Summarize

After the car industry suddenly exploded into news action late last week, it seems that much of the excitement has fizzed out again a week anon. You know, like the silence after your Guy Fawkes rocket just went pfft-bang…?

There were however a few cool little developments, while we scrounged a few others for you, but there are the motoring news highlights of the past week, just in case you missed it…

Ferrari is in the throes of launching its first-ever plug-in hybrid F90 Stradale to the world media — it can travel 20km on battery power only, but that’s hardly news, considering the 735kW 800Nm machine is the most powerful Ferrari ever to drive out of Maranello. That 160kW electric bonus sees it to 100km/h in 2.5 seconds, 200 in 6.7 seconds and on to 340km/h. 

E-drive is via the front wheels up to 125km/h and a combination of fore-aft from there before the front end disengages at 210km/h, leaving the the rear e-motor to augment the combustion mill. Reversing is electric and a new e-manettino backs the regular manettino up on the opposite steering stalk, to coordinate F90’s electrical side.

Sticking with affairs Italian, among the highlights of Alfa Romeo’s 110th birthday celebrations in Milano on Thursday was the public reveal of its new 100kg lighter 402kW Giulia GTA that makes extensive use of ultra lightweight materials to achieve a best in class power to weight ratio, along with sharper aerodynamics and even better handling. 

And perhaps the most underrated car on the road, Volkswagen’s Arteon has received a welcome shot in the arm with the arrival of both a shooting brake and a hot new 235kW 420Nm EA288 2-litre four-pot AWD R version, as well as an eHybrid version. Sadly the new Arteons are not planned for SA at this stage 

These two are coming though — Lexus would like you to believe that its shiny new LC is the world's most beautiful convertible. If you agree and want one, it will be here next year.

And we showed you the sketch last week, now here it is in the flesh… KIA’s new Carnival ‘Grand Utility Vehicle’ should be in SA early next year. Knowing how good the existing one is, we're quite keen to meet the new one....

They tell us that the blue car in that picture is Audi's forthcoming 230kW 400Nm S3 entering the Karoussel at the Nordscheife. We reckon we'll see it in SA Audi showrooms early 2021. 

And we also trapped BMW’s forthcoming electric 3 Series — a more conventional solution Munich is remaining mum on, considering it believes the e-cars ’need to be more emotional’ to convert clients from conventional choices, but this prototype suggests the next phase is nigh. 

Seems this one will look a lot more like a regular Three, but will it share the i4’s 390kW AWD? Or will all that all become less emotional too?