Tag Archives: RS
2019 Chevrolet Malibu RS Commands A $24,995 Price
At this year’s New York Auto Show, Chevrolet announced that its 2019 Chevrolet Malibu RS, the brand’s sporty sedan, should sell for $25,000. Reports recently find a buying guide that shows the package for the midsize sedan will be priced at $24,120 plus an $875 destination charge. That’s a total of $24,995.
The Malibu RS will exactly be $1,000 less than the lower LS trim, which sells $23,995 after the destination charge.
The Malibu RS, together with all the other 2019 Malibu lineup, will have reworked front and rear fascias. Its 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder will produce 163 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque will be paired with a CVT instead of the six-speed automatic in the current model. This is the brand’s first use of the CVT in a non-hybrid model aside from the subcompact Spark.
Once inside the cabin, you will notice that the infotainment screen grew by an inch to a total of eight inches and the Malibu RS will also enjoy the brand’s Infotainment 3 system. The steering wheel is going to be wrapped in leather. The shift knob will also get the same treatment to complement the black cloth seats.
And that’s not all because the 2019 Malibu RS will also add a black sport grille and black Bowties, black mirror caps, a rear spoiler, dual exhaust, and 18-inch wheels to wrap off the new look.
The Malibu RS is Chevrolet’s entry into the field of aggressive mid-size sport sedans. Pricing it under $25,000 is a smart move considering that the Toyota Camry SE sells for $26,470 and the Honda Accord Sport is priced at $26,675. However, the sporty Mazda 6 Sport lies beneath the Malibu RS with a $23,895 price tag.
By comparison, the 2019 Ford Fusion is selling for $32,065 and the 2019 Dodge Charger for $28,995.
4 Things To Know About The 2018 Renault Megane RS
Renault is bringing a sportier and more powerful version of the Megane to 2018. Called the Renault Megane RS, it will have a wide stance, unique body lines, aggressive front end, and a motorsport-inspired, functional rear diffuser.
Exterior
The RS model is wider than the standard model with the rear haunches up by 45 mm (1.77 inches) and the front extended by 60 mm (2.36 inches). The front has an all-new fascia and the large air intakes are more menacing and aggressive than ever. The new grille also adds a sportiness to the whole look.
The rear end is very interesting, with a micro look on the fascia and a functional diffuser in the middle. There are new fog lights, too, and you can choose from 18- or 19-inch wheels. There are eight exterior colors to choose from—Glacier White, Arctic White, Mercury, Diamond Black, Titanium Grey, Flame Red, Volcanic Orange, and Liquid Yellow.
Interior
The interior is all sports car with its RS-specific goods. The red trim is thrown around the car and the RS badge on the bottom of the steering wheel is a nice sporty touch. There are red accents, too, in the hear shifter, the instrument cluster, and the infotainment system. All over, the interior is wrapped in charcoal gray with red top stitching and to round off the sporty feel of the interior, there are aluminum pedals, too.
The sports seats offer plenty of support, which included integrated headrests. The R-Link 2 comes as standard equipment and this features an 8.7-inch display that’s vertically oriented.
Performance
The Renault Megane RS is powered by a 1.8-liter four-pot engine that produces 280 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 287 pound-feet of torque. For this kind of power, Renault has to do over the air intake, the exhaust system, and the cylinder head, which received attention from the Renault Sport Cars and Renault Sport Racing department.
The Megane RS can reach 62 mph in just 5.9 seconds. It also comes with the Multi-Sense, which offers several driving modes—Comfort, normal mode, sport mode, race mode, and Perso mode.
The Renault Megane RS is priced at $37,271, and competes directly with the Volkswagen Golf R and the Honda Civic Type R.
The New Ford Focus RS Will Be A Hybrid
Ford is planning for another RS-badged Focus as the current generation Ford Focus RS is preparing to stop production by April 6 this year. The next-generation Focus RS will reportedly be a hybrid that can produce up to 400 horsepower.
Dutch publication Auto International started the rumor last week when it reported that the next-generation Focus RS will have a 48-volt, mild-hybrid system that will boost the power production of the vehicle. That is reason enough for the RS-badged Focus to be able to choke out a nice 400 horsepower output.
The current-generation Ford Focus RS produces 350 horsepower, though a 370-horsepower version was also available, thanks to a Mountune performance kit. The 370-horsepower Focus RS was aptly called the Focus RS Heritage Edition.
The same report said that the current 2.3-liter turbocharged inline-4 engine will be carried over to the next-generation Focus, but it is believed that the hybrid will have a bigger starter motor that will seriously boost the powertrain capability. Aside from the 400-horsepower output, the new Focus RS will allegedly also come up with an additional 44 pound-feet of torque, bringing the total to 394 pound-feet of torque.
These are just rumors, of course, but there’s credence to it since Ford plans to electrify most of its vehicles in the coming years. In fact, it even teased a future battery-electric performance crossover that would carry the “Mach 1” name. There was also a report that a hybrid version of the Mustang and F-150 might be coming out.
Jim Farley, executive vice president and president for global markets, earlier said that Ford plans to distribute seven fully-electric cars in North America by 2022. This might be the start of that project.
There’s no timeline as to when the next-generation Focus RS will come out. What we do know is that the next hatchback will make its bow at the 2018 Geneva Auto Show. The sedan version might make its debut at the 2018 New York Motor Show.
2019 Porsche 911 GT3 RS: What Can You Get Starting at $188,550?
The 2019 Porsche 911 GT3 RS was just unveiled prior to the 2018 Geneva Motor Show. The pricing of the sports car starts at $188,550, and it promises more downforce, more power and better grip.
Here are the top 3 features of the new Porsche 911 GT3 RS:
1. Engine and Performance
The Porsche 911 GT3 RS uses the same 4.0-liter naturally-aspirated flat-six engine used by the 911 GT3. However it has been slightly tuned to deliver 520 hp and 346 lb-ft or torque. The numbers are 20 hp and 7 lb-ft up from its non-RS sibling.
The output of the 911 GT3 RS is distributed to the rear-wheels via a seven-speed PDK dual-clutch transmission—ditching the six-speed manual of the plain 911 GT3. The setup allows the RS to accelerate from zero to 60 mph in just three seconds. Then the top speed of the sports car is capped at 193 mph.
The extra power of the 911 GT3 RS is complemented by the chassis derived from the 911 GT3. It includes Porsche Active Suspension Management, Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus and rear steering. In addition, it comes with new helper springs located at the front axle. All these are partnered with a set of standard active dampers that help improve the grip of the vehicle.
2. Exterior
The 2019 Porsche 911 GT3 RS benefits from all the goodies found in the 911 GT3 but with a few tweaks to help improve its aero and design. Among the changes are the wider body, carbon fiber hood and fenders, magnesium roof, larger front lip spoiler and side skirts, huge fixed rear wing as well as the optional forged magnesium wheels from the Weissach Package.
3. Interior
The new Porsche 911 GT3 RS only features two seats. The bucket seats come in carbon fiber shells. Aside from the other interior elements within the 911 GT3, the RS model also boasts lightweight glass and reduced sound insulation.
Photos
Check out the official photos of the 2019 Porsche 911 GT3 RS in the gallery below:
1987 Porsche 911 Carrera Coupe Transformed Into RS 2.7
Most Porsche lovers consider the 1973 911 Carrera RS 2.7 as the best 911 that ever came out. It was the first race car to be considered fit for use in public roads. The auto is very rare and getting one would cost you quite a fortune. So, if you’re looking for a more affordable alternative, you might want to take a look at the 1987 Porsche 911 Carrera Coupe sold by Bring a Trailer that has been modified to pay homage to the 1973 911 Carrera RS 2.7.
According to TheDrive, original 911 Carrera RS 2.7’s value right now is around half a million dollars. Five hundred initial units of the car were sold at the Paris Auto Show back in 1972. Therefore, aside from its expensive price tag, it is hard to find someone selling it at the present because not all of the 500 units survived the test of time.
On the other hand, the transformed 1987 911 Carrera Coupe, which now resembles the RS2.7, only costs $53,000. Among the changes introduced in the car include the new bumpers, lights, trim accessories and the ducktail spoiler. Then, the body of the auto was finished in Gulf Blue and was given “Carrera” decals to complete its facelift. To complete its exterior transformation, the vehicle received a 3.2-liter inline-six with a five-speed manual gearbox.
Inside, the 1987 unit had its surfaces replaced to accurately reflect the materials available in the 1973 period. The carpeting and houndstooth seats of the auto were from a 1973 Brumos Edition 911. Even the steering wheel, air conditioning and gauges were backdated.
Based on the documentation of the car, its chassis has logged a total of 122,000 miles. It has gained 2,719 miles in its gauge after the restoration procedure.
As seen in the pictures below, a great deal of detail was put into the transformation of the 1987 Porsche 911 Carrera Coupe to a 1973 911 Carrera RS 2.7 that it almost looks like the original thing already.
Porsche RS Models Will Not Get Manual Transmission
The Porsche RS models will not be getting a manual transmission. A company executive revealed they decided to go on that direction because the demand for it might not be high enough to justify its production.
“RS means Renn Sport, which means it has to be quick on the track, that it’s all about fast times on the track, and that means the PDK,” Andreas Preuinger, Porsche’s head of Motorsport Division, told CarAdvice during an interview.
“The PDK has advantages on the track that can’t be beaten by a manual, and the ones who prefer the manual transmission are not typically the track rats as we call them, but they are those who like to enjoy their cars on the normal public roads. I would say a GT2 RS with a manual option would have a four or five percent share of the market, we couldn’t justify that,” he explained.
Preuinger ensured that the manual stick-shift will remain as an offering in their GT models. He stated that they had success in their manual transmission cars. He estimated that putting it in the RS might yield a 30 percent share. However, they also projected that the demand might diminish and the figures might vary in different markets.
The decision of Porsche to ditch the manual in favor of the dual-clutch PDK for their RS models may not sit well to purists but Preuinger definitely had a point, especially on the “demand” factor. After all, they are running a business and numbers really do matter.
To the company’s credit though, they tried this formula before in their 911 GT3 RS to satisfy a segment of its market who were yearning for a manual shift stick. Unfortunately, it will not be the case this time.