News

Ford has fired up the engine of its new top-class Le Mans Hypercar for the first time, choosing 4 July, America's 250th Independence Day, to do it. The car uses a naturally aspirated 5.4-litre V8 derived from the Mustang Dark Horse R, GT4 and GT3 programmes, paired with a hybrid system. On-track testing starts in August 2026, ahead of a full FIA WEC campaign and a 2027 24 Hours of Le Mans debut, where Ford joins Ferrari, Toyota, BMW, Cadillac and more.

US federal authorities have seized a fleet of luxury assets from Miles Guo, the exiled Chinese businessman sentenced to 30 years in prison for leading a fraud worth more than 1 billion dollars. Now in federal custody are a Bugatti Chiron, a Lamborghini Aventador SVJ valued at over 832,000 dollars, a Rolls-Royce Phantom, a 2 million dollar yacht and a 26.5 million dollar New Jersey mansion. They form part of some 889 million dollars in proceeds forfeited to the government.

German supplier Weber Magdeburg, which makes cylinder heads for Porsche, is heading into insolvency after Porsche decided to stop placing orders from 30 September 2026, with bankruptcy proceedings expected to begin the next day. Around 140 jobs in Magdeburg are at risk, plus more at sites in Markdorf and Neuenbaurg. Reports say the contract, originally planned to run to 2032, went to a cheaper Thuringia-based rival. Union IG Metall has reacted angrily.

Fiat has revealed the Topolino Sport, a special edition of its tiny electric quadricycle inspired by the 1958 Nuova 500 Sport. It adds matte-black wheels, black headlight surrounds and mirror caps, carbon-look interior accents, sport badging and four striped colour schemes, plus a standard Monsterlino Bluetooth speaker kit. Fiat sums it up in three words, simple, playful and iconic, and aims it at younger buyers. Power, range and price were not disclosed.

Car thieves in France have found a surprising new goldmine: rear bench seats, ripped out of cars like the Citroen C3 and Renault Clio. The reason is that fleet and commercial versions of these cars come without rear seats, so people converting them to five-seaters seek cheap replacements. Stolen benches sell for 500 to 600 euro on the black market, versus several thousand from the manufacturer. Thefts of car accessories jumped 30 percent in the Oise region near Paris.

A Financial Times report claims Volkswagen has revisited selling or floating Lamborghini and Ducati to help fund its costly transformation. Insiders suggest a possible Lamborghini stock listing, with Audi keeping control, and a potential outright sale of Ducati. VW has neither confirmed nor denied it, saying only that all its brands must fundamentally transform. It comes amid huge pressure: falling China sales, EV costs, US tariffs, 35,000-plus German job cuts by 2030 and possible factory closures.

Ferrari has revealed the 12Cilindri Manuale, giving its 6.5-litre naturally aspirated V12 a clutch pedal and gearlever again. It makes 830 hp and revs to 9,500 rpm, with 0-100 km/h in 3.0 seconds and a 340 km/h top speed. The catch is that it uses a new Manuale By-Wire system: an eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox that emulates a six-speed manual, complete with clutch, and can switch to full automatic at the push of a button. Just 1,499 will be built.

McMurtry has revealed the production-ready Speirling PURE, its fan-powered electric single-seater, priced at around 995,000 pounds with deliveries later in 2026. It makes 1,000 hp to the rear wheels, hits 0-100 km/h in 1.55 seconds and generates up to 2,000 kg of downforce from a standstill via twin fans spinning at 23,000 rpm, enough grip that it famously drove upside down. Some 95 percent of components are new versus the prototype, including a bigger 100 kWh battery.

BYD Belgium has broken the 2% market share barrier for the first time, a milestone reached in June 2026 and announced on 2 July. Confirmed by FEBIAC registration data, it makes BYD one of Belgium's fastest-growing car brands, with a strong showing across both private and fleet buyers. The company credits an expanded model line-up, a growing dealer network and steady month-on-month gains, and says the result keeps it on track for its 2026 goals.