Tested: 2027 Tesla Model Y L Reinvents the Station Wagon

The Mercedes-Benz G-Class is still one of the most luxurious off-road SUVs you can buy. It's also one of the most expensive, with the G550 starting at $153,900 (plus $1,150 in destination charges) and the price with options and AMG badges only going up from there. Still, the G-Wagon does stand out defiantly against the crossoverfication of the industry, with its upright boxiness remaining uncompromised from its launch in 1979 all the way up to today. It isn't just a look either. Underneath all the modern Mercedes-Benz luxury remains real ladder-frame off-road credibility, complete with a solid rear axle, mechanically locking differentials, and proper low range gearing. Fortunately, the G-Class doesn't have exclusive rights to the rolling brick aesthetic, and you can still get some portion of G-Wagon energy for less than a G-Wagon MSRP. From relative up-and-comers like the Ineos Grenadier or the Rivian R1S to historical direct competitors like the Land Rover Defender, you can absolutely capture some of that boxy magic without spending quite as much, and in some cases by spending $100,000 less.

Maserati and Stellantis executives have confirmed that the historic luxury brand isn’t disappearing anytime soon. Maserati is reportedly developing a new electric SUV and a shooting brake-style crossover, per a report from Auto Express. A thorough plan outlining Maserati’s future will reportedly be revealed this December in Modena, Italy. A Maserati-sized seat was empty at the Paris auto show this week, but the automaker is gearing up for a big reveal in December, according to a report from Auto Express. To revive a dwindling lineup, Maserati is reportedly preparing to revive the Levante as an EV SUV and reinvent the Quattroporte. Maserati has struggled for a while. Slipping sales, expensive import tariffs, and an uncertain future have weighed on the Italian brand. In recent years, rumors have circulated about Maserati getting kicked out from under the Stellantis umbrella, but Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa told Bloomberg TV this week, as reported by Motor1, that Maserati isn’t getting the boot anytime soon. Andrew Trahan|Car and DriverHowever, to stay in the game, Maserati needs to roll out some big changes.

Tyler Reddick won his sixth race of the season and his first in six months at Phoenix Raceway, keeping his championship hopes alive with a 61-point day. Reddick started the season with a three-race streak and then went five for nine, with his last win coming at Kansas Speedway on April 19th. A once-championship favorite that fell out of conversation as other drivers stacked wins and points through the summer and first half of the playoffs. His win halved his points deficit to the leader; he entered 114 points behind Kyle Larson and, with Larson’s no-points day, finished 56 points back. Larson’s lack of pace, followed by a tire failure and a DNF, means that every driver in contention for the championship behind them just saw the door crack open. Denny Hamlin entered Phoenix second in the championship, and 49 points behind; now Joey Logano is just 44 points behind Larson and sixth in the standings. Reddick restarted fourth on the final restart with 23 laps to go, becoming the first driver to pit for right-side scuffs, with Chase Briscoe, Chase Elliott, and Ty Gibbs ahead on 10- to 14-lap-old tires.

A few weeks ago I was in Rome for the reveal of Bridgestone's new Formula E tires, and luckily I had a few hours of free time to walk around the city, see some incredible ancient ruins and, more importantly, do some carspotting. Not even five minutes after setting down my bags and leaving my hotel, I spotted what must be the most perfect way to get around Rome: This bright red Fiat 500 Jolly. In 1957, Fiat boss Gianni Agnelli wanted a vehicle he could load onto his yacht and use around town on vacations, commissioning Carrozzeria Ghia to design and build something based on the then-brand-new Fiat 500. Ghia removed the roof (though you could get an awning-like canvas one), chopped the windshield, gave it custom bodywork without any doors and side windows, and stripped out the interior, replacing the regular seats with wicker ones. The ultimate beachside ride was born, with Ghia building a few hundred Jollys based on both the 500 and the slightly larger 600.

For decades, one of the biggest debates among off-road enthusiasts has been whether gas or diesel trucks make for the better off-roader. There are plenty of good reasons to run both types of vehicles on your favorite trails, but gas and diesel enjoyers alike have a new issue to worry about. That would be the new kid on the block: electric SUVs with purported off-road chops for days. While it might've once been inconceivable that an electric vehicle could even come close to matching the performance of off-road all-stars like the Toyota Tundra, the Subaru Forester Wilderness, and even the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, the introduction of the Rivian R1S and R1T in 2021 turned the off-roading world upside down. As it turns out, modern EVs aren't just highly capable on pavement; they can also be tuned for seriously impressive rock crawling, and they even have some significant benefits over their competitors with traditional internal combustion engines. For one, many EVs have excellent ground clearance, and they need fewer pieces of specialized gear to excel on even the most challenging wilderness trails.