Pope Leo XIV and Ferrari Chairman John Elkann pose beside the Ferrari Luce, the brand's first EV, on May 26. Simone Risoluti/Ferrari Welcome to The Downshift, or TDS for short, The Drive’s morning automotive news roundup bringing you the biggest headlines from around the globe. TDS summarizes stories with a sentence or two, along with links for those who wish to dive deeper. Here’s what’s cooking on Wednesday, May 27, 2026. 💡 The Ferrari Luce has drawn sharp criticism from just about everybody, but the most biting comes courtesy of the automaker’s former chairman, Luca di Montezemolo, who told reporters on Tuesday that, “If I had to say what I really think, I would be hurting Ferrari. We’re risking the destruction of a myth, and I’m very sorry about that. I hope they at least remove the Prancing Horse from that car. This is surely a car that at least the Chinese won’t copy from us.” Meanwhile, Italy’s transport minister, Matteo Salvini, asked, “Who knows what Enzo Ferrari would say?” [Politico] 🚢 The terms of the U.S.-U.K. trade agreement, which sets the tariff rate on U.K. auto imports at 10 percent for the first 100,000 cars imported annually (or 25,000 per quarter), could be stressed by the new, U.K.-built Toyota GR Corolla. If British imports exceed that cap, the tariff rate rises to 27.5 percent per car. [Automotive News] 🏷️ Pricing data for the 2027 Kia Seltos has seemingly leaked, and it looks to increase by $900 at the low end, and as much as $1,900 for certain trims. For comparison’s sake, the current Seltos starts at $25,285 including destination. [CarsDirect] 🔧 Hyundai is rolling out a new mobile service program across the U.S. that will allow customers to order “approved maintenance and routine repairs like oil changes, tire rotations, software updates, brake pad and rotor replacements, service campaigns and wash/detailing” for their vehicles, at home or work. [Hyundai] ✅ Volvo has obtained “a specific authorization” from the U.S. Department of Commerce to continue importing and selling its China-built connected cars in the U.S., despite earlier rules that materialized during the Biden administration to bar Chinese cars from the market beginning with the 2027 model year. [Reuters] ⚡ Honda plans to export sales of its fun and feisty Super-One EV to right-hand-drive markets beyond Japan, including the U.K. and Australia. [Automotive News] 🤖 New regulations in Europe have paved the way for automated valet parking in new cars. The feature would allow vehicles with sufficient technology to drive themselves between designated drop-off points and valet parking areas, but so far, it’s only been implemented on an extremely limited basis for Mercedes S-Class and EQS models at Stuttgart Airport in Germany. [Automotive News] 💎 Gucci is going racing, having announced that it will become the title sponsor for the Alpine Formula 1 team beginning next year with a new subsidiary, Gucci Racing. [Gucci via Instagram]
