Good morning and welcome to our weekly digest of automotive news from around the globe, starting with…

EU Makes Proposal To Ban New ICE Cars By 2035 Official

The European Commission has proposed legislation that would effectively eliminate new ICE vehicles by 2035. While several car manufacturers have already announced plans to go EV-only, ACEA, the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association, has said the “proposed CO2 reduction target for cars of 55% by 2030 will be very challenging.”

2022 Opel Astra Has Stellantis Underpinnings And A Bold New Face

The 2022 Opel/Vauxhall Astra sports a new look. But it’s not just the new design language that’s notable. Now under the wing of Stellantis, Opel’s new Astra rides on the same EMP2 platform as the Peugeot 308. It will feature petrol, diesel and PHEV drivetrains.

Aston Martin Reveals Production-Spec Valhalla With 937 HP Hybrid V8

Aston Martin’s 937 hp (950 PS/698 kW), 737 lb-ft (1000 Nm) hybrid hypercar has been revealed in its production guise. It features a Mercedes-sourced 4.0-liter V8 coupled together with two electric motors. 0-62 mph (100 km/h) comes in 2.5 seconds, and its top speed is 217 mph (330 km/h).

Tesla Quoted $16,000 For A Repair Job An Independent Did For $700

A damaged battery pack, caused by running over debris on the road, saw one Model 3 owner quoted $16,000 for the repair. A broken flange caused coolant to leak out, and so Tesla’s quote was for a brand new pack. Luckily for the owner, an independent workshop was able to fix the damage without replacing the entire battery. Their solution cost just $700.

Hot 2022 Hyundai Elantra N Brings 276HP, Manual Gearbox And 0-62MPH In 5.3 Seconds

The 2022 Hyundai Elantra N (aka i30 N Sedan in some markets) has been unveiled. It features a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 276 hp (206 kW) and 289 lb-ft (392 Nm) of torque. As well as a eight-speed DCT, it’ll also be offered with a six-speed manual transmission.

Marc Philipp Gemballa’s Marsien Is An 830 HP, $700k Off-Road Porsche 911

Get your orders in fast because the Marsien is limited to just 40 units. It’s based on a 992 generation 911 Turbo S and features a RUF-fettled flat-six engine that produces either 740 hp (750 PS/552 kW) or a mental 818 hp (830 PS/610 kW). It also features adjustable raised ride height, A/T tires, and suspension bits from a Cayenne.

Secret BMW 7-Series Prototype From The ’90s Predicted The Tall Kidney Grille

The buck-toothed grilles of recent BMWs may have caused a lot of controversy, but this early ’90s design study shows that the automaker has been thinking about tall kidney grilles for a long time. The entire concept was pretty futuristic for its time, but it included other elements that we see today, such as pop-out door handles and cameras for mirrors.

2022 Mercedes-AMG SL Roadster Opens Up Revealing Its 2+2 Interior For The First Time

Although we can’t quite see the resemblance that Mercedes says it shares with the original 300 SL roadster, the new SL’s interior looks to be a plush place to spend time in. It features screens galore and plenty of customization options too.

First Official Look At 2022 F1 Car Designed With Closer Racing In Mind

F1’s 2022 design regulations are focused on reducing the aerodynamic wake left by the car. This disturbance makes it so hard for the top-flight single-seaters to follow each other, with a downforce loss of around 47 percent if following one car length behind. The new regs aim to reduce that to around 18 percent.

World’s Biggest Mazda RX Fan Has Taken Over The ‘Hood With Dozens Of Cars

Pile up of old rotaries outside someone’s house in Cyprus
byu/BigBang_Cam inJDM

Few will deny there’s something special about the RX line of performance cars from Mazda. But while most of us might aim to drive or perhaps own one or two, one Cypriot fan has decided to hoard over a dozen RX-7s and RX-8s. Part out, anyone?

What Else Is Making The News

F1 Tries New Format For The First Time 

Formula 1 will be trialing a new sprint race format this weekend at a sold-out British Grand Prix. The Silverstone track saw qualifying occur on Friday, with Lewis Hamilton fastest, followed by championship leader Max Verstappen. Saturday will feature a 30-minute sprint race, with points only for the top-three drivers. The finishing order of the sprint will determine pole and the grid position for Sunday’s full-length race.

Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic SpaceCraft Makes Maiden Voyage 

Richard Branson has successfully visited outer space – although just how high it needs to be before you can call it outer space is up for debate. He did so aboard SpaceShipTwo, which was developed by Branson’s company Virgin Galactic for nearly two decades. The test flight was made a week before his main competitor in the commercial spaceflight sector, Jeff Bezos.