Concept Cars

Polestar’s radical new concept gives a glimpse at the electric car brand’s future.The Chinese-owned car maker has debuted its Concept BST electric car at the famous Goodwood Festival of Speed in the UK today.BST is a throw back to the brand’s experimental Polestar 2 from the 2020 Goodwood Festival of Speed nicknamed “The Beast”.That vehicle was a reworked version of the 2 designed to push the envelope of its electric performance.This time “The Beast” is a head-turning concept, which twists the dial all the way up and brings a motorsport flavour to the EV brand.It features bespoke bodywork with flared wheel arches, a wide track and giant 22-inch alloy wheels give it a stout muscular stance.There are plenty of aerodynamic features with a vented front bonnet, front splitter and a massive rear wing.Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath said the Concept BST was designed to push the boundaries of performance for Polestar.“This car is a demonstration of how far we can push our performance brand - Polestar turned up to 11 if you will - and a demonstration of how we could apply the BST formula to our line up in the future,” said Ingenlath.Polestar has also debuted the 6 Concept, a sharp looking electric roadster concept.The Polestar 6 is built on the same platform as the Polestar 5, a future swoopy electric sedan due in 2027, and will sit atop the brand’s global line-up.The Polestar 5 and 6 could be in line for a game-changing new battery, too.Polestar has previously shown off groundbreaking battery technology in a 5 prototype.In a world first demonstration, a Polestar 5 prototype vehicle fitted with a new battery design from Israeli company Storedot,  and was able to recharge from 10 to 80 per cent in 10 minutes, or the equivalent of 320km of driving range.Ingenlath said the company needed to take the next step to address one of the biggest barriers to electric car ownership.“With this new technology, on longer journeys when drivers do stop they’ll be able to spend less time charging and be back on the road faster than before. In fact, that stop time will be more akin to what they experience with a petrol car today.”

A traditional sports car is a lot like the barfly at your local pub - it consumes a hell of a lot more, and is a lot louder than pretty much anything within a one kilometre radius. 

Rumours of the next generation Mitsubishi Delica's launch are gathering steam.Japanese publication BestCar has released a render image showing what the sixth generation of Delica could look like. Rooted heavily in Mitsubishi's D:X concept revealed at the 2023 Japan Mobility Show, it is expected to be an off-road capable plug-in hybrid van with futuristic looks. The show vehicle features wild styling with prominent LED lighting signatures, no B-Pillars or wing mirrors and integrated roof box. In Person, the D:X concept is also significantly larger than the existing Delica. The render image is more realistic with physical mirrors, a toned down front bash plate, tracks for the rear sliding doors and more conventional wheels. There are still some unique features like the low-mount headlights accompanied by a panel just below the windscreen that houses the Delica’s LED signature and badge to give the vehicle a more upright look. Its chunky flared wheel arches hide tough wheels with all-terrain tyres. The result is a futuristic but tasteful evolution of the current D:5 Delica, which has been on sale in Japan since 2007.The current Delica sits on the previous-gen Outlander SUV’s underpinnings that are also shared with ASX and introduced under the 2007 Lancer. It uses a 107kW/380Nm 2.2-litre turbo diesel version of the previous Triton’s four-cylinder with all-wheel drive and low-range transfer case.It’s possible the next-gen minivan will share a platform with the new Outlander with a plug-in hybrid already confirmed for Delica. This ought to give a good blend of efficiency and off-road capability without sacrificing driving range. The Outlander plug-in hybrid produces peak outputs of 185kW and 450Nm while driving all four wheels. It has a 20kWh battery pack for 84km electric only range (WLTP).The Delica nameplate is popular in Japan – and is currently exclusive to the country – but it has found niche success as a grey import in Australia. It’s an off-piste alternative to a Toyota LandCruiser Prado, Jeep Wrangler or even Kia Carnival, offering plenty of practicality at the expense of some outright off-roading ability to established 4x4s.Mitsubishi Australia has expressed interest in the Delica, even bringing one in as an evaluation vehicle for media to sample. It’s understood the current van won’t be sold new here, though the next generation could be a potential. The new Delica appears in Mitsubishi’s Momentum 2030 plan as a teaser with the brand expressing interest in global development of the Delica. With the Delica’s off-road ability and seating for seven there’s potential crossover with the brand’s next generation Pajero Sport and existing ASEAN-market Xpander hybrid but an MPV (just like the Delica) featured in the previously announced mid-term plan. Mitsubishi is readying a selection of electric and hybrid powertrains to further broaden its appeal and the Delica could be a perfect fit for adventure-focused Australians.

Toyota is betting big on hydrogen.The Japanese giant has been forging ahead with the zero-CO2 tech despite a big global focus on battery-powered electric cars.It appears the HiLux is the next vehicle the brand is targeting to use hydrogen power with a fleet of 10 prototypes undergoing evaluation and testing in the UK.Five vehicles are being put through rigorous field testing to assess safety, performance, functionality and durability, generating test drive data in real-world situations. Another five will be used for promotional purposes at the upcoming Olympic Games.The vehicles are fitted with the company’s hydrogen fuel-cell technology, which converts hydrogen to electricity that charges a lithium-ion battery, which feeds an electric motor. The only tailpipe emission is water.The hydrogen fuel cell HiLux has a driving range of up to 600km and uses a single 134kW/300Nm electric motor to drive the rear wheels.A Toyota Australia spokesperson said: “The HiLux FCEV is a Toyota UK-led trial. It demonstrates how a fuel cell might be incorporated in a pick-up. Thanks to hydrogen being light, a vehicle such as an FCEV HiLux can offer higher payload and towing capabilities than other zero tailpipe emission alternatives.” “If a prototype were to become available for evaluation in Australia, we would welcome the opportunity, especially given the extensive involvement with HiLux by our vehicle evaluation department.”Toyota Australia Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Franchise Operations Sean Hanley said hydrogen still had a fair way to go before mass market adoption in Australia.“Infrastructure is still our biggest challenge, but we do still see it as a part of the future,” said Hanley.“What’s challenging is that people want volume before they invest in infrastructure, so it may be incumbent on the likes of Hyundai and Toyota to lead that,” he said.Currently there are only a handful of hydrogen refuelling stations covering Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne and Sydney.“I do believe it’s still in that 2030-2035 horizon. I think it’s a while to go, but certainly a technology that we will continue to invest in,” said Hanley.“It’s not something that I see in the foreseeable three to five year horizon. We will sell those cars in the next two years, but it will be sold in areas where we have infrastructure to support.”Currently Toyota has a small fleet of its Mirai hydrogen fuel cell vehicles in Australia that it leases to companies, but it is not for sale to the general public.The company has a hydrogen HiAce van trial operating in Australia. Unlike the HiLux prototype, which uses a fuel cell to make electricity, the HiAce uses a conventional engine that runs on hydrogen.

The BMW Skytop concept, based on the BMW 8 Series, was built to grace the lawns of the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este.

Although it was opened by then British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher way back in 1986, Nissan’s Sunderland plant in England’s north-east is the flexible, environmentally-focused manufacturing model to help accommodate the company’s global shift towards electrified and pure-EV production.

Is this what next year’s Holden Commodore would be if General Motors hadn’t pulled the plug in 2020?

Nissan just can’t seem to get enough of electrified concept cars, having revealed another quartet of ‘new energy vehicles’ (NEVs) at the 2024 Beijing Auto Show.

Genesis is getting ready to step up and take on the biggest names in luxury performance cars.

Genesis has announced the launch of its new performance sub-brand - Magma.