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Payne: Ford v Cadillac F1 rivalry takes center stage at auto show
Posted by Talbot Payne on January 21, 2026
Detroit — Oh, it’s so on.
A wheel hasn’t been turned on the race track yet but crosstown Motor City rivals Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Co. are already knocking heads in their maiden Formula One year.
Ford dominated Detroit Auto Show media events last week with its Ford Racing Season Launch at Michigan Central. The glitzy event saw a stream of Ford motorsports drivers from NASCAR to the IMSA Weathertech Sportscar Series to Baja 1000 to Formula One. The gathering opened the opportunity for the brand to make a string of performance announcements including the Bronco RTR (shown by drifting champ Vaughn Gittin Jr.) to the Mustang Dark Horse SC to the livery of the Red Bull-Ford Formula One car (introduced by Red Bull F1 ace driver Max Verstappen).
But not before the General stole the spotlight on Tuesday at its new Hudson’s Detroit headquarters by pulling the wraps off its Cadillac Formula One car.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Payne: The Dandy Dozen, Detroit Auto Show 2026 highlights
Posted by Talbot Payne on January 21, 2026
Detroit — Brave the ice outside, come see the ICE inside the 2026 Detroit Auto Show.
After years of taking a backseat to electric vehicles as automakers strained to meet government emissions and gas mileage mandates, the internal combustion engine is back inside Huntington Place.
From muscle cars to trucks to off-road dirt-kickers, ICE vehicles are the stars of the show. Even Aston Martin brought a quartet of its greatest ICE hits. Not that EVs have gone away. General Motors Co. is still bullish, with electrics fronting the Chevy display — and you can take test rides on a dedicated EV track.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Q&A: At the Dakar Rally, Ford’s CEO talks Raptor, V-8s and hybrids
Posted by Talbot Payne on January 18, 2026
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — Ford Racing helps the Dearborn-based automaker across the globe by growing brand profile, employee talent and tech learnings for production cars.
Its latest racing venture is the brutal 14-day Dakar Rally across the Saudi sand. It’s the toughest off-road race on the global calendar — the Le Mans of off-road. Ford entered eight Raptor T1 Ultimate racers — four of them factory entries — in an all-out assault to win the top class in 2026.
CEO Jim Farley sat down in Ford’s Dakar paddock (bivouac in Dakar-speak) to talk with international media — including The Detroit News. The wide-ranging discussion touched on racing, hybrids, quality control, software development, Chinese competition, the Saudi and European markets, and the irresistible sound of an American V-8 in the desert.
Ford CEO Jim Farley speaks with media members during the Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia. Farley set an ambitious goal of and winning the Dakar Rally to elevate Raptor as a global off-road brand.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Ford hones its off-road ambitions in the desert: ‘We want to dominate’
Posted by Talbot Payne on January 18, 2026
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — Surrounded by some of the world’s best off-road drivers, motorsports technicians and his Ford Racing lieutenants — including Henry Ford’s great-great-grandson Will Ford — CEO Jim Farley rallied his troops for the Dakar Rally in the middle of the Arabian Desert.
“This is our business,” he said with a boyish glint in his eye. “We want to dominate off-road in our industry. We’re a stone-cold killer team, and we’re going to win this f—— race!”
The bivouac (French for paddock) erupted in cheers. This was the start of week two in the world’s most demanding off-road race, and Ford was neck-and-neck with Toyota and Renault performance brand Dacia for the outright win.
Ten thousand miles from Dearborn in the middle of Saudi Arabia, the power of the Ford brand is palpable. It is part of an American business and entertainment juggernaut that reaches every corner of the globe, including this royal kingdom anchored in the Sunni religion.
Ford Raptor T1 Ultimate racer: An off-road GT40 to win Dakar
Posted by Talbot Payne on January 18, 2026
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — The desert-focused, 2026 Ford Raptor T1 Ultimate Dakar Rally car and the track-focused 1966 Ford GT40 Le Mans racer couldn’t be more different. The Raptor has half the top speed of the 200 mph-plus GT40, looks like a painted cockroach next to the sleek sports car, and bounces around on 37-inch all-terrain tires relative to the stiff GT40 whose roofline is only 40 inches tall.
But the V8-powered monsters’ mission is the same: establish the Dearborn automaker as the premier motorsports company on the planet.
In 1966, that meant beating Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans — the world’s premier sports car race — with the GT40. Sixty years later, the target is Toyota in a competition for bragging rights in the marathon 14-day Dakar Rally across Saudi Arabia desert. But if Ford’s Le Mans win was wrapped in marketing braggadocio, the Raptor T1 is part of a more sophisticated business model for the early 21st century.
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – Ford Raptor T1 designer Sam Purvis of M-Sport at Dakar Rally.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Detroit Winterfest: Off-road-palooza comes to snowy Holly Oaks
Posted by Talbot Payne on January 18, 2026
Mt. Holly ski slopes will be buried under fresh powder this weekend, and so will the Holly Oaks Off-Road Vehicle Park.
Just in time for the Detroit Winterfest off-road-palooza.
For just $25 on Saturday, hundreds of attendees can take their own Jeeps, Broncos, Rams and Chevys off-road in the 250-acre sandbox-turned-snow globe. Winterfest also is the only time that Holly ORV Park is open on a Saturday night so riders can experience the three-dimensional landscape and its 250-foot elevation changes under the stars.
Detroit Winterfest, Detroit Winterfest
Ford Racing unveils F1 liveries, Le Mans hypercar at season kickoff
Posted by Talbot Payne on January 18, 2026
Detroit — Ready, set, Ford.
The Dearborn automaker that sprung from the winnings of Henry Ford’s 1901 racetrack victory in Grosse Pointe has kicked off its highly anticipated 2026 racing season that features Ford Motor Co.’s return to Formula One after a 22-year hiatus through a powertrain partnership with Red Bull Racing. It’s Ford’s most intensive testing ground for learnings and innovations that wind up in Mustangs, Broncos, Raptors and other Fords rolling down the street.
“The heat management strategies we are refining for the 2026 F1 grid are the same building blocks that will eventually allow a future electric Ford truck to tow further and charge faster,” said Christian Hertrich, Ford Racing Powertrain chief engineer. “We are using the world’s most expensive laboratory to ensure our customers get the innovation they deserve.”
Posted by Talbot Payne on January 18, 2026
The 2026 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X is available in multiple colors including Sebring Orange. Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Detroit — Detroit News readers have spoken, and it’s Motown brands in a landslide.
One hundred readers of The News descended on the Detroit Auto Show Floor on Wednesday to render their verdict in nine categories: Hottest Tech, Most Electrifying, Bargain Buggy, If Money Were No Object, Off Road Warrior, Family Hauler, Muscle Machine, Top Concept and Best in Show.
Detroit’s best swept them all.
Though the show is diminished from its heady days as the North American International Auto Show, there is no dearth of toys on the floor, from exotic European chariots to off-road weapons to mega-utes. Here are the Readers’ Choice Awards for 2026:
Mustang Dark Horse SC marks V-8 performance lineup for new generation
Posted by Talbot Payne on January 18, 2026
Dearborn — Ford Motor Co. is expanding its V-8-powered Mustang Dark Horse muscle with a supercharged version standing in place of the Shelby GT500 that’s targeting thrill enthusiasts and younger buyers.
The Mustang Dark Horse SC couldn’t come with much better timing. The Dearborn automaker is pulling back on its electric vehicle endeavors to the tune of nearly $20 billion because of a lack of demand that’s augmented by a federal defanging of carbon emissions regulations and rollback of fuel economy standards. Although the vehicle would’ve hit the streets regardless of those changes, they sure make it easier to sell, analysts said.
Prototype model of the Mustang Dark Horse SC Track Pack sports a Teal Accent Package. The V8-powered addition to the performance lineup seeks to appeal to younger buyers. Courtesy Of Ford Motor Co.
Payne: Chrysler Pacifica minivan is super cool — no kidding
Posted by Talbot Payne on January 18, 2026
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Memphis, Michigan — You think minivans are uncool?
I emerged from a game of Padel into a black Michigan night. With my arms full of a tennis bag and water bottle, I walked up to my red 2026 Chrysler Pacifica minivan tester and swung my foot under the rear door.
Open sesame!
The door automatically slid sideways, exposing the cavernous interior. I deposited my bag, then shut the door behind me with the push of a button on the B-pillar. Then I strolled around back where I had kept my laptop bag secured and did the same with the rear hatch.
How North American Car, Truck and Utility of the Year winners did it
Posted by Talbot Payne on January 18, 2026
The NACTOY awards are among the industry’s most prestigious honors. They’re given at the Detroit Auto Show in January. Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Detroit — The envelope, please. . .
The North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year (NACTOY) awards held their big annual awards ceremony to Wednesday to open the Detroit Auto Show. After a deluge of electric product in recent years, the awards marked a return to bread-and-butter gas-powered muscle and utility.
Winner of Car of Year was the gas-fired Dodge Charger Sixpack coupe in a nail-biter over the Honda Prelude and Nissan Sentra. Ford has dominated Truck of the Year honors since 2021 and ’26 was no different with a runaway win by the Maverick Lobo. In another blowout, the Hyundai Palisade took home the Utility of the Year honor.
New auto metal, circa 2026: The golden age of muscle revisited
Posted by Talbot Payne on January 18, 2026
The new year promises an array of new vehicles, beginning with the 2026 Detroit Auto Show that opens Wednesday at Huntington Place with a roar.
Literally.
Unshackled by government carbon dioxide regulations, expect the roar of new gas-powered V-8 engines to shake Motown asphalt. Ram’s reborn earth-pawing, 777-horsepower Ram 1500 TRX supertruck debuted on Jan. 1 and is expected at the show, while Ford might take the wraps off a successor to the 700-horsepower Mustang Shelby GT500.
Stellantis, © 2025 Stellantis
Bronco Raptor country: Spills, thrills ‘n’ crazy drivers across the Arabian Desert
Posted by Talbot Payne on January 18, 2026
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — At over 400,000 square miles, the Empty Quarter in the Arabian desert is the world’s biggest continuous sand ecosystem. It’s the natural habitat of the Detroit-born Ford Bronco Raptor, where the off-road beast can really flex its V-6 muscle, all-terrain tires and sophisticated suspension.
And its state-of-the-art safety systems.
I got a behind-the-wheel taste of the Raptor’s sand-storming capabilities here — including a mouthful of air bag when I miscalculated a dune. I have raced cars all my adult life and hammered off-road vehicles across extreme off-road environments from the Rubicon Trail in California to Utah’s Moab rock to Holly Oaks ORV Park, but the desert is unique for its high speeds, disorienting landscape and extreme temperatures.
The Ford Bronco Raptor takes on the Empty Quarter dunes in Saudi Arabia. Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Payne: At light speed in the Lucid Gravity — call it CyberVan
Posted by Talbot Payne on January 18, 2026
Troy — Mrs. Payne and I recently enjoyed “Tron: Ares,” an action-packed sci-fi movie featuring lightning-quick light bikes and glowing digital displays.
Then we climbed into our own Tron-mobile.
As I approached the 2025 Lucid Gravity SUV tester with key in pocket, the electric SUV awoke. Door handles popped out to meet us and LED lights wrapped the front and rear ends (what, no Tron-like LEDs ringing the wheels?). We slipped into the interior and big digital screens glowing to life at the touch of the brake pedal.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Ford v The World: Raptor battles for Dakar Rally title in Saudi desert
Posted by Talbot Payne on January 18, 2026
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — In 1966, France’s 24 Hours of Le Mans put Ford on the map as one of the world’s premier sports car manufacturers. Sixty years later, Ford is determined to make its mark again — this time as one of the world’s premier off-road makers by taking on the world at the 14-day, 2026 Dakar Rally in the desert of Saudi Arabia.
Ford v Ferrari meets Ford v Toyota.
The Japanese manufacturer, builder of the internationally-ubiquitous Hilux trucks, has dominated this race in recent years, just as Ferrari dominated Le Mans in the early 1960s.
Payne: Wintry 4Cast? No problem in 4Wheelin’ Toyota 4Runner
Posted by Talbot Payne on January 1, 2026
Detroit — With roads under four inches of snow one morning this winter, traffic stopped on hilly Franklin Road as a front-wheel-drive Nissan Altima struggled to climb an icy slope in front of me. The driver finally gave up, turning around in search of a different route. I kept on truckin’.
On Gilbert Lake Road, an all-wheel-drive Lexus NX crawled along at 12 mph in the white stuff before pulling into a driveway. I kept on truckin’.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Waiting to enter Telegraph Road at a red light, I was joined on the right shoulder by a Volvo SUV that had obnoxiously jumped the line behind me to be first onto Telegraph — and first into the far-left Telegraph lane to make the Michigan turn south. Some people. The light turned, the Volvo driver nailed the throttle, the Volvo’s tires spun in place while I … kept on truckin’.
It’s good to be behind the wheel of a 2025 Toyota 4Runner.
While not officially a truck, the $43K 4Runner is one of three SUVs that Toyota makes based on its rugged, midsized Mexican-made Tacoma pickup. Like the Taco, 4Runner gives you the confidence to go just about anywhere.
With 8.8-10.1 inches of ground clearance and 18-33 inches of approach angle (depending on trim; my posh Limited tester clocked in at 8.8/18 inches), 4Runner has similar capabilities to the Tacoma so I could take on:
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
1) Michigan winter
2) Detroit potholes
3) Holly Oaks ORV Park, or
4) Towing a 6,000-pound boat
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Same goes for the $66K Lexus GX (which I attacked Holly Oaks with last year) and the $58K Toyota Land Cruiser (which I flogged all across northern Michigan). That’s an impressive toybox aimed at adventure-focused Detroit SUV icons like the Jeep Wrangler and Ford Bronco.
Curiously, it’s a market that General Motors Co. has missed as it focused on going electric with its Chevrolet and Cadillac brands. So Toyota has flooded the zone with plenty of Jeep/Ford competitors. GX is a premium off-roader. Land Cruiser a Land Rover Defender with a Japanese accent.
But the butch 4Runner is legend.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
With its grizzled looks, climb-Mount-Rushmore attitude and bulletproof reputation, 4Runner’s built a cult following — from the Holly Oaks ORV Park-assaulting Michigan 4Runner Group to my 55-year old friend John, who still carries a torch for 4Runner since he put 150,000 miles on one as a young college grad.
John was eager to check out the all-new, sixth-generation 4Runner in my driveway. Boy, has it changed.
Like the new Tacoma pickup, the 2025 4Runner has matured into more than just a reliable Toyota tool. This ute has style.
The exterior maintains its macho looks with signature truck-like elements like bold presence, bulging fenders and bulldog grille. It looks like a grownup’s LEGO toy.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
But the interior has been transformed. It echoes the exterior’s LEGO theme with a chunky, horizontal dash, climate/volume knobs the size of your fist, and a giant “Oh, crap!” handle for Mrs. Payne to hold onto when her husband takes a detour to Holly Oaks.
Plugged into this LEGO landscape are a modern digital instrument display and eight- or 14-inch tablet touchscreens. Toyota has lagged digital leaders Ford and Hyundai, but it makes up a lot of ground with its new pickup-based utes.
“Tune to 950 AM,” I barked during the snowstorm to get the latest weather report. Whereas previous Toyotas had worse hearing than a 90-year old uncle, 4Runner understood and instantly brought up the AM station.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Most of the time, however, I used Android Auto, which Toyota has finally embraced (along with Apple CarPlay). I navigated effortlessly to Detroit Metro Airport on Google Maps, my Android phone docked on the wireless charger to maintain juice.
John loved it.
“It really carries the pickup’s macho look,” said the ex-football player. He was also happy to see signature elements like the roll-down tailgate window (for easy cargo access) had carried over to the latest gen. Thanks to 4Runner’s deep exhaust growl, he didn’t notice the Toyota had ditched the old nail, V-6 engine for a sippier, 278-horsepower, turbocharged 4-cyinder. GRRRRR!!!
4Runner options a 326-horse, hybrid 4-banger with similar fuel economy. But even macho males want a smooth ride, and John marveled at the sixth gen’s other big leap: drivability.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Truck-based SUVs are prone to handling like, well, trucks. But Toyota has done extensive suspension work for the 4Runner, and it sauntered smoothly around town. Like Bronco, its independent front suspension makes for good road manners while not sacrificing off-road capability.
My Limited tester was loaded to the gills with features including sunroof, automatic side steps (thank you, said wee Mrs. Payne), memory seats, third-row seats and automatic AWD with two-speed transfer case that sensed travel conditions. You don’t need to spend $62K to get a fully capable 4Runner, thanks to Toyota’s generous suite of Toyota Safety Sense features.
Purchase a base SR5 4Runner and you get blind-spot assist, adaptive cruse control, auto high-beams, blackout package and a refrigerator (kidding about the last one). Opt for AWD ($2,000) and my favorite Ice Cap white paint job ($0) and you’ll look like a battle-ready Star Wars stormtrooper.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
For my money, I’d opt for the $57,265 TRD Off-Road Premium model to add all-terrain tires to the mix as well as a spare tire and faux-leather seats for long drives. But a base $46,495 SR5 gets you plenty (and a set of aftermarket all-terrain tires is just $1,200).
Speaking of long drives, a pickup-based SUV has its drawbacks. Most noticeably in the hind quarters.
With a solid rear axle, the 4Runner’s third-row seats have no leg well, so only your tiniest family members will find them habitable. Second-row seats, too, are compromised and less roomy than in the unibody-based Toyota RAV4.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
For all its interior advances, Toyota still lags in driver ergonomics compared to Detroit makers like Chevrolet and its steering wheel of ACC and volume rocker buttons — plus radio controls on the back of the wheel. Clever. Thanks to the meaty 4Runner knob, however, my fingers could tune the radio in the dark and ACC gets a rocker button.
Elsewhere, attention to detail is commendable — for example, the three cupholders in the door.
Four inches of snow? 4Cheers 4The 4Runner.
2025 Toyota 4Runner
Vehicle type: Gas and gas-electric hybrid-powered, rear- and four-wheel-drive, five-passenger SUV
Price: $42,765, including $1,495 destination charge ($62,875 Limited model as tested)
Powerplant: 2.4-liter, turbocharged inline 4-cylinder; 2.4-liter, turbocharged inline 4-cylinder paired with electric motor (hybrid)
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 278 horsepower, 317 pound-feet torque; 326 horsepower, 465 pound-feet torque (hybrid)
Performance: 0-60 mph, 7.5 sec. (Car and Driver); towing, 6,000 pounds
Weight: 4,970 pounds (as tested)
Fuel economy: EPA est. 20 city/24 highway/21 combined (4WD turbo-4); 23 city/24 highway/23 combined (4WD turbo-4 hybrid); range, 456 miles (4WD turbo-4)
Report card
Highs: 4WD toughness; stylish, LEGO-block interior
Lows: Ergonomics still lag class leaders; tight second row
Overall: 4 stars
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne.
Payne: What I want for Christmas, Porsche 911T manual
Posted by Talbot Payne on December 25, 2025
Braselton, Georgia — The bad news is the manual transmission is an endangered species these days as emissions regulations and electric vehicles have shrunk the options for American enthusiasts. The good news? Americans looooove to row the gearbox compared to their foreign peers (40% of VW GTI sales have been manual, just 5% in Europe), and so performance manufacturers continue to feed our addiction. For the 2025 holiday shopping season, there are 24 manual models available.
I reviewed the best entry-level manual sportscar, the Mazda MX-5 Miata, to open the summer. For Christmas, I present to you the King of the Manuals at the opposite end of the market: the Porsche 911T.
I climbed into the 911T at Lake Lanier to drive to Road Atlanta Raceway for the IMSA Weathertech Series season finale which I was covering for The News. The drive should have required 30 minutes.
It lasted two hours. I took the long way.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
I blew by EXIT 8 on I-985 that would have taken me to Road Atlanta and headed north for the Route 52 twisties.
GRRRRRRR! I exited the freeway and immediately dialed the DRIVE MODE selector on the steering wheel to SPORT PLUS, deepening the growl from the 388 horses behind me.
VROOOM! I reached for the walnut shifter knob and downshifted from third to second gear — a loud rev match helping seamless cog swap.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
WAAAUUUURGH! I buried the throttle and disappeared into the Blue Ridge Mountains. I flicked off shifts at the 7,500 RPM redline — THIRD, FOURTH, FIFTH — the rampaging German beast controlled by precise shifts and steering inputs.
I have driven and raced multiple manuals over the years, and few are as precise as a 911. The 911T benefits from the track-focused 911 GT3 RS (with which it shares a gearbox linkage) and I never missed a shift. Shift throws are short, the shift gates predictable, the execution always direct, never rubbery. Assisting this exactitude is a move back to a six-speed gearbox from last generation’s seven-speed experiment. Too many shift gates. The six-speed is killer.
Porsche offers steering-mounted paddle shifters on its entry-level Carrera models, but the stick is the most direct driver’s experience in the business. The $141k 911T is Porsche’s entry-level manual drug with the $160k GT3 the top of the mountain.
Pause, take a deep breath. This is rare air. It’s more than 100 grand above the Miata manual Grand Touring I tested last summer – and more than double that of the OG, modest, $55k (inflation adjusted), 1970 911T my uncle once owned. “Today’s 911 T only knows Modesty as the name of a yacht off the coast of Croatia,” snarks Car and Driver.
This, Enthusiast Nation, is the summit of the manual landscape. No other supercar manufacturer makes a stick shift above it.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
If they did, they would be hard-pressed to make a more scintillating experience than the 911T.
Old school the manual may be, it is not immune to the advance of modern electronics. The digital tachometer comes with shift lights so that when I was really rowing the box, I could watch the lights for redline shifts without taking my eyes off the road.
The rev-match feature negates the need for double-clutching (aka, heel-and-toe) — always a fraught experience depending on pedal placement, shoe type and whether you have double-wide, size 15 water skis like me for feet.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
The rev match feature makes downshifts more precise, though still not as quick as a paddle-shift car. If it’s raw speed you’re looking for, Porsche’s paddle-driven automatic PDK is your track tool. PDK will do insane, launch-controlled 0-60 mph times. Faster downshifts on corner entry. Quicker acceleration out of apexes.
But if it’s visceral thrills you want, the stick is sublime.
The manual box’s benefits aren’t just in the shifting experience. It tips the scales at 3,316 pounds — a significant 275-pounds less than the 911 GTS T-Hybrid I also tested this year. Weight matters, and the T’s fit physique made it more nimble across the Route 52 switchbacks — maximizing the extraordinary suspension. (Opting for the convertible 911T Cabriolet adds 189 pounds.)
But even Route 52 can’t contain the 911T. So capable is the T that I ran out of road long before I reached the supercar’s envelope. Ya’ gotta’ take it to a track — and, happily for owners, there are plenty of track day opportunities in Michigan at Gingerman Raceway, Grattan, M1 Concourse. Or, if you make occasional trips to Atlanta and don’t want to abuse your own 911T, then sign up for the Porsche Experience (conveniently right next to Atlanta International Airport) and add a half-day to your stay in the Peachtree State.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
In addition to racetracks, Atlanta is also renowned for grisly Los Angeles-like traffic, and the 911T proved remarkably well-suited for a two-hour commute from ATL to Breselton. Just be sure not to option the hard-back race seats in my $162,895 test mule which are uncomfortable, incapable of flipping forward, and paired with deleted rear seats. Choose the standard seats, and the 911T is not only comfy, but utilitarian.
A parking attendant rolled his eyes at me when I told him I could get my carry-on, wife’s carry-on, giant tennis bag, laptop case and two shopping bags into the two-door sportscar.
No sweat.
The frunk alone (rear-engine Porsches innovated this neat feature long before Tesla electric vehicles) swallowed my suitcase and the two shopping bags. Then (despite those hardback race seats) I shoved the rest of our luggage aft of the front thrones — the back shelf alone taking on the broad tennis bag. Mrs. Payne and I then managed stop-and-go Atlanta traffic even as the Porsche lacks adaptive cruise control.
So good is the manual, it shifted like butter in traffic.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Porsche interior ergonomics have come a long way from the days when Americans complained about the German’s lack of cupholders. I’m still complaining. The 911 rudely locates its console cupholder right in front of the manual shifter, which makes for awkward shifts when carrying a drink. Fortunately, the doors are equipped with cupholders so I could bypass the console.
My favorite ergonomic feature is the steering wheel scroll wheel (why don’t all manufacturers have these?) so I could scroll numerous features on the digital instrument display — even change it from the classic five Porsche instruments to my preferred, less-cluttered threesome.
Otherwise, interior buttons felt natural. Just like the walnut manual gearshift in my hand. Please, Santa.
Next week: 2026 Toyota 4Runner
2025 Porsche 911T
Vehicle type: Rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive, two-passenger sportscar
Price: $140,795, including $1,995 destination fee ($162,895 as tested)
Powerplant: 3.0-liter flat-6 cylinder
Power: 388 horsepower, 331 pound-feet of torque
Transmission: Six-speed manual
Performance: 0-60 mph, 4.3 seconds (mfr.); top speed, 183 mph
Weight: 3,316 pounds
Fuel economy: EPA, 17 mpg city/25 highway/20 combined
Report card
Highs: Manual shifter from the gods; lightweight athlete
Lows: Console cupholder obstructs shifter; manual, but price out of reach to many
Overall: 4 stars
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.
Dashin’ dozen: The best auto features of 2025
Posted by Talbot Payne on December 23, 2025
Automobiles are rolling department stores containing everything from electronics to music to tires to wardrobe fashion. Wardrobe fashion? Check out the stylish blue leather seats in the Cadillac Optiq.
This year brought more cool features to keep the shoppers coming.
One feature I didn’t care for? The warning gong — BEEP BEEP BEEP — in English start-up automaker Ineos’ Grenadier SUV that went off every time you breached the speed limit. It’s a European Union mandate that migrated like a barnacle on the Ineos when it crossed the pond. A dealer software update scrubbed it.
Here are the dashin’ dozen features ‘n’ trends that stood out in 2025:
1. Fancy fascias: The front fascia has always been a vehicle’s defining differentiator. Big grilles, multiple headlights, just look at those 1950s mugs. But with the recent electric vehicle trend, you could have been concerned that vehicle welcome mats were disappearing. Look at the grille-less front ends of the Tesla Model 3 and Y. Or the Kia EV6 and Chevy Equinox EV. Oh, dear.
2026 Acura Integra body-color front fascia. Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Elsewhere, however, 2025 brought marvelous creativity. Check out the light show of the Cadillac Optiq when you approach it with a key fob (ending with the clever illumination of the Caddy crest inside the cockpit). For resurgent gas-powered cars, check out the body color grille of the Acura Integra (yeah, body color grilles have been a truck thing for a long time), and the subtle cross-hatch graphic of the BMW X3.
2. See-thru hood: The digital age has brought a world of safety wonders courtesy of small cameras: back-up cameras, blind-spot cameras, 360-degree bird’s-eye-view cameras. For 2026, Nissan introduced a clever feature on its Murano and Armada models that utilizes eight cameras for multiple views around the vehicle — including the ability to see virtually through your hood.
The visual trick allows perfect placement of your tires in, for example, a curbside parking spot. Or to avoid potholes.
2026 Nissan Armada see-through front hood. Henry Payne, The Detroit News
3. Windowless rear: Cadillac innovated the camera mirror last decade and its IMSA prototype race cars instantly adopted it because, well, they didn’t have rear windows. Now production cars are following.
The Polestar 4 ditched its rear window this year in order to increase rear passenger headroom — and the panoramic roof. The driver uses a standard camera mirror to see out back. So, too, the Cybertruck (when its automatic bed tonneau cover blocks the rear window).
Look ma, no rear window. The 2026 Polestar 4. Henry Payne, The Detroit News
4. Console cornucopias: Electronic transmissions have transformed the center console. Without a mechanical attachment to your gearbox, shifters are now located anywhere from the steering column (Hyundais) to the dash (Chrysler Pacifica). That means more room between the front seats for cupholders, wireless chargers, cargo storage. Check out the rear console drawers on the Pacifica, Hyundai Ioniq 9, and VW ID.Buzz microbus.
The center console of the 2025 VW ID-Buzz can be moved to the second row. Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Then ID.Buzz goes one step further. You can uproot the whole center console and anchor it between the second-row seats for rear passengers to use.
5. Steering wheel buttons: The digital age has also transformed the steering wheel. Today’s wheels have more features than a toy Fisher-Price Laugh ‘n’ Learn Steering Wheel.
There are buttons for adaptive cruise control, volume, radio station tuning, voice commands, and instrument display adjustment. My favorite examples of the genre are Chevy and Dodge vehicles that place volume/radio controls on the back of the wheel so your fingers never have to leave the wheel. Performance vehicles get more options like Porsche’s Sport Response Button and Hyundai N Grin Shift. Press them and the drivetrain instantly optimizes for 20 seconds of performance bliss.
6. Square steering wheel: Square is cool. The eighth-gen Corvette made the square wheel trendy in 2020 to allow for better visibility of its wide, digital instrument display. Other brands have followed suit.
The Lincoln Navigator and Ford Expedition feature square steering wheels so you can better see their digital screen at the base of the windshield. So, too, the Subaru Solterra, which has also moved its instrument display forward from the traditional dash position. Typical of Teslas, the Cybertruck has no instrument display, but features a square steering wheel for its unique variable-steer wheel with just 340 degrees of motion (compared to the traditional 900-1,080 degrees).
The 2025 Tesla Cybertruck features a square steering wheel. Henry Payne, The Detroit News
7. Jokes: With Google connectivity, cars are rolling smartphones that can entertain on long journeys.
Hey, Google, tell me a joke.
“How do trees access the Internet? They log in.”
Tell me another.
“What do you call a fake noodle? An impasta.”
8. Wireless phone chargers: Telling jokes, playing music, navigating. All that extra work for your car means your phone runs out of juice faster. So in 2025, wireless charging pads proliferated like dandelions in spring.
They are essential in vehicles like Hondas that have replaced their navi systems entirely with Goole Maps.
9. Frunk meets freat: Electric vehicles made frunks (front trunks) trendy by filling in the hole left by gas engines with storage space (see Tesla, Ford F-150 Lightning, Chevy Silverado EV). The 2026 Lucid Gravity EV puts a seat in its frunk for forward tailgating. Call it a freat (front seat).
2026 Lucid Gravity front seat. Henry Payne, The Detroit News
10. Four-wheel-steer: The Honda Prelude innovated four-wheel-steer waaaay back in 1988. Now the gimmick is mainstream and available on a variety of luxury cars (a second steering-wheel rack costs money), including the Porsche 911, BMW 5/7 Series, Mercedes S-Class, GMC Hummer EV, Tesla Cybertruck, and more.
It’s especially useful in trucks for reducing the turning radius in tight spots.
11. Underseat storage: Hulking, full-size pickup trucks have long used underseat storage to complement their exposed beds. Now the feature has trickled down to the $30k segment. Trucklets like the Hyundai Santa Cruz and Ford Maverick now offer the convenient feature.
12. Dolby Atmos: Dolby’s innovative speaker systems have made movie theaters an immersive sensory experience. In 2025, that experience debuted in automobiles with the Cadillac Optiq.
2026 Cadillac Optiq Dolby Atmos. Henry Payne, The Detroit News
With speakers strategically placed around the cabin, Optiq puts you in the middle of an orchestra.
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.
Ho ho horsepower! Durango SRT Hellcat V-8 coming to all 50 states
Posted by Talbot Payne on December 22, 2025
There might be a Hellcat in your stocking this Christmas.
Thanks to an easing regulatory landscape, Dodge has opened delivery for its iconic, fire-breathing, supercharged, 710-horsepower, three-row Durango SRT Hellcat SUV to all 50 states just in time for the holidays. Etched with signature twin stripes over its scooped hood, the Hellcat (and Hellcat Jailbreak) models add a V8-powered performance option to the Durango, which offers a V-6 as its base engine.
Dodge launched the sales campaign with a wild new video on its social channels featuring Santa Claus making a jail break, then taking to the skies in his supercharged Hellcat sleigh.
The Durango is the latest move by corporate parent Stellantis to lean into its Dodge and Ram muscle brands as government regulations have been dialed back. Ram has rearmed its 1500 pickup with a V-8 and the Dodge Challenger is now powered by a turbo-6 cylinder (after a detour down Electric Alley) with a V-8 expected soon.
The Durango SRT Hellcat’s availability had been limited due to strict regulations by the California Air Resources Board and other states, but federal legislation has throttled back those threats. Dodge said it updated its ordering availability (initially limited to 33 states) to account for the changing landscape.
“There’s no stopping the momentum the Dodge Durango is experiencing, including 14 straight months of sales growth, and now that the Durango SRT Hellcat is uncaged and running free in all 50 states, that momentum is going to keep growing,” said Dodge CEO Matt McAlear.
2026 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat Jailbreak options 10 million different feature combos. Stellantis, 2025 Stellantis
The 5,550-pound rhino in tennis shoes is the most powerful three-row SUV on the planet — and the fifth most-powerful, gas-powered SUV period, trailing only the 715-horsepower Ferrari Purosangue, 717-horsepower Aston Martin DBX S, 729-horsepower Porsche Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid and 789-horse Lamborghini Urus SE exotics.
Starting at $82,585 — about double the $41,990 standard, all-wheel-drive, V6-powered Durango — but one-third the price of the $240K Lamborghini, the Durango will hit 60 mph in just 3.6 seconds (quicker than a Porsche Boxster T sports car) on its way to a 180 mph top speed.
2026 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat and Hellcat Jailbreak are now offered in all 50 states thanks to regulatory rollbacks. Stellantis, 2025 Stellantis
New for ‘26, the Durango SRT Hellcat Jailbreak edition offers Dodge’s signature Triple Nickel exterior color and carbon-fiber stripes — unlocking more than 10 million customization combinations. Other options include paint colors (Destroyer Gray, Diamond Black, Green Machine, Octane Red, Vapor Gray, B5 Blue, White Knuckle), six wheels, six exterior badge colors, five seat colors, six dual-stripe colors, four brake caliper colors, Alcantara steering wheel, sunroof, and a partridge in a pear tree.
“The Dodge Durango stands alone as the only three-row muscle SUV on the market, delivering unmatched performance, best-in-class towing, and available Hemi V-8 power — the perfect supercharged sleigh to help Santa on his mission,” McAlear said.
In the jailbreak video, Santa busts from jail (incarcerated for breaking and entering, naturally) with Mrs. Claus and takes the reins of his Durango SRT Hellcat Jailbreak sleigh:
They fired up the Durango, Hemi engine aglowAnd the guards stood there frozen, too stunned by the showWith a burst through the gates and thunderous crackHe shouted “This Christmas season the Jailbreak is back!”
Dodge has been at odds with tightening federal carbon dioxide emissions regulations as its Hellcat-powered Charger and Challenger lineup pumped out 592 grams of CO2 per mile, ranking the cars at 2 on the EPA’s 1-10 emissions scale. Despite being the most popular muscle cars in the U.S. market — outselling even the iconic Ford Mustang — the Challenger/Charger helped earn Stellantis whopping government fines of $711 million in 2022, nearly the cost of a new car program.
The cars were discontinued after the 2023 model year, but the Durango SRT Hellcat lived on.
“Federal emissions laws have arcane rules for cars, SUVs, and trucks, and they are biased towards big SUVs like the Durango,” said auto analyst and investor Anton Wahlman of SeekingAlpha.com. “Bottom line, Dodge was able to continue producing the Durango V-8.”
In addition to gob-smacking power, the 2026 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat Jailbreak is an AWD, three-row daily driver. Stellantis, 2025 Stellantis
Yet, another layer of state laws led by California prohibited the Durango Hellcat’s sale in 17 states. That changed this year when Congress passed laws rolling back federal emissions fines and nixing exemptions allowing states to set their own emissions rules.
“On top of the EPA fines, California threw another wrench in the works,” said Wahlman, noting that states are counter-suing Congress. “Now that those rules have been repealed, Stellantis is taking the position that they have the green light to make what their customers want.”
In pursuit of “a lineup that delivers unrivaled performance in each of its segments,” Dodge said the Durango joins an all-new, gas-fired, twin-turbo inline-6-engine-powered, sedan/coupe Charger lineup that includes the $56,990, 550-horsepower Dodge Charger Scat Pack and $51,990, 420-horsepower R/T.
The Detroit News crowned the Charger its 2025 Vehicle of the Year earlier this month.
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne.
Honda Accord updated for a dying sedan market
Posted by Talbot Payne on December 22, 2025
For 2026, the Ohio-made Honda Accord gets mid-cycle updates after its 11th generation introduction in 2023. Those updates are minor compared to previous generations because the Accord — the second best-selling non-pickup truck in America just 11 years ago — has seen sales plummet by nearly 60% in a dying mid-size sedan market.
Accord is a touchstone for the dramatic trends that have roiled the U.S. industry.
The first Japanese car to be assembled in the United States in 1982 under threat of protectionist U.S. trade policies, it rode a wave of consumer demand for reliable, fuel-efficient Japanese cars to become America’s #1 car in 1990 at 417,179 units. Since recording 388,435 unit sales in 2014 (second only to the Toyota Camry), Accord sales have been pirated by America’s newfound love affair with the SUV. With its 2026 update, the gas-electric hybrid Accord is a bridge to Honda’s all-electric future as it moves production to Indiana to make way for Honda’s 0 Series electric vehicles in Marysville.
“Midsize and large sedans were family vehicles,” said Stephanie Brinley, auto analyst with S&P Global. “Then along came compact and midsize SUVs that gave you more utility, easier ingress/egress and cargo space that’s easier to use. They don’t have a huge fuel economy hit, and you sit up a little bit higher. It’s all about how that functions within the family.”
Since 2014 — the year Taylor Swift’s hit “Shake it Off” climbed the charts — Accord sales have fallen 42% to just 162,723 in annual volume. Accord is not alone. Hyundai Sonata sedan sales in 2024 (61,701) are just 28% of what they were a decade ago. The Nissan Altima? Just 34% (113,896). Only the perennially best-selling midsize Camry at 309,875 (72% of its 428,606 in 2014 sales) has maintained respectable numbers.
This despite significant models like the Ford Fusion (306,860 sales in 2014), Chrysler 200 (117,363 units), and Volkswagen Passat (96,649 sold) having exited the market. The customer has fled to SUVs.
Honda EV Hub – Gas and Hybrid Accord, Acura TLX, and Acura Integra currently roll out of Marysville. EVs will be added to the line soon and the Accord moved to Indiana assembly. Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Honda, for example, introduced the subcompact HR-V SUV in 2015 and then accelerated to 151,468 sales last year. And the compact CR-V SUV (the compact SUV class is comparable in vehicle footprint to the midsize sedan) — which trailed the Accord at 338,581in sales in 2014, Matthew Stafford’s fifth year as Lions’ QB — is now the brand’s best-seller with over 400,000 units sold (402,791), an increase of 15% in 10 years.
No wonder, then, that the ‘26 Accord — in contrast to previous generations — will get minor updates.
Where previous model mid-cycle refreshes got new front/rear fascias and interior features, the 2026 Accord (available in six trims) will look the same — its Sport model gaining some black trim bits and the SE model adding 19-inch wheels. Other updates standardize features already available like a 9-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto compatibility, and wireless phone charger.
The 2026 Honda Accord has received raves for its handling – but the market prefers higher-riding SUVs. Honda, Honda
“It’s a way to refresh the sedan without spending as much money,” Brinley said. “Is a little bit more body work going to have a big impact on sales? Maybe not. Is updating the infotainment system going to make customers happier? Probably. Accord’s probably got a smaller budget to work with.”
The electronic updates continue another major auto trend toward large tablet screens since Tesla wowed the market in 2017 with a 15-inch screen anchoring the interior.
Accord is also pivoting to a sportier, more high-tech model than its halcyon family-sedan days.
Honda showed off the O-Series SUV at the Japan Mobility Show, but it is for the U.S. market. Henry Payne, The Detroit News
“The 11th-generation Accord continues to resonate with a diverse range of buyers,” said Jessika Laudermilk, assistant vice president of Honda Auto Sales. “For the 2026 model, we’re raising the bar even higher, offering a vehicle that . . . delivers advanced tech features, sporty styling and premium driving experience.”
That driver-centric vibe has thrilled enthusiast media outlets that have praised the roomy Accord’s recent sleek styling as well as its nimble handling compared to taller, boxier SUVs.
“The Accord drives with an effortless cohesion,” thrilled Car and Driver this month in naming the sedan to its 2026 10Best list. “Its ride is supple enough to lull to sleep those buckled into the spacious three-across rear seat during long highway slogs. At the same time, it retains the handling dynamics that make flogging this unassuming sedan down twisting tarmac an absolute joy.”
Despite its sales swoon, the $29,590 Accord is an American icon in part because Honda has had an uncanny read on U.S. consumer tastes. In 1982, Accord was the first Japanese car assembled here as the company sought to build closer to its customers as well as avoid a protectionist wave in Washington threatening import quotas.
Accord’s U.S. assembly led a revolution in non-union, transplant U.S. manufacturing, and today nearly half of U.S. autoworkers are employed by foreign bands.
The 2026 Honda Accord SE model gets 19-inch wheels. Honda, Honda
Accord is part of another trend that Honda hopes will transform the industry.
Along with siblings Civic sedan and CR-V SUV, Accord is pushing gas-electric hybrid powertrains in its 11th-gen model, part of a transition to all-electric cars by 2040 that Honda calls its Second Founding.
“More than 50% of Accord sales are hybrid-electric trims which is a key part of the Honda electrification strategy,” said Honda in its 2026 Accord press release.
Accord is vacating the Marysville plant where it has been built for 43 years to make way for a new generation of Honda EVs. Accord will share a production line in Indiana with the CR-V and compact Civic sedan. In its place, Honda has built a flexible Marysville assembly line capable of making everything from the gas-powered Acura Integra to the automaker’s new, battery-powered 0 Series SUV and Saloon models.
“Electrification now is a little bit different from what we were expecting before,” CEO Toshihiro Mibe told The Detroit News in Tokyo last month of Honda’s plan to end gas-engine sales by 2040. “Maybe (we’ll see a) five-year delay as compared to our first expectations. And probably that means from 2040 on, the electrification will have to go faster. But as long as humankind has not abandoned efforts for global warming innovation, we have to keep up with our responsibility.”
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne.