News

The production-spec Range Rover Electric made its public debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed on 9 July 2026, shown statically in a dedicated Range Rover gallery. Frustratingly, Land Rover still revealed no power, battery, range, price or on-sale date, with the full global reveal only promised for later in 2026. More than 16,000 people have joined the waiting list for Range Rover's first EV, which will rival the BMW iX and Mercedes G580.

Aston Martin's 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12 has been given a stay of execution. CEO Adrian Hallmark says that by keeping V12 sales under 1,000 cars a year, the brand stays exempt from tightening legislation and can keep the engine alive until at least 2035. Aston is also switching from plug-in to 48-volt mild-hybrid power and has pushed its first full EVs back into the 2030s.

Bizzarrini is finally building the 5300 Aperta Lusso, an open-top roadster Giorgetto Giugiaro designed in 1962 but which stayed shelved for over 60 years. Just 10 will be hand-built from 2027, each powered by a 5.3-litre naturally aspirated V8 with more than 400 hp and a manual gearbox. Price is not confirmed, but expect a seven-figure sum.

BYD's premium Denza brand has fully revealed the Z, an electric sports car aimed at the Porsche 911. A tri-motor setup (one front, two rear) makes 1,582 hp and 1,240 Nm, with three body styles: Coupe, Spider and a GT3-inspired Racing. It uses a 76 kWh Blade Battery 2.0 on an 800-volt system, for up to around 410 km of WLTP range, with Flash Charging said to take 10-70% in about five minutes.

BMW Group delivered around 1.15 million vehicles in the first half of 2026, down 4.2% year-on-year, with the fall driven almost entirely by China, where sales dropped 20.4%. The brighter news is elsewhere: Europe grew 5.4%, the US 3.9% and Germany 10.2%. Electric sales rebounded in the second quarter, with global BEV deliveries up 5.2% and European BEV sales up 38%. BMW credits its new Neue Klasse models, with the iX3 nearing 100,000 orders and the i3 seeing strong early demand. MINI rose 11.7% for its sixth straight quarter of growth, while Rolls-Royce dipped 9.8%.

Ferrari is now offering a track-only sport exhaust for its F80 hypercar, reportedly heard in public for the first time at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. The system deletes the catalytic converters and silencers for a far more intense, race-car-like sound, and appears to unlock its full voice only in track mode. It directly answers the F80's most persistent criticism, that its 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 hybrid does not deliver the spine-tingling wail of Ferrari's old V12 halo cars. Buyers can specify it when configuring the car, and Ferrari confirms the factory warranty stays intact. The F80 makes 1,184 hp from its V6 and F1-derived electric front axle. Material and price are not disclosed.

Alfa Romeo's global sales fell 21% in the first half of 2026, and the brand slid sharply down the sales rankings. The decline was broad across Europe, and the new Junior is now carrying the vast majority of the brand's registrations almost single-handedly. The facelifted Tonale has struggled commercially, while the once-core Giulia and Stelvio have faded to near-irrelevance after their updates were cancelled. With no significant new models expected until 2027 or 2028, Alfa is dangerously dependent on a single entry-level car.

Volkswagen has launched the Tiguan Edition 20 to mark 20 years since the Tiguan's 2007 debut. With more than 9 million sold worldwide through May 2026, it has been the VW Group's best-selling model since 2017, peaking at around 911,000 units in 2019. The special edition adds a bespoke Maple Red metallic paint, the R-Line exterior package, 19-inch Coventry alloys, Edition 20 door projectors, lasered B-pillar and illuminated sill lettering, red contrast stitching and unique seats. The full engine range is offered, from the entry 1.5 TSI with around 150 hp up to eTSI mild hybrids and eHybrid plug-ins, priced from 48,180 euro with orders open now.

Porsche delivered 122,306 cars worldwide in the first half of 2026, a 16% drop compared with the same period last year. The decline was driven by a 32% slump in China, the end of combustion 718 production and the expiry of US tax incentives for electrified cars. Yet the 911 bucked the trend completely, rising 19% to 30,534 units, around a quarter of all sales. In Europe, deliveries excluding Germany fell 14%, with Germany itself down 6%. Sales chief Matthias Becker said the result was in line with expectations.