Having driven a handful of Porsches, I thought I had a pretty good idea of how the Macan would feel compared to other performance-luxury SUVs. My obvious benchmark was the BMW X3, and I don’t think anyone would disagree that it’s the closest competitor. Offerings from Audi and Mercedes-Benz fall a bit short in the sporting department, and the Volvo XC60 somehow never feels premium enough to stack up. I took a borrowed Porsche Macan through some of the most beautiful backroads I’ve ever been on in Portland, OR, and got a feel for how the supposed king of small and sporty SUVs really performs.

Performance Basics and Equipment

We picked up a base 2022 Porsche Macan with a few choice options added. But, under the hood still rests a stout 2.0-liter four-cylinder making just 261 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. I’d have liked the Macan S quite a bit more; while the Porsche never felt lethargic, the mountain passes would’ve been a hundred times more fun with a hundred extra horsepower (375, to be exact). Car and Driver says the Macan hits 60 mph from a standstill in 5.0 seconds flat; mine did not seem that sprightly. Since I didn’t launch it, I’m not going to dispute it further.

This particular Macan was optioned well. It had heated and ventilated front seats, a panoramic roof, and Bose sound. The sound was good but not great. Apple CarPlay worked completely without issue, which is nice – some of the other vehicles I’ve driven with it have consistency issues.

The Route and Where We Drove It

We had the Macan for about a week and took it throughout downtown Portland, Oregon, and the surrounding areas. It was a solid mix of city driving and mountain curves. I intentionally routed our way through the Oregon wilderness up into Mount Hood and Government Camp areas. We also sat in some traffic on our way into Salem – south of Portland. In all, we covered about 300 miles. Predictably, it rained. The 19-inch wheel and tire package (Michelin A/S it looked like) handled the conditions just fine – minimal tramlining and great wet and dry grip.

Driving the Porsche Macan

There’s a lot to like in the Porsche Macan. The turbocharged four-cylinder develops enough power to keep you entertained. More interesting and enjoyable, though, is the PDK transmission. It feels more exotic than the ZF eight-speed that populates this segment in offers from BMW and others. It’s plenty quick to shift and does a good job of figuring out what you’re doing even left in automatic mode.

With respect to handling, the Macan scores equally high marks. The Macan gives better steering feel than competitors I’ve driven from Mercedes and BMW. There’s body roll, predictably, but it isn’t anything you won’t find elsewhere in the segment. My test subject had the base 19-inch wheels, and I wouldn’t opt for anything bigger unless you’re driving on roads paved with glass. Despite the air suspension, I don’t think the Macan is any more or less comfortable than equivalent sport-forward SUVs like the X3 M40i. That’s okay; besides, the communicative steering more than makes up for it. In my book, it earns that Porsche crest on the hood.

One of the biggest takeaways from the 997.1 I drove a few years ago was the overwhelming feeling of “specialness” you get from the driver’s seat. Looking in your side mirrors, you see curvaceous haunches. You sit low in the vehicle and the gearshift feels like it was specifically crafted to be put just so and to be gripped just so. Perhaps describing the cabin as purposeful is more accurate – and the prime directive is always driving. It’s a feeling that BMW M does exceptionally well and one of the reasons I still love their vehicles. I’m not sure that the Porsche Macan lived up to expectations in that regard. I think that might be more of a me problem than anything the Macan does, though. It's also important to note that this isn't a BMW M car - or even a particularly performance-forward Porsche model. It's designed to function largely the same way that a base X3 would. And with that juxtaposition, it stands a bit taller.

Verdict

While far from economy class – and this was, admittedly, a base Macan, despite being well-optioned – the Macan never truly felt special. That might go away in the higher trims, or it might not. I hope to drive one soon and figure that out. The Macan is good. But not in the way a 911 is good.

I would have trouble recommending a Porsche Macan to someone over an X3. Before you even get to options, a base Macan has an MSRP about on-par with the comparable X3 M40i (or new X3 M50). For that you get a heck of a lot more power and much better standard equipment. That said, the X3 can’t touch it in the handling department. But…it’s an SUV. Does it need to handle like a sports car? And that’s exactly what I would ask anyone considering the two SUVs.

Keep Your Friends Close and Your Mechanic Closer

Over the last few days I’ve heard a lot about shops doing, well, bad things. First I heard about a C6 Corvette that fell off a lift. Apparently, the shop offered the owner $5,000 for their 175,000-mile Vette with a salvage title. Which, first problem, is extremely low for a running and driving C6. Equally problematic is that the owner allegedly expected $17,000 in compensation, which is an equally insane amount of delusion in the exact opposite direction. What isn’t shown in the picture above is that the mechanic in question offers prospective clients some pretty obvious red flags: a big “Now Open!” sign, the name “Quick Fix Auto Repair,” and an address scrawled in what appears to be a red crayon. That’s a pass from me, dog. This is what I call avoidable contact (thanks, Jack Baruth).

Equally astounding but less jaw-droppingly stupid is the case of the 11-year Porsche repair. A lady brought her Porsche 911 in for a pothole-related incident in 2010 and the car simply never came back. The 993 apparently required around GBP 9,000 (around $11,800 USD) worth of repairs. The woman gave the mechanic a break when he reportedly suffered health problems, and also cut him slack when he spent nearly a year in jail for assault-related charges. She finally sued and won this year, receiving GBP 114,000 ($150,000-ish). Remember, folks: find a good mechanic or do your own maintenance – preferably some combination of the two – because finding a bad one will cost you a lot more.

Launch of the Lexus LX700h

Lexus is riding high on the off-roader trendiness, and the flagship LX SUVs are the next to get a full-fledged off-road variant – the Overtrail trim. But, curiously, this also requires ordering a hybrid powertrain. The 700h sports the twin-turbo 3.4-liter V6 engine from the lower-trim LX 600 and throws in some hybrid componentry. Like BMW, Lexus sandwiches an electric motor between the engine and transmission. Output rises from 409 horsepower to 457 horsepower, and torque increases by 104 to 583 pound-feet of torque.

Overall, great news. But I’m interested to see who the buyer for the Overtrail model really is. The Overtrail gets an unsurprising collection of off-road goodies, like front and rear locking differentials, all-terrain tires, and a skid plate. I imagine well-heeled off-road enthusiasts would rather do as I’ve done – correctly – and purchase a 20-year-old GX with the same capabilities, less complexity, and better styling. Kidding, mostly. Realistically, I expect this to attract many of the Toyota Land Cruiser shoppers that are used to spending six figures for a bit of stealth wealth and off-road chops, but won’t be caught dead in the smaller, cheaper Cruiser Toyota released this year. There’ no mention of the truck’s starting price, because if you have to ask…

Maybe We Shouldn’t Care About the Cannonball Run?

Autobahn-crushing German sedans have always been a favorite for participants in the Cannonball Run “challenge.” Alex Roy famously completed a run in a tricked-out E39 M5, and subsequent runs saw choices like a modified Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG and a sleeper Audi S6 dressed up like a cop car. But most recently, an unlikely candidate has shattered numerous records: Chris Stowell and his humble 535d. For those uninitiated, the Cannonball Run is essentially “get across the country as fast as possible.”

In a video from the longtime Cannonball documentarians over at VinWiki, Chris had pretty tempered expectations for his drive across the country. He wanted to make it in 27 hours. More or less, he hit that goal, dashing from the Red Ball Parking Garage in NYC to the Portofino Inn in Los Angeles in just 27 hours and 16 minutes. This, in fact, breaks three separate records: the solo record (27:54), the pre-COVID overall record (27:25), and the diesel record (28:30).

While I’m a big fan of diesel BMWs, the Cannonball Run is the much more divisive subject here. And, in fact, the preceding two paragraphs are directly ripped from a piece my editor at BMWBLOG rightfully scrapped. Cannonball Run isn’t this extraordinary feat of driving prowess – it’s driving recklessly and getting lucky. Even the newest “hall-of-famer” admits that he started “falling asleep a little bit” at the wheel several times before taking a Five Hour Energy. Wonderful – what a consummate professional. When the Run started in the 1970s by racer Brock Yates and Car and Driver editor Steve Smith, there were literally tens of millions fewer vehicles on the road and deep triple-digit speeds weren’t even a thing. It was an interesting slice of Americana and even had a little bit of protest rock-and-roll energy. Maybe we follow the music and collectively move the heck on.

Speaking of moving on, I’ll have a review coming for the M4 here on the site in the next couple days – stay tuned. I’d love to hear from you about the Cannonball Run and anything else I covered here today. Stay safe out there.

Sources: Reddit and the Drive; Road and Track and FHWA

Jersey Slide

Princeton, NJ, is a town with seriously rich history and a lot to write about. But it’s probably not what you think of when you think “car culture.” Color me surprised when I found plenty of industry-relevant attractions all around town. The first is “Von Neumann corner,” named after mathematician and budding auto enthusiast John von Neuman’s frequent car accidents. Von Neumann was “regularly arrested for speeding,” and reportedly purchased a new vehicle every year. This might be because his rigs would rarely last that long, with constituents quipping that “the way he drove, a car couldn’t possibly last more than a year.” This was circa 1940 or so.

Next, we stopped by Princeton University Library, also known as Firestone Library. Yep, that Firestone – the tire mogul Harvey Firestone – lends his name to one of the largest libraries in the world. You’ll find over 7 million books, six levels, and 43 miles of bookstacks. A hodgepodge of study spaces, art galleries, archives, and more, it’s definitely worth the visit – even if you’re there more for sightseeing than reading.

When visiting one of the premier educational establishments in the country, do as the locals do and catch a lecture. We sat through an interesting one that talked about how radio and architecture related through the Cold War. How’d this tie in? One of the subjects was the Radiocentro CMQ Building in Cuba, which eschewed a more obvious and monolithic design for something that integrated into the existing neighborhood and society a bit more elegantly. Among other attractions, it touted a car dealership on the ground floor! While admittedly tangential, our time in Princeton reminds us that cars are an integral cultural component of society and have permeated into almost everything in one way or another. A huge thanks to my friend Adrian, Princeton resident and generally awesome tour guide.

2025 BMW M4 Review Coming Soon

I’ve got to go light on details before a full review goes live on BMWBLOG – don’t want to scoop myself – but I’m pleasantly surprised by the 2025 BMW M4. Viewing the car through any sort of contemporary lens reveals a communicative, immensely capable four-seater sports car. Is it compromised compared to older M models? Sure. Is it a bit bigger than we’d like it to be? Of course. I really wish my demo was the manual-equipped version I’d initially requested, but again, what can you do. Not to give too much away, but I do feel like the car’s biggest downside might be its biggest positive: it’s simply too capable to be truly interesting to drive at non-criminal speeds. We’ll see – well, you’ll see – in a bit when I drop a full review.  

Q3 Sales Published – Any Winners?

To summarize, Q3 saw a little bit of normalization compared to the last quarter. As you’ve likely already read elsewhere, Stellantis, BMW, and others have cut 2024 earnings citing everything from massive recalls to interest rates. Hyundai won pretty big, seeing a 5 percent rise in quarterly sales that almost washed out the 7 percent decrease sister company Kia reported. But Honda took the sales trophy, generating a 10 percent sales gain. Ford’s F-150 Lightning sales helped buoy the brand and allowed Ford to outpace competitors and report a 0.7 percent increase in sales. GM reports a 2.2 percent decrease, while Toyota reported an 8 percent fall.

While the usual cadre of small SUVs dominated top sales positions, there were some surprises. The subcompact segment is apparently burgeoning, as Mitsubishi managed to sell twice as many examples of its Mirage subcompact in Q3 2024 compared to last year. Nissan moved over 4,500 Leafs, which represents a 187.5 percent year-over-year increase. It’s not too surprising; with rising costs elsewhere and Nissan currently advertising a $259/month lease deal, it’s probably the most cost-effective EV on the market. Of course, it is still a Nissan.

Experts blame a slow August for Q3’s shortcomings and haven’t changed their outlook on new vehicle sales in Q4. The end of the year is here, the longshoreman strike was resolved almost as immediately as it arrived, and rates are falling. I’m surprised experts aren’t calling for a bigger end-of-year push, but they’re probably being a bit cautious as the political climate shifts.

The John Cena Fake Lamborghini

We’ll leave things with some levity and talk a little bit about the insane Diablo VT Roadster replica commissioned by none other than wrestler-turned-Thespian John Cena. It has popped up on Bring a Trailer not terribly long after the project’s completion; likely because Cena can afford to buy a real one if he wanted. The build took around 20 years to complete, and features a 5.0-liter V12 engine sourced from a 1988 BMW 750iL paired with a Porsche five-speed transaxle.

Is there a reason you shouldn’t buy this? Even the curmudgeons in the comments section are praising the replica, claiming fit and finish far exceeds what Lamborghini was doing in-period. And based on what I’ve heard and seen, I tend to believe them. The car looks the business and will probably cost a fraction of what true Diablo ownership does. While you’ll miss the ridiculous yowl of the true Lambo V12 – regardless of whether it’s an early 5.7-liter or later 6.0-liter car – those same Lamborghini owners might be enviously admiring your car’s fit and finish. Anyway, the auction sits at $76,000 as of this writing. Real Diablos command $300K-ish; I expect you’ll get this one for a lot less.

Sources – Qualia Computing, Reuters, Cox Automotive, Bring a Trailer

Mercedes execs are reportedly evaluating the future of the GLC and GLE Coupe models as they attempt to trim down their model lineup. With no BMW X4 on the horizon – the GLC’s main competitor – it would certainly make sense to pare down the SUV coupe offerings. The source article also suggests that lower-end models like the A-Class and B-Class – offered internationally – could go away as early as 2026. “With 45 models and derivatives,” the reporting source (Handelsblatt) sagely indicates, “the portfolio of the brand…is considered internally to be far too complex.”

I can’t disagree. In fact, I was considering writing an article solely about just how disjointed and messed up the Mercedes-Benz lineup is these days. I still may. Which, as a fan of many, many older Mercedes cars, is a little disheartening. With an uninspiring EV lineup, hybrid AMG sales flatlining, and little of interest on the horizon sans the return of the spicy AMG GT Coupe, cutting back might be just what the doctor ordered.

McLaren: Just 1 More

On September 25^th, McLaren formally announced another “1” car was coming. What’s a “1” car? That’s exactly what the automaker rhetorically asks in the YouTube video they released. They’re referring to the next car in the McLaren F1 and McLaren P1 family. I’ll save you a click: the brief video McLaren released shows nothing and tells you even less, primarily relying on talking points from the PR department that bolster (unnecessarily…) the brand’s dedication to bringing their customers “timeless, uncompromising vehicles.” While it might be a load of marketing McCrapen, it’s hard not to be excited when they are, after all, responsible for the legendary McLaren F1. While I’m not holding my breath for a V12-powered manual shifter, I’m optimistic that it will be something that inspires and sets the pace for the next round of McLaren cars.

It’s easy to dismiss these sort of halo cars as irrelevant rich people unobtainium. But these are always much more historically relevant than the six-figure cars that come after them. So even if I’ll only see one or two in my life, it’s easy to appreciate the historic relevance that lesser trims won’t ever really have. Like the P1 did for the 5 Series and 7 Series cars, it’ll be a preview of what’s to come for the brand over the next decade or so. McLaren is making us wait until October 6^th at 13:00 BST (8:00 AM EST) to learn anything more specific.

Voyaging Towards the Next Generation

Space. The final frontier. Erm, wait – sorry, my partner and I are watching Star Trek together. What I meant was: “Space. An important consideration for anyone buying a minivan.” I was pretty close. The Voyager nameplate is back, which makes sense since Stellantis was currently only using the Chrysler brand to sell Pacifica and Pacifica Hybrid vans. In a tragically typical Stellantis move, they slapped the Voyager badges on a pre-facelifted Pacifica and said “come and get it.”

Crapping on Stellantis is too easy these days, so I’m just going to say: good news, but it could’ve been better. Chrysler is debuting the Voyager at $41,690, around $2,500 less than the Pacifica. Cheaper minivans are always good – lord knows families that need them probably struggle enough. But the Voyager is still almost $4,000 more than the Kia Carnival, which offers…well, a lot more of everything. At least the Chrysler van still gets a Pentastar V6 for exploring faraway galaxies. Or softball games. Whatever.

The Singer of Mustangs? Not Exactly

Road & Track published a review on a $305,400 first-gen Mustang restomod earlier this month, and I only now got around to reading it. Velocity Restorations, based in Florida, is attempting to recapture muscle car magic, throwing 5.0-liter Coyote engines and ten-speed autos into old sheet metal. The spec sheet looks great –  the aforementioned powertrain joins goodies like six-piston calipers, a 9-inch rear axle, and 17-inch wheels.

While the journo tasked with the review spends a lot of time writing about stuff that only kind of matters – like crumple zones and cramped proportions – he also heroically pans the car by the end of the review. “You can have 99 percent of the pleasure for no more than two-thirds of the money, and that’s why the Velocity struggles to justify its supercar pricing.” While I doubt I would disagree, and probably couldn’t have said it better myself, the prospect of a company handing a journalist the keys to a $300,000 car saying “what’s the worst that can happen?” only for them to unequivocally shoot the thing down as a waste of money is pretty entertaining. Good job, Will.

See you next time folks. I’ll be on the east cost driving and writing and filming and photographing a pink BMW M4 (manual!) beginning Sunday and through next week, so I’m not sure when or where my next article will show up. But it will likely involve that very car.

Sources: CarScoops/Handelsblatt, McLaren/Youtube, Car and Driver, Road & Track

What is the Ram 1500 Classic?

One of my other writing gigs exposed me to this truck that, before a week ago, I didn’t even know existed. The Ram 1500 Classic is a continuation of the fourth generation Ram 1500 (chassis code DS). Production has run concurrently with the new, fifth gen “DT” model, and the trucks were (and are) offered side by side on dealership lots. Stellantis claims the Ram 1500 Classic was offered as a more affordable alternative to the new, fifth-gen models that launched in 2019 – ten years after the DS chassis launched.

But Stellantis didn’t leave the truck completely untouched. Despite it being “old,” Stellantis continued to update the truck with small quality-of-life improvements. 2020 saw the introduction of a Black Appearance Package. 2021 granted the Warlock trim an Off-Road Package and even improved the standard truck’s display via an Infotainment Package, supplementing the old truck with new hardware that included Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility.

So, the Ram 1500 Classic – eventually – ended up with a lot of the same basic features as the fifth generation DT truck. But it still looked a little older, with a traditional four-bar grille instead of the new, streamlined one on the DT. The headlights were a bit less narrow, and the front clip was clearly different. You could say the Classic even took on a bit of a more conservative or refined look. Classic, even. Inside, even less changes – a revised steering wheel and gauge cluster are the biggest standard features that separate the two. Factor in the lower pricetag, and you’ve got a truck that is perfect for what most truck buyers want: something that isn’t the fanciest. But just works.

So…Did the Ram 1500 Classic…Work?

Sadly, we don’t really know. Ram doesn’t release sales figures that differentiate the Classic from the DT Ram 1500. According to a Pennsylvania-based Ram dealer Automotive News spoke to in 2019, at least a quarter of their sales came from the Classic. Considering they sold an essentially unchanged truck chassis from 2009 until 2024, I must imagine Ram got a good return on their dollar regarding the DS chassis.

While using the court of public opinion as a citation is dubious – especially on the internet – you don’t have to look far to find people lamenting the loss of the Ram 1500 Classic. Whether or not it’s a vocal minority, the market was certainly there. As of this writing, there are 747 Ram 1500 Classic trucks listed on Autotrader. That’s 1.7 percent of the 42,929 (!) total new Ram 1500 trucks listed. If nothing else, they aren’t taking up much space. When you consider the very public price-slashing going on in other areas of Stellantis’ business – like the up to $9,000 (!) off you can find on the travesty that is the Dodge Hornet – it certainly feels like the Ram 1500 Classic could’ve stuck around a little longer.

The Ram 1500 Classic: Conceptually Sound

The Ram 1500 Classic is an interesting product, and I’m a little surprised it’s going away. Keeping an older vehicle in production for longer than intended – either to attract price-conscious buyers or change-fearing Luddites – is something that I could see becoming a burgeoning strategy in the auto industry. Assuming the manufacturer has the tooling and facilities, there’s really little downside. They’ll continue to profit off R&D performed decades ago, and customers continue to get what they want.

The implications work across many different market segments, too – imagine if Chevy had kept the front-engine C7 Corvette running alongside the mid-engine monster C8? Small updates to the interior and infotainment – stuff that’s already been developed – would modernize an admittedly capable chassis even more. Even if GM had to move C7 production outside of Bowling Green (where all Corvettes have been produced since 1981), people would’ve still been buying the C7 in 2024. Especially if – like the Ram 1500 Classic – Chevy priced the C7 as the “entry-level” car.   

Nostalgia and hindsight make finding potentially good candidates for this strategy admittedly easy. Imagine a world where the E46 M3 ran concurrently with the E92. Or the lighter and better-looking 997.2 stayed in production while 991.1 cars were being sold. But I think there’s even more interesting implications when considering the future of the automobile. We’re looking at an eventual end of the manual transmission; couldn’t BMW produce the G87 M2 (presumably the last manual transmission M car, but maybe not) alongside a next-gen car nearly indefinitely? Hell, the current-gen F-150 comes standard with a 12-inch display; that’s verging on egregious for a work truck. Couldn’t Ford just say: “Hey, this works great and will continue to – let’s offer this indefinitely at continually lower pricing alongside a slightly fancier model?”

Where Does That Leave Us?

The Ram 1500 Classic was a great idea – one of very few from Stellantis in recent history. But it was only half the equation. Imagine if instead of looking for newer and brighter screens and bigger and flashier wheels, automakers left well enough alone and started investing elsewhere? Say…the lagging alternative fuel infrastructure. Or synthetic fuel research. You know, things that will start to have a real and significant impact on the auto-buying public in the not-so-distant future.

The Ram 1500 Classic is my favorite thing Stellantis has ever done. As a concept, it’s unlikely to ever get the credit it deserves. As a truck, each will likely rust away from the quarter panels into obscurity the same as any other Ram ever made. Metaphorical and physical proof that nothing lasts forever.

Sources: Automotive News, The Autopian, Car and Driver

Images courtesy of Stellantis/Ram

First up: I finally wrote my review of the Porsche Macan that I took for a spin a couple months ago while in Portland, Oregon. Unfortunately it's not the all-new electric model, but it is in fact the first Macan I have ever driven. It's a good drive - and a good read - but it might not be the "911 of SUVs" you think it is. Thanks to the high bar the brand sets, it also has the distinction of being the least interesting Porsche I've ever driven. I mean, they only make like five cars - it had to be one of them. That said, it's a super competent SUV and I can't wait to test out the new one.

COBB Tuning and the $2.9 million settlement

I didn't write a story about it, but today had breaking news about COBB Tuning settling with the EPA for $2.9 million. The settlement also involved several other penalties, including things like removing features from its Accessport (handheld/mountable device to tune the vehicle's engine) that violated the Clean Air Act. It's not the first time the EPA has come down hard on tuning companies. Xtreme Diesel Performance got whacked for a little over $1 million back in 2021. Perhaps even more notably, a North Carolina-based auto parts seller was fined $10 million for installing emissions defeat devices.

COBB stated on reddit of all places - and its own website - that this press release is purely a formality. "Changes that we’ve been required to make have been made for some time. Nothing is changing with the Accessport, Accessport functionality, or our product catalog. We’re excited to move forward and focus on the development of both existing and future platforms." The Texas-based tuner had little more to say. I don't have a lot to add; but I do find it ironic that the COBB Accessport and exhaust modifications are particularly popular among Subaru enthusiasts. For those unaware, Subaru is a brand that goes quite out of their way to help the environment and projects an "outdoorsy" image. Maybe someone should tell the people buying their cars.

Junkyard Treasure

RM Sotheby's has discovered a hidden trove of treasures in south Los Angeles. Simultaneously dubbed both the "Junkyard" and Rudy Klein Collection, it has literally hundreds of cars and parts to pick from. The auction goes live on October 26th, and you can read my piece all about the BMW treasures in the Junkyard over at BMWBLOG. There's a lot of other truly remarkable stuff, too, including old Porsche chassis, a Gullwing Mercedes, and VW odds and ends. Interestingly, the collection's existence wasn't even verified up until very recently, despite its original curator passing in 2001.

I Love the E36 M3; Sue Me

I won't stop telling people how good E36s are until somebody believes me. The chassis is outstanding and dynamic; the looks are retro and rad; and the powertrain is surprisingly stout. The US version - which BMW knackered with a tuned-up M50 instead of the full-blown S50 that European markets saw - is, in some ways, even better. Of course, it's tough finding rationale that makes a less-powerful, arguably less-special car superior to its brethren, but that's exactly what I attempted to do in my latest E36 article at BMWBLOG.

What's Around the Corner

The next full-length article is about something way outside my wheelhouse - the Ram 1500. If that's not intriguing enough (it shouldn't be), the article specifically cites something about it that other automakers should really be emulating. Now there's a taster, because Stellantis doing something right is, well, about as rare as a Stellantis vehicle running right after 50,000 miles. Kidding. Mostly. Talk soon; please share and subscribe if you're enjoying the writing.

From there, it got progressively worse. The new M4 and M3 adopted the look, and even BMW’s first standalone electric car since the quirky i3, the iX, shared the polarizing grille design.

To be honest, I actually like how the iX looks these days, and while I don’t lust for the new M3 and M4, I’ll admit they’re a striking presence on the road. But the most egregious offender in this new era of design is the truly heinous BMW XM. As a lifelong fan of the BMW M Series vehicles, I consider this abomination to be literally the worst vehicle BMW’s M division has ever churned out.

But I’m not here to bash the current design so much as I am here to welcome change. Friday, BMW announced that Maximilian Missoni would be taking the reins, heading up design of “lower-tier” BMWs like the 3 Series and X1. You wouldn’t recognize his name unless you’re really up on your car designers. When someone does know who he is, it’s often for the quite fantastic Polestar 1 pictured above. But he also played an integral part in shaping the Volvo brand as we know it today. The minimalistic and sculpted look that started with the XC90 and XC40 “trickled up” and now permeates the whole lineup.

Even less known are his triumphs prior to Volvo. Before he basically completely reinvented Volvo’s entire lineup, he worked on the truly remarkable Volkswagen XL-1. That car literally looks like a spaceship, with a minimalistic design prioritizing fuel efficiency. And indeed, the radical concept even saw a brief, 250-unit production run.

I wrote about a thousand words about the man’s past and career in a BMWBLOG article. What I left out is how hopeful I am for the future. After hours of research on Missoni, I found his optimism and enthusiasm contagious. And his portfolio speaks for itself. A focus on minimalism is exactly what BMW needs to get back to making cars that are understated, but unprecedented. I barely even knew what a BMW was until I was an E46 M3 parked in a Harlem high-rise almost 20 years ago. It was love at first sight and is, without question, the reason I’m writing about cars today. I can’t wait to fall in love with how a BMW looks again.