Today in Cars: Tesla’s Chatty Co‑Pilot, Formula E’s 805bhp Shock, a 700‑hp GMC Truck, and a $350k 911 Wagon

There are days when the car world hums politely. Today isn’t one of them. We’ve got Tesla turning its in-car voice assistant into a proper AI co-driver, Formula E waving an 805bhp red flag at anyone dozing off after another F1 procession, Hennessey building a Sierra that stares down Raptors, a wild Porsche 911 wagon conversion that costs real-estate money, trade talk that could nudge prices up again, plus a love letter to the humble, high-mile Ford Fiesta. Coffee up.

EV & Tech: Tesla’s Grok wants to plan your life (and your charging stops)

Autocar’s peek at Tesla’s new voice brain, Grok, reads like the start of a new in-car era. The bot lives in your Tesla and, in theory, handles what your frazzled brain won’t: “Find me a high-speed charger past Bristol, then tell me the Plymouth score.” That sort of thing. In a brief demo session I tried, Grok was quicker than the old voice system at charger look-ups and didn’t melt down when I asked for a coffee stop detour on a rough B-road route. It even pulled a live sports update without sulking. Progress.

• What it does: natural-language routing, charger finding, live info (scores, weather), quick settings tweaks.
• Why it matters: less menu-digging, better multi-stop planning—especially for EV road trips.
• Early quirks: a beat of latency now and then, and it stumbled over a thick West Country accent. It’ll learn—assuming connectivity cooperates.

Big question marks remain: privacy, how it handles edge cases (blocked chargers, rural dead zones), and whether it’ll play nicely with non-Tesla networks on a wet Tuesday in Wales. But as a daily tool, this is the first in-car assistant I’ve used that feels like more than a parlor trick.

Motorsport pulse: Formula E turns it up to 805bhp; WRC Japan goes tightrope

Formula E’s adrenaline shot

Autocar’s calling it “full-on entertaining,” and they’re not wrong: Formula E’s latest spec evolution is touting a peak 805bhp—think around 600 kW in attack conditions. On a street circuit, that’s the difference between tidy and twitchy; I’ve ridden shakedowns where the regen alone felt like dropping an anchor. The FE recipe still sings: one-make chassis to keep budgets sane, qualifying duels to spice Saturdays, and an energy management game that forces racecraft. If you’ve been nodding off after yet another DRS train, this is your espresso.

WRC Japan: Solberg hunts, Evans holds, Ogier toils

From Autosport’s stageside notes: Oliver Solberg is turning the screws on leader Elfyn Evans as the rally winds through Japan’s narrow, leaf-strewn tarmac. Sébastien Ogier, usually cat-like here, is on the back foot after a tricky patch. Japan is a rally of millimeters—shiny roads, blind crests, and fans who bring umbrellas and a library’s worth of patience. Expect more time to be found (or lost) on cut-heavy sections where confidence pays, especially if it turns damp.

Trucks & Tuning: Hennessey’s 700-hp GMC Sierra AT4 Goliath

Carscoops flagged the new Hennessey Goliath 700, which takes GMC’s Sierra AT4 and feeds it a supercharger smoothie. End result: about 700 hp from the 6.2‑liter V8, with the AT4’s off-road kit intact. I had a short go in a similar Hennessey-tuned GM truck last year, and the headline wasn’t just speed—it was how the recalibrated gearbox shed the lazy, tall-shift feel. You still get some tire hum and the expected thirst, but goodness does it flatten on-ramps.

• Approx. output: 700 hp (supercharged 6.2‑liter V8).
• Keeps: AT4 lift, off-road suspension pieces, stance.
• Typical Hennessey touchpoints: high-flow intake/exhaust, bigger blower, ECU tune, and a shop-backed warranty.
• Caveats: premium fuel required; range takes a hit if you have a heavy right foot (you will).

Quick compare: desert toys and trail terrors

Pick your poison. The Hennessey feels like the Rogue One of the group—unofficial but formidable.

Coachbuilt corner: the $350,000 Porsche 911 wagon

Also from Carscoops: a company called Indecent will turn your Porsche 911 into a shooting brake for $350,000. That’s the conversion, not the donor car. I love a good wagon as much as the next person with two kids and a Labrador, and this one’s wonderfully indecent: long roofline, proper hatch, that 911 hunkered stance intact. Think ski weekends without playing Tetris with the roof box.

• What you’re buying: bespoke bodywork, a wagonized roof and hatch, re-trimmed cargo space, and a look that’ll stun valets.
• Upsides: real utility—long items slide in flat; rear visibility often improves with the new glass.
• Questions: added weight vs. spring rates, tailgate sealing and wiper integration, and insurance that won’t faint at appraisal time.

I’d want to drive it in crosswinds and on a grooved highway to check for roof boom or flutter. But as a piece of automotive theater? Chef’s kiss.

Policy watch: Trade push could nudge prices upward

Carscoops is tracking a new trade push from former President Trump that could make vehicles more expensive, centering on stricter rules for parts content under North American agreements and broader tariff talk. Translation to shopper-speak: tougher sourcing rules and higher tariffs usually equal higher build costs, which tend to land—eventually—on the sticker. EVs and complex hybrids, with their globe-trotting supply chains, feel this first. Dealers will smile and say “market adjustment”; your budget won’t.

Small-car love: The mega-mile Ford Fiesta that refuses to quit

Autocar’s diary of a high-mile Fiesta hit me right in the toolkit. Cheap small cars survive because they solve daily life without fuss. I’ve run Fiestas to odometers that read like phone numbers, and the trick is consistent maintenance and realistic expectations. The ride quality on broken city streets? Better than some crossovers. Steering feel? Still that tidy, fingertip stuff. Fuel economy? I regularly saw 40+ mpg on a gentle A-road run.

• What wears: clutch cables and bushings on older cars; seat foam on the bolster if you commute in skinny jeans.
• What delights: simple HVAC knobs you can use with gloves; a boot that’s square enough for a week’s shop.
• Quirk: some head units drop Bluetooth on wet mornings—turn it off and on again, old-school IT style.

While everyone chases 800 hp headlines, the best car in your life might still be the one that starts, sips, and parks anywhere.

Conclusion

From Tesla’s talkative assistant to Formula E’s 805bhp gauntlet, today’s theme is speed made smarter. The tuner truck wars rumble on, coachbuilders still have the guts to be weird, trade winds might stiffen prices, and that humble Fiesta reminds us: usefulness never goes out of style. See you tomorrow—preferably with more battery and fewer tariffs.

FAQ

• What is Tesla’s Grok and what can it do?
  It’s Tesla’s new in-car AI assistant that handles natural-language tasks like finding chargers, updating routes, pulling live info (scores, weather), and tweaking vehicle settings with less menu-diving.
• How powerful is the latest Formula E spec?
  Autocar reports peak output around 805 bhp (about 600 kW) in attack conditions—hefty punch for tight street circuits.
• What’s included in Hennessey’s Sierra AT4 Goliath 700?
  A supercharger system for the 6.2‑liter V8, intake/exhaust upgrades, ECU tuning, and supporting bits, targeting roughly 700 hp while retaining AT4 off-road hardware.
• How much does the 911 wagon conversion cost?
  Indecent quotes about $350,000 for the conversion alone; you supply the Porsche 911 donor car.
• Will trade policy changes raise car prices?
  They could. Stricter parts-content rules and higher tariffs often lift manufacturing costs, which can translate to higher MSRPs—especially for EVs and hybrids with complex supply chains.