Rolls-Royce has revived a historic nameplate for its forthcoming new car, known as the Dawn.
The modern car will pay homage to the Silver Dawn (pictured), a drophead introduced in the early 1950s as the first Rolls-Royce to be offered with a factory-built body. The luxury automaker was still only building the chassis into the ’40s, leaving the body to be added by third-party coachbuilders.

Like the Silver Dawn, the new car will be built for top-down, open-air driving. It is said to represent the next step in the company’s renaissance that began in 2003 with the launch of the Phantom and later introductions of the Ghost and Wraith, though additional specific details remain unclear.

“Our new Rolls-Royce Dawn promises a striking, seductive encounter like no other Rolls-Royce to date,” said Rolls-Royce chief Torsten Mueller-Oetvoes. “It will be the most social of super-luxury motor cars for those beautiful people who wish to bathe in the sunlight of the world’s social hotspots.”

Recent spy shots suggest the Dawn is likely the Wraith’s Drophead counterpart, originally announced in 2013 and now in late development. Pre-production prototypes have been spotted with a form that closely matches the Wraith, sharing the same headlights, LED light strips and rear-end, but with a more conventional coupe-like roofline rather than a fastback silhouette.

Power is expected to be provided by a 6.6-liter twin-turbocharged V12 engine, delivering around 620 horsepower to the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission.

Those ‘beautiful people’ will get a chance to pick up a new Dawn in the first quarter of 2016.

Toyota is reportedly working on an updated GT86 (Scion FR-S, Subaru BRZ) with more power and a fresh look.
The revamped coupe is said to use the same 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine as the existing models, but with friction-reduction tweaks and a more efficient manifold design that will likely boost output by around 10 horsepower and 8 lb-ft of torque, unnamed sources have told Motoring. The modest power increase is said to be coupled with a seven-percent improvement in fuel efficiency.

The chassis is expected to be outfitted with new Sachs damper and a reinforced rear subframe, both contributing to improved handling and ride quality. Toyota’s racing department allegedly worked to extensively retune the chassis.

The exterior is also said to be due for a refresh, with “major body panel redesign” featuring a new hood, redesigned headlights and an enlarged lower grille. The styling will reportedly be more aggressive, with the biggest changes to the lower section of the front end. A new rear diffuser and repositioned exhaust outlets are expected to distinguish the back end.

The company is expected to introduce the mid-cycle revision sometime next year, potentially arriving for the 2017 model year in Scion and Subaru trim for US buyers.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has begun taking orders for the 2016 Dodge Viper ACR.
Introduced just days ago, the new package revives the range-topping American Club Racer designation that was originally introduced in 1999 and brought back again in 2008. The latest ACR keeps the tradition alive with the latest braking, aerodynamic and tire technology to further reduce lap times.

The 2016 ACR features exclusive 15-inch carbon-ceramic two-piece brake rotors squeezed by six-piston Brembo calipers. The upgraded brakes help slow down the Kumho Ecsta V720 tires, built specifically for the ACR and capable of delivering 1.5-g cornering forces.

Lightweight carpet, a minimalist three-speaker audio system and manual seats help keep curb weight down and maintain 50/50 front/rear weight distribution. Handling is further enhanced by 10-setting, double-adjustable Bilstein coil-over racing shocks and track-focused alignment. An available Extreme Aero Package provides nearly a ton of downforce at top speed, with a gigantic adjustable dual-element rear wing, rear diffuser, new hood, extended front splitter and additional dive planes, all clad from carbon fiber.

The Viper’s hand-built 8.4-liter V10 engine produces 645 horsepower and 600 lb-ft of torque. Output remains unchanged from the basic model, but still claims the title of highest torque of any naturally-aspirated production car engine in the world.

The fastest street-legal Viper track car ever can be purchased for $117,895 (excluding freight and gas-guzzler tax), commanding a $33,000 premium over the standard model. Production is slated for the third quarter.

Volkswagen has published a set of teaser images that preview a new concept dubbed Golf GTI Performance. Built by 13 young apprentices in Wolfsburg, Germany, the one-off GTI will be presented to the public later this week at the annual Wörthersee show in Austria.
Volkswagen is keeping full details under wraps for the time being, but it explains the apprentices were tasked with designing a brand new concept from the ground up starting with a bare GTI shell. The teaser images suggest the hatchback gets a two-tone yellow and black paint job, black concept-specific alloy wheels with yellow inserts and a tweaked body kit.

The cockpit gains an upgraded stereo system and new seats, but pictures of the concept’s interior have not been published yet. Similarly, Volkswagen has not revealed whether the apprentices have made significant modifications to the GTI’s 220-horsepower turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine.

Stay tuned, Volkswagen will likely introduce the concept online a few hours before it is formally unveiled in Wörthersee. At the event, the Golf GTI Performance concept will share the limelight with the Skoda FUNstar concept – also built by apprentices -, the Audi TT clubsport turbo technology concept and a hot-rodded version of the GTI called Clubsport that celebrates the GTI’s 40th birthday.

Toyota’s Thai division has published a dark teaser image that previews the next-generation Hilux, a rugged Tacoma-sized pickup sold in a long list of global markets.
The teaser image reveals little, but an earlier leak shows the eighth-gen Hilux gets a much more modern-looking design characterized by elongated headlights, a sculpted hood and broad wheel arches. The front end is dominated by a three-slat grille and a set of LED daytime running lights.

Mechanically, the Hilux will gain two new turbodiesel four-cylinder engines that were introduced recently at the 2015 Vienna Motor Symposium. The entry-level mill is a 2.4-liter unit that generates about 160 horsepower and 295 lb-ft. of torque, while buyers after more grunt will be able to order a 2.8-liter four-banger tuned to churn out about 180 horsepower and a stout 332 lb-ft. of torque.

Most models will come standard with a manual transmission, but an automatic will be available at an extra cost on select trim levels. Toyota will offer both rear- and all-wheel drive versions of the Hilux, but final specifications will vary from market to market.

The 2015 Toyota Hilux is tentatively scheduled to debut online on May 21st, and it will go on sale in a number of global markets including Europe, Asia, Latin America and Africa before the end of the year. At the time of writing Toyota is not planning on offering the Hilux in the United States.

Tesla Motors has promised to quickly ramp up Model X production once the first units arrive on the market.
The crossover has already been delayed several times; three years have passed since the first concept was revealed to the world. The company now appears to be sticking with a third-quarter delivery promise, after starting the retooling process last summer.

The Model X will be built alongside the Model S on the same line at Tesla’s Fremont factory. The company will be starting crossover production while simultaneously ramping up sedan output to meet growing demand.

It took six months from the first Model S shipments until the factory was producing the car in higher volumes, but CEO Elon Musk wants the Model X to reach the same milestones in just two to three months.

“We’re going to go from a few cars to 1,000 a week pretty fast,” he said during a recent earnings call.

The company reportedly hopes to double total vehicle output in the fourth quarter, after a few hundred Model X crossovers roll off the line as a “captive fleet” to get every bug ironed out ahead of volume production.

Customers with pre-orders will be able to configure their Model X via an online tool beginning in July.

If Lexus had a mulligan to play, it would have launched a three-row crossover instead of the RC sports coupe, the brand’s top United States executive has revealed.
The RC coupe, which has been a decent seller for Lexus, quenched dealers’ thirst for a halo-type vehicle, but Jim Lentz, Toyota Motor Corp.’s North American CEO, says a three-row crossover to rival the Mercedes-Benz GL and Audi Q7 would have been a smarter play.

“In hindsight, if I was making this decision 10 years ago, seeing what I see today, the three-row [crossover] probably would have been the better play to come out first,” Lentz told Automotive News.

He continued: “Strategically that’s a more important vehicle to have than necessarily a lower volume, higher priced image product.”

The RC has accounted for 4,258 sales so far this year — beating out the company’s flagship LS sedan — but Toyota estimates that a three-row SUV could have added 35,000 units to the brand’s annual sales count. By that measure Lexus would have sold around 11,500 units of its hypothetical Q7 competitor through the first four months of 2015.

Lentz declined to comment on whether Lexus was currently working on a three-row crossover, but that seems like a distinct possibility. Lexus has two three-row offerings in the GX and LX, but both of those models are truck-based and are not as smooth driving or fuel efficient as car-based utility models like the RX.

Images by Drew Johnson.

Jaguar is reportedly working on a new range-topping XE sedan that will be aimed squarely at the BMW M3/M4.
The company has already confirmed plans to offer an XE 35t variant, powered by a supercharged 3.0-liter V6 engine with 340 horsepower and 332 lb-ft of torque. The setup is good for a zero-to-60 mph sprint in just under five seconds.

To better keep up with the German rivals, the British automaker is planning to borrow the F-Type V8 S convertible‘s blown 5.0-liter mill that delivers 495 ponies and 460 lb-ft of twist, unnamed sources have told Autocar. It will be mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission, remapped for more aggressive shifts.

The XE is already more rigid and a few hundred pounds lighter than the F-Type roadster, thanks to extensive use of aluminum. It is unclear if the XE-R will adopt even more lightweight material such as carbon fiber, but it should handily beat the F-Type V8 S’ 4.2-second zero-to-60 mph time even without shedding any extra pounds. For comparison, the M4 hits 60 mph from a standstill in 3.9 seconds with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.

The latest report claims Jaguar engineers had less trouble installing the F-Type’s V8 in the XE than they faced fitting the same chassis with the company’s new fuel-sipping Ingenium four-cylinder engine. Rumors suggest Jaguar Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations unit will likely get their hands on the XE-R and upgrade it with the F-Type R coupe’s 550-horsepower V8.

A time-frame for launching the XE-R remains unclear, though sources claim the project could be a lower priority than faster versions of existing models and the upcoming F-Pace crossover.

Photo by Drew Johnson.

A pre-production version of the all-new 2017 BMW 7 Series has been caught on camera completely camo-free.
Called G11 internally, the next 7 features a slightly more fastback-like silhouette than the current model. Air breathers located behind the front wheels help reduce drag by eliminating turbulence in the wheel housings, while chrome trim around the windows, above the rocker panels and on both bumpers add an upscale touch to the overall look.

The 2017 7 will shed up to 290 pounds thanks to a brand new platform made from lightweight materials including carbon fiber-reinforced plastics. The next 7 will earn the honor of being the first regular-production BMW to use carbon fiber in its construction, and the manufacturing technique is expected to trickle down to smaller Bimmers before the end of the decade.

BMW has previously confirmed the new 7 will usher in a long list of new high-tech features including the world’s first remote-controlled parking technology and a touch screen-based infotainment system capable of recognizing hand gestures.

Mechanically, the 7 will be fitted with the same 3.0-liter straight-six that debuted last week under the hood of the 2016 340i. Eight- and twelve-cylinder models will return, and BMW will expand the lineup with at least one gasoline-electric plug-in hybrid model about a year after the flagship makes its debut.

BMW will introduce the 2017 7 Series next fall at the Frankfurt Motor Show, and the sedan will begin to arrive in dealerships in approximately a year.

Ford has announced the year-old Mustang will enter the 2016 model year with a handful of minor updates.
Most of the modifications for the upcoming model year are found on the list of options. The Mustang EcoBoost Premium can be ordered with a new option package called Pony Package, a name first used in the 1960s. It bundles 19-inch polished aluminum wheels, a three-slat radiator grille and chrome trim around the windows.

As its name implies, the GT’s new Black Accent Package adds black 19-inch alloy wheels, a black spoiler on the trunk lid, dark trim in the tail lamps and blacked-out emblems all around.

Moving up in the pony car hierarchy, the GT Premium gains a California Special Package that includes 19-inch ebony-painted machined aluminum wheels, hood and side stripes, a black spoiler, a model-specific faux gas cap out back, black painted mirrors, hood vents, a strut tower brace, a front splitter, a three-slat grille and dark tail lamp accents. Inside, the package adds Ebony leather/Miko suede seat inserts, red contrast stitching new carpet and aluminum-look trim on the dashboard.

The popular Performance Package that was offered last year on the Mustang GT fastback is now available on GT convertibles equipped with a manual transmission. It brings a larger radiator, a revised suspension setup with bigger sway bars and heavy-duty springs, six-piston Brembo calipers up front, 19-inch alloys, a unique tuning for the stability control, ABS and power steering systems, a more aggressive front splitter and a Torsen limited-slip differential.

Finally, Mustang buyers can further deck out their car by choosing from a long list of customization options including black or silver racing stripes, new wheel designs and a black roof panel. Additionally, the V8-powered GT benefits from new hood vent turn signals, a heritage-laced styling cue first introduced in 1967.

The 2016 Ford Mustang will arrive in dealerships in the third quarter of this year. Ford has not announced how much of a premium it will carry over the 2015 model.