Automotive production is spread out into multiple parts and facilities; not all parts that make up a car are built in the same area or by the same people. To keep things flowing and maximize cost efficiency, most brands build multiple facilities that produce parts for their production models.

One of Honda's most important parts facilities is celebrating a big milestone and is responsible for producing a vital part for all cars.

Honda

Honda's Transmission Plant-Ohio (TMP-O), based in Russells Point, Ohio, is celebrating its 30th anniversary, honoring a legacy of flexible manufacturing. The plant began production in 1996, first building a 4-speed automatic transmission, then progressing to building a 5-speed automatic transmission in 2005, and a 6-speed automatic transmission by 2010.

As modern mobility requirements changed, so did the plant; it is now responsible for producing the CVT and the award-winning two-motor hybrid system, which is available in the Honda CR-V, Accord, and Civic and is standard in the Prelude.

In fact, TMP-O even has global specification builds, making it a leader in Honda's overall global manufacturing footprint. Kylie Huber, TMP-O Manufacturing Division lead, says, "For 30 years, TMP-O has stood at the center of Honda's progress – driving innovation and demonstrating the power of passion and craftsmanship."

The plant itself is 1.1 million square feet and employs 1,200 skilled workers. It has an annual capacity to produce 1 million transmissions and gear shifts, along with 500,000 two-motor hybrid systems, transfer cases, and differentials for four-wheel-drive vehicles.

Honda

Honda's presence in Ohio is long-established, serving as the epicenter of the automaker's U.S. production. Production began as far back as 1982 in the Marysville Auto Plant, and it is the largest manufacturing employer in the whole state. Going back even further, in 1979 Honda began producing motorbikes in Marysville, before venturing to the automotive side, culminating in a 40-plus-year run in the state.

Wieck

The former energy superpower is facing a serious reality check at the pump. Following a relentless series of Ukrainian strikes on domestic refineries, Russia is dealing with crippling fuel shortages that have left regular citizens stranded. Gasoline prices have skyrocketed to levels that occasionally eclipse those seen in the United States and Europe.

According to a Reuters report, the resulting chaos has created seemingly endless queues at filling stations across Moscow and beyond. With local crude supplies dwindling, drivers are abandoning regular gasoline altogether. Instead, they are racing to adapt their daily drivers to run on Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) just to keep their commutes alive.

Local mechanics are completely overwhelmed by the sudden panic. Egor Popov, operator of the Moscow-based Garant-Gas conversion center, says demand for LPG retrofits has multiplied exponentially, leaving his shop with a waiting list stretching into September. Sergei Medvedev, another local retrofit specialist, reported receiving nearly 300 inquiries in a single day but possesses the bandwidth to process only a fraction of those desperate callers.

While American consumers might look toward battery-powered alternatives when fuel costs spike, the Russian market was already perfectly positioned for a propane pivot. According to the World Liquid Gas Association, Russia consumed roughly 3.5 million metric tons of LPG for automotive use back in 2024. The infrastructure exists, making fuel abundant, with no long station lines, and significantly cheaper than regular gasoline.

The pivot to propane and butane is part of a larger global automotive anxiety. We are seeing similar alternative fuel trends taking hold across Europe, while broader fears of geopolitical choke points threaten international stability. Supply chains are so strained globally that even the biggest automotive giants are scrambling to secure basic fluids and raw materials just to keep assembly lines moving.

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From a stateside perspective, watching an oil-rich nation scramble to keep its civilian fleet moving is nothing short of surreal. It proves that no country is entirely immune to the ripple effects of modern warfare on domestic infrastructure. When refineries go up in smoke, the trickle-down effect hits the daily driver almost immediately.

Ultimately, this sudden LPG boom is a desperate survival tactic rather than a calculated environmental shift, despite propane being less emissions-intensive than standard gasoline. It highlights how quickly the automotive landscape can morph when survival mode kicks in, forcing everyday drivers to completely rethink what powers their journey.

Alpine, the performance brand under Renault Group, has expressed interest in entering the U.S. market. However, that is easier said than done, especially given the differences in demand between American buyers and those in its home market of France. Still, the automaker is considering tweaking its plans for the next-generation A110 to better suit U.S. demand, primarily by offering a combustion-engine powertrain alongside the originally planned electric version.

According to PistonHeads, Alpine expects to complete the current A110 development program by October 2026, by which point it should know how much a gas-powered version would cost to develop. The automaker plans to make a decision by the end of Q4 2026, and if approved, the non-EV version would take about two years to reach production. This is possible because the brand’s APP platform can be adapted to accommodate both ICE and EV powertrains.

Alpine

For the uninitiated, a combustion version of the A110 is being considered largely because an EV-only model is not expected to cut it in the U.S. Policy changes, such as the expiration of the federal EV tax credit of up to $7,500, have added pressure to EV demand, giving hybrids more of the spotlight.

That is a different reality in France, where heavy taxation on ICE cars makes a gas-powered A110 a complicated business case. The combustion power unit has not yet been decided, though the report noted that the outgoing 1.8-liter turbocharged engine is not expected to return because making it compliant with Euro 7 emissions standards would be too expensive.

Instead, the upcoming next-gen model is expected to use an 800-volt cell-to-pack battery, torque vectoring, and a twin-motor rear-axle setup. Going electric threatens to undermine the nameplate’s core lightweight character, but the company says performance will remain a priority, even using the Ferrari 488 GTB as a benchmark.

Alpine

If anything, recent developments show Alpine’s seriousness about making a name for itself in the U.S., even if the odds appear stacked against it under current market conditions. While the A110 may serve as the main model introducing the brand to American buyers, the French marque is also considering a larger SUV that could support sales and profitability, especially amid the American tariff burden on imported vehicles.

For reference, the A110 competes against the likes of the Porsche 718 Cayman and the Lotus Emira.

The Honda Super-One is a pint-sized EV with big city dreams, slotting perfectly into Japan's unique kei car scene – only this one comes with a dash of sporty flair. Of course, for those of us in the US, it's yet another forbidden fruit we'll be pining for until 2051.

Like most EVs, the Super-One isn't exactly a bargain – until recently. Japan just cranked up its EV incentives, slashing prices on several models well below what you'd expect from the sticker. The Super-One is cashing in big time, with Tokyo buyers now seeing prices that would have sounded like a joke just a few months back.

Honda

Japan is doubling down on its EV push, hoping to lure drivers out of their gas-guzzlers with some serious cash on the hood. The result? EV sales are on the upswing, with more buyers jumping at the chance to score a deal.

According to Nikkei Asia, Japan's national government increased the maximum subsidy available for eligible electric vehicles to 1.3 million yen (around $8,000) earlier this year. Local governments have also expanded their own programs, with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government now offering incentives of up to an additional 1.3 million yen for those qualified.

There's a catch, of course. To get the extra discount, buyers have to jump through a few hoops, such as home chargers and sometimes even solar panels. Then again, the savings are tough to ignore, so there’s that.

When Honda rolled out the Super-One in May, it started at about 3.39 million yen – roughly $21,000. But stack up all the national and Tokyo subsidies, and suddenly you're looking at a price tag of just 790,000 yen, or about $4,900. That's not just a discount; that's a steal.

The result? Demand has gone through the roof. Honda moved 4,497 EVs in the last quarter alone – up from a measly three the year before. About 60% of those were Super-Ones, and things got so wild that some dealers had to pause on orders for certain versions.

Toyota and Tesla also reportedly saw their EV sales spike, thanks to these wallet-friendly incentives that suddenly made electric cars feel within reach for many more people.

Honda

Japan's all-in approach to subsidies is a far cry from the US. After federal tax incentives for EVs died last year, demand nose-dived. EV deals now are more about haggling with the dealer and hoping the government doesn't change its mind overnight.

At this point, new EVs in America are starting to get cheaper, but used ones are dropping like a rock in value. Pre-owned EVs are now a bargain hunter's dream, even if current owners are feeling the sting.

Japan's got its own twist: with incentives only for new cars, you can actually buy a brand-new EV for less than a used one. That could tank resale values even more and might send a lot of used EVs packing for overseas.

For now, though, the plan is working. With prices on cars like the Super-One dropping to jaw-dropping lows, Japan is opening the EV floodgates to a whole new crowd. The real test will come when the subsidy party winds down – will buyers stick around, or will the buzz fade?

Honda

Shown at Goodwood alongside a broader BYD Group display, the Denza Z is the first car built on the brand's new e3 Sports Car Platform and arrives in Coupe, Spider, and Racing forms, with a hotter Special Edition earmarked for a Nurburgring record attempt later this year. Designed under Wolfgang Egger, whose past work includes cars for Alfa Romeo, Lamborghini, and Audi, the four-seat Z is Denza's statement that Chinese performance EVs can now play at the very top. The catch for American enthusiasts is that BYD does not sell passenger cars in the US, so this one is a spectator sport here.

Denza

The Z's e3 platform pairs a single front motor with two independent rear motors, one for each wheel, for a combined 1,582 horsepower and 915 lb.ft of torque. That is enough for a claimed 0-to-62-mph time of 2.25 seconds in the Coupe and about 2.3 seconds in the Spider, both topping out at 186 mph. Fit the Racing version with its optional semi-slick tires, and Denza claims 1.96 seconds to 62 mph and a 217-mph top speed, while the track-focused Special Edition is said to make more than 1,970 horsepower for its Nurburgring run.

Denza

The chassis technology is just as ambitious. The Z uses steer-by-wire, which Denza says is the first fully in-house system of its kind from China, along with DiSus-M magnetorheological suspension that can change stiffness in under 10 milliseconds and even pivot the car around its front axle. Carbon-ceramic brakes with six-piston front calipers handle the stopping.

Underpinning the Z is a second-generation Blade battery of 76 kWh, mounted into the structure using BYD's Cell-to-Body construction. The headline is Flash Charging, which can deliver up to 1,500 kW through a single connector, enough to refill from 10% to 70% in about 5 minutes and from 10% to 97% in about 9 minutes, roughly matching the time it takes to fill a gas tank.

Denza

Range lands at an estimated 254 miles for the Coupe, 248 for the Spider, and 236 for the Racing on the European cycle. The obvious asterisk is infrastructure, since those charging speeds require Flash Charging hardware that BYD is only now rolling out, with a few hundred UK sites and a few thousand across Europe planned by the end of the year.

Unusually for a supercar, the Z seats four, and every seat features massage and ventilation. The cabin features an 8.8-inch driver display, a 12.8-inch infotainment screen with Google built in, and a 12-speaker Devialet sound system, with air suspension on the Coupe and Spider and track-oriented coil springs on the Racing.

Denza

Pricing is where the intent becomes obvious. In the UK, the Coupe starts at £142,900, the Spider at £159,900, and the Racing at £172,900, which undercuts a Porsche 911 Turbo S while promising far more power on paper. Orders open in selected markets this summer with deliveries before year's end. Whether the Z can match Europe's icons on the things a spec sheet cannot capture, brand cachet, resale, and the way a great car feels down a road, is the real question. But as a demonstration of how far Chinese performance EVs have come, it is impossible to ignore.

The headline number reflects a brand in the middle of a difficult transition, not in crisis. Porsche attributed the drop to the wind-down of the combustion-engined 718, unusually strong demand for the electric Macan in the same period last year, and the expiration of US tax incentives for electric and hybrid vehicles. Sales boss Matthias Becker described the roughly 122,000 deliveries as "below the same period last year but in line with our expectations," and pointed to fresh products and the ongoing rollout of the Cayenne Electric as reasons for optimism heading into the second half.

Porsche

The regional picture was uneven. China was the softest market by far, down 32% to 14,501 cars, which Porsche blamed on a challenging environment and its own decision to prioritize value over volume there. North America held onto its place as the largest single region with 37,712 deliveries, though that was still a 13% decline tied to the lapsed US incentives and the end of the 718.

Porsche

Elsewhere, Europe excluding Germany fell 14% to 30,278 cars, Porsche's home market of Germany slipped 6% to 14,938, and the Overseas and Emerging Markets region dropped 18% to 24,877, hurt by the 718's exit and instability in the Middle East.

Against that backdrop, the 911 was a genuine highlight, with 30,534 cars delivered, a 19% increase driven by steady demand and the phased launch of new derivatives, including a healthy mix of GTS, Turbo, and GT variants. It is a reminder that Porsche's core sports car remains as desirable as ever, even when the broader lineup is under pressure.

Porsche

The Cayenne, meanwhile, was the brand's strongest-selling model line at 38,141 deliveries, down a comparatively mild 9%. Crucially, customer deliveries of the new Cayenne Electric began at the end of June, opening a new chapter for Porsche's best-seller.

The rest of the range shows the cost of combining combustion and electric power. The Macan fell 22% to 35,315 cars, split between 19,695 combustion models and 15,620 electric ones, with production of the gas Macan set to end in late July. The Panamera dropped 38% to 9,308, largely because of a temporary product gap in China that has since been filled. The 718 Boxster and Cayman, whose production ended in October 2025, managed just 2,789 deliveries, a 73% collapse, while the Taycan fell 25% to 6,219.

Porsche

Porsche is wrestling with the same forces buffeting the wider luxury market: cooling electric-vehicle demand, a weak and fiercely competitive China, and shifting US policy. Yet the surging 911 and a recent number-one ranking in a closely watched US initial-quality study suggest the brand's foundations are intact. Porsche has framed 2026 as a year to realign its portfolio with demand, and it has promised more detail on its longer-term Strategy 2035 at a Capital Markets Day in the autumn. For now, this reads as a reset rather than a retreat.

The monsoon burst this story previewed is now underway, and forecasters have shifted the peak threat later into the week. The National Weather Service in Flagstaff has strong to locally severe thunderstorms firing across Yavapai and Gila counties through this afternoon and evening, with outflow gusts of 30 to 50 mph and isolated gusts to 60 mph kicking up blowing dust along Interstate 17 and the Mogollon Rim. Localized flash flooding is possible today from the Rim and White Mountains southward, and active monsoon conditions are expected to lock in Monday as deeper moisture floods the region.

The bigger story is what comes next. The Weather Prediction Center has expanded a Marginal Risk of excessive rainfall into Tuesday and Wednesday and warns the setup is turning sharply more favorable for flash flooding, with the threat broadening north into the Great Basin and northern Rockies. FOX Weather reports deep tropical moisture surging up from the Gulf of California, fueling daily storms and a flash flood risk that runs through Wednesday, most concentrated near the Four Corners but possible border to border.

That puts more highways in play. Add the I-15 and I-70 crossings through southern Utah, where the NWS in Grand Junction expects the heaviest rain over southeast Utah and southwest Colorado, and US 70 near Ruidoso, New Mexico, where storms over the Seven Cabins and other area burn scars can push debris-laden water across the road with almost no warning. Interstate 10 between Phoenix and Tucson remains the marquee dust corridor, and Maricopa County still flags blowing dust as the leading daytime hazard even as afternoon storm chances climb.

One thing has not changed: the heat stacked underneath all of it. Phoenix is still running 108 to 110°F, so drivers face triple-digit pavement one hour and a wall of dust or a flooded wash the next. The safety playbook below still applies. Pull Aside, Stay Alive in blowing dust, and never drive into a flooded crossing, no matter how shallow it looks.

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After weeks of relentless heat, the Desert Southwest is flipping the switch. The North American monsoon, the seasonal wind shift that pulls deep moisture north from the Pacific and the Gulf of California, is arriving, and it will fuel the first widespread summer thunderstorms across the interior West this weekend into next week.

As AccuWeather explains, southerly winds are drawing increasing moisture into the region as an area of high pressure settles over the Four Corners, the classic setup for daily rounds of afternoon and evening storms.

Those storms are a double-edged sword. They can deliver much-needed rain to drought-parched land, but they also bring gusty outflow winds, walls of blowing dust, torrential downpours, and dry lightning capable of sparking new wildfires. According to WeatherNation, the strong, dusty outflow winds can sharply reduce visibility along area highways, while frequent lightning threatens hikers and anyone caught outdoors.

Sunday into Monday, when better moisture spreads across southern Arizona and localized flash flooding becomes possible, and when the dust storm threat is elevated during the first significant monsoon "burst" of the season.

• Scattered to numerous afternoon and evening thunderstorms across Arizona, New Mexico, southern Utah, southern Colorado, and Nevada.
• Gusty outflow winds and blowing dust, including the potential for haboobs, or large dust walls, that can reduce highway visibility to near zero in moments.
• Heavy downpours capable of dropping an inch or more in a short time, triggering flash flooding in dry washes, canyons, and burn-scar areas.
• Frequent lightning, including dry lightning that can ignite new wildfires in areas that get little rain from a passing storm.

Two hazards dominate the driving picture. First is dust: outflow winds racing ahead of a collapsing storm can kick up a dust wall that drops visibility from miles to feet almost instantly, a leading cause of chain-reaction crashes on Interstate 10 between Phoenix and Tucson. Second is water: the desert's sun-baked, hardpan soil cannot absorb heavy rain, so washes and low crossings that are bone dry in the morning can become fast-moving torrents by evening. Roads through canyons and normally dry riverbeds are especially dangerous, and mountain routes near recent burn scars can flood with little warning.

The NWS notes that monsoon rain does not fall every day but comes in a series of "bursts" and "breaks." Some of the most active storms over the coming days are most likely in Phoenix, Flagstaff, and Tucson, Arizona; Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and Las Cruces, New Mexico; Las Vegas and Elko, Nevada; El Paso, Texas; and Grand Junction and Durango, Colorado. In Maricopa County, forecasters flagged an elevated dust storm threat this weekend and growing flash flood potential Sunday into Monday. Early in the monsoon, dry lightning is a real wildfire concern, since the season's first storms can spark fires before the landscape has had a chance to green up.

• If a dust storm approaches, Pull Aside, Stay Alive: pull completely off the roadway, put the vehicle in park, turn off all lights including hazards so other drivers do not follow you off the road, take your foot off the brake, and wait it out.
• Never drive into a flooded wash or low crossing. Water depth and current are almost impossible to judge, and in Arizona the "Stupid Motorist Law" can leave you liable for the cost of your own rescue.
• Slow down and increase following distance when storms are nearby, since sudden downpours and gusts can hit fast.
• Avoid parking in dry riverbeds or low-lying areas, and do not start a hike or drive through a canyon if storms are in the forecast upstream.
• Keep headlights on in blowing dust only while moving, and watch for stopped vehicles ahead.

Storm coverage increases this weekend and likely persists through much of next week as the monsoon strengthens. The Weather Prediction Center expects monsoonal moisture to keep producing showers and storms across the Southwest, the Four Corners states, and northward into the northern Rockies and High Plains, with the best chances for wetting rain and localized flash flooding across southern Arizona from Sunday onward.

Subaru of America reported its June sales earlier this week, and on the surface it was a strong month: 54,909 vehicles sold, an 18.1 percent jump over the same month last year. One model explains most of the good news. The Forester is on a tear, and it's increasingly the reason Subaru's numbers hold strong in this volatile market.

In June, Subaru sold 16,288 Foresters, a 43.6 percent year-over-year increase that made it the brand's volume leader for the sixth consecutive month. Here is how the top sellers stacked up for the month:

1. Subaru Forester: 16,288
2. Subaru Crosstrek: 16,050
3. Subaru Outback: 14,074
4. Subaru Ascent: 3,678
5. Subaru Impreza: 1,449

The Crosstrek was right on the Forester's bumper and logged its best June ever, while the redesigned Outback rebounded 32.7 percent as its new generation reached dealers. Even the WRX got in on the act, spiking 252.3 percent to 1,233 units off a soft comparison a year ago.

But the Forester is the one that matters most for the full-year story. Over six months, Subaru has sold 107,854 of them, up 12.4 percent, making it essentially the only major nameplate in the lineup to be growing. Almost everything else is down: the Outback is off 14.1 percent for the year despite its strong June, the Ascent has slipped 8.7 percent, and the aging Impreza and Legacy sedans have fallen 44 percent and 80.5 percent, respectively.

Subaru

Subaru kicked off the sixth-generation Forester for the 2025 model year, and buyers have clearly responded. The formula is familiar but sharpened: standard Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive, 8.7 inches of ground clearance, the latest EyeSight driver-assist suite, and that upright, glassy body that has always made the Forester easy to see out of. The carryover 2.5-liter flat-four makes 180 horsepower and returns up to 33 mpg on the highway, or about 29 mpg combined in the popular Premium trim, which is competitive for an SUV that comes with all-wheel drive as standard.

Pricing helps, too. The gas Forester starts at around $31,445 with destination, undercutting many of the compact SUVs while still delivering Subaru's outdoorsy image and strong resale value. It was named a 2026 Consumer Reports Top Pick and ranks first for projected resale value in its class, the kind of credibility that keeps loyal owners coming back.

The bigger change this generation is choice. Subaru now offers a Forester Hybrid, which pairs the boxer engine with an electric motor for 194 combined horsepower and an EPA-rated 35 mpg combined, plus a rugged Wilderness variant with 9.3 inches of clearance for the off-road crowd. That spread lets a single nameplate chase efficiency shoppers, adventure buyers, and value hunters all at once, and it shows up in the numbers.

Subaru

The Forester's run tells you a lot about where Subaru is right now. Hybrid and electric models accounted for more than 20 percent of the brand's June sales, so the electrified Forester is arriving at exactly the right moment.

At the same time, the lineup is in transition. The Outback is still finding its footing on a fresh generation, the sedans are fading, the Solterra EV is down sharply, and brand-new nameplates like the Trailseeker and Uncharted are only beginning to ramp up. In that environment, having one proven, broad-appeal SUV doing record volume is the difference between a soft year and a genuinely bad one. If Subaru wants its year-to-date deficit to close before December, the Forester is the model most likely to get it there.

At a time when new-car prices mostly move in one direction, Subaru's announcement is a pleasant surprise. The WRX returns for 2026 in six trims: Base, Premium, Limited, GT, tS, and Series Yellow, all powered by a 271-horsepower, 2.4-liter turbocharged flat-four making 258 lb.ft of torque. A six-speed manual is standard on every trim except the GT, with the automatic Subaru Performance Transmission available on the Limited and standard on the GT. Subaru even drew a line back to the beloved 2002 WRX, noting the new car costs about the same, adjusted for inflation, while packing far more equipment.

Subaru

The full price ladder starts with the base WRX at $32,495. From there, the Premium lands at $33,995, which is $3,755 less than the outgoing version. The Limited runs $38,995 with the manual and $39,995 with the automatic, cutting roughly $3,155 and $3,685, respectively. The GT sits at $44,995, down $2,710, and the performance-focused tS matches it at $44,995, also down $2,710. The limited Series Yellow tops the range at $45,995. Destination adds $1,195 in most states. Seeing multiple trims drop in price year over year is genuinely unusual, making the WRX an easier sell against pricier rivals.

Reinstating the base trim matters only if it is worth buying, and Subaru added content to make sure it is. The 2026 base WRX now includes 18-inch alloy wheels, keyless access with push-button start, 245/40 summer performance tires, and a sport-tuned suspension, none of which were previously available on the entry model. Inside sits an 11.6-inch multimedia system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and the standard six-speed manual gets incline start assist. It is a well-equipped starting point rather than a stripped-out loss leader.

Subaru

Arguably, the most meaningful change applies across the range. For 2026, every WRX, including manual-transmission cars, comes standard with Subaru's EyeSight Driver Assist Technology and DriverFocus distraction mitigation. On manual cars, that means adaptive cruise control with lane centering, lane departure and sway warning, and pre-collision braking, features that manual WRX buyers previously could not get. It is a rare case of a driver-focused car adding safety tech without forcing buyers into an automatic.

At the sharp end, the tS brings STI-tuned electronically controlled dampers, a gold-finished Brembo braking system with six-piston front and two-piston rear calipers, and 245/35 Bridgestone Potenza S007 tires on 19-inch wheels, plus Recaro seats. The GT, offered only with the automatic, pairs Recaro seats with electronically adjustable ride control. The new Series.Yellow is based on the tS and wears Sunrise Yellow, a nostalgic Subaru color, along with matte black wheels, black badging, and yellow interior stitching. Just 350 will be built.

Subaru

The WRX remains one of the last affordable, manual, all-wheel-drive, rally-bred sports sedans on sale, and this update leans into exactly what makes it special. Bringing back an affordable base model, trimming prices across much of the lineup, and finally making safety tech standard on the manual all make the car more accessible without diluting its character. Assembled in Gunma, Japan, the 2026 WRX arrives at dealers in the spring.

For the past ten years, Urban Automotive has made a name for itself by taking already fancy European rides and cranking up the exclusivity. Range Rover, G-Wagen, Urus, Cullinan – you name it, they've probably given it the Urban treatment. Their formula? Aggressive looks, loads of carbon fiber, and just enough restraint to keep things recognizable.

For its tenth run at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, Urban isn't just rolling out another widebody kit. This time, they're showing off what they call their wildest project yet: the Urban Widetrack Avontur prototype.

Starting with the Land Rover Defender 110 Hard Top, Urban has flipped the script and turned the classic off-roader into a two-door luxury lifestyle truck. Instead of building another impractical show car, Urban claims this one mixes high-end craftsmanship with real-world usefulness. Picture it parked outside a Monaco hotel, next to a yacht, or hauling gear around a country estate – it’s meant to fit in anywhere.

Urban Automotive

From the front, it’s still clearly a Defender, but everything behind the B-pillar has been completely reimagined. It’s now a pickup, with a carbon-fiber bed floor, modular rails, and a giant UA logo stamped right into the bed. Urban even kept the Defender’s tailgate and snuck in a built-in bottle holder for good measure.

All told, the Avontur packs over 36 custom parts. There’s a new carbon-fiber hood, fresh side trim, a totally reworked rear end, and a purpose-built rollover frame so the whole thing feels solid – not like some sketchy aftermarket hack job.

The Goodwood prototype sits on Urban’s Widetrack kit, with beefy fender flares, big bronze wheels, and carbon-fiber accents everywhere you look – especially around the roof and rear.

Inside, it’s all about luxury, not mud-plugging. The rear is loaded with carbon fiber, and the sport seats come with honeycomb stitching, suede inserts, and Urban logos stitched in. With just two seats, it’s got a stripped-back, custom vibe that nods to its work-truck roots.

Urban Automotive

Urban hasn’t said anything about engine upgrades, so it’s probably running the stock Defender setup. This build is all about the looks, the engineering, and making sure nobody else has one – performance takes a back seat.

No word on price yet, but let’s be real – this won’t be cheap. With all that carbon fiber, custom engineering, and limited numbers, expect the Avontur to cost a lot more than your average Defender 110 Hard Top.

If you want one, Urban is already taking names on its website before production details drop. Buyers can pick from Forged Carbon, Urban 2x2 Carbon Fibre, or Urban 4x4 Carbon Fibre, with gloss or matte finishes up for grabs.

Will the Avontur actually make it to full production? Who knows. But as a flex of Urban’s design and engineering chops, it’s a wild new direction for Defender fans tired of the same old widebody kits.

Urban Automotive