The Drive

Ask the seasoned veterans and team headhunters up and down the Formula 1 paddock, and there’s only one name they’ll whisper when discussing rising talent and untapped potential: “Gabi.” As someone with decades of experience in various F1 teams put it to me, “he’s got the same level of talent as Max and Kimi, but maybe an even stronger work ethic.” Those are fighting words, but after interacting with the young Brazilian several times earlier this season, they’re the right words to describe...

The Tesla Cybercab, aka Robotaxi, is a driverless personal transportation pod resembling a car. With no steering wheel and no pedals, I’m sure it’ll feel freaky to ride in even if you’re used to the marvels of modern automotive automation. But the differences between Cybercab and most regular cars go beyond what you can see from the seats—the brake system is fundamentally different from almost everything else on the road.

A while back, we said that big screens in cars wasn’t the answer—many more tiny ones are. Clever minds in the aftermarket have started to explore that concept, building digital gauge clusters for vehicles that are much more refined, and more thoughtful, than a tablet stuck in a binnacle. One such inventor is Jean, owner of Usual Suspects garage in Naples, Florida that specializes in BMWs and Porsches.

So far, Jeep has been somewhat left out of the V8 party. The Wrangler 392 soldiers on, and Gladiator 392 is coming, but at the other end of the spectrum, the V8 has been eliminated from the Grand Wagoneer and was essentially DOA in the current-generation Grand Cherokee. The latter ostensibly launched with a Hemi option, but good luck finding one. It only lasted until 2023, and the long-wheelbase L model lost its Hemi option in 2024. Things are a bit weird at Stellantis right now, to put it mildly.

The new Mitsubishi Pajero dropped this week; Americans know this model as the Montero. And while it left our market without ceremony 20 years ago, the three-row off-roader remained popular overseas as a less-expensive Toyota Land Cruiser alternative. In Australia, for example, the vehicle’s new design is a big deal. And clearly, Mitsubishi is serious about making this thing outback-worthy. Get a load of the optional steel bumper from the factory accessory catalog.

Hello and welcome to The Downshift, or TDS for short, The Drive’s morning news roundup bringing you the biggest automotive headlines from around the world. The Downshift recaps news briefly, with links to full stories for those seeking more info. Here’s your bulletin for Friday, September 4, 2026. Happy Labor Day and enjoy the long weekend! 🏭 Volkswagen’s board of supervisors finally approved a plan to restructure the company, to the tune of 50,000 more job cuts.

We weren’t joking. The Drive’s collab with Blipshift, purveyors of our favorite enthusiast-themed merch for many years, is back with a new drop of five hall-of-fame shirts. It’s live right now, patiently (adverb!) waiting for you to check it out. Hope you dig it. If you know Blipshift, you know the site has had a fantastic catalog of apparel over the years, but the options change every few days. Plus, once a design goes out of print, it doesn’t come back—usually.

The C8 Chevy Corvette was undoubtedly one of the most anticipated cars of our lifetimes. Gearheads had been waiting for the ‘Vette to go mid-engined for decades, and finally, Chevy obliged. But the manufacturer hit an unfortunate snag early in the car’s production run that kept more than 100 Stingrays from ever hitting the road. In fact, they were all sent to a salvage yard, destined for dismantling and demolition. This is the story of how it happened.

Ask the nice folks at Cadillac about this slick prototype race car displayed at The Quail during Monterey Car Week, and they’ll tell you over and over again that it’s just a “design study,” a “concept,” a “race car project.” Ask folks who have their ears on the ground at paddocks across the globe, and they’ll tell you that the program to sell these simplified Le Mans racers to customers is just about finalized.

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more › The REI Labor Day sale, running now through September 7, is a great opportunity to save serious money on big-ticket car and camping accessories. High-quality bike racks are not cheap, so 20% off can mean more than a couple hundred bucks. Check out the best buys right here. I tested Yakima’s StepUp Swing trailer-hitch bike rack this summer and absolutely loved it.