Good morning and welcome to The Downshift, or TDS for short.
Tight, light, and right, TDS grabs the latest automotive news from around the world and places it all in one place. Stories are summarized in a single (sometimes long) sentence accompanied by a link for those looking to go deeper.
It’s early and the first two cups of coffee are gone here in Leipzig, Germany, so let’s get into it.
🚘 What I’m driving: Nothing, today, but I’ll be taking a ride in a (presumably) camouflaged prototype with some engineers and will report back on that next week.
🏦 Ford’s courting buyers with the weakest acceptable or even shakier credit ratings with lower interest rates in a race to sell more F-150s before the end of the quarter, but while the unusual end-of-quarter sales promotion addresses affordability for shoppers with weak credit, it also could put them in a risky position if the job market turns.
🚙 The founder and CEO of Koenigsegg is thinking about adding an affordable sports car to the supercar manufacturer’s lineup.
🚗 The CEO of McLaren confirmed the automaker’s working on a vehicle with more than two seats.
💸 Audi said the gas-powered 2026 A6 will cost $65,395 including a $1,295 destination charge.
🏎️ A Toyota executive said “is it desirable? I think in time it will be,” regarding hybrid sports cars giving the clearest confirmation yet GR-badged hybrid sports cars are en route.
🟡 Subaru added BRZ and WRX Series.Yellow special editions to the 2026 lineup with only 350 units of each set to be produced.
🎊 The National Corvette Museum just hosted its 20,000th Corvette VIP Delivery Experience, which costs $1,495.
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