Car News

The next-generation Audi A1 has been spied during development testing, giving us an early glimpse at the German marque's upcoming light hatch. Despite the heavy camouflage, it's pretty clear that the A1's shape will be an evolution of the current car, not a revolution - much like the rest of Audi's latest designs. Trainspotters will notice fresh interpretations of Audi's front grill and headlight designs, both of which are more angular and aggressive than the current model.

The Volkswagen Group is looking to diffuse emerging tensions among its mass-market marques by giving them more clearly-defined roles in the future. According to a report from Reuters, the automotive giant wants to cut the overlap between Skoda, Seat and Volkswagen vehicles, in an attempt to better take advantage of its manufacturing scale.

The Dutch government has confirmed plans to ban the sale of petrol- and diesel-powered vehicles in 2030. The decision is part of a plan to cut CO2 levels by 49 per cent ahead of 2030. According to NL Times, the internal combustion ban will be accompanied by the closure of all coal-fired power stations within Dutch borders by the same date.

Speaking at the international launch of the fifth-generation Lexus LS sedan, Koichi Suga, the car's chief designer, laid out the design philosophy that will be seen on the next crop of vehicles from Toyota's luxury marque. In addition to being in charge of the LS's exterior design, Suga oversees the chief designers working on upcoming Lexus vehicles.

McLaren Special Operations (MSO) has revealed a pair of bespoke vehicles for one cashed-up customer - the MSO R Coupe and MSO R Spider. Based on the previous generation 'Super Series' family, which includes the 650S and 675LT, the MSO R Coupe and Spider feature an array of unique appointments and upgrades to make sure they stand out from more 'common' versions.