Ferraris chief executive confirmed mid-December that an electric vehicle will wear the brands Prancing Horse, but only after 2025, when itll slot into the GT lineup alongside the companys V12s.My sense is the electric will come out after 2025. The battery technology is not where it should be yet, said CEO Louis Camilleri during an embargoed lunch this week in the Centro Stile at Ferraris Maranello factory.The car would become part of the GT lineup of vehicles, rather than attempt to slot into the performance lineup populated by mid-engined supercars. Since a GT car must go long distances at high speed, electric vehicle technology still has some catching up to do in order to appease Maranello.There are still significant issues in terms of autonomy, in terms of speed of recharging. So eventually we will come out with one. But its post-2025. Not in the short term, said Camilleri. The fully electric vehicle will be a major departure for Ferrari, which has wn multiple awards for its internal-combustion engine designs. Founder Enzo Ferrari was from the start very proud of his companys powerplants, saying aerodynamics are for those who cant build engines.But it seems that times are changing, and so must the most stubborn brand in history. Luckily, we still have five-plus more years of solid Ferrari V12s before the EV trend threatens their security.LISTEN: What do you get when you combine a cross-country electric vehicle road trip with a poignant love story? Mary Ann’s Electric Drive, that’s what. In this week’s episode of Plugged In, we chat with Harvey Soicher, a Vancouver man who tragically lost his soul mate 18 months ago but found some semblance of healing by embracing what he calls a ‘pioneer spirit’ to drive his Audi e-tron from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean and back.
Origin: Ferrari confirms it’ll build an electric car, but not until after 2025
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Hennessey plans to build a 1,200-hp Corvette C8 because of course
In retrospect, it seems inevitable: Texas tuning shop Hennessey is planning to build a 2020 Chevrolet Corvette C8 with 1,200 horsepower.As if the vehicle wasnt already hard enough for some good ol boys to adjust to, being mid-engined and all, now that extra horsepower will be sure to send all said boys into other peoples yards even quicker.To make it happen, Hennessey will take the LT2 V8 and bolt on two massive turbochargers. To stop it from becoming tiny shards of engine parts, forged aluminum pistons and forged steel connecting rods will be installed, along with a few other bespoke parts.To send the power to the wheels, Hennessey says it will incorporate an upgraded and fortified factory dual-clutch automatic transmission and a full Brembo brake system. Those Brembos will definitely be getting a stiff workout. The HPE1200, as it will be called, doesnt have a price or a release date yet, but were sure itll be too soon before we see a bunch of these things terrorizing our quiet neighbourhoods.Before the HPE1200 is built, Hennessey will also unveil a line of products for the C8, like a stainless steel exhaust system, a supercharger upgrade good for 700 horsepower, and more once computer tuning becomes available for the new C8 platform.Hennessey has also revealed it has modified over 500 C7s so far, and the next upgrades it will make available for purchase will be decided by online questionnaire. The customers are telling us what they want and big surprise they want more power! says John
Origin: Hennessey plans to build a 1,200-hp Corvette C8 because of course
Aston Martin teams up with an icon to build its first-ever motorcycle
The Aston Martin and Brough Superior AMB 001Aston Martin When Aston Martin recently announced it was building a motorcycle in conjunction with Brough Superior, most car enthusiasts were probably wondering why the storied automaker was stooping to build a motorcycle.In fact, if anyone is slumming in this new relationship, it is Brough, once the pinnacle of two-wheeled exclusivity and favourite of the most famous motorcyclist of all time.Brough Superior was the brainchild of George Brough, who between 1919 and 1940 crafted some 3,000 some of the most exquisite and exclusive motorcycles the world had ever seen. Most were custom-built, and though the engines were outsourced usually from J.A. Prestwich but later also Matchless almost everything else was hand-hewn in house.Indeed, legend has it that, after H. D. Teague of The Motor Cycle labelled Brough the Rolls-Royce of motorcycles, the famed automaker sent over a representative to tell George to cease and desist advertising as such.Luckily, Brough and his crew were in the process of final assembly for an impending motor show and the Rolls representative was so impressed the techs were supposedly wearing white gloves whilst assembling bikes that he reported back that Broughs motorcycles really did deserve the appellation.What has made the Brough name an enduring legend, however, is the devotion of its most famous client, T.E. Lawrence. You know him better as Lawrence of Arabia, and his love of motorcycles A skittish motor-bike with a touch of blood in it is better than all the riding animals on earth and Broughs in general he owned eight, and gave them all names knew no bounds.He famously died on an SS100 he was trying to avoid two young boys who had wandered into the road and his passing so traumatized his attending physician, Hugh Cairns, that he went on to create the research that paved the way for mandatory helmet use. More recently, Brough was resurrected by long-timer enthusiast Mark Upham in conjunction with Thierry Henriette of Boxer Design, who craft the double-overhead-cam 990-cc 88-degree V-twin on which the AMB 001 is based.In Aston Martin guise, said big-twin is turbocharged for an output of 180 horsepower stock modern Broughs are good for about 120 hp and is mated to a chassis constructed of aluminum, titanium and carbon fibre.According to Aston Martins chief creative officer, Marek Reichman, in addition to applying the skills we have developed for cars such as the groundbreaking Aston Martin Valkyrie, we have also been able to bring our special expertise in the traditional craft techniques to this project.The result is a motorcycle with a double-wishbone front suspension still something of a rarity in the biking world and a completely carbon-fibre body which helps keep the AMB 001s overall weight down to 180 kilograms.Only 100 examples of the 001 will be made available to the public, at a price of 108,000 Euros about $157,200 Canadian and delivery will begin at the end of
Origin: Aston Martin teams up with an icon to build its first-ever motorcycle
Texas tuners build the Ranger Raptor that Ford won’t sell here
Its an open secret that your author has been pushing Ford to bring a version of the mighty Ranger Raptor to these shores. With GM taking a big slice of the mid-size off-road pie with the Colorado ZR2 and ZR2 Bison, the Blue Oval must surely know its leaving money on the table. Thats without mentioning the Tacoma TRD Pro and its ilk.Where the Glass House has fallen down, a Texas-based tuner has picked it up. PaxPower, a speed house out of Houston, has unveiled a 350-hp Ranger with plenty of off-road goodies at this years SEMA show in Las Vegas. A common cop-out Fords offered as to why the Ranger Raptor isnt in North American showrooms is the presence of a weak-sauce 2.0-litre diesel engine making just 210 horsepower. While it is true this mill would not satisfy customers in this region, PaxPower has proven a Raptor-like Ranger can be built around this markets 2.3L EcoBoost engine, thank you very much. Tuned to about 350 horsepower, this clever girl will surely outrun most of the other creatures in the jungle.Starting with a current-model Ranger FX4, PaxPower adds OEM Raptor body panels to the fenders, bedsides and most obviously the front fascia. Those bumpers are custom-fabricated, though, and offer approach and departure angles better than any stock Ranger could ever dream. Toyo R/T rubber sets a just-right stance.None of this show would be of any use without a bit of off-road go, so the company installed a prerunner long-travel suspension setup from BajaKits to pair with King 2.5 front coilovers and rear shocks. Specific front and rear suspension travel isnt mentioned but it surely matches or beats the overseas Ranger Raptor measures of 32-per-cent and 18-per-cent increases over a standard Ranger.Like it? Me, too. Since the crew at Ford seem paralyzed on this issue, one can head over to PaxPower to spend their
Origin: Texas tuners build the Ranger Raptor that Ford won’t sell here
Dubai’s now using supercars to build its ambulance fleet, too
Apparently Dubai is running out of things to do with all its supercars, because now its turning the darn things into ambulances.It seems like a skit out of Top Gear — we cant help but think of Jeremy Clarkson piloting a Porsche 944 to the aid of some poor schmuck with a severed artery, but the vehicles Dubais adding to its paramedics services fleet are obviously more capable than a 30-year-old four-cylinder Porsche.In fact, the three new vehicles doled out to the forces first responders will be a Chevrolet C7 Corvette, a Nissan GT-R and a Range Rover. No trims are specified for the vehicles, but the Range Rover will be a dedicated female responder, staffed by an all-female EMT team. (Some conservative families in the kingdom dont allow men to treat women patients.)Without thinking too hard about it, this seems like a great plan for first responders who need to get to the scene as quickly as possible. In a life-and-death situation, seconds really do count, and the launch control in the Nissan GT-R should help nicely with cutting back on those seconds. In reality, the vehicles wont be used too often for actual emergencies. Instead, theyll likely be carted around to special events and used as demonstration vehicles. Wed expect theyll be fully staffed by professionals should a problem arise, but theyre not a total solution.The ambulance fleets siblings in the Dubai police force include some even more serious performers, like a Bugatti Veyron, a LaFerrari and an Aston Martin
Origin: Dubai’s now using supercars to build its ambulance fleet, too
Pagani CEO: “We will build V12 hypercars until 2026”
Horacio Pagani, the founder of Italy’s most extravagant hypercar maker, has confirmed that a fully electric hypercar is in the works – but the highly regarded V12 engine will stick around for some time. Pagani is a man who has always found it difficult to say no to his customers. His company’s first hypercar, the Zonda, had its retirement delayed for years because affluent buyers, including Lewis Hamilton, begged for the chance to buy one. Now we’re facing what is meant to be the last version of the Huayra, the BC Roadster, although Pagani himself admits that plan may slip. “It is scheduled to be the last production model,” he told Autocar. “But I am also listening to some private collectors who are asking maybe for a one-off or a limited edition, which will probably extend the lifespan a little more.” Pagani remains ultra-exclusive even by the standards of Italian hypercar makers, producing around 40 cars a year. But the company is profitable and has always taken a long-term approach to planning, with Pagani saying that work is well advanced on the Huayra’s replacement – known internally as the C10 – ahead of a launch scheduled for 2022. “This next model will have a similar philosophy. It will have a traditional combustion engine, a new-generation Mercedes-AMG V12 twin-turbo,” he said. “We have a very close relationship with Mercedes already and this new V12 engine will be homologated until 2026.” Pagani is also working on an EV that will be developed from the same core architecture as the conventional hypercar. “The C10 will have a regular V12 but, at the same time, there will be a full-electric vehicle,” he said. “It is not going to be exactly the same platform. It will be modified.” Horacio Pagani said the company’s changing customer base has been integral to the move to electrification, as well as environmental legislation. “At the beginning, our clients tended to be car collectors in Europe in their 50s or above,” he said. “Now the average age has dropped significantly and we have a lot of younger buyers in Asia Pacific and also in North America and Silicon Valley.” Beyond 2025, Horacio Pagani said, the brand may do something radically different and he even admitted that plans for an SUV have been considered. He said: “If I had to come up with a Pagani SUV, it would need to have a price tag of €3 million or above to be in line with our current strategy. We don’t know if there is any market for such a product, but there could not be any compromise. If there is a Pagani badge on a vehicle, it must be the highest quality. But it is something that has been discussed a number of times with collectors. “We would access the technology of Mercedes-Benz because they produce SUVs, and because of the close relationship we enjoy, we could maybe use the big SUV platform. It’s something that has been in the back of my mind, but the journey from concept to reality for anything like that is a long
Origin: Pagani CEO: “We will build V12 hypercars until 2026”
Pininfarina wants to build an SUV and become a real automaker
Pininfarina BattistaDerek McNaughton Just months after revealing its incredible electric Battista hypercar, Pininfarina is already watering down looking to expand its brand by announcing itll build an SUV.The move no doubt stems from the fact that to be able to make any money in todays automotive world, you need to build a great all-rounder, and for everybody, thats been an SUV.Pininfarina wants to realize its potential as full-fledged automaker, with volume models on top of its flagship super-EV.The Battista makes 1,900 horsepower, but we dont expect Pininfarinas SUV will. What we do expect is that it will be extremely luxurious, electric and exclusive. It will ride on Pininfarinas new skateboard platform, still in development, set to underpin a few new models. The platform is being jointly developed with an unnamed supplier, and will likely be licenced to other brands to offset development costs.Pininfarina does not want to join up with a brand like Porsche, as tempting as that may be; the German automaker is currently developing a similar EV platform that will underpin the Taycan and the Audi E-Tron GT. Pininfarina says the platform works for cars, but wont support a vehicle like the high-riding SUV its developing. As for performance, the SUVs likely to come fitted with lithium-ion battery packs with a capacity of 100 to 124 kWh, will carry the vehicle up to 600 kilometres on a single charge.The SUV will likely fall in the 200,000- to 400,000-euro range ($300,000 to $600,000) meaning it will compete with offerings from Bentley and Rolls-Royce, as well as the upcoming Aston Martin SUV set to revive the Lagonda
Origin: Pininfarina wants to build an SUV and become a real automaker
BMW may not build a successor to the Z4 or 8 Series Coupe
The 2019 BMW Z4 M40iHandout / BMW Cuts at BMW mean a raft of vehicles from its lineup are scheduled to be axed, and the executioners list may include a lot of our favourites, Automobile reports.Say good-bye to the next-generation Z4 (not the current one). The joint venture between Toyota and BMW will be the last youll see of the open-top sports car, if the magazines report can be believed.Convertible and coupe versions of the 8 Series two-door will apparently also be leaving us, leaving only the Gran Coupe (four-door). The regular-wheelbase 7 Series will allegedly be nixed, leaving only the long-wheelbase.The reason for the death of so many models is simple yet complicated, but it all revolves around money. BMW barely makes any profit on vehicles under 40,000 Euros, which pretty much ends everything smaller than a 3 Series that isnt a performance car. The rear-wheel-drive 1 Series, 2 Series, and lower trim 3 Series models could all be axed, Automobile says, and the small X2 CUV is also likely to have a shorter lifespan.The brand has also been in a decline the last few years, with shares decreasing 47 per cent since 2015. The car divisions earnings dropped by 22 per cent, and the return on investment fell from 9.2 to 7.2 percent; that number is estimated to drop another 4.5 to 6.5 per cent for 2019. BMW is also in a serious bind over reducing the carbon emissions of its whole fleet 25 per cent by 2021, lest it incur heavy fines; thats also contributing to the death of some less-fuel efficient cars and needless gas-powered ones.Although a lot of models are expected to die, there are still new vehicles planned. A new X8 with M variant is coming, as well as a more conventional replacement for the i3 that wont be all
Origin: BMW may not build a successor to the Z4 or 8 Series Coupe
Cadillac may build an Escalade EV with almost 650 km of range
2018 Cadillac EscaladeHandout / Cadillac Cadillacs next-generation Escalade could offer electric power for the first time, and, somehow, the massive and heavy SUV might even be able to net 400 miles (643 km) of battery range.According to anonymous inside sources speaking to the Cadillac Society, the fifth-generation Cadillac Escalade will offer more than just the standard 6.2-litre V8 gasoline powertrainthere will also be a high-performance version that uses Cadillacs 4.2-litre twin-turbo Blackwing motor.Both will allegedly use a 10-speed automatic transmission, and be available in either two- or four-wheel-drive. But rumours are for buyers wanting to go green, were looking at a plug-in hybrid a la the CT6 PHEV; as well as a fully electric model with a surprising amount of range.It isnt that surprising, however, because when you have a truck thats already heavy and huge, you dont have to worry about adding a bunch of battery weightthe chassis can already handle it. The next-generation Escalade will debut in 2021, but the electric option wont arrive right when the vehicle debuts. It will likely come later in the life cycle of the truck, the sources say.When it does debut, however, it will give the Tesla Model X a run for its money, as currently the top model of that vehicle only gets 325 miles to the charge. Of course, that number might be upgraded by the time the Escalade EV is released.The luxury-minded Escalade will also see NVH (noise/vibration/harness) levels drop thanks to the electric powertrain. And if you flick on the latest version of Cadillac Super Cruise while youre behind the wheel, it might be hard to shake the feeling youre sitting in your living room at
Origin: Cadillac may build an Escalade EV with almost 650 km of range
Ford reportedly wants to build a Subaru Outback competitor
The 2019 Ford Focus Active crossover.Handout / Ford Ford has a history of taking on the greats of the automotive world, but lately its been taking road car brands to task.First, Ford set its sights on the Jeep Gladiator and Wrangler market with its forthcoming Bronco and (rumoured) Bronco pickup, and now its targeting Subarus Outback.Weve long known Ford would be killing off most of its car lineup, leaving only the Mustang, F-Series truck and a few select crossovers, but were now learning the automaker also wants to merge three of its vehicles into a single competitor aimed at the Subaru Outback.According to Autocar, in Europe, the yet-to-be-named crossover will replace the Mondeo (Fusion), S-Max and the Galaxy, and will see Ford exit the minivan market as well as the large hatchback segment there. Underneath the new vehicle will be Fords A2 platform which currently underpins the Focus, an architecture thatll eventually be stretched to fit everything from the Fiesta to the Ford Edge SUV.The Subaru Outback isnt exactly a best-seller in Europe, but in North America, the off-road-capable wagon sells about 200,000 units annually, so its not hard to see why Ford would want part of that action. This new rumoured crossover will be sold globally, after all.Fords take on the ute will be powered by a gasoline 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbo, connected to a 48-volt hybrid system. There will also be a 6d-compliant diesel option in Europe even less pollutant than a mild hybrid gasoline
Origin: Ford reportedly wants to build a Subaru Outback competitor
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