Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut rewrites the production car record books

Hyundai has revealed an all-new generation of the Tucson, its global bestseller, with much more angular, rugged styling inspired by the larger Santa Fe. Inside, a big central screen is paired with a welcome return of physical buttons for key functions. Hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions are confirmed, with European sales expected in early 2027.

From 29 November 2026, newly type-approved cars in the EU must carry an Environmental Vehicle Passport, a digital dossier of official data accessed by QR code and needing only the car's VIN. It holds emissions, consumption, power and range figures, stays available for 20 years, and becomes mandatory for all newly registered cars a year later. It is part of the Euro 7 rules.

Geely will start building its premium models at Volvo's European factories, including Ghent in Belgium, from 2028, new chairman An Conghui has confirmed. Likely candidates include Zeekr and Lynk & Co flagships, produced locally to avoid EU tariffs on Chinese-made EVs and to fill spare Volvo capacity. It is a significant boost for the plants and their jobs. Source: Gocar.be.

Lucid has revamped its Gravity SUV line-up for Europe into four clearer versions, from a new Touring entry model at 97,900 euros to a 150,500 euro Grand Touring Ultimate. The DreamDrive 2 Premium assistance suite is now standard across the range, and the Grand Touring offers up to 739 km of WLTP range from 839 pk. Orders are open, with first deliveries in autumn 2026.

XPeng has priced its new entry-level L03 for Europe, an SUV coupe starting at 35,600 euros. Fully electric versions offer 445 to 520 km of WLTP range and up to 382 hp, while a range-extender variant pairs a petrol engine with a battery for around 1,000 km of combined range. European deliveries are set for the final quarter of 2026.

Hyundai has revealed Belgian and Luxembourg pricing for the new IONIQ 3, its most affordable electric car, starting at 29,995 euros. A 42.2 kWh battery gives 344 km of WLTP range and a 61 kWh battery stretches to 497 km, both front-wheel drive on the E-GMP platform. Orders are open now, with first deliveries expected in October.

Ford's new Le Mans Hypercar has left the workshop for the first time. Six weeks after its naturally aspirated V8 first fired up, the ORECA-built prototype completed its maiden track test at Circuit Paul Ricard, with Porsche factory driver Matt Campbell and Ford's own Logan Sargeant sharing driving duties. Tom Blomqvist and Mike Rockenfeller are next in the seat, ahead of Ford's planned return to the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2027.

Dr John Ferris, an emergency medicine consultant in England's Lake District, uses a Porsche Macan GTS as a rapid-response car, fitted with emergency lights and a siren and covering nearly 7,800 square kilometres of remote terrain. He often reaches injured climbers and runners before an ambulance can, and the same car serves as his family runabout. Porsche has shared his story.

From 1 September 2026, Flanders moves its car inspection from once a year to once every two years, aligning Belgium with most of Europe. Paperwork is cut, the insurance certificate is no longer needed at the test, and the window to repair a serious defect grows from 15 days to two months. A planned reform would also scrap the mandatory second-hand inspection for domestic sales.

Under France's 1991 Lalonde law, any car advertising showing a vehicle off public roads, on grass, sand, rocks, in a forest or a river, is illegal, and that includes Instagram and TikTok posts. It even applies to images shot abroad if they are visible in France. In January 2025 Jeep and 42 dealers were ordered to pay 250,000 euros, with fines reaching 7,500 euros per image.

Hiroshi Okuda, who led Toyota as president and then chairman from 1995 to 2006, has died at the age of 93. The first person outside the founding Toyoda family to run the company in a generation, he modernised its culture, expanded it worldwide and championed the hybrid Prius. His influence on the modern car industry is hard to overstate.

LeBron James has curated a bespoke Mercedes-Maybach S 680 through the brand's MANUFAKTUR Made to Measure programme, unveiled at Pebble Beach. Two identical cars were built, one for his own collection and one to be auctioned for the LeBron James Family Foundation in Akron, Ohio. It swaps the V12 badge for his crown logo, a first for Maybach.

Kugelwerks, a Los Angeles coachbuilder, has revealed the One Eleven, a restomod of the 1960s Mercedes-Benz W111 coupe. It uses the running gear of the previous Mercedes-AMG C63 S, including its twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 with 510 hp and 700 Nm, driving the rear wheels through a seven-speed automatic. Production is limited, deliveries start in September 2026, and prices open at 480,000 dollars.

Stellantis has told the union Unifor it is seriously considering closing or selling its Brampton assembly plant in Ontario, which has been idle since late 2023. Around 2,200 workers have been on layoff since it was retooled for the Jeep Compass, before that production was moved to the United States. The union calls it a gut punch and points to US auto tariffs as a key factor.

The buyer who paid 40 million dollars for the first Ferrari Luce at Monterey has been named as Dr Herbert Wertheim, a self-made billionaire, inventor and philanthropist who created the first UV-absorbing dye for plastic eyeglass lenses. A keen Ferrari collector, he bought a Tailor Made Daytona SP3 for 26 million at the same event a year earlier. All proceeds went to The Ferrari Foundation.

Totem Automobili, known for its restomodded Alfa Romeo Giulia GT coupes, has revealed its first in-house platform, the Tiziano, at Monterey Car Week. It uses a carbon monocoque and a naturally aspirated V12 from Italtecnica paired with a six-speed manual, and will spawn three T12 body styles. A running chassis is promised for 2027.

Mercedes-Benz has given the C-Class Saloon and Estate their most comprehensive update yet, with sharper styling, an AI assistant built on ChatGPT, Microsoft Bing and Google Gemini, and Euro 7-ready engines. Orders open on 18 August 2026, with German prices starting at €48,844 including VAT.

Hot Wheels has revealed a Red Line Club exclusive 1:64 Ferrari F40, finished in Spectraflame red over a silver plate with Real Riders wheels, an opening clamshell and a replica engine. It goes on sale on 18 August 2026 for 60 euros, members only, with a limit of two per customer. Expect it to disappear fast.

Pascal Wehrlein has won the 2025-26 Formula E world title with Porsche, his second, after a nervy London finale on 16 August where he finished 14th but held on by five points over Jake Dennis. Porsche retained the manufacturers' championship but lost the teams' title to Jaguar. Wehrlein becomes only the second two-time champion in Formula E history.

Kith and BMW have unveiled their fourth collaboration, an apparel and accessories collection built around BMW's own heritage colours and a restored 1972 BMW 3.0 CSi in Inka Orange, commissioned by Kith founder Ronnie Fieg. It drops globally on 17 August 2026 and is paired with two custom cars, a V10-swapped E53 X5 and a one-of-one 2027 X5.

MINI has entered Pakistan for the first time with an all-electric line-up, offering the Cooper E/SE, Aceman E/SE and Countryman E/SE through importer Dewan Motors and a new showroom in Karachi. On 12 August it also relaunched in Jordan with partner Abu Khader Automotive, more than a decade after first arriving there. Both moves lean hard on electrification.

Bentley has appointed T'jon Mayer as its new Head of Exterior Design and Design Operations, effective immediately. He spent 13 years at Volvo, where he directed exterior design on models including the EX60 and shaped the brand's Thor's Hammer lights, and joined Bentley in 2024. He now leads the 45-strong exterior team and will shape Bentley's electric future, starting with the Torcal.

Spain is set to approve a 200 million euro plant in Galicia for state-owned Chinese carmaker SAIC, the parent of MG, despite intelligence warnings about its location around five kilometres from the Ferrol naval base. The factory will build up to 120,000 MG electric and hybrid cars a year from 2028 and create roughly 1,000 jobs. It would be SAIC's first European plant.

The FIA has removed all restrictions on Russian and Belarusian drivers, teams, competitors and officials in international motorsport, reversing measures in place since March 2022. Ratified by the World Motor Sport Council on 3 August 2026 and confirmed on 13 August, the change also drops the neutral-flag requirement and allows national symbols and anthems. Competitions still cannot be held on Russian or Belarusian soil.

Rolls-Royce has revealed the Ghost Savile Row, a one-of-one Ghost Extended inspired by London's bespoke tailoring tradition. It pairs a two-tone Midnight Sapphire over English White finish with the brand's first pinstripe stitch and a hidden embroidery of 250.000 stitches behind the rear armrest.