What was less obvious is how these potential cutbacks would affect the company’s model range. We now have the answer, as the executive board of the VW Group has presented its future plan this we

Subaru Keeps the Formula Mostly Intact The Subaru Crosstrek is still holding down the fort for the star-spangled brand in America, right up there with the Forester. Sure, it's lost a bit of steam in early 2026, but it's still a mainstay in Subaru showrooms and a common sight on the road. That said, Subaru hasn't gone wild with updates for 2027. Prices are basically the same as last year – at least on paper. The sneaky bit, however, is the destination charge, which has crept up from $1,420 to $1,

Gas and Hybrids Remain Strong Toyota's delaying its three-row EV SUV until next year. The United States was supposed to get the new Toyota Highlander EV late in 2026, but Toyota decided against it, citing "final adjustments" to the model before it goes into production. The Toyota Highlander, in both its ICE and HEV versions, remains a strong seller in the U.S., with sales remaining strong even as a new model is peeking over the horizon. While the brand did state that it was making some last-mi

The Future in Doubt As it is, large flagship sedans are on shaky ground at best. If anything, it's just the BMW 7 Series and Mercedes-Benz S-Class that are keeping that segment above water. America doesn't have an answer for those models, as Cadillac and Lincoln have axed their respective large sedans. The Lexus LS, the car that disrupted that particular segment, has also been discontinued. That brings us to the Audi A8. At the moment, even the folks from Ingolstadt aren't entirely sure what to

The premium compact coupe segment is about to get a lot more interesting, with the upcoming Mercedes-AMG CLE 63 returning to V8 power as it aims to lure BMW M4 owners in. And there could be a lot more oomph than we were originally anticipating, with more than 700 horsepower now looking very likely. Affalterbach has just launched the tiny CLA 45+ with 671 hp, or as much as the current C 63, and that means the coupe version of the C-Class (the CLE 63 spied in these images) needs to stake its claim

Porsche builds fast works of art. That's nothing new. The 2026 Goodwood Festival of Speed was filled with extraordinary machines, from the debut of the mighty quad-turbo V12-powered Zenvo Aurora Tur to Maserati's all-new GT racing car. Yet one of the biggest surprises wasn't the fastest or the loudest. It was this breathtaking Porsche 911 GT3 Touring, called "The Tree of Life". We saw the special 911 in person at Goodwood, and while its vivid purple/pink finish grabs your attention, the story b

Miss the Fit? Subcompact hatchbacks and sedans are extinct in the U.S, and there are no more sub-$20,000 brand-new cars in the market today. But if you wind the clock back 10 to 15 years, there were a lot of great choices available. One of those was the Honda Fit, and it was quite a packaging miracle. Beyond that, the Fit was a surprisingly fun car to drive. It's far from a hot hatch, but its chassis felt dynamic, and the manual was a joy to shift. Despite its talents, it was discontinued in the

New IIHS safety results are a mixed bag The Insurance Institute For Highway Safety (IIHS) has released new safety ratings for nine models. These results apply to 2026 model-year vehicles, and the ratings are based on a series of crashworthiness and crash-prevention tests conducted by the safety authority. Four new models achieved the coveted Top Safety Pick+ award, but several models battled with the latest moderate overlap front crash test. Here’s an overview of the results, which includes both

Nissan's Baby Armada Has Finally Arrived After its teaser and announcement last year, Nissan has finally pulled the covers off the all-new Tekton at its global debut in India. This compact SUV is the latest move in Nissan's comeback playbook, offering buyers a more wallet-friendly alternative to the hulking Patrol – better known as the Nissan Armada if you're in North America. The Tekton is a key player in Nissan's 'One Car, One World' push. Co-developed with Renault and rolling off the Alliance

Toyota's “Holy Trinity” When Toyota yanked the covers off its so-called "Holy Trinity" last December, it was easily the brand’s boldest performance flex in years. The spotlight was split between the road-going GR GT, the track-focused GR GT3, and the Lexus LFA Concept – a spiritual follow-up to one of Japan’s most legendary supercars. But while the Gazoo Racing twins looked ready to hit the road or track, the Lexus stayed true to its name: just a concept. The LFA Concept was more of a teaser for

Lexus just had its best June ever Lexus reported 29,166 vehicles sold in June, up 3.9 percent year over year and enough for the brand's best-ever June. Lexus moved just 3,367 sedans and coupes in June, down 27.2 percent, and its passenger-car volume is off 39.2 percent for the year. The ES fell 89.3 percent as it winds down ahead of a redesign; the flagship LS dropped 98.5 percent; and the RC coupe has all but left the building, with just 3 units sold.

The Hype is There General Motors is adjusting its sports-car assembly strategy as early production data for the 2027 Corvette reveal a clear shift in consumer preferences. The Bowling Green Assembly Plant is currently closed for its annual summer shutdown following the July 4th holiday. However, the first three weeks of assembly since the June 8th launch show that buyers are increasingly selecting higher-performance, premium variants over the entry-level model. The new Grand Sport has already be

A North American debut that stops at the border Chinese EV maker Leapmotor has officially entered Mexico, giving the Stellantis-backed brand its first foothold in North America. Leapmotor has launched its B10 EREV SUV in Mexico for $32,895, offering up to 615 miles of range combined, from its 1.5-liter range extender engine and electric motor, paired with an 18.8kWh battery. This brings one of China's fastest-growing automakers to America's doorstep, while US trade barriers keep it out of domest

A concerning seat issue returns for the Kia Telluride Kia has recalled over 460,000 Telluride crossovers for a fire risk related to overheated power seat motors. The high number of vehicles recalled applies to most of the first-generation model years but does not include the all-new Telluride, which arrived for the 2027 model year. The fire risk is serious enough for Kia to have advised affected Telluride owners to park outside. Here’s everything we know about a significant recall impacting one

A boxer engine is flatter and wider than a traditional Vee engine, creating several challenges, but that hasn't stopped Ruf from continually improving the layout, and now it's revealed a new horizontally opposed engine with eight cylinders. The flat-eight is being shown off in a modified Ruf CTR3 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this weekend, taking to Lord March's driveway with Tanner Foust behind the wheel every day from tomorrow until Sunday. But its true home is yet to be announced, with Ru

A Concept That Waited  60 Years Some concepts get stuck in the sketchbook. Others just bide their time. Bizzarrini’s latest is the patient type. Meet the 5300 Aperta Lusso: an open-top grand tourer dreamed up by the late Giotto Bizzarrini and Giorgetto Giugiaro over 60 years ago, and finally brought to light. Originally conceived in the early 1960s, this project was shelved as Bizzarrini chased racing glory and was ultimately shut down in 1969, leaving the idea gathering dust in the archives. No

The Ultimate Cure for "Did I Leave the Garage Open?" Anxiety Hyundai Motor America is partnering with Chamberlain Group to bring myQ Connected Garage technology to touchscreens in select 2024 to 2026 models. For anyone who has ever merged onto the highway only to be struck by the sudden panic that their garage door is wide open, this integration sounds like a perfect solution. Instead of relying on a plastic remote clipped to your sun visor, drivers can now monitor and control their home access

A structural defect prompts Toyota's latest recall A recall has been issued for approximately 5,400 examples of the 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander and Lexus TX after a defect in the rear axle carrier that could increase crash risk was discovered. While the Grand Highlander recall campaign is relatively small, especially by recall standards related to this model line, it involves a structural suspension component rather than a software update or labeling error, making it a more significant issue fo

It was Bound to Happen For the most part, every car that Mercedes-Benz launches, you're pretty much guaranteed an AMG version down the line. After all, this was a company that turned the R-Class minivan into a tire-shredding people carrier with a 6.2-liter V8. There's no doubt, then, that even the smallest Mercedes models would get the sporty treatment. That's exactly the case for the CLA. Ever since the first generation, it has always come with an AMG version, so it was only a matter of time be

Much-Needed Updates Audi of America’s struggles from 2025 have, unfortunately, carried over into 2026. It’s not how the company wanted to move forward, but at least it’s making an effort to at least soften the blow. With that, changes to select models have been announced for the 2027 model year, and it’s one the German automaker needs to pursue to pursue its path to recovery. Some models are getting trim updates and upgrades, and we also know new models are on the horizon. The announcement could

A Sizable Lead Now that we're past the halfway point of 2026, more and more automakers are releasing their respective mid-year sales reports. In the luxury market, BMW further widened its gap versus Lexus, reporting a positive growth with 186,944 vehicles sold so far. Lexus, on the other hand, shifted 169,712 units, slightly down year-on-year. More recently, Mercedes-Benz released its report, which also showed a slight decrease from last year's figures so far. The company sold 145,000 passenger

From Forgotten Dream Before McLaren became a supercar heavyweight, Bruce McLaren was already dreaming beyond just Formula 1 and Can-Am. He wanted to put his race-bred engineering on the street, and the M6GT was supposed to kick things off. But after Bruce’s tragic death in 1970, the project stalled out, leaving the M6GT as one of the greatest 'what ifs' in McLaren lore. When McLaren Special Operations (MSO) dropped the news that they’d rebuilt the M6GT using original molds and old-school parts,