Car news

One-off Bentley Flying Spur Reindeer Eight is Santa’s new sleigh

Looks like Santa Claus is getting a new sleigh. According to Bentley, Santa has worked with the company’s Mulliner personalization division to order a one-off Christmas-themed Flying Spur dubbed “Reindeer Eight.” Bentley revealed the customized Flying Spur V8 last Friday, complete with a 3D-printed reindeer hood ornament in place of the traditional “Flying B.” The paint color is called Cricket Bauble, a Christmas-themed play on Bentley’s Cricket Ball dark...

The Chevrolet Corvette Manta Ray isn’t happening

General Motors has ditched the Chevrolet Corvette Manta Ray name previously thought to be slated for an upcoming variant of the sports car, Muscle Cars & Trucks reported Monday. According to recent filings with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), GM has abandoned plans to use the Manta Ray on any upcoming vehicle, including concept cars. The automaker applied for a trademark on the Manta Ray name...

Audi adds plug-in hybrid tech to Q3 and Q3 Sportback

Audi on Thursday unveiled new plug-in hybrid versions of its Q3 and Q3 Sportback compact crossover SUVs. They arrive for the 2021 model year, though their availability in the United States is yet to be confirmed. There’s a good chance we won’t see them as Audi has already announced the 2021 Q3 range for our market. The new plug-in hybrid versions of the Q3 and Q3 Sportback carry a...

Jaguar Land Rover wants to ban US imports of certain Audis, Porsches, Lamborghinis

A Jaguar Land Rover lawsuit seeks to block United States imports of certain Volkswagen Group SUVs, claiming the German automaker illegally copied its Terrain Response system, Bloomberg reported last week. JLR is asking the U.S. International Trade Commission to stop imports for Audi, Lamborghini, Porsche, and VW SUVs, claiming their use of systems that change vehicle parameters for different types of terrain represents patent infringement. “JLR seeks to protect...

Lamborghini launches track-focused Huracan STO

Lamborghini on Wednesday took the covers off a new track-focused version of its Huracan. The car goes by the name Huracan Super Trofeo Omologato, or Huracan STO for short, and it’s a road-going version of the Huracan Super Trofeo Evo race car in the style of homologation specials. Omologato is the Italian word for “homologation.” The STO packs the same punch as the old Huracan Performante, with its 5.2-liter...

Audi RS 6 GTO concept pays homage to IMSA race car

As Audi’s Quattro all-wheel-drive system celebrates its 40th anniversary, an RS 6 Avant has been decked out in tribute to one of Quattro’s greatest motorsports moments. The Audi RS 6 GTO concept wears the racing livery of the Audi 90 IMSA GTO race car, which only competed in the 1989 season. The 90 GTO made quite an impression, though, winning seven of 13 races, and only missing the constructors’...

Bentley to launch EV in 2025 on the road to full-electric lineup by 2030

Bentley celebrated its centennial in 2019 and to mark the occasion unveiled the battery-electric EXP 100 GT concept that signalled the automaker’s intentions for the future of grand touring. On Thursday, Bentley announced that that future will arrive much sooner than previously thought. By the end of this decade, in fact. Bentley will launch its first EV in 2025 and by 2030 will have a full-electric lineup, it said....

Aston Martin says one in five of sales come from electrified cars by 2024

Aston Martin is planning a full-on electric-vehicle offensive with the goal of deriving 20 per cent of its sales from battery-driven models by 2024. The British marque will start by offering a hybrid version of its DBX SUV in 2023, according to Automotive News Europe, and the brand will introduce more electric models to meet its goal of every fourth or fifth vehicle being electrified in some way. The...

Ford reportedly working on 6.8-liter engine for Mustang and F-150

The president of Canadian auto-worker trade union Unifor has let slip that Ford may be working on a new 6.8-liter engine and that it would be used in derivatives of the Mustang and F-150. We expect the engine to be a V-8. Jerry Dias mentioned the 6.8-liter engine at a Sept. 23 press conference, saying it would be built at a factory in Windsor, Ontario. An accompanying Unifor press...

BMW teams up with fashion brand Kith for a very cool M4

BMW’s new M4 hasn’t even reached showrooms yet but the automaker has already revealed the first special edition. BMW teamed up with New York-based fashion brand Kith to develop a custom M4 Competition coupe. Known as the M4 Competition x Kith, just 150 examples will be built for worldwide sale and the order books opened Friday. It’s priced from $110,245, including destination, and will be delivered in 2021 as...