Cars

Global Car Culture Since 2008

Not so long ago, resto-mods were almost exclusively reserved for big dollar classics and vintage supercars. But exclusivity no more, just in the last couple of years we’ve seen the JDM space sprout a few of its own resto-mods; the Built By Legends GTR’s and TOM’s Supra just to name a few. That’s where the Prodrive P25 […]

The post Modernising a WRC Legend – The Prodrive P25 appeared first on Speedhunters.

And rightly so, there’s so much to see, visit, do and of course eat, oh and if you happen to be a car guy or gal, then you’re in luck as there’s never been a better time to actually see the car culture in all its glory.  With famed parking areas like Daikoku and Umihotaru […]

The post 8 Cars In 1 Day: A Day With Drivers Lounge appeared first on Speedhunters.

That might sound like a lot, but it manages some 82 million vehicles in some of the world’s most densely populated cities daily. As a country, it should be at a perpetual standstill. Yet, ever since the 1950s, the Japanese have held a tiny little ace up their sleeves… Kei-jidõsha, or ‘kei car’ as it’s […]

The post Kei & Mighty: Exploring Japan’s WAZUKA Microcar Museum appeared first on Speedhunters.

But finally, after the stars recently aligned, I managed to get the cool guys at Car Shop Glow (CSG) to bring their time attacking Mazda to a quiet location away from the hustle and bustle of Tokyo’s daily chaos. I can remember the first time I laid eyes on this RX-7 – it was probably […]

The post 10-Year Throwback: For The Love Of Rotary appeared first on Speedhunters.

Corner balancing a car has been one of those things that seemed off-limits to the average automotive DIY enthusiast. You can find a wide range of electronic scales from a speed shop like Summit Racing; however, a ‘decent’ set will set you back at least $1,000, and a higher-quality set will cost double that. You […]

The post Project Rough: DIY Corner Balance Take 2 – With Physics! appeared first on Speedhunters.

Car meets are a rare occurrence in Scandinavia’s cold months, but with the arrival of spring and the clearing of salted roads, enthusiasts begin bringing out their cars. After a long, dark, and freezing winter, not one clear, warm day is wasted. While there are a few well-known spots for gatherings, on Thursday evenings over […]

The post Nifsta Classic Cars: Stockholm’s Summer Delight appeared first on Speedhunters.

I could name a few, but one that stands out is a 21-second clip of a bright yellow MkIV Toyota Supra built by JUN, power-sliding at Tsukuba Circuit. I’m not sure where I first saw it online, but in 2001 – four years before YouTube was a thing – you can bet I risked the prospect […]

The post Who Remembers The JUN Akira Supra? appeared first on Speedhunters.

‘Give a man a body kit, and he’ll look cool for a day. Give him a sheet of raw carbon fibre, and he’ll look cool for a lifetime.’ Masato Nitta lives by this philosophy, and he’s built a one-piece carbon front cowl for his EK9 Honda Civic Type R to prove it. Of course, while this […]

The post From The Garage To The Loop: A Kanjo-Spec Civic Type R appeared first on Speedhunters.

Late last year, I took a whirlwind 36-hour trip from Vancouver, Canada to Los Angeles, USA with my friend Paul, driven by a single mission: to bring our friend Sid’s RWB Porsche 997 on a journey through some of LA’s most iconic roads and spots. It was one of those rare, fast-paced adventures that somehow […]

The post RWB Dreams: A 36-Hour Adventure In LA appeared first on Speedhunters.

None of us are born with these preferences; rather, they are developed and nurtured by our friends, family and social groups. If all your friends love Nissans and drifting, chances are that you’re going to follow a similar path. As your love and passion for one marque flourishes, your dissent for the ‘other side’ grows. Of […]

The post Throwback: A Ford Escort Built To Divide & Conquer appeared first on Speedhunters.

Latest BMW News, Reviews and New Models

Enthusiasts love their M2s and Z4s, but accountants know the SUVs bring home the bacon. It won’t be long before the original high-riding BMW will enter its fifth generation. More and more car paparazzi are...

First published by https://www.bmwblog.com

Enthusiasts love their M2s and Z4s, but accountants know the SUVs bring home the bacon. It won’t be long before the original high-riding BMW will enter its fifth generation. More and more car paparazzi are catching the “G65” undergoing testing. Today, we’re happy to share the best spy photos of Bavaria’s new luxobarge. Although the prototype is draped in camouflage, some details are already noticeable. The muffler and dual exhaust tips tucked under the bumper reveal this X5 has a combustion engine. We’re pointing this out because, for the first time, BMW will also sell a fully electric model. The iX5 is bound to indirectly replace the iX, although the two will coexist for a while. Plug-in Hybrid Test Mule A cutout in the front fender on the driver’s side reveals BMW is actually testing a plug-in hybrid. Given how fast battery technology progresses, we hope it will have a better electric range than the current X5 PHEV. The xDrive50e can cover an EPA-estimated 38 miles in the United States without using the combustion engine. In Europe, the electrified SUV does 68 miles in the WLTP cycle. We’re not sure the new X5 plug-in hybrid will use Gen6 batteries with round cells, considering the vehicle will stick to the CLAR platform. New Door Handles Design Notice how the prototype doesn’t have door handles? Except that it does. The beltline incorporates small winglets in all four doors, much like last year’s Vision Neue Klasse X. Our video shows how you could open the doors on the concept. It should be the same story with the future X5/iX5, which is likely the first BMW to adopt this setup. The new iX3 is coming first, before the year’s end, but will have the usual flush door handles. View this post on Instagram A post shared by BMWBLOG.com (@bmwblog) Speaking of the smaller electric crossover, its Neue Klasse face is already visible on the next-gen X5. Don’t worry about the headlights looking so basic because they’re not the final clusters. One dealer said the headlights would have an “X” motif. BMW will start testing prototypes with the final lights closer to the model’s launch. iDrive X Coming Inside Meanwhile, we’re patiently waiting for spy photographers to peek inside the cabin to see the iDrive X. The central touchscreen will measure a stately 17.9 inches, and there won’t be an iDrive rotary knob anymore. As seen on the Vision Neue Klasse X, BMW is also removing the driver’s display. Instead, a new projection technology called Panoramic Vision will consist of three fixed tiles in the driver’s line of sight plus six customizable tiles to their right. The G65 X5 will offer something for everyone. In addition to gasoline, diesel, plug-in hybrid, and purely electric powertrains, BMW intends to keep the V8 engine alive for one more generation. Whether that means a new X5 M is coming is unclear, but an M Performance derivative is in the works. There could be more than just one M Lite model, as reports claim that plug-in hybrid M60e xDrive and electric M70 xDrive flavors are also planned. BMW intends to start production in August 2026, so expect an official premiere in a little over a year. First published by https://www.bmwblog.com

BMW has made incremental improvements to their first-ever electric SUV since its debut in 2021. But 2026 is the first year of a true “LCI,” or Life Cycle Impulse, what BMW calls their mid-life-cycle refresh....

First published by https://www.bmwblog.com

BMW has made incremental improvements to their first-ever electric SUV since its debut in 2021. But 2026 is the first year of a true “LCI,” or Life Cycle Impulse, what BMW calls their mid-life-cycle refresh. The changes extend to new design elements, including a new front grille and headlight designs, and introduction of a real M Sport Package. The M Sport Package is all aesthetics, and available across all trim lines (standard on the M70). Speaking of trims, BMW renamed and reconfigured the trim levels a bit, which entailed the introduction of a new base trim: the iX xDrive45, priced at $75,150. More range and power makes the 2026 BMW iX a big step up, all things considered. That’s excellent news, since the iX was already an excellent EV and BMW in the first place. 2026 BMW iX Electric Motor and Performance Nobody specifically asked for it, but BMW decided to crank up the iX’s performance for its 2026 model year reintroduction. In the US, the new iX xDrive45 takes the place of the former iX xDrive50 as the base offering. It offers 402 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque and BMW says it’ll hit 60 mph from a standstill in 4.9 seconds. The next step up is now the iX xDrive60, which now touts 536 horsepower and 564 pound-feet of torque. BMW says the zero-to-60 dash drops to 4.4 seconds. Finally, the iX M70. It tops out at 650 horsepower and 811 pound-feet of torque. BMW quotes a 3.6-second zero to 60 mph time, but we beat that time just barely when we reviewed the electric SUV. All iX models get xDrive all-wheel drive and feature dual electric motors. 2026 BMW iX Charging and Range Despite better performance figures, charging the iX stays relatively the same year over year. The iX xDrive45 can charge at up to 175 kW at DC stations, while the other trim levels retain their maximum of 195 kW. Charging times will remain similarly unchanged, so expect to add around 100 miles of range in 12 minutes or so. Level 2 chargers and Wallboxes will restore around the same amount of range in around 4.5 hours. The iX xDrive45 charging upgrades are few and far between, but there’s a marked difference between the new vehicle and the old xDrive40. Range grows across the board for the 2026 BMW iX. The new xDrive60 model outshines the old xDrive50, offering between 318 and 364 miles of range. The old model was only estimated at 311 miles, max. M70 models compare favorably to their predecessor, too, offering a maximum of 303 miles on a full range compared to the outgoing model’s 296 miles. The improved range comes courtesy of silicon carbide semiconductor components (SiC inverters), a first in BMW EVs. Interior and Cargo Space Little changes inside the BMW iX, despite the new digs on the outside. One note: the base iX xDrive45 lacks the cool Panoramic Eclipsing roof the model is somewhat renowned for. It takes $2,600 to option it back on, which we would consider an “okay” value. Otherwise, the vehicle shares almost everything else with its bigger-badged brethren. Upholstery options and trim stay pretty much the same year over year, and the iX retains its curved display comprising a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a 14.9-inch central information display. Bowers & Wilkins sound is somewhat worthwhile at $3,400, and, if possible, sit in the $1,600 multi-function seats before deciding whether or not to opt for them. Cargo space remains identical to previous iterations of the iX at 77.9 cubic feet. No changes to report here, but it is worth noting that the iX offers more cargo space than the X5. Even with the rear seats upright, the iX offers 1.5 cubic feet more storage space. A new tow hitch (available from Summer 2025) also allows the iX to tow, but BMW only recommends towing up to 3,500 pounds. 2026 BMW iX Technology and Connectivity There is little new in the tech and connectivity department. The old iX already offered iDrive 8.5 with QuickSelect, which includes stuff like Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, navigation, and voice commands. You still get that with the new xDrive45, despite the lower price tag. It also shares its Harman Kardon sound system with the xDrive60. The Premium Package is available on both models, adding a head-up display with augmented reality (AR) integration, an illuminated kidney grille, and Parking Assistant Plus (which includes a 360-degree camera, Back-up Assistant, self-parallel parking). Most of that comes standard on the M70. Safety and Driver Assistance Features The most driver assistance features are available via the $2,550 Driving Assistance Professional Package. Like the pre-LCI model, the 2026 BMW iX enjoys the addition of Parking Assistant Pro, Highway Assistant, and Driving Assistant Pro. These allow, respectively, the car to park itself and to drive hands-free up to 85 mph while executing lane changes via a glance in the corresponding mirror. The camera and radar system has always worked well in every instance we’ve driven it, and there’s no reason to suggest it’ll be any different this time around. It’s a pretty good value, but not a necessary add by any means. Every iX comes with Frontal Collision Mitigation, Active Blind Spot Detection, and Lane Keeping Assistant. 2026 BMW iX Pricing With the introduction of the new base trim level, the iX is now over $10,000 more affordable than it was last year in the US. Pricing begins at $75,150 for the iX xDrive45. The mid-grade iX xDrive60 starts at $88,500, and the iX M70 starts at $111,500. All models receive an additional delivery fee of $1,175. Cadillac’s LYRIQ is a bit smaller but undercuts the iX’s base price significantly at just under $60,000. Rivian’s offerings are slightly more expensive to start at around $77,700, the same for the Volvo EX90 at $81,000. We think the iX is a seriously good value—especially at the low end, but even the xDrive60 offers an excellent balance of performance and luxury that rivals can’t quite compare to. Our iX xDrive45 review confirmed our suspicions that its one of the best values you can get inside or outside the brand. And you won’t have to look far to find third-party confirmation on that. 2026 BMW iX FAQ Is the 2026 BMW iX a new model? Kind of. The BMW iX receives significant updates for 2026, but it isn’t technically a new model. What’s new for the 2026 BMW iX? The updates include revised exterior styling, an available M Sport Package, more range and power, an optional tow hitch, 23-inch wheels on the iX M70, new digital key functions, and reconfigured trim levels. Is the iX bigger than the X5? The BMW iX is just slightly smaller overall than the BMW X5. But the iX is fractionally longer, boasting a one-inch longer wheelbase, and has a wider rear track. How much cheaper is a 2026 BMW iX? For the latest model year, BMW has introduced a third, less expensive base model, the iX xDrive45. It starts at around $75,000, representing a price cut of over $10,000 from the least expensive model from the preceding model year. How fast is the BMW iX? When we drove the iX M70, our instrumented testing revealed a zero to 60 mph time of just 3.45 seconds. So, it’s pretty quick. First published by https://www.bmwblog.com

BMW had a decent start to the year in the United States, where shipments in the first quarter jumped by 3.7% to 87,615 units. But how did your favorite model fare between January and March?...

First published by https://www.bmwblog.com

BMW had a decent start to the year in the United States, where shipments in the first quarter jumped by 3.7% to 87,615 units. But how did your favorite model fare between January and March? As with everything in life, there are winners and losers. The XM continued to fall, with demand dropping by 25.1% to just 405 cars. It was a particularly bad quarter for the 8 Series as well, as shipments fell 32.4% to 990 units. We are happy to report that people bought more Z4 roadsters than they did in the first three months of 2024. The convertible sports car was up a solid 29% to 520 cars. That’s not much, but still more than the XM. We’re pleasantly surprised to see the iX climbed 23.1% right before the electric SUV’s Life Cycle Impulse. Shipments of the LCI model are scheduled to start this quarter. As shocking as the X2’s rise is, the 133.4% boost doesn’t tell the whole truth. Deliveries of the second-generation model didn’t start in the US until March 2024. Consequently, BMW is comparing a single month to three months. Its bigger brother, the X4, fell 40% ahead of its imminent retirement. BMW has already announced there won’t be a direct replacement. Why? It believes that the much larger second-gen X2 will indirectly take its place in the lineup. With the Trump administration’s tariffs coming into effect this week, we’re wondering how the 2 Series will perform in the remaining three quarters of the year. As a refresher, the 2er and M2 are built at the San Luis Potosi plant in Mexico. The X1, X2, and iX, along with the non-SUV models, are also assembled outside of the United States. Even though they’ve been gone for many years, the i3 and i8 still appear in the sales charts, albeit with 0 units. The same goes for the 6 Series Gran Turismo, although the misunderstood large luxury hatchback continued outside of the US for many years. First published by https://www.bmwblog.com

The Phantom has been repeatedly labeled as the “best car in the world,” so how do you improve it? Rolls-Royce is still finding ways to elevate its flagship product, which celebrates its centenary in 2025....

First published by https://www.bmwblog.com

The Phantom has been repeatedly labeled as the “best car in the world,” so how do you improve it? Rolls-Royce is still finding ways to elevate its flagship product, which celebrates its centenary in 2025. The ultra-luxurious sedan has spawned yet another one-off, but it has something not shared with any other RR model before it. The “Cherry Blossom” commission is the first car from Goodwood to have tridimensional embroidery. A gorgeous falling petal motif adorns the rear door cards and the partition separating the front and rear passenger compartments. Rolls-Royce needed more than six months to complete the interior, taking three weeks just to embroider more than 250,000 stitches on the headliner. The one-of-a-kind Phantom was ordered by a wealthy customer from Japan who wanted RR to take inspiration from Hanami. If that doesn’t ring a bell, it’s a local tradition of viewing cherry blossoms in the spring. The unique car has already been delivered, so the owner can now admire the cherry blossom flowers on the headliner. The intricate, illuminated roof contains hand-stitched petals, which give the illusion they’re falling on the doors. Each petal was shaped by hand in a time-consuming, delicate process that involved individually placing the petals across the lavish cabin. For a more realistic vibe, Rolls-Royce even used the roof’s ambient lighting to create shadows. It really does look like a tree hovering above the rear seats. But it’s the tactile, petal embroidery that makes this Phantom stand out from the rest. It wouldn’t be a proper Rolls without the umbrellas inside the coach doors. As you can imagine, the Hanami theme with falling petals adorns the umbrellas. It’s also noticeable on the hand-applied coachline with a discreet cherry blossom motif on the front fenders. Pricing isn’t mentioned, but the Phantom Cherry Blossom must have commanded a significant premium over the standard car, which already costs more than $500,000. Source: Rolls-Royce First published by https://www.bmwblog.com

MINI is set to delight its drivers with a playful and expressive new feature: “Emoji Mode,” coming soon to all current MINI models equipped with dynamic taillights. Available via a simple over-the-air update starting April...

First published by https://www.bmwblog.com

MINI is set to delight its drivers with a playful and expressive new feature: “Emoji Mode,” coming soon to all current MINI models equipped with dynamic taillights. Available via a simple over-the-air update starting April 1st, this new function is enabled by Remote Software Upgrade technology, already deployed on over 10 million BMW Group vehicles—no dealer visit required. With the introduction of Emoji Mode, MINI is once again redefining how we connect on the road. Whether it’s a quick thank you, a warm greeting, or even a cheeky flirtation, MINI drivers can now use their taillights to share emojis with fellow road users. The dynamic taillights of the current MINI range are central to this innovation. The new Emoji Mode is especially suited to urban traffic, making it easier than ever to send short, friendly messages to the driver behind. In the first official images, we see the MINI Aceman JCW (J05) cheerfully lighting up its rear lights with a friendly wave, a raised thumbs-up, and several heart gestures—ideal for a bit of playful charm or a small “thank you” for thoughtful driving. Drivers can easily select emojis via the brand’s signature 24-centimeter circular OLED display, where a dedicated menu offers a variety of expressive icons. When braking, the selected emoji lights up alongside the third brake light, and for legal reasons, each emoji appears for no longer than three seconds at a time. To enhance ease of use, MINI’s system also makes three intelligent emoji suggestions based on the driving context, offering real-time mood-matching options for the driver. At launch, only positive and friendly symbols will be available. However, MINI hints that future updates could unlock a wider emotional palette—acknowledging that not every traffic encounter warrants a smile. The brand says the Emoji Mode will remain exclusive to the MINI brand at least until April 1, 2026. Once again, MINI proves that “unreal” doesn’t exist in its vocabulary. First published by https://www.bmwblog.com

BMW of North America has announced its U.S. sales results for the first quarter of 2025, showcasing a positive trajectory for both BMW and MINI brands. The BMW brand experienced a 3.7% increase in sales,...

First published by https://www.bmwblog.com

BMW of North America has announced its U.S. sales results for the first quarter of 2025, showcasing a positive trajectory for both BMW and MINI brands. The BMW brand experienced a 3.7% increase in sales, delivering 87,615 vehicles compared to 84,475 in the same period last year. MINI also saw a notable rise, with sales climbing 9.5% to 6,976 vehicles from 6,369 in Q1 2024. The introduction of the all-new MINI Countryman and Cooper models contributed to MINI’s sales growth. A significant contributor to BMW’s growth is the surge in battery electric vehicle (BEV) sales. In Q1 2025, BMW sold 13,538 BEVs, marking a 26.4% increase over the 10,713 units sold during the same period in 2024. The BMW i4 led this segment with 7,125 units sold—a 57% jump from the previous year’s 4,537 units. The BMW iX also performed well, with sales rising 23.1% to 3,626 units. Conversely, the BMW i5 and i7 experienced slight declines, with sales of 1,899 and 888 units, representing decreases of 15.2% and 10.4%, respectively. The new 2026 BMW iX entered production in March, so the next quarter could see a new rise in iX sales. Sebastian Mackensen, President & CEO of BMW of North America, expressed satisfaction with the quarter’s performance, emphasizing the strength of BMW’s U.S. production network and the appeal of its product lineup. He highlighted that the majority of BMW vehicles sold in the U.S. are also assembled domestically, underscoring the company’s commitment to local manufacturing. Q1 2025 Q1 2024 % Total 2025 Total 2024 % i4 7,125 4,537 57% 7,125 4,537 57% i5 1,899 2,239 -15.2% 1,899 2,239 -15.2% i7 888 991 -10.4% 888 991 -10.4% iX 3,626 2,945 23.1% 3,626 2,945 23.1% 13,538 10,713 26.4% 13,538 10,713 26.4% Q1 2025 Q1 2024 % Total 2025 Total 2024 % BMW passenger cars 43,619 38,701 12.7% 43,619 38,701 12.7% BMW light trucks 43,996 45,774 -3.9% 43,996 45,774 -3.9% Total BMW 87,615 84,475 3.7% 87,615 84,475 3.7% Total MINI 6,976 6,369 9.5% 6,976 6,369 9.5% First published by https://www.bmwblog.com

Over the years, BMW’s had a few tricks up its sleeve. With April Fools jokes running for longer longer than some of our readers (and writers!) have been alive, the Bavarian automaker is certainly no...

First published by https://www.bmwblog.com

Over the years, BMW’s had a few tricks up its sleeve. With April Fools jokes running for longer longer than some of our readers (and writers!) have been alive, the Bavarian automaker is certainly no stranger to whimsy. The latest—the excellent and downright desirable M2 Dakar—is only one of many highlights. But with over 30 years of foolin’, a few stand above. Looking back, here are some of our favorite April Fools jokes from BMW. BMW Optiglass (1995) “You don’t need glasses. You need a BMW,” is the tagline for one of our favorite BMW hoaxes, BMW Optiglass. The automaker “introduced” it in 1995, claiming that “58% of drivers wear or need glasses when driving,” so “3, 5, 7, and 8 Series BMWs can be fitted with Optiglass—the perfect solution for those who suffer from less than 20/20 vision.” The joke went on to state that a switch mounted on the dashboard could change the “refractive index” of the windshield, creating a “lens that suits all drivers.” There was even a memory function that could save selections, accommodating a wide range of drivers! BMW WAIL (1997) “A BMW for the animal kingdom,” indeed. WAIL was a concept—but, more importantly, a joke—BMW ran with that allowed drivers to communicate with nature. The doctors at the Bavarian Institute of Zoology apparently devised a way to generate frequencies outside the human ear’s normal range (20,000+ Hz) as a method of clearing animals from the road by emitting a high-frequency pitch from the vehicle’s Park Distance Control System. WAIL—or the Wildlife Acoustic Information Link—was “available from April 1 on selected models,” but only in the UK. SHEF technology from BMW (2004) Satellite Hypersensitive Electromagnetic Foodration technology, or SHEF, allowed drivers to cook their dinners from their car. Buttons decked out the bezel of the then tiny iDrive screen, emblazoned with words you might feel more comfortable reading in your kitchen rather than car, such as “grill” and “oven.” BMW even touted a camera system that allowed you to monitor your meals progress, and why wouldn’t you with recipe suggestions like “chicken a la M42.” Recipes were on a separate page that the ad redirected to. BMW Uninvents the Wheel (2005) BMW’s 2005 ad in the UK claimed that the EU was banning right-hand drive cars, and that BMW “uninvents the wheel.” Hands free steering was the way to go, the ad claimed, relying on a combination of voice commands and sensors for the car to find its way. BMW claimed that when you entered/exited the UK, driver and passengers could switch sides, which the retractable gauges and pedals would accommodate. In case drivers weren’t yet comfortable, a padded metal bar could be “elicited from the dash” for drivers to lean on. It’s still better than the stupid Tesla yoke. M3 Pickup Truck (2011) Arguably one of the most iconic hoaxes BMW has pulled, because it was, well, real, the M3 pickup was an E92 M3 sporting a targo roof and chopped off at the rear, offering the convenience and style of both open top cruising and an open bed. Claimed to be the “world’s fastest pickup,” and at the time it likely would have been, the M3 Pickup touted up to 450 kg of capacity and 420 horsepower. The ad teased the car as being set up on test drives of the Nürburgring “ahead of its April 1 debut,” cluing in many readers. It concluded with the clarification that the M3 Pickup is, sadly, a one-off. The newest April Fools joke out of Bavaria is already one of my favorites, but we’d love to hear about the ones you think should’ve made the cut in the comments below. First published by https://www.bmwblog.com

Just when you thought BMW M had run out of ways to surprise us, they drop a bombshell—a lifted BMW M2 built for the desert. Or at least, that’s what they want us to believe....

First published by https://www.bmwblog.com

Just when you thought BMW M had run out of ways to surprise us, they drop a bombshell—a lifted BMW M2 built for the desert. Or at least, that’s what they want us to believe. On April Fools’ Day 2025, BMW M unveiled what they called “The Ultimate Off-Road Machine,” the BMW M2 Dakar. It’s bold, rugged, and completely unexpected. And yes, it’s also completely fake. The M2 Dakar was introduced with all the dramatic flair of a serious off-road launch. BMW’s Instagram post declared it was “built for the toughest terrains, ready to tackle any challenge,” and at first glance, it seemed entirely believable. The car features a significantly raised suspension for greater ground clearance, wrapped in massive off-road tires that look ready to dig into sand, gravel, and rocks. Its aggressive bodywork includes extended fenders and a wide-body kit that seems pulled straight from a Dakar Rally special. But the details didn’t stop there. The M2 Dakar was outfitted with full underbody protection stretching into the front bumper, a roof rack loaded with a spare tire and auxiliary navigation lights, and—perhaps the most clever touch—off-road rally lights seamlessly integrated into the kidney grilles. The styling strikes a perfect balance between fantasy and functionality, with just enough realism to leave fans second-guessing whether this might be a real one-off or concept project. In many ways, it’s a tongue-in-cheek response to Porsche’s 911 Dakar and Lamborghini’s Huracán Sterrato—cars that have actually made the jump from supercar to sand slayer. Seeing BMW throw its hat in the imaginary off-road ring with a high-riding M2 is both hilarious and weirdly satisfying. And that’s what makes this April Fools’ joke sting a little. Because let’s be honest: we want this to exist. The M2’s short wheelbase, punchy engine, and agile chassis would make for a wicked rally toy if properly adapted. BMW M’s post even calls it “ready to tackle any challenge,” and judging by the internet’s reaction, the biggest challenge now is convincing BMW to build it. While it’s nothing more than a brilliantly executed prank, the M2 Dakar has ignited something real—enthusiasm. Whether BMW takes that and runs with it remains to be seen. But for now, the M2 Dakar lives only in our hearts, on our feeds, and in the dusty corner of our imaginations where fantasy builds become fan favorites. [Photos: BMW M] First published by https://www.bmwblog.com

In a bold move that blurred the line between fantasy and reality, BMW M Motorsport sent enthusiasts into a frenzy today with the surprise reveal of the BMW M3 Touring GT3 EVO – a machine...

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In a bold move that blurred the line between fantasy and reality, BMW M Motorsport sent enthusiasts into a frenzy today with the surprise reveal of the BMW M3 Touring GT3 EVO – a machine that looks ready to dominate endurance racing… but sadly exists only in our dreams. Shared on BMW M Motorsport’s official social media channels, the vehicle was introduced with a caption that read: “BMW M3 Touring body. GT3 soul. Meet the BMW M3 Touring GT3 EVO – our newest addition to the BMW M Motorsport family. Garage born, track approved and ready to race!” Accompanied by striking images, the M3 Touring GT3 EVO showcased aggressive motorsport styling lifted straight from BMW’s M4 GT3 EVO playbook. The Touring body was widened with a full aero kit, including a massive front splitter, flared fenders, side rocker panels, a track-ready rear diffuser, and of course, the iconic racing wing perched proudly on the tailgate. Completing the illusion was the factory M4 GT3 EVO livery and an enlarged kidney grille optimized for cooling – making the car indistinguishable from its circuit-bred sibling at first glance. A Dream That Might Never Come True For a few fleeting hours, fans dared to believe BMW had built the ultimate unicorn – a wagon fused with full GT3-spec engineering. However, as the date suggests, this was BMW’s annual April Fools’ Day stunt – and perhaps one of its most realistic yet. Despite the tongue-in-cheek nature of the announcement, reactions online were overwhelmingly positive, with fans across the globe calling on BMW to build at least a one-off version of the car. The concept isn’t entirely outlandish. BMW M has previously dabbled in outrageous one-offs and April Fools’ ideas that straddled the line of possibility. Notably, the E92 M3 Pickup Truck – also an April 1 joke – turned out to be a fully functional prototype used for internal logistics at BMW M’s Garching facility. And with the recent success of the BMW M3 Touring (G81), which marked the first-ever M3 wagon to enter production, the idea of a race-ready Touring isn’t as far-fetched as it once seemed. While the M3 Touring GT3 EVO may never see the green flag at Spa or Le Mans, its brief moment in the spotlight is a reminder of the passion and playfulness that still lives at the heart of BMW M. And who knows? With enough interest, perhaps this April Fools’ fantasy could evolve into a very real track weapon. Until then, we’ll keep dreaming—and maybe start taking measurements for a custom build. [Photo: BMW M] View this post on Instagram A post shared by BMW M Motorsport 🏆 (@bmwmmotorsport) First published by https://www.bmwblog.com

It’s been a busy month for BMW at the Nürburgring. The challenging German track nicknamed by Jackie Stewart as “The Green Hell” served as the venue for prototype testing of several models. We’ve talked about...

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It’s been a busy month for BMW at the Nürburgring. The challenging German track nicknamed by Jackie Stewart as “The Green Hell” served as the venue for prototype testing of several models. We’ve talked about the next 3 Series (G50), i3 Sedan (NA0), and the new iX3 (NA5), but there was another car. This unassuming M5 F90 was spotted during industry-pool testing, so this isn’t an enthusiast’s sports sedan. Judging by the Munich plates, it might just be BMW’s own prototype unless it’s being tested by a supplier. Ok, but what makes it interesting? It may look like a standard previous-generation M5 before the facelift, but there’s a subtle change at the rear. The fender extensions indicate it’s a test mule for … something. Obviously, the M5 F90 isn’t coming back, so we’re scratching our heads trying to figure out what’s what. The plot thickens when you consider BMW is already testing the facelifted M5. Although G90 deliveries kicked off only a few months ago, car paparazzi have already caught the LCI with Neue Klasse design cues on camera. This M5 F90 might not necessarily be a test mule for a future product. The engineers could be evaluating specific components that will eventually go (or not) into a road-going model. The extra thickness over the M5’s already bulging fenders makes us think it’s a test mule for an SUV. However, we wouldn’t go as far as to say the next X5 M is hiding underneath the sedan’s body. Curiously, the fender flare seems more pronounced on the driver’s side. It’s always tricky to pinpoint the identity of test mules, especially if they carry the body of a car that BMW no longer makes. Whatever the case, the vehicle clearly has a combustion engine, likely a big V8. The M division has pledged to keep the eight-cylinder alive for the long haul, and we’ve already reported about BMW engineering the new X5, X6, and X7 with V8s. Just about everyone would want an M5 G90 with an S68 that skips the bulky plug-in hybrid setup. However, that ship has long sailed. We’re just glad to see BMW’s relentless efforts to save the V8 in the downsizing era. Hopefully, this mysterious test mule is a sign of an exciting M product currently in the works. Fingers crossed. Video: statesidesupercars / YouTube First published by https://www.bmwblog.com

Chris Harris has officially declared war on rear tires—with BMW’s blessing this time. After nearly four months of living with the new BMW M5 (G90) as a daily driver, Harris was finally unleashed at Thruxton...

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Chris Harris has officially declared war on rear tires—with BMW’s blessing this time. After nearly four months of living with the new BMW M5 (G90) as a daily driver, Harris was finally unleashed at Thruxton Circuit, where he could explore the wilder side of M’s 717-horsepower hybrid beast. Until now, BMW UK had asked him not to turn the new M5 into a tire-smoking YouTube spectacle. But all that changed when they handed him not just the keys—but also a fresh set of Michelin Pilot Sport 5 S tires. You know where this is going. The video starts tame enough, with Harris attacking corners in 4WD mode, clearly impressed by how well this 2.5-ton luxury sedan handles serious speed and direction changes. But things take a hard turn—literally—when he engages 2WD mode and completely deactivates DSC. The result? Pure, unfiltered drift chaos. A Tail-Happy Beast Now pushing all 738 lb-ft (1,000 Nm of torque) to the rear wheels alone, the M5 transforms into a tail-happy beast. Harris expertly balances the car at the limit, showing that despite its heft, the G90 M5 is ridiculously controllable, even under serious duress. We’re talking fifth-gear drifts at 110 mph, at which point the active M differential starts waving the white flag due to overheating. Even then, Harris shrugs it off stating that he prefers the new G90 M5 to the AMG or Audi RS models. That’s high praise coming from someone who’s thrashed every performance sedan on the planet. His verdict? The G90 BMW M5 is by far the best hybrid sedan he’s ever driven—dynamic, planted, and genuinely fun. And perhaps most surprisingly, tire wear isn’t catastrophic even after 20 minutes of fast laps and a few more minutes of heavy drifting. Yes, there’s plenty of smoky drama, but the car doesn’t shred rubber like a track-only drift missile. First published by https://www.bmwblog.com

The 2025 MotoGP round at the Circuit of the Americas was already shaping up to be a spectacle before a single lap was completed. But few could’ve predicted that the first headline-grabbing moment of the...

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The 2025 MotoGP round at the Circuit of the Americas was already shaping up to be a spectacle before a single lap was completed. But few could’ve predicted that the first headline-grabbing moment of the race wouldn’t come from the grid—or even from a motorcycle. Instead, it came from the official MotoGP safety car, a brand-new G90 BMW M5, which lost control and plowed into the barriers during the warm-up. It all started with Marc Márquez, who threw the pre-race routine into disarray when he suddenly ditched his wet-spec bike on the starting grid and sprinted back to the pits to grab his dry-spec Honda. Within seconds, nearly a third of the grid followed his lead. Race control had little choice but to throw a red flag and call for a full restart. Drifting Gone Wrong But more drama unfolded just moments later, this time courtesy of the support vehicle meant to ensure rider safety. As the new G90 M5 began its demonstration lap, things went sideways—literally—between Turns 14 and 15. According to footage captured by a fan trackside, the car began to oversteer aggressively, holding a slide that, for a brief moment, looked intentional… until it wasn’t. The drift carried into the braking zone for Turn 15, where the driver appeared to lose it completely. The M5 snapped straight and slammed head-on into the barriers. Trackside witnesses reported that the driver may have had the car in 2WD mode—designed for tail-happy fun—but with the surface still damp and the tires likely cold, it may have been a recipe for disaster. Despite the impact, the car managed to limp off under its own power and was later spotted parked near the marshal post at Turn 14. But based on the visible damage, many spectators suspect the car is a total loss. Déjà Vu for BMW? If this feels familiar, it’s because it isn’t the first time a BMW M5 has kissed a MotoGP barrier. In 2017, the previous-gen F90 M5 found itself in a similar incident at the Spanish Grand Prix in Jerez—ironically, also under safety car duty. Since 1999, BMW has been the official car supplier for MotoGP, delivering everything from M2s to X5Ms, and even the stunning Z8 roadster used in 2002. This season, BMW brought out the big guns with the M5 Touring and the new hybrid M5 sedan. This week, only one of those cars remained intact. [Photo Credit: Cesar de Oliveira] First published by https://www.bmwblog.com

Ferdinand Piëch, the relentless and brilliant patriarch of the Volkswagen Group, is known for putting out some legendary cars and engines. Under his rule, nothing was too ambitious, too complex, or too strange. That era gave...

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Ferdinand Piëch, the relentless and brilliant patriarch of the Volkswagen Group, is known for putting out some legendary cars and engines. Under his rule, nothing was too ambitious, too complex, or too strange. That era gave us the W-8, W-12, and W-16 engines. It birthed a V10 TDI Touareg and almost gave us a Bugatti with an eighteen-cylinder engine. And somewhere in that fever dream of innovation, Piëch quietly commissioned something even more unusual: a W10 engine, stuffed into none other than a BMW M5. The Myth Becomes Reality For years, the “W10 M5” was little more than internet folklore—an automotive Bigfoot. Some believed Volkswagen had built a ten-cylinder W engine. Fewer believed one had ever been installed in a car. But in 2023, The Drive tracked down what appeared to be the last surviving W10 engine. And then in 2025, DriveTribe finally confirmed what many had suspected: the elusive W10 M5 not only exists—it runs. And it rips. According to the dyno, the car makes 480 horsepower at the wheels, translating to roughly 530 hp at the crank. That’s more than the stock E39 M5’s S62 V8, which produced 394 hp, and even outguns the next-gen E60’s screaming S85 V10, rated at 500 hp. Not bad for an experimental motor cobbled together over two decades ago. So… Why? That’s the real question. Why did Volkswagen, of all companies, decide to build a W10 engine and put it in a rival’s car? At the time, VW didn’t have a true performance sedan. The Audi RS6 was still a niche project. The Porsche Panamera wouldn’t arrive until 2009. If they wanted to benchmark their wild new engine, they needed a car with the right balance of chassis dynamics, space, and subtlety. And the E39 BMW M5? That was the standard. It wasn’t just good—it was perfect. It had room under the hood. It handled brilliantly. It flew under the radar. And crucially, it came with a six-speed manual transmission, ideal for development. So VW bought one, dropped in their W10 prototype, and began what must have been the strangest case of corporate espionage-slash-engineering ever attempted. Built with Purpose This wasn’t some hackjob garage swap. Volkswagen reportedly spent €2 million developing the prototype. The W10 itself was essentially two VR5 engines fused together, but unlike traditional VR units, this one featured a lightweight aluminum block. VW even fabricated a bespoke carbon fiber airbox and ran the engine through a standalone ECU. Inside, it’s a different world. The car’s been stripped of driving aids—no ABS, no traction control, no stability system. It has auxiliary gauges and a race-inspired instrument cluster. It smells of fuel and raw exhaust. It’s as raw as any prototype comes. And rumor has it, Ferdinand Piëch drove it to work. Daily. Three Engines, One Car Volkswagen reportedly built three W10s. The one featured in the DriveTribe video lives inside the M5. The second engine, once thought to be lost, surfaced in Germany in 2023 with a VW mechanic who was told the others had been destroyed. The third? It’s now believed to sit in a private collection—still intact, still mysterious. This isn’t the first M5 with a crazy engine from another brand. One of Bavaria’s best-kept secrets is using an M5 E34 Touring as a test mule for the V12 that went into the McLaren F1. Sadly, the M division has refused to show the super wagon in public. Hopefully, BMW Classic will reveal the ultimate E34 one day, unless they’ve scrapped what would’ve been the one family car to rule them all. We like to believe it hides deep in BMW’s warehouse. For Sale—If You Dare The W10 M5 is now up for grabs. The asking price? Around $500,000, roughly the same as a Ferrari Purosangue. It’s an insane number, sure—but then again, when you’re buying a one-off prototype built by VW’s top engineers, handpicked by Piëch himself, you’re not just buying a car. You’re buying a story. [Source: Drivetribe] First published by https://www.bmwblog.com

While most of BMW’s SUVs call Spartanburg, South Carolina home, that’s not the case for any of the electric vehicles. All of BMW’s electric vehicles are assembled in Germany before being imported to the US,...

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While most of BMW’s SUVs call Spartanburg, South Carolina home, that’s not the case for any of the electric vehicles. All of BMW’s electric vehicles are assembled in Germany before being imported to the US, so they’ll all feel the full force of the new tariffs. With a 25 percent tax coming at the ’em, they’ll be significantly more expensive for BMW to import than before. Sadly, it’s more than likely that consumers will bear the brunt of the cost increase. But how much, exactly, can we expect popular BMW EVs like the iX and i4 to rise in the coming weeks? The answer is still unknown but in this exercise, we will assume that some models will increase by 25 percent. BMW i4 Price Increase The current i4 lineup includes three variants: the i4 eDrive40, i4 xDrive40, and i4 M50. The least pricey is the eDrive40, starting at $57,900. Assuming a 5 percent markup from OEM to dealer, invoice is somewhere around $55,005. Hiking that up an additional 25 percent means the barrier to entry for a new i4 becomes $71,651, an increase of $13,751. For the record, that’s also about where the range-topping M50 models start before tariffs go into effect. At the other end of the spectrum, the i4 M50 sees an even more drastic price increase. Its current starting price of $70,700 could swell to somewhere around $87,490. BMW i5 Price Increase Like the i4, the BMW i5 comes in three different flavors. The i5 eDrive40 starts at $67,100, the i5 xDrive40 commands $70,100, and the i5 M60 caps the lineup and starts at $84,100. Assuming, again, the same 5 percent markup from OEM to dealer, the i5 eDrive40 balloons to $83,036. The i5 M60 breaks the six-figure mark with new tariffs in place, ending up with a new base price of $104,074. BMW i7 Price Increase The BMW i7 is already a pretty expensive car, but tariffs will do nothing to alleviate that. Today, you can choose from the $105,700 i7 eDrive50, $124,200 i7 xDrive60, and i7 M70, which commands $168,500. While margins typically grow slightly at this price point, will keep the same 5 percent markup in place for continuity’s sake. Frankly, it’s also only a couple percentage points of difference, which ultimately won’t make a huge mark on the already tremendous price increase. The i7 eDrive50’s new base price is $130,804, or about an entire Miata more expensive in a world before tariffs. The i7 M70 crests $200,000 with a new MSRP of $208,519. BMW iX Price Increase The new-for-2026 (ish) iX now has three trim levels, including a new entry level model, the iX xDrive45. The xDrive45 starts at $75,150 and the mid-level iX xDrive60 starts at $88,500. Let’s start at the top: the iX M70, today, starts at $111,500. After tariffs, the price could go as high as $137,981. The baseline for the iX now becomes two dollars shy of $93,000. While we don’t know exactly where prices will land as the dust has yet to settle, one things for sure: it’s going to get a lot pricier to buy a BMW, electric or otherwise. First published by https://www.bmwblog.com

Years after launching the luxobarges, BMW still finds ways to spruce up its largest SUVs. The X5, X6, and X7 are now getting an Individual Edition in select European markets. Buyers get to pick from...

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Years after launching the luxobarges, BMW still finds ways to spruce up its largest SUVs. The X5, X6, and X7 are now getting an Individual Edition in select European markets. Buyers get to pick from no fewer than 49 special colors, including San Marino Blue and Frozen Black. These rarer hues are combined with the M Sport Package and stately 22-inch wheels. BMW throws in an illuminated kidney grille as standard equipment to sweeten the pot. You could argue that one can easily configure an X5, X6, or X7 to look precisely like this. That’s a valid point, but BMW says you’ll save money by opting for the Individual Edition. It can be had in xDrive40i, xDrive30d, xDrive40d, and xDrive50e flavors. Buyers can customize the interiors by choosing the upholstery, including fancier Individual leather. BMW doesn’t say how many vehicles it plans to make, but availability will be limited. The Individual Edition will be produced from April until November 2025. The special X5, X6, and X7 high-end SUVs are available in certain European countries, including Poland and Slovakia. If you’re inspired by the Individual Edition, you can customize one yourself after the special version is gone from the lineup. While BMW is still paying attention to the current-generation SUVs, work is underway on the next-gen models. Leading the pack will be the X5 G65, which was spotted testing a few days ago. The revamped posh family hauler is rumored to enter production in the second half of 2026. The second-generation X7 G67 should follow roughly a year later, with the new X6 G66 to hit the assembly line in the spring of 2028. All three are believed to get the electric treatment while keeping the CLAR platform. Additionally, the premium Bavarian trio will retain the V8 engine. However, it’s unclear whether the next X5, X6, and X7 will have the twin-turbo 4.4-liter powerhouse in Europe due to stricter emissions regulations. Photos: BMW Poland First published by https://www.bmwblog.com

Mr. Musk’s involvement in right-wing politics contributed to a 13% drop in deliveries in the first quarter, including steep declines in E.V.-friendly places like Norway.

Sales of cars picked up recently partly as buyers rushed to lock in deals before President Trump’s 25 percent tariffs on cars and auto parts go into effect.

“Prices are going to shoot up now,” one shopper said. But some dealers said that economic concerns might be keeping people away.

Carmakers are likely to face higher costs regardless of how they respond to President Trump’s 25 percent tariffs on cars and auto parts.

The scale of the damage depends on the circumstances of each company’s supply chain.

Fury at Elon Musk emerges as vandalism, protest and buyer’s remorse.

President Trump’s intervention came while Mr. Milton was appealing his conviction on securities and wire fraud charges.

Leaders in both countries warned that tariffs would fan inflation in the United States and upend global supply chains.

The measure, which is intended to bring car factories to the United States, could significantly raise prices for consumers.

The levies could hurt European automakers when the industry is already struggling, especially in Germany, Europe’s biggest economy.

Japanese automakers, initially optimistic about some of President Trump’s policies, are reckoning with potentially devastating U.S. taxes on foreign-made cars.

The city-state, where it costs up to $84,000 just for the right to own a car, is one of the most expensive places to drive. That is by design.

More than 80 Teslas were damaged in Hamilton, Ontario, the police said, amid other acts of vandalism against the company owned by Elon Musk.

The recall of about 46,000 vehicles includes all models that were manufactured from November 2023, when the Cybertruck was first produced, through February.

President Trump says the tariffs will encourage investment in U.S. factories, but analysts say car buyers will have to pay thousands more.

President Trump’s approach to tariffs has unsettled many corporate leaders who believed he would use the levies as a negotiating tool. As it turns out, he sees them as an end in themselves.

He was know for modifying cars with innovative metal work and paint jobs, and for building vehicles like the Galileo shuttle for the original “Star Trek” series.

President Trump rallied support for Elon Musk’s car company, but there may not be enough conservatives willing to buy electric cars to make up for the Democrats who now shun Teslas.

None have ever won F1’s Australian Grand Prix. The Aussies Oscar Piastri of McLaren and Jack Doohan of Alpine hope to change that.

The Australian city hosted the first race of the year for most of the last three decades before the Covid-19 pandemic. Now it’s back.

Welcome to nirvana for car enthusiasts. You have just entered the online home of the world's oldest car magazine, and the only place on the internet where you can find Autocar's unique mix of up-to-the-minute news, red hot car reviews, conclusive road test verdicts, and a lot more besides.

Korean brand could make touchscreen smaller and easier to use too, in safety push

Hyundai will launch its next generation interior next year - and bosses promise to keep physical buttons.

The move, confirmed to Autocar by vice president of design Simon Loasby at the Seoul motor show, could also result in the size of the infotainment display being reduced and the software for the touchscreen made simpler in an effort to improve safety.

It follows the likes of Volkswagen which last month promised a return to a more analogue cabin.

“Our vision for our next generation interiors are [to design] the safest way is to keep the driver’s eyes on the road as much as possible,” he said.

“With this philosophy in mind, we quite quickly realised that the central screen is actually just a distraction. So  [in terms of safety] you really don’t want people to look at the screen, you want them to look at eye level.

“So our philosophy is to keep the eyes on the road and keep your hands on the wheel, and then you could very quickly look at what are your frequent use interactions - there aren’t many… but you want them to stay as physical buttons because those are things I want to adjust without looking away.”

He added: “It is all about the philosophy of calmness. The technology is there, but it is not shouting at us, but the architecture is keeping the driving experience safe.

“So we will have a balance of physical buttons but the display [will be there too] because it gives you the extra layers you can go in to.”

Hyundai design boss Luc Donckerwolke added that finding the correct screen size - and making them usable - would also be a key part of the next generation cabins.

“It is always a part of the balance between having the right screen that provides you with the information in a size that allows you to concentrate on driving,” he said.

“At the same time we have to make sure the screens are not forcing you to go into a sub menus for operations that only required buttons before. So it’s always not overkilling it. If you rely only on screens you are tending to go away from the fact to have the hands on the steering wheel and the eyes on the road, which is, for me, the most important factor of security safety.”

He added that while “we all have a love for analogue interaction”, screens “are ideal because you save a lot of tooling by only having the screen”.

More generally he said the car industry as a whole “will see a return of the analogue and reduction of screens” in the next “one or two generations” of models.

Loadsby also mentioned that thought was going into how the interiors of N badged cars would be laid out.

“When it comes to N, we put more on the steering wheel because, if I’ve got gloves on, I can’t use the touchscreen,” he said.

New front end comprises diamond-shaped grille, thinner headlights and tooth-like running lights

Tweaks to three-year-old, hybrid-powered family SUV are aimed at reducing interior noise

The Renault Austral has been updated three years after its launch to bring it into line with its newer stablemates.

Chief among the changes is a sharp new look inspired by the new Rafale coupé-SUV, with trapezoidal headlights, a larger, diamond-patterned front grille and new tooth-like daytime running lights.

At the rear end, the ‘E’ badging after the Austral name on the bootlid has been removed and the Renault logo no longer protrudes from the surface of the car. 

Inside, it gets thicker bolstering on the front seats, which in entry-level Techno trim are upholstered in fabric made from 98% recycled materials.

It retains the existing car’s digital dashboard set-up, comprising a 12.3in instrument panel and a 12in infotainment touchscreen.

As before, the latter has Google Play functionality built in, offering more than 50 downloadable apps, as well as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring.

The new Austral has also been fitted with revised engine mounts, more soundproofing under its bonnet and reworked door seals, which are said to improve refinement.

Meanwhile, the dampers have been upgraded to provide a flatter ride around bends.

The updated Austral will be offered with a sole powertrain in the UK: a 197bhp hybrid system comprising a turbocharged 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine, a clutchless five-speed automatic gearbox and two electric motors.

This allows the 1612kg mid-sized SUV to complete the 0-62mph dash in 8.4sec and officially yields 60.1mpg.

A range of ADAS mandated by the European Union’s GSR2 safety regulations have been added, but there's a My Safety button on the dashboard that allows them to be set to the driver’s preference conveniently.

Prices are expected to rise slightly from those of the current Austral, which starts at £34,695.

X Gran Coupé and X Gran Convertible are spawned from G90 flagship and feature unique design elements

Two striking new Genesis concepts spawned from the Korean luxury brand’s G90 flagship showcase its “new chapter”.

Unveiled at the Seoul motor show, the X Gran Coupé and X Gran Convertible have been created to “demonstrate the brand’s future position” and arrive 10 years after it was spun out of Hyundai.

Given that both concepts clearly resemble the donor limousine (such as with the classic twin-lightbar design up front and at the back), they suggest possible intentions from the Korean brand to expand its line-up with niche model derivatives.

What’s more, features such as the frameless windows, pillarless doors and the extensive use of quilted materials inside appear near-production ready, also suggesting the cars are showcasing elements that will trickle down to road cars.

The pair build on the trio of two-door X Concepts that Genesis revealed in 2021 and 2022, in what is described by Genesis as a way to “express the brand’s facets of exclusive sportiness and luxurious elegance”.

That luxury positioning is taken a step further here. For example, both new concepts are littered with crystals across the steering wheel, centre console and air vents that when hit by sunlight “create captivating displays”.

The convertible in particular is presented in a way to “capture the spirit of fine wines”, with an exterior colour that represents pressed grapes and an interior that “echoes the deep, rich hues of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes from the Livorno region of Italy”.

This luxury positioning can also be seen from the aluminium-spoked steering wheel, screens that are embedded into the rear of the front seats and the use of microperforated olive wood.

No details have been given of what lies underneath, but if they were production cars launching today, they would likely adopt the same 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine as the G90 (available as a 409bhp mild-hybrid in top-rung guise). 

The G90 - currently only sold in Germany and Switzerland in Europe – isn't offered as an electric car and no plans to electrify it have been announced.

Genesis recently rolled back on plans to go electric-only and instead will bolster its global line-up with hybrids.

Muñoz, who took over as head of Hyundai in January, was mobbed by reporters at the Seoul motor show

The US is a “very, very important market” for the brand, said José Muñoz, making up 20% of its total sales

Hyundai boss José Muñoz has promised to “not raise prices” and instead swallow new 25% US import tariffs that have come into effect.

Speaking at the Seoul motor show in Korea, the Spaniard confirmed that while the brand was “still assessing” the announcement, it would not impact customers.

The US is a “very, very important market” for the brand, Munoz said. Last year 20% of its 4.14m sales were made in the States. 

“We saw the announcement earlier this morning [in Korea]. It was not a surprise. We are not looking at it in the shorter term but instead in the longer term.”

He added: "We need to offer a competitive product. We are not going to increase prices.”

His comments follow the news late on 2 April that, despite threats of retaliation and inter-governmental talks, president Donald Trump would push through with a new 25% import tariff on all non-US made cars. An identical levy on car parts would follow in the future.

The car maker currently imports around half of the cars it sells in the US with most of its models in its  home market of Korea, but has a number of other plants across the world.

The Tuscon, its best seller in the US, for example is made for the US market in Alabama. The plant also builds local market Elantra, Sonata, Santa Fe, and Santa Cruz models. Whilst Hyundai will avoid import taxes on these cars, levies on parts will likely impact the Korean firm.

Such is the importance of the market, the car maker last year announced plans to pump £16 billion into its US operations to increase its vehicle production in the country, including a new steel manufacturing plant. This was part of a wider effort to spread production globally.

As well as aggressive aero set-up, the new N car swaps a Hyundai badge for model-specific branding

Electric saloon’s transformation into BMW M3 alternative brings twin spoilers and big power boost

Hyundai has released the first image of its new Ioniq 6 N performance saloon ahead of a full unveiling later this summer.

Tucked in the background of a picture showing the new look of the regular Ioniq 6, it reveals the hot saloon has twin rear spoilers: a prominent duck-tail protruding from the leading edge of the boot plus a large wing mounted higher on the hatch.

It also gets a chunky diffuser that draws on that fitted to the extreme RN22e concept car.

Although Hyundai has yet to show the front end of the new Ioniq 6 N, it's likely to draw on the sporty new N Line variant of the saloon, with additions such as prominent colour-constrasting strakes in its front grille.

The changes are intended to “maintain aerodynamic performance while achieving a smoother, more refined silhouette”, Hyundai said.

Inside, the Ioniq 6 N is expected to borrow key components from the Ioniq 5 N crossover, such as its three-spoke steering wheel with N-specific drive-mode buttons, as well as its more supportive front bucket seats.

Power is most likely to come from the same 641bhp dual-motor powertrain used by the Ioniq 5 N.

This is capable of replicating the power delivery of an internal combustion engine mated to a dual-clutch sequential gearbox, complete with shift paddles for simulated gears.

It’s possible that Hyundai will turn up the wick on this set-up for the Ioniq 6 N, but a 0-62mph time of 3.4sec (as in the Ioniq 5 N) would put the saloon on a par with ICE mainstays such as the BMW M3.

The Ioniq 5 N also packs an 84.0kWh battery that officially yields a range of 278 miles, although it’s likely that the more aerodynamic Ioniq 6 N will boost this nearer to the 300-mile mark.

The hot saloon will be unveiled at July, Hyundai confirmed, suggesting it could make its debut at that month's Goodwood Festival of Speed.

It's therefore likely to arrive in UK showrooms this winter. Prices are predicted to start just south of £70,000.

New Nexo is distinguished from Hyundai's battery-powered EVs by certain styling cues...

Second-generation fuel-cell SUV gets more power, more range and more practicality, plus distinct look

Hyundai has reaffirmed its commitment to hydrogen-powered cars, revealing the second generation of its Nexo fuel-cell SUV.

Based on the Initium concept car shown last year, it introduces a new design language dubbed Art of Steel, which will distinguish the brand’s future FCEVs from their battery-electric and combustion-engined counterparts.

Details reserved for Hyundai’s new hydrogen cars include the new Nexo’s grid-shaped “H-two” front and rear lights, as well as H-shaped surfaces on the front and rear bumpers. The latter are finished in a flat silver shade, highlighting them against the colour of the car’s flat-black body cladding.

As well as looking radically different to its predecessor, the new Nexo is a longer, taller and wider car, repositioning it as an alternative to battery-powered EVs such as the BMW iX3 and Tesla Model Y.

Hyundai said this – combined with a slimmer seat design – means there is now room for second-row passengers in every sense, from headroom down to legroom.

The Nexo also receives the same ‘connected cockpit’ dashboard as the Ioniq 5 featuring a pair of 12.3in displays: one for instrumentation, and the other an infotainment touchscreen. To boot, the car’s traditional mirrors are replaced with cameras (displayed on large screens on either flank of the dashboard).

Under the skin, the second-generation Nexo brings a completely reworked powertrain. Its fuel cell stack’s electrical output has been increased by 16%, to 110kW. Hyundai said it is also more durable and operates over a wider range of temperatures. Meanwhile, the battery’s maximum output has doubled, now delivering up to 80kW.

Such developments allowed the fitment of a 201bhp electric motor, significantly punchier than the previous car’s 161bhp unit. This cuts its 0-62mph sprint time down from 9.2sec to 7.8sec.

In addition, the car’s hydrogen tank capacity has grown from 6.33kg to 6.69kg which, in combination with the new and more efficient powertrain, boosts its range to more than 435 miles per fill-up.

There is also vehicle-to-load capacity, allowing the Nexo to connect to external devices and effectively act as a hydrogen-powered generator.

Hyundai said the new car is due to come to “global markets this year”, but it has yet to commit to offering it in the UK. Autocar understands it sold fewer than 50 examples of that car here between 2019 and 2022, and the nation’s filling infrastructure has thinned significantly since then. According to UK H2 Mobility, there are currently four hydrogen filling stations for light vehicles across the entire UK.

However, previous CEO Jaehoon Chang (now vice-chair of the Hyundai Motor Group) said last year that hydrogen cars were a “chicken and egg” issue, on which the brand planned to lead the charge. 

This suggests the car could be offered in the UK in spite of low sales and weak infrastructure.

Early facelift for Hyundai's sleek electric saloon, taking influence from wild RN22e track concept

The Hyundai Ioniq 6 has lost its prominent ducktail rear wing and gained a sporty new N Line variant as part of an early facelift.

Less than three years after it was revealed, the rakish electric saloon has been redesigned with influence from 2022's race-inspired RN22e concept car, which itself previewed the hot Ioniq 6 N, due to be revealed this summer.

Revealed at the Seoul motor show in Korea, the new Ioniq 6 is said to feature "more refined curves and enhanced proportions for a sleek and beautifully balanced silhouette".

In keeping with its billing as what Hyundai calls an "electric streamliner", its swooping, wind-cheating proportions are broadly unchanged, but the bonnet's profile has been raised and now leads into a sharper, "shark-nose" front end with a prominent splitter that "appears to slice through the air".

Meanwhile, the headlights have been swapped for much slimmer LED items with a pixel motif – matching the newer Ioniq 9 SUV – and the lower body is now finished in black to emphasise the car's aerodynamically optimised silhouette. 

The rear end has been heavily reworked too, with the addition of a chrome-trimmed rear bumper and the removal of the prominent ducktail rear wing in favour of a subtler extended boot lip designed to "maintain aerodynamic performance while achieving a smoother, more refined silhouette".

Changes to the cabin are more subtle, but there's a lightly redesigned steering wheel, as seen in the Ioniq 9, and the centre console controls have been rearranged to improve ease of use. New door trim materials and a larger climate control display round off the updates.

Joining the range as part of this facelift is the Ioniq 6 N Line, which takes styling influence from Hyundai's N performance cars and is marked out by its more aggressive front end, sports-style wheels and contrasting black details. 

Technically, the Ioniq 6 is unchanged, keeping a 77.4kWh battery and either a 225bhp rear motor or a 321bhp dual-motor set-up. 

Maximum range was 339 miles, but it's unclear whether the design tweaks have impacted this. Charging speeds max out at 233kW.

Hyundai hasn't yet given any indication of a UK launch date for the new-look Ioniq 6, nor any word on pricing, but it's expected in showrooms in the next few months at a small premium over the current £47,000.

Exterior styling from concept (pictured) isn't set to change dramatically for production car

Revived sports coupé will be launched in 2026 with new S+ Shift system and hybrid powertrain

The new Honda Prelude hybrid sports coupé has now been shown in full, following the unveiling of its interior.

It draws heavily on the Civic hatchback on which it's based, borrowing that car's 9.0in infotainment touchscreen, digital instrument display and climate control switchgear.

However, several key changes reflect its sportier positioning. The steering wheel has a rally-style line stitched into the straightahead and there are bucket seats up front – more thickly bolstered for the driver than the passenger.

There's also an S+ button on the centre console that activates the car's simulated gearbox – a key part of Honda's effort to ensure the Prelude offers driving thrills using the same 181bhp 2.0-litre e:HEV hybrid system as the Civic.

The new system is claimed to "simulate the sound and feel of quick automatic gearchanges".

Honda Europe's senior vice-president, Hans De Jaeger, said this will "not only deliver exceptional efficiency but also the fun-to-drive performance for which this model is known".

The e:HEV system primarily uses an electric motor to propel the wheels, and while the petrol engine can drive the wheels directly at higher speeds, it serves largely as a generator to charge the battery. This removes the need for traditional gearing.

The new S+ Shift system builds on the Linear Shift Control system applied to Honda's current e:HEV hybrid models.

The firm said it will have the ability to maintain the "optimal engine RPM for the particular driving conditions" and fully utilise power generated by the engine as driving force, rather than to charge the motor. That in turn will improve the response time of the motor.

With the S+ Shift activated, drivers can then shift gears using paddles, which will offer a "sharp upshift feeling, providing feedback that resonates with all of the driver's senses". Quick gearshifts will be enabled by the coordination between the engine and electric motor.

The system will also work with Honda's Active Sound Control system to "enhance engine sound quality" by playing engine sound in sync with the engine's RPM through the speakers, which Honda claimed will "stimulate all of the driver's senses". 

The S+ Shift name references the "sports spirit" of Honda models including the S600, S2000 and Type S.

The system is likely to serve in a similar fashion to the one on the electric Hyundai Ioniq 5 N.

Last year, Prelude project leader Tomoyuki Yamagami told Autocar: "When you're in charge of developing the Prelude, you understand everyone has a lot of expectations of a coupé."

Honda has previously offered a traditional manual gearbox on the Civic and Insight hybrids, although it was connected to an earlier, more conventional hybrid powertrain.

Vision Rapida is around the same size as '90s icons such as the Mk4 Toyota Supra

Turinese university students collaborate with Italdesign to create affordable sports car for Generation Z

Italdesign and the Istituto Europeo di Design (IED) of Turin have revealed the Vision Rapida concept, a sports car conceived to appeal to Generation Z.

A fastback measuring 4.51m long, 1.86m wide and 1.28m high, the concept car draws on the legendary Japanese sports cars of the 1990s held in high regard by the youth of today.

Indeed, its dimensions make it a close match for the Mk4 Toyota Supra and R34 Nissan Skyline GT-R.

According to IED, it was shaped to improve aerodynamic performance and remove “stylistic excesses” while also ensuring it was usable as a main car. For example, the fastback rear section was chosen to improve boot space.

Inside, it adopts a 2+2 layout with a centre console and a fighter jet-style dashboard that wraps around the driver, as was en vogue during the 1990s.

Unlike the cars from which it takes inspiration, however, it has a minimalist control set-up that appears to rely primarily on a large infotainment touchscreen, rather than physical switchgear.

It also majors on sustainable materials, taking inspiration from streetwear and manga (Japanese graphic novels).

IED added that the car has been designed to suit a number of different brands, with “a clear identity but no constraints”, as well as the ability to host internal-combustion, hybrid and battery-electric powertrains.

“The students of IED's master course in transportation design wanted a car that reflected their values and dreams,” said Dario Lauriola, Italdesign exterior designer and IED tutor. "With [the] Rapida, they wanted to respond to the lack of those small sports cars that offered young people fun and affordable driving experiences in the 1990s.”

You can keep your GTIs and Clubsports, the entry-level Golf is everything you need and nothing you don't

In traditionally distracting fashion, a recent meandering office chat turned to the thorny subject of the best-ever Volkswagen Golf.

A shortlist was duly assembled and it was understandably filled with performance versions spanning the generations: GTIs, Rs, R32s, 16vs, Clubsports et al. Heck, I think someone pushed for the W12-650.

It was a fine list and sparked plenty of debate, although clearly the correct answer is the Mk7.5 GTI. Thanks, no further questions.

But in celebrating the fastest, funnest Golf models to drive, I reckon something is lost. Because regardless of the generation, when it comes to value for money, all-round usability and general agreeability, in my mind the best Golf, the Golfiest Golf, is usually the bog-standard one.

An example might help. A few years back, I ran a pair of Golf Mk8s back to back on our long-term test fleet: an entry-level Life TSI followed by a GTI.

Undoubtedly, the GTI looked sharper outside, was plusher inside (you’ve got to love a bit of tartan) and, on the right road, was sharper and more entertaining. So, overall, which did I enjoy more? Of course it was the entry-level one.

For everyday driving, it was just easier to live with and more relaxing to drive and did pretty much everything you could reasonably want from it, without any real compromise.

The ride was soft enough to tackle any bumps, it was still plenty comfy inside, there was all the kit you needed, it was pleasantly fun to drive and cheaper to buy and run and I was less worried about dinging the alloys.

And it did all that, like its boggo predecessors did over seven previous generations, with absolutely no fuss.

In similar fashion, you do make judgements about other motorists based on what car they drive. But I reckon it’s impossible to think ill of someone for driving a standard Golf. It’s the absolute sweet spot in the car market: you don’t look at a Golf driver and think they’ve paid for badge prestige, but nor do you think they don’t know or care about cars.

You don’t question why they’ve bought a big SUV that doesn’t fit down their street. Instead, you think: “There’s a person who’s bought all the car they need and nothing they don’t.”

Truly, the bog-standard, entry-level Golf is the baby bear’s porridge of the car world: not too hot, not too cold, just about right. And that’s not just in terms of the Volkswagen line-up but the whole car industry. 

For the past 50 years, if you’ve wanted a car that will do everything well and rarely let you down, the default choice has been a Golf – and not just any Golf but the entry-level one.

Prices for the revised line-up range from £84,990 to £139,990

Realignment of EV model lines brings more choice, with new value-focused grades

Lotus has introduced a new range of trim levels for its Eletre and Emeya EVs, cutting their starting prices by £5760.

The entry-level Emeya and Eletre models – renamed ‘600’ in a reference to their 603bhp power outputs – now start at £84,990.

Meanwhile, the 905bhp R versions of both cars have been renamed 900 and the mid-rung S variants have been replaced by a more segmented range of trim levels.

Sitting above the base 600 is the 600 GT, priced from £89,990. It adds 22in alloy wheels, six-pot brake calipers and Highway Assist, which adds lane centring to the cars’ adaptive cruise control systems.

The next grade up, GT SE, gets a 23-speaker KEF sound system, light-level adjustability for the panoramic glass roof and configurable ambient interior lighting. It starts at £94,990.

For £104,990, Sport SE brings the Dynamic Handling pack, adding four-wheel steering and active anti-roll bars, as well as massaging and ventilated front seats.

The 900 Sport – the cheaper of two grades with the full 905bhp and other goodies such as an active rear spoiler and fabric seats – starts at £129,990.

The range-topping 900 Sport Carbon adds the exterior and interior carbonfibre packs. On the Emeya, it also brings a lighter bonnet and an active rear diffuser. This costs £139,990.

Both the Emeya and Eletre remain the same under the skin, which means the saloon offers ranges of up to 379 miles and the SUV up to 373 miles.

Deliveries of the new variants will begin this summer.

President claims new levy on all cars and car parts shipped into US will create "tremendous growth"

Tariffs of 25% on all foreign-made cars imported into the US, including from the UK, will go live overnight on 2 April, president Donald Trump has announced. An identical levy on car parts will begin in the coming months.

The news comes as a blow to UK car makers after “intense negotiations” between government officials from both nations have been unable to overturn or even lower the levy before the deadline.

Trade body the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) called the decision "another challenge" for a sector facing headwinds, adding that the cost "cannot be absorbed by manufacturers" so US buyers will be left to pick up the bill.

What's more, the president announced an additional 10% levy for all UK-made goods (the "minimum baseline"), which the SMMT called a "disappointing and potentially damaging measure" as it will impact other automotive products, it says.

Confirming the tariffs during a presentation at the Oval Office on 1 April, on what he has dubbed "Liberation Day", Trump said the decision was made because of the imbalance of US-made car sales in other markets which has "decimated" US industries. "Ford sells very little" outside of the US, he claimed.

He noted that the new levy will allows for a better market for US-made cars, pointing to South Korea where 80% of domestic-made cars are sold in South Korea, and to Japan where more than 90% of Japanese-made cars are sold.

Trump previously claimed that while the tariffs are bad news for companies that export foreign-built vehicles to the US, the move would lead to "tremendous growth" for the US automotive industry, adding that it would create more investment for US-based car makers and therefore more jobs.

Around eight million cars were imported into the US last year, around half the total sold in the market. Mexico will be the country hit hardest by the new levy. Car makers with production facilities in Mexico include BMW, Ford, Nissan, Volkswagen and Toyota. The US's other top importers are Canada, Germany, Japan and South Korea.

Trump confirmed that the new laws were "permanent", quashing any notion that they would be reversed. But he stated that "if you build your car in the United States, there is no tariff".

The likes of BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen already have plants in the US, building key models for both the US and other global markets. BMW's Spartanburg plant in South Carolina, for example, builds the X3, X4, X5, X6, X7 and XM. It will be affected, though, because it builds and imports the 3 Series from Mexico for the US market.

Some car firms have announced investment to expand or open new US facilities in recent months in an effort to spread production globally and avoid tariffs. The Hyundai Motor Group, for example, has invested more than £16 billion to increase its vehicle production in the country, including a new steel manufacturing plant.

The news will come as a big blow to the likes of JLR, for which the US is its biggest market with firm recording big increases in Range Rover and Defender sales in recent years. Mini, too, will be hit, given its models are made in the UK and China.

Other car makers targeting the US that don't have factories across the Atlantic include Cupra – although its models could be manufactured at other Volkswagen Group facilities in the US – and Lotus.

However, the move could also affect domestic US car makers and firms that currently manufacture vehicles there. GM, for example, manufactures a number of vehicles and car parts in Canada, China and Mexico that it then imports into the US, and those vehicles and parts would be hit by the tariffs.

This new tariff is the latest in a wave of levies introduced by Trump since he took office for the second time. He said he wants to protect businesses and manufacturers in the US.

Rowan was a key driver behind Volvo's push for software-defined vehicles

Sources confirm to Autocar that Jim Rowan was pushed out, sending shockwaves through the industry

Of all the recent CEO swaps, Volvo dropping Jim Rowan in favour of his predecessor Håkan Samuelsson provoked the most puzzled response among car industry watchers.

“It’s the biggest surprise of all the changes,” said former Nissan and Aston Martin senior executive Andy Palmer. “In my mind, he was doing great.”

Volvo hasn’t officially confirmed the reason for Rowan’s departure, but two separate sources have confirmed to Autocar that he was pushed out. “It was quick and a surprise,” said another.

The case for replacing Rowan was, on the face of it, thin. The former Dyson CEO has overseen one of the most successful periods in Volvo’s history.

Last year, the Geely-owned Swedish company posted a record breaking profit of SEK 27 billion (£2.1bn) on a decent margin of 6.8%. Sales were also at a record high, at 763,389, up 8% on the year before.

Volvo has successfully navigated the push into electric cars, with EVs accounting for almost a quarter of its sales last year and the electrified share including plug-in hybrids hitting 46%. 

Rowan highlighted these figures during the company’s annual results call in February to make the point that it's possible to execute electrification while continuing to make money.

Since joining Volvo in 2022, Rowan plugged away at the transformation his consumer electronics background prepped him for: deliver the digital overhaul demanded by both shareholders and consumers in Volvo’s single largest market of China. He was also convinced by the need to continue the shift to electrification started by Samuelsson.

“I’m flabbergasted sometimes by a lot of our competitors who still want to push for internal combustion engines,” Rowan told Autocar in a recent interview. The money might be good now, but not making the switch early enough is an extinction-level mistake, he said.

Volvo has been forced to roll back its all-EV plan for 2030 on the back of slowing demand in the US, its second largest single market, but is persisting with the SPA3 EV platform that will spawn an electric version of its global best-seller, the XC60 SUV, in 2026.

However, Rowan acknowledged on that February call that he was staring down the barrel of a much tougher 12 months. “2025 will be a very challenging year for the industry as a whole and also for Volvo Cars,” he said.

Reading the transcript back, it’s possible to believe the Brit had a premonition of what was to come and was pleading for more time to carry out his planned overhaul. “This game is not going to be won in '24 or even '25 or even '26,” he said. “We must not sacrifice the future on the altar of the present.”

The scale of the challenge was starting to be revealed in 2024. While Volvo sales in Europe were up an impressive 25% in Europe, helped by the new EX30 small electric SUV, demand fell 8% in China and 3% in the US.

Volvo may be owned by a Chinese company, but that’s not helping it navigate a consumer shift away from global car makers toward more agile and tech-savvy local firms in the world’s biggest car market.

Another black mark against Rowan was Volvo’s declining share price, down 50% in the last 12 months. Installing a leader from a globally successful consumer tech company was supposed to transfer some of that world’s sparkledust onto a successful but outwardly staid company. 

Meanwhile, the Swedish pines surrounding Volvo’s Gothenburg headquarters went from gently swaying in global headwinds to bending backwards.

The storm with the potential to deliver the biggest damage is new US president Donald Trump’s announcement that he will impose 25% tariffs on all cars imported into the US not covered by the Mexico-US-Canada free trade area. That starts today (2 April) and hits all Volvo models sold in the US bar the new EX90 electric SUV, which is built in the company’s plant in Charleston, South Carolina. 

Investors were warned on a call on 27 March that revenues were going to be down in the first quarter. That plus the tariffs and the “sudden recall” of Samuelsson “suggests Volvo Cars is stepping up crisis management to protect liquidity”, wrote Philippe Houchois, analyst at the bank Jefferies, in a note to investors.

Samuelsson is well known to Geely and its boss Li Shufu as a trusted and thrifty steward from his 10 years heading Volvo.

His decision in 2013 to dump six-cylinder engines and switch top-end models to PHEV drivetrains was both frugal and prophetic – two properties most valued by car companies right now.

Samuelsson, now 74, has to steady the ship during the two years he has signed up for as Volvo’s top executive.

That won’t be easy. Volvo’s global range of premium cars is being asked to appeal across three regions with increasingly divergent political demands and consumer desires. 

Volvo, along with most of its peers, bet too long on EV demand and is now having to row back and lengthen its development of ICE models. 

The company is too small to hedge its bets in the way that BMW and Mercedes-Benz can.

Rowan is probably right that it needs to persist in rolling out new technology such as the Superset software stack and not “sacrifice the future on the altar of the present”.

Unfortunately, the first sacrifice was Rowan himself. Said Palmer: “I guess in times of turbulence, there’s a tendency to go for a steady hand rather than the change agent.”

Mild-hybrid set-up is claimed to cut CO2 emissions by 10% compared with the regular petrol engine

New version of compact crossover undercuts rival Renault Clio E-Tech and packs 108bhp

The new Citroën C3 Hybrid has gone on sale in the UK, priced from £20,115.

A rival for the £21,895 Renault Clio E-Tech, the new variant of the C3 uses a fresh development of Citroën parent company Stellantis’s widely used 48V mild-hybrid powertrain.

This comprises a turbocharged 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine, a single electric motor and a six-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox.

The set-up has previously been offered with an output of 134bhp in cars such as the Alfa Romeo Junior, Peugeot 208 and Vauxhall Corsa, but in the C3 it makes a combined 108bhp and 151lb ft. This yields a 0-62mph dash time of 10.1sec and a top speed of 120mph.

The set-up is designed to lean on the electric motor at low speeds, such as in stop-start traffic. Citroën claimed that, in such scenarios, it can run under electric power for up to half the time.

The company added that, in broader use, the set-up emits 10% less CO2 than the C3’s 99bhp petrol engine, which receives no electrical assistance.

The C3 Hybrid officially emits 114g/km of CO2, putting it in the 28% benefit-in-kind tax band for 2025/26, and achieves 56.5mpg.

For reference, the 99bhp petrol C3 is priced from £17,790, and is rated at 52mpg and 128g/km.

Two trim levels will be offered. Plus gets kit such as LED headlights, a 10.25in infotainment touchscreen and rear parking sensors. Max, priced from £21,815, adds conveniences such as climate control, heating for the front seats and steering wheel and a reversing camera.

Key to Omoda 9's long electric range is a new 34.4kWh battery from CATL

Cut-price rival for BMW X3 and Volvo XC60 will crown Omoda's UK line-up

New Chinese marque Omoda has launched the 9 as its flagship model for the UK.

Priced from £44,990 and due to land in showrooms from May, the plug-in hybrid is positioned to undercut rivals in the premium family SUV segment such as the BMW X3, Lexus NX and Volvo XC60.

The 9 is powered by a 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine and two electric motors (one per axle), which combine to send 443bhp and 516lb ft of torque through all four wheels via a three-speed automatic gearbox.

The motors draw energy from a new 34.4kWh battery from Chinese giant CATL. Claimed to be some 20% more energy-dense than a comparable lithium-iron-phosphate battery, it offers 93 miles of electric-only driving. It can be charged at rates of up to 70kW.

Omoda said it prioritised refinement in the development of the 9, the SUV being shod with “acoustically optimised” Michelin tyres and fitted with double-glazed windows.

It also rides on magnetorheological dampers and gets six drive modes (Eco, Normal, Sport, Mud, Snow and Off-road).

Inside, the dashboard is dominated by a single-piece 24.6in display, split into an infotainment touchscreen and an instrument panel of equal size.

There are physical switches and knobs for regularly used functions such as the climate control, and all four main seats are heated and ventilated.

The 9 will be offered with a seven-year, 100,000-mile warranty, with no mileage limit on the first three years. Its battery is warranted separately for eight years.

The new flagship will be joined later this year by the other bookend in the range, the yet-to-be-revealed Omoda 3.

This will be a B-segment SUV to rival the Nissan Juke, understood by Autocar to be priced at less than £20,000. The 7, a Hyundai Tucson and Toyota RAV4 rival, will follow.

Leapmotor B10 SUV will join T03, C10 and C10 REEV in the UK this year

New Chinese company, part-owned by giant Stellantis, wants to be the "best-value EV brand"

Leapmotor will have six cars in its UK line-up by 2027 as it looks to solidify its place as the latest Chinese electric car maker cutting through here.

The firm, whose international business is 51% owned by global giant Stellantis, already sells a Dacia Spring rival, the T03, and has just launched the C10 large SUV. A range-extender version will arrive at the end of the year.

The B10, an Alfa Romeo Tonale-sized SUV, will come shortly after. There will also be a smaller B-segment SUV and two more vehicles that aren’t SUVs, one B-segment and one C-segment. It isn't yet clear which bodystyles these two will take.

Leapmotor may also introduce its REx technology in some of those models but will await reaction to its application in the C10 REEV first.

Leapmotor UK boss Damien Dally said the brand's goal is to be “the best-value EV brand with the highest level of technology", describing it as "a tech firm which makes cars”.

While not detailing any specific growth plans, Dally described Leapmotor as a long-term project but acknowledged that in the short term it would help the Stellantis group reach its ZEV mandate target by being a predominantly electric brand.

Currently there are 44 Leapmotor dealers at existing Stellantis brand sites, and by the end of the year the brand intends to have around 75, which would put it on the same scale as Fiat (also part of Stellantis) in the UK.

The T03 is the only Leapmotor model currently built in Europe (specifically Poland) – a move that was made in an impressively short space of time, as a result of Stellantis’s existing set-up on the continent.

Dally said it was “likely that other cars will be made in Europe beyond the T03”, given Stellantis’s existing large-scale infrastructure and the benefit of avoiding EU import tariffs on Chinese EVs.

This week Steve Cropley asks Matt Prior what engine he's carrying in the boot of his car, and why.

On this week's My Week In Cars podcast Matt Prior arrives on the scene with an engine in the boot of his car. Steve Cropley talks the 'spirit of MG' artwork, why you can feel elements of carmakers in someone else's cars, and more besides, including your correspondence.

Make sure you never miss an Autocar podcast. Subscribe to our podcasts via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Podcasts or via your preferred podcast platform. And if you subscribe, rate and review the pod, we'd really appreciate that too.

It's more raised sports estate than true SUV, so is this Ferrari the market's best tall car to drive? Ah, the Ferrari Purosangue. An SUV. The first Ferrari SUV, no less. But also, according to its maker, absolutely not an SUV. You can see why Ferrari would get a bit cagey about the the semantics. Not too long ago, its CEO swore blind there would never be an SUV from Maranello, and yet the Purosangue – though rakish, V12-fired and as dramatic to behold on the road as any other front-engined Ferrari you care to mention – has four-wheel drive and a raised ride height. It's an SUV, in short, and with it Ferrari finally falls into line with Porsche, Aston Martin, Bentley and even Lamborghini.But don't we roll your eyes at this point. Never mind the 6.5-litre, naturally aspirated engine: the Purosangue also has truly active suspension, with each damper controlled by an electrically powered gear assembly. Such technology (eye-wateringly expensive, word has it) promises to bring about handling poise and accuracy the traditional super-SUV has never before known. This is also a decently practical car, if you can get comfortable with its considerable width. And soul? Well, we're about to find out just how much of that the Purosangue has.

Prices for the updated Long Range Corsa start at £28,900

Revised battery chemistry and motor improve Long Range version to 266 miles between charges

The Long Range version of the Vauxhall Corsa Electric has received an update that increases its range by 14 miles.

Vauxhall attributed the gain to improved cell chemistry in the nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) battery and revisions to the electric car’s motor reducing energy consumption.

This means the Long Range variant is officially capable of driving 266 miles between charges, compared with 252 miles previously.

For reference, the rival Renault 5 gets 252 miles from a larger 52kWh battery, while the new Hyundai Inster’s 49kWh pack yields 229 miles.

The updated Corsa Electric is also distinguished by the inclusion of vehicle-to-load (V2L) capabilities, meaning the car’s battery can power external devices at up to 3.6kW and 16A.

This is enabled by using the car’s charging cable with a bespoke V2L 'gun' that will be sold by Vauxhall dealers.

Given the Corsa Electric is closely related to the Peugeot e-208, that car is expected to receive the same set of upgrades in the coming months.

Prices for the updated Corsa Electric Long Range will start at £28,900 – £1395 more than the unchanged regular version (134bhp, 221-mile range).

Deliveries will begin in May.

At the same time as introducing the revised Corsa Electric, Vauxhall has increased prices across the rest of the model range.

The regular Corsa Electric in Yes trim has gone up by £675 to £27,505. The regular Design and GS models have increased by £500. And the Long Range GS and both Ultimate models are £725 more than previously.

Practical electric hatchback and saloon duo offer good value for money – but is it likeable? As the various brands of the Stellantis juggernaut try to find their place and identity, Citroën appears to be morphing into French Skoda, and the Citroën ë-C4 (an electric Citroën C4) is one of the best examples of that.Years ago, that Skoda comparison would have been an insult, but it certainly isn’t today. Skoda takes shared mechanicals and manages to make them just that bit easier to use, less pretentious and more practical.The ë-C4 attempts a similar trick, taking the basis of a small car and building a bigger but cheaper one on top. So the ë-C4 has the same e-CMP platform as the Peugeot e-208 and is priced in line with it but is the size of the Peugeot e-308.Citroën has just given it quite a comprehensive visual update to keep the family resemblance with the ë-C3 and to keep it fresh in a field with plenty of attractively priced alternatives like the Renault 5, upcoming Renault 4, MG 4 EV and Kia EV3.There's also a slightly weird saloon version of the ë-C4 called the ë-C4 X. It’s mechanically identical, so we will briefly touch on the differences where relevant.

Chinese newcomer adds a petrol generator to its electric large SUV. Is it a harbinger or a curio? "What’s it called? Leapfrog?" said a friend when the new Leapmotor C10 REEV was mentioned. But all unknown brands have to start somewhere, and Chinese firm Leapmotor’s joint venture with Stellantis - the highly respected automotive firm with 14 marques under its umbrella - is as strong as case as there ever was for it to succeed in the tricky European market.Already on sale here is the budget T03 electric hatchback, which stands up admirably against competitors such as the Dacia Spring. And we’ve previously driven the electric version of the C10 SUV, on which there was plenty to applaud, even if it didn’t excel compared to some rivals.This C10 REEV is the range-extender (REx, or REEV) electric version of the large SUV, which has an unusual set-up: the Mazda MX-30 REV and Nissan Qashqai e-Power are the only other models on sale in the UK with a similar configuration.There are plenty of plug-in hybrid rivals in this segment, though, including the BYD Seal U, Jaecoo 7 and MG HS. 

We’ve gathered all the information you need to know to make sense of VED

Our guide answers all your questions about vehicle excise duty, also known as car tax or road tax

One of the most important taxes you must be aware of if you want to drive a car in the UK is vehicle excise duty (VED).

VED is an annual tax paid by all drivers who drive or park their vehicles on public roads. So if you own a car, chances are you’re required to pay it. 

While VED has remained relatively unchanged in principle since its inception in 2001, some big changes have come into effect in 2025 to bring it more up to date. This includes significant changes to electric cars, buying and selling cars and rate increases.

But what exactly is VED? We’ve gathered all the information you need to know to make sense of it all right here. Read on to find out what VED is, which vehicles it covers and how you’re supposed to pay it.

What is VED and how is it calculated?

VED is a tax paid annually by drivers of cars, motorcycles, light goods vehicles and heavy goods vehicles that are driven or parked on public roads.

The tax covers the whole of the UK (that’s England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland). 

VED was introduced in its current form in 2001 as part of what the government claimed was a push to reduce the amount of pollutants released into the atmosphere. 

Despite often being referred to as ‘road tax’, VED isn't directly used for funding road projects. True road tax was abolished in the 1930s.

According to the House of Commons library, VED brought in £7.4 billion in 2022/23. This figure is predicted to rise to £9.4bn by 2027/28. 

Further changes came in 2020 to increase the appeal of EV ownership. VED was uprated in line with the retail prices index (RPI) for cars, vans, motorcycles and motorcycle trade licences and switched from using the old NEDC emissions testing regime to the current WLTP one.

Changes to VED from April 2025

The VED system received some significant changes in April 2025, with the biggest adjustments applied to EVs. 

EVs were exempt from VED, but no longer. New EVs are now required to pay a first-year rate of £10 and then the standard rate of £195 from the second tax payment onwards. 

Zero-emissions or low-emissions cars registered between 1 April 2017 and 31 March 2025 are also priced at the standard rate of £195 to match all other cars on the road. 

New EVs registered on or after 1 April 2025 with a list price of over £40,000 are also required to pay the Expensive Car Supplement (ECS) on top of the £195 standard VED rate. This applies every year for the first five years of ownership. 

There are some changes to hybrids, too. The first-year rate of cars that officially emit 1-50g/km of CO2 – mostly plug-in hybrids – has risen from £10 to £110. The rate for cars that emit 51-75g/km of CO2 has risen from £30 to £135. 

How is vehicle excise duty calculated? 

Cars registered from 1 March 2001 to 31 March 2017 are taxed based on their CO2 emissions. 

All cars registered on or after 1 April 2017 incur the same flat rate from the second year and beyond.

Cars with a list price of more than £40,000 also incur the Expensive Car Supplement.

For cars registered before 1 March 2001, the engine size in cubic centimetres (cc) is what’s important. Cars with engines equal to or smaller in capacity than 1549cc (roughly equivalent to 1.5 litres) cost £170 a year, assuming you pay up front for 12 months. Meanwhile, cars with engines larger than 1549cc cost £280 a year.

Tax bands for cars registered from April 2017

In April 2017, the government introduced a new method of taxing certain vehicles, replacing the traditional system, based on CO2, with three new tax bands. These bands are zero, standard and premium. 

Vehicles registered from April 2017 are still required to pay the first-year figure based on their tax emissions (see table below). From the second year onwards, you will pay a standard rate of £195 per year.

New cars with a value (list price) of more than £40,000 land in the premium car tax band from years two to six of registration. You will need to pay £425 per year on top of the £195 standard rate for five years, starting from the second year the car is registered. 

See the table below for full figures for cars registered from April 2017 onwards.

CO2 Emissions (g/km) first year rate (Diesel cars that meet RDE2 standard, petrol, Alternative fuel and zero emission) All other diesel cars (TC49) Standard rate 0 £10 £10 £195 1-50 £110 £130 £195 51-75 £130 £270 £195 76-90 £270 £350 £195 91-100 £350 £390 £195 101-110 £390 £440 £195 111-130 £440 £540 £195 131-150 £540 £1360 £195 151-170 £1360 £2190 £195 171-190 £2190 £3300 £195 191-225 £3300 £4680 £195 226-255 £4680 £5490 £195 Over 255 £5490 £5490 £195 Tax bands for cars registered from March 2001 and before April 2017

There are 13 bands for cars registered after March 2001 and before April 2017. These are labelled A to M and are based on the emissions output of the vehicle. 

Low-emission cars - those that produce less than 100g/km - will now be charged £20 a year for VED, whereas they were previously exempt. 

Read the table below to see how much tax you’ll pay for cars registered from March 2001 to April 2017. 

VEd band CO2 Emissions Annual rate A >100g/km £20 B 101-110g/km £20 C 111-120g/km £35 D 121-130g/km £165 E 131-140g/km £195 F 141-150g/km £215 G 151-165g/km £265 H 166-175g/km £315 I 176-185g/km £345 J 186-200g/km £395 K 201-225g/km £430 L 226-255g/km £735 M Over 255g/km £760       Cars registered before 1 March 2001 Engine size (cc) Annual rate Not over 1549 £220 Over 1549 £360 Is my car exempt from VED? 

Some cars are exempt from VED.

Historic vehicles - that’s cars made before 1 January 1983 - are also not required to pay VED, so luckily your Ferrari 250 GTO is safe to drive on the road without further pennies. 

Disabled passenger vehicles also don't have to pay VED. You can also claim a disability exemption if you’re disabled and you drive your car, but this can only be used on one vehicle at a time. 

VED also doesn't apply to mobility vehicles and powered wheelchairs, so long as they have a maximum speed of 8mph on the road and are limited to 4mph on pavements. 

Outside of standard cars, vehicles that are used for agriculture, horticulture and forestry are also exempt. This includes tractors, light agricultural vehicles and ‘limited-use vehicles'. 

Steam vehicles are also exempt – great news for the Doble Model E Owners' Club.

If you own a car but don’t drive it on public roads, you’re also exempt, although you will have to declare it to the DVLA with a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN).

Be aware that if you don’t let the DVLA know that you want the car registered as off the roads, you will be liable for road tax even if the car doesn’t move.

Conversely, if you want to take the vehicle back onto public roads, you will need to pay the appropriate amount of VED before you do.

How do I pay for VED?

You can pay your VED in a variety of ways.

To pay online, click here to access the official UK government website. You will need either a credit or debit card, plus one or more of the following documents to hand: 

• The V11 reminder letter that was sent to you when your existing tax was running out
• The car’s V5C registration document, which must be in your name
• The V5C/2 new keeper supplement if you’ve just bought the car
• The ‘last chance’ warning letter sent to you if you’re about to end up on the wrong side of the law for not either paying or declaring a SORN

If you don’t want to pay online, you can pay over the phone by calling 0300 123 4321. Be warned, though, that this line isn't free. You can read about the charges here. 

You can also pay at any post office that can process vehicle tax. You will need to bring one of the following:

• The V11 reminder letter that was sent to you when your existing tax was running out
• The car’s V5C registration document, which must be in your name
• The V5C/2 new keeper supplement if you’ve just bought the car

You may also need your MOT test certificate, valid for the start of the new tax period, and a valid Reduced Pollution Certificate if the vehicle has been modified to cut its emissions.

In Northern Ireland, you will need to bring your insurance certificate or cover note.

It’s important to note that the exact amount due can vary slightly, depending on whether you pay for six months or 12 months and whether you pay all at once or in instalments.

You can see a full breakdown of the charges on the DVLA website.

Do I need to display a tax disk?

You no longer need to wait for a tax disc to be sent for display in your vehicle’s window, as the tax disc system was abolished in 2014. 

However, it’s important to note that VED no longer transfers to a new owner when you sell or buy a car. The new owner will need to tax the car afresh before they drive the car.

From hybrid hypercars to high-rise hatchbacks, here's every new model that's set to arrive this year

This year is shaping up to be crucial for the car industry, as major manufacturers battle through what is perhaps the most challenging period they have ever faced.

They will have to grapple with the need to slash their carbon outputs amid slower-than-expected growth in electric car sales without compromising their business through heavy discounts.

Indeed, that slowdown, coupled with an assault of new and cheaper cars from China, has left some of the world's most established makers in the firing line for government-imposed fines for falling short on EV sales.

But despite the turmoil, green shoots look to be sprouting for car lovers.

The future of the driver's car looks to be in safe hands, with the arrival of properly fun EVs like the Alpine A290 hot hatch, as well as various poster-worthy sports and supercars.

And design classics are returning as futuristic EVs: Fiat has reprised the Giugiaro styling of the original Panda of 1980 for the new Grande Panda crossover and Renault has revived both the 4 and the 5.

Meanwhile, many established brands are diversifying into uncharted territory. Dacia is set to launch a Volkswagen Golf-rivalling family hatchback, Kia is vying for a slice of the lucrative van market and the Range Rover is going electric for the first time.

Read on for our A-Z (well, A-Y...) guide to all the new cars set to arrive in 2025.

AC Ace Electric

Quick, quaint and really quite expensive, this reborn ’60s roadster packs 300bhp into a 1134kg shell – and costs more than a Porsche 911 GT3 RS. A four-pot Ace will also be available.

Everything you need to know about the AC Ace Electric

AC Cobra GT

Reborn with aluminium chassis, carbonfibre body and 654bhp V8. 

Read our AC Cobra GT Roadster review

Alfa Romeo Junior Ibrida

Alfa’s small crossover gets a 134bhp 1.2-litre hybrid powertrain and a more ornate grille.

Read our Alfa Romeo Junior review

Alfa Romeo Stelvio

One of the best-handling SUVs around is about to swap from Alfa’s acclaimed Giorgio platform to a new Stellantis structure called STLA Large, which will enable it to offer electric power for the first time while retaining a combustion option. Full details remain under wraps, but the new Dodge Charger, based on the same platform, uses a 3.0-litre straight six encouragingly known as the Hurricane.

Everything we know about the next Alfa Romeo Stelvio

Alfa Romeo Tonale update

SUV gains a revised interior with new centre console, rotary drive selector and reworked display screens.

Everything we know about the Alfa Romeo Tonale update

Alpine A110 Ultime

The sun is setting on the car that proved once and for all that Renault has what it takes to fight Europe’s best. The Ultime is one last crack at the likes of Porsche: a super-light, track-focused special honed by Alpine’s Formula 1 team. Its aero package produces an extra 160kg of downforce compared with the A110 R on which it’s based, and the additional 49bhp required the fitment of a new gearbox. A fitting end for a hero.

Everything we know about the Alpine A110 Ultime

Alpine A290

“The saviour of the hot hatch”, “a modern-day Clio RS 182”, “a proper electric driver’s car – at last!”: everything you’ve read online is true: the hot version of the new Renault 5 is just as quick, engaging and fun as we had hoped, which proves one of our favourite types of car can survive into the EV era.

Read our Alpine A290 review

Alpine A390

Meet the “A110 for five”. Previewed by a concept at the 2024 Paris motor show, the A390 is Alpine's first SUV – and, it hopes, a cash cow to fund its next-generation sports cars. But the French firm claims not to have compromised on driving dynamics, having benchmarked the A390 against the sports car and developed a trick torque-vectoring system for its tri-motor powertrain. A rival for the Porsche Macan Electric, it’s expected to arrive priced north of £60,000.

Everything we know about the Alpine A390

Ariel Nomad 2

Nutter’s choice of off-roaders returns with Ford Focus ST power and 715kg kerb weight. Mind-boggling fun.

Read our Ariel Nomad 2 review

Aston Martin Valhalla

With its front-engined sports cars freshened up and fighting fit, Aston is now turning its attention to launching a mid-engined hypercar to rival the Ferrari SF90 XX and Lamborghini Revuelto. Equipped with an electrified version of Mercedes-AMG’s flat-plane-crank V8, it puts out 1064bhp and should sound pretty biblical – but has a relatively plush cabin and enough EV range for silent running through town. A Valkyrie you can take to the shops, then.

Everything we know about the Aston Martin Valhalla

Aston Martin Vanquish Volante

Drop-top, V12-powered super GT gets soft top but doesn't lose much in the way of pace: it will still hit 60mph from a standstill in 3.3sec and go on to 214mph. It's the stuff of dreams.

Read our Aston Martin Vanquish review

Aston Martin Vantage Roadster

Rowdy sports car drops its top so you can hear its 656bhp V8 with even greater clarity. It's understood to cost around £10k more than the £165k coupé.

Everything we know about the Aston Martin Vantage Roadster

Audi A5 plug-in hybrid

Junior executive saloon gets the PHEV treatment, using a 2.0-litre petrol engine, a single electric motor and a 20.7kWh battery. The set-up puts out a combined 295bhp and allows for 67 miles of electric-only driving. Prices start at £48,950.

Read our Audi A5 and S5 review or find out everything we know about the A5 PHEV

Audi A6

Bigger brother to the A5 was originally meant to be called the A7, but a reversal of that naming policy means it remains an A6. It will be one of the last diesel-powered Audis.

Everything we know about the Audi A6

Audi Q3

Popular mid-sized SUV is set for powertain and styling tweaks, borrowing interior design cues from the larger Q5.

Audi Q6 Sportback E-tron

Coupé roofline beats the range of the regular Q6 E-tron SUV by 15 miles but trades away 15 litres of boot space.

Everything we know about the Audi Q6 Sportback E-tron

Audi RS Q6 E-tron

With nearly 500bhp, the SQ6 E-tron is hardly lethargic, so Audi Sport’s 600bhp-plus RS version of the Porsche Macan Electric twin should be pretty rapid.

Everything we know about the Audi RS Q6 E-tron

Audi RS6 E-tron and RS6 Avant

Audi’s hot RS6 will be back this year, but not as you remember it. Planned to be badged RS6 E-tron, the high-performance model will be offered as an estate or a saloon, the latter bodystyle returning for the first time since 2010. In turn, the combustion-engined RS6 will be renamed the RS7, in keeping with Audi's new naming structure. Expect well above 600bhp and 700lb ft...

Bentley Flying Spur PHEV

New 771bhp plug-in hybrid set-up replaces the W12 and offers 47 miles of electric-only driving.

Read our Bentley Flying Spur Speed review

BMW iX

Mid-life update for this large electric SUV brings a huge range increase, plus new design elements. That grille will remain, though.

Read our BMW iX facelift prototype review

BMW iX3 Neue Klasse

Previewed by the Vision Neue Klasse X, the successor to today’s iX3 will set the tone for BMW’s future electric line-up. Much of that concept’s design will be carried over to the new SUV, such as its fresh kidney grille, new LED headlights and flatter, more imposing silhouette. BMW’s sixth-generation eDrive system is claimed to give an efficiency boost of up to 25% over the brand’s existing EVs, with range bolstered by around 30%.

Everything we know about the next BMW iX3

BMW M2 CS

Weight savings, rear spoiler and aggressive suspension set-up will prime this sports car for track use.

Read our BMW M2 review

BMW M3 Touring CS

Even hotter estate gets 542bhp and carbonfibre goodies, cutting its kerb weight from 1865kg to 1850kg.

Everything we know about the BMW M3 Touring CS

BMW M5 Touring

Hallowed super-estate returns with raunchier styling and a 717bhp plug-in hybrid powertrain.

Read our BMW M5 review

BMW Skytop

Just 50 examples of BMW’s gorgeous convertible concept will be made, possibly carrying the Z8 name.

Everything we know about the BMW Skytop

BYD Atto 2

Competitor for the Vauxhall Frontera Electric and Renault 4 gets a 174bhp motor up front and a 50kWh battery for a range of more than 200 miles. Prices will start at around £27,000.

Read our BYD Atto 2 review

BYD Dolphin Surf

Dacia Spring rival, known in China as the Seagull, is poised to swoop in on the UK’s affordable EV market with a 200-mile range.

Everything we know about the BYD Dolphin Surf

BYD Seal 06 GT

Vital Seal hatchback is set to make a splash against the venerable Cupra Born and Volkswagen ID 3.

Everything we know about the BYD Seal 06 GT

BYD Seal update

Critical tech updates and battery changes look to keep this Tesla Model 3 rival feeling fresh.

Everything we know about the BYD Seal update

BYD Sealion 7

Soft-riding family SUV undercuts the Tesla Model Y at £44,990.

Read our BYD Sealion 7 review

Citroën Ami facelit

UK’s cheapest electric ‘car’ gets a distinctive new look inspired by the 2CV, with round headlights and vent-aping grooves on its flanks. It keeps the same 28mph top speed as before, though.

Everything we know about the Citroën Ami facelift

Citroën C3 Aircross and ë-C3 Aircross

Next-generation C3 Aircross is one of the smallest seven-seaters on sale, measuring just 4.39m long. Taking aim at the Dacia Jogger, it arrives with petrol, mild-hybrid and electric power.

Read our Citroën C3 Aircross or ë-C3 Aircross review

Citroën C4 and C4 X

New look inspired by the Oli concept and a dashboard overhaul for this hatchback, which is now auto-only.

Read our Citroën C4 or C4 X review

Citroën ë-C3 van

New two-seat version of the French brand's entry-level EV is intended to capture the market left behind when the Ford Fiesta van was taken off sale. Prices will start at just £15,035 (excluding VAT).

Everything we know about the Citroën ë-C3 van

Cupra Raval

Forget the World Cup qualifiers: the fiercest international showdown of 2025 could well be when Spain’s Cupra Raval squares up to France’s Renault 5. The Cupra certainly has the readies to take the win: a circa-£25,000 price, a sumptuous interior and a whole array of digital tricks.

Everything we know about the Cupra Raval

Dacia Bigster

Stretched Duster does a pretty good impression of a Land Rover Defender for just £24,995 – undercutting all its rivals apart from the MG HS. Entry-level Expression trim isn't short on kit, either, with a 10.1in infotainment touchscreen, dual-zone air conditioning and 17in alloys, plus more to boot. You can't have a Bigster with seven seats, though.

Read our Dacia Bigster review

Dacia Duster hybrid 4x4

If you want the hardy Duster with four-wheel drive, your only choice at present is to have it with a manual gearbox. That won't remain the case for long, however, because Dacia is looking to introduce another 4x4 variant with an automatic ’box and an electric motor on its rear axle. It's expected to sit above the current mild-hybrid 4x4, which is priced from £23,550.

Everything we know about the new hybrid 4x4 Dacia Duster

Dacia family hatchback

We don’t have a lot to go on here, but Dacia boss Denis Le Vot has confirmed that the Bigster follow-up will wear a totally new bodystyle and have a new name. A Golf-sized hatchback with characteristically chunky styling and an outdoorsy focus seems a safe bet, we reckon.

Everything we know about Dacia's VW Golf rival

Dacia Jogger facelift

Fresh styling for the UK’s cheapest seven-seater, which is also in line for a more potent hybrid engine.

Everything we know about the Dacia Jogger facelift

Denza Bao 5

Toyota Land Cruiser rival gets a 677bhp range-extender powertrain. It's badged as a Fangchengbao (‘formula leopard’) in China but is strongly tipped for a rebranding when it comes to Europe.

Everything we know about Fangchengbao

Denza Z9 GT

Upmarket sub-brand of BYD was originally a joint venture with Mercedes, but the Chinese firm now has full control over its destiny. The first Europe-bound Denza is a 952bhp electric GT.

Everything we know about the Denza Z9 GT

DS No4

DS's plush, high-riding hatchback is due a mid-life update, bringing a new name and electric power.

Everything we know about the DS No4

DS No7

Family SUV has been around since 2017, so a styling and technology refresh beckons.

Read our DS 7 review

DS No8

New flagship is based on the same underpinnings as the Peugeot e-3008 and Vauxhall Grandland but fettled to minimise its aerodynamic drag (and therefore maximise electric range). It's tipped to be priced below £50k in the UK.

Everything we know about the DS No8

Ferrari 12Cilindri

Twelve booming cylinders, a big old snout and a tremendous 819bhp on tap: the Ferrari 12Cilindri is everything a proper GT should be. The centrepiece, of course, is its 6.5-litre V12. Unlike that in the rival Aston Martin Vanquish, it’s naturally aspirated and revs to a screeching 9500rpm. “An engine to die for,” in the words of our Matt Prior.

Read our Ferrari 12Cilindri review

Ferrari F80

F40, F50, Enzo, LaFerrari and now this: a 1184bhp hyper-hybrid with a proper Formula 1-derived V6 and three electric motors. Enjoy, Lewis.

Everything we know about the Ferrari F80

Fiat 500 Ibrida

The petrol-powered 500 lives on! A long-term future was secured for Turin’s big-selling city car with the recent confirmation of this new Ibrida version, due to enter production in November. It's effectively the electric 500e retrofitted with a petrol engine – most likely Stellantis’s ubiquitous 134bhp 1.2-litre mild-hybrid unit. It comes as Fiat struggles to sell the EV, idling its factory.

Everything we know about the Fiat 500 Ibrida

Fiat 500e update

A more capacious battery is part of a mid-life update for the pint-sized Piedmontese. But will it boost sales?

Read our Fiat 500e review

Fiat Grande Panda

Cute new crossover stays true to the Giorgetto Giugiaro-designed original in both styling and spirit, using the same underpinnings as the Citroën C3 to hit a starting price below £22,000.

Read our Fiat Grande Panda Electric review

Fiat Topolino

Meet the 'Ami Superleggera': cubic microcar gets a 1950s design treatment and ditches its doors.

Everything we know about the Fiat Topolino

Firefly hatchback

The first model from Chinese EV giant Nio's new entry-level brand is a Renault 5 rival that's priced from the equivalent of £16k in China. It will almost certainly cost more when it lands here but should still undercut the French EV.

Everything we know about the Firefly hatchback

Ford E-Tourneo Courier

Citroën ë-Berlingo-baiter gets a 134bhp motor and a 43kWh battery for a 179-mile range.

Read our Ford Tourneo Courier review

Ford Mustang GTD

Before you ask, no, it’s not a diesel. That ‘D’ actually stands for 'Daytona', hinting at the track-focused billing of what is the most extreme Pony Car to date. Its 5.2-litre V8 is borrowed from Shelby’s GT500 but has a smaller supercharger pulley plus a modified intake and exhaust to boost it north of 800bhp. It’s also got a dry sump to ensure it isn’t starved of oil on track. There’s just one catch: applications to buy one closed long ago.

Everything we know about the Ford Mustang GTD

Ford Puma Gen-E

The UK’s favourite car plugs in to take on the Peugeot e-2008. As close as we will get to a Fiesta EV – for now, anyway.

Everything we know about the Ford Puma Gen-E

Genesis GV60 facelift

Genesis's sporty electric crossover gets a more aggressive look with new headlights, plus a lightly fettled interior.

Everything we know about the Genesis GV60 facelift

Genesis GV60 Magma

Magma performance arm’s first UK model is set to be a more luxurious take on the riotous (and closely related) Hyundai Ioniq 5 N.

Everything we know about the Genesis GV60 Magma

GWM Ora 07

Quirky-looking saloon will follow the Ora 03 (née Funky Cat) into UK showrooms. It will have 402bhp and an expected £35k starting price.

Read our GWM Ora 07 prototype review

Hyundai Ioniq 6

The mid-life update for Hyundai’s drag-busting, Tesla Model 3-rivalling electric saloon will include a refreshed design inspired by the petrol Sonata, plus a bigger battery – and therefore a longer range than the current 338 miles.

Read our Hyundai Ioniq 6 review

Hyundai Ioniq 6 N 

Second albums are always difficult, but sometimes they’re absolutely game-changing. Hyundai will certainly be hoping for a Led Zeppelin II moment with the launch of its second electric sports car. The Ioniq 5 N has completely overturned the misconception that EVs can’t be fun, with its realistic ‘manual gearbox’, genuinely enjoyable ‘engine note’ and scintillating dynamics, so the pressure is on the hot Ioniq 6 to take things one step further. Expect a ludicrous power figure and a rapid 0-62mph time, of course, but no doubt there will be a hefty dose of chassis tweaking and electrickery deployed to ensure this is more than merely a quick car.

Everything we know about the Hyundai Ioniq 6 N

Hyundai Ioniq 9

Previously, we had the Ferrari LaFerrari, McLaren P1 and Porsche 918 Spyder. Now Hyundai’s Ioniq 9 is the final piece of what could be considered the new ‘holy trinity’, this time made up of electric MPVs. Joining the Kia EV9 and Volvo EX90, the Ioniq 9 is a development of the Seven concept shown three years ago. It offers upwards of 350 miles of range and 378bhp. Pricing? From around £90k.

Read our Hyundai Ioniq 9 review

Hyundai Nexo

Hydrogen isn't dead, says Hyundai. A new hydrogen-fuel-cell Nexo EV is on the way, having been previewed by the efficient Initium concept. That brings a range of 404 miles between fill-ups and a little more power too.

Everything we know about the next Hyundai Nexo

Jaecoo 5

Toothy SUV is China’s answer to the Honda HR-V and Hyundai Kona, coming with petrol and electric options.

Jeep Compass

Jeep’s assault on the lucrative compact SUV market will sit above the Avenger and use Stellantis’s STLA Medium platform, which makes it a close relation to the Peugeot 3008 and Vauxhall Grandland. Rivalling the Volvo EC40 and Volkswagen Tiguan, the Compass will be the only car on its platform to be offered with a pure-combustion engine. It is also likely to come with the option of a 134bhp mild-hybrid petrol and a 207bhp electric motor with a 73kWh battery.

Everything we know about the Jeep Compass

Jeep Recon

Jeep’s European push will include this potent off-roader, intended as an electric equivalent to the Wrangler.

Everything we know about the Jeep Recon

Jeep Wagoneer S

This flagship electric SUV will also join Jeep’s UK range, with 592bhp, a 300-mile range and 0-62mph in 3.2sec.

Everything we know about the Jeep Wagoneer S

KGM Actyon

New SUV is a more rakish take on the existing Torres, bringing petrol power and a lower price than many alternatives.

Read our KGM Actyon review

KGM Musso

Brutish EV will be one of the first four-wheel-drive electric pick-up trucks to go on sale in the UK.

Everything we know about the next KGM Musso

KGM Torres Hybrid

This small electrified SUV will be a left-field alternative to cars such as the MG HS and Dacia Duster.

Read our KGM Torres review

Kia EV4

Tesla beware! Kia’s coming for the Model 3 with its new EV4, offered in both hatchback and saloon guises. Both get a single front-mounted motor putting out 201bhp, as well as a choice of 58.3kWh and 81.4kWh batteries. The longest-legged Long Range saloon can manage 397 miles between charges. 

Everything we know about the Kia EV4

Kia EV5

Electric equivalent of the Sportage majors on design flair and practicality. Front- and four-wheel-drive models will be available and the rangiest versions will be comfortably capable of more than 300 miles per charge. Prices are expected to start from around £40k.

Everything we know about the Kia EV5

Kia EV6 GT

Kia’s 577bhp Porsche Taycan chaser has been zhuzhed up with the 641bhp powertrain and simulated gearchanges from the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N. Drift mode stays.

Everything we know about the new Kia EV6 GT

Kia EV9 GT

Got a big family and a lead right foot? You’ll want the EV9 GT, a seven-seat, 2.5-tonne electric SUV that packs a whopping 501bhp. Supercar pace, in other words.

Everything we know about the Kia EV9 GT

Kia K4

A new petrol hatchback in 2025? You betcha. The K4 is tipped to arrive as a replacement for the Ceed, packing a turbocharged 1.6-litre four and putting out 190bhp.

Everything we know about the Kia K4

Kia PV5

Kia has its sights set on the evergreen Ford Transit Custom with the new PV5, its first-ever van. It’s targeting a punchy starting price of just €35k (£29k), undercutting most other electric vans, and there's a seven-seat people-mover too. Could it change the van game for good?

Everything we know about the Kia PV5

Kia Sportage

One of the UK’s best-sellers gets EV9-inspired looks as part of its fifth-generation mid-life facelift to keep it high in the charts. The hybrid powertrain introduces a new ‘Infant’ mode with a smoother power delivery.

Everything we know about the new Kia Sportage

Lamborghini Temerario

Huracán’s replacement gets a 4.0-litre V8 that, combined with three electric motors, puts out a huge 907bhp. But only a small fraction of that is thanks to the motors, which are used to fill the gap in torque delivery left by the fitment of two whopping great turbochargers. The set-up’s good for 0-62mph in 2.7sec and allows for new tricks, such as a drift handling mode inspired by the Huracán Sterrato.

Everything we know about the Lamborghini Temerario

Land Rover Defender Octa

The most powerful and capable Defender yet? A 626bhp V8 suggests so.

Read our Land Rover Defender Octa review

Leapmotor B10

This Renault 5-sized electric hatchback from China made its debut in Paris late last year and a UK launch is on the horizon.

Everything we know about the Leapmotor B10

LEVC L380

Eight-seat MPV, anyone? The L380 is a four-row luxury electric transporter inspired by the world of airline travel, made by the firm behind London's black cab.

Everything we know about the LEVC L380

Lexus LBX Morizo RR

Lexus’s small SUV gets fire in its belly courtesy of the Toyota GR Yaris’s turbocharged 1.6-litre three-cylinder petrol engine.

Read our Lexus LBX Morizo RR review

Lexus RZ update

Lexus's electric flagship will introduce steer-by-wire technology later this year, allowing buyers to swap a traditional steering wheel for a yoke with adaptive ratios. It will also introduce Hyundai Ioniq 5 N-style simulation of a combustion engine with 'gears' operated by paddles behind that yoke.

Everything we know about the Lexus RZ update

Maserati MC20 GT2 Stradale

Track-ready rocket is 60kg lighter than standard – and Maserati’s dearest car yet, at £338k.

Read our Maserati MC20 GT2 Stradale review

Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupé

Has the Porsche Taycan had it too good for too long? Mercedes is working on its own lightning-fast four-door, which should outpunch today’s V8-engined AMG GT 4-Door Coupé in just about every respect – except, perhaps, noise. The first full-fat AMG EV will ride on a bespoke platform for electric sports cars and is tipped to pack as much as 1000bhp and 1000lb ft. We’re off to buy shares in Michelin.

Everything we know about the Mercedes-AMG GT 4dr EV

Mercedes-AMG GT Pro

Performance connoisseur’s super-sports GT gets four-wheel drive, four seats and an 805bhp range-topping PHEV powertrain.

Read our Mercedes-AMG GT review

Mercedes-AMG CLE 63

No plug-in hybrid here: instead, this even punchier CLE will get AMG’s traditional 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8, along with a host of styling adjustments.

Read our Mercedes-AMG CLE 53 review

Mercedes-Benz CLA

The CLA is the first mainstream Mercedes offered with both combustion and electric power. While the saloon has been dubbed ‘electric first’, it will be available with a new 249bhp electrified engine. The EQ-badged EV, meanwhile, will be the rangiest in the UK, offering a claimed 492 miles of driving between charges. There will also be an AMG version with an active rear spoiler and more than 500bhp.

Everything we know about the Mercedes-Benz CLA and the Mercedes-AMG CLA 45

Mercedes-Maybach SL

“Sportiest” Maybach model yet is a big roadster with a 577bhp V8 and all the bling a dictator could want.

Everything we know about the Mercedes-Maybach SL

MG 4 EV update

Popular hatch is due an interior and tech update to keep it on the pace with rivals such as the Kia EV3.

Read our MG 4 review

MG Cyberster 2+2

Everyone’s getting in on the retro revival act, but we will admit that the MGB GT wasn’t on our 2025 bingo card. Admittedly, the hard-top Cyberster doesn’t look much like its ancestor, but as it’s due to arrive on the B GT’s 60th birthday, you can’t really avoid the comparison.

Everything we know about the MG Cyberster 2+2

MG S5 EV

Based on the 4 EV’s platform, the ES5 replaces the ZS EV. It improves on its lower-riding sibling in several key areas, thoe most notable of which is interior quality.

Read our MG S5 EV review

Mini Convertible

Drop-top versions of the definitive small car get 161bhp and 201bhp petrol engines. Priced from £27k.

Read our Mini Convertible review

Mini John Cooper Works EVs

Mini’s go-faster arm goes electric as hot Aceman and Cooper get 254bhp.

Everything we know about the Mini John Cooper Works EVs

Mini John Cooper Works petrol

Mini's hottest petrol hatches are automatic-only, with racy styling and more muscle.

Everything we know about the petrol Mini John Cooper Works

Mobilize Duo

Spiritual successor to the Renault Twizy goes posh (it has airbags!) to take on the Citroën Ami. There's also a cargo version named the Bento.

Read our Mobilize Duo review

Morgan Midsummer

This finely detailed £200,000 barchetta is a Plus Six that has been reinvigorated by Pininfarina.

Everything we know about the Morgan Midsummer

Morgan Plus Six Pinnacle

Venerable flagship bows out with limited-run, £97k special and 3.0-litre straight six.

Read our Morgan Plus Six review

Morgan Supersport

Plus Six replacement retains the fantastic BMW-sourced straight six and edgier styling, aimed at a younger audience. Prices start at £102k and Morgan expects to build some 200 examples annually.

Everything we know about the Morgan Supersport

Nissan Leaf

It’s a Leaf but not as we know it: the Sunderland-built EV has morphed into a saloon-like crossover for its third generation. It will be revealed in full later this year and offer a range of more than 372 miles. 

Everything we know about the next Nissan Leaf

Nissan Micra

Squint a bit and you can see the Renault 5 links in the new Micra. But while it shares a platform and will be built in France, much of its design and engineering work has been done by Nissan – and in the UK, to boot. We’ve been promised a “sporty urban” car.

Everything we know about the next Nissan Micra

Omoda 7

Essentially a more rugged and boxy reworking of the Omoda 5, the 7 will be sold in the UK with petrol and PHEV powertrains.

Omoda 9

Have there really been nine Omodas already? Of course not: the number just signifies that it’s a big SUV.

Onvo L60

The first model from another Nio-owned EV brand, this time aimed at the likes of Tesla and Polestar. It's claimed to be the most aerodynamically efficient SUV on the market.

Everything we know about the Onvo L60

Peugeot 308 update

Volkswagen Golf rival will receive a styling refresh and doubtless some revived powertrains.

Read our Peugeot 308 review

Peugeot e-408

Unusual high-riding saloon will gain an electric powetrain packing 207bhp and 281 miles of range. Looks identical to the petrol 408, though.

Everything we know about the Peugeot e-408

Polestar 3 single-motor

Polestar’s biggest car drops a motor to gain extra range for a lower price.

Read our Polestar 3 review

Polestar 5

British-engineered electric super-saloon has up to 974bhp and radical new fast-charging tech, so it will be rapid off the mark and at the plug.

Everything we know about the Polestar 5

Porsche 718 Boxster and 718 Cayman

One of the year’s most hotly anticipated arrivals. The next 718 Boxster and Cayman will be electric-only and based on a new platform, with their batteries stacked behind the cabin. Dual motors derived from Formula E are intended to deliver a clever blend of performance and efficiency.

Everything we know about the Porsche 718 twins

Porsche 911 Carrera S

Sitting between the Carrera T and the new GTS T-Hybrid, the latest Carrera S brings 473bhp and a more aggressive look inspired by the wide-hipped Turbo. It's priced from £120k.

Everything we know about the Porsche 911 Carrera S

Porsche 911 Turbo

The second electrified 911 variant will keep its flat six but gain a small electric motor for even more dazzling off-the-line performance.

Range Rover Electric

After years of teasers, spy shots and claims of a stacked order book, it’s finally time for Land Rover to make its first foray into the world of electric cars. This is in some ways a subtle debut, because the new EV has the same looks and underpinnings as its combustion-engined counterparts – but with whisper-quiet propulsion. It’s not just refinement that benefits from going EV, though. JLR claims the Range Rover’s motors allow snappier reactions to any slippage at each wheel, reducing the reaction time of its traction control from 100 milliseconds to a single millisecond. Could this be the most capable Range Rover to date, as well as the most luxurious? We’d count on it.

Everything we know about the Range Rover Electric

Renault 4

It must have been Opposite Day when Renault’s product planners conceived the new 4 and 5, as it's due to arrive in showrooms months after the 5. It's very similar underneath but should offer much more room inside.

Everything we know about the Renault 4

Renault Austral

Range-topping family SUV is in line for a host of updates as part of a facelift in a bid to keep up with rivals.

Read our Renault Austral review

Rolls-Royce Ghost

Likely one of the final Rolls to draw its power from a V12, the Series II Ghost limousine will take some design cues from the Spectre EV.

Everything we know about the new Rolls-Royce Ghost

Rolls-Royce's second EV

The follow-up to the Spectre has been confirmed for this year but little else is known at present. A new Phantom limousine is one possibility.

Everything we know about the new Rolls-Royce EV

Seat Arona facelift

Spanish brand's small crossover will be updated with hybrid power and sharpened looks some eight years after it launched.

Everything we know about the Seat Arona facelift

Seat Ibiza facelift

The popular supermini lives on, receiving the same suit of changes as its Arona sibling. 

Everything we know about the Seat Ibiza facelift

Skoda Elroq vRS

Skoda's second sporty electric car will take the fight to the Abarth 600e and Alpine A290, potentially packing as much as 322bhp. It's due to be revealed imminently.

Everything we know about the new Skoda Elroq vRS

Skoda Enyaq facelift

Skoda's best-selling EV gets a redesign insipired by the Elroq, bringing a small boost in range and an upgraded infotainment screen.

Everything we know about the Skoda Enyaq facelift

Skywell Q

A new name to the UK, this Volkswagen ID 3-rivalling electric hatchback will offer up to 300 miles of range. It follows the BE11 electric crossover.

Everything we know about the Skywell Q

Skywell Skyhome

Tech-heavy, 617bhp electric limo will take on the BMW i7 as the Chinese brand’s third model in the UK.

Everything we know about the Skywell Skyhome

Smart #5

Brand’s largest and most potent car yet will be launched with 366 miles of range and an off-road-inspired special edition with nifty stepladders mounted along its right flank.

Everything we know about the Smart #5

Suzuki eVitara

Suzuki staged the European launch of its first EV on an ice rink, mystifyingly, but the car is self-explanatory: a decent-sized SUV with up to 172bhp, a 250-mile range and a mid-£30k starting price.

Everything we know about the Suzuki eVitara

Tesla 'Model 2'

Long-mooted affordable electric car is still up in the air, but the business case remains. Watch this space (again).

Everything we know about the Tesla 'Model 2'

Tesla Model 3 entry-level

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has repeatedly hinted at a vastly more affordable car. Model 3 with plastic bumpers and steelies, anyone?

Read our Tesla Model 3 review

Toyota bZ4X facelift

Three years after Toyota's debut EV first hit these shores, it's getting a few tweaks. Those include more efficient motors, boosting its range to 356 miles between charges, as well as a sharper look up front. 

Everything we know about the updated Toyota bZ4X

Toyota C-HR+

Electric counterpart to Toyota's style-focused crossover is also one of the most powerful cars it's ever built, with 338bhp. And, thanks to a 77.0kWh battery pack, it will do 373 miles between charges. 

Everything we know about the Toyota C-HR+

Toyota GR Corolla

Volkswagen Golf R rival packs 300bhp and four-wheel drive and could fill a gap in the Toyota line-up when the GR86 sports car retires.

Everything we know about the Toyota GR Corolla

Toyota Urban Cruiser

Having manufactured the Swace (née Corolla) and Across (RAV4) for Suzuki, it’s Toyota’s turn to receive a gift: its Urban Cruiser is basically a reworked eVitara and will be built by Suzuki in India.

Everything we know about the Toyota Urban Cruiser

Vauxhall Frontera

Fancy your compact budget seven-seater with a British badge? Thankfully, Stellantis's Smart Car platform also underpins a revived Vauxhall Frontera. Prices start at £23,495 for both the petrol and (five-seat-only) electric versions.

Read our Vauxhall Frontera review

Volkswagen Golf GTI Edition 50

Volkswagen will reveal a new version of the Golf GTI at this year's Nürburgring 24-hour race, celebrating 50 years of the hot hatch. Following previous convention, it's set to be based on the range-topping GTI Clubsport and will most likely bring a small power uplift plus a few heritage-inspired styling tweaks inside and out.

Everything we know about the 50th anniversary Golf GTI

Volkswagen Tayron

Replacement for the Tiguan Allspace is a seven-seat safe bet. The plug-in hybrid version is limited to five seats, however.

Everything we know about the Volkswagen Tayron

Volvo ES90

For a moment, it seemed as if Volvo might abandon saloons for good, but the ES90 comes as welcome reassurance that it's sticking with the traditional three-box shape. Based on the same underpinnings as the EX90, it will be one of the most computationally advanced cars on the market, capable of handling 500 trillion mathematical operations per second. That should enable advanced infotainment and driver-assistance technologies, according to Volvo.

Everything we know about the Volvo ES90

Volvo XC60

Volvo's best-seller gets a number of tweaks to keep it on pace with rivals: a larger 11.2in infotainment touchscreen, softer dampers (for cars riding on coil springs) and more sumptuous materials inside.

Everything we know about the Volvo XC60 update

Volvo XC90

Electric EX90 inspires a design and tech overhaul for the school-run king as Volvo steps back from its plan to ditch all ICE cars.

Read our Volvo XC90 review

Xpeng G6

Positioned to take on the Tesla Model Y, the G6 is the first EV from upmarket Chinese brand Xpeng to go on sale in the UK.

Read our Xpeng G6 review

Yangwang U8

Tank-turning Chinese SUV brings silly stats and gimmicks galore with 1180bhp, a near-3500kg kerb weight and an equally silly-sounding name.

Read our Yangwang U8 review

Insteroid name is a portmanteau of 'Inster' and 'steroid'

Korean brand's city car gets a makeover with rally-style bodywork and stripped-out interior

Hyundai has reimagined its new Inster small electric car as a futuristic hot hatch with aggressive styling and a stripped-out interior, taking inspiration from video gaming.

Named a portmanteau of 'Inster' and ‘steroid’, the Insteroid follows last year’s RN24 Concept, which was described as a ‘rolling lab’ for future hot Hyundai EVs.

It wears a wide-hipped, box-arched bodykit, a roof scoop and a huge rear wing, mimicking the look of Hyundai’s World Rally Championship machines.

Inside, the Insteroid is stripped out and fitted with deep-set bucket seats, a roll cage and a hydraulic-style handbrake, hinting at the car’s performance intent.

It isn’t strictly business, however: it’s fitted with a bulky ‘Beat House’ sound system, complete with a tube-style amplifier, and there are a number of Space Invader-style aliens placed in view of key touchpoints.

Hyundai has yet to publish technical details for the Insteroid, but the RN24 uses a 641bhp dual-motor set-up borrowed from the Ioniq 5 N. That allows the 1880kg drift car to dispatch the 0-62mph sprint in 3.4sec, while its 84kWh battery yields 278 miles of range.

“The Insteroid represents a modern take on the idea of a dream car,” said Eduardo Ramírez, chief designer for Hyundai Europe. “It is designed to inspire and create enthusiasm.”

Although Hyundai officially states the Insteroid is conceptual, its existence (like that of the RN24) suggests there's an appetite within the company to produce a hot version of its smallest EV.

Indeed, Hyundai acknowledges that the “Insteroid is another step in the hot-selling production model’s journey”, following the beefed-up Inster Cross that’s due to arrive in dealers shortly.

Hyundai product planning boss Paolo Gnerro last year told Autocar that further variants of the Inster would be considered “in the life cycle” of the model – but also that any such models would need to be demanded by customers.

Gnerro said: “To be honest, I am a car enthusiast. Whatever comes which is adding a bit more spice, not only in terms of sportiness but in abilities, I like it. [But I am] not the market: the market is king and we need to see what is going to happen."

Damage can cause lithium ion batteries to catch fire

We look at why EV fires are so hard to extinguish, how fire services are handling it and how to minimise risks

As the prominence of electric cars on UK roads rapidly grows, more attention is turning to any potential safety concerns that such new technology presents.

One of the major concerns presented by the introduction of electric cars is the risk of fire - or, rather, the perceived risk of fires involving electric cars.  

Petrol and diesel cars still catch fire (remember the spate of Vauxhall Zafira fires not so long ago?), but given how recently electric vehicles were introduced, they make the news far more often, and sometimes unfairly. 

As the world gets used to this kind of technology and protocols are put in place to safeguard against disasters (for example, ship owners are increasingly being told to protect their vessels against car fires), it's worth getting to grips with the statistics, why these fires command so much attention, how fire crews deal with them and what it means for you.

Are electric car fires common?

EV fires aren't a common occurrence. In fact, data gathered over the last few years suggests EV fires are a lot more rare than internal combustion fires.  

According to the Authority for Social Protection and Preparedness in Sweden, of the average 3400 vehicle fires that occur each year in the country, just 0.4% of them are electric cars, and 1.5% are hybrid cars. 

Per the London Assembly and the Greater London Authority, 2023 saw 493 petrol cars catch fire, compared to 138 diesel cars and just 7 battery electric cars. 

According to Honeywell Safety and Productivity Solutions, 239 fires recorded in the UK from July 2022 to June 2023 were linked to EVs. While this is an 83% increase year on year, it’s important to note the number has increased along with the increasing presence of EVs on our roads. 

Meanwhile, according to Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service, some 1898 fires in the county in 2019 were from petrol and diesel vehicles. Just 54 were from EVs.

Another study by the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency found that EVs are 20 times less likely to catch fire than ICE cars.

An additional study by that agency and an American insurer found that just 25 out of 100,000 EVs suffer fire damage.

By comparison, 1530 per 100,000 ICE cars experience fire, and hybrid vehicles suffer a much higher risk of 3475 per 100,000​​​.

Why do electric car fires command so much attention?

Electric car fires draw increased attention for many reasons. Firstly, the technology is new and newsworthy.

That said, the real problem with electric car fires is they're remarkably difficult to extinguish due to their complex chemistry, which utilises a large lithium-ion battery. 

Thermal runaway occurs when an EV battery catches fire, where a battery cell short circuits and warms up to dangerous levels. This can lead to a sort of domino effect, meaning other cells in the battery pack undergo the same process. 

According to Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service, over 100 organic chemicals are generated in an electric vehicle fire. Some of the gases are seriously toxic, specifically hydrogen cyanide and carbon monoxide. 

They also burn extremely hot and are difficult to cool. Australia-based EV Firesafe suggests it can take upwards of 10,000 litres of water to extinguish an EV fire. 

Electric car fires are tough to extinguish because it's often difficult to access the battery and get cool water onto the problem cell. You think it’s out, and then it erupts again hours, days or even weeks later.

All this considered, it’s no wonder people are becoming concerned about electric car fires, not least those who have to put them out. 

How fire crews deal with EV fires

Fire services are developing new strategies to deal with electric car fires. 

Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service, for example, has announced that in the aftermath of any incident, road-traffic collision or fire involving an EV, “one of our attending fire engines will follow the recovery vehicle back to the unloading point at their yard to assist with any fires”. 

It also said it has developed a system that enables fire crews to identify what model of EV is involved in an incident and where its battery and isolation switches are. 

Experts are divided on how best to tackle an EV fire but, generally, immense quantities of water to cool the battery pack (although this won’t prevent fire erupting again), a fire blanket to suppress the flames and breathing equipment for the firefighters to protect them from the toxic vapour cloud is the standard approach. Either that or simply let the blaze burn itself out. 

Attempting to suffocate the fire with inert gases is ineffective because, being a chemical blaze, it doesn't require oxygen. Meanwhile, the surrounding area must be checked for discarded battery cells that could have been propelled from the battery pack by an explosion and might spontaneously ignite later. 

Following containment, the burnt-out EV must be removed and deposited in a compound away from buildings and other vehicles. (Some 25% of scrapyard fires are caused by spent lithium ion batteries.)

More radical steps include immersing the car in water, although not sea water, because chlorine gas could be released.

Does the fire risk mean electric cars are unsafe?

It all sounds quite alarming and a good reason not to buy an electric car, but Paul Christensen, professor of pure and applied electrochemistry at Newcastle University and senior advisor to the National Fire Chiefs Council, is keen to quell fears about EV fire safety, especially given the benefits the technology offers.

“As someone who assisted Nissan during the creation of its battery plant, I would, if I could afford one, have a Nissan Leaf tomorrow,” he says. “We don’t need to be worried about the small incidence of fires involving electric vehicles but we do need to be aware.

"A lithium ion battery stores a huge amount of energy in a very small space. Since 2008, the adoption of such batteries has outstripped our appreciation of their risks. We’re running to catch up, but we will do.”

As part of his campaign to improve EV fire risk awareness among first responders, Christensen has so far presented to 30 of the UK’s 50 fire services, as well as to fire services in Europe, Australia and New Zealand. 

He begins each talk by describing the structure of a lithium ion battery cell. A sliver of aluminium, called the cathode, is coated with a mixed-metal oxide ink.

It’s partnered by a slice of copper coated with graphite called the anode. In between them is a fragile, perforated plastic separator soaked in an organic solvent that contains a small quantity of additives whose identity is, troublingly, known only to the cell manufacturer.

Depending on whether the battery is being charged or discharged, the lithium ions move either from or to the cathode and anode. 

Then the professor gives his audience of firefighters their first shock. Full, a cell contains 4.2V of charge, but even when empty, it still holds 2.5V. A Nissan Leaf has from around 192 cells in 24 modules and a Tesla Model S more than 7000 in 16 modules. That’s a lot of energy when the car’s power indicator says it has none.

Full or ‘empty’, the risk of this energy escaping in an uncontrolled fashion is what some scientists believe leads to ‘thermal runaway’, when heat and gases fuel even higher temperatures and still more gases, including hydrogen and oxygen, in a self-fulfilling loop until the cells begin to burn and burst.

A toxic vapour cloud develops, bringing with it the risk of deflagration. Once thermal runaway has started, no battery management system or circuit breaker can stop it.

“A battery fire can be controlled but it cannot be extinguished,” says Christensen.

He has demonstrated in tests how perforating or otherwise damaging a battery pack, as in a crash, can cause it to catch fire. "If an EV’s battery case is dented, you have to assume it’s dangerous,” he says.

Battery packs have been known to catch fire through overheating and while being charged. More worrying, a battery fire can erupt spontaneously, contamination of even just a single cell during its manufacture being one possible explanation.

“Even the most experienced and careful manufacturers have defective electric cells passing through their very careful quality control systems,” says Christensen. 

A battery flame is like a blowtorch that will quickly ignite anything in its path, which is why Christensen wants councils and other organisations to consider EV safety risks in underground car parks, as well as bus depots where vehicles are parked side by side.

“In Germany, three bus depots have gone up in flames in the past six or so months,” he says. “Tunnels, ferries, car parks, cargo ships transporting EVs – all the places you find electric vehicles should be considered a safety risk and the appropriate steps taken.”

He’s worried about classic cars being converted to run on used lithium ion batteries, too. “Nobody really knows how safe used lithium ion batteries are and no standard test has yet been devised to tell us,” he says.

“Some batteries re-enter the market having been removed in illegal chop shops. How safe are they? There’s a lot of research into lithium ion battery safety, but everyone needs to link up, because right now we’re at the bottom of a very steep learning curve.” 

When all else fails…

For electric cars that are on fire or at risk of being so, the fire service in Copenhagen, Denmark, has developed a truck-mounted vehicle containment solution, pictured above.

The smouldering EV is lowered into the container, which, like a skip, is then hoisted onto a flatbed truck. Nozzles in the floor and sides of the container allow water to be pumped into it. Once full, the container and car are taken to a safe storage area and left, possibly for weeks, until the vehicle is no longer a hazard. All being well, the water is then filtered and treated for safe disposal.

Vauxhall Grandland Electric in Ultimate trim previously cost £40,495 – putting it over the ECS threshold

Average new EV exceeds the threshold triggering an extra £2125 in VED over first six years of its life

Vauxhall has cut the price of the range-topping Ultimate versions of its Astra Sports Tourer and Grandland electric cars to below £40,000.

The move means all of the brand's EVs, bar the van-based Vivaro Life Electric, swerve changes to vehicle excise duty (VED) that would have cost a driver an extra £2125 over the first six years of their car's life.

From 1 April 2025, EV owners will be charged Vehicle Excise Duty (VED, or 'road tax') for the first time, costing the same flat rate of £195 that combustion-engined cars built after 1 April 2025 are charged.

This also means owners of EVs with a list price of more than £40,000 – including the cost of optional extras such as paint – will be hit by the Expensive Car Supplement (ECS).

This is an annual charge of £425 per year for five years after the second year the car is registered, on top of the regular VED charge.

This brings a significant increase in cost over the first six years of an expensive car’s life: the owner of a car under £40,000 will pay £1170 in VED over that period, whereas the owner of one over that limit will pay £3295.

Therefore owners of cars costing more than £40,000 face paying an extra £2125 in tax over the first six years.

According to data from analyst Jato Dynamics, the £40,000 threshold – which was set in 2017 – is £8559 lower than the current average price of an EV.

Industry critics of the ECS argue that because the policy was designed so long ago and before the popularisation of EVs, it no longer reflects what is an ‘expensive car’ in the real world.

“The threshold for the ECS – dubbed the ‘luxury car tax’ when launched – has remained unchanged at £40,000 since it was set eight years ago, when the overall market was 30% larger than today and BEVs barely featured,” said Mike Hawes, chief of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.

Eurig Druce, acting managing director of Vauxhall, said: “The threshold for the Expensive Car Supplement has remained at £40,000 since inception in 2017, despite subsequent high levels of inflation. If it were to have risen with inflation, it would now be around £52,000. 

“With the average price of an EV in the UK at around £48,000, this new tax means that customers buying some of the more attainable electric cars on the market are now being penalised whilst at the same time we're trying to move as many British motorists to electric as quickly as possible.”

Druce added that “we’d urge the government to reconsider this new measure” to incentivise sales of EVs.

American firm's pioneering electric pick-up truck enters a second era to take the fight to the Tesla Cybertruck Large pick-up trucks dominate the American car sales charts, so it’s little surprise that plenty of firms are pushing to develop electric versions, despite the considerable challenges that come with powering already big, heavy machines with big, heavy batteries.Perhaps more surprising was that the first firm to launch a full-size pick-up in the US market was EV start-up Rivian. It launched the R1T in 2021, several months ahead of industry giant Ford’s F-150 Lightning and when the Tesla Cybertruck seemed more the stuff of Elon Musk’s dystopian fever dreams than an actual production vehicle. Given that it’s an American EV start-up, Rivian is often compared with Tesla. But you only need a cursory glimpse at their respective pick-ups to understand the vast differences between the two firms. While the Cybertruck is unapologetically brash and wilfully confrontational, the R1T is far more conventional and infused with genuine warmth and charm. That reflects their approach: while Musk’s firm delights in disrupting the car industry, Rivian had won plaudits from it. In fact, the Volkswagen Group recently made a major investment in the firm, worth up to £4.6 billion. Key to that deal was the formation of a new joint venture that will develop a new software architecture, based heavily on that used in this R1T, to underpin future Volkswagen Group and Rivian EVs – including the next Volkswagen Golf and the Rivian R2 and R3 crossovers.So what is it about Rivian’s software architecture that has prompted that massive investment from Volkswagen? And, more importantly, is the R1T any good? 

GKN's last UK automotive parts plant closed in 2021

Headwinds including electrification and China are forcing a number of prominent suppliers to restructure

The once-in-a-generation upheaval currently sending shockwaves through Europe’s suppliers has multiple consequences, one of which has been to close the book on a key part of British automotive history. 

Back in January, Dowlais, the parent company of driveshaft specialist GKN Automotive, was sold to American Axle. “This whole sector has been really challenged over the last 18-24 months,” Dowlais CEO Liam Butterworth told Autocar, and selling up will allow the company to “to navigate this structural shift in the industry".

GKN can trace its history back to 1759, when the Dowlais Ironworks Co was established in South Wales. What became Guest, Keen & Nettlefolds and then GKN has reinvented itself multiple times over the centuries, but this last move takes ownership out of British hands for the first time.

“The overall macro in the industry is changing,” Butterworth said on the company’s earnings call on 5 March. “There's a structural change taking place around tariffs, geopolitics, regionalisation, the different requirements from our customers and thus creating a strong headwind for a number of automotive suppliers.”

Last year, European automotive suppliers announced 54,000 job cuts – more than in the Covid years of 2020 and 2021 put together, according to data from the European Association of Automotive Suppliers (Clepa).

Among those numbers are 5550 at Germany’s Bosch, the largest automotive supplier, according to Automotive News's 2024 top 100 parts suppliers list.

Number two on that list, ZF Friedrichshafen, announced it would axe 12,000 jobs in Germany. Meanwhile, Continental is looking to lose 7150 jobs through global restructuring, while Schaeffler has said it wants to cut 4700 across Europe, 2800 of those in Germany.

Germany’s role as the region’s car-building heartland has meant many of the world’s global tier-one super-suppliers growing to vast sizes within its borders, so the country is being disproportionally affected as the pressures of electrification, China and a shrinking car market force restructuring.

Almost 19,000 automotive jobs (including at car companies) were lost last year within Germany, according to research from consultantcy EY. “The German automotive industry is in a massive and comprehensive crisis," EY automotive expert Constantin Gall said. “There has been a massive tightening of the cost screw".

In the UK, the sale of GKN is the biggest evidence of that upheaval to hit the supply industry, but there are job losses too. GKN’s last UK automotive parts plant shut in 2021 and Butterworth said in March that the company would also shut its electric powertrain research centre, established in 2017. 

Meanwhile, new GKN owner American Axle shut its Albion Automotive facility in Glasgow in October and Schaeffler announced in November that it would shut its clutch factory in near Sheffield, citing a reduced demand for clutches globally.

The multi-billion pound parts industry was always going to vulnerable to an industry-wide forensic focus on costs, given their outsize contribution to the average cost of building a car.

“The total cost of an automobile is 85% parts, 10% the plant and 5% logistics,” former Stellantis CEO and rigorous bill-slasher Carlos Tavares said last year. “The double digits in sourcing reduction [costs] are going to come from the 85%. The guy that reaches that first will be the winner.”

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has in the past derided the legacy car business as “catalogue engineering” for its reliance on supplier giants like Bosch, Continental and others.

The shift to electrification has prompted car companies to promise root-and-branch changes to the way they engineer and build cars, to the detriment of the size of the pie given to suppliers.

For example, Renault under Luca de Meo has promised to slash the number of parts in future models like the Twingo EV from around 2500 per vehicle to 1100.

Car makers are keen to soften some of their own job-reduction requirements by bringing in-house parts that previously might have been outsourced to suppliers.

Electric drive units containing the motor, invertor and transmission are a good example – for example Ford in Halewood and JLR in Wolverhampton.

That cuts the available pool of customers for suppliers. “We've had a number of cases where we've walked away from some contracts because it just doesn't make commercial sense,” GKN’s Butterworth said. “If somebody else wants to pick up a contract that's loss-making, then good luck to them.”

When they do land a decent contract, suppliers are at risk from erroneous volume predictions, especially those made during the optimism of EV growth three or four years ago. 

GKN said its 2024 revenue on the e-drive front was hit by volume decline in four specific model programmes, of which Butterworth singled out the Fiat 500e. “Basically the volumes fell off a cliff in Q1 last year when all of the incentives were stopped, specifically in Germany and Italy, and that dried up demand for that vehicle,” he said.

The sizeable bill to moving to electric is painful but has to be paid, given the gulf in production costs between Europe and China and the danger posed by competition from that direction. “The pressure is probably higher than it's been than I've seen it for quite some time,” Butterworth said.

Much of that burden is being passed onto suppliers, forcing them to make difficult decisions. “That can't come from just reducing prices; it needs to come from taking costs out of the system," said Butterworth. "From smarter material purchasing, lower cost manufacturing footprint and more VAVE [value analysis, value engineering] and looking at smarter cleverer ways of engineering and designing things."

Moving manufacturing to lower-cost eastern Europe or further afield is a favourite cost-cutting method. GKN, for example, moved its Birmingham driveshaft production to Poland. Schaeffler said passenger car clutches made in Sheffield would go to Hungary, while those for tractors will move to India.

Many suppliers are restructuring. For example, Continental will spin off its automotive division in September. “We are fully convinced that companies being focused and fast have a clear advantage in this tough industry environment,” CEO Nikolai Setzer said on a special call to investors in March. “The last years, and in particular right now, are as dynamic as they have ever been.”

Clepa is hoping the European Union will help by slowing down the timeline to move to electric and allow car makers to carry on building technologies with a higher part count. “The EU must embrace a diverse portfolio of sustainable technologies, including plug-in hybrids, range-extenders, hydrogen and renewable fuels,” the lobby group said in a statement that otherwise broadly welcomed the EU's recently proposed automotive Action Plan.

In a recent survey of Clepa members, 42% of respondents said they expected a loss or close to zero profit this year. As Peter Bryntesson, CEO of the Scandinavian automotive parts association FKG, told the Dagens Industri newspaper: "Spring 2025 looks pitch black."

Dual-motor MG 4 shows just what a Chinese-built EV can offer an old-fashioned petrolhead: enormous power for a limited budget Having been sidelined as a concept for some time, the hot hatchback is making something of a comeback.While tightening emissions rules have made petrol-powered hot hatchbacks less and less commercially viable, all-electric alternatives are now emerging. Many - the likes of the Alpine A290, and the recently previewed Peugeot e-208 GTI - are from practiced performance brands, and come with high expectations. Some of these fast electric cars, however, have come right out of the long grass and taken us all by surprise.Which is just what the MG 4 XPower did when it arrived in the UK in the summer of 2023. Back then, the idea of a high-performing, twin-motor, compact electric car wasn’t entirely novel; but one that combined fairly classic hot hatchback proportions with lots of power and speed, and an eyebrow-raisingly affordable price, certainly got our attention.SAIC, the MG brand’s Chinese owners, revived an old MG-Rover name for this dual-motor version of the MG 4 electric hatchback. XPower was used on the regrettably doomed MG XPower SV sports car created just before the financial demise of the UK-operated MG Rover. Interestingly, however, that brand is not used on domestic-market versions of this car, which are rather more enticingly called the MG Mulan Triumph Edition (the commercial rights to the defunct Triumph car brand are actually retained by BMW, after its period of ownership of The Rover Group in the 1990s; which might explain why the car was rebranded for export sales).

Sign up to learn about the huge changes to UK car insurance and how they will affect you

Vehicle testing organisation Thatcham Research's new Vehicle Risk Rating represents the biggest change to the car insurance industry in decades. 

This new rating system, which scores cars from 1-99 across five assessment bands, has been designed to deliver more accurate insurance premiums. It replaces the current Group Ratings that have been in place for more than 25 years, and takes into account performance, damageability, repairability, safety and security.

Ben Townsend, head of automotive at Thatcham Research, Victor Zhang, UK country director at Omoda and Jaecoo, Scott McCammon, head of motor repair at Admiral and Felix Page, deputy editor at Autocar will discuss what this change means for UK car insurance and the car industry as a whole. 

Join our webinar ‘How a fresh approach to gauging risk will make modern cars insurable’ on 8 May at 11:00 to find out more about this industry-changing shift, how the new rating system works, how the vehicles are assessed, and how Thatcham Research can assist manufacturers with the process. 

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From its iconic design to its playful handling, we explain why this all-electric crossover is every bit a proper MINI

There are few cars as iconic as the original Mini. Its compact boxy proportions, beady round headlights, fantastically flared wheelarches and mightily minimalist interior made it a style superstar from the get go. And even today, more than 60 years on, it remains a cornerstone of British culture and an ode to simplicity.

But it wasn’t just its cheeky looks that made it such a smash hit. It was also raucously fun to drive, deceivingly practical, incredibly easy to live with and, above all else, a true expression of individuality in a time when the public mood around self expression was in the midst of a seismic shift.

Now, we already know that the new all-electric MINI Cooper does a superb job of channeling the essence of the original thanks to its zippy electric performance, go-kart handling, paired-back cockpit and modern-retro looks. But what about MINI’s latest creation, the new all-electric MINI Aceman? Can this spacious, angular, tech-packed family SUV really stake a claim to the MINI name? We certainly think so. Here are six reasons why:

Book your all-electric MINI Aceman test drive

#1 It’s mighty fun to drive

MINI’s go-kart-like handling is so legendary that it borders on cliché. That fun factor, the ability to put a smile on your face, whether in the city or on a B-road, is something people have come to expect from MINI. So given the Aceman’s crossover proportions, you might be feeling a little concerned. But, fear not.

“The Aceman has SUV styling but drives more like a five-door version of the MINI hatchback. I found that it doesn’t feel like a big car at all,” says What Car?’s new cars editor, Lawrence Cheung.

Indeed, it feels wonderfully light and agile when compared with its fellow electric rivals. Aided by the low centre of gravity – courtesy of the battery pack – the carefully configured suspension and dampers do a fantastic job of minimising body roll – inspiring confidence through the bends. Flick the wheel, and the nose turns in keenly. It’s the direct, nimble, sharp response that you’d expect from a MINI, and it’s guaranteed to leave you grinning from ear to ear.

While the original Mini was nippy in its own way, the Aceman is operating on another level. With the 215bhp Aceman SE surging from 0-62mph in just 7.1sec, there’s plenty of straightline performance to complement that precise handling. But it’s the way that power is delivered that impresses. The instant torque from the electric motor means acceleration is remarkably responsive, and the car pulls strongly at any speed. Making it easy to nip out at a junction, and effortless to get up to motorway speed on a slip road.

#2 It’s perfect for parking

The classic Mini was a doddle to park. How could it not be with its diminutive footprint? And while no modern car comes close to its dinky dimensions, the Aceman has a few tricks up its sleeve to make multi-storeys a breeze.

The Aceman has very short overhangs at the front and rear, which help keep its proportions typically MINI. Add to that a city-friendly, tight turning circle and you have a car that’s very easy to manoeuvre into – and out of – tight spots. 

Better still, the MINI Aceman comes with front and rear parking sensors and a rear camera as standard, along with the very useful Parking Assistant. Parking not your bag? At the touch of a button, the Aceman can neatly slot itself into a space for you. And if you opt for the optional Parking Assistant Plus via the MINI Connected Store, you can even park the car using your smartphone. So next time someone parks uncomfortably close, rather than posting yourself through an impossible small door opening, you can simply drive the car out of the space using your phone, then get seated comfortably. Perfect.

#3 It’s engineered for space

The classic Mini’s innovative transverse engine and front-wheel-drive layout endowed it with a remarkable amount of passenger space for such a small car. The Aceman – which slots neatly between Cooper and Countryman in terms of size – uses a similarly clever approach to packaging. Its dedicated, low-slung electric platform allowed designers to create a spacious, airy interior, while keeping its dimensions usefully compact.

Up front, there’s plenty of head and leg room – even for drivers and passengers that are six-feet tall. In the rear, there’s space for three adults. The 300-litre boot can be increased to 1005 litres when you fold the real seats, giving you some helpful load carrying flexibility. While the low centre console gives you plenty of handy storage space.

#4 Its clean, minimalist interior

Step inside the Aceman and the first thing you’ll notice is the striking showpiece circular OLED display. A nod to the original Mini’s centrally mounted speedometer, the 9.4in display’s unusual form-factor makes it a world first.

That cutting-edge screen acts as your instrument cluster and houses your infotainment. It also lets you control the majority of Aceman’s features. And in a pleasing dose of MINI nostalgia, there are also some good old tactile switches and buttons.

Underneath the touchscreen you’ll find the MINI toggle bar – home to important and useful controls such as the audio volume, parking brake, start/stop switch, the gear selector, and the MINI Experience Mode toggle. Having those features neatly housed in one place frees up the console to give a clean, uncluttered look and feel to the interior – much like the classic Mini.

The ambience is lifted by MINI’s interesting choice of materials. Innovative two-tone knitted textiles – made from recycled materials – give a soft, premium finish to large parts of the dashboard and doors.

The seats – and retro-cool two-spoke steering wheel – are clad with vescin. That’s MINI’s premium, synthetic vegan leather. It’s soft, supple and looks the part. MINI has used the shift to responsible, sustainable materials as an opportunity to elevate, and individualise, its interior design. And it shows. But it still retains that wonderful air of minimalist simplicity.

#5 Its stand-out exterior design

‘Less complexity, more individuality.’ So says MINI’s head of design, Oliver Heilmer. You can see immediately that the new all-electric Aceman is unmistakably MINI in its design. While it retains the beautiful simplicity of its predecessors, it updates the look with contemporary touches.

Up front, there’s the attention-grabbing octagonal grille framed by the new angular LED headlights. Move around to the side and you’ll immediately notice the geometric wheel arches and the muscular silhouette of its crossover shape. And at the rear, the extended spoiler adds some sporting flair. You’ll spot some more functional design influences too, such as modern flush door handles and aerodynamically sculpted surfaces.

These design flourishes combine to give the Aceman its own distinct character, while still retaining those hallmark MINI design cues.

#6 It’s an expression of individuality

The classic Mini was in itself a statement. A fun-loving, spirited car that oozed individuality. With so many variations available, and many owners customising their car to impart their own style, the classic Mini was its own form of expression.

In much the same way, freedom of expression is also a key pillar of the MINI Aceman. Firstly, there are three styles to choose from – Classic, Exclusive and Sport. Each offers its own distinct styling and personality, with interior design tweaks to the seat upholstery, dashboard and steering wheel among other things. There are exterior styling options too, with a host of colour choices, alloy wheel options, and fun details such as the multitone roof and mirror caps, and even racing stripes.

Then there are the MINI Experience Modes. With a flick of the toggle switch, you can match your MINI to your mood with eight options such as Green, Timeless and Go-Kart. Each mode has its own colour scheme, lighting, style and different sounds.

There’s even a Personal Mode, where you can upload an image from your smartphone and set it as the display background. Rather cleverly, the Aceman then identifies the dominant colours in the pic, and projects them onto the dashboard and adjusts the ambient lighting to match. It’s a whole new level of personalisation.

So there you have it. That’s why we think the new all-electric MINI Aceman is very much a proper MINI. So why not go and experience it for yourself?

Book your all-electric MINI Aceman test drive

Stellantis' premium supermini crossover gets styling and cabin revisions to try to cling on to its premium market positioning It’s now been a decade since the emancipation papers for DS’s breakaway from parent company Citroën were signed but, with the ink well and truly dried, the still relatively unknown French premium brand continues to strive to establish itself as a proper car brand in its own right.A reason many might still see the firm - which, between the DS 4 hatchback, DS 7 mid-sized SUV and DS 9 saloon, now has a fairly fresh four-model line-up - as a wing of its Stellantis stablemate Citroen is that the original DS 3, which sold particularly strongly, came with Citroen badges when it was launched in 2010.Yet a regular supermini is not quite what the DS 3 of today resembles. Instead, at 4118mm long and 1800mm wide, it’s become a fashion-conscious compact crossover fighting with the likes of the Audi Q2, Mini Aceman and Fiat 600 – a break that, its maker no doubt hopes, will help distance it a little from its strategically inconvenient past.The car can be had as an ICE petrol model or as a full EV. This review deals with the former model, while the electric model is dealt with here.

We bring you 10 of the most sensible, well-priced and genuinely fun used cars on the market today

As prices rise and belts are tightened, our search for the best value used cars intensifies.

Of course, value is largely a subjective thing and we were reminded of that recently when a reader called with news of their new Tesla Model 3.

It cost £39,000, a figure that included 15,000 miles of free charging via the company’s Supercharger network, a benefit worth around £2000.

Although the reader understood the market is choked with used Model 3s and, as a result, his new car will depreciate heavily, he loved the prospect of being its first owner.

However, those numbers got us thinking about how you can get a year-old Model 3 with 5000 miles for £29,000 and how the £10,000 the reader would have saved could at, for example, 45p per kWh (about midway between domestic and rapid-charger prices) be sufficient to pay for 122,000 miles of power. 

For balance, we accept this calculation ignores the fact that the reader’s Model 3 is the latest, more efficient and better-equipped version.

The two arguments represent different perspectives on value for money but, for this guide, we will go with ours. As we hope to show, used cars represent real value for money when bought well.

It’s our choice but we are willing to accept that the car you own – the one you chose to buy with your own money after long research and weighing up its pros and cons – offers the most value for money or else why buy it?

We think that the Ford Puma is one of the best value used cars thanks to its strong efficiency and rewarding drive across all specifications. 

But are there any other enthusiast cars out there that are worthy of investment? Read on as we share the best value used cars you can buy today. 

Ford’s popular pick-up truck gets a Baja rally-style performance overhaul – and this time there's a petrol V6 You only need to cast a cursory glance at the Ford Ranger Raptor to know that this isn’t your common or garden pick-up truck. It’s a far different beast to that of the Ranger Wildtrak that has dominated pick-up sales charts in the UK and Europe in recent years. The Raptor is a performance-focused, dune-bashing double-cab vehicle that has the capability of a cross-country rally prerunner (what drivers use for a recce of a course instead of their race truck). This time around, the Raptor has been dialled up a notch and now makes a whole range of noises that are variously louder and distinctively richer than those of its diesel-only predecessor. Indeed, the Raptor package isn’t totally unfamiliar: the enormous F-150 Raptor has been sold in the US for some time and Ford rolled out the first Ranger Raptor in 2019, with the performance off-roader embellished by BG Goodrich tyres, chassis modifications and much more – but it was only available with the 2.0-litre diesel four.Now it makes a more welcoming warble from a new turbo petrol V6, which gives the utilitarian pick-up a totally new and sporting personality that allows it to go very, very fast just about anywhere. So is Ford’s now petrol-powered Raptor a sports car slayer, and where does it fit in the performance truck firmament? Let’s find out. 

New model will help Japanese firm grow its small EV line-up; part of wider restructure between Alliance partners

Nissan has confirmed that it will introduce a new small electric city car based on the Renault Twingo in 2026 – bolstering hopes that the two EVs will be produced in right-hand drive for the UK market.

The deal for the new model comes as part of a wider reorganisation of some of the key aspects of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance. 

The Twingo is due to arrive in LHD markets next year, priced from less than €20,000 (£17,000).

It's based on Renault’s Ampr Small EV platform (referred to by Nissan as CMF-BEV), which is also used by the larger Renault 5.

Under the Alliance agreement, Renault is already set to produce a new electric Nissan Micra, based on the 5 and due in 2026, for the Japanese firm.

Nissan's Twingo sibling will sit underneath the Micra and larger Leaf and Juke EVs, both of which will be built at Sunderland, in the brand's future European electric line-up.

No further details of the city car have been released, although Nissan said that it would design the car and that it fitted its “roadmap for reducing development costs and time”.

Reducing the time taken to bring new vehicles to market is a key part of Nissan's revival plan, following its recent financial woes and failed merger with Honda.

Renault boss Luca de Meo has previously said that the prospects of the Twingo being converted for RHD markets could be dependent on a deal with Nissan to produce a sibling model, boosting the economies of scale.

Under the existing Alliance agreement, Renault has taken the lead on developing the Ampr Small/CMF-BEV platform while Nissan has headed development of the Ampr Medium/CMF-EV platform for larger models.

More broadly, the Renault Group and Nissan have agreed to a new Alliance Agreement, in which the "lock-up undertaking" of the cross-shareholding has been reduced from 15% to 10%. 

Meanwhile, Nissan has been released from its commitment to invest in Ampere, the Renault Group’s EV development firm.

Furthermore, the Renault Group is set to acquire the 51% of the pair's Indian joint venture, Renault Nissan Automotive India Private Ltd, that's currently held by Nissan.

That move is part of Renault’s international growth plan to invest in expanding its operations in India and will help Nissan to cut costs as it looks to implement its revival plan.

A new agreement would ensure that ongoing projects between Renault and Nissan in India would continue and the two firms would continue to jointly own their technology and business centre in the country.

Are hydrogen cars viable? We run through all you need to know about this alternative fuel

Go back a decade and hydrogen cars were deemed by many to be the next big thing. However, little progress has been made in bringing them to the mainstream market. 

But there is still hope for the hydrogen car. Toyota, BMW and Hyundai are still investing heavily, meaning we could still see a resurgence in the future. 

But what actually is a hydrogen car and how do they stack up to petrol, diesel and electric cars?

We have all you need to know right here, including the pros and cons of hydrogen cars, plus what the future looks like for the technology. 

What is a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle?

Hydrogen cars, or hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (often shortened to FCEV), are vehicles powered by liquid hydrogen. 

This is stored in a tank at a pressure of 700 bar and then used to generate high-voltage electricity for a small buffer battery, which in turn provides transient power for acceleration.

While many people tout hydrogen as the fuel of the future, the truth is that hydrogen cars have been around for decades. In 1998, Mercedes-Benz produced the first road-legal FCEV with the A-Class-based Necar.

How do hydrogen fuel cell vehicles work?

Hydrogen cars draw their power from a fuel cell stack, where oxygen and hydrogen react to generate electricity, sending energy to an electric motor. This means they drive just like an electric car.

Likewise they produce zero harmful emissions at the tailpipe, making them a much cleaner proposition petrol or diesel cars, at least from the driver’s point of view. 

How do you fill up a hydrogen car?

Hydrogen cars can be refuelled from hydrogen pumps at select filling stations. These look much like regular petrol and diesel pumps.

Refuelling a hydrogen car is a simple task: just open up the fuel filler cap and insert the pump. Typically, refuelling takes about five minutes. 

The hardest part of refuelling a hydrogen car in the UK is finding a filling station. According to UK H2 Mobility, there are now just three available for public motorists in the UK. 

They're based at Hatton Cross in London, Tullos in Aberdeen and the Advanced Manufacturing Park near Sheffield.

Many have been shut down in recent years and plans for new ones haven't come to fruition. 

What's the latest on hydrogen cars?

Progress in the world of hydrogen cars has slowed over the past few years. For an in-depth view of the current state of the hydrogen car industry, read more here. 

Some countries are closing hydrogen fuel stations in rapid numbers: H2 Mobility has shut 22 fuel stations in Germany and Shell has reportedly shut 10 of its 11 hydrogen fuel stations in the US, despite originally having planned to open a further 48. 

That hasn't stopped some car brands from investing hefty sums into the technology, though.

BMW will launch the first of a future hydrogen car line-up in 2028, with the first model based on the BMW X5. The car uses a powertrain co-developed with Toyota.

Hyundai recently revealed the Initium concept, which previews the next-generation Nexo hydrogen car with a modern design.

It takes a single electric motor with 201bhp – 40bhp more than the existing Nexo – and Hyundai is aiming for a range of 404 miles between top-ups. 

The Initium previews a production model that’s due to be unveiled by next summer, but it's unclear if it will ever come to the UK, considering that just 50 Nexos have been sold since the model was launched five years ago.

Toyota is also continuing its investment into a new-generation Mirai saloon, despite not having sold a single new example in the UK in 2024. 

Hydrogen cars available in the UK

Two hydrogen cars were until relatively recently available as new cars in the UK today and some car makers have hydrogen in their plans for production in the future. 

Toyota Mirai

The Toyota Mirai first appeared in 2015 and achieved 10,000 global sales before entering its second generation in 2021.

The latest Mirai is equipped with a fuel stack capable of storing 5.6kg of hydrogen and has a WLTP range of up to 400 miles. 

Despite being heavier and larger than the first-generation car, it takes just 8.7sec to travel from 0-62mph and 25.5sec to hit 100mph. That’s thanks to a powertrain that produces 180bhp and 221lb ft of torque.

However, the Mirai wasn’t cheap when it was launched in 2021. It commanded a price of £64,995 and you can’t currently order one from Toyota.

Read our Toyota Mirai review

Hyundai Nexo

Hyundai has been developing fuel cell technology since the 1990s, and the Nexo is the firm’s first production hydrogen car. 

Priced similarly to the Mirai at £65,995, the Nexo’s powertrain produces 161bhp and 291lb ft. Meanwhile, 0-62mph is completed in 9.6sec. 

The Nexo can store up to 6.33kg of hydrogen, which supplies power to a 1.56kWh battery. It offers a range of around 380 miles, and we were impressed by its solid driving dynamics and rolling refinement. 

There are fewer than 30 Nexos on UK roads today and, like the Mirai, it’s no longer available to order.

Read our Hyundai Nexo review

BMW iX5 Hydrogen

BMW formed a partnership with Toyota based around hydrogen technology and it plans to bring the iX5 Hydrogen to market in some form by 2030. 

With a 396bhp powertrain and 524lb ft of torque, it packs significantly more punch than the Toyota or Hyundai, backed up by its sub-6.0sec sprint from 0-62mph. 

Range stands at around 313 miles and our drive of the car revealed it to be comfortable, capable and almost ready for the road. It certainly paves the way for BMW's entry into the world of hydrogen.

Read our BMW iX5 Hydrogen review

Pros of hydrogen cars

One of the biggest benefits of driving a hydrogen car is that it produces zero harmful emissions from the tailpipe, just small amounts of water.

That means it's a lot more environmentally friendly to drive than a petrol or diesel car and would be welcome in the ever-increasing number of clean air zones popping up around the UK. 

Hydrogen cars are also significantly faster to fill up than electric cars.

Hydrogen is the most abundant element on the planet, too. 

Some consider hydrogen cars to be more efficient than other powertrains, as hydrogen power uses between 40-60% of its fuel’s energy with a 50% reduction in fuel consumption. It’s not uncommon to see around 400 miles of travel on a single tank when using hydrogen. 

And unlike with an EV, the range of a hydrogen car isn't impacted by outside temperatures. 

Cons of hydrogen cars

While hydrogen cars can be more efficient and environmentally friendly for the driver, there are some drawbacks.

Emissions from the tailpipe may be zero, but there are significant environmental challenges with producing hydrogen on an industrial scale. 

Producing hydrogen at this level uses a significant amount of fossil fuel. According to tyre giant Pirelli, as much as 10kg of CO2 is produced for every kilogram of hydrogen. 

There are methods of producing hydrogen that use renewable energies, but these are currently far more expensive. For example, Denmark produces hydrogen from wind while Iceland uses geothermal energy to produce it. 

Hydrogen cars are also quite expensive to buy due to their complexity, and the small number of refuelling stations is a significant black mark against this technology.

The future of hydrogen vehicles

Currently, hydrogen cars aren’t quite viable for the broader public. There are simply too few filling stations and the hydrogen itself isn’t yet commercially or environmentally viable to produce en masse. 

But with investment from the UK government aiming to accelerate the implementation of hydrogen vehicles, we could see more car makers turn their efforts to this technology in the coming years. 

One such company hoping to drive the production of hydrogen vehicles is engineering firm WAE, which revealed a platform for them in 2023.

It says the platform features a “cutting-edge" H2 fuel cell system and a liquid-cooled battery pack with up to 576bhp available. 

Elsewhere, Alpine has hinted that its radical hydrogen supercar concept, the Alpenglow, could make production. This injects hydrogen into the cylinders of a V6 combustion engine to reduce emissions.

For the general public, though, it looks like the future of cars in the UK will remain electric unless and until hydrogen refuelling infrastructure and production methods become more viable.

Rowan has stepped down as CEO; in his final major interview he explains the "Darwinian event" facing car makers

Volvo boss Jim Rowan has stepped down from the firm with immediate effect, following three years at the helm of the Swedish car firm.

During his time with Volvo, the former Dyson executive oversaw the launch of the EX30, EX90 and ES90, and has been a key proponent in the company's push towards software-defined vehicles.

He will be replaced by his predecessor, Håkan Samuelsson, who previously led Volvo from 2012 until 2022.

In this interview with Autocar – his final before exiting the firm – he says car makers face a "Darwinian event", and lays out his plan for Volvo to come out on top.

“It’s not win-win. Somebody’s gonna lose”

“If you’re looking for mental stimulation and sleepless nights, then come and join the industry,” says Volvo Cars CEO Jim Rowan, who did just that three years ago this month when he moved to the automotive world from the tech sector.

Compared with other car company CEOs, he speaks in a way that makes him still seem like an outsider – or perhaps an outlier – because the way Volvo talks so openly and extensively about software stacks, computer chips and processing power remains unique among legacy car manufacturers.

Yet Rowan believes this is where the game is now at for the automotive industry and he cannot comprehend how far behind rivals seem to be in the way they present themselves and talk about electric cars as if they’re a new thing, especially when their companies’ very survival is at stake.

“I’m not an automotive guy. I come from the tech sector and I’m absolutely flabbergasted by the amount of people that still talk about electrification, as if that’s the big thing,” he says. “We know about batteries. We know about embedding the modules. We know about even silicon carbide, which was a big story all of a sudden, but that’s not a new technology. We know about power electronics and so on.”

Instead, says Rowan, the four key things for the automotive industry now are “software, silicon, connectivity and data” – and Volvo is advanced in its development of all of them. But far from this being an attempt by Volvo to reposition itself as a tech company, this tech push is at its core about doubling down on safety and ensuring its cars continue to get ever safer and more lives are saved.

“When I say software, I mean full-stack software,” he says. “You need to be able to write from layer one of the silicon all the way up to the application layer of the car in order to control it properly. There are three companies in the world that have managed to do that: Tesla, Rivian and Volvo. There’s a lot of good car companies but none of them have figured it out. It’s a big deal – and freaking hard to get this done. But we’ve stuck at it.”

This ‘Superset’ tech stack is on the Volvo EX90 and ES90 and it will be adopted by all future Volvos. Moving all of the car’s major hardware and software control functions onto a central system rather than individual ECUs (the archetypal software-defined vehicles we’re increasingly hearing more about) enables more meaningful, consistent and stable over-the-air updates, particularly in the context of active safety technology and how vehicle data from accidents or near misses can be used to help cars avoid these situations in the future.

To handle the data, Volvo has been developing its own cloud architecture, which “most people are not”, says Rowan. This approach allows Volvo to retain control of all its data and make its cars safer remotely. “That’s the big story,” says Rowan, and it’s in contrast to buying an off-the-shelf cloud, “when you get nothing”. Volvo now has the second-biggest data centre in Sweden.

He says: “We run our algorithms inside the cloud architecture and then we push that back into the vehicle so that it makes the vehicle better and stronger and strengthens the algorithms.”

So why is Volvo pushing the tech story so hard? Do customers respond, or need to know?

Rowan says part of it is to drive the value of the company due to this level of advanced, proprietary technology and control of Volvo’s own destiny, but he notes “the stock is not showing that valuation” yet.

For customers, Volvo having remote control “of every node in the car” will enable more features to be added to the car. “People are still figuring out all the different use cases that we can get from that,” says Rowan, but he gives the examples of a dashcam being created out of the sensors and cameras, or an app that lets you check your car and where it’s parked remotely, as code that could be “written in an afternoon”.

“But the biggest thing is going to be around the safety aspects,” he says. “Because we get all that data, we’ll be able to look at the algorithms of all crashes. We’ll really see the crash. We’ll get the tape recording from the car that happened in Wiltshire on a wet Sunday afternoon and see what exactly happened. We’ll interrogate that and say: if we had deployed the airbag in a condition where the light is low and it’s a little bit slippery or whatever three nanoseconds earlier, that saves lives. That becomes meaningful to us as a safety brand. We need to be able to bring all of that alive to customers.”

Originally a mechanical engineering apprentice at Tate & Lyle in his native Scotland, Rowan soon switched into tech and held chief operating officer roles at both BlackBerry and Dyson and was CEO of Dyson from 2017 to 2020.

He succeeded the retiring Håkan Samuelsson, who in his decade in charge successfully lifted Volvo out of the mainstream and into the premium arena, where it could compete with the likes of Audi and Mercedes-Benz. That positioning is unchanged, and Rowan says that while he will continue to burnish Volvo’s traditional mechanical credentials, the job is now one of pushing Volvo’s tech prowess.

“That’s where the industry is going,” he says. “Quite frankly, if you don’t understand that and are not investing in that technology right now, you’re going to be left behind. The Chinese understand this really well.

“That’s why I’m flabbergasted sometimes by a lot of our competitors who still want to push for internal combustion engines. That’s great. They make a lot of money out of it, but they’re missing the point.

“I come from the smartphone industry. I was a BlackBerry guy. There were Nokia guys, Ericsson guys. There were Siemens guys. Philips used to build phones, Alcatel. None of them exist any more because we all thought it was about the RF circuit: how good is your connection?

“It was actually about software. It was about building an ecosystem that made the phone much more than a phone – and they missed it. The two guys who figured that out, Apple and Google, are trillion-dollar companies and the rest of them don’t exist.”

Investing in software is not at the expense of hardware, insists Rowan. “If we can enable that more with software and augment that, we can give a better experience. Look at Apple: I love the hardware. I love the brightness of the screen.

I love the way [an iPhone] works, the way it feels, how they build it. I love the software but, more importantly, I love the whole way the thing comes together. If we can emulate that within the vehicle itself, I think that’s the winning combination.”

Rowan says that the strength of brands means something quite different in the premium market compared with the mainstream, where the decision will nearly always come down to price. Yet “the premiumness of cars in the electric age is still being defined” and old brand values for premium car makers won’t necessarily carry over from the combustion era.

“With internal combustion engines, ‘premium’ is derived by [the likes of] ride quality,” he says. “If that was your brand attribute, you spent a ton of money because you put a big, heavy engine in the front of the car. You want to throw that car through the corners at 120kph [75mph]. You’d spend a lot of money on making a really smooth engine, on a really nice chassis, on suspension.

“Then, bang, all of a sudden there’s a new technology. You take a flat skateboard design and you get a nice low centre of gravity. Now you don’t have to offset this big, heavy engine in the front of the car, so suspension and, to some extent, chassis design becomes far less important. With battery technology, it’s not about the explosiveness and the smoothness of your engine, because you get torque for free. So now, what’s your brand attribute?

“What we’re seeing in China is people are saying: ‘Why would I buy this car when I can get the same acceleration, the same ride and handling for half the price?’”

Rowan says that Volvo’s brand attributes of safety and Scandinavian design won’t change in the electric era, but being a leader in technology allows customers “to come to us for different reasons”.

“That’s one of the big, profound changes that’s happening in the industry,” he says. “If we can augment that [traditional positioning] with better software, then the younger demographic will come to your brand and see a pretty cool car.

“We used to sell cars to accountants, doctors, dentists and lawyers. Now we’re selling a lot of cars to young software engineers, young marketeers, because the brand attributes are reasonably understated, reasonably humble, and especially when they have children, then they care about safety more than anything else.”

A question about the future of estates (according to Rowan, SUVs have taken their place essentially and Volvo cannot and will not enter every market niche as a relatively small company. A range of around eight cars will be enough) prompts a wider response from Rowan about how the industry is in a “Darwinian event” around survival, and who can successfully transition into software-defined vehicles.

“The guys figure this out quicker are going to come out strong, the guys who stick to the knitting,” he says. “There will be people who don’t come out of this and there will be fatalities. The guys with 10-15 brands, that’s going to be super-tough. They’re going to need to pare that back quickly.”

Rowan expects a significant change in around 18 months as brands start to disappear, from legacy car makers and from Chinese upstarts.

“They’re just not all gonna survive,” he says. “There’s not enough business for everybody. A lot of them are not making money already. They’re selling cars at a loss just to keep cash coming in. Eventually, that plays itself out and you’re going to see a thinning out of the multi-brand car companies that are going to need to say: ‘I can’t keep all these brands alive, so I’m going to need to shrink.’

“I don’t think you’re going to see car companies buying car companies. There’s just not enough business for everybody. So those guys will die out. The ones that are left will be much stronger because there’s less competition, and we’re going to be forced to be pretty lean to get through this.

“Everybody’s cutting costs. I don’t think it’s a bad thing for the industry. It’s super-interesting. It’s super-competitive right now. It’s freaking hard. But at the end of the day, if you want to win in the long term, you need to go through this. The only way to take market share in a flat market is to take it from your competitor. So unfortunately, we’re not in a win-win situation. Somebody’s gonna lose.

EVs that can break the 300-mile barrier are growing in number – as are number of those that can crack 400 miles

For many new car buyers, electric cars are often judged by a single factor: their driving range. 

That's because, back when electric cars first entered the mainstream, they really couldn't go far until you would need to recharge their batteries - and finding a charger was a near-impossible task. 

Cast your mind back to 2010: the Nissan Leaf, widely regarded as the world’s first mass-market EV, offered just 100 miles of range and took eight hours to charge from a home socket. 

But EVs have improved massively in a short space of time. Even some of the cheapest electric cars currently on sale will easily deliver double the range of the original Leaf and charge much, much faster.

Thanks to a decade and a half of battery and motor development, some of the longest-range EVs can now match some petrol cars for how far they will go on a ‘tank’.

This list ranks the top 10 longest-range EVs, quoting officially supplied figures from manufacturers.

In real-world use, it’s unlikely that many of these EVs will hit these promised figures consistently – although you might get close if you’re feather-footed, a keen hypermiler or driving in summer. 

The undisputed range champion - that’s the EV with the longest range available in the UK today - is the Mercedes-Benz EQS saloon, which is capable of 481 miles. Which other models make the top 10? Read on to find out.

Can the Czech brand’s re-jigged large SUV remain as one of our favourites? The new Skoda Enyaq is proof that some manufacturers stay true to their core focus, even in the age of the rebrand.Kia and Hyundai have taken the 'reinvention' baton and run a country mile, Mercedes is going to launch 21 new models in just two years, and Jaguar's new look needs no introduction. But Skoda and its cars have always stayed true to their intentions; they're easy to live with, easy on the eye and easy to use.When the previous Enyaq made its first appearance in 2020, it quickly became a car we liked because of its inherent ‘Skoda-ness’. It was affordable, energy-efficient, had decent performance and a cleverly thought-out, good-quality cabin. No surprises, then, that it was one of Europe's best-selling cars in 2024.Many of its competitors like the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6, Tesla Model Y and Volkswagen ID 4 have all been updated since, and now Skoda has given the Enyaq some new styling in line with its current design language, an upgrade to the infotainment system and a small boost in range.In light of this, then, let’s find out how it stacks up.The Skoda Enyaq range at a glanceAs before, you can have the Enyaq in regular SUV or coupé guise. Both come with the choice of two battery sizes and three powertrain options. At the entry-level is the Enyaq 60, which comes with a 63kWh lithium ion battery (59kWh usable) good for up to 277 miles of range. The next levels up, the 85 and 85x, use an 82kWh battery (77kWh usable), with electric ranges up to 370 miles and 346 miles respectively.The 85 was originally called the 80, but in 2024 Skoda upgraded the rear motor of it, the 80x and vRS for more power and better efficiency and renamed the first two to 85 and 85x.The entry-level 50, meanwhile, has been discontinued for this generation, owing to a lack of demand.In lieu of trim levels, Skoda offers interior design themes (Loft, Lounge, Lodge, Suite Cognac, Suite Black and Sportline) and a selection of other option packages. UK buyers will not be able to get the 60s in Sportline trim.

The ZR-V is a vertically stretched Civic for the fiercely contested, hybrid-powered family SUV class The Honda ZR-V may not be the best-known Honda model, but it’s made a telling difference to its corporate fortunes.It became one of Honda UK's top three best-selling models in its first full calendar year on sale, 2024, returning the company to the right side of 30,000 annual units for the first time this decade.That’s mostly because it fills a gap in a popular market segment for compact SUVs. And yet it doesn’t do so conventionally, which may be why the Honda badge on its nose seems like such a good fit.The car presents a slightly lower-slung, ‘all-road estate’ type of alternative to the likes of the Hyundai Tucson, Volkswagen Tiguan and Peugeot 3008, then. It’s a little less boxy-looking, for those who remain on the fence about SUV aesthetics but like their convenience and practicality, and its dynamic priorities are all about comfort, efficiency and ease of use.

Long-running motor show played host to a number of wild concepts like these example from Rinspeed

Traditionally at this time of year, the automotive industry congregates in Geneva for the world’s most important motor show – but to our great sadness, last year’s event was the last there will ever be.

A sad corollary of this is that we won’t get to enjoy our semi-regular laughs at concepts unveiled by Swiss design houses – or should we say mad houses? – Sbarro and Rinspeed.

Italian-born Franco Sbarro began his career as a mechanic, then set up his eponymous firm in 1968 – with zero interest in conventionality.

Sbarro first caught our attention at Geneva in 1973 with the SV1, an attractive sports coupé composed of NSU, Porsche and Volkswagen components – most prominently, two Ro80 rotary engines mounted side by side behind the rear seats!

In 1978, it combined a Fiat four-wheel drive system with a BMW engine in the shell of an “avant-garde cross-country vehicle” – then two years later took this format to a wild extreme, matching a G-Wagen chassis with the 450SE’s V8 engine and adding a third axle.

The Wind Hawk was, unsurprisingly, destined for the Middle East – just like the AMG G63 6x6 that Mercedes itself would produce 35 years later.

That 1980 show also introduced Autocar to Frank Rinderknecht’s Rinspeed, starting fairly sensibly with a small car for disabled drivers featuring a mechanism that hoisted one’s wheelchair out, up and into a roof-mounted box.

Perhaps the coolest thing at the 1982 show was Sbarro’s Super Twelve, a straight-12 hot hatch. Yes, really: the engine was two Kawasaki motorcycle sixes conjoined, making 240bhp. With a tubular chassis and a fibreglass body, it weighed 800kg – resulting in a better power-to-weight ratio than Lamborghini’s Countach.

Two years later, it produced an evolution, the Super Eight, with a Ferrari 308 GTB chassis and V8. This one-off came up for auction in 2024 but fell short of its reserve at $160k.

Enjoy full access to the complete Autocar archive at the magazineshop.com

Sbarro’s next show-stealer was the 1985 Challenge, a supercar of truly bizarre proportions with four-wheel drive, a centrally mounted 5.0-litre Mercedes V8, a retractable windscreen and… inflatable seats.

We actually sampled one of six road-registered examples a decade later. It had lost a pair of cylinders but none of the visual impact, and naturally it was “a disappointment to drive, failing to meet your expectations even in a straight line”.

The 1987 Monster 4x4 was in a similar vein but had an even bigger Mercedes V8 – 6.9 litres – rotating the enormous wheels of a Boeing 747. Rolling resistance be damned.

Rinspeed spent the 1980s mostly creating sensible (well, relatively, that is) tuned versions of Porsches and whatnot, but in 1997 it decided to join in Sbarro’s game, giving us something that “looked like a 1960s front-engined Indycar on acid”.

That engine was a V8 from, er, Hyundai, a supercharger taking its output to a hefty 410bhp, and all while the Mono Ego weighed no more than a tonne.

It produced something similar for the 1998 show, called the Rocket, again using that Korean V8 but with styling more akin to a pre-war Auto Union grand prix racer – although “we won’t go too near the stand, because these cars often disappoint when you get close”.

If they had been unconventional in the 1990s, Sbarro and Rinspeed both really let loose in the 2000s, as exemplified by the latter firm’s millennium duo: a retro hot-rod pick-up truck with an integrated crane, called the Tatooo.com (huh?), and “an odd underwater scooter that looks like it’s from a B-grade Hollywood sci-fi movie”, called the Breathing Observation Bubble.

Aquatic machinery became a bit of a theme for Rinspeed, as shown by 2004’s Splash. Creating “a tidal wave of interest” (ahem), this was a chunky roadster that could hydraulically transform into not merely a boat but a hydrofoil, elevating it 60cm above the water. And fuelled by compressed natural gas for good measure.

Having made “Dick Dastardly’s next car” in 2003 (“good old Franco is still taking the drugs, it seems”, we joked), Sbarro in 2007 created a six-wheeled pick-up truck by adding an electrically driven third axle to the… Citroën C-Crosser. Obviously.

In 2009, Rinspeed presented the iChange (everything new had to be ‘i’ back then, didn’t it?), which could alter its shape depending on how many people were inside – although funnily enough it was “cunningly perched on an elevated stand to keep its shape-shifting qualities hidden from the general public”.

We gave up reporting on this dynamic duo after that, so irrelevant were their creations to the road, but their presence still always raised a smile.

Ssangyong designer Ken Greenley perhaps put it best when he told us in 1999: “I don’t like any of the cars here, but Geneva wouldn’t be Geneva without Sbarro. I’ll give its stand a four out of 10 for being interesting and thought-provoking.”

AGTZ invokes an old car without actually being based on one

Italy’s famous coachbuilders aren’t worried about new technology and changing tastes

"It could be the revival of coachbuilding.” Andrea Zagato, CEO of the company bearing his surname, founded in 1919 by his grandfather, is confident.

Confident that his specialist industry is fit and ready to not only survive the new automotive era but thrive in it: “The art of coachbuilding is 500 years old, while automotive is around 150.

"We’ve already survived all possible technological shifts. I joined the company in the middle of the crisis of the early ’90s, when other coachbuilders were lost. We survived all of this. So why not a change of technology?”

While the romance of automotive coachbuilding was perhaps strongest in its early decades, it stands to win over new audiences a century later, due to two diverging strands: the move to EVs with vastly shared platforms (just look at Ford and Volkswagen buddying up) and the nostalgic response of restomods and their ilk.

Whether on fully digitised or wantonly analogue bases, the need for individual designs and finely crafted bodies may be more crucial than ever.

“We are case designers,” continues Zagato, “so we concentrate on what you see, what you touch. Whatever technology you provide us beneath, it’s not a big change for us.

"There are several converging trends in the automotive industry, and one is the growing demand for exclusivity. There’s also a standardisation of the components, even in internal combustion cars.

"Stellantis is a prime example: for me, the new Lancia Ypsilon is better-looking than the Peugeot 208, but they’re almost the same underneath. The styling might be the deciding factor for buyers.”

Zagato insists that his firm will embrace new technology, rather than fear it. He cites artificial intelligence and 3D stamping as beneficial for its small-scale projects, explaining: “You don’t have to invest thousands of euros in moulds or tooling, because you can quickly build the parts to create one-off and few-off cars. We’re already building many one-offs with 3D stamping.”

“We’re living through a technological challenge created by the war between EVs and ICE cars,” he continues. “If electric motors win, the standardisation in the industry will be maximised. I can see a time when you won’t be keen to own a mass-production car; you will rent, use, share. Design may become the main element of differentiation.

“People are looking for uniqueness and personal expression. This is bringing us to the point that coachbuilding could be truly back soon. I believe restomods are an intermediate step.”

This brings us to the £550,000-plus AGTZ Twin Tail (a collaboration between Zagato and La Squadra, a Polish dealer of collector’s cars), which clothes today’s Alpine A110 in a dramatic skin paying homage to the A220 endurance racer of the ’60s. Two bodystyles are replicated by one car, thanks to an innovatively removable longtail. 

Its modern core means it doesn’t fit the true description of a restomod, says Zagato: “It’s a typical coachbuilding job, using inspiration from the past and telling the iconic story of the A220.

"This is a modernisation of the concept. We have airbags and contemporary safety systems on board. We’ve integrated modern technology with timeless design. This is the difference between us and a restomod.”

Old and new together

Another Italian coachbuilder is making a successful business case for true restomods, though.

Last summer, Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera unveiled its Veloce12, which takes an old Ferrari 550 Maranello and endows it with freshened engine, chassis and brake components beneath a reimagined body.

“We believe the market for high-end classic cars has seen a shift in buyers to a new generation of product,” says CEO Markus Tellenbach. “Cars from the ’50s or ’60s struggle a bit with younger buyers, which is where cars from the ’90s come into focus.”

Many of the £600,000-plus Veloce12s have been sold to American buyers. Its status as a restomod is crucial there, as cars not originally approved for US sale can’t legally be imported for unrestricted road use until they’re 25 years old.

“Our concept fits the story of the ’90s analogue car and using a donor means we don’t have to do our own homologation,” confirms Tellenbach.

The 30 buyers are split 50/50 between those supplying their own 550 Maranello donor car and those buying the car purely on sight at Monterey Car Week in California.

“Our youngest customers are in their late thirties – younger than Touring’s historic age,” reveals Tellenbach. “Making a classic design contemporary and fresh resonates with a new audience.”

It seems Touring has tapped into an elusive market frequently chased by mainstream car makers, often in vain.

“We aren’t burdened by the rucksack of being consistent with brand values like an OEM,” says Tellenbach. “For a big, established name, it’s tougher to respect all your usual rules and establish brand recognition while also appealing to younger buyers.”

Yet the Veloce12 isn’t Touring operating at its purest, he adds: “Making 30 cars in two years is quite an efficient programme for us, all thanks to carbonfibre. With hand-built aluminium, you can’t do that.

We love making one-offs or few-offs where the panel-beaters create the car: that’s where our true heart lies. It’s what I want to revive and keep active as a true coachbuilding discipline. Something which fully reflects the craftsmanship that a collector appreciates.

“It’s more likely that we will find another way to reinterpret classic beauty than push the envelope on new construction materials. We aren’t scientists; we’re coachbuilders. If I find a friendly OEM with a 12-cylinder, front-engined car who will shake hands with us, you might see a brand-new Touring [rather than a restomod].

"Maybe today that’s wishful thinking, but tomorrow, who knows? It’s only possible to have access to a brand-new platform when you’re working directly with the company in question.”

One such company is Alfa Romeo, whose historical relationship with Touring helped secure the coachbuilder its contract to build the limited-run 33 Stradale supercar.

“It has to be done in a co-operative way,” says Tellenbach. “We need a friendly relationship, similar to AMG with Mercedes or Alpina with BMW. That direction surely has a great future.”

The companies previously paired up for the gorgeous Disco Volante, a proper coachbuilt ‘case’ atop the 8C Competizione’s platform.

“That was designed by Touring and Alfa Romeo liked it so much they asked us to put their badge on it,” says Tellenbach. “Which is great if you like the story between the two brands, these neighbours in Milan, although it’s probably not typical.

"But we’re building the 33 Stradale with a team split almost 50/50 between the two brands. Our old friendship is revived.”

And what of the relationship between Touring and another of its famous neighbours, Pininfarina, the Veloce12 essentially being the former’s resketching of the latter’s work?

“Some online comments insisted that the original lines shouldn’t be touched,” admits Tellenbach, “but there is no animosity. We have a professional respect for each other’s work."

Their question over dinner at Monterey was: ‘Does it sell?’”

Tailoring and top hats

While Automobili Pininfarina is a branch away from the coachbuilding culture of old (as a sibling company of the original Pininfarina design house), its cars are still subject to the same fastidious buyers, as evidenced by the Battista Targamerica, which was also revealed at Monterey, then handed over to “one of our most important clients” by CEO Paolo Dellachà.

“It’s not what most of our customers want but a few of them,” he says. “They’re asking us if we can develop them something that isn’t just the usual colours, materials and finishing [CMF] bespoke process – they want to go a step further.

"To realise the first open-roof Battista, for instance. The Battista operates in a sphere where the residual value of the car is more bound to its level of exclusivity than its technology.”

Does this represent a chance to return to the coachbuilding roots of Pininfarina that date back to 1930? “I will always be happy to create one-offs and few-offs spun from any of our main models,” answers Dellachà.

“Pininfarina has been doing this very extensively in the past. Of course you have to do it in proportion, in the right measure, to avoid becoming specialised only in that. You need to have a solid platform first. Once you have that, there’s more freedom in terms of creating even more outstanding design.”

One-offs aren’t necessarily the big profit-booster they can be for more mainstream manufacturers’ special vehicle divisions, however, says Dellachà: “They may cost more to the customer, but these unique cars require additional design, engineering and tooling.

"There’s always a homologation process, even for the Targamerica. It’s not just a show-and-display car [a way to bypass the US’s 25-year rule].” Dellachà joined Automobili Pininfarina in 2023, following lengthy stints at Ferrari and Maserati.

“Mostly at those brands, our custom products concerned CMF rather than ‘top hat’ [ie body and interior] modifications,” he says. “Top hat is more of the Pininfarina tradition.

“Such coachbuilding is not limited by the technology of the powertrain. You can do it on ICE, hybrid or electric [bases], and the transformation can go from zero to 100 according to the level of bespoke a customer wants to achieve – and the level of money they wish to invest in the process.

“With a lot of patience and creativity, we can really thrill our buyer with something that’s exciting at all possible levels – and that’s purely working on design, without touching any of the performance.” 

Small batteries and austere power outputs mean the Spring and T03 are best suited to town

The Spring is widely regarded as the value champion but China's Leapmotor is here to fight it – which is better?

Electric cars, and new cars in general, are expensive. You know it, we know it, and even though they prefer to draw your attention to attractive-looking finance deals and the potential savings of electric driving, car makers know it.

Yes, they do appear to be trying to improve things (while protecting their bottom line, of course) but the various innovative ‘mobility solutions’ have proved to be deeply inadequate for most people and cheap ‘cars’ like the Citroën Ami are a case of being careful what you wish for. We want cheap cars, but not like that.

Affordable petrol cars are bad for car makers’ CO2 quotas and, in spite of the demand from customers, are increasingly difficult to make a profit on. Of the five sub-£15,000 cars we gathered together for a group test in 2023, only Dacia’s Sandero remains below that mark today.

The situation might be changing, though. The relentless march of progress means that the platforms aimed at developing markets may now be perceived as more acceptable over here. Meanwhile, battery costs are (slowly) coming down. So if you package a modest number of cheaper cells in one of those cheaper platforms, you might actually end up with a very decent yet affordable electric car.

That recipe has been used for both the Dacia Spring Electric and the Leapmotor T03. Both are available for well under £20,000, can seat four people, are capable of motorway speeds and exceed 140 miles on the combined cycle. On the face of it, Mini and Honda were asking over £30,000 for the same sort of thing not so long ago.

Sounds good, but there is the danger that we’re dealing with the Temu version of the Honda E and Mini Electric here: attractive on paper but horribly compromised in functionality.

Dacia Spring vs Leapmotor T03: Design and engineering

Encouragingly, both manufacturers are reputable enough to dispel such concerns. Dacia’s reputation speaks for itself by now. The Duster, Sandero and Jogger are brilliant examples of all the car you need, nothing you don’t. It’s not that Dacia reduces a car to its bare essentials but, more significantly, it does the essentials so, so well.

The Spring is slightly different. It’s based on the Renault Kwid, which was launched in India in 2015 and gained early infamy for its disastrous crash test results. Since then, it has been updated with better crash structures, airbags, a couple of facelifts and latterly a pack of batteries under the floor. The electric version, which is built in China, is sold as a Renault elsewhere but came to mainland Europe a few years ago as the Dacia Spring.

Last year, it had a major facelift to Dacify it further and turn it into a more cohesive product for the European market – including the UK this time.

If you compare the Spring we have here with the old one, it might as well be an entirely different car. The Y-shaped light signature and cityscape pattern on the lower grille have really turned budget transport into a cool little city car, even if there is still something awkward-looking about its small-wheeled tippy-toe stance. If you peer through the rear wheel arch, you can actually see the torsion beam for the suspension.

We know what a Dacia is, even if it’s actually a Chinese-Indian Renault, but what the hell is a Leapmotor?

Fast-moving start-up, China, high-tech electric mobility, yadda, yadda. You’ve heard that sort of thing before, but what makes us all take notice is that Stellantis has a 21% stake in the company and owns 51% of Leapmotor International, a joint venture set up to increase Leapmotor sales outside of China.

Not only that, but it has started building left-hand-drive T03s in the Fiat plant in Tychy, Poland. In other words, our Franco-Romanian car is made in China, whereas our Chinese car could have been built in Poland, although right-hand-drive ones continue to come out of China.

So Stellantis gives credibility to Leapmotor in the form of brand recognition and a dealer network, but that’s about where the Stellantis involvement ends.

The T03 isn’t a cut-down Vauxhall Corsa: it’s a pure Leapmotor development. There’s a battery under the floor, a motor in the front and, like many Chinese cars, a design that is inoffensive but very derivative. If the front has shades of cross-eyed Smart Forfour, from the back it could be absolutely anything.

Instead, it draws you in by being apparently overspecced in almost every way, at least on paper. At the UK launch, Leapmotor’s PR team weren’t shy about making comparisons with the Dacia Spring and even brought a static Spring to show just how much better equipped the T03 is for the same price. Indeed, in a game of austerity Top Trumps, the Leapmotor wins easily.

It comes in just one spec, and for your £15,995, Leapmotor gives you a 37.3kWh battery, 94bhp and loads of equipment: a fully fledged infotainment system with navigation, adaptive cruise control, blindspot monitoring, a panoramic sunroof and 48kW DC charging.

Meanwhile, at Dacia, the same money will buy you a Spring with the upgraded motor (still only 64bhp), a battery of only 26.8kWh, no fast charging, no centre screen and none of that fancy-pants tech. Our test car is in Extreme trim, which adds an infotainment screen, cruise control and 30kW fast charging but is £1000 more.

In practice, though, these philosophies are emblematic of the different ways that the Chinese and European manufacturers develop their cars. What’s there in the Dacia works well, whereas you’re in for a bit more of a fight with the Leapmotor’s apparent luxury features.

Dacia Spring vs Leapmotor T03: Interior

The interior is a case in point. Inside, the T03 is clearly intended to feel like a ‘proper’ car, with its restrained styling and standard infotainment screen.

It’s unmistakably quite a small space, though, so it can’t help but feel slightly incongruous. There’s none of the sense of fun that small cars, including the Spring, are traditionally quite good at.

Although the Leapmotor’s touchscreen works passably well, it’s not great. It has no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, so you’re reliant on the radio and Bluetooth for media and the built-in system for navigation, which is quite fiddly to programme.

The climate controls are also on the screen, and although they’re permanently displayed in a bar at the bottom, the ‘buttons’ are quite small. Neither of these cars has automatic climate control, so you end up fiddling with the heater and fan speed a lot.

That process is so much easier with the Dacia’s physical knobs and switches. Our test car has the optional touchscreen with phone mirroring, and while the more basic version doesn’t have a centre screen at all, it has an integrated holder for your phone, which does media and navigation pretty well anyway.

Neither of the two has heated seats. That’s frustrating because it can’t be very expensive to fit heating elements to the seats. Given these cars are used primarily for short hops, you end up losing quite a lot of range to the heater when you just want your back to be kept warm.

With all that said, the T03 is far more accommodating than the Spring. Its doors feel much less tinny, the seats have more padding and the driving position is far superior to the Dacia’s.

The Spring makes you feel more like a circus bear in a comedy car. The pedals are too close for comfort and you sit quite high in relation to the controls and the top of the windscreen.

Both are small cars, so rear carrying space is inevitably limited. Surprisingly enough, at 6ft2in I can just about sit behind my own driving position in both, albeit slightly easier in the Leapmotor. That’s despite it being a little shorter in length than the Dacia. The T03 partly has its architecture to thank for that, because it doesn’t need to be able to house a petrol engine in the front for other variants, unlike the Spring. At the same time, it also sacrifices some boot space. Its 210-litre boot is notably tighter than the Dacia’s (308 litres) and has a much narrower opening.

Dacia Spring vs Leapmotor T03: On the road

The Spring makes more of its limited means on the road too. It’s easy to become jaded when it comes to power outputs in electric cars, but when you’re talking double figures, every pony counts. And in this case, the Leapmotor has almost 1.5 times as many of them as the Dacia. 

If this were true for the Mercedes-AMG C63 and the BMW M3, the Mercedes would have 768bhp.

According to the official figures, however, the Spring is only a second slower to 62mph, and subjectively you would struggle to tell the difference. Neither car is quick, but in both cases they have enough performance to keep up with traffic on A- and B-roads. Sure, you’re to the boards quite a lot, but while that’s tiring in a Kia Picanto screaming its little head off, it makes very little difference in an EV whether you use half or all the power.

Where you do feel the lack of go – in both cars – is on the motorway. Make no mistake: these are not quadricycles; they’ll cruise at 70mph if they have to and that makes them all the more versatile. But you can sense they’re not entirely happy doing it. Driving at 60-70mph requires a bit of planning, crosswinds affect them in a way that we’re no longer used to and you feel vulnerable between HGVs or when overtaking the SUVs trundling in the middle lane.

You might expect the Leapmotor to have another trump card here in the form of its adaptive cruise control. But it’s so poorly tuned that you might as well not have it. The way it seems to want to be either accelerating or braking, and struggles to maintain a speed, is just not comfortable. Although you can set it to standard cruise control, you have to be stopped and in Park to do so, which is not very practical on a motorway.

If you plan to do anything more than occasional motorway driving, neither of these cars is going to provide you with much joy, also because their range and charging speeds feel like a throwback to EVs from seven years ago. Still, both will do more than 100 miles on a charge, in winter, which is a good deal more than most people cover on a daily basis.

Again, the Dacia closes the on-paper gap. It may have a 10kWh-smaller battery, but it’s also considerably more efficient. On the same cold day, we achieved 4.2mpkWh from the Spring and just 3.4mpkWh from the T03. The Leapmotor has the longer range, but not by much.

City streets are where these two feel most at home. At only about 1.6m wide and with a turning circle of less than 10m (the Dacia has a manual handbrake if you need it to be tighter still, though maybe not in town), you can thread them through narrow gaps without a care in the world. The Dacia is perhaps marginally easier to place because you can see the edges of the bonnet, but if this is how you’ll use them, there’s very little in it. 

Bigger differences, of quality and character, surface on a country road. Some might see these as city cars, which they are, I suppose. Equally, they would be eminently useful for nipping into town if you live in a rural village with patchy public transport and no cycling infrastructure. You rarely appreciate a narrow car as much as when you’re dodging an oncoming truck on a narrow country lane.

Any sortie in the Leapmotor necessarily starts by turning off about seven different ‘safety’ systems, to save you being driven to distraction by the lane keeping assistance tugging at the steering or the driver monitoring berating you for yawning. It’s impossible to turn them off while driving, too. I find it hard to imagine an engineer or exec driving this car and deciding this is a pleasant enough way to travel. In the Dacia, everything works better in the first place and turning it off is done with a single button.

The Leapmotor unequivocally feels like the more mature car on the open road, though. It’s more planted, more stable, and you can be con dent that it will grip, whereas the Dacia feels flighty because of its loose body control, plastic Linglong EcoMaster tyres and rudimentary damping. The Spring’s rear axle seems to have next to no rebound damping and just slams down into the road a er sharp ridges and sleeping policemen. Both cars possess very light, disconnected steering, though the Dacia has a slightly keener front end, which actually makes it more fun if you’re prepared for the abundance of body roll and lack of grip.

A quick look online shows that acceptably grippy tyres for the Dacia wouldn’t cost very much. Those might swing the balance the other way, but if you had to give one of these cars to an unenthusiastic driver, you would pick the T03 because it has just that fraction more of a safety margin. It used to be a French national sport to coax a clapped-out Citroën 2CV or Renault 4 up a mountain pass at lightning speed, but let’s be honest: not everyone is into that.

To a greater or lesser extent, that is what these two cars feel like: the small cars of yesteryear. They’re quite tinny and not especially luxurious or capable, but they provide basic transport and there is something entertaining about driving them quickly down a country road and catching up all the dawdlers in their much faster cars. And while neither car will top any group tests for safety, you can bet your kneecaps that they’ll protect you better in a crash than a Citroën AX.

Dacia Spring vs Leapmotor T03: Verdict

Appointing a winner is tricky, because the Spring has gradually whittled away the T03’s on-paper advantage. The Dacia unapologetically feels like a small, cheap car. It does it well and with a sense of fun. The Leapmotor tries to be a more serious, big car and succeeds to a point but it also feels more like an appliance and frustrates with some of the underdeveloped ‘luxury’ features. There’s a place for both, but in the absence of outright competence, a small car is better with a sense of humour and the Dacia Spring is the more likeable product. 

Winner: Dacia Spring

Cheery and fun. There’s not much to it, but what little there is works well, except for the tyres.

Second: Leapmotor T03

More of everything, even if not everything is quite up to snuff. The more competent car, but at the cost of charm.

Nearly-new alternatives

The step down in capability from a Renault 5 to a Spring is more of a tumble than the step down from a Megane to a 5. The same is true in the Stellantis family: the step down from an electric Astra to a Corsa is far smaller than from a Corsa to a Leapmotor T03. That automatically leads you to wonder: well, what about a Corsa?

If you really want a newish electric car on a budget, there are lots of facelifted Vauxhall Corsa Electrics for sale online with delivery mileage for the same money as the Spring or the T03. The Renault Zoe has been out of production for almost a year, so you’ll have to accept a higher mileage, but very fresh ones can be had for even less than the Corsa. Or how about an MG 4? Delivery-mileage standard-range cars can be bought for well under £20,000.

Comparing new and used is fraught when you have to take into account older cars and expired warranties, but this is not the case here and becomes more of an existential question.

Rolls-Royce CEO, Chris Brownridge, joins Autocar's editor-at-large, Matt Prior

In this bonus podcast, Autocar's Editor-at-large, Matt Prior, meets the Rolls-Royce CEO, Chris Brownridge. Speaking at the launch of the Spectre Black Badge, Brownridge tells us about Black Badge Rolls-Royces, how many cars Rolls should sell, what it's like working in the luxury sector, and more, including private islands.

Make sure you never miss an Autocar podcast. Subscribe to our podcasts via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Podcasts or via your preferred podcast platform. And if you subscribe, rate and review the pod, we'd really appreciate that too.

Last Luton-built Vivaro was built at 12:18pm on Friday 28 March 2025

Vauxhall Luton has built its final vehicle, a Vivaro van, bringing to an end 120 years of production at the plant.

The decision to close the historic commercial vehicle factory was announced by Vauxhall owner Stellantis in November 2024. All of the company's UK van production will be moved its site in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire.

Former Stellantis chief Carlos Tavares announced the decision just a few months after he had threatened closures as part of a battle with the UK government over its zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate.

Tavares said the ZEV mandate was “hurting significantly our business model”, because car makers were being forced to sell more EVs yet no incentives were being offered to buyers and the industry was grappling with a downturn in EV interest.

He said that moving all operations to one base would “consolidate” Stellantis's UK manufacturing footprint. He added that this decision would “potentially contribute to greater production efficiency” – something the firm said would also allow it to meet increasingly stringent ZEV mandate targets, which rise to 26% this year.

All of Luton’s machinery will be moved to Ellesmere Port, where more than £50 million will then be spent to upgrade it to take on the extra workload.

The decision to close Luton put 1100 jobs at risk and just a few hundred roles were guaranteed to be moved to Ellesmere Port, Stellantis said. A consultation was launched for affected workers, with those unable to make the move being offered retraining or potentially jobs at neighbouring businesses.

Following November’s announcement, union bosses called on Stellantis to reverse its decision, given that it was made just days before Tavares’s shock resignation.

Unite called the closure decision “one final example of Tavares’s failed strategy” and said it “must be halted as the company embarks on the hunt for a new CEO and a new direction”.

In response, Stellantis committed to “the continuity of the ongoing projects that have been already communicated” under the guidance of chairman John Elkann and an interim executive committee.

Unite argued that until Tavares's successor is appointed (due in the first half of 2025), all previous major decisions should be halted.

Sixth-generation executive saloon and estate ramp up the luxury and tech The new car market is changing faster than ever, but that doesn't mean some things can't say the same - and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class is a case in point. Despite years of progress, the big German's underlying receipe of quality, comfort, space and refinement remains largely untouched. This 'W214' E-Class is the latest iteration of one of the oldest model lines from one of the oldest car manufacturers. By Mercedes' own count, it's the 10th generation of a largely unbroken lineage going back to 1947.Despite being very keen to refer to its heritage (and why wouldn’t it be?), Mercedes isn’t a particularly nostalgic company. It has come up with radical designs, such as the original A-Class and Smart City Coupé, while its electric cars are really exploiting the aerodynamics and design possibilities that an EV offers. Unlike with the BMW i5 and 5 Series, Mercedes is choosing to keep the electric EQE and combustion-engined E-Class apart. According to the literature, the new E-Class needs to balance tradition with modernity and ‘build a bridge’ between traditional executive saloons and the tech-filled EVs of the future. Plenty of buyers are not ready for their car to be a smartphone on wheels, so that mission could well strike a chord. To find out whether the E-Class might succeed, so far we've tested an E220d and E300e saloon, and both the E220d and E450d estates.The E-Class Estate is of course here to reddress the decline in popularity of the executive wagon, which has been made an endangered species as SUVs have prospered. In the next few years, the breed may even disappear for good, and this is particularly true for versions with torque-rich six-cylinder engines, like the E-Class.We’re already in a last-car-standing scenario, because BMW has, at least in the UK, shunned diesel entirely for the latest raft of 3 and 5 Series models, including the big-booted Touring variants. Aside from the quirky Audi S6 Avant (get it while it’s still here), Audi is also down to only four-piston offerings for TDI derivatives of the A4 and A6 Avant – erstwhile stalwarts of the big-capacity diesel scene.All of which should make the range-topping E-Class diesel, the E450d, appealing to those who want maximum autonomy and effortless pace and opulence. Alongside it on the petrol side of the spectrum, there's the AMG E53: a six-cylinder PHEV. In other regions, there's an E450 petrol as well, but that isn't offered in the UK for the time being - and is unlikely to make an appearance over here any time soon.Apart from the top-rung Exclusive Edition, all trim levels are all AMG Line of some sort, with Advanced, Premium and Premium Plus packs tacked on for the more expensive versions.

Bright paint and more aggressive styling will mark the hot Elroq out

Skoda's second sporty electric car could pack a 322bhp punch to outpace the Abarth 600e

Skoda will reveal the new Elroq vRS next week as the second electric car from its sporting sub-brand - and it's set to be one of the company's most powerful cars yet.

To be unwrapped next Thursday morning (3 April) before a public debut at the Milan Deign Week a few days later, the Skoda Elroq vRS will be the latest entrant into a growing class of sporting electric crossovers, going up against the likes of the Mini Aceman JCW, Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica Veloce and Abarth 600e.

The Czech firm has released a preview image that confirms the "most dynamic Elroq model" will be available in the vRS sub-brand's trademark Hyper Green paint and said it will be further marked out from the standard car by a raft of contrasting black trim elements. 

No technical details have been given yet, but the Elroq is closely related to the Volkswagen ID 3 and Cupra Born, so the vRS version is likely to use the same powertrain components as the hot versions of those cars.

The Cupra Born VZ and Volkswagen ID 3 GTX are both equipped with the Volkswagen Group's new 'AP550' motor on the rear axle, providing up to 322bhp. That figure would make the Elroq vRS only very slightly less powerful than the dual-motor, 335bhp Skoda Enyaq vRS.

The rear-driven Born and ID 3 range-toppers can hit 62mph from rest in as little as 5.6sec, and while the slightly taller and longer Elroq is unlikely to quite match that, it could still come in at under 6.0sec to outpace the ICE Skoda Octavia vRS.

The fastest Elroq will be the fourth vRS model in Skoda's line-up, joining similarly conceived range-toppers for the Octavia, Enyaq and Kodiaq.

Skoda hasn't shared any official plans for more fast models beyond the Elroq, but CEO Klaus Zellmer recently told Autocar that vRS will remain an important part of its business.

"This is something that is our DNA," he said of the 24-year-old sub-brand. "We will keep it and you can't neglect that. You cannot get rid of that."

Another possible addition to the portfolio is a warmed-up version of the upcoming Skoda Epiq electric supermini, which would no doubt share its innards with the planned Volkswagen ID 2 GTI.

Lamborghini and Ferrari build cars that exceed 200mph. These can go significantly quicker than that…

Back in the late 1800s, during the dawn of the motorised carriage, the fastest cars in the world - such as Karl Benz's Patent Motorwagen - could achieve a heady 10mph.

On a good day. With a lightweight driver and a favourable wind. Today, nearly 140 years of development has pushed the very fastest cars past the 300mph mark.

The Benz’s brave driver could cover just 4.4 metres per second; while in 2019, with Andy Wallace behind the wheel, the Bugatti Chiron covered 136 metres per second.

It’s a fearsome prospect, and there are only a handful of places on Earth where cars of this calibre can reach their V-max, yet there’s no shortage of car manufacturers vying for top honours.

These include Bugatti, SSC, Hennessey and Koenigsegg, all of which hail from different countries around the world and are looking to become the successors to the current record holder. As a result, many of these cars are also the world's fastest-accelerating cars. 

With that in mind, here are the fastest production road cars by the numbers, judged against manufacturer figures when they were tested on an airfield or a dedicated test track.

Uprated engine and fettled chassis for facelifted junior performance car – and there's still a manual gearbox When the second-generation BMW M2 was launched, it couldn’t escape comparison with the preceding M2 Competition and 1 Series M Coupé, and sure enough, it wasn’t quite as compact, thuggish or lovable.Only two years on, it’s getting a model-year update to bring it in line with the rest of the lower half of BMW’s range. Munich is on a big renewal spree: Series 1 through 4 and the X3 have all been updated in the past year. Some are quite substantial, as with the 2 Series Gran Coupé, but you would be forgiven for not noticing the changes to the 2 Series Coupé, on which the M2 is based.As a reminder, despite sharing most of their model name, those two coupés are mechanically very different. While the four-door is front-wheel drive, the two-door is effectively a shortened 4 Series, making it rear-wheel drive (or four-wheel drive in the case of the M240i xDrive), making a proper M version possible.The exterior changes are minor in the extreme, but there are bigger tweaks to the interior, the engine has gained 20bhp and there have been some more nebulous suspension changes. Can the M2 step out the shadows of its predecessors?The range at a glanceModelsPowerFromM2 Coupé M Steptronic auto473bhp£68,705M2 Coupé manual473bhp£70,630As before, the M2 has an eight-speed automatic gearbox as standard, and you have to pay extra to get the six-speed manual.For 2025, BMW has significantly expanded the number of available paint colours. There used to be just six, now there are 10. It has also added the option of silver wheels. There are a number of separate options and one big option pack, the M Race Track Pack, which adds the carbonfibre roof and front seats, carbonfibre interior trim and a higher top speed

BMW uses Toyota fuel cells in its fleet of hydrogen iX5 demonstrators

Rough start to the year has brought filling station closures and collapse of commercial vehicle businesses

This year has started very badly for the prospects of hydrogen as a potential future fuel for cars. 

In Germany, hydrogen company H2 Mobility announced at the start of March that it was shutting 22 fuel stations focusing mainly on cars, citing a strategic shift towards goods vehicles. 

In California, meanwhile, Shell is reportedly set to shut 10 of its 11 hydrogen fuel stations, after initially announcing it would open 48. 

The move will compound the woes of US Toyota Mirai owners, who have seen filling stations close across the country and hefy prices for the fuel at those that remain open.

Such were the issues that California-based owners last year sued Toyota because of the difficulty in getting hold of the hydrogen needed to run their fuel cell cars.

Elsewhere, in February, Renault's and Plug Power’s hydrogen van joint venture, Hyvia, when into liquidation, citing the “too-slow evolution of hydrogen mobility ecosystems in Europe and the very significant development costs required for H2 innovation”.

Also exiting the stage in February was controversial hydrogen lorry developer Nikola, which filed for bankruptcy in the US after running out of cash.

In China, sales of hydrogen fuel cell cars cratered. Advocates of the technology as an alternative to battery-powered cars have long pinned hopes on Chinese development but last year just 25 fuel cell cars were sold in the country, down from 469 the year before, according to data from Jato Dynamics.

In Europe last year, sales of the €73,000 Toyota Mirai – the only viable fuel cell car from a mainstream maker available to buy - seemed to have held up, at 717. But closer inspection showed that of that total, 528 were sold in France, which almost directly correlates to the 500 that Toyota said it would make available as shuttles for the Paris Olympics. Zero were sold in the UK.

Those scanning the horizon ahead can’t find much use for hydrogen. Even the promise of HGVs is looking iffy, according to government climate advisers the Climate Change Committee. “We see no role for hydrogen in heating buildings and only a very niche, if any, role in surface transport,” it said in its long-term-vision Seventh Carbon Budget.

The case for investment among automotive suppliers, who right now are focused on cost-cutting across board, is looking very poor indeed. “We see a significant slowdown in terms of investing in hydrogen technology,” Liam Butterworth, CEO of GKN Automotive owner Dowlais, told Autocar. “The industry has moved towards battery-electric vehicles and hydrogen will be unlikely.”

Dowlais last year sold off its hydrogen storage business, GKN Hydrogen, for a “nominal consideration” after losing too much money, company filings show.

Many have held out hope that hydrogen fuel cell vehicles would solve the need to cut emissions while retaining the driving range and refill speed of petrol and diesel cars. 

But the high cost, low power outputs and a refuelling infrastructure that’s been patchy at best have given battery-electric vehicles an almost unassailable lead. “Hydrogen simply does not offer sufficient improvements over batteries, which have far higher power density and capacity,” Bill Russo, CEO of consultant Automobility, wrote in a paper for electric motor specialist Monumo.

Russo cited “the significant levels of investment” that have already gone into battery technology as well as the advantages of having a distributed network of EVs to feed back into the grid.

The potential of hydrogen as an EV alternative still motivates some OEMs, especially in the Far East, with Hyundai, Honda and Toyota promising to continue to work on extending the usability of fuel cell technology. 

Toyota also has a partnership with BMW, which has said it will launch its first hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicle in 2028. BMW CEO Oliver Zipse said in October that hydrogen “will play an increasingly important role in decarbonisation”. 

Toyota continues to experiment with hydrogen for motorsport, while Extreme E spin-off Extreme H is persisting with its dedicated hydrogen-powered off-road race series, which is due to start this year.

Stellantis, meanwhile, has said it will continue to offer hydrogen vans for sale, including the Vauxhall Movano Hydrogen in the UK, despite the exit of rival Renault’s H2 van venture.

However, the mainstream prognosis is not good. Unlike battery power, hydrogen vehicles are utterly reliant on a dedicated network of refuelling stations that owners need to be convinced will stay open. But without a pipeline of cars or light vans coming onto the market, investors are unwilling to risk their money on a long-shot bet. Currently, there are just four hydrogen fuelling stations for light vehicles in the UK, according to UK H2 Mobility.

Development of hydrogen planes has also stalled, with Airbus now pushing back the expected viability date for fuel cell aircraft to “later than 2035”, CEO Guillaume Faury said on the company’s 2024 earnings call. “Scaling up the hydrogen ecosystem is challenging and is unfortunately progressing at a slower pace than we had previously anticipated,” he said. Brazil’s Embraer gave a similar timeline.

Hydrogen has had at least as long a development run-up as electric, but the difficulties have proven too tough to overcome. As a fuel for future mass-market cars, hydrogen feels as if it is as good as dead.

The world's most exciting custom motorcycles, from cafe racers to bobbers to scramblers and street trackers.

UK-based photographer Del Hickey has a talent for uncovering unique machines, built by highly skilled individuals that would otherwise fly under the radar. This time, he’s dug up a real zinger—a modified Ariel Leader from a small village in Gloucestershire, England.

It’s the work of Ivan Counsell—a retired engineer and designer with little internet presence beyond his personal Facebook profile. Asked what he’s up to these days, he simply replies that he spends his time “making things different.” And this custom Ariel Leader sure is different.

The project was born when Ivan acquired the donor bike from a friend of his at a price that was too good to refuse. “It was in totally standard form and covered in dust,” he tells us.…

UK-based photographer Del Hickey has a talent for uncovering unique machines, built by highly skilled individuals that would otherwise fly under the radar. This time, he’s dug up a real zinger—a modified Ariel Leader from a small village in Gloucestershire, England. It’s the work of Ivan Counsell—a retired engineer and designer with little internet presence beyond his personal Facebook profile. Asked what he’s up to these days, he simply replies that he spends his time “making things different.” And this custom Ariel Leader sure is different. The project was born when Ivan acquired the donor bike from a friend of his at a price that was too good to refuse. “It was in totally standard form and covered in dust,” he tells us. “Needless to say, it was neither pretty nor clean.” Released in 1958, the Ariel Leader was a 249 cc two-stroke twin with a pressed steel monocoque chassis and a fully enclosed body. It carried fuel under its seat, with a faux fuel tank, mounted in the traditional spot, acting as a frunk. As you’d imagine, taking one apart is an arduous task. “I can honestly say it has never taken me so long to strip a bike down in my entire life. How many nuts and bolts of different sizes can a motorcycle manufacturer possibly fit to one bike? Anyway, after hours of grazed knuckles, swearing, and much to-ing and fro-ing—gathering many sizes of British sockets and spanners—the tin wonder was finally dismantled.” “Wondering what on earth I was to do with a mountain of tin and plastic, I advertised everything I had spare on eBay. A chap drove up from the South Coast to Gloucestershire and filled his Ford Fiesta to the brim with unwanted Ariel parts.” “Much to my amazement, he covered the cost of the Ariel’s purchase and even left me with a few hundred quid to spend on it! Happy days! To date, I’m still in pocket—something that never happens to me.” “It didn’t take long before I decided what to do with the Ariel. I remembered seeing George Brown’s Ariel Arrow sprint bike in the National Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham and thought, actually, that’s not too bad. So I started work, marking out where I would lighten the pressed steel frame.” Going ham with the hole saw, Ivan gave the Leader’s monocoque an array of ‘speed holes’ before turning his attention to the enclosed front forks. Once he’d piled up all the bits of metal peppered across his workshop, he dug into the Ariel’s motor; “A simple affair, as two-strokes go.” Ivan had a pair of Suzuki GT250 X7 pistons lying around, which were a perfect match for the Leader’s bore and stroke. So he modified the Ariel con rods to accept Suzuki wrist pins and installed the GT250 X7 pistons. The barrels were modified slightly, and the heads were swapped for Ariel Arrow items with a 10:1 compression ratio and a squish band. Ivan also bored out the crankcase’s single inlet port, fabricated a new intake manifold to accommodate a 32 mm flat-slide carb, and added a foam air filter. The crankshaft was sent off for a rebuild, while a friend machined the external flywheel down to help the engine spool up quicker. Ivan tried building his own electronic ignition for the Ariel Leader next—but wasn’t happy with any of his attempts. In the end, he built one using the backplate from a Triumph T120 points assembly, a six-volt battery, new condensers, and a new ignition coil. “There was a reason I didn’t go overboard on tuning the engine too much,” Ivan explains. “I knew that when I rebuilt it, there would be more horsepower than the Ariel Golden Arrow. But the brakes are absolute rubbish, so a bike capable of over 80 mph would be bloody dangerous on today’s roads—or any road, in fact. I’ll address that problem at a later date.” Although Ivan binned the Ariel Leader’s all-encompassing bodywork, a number of OEM parts survived the cull. The bike still has its original wheels, suspension, foot pegs, and rear fender, but everything has either been refurbished, repaired, or massaged. The standard exhausts needed more than just a little tweaking though. “They’re longer than a double-decker bus,” says Ivan, “so I cut eight inches out of them. I also removed the inner baffle and, as luck would have it, inside the rear aluminum cone is a small tube. I pulled it out and reversed it so it protruded out the back of the cone, giving it a sort of expansion chamber look.” “The exhaust note is quite pleasant and not too loud. I’ve made expansion chambers in the past, but this cheap option saved a lot of time. And the word ‘cheap’ suits this build very well, as I never intended to part with too much hard-earned cash on a motorcycle made with large amounts of pressed steel.” To save even more money, Ivan started filtering through the countless motorcycle seats he had hanging in his shed for a suitable perch. “I routed around and found what I believe to be a Lambretta racing seat, so I grabbed it and placed it on the bike. I made up a hinged bracket to access the battery and used two sprung clips to keep it from flipping up.” Ivan paints his bikes himself, usually opting for different shades of green. In a bid to shake things up, he picked ‘Sky Blue’—a color typically used by the British military on their engines, that Ivan notes has a suspicious green hue to it. Although this is the first time we’ve seen a custom bike from Ivan, it’s not his first (nor his last) project. “I’m now trying to shy away from Brit bikes, as I’ve had them since 1971 when I was 11 years old. I have a 1972 Harley Shovelhead that interests me more, so that will get the treatment later this year.” “I have a passion for all bikes, but I’m afraid early Japanese stuff still does it for me. The engines are easy to strip and rebuild, and the gearboxes are lovely to use. I’ve worked on hundreds and hundreds of them since I was 15 and owned around 150 of them—including other makes, it totals over 200 bikes.” “I’m always planning what to build next. Unfortunately, important stuff like working on the house gets a back seat—much to the annoyance of ‘her indoors’.” Images by, and with our enduring thanks to, Del Hickey

I flew to L.A. this past spring to talk about a new project between actor Orlando Bloom, Deus Ex Machina’s Michael “Woolie” Woolaway, and BMW Motorrad. I’m not much for Hollywood, but I was wide-eyed about their idea. They’d take an already naked S 1000 R (a bike I’ve spent a summer on and for which I have an affinity) and make it more naked: a high-performance inline-four turned cooler, lighter, and more nimble.

Talks on the new project began when Deus founder Dare Jennings, Woolie, and Orlando met with BMW Motorrad designer Ola Stenegärd and the design crew at the Munich factory in Germany last year. While the rest of the world had caught fire to the stripped-down lines of the R nineT as a starting point, Woolie drew upon his racing background and desire to do something different with the race-inspired S 1000 R.…

I flew to L.A. this past spring to talk about a new project between actor Orlando Bloom, Deus Ex Machina’s Michael “Woolie” Woolaway, and BMW Motorrad. I’m not much for Hollywood, but I was wide-eyed about their idea. They’d take an already naked S 1000 R (a bike I’ve spent a summer on and for which I have an affinity) and make it more naked: a high-performance inline-four turned cooler, lighter, and more nimble. Talks on the new project began when Deus founder Dare Jennings, Woolie, and Orlando met with BMW Motorrad designer Ola Stenegärd and the design crew at the Munich factory in Germany last year. While the rest of the world had caught fire to the stripped-down lines of the R nineT as a starting point, Woolie drew upon his racing background and desire to do something different with the race-inspired S 1000 R. “I quickly realized why not many people want to customize this bike!” laughs Woolie. “There are just a lot of electronics under there. And not a whole lot in terms of raw beauty beneath the plastics. It all had to be addressed.” To find inspiration, Woolie looked to the clean racing lines of the successful AMA Butler & Smith superbikes of his youth. The 999cc, 160hp four cylinder (nick-named “4CYL”) was certainly a challenge. To lighten its appearance, Woolie decided that rather than cover up its modern pedigree, he’d use what he could as functional art –for example, by exposing the Febur radiator out in front. He added new functional architecture in the board-track bars, which cover and secure the tank. Those two simple ideas give you a functional design motif that feels more raw and exposed. Other details included a custom rear sub-frame, custom electrical box, a one-off seat wrapped in black Kushitani waterproof leather with double-diamond-tuck stitching, a round headlight, and a carbon fiber front fender – all giving the bike more classic than factory looks. The stock gauge cluster was retained to manage the electronics, tucked behind the hand-shaped aluminum fairing sitting above the headlight. Artist Ornamental Conifer brought the face of the analog counter to life. Finally, Gilles Tooling machined a custom top clamp and rear sets to apply the finishing touches to this reimagined superbike. “BMW’s ride is phenomenally safe. It holds the road,” said Orlando. “We asked: If a modern (super bike) classic was built, what would it look like? I said, let me take this bike and work with my friends. All roads converged and the timing was right. It was a match made in heaven. This was ballsy in a way for BMW to take this one on.” Spend any time with Orlando and you’ll quickly learn he’s a motorcyclist, appreciating a wide range of bikes in any garage, including his own. The S 1000 R isn’t the first BMW that Woolie has put his touches on for his personal friend. (He had previously restored a 1964 BMW R60 to original condition some years ago as their friendship was developing.) Everyone considers the BMW brand elite. Beyond historical design and performance, the Bavarian brand is now making us care more. “We’ve always been very good at a functional, rational level,” mentions Ola, “but now we’re getting into really emotional bikes.” This article first appeared in issue 20 of Iron & Air Magazine, and is reproduced here under license Words by Brett Houle | Images by Hermann Köpf | deuscustoms.com | bmwmotorcycles.com

Firefighter-turned-custom bike builder Chris Scholtka has a knack for building slick, and somewhat hot-rodded, café racers. This Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 café racer epitomizes his style well—but it was almost built using a very different donor bike.

“It started two years ago when an old friend called me,” Chris tells us. “She had received a big birthday gift from her family—a Honda CX650—and wanted to have it customized by me. We had a plan, but sadly the bike was stolen and we had to start from zero.”

Chris operates under the moniker Motocrew from his workshop in Cottbus, Germany. And considering the slick custom bikes he typically creates, he was secretly relieved that the CX650 and its gawky frame were no longer part of the project.…

Firefighter-turned-custom bike builder Chris Scholtka has a knack for building slick, and somewhat hot-rodded, café racers. This Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 café racer epitomizes his style well—but it was almost built using a very different donor bike. “It started two years ago when an old friend called me,” Chris tells us. “She had received a big birthday gift from her family—a Honda CX650—and wanted to have it customized by me. We had a plan, but sadly the bike was stolen and we had to start from zero.” Chris operates under the moniker Motocrew from his workshop in Cottbus, Germany. And considering the slick custom bikes he typically creates, he was secretly relieved that the CX650 and its gawky frame were no longer part of the project. So he got together with his friend to brainstorm potential replacements. “She wanted an old school-looking café racer and a reliable everyday bike. Because she didn’t have a garage in her hometown, Berlin, and didn’t have the knowledge to get a carburetor bike ready for riding season, it had to be a newer fuel-injected bike.” Triumph’s modern classics quickly rose to the top of the list—until Chris spotted a Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 on eBay. “The RE shape is so clean, and building on it is simply fun. Everything is simple and reliable, and the aftermarket is better than I thought.” “She set the color scheme on day one—as much black as possible. But a ‘lil Motocrew design should be worked into it too, of course.” Chris started up front, where he replaced the Continental GT 650’s headlight with an ultra-modern LED unit from Koso. It’s mounted on a custom-made bracket that bolts to the bottom yoke. Flanking the headlight are neat fork shrouds that Chris 3D-printed to buff up the front end, visually. Since the Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 comes with clip-on bars out of the box, its top yoke is already devoid of riser mounts. That made Chris’ job easier. With new, more aggressive clip-ons in place, he simply shaved the original ignition barrel mount to accommodate a Motogadget speedo, which came from Crooked Motorcycles as part of a plug-and-play kit. Rather than relocate the ignition, Chris binned it in favor of a keyless setup. The NFC ignition, plus the bar-end turn signals and glassless mirrors, all came from Motogadget. Moving to the bodywork, Chris opted to retain the Continental GT 650’s OEM fuel tank—which isn’t surprising, considering how good it looks. The gas cap was swapped out for a flush-mounted pop-up item. Despite sporting a solo seat and tail bump in stock form, the Enfield didn’t quite have the compact proportions that Chris envisioned. So he removed the original parts, cut and looped the subframe, and fabricated a new rear cowl. A pair of Motogadget LEDs, perched on 3D-printed carbon mounts, act as taillights and turn signals, while the license plate sits lower down. One of the hallmarks of a Motocrew café racer is its stance—and this one’s as purposeful as it gets. Chris lowered the front end by around 20 mm, before swapping the shocks out for custom-built YSS items that are 20 mm longer than stock. He also re-laced the front hub to a second 18” rear rim, so that he could fit tires with matching widths. The Enfield now rolls on 3.5×18” Shinko E270 tires, with a handful of judicious braking upgrades offering improved performance. The chunky vibe of the wheels and slammed forks is echoed in the burly exhausts custom units from Mass that include dB killers and retain the bike’s catalytic convertor. “The most important thing,” Chris adds, “is that it’s all street-legal in Germany!” Finished off in a mix of matte and gloss black (which extends to the engine covers), this Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 café racer continues the Motocrew’s fine tradition of building razor-sharp machines that ooze style. We’ve no doubt that it will help its owner get over the loss of her CX650. Motocrew Instagram | Images by kylefx Editor’s note Regular Speed Read programming will return next week.

Given that the motorcycle industry has been on the ropes the last few years, one of the bravest moves a major marque can make right now is release a niche motorcycle. But that’s exactly what BMW Motorrad has just done… and we’re here for it.

The brand new BMW R 12 G/S—the latest model built on BMW’s updated neo-retro R12 boxer platform—combines vintage aesthetics with a decent measure of off-road capability. It speaks to customers who sit in the middle of a very unique Venn diagram; those who want a classically styled bike, those who like going off-piste, and those willing to spend a premium for the privilege.

This isn’t the first modern classic boxer to bear the G/S moniker.…

Given that the motorcycle industry has been on the ropes the last few years, one of the bravest moves a major marque can make right now is release a niche motorcycle. But that’s exactly what BMW Motorrad has just done… and we’re here for it. The brand new BMW R 12 G/S—the latest model built on BMW’s updated neo-retro R12 boxer platform—combines vintage aesthetics with a decent measure of off-road capability. It speaks to customers who sit in the middle of a very unique Venn diagram; those who want a classically styled bike, those who like going off-piste, and those willing to spend a premium for the privilege. This isn’t the first modern classic boxer to bear the G/S moniker. The previous generation R nineT series included the R nineT Urban G/S—a mostly street-focused bike with aesthetics inspired by the iconic BMW R80G/S. The new BMW R 12 G/S uses the same basic formula, but every aspect of it has been ramped up. Visually, the new R 12 G/S is leaps and bounds ahead of its predecessor—which says a lot, because the Urban G/S was rather attractive itself. We’ve spoken before about how the newer R 12’s chassis creates a tidier silhouette than the older nineT’s, and BMW has used this to full effect to transform the base model R 12 into a stylish retro adventure bike. The R 12 G/S hits all the right notes. Its sculpted fuel tank recalls the banana-shaped unit on the R80G/S, flowing neatly into a skinny bench seat. A high fender sits up front, along with a headlight shroud that takes cues from the fairing on the legendary R80G/S Paris Dakar model. The balance of modern and classic design touches is refreshing. Although the bodywork draws on BMW’s history, every part has a contemporary edge to it, as if it was borrowed from a modern enduro bike. There’s LED lighting all around too—from the 5.75” LED headlight with its X-shaped daytime running light, to the taillight tucked into the sleek rear fender. The BMW R 12 G/S hits the mark as a modern interpretation of one of BMW Motorrad’s most historic bikes—but this time, it’s more than just a styling exercise. BMW has subtly tweaked the standard R 12’s steering neck geometry, propped the bike up on longer suspension, and kitted it with a dirt-friendly 21” front wheel. In standard trim, that 21” front wheel is matched to a 17” rear wheel—a popular combination for BMW adventure bikes. Both wheels use BMW’s cross-spoked tubeless design, and the front wheel sports a pair of Brembo calipers with stainless steel hoses. The 45 mm upside-down front forks, and the rear shock and Paralever swingarm, offer up 210 mm and 200 mm of travel respectively. Both ends are adjustable for preload, rebound, and compression. All told the R 12 G/S has a seat height of 860 mm with close to 240 mm [about 9.4”] of ground clearance. It also weighs a slightly porky 228.6 kilos [504 pounds], wet. But it’s when you compare the R 12 G/S to BMW’s flagship adventure bike, the R 1300 GS, that things get interesting. The R 12 G/S is 3.6 percent lighter with a bigger front wheel, a seat that sits 10 mm higher, and only 20 mm less suspension travel. Riders have been clamoring for a retro boxer-powered scrambler with proper off-road chops for years, and the BMW R 12 G/S might just be it. For those that want an even more radical build, BMW offers an optional ‘Enduro’ package [above] too. It swaps the 17” rear wheel for an 18” hoop, and adds beefier foot pegs, higher handlebars, and a taller fairing. In Enduro trim, the R 12 G/S seat sits at 875 mm tall—but with three different seat options, including one that has better passenger accommodations, that number can go up or down. Other optional extras include an adaptive headlight, an ‘Enduro Pro’ riding mode that joins the three settings that come pre-installed, a quick-shifter, and a small digital dash that replaces the classic round unit. ABS, traction control, engine drag torque control, a keyless ignition, and a 12V power socket are all installed out of the box. Like its stablemates, the BMW R 12 G/S is powered by a 1,170 cc air- and oil-cooled boxer motor, good for 109 hp at 7,000 rpm and 115 Nm at 6,500 rpm. Gasses exit via one of the tidiest OEM mufflers that BMW has in their arsenal, with an optional Akrapovič can on offer. Available in three colorways (including a classic white R 80 G/S scheme), the new BMW R 12 G/S base model’s pricing starts at $16,395, with BMW North America’s website reporting an extra $325 for the white version and an extra $845 for the Enduro package. If a desert sand livery with a smorgasbord of parts from BMW’s swanky Option 719 catalog is more your thing, be prepared to shell out a whole lot more. That’s a good chunk of change more than the bike’s only competition—the immensely popular Triumph Scrambler 1200 XE. The BMW R 12 G/S looks like it’ll give the burly Scrambler 1200 a run for its money, but we won’t know until we ride it… and BMW’s marketing material hardly inspires confidence. The bike’s launch video is devoid of any clear riding footage, and almost all of the images we’ve seen are captioned with the dubious inscription “Enhanced with AI.” The writers over at Ride Apart noted the same and reached out to BMW Motorrad, who confirmed that, “In this case, the riding R 12 G/S photos were created using AI tools.” It’s disappointing when you consider that the motorcycle scene isn’t short on talented riders and photographers. But it also means that we won’t know how capable the BMW R 12 G/S truly is until we swing a leg over it ourselves. Source: BMW Motorrad

Bolt Motor Company specializes in lithe custom creations with sharp lines and crisp finishes. Their ethos likely has to do with the fact that they share a workshop with their sister company—the Spanish Formula 3 racing team, Campos Racing.

Of all the marques that pass through Bolt’s doors, we can tell they love tinkering with BMWs the most. Since opening their doors, they’ve peppered us with a steady stream of custom BMWs ranging from mild to wild. This custom BMW R100 sits squarely in the latter camp.

The donor bike, a 1982 R100RT, was first wheeled into Bolt Motor Co.’s workshop with very high mileage and looking more than a little worse for wear. Bolt loves nothing more than restoring rough wrecks into fantastic forms of fantasy, so they happily tore into it.…

Bolt Motor Company specializes in lithe custom creations with sharp lines and crisp finishes. Their ethos likely has to do with the fact that they share a workshop with their sister company—the Spanish Formula 3 racing team, Campos Racing. Of all the marques that pass through Bolt’s doors, we can tell they love tinkering with BMWs the most. Since opening their doors, they’ve peppered us with a steady stream of custom BMWs ranging from mild to wild. This custom BMW R100 sits squarely in the latter camp. The donor bike, a 1982 R100RT, was first wheeled into Bolt Motor Co.’s workshop with very high mileage and looking more than a little worse for wear. Bolt loves nothing more than restoring rough wrecks into fantastic forms of fantasy, so they happily tore into it. The client’s long list of requests included a few standout items. He wanted a scrambler-style build with good handling, and it had to stop like a modern motorcycle. But Bolt was still given the necessary wiggle room to create something unique in their signature style. To cover the handling requirements, a set of fully adjustable Marzocchi forks were bolted to the BMW chassis with CNC-machined yokes, while YSS shocks were fitted to the rear. Brembo supplied the brake discs and calipers, pumping fluids through Goodridge stainless steel braided lines. A short front fender was fabricated, and a custom license plate bracket was slung over the back wheel to tidy up the rear. The factory BMW wheels were simply powder-coated black and wrapped with Shinko Trail Master E705 tires. The rider cockpit is completely new. Neken risers hold a set of Renthal bars in place, which are adorned with a Domino throttle, Biltwell Inc. Kung Fu grips, LED-backlit switches, Nissin levers, and Highsider mirrors. A Motogadget Motoscope Pro sits front and center, powered by a Motogadget mo.unit, which also runs the mo.blaze disc bar end indicators and the tiny LED tail light. A Husqvarna 701 Enduro headlight sits out front, fitted to a handmade flat track-style number board and augmented with an additional LED strip. The stock BMW R100 tank is one of our favorites, so we’re glad to see it was left alone. That said, the outlandish custom paint job splashed onto it is to die for, and we’re amazed the tank still stands out next to the gorgeous candy-red frame. An engraved BMW gas cap adds another touch of modernity to the 43-year-old tank. Moving further rearwards, a suede seat (upholstered by a friend, Llop) sits on top of a custom subframe. The 3D-printed rear cowl can be cleverly removed to make way for a passenger. A set of Tarozzi rear sets and passenger pegs were fitted to improve the riding position. The engine, transmission, and final drive were all stripped and rebuilt from the ground up. The stock Bing carbs remain, but they breathe through new intakes and have been re-jetted to suit the high-flow Turbo Kit exhaust. An oil cooler was fitted at the front of the engine and the ignition was relocated down low on the left-hand side of the frame. The battery sits under the transmission in a custom-made box. Finally, the bike was rewired from scratch to guarantee another 50 years of BMW reliability. Bolt’s custom BMW R100 has all the charms of an old airhead boxer, but it runs, handles, and stops better than ever—just as the client requested. It also looks incredible, and will be turning more than a few heads every time it rolls down the street. Bolt Motor Co. | Facebook | Instagram

Earlier this week, we presented the motorcycles that dominated the competition at the burgeoning Taiwanese custom bike show, Speed and Crafts. One machine in particular stood out—a plucky Honda Dax that took on bikes twice its size while snagging a silver medal in the hotly contested Freestyle class.

The bite-sized Dax needs no introduction. First released in the 70s, before being brought back three years ago as part of Honda’s modern-classic mini-bike range, its pressed steel T-frame is iconic. It’s also a prime candidate for customization.

This show-stopping Honda Dax is the product of a collaboration between JZO Crafts and Kunimoto Hidetoshi. JZO (‘Jie’ to his friends) is the man that Rough Crafts turns to for its fabrication needs. Kunimoto is the founder of Nemoto—a shop specializing in mini-bike parts.…

Earlier this week, we presented the motorcycles that dominated the competition at the burgeoning Taiwanese custom bike show, Speed and Crafts. One machine in particular stood out—a plucky Honda Dax that took on bikes twice its size while snagging a silver medal in the hotly contested Freestyle class. The bite-sized Dax needs no introduction. First released in the 70s, before being brought back three years ago as part of Honda’s modern-classic mini-bike range, its pressed steel T-frame is iconic. It’s also a prime candidate for customization. This show-stopping Honda Dax is the product of a collaboration between JZO Crafts and Kunimoto Hidetoshi. JZO (‘Jie’ to his friends) is the man that Rough Crafts turns to for its fabrication needs. Kunimoto is the founder of Nemoto—a shop specializing in mini-bike parts. At first, the plan was to turn the Dax into a tiny flat tracker—but then Kunimoto chimed in with an idea. “He’s a big fan of air suspension systems,” says Jie, “so he wanted to incorporate that feature. We retained the tracker-inspired appearance, while giving the bike a low and aggressive stance.” Kunimoto’s idea involved upgrading the Dax’s running gear with new air suspension components from RacingBros. A CNC-machined Over Racing swingarm was installed out back, while the wheels were switched for 12” disc items, fitted with Brembo brake calipers and Triforce carbon ceramic discs. The Dax is notably low to the ground when parked, until a remote control activates the air suspension, raising it to a reasonable ride height. It might seem like an unnecessary feature on a bike with a 777 mm seat height—but it’s a cool trick nonetheless. Most of the Dax’s charm comes from the fact that its chassis is effectively also its bodywork. So Jie and Kunimoto focused on tweaking the bike’s fuselage cleverly, rather than modifying it outright. For starters, all of the bits and pieces that make the air suspension work are now packaged inside the body. To get that right, Jie had to figure out where each individual part would fit—and then link them all together. Cutouts near the front of the chassis offer a view of the suspension reservoirs. Jie also fabricated a titanium exhaust system that flows around the engine, into a custom inlet on the right-hand side of the body, through the chassis, and out the back. A handmade aluminum end cap adds a stylish flourish to the tail end of the Dax. The aluminum flat track-style seat is also Jie’s handiwork, but the tasteful leather upholstery was handled by Qi Rui. The whole unit is mounted on a hinge, offering access to the neatly packaged components that hide underneath it. Here you’ll find a custom-built aluminum fuel tank, complete with a pop-up filler cap, and the rest of the exhaust header. A slim LED taillight is embedded in the back of the seat pan, while discreet LED turn signals are mounted to the sides of the bodywork, just forward of where the exhaust exits. The opposite end of the bike wears a one-off aluminum headlight plate, designed with an integrated housing for a punchy Baja Designs LED headlight. LED turn signals flank the new nacelle. The Honda Dax’s cockpit hasn’t gone untouched either. CNC-machined yokes from GTR Manufacturing take center stage, while sporty clip-ons replace the Dax’s mini-ape bars. They’re fitted with Domino grips and aftermarket brake and clutch levers, with CNC-machined switches integrated into the lever clamps. The bike’s new digital dashboard is an aRacer iMode 5 unit, loaded with a custom JZO x Nemoto startup graphic. Elsewhere, Nemoto fitted fork guards, rear-sets, and a rear sprocket character from their catalog. You might be wondering why the Dax sports a clutch lever and shifter peg when its transmission is automatic. That’s because the guys swapped the Dax’s engine (and transmission) for the mill from a new Honda Grom. The engines are the same size—but the Grom unit uses a five-speed manual ‘box. A smattering of dress-up parts—like a CNC-machined dipstick from Mitomo and a clear crankcase cover—add an extra dose of style. But the Dax’s most striking feature is arguably its livery. Expertly executed by OneWay, the paint job uses swathes of grey and blue to complement the polished aluminum sections. Giant Honda wings take up as much space as they can on the back half of the body, with subtle ghost graphics on the tail section where it overlaps the design. Even though there’s a lot going on with the JZO Crafts x Nemoto Honda Dax, it doesn’t feel overly fussy. Instead, it’s low, sleek, and cohesive, offering a fresh take on traditional custom motorcycle genres. That podium finish (and the other awards it raked in at the show) was well deserved. JZO Crafts | Nemoto | Images by Kin Lin

The shelves are crowded, and every bottle vyes for your dollar with flashy labels, rustic imagery and a contrived origin story. For that reason, I always seek out the understated ones; bottles that look like they could have been in circulation when your grandpa was still on the sauce. Maybe you’ll find one of his old favorites.

A project of the 2020 lockdowns, Brain Brew’s Dexter Three Wood straight bourbon is far from that, but its simple label exudes quiet confidence, and Edmund Dexter’s face on the bottle looks fit for a dollar bill. It also came highly recommended by the local liquor store owner, so color me sold.

What’s in a Name The personality behind the spirit is Edmund Dexter, apparently a prolific 1800s bourbon blender who entertained the likes of author Charles Dickens and the future King Edward at his home in Cincinnati — or so the bottle says.…

The shelves are crowded, and every bottle vyes for your dollar with flashy labels, rustic imagery and a contrived origin story. For that reason, I always seek out the understated ones; bottles that look like they could have been in circulation when your grandpa was still on the sauce. Maybe you’ll find one of his old favorites. A project of the 2020 lockdowns, Brain Brew’s Dexter Three Wood straight bourbon is far from that, but its simple label exudes quiet confidence, and Edmund Dexter’s face on the bottle looks fit for a dollar bill. It also came highly recommended by the local liquor store owner, so color me sold. What’s in a Name The personality behind the spirit is Edmund Dexter, apparently a prolific 1800s bourbon blender who entertained the likes of author Charles Dickens and the future King Edward at his home in Cincinnati — or so the bottle says. Despite the namesake, Three Wood doesn’t seem to have any real connection to Dexter besides common roots in Cincinnati. Boneheads like myself may initially mistake it for a fairway reference, but the name Three Wood refers to the three woods used to finish the bourbon — Maple, Cherry and 200-year-old Oak. And they’re used to delightful effect. Nose After a proper pop from the wood cork, you’ll find that Cherry makes a quick appearance, followed by butterscotch, orange, cinnamon and a hint of walnut. A deep breath in your glass will be met with a hint of octane, remember this 100.6 proof. Taste Enjoyed neat, the first thing you’ll pick up on is vanilla followed by lingering Cherry wood. Cherry pairs so well with traditional bourbon flavors, and we’re only aware of certain Makers Mark and Woodford Reserve varieties that utilize it to such strong effect. Butterscotch and honey make a brief appearance midway through, followed by cinnamon and a lengthy outro of wood spice with an endearing burn. At just over 52% ABV and aided by the late-profile flavors, the burn is right on the money. It’s just enough to keep you coming back for more, but strong enough to make you savor the pour. Put simply, save the sodas and garnish for a different spirit, but I do question if the Cherry would benefit from a slight chill. Value Always a blend of price and preference, Dexter Three Wood delivers good value for money at $49. It’s pricier than some of its contemporaries, but the ever-shifting flavor profile and novelty of the Cherry wood merit the extra investment. To sum it up, Three Wood is definitely a worthwhile purchase, and worth keeping around for bourbon brainiacs and relative newcomers as well. Cheers!

Fo Huang has an enviable skill—the ability to take whatever he imagines and turn it into a physical object. Working as NamiXII Design from Kaohsiung City in southern Taiwan, he creates everything from furniture and sculptures to trophies. More importantly, he also builds radical 70s-style choppers.

The last time we checked in with Fo, he wowed us with a wildly chopped Yamaha SR400. This time he’s back with an equally bodacious chopper on a very different foundation—a 2022-model Harley-Davidson Low Rider S.

Dyna cultists must have felt cheated when The Motor Co. re-released the Low Rider S on their newer Softail platform. But the truth is, the contemporary Low Rider S is a total hoot to ride. Its 117 ci Milwaukee-Eight engine is a peach, and its chassis is vastly better than that of its predecessor.…

Fo Huang has an enviable skill—the ability to take whatever he imagines and turn it into a physical object. Working as NamiXII Design from Kaohsiung City in southern Taiwan, he creates everything from furniture and sculptures to trophies. More importantly, he also builds radical 70s-style choppers. The last time we checked in with Fo, he wowed us with a wildly chopped Yamaha SR400. This time he’s back with an equally bodacious chopper on a very different foundation—a 2022-model Harley-Davidson Low Rider S. Dyna cultists must have felt cheated when The Motor Co. re-released the Low Rider S on their newer Softail platform. But the truth is, the contemporary Low Rider S is a total hoot to ride. Its 117 ci Milwaukee-Eight engine is a peach, and its chassis is vastly better than that of its predecessor. Fo’s latest build takes all that goodness and repackages it as a Frisco-style chopper. “The design also incorporates the owner’s favorite element—lightning,” he adds. Step one was to readjust the Low Rider’s stance. Fo stripped the bike’s upside-down forks, and then extended them by four inches. Then he stripped the paint off the yokes and fork uppers to give them a polished finish instead. The stock wheels were swapped out for a set of stylish forged aluminum hoops from Lyndall, bumping the front wheel up to 21” while retaining the 16” rear wheel size. The wheels sport new Lyndall Gemini brake rotors, plus a pair of Brembo-made front calipers from Harley’s exclusive CVO series. The tires are Bridgestone Battlecruise H50s. There’s a lot more going on with the Low Rider’s front end than just a set of stretched forks. Fo took the OEM front fender, hacked the front half off, and fabricated a finned replacement piece that’s part decoration and part fork brace. Further up, he crafted an elegant aluminum headlight housing that sits flush with the yokes. The actual headlight is an LED unit from Moons MC in Japan, but it’s hidden behind a vintage headlight lens. Kraus Motor risers stand tall behind the headlight, supporting a set of handmade handlebars. The bars wear MX-style grips and Flo Motorsports levers, with discreet LED turn signals mounted below the lever perches. The stock Harley speedo has been relocated to atop the bars via a custom bracket. The Low Rider’s speedo traditionally lives in a large housing on top of the fuel tank, but Fo binned it—along with the tank itself. A slim 17-liter [4.5-gallon] unit was handcrafted to replace it. The new tank, and the generously scooped saddle that follows it, contribute to this chopper’s remarkably compact appearance. But it’s the details that crank the overall design up to eleven. The lightning bolt motif on the tank isn’t just pain—it’s a 3D effect that Fo created by welding metal ridges to the tank, before refining them. Layered over Fo’s sculpting work is a mind-bending blue and purple paint scheme that shifts as light bounces off it. Finer pin-striping details on the fenders tie the design together. Aptly, Fo has nicknamed the bike ‘Purple Haze.’ The pattern on the saddle is equally playful, traversing the upholstery with blue, purple, and white stitching. Out back you’ll find the OEM fender, modified to include a molded housing for a Moons MC taillight. Tiny LED turn signals from Kodlin are mounted to the ends of the fender struts. Other details include color-matched plug leads, and foot pegs and controls from Flo Motorsports. The Harley’s frame is still intact, as is its original belt drive and belt drive cover (Taiwan’s modification laws are rather strict). Fo hasn’t messed with the Harley’s engine either—at least, not too much. It’s been treated to a factory ‘Stage 1’ kit, plus an ECU tune to optimize its performance. The delightfully chunky air cleaner is a one-off, as are the two-into-one exhaust headers, which terminate in a Supertrapp muffler. There’s a lot going on with this Harley-Davidson Low Rider S chopper, yet it still feels remarkably cohesive. Thanks to Fo’s obsessive attention to detail, his sharp eye, and his deft hands, this neo-retro performance chopper is in a class of its own. NamiXII Design Instagram | Images by Weeber Photography (studio) and Raku (details)

As a photographer, I’m always looking for strange and obscure things to shoot. I’d heard about this place in Brooklyn called Jane – a shop that had custom motorcycles, specialty coffee, and apparel – and as a moto enthusiast, I had to check it out. What I found inside was one of the most interesting incarnations of a Ducati I’d ever seen.

It looked like a WWII-era P-51 Mustang fighter plane on two wheels. Bright blocks of colored paint made up the bodywork while it was adorned with intricate details of gold. It was bold, brash, and sexy.

Adam and Alex, the owners of Jane, didn’t have much information beyond the fact that the bike was on consignment for the current owner, who wanted to remain anonymous.…

As a photographer, I’m always looking for strange and obscure things to shoot. I’d heard about this place in Brooklyn called Jane – a shop that had custom motorcycles, specialty coffee, and apparel – and as a moto enthusiast, I had to check it out. What I found inside was one of the most interesting incarnations of a Ducati I’d ever seen. It looked like a WWII-era P-51 Mustang fighter plane on two wheels. Bright blocks of colored paint made up the bodywork while it was adorned with intricate details of gold. It was bold, brash, and sexy. Adam and Alex, the owners of Jane, didn’t have much information beyond the fact that the bike was on consignment for the current owner, who wanted to remain anonymous. As I spent more time there, I finally convinced them to let me take her out. I wanted to shoot some impromptu lifestyle photos, and Alex was kind enough to ride the Ducati for the photos you see here. But the images begged more questions than answers. I sent a few comps out to magazines and blogs curious to see if anyone had any info. No one had seen it before or knew any builders familiar with it. Without any details, publications were also hesitant to do anything with the bike. I was at a dead end. I knew I had something exquisite, but I couldn’t understand it. It was like wandering through the woods and happening upon an Andy Goldsworthy sculpture. How did this thing end up in Brooklyn? No less than three months later, a young kid came into the shop for a cup of coffee and found himself drawn to the mystery Ducati as I was, but for a completely different reason. “My dad built that bike!” Alex called me immediately with the kid’s contact information. After reaching out several times to get a lead on where it came from, I received no response. My encouragement dissipated to disappointment and frustration. Another month passed until the kid came in again for coffee. Alex obtained his email once more and realized the address was off by one letter. I finally reached Henry – the builder’s son – and he gave me the email address for his father’s wife Laura. She then connected me with her husband, and within a few days, he emailed me back confirming that he was indeed the builder of the bike in the photos. His name was Jon Aesoph. His nickname was “Einstein.” When we were finally able to talk, Einstein was matter-of-fact, though he never came off as pretentious. Instead, he was almost aloof to his own abilities. I came to appreciate that he was just a tinkerer in the woods making weird stuff. Motorcycles just happened to be one of them. “I am an artist, who works mainly in drawing and painting. I love machines and try to get them to love me. As much as I appreciate what the manufacturers offer us, I really need to make it my own. I don’t consider myself to be a ‘builder,’ but have always re-imagined any bike I’ve owned, and tried to make it unique for myself.” The mystery Ducati was a SportClassic “S” that Einstein purchased new in the fall of 2009 from Skagit Motor Sports in Mount Vernon, Washington. The “S” meant it came with the front fairing, unlike others in the SportClassic line. Einstein, a retired art teacher living on Whidbey Island off the coast of Washington state, says he only rode it stock for a few months. “I like to get to know a bike pretty well on a daily basis; it helps me choose a direction. I wanted something a bit different, as is my usual modus operandi, and decided to change the tail to a ‘Don Vesco Big Butt’ from Airtech Bodywork. This immediately took the bike back in time. The ‘Big Butt’ suggested a race bike from the ‘50s or ‘60s. The new bodywork was painted the dark Ducati Green, and the stock white racing stripes were continued over the top of it. During this time, I did all the sexy motor things that I could afford, such as open Desmodromic belts, gold anodized grips and clutch/brake controls. “Though the overall seat and tail combination came from Airtech, I needed to re-fabricate portions of it to fit. I lengthened it almost three inches and molded it to fit the tank shape at the forward end. All this consequently required my moving the taillight, which was a quite acceptable round piece, and I put in flexible LED turn signals, which were molded into the sides of the tail. It looked pretty cool to me, and I rode it in that guise for quite a while. “Some months later I was sitting in the shop staring at it (this is an activity that provides endless mirth and confusion for my lovely wife). I decided the large open space at the rear would look better if I moved the exhaust pipes from low on the side to up under the seat, culminating by appearing from out of the box seat. That proved to be a good move; she looked like a piece of history but with an attitude.” In 2011, Einstein’s eyes shifted towards another bike – the BMW S1000RR – prompting the need to move the Ducati from his shop to make room. In order to sell the bike, he needed to make some changes that would appeal to more buyers. “We’ve all seen the stir that café racers have made on our contemporary motorcycling scene, even to the point of manufacturers producing them, lifeless as they are. I decided to again change the tail/seating area on the bike, and chose a Ducati race seat intended for the Ducati MH900e. While I was at it, I decided to do the Italian flag colors on her, with silver being the main accent. Again, pining for the past, I sat down and in one session drew my spraying plan, not following any vintage bike in particular, but desiring a result that would make people want to hug her. There’s something that happens when you decide to spray a separate color around the headlamp. Don’t ask me why, but to me, it makes the bike more accessible, more human. While I was prepping for the spray, and had all the bodywork off, I decided to lengthen the pipes out the rear a full three inches. That move really brought on that badly serious attitude she began to take on.” “I have always loved Ducati’s propensity for drilling holes wherever they can fit them in. They call this ‘lightening,’ but let’s admit it: this is also another great design tactic. I drilled the hell out of everything. Where I could add a hole, I did. Another design tactic I have is to use Caterpillar Yellow a lot. I was on a UH1B in Vietnam, and I loved the markings that usually designated danger in that same yellow. Once I was finished, I put her up for sale, and it sold in two days, to a gentleman in Texas. That was the last I saw of her until my son let me know she had shown up in Brooklyn. Amazing…” Despite a missing block of time in the lifespan of this Ducati, the mystery of its birth was solved. While all of this could live on a spec sheet about upgrades, performance stats, and mechanical specifications, it is really about a photographer, two shop owners, a son, a patient wife, an eccentric builder, and finally, a publisher willing to tell the story. The tale of this single machine – chased from NYC to Whidbey Island through a tangled and intertwined circle – is unraveled, and finally complete. This article first appeared in issue 20 of Iron & Air Magazine, and is reproduced here under license | Words and Images by Stan Evans | stanevansphoto.com | janemotorcycles.com

We’ve cast our net wide this week to bring you four very different motorcycles from four different countries. Portugal offers up a Yamaha XSR700 street scrambler, Canada sends us a tasty Honda CB750 restomod, and Italy shows off the new Ducati Panigale V4 Tricolore Italia. Finally, we ogle an as-new 1991 Bimota TESI 1D 904 SR from New York, USA.

Yamaha XSR700 by Unik Edition Deeply embedded in Lisbon’s buzzing custom motorcycle scene, Loek Janssen has a bike for every occasion—including a KTM 450 EXC-F in supermoto trim and a 1981 BMW R100 street scrambler. He’s just added this Yamaha XSR700 to his stable, to make sure all his bases are covered.

Loek’s vision for the XSR was to have a bike he could scoot around the city with daily, and point down the occasional fire road whenever the craving hits.…

We’ve cast our net wide this week to bring you four very different motorcycles from four different countries. Portugal offers up a Yamaha XSR700 street scrambler, Canada sends us a tasty Honda CB750 restomod, and Italy shows off the new Ducati Panigale V4 Tricolore Italia. Finally, we ogle an as-new 1991 Bimota TESI 1D 904 SR from New York, USA. Yamaha XSR700 by Unik Edition Deeply embedded in Lisbon’s buzzing custom motorcycle scene, Loek Janssen has a bike for every occasion—including a KTM 450 EXC-F in supermoto trim and a 1981 BMW R100 street scrambler. He’s just added this Yamaha XSR700 to his stable, to make sure all his bases are covered. Loek’s vision for the XSR was to have a bike he could scoot around the city with daily, and point down the occasional fire road whenever the craving hits. Inspiration for the bike’s neo-punk vibe came from Loek’s travels—specifically his time in Tokyo, where he spent many a rainy night sampling food and beer with locals. One of the leading lights of the Portuguese custom scene, Unik Edition, was called in to handle the custom work. Loek picked the XSR700 because it’s fairly uncomplicated for a modern bike, and because it’s a hoot to ride. The idea was to retain its rideability—but nip and tuck it visually. Unik edition fabricated new tank covers for the bike, moving the visual weight forward and creating a more aggressive silhouette. The paint simple paint job is an exact match to a quick drawing that Loek whipped up on his iPad, which was only ever meant to be a rough guide. “First I was mad,” he tells us, “but then they said that they really tried a lot, but my drawing still came out on top!” Several parts from JVB-Moto complement the custom tank. These include the seat and rear fender, head- and taillights, front fork covers, radiator guard, and a bunch of smaller bits that help tidy the bike up. LSL bars adorn the cockpit, fitted with Puig levers, BikeMaster grips, a Yamaha R6 quick-throttle, and Motogadet mo.view mirrors. The full list of parts is exhaustive, but highlights include a K-Tech rear shock, Pirelli Scorpion STR Rally tires, and a titanium exhaust system from Akrapovič. There are no dB killers inside the twin mufflers, but there are electronically operated valves (from Druijff Racing) that help Loek keep his neighbors happy. A Hordpower intake and a Dynojet Power Commander tuner helped Unik eke more performance out of the already peppy XSR700. Loek specced the bike with an ABS on-off switch for off-road shenanigans, along with enduro-style footpegs from JVB-Moto. The sump guard, crash bars, and beefy side stand are SW-Motech parts. “I spent way more than the value I purchased the bike for—like, way more,” Loek admits. “Do I care? No. Do I enjoy the bike? Hell yes.” [Unik Edition | Images by Tiago Almeida] Honda CB750 by Big Dream Motorcycles Boasting the title of ‘The World’s First Superbike,’ the Honda CB750 has enthralled motorcyclists since it hit the scene in 1968. We’ve seen scores of CB750s on these pages—from extreme customs to thoughtful restomods. This 1978 Honda CB750K restomod is the work of Matt Wieckowski at Big Dream Motorcycles in Ontario. Dressed in a well-judged mix of modern and classic parts, it tips its hat to all the CBs that went before it. The CB750 wears the front end from a 1999 Yamaha R6, matched to 17” Excel rims laced to Cognito Moto hubs. Between the forks, brakes, upgraded rear shocks, and sportbike tires, the CB750 now handles a lot better than it did in 78. Matt rebuilt the Honda’s stonking four-cylinder engine with high-compression pistons, and upgraded the ignition to a newer Dyna unit. K&N pod filters replace the air box, while gasses exit via Ripple Rock Racers headers and a Hindle muffler, all made from stainless steel. Matt’s client is a big fan of vintage bikes, so Matt swapped the 1978-model CB750’s fuel tank out for a 1975 item. Older side covers were fitted too, and the bike retains its chunky seat, big fenders, and generous lighting. Matt finished the bike in an elegant white and red scheme, color-matching parts like the headlight ears as a throwback to the days when that was the norm on production Hondas. A smattering of red-anodized hardware ties it all together. [Source] Ducati Panigale V4 Tricolore Italia The practice of dressing an existing motorcycle from your catalog in new paint and selling it as a special edition is hardly new. But Ducati does it with more panache than most marques. Case in point; the new Ducati Panigale V4 Tricolore Italia looks spectacular. Limited to 163 units, the Ducati Panigale V4 Tricolore Italia is essentially a Panigale V4 S with a predominantly blue paint job and a handful of hop-up parts. MotoGP fans will recognize the livery—it’s the same one that Ducati Factory Racing employed at the 2024 Italian Grand Prix in Mugello, where two-time MotoGP world champion, Pecco Bagnaia, and his teammate, Enea Bastianini, finished first and second. The Ducati Panigale V4 Tricolore Italia recreates the livery, which was inspired by Italy’s national sports teams, faithfully. Italy’s official ‘Azzurro’ blue dominates the design, complemented by sections of white and traditional Tricolore details. As befitting a race replica, the fairing is splashed with sponsor logos. Underneath the graphics is a mostly ‘regular’ Ducati V4 S—a 216 hp superbike with electronically-adjusted Öhlins suspension and a dry weight of 188 kg [414.5 lbs]. It’s 3 kilos lighter than stock, thanks to the stunning carbon fiber wheels that replace the usual forged hoops. The Panigale V4 Tricolore Italia also gets a monstrous braking upgrade in the form of Brembo’s brand-spanking new Pro+ package. A first for production bikes, it uses two finned 338.5 mm Brembo T-Drive discs, a pair of GP4 Sport Production racing calipers with cooling fins, and carbon fiber air ducts. Other upgrades include a dry clutch, adjustable billet aluminum foot pegs, and Alcantara trim on the seat. Ducati has a host of track-only accessories for the bike too—including a matching kangaroo leather suit that’s exclusively available to Panigale V4 Tricolore Italia owners. Each Ducati Panigale V4 Tricolore Italia’s top yoke is adorned with its series number, a silhouette of the Mugello circuit, and Bagnaia’s lap record there. The tank sports the two-time champ’s signature, and each bike is shipped in a personalized wooden crate. If you’re wondering what it costs, don’t bother—all 163 units are already spoken for. [Ducati] 1991 Bimota TESI 1D 904 SR Produced in extremely limited numbers, the 1991 Bimota TESI 1D 904 SR is arguably the bike that put the boutique Italian motorcycle manufacturer on the map. Its fairings and livery were quintessential early-90s Italian design. And when you stripped them off, you’d find a 904 cc Ducati Desmodromic engine wedged between a pair of machined alloy chassis plates, with Bimota’s signature hub-centered steering system poking out the front. Bimota equipped the TESI 1D 904 SR with Marzocchi suspension, Marchesini wheels, and Brembo brakes. The Ducati mill also came with a six-speed transmission and Marelli fuel injection. With clip-ons linked to the hub-center steering system, a bold digital dashboard, and a solo seat with minimal padding, the TESI 1D 904 SR was a true show-stopper. (It was as if Bimota had built the bike that Ducati was too conservative to.) 34 years on, the TESI 1D 904 SR hasn’t lost an ounce of its charm. But owning one is a rare privilege—particularly one as clean as this example. Showing just 1 kilometer on the clock, this particular 1991 Bimota TESI 1D 904 SR has just been sold on Bring a Trailer by Moto Borgotaro—sparking a last-minute bidding war that pushed the final price to a staggering $78,000. [Source]

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The two cars also rock heavily-customized interiors with Mediterranean influences

While the two cars are concepts, they show off the brand’s design prowess. Both concepts share similarities with other recent Genesis one-offs. Genesis knows a thing or two about creating gorgeous concept cars, and at the Seoul Mobility Show, it has just unveiled two more. Dubbed the X Gran Coupe Concept and X Gran Convertible Concept, they are both based on the road-going G90, but only have two doors and radically redesigned exteriors. The duo share resemblances to the X, X Speedium, and X Convertible Concepts designed by Genesis over the past few years, although they aren’t quite as dramatic. Both cars feature the brand’s familiar Two-Line headlights and feature gorgeous 3D front grilles. They personify athletic elegance and make us wish they were new production models. Unfortunately, Genesis has provided no indication about whether or not they will hit the roads. Read: New Genesis X Speedium Coupe Debuts As A Stylish, Electric GT Concept Compared to the G90, both the X Gran Coupe and X Gran Convertible have more steeply raked windshields and lower roofs. The brand’s designers have also widened the fenders, extended the beltlines, and installed stunning wheels on both cars. Dominating the rear fascias of the two concepts are twin LED light bars and rectangular tailpipes. Both also rock overhauled cabins. The interior of the Coupe takes inspiration from Mediterranean olive trees with a combination of green and brown leather. Olive leaf motifs extend across the door panels, and there’s intricate quilted stitching. The finish of the Convertible’s cabin couldn’t be any more different, as it’s trimmed in blue, inspired by the colors of the grapes used to create Cabernet Sauvignon wine. The Future Of Luxury Design? The two concepts use the same basic steering wheel as the current G90, but a third spoke has been added, making the wheel look a little more conventional. “In the 10 years since our launch, Genesis has been dedicated to delivering its unique values to more than 1.3 million customers worldwide,” Genesis Global Head Mike Song described. “We aim to seize this opportunity as a launchpad for a new decade, showcasing models that embody Genesis’ pursuit of high-performance technology and future luxury design.”

A series of small changes have also been made to the cabin of the refreshed Ioniq 6

The refreshed electric sedan includes a thoroughly revised front fascia. Hyundai has added an N Line trim to the Ioniq 6 family for 2026. The Model 3 Performance-rivalling Ioniq 6 N should pack around 641 hp. The Hyundai Ioniq 6 is a brilliant EV, but its design has always been a little controversial. Now, the brand has launched a facelifted version of the Ioniq 6, and it certainly looks a lot sleeker while retaining the streamlined shape of the model we’re all familiar with. This new Ioniq 6 has been unveiled at the Seoul Mobility Show, although no clear images of the revised rear-end have been published. Fortunately, we have been provided with a good look at the overhauled front fascia. Not only does it look more refined than the old model, but it’s also more aggressive, particularly in N Line guise. Read: Hyundai Ioniq 6 N Could Be Even Better Than The 5 N One of the more peculiar parts of the outgoing model was the headlights. Just like Hyundai did with the Sonata, the carmaker has ditched these weird lights in favor of split lights, consisting of thin LED daytime running lights and separate headlamps positioned lower in the bumper. It makes a world of difference to the EV’s design. Those who want something a little more aggressive would be wise to opt for the new Ioniq 6 N Line. It opens up the front fascia, and much like the Elantra N, includes a gaping wide grille and air intakes. Hyundai is also promising a new rear bumper that incorporates more black parts, and has showcased the N Line with distinctive silver and black wheels. From the little of what we can see of the new model’s rear-end, it looks to have retained the LED light bar of the outgoing model but now includes a large ducktail lip spoiler. “IONIQ 6 has evolved from a single Electrified Streamliner into a lineup, each model expressing its own character while staying true to one refined vision,” the head of Hyundai Design Center, Simon Loasby said of the new model. “Under the evolved design concept of ‘Pure Flow, Refined’, we’ve enhanced every line and detail to make IONIQ 6 simpler and more progressive.” Some minor tweaks have been made to the cabin of the new Ioniq 6, too. For example, there’s a different three-spoke steering wheel, the window switches have been repositioned, and there are new USB ports. No technical details about the new model have been announced. Hyundai Ioniq 6 N Perhaps the most exciting titbit from these images is our first proper teaser of the long-awaited Hyundai Ioniq 6 N. It’s inspired by the RN22e concept from a few years ago and has been showcased with a bespoke rear fascia, a large fixed rear wing, and new LED taillights. There’s no word on its power, but it should have the same basic dual-motor system as the Ioniq 5 N, producing the same 641 hp and also featuring synthetic exhaust sounds and a simulated eight-speed dual-clutch transmission.

Could an FCEV like the new Hyundai Nexo help hydrogen take off?

The rugged new Nexo boasts an overhauled design and a more powerful drivetrain. Hyundai has updated the interior with new screens and a Palisade-inspired console. Pricing and availability details for the second-gen Nexo have yet to be announced. While this may look like a concept car, it’s actually the second-generation Hyundai Nexo FCEV, unveiled at the Seoul Mobility Show in Korea. The Nexo can thank its concept car looks on the Initium concept that Hyundai unveiled last October, which previewed this new model, and as with other recent Hyundai models, the production model stays true to the concept. This new model is based on Hyundai’s ‘Art of Steel’ design language and looks absolutely nothing like its predecessor. Whereas the old Nexo has a cute and curvaceous design, the new Nexo has a much more rugged and blocky design, also clearly distinguishing it from other Hyundais. Read: Hyundai Warns Nexo Owners To Park Outside Over Hydrogen Leak, You Know, Just In Case The front includes what Hyundai dubs its ‘HTWO’ LED lamps, each with four distinct dots. This second-gen Nexo stands much more upright than the old model and has been showcased with contrasting black fender flares. The shape and size of the side windows are also particularly intriguing, as are the thick C-pillars that split through the side glass and flow into the rear doors. Hyundai has not just focused on overhauling the Nexo’s design, but has also made significant improvements to the powertrain. It now rocks a 2.64 kWh battery pack, a hydrogen fuel cell stack with 147 hp (110 kW), and a single electric motor producing 201 hp (150 kW). The sprint to 62 mph (100 km/h) is dealt with in 7.8 seconds, and the size of the hydrogen tank has grown from 13.9 lbs (6.33 kg) to 14.7 lbs (6.69 kg). Hyundai is targeting a driving range of over 435 miles (700 km), and says it takes just five minutes to add more than 435 miles of driving range. Just like Hyundai’s battery-electric vehicles, the Nexo FCEV offers a vehicle-to-load function. It can also be optioned with digital side mirrors, and European models have a rated towing capacity of 2,200 lbs (1,000 kg). A Modern Hyundai Interior While the SUV’s exterior looks unlike any other Hyundai, the cabin does include some familiar elements, taking influence from vehicles including the Sante Fe and Palisade. The dashboard encompasses a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a 12.3-inch infotainment display. There’s also a 12-inch head-up display, a column-type shifter, and a 14-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system. Hyundai has also made the welcome decision of giving the Nexo a dedicated slim touch panel for controlling all the climate settings, rather than incorporating them into the main display. Other cabin highlights include two wireless smartphone chargers, a digital rearview mirror, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Hyundai has not yet announced market-specific pricing and availability details for the new Nexo FCEV, but additional information can be expected in the coming months.

Faraday continues losing money, but they're banking on an AI-MPV for survival

Faraday Future has teased the upcoming Super One, ahead of its debut in June. The model sports a massive illuminated grille and is billed as an AI-MPV. Faraday recently posted a $355 million loss, raising questions about their survival. Faraday Future has released a revealing teaser image of their upcoming Super One minivan. It’s slated to go into production later this year and become the first member of the value-focused Faraday X lineup. Scheduled to debut in June, the van has a massive grille that would make Lexus blush. It appears to be slightly recessed and sport a fully enclosed design with illuminated accents. More: Faraday Future Teases New FX 6 Crossover And Super One Minivan Additional details are hard to make out, but we can see slender headlights, a sculpted hood, and pronounced wheel arches. Previous teasers have also revealed a generic minivan shape as well as an expansive greenhouse. Faraday hasn’t said much of substance about the van, but they’ve billed it as an “AI-MPV” that will “meet the dynamic and diverse needs of visionaries and their families.” The model is also slated to deliver “twice the performance at half the price.” The Faraday X lineup is designed to compete in the $20,000 – $80,000 price range and previous reports have suggested the van will come with two rows of leather seats. Second-row passengers take priority and they’ll reportedly be greeted by a small fridge as well as heated and massaging seats with integrated footrests. Little else is known about the van at this point, but the company has previously suggested there could be electric and range-extended powertrains. Faraday has also hinted at taking refundable reservations in the second quarter of this year. However, everything’s still up in the air as Faraday Future recently said the FX family is “contingent on securing appropriate funding and finalizing necessary agreements.” That’s not reassuring when the automaker has a terrible track record and posted a $355.8 (£273.9 / €328.5) million loss last year.

Polestar hopes that a faster infotainment system, a more premium audio setup, and a new exterior color will help the EV attract more buyers

The Polestar 2 gains Snapdragon chip boosting infotainment speed and connectivity. Optional Bowers & Wilkins 14-speaker system adds 1,350 Watts of premium audio clarity. New CATL-sourced 70 kWh battery increases WLTP range of base model to 344 miles. The Polestar 2 is the longest-serving member of the lineup, having debuted in 2019. Despite its age, the Swedish brand has kept it up to date with a 2023 facelift and a steady stream of model year updates. For 2026, the fully electric liftback gets a tech-focused refresh that includes a new infotainment processor, an optional Bowers & Wilkins audio system, and expanded personalization options. More: Volvo Owners Find Fake ‘Bowers & V Vilkins’ Speakers In Chinese Cars Starting with the exterior, the Polestar 2 is now available in a Dune shade, a sandy hue with a smooth mica finish that replaces the Jupiter color. In addition, the optional Performance Pack also features updated 20-inch forged alloy wheels with a fresh five-spoke design. Moving inside, the EV gains a more advanced Qualcomm Snapdragon processor chip, bringing it closer to the rest of the Polestar lineup in terms of computing power. The upgraded chip boosts download speeds, improves responsiveness, and enhances the overall performance of the infotainment system. An interesting addition to the optional equipment is the Bowers & Wilkins audio system with 14 speakers and a total output of 1,350 Watts. Furthermore, the optional Plus Pack adds a new bio-attributed MicroTech upholstery finished in Charcoal with a quilting design, and Black Ash inserts. Finally, the new Prime Pack bundles together the Pilot, Plus, and Climate packs alongside privacy glass on the rear side windows and rear glass. There are no mechanical changes for 2026, but the CATL-sourced 70 kWh battery option that was introduced last year will be made available in more markets, replacing the older 69 kWh battery supplied by LG Chem. This results in a slight increase to the WLTP figure of the Standard Range Single Motor variant, from 546 km (339 miles) to 554 km (344 miles). More: Volvo Dealers To Sell Polestars To Boost Sales The Polestar 2 is compatible with the Plug & Charge technology introduced by the Polestar 3, which allows drivers to simply plug in the cable to a public charger and let the vehicle initiate and authenticate the process. The 2026 Polestar 2 is already available to order in Europe, with other markets, including the US, set to follow later this year. Polestar

Jeep's redesigned Compass will debut shortly and go into production in Europe later this year

Jeep has released new pictures of the 2026 Compass, ahead of its debut this spring. The model rides on the STLA Medium platform and will be offered with three different powertrains. Italian production begins later this year, although a U.S. launch could be delayed due to tariffs. The teaser campaign for the redesigned Jeep Compass is kicking into high gear as the company has tapped photographer Alessandro Dobici to do a shoot at the Melfi plant, where the crossover will be built. The resulting images are a fashionable black and white blur. While Jeep isn’t saying much, they promised the Compass will retain a seven-slot grille and trapezoidal wheel arches. The teasers also show a Recon-like front fascia with slender headlights as well as lenses that feature a grille motif. More: New Jeep Compass Shows Its Face, Debuts This Spring Speaking of the grille, it appears to incorporate some illuminated accents. Elsewhere, we can see a pronounced rear spoiler and what appears to be wheels with another grille motif. The interior pictures don’t reveal much, but we can see familiar “Since 1941” wording. We also get a glimpse of contrast stitching and “Jeep” embroidery. The automaker was coy on specifics, but said the Compass will play a “crucial role” in their electrification strategy. Jeep went on to say customers can expect an “expanded engine range with e-Hybrid, e-Hybrid plug-in, and fully electric options.” Jeep kicked off the teaser campaign last October, when they revealed a sketch of the model and some initial details. At the time, they said the Compass would be based on the STLA Medium platform and go into production in Italy in 2025. They later confirmed a European debut for this spring. A North American launch was originally slated for 2026, but reports have suggested the model is on hold as it was supposed to be built at Brampton Assembly in Canada. With a 25% tariff on imports, the model’s U.S. prospects look grim so Stellantis is said to be rethinking its product strategy.

If you fancy the Spectre's looks but are not a fan of its electric drivetrain, this coachbuilt coupe might be ideal for you

Engler unveils coachbuilt two-door Ghost coupe with more than 750 horsepower. The design closely mirrors the electric Spectre, despite using a combustion V12. The car costs €2.2M, nearly seven times the price of a standard Rolls-Royce Ghost. Engler Automotive made waves a few years back when it debuted a concept quad bike. How is that special at all? Well, it happened to have a V12 engine and looked like a bona fide supercar. Now, it’s back in the spotlight with a new coachbuilt model, teased through a series of digital renders. At its heart, this new creation is a Rolls-Royce Ghost, though it’s been reworked so extensively, you’d be forgiven for mistaking it for a Spectre. More: Would You Dare Reach The Engler V12 Quad Bike’s 250 MPH Top Speed? The Ghost is the brand’s entry-level sedan (assuming there’s such a thing as an entry-level Rolls), and the Spectre is its new all-electric coupe. Engler seems interested in combining elements of both into a new model it’s calling the ‘Rolls-Royce CoupéTail by Engler.’ Imagine a Ghost, but with just two rear-hinged doors and a whole lot of attitude, and you’re on the right track. Power to Match the Presence Because it’s based on the Ghost, the CoupéTail gets a twin-turbocharged V12 engine. Engler hasn’t provided exact displacement or a full spec sheet, but it claims the car produces more than 750 horsepower (559 kW) and 737 lb-ft (998 Nm) of torque. For comparison, the most powerful Ghost from Rolls-Royce makes 591 hp (440 kW), so we asked how Engler managed to unlock that extra grunt. The company tells Carscoops it’s the result of a comprehensive overhaul. On paper, those upgrades give the CoupéTail a 0–100 km/h (0–62 mph) time of under 4.0 seconds—quicker than the Black Badge Spectre, which does it in 4.1—and a top speed of 300 km/h (187 mph). To complement the performance bump, Engler is lowering the suspension by 25mm and adding more sound-deadening materials to maintain that Rolls-Royce-caliber serenity. Coachbuilt with a Capital C It’s also collaborating with an artist to create five bespoke versions of the 19 planned units. Even the Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornament has been reinterpreted by a sculptor to give the car a more distinct identity. Engler says that production is already underway, with several reservations locked in, although a few build slots remain open. “We upgrade the turbos, lubrication, cooling, and engine management while striving to retain as many original Rolls-Royce components as possible,” Engler explains. “This ensures that the customer still benefits from the warranty. The components we replace are of the highest standard, with some even exceeding the quality of the original parts.” Exclusivity Has a Price Tag All of this comes at a cost. As the company told us, the price sits at €2,200,000—or about $2,385,000 at current exchange rates, before applicable taxes (…or tariffs, for that matter). For context, the Rolls-Royce Ghost starts at around $357,000 in the U.S., while the electric Spectre begins at approximately $398,000. Here’s the kicker about all of this. One percenters who end up owning this and the Spectre could end up disappointed. Sure, the sound of a V12 beats whatever noise the Spectre can make and then some, and Engler claims it’ll be quicker too. Truthfully, though, does Rolls-Royce’s demographic really want a louder, quicker Spectre? If it did, you’d think the automaker would’ve already built one. Review: The Rolls-Royce Spectre Is The Ultimate EV Right Now Having driven the Spectre, I can attest that its EV drivetrain is honestly one of its best features. That’s not to say that the rest of the car isn’t wildly impressive either. It’s a masterpiece of engineering and benefits from the quiet and serene platform it uses. What do you think? Does a V12 two-door Specter look-alike make sense? Let us know in the comments! Technical Specifications Length 5,285 mm (208.1 in) Width 1,947 mm (76.7 in) Height 1,507 mm (59.3 in) Wheelbase 3,112 mm (122.5 in) Unladen weight 2,360 kg (,5203 lb) Curb weight 2,440 kg (5,380 lb) Engine V12 Power output 750+HP (DIN) 551kW @ 5600 rpm Maximum torque 1000NM / 737lb-ft @1500-5500 rpm Top speed 300+ km/h (186+ mph) 0-100 km/h <4.0 sec SWIPE

Tesla tops the list of U.S.-made vehicles, with other high-ranking models including the Ford Mustang GT and Honda Passport

The Tesla Model 3 Performance has 87.5% domestic content, positioning it above the Model Y. Other Tesla models to rank highly on the list include the Cybertruck, Model S, and Model X. However, Tesla still uses many Chinese parts for its EVs and could be hit by potential Trump tariffs. Update: With the Trump administration announcing a series of sweeping “Liberation Day” tariffs that come after the previously announced 25% on foreign-made cars and auto parts, it seems like a good time to revisit the most “American” cars on the market today. Just a quick reminder that when we refer to American-made cars, we mean vehicles with parts from both the USA and Canada, since the American Automobile Labeling Act doesn’t separate between the two. See: The Foreign Parts Inside Every New Car Sold In The USA Starting April 2, a 25% tariff will be applied to all foreign cars entering the USA. And if you thought that was bad, the White House also confirmed in a fact sheet shared on its website that auto parts such as engines and transmissions will face the same 25% tariff, even if said parts are used in cars assembled here in the States by May 3. Needless to say, automakers are now facing a serious logistical mess, as production lines built on global sourcing are thrown into uncertainty. White House To make things even more complicated, Trump also announced a set of sweeping “reciprocal tariffs” on global imports. These range from 10% to 50%, depending on the country, including a 34% tariff on Chinese goods, 20% on imports from the European Union and 24% from Japan. On top of that, there’s a new 10% baseline tariff on all U.S. imports from any country, regardless of origin. Tariffs on Top of Tariffs? It’s still unclear whether all of these overlapping tariffs will be applied cumulatively, but there’s reason to believe they will be. Autonews reports that many analysts expect the tariffs to stack. According to Thibault Denamiel, a trade expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, “a sedan imported from Germany, then, could be subject to the 25 percent auto tariff, today’s reciprocal tariff, and the existing 2.5 percent levy on European vehicles.” More: Trump Imposes 25% Tariff On All Non-US Made Cars And Parts In other words, prices for foreign-made cars could spike dramatically, and automakers likely won’t be able to absorb those added costs, leaving consumers to pick up the tab. There is, however, some temporary breathing room—at least on paper. Automakers importing vehicles under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) will get some temporary relief, but only until the Commerce Department figures out exactly how to implement the new rules. For now, USMCA-compliant auto parts remain tariff-free. That said, it’s anyone’s guess how long that will last, as regulators work out how to define and tax non-U.S. content. (by John Halas). Original story follows below You’d think if anyone were building the most American cars, it’d be the all-stars of apple pie and bald eagles—Ford and GM. But nope, they’ve been outdone. The real MVP of red, white, and blue automotive pride is, of all companies, Tesla. Yes, the same tech bro–magnet that brought you memes, stock market drama, and cars with questionable panel gaps is also the most “Made in the USA” brand by a considerable margin. This isn’t the first time we’ve learned just how American-made Tesla’s ever-popular EVs are. Back in June, the Tesla Model 3 topped a list produced by Cars.com. This latest ranking comes from the Kogod School of Business at American University and identifies the 25 cars built in the US that incorporate the most American-made content. Importantly, the analysis considers parts originating in the US and Canada as both domestic content. This is because the American Automobile Labeling Act requires carmakers to report the percentage of American and Canadian parts without distinguishing between the two. The Top Performers Claiming the top spot was the Tesla Model 3 Performance, with 87.5% of its parts coming from domestic suppliers. It was followed closely by the Tesla Model Y Long Range and the base Model Y, which tied for second place with 85% domestic content. The Tesla Cybertruck came in third at 82.5%, ahead of the Tesla Model S and Model X, which tied at 80%. The Detroit, Michigan-built Ford Mustang GT and Ford Mustang GT Premium also tied with the Model S and Model X at 80%. More: The Top 10 Most American Made Cars May Surprise You Falling behind Tesla and Ford but still in the top-tier league are two Hondas, the Passport AWD and Passport Trailsport, which are ranked fifth, at 76.5% domestic content. Jeep tries to wave its Wrangler Rubicon and Sahara in patriotic defiance at 76%, while Volkswagen sneaks in with the ID.4 AWD at 75.5%, along with the GMC Canyon AT4 Crew Cab (75.5%) and three Chevrolet Colorado models at 75.5%. Tesla’s Made-in-America Claim Comes With a Catch For all Tesla’s chest-thumping, there’s a wrinkle. According to Frank DuBois, the author of the study, Tesla’s domestic dominance isn’t airtight. He told KBB that Tesla still relies on a decent chunk of Chinese parts, especially motors and batteries, and could be impacted by new tariff policies introduced by the next Trump administration. He pointed out that if you exclude the motors and batteries of the second-place Model 3 Long Range, it “has 40% Chinese content.” Similarly, the Cybertruck has 20%, with Chinese parts typically found in “seats, dashboard components, and so on,” he explains. “Automotive executives like to see stability in trade relationships with our major trade partners,” DuBois added. But with Trump’s tariff threats and potential retaliation, “We’re going to see a period of real instability,” he says. MOST AMERICAN-MADE VEHICLES Rank Model Total Domestic Content 1 Tesla Model 3 Performance 87.5% 2 (tie) Tesla Model Y Long Range 85% 2 (tie) Tesla Model Y 85% 3 Tesla Cybertruck 82.5% 4 (tie) Tesla Model S 80% 4 (tie) Tesla Model X 80% 4 (tie) Ford Mustang GT automatic transmission 80% 4 (tie) Ford Mustang GT 5.0-liter 80% 4 (tie) Ford Mustang GT Coupe Premium 80% 5 (tie) Honda Passport AWD (all-wheel drive) 76.5% 5 (tie) Honda Passport Trailsport 76.5% 6 (tie) Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 76% 6 (tie) Jeep Wrangler Sahara 76% 7 (tie) Volkswagen ID.4 AWD 82-kWh 75.5% 7 (tie) Chevrolet Colorado 2.7-liter 75.5% 7 (tie) GMC Canyon AT4 Crew Cab 4WD (4-wheel drive) 75.5% 7 (tie) GMC Canyon Denali Crew Cab 4WD 75.5% 7 (tie) Chevrolet Colorado LT Crew Cab 2WD 2.7-liter 75.5% 7 (tie) Chevrolet Colorado Z71 Crew Cab 4WD 2.7-liter 75.5% 8 Volkswagen ID.4 RWD (rear-wheel drive) 962-kWh 74.5% 9 (tie) Volkwagen ID.4 RWD 82-kWh 74% 9 (tie) Honda Odyssey 74% 9 (tie) Honda Ridgeline 74% 9 (tie) Honda Pilot 74% 10 Lincoln Corsair 73.5% KBB SWIPE

This is likely one of fewer than five TommyKaira ZZs residing in America right now

This heavily modified, rare JDM sports car just went unsold at auction. That’s despite a bid increase of over 50 percent in the last 20 minutes. The dealer evidently wants nearly twice what buyers were willing to pay. The TommyKaira ZZ isn’t a car that comes up for sale very often. In fact, it’s likely that fewer than five are in the USA right now. That rarity is part of why bidding on a recent example went wild in the final minutes of its auction. Despite a last-minute flurry and a 50-percent jump in the top bid over just 20 minutes, the dealer ultimately said “no sale.” For those who might not know, the TommyKaira ZZ is sort of like a Lotus but without all the luxury. That might sound silly, but consider this: the ZZ features a bespoke aluminum chassis, steel subframes, basic unequal-length wishbone suspension at each corner, and a simple four-cylinder engine. It was light and quick and looked wild for the time. Read: Rare Tommykaira Skyline R33 GT-R Is Ideal For JDM Lovers In fact, those traits made it a main attraction in the video game series Gran Turismo. Most fans in the USA who know this car were likely introduced to it via the game. Perhaps several of them showing up to this auction on Cars&Bids is why it popped off in the last twenty minutes. Leading up to that time, the high bid for this modified ZZ was just $13,000. Then, in the time before the auction ended, 23 more bids came in, and the high price ended at $20,250. It failed to meet whatever reserve the dealer had on it. “Sorry, far off on this one,” said the selling dealer when the bidding ended and the hammer fell. No doubt, some of the modifications here hampered its value overall. Whomever owned it previously changed the front clip to include headlights from a Toyota Celica and modified the engine cover too. Of course, they only did that last part because they pulled out the carbureted 2.0-liter four-cylinder and dropped in a 2.2-liter SR20DET from Nissan. The seller didn’t include documentation about current power output, but it’s probably more than the original 178 hp (133 kW) in the original. That said, the old adage ‘never buy another man’s project car’ likely applied here. The dealer did point out that it had sold a different ZZ in the past for $40,250. That one was far more original, though. What’s a fair price for this very rare sports car? Tell us in the comment section below! Photos Cars&Bids

Customers will find six new trims as well as 600 and 900 variants

Lotus is gearing up to launch the latest versions of the Eletre and Emeya this summer. The updated models have new 600 and 900 variants as well as established trim levels. The Emeya 900 has a dual-motor all-wheel drive system with a combined output of 905 hp. Lotus is gearing up to launch the 2026 Eletre and Emeya this summer, and the company has announced a handful of welcome changes. While the updates aren’t too dramatic, they better communicate power and equipment. As part of the change, there are new “600” and “900” monikers. The former has a dual-motor all-wheel drive system with 603 hp (450 kW / 612 PS), while the latter boasts 905 hp (675 kW / 918 PS). More: Lotus Eletre Priced At A Shocking $229,900 Due To New Chinese EV Tariffs That isn’t the only revision as Lotus has established six “clearly defined trim levels” called the 600, 600 GT, 600 GT SE, 600 Sport SE, 900 Sport, and 900 Sport Carbon. While the availability of these trims varies by market, they help to establish a hierarchy. The entry-level Eletre 600 comes equipped with LED lighting units, 20-inch wheels, and an active air suspension. They’re joined by a 29-inch head-up display, a 15-speaker audio system, and a four-zone climate control system. Customers will also find a Jasper interior with LotusWear Performance Fabric seats. The 600 GT adds larger 22-inch wheels, six-piston brake calipers, highway assist, and a parking package. The 600 GT SE goes even further with an electrochromic glass roof, illuminated side sills, adjustable ambient lighting, and an upgraded 23-speaker audio system. The 600 Sport SE takes things in a more dynamic direction thanks to a handling package, an active rear spoiler, soft-close doors, and upgraded front seats featuring ventilation and massage functions. The Eletre 900 Sport is essentially a high-performance and decontented version of the Sport SE, while the 900 Sport Carbon adds interior and exterior carbon fiber trim, a composite hood, soft-close doors, and the aforementioned front seats. The Emeya trims are largely identical, but the model has a larger 51-inch head-up display as well as different wheels that appear to max out at 21-inches. Aside from the new names and trims, the Eletre features a revised color palette. It now includes Akoya White and Zenith White. In terms of performance, the Emeya 600 accelerates from 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) in 4.15 seconds before hitting a top speed of 155 mph (250 km/h). Likewise, the Eletre 600 hits 62 mph (100 km/h) in 4.5 seconds and can eventually top out at 159 mph (256 km/h). The 900 variants have the same top speeds, but the Emeya 900 hits 62 mph (100 km/h) in a mere 2.78 seconds. The Eletre 900 accomplishes the task shortly thereafter at 2.95 seconds. The Emeya has a 102 kWh battery pack that allows for a WLTP range of up to 379 miles (610 km). The Eletre’s 112 kWh unit allows for a slightly less impressive range of 373 miles (600 km). Both models are currently available to order and UK pricing starts at £84,990 for both the Eletre and Emeya.

The union's Secretary-Treasurer almost earned the same as Shawn Fain, receiving nearly $225,000

Each of the UAW’s three Vice Presidents earned $211,001 last year. UAW membership swelled from 370,239 in 2023 to 375,161 in 2024. Last year, the UAW successfully unionized VW’s plant in Chattanooga. UAW President Shawn Fain pulled in a gross salary of $229,514 last year, but he’s far from the only executive earning a sizable paycheck at the union. A recent UAW filing with the U.S. Labor Department reveals not only top-level compensation figures but also new details about membership numbers and the union’s overall financial health. Given the fact that former UAW president Gary Jones pleaded guilty to using union money to pay for personal expenses and was sentenced to 28 months in prison in 2021, it’s no surprise that members are keeping a close eye on executive pay. In Fain’s case, while his gross salary was $229,514, total payments from the union, including official business disbursements, reached $274,407 in 2024. Read: Stellantis Paying UAW Workers Up To $72,000 To Quit The next top earner within the UAW was Secretary-Treasurer Margaret Mock,who earned a salary of $224,861, with total payments amounting to $247,169. Vice Presidents Mike Booth, Rich Boyer, and Chuck Browning all received the same $211,001 in gross salaries, while the head of the union’s Stellantis department, Kevin Gotinsky, had a total salary of $177,942. As reported by the Detroit Free Press, the UAW’s membership grew from 370,239 in 2023 to 375,161 in 2024. This came thanks in part to its successful effort to unionize the VW plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, but remains down from the 383,003 members it had in 2022. UAW As of December 31, 2024, the UAW reported total assets of $1.18 billion, with $7.9 million in cash on hand. The union had roughly $300 million in total receipts and about $309 million in disbursements. Liabilities increased from $3.8 million to $6.7 million. The union’s largest expenditure, worth $127 million, went toward representative activities. Political activities and lobbying accounted for another $21.8 million. An additional $48 million was used to purchase investments and fixed assets, $32 million went to general overhead, and $9.8 million was spent on union administration. The data also shows that revenue-wise, the union earned $219 million from members and another $43 million in interest.

Musk could leave when his special government employee status ends, but he might adopt an informal role

Elon Musk is reportedly gearing up to leave the Trump administration in May or June. Some insiders suggested he may not leave entirely, but could adopt a more informal role. The White House denied the report, but Musk’s special status is set to expire soon. After plunging the federal government into chaos and eliminating thousands of jobs, Elon Musk appears to be planning an exit from the Trump Administration. This likely can’t come soon enough for Tesla owners and investors. Specifics are hazy, but Politico reported that President Trump told his “inner circle, including members of his Cabinet,” that Musk would be “stepping back” from his role in the coming weeks. However, he may not leave entirely as one insider suggested Musk might adopt an “informal role as an adviser.” More: Survey Finds 67% Of Americans Won’t Buy A Tesla, Many Blame Musk Another source was more blunt as they reportedly said anyone who thinks Musk is going to disappear entirely is “fooling themselves.” That being said, it’s believed the change will occur in late May or early June as Musk’s special government employee status only lasts for 130 days. NBC News seems to have corroborated much of this as they’re reporting that Trump told Cabinet members of Musk’s departure last week. They added the billionaire would leave when his special government status ends. This “scoop” is garbage. Elon Musk and President Trump have both *publicly* stated that Elon will depart from public service as a special government employee when his incredible work at DOGE is complete. https://t.co/Brppff6SKi — Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) April 2, 2025 Despite this, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called Politico’s report “garbage” and claimed “Elon will depart from public service as a special government employee when his incredible work at DOGE is complete.” However, his special status ends at a set point, so the writing appears to be on the wall. Regardless of what happens, Musk ties to Trump and his appointment as the de facto head of the Department of Government Efficiency have sparked an immense backlash. Tesla sales are tanking, dealerships are under attack, and the company’s stock is down nearly 26% since January. On top of that, the Tesla Takedown movement has gone global and a recent study found 67% of Americans wouldn’t buy a Tesla, partly because of Musk.

The study created by IED in partnership with Italdesign can be adapted to use internal combustion, hybrid, or fully electric powertrains

The Vision Rapida is the latest concept from IED, made in collaboration with Italdesign. The goal was to create an affordable and versatile sporty fastback for the new generation. The design can be adapted to any automaker and supports different powertrain types. Every year, the Istituto Europeo di Design (IED) in Turin gives its Transportation Design students a shot at something most car design hopefuls only dream of: building a full-scale concept in collaboration with a real-world automaker. For the 2023–2024 academic year, that automaker is Italdesign, and the result is the Vision Rapida, a compact, affordable sports car with a fastback silhouette and a 2+2 layout aimed squarely at younger drivers. First impressions? The Rapida looks like something Jaguar’s current design team might cook up if they rebooted the F-Type for the EV era but accidentally pulled a little too much from the Type 00 Concept. Or maybe that’s just us. The design brief called for a vehicle that lives in what IED calls the “underserved compact sports car segment,” specifically targeted at Gen Z. According to the school, “the thrill of driving a sports car should not be an unattainable privilege for a younger audience”, which explains the emphasis on accessibility and affordability over raw power or luxury pretensions. More: Italdesign’s Quintessenza Is A Bonkers Pickup Coupe With More Horsepower Than An F1 Grid The Vision Rapida has classic front-engine, rear-wheel-drive proportions. Up front, there are aggressively styled headlights and a sculpted bumper that give the car a purposeful, planted look. Around back, the fastback tail is clean and functional, with an integrated spoiler that adds a bit of visual drama. While IED says the styling draws inspiration from “icons of the past,” the final product is unapologetically modern and avoids leaning too hard on retro callbacks. IED itself says that the concept doesn’t follow the design language of any particular automaker, but it could be “adopted and adapted by any automotive brand”. This is consistent with the tradition of independent design firms like Italdesign that have worked for many clients in the past. Furthermore, the Rapida could adapt to different powertrains, including ICE, hybrid, and fully electric. Pepe Photografia There are no official renderings or photos of the interior just yet, but IED says the cabin is meant to embody “sportiness and simplicity” in a 2+2 layout. Think enveloping seats, tactile materials, and a few subtle design cues inspired by streetwear. It’s an interesting blend, but not a totally out-there move when designing for Gen Z, a generation more comfortable with cross-pollinating cultural references than any before it. The concept measures 4,510 mm (177.6 inches) long, 1,860 mm (73.2 inches) wide, and 1,280 mm (50.4 inches) tall, with a wheelbase of 2,800 mm (110.2 inches). hat makes it longer than both the Toyota GR Supra and the Nissan Z, but still more compact than a Nissan R34 GT-R. More: Toyota’s Next GR86 Could Be A Mazda Collab With A Turbo Dario Lauriola, Exterior Designer at Italdesign, explained that the students wanted to create a car that reflected their generation’s values and aspirations. “With Rapida,” he said, “they wanted to respond to the lack of those small sports cars that offered young people fun and affordable driving experiences in the 1990s.” Italdesign Business Development Officer Andrea Porta added: “Rapida captures the essence of JDM and recalls the cars and cultural products loved by Generation Z. Just like manga, video games, films and TV series that help today’s youth find themselves and create connections between different origins and generations, Rapida is ready to unite parents and children in a common passion for cars”. Development of the Vision Rapida took place during the 2023-2024 academic year. The students worked for six months with the help of their professors and mentors from Italdesign. Following the design development, a full-scale static prototype was built in Italy by technical partners Italdesign and Scuderia Torino, with the help of technical sponsors Pirelli, OZ Racing and Lechler. More: The Mitsubishi Moonstone Is A Futuristic Electric Coupe-SUV For 2035 Designed By IED IED used to unveil its concepts at the Geneva Motor Show, but with that event now out of the picture, it’s shifting gears. The Rapida will make its first public appearance at the Fuorisalone in Milan from April 7–13, before moving to the Museo Nazionale dell’Automobile in Turin, where it will be on display from April 15 through May 4.

These two are just the first of many real race cars about to be available

Audi is selling some of its own race cars, including some that have won high-profile races. The new program begins with two legends, the RS 5 DTM and R18 e-tron Quattro. The best part is that cars in this program will reach buyers in drivable condition. If you’ve ever fantasized about tearing up a track in a real-deal race car—one with actual trophies in its rearview, Audi has something that might interest you. The brand is launching a new program that gives enthusiasts a chance to own genuine, competition-tested race cars, restored and ready to drive. And it’s not just any old leftovers from the paddock; Audi is kicking things off with two machines that once stood on podiums. Dubbed the Audi Sport Racing Legends project, this new venture is exactly what it sounds like: the sale of old race cars to everyday folks. Well, perhaps not just anybody with cash on hand, as Audi is being selective about who gets the keys to these cars. They’re looking for special buyers who appreciate the heritage, not just the horsepower. Read: BMW’s E30 M3 Reimagined As A Modern Neue Klasse Tribute It’s kicking off the program with the sale of two notable cars. Perhaps most special is the 207 chassis of the R18 e-tron Quattro. This exact car won the 2012 FIA World Endurance Championship WEC at Spa-Francorchamps. It’s not the same exact car that won Le Mans in 2012, but it is of the same type. Legendary Cars, Ready for a Second Act In addition, Audi is selling an RS 5 DTM, chassis 107, which won the 2015 DTM finale in Hockenheim. Don’t fret about whether these cars are going to buyers in somewhat worn-out condition. “We rebuild these chassis together with reconditioned parts from that time into racing cars according to strict standards and with a high level of expertise,” says Rolf Michl, Managing Director of Audi Sport GmbH. “In some cases, even the developers from that era are involved in the current projects. More Than Just a Car Sale So what does the full experience look like for buyers? According to Michl, it’s more than a transaction—it’s an entry into a rarefied group. “The Audi R18 e-tron quattro and the RS 5 DTM are two of the fastest racing cars we have ever built. Customers can look forward not only to extremely sought-after racing cars, but also to a firework display of driving emotions. Our customers become part of a select circle, benefit from our motorsport expertise, and receive comprehensive support.” This support isn’t just lip service, either. Audi plans to provide ongoing assistance, even if owners decide to return their cars to the track for some non-competitive fun. Before they go to new homes, these cars will be shown off at several events: in Germany from May 9–11, in France from July 3–6, and at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in the UK from July 10–13. Sales are expected to begin later in the year.

First-quarter deliveries fell 36 percent year-over-year, highlighting continued challenges for emerging EV manufacturers

Rivian’s Q1 deliveries fell 36 percent year-over-year, with just 8,640 vehicles delivered. The brand expects up to 51,000 deliveries in 2025, slightly below last year’s total. Its stock fell nearly 4 percent after it announced its latest quarterly sales report. If you thought Tesla was having a rough start to the year, Rivian’s first quarter might make you reevaluate what “rough” really means. The EV startup produced 14,611 units of the R1S and R1T models at its Normal, Illinois facility in the first three months of 2025, delivering just 8,640 of them. That’s a 36 percent drop compared to the same period last year, when it managed to get 13,588 vehicles into customer hands. More: Dodge Sold More Old Challengers And Chargers Than New Daytona EVs In Q1 By comparison, Tesla reported a 13 percent year-over-year dip in Q1 deliveries, sliding to 336,000 units, its softest quarter in nearly three years. The company is still navigating a long list of distractions, including global protests tied to its high-profile, frequently polarizing CEO and ongoing delays in the North American launch of the refreshed Model Y “Juniper.” Rivian’s numbers, though discouraging, didn’t catch anyone off guard. The company had already projected around 14,000 vehicles built and 8,000 delivered for the quarter—and analysts were more or less on the same page. For a little perspective, General Motors moved 7,111 electric trucks in Q1 across its various sub-brands. That includes 2,383 Silverado EVs (a 125 percent jump from Q1 2024) plus 1,249 GMC Sierra EVs and 3,479 Hummer EVs, split between SUV and pickup models. Ford’s F-150 Lightning fared slightly better with 7,187 deliveries, though that figure marked a 7 percent decline from a year ago. Photo Stephen Rivers / Carscoops Despite the sales slump, Rivian had at least one encouraging headline during the first quarter: the R1S made it into the top five best-selling EVs in the U.S. in February. What Rivian Expects Next Looking ahead, Rivian still expects to deliver between 46,000 and 51,000 vehicles in 2025, which would fall slightly short of the 51,579 it delivered last year. Financially, the company projects an adjusted loss of $1.7 to $1.9 billion for 2025, which would mark an improvement over its $2.69 billion loss last year. Market reaction wasn’t great. Rivian stock dropped about 4 percent following the earnings release, landing at $12.74. As of publishing, the stock is down 4.11 percent year to date. On the production side, Rivian is in the process of upgrading its Illinois plant in preparation for the upcoming mid-size R2 SUV, expected to arrive in the first half of 2026. That’ll be followed by the smaller, more affordable R3 sometime in 2027. The hope is that these next-generation models will push Rivian closer to profitability or at least make future earnings reports a little less grim. The upcoming Rivian R2 mid-size electric crossover.

The deadly crash occured with Xiaomi's driver assistance system engaged according to reports

Xiaomi SU7 crashed into a barrier after failing to avoid a closed construction lane. The electric sedan was driving on NOA at 116 km/h just before the fatal impact. Three college students died after the EV burst into flames following the highway crash. Xiaomi’s team has been showered with praise in recent months and has probably become used to reading nothing but positive headlines. However, the Chinese carmaker is now hitting the headlines for all the wrong reasons, after the first major accident involving the SU7 sedan resulted in three fatalities. The incident has cast a shadow over the tech giant’s automotive ambitions and raised tough questions about the safety and reliability of advanced driver-assistance systems. On March 29, a Xiaomi SU7 was traveling in China with three passengers onboard. The vehicle was driving along the Dezhou–Shangrao Expressway in Anhui Province with its Navigate on Autopilot (NOA) system engaged, maintaining a steady speed of 116 km/h (72 mph). As it approached a construction zone and a lane closed off with barriers, the SU7 struck a concrete divider at 97 km/h (60 mph), sparking a fire that ultimately engulfed the car. Read: Xiaomi Aims To Sell More EVs In China Than All German Brands Combined Shortly after the crash, Xiaomi released a timeline detailing the moments leading up to the collision. At 10:44:24 p.m., the SU7’s Navigate on Autopilot system issued a warning—“Obstacle ahead”—and began braking. One second later, the driver took control, steering left by 22.06 degrees and applying 31% brake pressure. Another second later, they adjusted slightly to the right by 1.06 degrees and increased braking to 38%. Despite these apparent efforts to avoid the crash, the vehicle struck the concrete barrier. The impact immediately triggered the eCall emergency system. Within 20 seconds, the registered owner of the SU7 was contacted and confirmed he was not the driver. An ambulance was dispatched and arrived around 11 p.m., but tragically, all three occupants had already died. The Xiaomi SU7 vehicle in China was driving at 116km/h in NOA on the highway, with the last speed reported to be 97km/h just before the collision with the guardrail. A fire broke out after the collision, killing all three female college students in the vehicle. Xiaomi issued a… pic.twitter.com/nxHGGYXhOR — Tsla Chan (@Tslachan) April 1, 2025 Xiaomi says it is fully cooperating with local investigators to determine the cause of the crash. According to Reuters, which cited reporting from the Chinese newspaper Economic Observer, the father of one of the victims was told by local police that the car key failed to unlock the doors after the impact. In a statement, Xiaomi said it has not yet been able to confirm whether the doors could be opened at the time of the accident. Shares in the Chinese technology giant fell 5% after word of the crash became public. Company boss Lei Jun has vowed to “respond to the concerns of families and society,” while investigating the crash. Photos Weibo / Shine

These safe rooms were already a feature long before the current wave of attacks resulting from hatred of CEO Elon Musk

Tesla outfitted some showrooms with panic rooms, a whistleblower has revealed. The rooms are designed to protect staff from violent customers, Handelsblatt reports. Tesla was already worried about staff safety before this year’s outbreak of EV vandalism. This year’s outbreak of anti-Tesla attacks has forced some Tesla drivers to trade in their cars over fears for their safety. And while people working in Tesla showrooms – which have also come under attack – can’t escape the vandals so easily without upending their lives and getting new jobs, they can at least hide when things get scary. A new report reveals some Tesla facilities have panic rooms where staff can take refuge from angry customers. A Tesla internal document titled “Security for Managers: Threats and Aggression Against Your Team” fell into the hands of German newspaper Handelsblatt thanks to a whistleblower, and contains some fascinating details about Tesla’s concern for its staff. More: Ohio Sheriff Calls Tesla Vandals ‘Fat People Living In Mom’s Basement’ “Service center or showroom employees may fear for their safety due to violent customers or other outside parties,” the guide says, going on to explain that Tesla has modified some of its buildings to “provide employees with direct access to a separate room in the event of violence.” It’s not known which sites have safe rooms or how many rooms exist, but what’s really noteworthy about this panic room program and the security document is that they were in existence before 2025, meaning they predate the current wave of violence against Tesla. Tesla protesters at one of the brand’s locations outside Boston (Photo: Carscoops) Tesla cars and retail sites have been targeted by protestors furious at CEO Elon Musk’s DOGE efficiency drive on behalf of the new Donald Trump-headed US government. Dozens of Tesla EVs have been shot at, sprayed with graffiti, and set on fire at locations across the globe, leading to some vandals being charged with domestic terror offenses. More: Tesla’s Q1 Deliveries Crash Harder Than Wall Street Expected Tesla’s staff security document urges employees to try showing empathy when confronted by an angry customer, and not to take the attacks personally. They’re also encouraged to engage in role play with other staff members to better prepare themselves for any kind of confrontation and meet regularly for coffee to share concerns. If those guidelines are behind adhered to, there must be an awful lot of coffee being drunk in Tesla stores right now. We’ve reached out to Tesla for comment on the Handelsblatt report and will update this article if the company responds.

After dumping the sportscar at Pixar Pals, two kids fled from the car causing delays at the park

Police in California pursued a stolen Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at high speeds on Monday. After abandoning the car at Disneyland, officers discovered both suspects were juveniles. The chase caused delays as police temporarily blocked park guests from leaving the garage. Two juveniles stole a high-powered Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 from the Ritz-Carlton hotel and went full Grand Theft Auto across Southern California, ending their joyride at—of all places—Disneyland. According to authorities, the pair hit triple-digit speeds before ditching the car in a parking structure at the park, effectively locking down part of the happiest place on Earth. Monday night didn’t exactly end on a high note for some visitors. Officers first heard about the theft around 8 p.m., according to the Orange County Register. Then, they noticed the car on the 5 freeway and gave chase. They attempted to pull over the 650 horsepower (484 kW) track-focused muscle car but the driver didn’t seem too interested in stopping. More: How Hyundai And Kia Sparked America’s Largest Drop In Car Thefts In 40 Years Instead, the ZL1 powered its way all the way to Disneyland’s Pixar Pals parking deck while a helicopter followed overhead. When the car finally came to a stop, both suspects bailed, turning a freeway pursuit into a foot chase through one of the busiest tourist zones in the region. By all accounts, it seems like they did a good job of staying hidden for a little while. Park goers posted online about how they were stuck, unable to get to their cars in the parking garage, for some time. A bridge from the parking structure to the park itself was full of people before officers finally apprehended the kids and cleared the area. @danny_mcduck Somthing happened at Disneyland tonight 😮#disneyland #news ♬ original sound – DannyMcDuck To be fair, it makes sense that officers needed a little time. The Pixar Pals structure alone holds around 6,500 vehicles and connects to the even larger Mickey & Friends garage next door, which boasts another 10,000 spots. When it opened in 2000, that structure was the largest parking garage in the USA. Finding two kids in a needle-stack that big? Not exactly quick work. What’s unclear is how the suspects managed to get into the lot in the first place. Typically, park goers need to pay to get in. They could’ve potentially used a pass, but even then, it’s likely that an attendant would’ve been on duty. In any case, these kids are now in hot water. Police arrested the driver and released the passenger into the custody of a guardian. Credit: OnScene.TV

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