Monthly Archives: June 2018
2019 Dodge Charger Gets Performance Upgrades
Large sedans are still in competition with crossovers. Lest we forget about them, Dodge came up with fresh aesthetics and performance upgrades for the 2019 Charger. Sure, we’ve been preoccupied with the Redeye, but we’re sure Dodge has not forgotten that the Charger used to get plenty of attention, too.
For 2019, the high-performing variants of the Dodge Charger will get a new grille with dual air inlets. The grille, however, will only be available with the R/T Scat Pack and Hellcat. The two models will also receive as standard Launch Assist, which can detect driveline-damaging wheel hop at launch and modifies the engine torque to regain grip.
Same with the Challenger SRT Demon, the Charger SRT Hellcat will also receive the After-Run Chiller and the Torque Reserve, as well as new options like the Brass Monkey 20-inch forged wheels, a Satin Black hood, and an Alcantara package. The latter will bring a suede-like material to the sedan’s seats and steering wheel.
The R/T Scat Pack buyers can also opt to have the Bilstein adaptive damping suspension with modes such as Auto, Sport, and Track. There are new exterior colors available and there’s a new Launch Control switch placed on the dashboard.
Performance
There are many different engines for the Charger: the base model gets the 292-horsepower V-6 engine while the Hellcat has a 707-horsepower V-8 engine.
The base model, called the SXT, will come with an all-wheel-drive system, while the new GT gets a rear-drive system. The GT and R/T models, on the other hand, will receive a performance hood, side sills, fascia, and spoiler for the higher variants.
Performance suspension, improved steering, Dodge Performance Pages Pages with the 8.4-inch Uconnect screen, performance bolstered seats, and 20-inch Satin Carbon wheels and Black Noise wheel options are standard for the two trim levels.
The GT gets a top speed of 130 mph while the R/T gets 150 mph.
3 Things We Noticed In The 2019 Kia Proceed GT
The five-door 2019 Kia Proceed GT was just spotted in the open, and we now have a pretty clear idea of how the fastback is going to look like once it’s revealed at the 2018 Paris Motor Show in October.
To be clear, Kia hasn’t exactly confirmed when the release will be, but all signals point to the Paris Auto Show.
Exterior
The spy shots of Motor1 show the upcoming Proceed GT with a covered front section, doors, and rear section. But thanks to a bit of wild imagining, we got a pretty good idea of how the auto is going to look like without all that wrap.
The front grille will be the traditional Kia grille, though with the “GT” badge on it. The headlamps are the same as the regular Ceed, and the side air intakes, huge alloy wheels, and red brake calipers all point to a car with serious sporting credentials.
The Proceed is very much a fastback, thanks to the sweeping roof that extends to the rear section. There are large taillights at the rear, including a pair of exhaust tips on opposite ends of the sedan.
Interior
We didn’t get many snaps of the Proceed’s interior, but let’s just say that it will be similar to the concept, which had a 50s-inspired, retro-style cabin. The concept had Kia changing the color of the instrument cluster depending on the driving mode. It also had a carbon fiber spine that runs up to the front seat. We don’t know if these are exactly what we’d come to expect from Kia, but this or a more traditional cabin will be more than enough for fans.
Powertrain
Kia said that the Proceed GT will get a 1.6-liter four-cylinder turbo engine that can deliver around 200 horsepower.
This figure could change as production day nears, but it’s doubtful that the South Korean automaker would bring more power to the Proceed GT. If it will, the five-door fastback will officially step on the Stinger’s toes. The Stinger has a 2.0-liter engine that produces 255 ponies.
3 Things You Should Know About The 2019 Porsche 911 Speedster
Though it’s about to retire, nothing could stop Porsche from fitting the current-generation 911. Spy photos of an uncovered Porsche 911 Speedster have been revealed by TopSpeed, and let’s just say, the sports car looks absolutely sexy.
Exterior
Save for its soft top, the two-seater 911 Speedster followed the styling cues of the 911 GT3, which is available in coupe only. The bumper is identical to the GT3 with its large vents on the sides and wide intake on the middle.
And just like the GT3, the rear fenders are wider, which is enough to house the middle-mounted exhaust with two pipes. The engine lid has a unique and interesting-looking spoiler, but this could change as the car nears production.
Interior
The interior of the 911 Speedster will be better than the 911 Carrera. That’s about the only info we can get from the rumors. The interior can be a cross between the standard 911 and the GT3, and it could have the standard features available for the Carrera T. These features are the Sport Seats Plus package that carries with it sportier, four-way adjustable seats with integrated headrests and contrast stitching.
When it comes to the technology available, we’re pretty sure that the 911 Speedster will be fitted with the Porsche Communication Management (PCM) system with online navigation and real-time traffic information, the Connect Plus module, and the Track Precision app.
Performance
The new model will most probably carry the same engine as the Carrera GTS, though this will fail to be faster because it lacks the aerodynamics. The 3.0-liter flat-six engine should give 450 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque. It will be paired to a seven-speed PDK transmission that will enable the Speedster to reach 60 mph in just 3.7 seconds.
The Speedster will cost more than the 911 GT3 because there will only be 1,948 units produced. The Speedster might cost a whopping $150,000 before options.
Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye Has The Stuff Speed Lovers Only Dream About
While Dodge has put an end to the insane Challenger SRT Demon that only had a limited production, it now has the Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye. It’s not as powerful as the 840 horses that the Demon had, but it received many of the same upgrades as its twin.
There are going to be two models for the car: the SRT Hellcat and the SRT Hellcat Redeye. Focusing a bit on the Redeye variant, it will have 797 horsepower (the regular Hellcat only has 717 horses) and 707 pound-feet of torque. It is an insanely powerful machine that is challenging the limits to what’s legal on the road.
The power of the Hellcat Redeye comes from a 6.2-liter V-8 engine. Now that the Demon has been laid to rest, the Redeye is the “most powerful production V-8,” Dodge said. The Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye can go from 0 to 60 mph in under 3.4 seconds. It can also reach 131 mph in just a quarter mile time of 10.8 seconds.
Other details include a larger 2.7-liter supercharger, up to 14.5 psi, a higher redline (up to 6,500 rpm), and dual-stage fuel pumps. There’s also going to be a new dual-snorkel hood and an Air Catcher headlamp on the driver’s side of the fascia.
There are other upgrades that separate the Hellcat Redeye from the Demon, though. There’s going to be a Widebody Package for Challenger R/T Scat Pack models. The package will give the muscle car an extra 3.5 inches of width, a plus-sized six-pot front brakes from Brembo, extra wide wheels and tires, and a new suspension.
Production of the Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye will begin this fall and deliveries will start by the fourth quarter. There will be no limits to the production of the Redeye, unlike the Demon.
2019 Lincoln Nautilus Receives More Room, Co-Pilot 360, New Engine
The Lincoln Nautilus has officially replaced the brand’s MKX crossover, which was the best-seller Lincoln in the US. The Nautilus gets a lot of new stuff from Lincoln, including a new base engine, a mesh grille, chrome accents, standard equipment, and the price increase.
The Nautilus now carries a starting price tag of $40,340, plus $995 for the destination charges. That’s a total of $41,335. It’s a price bump of $1,305 over the MKX. If you have $255 more, you can get the base model of the Cadillac TX5. Want the optional all-wheel drive? You have to shell out an extra $2,495.
The entry-level Nautilus sheds off the “Premier” tag, but the Select, Reserve, and Black Label trims remain.
The legroom and the headroom for the new Nautilus are arguably the best in the industry, according to Lincoln. Standard to all models are the 10-way power seats, a 12.3-inch digital dash, an eight-inch infotainment display with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Sync 3, and 18-inch wheels.
The Select, priced at $45,540, gets leather seats, heated steering wheel, navigation, and LED fog lights. The Reserve, which gets a price tag of $49,870, adds climate control on the seats, a panoramic roof, a 13-inch Revel audio system, and finished it all of with 20-inch wheels.
Finally, the Black Label trim upgrades those seats to Venetian leather and Alcantara headliner. It also has 19-speaker Revel Ultima stereo and 21-inch aluminum wheels.
The standard engine is the low-powered 2.0-liter, twin-turbo, four-cylinder EcoBoost that produces 245 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque. This, along with all the engines available, is paired with Ford’s new eight-speed automatic while the EcoBoost comes with the start/stop button.
The engine available on the upper trims is the 2.7-liter twin-turbo V6 with 335 ponies and 380 pound-feet of torque.
The range also gets the Co-Pilot 360. Meaning, the car now packs the following features: automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, a backup camera, and blind-spot information with cross-traffic alert.
4 Things You Need To Remember For Your 4th Of July Road Trip
If you think about it, the American Independence Day on the 4th of July is simply about celebrating with your friends and family. Sure, it has its historical implications, but now more than ever, we should remember to celebrate the freedom we’re enjoying through eating hotdogs and lighting fireworks.
Aside from these activities, the American Automobile Association (AAA) also predicts that a record-breaking 39.7 million Americans will embark on a 4th of July road trip, and they will be traveling at least 50 miles away from their homes over the holidays. The numbers do not include Americans who will be taking other means of transportation.
If you’re one of the people who will be taking a 4th of July road trip, you should remember to abide by these four cardinal rules of driving during the Independence Day celebration:
1. Your Travel Time Will Be Doubled
If the average time it will take you from Point A to Point B is four hours, expect that duration to go as high as seven to eight hours. Travel time will double on one of the busiest holidays of the year.
People are going to be packed in their cars, probably heading to the same cities as you are. New York, Washington D.C., and Los Angeles are going to be the worst, according to research.
The night of July 3 will be hellish for all kinds of motor vehicles because people are going to leave work early to head to their vacations.
2. The Budget For Gas Money Will Go Up
The prices of gas will go up before the holiday, and you will also need to spend more on gas because you’ll be stuck on traffic for a long time. Vehicles will use up more of your gas when it’s stalled on the road, so expect to cough up more money than you intend to.
3. Ready Your Supplies
Don’t just bring drinks and food in the car. Make sure your car is well-tuned and if you didn’t have the time to go to the mechanic, just bring an emergency kit with you. Your kit should include a wheel wrench, a battery jumper cable, flashlight, backup batteries, reflective triangles, a multipurpose tool, and a charger for your phone, among others.
4. Be Extra Careful
We tend to get distracted when we’re too happy singing and eating with our friends while driving down the road. Reduce your risk of being part of the accident statistics by making sure that you’ve put on your seatbelt, you don’t drink and drive, and you abide by the traffic rules particularly the speed limits.
3 Ways The 2020 BMW 8 Series Convertible Will Amaze Us
X-Tomi Design’s rendering of the 2020 BMW 8 Series Convertible.
The BMW 8 Series is back and it will officially replace the 6 Series. The 8 Series will be revived both in racing and full production forms. A BMW 8 Series Convertible model is expected to follow soon, and X-Tomi Design just came up with a rendering of the car.
1. Exterior
The 8 Series convertible will have a wide and low stance, making it look a lot like the coupe version. The electrically retractable soft top is made from fabric, and it will be the replacement for the roof that’s on the coupe model. The majority of the body will be like the coupe version—from the new kidney grille design on the nose down to the long wheelbase and set of air vents placed behind the front wheels.
The rear end will set the convertible apart from the coupe though because its trunk lid has to accommodate the retractable top.
2. Interior
The rendering shows that the interior of the convertible will be similar to the coupe version, too. That means high-end materials such as leather and aluminum are going to be used on the dashboard, the side panels, and the seats. The horizontal orientation of the Bimmer’s new dashboard and center console will be an added bonus since a lot of users have come to love the layout.
The screen behind the dashboard will be measured 12.3 inches while the digital infotainment screen is a 10.25-inch display on the center console. There will be a bevy of technology such as safety standards and more advanced systems like the gesture control.
3. Powertrain
The convertible will carry over the coupe’s twin-turbo 4.4-liter V-8, which is also known as the N63. The unit can produce 523 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque in the coupe. The output for the convertible will likely be the same.
The engine of the 8 Series can reach 60 mph from a complete standstill in just 3.6 seconds while its top speed is 155 mph.
The Kia Telluride Spy Shots Look A Lot Like the SUV’s 2016 Concept Model
We first saw the concept for the larger sport utility vehicle Kia Telluride back in 2016. These spy shots prove that the Telluride is on its way to production form, thanks largely to the uncovered front grille and headlights.
The spy shots from Autoblog reveal that the Telluride uses much of the same design shown in the 2016 concept. It has the same square and blocky design that features a tall, sheer, slightly upturned nose. The grille is broader but it curves a bit backward towards the headlights, allowing for a softer facade. The grille also has a slightly upward angle and the headlights have increased in size compared with the concept. And instead of being an inset, the headlights wrap around the fender.
The sides and the rear of the Telluride have more camouflage but that didn’t stop us from having a look at what this new SUV from Kia will offer. The details are taken straight out from the concept and that includes the chrome trim that surrounds the windows. It has a little extension that leads to the B-Pillar.
The rear taillights feature the concept’s inverted L-shaped lights, though the lights on the production model span the full width of the rear hatch.
There is no word yet on the powertrains that will be available for the Telluride. But seeing that this is a mid-sized SUV, we should probably look at the engines available in the Sorrento. Back when it was first introduced as a concept, reports indicated that it would have a 3.5-liter gasoline direct injected V-6 machine that produces 270 horsepower combined with an electric motor that can produce 130 horsepower.
The Telluride should be ready for production in about a year. A report earlier this year said that the announcement will be coming in the near future. The latest spy shots we got here might look exactly like the production version, so we already have a good sense of how the Telluride will look in our garages.
A Look Back at the 2016 Kia Telluride Concept
Let’s revisit the 2016 concept of the Kia Telluride in the video below that comes with a cool remix of Ennio Morricone’s masterpiece:
2019 Suzuki Jimny Is A Cute Little Off-Roader
The production run of the third-generation Suzuki Jimny—the lone, pint-sized, affordable off-roader in the market—is over after nearly two decades. Here comes the fourth-generation of this cute little thing, which is going to be a 2019 model.
We know, it appears slightly like the Mercedes-Benz G-Class, and why not? It seems like the G-Class is now the automotive world’s standard for compact off-roaders. The Jimny’s new design is actually reminiscent of the first-generation Jimny that was introduced back in 1970. The boxy grille and round headlights are the same, but the spare-tire mount at the rear may be the reason why this model is being compared to the G-Class.
You may not notice the huge similarities with the luxurious G-Class when you look at the Jimny from the front and sides, but the two models have their commonalities when seen from the back.
Suzuki has not released the specifications for the Jimny yet, but it will likely come in single- and two-tone exterior colors. There’s going to be a trim made of a Kinetic Yellow hue, so that’s going to be cool.
Once inside, the SUV transforms into a rather “utilitarian” machine with a basic setup but plenty of functions. Buttons, dials, and switches are aplenty, so drivers would not be left wanting in terms of tinkering with the infotainment display. Speaking of which, there’s a touchscreen unit on top of the center stack, but the instrument cluster will be populated by analog dials.
According to Suzuki, the 2019 Jimny will have a ladder frame chassis, three-link suspension, and a low-range transfer box to complement its 4×4 driving system. There is no information yet about the engines that will power the Jimny, but we expect a manual gearbox in its transmission.
When Suzuki exited from the United States in 2012, it looked like we’ve seen the last of it. The Jimny won’t find its way back to American soil. Around the world, it has sold 2.85 million units.
5 Cool Things About the 2019 Aston Martin DBS Superleggera
Aston Martin is retiring the Vanquish S, and it’s being replaced by a badge that goes back to the late 1960s, the DBS Superleggera. The Superleggera will be Aston Martin’s new flagship grand tourer.
For the 2019 model year, the DBS Superleggera is lighter and more powerful. It only weighs 3,733 pounds, shedding at least 160 pounds from the DB11. The exterior styling is aggressive with its low stance, making it look almost like a supercar.
1. Exterior
The overall design of the DBS Superleggera is inspired by the DB11 with an aggressive front fascia, a big honeycomb grille that covers the entire bumper, and triangular outlets at the far corners. The taillights are slim and they have a sporty design on them.
On the side, the DBS Superleggera is muscular and organic. The side skirts are wide and aggressive and the deeply sculpted dent under the door complements that. Finishing off the look is the roof that is finished in black and the multi-spoke, lightweight wheels.
2. Interior
The DBS Superleggera is using a new layout for its interior. It is almost identical to the DB11 as it has the same organic dashboard with the inclined A/C vents, big infotainment display at the top, and two rectangular A/C vents below. The DBS will get the same options on upholstery as the DB11. This means that there will be limitless options of leather, Alcantara, aluminum, and carbon-fiber trim.
As for the tech, the new DBS will get a new satellite navigation system, a premium audio system, auto-park assist, and a 360-degree camera, among others.
3. Performance
The DBS Superleggera will be powered by a twin-turbo, 5.2-liter V-12 engine that produces 715 horses and 664 pound-feet of torque. That’s an increase of 123 horsepower and 119 pound-feet of torque from the outgoing Vanquish S.
4. Prices
The Superleggera will likely have a starting price tag of $304,995 in the US. Deliveries should start by the third quarter of 2018.
5. Competition
The DBS Superleggera will give the Bentley Continental GT and the Ferrari 812 Superfast a run for their money.