Car news

The arrival — or is it return? — of the BMW 8 Series has done a lot of things in the industry, including giving designers an opportunity to render the German automaker’s new flagship model sporting different body types. It’s no surprise that as soon as the 8 Series was unveiled, noted artist and rendering maestro X-Tomi has come out with different “versions” of the 8er, some of which are more audacious than others.

Does the 8 Series work as a shooting brake? How about a convertible version? Maybe even as a pickup? X-Tomi covered all these bases with his renders for the 8 Series, and almost all of them are awesome.

Rupert Stadler, Audi CEO since 2010, has been arrested in his home in Munich following a diesel emission probe which links him to the Volkswagen diesel emission scandal. His arrest was instructed by prosecutors who had reason to suspect that Stadler might try to destroy or suppress evidence pending the investigation.

The new Audi A1 may be the angriest small car ever. Not only is it the opposite of cute, adorable or whatever, but its build has undoubtedly been heavily influenced by some of the maddest Audi cars from history. In its press release, Audi mentioned Ur-Quattro and Sport Quattro five times which are clear innuendos about their newest small car. It should be a dynamic masterpiece rooted in the success stories of amazing Audi rally racers from yesteryear. Throwing so many “Quattro” signs around led me to think that they actually launched a version with Quattro AWD, but I was wrong. They did not. At least not yet.

As the first Fiat car with an all-wheel-drive system, the Fiat 500X is definitely a unicorn when it comes to the Italian producer. It seems, though, that Fiat is only stuck with this unicorn, as their plan for the next five years does not include any major revitalization or rejuvenation. And, if the brand wants to survive, that is exactly what it needs. Actually, having Fiat completely disappear in a few years’ time isn’t that of a far-fetched idea.

Yet, despite all the media scrutiny that has been present ever since cheerful Marchionne laid out the new plan for the FCA group, Fiat revealed a new car called the 500X Adventurer Edition.

It is obviously yet another attempt at freshening up the car which appeared all the way back in 2014.

There have been quite a few instances where the buried nomenclatures have been resurrected to remind people of the goodwill that the name carried. Now, Lincoln has planned to change the name of the Lincoln MKC for the 2021 model. It will then be known as the Corsair going forward. Will that help increase the sales figures?

Over the past ten years, Ford has been heavily involved in the Experimental Aircraft Association’s annual EAA AirVenture event in Wisconsin. The Blue Oval is responsible for creating custom aviation-themed vehicles, all of which are auctioned off every year to benefit youth aviation programs. All told, Ford has created 11 custom-themed vehicles, including the new Eagle Squadron Ford Mustang GT that will be auctioned off at this year’s event. In this space, we’re going to look back at a decade’s worth of custom-built Fords that have been created for the EAA.

Toyota’s legendary bad luck at the world’s most famous long-distance endurance race has finally been broken on Sunday when the No. 8 Toyota TS050 of Sebastien Buemi, Kazuki Nakajima, and Fernando Alonso crossed the line to score the Japanese manufacturer’s first overall win. Toyota Gazoo Racing virtually ran away with the victory after dominating in practice, qualifying and the entirety of the 24-hours-long race ahead of a fleet of brand-new non-hybrid prototypes that were pegged back from the word go by the rule book. Alonso brought in significant media attention, and Toyota’s marketing division is jubilant after the Spaniard ticked it all: fastest lap at the Test Day, pole position, and victory – all on attempt number 1.

Continue reading for the full story.

Ford and professional drifter Vaughn Gittin Jr. are joining forces to create a one-off Ford Mustang that will be auctioned off at the Experimental Aircraft Association’s AirVenture Gathering of Eagles event in Oshkosh, Wisconsin on July 26. The new creation, called the Eagle Squadron Mustang GT, will make its debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed on July 12 where it will be driven by Gittin Jr.

The BMW 8 series is a fascinating exercise in design, technology, and style. It also sits at the high-end of the BMW lineup, and that is an incredible place to be as it is full of magic, science, emotion, and prestige. I am presenting you Six amazing features of the new BMW 8 series as well as the most outstanding technology which BMW plans to use to fight the S-class Coupe and its likeness.

We cannot stress enough on the fact that sedans are on their way to extinction. After Ford and Chevrolet, the trend seems to be making its way into the premium automakers’ category as well. This time, it’s Lexus with the IS and the GS sedans. Is this a smart move by a company whose sales figures are controlled by loyalists?

A ratty looking 1976 Ford Escort GL sedan is expected to sell for as much as $300,000 at a coming RM Sotheby’s auction, all because it was once owned by St. John Paul the Great, a lot of whom know him more as the late Pope John Paul II. The unassuming Escort isn’t in the best of condition, but its provenance is the biggest reason why it’s predicted to go for that much money.

You may have noticed the web is abuzz with the new BMW Z4. The reasons are as simple as it gets. BMW is apparently about to reveal the Z4 this year or early next year, and they are creating as much hype as possible. Some drove the pre-production prototype, others leaked patent image renderings, while BMW officials – in this case, Peter Langen, BMW Head of driving dynamics – hinted that the new BMW Z4 won’t have much in common with its previous iteration.

“The task was to build a new sporty open car, not a follower of the old Z4,” he commented. “They’re completely different. We designed the new Z4 as a new kind of sportiness.”

Toyota is entering the hypercar space with a 986-horsepower monster that will be developed by the Toyota Gazoo Racing team. The model, called the GR Super Sport Concept, will use technology derived from the TS050 Hybrid LMP1 race car that just finished off a dominant run at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, giving Toyota its first-ever Le Mans title in the company’s history.