Quick Shifts

Each week I bring you the top stories in the auto industry along with my commentary or sometimes amusing thoughts about the craziness that goes on in the world of cars.  

Stories you’ll find today:

• Cybertruck Owner Takes a Shocking Hit
• TikTok Fame Meets McLaren Shame
• Boston’s Burnout Problem Meets Its Match
• City of Fresno Presents: The $2.4 Million Flip of a Switch

Cybertruck Owner Takes a Shocking Hit.  Turns out the most electrifying thing about the Tesla Cybertruck isn’t the drivetrain—it’s the depreciation. One proud Foundation Series owner just discovered his stainless-steel status symbol lost $76,500 in value after just 4,600 miles, proving that “bulletproof” doesn’t apply to resale value. Originally sold for $146,500 with barely 600 miles, the same truck just changed hands again for about $70K, which means someone basically paid a luxury-home down payment for the privilege of testing Elon’s panel gaps. This is the part where flippers pretend they meant to take a loss for “tax reasons,” while the rest of us remember that Ford F-150 Lightnings aren’t the only trucks with shocking depreciation curves. Maybe the stainless-steel body does resist dents—but not market reality. The only thing more futuristic than the truck itself is how fast it can turn into a used-car bargain.

TikTok Fame Meets McLaren Shame.  HSTikkyTokky, the British fitness influencer whose real name is Harrison Sullivan, just learned that flexing online and flooring it in a McLaren 720S don’t mix. The 24-year-old allegedly wrecked his purple supercar in the UK back in March 2024, left his passenger hurt, and took off running like he was late for leg day. Authorities charged him with dangerous driving, failing to stop, using his phone behind the wheel, and—of course—having no insurance. He was due in court last November but instead spent the next 18 months posting gym videos and motivational nonsense from abroad while UK police waited for him to reappear. This month he finally returned home, and the long arm of the law was waiting at the arrivals gate. He was promptly arrested and is now facing a legal workout that will definitely test his endurance. Reports say the McLaren hit an Audi so hard it looked like a modern art sculpture, which is ironic given how many “inspirational” quotes Sullivan has posted about accountability. He once bragged about earning up to $25 million a year through his online empire, which should come in handy when he starts paying lawyers and repair bills. The lesson? If you can afford a McLaren, maybe spring for insurance, too. And when you crash it, don’t vanish like Houdini with Wi-Fi. Being famous on TikTok doesn’t make you bulletproof and posting thirst traps in Dubai won’t erase UK arrest warrants. In the end, even influencers learn that gravity, physics, and the law don’t care about how many followers you have.

Boston’s Burnout Problem Meets Its Match. Massachusetts finally snapped after street takeovers turned into full-blown chaos when a mob of about 100 people swarmed and torched a police cruiser in Boston. That was the burnout heard around the state, and now the fun’s over. Over the weekend, police flooded the streets with extra patrols, drones, and dash cams, pulling over anyone who thought their Honda Civic was an action movie prop. The crackdown led to more than 200 citations, multiple arrests, and several cars hauled away on flatbeds that probably cost more than the vehicles themselves. Officials say it’s working—no new takeovers were reported, and suddenly everyone with an exhaust louder than a jet engine is finding something better to do on Saturday night. So to recap: Massachusetts tried letting people do donuts, and they responded by doing felony-level figure eights. The state tried being patient, then decided to take back the streets—one impounded burnout drifter at a time.

City of Fresno Presents: The $2.4 Million Flip of a Switch.  Fresno, California just spent $2.4 million and seven years to turn on a single traffic light, proving once and for all that government red tape is the most powerful traffic control device of all. The intersection at Shepherd and Chestnut sat unfinished for nearly a decade while drivers played a daily game of “guess the right-of-way” and city officials played a game of “guess the budget.” When the light finally came on, it was like the second coming for commuters who’d been detouring since the Obama administration. The city blames the cost on endless studies, property purchases, new poles, environmental work, and something called “project coordination,” which apparently means “waiting for everyone to answer the same email.” Local taxpayers are understandably unimpressed, especially since another Fresno light went up nearby in three months for a fraction of the price. Now people are joking that it would’ve been cheaper to install a Chick-fil-A and let the drive-thru workers direct traffic. Officials say the new signal will improve safety and traffic flow, but after $2.4 million and seven years, it might be the only intersection in America where drivers stop just to admire the craftsmanship.