Chevrolet issued a voluntary stop-sale at the beginning of November on 2020 Camaro muscle cars equipped with the 3.6-litre V6 while it investigates what it calls a potential emissions system issue.While the automaker has not disclosed specifically what the issue is, blog GM Authority surmised it may be linked to an evaporative emissions canister that exceeds emissions standards in the U.S.Other details were still slim after the weekend, but for now any new Camaros with those engines will be sitting on dealership lots and not going
Origin: Chevrolet stops selling 2020 Camaro V6 cars over ’emissions issue’
2020
First Drive: 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Z51
Ann Arbor, Michigan I have been behind the wheel of the new mid-engine Corvette. Youll note I didnt say I have driven the new Vette. For even though I actually steered the wheel, pressed the gas pedal and stomped on the brake, I didnt actually drive the supercar, at least not like it wants hell, needs to be driven. Indeed, my 45-minute meander through suburban Detroit was little more than a whistle wetter.Nonetheless, I got a hint of what the C8 will be like, enough, in fact, that I can at least tell you what a mid-engine Corvette will feel like on your everyday commute. So, without further adoIt’s the real dealNo. I didnt clip even a single apex in anger. Or even mow through the gears with bad intentions. But I can still say this is a Corvette apart. It as you might expect feels different, just like a mid-engine supercar does when youre driving responsibly. The steering is lighter than in front-engine Vettes, the connection between driver and front wheels a little more direct. Theres very much a sense you are sitting right over the very centre of the car; thats because your butt is very close to its centre of mass. Thats fairly easy to imagine, with the massive LT2 small-block thrumming right behind your ear youve very aware just how close you are to the heaviest single component in the entire car. But theres more to it than that. Theres the fact that mid-engine cars have a much smaller polar moment of inertia. Not as immediately obvious a concept as mass centralization, polar moment of inertia is a measure of how far the weight of the engine and other components are from the cars centre. The engine in a C7, for instance, is all the way up front, and the axle/transmission all the way in the back. In other words, the weight of the driveline is concentrated at the extreme ends of the chassis. Imagine a broom with a weight dangling at each end. Now try to spin it. Not easy, right? Now move both weights to the centre of the broom and try to spin it again? Much easier, no?Thats what putting an engine amidships does for a supercars polar moment of inertia. And you can feel it even driving at moderate speeds, the new C8 lighter and more responsive than its 1,530 kilograms suggests. How this translates onto the racetrack we will report on in the future, but it certainly feels like theres plenty of potential.This new Corvette feels super sophisticatedAlmost too sophisticated. Indeed, the ride in Tour mode is the most compliant I have ever tested in a mid-engine car even compared to the McLaren GT, which the automaker claims to have tailored for more moderate driving. It could be too compliant, the ride from Chevrolets revised magneto-rheological suspension so positively cushy that Corvettes traditional clientele might not find it pardon the sexist reference manly enough. Dont worry, guys; flip the really nifty mode selector to Sport or Race and the new Vette will rattle your fillings just like God and Zora Arkus-Duntov meant. And just in case youre actually weak of arm yet still long for that manly ride, there are not just one but two custom modes that allow you to customize suspension compliance, steering weight and throttle response individually. Eventually, what will decide the new C8s worth is how adroitly it can navigate through hairpins and sweepers, but right now the biggest surprise is how gently the car coddles posteriors.Critics be damned, the interior is Tony the Tiger Greeeeat!There been some criticism of the C8s cabin layout. Well, having lived with it albeit for 45 short minutes I can tell you few of them are valid. Oh, the actual gauge set is a little underwhelming and GM would do well to spruce it up, but that square steering wheel works wonders for being able to see the entire gauge set without craning your neck sideways. It also does nothing to reduce steering feel, so good one, GM.As for that long line of buttons that has so many on the blogosphere upset, its totally ergonomic. First, it really does make the view from the drivers seat feel like a cockpit more so, even, than supercars from more prestigious brands. Said buttons are also easy to decipher and manipulate. What more could you ask for?Ditto the infotainment touchscreen. Ideally placed for actuation, it also feels almost built into the dash although it is a separate piece compared with the perched-on-top items that look so cheap on higher-end Mercedes and BMWs. Throw in a very stylish mode control mouse and you have a pretty nifty centre console.As for the general decor, its still not quite up to the standards of a Ferrari, or even an Audi. But the leather quality, the panel gaps and the general ambiance is so far advanced from Corvettes previous that one wonders, considering that there has not been a giant price increase, why the hell these improvements werent instituted before. All in all, a massive step forward.A little more drama perhapsWith 495 horses and 470 pound feet of torque, theres a certainly bit
Origin: First Drive: 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Z51
New Jaguar F-Type: 2020 restyling shown with less disguise
Jaguar is in the process of testing an updated F-Type due for reveal next year, and new shots give us the closest look yet at the external and internal changes for the new model. The photographs, taken near Jaguar Land Rover’s Gaydon technical HQ, show two prototypes are shedding camouflage as testing ramps up. We can now see the restyled front end more clearly, with a new clamshell bonnet, slim, angular LED headlights mounted lower down the nose and a more prominent grille. A look at the rear shows it retains the same vertical bootlid, but with new wraparound tail-lights and a reshaped bumper. A quick glimpse at the cabin doesn’t reveal much, but it looks like the infotainment has moved on a generation, while the rotary dial climate display remains. It’s expected that much of the more advanced technology and infotainment features from the I-Pace and the 2019 XE will make its way into the F-Type. That means new digital dials, a larger and more feature-laden touchscreen, and substantial upgrades to the materials. Jaguar Land Rover is now phasing out its long-running supercharged V6 in favour of a new turbocharged and hybridised straight six, and the F-Type will benefit from this more efficient powertrain. The turbocharged four-cylinder and supercharged V8 engines should be carried over to the new car with limited changes, however. Indeed, this prototype registers as a 5.0-litre V8, putting paid to rumours JLR would bring in a BMW-sourced 4.4-litre unit. What remains unclear is whether the new F-Type will retain a manual gearbox option. The current V6 is still offered with one in the UK, although it has reportedly been removed from sale in the US. Regardless, manuals account for a tiny fraction of overall F-Type sales. Jaguar’s priorities for 2019 are the roll-out of the new XE and the launch of a similarly updated XF and F-Pace. However, we could see the revised F-Type early on in 2020, with an on-sale date not soon after
Origin: New Jaguar F-Type: 2020 restyling shown with less disguise
Halifax police taking delivery of Canadian armored truck in 2020
The Halifax Regional Police will take delivery of a new armored vehicle come spring of 2020, a decision thats stirred up some controversy, Global News reports.The Terradyne Gurkha MPV will cost the municipality $368,000; that sounds like a lot of money, but its a lot less than the $500,000 the city had budgeted for.The contract was awarded to southern-Ontario-based Terradyne Armored Vehicles Inc. on September 23, according to Brendan Elliott, a spokesperson for the municipality. According to HRP, the vehicle will provide a level of safety for the officers and the public, while helping them address the climbing number of issues they encounter. It has also stated the vehicle would not be equipped with weaponry or aggressive equipment.Critics of the vehicle say it makes local law enforcement too militaristic, particularly in the context of being used to police marginalized and minority groups around the city.This isnt the first time armored vehicles have been used by smaller police departments, and the results have been mixed.Fredericton Police Force unveil their armored vehicle in April 2018, and Frederictons Emergency Response Team have used it a few times. The vehicle was also deployed in August of 2018 during the fatal shooting of two Fredericton police officers.The New Glasgow, N.S. police force decided they didnt need their armored vehicle after owning it four years. The 10-ton vehicle with rotating turret was provided to the town free of charge as surplus from the Canadian military, but the police chief said We really have not had any use for that since weve had
Origin: Halifax police taking delivery of Canadian armored truck in 2020
The new Ford Bronco will be revealed spring 2020
New Bronco Logo JPGFord In what has become the worlds longest automotive striptease, Ford this morning showed the new logo its using for the upcoming Bronco. Not the truck itself, mind you. Simply the logo.Well take this opportunity to remind our readers that Ford announced the development of this vehicle in January 2017, a full 32 months ago.Thats nearly 1,000 days, in case youre wondering, a period of time equivalent to how long itll take to get through all the leftover Halloween candy.The new Bronco logo will be immediately recognizable to anyone even tangentially aware of past versions of Fords SUV, with a kicking horse to the left of the trucks name. This time around, the script font was binned in favour of a heavy block type, which could be construed as an indicator of the Broncos toughness or some other sort of marketing dross.Eagle-eyed marketers will note that both front legs of the bucking horse are visible in the new logo, unlike the original badge. The animal is also jumping at a much steeper angle than any previous iteration, though none of these observations are of any use to gleaning details about the, yknow, actual vehicle.What we do know about the truck is mostly cobbled together from conjecture and speculation. A bevy of patent applications strongly suggest the new Bronco will have removable doors and roof in similar vein as the Jeep Wrangler.All signs point to a 2.3-litre EcoBoost engine under its flat hood, possibly backed by an optional manual transmission. The latter isnt completely out of the question, by the way, nor is a three-door model in addition to the five-door. Expect some trims to come equipped with tires sized to compete with a Wrangler Rubicon.At least we now have a firm(ish) date for the trucks reveal, suggesting we are now closer to its appearance than that 2017
Origin: The new Ford Bronco will be revealed spring 2020
Reader Review: 2020 BMW M340i xDrive
Guest test driver Dan Stoffman with the 2020 BMW M340i .Brendan Miller/Postmedia As some automakers focus on SUV production to leave the world of the sedan behind them, others are more committed to the four-door vehicle than ever. Case in point, BMW.Theyve just launched their seventh-generation 3 Series with the 2020 M340i sedan and the car brings a great deal more to the driving experience. BMW accomplished this by increasing overall chassis rigidity, and the company focused on reducing weight while lowering the centre of gravity. BMW claims the 3 Series now has perfect 50/50 front and rear weight distribution.They also fitted the M340i with a new 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder engine with an aluminum crankcase and cylinder head topped off with a twin-scroll turbocharger. Power is transferred through an eight-speed Steptronic automatic transmission equipped with paddle shifters. In other markets, BMW sells a rear-wheel drive only M340i, but in Canada, the only version available is the all-wheel drive equipped M340i xDrive.Calgarian Dan Stoffman enjoys driving. His first car was a 1985 Chevy Celebrity, given to him by his grandfather. That was followed by a 1988 Toyota Camry, given to him by his father. The first vehicle he bought for himself was a 2005 Mazda3, equipped with a standard transmission and a dynamic suspension package. While he could fit his growing family wife, two kids and three dogs in the Mazda, in 2015 he opted for a more grown-up car and bought a BMW 435i Gran Coupe.My top three purchasing considerations are performance I like vehicle dynamics and horsepower, Stoffman explains, and continues, Also, it has to be big enough for family, and it needs to be all-wheel drive equipped. I do have a fourth consideration; Ive always preferred sedans over SUVs.When he was planning to replace the Mazda, he says hed never wanted a BMW.I was concerned about reliability, he says. But Id heard theyd dramatically improved their reliability and went to look at the BMWs. Id driven a number of different test vehicles, and the BMW had much more of an exhilarating drive, and it hit all my checkpoints. How did he feel about the M340i xDrive, equipped with the $8,300 Premium Excellence Package, $600 adaptive M suspension and the $1,450 Tanzanite Blue II metallic paint? All in, the car cost $72,200, not including freight, PDI or other taxes.I think the exterior lines are phenomenally striking, Stoffman says. Its a sexy car, with the overall rake its a classic BMW shape. I like the rear wheel fender flares and the way they tie in; its a muscular looking car.I was, however, a little disappointed in the kidney grille and the shape of the headlights. Its not as classic and its gone a little Japanese in the front end for me, but you do get used to it.When he got inside the car, Stoffman says everything fell into place and it didnt take him long to get comfortable in the power adjustable and heated drivers seat. The interior was finished in BMWs Cognac Vernasca leather, and the Premium Excellence Package adds oak grain open-pored wood trim.I was very impressed by the technology, he says. It was a fully digital dash, and the dials are well laid out and are easy to use. The cockpit is ergonomically made for the driver, and its really nice.After pushing the engine start button, Stoffman says he was thrilled to hear the exhaust note.This car is tuned, he says, and adds, After getting it on the road, I was grinning from ear to ear, admits Dan Soffman With the eight-speed transmission, this is a tight machine; the suspension holds the car nicely, the brakes are firm and it handles like its on rails.Even when placed in Sport or Sport Plus mode, a setting that stiffens up the suspension, Stoffman says the M340i xDrive still felt smooth and luxurious.And the customization of the driving experience is seemingly infinite, Stoffman adds. The Sport mode now allows for an individualized and customized setting for each dynamic driving input (steering, engine, transmission and suspension). The instrument cluster has multiple digital gauges and panels to enjoy, like a G-force meter, horsepower and torque gauge, or simply the media, which shows images of album covers on your instrument cluster.“After getting it on the road, I was grinning from ear to ear,” admits Dan StoffmanAlthough the trunk opening was narrow, Stoffman was able to fit his sons large rolling hockey bag, a youths hockey stick, two backpacks and a briefcase into the space. In terms of overall utility, he says the car offers plenty of room for the driver and front and rear seat passengers.Its like a high-powered Swiss Army knife, Stoffman adds, Its just very capable of doing many different tasks you could commute daily, you could take it to the track, or you could take it on a night on the town.I priced it out, and BMW has added more horsepower and more technology, and its the same price as what I paid four years ago for my 435i. Id
Origin: Reader Review: 2020 BMW M340i xDrive
The 2020 Porsche 911 Carrera will have a seven-speed manual transmission
2020 Porsche 911Derek McNaughton / Driving Porsche is catering to the #savethemanual crowd, and were totally here for it. The 992 generation of 911 wasnt previously offered with a manual, but it is now three-pedal mafia, rejoice!To get the manual, youll have to step up to the Carrera S, Carrera S Cabriolet, Carrera 4S or the Carrera 4S Cabriolet. Base 911s without the S suffix will not feature this 7-speed manual yet.Interestingly, the manual option costs as much as the most expensive PDK automatic transmission option youd assume the manual should be cheaper, right? Well, Porsche knows that, too, and instead of charging more money for the less-sought-after transmission, its decided to pair it with the Sport Chrono Package. The Sport Chrono Package adds a mechanical limited-slip differential with torque vectoring, dynamic drivetrain mounts, Porsche Suspension Management Sport Mode, active rev-matching and a steering wheel-mounted mode selector.Of course, the manual option is slower than the PDK automatic option about half-a-second slower to 100 km/h from zero. But who cares? The point of a manual transmission is the engagement with the vehicle, not the actual speed youre not supposed to be street racing anyway!Besides being more fun, the manual option also adds lightness. Some 84 pounds were left in Stuttgart as a result of the tranny swap, dropping the weight down to 3,298 pounds, lighter than the base Carrera.Three-pedal 2020 Porsche 911s are now available to order, and arrive in dealerships starting spring of 2020. Pricing starts at US$113,300 for the Carrera S and goes up to US$133,400 for the Carrera 4S
Origin: The 2020 Porsche 911 Carrera will have a seven-speed manual transmission
Volkswagen ID 4: 2020 electric SUV shown in disguised form
Volkswagen’s upcoming ID 4 has been displayed again as the maker confirms it will also be produced in China alongside the ID 3. The electric crossover-style SUV will be a big part of the VW ID brand’s range offensive in the US, as well as in Europe. Previous spyshots gave us the best glimpse of the production model next to its hatchback sibling. The bodywork similarities of the two prototypes suggest the ID 4 will be closely linked to the ID 3 it is testing alongside, albeit slightly larger and sporting more evident SUV design cues. The ID 4 was on show at Frankfurt inside a glass box and wrapped in a similar pattern. The set-up was similar to that used by VW when it launched pre-sales for the ID 3 hatch earlier this year. Although VW was giving away little information about the car at Frankfurt, to keep the focus on the company rebranding and the launch of the production ID 3, the Kia e-Niro rival is set to go into production next year. Despite the camouflage, the new EV appears to retain many of the same exterior themes as the ID Crozz concept car, which was first shown more than two years ago and then reworked for the 2017 Frankfurt motor show. Volkswagen ID 3 2020 review Two production versions of the ID Crozz will be offered: a coupé-SUV in the vein of the original concept and this straight SUV model with a more conventional roofline and tailgate design. We can also see it has conventional rear doors, ditching the sliding items of the 2017 car. It’s not yet clear if the coupé variant will also adopt this approach, but it’s likely. The ID 4 will be built in Europe, the US and China, cementing its status as a truly global model and a crucial kingpin of the brand’s rapid EV rollout. “As early as 2020, we aim to sell 100,000 all-electric Volkswagens (per year),” said VW Group chairman Herbert Diess at the Crozz concept’s 2017 unveiling. “But this is just the beginning. By 2025, annual sales could increase tenfold to one million vehicles.” Diess said the new ID electric car line-up will be offered alongside traditional combustion-engined and hybrid-powered VW models. The ID 4 aims to combine the dynamic lines of a modern-day sports car with the all-terrain capability of a dedicated off-roader. It’s said to offer interior space on a par with the Tiguan Allspace, a new long-wheelbase version of VW’s best-selling SUV model. The ID Crozz concept is 4625mm long, 1891mm wide and 1609mm tall, putting it in between the five-seat Tiguan and seven-seat Tiguan Allspace in terms of dimensions. The wheelbase is 2773mm. The MEB-based ID Crozz features two electric motors – one mounted within the front axle, and one at the rear – powered by an 83kWh lithium ion battery housed within the floor structure. The front electric motor sends its 101bhp and 103lb ft to the front wheels. The rear unit delivers 201bhp and 228lb ft to the rear wheels, giving the car a combined output of 302bhp and 332lb ft of torque. This is just under 100bhp more than the powertrain used by the rear-wheel-drive ID hatchback, intended to offset a likely weight increase. The ID 4 is set to have a range of more than 311 miles, with no specific figure yet quoted. No performance figures have been revealed, though VW says it intends limiting the top speed to 112mph. With the car’s large battery mounted low down within the floor structure and the electric motors also housed within the axle assemblies front and rear, VW also claims it possesses a front-to-rear weight distribution of 48:52. VW officials have talked up the dynamic qualities, suggesting the new platform and chassis provide a “large spread between handling and
Origin: Volkswagen ID 4: 2020 electric SUV shown in disguised form
2020 Ford Puma ST: hot crossover laps the ‘Ring at speed
Ford is readying an ST performance version of its new Puma SUV, and our spy photographers have caught a prototype being put through its paces at the Nurburgring. The Hyundai Kona N rival has shed some camouflage since we last saw it, revealing that it will feature a trapezoidal lower grille design, large-diameter performance-inspired alloy wheels shod in low-profile tyres, and the same wing-mounted headlight clusters as the standard model. A prominent lower bodykit extends around the car from the splitter-style front bumper to a new rear bumper designed around a twin exhaust tailpipe – the same as that fitted to the Fiesta ST. Official details of the model’s drivetrain and chassis set-up are still yet to be confirmed, but images of the prototype raising a rear wheel under hard cornering show it will feature a stiffer suspension set-up in the same vein as the Fiesta ST. The big wheels appear to hide larger-diameter front brakes, too, while the Puma seems lower to the ground than the stock model. Ford global development boss Hau Thai-Tang told Autocar earlier this year that the Puma “would be a good place for us to look” in expanding the ST range beyond the Fiesta and Focus in Europe. The Puma ST is expected to share its key running gear, including a 197bhp 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbo engine, with the Fiesta ST. An ST version of the Puma (as rendered below by Autocar) is unlikely to vary drastically from the ST Line version of the car, which was revealed back in April. But we can expect a bespoke chassis set-up, possibly including an optional limited-slip differential, selectable drive modes and a launch control function. Thai-Tang said Ford is keen to continue leveraging its Ford Performance arm for road car development, but the company would not simply look to create an ST version of each car. In addition to its two European hot hatches, Ford also makes ST versions of its Edge and Explorer large SUVs. “We look at creating STs by very objective measures to make sure it is credible as an ST,” said Thai-Tang. “Do we have the right building blocks (on which to base it)?” A new Focus RS is also understood to be in development, but it’s unlikely to appear before 2022, after the Focus’s mid-life update. “We have nothing to announce but we recognise the importance of that car,” said Thai-Tang. It is understood that hybrid power is one consideration for the Focus RS. “We’ll see where we go,” Ford’s automotive president Joe Hinrichs said. “The world is changing on powertrain and propulsion. No hints, but there’s a lot to talk
Origin: 2020 Ford Puma ST: hot crossover laps the ‘Ring at speed
2020 Fisker Ocean: affordable electric SUV detailed
American start-up company Fisker has revealed that its upcoming electric SUV will be called the Ocean and unveiled in production-ready guise on 4 January 2020. The company is claiming to have designed “the world’s most sustainable vehicle”, with recycled, vegan and other natural products used throughout. Its American-Danish founder, Henrik Fisker, recently confirmed that the production model will only be available via a ‘flexible lease’ plan, with no long-term contract necessary. It’s now emerged that this scheme will operate through a bespoke smartphone app that will also allow owners to book servicing and maintenance visits. Final pricing, specification and performance details will be detailed when order books for the new model open on 27 November 2019, with full-scale production set to get underway at the end of 2021. Preview images shows that the Tesla Model Y rival rides high and has modern, utilitarian styling. Flared arches hint at its performance potential, while narrow headlights and chrome detailing are a nod to last year’s Fisker Emotion concept. Like the Model Y, the Ocean will be priced from less than $40,000 (£30,200) in the US. It features what the firm calls “captivating design touches that have been traditionally reserved for supercars in the past”. Prominent styling details include a front-mounted radar in place of a grille, a large front air intake, flared wheel arches and a futuristic headlight design. The Ocean also features a targa-style removable roof section with an inbuilt solar panel that boosts the capacity of the car’s 80kWh lithium ion battery pack. Fisker states: “With the touch of a button, an extended open-air atmosphere will be made possible without compromising the rugged and safe structural integrity of an SUV.” The battery is claimed to provide of a range of up to 300 miles. The Ocean will be available in four-wheel drive form, with an electric motor mounted on each axle. Fisker also claims that the SUV’s interior will offer class-leading space, a large head-up display and an intelligent user interface. It’s not yet confirmed where the Ocean will be produced, but Fisker says prototype testing will begin before the end of this year. The company is also at work on developing solid-state battery technology, which it says would allow future vehicles to gain 500 miles worth of charge in as little as one minute. Fisker Inc. was formed in 2016, succeeding the bankrupted Fisker Automotive company that launched the Karma range-extender electric luxury saloon – now re-engineered and on sale as the Karma Revero – in
Origin: 2020 Fisker Ocean: affordable electric SUV detailed
All about car 