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The XE won’t exactly be fresh when it finally arrives at U.S. dealerships in early 2016. European-market cars are already flowing out of Solihull from the longtime Land Rover facility that, with the addition of the XE, is now turning out two-wheel-drive vehicles for the first time in 34 years. North American execs, hoping to give the XE every opportunity for success, won’t import it until the four-wheel-drive models are rolling off the line. Even then, we’ll have to wait an additional six months for what will surely be the most popular engine, an all-new gasoline four-cylinder. At the outset, American buyers will only have the option of a 180-hp diesel or the driver’s choice, the supercharged, 340-hp V-6–equipped Jaguar XE S that we drove.

Photography By: TIM ANDREW

The 2017 C-class coupe rollout begins next spring, with the rear-drive C300 and all-wheel-drive C300 4MATIC, which, like the C300/C300 4MATIC sedans, are powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine good for 241 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque. The only transmission is a seven-speed automatic, and Mercedes’ Dynamic Select adjustable-chassis system is standard fare. Also standard are 18-inch wheels, all-season tires, and a sport suspension that has the coupe riding 0.6-inch closer to the ground than the sedan. An optional Sport Appearance package brings Airmatic springs and 18-inch AMG-styled wheels, plus an AMG body kit, a more chrome-intensive grille, AMG pedals, and a flat-bottom steering wheel.

The Bugatti Veyron has been around for over ten years now and it’s time to finally meet its successor. It’s only a brief encounter, and we don’t get to learn too much about the new car, but we do get to see its face for the very first time – the shape of its butt is already familiar, though.

Believed to be called Chiron, the new Bugatti was snapped up and sent over to Autoblog.nl. The photo, which seemed to have been intentionally taken as poorly as possible, is of a prototype for the new car seen at the Los Angeles airport.

With the new 2016 BMW 7-Series, BMW has redefined what an exclusive, luxurious driving experience looks like in contemporary, pioneering form. Groundbreaking technologies in the areas of lightweight design, powertrains, chassis, operating systems, intelligent connectivity and interior ambience underline its mission to bring together unbeatable driving pleasure and longdistance comfort in a luxury sedan. The handing over of the baton from one generation to the next at the top end of BMW's model line-up sees the brand presenting a raft of innovations unmatched by any of its rivals.

The new S-Class is the world's first car to be able to detect bumps on the road ahead. If ROAD SURFACE SCAN detects such unevenness by means of the stereo camera, MAGIC BODY CONTROL instantaneously sets up the suspension to deal with the new situation. This innovative suspension system is available as an option for the eight-cylinder models. Standard equipment for the new S-Class includes the continuously operating Adaptive Damping System ADS PLUS and an enhanced version of the full air suspension system AIRMATIC.

For a hypercar manufacturer like Koenigsegg, testing a car’s potential on the track is the first rule of the game. It’s fair to say this is a concept that suits Michelin down to the ground. Literally.

A few weeks back, Koenigsegg took its own One:1 megacar to Suzuka and Spa Francorchamps with a single objective: to measure how quickly it could lap two of the world’s legendary race tracks in standard trim.

Dodge is feeling a little Plum Crazy again and is rolling out its iconic purple hue for a limited run of 2016Chargers and Challengers. Despite its name, the vibrant color is not exclusive to the most bonkers model—the 707-hp Hellcat—but can be had on almost any Charger or Challenger.

Originally a product of the psychedelic era, Plum Crazy purple was first introduced for the 1970 model year (at Plymouth the color was called In Violet). It was offered along with other so-called High Impact colors such as Top Banana (yellow), Vitamin C (orange), and Sublime (green). Chrysler started bringing back select High Impact colors in 2006, and Plum Crazy was available on the Charger in 2007, 2013, and 2014. It could be had on the Challenger in 2010 and again in 2013 and 2014.

So its appearance for 2016 isn’t too shocking, but availability is more widespread this time than in the past. For the Challenger, it’s offered on the SXT Plus, any R/T, the 392 Hemi Scat Pack Shaker, the SRT 392, and, naturally, the SRT Hellcat. The Charger models that can go Plum Crazy are the SXT (but only with 20-inch wheels), the
.R/Ts, the SRT 392, and the devilish kitty.

Typical Koenigsegg. Its One:1 - the hypercar currently slaying lap records around the circuits of the globe - has a theoretical v-max of 273mph, and yet company boss Christian von Koenigsegg says top speed ‘is not a high priority’ for the company.

Yep, one of Top Gear’s favourite purveyors of track-honed exotica has this week hit back at the car industry’s obsession with speed records, instead speaking out in favour of ‘usable performance’.

“How important is it, really?” Christian von Koenigsegg asked on the quest for ultimate speed records. “Our customers are generally far more interested in driving excitement, usability and overall performance than outright top speed that is impossible to reach unless one has access to a closed 10km straight.

“Is testing the extreme outer limit of a car a necessity, or just good for marketing?”

A fine question for our age, you might think. Christian – speaking to fans on his website – stated that even finding a place to max the One:1 was proving a serious issues. “VW’s Ehra–Lessien test track would be ideal, but they are not likely to allow a Bugatti competitor to use it,” he said.

Then there’s the sheer cost of chasing a top speed record. “We have prioritized our resources towards track, handling and everyday capability of our cars,” Christian said, “which we feel is more important for our cars and customers.”

Indeed, Christian told TopGear.com a while back how, despite the One:1’s straight line performance, that it was “the least of our priorities and focuses”. He’s proud of the ‘well sorted chassis’ of the One:1 - which he feels is more important for driver enjoyment - noting that the car’s long wishbones “allows for a very small track width deviation during wheel movements, in combination with one of the highest downforce numbers ever achieved on a road-going vehicle.”

Still, Mr Koenigsegg raised the ongoing difficulty of achieving his goal of setting an outright lap record at the Nürburgring, and of slaying more circuits with the One:1.

“The Nürburgring situation has not changed,” he said. “They still have speed limits in sections of the track and that makes it impossible for manufacturers to fully test that capability of their vehicles on track.

“An added complication right now is that our factory development One:1 will be taken by its new owner soon, so we do not have long to make another attempt,” he added.

So, there you have it. Is Mr Koenigsegg right? Are top speeds just a marketing exercise, or is there value in maxing out a car to its ragged edge? Discuss below. While you’re ruminating, have a watch of the One:1 at Spa, above…

Cybersecurity researchers on Friday are publicizing software flaws in the Tesla Model S that could allow remote hackers to shut down a moving car’s engine.

But owners of the high-tech luxury sedan have little need to worry. The electric-car maker quickly deployed a fix over the Internet.

As cars loaded with on-board computers increasingly add wireless connections they are becoming more vulnerable to hackers, as seen recently with a Jeep Cherokee. Tesla’s response offers a model for how other automakers can address the increasing threat of computer attacks. Tesla owners get prompted on their cars’ infotainment screens to download software updates, the same way smartphone users do.

The consultants who found the Model S flaws -- Kevin Mahaffey, co-founder and chief technology officer of Lookout Inc., and Marc Rogers, principal security researcher for CloudFlare Inc. -- revealed the vulnerabilities earlier this week ahead of a presentationFriday at the DefCon hacker conference in Las Vegas. The pair discovered six key weaknesses in the vehicle, alerted Tesla Motors Inc. and coordinated their disclosure with a fix from the automaker to reduce the risk to owners of the car, which starts at $70,000.

Two-Edged Sword

Such responsible disclosure, as the process is known in the cybersecurity community, is common in the computer industry. Tesla is unusual in the automotive industry for its ability to update owners vehicles quickly over the Internet. That ability cuts both ways, however; if an automaker can gain access to vehicle electronics from afar, so, too, could a malicious hacker.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV was told to recall about 1.4 million vehicles last month to update software after researchers remotely hacked a Jeep Cherokee traveling at 70 miles per hour and caused it to run off a freeway in a demonstration for Wired. The automaker patched its software by mailing out USB drives to be plugged into vehicles.

That hack, which worked by scanning a cellular network to locate and disable Jeeps, showed that wireless connections are the weak underbelly of high-tech cars. Such attacks are potentially more dangerous than the method in the Tesla hack, in which the researchers had to have physical access to tamper with the car’s electronics.

Software Vulnerability

Tesla’s ability to to send a fix quickly over the Internet should be a model for other automakers, Mahaffey wrote in a blog post.

“In order to realistically patch vulnerabilities at the frequency they are discovered, manufacturers must implement an over-the-air patching system into every connected car,” he wrote. “When a manufacturer realizes that a software vulnerability affects their vehicles, they can deploy a patch immediately in a matter of days without the owner having to return to a dealership, receive a USB drive in the mail, or have their car completely recalled.”

Tesla works closely with security researchers and emphasized that the vulnerabilities revealed this week required physical access to the car, a more difficult scenario than hacking over the airwaves, the Palo Alto, California-based company said in a statement.Chris Evans, head of security for Google Inc.’s Chrome browser, said recently that he is joining Tesla to lead security efforts.

While Tesla’s quick response to the hack was reassuring for its customers, cybersecurity experts said the industry has a long way to go.

Automakers need to start thinking about how to compartmentalize vehicle electronics so that if hackers penetrate an infotainment system they can’t also gain access to the engine or steering system, said Ulf Lindqvist, a program director with SRI International, a technology research firm.

“We’ve been doing ’penetrate and patch’ for years,” said Lindqvist, who is working with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on researching new technologies for automotive security. “Once they get in somewhere, you are kind of doomed. We need to build systems that are more resilient. When you have systems that human lives depend on, ’penetrate and patch’ is not enough.”

What’s this

This beast is the 2016 Dodge Viper ACR. The Viper name should already get your heart rate up, but the ‘ACR’ acronym should have your ticker deep into the red paint if you have any idea what those three letters mean

For those of you who don’t, ACR stands for American Club Racer. This places the already violently uncompromising car’s spec at the very extreme end of the spectrum

Be under no illusion. This isn’t a road car for the track. It’s a racer you can put a plate on and drive home - after you have passed and demoralized every other car on the track

It’s not just a bit faster than your standard trackday entrants, but so much faster it’s almost unfair. Like a parent competing at a kid’s school sports day

What’s new about it

The big headline story on the ACR is the extraordinary aero kit. Select the ‘Extreme Package’ option – which you must if you are thinking of getting one an ACR – and the vast, adjustable rear wing is just the final flourish

The story starts with a massive, detachable front splitter, moves through dive planes and wing vents also removable for ultimate front downforce – and then proceeds with a rear diffuser that startszfrom in front of the rear wheels and extends right to the tip of the rear bumper

The kit creates nearly a tonne of downforce, and so much drag it lowers the top speed from near
200mph to 177mph

So it’s slower than a standard Viper

At the end of a long straight, yes. But put even a slight curve into the road and the ACR will make that up any deficit almost instantly

Why? Because it sticks and grips way better than any other Viper. A lot of this is to do with the special Kumho Ecsta V720 tyres, too. They might have a slight tread pattern, but tyres – specially constructed for the ACR – are as near to a slick as Michelin Cup 2s, just with half the wear rate

They have stiffer sidewalls to deal with all the extra loads. and are a key chapter in the ACR tale

What else is new about the ACR

Plenty. The 15.4-inch carbon ceramic front brakes are so big Dodge had to fit inch-bigger wheels to accommodate them. The manually height- and damping-adjustable motorsport shocks weigh several kilos less than the standard units, and have springs twice as stiff as those on the Viper TA.

And then there’s the interior. Previous ACRs have had fewer appointments than a shower stall, but this one is almost luxurious. You get the full Uconnect screen, air conditioning – which disconnects for six seconds when you hit full throttle, a three-speaker stereo and lightweight carpeting

What about the drivetrain

Other than some new exhaust tips, this has been left untouched. So it’s still pegged at 645bhp and 600lb ft.

Dodge has no plans to offer engine upgrades, but some key suppliers do: there’s a ‘Stage 2’ kit that lifts power to over 800bhp, which should be considered if you want the ultimate Viper, or have a vehement death wish

The gearbox is the same six-speed manual unit found in all Vipers, but does have a slightly lighter, sweeter shift action

Carmakers love a good celebration. Luckily for us, they tend to forgo the balloons and party poppers, and instead knuckle down and make a special edition

And this one really is special. To mark 50 years since the Shelby Daytona Cobra dominated the World Sportscar Championship, 50 of these recreation Cobras are being made. And it may not sound it, but 50’s actually a lot, with just half a dozen Daytona Cobra racers made in the first place

The Daytona isn’t short of replicas and convincing kit cars, but this is the real deal, produced by Shelby and looking every inch as wonderful as it did in the Sixties

If you’re itching for performance figures, there are none, as is this is an area that’s left up to you. V8s measuring 4.7, 5.0 and 7.0 litres are all possibilities, depending on how brave/confident/silly you’re feeling

Most appropriate, though, would be a 4.7-litre engine – a 289, in classic cubic-inch speak. That’s what powered those glorious old racers, and while power is up for discussion, around 380bhp is what you want to stay authentic

A Volkswagen Golf TDI has just completed a trip around the lower 48 states, covering 8,233.5 miles on just 101.43 gallons of diesel. The Golf was piloted by Bob Winger, an electronics engineer, and automotive journalist Wayne Gerdes, the founder of cleanmpg.com and an expert hypermiler. The team's feat cost just $294.98 in diesel fuel, and set the Guinness World Record for the category "lowest fuel consumption -- 48 U.S. contiguous States for a non-hybrid car."

The Golf averaged a very impressive 81.17 for the whole trip, which began at VW's headquarters in Herndon, VA. The duo departed on Monday, June 22, and returned to Herndon on July 7.

Gerdes and Winger held the previous record for visiting the lower 48, which they set in a 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI achieving 77.99 mpg in the process. Incidentally, the record-setting trip also managed to best the same record for hybrid cars by more than 6 mpg.

"Covering 8,233.5 miles on just 101.43 gallons of Clean Diesel fuel is a remarkable accomplishment, and solid proof of the efficiency and fuel economy of Volkswagen’s TDI Clean Diesel vehicles," said Michael Horn, president and CEO, Volkswagen Group of America Inc.

VW Motorsport transforms Mk7 Golf into a wide, winged and very angry racing car Fancy the idea
of a 325bhp, stripped-out Golf racing car? Of course you do. Volkswagen is rather warm to the idea too, and has built this one-off concept for ‘evaluation’.

Not ‘evaluation’ for moon-based exploration - though it’d fit right in judging by those looks - but as a potential customer racing car for 2016, built and eligible for the Touring Car Racer International Series (TCR). In fact, as part of its competitive development – like AMG is doing with its gorgeous AMG GT3 – the Liqui Moly Team Engstler will run two of these monster Golfs at the Red Bull Ring this weekend.

So, taking the MQB-platformed, seventh-generation Golf as its base, VW Motorsport director Jost Capito – he of former Ford RS fame – and his team stripped out the insides and widened the chassis by 40cm over the production car.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the Coke Zero 400 early Monday morning, but
the finish of the race was marred by a horrifying crash that sent Austin Dillon's car sailing into the catchfence at Daytona International Speedway. Dillon walked away and waved to the crowd after his car got airborne and was torn apart by the fence. He was been checked and released from the infield care center with a bruised tailbone and forearm. Track president Joie Chitwood III confirmed 13 fans were examined and eight declined treatment. Of the five treated, one was transported to a local hospital, treated and released. The other four were treated at the infield care center. "It's not really acceptable, I don't think," Dillon told reporters after exiting the care center. "We've got to figure out something. Our speeds are too high, I think. I think everybody could get good racing with slower speeds. We can work at that, and then figure out a way to keep the cars on the ground. That's the next thing. We're fighting hard to make the racing good. I hope the fans appreciate that. We don't, but it's our job. You go out there and hold it wide open to the end and hope you make it through."

Renault has today unveiled its new contribution to the executive saloon market with the Talisman. Essentially the replacement for the slow-selling Laguna, the Talisman will go on sale later in 2015 after its world debut at the Frankfurt motor show.

But while you'll see it at the giant German expo on 17 September 2015, you won't see it at your local Renault dealership in the UK or Ireland. There are no plans for the Talisman to go on sale in right-hand drive, as Renault continues to operate a pared-back sales strategy over here.

Renault Talisman: the lowdown

The Talisman represents a definite move upmarket, according to Paris. Yes, you read that right. It's designed to be Renault's executive saloon (and estate) as the crowning model in its range alongside the reinvented, more crossover-inspired Espace. Five different trim levels will be available, mated to two petrols and three diesel engines.

Stretching from entry Life trim to the more luxurious Initiale Paris trim (see below), the plushest Talisman models feature an 8.7in interactive screen, Bose surround sound and 19in alloys.

Engines include the Energy TCe 150 or 200 petrol turbos, which feature a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, and Energy dCi diesels in 110, 130 or 160 tune and with a six-speed dual-clutch 'box. No official specifications have been released yet, but Renault claims low running costs, fuel consumption and CO2 figures.

Sounds like a Passat from Paris!

Quite so. The styling looks decidedly Germanic from the first official photos issued today. But commercial reality dictates that the more idiosyncratic, French-flavoured execs of the past decades - think Vel Satis and Avantime - haven't worked, so they've had to stick with a more formulaic interpretation of modern mainstream luxury.

Could this really be a German saloon competitor? Be sure to let us know in the comments below.