In addition to a performance look and feel, Chevy is going deep on technology with the new Corvette cabin. The highlight is a three-screen design that includes a 12.7-inch main infotainment screen, 14-inch driver information center, and a 6.6-inch auxiliary touch panel located left of the steering wheel. The screens are bigger than those they replace, and the latter is all new.

The configurable 6.6-inch touchscreen is home to trip meters, Performance Traction Management, and other gauges. Others, such as the E-Ray Performance App, which is now available across the entire Corvette lineup for 2026, are also housed in the panel, as are acceleration timers, G-force gauge, tire pressure and temperature gauges, and more.

The Performance Data Recorder, located in the center display, has a new user interface and features real-time data analysis, and the ability to record HD video. It can also offer drivers speed trace analysis, side-by-side video playback, and 鈥渟peed tips鈥�.

Google built-in, offered in other GM vehicles, powers the main infotainment display, and comes with new apps including Google Chrome, GameSnacks, HBO Max, Prime Video, and others via Google Play.

The cabin has also been spruced up with new color schemes which are available on all models. These include Sky Cool with Medium Ash Gray and Habanero accents, Santorini Blue, Very Dark Atmosphere (dark brown), and Ultimate Suede (jet black). The latter can be customized with three accent colors: Adrenaline Red, Santorini Blue, and Competition Yellow.

Customers can also mix and match seating color options. For instance, Asymmetrical Adrenaline Red includes a racing-inspired driver鈥檚 seat, and a Jet Black GT2 passenger seat.

Other changes include a repositioned drive mode selector that鈥檚 in line with the gear selector, new wireless phone charge pad (with a cover) located below the infotainment display, and a bigger volume knob.

Climate controls have been relocated under the center display, and cupholders have been redesigned with hand-wrapped inserts and ambient lighting. For 2LT/ 2LZ and 3LT/3LZ trims, they also have real aluminum highlights. The ZR1 gets a standard carbon fiber display hood cowl over the driver information display, but it鈥檚 also available as an option for E-Ray and Z06.

Other 2026 changes include a new mode Performance Traction Management, PTM Pro. This feature turns off stability control and traction control, but leaving some aids on such as ABS, and front axle controls specific to the E-Ray.

The ZTK performance package gets a new brake package, with 10-piston front, and six-piston rear calipers, along with carbon ceramic discs. An optional electrochromic roof is also available, with three tint settings: full, medium, and low.

Elsewhere, the E-Ray鈥檚 Charge+ button has been relocated to the steering wheel, below the Z Mode button.

Exterior changes include an asymmetrical center stripe available in Edge Red / Carbon Flash, and standard body color rocker panels for E-Ray. The latter are also available for Z06. Blue brake calipers, standard on ZR1, will be optional for E-Ray and Z06. Finally, two new paint colors, Roswell Green Metallic, and Blade Silver Metallic, will be offered on all models.

Ordering for the 2026 Corvette is set to open in late June, with production beginning in early August. Deliveries are expected to begin this fall.

Photos courtesy of Chevrolet

The new car, officially dubbed the Corolla Hatchback FX Edition, is inspired by the FX16 GTS Corolla hatchback sold in North America in 1987 and 1988. It was powered by a 1.6-liter DOHC 4-cylinder that produced 108 horsepower that was paired with a base five-speed manual, or an optional four-speed automatic transmission that drove the front wheels.

The new FX Edition, which arrives this fall as a 2026 model, is powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine (169 hp / 151 lb-ft.), that鈥檚 paired with a continuously variable transmission that drives the front wheels. If you want to row your own gears in a Corolla in 2025, the fire-breathing GR is your only option.

The other bit of bad news is the FX Edition will have limited production, with just 1,600 units ticketed for the U.S. Three colors are available: Inferno, Ice Cap, and Blue Crush Metallic. For Canada, the FX Edition will come in white only and will be limited to just 150 units.

Based on the SE grade, the FX Edition comes standard with a black vented spoiler, 18-inch gloss white-finished alloy wheels with black lug nuts, and a unique rear badge like the one found on the 1980s FX16.

Inside, FX Edition models come with black sport touring seats with suede inserts and orange stitching. The stitching extends into the door panels, steering wheel and shifter boot. Other standard features include a 7-inch customizable digital gauge cluster, 8-inch multimedia touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay, wireless Android Auto, and a wireless charge pad.

Photos courtesy of Toyota

That is indeed the case for the 2025 Ford Mustang GTD, the forthcoming 鈥渂arely street legal鈥� Mustang that will begin to arrive in customer driveways this spring. Put it this way, the Mustang GTD is more powerful than the GT3 Mustang race cars Ford will be sending to France to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans next month.

In case you just got back from Mars, or have only recently woken up from a coma, here are some Mustang GTD tech highlights:

• 5.2-liter supercharged flat-plane crank V8 (815 horsepower / 664 lb-ft. torque)
• 202 mph top speed
• Rear-mounted 8-speed dual-clutch transaxle
• Carbon ceramic brakes
• Semi-active suspension (40 mm ride height adjust)
• Dry sump oil system
• Carbon fiber rear wing
• Akrapovic titanium exhaust
• Near 50:50 front-rear weight distribution

First revealed in 2023, the Mustang GTD has been in active development since at least 2021 when Ford CEO Jim Farley gathered some Ford Performance folks together to create, 鈥渁 race car for the road.鈥�

A key part of development is proving the car鈥檚 bona fides on one of the world鈥檚 most unforgiving tracks: the 12.9-mile N眉rburgring Nordschleife, aka The Green Hell. Ford鈥檚 first trek to the famed German track with the GTD in August 2024 produced an impressive sub-seven-minute lap of 6:57.685.

But the GTD team felt the car could go even faster so they loaded up and went back to tame the Green Hell to shave a few seconds off their impressive lap time. And did they ever.

The February 2025 lap shaved more than five seconds off the 2024 time, with a blazingly fast 6:52.072. That mark is the fourth fastest time ever for a production car, and it puts the GTD in rare air: it's the only entry from an American automaker to post a N眉rburgring lap under seven seconds.

To put the improvement into perspective, the 2025 GTD would have completed its lap more than 800 feet ahead of the 2024 unit. Ford credits the faster time to a host of improvements made to the car, including powertrain recalibration, chassis tweaking, a more rigid body structure, refined aero, and reconfigured traction control and ABS. Ford also noted in a press release that the 2024 car was an early production unit, and the 2025 tester is a final production unit.

Ford is expected to build only 1,000 Mustang GTDs. Unsurprisingly, the starting price is steep, beginning at $325,000 USD.

Photos courtesy of Ford

LF Audio has announced a significant expansion of its operations in the United States, reinforcing its position in the car audio aftermarket through new investments in domestic research and development, component sourcing, and manufacturing.

Building Engineering and Production Capacity in the U.S.
The brand is developing a new U.S.-based engineering hub to support product R&D and prototype development. This move allows LF Audio to shorten design cycles and bring products to market more efficiently. By growing its in-house team, the company aims to deliver tighter integration between design, testing, and production鈥攑articularly for its speaker systems and amplifier platforms.

The expansion is also expected to bolster LF Audio鈥檚 ability to work directly with installers and retail partners on product refinement, application support, and tuning.

Sourcing and Manufacturing Closer to Home
In addition to engineering, LF Audio is shifting more of its component sourcing and manufacturing stateside. This decision comes in response to rising demand for shorter lead times, increased quality control, and reduced dependence on overseas logistics. With new manufacturing capabilities under development, the company intends to scale its production volume while maintaining its reputation for precision and reliability.

Strategic Growth in the Aftermarket
Known for its focus on build quality, clean aesthetics, and high-output sound, LF Audio has earned recognition among car audio builders and installers across North America. This latest development signals the company鈥檚 intent to grow its product offerings and expand market reach鈥攚hile staying aligned with the performance standards expected by its customer base.

What鈥檚 Next
More details on facility locations and product rollout timelines are expected in the coming months. For now, LF Audio鈥檚 U.S. expansion marks a pivotal move that strengthens its ability to compete at the top tier of the aftermarket audio landscape.

For the full press release, visit:

But some rays of light break through the clouds every now and then. While a lot of what we鈥檝e been discussing here lately is based largely on rumor and speculation, some of it, like Toyota鈥檚 recent reveal of a new GR Corolla development vehicle, has been confirmed by the manufacturers. So, there鈥檚 some hope for new performance cars on the horizon.

Which brings us to the subject of today鈥檚 story, which sounds pretty tantalizing. On the surface, at least. This news comes from The Drive, who spoke with a Nissan Americas executive a few weeks back at the New York Auto Show.

During the interview, the executive, Ponz Pandikuthira, who is the Senior Vice President and Chief Planning Officer for Nissan North America, told The Drive that Nissan and Honda are engaged in talks to potentially collaborate on next-gen supercars. Both companies plan to build next-gen versions of the Honda (Acura) NSX and Nissan GT-R, but Pandikuthira suggested the latter could be co-developed alongside the former.

What also fuels speculation is the strategic partnership agreement both companies signed last summer, which would see them work together on future products. What those products will be remains unknown, but Pandikuthira said talks concerning, 鈥渏oining forces on specific projects is still very much alive,鈥� according to The Drive.

Before going any further, we鈥檇 be remiss if we didn鈥檛 mention that Honda and Nissan were in merger talks for a while before those efforts collapsed in February. How the alleged supercar co-development discussions have been impacted by the failed merger talks, if at all, is hard to gauge.

But Pandikuthira says the two companies have been talking throughout. He said it鈥檚 vital for Nissan, telling The Drive, 鈥淲e need collaboration. We鈥檙e going to need partnerships to deliver vehicles. I think partnerships are going to be a key part of our future.鈥�

So, what do we know about the next-gen NSX and GT-R?

Not much. Honda, which wasn鈥檛 quoted in The Drive story, has said a new NSX-type supercar is coming, and that it will likely be an EV, although that hasn鈥檛 been confirmed. A Honda Motor executive publicly stated last summer that while a new electric Honda sports car is coming, it might carry a different name. Could the NSX be something else? We don鈥檛 know yet, but the exec did say the electric sports car would not use solid state battery tech because it won鈥檛 be ready in time.

The second-gen NSX, which was a gas-electric hybrid, ended production in 2022. Nearing the end of its run, it was selling just over 100 units a year in the U.S, but it spiked to 298 in 2022. The GT-R didn鈥檛 fare any better, with just 267 units sold stateside in 2024, its final year of production.

As for a new GT-R, well Nissan teased what a new model might look like when it unveiled the Hyper Force Concept at the Tokyo Mobility Show in 2023. That reveal felt more like a design exercise, as no powertrain information was revealed.

Pandikuthira told The Drive in a previous article that he expects the next-gen GT-R to arrive in three to five years with some form of electrification. It will likely be a hybrid, or plug-in hybrid with a turbo engine. A full EV was being considered, but that option is no longer on the table according to The Drive.

Pandikuthira also stressed that nothing had been confirmed, but he was merely pointing out that co-development is possible, even if the cars differ significantly in terms of powertrains, design, and technology.

I鈥檒l add that other factors could come into play, such as production location and tariffs. The second-gen NSX was built at Honda鈥檚 Performance Manufacturing Center (PMC) in Ohio, while the R35 GT-R was built in Japan. Would these cars be built in a shared plant, like the BRZ-86 twins, or the current-gen Supra and BMW Z4?

Might Honda and Nissan choose to build them at Honda鈥檚 PMC to avoid any U.S. tariffs that may still be in place at decade鈥檚 end when these cars might arrive? It鈥檚 possible. Given how low volume both cars are, and how important the U.S. market will likely be for both, if Honda and Nissan want to keep the MSRPs from becoming truly stratospheric they might want to consider a U.S. assembly site.

But we鈥檙e getting way ahead of ourselves here.

The NSX and GT-R are glorious supercars, and the fact that they will be returning is a great thing. Regardless of how they鈥檙e developed, which technology they share, or where they鈥檙e assembled.

Photos courtesy of Honda and Nissan

The 2025 Chevrolet Blazer EV SS is not only the most powerful Blazer EV, but it鈥檚 the fastest SS (Super Sport) model every built by Chevy.

The lineage of Chevy SS goes back to 1961 and includes classic performance cars such as the Impala SS, Chevelle SS, and Camaro SS. Chevy estimates it has sold more than 4 million SS models in the U.S. alone.

So, the Blazer EV SS, the first electric model to wear the SS badge, has big shoes to fill. But it comes carrying a big performance stick. With 615 horsepower and 650 foot-pounds of torque, the Blazer EV SS is the most powerful EV in its class and has best-in-class torque.

So, how fast are we talking? Fast. 0-60 mph in 3.4 seconds, and 11.8 seconds in the quarter mile at 115 mph. This is achieved through a dual-motor setup that delivers almost instantaneous torque delivery from its performance AWD system. The Blazer EV SS also has a big lithium-ion battery 鈥� 102 kWh 鈥� that helps not only with range, but also power.

The Blazer EV SS rides on standard 22-inch wheels that are wrapped in Michelin all-seasons, but Continental summers are available as an option. Stopping power comes brakes that have Brembo six-piston fixed calipers up front that grab 390-mm rotors, with sliding calipers that clamp 345 mm rotors at the rear.

An available performance package delivers Continental summer tires and non-NFC rotors / low-metallic for better grip and more fade-resistant braking.

The 2025 Chevy Blazer EV SS is arriving now at dealers across North America.

The Specs:

Type: battery-electric, mid-size SUV, all-wheel drive

Engine: dual electric motors +102 kWh battery

Output: 615 horsepower, 650 lb-ft. torque

Transmission: Single-speed, direct drive

Fuel Economy (MPGe): 102 / 87 / 95 (city / highway / combined)

Cargo: 25.8 / 59.8 cubic feet

Base Price: $60,600

Impressions:

I drove this car on track and road in and around Charlotte, North Carolina last week and come away impressed.

First, the track stuff. Chevy allowed us to do one launch exercise to see how much go this EV really has, and let me tell you, it鈥檚 REALLY fast. The instant grip from the two-motor AWD system launched the Blazer EV SS like nothing I鈥檝e experienced. We weren鈥檛 logging 0-60 mph times, but the 3.4 seconds Chevy is claiming feels legit.

I also had two laps on the main track at Tentenths Motor Club, and another three on a shorter handling course. Chevy reps told us before our track session that the Blazer EV SS understeers because of its long and wide SUV body style (it鈥檚 also quite heavy at 5,730 pounds), but I didn鈥檛 find it to be too bad. Yes, I did notice some understeer, but it鈥檚 controllable, and I was able to adjust during my laps. Generally, for a big and heavy SUV, I think its handling is good.

On road, the Blazer EV SS is a smooth, fast, and comfortable ride. With a giant 17.7-inch multimedia touchscreen with Google Built-in, available panoramic glass roof, GM Super Cruise, and loads of other amenities, such as heated and cooled seats, the Blazer EV SS delivers a high-tech and premium feel.

As for the EV stuff, it delivers the goods, with up to 303 miles of range on a full charge and DC fast charging of up to 190 kW.

It鈥檚 certainly not the Chevy SS you remember, but the Blazer EV SS has the performance worthy of the badge.

Photos courtesy of Chevrolet

But a recent Car and Driver story has me thinking it could happen. Maybe. But it鈥檚 probably not what you鈥檙e thinking. There鈥檚 a lot to unpack here, so let鈥檚 dive in.

The current WRX (VB chassis) is the second generation for the rally-inspired sedan since it was separated from the compact Impreza sedan in 2015. The VB was all new for the 2022 model year with new styling and a power boost for the turbo flat-four engine. Notably, Subaru did not bring the range-topping STI model back for the VB. It was WRX only.

Why? Basically, it likely wouldn鈥檛 have a very long shelf-life.

I was at the Canadian press launch for the WRX in the summer of 2022, and Subaru reps were asked to explain the STI鈥檚 absence. Our assembled group of journos was told that a new STI, even with improvements made to its turbo powertrain, would have trouble meeting global emission standards. Basically, Subaru wouldn鈥檛 likely be able to sell it in Europe. Or if it managed to pass certification at launch, it might become ineligible during its lifecycle. The WRX and BRZ aren鈥檛 sold in Europe primarily due to strict tailpipe emission regulations.

But, the reps said, the STI nameplate isn鈥檛 necessarily dead. And we all knew what that meant 鈥� the STI could come back, but only as a hybrid or EV.

Fast forward to last week at the New York auto show where Subaru鈥檚 European boss David Dello Stritto told British magazine Autocar (via Car and Driver) that while the gas-only STI is gone, it could return with some form of electrification.

鈥淲ith an EV, you鈥檝e got the power and performance, and you鈥檝e got an all-wheel-drive system. We鈥檙e working on more sport models, and electrification allows us to do this,鈥� he told Autocar. He also said Subaru鈥檚 partnership with Toyota could aid future performance car development.  

The time horizon for an electrified STI is hard to predict. The current WRX is in its fourth model year, which means it should be in production until at least 2027. A next-gen model, which could include an STI hybrid or EV, likely wouldn鈥檛 go on sale any sooner than 2028.

Still, it鈥檚 good to hear the iconic STI performance nameplate could return.

Photos courtesy of Subaru