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Lotus has the Porsche Taycan and Tesla Model S Plaid in its sights, with a high-performance sedan undergoing final testing. The 2023 Lotus Envya – as it’s expected to be called – has been seen with minimal camouflage in the Arctic Circle, but it seems not everything went to plan. The electric Lotus sedan – codenamed Type 133 – was caught on camera while testing, complete in a celebratory wrap marking the British car-maker’s 75th anniversary. After a short drive in the snow, our European spy photographer partners report the Lotus was then loaded onto the back of a tow truck. The Lotus is positioned to compete directly against the electric Porsche Taycan, based on the same Electric Premium Architecture that underpins the Lotus Eletre SUV. The larger SUV is fitted with a 112kWh battery pack, with either 450kW/710Nm or 675kW/985Nm on tap from its dual electric motors, depending on the variant. MORE: 2023 Lotus Envya – Type 133 electric four-door spied for the first time

Chinese brand Great Wall Motors (GWM) is preparing to go hunting for the Toyota HiLux GR Sport and Nissan Navara Pro-4X Warrior with a new version of its GWM Ute. The 2023 GWM Ute is set to gain an off-road-oriented flagship variant to rival top-of-the-range Toyota HiLux, Ford Ranger, Mitsubishi Triton, Nissan Navara and Volkswagen Amarok, government documents reveal. The company has certified a new version of the dual-cab GWM Ute for sale – provisionally dubbed ‘Off-Road’ – with upgraded suspension, off-road bumpers and side steps, and taller all-terrain tyres. GWM Haval Australia has been contacted for comment on launch timing for the new model, however the company typically introduces vehicles three to six months after they are certified for sale, if history is a guide. Already on sale in China, the flagship GWM Ute gains off-road side steps, a snorkel, new front and rear bumpers with tow hooks, black wheel-arch flares, a black metal sports bar, and black 18-inch whee

Whether on the back of a 911 or a Cayenne, the GTS badge has always denoted a special kind of Porsche. Now the electric Porsche Taycan gets the GTS treatment. Skip ahead: Introduction Running costs Price and specification Energy use Interior space and comfort On-road assessment Connectivity and infotainment Summary Safety 2023 Porsche Taycan GTS Nothing prepares you for it. It’s visceral, punching you in the guts, grabbing your heart in its sweaty fist and squeezing to the point of breathlessness. It’s the first heady rush of acceleration, a rush of speed unencumbered by the limits of traditional internal combustion. It shouldn’t come as a surprise anymore.   Meet the 2023 Porsche Taycan GTS , the mid-spec variant in the wider Taycan range that takes everything you think you know about the physics of driving and then stomps on it. Yes, there are faster Taycans – Turbo and Turbo S anyone? – but in terms of bang-for-your-not-inconsiderab