+++ In the United States, BMW regained the top spot in third-quarter luxury sales, outperforming its Japanese rival Lexus by 5.277 vehicles in the period. Deliveries totalled 96.886 vehicles. Both companies are expecting to set sales records this year. BMW began registering 2026 model-year sales in April, while Lexus has only recently started moving next year’s model, Drury said. Thus, 2026 models made up 51 percent of BMW’s third-quarter deliveries, but only 4.8 percent of Lexus’ sales. On the flip side, Lexus dealers turned inventory much faster in the quarter, with BMW dealers taking an average of 46 days to sell a vehicle, while Lexus retailers sold their supply in just 22 days, the quickest among all luxury brands. BMW’s third-quarter sales surged 25 percent from a year ago, even with a significant recall and stop-sale involving 278.000 vehicles due to a faulty brake module. Mercedes-Benz finished third, with Audi and Cadillac rounding out the top-5. Overall, U.S. luxury vehicle sales grew 4.5 percent last quarter, compared with a 5.6 percent increase for the overall market. +++
+++ Zagato has penned a new hypercar for German motorsport firm CAPRICORN that packs a 900 hp V8 and a manual gearbox. Dubbed the Capricorn 01 Zagato, it has been conceived to celebrate analogue driver’s cars, with minimal digital screens or driver assistance systems.
It’s based on a carbonfibre chassis inspired by LMP1 race cars and shod with bodywork also made from the composite, giving it a kerb weight of less than 1.200 kg. It’s fitted with a supercharged 5.2-litre V8 supplied by Ford, fettled by Capricorn to produce 1.000 Nm of torque and “more than” 900 hp, although the firm said the car has yet to be homologated, so the final figure may change slightly. Drive is sent to the rear wheels through a 5-speed dog-leg manual gearbox. Capricorn claims the 01 Zagato will complete the 0-100 kph sprint in less than 3.0 seconds and go on to a top speed of 360 kph. Stopping power is provided by carbon-ceramic discs with 6-piston Brembo calipers and a bespoke anti-lock braking system. The steering has electric power assistance that activates at low speeds (to help with manoeuvring) and disengages entirely at higher speeds to provide more feedback to the driver. Zagato chief designer Norihiko Harada said the intention for the 01’s styling was to “stand the test of time” in collections alongside vintage Bugattis and Aston Martins; to “look as good in 40 or 50 years’ time”. To that end, it’s fitted with traditional side mirrors rather than rear-view cameras, as the new-tech solution would have dated the car in years to come. The body and floor have been sculpted to generate as much downforce as possible through ground effect, both to avoid the fitment of canards or a large rear spoiler and to improve the car’s driveability at road speeds. Capricorn CEO Robertino Wild said: “Our target was to achieve a constant and predictable downforce distribution for stability, not an ultra-high downforce number with a narrow operating window that would make the hypercar nervous and challenging to drive.
The interior is inspired by historic racers, with the rev counter taking up a significant proportion of the 01 Zagato’s analogue instrument cluster. Access is through gull-wing doors. The seats are fixed to the car’s chassis but, in similar fashion to the Ford GT, the position of the pedal box can be adjusted fore and aft to suit drivers of different sizes. The gear lever can also be moved by 80 mm forward or backward across the length of the transmission tunnel. There’s no touchscreen, but a small display emerges from the dashboard to display the output of a reversing camera. The car’s drive modes (Comfort, Sport and Track) are selected using a dial on the steering wheel. Just 19 examples of the 01 Zagato will be produced, each priced from 5 million euro (Dutch pricing) before tax. The car will be homologated according to European standards, among a handful of other non-European markets globally. Capricorn had been contracted to produce the similarly specified De Tomaso P72 hypercar, but that will now instead be made by HWA. +++
+++ CITROEN will showcase its future design and brand direction in December. New CEO Xavier Chardon will use an event in Paris to outline his vision for Citroën and to address observations that the brand is currently lacking clarity. Speaking for the first time since rejoining Citroën from the Volkswagen Group in the summer, Chardon accepted there is confusion around the brand but insisted it is still able to innovate.
Separately to the December event, Chardon has continued with the project that seeks to revive a model in the spirit of the 2CV, which Citroën executives have been hinting at this year. He said the 2CV is “a part of French culture” and he is well read on the history of the model and its original purpose to democratise cars for people with limited buying power. He said it is “my duty to take this brief to 2025 or 2026 because it’s super-important to make individual mobility affordable again”. The “DNA and spirit” of the 2CV is something “we want to inject into our future cars”, he said. It is too early to speak of the timing for such a car or cars with this ethos, said Chardon, and the project is as much about a mantra and approach to making a new model as a retro-inspired recreation of the original, because the 2CV’s shape came about for functional reasons that may not be relevant today. “It was the first experience of having access to individual mobility and freedom. This is the kind of freedom we have to reinvent from 2026-2030”, he said. When asked if these areas will be topics at the December event, Chardon said: “Some of them, yes. Maybe not all of them”. Autointernationaal.nl understands there will not be a 2CV-inspired model this year. More broadly, Chardon didn’t say how many models Citroën’s range will offer. He cited Tesla as showing you can have success with just two, so instead it is about having “the right shape, the right answer” and ensuring “it’s clear to people”. The brand’s core offerings will, however, remain in the B- and C-segments. When asked if the new Fiat Grande Panda shows greater character and is bolder in its approach than its Citroën C3 platform twin, Chardon said the 2 models have different purposes and approaches. The Fiat “has maybe better connection to its DNA” while the Citroën is more focused on space and comfort. He added: “Offering this space is super-important for us”. He highlighted the Ami as a model that shows Citroën is still a “true innovator”. At the other end of its range, the C5 Aircross has been repositioned as a larger flagship and the fact that Citroën’s flagship is now an SUV rather than a saloon reflects market trends. The likely introduction of a new ‘E-car’ category (as mooted by the European Commission last month to allow companies to make smaller cars again without such a strict legislative framework pushing prices up) presents a “strong opportunity” for Citroën. “First of all, it’s an opportunity for Europe to democratise cars”, he said. “If you look at pre- and post-Covid, the only region that hasn’t recovered worldwide is Europe. “We lost 2 million cars. Out of those, roughly 1 million are below €18.000 (Dutch pricing). This is driven by a lot of regulations, by a lot of pressure to reduce CO2, which is still good, but we strongly believe there is a necessity to reconnect with those people who cannot buy new cars and either stay on the used market or keep their cars for longer. That’s why the car parc is ageing and why the CO2 emissions are not moving down according to our expectations. And that’s why this E-car is a super proposal. We believe that bringing something close to Japan’s kei car, being affordable, electric and made in Europe, makes sense. And it makes a lot of sense for Citroën. It’s in our footprint. You don’t have to go too far back to find the C1 as a great example. I do hope that we can be able to produce those cars again and it is definitely territory for Citroën”. +++
+++ FERRARI says electric cars will make up around 20% of its sales in 2030, downgrading a previous ambition to achieve a 40% EV mix by then, and it will continue to offer its V6, V8 and V12 engines well into the future.
The Italian supercar firm has today revealed the technical details of its debut EV (a 1.000 hp, quad-motor 4-seater with a 122 kWh battery and a 530 km range), which will be launched next year. The company also outlined its financial forecasts through to 2030, with a “conservative” profit outlook falling below analysts’ expectations and sending the company’s share price tumbling by 16%; its worst day on the stock market since listing in 2015. +++
+++ FORD has named Jim Baumbick as its first dedicated European boss in 3 years, as part of a wide-reaching strategy to optimise its business in the region. Ford of Europe hasn’t had an official leader since the departure of former president Stuart Rowley in December 2022. Rowley was indirectly replaced by Martin Sander, who was chairman of the Model E electrification division and general manager for passenger cars, but Sander left after just 18 months to return to previous employer Volkswagen. Now Ford is filling the position once again with a long-serving member of its product development team, as it aims to “develop products relevant for European customers and drive faster, more efficient execution”. +++
+++ LAMBORGHINI will decide imminently whether the Lanzador, revealed in concept form in 2023 and touted as its first EV, will be electric or instead opt for a plug-in hybrid set-up akin to much of today’s model line-up. The electric Lanzador was due to arrive before the end of the decade, but a slowing uptake in EVs particularly at this level of the market, along with delays in EV development at parent company VW Group and subsidiary Porsche, has now thrown that into question. Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann, said: “With the Lanzador, we need to decide whether it will be a PHEV or electric in the next few weeks”. While he stopped short of confirming the Italian firm’s decision, he also commented: “When it comes to our cars, customers don’t see BEVs as an alternative today. We could do a BEV but I think it is a bad offer for the next few years”. An electric Lanzador was due to have up to 1.350 hp and 980 volt charging hardware, while a plug-in hybrid version of the 2+2 concept would use a similar set-up to the twin-turbo V8 and electric motors found on the Urus and Temerario. Further proof that Lamborghini is putting the brakes on its electric plans came a few months ago, when Winkelmann confirmed that the next-generation Urus, due in 2029, would not go electric as originally anticipated but instead stay as plug-in hybrid. The likely decision on the Lanzador is even more poignant as main rival Ferrari has just revealed more details on its first EV, arriving next year. If Lamborghini delays its battery-powered Lanzador, it will be at least 5 years behind Ferrari. Winkelmann wouldn’t comment on the Electtrica but said: “We look very carefully at what Ferrari is doing”. Winkelmann said the company’s biggest challenge was achieving emissions standards globally, particularly given how legislation varies so much in different region. “We will meet Euro 7 emissions targets, which is a huge step. But in US we have different rules, for example. We have to start flexible and alert in this sense. It is more favourable to continue to do PHEV cars”. He also confirmed that the V12 engine, found in the Revuelto, will continue after 2030. Talking more broadly about the future, he added: “The industry needs a clear direction and it should not just be about one new type of technology”. To that end, Winkelmann has recently restructured Lamborghini’s board and has put strategy director Stefano Rutigliano in charge of a new alternative fuels project. Winkelmann explained that it is looking at “fuel technology you will be able to put in your tank, using a percentage of bio-fuel”. +++
+++ The NISSAN ARIYA has been given a minimalist new look as part of its first major update since it was introduced in 2022. The large black panel on the existing model’s front fascia has been removed, placing greater emphasis on the car’s main Nissan badge, which is now back-lit. Its angular daytime running lights have also been replaced with new curved items with a 3-striped signature.
Meanwhile, the intakes at the sides of the car’s front end have been removed. The smoother look more closely aligns the Ariya with the new Leaf crossover, which is due to arrive in Dutch showrooms early next year. The images of the new Ariya released by Nissan don’t show the car’s rear end, but it’s possible that it will gain new-look lights. Nissan has released scant detail about any mechanical or technological updates; more information is due to be announced at the upcoming Tokyo motor show. However, it has confirmed that the Ariya will gain vehicle-to-load functionality, allowing the battery to power external devices through the charging port.
Japanese-market Ariyas will also get tweaked suspension tailored to the nation’s roads. This suggests that the car’s set-up for Europe could change; the existing model’s ride quality has been a common criticism in press reviews. The updated Ariya will also bring a new infotainment system based on Google’s software suite, which has already been deployed in the Leaf and the new Qashqai. The tweaks may also improve the Ariya’s range slightly. The current model yields up to 400 km per charge when fitted with a 63 kWh battery or up to 530 km with the larger 87kWh pack. Nissan said the refreshed Ariya will be launched in Japan “later this fiscal year”, suggesting it’s unlikely to arrive in Europe until the summer of 2026. Prices are likely to remain broadly in line with the current model, +++
+++ STELLANTIS has appointed a new head of its European operations, removing Jean-Philippe Imparato from its senior leadership team after a year. Emanuele Cappellano, the head of Stellantis’s commercial vehicle business, has been named as his successor. Stellantis said the reshuffle will allow Imparato to “focus full-time on driving performance improvements” at Maserati, where the role of CEO was added to his plate in June when new Stellantis boss Antonio Filosa took charge. As part of the reshuffle, Imparato is now also tasked with taking more of a role with Stellantis & You, the firm’s retail network. +++