News

While everyone watches KTM and Triumph, Bajaj's quietly shipping millions of motorcycles globally—turning volume into the kind of engineering discipline that makes sense on a balance sheet. The real story isn't splashy; it's foundational engineering scaled across markets that actually want affordable, reliable two-wheelers.

The FIA is convening engine manufacturers ahead of pre-season testing to address an ongoing dispute over compression ratio regulations. Teams have found ways to exploit ambiguities in the technical rulebook, creating competitive advantages that threaten the manufacturer balance the sport supposedly maintains. This is what happens when rule-writers assume engineers won't think sideways.

Alfa's dropping a special edition Giulia Quadrifoglio, but don't mistake this for a swan song. The 505-hp 2.9L twin-turbo V6 sedan is already rare enough on European roads; this variant will be scarcer still. Values on clean examples have been climbing steadily as enthusiasts finally recognize what Alfa engineered here.

Honda's dusting off the Prelude nameplate with a Type R variant at Tokyo Auto Salon 2026, previewing what could be a front-wheel-drive performance coupe built on lessons learned from the FK8 Civic Type R platform. The concept hints at turbocharged four-cylinder power and independent suspension tuning, though Honda's keeping actual specs locked until production plans solidify.

Mazda's new electric crossover undercuts Tesla Model Y and BMW iX3 on price, but the specs tell a different story: 300-mile range and sub-8-second acceleration that feels lifted from 2019 gas cars. This is what happens when a maker checks the EV box without committing to the transition.

Nasser Al-Attiyah grabbed his first stage win at 2026 Dakar in the 326km Ha'il-to-Riyadh run, reclaiming overall lead ahead of Dacia teammate Sébastien Loeb. While hypercar manufacturers spend nine figures chasing Le Mans glory, Dacia's rally program quietly proves that precision engineering and driver skill still matter more than horsepower headlines.

Scott Brady sits down with van Stralen to dissect real expedition work—not Instagram theater. They dig into West Africa routing, platform selection, and the unglamorous reality of keeping a rig alive when there's no service station for 500km. This is the builder's podcast, not the influencer's.

Renault's new Twingo E-Tech launched at Brussels (January 2026) aims to democratize EVs with a €30k entry point—roughly $381 million IDR equivalent. Built on the CMF-BEV platform with a modest 52kWh battery, it's positioned as the pragmatist's alternative to German compliance cars and Chinese price dumping.

A 2003 540i M-Sport with the six-speed manual is hitting the market—the transmission alone makes it worth attention, even if the mileage stings. These E39s have quietly appreciated as people realized BMW made something genuinely competent before the bean counters took over. At this price point with decent condition, it's less about overpaying and more about whether you're buying into a car that rewards drivers.

Benelli's TNT 550 cuts through the middleweight cruiser noise with genuine uprights, a 500cc parallel-twin that doesn't need excuses, and electronics that work without being intrusive. This class used to be where bikes actually felt like bikes—not training wheels for the liter-bike crowd. Values stay flat because nobody's flipping them on Instagram.

Honda's teasing a new Civic Type R concept with Prelude S+ Shift tech, reigniting talk of a proper comeback to the UK market. The dual-clutch transmission paired with a hot hatch suggests Honda's finally ready to challenge the Golf R's dominance again. Last time the Type R mattered in Europe was the FK8—this could be the one that actually gets there.

KTM's refreshing the 390 Duke with WP FCR4 calipers and a new blue colorway for 2026—modest updates that actually matter on a bike this price-conscious. The 390's been the thinking person's entry point for years; better braking hardware keeps it relevant against the bean counters' constant cost-cutting.

The first-gen DS 3 (2010-2019) was French quirk done right—affordable, styled with actual opinions, built on the PF1 platform. Now it's DS's forgotten child, sales in freefall, and the bean counters want nostalgia to fix what mediocrity broke. Sporty simplicity sounds nice. Whether they'll actually deliver it is another question.

Kia's finally pricing something in the real world—a sub-$35K EV crossover with 278 miles of real range and 30-minute DC charging. V2G capability means it can feed power back to your home, which matters if you're actually living with one of these instead of just Instagram-ing it.

This Ermine White C2 split-window was one of Hertz's rare factory-backed rental specials, equipped for ski-trip duty in the early '60s. The Ski Vette program is largely forgotten today, which makes surviving examples genuinely scarce. Auction houses are finally recognizing these oddball Corvettes as something beyond generic C2s.

Chrysler's plug-in hybrid Pacifica was a category of one in North America, and now it's dead. Stellantis is consolidating its electrification strategy across brands, which means the Pacifica goes back to gas-only while Jeep 4xe models absorb the PHEV portfolio. If you were waiting for a three-row EV family hauler with real range, keep waiting.

Ram is packaging driver recruitment as entertainment, turning the search for its next NASCAR talent into a structured competition format. It's automotive casting call dressed up as genuine talent scouting—the kind of move that works on casuals but signals the series itself needs the PR bump more than it needs the driver.

A 1984 BMW 633CSI emerges from years of hard times—the kind of project where recent abandonment beats decades of rot. These long-hood coupes occupy a strange middle ground in the collector market: finally relevant again after decades as invisible used cars. The M30 six still runs, and clean examples are becoming scarce.

The Fiat-Abarth GT (1955-1961) represents what happens when Italian small-car engineering meets race-car ambition—a lightweight, nimble sports car that proved you didn't need displacement to win. Limited to around 600 units, clean examples have become serious collector plays, with values climbing as the market finally recognizes what drivers already knew: these cars still embarrass modern machinery on tight circuits.

Honda's issued a recall on the current-generation CBR600RR for a cylinder surface defect that can cause oil starvation under load. If you own a 2024-2026 model, this isn't a software patch—it's an engine block issue that needs dealer attention. Get ahead of it before track days or long rides expose the problem.