Daily Archives: April 17, 2018
4 Things To Expect From The 2019 Aston Martin Rapide AMR
The Rapide is badly in need of a fresh upgrade or update from Aston Martin, but it looks like the luxury carmaker is focused on anything but that. Whether or not Aston Martin is actually working on a new Rapide remains to be a mystery, but what we’ve heard is that it’s getting a high-performance version, thanks to the AMR division.
Here’s what we think the Aston Martin Rapide AMR will look like:
1. Exterior
There will be carbon-fiber bumper inserts and large splitter on the revised bumper. This is what was seen on a test car spotted near the Nurburgring track. The revised bumper has AMR written over it with round foglamps, vented hood, and a revised grille. The side view is a mixture of AMR and standard production features. The side skirts are seen on the test car were similar to the concept model, but missing are the carbon-fiber mirror caps, the black fender strakes, and the black door handles.
Highlights of the rear end include an aero flip on the decklid, a revised bumper that’s not yet painted, and a new, more aggressive diffuser.
2. Interior
Expect the AMR version of the Rapide to carry the same design and features as the standard Rapide, except that there will be a few highlights—Dark Knight Alcantara on the dashboard, the seats, and the steering wheel, sports carbon-fiber seats, and a carbon-fiber center stack and console.
The sedan’s seats, dashboard, and door panels should have contrast stitching, depending on the exterior detailing of the Rapide. It should have bespoke graphics for its infotainment screen and instrument cluster.
3. Drivetrain
The Rapide AMR is set to be the most powerful version of this model. It should get the same naturally aspirated 6.0-liter V-12 machine that can produce 592 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque. That’s a 40-horsepower jump from the regular Rapide. It should be able to reach 62 mph in just 4.3 seconds and top speed will be a whopping 210 mph.
4. Prices
The Rapide S is priced at $207,775 in the US. It’s safe to assume that the starting price for the Rapide AMR would be $250,000 before options.
Photos
Here are the spy shots of the Aston Martin Rapide AMR from autoevolution:
What We Can Derive From New BMW X5 Spy Shots
Engineers at the BMW plant in Munich have been very busy these past weeks. Spy photographers have been capturing photos of new models such as the upcoming BMW 8 Series coupe and convertible, the BMW X7, and finally, the BMW X5. For the last one, we’ve got spy photos both of the exterior and the interior.
Based on the spy shots of AutoBlog, the BMW X5 looks like a shorter version of the X7. That should not come as a surprise since this is essentially what the German automaker planned for the X5 because it is being marketed for an audience that would love the X7 but with shorter wheelbase. Then again, the X5 is not even the shortest wheelbase the BMW is using as a platform. The smaller BMW X3 is taking after the same design and style as the X7 and the X5.
Basically, what we’re going to see on the BMW X5 is about the same thing as what we saw on the X7. They have the same headlights, the same taillights, and the same bucktooth grille that has even avid fans walking away from the SUV.
The overall design was already previewed on the concept unveiled by the German automaker in various motor shows. It was recently seen on the X3, so there’s little mystery on what the X5 will probably look like. This is an evolution of the same basic design that BMW has been using for more than a decade.
The X5’s interior is almost an exact copy of what we recently saw on the X7. It’s quite different from the cabin designs that BMW has fitted most of its models, but since we haven’t seen it in person yet, we’ll reserve our comments on that. What we can see is that there’s a new shifter design and majority of the buttons, including the push-button start, have been moved from the dashboard to the console.
The reveal will probably be sometime later this year.
Subaru WRX STI Will Get Minor Power Bump For 2019 Model
It is not much, but reports said that the Subaru WRX STI will get five more horsepower for its 2019 model. Subaru’s WRX and WRX STI offer a kind of free-driving experience that not many sedans currently in the market can boast of. Both models have aged in many aspects, but they are still as popular as ever, especially to their loyal fanbase.
According to a document submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration by the North American, the 2.5-liter turbocharged boxer-four engine of the WRX STI will now produce 310 horsepower. That’s five more horses compared to the previous model. The 2019 Subaru WRX, on the other hand, will still get 268 horsepower.
The 310-horsepower output of the WRX STI for the 2019 model is familiar because it’s the same output as the limited edition STI Type RA. This is the quicker and “more nimble version” of the STI that was unveiled last year. This special edition model was limited to just 500 units in the United States.
Aside from 310 horsepower and 290 pound-feet of torque, the STI Type RA will also have a suite of modern and exclusive components. The special edition model had a carbon fiber roof, Bilstein shocks, a high-flow exhaust, larger intakes, a retuned engine control unit, and a modified multi-mode vehicle dynamics control system.
The STI Type RA was seemingly produced for the STI fanboys, and there are plenty of them. These are the same people who will be excited to know that the 2019 WRX STI will get the same output as the STI Type RA.
The WRX STI may not have plenty of components fans can go gaga over, but they can tap through a large number of aftermarket channels to customize and give their WRX STI more personality.