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Today we attended the Irish media launch of the new Nissan Leaf, which has officially gone on sale, priced from €36,495. We took the opportunity to add Irish-reg pics to our detailed review and update the details as well. Go give it a read.
Hugo Loonam Motors in Cloghan, Co. Offaly has become the first official Ineos dealer appointed by Irish importer Orangeworks Automotive. The dealership will sell and service the Ineos Grenadier and Quartermaster, with passenger and commercial versions available. It made its Ineos debut at the Tullamore Show last month, displaying the Grenadier N1 5-Seat and new MY26 Quartermaster 2-Seat. Irish pricing for the latter starts at €59,995 plus VAT. Orangeworks says further Ineos dealers will follow around Ireland.
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Bugatti has released the latest episode of its ‘A New Era’ video series, this time focusing on the sound of the Tourbillon’s naturally aspirated V16 engine. Engineers explain how thousands of simulations helped shape its intake and exhaust note, while retaining the slightly raw character associated with Bugatti’s engines. There’s no synthesised sound through the speakers, either: what you hear is entirely mechanical. The film also follows the Tourbillon through its final noise homologation testing, before letting the 9,000rpm V16 do most of the talking. TURN IT UP.
The new Cupra Raval has been awarded a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating under the organisation’s tougher 2026 assessment criteria. The electric hatchback scored 72 per cent for Safe Driving, 77 per cent for Crash Avoidance, 91 per cent for Crash Protection and 95 per cent for Post-Crash Safety. The Safety Pack, including Predictive Adaptive Cruise Control and Front Cross Traffic Alert, is required for the five-star rating, but the great news for Irish buyers is that's standard on all models other than the entry-level Raval Urban V1 - and it can be added as an option to that car.
Ahead of its world debut at the IAA Transportation in Hannover, Germany later this month, the new Kia PV7 has been teased. Its design language clearly follows that of the existing Kia PV5. The PV7 will be the second all-electric commercial vehicle created on Kia's 'Platform Beyond Vehicle' (PBV) architecture. The teaser shots show a panel van and what appears to be a passenger model, as well, though in a camping environment, so we do wonder if Kia has a PV7 camper up its sleeves alongside an MPV. Other variants of the PV5 will also be on display in Hannover, opening its doors on September 14.
Lexus has unveiled a wide-reaching facelift for its mid-sized NX SUV. It sticks with hybrid or plug-in-hybrid power, though the powertrains have been updated and there's more performance and electric range on offer. Aside from that, the NX gets a visual makeover for the exterior and an all-new interior.
Cork-born drifting star James Deane will mark 20 years in the sport with the 130 Showdown at Mondello Park on September 19-20. The five-time Formula Drift champion will be joined by names including Mad Mike Whiddett, Chelsea DeNofa, Odi Bakchis and Baggsy, while Deane and Piotr Więcek will reunite with their rebuilt Worthouse S15 Silvias. Tickets start at €35 for adults and €15 for children. Our Cork-born editor may now become briefly insufferable and regale you with his own drifting stories.
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It's official, Days of Thunder 2 is a reboot of the original Tony Scott-directed NASCAR film of 1990, starring Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman among others. Well, Cruise is back, but not Kidman, and not Margot Robbie as was previously suggested. Instead, the female lead will be Anne Hathaway. This little clip is all we have for now, with a release date set for 2028.
