🚗 Wrist Candy, Engine Edition

Welcome to the weekend, Friend!

While the rest of the world winds down, we know many of you are just gearing up.

So many of you sacrifice your Saturdays and even your Sundays to keep people moving, safe, and seen.

Your time is precious. And even if you don’t hear it enough, your commitment, your perseverance, and your service are deeply appreciated.

Keep Pushing Back,
-Paul, Kyle, Chris, and Kristi

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ICYMI

This Week’s Top Stories

The Daily Pushback Email

• Monday, Ford EV chief Doug Field laid out a plan for more affordable EVs by stripping out complexity, Mitsubishi is launching its first U.S. "Gallery" in 2026, and OpenAI brought GPT-4o back after backlash against GPT-5. ⏪
   

• On Tuesday, Rivian flagged a potential $100M revenue hit due to the freeze on CAFE credit enforcement, with Tesla projecting a $1.1B impact. Former Tesla execs launched Hubber, a startup targeting urban EV charging gaps in the UK. CEO confidence ticked up to 49, easing recession fears but revealing a slowdown in hiring. Meanwhile, Ferrari’s $26M one-off SP3 broke auction records. 🤑
   

• Wednesday, Mohawk Honda delivered more than a minivan when they donated a 2025 Odyssey to Double H Ranch—it’s now a vehicle for fresh air, laughter, and camper chaos. Meanwhile, margins are up despite rising delinquencies, and fixed ops plus F&I are pulling more than their weight. Dealers may be stressed, but they’re still stacking wins where it counts. 💪
  

• On Thursday, Target’s new CEO started as an intern, and Hertz teamed up with Amazon to unload used cars online. The latest Haig Report shows profits rising and public retailers back on the upswing, but inventory imbalances and new tariffs could shake things up. 🫨
   

• On Friday, dealers kept their focus on the future. Weidinger Automotive Group donated $25K to help double the size of New York’s largest auto tech training program. VinFast embraced franchising with a new San Diego location, and Boston Dynamics’ Atlas robot is now learning long, complex tasks with help from Toyota. 🤖 

PODCASTS

ASOTU Edge Webinar

ASOTU and Widewail just dropped the halftime report, and it's packed with signals from real customers.

Tariffs? Barely mentioned. But pricing concerns are back. Review volume is up 21 percent year over year, not because of more sales, but because more customers are speaking up.

Staff-related complaints are rising again, especially during the summer crunch. EV buyers, who showed improved satisfaction in Q1, reversed course in Q2 with growing frustration over staff knowledge and deal experience.

Dealers are getting more feedback than ever. The ones who act on it will win more than just five-star ratings.

Watch the 30-minute replay here.

Auto Collabs

Curtis Gardner went from oil changes to Toyota master certification and built a career on flipping the technician story from burnout to belief.

In this episode, he tells Paul, Kyle, and Michael how video inspections changed customer trust, why self-leadership matters in the shop, and how even tool organization can boost efficiency.

Watch the episode here.

The Dealer Playbook

In this episode of The Dealer Playbook, guest Janis Showers, founder of The Car Girls, has spent more than 25 years helping dealerships turn phone calls and customer conversations into lasting relationships and profit.

You’ll hear real examples of what happens when dealerships don’t prepare for appointments, the hidden trust that’s either built or broken at the first hello, and why human connection will always matter more than automation.

If you’ve ever wondered why missed calls keep turning into missed sales, this episode will give you plenty to think about and act on—check it out here.

SOMETHING FUN

V16, but Make It Wrist-Sized

Jacob & Co. and Bugatti just dropped one of the most over-the-top watches we’ve ever seen. The Bugatti Tourbillon Baguette features a working V16 engine, 328 diamonds, 18 rubies, and a crankshaft the size of a Tic Tac that fires all 16 pistons when you push a button. It’s a watch that revs.

Crafted in 18K white gold, the rubies mimic the taillights of Bugatti’s 1,775-hp hypercar, and the dials are styled after its cockpit. Mechanically, it packs a 30-second flying tourbillon and dual power reserve, but let’s be honest—you’re here for the spectacle.

Only 18 will be made, and the price? Not listed. But we’re guessing somewhere in the seven figures.

If the Bugatti Tourbillon hypercar is the dream garage centerpiece, this is the matching cufflink.

Quick Hits

• A knitting bean recently overtook ChatGPT as the number one app in the App Store. 🧶

• New “Anthology” projects from The Beatles will be released this Fall. 🎧

• A recent court filing reveals that Elon Musk asked Mark Zuckerberg to help him finance a $97.4B takeover of OpenAI in early 2025. 😮

Thanks for reading, Friend, and have a…