Ferrari 296

McLaren confirmed on October 30 that its next series supercar will be called the McL 820. The number is its output in metric horsepower, about 809 hp. It arrives in 2027 as the 750S bows out, and so far the only thing McLaren has shown is a kiwi statue.

Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna rated Tesla's new Roadster 10 out of 10 for technology and presentation, and told the industry to keep dreaming. That same week, Ferrari confirmed a $560,800 US price for its own first EV, the Luce, developed with Jony Ive's LoveFrom studio.

Ferrari has patented taillights that move out of the way to feed air to the rear wing and effectively lengthen it. It's a patent rather than a confirmed product, but it shows how hard the brand is working to get the downforce without letting the aero wreck the look.

The 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 looks better today than it did when it was new. The 2002 Pontiac Aztek looks exactly as bad as it did in 2002, possibly worse now that the cultural context that produced it has faded. Both cars are over twenty years old. Only one of them aged. The question of why some cars improve with time and others calcify into their worst qualities is worth taking seriously because the answer tells you something about what good design actually is...