Category Archives: NEW CARS

NEW CARS

Toyota Brings the Heat to Goodwood with Three New Sports Cars

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At this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed, the official theme is “The Rivals – Epic Racing Duels.” But no manufacturer seems to embody that spirit more completely than Toyota. While much of the industry continues its relentless march toward electrification, Toyota’s GAZOO Racing division is arriving in West Sussex with three dramatically different performance machines that all share the same philosophy: competition creates better cars.

Leading the charge are the all-new GR GT, the GR GT3 race car, and the Lexus LFA Concept, each representing a different chapter in Toyota’s evolving performance story. Together, they signal that the company isn’t abandoning driving enthusiasts—it may actually be doubling down.

The centerpiece is the GR GT, a road-going coupe that wears its racing pedigree proudly. Under its long hood sits an all-new 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 paired with a single-motor hybrid system, a combination that immediately grabs attention in an era increasingly dominated by downsized four-cylinders and silent EVs. Toyota says the development focused not just on outright power, but on fundamentals that matter on both road and track: a low center of gravity, reduced weight, exceptional chassis rigidity, and carefully honed aerodynamics.

If the GR GT is the road car born from racing, the GR GT3 strips away nearly every compromise. Sharing its basic architecture with the GR GT, the GT3 machine has been engineered specifically for international competition, prioritizing outright pace, aerodynamic efficiency, and approachable performance for professional and customer racing teams alike. More importantly, it continues Toyota’s increasingly successful philosophy of developing race cars and production cars side by side, allowing lessons learned at the limit to flow in both directions.

That same philosophy extends beyond internal combustion.

Making its first close-up public appearance is the Lexus LFA Concept, an electric supercar that looks beyond today’s battery-powered performance cars while paying homage to one of the greatest Japanese supercars ever built. Rather than simply chasing acceleration figures, Lexus says the concept is designed to create an emotional connection between driver and machine—a fitting tribute to the original LFA’s legendary character. While technical details remain under wraps, the concept suggests Lexus still believes performance isn’t measured solely by numbers on a specification sheet.

What’s particularly interesting is that Toyota views these three vehicles not as separate projects, but as members of the same family. They all stem from a development philosophy championed by Chairman Akio Toyoda—better known to enthusiasts by his racing alter ego, Morizo—who has long insisted that the fastest way to build great road cars is to race them first.

The company even draws inspiration from an unlikely source: Shikinen Sengu, an ancient Japanese tradition in which Shinto shrines are dismantled and rebuilt once every generation. The purpose isn’t replacement, but preservation—passing craftsmanship from one generation to the next while continually refining it. Toyota believes sports cars deserve the same treatment.

Goodwood provides the ideal proving ground.

Unlike traditional motor shows where cars remain frozen under bright lights, the Festival of Speed demands action. The famous hill climb—with its steep elevation changes, narrow confines, and unforgiving barriers—offers one of the world’s best demonstrations of acceleration, balance, aerodynamic stability, and driver confidence. The GR GT and GR GT3 will make their first public dynamic appearances in Europe without camouflage, while the Lexus LFA Concept will be displayed in the Supercar Paddock.

Toyota’s racing credentials won’t be confined to prototypes, either.

GAZOO Racing is bringing several machines that have already proven themselves in competition, including the GR Yaris Rally1, fresh from multiple World Rally Championship successes, alongside the DKR GR Hilux rally-raid racer. Behind the wheel will be an all-star lineup featuring nine-time World Rally Champion Sébastien Ogier, current WRC points leader Elfyn Evans, Takamoto Katsuta, Oliver Solberg, Sami Pajari, and Dakar ace Henk Lategan.

Meanwhile, Toyota’s endurance racing dominance will also be on display through the No. 7 GR010 HYBRID, the Le Mans-winning prototype that recently secured Toyota’s sixth victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans while propelling the manufacturer to the top of the FIA World Endurance Championship standings.

Of course, Goodwood isn’t just about celebrating race cars—it’s about showing how racing influences the cars ordinary enthusiasts can actually buy. That’s where the GR Yaris Aero Performance enters the picture, showcasing the latest aerodynamic developments for Toyota’s already acclaimed hot hatch. Sharing the spotlight is the all-new RAV4 GR Sport, a plug-in hybrid SUV whose suspension, chassis tuning, and visual upgrades borrow directly from the company’s performance division.

Taken individually, each of these debuts tells an interesting story. Together, they paint a much bigger picture.

At a time when many automakers seem eager to leave performance heritage behind, Toyota continues to argue that motorsport remains its greatest engineering laboratory. Whether powered by a twin-turbo V8 hybrid, built exclusively for the racetrack, or driven entirely by electricity, the company’s latest generation of sports cars all share one defining characteristic: they exist because someone wanted to go faster than the competition.

That may be the most fitting tribute imaginable to this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Source: Toyota

NEW CARS

Bentley Lights Up Tokyo Tower to Debut the Continental GT S

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Bentley didn’t just launch a new grand tourer in Japan—it turned one of Tokyo’s most recognizable landmarks into its own billboard.

To mark the Japanese debut of the new Continental GT S, Bentley orchestrated a multi-day celebration that blended luxury with grassroots car culture, culminating in a dramatic takeover of Tokyo Tower. Bathed in Bentley’s signature green, the iconic structure served as the backdrop for the regional unveiling of the driver-focused coupe before an audience of more than 100 invited guests.

Parked beneath the illuminated tower sat the Continental GT S, joined by the car that inspired its sharper character: the new Supersports. But the high-performance flagship had already spent several days immersing itself in Japan’s legendary enthusiast scene before arriving at the night’s headline event.

Bentley’s specially prepared “Pymkhana” Supersports—the same machine driven by Travis Pastrana in the Supersports: FULL SEND film—made an appearance at the famed Daikoku Parking Area, one of the world’s most celebrated gathering spots for automotive enthusiasts. In a nod to Japan’s distinctive tuning culture, Bentley equipped the car with subtle green underbody lighting that echoed the accent colors of its motorsport-inspired livery and wheels, proving that even a six-figure grand tourer can appreciate a little aftermarket flair.

The following evening, the action shifted to Shinjuku, where Bentley partnered with creative director Mai Ikuzawa for an open “coffee and cars” event celebrating Tokyo’s remarkably diverse automotive community. Exotic supercars, meticulously restored classics, and heavily modified street machines shared the same space as Bentley’s latest models while owners traded stories over live music, food, and drinks.

Among the highlights was another Continental GT S wrapped in a striking livery inspired by the Hayabusa Shinkansen—the fastest bullet train service in Japan. Before arriving at the event, the bespoke Bentley made a stop at the world-famous Shibuya Crossing, where giant LED displays played footage from FULL SEND, giving unsuspecting pedestrians a preview of Bentley’s Tokyo showcase.

The celebrations reflected Bentley’s renewed emphasis on the sporting side of its grand touring lineup. While the Continental GT has long been known for effortless cross-country performance, the GT S adds a more focused personality with sharper dynamics and a more purposeful character aimed at drivers who want their luxury served with an extra dose of engagement.

“Japan has always been a strong market for Bentley,” said Dave Hayter, Bentley’s Regional Director for Asia Pacific. “As we continue to explore our more sporting side again, we were honoured to debut the new driver-focused Continental GT S to our most loyal customers with the unique event at Tokyo Tower. Having the FULL SEND Supersports with us made the occasion even more special, and our coffee and cars gathering in Shinjuku showed us that enthusiasm for Bentley continues to grow.”

With its Tokyo tour complete, the FULL SEND Supersports is heading back to the UK, where it will make its public homecoming at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed. After proving it could turn heads everywhere from Daikoku to Tokyo Tower, it’s safe to say Bentley’s most extroverted modern grand tourer won’t have any trouble stealing the spotlight on the hillclimb either.

Source: Bentley

NEW CARS

Amazon Zoox Robotaxi Moves From Concept to Commute-Ready Reality

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Amazon’s Zoox is no longer teasing the future of robotaxis—it’s building it, polishing it, and quietly lining it up for production. The company has unveiled an updated, production-ready version of its purpose-built autonomous taxi, and while it may look familiar at first glance, the changes suggest a machine that’s moving from concept showcase to real-world workhorse.

Visually, the revisions are subtle but deliberate. The front end has been cleaned up with redesigned headlights and a more refined license plate integration, giving the pod-like vehicle a slightly more intentional face—if a driverless shuttle can be said to have one. It’s less “prototype experiment” and more “this is what you’ll actually be riding in.”

The bigger changes reveal themselves once you stop circling the exterior and step inside. Zoox has reworked the passenger interface around the doors, adding a new speaker and microphone setup that expands two-way audio capability. In practice, that means clearer communication not just with remote support staff, but also with first responders or even nearby road users when necessary. It’s a small but crucial detail in a world where the “driver” is an algorithm and reassurance has to come from somewhere else.

Inside the cabin, the transformation is more obvious—and more human. Gone is the darker, utilitarian aesthetic. In its place is a brighter, more inviting environment built around stone gray flooring and upholstery, paired with lighter Aloe Green seating. The effect is less clinical pod, more intentional lounge on wheels.

The seats themselves have been subtly re-sculpted, with additional padding and revised ergonomics that suggest Zoox is finally optimizing for the thing passengers actually do in a robotaxi: sit still and trust it. Headrests have been reshaped as well, reinforcing the sense that comfort is no longer an afterthought.

Elsewhere, the details lean into everyday usability. Cupholders are larger, the central touchscreen is more vivid, and the wireless charging pad now features grooves designed to keep phones from sliding around during transit. It’s the kind of thinking that doesn’t grab headlines—but absolutely matters when you’re trying to convince people to hand over their commute to a machine.

There’s even a subtle behavioral insight baked into the redesign: the lighter color palette is intended to make forgotten items like phones and bags easier to spot before passengers disembark. It’s a small acknowledgment of human forgetfulness in an environment designed to remove human control entirely.

Underneath all of this refinement is the more important milestone—production. Zoox plans to begin manufacturing in Hayward, California, with the capacity to build up to 100 vehicles per week. That’s a serious number for a robotaxi program still navigating regulatory approval, and it signals intent as much as capability.

The fleet expansion still hinges on the slow grind of approvals, but the direction is clear. Zoox is shifting from demonstration to deployment, from controlled pilots to something that resembles scale.

And in the increasingly crowded race toward autonomous ride-hailing, that’s the real story: not that the robotaxi is coming, but that it’s already being refined for the moment it has to behave like it belongs on public streets.

Source: Automotive News