Car News

Mercedes-Benz Australia’s CEO, Horst von Sanden, says he’s not particularly concerned about dipping luxury car sales this year, though he admits consumer and business confidence is “not great”. Sales of the company’s passenger cars and SUV models are down 7.5 per cent this year, contrasting against six consecutive years of solid - often double digit - growth. Rivals BMW and Audi are in similar positions, down 3.8 per cent and 8.5 per cent respectively.

The next-generation BMW 3 Series will be unveiled at the Paris motor show next week – the company has confirmed. At a press conference scheduled for 9:00am CET (5:00pm AEST) on Tuesday, October 2, the Bavarian marque will reveal the seventh iteration of its popular sports sedan, headlining its stand at the event. No further details were added, but a series of teasers over the past couple of months have given us a good idea of what to expect from next week's announcement.

Mercedes-Benz Australia has issued a recall for 'certain' S-Class models built during 2017 and 2018 over concerns the busbars in the luggage area could pose a fire risk. According to the German marque, a manufacturing fault may not have seen two nuts for the mounting busbars (an electrical component) in the 'prefuse box' located in the boot installed.

The Porsche 718 Boxster Spyder has been spied once again, ahead of an anticipated reveal in the coming months. It's almost like Porsche wants to give the car's overall design away now – there's next to no camouflage on this prototype, though the entire vehicle is finished in black. We can see a more aggressive body kit compared to 'standard' 718 Boxster models, including an upgraded wheel and tyre package concealing massive brakes with yellow calipers.

The upcoming Aston Martin Project 003 will have a turbocharged V6 engine developed in-house, according to a report from Europe. Speaking with Auto Express last week, Andy Palmer, Aston Martin president and CEO, said the 2021 "connector" between the brand's Ferrari 488 competitor and the Valkyrie will run with a V6 and KERS-inspired hybrid system. "Yes there are similarities, starting with the engine - it’s a V6," Palmer said.