The arrival of Chinese brands in Europe, with special incidence in Spain, has long been a reality. The latest example is the milestone of the Chinese manufacturer BYD, which has reached 50,000 registered units in Spain in just three years and three months since its landing in the Spanish market. It should also be said that the merit of the milestone achieved by BYD is twofold, since from its beginnings the Chinese manufacturer has only marketed electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, and has set aside vehicles with internal combustion engines.BYD's exclusive commitment to electric or electrified vehicles has been well received in Spain, and in fact, the Chinese brand became the leader in the plug-in vehicle segment throughout 2025, with a total of 25,552 units registered, and continues to maintain leadership during the first five months of 2026, with 17,987 units registered between January 1 and May 31, 2026.

A recent study of the dating app Ashley Madison placed three Catalan cities (Girona, Manresa, and Barcelona) as the most unfaithful in Spain. To this data, we must add the fact that Spain is one of the three most unfaithful countries in the world, accompanied by the United States and Brazil in the ranking of most unfaithful countries, and leading —with a certain distance— the European ranking, far ahead of Italy or Denmark.In an increasingly less monogamous context and open to discovering new personal experiences, car manufacturers have also realized that Spanish car buyers, and especially Catalans, no longer swear eternal love to a particular brand. Studies such as that of the consultancy JD Power reveal that a significant portion of buyers of certain luxury brands like Porsche or Mercedes-Benz do maintain a certain commitment and loyalty to the brand, and buy several models from the same manufacturer throughout their lives, but this feeling and emotional bond is practically nonexistent in Catalonia and the rest of Spain.Although it is not about making a treatise on sociology, it is enough to observe how the consumption habits of drivers in Catalonia have changed. While it is true that most of the population has a good memory of their parents' or grandparents' vehicles, and that there is a certain sense of pride regarding Seat (and now Cupra), the sentimental bond with a brand is not, by far, a decisive factor when buying a new car.In most European countries there is a buyer profile very linked to a specific brand. In France or Italy, for example, there are millions of people who always buy cars of a specific brand, such as Renault or Fiat, as they have a real emotional bond with the car manufacturer. This feeling or emotional bond explains the survival of brands like Vauxhall in the United Kingdom or the good sales figures for Opel in Germany, even though both brands are part of the Stellantis group, of Italian-American capital.An opportunity for the Chinese

When the major Chinese automotive groups have decided to take the step of manufacturing part of their vehicles in Europe, motivated by the European Union's tariff policy, they have looked for scenarios with a good communications network, efficient distribution, the existence of a network of experienced suppliers and qualified labor, but also an open market to buy different car brands without looking at their origin as long as the price and product fit well.The landing of the Chery group in Barcelona from the Zona Franca plant, where Ebro models are assembled and Omoda or Jaecoo models will soon be, is largely explained by the existence of a buyer profile that has no decisive emotional connection when changing cars, and who prioritizes the price and functionality of the car over the origin or roots of the manufacturer. In other words, the Chinese who have bet on Barcelona (and who want to bet on Almussafes, Zaragoza or other Spanish plants) do so, among other reasons, because of the real possibility of positioning their products without preconceptions or conditions regarding the origin of the vehicle, something that in France, the United Kingdom or Italy —countries with a strong sense of belonging and brand pride— does not seem possible at the moment.The profile of a Dacia Sandero buyer (the best-selling car in Spain in recent years) does not have a special interest or emotional attachment to Dacia. The Sandero buyer is looking for a reasonable car, at an affordable price and with features and possibilities that fit their needs, and it is precisely this buyer profile that has no problem buying a vehicle of Chinese origin (MG, Jaecoo, Omoda, Ebro...) as long as it has a competitive price and fits their daily needs.However, this automotive promiscuity can also become a double-edged sword. Not going any further, Catalans never felt a special affection for the Pulsar or the Patrol, to give two examples of models that Nissan manufactured for years and years in Barcelona before its departure and replacement by Ebro and the Chery group. In this regard, it is realistic to think that Catalan buyers will not feel any kind of sentimental attachment to products manufactured by Chery, despite Ebro's advertising efforts to strengthen its link and sense of belonging with local buyers, through the recovery of the Ebro trade name (or Santana in Andalusia) and by sponsoring events or even the Spanish national football team.The sustained relationship, key in the loyalty process

The major automotive manufacturers are aware of the particularity of the Spanish automotive market, and especially the Catalan one. The majority of Catalan buyers looking for a new vehicle do so from brands different from their current model, often motivated by after-sales service that has not generated synergies with their customers.That is why major European manufacturers, in a context of strong international competition, are looking for new systems to retain their customers, which involve a stable and sustained relationship with drivers through constant monitoring of buyers via the dealership network and official workshop inspections. This is because a good reputation in the interpersonal channel (the age-old word-of-mouth, you know) allows a brand to be commercially positioned in the collective imagination (like Toyota, for example) more than through communication campaigns in traditional media or through influencers on social networks.

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Although most European civilians do not quite like it, European administrations have been warning for years about the military risk derived from the international scenario and the need to reorient European industrial priorities towards the armament needs of EU states. In this rearmament framework, Renault has surprised everyone with the presentation of the 4 Troop prototype, a vehicle that uses the base of an SUV or crossover like the Rafale to turn it into a military vehicle prepared for the command and management of drones on the battlefield.And it is that the Ukrainian front in Donbas has shown the world the military possibilities of drone warfare, or unmanned combat aerial vehicles, and it is not surprising that the European Union has promoted its own drone development program called Eurodron, which in a first moment will supply the armed forces of France, Italy, Germany and Spain.A prototype of a tactical military vehicle

Drones require a launch and remote control infrastructure to be effective on the battlefield, and possibly a coupe SUV like the Rafale would be one of the last vehicles we would imagine in the middle of a military conflict. But Renault has surprised everyone with the new 4 Troop, a vehicle that is easy to build and relatively inexpensive and that can serve on the front lines of combat.In reality, this 4 Troop is a Rafale with special camouflage paint, protections and covers for the optical groups, and modifications to the roof and trunk that allow for drone management, as well as launching and landing them. This military prototype also features advanced sensors, encrypted secure tactical connectivity, data processing capabilities, and AI-assisted decision-making systems.

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Accidents involving animals are a real problem in Catalonia, with a particular impact in the province of Barcelona, according to a study by the Ponle Freno opinion studies center and the AXA Foundation Catalonia ranks second nationally for accidents caused by collisions with wild animals. In fact, three of the four Catalan provinces (Barcelona, Lleida, and Girona) are among the top ten provinces with the highest accident rates caused by animal collisions, with Barcelona leading the ranking after registering a 50% increase in animal accidents in the province throughout 2025. Lleida drops to fourth position in the ranking, with a 3.5% decrease compared to the previous year, but Girona records a 20.7% increase in animal accidents, which moves it up to eighth position in the ranking. The rest of the black spots for hunting-related accidents are mainly located in Galicia (Ourense, Pontevedra, and A Coruña) and other points in the northern Iberian Peninsula, such as Asturias, León, Burgos, and Huesca.Wild boars in autumn, the most critical moment of the year

67% of accidents involving a collision with an animal in Catalonia during 2025 were related to wild boars, far behind roe deer (13%) and other animals, such as unleashed dogs or deer, among others. The mortality rate in accidents recorded with wild animals is particularly worrying in Barcelona and Lleida, as 15% of the accidents recorded in the province of Barcelona and 11% of those in Lleida resulted in fatalities. The presence of wild boars has definitely become a real problem that not only affects epidemics and diseases like swine fever, but also causes a road safety problem and an unacceptable death toll for the different administrations.The study also concludes that the moments of highest incidence and risk of collision with wild animals in Catalonia are weekends – especially Sunday evenings and early Monday mornings – and the months of October and November. Prevention tips

It should be said that it is indeed complicated to avoid collisions with wild animals when they invade the road, but we remind you of some concrete and simple measures that can help you minimize the damage from these collisions, or even avoid them.First and foremost, anticipation is key to being able to foresee these accidents, paying attention to the sections signposted for the alert of animal presence, and generally when driving – especially at dusk and at night – on local or regional roads in rural areas, adapting speed and paying special attention to the presence of elements on the roadside. The most critical times are early evening and early morning, and if you spot a wild animal, it is advisable to honk the horn to scare it away and clear the road.Furthermore, it is absolutely necessary to maintain the vehicle's lighting system in good condition (cleaning of headlights and condition of bulbs) and the windshield to have optimal visibility during dark hours and to adjust speed to have more reaction time. Finally, it is important to avoid sudden steering movements; if we are driving, it may be preferable to brake sharply and hit an animal head-on than to go off the road or invade the oncoming lane and collide with another vehicle.If despite everything we have an accident, it is necessary to immediately call the emergency number 112 and signal the area to avoid new impacts with other vehicles, using the mandatory visibility systems. However, it is advisable not to get too close to a wild boar after a collision, especially if the animal is still alive and badly injured, as it can be dangerous for humans.

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With the arrival of the summer months comes the payment reminderof the new Catalan tax on CO₂ emissions, a tax that will affect more than one and a half million drivers in the country and which for now only applies in Catalonia. This tax, which is expected to raise more than 145 million this fiscal year, is added to a long list of direct and indirect taxes that drivers have to face to use their vehicle, expenses that must be added to the significant capital investment in the purchase process and subsequent vehicle maintenance, which we will analyze individually below.

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The automotive world is changing faster and faster, and novelties cease to be so in too short a time. In fact, the commercial life of a passenger car is approximately ten years, with various aesthetic updates or restyling that allow cars to maintain a fresh, young, and modern image.The process of replacing models with newer and more modern generations has accelerated in recent years due to the arrival of electrification and digitalization of automobiles, causing models with combustion or semi-hybrid engines to be somewhat sidelined in dealerships in the face of the arrival of more modern, digital, and plug-in models. On the contrary, there are models with years of production that have become practically perfect machines, as they have become cars tested and perfected practically to the extreme, in which the possible incidents and teething problems that a car can have in the initial phase of its production have been improved.It is worth mentioning that modern cars pass all relevant certifications and approvals, but with the passage of years and kilometers, some potential endemic problems or weak points may arise: from a faulty cooling system to electronic folding mirror systems that do not work. Manufacturers, the first to be interested in maintaining the delicate balance between brand reputation and the cost of warranty replacements and repairs, introduce improvements in their cars' production processes to make them increasingly perfected and reliable machines.A more competitive price for a product with guarantees

Let's take the case of the Seat Ibiza or the Seat Arona. Both are cars with more than six years on the market, and while it is true that aesthetically they do not represent any striking novelty, the various aesthetic updates they have received and the deep knowledge of the models in their production process have made them almost perfect machines, without any hidden vice, manufacturing defect or problem to discover. The brand – in this case, Seat – knows that it must adjust the price of the product to the maximum to make it competitive in a market full of novelties, something that, thanks to fully amortized design and pre-production costs, it can afford with relative ease.If we go a little further, it is possible to find cars in an even more attractive situation for the buyer, thanks to run out cars or those in the process of being replaced by a new generation of the model or a completely new model. All manufacturers know that the value of their cars depreciates rapidly when they officially present their successor, as buyers quickly lose interest in the discontinued model in favor of the new model. It is precisely at this point, prior to the presentation of the new generation or model of a particular vehicle, that manufacturers offer end-of-production versions packed with equipment, well tested and proven by thousands of cars in circulation, at a very attractive price. Without going any further, this would be the case of the current Alfa Romeo Giulia and Alfa Romeo Stelvio, two aspirational cars at the end of their commercial life that offer prices significantly below their BMW or Porsche rivals with equivalent power, but with equal or even superior equipment.Evidently, this type of vehicle, at the end of its commercial life, also presents some drawbacks. The first is that these outgoing or end-of-production models do not have the latest generation gadgets and applications, and this can be a problem for the more technological buyer profiles. The other major drawback that these cars at the end of their commercial life suffer from is their design, with an image that is no longer innovative or groundbreaking, which can also be a drawback for buyers who are more sensitive to this aspect.However, cars at the end of their commercial life or run out are a good option for buyers looking for a well-equipped vehicle, at a competitive price, and with the certainty of being a consolidated and proven model, and who want to avoid the possible teething problems that the first units manufactured by any major automotive company have.

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With the price of gasoline and diesel through the roof and an energy dependency crisis increasingly evident in Europe, electric cars have already become an increasingly realistic alternative when buying a new car. Modern zero-emission electric cars feature ever shorter charging times, and at this point, they far surpass combustion vehicles in any comparative analysis that includes short, urban trips.

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The Audi Nuvolari is a truly surprising car. The first big surprise is that the Ingolstadt brand has chosen the name Nuvolari to christen the spiritual successor of the famous R8, and that is because Tazio Nuvolari was a great Italian driver from the early 20th century who earned his stripes (and worldwide fame) at the wheel of Ferrari and Alfa Romeo vehicles, with which he achieved the impossible victory at Nürburgring and humiliated the propaganda and paraphernalia of the Third Reich. Tazio Nuvolari signed some of the most brilliant pages in the history of Italian automobiles, and it wasn't until 1938, after the accidental death of the German ace Bernd Rosemeyer, that a temporarily retired Nuvolari agreed to sign for Auto Union, the predecessor of the current Audi.Perhaps the decision to name this hypercar or supercar after the brilliant Italian driver is a statement of intent that has a lot to do with the centuries-old rivalry between German and Italian manufacturers. Surely seeing the name Nuvolari associated with a model from Ingolstadt has not generated any sympathy in Maranello and Balocco, the headquarters of Ferrari and Alfa Romeo respectively.The most powerful Audi in history

The Nuvolari is a splendid machine, and only 499 limited units will be manufactured at a price yet to be determined (and which will be really high). To begin with, this is the first Audi to surpass the psychological barrier of 1,000 HP of power, and that is capable of exceeding 350 km/h top speed. Commercially, it is destined to be the spiritual successor of the Audi R8, albeit in an even more powerful, disruptive, and exclusive format.On a technological and mechanical level, the most relevant aspect of the Nuvolari is its hybrid setup, which combines a V8 (or eight-cylinder V-engine) combustion engine with 800 CV of power with three auxiliary electric motors (two on the front axle and one on the rear) each providing an additional 148 CV, powered by 7.3 kWh capacity batteries, to achieve a total combined power of 1,001 CV. In fact, this propulsion scheme is exactly the same as that used by the Lamborghini Temerario. Unlike the Lamborghini, however, the German model maintains a latest-generation Quattro all-wheel-drive system, which allows for individualized monitoring and control of each wheel based on the grip and traction needed at any given moment.

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The future and the technification of road safety are advancing by leaps and bounds thanks to the technological possibilities offered by AI and the will of the different administrations, such as the Pamplona City Council, the first in the State to purchase four units of the new AI radar capable of detecting up to eight different infractions simultaneously.The super radar, which the Navarrese capital is premiering this June, has a high-quality color camera and a license plate identification and reading system that allows it to process and identify vehicles at different distances, traffic directions, and in various lanes. In fact, these new devices are more reminiscent of a traffic camera – in fact, they are – than a conventional speed radar.

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The commercial name of a new car is one of the elements that an automotive manufacturer takes the most care in, analyzes, designs, and evaluates. It is not easy to find a word that is easy to remember, has an attractive sound, and can be pronounced in most languages of the world, let alone make this word associated with the collective imagination of buyers. However, in recent years, several manufacturers have named some of their models with at least curious and fun names that will surely make you smile.

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The battle for the electric car between Europe and China has seen another chapter with the new Xpeng P7+, a luxury electric sedan manufactured (or rather assembled) at the brand's plant in Graz, Austria, which is 5.07 meters long and costs 45,990 euros, not including promotional discounts and institutional aid.In return, Xpeng offers a vehicle with rear-wheel drive versions and power outputs of 245 or 313 HP, and ranges of 450 and 530 kilometers respectively, and an all-wheel drive version with two motors that offers 503 HP and a range exceeding 500 kilometers. Up to this point, this Xpeng P7+ does not offer any particularly relevant element that serves as a differentiating factor from its competitors BMW i5, Volvo ES90, or Lexus ES, among others.The differentiating element of this Chinese electric sedan is its ultra-fast charging capacity of up to 446 kW for the higher-end versions, which allows the vehicle to be charged from 10% to 80% in just 12 minutes, a possibility that brings it very close to any combustion model. However, it will be complicated to find a charging point that offers such high charging powers and, therefore, this technical possibility seems impractical in the current ecosystem of fast charging points.

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Seat has gone more than 7 years without presenting any new model, and its current range is limited to the Arona, Ibiza, and Leon, after having stopped manufacturing the Ateca and Tarraco SUVs, and previously having also canceled the continuity of the Alhambra minivan and the Mii urban electric, among others.During recent years, the financial and industrial efforts of the Volkswagen group have pivoted around the new Cupra brand, which has concentrated new models and electrified versions as a market consolidation strategy. The result of this industrial commitment has been clearly successful, as Cupra has become one of the commercial pillars of the Volkswagen group, but it has postponed electrification and the arrival of new models for Seat, the rational, practical, and more or less affordable brand of the group.A leadership in Spain difficult to give up

Despite having a very short commercial offer, Seat is capable of placing the Ibiza and Arona on the lists of best-selling cars in Spain every year, and of maintaining a good volume of sales in European markets such as the United Kingdom, Italy, France, Belgium or Germany, among others. In this regard, in the framework of an interview with the British medium Autocar, the new CEO of Seat, Markus Haupt, has confirmed that he will develop new mild hybrid or light hybrid versions of the Arona and Ibiza to reduce consumption and emissions of its models through a practical and simple approach, especially in a complicated horizon due to the tightening of European regulations on CO₂ emissions.What Seat will not yet have is an affordable urban electric car manufactured under the brand's logo. At the moment, the Volkswagen group prefers to bet on the Cupra Raval or Volkswagen ID Polo to generate a commercial margin that justifies the necessary investments to manufacture electric cars. Although these models are manufactured in Martorell, the group's management wants to wait a few more years before taking the step of electrifying the Seat brand. The costs of development and production of new vehicles, the production cost of batteries, and especially the scarce demand for electric cars in Seat's price segment and buyer profile would hardly justify a new electric vehicle with the Seat emblem.In this regard, the future of Seat is secured until 2029 or 2030, when, as Haupt himself points out, "the future of the brand will need to be evaluated" in the context of "a new scenario with the entry into force of new regulations affecting combustion vehicles". Until then, however, the CEO states that "Seat will continue to bet on the continuity of combustion models that are still commercially successful".Differentiation strategy with Cupra

Although Cupra was born as a sporty and aspirational appendix of Seat, the new CEO of the brand is clear: “We need to deepen the differentiation of Seat and Cupra”, to reinforce with the confirmation that “we will not see a Raval with the Seat logo”.Cupra's new strategy involves differentiating its product from Seat cars, and in this regard, we will never again see shared models with Seat and Cupra versions, as in the case of the Ateca or the Leon. “That was an intelligent and appropriate decision at the time –affirms Haupt–, but it is no longer useful if we want to consolidate Cupra's takeoff as a brand with a completely independent product portfolio, far from Seat.”

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The Mitsubishi Pajero –called Montero in our market for commercial reasons, and Shogun in the United Kingdom– is one of the best all-terrain vehicles in history. In 1982, Mitsubishi began manufacturing this 4x4 with a reduction gear and differential lock, a result of the brand's desire to create a model capable of competing with the iconic Jeep and Land Rover. The great reception of the first generation led Mitsubishi to manufacture a second generation of the model in 1992, ten years after its inception, with a host of new features, such as a new four-wheel-drive transmission, a new, more user-friendly and effective ABS system, and new, more powerful and efficient diesel and gasoline engines. But the Pajero's real leap forward came with the third generation, which was presented in 1999. This generation was renamed Montero in Spanish-speaking countries for commercial reasons, and it revolutionized the segment with a new monocoque chassis associated with independent suspension systems on each axle, rack and pinion steering, and new engines and gearboxes. Furthermore, this third generation incorporated improvements in electronic management and a setup focused on a wider audience, with a lower center of gravity that made it not very different from a passenger car on highways and fast roads, while maintaining its adventurous character off-road. Finally, Mitsubishi presented the fourth generation of the Montero in 2006, a model that the brand commercially extended until 2020, when it put an end to its commercial run. This was the safest Pajero/Montero, thanks to the incorporation of new front and side airbags and new traction and stability control.

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Beauty is a subjective concept, especially in the field of automotive design. In fact, there are models that many people consider rather ugly (or not very attractive) like the Fiat Multipla, while others consider it a fantastic and ahead-of-its-time work. But Ferrari is not just a car manufacturer, its models are not just cars, and the reality is that the first electric car in Ferrari's history will go down in posterity as one of the few mistakes of the Maranello brand.Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, historic president of the brand, has not hesitated to describe the Luce as an “historic mistake capable of damaging the Ferrari myth”, while wishing that Ferrari “immediately withdraw the logo of the Cavallino Rampante from this electric car”. Montezemolo's opinion, shared by millions of brand followers worldwide, goes beyond an occasional whim against electric cars. The underlying problem lies in the concept and identity of the brand, as the Luce is not a sports coupe, but a kind of crossover halfway between a grand tourer and a four-door all-terrain vehicle with five seats and a 600-liter trunk capacity. An excellent technical sheet for a family-oriented, zero-emission grand tourer for Maserati, Aston Martin, or Porsche, among others, but not for a car that bears the Ferrari emblem on its front.An electric Ferrari: was it really necessary?

When a teacher asks a student to draw a car, the child often draws a sporty-looking red vehicle. In fact, Ferrari is the first car brand that many boys and girls learn about at school. Ferraris have historically been sports cars with V8 or V12 engines (i.e., 8 or 12 cylinders in a V) with high power and a characteristic sound, designed by Italian styling centers such as Pininfarina, Giugiaro, Bertone, or the Ferrari Design Center itself, among others.

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Inspired by the great success of the Fiat 500, the Mini, and the more recent Renault 5, and in an increasingly worrying context of declining sales and market share, the French brand Citroën has confirmed the return of the iconic 2CV. The model will once again hit the road in an electric, urban, and affordable format, with the official confirmation that entry-level versions will have a base price of around 15,000 euros.The 2CV is a legendary model, which arrived on the market in 1949 and represented the democratization of the automobile in France just after the Second World War. The original 2CV was in production until 1990, and Citroën manufactured more than 5 million units, both in compact or hatchback format and in its estate car or van version. The model's success was due to its simplicity, reliability, and extraordinary comfort, thanks to its suspension system. The model's legend includes the anecdote that stated that one of the model's quality controls consisted of overcoming an off-road section through a ploughed field with a basket of eggs in the cabin, without any of them arriving broken at their destination.The CEO of the French brand, Xavier Chardon, has announced that the model will maintain the essence of the original based on four adjectives that will define and characterize it: “accessible, electric, simple and versatile”, to which he added the note “highly desirable”. For the moment, the brand has only published an image of the model in shadow, which gives an idea of the general lines of the new 2CV, but in no case has it confirmed power, autonomy or technological equipment.What we can deduce, however, is that the new 2CV will use Stellantis Group's modular platform for affordable electric urban cars, which it will share with the Citroën e-C3 and other Opel and Fiat models. In fact, internal information suggests that the new 2CV will be manufactured from 2028 at the Italian plant in Pomigliano d’Arco, on the outskirts of Naples, where it will share the platform, modular elements, and engines with the future Fiat Panda electric, which will target a different customer profile than the new 2CV. Citroën plans to unveil the final production model and explain the technical capabilities of the new 2CV during the Paris Motor Show, which will be held next October in the French capital.Nostalgia comes

In recent years, several European car manufacturers have joined the retro or vintage trend, especially in France, with stunning success of the Renault 5 and the Renault 4 and Renault Twingo, also in electric, urban, and affordable format. Unlike Renault's models, the Stellantis group wants to bet on affordable and simple cars, which awaken the nostalgic emotional side in new electrified models.

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ABT is a German tuner based in the city of Kempten, in the south of the state of Bavaria, not far from the border with Austria. This independent tuner has specialized in radical tuning of Audi and Volkswagen models for many years, and for a few years now has focused on its collaborations with Cupra. In fact, the Cupra team that competed in Formula E between 2022 and 2024 was called ABT Cupra Team, which strengthened the relationship between Cupra and the German tuner. Cupra, for its part, has been evolving for years as an independent brand with magnificent commercial records and with a model, the Formentor, which has elevated the reputation of its products. In a very competitive segment where only the best survive (or those who adapt most quickly to the environment), the Formentor has more than shown its value and versatility.

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The old track of Nürburgring Nordschleife is a special place for the world of motorsport, a unique circuit that has become the cathedral of world motorsport due to its narrow, winding and changing layout. Very present in popular culture and in the world of competition, the major brands also fight to beat the stopwatch of their rivals on the Nürburgring track, in an operation that has become a major challenge for the engineering teams of the major brands. For example, twelve years ago the Seat Cupra León (the Cupra division had not yet separated from Seat) became the fastest front-wheel drive car in the world at Nürburgring, which prepared the immediate reaction of Renault, which spent a lot of money on an evolution of the Mégane RS capable of beating the Catalan compact in the old green hell of Nürburgring. 

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In 1998, the then CEO of the Volkswagen group, the German Ferdinand Piëch, decided to buy the Bugatti brand to integrate it into the Volkswagen group under the umbrella of the Porsche subsidiary. Piëch's idea was to buy the brand to manufacture the fastest and most powerful car ever made and he set about the project of the Bugatti Veyron, the first combustion car to exceed 1,001 hp of power and with a top speed of over 400 km/h. In 2016, Bugatti went a step further with the Chiron, an even more beastly and exclusive model, of which it has made exclusive limited series sold at seven-figure prices. However, the Bugatti brand has been far from profitable for several years, despite selling editions of its models that became the most expensive production car in history at the time, as in the case of the Chiron La Voiture Noire, a special unit sold for a final price of over eleven million euros. Despite selling cars at astronomical prices, Bugatti's development, design, production, and marketing costs were higher than the income obtained, and the brand's existence within the Volkswagen group was only explained by a matter of prestige.Since 2021 and for the last five years, the Volkswagen Group has managed Bugatti through its high-performance subsidiary Porsche and an industrial agreement with the Croatian brand Rimac. Rimac is an electric car manufacturer that controls 55% of Bugatti, while Porsche controlled the remaining 45%. However, in turn, the Volkswagen Group controlled 20% of Rimac's shareholding, thus guaranteeing its decision-making power over Bugatti and leveraging the know-how and electric technologies of the Rimac brand, specialized in high-power electric sports cars.An advertised sale

This week Porsche has confirmed the sale of its 45% stake in Bugatti and 20% in Rimac to the North American investment fund HOF Capital, based in New York, for an undisclosed amount. This is due to Porsche's complicated financial situation (a few days ago it announced that it would have to lay off 500 more employees in Germany to balance its accounts), which has led to the sale of its stake in Bugatti when the first serious offer appeared on the brand's management's table.Porsche's electrification strategy has been a mixed success for the German brand, as it has invested heavily in its electric models, such as the Taycan or the new Macan. However, the brand's customers have not yet decided to make the leap to electrification, which has led to a repositioning of the brand's roadmap, which has just announced that it will develop a Macan with a gasoline engine, in a clear move aimed at regaining presence and sales volume in its segment.

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Taking a car for its ITV (vehicle inspection) is a routine that practically all vehicle owners must undergo sooner or later during the lifespan of their car or motorcycle. At ITVs, different aspects are evaluated to assess the real condition of a vehicle, in accordance with parameters set by European regulations, and the sticker that guarantees successful completion of this test is homologable across the 27 EU member states.The last major modification to ITV regulations was in 2014, despite the fact that the automotive world has changed considerably in the last twelve years. In this regard, the Council of the European Union is working this week to approve a package of modifications to the technical section that regulates pollutant gas emissions, noise pollution levels, the condition of safety and driving assistance systems (ADAS), and the condition of electric vehicle batteries, among others.Regarding the new system for measuring and detecting pollutant emissions, it is worth noting that the new protocol foresees more sensitive methods for detecting nitrogen oxide (NOx) levels and particles emitted by the exhaust pipe, and will allow for a more accurate assessment of the condition of the particle filter and the pollutant gas elimination systems of modern combustion cars, both diesel and gasoline. The new text also includes an optional remote sensing test that will allow for remote measurement of particle, gas, and sound emissions from the vehicle while it is in operation on public roads. However, this remote sensing possibility is still subject to the verdict of the EU Transport Commission.The rest of the novelties that the Council of the EU text wishes to include affect the revision of ADAS or assistance systems, formed by the set of sensors, radars, and cameras that modern cars have, but also by driving assistance systems such as lane keeping assist, recognition of involuntary lane change alerts, or cruise control, among others. Finally, the new protocol also aims to regulate the method for reviewing the condition of lithium batteries in electric, hybrid, and plug-in hybrid vehicles, to ensure their good condition and the safety of occupants and other road users.A new European visa

The text proposed by the Council of the EU includes for the first time the possibility of carrying out the ITV inspection in a EU country different from the country of origin. In a system where tests are homologated among all states, it makes sense that homologation certificates can be issued in countries other than the vehicle's country of origin, albeit with a temporary duration of six months, before the vehicle must undergo the definitive inspection at a station in its country of origin. The other front that the text proposal, which will be approved this week, seeks to regulate is the manipulation of odometers, through the creation of a database where workshops must record the kilometers traveled in each inspection to minimize the possibilities of fraud.Finally, it is worth noting that the modifications proposed by the Council of the European Union do not affect the periodicity of the inspection schedule, which will maintain the current intervals: four years for the first inspection from the registration of a new car or motorcycle, every two years from the fourth year, and in the case of cars, annually from ten years of the vehicle's age.  

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Catalonia is an increasingly aging country. According to Idescat data, as of 2026, 20% of the Catalan population is over 65 years old, a figure that is surprising when compared to the 14% of the total that represents the school-age population. Catalans are living longer and better, as is also happening in the rest of Spain and Mediterranean countries, such as Greece, Italy, or Croatia, among others. In this regard, Idescat's projections for the year 2070 are devastating: if we continue with the current trend, Catalonia will reach the final stretch of the century with a population of about 9 million people, a third of whom will be over 65 years old.Aging and super-aging (i.e., the rate of people over 80 years old in a society) will modify the uses and services of Catalan society, with a logical increase in social and health services and medication expenses. Living longer and in better physical shape will also raise the average age of drivers on Catalan roads. Currently, there is no age limit to get behind the wheel, as current regulations establish that the physical condition and cognitive abilities of drivers are the determining factors for whether a person is fit to continue driving.Until this 2026, the DGT used to renew driving licenses for 10 years for people turning 65, but with the modification of the regulations that came into effect this year, people born between 1956 and 1961 who renew their driving license will have the validity of licenses AM, A1, A2, A, and B limited to a duration of 5 years, while those who renew professional driving licenses C, C1, D, D1, EC, ED, or ED1 will have their renewal limited to only 3 years of validity. With this reform, the DGT aims to detect timely processes of auditory or visual deterioration, as well as reflexes and cognitive capacity. At this point, it is worth remembering that most medical studies suggest that between 65 and 75 years old, there is an accelerated aging process that can lead to modifications in visual or auditory acuity within a few years, which justifies the regulatory reform promoted by the DGT.As for those over 70 years old, the regulations exempt them from paying renewal fees for their driving license, but they will have to pay the cost of the mandatory medical examination, which must determine if a person is capable of continuing to drive, regardless of their age. It is worth remembering that from the age of 70, the validity of the driving license is only 2 years, to ensure proper monitoring of the physical and cognitive abilities of people who wish to renew their license. 

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