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Welcome to The Downshift, or TDS for short, The Drive’s morning automotive news roundup bringing you the biggest headlines from around the globe.

We hope you had a fine weekend. Here are the stories worth catching up on for Monday, June 8, 2026.

Honda is seemingly planning significant refreshes for the Accord and Passport for next year. One Honda executive teased a “substantially redesigned Accord that will feel like a new model,” while an anonymous source said the automaker is “giving [the Passport] more testosterone” and that “it’s a little more masculine.” [Automotive News]

Stellantis will sell the the new Dodge Charger in Europe, from gas-powered Sixpack models to the battery-electric Daytona, in two- and four-door varieties. [Stellantis]

Subaru has promised no less than three new manual-toting models for Japan: a new hatchback seemingly inspired by the Performance-B STI Concept from last year’s Japan Mobility Show; a WRX with the more durable TY85 manual from the prior-gen STI; and a leaner, sharper BRZ. It’s unclear if any of these vehicles will be sold in the U.S. [Carscoops]

Subaru also issued a rather odd press release over the weekend, “[announcing] that it is considering” selling the three-row Ascent in Japan, where it has not been offered to date. The Ascent is built in Indiana. [Subaru]

Toyota seemingly can’t crank out new RAV4s quickly enough, with less than five days’ worth of inventory in the U.S. at present, as the hybrid SUV has been selling fast due to rising gas prices. [Bloomberg]

⛐ Ford of Europe has continued playing coy on the prospect of a Fiesta and/or Focus revival, with its product chief saying, with respect to new ST or RS models, that, “To be credible and authentic, there needs to be some kind of performance series of our vehicles.” [Auto Express]

Uber has opened a waitlist for customers in London who want to use the company’s robotaxi service in the city first, though no prospective launch date has yet been given. [Bloomberg]

Weekend race results:

• NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at Michigan: Corey Heim won for Tricon Garage
• British Touring Car Championship at Oulton Park: Dan Cammish, Ash Sutton, and Charles Rainford each won races
• MotoGP Hungarian Grand Prix: Marc Marquez won for Ducati
• Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix: Kimi Antonelli won for Mercedes
• NASCAR Cup Series at Michigan: Denny Hamlin won for Joe Gibbs Racing
• IndyCar at St. Louis: Josef Newgarden won for Team Penske

Got a news tip? Reach out to tips@thedrive.com

Lexus, Toyota’s luxury sub-brand, posted a teaser ahead of its event on May 7, 10:30 AM JST. The teaser picture shows a silhouette of a large SUV, which is most likely the Lexus TZ, which first appeared in the news cycle back in 2023.

Of course, we can’t know for sure, but the timing seems very fitting. Toyota announced in February its fully-electric, three-row Highlander SUV, on which the Lexus TZ will be based. The two SUVs will share the modified TNGA-K platform, which Toyota says is optimized for interior space and efficiency.

Alleged Lexus TZ

A Lexus TZ prototype has already been spotted on the streets of Europe, which suggests a late 2026 or an early 2027 launch time frame. And even with its camouflage, it’s obvious that the design will differ slightly from the Toyota Highlander EV.

Source 1 | Source 2

Mercedes-AMG has dropped a new teaser on social media, clearly hinting at a new track-focused version of the AMG GT, dubbed the Track Sport.

The Mercedes-AMG GT Track Sport will be based on the second-generation AMG GT coupe. It will feature several performance upgrades, including a bespoke high downforce package.

Mercedes-AMG has confirmed that the model will be powered by the same V8 engine which also powers the brand’s GT Series racecars. That being said, the exact technical specs are still unclear.

As far as aero is concerned, the Track Sport will feature a massive swan-neck rear wing and a prominent front splitter. It will also get a more aggressive-looking front fascia and a vented hood, among other modifications.