Car News Roundup – June

With so many new cars announced in recent weeks you may have missed some of the news about the ones being talked about. With everything from a new Super-GT car to possibly the last manual gearbox car of its kind, there has seemingly been something new to look forward to for everyone, and for most people’s budgets. With the majority of car manufacturers focusing on releasing electric only cars at the moment it is somewhat refreshing to see the variation of the vehicles being announced, especially with 9 of the 10 listed being offered in petrol versions, showing that the petrol car is not quite done with just yet.
Take a look at our Top 10 Latest Car News stories from the past few weeks below:

Aston Martin DB12

Aston Martin has always been synonymous with the powerful comfortable GT car, and in order to move the game on further, their replacement for the outgoing DB11 is unsurprisingly the DB12. Rather than reinvent the wheel they seem to have merely enhanced the ethos behind the DB11, but in particular the flagship DBS variant of that body style, to create their latest model. Dubbed by Aston Martin as the ‘World’s first super tourer’, the DB12 is more powerful, faster, lighter and more aggressive than the DB11 it replaces.

With the same twin-turbocharged 4.0 litre V8 engine found in the DB11, only this time it produces 680PS, 800Nm of torque and is capable of 0-62mph in 3.6 seconds and has a top speed over 200mph. The speed and power together with the more dynamic handling certainly lives up to the ‘super tourer’ name. The restyled interior appears thoroughly modern and offers enhanced Aston Martin levels of luxury and refinement meaning that the DB12 is certainly a match for the very best.

Range Rover Sport SV

Continuing with modern icons is the replacement for the most iconic of performance SUV’s, the Range Rover Sport SVR. With the new model Range Rover Sport now becoming a familiar sight on the roads, the only thing missing was the sportiest model of the range, and it was well worth the wait. Ditching the 5.0 litre Supercharged V8 of the old model for a new 4.4 litre twin-turbocharged V8, the new model is not only more powerful but also more efficient too.

Producing 635bhp, the Range Rover Sport SV is the most powerful Range Rover Sport model ever and thanks to the updated chassis, brakes and engine technology, the most dynamic and performance focused too. With the marketplace now saturated with performance SUV’s from everyone from Porsche to Lamborghini, Bentley to Audi and even Ferrari these days, the Sport SV is sure to be something very special indeed to compete with its latest competition.

BMW i5 / 5-Series

The BMW 5-series is one of the longest surviving models in their line-up. The original large saloon that has been around since 1972 celebrates its 51st year in production with, as is the way these days, its first ever fully electric version, the i5. There is also a petrol version available to keep the petrolheads happy, but the sole performance model currently available is electric power only. Presumably a petrol powered M5 will be on its way but with around 600bhp on offer, the electric power i5 M60 will seemingly fill the gap just fine for now.

Everything about the car is aimed at providing more. More luxury, more space, more powertrain options, and as is a rarity so far, an estate bodied i5 ‘Touring’ for those looking for even more space. The whole car is larger but more efficient in every way, and with the addition of electric only power is hoping to take new customers out of their Tesla’s and into their latest model.

Mini JCW 1to6

Technically not an all-new car but a limited edition of one of their most iconic models. The Mini Cooper S John Cooper Works 1to6 Edition, a long name for such a small car, is a limited run of just 150 cars coming to the UK to signify the last manual gearbox JCW cars. Presumably the next version of the popular fast Mini will either be automatic only or fully electric requiring no gear changes at all.

Essentially it is a Black only car with Black trim and a lot of the options boxes already ticked for you accompanied by ‘1to6’ badges and branding inside and out. The JCW Mini’s are some of the most fun you can have in such a small package, and their celebration of the manual gearbox is a nod to their racing past and the whole reason for the John Cooper Works editions existing in the first place. At just a shade under £40k it might seem a lot for a Mini, but as a sad day for the manual transmission, the limited numbers might make this a great collector’s item.

Porsche 718 Spyder RS

Porsche have a habit of adding extra models to their existing already complicated line up. Their 911 range has over 30 different iterations to choose from. The 718 Boxster is their least expensive model in the line up and the flagship of that range has always been the Spyder, until now. With the GT4 RS model, a car they never said they would make, now heading the range it was only a matter of time before the Spyder received some of the upgrades also.

The Spyder RS effectively has the engine, suspension and styling hints taken from the GT4 RS, save for the rear wing, which means a 4.0 litre flat six, 493bhp and 0-62mph in just 3.4 seconds. The Spyder is part of the range to take Porsche back to their roots of simplified open top driving, in particular the 550 Spyder from the 1950’s, even the roof can be specified to not be included as part of the car. It is the first time the full-fat RS engine has been offered in Spyder form and the more refined styling suits the lines of the style conscious model. Prices start from £123k yet can easily be specified to a lot more, Porsche’s least expensive model is now also available as one of their most expensive.

McLaren 750S

McLaren have worked hard on improving every aspect of their already impressive 720S to create the new 750S and 750S Spider. Despite the appearance almost everything on the car is either new or been enhanced to move the benchmark even further, it is lighter, more powerful, more efficient, has more impressive performance and the refinement and technology have moved on a step further too.

The 4.0 litre twin-turbocharged V8 now produces 750PS (hence the name) and 800Nm of torque resulting in a top speed in excess of 200mph and 0-62mph disposed of in just 2.8 seconds. But much more than that the handling, ride comfort, power delivery and suspension set up have all been enhanced to ensure the 750S is an even more complete supercar whether you are driving round a track at the limit or cruising round town making sure everyone can see you.

AC Cobra GT Roadster

The AC website states the updated Cobra GT Roadster was created ‘starting with a clean-sheet design’ however it is unmistakably an AC Cobra right from the off. Not only does it still appear retro and old school muscle car in appearance, but thankfully the bonnet still hides a 5.0 litre V8 engine that produces in excess of 650bhp. The styling looks more ‘retromod’ than modern interpretation of a classic, yet the thoroughly modern underpinnings and technology is sure to bring the original ethos bang up to date.

The thoroughly modern overhaul includes unheard of things from the 60’s original such as driver ergonomics, control technologies, carbon composites, custom engine management, electric power steering, touch screen navigation and stability control. Fans of the original may or may not be fully on board with the new limited production £250k Roadster, but there is no denying that the coolest way to offer roof down motoring is to be in something effortlessly retro and with a rumbling V8 engine under the bonnet.

MG Cyberster

If any brand is currently undergoing a solid resurgence in the past couple of years it would be MG. Since being reinvented with a strong electric line up alongside their petrol and hybrid offerings, cars such as the MG4 have been receiving excellent press reviews and becoming a familiar sight on our roads. The next step in the reinvention of the brand is to return to the sporting roots of the brand with the announcement of the MG Cyberster.

Created as an all-electric 2-seater sports car and a direct rival to the Mazda MX-5, the Cyberster promises to offer desirable looks, the very latest technology and all in a sought after electric only package. The ambitious brand already are a byword for affordable electric cars and the addition of something that the brand is most famous for is sure to lure brand new customers to the Chinese owned company. The car will be released just in time for their centenary and fills a gap in the market that no one is currently offering anything, a 2-seat electric convertible sports car that doesn’t cost a fortune.

BMW Concept Touring Coupe

Though technically not a new car that has been released, as it is just a concept, BMW have some history of putting well received concept cars into some kind of production run. The Touring Coupe harks not too far back to the ‘bread van’ styled Z3M Coupe of the late 1990’s and Z4 Coupe of the 2000’s, yet with a sleeker more Ferrari FF reminiscent side profile. Both the Z3 and Z4 Coupe’s have grown cult followings amongst enthusiasts, so it is easy to see why BMW have teased this concept at Villa d’Este.

Although not planned at the moment, according to BMW bosses, the teasing of the CSL homage for many years that eventually has led to it being given production numbers, has meant that there is no reason why this concept could go into production too. They’ve even built it in a way that it could be easily manufactured, using the existing Z4 body panels and running gear, something that often hampers concepts when trying to build a production version. So although it isn’t going into production just yet, watch this space as to whether it does at some point.

Porsche Cayenne

The Porsche Cayenne is sometimes described as the ‘saviour of Porsche’ and the reason that the German brand is a strong as it is today. Since the release of the SUV in 2002 Porsche has sold over 1.25 million Cayenne’s and led the charge of car makers wanting to get a slice of the luxury SUV market. It might look sharper, neater and less ungainly these days and the fact is that even today one in every three Porsche’s sold is a Cayenne, impressive statistics amongst their sports car offerings.

The most important thing about this new version however is what is found on the inside. The latest Cayenne gives an idea of how new Porsche models will appear and function on the inside from the Macan and Panamera to potentially the next 911. With digital screens aplenty the interior looks thoroughly modern, basically the whole dashboard is made up of screens these days. The starter ‘key’ is now a button, the gear selector finds itself on the dashboard like a Taycan and even the dials are configurable bringing the interior right up to date. The car itself is obviously an improved, refined and more capable version of the model it replaces, but the interior is where most people will focus their attention.

Redesigned Porsche badge

Not technically a car so a bonus addition to this list, but whilst Porsche have been busy showing us their design direction for the interiors of their cars, they have also been fairly busy changing something major on the outside, their iconic badge. Whilst it couldn’t be said that the alterations are game changing, it does show that they are willing to embrace the cleaner more simplistic designs to bring their branding bang up to date.

Believe it or not it has taken Porsche 3 years to come up with their latest design. The modern update ditches the textured background, adds their roots of ‘Stuttgart’ lettering to the crest and apart from tidying things up a bit doesn’t change much else. The new Panamera will be the first car to wear the new badge when it is released later this year, though you may be hard pushed to notice.

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