In today's issue:
Mercedes kills the V8 GT 4-Door and replaces it with a 1,169-hp EV that plays engine sounds
Stellantis will build Chinese-brand EVs at its French plant while sourcing Jeeps from China
A 7-year-old, 690-hp Porsche just took the Road Atlanta production lap record from the 1,064-hp Corvette ZR1
PERFORMANCE EV LAUNCH
AMG's New GT 4-Door Is an EV That Pretends to Be a V8
The 2027 Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe uses three axial-flux motors on an 800V platform, producing up to 1,169 PS (860 kW) and 1,475 lb-ft of torque in GT 63 spec, per Autocar UK.
Peak charging tops 600 kW, and Mercedes claims a 10-80% top-up in roughly 11 minutes, per Electrek; the GT 63 hits 60 mph in 2.0 seconds, while the GT 53 manages 2.4 seconds, per Autocar UK and Motor Trend.
UK pricing starts at around £150,000, with orders opening in the coming days for the GT 63 and GT 55 variants first, per Autocar UK; claimed range is up to 700 km (435 miles), per Paul Tan.
AMG equips the car with simulated V8 engine sounds and fake gear shifts, switchable by the driver: the same brand that built its reputation on mechanical rawness is now shipping a soundtrack as a software feature, per Motor Trend and Autoblog.
Gasoline-powered GT 4-Door variants remain in production alongside the EV, per Autocar UK, meaning buyers who want the real thing still have an option.
Mercedes spent years losing the performance EV argument to Porsche and BMW, and the AMG GT 4-Door is its corrective: 800V architecture, 600-kW charging, and a lap-time-first platform. The fake-V8 mode is either a concession to the buyer base or an admission that the real thing was part of the product, depending on which side of the showroom you stand.
Also worth knowing
Stellantis will build Dongfeng's Voyah EVs at its underused Rennes factory: A 51/49 Stellantis-led joint venture will handle manufacturing, purchasing, engineering, and sales of Dongfeng vehicles in Europe, per Automotive News and Carscoops. Simultaneously, the existing Dongfeng Peugeot Citroen joint venture will produce new Peugeot and Jeep NEV models in China for domestic and export markets, per Paul Tan. CEO Antonio Filosa presents his full turnaround strategy on May 21, near Detroit, per Automotive News: a company pitching a U.S. recovery while commissioning Chinese cars in France is a difficult story to tell a Detroit audience. #analyst
YouTube on Android Auto is technically coming, but mostly not for you: Google confirmed YouTube support for Android Auto at up to 60 fps, parked-only, but the feature requires Android 17 on the phone, per autoevolution, a version barely deployed in the field. Netflix support arrives more broadly under the same parked-only constraint, per Motor1. Separately, Android Auto 17.0 shipped this week with no major user-facing changes, per autoevolution. #news
A 7-year-old Porsche just erased the Corvette ZR1's lap record at Road Atlanta: 690 horsepower beat 1,064: a 2019 911 GT2 RS with the Manthey Performance Kit took the production-car lap record at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta from the C8 Corvette ZR1, which had set the mark only last year, per Road & Track and Carscoops. Porsche also took the naturally-aspirated record at the same circuit with the GT3 RS Manthey, per CarBuzz. #enthusiast
Stellantis and JLR explore U.S. co-development, disclosed the same day as the Dongfeng deal: The Financial Times reports Stellantis and Jaguar Land Rover announced an intention to collaborate on new vehicles for the U.S. market. Pairing a "we're going to co-build in America" headline with a "we're going to build Dongfeng EVs in France" headline on the same news cycle is a deliberate hedge: Filosa is telling Detroit and Beijing different stories at the same time. #analyst
What's new
Ford Bronco Filson Edition debuts June 3, goes on sale early 2027: Ford is partnering with Seattle outdoor brand Filson on a factory-backed Bronco 4-Door trim, teased with a branded spare-tire cover and positioned as a lifestyle-premium off-roader, per Autoblog and Road & Track. The collaboration echoes the classic Eddie Bauer Edition playbook, per Carscoops. Pricing has not been announced; the full reveal is June 3.
Recalls & legal action
Ford Escape Hybrid and Lincoln Corsair Hybrid recalled for rollaway risk: More than 200 model year 2026 Escape Hybrid and Corsair Hybrid vehicles face a new recall because the integrated park module may fail to lock into the park position, per CarComplaints. This is an expansion of a December 2025 recall covering more than 270,000 vehicles, and both models have been discontinued, per Autoblog.
Quick links
April SAAR hit 15.9 million units: NADA data shows the new light-vehicle seasonally adjusted annual rate reached 15.9 million units in April 2026, per NADA Market Beat cited by CBT News.
EU-U.S. trade deal advances as 25% tariff deadline nears: Negotiations are progressing toward a finalized agreement that could stabilize European vehicle import costs, per CBT News; the threatened 25% tariff on European cars remains the backstop risk.
Sources: Autocar UK · Automotive News · Jalopnik · Motor Trend · Electrek · Autoblog AMG · Paul Tan · Automotive News EV fee · Autoblog EV fee · Kelley Blue Book · Automotive News Stellantis · Carscoops Stellantis · Paul Tan Dongfeng · Electrive EX60 · Autoweek EX60 · InsideEVs EX60 · Motor1 Android Auto · Road & Track Porsche · Carscoops Porsche · Autoblog Bronco · CarComplaints recall · Autoblog recall · Financial Times JLR · Automotive News tariffs · CBT News SAAR · CBT News EU trade