BYD’s Rolls-Royce-like flagship EV is heading overseas

The Honda Ridgeline is a great pickup — perhaps the best truck on the market for buyers who are honest with themselves about what they do with their trucks — but it does lack some of the rough-and-tumble attitude certain buyers in certain markets could be looking for. That could explain why Honda has officially turned to Mitsubishi for help in that area. The automaker will sell its first body-on-frame pickup truck in 2028, a rebadged version of Mitsubishi's Triton, in an effort to fend off rivals from China. We first told you this was a possibility earlier this month, but the two Japanese automakers made the deal official this week, with Honda saying it would sell its version of Mitsubishi's one-ton, ladder-frame pickup primarily in Southeast Asia, according to Automotive News. Honda says this new truck will have a design distinct enough to differentiate it from the Triton.

Porsche might be planning a $400,000 911 model to help make up for recent drops in profit, Automotive News reports. Porsche product and individualization vice president Alexander Fabig says there’s more money to squeeze from top-end 911 models, in addition to the boost that will likely come from the production version of the recently revealed Mission S concept. The exec said that the 911 S/C, a convertible based on the GT3, is 95 percent more expensive than the most basic 911 on sale today. But “Future products,” he added, “could exceed a 200 percent price premium over the base model.”Since the basic 911 starts at over $135,000, that would mean a 911 with a starting price of $400,000 or more. The 911 S/T that served as the capstone for the 992.1-generation 911 started at just under $300,000, so this would suggest a serious leap in price for future range-topping models. Previous 911 generations have included a GT2, and other non-911 ranges have been topped by a Turbo GT, so Porsche has a few badges in reserve that could be used for various ultimate forms of its 992.2-generation car even if it does not opt for a new variant.

While NASCAR's drivers were in the midst of the series' playoffs known as The Chase, the youth of the series took on a different kind of chase. NASCAR partnered with Donut Media to set up a special obstacle course where three  young drivers competed behind the wheel of the world's smallest and likely slowest vehicle currently made: the Peel P50. "Top Gear" fans will likely recognize the iconic little blue one-person motoring vehicle from an episode in which Jeremy Clarkson drives it through the BBC offices. The three-wheeled Peel P50, originally produced for four model years in the 1960s, and eventually resurrected for production today. It weighs in at 230 pounds with a remarkable top speed of about 30-35 mph.

Tom started his career as a daily newspaper reporter in metro Detroit and after a decade changed course to cover cars, spending the next 25 years at Wards Automotive doing test drives, technology and supplier coverage, editing WardsAuto World magazine and managing the Wards 10 Best competitions for powertrains, then interiors, then the user experience. He became executive editor at Autoweek in 2022 and joined Valnet in 2025. At CarBuzz, he's returned to his roots: a reporter seeking out news and trends and telling stories, but with more experience. Tom's wife has been putting up with him since 1990, and they have two adult children. He runs half-marathons and plays guitar in a rock band with other Detroit auto writers, called the Exhaust Tones. There is nothing straightforward about designing an automotive interior these days. You need comfortable seats, good ergonomics, and materials that don't reflect lowest-bidder quality. But never before have designers had so many features and technologies competing for space on the instrument panel. The proliferation of larger screens could help manage it – or frustrate overwhelmed consumers.

There’s more to Fiat than, well, Fiat. The Italian family car manufacturer chugs on within Stellantis, constantly digging into its storied history to remind buyers what great cars it has been making, and it’s right to do that. For decades, Fiat has been building some of the definitive European hatchbacks, from the 127 to the Panda to the Uno, while in North America it’s possibly best remembered for its 124 Spider roadsters and retro-designed 500 subcompacts. But under Fiat’s umbrella is also a sprawling web of formerly independent Italian carmakers, which the dominant company snapped up one after the other. Lancia, the luxury car manufacturer that found fantastic rally success in the 1970s and 1980s, Alfa Romeo, the sports car manufacturer that really nailed the concept of the sports sedan. Innocenti, the scooter manufacturer that built Italian versions of British cars – and Autobianchi, the brand that launched the front-wheel-drive hatchback with a transverse engine, a layout that’s practically taken for granted these days.

Nigel first entered the world of automotive journalism in the mid-80s, working for what was then the “bible” of weekly automotive content - Motoring News. Those were the days of tip-tap typewriters, landline telephones and proper news cycles. Social media was yet to become a modern-day plague and people waited for their automotive news until Tuesday mornings. Nigel has remained a gearhead since the early days in London. He's enjoyed a variety of roles in marketing, PR and events with such storied brands as Ferrari, Maserati and Lamborghini. He has spent much of adult life in the United States, but currently resides in (a much colder) United Kingdom.