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First reviews of Porsche Mission E Cross Turismo are in, and they are glowing

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Porsche recently offered auto reviewers a chance to experience its latest all-electric vehicle, the Mission E Cross Turismo concept, firsthand. As could be seen in the initial reactions to the vehicle’s design and performance, Porsche’s off-road-capable, shooting brake-esque variant of the original Mission E sedan would likely be a strong contender in the electric car market. 

The Mission E Cross Turismo concept, just like its Tesla Model S-rivaling sedan counterpart, features a highly aerodynamic design. Featuring generous vents on the side, a shape that optimizes airflow around the vehicle, and design elements such as Model S-esque pop-up door handles, the Mission E Cross Turismo was created with form and function in mind. Sitting on treaded General Grabber AT275/40R-20 tires, the Cross Turismo concept also adopts an aggressive stance.

Reviewers of the Mission E Cross Turismo gave the electric vehicle much praise, mainly due to its performance, which is unanimously dubbed as true to the car’s badge. Car and Driver, for one, lauded the Cross Turismo for its capability to sprint from 0-62 mph in 3.5 seconds, its electric motors that generate 600 hp, and its 90 kWh battery that gives a range of 310 miles. The Mission E Cross Turismo’s compatibility with the 350 kW IONITY network, which is capable of recharging 250 miles of range in just 15 minutes, was also mentioned as a strong point for the upcoming car.

The Porsche Mission E Cross Turismo concept. [Credit: Porsche]

The Mission E Cross Turismo is equipped with several fancy bells and whistles as well, including a drone that can take aerial videos of the electric car in action. Considering that the Mission E Cross Turismo is designed to be a vehicle that can perform equally well on and off-road, reviewers of the electric car lauded its adaptive air-spring suspension, which allows the car to raise or lower its ride height as necessary. 

Inside the car itself, reviewers took particular notice to the vehicle’s rather sparse but classy interior, from its generous binnacle in front of the steering wheel to its touch panel on the passenger side. Though not as radically minimalistic as the Tesla Model 3, the Cross Turismo concept’s dashboard was found to be a departure from Porsche’s tendency to place a generous number of knobs and switches in its vehicles.

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CNET Roadshow‘s Tim Stevens, one the reviewers who was given the opportunity to drive the Cross Turismo concept, ultimately stated that considering its design, features, and driving performance, the upcoming vehicle could very well make a significant impact in the electric car industry.

“The global electric car market is still quite young, and while companies like Tesla have done a great job building the stage, I can’t help but think that when the Mission E hits the market next year, it’s gonna steal the show.”

Ultimately, the Porsche Mission E Cross Turismo looks like a solid contender in the electric car market. When it starts production early next decade, vehicles such as the Tesla Model Y would likely find some competition from the electric off-roader. Porsche’s all-electric line stands to make an impact as early as next year, however, as the Mission E sedan is set to start production in 2019, followed by the Cross Turismo in 2020. Pricing for the Mission E sedan and the Cross Turismo have not been revealed by the German carmaker, though expectations are high that the latter’s cost would be in the same ballpark as the Panamera S E-Hybrid.

As Porche prepares to launch its first all-electric vehicle, the German legacy automaker is starting to increase its marketing efforts for the upcoming car. Just recently, a Mission E prototype was driven around the track by former Formula One driver Mark Webber, who noted that the sedan had similarities as the Porsche 919 Hybrid, a high-performance vehicle he drove for the company in competitions such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The Mission E sedan’s concept version, which debuted at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show, was also taken for a spin by Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine in a recent ad for the vehicle. In the United States, Porsche Cars North America has revealed that that it is building a network of 500 fast chargers to support the Mission E sedan’s rollout next year. 

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Watch Tim Stevens of CNET Roadshow take the Mission E for a test drive in the video below.

Simon is an experienced automotive reporter with a passion for electric cars and clean energy. Fascinated by the world envisioned by Elon Musk, he hopes to make it to Mars (at least as a tourist) someday. For stories or tips--or even to just say a simple hello--send a message to his email, simon@teslarati.com or his handle on X, @ResidentSponge.

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SpaceXAI signs agreement with Anthropic for massive AI supercomputer access

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Credit: SpaceX

SpaceXAI announced today that it had signed an agreement with Anthropic to give the company access to its Colossus 1 data center in Memphis, Tennessee.

It is a monumental deal as Anthropic will gain access to all of the compute at the plant, delivering more than 300 megawatts of power and over 220,000 NVIDIA GPUs within the month.

Anthropic’s Claude AI account on X announced the partnership:

We’ve agreed to a partnership with SpaceX that will substantially increase our compute capacity. This, along with our other recent compute deals, means that we’ve been able to increase our usage limits for Claude Code and the Claude API.”

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The company is also:

  • Doubling Claude Code’s 5-hour rate limits for Pro, Max, and Team plans;
  • Removing the peak hours limit reduction on Claude Code for Pro and Max plans; and
  • Substantially raising its API rate limits for Opus models.

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SpaceX also published its own release on the new agreement, noting that it is “the only organization with the launch cadence, mass-to-orbit economics, and constellation operations experience to make orbital compute a near-term engineering program rather than a research concept.”

CEO Elon Musk also commented on the partnership and shed light on intense meetings he had with senior members of Anthropic last week, stating, “nobody set on my evil detector.”

This has turned the argument that SpaceX is as much an AI company as a space exploration company into a very valid argument:

SpaceX is following in Tesla’s footsteps in a way nobody expected

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Nevertheless, this is an incredibly valuable and important move in the grand scheme of things. AI scaling is fundamentally bottlenecked by compute, and demand for Claude has surged, bringing terrestrial power grids, land, and cooling operations hitting limits everywhere.

Anthropic has been aggressively signing multiple large-scale deals to be competitive in the space, including:

  • Up to 5GW with Amazon
  • 5GW with Google and Broadcom
  • Strategic $30b Azure deal with Microsoft/NVIDIA
  • $50b U.S. infrastructure investment with Fluidstack

Access to Colossus 1 gives Anthropic immediate relief on NVIDIA GPU capacity. For SpaceXAI, it turns its rapid buildout into revenue. It also showcases its ability to deliver at world-leading speed and scale.

Most importantly, it plants the seed that its much larger vision, orbital AI compute, is totally viable.

Starlink V3 satellites could enable SpaceX’s orbital computing plans: Musk

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Within the month, Anthropic will begin using 100 percent of Colossus 1’s compute, directly expanding capacity for Claude Pro and Max subscribers and the API. This means fewer limits, faster responses, and support for heavier workloads.

In the long term, meaning 2026 and beyond, there will be a continued rollout of other multi-GW deals Anthropic has signed, and an early exploration of orbital compute with SpaceXAI.

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Tesla unveils mysterious prototype at Giga Texas: Is the Model Y L coming to America?

The Model Y L has been available in China for some time, but Americans are wondering when it will potentially come to the United States, offering a larger version of the best-selling vehicle in the world, as the Model X is officially phased out.

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Credit: Joe Tegtmeyer | X

Tesla unveiled a mysterious prototype, covered up between a Model Y and a Cybertruck at Gigafactory Texas, perhaps giving yet another hint that the Model Y L is coming to America.

The Model Y L has been available in China for some time, but Americans are wondering when it will potentially come to the United States, offering a larger version of the best-selling vehicle in the world, as the Model X is officially phased out.

Giga Texas observer and drone operator Joe Tegtmeyer captured an image of the vehicle on May 6, showing a fully-covered prototype parked alongside a standard Model Y and a Cybertruck.

From top-down and angled views, the prototype appears nearly identical in scale to the Model Y but reveals noticeably distinct rear proportions—an elongated rear door that stretches farther over the wheel arch and rear glass that flows uninterrupted to the spoiler lip.

The side-by-side placement provides an immediate size reference. The mystery vehicle sits comfortably between the compact Model Y and the massive Cybertruck, suggesting it occupies a practical middle ground for families seeking more interior room without jumping to a full-size pickup.

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Enthusiasts quickly took to social media with guesses ranging from an extended-wheelbase Model Y to a potential station-wagon variant.

The sight of this prototype follows an earlier look at another shrouded body-in-white resting in a wooden shipping crate at the Giga Texas plant in late March.

That prototype appeared to display an elongated silhouette. Some analysis seems to show nearly exact dimensions as to what is reported for the Model Y L in the Chinese market, approximately 4.98 meters long with a 3.04-meter wheelbase, roughly seven inches longer overall than the U.S.-spec Model Y. The rear-door extension and glass-to-spoiler design were identical to the current sighting:

Tesla shows off mysterious vehicle at Giga Texas

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The Model Y L has already proven popular in China, where it launched in six- and seven-seat configurations and quickly ranked among the top-selling mid-to-large SUVs. Owners enjoy roughly 10 percent more cargo space and enhanced family versatility.

Tesla has remained silent on U.S. plans other than CEO Elon Musk saying it could come in late 2026, but localizing production at Giga Texas would make strategic sense.

With the Model X phase-out and steady Model Y output already humming along expanded lines, a longer-wheelbase variant could add tens of thousands of annual deliveries without major retooling.

The latest sighting arrives amid Tesla’s broader push to refresh its lineup. Whether this prototype represents the long-rumored Model Y L, a subtle Juniper-style update, or something entirely new remains unconfirmed.

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Yet the consistent visual cues—precise dimensional match, distinctive rear styling, and strategic placement at Giga Texas—point strongly toward an extended Model Y designed for American families who want extra space without sacrificing the Model Y’s efficiency and affordability.Tesla watchers will be monitoring future drone flights closely.

If the prototype is indeed the Model Y L, it could mark a significant expansion of the company’s best-selling vehicle and deliver the extra room many U.S. buyers have been requesting for years. For now, the blue tarp keeps its secrets—but the clues are getting harder to hide.

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Tesla Roadster gets an update, but not the one fans were looking for

Tesla has quietly filed a new trademark application for its next-generation Roadster, giving enthusiasts their first official glimpse of fresh branding for the long-teased electric supercar.

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Credit: Dan Burkland

Tesla has been slow to show its hand regarding the massive project that is the Roadster, but it is now coming forth with a new update.

However, it is probably not the one fans were looking for.

Tesla has quietly filed a new trademark application for its next-generation Roadster, giving enthusiasts their first official glimpse of fresh branding for the long-teased electric supercar.

The February 3 filing includes an inverted triangular badge with the word “ROADSTER” centered above four vertical lines that, according to the application, represent “speed, propulsion, heat, or wind.”

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A sleek, angular wordmark and a minimalist curved-line silhouette hinting at the car’s aerodynamic shape round out the trio of marks.

For a program that began with Elon Musk’s 2017 reveal, this is tangible forward motion. The original Roadster proved EVs could be thrilling; the next generation aims higher, with promises of sub-two-second 0-60 mph acceleration and, in its most extreme configuration, optional SpaceX cold-gas thrusters for rocket-like thrust.

The new trademarks suggest Tesla is now locking down the visual identity that will accompany those headline specs, as well as a small hint that maybe we’re finally getting close. However, the company has not revealed any progress on the vehicle itself or its specs to the public.

It continues to tease with developments like this one.

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That said, the update lands with a familiar bittersweet note. Fans have waited nearly a decade since the initial unveiling. Production was once eyed for 2020, then 2021, then later still. In the intervening years, Tesla has delivered the Model Y, Cybertruck, Semi, and major autonomy advances while scaling its energy business.

The Roadster has taken a back seat, and the delays have been genuinely disappointing. Many longtime supporters have grown frustrated watching renderings and hearsay while other marques roll out ever-faster electric sports cars.

Elon Musk talks Tesla Roadster’s future

Yet, the Roadster program itself still sparks genuine excitement. It represents the purest expression of Tesla’s “accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy” mission—pushing performance boundaries to prove EVs can outperform anything with an engine.

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The new branding, modest as it is, keeps that promise alive. It tells owners and prospective buyers that Tesla hasn’t forgotten the car that started it all.

No one would blame fans for wanting more than a logo right now. But in an industry where many concepts never leave the drawing board, the fact that Tesla continues to invest in and protect the Roadster’s identity is reason for measured optimism.

The wait has tested patience, but when the next-generation Roadster finally arrives, the new badge may well adorn one of the most exciting cars ever built. For those who have followed the journey this far, that payoff still feels worth it.

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