Car News

America just wasn’t enough for the original pony car. The Ford Mustang has officially gone global. Last year saw the Mustang rise to the top of the sports car world, with recognition from fans from all corners of the planet. A total of 102,090 examples were delivered in 2019 according to IHS Markit, who are the worldwide source of vehicle registration data. It is the fifth consecutive year the Mustang has been crowned the best-selling sports coupe in the world.

Car manufacturers across Europe are reopening factories and restarting production as governments around the world begin to ease coronavirus restrictions – although assembly lines in other regions may need to wait another month or more. Volkswagen, Renault, PSA, Toyota, Jaguar Land Rover and Mercedes-Benz have begun reinstating their manufacturing operations in plants across Europe, while examining viable ways to eventually do the same for their production sites in the United States and Asia.

Australia’s love affair with utes is beginning to have dangerous consequences. An increasing number of ute owners are overloading their vehicles or fitting accessories that can cause irreparable damage and compromise safety, a peak industry body has warned.

Mini has been forced to change the name of a wheel option offered on its first all-electric car, the Mini Cooper SE, due to an unfortunate coincidence related to the coronavirus crisis. The distinctive 17-inch light alloy wheels – offered as an optional trim on the electric model and pictured above and below – are called the 'Corona Spoke', a name chosen long before the global pandemic took hold.

US car giant General Motors has announced it will close its Maven car-rental service after four years, citing COVID-19 as a contributing factor. It is unclear what this will mean for Holden's Maven program. The Maven car rental service was launched in the US in 2016, and made selected vehicles available to the public on short term leases: daily, weekly, or monthly.