Car News

Is the next-generation Ford Mustang going to have a fully electric option to sell alongside its V8? Talk about having an each way bet. While you could barely find the entrance to the 2019 SEMA auto show through clouds of thick tyre smoke from Ford Mustangs doing burnouts and drifting demonstrations in the car park, the company took a green approach inside the Las Vegas exhibition halls. The Ford Mustang Lithium is an “ultra-high-performance battery electric Mustang fastback prototype”.

The BMW iNext crossover has been spied again, although it's not clear if iNext name will carry over for production. While the latest iNext prototype wears less camouflage than earlier vehicles, there are still plenty of false body panels, especially around the front and rear of the car, as well as around the D-pillar area. The front fascia is largely blocked off and we're unable to see what BMW has decided to do with its signature double-kidney grille.

The Lotus flower is about to bloom again. Britain's Autocar reports the Hethel automaker is planning to reintroduce the drop-top Elan as part of an ambitious expansion of its model range. Now under the control of Chinese Geely, which has a 51 per cent share in the company, Lotus plans to introduce the Elan as part of CEO Phil Popham’s 'Vision 80' investment program.

The Ford Bronco R race prototype previews the design of the new Bronco SUV, which will make its debut in the northern spring of 2020 and take on the popular Jeep Wrangler. Spy photos have shown the Bronco will use a shortened version of the T6 platform, which underpins the existing Ranger ute, Everest SUV. Reports indicate the Bronco will, like the Wrangler, be available in both three- and five-door formats.

The BMW M340i xDrive Touring has gone on sale in Europe, sporting the same 275kW/500Nm turbocharged inline six as its sedan equivalent – but don't expect it in Australia anytime soon. Compared to its three-box twin (which is now on sale Down Under from $99,900), the M340i xDrive Touring claims to hit 100km/h from a standstill in 4.5 seconds (0.1s slower than the sedan).