News

Tesla has set 1 October 2026 for the Roadster reveal, with invitations to early reservation holders for an event in Waco, Texas. It is the fifth date given this year after 1 April, late April, "a month or so" and August. Musk said in November 2025 that production follows 12 to 18 months after the demo, Europe still takes €43,000 reservations, and the 2017 claim of 1.9 seconds to 60 mph is already slower than the Rimac Nevera R.

At the New Economy Forum in Madrid, in the week of the Spanish Grand Prix, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem said Formula 1 does not need a twelfth team, it needs 'the' team, and it has to come from China. He confirmed meetings with BYD and Geely, told BYD to come back with a serious offer, and ruled out bending the engine rules towards electrification. BYD said in July there is no project.

At the third Tutto Bene Hillclimb on Mottarone on 9 September, Maserati showed the 1958 Eldorado livery on a one-off GT2 race car and a limited GT2 Stradale edition, beside the original 420/M/58 from the Panini collection. The single-seater was Europe's first sponsored racer, funded by Eldorado ice cream. It raced twice, finished seventh once, failed to qualify at Indianapolis, and Maserati still has not said how many road cars get the paint or what it costs.

La Cinquecento, a new studio in West Berkshire founded by photographer Max Kindersley, has turned his family's barn-stored 1973 Fiat 500 into the 500 Scattante, revealed at the Tutto Bene Hillclimb on Mottarone on 9 September. It keeps the rear-engined layout with an 802 cc Fiat 126-derived twin, wears a BorromeodeSilva body and targets about 650 kg against the original's 499 kg, at a price Auto Express puts near £150,000.

ADAC Nordrhein, organiser of the Nürburgring 24 Hours, has postponed its ADAC 24h Nürburgring Series from 2027 to 2028 after four rounds of DMSB conciliation with NLS organiser VLN ended without agreement. The ILN team association had threatened to boycott the new series with more than 70 cars. The NLS has published a 2027 calendar of eight races on seven weekends, without the 24h Qualifiers, for the year the series turns 50 and the circuit 100.

Kruse Auctions hammered the one-off 1953 Cadillac Elegante at $1,275,000 in Auburn, Indiana on 5 September, $1.4 million with the buyer's premium and the highest price ever paid for a Cadillac at auction. Albrecht Goertz refined its shape before Max Hoffman sent him to BMW for the 507, and Carrozzeria Motto in Turin spent 30 months forming the gold-plated aluminium body. The previous Cadillac record was $940,000.

Red Bull confirmed on 9 September that Robin Räikkönen, 11, joins its junior programme from 2027 after a Swiss Micro Max title and a fifth place at the Rotax Grand Finals. In 2000 Red Bull wanted Enrique Bernoldi in the Sauber seat that Peter Sauber gave Kimi, and sold its stake in protest. The FIA's age rules mean Robin cannot reach Formula 1 before 2033.

Verne and Pony.ai started fully driverless test rides with invited passengers in Zagreb on 10 September, on a 22 km route between Verne's headquarters and the airport, booked through Uber. The cars are Arcfox Alpha T5s running Pony.ai's software, remotely monitored by Verne. The Croatian company's own EU-funded pod, 60 prototypes built, has not carried a passenger, and its €179.5 million grant project closed on 31 August with an audit pending.

Tesla Europe published the European Semi's figures on 11 September: up to 550 km at 40 tonnes, Megacharging at up to 800 kW and a curb weight of 9,100 kg, with deliveries from 2027. That weight and a consumption of 1 kWh per km point to the 548 kWh Standard Range truck sold in the US for $260,000, not the 822 kWh Long Range that does 805 km. Tesla shows the truck in Hannover from 15 September without a European price.