News

MINI has given its John Cooper Works Convertible a fresh coat of Sunny Side Yellow paint, but nothing else. It keeps the 231 hp 2.0-litre turbo four, 380 Nm, a 6.4-second 0-100 km/h time and a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox driving the front wheels. It remains the most powerful MINI Convertible, an old-school petrol hot drop-top surviving into the electric age.

Lucid has named Munsterhuis Autobedrijven as its first retail partner in the Netherlands. The 60-year-old family dealer group will run a dedicated Lucid sales and service point in Hengelo, offering the Air sedan and Gravity SUV. It adds to Lucid's existing studio and service centre in Hilversum, and continues the hybrid retail strategy it began in Germany with Wackenhut.

BMW is reportedly trimming its model range to cut costs while it rolls out the Neue Klasse platform. The 8 Series has already ended with no successor, the XM is due to stop in 2028 after weak sales, and the i4 and 2 Series Active Tourer are said to be on the way out too. BMW has not officially confirmed the moves, which come from an Automotive News Europe report.

Bugatti's heritage division La Maison Pur Sang has unveiled a one-of-one restored Veyron at Pebble Beach to celebrate 20 years of the model. It gains a newly developed Rouge Rembrandt and Petrol Blue two-tone finish, Magnolia leather, watchmaking-inspired trim and reinterpreted wheels that take Chiron-sized tyres. Bugatti also launched a Veyron configurator for owners.

KGM Benelux, the importer of the brand formerly called SsangYong, is the new official Rescue Car Partner of Circuit Zandvoort. Four fully electric KGM Musso EV pickups, each able to tow 2,300 kg, now serve as rescue and support vehicles, deployed even at the Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix. The circuit picked them on reliability, performance, sustainability and cost.

Skoda has updated the Slavia, its compact sedan built exclusively for India, with fresh styling, new LED lights and features like rear massage seats and a Google-powered AI assistant. Engines are a 115 hp 1.0 TSI and a 150 hp 1.5 TSI. It is not coming to Europe: identical cars would be priced out of reach here by taxation, which is the most interesting part of the story.

Max Verstappen has signed a contract extension with Red Bull Racing that runs until the end of 2030, adding two seasons to a deal that previously expired in 2028. Confirmed on the eve of his home Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, it ends months of speculation that the four-time champion could trigger an exit amid Red Bull's dip in form and links to Mercedes. Verstappen pointed to team principal Laurent Mekies and the ongoing rebuild as reasons for his confidence.

Genesis has unveiled the GV90, its first full-size flagship electric SUV, in San Francisco. The range-topping Neolun version debuts hidden B-pillar coach doors that open in unison, a world first. It uses a 123.5 kWh battery for around 500 km of range, makes 666 hp, and charges 10 to 80 percent in 22 minutes. Genesis is expanding in Europe, though a GV90 launch date is not yet confirmed.

Aston Martin has been testing an updated Valkyrie hypercar at Silverstone, with a reworked rear aerodynamic package previewing the car's first major evo joker upgrade ahead of the 2027 FIA World Endurance Championship season. The team deliberately carried over its original specification through 2025 and 2026, and Heart of Racing team principal Ian James says the wait was about fully understanding the car before committing to changes.