Volkswagen has unveiled a new look for its record-breaking ID R electric motorsport car for its assault on the 99-turn Tianmen Shan Big Gate Road in China later this year. The 671bhp ID R smashed the outright Pikes Peak International Hill Climb record last year. It has followed up this year by setting a new electric lap record on the Nurburgring, and a new outright record at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. To highlight the car and the forthcoming ID range in China, the world’s biggest electric vehicle market, Volkswagen’s motorsport division will tackle the 6.8-mile Tongtian Avenue road, which runs up Tianmen Mountain near the city of Zhangjiajie, around 930 miles south-west of Beijing. The ID R tacked Goodwood in a grey colour scheme, representing VW’s initial official ID colour scheme. It then sported a blue livery for the Nurburgring and Goodwood, reflecting its links to Volkswagen’s hot R division. Red has been chosen because it is a lucky colour in China. The Tianmen Shan Big Gate Road, which is currently open only to buses, rises from 650ft to 4265ft above sea level, leading to Tianmen Cave at the top of the mountain. Because the road has never been used for competition before, there’s no record time for the ID R to break. Volkswagen will therefore stage an online gaming competition to allow participants to set a ‘virtual’ record, with the fastest time becoming the time for driver Romain Dumas to beat in September. Volkswagen is also hoping that other firms will use the newly established course for record bids in the future. Stephan Wollenstein, VW’s China boss, said he hoped the record attempt would “make Tianmen the place to develop electric cars, in order to achieve new dimensions.” Pikes Peak specialist Dumas believes a lack of knowledge will make this a different challenge. “So far, I only know the road from photos and a few videos,” he said. “The route is very winding, extremely narrow in places, and very uneven.” The ID R is powered by two electric motors, giving it a 0-62mph time of 2.25sec. Dumas also drove the car at last year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed. China is Volkswagen’s biggest market, with the firm operating several joint ventures in the country. It’s gearing up to launch the production version of the first ID model based on its MEB platform and is developing several specifically intended for the Chinese
Origin: Volkswagen ID R gains new look for Chinese record bid
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Tesla paces record quarter for deliveries thanks to Model 3 gains
Tesla saw a record quarter for deliveries, the company said early July, alleviating the worst fears about demand for the Elon Musk-led companys electric vehicles.The Model 3 maker handed over 95,200 cars to customers in the three months that ended in June, exceeding the previous best mark set in the last quarter of 2018. Teslas delivery count exceeded all but one analysts estimate in a Bloomberg News survey.While the results go a long way toward contradicting Teslas doubters, it remains to be seen whether this level of demand is sustainable or profitable. The US$3,750 U.S. federal tax credit buyers were eligible for was cut by half beginning July 1, and deliveries tailed off the last time the incentive shrank. Musk also has said the company will post a loss for the quarter, then report positive earnings in the second half.Tesla also left out of its statement any mention of its full-year forecast for 360,000 to 400,000 deliveries, a projection it re-affirmed in its release a quarter ago. Tesla representatives didnt respond when asked whether the company is sticking with its guidance. It will have to average more than 100,000 units per quarter in the second half to reach the low end of the range.Musk, 48, urged employees to go all out in the final days of Teslas first full quarter in which Model 3s made their way to buyers in Europe and China. Overseas demand contributed to deliveries of the sedan jumping to 77,550 units, more than all the vehicles Tesla handed over in the first quarter.The big picture is that something is happening around electric vehicles, said Gene Munster, a managing partner of venture capital firm Loup Ventures and longtime Tesla bull. The Model 3 is on fire.Several analysts raised their delivery estimates as the quarter came to an end, citing brisk sales to key European markets including Norway and the Netherlands, as well as the effect of incentives that Canada began offering in May to stoke purchases of battery-powered cars. Tesla doesnt break down deliveries by region in its release.One reason Wall Street remains concerned about Teslas profitability is shrinking demand for the higher-margin Model S and Model X. Combined deliveries dropped to 17,650 in the quarter, down more than 20 per cent from a year ago. Investors are concerned the cheaper Model 3 is cannibalizing the companys more lucrative vehicles.Tesla also said orders exceeded deliveries during the quarter and it expects to boost production and hand over more cars in the next three months. The number of vehicles in transit at the end of June was more than 7,400.Teslas Model 3 sales are far outpacing rivals. General Motors sold just 3,965 of its all-electric Chevrolet Bolt in the second quarter, while Volkswagens Audi delivered just 1,835 battery-powered E-Tron
Origin: Tesla paces record quarter for deliveries thanks to Model 3 gains
Range Rover gains 395bhp Ingenium straight-six petrol
Land Rover has added its new 395bhp Ingenium straight-six petrol engine to the Range Rover. It’s available to order now, priced from £83,655. First introduced on the Range Rover Sport, the new turbocharged Ingenium engines will gradually replace the ageing Ford-sourced supercharged V6s in use across Jaguar and Land Rover’s ranges. The 3.0-litre unit doesn’t abandon the supercharger, though, using an electrically powered version to provide a more instant response before the twin-scroll turbocharger spools up. It also makes use of a 48v mild hybrid system, boosting efficiency by supplying torque to reduce the engine’s workload. In the Range Rover, the engine produces 395bhp and 406 lb ft of torque, making the 2.3-tonne SUV capable of 0-60mph in 5.9sec and a top speed of 140mph. Land Rover quotes a combined economy figure of 30.4mpg and CO2 emissions of 212g/km. Land Rover has also updated the whole Range Rover line-up with new features. These include a smartphone pack featuring Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, the ability for the headlights to dim individual LEDs that could reflect back off signposts and ‘Tourist Mode’, which adjusts the headlight beam for driving on the left or right of the
Origin: Range Rover gains 395bhp Ingenium straight-six petrol
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