+++ BUGATTI built the final Chiron, a Super Sport model called l’Ultime, in May 2024. We won’t have to wait long to find out what’s next: the brand has already announced that the Chiron’s successor will get a new V16 engine, and it confirmed the model will make its debut on June 20. Little is known about the model; its name hasn’t even been revealed yet. I’m guessing it will inaugurate a new nameplate rather than land as, say, the second-generation Chiron, though this is pure speculation. What’s certain is that the model will be new from the ground up. The quad-turbocharged W16 engine that has powered every Bugatti since the brand’s revival will join the pantheon of automotive history. Instead, the Chiron’s successor will use a new V16 engine developed in-house. The 16-cylinder will be part of a hybrid system, and Bugatti has previously described its next hypercar as being “heavily electrified”. The chassis will be entirely new as well, so it will be interesting to see how Bugatti manages to offset the weight added by the hybrid system. For context, the Chiron was built largely out of carbon fiber. Achim Anscheidt, Bugatti’s former head of design, previously told that starting the project on a blank slate allowed his team to fine-tune the car’s proportions. “The car will certainly be tailored to one or the other aspect of a hybrid”, he explained. The interior will evolve as well, but don’t expect wall-to-wall screens. “Bugatti models need to sit on the lawn at Pebble Beach in 50 years and work”, he summed up. While nothing suggests the Chiron’s replacement will go retro, Bugatti notes it rummaged through its catalogue of past models for inspiration. The Type 57 SC Atlantic, the Type 41 Royale and the Type 35 all shaped the new car. The French brand considers the first 2 its most beautiful and its most luxurious cars, respectively, and the latter is widely credited as one of the most successful Grand Prix cars ever raced. +++
+++ FIAT has confirmed that it will launch a new hybrid 500 in 2026, securing a long-term future for its big-selling petrol-engined city car. The new 500 Ibrida will arrive by early 2026, Fiat said in a statement, meaning it will arrive 18 years after the current petrol 500. Production will move from Tychy in Poland to the Mirafiori plant in Italy that currently builds the electric Fiat 500e. The 500 Ibrida will be powered by the same Firefly 1.0-litre mild-hybrid 3-cylinder petrol engine as the existing 500 and the related Fiat Panda. However, it’s anticipated to switch from the current petrol 500’s platform, which dates back to the 2003 Panda, onto the 500e’s bespoke architecture. The move to retrofit an EV with an internal combustion powertrain is unprecedented in the European car industry. Several reports in March suggested that the bold measure was borne out of 2 key challenges. First was the need to up production rates at Mirafiori amid slow sales of the 500e and its Abarth 500e hot hatch sibling. Fiat reduced shifts at the plant in February and reserved the option of completely pausing the production line if sales didn’t pick up. Second was the challenge of keeping the popular petrol 500 on sale, as the existing model falls foul of new cybersecurity standards introduced by the European Union. Making it compliant with these would involve an expensive rehomologation effort. 17 years on from launch, the petrol 500 remains a lynchpin for Fiat. Of the 173.187 new 500s sold across Europe last year (including Abarth models), 108.943 were petrol-engined. The move to develop the 500 Ibrida also paves the way for a second generation of the Abarth 595 hot hatch, although Fiat’s performance-focused sibling brand has yet to confirm any such plans. Fiat CEO Olivier François hailed it as a commitment to the Italian car industry, calling the brand’s home nation “our driving force and our future”. François hinted that slow sales of the 500e in Italy prompted action, noting that “90% of Mirafiori production goes abroad”. No doubt the decision has also been taken to free up space at Tychy, where Fiat parent company Stellantis is soon to start building Chinese firm Leapmotor’s new T03 electric citycar. François added: “To increase the number of 500s on the road in Italy and to answer the Italian customers, we have decided to produce the new 500 Ibrida. The new 500 Ibrida has an Italian name, will be developed and designed in Turin and will be proudly made in Mirafiori. It’s clear that Mirafiori plays a strategic role for the brand and that we’re also continuing investing in Italy, the 500 and Mirafiori”. To that end, the 500 Ibrida will use engines made at Stellantis’s factory in Termoli, on the Adriatic coast, exhausts fabricated in Napoli and gearboxes assembled at Mirafiori. As well as announcing the 500 Ibrida, Fiat reiterated it will invest some €100 million into the 500e, with plans to redesign its platform for new battery technologies aimed at improving its affordability. This suggests an update for the 500e is also due around 2026. +++
+++ FORD of Europe boss Martin Sander has left the company to become sales and marketing boss at Volkswagen. Sander joined Ford of Europe as general manager for passenger vehicles in January 2022, having spent 25 years at the Volkswagen Group, most recently in senior roles for Audi, latterly as the premium brand’s British managing director. He will now return to the German giant, this time as board member for sales, marketing and aftersales at Volkswagen Passenger Cars. +++
+++ HYUNDAI has won the 2024 World Rally Championship (WRC) in Italy, extending its winning streak to the third consecutive year, the carmaker said Monday. The carmaker celebrated its stunning finish in the Rally Italia Sardegna, the 6th round of the FIA WRC, where Ott Tanak of Hyundai Motor snatched victory in the final stage of the event by just 2-tenths of a second, it said. He drove Hyundai Motor’s i20 N Rally1 Hybrid vehicle. The Estonian rally driver had been gaining on rally leader Sebastien Ogier throughout the day as their intense battle continued, yet it appeared the gap was insurmountable heading into the Power Stage. But this unpredictable rally held a final surprise: A puncture for Ogier saw the advantage swing back to Tanak when it mattered most. “It is obviously a very emotional finish here”, Hyundai Motorsport president and Team Principal Cyril Abiteboul said. “It looked like the win would once again escape from our grasp after Ott wisely decided to play it safe the other day. However, the latest result showed that you can also combine a smart approach to a rally with strong skills and the right momentum at the perfect time, resulting in a great win”. The latest achievement enabled the carmaker to attain its 7th win in the event since 2004. “It’s been a tough weekend, but it is great to finish with such a strong result”, Tanak said. “Let’s see what the next rallies will bring; we are moving into the second half of the season and we are definitely in the game”. The WRC is an internationally renowned rallying series organized by the FIA. The event was inaugurated in 1973 and is the second-oldest world championship of the FIA after Formula One. +++
+++ In SOUTH KOREA , sales of imported cars rose 13.4 percent on-year in May thanks to increased demand for hybrid models, industry data showed. The number of newly registered imported cars came to 24.209 units in May, up from 21.339 units a year ago, according to the Korea Automobile Importers & Distributors Association. BMW was the most popular brand last month, selling 6.240 units, followed by Mercedes-Benz, which sold 5.947 units. Tesla, Volvo and Lexus followed suit, with 4.165 units, 1.516 units and 1.319 units, respectively, the association said. In terms of fuel types, 10.933 imported hybrid units were sold, followed by gasoline, electric vehicles and diesel models, with 5.893 units, 5.876 units and 877 units, respectively. Per individual model, Tesla’s Model 3 was the most popular, selling 3.542 units, followed by Mercedes-Benz’ E-class and BMW’s 5 Series, with 2.244 units and 1.481 units respectively. +++
+++ TESLA boss Elon Musk has told Nvidia to prioritize shipments of AI processors to his companies X and xAI over the electric-vehicle maker. The news signals Musk is giving precedence to artificial intelligence-related development outside Tesla and fanned concerns some shareholders have raised over his commitment to the EV firm while running a number of other companies. The development also comes ahead of a crucial shareholder vote on his pay package at Tesla. “Elon prioritizing X H100 GPU cluster deployment at X versus Tesla by redirecting 12K of shipped H100 GPUs originally slated for Tesla to X instead”, an internal Nvidia memo from December showed. “In exchange, original X orders of 12K H100 slated for Jan and June to be redirected to Tesla”, the memo said. The change delays Tesla’s receipt of more than $500 million in processors by months. In a post on X, Musk said Tesla had no place to store and turn on the Nvidia processors, adding that a planned expansion of its Giga factory in Texas was almost complete. “This will house 50k H100s for FSD (full self-driving) training”. He announced earlier this year Tesla was increasing the number of Nvidia’s most advanced chips it has deployed and will spend $10 billion on AI this year, as part of initiatives to advance the development of FSD software and robotics. The billionaire is also pursuing AI development at X, and xAI, for chatbot Grok, among other applications. XAI, which Musk launched in 2023 to challenge ChatGPT-creator OpenAI, raised $6 billion in funding last month. Tesla shareholders will vote on June 13 on a pay package for Musk that is considered to be the largest for a CEO in corporate America. In a discussion on X related to his pay in January, Musk said: “I am uncomfortable growing Tesla to be a leader in AI & robotics without having 25% voting control. Unless that is the case, I would prefer to build products outside of Tesla”. The company, which did not respond to a request for comment, has been battling a slowdown in the EV market and announced layoffs of more than 10% globally in April. +++
+++ Design work on the production version of the VOLKSWAGEN ID.2all hatch has been finished, and chief designer Andreas Mindt claims it looks “even better” than the concept version. The €27.000 electric car will be shown for the first time later this year, with sales starting early in 2025. The ID.2all concept was designed in around 6 weeks, but Mindt said that his team had fought hard to make sure the production model will closely follow its styling and dimensions. Mindt said the ID.2all project had passed the design freeze, with the design essentially completed, adding: “It’s even better than the concept. I really like it, and it’s one of the reasons I’m so optimistic for our future”. Mindt added that the positive reaction to the concept gave them “a lot of tailwind for the production version”. He added: “I could almost force everybody around me by saying ‘look at the feedback, we have to turn this into reality. Whatever you say, money saving whatever, I want this design’ ”. The new Peugeot e-208 and Opel Corsa-e rival will be the first model to use the long-anticipated MEB Entry platform that the Volkswagen Group has developed. It will also spawn a GTI variant, due for reveal in 2026. That will take numerous cues from the ID.GTI concept revealed last year. Volkswagen will also use the platform for a higher-riding crossover model known as the ID.2X, which is due in 2025. Mindt said that model would have a distinct design from the hatch, noting that it would be “more upright, more self-confident. It’s matching 100 per cent to our brand values: it will be stable and likeable with our secret sauce, but in a different way”. The ID.2all concept measures 4.050 mm long, making it slightly shorter than the current Polo, but its 2.600 mm wheelbase is significantly longer, allowing for far greater interior space. It features a 490 litre boot, with 1.330 litres of capacity when the rear seats are folded down. The MEB Entry platform is front-wheel-drive, while EVs built on the existing MEB platform offer rear-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive powertrains. The front-mounted motor will produce 225 hp, and the ID.2all has a claimed range of up to 450 km. The platform will also be used for the production version of the Cupra Urban Rebel concept, a future Skoda crossover and a second Volkswagen model: a compact crossover that will feature more rugged styling inspired by models such as the T-Cross and T-Roc. When it reaches production, it will sit under the ID.3 in the firm’s EV line-up, with Mindt describing it as being “as spacious as a Golf and as inexpensive as a Polo”. Significantly, the ID.2all showcases an entirely new design language that will feature on all of the firm’s future EVs. This is part of a major brand revamp that’s intended to, in the words of boss Schäfer, “make Volkswagen a genuine love brand”. That philosophy involves the firm embracing its heritage as a key point of difference from new EV rivals, and the ID.2all shows clear influences from the Polo and Golf, with more traditional styling than the ID 3. The decision to switch the platform to front-wheel-drive was to maximise the space available for luggage, enabling that large boot. The platform can accept 2 battery sizes, 38 kWh and 56 kWh, each of which use different battery cell technology. While that maximum claimed range of 450 km is for the 56 kWh unit, the entry-level €27.000 ones will feature the smaller battery. Volkswagen describes the drivetrain, battery and charging technology as “particularly efficient”. While the 38 kWh batteries will use lithium-iron-phosphate prismatic cells, the firm has yet to disclose the chemistry of the later unit. Volkswagen claims the 58 kWh battery in the ID.2all will be able to complete a 10-80% charge in around 20 minutes, and will have a maximum charging rate of 125 kW. The car has a top speed of 100 kph and a 0-100 kph time of less than 7.0 seconds. Reports previously claimed that Volkswagen had pushed back the launch of the ID.2, after relaxed Euro 7 emissions rules meant it could continue selling similarly priced combustion cars like the Polo. But now, the company has confirmed it will still be unveiled in 2025 ahead of a production ramp-up the following year, as was originally outlined when it revealed the near-ready ID.2all concept last year. Clarification about the ID.2’s gestation comes shortly after VW confirmed that future Volkswagen interiors will all draw inspiration from the ID.2all concept in bringing back physical buttons and controls. The touchscreen-heavy approach taken for the Mk8 Golf and ID.3 has proven unpopular with customers, prompting a complete about-turn by the company in the way it approaches design. The new approach has already come to fruition with the facelifted version of the Golf, which drops its haptic steering wheel controls in favour of physical buttons. Volkswagen interior designer Darius Watola said the ID.2all concept “showed a new approach for all models” and was in response to “recent feedback from customers”. CEO Thomas Schäfer recently claimed the touchscreen approach “did a lot of damage” to the brand. The new interior has a row of physical (and backlit) buttons for the climate and a rotary controller on the centre tunnel to control the screen on the dashboard above, much like with BMW’s iDrive. As well as a main central touchscreen for infotainment, there’s also a screen for driving information. Watola said such a display in the driver’s eyeline is crucial for safety. He said that “customers had a different view in Europe” than in other global markets and wanted “more physical buttons”. There’s also a revolution in terms of material use, as VW is looking to phase out hard plastics, glue, leather and chrome. Almost every surface in the ID.2all is soft to the touch, mixing fabrics and Alcantara as part of a sustainability push. There’s limited use of some woods and metals, too. The concept’s screens can be selected in different themes, including retro graphics from the original Golf, and this feature is expected to make production. Also expected to survive are its clever storage features, such as the foldable bottom half of the rear bench that allows a bike to be put in the rear passenger footwells and a storage space beneath the floor of the 490 litre boot that’s big enough for 3 big drinks crates. There’s also a focus on reducing the number of components, for example on the doors that combine the door handles, grab handles and armrest into one unit. This new approach to interior design feeds into the new design approach to make VW a ‘love brand’. The ID.2all concept is a manifesto for that from Mindt, who moved across from Bentley in February, and is a vision for future VWs that will have a “stable and likeable design, always with a secret sauce” and sense of humour attached to them. On the new interiors, Mindt said they would be a “better quality and nicer design” and “customers say a pure touchscreen is not enough and they expect physical switches and dials for important functions”. As well as the interior, the concept showcases the brand’s new exterior design language, which draws from classic models such as the Beetle, Golf and Polo. Volkswagen previously revealed the ID.Life crossover concept that was intended to preview the first MEB Entry model, but that has now been shelved after it received a poor reception. Remarkably, Mindt and his team designed the new concept model in just 6 weeks, and had to work around the already established fixed points of the MEB Entry platform. Mindt said Volkswagen is “transferring the DNA of our icons into the future”, adding that the ID 2all is “therefore also an homage to the Beetle, Golf and Polo”. He said it shows how future Volkswagen’s will build on 3 design pillars: stability, likeability and excitement. Classic cues include a C-pillar design intended to evoke the Mk1 Golf, which builds on “a general feature of compact Volkswagen models”. Mindt has also reduced the volume above the wheels in order to give the car a more powerful stance on the road. The revamped front end features a number of “upwardly rising elements”, which Mindt said are crucial to give the car “a confident smile” and likeability. He added: “It’s important for us that the front of a Volkswagen shows a human expression”. Mindt said that despite the comparatively low target price, the ID.2all has “high-quality materials” inside to add excitement, highlighting the driving-mode selector switch as an example. Volkswagen said the ID.2all will be offered with some of the advanced assistance systems usually only seen on higher-end models, including Travel Assist and Park Assist, Matrix headlights, massaging electric seats and a panoramic sunroof. The production version will be shown in 2025 before entering production in Spain, alongside the closely related Cupra and Skoda models. It will be one of 10 electric cars that Volkswagen will launch by 2026, also including the facelifted ID.3, the long-wheelbase Volkswagen ID.Buzz, the ID.7 liftback, the ID.7 Tourer and the compact SUV that will join the ID.2all in using the MEB Entry platform. +++
