Daily Recap: Wednesday, February 11, 2026
22 episodes
Ford's staring down a potential $11 billion hole while BYD cheerfully sells electric cars to the rest of the planet — a financial crisis that makes their Mustang and F150 chatter feel almost quaint by comparison. Meanwhile, the truly interesting stuff is happening in the desert, where Mercedes is documenting Dakar and JLR's betting on Defenders to prove something about durability, and halfway around the world someone spotted BMW's Neue Klasse testing in Melbourne like it's no big deal. Oh, and rotary engine guru David Marze stopped by to explain why everyone else is tuning Wankels wrong, because apparently we needed that debate revived in 2025.
Headlines
- Ford's Financial Crisis: $8-11 Billion in Losses as BYD Overtakes Global Market Position — Ford experienced catastrophic financial losses in 2025-2026, posting an $8 billion net loss in 2025 and an $11.1 billion net loss in Q4 2025, marking its worst financial performance since 2008
- Auto Market Downturn: New Car Sales Hit Six-Year Low as Used Vehicle Prices Rise Unexpectedly — The automotive industry experienced a significant sales downturn in January 2026, with annualized seasonally adjusted sales reaching 14.9 million units, the lowest level in at least six years, compared to pre-pandemic levels of 17.5 million units
Episode Spotlights
Inside The Dakar: Stock Defenders, Strategy, And Grit — In Wheel Time Podcast
On how the Dakar Rally transformed across continents since 1978:
"It started in 1978 I believe it was as the Paris to Dakar Rally or Paris to the car rally that started in Paris and ended in Dakar Senegal. Throughout those years it had moved you know continents and it shifted and now the last let's see I think since 2020 it was in Saudi Arabia."
155: Building The Worlds Best Sounding 5 Rotor — Tuned In (High Performance Academy)
On what inspired his passion for rotary engines:
"I think it was the Fast and the Furious. I think that was the influence primarily for me... Vin Diesel is driving an RX7 and there's all these badass eclipse and the Supra."
BMW Neue Klasse iX3, Denza Z9GT, Xpeng GX, Subaru Trailseeker and Rivian R2 — Ludicrous Feed | EV Adoption in Australia
On Tesla's repeated delays for the next-generation Roadster:
"it was supposed to be the 2020 Roadster, I think when I first heard about it in 2019. I don't know what else they can blame for the delays, can't blame COVID anymore, can't blame supply chains"
2026 Toyota bZ — Talking Cars (Consumer Reports)
On the 2026 Toyota bZ's all-wheel drive range improvements:
"338, I think it had 214 before for the all-wheel drive models."
What I'd Do Differently If I Had to Start Detailing Over Today — The Auto Detailing Podcast
On why fleet detailing work causes professional burnout:
"Fleet work is extremely low margin. It's really grueling, and I think it totally leads to burnout... Doing 10 to 15 cars a day by myself is like the fastest, quickest way to burnout possible."
If You Only Listen To One
Inside The Dakar: Stock Defenders, Strategy, And Grit — In Wheel Time Podcast
Covers Mercedes-Lilian Call's coverage of the Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia, Jaguar Land Rover's Defender stock class teams competing in Dakar 2026.
By the Numbers
Most-Discussed Cars
| Car | Mentions |
|---|---|
| Ford Mustang | 6 |
| Chevrolet Corvette | 5 |
| Toyota Supra | 3 |
| Ford F150 | 3 |
| Toyota Prius | 3 |
| Porsche 911 | 3 |
| Porsche Cayman | 3 |
| Kia Sportage | 2 |
Trending Terminology
| Term | Mentions |
|---|---|
| horsepower | 5 |
| catalytic converter | 3 |
| FIA | 3 |
| all-wheel drive | 2 |
| EV | 2 |
| torque | 2 |
22 episodes. 229 car mentions. 327 terms explained. Browse every episode with searchable annotations and plain-language term definitions in the Car Curious app.