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Changan has revealed the Nevo Q05, its third electric car for Europe and pitched as its most affordable yet. A compact, family-oriented SUV measuring 4,430 mm long on a 2,730 mm wheelbase, it offers a choice of 40 kWh or 52 kWh CATL lithium-iron-phosphate batteries, with hybrid versions to follow. Changan leans on its European design and R&D centres in Turin and Birmingham, part of a fast-growing push into the region. Power, range and pricing are not yet confirmed.

McLaren Special Operations has restored the M6GT, the road car founder Bruce McLaren developed and used as his own personal transport in 1969, before his death in 1970 cut the project short. The one-off restoration took some 3,000 hours, built on a period M6A racing chassis with a period-correct small-block V8 and its distinctive camel-hump cylinder heads. It makes its public debut at the 2026 Goodwood Festival of Speed and marks the start of a new MSO heritage restoration programme.

The new BMW iX3 has earned a full five-star Euro NCAP rating under the stricter 2026 protocol, among the first cars judged by the revamped test. The Neue Klasse electric SUV scored 86 percent for crash protection, 83 percent for crash avoidance, 95 percent for post-crash safety and 73 percent for safe driving. Highlights include perfect side-impact scores and a centre airbag, clever emergency door releases and an advanced eCall, though pedestrian and cyclist protection was more mixed.

Italian coachbuilder Automobili Mignatta is at the 2026 Goodwood Festival of Speed showing its Rina barchetta in a new light-toned livery honouring the Piedmontese battilastra panel-beaters, and previewing sketches of a forthcoming Rina coupe due in 2027. Built around a proprietary carbon monocoque, the Rina uses a naturally aspirated 5.0-litre V8 making around 500 hp, a 6-speed transaxle manual, weighs about one tonne with 50:50 balance and has no screens at all: pure analog driving.

Dacia has revealed the Striker, a low-slung family estate it pitches as the best of three worlds: SUV toughness, estate practicality and saloon efficiency. At 4.62 m long and just 1.53 m tall, it offers a 600-litre boot and a starting price under 25,000 euro. Power comes from electrified options including a 140 hp mild-hybrid LPG, a 155 hp full hybrid and a hybrid 4x4, and it lands in Belgium and the Netherlands late in 2026.

The electric Zeekr 7GT has become one of the first cars to earn a full five-star Euro NCAP rating under the demanding new 2026 protocol, the biggest overhaul of the crash tests since 2009. It scored 95 percent for post-crash safety, 93 percent for crash protection, 89 percent for crash avoidance and 79 percent for safe driving. The new protocol adds tougher tests for elderly and child occupants, EV battery isolation after a crash, and more real-world scenarios. Zeekr is Geely's premium electric brand.

Louis Vuitton is reviving its classic car run with the Dolomites Classic Run 2026, held from 1 to 4 September. Around 25 historic cars from the 1930s to 1970, including Bugatti, Maserati and Ferrari, will cover roughly 600 km from Villa Pisani near Venice through the UNESCO-listed Dolomites, before parading on the Monza circuit ahead of the Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix. It celebrates Louis Vuitton's long motoring heritage and its role as F1's official Trophy Trunk partner.

Pagani has revealed the Huayra 70 Derecho, a bespoke few-off from its Grandi Complicazioni division, making its world premiere at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. It is the second of three Huayra 70 cars created to celebrate founder Horacio Pagani's 70th birthday. Named after a violent straight-line windstorm, it wears an exclusive Pearl Orange and blue livery over exposed fish-bone carbon fibre, with Glossy Titanium details, new Huayra 70 Titanium wheels and a Ceramic White and Tricolore Blue leather cabin.

From 7 July 2026, a fresh set of safety features is mandatory on all new passenger cars and vans registered in the EU, under the General Safety Regulation. They include advanced emergency braking that detects cyclists and pedestrians, infrared driver-distraction monitoring that watches your eyes and yawning, improved forward visibility, new worn-tyre testing and expanded safety glass. The rules are not retroactive, so existing cars are unaffected, but they have drawn criticism over cost and surveillance.

The Goodwood Festival of Speed is now one of the biggest motoring events in Europe, but it began in 1993 as a modest idea by the Duke of Richmond, the first motorsport gathering at Goodwood since the circuit closed in 1966. Organisers expected around 200 guests and got more than 25,000. It has since grown from a one-day event into a four-day spectacle featuring the famous hillclimb, a rally stage and an off-road arena, hosting F1, WRC, MotoGP and endurance stars plus countless world debuts.

BYD's sporty Denza sub-brand will give the all-electric Denza Z its world debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, in Coupe and hardcore Racing forms. The Coupe shares the earlier Z Spider's three-motor powertrain, good for around 1,500 hp and a 350 km/h top speed, yet keeps 2+2 seating and a proper boot. The Racing version adds a dramatic carbon-fibre aero package. Denza also brings its BAO5 off-road SUV to Europe for the first time.

The European Commission is reportedly exploring a system that would make new cars automatically brake when they exceed the speed limit, potentially from 2030. Using traffic-sign recognition and GPS data to read the limit, it would go beyond today's warning-only speed assistance to actively intervene. It remains an early-stage investigation, not confirmed law, and faces big hurdles around reliability and driver acceptance, given how often people already switch off existing speed warnings.