Downshift: New Ferrari One-Off, Ex-Jaguar Design Boss Tells All, Genesis' First Hybrid

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. This is your bulletin for Friday, August 14, 2026.

🐎 Ferrari has pulled the sheet off a new one-off for an anonymous U.S.-based client. Called the CZ26, it’s built on the SF90 Stradale with a new exterior design that pulls equally from the 12Cilindri and Luce. The latter might be triggering for some, but the result looks solid and certainly more aggressive. [Ferrari]

🎙️ Former JLR Chief Creative Officer has gone on record with Autocar about the drama surrounding his exit from the company, as well as Jaguar’s controversial “Copy of Nothing” rebrand. “I didn’t even know what wokeism meant at the time,” McGovern said on the outlet’s podcast, adding that, “We realized that, from a comms perspective, this is being misinterpreted. So, we had to make adjustments.” McGovern, now an advisor to Norton Motorcycles, also said that he “decided” to leave JLR and was not pushed out, calling the rumor that he was fired “disinformation.” [Autocar, Automotive News]

🤝 Detroit’s Big Three are reportedly concerned about the fallout from USMCA re-negotiations, particularly as competitors based outside of the U.S., in Europe and Asia, benefit from flat tariff rates that are more favorable than manufacturing in Mexico and Canada. [Reuters]

🆕 The 2027 Lincoln Nautilus has been revealed with a fresh face, a new lightbar out back, and additional interior colorways and trim options. Ford aims to begin producing the Nautilus domestically, as it was previously built only in China. [Ford]

🔋 The 2027 Genesis GV80 Hybrid is the company’s first vehicle with such a powertrain, borrowing the Palisade’s 2.5 Turbo setup for a combined 347 horsepower. [Genesis]

🌬️ As part of the many Monterey Car Week debuts, Czinger has also introduced a roofless version of its 21C hypercar, armed with 1,250 horsepower and more downforce than any open-air production car, according to the company. [Czinger]

⚖️ A Polestar dealer in New Jersey that is none too happy about the automaker’s U.S. ban is suing the company, alleging that it “orchestrated” its exit from the country because it supposedly already had plans to leave. [The Wall Street Journal]

🏁 Weekend races to watch (all times Eastern):