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EXCLUSIVE Japanese pop star Ayumi Hamasaki reveals truth about her 'secret love child' with Elon Musk amid claims he boasted about fathering baby with a Japanese singer

EXCLUSIVE Japanese pop star Ayumi Hamasaki reveals truth about her 'secret love child' with Elon Musk amid claims he boasted about fathering baby with a Japanese singer

Daily Mail​a day ago

Elon Musk is convinced that civilization will crumble unless highly intelligent people – like him – start rapidly reproducing.
But a Japanese pop icon linked to Musk has made it clear she wants nothing to do with the Tesla CEO's one-man mission to stave off any looming population crisis, the Daily Mail can exclusively reveal.

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2026 Toyota bZ: Is It Worth The Update? My In-Depth Guide to Its Upsides & Downsides
2026 Toyota bZ: Is It Worth The Update? My In-Depth Guide to Its Upsides & Downsides

Auto Blog

timean hour ago

  • Auto Blog

2026 Toyota bZ: Is It Worth The Update? My In-Depth Guide to Its Upsides & Downsides

The 2026 Toyota bZ (formally the BZ4X) has been improved in many ways; but is Toyota finally ready for primetime with their update? A worthy successor? Toyota's first attempt at an all-electric mass-market vehicle, the BZ4X, was almost a disaster. Technical problems plagued early examples, and the overall performance was disappointing. Many in the media complained about its polarizing design, unusual interior instrumentation layout, and odd ergonomics. For Toyota, this was an uncharacteristically poor beginning for its electrified ambitions. In time, some improvements were made, but the BZ4X wasn't the car many expected Toyota to make. Fortunately, Toyota listened to its critics and made a lot of changes, including the name. The question is: Does the 2026 Toyota bZ make up for the lackluster BZ4X? 2026 Toyota bZ Reason to love it #1: Improved batteries and better range Two batteries were used in the previous BZ4X: a 63.4 kWh battery for the single-motor model and a 65.5 kWh battery for the dual-motor model. Single motor BZ4Xs had an estimated range of 252 miles, while the dual motor dropped to 222 miles. In almost all testing, including my own, getting anywhere near that mileage was doubtful. The new batteries on the 2026 Toyota bZ start with a 57.7 kWh battery for the base model or a 74.4 kWh battery. Both feature new technology, and the larger battery is rated for up to 314 miles of range in the XLE FWD Plus and the XLE FWD. The range for the Limited FWD is 299 miles, while the XLE AWD is listed at 288 miles. The Limited AWD comes in at 278 miles, and the off-road-ish bZ Woodland (AWD only) sits at 260 miles. The base model XLE FWD, equipped with a 57.7 kWh battery, achieves a range of 236 miles. Reason to love it #2: More power and better (promised) driving dynamics I didn't mind the base-level performance of the old BZ4X, but it wasn't what I would call 'exhilarating.' Toyota promises better performance, and that starts with new powertrains. The base FWD Toyota bZ makes 221 horsepower from a single electric motor. With a bigger battery and AWD, the bZ makes 338 horsepower combined, and at the top of the heap, the bZ Woodland, which only comes with AWD, makes 375 hp. All numbers are significantly higher than those of the previous model. Autoblog Newsletter Autoblog brings you car news; expert reviews and exciting pictures and video. Research and compare vehicles, too. Sign up or sign in with Google Facebook Microsoft Apple By signing up I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . You may unsubscribe from email communication at anytime. Reason to love it #3: Charging improvements in more ways than one Toyota is moving from CCS to NACS (Tesla fast charging), which will help expand the charging options for new owners. There is also an 11 kW on-board AC charger this time around, which is an improvement as well. A 1,500-watt outlet is available, which should be a welcome addition for those who wish to power something beefier than a laptop. Inside, there is a standard dual-wireless charging pad, only adding to the things you can charge with the new bZ. Lastly, the charge port has been relocated to a more convenient spot on the passenger-side front fender. Reason to love it #4: Exterior and interior improvements Once again, I was fine with some of the design decisions Toyota made with the older BZ4X, but many complained about the black cladding, as it resembled a vehicle that had been in an accident. Toyota updated the exterior, rearranging the lights (similar to the Prius and Camry now) and making the formerly black trim all body-color. Toyota also simplified the interior layout with a slightly more usable instrumentation screen ahead of the driver. Reason to think twice #1: Screen setup may not be for everyone All 2026 Toyota bZs will have a 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster and a 14.0-inch infotainment touchscreen. While the touchscreen has grown, the 7.0-inch cluster seems a bit small. That's especially true for those who may be concerned about its placement, which is far ahead of the steering column, about three feet in front of the driver. Time will tell if this works out for some consumers. Reason to think twice #2: Catches up to, but may not surpass, the competition The E-TNG platform on which all 2026 Toyota bZ EVs are based is a solid start, and so is the new tech. All of this brings it close to many competitors, but time will tell if any of these improvements help the bZ win over Hyundai, Kia, Nissan, Ford, and GM fans, among others. Some of the numbers look good, but after the disappointing real-world results of the old BZ4X, we will have to wait and see if it truly is competitive. Final thoughts According to Toyota, the 2026 Toyota bZ is expected to start arriving at Toyota dealerships in the second half of 2025, with its price to be announced closer to the on-sale date. We'll see if they managed to improve their original debacle truly, but my guess is they did, and it might be something special.

K-pop stars Jimin and Jung Kook of BTS discharged from military service as band's reunion nears
K-pop stars Jimin and Jung Kook of BTS discharged from military service as band's reunion nears

The Independent

time3 hours ago

  • The Independent

K-pop stars Jimin and Jung Kook of BTS discharged from military service as band's reunion nears

K-pop superstars Jimin and Jung Kook are the latest and final members of BTS to be discharged from South Korea's mandatory military service. The pair wore their military uniforms Wednesday, saluted and addressed fans who had assembled to see the pair after their discharge. They enlisted in December 2023, one day after RM and V did the same. The latter were discharged on Tuesday. They saluted upon their release Tuesday in Chuncheon City as about 200 fans, some of whom traveled from Mexico, Turkey and Brazil, cheered. V thanked fans Tuesday for their patience in waiting for him and RM's return and teased the band's reunion. "If you can just wait a little bit longer, we will return with a really amazing performance.' The seven singers of the popular K-pop band plan to reunite as a group sometime in 2025 after they finish their service. Six of the group's seven members served in the army, while Suga is fulfilling his duty as a social service agent, an alternative form of military service. He will be discharged later this month. Jin, the oldest member of K-pop supergroup BTS, was discharged in June 2024. J-Hope was discharged in October. In South Korea, all able-bodied men aged 18 to 28 are required by law to perform 18-21 months of military service under a conscription system meant to deter aggression from rival North Korea. The law gives special exemptions to athletes, classical and traditional musicians, and ballet and other dancers if they have obtained top prizes in certain competitions and are assessed to have enhanced national prestige. K-pop stars and other entertainers aren't subject to such privileges. However, in 2020, BTS postponed their service until age 30 after South Korea's National Assembly revised its Military Service Act, allowing K-pop stars to delay their enlistment until age 30. There was heated public debate in 2022 over whether to offer special exemptions of mandatory military service for BTS members, until the group's management agency announced in October 2022 that all seven members would fulfill their duties. ___ Sherman reported from New York.

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