Category Archives: design and styling

Coming Soon Chinese-Built Jeeps?

Posted on 15 May 2026 by Ken Zino

“Dongfeng Motor has always taken the transformation and revitalization of Dongfeng Peugeot Citroën Automobile Co., Ltd. (DPCA) as a key strategic priority, fully supporting and advancing its sustainable development. Through the signing of this strategic cooperation, by integrating Hubei’s industrial strengths, Stellantis’ global layout advantages and Dongfeng’s intelligent electric vehicle technologies, a new path featuring complementary strengths and win-win outcomes for all parties has been forged. This will undoubtedly inject strong momentum into DPCA’s transformation,” said Qing Yang, Dongfeng Group Chairman. Continue reading →

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Stellantis and Leapmotor to Expand Leapmotor International

Posted on 8 May 2026 by Ken Zino

Stellantis (NYSE: STLA / Euronext Milan: STLAM) and Leapmotor (Zhejiang Leapmotor Technologies Ltd 9863.HK) today announced their intention to expand their strategic partnership [Leapmotor International – LMPI – is a 51% Stellantis / 49% Leapmotor joint venture with exclusive rights for the sale and manufacturing of Leapmotor products outside Greater China – AutoCrat.] with an emphasis on European products and assembly plants and engineering technologies.

“This plan to expand our successful partnership with Leapmotor – a trusted peer and one of the fastest-growing, most respected new energy vehicle producers globally – is a true win-win for both of us. It is expected to support production and advance localization in Europe of world-class manufacturing of electric vehicles at affordable prices to meet customers’ real-world needs. Today’s announcement reflects our intent to deepen our partnership and take one more step towards even greater collaborations in the future,” said Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa. Continue reading →

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First Look – Mercedes-Benz 2027 C‑Class EV

Posted on 20 April 2026 by Ken Zino

The all-new 2027 Mercedes-Benz C 400 4MATIC Electric arrives at U.S. dealerships in the first half of 2027 as MBUSA (MBG.DE, MBGAF OTC U.S.) is posting sales declines and all global automakers are wrestling with the negative trade and war policies of the Trump mis-administration. [Makers are also facing a marked shift in consumer presences to hybrid vehicles – AutoCrat].

“The all-new electric C‑Class is redefining the mid-size segment for electric vehicles. Customers will get exactly what they expect from this new version of the beloved model: the perfect blend of performance, comfort, dynamics, and intelligence. On top of that, it is the most powerful and sportiest C‑Class we’ve ever built, offering pure driving pleasure and outstanding real-world range, all while being the perfect sanctuary for our customer,” claimed Ola Källenius, Chairman of the Board of Management, Mercedes‑Benz Group AG. Continue reading →

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Porsche Head of Design – Sühlmann Succeeds Mauer

Posted on 28 January 2026 by Ken Zino

Porsche AG (P911.DE) said today that a generational change will see Tobias Sühlmann (46 left) succeed Michael Mauer (63 right) as Head of Design at Porsche from 1 February 2026. Sühlmann comes from, ahem, the British sports car manufacturer McLaren. … Continue reading →

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First Look – 2026 Mercedes-AMG F1 W17 Racer

Posted on 22 January 2026 by Ken Zino

The Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team today unveiled the first images of its 2026 car, the Mercedes-AMG F1 W17 E PERFORMANCE. Race drivers George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, at the carbon fiber wheel of the W17, completed 67 laps of the Silverstone 2.979 km circuit, combining for almost 200 km of total mileage. The 2026 season inarguably the biggest technical revamp in the sport’s history, with all-new chassis, Power Unit, and fuel regulations. 

“Formula One will undergo significant change in 2026, and we are prepared for that transition. The new regulations demand innovation and absolute focus across every area of performance. Our work on the new car, and the long-term development of the Power Unit and advanced sustainable fuels with PETRONAS, reflects that approach” said Toto Wolff, Team Principal & CEO. Continue reading →

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IMSA 2026 – Cadillac Racing Entering Fourth Year in GTP

Posted on 15 January 2026 by Ken Zino

The so-called Roar Before the 24 this week leads into the IMSA* season-opening 64th Rolex 24 at Daytona on January 24-25. Cadillac Racing with Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing and Cadillac Whelen has revealed the liveries of its three Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) racecars that will contest the nine-race 2026 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Cadillac Racing, with four overall victories among 12 podiums in what is arguably North America’s premier endurance race, sees the return of Wayne Taylor Racing for its second season as a Cadillac factory team and Action Express Racing for its 15th consecutive year campaigning a GM prototype in IMSA. Cadillac is entering its fourth year of running in the GTP class. Continue reading →

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American Honda Forecasts 2026 Sales as Flat

Posted on 14 January 2026 by Ken Zino

American Honda (7267.T and NYSE: HMC) today outlined its 2026 U.S. automobile business outlook during its annual media briefing. It also showed a prototype of the Honda Base Station, a towable travel trailer developed by engineers and designers at its U.S. R&D centers. Basically, the Japanese company is going to focus on lower cost models with package and trim changes because of the affordability crisis that is an industry-wide problem.* [The briefing also underscored another industry trend, the decline of traditional auto shows since it occurred during a media preview day of the Detroit Auto Show. -AutoCrat] Continue reading →

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Rolls-Royce – 2025 Trends, Innovations, and Achievements

Posted on 12 January 2026 by Ken Zino

“Our clients’ increasing interest and engagement in more ambitious commissions are realized in our joint pursuit of perfection. Every motor car is a singular expression of its owner’s vision, and together they reflect the spirit of innovation, craft, and cultural fluency that defines Rolls-Royce today,” said Chris Brownridge, Chief Executive, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. Continue reading →

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Ford Motor 2025 U.S. Sales Posted at 2.2 Million

Posted on 6 January 2026 by Ken Zino

Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) said today that it total deliveries for the year rose 6.0% to 2,204,124 vehicles, with an estimated overall market share of 13.2%. General Motors (NYSE: GM) said yesterday that it led the U.S. auto industry in sales in 2025, posting a 6% increase for the full year at 2,853,299 deliveries. [Ford Motor car sales for 2025 at 45,333 were only a fraction of the total as Ford continues to be predominately a truck company with products that are of limited appeal in major global markets. F-Series accounted for 828,832 of the total – AutoCrat.]

“This past year proved that Ford has the right product and powertrain offering for the lives of our customers,” said Andrew Frick, president, Ford Blue and Model e. “We’re growing share and beating the trend because we offer a great range of products, from accessible entry-level models to high-performance off-roaders. Our growth across record hybrid sales shows that our ‘power of choice’ approach — offering gas, hybrid, and electric — is exactly what consumers are looking for right now.” Continue reading →

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Mazda Axes Advance, Production and Design Modeling Studios

Posted on 29 December 2025 by Ken Zino

Mazda Motor Corporation (MMC 7261.T) announced on 26 December organizational changes that eliminates its traditional Advance, Production and Design Modeling Studios, among other moves, that are effective 1 January 2026. This is part of the so-called Mazda 2030 Vision, an ongoing business recovery strategy. Results so far are slight. Consider the disastrous financial results for the first half of the Japanese fiscal year ending March 31, 2026 (April 1, 2025 through September 30, 2025). Global sales volume was 609,000 units, down 3% year-over-year. The operating loss was ¥53.9 billion. The net loss attributable to owners of the parent company was ¥45.3 billion.

“The timing of the Japan-US auto tariff reduction was later than initially expected, which had an impact of ¥10.3 billion. As a result, although we aimed for break-even in the second quarter, we posted an operating loss of ¥7.8 billion. We see the second quarter result establishing a foundation for turnaround in the second half of the year,” MMC said. Continue reading →

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Detroit Auto Show 2026 – Winners of HS Poster Contest

Posted on 26 December 2025 by Ken Zino

The Detroit Auto Show (DAS) just before Christmas announced the winners of its 2026 High School Poster Contest, a statewide competition looking at the next generation of creative talent. The winners will be formally recognized during a special on-stage ceremony at the 2026 Detroit Auto Show on Sunday, January 18, at Huntington Place.*

“Open to high school students across Michigan, the contest invited young artists to submit original poster designs inspired by the Detroit Auto Show and the future of the automotive industry. The winning artwork reflects a wide range of perspectives, creativity, and technical skill, reinforcing Detroit’s role as both the automotive capital of the world and a hub for design innovation. The Detroit Auto Show received 208 entries from 47 high schools,” DAS said. Continue reading →

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Bye Sauber – Hi Audi Revolut F1 Team

Posted on 15 December 2025 by Ken Zino

The Audi Revolut F1 Team today unveiled its official name, logo, and announced that its global launch will take place in Berlin on 20 January 2026. This is the latest phase for the Audi Revolut F1 Team toward joining the Formula One World Championship in 2026. The team name and logo combine Audi F1 and global fintech Revolut, following the confirmation of the title partnership in July 2025.*

“Unveiling the Audi Revolut F1 Team name and logo marks another major milestone on our journey into the pinnacle of motorsport. Both give our ambition a clear identity, reflecting a strong vision and innovative spirit. We now look ahead to Berlin in January, where we will officially present this exciting new chapter for the Audi brand to the world,” said Gernot Döllner, CEO of Audi AG and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Sauber Motorsport AG. Continue reading →

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Lotus Esprit Refresh offered by Encor

Posted on 5 December 2025 by Ken Zino

“Production of the Encor Series 1 is limited to 50 individually commissioned cars worldwide. Prices begin at £430,000, excluding taxes, options and the required donor Esprit V8. Commissioning takes place either at Encor’s Chelmsford, UK HQ or via private consultation for international clients. Deliveries will begin in Q2 2026 and continue through 2027,” Encor claimed. Continue reading →

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Japanese Top Consumer Reports 2026 Automotive Report

Posted on 4 December 2025 by Ken Zino

“We’re releasing new overall score rankings,” said Jake Fisher, CR’s Senior Director of Automotive Testing. “That’s really who makes the best cars along with new car reliability, used car reliability, which is really looking 5 to 10 year old models that are on out in the road, owner satisfaction, our road test scores, repair costs. … We have all the information for each one of the models on our website. That’s all live right now…. We are very excited that this year. We actually have the most amount of vehicles that we’ve had for a very long time. We’ve made some changes to make the survey easier to complete. … We’ve actually gone from 300,000 vehicles in the survey to 380,000 vehicles in the survey. That’s total.” Continue reading →

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New Mercedes-Benz Electric CLA to start at $47,250

Posted on 28 November 2025 by Ken Zino

Mercedes-Benz USA said the week that its  all-new electric CLA sedan will start at $47,250 (footnote 1) when the first vehicles appear on U.S. roads in December, with the available volume progressively ramping up through the first quarter of 2026.

“The compact sedan sets new standards with intuitive technologies, striking design, enhanced comfort and up to 374 miles (EPA) of electric range,” Mercedes-Benz claimed. Continue reading →

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