CARS NEWS
The New Porsche Taycan GTS Is Way More Powerful
We must’ve missed the memo when Porsche said the 2025 Taycan marks the launch of the second generation. In reality, the model year changeover ushers in a mid-cycle facelift for the electric sedan and wagon duo. Following the debut of several updated trim levels in February, additional flavors of the sporty EV are now available for both body styles: GTS and 4. Beginning with the hot one, the GTS now delivers 690 horsepower with the overboost function engaged. It’s up by a full 100 hp compared ... Read more
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2026 Lexus ES
Although the ES has been around since 2018, Lexus isn’t ready yet to roll out a next-generation model. Following the facelift launched in 2021, another update has just been introduced in China. The revised luxury sedan debuted at the Auto Guangzhou show alongside the LX 700h. The ES is a big deal locally where more than one million units have been sold so far. Although it’s just another facelift, quite a few things have changed on the outside. The corporate spindle grille has a new pattern ... Read more
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Audi Says the AUDI Brand Will Attract Different Buyers
AUDI is apparently for those who wouldn't buy an Audi. Last week, Audi confused just about everyone when it rolled out a sub-brand. While new automakers are frequently introduced in China’s hugely competitive market, this launch was different and confusing for two reasons. Audi and its local partner SAIC decided to simply call their joint company “AUDI” and use an unexpectedly simplified logo that didn’t include the treasured Four Rings. Instead, the famous badge was swapped out in favor of ... Read more
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Mazda CX-50 Hybrid Was Worth the Wait
There are so many good compact crossovers out there. Honda CR-V? An excellent choice. Hyundai Tucson? Another great option. Toyota RAV4? It's a best-seller for a reason. Mazda doesn't get as much love in this category, but the Japanese automaker still has two excellent options, the CX-5 and the CX-50. The CX-5 has been around since 2012, but it got a major redo in 2017—and it's still a great vehicle. The CX-50 debuted for the 2023 model year as the hot new thing with a cleaner design, better ... Read more
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You Should Buy the BMW M5 Touring Over the Sedan
The M5 sedan and Touring are virtually identical. But the wagon is a more interesting proposition—for a few reasons. If you're expecting to hear that driving the 2025 BMW M5 Touring is patently different than driving the M5 sedan, sorry to disappoint. Sure, there are some differences to the spring rates and chassis tuning to account for the long roof's slightly heavier weight, but the intent is to make the two cars feel the same. Mechanically, it's the exact same car I reviewed just a few ... Read more
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The Toyota Grand Highlander Is Actually Cheaper for 2025
A new base LE trim makes Toyota’s three-row more affordable for the new year. The Toyota Grand Highlander starts at $42,310 for 2025. If you have an encyclopedic memory of Toyota’s pricing structure, you might notice that the 2025 Grand Highlander is actually cheaper than the model it replaces. The 2024 Grand Highlander started at $44,715. Toyota has introduced a base LE trim to the Grand Highlander lineup for the new model year, which undercuts last year’s base XLE model by a few thousand ... Read more
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Nissan GT-R50
This Nissan GT-R50 is one of just 19 built by coach builder Italdesign. And now, it can be yours. Remember the Nissan GT-R50? First introduced as a concept in 2018, it went into production in late 2020, with a total of 19 units built. Based on the GT-R Nismo, the GT-R50 uses unique body panels by coach builder Italdesign, giving it the sense the car just hopped out of Gran Turismo. Now, you can own one. The 11th GT-R50 built has popped up for sale at Legendary Motorcar Company, an exotic ... Read more
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The New Audi S5 Isn't as Fun as It Used to Be
The 362-horsepower Audi S5 is shaper, nicer, and technically better than the car it replaces. But it's less thrilling, too. The south of France has some of the greatest driving roads on earth. Sliced from mountains and littered with incredible vistas, these are the sort of bends car people dream about. The 2025 Audi S5 should be in its element here. It’s a rocketship on paper, harnessing a turbocharged and gently hybridized V-6, all-wheel-drive grip, and equipped by Audi with a renewed focus on ... Read more
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The Jaguar C-X75 Is Back again
Jaguar’s supercar that never was, the C-X75, premiered as a concept at the 2010 Paris Motor Show. A production version was announced shortly thereafter, but it never materialized due to the global recession. But that wasn’t the end of the C-X75's story. The gorgeous coupe went on to star in the 2015 James Bond Spectre movie, and earlier this year, the man who designed the car debuted a street-legal conversion. Now, Ian Callum has finished another one. Like the original, this is one of the ... Read more
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The New Skoda Kodiaq RS Is a Sensible Performance SUV
For a long time, performance SUVs were only available if you shopped from luxury brands. However, the niche has grown to include several mainstream automakers, including Skoda. Originally launched four years ago with a bi-turbodiesel engine, the Kodiaq RS switched to gasoline for its facelift in 2021. Now, the second-generation model has landed in Europe with the Volkswagen Group’s ubiquitous 2.0 TSI engine. Slotting above the all-show-without-extra-go Sportline trim, the RS now packs 261 ... Read more
Tags: Skoda