tipcarnews456

    The order books have opened for the special-edition   Alfa Romeo Giulia   and   Alfa Romeo Stelvio   Estrema, with the first deliveries expected in the coming months.  The Giulia Estrema, driven by a 276bhp 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine, is priced from £50,579, while the cheapest Stelvio Estrema, powered by a 207bhp 2.2-litre turbo diesel, is £57,999.  The 2.0-litre turbo petrol Stelvio Estrema, meanwhile, starts from £59,999. All three cars are based on the current, range-topping Veloce specification shared by both models. Alfa Romeo says the Estrema specification emphasises the focus on dynamics and refinement. It marks the firm’s first global special series and adds a host of technical upgrades as standard. Basic kit on both the new saloon and SUV include active suspension, chassis domain control and a mechanical seal-locking limited-slip differential. The two cars also gain some exterior design changes that, Alfa Romeo says, pr...

    Lexus is developing an electric supercar to serve as a spiritual successor to  the LFA , due for launch by 2030, and will show off the concept version in public for the first time at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Originally shown as part of the shock unveiling of  15 new Toyota and Lexus EV concepts , the supercar will be one of the EVs launched by  Lexus  as it ramps up to phasing out combustion. It will make its public debut in Sussex from 23-26 June alongside the all-new  Lexus RZ450e  electric SUV and the updated version of the  Lexus UX 300e  crossover.  The concept is described as "a battery-EV sports car which inherits the driving taste, or the 'secret sauce', of the performance cultivated via the development of the LFA". Experience gained from developing this car will extend to other future Lexus EVs as part of a drive to emphasise the Japanese brand's dynamic focus.  "The endless pursuit of the Lexus dr...

    The new   Mercedes-AMG E63   Final Edition brings production of Affalterbach's pure-combustion V8 sports saloons to a close. It has been revealed in the wake of two concept cars previewing the electrified future of Mercedes' performance division: the outlandish  Vision AMG  and a prototype for the next-generation  Mercedes-AMG C63  PHEV. The E63 Final Edition serves as a swansong for the firm's pure-combustion sports saloons - a lineage that dates back to the W124-generation E-Class 'Hammer' of 1986, then the world's fastest saloon. The V8 engine will continue to play a part in AMG's future - it is still available in the  Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupé , produces some 577bhp in the hottest version of the new SL and is used in an 819bhp plug-in hybrid system in the new GT 63 S E-Performance – but it is set to be swapped out for an electrified four-cylinder unit in the next E63. When it arrives, likely in 2024, the next-ge...

    When I was first handed the keys
to the UX 300e, its digital display showed 3.2 miles per kilowatt
hour – a reasonably efficient figure. That number has since fallen to 2.9mpkWh, which means I’m getting 18 fewer miles per charge. Is that the hours spent on the motorway or my overzealous acceleration? I might need to adjust my driving style It is now four months into life with the Lexus UX 300e and my commute is just as comfortable as ever. The EV has excelled in most environments, with effortless acceleration and helpful regenerative braking that efficiently brings it to a near-stop in crawling traffic and at junctions. The bulk of my driving is on motorways and A-roads, with short distances in town. It is very good in built-up areas and the compact, precise turning circle proves particularly useful in multi-storey car parks and on roundabouts. The UX clearly enjoys being in its natural habitat – something that was confirmed to me after I handed the keys over to Autocar’s ...

    The new   Mercedes-AMG E63   Final Edition brings production of Affalterbach's pure-combustion V8 sports saloons to a close. It has been revealed in the wake of two concept cars previewing the electrified future of Mercedes' performance division: the outlandish  Vision AMG  and a prototype for the next-generation  Mercedes-AMG C63  PHEV. The E63 Final Edition serves as a swansong for the firm's pure-combustion sports saloons - a lineage that dates back to the W124-generation E-Class 'Hammer' of 1986, then the world's fastest saloon. The V8 engine will continue to play a part in AMG's future - it is still available in the  Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupé , produces some 577bhp in the hottest version of the new SL and is used in an 819bhp plug-in hybrid system in the new GT 63 S E-Performance – but it is set to be swapped out for an electrified four-cylinder unit in the next E63. When it arrives, likely in 2024, the next-ge...

    In the car world, they give us the chance to look back, see how far a certain product has evolved from launch and then be reminded about the relative lack of safety/ performance/efficiency versus its modern equivalent. We then swiftly move on, safe in the knowledge that cars today are – objectively, at least – just plain better. But sometimes, reviewing a car’s birth does so much more than give us a convenient yardstick by which to measure its successors’ progress. When the  Land Rover Freelander  was launched 25 years ago, it played a pivotal role in the company’s future. It tapped into a market sector that was set for supersonic growth (and one that still holds sway today) and upturned people’s perception of the nearly 50-year-old brand name that appeared on its clamshell bonnet. Technologically, commercially and strategically, the Freelander made a permanent footprint on  Land Rover , the effects of which can still be felt in 2022. That’s why we’re gather...