Daily Archives: August 15, 2018
3 Things That Make The 2018 McLaren 720S Pacific Theme Extra Special
The McLaren 720S was unveiled back in 2017 as a replacement for the 620S. Its aggressive design, luxurious interior, and the powerful engine have been the talk of the auto industry for quite some time. Since then, McLaren has become fond of introducing custom models by MSO division, starting with the Velocity Theme.
This August 2018, the Brits have come up with two mode special editions—the Track Theme and the Pacific Theme. Let’s look at the latter, which boasts of a stunning color and sophisticated luxury. But before falling in love with the Pacific Theme, we should warn you that this is only available in Scotland, where it was commissioned by McLaren Special Operations for McLaren Glasgow.
Cerulean Blue
If you think the McLaren 720S Pacific Theme looks stunning from afar, that’s nothing compared to when you’re actually looking at it closely. The car boasts of three special shades of blue, starting with Cerulean Blue that covers most of the body. This particular shade combines light and bright hue, which will remind you of the Pacific Ocean. It also helps the 720S stand out from the rest of the pack.
Estoril Blue
Most cars have black door inserts. What this theme did is to fit it with Estoril Blue elements. The paint is darker, giving a striking contrast with the fenders and the rest of the body.
Cobalt Blue
The third shade of blue is called Cobalt Blue, and it is actually a tint for the exposed carbon fiber. It’s a really dark shade and you will notice it painted on the front splitter, air intakes, mirror caps, rear diffuser, deck lid, rear bumper, engine cover, and roof. These elements are finished in carbon fiber.
The 720S Pacific Theme comes with a set of silver wheels and grey brake calipers. The silver, of course, works nicely with the bright Cerulean Blue.
2019 Ford Ranger Pickup Starts At $25,395
Following a configuration tool leak last week, Ford officially announced pricing for its 2019 Ford Ranger. The base price is priced a little higher at $25,395 compared to the leak, but it’s just a $300 difference so that should not cause a problem.
The official report from Ford revealed that there would be no regular-cab model available, which may disappoint some customers who are fans of simple trucks. Then again, the Chevy Colorado, the GMC Canyon, the Nissan Frontier, and the Toyota Tacoma are not available with a regular cab either. This decision should not come as a surprise for Ford fans.
The $25,395 price tag was for the entry-level XL with an extended cab and two-wheel drive. The old price is still available, but you will have to get the chassis cab version of the XL SuperCab, which no regular customer would be looking for. The higher trim levels, of course, are priced higher but you’ll get a lot more gorgeous specs and tech features.
Here are all the prices of the trim levels, including the destination charge: $25,395 (XL SuperCab 2WD), $29,555 (XL SuperCab 4WD), $27,615 (XL SuperCrew 2WD), $31,775 (XL SuperCrew 4WD), $29,035 (XLT SuperCab 2WD), $33,035 (XLT SuperCab 4WD), $31,210 (XLT SuperCrew 2WD), $35,210 (XLT SuperCrew 4WD), $33,305 (Lariat SuperCab 2WD), $37,305 (Lariat SuperCab 4WD), $35,480 (Lariat SuperCrew 2WD), and $39,480 (Lariat SuperCrew 4WD).
Among the current crop of small pickup trucks, the Ranger has the highest base price. The Nissan Frontier starts at $19,965, the Colorado at $21,590, the Canyon at $22,095, and the Tacoma at $24,740. All of these come with naturally aspirated four-cylinder engines. The Ranger’s base model comes with a turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder, which is the same one in the EcoBoost Mustang and the Focus RS.
For the V6 models, the Ranger is only beaten by the Colorado at $25,345. The Frontier starts at $26,195, the Canyon at $27,630, and the Tacoma at $31,365.
Honda Civic Gets Refreshed For 2019 Model Year
For the first time since it was launched in 2015, the Honda Civic is receiving a refresh for the 2019 model year. Aside from an updated design, the Civic is also getting a new Sport trim and Honda Sensing on all trim levels.
Design
Nothing much has changed in terms of design but when you look at it closely, you’ll notice the subtle yet elegant changes Honda made. The upper front fascia wing is painted in black and the layout of the lower fascia is different—the vents are now integrated into a single unit rather than three sections. Other updates on the design are a full-width front splitter, chrome side pod accents, updated halogen or LED headlights, new wheel designs, and a chrome accent on the rear bumper of the sedan.
Sport trim
The Japanese automaker is introducing the new Sport trim for the 2019 Civic. This trim is rather unique and can stand on its own. It has piano black accents on the lower front fascia and black 18-inch wheels. The sedan gets an additional rear decklid spoiler, too.
Inside, the Sport trim has an updated 7-inch infotainment screen and a volume knob that replaces the interesting sliding mechanism on previous models.
The Sport trim should be affordable since it is being placed between the LX and the EX. It has not announced the price list yet, but the 2018 prices range between $19,835 and $22,235 for the LX and EX sedans and between $20,245 and $22,695 for the LX and EX-T coupes.
For its engine, the Sport trim will get the base 2.0-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine that can be paired with either a six-speed manual or a CVT.
Honda Sensing
The Japanese automaker is bringing its driver assistance technology package to all trim levels of the Civic sedan and coupe. The package includes a collision mitigation braking system with forward collision warning, road departure mitigation with lane departure warning, lane keeping assist, and adaptive cruise control.
4 Things We Learned About The 2020 BMW 8-Series Gran Coupe
After we have spotted prototypes for the BMW 8-Series Convertible, we are now being treated to some spy shots of the 8-Series Gran Coupe. By the looks of it, the Gran Coupe is more likely to be a sedan than an actual coupe. This model is due to fill the gaps that the 6-Series Gran Coupe will leave after it gets phased out by the German automaker.
Exterior
We know a little bit about how this car will look, thanks to the M8 Gran Coupe concept unveiled in March. We can also expect an M8 version to be launched with the regular one. Just like the 8-Series coupe, the Gran Coupe will have a low roof and wide, muscular shoulders, which may mean an option for a three-seat bench in the rear.
Interior
We expect nothing less from BMW when it comes to cabin elegance and luxury. The digital screens serve as instrument cluster and the entertainment hub. Right smack on the center console would be a gear lever and a rotary-dial controller. There will be plenty of technology, of course, but the German brand hasn’t let us on it yet. If you want to know what to expect from the Gran Coupe’s cabin, take a look at the previously revealed 2019 M850i xDrive coupe’s interior.
Platform
BMW will use the CLAR modular platform that started with the 2016 7-Series. The multi-material design of the platform is meant to shed weight, but the Gran Coupe might still be a tad heavy compared to others. The coupe weighs 4,478 pounds in the M850i disguise, so the Gran Coupe will likely be heavier. This CLAR platform will also make the car compatible with electric powertrains.
Engines
We have no details on the engines that would be offered but expect the same 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V8 found in the M850i coupe. That one makes 523 horsepower. There might also be an option for a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-6 and the M8 will get M850i’s V8 engine with over 600 horsepower. We also expect that a plug-in hybrid will be introduced.
Check out the new spy shots of the upcoming BMW 8-Series Gran Coupe in the gallery below:
