Intro

Greetings!

Welcome to the Spark Check, your local source for staying connected with the latest in the automotive world. Featuring bite-sized nuggets of fresh industry news, updates on the car market, and highlights from local Cars & Coffee.

So, grab your coffee (or matcha if that’s your style) and settle in for a weekly dose of everything automotive - delivered every Monday morning, fresh off the keypad.

Industry News

Cadillac to Join the Race

It’s official - Cadillac is joining Formula 1 in 2026

American’s rejoice, we no longer have to look at Haas to (mis)represent the ‘Land of the Free’ on the grid. General Motors, through its Cadillac brand, has joined up with Andretti Global to enter the World’s Constructors Championship. 

This agreement comes after 3 years of negotiations between the two companies and Formula 1’s internal rights holder, Liberty Media.

The 11th team on the grid will be housing Ferrari engines until they are ready to use their own power unit, expected to be in 2028. No drivers have been announced as of yet.

Read Full Story —>

Other News

• Stellantis CEO, Carlos Tavares, resigns effective immediately. Claims “different views” between him and the board of directors. Read More 

• Hyundai recalls over 225,000 vehicles due to rearview mirror failure, including Elantra and Santa Fe models. Read More

• Formula 1 Champion, Max Verstappen claims ‘I did not enjoy the car’ when speaking on the RB20. Read More

• Factory refresh for Volkswagen in 2026 - new design and hybrid focused, despite slowing EV demand. Read More

Featured Story

Keep Charging On - Despite Friction

The shift toward electric vehicles isn’t going quite as planned—at least, not according to a few car companies.

Despite EPA regulations pushing manufacturers to adapt to the "new world" of electric vehicles by 2032, it seems the public isn’t sold just yet. Maybe we’re all waiting for those half a million charging stations that are supposed to magically appear by 2030.

Toyota’s North America COO, Jack Hollis, hasn’t held back on his thoughts about the U.S.’s policies, calling them “de facto mandates” that don’t exactly align with what consumers want. Sure, recent EV sales are on the rise, but even Toyota isn’t feeling confident. The company just announced they’re slashing their 2026 global EV production target by a whopping third—from 1.5 million down to 1 million vehicles.

Then there’s Ford, which jumped into the EV game early but is still trying to figure out how to make these high-tech rides profitable. Building the Mustang Mach-E and Lightning hasn’t come cheap, and the financials show it. Ford’s EV division racked up a $4.9 billion loss in the first three quarters of 2024. Ouch.

Read Full Story —>

Local Listings

Hot Pick of the Week

Because who doesn’t looking at cars they shouldn’t (or can’t) buy.

2004 Porsche Carrera GT

Price: $1,699,995 | Seller: Dupont Registry
Graham Rahal Performance revives a Signal Orange Carrera GT with custom HRE wheels and matching ceramic brakes. Check it out —>

Other Listings:

• 1999 Nissan GT-R V-SPEC | $239,990 | Murrieta, CA

• 2019 Ferrari 488 Pista | $549,990 | San Diego, CA

Have a cool car for sale? Email us at [email protected] to get listed.

What’s Happening

Saturday, December 7

• Bonita Cars & Coffee, 6am-9am

• Carlsbad Cars & Coffee, 7am-9am

• Point Loma Cars & Coffee, 7:30am-10am

• Rancho Santa Fe Cars & Coffee, 8am-12pm

• South OC Cars & Coffee, 9am-11am

Sunday, December 8

• Super Car Sunday, 21st Annual Motor 4 Toys, 6:30am-12pm

• Escondido Cars & Coffee, 8am-12pm

• Cypress Cars & Coffee, Special Christmas Toy Drive, 4pm-6pm

Have an event coming up? Let us know at [email protected] to be featured!

Final Thoughts

We Want to Hear From You!

What did you think of our first issue? From the bottom of our hearts, we appreciate you subscribing and joining the community. We’re always looking to improve, if you have any feedback, email us at [email protected]. 

Stay tuned, and keep the spark alive!