Saturday Auto Brief: Hyundai’s Bold Truck Tease, Honda’s EV Sports Mules, Movie-Car Mania, WRC Drama, and a Big Autocar Debate

I’ve got coffee, a notebook full of scribbles, and a very loud leaf blower across the street—perfect conditions for a quick spin through today’s most interesting car stories. We’re hopping from yet another truck tease to Honda’s electric sports ambitions, a movie-car auction that’ll nuke your savings, WRC tension in Japan, and Autocar’s spirited great-car debate. Buckle up.

Hyundai Says a New Midsize Pickup Will “Blow Your Mind”

Hyundai’s top brass teased a new midsize pickup, and the phrasing wasn’t shy: “mind-blowing.” As someone who’s logged plenty of miles in the Santa Cruz (great in the city, sneaky fun on a dirt trail) and spent weeks with a Ranger and Ridgeline, I’ve been waiting for Hyundai to wade into the heart of the truck market rather than orbit it.

Translation of the tease? Expect something sized closer to Tacoma/Ranger, not the current compact-ish Santa Cruz. Whether it arrives body-on-frame or a Ridgeline-like unibody is the billion-dollar question. Hyundai knows lifestyle buyers, but midsize truck shoppers also expect real numbers: stout payload, at least 6,000–7,500 lb towing, and suspension that doesn’t wilt under a bed full of flagstone. If Hyundai can combine its clever packaging (storage cubbies, smart bed features) with proper truck bones, that could be the real mind-blower.

• What I’d love to see: a punchy turbo-hybrid for around-town torque and efficient towing.
• What I noticed living with the Santa Cruz: the bed is short, but the lockable underfloor trunk is genius for city life.
• What will make or break it: pricing against Ranger and Tacoma, and whether dealers can get enough inventory to avoid markups.

Midsize (and Near-Midsize) Pickup Snapshot

Honda Has Already Built Electric Sports Car Prototypes

Carmakers quietly build mules long before we hear about them, so Honda admitting it has EV sports prototypes isn’t surprising—just encouraging. The brand that gave us S2000 precision and NSX hybrid wizardry is uniquely placed to make a light, communicative EV that doesn’t feel like a battery with wheels.

When I’ve driven featherweight sports cars on mountain switchbacks, the magic is pedal-to-road fidelity—instant reactions, clean weight transfer, steering that talks. EVs add mass, but they can also add fine-grained control: torque-vectoring that tightens your line mid-corner, one-pedal modulation that’s as precise as it is addictive. If anyone can resist the temptation to over-battery a sports EV, it’s Honda.

• Expect chassis focus first, headlines second. Honda loves lap feel more than spec-sheet flex.
• Small battery, fast charging, and heat management will matter more than raw range in a sports EV.
• Wishlist: an S2000–spirit machine with rear-drive balance, the option to properly slide, and a steering rack with soul.

You Can Buy John Wick’s Mustang, Paul Walker’s Evo, and Other Movie Legends

There’s an auction coming with heavy Hollywood provenance—think John Wick’s fastback Mustang and Paul Walker’s Evo. This is the sort of catalog that will make every Cars & Coffee line go quiet. Values for screen-used cars often jump because you’re buying story as much as steel. But story needs paperwork.

I’ve watched a few friends get starry-eyed and forget the boring stuff. Don’t. If you’re bidding:

• Ask for proof: production records, continuity photos, and any studio documentation tie the car to the screen.
• Check what you’re actually getting: hero car or stunt double? Stunt cars can be mechanically tired but historically cool.
• Budget for restoration and storage. Movie cars aren’t always road-ready, and some hate long idle periods.
• Consider insurance quirks—provenance adds value and sometimes restrictions.

Would I daily a hero Mustang? For about a week. Then I’d put it somewhere safe and take it out on Sundays to make the neighborhood dogs bark.

Autocar’s “Best Car of the Past 25 Years” and a Dip into 1901–1925 Trailblazers

Autocar kicked off a great debate: the best car of the last quarter-century. I love these arguments because they always split along “thrill vs change.” Do you pick a car that redefined its category or one that simply made you grin so hard your face hurt?

My short list (don’t yell):

• Tesla Model S: for accelerating the EV shift and normalizing software-first cars.
• Porsche 997 GT3: a high-water mark for hydraulic-steer purity and track-day reliability.
• Volkswagen Golf GTI (Mk5): the modern return to form—balanced, practical, smile-rich.
• Ferrari 458 Italia: response and noise, the last great naturally aspirated mid-engine Ferrari era.
• Toyota GR Yaris: proof that homologation spirit can still reach the street in the 2020s.

Autocar also reached way back to 1901–1925, reminding us that today’s tech flex sits on old shoulders. Those early trailblazers were about reliability and making the car a thing you could live with, not just gawk at. Hand cranks became starters, wooden wheels made way for rubber that didn’t crumble, and the idea of a “tour” car became real adventure. The line from those innovations to today’s massive software stacks is straighter than you think.

And there’s a timely bonus: a new Autocar podcast chat with Skoda CEO Klaus Zellmer. Skoda’s been quietly nailing the “value without punishment” brief—big cabins, sensible pricing, and an eye for simple features (umbrella in the door, anyone?). If that DNA carries harder into the EV era—affordable, roomy, not fussy—family buyers win.

WRC Rally Japan: Evans Closes on Ogier as Katsuta’s Home Charge Fades

From Autosport’s report out of Rally Japan: Elfyn Evans has reeled in Sébastien Ogier, while local hero Takamoto Katsuta has slipped out of the victory fight. Japan’s asphalt rally tends to punish the smallest lapse—tight, technical sections where rhythm is everything. When the pace compresses like this, tire calls and nerves become the whole game.

• Evans vs Ogier: experience meets momentum. If Evans keeps the pressure high without overdriving, this finish could get spicy.
• Katsuta’s exit from the win hunt stings on home soil, but points are still in play.
• Keep an eye on late-stage weather and road order; both can swing asphalt rallies in a single loop.

Quick Takes

• Hyundai’s teased truck could be 2026 showroom talk if development moves fast, but patience is your friend. I’d expect a concept before final specs.
• Honda’s EV sports effort is the right kind of rumor—prototypes today usually mean a real car tomorrow, even if scaled or softened.
• If you’re chasing that movie Mustang: authenticity now saves headaches later. Get the paperwork.

Conclusion

It’s a good Saturday when the news swings from the dawn of motoring to future EV fun, with a pit stop for movie-star metal and some proper rally theater. I’ll take a mind-blowing midsize Hyundai if it can tow the jet ski and still park in my urban garage, a lightweight Honda EV that talks through its steering, and—fine—the Wick Mustang for special occasions. We can dream.

FAQ

• When could Hyundai’s new midsize pickup arrive?
  No official timing yet. Expect a concept or more concrete details before any showroom date, likely a couple of years out.
• Will Hyundai’s truck be body-on-frame or unibody?
  Unknown. A body-on-frame layout would chase Ranger/Tacoma capability; a unibody could target Ridgeline comfort. We’ll have to wait for specs.
• Is Honda really making an electric sports car?
  Honda says it has built EV sports prototypes. That’s a strong sign development is underway, though production plans and specs haven’t been announced.
• How do I verify a movie car’s authenticity before bidding?
  Request studio documentation, VIN records, continuity photos, and any build sheets. Independent expert verification is worth the fee.
• Who’s leading WRC Rally Japan?
  As per the latest reports, Elfyn Evans is closing on Sébastien Ogier, with Takamoto Katsuta out of the win fight. Final results depend on remaining stages.