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British engineering firm RML Group has revealed the first production version of the GT Hypercar, a dramatically overhauled Porsche 911 Turbo S inspired by Le Mans 24 Hours racers, at Salon Privé.

The new car, which draws inspiration from both the Porsche GT1 that won Le Mans in 1998 and modern Le Mans Hypercars, was developed under the RML P39 codename and was previously shown in prototype form. RML claims that in simulations the GT Hypercar is capable of lapping the Nürburgring Nordschleife in the low 6min 30sec range.

Compared with a 911 Turbo S, the GT Hypercar features a new carbonfibre body, an extended wheelbase and wider front and rear tracks. The road-legal car also gains bespoke active aerodynamics, a large front splitter and an adjustable rear spoiler.

The GT Hypercar will be limited to a production run of 39 units and the model shown at Salon Privé in Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire, is one of 10 RML 40th Anniversary Special Editions. Those versions will be priced from £495,000 each, excluding VAT and the donor car.

How RML's new 900bhp monster is made

That means it featured bespoke interior details, along with the optional Performance Pack and Track Pack, which adds selectable ride height adjustment and a rear roll cage and removes the rear seats. Thanks to tuning work done in partnership with Litchfield Motors, power is also boosted from 900bhp in the ‘standard’ GT Hypercar to 907bhp, while the model also offers more than 738lb ft of torque.

The GT Hypercar shown at Salon Privé also features extensive bespoke styling elements, including a purple roof, a carbon tinted bonnet, gold wheels and hand-painted gold badging. As with the other 40th Anniversary Special Edition models, it sits on forged alloy wheels measuring 20in at the front and 21in at the rear.

The P39 development name reflects that the GT Hypercar is the 39th project car produced by RML Group since it was founded as a racing team in 1984 – although because many of those cars were produced for customers and are subject to confidentiality agreements, it is one of the first the firm has put its own name to.

The second generation of the hugely popular Volkswagen T-Roc has been unveiled with a bold new look, a completely overhauled interior and a radical hybrid drivetrain that will be rolled out across the brand’s line-up.

The latest version of the Golf-based compact crossover – of which more than two million examples have been sold since its 2017 launch – will be the final new combustion car that Volkswagen launches. All subsequent models are due to be exclusively battery-powered if the market conditions are right.

The Mk2 T-Roc is 120mm longer than its predecessor, at 4373mm, making it a close match for rivals including the Toyota C-HR, Mazda CX-30 and Kia Niro.

The intention is that it has a more distinct character than the previous generation to differentiate it more obviously from the Golf, explained designer Stefan Wallburg.

“The T-Roc has a special identity of being more ‘lifestyle’ – a bit more cool and, I would say, more rugged and powerful, a bit more emotional. The Golf is more of a calm guy,” he told Autocar.

Proportionally, it stays true to the coupé-esque silhouette of the Mk1 T-Roc, but it has been brought into line with VW’s new-era design language by way of wraparound light bars at each end and a new face that matches the Passat and Tiguan. It also gets a suite of bold new colour schemes and wheel designs – now up to 20in in diameter.

The T-Roc will arrive in November with a familiar powertrain offering: 1.5-litre turbo petrol four-cylinder mild hybrids producing 114bhp and 148bhp.

A meatier 2.0-litre mild-hybrid petrol will be added next year in the range-topping four-wheel-drive variant.

All versions will come with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox.

More notable will be the 2026 introduction of a new full hybrid (HEV) powertrain – a first for Volkswagen. This is understood to be similar to Toyota’s ‘self-charging’ system, with a petrol engine working in tandem with a small electric motor for reduced emissions and optimised fuel economy.

Precise details of this new system remain secret, but it will be offered initially with either 134bhp or 168bhp, and up to 226lb ft of torque.

The electric motor will be powered by a battery of unspecified capacity under the back seat, and while VW has not said how far it will go with the engine off, one engineer told Autocar it will be “more than a few metres”, suggesting the potential for short-distance, low-speed electric running.

The new T-Roc will be the only model based on the VW Group’s latest MEB Evo platform not to come with a plug-in hybrid option, but CEO Thomas Schäfer told Autocar that there is potential for the Golf eHybrid’s powertrain – which offers around 80 miles of electric-only range – to be added in, just as the T-Roc’s HEV system could eventually power other models.

He said: “For now, we’re lucky, because we have renewed all of our top combustion-engined vehicles: Golf, Passat, Tiguan, Tayron and now T-Roc. The first four are offered with PHEVs or mild hybrids and now this one with HEV. The platform can do it all. We can introduce it as we like.”

On current planning, the new T-Roc will be the final new combustion model Volkswagen launches, but Schäfer said the firm’s powertrain strategy is flexible, meaning more could follow.

“Let’s see,” he said when asked if all future unveilings will be electric. “For now, [the T-Roc] is the final totally new vehicle that we will put on a new platform on the combustion side. But with everything that’s changing around us, when you look at the EU… Will there be an end of combustion engines in 2035, yes or no? And what are the thresholds on the way? Customers will decide, and then if the demand is there, you will have to think about new vehicles, but for now there is no plan.”

Inside, the T-Roc matches the Tiguan and Golf with a 10in digital instrument display, a 12.9in infotainment touchscreen, a head-up display and a healthy smattering of physical controls, including Volkswagen’s new multifunction digital rotary dial in the centre console, which can adjust the drive mode, audio volume or interior settings.

As part of Volkswagen’s ongoing drive to enhance perceptions of its interiors, there has also been a focus on improving “the quality and how it mates together”, said Wallburg. “There are no big gaps: everything is seamless.”

This emphasis extends to making the car as intuitive to operate as possible, added Wallburg: “Another ‘quality’ in our thinking is to make it a bit more understandable by using design elements. To make it more understandable for the customer, you see something and understand it automatically. This is something we want to focus on.”

The T-Roc will be launched with a choice of four trims – base, Life, Style and R-Line – with various options and packages available on top.

Prices haven’t been revealed yet, but the T-Roc is likely to slot in between the Golf and the Tiguan slightly above £30,000.

The Volvo XC70 has been reborn as a ‘long-range’ plug-in hybrid SUV capable of travelling more than 124 miles on electric power.

The new car will sit beneath the XC90 in Volvo’s line-up and takes clear styling cues from that car and its electric EX90 sibling.

It will initially be launched in China, but the Swedish firm has confirmed that it's planning to bring the car to Europe “at a later stage”.

The XC70 is designed to help Volvo’s transition to electrification by offering a PHEV with an extended electric-only mileage to customers unwilling to make the switch from an ICE model.

Volvo boss Håkan Samuelsson said the new machine would serve as “a cornerstone of our electrified product portfolio”.

Volvo has yet to officially reveal full technical details of the XC70 but has confirmed that it sits on a version of its new Scalable Modular Architecture (SMA) honed for long-range PHEV powertrains.

As well as being capable of 124 miles of electric-only running on China’s generous CLTC test cycle, the firm claims it will be able to travel more than 745 miles on a mix of petrol and electric power.

The XC70 supports fast-charging: the battery can be filled from 0-80% in just 23 minutes. Unusually for a PHEV, it also offers bi-directional charging capability.

Filings with the Chinese government have shown that it will merge a 160bhp 1.5-litre petrol engine working with an electric motor powered by either a 21.2kWh or a 39.64kWh battery.

Those filings also revealed that the model will be 4815mm long and 1890mm wide, matching it closely with the BMW X5. 

New official pictures confirm that the XC70 reflects Volvo’s latest design trends, with a minimalist take on the firm’s classic design notes.

That includes a closed front grille in keeping with Volvo’s EVs, including an active grille shutter to optimise both aerodynamics and cooling systems.

Inside, the XC70 features a 12.in digital instrument display and a landscape-oriented 15.4in touchscreen similar to that in the EX90, plus a 91in augmented reality head-up display is optionally available.

Production of the XC70 has begun in China, where the model is now available to pre-order. No timeline has been given for its European launch.