Mid-Size

We were all stunned by the looks of Audi’s E-Tron GT Concept that the German Automaker unexpectedly unveiled at the L.A. Autoshow. The electric four-door coupe is slated to become the benchmark performance model in the E-Tron range and is co-developed with Audi’s competition arm, Audi Sport. What is more, the outlandish design is set to remain vastly unchanged when the car enters production in 2020, if we are to believe Audi’s design boss, Marc Lichte.

I’m a fan of the E-Tron GT Concept, and I’m not a fan of too many new cars. That’s why I wrote in my previous pieces on the subject of this car that I hope it will remain intact - from a visual standpoint - when it hits showrooms in less than two year’s time. Now, we hear that Marc Lichte confirmed to the media at a roundtable organized during the L.A. Auto Show that most of the sheet metal we see on the concept will be carried over to the production car. You can imagine some alterations will be made, mostly in the name of safety, but that should be it.

Audi first introduced the A7 in 2010 at the Paris Motor Sow as a sporty, yet practical iteration of the A6. U.S. models arrived for the 2012 model year, while the hot-to-trot RS7 was released in 2013 with more power, complimentary suspension and chassis upgrades, and sharper looks. Now, following the release of the second-gen A7 in October of 2017, Audi is cooking up a second generation for the RS7 as well, and it could get as much as 700 hybridized horsepower under the hood.

Updated 12/10/2018: Our spy photographers caught the upcoming Audi RS7 Sportback in its production form during cold weather testing flaunting its big oval exhaust pipes.

I’ve wondered for long - what the heck is a sleeper? Can any of the modern performance-laden cars be sleepers? I think it’s possible, but only if you inject it with a proper amount of power. This time I am referring to a rather unusual entry in the world of modified cars - the Carbonfiber Dynamics BMW M5 Estate - an Estate with a power greater than that of a Porsche 918 Spyder. Yup, this BMW M5 Estate has an engine under its bonnet with 900 horsepower.

The Germans! What can I say!?

The BMW 8 Series returned in 2018 after almost 20 years. Developed to replace the 6 Series, the 8 Series is sportier, more modern, and enables BMW to compete against the Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe. For the first time ever, the 8 Series will be upgraded to M8 specifications by the company’s high-performance division. The M8 will brake cover sometime in 2019.

When BMW introduced the 8 Series back in 1989, it reshaped the full-size luxury segment with a car that was gorgeous, unique, and loaded with innovative features. Discontinued in 1999, the 8 Series returned almost two decades later in 2018. The M8’s arrival will mark a premiere for the nameplate, which didn’t receive the M treatment in the 1990s. Although BMW did make a prototype, it eventually decided that there’s no market for the M8 and the project was scrapped. Times have obviously changed now, and with Mercedes already offering AMG versions of the S-Class Coupe and with Bentley producing the Continental GT Speed for quite a few years now, BMW needs the M8 to keep up with the competition. Find out what we already know about this grand tourer in my speculative review below.

Update 12-7-2018: We’ve updated this speculative review with new leaked images and new information. Check out the Exterior section below for all the new M8 goodness!

We have been hearing stories about how the autonomous system has failed in cars and even killed people in some cases. How about we talk about a life-saving incident for a change? A 45-year old man in his Tesla Model S was spotted by the cops cruising on an expressway fast asleep. They chased the car for minutes before successfully stopping it. Imagine the dire consequences had it not been for the Autopilot system.

The European version of the Volkswagen Passat is set to get a facelift for the 2019 model year, bringing it more in line with the new look of the new Volkswagen Arteon and maybe even bring some new updated engines and technology into play as well. It was recently spotted being put through the general testing phase, so it’s time to get the speculation mill running at full speed.

Updated 12/06/2018: The Volkswagen Passat is inching closer to production status and we’ve just updated the gallery below with the latest spy shots.

The 2019 BMW X5 has been completely redesigned for 2019 with a new, revitalized exterior look, all-new interior, tons of new technology, and even more power than before. At the time of launch, it will be offered in four different trim levels that include xDrive40i (replaces the 35i,) the xDrive50i, xDrive30d, and the M50d.

All models come standard with next-gen tech like BMW’s Live Cockpit Professional, a 12.3-inch infotainment display, larger head up display, cooled and heated cup holders, and ambient interior lighting. And, to really top things off, it’s a seven-seater with extra legroom. No good deed goes unpunished, though, as it looks like cargo room does suffer a bit.

The “SkyLounge” panorama glass roof is said to have as many as 15,000 illuminated colors. Wheel offerings range anywhere between 18 and 22-inches and an off-road package will add a special locking differential in the rear. Gasoline engines range between 340 and 462 horsepower while diesel engines range between 265 and 400 horsepower. The new, 2019 BMW X5 should go on sale in late 2018.

Updated 12/05/2018: We’ve updated our gallery with images taken at the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show.

Mercedes is a manufacturer that really seems to love its high-riding SUVs, so much so that it basically has one for every size class of vehicle it sells, from A-Class-sized to S-Class, and its second largest offering is the GLE. An all-new GLE was recently revealed, and journos have had a chance to try it out. While most seem to just spend a bit too much time playing with the bouncy, active suspension, the new GLE is a serious contender in its segment.

Essentially a Wrangler with a five-foot bed, the Gladiator rides on a custom body-on-frame that’s longer than the SUVs. The truck also shares drivetrain components with the Wrangler, including the Pentastar V-6 engine. A diesel mill, already available in the Ram 1500, will be offered in 2020. The Gladiator stands out among its competition thanks to its open-air configuration, unique on the market, and impressive payload and towing capabilities.

The Jeep Gladiator is a new pickup truck based on the latest-generation Wrangler. As the first Jeep-badged truck in almost three decades, the Gladiator made its public debut at the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show. Originally believed to arrive with the Scrambler name, the pickup truck revives a nameplate first used in the 1960s.

Nissan’s participation at the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show included the introduction of the 2019 Nissan Maxima. An updated version of the eighth-generation A36 Maxima in L.A. for the 2019 model year with a subtle exterior refresh to go along with a suite of new safety technologies. Nissan hopes that the updates are enough to stem the tide of declining sales that has plagued not only the Maxima but the entire sedan market in the U.S. As Nissan’s longest-running nameplate — the Maxima has been around since 1981 — there’s a lot of pressure on the 2019 Maxima to live up to, or even exceed, the expectations that Nissan has for it. The 2019 model goes on sale in mid-December.

Audi is as committed as anybody to an EV future, and the unveiling of the e-Tron GT Concept at the 2018 L.A. Auto Show further illustrates the desire of the German automaker to have an EV for everyone. The e-Tron GT will be the car for those who love to go fast in a 4-door coupe body. Its stablemate, the Taycan, as well as Tesla’s Model S, are clear targets.

Recently, Federal Minister of Economic Affairs and Energy Peter Altmaier criticized German automakers for making boring-looking electric cars. "I really wonder when you, Mr. Zetsche, or you, Mr. Diess, or Mr. Krüger of BMW will be able to build an electric car that is only half as sexy as one Tesla," he said in his sharp remark. As if trying to prove the government official wrong, Audi unexpectedly showed up in L.A. with the e-Tron GT concept that’s, well, stunning from every angle. And before you start yammering about how concept cars change down the path to production, Audi says this concept shows the almost production-ready model that will hit showrooms in 2020 for the 2021 model year.

Audi wants to have a fleet of 12 electric cars by 2025, and this will be its flagship. What it is, in short, is a shorter, more aggressive, A7. It will share the platform with Porsche’s Taycan, but the two manufacturers are coy to point out the similarities between the two models. Oh, and Robert Downey Jr. wasn’t a random VIP guest at the launch of the e-Tron GT, as the car will star in the upcoming Avengers 4 movie. If the car will look this good in production guise, then all the hype Audi’s building is worth it.

Just before its official unveiling at the 2018 LA Auto Show, a new Michigan-based EV company revealed its first vehicle - an electric pickup truck called the Rivian R1T Pickup. I remember the buzz on the Internet when Tesla unveiled its Tesla Semi and that mad roadster some years ago. On one of the photographs, clever Tesla marketing gurus sketched what will become the Tesla Pickup. Well, Rivian beat them to the punch on that one. Or has it?

The company called known as Rivian has been around since 2009 and, while it actually did dwell into supercar making at the very start, rationalization brought the company much closer to the ground. Almost ten years after the story started, Rivian CEO, RJ Scaringe, actually decided to tell the world what the Rivian is all about. You haven’t heard a lot about the company until now, have you?

He revealed its intentions at just the right time - after the company acquired a Mitsubishi factory in Normal, Illinois. That’s the place where this sexy pickup (well, I think it’s kinda strange sexy) will be eventually produced. Obviously, Rivian wanted to present itself with a bit of a bang. Acquiring what once was a Mitsubishi factory is a bit like a bomb, especially when you take into account plans to introduce an electric SUV in a few years. Now, we have a pickup - it is 90-percent production ready and brings enough EV promises for us to pay some real attention to it.

Presenting the R1T before Tesla unveiled its pickup truck may very well be the right move. Rivian wants to cash in on people who are actually interested in this kind of thing. If you don’t know them, don’t worry, they will emerge just like Tesla Model S lovers emerged.

So, what’s the Rivian R1T all about?