The Genesis Neolun concept previews an electric SUV flagship, likely to be called the GV90. In typical concept-car fashion, the Neolun—meaning “New Moon”—has some crazy features. Among them is a pop-out roof rack, heated floors, rotating front seats, suicide doors, and no B-pillar. The sorts of things that generally never make production, but SangYup Lee, head designer at Genesis, says the automaker is pushing to make this a reality.

“We don’t do a show car for show business,” he tells Motor1. “Every element in design, there’s an engineering study behind it.”

Putting suicide doors in production is one thing. Rolls-Royce has used them for years, and the Ferrari Purosangue has a rear-swinging door, too. But having no B-pillar is another matter entirely. Without that element, it’s a real challenge to ensure the car is stiff enough and meets relevant crash-safety standards. 

Lee says it’s easy to do this with a small car, citing the old BMW i3 as an example. It’s a relatively small opening. “A car like this, when you roll, the roof has to be strong enough to hold the weight,” he explains. “But as I said, never say never… Without the B-pillar, look at how big this space is. Imagine when you pull up to a beautiful concert with a red carpet, staging door opens, or when you go to the beach, staging door opens and you have the whole sea in front of you.” It’s a lovely thought. 

There are other neat details. Lee is particularly proud of lights and badging that are totally flush with the body. Run your hand over them, and you can’t feel where one ends and the other begins.

Inspiration for the Neolun came from Korea’s moon jars, and river stones. Lee often keeps a highly polished river stone in his pocket, and he wants the surfaces of the Neolun to feel similar. “You should be able to define a Genesis vehicle even when your eyes are closed,” he says. “This is how you discover the Genesis character.”

That translates to a very smooth vehicle. There’s hardly any sharp lines or creases to be found, in direct contrast with large SUVs from other luxury brands. The Neolun, and the eventual production car, are consciously different. “This car is all about proportion, balance and volume,” Lee says. 

Genesis didn’t provide a timeline for Neolun production, but Lee said it will come “sooner than later.” Figure a couple years. Hopefully, all these fancy elements become a production-car reality. 

Genesis has a new SUV—or at least, the concept of what could become one. This is the Neolun, and it’s making its debut at this year’s New York Auto Show. Inspired by “Korea’s iconic moon-shaped porcelain jars,” notes Genesis Chief Creative Officer Luc Donckerwolke, the Neolun concept has a unique boxy design with Genesis’s signature “two lines” lighting motif front and rear.

The exterior wears a Midnight Black and Majestic Blue two-tone paint job, while the interior has gorgeous Royal Indigo leather with white piping. Two rows of luxurious chairs rotate toward each other to mimic the warmth of a living room. Speaking of warmth—the floor of the concept is heated. Not just the seats, but the entire floor.

The Neolun has a special sound system with an advanced “sound architecture” that gives passengers a fully immersive, concert hall-like audio experience. Like in the GV60, there’s a crystal sphere in the front compartment that rotates when the audio system is engaged.

The Genesis Neolun concept previews a properly large SUV. In this case, the concept only has two rows of seats, but we know that a production GV90 is on the way, and that version should at least offer a third row. Like the Mercedes-Maybach GLS, Genesis could potentially offer two variants of the GV90—one with two more luxurious rows, or a traditional version with three rows of seats.

Details like performance, powertrain, and price remain a mystery. We should know more about what the production version of this concept could look like before the end of the year.

A modified Porsche 911 from California resto-modder Gunther Werks crashed heavily at Laguna Seca during testing last week. A user in the r/Porsche Subreddit posted a picture of the damaged car, a development mule for the company’s new Turbo model, a 750-horsepower 993, on a flatbed. On Instagram, Gunther Werks confirmed the “incident” and that the driver is “okay.”

Motor1 reached out to Gunther Werks for more information, and we’ll update if and when we hear back. 

 

On Instagram, the company said “Unfortunately, the second day of testing was cut short when the GW Mule went off-track and sustained incident damage. Goals were achieved, times were set, cars are repairable, and lessons are valuable.”

“We are grateful everyone is okay and look forward to getting back to HQ to apply everything we learned this week for the next track day soon.”

 

The Reddit user claims that it was Patrick Long, a longtime Porsche factory driver and brand ambassador, driving. We asked Gunther Werks to confirm whether this is the case, but, Long did post on an Instagram story that he is enjoying “[a] much needed R+R break with the family. All is well.” Long is known to do development work with the company, driving one of its cars at a Laguna Seca Corkscrew hillclimb event.

While the Gunther Werks Turbo uses a 993 body shell, most of the panels are made from carbon fiber. A Road & Track story notes that the car costs around $1 million.

Photo: Gunther Werks

This week, BMW unwrapped the Vision Neue Klasse X concept. If last year’s Vision Neue Klasse was a glimpse at an all-electric 3 Series sports sedan of the future, the Vision Neue Klasse X is tomorrow’s battery-powered X3.

Like most concept vehicles, the Neue Klasse X has a minimalist dashboard defined by a full-width digital instrument panel and a central touchscreen, with hardly any buttons or knobs to be seen. But glimpse the front door panels, and you’ll find old-fashioned seat-adjuster buttons, almost exactly like what you’d find in a 30-year-old luxury car.

“As we know, people adjust the seat a little bit while driving,” a BMW representative told me at the media preview of the Vision Neue Klasse X in Portugal. “It’s a very intuitive way, without looking to a display, to adjust your seat. This is one of the things where it makes sense to keep these [physical] control elements.”

The Vision Neue Klasse X is not completely touch-free, of course. The X concept includes a new multi-function steering wheel, which absorbs the physical controls that would have previously been handled by an iDrive knob on the center console (RIP). BMW says the steering-wheel-mounted controls allowed designers to place the center-dashboard screen in the ideal position, making it easily visible without impinging on the driver’s view through the windshield.

And while the Vision Neue Klasse X presents a button-free dashboard, reality dictates that the eventual production version will be a bit less minimalist.

“We listened really carefully to what customers gave us during our customer clinics, and we got that feedback,” a BMW representative told Motor1 during the Vision Neue Klasse X media preview in Portugal. “We will not have the iDrive controller in the car anymore, I think this is clear. We have that wonderful multifunctional steering wheel and the panoramic vision stage, but for other functionalities we will have knobs where it is necessary. It’s not a knob- or control-element-free car, that’s not our vision.”

When the Vision Neue Klasse X goes into production, the BMW rep continued, it will feature a mix of haptic-feedback buttons in the steering wheel and physical buttons elsewhere in the interior. 

“For the most important functions, there will be the right knobs in the right place,” the BMW representative told Motor1. “This is still a Vision car, so stay tuned to see how the final version will be.”

BMW wants you to know that things are changing. In fall of 2023, the company unveiled the Vision Neue Klasse concept car, an all-electric sedan that previews the design and engineering we can expect from a new generation of BMW vehicles. Today, BMW debuts the Vision Neue Klasse X, the crossover member of the new EV family. Because while BMW insists it’s on the precipice of a paradigm shift, it’s not about to abandon its popular and profitable “sports activity vehicles.”

The “Neue Klasse” name is freighted with meaning for BMW enthusiasts. The company first coined this moniker—which is simply German for “new class”—in the early 1960s, applying it to a brand-new lineup of sporty, modernist sedans. The Neue Klasse spawned the legendary BMW 2002, and saved the company from the brink of extinction.

Modern BMW isn’t existentially threatened the way it was in the early 1960s, but the company faces a dramatically evolving global auto industry. BMW has toyed with EVs and hybrids for years now, but the new Neue Klasse concept lineup points to a full-scale re-envisioning of how a BMW looks, works, and drives.

If the Vision Neue Klasse concept sedan is tomorrow’s 3 Series, the Vision Neue Klasse X seen here can be understood as tomorrow’s X3.

“Together with the BMW Vision Neue Klasse, the BMW Vision Neue Klasse X showcases the breadth of our future BMW model lineup,” said Oliver Zipse, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG, in a statement. “In this way, we are underlining that the Neue Klasse is much more than just a car or a specific concept; it is redefining the BMW brand—and, at the same time, will be more BMW than ever.”

That means this high-riding crossover will have to perform. BMW is bringing a new, EV-specific software strategy to the task. In the typical internal-combustion vehicle, each system—engine, transmission, stability management, adaptive suspension—is controlled by its own ECU. Tweaking the vehicle’s performance in real-time involves lots of communication between these discrete computers.

BMW says the Neue Klasse platform will get rid of conventional system-specific ECUs in favor of “super-brains”—”high-performance computers working smartly together on what, up until now, was processed separately,” said Frank Weber, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, in a press statement. Each super-brain will have up to 10 times the computing power of a conventional ECU.

This will allow one super-brain to control all facets of driving dynamics, from torque delivery to traction management to suspension behavior or drive-mode adjustments. Another super-brain will handle all aspects of automated driving, from the sensor suite to GPS route navigation to steering and braking. BMW promises that this super-brain setup will improve processing power and speed, while simplifying the electronic architecture of the vehicle and reducing the size (and weight) of required hardware.

“The result will be more dynamic performance, more precision, more efficiency and even more fun to drive,” Weber said in his statement.

BMW says the Neue Klasse EVs will use an all-new sixth-generation version of the company’s eDrive propulsion technology. New, round lithium-ion batteries promise 20 percent more energy density than the current prismatic cells, and BMW says the Neue Klasse vehicles will use 800-volt architecture for rapid charging, enabling 186 miles of battery range with a 10-minute plug-in. Power and performance figures were not given for the Vision Neue Klasse X.

The most striking aspect of the Vision Neue Klasse X is its design. Like the Vision Neue Klasse concept sedan, the X’s body contours are refreshingly simple. The kidney grille, which was squashed and widened on the Neue Klasse sedan, stands tall here, a signature that BMW says will distinguish its Sport Activity Vehicle models from its conventional sedans in the all-electric future.

The silhouette is familiar as a BMW crossover, but the greenhouse is impressively airy, in part thanks to some tricky proportioning: The A- and B-pillars are tapered on their exterior edges, thin and spindly from the outside but flaring out to conventional thickness. Of course, the Vision Neue Klasse X has a Hofmeister kink—a Neue Klasse design signature—though here it’s represented by a ghostly reflective appliqué on the rear quarter windows.

Inside, the Vision Neue Klasse X embraces newfound minimalism, despite promising a whole new level of perpetually-connected telecom integration. Rest in peace, iDrive: With the Neue Klasse, BMW wants you to control the center-dash display by touch or via controls on the steering wheel.

A second full-width display at the base of the windshield shows speed, battery status, and other information you’d normally find on a driver’s instrument panel, which BMW says will be augmented by a head-up display. Aside from a tiny collection of physical buttons on the center console, the entire cockpit is essentially button-free.

As with last year’s Neue Klasse concept sedan, the X features “Verdana” textile upholstery, which is claimed to be plant-and-mineral-based and completely petroleum free. The injection-molded interior components are said to be made from recycled maritime plastics. The coral shade of the corduroy-like upholstery, coupled with the enormous panorama roof and the generous greenhouse, give the interior of the X an invitingly airy feel.

In person, the Vision Neue Klasse X feels like a halfway step between a flight-of-fancy concept car and a ready-for-production machine. The headlights and taillights feel like show-car stuff, and a BMW representative admitted that the production interior will need to have a few more physical controls than what’s on display here. But the door handles and latches, the body stampings, and the daylight openings all seem factory-ready—which they better be, since BMW is promising that the first Neue Klasse crossover will go into production in 2025.

Whether you think of this as an entirely new class of vehicles or not, one thing is certain: The all-electric future of BMW will be defined by SUVs that, I’m betting, will look a lot like what you see here.

Like the Volkswagen Beetle and Austin Mini, the Fiat 500 was a European people’s car that was relatively inexpensive, giving buyers a simple automobile for getting around. Former Evo magazine editor-in-chief Harry Metcalfe bought a classic example at auction and brought it to a model specialist in London to restore and upgrade the vehicle. Little did he know, there were already plenty of upgrades installed. 

According to the auction listing, this car belonged to the general of police in Palermo, Italy. He allegedly had a staff of 30 people servicing around 250 vehicles. The sale claimed the car was stock. But the engine tells a different story.

Firstly, this is not a wholly original Fiat 500 power plant. The block is right, but the boring brings the displacement up to 594 cubic centimeters. There’s also a hotter camshaft and modifications to the carburetor.

Even with all of the existing upgrades, Metcalfe plans to do more modifications to the mill. An Abarth-branded, higher-capacity oil pan will help with cooling. There will also be a higher-performance camshaft and machined cylinder head. He’ll upgrade the headlights to be brighter, too.

The builder tries to tempt Metcalfe with additional modifications. It’s a lot more work, but he could fit parts like bigger pistons, aluminum cylinders, and an oil cooler. However, Metcalfe’s wife doesn’t want the car to sound too aggressive, so he can’t install an exhaust with loud, trumpet-like outlets.

The Fiat 500 (also known as the Cinquecento) went on sale in 1957 with a rear-mounted 479-cubic-centimeter two-cylinder engine driving the rear wheels. Later, there was a 499-cc variant. Famously, Abarth modified 500s for racing with even larger, more powerful engines. Massive aftermarket support meant that owners could have anything from a stock vehicle to a fully built race car.

We look forward to seeing what the technicians can do to make Metcalfe’s 500 more exciting while keeping it appearing fairly stock.

Ford teased a new supercharger kit for the 2024 Mustang at last year’s SEMA show in November, promising the upgrade would crank the pony car’s output to over 800 horsepower. The Blue Oval omitted important information like price and torque at the time, but now we know all the details.

Ford Performance now lists the twin-screw supercharger kit on its website, saying it’ll crank the brand’s 5.0-liter V-8 engine up to 810 hp for just $9,995. It’s compatible with the Mustang GT and the Dark Horse … but only if you live outside of California.

Ford only certifies the supercharger for use in the other 49 states. According to the product listing, the part doesn’t “have approval for use in California,” and it “can not legally be registered or used on vehicles” in the state. We presume this is thanks to the state’s strict emissions laws.

The supercharger, developed in partnership with Whipple, cranks the engine’s torque to 615 pound-feet. The kit produces 10 hp less on Mustangs without the active exhaust system, which is still plenty more than stock. The 2024 GT delivers up to 486 hp and 418 lb-ft of torque from the factory, while the Dark Horse makes 500 hp and 418 lb-ft of twist.

The kit includes the Gen 6 3.0-liter supercharger, a 92-millimeter throttle body, a dual-pass intercooler, GT500 port fuel injectors, upgraded spark plugs, and an exclusive Ford Performance calibration. It requires 91+ octane fuel and comes with a three-year, 36,000-mile warranty. A pretty solid deal, all things considered.

Skoda intends to launch six EVs by 2026, and the most affordable of the bunch will be this pretentiously named Epiq. It’s scheduled to go next year with a targeted starting price of €25,000, or roughly $27,000 at current exchange rates. Touted as being “small but epic,” the brand’s entry-level EV will be among the first models to embrace the fresh “Modern Solid” design language.

At around 4.1 meters (161.4 inches) long, you can think of it as an electric alternative to the Kamiq. However, the Skoda Epiq is destined to ride on a dedicated EV platform, likely the MEB Entry the Volkswagen Group has already announced. The architecture has been previewed by the German automotive conglomerate with last year’s ID.2all concept. While VW is going the hatchback route, Skoda is cooking up this crossover.

Even though it’s shorter than the Kamiq we mentioned earlier, it’s far more practical. The cargo capacity of 490 liters (17.3 cubic feet) is more than 20 percent higher thanks to the dedicated EV underpinnings, resulting in better packaging. The Czech marque remains tight-lipped about the other technical specifications, but it does say the unspecified battery pack is good for over 249 miles (400 kilometers) of range, presumably in the WLTP cycle.

The MEB Entry platform is intended for EVs with front-wheel drive whereas the regular MEB used by the bigger Enyaq comes with rear-wheel drive. The more expensive and powerful MEB-based models sold by the VW Group come with AWD by adding a front motor. It remains to be seen whether the MEB Entry models will get an all-paw setup at some point.

The Modern Solid design language per Skoda’s marketing jargon will toughen up the appearance of future models. This Epiq has plastic body cladding around the wheel arches and unpainted sections of the rear bumpers. We also notice a pair of nifty roof rails, an illuminated rear badge, and slim lights at both ends.

The charging port is mounted on the front fender rather than at the back as is the case with the Enyaq. Contrasting orange accents are found inside and out, along with an interrupted light bar that goes across the wide grille. Overall, the Epiq looks to be more along the lines of a near-production prototype since it’s unlikely to change all that much until 2025. Skoda calls it a design study rather than a concept.

Before the Epiq arrives in 2025, the bigger Elroq compact crossover will be officially unveiled later this year with an electric-only setup. These two will be joined by 2026 by the next-generation Enyaq and Enyaq Coupe. An Octavia-like wagon in EV flavor is also coming, along with a large three-row SUV previewed by the Vision 7S sans a combustion engine.

The promise of fully self-driving cars remains elusive. That might be a good thing, at least going by a new study from AAA that found the majority of people are actually afraid of autonomous vehicles. Even more surprising: That number has increased in recent years while public trust has fallen.

According to AAA, 66 percent of respondents said they feared self-driving vehicles. That’s up from 55 percent in 2022, but down from 68 percent last year. The share of those who trust AVs held steady from 2023 to 2024 at 9 percent, while 25 percent were unsure of them. Both numbers are down from 15 and 30 percent, respectively, in 2022.

While buyers might be weary of robot cars, they aren’t opposed to some technological assistance behind the wheel. Respondents said they were interested in some technology, with more than half open to automatic braking, reverse automatic braking, and lane keep assist. Only 42 percent were interested in active driving assist, and 49 percent were for adaptive cruise control.

Buyers should be skeptical of even those driver aids, however, as another AAA study discovered that they aren’t always reliable. The organization recently researched the effectiveness of automatic rear braking systems, and only one out of 40 test runs ended without a crash. Half of the cars failed to stop for stationary pedestrians standing behind the vehicle.

Most buyers won’t have to worry about autonomous vehicles anytime soon. General Motors’ Cruise division has faced significant safety hurdles over the last few months, and it appears that Google’s Waymo is one of the remaining outfits putting in a full effort to develop the technology. It expanded its robotaxi service to Los Angeles today, but the tech is still years away from making it into everyday passenger vehicles.

Marcello Gandini, legendary designer responsible for numerous Italian cars, has died, according to RaiNews, Italy’s state-owned news outlet. He was 85 years old.

Gandini was best-known for his work with Lamborghini, where he was responsible for designing poster cars like the Miura, the Countach, and the Diablo. He was also the designer behind icons like the Lancia Stratos, the Bugatti EB110, and the Fiat X1/9.

The Turin-born designer created his most famous designs while working at Italian design house Bertone from the mid-1960s until 1980, penning the lines for cars like the Alfa Romeo Montreal, the Maserati Khamsin, and the Ferrari 308 GT4.

Developing…