Saturday Auto Brief: Hyundai Midsize Pickup Tease, Honda’s EV Mules, Movie-Car Mania, WRC Drama, and a Proper Pub-Style Debate

I’ve got a lukewarm coffee, a notebook full of tire-squeal doodles, and a leaf blower screaming somewhere down the block—perfect ambiance for a brisk lap of today’s headlines. The star? A Hyundai midsize pickup that’s allegedly “mind-blowing.” We’ll also poke at Honda’s electric sports car prototypes, a wild movie-car auction, WRC tension in Japan, and an Autocar argument I could happily lose an afternoon to.

Hyundai Midsize Pickup: “Mind-Blowing” Tease Meets Real-World Truck Math

Hyundai’s top brass has teased a new midsize truck with a promise bold enough to warrant an eyebrow: “mind-blowing.” I’ve spent time with the Santa Cruz (city-slicker charm, quick with the 2.5T, surprisingly handy on dusty fire roads) and rotated through a Ranger and Ridgeline on the same weekend for kicks. So yes, I’ve been itching to see Hyundai step into the full midsize arena rather than hover at the lifestyle edge.

Read between the lines and you’re picturing a Tacoma/Ranger-sized machine, not a stretched Santa Cruz. The architecture is the million-dollar mystery. Body-on-frame would appease traditionalists and tow ratings; a unibody, Ridgeline-style, could keep ride quality high and the daily grind easy. Either way, midsize buyers expect numbers that matter at the Home Depot curb: payload you don’t have to baby, 6,000–7,500 lb of towing, and suspension that doesn’t fold when you drop in pavers. If Hyundai mixes its smart packaging—lockable storage, trick bed solutions—with honest-to-goodness truck bones, that’s when “mind-blowing” stops sounding like marketing.

• What I’d love to see: a punchy turbo-hybrid with instant low-end torque. Tow the jet ski, sip fuel in traffic, don’t sweat the heat soak.
• What I noticed living with Santa Cruz: short bed, yes—but the lockable underfloor trunk is city-life gold. Groceries, camera gear, muddy trail shoes, out of sight.
• What will decide the story: price against Ranger/Tacoma, standard safety kit, and whether dealers can keep markups in check.

Hyundai Midsize Pickup: What “Mind-Blowing” Could Actually Mean

• Bed smarts beyond gimmicks: factory bed power, low step-in height, tie-downs where you actually need them.
• Trail mode with brains: real-time camera views, hill-descent that doesn’t sound like a dying fax machine, and tires that aren’t allergic to rocks.
• Cabin that’s work-glove friendly: big physical knobs, wireless CarPlay/Android Auto that reconnects without pleading, and washable mats that don’t curl.

Hyundai Midsize Pickup vs Rivals: Snapshot

Honda Has EV Sports Car Prototypes—and That’s Not Just Noise

Every carmaker builds quiet test mules, but Honda admitting it has electric sports prototypes is the sort of confession that perks up track rats. The brand that gave us the S2000’s clean-limbed balance and the second-gen NSX’s hybrid wizardry knows how to engineer feel. When I’m hustling light sports cars on mountain switchbacks, the magic is always the conversation—steering that talks, weight transfer you can read, pedals that dance with you instead of fighting back.

EV mass is the enemy of that, but fine control is the upside. Torque vectoring that nips understeer at the bud, regen tuning that doubles as a throttle brush mid-corner—this is where Honda can shine if it resists the urge to over-battery the thing. I’m picturing a rear-drive bias, quick rack, small but fast-charging pack, and cooling that keeps lap three feeling like lap one.

• Chassis first, bragging rights second. That’s the Honda way when they’re on form.
• Range matters, but response matters more. Keep it light enough to play.
• Wishlist: an S2000 spirit car you can slide a bit without the nannies panicking.

Screen Heroes for Sale: John Wick’s Mustang, Paul Walker’s Evo, and Friends

There’s an auction brewing that reads like a Friday night marathon: John Wick’s fastback Mustang, Paul Walker’s Evo—cars that stop a Cars & Coffee crowd dead. Screen-used metal trades as much on story as on steel, which is why paperwork is everything. I’ve watched friends go misty-eyed and forget the basics; the repair bills usually snap them back to reality.

• Demand proof it’s the hero, not a background extra: studio docs, continuity shots, production notes, the lot.
• Know what you’re buying: stunt cars can be battered but carry cool scars—budget accordingly.
• Insure it right: provenance can change value and restrictions in weird ways.
• Plan storage and maintenance. Movie cars hate sitting more than your Miata does.

Would I daily a hero Mustang? For about a week. Then I’d keep it safe and make Sunday morning dog-walkers smile… loudly.

Autocar’s “Best Car of the Past 25 Years” (And a Nod to 1901–1925)

Autocar tossed a hand grenade into the group chat: best car of the last 25 years. Love this stuff, because it always splits into “changed the world” versus “changed my brain chemistry.” My unscientific short list, which I’ll happily defend until the last pint:

• Tesla Model S: it normalized the idea that a luxury EV could be quicker than your neighbor’s supercar and updated over Wi-Fi.
• Porsche 997 GT3: hydraulic-steer poetry, track-day reliable, timeless grip-and-go feel.
• Volkswagen Golf GTI (Mk5): the reset button—balanced, usable, grin-rich daily fun.
• Ferrari 458 Italia: the crescendo of naturally aspirated mid-engine Ferraris. Throttle as a scalpel.
• Toyota GR Yaris: homologation spirit bottled for the street. Bless whoever signed that off.

Autocar also zigged back to 1901–1925, reminding us the real revolution was simple livability: starters instead of hand cranks, rubber that didn’t crumble, cars that could actually finish a “tour.” Draw a straight line from that to today’s software-over-the-air everything, and the DNA looks familiar: make the machine easier to live with, then make it faster.

Bonus listen: a new Autocar podcast chat with Skoda’s Klaus Zellmer. Skoda’s mastered “value without punishment”—big cabins, smart touches (hello, door umbrella), pricing that doesn’t make your eyes water. If that philosophy bites harder in EVs, family buyers win.

WRC Rally Japan: Evans Pressures Ogier as Katsuta’s Home Surge Fades

Autosport’s latest from Rally Japan has Elfyn Evans reeling in Sébastien Ogier, while local ace Takamoto Katsuta has slipped from the win fight. Japan’s tight, technical asphalt doesn’t leave much room for creative fixes; rhythm is everything, and one tiny lapse becomes your whole afternoon. When gaps compress like this, tire calls, nerves, and a touch of luck write the story.

• Evans vs. Ogier: confidence versus experience. Keep the pressure at ten-tenths without overdriving—easier typed than done.
• Katsuta still has points to fight for on home ground, which always counts double.
• Watch weather and road order late; on asphalt, they can flip the leaderboard in a loop.

Quick Takes on the Hyundai Midsize Pickup (and the Rest)

• Hyundai midsize pickup timing? If development is hot, think concept soon and showrooms in a couple of years. Patience beats dealer ADM.
• Honda’s EV sports mules feel real. Even if the production car lands softer, the DNA usually survives.
• On the movie-car front: buy the story, but only with paperwork. Your future self—and your insurer—will thank you.

Hyundai Midsize Pickup: Key Features We Hope Make Production

• Available locker(s) and a tow-friendly final drive.
• Bed power points and integrated bed steps you won’t stub a shin on.
• Driver aids tuned for trails, not just parallel parking.

Conclusion

As Saturday news cycles go, this one hits all gears: early-motoring nostalgia, future EV thrills, movie-metal temptation, some proper rally needlework—and a Hyundai midsize pickup tease that could finally put the brand in the heart of America’s truck conversation. Give me a Hyundai midsize pickup that tows on Saturday, parks downtown on Monday, and doesn’t drink like a sailor, plus a lightweight Honda EV that talks through its steering. The Wick Mustang? Sundays only. I’m not a monster.

FAQ

• When is the Hyundai midsize pickup coming?
  No firm date yet. Expect a concept or more details first, with production likely a couple of years out if the program’s greenlit.
• Will the Hyundai midsize pickup be body-on-frame or unibody?
  Unknown. Body-on-frame would chase Ranger/Tacoma capability; a unibody would target Ridgeline comfort. Hyundai’s tease doesn’t commit either way.
• How much could the Hyundai midsize pickup tow?
  Not announced. To be competitive, figure a target in the 6,000–7,500 lb window depending on engine and drivetrain.
• Is Honda really building an electric sports car?
  Honda says it has EV sports prototypes running. That’s a strong sign a production-intent project exists, though specs and timing are TBD.
• How do I verify a movie car before bidding?
  Ask for studio documentation, VIN records, continuity photos, and any build sheets. Consider hiring an independent expert to authenticate.