Despite Denials, the SpaceX-Tesla Merger is Shaping Up

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By: Cristian Agatie

Two years ago, Elon Musk appeared to have gone mad at a moment when Tesla had it so good. EV sales were booming, the Supercharger network was expanding, and Tesla planned the next-generation EVs to conquer the market on the way to its 20-million-EV annual plan. However, things changed abruptly when Musk started firing entire teams, including the Supercharger team. About the same time, the carmaker also scrapped new EV plans and declared that it's no longer a carmaker.

During all this time, Musk treated the plummeting sales as an external factor instead of something he created. He refused to change course and create conditions to accelerate sales, doing the exact opposite. Instead of an affordable EV to sell in the millions, as planned in 2023, Musk declared that Tesla would instead pursue autonomous driving and artificial intelligence.

The affordable EV was replaced with the Cybercab, a vehicle that looks promising on paper, but lacks the appeal of a mass-market EV. The Model S and Model X were phased out, while the Model 3 and Model Y only got a stripped-down variant to make them more affordable. Unsurprisingly, Tesla revenue dove at a time when it started investing billions in new data centers.

The new path Tesla forged during the past two years projects a radically different company than the one Musk described in his famous Master Plans. Tesla hasn't achieved much of those plans, but it has already started moving on. To complete the process, Tesla must leave behind some of its operations and keep only what's relevant for the new strategy.

"Where we're going, we don't need roads" is the line that was partly imprinted in a recent teaser for the Tesla Roadster. This could be read in a different key when considering a merger with SpaceX. Why would SpaceX need a car business that clearly Musk doesn't want anymore? Why would it need other related operations, including Tesla Supercharger or Tesla Insurance? After all, Musk only dreams of AI and robots these days.

The short answer is, neither Tesla nor Musk does, which is why we're likely to witness Musk spinning off some of them. Some because he no longer has any interest in, and others because he'll be forced to if he wants to merge Tesla with SpaceX. So everything is on the table right now, starting with the automotive business.

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By: Sergiu Tudose

Mercedes has a straightforward problem to solve with the all-new, all-electric GLC. It has to be good enough to battle the BMW iX3 while looking and driving just like a Benz should. For that reason alone, the GLC 400 4MATIC Electric was purpose-built as a ground-up EV, as opposed to being converted into one while using a regular GLC as a starting point.

This is huge, obviously. Especially since the iX3 is the type of EV that’ll leave quite an impression on you, say what you will about its appearance. Myself, I wasn’t entirely sold on its styling, but after driving it, I ended up calling it a “masterpiece of engineering”, as well as the “world’s most talented BMW EV”.

It’s a tough act to follow, especially for an SUV arriving at almost the same time with its own new electric architecture and similar ambitions. But the fundamentals look promising. The GLC 400 4MATIC Electric is ridiculously powerful, featuring a 94-kWh usable battery, and an 800-volt electrical system. Our test car was also extremely well equipped, so all of its cards were flat on the table. 

From a design language standpoint, the all-electric GLC is unlike any other Mercedes model you’ve ever seen. It’s an otherwise standalone design, subsequently shared with the C-Class Electric, which means it’s a Benz for a brand-new era.

Do I love what Mercedes have done with the styling? It’s better than what you got with their old EQ Brand models, like the EQE SUV or the EQS SUV. But otherwise, I can’t say I’m particularly thrilled about the way it looks, and this goes for just about any new EV, as well as the car industry in general. Sorry, not sorry.

I think it’s a case of the inmates being in charge of the asylum. Everything designed in the post-COVID era is a quirky mess that carmakers are desperately trying to clean up by simplifying the aesthetic and adding a whole bunch of retro design cues. The industry is clearly interested in course-correcting this, but I think it’s going to take a while longer.

I’ve said this before. I expect cars to start looking like cars again, instead of just tech products, but not by the end of this decade. Sometime in the mid-to-late 2030s things should revert back to normal without stifling progress in any way.

That’s not to say that if you like the GLC Electric, you’re mistaken in any way, shape, or form. A close friend of mine was very happy with the design after I showed him our test car – and he’s a GLC plug-in hybrid owner. This newer model is clearly a step forward from a tech standpoint.

As with everything, though, the devil is in the details, so let’s get into it. I’ll start off by telling you exactly what I don’t particularly like about this car.

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By: Vlad Radu

Bentley just revealed the Torcal, its first-ever fully-electric model and its most powerful production car to date. To mark the occasion, we’re looking back at the peak-power Bentleys from each of the last five decades to trace how the legendary British marque healthy dose of refined power evolved to complement the lavishness of its iconic models.

Bentley has just officially unveiled its latest production model dubbed the Torcal, which aims to finally transition the firm into the all-electric era.

A stunning crossover SUV based on the VW Group’s PPE platform, shared by Audi and Porsche, the model offers the lavish styling and supreme comfort synonymous with the Bentley name and, thanks to its dual-motor setup that makes either 810 hp in the base model or 876 hp in the S version, is set to become the brand’s most potent production model.

While the iconic British carmaker has never produced a road-legal model that went past the 800 hp mark before, Bentley produced several impressive models that were quite potent for their respective segments and eras.

As the upcoming Torcal takes the throne, let’s look back at Bentley’s most potent production models from each of the last five decades to see how performance evolved through the years.

1970s: Bentley T2 / Bentley Corniche

During the 1970s, Bentley was still owned by Rolls-Royce, so its models were nearly identical to those of the parent brand. Nevertheless, luxury and performance were on offer, particularly in models like the T2 and the Corniche.

Introduced in 1977, the T2 was a further development of the Bentley T1/ Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow I luxury sedan, which featured, among others, rack and pinion steering, an upgraded front fascia and an improved A/C system.

Like the Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow, it was powered by the 6.75-liter L410 V8 which initially made 200 smooth horsepower. From late-1979, the engine received a Bosch fuel injection system in US and Japan to meet stricter emission regulations and that improved output to 220 hp.

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By: Mircea Panait

There's a point in every prototype's life where the disguise stops doing its job, and the i3 Touring is very close to that moment. As far as this Nurburgring-bound test car is concerned, driving around with most of its doors, fenders, and quarter panels bare speaks volumes about how close BMW is to revealing the full-electric longroof.

A different animal from a crossover in denial, the zero-emission alternative to the 3 Series Touring shows a roof that runs almost all the way to the liftgate before dropping into a compact overhang. The rear doors feed much into the rear fenders, and the whole thing says pleasingly low. That's the trick here, with the iX3 already handling the high-roof SUV duty on the Neue Klasse platform.

The nose and tail are still wrapped, but they're not hiding much. Its front lighting units match the sedan's, with the kidney grille and lighting signature looking like one integrated graphic. Its powertrain bits are old news in the best way, mirroring the choices offered by the i3 Sedan. Through November 2027, the i3 Touring will be available in three dual-motor specifications in addition to a single rear-drive model.

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As we're sitting here, waiting for the Range Rover GT to land by the end of 2026 with electric muscle first and hybrid power later, the baby Defender keeps testing at the Nordschleife. Referred to as Defender Sport or Defender 80 for the time being, the newcomer has been spotted carrying a black-finished box at the rear while testing.

It's too flat and too narrow to hold a spare wheel, so what is it for? Considering that Jaguar Land Rover has already been spied testing the baby Defender with an external spare, chances are that JLR is cooking a number of liftgate-mounted accessories for this model. In this case, Jaguar Land Rover might have borrowed the electric Gelandewagen's playbook, stowing the charging cable and an adapter back there.

Also developed with electrified powertrains in mind, the full-electric Defender Sport/80 will have to prove itself against Merc's baby G-Class. The first one to market wins bragging rights nobody has claimed yet, and Jaguar Land Rover may be first if the Defender's smaller brother is previewed at the 2026 Paris Motor Show.

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You've got to love spy photos of completely uncamouflaged prototypes with production-intent parts all around. Chevy hasn't breathed a word about the facelifted Trax, yet the carparazzi spotted one in Summit White and with RS badges fore and aft, wearing production everything. It's the cleanest look yet of the soon-to-be-revealed 2027 model.

The best-selling crossover in Chevrolet's lineup for the US market is dropping the X-brace fascia in favor of a body-color panel that runs the width of the front end, complete with a black-finished bowtie dead center. Two-tier lighting is also featured, but reworked from the current designs to emphasize width. This further applies to the rear lights.

On the powertrain front, don't get excited for anything other than small improvements to the base 1.2-liter turbo inline-three and punchier 1.3-liter engine. Said lumps are joined by a torque-converter automatic transmission, albeit a six-speed unit instead of eight or more forward ratios. In China, where it's produced by SAIC-GM, the subcompact crossover ships with a 1.5-liter turbo inline-four and a continuously variable transmission.

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Mitsubishi only dragged the Pajero back from the dead at the beginning of September 2026. The internet's pixel masters started restyling the body-on-frame sport utility vehicle right after the reveal, and Theottle is the latest such artist to capture our attention with a Pajero-based rendering that could actually become reality in the near future.

His back catalog is already deep, including a mid-size pickup truck conversion and a North American-market Raider pickup with Pajero styling cues and Nissan Frontier underpinnings. The latest design study features deliberately minor changes because the Pajero Raider could very well be a rally raid-inspired grade planned by Mitsubishi for launch in 2027.

There is no bull bar to speak of, and no wild proportions either. A lifted suspension and more rugged styling cues anchor this rendering in the real world. Speaking of which, Ralliart has recently shown the Pajero Rally Concept. Executives noted that Mitsubishi values its Ralliart heritage, opening the door for more rugged versions of the Pajero down the line.

By: Bogdan Popa

With the GTA 6 launch already on the radar, Rockstar has started to do what Rockstar typically does: milking out every game launch. This time, it’s using a GTA 6 collector’s set that includes goodies fanboys will probably drool over. What it doesn’t include is a GTA 6 copy, despite costing $400. Just Rockstar being Rockstar, right?

Otherwise, it looks like Google’s Android Auto team has been doing overtime lately.

The most recent Android Auto beta build includes evidence that Google will soon improve the GameSnacks experience with a full-screen mode. Those aiming for a more immersive gaming experience will soon get more titles thanks to Google unlocking the gaming category for all developers on Android Auto and Android Automotive.

Fingers crossed that users won’t find a way to enable this gaming experience while in motion, though.

Eventually, Google has also found a few minutes to improve Google Maps on Android Auto. The app has started showing new pop-ups for upcoming stop signs and traffic lights, with the rollout already underway. It should land in the hands of all users soon, but we all know that this term has a different meaning in the Google world.

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