Subaru has officially announced that there will be no new WRX STI with an internal combustion engine. However, the company still has a sporty spirit. A racing version of the WRX model, designed for hill climbing, has been announced. The car, called Project Midnight, is the responsibility of the American division of the brand, but details are still under wraps. The super sedan will be presented next week at the Festival of Speed in Goodwood.
Bugatti released the last Chiron in May and in June presented its successor – the Bugatti Tourbillon coupe. The company still has unfinished projects based on the Chiron: the track Bugatti Bolide and the spider Bugatti W16 Mistral. Bugatti promises to accelerate production to complete the entire run by 2026, the scheduled start date for the Tourbillon model. By regular auto industry standards, 40 Bolides and 99 Mistrals seem insignificant. However, for Bugatti, the remaining one and a half years for their release is a tight deadline. In addition, the company pledged to significantly improve after-sales service and enhance the qualifications of service technicians.
According to Reuters, Europe’s largest EPP party plans to extend the life of cars with internal combustion engines beyond 2035. Politicians are considering revising the strict rules banning internal combustion engines and making an exception for synthetic fuel. Interestingly, a year ago, the European Commission, under pressure from Germany, already allowed concessions for cars running on alternative fuel. Now the discussion centers around amending the bill itself through public deliberation.
While US authorities are imposing prohibitive duties on Chinese electric vehicles, Chinese cars are finding success in the US market. For example, the Lincoln Nautilus crossover, produced by the Changan Ford joint venture in Hangzhou, has become the company’s best-selling model in the United States: almost 18,000 Chinese-made cars were sold in the first half of the year. Competing concern General Motors also supplies many cars from China.
The electric SUV Ineos Fusilier was unveiled in February of this year, but the company didn’t reveal the interior, technical details, or even a price range. They only announced that production would begin in 2027. Now, it seems the Fusilier’s release has been delayed further due to the cooling electric vehicle market.
Sollers has begun assembling six-speed manual JAC gearboxes at the Zavolzhsky Motor Plant. The new production line is designed to produce 50 thousand units per year and can be quickly reconfigured for different transmission modifications. The first model with a Russian-assembled gearbox was the Sollers Argo light-duty truck; other Sollers models will subsequently switch to localized transmissions.
SWM and Kaliningrad Avtotor plan to transition from large-unit assembly of cars to full-cycle production, including body welding and painting. The partners intend to increase production volume to 40 thousand cars per year. By the end of this year, the brand’s third model will appear on the Russian market, joining the SWM G01 and SWM G05 Pro crossovers. It is likely that this will be the three-row SWM G03 SUV, known as SWM Tiger in China.
The Jetta brand, owned by the Chinese joint venture FAW-Volkswagen, has been officially launched in Russia. Deliveries of these cars have been ongoing since the beginning of 2023. Initially, dealer holdings handled the deliveries, and then FAW became involved, but the business was still “semi-official.” Now, everything is official: in Russia, the Jetta brand is represented by FAW-Eastern Europe (which also handles the Bestune and Hongqi brands), and it has an official website. The cars themselves remain unchanged: the Jetta VA3 sedan (starting at 1.93 million rubles), the Jetta VS5 crossovers (starting at 2.95 million rubles), and the Jetta VS7 (starting at 3.22 million rubles). The cars come with a two-year or 100,000 km warranty.
Today we also discussed the Pagani Huayra Epitome hypercar, June statistics for the Russian car market, future models of the Mini John Cooper Works E, Volkswagen Teramont, and Alpine A290 GTX.
Automotive News Digest: Subaru, Bugatti, and More
Subaru Announces Hill-Climbing WRX for Goodwood
Subaru has officially announced that there will be no new WRX STI with an internal combustion engine. However, a glimmer of sporty spirit remains within the company. They are unveiling a racing version of the WRX model, designed specifically for hill climbing, dubbed Project Midnight. This new super sedan was developed by the brand’s American division and will be showcased next week at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Details remain a mystery for now, but the teasers released so far are enough to pique the interest of car enthusiasts.
Bugatti Races to Complete Chiron-Based Models
Bugatti has already released the final Chiron, but their work isn’t done. They are still busy completing two unfinished projects based on the Chiron platform: the track-focused Bugatti Bolide and the open-top Bugatti W16 Mistral. The company aims to finalize production on all remaining models by 2026, just before the launch of the new Bugatti Tourbillon. While 40 Bolides and 99 Mistrals might seem like a small number compared to the overall auto industry, it’s a hefty workload for Bugatti considering its remaining production time. The company has also committed to enhancing after-sales service and improving the qualifications of its technicians.
European Parliament Pushes to Keep Internal Combustion Engines
The European Parliament’s EPP party, the continent’s largest, is looking to extend the life of cars with internal combustion engines beyond 2035. They are proposing a review of the strict rules that ban these engines, making an exception for vehicles that use synthetic fuels. This move comes a year after the European Commission made concessions for cars running on alternative fuels, this time they are looking to amend the bill directly.
The Rise of Chinese-Made Cars in the US
Despite US authorities imposing heavy tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, Chinese car manufacturers are thriving in the US market. A prime example is the Lincoln Nautilus crossover, built by the Changan Ford joint venture in Hangzhou. In the first half of 2023, the Nautilus became Lincoln’s top-selling model in the US with nearly 18,000 units sold. Other competitors, like General Motors, are also importing significant quantities of vehicles from China.
Ineos Fusilier Electric SUV Delayed Amidst Cooling Market
Ineos unveiled its Fusilier electric SUV in February 2023, but the company declined to share any details about the interior, technical specifications, or pricing. They only stated that production would begin in 2027. Now, due to the cooling electric vehicle market, the launch of the Fusilier has been pushed back further.
Sollers Begins Assembling JAC Transmissions in Russia
Sollers has started production of six-speed manual transmissions manufactured by JAC at the Zavolzhsky Motor Plant. The new production line is capable of producing 50,000 units annually and can be easily adapted to produce different transmission modifications. The Sollers Argo light-duty truck was the first vehicle to utilize a Russian-assembled gearbox. Other Sollers models will gradually adopt localized transmissions.
SWM and Avtotor Partner to Expand Production in Russia
SWM and Kaliningrad Avtotor are aiming to increase their production volume in Russia to 40,000 cars per year by switching from large-unit assembly to full-cycle production. This will involve incorporating body welding and painting processes. They also plan to introduce a third model to the Russian market, joining the existing SWM G01 and SWM G05 Pro crossovers. The new model is likely to be the three-row SWM G03 SUV, known as SWM Tiger in China.
Jetta Brand Officially Launched in Russia
Following its entry into the Russian market in early 2023, the Jetta brand, owned by the Chinese joint venture FAW-Volkswagen, is now fully operational. The brand’s official website, operated by FAW-Eastern Europe, is now live. The company offers three models in Russia: the Jetta VA3 sedan (starting at 1.93 million rubles), the Jetta VS5 crossover (starting at 2.95 million rubles), and the Jetta VS7 (starting at 3.22 million rubles). All vehicles come with a two-year or 100,000 km warranty.