AutoGuide Hot Takes: Ferrari Falsely Accused Of Fizzling

Some people know everything there is to know about cars, except how to enjoy them—as always, AutoGuide is here for it. We don’t always cover every piece of news, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have thoughts and opinions—many of them.

Managing Editor Mike Schlee, Road Test Editor Kyle Patrick, Site Coordinator Michael Accardi, and Editorial Director Greg Migliore weigh in on the hot topics of the week. If you disagree, please get in the comments and tell us why we’re wrong.

1) The return of the Prelude is going according to plan for Honda—Japanese outlets are reporting the first batch of allocations has already sold out in the swoopy coupes' home market.

2) Lexus put a Toyota Corolla nose on the Lexus IS for 2026. Maybe the Japanese automaker is hoping some of the Corolla’s sales mojo rubs off on the slow-selling sedan. Regardless of how it looks, the facelifted IS should be cherished as it's one of the few remaining RWD sedans still soldiering on amid the sad sea of SUV sameness.

3) But it looks like it’s not actually the Toyota Corolla’s nose anymore—recent photos from China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology preview Toyota’s plans to update the Corolla with the hammerhead design language worn by both the Prius and RAV4. Outside of the rhinoplasty, the car is mechanically unchanged.

4) For those of us who grew up with Testarossa posters, Ferrari’s most recent announcement is great news. Following the SF90, the 849 Testarossa is a buffet of Ferrari’s most recent tech. While everyone is familiar with the 1980s Miami Vice sports car, the name was used on some of Ferrari’s most beautiful race cars in the late ‘50s.

5) But the Ferrari subreddit absolutely hates the design of the new Testarossa. Complaints mostly range from disappointed takes that “it doesn’t look like the Tesarossa on my bedroom poster” all the way down to toddler-styled outbursts of “I DON'T LIKE IT”. Thankfully, reddit isn’t the real world, and random opinions on the internet will have no bearing on how well the car wil be received by actual people with the means to afford the half-million dollar ticket price.

6) Thinking of underrated muscle cars, how about the 1964 Ford Fairlane? Here’s one for sale on AutoGuide’s Used Car Listings. Apparently, this one was stolen and then recovered – you get patina and a bit of legend here – and the Fairlane runs a 289 V8. For some of us, the early- to mid-60s Detroit coupes, like the Impala hardtop and this Ford, just hit. They’re much cleaner than the tailfin era that preceded them, and they’re sleek and all-business than the muscular beasts that would follow as the decade rolled on.

7) Volvo’s CEO thinks an electric car future is inevitable. Bold, and the hottest take is this: he’s right. We don’t think it will be—nor should be—100-percent coverage though, but it’s hard not to see how, everything else being equal, the gas cars of 2040 would be the manual cars of 2025: rarities for those not interested in going faster, but craving more involvement. The average 1.5-people-carrying SUV doing five under in the left lane will not lose its “soul” going electric. It’s that “everything else being equal” hurdle we’re having a hard time with…

8) Speaking of the left lane—has anyone noticed that the right lane has become the new fast lane? It’s positively terrifying.

9) Even if you’re not excited that football season is on, surely you can appreciate the snack food offensive that comes with it? I found the latest Lay’s Cheesy Buffalo Dip chips on the recent 2026 Nissan LEAF drive, and they’re excellent salty snacks with a good crunch. Chips remain a sub-par road trip snack, though: they’re just too greasy.

10) Toyota’s Gazoo Racing division is putting the legendary 4A-GE back into (limited) production with a few key improvements. Your regular reminder that no other mainstream brand is doing more for enthusiasts.

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