Toyota revealed mid-October a concept for its 2021-model-year hydrogen-fuel-cell-powered Mirai, which now looks like it could replace just about anything in your garage.This is only the second-generation Mirai, following up the firsts debut in 2015, and we think youll agree the styling has vastly proved. The vehicle now looks more like a standard sedan, with hints of European styling all around, especially in the rear three-quarter view.Some trick 20-inch alloy wheels are included and look to be sourced from a Lexus classy. The Mirai (which means future in Japanese) uses a hydrogen fuel cell to charge its batteries, which means it makes even less of an environmental impact at fill-up compared to pure electrics. The only emission it creates from the tailpipe is water.This latest generation of Mirai also has a larger hydrogen capacity, and a target 30-per-cent increase in driving range. The previous-gen Mirai had a 500-km range, so the new model could potentially have a 650-km range.To add to the good news, the vehicle is based on a rear-wheel-drive platform, which means the vehicle might even be more fun to drive than previous models.While Toyota is calling this vehicle a concept, we have no doubt it will go into production looking largely unchanged. The second-gen Mirai will go on sale in late 2020, but pricing has yet to be
Origin: Toyota’s 2021 Mirai Concept is a truly stunning hydrogen-powered car
2021
The 2021 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 is getting new looks
2021 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2Chevrolet The 2021 Chevrolet Colorado will debut its facelifted facade at SEMA in Las Vegas this November, but not before making a special appearance at the 2019 Method Race Wheels Laughlin Desert Classic on October 10.Weve sold 520,000 Colorado pickups in five years through a relentless, foot-on-the-gas approach to product and feature updates, said Bob Krapes, director of marketing, Chevrolet Trucks.With its new-look front end and tailgate, Colorado will now have a more aggressive appearance to match its award-winning capability.Chevrolet just can’t seem to figure out a good-looking grille for its new trucks, but at least the lack of a lower section on this one means it has a much better approach angle for taking it on the trails. Adding to the off-road capability, the ZR2 also comes with segment-exclusive Multimatic DSSVTM position-sensitive dampers, standard front and rear electronic locking differentials, two-inch suspension lift, a 3.5-inch wider track, off-road rocker protection, cast-iron control arms, Autotrac transfer case and multiple skid plates. The SEMA truck has a more complete look, with a front grille bar and KC lights to hide the missing bumper. Literally on top of that is a classic looking light bar, and around back is a bed-mounted spare tire.A new colour is available on the Z71 and ZR2 trims called Sand Dune Metallic, but if you ask us, it looks like they just used the leftover paint from the Pontiac Aztek production line. Also from the Aztek production line is the rear bedside wind deflector, which looks like a traced cut-out of the much-maligned SUVs rear windows.The 2021 Chevrolet Colorado goes on sale next year, and pricing will be announced closer to
Origin: The 2021 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 is getting new looks
Honda to remove diesel in Europe by 2021
Honda to remove diesel in Europe by 2021 Electric and hybrid models will replace diesels within the next few years Honda will phase out all diesel cars from its line-up by 2021, replacing them with electric and electrified powertrains. Reports from Reuters say that the Japanese firm is ditching diesel power as Honda moves to electrify all of its European models by 2025. Plans include pure-electric models – like the forthcoming Honda e – as well as plug-in hybrids and other electric vehicles. These will account for two-thirds of its car line-up by 2013, if all goes to plan, compared to a figure of less than 10% now. Declining demand for diesel power in Europe is a key reason behind the move, and Honda’s latest hybrid powertrain – launched on the CR-V – is expected to largely replace diesel options in the near future. Stricter emissions limits means the CR-V has already had a diesel option removed, and the Jazz only has a petrol engine in its line-up. The Civic and HR-V are currently the only models in the Honda range that have a diesel engine. The next-generation Jazz will be a hybrid-only model in Europe, having previously been confirmed as such by Honda, and the Honda e is due on sale early next year.
Origin: Honda to remove diesel in Europe by 2021
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
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
Mercedes-AMG unveils 2021 GLE 53 Coupe
2021 Mercedes-AMG GL# 53 CoupeHandout / Mercedes-Benz Blurring the lines of vehicle segments has been a Mercedes hallmark ever since they dropped the Hammer on an unsuspecting sedan-buying public. Crossover coupes, which arent really coupes at all, take that blurring of lines to the next level. The newest entrant to this increasingly crowded field? The 2021 GLE 53 Coupe. Pardon us while we check our calendars.Of course, the 53 bears no relation to its actual engine size, which is a 3.0-litre inline-six making a healthy 429 horsepower. Juicing the works is 48-volt technology, part of its EQ Boost system and delivering an additional 21 horses and 184lb.-ft of torque. Combustion torque peaks at 384lb.-ft., while the run to 100 km/h from rest is yours in just 5.3 seconds. 2021 Mercedes-AMG GLE 53 Coupe Tied to this powerplant is the AMG Speedshift nine-speed automatic transmission, a unit which can be shifted via steering wheel paddles or simply left in D like Pops Vistacruiser. Power is sent to all corners via Mercedes 4MATIC+ all-wheel drive system, assuring this thing will cling to corners like a frightened cat to a wool blanket.As a crossover ‘coupe’, this GLE 53 prioritizes pace (and looks) over space, meaning theres a whole lot more sport than utility in the interior. Its fastback shape cleaves several cubic feet from the cargo area in the name of style, while high-contrast color options jack the visual drama to eleven and beyond. We prefer this new Mercedes design language to anything built by Affalterbach in recent memory. 2021 Mercedes-AMG GLE 53 Coupe Spotting a GLE 53 Coupe wont be difficult, thanks to AMG-specific features like sporty air outlets, a front splitter-type feature, and several superfluous louvers. The newly redesigned rear bumper features AMG details like a diffuser and round twin tailpipe finishers. A special Night Package blacks out most of the chrome, if youre into that type of look.Active Ride Control is also an option, featuring two independently operating electro-mechanical actuators at the front and rear axle. This system reduces body roll when cornering and allows more precise control of cornering properties and load change characteristics. It can balance out one-sided bumps, a feature that will surely please Miss
Origin: Mercedes-AMG unveils 2021 GLE 53 Coupe
Lamborghini considers 2021 Le Mans entry
Lamborghini is evaluating an entry in the new Le Mans hypercar category for 2021. If given the go-ahead, it could put Lamborghini head to head with rivals such as Aston Martin and Toyota for outright victory in the famous 24-hour race. Talking at the recent Goodwood Festival of Speed, Lamborghini boss Stefano Domenicali – the former team principal of the Ferrari Formula 1 team – confirmed that a study into a potential project is under way and will be completed before the end of the year. “There are discussions and we are looking to understand the regulations to see if it is of interest,” said Domenicali. “There is nothing to say until the evaluation is finished, and at that point the answer could be yes or no. For now, it is possible.” New regulations allow manufacturers to compete using more production-related machinery from 2020, with Aston set to race a version of its Valkyrie hypercar and Toyota developing the Gazoo GR Super Sport Concept for the event. Domenicali hinted that the Lamborghini SC18 – a one-off project car built on behalf of a customer by Lamborghini’s racing division, Squadra Corse – showed the firm’s capabilities for launching a Le Mans racer if it chose to do so. “We don’t have the budget to invest in a totally new project, but the SC18 shows that we have a base for what could be an interesting approach,” he said. “The car shows that we have internal capabilities for such a project.” The SC18 is an Aventador-based and road-legal car but was created primarily for use on the track, where its extreme aerodynamics can be used to full effect. It draws on the same powertrain used by the Aventador SVJ, with the V12 engine delivering 759bhp at 8500rpm and 531lb ft of torque at 6750rpm. Lamborghini has previously hinted that more bespoke projects could be made as it meets the demand for unique creations from wealthy buyers, raising the possibility that a factory Le Mans programme could also be part-financed by customers. QA Stefano Domenicali, CEO, Lamborghini “Our value is connected to exclusivity, so we must be careful. The target is to create a stable situation for sustainable business. The sales figures are good, but now we must consolidate and create more value in what we have. We have expanded the factory, launched Urus, taken on more dealers and more. We must not keep rushing forwards.” Has the Urus exceeded your expectations? “The customer decides and they are certainly very happy. For me, the main pleasure is that 70% of Urus customers are new to Lamborghini.” Are you still evaluating a fourth model line? “The short-term goal is to stabilise what we have. There is a lot of change coming to the industry that could be disruptive, too, especially on powertrain. After that, we can look at it, with a 2+2 GT one possibility.” Is a resurgent, swaggering Aston Martin stealing any of your thunder? “I don’t talk about rivals, but I will say that if you do your job as well as you can on every level, then you don’t have to fear anyone, just respect them. Making the most extreme super-sports cars is what makes Lamborghini aspirational and I believe we hold the halo position for that. We will keep pushing to maintain it.” The Diablo is 30 next year. Will you celebrate it and could you be tempted to do recreation runs like some of your rivals? “We’ll do some events, of course, and the joy today is that with our internal Polo Storico team to restore cars, we are now able to stay in touch with owners. But to do recreations, I am not so sure. I prefer to celebrate the value of every car from its period and to look to the older cars only to inform our new ones.” Will you ever turbocharge an engine? “To say no would be wrong. The time may come when we need smaller-capacity engine options to stay under certain tax thresholds or to even enter certain areas. The customers aren’t asking for it but maybe the regulations will. But we have a couple of years before we must
Origin: Lamborghini considers 2021 Le Mans entry
2021 Mercedes-Benz EQ S: new prototypes show design
Mercedes-Benz is preparing to take on the Tesla Model S, Porsche Taycan and the next-gen Jaguar XJ with the plush new EQ S electric saloon, which has now been spotted testing in near-production form for the first time. The latest addition to Mercedes’ EQ electric vehicle line-up will join the EQ C SUV and a production version of the EQ A hatchback concept in showrooms in 2021. According to company officials, its name implies a level of luxury, comfort and features consummate to the company’s traditional S-Class saloon. The EQ S heads what the engineering boss of Mercedes-Benz’s EQ sub-brand, Michael Kelz, suggests will be a 10-strong electric vehicle model range by the middle of the next decade. But in a departure from the EQ C, which is based on existing underpinnings from the GLC, and the EQ A, which is set to adopt a modified A-class platform, the range-topping EQ S will be the first EQ model to be based on Mercedes-Benz’s dedicated MEA (modular electric architecture). Among the key engineering solutions included in the aluminium-intensive MEA platform is a flat floor structure. These most recent EQ S prototypes confirm the production shape of the future flagship. It is described as being between roughly the size of the third-generation CLS. In terms of proportions, it uses a much shorter bonnet and more heavily raked windscreen than the current S-Class. In combination with the flat floor structure and a close to three-metre-long wheelbase as well as less intrusion from the gearbox and transmission tunnel than in conventional combustion engine models, this is expected to provide the EQ S with greater interior space than the existing Mercedes-Benz range-topper. The heavily curved roofline and relatively shallow glasshouse is similar to that seen on the latest CLS. The fastback-style rear houses a liftback-style bootlid similar to that fitted to the Mercedes-AMG GT 4-door. The EQ S is expected to be powered by twin electric motors – one acting on the front axle and the other at the rear – providing permanent four-wheel drive. In the upcoming EQ C, this set-up delivers more than 400bhp and some 516lb ft. A lithium-ion battery boasting a capacity of around 90kWh is planned to provide a range of between 400 and 500km (248-311 miles). Mercedes-Benz has confirmed the EQ S will be produced at its main Sindelfingen factory on the outskirts of Stuttgart. It is the third German plant earmarked to produce an EQ model, with the EQ C set to be built in Bremen and the EQ A planned to hail from the company’s compact car plant in Rastatt. An additional EQ model, likely a yet-to-be-revealed GLB-based EQ B SUV model positioned below the EQ C, will also be produced at the Smart factory in Hambach,
Origin: 2021 Mercedes-Benz EQ S: new prototypes show design
New 2021 Range Rover: first prototypes seen testing
p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica} The next generation of Land Rover’s flagship Range Rover isn’t due for another two years, but we’re already seeing prototypes of the new car on British roads. Despite wearing bodywork of the existing model, which has been on sale since 2012, we can clearly see that the body has been adapted to fit over a modified platform with different suspension and exhaust components visible. Alongside this, we can see stretched rear arches and a cutout in the rear bumper, necessary to accommodate the slightly longer wheelbase of the new underpinnings. This prototype is registered as a petrol model, but there’s no indication of what capacity the unit powering it is. It’s safe to assume that Jaguar Land Rover’s all-new Ingenium straight-six will feature in the range, alongside a V8 rumoured to be adapted from BMW’s 4.4-litre unit as production of the outgoing ‘AJ’ 5.0-litre supercharged motor winds down at Ford’s Bridgend factory, closing next year. With competition from the Bentley Bentayga and Rolls-Royce Cullinan as well as upcoming, more mainstream models such as the BMW X8 , Land Rover’s task with the fifth-generation Range Rover is to create a vehicle that surpasses all of these rivals. It will attempt do so using not only its unique heritage but also technological advancements in powertrains, autonomous driving systems and infotainment. Last year the firm revealed that the upcoming Range Rover, alongside the next Range Rover Sport, will use an all-new aluminium-intensive architecture. To prepare for these models, its Solihull plant has gone through a major refit to accommodate the advanced technology that will be used in future Range Rovers. As a result, production of the Discovery has moved from Solihull to Jaguar Land Rover’s new plant in Nitra, Slovakia, also freeing up room for the potential production of the first electric Range Rovers. The new Range Rover platform will be significantly lighter than the current model’s D7u architecture, and the lightest of all Jaguar Land Rover platforms. Called Modular Longitudinal Architecture (MLA), the aluminium platform will be used on all future Jaguar Land Rover models ranging in size from the Jaguar XE to the Range Rover. By the middle of the next decade, next-generation versions of Jaguar Land Rover’s transverse-engined models are even expected to be switched to MLA too. MLA’s weight saving is crucial to allow for the extra heft of battery packs for electric and hybrid models, plus the technology and drivetrains that MLA has been designed to accommodate. It is understood the next Range Rover, codenamed L460, will closely the size of the current car, which is 4999mm long, 1983mm wide and 1920mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2922mm. That is slightly smaller than the Bentayga except in terms of height, where the Bentley SUV sits lower. The exterior design will be evolutionary, given the Range Rover’s iconic look and the company’s keenness to capitalise on this. The current generation is softer and less angular than the third-generation model, and this pattern is set to continue. Luxury rivals such as Rolls-Royce and Lagonda, Aston Martin’s revived marque, are readying electric models for launch, perceiving a perfect synergy between peaceful electric powertrains and luxury motoring. However, even though MLA can accommodate a fully electric drivetrain, as well as petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrid variants, it is understood that the next Range Rover will not initially be offered with one. Instead, Land Rover wants the first electric Range Rover to be a stand-alone model. This will be a tall estate with more car-like qualities than other models in the line-up, and more limited off-road prowes. Electric variants of other Range Rovers will ubsequently be offered as part of normal model line-ups, including a version of the full-size Range Rover set for launch before 2022 and aimed chiefly at Asian megacities. While Land Rover readies an electric Range Rover, the new model will continue with plug-in hybrid technology recently introduced in an update to the existing Range Rover. The MLA’s plug-in hybrid set-up is understood to include an electrified back axle alongside a four-cylinder Ingenium petrol engine, with the electric-only range increased above the 31 miles of the current P400e. There will also be changes to the pure-combustion-engined line-up. Currently, there are 3.0-litre V6 and 4.4-litre V8 diesels and supercharged 5.0-litre V8 and 3.0-litre V6 petrols – all sourced externally and all to be axed. The new straight-six Ingenium petrol and diesel units are being built at its engine plant in Wolverhampton. In the Range Rover, these will be mixed with 48V mild hybrid technology in most versions to improve performance and economy. Real-world testing of the straight-six diesels has shown NOx emissions to be no higher than 80mg/km – well under the limits of new regulations. Even
Origin: New 2021 Range Rover: first prototypes seen testing
Aston Martin Valkyrie will race at Le Mans in 2021
Aston Martin has confirmed that its upcoming Valkyrie hypercar will take part in the 2021 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race. New rules put in place by Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO), Le Mans’ governing body, effectively replace the top-rung LMP1 category, a field in which Toyota’s Gazoo Racing has been the only factory-backed team since the departures of Porsche and Audi, with a new ‘hypercar’ class. Aston Martin, along with McLaren and Ferrari, had been campaigning for race-prepared versions of roadgoing hypercars to be allowed to participate in the famous endurance race, with the vision that such a category would make it more affordable for manufacturers to partake and thus encourage more works teams. The new regulations allow the bodywork of competing cars to take more obvious brand design cues, meaning they will more closely resemble their production counterparts. Active aerodynamics will also be permitted, because such technology has started to become more relevant to roadgoing vehicles. Aston Martin says at least two Valkyries will be specially developed for entry into the 2020/21 FIA World Endurance Championship. The Valkyrie, a collaboration between Aston Martin and Red Bull Advanced Technologies, produces a combined 1160bhp and 546lb ft from a Cosworth-developed 6.5-litre V12 and a 160bhp electric motor from Croatian EV manufacturer Rimac. Technical details of the racing Valkyrie remain scarce, but Aston has confirmed that it will receive a track-prepped variant of the high-revving V12 and retain its distinctive carbonfibre bodywork. The FIA has implemented a 980kg limit on cars in the new hypercar class – just below the Valkyrie’s estimated one-tonne kerb weight. The announcement comes as Gaydon marks the 60th anniversary of its DBR1/300 racer taking first and second place in the 1959 race, while the 2021 event will take place on the centenary of the British brand’s first Le Mans entry. Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer said: “We have always said that we would one day bring Aston Martin back to Le Mans with the intention of going for the outright win when the time was right. Now is that time.” It remains to be seen which manufacturers will challenge Aston Martin for victory in the hypercar division, but the McLaren Speedtail and recently revealed Ferrari SF90 Stradale seem obvious candidates for homologation. Aston Martin will use this year’s event to display a newly completed DB4 GT Zagato Continuation model, the first of 19, which was hand-built over 4500 hours at the firm’s heritage centre in Newport
Origin: Aston Martin Valkyrie will race at Le Mans in 2021
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