Autos

Harley Davidson has just unveiled its newest extension to its sports range of motorcycles — the Sportster S. Built off the Revolution Max platform, this new bike takes the performance of the Sportster line up to new heights while paying tribute to the legendary bike. Starting with the power, this Sportster S packs 121 horsepower and plenty of low-end torque thanks to its 1250T V-Twin engine. The power-to-weight ratio is also optimized as the bike itself weighs just 228kg with a full tank (11.8 liters) of gas. Securing all that power is a stiff chassis with a welded tubular steel trellis swingarm and stamped X-member. While it is great on the straights, the bike can also handle in the corners as it has fully adjustable, SHOWA 43mm inverted cartridge forks and a SHOWA Piggyback reservo...

Is Hennessey Performance‘s full-fat Ford Bronco VelociRaptor V8 too much for you? Then worry no more, as the legendary American tuning company has announced its take on the 2.7-liter twin-turbocharged V6 Ford Bronco. Displaying its take on the five-door, hard-top iteration, the VeliciRaptor 400 has — you guessed it — just over 400 BHP. To be precise, Hennessey Performance claims 405 BHP at 5,700 rpm and 503 lb-ft of torque at 3,900 rpm, which is good for 0-60 MPH in 4.9 seconds. Speaking on the redeveloped Bronco, John Hennessey, company founder and CEO said, “Whether you’re on or off-road, more power is what our customers demand, and our VelociRaptor 400 Bronco really delivers. The new Bronco is destined to be an icon and our customers want their Bronco to stand ou...

Aston Martin has unveiled the Valhalla, a twin-turbo V8 hybrid that makes waving goodbye to everyone’s favorite British V12 a little bit easier. Why? Because the Valhalla (which is essentially a road-going Valkyrie AMR PRO as far as styling goes) offers not just a mid-engine layout (which is another first for the marque) but also lots of power — 950 BHP to be precise. Aston Martin’s Executive Chairman, Lawrence Stroll said: “Aston Martin’s first series production mid-engined supercar, Valhalla is a truly transformational moment for this ultra-luxury brand. The launch of Valhalla demonstrates Aston Martin’s commitment to building a range of exceptional mid-engined driver-focused cars, a crucial next stage in the expansion of our product line-up.” So in short, we can ...

Amsterdam-based startup Squad Mobility has introduced a small solar-powered electric car priced at €5750 (about $6,800 USD). Titled “Squad Solar City Car,” the two-seater can run entirely from sunlight collected on its paneled roof. The car also has a portable, swappable battery for when extra power is needed, which can be charged from a normal power socket. According to the company’s website, the car can charge up to 20 kilometers (12 miles) per day, making it perfect for running errands and taking small city trips. The car is designed for congested city living with a top speed maxing out at 45 kilometers an hour (28 mph). Co-founders Robert Hoevers and Chris Klok previously worked at Lightyear, another solar-powered electric car startup for the luxury market. “We saw the potential of sol...

Rivian’s R1T electric truck is the future of off-road exploration. Boasting two e-motors on each axle and more horsepower than a Ferrari F8, the eco-friendly SUV’s most novel feature, the gear tunnel, is hidden well out of sight. Designed by Rivian as part of their Adventure Gear offering, the Camp Kitchen is a stowaway contraption that utilizes the Gear Tunnel space, sliding out to create a unique outdoor cooking setup. Comprising a two-burner cooktop, four-gallon water tank, collapsible sink and 30-piece titanium Snow Peak cookware set, the three-piece design is both functional and easy on the eye and sits securely atop the Gear Tunnel Shuttle, a slide-out platform that holds up to 200lbs. What’s more, the Gear Tunnel Shuttle can be upgraded, as well as easily removed and stored elsewher...

This Marsien supercar was conceptualized by Marc Philipp Gemballa, the 27-year-old son of late German tuner Uwe Gemballa, responsible for visually stunning and record-breaking road cars. The Marc Philipp Gemballa GmbH venture, however, isn’t associated with the Gemballa brand. The Marsien is the first offering from Marc Philipp who has launched his own start-up following his father’s footsteps. The name “Marsien” is French for “Martian”, as the vehicle looked like it was roaming the surface of the Red Planet when testing on the red sands in the Al Faya desert of the UAE. The modified Porsche 992 Turbo S is a blend between modern-day hypercar performance, off-road capabilities, and daily practicality, resulting in the ultimate driving experience with the ...

German carmaker, Volkswagen has announced that they are expecting half of its car sales to be from battery-electric vehicles by 2030. By 2040, the company hopes to go 100 percent electric as a part of its wider goal of becoming fully carbon neutral by 2050. The automaker has said that it is working on specific software that will help the company better transition its vehicles to electric models. In a statement, VW’s CEO Herbert Diess said, “By 2030, the world of mobility will have changed quote a lot, considerably, I would say more than ever before. Cars are getting close to autonomy, many cars will drive round autonomously. We will have a high share of EVs. Mobility as a service will increase.” The plan is to continue to expand its current EV range with “leading...

July 1-4 was dedicated to celebrating the efforts of Italian motor racing globally at Motor Valley Fest, held in the UNESCO World Heritage Site Modena, Italy — regarded as the birthplace of the world’s most famous automotive brands including Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini, Dallara, Pagani and Ducati. The event displayed the best of the best in Italian engineering for a jam-packed four days of automotive-focused events in partnership with the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Italian Trade Agency and the Emilia-Romagna Region to promote the country’s top businesses. Having already caught up with Horacio Pagani as he prepped to showcase new offerings from his eponymous supercar brand as well as Dallara hosting an e-sports competition with virtual renditions of iconic circuits ...

Lewis Hamilton has a strong claim to being the greatest Formula 1 driver of all time. In the 14 years since his debut season, he has won the World Drivers’ Championship a joint-record-breaking seven times, while also taking the record for most wins, most pole positions, and most podium finishes. Hamilton holds another record as well: he is the first and only Black racing driver in Formula 1. After all but conquering the track, Hamilton has now taken on a different challenge. In June 2020, he partnered with the Royal Academy of Engineering to launch The Hamilton Commission, which is described as an “opportunity to simultaneously address the underrepresentation of Black people in UK motorsport as well as the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) sector.” “I’ve been in this ...

DRIVERS is a series highlighting influential individuals in the HYPEBEAST sphere and their passion towards all things automotive. The approach is simple: what is car culture to you, and why do you have a passion for it? Each contributor is given a chance to shine light on their personal vehicle or vehicles, and asked to remark on how they are driving culture forward, both metaphorically and literally. Actor and comedian Kevin Hart is a busy guy to say the least; when he’s not on tour for stand up, acting in both comedies and dramas, or receiving real life llamas for his birthday, he somehow still has time to host a brand new, car-centric show on the Motortrend channel of originals. Kevin Hart’s Muscle Car Crew is just that – a series that focuses on Hart’s passion for all...

BMW has just announced two limited edition SUVs in the form of the Black Vermilion Edition X5 and X6. Both versions are based on their respective X5 xDrive40i and X6 xDrive40i models and receive a paint job that Darth Vader himself would be proud of – Frozen Black Metallic. This color scheme is contrasted by a striking set of 22” Orbit Grey alloy wheels, a red-highlighted kidney bar grille, and red brake calipers. The aggressive body styling is also afforded by numerous upgrades borrowed from the M Sport line. The elegance also makes its way to the interior with red-stitched merino leather upholstery, an M Alcantara anthracite roof liner, Black Vermilion Edition badging, and a crystal glass application known as Crafted Clarity. The X5 and X6 will be limited to 350 examples (50 if you...

For those who think a standard Bentley is a bit too common, fear not, as the luxury British marque has its Mulliner division built just for you. Today, Bentley Mulliner celebrates its 1,000th commission, producing a one-of-a-kind Bentayga for an esteemed European customer. Mulliner started seven years ago as a way to deliver Bentley customers the ultimate level of passenger luxury, and it did so by developing 15 versions of the Flying Spur Serenity. After 1,000 builds, Bentley Mulliner really knows what it’s doing, and has applied this level of expertise and precision into creating this one-off Bentayga. Aside from the custom aubergine purple shade, you’ll notice blacked-out elements reworking the grille, rims, roof rails, headlight surrounds, side rakes, and more, as well as a...