Author: gundwk

• Cadillac is revising the Optiq EV’s powertrains for 2026, with a new RWD base model and more power for the AWD trim.
• The single-motor RWD Optiq has 315 horsepower, and the dual-motor version now has 440 hp.
• There’s also an Optiq-V that’s new for 2026, and it has 519 horsepower.

The addition of the Cadillac Optiq-V performance model was the big news for 2026, but it turns out that’s not the only version of this compact luxury SUV that gets more horsepower for the new model year. Every version of the 2026 Optiq has a new powertrain setup, as the dual-motor all-wheel-drive powertrain now has nearly 50 percent more grunt than before, and a new single-motor base model joins the lineup that’s more powerful than last year’s dual-motor configuration.

The base Optiq now has a 315-hp electric motor powering the rear wheels; a dual-motor setup was previously the only choice, and it produced 300 horsepower. Opt for the 2026 Optiq AWD, and you get a totally new setup with front and rear electric motors making 440 horsepower. The previously announced Optiq-V is the most powerful in the lineup with its 519-hp dual-motor configuration.

View Photos

2026 Cadillac Optiq-V

Although EPA numbers aren’t yet available, Cadillac has revised the Optiq’s range estimates as well. The company cites the RWD base model as delivering 300 miles of range, while the AWD dual-motor model has a claimed 280 miles of range. The Optiq-V is estimated to have 275 miles of range on a charge.

The new RWD configuration is less expensive than last year’s base model, starting at $52,395. Upgrading to AWD is a $3500 upcharge on all trim levels except for the Optiq-V, which comes standard with AWD.

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General Motors issued a recall and stop-sale in August for the 2023–2025 Corvette Z06 and 2025–2026 Corvette ZR1 due to a fuel-spillage issue that increases the risk of fire. However, GM has now completed development of the remedy, according to MidEngineCorvetteForum.

The automaker is currently working on production and distribution of the fix.

“GM has developed the recall remedy (an insert/shield to divert spilled fuel) and is working to quickly source production and deliver it to dealers,” GM said, according to MidEngineCorvetteForum. “When parts are available, GM will inform affected vehicle owners of remedy availability and encourage them to make appointments with their local dealerships. In the meantime, vehicle owners can visit gm.com/service and enter their Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) for recall information.”

During refueling, fuel could potentially leak on the driver-side radiator. The Z06 and ZR1 are equipped with cooling fans that could blow this spilled fuel onto an ignition source and cause a fire. The ZR1X has the same setup, but that model has not yet begun production and is thus not subject to the recall.

It is estimated that roughly 25,000 Corvettes are impacted and need to have the insert/shield installed to keep any spilled fuel from reaching a potential ignition source. Most of these cars have already been delivered to customers. However, Corvette Blogger estimates that roughly 1630 of these Corvettes are stuck at dealerships due to the stop-sale notice.

GM has not yet communicated a specific date for when the remedy parts will be available.

In the meantime, C8 Z06 and ZR1 owners are encouraged to carefully follow the refueling instructions in the owner’s manual. Confirm the fuel nozzle is fully inserted, and don’t overfill the tank or attempt to fill after the fuel pump’s automatic shutoff clicks once. Always turn the vehicle off before refueling.

From: Road & Track

• The 2021 Tesla Model Y’s electric door handles may not work, so the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened an investigation.
• The federal safety agency said that nine customers have reported complaints, including several parents who had their children locked inside the EV SUV.
• The issue involves roughly 174,000 models and is caused by a low-voltage battery; NHTSA is looking into the process and the severity of the problem.

The Tesla Model Y is the brand’s most popular model, but the compact EV SUV is now being investigated by a federal safety agency due to some instances when its electric door handles didn’t work. The inquiry comes after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said its Office of Defects Investigation received nine reports from people who owned a 2021 Tesla Model Y, claiming they experienced instances where they couldn’t open the doors from the outside.

Several of the customer complaints were made by parents who said their children were locked inside the vehicle, according to the NHTSA document. This reportedly occurred after they exited the Model Y following a drive or before they went for a drive, but after they put their child in the back seat. When they were unable to open the door, the report claims that four people said they had to break a window.

While every vehicle with electric door handles is legally required to have a manual door release, including the Model Y, the one inside can be impossible for a child to access, let alone know how to use. Obviously, this type of situation can be dangerous when temperatures are high and the vehicle isn’t immediately accessible. Of course, there is another way to manually unlock the electrically powered doors from outside the Model Y. However, it’s reportedly a complicated process that involves opening the hood and applying 12 volts DC to two separate points. NHTSA says the incidents suggest the owners were unaware of the process.

The agency’s preliminary review identified an insufficient voltage as the reason behind the Model Y’s non-working door handles. Although the reported cases led to replacing the EV’s low-voltage battery, there were reportedly no signs beforehand (i.e., dashboard warning lights). That’s among the reasons that the feds are investigating the issue, with the goal of understanding the "scope and severity" of the problem, as well as the "approach used by Tesla to supply power to the door locks and the reliability of the applicable power supplies."

For now, the focus of the investigation is on manually unlocking the Model Y’s doors from the outside. NHTSA says it will be on the lookout for additional incidents and will take further action if necessary.

• The 1998 Lamborghini Pregunta concept will go up for auction via Broad Arrow in Belgium on October 10 and could fetch over $3 million.
• The Pregunta is based on a Diablo but wears a custom carbon-fiber body inspired by the Dassault Rafale fighter jet.
• The cabin is coated in Azure blue Alcantara, and the V-12 engine is hooked up to a five-speed gated manual transmission.

Along with blistering performance, Lamborghinis are known for wild styling. From the chunky wheel arches and towering wing of the 1980s Countach to the spiky carbon-fiber body of the Sesto Elemento and the angular face of the Revuelto, Lamborghinis tend to be head turners, whether their look elicits a smile or revulsion. Now one of the oddest-looking Lamborghinis, the 1998 Pregunta concept, is coming up for auction, providing the chance to own a one-off piece of supercar history.

The Pregunta was based on Diablo and is a drivable concept, the final Lamborghini created before the Volkswagen Group purchased the Italian automaker from a Malaysian investment group and an Indonesian company in 1998. The styling, inside and out, was the handiwork of French coachbuilder Carrosserie Heuliez-Torino, which took the engine, transmission, and chassis and crafted an extraterrestrial body and a vibrant blue cabin.

The entire body was fashioned from carbon fiber, which, while commonplace in high-end supercars today, was advanced for its era. Inspiration came from the Dassault Rafale, a French fighter jet, with the Pregunta borrowing its matte gray paint. The aeronautical influence can be seen in the wraparound windshield and the pair of exhaust pipes protruding from the rear like afterburners.

Scissor doors provided plenty of theatrics, and there were two removable polycarbonate roof panels that could turn the Pregunta into a coupe. The headlights and taillights consist of a series of small circles, giving the supercar an insect-like appearance, while the doors are interrupted by a bulbous nostril-esque intake.

The cabin was divided by a curving central wall, with the dashboard and seats upholstered in Azure blue Alcantara. The Pregunta was packed full of futuristic—for the time—tech, with cameras replacing traditional sideview mirrors, GPS navigation, ambient lighting, and a digital gauge cluster derived from Formula 1 racers.

While the Pregunta used an all-wheel-drive Diablo as a base, it was reengineered to be rear-wheel drive. The 5.7-liter V-12 produced 529 horsepower and 446 pound-feet of torque, mated to a five-speed gated manual gearbox. The Pregunta was said to accelerate to 62 mph in 3.9 seconds, topping out at nearly 207 mph.

The Pregunta’s genesis came under Chrysler’s ownership of Lamborghini, but it wasn’t shown until several years later, debuting at the 1998 Paris Salon just after the Volkswagen Group acquired the brand. It was later sold by Heuliez to a private collection, and now it will be sold through Broad Arrow at the Zoute Concours auction in Belgium. The Pregunta will be auctioned on October 10, and carries an estimate of €2,500,000 to €3,500,000 (about $2,9 million to $4.2 million).

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