Daily Recap: Thursday, February 12, 2026

35 episodes

Nissan is ahead of schedule closing seven factories and cutting 20,000 jobs after profits fell 44%. China auto retail sales dropped 14% in January, with local brands down 18%. Mercedes-Benz is restructuring too. Elsewhere, Ferrari set the pace in F1 testing and Porsche owners are booking timing belt jobs on their 944s.

Headlines

• Nissan and Mercedes-Benz Face Major Financial Crisis with Factory Closures and Job Cuts — Nissan is exiting all seven factories it targeted for closure and running ahead of schedule on cutting 20,000 jobs, with profit falling 44% in the most recent quarter
• China Auto Market Experiences Sharp Sales Decline in January — China-made vehicle retail sales hit 1.54 million units in January, down 14% from a year ago, with local brands experiencing an even steeper decline of 18%

Episode Spotlights

Predicting the next 10-20 years for EVs, Hybrids and Gas engines using the last 30 years as a guide — My Car Guru Podcast
On hybrid fuel economy gains compared to gas engines:

"The most successful hybrid ever is the Toyota Prius. I think it came out in 2004...hybrids tend to get anywhere from ten to thirty percent better fuel economy than an internal combustion engine."

Old Faithful — Auto Off Topic
On scheduling a major timing belt replacement for his Porsche:

"this year will be five years I think... I've had the car for going on five years I think four or five years... we have a we've booked an install for the 20th of this month"

F1 Testing 2026 – Day 2 — P1 with Matt and Tommy
On Aston Martin's performance gap to Ferrari in 2026 F1 testing:

"I really wanted this to be a year where we saw Fernando Alonso win again. And not only are we not going to get the 33, I think we're looking like we're not even going to be 33 seconds within the leader at this rate."

Dwight Mitchell Part 7 — Porsche Patter
On a high-mileage 1967 Porsche Targa's racing history:

"He had a 67 soft Targa. I think the last time I checked, he had over 400,000 miles on the car... He was a zone seven wrapped at one time."

If You Only Listen To One

406: From Barn Finds to Global Buyers with Alex Manos — The Collector Car Podcast

Alex Manos of Beverly Hills Car Club on buying and selling classic cars worldwide, including a find that sat in a garage from 1965 to 2012.

By the Numbers

Most-Discussed Cars

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35 episodes. 412 car mentions. 479 terms explained. Browse every episode with searchable annotations and plain-language term definitions in the Car Curious app.