2019 Fiat 500 AbarthDerek McNaughton / Driving The writers at Driving regret to announce the death of Fiat 500, aged 108 months in this country. It is survived by cousins 500L and 500X, plus distant relative 124 Spider.Fans of the diminutive Fiat 500 hatchback will need to get themselves in gear if they want one before theyre gone for good. All signs point to the little 500, a car which served as the beachhead for Fiats return to this country, not returning to the Canadian market in 2020.Absent from Fiat Canadas lineup description for the upcoming model year it lists only the above-mentioned 500 variants and the 124 convertible customers will have to choose from remaining dealer stock once new copies of the car stop being shipped to Canada.The 500 lineup was consolidated greatly in recent years. For 2019, Pop and Lounge trims came equipped with the 1.4-litre MultiAir turbocharged engine, a 135-horsepower mill once reserved for the standalone Turbo model. The roary Abarth made 160 horsepower and gloriously naughty sounds while plastering a permanent grin on the face of its driver.This decision effectively chops the number of vehicles available in Fiat showrooms by 25 per cent. In June of this year, the brand sold just 31 cars in this country, 10 of which were 500s of various trims. Through the first half of 2019, Fiat has moved 209 cars, down from 368 cars during the same time-frame one year ago. The 500 reliably makes up about one-third of those numbers. Fiat dealers will be left hucking the Renegade-related 500X; the Mazda-related 124 Spider; and the weirdo-related 500L. The former, assembled in Italy and now the brands volume leader, is presently offered solely with a 1.3-litre turbo making 177 horsepower, by the way. All-wheel-drive remains an option. Serbian-built 500L models soldier on with the 1.4-litre mill.Will the 500 return to these shores? Fiat has left the door open by refusing to quash rumours that it may come back in a different shape as an electric vehicle. The company also marketed the all-electric 500e south of the border, a car which will also vanish after this model
Origin: Arrivederci: the Fiat 500 will no longer be sold in Canada
Bugatti Chiron breaks the internet – and top speed records – by nailing 490 km/h
Bugatti has just smashed the record for the fastest production car by a country mile, pulling off an incredible 304.77-mph (490-km/h) top speed run at Volkswagens Ehra-Lessien test track August 2, reports Top Gear.To complete this incredible feat, the production Chiron was modified with a 25-cm-longer tail section, highlighted by a pair of over-under shotgun-style exhaust tips designed to throw emissions from the tailpipe as far from the car as possible to reduce turbulence.Bugattis head of exterior design, Frank Heyl, said, for obvious reasons, the company had to get everything right with this car, from the aesthetics to the engine to the aerodynamics.While the aesthetics may be the least important factor when it comes to breaking speed records, the car looks fabulous, with a split rear window and an orange-and-black colour scheme lifted, we think, from an authentic 1930s Bugatti Type 57.The luxurious interior of this way-fast Chiron has been swapped out for a much more purposeful arrangement, with only the drivers seat left intact; everything else has been replaced with computers and a roll cage.The 8.0-litre quad-turbo W16 engine has been slightly tuned up to 1,600 horsepower, which is why Bugatti gave the car the nickname Thor.The real hero here is Michelin, which was finally able to make a tire that could withstand the high speeds and incredible down force.We expect other supercar makers will, eventually, catch up with Bugatti, but that doesnt really matter anymore, because the French brand is retiring from setting speed records; in a release, CEO Stephan Winkelmann said he wants to focus on other automotive milestones instead.Our goal was to be the first manufacturer ever to reach the magic 300-mile-per-hour mark, Winkelmann was quoted. We have now achieved this making ourselves, the entire team and myself, incredibly proud.We have shown several times that we build the fastest cars in the world. In the future we will focus on other
Origin: Bugatti Chiron breaks the internet – and top speed records – by nailing 490 km/h
The new hybrid Sián is the most powerful car Lamborghini’s ever produced
Lamborghini, long the maker of fodder for bedroom-wall posters, has whipped up yet another jaw-dropping creation. In keeping with the current trend of bestowing unpronounceable names on hypercars, this ones called the Sin.Oh yeah its also the most powerful Lamborghini ever produced.Deploying a claimed worlds-first use of a supercapacitor in a hybrid powertrain, the Sin produces a staggering 819 horsepower. Adopting a V12 engine as all Lambos should, in your authors opinion makes sense, but theres also a 48 volt e-motor incorporated into the gearbox to provide immediate response and improved performance.The company says this is the first time in any low-voltage hybrid that a direct connection has been made between electric motor and wheels. The V12 is rated at 785 horses, while the e-motor chips in for 34 ponies. The e-motor also supports low-speed maneuvers such as reversing and parking with electric power, so itll probably skirt things like Londons congestion charge. I know anyone who can afford a Lamborghini doesnt really care about such an expense, but it sure makes for great bragging rights.But back to that supercapacitor. Besides sounding like a Bond weapon, it brings some innovative hybrid tech to the table its used for energy accumulation rather than a lithium-ion battery, for example. The unit is said to be three times more powerful than a battery of the same weight, and three times lighter than a battery producing the same power. Located in the bulkhead between cockpit and engine helps keep the cars weight distribution in check. The electric system, supercapacitor and e-motor weighs only 34 kg, with alert readers recognizing this means a remarkable weight-to-power ratio of 1.0 kg/hp. In fact, the whole car has a better power-to-weight ratio than the Aventador SVJ.All this adds up to a run to 96 km/h from rest in less than 2.8 seconds, according to Lamborghini. The company claims the e-motor fills in power gaps during gear changes, which are lightning-quick anyway.Expect the Sin to appear at this years Frankfurt IAA Motor
Origin: The new hybrid Sián is the most powerful car Lamborghini’s ever produced
Put on Your Judgy-Pants: How to deal with car-litterers
Female arm throwing fruit waste out of car window.Getty This Judgy-Pants isn’t about litterers. Anyone who throws their garbage outside of their car is disgusting, and we don’t need to take a poll to figure that out. If you wish you could vote that littering is OK, you can make your own lonely poll of one.Nope, this Judgy-Pants is about the best way to deal with the litterers. Are we allowed to be harsh? The first video, which I could watch on repeat all morning, shows a driver tossing paper after paper out of the car window as a person with a broom and pan patiently sweeps it up. One after the other, Rude Dude just keeps tossing. I felt helplessly appalled until another man comes into frame, grabs the debris from the worker and stuffs it right back in the driver’s lap. Am I a horrible person to get schadenfreude from this? pic.twitter.com/FQIhEpNSqB Jay Arnold 🏳️🌈 (@JadedCreative) July 26, 2019When the driver tries to make an indignant exit from his car – to, I dunno, fight? I guess? – our warrior slams the door shut with his foot. Twice. The fact the worker just keeps on cleaning makes me love the intervener even more. He’s sticking up for the environment, and also for the worker.The second video is gross. We’re repeatedly warned that we everything do now is probably being caught on camera. A slob in a parking garage found that out when he put a dirty diaper on the rear windshield of another car. That car had a rearview-mounted dashcam, which caught all the details. Are you kidding me? A loaded diaper? But onto our judgement for this day.How should we deal with
Origin: Put on Your Judgy-Pants: How to deal with car-litterers
2021 Mercedes-Benz EQS confirmed for Frankfurt reveal
Mercedes-Benz is preparing to take on the Tesla Model S, Porsche Taycan and next-generation Jaguar XJ with its plush new EQS electric saloon, and has confirmed it will make its debut at next week’s Frankfurt motor show. The announcement follows Porsche’s unveiling earlier today of the new Taycan, which will compete with the EQS in the flourishing electric premium saloon segment. Accompanying preview images give little away, but the silhouette sketch shows off a low, swooping roofline, while a slim headlight design is visible on the covered-up show car. The latest addition to Mercedes’ forthcoming EQ electric vehicle line-up will join the EQC mid-sized SUV and EQA family hatchback in showrooms in 2021. According to officials, the EQS name implies a level of luxury, comfort and features consummate to the company’s traditional S-Class. It will head what the engineering boss of the EQ sub-brand, Michael Kelz, suggests will be a 10-strong electric model range by the middle of the 2020s. Whereas the EQC is based on existing underpinnings from the GLC and the EQA is set to use a modified A-Class platform, the range-topping EQS will be the first EQ model to benefit from Mercedes’ dedicated Modular Electric Architecture (MEA). Among the key engineering solutions included in the aluminium-intensive MEA platform is a flat floor structure. Recently spotted EQS prototypes confirm the production shape of the future flagship. It’s described as being roughly the size of the current CLS. In terms of proportions, it has a much shorter bonnet and a more heavily raked windscreen than the S-Class. In combination with the flat floor structure and a near-three-metre-long wheelbase as well as less intrusion from the gearbox and transmission tunnel than in conventionally powered models, this is expected to provide the EQS with greater interior space than Mercedes’ current range-topper. The heavily curved roofline and relatively shallow glasshouse is similar to that seen on the CLS, while the fastback-style rear contains a liftback-style bootlid similar to that of the Mercedes-AMG GT 4-door Coupé. The EQS is expected to be powered by two electric motors – one on the front axle and the other at the rear – providing permanent four-wheel drive. In the EQC, this set-up will deliver more than 400bhp and some 516lb ft. A lithium ion battery with a capacity of around 90kWh is planned to provide a range of between 400 and 500km (248-311 miles). Mercedes has confirmed the EQS will be produced at its main Sindelfingen factory on the outskirts of Stuttgart. It’s the third plant in Germany earmarked to produce an EQ model, with the EQC set to be built in Bremen and the EQA at Mercedes’ compact car plant in Rastatt. An additional EQ model, likely a GLB-based EQB SUV positioned below the EQC, will be produced at the Smart factory in Hambach,
Origin: 2021 Mercedes-Benz EQS confirmed for Frankfurt reveal
Watch two thieves effortlessly steal a Tesla using a homemade antenna
Gone in 33 seconds! A video of two men apparently stealing a Tesla from a driveway in a town near London demonstrates just how simple it may be to fool a car’s electronic security system. From the time the man with the backpack antenna-transmitter walks through the front gate to the time the Tesla backs out off the driveway, about 33 seconds pass.The video was shot by a doorbell camera and allegedly shows the two men stepping onto the property, one walking toward the door carrying a bag on his chest and holding a wire above his head, the other standing next to the drivers side of the electric car.The process they use to get the Tesla open and running in seconds is known as a Signal Amplification Relay Attack (SARA). It’s pretty simple and works the same on any car with a fob key, not just Teslas. Basically, the makeshift antenna (the wire) grabs the signal being emitted by the key fob, which likely sits inside the door, transmits it to a transceiver probably concealed in the bag on his chest, which spits it over to a second receiver being held by the accomplice next to the car.When the Tesla senses the signal, which it thinks is coming from the fob, being broadcast near the door, it pops open. Then the pair drives off with their shiny new EV, probably headed to a chop shop to remove all the pieces that won’t signal the car’s whereabouts back to Tesla and the authorities. Theres a lesson here, and were pretty sure its this: park in the garage whenever
Origin: Watch two thieves effortlessly steal a Tesla using a homemade antenna
Electric Mercedes-Benz EQC scores five-star safety rating
The Mercedes-Benz EQC was one of seven models to score a maximum five-star safety rating from Euro NCAP in the latest round of testing. The other new cars to receive top marks from the safety body were the Skoda Kamiq, Ssangyong Korando, BMW Z4, Audi A1 Sportback and Mercedes-Benz CLA. Mercedes’ first electric production model matched its Jaguar I-Pace and Audi E-tron rivals, with the four-year-old Tesla Model X set to be assessed by Euro NCAP later this year. The fourth-generation Korando is Korean maker Ssangyong’s first model to achieve full marks in the Euro NCAP tests, with automatic emergency braking added to the standard equipment list for enhanced safety. The Kamiq, Skoda’s new entry-level SUV, joined the closely related Scala family hatchback in achieving a five-star verdict. Its Volkswagen Group siblings, the Seat Arona and new Volkswagen T-Cross, were also awarded top marks in their tests. The current Ford Focus maintained its earlier five-star rating following a series of minor updates, including redesigned front seats and headrests to minimise the possibility of whiplash following a rear-end collision. Euro NCAP was impressed by the Z4’s active bonnet, which automatically lifts in the event of a pedestrian impact, while the new CLA scored more than 90% in three of the four key areas of safety assessed. Euro NCAP secretary general Michiel van Ratingen said: “From these results, achieving five stars may look so easy, but to meet test and fitment requirements for technology are very demanding and always updated to incorporate the latest technology development and address priorities in road safety. “Next year will see another step-change in our rating requirements, but our experience shows that manufacturers will be keen to maintain the high standards they have achieved so far and that European consumers will continue to be well
Origin: Electric Mercedes-Benz EQC scores five-star safety rating
2021 Subaru WRX STI will arrive next fall with a 315-hp new engine: report
2020 Subaru WRX STI S209 The fourth-generation WRX has been kicking around since 2014, so it’s not too shocking to hear that Subaru is planning the next one for the not-so-distant future. According to reporting by Japan’s Best Car, the fifth-gen WRX will arrive next fall, riding on a new platform and using a new engine. The launch of the next-gen sedan comes alongside remakes of the WRX STI, Japan-only WRX S4 and Levorg wagon. The STI will apparently swap its current turbo flat-four EJ20 (EJ25 in North America) for a direct-injection FA20 four-cylinder good for 315 horsepower. This follows the trail blazed by WRX models in the U.S., which switched to the FA20 in 2014. To clarify, Japan’s WRX STI has a 2.0-litre engine, while North America’s WRX STI runs with a 2.5-litre good for 310 horsepower. The FA20 in the North American WRX, meanwhile, makes 268 horsepower. Whether North America will get the 2.0-litre engine like Japan, or a 2.4-litre FA variant similar to that in the Ascent SUV, is uncertain. The piece also suggests the STI will take aesthetic cues from the Viziv concept and will ride on the new global platform, which fits with Subaru’s previously stated intentions to use it as the base for all vehicles. No word on reveal dates for the WRX, but to paraphrase some TV show we used to know, Tokyo is
Origin: 2021 Subaru WRX STI will arrive next fall with a 315-hp new engine: report
Toyota re-recalls Corolla and Matrix cars over airbags
Toyota has expanded its Takata airbag recall to cover the 2008 Matrix and Corolla, as well as the 2008 to 2010 Lexus SC430.Toyota Toyota is re-recalling more than 55,000 cars for a problem with their airbags, even though the vehicles had already been recalled before, to have their Takata airbag inflators replaced.Exactly 55,399 vehicles Corolla cars from model years 2003 and 2004; and Matrix hatchbacks from model years 2005 through 2008 may be affected by the issue, which can cause the front passenger airbag to not inflate properly, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.Affected owners will be notified by the end of October, and dealers will replace the airbag units for free.This recall is about a new and different issue where the airbag may not deploy as designed in certain vehicles that received a remedy as part of previous Takata recalls, Toyota said in a
Origin: Toyota re-recalls Corolla and Matrix cars over airbags
UK to develop ‘world-leading’ safety standard for autonomous cars
The UK Government is developing a new safety standard for self-driving vehicles on British roads, as part of a push to make the country a world leader in autonomous technology. The new regime, called CAV PASS, is being developed by “world-leading” experts in vehicle safety and cyber security from the Government, industry and the academic world. It’s intended to ensure that self-driving vehicles “are safe and secure by design and minimise any defects ahead of their testing, sale and wider deployment on UK roads.” The new standards will build on existing guidelines that were first established by the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV) in 2015. The scheme, which the Government hopes will become the basis for a global standard, was announced by George Freeman, the future of mobility minister, at the Cenex Low Carbon Vehicle conference. At that event, Freeman also opened the Autonomous Village, a new self-driving test facility at Millbrook Proving Ground that features 43 miles of test track. The facility is the first in a planned network of autonomous vehicle testing facilities that will also allow developers to test software, 5G connectivity and cyber security systems. “Self-driving vehicles can offer significant rewards for the UK’s economy, road safety and accessibility,” said Freeman. “We are determined to lead in the testing and development of safe autonomous transport. “This is new terrain, and with our national expertise, the UK is well placed to blaze the trail globally by developing a global benchmark for assuring the safety and security of this exciting
Origin: UK to develop ‘world-leading’ safety standard for autonomous cars
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