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Reacting to Polestar's forced exit from the US, CEO Michael Lohscheller says 'the days are over when everything was global' and that the decision accelerates regionalisation across the whole industry. He confirmed Polestar will not appeal. It is a candid admission that carmakers increasingly have to build and sell along regional and political lines rather than treating the world as one open market.

UK specialist Lanzante has revealed the first road conversion of the Lamborghini Essenza SCV12, the track-only special limited to 40 examples and powered by an 830 hp naturally aspirated V12. It made its dynamic debut on the hill at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Lanzante is adapting the lighting, cooling and suspension to meet type approval while keeping the extreme aero and race look. Full performance figures have not yet been announced.

Fully electric cars reached a 20% share of the EU market in the first five months of 2026, according to the ACEA, up from 15.3% a year earlier, with 950,521 BEVs registered. EV share has grown roughly tenfold since 2019. Hybrids are now the most popular choice at 37.8%, while petrol has fallen to 22.4% and diesel to 7.6%. Overall EU registrations are up 4% year-to-date.

Exhaust specialist Milltek Sport has revealed a widebody kit for the Alpine A290 and its Renault 5 twin, previewed at the Goodwood Festival of Speed 2026. It adds fender flares, aluminium side skirts, a roof spoiler, a sharper light signature and a modified charging-port cover for a Renault 5 Turbo look, and is fully reversible with no adhesive residue. There are no power changes, and Milltek is gauging demand at an intended price of around 2,500 euro.

DS has revealed the N°7 Élysée, the new official state car of the French President, which joined the Élysée Palace fleet at the 14 July 2026 Bastille Day parade. It is a fully armoured, 100% electric E-TENSE with a dual-motor all-wheel-drive system making 350 hp and a 97.2 kWh battery. The chassis is stretched 25 cm for a redesigned rear cabin, and it wears an exclusive Bleu Liberté paint over an interior of Alcantara, Nappa leather and ash wood.

The FIA World Endurance Championship is poised to revise the end of its 2026 calendar for a second time, drawing up a contingency plan to replace the planned Qatar and Bahrain rounds with races at Barcelona and Monza because of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The plan, shown to teams at Interlagos, is expected to need ratification at the FIA World Motor Sport Council meeting believed to be around 23 July. Both European events would be six-hour races awarding the standard 25 points for a win.

Autoworld's Icons of the 90s exhibition celebrates 1990s car culture in the Parc du Cinquantenaire in Brussels, running from 8 July to 6 September 2026 with adult tickets from €17. The line-up spans everyday heroes and hot hatches like the Renault Clio Williams, Japanese legends including the Toyota Supra and Nissan Skyline GT-R, and supercars such as the Ferrari F50 and Lamborghini Diablo VT. Around 15 motorcycles and a full 90s pop-culture backdrop, from MTV to early mobile phones, complete the show.

Do you remember the Citroen Berlingo Coupe de Plage? At the 1996 Paris Salon, Citroen showed three concept versions of its new Berlingo, and Bertone built this one as a joyful two-seat beach car. It had an open pickup bed, fold-out reclining beach chairs on reinforced pillars, a surfboard roof rack, folding shelves for a cooler and external speakers for the radio, all powered by a 103 hp 1.8-litre Xantia engine. It never reached production, but it remains one of the most charming what-ifs of the decade.

Bugatti has inaugurated La Manufacture, a purpose-built facility in Molsheim, Alsace, dedicated to the Bugatti Tourbillon. Opened on 2 July 2026 and built in less than a year, the 3,245-square-metre hall handles pre-assembly, quality control, polishing and painting, with capacity for up to 200 cars a year. CEO Mate Rimac called Molsheim the brand's center of gravity, underlining that the Rimac era is investing heavily in Bugatti's historic home.