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General Motors Co. and Ford Motor Co. are making historic investments in motorsports as the two Detroit-based companies take on the world’s premier global performance brands in Formula One, Le Mans prototype racing and international GT sports car racing.

Add the third member of America’s Big Three, Toyota Motor Corp.

GM, Toyota and Ford are the new Big Three of U.S. sales with 18%, 15% and 14% market share, respectively (Stellantis is a distant sixth at 9%). And Tokyo-based Toyota is matching its competitors stride-for-stride in motorsports investment as well. With its announcement this month as title sponsor of the American-based MoneyGram Haas Formula One team, Toyota will compete in coming years with GM and Ford in F1, NASCAR and Le Mans endurance Hypercar and GT racing.

Toyota, Toyota

GM will compete in F1 with its Cadillac brand beginning in 2026, and Ford will partner with Red Bull. In NASCAR, Ford and GM’s Chevrolet brand compete. And in endurance racing, Cadillac (Hypercar) and Chevy Corvette (GT) carry the GM flag while Ford is entering Hypercar in 2027 and competes with the Mustang GT3 in GT racing.

Like GM and Ford, Toyota’s moves are intended to enhance its standing as a global performance brand as well as accelerate technology transfer between its racing and production vehicles. Toyota’s aggressive investment also reflects the influence of Toyota chairman and racing enthusiast Akio Toyoda, who — like GM President Mark Reuss and Ford CEO Jim Farley — is a skilled driver himself with a racing license.

“This is a historic commitment by these automakers on a global basis,” said veteran motorsports writer Steven Cole Smith. “The current management teams are committed to performance, and all boats are rising with the tide. The more money, more personalities and more competitiveness in the sports car and F1 market, the more it encourages brands to spend money.”

Toyota has history in motorsports dating back 60 years and its current motorsports division, Toyota Gazoo Racing (TGR), has been a frontrunner in NASCAR (six Cup Series titles since 2015) and international FIA World Rally and Endurance Championships.

This month, however, it took big steps to expand its footprint in production-based GT3 racing and in the world’s premier open-wheel motorsport, Formula One.

Under the new multi-year agreement with the MoneyGram Haas team, Toyota will bring its formidable technical expertise to a mid-pack team that has struggled for resources against F1 giants like Red Bull-Ford, Mercedes and Ferrari. Toyota will replace MoneyGram, which has been title sponsor since 2023, and the team will be renamed TGR Haas F1.

“I’m hugely excited that MoneyGram Haas F1 Team and Toyota Gazoo Racing have come together to enter into this technical partnership,” said Haas Team Principal Ayao Komatsu. “The ability to tap into the resources and knowledge base available at Toyota Gazoo Racing, while benefiting from their technical and manufacturing processes, will increase our competitiveness in Formula 1. In return, we offer a platform for Toyota to fully utilize and subsequently advance their in-house engineering capabilities.”

He said in a media video call that Haas F1 has been “lacking certain resources and hardware capabilities to understand certain things” and is “looking for someone to give us more resource and (who) also have the hardware and know-how of that hardware”.

TGR will join forces with Ferrari, which supplies Haas’s hybrid powertrain, and Italian chassis-maker Dallara, which have been with the team since its inception in 2016.

“By bringing Toyota onboard, (Haas now has a partner) who already has the hardware to build a simulator, and the expertise and people to run it,” reports F1.com correspondent Lawrence Barretto of the sims that major race teams/driers use for race prep.

Toyota said it has no plans to build a full F1 powertrain like Cadillac envisions for its F1 effort by 2029. “However, by doing a deal with such major scope,” said Barretto, “it’s clear Toyota have an interest in potentially expanding their footprint in Formula 1 in the future.”

In addition to engineering, the Haas collaboration allows Toyota to create a driver development for young Japanese drivers, engineers, and mechanics to gain experience in F1’s highly-competitive environment. Similarly, Cadillac is bringing along IndyCar star Colton Herta in its F1 program.

“The time has come for the next generation to take their first steps toward the world stage,” said Chairman Toyoda. “Together with . . . everyone at TGR Haas F1 Team, we will build both a culture and a team for the future. Toyota is now truly on the move.”

The motorsports moves advance Toyota’s performance profile against brands like Ford, Porsche, Chevrolet, Mercedes and others at a time when Chairman Toyoda is determined to establish the Japanese brand as more than a maker of reliable hybrids, and as a maker of high-performance models from its on-road GR and TRD (off-road Toyota Racing Development) sub-brands.

“I think Toyota has always gone for the publicity aspect,” said Cole Smith, who noted that Toyota’s last foray into F1 came in 2002-09. “They like to learn things on a racetrack that they can use in production vehicles. But they also like the fact that they show up in video games as one of the featured cars.”

Publicity in the North American market is also a reason, said Cole Smith, for Toyota’s second big motorsport announcement this month: a new, high-horsepower GR GT production brand halo that will spin off a production-based GT3 race car for sale to customers in the IMSA Weathertech sports car/World Endurance Championship that will go head-to-head against the Chevy Corvette GT3 and Ford Mustang GT3. Toyota already competes in the WEC Hypercar class with its successful GR010 Hybrid.

Indeed, the new GR GT3 car will be based, like Ford’s Mustang GT3 racer, on a $300,000-plus front-engine , V8-powered supercar called the GR GT. Its specs closely track that of Ford’s halo supercar, the $327,960 Mustang GTD.

Chairman Toyoda himself (who races under the pseudonym Morizo) was involved in the GR GT’s development along with professional Toyota team drivers. The GR GT3 racer will replace the Lexus RC F GT3 racer which has compete in IMSA since 2017.

“Toyota likes to race what they sell locally,” said Cole Smith. “Chevrolet has successfully done that with Corvette for years.”

Like the mind-engine Corvette Z06 GT3.R, Toyota’s GR GT3 will be based on the aluminum chassis of a road car, in this case the GR GT. True to Toyota’s commitment to gas-electric hybrids in its production vehicles, the GR GT is stuffed with a gas-electric 4.0-liter, twin-turbo V-8 engine and a single electric motor. Toyota estimates an output of 650 horsepower. Due to weight and race rule considerations, the GR GT3 will likely drop the hybrid in race trim.

“The GR GT was conceptualized and developed as a road-legal race car,” Toyota said in a press release.

Expect the GR GT and its GT3 motorsports sibling to debut stateside in IMSA in 2027 as well as at the 24 Hours of Le Mans alongside its Hypercar effort. The GR010 Hybrid has won the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the world’s premier endurance race, six times since 2018.

Ford is also committed to racing Le Mans in Hypercar and GT3 classes in 2027. Cadillac made history in 2025 as the first U.S. brand to sweep the Le Mans front row in qualifying since Ford in 1967.

Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne.

Car shoppers had plenty of choices in 2025 as auto grocery shelves were teeming with goodies. If the food market has ice cream, beverage, fruit, and meat aisles, then auto stores offer trucks, SUVs, small cars and EVs.

There’s something for everyone at every price point (well, unless you wanted sub-$20K subcompacts).

We here at The Detroit News are biased toward value, style, innovation and performance.  And we choose our Vehicle of the Year accordingly. As The News auto critic, I tested 59 new cars this year, running the spectrum from the compact $23,645 Nissan Sentra gas-sipper to the posh $81,550 Lucid Gravity electron-guzzler.

Stellantis, © 2025 Stellantis

True to industry trends, 60% of the vehicles were utes, including an English startup (Ineo Grenadier), all-new electric vehicles (Hyundai Ioniq 9, Volvo XC30, Polestar 4) and fresh riffs on old nameplates like the VW Tiguan and Honda Passport. Only three of my testers had sticks, as manuals have become a niche performance feature.

Speaking of niches, EV sales stalled even before federal incentives dried up — their appeal aimed at upscale buyers with multi-car garages. Nevertheless, it was a good year for EV buyers as The News’ 2018 VOY, the Tesla Model 3 (and sister Tesla Model Y), received their first major upgrades, and Cadillac introduced its entry-level Optiq EV. Don’t look now, America, but the leading premium EV brands are Made in the USA.

It was a quiet year for trucks (the return of the growly V8-powered Ram 1500 aside), but dang if the Ford Maverick (VOY 2021 and 2022) wasn’t on my short list again with its new, rowdy Lobo variant. Maverick is the gift that keeps on giving.

Here are our three favorites for 2025 Detroit News Vehicle of the Year, saving the tastiest for last.

Second runner-up: Mazda CX-30 Turbo. In a year when the average price of a new car crested $50K, the CX-30 was a welcome example of how a $27,470, entry-level subcompact SUV can still be stylish, high-tech, affordable.

It’s this year’s best all-around player.

With its sporty looks and crisp handling, CX-30 (introduced in 2020) was already a mainstream SUV rivaling the BMW X2 luxe-benchmark in performance for half the price while offering similar standard features: AWD, blind-spot-assist, adaptive cruise control and rear cross traffic alert. With its 2025 refresh, CX-30 made crucial updates to its infotainment system. Like the stick shift, the remote rotary-controlled screen is headed out the door as smartphones take over cars, so Mazda adapted by upgrading to a 10.25-inch touchscreen and improved voice commands when using Android Auto/Apple CarPlay.

With this crucial detail fixed — “Hey, Google, navigate to Hell, Michigan!” — customers can focus on the joy of driving. CX-30 is that rare SUV that makes driving fun, embodying the brand’s Miata-inspired ZOOM ZOOM spirit.

Choose the $35K Turbo Carbon model with an impressive 310 pound-feet of torque, and the Mazda is a match for Michigan snowstorms — and that Bimmer next to you at a stoplight.

Runner-up: Chevy Corvette ZR1. The best vehicle I drove this year was the McLaren 750S, a carbon-chassis, twin-turbo-V8-powered exotic.

But for half of the McLaren’s $320K sticker, you can have the Corvette ZR1.

The ZR1 is the ultimate expression of Corvette’s affordable supercar mantra. Its numbers alone are VOY-worthy: 1,063 horsepower, 0-60 mpg in (hold on!) 2.2 seconds, top speed of 233 mph, the fastest American car ever made. On the back straight at Formula One’s circuit of the Americas track in Austin, Texas, I hit 176 mph — 30 mph quicker than the standard 495-horse C8. Good gravy.

Is it as good as the McLaren? No, because McMoney buys you an IndyCar-like carbon-fiber chassis. The ‘Vette relies on a more pedestrian aluminum frame, but ZR1 is much more than a track-shredder. Its state-of-the-art digital technology and cargo significantly outpace the 750S (or Porsche Turbo or Lamborghini Aventador) in usability. Like the Mazda CX-30, ZR1 also has fixed interior foibles for a more enjoyable ergonomic experience.

One more number? ZR1 is the fastest American sportscar to ever lap the Nürburgring — its time trailing only exotics like the $2.7 million Mercedes AMG One and the $500K Porsche GT2 RS MR.

First place: Dodge Charger Sixpack. Happy days are here again. It’s been a tough few years at the Dream Cruise, deprived of new Chargers and Challengers. The demise of the V8-powered muscle cars after 2022 was the poster child of fun-sucking federal rules forcing the industry to one-size-fits-all electrification.

For 2026, the Charger Sixpack symbolizes the rebirth of drivetrain choice.

Thank a flexible architecture that can host electric motors in the Charger Daytona EV, ICE engines like the Sixpack’s inline-6 cylinder, and surely a future V-8. The Charger is not only gorgeous (channeling the 1968 Charger OG) but utilitarian. Its hatchback design adds big cargo capability out back to complement big horsepower up front. AWD translates 553 ponies to the ground in the high-output Scat Pack, while the standard R/T gets 420. Where the previous-gen RWD Charger was an unsteady foal on snow, the new all-wheel driver is an all-season champ.

Fun, utility, interior room. Say hello to the world’s biggest hot hatch.

Waiting for my affordability spiel? Scat Pack debuts at a hefty $52K, but it goes spec-for-spec against a BMW M530i that costs 10 grand more. I’d take the Dodge in a heartbeat.

Beneath the retro-style skin is a modern interior anchored by twin digital screens loaded with tech surrounded by menacing details: pistol-grip shifter, tall seats, fire-red ambient lighting.

Expect more affordable two- and four-door models to come. And a V-8 return to complete the muscle car’s resurrection after being buried just three years ago. Who knows, maybe a Charger Eightpack could be next year’s VOY toy?

Second runner-up: 2025 Mazda CX-30 Turbo

Vehicle type: All-wheel-drive, five-passenger subcompact SUV

Price: Base $27,470, including $1,420 destination charge ($34,935 Carbon Turbo as tested)

Powerplant: 2.5-liter, inline-4 cylinder; 2.0-liter, turbocharged inline-4

Power: 191 horsepower, 186 pound-feet torque (2.5L); 227 horsepower, 310 pound-feet torque (turbo)

Transmission: Six-speed automatic

Performance: 0-60 mph, 6.2 seconds (turbo, Car and Driver); towing, 1,500 pounds

Weight: 3,444 pounds (as tested)

Range: EPA est. mpg 22 mpg city/30 highway/25 combined (Carbon Turbo as tested)

Report card

Highs: Hot-hatch SUV; updated touchscreen on top trims

Lows: Small back seat for class

Runner-up: 2025 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1

Vehicle type: Mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive, two-passenger supercar

Price: $174,995 base, including $1,395 destination ($189,680 LT1 coupe and $200,180 convertible models with ZTK Package as tested)

Power plant: 5.5-liter, twin-turbo V-8

Power: 1,064 horsepower, 828 pound-feet of torque

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic

Performance: 0-60 mph, 2.2 seconds (Car and Driver); top speed, 233 mph

Curb weight: 3,831 pounds

Fuel economy: EPA 12 mpg city/18 highway/14 combined

Report card

Highs: Ballistic acceleration; state-of-the-art interior

Lows: Will drink the Permian Basin oil field dry for a track day

Winner: 2026 Dodge Charger

Vehicle type: All-wheel-drive, five-passenger coupe and sedan

Price: Base $51,990, including $1,995 destination charge. Sedan an extra $2,000 ($67,360 Scat Plus coupe with Customer Preferred Package as tested)

Powerplant: 3.0-liter, twin-turbo inline-6 cylinder

Power: 420 horsepower, 468 pound-feet torque (R/T); 550 horsepower, 531 pound-feet torque (Scat Pack)

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic

Performance: 0-60 mph, 3.9 seconds (Scat Pack, mfr.); top speed, 177 mph (Scat Pack)

Weight: 4,815 pounds

Range: EPA est. mpg 16 city/26 highway/20 combined (Scat Pack); 91 octane fuel required

Report card

Highs: Sleek hot hatch; AWD/head-up display/hatchback goodies

Lows: Waiting on the V-8, four-door models

Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne.

Ken Lingenfelter in the Corvette room, which visitors will be able to peruse Saturday at the Lingenfelter Holiday Toy Drive and Open House. Henry Payne, The Detroit News

Lingenfelter Engineering has made a history of modifying Corvettes and Camaros. But 20% of its business is now GM truck mods. Henry Payne, The Detroit News