From rare muscle cars to a Ferrari LaFerrari prototype, Mecum’s 2026 Indianapolis Auction is stocked with high-dollar collector cars. But the auction house is paying special attention to something more ordinary: a 1996 Toyota 4Runner SR5.

In an email to The Drive, Mecum senior communications manager David Morton said this Toyota has been garnering among the highest clicks of any lot in the auction, which is scheduled for May 8-16 (the 4Runner will cross the block on May 14, if you’re interested in bidding). That has Mecum speculating that this could be a “unicorn” that will help establish another generation of collector cars, Morton said.

Like most cars that make it into a Mecum auction catalog, this 4Runner is remarkably original. It has just 6,951 miles on the odometer, and has survived 30 years on this Earth without exposure to rust or the modifying impulses of off-roaders. It still has a 3.4-liter V6 making just 183 horsepower and 217 pound-feet of torque, connected to a four-speed automatic transmission and two-speed transfer case. The Oak Sport cloth interior and Desert Dune Metallic paint (what is it with Toyota and coming up with exciting names for boring colors?) are pure 1990s, as are the chunky 16-inch alloy wheels and factory cassette/CD player.

Pristine condition aside, it’s unusual to see a third-generation 4Runner at an auction that isn’t hosted by Bring a Trailer. This is only the eighth 1996 4Runner SR5 consigned by Mecum in over 10 years, Morton noted. Known as the N180, the third-generation 4Runner mark an important step in the evolution of this SUV from bare-bones off-roader to mainstream dweller of suburbia. It was civilized enough to serve as a mainstream offering until that role was taken by crossovers, relegating the 4Runner to the more niche status it has today.

Several off-roaders–such as the Ford Bronco, Series Land Rovers, and Toyota’s own Land Cruiser—have achieved collector-car status. And children of the 1990s are well into the nostalgia phase that fuels auction spending, as evidenced by the sky-high prices an Acura Integra Type R can bring. This 4Runner could mark the convergence of those trends. After all, if performance cars from this era can be collectible, why not off-roaders?

A clean N180 4Runner is certainly appealing in its own right. Compared to today’s 4Runner, it’s refreshingly basic. And it comes from an era when Toyota reliability really meant something. But Mecum is being a bit more conservative than some dealerships have been lately with their classic ‘Yotas. The highest price the auction house has seen for a 1996 4Runner SR5 is $28,075 (from a 2024 auction), so it’s expecting this one to sell for $35,000 to $45,000. If you’ve been contemplating a third-gen 4Runner, this is an auction to watch. If this car exceeds that estimate, affordable ones might get harder to find.

The Czinger 21C has been testing at the Nürburgring in preparation for a lap record attempt. The American hypercar is not only expected to beat the Mustang GTD’s record but will also challenge the Mercedes-AMG One’s outright lap record.

In this video captured by CarSpyMedia, the Czinger 21C can be seen testing hard during an industry pool session. Watch as the hypercar attacks corners while negotiating through traffic.

The 21C is not like your regular hypercar. It has a unique design featuring a narrow cockpit, where the driver sits in the centre with the passenger seat positioned right behind him. This setup reduces the frontal cross-section of the car, which helps reduce drag. It also has a massive rear spoiler, which should come in handy on the twisty, undulating tarmac of the Nordschleife.

Powering 21C is a rather unusual engine. It’s a 2.88-liter twin-turbo V8, which is paired with three electric motors to deliver a combined output of 1250 hp to the rear wheels.

You know Formula 1 has come a long way in the United States when you can walk into an IMAX movie theater and watch a freakin’ Grand Prix live. Heck, I remember when I used to have to add the “Speedvision” option to my mom’s cable TV package so I could watch a sport that was obscure to most Americans.

Starting with the Miami Grand Prix on May 3, folks will be able to watch select 2026 races at IMAX theaters across the country. This new viewing modality is part of Apple TV’s new broadcasting strategy to grow the sport even more domestically. Folks who decide to make the pilgrimage to the theater rather than watch on Apple TV from home will be treated to a 150-minute broadcast, which includes 15 minutes of pre-show action, the full race, and podium celebrations.

Poking around my local IMAX theater website, it looks like tickets will run $30 plus fees, though that’ll likely vary by location. For what it’s worth, I think the best part of this gig is the fact that you’ll be able to interact with fellow F1 fans, rather than be a hermit at home. God knows I’ve spent the last 30+ years of F1 fandom screaming at the TV alone, and oftentimes at odd hours of the night.

Besides Miami, you’ll be able to watch the following 2026 races on IMAX screens:

• Miami Grand Prix – May 3, 2026

• Monaco Grand Prix – June 7, 2026

• British Grand Prix – July 5, 2026

• Italian Grand Prix – September 6, 2026

• United States Grand Prix – October 25, 2026

I personally won’t give this a shot for Miami because I’ll be at the race in person, but I might consider it for another race later this year.

Would you pay $30-ish to watch an F1 race at the movies?

It’s hard not to be impressed by today’s diesel heavy-duty pickup trucks. Ram pushed its Cummins 6.7-liter turbo-six to 1,075 pound-feet of torque, and Ford and Chevrolet aren’t far behind. But you don’t need a massive engine with the ability to shift tectonic plates to get real work done.

YouTuber Robot Cantina swapped a 1.6-liter naturally-aspirated diesel four-cylinder engine from a 1985 Volkswagen Golf into a 1989 Chevy S-10, imbuing the compact pickup with a mighty 54 horsepower. The swap, including the installation of an adapter to allow the VW engine to mate with a five-speed manual transmission for the rear-wheel drive S-10, is covered in multiple videos on the channel. But here we get to see what it can do.

First, the bed was filled with approximately 300 pounds of a Chevy 350 engine block and other parts. Then the truck was hitched to a trailer carrying a lawn tractor. The rig weighed 4,140 pounds, which, subtracting the 2,520-pound weight of the truck itself, works out to 1,620 pounds of trailer and payload.

Acceleration was a bit slower at around-town speeds, but that’s not out of the ordinary when towing a heavy load for a given vehicle. The S-10 struggled a bit at speeds above 45 mph, as reflected by higher exhaust-gas temperature readings and molasses-like acceleration times. The zero to 60 mph time increased from 28.3 seconds to 34.8 seconds with just the payload, so the owner didn’t bother to try a run to 60 mph with the trailer. It took 48.1 seconds just to reach 55 mph (the speed limit on local roads) with the trailer, compared to 23.3 seconds unladen.

S6 E6. Can the 54 hp 1.6L VW diesel powered Chevy S-10 do real truck work? abuse can it take?

It’s (relatively) high speeds that show the limits of this naturally-aspirated diesel. It took about 21 seconds just to get from 45 mph to 55 mph with the trailer, as the aerodynamic drag from the trailer’s upright tailgate strained the little diesel. These acceleration tests took place on flat Kansas roads, isolating aero and the engine’s lack of grunt as the main issues.

A different trailer or rear-axle ratio (this S-10 has the stock 3.73 rear end, but a 4.10 was also available) might help, but these results have the owner contemplating a larger engine, a turbo, or both. That this small naturally-aspirated diesel could do real work under any conditions is still pretty darn impressive, though.

Got a tip? Send us a note at tips@thedrive.com.