With a starting price of $20,400, the Chevrolet Trax is GM's cheapest product offering in the US. Fortunately for consumers, the Trax is affordable transportation done right.

I was impressed by the subcompact crossover's attractive design, roomy cabin, and strong feature content, which includes standard Apple CarPlay/Android Auto integration and the Chevy Safety Assist suite of assistance tech.

Even fully loaded with optional extras and with fees included, my Trax test car in 2RS trim fell firmly under $30,000 with an as-tested price of $27,085.

The Toyota Camry has been the best-selling passenger car in America for the past 22 years. This year, Toyota introduced the updated ninth-generation Camry, which features fresh looks, upgraded tech, and a new hybrid-only drivetrain.

The updates worked.

The new Camry isn't revolutionary but builds upon the excellence of past iterations, reminding us why Toyota's midsize sedan remains a sales powerhouse in a market dominated by SUVs.

The first-generation Palisade has been an absolute triumph for Hyundai. Introduced in 2019, the Palisade has been a sales and critical success.

I was genuinely impressed by the Palisade's premium look and feel, especially in the high-end Calligraphy trim. The Korean family hauler also offers one of the segment's most comprehensive suites of tech and safety features.

Not bad for Hyundai's first attempt at a midsize, three-row family SUV.

The Mercedes-Benz E-Class has long been the standard bearer for midsize luxury sedans. This year, Mercedes launched the sixth-generation E-Class sedan, known internally as the W214.

I was impressed by my 2024 Mercedes-Benz E450 4Matic test car's smooth, mild-hybrid powertrain, refined cabin, and immersive tech experience. Overall, the new E-Class artfully blends elements of traditional luxury with the latest in advanced safety and infotainment technology.

The CX-50 Hybrid is Mazda's newest entry in the compact SUV market. I had the chance to spend a few days with a 2025 Mazda CX-50 Hybrid in Premium Plus trim. The CX-50's Toyota-sourced hybrid drive system delivered peppy performance with good efficiency. I also enjoyed the CX-50's athletic looks and its smartly designed cabin.

Despite the popularity of three-row midsize family SUVs, there are surprisingly few options in the EV space. One of the first offerings in the segment from a mainstream brand is the all-new Kia EV9.

The EV9 is terrific. It's got plenty of range, loads of infotainment and assistance tech, futuristic styling, and a roomy, adaptable passenger cabin.

The BMW 5-Series is one of the world's great sports sedans. With the launch of the new eighth-generation 5-Series this year, BMW also introduced an EV version called the i5.

Despite weighing a hefty 5,200 pounds, my 2024 BMW i5 M60 xDrive test car was a blast to drive. According to BMW, it can sprint from a standstill to 60 mph in a scant 3.7 seconds. I'm also a fan of its luxurious cabin and understated but attractive styling.

The Porsche 911 is an automotive icon in the truest sense of the word, representative of what a sports car should be. It's meticulously honed to be perfectly docile for your daily commute and ruthlessly effective on the racetrack.

I spent some time behind the wheel of a 2025 Porsche 911 Carrera T Cabriolet with a striking Lugano Blue paint job. I was blown away by 911's crisp-shifting, six-speed manual transmission, beautifully tuned handling, and melodic twin-turbocharged boxer engine.

I was blown away by 911's crisp-shifting, six-speed manual transmission, beautifully tuned handling, and melodic twin-turbocharged boxer engine.

During our brief encounter, I didn't find too much wrong with the Carrera T, but I do miss the rotary ignition switch that has been replaced with a push button.

My 911 Carrera T Cabriolet test car starts at $147,300.

Freight fees and more than $22,000 in luxury and tech options pushed the as-tested price to $171,665.

Although pricey, that still pales in comparison to the more hardcore variants like the 911 Turbo and 911 GT3, which start at $197,200 and $222,500, respectively.

Porsche made a host of changes to the 992.1 generation, which launched in 2020, to create the 992.2.

The updates include refinements to the 911's chassis, updates to the PDK twin-clutch transmission, and a new six-speed manual transmission for the Carrera T.

But the biggest change will be the 911 GTS's new hybrid drivetrain, a first for the sports car.

The Porsche 911 Carrera T's twin-turbo boxer six-cylinder produces a stout 388 horsepower and 331 lb-ft of torque. Its power is sent to the rear wheels through a six-speed manual transmission.

The melodic flat six sits in its rightful place behind the 911's rear axle.

The Carrera T's six-speed manual is lighter and feels more natural to shift than the seven-speed it replaced.

The open pore, laminate walnut shift nob is stunning and feels great in your hand.

The wheels are 20 inches in front and 21 inches out back.

The Carrera T continues the 911 tradition as one of the great driving experiences in the world.

Carving my way through the winding mountain roads in North Georgia, the 911 Carrera T was in its element.

The twin-turbo boxer six delivered smooth, consistent power and a sweet rumble, while the six-speed felt as crisp and precise as any manual I've ever driven.

Pair that with the 911's perfectly tuned suspension, and the experience is otherworldly.

The Porsche Torque Vectoring system helps with cornering performance. It uses a mechanical rear differential combined with targeted computer-controlled braking action to send power to the outside rear wheels.

The Carrera T also comes standard with rear-axle steering, which makes it more agile at low speeds and stable at high speeds.

According to Porsche, the 911 Carrera T Cabriolet is good for 0-60 mph runs in 4.5 seconds and a top speed of 182 mph.

The 911's cabin is a de facto cockpit built around the driver, designed for easy, intuitive operation while driving enthusiastically.

As a result, ergonomics are excellent. Everything is within reach, the adaptive sport seats were supremely supportive, and the 10.9-inch touchscreen running Porsche's PCM infotainment system comes with Apple CarPlay.

In front of the driver, the digital instrument cluster, which replaced Porsche's classic five-gauge on the 992.1, remains. Although it can be configured to look like the old analog setup.

The 911's ignition remains on the left side of the steering wheel, but the twist switch that was designed to mimic a physical key has been replaced by a simple push button.

The Carrera T, for all of its performance attributes, is statistically one of the slowest variants of the Porsche 911 you can buy.

It's nearly two seconds slower to 60 mph and more than 200 horsepower down on the performance monster that's the 911 Turbo S.

But I'd gladly trade that extra two seconds and two hundred horsepower for the sheer driving pleasure the Carrera T can deliver on a winding mountain road.

Sometimes, slower is better, and there's value in savoring the journey to your destination. The Porsche 911 Carrera T Cabriolet is a constant reminder of that.

Lutnick was named president and CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald in 1991 — at age 29 — and, by 1996, had been appointed chairman.

In an interview on a podcast hosted by the investor Anthony Pompliano, he said that he had a "classic middle-class Long Island" childhood, with his mother working as an art teacher and his father as a history professor. His mother passed away from breast cancer when Lutnick was in the 11th grade, and his father died from cancer shortly after he started college.

He was 18 and found himself caring for his younger brother, who was 15 at the time. He also had a 20-year-old sister. He recalled being unable to cook for his siblings, so they ate boxed macaroni and cheese night after night, he shared on the podcast.

Lutnick said in the podcast that he landed his first job at Cantor Fitzgerald with the help of a family connection. He took a semester off of his studies at Haverford College to start working but eventually earned his degree in economics.

Cantor Fitzgerald offers a range of services, from investment banking to sales and trading to equity research.

The firm's website said it has raised more than $45 billion for clients through 700 deals since 2016 and that it has more than 1,150 active institutional and corporate clients. The New York City-based firm counts more than 245 professionals on its sales and trading team and cites its "core expertise" as healthcare and technology.

The firm's asset-management arm had some $13.2 billion in assets as of the end of 2023 with investments in real estate, private markets, infrastructure, equities, and fixed income, to name a few.

According to data from the deal-tracking firm Dealogic, three of the largest and most recent transactions Cantor Fitzgerald has advised on include:

• Johnson & Johnson's $1.9 billion acquisition of Ambrx Biopharma, completed in January 2024
• Primavera Capital's $866 million acquisition of Fosun Fashion Group, completed in March 2022
• Inflection Point Acquisition Corp's $850 million acquisition of Intuitive Machines, completed in September 2022

Out of their top 20 deals by transaction size since 2022, the most represented sectors were tech, healthcare, and utilities and energy. Six of those deals were in technology, five in healthcare, three in utilities and energy, two in retail, two in mining, and one each in aerospace and transportation.

It's unclear what Cantor Fitzgerald's future looks like without Lutnick. A spokesperson for the firm did not immediately return a request for comment.

Bloomberg reported that Lutnick's top deputies have been in their respective roles for at least six years, including Stephen Merkel, an executive vice chairman and general counsel, who joined in 1993.

Other top executives, according to the firm's website, include Global chief operating officer Mark Kaplan; Global head of investment banking Sage Kelly; Global head of equities Pascal Bandelier; Global head of fixed income Christian Wall, and Chief Financial Officer Danny Salinas.

Lutnick, a longtime supporter of Trump, became a visible member of the ex-president's inner circle in the 2024 election cycle.

In a statement to the Wall Street Journal, Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr., said: "Howard's not a regular Wall Street guy — he's a real MAGA guy. Have you heard him talk about tariffs? Have you heard him talk about shredding the deep state bureaucracy? He's one of us," Trump Jr. said.

Leading up to the election, he was an active organizer and fundraiser for Trump, including appearing at Trump's rally in Madison Square Garden.

Cantor Fitzgerald was headquartered at 1 World Trade Center when terrorists flew planes into it and a neighboring lower Manhattan building in 2001. Two-thirds of Cantor's employees, or 658 people, died in the attacks, including Lutnick's brother.

Lutnick was named the Financial Times' Person of the Year after the attacks in 2001.

As commerce secretary, Lutnick will be in charge of carrying out Trump's aggressive tariff proposals, which have called for taxes in imports of between 10% and 60%. He will also be in charge of the Census Bureau and Bureau of Economic Analysis, which reports on gross domestic product.

Leading up to his appointment as commerce secretary, media reports suggested Lutnick was vying for a role as Treasury Secretary.

The New York Times reported this week that the behind-the-scenes jockeying between the two for the role had devolved into a "knife fight," according to a source familiar with their schism.