Rolls-Royce’s interpretation of super-luxury in 2019 is this: black. Actually, that’s been the British automaker’s idea of ultimate luxury for a few years now. It created the Black Badge series back in 2016 with the Wraith and Ghost, followed by the Dawn in 2017. Now, after a two-year hiatus, R-R is back in black, this time with its SUV having received the shadow treatment to become “the darkest and most urban statement of Black Badge yet.”The Rolls-Royce Black Badge Cullinan is all-around more ominous, with a black exterior that’s been hand-finished at Rolls HQ in Goodwood; darkened chrome on details like the grille surround and exhaust pipes; a high-gloss black chrome Spirit of Ecstasy badge; and 22-inch forged alloy wheels finished in black and dark chrome. Power gets amped a decent boost, too. The Black Badge model boasts an upgraded 6.8-litre V12 good for 600 horsepower and 664 lb.-ft. of torque, up from the 563 hp and 627 lb.-ft. delivered by the standard Cullinan model. To fully appreciate the symphony of that turbocharged V12, Rolls-Royce has installed a ‘Low’ button on the gear selector that amplifies the sound to give off a deep growl to match its sinister look. Now, some have referred to the Cullinan as “the world’s most expensive mullet,” which it may be, but even mullets, if given the proper attention, can look respectable in a tailored black suit. Think John Wick, but with more business in the front. “Black Badge reflects the desires of a distinct group of Rolls-Royce clients: men and women who take risks, break rules and build success on their own terms,” said Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, in a press release, unintentionally playing straight into my John Wick reference. “Indeed, before we launched Black Badge in 2016, the idea of creating a product that would satisfy this subversive cohort (…) caused a great deal of internal debate. However (…) it became clear that these motor cars could not only exist comfortably beneath this revered and historic brand but they would define a new space within the super-luxury market.”“In this spirit, the time has come for Rolls-Royce’s boldest and darkest expression of Black Badge yet. The King of the Night, Black Badge Cullinan.”King of the Night or mullet in a black suit? You be the
Origin: Rolls-Royce gives the Cullinan the Black Badge treatment
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Mazda gives more details on its first EV
The interior of Mazda’s first electric vehicle, to be revealed at Tokyo motor show next week, has been designed to “evoke a sense of openness” through empty spaces, said the maker. Mazda said the concept uses empty spaces around the centre console to create a closeness between the driver and passenger seats. It added that interior materials were chosen for comfort and “eco-friendliness”, both of which are intended to make the cabin comfortable. The latest information from Mazda follows confirmation last month that it would launch its first electric car on 23 October. The model, previewed by the e-TPV prototype, is expected to adopt an SUV bodystyle, which can more easily accommodate an underfloor battery pack. It will use a similar set-up to the prototype, which has a 35.5kWh battery and a single electric motor delivering 138bhp and 195lb ft of torque to the the front wheels via a single-speed transmission. The EV is likely to have a range between 120 and 150 miles, similar to the new Mini Electric but significantly less than more obvious rivals, such as the 279-mile Hyundai Kona Electric. It will be able to accept 6.6kW domestic charging and 50kW public rapid charging. Mazda will also introduce a modern version of its famed rotary engine in a range-extender variant of the EV. Two years ago, Mazda boss Mitsuo Hitomi confirmed that, rather than being used in its purest form, a rotary engine will be used as an EV range-extender. He said: “The rotary engine isn’t particularly efficient to use as a range-extender, but when we turn on a rotary, it’s much, much quieter compared to other manufacturers’ range-extenders”. The Japanese firm’s range hasn’t featured a rotary-engined road car since the RX-8 went out of production in 2012, but it did produce a rotary range-extender Mazda 2 prototype – which Autocar drove – back in 2013. It has remained interested in reintroducing the technology to production since. The Mazda RX-Vision Concept, which was shown at the Tokyo motor show in 2015, used such a powertrain. Mazda has eschewed hybrid and electric models in recent years, instead choosing to focus on improving the efficiency of its petrol engines. This year, it introduced spark plug-controlled compression ignition to the latest Mazda 3, with the promise that it will “combine the economy and torque of a diesel engine with the performance and lower emissions of a petrol
Origin: Mazda gives more details on its first EV
Mercedes-AMG gives the 2020 GLC 43 a new grille to make it look more AMG
Mercedes-AMG is giving the 2020 GLC 43 some AMG touches to make it more recognizable as the brands entry-level performance AMG SUV. Both the SUV and the four-door fastback (which they call a coupe) have been given the treatment.Thanks to the AMG-specific radiator grille with its vertical chrome-plated fins, it is very quickly clear: these GLCs come from Affalterbach, reads the press release, but theres more to the update than that. The bumper is also new, as well as the rear exhaust tips, of which there are now two; the headlights have also been updated to LED, and remind us of the AMG GT.The interior of the GLC 43 has been given the AMG treatment as well; it now features digital AMG-specific gauges, a flat-bottom steering wheel and a few red trim accents. There are even Chevrolet bowties on the steering wheel as a nod to the mid-engined Corvette! Oh, wait, those are controls for the infotainmentour bad. The latest edition of MBUX is also present, to go along with the updates 12.3-inch instrument cluster and 10.3-inch touchscreen. For the actual added performance, AMG has given the GLC 23 more horsepower, for a total of 385; thats matched by 384 lb.-ft. of torque from the 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6.Although Mercedes claims this is an entry-level performance vehicle, well guess that it still isnt cheap, but will have to wait until actual pricing and availability is released near the end of the year to find out for
Origin: Mercedes-AMG gives the 2020 GLC 43 a new grille to make it look more AMG
Autocar confidential: Volkswagen plans wireless updates, Audi gives us the heads-up and more
In this week’s wander through the backstage area of motoring, we find out why Hyundai engineers need to get off the bus, how Audi’s changing cockpit design, and more. VW’s breath of fresh air Volkswagen’s ID range of electric cars have been designed to be upgradable during their lifespan but, while over-the-air remote updates are possible, VW sales boss Jürgen Stackmann says such upgrades will probably be done at a dealer to begin with. “We need to be absolutely sure of (over-the-air upgrades),” he said. “We are not a start-up company, so we can’t take those risks.” The future of Audi’s dash design Audi’s signature Virtual Cockpit will eventually be replaced by an augmented head-up display and voice control, according to design boss Marc Lichte. Hinted at on the Q4 E-tron concept, which will make production in 2021, Lichte said: “Virtual Cockpit will become much smaller and we will have an augmented head-up display. Maybe in 10 years we’ll have less displays because HUD will control everything by voice.” Hyundai-Kia stops the bus “Too many of our engineers come to work on the bus,” says Hyundai and Kia design boss Luc Donckerwolke of his colleagues at the Namyang research and development centre. He says it limits their experience of driving the products they develop. Polestar times it right The shift to electrification has opened a window of opportunity for new brands to establish themselves – but it will only be brief, according to Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath. “There is often a moment between launching too early or too late, but it is only a moment and the way the market is developing I’m more convinced it is right now,” he
Origin: Autocar confidential: Volkswagen plans wireless updates, Audi gives us the heads-up and more
Aston Martin gives its new AM-RB 003 hypercar a name: Valhalla
When the Norse god Odin selected honored warriors for the afterlife, he sent them to a majestic paradise called Valhalla.Stern stuff, then, and the perfect name for Aston Martins new hypercar.Formerly identified by its code name AM-RB 003, which made it sound like the worlds fastest fax machine Aston Martins latest mid-engined hypercar is a collaboration with Red Bull Advanced Technologies and technical whiz Adrian Newey.Deploying lightweight construction methods and aerodynamics pioneered in the big-brother Valkyrie, the Valhalla will be powered by a hybrid system comprised of a high-output turbo V6 and battery-electric power team. Just 500 examples of the all-carbon-fibre hypercar will be built.Just like that family back in high school who called all their kids names which began with the letter J, Aston Martin has a long history of titling their cars with a V. Vantage, Vulcan, Vanquish, Valkyrietake yer pick of high-performance coupes that exude more than just a dash of swagger.Speaking of the Valkyrie, this car borrows some of its design, but uses less extreme language. The company says it wants this to be a car people can daily, endowing it with space behind the seats for luggage and even a place to mount your smartphone on the dash. The example shown this year in Geneva also had a steering wheel full of vehicle controls and a display screen in the hub.At the show, Aston also showed off the Valhallas aero tech, which has been validated by NASA. Yes, that NASA. The Valhallas rear wing is equipped with something called FlexFoil, which allows the cars downforce to be changed without changing the physical angle of the entire element. This seamless design will allegedly increase downforce while reducing wind noise when compared to a traditional active wing design.Aston figures itll be producing Valhalla road cars by the calendar year 2021. Price? If you have to
Origin: Aston Martin gives its new AM-RB 003 hypercar a name: Valhalla
Mini gives the refreshed JCW Clubman and Countryman 300 horsepower
Earlier this year we hyped the news of the 300-horsepower John Cooper Works GP, the most powerful production Mini to date, and now it’s our duty – and pleasure, really – to report that both the JCW Clubman and Countryman models will get a similar boost in power and performance during their upcoming refreshes. Mini announced mid-May the hot hatches will come fitted with 2.0-litre inline-fours taken from the Countryman and Clubman S models and modified to produce 301 horsepower (up from 189) and 331 lb.-ft of torque. To achieve this, JCW tweaked the crankshaft and compression ratio, and upgraded bearings, pistons, turbocharger and connecting rods. That’s allegedly enough to get the JCW Clubman from zero to 100 km/h in 4.9 seconds, and the Countryman over the line in 5.1 seconds. JCW may have been benevolent with the power, but it did withhold a little when it came to the transmission. Both models will get an eight-speed auto (with paddle shifters, mind you) as standard for now, but optimists will have to reserve hope for later convertible or hardtop versions to include manual transmissions. All-wheel-drive with locking front differential is also standard, keeping the Mini in front-wheel-drive configuration until a loss of traction is detected. To increase rigidity and remove weight, the vehicles’ chassis and axles were adjusted, with adaptive dampers made optional on both models. And to distinguish them as members of the JCW crew, the pair get a red bar across the front grille, badges up front and on the rear, red brake calipers and the option for a red roof and matching mirror caps. Nineteen-inch wheels are also available as an optional upgrade from the 18-inch wheels that come standard. The new JCW Clubman and Countryman will go on sale this summer. Prices have yet to be announced.
Origin: Mini gives the refreshed JCW Clubman and Countryman 300 horsepower
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