Browsing: Automobiles

Article SummaryBMW Hungary organized nearly 300 test drives with 10 electric SUVs assembled at the Debrecen plant.A static presentation of the iX3 50 xDrive also included a high-end version equipped with M Performance Parts.More than 50 electric SUVs were delivered in Hungary within weeks after the BMW iX3’s local launch.While America still awaits the new BMW iX3, customer deliveries are already in full swing across Europe. The “NA5” has racked up more than 50,000 orders since its launch on the Old Continent in September 2025. Demand has been so strong that a second production shift was added at the Debrecen…

General Motors CEO Mary Barra said she is currently driving a GMC Hummer EV SUV.   She says it’s ‘a great performance vehicle.’ The top 3X trim costs $107,995 and can deliver up to 1,160 horsepower.   Mary Barra has been the CEO of General Motors since 2014. In that time, the automaker has built some truly fantastic performance cars—the Camaro, the SS, the C8 Corvette, the list goes on. But according to Barra, she daily drives a different kind of performance vehicle.   Barra sat down with our colleagues at this year’s Autosport Business Exchange ahead of the 2026…

GWM doesn’t offer as many electric vehicles (EVs) as other Chinese automakers like BYD, but in offering a wide range of powertrain types it says it’s following the model of the Japanese giant that’s still the world’s largest automaker.“Unlike some Chinese brands that focus only on new energy vehicles like PHEV or EV, we focus on powertrain diversity,” GWM chairman Jack Wei told Australian media through a translator.“This is important because different regions have different needs. For example, in Russia EV is not suitable due to the cold climate, and in Brazil infrastructure is not yet sufficient.“So our strategy is…

Article SummaryInkas Armoured converts the Rolls-Royce Cullinan Series II to BR6 protection, covering rifle fire and simultaneous hand grenade blasts.The entire passenger capsule — doors, roof, floor, pillars, firewall, glass — is armored while the exterior stays indistinguishable from stock.BMW’s 6.75-liter twin-turbo V12 and the original luxury interior are both left untouched.Rolls-Royce doesn’t armor its cars. Officially, anyway. If you want BR6 protection on a Cullinan — the kind that holds up against AK-47 fire and simultaneous hand grenade blasts — you call a company like Inkas Armoured and they sort it out. Inkas has been doing exactly this for…

Two Porsche 963 race cars will wear a special Apple Computer livery this weekend.   The livery pays homage to one worn by customer-owned Porsche 935 K3 from 1980.   The one-time livery design also celebrates Apple’s 50th anniversary.   When a pair of Porsche 963 race cars hit Laguna Seca this weekend, they’ll be wearing a special Apple Computer livery. The retro look pays homage to the livery worn by the customer-owned Porsche 935 K3 from 1980, which competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. And it is absolutely beautiful. The one-time livery design also celebrates two 2026…

Kia Australia has confirmed the next-generation Seltos will only be available with a hybrid powertrain when it arrives in local showrooms in the fourth quarter of this year, citing the need to ‘future-proof’ the small SUV amid ever-tightening emissions regulations.The announcement comes after CarExpert speculated that Australia’s next Seltos could follow its British counterpart in going hybrid-only, and it’s now confirmed that both markets will be aligned in offering only petrol-electric variants with front- and all-wheel drive configurations.The Korean brand’s decision echoes Toyota’s move to go hybrid-only across a large portion of its model lineup, and Kia Australia CEO Damien…

Article SummaryBMW Group Plant Leipzig handed 50 new MINI Countrymans to RB Leipzig as part of a long-term official mobility partnership announced in July 2024.The partnership replaces a decade-long deal with Volkswagen and Porsche, bringing the club around €1 million annually and 70 vehicles total.The MINI Countryman is the first MINI built in Germany, assembled at the same Leipzig plant just kilometers from Red Bull Arena.BMW Group Plant Leipzig has delivered 50 new MINI Countrymans to RB Leipzig, the latest step in a long-term mobility partnership between the two organizations announced last July. The cars were built at the plant…

Porsche set a 6:50.863 Nürburgring lap with the 911 GT3 (992.2) Manthey. That improves on the 911 GT3 Manthey’s previous time by nearly five seconds. The Manthey Kit adds major aero and suspension upgrades, boosting downforce to up to 1,190 pounds in full attack mode. Everyone seems to be chasing Nürburgring records these days. After the Corvette ZR1X posted a 6:49.275 lap, Ford clapped back with an even quicker 6:40.835. Not to be left out of the ‘Ring limelight, Porsche is back in the conversation with a new lap time for the 911 GT3 (992.2) fitted with the Manthey Kit.…

Leapmotor may already be outselling some familiar Stellantis-owned brands in Australia, but the Chinese automaker says its real focus is not Jeep, Peugeot or Alfa Romeo.Instead, Leapmotor says it is measuring itself against fast-growing Chinese rivals such as BYD, GWM, MG and Chery – and it intends to do so with a single global brand, rather than following the growing Chinese trend of launching multiple sister brands.Speaking with Australian media in China, Leapmotor International’s Global Head of Brand Strategy, Product and Marketing, Francesco Giacalone, said the company is concentrating on building value around the Leapmotor name internationally.Asked whether Leapmotor could…

Article SummaryBMW genuine floor mats, boot liners, and wiper blades offer the best cost-to-usefulness ratio of any OEM accessories.M Performance parts — mirror caps, steering wheels, and door sills — are worth the premium specifically because fitment and safety systems are guaranteed.Not everything in BMW’s catalog delivers real value; branded lifestyle accessories and full-price dealer carpet mats are easy skips.BMW’s OEM and M Performance accessories range is vast, and most of it is completely missable — branded keyrings, decorative valve stem caps, logo-embossed cup holder inserts. Things that feel exciting in the configurator and live in a drawer six months…