The fastest way to inflate a car's future value is to limit who can buy it in the present.

In today's issue:

BMW spent years building the case for paddle-shifted xDrive, then closed the G80 era with a manual, rear-drive throwback it reserves for the market that complains most about losing them. The contradiction doesn't invalidate the car. It does validate the complaints.

Volvo's EX30 replacement opens at $58,400: The 2027 EX60 went on sale in the US this week at $58,400 before destination, per Electrive, rising to $59,795 with fees. The entry variant delivers 307 miles of range and 369 hp; a 670-hp, 400-mile twin-motor tops the range later, per Carscoops. Volvo pulled the EX30 from the US market earlier this year when it started at around $35,000, per Electrek, leaving a $23,000 gap between what was promised and what shipped. #market

Ford plans five European models by 2029, Fiesta name included: Ford confirmed five all-new passenger vehicles built in Europe for Europe before the end of 2029, per Electrive, including a rally-bred electric supermini expected to carry the Fiesta name and a small Bronco-family SUV with Spain production starting in 2028, per Top Gear and Carscoops. The explicit competitive target is BYD, whose European presence Ford's own executives called out directly. Ford Pro takes two additional slots with a Ranger Super Duty and Transit City, per Autoline Daily. #analyst

Stellantis targets a €15,000 electric city car for 2028: Stellantis confirmed an "E-Car" project will produce small, affordable EVs at its Pomigliano d'Arco factory in southern Italy starting in 2028, per Automotive News. The Fiat Panda and Citroen 2CV spiritual successors are the most likely nameplates, per Autocar UK and Carscoops, with cost reductions tied partly to Europe's proposed M1E kei-style regulatory category. The announcement comes the same week CEO Antonio Filosa unveils his broader turnaround strategy near Detroit on May 21, per Automotive News. #analyst

USMCA anxiety is now a payroll line: Martinrea International, a major Canadian auto supplier, hired a dozen administrative employees over the past year just to track and manage tariff exposure, per Automotive News. The CEO's comment surfaces a cost that doesn't appear in vehicle sticker prices but runs through every supplier P&L: compliance headcount is now a line item in the tariff era. #analyst

BMW confirms first real Alpina model will be a V8 sedan: After last week's Vision concept at Villa d'Este, BMW confirmed the first production Alpina under its stewardship will be a 7 Series-based V8 sedan positioned between the 7 Series and Rolls-Royce Ghost, per Autoblog and Motor1. No hybrid powertrain, per CarBuzz. #enthusiast

Congress proposes $130 annual fee for EV drivers: The BUILD America 250 Act would charge EV owners $130 per year in federal registration fees, with plug-in hybrid owners paying $35, per CBT News. Both fees rise every two years starting in 2029, capping at $150 for EVs, per Carscoops. MotorTrend reports fees would take effect as early as October 2026 if the bill passes. EV-advocacy groups characterize the bill as punitive and disproportionate to the road-funding shortfall it claims to address, per E&E News. The $130 figure represents roughly what a driver putting 12,000 miles a year on a 25-mpg car pays in federal gas taxes. #news

Subaru kills 2028 EV target, repurposes the factory for gas: Subaru's operating profits collapsed 90% for the fiscal year, per Electrek, and the company recorded $385 million in impairment losses tied directly to EV development, per WardsAuto. The automaker has dropped 2028 as its in-house EV launch date with no replacement timeline set; the new EV factory will instead produce combustion and hybrid vehicles. CarsGuide notes Subaru joins Honda and Ford on a growing list of OEMs pushing back EV programs after absorbing financial losses. #analyst

GM rethinks Bolt assembly to chase affordability: GM is restructuring how it builds the next-generation Chevy Bolt EV, moving away from the traditional moving assembly line to a batch process that targets a sub-$30,000 sticker, per InsideEVs. Costco discount partnerships will further sweeten pricing for fleet and member buyers, per InsideEVs. Separately, GM Authority reports the Chevy Blazer EV production start has been pushed back. #market

Skoda Epiq undercuts its own petrol equivalent at £24,950: The production Epiq arrived this week with three powertrain options and up to 440 km WLTP range (about 273 miles), per autoevolution. UK pricing starts at £24,950, below the petrol Kamiq it sits alongside, per Autocar UK. It shares the VW Group MEB+ platform with the ID. Polo GTI and Cupra Raval, making it the third sibling in that subcompact electric family.

VW ID. Polo GTI: first electric GTI in 50 years: Revealed at the Nürburgring 24 Hours, the ID. Polo GTI produces 226 PS (166 kW), hits 0-100 km/h in 6.8 seconds with front-wheel drive, and offers 424 km of WLTP range, per Paul Tan and Motoring Research. European sales begin in the second half of 2026.

2027 Nissan Z Nismo finally gets its six-speed manual: Nissan gave five major outlets simultaneous first-drive access at Sonoma Raceway. The 420-hp car inherits GT-R (R35) brake rotors and sheds 16 lbs of unsprung weight versus the outgoing automatic, per Car and Driver and MotorTrend. Car and Driver calls it "unlike anything else on the market," and Hagerty notes that the 2023 automatic-only Nismo drew criticism precisely because buyers expected a manual in a $66,000 sports car. Hagerty's verdict: adding the gearbox completes the car.

2027 Kia Seltos goes global with a new hybrid: Multiple outlets including MotorTrend and Auto Express published first drives and reveals today. Kia senior VP Spencer Cho told CarExpert the hybrid version is "super aware" of the segment's current pricing mistakes, citing the Niro's reception, and that affordability is the explicit development priority.

Toyota Tundra TRD Hammer targets the Raptor directly: Car and Driver reports Toyota will challenge the F-150 Raptor with the 2027 Tundra TRD Hammer, featuring long-travel suspension and a widebody design. Toyota has never before fielded a high-speed desert-runner variant of the Tundra; the TRD Pro has been the ceiling since 2015, per Car and Driver.

Ram street-performance truck confirmed for May 20: Ram officially confirmed its mystery "muscle" truck will debut Wednesday, May 20 at 3:00 p.m. ET, per MoparInsiders. Teaser videos featuring black-and-yellow paint, a flying bee badge, and audible supercharger whine point toward a Rumble Bee revival. The Drive notes Ram has not confirmed the name, but the visual evidence is unambiguous.

Volvo Group pays $196.5M in California emissions case: Volvo Group North America settled with California air quality regulators over model year 2010-2016 heavy-duty truck engines that allegedly exceeded state emissions limits, per Just Auto and Reuters. One of the larger state-level emissions enforcement actions against a commercial vehicle maker.

Audi faces class action over EA839 water pump failures: Two plaintiffs filed a class action alleging defective water pumps in Audi's 2.9T and 3.0T EA839 V6 engines, per Autoblog and Road & Track. The suit names 17 models: A4, A5, A6, A6 Allroad, A7, A8, RS 5, RS 5 Sportback, S5, S6, S7, SQ5, SQ5 Sportback, Q7, Q8, and A8 e quattro (model years 2018-2024 depending on variant). Plaintiffs allege Audi knew about the defect since November 2018 while owners absorbed out-of-pocket repair bills in the thousands.

Ram 2500 recalled over tire speed mismatch: About 13,000 model year 2023-2026 Ram 2500 trucks are recalled because a software error in the powertrain control module can allow vehicle speed to exceed the tire speed rating, per CarComplaints. FCA opened an investigation in March before escalating to a recall.

Ford Bronco hardtop panels can crack and detach: Ford recalled 16,200 model-year 2021 and 2022 Broncos with molded-in-color hardtops over delamination and cracking that can cause panels to separate from the vehicle, per Ford Authority and autoevolution. Two- and four-door configurations are affected.

Mitsubishi Outlander hood settlement pays up to $4,595: Mitsubishi Motors North America settled a class action over 2022 Outlander hoods that could flutter, shake, or partially open at speed, per Autoblog. Eligible owners can claim up to $4,595 depending on the extent of the defect and repair history.

BYD April export record, domestic collapse: BYD hit 130,042 NEV exports in April 2026, an all-time monthly record, even as domestic retail fell to 182,025 units, down 32.3% year over year and the eighth straight monthly retail decline, per GoodCarBadCar.

Nissan pivots to retail profitability over fleet volume: Nissan's new dealer-focused strategy is explicitly deprioritizing lower-margin fleet sales in favor of showroom transactions, per CBT News, with SUV and truck demand cited as the primary momentum driver.

California opens $1 billion electric truck rebate program: California launched applications for a new rebate program for electric medium- and heavy-duty trucks backed by over $1 billion through 2030, per Electrive, targeting fleet electrification as federal EV incentives shrink.

BMW 1 Series goes RWD and electric for 2028: The next 1 Series will offer separate electric and ICE variants on different platforms, with the electric i1 on BMW's Neue Klasse architecture delivering rear-wheel drive and up to 322 hp, per Autocar UK. An electric M1 variant with 463 hp and dual motors is also in development, per Carscoops.

Palou poles Indy 500 as defending champion: Alex Palou captured pole for the 110th Indianapolis 500 after barely making the Fast 12, then significantly improving in the final round, per Motorsport.com. First time the defending winner has started from pole since Castroneves in 2010.

Hyundai's Georgia Metaplant: $12.6B and 25,000 humanoid robots planned: MotorTrend's factory tour puts total investment at $12.6 billion. Separately, Interesting Engineering reports Hyundai plans to deploy more than 25,000 Boston Dynamics Atlas humanoid robots across U.S. plants, announced at a JPMorgan Chase-hosted session.

Denny Hamlin wins NASCAR All-Star $1M: Hamlin took the exhibition race from pole at Dover Motor Speedway, collecting the $1 million prize after surviving a chaos-filled event with multiple pileups, per readmotorsport.com.

Sources: Hagerty · Jalopnik · Autoblog · Evo · Auto Express UK · Autocar India · Electrive · Carscoops (EX60) · Electrek · Top Gear · Carscoops (Ford) · Electrive (Ford) · Automotive News (Stellantis E-Car) · Autocar UK (Stellantis) · Carscoops (Stellantis) · Automotive News (Filosa) · Automotive News (USMCA) · Autoblog (Alpina) · Motor1 (Alpina) · CarBuzz · BMWBLOG · autoevolution (Epiq) · Autocar UK (Epiq) · CarComplaints · GoodCarBadCar · CBT News · Electrive (CA trucks) · Autocar UK (1 Series) · Carscoops (1 Series)