Watch the 2021 Jaguar F-Type hit 480 km/h (in Hot Wheels form)

Here at Driving, we dont usually cover mid-model refreshes you know, those largely cosmetic functionally-unchanged updates automakers try to pass off as all-new models.But were making an exception for Jaguars new 2021 F-Type because a) the already-sexy sports coupe has been rendered even more sensuous; and b) it was introduced with a tremendously cool Hot Wheels track that ran through Jaguars entire Gaydon design facility.Indeed, Jag says the entire track stretches 232 metres 761 feet from its top-of-stairs, soapbox-style launch to its outdoor, running-into-the-real-F-Type finale. And, according to our count, there are no less than 25 of Hot Wheels famous loop-the-loops and three Jaguar calls them gravity-defying jumps that I am sure, what with my experience some 50 years ago, took multiple takes.In between, the camouflaged it is a super-secret prototype after all! miniature raced past CAD/CAM prototyping computers, a pretty nifty clay model of the Jag two-seater, through the headrest of the revised Windsor leather front seats and through the prototyping final assembly area. In between, Mattel estimates the tiny F-Type reached scaled speeds of 480 kilometres an hour!According to Jaguar, Mattel used the companys own CAD drawings to craft the ultra-precise 3D-printed model, recreating, says the company, every beautiful detail of the new F-Type, including its striking new clamshell bonnet, distinctive super-slim Pixel LED headlights and more sculpted front and rear bumpers. The Hot Wheels team also faithfully recreated the new Velocity Blue colour which Jaguar is making a big noise about from the SVO Premium Palette, and even hand-painted the F-Type badge on the back before the model was camouflaged ahead of its own reveal in the film.As for the car itself, the 2021 Jaguar F-Types powertrains turbocharged 2.0-litre four, 3.0L supercharged V6 and supercharged 5.0L V8 remain largely unchanged, although the all-wheel-drive Rs honking V8 gets a boost from 550 hp to 575, good enough, says Jaguar, to scoot to 100 kilometres an hour in just 3.7 seconds.Coping with that increased power is the Rs uprated chassis that includes stiffer springs and anti-roll bars, beefier rear knuckles and ball joints and revised adjustable shock damping.As for styling, a new clamshell bonnet is bordered by super-slim Pixel LED headlights and a subtly enlarged grille. Theres also something Jaguar calls Liquid Metal surfacing, but if youve got any idea what that is, let me know.The hind end likewise gets a design, this time with what Jaguars styling boffins call an unmistakeable chicane signature to its LED lights. Again, I will plead artistic cretinism, but the automaker says theyre inspired by the Jaguar I-PACE all-electric Performance SUV, with subtle monogram pattern detailing and a fine pinstripe beneath.Inside, theres the aforementioned Windsor leather and something called satin finish Noble Chrome. Details include monogram stitch patterns in the seats and door trims, Jaguar Leaper motifs in the headrests and subtle Jaguar Est. 1935 markings on the centre console.First Edition F-Types powered by either the 2.0L turbocharged four or the 3.0L supercharged V6 will be available with an Exterior Design Pack, Black Contrast Roof, unique 20-inch wheels and those 12-way Windsor Leather Performance Seats.Pricing for the 2021 Jaguar F Type starts
Origin: Watch the 2021 Jaguar F-Type hit 480 km/h (in Hot Wheels form)

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

Byton M-Byte electric SUV breaks cover in production form

Chinese start-up company Byton has revealed a near-production-ready version of its first model, the M-Byte electric SUV. The M-Byte has been in development for two years. Launching on the Chinese market initially, with customer deliveries set to get underway in the middle of 2020, it’s planned to arrive in Europe in 2021 at a starting price of €45,000 (£40,280). That’s slightly more than the expected European price of the new Tesla Model Y. The production car bears a strong resemblance to the concept that was revealed earlier this year and retains that car’s distinctive 48in curved ‘Shared Experience Display’, the largest infotainment screen yet fitted to a production car. The screen forms part of what Byton calls “a digital lounge feeling” and allows passengers to access connectivity services and vehicle controls. The display can be controlled via an 7.0in screen located in the centre of the steering wheel or an 8.0in tablet mounted between the two front seats and is covered by a layer of shatter-proof glass to minimise risk of injury in a collision. Other defining features of the interior are a flat floor (made possible by the lack of a transmission tunnel), a floating dashboard, rotating front seats and a comprehensive list of personalisation options. The M-Byte range opens with the 72kWh entry-level model that’s driven by a single, rear-mounted motor producing 268bhp and capable of 360 miles on the WLTP test cycle. An optional larger-capacity battery offers a range of up to 460 miles. The range-topping four-wheel-drive variant has a 95kWh battery that yields a 435-mile range as standard and uses a motor on each axle for a power output of 402bhp. All versions of the M-Byte are capable of 150kW rapid charging and can therefore be topped up to 80% capacity from empty in as little as 35 minutes. Byton claims to have taken more than 50,000 reservations worldwide and has already subjected the M-Byte to a number of test processes, including stringent crash tests to US and EU standards. The pre-ordering process for US and European customers, however, will not open until early next year. Byton CEO Daniel Kirchert said: “We’re on the verge of starting series production, and the feedback from media and especially from our future customers is of great relevance to us. “Today’s unveiling of the Byton M-Byte also shows the effort paying off for the team, which has worked relentlessly on the car for over two years. Within that short amount of time, we have taken a smart electric car from an initial idea on a white sheet of paper to series-production readiness, while also building a coherent infrastructure with locations on three continents and an efficient industry 4.0 production facility in
Origin: Byton M-Byte electric SUV breaks cover in production form

New Audi RS5 spotted in four-door Sportback form

Audi finally brought the RS5 Sportback to the UK a few weeks ago, but already prototypes of a facelifted version have been seen. The four-door RS5 will receive a number of mid-life revisions that echo that of the recently launched 2019 A4, including mild external tweaks and an interior tech overhaul. The RS5 Sportback will be the last of the updated A4 and A5 models to launch after the two-door coupé variants in standard, S and RS form. The prototype disguise isn’t extensive, so we can see revisions to the car’s headlights and tail-lights, as well as reprofiled bumpers. Cabin revisions centre on the grafting in of the brand’s latest MMI infotainment system, which can be seen through the window of this prototype. It throws out the outgoing rotary controller in favour of a larger 10.1in touchscreen that sits more prominently in the dash and is operated by touch or voice control. New assistance tech features have also been introduced. One thing isn’t expected to change much, however – the 444bhp 2.9-litre V6 powerplant. That has only just returned on sale in Europe after revisions to ensure it meets WLTP homologation standards, but for 2020 it will also feature a petrol particulate filter to further reduce tailpipe emissions. Expect it to return with a similar output figure, or potentially with some choice revisions for a small power boost, given the competition is aiming towards the 500bhp mark. The RS5 is already capable of breaking the four-second 0-62mph mark in its current form, however, so that remains to be seen. Expect the 2020 RS5 range to be introduced to market early on next year, with a possible debut at a motor show later this
Origin: New Audi RS5 spotted in four-door Sportback form

New 500bhp BMW M4 seen for first time in cabriolet form

BMWs upcoming M4 has been spotted in disguise in convertible form ahead of its release next year. The new generation of Munich’s Mercedes-AMG C63 Cabriolet rival can be seen to sport more athletic body proportions, afforded by the adoption of a new fabric roof. Replacing the heavy and bulky folding metal hard top arrangement, the fabric top allows better interior packaging, a shorter rear deck and, we expect, a significant weight reduction. Differences between this and the standard 2020 4 Series are familiar, with the return of the blistered wheelarches, bigger intakes and quad exhaust tailpipes. We already know that the next-generation BMW M3 and M4 due in 2020 will receive a significantly upgraded six-cylinder engine capable of more than 500bhp in its top form. The flagship model to use this new engine will be a new M4 Gran Coupé (imagined by Autocar above), the first time the four-door coupé has featured a full-fat M variant. The coupe and cabriolet will also return beside the M3 saloon. The 3.0-litre powerplant, which carries the internal codename S58, is a development of the firm’s standard B58 unit, as used in the existing 440i and other BMW models. But as M division officials have revealed to Autocar, “it is for all intents and purposes an all-new drivetrain with significant changes to the base engine that allow it to rev beyond 7000rpm and deliver a much higher specific output” than today’s S55 engine. As well as being earmarked for the next M4 Coupé and the first-ever M4 Gran Coupé, the new twin-turbocharged straight six is also planned to propel a new M4 Convertible, the upcoming sixth-generation M3 and, in a lesser-powered form, the second-generation M2. It will be launched in the new X3M and X4M. An increase in power provides the new S58 engine with a higher specific output in Competition guise than the old S55 with water injection, a set-up used by the 493bhp M4 GTS. That unit provides the outgoing M4 Coupé with 425bhp in standard guise and 444bhp in Competition form. BMW’s M division engineers have managed to raise power by more than 11% in the standard M4 and 13% in the M4 Coupé Competition, with claimed outputs of 473bhp and 502bhp respectively. These figures appear set to place the new model in direct competition with the 444bhp Audi RS5 and 503bhp Mercedes-Benz C63S Coupé. Torque is also increased by 37lb ft, with the new S58 engine delivering 442lb ft on a band of revs between 2600rpm and 5600rpm. Despite the increase in performance, the S58 engine has been developed to meet strict new emission regulations to potentially provide the standard M4 with a CO2 figure of less than 200g/km, thanks in part to the adoption of twin Otto particulate filters. Key among the changes over the S55 engine is the adoption of a longer stroke, at 90mm. The bore measurement remains 84mm, but BMW M claims the altered internal measurements help to boost torque potential. Also included are two mono-scroll turbochargers in place of the single twin-scroll unit used on the B58 engine, as well as BMW M’s latest Valvetronic variable valve timing and ‘Double Vanos’ variable camshaft profile. The compression ratio has also been reduced, from 10.2:1 for the S55 to 9.3:1. Although the new engine goes without water injection, officials say it may appear on a further-developed version of the S58 unit likely to appear in a successor to today’s 453bhp M4 CS. Secrecy surrounds the rest of the M4’s mechanical makeup. However, insiders suggest it is in line to abandon tradition by adopting an eight-speed torque converter-equipped automatic transmission and a similar xDrive four-wheel drive system to the latest M5 (with an M-Dynamic mode apportioning power to the rear wheels) in at least one version. It is also suggested a cheaper and lower-powered entry-level model could potentially be offered, with a manual gearbox and rear-wheel
Origin: New 500bhp BMW M4 seen for first time in cabriolet form

New 500bhp BMW M4 seen for the first time in cabriolet form

New Land Rover Defender leaks online – in Lego form

Images have appeared online that appear to show the new Land Rover Defender completely undisguised – albeit in Lego Technic form. The Danish toy firm is gearing up to launch a new 2573-piece Lego Technic replica Defender, which was reported by Lego enthusiast website The Brothers Brick after being initially posted on the Smyths toys website. The model appears to be of the reborn new Defender, which the British firm is currently testing ahead of its launch later this year. Reportedly due to go on sale in October – shortly after the real Defender is unveiled – the Lego Defender will feature a working steering mechanism, four-speed sequential gearbox, three differentials and independent suspension. It will also be fitted with a working winch. The model is based on the short-wheelbase three-door Defender ’90’ variant. A five-door ‘110’ version of the real car will also be offered. While the real Defender has so far only been seen in camouflage livery, the model will be finished in an olive green. It will also be 420mm long, 220mm high and 200mm wide. The model is yet to be officially confirmed by Lego, although reports suggest is will be priced at £159 in the UK. Land Rover says that the new Defender has already undergone more than 750,000 miles of testing in some of “the most inhospitable environments” in the world. This has involved hot weather testing in Africa and North America, cold-weather testing at -40deg C, altitude testing at up to 13,000 feet and performance running at the Nurburgring. It is not yet known whether the pre-launch test programme Lego has conducted on the Technic Defender has been as
Origin: New Land Rover Defender leaks online – in Lego form

BTCC 2019: Jordan continues BMW’s strong form

Andrew Jordan continued the strong start to the season for the new BMW 3 Series with a double victory in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at Thruxton, staging a remarkable comeback after being hospitalised in a heavy accident in the previous round. The WSR BMW Pirtek Racing driver was involved in a heavy crash in the opening race at Donington Park that ruled him out for the remainder of the day, but was right back on form in Hampshire. But despite a pair of wins, it wasn’t a perfect weekend for Jordan, as a clash dropped him well down the order in the final race of the day. BTC Racing Honda Civic Type R driver Josh Cook took a commanding win in that event to strengthen his championship bid. The ultra-fast Thruxton circuit has not traditionally suited rear-wheel-drive cars such as the BMW, but Jordan qualified third in his 330i M Sport, and vaulted into second at the start of the opening race. He then battled past pole-sitter Sam Tordoff’s Civic Type-R midway through the race, taking a clear victory. Dan Cammish finished third in his works Civic Type R, ahead of WSR Team BMW driver Colin Turkington. BTCC EXCLUSIVE | VIDEO: Round 7 in 60 seconds #BTCC pic.twitter.com/am5jzDQ9jH — BTCC (@BTCC) May 19, 2019 Turkington, who had taken a double victory at Donington, made a great start of his own in race two to jump into second. He pressured Jordan for much of the race, but eventually settled for second.Cammish moved past Tordoff into third and briefly closed in on the two BMWs, but fell back near the end as light rain began to fall. Jason Plato took fourth in his Vauxhall Astra, ahead of Matt Neal (Civic Type R) and Tordoff. BTCC EXCLUSIVE | VIDEO: Round 8 in 60 seconds #BTCC pic.twitter.com/kl29Tscbzm — BTCC (@BTCC) May 19, 2019 Ash Sutton finished 11th in his Subaru Levorg, and was then drawn on pole for the reverse-grid final race. But in damp conditions Cook made a strong start, and squeezed past the Subaru at the first chicane to take the lead. He then survived two safety car periods to take his second race win of the year. Rory Butcher fought his way past Sutton with a bold move at the daunting Church corner to take second in his Civic Type R, a result that put him into a tie for the championship lead with Turkington, who claimed ninth. Jordan’s day didn’t end so well, as he was pitched into a spin mid-race, finishing 17th. BTCC EXCLUSIVE | VIDEO: Round 9 in 60 seconds #BTCC pic.twitter.com/swXtHtrZ4a — BTCC (@BTCC) May 19, 2019 Turkington and Butcher both have 102 points, with Cook just two points behind them, and Sutton three further back. The next BTCC round is at Croft in Yorkshire in June
Origin: BTCC 2019: Jordan continues BMW’s strong form

Toyota, Panasonic form joint venture to build—housing in Japan?

2018 Toyota Camry XLEAl Charest Japanese automaker Toyota and electronics maker Panasonic are forming a joint venture combining their housing businesses in Japan. Toyota, which offers housing as well as vehicles in Japan, said the new company will offer homes showcasing technology such as connected cars and the internet of things. Panasonic said its housing subsidiary will become part of the joint venture. The companies said Thursday the deal will be concluded by January 2020. Both sides said communities will increasingly want connected cars, autonomous driving, car-sharing and ecological vehicles. Earlier this year, Toyota and Panasonic announced a joint venture to research, manufacture and sell batteries for ecological autos, an increasingly lucrative sector amid concerns about global warming. The companies have been studying working together on batteries since
Origin: Toyota, Panasonic form joint venture to build—housing in Japan?