Autoblog News
Hosted by Chris Shunk, Dan Roth and Zach Bowman, the Autoblog Podcast is the long-running no-holds-barred audio-only counterpart to Autoblog.com. On the show we drop the pretense of being professional automotive journalists so we can passionately talk about cars like the real automotive enthusiasts that we are. Special guests including other Autoblog.com staff and titans of the auto industry are also common, and every week we answer your questions.
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Cadillac Prices Are Surging Past $84,000 as Buyers Stretch to Keep Up
<h2>Cadillac Prices Are Climbing Fast</h2><p>Cadillac is seeing a serious spike in what buyers are paying. According to a report from Cox Automotive, in March 2026, the average transaction price hit $84,139, up 11.6% from last year and 3.0% from February, a big jump in a short time.</p><p>It aligns with a broader industry shift in which expensive vehicles, especially SUVs, are dominating. Cadillac, with its lineup of premium models, is right in the sweet spot of that trend.</p> <p>Cadillac</p> <h2>The Market Is Starting to Look Like a Luxury Club</h2><p>This is where...
“Drive Less,” Says Chevron Exec as Gas Tops $4 a Gallon
<h2>Chevron Exec Says “Drive Less” as Fuel Crisis Deepens</h2><p>Comments from Andy Walz, president of downstream, midstream, and chemicals at Chevron, are striking a nerve as global fuel prices surge. Speaking to CBS News, Walz urged Americans to rethink their driving habits: “People should try to drive less. They should try to conserve energy… We should be doing that all the time.” </p><p>The remarks come as oil markets reel from geopolitical instability, particularly disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, which typically carries about 20% of the world’s oil supply. With tanker traffic reduced, Brent crude has climbed...
Mustang GTD Competition Runs 6:40 to Beat Corvette ZR1X at the Nürburgring—But It’s Not Over Yet
<p>The Ford Mustang GTD has just rewritten the record books at the Nürburgring Nordschleife. A lighter, more powerful, more aerodynamic GTD Competition variant has reset the benchmark with a time of 6:40.835 around the Green Hell, beating the GTD's previous time by 11 seconds and the Corvette ZR1X's time (6:49.275) by over eight seconds to become the fastest American car at the circuit, the second fastest production car ever to run the course—behind only the Mercedes-AMG ONE hypercar (6:29.090)—and the sixth fastest for the Nürburgring Pre-Production/Prototype Class. You can watch an on-board video of the record at the bo...
Mini Turned the Countryman Into a Rolling Boombox With Built-In Speakers
<h2>Show Cars with a Point</h2><p>One-off show cars usually exist to test boundaries, not rack up sales. They’re rolling design exercises that let brands explore ideas without worrying about production realities. In the case of Mini, that idea has always revolved around individuality.</p> <p>Mini</p> <p>Mini teamed up with Austrian design studio Vagabund to create two Countryman SUVs that look nothing like what you’d find at a dealership. Vagabund is known for turning the ordinary into something expressive, and here, they’ve injected a strong dose of culture and lifestyle into the mix.<...
Ford's New Explorer EV Van May Be Exactly What The US Needs
<p>Ford has just revealed a new version of the electric Explorer in Europe. But don’t be fooled, this isn’t aimed at families. It’s a commercial vehicle. And oddly enough, if you add some seats in the back, it might be closer to what some buyers hoped the Mustang Mach-E would be from the start.</p><h2>A Simpler, More Useful Explorer EV</h2> <p>The new Explorer Van is essentially a two-seat version of the standard electric SUV, reworked for fleet use. The rear seats have been replaced with a flat load floor, while a full bulkhe...
Mazda Files for RX-8 Trademark Again—And a Comeback Could Be Next
<h2>Still Chasing the Rotary Dream</h2><p>Call it resilience or sheer stubbornness, but Mazda still wants to include rotary engines in its future lineup. Of course, making that happen has been a challenge, to say the least. On their own, rotary engines emit a lot of emissions, and given the automotive industry regulations now, Mazda faces an uphill battle that gets steeper every day.</p><p>Mazda gave the rotary another shot fairly recently with the MX-30 e-SkyActiv-R. It used a rotary engine as a generator for the electric motor, and it was a cross between a plug-in...
Winter Weather Alert: 50-Degree Drop Brings Snow to I-70 and Threatens Black Ice Across Colorado This Weekend
<p>If you are driving I-70 this weekend, today is not the day to start. The National Weather Service has a Winter Weather Advisory active right now for Colorado's mountain passes and a Freeze Warning covering the entire Front Range urban corridor and northeast plains tonight through Saturday morning. The storm clears Saturday, but the damage to roads and vegetation will already be done.</p><p>What makes this one worth paying attention to is not the snow totals in the mountains. It is the freeze behind it. Denver was in the upper 70s yesterday. Tonight, lows across the Front...
Mercedes’ 646-HP AMG CLE Could Make the BMW M4 CSL Look Tame
<p>Earlier this year, Mercedes teased an extreme new AMG CLE under its Mythos sub-brand, a division dedicated to ultra-low-volume special editions, and now the Autoblog spies have snapped a development mule up close at the Nürburgring. First impressions? This will be a far more aggressive vehicle than anything in the BMW lineup, including the 543-horsepower M4 CSL, with plenty of aerodynamic aids and even a roll cage. Okay, the roll cage may only be there for on-track security during testing, but we wouldn't be surprised if such a thing were offered in the markets that legally allow it. W...
Hyundai’s Elantra N TCR Edition Brings Race-Car Hardware for $39K
<p>Hyundai has put a price on the hottest version of its Elantra N entry-level performance car, the limited-edition 2026 Elantra N TCR Edition.</p><p>Built to celebrate the six-consecutive Hyundai TCR Manufacturers’ Championships in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge, the TCR Edition starts at $39,250 for the manual transmission model and $40,750 for the eight-speed wet dual-clutch transmission (DCT) version; the prices exclude a $1,245 destination charge.</p><p>Compared to the regular Elantra N, the TCR Edition commands a $4,150 premium regardless of the transmission choice.</p><h2>Racing-Inspired Upgrades Make It Stand Out From the Standard Elantra N</h2> <p>Hyundai Mo...
This Startup Could Beat Toyota to the EV Holy Grail
<p>Solid-state batteries have been the electric vehicle industry's most coveted prize for the better part of a decade. The reason is simple. Today's lithium-ion batteries use a liquid electrolyte that is flammable, heavy, and chemically unstable at extreme temperatures. Swap that liquid out for a solid material, and you get a battery that cannot catch fire, holds significantly more energy per kilogram, and degrades far more slowly over time. Better range, better safety, longer life. It sounds almost too good to be true. The catch has always been getting one off a lab bench and onto a factory floor...
