Cars

The wait is finally over. The first leaked photos of the next-generation BMW Z4 have arrived courtesy of Bimmerpost Unless a complete swerve happens in the coming days, these leaked photos of the new Z4 appear to be the real deal. We’ve waited a long time to see the roadster in the flesh, and in true auto industry fashion, we get an unauthorized sneak peek at the Z4 ahead of its official unveiling on August 23 at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.

Update: 8-15-2018: Official-looking press images of the new, 2019 BMW Z4 have been leaked online ahead of its debut. Check out the latest images in our special section below!

Although critics initially derided the Gallardo as a copout for the Italian automaker, offering two fewer cylinders and a smaller on-road presence than the rest of the lineup, the “baby Lambo” quickly silenced the naysayers by selling well over 7,000 units in its first five years of production. Its performance was so impressive, the higher-ups from Sant’Agata Bolognese decided to usher in a new go-faster version for 2008, upgrading the Gallardo with fresh aesthetics and improved performance. The result was dubbed the LP560-4, and once again, customers flocked to dealers, catapulting the nameplate to the top of Lambo’s list of all-time bestsellers.

Continue reading to learn more about the 2008 - 2014 Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4.

SUVs are rad, sedans are dying out, coupe-like saloons look cool, and hot hatches seem to be on drugs. Hot hatches being on drugs isn’t the first reason I listed to make you buy them, but writing about it, I think it might as well be. See, the hatchback layout may be the perfect one for creating a car. Its sheer shape offers safety and practicality. Plus, hot hatches aren’t expensive to produce or expensive to buy. I managed to come up with eight reasons why your next car should be a hot hatch.

China may be ground zero for hundreds of startup EV automakers, but that doesn’t mean success is on the horizon for a lot of these companies. That’s the sentiment shared by NIO Capital Managing Partner Ian Zhu, who told Bloomberg that 99 percent of all Chinese startup electric car makers will fail to get off the ground because of a lack of significant investment in the technology.

It would seem that the most important goals for any manufacturer today are continuity and clarity. If you do cheap cars, do only them. If you do sports cars, focus only on them. If you are premium, adapt to what the people think is premium and push.

Alfa Romeo had a problem with its mission, vision, and continuity. Since the Eighties, it seems to have shifted its vision two or three times basically confusing buyers when it comes to what the brand truly represents. Now, it is eager to find its footing with what it should have done all along - sports character, upscale styling, and premium nature.

At a press conference held earlier this year Tim Kuniskis, Global Head of Maserati and Alfa Romeo said: “We know our future depends on staying true to our sports car roots. We have learned that when we stay true to Alfa DNA, we can stand out in any segment.”

Thankfully, the brand seems to have found what it wants to be the best at. To communicate this noble vision to the automotive lunatics and solidify brand recognition, Alfa Romeo has to do some extraordinary things. Having the Giulia Quadrifoglio and the Stelvio Quadrifoglio was only a start. Now, the company needs to go further, and that further comes in the shape of the 8C.

Recently, the late Sergio Marchionne hinted at the new 8C only months before his death. Moreover, the plan FCA displayed in June clearly showcases a planned super sports car called the 8C, and it will appear in the next three or four years.

SUVs rose to popularity in the early 2000s, with customers being drawn to their large cabins, higher ride height, and perceived safety. The fact that automakers scored bigger profit margins from them also contributed to the surge. Starting in 2015, sales of SUVs started dominating the auto industry, and carmakers began building them in all shapes and sizes. But, while you can buy everything from compacts to full-size vehicles with taller ride height, three-row SUVs are limited to only midsize and large SUVs.

It’s obviously a matter of practicality here. And, while most haulers aren’t exactly practical, three-row vehicles retain one of the most important features of original SUVs: the ability to carry more than five people. With minivans almost extinct, the three-row SUV is arguably the most practical of its kind. With that in mind, we’re going to take a look at the ten best three-row SUVs you can buy today and compare what they offer in terms of features, power, and third-row practicality.

Ford is all set to reveal an all-new model at the Woodward Dream Cruise this weekend, and by all accounts, that “all-new” model is going to be a Ford Mustang Cobra Jet. The revelation comes to us by way of Ford Performance Global Director Mark Rushbrook, who flat out told Autoweek that the mysterious production model that will be unveiled at the Woodward event is, in fact, the Mustang Cobra Jet. The debut is expected to take place at the Ford Media Club House on August 16, 10 A.M. Eastern time.

McLaren’s MSO division is responsible for some of the most mouth-watering creations we’ve seen in recent memory, and it looks like MSO isn’t done, judging, at least, by a pair of new special-edition models, one of which is called the 720S Track Theme. In keeping with MSO’s tradition of going all-out with its projects, the 720S Track Theme gets a smorgasbord of new features and options, all of which have been added to add an extra touch of exclusivity on what is already an exclusive supercar.

A bridge in the northwest Italian city of Genoa collapsed on Tuesday, killing 26 people, injuring 15 others, and sending cars crashing from heights of more than 150 feet on to rail tracks, buildings, and a river. The catastrophic scene unfolded just as heavy rains pummelled the Italian city. It’s unclear what led to the bridge’s collapse, but Italy’s Interior Minister Matteo has vowed to get to the bottom of the issue, including holding those responsible accountable for the disaster.

After seven successful years on the market, the third-generation Ford Focus was replaced by a brand-new hatchback. Although it’s too early to say whether the new model will be as successful as its predecessor, it has many features to brag about, starting with a new platform that will underpin several Ford vehicles in the future. It also boasts a sportier exterior, new tech inside the cabin, and a revised engine lineup. With the standard Focus on its way to dealerships as of 2018, it’s time to talk about the RS model. The performance-oriented model might arrive by the end of the year and rumors and renderings are already making headlines on the internet.

Ford’s very own competitor for the all-popular Volkswagen Golf GTI, the Focus ST will benefit from all the cool features of the new Focus, but it will receive a few extra features inside and out. The sportier exterior with more aggressive cues will be joined by an exclusive interior, while its engine will provide the most power in an ST model yet. Until the next-generation Focus RS arrives, the ST will sit at the top of the range in terms of performance and pricing. Let’s take a closer look at what we already know about this car in the speculative review below.

Update 8/15/2018: The next-gen Ford Focus ST prototype has finally been caught on camera. Check out our special spy shot section below to check it out for yourself.

The Lamborghini Diablo arrived at a difficult time for the Italian firm. Barely out of bankruptcy and purchased by the Mimran brothers in 1985, Lamborghini began working on a successor for the aging Countach. Development took no fewer than four years, with the final car unveiled in 1990. Just like its predecessor, the Diablo was made available in various versions, including an SV model, reviving the Super Veloce name for the first time since the Miura SV was discontinued in 1973.

Lambo introduced the SV model at the 1995 Geneva Motor Show, a full five years after the Diablo went into production. It was essentially a more powerful version of the regular Diablo. It had larger brakes but lacked the all-wheel-drive system in the VT. The Diablo SV was updated alongside the other trims when Lambo facelifted the supercar in 1998, but it became the lineup’s base model and was discontinued after just one year on the market, replaced by the GT. Production of the Diablo continued two years after the SV was retired until 2001.

Continue reading to learn more about the Lamborghini Diablo SV.

Patent filings are flying all over the place as automakers rush to protect their home-grown inventions. The latest company to do so is General Motors, which has secured patents for a number of active aerodynamic components that could soon find their way to the Chevrolet Corvette. All in all, GM was recently awarded three new patents involving adaptive aero technologies, specifically Active Side-Skirts, Active Spoilers, and Downforce Generating Ducts..

Collective gasps welcomed the BMW Turbo Concept on the stage at the 1972 edition of the Paris Motor Show. The car, stunning from every angle, was the embodiment of what future BMW products would offer: cutting-edge looks, state-of-the-art technology, and performance. This mesmerizing prototype designed by Paul Bracq was the inspiration for BMW’s one and only supercar: the M1. Thirty years later, BMW honored both the Turbo and the M1 by creating the appropriately-named M1 Hommage. Dressed in a similar coat of hypnotic red as the Turbo and with countless design cues that trace their roots in the Giugiaro-penned M1, the Hommage was a way for BMW to look back while also looking towards the future.

First displayed at the Concorso D’Eleganza Villa D’Este in 2008, the M1 Hommage was the German manufacturer’s way of refreshing the wedge-shaped M1 which was celebrating its 30th birthday. BMW brought the much-revered older siblings to complement the launch of this design experiment, but many were left bemused by the company’s announcement that there would be no new supercar to come from Munich.

This wasn’t, however, entirely true as BMW didn’t ignore its waves of fans who fell in love with their 2008 concept and went on to include certain unmistakable design cues in their 2009 Vision EfficentDynamics concept which led to the BMW i8. It’s not a supercar, it was never intended to be, but it’s similar enough to the M1 Hommage to make us happy, and it also channels the Turbo prototype through all of its hybrid technology that it incorporates.