Auto Shows Car reviews

The third-generation Lotus Exige is six years old as of 2018 and a bit long in the tooth. A brand-new model is underway, but the Brits are keeping things interesting for the current model by building all sorts of special editions. At the 2018 Goodwood Festival of Speed, Lotus paid tribute to two of its most iconic race cars with the Exige Type 49 and Exige Type 79.

Both cars celebrate the company’s past glory in Formula One. The Exige Type 49 marks 50 years since Graham Hill won both the drivers’ and constructors’ championships in the Type 49, while the Exige Type 49 marks 40 years since Mario Andretti did the same with the Type 79. The former race from 1967 through 1970 and won two championships, while also scoring podiums in each season. The Type 79’s career was a bit shorter, from 1978 through 1979.

Both Exige models were crafted by Lotus Exclusive, the brand’s recently established bespoke division. Let’s find out more about them below.

Continue reading to learn more about the Lotus Exige Type 49 and Type 49.

Pininfarina, the company best well known for its association with Ferrari, wants to break free from under the shade of the Prancing Horse and make a name for itself as the builder of the fastest car to come out of Italy. The name of this car? Battista, like the name of the company’s founder. The numbers that should firmly plant this car on the map? 1,900 horsepower and 1,696 pound-feet, a 0 to 62 mph sprint in less than two seconds, and a top speed of about 250 mph. All done by an EV powertrain that’s capable of running over 300 miles between charges.

Reading those numbers it’s easy to dismiss the Pininfarina Battista as just another ludicrous car that will never actually become reality. Something like the Devel Sixteen, the Arabian hypercar that packs a V-16 engine that’s capable of 5,000 horsepower. That one was supposedly slated to start final testing this month. Or the equally insane Vector WX-8, Jerry Wiegert’s project that should’ve brought his once proud company back from the dead. He said 12 years ago that a 10-liter, twin-turbocharged, V-8 will power the car and that it will crank out 1,850 horsepower. More recently, Wiegert sold his two WX-3 prototypes to fund the project.

But the Battista is a more serious offering than both those elusive creations. First off, Pininfarina was bought by Mahindra four years ago for $190.6 million and, as we know, Mahindra has the financial power to throw cash at a project like this if so desires. With Pininfarina aiming to build just 150 of these, 50 dedicated to each of its three markets: Europe, America, and the Middle-East, we can expect people to actually come forth with pre-orders once it gets revealed at Geneva in a couple of weeks.

Hyundai’s premium brand Genesis was born just a few years ago and is already bringing some very competitive models to the market. Initially focused purely on luxury sedans and, more recently, SUVs, the brand is now officially stepping into the EV market. Now, the company has revealed the all-electric Genesis eG80 at the 2021 Shanghai International Automotive Industry Exhibition (Auto Shanghai 2021), and it is the first Genesis model to be unveiled outside of Korea.

Mercedes arrived at the 2021 Shanghai Auto with a new EV called the EQB. The company revealed the EQB less than a week after it took the wraps off another EV, the EQS. The EQS drew some polarizing opinions for its looks, but there’s no denying that it is a strong, competent product. Now, the automaker has unveiled this crossover that will hit the Chinese markets first and will then be launched in Europe later this year. It will arrive Stateside sometime in 2022.

Toyota has revealed the bZ4X electric crossover concept. Kicking off the new ‘Beyond Zero’ series for the Japanese automaker, this concept looks to be a spiritual successor to the RAV4. More than the product itself, this reveal was all about the bZ series of vehicles, a prefix that will be used on the company’s upcoming electric vehicles. The bZ4X is based on a BEV platform that Toyota has co-developed with Subaru, and it will feature an all-wheel-drive system.

Audi is arguably the most active automaker that’s electrifying its lineup. Barely a few days after debuting the Q4 e-tron SUV and Sportback, the German automaker has now given us a preview of the A6 e-tron, the electric version of the luxury namesake sedan. Teased at the 2021 Auto Shanghai, the A6 e-tron concept showcases what to expect from the production version of the EV and also goes on to show that Audi is not getting rid of sedans anytime soon.

The automaker once known as Gumpert Sportwagenmanufaktur GmbH has received a new lease on life thanks to wealthy investors at a holding company named Ideal Team Ventures Limited. What’s that matter? Well, Ideal Team has poured resources into the automaker, effectively allowing it to rebirth itself with a new product. That product debuted at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show as the Apollo Arrow – a 1,000-horsepower hypercar ready to compete in the exclusive league of built-to-order collectibles.

The automaker, now called Apollo Automobil GmbH, appears ready to redefine itself as a legitimate threat to other hypercar builders. "I have always been a big fan of the Gumpert Apollo. It was, in my opinion, a thoroughbred hypercar that stood out among its competitors," said Norman Choi, owner of Ideal Team Ventures Limited. "I’m excited to have the opportunity to revive, reinvent and rebuild this legendary, record-breaking vehicle.”

Though the company went through a restructuring, Roland Gumpert continues to act as Apollo’s CEO and chief engineer. "The Arrow is truly magnificent – it is the perfect combination of German engineering and automotive art," Gumpert says about the car. "Although it’s still a prototype, we are confident that the Arrow will achieve the unimaginable."

This marks a new chapter for Apollo, thanks to its new investor, fresh engineering practices, and as we’ll see with the Arrow, a new design style that mimics the natural world.

Continue reading to learn more about the Apollo Arrow.

British race- and sports-car builder Ginetta attended the 2019 Geneva Motor Show with its latest creation, the Akula. Named after the Russian word that translates to “shark,” the Akula looks every bit like an asphalt predator. The Akula combines an attention-grabbing design with a low-weight carbon-intensive construction and Le Mans-derived performance equipment. That’s an excellent formula for a niche model that’s looking to strike down the titans of its segment. Can the Ginetta Akula do it? We’re going to find out.

The Ferrari 488 Pista Spider joined the 488 lineup at the 2018 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance as a replacement for the 458 Speciale Aperta. The Ferrari 488 Pista replaced the iconic 458 Speciale, and it’s the first of its kind to hide a turbocharged engine under the hood.

Just when we thought that Ferrari settled for the Aperta name for its convertible sports car, Maranello returned to using the old Spider badge. But this is arguably a small issue here, as the Pista Aperta is just as exciting as its coupe sibling, but with extra headroom when the top is removed. The 50th drop-top model built by Ferrari since 1947, the Pista Spider made its global debut in the United States, where convertible sports cars are more popular than everywhere else in the world. Let’s have a closer look at the latest member of the 488 family in the review below..

Continue reading to learn more about the Ferrari 488 Pista Spider.

The 2021 Koenigsegg Gemera is a two-door, four-seat hypercar developed by the Swedish company that gave us the Agera, Regera, and Jesko. But unlike its siblings, and despite having only two doors, the 2021 Gemera offers seating for four. And it does so via four equally comfortable seats, so it’s not just a regular grand tourer. The 2021 Gemera boasts a hybrid drivetrain under the skin, comprising three electric motor and a three-cylinder engine. As shocking as it may sound, the three-cylinder generates 600 horsepower, making it the most powerful of its kind in production, and works on a variety of fuels, including CO2-neutral methanol. Overall, the hybrid drivetrain pumps out an amazing 1,700 horsepower and 2,581 pound-feet of torque. Let’s find out more about the world’s first practical megacar - aka Mega GT - in the review below.

The 2020 Lamborghini Sian is a hybrid supercar that the Italian firm unveiled ahead of the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show. Powered by a V-12 gasoline engine and an electric motor, the Sian is Lambo’s first mass-produced hybrid. However, the supercar is limited to only 63 units, so it’s actually a preview of things to come, like an electrified successor to the Aventador.

Design-wise, the Sian stands on its own by combining a new design language with styling cues inspired by the iconic Lamborghini Countach. Its interior, on the other hand, is based on the Aventador’s, albeit it comes with bespoke elements and fancier features. The Sian also showcases innovative technology, like a state-of-the-art energy recuperating system and a supercapacitor instead of a traditional lithium-ion battery. Let’s find out more about that in the review below.

The Koenigsegg Jesko is the company’s latest supercar, third megacar, and spiritual successor to the iconic Agera. Unveiled at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show, the Jesko boasts a power-to-weight ratio greater than 1:1, which means its engine generates more horsepower than the car’s total curb weight in kilograms. Koenigsegg offered similar versions of the One:1 and Agera, but the Jesko takes things one step further with an impressive downforce rating of 2,205 pounds.

Named after Jesko von Koenigsegg, the father of company founder and CEO, Christian von Koenigsegg, the Jesko marks the debut of the firm’s latest carbon-fiber chassis and nine-speed multi-clutch transmission. It’s also supposed to hit at least 300 mph according to Koenigsegg, so it could improve the Agera RS’ 277-mph world record really soon. Let’s find out more about that in the review below.

The Blue Oval is preparing to unveil a variety of custom builds, including the Bronco Badlands Sasquatch 2-Door Concept. Created to showcase the Bronco’s modularity, the concept highlights what amounts to the Bronco Badlands’ ability to act as an urban ride on weekdays and off-road marauder on weekends through the glory of swappable components.

The Bronco Badlands Sasquatch 2-Door Concept will be revealed alongside Ford’s other SEMA offerings during the Ford Auto Nights webcast that starts at 8.PM. tonight.

Ford’s recipe for its 2020 SEMA Auto Show lineup was simple. Use popular models in the lineup, give them concept makeovers, and let everyone know about all the custom tuning possibilities that can be done to these models. It doesn’t come as a surprise that, in addition to the Ranger and the F-150 trucks, Ford chose the Bronco to its SEMA lineup and created two concepts out of the returning nameplate. One of these concepts is called the MAD Ford Bronco Sport Badlands Overland. Ford teamed with MAD Industries to create this concept, which shows the capacity of Ford’s newest SUV to be as adept in the outdoors as it is on concrete roads. It’s a dream-come-true concept for Bronco fans who have been clamoring for ways to customize the Bronco and turn it into a legitimate 4x4 off-roader.

The SEMA Show is turning out to be quite exciting. Jeep is taking part, obviously, and has come with a concept targeted at hard-core mountain bike enthusiasts. The automaker, along with Mopar, has transformed the 2020 Gladiator pickup truck into a fun concept vehicle for serious mountain bikers. But, what’s catchier about this concept is the number of storage spaces in the customized truck bed. Oh, and also, there’s a built-in hot dog machine. How about that!

We’re having quite an unusual SEMA Show this year, but that hasn’t deterred automakers from coming up with special off-roading concepts. Toyota is no exception and has teamed up with 4WD Toyota Owner Magazine to develop an Overlanding concept based on the Tacoma. We’ve seen a lot of aftermarket Tacoma builds over the years, but this one stands out for the amount of equipment installed on it.

The 2020 Toyota Ornamental Conifer GR Supra is a customized version of the Japanese coupe designed for the 2020 SEMA Show. Now converted to the SEMA360 Showcase online presentation due to the coronavirus pandemic, the event will debut four special-edition Toyota models, including this GR Supra. Essentially an art car, the Ornamental Conifer GR Supra was designed by British artist Nicolai Sclater.