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Editors' Picks May 2021 | BMW M3, Toyota Camry and some hot Golfs

We awarded Editors’ Picks status to a number of performance cars this month, but a couple more regular sedans won out, too. April saw us recognize four models, but that increases to six for May. As the weather warms up here in Michigan, we tend to get into the sports cars that we missed driving all winter, resulting in a sports car-heavy month of testing. That explains why the list this month is so heavy on sports cars and hot hatches. In case you missed our previous couple Editors' Picks posts, hereÂ’s a quick refresher on whatÂ’s going on here. We rate all the new cars we drive with a 1-10 score. Cars that are exemplary in their respective segments get EditorsÂ’ Pick status. Those are the ones weÂ’d recommend to our friends, family and anybody whoÂ’s curious and asks the question. The list that youÂ’ll find below consists of every car we rated in May that earned the honor of being an EditorsÂ’ Pick. 2021 Toyota Camry 2021 Toyota Camry XSE Hybrid View 22 Photos Quick take: The Toyota Camry retains its place as one of the best midsize sedans you can buy. It comes in a variety of trims and powertrains, from the potent TRD model to the fuel-sipping hybrid. It's an attractive, functional and well-rounded car offering value and function. Score: 8.5 What it competes with: Honda Accord, Hyundai Sonata, Kia K5, Nissan Altima, Mazda6, Subaru Legacy, VW Passat, Chevy Malibu Pros: Highly versatile, efficient hybrid, fun-to-drive sport models Cons: Average infotainment, polarizing exterior, slow base four-cylinder From the editors: Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore — “The Camry is one of the standard bearers in the midsize segment. With many companies abandoning this area, the ones that remain — like Toyota — do it well. Long a bastion of boring design and sleepy driving dynamics, the Camry is now legitimately attractive and offers a range of powertrains. It's a solid entry and along with the Honda Accord, makes the case for midsize sedans to exist." In-depth analysis: 2021 Toyota Camry Review | What's new, pictures, hybrid and AWD fuel economy   2022 Volkswagen GTI The new Volkswagen Golf GTI View 23 Photos Quick take: With engaging dynamics and distinctive styling, the GTI remains the standard for enthusiast hatches.

Recharge Wrap-up: Tesla details factory expansion; Ford and SunPower raise money for Sierra Club

Tesla has revealed the details of the upgrade of its Fremont, CA factory. One major change is the addition of a dedicated production space for the dual-motor P85D version of the Model S. Robots will be doing the battery installation on the Model S to save some time, and new export docks allow Tesla to get the cars out the door and on the way to their new owners more quickly. The new robots that move the cars around the factory have been named after X-Men characters, which makes our inner geeks smile. Check out the factory upgrade in the time-lapse video below and read more at Teslarati or at the Tesla Motors Blog. A program in Beijing for privileged registrations for EVs hasn't had much success. Of the 1,424 lottery winners, only about 30 percent went on to register an electric car despite a two-month extension of the deadline to do so. Buyers are likely discouraged by the lack of charging infrastructure, which the city hopes to ameliorate with the addition of 1,000 new charging stations by the end of the year, and by requiring new and renovated developments to set aside parking specifically for EV charging. Read more at Green Car Reports. The UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies suggests that laws designed to protect dealers and consumers are stymieing the adoption of EVs. Laws like the ones certain states have in place that block or otherwise restrict Tesla's direct-to-consumer business model are not helpful for companies that want to introduce new products to the market. They prevent companies from passing on savings to customers for whom they would likely make the difference in a purchasing decision. One possible solution would be to allow exemptions to certain selling restrictions for a certain number of vehicles sold. "This could give automakers the degree of control needed to work out kinks with early customers, develop scalable processes for supporting PEVs, and ensure that effective dealer performance standards are in place before handing the reins over to wholly independent retailers," according to UC Davis ITS. Read more at the UC Davis website. Volkswagen says its environmental program, called "Think Blue. Factory," is meeting the automaker's own sustainability targets. The main purpose of the program is to move toward eco-friendlier carmaking at each of its plants worldwide.

$1.4B hedge fund suit against Porsche dismissed

Investors have canvassed courts in Europe and the US to repeatedly sue Porsche over its failed attempt to take over Volkswagen in 2008 (see here, and here and here), and they have repeatedly failed to win any cases. You can add another big loss to the tally, with Bloomberg reporting that the Stuttgart Regional Court has dismissed a 1.4-billion euro ($1.95B US) lawsuit, the decision explained by the court's assertion that the investors would have lost on their short bets even if Porsche hadn't misled them.
Examining the hedge funds' motives for stock purchases and the bets that VW share prices would fall, judge Carola Wittig said that the funds didn't base their decisions on the key bits of "misinformation," and instead were participating simply in "highly speculative and naked short selling," only to get caught out.
With other cases still pending, the continued streak of victories bodes well for Porsche's courtroom fortunes, since judges will expect new information to consider overturning precedent. If there is any new info, it could come from the potential criminal cases still outstanding against former CEO Wendelin Wiedeking and CFO Holger Härter, who were both indicted on charges of market manipulation.