ZXMoto beats European rivals, S’porean wins BMW Golf Cup, Volkswagen explores electric luxe SUV

Chinese brand ZXMoto beats rivals at FIM Superbike World Championship

Motorcycle-maker ZXMoto made history by becoming the first Chinese brand to reach the top of the podium at a FIM Superbike World Championship race weekend in March.

This is a series dominated by established European and Japanese manufacturers.

Competing in the World Supersport (WorldSSP) category, which is a support series to the WorldSBK championship held from March 27 to 29 in Portugal, the ZXMoto’s race machine, based on the 820RR-RS, won both races in its class.

The WorldSSP is one of three categories in the Superbike World Championship, which features race-modified versions of road-legal production motorcycles.

ZXMoto was founded in 2024 in Chongqing, China.

In its regular, road-going form, the 820RR has a three-cylinder, 820cc engine, which makes 133hp at 12,000rpm.

Following the victory, ZXMoto’s showrooms in China have seen a surge of interest. The brand does not have an official presence in Singapore.

First Singaporean crowned at BMW Golf Cup World Final

Ms Wang Mei Zhen became the first Singaporean to win an individual award at the BMW Golf Cup World Final on March 28, 2026, by clinching first place in the Ladies Category.

The 2026 edition of the annual event was held at the Fancourt Golf Resort in South Africa over six days.

Ms Wang, who owns a BMW 216i Gran Coupe, along with two other BMW owners competing in the men’s categories, earned their spots at the World Final by winning the Singapore qualifying tournament held in August 2025.

The Singapore winners each won an all-expenses-paid trip to South Africa for two, including business-class flights, accommodation and hospitality, and entry to the World Final. Ms Wang also took home a trophy for her win at the final.

The event is open to owners of BMWs who are invited by the brand’s dealers.

Consisting of more than 800 qualifying tournaments with over 100,000 participating players in more than 40 countries, the BMW Golf Cup is said to be the largest international amateur tournament series.

Rimac Technology to power next electric BMW

There is a bit of Bugatti in the next BMW i7 electric limousine. To be unveiled at the Auto China 2026 show in Beijing on April 22, 2026, the i7 is the first BMW to use a new high-voltage battery system that is developed in partnership with Rimac Technology, a sister company of Bugatti.

BMW’s partnership with Rimac Technology, which is part of the Bugatti Rimac, was established in 2023. The new battery system is built in a new production facility in Zagreb, Croatia.

Rimac Technology specialises in designing, engineering and producing electric vehicle (EV) components for carmakers, and Bugatti Rimac is a joint venture between Rimac Group and Porsche.

Bugatti made automotive history in 2005 with the Veyron that featured an 8-litre, quad turbo engine with over 1,000hp, while Rimac launched the Nevera, an electric hypercar with 1,914hp in 2021.

Volkswagen mulls over relaunching flagship SUV as an EV

The Volkswagen Touareg, the brand’s top-end and largest sport utility vehicle to be sold in Singapore, is due to be retired globally in the coming months, supposedly without a successor. However, the German carmaker’s global sales boss Martin Sanders was quoted in British car magazine Autocar on April 7 saying that it will return as an electric car.

This is even as Mr Sanders, an industry veteran who previously served as the chairman of Ford’s German manufacturing operation, contends that the market for such a vehicle is not huge by Volkswagen’s standards.

Mr Sanders, who took on the role as the board member for sales and marketing at Volkswagen on July 1, 2024, said the electric replacement for the Touareg will be pitched at those who are affluent but down to earth, preferring to be understated than show off.

In Singapore, the Touareg has not been on sale since 2024, although it continues to be offered in other countries. Volkswagen previously said the order books would close by March, with production winding down soon after.