Car News

Two pioneering manufacturers in the electric vehicle (EV) market, BMW and Nissan, have called on the Australian Federal Government to incentivise buyers of low-emission cars, citing evidence from Europe, Asia and North America. BMW Australia boss Marc Werner teed off again this week, saying he was sick of carmakers and independent bodies “doing the heavy lifting” on EVs and hybrid vehicles, and calling the government short-sighted for not offering tax breaks to buyers.

Young drivers are almost twice as likely to be killed in a traffic accident than their parents, according to new data from Australian Roads. The research says traffic injuries are the second-biggest killer of people aged between 15 and 24 in Australia. It also said the ability to perform basic safety checks is "becoming extinct" among younger drivers.

Ferrari has teased a new special version of the 488 supercar, tipped to be named the 488 GTO. In a 40-second clip on Facebook, the Prancing Horse shows the mystery model wearing the company's signature red paint contrasted with white and black striping. We can see briefly that the rear end will get unique styling inspired by the LaFerrari hybrid hypercar, along with a 8000rpm redline.

The second-generation BMW X4 has been revealed, ahead of an Australian market launch sometime in the third quarter of 2018. Headlining the upgrades are an all-new exterior look – bringing the X4 in line with the related X3 – along with the latest in connectivity, a fresh infotainment layout, and up-to-date driver assistance systems. There are also new exterior colours, new engines, and the option of BMW's new M Sport X package debuted on the smaller X2.

Rolls-Royce has confirmed it will name its new "high-sided car" the Cullinan – though we pretty much knew that already. Basically, the British marque has taken the 'Project' out of 'Project Cullinan', naming its new SUV after a sought-after African diamond extracted in the early 1900s. "The name Cullinan has been hiding in plain sight since we revealed it as the project name some years ago,” said Torsten Müller-Ötvös, CEO of Rolls-Royce.