Justin Westbrook
(He/Him)
Brooklyn, New York
As seen in:
MSN,
Yahoo Entertainment,
USA Today,
Gizmodo,
Gizmodo en Español,
Flipboard,
AZCentral | The Arizona Republic,
Kinja,
Jalopnik,
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
and
Articles by Justin Westbrook
Toyota's Sports Cars Are Outselling BMW's By More Than 3 To 1 Original
If you compare BMW and Toyota when it comes to traditional and old-school sports cars, you'd usually give the German company the upper hand. After all, BMW has spent decades building its core identity around rear-wheel-drive machines with strong engines that aim to provide maximum driving pleasure to their owners.
Why Buy A New Toyota Tacoma, When This V8 Mercedes-AMG Wagon Costs The Same?
Across the entire automotive world, some pricing discrepancies are more apparent than others. What we mean is, you can find examples of models that cost roughly the same amount of money, but pack quite a lot more with regard to power, luxury, poise, or all of the above. Typically, this can be seen with used versus new models, wherein a new base model sedan might cost the same as a used luxury flagship.
China Publishes Nissan Sylphy Images, Previews Next-Gen Sentra Sedan
Similar to the process of automakers trademarking new names and patenting their designs with the US government, companies have to do similar registration in China through its Ministry of Industry and Information Technology office. Unlike the system in the US, which can keep certain details out of the public eye for a few years until the vehicle actually debuts, China doesn't hold back and posts new-model details regularily to its website.
BMW Kneecapped The Toyota Supra By Hoarding Its S58 Engine, Report Says
BMW and Toyota certainly took the world by surprise when the two automakers announced the joint development of the BMW Z4 and Toyota GR Supra back in 2018. The collaboration ended up delivering two well-received performance vehicles that captured many enthusiasts' hearts. Toyota announced a Supra Final Edition earlier this year; in Europe it gets a small tune good for 429 horsepower, but a new report indicates Toyota wanted to push it even further with a totally different engine.
The 2026 Mercedes-AMG E53 Hybrid Wagon Is A Relative Performance Bargain
Right now, Mercedes-Benz only sells one wagon in the US, and even that vehicle kind of cheats, considering it's the E-Class All-Terrain which is closer in design and purpose to a crossover. But it's also been pretty successful with reviewers and shoppers, and now that German rivals Audi and BMW are having some high-performance wagon fun in the US, Mercedes is jumping in with a second wagon for Americans. And it's cheaper than those two competitors ... by a lot.
'No Compromise:' BMW Won't Back Down On Gas Cars Despite 2035 EU Combustion Ban
BMW finally took the wraps off of its first production-ready Neue Klasse next-gen vehicle with the debut of the all-electric iX3 SUV at IAA Mobility, where it also previewed a camouflaged version of the next-gen all-electric 3 Series sedan called the i3. These models represent a completely new design direction for the company, as well as an updated technology package. BMW already told us this design trend will come to all future BMWs regardless of the powertrain.
Skoda Vision O Concept Debuts At IAA Mobility, Previews Future Wagon
In Europe, the Skoda brand can be thought of as the Czech flavor of the Volkswagen Group's fundamental vehicle lineup of affordable hatchbacks, sedans, wagons, and SUVs, borrowing platforms and tech but applying its own style. In the past, it'd been reported that Skoda was the second-most profitable brand for VW. The automaker is also a segment leader in estate (wagon) sales, and now, we're seeing why.
Czech Local Apprehended For Driving Ferrari F1 Car In Public
It's likely not a very easy nor affordable process to take ownership of a single-seat race car. It's another thing altogether to keep it running for years. However, that's exactly what one Czech local has apparently managed to do since at least 2019. Motorists and bystanders have reported –for years, mind you – that a single-seat racer mocked up to look like a Ferrari Formula 1 car has taken to public roads multiple times, somehow never getting snagged by any authorities.
VW's Plan To Align Future Gas And Electric Vehicles Starts With The ID.4
Volkswagen threw a big party at the IAA Mobility 2025 auto show in Munich, Germany with the debut of the new VW ID. Polo electric hatchback and ID. Cross Concept electric crossover. The pair of new EVs are said to preview the future design language of the automaker as it starts to blend its ID lineup of EVs with its existing gas model branding, with the new ID. Polo as the first example of this unified branding strategy for the future.
Listen To The 2026 Porsche 911 Turbo S Growl As It Laps The Nurburgring
Porsche just took the camouflage off of its new flagship 2026 Porsche 911 Turbo S, sporting a tuned version of the automaker's new T-hybrid powertrain setup that previously showed up on the 911 GTS trim. But the new Turbo S was put through its paces months ago leading up to this moment, and now, the brand has already revealed the car's lap around the infamous Nurburgring. The lap actually occurred way back in the fall of 2024.
Here's The First Good Look At The Production BMW i3 Electric Sedan
Earlier today, we finally got to see the production version of the all-new, all-electric 2027 BMW iX3 SUV that shows off the German automaker's future Neue Klasse design philosophy and technology suite. However, in the fashion of Apple's Steve Jobs, BMW had "one more thing" up its sleeve at the SUV's reveal: a quick look at a camouflaged early production prototype of the next-generation BMW 3 Series sedan. Or rather, the electric i3 version that will hit the streets.
ICE Raid Detains Hundreds Of Hyundai Workers At Georgia Battery Factory
Just a few years after a major child labor scandal in the US hit Hyundai's supplier group, the federal government is going after Hyundai for immigration enforcement. Reports indicate that the Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency conducted a raid on a construction site at the Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America compound located near Savannah, Georgia.
Acura Integra Sales Are Down Almost 26% This Year
The return of the iconic Acura Integra nameplate a couple of years ago had everyone excited, and it was mostly met with positive reviews. Some claimed it was a little underwhelming, taking the basic Acura design language from the rest of the lineup and adopting it to a slightly more curvy and sporty liftback sedan body style. They even threw in a manual transmission option for enthusiasts clamoring for one.
Audi's New Sports Car Won't Ever Get The One Thing Enthusiasts Want
Audi once dominated the sports sedan, coupe, and limousine market with its sleek and powerful designs. The iconic blade of the R8 coupe and spyder, the aerodynamic roundness of the TT coupe, and the revolutionary long-roof shape and active aero of the first A7 still resonate today. That's especially true amid the brand's current SUV-heavy lineup, though Audi has been openly concerned about its lack of a flagship sports model in recent years.
Polestar Reports A Net Loss Of $1 Billion Through June 2025
Polestar just can't catch a break, despite seemingly doing things mostly right so far. This year, the brand has managed to dramatically grow its retail footprint – it's now selling its vehicles in 28 global markets, and as a result, it's earning more sales than ever before with a growing lineup. However, the current global economic climate of tariffs on vehicles and their components has hit the automaker very hard. How hard?
Volkswagen Is Finally Doing Something About Its Terrible Naming Strategy
Volkswagen has not been very secretive about the next wave of its initiative to introduce more affordable all-electric vehicles, as it's already revealed a concept design called the ID. 2all with some preemptive spec details. Thankfully, the German automaker has now announced that the terrible name for that new hatchback EV will not stick around, instead adopting the classic VW Polo name as the future ID. Polo EV when it goes into production early next year.
You Can't Buy These Colorful Custom Mini Coopers. But You Might Be Able To Wear Them
Back in 2022, artist Matt Willey teamed up with the Deus X Machina lifestyle brand to design a customized livery for a 1998 Mini Cooper mock-up racer, which was inspired by the classic Minis that had won the Monte Carlo Rally back in the 1960s. It was mostly painted black with a ton of lettered references to locations and events, with white doors and white roof that featured a large black X, as well as orange touches on the mirrors and fuel cap.
BMW And Toyota Are Teaming Up Again, But This Time It's No Sports Car
BMW is ramping up on what it claims to be its first-ever series production hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicle, going on sale by 2028. However, the German automaker has had a few "first hydrogen cars" in its past, dating all the way back to the late 1970s.
Lotus Slashes UK Workforce By 40%, Heralding Dangerous Times
The current global economic climate has caused chaos for just about every automaker; from dwindling EV demand to unpredictable legislation shifts and a global tariff war, it's not a good place to be for any automaker, let alone niche ones like Lotus. The British sports car maker is finding this out the hard way, as it has announced plans to lay off 550 staff members at its Hethel HQ.
Audi Kills The A7 And S7 In The US, But Saves The RS7 For Now
Audi has been steadily adjusting its lineup strategy, and part of that seems to include considerable shrinkage of its US lineup. The German automaker has already retired the Audi A4 sedan from the US market, citing the new 2025 Audi A5 as a suitable mid-size offering instead. Around the same time, early rumors indicated the A7 sedan could soon meet the same fate, and now Audi has confirmed as much. The A7 and S7 Sportback models will not be offered for the 2026 model year in America.
Giant Screens Are Coming For Japan's Tiny Kei Cars Thanks To Nissan
In Japan, the so-called "kei car" is the smallest category of roadway vehicle you're still allowed to drive on the country's expressways, and the humble Nissan Roox has spent its life trying to maximize what it can offer in such a tiny package. The same can be said for the latest fourth-generation, which the automaker just debuted for the Japanese domestic market.
Ineos Grenadier SUV And Quartermaster Pickup Get Dramatic Price Drop In August Despite Tariffs
UK-based Ineos Automotive is still trying to get off the ground, despite offering two compelling off-road packages in the mid-size Grenadier SUV and the Quartermaster pickup truck that hit the US market earlier this year. The automaker hasn't moved a massive volume just yet, but it does claim that America ekes it out as its largest market, so it makes sense that the company is reducing prices to maintain demand amid recent US tariffs on imported models from Europe.
'I Wanted To Hate It' Says Porsche Engineer About EV Prototype With Fake Gearbox
When it comes to making high-performance electric vehicles act and sound like their shifty gas counterparts, it's been the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N that's done the most so far, to mixed but mostly positive reviews, and a few awards along the way. That Korean EV uses unique torque mapping and programming to simulate the various power outputs of different gears in a traditional transmission.
Porsche CEO Allegedly Ready To Step Down, Will Focus On VW Instead
Things are not looking too good for Porsche at the moment, with slipping demand for its EV models in the US, plus new tariffs on all of its cars in that market as well, and it's even having trouble selling sports cars in China. The German automaker says it took a 90 percent hit on its profits in the last quarter as a result. Its parent company, Volkswagen Group, is also facing some major global headwinds, as it also deals with the same issues.
G-Power's Tuned BMW M4 Convertible Makes Over 700 HP, Goes 200 MPH
German tuning company G-Power has been modifying and boosting cars since the 1980s, which makes them a little more straightforward and subtle in their approach compared to some flashier competitors. G-Power already has a wild upgrade package for the current G82 generation of the BMW M4 coupe, which throws a wall of carbon fiber at the car along with engine upgrades and interior goodies.
No Hemi Powered Ram 1500 TRX? Hennessey Says No Problem With 700-HP Ram RHO
While everybody eagerly awaits the much-anticipated return of the V8 Hemi to the Ram 1500 truck lineup, Hennessey is busy working with what it has in front of them now. That means tuning up the Hurricane inline-six engine currently filling Ram's truck lineup. The American tuner that's known for wild muscle machines is no stranger to adapting its skills to pickup trucks (for longer than you might think, even), but this new truck is a little different. No, it doesn't have a 6x6 conversion.
Ford Mustang Will Keep Combustion Engines For The Foreseeable Future: Report
A new report offers fresh insight into what Ford is likely planning for the next generation of gas, hybrid, and all-electric new models over the next decade of development. There seems to be something in the works for everyone, at least for now, with money thrown at a new modular EV platform revealed earlier this year, as well as indications that legacy nameplates, including the iconic Ford Mustang, will carry on with existing and new configurations.
Nissan Rogue, Altima, Infiniti QX50 Owners Sue Over Allegedly Faulty Engines
Last week, a new class action lawsuit from owners of the Volkswagen ID4 electric SUV was presented in New Jersey concerning allegedly dangerous steering wheel controls and driver assistance systems. Now, another group of owners is going after an automaker, with a new class action suit alleging that vehicles from Nissan and Infiniti equipped with the automaker's unique variable compression (VC) turbo gas engines could be faulty and potentially dangerous.
Chrysler's Latest Concept Looks Like A Bad Trip To Autozone
The Chrysler Pacifica has been around in its same basic configuration since the 2017 model year, and it will likely continue to be on sale for a while since it's still fairly popular, and also, it's pretty much Chrysler's only model. The automaker has been playing with new special editions and potential trims for the model, including a 100th Anniversary of Chrysler edition earlier this year based on the Select trim.
Next-Gen Infiniti Q50 Kills EV Plans, Will Have Z Power With RWD And A Manual
The Infiniti brand is not in its best position at the moment. The choice to discontinue the QX50 and QX55 SUVs earlier than expected in the US market struck a blow; those SUVs accounted for a quarter of Infiniti's US sales, even if the brand reportedly wasn't making much, if any, profit from them. With the long-in-the-tooth Infiniti Q50 sedan going out of production last year, that left the Japanese luxury with just the larger QX60 and QX80 SUVs, which recently received major updates.
It Sure Sounds Like Ford Is Building A Crazy-Expensive Off-Road Supercar
Earlier this year, Ford CEO Jim Farley confidently announced that he wanted the Blue Oval brand to be the go-to automaker for anything off-road. In an age where European supercar brands have tiptoed off-road with vehicles like the Porsche 911 Dakar and Lamborghini Huracán Sterrato, it makes sense that an off-road-obsessed Ford would go chasing after them. After all, the company does have a history of making supercars with a few successful generations of the iconic Ford GT.
The Totem GT Super SP Is The Carbon-Bodied Alfa Romeo Restomod Of Your Dreams
Totem Automobili's restomod inspired by the iconic Alfa Romeo Giulia GT, GTA, and GTV sports cars of the 1960s and 1970s has been around for a few years, which it dubs the Totem GT Super. Now, the company wants to move on to other projects, but not before it sends its carbon-bodied GT out on a high note with a limited-run final edition that takes things further than ever before, with a stretched chassis, tweaked design, fresh exhaust, and more power.
VW Owners Hate Touch Controls So Much They're Suing The Automaker For It
Early owners and reviewers of new Volkswagen EVs like the VW ID4 and ID Buzz have been fairly vocal about how unsatisfying the interior interface controls can be. The German automaker opted for capacitive touch points and sliders instead of physical buttons and switches. Now, a class-action lawsuit issued in New Jersey back in June alleges those very controls are unsafe, and that the feature was misrepresented by marketing claims regarding ease of use and safety.
What Tariffs? The 2026 Mazda3 Is Only Slightly More Expensive Than Last Year
The market for traditional compact affordable sedans and hatchbacks is shrinking, but the 2026 Mazda 3 isn't backing down from what's been offered before. That would make sense, as sales of the model in the US actually went up year over year between 2023 and 2024, and have held somewhat steady in a very tumultuous 2025 so far.
New McLaren CEO Is Already Implementing Strategic Changes In Design And Direction
McLaren faces a few key challenges at the moment. There are reports of slipping demand and a dimming enthusiasm for its supercars, and the company has more competitors in the supercar realm than ever. That's not to say McLaren has done anything particularly wrong with its vehicles up until now, but we have to admit it's getting a little same-y across the lineup regarding design and company direction.
Bugatti Head Designer Explains Limits On One-Off Solitaire Program
Despite initially announcing an official retirement of its old high-performance W16 engine, Bugatti surprised the world earlier this month with one more very special car dubbed the Brouillard.
Notorious BMW M4 Speeder Who Bragged On Social Media Finally Gets Busted
The Haywood unit of the California Highway Patrol can hold their head up high this week. They finally caught a repeat speed offender, taking the driver into custody and impounding his BMW M4 after a final high-speed police chase. According to police, as well as videos posted to various social media accounts by the offender, the M4 was able to successfully evade police while reaching speeds of up to 170 mph on public roads, at least a few times.
Ford Is Still Building The GT Mk IV For Customers, And Its Quicker Than Ever
The newest 2016 Ford GT supercar shocked the world with its surprise debut at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show, where it won the crowd popularity contest against the also-new Acura NSX. The new GT also came with a promise for the car to return to motorsport and take on the 24 Hours of Le Mans race again, which the original Ford GT40 had famously won in the past. Lucky for Ford, the new GT managed to place first and third at the 2016 Le Mans race, cementing the latest generation as another icon.
Range Rover Recalls Over 120,000 SUVs For Faulty Suspension Setups
A new safety recall issued this week by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) lists more than 120,000 Range Rover and Range Rover Sport SUVs as being at risk of failing suspension components. The issue was first highlighted by a similar safety body to the north, Transport Canada. For some reason, the issue was initially believed to potentially be market-specific to Canada, but it was later proven to be a concern for US models, which are assembled at the same factory.
Chinese Level 4 Robot Cars Are Already Here, But They Can't Go Anywhere Yet
A new challenger to Tesla and Waymo's self-driving vehicle efforts was announced today. Tensor, an upstart from California, claims to have a new vehicle capable of advanced Level 4 autonomous driving that it hopes to start selling in the Middle East, Europe, and the US by the end of next year.
This V8 Lotus Supercar From The 1980s Was Meant To Battle Ferrari
Lotus was in a pretty good place in the late 1970s. The Esprit coupe landed a starring role in 1977's James Bond flick The Spy Who Loved Me. The company had a few Formula 1 racing successes, and cutting-edge technology development with carbon fiber and active suspensions was on the horizon. Famed Lotus owner Colin Chapman was ready for the next age of the automaker, and requested the development of a new mid-engine supercar unlike anything it had produced before.
US Government Denies EV Carpool Program Extension
The US Environmental Protection Agency has announced it has no current plans to extend existing Clean Air Vehicle Decal programs across more than a dozen states that allow alternative-fueled vehicles, like hydrogen, hybrid, or electric vehicles, to use carpool lanes, even with a sole occupant. The current program will expire at the end of September 2025, and despite being largely a state-run operation where it's offered, it still requires federal approval through the EPA.
This Is The Only Factory White Ferrari 250 GTO Ever Built, And It's For Sale
Past auctions have proven that the iconic early 1960s Ferrari 250 GTO is one of the most valuable, coveted, and collectible classic cars on the market. The actual homologation process for the road version of the race car was something of a mess, with 100 cars ultimately required, but only a little more than 30 250 GTO body styles were built.
The 2026 Kia EV5 GT Performance Trim Goes On Sale Early Next Year
Kia already sells three electric vehicles in the US, including the Niro, EV6, and EV9 SUVs, though overall sales of the Korean automaker's EVs have been slipping dramatically in recent quarters. That could be why it's still unclear whether the new Kia EV5 electric SUV will come stateside, despite a planned global market launch this year.
This 2009 BMW 535i Wagon For Sale Has An Awesome Secret
The E60 and E61 generations of the BMW 5 Series got off to an awkward start for the 2004 model year with the controversial Chris Bangle styling, the first-generation of the iDrive infotainment system, more advanced driver assistance and safety systems, and it was the first 5 to get a turbocharged version of the German brand's iconic inline-six gas engine setup.
Tesla Shareholders Sue Elon Musk And Company Over Self-Driving Tech Issues
Back in June 2025, Tesla launched a new robotaxi ride-share pilot program in Texas, offering transport to opt-in customers in a geo-locked region of Austin at first, using modified Tesla Model Y electric SUVs. It didn't take long for the program to gain a concerning reputation for occasionally making errors like illegal turns, sudden braking, curb-hopping, speeding, and even entering the wrong or oncoming lane of traffic.
Jeep Gladiator 392 Could Finally Happen Because The Hemi Isn't Going Away
The Stellantis family of automakers, which includes Dodge, Ram, Chrysler, and Jeep, is recovering from a bit of an identity crisis as it swaps over to a new executive team and reorganizes its leadership structure. One of the biggest debates in recent years has been the ongoing, perpetually-extended demise of the famous Hemi V8, which comes in various displacements and setups.
The Next BMW X3 M Will Be Electric But Won't Have An 'i' Badge: Report
BMW is planning an onslaught of brand-new all-electric models based on its Neue Klasse technology and fresh design philosophy. An electric version of the next-gen 3 Series sedan and an electric X3 compact SUV are expected to get things started. Now, two reports indicate that the top-tier performance trim tuned by the BMW M division will have straightforward, classic branding without "i" designations BMW used in the past.
Ford's SUVs Are Still Quite Popular In A Very Surprising Place
When it comes to western automakers approaching the Chinese auto market, the trend seems to be that the more luxurious and premium automakers tailor exclusive models to Chinese tastes with different designs and powertrain configurations. Other more approachable/mainstream brands offer up what everyone else around the globe gets, to varying degrees of success for both camps.
Tata Group CRO PB Balaji To Replace Adrian Mardell As JLR CEO
The Jaguar brand is in a weird spot right now. It currently has zero models on sale anywhere in the world, save for any remaining inventory left over from it shutting down its final production line earlier this year. The pause is meant to only be temporary, with the radical new Jaguar Type 00 concept car previewing a new model said to be on track for a summer 2026 debut.
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with Justin
Contact Justin, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack