777-HP Ram TRX Driven, $15K Fiat, Tacoma Reshored
PLUS: June Sales Winners, 800-HP Urus, Dodge Purple
Releases & Reviews
2027 Ram 1500 TRX SRT First Drive: Back With More Bite
After a two-year hiatus, Ram's supercharged 6.2-liter off-road monster returns making 777 horsepower (580 kW) and 680 lb-ft (922 Nm). A claimed 3.5-second 0–60-mph time edges Ford's F-150 Raptor R, and reviewers found it utterly unfazed leaping off dirt berms.
The Adorable Fiat Topolino Costs $14,985 In America. Here's Why That's Actually A Pretty Solid Deal
This cheerful low-speed EV—sibling to the Citroën Ami—musters just 8 horsepower (6 kW), a 19-mph (31 km/h) top speed, and 46 miles (74 km) of range. Yet at $14,985 with doors and a windshield, it actually undercuts comparable street-legal golf carts like the GEM e2.
Technology, Market Data & Analysis
Toyota Investing $3.6 Billion to Move Tacoma Production Back to Texas
Toyota will spend $3.6 billion to overhaul its San Antonio plant, adding an assembly line and 2000 jobs to build the mid-size pickup stateside by 2030. The fourth-gen Tacoma has been built exclusively in Mexico since 2024; the new line targets 150,000 trucks annually.
O'Reilly Wants To Buy NAPA Auto Parts, Creating An Aftermarket Giant
O'Reilly has reportedly placed a $10 billion bid for Genuine Parts Company's automotive arm, which owns NAPA and its 6,000-plus U.S. stores. Combining two of the aftermarket's biggest chains would reshape where DIY owners buy parts—and, critics warn, likely mean fewer choices and higher prices.
Car Culture
For Just Two Years, Toyota Sold The Corolla With A Diesel Engine So Efficient It Got Better MPG Than Most Cars Today
Sold only for 1984–1985, the front-drive E80 Corolla Deluxe Diesel paired a 1.8-liter engine making just 56 horsepower (42 kW) with an EPA-rated 59 mpg (4.0 L/100km) highway—thriftier than most cars today. Rising diesel prices and improving gas engines killed it within two years.
This Is What Four Years in a River Does to a GM 6.2L V8
Pulled from the Ohio River after years underwater, this L99 V8 from a Camaro SS emerged caked in mud, rust, and barnacles, missing a pushrod. Yet a full teardown on the I Do Cars YouTube channel found the cylinder sleeves largely salvageable—a testament to GM's durable LS family.
Miscellaneous
Trump's Latest Pardons Include Diesel Tuners Who Violated Clean Air Act
President Trump pardoned nine mechanics and tuners convicted of installing "defeat devices" that bypass diesel emissions controls under the Clean Air Act, sparing them millions in fines and jail time. The move fits a broader EPA rollback, including proposals to drop limp mode and start-stop systems.
This race car is made from plant fibers, volcanoes, … and seawater?
Reborn after a 2022 bankruptcy, Lola Cars is building 16 continuation versions of its 1965 T70 racer using radically greener materials. Rather than smelting magnesium via the dirty Pidgeon process, Lola extracts it from seawater through solar-powered electrolysis, slashing the carbon and pollution cost of each part.
Quick Links
Report: Genesis to Unveil New GV90 Flagship SUV
Genesis will reportedly reveal its range-topping three-row electric SUV on September 9, riding on Hyundai Group's new "eM" platform with battery packs rumored to exceed 100 kWh.
We Drove Aston Martin's New S Models—and Picked a Favorite
After flogging the DB12 S, DBX S, and Vantage S ahead of their Goodwood debut, the reviewer crowned the $199,500 Vantage S—671 horsepower (501 kW) and the lightest of the trio—his favorite.
The 2027 Lamborghini Urus SE Performante First Look: Lighter, More Powerful, and Carbon Fiber-ier
Now the most powerful production combustion SUV, the plug-in-hybrid Urus SE Performante makes 800 horsepower (597 kW) and 738 lb-ft (1,001 Nm), hits 193 mph (311 km/h), and sheds roughly 70 pounds (32 kg) via extra carbon fiber.
Winners And Losers From June Auto Sales
Hyundai, Kia, and Stellantis posted gains on the back of hybrids, while Ford and GM slid—and Fiat sold a mere 81 examples of its 500e all quarter.
2027 Porsche 911 GT3 S/C Is a True Escape
This droptop, manual-only GT3 pares down to a claimed 3,322 pounds (1,505 kg) with carbon and magnesium bits, letting its 502-hp (375 kW) 9,000-rpm flat-six sing for $275,350.
Dodge Charger Goes Purple for Its 60th Birthday
To mark 60 years, Dodge is offering a $795 "Purple Haze" high-gloss paint across the 2027 Charger lineup—a nod to muscle-car hues like the '70s Plum Crazy.
2026 Mercedes-AMG E53 Hybrid Wagon Quick Review: A Bit Mild, a Bit Wild, But Mostly Confusing
Packing up to 604 horsepower (451 kW) with Race Start, this 5,401-pound (2,447 kg) plug-in super-wagon is quick and plush, but the reviewer deemed it an awkward middle child with no E63 above it.