A ZANY WORLD OF AUTOMOBILES

EVERY SO OFTEN, LIGHT-HEARTED THINGS surface in SimanaitisSays coverage of the automotive industry. Years ago there were “Wacky’s Neat Cars,” December 17, 2012, the Arnolt-MG and Arnolt-Bristol of Chicago entrepreneur Stanley Harold “Wacky” Arnolt. Then we had “Earl Madman Muntz,” January 31, 2014, with his TV sets and the Muntz Jet. Curiously, two recent issues of Automotive News, June 15 and 22, 2026, had a delightful abundance of items in its “final assembly” last page. Here are tidbits thereon. All quotes are from Automotive News; comments sans quotes, blame me. 

Bespoke Toy Story Porsche 911s. I didn’t realize that Porsche AG has a Sonderwunsch (“Special Request”) team. However, here are three bespoke 911s, each of the three representing “a different character from the wildly popular, cross-generational franchise: Woody, a 911 Carerra T; Buzz Lightyear, a 911 GT3 RS; and Jessie, a 911 Targa 4 GTS.”

“Each of the three cars will be sold in the coming weeks as part of a charitable initiative supporting Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, the American Red Cross and the Starlight Children’s Foundation.”

Woody. “Woody’s signature jeans serve as the basis for the 911 Carerra T’s exterior. Porsche mixed Golf Blue, white and Dark Sea Blue, then pressed real denim fabric into wet paint to create the proper texture. White paint was used on certain areas of the car to provide a vintage look. The backrests of the seats have a red checkered pattern to match Woody’s shirt.”

Jessie. “Porsche created a new color for the 911 Targa 4 GTS, named ‘Jessie White Metallic,’ to match the cowgirl’s pearl buttons. The car also has a red targa top to symbolize the character’s hat, denim fabric in the seat inserts and embroidered graphics on the shoulder area, a Porsche first.”

Buzz Lightyear. “One of the defining features of the 911 GT3 RS is the large rear wing, which made it a natural fit for Buzz Lightyear, a superhero with built-in wings. The red and white pattern of Buzz Lightyear’s wings are found on the car’s wing as well the lower parts of the doors. White, green and purple trim pieces and accents throughout the car’s interior and exterior mirror Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger uniform.”

Too Bad, George. Jeep had plans to promise free 2026 Wranglers to 100 people legally sharing the name of our first president—provided the U.S. team won the World Cup. Alas, the latter was not to be.

Peaking One’s Machismo. “Dodge is embracing peak machismo with a tongue-in-cheek campaign for Dodge Charger Fragrance, a cologne billed as ‘muscle in a bottle.’ Designed as a Father’s Day promotion, the social-first effort spoofs both classic fragrance advertising and contemporary self-improvement culture, presenting the scent as a symbol of confidence and swagger.”

This follows appropriately, what with the Dodge Charger EV Daytona Scat Pack’s Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust system.

Some Waymos Snitch; Other Apparently Do Not. Automotive News reports “Waymo Getaway Leaves Yoga Shorts Thief On The Lam,” June 15, 2026. Nick Bunkley describes, “Police in San Francisco have spent five months searching for the city’s first known thief to flee the scene in a self-driving car. In January, someone stole clothing from a yoga studio, loaded the loot into the trunk of a Waymo robotaxi and rode off, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.”

Bunkley continues, “Even though Waymo cars are outfitted with more than two dozen cameras, police were unable to obtain any footage that helped point to a suspect. Waymo already had deleted the interior footage by the time a search warrant came through, and the company blurs faces for privacy in the exterior views it captures.”

On the Other Hand…. “That’s not to say robotaxis offer a guaranteed getaway,” Bunkley recounts. “Los Angeles police in January arrested a man they said robbed a supermarket before getting into a Waymo car. Officers were able to pursue the car and persuade it to pull over by activating their lights and sirens, which Waymo has instructed its vehicles to recognize and obey.”

It’s not clear yet which robotaxis snitch and which do not. ds 

© Dennis Simanaitis, SimanaitisSays.com, 2026