The Polestar 5 Is Great. It May Also Be DOA

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Table of Contents

• Editorial: The Polestar 5 Is Great. It May Also Be …

• Last call: The Best EV Lease Deals (September 2025 …

• The Lexus Sport Concept Ignites a New V8 Rivalry

• Ferdinand Porsche's Genius Is More Necessary Than …

• Spy Photos and Renderings (the sharp & boxy editio …

• Do Dashcams Dream of Electric Jeep?

• The finish line

Editorial: The Polestar 5 Is Great. It May Also Be DOA

By: Sergiu Tudose

I’ve been eagerly awaiting the Polestar 5 ever since they brought that 871 HP development prototype to Goodwood, back in 2022. Not only did it look amazing, but on paper, it was shaping up to be a real “Tesla killer”.

Fast-forward to earlier this week, and the production version of the Polestar 5 broke cover looking even better than expected. The proportions are excellent, the design language is futuristic without being too quirky, and the interior appears luxurious and well-made.

The Swedish brand looked at aviation as the primary inspiration, hence the bold styling with minimalist surfacing. The production car looks just as good as the Precept Concept (on which the 5 is based), which is very rarely the case in this industry, unfortunately.

Furthermore, the Polestar 5 is a beast when it comes to performance. Thanks to its 800V architecture and 112 kWh battery, the 5 can give you as much as 872 horsepower in flagship spec, to go with 749 lb-ft (1,015 Nm) of torque. That’ll get you to 60 mph (97 kph) in just 3.1 seconds and trust me when I say, you don’t need to be going any quicker than that.

This thing can also charge from 10 to 80 percent in only 22 minutes, and with a full charge, you should be able to travel up to 416 miles (670 km) WLTP without juicing up again. That’s the “entry-level” dual motor version, while the Performance can only do 351 miles (565 km). The numbers are solid. Not segment-leading, but quite impressive, nonetheless.

Now, while that’s all well and good, the first hurdle you need to overcome is pricing. In Germany, the dual motor Polestar 5 kicks off from €119,900, while the Performance is a €142,900 affair.

What Polestar couldn’t predict when they decided to build the 5 in China was the current state of the world, politically. The U.S. already imposes some very steep tariffs on Chinese-built EVs, currently 100% on top of the import price. Unless they figure out some type of deal or a loophole, the Polestar 5 might cost over $200,000 once it hits U.S. shores.

Even if the US rolls back some of those taxes, it’s highly likely the Polestar 5 will be more expensive to purchase than a Porsche Taycan Turbo, Lucid Air Grand Touring, and of course, a Tesla Model S Plaid – all faster, more established, and better supported in the U.S. Polestar might be willing to absorb some of the tariff costs, but then you’re dealing with lesser margins and that just makes it harder for you to compete with your rivals.

U.S. buyers could simply shrug off the 5 and buy a Lucid, Tesla, Porsche, or even a BMW i5/i7 instead. Look at the i5, it’s a great car with generous dimensions and an established badge. It’s not quite as luxurious as the Polestar 5, but if the latter ends up costing 2-3 times as much? Forget about it.

Non-availability at launch is also not a good look, because it makes it harder for a carmaker to build momentum. If buyers are forced to wait, or orders get delayed, it can have a negative effect on overall trust.

I’m not sure what Polestar are hoping to achieve with the 5 as far as U.S. availability is concerned. Unless circumstances change in their favor, I think they’re in a lot of trouble. With a high-performance, premium grand tourer such as this, you need strong margins, and you need people to buy them without hesitation. Still, I’ll be rooting for the 5. On paper, I think it’s a great car. But its success going forward is a questionable proposition at best.

Note: please continue reading the full article on our site.

Last call: The Best EV Lease Deals (September 2025)

By: Cristian Agatie

Since the EV tax credit was introduced in 2023, people have started to prefer leasing EVs instead of buying them. The explanation is that the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) put a lot of restrictions on the tax credit when purchasing an EV upfront or financing it. However, when you lease an EV, there is virtually no restriction. This made even imported EVs like those made in Korea, Europe, and Japan qualify for the credit.

This loophole attracted criticism from people who considered that it defeated the IRA's purpose, which was to reshore battery and EV production to the US. It was also one of the reasons why the Trump administration was keen on removing the IRA altogether. The phasing out of the $7,500 tax credit on September 30 will make it even harder to convince buyers that an electric vehicle is a viable option.

To be fair, the Administration (sort of) threw a bone by reconsidering the September 30 deadline. Initially, only cars delivered by the month's end were eligible for the federal credit. At the end of August, the IRS updated guidance so that it's enough to sign a binding contract and make a payment by September 30 to get the $7,500 tax credit. The payment can be a nominal downpayment or a vehicle trade-in.

This change eliminates the variable of delivery times, so car buyers can still benefit from the EV credit no matter when the dealer/carmaker delivers the car. However, there's a caveat: you can't actually claim the credit until the vehicle is placed in service, that is, when you take delivery and receive the time-of-sale report from the dealer/carmaker.

This makes the next two weeks some of the busiest of the year for EV makers and dealers selling their cars. It's also why we're seeing some of the best lease rates, starting as low as $129 per month for the Volkswagen ID.4. Considering that German crossover has almost never been discounted, this is a very generous offer. The ID.4 is joined by nine other EVs, which can be leased for less than $250 until the end of the month.

Note: for the full list of the best EV leases this month, please continue reading on our site.

The Lexus Sport Concept Ignites a New V8 Rivalry

By: Aurel Niculescu

Could Lexus be thinking about the unthinkable? Might they dare attack the mightiest heroes of American sports cars with the upcoming supercar? Should we prepare for the forthcoming 'LFR' (name unconfirmed) to be much more than just a spiritual successor of the LFA and a follow-up to the LC 500?

So many questions, so few answers. Suppose you look at Lexus' official newsroom for America. In that case, the Japanese automaker's premium division is preoccupied with stuff like the 2026 Lexus LC 500 coupe and Convertible which gain new Inspiration Series limited editions to make us forget the hybrid version is gone from the family. Then there's also the subtly upgraded 2026 Lexus TX and RX, which receive minor changes and small specification enhancements, among others.

It seems they aren't making too much of an effort to bring new stuff to the table. But it may all be a ruse because the company brought during the 2025 Monterey Car Week something extraordinary. At The Quail, A Motorsport Gathering at The Quail Lodge and Golf Club in Carmel, California, on August 15, they debuted the "progressively styled, future-focused yet truly authentic sportscar."

Dubbed the Lexus Sport Concept, it's an inspiring prototype that "features a wide, low-profile two-door form that blends dynamic and emotional elements into a vision for a next-generation sports car." Speaking of features, the company remained mum on details about the powertrain, name, and lineage – but we all know it previews the 'LFR' models that's been continuously spied testing in the real world.

Interestingly, this isn't a follow-up to the Electrified Sports concept from 2021 – back then, the prototype had long-hood, short-deck proportions that screamed front-engine rear-drive sports car from a mile away, but the brand claimed it was a pure EV rocking solid-state batteries for 435 miles of range and a sprint to 60 mph in less than two seconds.

But the idea may be dead – and good riddance. Sure, a Lexus EV isn't out of the question – since the new ES has an all-electric version. But the sports car must roar and eschew bad jokes about being an appliance. Also, solid-state batteries are still very much a myth at this moment in time, and sprinting to 60 mph in less than two seconds is the panache of the Tesla Roadster II, another EV sports car that was promised long ago and still hasn't materialized.

Frankly, it's easy to understand why Toyota was so obnoxious countering the EV trend – they were just mature and cool enough to speak their mind while all the other carmakers were saying they will go full-EV while whispering behind the corners that it's a big fat lie. More importantly, we've seen tons of spies with the Lexus 'LFR,' and we know it's coming – perhaps it will be revealed as soon as this year.

Note: for the full article, please continue reading on our site.

Ferdinand Porsche's Genius Is More Necessary Than Ever 150 Years After His Birth

By: Gustavo Henrique Ruffo

I've missed the chance to celebrate Ferdinand Porsche’s 150th “birthday” on the right day. He was born on September 3, 1875, so I’m over a week late, but it does not really matter. Sticking to dates would prevent me from celebrating the genius of a man who helped shape the automotive industry. That's particularly critical these days, when car companies seem to be more lost than a shadow in the dark. I suspect Porsche would know what to do if he were still among us.

Interestingly, some of us may also be lost about Ferdinand Porsche. He was born in Vratislavice nad Nisou, Czechia. In 1875, it was still part of the Kingdom of Bohemia, which belonged to the Austro-Hungarian Empire. By the end of World War I, this empire dissolved into several other countries, including Czechoslovakia. When that happened, Porsche chose to be a Czechoslovak citizen. He is only considered German because he was urged to apply for citizenship in Germany in 1934.

That was due to his work with the Volksauto, or Volkswagen, which gave birth to the Beetle. Hitler and his followers praised Porsche as the "Great German Engineer," so the idea had to be, at the very least, legally true. However, if the definition of citizenship has anything to do with where you are born, Porsche was actually Czech. This little tale shows how fragile the concept of citizenship is. When Porsche died due to pneumonia on January 30, 1951, Czechia didn't even exist.

 The Czech genius moved to Vienna in 1893 and enrolled as a part-time student at Technische Hochschule, which is now the Technische Universität Wien (Vienna Technology University), or TU Wien. Curiously, Porsche never graduated as an engineer, which has not prevented him from creating amazing machines. He even received the Pötting prize in 1905 as Austria's most outstanding automotive engineer. In 1916, TU Wien awarded him a "Doktor Ingenieur Honoris Causa" ("Dr. Ing. h.c.") title.

While attending university, Porsche also became an apprentice at Egger & Co. The company was founded by Bernhard Béla Egger and would become Vereinigte Elektrizitäts AG, aka VEAG, in 1896, while Porsche still worked there. It eventually merged with Österreichische Brown, Boveri Werke. You now know it as Asea Brown Boveri, or ABB.

The young Czech soon caught the attention of his bosses for being confident, creative, and a skilled problem-solver. When VEAG created a partnership with Jacob Lohner & Co. to manufacture electric vehicles, Porsche was the man for the job. When the companies introduced the Egger-Lohner Phaéton C2, the Czech genius must have participated, but it is not clear how involved he was in this first attempt. 

For the full article, please continue reading on our site.

Spy Photos and Renderings (the sharp & boxy edition)

By: Mircea Panait

The carparazzi spotted a close-to-production Audi RS 6 Avant e-tron this past week, an electric wagon that should have complemented the plug-in hybrid Audi RS 6 Avant nicely in the Ingolstadt-based automaker's lineup. But according to rumors, the RS 6 e-tron family has already been axed by Audi Sport.

Given this development, the existing 543-horsepower S6 e-tron will soldier on as the punchiest member of the A6 e-tron family. While said output figure isn't bad for a mid-size model, bear in mind that it's an electric vehicle that weighs over 2.3 metric tons. Had the RS 6 e-tron project survived, the full-electric model could have packed a little under the 912 mechanical horsepower of the Audi RS e-tron GT performance.

Toyota may be playing catch-up on full-electric vehicles and batteries, yet Japan's largest automaker has more pressing matters to deal with for the time being. One such matter is the long-awaited replacement for the Lexus LC coupe and cabrio, which is currently testing at the Nurburgring Nordschleife. Based on a November 2022 trademark filed with the USPTO, this fellow is believed to be called LFR.

Previewed by the Lexus Sport Concept, the real thing won't mark a return to the naturally aspirated V10 madness of the LFA we all know and love. Instead, a twin-turbo V8 with electric assistance is the surest bet. Supposing the engine makes 600-something horses and the hybrid part 200 or so, at least 800 horsepower should be hiding under the LFR's hood.

One of the coolest renderings we laid eyes upon this past week is the Testarossa-ified Ferrari 849 Testarossa from Jonathan Sibal. The automotive design artist and consultant from Cali improved the Prancing Horse's polarizing design by giving the car a set of retro-infused horizontal strakes on the doors.

This proverbial walk down memory lane doesn't address the 849's biggest styling-related problem, though. Said talking point is the front end's black strip, which connects the retro-styled headlights. The gloss-finish black strip is also featured on the limited-run F80 hypercar, as well as the Roma-succeeding Amalfi and the V12-powered 12Cilindri sports tourer.

Another seriously nice rendering that we liked a lot is the 2027 Hyundai Elantra of the Kolesa media group's Nikita Chuicko. His take on the redesigned Elantra is very close to what Hyundai is hiding under camouflage wrap. Clearly influenced by the N Vision 74 concept, the next Elantra adopts a sharp taillight setup, muscular rear haunches, and more pronounced shoulder lines.

Rumored to debut in the first half of 2026, the CN8-generation Elantra further boasts horizontal signature lighting for the LED headlights and slightly more aggressively flared wheel arches. Under the skin, the newcomer is expected to launch with a 1.6-liter gasoline engine, an LPG engine for certain markets, and a Toyota Corolla Hybrid-rivaling hybrid option.

Do Dashcams Dream of Electric Jeep?

By: Bogdan Popa

Dash cams have become a necessary evil, and we're not going to discuss the awful reasons behind this product category skyrocketing in popularity worldwide. Thinkware is one of the companies investing big dollars in this product space, and its latest model, the Arc 700, is here to promise next-gen clarity regardless of lighting conditions.

The dual-channel dash cam offers 4K front resolution, Wi-Fi, GPS, parking monitoring, and Super Night Vision 2.0 to capture license plates in total darkness. Our review is already in progress, so we'll put all these technologies to test to see if they are worth the $329 price tag.

While some carmakers look less committed to Android Auto and CarPlay, others are trying to make using the two systems more convenient in their cars. BMW says the CarPlay addiction is a myth, and more drivers choose its in-house infotainment software and integrated navigation. Kia wants drivers to stick with Android Auto and CarPlay, so it launched its own wireless adapter to help users get rid of cables.

The experience with the brand-new Google Pixel 10 has so far been a crazy rollercoaster ride, especially on the Android Auto front. Users reported multiple issues, including massive battery drain, and now Google says that at least one of these bugs is fixed. Users are told to update to at least Android Auto 15.0 to get the latest fixes.

Meanwhile, the beta work continues, and Android Auto 15.2 received the go-ahead for testing devices this week.

Congratulations for reaching the finish line!

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