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The road to Car of the Year 2027 has officially begun, and this year’s race already looks more relevant than ever. After the Mercedes-Benz CLA was crowned Car of the Year 2026 at the Brussels Auto Show, the countdown now starts for the 64th edition of Europe’s most important automotive award. As always, the final winner will not simply be the fastest, most expensive or most technologically advanced car. It will be the model that best reflects what the European market needs right now.

Volkswagen R just dropped a teaser. And it’s not subtle. “We have a secret to tell you. Save the date: 05.05.2026, 12:00.” That’s all we get. No specs, no details, no official confirmation. But the visuals say more than enough.

In a recent Instagram post, the model featured a pristine Ferrari 512 TR, finished in what appears to be Argento Nürburgring. The car wasn’t the main subject, but it quickly became the highlight. Within 24 hours, the post passed 1.2 million likes, with reactions pouring in from names like Kylie Jenner, Kourtney Kardashian, Travis Barker and Charlie Puth.

At the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix, the new Audi RS 5 makes its debut as part of the F1 Pirelli Hot Laps programme, giving guests the chance to experience a Grand Prix circuit from the passenger seat, driven by professional racing drivers. And this is not just a random support car with stickers on it. This is Audi placing one of its most important new performance cars directly in front of the Formula 1 audience, at exactly the right moment.

Some liveries are just colors. Others become legend. Few designs in motorsport history are as instantly recognizable (or as unapologetically bold) as Porsche’s “Pink Pig.” And now, in 2026, it’s back. But not where you’d expect it.

With a new official Nürburgring Nordschleife lap time of 6:50.863, the latest Manthey-enhanced GT3 is not just faster. It’s significantly faster. Nearly five seconds quicker than the previous 992.1 Manthey setup. On a track where tenths matter, that’s not an improvement. That’s a statement.

Some updates add features. Others redefine how a car feels. Alfa Romeo’s latest move with the Giulia and Stelvio clearly aims for the second category. With the introduction of the new Performance Pack, the Italian brand isn’t chasing numbers or headlines. Instead, it’s doubling down on something far more important, the core Alfa Romeo DNA: emotion, precision, and that unmistakable connection between driver and machine.

Some cars are built to move people. Others are built to define generations. MINI somehow managed to do both. In 2026, the brand celebrates 25 years of its modern era under BMW Group, a quarter century that transformed a small British icon into a global lifestyle brand, without ever losing the essence that made it special in the first place.

For Jeep, that element has always been the seven-slot grille, a signature that dates back to 1945 and has since become one of the most recognisable visual identities in the entire automotive industry. Now, nearly 80 years later, Jeep is rewriting that signature.

Some liveries are simply designs. Others are cultural moments. To mark 75 years of Porsche Motorsport and 50 years of Apple, the Porsche Penske Motorsport team will run both of its Porsche 963 entries in a one-off livery inspired by the iconic Apple Computer design first seen on the Porsche 935 K3 during the 1980 racing season.

For years, the Bugatti Rimac joint venture represented one of the most fascinating alliances in the automotive world (a blend of legacy, engineering heritage, and cutting-edge electric innovation) but as of April 2026, that chapter is coming to a close. And while the official communication frames this as a “focus on core business,” the implications run far deeper than a simple portfolio reshuffle.

Every now and then, the automotive world reminds you that not everything has to make sense. Sometimes, it just has to exist. Because long before electric scooters flooded European cities and “last-mile mobility” became a buzzword used in every pitch deck, Mazda quietly built one of the strangest vehicles you’ve probably never heard of. A car. Inside a suitcase.