1+ mon, 2+ week ago (505+ words) Ever since its founding in 1989, Lexus has served as Toyota's luxury brand, positioned to take on the likes of BMW, Mercedes, and Audi. The strategy has worked well for 36 years, with sales peaking last year at 851,214 units worldwide. However, Toyota is now shaking up its brand hierarchy by spinning off Century into a standalone entity positioned above Lexus. Rumors in Japanese media about Century becoming an independent brand were confirmed this week by Toyota. Chairman Akio Toyoda revealed it was his idea to propose an "above-Lexus" marque, believing Century should exist in "a class of its own." He admitted he wasn't too pleased to see the Century sedan and SUV displayed at the Toyota booth during the 2024 Japan Mobility Show. Looking ahead, Century will operate independently to "take on the high-end market as the top of the top, one of…...

1+ mon, 3+ week ago (519+ words) Ferrari is readying its first electric vehicle.The so-called Electtrica is scheduledto arrive late next year, signifying a new era for the iconic automaker, but it'll be one of more than a dozen cars Ferrari plans to launch between 2026 and 2030. " Those models will have to get their power from somewhere, which is why Ferrari will continue to invest in its V-6, V-8, and V-12 combustion engines. The automaker will ensure they meet emissions regulations while "focusing on increasing specific power output and ensuring compatibility with alternative fuels." Automakers have begun exploring operating combustion engines on new types of fuels that meet emissions regulations while preserving the hardware. Last year, Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna said that he doesn't believe the combustion engine will ever entirely disappear from the luxury market. " Despite continuing to invest in combustion engines, Ferrari said it believes it'll need 60 percent…...

3+ week, 4+ day ago (413+ words) Talos Vehicles, a British engineering firm that specializes in low-volume performance cars, has unveiled a new sports car after a lengthy two years of development. On the surface, it looks like a modified version of the Ferrari 599 GTB (because it is), but the so-called XXT is closer to a 599XX race car for the road. And yes, it is completely street legal. Each car comes with a modified 6.0-liter V-12 engine that produces 674 horsepower, 54 more than the original, and 460 pound-feet of torque. It has an F1 Superfast six-speed paddle-shift transmission with an optional manual gearbox. Talos claims the XXT can hit 62 miles per hour in 3.5 seconds and reach a top speed of 205 mph." The XXT comes with a custom carbon-fiber body that mimics the styling of the 599XX. It also has 20-inch forged wheels, with Talos offering optional single-nut hubs. The car is also…...

5+ mon, 2+ week ago (508+ words) Ford is finally preparing to launch the Mustang GTD. It's one of the wildest Mustangs ever from the automaker, and it's got a price tag to match. The 2025 Mustang GTD officially starts at $327,960, which is a bit more than the $300,000 Ford predicted when it announced the car nearly two years ago. That number crept up to $325,00 last year when Ford released additional details." The price includes a $5,500 destination fee and a $3,700 gas guzzler tax, as the GTD is a thirsty beast. The car's Monroney says it gets 12 miles per gallon combined, 17 mpg on the highway, and 10 mpg in the city. The base price of the car alone is $318,760the most of any Mustang, ever. But this is not your grandpa's pony car. Under the hood is a supercharged 5.2-liter V-8 engine producing 815 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque. But that's only part of…...

1+ mon, 2+ week ago (499+ words) Ford has really emphasized performance with the seventh-generation Mustang, launching the new Dark Horse and GTD models. Now, the automaker wants to offer a performance option for cost-conscious enthusiasts'the 2026 Mustang EcoBoost RTR Package. " Upgrades from RTR make the Mustang a more capable drift machine. The package features the Brembo brakes from the GT Performance Package'six-piston front and four-piston rear'while Ford engineers borrowed the Dark Horse's rear subframe and front and rear sway bars to stiffen things up." " It has "an optimized steering gear with increased travel," as well as unique tunes for the stability control system and available MagneRide dampers, which are designed to offer "better performance while drifting." " The Mustang's Electronic Drift Brake is standard, as is the model's Active-Valve Performance Exhaust, which Ford caps with quad exhaust tips." " Ford doesn't make any direct upgrades to the powertrain, with…...

1+ mon, 1+ week ago (491+ words) Instant gratification in the Ferrari world is impossible. Beyond having a fat bank account, customers must arm themselves with patience. It takes many months from the moment an order is placed to the day the car is delivered. The entire production run for next year is already sold out, meaning new orders won't be fulfilled until sometime in 2027. Still, Ferrari knows it must tread carefully to avoid losing impatient buyers. CEO Benedetto Vigna believes the sweet spot is between 20 and 24 months, as anything longer risks alienating customers, especially first-time customers: 'So, when it comes to the right length of waiting list, from all our analysis we believe that the right length must be between 20 and 23, 24 months. Because if it is too long, especially new clients can get a little bit annoyed. But 20, 24 months is the right time length.' Although Ferrari…...

1+ mon, 2+ week ago (489+ words) If you recently went looking for a new car, you may have been shocked by the sticker prices. The range of affordable models continues to dwindle, while price tags balloon on already expensive SUVs and trucks, leading people to pay more than ever for a new vehicle. The average transaction price of a new car has surpassed$50,000 for the first time. According to a Cox Automotive report, consumers paid an average of $50,080 for a new car in September. That's up 2.1 percent from August and 3.6 percent year-over-year. That coincides with an increase in the average MSRP, which jumped 2.1 percent for the month and 4.3 percent for the year. Cars are expensive and are getting more so. Increased production cuts, regulatory uncertainty, and tariffs are driving up costs for automakers, making it challenging to produce cheaper models for a healthy profit. Most of…...

1+ mon, 1+ week ago (452+ words) The value of a brand is a critical measure of its recognition, overall health, and ability to adapt to changing market conditions. For this reason, the consulting firm Interbrand has been publishing its annual Best Global Brands ranking'featuring top brands across industries, including automotive'for the past 26 years. In the Best Global Brands 2025 ranking, there are several familiar names at the top. Apple retains the number one spot overall, followed by Microsoft and Amazon. Among automotive brands, Toyota once again leads the pack, showing a 2 percent increase in brand value. Overall, Toyota holds steady at sixth place, with an estimated brand value of $74.2 billion. While substantial, that number is still well behind Apple's estimated brand value of $470.9 billion. Mercedes-Benz remains second among car brands (tenth overall), despite a 15 percent decline in value to $50.1 billion. BMW takes third place in the automotive…...

1+ mon, 1+ week ago (517+ words) If you know your BMWs, you know the M2 isn't built at the Munich plant. Codenamed G87, the rear-wheel-drive coupe is exclusively assembled in Mexico at the San Luis Potosi site. Nevertheless, this Gymkhana-style video was filmed inside the historic factory, where the luxury brand has been producing cars since 1922. The latest project from the talented Red Bull Driftbrothers is a tire-shredding smoke machine with an exhaust mounted just below the roof. It follows their wicked M4 built in 2021 for the Drift Masters European Championship. Elias Hountondji calls it the "Ultimate Drift Machine," a not-so-subtle nod to BMW's iconic "Ultimate Driving Machine" slogan. This bonkers M2 is a single-seater drifting beast that barely squeezes between all the robots and car bodies inside the Munich factory. The drone footage is nothing short of spectacular, especially the sequence where the camera flies through the car mid-drift....

4+ week, 1+ day ago (524+ words) TVR is effectively dead. British businessman Les Edgar tried to revive the legendary sports car maker in 2017 with the stunning Griffith concept. But by 2023, Edgar and his team had lost the rights to the Ebbw Vale factory in Wales, where production was supposed to begin. We haven't heard a peep from the company since. That isn't stopping a few intrepid enthusiasts from keeping the TVR name alive'surprisingly, in the United States. A company called TVR Garage is opening a new showroom in Las Vegas, Nevada, dedicated to importing TVR models for fans to gawk over'and, hopefully, to purchase. Founded by Andi Hughes and Gavin Bristow, two lifelong TVR aficionados, TVR Garage aims to share their love of quirky British sports cars with a wider audience. While the business has existed for a few years already, it recently took a big…...