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Rivian R2 Reminded Me Why the Automotive Press Fails to Offer You Useful Reviews

By: Gustavo Henrique Ruffo
Rivian is about to present the R2, an SUV that was praised by everybody who had the chance to drive its prototypes. That reminded me of how unprepared the automotive press is to offer a truly useful review of any new car. As hurtful as it is to admit that, it is also necessary. Thankfully, there are ways to remedy this.

You may remember how MotorTrend performed extensive testing with the R1T before deliveries started. Rivian selected the American magazine due to its reach and credibility for the "privilege" of evaluating its first product before anyone else. MotorTrend's team pointed out things that could be improved, but was mostly impressed with the electric pickup truck's capabilities.

The R1T's suspension and performance left my colleagues there amazed, as were Sandy ...
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39k-Mile Pontiac Catalina Sat 52 Years, Rescuer Put Junkyard V8 In, Now Is Selling It

39k-Mile Pontiac Catalina Sat 52 Years, Rescuer Put Junkyard V8 In, Now Is Selling It

19 Feb 2026, 22:23 UTC · By: Razvan Calin // The Catalina was the entry-level full-size Pontiac, and this example was rescued from Iowa, after it was abandoned in the mid seventies

 
F1: How the Teams Performed on Day Two of the Final Bahrain Test

F1: How the Teams Performed on Day Two of the Final Bahrain Test

19 Feb 2026, 22:10 UTC · By: Ed Spencer // The final Bahrain test saw Mercedes continue to set the pace, by topping the times on Friday courtesy of Kimi Antonelli.

 
Man Tries To Buy Used Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 for $44,500, Truck Was Almost $80K New

Man Tries To Buy Used Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 for $44,500, Truck Was Almost $80K New

19 Feb 2026, 22:08 UTC · By: Cristian Gnaticov // It's not a flawless machine with low mileage, as it has almost 50,000 miles on the odo, yet it has never been involved in any accidents, and is still for sale

 
Tesla Model S Plaid Takes On the Ferrari SF90: One of Them Should've Just Stayed at Home

Tesla Model S Plaid Takes On the Ferrari SF90: One of Them Should've Just Stayed at Home

19 Feb 2026, 22:04 UTC · By: Elena Luchian // Place your bets, ladies and gentlemen! The Ferrari SF90 Stradale PHEV takes on the Tesla Model S EV. Which one would you count on?

 
Corvette Fighter? Volkswagen Once Built a Golf Roadster, but Never Sent It Into Production

Corvette Fighter? Volkswagen Once Built a Golf Roadster, but Never Sent It Into Production

19 Feb 2026, 22:00 UTC · By: Elena Luchian // Unfortunately, Volkswagen never sent this V6-powered Golf GTI Roadster into production. It could have really been a Corvette fighter

 
Nissan Recalls 323,917 Units of the Rogue for VC-Turbo Engine Bearing Failure

Nissan Recalls 323,917 Units of the Rogue for VC-Turbo Engine Bearing Failure

19 Feb 2026, 21:57 UTC · By: Mircea Panait // Known as the X-Trail in Europe, the Rogue for the US market has been hit with a massive recall over 1.5-liter turbo mills that may experience bearing issues

 
1964 Studebaker Champ Flatbed Parked for Years Still Runs and Drives, Needs Help

1964 Studebaker Champ Flatbed Parked for Years Still Runs and Drives, Needs Help

19 Feb 2026, 21:12 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea // Produced from 1960 to 1964, the Champ was Studebaker's last pickup truck. The final-year version is the rarest, with only 2,509 units made.

 
This Is TrailPod Cricket, a Teardrop Trailer With Retro Looks and Modern Construction

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19 Feb 2026, 20:06 UTC · By: Ancuta Iosub // The TrailPod Cricket retains the retro styling of early teardrops but offers a sturdy construction with a galvanized off-road chassis and composite body

 
GM Wants To Make Vehicle to Home More Accessible With Planned Leasing Program

GM Wants To Make Vehicle to Home More Accessible With Planned Leasing Program

19 Feb 2026, 18:49 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie // GM is the undisputed leader of the Vehicle to Home market, and is now trying to make home integration even more accessible with a new leasing program

 
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19 Feb 2026, 18:38 UTC · By: Dragos Chitulescu // We’re going back to Autopolis for the next two weeks, and there’s plenty of power under the hood of this German “muscle car” for an exciting lap.

 
Buyers Just Walk Away From This Chevy Impala, Everybody but the Dealer Knows Why

Buyers Just Walk Away From This Chevy Impala, Everybody but the Dealer Knows Why

19 Feb 2026, 18:27 UTC · By: Bogdan Popa // This 1964 Chevrolet Impala SS has been online for a few years already, but buyers just ignore it; the reason really isn't that hard to figure out

 
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19 Feb 2026, 17:38 UTC · By: Bogdan Popa // The latest iOS 26 build includes a new feature that Google is very unlikely to be looking into for Android Auto users; users should get the update this spring

 
Pennsylvania Dealer Refuses To Sell Used 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 2LZ for $95,500

Pennsylvania Dealer Refuses To Sell Used 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 2LZ for $95,500

19 Feb 2026, 16:50 UTC · By: Sergiu Tudose // This 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Coupe features a black exterior, a Natural leather interior, the 2LZ Equipment Group, and a front-axle lift system

 
F1 Testing Round Up: Kimi Antonelli Sets the Pace As Aston Martin Endures Another Bad Day

F1 Testing Round Up: Kimi Antonelli Sets the Pace As Aston Martin Endures Another Bad Day

19 Feb 2026, 16:36 UTC · By: Ed Spencer // Kimi Antonelli topped the times on the second day of the final pre-season test in Bahrain, while Aston Martin and Fernando Alonso continues to struggle.

 
Rare 1960 Chrysler Windsor Wagon Wears Scars With Pride, True Survivor

Rare 1960 Chrysler Windsor Wagon Wears Scars With Pride, True Survivor

19 Feb 2026, 16:28 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea // Chrysler sold over 40,000 Windsors in 1960, but only a tad over 1,100 units were ordered as six-passenger station wagons.

 
Scout Motors Rumored To Delay Its US Launch Due to Lack of Funding and Software Issues

Scout Motors Rumored To Delay Its US Launch Due to Lack of Funding and Software Issues

19 Feb 2026, 16:04 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie // Scout Motors might delay the launch of its vehicles due to a lack of funding for its US factory and software that needs more polishing before launch

 
Purple Rain 1969 Dodge Charger Ditches Factory 383ci V8 for a Rather Surprising Power Unit

Purple Rain 1969 Dodge Charger Ditches Factory 383ci V8 for a Rather Surprising Power Unit

19 Feb 2026, 15:55 UTC · By: Sergiu Tudose // This 1969 Dodge Charger left the factory with a 383ci V8 engine while wearing Gold Metallic. Both the engine and the original color have been replaced.

 
F1: Enraged Toto Wolff Hits Back Over Suggestions Mercedes' Fuel Is Illegal

F1: Enraged Toto Wolff Hits Back Over Suggestions Mercedes' Fuel Is Illegal

19 Feb 2026, 15:32 UTC · By: Ed Spencer // Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has slammed suggestions the Petronas fuel which Mercedes and McLaren are supposed to be using as illegal.

 
Trans Am Hot-Head Ordered New 1968 Mercury Cougar XR-7, It's a 1-of-1 Survivor Now

Trans Am Hot-Head Ordered New 1968 Mercury Cougar XR-7, It's a 1-of-1 Survivor Now

19 Feb 2026, 15:28 UTC · By: Razvan Calin // The car is a survivor and it sports a four-speed manual with a small-block V8, A/C, leather seats, heavy-duty suspension, and tilt-away steering wheel

 
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19 Feb 2026, 15:11 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu // The good folks over at Atlanta, Georgia-based Road Show International, have a 'subtle' treat that may or may not cause fans to run away & scream at Caddy

 
F1: Lance Stroll Told To Up His Game by F1 Race-Winner

F1: Lance Stroll Told To Up His Game by F1 Race-Winner

19 Feb 2026, 14:08 UTC · By: Ed Spencer // Johnny Herbert feels Lance Stroll has to up his game heading into the 2026 season after five difficult seasons where he's struggled for consistency.

 
This 1996 Chevrolet Caprice Classic Station Wagon Looks Ready for Spring Break Roadtrips

This 1996 Chevrolet Caprice Classic Station Wagon Looks Ready for Spring Break Roadtrips

19 Feb 2026, 14:03 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu // Sitting proudly in the inventory of Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Garage Kept Motors, this 1996 Chevrolet Caprice Classic station wagon is a pretty special one

 
Rivian Prepares Massive Update, Including for Gen 1 EVs, in First Software Release of 2026

Rivian Prepares Massive Update, Including for Gen 1 EVs, in First Software Release of 2026

19 Feb 2026, 13:35 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie // Rivian 2026.03 update brings goodies like Sport mode for all AWD vehicles, Apple Watch app, cold weather improvements, and enhanced kneel mode to all EVs

 
1971 Dodge Super Bee Has It All: Rare Engine, Matching Numbers, High-Impact Color

1971 Dodge Super Bee Has It All: Rare Engine, Matching Numbers, High-Impact Color

19 Feb 2026, 13:07 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea // 1971 was the final year for the Dodge Super Bee. Only 5,054 examples were built and this one is quite rare thanks to its 440 Six-Pack V8.

 
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19 Feb 2026, 11:31 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu // Miami, Florida-based Vossen has a vast portfolio of aftermarket wheels, and this time around, one of its American sets was used to make two vehicles cooler

 
BYD Unveils 2026 SEAL With Improved Tech and Storage Space. This Is How Much It Costs

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19 Feb 2026, 11:03 UTC · By: Elena Luchian // BYD has just launched the 2026 SEAL in the United Kingdom. The model is available in two distinct trims, Design and Excellence

 
Facelifted BMW 7 Series Limousine Virtually Poses Next to the Current One, Do You Like It?

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19 Feb 2026, 10:59 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu // Nikita Chuicko, the virtual artist better known as "kelsonik" on social media, thinks that now is the right CGI time to work on the 2027 BMW 7 Series – again

 
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19 Feb 2026, 10:32 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu // Lorenzo Graziani, a Torino, Italy-based virtual artist known as 'graziani_inspo' on social media, has cooked up this unofficial, hypothetical Jaguar design idea

 
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Nine-Second Ford Torino GT Drags a Dodge Charger Hellcat, Someone's Going to Be Unhappy

19 Feb 2026, 09:55 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu // The videographer behind the "Drag Racing and Car Stuff" channel on YouTube loves quarter-mile action and brings us two feisty Mopar vs. Ford encounters

 
Never Driven, Never Registered 2009 Dodge Viper Rocks Superb Red Paint and V10 Firepower

Never Driven, Never Registered 2009 Dodge Viper Rocks Superb Red Paint and V10 Firepower

19 Feb 2026, 09:34 UTC · By: Elena Luchian // This 2009 Dodge Viper ACR sports the Hardcore Package, which helps it shave off up to 40 pounds, and has only 15 miles on the odometer

 
Skoda Kodiaq Edition X Arrives in the United Kingdom to Celebrate a Special Anniversary

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19 Feb 2026, 09:07 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu // The local division of the Czech automaker says that its Kodiaq family-oriented three-row mid-size crossover SUV is ready to celebrate its tenth anniversary

 
Man Sells the 1956 Chevy Bel Air Convertible He Dumped in His Field, 1 of Only 400?

Man Sells the 1956 Chevy Bel Air Convertible He Dumped in His Field, 1 of Only 400?

19 Feb 2026, 08:46 UTC · By: Bogdan Popa // This 1956 Chevy Bel Air convertible project might look frightening, but its production numbers could make many people want it right here and now

 
Engwe Drops News of Its Upcoming and Award-Winning E-Scooter and America Loves It Already

Engwe Drops News of Its Upcoming and Award-Winning E-Scooter and America Loves It Already

19 Feb 2026, 07:05 UTC · By: Cristian Curmei // This e-scooter is designed by an e-bike manufacturer with a worldwide presence and comes across rather promising; price and top speed are not yet revealed

 
This Turbo Volvo Swapped Classic E30 Is a Scandinavian Hill Climb Dream Machine

This Turbo Volvo Swapped Classic E30 Is a Scandinavian Hill Climb Dream Machine

19 Feb 2026, 04:38 UTC · By: Benny Kirk // Based out of Norway, Jacobsen Motorsport is a scrappy little semi-pro rallycross team with enough passion to make an F1 outfit blush.

 
Next-Generation 2027 Volkswagen Atlas Looks Very Similar to China's Teramont Pro

Next-Generation 2027 Volkswagen Atlas Looks Very Similar to China's Teramont Pro

19 Feb 2026, 00:29 UTC · By: Mircea Panait // Going official this coming April, the 2027 Volkswagen Atlas for North America will closely resemble SAIC-Volkswagen's Teramont Pro for China

 
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19 Feb 2026, 00:06 UTC · By: Ed Spencer // Alex Dunne is inching ever closer to joining the Alpine fold for 2026 which will see him become a reserve driver for the Anglo-French team.

 
SIXPACK Charger Provokes BMW M4, Audi RS 3 to a Drag Race, Regrets It From Start to Finish

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18 Feb 2026, 23:25 UTC · By: Razvan Calin // While it is the most powerful of the three, the Dodge is also the fattest runner, with almost 1,200 lb over the light-framed Audi; no wonder it lost so badly

 
2026 Skoda Epiq Comes Out To Play Almost Undisguised

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18 Feb 2026, 23:06 UTC · By: Mircea Panait // If the Volkswagen ID. Cross' styling isn't much to your liking, the Skoda brand has a mechanically similar alternative in the form of the Epiq

 
Grandpa's Mercedes Sat Parked for 15 Years, Grandsons Cut Off the Lock To Set It Free

Grandpa's Mercedes Sat Parked for 15 Years, Grandsons Cut Off the Lock To Set It Free

18 Feb 2026, 23:10 UTC · By: Elena Luchian // This Mercedes-Benz SLC was last registered in July 2012, but the grandsons of the owner believe it hasn't been driven for the past 15 years

 
F1: How the Teams Performed on Day One of the Final Bahrain Test

F1: How the Teams Performed on Day One of the Final Bahrain Test

18 Feb 2026, 22:26 UTC · By: Ed Spencer // Testing resumed at Bahrain on Wednesday for the third and final pre-season test where the familiar names returned at the top while others struggled.

 
Man Gets New BMW M5 in 2019, Sells It for M2 Money After 43,000 Miles

Man Gets New BMW M5 in 2019, Sells It for M2 Money After 43,000 Miles

18 Feb 2026, 22:08 UTC · By: Cristian Gnaticov // This 2019 BMW M5 sports numerous performance mods, as well as some visual ones inside and out, and is a clean California car

 
Uncle Passed Away Four Years Ago, This Is What the Nephew Made of His Ford Truck

Uncle Passed Away Four Years Ago, This Is What the Nephew Made of His Ford Truck

18 Feb 2026, 22:00 UTC · By: Elena Luchian // Sean of Autotopia LA got a ride in Alex's insane truck. The 1973 Ford F-100 belonged to his uncle, who passed away four year ago

 
Nobody Wants This One-Owner, Matching Numbers 1971 GTX Loaded With Extras, but Why?

Nobody Wants This One-Owner, Matching Numbers 1971 GTX Loaded With Extras, but Why?

18 Feb 2026, 21:38 UTC · By: Razvan Calin // 1971 was the final year for the GTX as a stand-alone Mopar model, and less than 3,000 were assembled; this example stayed with its original buyer until today

 
Rugged-Looking 2027 Hyundai Tucson XRT Pro Says "Cheese" Together With Lesser Trim Level

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18 Feb 2026, 21:18 UTC · By: Mircea Panait // The South Korean automaker's best-selling model is getting a major redesign for 2027, and with it, the Tucson will also gain a properly rugged trim level

 
1972 Plymouth Duster 340 Was Built for Export, Rocks Numbers-Matching V8

1972 Plymouth Duster 340 Was Built for Export, Rocks Numbers-Matching V8

18 Feb 2026, 20:52 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea // The 1972 Plymouth Duster is by no means rare, but apparently only three 340-equipped cars built for export are known to exist.

 
Polestar Launching Four New Models by 2028, Flagship 5 GT Coming This Summer

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18 Feb 2026, 20:10 UTC · By: Mircea Panait // The Polestar brand is aiming to reach 100,000 yearly deliveries as soon as possible, which is why no fewer than four models will be launched by 2028