Weekend News Roundup December 09, 2023

Here we present our weekly Jalopnik series that recaps the latest in news. We’ve showcased our most read offerings as well as some you may have missed.

Tesla’s Cybertruck Has Finally Arrived

Rental Company Sixt Will Begin Dumping Tesla Fleet Due To Repair Costs

Image: Sixt

Tesla dramatically dropping the retail prices of its electric vehicles has perhaps been a boon for some of its customers, but the fleet buyers have found the move a bit unnerving. Following the news that Hertz would slow its purchases from Tesla, German competitor Sixt is going a step further, discontinuing purchases of Tesla EVs and selling off the Teslas it does have. According to the report from Bloomberg, the bright orange rental company is showing major losses on its EV rental program this year simply because of the tanking residual values of its held stock of cars. – Bradley Brownell Read More

Tesla Cybertruck Steel Body Raises A Lot Of Questions About Insurance And Repair Costs

Photo: Tesla

A version of the Tesla Cybertruck has finally been revealed, with the top-of-the-line version offering a claimed 320 miles of range and the ability to launch from zero to 60 mph in only 2.6 seconds. And while not all of the specs are as impressive as what was originally promised, Tesla still delivered in one important area — unpainted, stainless steel body panels. With a unique body, though, comes the challenge of repairing it when the Cybertruck inevitably gets in a wreck. – Collin Woodard Read More

Beg, Borrow And Steal Whatever You Have To So You Can Buy This Ultra-Rare Pontiac Solstice GXP Coupe

Photo: Cars & Bids

It’s quick. It’s rare. It’s gorgeous. It’s a 2009 Pontiac Solstice GXP Coupe, and it could be yours. Yes, the car you see here is currently for sale on Cars & Bids, so all you have to do is offer the seller more money than anybody else, and before you know it, one of the best-looking coupes that America ever made will be in your driveway, ready for you to take it for a spin. Although, while it’s called a coupe, it comes with a removable targa top, which means you can enjoy the open air any time you feel like it. – Collin Woodard Read More

1.2-Million-Mile Tesla Model S Has Gone Through 13 Motors And Three Battery Pack Replacements

Screenshot: Watt Energy

In the U.S., most people typically drive less than 20,000 miles in a year. Germany’s Hansjörg von Gemmingen-Hornberg, however, drives well over 100,000 miles a year – and in a Tesla Model S. As InsideEVs reports, his 2014 Model S has officially crossed the million-mile mark, and currently sitting with just under 1.2 million miles on the odometer. Which, by any standard, is a lot of miles, especially for an electric car. – Collin Woodard Read More

Car And Driver’s 10 Best List Is Dominated By Old School ICE Cars, Includes Honda Accord For The 38th Time

Screenshot: Car and Driver

Seven sedans and three sports cars make up this year’s Car and Driver 10 Best cars. The 10 best trucks and SUVs list features two EVs, six crossovers, and two trucks that could not be more different. It’s a really interesting collection of twenty vehicles that really shows the best of the market as it is available today. This year, with inflation being what it has been over the last couple of years, the base price cap has been pumped up to $110,000, and there are a ton of great cars available under that cap. So let’s see what they are! – Bradley Brownell Read More

President Biden Guilty Of Helping Hunter Biden Buy Ford Raptor With Dirty Chinese Money Or Something

Photo: Handout / Handout (Getty Images)

If you’re not glued to your television screen and mainlining Fox News 24 hours a day, it can be hard to keep up with all the nefarious things that President Biden is accused of doing. Apparently, he’s incredibly corrupt, and, in fact, he’s so corrupt that no one can even find actual evidence of his corruption. Don’t you worry, though, Republicans are going to get to the bottom of this, and now they have proof that he’s been bought and paid for by China by way of a Ford Raptor that he bought for Hunter Biden back in 2018, the Washington Post reports. – Collin Woodard Read More

Ram Recalls 142,000 Pickup Trucks Because Their Turn Signals Don’t Work Right

Photo: Ram

Ram has announced a recall that affects more than 142,000 pickup trucks due to problems with their turn signals. If you’ve spent much time on the road with Ram owners, it would be understandable if you assumed this means the turn signals don’t turn on. In this case, though, it’s actually the opposite. The turn signals won’t automatically turn off, Cars.com reports. – Collin Woodard Read More

Michael B. Jordan Tears Apart His Ferrari In Crash With Parked Kia

Screenshot: LA-OC TV YouTube

Being mistaken for a celebrity is not unheard of in LA, especially when you and that celebrity both have exquisitely ripped bods. Case in point, I’ve been mistaken for Michael B. Jordan a number of times and, usually, I’d gladly trade places with the actor, but maybe not on Sunday when he crashed a nearly half a million dollar Ferrari into a parked car. – Lawrence Hodge Read More

Genesis X Gran Berlinetta Vision Concept Is The Most Exciting Korean Car Of All Time

Image: Genesis

The brand growth for Genesis has been an incredible trajectory to watch. Spinning off from Hyundai with initially mediocre offerings, the company now delivers world-class luxury machines with some of the best and most cohesive design in the world. While the Genesis X Gran Berlinetta Vision won’t be parked in your driveway any time soon, it proves that the brand is ready to push its way up into the upper atmosphere, the rarified air, where supercars dwell. And all of this has happened in the span of just eight years on the market. – Bradley Brownell Read More

Tesla Whistleblower Says ‘Autopilot’ System Is Not Safe Enough To Be Used On Public Roads

Image: Tesla

A former Tesla employee in Norway has come forward as skeptical of the company’s ethically questionable practices with regards to its driver assistance software packages. In an interview with the BBC Lukasz Krupski said he was concerned about the readiness of the both company’s software and hardware for the task of assisted driving. The reams of leaked data Krupski took with him, including customer complaints about Tesla’s braking and so-called Full Self Driving package, seem to support his skepticism. – Bradley Brownell Read More