Sports cars

Subaru's high-performance STI division has a deep and rich history, but the name has never officially been applied to the low-slung BRZ two-door coupe. The top-spec tS is the closest we've got to date and this one is filled to the gills with STI-tuned accessories and goodies.

Audi’s global CEO has reassured employees and fans of the brand that its electric successor to the Audi TT will go ahead.

Toyota’s ultra luxury brand Century will build its new Century Coupe with a Rolls-Royce and Bentley chasing twin-turbo V12 hybrid engine in 2027, according to reports.Late last year Toyota announced its lavish Century brand would become a standalone entity, highlighted by the debut of the Coupe x Chauffeur-driven concept at the Japan Mobility Show in December. Now reports suggest the Century Coupe is headed for production and will arrive within 12 months boasting massive horsepower.Japan’s Mag X publication is reporting that Toyota’s plans to use a V8 in the Century Coupe have been pushed aside in favour of a 6.0-litre twin-turbo V12 petrol electric plug-in hybrid system with 600kW.How that V12 will be sourced is uncertain. Toyota doesn’t have that engine in its line-up. Some outlets speculate Toyota may achieve 12-cylinder power using two inline BMW six-cylinder engines thanks to the joint venture between the companies, but that’s almost certainly not going to happen.Toyota’s Century brand is a source of national pride, and the super luxurious vehicles have been used by Japan’s royalty and prime ministers since 1967. Given this, it’s entirely likely Toyota will build its own V12 rather than source it through a third party. The last time Toyota built a V12 was for Century in the 1990s, and given the resurgence of the brand it seems fitting that it'll do this again.Expect a few tweaks before the Century Coupe concept becomes a reality. While it's sleek and stylish, the vehicle’s three-seater chauffeur set-up might not be so practical. The split opening sliding door, while impressive, may also be swapped for traditional hinged doors for production.Pricing for the Century Coupe is expected to be close to $400,000, positioning it close to the Bentley Continental GT.The Century line-up also includes a large SUV that rivals Bentley’s Bentayga.

The 86 was, when launched, extremely affordable but has since become more expensive, and getting into a top-spec version of the GR86 is a task that’ll sap $20,000 more from your wallet than the original 86 base model. To find out if it’s worthwhile, we’ve snagged a 2026 Toyota GR86 GTS with optional Dynamic Performance Pack.

Mercedes-AMG is readying the next instalment of its ultra high-end Mythos series of vehicles and it will be an “extreme” take on the CLE coupe.This forthcoming and yet-unnamed Mercedes-AMG CLE Mythos is currently undergoing cold-weather testing in Sweden with heavy black-and-white camouflage to disguise the design features.Compared to the regular, V6-powered AMG CLE53 which is currently the most powerful version of this car, it has very aggressive front and rear fascias for additional cooling, wider wheel arches for the wider track width, as well as a large rear wing.As reported by Autocar, it will be powered by a new 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 petrol engine with a flat-plane crankshaft.Mercedes-Benz will also reportedly use this new flat-plane V8 in the facelifted version of the S-Class, which is set to be revealed later today.It will reportedly produce 395kW and 745Nm in the facelifted S-Class, however in this forthcoming CLE Mythos the outputs will be increased to over 484kW and 800Nm.For context, the AMG GT63 Pro with its cross-plane crank 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engine produces 450kW and 850Nm.Flat-plane crank V8 engines are used in many Ferraris, McLarens, as well as the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 and allow for a lighter and smaller overall package, higher revs and sharper throttle response.Mercedes-AMG’s first foray into a flat-plane crankshaft V8 was the limited-production AMG GT Black Series in 2020.Given the Mythos line of vehicles is similarly focused on exclusivity and limited production, this will likely make the CLE Mythos the most direct successor to the C63 AMG Black Series from 2012. Only 800 units of it were made globally.The first Mythos vehicle was the Mercedes-AMG PureSpeed which was revealed in 2024 and is a roof-less and windscreen-less version of the AMG SL roadster. Only 250 units are being made.

Meet China's rally-inspired EV sports car destined for Europe.

Subaru has hiked the price of its affordable BRZ sports car. The cheapest BRZ now starts from $47,890 (before on-road costs), which is a $3600 jump based on 2025 pricing for the entry manual variant. It is almost $10,000 more than when the second-generation launched in 2022 at $38,990.Manual BRZ's are now the same price as automatic examples, having previously been a $1000 less.This price hike has been reflected across the range.The S variant is now $49,190 up from $45,490, while the tS starts from $52,790 - a $2600 increase.It is now nearly $4000 more than its mechanically identical counterpart, the Toyota GR86.The BRZ still comes in significantly cheaper than a comparative 2.3-litre petrol engine Ford Mustang.The Mustang leads the segment for sales, starting from more than $70,000.Subaru has released a special edition of its BRZ in addition to the announcement of these price hikes.It is called the Kiiro and only 95 units will be offered locally. The car is priced to start from $53,590 (before on-road costs), which is $800 more than the re-priced Coupe tS, which usually sits at the top of the range. This special edition BRZ gets an exclusive yellow paint, in line with the Japanese meaning for the word 'Kiiro', along with 18-inch matte back alloy wheels. There are suede and leather accented seats, with black and yellow elements. Yellow stitching is on the leather steering wheel and gear shift boot.There is an interior 'Kiiro' badge with the limited edition number of the specific car and ‘Kiiro’ badging is also visible in matte black on the rear of the car. It will be available in manual and automatic, keeping in line with the rest of the BRZ range. It will also be powered by the 2.4-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine, producing 174kW and 250Nm found in other BRZ models.The limited edition BRZ tS will hit showrooms later this month. 2026 Subaru BRZ pricing Australia

Ford’s flagship sports car has just levelled up.Ford has announced its new Mustang Dark Horse SC sports car over in North America. This Mustang will replace the Shelby GT500 variant — as the top-spec track-ready edition of the car.Little is known about the technical details of the new muscle car, other than it will be powered by a supercharged 5.2-litre V8 petrol engine.This same engine is fitted to the hardcore Mustang GTD, which makes 608kW, but expect the Dark Horse SC to produce less than that but still more than the Shelby GT500's 567kW.Ford has confirmed a series of big changes to other areas of the car.It has had its suspension overhauled, with adaptive dampers and firmer springs than in the regular Dark Horse.There are also new anti-roll bars, and a lightweight strut tower brace to give the car more poise when handling. There has been some serious weight shedding on this Mustang, equating to 68 kilograms. With the Track package, the car sits on carbon-fibre wheels and there are forged aluminium suspension components, replacing steel ones.The Mustang has undergone some exterior styling changes, with a new aluminium hood featuring an imposing vent. There is a re-worked carbon fibre rear spoiler available, offering a substantial boost to downforce at high speeds. On the inside it gets a flat-bottom leather steering wheel. Alcantara and carbon fibre elements are a constant in the cabin.It is unlikely we will see this full-throttle version of the car in Australia in the short term, with buyers having to settle for the standard Dark Horse variant.It's naturally-aspirated 5.0-litre V8 only produces 372kW (which is 500-horsepower) and 566Nm.

In a world of electric cars, plug-in hybrid and shrinking petrol engines, some are trying to bring back V8 grunt.

A new hybrid hot hatch concept has just been revealed in Japan.Nissan has unveiled a new fiesty hybrid hatchback called the Aura Nismo RS concept at the Tokyo Auto Salon.With the car still only a concept, Nissan has said it is still exploring the potential of bringing it to market as a production car.Nismo is Nissan's performance branch, derived from its motorsport endeavours.The car is based on one of Nissan’s hybrid hatches found overseas, and also has the same power set-up found on the X-Trail Nismo — a performance version of the popular mid-size SUV.It  has been pitched as an “Agile Electric City Racer” concept, using Nissan’s e-Power hybrid set-up, which differs from the conventional hybrid and plug-in hybrid technologies.Its dual electric motors are powered by a 2.1kWh battery, which is charged by a 1.5-litre petrol engine.The engine produces 106kW and 250Nm, but it has no role in powering the wheels and acts purely as a generator to fill the battery, with the front and rear mounted electric motors driving the wheels exclusively.The front motor produces 150kW and 330Nm, while the rear motor produces 100kW and 195Nm.It drives using Nissan’s specialist all-wheel drive system.In addition to these performance upgrades, the RS has undergone some big physical changes in comparison to the original Aura Nismo to give it increased track and race capabilities.The RS is 145mm wider, with its beefed up fenders.The overall ride height has been dropped by 20mm, designed to improve handling in hard cornering.It comes in 142mm longer, taking its total length to 4262mm, and weighs 100kg more at about 1500kg.The brakes have also been beefed up, with new large opposed-piston calipers.Its exterior design features sleek bodywork, appearing in a dark grey, with roof-mounted spoiler and a standout red front splitter.Red elements surround the base of the car, contrasting the paint work.The car has plenty of blacked out elements, including the front grille and roof, while RS badging shows on the doors.Despite its different power set-up, its hot hatch status sees it as a potential rival for Hyundai’s i30 N and Toyota GR Corolla.