Luxury

Ferrari will launch its first-ever electric car in October, CEO Benedetto Vigna has confirmed.The announcement was made at Ferrari’s Q4 and full-year financial results conference, where Vigna refused to give any details of the combustion-free model aside from stating that it would be launched in a “unique and innovative” way.Five more models will launch alongside it next year, one of which will include the 12Cilindri Spider as well as a Roma replacement, which went out of production last year.Prototypes of the electric supercar have been previously spotted testing in Ferrari’s hometown of Maranello, Italy, giving some details of what to expect in terms of design.Surprisingly, the four-door model appears to be an oversized hatchback more than anything, with its fake exhausts undermined by high-voltage stickers indicating that it is, in fact, electric.Vigna has previously confirmed that the electric model will stay true to Ferrari’s core principle of driver engagement, with the EV set to deliver “authentic noise”, suggesting a program similar to Hyundai’s Active Sound+ that synthesises fake engine noises on the Ioniq 5 N is on the cards.A previous report by Reuters speculated its price tag could be as high as €500,000 ($829,580), although this hasn’t been confirmed directly by Ferrari.The move comes as Ferrari announced that hybrid models, such as the plug-in hybrid GTS 296, GTB 296 and SF90 Stradale, made up 51 per cent of its sales last year.Despite rivals such as Aston Martin delaying their electrification plans, Ferrari remains committed to having hybrids and EVs consisting of 80 per cent of its line-up by 2030.It will still produce combustion-engine models beyond then, with the brand’s CEO previously stating he believes synthetic e-fuels are the “way forward” for the brand.Ferrari’s revenue rose 11.8 per cent in 2024 compared to the year prior, with deliveries up marginally by 0.7 per cent to 13,752 in total.Vigna expects “robust growth” in 2025, bucking the trend of a tough economic outlook that many mainstream car brands are facing.

Audi has reversed the confusing model naming scheme that it assigned two years ago, bowing to feedback from its customers and dealers, the brand said.

Brand recognition and awareness is seriously important — you need the public to aspire to own your product. 

Range extender electric vehicles are the next frontier and China.  Dubbed EREV for short, an efficient petrol engine powers a generator which sends charge to a battery larger than a typical plug-in hybrid and the next big vehicle to launch with this technology is the twin-screened, six-seat, luxury Deepal S09. 

BMW has revealed an even more souped-up version of its M3 wagon model, the M3 CS Touring. Staging its global unveil at the iconic Mount Panorama circuit in Bathurst, just 55 vehicles have been allocated locally with each set to carry a price tag of $253,900, before on-road costs, a $70,400 premium over the standard M3.

My 2017 Audi Q5 jerks when changing up in gears, particularly at around 1500 revs.

A recent overhaul of the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter range brings extra safety technologies and new comfort and convenience features to the Heavy Commercial vehicle segment, but do these upgrades justify the high purchase/servicing costs of this popular German workhorse?

The thermostat in my 2019 Mercedes-Benz A250 failed and the car overheated causing major engine damage. My mechanic informs me this is a known common fault with this model. I’ve only owned the car five months and it’s only done just over 50,000kms. Should Mercedes acknowledge this or have they already? Is there any class action?

Does the world need yet another Porsche 911 variant? The new 911 S/T is the brand’s celebration of the 60th anniversary of its iconic sports car and takes it to its ultimate conclusion. Built to be the purest, most driver-focused version of the now 20-strong 911 range, this limited edition is a worthy addition to the fleet.

Mercedes-Benz has announced special ‘Night Edition’ exterior packaging is now a no-cost option on fully-electric EQA 250+ and EQB 250+ small SUVs.