+++ BMW could be about to make drifting in its high-performance models even easier and more entertaining. A recently filed patent reveals that the German brand could use advanced sensors to adjust a car’s suspension in real-time to better initiate and control a slide. The filing, lodged with the German Patent and Trade Mark Office, describes a setup in which “the load on the rear axle is temporarily reduced” and the “unsprung mass of the vehicle is shifted” upward. Take weight off the rear wheels and the tail lets go sooner. The system would work by using sensors to detect when the driver wants to initiate a slide and instantly loosen the rear suspension using adaptive suspension or an active roll control setup. BMW’s technology would also be able to monitor a vehicle’s speed and trajectory and may be able to store steering-angle settings for future use. In a world where performance cars increasingly feel sterilized, it’s good to see that BMW remains committed to ensuring that driving is fun. Of course, models like the BMW M2, M3 and M4 can all be quite tail-happy when in the correct driving mode, so we’re not convinced it needs to manipulate a car’s suspension to make drifting even easier. If BMW is sensible and eventually releases a system like this, it’d be wise to geo-restrict it to racetracks or private roads, ensuring that owners don’t start using the suspension technology to slide around local roundabouts and through residential streets. There’s no mention in the patent of whether this technology will see the light of day or, if it does, which vehicles could use it. A possible candidate could be the all-electric M3, featuring quad motors that BMW has previously said will enable complex torque vectoring to improve handling dynamics. +++
+++ Since the start of this decade, FORD has frequently been linked to quality issues, even leading major automakers in NHTSA recall campaigns for several years. That gave Chrysler, now part of Stellantis, some breathing room after previously topping the unwanted list. Eventually, the Blue Oval brand made internal changes, particularly around addressing problems earlier rather than finding them later, and recently, it ranked as the top mass-market brand in JD Power’s 2026 Initial Quality Study. To put that achievement into perspective, Ford ranked 23rd three years ago. One of its significant changes was shifting from a “find-and-fix” mentality on defects to catching them before vehicles leave the factory. This shift occurred in 2023, when a problematic redesign of the Super Duty pickup line cost the company $1 billion. The change was supported by hiring or promoting more than 350 technical specialists over the past 3 years. Informally referred to as “graybeards” for their expertise, they focus on specific vehicle components or processes: some on preventing engine contamination, others on wiring systems. One of the recent hires, Samuel Matt, is a technical expert on rear closures such as liftgates, tailgates and cargo doors. He and his team discovered during Explorer testing that a supplier error had caused a component in the liftgate closure system to malfunction. They diagnosed and resolved the issue the same day, before launch. Left undetected, such problems could potentially lead to recalls down the line. Although repairs are generally free for owners, they can still take up their time and hurt the brand’s quality reputation, even when a supplier is responsible. Charles Poon, Ford’s vice president of vehicle hardware engineering, said, “There have been hundreds of corrections, improvements, I would say, in our designs even before the first part is even produced, going through this process. We’re starting to see the payoffs of that occur right now”. In addition to addressing problems earlier, Ford has started holding daily problem-solving sessions to track issues through resolution and subjecting vehicles to longer durability testing equivalent to 15 years or 360.000 km. Ford still leads major automakers in NHTSA recall campaigns so far this year, with 67 as of this writing, including a recent one involving five models equipped with EcoBoost engines. However, executives say they’re pleased with the progress. Stellantis comes in second with 32 recalls, followed by General Motors (22), Toyota (21), and Hyundai (18). +++
+++ The redesigned HYUNDAI KONA has been spied on multiple occasions, but the heavy cladding has finally come off. It reveals a radical rethink for the model, which has been reimagined as a traditional crossover. Designers gave the Kona a curvaceous front end with an upper shark nose, which appears to incorporate an illuminated bar. Notably, it’s much thicker than the Seamless Horizon Lamp found on the current model. Further below, there will be mid-mounted headlights and what appears to be an active shutter grille. The latter has oddball slats, which seem to be broken up into multiple sections. Elsewhere, there will be a wide lower intake and a pronounced front lip. The Kona will adopt flush-mounted door handles and streamlined bodywork. They’re joined by an upward sweeping beltline that contributes to a relatively small greenhouse. The model also has an angular roof and aerodynamically optimized wheels. Last but not least, there’s a rear end that will make you forget about the atrocious one found on the current model. It features an angular rear window as well as a pronounced spoiler. The Kona also has a wider and more practical liftgate, and a rounded bumper with a ‘hidden’ exhaust. The interior is more mysterious, but we can expect a minimalist cabin with a new Pleos Connect infotainment system. Details remain to be seen, but the model could offer a 12.9, 14.6, or 17-inch screen. +++
+++ MERCEDES continues to work flat out on one of its most exclusive and radical models in recent years. Following the SL PureSpeed, the second model in the Mythos series is on the way, this time based on the CLE. It is a very high-performance coupe, reworked aerodynamically and powered by a new, extremely potent V8. The project now appears to be at an advanced stage, to the point that Mercedes-AMG has even rented the Nürburgring for private development sessions. The CLE 63 Mythos is not intended to be simply a more powerful CLE; it aims to become a true collector-grade special model, with a personality much closer to the world of track cars. The CLE 63 Mythos is also expected to benefit from a significant weight reduction compared with the standard CLE 63. To achieve that, Mercedes-AMG is expected to make extensive use of carbon fiber, a material likely to appear in numerous body components. As the AMG lineup goes through a major transformation, the CLE 63 Mythos is expected to serve as a celebration of the V8. Rumors point to a new twin-turbocharged flat-plane-crank V8 producing close to 650 hp. Mercedes-AMG has not yet confirmed the final figures, so those numbers should be considered estimates rather than definitive specifications. If confirmed, the result would still be highly significant. The Mythos would sit well above the regular CLE versions and turn the coupe into a true no-compromise supercar. Rumors about production numbers also add to the CLE 63 Mythos’ exclusivity. According to information that reportedly emerged from private meetings with select dealers, Mercedes could build just 30 examples worldwide. That figure is not official, but it would fit perfectly with the philosophy of the Mythos family: extremely limited cars developed for a highly select clientele and intended to occupy the very top of the Mercedes-AMG range. Such a limited production run would inevitably affect the price as well. The CLE 63 Mythos is expected to land in a very high price bracket, with a massive premium over the regular CLE versions. +++
+++ SKODA boss Klauz Zellmer says the firm “needs” to launch an electric successor to the Fabia as an entry-point to the brand in future but he insisted the project is still in the planning phase. The current 4th generation version of the hatchback has been on sale since 2021. Speaking to a select group of media, Skoda CEO Klaus Zellmer said the current combustion-powered Fabia, along with the Kamiq and Scala, would be produced “into the 2030s”, but he added: “At some point they’re going to fade out, and, of course, we need replacements for those such as a battery-electric version of the Fabia”. Zellmer admitted the firm had considered an entry-level electric hatch on the cut-down platform that will be used for the forthcoming production version of the Volkswagen ID.Up , but he noted a decision was made at group level that “VW takes charge of that part of the market, and we purposely stayed out of that because we’re going to cover the combustion part”. Zellmer noted the current Fabia was “still in very good demand”. He added: “That car needs to be replaced in our portfolio. What will that look like? Will it be at the current price point, or a little bit above? We’ve not made any decisions yet. But this is an area we need to cover because if you take a brand too far, it’s like a staircase: you enter at a certain level, and if you increase the first step too far you won’t get anybody in your house. This is why we will have to find a battery-electric version of the Fabia”. Zellmer hinted that a final decision could wait given the ongoing uncertainty over the pace at which the car market switches to electrification. He added: “Something the industry initially probably overestimated was how fast this transformation is going, but so long as we cover a decent size of the market segments with the Fabia and Kamiq, and within the group we have the ID.Up , we’re in a good spot from a group point of view. “The Fabia, Kamiq and Scala will be in the market until the beginning of the 2030s, maybe even until 2034, then there might be a natural end if the EU keeps 2035 as a deadline to phase out new non-zero emission cars, and so that is the time window where we will have to come up with a replacement”. Any future Fabia would inevitably sit on a version of the Volkswagen Group’s MEB platform, or its SSP successor. The firm has just launched the Epiq, a BEV equivalent of the Kamiq, as part of the group’s ‘electric urban car family’ alongside the Volkswagen ID.Polo and ID.Cross and the Cupra Raval. That would be the most natural option for a Fabia EV that was similar in size to the current model, but Skoda could eventually develop a model on a version of the ID.Up ’s cut-down architecture, making the next-gen Fabia smaller. +++
+++ TESLA began charging fares for Cybercab rides in Austin on September 3, 2026. Federal safety regulators responded the same day. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened Audit Query AQ26002 covering about 1.000 Cybercabs. The focus is how the 2-seat robottaxi, built with no steering wheel, pedals, or mirrors, was certified under crash rules designed for traditional cars. The audit does not test how well the Cybercab drives itself. Regulators want to know whether Tesla used the proper process when it declared the car legal. In a September 4 statement, NHTSA said it will review how much Tesla’s certification “depended on determinations that certain FMVSS are inapplicable to the Cybercab”. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards cover items like steering columns, mirrors and brake pedals. Tesla told the agency it considers the Cybercab compliant with every standard that applies to a car lacking those parts. The same self-driving software and compact 2-seat layout also underpin the brand’s other models. Separately, NHTSA has upgraded its probes into Tesla’s Full Self-Driving system that now covers about 3.2 million vehicles, including unsupervised robotaxi services in Texas and Florida. Under US rules in 49 CFR Part 571, automakers certify their own compliance with safety standards. They build the vehicle, decide it meets Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, then sell it without NHTSA approval. NHTSA audits that paperwork after the fact and can open defect investigations if it sees problems.
That system let Tesla start the Austin robottaxi rollout without waiting for signoff from Washington. The agency has stressed that existing standards still apply in full to automated vehicles until it writes new rules. There is no separate rulebook for driverless cars yet. Tesla chose to rely on self-certification instead of seeking a formal exemption, which some rivals have used for unconventional designs. The decision arrives soon after a robottaxi bollard crash in Austin drew attention to the new service. Amazon’s Zoox followed a different path, first self-certifying its steering-wheel-free shuttle, then securing a temporary safety standard exemption that limits it to 2.500 exempt vehicles per year through July 31, 2028. Tesla has said it wants to expand Cybercab service to more vehicles and more cities. How fast that happens now depends in part on how NHTSA reads the company’s certification file and how it applies lessons from the Zoox case. +++
+++ VINFAST had grand ambitions, but things didn’t go according to plan. However, the company isn’t giving up and recently hinted their new microcar could eventually come to Europe. In a meandering press release, VinFast said the “microcar is quietly making a comeback”. The company went on to note the success of the Citroën Ami and Fiat Topolino. VinFast then pivoted to the VF 2, which is their smallest model. The 2-door, 4-seater measures 3.090 mm long, 1.496 mm wide and 1.663 mm tall with a wheelbase that spans 2.065 mm. To put those numbers into perspective, the Fiat 500e is over 540 mm longer. While the VF 2 is tiny, it only would cost 11.500 euro in the Netherland, which is “roughly as much as a premium motorcycle”. Despite the bargain basement pricing, the company noted the model has led headlights, airconditioning, a 7-inch display and 13-inch alloy wheels. They’re joined by a handful of safety features including a driver’s airbag, anti-lock brakes and a traction control system. Power comes from an 18.3 kWh battery pack, which feeds a rear-mounted motor developing 41 hp and 65 Nm of torque. This enables the car to have an range of up to 170 km. When the battery is low, a 24 kW DC fast charger can take it from 10% to 70% in approximately 34 minutes.
Those numbers aren’t very impressive, but VinFast noted they’d be perfect for the “urban commuter who drives alone”. That’s a relatively niche market, but a super cheap car certainly has some appeal, even if the top speed is limited to 80 km/h. While the automaker acknowledged they haven’t announced plans to bring the VF 2 to Europe, they added such a decision “would not be entirely out of place”. The company went on to say that, “In many developed markets, even entry-level vehicles have become increasingly expensive, with the average new vehicle selling for more than $50,000 by the end of last year”. This suggests they see a place for something far cheaper. The company went on to imply the VF 2 could follow in the footsteps of the Topolino and be positioned as an alternative to golf carts for neighbourhood transportation. As they noted, “Walk through many newly developed residential communities in the world today, and it is no longer unusual to see golf carts being driven well beyond the golf course. Their popularity suggests there is demand for small, simple vehicles designed primarily for short urban trips”. +++