This is true, and the C8 will be no exception to the rule. The steady state of ‘vette is pretty respectable so it should be okay. The key is price, which places it in a segment with no real competition.

It’s funny, to this day GM is still fighting in court to prevent California from setting its own emissions rules. Of course, Toyota/Hyundai/FCA have also been suckered into this cabal.

My big takeaway back in the 2004 or so when I drove a friends CR-V is how fantastic is was on the highway. Like you said, a decent amount of midrange torque for keeping up with traffic at speed and it would not feel stressed out or loud at 75-80 mph.

I’m pretty sure it does. When the fluid leaks out of the pumps the rear axle area makes a groaning noise when turning hard at low speeds. Toyota also dumbed down the system in the RAV4, I think, to work in a similar way.

That’s a good point. A lot of dealers have plenty of storage space so they simply snap up a bunch of cars the manufacturer wants to unload (esp. at the end of a production run), pocketing the incentives. Some of these sell at discount but the dealer still makes some money. Others get claimed by other dealers in other…

It’s a complicated mix of spiking R&D costs, currency changes (stronger yen), and a sizable drop in the company’s wholesale volume, which reflects the weaker automotive sector in general.

I think a strong link to Formula 1 wouldn’t hurt either. Aston’s known for performance and has been chasing that angle pretty aggressively in recent years (One-77, Valkyrie). Having a connection to the top-tier traditional race series makes sense for what has long been viewed as a “traditional” brand.

It’s sort of like the GTI. In the U.S., VW gave up trying to offer basic models without popular features, like the limited-slip diff and infotainment. A basic S is pretty well-equipped, but it now starts $2K more than Miata.

Haha, was going to comment it’s the 124 that’s overpriced, but this will more than suffice.

Nissan is the only one to still offer a base 4x2 with a manual—an ancient 5-speed and big inline-4. Only about $20K. What a throwback!

Yep, that’s a solid explanation. I’ll be impressed if they can get the tariff cost reduction that low. Now that H-D no longer feels limited to manufacturing bikes in the U.S., the company has a lot more options and upside.

It was partly power that Porsche wanted, but also more flexibility for meeting emissions regulations. You can make a four-valve head for an air-cooled car engine, but it’s tremendously expensive and usually not worth the effort (unless you’re Williams/Singer).

You can still get a Tacoma with a stick. The take rate is so low, though, that the only trims that have it are TRD Sport and Off-Road. And even then it’s only the TRD Sport that lets you spec the Access Bed with 6-foot bed and a manual.

Completely agreed. Part of the Wrangler’s value has been its unique position in the market—nobody’s been willing to go up against it since forever. It’s sort of like Subaru’s Outback.

I think the panic is over tariff projections. HD is already eating a big amount of money ($100+ million/yr) in tariff costs for its exports. If it doesn’t get its production out of the U.S. that number will go up significantly and soon. International accounts for almost half HD’s sales now. And if the company does…

That’s a great point. HD missed the boat on the UTV/ATV rush. People are often perfectly willing to spend fancy Harley money and more on a UTV. That sort of commitment would have required a massive investment or partnership on HD’s part, but it had the money for it for a long time.

In the U.S., sure, but you really have to look at things globally with HD because its international performance is what really delivers the big revenue numbers.

They’re tax credits, not rebates. It’s important to carefully track which ones apply to your purchase so that you can arrive at a final cost.

I tested a Roxor when it first launched in the U.S. and it seemed very pricey even at around $15K, especially for what appeared to be a very basic mechanical package. At $25K+ it’s just a toy.

The very first (aside from a weird 1911 car) was the DKW Front of the early 1930s. When Saab launched in 1947 they used the same layout and engine. But it was definitely Mini that popularized it using a conventional 4-stroke engine.