Redline Reviews

Tired of all the expensive, high-tech, and gigantic new cars and trucks that keep flooding the market every year? This one is for you then because we were in LA yesterday getting a closer look in the all-new finalized version of the 2027 ! is a new American car brand that builds the Truck in Warsaw, Indiana and has a new design studio here in LA and the is their first mass produced model. First shown about a year ago, this is the finalized model and all models will essentially roll off the assembly line as a with the ability to customize the truck to your hearts content, even having the option to turn it into 3 different types of SUV’s! All models will be powered by a single electric motor at the rear axle and a 65 kWh battery pack providing the juice. That electric motor produces 181 HP and 195 lb-ft of torque and Slate says that is good for a 0-60 MPH time in 8 secs and the ability to tow up to 2,000 lbs and haul 1,533 lbs of payload in the bed. Range has improved to 205 miles, up from 150 when the truck was first introduced. The larger battery pack will no longer be offered and for now, AWD is not available.

This is also the smallest new truck on the market, with an overall length of 174.6” long, it’s 2” shorter than a Crosstrek and 2’ shorter than a Ford Maverick. Slate says they build the truck, but you make it your own with over 175+ accessories from the Slate marketplace and 100+ different color wraps to choose from, but what makes this truck so unique is its modular design with exposed screw heads and a very DIY design that makes it easy for customers to customize their Slate to their liking. The interior is also a bare bones affair, with all models having no built in screen, speakers, and manual hand crank windows as standard! A phone mount does come standard, but you can add items like a tablet mount, built-in speakers, and different colored trim and interior components. The base price is officially $24,980 for the Blank Slate while the SUV kit is $5k extra, you can even buy that at a later date and install it yourself. Slate estimates the yellow/orange wrapped SUV will be around $35k. Deliveries begin in Q4 2026!

All good things eventually come to an end! 😭 This past week, dropped off the 2026 in the limited production . We were actually in Detroit in 2019 at NAIAS that January when the all-new 2020 was first revealed after a 20+ year absence and the energy and excitement from media in the room was intense, so it’s a bittersweet moment for us to be driving the this week. The design of this car has aged extremely well and we were shocked to see the constant amount thumbs up and necks this car broke out on the road, especially in this sinister Undercover matte color with the GT4 Style Package, which gives off a dark Batman vibe! Under the hood, it’s still powered by the best Turbo I-6 on the market, the BMW sourced B58 3.0L DOHC I-6 making 382 HP and 368 lb-ft of torque. Toyota added a 6-speed MT in 2024 and our test car has that stick shift option with power flowing to just the rear wheels w/ an eLSD helping to put the power down. Unlike the 8-speed AT Supra, the stick lacks launch control, but with a careful 3,000 RPM clutch dump w/ Trac switched to Sport, we clocked a 0-60 MPH time in 4.37 secs and the engine continues to make the best 6-cylinder sounds on the market!

Toyota is only offering 1,300 Final Edition trims in the US for the final year and you can spot the difference with the exclusive 19” matte black forged wheels, carbon fiber mirrors and rear duckbill spoiler, functional front spats on the bumper and black Supra badging. Inside, you get red seatbelts and the GR badges embroidered on the headrests. Pricing for the GR Supra has climbed to $58k for the base 3.0. The Premium trim adds $2,500, while this Final Edition will cost you at least $68k, with the $2100 Style Package and destination, our test car rang up at $73,300 for what could be the last I-6 powered Supra as we expect the redesigned Mk6 version to forgo the BMW partnership and be all Toyota with a Turbo 4-Cylinder Hybrid drivetrain that could arrive by the end of this decade.

The returns for 2026 and for the reincarnation, has chosen to create the first-ever thanks to the excellent 2-motor drivetrain from the latest Honda Civic. This powertrain is one of the best electrified drivetrains on the market thanks to its ability to function as both a series and parallel hybrid engine. The 2.0L DOHC direct injection 4-cylinder makes 141 HP on its own, but primarily functions as a generator to recharge the 1.1 kWh battery pack, so the powerful electric motor can send 181 HP and 232 lb-ft of torque to the front wheels. Combined output is 200 HP, and while that rating matches the last 2001 Prelude Type SH, we clocked a respectable 0-60 MPH time in 6.29 secs in Sport w/o the S+ shifting turned on. With the 8 virtual speeds engaged, that time slows to a still acceptable 7.15 secs. The quickest time is about 0.7 secs faster than the 2001 model with its high-revving VTEC engine and manual transmission. Fuel economy is class leading at 46/41 MPG, and we consistently saw 43 MPG in our testing, meaning this car is twice as efficient as the old model, while being quicker.

On the outside, Honda nailed the exterior design, especially painted in Boost Blue. The exterior proportions are almost identical to the old model, with the new Prelude being 5” wider, giving it more interior space. The hardware from the Civic Type R means the steering, brakes, suspension are designed for attacking some serious corners and unlike the CTR, the Prelude doesn’t beat you up on your daily commute with plush seats, an Acura-like interior, and a useful hatch cargo area. While this car isn’t perfect, driving the new model will make you realize its strengths are found behind the wheel and not on paper. The price tag has been its biggest complaint and for $42k to start, it’s a steep ask and our test car has a summer tire option for $1200 bringing the as tested price to $44,850. We think that price is justified if Honda threw in a sunroof, power seats, cooled seats and a head up display. Without those features, we’d see ourselves paying $38,500 for this car, but we’re still smitten with the return of this iconic nameplate.