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LOTUS has been something of an anomaly among Britain’s traditional car brands of late. While others have enjoyed success after success, the Norfolk firm has been desperately short of the investment needed to produce new models, and thus forced to continually bring to market different versions of the Elise (above) and Evora. So the news that it is heading for new ownership, with Chinese company Geely taking a controlling interest, can only be welcomed. The benefits should, in theory, be mutual; Geely will be able to tap into Lotus’s widely respected technical and engineering expertise to produce lighter cars that will help to meet emissions targets in its home market. And for the Lotus brand itself, there will hopefully be the long overdue prospect of new cars, although we’ll have…

First for news every week ▪ Sharply styled coupé to spawn a new performance model range ▪ Petrol and diesel line-up will be topped by 600bhp-plus M8 BMW is in the midst of its most aggressive product expansion ever, and the company used last weekend’s exclusive Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este in Italy to unveil its new Concept 8 Series. A close-to-production design study, the Concept 8 Series will morph into a showroom model next year. Following in its footsteps will be a broadening of the line-up to include cars such as an 8 Series Convertible and a fourdoor Gran Coupé. The arrival of the 8 Series is a direct result of BMW repositioning the current 6 Series Coupé so that it has a genuine competitor for the Mercedes S-Class Coupé…

“The fabric top will play a big part in a new weight-saving strategy that will see the Z4 become faster and more efficient” BY the end of 2018 the BMW Group (which also includes MINI and Rolls-Royce) will launch more than 40 new or revised models. The bulk of those newcomers, however, will come from BMW directly. A mix of sports cars, luxury coupés, roadsters and SUVs are all on the horizon within the next 18 months. Here are 10 of the core models that really matter. BMW Z4 Price: £35k (est) DEVELOPMENT of BMW’s next two-seat roadster is shared with that of the next Toyota Supra, and will be revealed in August at Pebble Beach, California. We’ve already seen spy shots of the new car, and our exclusive image…

EXCLUSIVE IMAGE @johnmcilroy THIS is the Jaguar XE SV Project 8, the most powerful roadgoing Jaguar ever made. It’s the latest limited-edition model to be developed by the company’s Special Vehicle Operations Division. Previewed in camouflaged form ahead of a public debut at June’s Goodwood Festival of Speed, the Project 8 follows in the wheeltracks of the F-Type-based Project 7. It will be hand-assembled at Jaguar’s SVO HQ in Coventry, and only 300 examples will be produced. Our exclusive image shows what it will look like when the wraps come off. The Project 8 gets the most powerful version of Jaguar’s 5.0-litre V8 yet seen in a production car. The supercharged unit has 592bhp; 25bhp up on the Project 7, and 56bhp more than the nineties’ XJ220. The images released…

@AE_Consumer THE General Election on 8 June is looming large, and the political parties are fighting hard for every possible vote. Amid all the promises and pledges, it can be difficult to get a picture of what the main parties would actually do in office, and how those policies will impact motorists. There are some big motoring issues on the table this time around. The fallout from the diesel emissions scandal has stoked fears over emissions and air quality. Scrappage schemes, toxin taxes and diesel bans have been mooted. Then there’s Brexit, and how the UK’s departure from the European Union will affect vehicle prices and the UK’s manufacturing industry. Add in deteriorating roads, autonomous and electric cars, the debate over road infrastructure improvements, as well as concerns about roads…

@stevefowle EXCLUSIVE IMAGES “Financing agreement has freed up capital to be ploughed into new models, including mid-engined Ferrari 488 rival” ASTON Martin’s revival under CEO Andy Palmer is gathering pace with a host of new models planned to follow hot on the heels of the new DB11. A recently revealed new financing agreement has freed up further capital to be ploughed straight back into new models, including a mid-engined Ferrari 488 rival. Speaking exclusively to Auto Express, Palmer revealed his company’s strategy for seven core new models in seven years, up to 2023 when the DB11 will be replaced by the DB12. “We have one car every year for the next seven years. It starts with our GT cars: DB11, Vantage and Vanquish,” explained Palmer. “In 2019 we’ll have DBX,…