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

VW Boss Confident Carmaker’s EVs Will Outsell Tesla By 2025

CEO of Volkswagen, Herbert Diess, has lofty aspirations for the brand’s EV sales, predicting that the company will be able to catch and pass Tesla’s global sales figures by 2025. Diess made the comments on CNBC’s Squawk Box Europe, and isn’t the first CEO to benchmark Tesla; Mary Barra of GM wants her company to be the global leader in EV sales by 2025 too.

2023 Honda CR-V For North America Teased Ahead Of Summer Debut

A new teaser from Honda gives us our first look at North America’s 2023 Honda CR-V. The new SUV features sharper headlights, a more prominent grille, and revised LED taillights. The images point toward the North American CR-V being virtually identical to China’s version (bar minor trim differences), while the car is set to debut later this summer, with production commencing in the fall.

329-HP Volkswagen Golf R 20 Years Edition Is Most Powerful Golf Yet

The new special edition Gold R 20 Years is the most powerful Golf to roll off the factory floor. The engine has been tuned to produce 329 hp (333 PS), which is 13 hp (13 PS) than the standard Euro-spec Golf R. There’s an Akrapovic titanium sports exhaust, while the DSG gearbox has been remapped to give “noticeable feedback when shifting up.” It’s available in two colors, Lapiz Blue or white, and features contrasting mirror caps, unique badging and puddle lights, and genuine carbon-fiber trim on the dash and door cards.

Elon’ Rambo’ Musk Says “There Will Be Blood” As He Seeks Tesla Litigation Chief After Sexual Harassment Report

Elon Musk appears to be threatening new outlets that publish allegations against him, using Twitter to claim “there will be blood,” following reports that he had allegedly sexually harassed an employee. A day after the initial Business Insider report, Musk publicly said that Tesla would build “a hardcore litigation department where we directly initiate & execute lawsuits. The team will report directly to me.” He added that he was looking for “hardcore streetfighters” for the team and asked for applicants on Twitter.

2023 Toyota 4Runner Celebrates Its 40th Birthday With Retro Striped Edition

The new 2023 Toyota 4Runner 40th Anniversary Edition is a retro-inspired take on the brand’s iconic body-on-frame SUV. Highlights include 17-inch bronze alloy wheels, a body-color heritage grille with “TOYOTA” lettering, and a heritage graphics package. Inside, the 40th Anniversary Edition gets black SofTex seats with bronze contrast stitching and 40th Anniversary badging on the headrests, a dashboard plaque, special floor mats, and a standard power moonroof.

Nissan Prepping A Modified Ariya To Drive Nearly 17,000 Miles From The North To South Pole

Nissan will be modifying an Ariya to take on a 27,000 km (16,777 miles) trip from the North to the South Pole. If successful, it’ll be the first vehicle to ever accomplish such a feat, which is doubly impressive as it’s an EV. The car has been previewed in a set of sketches, which depict the larger wheels with all-terrain tires, a new suspension setup, a rugged body kit with skid plates, plastic cladding on the wheel arches, and a roof-mounted structure with extra LEDs. No upgrades to the drivetrain were mentioned, with the “Pole to Pole” adventure set to start in March 2023.

The Electric Mercedes-Benz EQG Can Do Rivian-Style Tank Turns

Exploiting the benefits of having individually controllable wheel motors seems to be the latest trend amongst off-roaders today, with the EQG showcased performing a Rivian-style tank turn. Branded ‘G-turn’, the EQG will likely hit the U.S. market sometime in 2024, featuring the same basic ladder frame as the regular G-Class.

What Else Is Making The News

BBC Forced To Apologise For Soccer Slur 

The BBC has apologized for a message saying “Machester United are rubbish” appearing on the news ticker at the bottom of the screen. Another note said, “Weather rain everywhere.” The mistake was blamed on a trainee learning to operate the system and writing random things.

Ferrari Drivers To Make A Cameo In Disney Film

Ferrari’s Formula 1 drivers, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, will be making a cameo in Disney’s upcoming Buzz Lightyear movie. Exactly which character they’ll voice is unknown as yet, but the two drivers will be lending their vocal talents to the same role: Sainz dubbing the Spanish version and Leclerc the Italian.