Today in Cars: Australia’s EV chessboard shifts, Lamborghini invites AI to Sant’Agata, and a Stingray legend revisits his dream

I spent the holidays doing what any tragic car person does: annoying relatives by sneaking out for early-morning drives and loitering at fast chargers. The traffic told its own story. Fewer Teslas queuing than last summer. More Chinese badges I had to Google. And a lot of families discussing plug-in hybrids in dealer forecourts. Today’s news lines up with that vibe: Australia’s market is pivoting, supercar factories are getting smarter, the UK’s about to be swamped with new metal, and two icons—the Ferrari F40 and Corvette Stingray—reappear in very different lights.

Australia: EV momentum spreads, Tesla resets, and a new value PHEV steals a headline

CarExpert reports Tesla’s Australian sales slumped in 2025, dragged down by Model 3. That tracks with what I’ve heard from fleet managers and what I noticed at public chargers around Sydney and Brisbane: the competition has caught up on range, price, and cabin tech. Throw in shipping volatility and aggressive drive-away deals from China, and the Model 3’s once-inevitable draw is now, well, negotiable.

On the flip side, CarExpert also points to a new “cheapest PHEV” offer undercutting BYD—albeit for a limited time. Short-term deal or long-term marker? Either way, it’s oxygen for buyers who love EV commuting but occasionally need a 600‑km weekend dash without charging anxiety. When I ran a PHEV as a family shuttle, the quiet school run on electrons and the guilt-free detour to netball practice were the real wins. The catch—as always—is making sure the EV portion covers your weekday loop and that the engine doesn’t feel like a grumpy backup vocalist when it cuts in.

Mitsubishi’s incoming Australian boss, per CarExpert, inherits a harder game: sliding sales, right as Chinese rivals surge. The Outlander PHEV remains a solid real-world solution—decent EV running around town, roomy in the back—but Mitsubishi will need sharper pricing, software polish, and faster product cadence to fend off fresh entrants.

Speaking of which, Deepal—positioned as a BYD rival—edges closer to an Australian launch after delays. If you haven’t clocked the name yet, you will. Expect modern cabin tech, long-range claims, and punchy spec sheets aimed squarely at suburban families and ride-share fleets. I’d wager we’ll see premium-feel interiors for non-premium money, which is precisely the sore spot for legacy brands.

Quick table: What today’s Aussie shifts mean for buyers

Tesla’s fleet math, in plain English

CarExpert dives into Tesla’s fleet advantage. The nutshell: low scheduled maintenance, fewer wear items thanks to regen braking, over-the-air updates that fix niggles while you sleep, and efficient energy consumption that keeps per‑kilometre costs predictable. On my last long run in a Model 3, I appreciated how the consumption stayed steady even with the A/C grinding through a humid afternoon—fleet managers notice that kind of consistency. If you’re spec’ing a company car, stack TCO, not just sticker price.

• Plan your charging around workplace availability; it’s the real fleet multiplier.
• Budget for tyres; instant torque can be enthusiastic on rubber.
• Check telematics integration—IT will thank you later.

Technology: Lamborghini says AI is inevitable—even for low-volume exotics

Also via CarExpert: Lamborghini openly embracing AI in manufacturing. No, we’re not talking about a Huracán that writes poetry. Think smarter process planning, tighter quality control on carbon layups, predictive maintenance for tooling, and design simulations that trim weeks off prototype cycles. When you’re building in low volumes, each hour saved is gold—and each micron of panel fit matters. The emotional bit won’t change: you’ll still get a V12-worthy sense of occasion (hybrid or otherwise). But behind the curtain, expect AI to make the curtain smoother, faster, and cheaper to move.

UK product flood: 159 new cars on the way

Autocar counts 159 new cars arriving in the UK this year—from Aion to Zenvo. That’s an avalanche. If you’re shopping, three threads to watch:

• Electrification everywhere: more long-range EVs and cleverer PHEVs, with smaller batteries doing smarter work.
• Software-defined everything: subscription features, OTA updates, and dashboards that feel more smartphone than speedometer.
• Right-sizing: big-car comforts dropping into smaller footprints as city living tightens.

My practical tip? Book back-to-back test drives on the same day, same route. The differences in ride, pedal feel, and driver-assist tuning jump out when muscle memory hasn’t reset. And bring your phone cable—infotainment reality often differs from brochure dreams.

Culture and icons: F40 reimagined, Stingray reauthored

Carscoops unearthed a wild Ferrari F40 widebody concept—one of those “you haven’t seen this before” moments. Purists will reach for the rosary beads, but I love when designers stress-test legends. The F40 was a raw, analog apex; imagining it with wider hips and modern aero toys is like hearing a punk classic remixed by a symphony—wrong on paper, strangely compelling in practice.

And then there’s the Corvette Stingray story: the man linked to the original shape building the version he always wanted, now headed to auction. That’s catnip for design nerds. The C2’s surfacing and proportions are timeless; seeing a creator revisit his own lines decades later is like an artist repainting a masterpiece with the benefit of every lesson learned. If you’ve ever traced that spear of a front fender in a parking lot just because, you get it.

Road safety footnote: Don’t be that person

CarExpert also notes a New Year’s high-speed police chase in NSW involving a Kia Rio and a cocktail of bad decisions. A reminder: even the humblest hatch can become a weapon in the wrong hands. Hang up the keys if you’re not right to drive. Full stop.

Buyer cheat sheet: What to do this week

• In Australia and PHEV-curious? Test the limited-time offer alongside your short list and map your commute to EV range. Numbers on paper are one thing; your driveway-to-desk reality is another.
• Fleet shoppers: calculate total cost with tyres, insurance, and charging assumptions. Let the spreadsheet decide, not the badge.
• UK readers: with 159 newcomers inbound, don’t chase every launch. Narrow by use case—school run, motorway miles, towing—and test two or three competitors properly.

Conclusion

The center of gravity is shifting. Tesla’s learning what every pioneer does: the second wave hits hard. Legacy brands are retooling fast—some with AI literally in the weave of their carbon fibre. New names are arriving with spec sheets sharpened like knives. For us, the fun part remains the same: figure out what you actually need, then go drive the contenders. The car that makes the most sense on your street is the right one—headlines be damned.

FAQ

• What’s the cheapest PHEV in Australia right now? CarExpert reports a new limited-time offer undercutting BYD’s pricing. It’s time-sensitive, so check local dealers and compare drive-away totals and servicing.
• Why are Tesla’s Australian sales soft? A mix of stronger rivals, pricing pressure, and supply swings. The Model 3 is still compelling to drive, but buyers have more viable alternatives than ever.
• Does Lamborghini using AI mean autonomous supercars? No. This is about smarter manufacturing and quality control, not self-driving exotics.
• Who revisited the Corvette Stingray design? The designer associated with the original Stingray shape built the version he always wanted, now set for auction, per Carscoops.
• Should I buy a PHEV or a full EV? If you have reliable home/work charging and predictable routes, an EV is wonderfully simple. If you do sporadic long trips without charging certainty, a PHEV can be the sweet spot—just make sure the EV range covers most weekdays.