Land Rover Classic has taken the wraps off the Defender V8 Trophy II hardcore off-roader based on the previous generation Defender platform, featuring a V8 powertrain, upgraded suspension, brakes and handling kit. It’s been designed to celebrate 70 years of the company’s off-road history, with each Defender V8 Trophy II […]
Alexi Falson
Alexi is an automotive road tester and news editor at PerformanceDrive. He appreciates the complexity of modern vehicle engineering and loves to keep his hands greasy working on motorbikes and cars. He prefers wagons over SUVs, vans over utes and reads more news than your Grandma.
Toyota global sales drop 6.3% in Q1 FY2023, revenue up 7%
Toyota has released its latest financial results for the first-quarter of the 2023 financial year, detailing a drop in production volumes and income. The company says that rising material costs, COVID-related lockdowns, a natural disaster in South Africa, and supply chain nightmares are primarily to blame for the decrease in […]
JLR opens electrical interference test facility for future vehicles
Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has announced it has opened up a brand-new facility to test the next-generation of its vehicles against electrical and radio interference to future-proof its lineup. It’s known as the Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) laboratory which is based in the UK, housing a team deployed to ensure JLR’s […]
Australian mining company secures battery-grade lithium deal with BMW
An Australian lithium miner has managed to secure a significant agreement with BMW to supply battery-grade lithium in part of a transition toward more eco-friendly sources of power. The company, European Lithium (headquartered in Australia), signed a Memorandum of Understanding with BMW to supply the company with lithium hydroxide for […]
Production of ultra-rare Bentley Bacalar nears completion
Bentley says that its ultra-exclusive production run of the Bentley Mulliner Bacalar is about to come to an end with eight of the 12 units in total now in the hands of some lucky customers. Bentley describes the Bacalar as the “ultimate expression of two-seat, open-air luxury” and marks the […]
BMW global sales drop 13.4% in H1 2022, profits up 65.9%
BMW Group has posted its financial and sales results for the first half of 2022, detailing a steep drop in the company’s delivery numbers but a spike in profit figures over the same period last year. All up, BMW Group posted a profit before tax figure of 16.1 billion euros […]
Hino apologises for two decades of fake emissions data – report
Toyota subsidiary, Hino, has apologised after company-commissioned investigation found that more than two decades of emissions data was faked by engineers on some engines in order to curry favour with their superiors. The investigative probe was first launched by the company and found that emissions data on some engines reaching […]
Maserati announces 10-Year drivetrain warranty program, new & used
Maserati caught us surprise this week with confirmation of a new 10-year driveline warranty program for its vehicles, eclipsing what is offered on its exotic European peers. Called the Extra10 warranty program, which Maserati says extends to the powertrain components, including the engine, gearbox and transmission until the car’s 10th […]