Tuning

Widetrack Avontur: A Defender Pickup with Supercar Attitude

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For years, Land Rover enthusiasts have asked the same question: If the Defender is tough enough to conquer almost any terrain on Earth, why isn’t there a factory pickup? Land Rover has flirted with the idea, teased concepts, and left the imagination to do the rest. Urban Automotive has grown tired of waiting.

Its answer is the Widetrack Avontur, a dramatic two-door Defender pickup that transforms the already imposing Defender into something that feels equally at home on a construction site, an off-road trail, or parked outside an exclusive London hotel.

Unveiled at the Goodwood Festival of Speed as part of Urban Automotive’s tenth anniversary celebration, the Avontur isn’t simply a Defender with its roof chopped off. It’s a comprehensive engineering exercise built around the Defender 110 Hard Top, requiring dozens of bespoke components and structural modifications to create a vehicle that looks factory-developed rather than hastily modified.

The transformation begins where most conversions would end. Urban removes the rear portion of the Defender’s roof, replaces the cut sections with precision-crafted carbon-fiber panels, and finishes the silhouette with a matching rear spoiler. The rear doors disappear entirely, giving the SUV proportions that evoke the classic Defender pickups of decades past while maintaining a thoroughly modern presence.

The company’s signature Widetrack treatment ensures the Avontur doesn’t go unnoticed. Color-matched fender extensions wrap around massive 23-inch alloy wheels, while a more aggressive front splitter and sculpted hood add visual muscle. Yet the centerpiece is undoubtedly the carbon-fiber cargo bed, which blends premium materials with practical functionality. A modular rail system, integrated bottle holder, and functional tonneau cover make it more than just an exercise in style—it is a usable load space with unmistakable super-premium execution.

Of course, removing a substantial portion of a vehicle’s body structure presents engineering challenges. Urban says it developed dedicated structural reinforcements, including a roll cage, to preserve the Defender’s rigidity and durability. Altogether, the conversion incorporates more than 36 custom-designed components, with buyers able to specify either gloss or matte carbon-fiber finishes to personalize the truck’s appearance.

The Avontur also continues a growing tradition within Urban Automotive’s family of bespoke Defender conversions. Sister company Heritage Customs has already attracted attention with its handcrafted Defender 130 pickup and convertible builds, but the Avontur brings a more aggressive, performance-inspired interpretation to the formula.

The pickup wasn’t the only Defender grabbing attention at Goodwood. Urban also introduced its latest styling package for the high-performance Defender Octa, adding forged carbon-fiber accents throughout the exterior. The package includes a vented hood, aerodynamic enhancements, redesigned front bumper elements, pronounced wheel-arch extensions, a roof spoiler, a bespoke spare-wheel cover, and carbon-fiber exhaust surrounds.

The forged carbon finish gives the Octa a distinctly exotic flavor, drawing inevitable comparisons to the extravagant creations of boutique tuning houses. Finished in blue with contrasting gold 23-inch Vossen forged wheels and matching exterior accents, the demonstrator left little doubt about Urban’s intention to push the Defender into super-SUV territory.

Urban Automotive has already opened customer registrations for the Widetrack Avontur, while orders for the Defender Octa package are officially underway. Pricing remains under wraps, although nobody should expect either conversion to come with anything resembling a bargain sticker.

Then again, exclusivity rarely does. And until Land Rover decides to build a modern Defender pickup itself, Urban Automotive may have created the closest thing enthusiasts will ever get—a machine that combines genuine utility with unapologetic luxury, wrapped in enough carbon fiber to make even the most reserved Defender owner reconsider what an off-roader can become.

Source: Urban Automotive

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Volvo Turns the Cabin into a Concert Hall with Native Apple Music Integration

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Volvo has long made a name for itself by building some of the safest and most serene cabins on the road. Now, the Swedish automaker is adding another dimension to that reputation—not with more horsepower or another driver-assistance feature, but with a soundtrack worthy of the experience. Through an over-the-air software update, more than two million Volvo vehicles are gaining native Apple Music integration, while the all-new EX60 will arrive with the streaming service built in from day one.

For a company that has increasingly defined luxury through technology and comfort rather than extravagance, the move feels like a natural evolution.

Unlike smartphone mirroring, Apple Music now lives directly inside Volvo’s infotainment system. Drivers simply sign in with their Apple account and gain immediate access to more than 100 million ad-free songs, curated playlists, live radio stations, and their personal music library—all controllable through the touchscreen or voice commands. It’s a cleaner, more seamless experience that eliminates the need to rely on a connected phone for everyday listening.

Volvo is also sweetening the deal by offering eligible customers up to three months of Apple Music at no additional cost, giving owners plenty of time to explore the platform before deciding whether to subscribe.

But the real headline isn’t simply that Apple Music has arrived—it’s how it sounds.

Owners of the Volvo EX60, EX90, and ES90 equipped with the optional Bowers & Wilkins premium audio system will gain access to Apple Music Spatial Audio powered by Dolby Atmos. That’s the kind of feature audiophiles usually associate with high-end home theater systems, not electric SUVs.

The result is an immersive listening experience that goes far beyond traditional stereo. Instead of hearing music projected from a dashboard, Dolby Atmos creates the sensation that instruments and vocals exist throughout the cabin. A live recording feels genuinely spacious, while studio albums reveal details often lost through conventional audio playback. It’s less about sheer volume and more about depth, precision, and realism.

The technology also happens to pair perfectly with Volvo’s latest generation of electric vehicles.

The EX60, EX90, and ES90 are among the quietest production cars the company has ever built, benefiting from extensive sound insulation and the naturally silent operation of electric powertrains. Without engine noise competing for attention, the cabin becomes an ideal environment for high-fidelity audio. Volvo’s optional Bowers & Wilkins system takes full advantage, using carefully positioned speakers and proprietary True Sound processing to optimize playback specifically for each vehicle’s interior.

It’s an approach that transforms the cabin into something closer to a premium listening room than a traditional automobile.

As Alwin Bakkenes, Volvo Cars’ Head of Global Software Engineering, explains, the goal extends beyond simple entertainment.

“Many of our customers use Apple Music on their phones or in their homes today. By bringing Apple Music directly into our cars, we’re making them an extraordinary place to experience music,” he says. “You’ll feel as if you’re right in the middle of a concert hall or an arena during your favourite live performance or immersed in the latest music in Spatial Audio exactly as the artist intended.”

That statement reflects a broader shift taking place across the automotive industry. As electric vehicles become quieter and increasingly software-defined, manufacturers are searching for new ways to differentiate the ownership experience. While acceleration figures and charging speeds still dominate spec sheets, premium digital ecosystems and immersive cabin experiences are quickly becoming equally important selling points.

For Volvo, whose brand identity centers on calm, comfort, and Scandinavian minimalism, enhancing the in-car audio experience feels especially appropriate.

The over-the-air rollout also highlights another advantage of software-defined vehicles. Rather than requiring customers to purchase an entirely new car to access new functionality, Volvo can deliver meaningful improvements remotely. More than two million existing vehicles will effectively gain a major infotainment upgrade overnight—a convenience that has become increasingly expected in the modern automotive landscape.

Ultimately, native Apple Music integration isn’t simply another app appearing on a touchscreen. Combined with Dolby Atmos, Bowers & Wilkins engineering, and some of the quietest cabins Volvo has ever produced, it represents a compelling argument that luxury today isn’t just measured in leather, wood trim, or horsepower. Sometimes, it’s measured by how convincingly your favorite album can make you forget you’re sitting in traffic.

Source: Volvo

News

Toyota Doubles Down on Texas: $3.6 Billion Investment Signals a Bigger Future for the Tacoma

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Everything may be bigger in Texas, but Toyota is making sure its manufacturing footprint is, too.

The Japanese automaker has announced a massive $3.6 billion investment in its San Antonio, Texas, manufacturing facility, a move that underscores just how important North America—and especially pickup trucks—have become to Toyota’s long-term strategy. The headline isn’t just the money. It’s what comes with it: a brand-new vehicle assembly line, more than 2,000 new jobs, and enough additional capacity to build approximately 150,000 more vehicles every year.

Production on the new assembly line is expected to begin in 2030, but Toyota’s ambitions stretch well beyond simply adding another factory building. This investment is designed to strengthen the company’s North American production network while bringing more manufacturing closer to the customers who buy its vehicles.

Perhaps the biggest news for truck enthusiasts is Toyota’s plan to relocate production of the Tacoma from its Baja California, Mexico, facility to San Antonio. Rather than making the move overnight, Toyota will gradually transfer Tacoma production over roughly four years, allowing the company to maintain production stability while expanding operations in Texas.

It’s a logical move. The Tacoma remains one of America’s best-selling midsize pickups, and assembling more of them in Texas places production in the heart of the nation’s truck market. Shorter supply chains, increased production flexibility, and closer proximity to key suppliers all contribute to a manufacturing strategy that feels increasingly aligned with today’s automotive realities.

Toyota says the investment will further strengthen its “locally rooted” production system, a philosophy that has defined the company’s North American operations for decades. Instead of relying heavily on imports, Toyota continues investing in the communities where its customers live and where its vehicles are sold. The addition of more than 2,000 jobs also reinforces the automaker’s reputation as one of the largest manufacturing employers in the region.

The announcement also reflects Toyota’s broader “multi-pathway” approach to future mobility. While much of the industry focuses exclusively on battery-electric vehicles, Toyota continues investing across multiple technologies—including hybrids, plug-in hybrids, hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles, and conventional internal-combustion models—allowing production capacity to adapt as consumer demand evolves.

For San Antonio, the expansion represents one of the largest automotive manufacturing investments in recent years, further cementing the city’s position as a major hub for truck production. For Toyota, it’s another reminder that building vehicles close to where they’re driven remains a competitive advantage in an increasingly unpredictable global market.

In an era where many automakers are reshuffling global manufacturing strategies, Toyota isn’t simply reacting to changing conditions—it is investing for the next decade. And if this announcement proves anything, it’s that the future of the Tacoma is looking decidedly Texan.

Source: Toyota

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