BMW M2 Gran Coupe Coming With 365-HP To Rival The RS3

This could become BMW’s best-selling M car yet.

It’s been known for some time that BMW is planning to expand its line-up with the addition of a four-door 2 Series Gran Coupe, but now Autocar has confirmed the news we all wanted to hear: it will be headlined by an M2 variant, in what could become one of the brand’s best-selling M cars as it will essentially be a more practical version of the high-performance M2, widely to be considered one of BMW’s best driver-focused cars in a long time. According to the publication, the BMW M2 Gran Coupe will arrive in showrooms in 2019 packing 365-hp.

Unlike its rivals, the Audi RS3 and Mercedes-AMG CLA 45, the M2’s new four-door sibling will have a longitudinally mounted engine and rear-wheel drive.Like its two-door sibling, the M2 Gran Coupe will be powered by a 3.0-liter turbocharged in-line six engine producing 365 horsepower and will be offered with either a purist-pleasing six-speed manual as standard or a seven-speed, dual-clutch automatic gearbox. Performance is expected to closely match the M2 Coupe, so the M2 Gran Coupe should be capable of a 0-62 mph sprint time of around 4.5 seconds though its heavier body could affect the performance slightly. Top speed will most likely be electronically limited to 155 mph.

The optional M Driver’s Package for the M2 Coupe raises the top speed to 168 mph, so whether this is carried over to the Gran Coupe version remains to be seen. Those still waiting for the new hardcore M2 Coupe hopefully won’t have much longer to wait either, as the latest rumors suggest the M2 Competition will be shown in April packing a detuned version of the twin-turbo S55 engine in the current M3 and M4, producing around 405 hp to avoid cannibalizing its larger sibling’s sales.

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Audi Wants To Build A BMW 8 Series Rival

One German brand copying another German brand? Never heard of such a thing.

The upcoming revival of BMW’s 8 Series coupe is, not surprisingly, spurring the competition to act. Speaking to Autocar, Audi design chief March Lichte is game for a direct 8 Series rival, but there’s a problem: a weak market for luxury coupes. “I love the shape of a two-door coupe, but it is also true that the (sales) volumes (for them) are much lower than four-doors. In the future, who knows? We have many ideas in this direction,” Lichte said when asked about the segment possibility.

Although Audi doesn’t seem to have anything in the pipeline at the moment, it will surely watch sales figures of the upcoming 8 Series closely as well as the new Polestar 1. Mercedes-Benz, of course, offers the S-Class coupe and AMG high-performance versions, all of which are selling well. Audi previewed its latest styling language in 2014 with the Prologue Concept, and both the new A8 sedan and A5 coupe designs were directly inspired by it. However, when the Prologue Concept was launched, Audi was thinking about offering a production version as sort of a sister coupe ship to the new A8, but ultimately passed on the idea. It was basically the A9 that never happened.

But that was a few years ago and the market is once again changing somewhat. A large coupe, especially if it’d be all-electric, would definitely be interesting. In the meantime, Audi is focused on upcoming launches of the next-generation A6, followed by the Q8 crossover and the new A1 and Q3. This will be completed by the end of 2019, but after that things remain up in the air. A heavily re-skinned Porsche Mission E, perhaps?

Audi Wants To Build A BMW 8 Series Rival

One German brand copying another German brand? Never heard of such a thing.

The upcoming revival of BMW’s 8 Series coupe is, not surprisingly, spurring the competition to act. Speaking to Autocar, Audi design chief March Lichte is game for a direct 8 Series rival, but there’s a problem: a weak market for luxury coupes. “I love the shape of a two-door coupe, but it is also true that the (sales) volumes (for them) are much lower than four-doors. In the future, who knows? We have many ideas in this direction,” Lichte said when asked about the segment possibility.

Although Audi doesn’t seem to have anything in the pipeline at the moment, it will surely watch sales figures of the upcoming 8 Series closely as well as the new Polestar 1. Mercedes-Benz, of course, offers the S-Class coupe and AMG high-performance versions, all of which are selling well. Audi previewed its latest styling language in 2014 with the Prologue Concept, and both the new A8 sedan and A5 coupe designs were directly inspired by it. However, when the Prologue Concept was launched, Audi was thinking about offering a production version as sort of a sister coupe ship to the new A8, but ultimately passed on the idea. It was basically the A9 that never happened.

But that was a few years ago and the market is once again changing somewhat. A large coupe, especially if it’d be all-electric, would definitely be interesting. In the meantime, Audi is focused on upcoming launches of the next-generation A6, followed by the Q8 crossover and the new A1 and Q3. This will be completed by the end of 2019, but after that things remain up in the air. A heavily re-skinned Porsche Mission E, perhaps?

Aston Martin Reveals Mid Engine McLaren Speedtail Rival

New hypercar will slot below the Valkyrie.

The Valkyrie is destined to become the most insane road-going hypercar Aston Martin has ever built. It won’t be a one-off, however, as Aston Martin has previously said the Valkyrie will spawn a new range of “incredible” hypercars built in collaboration with Red Bull. Following the Valkyrie and Valkyrie AMR Pro, Aston Martin has confirmed a third mid-engined hypercar is currently in development. Once again, it's being developed as a joint project with the Red Bull Formula One team.

Known simply as “Project 003,” Aston Martin’s new unnamed McLaren Speedtail rival will feature technology showcased in the Valkyrie. Aston Martin says Project 003 will be built around a lightweight structure and powered by a turbocharged gasoline-electric hybrid engine, but no power figures have been released yet.

Aston Martin has already hinted it's developing a mid-engine Ferrari 488 rival that could revive the Vanquish name, but it isn't clear if Project 003 is the same car or a separate model. From the way Aston Martin is describing it, the Project 003 sounds like it will be in a different league.

Like the Valkyrie, Project 003 will feature an array of active aerodynamics providing “outstanding levels of downforce in a road-legal car”, as well as active suspension systems “providing next-level precision, control, and driver connection.” However, Aston Martin is pitching the Project 003 as a more practical hypercar for the road with space for luggage.

“It was always the intention for the Aston Martin Valkyrie to be a once-in-a lifetime project," said Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer. "However, it was also vital to us that Valkyrie would create a legacy: a direct descendent that would also set new standards within its own area of the hypercar market, creating a bloodline of highly specialised, limited production machines that can exist in parallel with Aston Martin’s series production models. I’m thrilled to announce that this car is the Project ‘003’, and our next step into a dynamic and exacting arena.”

Production of Aston Martin's Project 003 hypercar will be limited to 500 coupe examples worldwide, meaning it will be less exclusive than the Valkyrie, which is limited to just 175 examples. Customer deliveries will begin in late 2021.

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Audi Wants An A3 Coupe To Rival The Mercedes CLA

And could end up looking pretty spectacular.

We love the Audi A3 family, even though the US lineup isn't quite as extensive as to what Europe receives. Audi recently refreshed the A3 and S3 for 2017, but there could be even bigger changes in the form of a new body style. According Auto Express, the hatchback, sportback, sedan and convertible could be joined by a new four-door coupe model. This would make the A3 a more direct competitor for the Mercedes-Benz CLA. Four-door coupes are all the rage right now, and it seems like the German automakers are all clamoring to build more of them.

Audi's goal is to shift its compact models into the executive class, which is where the A4 currently competes, without a drastic price hike. This strategy has worked well for Mercedes with niche models like the CLA and CLA Shooting Brake, which unfortunately is not sold in the US. Audi is hoping to catch up to Mercedes, which just had its best sales year ever, becoming the best-selling luxury automaker in 2016. Introducing a new A3 variant would also help Audi achieve its goal of having 60 individual models by 2020. So what could this new A3 Coupe look like? The new car will retain the look of the A3 up front, but with a bolder design, new grill, LEDs, bumpers, and a wider stance.

The design could resemble the TT Sportback Concept, which was one of our favorite recent Audi concept cars. Before the new four-door coupe model arrives, the new hatchback will be revealed in 2019. The new A3 will still be based on the MQB platform, but it will grow slightly to have more interior space. It will also borrow some advanced technology from the upcoming A8. The virtual cockpit will be updated and self-driving should be prominent in some capacity. The A3 will likely have a variant with some form of electrification as Audi attempts to move away from Dieselgate. Based on the rumors, the new A3 should be even better than the current model, which should make it a great car.

Audi Plotting Ultra-Luxurious A8 Facelift To Rival The Maybach S-Class

The upcoming Maybach rival is expected to pack the legendary W12 engine.

The new Audi A8 only recently went on sale in the US, but details about the freshened-up facelift model due within the next two or three few years are already emerging. According to Automotive News, Audi is plotting an even fancier version of the flagship sedan to rival the Maybach S-Class. Sources say the new range-topping A8 will have equipment “beyond the regular A8,” including bespoke alloy wheels and a “Horch” logo on the flanks or C-pillar.

Horch was a German luxury brand that formed part of the Auto Union group in the 1930s, which also included Audi. Production of Horch luxury cars largely ceased after World War II in favor of military vehicles, though the brand was briefly resurrected in East Germany after the war.

While the ultra-luxurious A8 Horch Line will compete with Maybach, the car is unlikely to be stretched. Audi also isn’t planning to launch Horch versions of other models but hasn’t ruled out the possibility. The possibility of Horch being launched as a standalone marque has also been ruled out after sales of the Maybach 57 and 62 models fell below expectations.

The Horch trim level is expected to be powered by a V8 engine or VW’s twin-turbo W12, which still hasn't been shown off in the current generation A8 or A8 L. The W12 version of Audi’s flagship sedan is on hold, despite being market ready. Audi has also confirmed the current A8 will be the last model to be fitted with the fabled W12 engine.