The Auto World

A TikTok house-hunting video showed a backyard coupe with a tree growing through it. Viewers speculated it was a rare Bill Thomas Cheetah, one of fewer than 30 built. Closer inspection reveals mismatched details, pointing to a kit car, not the real thing. Social media barnfinds are, more often than not, fun, and TikTok just delivered a wild one. A house-hunting content creator posted a clip of a property he was considering buying. In the lengthy tour, about two seconds show a random clapped-out car in the backyard. Commenters begged him to go back because they thought what he found was a super-rare Bill Thomas Cheetah. Thankfully, that’s not the case since it has a tree growing through it. More: Four Far-Out Kit Cars From The Carefree 1960’s For those unfamiliar, the Cheetah is like one of the holy grails of American sports cars. Built in the 1960s by Bill Thomas with Chevrolet’s blessing, fewer than 30 were ever built. This car had one purpose: to beat the Shelby Co...

A number of automakers are eliminating leather or limiting it to certain trims. The 2026 Cherokee doesn’t offer leather, even in the range-topping Overland. Luxury brands like BMW and Mercedes charge extra for real leather interiors. The 2026 Jeep Cherokee is larger and more luxurious than its predecessor, but one upscale feature is notably absent. We’re talking about leather, which has been abandoned as part of the brand’s eco-friendly push. Once a common fixture on higher-end variants, leather has been replaced by Capri leatherette upholstery on the Limited and Overland. This means customers shelling out $44,595 will be getting pleather. Shifting Standards in Luxury Jeep isn’t alone in this push as even luxury brands have turned their back on leather. Most versions of the 2026 Infiniti QX60 now come equipped with TailorFit upholstery, which is composed of 65% recycled materials. If you’re dead set on getting the ‘real deal,’ you’ll have to get the range-topping QX6...

A one-off 1978 512 BB modified by the king of 1980s supercar tuners is for sale. The flat-12 engine churns out 644 hp thanks to Koenig’s twin-turbo conversion. One year after it rolled off the assembly line, the 512 got the widebody treatment . In 2025, Mansory is the go-to tuning house for supercar owners who want to give their exotic the OTT treatment. But back in the 1970s and 1980s, before Kourosh Mansory had even thought of setting up shop, super rich car nuts beat a path to Willy Koenig’s door. Now, one of the ex-racer’s rarest creations has come up for sale. Related: If ’80s Excess Had A Car, It Would Be Koenig’s 911 Turbo Road Runner The classic supercar you’re looking at started life as a 1978 Ferrari 512 Berlinetta Boxer, but it didn’t stay that way for long. A year after getting his hands on the keys, its first owner sent it to Hanover-based Koening Specials in Germany, where Willy’s gang gave it their widebody conversion , Campagnolo wheels, a suspension up...

Six-year class action over Toyota Bluetooth echo ends in settlement. Most owners will only receive an instructional video, not money. Plaintiffs awarded ~$6,800 each, while lawyers collect $3.15 million. We’ve all experienced poor phone call quality in a car or when speaking to someone who is in their own vehicle. For some Toyota owners, a maddening echo led them to sue the automaker. Now, six years after the issue first popped up, the parties have settled their differences. The outcome, however, is far less dramatic than some owners might have hoped: most will walk away with nothing more than a short instructional video. More: Subaru EyeSight Lawsuit Ends With Lawyers Rich And Owners Shortchanged The lawsuit claimed that when drivers used the Bluetooth hands-free feature, the person on the other end of the call would often hear their own voice echo back. As you can imagine, conversations like that aren’t optimal. Owners argued in court that the issue not only affecte...

A 1966 Mustang body has been mounted on a 2008 Porsche 911 chassis. Odd proportions result in a long front overhang and squeezed fender details. For $19K, you get a six-speed 997 wrapped in classic Mustang sheetmetal. Modern car culture has a way of producing creations that defy easy description. We’ve reported on everything from heavily modified drop tops to hacked-up everyday cars . Body swaps get their own category in the fray, and while some are extremely refined, others are a bit more obvious. This 1966 Ford Mustang / 2008 Porsche 911 mashup belongs to the latter category and you can buy it for a cool $19,500. More: 2024 Ford Mustang Face-Swapped With Older Generations At first glance, this might sound like a hot-rodder’s fever dream as it combines Porsche handling, interior luxuries, and a very cool exterior in one package. In reality, the proportions have most viewers wondering how the project ever got this far. The 911 is three full inches wider than the Must...

The Aqua hatchback could be the next Toyota to receive hammerhead styling. The JDM hybrid entered its current gen in 2022, with a facelift rumored for 2025. An independent designer’s render shows how small tweaks create big changes. In the past few years, Toyota’s signature hammerhead face has made its way across much of the brand’s lineup, yet more models are still in line for the treatment. Rumors out of Japan suggest the next to join the list is the Aqua hatchback, which is getting ready for a mid-cycle refresh. More: Toyota Rumored To Be Working On The Land Cruiser Of Minivans If the name doesn’t ring a bell, the Aqua is a subcompact hatchback that entered its second generation in 2021 . Built on the Yaris platform, it runs solely on a self-charging hybrid system. Its predecessor was offered overseas, including North America, as the Prius C, but the latest gen remains exclusive to the Japanese market. Sharper Looks Ahead Toyota has yet to release official image...