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Tire-smoking Ford-Red Bull Showrun roars into Dearborn
Posted by Talbot Payne on July 25, 2026
Ford, Ford
It’s the third stop of four on a U.S. tour that kicked off with a wild, airborne demonstration on San Francisco’s hills last winter. On February 21st at the intersection of Broadway and Divisadero, American off-road racer Mitch Guthrie Jr. raced up Broadway’s 11-degree incline and launched the Raptor T1 at 45 mph off a 5-degree ramp — soaring over the Red Bull F1 car that was performing smokey donuts on Divisadero.
Don’t expect similar jumps in the flat Dearborn terrain off Hubbard Road north of Ford headquarters. But Baja racer Chris Polvoorde ― who takes Guthrie’s seat in the T1+ this weekend ― promises it will still be wild.
“Really excited. Just went and ran (the course) the first time, and it’s really cool,” said the 2025 Baja 1000 overall race winner. “It’s got a mix of super-big areas, high-speed areas, and then some really tight areas that will be good for the crowd. A little nerve-wracking for the drivers … but I think it’s gonna’ be awesome.”
WAUURGGH! Ford’s Custom Garage toy store delivers the metal goods
Posted by Talbot Payne on July 25, 2026
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
“There are vehicles that we want to make sure capture a broad audience, but we always know there’s individualized taste,” said Ford Racing Parts Planning Supervisor Ryan Long. “Everybody’s unique. We want to resonate with those individual customers … and provide them more of what they are looking for. (We) give them the option to take their vehicle to the next level safely through a dealer warranty.”
After a day burning rubber all over Michigan International Speedway’s 1,400-acre campus in the Irish Hills, here are the highlights of the hottest accessories for your next Ford Dream Cruiser.
Mustang FP800S. The FP800S package puts a $48,795 Mustang GT on a steroid diet with 810 horsepower and 615 horsepower compared to the standard V-8’s 480 and 415. That’s, ahem, just five horses shy of a $327,960 Mustang GTD supercar and more than a $106k, 795-horse Mustang Dark Horse SC for way fewer dollars.
Payne: The Toyota GR Corolla hellion is a hoot. But is it practical?
Posted by Talbot Payne on July 25, 2026
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Memphis ― Is candy food? Is the 2026 Toyota GR Corolla transportation?
Inspired by Toyota’s Gazoo Racing division, the hell-raising hot hatch is a daily sugar high. WAUUUURGH! I nailed the throttle out of my cul-de-sac into the twisties. WAUUUURGH! I nailed it onto the I-75 on-ramp north to Auburn Hills. WAUUUURGH! I stomped on it out of a stoplight onto Telegraph Road. WAUUUURGH! I stomped it out of a turn on M1 Concourse test track.
With an outrageous 100 horsepower per cylinder, the 300-horse GR (that’s pronounced GRRR) is one of the most entertaining cars in the market. All-wheel drive for drifting, front-rear limited-slip differentials, stiff track suspension, stick-shift from the gods.
It’s a go-kart with a license plate. But at nearly $50,000, does my Premium Plus model make any sense as a daily driver?
Team Penske, Reuss make White House pit stop for Freedom 250 race
Posted by Talbot Payne on July 21, 2026
White House, White House
IndyCar made a pit stop at the White House this week.
Detroit auto giants Roger Penske and General Motors President Mark Reuss joined Indy 500 winner Felix Rosenqvist, Indy 500 runner-up David Malukas, and reigning IndyCar champion Alex Palou at the White House to give the nation’s capital a preview of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix coming next month to DC’s streets.
The motorsports event follows June’s UFC Freedom 250 slugfest that showcased the world’s best ultimate fighters on the White House south lawn. Team Penske driver Malukas and his pit crew showed off their quick hands, too, with a tire-burning, 6.5-second pit stop in front of the West Wing.
President Donald Trump, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Penske President Bud Denker, and Fox Sports CEO (and IndyCar broadcast partner) Eric Shanks looked on while White House staff cheered from the steps of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.
2026 Mercedes CLA350 EV
Posted by Talbot Payne on July 21, 2026
Henry Payne, The Detroit New
Hell — ZOT! Like a greased jellybean, my Mercedes CLA 350 sedan shot onto I-75. Past a line of traffic. Headed to the moon.
Quiet as a mouse.
Nine years after the Tesla Model 3 sedan became an overnight sensation and ushered in a new age of performance electric vehicles, it’s, well … playing second fiddle to the Model Y. Model 3’s SUV doppelganger, introduced in 2019, now outsells the sedan by three-fold in a country ga-ga for utes. From the rugged Rivian R2 to the flashy Mustang Mach-E to the sculpted Hyundai Ioniq 5, automakers are drafting electric Model Y rivals en masse.
The CLA EV (which shares the CLA-Class model lineup with gas/hybrid variants) is one of the few sedans that has dared take on the Model 3.
It does so with trademark luxury, comfort, straight-line speed, style and convenience. Asterisks on style and convenience. Walk up to my $67K, all-wheel-drive CLA (the rear-wheel-drive CLA 250 starts at $48.5K) and you might mistake it for a Hyundai Ioniq 6 — another Model 3 competitor shelved this year (only the coming, estimated-$70K track-focused Ioniq 6 N will remain). Jellybean shape, horizontal rear taillight, ducktail, flush door handles.
Mercedes only comes into focus with its giant star logo planted on a black, plastic grille under a Hyundai Sonta-like monobrow. It’s busy … un-Mercedes like.
Payne: Ram TRX supertruck is a Swiss Army Saber
Posted by Talbot Payne on July 8, 2026
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Buchanan — World Cup fans are in awe of America’s retail cornucopia: Buc-ee’s, Walmart, Costco, Waffle House, Cheesecake Factory.
Wait until they get a load of the 777-horsepower, 6’ 9” tall 2027 Ram 1500 TRX SRT pickup with 35-inch all-terrain tires, 14-inch suspension travel and 36 inches of digital displays. TRX for T-Rex.
On a rural road in Berrien County, I punched the dash button to initiate Launch Control. Floor the brake pedal. Floor the accelerator pedal. Wait for the tachometer to steady at 3500 RPM. Release the brake.
Release the Kraken.
EERAWRRGGH! The beast exploded down the road, blowing through 60 mph in 3.5 seconds on the way to (speed withheld to preserve my license). Its four paws clawed at the pavement to put down the power of the shrieking, roaring 6.2-liter V-8 under the hood. The sound will send shivers up your spine.
Q&A: Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe on how AI will transform autos
Posted by Talbot Payne on July 6, 2026
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Park City, Utah – If the early 20th-century auto revolution was sparked in Detroit by entrepreneurs like Ford, Dodge, and Sloan, the early 21st century has brought a new, digital auto revolution on America’s West Coast right out of a science fiction novel.
At its forefront are entrepreneurs like Sergei Brin of Google, Tesla’s Elon Musk, and Rivian’s RJ Scaringe.
“I think it’s the most exciting time in human history,” Scaringe said at the media launch of his Tesla Model Y fighter, the electric R2, in Utah’s Wasatch Mountains. “We happen to be alive at this moment in human history, where we are creating intelligence that can do tasks humans can do.”
Payne: Wheelin’ the Chevy Trax, Detroit’s most affordable model
Posted by Talbot Payne on July 2, 2026
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Stratford, Virginia — With bold styling, peppy performance and more rear legroom than an Audi Q7 for goodness sake, the $23,495 Chevrolet Trax is the most affordable SUV from a Detroit automaker. By a country mile.
But, admit it, the problem we have with entry-level models is the wheels.
Wheels? They look more like they were pulled off the top of a trash can. It doesn’t matter whether they are Detroit, Japanese, Korean or European brands. They’re cheap, tinny, unimaginatively designed. Ugh. How many times have you gone to the online car configurator and blown right by the entry trim?
Or walked right past it in the rental lot?
The entry-level Chevy LS is no different. I walked past it in the Reagan Washington National Airport rental lot and settled on the next, $24,995 LT trim instead. Ahhhhh, now we’re talking. Four cool, 17-inch grey-metallic wheel sculptures worthy of any garage.
Which matters, because Chevy has created a subcompact SUV gem with few compromises.
Indeed, I can think of only two: the LS trash lids — er, wheels — and lack of standard blind-spot assist/or active cruise control safety features (more on that later). Otherwise, my $24,995 LT is a fully baked transportation companion that not only offers the most-compelling entry point for Detroit automakers — but versus European and Asian competition as well.
Entering Westmoreland Couty’s Route 23 in Virginia’s Northern Neck, I put my lead foot to the floor and a healthy 162 pound-feet of torque launched me into the rollercoaster twisties. GRRRRR! growled the ferocious turbocharged three-cylinder engine. WHEEEEE! went my inner child. The LT SUV is LOL fun.
Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe is charged up about the volume R2 EV
Posted by Talbot Payne on June 29, 2026
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Park City, Utah ― For CEO RJ Scaringe, the time has come to kick Rivian into high gear.
Telsa Inc.’s success with its premium, electric, 2013 Model S sedan inspired a new generation of startup automakers not seen in a century. New brands like Bollinger, Canoo, Faraday, Fisker, Lordstown, Lucid and Scaringe’s Rivian Automotive Inc. launched in the last two decades with high hopes of leading an EV revolution.
But after introducing intriguing, halo models gobbled up by first adopters, these companies have faced the reality of sustaining capital investment and entering mainstream segments where America’s middle class shops. Tesla was first to make the transition with its wildly popular 2017 Model 3 sedan and 2019 Model Y SUV, which have sold in comparable numbers to top gas models from legacy-makers Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co.
Now it’s Rivian’s opportunity with the R2.
After the success of the halo, $75,000 R1T pickup and $80K R1S SUV, the $45K R2 marks the Irvine, California-based brand’s entry into the mainstream market ― making Rivian only the second (after Tesla) of its startup peers to make it this far. The R2 has debuted to rave media reviews even as Scaringe faces a changed U.S. landscape with no federal sales subsidies, consumer skepticism and looming competition from new models by Slate and Chinese automakers.
Bold, high-tech, redesigned GMC Sierra drops the mic
Posted by Talbot Payne on June 25, 2026
GM, GM
The available articulated center display may beg to differ.
Jump into the Sierra and, with the push of a button, the infotainment screen will rise from the dash, revealing a secret storage space behind where passengers can keep valuable items and avoid cabin clutter. The high-tech feature is part of an available MultiPro console that anchors a working interior with all the comforts of a home office.
Interior
The MultiPro console is equipped with dual wireless charging pads, sculpted cupholders and a horizontal surface that can be configured into a mobile desk.
Once on the highway, drivers can take their hands off the wheel with Sierra’s standard Super Cruise self-driving system with three-year free subscription. With their hands on their knees and the pickup automatically changing lanes, drivers can get comfortable in plush leather materials and survey 60 inches of digital displays, a panoramic roof and premium touches liked forged wood trim.
Racing helps restore Ram’s roar, drives resurgence, sales gains
Posted by Talbot Payne on June 25, 2026
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Auburn Hills — There’s a buzz of excitement again down the long corridors of Stellantis headquarters off Interstate 75.
Make that a roar. Ram 1500 truck sales have surged 25% this year with the reintroduction of popular V-8 engines, and the brand is making sure you hear them on the racetrack as well.
Ram’s V8-powered NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series quartet of drivers were greeted by a wave of employees on their visit to headquarters this month. Ahead of their June race at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, they came to celebrate Stellantis’s return to the motorsports series for the first time in 12 years — and to making the muscle trucks customers love.
Payne: Road trippin’ in the Infiniti QX80 Sport mega-ute
Posted by Talbot Payne on June 25, 2026
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Indianapolis — It’s construction season in the Midwest, and there’s no better way to navigate it than in a mega-ute. Not in a sedan (WHUMP! Those road seams are harsh). Not in a compact SUV (YIKES! Those semis are huge!). Not in a sport scar (YIKES! Those road seams are harsh and those semis are huuuuge!).
In a mega-ute. Like my 2026 Infiniti QX80 Sport tester.
With three palatial rows of seats, tons of cargo room, 38-inches of tech-tastic digital screens, and 450 horsepower in the engine room below decks, this ocean liner was the perfect family hauler for my five-hour trip to Indianapolis for a Father’s Day weekend racing cars with my two boys.
Payne: Struttin’ the streets in the knockout Kia Telluride
Posted by Talbot Payne on June 18, 2026
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Detroit — The mainstream three-row SUV class is having a moment. Sexy family haulers? You bet. Check out the rugged Chevy Traverse ZR2, Hyundai Palisade XRT Pro and rock-scaling Honda Pilot TrailSport. Or the hot-rod Dodge Durango Hellcat, Mazda CX-90 inline-6 cylinder and Ford Explorer ST.
Now comes the knockout Kia Telluride X-Pro SX-Prestige that I drove all over Detroit during Detroit Grand Prix week.
I see you staring at it.
“Now that’s my kinda color,” said a passer-by on Campus Marius of the Terrain Brown Matte paint job.
“Don’t mind me,” said another. “I’m just waiting here because I want to see if those door handles that just popped out when you parked go flush again.”
Matte paint and pop-out door handles like a Mercedes? On a three-row Kia? You bet.
As Telluride proves, the line between luxury and mainstream SUVs has been all but obliterated by modern electronics and design. Climb into my halo $60K Telluride and it echoes a halo $115K Mercedes GLS interior for half the price: hoodless digital screens, head-up display, console grab handles, twin wireless chargers (standard) and acres of leather.
The Merc looks classy, Telluride oozes character.
If Durango and Explorer lean into their brand’s sporty vibe with intimidating Hellcat and ST trims, the Telluride X-Pro takes the SUV’s signature off-road vibe to another level.
This thing looks like it rolled out of a Mad Max desert scene. Chain-fence maw, black wheels, all-terrain tires, ambient-lighting, broad shoulders. What, no cow catcher on the front? If Charlize Theron showed up in the X-Pro to pick up the kids at school with black mascara smeared across her eyes, I wouldn’t be surprised.
Read full article here.
Truck wars: Next-gen Chevy Silverado leans into tech, V-8s
Posted by Talbot Payne on June 16, 2026
GM, GM
Big V-8 weapons are returning to the Detroit Truck Wars. Unshackled from government regulations, the Ram 1500 has brought back its V-8 while Ford’s F-150 is offering a 700-horsepower, supercharged V-8 on all trims.
Now it’s Chevrolet’s turn with the new, fifth-generation Silverado.
The North America-assembled truck leans into its V-8 lineup with more-powerful 5.7-liter and 6.6-liter pushrod engines to complement its trusty 2.7-liter turbo-4 cylinder and 3.0-liter diesel 6-cylinder. V-8 displacements are nearly half-a-liter bigger than those of the outgoing mills.
Motor City at Le Mans: Victorious Corvette shocks, Cadillac denied
Posted by Talbot Payne on June 16, 2026
Le Mans, Le Mans
A General Motors V-8 was on top of the podium at the 24 Hours of Le Mans on Sunday, but it wasn’t a Cadillac.
The script flipped Sunday before 350,000 fans as Chevrolet Corvette was the shocking winner in the production-based GT3 class in the world’s most prestigious sportscar race. Cadillac, an early favorite for its first overall win in the fastest Hypercar class, fell short after dominating qualifying and leading much of the race.
While the fates smiled on Toyota Hypercars for the Japanese marque’s sixth Le Mans win, they denied victory to the No. 38 and No. 12 Herta Team JOTA Cadillac V-Series.R that were the fastest cars on track for much of the race. TF Sport Corvette’s win — a first by a customer Corvette GT3 team at Le Mans (and 10th total for the Chevy supercar) — was a huge accomplishment as it competes globally against Porsche, Ferrari, Aston Martin and other sportscar brands for GT3 racing business.
Prior to contracting with Corvette, TF Sport had raced Aston Martins at Le Mans.
How Audi is navigating busy U.S. ICE, EV and tariff morass
Posted by Talbot Payne on June 16, 2026
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
San Luis Obispo, California — Audi is a canary in the coal mine.
The German luxury maker this week introduced the three-row Q7, the latest in a gas-fed, 2026 SUV assault on the U.S. market with three powerful new models including the entry-level Q3 subcompact SUV and a palatial, three-row flagship Q9, its first entry in the full-size segment.
The stampede of horsepower, however, masks the complicated international landscape that Audi, and other foreign brands, face as they navigate a U.S. market with low EV demand and high tariffs.
Detroit at Le Mans: Cadillac favorite, Ford poised for 2027
Posted by Talbot Payne on June 16, 2026
Ford, Ford
An American V-8 will be on the front row of France’s 24 Hours of Le Mans on Sunday. And the roar is about to get louder.
Motor City brands are front-and-center for the Saturday-Sunday, June 13-14 World Endurance Championship epic. A Cadillac Hypercar qualified on the front row for the second year in a row, while Ford announced its Hypercar driver lineup for 2027 as it prepares a sequel to its historic 1966-69 overall wins. That era was immortalized in the 2019 blockbuster film “Ford v Ferrari.”
Cadillac is determined to write its own chapter in the Le Mans history books.
Read full article here.
Accord celebrates 50 as Honda weathers mid-life crisis
Posted by Talbot Payne on June 16, 2026
Honda, Honda
“Reaching 50 years as America’s best-selling car is a powerful testament to Accord’s fun-to-drive spirit, quality and value,” said American Honda Vice president of Auto Sales Lance Woelfer. “Built by American associates for generations, Accord reflects Honda’s long-standing commitment to building close to our customers. As we look ahead, Accord will continue to evolve, while staying true to the principles that have defined its success for half a century.”
Accord made history in 1989 as the first non-pickup-truck, import-brand vehicle to hit the top of the U.S. sales charts (displacing the Ford Escort). The next year, it sold 417,179 units — Accord’s high-water sales mark — part of a three-year run at No. 1. It would take the sales crown once more in 2001 with 414,718 sold, interrupting the sedan sales reign of the Taurus and Camry.
Since the SUV sales boom a decade ago (including the Honda CR-V, which has topped 400,000 annual sales the last two years), Accord buyers have steadily eroded to 150,196 in 2025.
Payne: Manual Mazda3 is the anti-robot car
Posted by Talbot Payne on June 12, 2026
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Memphis, Michigan — Tesla wowed the automotive word in January with news it was abandoning its Model S/X models and putting the pedal to the metal on robots. Robot rideshare cars. Humanoid robots. Humanoid robots driving robot cars. Bots bots bots.
Happily, there are still manual driver’s toys out there to cope with the dystopian robot future. Like the six-speed, 2.5-liter Mazda3 S Premium hatchback in my driveway.
WAUUUUGH! I escaped the robot headlines and headed north to rural Memphis, Michigan, for a quick road trip. This is manual country. Wide open space and empty roads where you can really row the gearbox. Can a rideshare robot do that?
Like in Mazda’s halo MX-5 Miata, the Mazda3’s six-speed is a joy. No rubbery gates here (looking at you, BMW). I never missed a shift despite flogging the Mazda3 unmercifully.
Indeed, the compact Mazda3 S Premium model (the only Mazda3 trim accessorized with a stick) is best understood as an alternative to the similarly priced Miata roadster.
Payne: Off road and plugged in aboard the pioneering Rivian R2
Posted by Talbot Payne on June 12, 2026
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Park City, Utah — The view of snow-dusted, 11,750-foot Mt. Timpanogos from the trails of Wasatch National Park in the Wasatch Mountains is breathtaking. It’s a trail for hardcore, compact off-roaders — Jeep Wranglers, Ford Broncos, Chevy Colorado ZR2s. If you’re into electric vehicles, few dare venture there.
Say hello to the rugged, daring Rivian R2.
Last decade, two startup EV companies wowed us with their automotive innovation. In 2012, Tesla Inc. introduced the lightning-quick Model S and Model X SUVs oozing with tech, style and eyeball-flattening speed. In 2017, Rivian Automotive Inc. introduced off-road doppelgangers — the stylish R1T pickup and R1S SUV with room, vroom and more cargo space than a Norwegian Cruise liner.