+++ The forthcoming BMW Skytop convertible will pave the way for more limited-run BMW series-production models, with one eye on an exclusive future halo car for the M brand. Sylvia Neubauer, vice president for BMW M customers, brand and sales said: “BMW’s strategy is to have a series of small-series additions that we offer to the markets. There will be something coming at Villa d’Este this year and probably some future small-series editions with the ‘M’ designation”. Asked whether the culmination of such projects might be the inception of a bespoke BMW M model, similar in philosophy to the seventies M1 supercar, Neubauer said: “Definitely; such halo cars clearly position the brand. They make it very, very desirable. “Halo models have that positive spillover effect on the brand and on the product portfolio. You’re making a certain customer group very, very happy with these dream cars”, she told us. “Even those that cannot afford the car, they admire the brand. This will be part of our future road map as well”. It’s not clear at this stage what form this new halo car might take, although suggestions of an M-badged Porsche 911 rival were met with a wry smile. “That market obviously is a interesting”, Neubauer said. “But we also know that Porsche customers are very, very loyal to their brand. So if we do it, we definitely need to do it spot on: 100 percent. That question you asked about a dream car? You can trust us, we are working on it internally to make that happen one day”, she said. “Are we dreaming of dream cars and is BMW M a very entrepreneurial company where you can really make things happen? Yes, let’s wait for the right time”. Neubauer went on to reiterate that her team was working hard to deliver next year’s hybrid and electric BMW M3 models in tandem, insisting that “with Neue Klasse on the horizon; we’re clearly focused on the electrified and combustion-engine M3 that we will bring to the market. This is what we’re focusing on at the moment”. The M3 twins will be followed by a pair of closely-related X3 M variants with Neubauer suggesting that no models are off the table when it comes to the future of the M brand: “If they all go on the Neue Klasse architecture, then you can imagine having the same results: putting an M badge on and having a high-performance car. Neubauer hinted that future CS and possibly even CSL models were in the plan, despite the added challenges faced by the size and weight of electrified vehicles. “The CS philosophy is always to have more power and performance, less weight in the car, and therefore, yes, you could think of continuing the CS model line-up in the future”, she said. “If you are able to reduce weight and put more power into the car, so yes, I think that will still be a path that we can have a look at”. +++
+++ HUAWEI unveiled the Maextro S800 last year and now the company is giving us a peek inside its ultra-luxurious cabin. It will not be a surprise that the interior is heavily inspired by Mercedes-Maybach and Rolls-Royce models. Drivers sit behind an elegant 2-tone steering wheel and find themselves looking at a ‘floating’ display that closely echoes the MBUX Hyperscreen. There’s no word on dimensions, but the EQS has a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, a 17.7-inch infotainment system and a 12.3-inch front passenger display. The Mercedes-like styling cues continue elsewhere as there are stylish metal speaker grilles that mimic Burmester units. They’re joined by familiar door-mounted seat controls. Elsewhere, there are digital side mirror displays, a dual wireless smartphone charger and a splash of wood trim on the center console. Designers also gave the car a stylish rotary knob as well as metallic accents. Buyers will also find a luxurious mix of leather and suede-like upholstery. While the cockpit is nice, the rear passenger compartment is the star of the show. It features individual rear seats with power adjustment as well as a foot rest. The front passenger seat also slides out of the way, so you can sit back and enjoy the ride. The seats are separated by an elegant leather and wood console, which features deployable tray tables. It also sports a champagne flute holder and a retractable drawer. We can also expect a refrigerated compartment as well as a rear seat entertainment system. Above, there’s a starry headliner inspired by the Rolls-Royce playbook. They’re joined by door-mounted screens that echo those found on the BMW 7-Series. The luxury barge will be launched later this year and measure 5.480 mm long with a wheelbase spanning 3.370 mm. This makes the model 10 mm longer than the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class, although it has a 25 mm shorter wheelbase. The model is expected to be offered with an electric powertrain that features a 94.4 kWh battery pack. This should provide ranges of 500 – 525 km. An extended-range variant is also said to be in the works with a smaller 63.3 kWh battery. It will reportedly offer electric-only ranges between 200 and 250 km. Pricing reportedly starts at ¥1 million, which is the equivalent of $137,230. That’s not too shabby considering the Mercedes-Maybach S480 starts at ¥1.48 million ($203,100) in China. +++
+++ Electric vehicles have been a hot topic lately, with Tesla’s falling sales proving to be the talk of the automotive industry. The American EV manufacturer isn’t the only one seeing demand for their all-electric models struggle, though. HYUNDAI announced it will suspend production at its main domestic plant for 5 days, citing declining demand in key markets, including Europe and North America. The Korean automaker had already halted production for 5 days back in February. Weakening demand throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe has made an impact on Hyundai’s sales both domestically and abroad. Last year, the Hyundai Motor Group, which includes Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis, came in as the 4th largest automaker in the United States for the second year in a row. Their momentum seems to be waning, though. The South Korean automaker’s latest production hold affects the Ioniq 5 and Kona Electric specifically. Prior to its shutdown, Hyundai temporarily halted production in February due to its domestic sales numbers. The automaker had sold just 75 Ioniq 5 models in South Korea in January. The Ioniq 5 fell short of expectations in 2024 as well, with 16.600 units sold in the automaker’s home country. While the South Korean production facility may be experiencing a halt in production, it’s business as usual in the United States. Hyundai’s Metaplant in Georgia produces the Ioniq 5 alongside the Ioniq 9. The Kona Electric, however, is exported from South Korea to various markets, including the United States and Europe. In late March, Hyundai announced a $21 billion investment in the United States. Those funds will go towards opening a new steel plant, increasing United States production capacity, and expanding partnerships with United States companies. Cooling EV sales are largely a result of countries changing their policies towards EV adoption. The United States, Canada, and several European countries, including Germany, recently made changes to their subsidy programs that had helped drive EV sales. That’s not to mention the looming threat of tariffs and EV policy changes from the Trump administration. In response to sluggish EV sales, Hyundai has turned to zero-interest financing deals in North America and down payment assistance in several European countries. Unfortunately, those incentives haven’t proved as fruitful as the South Korean automaker had hoped. Earlier this month, Hyundai stated it would keep the sticker prices on its current models steady until June 2nd. The program is an effort to ease consumer concerns regarding vehicle prices amid uncertainty caused by tariffs. Hyundai isn’t the only automaker looking to incentivize new vehicle sales. Ford plans to offer employee pricing to all consumers through June 2nd and Stellantis is currently offering employee pricing or cash incentives through April 30th. +++
+++ The LEAPMOTOR T03 city car has only just launched in the Netherlands, but back in China the brand’s bosses have hinted that they’re readying an extensive update that would see its styling brought in line with other models in the line-up. Speaking at this week’s Shanghai Auto Show, Leapmotor chief operating officer Tianshu Xin acknowledged that the T03’s aesthetic was out of step with the rest of the range. “The T03 was launched and introduced in China 5 years ago”, he said. “Now it’s finally time; that car is the perfect car size for the European marketplace. But once we have the platform, it’s absolutely no trouble to refresh the car with the latest stuff”. Adopting a similar approach to Dacia, which recently gave its T03-rivalling Spring city car an extensive visual overhaul, would see the smallest Leapmotor inherit a much sleeker look. It’s likely the round, wide-set headlights would be replaced by thinner units connected by a black strip, with a similar treatment to the rear. The car’s overall proportions are unlikely to change and nor is the core battery and motor technology beneath the skin. That means a 37 kWh battery good for up to 265 km on a charge; comfortably more than its Dacia competitor. Tech-wise, the T03 already gets a reasonably chunky central touchscreen and digital dials. With over-the-air updates, this can quickly and easily be tweaked to accommodate the latest software, presumably making this a less expensive task than installing revised sheet metal. Upgrades in material and trim are more likely, although the city car is built to a price, limiting its scope for high-end fabrics on the seats, doors or dashboard. While nothing is guaranteed in the next 6 to 12 months, Tianshu told me his team is paying very close attention to the car’s success in Europe: “It’s coming down to the demand”, he said. “We’re monitoring the customer feedback and the perception of the car, to decide if we do something refreshed”. +++
+++ MERCEDES-AMG first dedicated electric car, a mega-powered super saloon to rival the Porsche Taycan, is just weeks away from being unwrapped. Equipped with innovative drivetrain technology that is likely to make it the firm’s most powerful road car yet, the new super-saloon will in effect be a replacement for the V8-engined GT 4-door Coupé. Mercedes’ performance division previewed the rakish 4-seater in 2022 with a radical concept dubbed Vision 2025, which gave clues to how AMG plans to differentiate its own sporting EVs from the mainstream equivalents offered by its parent company. Now, the company has posted an image of the saloon’s silhouette (below) on social media along with confirmation that the full design will be shown in June, though it has yet to give a date. The concept was clearly more performance-focused than models such as the Mercedes-Benz EQE and EQS saloons, with a much lower and sharper silhouette. Distinctive styling cues, such as the 6 circular taillights and racestyle diffusor, hinted at features that could define AMG’s future product portfolio, including a closely related super-SUV that’s set to follow next year. More recently, as prototypes shed their disguise in the final few months of testing, it has become clear that the Affalterbach-based firm will stay true to the Vision 2025 concept for its debut EV, which will be only the 4th completely bespoke car it has launched, after the SLS and GT coupés and the GT 4-door. The new arrival will feature a long, probing bonnet and sit closer to the road (and have a lower roofline) than any other Mercedes EV. It will have a sizeable footprint, though, most likely in line with cars such as the Lucid Air and Porsche Taycan, hinting at its potential dual billing as a luxury sports car with generous rear leg room and a big boot. It will also have a prominent retractable rear spoiler and flush door handles in order to boost downforce and aid aerodynamic efficiency respectively, as well as a split rear window. An evolution of the concept’s striking taillights looks and a bulky lower bumpers are expected to accommodate similarly racy aero-optimised bodywork. The electric AMG has been designed from the ground up as a performance car and is expected to place as much emphasis on dynamic performance and engagement as it does straight-line speed. It will be the first car to use a bespoke performance-oriented EV architecture known as AMG.EA. Propulsion comes from the power-dense, slimline axial flux motors developed by Mercedes-owned Oxford manufacturer Yasa. AMG has been tight-lipped on performance potential, but Yasa boss Tim Woolmer confirmed that a motor bound for one of the German company’s production cars weighs just 24 kg yet produces 800 Nm and 500 hp in its own right. If used in tandem as part of a twin-motor system, such as previewed by AMG’s retro One-Eleven supercar concept, combined outputs of around 1.000 hp and 1.100 Nm are quite feasible. Interestingly, the One-Eleven had both of its motors mounted on the rear axle. At the concept’s unveiling, bosses highlighted the packaging benefits of having both motors at the rear: the front end can be brought as close to the ground as possible for optimal aerodynamic efficiency, but the Yasa-produced motors’ compact footprint means there is still room for a sizeable rear luggage area. This suggests that any new electric saloon using such an arrangement can, in theory, tout the same practicality credentials as its V8-engined predecessor, making it a bona fide super-tourer. +++
+++ PORSCHE looks to be readying a Le Mans car for the road, which it could unveil at the famous 24-hour race in June. A shadowy teaser image released by the German brand shows a side profile of the 963 hypercar (below) that currently competes in the World Endurance Championship (WEC). During the announcement, Porsche heavily referenced the 917, one of few Porsche endurance cars ever modified for road-going use some 50 years ago. Originally designed for trackracing, its chassis was sold in 1974 by Porsche to Count Rossi di Montelera (the heir to the Martini brand), who then converted it. The 963 is powered by an electrically assisted, twin-turbocharged 4.6-litre V8 engine derived from that of the old Porsche 918 Spyder supercar. It produces a maximum of 680 hp, although its output in WEC races is dictated by Balance of Performance regulations. While no confirmation has yet been made by Porsche, a road-going 963 would likely be either a one-off or made in an extremely limited batch. +++
+++ TESLA just took a big step forward toward bringing robot taxis to the public. Strangely, it didn’t come with a bunch of fanfare from its CEO either. Instead, the company quietly confirmed on X that it has made its ride-hailing service available to some employees. “FSD Supervised ride-hailing service is live for an early set of employees in Austin & San Francisco Bay Area”, read the post. Those cities are both very important for Tesla as the brand has facilities in each. A rideshare app allows users to click a big button that simply says “Pick Me Up”. Once the car arrives, users get a notification and a reminder to buckle up in the car. Cybertruck-styled font shows a new script that calls the service “Robotaxi”. For now, a human safety driver is in the driver’s seat during the testing. Once in the car, it appears riders get a message on the rear-seat infotainment system to confirm their name, address and arrival time. Riders click a button in the car that says “Start Ride,” and off goes the car. According to Tesla, it’s already completed 15.000 trips and 24.000 km of driving. The Robotaxi nomenclature helps us understand an important point. The Cybercab refers to the vehicle and Robotaxi is a service that can leverage more of Tesla’s models. No doubt, they’ll share software and functionality to a degree. Perhaps the biggest surprise here isn’t that this is happening but that it’s seemingly on time. Elon Musk has famously been overly optimistic about true Level 5 driving tech. This time, it seems like his promise that a paid version of this service will go live in June could end up coming true. Even then, though, we expect a full-scale rollout to take a good long while. +++