It started this process with a dedicated EV, the hugely impressive Taycan, before following on with the first ICE model to be transformed into an EV, the Macan. Now it’s the turn of the model that provided Porsche with its bread and butter throughout the noughties, the Cayenne SUV. Admittedly, bets are still being hedged, as ICE and hybrid versions of both the Macan and Cayenne will continue to be available for the foreseeable future.

However, the Cayenne Electric certainly ticks the boxes marked innovation, quality and performance. Debuting with the ‘regular’ Cayenne Electric and more sporting Cayenne Turbo Electric, Porsche is throwing out stats like 2.5 seconds to 62mph and a range of 398 miles. Please note, as always, that in the world of electric cars, these two statistics are very much mutually exclusive.

That’s not to say that there aren’t some big strides being made in efficiency and convenience, not least in charging speed. The top spec model can cope with 400kW fast charging, capable of taking the new 113 kWh battery from 10 to 80 per cent in under 16 minutes. According to Porsche, a ten-minute charge at a suitable power point could provide enough energy for the regular Cayenne to travel 202 miles (196 miles in the Turbo).

Most interestingly of all, the Cayenne Electric will be the first Porsche to offer support for inductive charging at rates of up to 11kW. The new Porsche Wireless Charging system is activated by simply parking above the floor plate ‘charge pad’ for the process to start automatically.

Visually, the new Cayenne follows the cleaner aesthetic set up by the smaller Macan, with a horizontal emphasis on the lights, front and rear, more pronounced wheelarches and cleaner lines.

The most notable elements are the pronounced crease on the lower half of the doors, setting up a shadow line that blends into the rear wheel arch. Below this, a raised sill detail offsets the car’s balance, giving it a more forward-focused stance and reducing the overall bulk. The Cayenne Turbo is distinguished by the vertical air vents behind the rear wheel arches, which add to the sense of width and give the car a more sporting stance.

As well as the wireless charging system, there’s the usual long list of Porsche options, ranging from ceramic composite brakes (not strictly necessary in a car that’s said to do 97 per cent of its daily braking requirements via the electric motor regen system), to rear-axle steering, active suspension and a package of enhancements that beef up the Cayenne’s ability off-road.

Inside, the cabin is an evolution of Porsche’s class-leading interior design, with a scattering of analogue controls alongside a veritable cliff face of screens. These are mitigated slightly by the clear, sober graphic design of Porsche’s HMI, while the driver display features a prominently curved OLED screen. Also available is an AR-equipped heads-up display

Interior mood lighting has become more interactive, while there’s also a liquid crystal panoramic roof, similar to those used by Lotus and Audi. To keep HVAC energy consumption down, the heating system doesn’t just warm the seats but also armrests and door panels.

Petrolheads might grumble at the cultural appropriation of their beloved forced induction, but the new Cayenne Electric Porsche has well and truly doubled down on the use of the word 'Turbo' to denote a performance EV. The real question is whether an all-electric Cayenne can be the same kind of economic saviour as its predecessors.

Porsche Cayenne Electric, from £83,200, Cayenne Turbo Electric from £130,900, more information at Porsche.co.uk, @Porsche

As enjoyable as it is to marvel at the application of high-end craftsmanship and methods to low-tech pixellated pop culture graphical forms, it’s even more entertaining to speculate exactly who commissioned this car – all we know is that it’s a tech entrepreneur. With its plethora of 8-bit infused details and hidden Easter Eggs, this Ghost is an arcade machine on wheels.

Colour us unsurprised that this is the ‘first-ever Bespoke Rolls-Royce inspired by vintage video game culture’. Maybe it’ll be the last, but it’s certainly a testament to the Bespoke department’s ability to go above and beyond a creative brief. Quirky bits and pieces abound in this thoroughly bleeped up Ghost Series II, including seat embroidery reading Players One to Four, and what the company calls a ‘Cheeky Alien’ exterior Coachline motif, hand-painted of course. The main body is finished in Salamanca Blue with the upper body in a shimmering Crystal over Diamond Black.

According to Joshua McCandless, Bespoke Designer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, ‘the unique privilege of working within Rolls-Royce Bespoke Design is the extraordinary breadth of ideas we’re asked to bring to life. This brief was particularly exciting.’ The Bespoke team immersed itself in the art, culture and games of the early arcade era.

Retro gaming is having another one of its period moments (this week’s launch of the Analogue 3D console, for example), and Rolls-Royce is keen to position gaming culture as a ‘rapidly emerging space in the contemporary collectables landscape.’ It’s certainly a step up from NFTs.

As you climb into the car you step of four Bespoke illuminated treadplates, with the same low-resolution font seen on the seats. Each treadplate bears a familiar arcade game prompt: ‘PRESS START’, ‘LOADING…’, ‘LEVEL UP’ and ‘INSERT COIN’. However, if you’re going to go with such a quirky motif, why not go all in? Why not build in actual gaming consoles into the rear screens? (Perhaps this is a job for Love Hultén, following on from his synth-equipped Lagonda project?).

We also reckon Rolls missed a trick by not adding a playable Space Invaders in the Starlight Headliner. Instead, there’s a not-completely-unrelated pattern called ‘Pixel Blaster’, consisting of ‘a formation of 80 bitmapped battlecruisers’. Instead of shooting stars, there’s laser fire. Up front, the illuminated fascia gets a special ‘Laser Base’ pattern, with a gunship flying through a starfield that appears to be animated.

If all this sounds like the very best bits of the electronics section of the Sears or Argos catalogues circa 1983, then you’ll have some empathy with the person who commissioned the Gamer Ghost. ‘We wanted the client to feel that the motor car itself was an immersive experience – and that every time they stepped inside, it would recreate the same thrill they felt when they pressed ‘start’ on an arcade machine for the very first time,’ says McCandless.

We know not how many 8-bit side quests the owner had to undertake to be in a position to commission this one-off machine. We will probably never know, but suffice to say it taps into a very distinct era of video games that would place them squarely in Gen X. However, even Douglas Coupland’s most prescient tech hallucinations didn’t foresee a world where the superrich amuse themselves by painting aliens on a Rolls-Royce. What’s next, a Minecraft or Fortnite Edition? How about a Spectre with upholstery made from Labubu fur? To infinity and beyond, for sure.

More information on Rolls-Royce Bespoke at Rolls-RoyceMotorCars.com, @RollsRoyceCars

And that’s just the past few years. Concepts like the 1984 Peugeot Quasar, the 1986 Proxima, the 2006 908 RC or the 2012 Onyx seemingly came from another planet and certainly not from a humble carmaker best-known for its small cars and family-friendly saloons and SUVs.

Now there’s another Peugeot Concept in town, the Polygon. A compact electric city car, it continues the out-there DNA of its predecessors, with vast gullwing doors and a spongy, geometric interior.

Industry watchers are calling the Polygon a preview of the next-generation 208, which is currently a competent, likeable but not earth-shattering entrant into the small EV market. Two things could set its successor apart, both previewed by the Polygon. The first is more than a hint of retro style, harking back in particular to the evergreen 205, a 1980s icon that still looks fresh today.

The other innovation is a drive-by-wire steering system that does away with intrusive mechanicals, freeing up interior space and allowing a new low-set dashboard design. There’s also the return of the Hypersquare wheel seen on the Inception concept; paired with the new steering system, it should mean less effort to turn, which is perfect for a small city car.

And there’s a third thing, albeit not one that’s directly connected with design. Peugeot has debuted this new concept in the frantic, violent and Day-Glo world of Fortnite, joining a roster of other carmakers who have used the online game as a place to showcase new design. In fact, Fortnite seems to be taking over from Gran Turismo as the new virtual venue for car design.

In addition to Lamborghini, which has delivered virtual recreations of the Urus, Huracan, and Countach in the game, Porsche has also popped up in the game world. The sandbox-style shooter is a globally accessible online venue for live music shows, launches and product placement, and the game's essential vehicles are the perfect platform for way out car design.

In fact, Fortnite is now a veritable auto showroom, providing a captive audience of teens and pre-teens ready to learn about brand image, styling and the relative values of supercars Vs sports cars.

Peugeot worked with developer Gameloft to deliver the Polygon into the Fortnite universe, adding not just the car itself but a whole Peugeot realm, Polygon City Island, styled to resemble a giant Hypersquare steering control.

Players can enter the map, get hold of a Polygon and even personalise the colour, trim and decals. Perhaps it’s a step up from creating concepts that never see the light of day, but we still prefer car designs that manifest themselves in the physical world.

Peugeot.co.uk, @Peugeot

Bentley’s use of the ‘Super Sports’ name actually dates a century to the 1925 3 Litre Super Sports model, 18 of which were built with an uprated engine and lightened chassis. Famous as the first Bentley ever to exceed 100mph, the Super Sports appellation didn’t reappear until 2009, when the first-generation Continental GT was given a ‘lightweight’, high power makeover to create a truly driver-focused Bentley. It was followed by the 2017 version, a generation two car with the famous Bentley twin-turbo W12 engine delivering 710 PS.

Like its two predecessors, the newest Supersport pretty much doubles the top speed achievement of the 1925 car, but it’s about so much more than hitting the high numbers. In fact, the stats that matter here are weight, not power.

Impressively, this new model is being cited as the ‘lightest Bentley in 85 years’, and comes in at almost half a tonne less than the luxury-stuffed Continental GT. That’s less than 2,000kg, which might seem hefty in comparison with other ICE machines (an Aston Martin DB12 S is around 1,820kg), but it’s near miraculous for a modern Bentley.

This crash diet has been achieved via a ruthless pruning of componentry and materials. The most dramatic difference between the standard car is the revised powertrain, which not only switches out the hybrid system for a pure ICE set-up, but in the process becomes rear-wheel drive – the first RWD Continental GT, traditional an all-wheel-drive car.

A test car, dubbed Project Mildred after a typically fearless Bentley owner, aviator and endurance racer from the 20s, Mildred Mary Petre, provided swift proof of concept and the new Supersports was born.

Other key weight saving contributions come from a new carbon fibre roof panel, replacing the aluminium original, and the complete deletion of the rear cabin and seats. This is something of a big deal, given the Conti GT’s reputation as big, fast GT car with ample space for four. No longer; even the onboard sound system is now focused to the front cabin, with the removal of rear sound insulation.

In the front, there are two bespoke sports seats, with plenty of colour and trim options and Bentley’s Mulliner division can provide further personalisation. The ‘Nightfall’ launch scheme shown here combine Anthracite gloss exterior paint with Camel accents and striping and an interior in Beluga, Camel, and Bronze.

Externally, Bentley has gone all out on a new aero body kit, aping the work of certain aftermarket suppliers without stooping to their level of ostentation. It’s no shrinking violet, however – the company acknowledges that it’s ‘the most aggressive Bentley Grand Tourer ever’. A lot of carbon fibre has gone into new front bumper and splitter, a laser-cut aluminium grille, new side sills, rear diffuser and fixed rear spoiler.

As a result, there’s more downforce, a more dynamic weight distribution and despite a power drop to ‘just’ 666 PS, the new Supersports promises to be even more dramatic and engaging than its predecessors. Bentley will build just 500 numbered examples of Supersport Mk4, with production starting late next year. The price is yet to be revealed.

BentleyMotors.com, @BentleyMotors

With body art that contains a veritable basket of Easter Eggs, we can’t hand on heart call the Project Viva an aesthetic success, especially as the 750S starts life as a very beautiful, purist kind of supercar. The scattering of gambling and race-related imagery covers every square inch of the complex carbon fibre surfacing, from dice to cards, the race grid to the roulette table. There are also plenty of nods to the city’s history and identity, as well as the signatures of McLaren’s F1 drivers and nods to the team’s many successes.

This particular car probably won’t spin a (regular) wheel in anger, ending up as a prized item in someone’s collection, but MSO isn’t just about the application of dazzle-pattern like artwork. To find out more about MSO, we dived deep into the world of the McLaren owner and even got to sample the MSO process in person.

A big day out at Pure McLaren Silverstone

Like almost all high-end car makers, McLaren has a thriving community driven by activities and experiences, not just the simple act of ownership. One of the key dates in the McLaren calendar is Pure McLaren Silverstone, a gathering beneath the kinky-roofed grandstand and fast-cornering track of the famous home to the British Grand Prix. For a fee, owners can take their car on track, receive one-on-one tuition from a professional coach and generally bask in the McLaren experience.

If you’re lucky enough to own a track-only McLaren, the day is expanded to take in input from the company’s technical team, in addition to coaching and all-round immersion into the McLaren world.

Owners have been known fly their cars in from around the world to experience this track, and the car park is a rippling sea of jazzy colours and carbon fibre accoutrements. Black and orange are still the dominant aesthetic, as is technical sportswear bearing the swoopy McLaren crest.

Ultimately, Pure McLaren is Comicon for the Uber wealthy, only the superpower they are cosplaying is the ability to drive really, really fast. Some even dress the part, with their own race suits, shoes and helmets, a carefully assembled costume that mimics their icons in Formula 1 or endurance racing.

Just like Comicon, it’s a community of like-minded people, lured by similar tastes and interests and cemented by their spending ability. It’s a chance to explore the brand’s greatest hits and see what’s coming next, as well as explore the limits of their very, very fast cars on Silverstone’s famously quick circuit.

A supercar is designed to be seen in as well as driven, but the assembly of so many dramatis personae slightly diminishes the effect of a single McLaren against a backdrop of regular traffic. So how can this (largely male) community express itself above and beyond the ‘standard’ machine?

This is where McLaren Special Operations comes in. As the company’s in-house granter of over-and-above requests from owners, from special paint colours all the way through to unique, one-off cars, MSO will happily push the boundaries of taste in the pursuit of customer satisfaction.

Jonathan Simms is the new head of MSO, having joined the company from another British manufacturer with a long history of elaborate customisation. This is Simms’s first Pure event since joining the company and it’s given him and his team an opportunity to showcase MSO’s skills.

Wallpaper* specs its own (virtual) W1 hypercar with McLaren Special Operations

Today’s canvas is the McLaren W1, the newest member of McLaren’s Ultimate Series of multi-million-pound, limited-edition hypercars. Just 399 are being made, all of which are spoken for, and all of which involve some level of MSO involvement. Luckily for us, today we can pretend to be putting down a hefty deposit and get walked through MSO’s specification tool to conjure up our dream W1.

‘A McLaren is a statement of passion,’ Simms acknowledges, explaining that MSO’s role is not just to elevate levels of personalisation but also to give customers a greater insight and involvement into the process.

More often than not, they’ll visit the MSO operations centre, counterintuitively located on a nondescript Woking industrial estate that’s a far cry from the architectural precision and drama of the Foster-designed McLaren Technology Centre and factory. ‘We do find that a lot of clients love our location,’ says Simms, adding that it seems to lift the lid on the company’s ‘skunkworks’.

The MSO team typically come from McLaren’s design and engineering divisions, so they know full what’s possible and what’s not, as well as having an innate sense of style, colour and sophistication.

‘Before we meet them, the bespoke relationship manager will have developed an idea of what their clients might want,’ says Simms, ‘although very often what tends to happen is that a client comes to us with something outrageous and apparently unachievable.’ MSO’s job is to divine what exactly has inspired the request and work out a way to make it happen.

Actual one-off cars are much rarer beasts, with one emerging from MSO every 2 to 3 years or so. Perhaps 75 per cent of all such enquiries don’t actually proceed, perhaps unsurprisingly given the enormous investment required to re-body a car. ‘We always want people to have something that is a genuine part of McLaren’s history,’ Simms says, and the team is constantly liaising with design and engineering to explore what’s possible. That’s not to say that MSO can’t move mountains.

From the outset, the W1 was designed to be enormously reconfigurable, with bodywork, panels and sections of interior trim and detailing that can all be individually specified. It’s an infinite decision tree, and one that requires careful navigation. ‘We recognise that what we do is make the car more usable for a specific person and use case,’ says Simms, ‘we don’t need to interfere with aerodynamics or A-surfaces.’

While a relationship manager is essential on the more complex jobs, many clients come to MSO via their local dealership. The tools of the trade are a sophisticated visualisation system that generations an image of the W1in real time, allowing colour and material combinations to be explored before a set of bespoke renders are created.

It’s a system that doesn’t just benefit clients. ‘MSO is a car designer’s dream,’ says Simms, ‘they can put pen to paper and have a car specification completed in six months, not three years.’ At any one time, around 30 to 40 cars are in build at the MSO HQ, ranging from full restorations through to the application of custom graphics.

When it comes to our turn to specify a (hypothetical) W1, we take the aesthetic high road – not for us the Day-Glo ‘Papaya’ orange or gaudy graphics. Instead, the car shown here is a symphony of sober colours, with subtle blue bodywork and aero combined with a tan leather interior. For brightwork and technical details we’ve gone for polished bronze, while the wheels are nicely understated with a dark finish.

In conclusion? As thrifty-minded (virtual) billionaires, we’re hoping the spec doesn’t add too much more to the W1’s £2m starting price, nor will it impact the inevitable increase in value that accompanies all of McLaren’s Ultimate Series models.

The next few years will see McLaren double down on the extremely profitable activities of MSO whilst it also upgrades and consolidates its production car line-up. Right now, the company is riding high in the world of motorsport, with McLaren-Mercedes winning its second consecutive Constructors' Championship (and tenth overall) and Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri currently sitting in first and second place in the drivers’ championship (although there’s still a lot to play for).

On the road, things are a little less successful, with sales dipping and losses mounting. Somewhere deep in the heart of the MTC a comeback plan is being formulated, and rumour has it that it’s shaped a little bit like an SUV.

Whether this new car will damage or merely dent the supercar-maker image McLaren Automotive has worked so hard to cultivate remains to be seen. Whatever the outcome, MSO will still be able to make it even more outrageous.

Cars.McLaren.com

MSO McLaren Special Operations

Click for more information of McLaren’s Pure Silverstone experience

The Phantom V is arguably the most iconic of the Phantom’s eight generations. It came to market in 1959, and in 13 years a total of 832 were built. They were delivered to royals, rockers and rogues; King Charles III has inherited both his mother’s and his grandmother’s state Vs. John Lennon, Elton John, Liberace and Elvis Presley were all committed fans. And it had a dedicated following among dictators, including Nicolae Ceaușescu, Tito, and the Shah of Iran. They were all bespoke, but the Phantom you see here is the most unusual of all.

Like the back catalogues of the pop stars who rode around in them in their pomp, it’s been remastered. While Rolls-Royce is busy making Phantom VIIIs today down in Goodwood, a start-up called Lunaz, based in Silverstone, has turned its attention to the Spirit of Ecstasy’s vintage hits from the Crewe years.

The team will find you an old Rolls (they recently bought Jay Kay’s Silver Cloud, for example), strip the whole thing down to the paint, and rebuild it with discreet modern technology and the latest in leather and marquetry, so what you’re left with is a 1960s motor that’s basically brand new bar the chassis plate.

It’s a process that takes between 24 and 36 months. So far, Lunaz has built 15 Rolls and Bentleys on this platform, the technology for which took four years to develop. There are an additional 25 currently in build, and six more are incoming.

The novelty is the powertrain. At this point, purists may start to bleed from the teeth, but as well as restoring the car and putting in things like electric dampers, modern electric windows and windscreen wipers, USB ports and a discreet sat nav and reversing camera, Lunaz has placed a colossal battery pack under the bonnet.

In place of the original 6.23-litre V8 is a proprietary powertrain that produces just shy of 400bhp (the original only mustered 220bhp). Weight has only increased by 90kg, as it was so sumo-sized to begin with – a whale-like 2.7 tonnes. Top speed is limited to 105mph, although the car has achieved 120mph in testing. The price: more than a million quid.

So who’s in the market for this emission-free leviathan that’s 30 times the cost of a Tesla and took 5,500 hours to build? Very wealthy people, obviously, who appreciate classic lines and state-of-the-art tech, who perhaps have been put off classic car ownership before because they don’t want to break down, belch fumes or cover their alabaster gravel driveways in engine oil.

And given that a Rolls-Royce should be smooth, silent and bullet-proof, it makes more sense than any other EV out there. Another party that’s taken an interest is those extremely high-end hotels that love to have a statement piece parked out front, something truly memorable to whisk guests from the airport. Such establishments also like that this car emphasises their green credentials.

Lunaz is currently in talks with a number of properties, including the Maybourne group, which manages The Berkeley, The Connaught, The Emory and Claridge’s in London. For Wallpaper’s test drive, I was the lucky recipient of a suite at The Berkeley big enough for a Grammy-winner, just to get me in the right frame of mind.

Parked in front of The Berkeley, resplendent in navy blue, with pale hide and rich walnut veneer was a Phantom fit for the two kings – Charles and Elvis. The owner of this 1961 piece of automotive sculpture is Adar Poonawalla, an Indian biotech billionaire and Rolls-Royce afficionado who also happens to be an investor in Lunaz (something he has in common with Sir David Beckham).

Pending Transport for London’s approval, Mr Poonawalla’s car will be shared between Maybourne’s four London properties – so keep an eye out for it around the West End.

Lunaz’s founder, David Lorenz, took me through the controls before leaving me to my own devices. At which point I put Led Zeppelin on full blast and wafted my way around Belgravia and Knightsbridge. It was Halloween, and the streets were full of witches, vampires and skeletons out trick-or-treating. This Phantom is spectral not only in name. Even without an exhaust pipe, it seems to create its own fog.

Scarier still is its titanic length, which means you have to be very careful around SW1’s tighter corners, not helped by wing mirrors that reveal almost nothing. The turning circle, David told me, has been much improved, but it’s still like getting the Natural History Museum’s biggest dinosaur out the front door.

The steering is light at speed, but the crawling pace of London traffic means you really have to put your back into it. Yet it glides with ethereal beauty and draws open-mouthed stares not of envy but respect. You could drive it over a fainted guardsman and not feel a bump.

Rolls-Royce always talks about the champagne test: can you floor it without spilling your passengers’ drinks? The torque delivery here is even smoother than Sir Henry Royce managed.

After a suitably decadent dinner at The Berkeley, I switched to the Phantom’s vast back seat and handed over the responsibilities to a chauffeur. He dispatched me to the Royal Albert Hall to see the Irish indie band Inhaler. After all, the Phantom V is the most rock n’ roll car of all time. The Albert has got to be the natural destination for a car that’s always on stage and all but guaranteed a standing ovation.

A day in the Lunaz Phantom: what I wouldn’t give for an encore.

For more information visit ByLunaz.com, @LunazDesign

Founded in 1899 by the Renault brothers, Louis, Marcel and Fernand, the company has been at the heart of French industrial and cultural life ever since. Its range of small cars, continuing right up to the present day, epitomise Gallic ingenuity and innovation. The auction acknowledges this, as well as Renault’s pioneering role in EVs and its status as a garlanded player in global motorsport.

We’ve perused the auction catalogue and come up with a wishlist of 14 vehicles that embody the spirit of the brand.

Lot 13: Renault Floride Cabriolet ‘Disney’, 1960

This elegant two-seater was designed by two of the biggest names in Italian coachbuilding, Frua and Ghia. This particular example had a stint in Disneyland Paris, hence the unique colour scheme.

Lot 21: Renault 4 électrique ‘Zity’, 1991

Not an early example of Renault’s electrification history, but an example converted into an EV in 2021 to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the original Renault 4 – which remained in production from 1961 all the way through to 1991.

Lot 22: Renault 5 décorée ‘police’, 1983

Another sleight of hand – this 1980s-era Renault 5 was kitted out as a police car by the team at the Renault museum. It is, however, a very late model R5 in excellent condition and as such can easily be restored to original condition.

Lot 26: Renault 4 F4 électrique fourgonnette Darty, 1985

The utilitarian ‘fourgonnette’ panel-van variant of the R4 was a mainstay of small French businesses from the 1960s onwards. This rare survivor is another EV conversion, finished in the colours of French electrical goods chain Darty.

Lot 42: Renault Twingo II Concept, 2006

In addition to reviving the 4 and 5 nameplates for its new era of small electric cars, Renault has just unveiled a new Twingo. This non-roadworthy concept car from 2006 previewed the second generation Twingo, a city car that ultimately lacked the original’s visual verve.

Lot 48: Renault Trafic Deck'Up Concept car, 2004

A conceptual blend of off-roader, panel van and beach buggy, the Trafic Deck’Up debuted at the Brussels Motor Show as a quirky preview of the incoming angular Renault house style and the new century’s search for automotive form factors.

Lot 62: Renault Spider prototype, 1998

The Spider was a cult two-seater from Renault Sport, first suggested with a concept at the 1995 Geneva Motor Show, a time when Renault ruled the Formula 1 track. Stripped down and ultra-light – the car was ultimately sold without a windscreen – this early production prototype is sadly a non-runner.

Lot 65: Renault 5 GT Turbo Gr. N, 1990

As well as Formula 1, Renault was also a fearsome competitor in the World Rally Championship. This particular Renault 5 GT Turbo rally car won Group N in the 22nd Ivory Coast-Bandama Rally in 1990, driven by Alain Oreille and Michel Roissard.

Lot 68: Renault Mégane III Trophy maquette, 2009

A rolling model of a race-spec Renault Mégane, this chiselled Mégane RS III Trophy resembles the production car on steroids. Enterprising enthusiasts will need to do a lot of work to bring this maquette to life.

Lot 100: Renault RE 40-04 Formule 1, 1983

American Eddie Cheever replaced René Arnoux in the 1983 F1 season. This car, one of several F1 cars for sale in the auction, finished 3rd at that year’s Monza GP. Cheever’s teammate, Alain Prost, is perhaps better known, as a four-time World Drivers' Champion. It was Renault who dominated the Constructors’ Championship through the 1990s its their partnership with Williams.

Lot 154: Renault Clio II 6-wheel pick-up, 2001

This Frankenstein creation started out as a Renault Clio II, before being transformed by Renault factory workers as a training exercise. Low speed use only – perfect for parades.

Lot 169: Renault Operandi concept van, 2000

This styling model of the Operandi concept van still looks fresh today, with its chunky utilitarian styling inside and out and compact dimensions.

Lot 176: Chausson P.E.R.L.E. concept car, 1989

Developed by now-defunct supplier Chausson, the Projet d'Études et de Recherches d'une Ligne Européenne was powered by Renault and first exhibited at the 1987 Frankfurt Motor Show. The concept had a brief cameo in Wim Wenders’ Until the End of the World.

Lot 179: Renault 21 ex-Lévy and Goliath, 1986

Another cinematic vehicle, this time from Gérard Oury’s 1987 comedy Lévy and Goliath. In the film, this extraordinary creation results from an accidental delivery of cocaine to the production line at the Renault factory.

Artcurial Motorcars will hold the Renault Icons sale at Flins-sur-Seine, Paris, on 7 December 2025, Artcurial.com, @Artcurial__

Originally available in blue, the new edition has details and key elements picked out in acid yellow, the kind of vivid colouring favoured by TheArsenale for its high-profile, urban-focused installations, events, special editions and collaborations.

The Duo was first shown back at the 2022 Paris Motor Show when it was heralded as a successor to the tiny 2012 Twizy – still a favourite runabout for upscale hotels around the world.

TheArsenale’s team have paired black bodywork with yellow graphics that emphasise the angular forms of the tiny machine, as well as slogan-bedecked wheels and yellow stitching details on the seats. Like Twizy, the Duo sits passengers one behind the other, with forward-hinged scissor doors and barely any space for luggage.

Although the Twizy was a more open design – heaven help you if it was raining – the Duo is fully enclosed and feels a lot more car-like and refined as as result. It’s the first in a planned series of urban runabouts to be sold under the Mobilize sub-brand – a single-seater cargo version is also available, as is a Mobilize-branded charge point.

Like that other French foray into electric microcars, the Citroën Ami, special editions and collaborations are seen as a fine way of expanding brand recognition, building a cult following amongst the young and helping seed cities with smaller, cleaner modes of personal transport.

Mobilize Duo, €10,000, Mobilize Duo x TA edition, €12,500, Mobilize.com, @Mobilize_fr, TheArsenale.com, @TheArsenale

Overseen by local architects Hollaway Studio, the project is both an overhaul for the brand and a fine example of adaptive re-use, taking the bones of the original terminal structure and bringing it up to date inside and out. According to studio head Guy Hollaway, the project is a significant one for their modestly sized practice and came about due to their close involvement in local policy.

Projects like the town’s acclaimed Rocksalt Restaurant, f51, an indoor skatepark, and the Curious Brewery and Elwick Place leisure complex in Ashford and are all testament to Hollaway Studio’s engagement with architecture and urbanism in Kent and run alongside more bespoke private house projects.

‘I’m very involved in proposals for Kent and the future of Folkestone,’ Hollaway concurs, adding that his London and Kent-based practice also has a long-running relationship with LeShuttle. ‘They invited us to bid for their framework, which we won,’ he adds, a victory that has given the office responsibility over both English and French sides of the tunnel operation, with the latter in Coquelles, near Calais.

One of the catalysts for the overhaul was changing patterns of how the channel tunnel is used. LeShuttle worked with Engine, a design consultancy who dug deep into the customer profile and helped formulate the brief. ‘They broke it down into six types of customers,’ Hollaway explains, ‘from those who had all the time in the world to those who just want to fly through [as quickly as possibly].’

The modern emphasis on lingering, dining and possibly even shopping in the once liminal spaces of transit has re-shaped the modern airport and railway station. Now it’s LeShuttle’s turn.

‘Travel has changed – it’s not just about A to B,’ says Hollaway, ‘the whole experience of going on LeShuttle is part of your holiday.’ As the architect points out, this is perhaps the most sustainable way of getting from the UK to Europe with the service powered by low carbon electricity supplied by France’s EDF. All that was needed was a better spatial experience. Work has now started on site, with completion due before the end of next year.

Tasked with improving the dwell time, as well as other aspects of channel tunnel travel that don’t necessarily apply to other services, such as the facilities for pets, Hollaway Studio will expand and open up the space. ‘On average, about 1,000 dogs a day go via the tunnel,’ Hollaway notes, ‘it’s a great way to travel with a pet, so we’ve gone mad for them with a landscaped area and their own specialist space.’

In addition to new landscaping there’s also a sinuous lattice of reconstituted concrete which will envelop the refurbished terminal. This form was inspired by the microscopic structure of chalk, the material that the channel tunnel owes its existence to.

‘The tunnel is set within the sliver of chalk that runs between the UK and France,’ Hollaway explains, ‘the lattice weaves in and out of the framework of the existing building. At the end I will challenge anyone to tell that it’s not a completely new building. It’s a very sustainable approach.’ A new solar array will also cover the extended roofscape.

From the new check-in area beneath the canopy structure to a new food hall, much improved daylighting and better exterior weather protection, the new spaces should make the travel experience far more enjoyable. There will be more places to sit, better acoustics thanks to wood cladding and indoor planting, and a redesigned ticketing experience, along with better facilities for EV drivers.

‘We’ve spoken an awful lot with the client about travel anxiety and how to ease it,’ says Hollaway, who points out that the improved communications and more open, accessible feel of the space is geared towards creating a restful, less stressful state of mind. ‘It’s about creating architecture with longevity,’ the architect says, noting his long experience of designing buildings for the harsh coastal environment. ‘If you’re an architect living down here you spend a lot of time talking about seagulls,’ he adds ruefully.

Ultimately, the new building will serve as the country’s gateway to Europe (and to the UK), a 24/7 environment that will act as a beacon, both for travellers and for sustainable architectural design.

HollawayStudio.co.uk, @Hollawaystudio, LeShuttle.com

Now that niche has been joined by the Elevato, billed as the ‘world’s first luxury V12 Italian off-roader’. That’s a pretty limiting category (and also one that ignores the 1982 Lamborghini LM002, which shared its engine with the Countach), but there’s a lot to admire in this new machine from the Special Operations division of GlasWerks DMV.

Revealed at this year’s SEMA show, the Elevato was created to order by the Sterling, Virginia-based endurance rally specialist. GlasWerks started life as a Ferrari GTC4 Lusso, although you’ll note that the prancing horse is conspicuous in its absence. Designed to be the ‘ultimate off-road supercar’, the Elevato required the radical deconstruction of the GTC4 and the replacement or upgrade of 30 per cent of the componentry.

Although the GTC4 Lusso was originally an all-wheel drive car, the drivetrain was focused on handling, not off-roading. As a result, the Elevato’s most important modifications involve a complete suspension rebuild, as well as strengthening the axles and doubling the ground clearance. All this additional work gives each wheel eight inches of travel, with an onboard air system to automatically adjust tyre pressures depending on the terrain.

Other enhancements include beefed-up rock guards and wheelarches, a roof-rack, tow hitches, uprated exhaust and custom lighting systems, as well as new gauges to deal with the additional functions. The underbody cladding is designed for protection and to be replaceable should it be damaged.

‘We’ve spent time in the off-road luxury market and want to offer something different,’ says GlasWerks DMV co-founder Joshua Sroka. ‘Developing the first few Elevatos side-by-side has allowed us to build one car that’s more comfortable and capable on worn-out paved roads or gravel, while the other sees more off-road and trail use.’ Customers can supply their own GTC4 or ask GlasWerks to source one for them.

GlasWerks DMV Elevato, from $175,000 plus donor car, GlasWerks Special Operations, SpecOpsbyGW.com, @SpecOpsbyGW

But of all the companies keeping the E-Type firmly in their sights, Eagle E-Types of Sussex, UK, is perhaps the most acclaimed. Founded in 1984 by Henry Pearman, the company started ‘remanufacturing’ the E-Type in 1991 and has gone on to become the world’s leading specialist restorer of the model. At one point, there was a seven-year waiting list for an Eagle.

From the turn of the century, Eagle has also delved into creating unique E-Type Special Editions of its own design, starting with the Eagle Speedster, followed by the Low Drag GT, Spyder GT and Lightweight GT.

Now the company has gone further with this, the Eagle Lightweight GTR. Taking the original 1960s racing Lightweight E-Type as the template, the GTR was commissioned by an exacting client to explore the limits of lightweight performance design.

The voluptuous curves are all present and correct yet pared back to sublime minimalism, with flush details, and precision panel gaps. The E-Type is a familiar and feted form, a beautiful, era-defining machine that’s also the aesthetic straitjacket Jaguar never quite managed to escape from. Eagle doesn’t need to worry about all that, however, and has instead focused on stripping out weight and creating an exacting, driving-focused specification.

All in all, the Lightweight GTR tips the scales at just 930kg, less than the original E-Type convertible weighed back in the day. It’s an impressive achievement, with the minimalist approach extending to the black Alcantara-trimmed interior.

Lightweight racing seats with four-point harnesses, a subtly revised dashboard with magnetic phone dock and even air-conditioning all serve to upgrade the driving experience without succumbing to OTT restomod styling.

According to Eagle’s client, the car was intended as the antithesis of the modern performance car, with its complex electronic systems and outrageous power outputs. ‘I'm not sure those cars will age very well, so I commissioned Eagle to build me a car that is as light as possible without sacrificing comfort, devoid of screens or other electronics,’ they say. ‘With incredible performance, long-distance comfort and timeless beauty, I couldn't be happier with the result.’

Performance comes courtesy of an all-aluminium 4.7-litre straight-six with triple Weber carburettors, housed beneath the E-Type’s signature forward-hinged bonnet. Bespoke suspension and carbon-ceramic brakes, as well as the use of durable magnesium and titanium components keep weight down.

As a one-on-one expression of bespoke performance engineering, the Lightweight GTR will take some beating.

More details at Eagle E-Types, EagleGB.com, @Eagle.Etypes

Showcased at the annual SEMA show in Las Vegas, Project: ARES, says the company, is an ‘electric motorcycle from an alternate future’. The fact that the bike shares a name with Disney’s recent (and mostly reviled) Tron movie is probably best ignored, but the science-fiction aesthetic of the original concept has been carried through to production.

From the outset, Real Motors has been explicit about its desire to fuse the advantages of electric mobility – speed, silence, acceleration – with the analogue delights of visible, high-quality engineering and emotive forms.

Project : ARES has always been described as an ‘Electric Analogue’ experience, and to that end, the SEMA display takes a cinematic nod from Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, with maybe a splash of early Damien Hirst thrown in. Anything to get away from Tron, perhaps.

According to the company’s co-founder, Trent Dingman, ‘Real Motors believes the future belongs to machines with soul – where human instinct, craftsmanship, and electric technology co-exist. Our SEMA installation aims to jolt the industry awake – it’s a signal of the beginning of a new era.’

Building Project : ARES will require a new partnership with an Italian engineering consultancy specialising in electric motorcycles along with what it describes as a ‘Cap-Lite’ manufacturing method, with an emphasis on flexibility rather than making a huge investment in factories and equipment. ‘It allows Real Motors to move quickly, refine designs continuously, and build in smaller, smarter volumes,’ says Dingman.

Order books will be opened soon, with first deliveries expected in 2026.

For more information on Project: ARES visit Real-Motors.com, @RealMotorsCo

That cluster might include the McLaren 750S, firmly established as a quintessential modern supercar thanks to a close resemblance to its equally dramatic predecessor, the 720S. Like the 720S, the 750S is a carbon fibre-swathed two-seater with V8 power. All the basic metrics have been upped, along with a series of discrete bodywork and mechanical modifications.

In all, 30% of the car has been overhauled, with power increased, weight saved and basic levels of tech brought more in line with the industry standard. Most supercar buyers want a combination of class-leading stats and peacock-level looks.

To achieve the latter, you would probably want to go above and beyond the surprisingly tasteful standard specification and dive into the infinite pool of options available via McLaren Special Operations (MSO – more on this another time). MSO will do pretty much anything, up to and including a tailor-made car, but the most common requests are for things like special paintwork and finishes like the Blue Spectrum livery shown here.

When it comes down to the raw numbers, the 750S doesn’t top any tables. The newly announced Ferrari 849 Testarossa is more powerful (thanks to its hybrid powertrain) and a better sprinter, while the Lamborghini Revuelto is faster. Aston’s upcoming Valhalla is more luxurious, whilst the limited-edition Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale is arguably the most beautiful of the lot.

Once you’ve put away your pack of top trumps, remembering that a fair percentage of this car’s target market will own two, three or maybe all of the above, where does that leave the 750S? In our opinion, it’s undeniably the most interesting of the lot.

Performance stats are irrelevant to the real world, even on a track, but the 750S bundles its performance with a packaging of predictable handling, excellent visibility and genuine all-round usability that makes it the kind of car you can easily use every day, for everything.

On the open road, the 750S simply excels. Near instantaneous gear-changes bring the V8 to vivid life, providing a bottomless pit of torque and power that communicates seamlessly with the road via the sublime steering set-up. Levels of traction, throttle and suspension response are easily switchable via the rocker switches on the instrument binnacle.

Other controls – heater, navigation, audio, etc. – are confined to the smartphone-like vertical touch screen. It’s more idiosyncratic than ergonomic (and Android Auto is still a conspicuous absence), but this has the effect of strengthening, not breaking, the bond you develop with the car.

Sensitive city-dwellers might baulk at submitting their fellow humans to the ferocity of the V8 on a day-to-day basis (in which case, the hybrid Artura is the better choice), but if your driving life consists of a blend of twisty B-roads and long-haul motorway miles, the 750S will tackle the former like a go-kart and devour smooth asphalt like a limo.

You’ll quickly learn to respect the car’s delicate carbon fibre extremities, but the combo of a swift front end lift mechanism and all-round cameras make parking this machine easier than most.

It's all a question of intent. Supercars are both technical showcases and investment assets, and the latter role means that many examples rarely get used as their engineers intended. At the opposite extreme, companies encourage customers to push the extremes via lucrative customisation services. MSO, Q by Aston Martin, Lamborghini's Ad Personam program, Atelier Ferrari, Bentley’s Mulliner and Rolls Royce’s Bespoke divisions, as well as various after-market services of varying taste and distinction, results in huge numbers of personalised cars that are, shall we say, aesthetic outliers.

All this leaves the ‘basic’ 750S in something a sweet spot. By forgoing the extremities of customisation, the essential elegance of the car is preserved. The absence of hybrid power keeps things (relatively) simple, as well as keeping prices below the Ferrari and Aston Martin equivalent.

Of course, the 750S is a technical tour-de-force, but in today’s ultra-high-tech auto market, it has an increasingly rare mechanical purity. Supercars are not for introverts, of course, but like all superlative driving machines, the McLaren 750S contains multitudes, a tool for focusing the mind on the road ahead and the act of driving, not what everyone else is thinking of you.

McLaren 750S, from c£250,000, Spider from c£270,000, Cars.McLaren.com, @McLarenAuto

Following on from the original limited edition production model there was also the standard production Ami followed by the acid-tinged Buggy variant. Now we have this, the Ami Dark Side, a none-more-black edition that the company calls the automotive equivalent of a little black dress.

Neatly cleaving the goth and cyberpunk genre, the diminutive Dark Side edition is resplendent in an all-black livery, including bodywork finished in matte ‘Black Night’ with details picked out in white, such as the dotted wheel trims and graphics, and grey. Continuing its promise of mobility for all – Amis can be driven by 14-year-olds in France – the Dark Side edition will surely find favour with all those in the grip of a black-clad phase.

As well as the colour, livery and new rear spoiler, Citroën is also offering the My Ami Cargo pack and My Ami for All versions in the Dark Side special edition. The stripped down interior is shaped by removable storage boxes with infotainment governed by the My Ami Play app.

The stats remain the same – a top speed of 45 km/h, and a range of 75 km – even if the mood has darkened, and our own Ami experience demonstrates that this is all you need for day-to-day city life. Many agree, with over 85,000 Amis delivered to date, and the Dark Side will no doubt inspire more to switch over to this plastic panelled two-seater. First deliveries aren’t expected until January 2026

Citroën Ami Dark Side edition, available to order now from €8,890, Citroën.co.uk

It's not to be confused with Belmond’s Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, with its partnerships with Veuve-Clicquot and Wallpaper*-award-winning L’Observatoire suite by JR. Accor’s involvement with the Orient Express name will ultimately extend to hotels and yachts – the Corinthian launches in June 2026 - whilst also collaborating with LVMH (Belmond’s parent company) on retaining the lustre of the brand.

Accor has a portfolio full of iconic and evocative names, including Raffles and Fairmont, Pullman, and Mercure, alongside large hotel chains like Swissôtel, Novotel and Sofitel. The company knows a thing or two about luxury presentation, realising that the success of the Orient Express revival would depend on creating an exceptional on-board ambience.

Now the first images of Accor’s reborn train have been revealed, debuting at the monumental 1925–2025: One Hundred Years of Art Deco exhibition running at Paris’s Musée des Arts Décoratifs. It’s an apposite pairing, given the train’s historical association with contemporary opulence and craft, and the reputation of the chosen architect, Maxime d’Angeac as a contemporary exponent of the Art Deco legacy.

As these initial images show, the Orient Express has been reborn as modern-day manifestation of this exotic, extravagant and highly craft-dependent movement. No fewer than thirty artisans have been approached to contribute their skills to the new carriages, all guided by d’Angeac in his role as the Artistic Director of Orient Express. The ultimate aim is to create a ‘showcase for French craftsmanship… in the spirit of the great Art Deco ensembliers.’

The end result is akin to a distillation of the essence of the grandest Deco palaces into optically overstuffed compartments, corridors, dining cars and couchettes, with the involvement of ‘embroiderers, sculptors, watchmakers, metalworkers, glassmakers, cabinetmakers, lighting experts, engineers... Every piece has its function; every gesture has its meaning,’ according to d'Angeac.

The new train will be a panoply of creative stories that will add to the lustre of elegance, romance and, yes, mystery, that continue to be associated with the Orient Express name. Even the origin story of the revival is worthy of this image, with a ten-year search for a set of 17 original 1920s carriages culminating in their discovery on a railway siding near the border of Poland and Belarus.

After the discovery of the carriages by Orient Express’s in-house historian, Arthur Mettetal, d'Angeac led the restoration, overseeing the involvement of artisans like furniture makers Rinck and Paul Champs, upholstery specialist Ateliers Jouffre, paper workshop Ateliers d’Offard, lighting studio Atelier Moderne Pulsatil, and many more, is the cornerstone of the revived brand. Along the way, the assembled team has had to preserve original marquetry and lamps and glasswork by Lalique glasswork, along with fresh work from the assembled team.

The end result will take to the rails in 2027, following this year’s launch of La Dolce Vita Orient Express train service in Italy and the opening of the Orient Express La Minerva hotel in Rome. 2026 will bring a new Orient Express hotel in Venice, alongside the launch of what’s set to be the world’s largest sailing yacht, Orient Express Corinthian, currently under construction at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in St Nazaire.

Well-heeled lovers of immersive transport experience will have to wait a little longer before getting on board.

Orient-Express.com, @OrientExpress, MaximedAngeac.com

More than six decades later, this iconic vehicle has been reborn by Hedley Studios, but this time with a modern twist. Evoking the nostalgia of 1950s motorsport racing, this new creation is 75 percent the size of the original car and replaces petrol with electricity. Hedley Studios describes it as a re-envisioned classic, rather than a reproduction. ‘We pride ourselves on creating reinterpretations of iconic vehicles - not replicas,’ says Group Marketing Director at Hedley Studios, Emily Giddings.

Working with Ferrari, Hedley Studios brought together world-class engineers and artisans to create the Lucybelle II. Using original Ferrari Classiche blueprints, they ensured that every detail remained true to the car’s heritage. ‘At the design stage, it’s important we have access to the original drawings to remain as authentic to the original as possible,’ says Giddings.

The build, which spanned 12 months, was an act of devotion. ‘We painstakingly 3D scanned every component of the original car to grasp an understanding of its dimensions and scale,’ Giddings adds. Every curve, seam, and rivet blur the boundary between art and engineering, making it as much a sculpture as a drivable object. Hand-beaten aluminium panels shape its sinuous form, while red leather with white piping lines its interior.

Rather than pristine perfection, this edition tells the story of the race itself, with worn paint, scuffs, and added dirt. ‘This is the first time that Hedley Studios has completed a car in race weathered paint effect, which has been meticulously hand painted by one of our in-house artists,’ Giddings reveals. This rigorous process spanned 100 hours, with each brushstroke reflecting the original car’s 24 hours of endurance.

Boasting a Nardi steering wheel and remastered dials, the car offers five drive modes: Novice, Comfort, Sport, and Race. Hitting speeds up to 50mph and offering a 90km range, the Lucybelle II is small but mighty. ‘We wanted to create a collector’s piece that offered a unique driving experience for all ages.’ Meanwhile, the suspension has been fine-tuned at Ferrari’s legendary Fiorano track by official test drivers. ‘We employ some of the most experienced engineers in the industry from a range of testing environments.’

Those eager to experience the car firsthand can do so at Boca Raton, the world-class resort and private members’ club in South Florida. Guests of the resort’s Suite Collection can take the wheel of the handcrafted Ferrari Testa Rossa J alongside the Aston Martin DB5 Jnr and Bugatti Baby II on a 2.5-mile private course winding through the 200-acre waterfront estate.

Led by Founder and CEO Ben Hedley and formerly known as The Little Car Company, the studio’s momentum is unmistakable. They recently joined forces with bespoke shoemaker George Cleverley to craft a one-of-a-kind Bentley Blower Jnr, featuring rare reindeer leather, the same used for HM King Charles III’s shoes. ‘We’ve delivered over 500 vehicles to over 60 countries and we’re just getting started,’ says Giddings. ‘We are proving EVs can be fun.’

Looking ahead, Hedley Studios is gearing up to collaborate with more iconic automotive brands. ‘We have plans to ramp up production significantly and bring a diverse product portfolio to market over the next 5 years.’

HedleyStudios.com, @Hedley.Studios

Subtitled The New World Order of Handcrafted Cars, this is an overview of the restomod scene, containing profiles of over 50 of this elevated but eclectic arm of the auto industry. A modern restomod takes an established classic and gives it a contemporary make-over, not just restoring but modernising, enhancing and upgrading every conceivable element.

Some companies specialise in performance, others in electrifying old-school combustion models. The end results are almost always unique, the result of a focused, hand-crafted process that goes above and beyond the capabilities of all but the most sophisticated mainstream luxury manufacturers.

Hence most restomods come with price-tags that far exceed the original cars, pushing the genre into the high-end realm. It’s a new form of luxury, to be sure, one that prioritises the relationship between customer, manufacturer and product. Cars Reimagined looks at companies catering to multiple marques, from the well-established – Alfaholics and Singer – to start-ups like Lunaz.

Along the way there are dives into cult classic outfits like ICON and Cyan Racing, as well as established manufacturers looking to muscle in on the trend – including Bentley and Jaguar – and iconic revived nameplates like Bizzarrini. A fascinating look at the new levels of craft and technology that have emerged to cater to the world of luxury mobility.

Strictly speaking, the new Volvo isn’t a saloon car. At first glance at the latest launch, in Monaco – the unofficial home of chauffeured cars – the ES90 visually sits somewhere between a low-slung saloon and its high-riding SUV sibling, the EX90. Volvo claims it’s a package that combines the ‘elegance of a sedan, the adaptability of a fastback and the spacious, elevated seating of an SUV’. While the design aspires to cover off a fair few bases, the overall package is still reassuringly a Scandi-modernist saloon, taking inspiration from cars like the 240 from the 1970s and the 740 from the 1990s.

From some angles it’s hard to look past the glaring bulge housing the lidar system on top of the windscreen, which is all-too similar to a London taxi cab’s glowing top light. The EX90 SUV also suffers with the same problem but Volvo is believed to be working on a solution. Other manufacturers, like Lotus, which is also owned by Volvo’s parent company Geely, have found a way to hide these sensors when they’re not required, with a system that pops up out of the roof only when the car is driving.

But get past that little niggle and the ES90 has pretty proportions and feels sleek, not chunky. Nevertheless, Volvo’s aesthetic is still reassuringly solid, with fuss-free surfacing that gives the car presence. Details like the ‘Thor’s hammer’ lights and smoothed, grilleless front end hint at the car’s electric underpinnings.

‘The ES90 is a car that strikes a balance between business and family life, offering people everyday versatility in the sleek shape of a modern electric car,’ says Erik Severison, chief product and strategy officer at Volvo Cars at the launch. ‘It is based on Volvo cars’ most advanced technology base, which it shares with our large, full electric SUV, the EX90. It is built smart with more computing power and impressive range and 800-volt technology for fast charging and high efficiency.’

Three powertrain options are available and a choice of two battery sizes – 92 kWh or 106 kWh battery. The standard, rear-wheel drive Single Motor ES90 has a WLTP range of 403 miles, and produces 328bhp from its 92kWh battery, which will cover off 0-62mph in 6.9 seconds. Only the Twin Motor, all-wheel drive gets the bigger 106kWh battery, which is good for 443bhp and 31 miles of range on paper, as well as a faster 0-62mph time of 5.6 seconds.

Sitting at the very top of the range is the Twin Motor Performance version, which manages to squeeze a heady 671bhp out of the 106kWh battery, while holding on to the same 434 miles of range and covering the 0-62mph dash in just 4.0 seconds.

On the road, the single-motor, rear-wheel drive is remarkably smooth and inside the cabin, there’s barely a whisper or buzz to be heard. Silent and smooth is the calling card of most luxury saloons, but very few manage to pull it off to the extent the ES90 has done.

Much of that is down to the (optional) dual-chamber air suspension, while the quiet in the cabin sets the stage for the optional Bower & Wilkins sound system, which is comprised of 25 high-fidelity speakers delivering immersive Dolby Atmos audio and a special ‘Abbey Road Studios Mode’. As a car to cover off long drives, the single-motor ES90 that I tested is a very comfortable and capable candidate.

Handling is in line with the car’s modest performance credentials but if pace is what you’re looking for, then hold out for the Performance model. The ES90 doesn’t claim to be a blisteringly quick super saloon and nor does it give off that impression when you drive it. It’s safe, steady and stately, as you’d expect from a 5m-long Volvo with Swedish sensibilities baked in.

On the inside, it’s spacious, modern and minimalist, particularly in the back where there’s an impressive amount of legroom and a refreshing lack of screens. As is the way with most software-focused cars, nearly all of the controls – climate, infotainment and driving settings – are buried in the large, black 14.5-inch central screen, which sits proud of the dashboard up front.

It’s not integrated, more a floating tablet that looks at odds with the beautifully designed dash, trimmed in ash wood, set against the cream-coloured leather upholstery. There’s also a neat, nine-inch driver display that replaces the traditional dials and a head-up display (HUD) to help the driver keep their eyes on the road.

As mentioned, the lidar bulge above the windscreen isn’t just for show – it enables sophisticated driver assistance, which Volvo calls Safe Space Technology. It’s powered by a potent dual Nvidia Drive AGX Orin processor and the ES90’s seven cameras, five radars, 12 ultrasonic sensors and, of course, the lidar, which give the car all-round vision and oversight of the driving environment, while collecting real-time data on the road ahead.

It’s impressive on the road and with a click down on the right indicator stalk, it will keep the ES90 within the lane and control the speed and identify any oncoming threats.

Both specifications at the launch were the single-motor, rear-wheel drive cars, which are available in Plus or Ultra specification. Prices start at £69,760 for the former and £79,160 for the latter. Judged against its main competitors – think Porsche Taycan, BMW i5 and Audi A6 e-Tron – the Volvo might be a slightly leftfield choice, but you’re rewarded with a sublime ride quality and unparalleled peace and quiet in the cabin.

The single-motor model won’t set the world alight when it comes to performance but that’s not what a luxury saloon is for. It’s for covering large distances comfortably, calmly and quietly and the ES90 is beautifully equipped for that.

As the latest chapter in Volvo’s electrification strategy, it’s an impressive step and a refreshing change from the waves of electric SUVs that continually pop up. Time will tell if the ES90 enjoys mass appeal as a £70,000-plus electric saloon but already, it’s got the upper hand on its main rivals as the considered and sophisticated alternative.

Volvo ES90, from £69,760, VolvoCars.com, @VolvoCars

But as charging gets faster, a lot of these objections melt away. Ultra-fast charging is now approaching conventional fuelling speeds and that’s certainly the case with BBM’s new Hiro electric motorcycle. Officially announced today, the Hiro has a fast-charge electrical system at its core; the headline figure is the ability to add 100km of range in nine minutes.

Alternatively, a quarter of an hour tops the onboard 13kWh battery up to 80 per cent capacity – the recommended maximum level for regular charging. That compact power pack is good for an urban range of over 220km (136 miles) on a single charge, with more than enough capability for longer touring rides. The Hiro is based on a modular platform and weighs around 200kg. The electric motor delivers the equivalent of 94hp and a top speed of 190 km/h (118 mph).

The Basque Country-based BBM worked in collaboration with Belgian EV company Saroléa to create the Hiro. Aside from the modular platform – which will be extended to different models in due course – the Hiro uses body panels crafted from bio-composites to create the different looks – ‘Streetfighter’, ‘Roadster’, etc – that transform the bike’s image.

The company was set up by French brothers Benoit and Guillaume Barras. ‘We didn't want to create just one motorcycle, but a platform to build multiple models,’ says Benoit Barras. ‘Our experience has taught us that every rider is looking for something special, and the Hiro is designed for this purpose.’

‘The key wasn’t to create something new but to balance what’s already here,’ Guillaume Barras adds. ‘Packed with all the latest tech, this motorcycle isn’t just about what’s possible, it’s about what’s rightfully expected.’

The Hiro is expected to be fully available in Summer 2026.

BBM Hiro, from €16,900 plus tax, BBM-motorcycles.com, @BBM.Motorcycles

Unveiled in Shanghai last week (14 October 2025), the Vision Iconic is Mercedes’ most explicit attempt yet to marry its halcyon pre-war glamour with the cold, clinical logic of 21st-century electrification. This show car is tailored like a black velvet tuxedo: it’s theatrical, impeccably cut, absurdly expensive to make, and immediately convincing.

From a distance, it reads like a sculpture – long-boned, low-slung and deliberately anachronistic. The acres of bonnet – containing what, we don’t know – meet an aerodynamic glasshouse and a neatly tucked rump that narrows into a teardrop silhouette. But above all else, what really grabs the attention is the ‘radiator’ grille.

Drawing inspiration from Mercedes lux-o-barges from the 1960s and 1970s, like the W108, W111 and 600 Pullman, the upright grille has a chrome frame, smoked glass lattice and contour lighting. It can also be animated to display different graphics. If you could drive this car back in time, that might be very useful when communicating with spies hiding in the shadows of the Berlin Wall.

The brooch-like appendage is Mercedes’ rebuttal to the smooth featureless visages of most EVs and a declaration that, even with a heart full of batteries, four-wheeled prestige deserves a face. This follows on from the new GLC and upcoming C-Class, both of which reject subtlety of snout for big light-up boat races.

Inside, there’s more blue velvet than a David Lynch thriller. Lounge-lizard material covers the Elvis-era bench seating, and there are polished brass accoutrements and inlays of mother-of-pearl on the facia and door panels.

The centrepiece of the pillar-to-pillar instrument panel is a floating glass structure that has been dubbed ‘the Zeppelin’, containing analogue-style dials and digital screens – the dials perform mechanical animations before the widescreen display wakes up, and a clock shaped like the three-pointed star doubles as an AI interface.

Mercedes describes the experience within as ‘hyper-analogue digital luxury’. The four-spoke steering wheel looks like it’s been liberated from a speedboat. You can admire the floor, too, clad in elaborate straw marquetry, which was fashionable in the 17th century and was revived in the roaring 1920s. It suggests a future in which touchscreens and artisanal craftsmanship sit side by side.

Period sensibility meets advanced systems thinking when it comes to the paint job, too. That’s not simple black lacquer you see before you. It’s ‘solar paint’, an invisible photovoltaic coating which, via micro-solar modules, can meaningfully top up the car’s electric range. Mercedes say that if they were to slap solar paint onto a mid-size SUV it could produce enough energy for up to 7,500 miles a year.

The concept also introduces a new steer-by-wire system and level-four autonomous tech, complete with a neuromorphic AI computer system designed to mimic the human brain. Fully autonomous driving systems can drain batteries faster than putting your foot down, but this clever system has the ability to reduce the energy required for autonomous driving by 90 per cent. It’s also ten times more efficient at reading the road than non-neuromorphic systems and reacts faster.

These are technologies that’ll be on a production S-Class soon enough. Most interestingly, what the Vision Iconic is foretelling is Mercedes’ embrace of its bullish, bellicose and eccentric heritage, of building spectral sports cars and limos for dictators and people with ‘von’ in their names.

Vintage design is not a trap but a lens through which to sharpen the future. As a piece of couture, the Vision Iconic reminds the world that Germany still knows a thing or two about sending a message of strength.

Vision Iconic, concept only, more information at Mercedes-Benz.com

The Junior began life as the Milano, a more appropriate name perhaps for a city-orientated car, but one that was nixed by no less than the Italian government, who forbade the Polish-made EV from bearing the name of an Italian city. Now it’s the Junior, a name that means a great deal to the Alfisti and therefore cannot help but coming up slightly short. Illustrated here with the flagship Veloce model, we tested the Junior Speciale.

The model encapsulates today’s platform-based approach to volume car-making. The Junior sits on Stellantis's electrified Common Modular Platform (e-CMP), an incredibly flexible piece of engineering designed in collaboration with Chinese manufacturer Dongfeng. CMP and e-CMP underpin a staggering number of different vehicles, including the Citroen e-C4, DS 3 Crossback, Opel Mokka-e, Peugeot e-208, Fiat and Abarth 600e, and Jeep Avenger EV, and that's just the pure electric models from Stellantis.

Although modern platforms are massively flexible, there are still elements of proportions, cabin architecture and internal systems that are harder to disguise. In pictures, the Alfa has a snub, compact tidiness, with kicked up rear haunches, big wheelarches and pitched-forward stance. In reality, the Junior is larger than it looks on the page; in the metal, the car feels stout and a little bloated.

There’s no denying the unique Alfa identifiers such as the front grille/badge, the bold wheel design and the front and rear light clusters. But these tacked on, rather than an integral part of a cohesive design, brand flair added as a differentiator, not a defining core of an identity.

That feeling carries on inside, where you’ll find a start button raised up on a prominent but plasticky bit of trim, studiously ‘racy’ contrasting seatbelt colours and a sculptural, heritage-focused instrument cowling that simply sits around a square digital screen inside. Ergonomically, the Junior is sound rather than intuitively perfect or even idiosyncratically awful, as many iconic Italian cars tended to be. The ‘Alfa Romeo’-ness of it all is nothing but a checklist.

Happily, the Junior is a bit more invigorating to drive. In Speciale trim it’s no screaming performer – 62mph comes up in 9 seconds and top speed is 93mph – but the balance, poise and steering all transcend the usual EV bugbear of having to cart around so much weight. That’s partly due to the relatively small 54kWh battery, the downside of which is a range of just 208 miles for the Veloce and 255 miles for the Speciale.

With all that said, the Junior is doing good numbers for Alfa, which recently updated the car for the 2026 model year. In brief, this means more options, with two- and four-wheel drive hybrids alongside the 100% electric car. There are already plenty of options – and standard equipment – that set the Junior apart from a more run-of-the-mill compact SUV, including driver’s massage seat and USB sockets all round (with the addition of the Techno Pack – as fitted to the test car).

A disappointment? Perhaps a little. For some, the Junior represents the best possible expression of the brand given the constraints within which it finds itself operating. But in truth, Alfa has always been a battler, making a whole host of brilliant but flawed cars despite myriad economic challenges. While the Junior is par for the course for a modern EV, it definitely feels like more character is available to unlock.

Alfa Romeo Junior Speciale, from £35,695, as tested £ 38,245

As the older Gs have garnered cult status for their compact, boxy shape and go-anywhere practicality, more and more companies have sprung up to transform, update and restore the classic model. We’ve featured EMC before, but there’s also Arcade Cars, among others. Many such companies are drawing on surviving stock of military and utility spec Geländewagen.

This particular car is the first time that Alex Levin’s New Jersey-based company has gone for the full-size LWB G-Wagen, having cut its teeth on the SWB Wolf model. Not only that, but this 1993 example is also a cabrio for added flexibility.

The big draw here is seating for eight (the SWB cars can accommodate six). This accommodation is paired with new bucket seats and sideboards, larger 18-inch wheels and an upgraded and overhauled Mercedes Turbodiesel engine.

Customers wanting more than the 275hp of diesel grunt can opt for a 430hp V8 instead but will lose a lot of the rough and ready character of the original car. That’s not to say the LWB is in any way a hair-shirt option. The new leather trim, along with uprated equipment and dashboard all elevate the new car far above the hair-shirted original.

‘This is a milestone moment for Expedition Motor Company,’ says Levin. ‘For almost nine years, we’ve dedicated ourselves to perfecting the restoration of the SWB 250GD Wolf. The introduction of the Long Wheelbase Cabrio allows us to bring that same level of craftsmanship and attention to detail to a larger platform. Customers can now enjoy everything they already know and love about the EMC Wolf – its authenticity, unique character, and timeless design – while comfortably accommodating more passengers.’

EMC Long Wheelbase Cabrio G-Wagen, from $235,000, ExpeditionMotorCompany.com, @ExpeditionMotorCompany

Confusion over the proposed ban on selling combustion-engined vehicles in the UK is also shifting goalposts with baffling regularity. While some carmakers embrace the electric revolution, others are agonising over future EV plans.

Until a few weeks ago, for example, Porsche was set to axe the best-selling ICE Boxster, replacing the convertible with an electric-only model. That was before CEO Oliver Blume made a surprise announcement that the company will continue to produce petrol versions after all.

The missive from Stuttgart confirmed ‘significant adjustments to our product portfolio in the medium and long-term period. As part of this Porsche is evaluating further investments in highly emotive combustion engine derivatives at the upper end of the 718 model range.’

In Porsche-speak, that means the brand’s first, Boxster EV will be launched after the Cayenne Electric, currently due by mid-2026. However, it may continue to sell petrol-powered Boxsters at the upper end of the range too.

Porsche enthusiasts aren’t the only ones wondering what will happen next. When I drove the ‘last’ ICE Boxster in early September 2025, I was expecting to scribble a valediction in memory of a sports car I first experienced almost 30 years ago, when the two-seater was dismissed as a poor man’s 911.

Now the Boxster GTS 4.0 may be around a while longer – really, it’s anyone’s guess. The only thing we do know for sure is that what was billed as the fuelled finale for the 718 model – including the coupé Cayman sibling – may be the best version ever.

Launched in 1996 with a 2.5-litre flat-six engine, sales of the original Boxster took off at an astonishing pace and almost certainly saved Porsche from the knacker’s yard. How so? In 1992, the company was on the verge of collapse. Sales totalled 6,600 cars and losses amounted to a record-breaking £98 million. A new, cost-effective model was needed to keep Porsche on the road.

That first 986 Boxster – the name an amalgamation of the Boxer engine and the roadster body – was a controversial car, not least because every Porsche before it, bar the 928 luxury GT, was designed for the racetrack. The bulbous new Boxster also lacked the svelte lines of the breathtaking concept car that preceded it.

Since then, Boxster has morphed through four generations and a raft of increasingly punchier powerplants. Notably, the third generation 981 launched in 2012 was substantially lighter than the outgoing model. Later, the first Boxster GTS offered sharper handling and more power from a 3.4-litre engine. There was also the stripped down Spyder.

In 2016, Porsche replaced the Boxster’s glorious flat-six with a pair of four-cylinder turbo engines for the 718 model – a nod to the car that won the Targa Floria race in Sicily in the late 1950s. Despite more power and mpg, enthusiasts bemoaned the loss of character.

Fortunately, Porsche probably saved the best until last, introducing the flat-six again for the range-topping 718 GTS. At a time when turbocharging and all-wheel drive are commonplace, the GTS is still one of the purest roadsters available.

Priced from £77,300, the current – possibly last – GTS is more than double that of a fun-loving Mazda MX-5. However, few sports cars can match the Porsche for quality, poise and top-down thrills.

Designed for year-round driving pleasure, the Boxster cabin is a delightful place to travel. Excellent seats, exquisite detailing and an electric-folding roof that blots out road noise makes the Porsche a convertible for all seasons. It even boasts a key instead of a starter button – remember those?

Best of all, without all-wheel drive, the mid-engine Boxster is still blessed with incredible handling. Combine that with the soundtrack of a naturally aspirated six-cylinder engine and you start to wonder why it’s worth paying considerably more for a 911 Cabriolet instead.

Porsche 718 Boxster GTS 4.0, from £77,300, Porsche.com, @Porsche

This mass gathering of floating metal (and carbon, wood and GRP) is so tightly packed, you could cover the whole of the harbour by walking from deck to deck without even dipping a toe in the deep blue. The variety and volume of yachts on show is staggering but each year, we get a taste of what’s on trend in this high-end niche of the nautical world.

VistaJet makes a splash on its yacht show debut

For a show that attracts the world’s 0.1 percent looking for the latest and greatest in personal transportation on the water, it’s no surprise to find private jet company VistaJet making its debut as the show’s dedicated private aviation sponsor.

We touched down in Nice with its flagship Bombardier Global 7500 – the largest and longest-range business jet, capable of pulling off a 17-hour flight non-stop. Whisper-quiet on the inside, with two rear-mounted General Electric Passport engines powering it to just below supersonic speeds, the plane also has precision-engineered wings that reduce in-flight lumps and bumps.

The plane carries a crew of four – each trained to carry out facials (an aviation first) and also on hand to serve VistaJet’s three-course menu, conjured up by its own in-house nutritionist.

With an interior to rival some yachts, the Global 7500 has four separate living spaces, including a permanent en-suite stateroom with a double bed, a cinema lounge, a dining and seating area for 14 passengers or eight sleepers, and a bathroom complete with a full-height on-board shower.

But what of the yachts? Here’s what we saw.

Tender technology – from retro cruisers to the supercar of the seas

Darting between the bigger boats at the show were countless tenders and day craft – some more notable than others. Capturing plenty of attention was the latest from Swedish manufacturer J-Craft, with its elegant 42ft-long Torpedo – a nostalgic nod to the golden days of la dolce vita, only with a hefty dose of Swedish build quality and craftsmanship. Despite its retro styling, J-Craft’s roots date back to 2000, when the first model – then called the Cabrio Cruiser – was delivered to the King of Sweden.

Today, the Torpedo is one of the prettiest day boats on the market, powered Volvo Penta IPS engines and practical enough to sleep four and travel up to 280 nautical miles overseas – enough to go from Saint Tropez to Sardinia’s Costa Smeralda in eight hours.

To showcase the boatbuilder’s latest collaboration with Venetian textile house Fortuny fabrics, it had its latest build, Amazon Queen, running around Port Hercule, complete with an exquisite fabric interior designed by Studio Magnes.

At the other end of the spectrum was Say Carbon Yachts, with its 42 (named for its length in feet) day boat constructed entirely from carbon fibre. The German boat maker, founded by carbon fibre specialist and former F1 supplier Karl Wagner, is on a product offensive, having launched its flagship 52 earlier this year, ahead of a new 32 and 42 Sport, arriving in 2026.

Both boats are engineered for speed, with lean and lightweight designs, rakish lines and crisp carbon fibre everywhere you look, Say Carbon Yachts are the closest thing to a supercar on the seas.

Sustainability on the seas

Sustainability seems like an unlikely subject to discuss at a superyacht show but efforts are being made to decarbonise this niche subset of the marine market. Alongside the many floating motorised palaces were a host of sailing craft, identifiable by their masts towering above even the tallest powered boats.

For Finnish shipyard Nautor Swan, Port Hercule was the place to announce its forthcoming Alloy 44 – a 44m aluminium supermaxi, designed by Malcolm McKeon in tandem with Swan’s Technical Office. It represents a sizeable step forward in stiffness-to-weight efficiency and the ability to customise its layout without altering the elegant profile.

'Alloy gives us new freedom without losing the Swan silhouette, elegance in line, purpose in detail and a sailing experience that feels effortless,' said McKeon at the boat’s launch.

In stark contrast to the Swan was the behemoth Breakthrough, moored outside of the harbour. The 119m Feadship, launched last year, is the world's first hydrogen fuel-cell powered superyacht. Designed to cruise emission-free over short distances on green hydrogen, that yacht plays host to a 92 sq m storage space for hydrogen, as well as vent stacks for the escaping water vapour.

On board, accommodation is for a total of 30 guests, housed in 12 cabins, and a crew of 44, alongside a cinema, library, hospital facility, a semi-submerged viewing area, an 8.2m pool with contraflow and a light-enhancing atrium with a staircase wrapped around a lift.

VistaJet.com, @VistaJet

J-CraftBoats.com, @JCraftBoats, @StudioMagness

SAYCarbonYachts.com, @SAYCarbonYachts

NautorSwan.com, @NautorSwan_Official

Feadship.nl, @Feadship

At first glance, the Zero presents an orthodox silhouette complete with steel trellis frame, telescopic forks and dual-sided swingarm. This is no radical reimagining of the adventure bike’s form, but a familiar outline recalibrated for a new era.

The high-spec Black Forest edition arrives fully dressed for touring: SW-Motech panniers and top box integrated with precision, spoked wheels that allow the fitment of tubeless tyres, a tall adjustable screen that proves genuinely effective and practical touches from crash bars to auxiliary lighting.

The central mass of the battery and mid-mounted motor sit comfortably within the conventional frame, giving the whole machine a solid, well-balanced stance. It’s understated, but forward-thinking – a bike that acknowledges where it’s come from as much as where it’s headed. The full-colour TFT display is clear and modern, though the switchgear, an area where cost savings can no doubt be achieved, feels less polished – fussy in layout and lacking the premium tactility of the rest of the build.

The design direction comes from Zero’s California studio, where VP of Product Development Brian Wismann has until recently steered the company’s approach, with colour and finish guided by designers such as Cole Mishler. The result is a bike that doesn’t shout about its differences, but quietly insists on them, weaving contemporary surfaces and minimal graphics into a recognisable but future-leaning package.

The promise is intriguing: a fully equipped electric adventure-tourer capable of crossing countries and the odd dusty trail in comfort, with the performance and refinement to rival its petrol-powered peers. On paper, the DSR/X Black Forest delivers – 75 kW of peak power (roughly 100 hp), dual front discs with Bosch cornering ABS, 190 mm of suspension travel, belt drive and a quoted city range of up to 179 miles.

In reality, UK road riding returns closer to 130 miles (less if you’re heavy handed on the throttle), which is enough for a spirited day out, but short of the expectations set by its size and intent.

Beneath its familiar silhouette, the DSR/X Black Forest is powered by Zero’s Z-Force motor architecture, in this case, a 75kW unit housed centrally and air-cooled, delivering an impressive 229 Nm of torque from zero rpm. This motor is paired with Zero’s latest operating ecosystem, Cypher III+, which seamlessly takes care of the power maps, regenerative braking and ride modes.

Overlaying this is Bosch’s MSC (Motorcycle Stability Control) system, which provides cornering ABS and traction control, effectively bridging conventional rider aids with the more nuanced character of an electric powertrain. Brains to match the brawn, in other words.

The heart of the machine is its 17.3 kWh battery, currently Zero’s largest single pack installed in production bikes. In everyday use this provides the bulk of the machine’s energy reserve. For the long-distance set, Zero offers an optional Power Tank upgrade, pushing usable capacity toward 21 kWh.

That boost helps offset the usual drain from wind, luggage and elevation changes, but even so, real-world gains tend to be modest. The added mass and aerodynamics mean that the extra energy doesn’t fully translate into range.

Still, in ideal conditions the enlarged capacity gives riders more breathing room for longer stretches between inevitable charging stops. Talking of charging, this is handled via a Type 2 connection, the DSR/X’s Achilles’ heel in an otherwise forward-looking package. A 6.6 kW onboard charger comes as standard, with an optional dealer-fitted module doubling capacity to 12.6 kW.

Even so, rapid charging on the road remains relative, with 2-3 hours often required as standard. A full charge from a domestic socket still demands an overnight stop, around ten hours from empty to full.

From the saddle, it’s immediately accommodating. The 828mm seat height feels manageable and the wide bars combine with an upright riding position to offer a commanding view of the road.

Whether you find yourself navigating the roads of Wimbledon or Windermere, the bike’s balance inspires confidence, its low-slung battery mass contributing to a sense of calm stability at any speed. Linked J.Juan-branded brakes are strong, Showa suspension supple and throttle response impressively smooth and well metered.

Exploring the considerable torque on offer is the bike’s party piece, however. That and the strange, high-pitched sound of the motor. The bike surges forward with a gloriously immediate response, irrespective of gradient, the motor pitch rising to an uninterrupted crescendo.

There’s rarely any negative drama, the powertrain serves up a generous yet civilised ride, with Sport mode revealing the kind of acceleration that makes overtakes effortless. The makers have ensured the range of preprogrammed ride modes – Sport, Street, Eco, Rain and Canyon – feel genuinely distinct, a reminder that Zero’s power management software is among the best in the business.

For all its polish and poise, one question remains: can the DSR/X’s talents truly divert loyalists from their petrol-burning stalwarts at BMW and Honda et al? As a long-distance companion, the DSR/X comes close, but not quite. The seat turns firm after a couple of hours, the switchgear occasionally frustrates, and the real-world range forces a degree of planning that’s at odds with the spontaneous spirit of adventure touring. In the UK at least, the charging network is improving, but the waiting remains, a pause that no café stop can disguise, however indulgent the coffee.

Still, this is a well-resolved motorcycle. The build feels solid, the panniers cleverly integrated, and the entire package executed with a maturity that belies its pioneering status. The DSR/X Black Forest isn’t the electric adventure bike that redefines the genre, but it does establish the blueprint for one that will.

For now, it stands as a fascinating contradiction: a touring motorcycle that thrives within limits, and an electric machine that quietly asks how much performance, range and drama we really need to feel the thrill of the open road.

Zero DSR/X Black Forest, from £19,790, ZeroMotorcycles.com, @ZeroMotorcyclesEurope

Appropriately enough, this half-century year is also being marked with a new cutting-edge product, the company’s lightest ever e-bike, the flagship to a revitalised electric bike range. The Brompton Electric T Line takes Brompton’s ultra-light, titanium and carbon framed T Line model into the electric age, keeping weight down despite the addition of a specially designed rear hub motor and a detachable 345Wh battery.

In total, the Electric T Line promises up to 90km of range, but Brompton aficionados will seek out another metric to celebrate. All in, battery included, the newly electrified machine weighs in at 14.1kg. Admittedly that’s a big hike from the original’s svelte 7.45kg, but given that batteries are easily amongst the heftiest component of any electrically powered vehicle, Brompton’s designers and engineers have done well to keep the T Line portable.

That battery pack is easily detachable too (the bike weighs 11.2kg without it), making it simple to plug in and charge at a desk or in the sitting room. It goes without saying that the celebrated Brompton folding mechanism is unaffected, with the electrical system creating a new ‘Walk Assist Mode’ that can power the wheels while the bike is being walked through stations or pedestrian areas.

The Electric T Line is a flagship in an updated range of e-bikes, all of which incorporate Brompton’s own proprietary e-Motiq system. Already available on the G Line Electric, it will soon be the power unit incorporated into the C Line and P Line models.

In addition to the custom motor, the e-Motiq System works with a new handlebar control to track ride data, power assistance settings and the lighting controls. The control works in collaboration with the Brompton Electric App, which adapts range predictions according to your riding style. Finally, there’s a new Start Assist Mode to provide an instant boost of power for joining traffic or tackling steep gradients.

According to Will Carleysmith, chief design & engineering officer at Brompton, the new range of e-bikes is the company’s ‘answer to the evolving way we live and move. We’ve kept everything people love about Brompton – the portability, the engineering, the joy of the ride – and added the intelligence and lightness to make it easier, smarter, and even more fun.’

The Electric T Line uses titanium and carbon components to keep the weight to a minimum yet can still be folded and stashed in less than 20 seconds. Tested to destruction at Brompton’s own facility, the new e-bike has a three-year warranty on its electrical system, along with a vast range of Brompton accessories and frame finishes.

Brompton Electric T Line, from £5,799, more information at Brompton.com, @BromptonBicycle

The company states that its mission is ‘to make people feel good about flying again’, with an emphasis on low carbon footprint and in-cabin wellness, in line with a spatial offering that promises an all-business-style approach to interior design. To achieve this, Magnifica suggests that each Airbus will be fitted out with between 45 and 54 passenger seats, along with 2 to 4 ‘private suites’ on each aircraft.

The A321neo is destined for long-haul routes and will contain four suites, with the A220-300 flying mid-haul routes with only two suites. These consist of reconfigurable facing banquettes, as opposed to the pairs of reclining business-class banquettes found either side of the central aisle in the rest of the aircraft. There’s also a bar area at the rear of the plane.

The Magnifica experience extends well beyond the cabin, with guests given the choice of arriving as little as half an hour before departure. The new airline promises ‘white-glove baggage handling’ in addition to the usual raft of security screening, with pre-flight lounge amenities including fine food and drink and wellness offerings. At the other end, Magnifica suggests bags will be delivered in as little as ten minutes, with ‘chauffeurs waiting curbside’ for your onwards journey.

Despite the attention to detail in the overall package, we can’t help but feel Magnifica has missed a trick when it comes to the interior. The throne-like seats look a little restrictive and there’s way less privacy than one might find in a conventional business-class cabin. Given the available space, the décor could afford to lean in a little more to aviation’s golden age of elaborate interior design in the 1960s and 1970s, rather than riff on the relatively sober tan and taupe approach beloved by private jet buyers.

With that said, the cabin benefits from a lack of overhead luggage bins and the airline promises to offer the cleanest air in the skies thanks to cutting-edge air and an advanced surface purification system. According to Magnifica’s CEO, Wade Black, the airline combines ‘the privacy and intimacy of a private jet with the cultural relevance and operational scope of a world-class airline. This is more than transportation – it’s a movement, redefining how discerning guests experience the skies.’

The airline will be based out of Florida, and the service will take flight in 2027. Routes include daily connections between Miami, New York, LA, Dallas, Houston and San Francisco, with ‘seasonal’ services to Napa and the Caribbean and the ability to offer a charter service.

MagnificaAir.com

With the Corniche, the studio demonstrates that’s it not just about working with contemporary cars. Recent projects have included a pair of modern Ferraris recreated as homages to 60s racing specials, the Daytona Shooting Brake Homage and Breadvan Homage, along with an earlier Rolls-Royce-based shooting brake, the Silver Spectre, and the compact coachbuilt wonder that was the Fiat Panda 4x4 Piccolo Lusso.

The coachbuilding process starts with sketches and involves a ground-up restoration combined with hand-formed new bodywork and re-trimmed interiors, with unique elements and components making up the majority of each build.

The new Shooting Brake is dubbed ‘Henry II’ – for the first part of its life it was simply ‘Henry’ – and is now a full four-seater, with a lavishly trimmed load bay that can be extended with electrically folding rear seats. Rear of the B-pillar, the entire body has been redesigned, with a swooping roofline, long rear glass side windows and completely bespoke roof, C-pillars and boot.

The car’s form was initially sketched, then worked up in CAD, with 3D scanning and 3D printing used in conjunction with traditional panel beating to shape the new steel bodywork. Inside, trim, dashboard and seats have been meticulously hand-crafted, with the design incorporating many bespoke elements.

One of many special requests was the creation of an electrically operated integral bike carrier that is seamlessly concealed within the rear bumper and can house two triathlon bicycles when fully contended. Other new elements include rally instrumentation, a map pocket and specially made travel luggage.

‘Each coachbuild commission we undertake at Niels van Roij Design has a unique story behind it,’ says van Roij, ‘It is crucial we fully understand that story before carrying out any work. The story behind ‘Henry’ is especially intriguing as the car had been in the one family for more than four decades.’ The client wanted some upgrades that not only extended the life of the car, but which make it more practical and tailor made for everyday use without compromising the original design.

After stripping the original car down to bare metal several anomalies were uncovered, not least the different lengths of the side panels and the addition of tin filler to the original panels when the car was hand crafted at Mulliner Park Ward in London. Subsequent scans and measurements made it very clear that the requirement to carry two bicycles had to be arranged externally as there wasn’t space inside.

The powered rack could only be incorporated with careful planning and design, including shifting the position of the original fuel tank as well as allowing for the rear seats to fold down. ‘Our philosophy is that we don't design for our clients; we design with our clients, and that was very much the case with Corniche, where we collaborated very closely with the owner, who had a very clear vision of what he wanted,’ van Roij explains.

In addition to an interior of beige leather and tweed, the exterior of the Shooting Brake was finished in British Racing Green, just as it was when it originally came into the owner’s family. Other material elements were carefully restored and matched, such as the original wooden dashboard. The design team was tasked with matching the wood, despite four decades elapsing since the original car was built.

‘It is always a great pleasure to see each patron take delivery of their car,’ says van Roij, ‘Of course, having lived with the car during the restoration and bespoke build process for up to three or even four years, a little part of me wishes I could keep each one.’ Instead, the designer commissions himself a bespoke suit in celebration of every project with the same fabric and leather used in the car. ‘Like a bespoke car, a bespoke suit fits its owner perfectly and provides a lifetime of pleasure and service,’ he concludes.

NielsvanRoij.com, @NielsvanRoijDesign

The newly minted capricorn Group (the lower case ‘c’ is intentional) intends to put that wrong to rights with this new car, with its timeless mid-engine, rear-wheel drive layout. The powerplant is a 5.2-litre supercharged V8, the bodywork is all carbon fibre, and the transmission is manual.

Having ticked all those crucial boxes, the last piece of the jigsaw is the styling, and here Zagato, led by Chief Designer Norihiko Harada, has come up with a dramatic, cab-forward design that has shades of the Ford GT and Bugatti Chiron in the intersecting door and air vent detailing, while the side profile is uncannily similar to Ferrari’s 296 and the Maserati MC20.

Overall, however, Harada and his team have conjured up something with a more timeless, exotic vibe that even these high-profile machines. Zagato’s famous curves are in evidence, especially the ‘double bubble’ roof, which is echoed by the pronounced rear haunches. Low level carbon fibre sills and splitters are more tasteful and restrained than the current industry norm and even at the front, the aggression of the low stance is offset by elegantly faired-in headlights and pronounced front wheel arches flanking a low bonnet.

The car will be built in Germany by capricorn, a long-standing supplier to high-end auto manufacturers and aerospace industries, with a particular expertise in carbon fibre production and precision forging. This will be the first car to bear the capricorn name, with deliveries expected to start in 2026.

It’s certainly not a volume proposition. With a pre-tax sticker price of €2.95 million, the company is proposing to make just 19 coupes (no word of a spider or droptop, but it would be smart to conclude one is in the works). The significance of the number is a tribute to the 19 April 1919, the date Zagato was founded. The only dealer will be the Belgian supercar specialist Louyet Group.

All that carbon and an absence of any batteries should make the 01 Zagato a lightweight affair, with a target weight of less than 1,200kg. The Ford-sourced V8 should be good for around 900PS, giving the car a superb power-to-weight ratio. However, both Zagato and capricorn are happy to be chasing driver entertainment rather than class-leading statistics.

‘Until now, though, Zagato has never designed a hypercar,’ says Zagato President, Andrea Michele Zagato, adding that the combination of ‘Italian design flair with German engineering discipline’ should result in bringing a ‘unique and highly collectible proposition to the market.’ The clean lines are partly down to the aerodynamic qualities of the form and an internal airflow management system, that creates downforce without comically large spoilers.

This minimal approach also extends to the cabin aesthetic. With no screens in the way of the driver’s eyeline, the focus is on traditional dials and switchgear milled from titanium and aluminium, while other materials include Connolly leather and Alcantara. As a performance flagship, the 01 Zagato will certain give the currently niche capricorn name a high-profile debut. Future plans will include a new factory near Germany’s Nürburgring circuit with increased capacity.

Robertino Wild, CEO and founder of capricorn's automotive venture, describes the car as being ‘designed for the joy of driving, not for setting records.’ ‘While the car sits at the cutting edge of technology, in many ways it represents a return to traditional pure driving values,’ he continues, adding that ‘this project is not a one-off; it is the beginning of a new lineage of capricorn branded high-end cars.’

Car.capricorngroup.net, Zagato.it, @Zagato1919

One of the first to break cover comes courtesy of Dacia. The Hipster might not have the kind of name you want to say out loud, but as a conceptual vision of an ultra-practical pocket-sized EV it’s hard to beat. A full four-seater, with a transformable interior capable of lugging large loads, the Hipster is just 3m long.

The pure electric concept makes use of ultra-efficient packaging, pushing each wheel to the extremity of the simple bodywork to maximise the available floorplan. Body panels are unadorned, with a simple curve at the shoulder line that runs the full length of the car, terminating in a chamfered rear end with high-level taillights.

Outside, Dacia’s current rugged design language is very much in evidence, with thick ridged plastic wheelarches – made from Dacia’s own Starkle recycled material - simple dot matrix-style lighting front and rear, along with roof bars that are integrated into the bodywork.

According to Dacia’s Romain Gauvin, the company’s head of Advanced Design and Exterior Design, the Hipster is ‘the most Dacia-esque project that I have ever worked on. It has the same societal impact as the Logan did 20 years ago, and it involves inventing something that does not exist today’. The company is set on reinventing mass-market motoring with a dose of design, and the Hipster is billed as ‘the popular car of tomorrow’.

The design team has pared the automobile back down to bare essentials, after research highlighted that the three most sought-after elements of a car bought for function, not fun or image, are agility, practicality and economy. At only 1.53m high and 1.55m wide, the Hipster is tiny by modern standards (Dacia’s own Bigster SUV is 1.81m wide, not including the wing mirrors).

The concept is also 20 per cent lighter than Dacia’s current compact EV, the Dacia Spring. Lightweight learnings from the company’s earlier Manifesto Concept have been carried forward, all part of a drive to use fewer raw materials, therefore less energy in manufacturing and less energy required to move the car.

Other design considerations included budget (Dacia notes that the ‘average price of new vehicles in Europe rose by 77 per cent between 2010 and 2024’) and range – the smallish battery would only need charging twice a week on an average daily usage of 24 miles.

Inside, special attention has been paid to space and practicality. Despite the car’s size, there’s a substantial glass area, bolstered by a semi-glazed roof. The seats are covered with a semi-transparent mesh fabric to minimize weight and bulk, while the dash doubles up as a useful storage space. Additional accessories and functions can be added to the modular dashboard using Dacia’s ‘YouClip’ system, with 11 different anchor points around the car.

Dacia Hipster, concept only, Dacia.co.uk, Dacia_UK

Taschen’s updated and enhanced Ferrari monograph brings the marque’s story more up to date and gives more than a little justification to this myth-making. Overseen by author Pino Alleivi and with full cooperation and access to the Maranello archives, Ferrari is a mighty homage to a name that continues to make its mark on the world of motorsport, performance, innovation and luxury branding.

Ferrari is something akin to a swan, graceful, smooth and powerful above the surface, but out of sight it is paddling like hell. How else to explain the legendary Italian manufacturer’s ability to spring new models on an unsuspecting public with surprising regularity? How else to explain the merchandising machine that embraces everything from rollercoasters to teddy bears, and high-end audio to Montblanc pens? There’s even a roaring trade in relic-like components once used in F1.

Inside you'll find a historical overview of Enzo Ferrari's life and achievements before the founding of his eponymous company, with a wealth of archive imagery and new photography. The book also includes a comprehensive graphical guide to all Ferrari models – road and track – made from 1940 to 2024. Every book has to end somewhere, and since going to print the relentless Maranello machine has announced both the Amalfi and the 849 Testarossa.

Such is the brand’s strength and reach that you can be sure that this monograph – originally released in a unique and elaborate Marc Newson-designed edition – will be revised and revisited in the years to come. More models, more victories (hopefully) and yet more appealing machines – including the introduction of its first ever all-electric car – are practically guaranteed.

Iconic images from Ferrari's history on road and track

Ferrari, Pino Alleivi, Taschen, £125, Taschen.com, @Taschen

The A350 is a widebody jet, usually flown in a twin-aisle configuration. Economy passengers will therefore experience the aircraft in three sections of three seats. For the private aviation sector, that’s a lot of space to play with, and PriestmanGoode have gone all out to maximise a sense of openness. Clever use of lighting, dividers, different materials, curved walls and long vistas transform the aircraft interior into a glamorous apartment in the sky.

The studio developed the concept as a showcase for the evolution of the luxury aviation experience, starting with a workshop at the RedCabin Business Jet and VIP Interior Innovation Summit in Montréal in 2024. The end result breaks the A350’s interior down into four key zones.

‘This concept defines the direction in which we see the luxury cabin experience evolving,’ says the project’s senior design lead Chris Haslam, ‘Our clients often want to replicate the same level of luxury from home, work, automotive or hospitality onboard, but this project demonstrates how design for an adaptive living space can bring so much more to the experience.’

First up is the living space, which can be cycled through three different functions, from a lounge area to a cinema to a workout zone. The concept suggests a live video connection with the owner’s regular coach(es), the kind of technological leap that’s entirely possible, just not yet implemented. By using modular seating, the space can be quickly and easily adapted to each function.

Adjoining this adaptable living area is the workspace, which also doubles up as a therapy room or a meditation space. A floating desk occupies an alcove, surrounded by storage and shelving, with space for a massage table. Here there are darker colour themes, creating a more intimate space.

At the rear of the aircraft is the bedroom, dressing room and bathroom. Occupying the full width of the A350’s fuselage, with windows on either side, there’s a real feeling of space. Surfaces and materials are a showcase here, with many of PriestmanGoode’s existing partners developing custom finishes for the space. Kate Montgomery, CMF creative lead for the Private Studio division, oversaw these collaborations, which focused on sustainable material solutions.

Austrian aviation interior specialists F/Lab have created a new panel material, Aenigma, which combines sustainable sourcing with the complexity of manufacturing for the aircraft environment. The bedroom also features couture embroideries from the London Embroidery Studio. The specialists took a pattern from PriestmanGoode and transformed it into a three-dimensional stitch design.

Other bespoke elements include lacquered gingko leaf motifs by Parisian specialists Atelier Midavaine and their partner Nusom, and upcycled surfaces using waste feathers from the Swiss brand Nature Squared. The bedroom suite also features a transformable vanity unit that turns into an entertainment hub. Behind this is the bathroom, a darker, atmospheric space with a distinctive rippled glass shower screen.

PriestmanGoode’s team describes the project as an exploration of private aviation design based on their 25 years of experience working in commercial aircraft interiors. ‘We have made sure that the space can really change and modulate, depending on the actual requirements of the user,’ says Ben Rowan, director of PriestmanGoode, ‘Whether that’s working, sleeping, lounging, watching a film or using it as a gym. Utilising the back of an A350 cabin has demonstrated how we can create a private sanctuary separate from the more public spaces further forward in the aircraft.’

PriestmanGoode.com, @PriestmanGoode

The Brawley GTS bears a passing resemblance to the original classic Jeep, but in almost every other respect it deviates in order to shape something really quite unique. Vast wheels sit at each corner, with high fenders offering a massive amount of suspension travel. The passenger compartment sits high above the terrain, with the unique dual glass door panel letting in more light and giving occupants excellent sight lines to find the right path to take.

Intended for pure off-roading on the kinds of trails and dirt tracks that the US excels in, the Brawley GTS has a 40kWh battery pack and a maximum range of 140 miles. That might not go far in a country where even a single state (Arizona) has some 40,000 miles of trails for off-highway vehicles, but it’s more than enough for a day’s driving through rough terrain.

The long travel suspension and high ground clearance are matched with a mighty wallop of torque, courtesy of a quad-motor system that delivers the equivalent of 404hp. Lovers of the great outdoors will also appreciate the lack of snarling exhaust and fume-belching combustion engine. Underbody protection keeps battery and drivetrain safe from rocks.

Excellent off-road ability hasn’t compromised passenger comfort, with space for four full-size adults in the enclosed, climate-controlled cabin. The dashboard features traditional dials and two banks of toggle switches, with no touchscreen in sight. There’s even a small frunk as well as a rear cargo space, while both front and rear seats are heated.

Prospective customers can of course add layers of customisation to their Brawley, with more accessories becoming available in the future. As Vanderhall’s Daniel Boyer says, ‘any off-road purists tired of blaring motors and the dust-choked, open-air experience will appreciate its quiet power, comfort, and precision. It’s the perfect blend between a desert runner and a rock crawler.’

Brawley GTS, $49,950, Vanderhall Motor Works, VanderhallUSA.com, @Vanderhall

Letting this big beast loose in a relatively small landscape is a bit of a gamble, given Mallorca’s popularity with the cycling community and the island’s remarkably regular bus service. Across twisting roads in the foothills of the island’s northerly mountain range, the Serra de Tramuntana, the DBX S demonstrated a gravity defying ability to go, turn and stop – the latter being especially handy when local delivery lorries show no sign of giving way.

DBX S’s headline specs are all about power hikes and weight saving, both of which ultimately feel like a bit of a drop in the ocean given a car as big and powerful as the DBX. There are also some mild aesthetic upgrades, most of which align with the stated aim of stripping out a bit of the big SUV’s mass. These include a carbon fibre roof panel – the largest such carbon element ever fitted to an Aston Martin – and a new, ultra-lightweight grille.

In all, the maximum weight you can strip out of the hefty DBX S is 47kg, a not insignificant amount made more pertinent by a corresponding lowering of the centre of gravity. You will definitely pay the price, however, because carbon fibre options – whether they’re for the wing mirrors, side strakes, lower door sill or roof – are usually extremely expensive. An even more eye-watering option are the 23” magnesium wheels; using this superlight metal removes unsprung mass yet heaven help you if you kerb them.

This approach to elaborate options is not unique to Aston Martin, but it’s one surefire way of extracting maximum profit out of a model. Since debuting in 2020, DBX has done wonders for Aston Martin’s bottom line, even though the company is not quite out of the woods in a world riven with uncertainty and pugnacious approaches to global trade (one of the car’s biggest markets is the US).

DBX S joins the relatively recently updated DBX707 to double the available models in the DBX line-up. That’s all part of an ongoing strategy to expand and extend the product line, creating enough variants and options to ensure that the average Aston customer never finds themselves without a shiny new toy to try.

One thing that has remained constant is the engine, a twin-turbo V8 that also does duty in the Aston Martin Vantage and DB12. By redesigning the turbos, Aston Martin has eked out the extra power, partly due to design innovations developed for the forthcoming Valhalla. More power goes hand in hand with handling tweaks, sharper steering and more responsive suspension.

There’s also the not insignificant matter of bragging rights to retain. The DBX S boasts a power output of 727PS, which is not coincidentally slightly more than the Ferrari Purosangue (725PS). The Lamborghini Urus Performante has a devilish 666PS, while the Bentley Bentayga Speed brings up the rear with 650PS. None of these cars are slow. All are arguably way too quick, given their 2-tonne mass and usual quotidian use case.

From the outset, what’s struck me most about the DBX is the way the car embodies the character of the brand. There may well be some remaining purists who maintain that Aston Martin should have never built an SUV, but without it, survival looks even more perilous. Even McLaren, the last hold-out amongst the big sporting marques, has a rumoured four-seater in the works. Whether Aston will ever explore the mid-size SUV and crossover market is yet to be seen.

Inside, you’ll find the usual lavishly appointed AM cabin (with even more options for upgrades and special trims). It’s also home to Apple CarPlay Ultra, the enhanced auto OS that actually made its debut in the DBX S’s sister car, DBX707, earlier in the summer.

In summary, the DBX S really is rather good, partly because it genuinely does everything. An outstanding performance car, a marvellous grand tourer and a supremely practical five-seater, it fulfils the brief of an SUV to a T. Hell, it’ll even go off-road.

Aston Martin DBX S, from £210,000, AstonMartin.com, @AstonMartin

Peugeot’s E-208 GT is a good example of the upper end of the small EV market. The E-208 is the latest in a long line of compact Peugeots that have blended character, dynamics and affordability, all qualities that tend to suffer in today’s platform-engineered world. Does it live up to the hype generated by its predecessors?

That depends. The lightning-in-a-bottle qualities that make the 1980s-era 205 GTI such an enduring and sought-after icon aren’t yet replicable by an EV – weight is the enemy of the compact performance car. However, it’s probably a case of when, rather than if, especially once battery technology gets sufficiently light. In the meantime, you’ll have to drop a six-figure sum on a 205 restomod from Tolman to recapture the magic.

The E-208 GT isn’t out to recapture any magic – indeed, we’d be surprised if the forthcoming and much-heralded E-208 GTI has anything like the zest of the original. And yet, the GT is a far, far better car than any number of noughties and 2010-era compact Peugeots, an era when the manufacturer’s design mojo went missing and took a long time to hunt down and bring back.

Now that Peugeots look good again, it’s worth reiterating that the company seems very much committed to design evolution, if not actual revolution, with a harmonious and well-composed compact body that’s just over 4m long. The rear three-quarter view is the most successful, with a high-level black band of trim containing the rear lights and nameplate.

The front is marginally less impressive. There’s no dignity in a fussy grille, especially in a car that’s purely powered by electricity. The angular dazzle patterns created by small chunks of chromed plastic serve only to bulk up the front end of the car (this is an issue in most contemporary Peugeot designs), detracting from the innate simplicity of the geometry formed between the grille, logo and headlights. Look at any Peugeot from the 403 of 1955 through to the first-generation 307 of 2001, and you’ll see forms that are noble and unfussy, with just a hint of leonine character.

However, what Peugeot is emphatically not doing is follow its compatriots Renault, and to a lesser extent Citroen, down the well-trodden route of retro design. Sure, there’s a familial resemblance to Peugeots of old in the E-208, but even a couple of years after the model’s introduction, it still looks fresh.

The interior suffers slightly from Peugeot’s insistence on mounting the instrument binnacle right behind the upper part of the steering wheel. The company has been doing this for years and it means you have to set the wheel very low to get an unobscured view of the dash. A contortion of angles and fake carbon fibre attempts to cloak the most obvious dives into the handy Stellantis parts-bin, but overall it's a good place to sit.

Besides having plenty of zip from a standing start, the E-208 doesn’t really justify a ‘GT’ appellation. It runs out of steam relatively quickly and although it handles reasonably deftly, it’s not the kind of car you throw into a corner. Spirited driving also puts a dent in the already below-average range – on a good day, you can expect just over 200 miles against a claimed range of 268 miles.

All this makes the E-208 GT sound a little underwhelming. Perhaps it is a little lacking in sophistication when compared to other, cheaper rivals. But what it has is character, and that’s hard to find in a modern mass market car, let alone an electric one. Despite its flaws, the little Peugeot is still in the running.

Peugeot E-208 GT, from £28,545, Peugeot.co.uk

More importantly, while Monte Carlo may have the bigger boats, Genoa gets a more diverse pool of exhibitors, who show up with a wider array of oddball and innovative gear for the maritime trade. As an added plus, the whole operation takes place on the Levante waterfront, part of Renzo Piano’s (still-ongoing) redevelopment scheme for his beloved hometown. Intriguing, occasionally glamorous, always authentic, the offerings at this year’s 65th Salone Nautico were a perfect match for Genoa itself.

SaloneNautico.com, @SaloneNauticoGenova

1. Azimut Grande 30M

Of course, there are some things at Salone Nautico meant to appeal to the ultra-luxe, yacht-world connoisseur. The Azimut Grande 30 is one such vessel: appearing for the first time in Genoa, the boat isn’t quite a ‘superyacht’ in formal term (at a shade under 29 metres, it’s slightly short of the customary threshold) but it is nothing if not spacious, featuring five passenger cabins with an additional three for crew. There’s plenty of sophisticated onboard gear to please the big-boat cognoscenti – in particular a bridge with an unusually sleek, nearly buttonless command interface.

What gives the Grande 30M special appeal is the subtle interior treatment from Milan design studio m2atelier, a studio known for its high-end commercial interiors that has lately seen increasing demand in the maritime sector. Following on from the studio’s recent Grande Trideck, the team created a soft, peaches-and-cream palette for the living spaces, much of it rendered in soft leather finishes that even peek out, semi-obscured, under the up-lit marble stairs down to the lower deck.

‘The yacht embodies the essence of 'barefoot luxury,'’ says m2atelier’s co-founder Marijana Radovic, referring to Azimut's signature lifestyle concept. ‘It's a design that transcends opulence.’

AzimutYachts.com, @Azimut_Yachts, AzimutBenetti.com

m2atelier.com, @m2atelier

2. EurekArt series doorknobs by F.lli Razeto & Cazareto

As the current head of his 105-year-old family firm, Giangi Razeto has brought his personal enthusiasm for art and sculpture to what might seem a rather niche field – the design and manufacture of door handles and other hardware specifically for the maritime market. The firm worked on the Andrea Doria, a celebrated showpiece of contemporary Italian design which included pieces by Molteni and Gio Ponti, and sank, tragically, in 1956.

Razeto & Cazareto has been making exquisite locks, hasps, and knobs; though suitable for landlubber use, their strength and soft contours make them ideal for the high seas, making them a fan favorite among in-the-know owners. ‘It’s totally different in the maritime industry,’ says Giangi Razeto. ‘All the locking parts have to be anti-corrosive, and the doors have to be shut absolutely closed when they closed.’

At Salone Nautico, Razeto carried forward the company’s decades-old tradition for functional as well as aesthetic quality with his brand-new EurekArt series: displayed alongside striking seascape images from photographer Claudio Columbo, the hand-crafted brass handles had a suitably hard-working look to them, gristled and grooved and with handsome weathered patinas.

@Razetocasareto

3. Apreamare Gozzo 48 Cabin

For those who want a little offbeat, echt Italian design, as well as a bit of luxury, you could hardly do better than the legacy builder Apremarea’s Gozzo 48 Cabin, which made its Italian debut in Genoa this September. Since 1849, Apreamare has specialized in gozzi, the rounded, almost cuddly-looking boats that have been a longtime favorite with yacht enthusiasts throughout the southern riviera. ‘It has a feeling of soul,’ says Apreamare’s Corrado Del Fanti, ‘it’s not like other boats you often see.’

The Gozzo 48 shows exactly what he means: at 14.7 meters, it’s nowhere near superyacht scale, yet it feels remarkably playful as well as surprisingly roomy, its lower deck is spacious enough to accommodate three cabins. The interiors from designer Marco Casali are light, white and breezy, and the captain’s chair doubles as a longue, allowing owners to turn into operators and back again in a flash. Long seen as an Italian boat lover’s Italian boat, the Gozzo may soon be popping up elsewhere—Apreamare recently took on a major new investment partner, increasing their reach worldwide.

Apreamare.it, @Apreamare

4. Polyform

There was nothing new in the Genoa display from Norwegian company Polyform - and that’s just the point. Represented at Salone Nautico by longtime local nautical distributors Pio F. Balbi, the Nordic makers of buoys and fenders have been producing their rubbery wares according to the same proprietary formula since 1955.

‘The recipe is a secret,’ said Balbi’s Carlotta Gianni. ‘But it makes it very strong and also lightweight.’ Just the thing from keeping your very expensive yacht from wrecking against the pier, the fenders also happen to be incredibly striking objets d’art: lined up in the Balbi booth, near a handsome new dinner set from Mag Marine (the plates connected by boat-friendly magnetic inserts), the Polyform collection looks like it wouldn’t be out of place in a high-end interior, or at least an incredibly chic seafood restaurant.

Polyform.no, @PolyformNorway

5. Ohoskin plant-based leather

Another only-in-Genoa highlight, the Salone Nautico’s innovation-focused startup wing features emerging Italian brands with an array of wares that may (they hope) have application in the maritime space. One example: six-year-old Ohoskin, who have patented an eco-friendly process to turn orange and cacti fibres—two plants in which their island home of Sicily happens to be rather abundant—into a synthetic leather durable enough for a life at sea.

‘It’s not only for the maritime industry,’ says brand co-founder Stefano Mazzetti. ‘But in this sector, there’s a lot of innovation being oriented towards sustainability.’ Grinding up the cast-off agricultural waste, the company mixes the resulting powder with an organic resin, then lets the syrupy blend dry out and uses a ridged mould to create a variety of different grain options.

The resulting material can take a beating from the wind and salt air yet has a richness of feel and colour that seems at least as good as any non-natural synthetic. For the vegan superyacht owner, it could be the last word in cruelty-free opulence.

Ohoskin.com, @Ohoskin_brand

Ever since the earliest days of Foster + Partners there have been boats on the boards. From the faceted hull of the Izanami motor yacht (1995), to the elegant Dark Shadow (2002) and Panthalassa (2007) sailing yachts, to smaller scale projects like the Alen 68, Foster + Partners have always accommodated naval architecture into their portfolio.

The studio was also responsible for the impressive Yacht Club de Monaco structure, a nautical confection of decks, louvres, glass and teak that affords some of the best views of the marina. Monaco’s status as the place to celebrate the culture of outsized yachts is unrivalled, making it the perfect place to launch a megayacht concept.

Outlier I is an appropriate name for this gargantuan proposal. Working with Lateral Naval Architects, the design explores what the practice describes, perhaps a little archly, as a ‘sweet spot in the megayacht market.’ That is to say, it accommodates the features and space of a 100m+ gigayacht into a slightly more modest 88m hull.

According to Marilu Sicoli, Senior Partner, Foster + Partners, ‘the Outlier I yacht … offers approximately 40 percent more deck space than standard yachts in its category, making it a standout in its class.’

Megayachts and gigayachts are all about the Superyacht Gross Tonnage (GT), a measurement of internal volume that shows how much space a boat actually takes up. Outlier 1 is around 2,000 GT. In layman’s terms that’s still pretty big, but for the more practically minded billionaire, it means you have a craft that’s not too big for certain key moorings yet also has space for what the architects call ‘key desirable components such as a swimming pool, helipad and a private top deck.’

The faceted, forward-looking hull architecture places the visual mass of the boat towards the bow. This is where Lateral have accommodated the engine room, a marked departure from tradition which frees up the internal volume, especially in the middle and aft sections.

Foster + Partners have seized on this spatial freedom to create a dramatic triple-height central volume, united by a helical stainless-steel staircase and featuring a cascade of glass that reaches right down to the water level. ‘We are pushing the boundaries of yacht design, reimagining guest spaces and adjacencies to offer a completely new way of living on the water,’ says Senior Partner Adam Newburn.

As can be seen from these renders, Outlier I is very much about the view – both internally between decks, and to the exterior. In addition to this radically reorganised circulation, the yacht incorporates a central service spine running the length of the vessel, as well as a large tender bay for. The two studios suggest the concept could prefigure a variety of use cases, from an explorer yacht to a luxury cruise vessel, as well as the ultimate in spacious private megayacht design.

FosterandPartners.com, @FosterandPartners, Lateral.Engineering

That’s where micro-mobility comes in, and where this new vehicle from French company Aemotion (styled as ‘ÆMOTION’). Their four-wheeled two-seater is about as far removed from a contemporary car as can be achieved, having much more in common with a motorcycle. But the addition of two more wheels and a fully enclosed passenger compartment make the Aemotion an oddity worthy of consideration.

At just 79cm wide, this micro-vehicle can swoop into gaps like a bike or scooter, only with far more protection and sense of safety. Underpinning this confidence is the Aemotion’s tilting chassis, capable of leaning up to 35 degrees of more to assist with cornering dynamics and balance, just like a regular motorbike.

Achieving this combination of compact design and perfect balance has been a long process. Aemotion began development back in 2014. Since that time, seven prototypes have been built and tested, before the current iteration evolved towards the end of the decade. The final vehicle was unveiled in late 2024.

Developed with collaboration and support from the French investment bank BPI, ADEME (The French Agency for Ecological Transition) and the government of Auvergne Rhône-Alpes Region, the finished Aemotion blends the best of both worlds. The design incorporates a crash structure, seatbelts, a boot with a folding rear seat and pivoting doors.

One other key component of the design is the ability to swap batteries. Aemotion will offer two options – a swappable battery module that gives 70km of range, or a fixed battery with a total range of 200km. Add to this a decent maximum speed of 115km/h – more than enough to keep up with main road traffic – and you have a hybrid machine with real promise.

The tilting mechanism will be the Aemotion’s make-or-break function. Perhaps better suited to experienced motorbike riders wanting to make the swap to a more practical machine, it might require a certain bravado to lean trustingly on the mechanism at first. Steering is via handlebars, not a wheel.

The Aemotion has also been designed for easy repair, with the majority of its components and systems sourced from French manufacturers. A stylish method of alternative urban mobility, the Aemotion deserves a closer look.

For more information visit AE-Motion.com, @AEMotion.official

What would Wilks have made of the current rash of Land-Rover restomods? Apart from the Porsche 911, no other car has been the subject of so many modernist do-overs, from electrified to elevated, stripped back, tuned up and generally given the kind of options list and specification that would have had straitened post-war Britain reeling in shock.

Now there’s another name to add to the list. The Admiral is a one-off short wheelbase Series III from 1976, overhauled by Kent Heritage Works of Tunbridge Wells to mark the start of their new 1 of 1 collection. Over the next few years, KHW will present several more truly bespoke builds based on classics from the extensive Land Rover portfolio.

It’s taken two years to recommission the car, complete with Admiralty Blue paint (originally used for the Royal Navy’s VIP cars in the 1960s) and a full diamond-stitched leather interior. According to Cliff Smith, founder of Kent Heritage Works, The Admiral includes an all-new engine and automatic gearbox, along with improved brakes, suspension and steering. The original handbrake has also been replaced by a contemporary electronic one.

‘We have worked with our in-house team and some of the UK’s best artisan companies in the historic engineering and Land Rover industry,’ Smith says, citing engine suppliers V8 Developments. The new powerplant is a tuned Rover 3.5L V8, staying true to the two company’s shared heritage but adding a whole lot more power and torque.

Interior updates also include new lighting and a touch-screen entertainment system, designed in-house to accommodate Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as decidedly non-Series III items like heated seats and windscreen. Audio comes from a custom 320W system by French manufacturer Focal and there’s even a fridge (lifted from a contemporary Range Rover Sport).

In addition to the hand-stitched leather and hand-crafted body panels, The Admiral also uses over forty 3D printed carbon fibre parts, all of which were designed and printed in house.

Next up, the company will reveal two new takes on the original Range Rover, 'Dreadnought' and 'Viscount', which offer even more scope for customisation.

The Admiral, £180,000 + VAT, more information at KentHeritageWorks.uk, @KentHeritageWorks

The first e-Palette was revealed at the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show, part of a nationwide push towards more compact, multifunctional urban vehicles featuring high degrees of autonomous operation.

Now available for public sale for the first time, the new generation model increases interior space, with larger windows and the ability to lower its suspension and extend an inbuilt ramp to improve accessibility.

The large, open-plan interior is designed to accommodate a wider variety of uses, not just transportation, including cargo, mobile stores and food and drink concessions. At just under 5m in length, or around the size of a typical large SUV, it has a capacity of up to 17 people.

Right now, the e-palette is capable of Level 2 autonomy, the same kinds of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) found in most modern passenger cars. The plan is to upgrade it to Level 4, where completely autonomous operation is possible with a prescribed area, by 2027.

One vision suggested by the company is a vehicle that acts as commuter transport during the morning and evening rush hours, while serving as a kiosk during the day while it is being recharged. Two large sliding doors open up the interior, with integral signage to indicate destinations and usage.

Toyota is already using the vehicle on its own sites, including Motor Kyushu’s Miyata Plant in Fukuoka, a Lexus factory. Finally, the vehicle is designed to serve as a mobile power bank when needed, especially in disaster situations.

Toyota e-Palette, from 29,000,000 yen, Toyota.jp

First up, the sector. This is an electric two-seater convertible sports car with scissor-style doors. It’s the fastest and most powerful machine ever to bear the MG name and, most notably of all, it’s the first true volume manufactured convertible electric sports car since the original Tesla Roadster way back in 2008.

So how has MG managed to steal a march on some of the biggest names in sports car manufacturing? From the outset, the reborn marque had very little to do with the original MG, a company known as Morris Garages, founded in the 1920s and eventually folded into the slow-motion, decade-spanning industrial catastrophe that was British Leyland.

For a while, MG flourished, particularly with popular roadsters like the MGA, Midget and MGB, all of which embodied the perversely stubborn British love affair with inclement weather, prosaic dynamics and the occasional breakdown. Even the badge’s latter years, when it was unceremoniously applied to lacklustre budget executive fodder like the Maestro and Montego didn’t manage to dim the hazy glow of nostalgia.

At the start of SAIC Motor’s ownership, it looked like modern-era MG would be little more than a continuation of these design doldrums, with inoffensive, efficient but ultimately forgettable cars like the ZS and MGS5, distinguished largely by their low price. MG is principally associated with small cars and SUVs, both EV and hybrid.

It’s a sector it has come to dominate, not least because of the affordable nature of its products. Then along came the MG4 bringing some design pizzazz that had been sorely lacking from small EVs up to that point. It was joined by a roadster concept in 2021, a design that eventually became the Cyberster.

It was a canny move, as the old octagonal badge was starting to lose its lustre. Aware that the consumer base who once held MG dear to their heart is fast dying off, MG’s current management know that the new generation has little to no cultural memory or nostalgic fondness for the brand. The Cyberster punches above all this, although it’s not the highest priced MG ever – that dubious honour goes to the MG XPower SV, a brawny Italian-built sports car made back in 2003 in a run of just 82 cars. These days, you can also spend six figures on an electrified MGB, courtesy of RBW Motors.

The Cyberster is no EV reboot of a classic MGB. Nor does it have anything else in common with the original compact roadster. Arguably, that’s already happened, thanks to the work of the team of Mazda engineers who set to translating the B’s compact brilliance into a modern classic way back in the late 1980s. That car was the Mazda MX-5, now on its fourth generation and still the gold standard for how to build a small two-seater sports car.

For now, the MX-5 is still petrol only. Does the Cyberster point the way towards the future of EV sports? For a start, the MG dwarfs the modern-day MX-5 both in size and weight. The design is finely proportioned and hides this heft well, but the car is wide and long, with a drooping nose that tucks away well out of sight of the driver. The rear extremities are a bit distant as well – parking cameras are the inevitable solution. There’s none of the human scale and manual simplicity you get from an MX-5, with its hand-operated hood and easily gauged size.

When it comes to straight-line performance, the modern MG knocks the MX-5 out of the park, as you’d expect, but it’s not entirely undistinguished in the corners, either. The low centre of gravity generates confidence, while the firm suspension soaks up the mass in the turns. It can be very quick but doesn’t offer the purity of a drive in the Mazda, which pairs its size and gait with a simple, unfussy interior and excellent ergonomics.

Not so the MG. The driver is confronted by an array of screens, all arranged at slightly different angles to each other. It’s like a war room in here – aside from an array of controls on the steering wheel, physical buttons are very much absent. It conveys a fussiness at odds with the image of a traditional roadster, a characteristic that is amplified by the scissor doors. Button operated, either via the centre console or a button on the doors themselves, they are initially striking and swiftly infuriating. The massive gas strut that supports each door is a visual reminder of the additional weight demands of elaborate engineering solutions.

Other design details also grate. Although the arrow-shaped rear indicators point in the right direction (a cheeky riposte to Mini’s Union Jack-style units?), the form is a bit unsubtle and garish. Likewise the front-end treatment, which is weirdly generic and distinguished only by that ageing octagonal badge.

Right now, the Cyberster is still in a category of one. MG is not exactly selling this as a purist sports car – it’s much more of a GT – it shows there’s still a gap in the EV market for something genuinely compact, lightweight and dynamic.

Nevertheless, MG wants to do big things. The recently announced Cyberster GT has twin motors and delivers 0-62mph in 3.2 seconds, thanks to a power output of just over 500PS (the original 1963 MGB produced just 95hp). The single-motor Trophy model gets the range crown, with 316-mile quoted, whilst the GT is rated at 276 miles. Both share the same 77kWh battery.

The Cyberster will undoubtedly lift the image of the company as a whole, but just don’t expect that historic badge to be around for ever.

MG Cyberster Trophy, from £55,245 (single motor), Cyberster GT, £60,245 (dual motor), MGCyberster.co.uk, @MGMotorUK

The latest Volvo to offer the Cross Country badge is its smallest yet. The pocket-sized all-electric EX30 SUV is only 4233mm long – that’s bigger than an Audi Q2 and shorter than a Smart #1. But in keeping with the range’s ethos, when compared to the regular EX30, the Cross Country variant has 19mm higher ground clearance – 196mm vs. 177mm unladen – and sports wheel arch extensions, integrated front and rear lower bumper skid plates and slightly smaller 19in wheels.

Visually, an EX30 Cross Country model stands out for its large panel of dark matt cladding at the front, which is nicely enhanced with scored contour lines to subtly emphasise its outward-bound leanings. At the back, the lower section of the rear hatch has more dark cladding still and once a rugged roof rack and accessories have been added – a strapped-on kayak is optional – the vehicle looks more than ready for adventure.

This perception is backed up surprisingly well in driving reality on- and off-road. The EX30 Cross Country CC’s twin motors offer all-wheel drive and a very punchy 428hp, able to dispatch 0-60mph in ultra-rapid 3.5 seconds. And despite the car’s greater 1573mm height (vs. the regular EX30’s 1555mm) it handles itself with dignity at fast speeds on smooth tarmac and with surprising aplomb on heavily broken up dirt and flint tracks. Standard hill descent control and hill start assist help further and the 69kWh battery offers 265 miles of range before a recharge.

There are various driving modes for steering (soft, medium and firm), dynamics (range, standard and performance), plus one-pedal driving with low, medium and high regenerative braking settings. These offer useful variety, but changing any of the settings – or indeed switching on and off the various safety ‘boings’ or even opening the central glovebox – requires diving deep into the many layers within the 12.3in centre screen. A few key top-screen digital shortcuts would be better.

There is no driver’s display in front of the steering wheel either – which is highly unusual. This upset some reviewers of the regular EX30, but an electric car that can’t measure (or display) revolutions per minute and whose owners are unlikely to be watching their speed endlessly, should not equate to a purchasing deal-breaker. Instead, the EX30’s miles per hour are shown digitally in changing numbers – rather than via a circular dial and needle – on the top right of the centre screen.

After a period of short visual adjustment, I think it’s safe and logical. Along with electric window switches in the centre of the car rather than within each door armrest – to allow the front doors to be thinner – contribute to a more symmetrical design which reduces complexity and makes it less carbon-intensive to manufacture in left or right-hand drive. Which is a thoughtful (and very Volvo) thing to do.

The elegant interior has a quietly sophisticated Scandi chic colour and trim ambience. No fake materials are present, and some of the seat fabrics – like Nordic wool coated with pine resin and mixed with recycled polyester – look and feel ‘good’ in every sense. Min/max boot space is a decent 318/1000 litres and flexible and informative too, via two loading floor heights and a built-in infographic guide on the boot roof’s underside to inform users about key measurements and thus what luggage might fit inside.

Throw in a fixed panoramic roof, Google Automotive Services, a dashboard soundbar with seven speakers, plus Apple and Android mirror screening to keep things modern and the EX30 Cross Country has much to commend it. Able to cope with most rough stuff, but in a very compact and sophisticated way.

Volvo EX30 Cross Country, from £47,005, VolvoCars.com, @VolvoCars

At the IAA Mobility 2025 show in Munich, Cupra made a big splash. Building on the House of Cupra narrative it launched at this year’s Milan Design Week, the brand showed off its new luggage range developed with Harper Collective, the 3D-printed shoes created in partnership with Zellerfeld, as well as a new fizzy drink and even a Cupra scent.

All this activity underscored the brand’s ambition to go ‘Beyond Automotive’, yet at the same time it is explicitly aligning itself with those who wish to drive themselves and have no truck with the anodyne experience of many EVs, let alone the apparent rise of autonomous systems.

To this end, Cupra’s brand film states baldly, ‘No Drivers, No Cupra’, with a ponderously intoned list of other fine things that would be banished from modern life if such a binary approach were taken.

Joining the merch was a new concept, the Cupra Tindaya, the company’s largest car to date, with a range-extender powertrain (not an EV or plug-in hybrid) and a strong signifier of future intentions. These include a stated desire to enter the Middle East market, joining the 50-plus countries in which Cupra already has a presence.

In amongst all the moodily lit geology, neon-tinged graphics, and whizzy animations, the film is basically Cupra making a stab, like many before it, at this generation’s equivalent of the Apple ‘1984’ or Guinness ‘Surfer’ commercials, a little bit avant-garde, a little bit iconoclastic. For the most part, the reality is a little more prosaic.

Cars like the Formentor and Born are perfectly serviceable examples of mainstream gothic, with moody colours and materials and lighting and bodywork that slides and sweeps around provocatively to distinguish itself from the more prosaic iterations of the same platform presented by its VW Group siblings.

Cecilia Taieb, Cupra's global head of communications, is front and centre of these moves. A dynamic presence who operates in the heart of the company, Taieb is adamant that Cupra’s collaborations are not about winning friends, but about ensuring the Cupra vibe is distinctive to all. ‘Take the drink,’ she says of the fizzy concoction of ginger and lime developed with Vichy Catalan, ‘you either love it or you hate it – it’s very polarising, like our cars.’

There’s also a new Cupra scent, created with the help of the Fundación Ernesto Ventós and Lucta, a fragrance specialist, both based in Barcelona just a short distance from Cupra’s HQ. ‘We’re an emotional brand,’ Taieb says, ‘so we use all the senses.’ Designed to be deployed in Cupra retail environments and the cars themselves, the scent aligns itself with the Cupra vision – not avant-garde, exactly, but self-consciously apart from the mainstream.

All tie-ins need to be linked to the cars. ‘They are our essence,’ Taieb confirms, ‘but the most important thing for a brand is have a personality.’ When discussing the ‘Cupra Tribe’, a term for owners, fans and admirers of this approach, Taieb notes that ‘many people in it don’t even have a driving licence – they are our new generation.’ She reiterates the two values that Cupra strives to foreground, regardless of whether it’s cars, clothing, suitcases or more. ‘Design and performance are our two big things – you have to be attracted to one or the other.’

Taieb is also emphatic that there isn’t a ‘Cupra version’ of everything. ‘It’s when it feels right’, she confirms. Introduced to the team behind Harper Collective luggage by none other than erstwhile Wallpaper* editor Tony Chambers, she knew instantly there was a synergy. ‘Their design and values are coherent to us,’ she says, ‘they’re not a huge brand, they take plastic from the sea and turn it into suitcases.’ Adding that ‘everything in the collection needs to tell a story and be polarising,’ Taieb and her small team, working alongside other key players in the company like Ignasi Prieto, the company’s chief brand officer, can be agile and innovative.

What Cupra is or isn’t can also be up for grabs. ‘We don’t have a legacy that helps us,’ Taieb says. ‘I can’t look at the past because we don’t have a past. We’re the newcomers in the VW Group.’ While direct synergies are not sought, they’re not avoided either.

The Raval will be the first Cupra model to feature 3D-knitting technology in the interior, in a material that is also deployed in the upcoming Tribe editions of the current production line-up. The idea is to create 3D-knitted sports gear in a future collection. Using processes in car design and manufacturing for products like shoes and suitcases is another way of promoting the materials themselves.

Cupra is nothing if not ambitious. In the seven years since it was founded, in 2018, it has produced seven cars, with the latest, the new Raval EV, given pride of place on the massive Cupra stand erected in the 17th-century Kaiserhof courtyard of the Munich Residenz palace. Despite the camouflage body panels, the crisp lines of the bodywork were clear, setting the brand apart from same-platform siblings from VW and Škoda.

Joining the Tindaya and Raval were a clutch of special ‘Cupra Tribe’ editions of the current core line-up, the Formentor, Leon, Leon Sportstourer, and Terramar. In addition to 3D-knitted textile, the cars feature a new Manganese Matt exterior paint finish, along with bio-based paint on some prominent interior elements. ‘They show that Cupra goes beyond the car,’ Taeib says, pointing out the synergies between colours and materials and the products offered by the House of Cupra. ‘Our clothing range matches the colours of our cars,’ she says, ‘you’ll never see a red T-shirt or a white hoodie.’

Surprisingly, Cupra has eschewed easy targets in its marketing. According to Taeib, the brand is not especially family orientated, preferring to focus on a young, urban demographic who still see value and pleasure in driving. As well as sponsoring FC Barcelona, Cupra also puts its name to Padel, the racquet sport. ‘It’s a bit unconventional, urban and young-minded,’ says Taeib, adding that finding the right partners and causes is ‘not about targets. If it fits, it fits – it’s like dating.’

The next day, Cupra’s head of design, Jorge Díez is on hand to discuss the direction showcased by the new Tindaya concept. With a name taken from a sacred volcanic mountain on Fuerteventura, the Tindaya is an angular, high-riding crossover.

At 4.72m, the Tindaya is also the largest Cupra to date, nudging itself into the full-size SUV segment. Light, shade, lighting, deep sculpture and material contrasts shape the body, with its thrusting, spiky nose and notched rear wheel arches with a deep cut-out in the flanks, clad in the same material used for the seat backs.

There are elements of Lamborghini or even Lotus in the car’s stance and attitude, and it conveys a certain amount of aggression. One person’s aggression is another’s passion, or even emotion, so there’s a consistency of approach to love it/hate it styling. Inside, four bucket seats are cantilevered off a central spine, appearing to float above the floor.

A central jewel feature is used to switch between three driving modes, Immersive, Meta and Rider. The first is driver-focused, while the latter emphasises connectivity with your surroundings and even your contact book. Whizzy animation and dynamic lighting throughout the interior signal your choice. The yoke-style steering wheel is pitched somewhere ‘between gaming and racing’, according to Díez, who points out the 3D-knitted surfaces, neoprene seats and recycled materials throughout the cabin.

There’s an organic, slightly trypophobic, surface detailing on the central spine, with raised bumps and blended materials that run the length of the interior. Díez also describes the exterior in naturalistic terms. ‘It’s more like an animal,’ he says of the intersecting surfaces, ‘with twisting muscles.’ Glass elements are painted with a fade that reveals the details underneath them, with Cupra’s signature copper serves as highlights on the edges of forms and even through the lighting.

The latter plays a key role in defining the Tindaya’s identity, especially on start-up. The dark grille beneath the nose is actually a screen, which displays a swirling, fire-like animation when the car is turned on. ‘It’s like the beast is waking up,’ says Díez, as the digital forms transition and mirror the physical LED lights above them. ‘It’s about how we can emphasise emotions,’ Díez continues, ‘we use sound, light, touch, taste and smell – we target all the five senses.’

The Tindaya is the bravest statement of intent from a brand that consistently punches above its weight in terms of ambition and reach. Cupra isn’t afraid to be an outlier – it relishes the ‘rebellious’ label – but as with any commercial concern, it’d still like to be an outlier in more markets, with more customers and a much bigger tribe.

CupraOfficial.com, @Cupra_Official

For a typology that is barely a century old, the garage (the UK’s more functional and less glamorous way to describe a regular service station) has evolved through numerous styles. Butler has attempted to capture them all, from the Mock-Tudor structures of the 1920s that aped the new houses and suburbs they served, through to the rare Streamlined Moderne examples that attempted to capture the spirit of the Jazz Age.

Some of these buildings are now recognised historic structures in their own right, and Butler has assembled beautiful imagery of a wide array of buildings, from sculptural purpose-built sites to repurposed churches and cinemas. All forms are here, from the tin-roofed shed to faux Chinese vernacular, alongside some industrial archaeology delving into the evolving form of the petrol pump and the fate of purpose-built garages once they’ve outlived their usefulness.

Arranged typographically, this is a wonderful survey of an overlooked typology, one that might find itself sliding even further into redundancy as the electric era dawns.

The art of the truck in South Asia

Fuel has also published a new monograph from photographer Christopher Herwig. Trucks and Tuks is a travelogue exploring the role vehicles play in shaping identity and culture across a wide swathe of South Asia, from Pakistan to India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Herwig, whose previous books include the Soviet Bus Stops series, spent four years travelling 10,000km to take these images.

Commercial and utility vehicles serve a dual role, as both beasts of burden and artistic expression of the individuality of the driver and their trades. Finding these rich canvases for local artists at every turn, Herwig captures the role of the truck as a mobile billboard or expression of faith, along with the dizzying array of ad-hoc and custom ways of making a tiny Tuk-tuk serve any number of functions.

As the book notes, this rich vernacular tradition of folk art and self-expression is becoming rarer, with mass-produced decorations often replacing the hand-painted originals and legislation banning some of the more outrageous designs. A frozen moment in time, Trucks and Tuks delves into a vibrant aspect of global automotive subculture.

226 Garages and Service Stations, Philip Butler, £26.95, Fuel Publishing, Fuel-Design.com, @FuelPublishing

Trucks and Tuks, Christopher Herwig, Introduction by Riya Raagini, £26.96, Fuel Publishing, Fuel-Design.com, @FuelPublishing

Ferrari’s revival of the Testarossa name is significant. Last seen on the iconic 80s-era supercar produced between 1984 and 1996, back in the days when supercar model cycles lasted over a decade. The original Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa dates back even further, to the racing cars of the late 50s and 60s. While these racing originals were obviously open, the 80s car was not, apart from a single car built for Fiat chairman Gianni Agnelli (although fair few were turned into convertibles by other companies).

You’ll also notice this car is yellow. The literal translation of ‘testa rossa’ is redhead, and for Ferrari not to apply its legendary racing hue – or one of the countless variations thereof – to a car bearing the Testarossa name is admirable bloody-minded. There’s nothing awkward about the 849 Testarossa’s style or performance or open-air style.

The drop-top in question is a retractable hard top, which can be open or closed in 14 seconds, even whilst driving. Special attention has been paid to the aerodynamics around the cabin, with a ‘wind catcher’ that should keep hair in place at speed.

The uprated power is countered with a new braking system, along with new suspension. Ferrari. The design explicitly influenced by Ferrari’s 1970s Sports Prototypes, a golden era of sports cars created for endurance races like Le Mans.

Visually, there are more graphic elements and hard edges to the 849’s styling, especially when compared with the busy surfacing and deep vents of recent mid-engined Ferraris. The dark headlight band, first seen in the 12Cilindri, is also present, while a vertical black stripe ahead of the rear wheel arches mirrors the vertical side elements of the Ferrari F80 supercar.

Retaining a V8 as the beating heart of the car has allowed Ferrari to maintain its explosive sonic signature. This car has been tuned like a musical instrument: ‘The sound level has been increased at all speeds, with particular attention to the richness and purity of the sound in the low and mid ranges.’

Inside, you get the enveloping cockpit-style feel of a race car, enhanced by what Ferrari describes as ‘architectural sail motifs’ that curve round from the dash to embrace the driver. Use of contrasting colours enhances this feel, with the gate-style gear selector tucked into these elements, raised above the centre console. Buyers can choose between a ‘comfort’ seat and a carbon-fibre race seat, with unlimited colour and trim options also available, at a price.

Ferrari 849 Testarossa and 849 Testarossa Spider, more details at Ferrari.com, @Ferrari

The last is an open event for the general public, scattered around the streets, stores and exhibition spaces in the heart of Munich and designed to put new ideas and fresh launches in front of the very people who’ll ultimately end up buying them. The bi-annual event started in 2021, grew more in 2023, and this time around, there were even more manufacturers involved, with major announcements made across the board.

Some of the concepts on show have already broken cover, including the Vauxhall Corsa GSE Vision Gran Turismo and the Audi Concept C, as well as a major activation by Cupra.

Read on to discover our selection of key reveals from the show.

BMW iX3

The home-ground advantage was played by all the German manufacturers. Munich is, after all, the home of BMW. To consolidate this status, BMW chose the IAA to launch its ‘Neue Klasse’ iX3, the first production version of a new design language that’s been previewed by a number of concept cars.

In the metal, this new all-electric mid-sized SUV impresses with its restraint, and the apparent about-face BMW is taking with its signature kidney grilles – once huge, now daintily proportioned. The interior pairs a central touchscreen with a slim, wide display set just beneath the windscreen. There’s more minimalism here as well, especially on the pared-back door trims. With a promised range of up to 500 miles, the iX3 will be one of the first true volume cars to do away with range anxiety altogether.

BMW.co.uk, @BMW

Volkswagen

VW also had a slew of major announcements up its sleeve, both for the main Volkswagen brand and for wider activity in the VW Group. In addition to cementing the existence of a compact ‘Electric Urban Car Family’, featuring distinct but related models from Volkswagen, Cupra, and Škoda, all priced from around €25,000, VW also doubled down on a new naming strategy.

Turns out that the ID. name plate will no longer be the only sign of a pure VW EV. As of 2026, what would have been the ID.2 will now be known as the ID.Polo, with ID.Golf to follow. The realisation that these classic model names, with their decades of history and loyal following, could simply be taken into the electric era seems like a no-brainer – the only surprise is that it took VW so long to realise.

The ID.Polo, along with its GTI sibling, were both shown at IAA – albeit still in camouflage – along with the ID.Cross concept, a compact urban SUV. Both slot into the Electric Urban Car Family announced above, alongside the Cupra Raval and Škoda’s Epiq.

VW also showed the newest version of the popular T-Roc, another compact SUV. Finally, there was the ID.Every1, a concept with the task of bringing VW back into the ultra-compact urban car category like classic older models such as the Lupo and the Up!.

Volkswagen.de, @Volkswagen

Porsche 911 Turbo S

Porsche presented its new flagship 911, the 911 Turbo S. A legendary name, this latest version of the evergreen sports car goes heavy on the tech. Power output is at record levels (711 PS), thanks in part to a T-Hybrid powertrain that incorporates two electric exhaust gas turbochargers. There’s also all-wheel drive and an EV-bothering 0-62mph sprint time of 2.5 seconds.

Like all 911s, the new Turbo S is designed to be easy to live with, combining that massive power with a spacious cabin, great sightlines and a colossal breadth of dynamic ability, from everyday use about town to the challenge of the track.

Porsche.com, @Porsche

Mercedes-Benz GLC

Another big reveal came from Mercedes, which countered BMW’s iX3 with the new version of its equivalent model, the GLC. The all-electric Mercedes-Benz GLC with EQ Technology (the car’s official name) also demonstrates a company rowing back from the idea of separate lines of ICE and EV cars. The first GLC was introduced back in 2015 and a decade has truly transformed the model.

Instead of its rather lumpy forebears, the newest GLC is relatively slim in profile for an SUV, with neat rear-light treatment. The big grille rather lets the ensemble down – no lessons learned from BMW’s vogue for shrinking front-end graphics. Inside, Mercedes is still wedded to vast displays with the latest iteration of the dash-devouring MBUX Hyperscreen.

The car’s operating system uses a so-called multi-agent approach, taking the best bits of AI from both Google and Microsoft. As a result, Mercedes claims that ‘for the customer, talking to the MBUX Virtual Assistant is like chatting with a friend – it can provide detailed responses and answer follow-up questions without the need to repeat context’.

Mercedes-Benz.de, @MercedesBenz

Avatr Vision Xpectra concept

There were also plenty of Chinese brands represented, marked a fresh wave of new metal intended to increase the country’s Western market share. New models from Leapmotor, Deepal, GAC and Dongfeng included the GS7 SUV, with its quirky animated headlights, the Aion UT, as well as the arrival of Dongfeng’s new Forthing sub-brand in Europe and the Huawei-owned Aito brand, which showed three new crossover models.

Our attention was grabbed by Avatr’s dramatic Vision Xpectra, a vast new concept created by this sub-brand from Changan Automobile to express what it calls ‘emotive luxury’.

As well as the sheer scale of the 5m-plus limousine, with its near fully-glazed upper body, there’s a wealth of technology crammed into the interior, much of which is controlled via a VPA (Virtual Personal Assistant), the latest must-have for modern cars. Shown alongside production models, including the Avatr 06, 07, 11 and 12, the Xpectra is a bold statement of intent.

Vision.Avatr.com

Polestar 5

Polestar finally revealed the production version of the long-awaited Polestar 5 at Munich. As the EV company gets closer and closer to completing its projected line-up, the arrival of the 5 marks the most premium Polestar yet, with the Performance model starting at £104,900 for the Launch Edition.

Based on the original 2020 Precept Concept, the Polestar 5 is described by the company as a ‘performance grand tourer’. The dual motor model should be good for around 400 miles of range, whilst the rapid Polestar 5 Performance is rated at 351 miles. At 5m in length, the Polestar 5 is limousine-sized, with rear space and accoutrements to match.

Polestar.com, @Polestarcars

Mini John Cooper Works concepts

Mini created a large-scale installation in the heart of Munich, complete with faux Tube station entrances and lots of lovely British clichés. When it came to cars, the BMW offshoot chose to present a collaboration with the lifestyle brand Deus Ex Machina, which resulted in two one-off John Cooper Works cars, dubbed The Machina and The Skeg.

Drawing influences from drag racing and surf culture, the two concepts are full-blooded race cars and have inspired a capsule collection from the brand. Asymmetric styling cues and liveries are coupled with spoilers and slick tyres, with one car celebrating EV power and the other traditional ICE.

Mini.de, Deuscustoms.eu

Renault Clio

The Clio is an important car for Renault, even though most of the company’s recent attention has focused on the 4 and the 5. The Clio was a mainstay for many years, and now the compact car is back, this time with a hybrid powertrain. The sixth generation of this popular small car is actually larger than ever before and shares several interior elements with the 4 and 5 models.

There’s little evidence of retro design here, however, with a more aggressive front-end styling. Despite the hybrid power, it’s still a light car by modern standards, and should be impressively economical as a result.

Renault.de, @Renault_de

Škoda Vision O

We see hints of the 1954 Chevrolet Corvette Nomad in Škoda’s brave Vision O estate car concept. At a time when the practical, elegant estate has been all but decimated by the SUV, the brand’s decision to double down and reinvigorate the segment is a welcome one.

Look beyond those very conceptual doors and you’ll see a finely proportioned wagon that combines Škoda’s playful but practical approach with a new design language, ‘Modern Solid’. The dashboard gets the two-screen set-up also seen in BMW’s iX3, with the upper level dubbed the ‘Škoda Horizon Display’, while there’s also a softer, more natural approach to interior materials and aesthetics, as well as ‘Bio-Adaptive Lighting’ that uses natural light cycles to keep occupants feeling fresh and alert.

As well as 650 litres of luggage capacity, the Vision O also debuts new ‘Simply Clever’ features, the little design add-ons that have come to define Škoda’s attention to detail. The signature door-stowed umbrella is present and correct (no fewer than four of them), and the car incorporates a fridge as well as a detachable Bluetooth speaker.

Also on display was the new Škoda Epiq, a conceptual preview of the company’s contribution to VW’s quartet of compact all-electric city cars. Like its siblings, the Epiq will hit the streets in 2026, largely unchanged from the car you see here.

With a low price, above average range for the sector (c.260 miles) and a spacious, functional interior, the Epiq will be the first production car to incorporate the Modern Solid design language and shows the brand hasn’t forgotten its functional, affordable roots.

Skoda-Auto.com, @Skodagram

Hyundai Concept Three

This is the Concept Three, a preview of the next and smallest car to bear Hyundai’s Ioniq sub-brand EV badge. Expected to reach production as the Ioniq 3, if you overlook the tinted windows, lemon-yellow interior and purple highlights, you’ll see the fundamental silhouette of the next-gen compact car.

The Three actually brought to mind the 2007 Hyundai HND-3 concept, which in turn reached production as the quirky and asymmetric Veloster in 2011. Both cars had an unusual door arrangement, something that’s carried through to this concept, with its coach rear door.

The concept demonstrates what Hyundai is calling its ‘Art of Steel’ design language, doubling down on the industrial conglomerate’s impressive ability with the material, along with the Parametric Pixel detailing seen across the rest of the Ioniq range. All European EVs were on display at IAA Mobility 2025, as well as the Insteroid concept first shown at Seoul in the Spring.

Hyundai.com, @Hyundai

Now there's a new range from Aston Martin, replacing the company’s previous collection with Silver Cross. This time the British manufacturer has team up with egg, a sub-brand launched by BabyStyle in 2015. As the name suggests, egg products are cossetting and all-enveloping, providing that extra layer of protection that all new parents crave.

In announcing egg as the company’s ‘official stroller partner’, Aston is hoping to provide another incentive for a family demographic, most of whom are likely to be behind the wheel of the DBX SUV (although we haven’t tried, we’d put money on the hefty egg not fitting into any of AM’s other models).

According to egg founder Andy Crane, ‘our retailers and parents have often described the egg as the Aston Martin of the stroller world - so in many ways, this partnership feels like a natural evolution.’ The new AM egg3 brings clear Aston design cues, even more so if you choose the green edition (two variations of grey are also available). With highlights in Racing Lime, the green draws a clear line to Aston Martin’s F1 team.

There are other fun parallels, such as the honeycomb-detailed wheels which evoke the pattern of the examples fitting to the limited-edition Valour and Victor. The stroller features the same quilting pattern as you’ll find on the interior of the DBX, and there are leather details that come from Aston Martin’s suppliers. And yes, there are Aston Martin wings badges aplenty, perfect for winning a round of playground one-upmanship.

‘The model sets a new benchmark for collaboration in our industry,’ says Crane, ‘it’s built not just on shared values, but on a deep creative synergy. Both Aston Martin and egg are driven by design, precision, and a deep-rooted respect for craftsmanship - this collaboration is the perfect meeting of minds.’

Eggstroller.com, @BabyStyleuk, AstonMartin.com, @AstonMartin

An uncharitable reading of the car is that the Emeya has failed at both – regardless of the angle you take, this big four-door sports saloon is neither innovation nor luxurious, especially when it’s considered in the face of the opposition. And yet, from the driver’s seat it’s a rather special place to be. It’s no slouch as a place for passengers either. So what is the real meaning of Lotus’s heavy lean into electrification?

You’d have to have been living under a rock for the past few years not to notice that Lotus isn’t doing especially well. Bought by Geely in 2017, saving from it another point of peril, the company received hefty chunks of Chinese investment as well as global interest in a whole new suite of products. One of these was the Emeya, the second of a clutch of new generation EVs that started with the massive Eletre SUV.

Both cars share a visual language, and a rather appealing one at that. As an independent and an innovator, with close ties to motorsport, the Lotus of old is spliced with technical innovation plus avant-garde visual thinking, creating a genuinely different and appealing machine. There are also showstopping elements, like the segmented electrically dimming roof panel, with its collection of interlocking triangular elements that can be arranged in myriad ways.

However, Lotus, like so many other cars in the Geely stable (Polestar, Volvo and Smart, we’re looking at you) has over-committed to the touch screen, shunting reams of functionality into the realm of swiping, menus and icons. The interface design is impressive, with smooth and swift graphics, and in truth the various functions do eventually get burned into your muscle memory.

However, there’s a learning curve. The Eletre’s way of doing things is definitely different and not everyone will have the patience to give up decades of ergonomic familiarity. To move the wing mirror, for example, it’s a button on the door (two presses for offside mirror), then onto the multifunctional trackpad buttons on the steering wheel. The HVAC system does away with any physical interaction with air vents altogether – strength and direction of air is guided by a swipe across a virtual diagram of the dashboard, with airflow rendered as streams that can be manipulated this way and that. It ought to be intuitive, but it’s really not as easy as moving a stalk on a blower vent.

A recent facelift has divvied up the Emeya (and Eletre) range into more digestible individual models, the 600 and 900 (the numbers referring to their equivalent horsepower). These are then further subdivided into 600, 600 GT, 600 GT SE and 600 Sport SE. The 600 range starts at £84,990 and going all the way up £104,990 for the Sport SE, with the performance remaining the same and layers of optional extras being added in at each tier. The 900 range consists of the 900 Sport and 900 Carbon, the latter starting at £139,990. Tick every available option and you can push the price well over £180,000.

We’re here to tell you that the upper echelons of the range are not really worth this significant bump. There are some great, high-tech options – like the roof – but essentially you’re paying a premium for more carbon fibre, a shorter range and the barnstorming ability to hit 60mph in less than three seconds. Even in the base 600, the instant availability of power makes overtaking and streaking off motorway slip roads into fast-moving traffic a breeze, even in the base model. More importantly, it handles beautifully, with a balance and refinement to the suspension that cloaks the car’s immense 2,550kg weight.

Just like every other EV performance car manufacturer, Lotus has to wrestle with the uncomfortable truth that the longest-range model is usually the sweet spot, with more than enough performance when you need it and less anxiety when you don’t. This explains why flagship EVs have so much in the way of surplus power – anything to justify the price attached to 2- and 3-second sprint times – and why expensive option lists exist to add in a layer of profitability.

Speaking of which, Lotus isn’t doing so great right now. Cuts to the UK workforce, rumours (dismissed by the company) that UK-based production will soon end and a general malaise over the state of the luxury EV market have all contributed to the downturn. The car you see here hasn’t yet gone in sale in the US, a market that would surely lap up a long-limbed, ultra-high-performance saloon. However, it’s politically unfortunate that the car is built in China (the only Lotus built in the UK is the Emira mid-engined sports car).

Waiting in the wings, presumably for an economic upturn, is a new smaller SUV, a design that’s been in the can for several years but has been stymied by the over-optimistic production and revenue numbers originally attached to the Emeya and Eletre. More importantly, there are also super-hybrid versions of the EV pair being readied. These will follow the trend for range-extender powered hybrids that retain EV propulsion but can charge the battery with a small combustion engine. They could bring a welcome boost to Lotus’s desirability amongst the diehard anti-EV holdouts.

In my opinion, the Emeya is more than desirable already, especially in 600 trim. The combination of pace and space and (mostly) successful design and ergonomics both inside and out more than make up for the car’s size and weight. It’s bold and different and way more practical than it looks, a pioneering super saloon that makes a great alternative to the ubiquitous Porsche Taycan. Here’s hoping the model’s ongoing evolution adds to that charm.

Lotus Emeya 600, from £84,990, LotusCars.com, @LotusCars

In addition to spearheading the company's new design direction, one theory is that the Audi Concept C previews a new-generation compact Audi sports car. This would be a triumphant return to a sector the brand once very much owned with the Audi TT. Perhaps the first ‘designer’ sports car, the TT represented the rare distillation of pure design intent into a production model. Can the Concept C do a similar thing?

Naturally, this is an EV, unlike the original, which didn’t last long enough to even be hybridised, let alone electrified. Industry watchers point to a tie-in with sister company Porsche, which is known to be well advanced with the all-electric replacement for the popular 718. Given Porsche’s EV know-how – as evidenced by the Taycan and Macan – the 718 EV was set to be one of the first ‘true’ mass-market electric sports cars. Could it be joined by a related Audi?

If the two cars do share a platform, it’s been well concealed. The lines of the Concept C are pure Audi, owing more to the company’s aesthetic approach in the 1990s and 2000s than recent design studies. You can see a little bit of the original TT Concept from 1995, especially in the solid B-pillar design. The Concept C is presented with a targa-style retractable roof, as well as a solid deck that does away with a rear window.

Although this ‘window delete’ approach was recently popularised by Polestar, it has earlier antecedents in the Audi back catalogue. We see strong hints of the Audi Rosemeyer concept from 2000, a magnificent 16-cylinder powered, polished aluminium hypercar that evolved into one of the technical antecedents of the Bugatti Veyron.

There’s also a nod to 2004’s Audi RSQ, a concept created for I, Robot, that year’s Will Smith-starring action/science fiction film. The car, which gets plenty of screen time during the 2035-set film, has a silhouette closely related to the Audi R8, but the visual expression of solid billets of metal is carried through into this new concept.

Finally, we’d also draw parallels with the 2010 Audi E-Tron concept, an electric two-seater compact sports car that raised hopes of an early EV TT but proved to be something of a stylistic dead end. The new Concept C shares the 2010 car’s proportions, although the earlier design study had more unwieldy light graphics when compared to today’s slender multi-purpose light units. Curves and radii have also been simplified, radically so.

The Audi Concept C is definitely a return to the geometry-obsessed Audi of a couple of decades ago. In terms of overall proportions, the concepts features long front and rear overhangs that are uncommon in today’s EV design language. These proportions also serve to disguise the car’s physical size. Is this a truly compact sports car or more of a grand tourer?

In addition to the geometric precision, subtle, near-flat surfacing and blanked-out rear deck, the Concept C’s other point of difference is the front end. Featuring the same kind of frontal verticality seen in Bentley’s EXP 15 vision concept, with deep-set vents topped by slim lights, it’s also drawn comparisons to the Jaguar Concept 00.

This ‘vertical frame’ is a preview of the new Audi face, a massive simplification of the current complex, almost aggressive approach. Looking a little bit like a small car trying to emerge from a large one, the approach undoes decades and decades of car design that dovetails with face pareidolia, wherein headlights read as eyes, and grilles, badges, air intakes and other elements translate into the rest of the facial features. For inspiration, Audi’s designers have gone all the way back to the 1936 Auto Union Type C and the 2004 Audi A6.

The interior is another minimalist statement, with aluminium controls combined with warm, earthy natural materials and a general absence of extraneous detailing and surfaces. The steering wheel is even perfectly round, a rarity in the current industry, while the 10.4-inch touch touchscreen is designed to fold out of the way for a more analogue, engaging driving experience.

Audi is signalling a shift, having perhaps lost its status as the leading design-focused car brand in recent years. Although the stated four pillars of the new design philosophy (Clear, Technical, Intelligent and Emotional) don’t really transcend typical PowerPoint sentimentalising, the vehicle itself is a step forwards, albeit one that’s been combined with a studious look back.

Audi.com, @Audi

We’ve had a lot of fun in the diminutive Smart car over the years. A tiny two-seater powered by a regular combustion engine, it was never quite a runaway commercial success, but it garnered enough sales and popularity to be more than a mere cult – we at Wallpaper* even had a shot at customising our own Cabrio model. The ForTwo (as it eventually became known) had few rivals, with perhaps the Toyota iQ at the top of the tree.

A second-generation model arrived in 2007, when Smart finally got around to putting an electric drivetrain into the car. A third-generation car, co-developed with Renault, saw major stylistic changes in 2014, and in 2018, the EV version was officially designated as the Smart EQ Fortwo. With total sales of around 1.7 million, the two-seater retained its playful, toy-like character throughout, with chunky, colourful design inside and out (Hayek’s original vision of clip-on body panels never materialised).

Then the trail went cold. In 2020, Mercedes hived Smart off into a joint venture with China’s Geely Group, and the latter has overseen its transformation into a relatively conventional EV brand, albeit one that is laser-targeted at a youthful audience, both in China and beyond. Thus far, Europe has the compact Smart #1 SUV, the excellent Smart #3, and the forthcoming Smart #5 SUV.

What form will the Smart #2 take?

So what will the Smart #2 look like? We can probably rule out any influence from 2017’s Smart Vision EQ Fortwo, which predates the Geely era. Mercedes-Benz is still involved in the design, however. With the #1, #3 and #5, Smart has established a consistent design language that’s curvy and futuristic, although much of the cars’ character is left to the onboard digital assistants. That’ll probably be the case with the new #2, which is expected to go on sale late in 2026.

Pure electric from the outset – like all other contemporary Smarts – the #2 will also be built in China and promises a tech-driven approach. As Smart’s European CEO Dirk Adelmann noted, ‘the Smart #2 will shape a new era of individual urban automobility, especially in classic smart cities like Rome, London or Paris… [it will] be a unique, authentic addition to the all-electric product portfolio of Smart in Europe’.

Right now, it’s not even clear if the #2 will have two seats or more. It’ll also go up against increasingly stiff competition in the sector, including the cultish Fiat Topolino and related Citroën Ami, and microcars like the Microlino and Nissan Silence S04. Even Toyota is musing about a return to the sector, as the recent FT-Me Concept demonstrated.

These days, small has become premium, with bespoke offerings from the likes of David Brown and its remastered classic Mini providing pocket-sized luxury to well-heeled urban drivers.

Whatever shape the new Smart #2 takes when it finally breaks cover, it’ll be a compact one. As more and more people realise the folly of using full-scale SUVs in a European city, regardless of whether they're electric or not, the #2 has a strong chance of being a hit.

UK.Smart.com, @Smart_Worldwide