industry

A peek under the hood of the global automotive industry.

Qianli Put a 10 TOPS Brain Inside a Radar. Here’s What Changes.
On October 23, Qianli Technology released an AI millimeter-wave radar. In public information, this is the first solution to integrate a 10 TOPS NPU inside a radar. The radar itself performs target detection and classification. It supports three operating modes: edge-side, satellite, and compatible.
By Jin27 minutes ago in Wheel
The 6:29.090 that made the GT2 RS comparison useless
6:29.090: What AMG ONE Proved at the Nürburgring On 23 September 2024, Maro Engel drove a Mercedes-AMG ONE around the full 20.832-kilometre Nürburgring-Nordschleife in 6 minutes 29.090 seconds. The time was officially measured and notarised. It was the first road-legal production car to go below 6:30. Since then, that number has been used to support several claims that do not fit together: that AMG ONE is in a different league from a Porsche 911 GT2 RS, that the driver was holding back, that the car is wasted on this track, and that the result proves a hierarchy between two brands. The data supports the first claim. It does not support the other three.
By Jinabout an hour ago in Wheel
Audi’s 1,001-HP Nuvolari Is a 499-Car Farewell to the V8
In the first half of 2027, Audi will build 499 left-hand-drive Nuvolari supercars. The car is named for Tazio Nuvolari, the racing driver who won Grands Prix in Auto Union Silver Arrows in the 1930s. It uses a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 related to Lamborghini’s engine, three electric motors, and a plug-in hybrid system. Combined output is 1,001 hp. Audi puts it above the R8. The car carries several F1-derived systems. Here is what each part does.
By Jinabout 16 hours ago in Wheel
The Big-Casino Rule for Car Reviews Is Only Half Right
“If Dongchedi says a car is good, you do not have to buy it. If Dongchedi says a car has problems, you absolutely must not buy it.”
By Jina day ago in Wheel
Tesla Rebrands "Full Self-Driving" to "Tesla Assisted Driving" Across Europe
Tesla has formally dropped the controversial "Full Self-Driving" label across its European websites, rebranding the feature as "Tesla Assisted Driving" to address concerns from regulators that the old name was misleading. The change, confirmed following disclosures from German authorities, marks a significant concession to transparency and a calculated step toward securing approval for the system across the entire European Union. Pages for Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, and Slovakia now redirect to the new designation, while the United States market continues to use "Full Self-Driving (Supervised)."
By Mark Lim 2 days ago in Wheel
China and EU Reach Hybrid Vehicle Understanding, Averting Full Trade War
The European Union and China have stepped back from the brink of a major trade conflict, announcing a shared “understanding” on hybrid vehicle trade and committing to sustained dialogue going forward. Following high‑level talks in Beijing between European Commission Vice‑President Maroš Šefčovič and Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao, the two sides issued a joint statement confirming they will adhere to agreed procedures governing company price undertakings for hybrid automobiles, the sector at the very centre of recent tensions. Crucially, Beijing also pledged to maintain supplies of rare earth minerals and permanent magnets to the EU, removing a critical supply chain concern that had loomed over European industry.
By Mark Lim 2 days ago in Wheel
Tesla’s Profit Got Cut in Half. Musk Is Still Betting on Tomorrow.
Tesla’s latest earnings report puts the Musk contradiction back on the table. The car business is healing. Gross margin is up, the order backlog is the highest in four years, and FSD paid users grew by 700,000 in a year. The company’s operating profit fell 56%. Operating margin dropped to 2.6%. More than $68 billion in market value vanished overnight, roughly the market cap of General Motors.
By Jin2 days ago in Wheel
The Quiet Arrival: How Chinese Electric Vehicles Are Reshaping Argentina's Car Culture
Buenos Aires, 8 October 2026, At a recent expo in Buenos Aires, the evidence was on full display: rows of Chinese-branded vehicles, sleek charging ports where exhaust pipes used to be, and visitors lingering longer than convention suggests they should. The scene, captured in footage from the event, tells a story that has been building quietly for years. Chinese auto brands are gaining real traction in Argentina, and they are doing it on the strength of a simple but potent formula: high technology at low cost.
By Mark Lim 4 days ago in Wheel
When the Embankment Broke: Thailand's Auto Belt Braces for a Week That Could Define Its Recovery
Bangkok, 8 October 2026, The floodwater at Amata City Chonburi Industrial Estate has largely drained away, but the machinery inside tells a slower story. More than ten auto-parts factories remain halted in zones 7, 8, and 9 of the estate, where an earthen flood embankment collapsed and sent water coursing through one of Southeast Asia's most concentrated manufacturing corridors. According to the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI), suppliers are provisionally targeting October 12 to restart production and deliveries, a date now circled in red across the dashboards of Japanese carmakers from Chachoengsao to Prachin Buri.
By Mark Lim 4 days ago in Wheel
Jaguar’s Bold Rebirth: Type 01 Unveiled as £130,000 Electric Grand Tourer
After more than two years of silence, deliberate reinvention, and complete withdrawal from new car sales in the United Kingdom, Jaguar has stepped back into the spotlight. On Tuesday evening in New York, the storied British marque unveiled the Type 01, its first new model in eight years, a fully electric grand tourer priced from £130,000 (US$172,000), launching a new, all‑electric era intended to restore lustre to a name that had faded from view. Orders open in early 2027, and with them comes one of the most ambitious and controversial reboots in automotive history.
By Mark Lim 5 days ago in Wheel
Porsche’s Strategic Reset: Fewer Cars, Higher Margins, and a Return to Desirability
At its development and innovation centre in Weissach on Wednesday, Porsche unveiled a far-reaching strategic overhaul designed to secure the company’s future not through expanding production, but through deliberate, disciplined focus on value, exclusivity, and enduring desirability. Facing slowing global demand, shifting consumer preferences, and intense pressure from low-cost competitors, newly appointed Chief Executive Officer Michael Leiters presented a plan that redefines what success looks like for one of the world’s most celebrated automotive brands: fewer cars sold, each commanding a premium price, underpinned by a leaner, more efficient organisation built to withstand economic uncertainty.
By Mark Lim 5 days ago in Wheel
Alef Flew Over Tesla. That Does Not Settle the Flying Car Race.
In October 2026, Alef Aeronautics posted a video. Its Model A flew over the Tesla Roadster that had just completed a flight demonstration. CEO Jim Dukhovny added a line: “Welcome Tesla to the flying car race. We have led alone in this position for 11 years.”
By Jin8 days ago in Wheel