What Would You Put on a 2026 Auto Industry Bingo Card?

Over the past several years, I’ve found myself using the phrase “I didn’t have that on my bingo card” far too often. And being the person that I am, instead of simply making a mental note to spin my lazy Susan of writing cliches a bit less consistently, I decided to get it all out in one creative burst. This 2025 “Automotive Industry Bingo” card I mocked up back in January was the result.

I meant it as a tongue-in-cheek commentary on the (then-current) state of the industry and planned to write a story couching it as such, but better writing opportunities came along and it fell by the wayside. It happens.

Despite my attempts to make the humor accessible, it’s still dripping with inside baseball. The diehards out there might appreciate their fair share of these references, but some might be confused or even slighted by some of the implications. To the latter group (and anybody reading this from inside a PR shop), I assure you that this is all in good fun.

And in my defense, despite the occasionally biting humor, a few of these turned out to be prescient. A lot has happened since January, and some of these combinations are still in play ten months later. I’m not going to sit here and pat myself on the back for my “Free Space” selection. It was a gimme for a reason. But come on, I think I deserve at least some credit for a few of these.

You have to scan a decent way down the chart to find any hard stops. Mazda did me an unexpected solid by throwing another rotary concept at us this past week in Tokyo. There’s also still a chance Elon will “launch” the new Roadster by the end of the year. Jaguar’s rebrand technically happened in 2024, but hey, there’s always Aston Martin, right? Come onnnn, November surprise!

Unfortunately, Jeep eliminated three combinations from contention entirely on its own. You just had to can the Gladiator 4xe in 2025, didn’t you, Bob? Mazda technically eliminated two routes with the turbo rotary announcement, since I also had a space for “Mazda Cancels Rotary Development,” but remember, we still have two months left to play “Red Light!/Green Light!” in 2025. These things don’t have to be final; they just have to happen.

A few of the others would have made excellent “Free Space” contenders. “AI (For Some Reason)” is bordering on a weekly thing these days, and what’s a model year without a few special Porsche 911s minted exclusively for obsessive collectors?

The biggest flaw in my 2025 card was that it was created almost entirely by me (Credit for the Copart Supercar and a few other bottom-right-quadrant spaces goes to my fellow The Drive staffers). Bingo’s supposed to be a social thing; that’s why you let Aunt Linda keep her Town Car keys for so long, right? So, for 2026, I’d like to hand it over to you, save for one item: Free Space. While the industry hasn’t finished dropping the guillotine on manual transmissions just yet, I think it’s time to tie up a new whipping boy: the electric car. I leave the rest of it up to you!

So, let’s hear it! What would you put on a 2026 Auto Industry Bingo card?

Air your grievances to the author directly at byron@thedrive.com! Got a news tip? Send it to tips@thedrive.com!

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