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The company that makes every F1 tyre just changed hands, and the buyer sells ammunition
Automotive Industry
07/08/2026

The company that makes every F1 tyre just changed hands, and the buyer sells ammunition

Michal Strnad, a 33-year-old Czech defence tycoon who built his fortune supplying ammunition to Ukraine, has bought 14% of Pirelli for just under 1 billion euro. He acquired the stake directly from China's state-owned Sinochem, easing years of Italian and US scrutiny over Chinese control of the F1 tyre supplier. It is a striking sign of who now has the money to rewrite ownership of strategic European industry.

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Ford's CEO is warning his own staff the China tariff will not hold forever
Automotive Industry
07/08/2026

Ford's CEO is warning his own staff the China tariff will not hold forever

Ford CEO Jim Farley told employees at a closed town hall that Chinese automakers will enter the US market within five to ten years, most likely toward the end of that window. The forecast is not new, but the private audience is: he is warning his own staff that the tariffs keeping Chinese cars out are temporary. Ford is responding with a 30,000 dollar electric pickup and talks with Xiaomi and Geely.

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BYD built a kei car for Japan, something no foreign brand has ever done
New Models
07/08/2026

BYD built a kei car for Japan, something no foreign brand has ever done

BYD has revealed the Racco, an electric kei car for Japan, becoming the first foreign carmaker ever to design a car to Japan's strict kei rules. It has a 20 kWh Blade battery, 180 km of WLTC range and sliding doors, priced around 15,000 euro to take on the Nissan Sakura. After weak sales since 2023, it marks a shift from exporting global models to engineering cars for a single market.

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Lidl's owner paused EV company cars in Germany, and residual values are why
Automotive Industry
07/08/2026

Lidl's owner paused EV company cars in Germany, and residual values are why

The Schwarz Group, parent of Lidl and Kaufland, has temporarily stopped employees ordering fully electric company cars in Germany, across a fleet of about 13,000 vehicles. The reason is not range or charging but weak used-EV resale values, which hit Schwarz directly because it buys and resells its cars rather than leasing them. It is a rare, honest price signal about the transition's weakest link.

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BMW owners paid for the dashboard screen, and BMW just rented it to Spider-Man
Automotive Industry
07/08/2026

BMW owners paid for the dashboard screen, and BMW just rented it to Spider-Man

BMW owners are furious after their cars began playing a Spider-Man: Brand New Day advert on the dashboard at startup, complete with music and cabin lighting, in more than 70 countries from 27 July to 10 August. BMW denies it is advertising, calling it a special surprise and a festive animation. The bigger story is not the ad, but the language, and the fact that a screen you paid for can now be used to show it.

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This bespoke Grigio Titanio Etna was built for a Texas race car driver
New Models
07/08/2026

This bespoke Grigio Titanio Etna was built for a Texas race car driver

Tedson Motors has revealed a bespoke Grigio Titanio Etna commission built for a Texas-based race car driver, complete with a white racing stripe and dark blue pinstripes nodding to the owner's motorsport background. It is one of 77 examples of the Croatian coachbuilder's 600 hp Lamborghini Gallardo restomod.

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Hyundai's poshest IONIQ 9 yet is black on black on black
New Models
07/08/2026

Hyundai's poshest IONIQ 9 yet is black on black on black

Hyundai BeLux has launched the IONIQ 9 Calligraphy Black Ink, a monochrome flagship trim for its award-winning electric SUV, priced from €90,095 and available to order now for September 2026 delivery.

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BMW starts building the new i3, its second Neue Klasse model, in Munich
New Models
07/08/2026

BMW starts building the new i3, its second Neue Klasse model, in Munich

BMW has begun series production of the new i3 at its Munich plant, the second Neue Klasse model after the iX3. European deliveries start this autumn, with US sales following in late 2027.

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Manthey turns 30, and its Kits are the closest thing to a factory Porsche upgrade
Automotive Industry
07/08/2026

Manthey turns 30, and its Kits are the closest thing to a factory Porsche upgrade

Manthey Racing marks 30 years since Olaf Manthey founded it as a single Nürburgring race shop in 1996. Porsche now owns 51 percent of the company, and its road-legal Manthey Kits are available for nine Porsche GT models.

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