Car News

The Peugeot 5008 has been chosen as the new official state vehicle for France's president, Emmanuel Macron, and as such the company has decked out the SUV with a range of modifications for presidential use, including certified bulletproofing. In partnership with Centigon Security Group, the special 5008 gets bespoke features like armour plating, a one-off second row seating package, upgraded brakes, emergency lights and sirens, along with the Presidential Seal.

UPDATE (13/6/18): Aston Martin's local arm has confirmed the Rapide AMR will be priced from $459,950 plus on-road costs. See bottom of article for more details. The Aston Martin Rapide AMR has been revealed, sporting racy looks, more power, and a super limited production run.

Volvo Cars has joined a growing list of manufacturers pushing away from motor shows, instead focusing on more closely-tailored events showcasing its new products. The first casualty is the 2019 Geneva motor show, with no word on whether it'll appear at the 2018 Paris motor show this October. Unlike many manufacturers, who like to launch their vehicles at motor shows, Volvo used 2017 Milan Fashion Week to unveil the XC40, and revealed the V60 in a Stockholm driveway.

Mercedes-Benz has previewed its EQA compact electric hatchback, set to debut by 2020, in a new video on YouTube. The minute-long clip shows the Concept EQA cruising around the Sicilian countryside, and highlights the car's blue light signatures and edgy styling.

The updated Mazda MX-5 has been unveiled in Japan, where it has gained a more powerful 2.0-litre engine and a telescoping steering wheel among other changes. The MX-5's 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine has been massaged to deliver 137kW, up from 118kW. The redline has also been raised from 6800rpm to 7500rpm, and torque increased slightly from 200Nm to 205Nm.