Cars news

• Ford Shares Key Details On Its Upcoming $30,000 Electric Truck

  17-02-2026 23:00 via motor1.com
  
  Ford is using shallower bolt holes, smaller side mirrors, and other tricks to squeeze every possible mile of its new EV.
  
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• Europe And China Are Finally Pushing Back Against Screen Overload

  17-02-2026 21:30 via motor1.com
  
  New rules are being put in place to curb over-reliance on screens and reintroduce tactile controls.
  
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• This Hybrid Engine Prototype Promises New Levels Of Efficiency

  17-02-2026 19:12 via motor1.com
  
  Horse Powertrain claims the engine has a peak brake thermal efficiency of over 44 percent, reducing fuel consumption.
  
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• Ford, Trump Administration Have Discussed Building Chinese Cars In America: Report

  17-02-2026 18:11 via motor1.com
  
  Ford CEO Jim Farley spoke to Trump officials about a potential joint partnership with Chinese automakers.
  
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• Ford, Trump Administration Discussed Building Chinese Cars In America: Report

  17-02-2026 18:11 via motor1.com
  
  Ford CEO Jim Farley spoke to Trump officials about a potential joint partnership with Chinese automakers.
  
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• Hyundai Wants More Cohesive Designs Without Going Full 'Photocopier'

  17-02-2026 16:25 via motor1.com
  
  Hyundai execs say the lineup should have a clearer family resemblance, without every model looking like a clone.
  
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• 2026 Ram 1500 Rebel X Goes Full Combat Mode In Military Green

  17-02-2026 14:00 via motor1.com
  
  The go-anywhere truck features an off-road cruise control mode.
  
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• Audi commits to Concept C in 2027 amid Porsche 718 EV uncertainty

  17-02-2026 13:22 via autocar.co.uk
  Internal letter from CEO Gernot Döllner confirms plans are still in motion to launch electric TT successorAudi has confirmed the production version of the Concept C remains on track to launch next year, as CEO Gernot Döllner has moved to quell speculation around the firm’s electric successor to the TT.
  In an internal letter to Audi employees, first reported by Germany’s Donaukurier, Döllner sought to address concerns over the two-seater, elements of which are bein
  
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• Former Mercedes design boss reveals secret Red Pig concept

  17-02-2026 12:19 via autocar.co.uk
  Gorden Wagener's parting gift for Mercedes-Benz is a dramatic interpretation of its legendary race carFormer Mercedes-Benz design boss Gorden Wagener has revealed his reimagining of the brand’s famed ‘Red Pig’ 300 SEL.
  Described by Wagener as an “unseen show car”, it brings the race car up to date with several of Mercedes’ current design cues that were introduced by Wagener before his departure last month.
  For example, the historic racer’s stacked headli
  
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• Volkswagen Is Selling A Convertible SUV With A Manual Gearbox. Yes, Really

  17-02-2026 12:04 via motor1.com
  
  Drop the top and row your own in the three-pedal T-Roc Cabriolet.
  
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• Year of the Horse? The tiny petrol engine that could save EVs in 2026

  17-02-2026 12:00 via autocar.co.uk
  Horse's four-pot hybrid units fit in an electric car's front motor compartmentShortly after revealing its plans for 'off-the-shelf' range-extender and hybrid powertrains, Horse Powertrain unveiled its Future Hybrid Powertrain solution late last year.
  The "all-in-one" powertrain is aimed at enabling a vehicle manufacturer to easily convert a BEV platform to a hybrid by replacing a front-mounted BEV drive motor and transmission with a petrol-electric powertrain - making it a potentially cost-
  
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• iPhone designer Ive "anxious" to reveal rule-breaking Ferrari EV

  17-02-2026 11:41 via autocar.co.uk
  Electric GT will be unveiled in May and will sport an exterior as radical as its interior, Ive told AutocarThe Ferrari Luce will be “big” in its proportions and sport an exterior design that’s just as radical as its interior, designer Jony Ive has said – but the man famous for penning the iPhone admitted to Autocar that he is “anxious” about showing the new EV to the world. 
  Ferrari’s first electric car will be fully revealed in Maran
  
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• Mercedes Secretly Modernized The Original AMG Super Sedan

  17-02-2026 10:42 via motor1.com
  
  The Red Pig makes an unexpected return, but you can't buy it.
  
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• Last chance to enter Autocar Great Women 2026 awards

  17-02-2026 10:07 via autocar.co.uk
  Event, to be held on 16 April, celebrates the achievements of the most influential women across the motoring sectorEntries are about to close for Autocar's Great Women 2026 awards, recognising the motoring industry’s most talented and influential female leaders.
  Run by Autocar in association with the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), Great Women celebrates the achievements of the most influential women across the motoring sector, and if you know someone eligible we wa
  
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• How two million Volkswagens 'see' hazards before we do

  17-02-2026 10:00 via autocar.co.uk
  Vehicles communicating with each other has been under development in Europe for 20 yearsThe safety concept of vehicles communicating with each other and the surrounding infrastructure has been under development in Europe for more than 20 years. Now it has come of age.
  Volkswagen says more than two million of its vehicles have 'Car2X' technology, which enables them to take advantage of "local swarm intelligence", warning of traffic hazards and other relevant factors.
  It is available as standard o
  
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• UK drivers face huge bills as "out of control" rodents ravage cars

  17-02-2026 08:00 via autocar.co.uk
  Mice and rats look for warmer places to nest in winter | Image: Getty Images
  Insurance claims caused by rats and mice have increased by 28% - with bills averaging nearly £2500Growing numbers of rodent infestations are causing thousands of pounds in damage to cars across the UK, and the pain for motorists is mounting. 
  Between 2023 and 2024, insurer Aviva noted a 28% increase in the number of reports it received of damage to vehicles caused by mice and rats. Meanwhile, the value of rod
  
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• Exclusive: Electric Alpine A110 to use wild R5 Turbo 3E platform

  17-02-2026 07:00 via autocar.co.uk
  A110 EV will sit as low as current car and be offered as coupé, cabrio and 2+2; in-wheel motors on the cardsAlpine's keenly anticipated electric-only replacement for the A110 sports car, due next year, will share both its platform and its key mechanical components with the radical Renault 5 Turbo 3E mega-hatch.
  Alpine CEO Philippe Krief revealed the close relationship of the two cars in an exclusive interview with Autocar at the recent Rétromobile classic car show in Paris.
  The new
  
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• Sneak Peaq: Best look yet at new Skoda ahead of summer debut

  16-02-2026 15:17 via autocar.co.uk
  Flagship seven-seater – based on bold Vision S concept – is expected to be Skoda's most expensive model yetThis is our best look yet at the Skoda Peaq, the Czech brand’s new flagship seven-seater, which has been spotted testing just months before it is due to be unveiled.
  Evolved from 2022’s Vision 7S concept, the production car is expected to essentially serve as an electric equivalent to the Skoda Kodiaq, taking on similar seven-seaters like the Peugeot e-5008 and Merce
  
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• Volkswagen Group Eyes 'Massive' Cost Cuts: Report

  16-02-2026 12:34 via motor1.com
  
  Plant closures are allegedly possible.
  
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• Hardcore Ferrari Spied Looking Like A Race Car For The Road

  16-02-2026 10:25 via motor1.com
  
  All signs point to this being a 296 Challenge Stradale.
  
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• Ferrari Workers Pocket $18,000 Bonuses Thanks To 2025 Success

  16-02-2026 09:09 via motor1.com
  
  Business is booming in Maranaello, and Ferrari is rewarding its employees after a successful 2025.
  
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• Hyundai backs EU's cheap city car plan - but wants clarity on rules

  16-02-2026 09:00 via autocar.co.uk
  Proposal for new M1E class has been welcome by European brands but questions remain over its implementationHyundai Europe CEO Xavier Martinet has suggested that the EU's forthcoming new M1E category could be an "interesting" way of making more cheap small cars available in the market – but said clarity is needed on exactly how the framework will make it easier for car makers to build such cars profitably. 
  Full details of the M1E class remain to be confirmed, but the general aim
  
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• Why did I get a £100 parking fine when charging my electric car?

  16-02-2026 08:00 via theguardian.com
  The charger firm claimed the site operated 24 hours a day, but the parking operator had different ideasI charged my electric car at the 24-hour Mer EV charging station in my local B&Q car park.I then received a £100 parking charge notice (PCN) from the car park operator, Ocean Parking. It said no parking is allowed on the site between 9pm and 6am. Continue reading...
  
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• Steer-by-wire is the next big thing - and this is why we need it

  16-02-2026 08:00 via autocar.co.uk
  ZF’s latest steer-by-wire prototype shows us how radical new tech improves safety and driveabilityI hate to break it to anybody already ruing the demise of throttle cables and hydraulic brake lines, but the steering column is the next bit of connective mechanical tissue up for the chop.
  I interrupted our recent road test of the invigorating new Toyota Aygo X to join some ZF engineers at MIRA. They were in a modified G30 5 Series (with rare cloth seats - how delicious). Fitted to the car wa
  
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• Superb by name... How to buy Skoda's great estate for £2500

  16-02-2026 07:00 via autocar.co.uk
  When size really matters: Nominative determinism on four wheels in the form of this exec marvelIn 2024, the fourth-gen Skoda Superb scored a rare five-star road test verdict.
  It was one of just three cars to achieve the feat during that year, along with the Porsche 911 S/T and Hyundai Ioniq 5 N. Not a bad three-car garage, that. Anyway, it shows just how recommendable the latest Superb is.
  Trouble is, despite being the most affordable car in its class, it's priced from £38,000, so not quit
  
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• Rural drivers to face steepest bills under UK’s mileage-based electric vehicle tax

  16-02-2026 07:00 via theguardian.com
  Analysis reveals big regional disparities as critics say Labour’s proposed levy could slow uptake of EVsDrivers in the south-west of England would pay nearly four times as much as those in London as a result of Labour’s mileage-based tax on electric cars, according to analysis of official data.The 3p-a-mile road charge, announced in the autumn budget and due to take effect in 2028, is expected to raise £1.1bn a year, partly offsetting the loss of fuel duty revenues as drivers s
  
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• Japan car industry unites to survive amid extreme pressure

  16-02-2026 06:00 via autocar.co.uk
  US tariffs, emissions regulations, supply issues and the rise of Chinese brands have threatened Japan's titansThe Japanese car industry is vowing to work closer together in order to gameplan just how to head off a series of existential threat to a long-established and deeply ingrained business.
  The list of problems is long and includes:
  ⬤ The rise of protectionism led by increased US tariffs, which is hurting Japan’s lucrative car export business, the world’s second
  
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• This Volvo P1800 Restomod Is Just Perfect

  15-02-2026 18:00 via motor1.com
  
  Volvo only made the P1800ES for a few short years, but builds like these help keep the iconic design alive.
  
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• A dose of smart love on Valentine’s Day | Brief letters

  15-02-2026 17:40 via theguardian.com
  AI romance | Giving thanks | Hotting up in bed | £2 coins | Pub queuesConfirmation that the world has gone mad: I got into my car, a Smart #1, on Saturday, and before it did anything else, the car said “Love is in the air” and wished me a happy Valentine’s Day. As a matter of principle, I refused to speak to it for the rest of the day.
  Ray Woodhams
  Cawthorne, South Yorkshire• I tried to avoid saying thank you for a whole day and ended up feeling misera
  
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• Jet-powered Bluebird soapbox targets new 100mph record

  15-02-2026 10:00 via autocar.co.uk
  Jet-electric hybrid is already a record holder, but now the team behind it wants to double its speedA small team of British engineers are working on what they hope will become the first soapbox racer-style vehicle to hit 100mph.
  Called the Bluebird Aero, it is a composite-monocoque, jet-powered record car in the fashion of Sir Malcolm and Donald Campbell's multiple land and water speed record breakers from the mid-20th century.
  The pocket-rocket Aero weighs a featherweight 47kg, including fuel.
  
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• Skoda's cake to Honda's cog: We need to return to the golden age of car adverts

  15-02-2026 09:00 via autocar.co.uk
  Skoda, VW, Honda and Mini have all shown the world how good car ads can truly beLooking through the Autocar Archive for brilliant old stories to share on our social media channels, I've come across my fair share of iconic car adverts.
  Many use taglines that are designed to shock or that are dripping in double entendre (Mini, I'm looking at you), but for the most part these old ads are relics from a golden age of automotive promotion and I wish that modern car commercials tapped into that spirit
  
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• Perfection, improved? £170k MG B vs V6 MX-5 in restomod ruckus

  15-02-2026 08:00 via autocar.co.uk
  UK specialists have taken the alluring MX-5 and MGB to the next level - time to pit them against each otherOne howls and buzzes, and the other snorts and hammers.
  In both cases, you make them sing their song by way of a deliciously mechanical manual gearbox.
  These truly are two of the most exciting powertrains I've experienced in the past 12 months, and one started life in a Jaguar S-Type, the other in a Mazda 6 from a few generations back.
  That probably says a lot about the dearth of interestin
  
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• Stellantis Is Bringing Back Diesel Due To 'Customer Demand'

  14-02-2026 18:00 via motor1.com
  
  The company is reviving the powertrain for several models and continuing to produce others.
  
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• Ford vs Ferrari, Hunt vs Lauda... Motoring’s biggest rivalries

  14-02-2026 09:00 via autocar.co.uk
  Competition improves the breed, but sometimes it gets personal. Here are the most explosive battlesThe automotive industry is competitive by nature but some carmakers feud more intensely than others.
  Racing is often the source of the conflicts that seep into showrooms and enthusiasts have a tendency of escalating them by taking sides. With that said, rivalries are ultimately good for motorists because they force companies to surpass themselves year after year.
  We’re taking a look at some o
  
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• 724bhp, 1300kg, £950k... Flat out in maddest Maserati since MC12

  14-02-2026 08:00 via autocar.co.uk
  Like a GT2-meets-GT3 race car but with more power, the MCXtrema is a track toy like no otherUndesirable when getting to know a highly extroverted car: an audience.
  Only moments ago, our pit garage at Anglesey Circuit was vacant apart from a new Maserati dripping with carbon and malevolence, plus associated stacks of warmer-coddled slicks and trolley-mounted air-jack canisters.
  But that was before Elliot, who attends to this car's specific needs, fired life into its straight-piped twin-turbo V6.
  
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• Mazda Explains Why The CX-5 Ditches The Controller Knob For A Touchscreen

  13-02-2026 21:00 via motor1.com
  
  According to the company, 'Mazda's driving philosophy remains the same.'
  
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• Subaru Hints At A New Baja: 'There Have Been Discussions'

  13-02-2026 20:00 via motor1.com
  
  A Subaru double-cab Ute could prove to be a perfect competitor for the Ford Maverick.
  
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• China Is Banning The 'Yoke' Steering Wheel

  13-02-2026 17:03 via motor1.com
  
  Chinese officials say the yoke-style steering wheel raises major safety concerns.
  
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• Subaru Is Asking Customers If They Want A Manual SUV

  13-02-2026 16:22 via motor1.com
  
  A survey sent out to Subaru customers asks if they might be interested in a new manual SUV.
  
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• How Porsche is using computer simulation to detect vibrations

  13-02-2026 15:00 via autocar.co.uk
  Porsche's new advanced NVH test bench is claimed to be unique in the industryNoise, Vibration and Harshness (NVH) are three of the most important words in the engineering of new cars.
  They describe exactly that: noise and vibration generated from hundreds of sources, from the texture and undulation of the road surface to the entire drivetrain, tyres, brakes and structure of the car itself.
  Often it may not be activity from the source that the car's occupant notices directly but rather the result
  
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• BFGoodrich's Iconic Off-Road Tire Is 50 Years Old. That's A Big Deal

  13-02-2026 15:00 via motor1.com
  
  First launched in 1976, the All-Terrain T/A has served as the first name in off-road capability and performance.
  
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• New stripped-back Tesla Model Y Long Range launched for £4k less

  13-02-2026 13:09 via autocar.co.uk
  Entry-level SUV forgoes light bars, panoramic roof and more to bring the price downTesla has added a bigger battery Long Range version to its new stripped-back entry level Model Y – while also removing the Standard nameplate which it used when it first arrived here at the end of last year.
  The new Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive model starts at £44,990, £3000 more than the smaller battery car, but crucially it's some £4000 cheaper than the previous Rear-Wheel Drive model it r
  
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• The Mk4 Golf made premium affordable – now it's £1000

  13-02-2026 12:00 via autocar.co.uk
  What was once a ground-breaking car is now available for the price of a high-end dinner in LondonA curious activity emerged at the Frankfurt motor show in 1997. People would sit in a certain freshly revealed model, look up at its ceiling, grasp a grab handle, pull it and let go. 
  They would then watch it return to its resting position not with a firm, plasticky thump but a slow-motion, silent glide skywards. And then they would do it again, fascinated. 
  The car was the Mk4 Vo
  
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• Toyota Chairman Says His Dream Lineup Is Nothing But Hot Hatches

  13-02-2026 10:58 via motor1.com
  
  If Toyota followed Akio Toyoda’s taste, the lineup would only have the GR Yaris and GR Corolla.
  
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• Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda's Dream Lineup? All Hot Hatchbacks

  13-02-2026 10:58 via motor1.com
  
  If Toyota followed Akio Toyoda’s taste, the lineup would only have the GR Yaris and GR Corolla.
  
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• Mercedes Plans Massive Product Blitz. This Is What's Coming Soon

  13-02-2026 08:28 via motor1.com
  
  We're going to see 16 new models this year alone, plus many more in 2027.
  
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• Hyundai to make EVs look more similar as it pursues "family" look

  13-02-2026 08:00 via autocar.co.uk
  Hyundai's models currently have a range of faces and diverging styling cues
  Crossovers and SUVs will get chunkier styling inspired by Santa Fe, but sleeker hatches will remain an optionHyundai will make its cars look more closely related as it targets a more cohesive line-up, but it won't move completely away from the 'chess piece' design strategy that gives each model a distinct character.
  The brand's Europe CEO, Xavier Martinet, said the bold Concept Three show car – which previews the f
  
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• Stick to it! The £20k Peugeot that shows manual 'boxes do it best

  13-02-2026 07:00 via autocar.co.uk
  Manuals are exiting the mainstream, but this new entry-level 208 lets you row your own - to great effectReports of the manual gearbox's death are greatly exaggerated. Or at least they appear to be.
  While Mini no longer sells a manual and the retirement of attainable heroes such as the Ford Fiesta and Focus has eroded some of the affordable driving fun from our showrooms, there's still plenty of joy to be found if you look hard enough.
  A vaguely scientific sweep of the configurators identifies 66
  
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• Steel wheels, manual 'box: Peugeot 208 is a new car with ’90s soul

  13-02-2026 07:00 via autocar.co.uk
  Manuals may have dwindled in number as auto 'boxes take control, but stick-shifters are far from old newsReports of the manual gearbox's death are greatly exaggerated. Or at least they appear to be.
  While Mini no longer sells a manual and the retirement of attainable heroes such as the Ford Fiesta and Focus has eroded some of the affordable driving fun from our showrooms, there's still plenty of joy to be found if you look hard enough.
  A vaguely scientific sweep of the configurators identifies 6
  
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• Olympic flame: Ford Fiesta ST vs Cortina d'Ampezzo

  13-02-2026 07:00 via autocar.co.uk
  Cortina d'Ampezzo is hosting Winter Olympics for the second time
  We visit Cortina d'Ampezzo, site of one of F1 legend Jim Clark's most daring exploits..."Former world champion Jim Clark says it’s the most exciting sport he’s ever tackled. We’ll take his word for it. But if you have any doubts, he recommends 'a Cortina, lots of nerve, and plane tickets to Italy for you – and your doctor.'"
  So concludes the astonishing minute-long newsreel about the ‘Salute to Cortina
  
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