The year 2025 has seen some incredible motoring moments. Picking just a handful of those is one of the toughest jobs one can think of. Yet, we put our minds to it and chose these eight for not just the spectacular nature of the moment but also for what they imply. Their very impact on the world of top-layer motoring. Presenting the eight most significant motoring moments from the world of four and two wheels, in no particular order.
1. Revival of the Ferrari Testarossa
The news of that iconic ‘80s supercar nameplate returning was like igniting a billion memories of childhood. Each of which would have made a handsome poster. But that’s not why the return of the Testarossa name to Ferrari is significant. Before the Prancing Horse of Modena could be placed on a car with that name again, Ferrari had to win a trademark lawsuit and defeat a German toy company that had the rights to the name and argued in court that the Italian supercar maker hadn’t used it since 1996. Turns out the court didn’t like that line of thinking much and gave the folks at Maranello something to cheer about. The reason why this is significant is that it now sets a precedent in the motoring world. Just because a creator of a brand name hasn’t used it for a long time doesn’t automatically mean that someone else’s right over that name supercedes that of the creator. The excitement around the rebirth of the Testarossa also proved that revivals work. So, expect more such revivals in 2026.
2. 100 Years of Rolls-Royce Phantom
In automotive history, this is the first instance of a four-wheeler nameplate that has been around for a full century. The year 2025 marked the centenary year of the Rolls-Royce Phantom. Not the company Rolls-Royce, but specifically the Phantom nameplate, which started with the Phantom I in 1925. The very existence of the nameplate to this day signifies that if a manufacturer remains true to the essence of brand and product propositions, names do not need to fade away and give way to new names.
3. Return of the Bentley Supersport
The Bentley Supersport, quite apart from the fact that its birth resurrects a revered name, is also a bold statement in a politically correct, risk-averse world. In our bid to offend no one and please everyone, brands have increasingly played it safe. With climate change and environmental concerns increasing and the popularity of words like sustainability breaching the skies, no one would expect a car manufacturer to launch a purely internal combustion-powered luxury GT car. So, kudos to Bentley for keeping the classical spirit of motoring, which was always accompanied by the thrum of an engine, alive by giving the new Supersport a 4-litre twin turbo V8 that produces 666hp.
4. The Ferrari Elettrica
This is one of the most significant moments in the history of supercars, because the arrival of the Elettrica means that the final bastion of the internal combustion engine has opened its doors to all electric powertrain options. The Elettrica, announced this year, Ferrari’s first-ever dalliance with a battery EV platform will make it debut in 2026. So far, it has dabbled in hybrids and electrical boost systems – like F1’s KERS, but not a fully electric vehicle. The Elettrica, which is currently in its platform form and not yet a complete car, marks the culmination of Ferrari’s own technological journey that began with early hybrid solutions derived from its 2009 F1 car to the modern 849 Testarossa.
5. The Lamborghini Fenomeno
Limited to just 29 units, the Lamborghini Fenomeno pushed the envelope of automotive hybrid technology beyond the horizon. Powered by a 6.5-litre naturally aspirated V12 working in collaboration with three electric motors to put out an eyeball-tearing 1080hp, the Fenomeno is probably the world’s most powerful hybrid supercar and certainly the most powerful V12 Lambo ever made. Beyond its incredible technical specifications, the Fenomeno is phenomenal simply because it pushes the envelope of development as far as it does. Will it be the last word in hybrid hypercars? Chances are, its very existence will lead others to want to shatter those numbers, pushing that envelope still further.
6. Mercedes-AMG GT XX shattering 25 World Records
There are a few cars in global automotive history that have shattered World Records in a single outing. Clocking in at 5,479km at the end of 24 hours, it obliterated the previous record for the longest distance travelled in 24 hours by over a staggering 1,500km. In just under eight days, the Mercedes-AMG GT XX travelled 40,075km. It set a new world record by averaging 5,300km per day, with most of it being done at well over 300kmph. Add to this an ultra-fast charging capability developed by Mercedes-AMG, and you’re definitely looking at the future of superfast road travel in a saloon car. But the reason why all of this becomes so significant is that this technology is close to production. So the future may not be that far away.
7. BMW iX3 Neue Klasse
The birth of the iX3 Neue Klasse means so much more to the future of automobiles than the mere renewal of a product line. It represents advances made in design and technology that create the perception that the iX3 is actually a full generation ahead of the rest of the world. The iX3 was the first of the ‘Neue Klass’ cars to be unveiled to the world at the IAA Mobility Show 2025 in Munich earlier this year. Apart from the extensive use of recycled materials, including recycled PET bottles, in its very construction, it takes a significant step towards sustainable mobility.
8. The Resurrection of Norton
In the motorcycling world, the revival of an old name is less unique than it is in the four-wheeled world. So, the news of British motorcycle marque Norton’s resurrection from a few breaths away from a gasping demise some years ago, isn’t the wow moment that one would think it would be. What is interesting, though, is that after Royal Enfield all those years ago, and then BSA a few years ago, this is the third instance of an Indian motorcycle manufacturer keeping alive a British legacy. Norton Motorcycles is now owned by our very own TVS Motors. That, though, is not why the resurrection of this Brit marque stands out. Rather, it’s the choice of bikes that they decided to resurrect themselves with. In this case, very specifically, the Norton Manx and Manx R, the latter being a litre+ class supersports motorcycle. This hints at the revival of the glory days of the big capacity sports bike in the global arena.
