Welcome to the Weekend Wrap Up. It was a loaded week across the auto world — from a reality check on the cheap-EV hype to an 850-horsepower Shelby you could actually win. Here are the stories worth your weekend read.
Everyone’s Fawning Over Slate’s $25K Electric Truck. Here’s Why You Should Pump the Brakes
The internet has crowned Slate Auto’s $24,950 electric pickup the savior of the American car market, but the spec sheet tells a more sobering story: 205 miles of range, 181 horsepower, two seats, and rear-wheel drive only. We break down why “radically simple” often just means “stuff is missing,” and why a refundable deposit is not the same as a sure thing.
This 850-HP Shelby Super Snake-R Is One of Only 100 Ever, and You Could Actually Win It
The 2026 Shelby Super Snake-R is the most extreme Super Snake the company has ever built, packing a supercharged 5.0-liter V-8 making more than 850 horsepower through a six-speed manual. Serial number three of just 100 is being given away — and this time access requires a donation rather than a serious checkbook.
We Checked the $1.7 Trillion Auto Debt Story Against the Data. Here’s What Holds Up.
A viral report warned that America’s $1.7 trillion in auto debt is pushing repossessions back to Great Recession levels. We went to the primary sources to separate fact from fear. The verdict is mixed: the big numbers are real, but the scariest part of the headline doesn’t quite hold up.
Trump Tells the DOJ to Go After Big Oil Because Your Gas Is Still Too Damn Expensive
Anyone who has watched the numbers spin past $50 before the tank is half full knows the score — and now the President does too. We look at the move to sic the Department of Justice on Big Oil over stubbornly high gas prices, and what it could actually mean for drivers.
Stop Sign Cameras Are About to Get a Lot More Common, and Drivers Could Soon Be Paying the Price
Red light and speed cameras have long sparked fierce debate. Now a new form of automated enforcement is targeting a behavior millions of drivers commit daily: rolling through stop signs and failing to yield at crosswalks. Here’s why these cameras are about to get a lot more common.
Dead NASCAR Champion Wins Maine Moose Lottery Weeks After His Death
In a story too strange to make up, a deceased NASCAR champion was just announced as a winner in Maine’s annual moose permit lottery. We dig into the odd circumstances behind one of the week’s most bizarre headlines.
That’s a wrap for this weekend. Check back next week for more news, deals, and deep dives from The Auto Wire.