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Porsche's sales fell 16% this year, but the 911 is having a moment
Article
11/07/2026

Porsche's sales fell 16% this year, but the 911 is having a moment

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.

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Fiat celebrates 127 years with two new family SUVs called Grizzly
Article
10/07/2026

Fiat celebrates 127 years with two new family SUVs called Grizzly

Fiat marked its 127th anniversary by revealing two new C-segment family SUVs, the Grizzly and the Grizzly Fastback, in a playful video fronted by CEO Olivier Francois that stages an impromptu test drive at an Italian registry office. The Grizzly is the practical, space-focused SUV at 4.40 metres long, while the sportier Grizzly Fastback stretches to 4.50 metres with a 600-litre boot. Both offer hybrid and fully electric powertrains with up to 145 hp and come in seven colours. They make their public debut at the Paris Motor Show in October 2026, with a market launch in the fourth quarter of 2026 across Europe and beyond.

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Nissan's new Tekton SUV is basically a Dacia Duster in a smart suit
Article
10/07/2026

Nissan's new Tekton SUV is basically a Dacia Duster in a smart suit

Nissan revealed the Tekton, a midsize SUV for the Indian market positioned above the Magnite. It is effectively a Nissan-badged sister to the new Renault Duster, sharing the CMF-B platform also used by the third-generation Dacia Duster. Two turbo-petrol engines are offered: a 1.0-litre three-cylinder with around 100 hp (manual only) and a 1.3-litre with around 160 hp. It misses out on the Duster's upcoming strong-hybrid system, which Renault is keeping exclusive. Indian pricing was reported from around 10.49 lakh rupees, roughly 11,000 euro. The Tekton is not confirmed for Europe.

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VW Group could axe half its models in the biggest shake-up of its history
Article
10/07/2026

VW Group could axe half its models in the biggest shake-up of its history

According to multiple reports, Volkswagen Group is preparing the biggest restructuring in its 89-year history. The plan reportedly includes cutting the number of models across its brands, from Volkswagen and Audi to Porsche, Skoda, Cupra, Bentley and Lamborghini, by up to half, alongside up to 100,000 job cuts and the closure of four German plants: VW's Hanover, Zwickau and Emden sites plus Audi's Neckarsulm. The drivers are Chinese competition, US tariffs, tighter regulation and falling European demand. Q1 2026 net profit fell 28% to 1.56 billion euro. These remain reported plans under discussion, not confirmed decisions.

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Urban Automotive chopped a Defender into a carbon-bedded pickup, and it looks mean
Article
10/07/2026

Urban Automotive chopped a Defender into a carbon-bedded pickup, and it looks mean

British modifier Urban Automotive marked its 10th consecutive year at the Goodwood Festival of Speed by revealing the Widetrack Avontur, a Defender pickup conversion based on the Defender 110 Hard Top commercial. It loses its rear doors and roof section to become a two-door truck with an exposed carbon-fibre bed, a modular utility rail, an integrated bottle holder and a working tailgate, plus a bespoke rollover structure, wide fender extensions and 23-inch wheels, using over 36 custom parts. Pricing is not yet official, with expressions of interest now open. Urban also showed a Defender Octa styling program and builds based on the Cullinan, Urus SE, G-Class and Range Rover.

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LEGO is turning the Jaguar E-Type into a 1,673-piece British Racing Green icon
Article
10/07/2026

LEGO is turning the Jaguar E-Type into a 1,673-piece British Racing Green icon

LEGO has revealed a new Icons set recreating the Jaguar E-Type roadster, set number 11381, with 1,673 pieces and a price of 139.99 euro. Finished in British Racing Green, it features opening doors, bonnet and boot, a retractable fabric-style roof, classic wire-wheel styling and a tool kit in the boot, with mostly printed details rather than stickers. It joins LEGO's Icons car line and goes on sale on 1 August 2026.

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XPeng's new L03 is a sleek, cheap electric SUV-coupe heading to Europe
Article
10/07/2026

XPeng's new L03 is a sleek, cheap electric SUV-coupe heading to Europe

XPeng is bringing its budget Mona sub-brand to Europe with the L03, a compact electric SUV-coupe with styling led by former Ferrari designer Juanma Lopez. It offers 56 kWh or 69 kWh LFP batteries for around 525 to 625 km of range on China's CLTC cycle, a 245 hp single motor and a slippery 0.228 drag coefficient, plus XPeng's in-house Turing AI chips and camera-only assisted driving. A full reveal lands on 16 July 2026, with a European launch planned for 2026 at a price meant to sit below the G6 (which starts at 41,490 euro). European pricing is not yet confirmed.

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MG revives its cheeky supermini spirit with the electric GO! concept, and a 2027 production car
Article
10/07/2026

MG revives its cheeky supermini spirit with the electric GO! concept, and a 2027 production car

MG has revealed the GO! concept at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, a compact five-door electric supermini that revives the cheeky, affordable spirit of cars like the MG ZR. Penned by design director Carl Gotham's team, it borrows cues from the MGB GT, Metro Turbo and 6R4 rally car while keeping a modern, budget-EV brief. A production version is confirmed for 2027, possibly badged MG2, and it will square up to the Renault 5, MINI Cooper E, VW ID. Polo, Citroen e-C3, BYD Atto 1 and Honda Super One. MG has not yet revealed the battery, power or price.

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BYD's Denza Bao 5 is a 544 hp plug-in off-roader gunning for the Defender
Article
10/07/2026

BYD's Denza Bao 5 is a 544 hp plug-in off-roader gunning for the Defender

Denza, BYD's premium sub-brand, has revealed the Bao 5, its first SUV for Europe and a rugged, ladder-frame plug-in hybrid off-roader aimed squarely at the Land Rover Defender. Its Dual Mode Off-road system combines two electric motors and a 1.5-litre petrol engine for 544 hp and 0-100 km/h in 4.8 seconds. A 31.8 kWh battery gives around 90 km of electric range, with a combined 864 km total. Prices start at 69,500 pounds, with European orders opening this summer and deliveries in Q4.

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Belgium wants a road vignette from 2027, and yes, Belgians will have to pay it too
Article
10/07/2026

Belgium wants a road vignette from 2027, and yes, Belgians will have to pay it too

Belgium is planning to introduce a mandatory road vignette from 1 May 2027 for cars and vans using its main roads, both motorways and regional roads. The annual vignette would cost between 90 and 125 euro, with shorter-term options of roughly 10 to 20 euro required by EU rules. Because those same rules ban a foreigners-only charge, Belgian drivers will have to pay it too, on top of the existing annual road tax. The aim is to make foreign road users contribute.

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The new DS N°7 is a first-class French EV, and DS is still criminally underrated
Article
10/07/2026

The new DS N°7 is a first-class French EV, and DS is still criminally underrated

DS Automobiles has revealed the N°7, a new premium compact SUV built on the STLA Medium platform and focused on comfort and refinement. E-TENSE electric versions offer 230, 245 or 350 hp, with two French-made batteries of 73.7 or 97.2 kWh giving up to 740 km of WLTP range and 20-80 percent charging in around 27 minutes, plus a 145 hp hybrid. Inside there is Nappa leather, Alcantara, wood, 14-speaker audio and massaging seats. Prices in France run from around 44,000 to 77,500 euro, with deliveries from late 2026.

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A small Belgian firm is testing a self-driving Maserati on the motorway, and it's a European first
Article
10/07/2026

A small Belgian firm is testing a self-driving Maserati on the motorway, and it's a European first

AIdoptation, a technology company from Sint-Truiden in Belgian Limburg, says it is the first in Europe allowed to test a Level 4 self-driving car on public motorways. Its system is fitted to an electric Maserati GranTurismo Folgore, running a 100 km route on the E313 and E314 highways with a professional safety driver aboard to intervene if needed. Unlike most self-driving projects, which focus on low-speed city driving, AIdoptation is tackling motorway speeds of 120 km/h. Engineer Louis Joris calls it a massive milestone.

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Someone made the Bugatti Bolide road-legal, and it has 1,825 hp
Article
10/07/2026

Someone made the Bugatti Bolide road-legal, and it has 1,825 hp

British specialist Lanzante has created the world's first road-legal Bugatti Bolide, converting Bugatti's most extreme, previously track-only hypercar for use on public roads. It keeps the monstrous 8.0-litre quad-turbo W16 producing 1,825 hp, with 0-100 km/h in 2.2 seconds, but adds integrated headlights and softened suspension to cope with real roads and speed bumps. The first car debuted at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in exposed carbon with a reflective Klaussen livery.

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