Just a few weeks ago, Lexus declared the end of its long-serving LS sedan. Yet, as Mark Twain might have dryly noted, reports of its death have been greatly exaggerated. The brand has revived the nameplate not with another stately four-door, but with something far stranger.

The long-running luxury sedan gives way to something altogether different, a six-wheeled electric minivan with three rows of seats and a distinctly experimental air. The once-conventional LS badge now fronts a concept that feels futuristic, if slightly absurd.

Six Wheels and a Statement

Yet that’s not even the wildest part. After all, it is a concept. What’s really unexpected is that the company plans to evolve it into a production vehicle, though plenty of development still lies ahead before that becomes reality.

The official teaser is titled “Discover” and signals a new era for Lexus. It shows the profile of the LS Concept, wearing a set of large front wheels and two smaller pairs at the rear.

More: Toyota Shows Its Vision For Future Corolla Sedan

The concept adopts a single-box minivan silhouette with tiny overhangs and a generous wheelbase. Overall, it looks bigger than the LM, which is based on the Toyota Alphard/Vellfire.

Besides its unusual wheel arrangement, highlights include vertical LED headlights and taillights that stretch into the sides, along with an illuminated roof fin. A wide sliding door opens to reveal a roomy cabin with soft lighting and a six-seat, three-row configuration.

Not Just A Concept Car

While a six-wheeled minivan sounds too wild for production, Chairman Akio Toyoda insists this is more than a design exercise. In a message from two years ago, he challenged the team to reinvent the Lexus flagship:

“If you think of the LS as a BEV chauffeur car, wouldn’t it become a new pillar of Lexus, with a new package that no one has ever thought of? Lexus doesn’t copy anyone else, so that’s the motto, so please start thinking about it...The LM is an evolution of the Alphard, after all, but… Will it evolve further from the LM, or… a completely new form.“

From Luxury Sedan to Luxury Space

The LS nameplate was originally conceived as an acronym for “Luxury Sedan”, but Toyoda now translates it to “Luxury Space”, opening the door for a three-row BEV interpretation. The aim is to create a chauffeured experience that still feels airy and open, even with six occupants on board.

More: You’ve Never Been Spoiled Like This In A Lexus Back Seat Before

When asked whether the concept will reach production, Toyoda initially hedged: “No, I’m not sure if they can do that yet.” Later, though, he added, “It is still a long way off but everyone is serious about it. So I’m sure it will definitely come true.”

The team’s current challenges involve achieving the trademark quietness and ride comfort expected from a Lexus, while also making the vehicle practical for the road. When asked if six wheels meant a 6WD system, Toyota’s head of design simply replied, “Maybe.”

Toyoda also wants the brand to “demolish the spindle grille for a while,” saying it has “no potential for development.” Designers are now exploring ways to “assimilate the spindle throughout the entire body” instead, signaling a new design philosophy for the marque.

The Lexus LS Concept will be fully unveiled at the Japan Mobility Show 2025. What remains uncertain is whether the team can turn it into a viable replacement for the aging LS sedan. The current LS is expected to end production next year, with Lexus confirming its departure from the US market.

More: The Lexus LS Is Dead After 2026 And This Is Its Final Goodbye In America

Yet even if Lexus manages to bring the six-wheeled concept to life, its real-world prospects will vary by region. Luxurious minivans have a strong foothold in Asian markets such as China and Japan, but North America is a different story altogether. There’s also the question of where this new concept leaves the LM, Lexus’ existing premium minivan, which already caters to a similar clientele.

Interestingly, the only other six-wheeled vehicle Toyota has built is the Lunar Cruiser which is designed to be driven on the moon. Toyoda himself once joked, “I’m starting to think that maybe I want to ride it on Earth.”

Toyota has shared new details about its broad lineup for the upcoming Japan Mobility Show 2025, promising a varied selection of premieres across its range. Taking the spotlight is a new concept that appears to preview the next chapter for one of the brand’s best-selling and longest-standing nameplates, the Corolla.

More: Toyota Corolla’s New Prius-Inspired Look Just Dropped In China

The concept made its first appearance in a teaser campaign called “To You, Toyota,” setting the tone for its full debut in Tokyo later this month. At first glance, it bears little resemblance to the current 12th-generation of the Corolla.

Instead, it features crisp, modern lines and proportions more in tune with an electric vehicle, hinting at a new design direction for the familiar compact, much like Toyota achieved with the latest generation of the Prius.

A Sharp Exterior Design

The front end introduces a refined take on Toyota’s hammerhead design, with full-width LED headlights merging horizontal and vertical lighting signatures. Gone is the traditional grille, replaced by a narrow lower intake on the bumper and a subtle vent at the base of the windshield.

From the profile, the car presents itself as a sleek four-door sedan that could carry forward the Corolla nameplate. The front fenders appear to host a charging port beside a new vertical accent beneath the mirrors. Other notable features include a descending window line, sculpted side panels, and conventional door handles.

Toyota

The rear view is defined by a clean, integrated ducktail spoiler extending from the sloping roof. Sharp shoulders lead to full-width taillights with pixel-like illumination, and “Corolla” lettering sits across the flat tailgate. The rear bumper adds some depth with a sculpted finish and centered license plate placement.

Toyota has yet to share any specific details about the concept’s powertrain.

More Concepts in the Spotlight

Beyond the main reveal, Toyota is also teasing a collection of other intriguing concepts. Among them are colorful, futuristic vehicles intended for children, a tennis-capable mobility device for people with disabilities, spider-like transporters for moving goods, and a minimalist cab-over pickup envisioned for developing markets.

More: From Robots To EVs, Suzuki’s Tokyo Show Lineup Has It All

All of these will take their place at Toyota’s stand when the Japan Mobility Show opens on October 30. The company also confirmed announcements for its GR, Lexus, Century, and Daihatsu sub-brands, which will be explored in separate reports.

Toyota

Tesla is an automaker that has its fingers in several other industries. One is insurance, which it has long promised to be the best in the business for its customers. According to authorities in California, not only is it not a leader, it’s actually so bad that it might lose its license to offer insurance altogether.

The California Department of Insurance (CDI) announced on October 3 that it’s taking enforcement action against Tesla Insurance Services, Inc. and Tesla Insurance Company, alongside State National Insurance Company, which underwrites Tesla’s policies in the state.

Regulators say the three companies failed to comply with California’s claims-handling laws over and over again. It accuses all three of “significant harm” to Tesla drivers who held policies with them.

Read: Tesla Owners Brace For Soaring Insurance Costs And Even Bans As EV Attacks Escalate

In plain terms, Tesla Insurance Services acts as the broker selling the policies, while Tesla Insurance Company and State National handle the underwriting and claims.

A Pattern of Misconduct

Together, the CDI says, they’ve developed a pattern of misconduct so severe that the state may suspend or revoke their licenses and impose monetary penalties of up to $10,000 per willful violation.

According to the department, Tesla’s alleged offenses include extensive delays in paying valid claims, unreasonable denials, and failures to conduct “thorough, fair, and objective investigations.”

The department also accuses Tesla of not informing policyholders of their right to have claims denials reviewed by the state.

Complaints on the Rise

This isn’t an issue that the state just started tracking, either. In 2022, it noted 21 justified complaints against State National Insurance Company, which accounted for 40 regulatory violations.

The next year, those figures grew to 63 and 195, respectively. In 2024, Tesla Insurance Services joined the fray, and together, complaints rose again to 291, along with 835 violations. 

So far in 2025, the department says it has received nearly 2,000 complaints, over 500 of which were justified, with more than 2,000 regulatory violations. Now, Tesla Insurance Services, Tesla Insurance Company, and State National have 15 days to respond to the accusations before they face a potential administrative hearing.

If the department prevails, the companies could be barred from transacting insurance business in California and hit with significant fines.

Porsche is gearing up for the launch of the long-promised Cayenne Electric, a standalone addition to the existing gasoline and plug-in hybrid line-up. The full reveal isn’t due until later this year, but Stuttgart couldn’t help itself and pulled the covers off the interior early, and it’s basically one giant OLED showroom.

The Cayenne Electric ushers in what Porsche calls the “interior of the future,” a design that will eventually filter into other models. Taking center stage is the Flow Display, a curved OLED screen that dominates the middle of the dashboard. Thankfully, not every control has gone digital, with physical switches reserved for essentials like temperature, fan speed, and volume.

More: Porsche’s Big EV U-Turn Wipes Out Billions And Sparks Investor Panic

Still, even with those tokens of tradition, it’s about as far from a classic Porsche cabin as you can get, unless you think Stuttgart’s heritage has always been mood lighting and oversized tablet screens.

Screens, Screens Everywhere

The curved touchscreen pairs with a 14.25-inch OLED digital instrument cluster, an optional 87-inch augmented reality head-up display, and a 14.9-inch passenger screen that allows app control and video streaming. Technology also extends to the Porsche Digital Key, which can be shared with up to seven users, and a new AI-driven voice assistant.

Porsche claims the new Cayenne Electric offers more personalization than ever, with 13 interior color combinations, four interior packages, five accent packs, extended ambient lighting, and five digital themes. Added to that are the new Mood Modes, which coordinate lighting, climate, sound, and seating to match the driver’s preferences.

Porsche

New materials also make the cut. Leather comes in Magnesium Grey, Lavender, or Sage Grey, while the vegan-friendly Race-Tex interior with Pepita-patterned textile is billed as a nod to Porsche heritage.

More: Porsche Gentrifying ICE Is Just The Start Of Rich-Only Features

Then there’s the hardware flex. Among the available options is the largest glass roof ever to be fitted to a Porsche, featuring a sliding front area and a Variable Light Control function with clear, semi-transparent, and matte settings. Another cool feature is the surface heating on contact areas such as armrests and door cards, complementing the heated seats and steering wheel. Finally, the standard-fit electrically adjustable rear seats prioritize passenger space or cargo.

And of course, if all that still feels too ordinary, Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur and the Sonderwunsch program will happily relieve you of more cash for something “one-off.”

Porsche

What To Expect Outside

Camouflaged prototypes, shown by Porsche and captured by spy photographers, confirm that the Cayenne Electric will arrive in both traditional SUV and coupe-SUV forms. The styling seems to combine the current Cayenne’s proportions with influences from the smaller Macan EV, along with a sharper aerodynamic edge.

More: Porsche Gives Cayenne EV A Fixed Wing And 1,000 HP To Silence Doubters

Beneath the bodywork, the large Electric SUV sits on an evolved version of the Premium Platform Electric (PPE). The flagship version is expected to push out more than 1,000 horsepower, eclipsing the 730 hp of today’s Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid.

Energy will be stored in a 113 kWh battery pack with 400 kW fast-charging, wireless charging capability and a range of over 370 miles (595 km). Photos of the interior reveal a 546 km (340-mile) estimate on the cluster with the battery not quite at full charge.

We also know that the Cayenne Electric will feature Porsche’s Active Ride Suspension and offer a towing capacity of up to 7,716 lbs (3,500 kg) matching the majority of ICE-powered midsize pickups.

With its debut scheduled for the end of 2025, expect Stuttgart to drip-feed more details over the coming weeks and months.

Porsche

EV fires, notoriously difficult to extinguish once they start, remain one of the toughest challenges for carmakers. Engineers continue racing to design battery packs resilient enough to survive crashes without igniting. In China, however, a very different approach has been showcased: a high-speed ejection system that literally launches the pack away like a projectile from the vehicle during an emergency.

If that sounds less like a safety breakthrough and more like and accident waiting to happen, you’re getting the idea. And yes, it really is that stupid.

Battery Launcher

The unusual demonstration was captured in a video that went viral on Chinese social media. The clip shows a large battery module violently shooting out of the side of an SUV before smoke appears. Safety workers quickly smothered the pack with a special blanket after it landed in a designated area with pillows.

More: See What Happens When Two Cars Hit A Chinese EV At 60KM/H In Triple Crash Test

According to Chinese reports, the system works in much the same way as an airbag. If sensors detect a thermal event in the pack, the system can trigger an ejection in less than a second, flinging the battery between 3–6 meters (10–20 feet) away from the vehicle. The idea is to protect occupants from a potential fire or even an explosion.

Good Luck Everyone Else

Of course, as many commenters pointed out, “somewhere else” could just mean straight into another moving car, onto pedestrians, or across live traffic. A battery pack that weighs hundreds of kilos is about as far from harmless as a projectile can get. And in the kind of heavy crash where fires are most likely, the car’s structure could crumple enough to jam the system anyway, leaving you with both the fire and the deadweight still on board.

Who Staged the Demo?

Here’s where it gets interesting. While we couldn’t find official information, markers on the SUV suggest the test was organized by the China Automotive Collision Repair & Technology Research Center. Stage graphics show it took place during the “Power Battery Launch Technology Demonstration and Exchange Meeting” on September 19, 2025.

More: Chinese Government’s Hunt For Online Car Slander Has Begun

The prototype appears to be based on the iCar 03T, though the automaker quickly distanced itself from the experiment. Posting on its Chinese social media accounts, the Chery-owned brand stated: “This has nothing to do with iCAR, please be rational.” Reports also claimed that Joyson Group may have collaborated on the project, but the company has since denied involvement, according to Epoch Times.

For all the spectacle, the so-called missile-style ejection system is a dead end. Lobbing a half-ton battery into traffic is not a safety feature, it’s a liability with wings. And in the real-world crashes where it might matter, the mechanism itself would likely be wrecked before it ever fired.

Screenshots Weibo

A Chinese company whose business involves making things that literally suck has teased its first car, which definitely doesn’t. But we see legal trouble brewing because vacuum maker Dreame’s maiden EV is a dead ringer for a Bugatti Chiron, only reimagined with four doors.

The exterior renders, which seem to have been created entirely or at least partially with AI (telltale signs include the grille pattern) were shared on social media by Dream Technology founder Yu Hao. They show a swoopy four-door coupe that could easily pass for a stretched Bugatti Chiron variant that never made production.

CES Debut?

Chinese media reports the new automotive division of the company plans to display a physical prototype of the car at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas next January.

Related: Chinese Vacuum Giant Aims To Beat Bugatti With The World’s Fastest Hypercar

Though not an exact clone, the design is similar enough to make you do a double take. The headlights are different but the other core Chiron design elements like the horseshoe grille, central spine and C-shaped rear quarter motif are shamelessly carried across.

The interior at least looks more original, and doesn’t feature the vertical bank of dials fitted to the Chiron, whose steering wheel was milled from a single chunk of aluminium billet, but which didn’t feature any kind of touchscreen. That of course would be absurd for a Chinese car in 2027, so Dream Technology’s Chiron-a-like has a large widescreen tablet mounted above the console, plus a secondary display on the console itself.

Last month Dreame, which was founded in 2017 and styles itself as China’s answer to Apple, confirmed plans to enter the automotive space in 2027 with an electric hypercar capable of outrunning machines from Bugatti and Koenigsegg.

Shopping for Space in Tesla’s Backyard

The company is currently scouting potential production locations for a new plant to build the EV in Berlin, Germany, which include a site next door to Tesla’s Gigafactory, Car News China reports. Yu Hao previously posted images of the Tesla plant, along with text that said “factories in Europe are being selected for several businesses.” And Chinese media outlet Jieman claims Dreame is getting cosy with French bank BNP Paribas to bring its automotive plans to fruition.

While the Chiron was equipped with a quad-turbo W16 making 1,479 hp (1,500 PS / 1,103 kW) in stock form and its Tourbillon successor has a naturally-aspirated hybrid V12 that cranks out 1,775 hp (1,800 PS / 1,324 kW), Dreame’s car will be a pure EV.

Will Bugatti’s lawyers suck up this egregious theft of its IP, or will they fight back? We’ve reached out to the company for comment. Check out the images below of the pretend Chiron and the real thing.

Dreame Technology/Bugatti

Audi has officially unveiled the Concept C, just ahead of its first public outing at the Munich Motor Show. It’s a stunning hardtop roadster that previews the brand’s new design philosophy as well as a production model that will likely be based on the redesigned Porsche 718 Boxster and Cayman duo.

Looking bold and minimalist, the concept embraces the spirit of the legendary Auto Union Type C racer and features the all-new “Audi brand face.” The latter is a radical departure as it features a rectangular grille with a portrait orientation.

More: This Porsche 718 Mule Could Be Hiding Audi’s Next TT

The grille is flanked by angular accents, which channel air into vertical curtains. They’re joined by slender four-element headlights, which are slated to become a design hallmark that will “define Audi’s visual identity during both day and night.”

The eye-catching design continues further back as the concept has a rakish windscreen and streamlined bodywork. The latter features taut surfaces, sharp lines, and a pronounced shoulder that runs the entire length of the vehicle.

While the aerodynamic wheels and sporty side skirts draw attention, the retractable hardtop is the real star. It’s the first ever used on an Audi roadster and it promises to deliver the open-air benefits of a convertible as well as the styling and security of a coupe.

The roof is broken up into two different sections and a rear hatch opens to reveal a storage space. The roof then slides backwards, before the hatch closes. It operates similarly to the Porsche 911 Targa, which isn’t surprising as the two share a like-minded design.

Out back, there’s a relatively plain rear end with a wide diffuser and four-element taillights. The model also eschews a rear window for a camera.

A Minimalist Interior Free Of Distractions

The industrial design carries over to the cabin, which has all the ambience and glamour of an airport gate. Drivers sit behind a reimagined steering wheel and find themselves looking at a digital instrument cluster.

While this is fairly typical, Audi embraced a ‘shy tech’ approach to minimize distractions. As part of this effort, the model has a 10.4-inch infotainment system that folds out of the way when it’s no longer needed.

Elsewhere, we can see digital climate controls, anodized aluminum accents, and indirect ambient lighting. The automaker also eschewed leather for stylish cloth upholstery.

Production Model Inbound

While the car is technically a study, Audi confirmed it’s a “concrete preview of a production vehicle.” It will be built at their Böllinger Höfe plant and it’s expected to arrive in 2027.

Besides previewing a future production model, the concept’s exterior and interior design will influence other road-going vehicles. While those changes are likely a ways off, Audi confirmed plans to introduce an entry-level EV next year that will be built in Ingolstadt. 2026 will also see the introduction of new performance models, which will likely include the S6 and RS6 Avant.