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  Both cars are equipped with an AMG aerodynamics package as standard, which the firm says improves driving dynamics and performance. It includes a new front apron, an enlarged front splitter and a large rear wing. Side spoiler lips add further to the sporty look of the hatchback and four-door coupé. The two cars are also fitted with the top-rung Night Package, which adds gloss black trim to the front splitter, trim elements, exterior mirrors, outer air intakes and window sills.  The tailpipes are also finished in black, as are the wings, bootlid, front grille and model badges. Each car gains its own unique '55th anniversary' plaque on the steering wheel.  Under the skin, both models are unchanged, using a  turbocharged  2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that produces 302bhp and 295lb ft.  Two paint colours are available – Cosmos Black Metallic and Digital White Metallic – and both special editions sit o...

  The new   Lexus   RZ 450e is the Japanese marque’s first bespoke electric car, serving as the spearhead for the firm’s new range of premium and dynamically oriented EVs.  Due in the UK at the end of 2022, it is a similar size to the best-selling  Lexus NX , but bosses are keen to emphasise that it is not intended as an electric successor to – or replacement for – that car, which only recently entered its second generation and gained a plug-in hybrid option. It is based on the same e-TNGA EV architecture as the new  Toyota bZ4X  SUV and the closely related  Subaru Solterra  but places a more overt emphasis on premium appeal and performance – giving clues as to how Lexus EVs will be marked out from other vehicles that share their architecture. The overall look of the new SUV also gives a strong indication of Lexus's design vision for an all-electric future. Links to its current models are evident in its silhouette and defining ...

  The seventh incarnation of the   BMW 7 Series , set to go on sale in November, has been comprehensively re-engineered as part of efforts to position it more upmarket than it has ever been. It is now significantly larger, more luxurious and more spacious than at any time in its 45-year history - and is   now available with a fully electric powertrain .  To give it the visual impact to go with its elevated positioning,  BMW  has provided its  Mercedes S-Class  rival with a bold new exterior design. The new look, driven largely by customer feedback in markets such as China and the US, instantly differentiates the new 7 Series from the sixth-generation model, launched in 2015. Up front, the large grille, consisting of two elements as on all recent BMW models, is even larger than before and comes with BMW’s ‘Iconic Lighting’ treatment, as first brought to the facelifted  BMW 8 Series . The separation of the headlamp...

  Now for those of us who like to have the latest gadgets and the best in performance, the Samedi 28.7 is here for a little indulging. Let's start with the biggest upgrade – the motor. As with all Samedi 28s, Bosch is the manufacturer of choice for their motor and battery systems.  The 28.7 features the Performance Line mid-drive motor, which produces a maximum of 65N m of torque. I found it to be excellent and worked well with the overall balance of the bike. The low centre of gravity helps to keep the bike planted in corners and provides a stable ride on the road. There are five assist modes, Off, Eco, Tour, Sport, and my favourite – Turbo. There is also a handy walk-assist mode which can help if you're walking the bike up a hill, for example.  A PowerTube 625 Wh adorns the Samedi 28.7, offering plenty of range, but the real show starts with the Bosch Nyon display. My test bike came with the Bosch Kion display, which is equally as good but uses a control pad. However, n...

  When the   BMW 1 Series   went front-wheel drive in 2019, it had something to prove, and with the   Volkswagen Golf R -baiting, four-wheel-drive   BMW  M135 xDrive, it demonstrated it could build an effective hot hatch, while also retaining the expensive ‘premium’ feel of a   BMW . And now it’s received an update. This isn’t the proper facelift – that’s not due until 2024 – and apart from some new paint options like the retina-searing Sao Paulo Yellow in the photos, the changes are purely mechanical. The aim, say the engineers, was to create a wider broadband for the M135i as a model range by focusing the standard M Sport suspension as the driving enthusiast’s choice, while preserving the adaptively suspended car’s capabilities as an all-rounder. To that end, all versions get more sound piped in through the speakers, more alert torque vectoring by braking, retuned xDrive and Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyres, but cars with M Sport suspension get new sprin...

  DeLorean Motor Company will unveil the model on Tuesday 31 May. The revived car will take a completely different design approach from the 1980s sports coupé from which it takes its name. Called the DeLorean EVolved, the model will be a highly modern proposition, with what look to be only subtle nods to its famous namesake. It was originally confirmed for an unveiling on 18 August ahead of a Pebble Beach debut just three days later. Now, interested drivers can sign up for a chance to see the car 24 hours before the general public. The first detailed preview image was revealed earlier this year. It shows off a rear end clearly designed with a focus on aerodynamic efficiency: the rear deck is tapered and houses louvres for directing airflow, the rear arches extend dramatically from the side of the car and there looks to be an extendable rear wing housed above the futuristic rear light bar. Beyond that, the DeLorean Motor Company has not given any more clues as to the design of its f...

  In the last four years, Toyota has unveiled three new models that have set fresh benchmarks for affordable and desirable performance. The powerful head-turning Toyota GR  Toyota Supra , the  advanced 5-star review-scoring Toyota GR Yaris hot hatch  and the  incoming Toyota GR86 sportscar  each sit at the apex of their class. And apex is perhaps the perfect word, as all three come from a performance division that  truly epitomises a race-bred track-to-road philosophy : Toyota GAZOO Racing. Toyota GAZOO Racing was born in 2007 to build on Toyota’s 60 years of motorsport engineering experience, and put it back at the heart of the performance car segment. In the decades since Toyota first entered its iconic Toyota GT2000 in Japanese sportscar events, Toyota’s race teams have built an impressive array of success in Formula 1, 24-hour sportscar racing, US oval racing and rallying. As Toyota founder Kiichiro Toyoda said: “To test the durability and performa...

  Next-step Sport models gain a four-wheel drive thanks to the addition of a 99bhp electric motor to the front axle. Total power stands at 314bhp.  The range-topping Sport Plus is the performance model of the line-up. It’s driven by a 482bhp powertrain with four-wheel drive.  Genesis says all three models are equipped with the same 73kWh battery pack as standard, which can be charged using a 350kW rapid charge from 10-80% in just 18 minutes. The Sport model is capable of 292 miles on a single charge, while top-rung Sport Plus versions offer 289 miles. Both deliver up to 446lb ft of torque.  The GV60 will be offered with several optional extras, including comfort seats, nappa leather, a premium Bang & Olufsen audio system and an outdoor pack, which enables vehicle-to-load charging.  Other extras include digital side-view mirrors and a panoramic sunroof, along with a choice of 14 exterior colours. Customers can pre-order the model now and place ...

  I am not sure there’s a bigger automotive cliché than the hackneyed ‘you’re not a true petrolhead until you’ve owned an   Alfa Romeo ’ line. Nor a less accurate one. Perhaps I was simply born into the wrong era, taking my first breath just at the point when the Latin giant’s last truly great cars were drawing their last, and the modern era of front-wheel drive, poor steel and unreliability was getting under way. As I grew up, the name made great by the likes of the Le Mans-winning 8C, the groundbreaking Giulietta and the jewel-like Giulia was hitting rock bottom with a badge-engineered Datsun Cherry, so it’s maybe not surprising that I’ve never felt the need to justify my passion for cars by rehoming a posh Fiat. Until now, that is. Because Alfa Romeo is going through a renaissance. Spearheaded by the fabulous Giulia saloon and its Stelvio SUV wingman, it will soon be reinforced by the compact hybrid Tonale, the firm's first full EV and more. The  Alfa Romeo Giulia ...

  Impressive acceleration was accompanied by an enjoyable soundtrack. Turbo lag hampered thrust below 3300rpm, but keeping the engine between 5000 and 7000rpm via the slick five-speed manual ’box was the solution. The brakes were powerful and free of fade. The GT-R’s blend of tactile handling and otherworldly stability startled us, especially over wet, challenging roads. Grip and body control were first class, stifling criticism of the occasionally crashy ride. The interior majored on driving position, instrumentation and rear leg room, and the boot was reasonable. Materials and aesthetic appeal were no better than Primera grade, though, and the fuel tank was small. Two years later, the R33 GT-R was replaced by the shorter but mechanically similar R34. Claimed output stayed at 277bhp to satisfy Japanese regulations, but over 300bhp was possible. The R34 was canned in 2002, but an all-new Nissan GT-R appeared in 2007 and continued slaying supercars in Europe until it was finally wit...

  A year ago, we road-tested the new   Citroën C4   – the French brand’s family hatchback, now with a strong but not overwhelming hint of crossover to it – and awarded it a bang-average three stars. That car was in fancy Puretech 130 Shine Plus auto specification, meaning it had a 129bhp turbocharged 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine, an eight-speed torque-converter gearbox and the fanciest of the four trim levels (Sense, Sense Plus, Shine and Shine Plus). What are the differences between 130 and 155? Well, apart from the obvious, you will get from 0-62mph a tad quicker (8.5sec, compared with 9.4sec), do 1.5 miles fewer to the gallon (according to the official WLTP tests) and pay your Citroën dealer £1000 more up front. Its residual value after three years is predicted to be about £500 better too. If you’re getting it on a PCP finance deal, it will cost you an extra £19.40 per month over 48 months.  Is it worth that? Perhaps, if performance really is your utmost...

 

  Porsche will look to build on the huge success of its debut EV, the Taycan, with a new electric take on the Macan SUV, which has been its best- selling car globally since 2015. The Macan EV, due on sale next year, will arrive in dealerships around nine years after the current petrol-engined car, which was heavily updated in 2019, was revealed. But it won’t immediately replace its combustion-engined forebear; much like the  Porsche Panamera  remains on sale alongside the similarly sized and positioned Taycan, Porsche will continue to sell the existing Macan alongside the EV – although it has yet to give a fixed timeline for the model line going purely electric. The Macan EV will be one of the first production cars to use Porsche and Audi’s Premium Platform Electric (PPE) architecture, which combines lements of the J1 architecture – used by the  Porsche Taycan  and  Audi E-tron GT  – and the MEB platform used more widely by the Volk...

  The new mid-sized   Ford   E-Transit Custom is the electric successor to the UK's best-selling vehicle, bringing a bold new look and a range of up to 236 miles. Revealed today ahead of production getting under way at the Ford Otosan plant in Turkey in the second half of 2023, the new E-Transit Custom is the second of five all-electric commercial vehicles Ford will launch in Europe by 2024, following hot on the heels of the full-sized  Ford E-Transit . Ford highlights the "rebalanced proportions" of the EV, which give "a confident stance" that will "set a distinctive new design benchmark in the one-tonne segment".  The overall treatment is familiar, but a completely new front-end look brings the E-Transit Custom into line with the latest  Ford Fiesta ,  Ford Focus  and  Ford Tourneo Connect . A prominent hexagonal 'grille' panel is flanked by slim, angular LED lights and topped by a wraparound daytime-running light, while the charging point ...

  Honda has also given initial details of its rapid-fire global EV roll-out in the run-up to 2030, which most shockingly looks to include an all-electric successor to the Honda NSX supercar and a new grand tourer flagship. "Honda always has a passion to offer fun for its customers," the firm said, giving no details of the new sports cars but promising they will continue to offer a "sports mindset and distinctive characteristics". The Honda NSX is currently in its third generation as a 573bhp hybrid with a mid-mounted V6 and will bow out of production at the end of this year. This latest announcement is the first official indication that Honda plans to remain in the supercar segment as it transforms its business. Honda is the latest Japanese brand to commit to offering dedicated sports cars in the electric era. Toyota has previewed a lightweight two-seater  in the vein of the MR2 ,  Lexus is working on an EV follow-up to the LFA , Nissan recently showed the drop-top ...

  You might imagine it would be tough for a panel of judges to agree to give an award to a new car that only one of them has actually driven. But when that car is the successor to the brilliantly entertaining Toyota GT86, when that one judge is entirely convinced of its claim and when there’s so little dissent in the virtual meeting room and so much nodding and anticipatory grinning going on, you know what? It’s not that hard. The Toyota GR86 is our Best Fun Car of 2022 on the strength of some road driving and plenty of fast lapping at the Parcmotor Castellolí circuit in Spain (which is blessed with plenty of enticing, sweeping, third-gear bends, as it happens). We will drive finished production cars on the European press launch later this month and get right-hand drivers in the UK later in the summer.