The Corvette's value proposition has always been its performance-per-dollar ratio, and 200 mph at $73,495 is a hard number for any competitor to answer. The ZR1 reset the hypercar comparison; the Stingray just reset the floor.

New-Car Asking Prices Just Broke a Nearly Three-Year Record: The Automotive News/Catalyst IQ Vehicle Price and Inventory Tracker hit $51,820 on June 26, eclipsing a record that had stood since July 2023, per Automotive News. A separate CarGurus mid-year review pegged the spring average at $50,900, up 3.3% since December. The CPI for new vehicles, meanwhile, has held roughly flat in official data, per FRED, meaning sticker prices at dealers are moving in the opposite direction from inflation. #market

USMCA Review Opens Today, With Trump Signaling a Walk: The first mandatory six-year review of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement began with a virtual meeting among the three governments today, per Automotive News and CBT News. Trump has signaled the U.S. will not renew the deal as written; the administration is pushing for stricter auto-content rules. Outcomes on the table: extension, full withdrawal, or annual reviews with no long-term certainty, all of which leave cross-border supply chains in limbo heading into the second half. #analyst

Lamborghini Added 144 HP to the Urus. The Sprint Time Didn't Change.: The 2027 Urus SE Performante makes 801 hp, up from 657 hp in the original non-hybrid Performante, per Carscoops. The PHEV system's added mass means the 0-62 mph time stays at 3.3 seconds: identical to the old car, per Car and Driver. The car gets tighter air suspension, more aero, and a new Rally drive mode. The Performante name historically implied a lighter, faster car; the electrified version delivers more power and the same number. #enthusiast

Kia's First Half Was Its Best Ever, Hybrids Up 187%: Kia sold 70,507 units in June, up 10% year-over-year and a brand monthly record, per Kia Media. First-half sales hit 430,727 units. June hybrid sales rose 187%, driven by Sportage and Sorento, per CBT News. Automotive News confirmed the broader trend: Toyota's U.S. June sales rose about 10%, with electrified models up about 35%, while GM slipped. #market

Bugatti Built a Hypercar Whose Gas Cap Is Literal Porcelain: The W16 Mistral "Blanc Éternel" is a one-of-one commission through Bugatti Sur Mesure, featuring a gas cap, engine cover, and oil cap all made from hand-fired porcelain, per the Bugatti pressroom. The 261-mph roadster is limited to 99 examples; this one references the 2011 Veyron L'Or Blanc, per Car and Driver. Hand-drawn black lines trace the body's digital surface geometry, and the entire theme could shatter in a fender-bender.

Mitsubishi's Pajero Is Coming Back After Two Decades Off the US Market: Mitsubishi confirmed its all-new Pajero cross-country SUV for a global debut this autumn, per the Mitsubishi pressroom, riding on a body-on-frame platform shared with the Triton pickup and positioned to rival the Toyota Land Cruiser and Nissan Patrol, per Road & Track and Automotive News, which reported Mitsubishi previewed the SUV to 180 US and Canadian dealers on June 5 without disclosing pricing or timing. The interior brings back the Pajero's classic triple-gauge pod as a digital "Multi Meter" tracking altitude, compass heading, ambient temperature, pitch, roll, and torque distribution, per the Mitsubishi pressroom and Carscoops. Australian buyers will get it first, in four grades, before the end of 2026, per CarsGuide; the US version, badged Montero, has no confirmed date yet. #enthusiast

Following up: Ford's 741K-Vehicle Rollaway Recall Has 9 Injuries on Record, and Repairs Could Take 10 Months: The recall covers 2018-2021 Expedition and Lincoln Navigator, 2020-2021 Explorer and Lincoln Aviator, and 2021 F-150, with a transmission park pawl that can engage temporarily rather than lock, per CarComplaints. NHTSA's record shows 24 property damage reports and 9 injuries; dealers will update software and inspect or replace parts, but the fix could take up to 10 months to reach all vehicles. Autoblog and Just Auto both confirmed the NHTSA filing. → If you own one: Check NHTSA.gov for recall 26V402, contact your dealer to schedule the software update, and avoid leaving the vehicle unattended on any slope until repaired.

VW CEO to Seek Board Approval for 100,000 Job Cuts: Volkswagen Group CEO Oliver Blume plans to ask the supervisory board in July to approve eliminating as many as 100,000 jobs worldwide, 15% of the workforce, and closing four factories, in what Automotive News calls the largest restructuring in modern German corporate history.

Tesla Sends Steering-Wheel-Free Cybercab to Austin Streets: Tesla confirmed it has sent the first production Cybercabs, built with no steering wheel or pedals, to on-road testing in Austin, per TechCrunch and Teslarati, relying on its self-certification approach as NHTSA weighs revising the federal standard to permit the configuration.

Toyota and Joby Form Joint Venture to Build Electric Air Taxis: Toyota and Joby Aviation announced the initial phase of a manufacturing joint venture aimed at scaling production of Joby's S4 eVTOL, a six-rotor aircraft that carries four passengers and a pilot, per the Toyota pressroom; Toyota has invested hundreds of millions into Joby over nearly a decade, per Carscoops.

2027 Dodge Charger Gets $795 Purple Haze Paint for Its 60th Anniversary: Dodge is adding a limited-run Purple Haze finish to all 2027 Charger variants, including the electric Daytona, for $795, per MotorTrend; Carscoops notes that the Charger still lacks the V8 that most fans actually want.

Yesterday's picks

2027 BMW X5 Debuts With Five Powertrains, an iX5 EV, and Flush "Winglet" Door Handles: BMW's first electric X5 starts at $81,250 with 435 miles of range, assembled in South Carolina alongside a $1.7 billion U.S. investment.

Ford Recalls 741,000 F-150s, Explorers, and Navigators Over Rollaway Risk: Transmission parking pawl defect creates rollaway risk across 2018-2021 Expedition/Navigator, 2020-2021 Explorer/Aviator, and 2021 F-150; owners should check NHTSA.gov for recall 26V402.

Used Car Prices Jumped More Than $1,300 in the First Half of 2026: Tariff-driven demand front-loading tightened supply, pushing average used prices up over $1,300 while new-vehicle list prices rose $2,421 year-over-year.

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