Industry News

If Lamborghini didn’t stray from its traditional naming strategy, the Lamborghini Huracan Evo would technically carry the name Huracan Evo LP610-4. But, Lamborghini decided to drop the Huracan Evo’s alphanumeric name, in part because the automaker wanted to make it easier for its consumers to understand the model’s identity. Purists may cringe at the thought of not seeing the LP610-4 designation on the Huracan Evo, but from Lamborghini’s perspective, it’s easier to sell the Huracan Evo without the alphanumeric designation that a lot of consumers find confusing. Lamborghini refused to say if it’s going to stick with this new naming strategy, but while it is easier to market the Huracan Evo without the LP610-4 in the name, it’s still going to take some getting used to, especially from those who have developed an affinity for Lamborghini’s alphanumeric names.

Aston Martin wants its clients to not baby their cars anymore and, instead, head to the track and hone their skills to extract everything out of their sports cars. That’s why the British automaker launched the AMR Drivers’ Club that will tour some of Europe’s top tracks and teach Aston owners how to drive better. The program could, potentially, help some of you become legitimate race car drivers.

The program offers a number of levels divided into three areas: AMR Experience, AMR Academy, and AMR GT Academy. From learning how to drive your own car as fast as you can, to tasting other Aston-Martin products, including the 2019 Vantage GT4, everything is possible through this program - if you can afford it. Then again, if you can afford to own an Aston-Martin, you can probably afford to track it too.

The U.S. sedan market was brutal in 2018 for a lot of automakers. But don’t tell that to Porsche; the German automaker is buckling all trends after posting its seventh straight year of record-breaking sales in North America. You would think that the Porsche Cayenne SUV and the Porsche Macan crossover would be spearheading that record growth, but that’s not the case. No, no, no. Of all models, it’s the Porsche Panamera sedan that’s pulling Porsche’s sales sleigh. The four-door saloon not only escaped 2018 with a downturn in sales; it completely went the other way with a 19.5-percent sales growth compared to its sales volume in 2017. While it still looks like the sedan market in the U.S. is steadily losing steam, Porsche remains immune to the trend. Don’t expect it to lose steam, either, now that the Taycan sedan is arriving this year.

Potholes are nasty. Potholes are mean. They get sadistic pleasure by making your beloved car go through them and inflicting damage in some cases. Potholes are generally created when the underlying soil is weakened by water and the tarmac getting steamrolled by oncoming vehicles, before ultimately giving up and becoming a hell hole that causes trouble to everyone. Here is one instance of a pothole in Los Angeles that was literally invisible and victimized more than a few cars.

For some reason, Genesis has not been able to establish itself as a premium brand that can go against the likes of the German three - Audi, BMW, and Mercedes. Although Genesis has done its bit to make its cars feel premium, they have lacked that X-factor and pizzazz that the rivals offer. This time, the brand has reiterated its stance on not making the lineup a set of performance-driven cars. So, put the bets back into your pockets, people; the G70 vs BMW M3 battle is not happening anytime soon.

As anyone who has lived there will tell you, the traffic in Los Angeles pretty much dictates when and where you go at all times. And that makes the city a fantastic choice for novel new transportation solutions, such as the underground tunnels proposed by Elon Musk’s The Boring Company. The latest indication of progress from the project shows a Tesla Model S lowering into the ground via some kind of elevator system, but the video post has since been deleted.

Lincoln brought back the nostalgia of the 1960s with its Continental Coach Door Edition last year. The automaker plans to produce just 80 examples of the suicide door edition Continental at a premium of $40,000 over the top-of-the-line Continental. Despite the exorbitant price tag, Lincoln sold all the 80 copies within three days of its launch! If you were planning to get one and think you have lost your chance, do not fret. Lincoln will soon be producing more of the Coach Door Editions as a 2020 model.

If you are a stick-shift lover, proceed with caution. We heard some news that is not yet official and we sincerely hope it is just a baseless rumor. Blame the reduced demand for this, but according to Bimmertoday, BMW is planning to eradicate manual transmissions from even more of its models. Is there any reason to live in this world anymore?

There are many of us who have dreamt of driving on the Autobahn, be it an ordinary sports car or a high-end exotic. This is the Mecca of fast driving as the unrestricted speed limit actually lets you test the true potential of the car. However, if you are one of the dreamers, I’ve got some bad news for you. The German government is considering adopting a range of draft proposals about the reduction of environmental damage caused by transport that could result in Autobahn becoming a speed-restricted road for the first time since the pre-war days

We are dead serious right now. Mitsubishi actually managed to outsell the three brands mentioned in the U.S. Maybe it is some kind of sorcery or Mitsubishi has sprayed some sort of invisible ink, we don’t know, but the Japanese giant has managed to move 118,074 cars in 2018 - all of it without socializing at auto-show gatherings or sponsoring many events.

Tesla announced a record-breaking number of deliveries in the Q4 of 2018, but that did not reflect in its financial reports. Tesla delivered 90,700 vehicles from September to December - a new record since its inception, but the share prices took a hit. The shareholders felt a certain unsteadiness as stock prices declined and investors expressed their disappointment over failed expectations to close out the year. That is harsh on Tesla.

Tesla owners, specifically those who own the Model 3, have become the targets of a growing number of car break-ins in recent weeks. A number of owners took to forums and social media to report the thefts, a lot of which have happened in the Bay Area. The incidents reportedly involve thieves breaking the rear-quarter window of the Model 3 to lower the seat and see if there are any valuable items in the trunk. If the thieves see something, they break the whole back side window, get in the car, and steal the items. Unfortunately, the Model 3 doesn’t have a sensor to detect that a window has been broken, giving the thieves free run to shatter windows and steal to their heart’s content. For its part, Tesla has started offering and installing a new Enhanced Anti-Theft system that would help prevent these types of break-ins. Unfortunately, the system is only available for the Model S and Model X at the moment.

It really sucks when you accidentally lock yourself out of your car, especially if you’re stuck somewhere you’d rather not be. Apparently, BMW X5 owners who underwent this ordeal may be able to place the blame on the design of their key fobs, as BMW is currently facing down a class action lawsuit for poor design of the locking function.

Ford rolled off the last Ranger off its assembly line in the U.S. almost seven years ago. However, Ford decided to bring the nameplate back to the States for the 2019 model year and get its share back from the Toyota Tacoma and Chevrolet Colorado. The company also teased a Ranger Raptor that won’t be sold in the U.S., but some Sherlock Holmes’ descendants have found that the Raptor is actually coming to our shores - just not in its current generation.

Mercedes-Benz revealed the entry-level price for the new A-Class Sedan. You will be able to get it for $32,500. Go for the 4Matic and be prepared to churn out two grand more at $34,500. This is considerably more compared to the 2013 Mercedes-Benz CLA - the entry-level Mercedes-Benz in the U.S. at the time. That one managed to slip just under the $30,000 mark and was the only Mercedes-Benz to achieve so.

Long gone are those days. While the A-Class Sedan isn’t as special as the CLA, the new car definitely has some merit in the world. And, while $32,500 does not sound that bad for a new Mercedes, this price does not include the destination charge (so, add a grand on top of it) and don’t even imagine having access to all the amazing Mercedes-Benz tech found in higher-end models.

The Toyota Supra is making headlines left and right, and as the unquestioned star of the 2019 North American International Auto Show, it’s only fitting that we uncover more details about Toyota’s new sports car. In somewhat of a surprising twist, Toyota is limiting the Supra’s availability in Europe to just 900 units in the first year of the car’s production. It’s a small volume for a region that has a healthy amount of Supra fanboys, but the good news is that Toyota will also throw in access to an exclusive experience programme and money-can’t-buy rewards for those lucky enough to scoop up the 900 units earmarked for the market. In addition to the promised programs and rewards, Toyota will also offer the first special edition version of the Supra — the Supra A90 Edition — exclusively to the European market.

The trend towards electric and electrified vehicles, as well as other power alternatives to what we now call conventional engines (of the internal combustion variety), is clear and more and more of these vehicles are being sold each year. In fact, a recent report by the Financial Times states that even though the peak year for internal combustion-engined cars was expected to be 2022, it is now believed that the peak year was in fact 2018.

Elon Musk recently announced on Twitter that Tesla would be discontinuing the 75 kWh variants of the Model S and Model X. The two models will now be offered only in the 100 kWh and 100 kWh Performance versions. The smaller battery-capacity car is up for sale only until Sunday night. Does this mean this mean that Tesla will begin using its new battery cells in the Model S and Model X, a move that could eventually make them track worthy?

Sedans are driving towards extinction and SUVs are the supposed heirs to the throne; but, what about wagons? These long, not-so-pretty vehicles actually make for a perfect family car and are quite practical as a daily commuter as well. In Europe, wagons sell in huge numbers, but that’s not the case here in the U.S. Even though all sizes of SUVs are dominating the market and killing competition, wagons are in a league of their own and seem to be on a come up.