The new toll highway between Tashkent and Samarkand, valued at 2.2 billion US dollars, will be financed by foreign investors to the extent of 85%, with the remaining 15% covered by the state budget, according to Jamshid Tursunov, Chairman of the Road Transport Committee, on the channel O‘zbekiston 24.
The construction of this highway began after the President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, launched the project on July 22. Authorities linked the need for a new road to the growing traffic volume on the existing route between Tashkent and Samarkand.
According to Tursunov, the original road was designed to handle 20,000–30,000 vehicles daily, but it currently serves up to 60,000 cars per day. Economic growth, increased population income, and further traffic buildup necessitated an alternative highway.
The new section of the road, spanning approximately 280 kilometers, will feature six lanes, and its capacity will range from 60,000 to 80,000 vehicles per day. The project includes the construction of 92 bridges, 28 overpasses, and 60 pedestrian crossings, as well as underground passages and water usage systems for agricultural needs.
The road surface will be made of monolithic concrete capable of withstanding intensive movement of trucks and high-speed vehicles. Furthermore, the implementation of digital solutions and intelligent traffic management systems is planned for the highway.
In preparing the project, authorities studied the experience of building toll roads in Turkey, Germany, and South Korea. Consultations were also held with international contractors and engineering companies. The new highway is expected to reduce freight transportation costs by 19–24%. Moreover, the project is projected to increase the gross regional product in the regions of Tashkent, Syrdarya, Jizzakh, and Samarkand by approximately 3%.
During the launch ceremony, Mirziyoyev emphasized that the road was designed for operation over the next 50–60 years, not just for the short term. According to data cited in the O‘zbekiston 24 report, a World Bank analysis showed that every dollar invested in such infrastructure projects can yield an economic return up to five times the investment.
An example of the 2025 Bugatti Mistral, with only 516 km driven, will be put up for auction by RM Sotheby’s between August 13th and 15th in Monterey, California. The estimated sale price for this vehicle ranges between US$ 7.5 million and US$ 9.5 million, corresponding to values between R$ 38.3 million and R$ 48.5 million, according to the current exchange rate.
The Mistral is notable for being the last street model from Bugatti equipped with the 8.0 W16 quad-turbo engine. This engine was fundamental in defining the identity of the French brand for two decades, being used in the Veyron, Chiron, and finally, this convertible. The production of this model was limited to only 99 units globally, establishing it as a valuable collector's item even before its initial distribution.
With its aerodynamic design, the W16 engine generates an impressive 1,600 horsepower and 163 kgfm of torque. This combination allows the convertible to accelerate from 0 to 96 km/h in under two seconds and reach a proven top speed of 454 km/h, qualifying it as the fastest open-top production car ever built.
The car in question features a distinct aesthetic configuration, sporting exterior paint in Italian Red and Nocturne, and an interior upholstered in leather in Italian Red and Beluga Black tones. According to the auction house, the hypercar had only one owner and left the factory with approximately US$ 325 thousand (about R$ 1.7 million) in accessories and customizations. Catalog photos indicate that the plastic protectors installed upon delivery last year remain on the interior panels.
Among the elements justifying the high value is the gear selector, which is made from a single block of aluminum and features an amber insert containing a replica of the Dancing Elephant sculpture, a work by Rembrandt Bugatti, brother of the automaker's founder. The model's name refers to the mistral, a type of wind blowing in southern France. The lot includes the original cover, battery charger, owner's manual, and tool kit.
When launched last year, the Mistral had an initial price of US$ 5.1 million, equivalent to approximately R$ 26 million. If it reaches the upper limit of the estimate, the vehicle will have almost doubled in value in just over a year, demonstrating strong market interest in limited-edition collectibles related to the end of certain mechanical eras.
Bugatti, however, has moved towards new technologies. The W16 engine has been discontinued and replaced by the Tourbillon, presented in 2024. This new engine uses a naturally aspirated 8.3 V16 coupled with three electric motors, marking the first time since the launch of the Veyron in 2005 that a street-legal Bugatti does not employ turbochargers.
The next iteration of the Hyundai Kona was revealed without any type of camouflage in South Korea, through images shared on social media. This prototype suggests a much more comprehensive overhaul than a simple mid-cycle update.
The pre-series prototype features a more elevated and vertical silhouette, moving away from the fluid lines of the current version and adopting visual characteristics similar to the electric vehicles in the Ioniq family. On the front, the split lighting concept, characteristic of the first two generations, has been maintained, but with smaller main headlights and a more robust upper LED strip that spans the entire width of the front.
The sculpted lower bumper has reduced air intakes and appears to feature a closed grille. A notable change is the absence of unpainted plastic cladding on the wheel arches, which gave the previous Kona a more rustic look. In its place are smooth surfaces, without the diagonal creases of the previous generation, and a subtle two-tone treatment, contrasting gray pillars with the matte silver body. The beltline remains straight until a redesigned and more vertical rear.
Although exact measurements have not been confirmed, the SUV is expected to increase in size. The current Kona measures 4.35 meters in length, as does the Creta (4.33 m), while the new generation Kia Seltos, which shares mechanics, reaches 4.43 m. A larger size would help the model position itself at the intersection between the subcompact and compact segments in Europe, competing against models like the Volkswagen T-Roc, Toyota C-HR, Honda HR-V, and Mazda CX-30, occupying the space between the Bayon and Tucson.
A crucial aspect raised by international publications is Hyundai's intention to consolidate the Kona and Creta lines into a single global product, which is consistent with the similar size of the two SUVs. The shapes of the prototype echo the Crater concept, presented in 2025, which served as the aesthetic basis for this project.
For the Brazilian market, this decision gains additional relevance, given that the Creta is one of the best-selling vehicles in the country, and its third generation, codenamed SX3b, is expected to emerge from this unification. Furthermore, there is an expectation that the structure will be used by General Motors. Due to the agreement signed between the manufacturers in August 2025, which foresees the joint development of five models, the future Chevrolet Tracker should be derived from the Hyundai SUV. The initial launch of this first product of the partnership is scheduled for 2028.
Inside, a digital cockpit equipped with larger screens is anticipated, following the trend initiated by the Ioniq 3, and operating under the new Pleos Connect system, based on Google Android. Hyundai does not plan to eliminate all controls, maintaining physical commands for frequently used functions.
The engine range should be adapted according to the market, including 2.0 naturally aspirated, 1.6 turbo, and 1.6 self-charging hybrid options, available with front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. The purely electric version may be retained, possibly with an extended range system. The official debut of the vehicle is expected in the coming months, as part of the 2027 lineup.
Apple concluded the stock market session this Monday, the 27th, as the corporation with the largest global market value, surpassing Nvidia. This event represents an inversion in positions between the iPhone manufacturer and the leader in semiconductors for artificial intelligence (AI).
Nvidia's shares suffered a 5% decline on the day, which reduced its market capitalization to US$ 4.77 trillion (equivalent to R$ 24.5 trillion). This drop occurred amid a general decline in AI stocks, driven by investor apprehension regarding the high costs associated with expanding AI infrastructure.
In contrast, Apple's shares showed a 1% increase, raising its market value to US$ 4.95 trillion (R$ 25.4 trillion). This rise comes just before the company's quarterly results announcement, scheduled for Thursday, the 30th.
Previously, Nvidia had held the title of the world's most valuable company since June 2025, a period when it had taken over from Microsoft. In October, the chip manufacturer momentarily reached a market capitalization of US$ 5 trillion (R$ 25.6 trillion).
Analyzing the accumulated performance for 2026, Nvidia's shares registered a modest advance of only 4%, while Apple's stocks demonstrated significant growth of 24%.
Investors have favored Apple's approach, which opts not to invest massively in capital expenditures aimed at AI, preferring to rent computing capacity instead of building its own infrastructure. Despite this, even with Nvidia's sales growing expressively for the third consecutive year due to AI, some investors are redirecting their focus from graphics processing units (GPUs) to data center infrastructure components, such as memory chips produced by companies like Micron, SK Hynix, and Sandisk.
Apple is scheduled to present its third fiscal quarter results on Thursday. On that occasion, the company should report for the first time the financial impact caused by the global shortage of memory chips driven by AI, a situation that forced the company to raise the prices of the Mac and iPad in June.
