News

Dacia Turns Its SUVs into a Budget Observatory on Wheels

Leave it to Dacia to look at the booming overlanding craze, shrug at the six-figure expedition rigs clogging Instagram, and say: What if camping was just… simple? The Romanian brand’s latest idea, charmingly dubbed the “Million Star Hotel,” is less about rooftop tents and titanium cookware and more about sleeping inside your car while the universe puts on a show overhead.

The concept centers on Dacia’s biggest SUV yet, the Bigster, a 4.57-meter-long slab of practical ambition that finally offers enough interior real estate to make car camping feel intentional rather than desperate. The star of the show—literally and figuratively—is the factory-designed Sleep Pack, an optional setup that turns the Bigster’s cargo area into a two-person bedroom with a view of the cosmos.

The Sleep Pack isn’t exclusive to the Bigster; it also fits the Duster and Jogger, reinforcing Dacia’s talent for stretching one clever idea across an entire lineup. At its core is a 190-centimeter double mattress that unfolds across the boot floor and folded rear seats. When morning comes—or when you need your SUV back—the mattress detaches and tucks neatly into a bespoke wooden storage box.

Headroom is, predictably, snug. But the Bigster’s panoramic sunroof makes that a feature rather than a flaw. Instead of staring at headliner fabric, you fall asleep watching the stars wheel overhead, separated from deep space by a thin sheet of glass. The wooden base doubles as a small table, with storage compartments underneath for the essentials: flashlights, snacks, and whatever else you forgot to pack because you assumed “it’s just one night.”

Dacia’s big reveal happens February 25 and 26 in Scotland’s Galloway Forest Park, one of the UK’s officially designated dark-sky zones. Far from city glow and light pollution, guests will camp overnight beneath a rare celestial alignment. If the weather cooperates—and that’s always the fine print in Scotland—Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, and Mercury will all be visible to the naked eye.

This isn’t just a lie-down-and-stargaze affair. Dacia is leaning into the outdoorsy fantasy with open-fire cooking, kayaking, and fishing. And while the Sleep Pack doesn’t magically add plumbing, the brand will provide on-site facilities, including a large communal tent with basic amenities. Think glamping-adjacent, minus the pretense.

Bookings for the “Million Star Hotel” are open until January 28 through a dedicated website, with spots allocated by lottery. Requirements are refreshingly straightforward: UK residency, a valid driver’s license, and ideally someone you don’t mind sharing a mattress with. Each vehicle sleeps two adults, so bringing a guest is encouraged.

For those who don’t win the stargazing sweepstakes—or who just want to turn their own Dacia into a weekend escape pod—the Sleep Pack is available to buy. The mattress and wooden box retail for £1,307. Add blackout curtains for £175 and a tent for £350, and the full InNature Camping Kit totals £1,830.

In classic Dacia fashion, it’s not luxurious, it’s not flashy, and it doesn’t pretend to be anything it isn’t. But in a world where “adventure” often comes with a luxury price tag, the idea of parking an affordable SUV in the middle of nowhere and watching the planets drift by feels refreshingly honest. Sometimes, the best hotel really does have a million stars—and no minibar.

Source: Dacia

NEW CARS

2027 Ford Bronco RTR

Ford has never been shy about stretching the Bronco nameplate, and for 2027 it’s doing exactly that—again. Meet the Ford Bronco RTR, a factory-backed off-roader born from Ford Performance and Vaughn Gittin Jr.’s RTR Vehicles. The pitch is simple and compelling: Raptor-style high-speed desert capability, dialed-up visual drama, and a starting price that undercuts some of the Bronco lineup’s more hardcore trims.

If you’ve been paying attention to RTR’s work on Mustangs and Broncos, this move feels inevitable. RTR-built rigs have long blended attitude with real performance upgrades, and now Ford is folding that recipe directly into the production lineup. The Bronco RTR isn’t a dealer-installed appearance package—it’s a purpose-built model with meaningful hardware changes.

Start with the basics. Standard equipment includes 33-inch all-terrain tires wrapped around RTR’s beadlock-capable Evo 6 wheels. A high-clearance suspension adds a modest lift, while Hyper Lime accents, an RTR grille, and distinctive lighting give the Bronco RTR a look that’s impossible to miss, especially when it’s barreling toward you across open desert.

But the real story here isn’t the paint and plastic. Ford and RTR have poured serious desert-racing know-how into this truck, most notably through revised engine software. The Bronco RTR gets off-road–optimized anti-lag technology that keeps the turbo spinning even when you lift, maintaining boost for smoother, more predictable throttle response. It’s the kind of tweak you don’t notice on the spec sheet—but you absolutely feel when you’re flying over washboard at speed.

To keep things cool when the terrain—and temperature—turn brutal, Ford also installs the Bronco Raptor’s cooling fan. That’s a strong signal that this truck is designed to be driven hard for extended periods, not just posed for social media.

For buyers who want to go all-in, there’s the optional Sasquatch package. That upgrade swaps the standard 33s for 35-inch tires and, more importantly, brings the HOSS 3.0 suspension into the mix with Fox dampers. Previously reserved for the Badlands, HOSS 3.0 trickling down the Bronco lineup is a win for enthusiasts—and it transforms the RTR into a much more serious high-speed off-road weapon.

Ford is also keen to emphasize value. According to Bronco brand manager Haley Skiko, the Bronco RTR is meant to be a “sweet spot” in the lineup, delivering Raptor-inspired performance at a lower starting price than a Badlands Sasquatch. Translation: it’s aimed squarely at buyers who want real desert capability without the full Raptor commitment—or cost.

The Bronco RTR will make its public debut at the 2026 Detroit Auto Show, with a more natural habitat awaiting it shortly after at King of the Hammers in Johnson Valley. Orders open in October, and deliveries are slated for January 2027.

In a lineup that’s already crowded with capable trims, the Bronco RTR still manages to carve out its own identity. It’s louder, faster, and more desert-focused than most Broncos—and crucially, it feels like more than just another badge. If Ford’s goal was to inject RTR’s racing DNA straight into the showroom, this Bronco looks like a mission accomplished.

Source: Ford

NEW CARS

The Jensen Interceptor Is Back—and This Time It’s Packing American V-8 Thunder Again

Some names never really die. They just wait for the right moment—and the right engine—to come roaring back. The Jensen Interceptor, one of Britain’s most charismatic muscle-bound grand tourers, is officially set for resurrection, nearly 50 years after the last original rolled off the line. And yes, it’s bringing a V-8 with it.

The reborn Interceptor comes courtesy of Jensen International Automotive (JIA), a Banbury-based outfit best known for painstakingly restoring and reimagining classic Interceptors into modern restomods like the Interceptor R. This time, though, JIA isn’t reworking history—it’s writing a fresh chapter. The upcoming GT is the company’s first clean-sheet design, a fully new car that merely tips its hat to the past.

Production will be extremely limited—“ultra-low,” in JIA’s words—which is shorthand for don’t ask the price unless you already know you can afford it. Hand-built in Britain, the new Interceptor positions itself as an ultra-high-performance luxury GT aimed squarely at drivers who think the word “analogue” is a compliment.

That philosophy should resonate with anyone tired of capacitive sliders and menu-diving. JIA promises a fully analogue driving experience, which strongly suggests a manual gearbox and a cabin heavy on real switches and physical controls—much like the original Interceptor, only without the 1960s build tolerances.

Under that long hood will be a familiar but formidable powerplant. While final specs haven’t been released, Autocar reports that the car will be based around the latest Chevrolet Corvette’s 6.2-liter V-8. In stock form, that engine produces 495 horsepower and 452 pound-feet of torque, but JIA says the powertrain will be “bespoke,” which likely means tuning, calibration, and possibly hardware changes tailored specifically to this car’s GT mission.

That transatlantic engine choice is entirely in keeping with tradition. The original Interceptor relied on a big-block Chrysler V-8—6.3 liters initially—making around 250 horsepower and pushing the car to nearly 140 mph, serious numbers for its era. The new car aims to honor that same formula: British luxury and style, American displacement and punch.

The chassis will be a lightweight aluminum structure, a modern foundation designed to keep mass in check and maximize the power-to-weight ratio. No curb weight figures yet, but the intent is clear: this won’t be a soft boulevard cruiser masquerading as a performance car.

Design details are still under wraps, but the first official image confirms that JIA understands what made the Interceptor visually iconic. Expect a long bonnet, a raked roofline, and a low, muscular stance—classic GT proportions interpreted through a modern lens rather than a retro caricature.

Managing director David Duerden says JIA is “taking the theme of the luxury British GT to fresh, thoroughly modern heights,” while emphasizing that the car will stand as an all-new machine rather than a nostalgic remake. That’s the right call. Icons survive by evolving, not by pretending time stopped in 1971.

As for when we’ll see it in the metal, no official debut date has been announced. Still, given JIA’s emphasis on British identity, a reveal at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this July would make perfect sense. Fast cars, loud engines, historic names reborn—it’s exactly the kind of setting where the Interceptor belongs.

Half a century on, the Jensen Interceptor is returning not as a museum piece, but as a modern GT with old-school values: big engine, rear-drive attitude, and a driver-first mindset. And frankly, we could use more cars like that.

Source: Jensen Motors

Cars and catalogues