Carjacking Chaos, an 850-HP Shelby You Could Win, and a $1.7T Debt Reality Check: June 22–25 Wrap-UpIt's been a busy stretch at The Auto Wire. From a deadly carjacking pursuit in Los Angeles to a once-in-a-lifetime Shelby giveaway, here's a roundup of everything we published between June 22 and June 25, 2026. Catch up on the stories you may have missed below.June 25 — This 850-HP Shelby Super Snake-R Is One of Only 100 Ever, and You Could Actually Win ItThe 2026 Shelby Super Snake-R is the most extreme Super Snake the company has built, with a supercharged 5.0-liter V-8 making more than 850 horsepower paired to a six-speed manual. Built on the Mustang Dark Horse platform and capped at just 100 cars, this is the first Super Snake to wear the R badge. The featured example, serial number three, is the grand prize in a Dream Giveaway campaign that supports veterans and children's charities, with entry through a donation and federal prize taxes covered for the winner. Read the full story.June 24 — Carjacked Toyota Camry Turns Into Alleged Weapon During LA RampageWhat police say began as a carjacking of a Toyota Camry at knifepoint in downtown Los Angeles spiraled into a violent pursuit through Culver City and nearby communities. Authorities allege the driver intentionally steered toward pedestrians, injuring eight people — including two minors on an e-bike and a police officer — before the chase ended in a head-on crash in a Marina del Rey McDonald's drive-thru. The suspect now faces carjacking, felony evading, and multiple attempted murder charges. Read the full story.June 24 — We Checked the $1.7 Trillion Auto Debt Story Against the DataA widely shared report warned that America's $1.7 trillion in auto debt is pushing repossessions toward Great Recession levels. We went to the primary sources, and the result is mixed. The headline numbers check out — auto balances near $1.7 trillion, average new-car prices topping $50,000, and rates around 9.5 percent — but the most alarming framing about a repo crisis is the part the data supports least, with delinquencies holding steady and affordability actually improving slightly. Read the full story.June 24 — Trump Tells the DOJ to Go After Big Oil Over High Gas PricesIn a post fired off after midnight, the President accused major oil companies of gouging drivers and said he had told the Justice Department to investigate. The DOJ offered a noncommittal response, and the oil industry pushed back, noting pump prices don't move in lockstep with crude. The piece traces the recent price spike to the war with Iran and the Strait of Hormuz, and weighs how much a federal probe is actually likely to accomplish heading into the midterms. Read the full story.June 23 — Dead NASCAR Champion Wins Maine Moose Lottery Weeks After His DeathIn a story that sounds too strange to be real, a deceased NASCAR champion's name appeared among the winners of Maine's annual moose permit lottery. The outcome appears to be a bureaucratic timing issue — the state doesn't automatically cross-reference applicants against out-of-state death records, so the application was processed like any other. The permit will be reassigned through normal procedures, but the surreal announcement still made headlines. Read the full story.June 22 — Introducing the Automotive Physics Lab: Six Free Calculators That Decode Your Car's PerformanceWe launched the Automotive Physics Lab, a free suite of six calculators that turn raw spec-sheet numbers into figures enthusiasts actually care about. The tools cover horsepower-to-weight ratio, a 0–60 mph estimator, a quarter-mile estimator, crash energy, stopping distance, and top speed — each with the formula and a plain-English explanation. No sign-ups or paywalls, and it runs entirely in your browser. Read the full story.June 22 — Cops Are Using License Plate Readers to Stalk Their Crushes, and It Keeps HappeningAn Institute for Justice review has pinned down at least 18 cases of police officers allegedly abusing automated license plate reader networks — including Flock cameras — to stalk romantic partners, exes, and in one case a complete stranger. Most incidents have surfaced since 2024, and the majority were caught not by internal safeguards but by victims who reported being followed. The story digs into the broader privacy problem of giving thousands of officers a god's-eye view of every car on the road. Read the full story.AdvertisementAdvertisementThat's a wrap for June 22–25. For more driving news, policy watch, and industry coverage, keep it locked to The Auto Wire.Join our Newsletter, follow our Instagram page, and connect with us on Facebook.
