Car news this week: Top stories 29 May-4 June 2022

Each week we’ll keep you up to speed and bring you the ‘watercooler’ information of what has happened in the world of cars and motoring with the five biggest stories we’ve covered. Here’s what you need to know…

DeLorean has gone back to the future with the reveal of a new electric sports car that revives the name of one of Hollywood’s most iconic movie cars.

Named after its founder John DeLorean, the original DeLorean company went bankrupt in the early 1980s before its first and only model, codenamed the DMC-12, achieved stardom in the Back to the Future movie franchise.

Now, DeLorean is back – more details here – but the ruler-drawn lines and petrol engine of the original have been left in 1985 in favour of a sleek design and all-electric power designed for the future.

Plus, we couldn’t pass up the chance to reimagine what Marty McFly’s time machine might look like if it was based upon the reborn icon. Check it out here. 

Toyota has paved the way for its flagship Toyota Tundra pick-up from the US to be introduced in Australia by applying for local trademarks.

While the trademark applications themselves do not amount to confirmation the 2023 Toyota Tundra will be sold in Australia, they are a crucial step in the process to introduce the iconic vehicle locally.

Toyota has successfully applied to Australian authorities to trademark the ‘Tundra’ and ‘iForce Max’ names.

The ‘iForce Max’ badge is the name of the Toyota Tundra’s V6 petrol hybrid system, which promises V8 performance but with V6 fuel economy. More details here.

A purportedly-secret plan to tax Victorian motorists has been shot down by government officials after rumours surfaced on social media.

The Victorian Government has responded to reports it is considering introducing a tax for vehicles with engines over 2.0 litres. Rumours suggested a ‘revhead tax’ would place an additional $300 cost on top of registration fees.

A four-door sedan version of the 2023 Toyota GR Corolla hot hatch could be on the way, a new – but so far unsubstantiated – report out of Japan claims.

Japanese website Goo-Net claims a GR Corolla sedan will be revealed as soon as mid-2023, powered by the same 1.6-litre turbocharged three-cylinder ‘G16E-GTS’ engine as the hatch, developing 224kW (or 220kW in Australia), with all-wheel drive.

However, Toyota is yet to confirm such a model for production – and despite the Corolla hatch and sedan sharing a platform, nameplate and key parts, introducing a GR Corolla sedan is not as straightforward as some might expect. Find out why here.

Ford Europe is piloting a GPS-based ‘geofence’ system that will automatically reduce a vehicle’s speed to the posted limit as a way of improving safety.

In a move to further expand the use of technology to assist with road safety for both drivers and pedestrians, Ford of Europe is testing a geofence system that will help govern a vehicle’s speed depending on where (and when) it is being driven.

Geofencing technology utilises GPS data to define a virtual geographic region. When a vehicle enters a region with a lower speed limit – even something like a school zone, which is time-dependent – the vehicle alerts the driver and gradually reduces speed to match the limit set within the fence. Read more here. 

These are the most read stories of the week. You can read all the car news covered by Drive on our news feed here.