The company that introduced hybrid technology to the mass market—and has stuck with that tech while others over-invested in EVs—has a new portfolio of powertrain tech intended to keep them ahead of the pack. First up is a brand new compact modular 1.5-liter L4, either naturally aspirated or turbocharged, to replace the current 1.5-liter L3 and 1.8-liter L4. It will work with new lighter and smaller electric motors to help generate a 15% improvement in fuel economy. And the lo

Suddenly it's 1984 Over forty years ago, Renault launched the innovative Espace MPV in Europe. Using fiberglass body panels over a steel spaceframe, it was built by partner Matra--and was almost built in the US and sold by AMC. Five generations of the midsize MPV were built before the nameplate was repositioned (surprise!) as a three-row SUV based on the compact Austral. Now the E-Space concept, unveiled at the Paris Motor Show, brings the Espace back to its roots as a three-

Check out the video: https://youtu.be/xSvErbOh8rc Toyota’s Architectural Pivot As hybrid interest grows, with Nissan’s ePower coming to America and GM announcing hybrid power for larger three-row crossovers, Toyota is preparing its next phase of hybrid development. Plans include a compact, modular 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine in naturally aspirated and turbocharged versions to replace the current 1.5-liter three-cylinder and 1.8-liter four-cylinder engines, with a lower pro

Although Honda’s Acura beat Lexus and Infiniti to market by several years, they were soon eclipsed in the race to take on the big European luxury brands. Lexus and Infiniti offered rear-wheel-drive and sophisticated V8s, while Acura’s flagship was a longitudinal front-wheel-drive (sorry, no all-wheel-drive) V6. And, while Acura’s first NSX set the standard for a truly usable supercar, its successor failed to capture lightning in a bottle a second time. The current portfolio i

Long a performance sub-brand for Mercedes-Benz AG, AMG is now a bigger part of the company's future strategy that includes generating more revenue from the upper end of the luxury market. The first bespoke vehicle developed completely in-house by AMG was the SLS gullwing coupe back in 2010. Now, AMG offers the GT coupe, SL convertible, and just-launched GT 4-Door Coupe. What's left to fill out the portfolio? An SUV, of course (with an SUV coupe to follow. The generically name

Fiat has already been mining the legacy of the innovative Multipla people-mover from the 1950s in its four-passenger Multiplina electric city car--and now goes big with the Multiplay concept unveiled in Paris. What starts as a three-row B-segment MPV transforms from a 6+1 seat (that's six humans and one pet) configuration to a four-passenger pickup with the help of a sliding rear roof section that opens up a small pickup bed. That rear spoiler section in MPV form rotates 90 d

Alfa Romeo has been having a rough time. If you go back to 2014 to Sergio Marchionne’s grand plan, Alfa was supposed to have a spectacular portfolio of eight sedans, SUVs, and sports coupes by 2020. That, of course, like many of Marchionne’s promises, never materialized. And, while sales outside the US have been growing this year, US sales are plummeting, and new products (like the next-generation Stelvio and Giulia) continue to be delayed. The Cuorerosso (“red heart”) concep

Check out the video: https://youtu.be/Ji2RRWygU5s Tesla Roadster v3.0 Tesla’s next-generation Roadster remains a story of extraordinary promises and repeated delays: unveiled in 2017 as a $200,000 2+2 targa with a claimed 620-mile range and 1.9-second 0–60 mph time, it was originally due in 2020 but, according to these notes, has yet to reach production nine years later. Now targeted for 2028, the redesigned prototype drops the rear seats in favor of more angular styling, rem

Alfa Romeo has been having a rough time. If you go back to 2014 to Sergio Marchionne’s grand plan, Alfa was supposed to have a spectacular portfolio of eight sedans, SUVs, and sports coupes by 2020. That, of course, like many of Marchionne’s promises, never materialized. And, while sales outside the US have been growing this year, US sales are plummeting, and new products (like the next-generation Stelvio and Giulia) continue to be delayed. The Cuorerosso (“red heart”) concep

At General Motors’ “GM Forward” event today, the automaker talked about where it is taking its EV and automated driving technology. While Ford has been slowly pulling back the covers on its all-new Universal Electric Vehicle platform—launching with the midsize Ford Fathom pickup next year—GM has not talked much about its future EVs beyond its new lithium-manganese rich (LMR) batteries. But now we know a little more about what’s in the pipeline: GM is following others like Tes

The E-T16 previews the upcoming 208 electric hatchback The Peugeot 205 GTI is an iconic hot hatch—and the 205 T16 cranked that up to 11 when it was unveiled in 1984. A mid-engined variant of Peugeot’s mainstream small car, it went on to become a World Rally Championship winner. Now, Peugeot is rebooting that vehicle as a trimotor electric ‘hyper hatch’. While the Renault 5 Turbo 3E puts out 555 hp, the Peugeot E-T16 raises the bar to 816 hp, with an 800V electrical architectu

Smart reboots the original ForTwo First, let’s address the elephant in the room: it’s not the Smart “Number Two”, it’s the “Hashtag Two”. And, yes, I feel that is literally the most awkwardly named vehicle—and possibly the most awkwardly named consumer product—I’ve ever encountered. The original ForTwo, of course, came from the partnership between innovative watchmaker Swatch and Mercedes-Benz, whereby SMART=Swatch+Mercedes+ART. Launched in 1998, it featured a rear-mounted en

In 2019, Citroen’s CEO said, “What I don’t want to do is become a manufacturer that produces retro. I’m not going to produce a new 2CV.” But changes in leadership and the environment--and the success of Renault’s new electric 5--brought a change in attitude. At the Brussels Motor Show in early 2025, Citroen’s design chief hinted the door to retro design hadn’t completely closed. And that brings us to this year’s Paris Motor Show, where Citroen showed a 2CV “concept” (and acco

IMAGE: TESLA Let’s turn back the clock to 2017, when Tesla unveiled the 2nd generation Roadster, a successor to the original Lotus-based model. It was a 2+2 targa claiming a 620-mile range, 0-60 mph in 1.9 seconds, all for a starting price of $200,000 (requiring a $50,000 deposit). A “SpaceX” option (which added “cold gas thrusters” to the car) was announced in 2018, and production was promised to start in 2020. IMAGE: TESLA Now, nine years later—with exactly zero Roadsters b

Porsche's stunning new concept shows the struggling automaker hasn't forgotten what made it great... Rumors of a new Porsche supercar to succeed the 918 Spyder (which end production in 2015) have been circulating for several years. The Mission X was an electric supercar concept shown in 2023, with production rumored for 2025, but that never happened. But now, with a new corporate strategy that includes a larger presence at the high end of the market, Porsche is breaking a 30-

We all remember the fear-filled posts and editorials from around five years ago. "Oh, no! Chinese automakers will invade Europe with cheap cars!" It turns out that was only partially true, and the problem is worse than many expected. Yes, Chinese automakers enjoy a cost advantage for a number of reasons, and tariffs on EVs and voluntary quotas on hybrids will help level the playing field. But here's what few people didn't foresee: the Chinese aren't just playing in the bargai

Paris Motor Show special! Check out the video: https://youtu.be/YDMOfENE3IE Auto shows are yesterday's news? Think again, mon ami! It's been eight years since I attended the Paris Motor Show, which had always been my favorite global auto show. It combined the scale of Frankfurt or Geneva or Tokyo with my favorite city (and cuisine). With over 60 brands represented at this year's show (~25% more than the 2024 event), it seemed worthwhile to attend.I was not disappointed. Press

We first saw images of Hyundai’s new Tucson in August, and it was clear it was more than an evolutionary makeover. The full reveal occurred recently in NYC, and it was apparent the Korean automaker wasn’t pulling any punches. The “Art of Steel” design philosophy is expressed in a longer, wider, and taller vehicle with sharper edges, flatter surfaces, and bolder graphics. Up front is the H-Edge lighting, with a full-width light bar; available Micro Pixel Lighting uses 25,600 L

Porsche has been facing a number of obstacles in recent years, and CEO Michael Leiters has his work cut out for him as he lays out a plan for the future. The company’s Capital Markets Day presentation includes a series of “value over volume” goals: Most valuable brand (where they are current ranked, according to the Brand Finance Luxury and Premium Ranking for 2026) 20% increase in average selling price of their “top 10K units”, which will be achieved with higher levels of pe

After a long wait (remember, it was supposed to be unveiled about a year ago), Jaguar’s Type 01 four-door coupe has finally made its public debut. Jaguar has already shown the original Type 00 concept (which was developed after the production Type 01 design was signed off), provided some technical information, and let the media drive camo’d prototypes. Jaguar’s reboot literally threw out everything but the “leaper” – and two of the original architects (CEO Adrian Mardell and