Sport News
Where Lamborghini stands on EVs
Read the article
By Tim Gibson · 20 Aug 2026
Lamborghini is in the business of selling dreams, and those dreams don't include an electric car, according to Chief Executive Officer Stephan WinkelmannThe Italian brand won’t follow in the footsteps of Ferrari and release a fully-electric model any time soon, having walked back its plans for a fully-electric car earlier this year.Winkelmann told CarsGuide Lamborghini wanted to have an all-electric model by the end of this decade.This was likely to be inspired by the Lanzador concept revealed in 2023, but lacklustre demand has pushed back any EV plans.“We saw that our customers, they are not stepping into this idea , so they are saying we need a car with a combustion engine,” Winkelmann told CarsGuide. “It is also important to underline when you buy a Lamborghini, you don’t buy a Lamborghini because you’re moving from A to B on a daily basis.“We are not selling mobility, but we’re selling dreams.”Lamborghini has chosen to introduce another plug-in hybrid model instead, the Revuelto SV. It will be Lamborghini’s third PHEV model following the launch of the standard Revuelto and the Urus SUV. Lamborghini hasn’t ruled out producing a fully-electric car in the future, but it has recalibrated its immediate focus to stay on petrol engines.Winkelman said the brand will pivot towards EVs when there is clear demand for them.“We were also ready to do so, but we constantly check the response of our actual and future customers and comparing them with the assumptions we had at the beginning of this decade,” Winkelman told CarsGuide. “We will be ready to do so, but the market is not, and we have to face the reality.” Ferrari and Lamborghini face the same EV conundrum.Both are synonymous with raw internal combustion power and iconic engine noise, but must now contend with an increasingly electrified car industry.Winkelmann said Lamborghini is taking its own approach to the future.“We have a different history, but we have a lot of the same customers, and everybody has to find his own way to succeed in the future,” Winkelmann told CarsGuide. “We look into the future and I think we have a consistent approach.”
Ballistic 593kW new Ford confirmed
Read the article
By James Cleary · 18 Aug 2026
Ford has launched its first high-performance Mustang convertible in more than a decade and the most powerful convertible Mustang ever with the introduction of the Dark Horse SC Convertible.Developed by Ford Racing, the new drop-top is powered by the same 593kW (795hp)/895Nm 5.2-litre supercharged ‘Predator’ V8 as its coupe stablemate.It sends its substantial grunt to the rear wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and is good for 0-100km/h in 3.3 seconds. Now that’s wind in your hair.Introducing the car Ford Racing Global Director Mark Rushbrook confirmed a subtle shift in the newcomer’s personality.“If the coupe is the race-bred side of our DNA, this convertible is the pure street cred part of the formula.“It’s just pure fun, fast, freedom,” he said.To that end, the convertible adds ‘Precision Purple Metallic’ to the Mustang Dark Horse SC colour palette as well as unique brake caliper color options and interior details in Black Onyx and Space Gray.On the perennial question of body rigidity in a high-performance convertible, Ford Racing believes it has the issue covered.Mustang Dark Horse SC Chief Program Engineer Arie Groeneveld said, “Both the Dark Horse SC coupe and convertible have been developed by our Ford Racing engineers.“But instead of prioritizing the convertible for setting lap times, we’ve engineered it to be the ultimate top-down grand touring machine,” he said.The result is what Ford Racing positions as “a set-up tuned for a smooth, comfortable cruise that still stays planted when you lean into the accelerator”.With orders opening in the US before the end of the year, the Dark Horse SC Convertible’s scheduled to hit North American showrooms late in the first half of 2027.Ford Australia has previously stated it has "no news to share on any plans" to bring the Dark Horse SC to the local market, with the left-hand drive-only coupe and now convertible set to remain off limits for Aussie muscle car enthusiasts.
New 783kW hybrid monster lands
Read the article
By Tim Gibson · 17 Aug 2026
Lamborghini’s new ballistic hybrid sports car is here. The Lamborghini Revuelto SV is a track-focused plug-in hybrid two-door coupe, expected to claim a place at the top of the brand’s lineup.The car is a juiced up version of the standard Revuelto that fetches a price tag of $987,000, before on-road costs in Australia.Its upgraded sibling will likely break the $1 million mark, with deliveries beginning in early 2027. There will be less than 2000 Revuelto SV examples available.SV stands for ‘Super Veloce’ (or super fast), and Lamborghini has significant history with the badge on its iconic Diablo, Murcielago and Aventador sportscars. SV models have increased power and less weight, with the Revuelto SV Lamborghini’s most powerful SV model yet. The Revuelto SV uses the same 6.5-litre naturally-aspirated V12 and three electric motor set-up, but output has been boosted to 783kW and 1425Nm. This is 50kW more power and around 400Nm more torque than the standard car.The bulk of this power comes from the V12, but the electric motor set-up contributes 190kW. It can accelerate from 0-100km/h in 2.4 seconds, and 0-200km/h in 6.7 seconds, going on to a top speed of more than 345km/h.The Revuelto SV will directly compete with the Ferrari SF90 Stradale ($846,888) that packs a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 plug-in hybrid set-up, making 574kW and 800Nm. Lamborghini’s new sports car has two front-mounted electric motors, with the other one fitted above an eight-speed automatic double-clutch gearbox. The car boasts a 7.3kWh lithium-ion battery, which is nearly twice as big as the unit in the standard Revuelto.There is a new adjustable dampers suspension system that has been race-tuned, designed to improve agility and grip. There are huge carbon-ceramic brakes capable of a 200-0km/h stop in just 116 metres. The Revuelto SV delivers 80 per cent more total downforce than the Revuelto, aiding the car's increased track focus.
Petrol cars will just be for the rich
Read the article
By Laura Berry · 16 Aug 2026
Are we headed for a world where petrol is only the fuel of the rich, powering their hypercars and luxury super SUVs? It certainly appears that way. And I don’t like it…This week the car world achieved a major milestone - the average global price of electric vehicles fell below that of hybrids for the first time. And before too long we’ll see the average price of EVs drop lower than the price of petrol cars.There’s nothing wrong with that - we’re watching the evolution of the motor car, and a change in buying habits and taste in real time.What could supercharge this process and fundamentally change what fuel we use, however, is the volatility of petrol prices which have spiked dramatically due to the conflict in the Middle East. Covering car news each day is revealing a trend and I’m not too sure I like it. High-performance and luxury car brands are doubling down on their fossil fuel focus, while mainstream brands are pushing the limits to make the most affordable electric cars.At the start of this year BMW announced it would reverse its decision to pivot away from petrol and return to producing V8 and V12 units due to their customer demands.Rival brand Mercedes-Benz did the same thing and scrapped its plan to go completely electric by 2030 and dived back into making V8s.Porsche, too, changed its mind after receiving a walloping from customers who made it very clear that Porsche to them meant power from petrol, not power from the electricity grid.Lamborghini also did an about face on EVs at the start of this year and went back to petrol, adding a hybrid system but only to make more mumbo.Yep, Lamborghini replaced its V10 Huracan which made 470kW with the V8 Temerario which makes 588kW plus another 220kW from its electric motors.Then there’s the mysterious case of Ferrari giving us the breathtaking 12Cilindri with yes a V12, which was closely followed by the even more gorgeous V8 Amalfi, before giving us the all-electric Luce which hurts to look at directly. It’s as if the brand was sending us some kind of message coded in ugliness about being asked to do something against its will. Of course the super high end brands appear completely unconcerned by prohibitively high petrol prices affecting sales or the climate.Bugatti announced an end to the reign of its enormous 8.0-litre quad-turbo W16 engines in its cars like the Veyron and Chiron, but before we could even think it was going green trumpeted in almost the same breath that it was doing V16s instead.Which it did with its current Tourbillon hypercar that houses a monstrous 8.3-litre V16 engine. Yes it has a hybrid system with electric motors but it’s not to save fuel, it’s to make more power. If you were to ask bespoke high performance vehicle maker Hennessey if it had electric cars the response would almost certainly be, “never heard of her." The brand just unveiled its US spy plane-inspired Blackbird hypercar with a naturally aspirated V8 and positioned it as the kind of vehicle that allows drivers to cover 1300km a day.Just days ago Aston Martin ran into the room boasting it was delaying its EV plans because it had found a loop hole which meant it could keep making V12s. The loop hole being that the brand had to keep V12 sales under 1000 a year.Low volume sales aren’t a worry for brands like these - not when an Aston Martin Vanquish costs more than $700,000. And unlike you and me, that's not the owner's only car… it joins a garage with five other cars in it… at least. Yes we’re talking millions of dollars and all petrol-powered.Meanwhile, the rest of us are trying to work out how we can get into an electric car for less than $40,000 because chaotic fuel prices are hurting us and we’re worried about the future resale value of petrol cars. I’m also highly concerned about the air that my children breathe and the thought of having a car powered by burning oil that just to drives to shops, school and work sounds more and more preposterous to me. It’s like having kerosene lanterns in every room of your house rather than light bulbsTo be completely clear, though, I love petrol performance cars and detest electric performance ones. Petrol has a place.My fear is that petrol’s happy place in performance cars will eventually exclude me as the fuel becomes more expensive, rarer and the food of exotic beasts I can’t afford.So what’s left? There’s the Cupra Leon VZx, Ford Mustang, Honda Civic Type R and Prelude, Hyundai i30N, Mazda MX-5, Nissan Z, Subaru WRX, Toyota GR Yaris and GR Corolla and VW Golf R.Watch these models closely, because they are the final 'affordable' petrol performance cars and they are all now endangered.
Eye-popping new car breaks cover
Read the article
By James Cleary · 14 Aug 2026
McLaren has produced a new supercar, the McL 6GT, inspired by the brand’s founder and his vision for a road-going supercar bearing his name.In 1969, Kiwi race ace and budding car manufacturer Bruce McLaren made a bold expand from track to road car production with the McLaren M6GT, a brutal 5.7-litre Chevrolet V8-powered coupe based on the M6A Can-Am competition machine.Sadly, McLaren was killed in a testing crash before his road car vision could be realised and only three prototypes were produced.But of course McLaren has since matched its stellar on-track success with a series of stunning super sports cars, starting with the iconic, Gordon Murray and Peter Stevens developed F1 in 1992 through to the current W1 hypercar.Introducing a concept version of the car at the 2026 Monterey Car Week in California, McLaren said the McL 6GT “celebrates purity in design and driver connection”, the main headline being the fact it’s the first McLaren to employ a manual gearbox since the F1.Positioned as “a contemporary interpretation of the M6GT” the ultra-lightweight supercar features a full carbon-fibre monocoque and V8 internal-combustion power (with no spec details at this stage) sending drive to the rear wheels through the manual ‘box. Another old school touch is hydraulic steering assistance, pretty much a thing of the past in this type of car for at least 15 years. The car’s sleek, low and muscular design is a 21st century interpretation of 1960s sports prototype racing cars and McLaren aficionados should look out for details like the ‘Speedy Kiwi’ logo etched into the fuel filler cap.On the inside there’s tactile switchgear and “visible engineering details” including knurled machined aluminium controls and boxed-quilt trim.Even the digital instrumentation has been developed to “retain the clarity and emotional appeal of the original M6GT.“In an enticing final statement McLaren said the McL 6GT concept precedes a production model coming in 2028 and “creates the space for a new type of exclusive McLaren supercar beyond the core portfolio.”
Iconic brand's transformation takes shape
Read the article
By Chris Thompson · 13 Aug 2026
It’s been more than a year since Jaguar’s rebrand and the reveal of its Type 00 Concept, and now the brand has revealed the first glimpse of the production version’s interior.The 2027 Jaguar Type 01, to give it the recently confirmed production name, will be revealed properly in New York on 6 October 2026, but the EV’s design still remains a mystery in terms of many details.Now, Jaguar has revealed a few images of its interior, which looks to be closely related to the interior shown in the controversial Type 00 concept.A blend of minimalism and unfamiliar design philosophy, the interior certainly confirms the words of Jaguar Managing Director Rawdon Glover in that it’s “an interior like no other”.Inspired by the travertine limestone and brass of the concept, the colour palette and materials in the Type 01 also follow the ‘copy nothing’ philosophy set out upon the brand’s relaunch.With its name revealed in May this year not long after a preview drive afforded to select media - including CarsGuide - the Type 01 will be the brand’s first car to debut in its new era.The large electric four-door GT has a long bonnet, a total length of 5200mm over a 3200mm wheelbase, and space inside for four separated by a central ‘spine’ - the one made of limestone in the Type 00 concept.Under the cabin, a 120kWh battery should mean a range around 700km, though its brisk performance provided by three motors (two at the rear for 706kW, one at the front with 206kW) might tempt some to use up that power rather inefficiently.On our preview drive, we estimated a 0-100km/h sprint of under 4.0 seconds.Thomas Holden, Chief Interior Designer for Jaguar, said the “unmistakable drama” of the Type 01’s interior aims to “define the modern luxury automotive interior of the future”.“Our holistic design philosophy translates the vehicle’s exterior presence into a distinctive interior architecture,” he said. “In contrast to the horizontal interior design norm, we emphasise its dramatic longitudinal nature through the central spine - an architectural statement that creates four individual spaces.“With authentic materials, technology on demand and reductive flowing surfaces, Type 01 presents unmistakable drama and theatre that will define the modern luxury automotive interior of the future.”
Iconic Nissan keeps manual alive in 2026
Read the article
By Tim Gibson · 23 Jul 2026
Nissan’s snappy sports car has been updated and will now be available in sought-after Nismo form with a six-speed manual transmission in Australia.The Nissan Z Nismo is the higher-performance grade of the brand's rear-wheel drive coupe.The new manual Z Nismo will be priced from $95,000, before on-road costs, making it a near $20,000 jump over the standard Z manual.Nissan’s announcement also confirms the automatic Z Nismo is just less than a $1000 more expensive as part of this update, starting at the same $95,000 price tag.Meanwhile, the standard Z coupe starts from $76,800, which is $640 more than it was before. The updated Z range will be available for order from this month, with deliveries beginning in September.It competes in the hotly contested sports car segment against the likes of the Ford Mustang (from $72,990).The Mustang remains the dominant player of the segment, with the Nissan Z trailing its competitors currently.The Z Nismo continues to be powered by a 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 engine, producing 309kW and 520Nm, representing an 11kW and 45Nm increase over the standard car. The Z has also received some tweaks as part of the updated range.There are new two-piece front brake rotors, resulting in a 9kg weight reduction. A redesigned front bumper adds 30mm to the car’s length to reduce front lift by 3.3 per cent and drag by 1.0 per cent. There is also a new wireless phone charger standard across all variants, along with a frameless auto-dimming rear view mirror.The new Z range was first revealed at the start of January as part of global preview even at the 2026 Toyota Auto Salon.The car went on sale in Japan recently, ahead of its arrival on Aussie shores. 2027 Nissan Z pricing (before on-road costs - manual a no-cost option)
We don't need new versions of these cars
Read the article
By Chris Thompson · 20 Jul 2026
Recently, a realisation from behind the wheel of the current generation of a widely beloved rear-drive two-door coupe raised a question for me.Are sports cars doomed? The question came as I realised that because of the development of the car I was driving, the 2026 Nissan Z (specifically the Heritage Edition), underneath was essentially a Nissan 350Z that had been given enough surgery to be relevant in two decades later.But the last of the ancient platforms won’t be around for much longer, surely, and the cars built on them are, at least in two cases, some of the most-loved sports cars around.The other is the Ford Mustang, which rides on a platform closely related to one older than you might think.Back to the Z for a moment, because the platform it rides on comes from so far back that I was just getting into primary school when it debuted. The 2002 Nissan 350Z was released when I was in grade 2, about a decade and a half ago, when I was only allowed behind the wheel of one if it was on Need for Speed: Underground 2.Nissan recently celebrated 35 years of its Infiniti sub-brand, which kicked off with the G35 Coupe - a sibling car to the V35 Nissan Skyline - and gave the Front Midship (FM) Platform its flowers.The aim was to get a V6 nestled in just behind the front axle, which resulted in a 52:48 front/rear weight distribution. Slightly more weight over the front was a deliberate choice, according to the engineers.The FM platform would go on to carry the Z33 350Z to cultural relevance in the aforementioned Underground 2 and Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift, before the Z34 370Z came along with a heavily updated version of the platform in 2009 and hung around for 12 years. The FM was just about old enough to vote in Australia when the 370Z was discontinued.The RZ34 is already coming up on four years old, and its platform is 20 years older than that.Even though its chassis feels heavy for something carrying a two-door coupe, it’s not alone in the world of heavy hybrid and electric ‘sports cars’, but it retains a level of engagement and trust in the driver that doesn’t rely on tricks and electronics.If Nissan built another platform for the Z, not only would it have possibly sent the company bankrupt, it might have lost some of its magic.Nissan’s FM platform is not alone in this. In fact, even though Ford probably could afford to create a new Mustang platform, you could argue the platform it rides on is even older than the Z’s. Depends who you ask. While Ford says the S550 Mustang is built on a ‘ground-up’ platform developed just for the Mustang in 2015, it’s to some extent based on the existing D2C platform that the Mustang rode on since 2004, itself an evolution of the DEW98 platform used from the late 1990s.While the Mustang’s platform is now different in a few key areas, including the addition of independent rear suspension for the S550 generation onwards, it’s still related to that of the early 2000s.And it’s still quite capable and really, really fun, just like the Nissan Z.I point all of this out because I’m a little worried about what happens to the other, even more affordable sports cars when it’s time for their next generations. Will the Mazda MX-5 or Toyota GR86 (and Subaru BRZ) hold onto their platforms until it’s no longer possible to release a car on them?We’re going to be waiting until after 2030 for a new Nissan Z according to Nissan Americas’ Senior Vice President Chief Product & Planning Officer Ponz Pandikuthira, though given he says the next GT-R will ride on a new platform the FM Platform might also be outta here.A new Ford Mustang won’t be around until a similar time, though Ford CEO Jim Farley has notably said the V8 would stick around “as long as God and the politicians let us”. The platform might need some more work by then if the brand intends to electrify the pony car, though it won’t go full-EV if Ford can avoid it.If you’re anything like me, you’d probably be okay with the next generations of each of these cars riding on a very similar platform to their predecessors.Of course evolution needs to take place, otherwise the Mustang would still have a solid rear axle and the likes of ANCAP would have thoughts about that.The current Mazda MX-5 and Toyota GR86 are two properly affordable sports cars, and if keeping them within reach of most people means a new generation on the same highly acclaimed platforms as before, I’d be all for it.
New Geely enters Zeekr territory
Read the article
By Tom White · 07 Jul 2026
Geely has detailed its upcoming TT halo four-door sports coupe.Sharing its name with a famous Audi, the Geely TT is instead a fully electric sports coupe with a similar layout to the Porsche Taycan or Audi e-Tron GT.Measuring nearly five meters long and featuring an 800-volt electric platform, the TT is available in either rear-wheel drive form with 245kW or all-wheel drive from nearly doubling power to 425kW.Three battery sizes will be available, according to previous data filings with the Chinese government, including a base 52.4kWh version, a 63.8kWh version and a 75.2kWh version with driving range up to 725km according to the more lenient CLTC scale.The Galaxy TT is part of a new halo range of Geely models from its Galaxy sub-brand, which incorporate new design elements for the brand, alongside the incoming and much-hyped Galaxy Cruiser off-roader.Geely has also now revealed the TT’s interior, which has significant crossover with its Zeekr premium arm, including a familiar dash layout, digital instrument cluster, and steering wheel design to vehicles like the Zeekr 7GT.It also features Geely’s new in-house Flyme Auto 2 software for its large central touchscreen unit, and like other cars in this class has a giant fixed glass roof and active spoiler piece at the rear.It even has a 110-litre frunk and a 5.2-litre refrigerated or heated drawer under the centre console, which itself shares a split-console feature and sunken cupholders similar to those which appear in Zeekr models.While the TT moves Geely’s Galaxy sedan range in a new performance direction and features a lot of premium Zeekr hardware, Chinese media is speculating that it will be more affordable than its direct rivals, which include the overwhelmingly popular Xiaomi SU7, which was the original Chinese four-door sports coupe success story, and the new Chinese-market MG07 which follows a similar format.Both the Geely and the MG are chasing the success of the Xiaomi which set Chinese sales charts on fire and was celebrated by global Ford boss Jim Farley who imported one to the US to personally drive as “fantastic”.CarsGuide understands the Geely TT isn’t currently on the schedule for an Australian launch, but isn’t ruled out for a future arrival either as the company rapidly expands its sales footprint Down Under.Its EX5 mid-size electric SUV has quietly become one of the best-selling electric cars in Australia, and the Starray EM-i plug-in hybrid spin-off is also one of the best-selling plug-ins.The company will next launch its fully electric EX2 hatchback, which has garnered lots of interest in the lead-up to its arrival. Geely will also launch both the Camry-rivalling Emgrand hybrid sedan and an unnamed three-row SUV in 2027.Geely's Zeekr premium arm has also been a resounding success in 2026, with its smash-hit 7X mid-size electric SUV outselling its primary rivals and causing a renewed surge of interest in both the updated X small SUV and incoming 8X plug-in hybrid large SUV.
Toyota wants to cut its line-up, but why?
Read the article
By Laura Berry · 04 Jul 2026
Toyota has too many models? The company’s new global boss seems to think so, and he is sharpening his axe in his hunt to save money. Why is this happening? Which models doesn’t Toyota need?Toyota is the world’s biggest car manufacturer and has been for the past six years running. In 2025 Toyota sold 11.2 million vehicles across its three brands - Toyota, Lexus and Daihatsu.That global dominance is replicated in Australia where Toyota has been the biggest selling car brand for 23 consecutive years.So, you’d think it was doing everything right. And why on Earth would you change anything?Toyota’s Kenta Kon became the new global CEO of the company on June 17, and has hit the ground running as he looks for what could be done better, while he hasn’t mentioned any models by name he’s made it clear there will be cuts.In an interview with Automotive News, Kon said he was touring facilities looking for inefficiencies. It’s enough to send a chill down even the most hard working employee’s spine.“We’ve become increasingly able to identify things that don’t seem quite right, areas where operations have become somewhat inefficient, or where the amount of work that doesn’t directly add value has increased,” Kon told Automotive News.“We’re now at the stage where we can really start addressing them – making corrections and implementing improvements.“If you go to a development division, you see issues such as an increasing number of different specifications and variants being created, which in turn is driving up costs.”Carmakers, as many companies do, often go through a streamlining process where they prune back on activities deemed superfluous in a bid to save money.This cutting back is already happening. The fully electric Lexus LF ZC was axed before it even went into production, just before Kon succeeded Koji Sato as President and CEO. Before the promotion Kon was Toyota’s Chief Financial Officer.Mr Sato is a “self confessed” car guy - a mechanical engineer by trade and a performance car enthusiast. Mr Kon calls himself a “numbers guy”.According to Toyota’s Financial Year 2026 summary, the company sold 2.5 per cent more cars and sales revenue was up by 5.5 per cent, but the operating profit fell by 7.3 per cent.Add to this the billions lost from the bottom line caused by tariffs imposed by the United States, a massive loss in sales in China (a 31 per cent drop in May this year alone), a conflict in the Middle East putting pressure on fuel prices and the sudden huge popularity in Chinese electric vehicles, and even the biggest car girl or guy can see the need to cut back on spending.The axing of the LF ZC is interesting and it happened just as Kon was moving into his new office. This was to be an electric successor to the IS sedan, but perhaps being a sedan was the reason it was axed. SUVs being where the money is these days and all that.In a time when sales are being stolen from right under mainstream brand’s noses by affordable, high-tech and good looking vehicles made by Chinese manufacturers, surely EVs aren’t the models Toyota should be axing?But then Toyota’s EVs haven’t really taken the world by storm. One of the brand’s worst selling cars is the C-HR SUV and the electric version, which recently arrived has done nothing to help sales anywhere globally for Toyota.Toyota’s other electric SUVs, such as the bZ4X, haven’t been major hits either. Toyota’s focus doesn’t appear to be EVs for now. Instead, hybrids are bringing in the money for Toyota.The axing of the LF ZC was also only just one model, but it's a good indication of how Toyota is now in a phase of conservative growth and not willing to take risks.That's not to say the brand won’t make EVs, of course it will, but rather than sedans like the LF ZC they’ll be electric SUVs.Currently Toyota has 23 models in its Australian range. The worst performers are the Yaris, C-HR and GR86, all with less than 1000 sales so far this year.Which models will Toyota axe next? Most likely the C-HR first. This SUV, while great to drive, isn’t selling well here and around the world - even the fully electric version.What about the bZ4X? That’s actually selling well in Australia and globally even if it had a bumpy start with recalls and a battery that didn’t offer enough driving range in the first iteration. Toyota has sold 1526 of them this year. That’s more than the 1340 combined sales of closely priced Volkswagen ID. 4 and its ID. 5 coupe twins.But when you compare that to its Zeekr 7X rival, with 3664 sales for the same period, then you begin to see that EVs are currently really just a side hustle for mainstream brands that make nearly all their income from traditional models.Does it annoy Toyota that it’s not the go-to for EVs when it has been for ICE cars for decades? I’d say it does, a lot. Even if Toyota would tell you it doesn’t and say that it's all about having models for every body - the multipathway powertrain approach is the marketing phrase it uses.Toyota may even feel that it exerts such a colossal influence over people’s purchasing habits that customers will continue to buy what the brand’s range offers. The company may just think that “until we make and sell it, people won’t buy it”.Yes, it’ll lose a relatively tiny amount of sales to BYD, Zeekr and other Chinese rivals but it’ll stay its course and bring in electric versions of its successful models.In the meantime, for Toyota you can probably forget design studies like the LF ZC or wild reborn models such as the Celica or MR2. The Toyota 86 as we know it is also on borrowed time.Yep, if you thought Toyota was boring now… you ain’t seen nothing yet.