As first reported by Carscoops, the three covered vehicles are due in 2027, and all three will indeed offer a manual gearbox. Their shapes clearly suggest the WRX sedan, BRZ sports car, and Impreza five-door. Subaru says the trio is meant to make “driving more enjoyable and accessible.” Development will be handled by the Sports Vehicle Planning Office, established in March.

The WRX STI most recently offered a manual in the ultra-limited Sport Sharp for Japan, capped at 600 units. This time, the new manual STI appears less exclusive and will use the TY85 six-speed from the previous-generation WRX STI. That is good news, as it’s a heavy-duty gearbox Subaru says offers “high durability and reliability.”

The BRZ already offers the choice of a manual, but this version is more interesting than simply keeping the stick shift alive. It will be based on the STI Sport Type RA introduced last November, which featured parts developed through Subaru’s Super Taikyu racing efforts, including ZF dampers, Brembo brakes, and improved aerodynamics. It also used a highly tuned FA24 2.4-liter flat-four and was limited to 300 units, with 200 sold with a wing and 100 sold with a simpler decklid spoiler. This new version will likely borrow some of those parts, though the engine should remain the standard production unit.

The five-door Impreza is the least exciting of the three. Rather than a hot hatch Impreza STI, Subaru appears to be targeting a cheaper, more accessible trim. Still, it should appeal to Subaru fans by offering an alternative to the Lineartronic CVT.

We reached out to Subaru of America to ask if these models will come to the U.S. The company’s reply: “We’re unable to comment on any potential future vehicles at this time.” That’s not a no, so hope springs eternal.

Each of the three cars is themed around one of Toy Story’s lead characters, meaning Woody, Buzz Lightyear, and Jessie. Each was created by Porsche’s Sonderwunsch division, which translates from German as “special wishes.” Each character’s personality comes through, turning all three cars into true one-offs. Better yet, they’ll be sold to benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, the American Red Cross, and the Starlight Children’s Foundation.

To Infinity and Beyond: 911 GT3 RS Buzz Lightyear

If there was ever a perfect Porsche to channel a Space Ranger, it’s the 911 GT3 RS (992.1) with the Weissach package. The giant wing and hard-edged aero already do half the work, and Porsche leaned into that with a color scheme that mirrors Buzz Lightyear’s look. The rear wing gets matching colors, including wing struts painted in Light Grey, while the rest of the GT3 RS wears a white base with Green Yellow and Lizard Green accents across the front and rear fascia, roof, fenders, lower doors, and wing endplates.

The details are what really sell it. The car’s magnesium wheels are painted white and fitted with Space Ranger–logo center caps. Even the Goodyear tires were custom-molded, swapping the standard branding for “Lightyear” lettering. Porsche says there are also Easter eggs hidden in the tires, though they don’t affect performance. The build additionally includes the front-axle lift system, Porsche carbon-ceramic brakes with black calipers, and an extended-range fuel tank.

Inside, the Weissach-equipped GT3 RS continues the theme with Lizard Green accents and stitching set against Pebble Grey leather and Arctic Grey Race-Tex material. A Buzz Lightyear motif and inscription appear on the dashboard, while matte carbon door-sill guards illuminate Buzz’s signature catchphrase in white with Light Grey detailing. Even the roof liner has unique stitching with a subtle Toy Story reference worked in.

Yee Haw: 911 Targa 4 GTS Jessie

The 2026 911 Targa 4 GTS inspired by Jessie takes a different approach. According to Porsche, much of it was customized by hand, and it shows. The company created a one-off paint called Jessie White Metallic, finished with a pearl overlay, to echo the pearl buttons on the character’s shirt. From there, Porsche layered in more of Jessie’s look, with the front and rear fascia and lower rocker panels finished in 944 Cobalt Blue Metallic.

The upper section of the front luggage-compartment lid and the rear decklid are painted Atacama Yellow with GTS Red pinstriping, while the mirror caps and side stripes also wear GTS Red to mimic Jessie’s hat. One of the coolest touches is the Targa bar, which is replaced with a version wearing “Jessie” in the same font Porsche uses for its model scripts. This build also gets the front-axle lift system, Power Steering Plus, and high-gloss black brake calipers.

The interior is just as detailed. Dark Night Blue, Bordeaux Red, and Pebble Grey leather are paired with Pebble Grey cross-stitching, while the seat centers and door-panel inserts use a special fabric designed to replicate denim as a nod to Jessie’s jeans. Bordeaux Red Race-Tex appears on the Targa bar’s interior trim, window-frame trim, and upper interior mirror panel. Porsche also wrapped the extended dashboard, sunvisors, inner door-sill guards, and fuse-box covers in leather.

Then there are the floormats, which mimic the black-and-white cowhide pattern of Jessie’s chaps. Like the Buzz GT3 RS, the door-sill guards light up with character-specific lettering, in this case “Yee Haw.” The Jessie Targa 4 also comes loaded with the Premium package, Night Vision Assist, InnoDrive, PDCC, and a heated GT Sport steering wheel.

Like the long-range version, the R2 Standard will feature a single “Maximus” permanent-magnet motor good for 350 hp and 365 lb-ft of torque and an estimated 5.9-second 0–60 mph time. The biggest change—and the likely driver for the $3,500 gap between the two models—concerns the R2 Standard’s battery, as it doesn’t appear to have the same 87.9 kWh pack as the rest of the R2 lineup. Rivian says the Standard’s battery capacity is yet to be confirmed and it wouldn’t elaborate any further about the pack’s size or other details. But sources at the company told us that the R2 Standard will use the same 4695 cell as the R2’s other battery.

We suspect that Rivian is able to shave cost by using a different battery chemistry for the R2 Standard’s pack. In the R1 lineup, the “Standard” pack has an LFP (Lithium Iron Phosphate) chemistry, which is cheaper to manufacture but less energy dense than the NMC (Nickel Manganese Cobalt) “Large” and “Max” battery packs it also offers. With the R2 Standard Long Range (as well as the R2 Premium and R2 Performance) confirmed to have NCMA (Nickel Manganese Cobalt Aluminum) chemistry, we think that the savings—and resulting range hit—probably comes from employing an LFP pack in the base R2.

Elsewhere, it appears that equipment levels between the R2 Standard and R2 Standard Long Range should roughly match. Outside, “Esker Silver” will be the only no-cost color option, and 19-inch wheels are standard. Inside, the R2 Standard will have black faux-leather seats with stylish textured cloth and plastic-like accents, helping to ensure the vehicle doesn’t feel cheap compared to pricier R2s.

There’s been a move lately by electric automakers to offer more affordable versions of their vehicles, likely in response to the loss of government incentives and the continued perception that EVs cost more than equivalent gas-powered models. Tesla, for instance, now offers a cheaper version of both the Model 3 and Model Y, with the latter starting at $41,630 at today’s prices and offering up to 321 miles of range. Chevrolet also offers an entry-level version of its Equinox LT, which starts at $36,795 and nets 319 miles of range.

Rivian says more information on the new 2027 R2 Standard will be available closer to its planned launch in the summer of 2027, with the R2 Standard Long Range arriving before it in the spring of next year.

The biggest news is the arrival of hands-free SAE Level 2++ capability on North American highways, a feature the Lucid Air already had. Yes, the Gravity could already steer, accelerate, and brake on its own, but it still required its driver to keep both hands on the wheel. That changes with this update as the system now supports driver-initiated hands-free lane changes and can also execute passing maneuvers around slower traffic through Automatic Lane Change, all without driver input. Drivers still need to remain attentive because this is not fully self-driving tech.

Lucid also now integrates Google Maps Places into Lucid Navigation. That adds more useful business details, ratings, parking information, and charging station listings with real-time availability. The company pairs that with new battery-focused tools, including Advanced Preconditioning View and Predictive Charging Power. Lucid says those features will give Gravity owners better visibility into battery-pack temperatures and expected peak charging performance before they plug in.

The last major addition applies to Gravity SUVs equipped with DreamDrive Premium or DreamDrive 2 Pro. Those vehicles now get adaptive driving-beam technology, which allows the high-beams to remain on without blinding oncoming drivers by automatically adjusting the light pattern around other vehicles.

For now, these updates are limited to North American Gravity owners, though Lucid said other regions could get them “at a later date.”

The concept itself was built upon a BMW 8 Series coupe platform with a V-8 under its hood, presumably a version of BMW’s stout 4.4-liter twin-turbo V-8 that was available across the 8 Series range. (BMW ended production of the 8 Series in April of 2026 and so far, no successor has been named.) As for the coming BMW Alpina production models, Van Hooydonk did confirm that V-8 engines would power them at the outset.

When asked whether BMW Alpina would ever produce an all-electric powered vehicle, Missoni took the corporate line that, like the parent company, BMW Alpina will explore a philosophy of “technological openness” when it comes to hybridization and electrification. Both designers also said some of the Alpina character would be implemented via software tuning.

Top Speed: A Quiet 186 mph

Whereas M stands for motorsports in BMW’s universe, Alpina has always emphasized high-speed cruising and understated performance, versus raw power and extreme handling limits. Van Hooydonk confirmed that speed remains a focus for the BMW Alpina brand, and its coming production vehicles will target top speeds of 186 mph (300 kph).

This may not sound particularly fast these days, but the aim is to achieve those types of speeds effortlessly, as befitting a gentleman’s express. “BMW Alpina is for connoisseurs who love driving fast. But they don’t want to communicate that they bought a race car. That would be for an M car,” said Van Hooydonk.

Key Design Cues

Expect future BMW Alpina production cars to retain the signature Alpina design cues developed since its founding in 1965. These include the Alpina word mark, as seen on the front air dam and rear of the concept, signature blue and green colors inside, amber daytime running lights, and oval exhaust tips. There will be some potentially controversial design changes going forward, including:

In a short clip uploaded to Instagram on Thursday, May 14, we can see a silhouette of the UFC President and Ram ambassador White walking away from what looks to be a stanced pickup truck. Then, there’s some footage of a wheel doing a smoky burnout with a bright yellow brake caliper just in frame. After, there’s a snatch of a look at a truck doing a donut. We can see more yellow side decals, as well as a tailgate-mounted spoiler and sport bar. The rest of the truck is obscured by tire smoke. Finally, “THINGS ARE ABOUT TO GET LOUD” flashes across the screen.

Nothing else official has been announced thus far, but we suspect this is Ram hinting at the return of the Ram 1500 TRX. The TRX debuted in 2021 but was discontinued after the 2024 model year. If it is indeed the new TRX, we’d imagine it’ll once again come with some sort of supercharged V-8 and be an absolute beast off-road. The Ram 1500 RHO exists, of course, but it’s still no TRX. Ram needs something with which to compete with the Ford F-150 Raptor R as well.

You can see the clip for yourself below. It’s all pretty TRX-ish, no?

That is the pitch behind Bingo Technologies. Founded by a key executive behind Mophie, a company focused on mobile device power, Bingo is the latest EV maker to explore battery swapping as a way around charging downtime. Its answer is the E2 microcar, which pairs swappable batteries with a permanent rechargeable pack rather than replacing it entirely.

You can buy one, but you will not be driving it in the U.S. In fact, the whole point of the E2 is that you do not drive it at all, anywhere. The vehicle is designed to earn money for you while someone else uses it, though it is not autonomous.

The Bingo E2 is meant to be an investment in a ride-hailing vehicle for developing markets such as Kenya and South Africa. Buyers pay the full $12,000 MSRP including a refundable $99 deposit, and the car is then opened to a pool of licensed, insured, and Bingo-vetted ride-hailing operators who lease or rent vehicles for their ride-hailing businesses.

Why There’s a Need for Bingo and the E2

According to Bingo, the model makes sense for EV drivers in places like Nairobi, Kenya, where fuel and vehicle rental costs can crush profits. The company says the average driver may not break even despite working up to 14 hours a day.

It is not for lack of demand. Nairobi sees roughly 500,000 rides per day, according to Bingo. But soaring fuel prices have eaten even further into drivers’ earnings.

The EV You Don’t Have to Charge if You Don’t Want To

Charging infrastructure in many of these countries is still developing, but Bingo drivers may not need to rely on DC fast charging or even AC charging very often. The E2’s party trick is its battery setup: a 31-kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery mounted under the floor, plus four replaceable nickel cobalt manganese (NMC) battery modules under the rear seat that add another 13-kWh of capacity.

When those modules run low, drivers can swap them at a Bingo station for fresh ones. The process appears simple enough. The rear seat bottom flips forward, a small panel held by four bolts and two spring clips is raised, and the high-voltage cables are disconnected with twist locks from inside the vehicle.

Bingo says the swap takes just two minutes, which could keep drivers on the road longer and earning more for both themselves and the vehicle owner. If needed, or if a driver simply prefers to, the 31-kWh main battery can still be charged like any other EV. Bingo says it can go from 20 to 80 percent in about an hour on a DC fast charger.

Well, first you find an appropriate brand that fits this gap and buy it, which BMW did in 2022 when it announced it had acquired the rights to Alpina, the aftermarket tuning house long associated with the Roundel. Then, you announce a strategy to take Alpina upmarket as an ultraluxury brand to compete with the likes of Mercedes-Maybach and high end Porsches.

And lastly, you give the automotive enthusiasts and the BMW faithful something to send them spinning, gasping, and drooling over until your first production BMW Alpina vehicle hits the market, in late 2027.

BMW used the 2026 Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este for the trifecta, by unveiling the Vision BMW Alpina, a one-off design study previewing the future direction of the newly integrated BMW Alpina brand. As the first concept car since the acquisition, Vision BMW Alpina signals how BMW intends to preserve Alpina’s long-standing identity and credibility, while repositioning it within the BMW Group’s luxury hierarchy.

Classic GT Shape and Sound

At 204.7 inches long, the four-seat coupe carries familiar Alpina themes into a more restrained and contemporary form. The proportions are classic grand tourer: long hood, low roofline, wide stance, and a cabin designed to accommodate four adults in comfort. BMW says the concept is powered by a V-8 engine, with an exhaust tuned to deliver the subdued but distinctive character long associated with Alpina road cars. We also expect gobs of torque available on demand for effortless acceleration and high-speed cruising.

Shark Nose and Speed Line

The exterior design centers around what BMW calls the “speed feature line,” a character line that begins at the front fascia and runs the length of the body, rising by six degrees as it does, before wrapping around the rear. The front end itself revives Alpina’s historical shark nose treatment and forward-leaning stance, first seen prominently on cars like the Alpina B7 Coupe of the late 1970s. Here, BMW’s kidney grille becomes a three-dimensional sculptural element integrated into the nose rather than a separate graphic feature.

Many of the details are intentionally understated. Alpina’s deco-lines, the brand’s signature pinstripes, are now painted beneath the clear coat for a cleaner appearance. Dark metallic finishes appear on recessed surfaces, while hidden lighting elements and subtle graphics inside the grille reinforce what BMW designers describe as a “Second Read” philosophy—details intended to reveal themselves gradually rather than dominate at first glance.

Other traditional Alpina cues on the concept include elliptical quad exhaust outlets and familiar 20-spoke wheels measuring 22 inches in front and 23 inches in the rear.