Mid-Grade Gas' Whole Deal, Toyota Scam And Tesla Cybertruck Check Lists On The Best Car Culture This Week

If you’re like most of us here at Jalopnik, you’ve probably wondered why gas stations offer mid-grade gasoline when almost every automaker recommends either regular or premium fuel. As it turns out, very few cars are designed to use mid-grade gas, so it exists mostly to coax unknowing consumers into spending more on gas, and it’s a relic from the days of leaded gasoline. To explain how, we have to look into the annals of history. - Logan Carter Read More

Good morning! It’s Wednesday, March 27, 2024, and this is The Morning Shift, your daily roundup of the top automotive headlines from around the world, in one place. Here are the important stories you need to know. - Andy Kalmowitz Read More

So, as it turns out, I wield the power of God. Earlier this week I wrote about how the fifth-generation Toyota 4Runner has been to 13 consecutive New York International Auto Shows since it debuted at the State Fair of Texas in 2009. Well, it looks like Toyota heard me, because just a few hours later the automaker posted a teaser image on its Instagram account showing off a little image of the upcoming sixth-generation 4Runner. - Andy Kalmowitz Read More

Three people were injured after a 19-year-old woman driving a Porsche Taycan at nearly 100 mph lost control and flipped at least six times through a Michigan gas station and into a parking lot. The crash happened in the early morning of March 16 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. - Andy Kalmowitz Read More

Tesla’s build quality problems are well known; from panel gaps to crummy interiors to glass roofs that just fly off for no reason, it’s safe to say customers should be on the lookout when they purchase a brand-new Tesla. The Cybertruck has been just as bad as previous models, despite its over $100,000 price tag. Customers looking to protect themselves against the company they’re giving 100 grand to can now use aftermarket checklists to ensure all the problems with their brand new truck are recorded. - Lawrence Hodge Read More

Dealers go wild when they get their hands on a new model, especially if it’s a limited edition or a performance model. Unfortunately this comes at the expense of the customer who has to contend with things like crappy customer service — credit checks before a test drive for instance — and worst of all, markups. Hyundai dealerships are at this point right now. Some have started receiving Ioniq 5 N allocations and have already started to mark them up. One potential buyer has learned just how ugly things can get when you challenge a dealer on a markup. - Lawrence Hodge Read More

Neuralink, Elon Musk’s brain-computer interface company, kicked off 2024 by announcing its first successful human trial. There was some skepticism about the surgery, so last week that human came forward to show off just how incredible Neuralink can be. - Erin Marquis Read More

There have been a handful of cars with no rear window in recent years, whether it be for aerodynamic or pure styling reasons, they instead use a high-def camera and digital rear-view mirror to give you a view behind. But all such cars have been high-end supercars or limited-run specials, like the Ferrari 812 Competizione, Aston Martin DBS GT Zagato and Mercedes-AMG One. Now there’s a mainstream option in the form of the Polestar 4 crossover coupe, which ditches the rear window in the pursuit of more spaciousness and safety, and with a newly announced starting price of $56,300 it’s much cheaper than those multi-million-dollar rides. - Daniel Golson Read More

The former ‘Real Housewives’ star chats about her eclectic car collection from a classic Bronco to a Defender 130.

I’m not much of an audiophile. Don’t get me wrong, I’m constantly listening to music and love going to live shows, and I’m always excited by a fancy sound system in a car. But in my personal life, I’m fine to just stick with my Apple headphones and my big TV’s built-in speakers for movies and gaming — even playing music out loud at home is a rarity. Feel free to throw tomatoes. Where I really appreciate sound quality the most is when at the movies. I always make sure to see blockbusters on the biggest, best screens with the best sound systems possible. Most recently, “Dune: Part Two” in IMAX blew me away with its use of surround sound and in-seat bass rumble for both the music and effects. - Daniel Golson Read More