It’s the 100th anniversary of the best motor sport event on the planet this week, the Le Mans 24 Hour race. The famous flag will drop at 3pm UK time on Saturday and for the first time in 50 years, Ferrari will be on pole. The Ferrari 499Ps of the Ferrari AF Corse hypercar team locked out the front row of the grid with multiple winners Toyota Gazoo Racing having to settle for third and fourth. The race will also see the debut of Cadillac which secured 6th and 8th places on the grid, while Peugeot returns to Le Mans with its stunning 9X8 and will start in 10th and 11th.
Volvo has revealed its game-changing EX30 electric model, stealing the limelight from the new Lexus LBX. There’s a new BMW 5 Series and we have luxury and performance in the new Aston Martin DB12 and Range Rover Sport SV.
Volvo delivers electric star
If Le Mans isn’t your thing we won’t judge you, but fear not because it has been a busy time for new models starting with big news about a small(ish) car from Volvo. It has revealed its EX30 electric crossover and it’s going to have many people excited. Available with a single motor and a 51kWh battery or dual motor and a 69kWh battery, it will be the fastest accelerating Volvo ever made with a 0-62mph time of just 3.6 seconds. More appealing for most will be that it will have a range of up to 298 miles on a charge and prices will start from £33,795, undercutting major rivals like the Renault Megane E-Tech, Tesla Model Y and Volkswagen ID 4. Due to arrive in the UK in the first quarter of 2024, the EX30 continues Volvo’s great design strategy and it will be packed with tech too, including a 12.3-inch touchscreen, wireless smartphone integration, Harman Kardon audio, heated front seats and Pro Pilot driving assistance. Plus it will have all Volvo’s characteristic safety features.
Lexus shrinks luxury with LBX
The EX30 will be bad news for Lexus which has just revealed its new LBX, or Lexus Breakthrough Crossover. We aren’t convinced by the breakthrough bit, it looks like yet another small SUV crossover thing to take on the BMW X1 and Audi Q3, not to mention the Toyota C-HR from within the company’s own stable. However, Lexus is convinced it will become its top seller in Europe. There’s no electric version, instead the LBX will only be available as a hybrid featuring a new design language for the brand. Lexus has yet to release any UK prices but has confirmed the LBX will arrive here in March 2024.
As we’re talking Lexus, the Japanese automaker has also released a new model in the US that is unlikely to come to the UK. Designers like to say something looks like it has been hewn from granite, the new GX really does. It’s a massive block of a thing designed and engineered for luxury off-road adventures. Texans are going to love it.
Range Rover Sport gets even more sporty
That is if they don’t prefer something posher in the form of the new Range Rover Sport SV. The most powerful Range Rover ever made, it drops the sporting exterior personal of Sport SVRs that have preceded it and instead emerges from a high-end tailors looking sharp and luxurious.
If you’re all about the numbers then the BMW-sourced V8 has 60hp more than the last generation at 635hp. It will hit 62mph in 3.6 seconds and go on to top speed of 180mph, plus it can generate up to 1.1g of lateral acceleration during cornering. It has a brand new 6D Dynamic suspension system previously only used in supercars but of course it still has all the off-road ability a Range Rover should have. You can have it with carbon ceramic brakes but that’s not all that’s carbon, the SV is available with 23-inch carbon fibre wheels, the largest ever made.
There’s a big first inside too with special transducers in the ‘Body and Soul’ seats that pulse like speaker cones to give you a fully immersive audio experience. We’ve tried it, it’s cool, although we are conflicted slightly because it doesn’t really fit with the purity of a true high-end hi-fi sound.
Executives rejoice, there’s a new BMW 5 Series
BMW has revealed something slightly less powerful but still every bit the executive in the form of the new 5 Series and a number of recent BMW models, we aren’t offended by its looks. Head of BMW Group design, Adrian van Hooydonk, told us that they wouldn’t mess with the executive appeal of the 5 Series and they haven’t. The changes are conservative compared to other models and there’s no massive grille, although the frontal treatment of M models looks rather garish. There’s a more sculpted look with a few more angles and it has an executive look that should see it retain its appeal against rivals like the Audi A6 and Mercedes-Benz E-Class.
Inside it gets BMW’s latest curved display layout, new materials and trims, a redesigned steering wheel and there’s the option of the BMW Interaction Bar that debuted on the 7 Series. When it launches in the UK in October there will still be petrol and diesel models to choose from but we will also get the new i5 versions offering up to 601hp and a driving range as high as 320 miles.
VW creates a buzz for seven
There seem to be lots of Volkswagen ID Buzz vans around but we haven’t seen any passenger versions. If that’s because people have been waiting for a seven-seater version then the wait is nearly over because VW has revealed a long wheelbase version for seven.
Aston Martin goes super touring
That’s enough of all those normal and practical cars, time for something super, the Aston Martin DB12, what Aston calls a “super tourer”. It marks the next generation of models for the British automaker with new exterior design and perhaps more importantly, a significant new look to the interior, an area in which Aston has fallen a bit behind in recent years.
It will be powered by the Mercedes-AMG 4.0 litre twin turbo engine delivering 680hp and 800Nm, a 0-60mph time of 3.5 seconds and a top end of 202mph. It is packed with performance and luxury and you can expect to hear more from us on it in early July after we’ve put it through its paces in the south of France shortly.
Porsche on a mission again
If super isn’t enough and you want to go hyper, then Porsche has revealed its Mission X electric hypercar to celebrate its 75th anniversary this year. It says it’s only a concept at this stage but given Porsche’s relationship with Rimac, we suspect it is actually planned for production. It looks every bit the Le Mans style race car, taking over where the 918 and Carrera GT left off, but with pure electric propulsion.
All that leaves us to say is good luck to all competing at Le Mans and yes, we do wish we were there, but like many, we’ll be camping in front of the telly this weekend to take in all the action.
Written by Mark Smyth
