Good morning and welcome to The Downshift, or TDS for short.
Tight, snappy, and light, TDS gathers the latest automotive news bubbling around the globe and puts it in one place. Stories are summarized in a single sentence accompanied by a link for those seeking more information.
I’m back from Japan, unclear if my body has any idea what time or day it is, and have a feeling all the coffee is in my immediate future. Let’s get into it.
🚘 What I’m driving: Didn’t drive a single care while in Japan, but did spent some time with the upcoming Toyota GR GT, GR GT3, and electric Lexus LFA. Even more stories on all those cars will be coming. Arrived home to the 2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid waiting for me in the Minnesota cold and it leaves today to be replaced by an EV I’m looking forward to spending a cold winter week with.
🤷♂️ Subaru isn’t sure which way to go in terms of powering future STI models and has asked for the media and fans to provide feedback whether performance models should be gas or electric powered.
🔧 Scout said it’s full commit on executing on its factory-run service centers.
🤖 General Motors thinks the future will be vehicles becoming owners’ robot assistants thanks to AI.
✨ The new 2027 Mercedes-Benz GLB EV debuted with all the screens, over 300 miles of range, a price of about $50,000 when it arrives next year, and a hybrid variant to follow.
🪷 Meet the Encor Series I, which is a fully reimagined Lotus Esprit V8 restomod that frankly is going to be a love it or hate it affair.
‼️ Ford recalled 1,195 Lincoln Navigators because the taillight housing may have cracks in the outer lens.
💰 Carvana is set to join the S&P 500.
🏁 Weekend Race Results:
- Formula 1 – Max Verstappen won the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix for Red Bull Racing.
- Formula 1 – Lando Norris, who came in P3 at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, secured the Constructors’ Championship and is now a world champion.
- Formula E – Jake Dennis won the São Paulo E-Prix for Andretti Formula E.
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