MotorIllustrated

06/06/2026

In case you missed it this week — Audi built a supercar that plugs in.

The Nuvolari is now the most powerful, fastest production Audi ever: 987 hp from a twin-turbo V8 paired with three electric motors, 0–100 km/h in 2.6 seconds, and a top end past 350 km/h. Only 499 will ever be built, with deliveries in 2027.

And we left a lot out — the F1-derived active aero, the all-carbon body, the world-first quattro predictive ride.

The full story's at the link below.
https://motorillustrated.com/limited-audi-nuvolari-hybrid-supercar-set-for-2027-launch-with-1001-ps/185848/

06/06/2026

The Subaru Ascent was quietly pulled from the Canadian market for 2026 — tariffs and weak sales made the math unworkable. Now Subaru is considering sending that same Indiana-built three-row SUV to Japan instead, targeting a late 2026 launch.

The 2.4-litre turbo Boxer, Symmetrical AWD, and EyeSight package carry over unchanged. Subaru would use Japan’s new trade-agreement certification pathway to fast-track homologation for the U.S.-built model.

The irony is hard to miss: a Japanese automaker pulling a product from its closest trading partner, then shipping it home from an American factory. It says a lot about how tariffs are quietly reshaping which markets get which vehicles.

Canada lost the Ascent — would you have kept it in the lineup if the tariff situation were different?

06/06/2026

Jason Momoa just commissioned a one-of-one Bentley Blower Jnr with Hedley Studios — and it's pure personal storytelling.

The build carries 100+ bespoke touches: a custom “Momoa Crimson” paint, aged brass fenders left to patina over time, a Koa-wood dash from his native Hawaii, and a “666” badge honouring his grandfather, nicknamed “El Diablo.”

The showpiece is a brass skull drive selector hand-carved from a solid block over more than 100 hours. Underneath it’s an 85% scale, fully electric recreation of the 1929 Bentley 4½ Litre Supercharged, hand-built in the UK with Bentley.

He takes delivery this summer — and it's featured in HBO Max’s On The Roam. Full story at the link below.
https://motorillustrated.com/jason-momoa-gets-a-fully-custom-miniature-bentley-blower-jnr/185883/

06/06/2026

Dodge just detailed the 2027 Durango, and the three-row muscle SUV keeps doing what nothing else will — packing HEMI V-8 power across the entire lineup. Ordering opens soon in Canada, with the first units landing at dealers this fall.

At the top sits the SRT Hellcat: a supercharged 6.2L HEMI making 710 horsepower and 645 lb-ft, an NHRA-certified 11.5-second quarter-mile, and still the most powerful gas SUV ever built. It’ll also tow up to 3,946 kg (8,700 lb). Canadian pricing comes later.

New for 2027: the Hellcat Jailbreak now unlocks over 14 million build combinations, adds a six-passenger layout, and the whole lineup gets a digital-deadbolt security update plus a new Pitch Black paint.

A 710-hp three-row that still tows nearly four tonnes — does it make the Cadillac Escalade-V look overpriced?
https://motorillustrated.com/what-the-hellcat-dodge-durango-srt-and-r-t-392-headline-2027-midsize-suv/185703/

06/05/2026

Did you know the biggest change in your next EV might be how it's built — not what's under the hood?

Volvo just started building the EX60 with "megacasting": a press exerting up to 9,000 tonnes squeezes molten aluminium into one giant piece, replacing 60 to 100 welded steel parts in a single shot. Tesla pioneered it; now BYD, Zeekr, NIO, XPeng and Volvo are all in.

The catch nobody talks about: when a megacast structure is damaged, even a moderate crash can write off the whole car — and insurers are already pricing that in.

We break down both sides at the link below.
https://motorillustrated.com/decripted-techno-volvo-ex60-and-megacasting-the-real-story-is-how-evs-are-built/185552/

06/05/2026

While Toyota, Honda and Kia keep churning out hybrids, Volkswagen still doesn't sell a single one in North America.

VW says full hybrids are coming for the Atlas, Atlas Cross Sport and Tiguan — but only at their midcycle refreshes, which could push them as late as 2030. The holdup: standing up an entire North American hybrid supply chain — batteries, transmissions, software — from scratch.

VW walked away from hybrids after the 2016 Jetta Hybrid to bet everything on EVs. Rivals filled the gap, and dealers have felt it ever since.

Has VW left it too late? Full story at the link below.
https://motorillustrated.com/vw-delays-north-american-hybrid-rollout-as-supply-chain-buildout-extends-timeline/185892/

06/05/2026

Volvo just started production of the EX60 — its first vehicle built using megacasting technology. This isn't a minor manufacturing tweak. It's the signal that the revolution Tesla pioneered is now spreading industry-wide.

The entire rear structure: 60 to 100 welded steel parts replaced by a single high-pressure die-cast aluminium piece. Lower weight, simpler assembly, fewer robots on the line. BYD, Zeekr, NIO, and XPeng are already running it in China. Volvo is deploying it in Sweden.

The trade-off? Repairability. A rear impact that would've cost $3,000 to repair on a conventional sedan can now total the vehicle. Tesla has taken heat for exactly this. Volvo hasn't yet clarified how it plans to handle collision repairs on the EX60.

Read the full breakdown 👇

Volvo started megacasting production on the EX60 — 60 to 100 parts replaced by one. Here's why this manufacturing shift matters for EV costs and repairability in Canada.

06/05/2026

Jason Momoa commissioned a fully custom Bentley Blower Jnr with over 100 bespoke elements, including exclusive Momoa Crimson paint and aged brass accents treated for natural patina.

The actor visited Hedley Studios' Bicester workshop to shape every detail. Delivery is scheduled for this summer. Read the full spec breakdown 👇

https://motorillustrated.com/jason-momoa-gets-a-fully-custom-miniature-bentley-blower-jnr/185883/

06/05/2026

The BMW M2 finally gets all-wheel drive. The new M2 with M xDrive pairs the familiar 3.0L inline-six (480 hp) with an electronically controlled multi-plate clutch that distributes torque front-to-rear on demand. The system defaults to RWD bias but adds front grip when traction demands it.

0-100 km/h drops to 3.7 seconds (3.4 with rollout), and top speed hits 285 km/h with the M Driver's Package. Production starts August 2026 at BMW's Mexican plant. A 2WD mode remains selectable when DSC is off.

The M2 xDrive also debuts BMW M Ignite pre-chamber combustion tech — lowers fuel consumption under high load, supports EU7 compliance, rolls out to all M straight-sixes from mid-2026.

Is quicker acceleration worth the AWD complexity, or does the M2's soul live in the manual RWD version?

BMW M2 gains M xDrive all-wheel drive for the first time. Production begins in Mexico in August 2026. Fingers crossed this isn’t the beginning of the end for the 6M. BMW M will bolt on a front differential for all-wheel drive to the M2 for the first time, giving its compact performance coupe a new...

06/04/2026

Audi just pulled the cover off the Nuvolari — its first-ever supercar, and the fastest, most powerful production Audi in history. It's a near-production prototype for now, capped at just 499 units, with deliveries early 2027.

The powertrain is a high-performance plug-in hybrid: a 4.0L twin-turbo V8 (800 hp) paired with three electric motors for 987 hp combined. That's 0–100 km/h in 2.6 seconds, 0–200 in 6.8, and a top speed past 350 km/h.

Nearly all of it is F1-derived — quattro predictive ride, active aero with a DRS rear wing, an all-carbon Audi Space Frame, and the debut of Audi's new design language.

A 987-hp hybrid halo car — does the Nuvolari out-drama a Ferrari or McLaren for you?