Daily Archives: February 27, 2016
Lotus Evora Sport 410 Gives Ferrari F50 A Run For Its Money
Lotus made a special edition of its Evora Sport 410 that has supposedly become faster than the Ferrari F50. This special edition is based on the latest 400, but focuses on giving it more power and less weight.
As a result, the Lotus Evora Sport 410 will provide more power and stronger performance at a top speed of 186 mph with a 0-60 mph in 3.9 seconds. This is 0.3 second quicker than the 400 edition, and is at par with the Ferrari F50.
According to TopGear, the special edition 410 packs a supercharged 3.5-litre V6 engine—output rising to 404 horsepower—with the extra 10bhp. On top of this super machine, the Lotus Evora Sport 410 will only be 1,325 kilos, 70 kilograms lighter than the previous edition.
The weight would take it on the level of the Ford Focus, but this means Lotus had to trim some features such as the arm rests, storage bins and speakers. It’s also mainly made of lightweight carbon trim, including the boot lid.
The Evora Sport 410 can handle recalibrated suspension, which was dropped at 5mm compared to the Evora 400. Imagine combining it with Evora’s sharp dynamic elements such as its limited-slip differential, Michelin Cup tires, and multi-stage stability control, and you’ve got a supercar in your midst.
This and the Porsche Cayman GT4 is on the same wavelength, but the Evora Sport 410 promises to be more powerful and easier to handle because of the lightweight materials used to produce it.
And although it packs less features than the 400, so that it can be lighter and more powerful, the price remained at £79,995. This is 8,000 more expensive than the Evora 400. If you want to get your hands on the 410, you have to order quickly since only 150 cars will be mass produced.
The 2017 Rimac Concept_One Is Coming
Do you remember the E-Runner Concept_One, a joint effort by Japanese racing driver Nobuhiro “Monster” Tajima and Croatian EV-builder Rimac Automobili, during last year’s 2015 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb “Race to the Clouds” event?
According to TopSpeed, the group decided to release a production version of the Concept_One since electric vehicles seem to be on the rise. This would actually work considering the positive feedback from last year’s auto event.
But more than just being an electric car that makes use of today’s innovative technology, the Rimac Concept_One promises to have a gorgeous styling, crafted interior and affordable pricing.
The road wasn’t easy for e-cars the past years. The public has yet to welcome these cars, and Rimac took five years to create a production-ready Concept_One. Back in 2011, Rimac announced the idea of creating a mass produced Concept_One with four ground-up redesigns.
Everything on the car was developed and manufactured by Rimac, and the production version would probably boast of the same. Mate Rimac, CEO of Rimac Automobili, said that the company’s goal is to create an electric version of existing supercars. He wants to create a technology that would make the supercar even better on every front—speed, entertainment and efficiency.
Rimac is aiming to create the “supercar” of the 21st century.
Unlike other electric cars, the Rimac Concept_One actually looks aesthetically better than even some regular sedans. It is modern, futuristic, sleek and bold. If you look at it closely, you can even begin to imagine the concepts taken from Jaguar F-Type and XJ220, the Noble M600, a Bugatti, and the Koenigsegg Agera.
The Concept_One would have 1,072 horsepower and 1,180 pound-feet of torque with 0-62 mph in 2.6 seconds, 0-124 mph in 6.2 seconds, and 0-186 mph in 14.2 seconds. It would also have a max speed of 221 mph.
Pricing for the Rimac Concept_One is approximately 850,000 euros or $936,445.
2016 Volvo V40 Gets Facelifted
The 2016 Volvo V40 has received a facelift with styling and interior tweaks that brought it in line with the current Volvo lineup.
The exterior now includes an updated grille mesh incorporating the Volvo iron mark and Volvo’s new T-shapes LED headlights, which were taken from the Volvo S90, V90 and XC90. Volvo also came up with five new exterior colors that potential buyers can choose from.
As for the wheel designs, there is a total of eight new ones buyers can pick from. These designs are available across the V40, R-Design and V40 Cross Country models.
Some other new features to the Volvo V40 is the City Weave upholstery, which was taken from the Volvo Concept Estate, a new charcoal/blond steering wheel option, new interior panel trims that include Milled Aluminium, Black Grid Aluminium and Stealth Aluminium, as well as trim-colored door inserts with contrasting stitching.
In terms of connectivity, black headlining is expected while Volvo’s On Call technology will also be updated. Currently, it already supports connectivity to Apple Watch and Android Wear, but Volvo promised more options such as compatibility with Microsoft Band 2 connectivity, which will enable voice control when using Windows 10-based smartphones.
The V40 will also enjoy a calendar integration function that connects the owner’s personal calendar to the app. This would allow destinations in your calendar appointments to be sent to your sat-nav. Then, there’s an added Flic button function that will basically allow owners to start preheating the car or lock the car.
What more, this model will also get Volvo’s CleanZone technology to ensure outside air is finely filtered before entering the cabin. It will remove pollutants and aid those with allergies.
Volvo will begin taking orders for the V40 in May, and deliveries will begin in June. No pricing has been released yet, but it will likely have the price range of the current model.
Source: AutoCar
The 2017 Bentley Mulsanne Is A “Pinnacle” Car
There’s a new term in the motoring world—a “pinnacle” car, referring to everyday luxury cars in champagne-colored gorgeousness. Bentley’s pinnacle car is the Mulsanne, a sedan with the characteristics and performance of the best in its class.
Its rivals include the S-Class, the Mercedes-Maybach models, the Pullman and the Phantom. Yet, even with this kind of competition, Bentley is pressing its claim that the 2017 Mulsanne lineup is the best in the world. What’s new is a long-wheelbase model, an even longer-wheelbase model, and a new technology on the safety and infotainment fronts.
Next week’s 2016 Geneva Motor Show will debut the revamped sedan in the lineup. Unlike other automobiles that are made in less than 17 hours, the Mulsanne takes a total of 400 hours to complete. That’s efficiency for you. It is created in the same lab that churns out the likes of Continentals, Flying Spurs and Bentayga SUVs.
The extra 383 hours it takes to make the Mulsanne shows in the perfection of its aesthetics and designs, which can only mean it was handcrafted with love and precision. Although machines and robots weld the aluminum together, it is craftspeople who had to braze the metals together to create the Mulsanne’s roofline, as well as the customized interiors Bentley’s customers might come to request.
For its infotainment functions, the Mulsanne boasts of its 8-inch display screen with touch and swipe inputs backed by 60GB of media storage. It also has Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and an in-car 4G LTE data connection.
The Mulsanne will also accept a detachable 10-inch Android tables mounted to the back of the front seat headrests. The tablets can have 4G and wireless connection, and comes with a 32GB of onboard expandable storage. Passengers can use the connection to stream music to the car’s audio system, browse the Internet, or open navigation maps on Google Maps.
Expect the Bentley Mulsanne to wow automobile enthusiasts during the Geneva Motor Show with its 6.8-liter V-8 (“6.75 liters,” in Bentley heritage-speak) with 505 horsepower and 752 pound-feet and eight-speed automatic transmission. It has a top speed of 60 mph in 5.1 seconds.
2017 Renault Megane Estate Shares Similarities With Nissan Pulsar
The similarities between the fourth generation Renault Megane and the 2015 Nissan Pulsar cannot be denied when the former was launched during the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show. But unlike its Japanese cousin, the French hatchback is more exciting to look at because of its revamped DNA.
According to TopSpeed, potential buyers can take a look at the Renault Megane Estate when it makes its public debut during the 2016 Geneva Motor Show in March.
The new Megane has a GT version, which is not as powerful as the RS but has a sportier body kit and dual-clutch gearbox. This wagon version has an extra legroom for rear-seat passengers. It also has a bigger trunk, which would allow it to compete with the wagon versions of Volkswagen Golf and Ford Focus.
No details have been revealed yet about the C-segment wagon, but all the information we need would drop by March 1. For now, here’s what we know about the new Renault Megane Estate:
- Based on the teaser photos earlier released, the hatchback and the wagon are almost identical from nose to the C-pillar. The only difference is the longer rear overhang, allowing for a quarter window and bigger trunk. The roof, of course, has long rails for sports equipment and longer trips.
- As for the interior, there’s no information yet, except that it would most likely have the same sleek and gorgeous interiors as the hatchback version. This would mean Talisman-inspired features, a massive touchscreen display on the center console, large A/C vents on the dashboard, and a three-spoke steering wheel.
- Renault also wants its customers to be as convenient as possible, so they included other components such as a full-color heads-up display, a seven-inch TFT instrument cluster, and an 8.7-inch touchscreen display.
- Renault has yet to announce the pricing for this one, but the current model retails for $26,290 in the UK. The wagon version would most likely have a price range between $26,900 and $28,300.