r/pistonheads

Villa D’Este has seen plenty of pretty metal, but not much that looks like a Group C Lancia after an argument with reality. Kimera’s K-39 was always going to be wild, drawing on classic Lancia cues and heading for Pikes Peak, yet the headline now is brutally simple: Koenigsegg is supplying a twin-turbo V8 with 1,000bhp.

Not some vague supplier deal, either. PH says this is a proper collaboration, with Koenigsegg Cloud connectivity and market-specific calibration included, so customers in different regions get the engine properly sorted for local approval. We’re also told the tune makes peak power at 7,350rpm, with 885lb ft at 5,500rpm, and uses smaller, lighter turbos to sharpen response. Gearbox details still aren’t confirmed, so for the rest, you’ll need the full story.

Read more: https://www.pistonheads.com/news/ph-eurocars/epic-kimera-k-39-gets-1-000hp-koenigsegg-v8/51204?utm_source=reddit

Nothing says quiet confidence like parking your all-electric rebirth in Monaco and waiting for the pitchforks. Jaguar's Type 01 concept has done exactly that, doubling down on the brand's post-ICE identity with a shape that looks far more fashion week than Browns Lane.

That's the point, of course. Jag isn't trying to tweak the old recipe, it's trying to torch it and start again. The design's divisive, the setting's hardly subtle, and the whole thing has lit up the usual heritage-versus-reinvention row. Whether you see a gutsy reset or a historic brand trying very hard to be noticed probably says as much about you as it does the car. What matters now is what survives the concept-car theatre when a production version lands.

Read more: https://www.pistonheads.com/news/ph-britishcars/new-jaguar-type-01-showcased-in-monaco/51207

Every so often we stumble across a car that feels tailor-made for a long thread and a cup of tea. This is one of those, a Mini with Rolls-Royce influence in all the places you least expect it.

If you remember the Mini Inspired by Goodwood, you'll know it wasn't just a sticker pack and some shiny trim. The idea was to give the hatchback proper luxury car treatment, with a far smarter cabin and a bit of coachbuilt theatre. Now one has turned up in Spotted at £28,000, which puts it right in that sweet spot between novelty, rarity and future classic. We'd wager plenty of us admire the sheer daftness of it, even if we're not quite sure we'd sign on the dotted line.

Read more: https://www.pistonheads.com/news/ph-spottedykywt/mini-inspired-by-goodwood--spotted/51190

If you've been waiting for an electric hot hatch that at least speaks some of the old language, this might be the one to poke at. Volkswagen's new ID Polo GTI arrives with 226bhp, familiar GTI attitude and the sort of physical switchgear most of us still prefer when we're actually driving.

That's what makes it interesting beyond the usual EV reveal noise. We all know the badge carries baggage, especially on a small hatch, and sticking GTI letters on a battery car will split opinion before anyone's turned a wheel. Still, decent range, usable performance and a less irritating cabin count for plenty, even if the bigger question remains whether it'll feel playful on a B-road or just brisk and tidy.

Read more: https://www.pistonheads.com/news/ph-germancars/all-new-vw-id-polo-gti-revealed-with-226hp/51202

If you thought the concept badge might quietly disappear before launch, not so. Jaguar has confirmed Type 01 as the production name, which means one of the most talked-about bits of its reboot is now locked in.

We all know this isn't just about two words on a bootlid. It's tied up with Jag's attempt to reinvent itself, lean on heritage and still look modern enough to tempt a very different buyer. Some of us will admire the conviction, others will wonder whether Coventry has got a bit too clever for its own good. Fair enough either way. What we still need to see is whether the road car itself makes the whole idea click.

So yes, the name stays. The real test, as ever, comes when the metal does the talking. Read more: https://www.pistonheads.com/news/ph-britishcars/jaguar-confirms-type-01-name-for-production/51193

Luxury barges used to win you over with silence, ride quality and the faint smell of leather. Now they need a digital command centre and enough autonomy chat to frighten your local taxi driver. The 2026 Mercedes S-Class leans hard into that new world, while trying not to forget what made an S-Class an S-Class.

Our review gets into whether the updates actually improve the thing that matters, namely wafting better than almost anything else on the road. We cover the cabin tech, the self-driving talk and the usual Mercedes confidence, plus the nagging question of whether all this cleverness adds polish or just fingerprints.

Read more: https://www.pistonheads.com/news/ph-driven/2026-mercedes-s-class--ph-review/51192

Lotus has finally admitted what most of us suspected the moment the Emira launched: if you're signing off the last petrol Lotus, you don't really want the one that sounds like a company car on cold start. So here comes the fix, a proper V8 flagship that puts Hethel back in a part of the conversation it helped start in the first place.

The new Emira V8 gets a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8, likely AMG-sourced, with 592 bhp and 590 lb ft. That's enough for 0-62mph in 3.4 seconds and a top speed north of 180mph, which is comfortably into serious supercar territory for a car that started life as the last analogue-ish Lotus sports car. It also marks the return of eight cylinders to a Lotus road car for the first time since the Esprit V8 bowed out in 2004, so this isn't just a faster Emira, it's a bit of a historical reset. Lotus hasn't hidden the wider significance either, because in among all the EV chest-beating of recent years, this feels suspiciously like a very public reminder that people still quite fancy a noisy petrol flagship.

Why does it matter? Because the Emira always had the looks, the cabin and the sense of occasion, but the range never quite landed for everyone. The Toyota V6 was likeable but ageing, the AMG four-pot was quick but hardly beloved, and neither quite delivered the full-fat halo effect some of us expected from the final combustion Lotus. A near-600bhp V8 version changes that instantly, giving Lotus something to pitch against 911 Turbos, junior McLarens and the sort of used exotica that buyers inevitably cross-shop when six figures are on the table. No price has been confirmed yet, but we'd expect it to sit well above today's Emira range and into properly serious-money territory.

What we still don't know is the bit PHers will immediately ask about: exact kerbweight, gearbox details, and whether Lotus has done the sensible thing with the chassis rather than just stuffed a huge engine in the back and hoped for the best. We also haven't got a firm on-sale date or final UK pricing, both of which matter if this is going to be more than a very good forum thread.

Read more: https://www.pistonheads.com/news/default.asp?storyId=51188