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Porsche has become the latest major car manufacturer to commit to entering Formula E, and will end its Le Mans winning World Endurance Championship LMP1 programme at the end of the 2017 season. 鈥?What is Formula E? Porsche鈥檚 announcement comes as a clutch of premium German manufactures have committed to the all-electric motorsport series. This month alone, alongside Audi, Mercedes and BMW have confirmed plans to fully enter the sport. BMW will join the grid in 2018, while Mercedes will enter alongside Porsche for the 2019/20 season. Renault, DS and Jaguar already feature on the Formula E grid. Porsche says it has already taken the first necessary steps towards developing its 2019 Formula E entry, and while the firm is backing away from LMP1 and the WEC, it will continue to invest in GT class racing. Is Formula E now the most attractive motorsport for manufacturers? Tell us your thoughts in the comments.

What you鈥檙e looking is a prototype for the eighth-generation Volkswagen Golf revealing a bold new design. However, these images might be the work of an unknown Photoshop artist. The photos, found on a Chinese board, were allegedly taken at the parking lot of the VW and Audi R&D Center in Beijing. They show an Mk8 Golf prototype with very little camouflage across its front and rear fascias. Viewed from the front, we can see an all-new look dramatically different from any Golf models to come before it. For starters, there鈥檚 a set of very thin horizontal headlights, angular air intakes, and a front grille split into three distinct sections. The shape of the bonnet has also been altered. As for the sides, they too differ from the current Golf but have been covered in camouflage. The most obvious differences are changes in the shapes of the doors. Last but not least, we come to the Mk8鈥檚 rear end. The blurry image of the vehicle鈥檚 rear depicts some oddly-shaped taillights and dual tailpipes. Once development of a vehicle reaches a certain point, automaker鈥檚 usually remove out-dated bodies and replace them with finished body panels of the new model. However, these panels are almost always hidden from prying eyes by thick body cladding and camouflage. This Golf doesn鈥檛 have any cladding. In addition to these points, the car doesn鈥檛 have any license plates. Some elements of the front bumper also look a little strange to us. All things considered, we think there鈥檚 a strong possibility that these images are fake(d). Nonetheless, we are still looking forward to the Mk8 Golf and already know a few details about it. For starters, production will commence in June 2019 and we believe the car will enjoy a slightly larger wheelbase than the current model. Semi-autonomous driving functionality is also thought to be on the cards.

According to most recent information, Mercedes-Benz intends on reinventing the SL and launching it as a more driver-focused model, more similar to the AMG GT than the current iteration. To do so, AMG will be heavily involved in the development of the vehicle. It will also use the same Modular Sports Architecture (MSA) as the next-generation AMG GT. What if, though, Merc decided to take the new SL in an entirely different direction? Designer Emre Husmen, for one, is offering a potential look of what a radically-altered SL could look like. Rebranded as the SLE, it features an electric powertrain and has been drastically repositioned from a roadster into a Shooting Brake. While the adoption of an electric drivetrain would be a significant departure, the same stands for the new bodystyle that would make it more practical and spacious. The design of the hypothetical SLE also happens to look very good. Up front, the inclusion of an electric powertrain has allowed the traditional grille to be replaced by a large digital display that could be configured to show a host of different things. The only similarity between the SLE and the current SL is the Shooting Brake鈥檚 elongated hood, but the former gets a sleek and aggressive roofline which may not offer much headroom, but certainly looks the part. At the rear, you鈥檒l notice LED taillights, a narrow window and (for some reason) faux dual tailpipes.

The market for small, family hatchback sized SUVs is red hot at the moment, but the new Volkswagen T-Roc is a little late to the party. It鈥檚 already got a number of rivals within the Volkswagen Group stable such as the Audi Q2 and SEAT Arona, while outside challengers come in the form of the MINI Countryman and the Mazda CX-3. Diesel T-Rocs will play a supporting role when it comes to sales. Volkswagen predicts that as many as eight out of ten T-Rocs sold will be petrol powered, with the 1.0-litre TSI model the headline act. It鈥檚 as smooth swapping cogs as you鈥檇 expect, but it does have a habit of clinging onto third gear and keeping the revs at a level that feels too high at town speeds. The unit itself is still impressively refined though, with the diesel drone only seeping noticeably into the cabin with a deep push on the throttle, so noise is relatively controlled at cruising speeds.

With claimed fuel economy of 55.4mpg, the 2.0-litre TDI isn鈥檛 actually any more economical on paper than the 1.0-litre TSI petrol unit Volkswagen believes will be its biggest seller, and with 133g/km CO2 emissions it鈥檚 dirtier as well. As a result, buyers who are unlikely to venture beyond the urban jungle should follow the crowd to the base petrol that will suit their needs when it comes to efficiency. Of course, the diesel achieves that figure with more power and torque, plus the option of all-wheel-drive, so it should find a market with buyers demanding a bit more from their new T-Roc. All-wheel-drive is a no go for T-Roc buyers seeking to maximise practicality though. The 445-litre bootspace quoted for front-wheel-drive models is eaten away by the addition of the 4MOTION system, resulting in a shallower boot with 392-litres of space. Style is oh so important in this segment, and there鈥檚 no doubt that Volkswagen has invested plenty of time developing the T-Roc鈥檚 image. Much like the Audi Q2, it sticks out alongside the cars it鈥檒l share forecourt space with thanks to a sharper, funkier look, giving it a more individual character. The youthful feel is also evident inside with a sharply shaped, clean looking dashboard featuring body coloured trim inserts on some models, injecting a bit of vibrancy into the cabin. That aside, the T-Roc package is just as you鈥檇 expect - another steady Volkswagen entry into a new market segment. While there鈥檚 nothing seriously amiss with the diesel, however, it鈥檚 likely to be unnecessary for most buyers.