Jaguar will release a heavily updated F-Type next year, and the first spy images of a disguised prototype have emerged. Spotted outside the firm’s Gaydon engineering centre, the camouflaged car shows significant styling alterations for Jaguar’s Porsche 911 rival, including a dramatic overhaul of the front end with a reshaped bonnet and slim headlights relocated further down the front fascia. A redesigned grille also features, while at the rear a new tail-light design can be seen with a squared-off rear profile mimicking the recently facelifted XE saloon. It’s the first major styling revision since the F-Type was launched in 2013. Although the prototype’s interior hasn’t been seen, it’s expected that much of the more advanced technology and infotainment features from the I-Pace and the 2019 XE will make its way into the F-Type. That means new digital dials, a larger and more feature-laden touchscreen, and substantial upgrades to the materials. Jaguar Land Rover is now phasing out the long-used supercharged V6 in favour of a new turbocharged and hybridised straight six, and the F-Type will benefit from this more efficient powertrain. The turbocharged four-cylinder and supercharged V8 engines should be carried over to the new car with limited changes, however. What remains unclear is whether the new F-Type will retain a manual option. The current V6 is still offered with one in the UK, although it has reportedly been removed from sale in the US. Regardless, manuals are a tiny fraction of overall F-Type sales. Jaguar’s priorities for 2019 are the roll-out of the new XE and the launch of a similarly updated XF and F-Pace. However, we could see the revised F-Type revealed before the year is out, with an on-sale date in the first few months of
Origin: Jaguar F-Type to get major overhaul for 2020 model year
Model
This functioning Tesla Model X is the latest rad Lego fan-build
There have been many Lego replicas, big and small, come to light on the Internet in recent years, many of which we’ve covered here. What makes this latest example, a 1:10 model of the Tesla Model X, worthy of your attention is the fact its creators at RoboticLife found a way to incorporate nine small Lego motors to accomplish a variety of electric functions including four-wheel-drive, automatic doors and an adjustable suspension. And it’s all controlled by a mobile app. The suspension adjusting between ‘standard’ and ‘high’ – the latter being reserved for when the little EV needs to do some off-roading, like drive over some leaves or a small branch – is highly satisfying to behold. A hand pushing down on the front and rear of the model demonstrates the softness of the suspension. The falcon doors don’t open quite as smoothly as on the real things, but they’re made out of plastic bricks, so—. The front doors also operate automatically, just like in the actual vehicle. The Lego Model X can even do something the real Model X can’t—open its doors while moving. Inside, a paper cutout of the vertical infotainment screen is mounted to the dash. Because it’s not officially sanctioned by Lego, the kit for this Model X build isn’t for sale anywhere, but its creators at RoboticLife are offering the build instructions for just US$2. Hit them up on Facebook if you want in.
Origin: This functioning Tesla Model X is the latest rad Lego fan-build
Land Rover plots comeback with hybrid-led new model blitz
Land Rover will this autumn kick off an extremely significant two-year period of consolidation and expansion, following a turbulent 18 months, that will define the brand for the next decade. A great deal of the activity will relate not just to the launch of four new vehicles but also increased electrification within its line-up. Although the marque’s pure-electric vehicles are still some years away – with sibling brand Jaguar leading the group in this market segment – all new Land Rover models from late 2019 will be offered with the option of mild-hybrid or plug-in hybrid drivetrains, allowing it to leave its diesel difficulties behind. Perhaps the most important addition during that time will be the all-new Mk5 Range Rover, imagined by Autocar above, which is expected to be unveiled in 2021. The mainstream version of the new flagship will be a plug-in hybrid based on an all-new aluminium platform, dubbed MLA. It has been designed to be much lighter than the current Jaguar Land Rover aluminium architecture, as well as accommodating conventional engines and/or electric drive. Autocar understands that there will be an all-electric Range Rover 5, but it will be targeted at city users, particularly in east Asia. The vast majority of sales, however, are expected to be of the plug-in hybrid version, which will combine the new straight-six Ingenium engine with twin electric motors – one assisting the front wheels and one driving the rear axle. Land Rover engineers hope that the combination of the new architecture and downsizing the engine will offset the weight of the battery pack, which will offer around 40 miles of pure-electric driving. A mild-hybrid Range Rover 5 will use a very similar set-up to the upcoming Range Rover Sport, so expect 300- 400bhp versions of the new straight-six Ingenium engine assisted by both a 48V electric supercharger and a twin-scroll turbocharger. Kinetic energy that would otherwise be wasted is harvested and stored in a small battery that, in turn, powers the engine’s electric supercharger. The upshot of this electrification push is that JLR should easily meet its 132g/ km EU CO2 target in 2021. This target is less stringent than the 103g/km applied to its Volvo rival because JLR is a smaller-scale manufacturer of large cars selling fewer than 300,000 vehicles in the EU. As such, the UK government successfully argued, it needs more leeway in meeting fuel economy targets. However, the EU fleet CO2 targets for 2025 (15% lower than 2021) and 2030 (31% lower) are far more onerous, and it’s possible an expanding JLR will lose its derogation, making large-scale sales of plug-in hybrids essential from 2024 onwards. And here, for once, JLR is confidently on the front foot, as its prepares to roll out the new MLA architecture. Elsewhere in the line-up, Autocar understands that the Range Rover Sport is getting a significant mid-life hybrid makeover now as a vote of confidence in its enduring appeal. Sales continue to be very strong and a replacement is thought to be at least three years away. Further out, it’s thought that the first globally targeted Land Rover EV will be the so-called ‘Road Rover’, which will be much lower and more aerodynamic than other Range Rovers. Despite JLR’s new ‘Project Charge’ cost-cutting efforts, Autocar understands the Road Rover is still on the company’s model cycle plan and will most closely compete with Porsche’s next-generation electric Macan and be twinned with the next-generation Jaguar XJ. The future, MLA-based Velar could also be offered in pure-electric form, but that next-generation model is thought to be more than four years away from launch, and remains at the planning stage. In the shorter term, the long-awaited Defender will be revealed to the public this year. It will be sold in mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid forms. Fears that a plug-in Defender, with an electrically powered rear axle, would be compromised off road are, Autocar understands, misplaced. An electric motor offers maximum torque from step-off and the torque delivery is far more controllable than with a conventionally driven rear axle, greatly improving off-road performance. There’s no firm news on a pure-electric version of the Defender, but it remains a possibility. However, a plug-in hybrid with 35 miles of silent and emission-free electric range could be as useful off road as in a city centre. In the immediate future, the new Range Rover Evoque, which rolls on a completely re-engineered platform and has received praise for its refinement and poise, is already available with a mild-hybrid set-up, assisted by a belt-driven starter/generator. Early next year, though, the Evoque plug-in hybrid will arrive using a three-cylinder engine, a 48V hybrid system and an electrically driven rear axle. The three-cylinder engine alone develops a healthy 197bhp and 148lb ft of torque from 1.5 litres. In addition, the electric motor on the rear axle
Origin: Land Rover plots comeback with hybrid-led new model blitz
A Model X-rated video made ‘Tesla’ the top search term on PornHub overnight
Despite its size, this Model X P90D can go from a standstill to 100 km/h in just 3.2 seconds. Now that’s ludicrous.Andrew McCredie/Postmedia It didn’t take long for people to make liberal use of Tesla’s semi-autonomous Autopilot mode in all sorts of creative ways. Shortly after its debut, we were inundated with reports popping up everywhere of people behind the wheel taking naps, using their phones and, y’know, just generally ignoring everything Elon Musk told them not to do in the owner’s manual. We knew, too, it was just a matter of time before the Model S, 3 and X’s hands-free capabilities would let people start having sex on the road, too. We were just caught a bit off-guard to see the act consummated in a porno film. Yes, a video uploaded to website PornHub shows adult actress Taylor Jackson going on a Tinder date with a man driving what appears to be a Tesla Model X; less than a minute after entering the vehicle, things turn very Model X-rated indeed. After some affectionate events, the driver turns on the Autopilot to allow Jackson to sit on his lap. Obviously, we can’t post the video here, but suffice it to say, uh—they had sex. The video was uploaded just before the end of April, and according to Jackson, it at least briefly hit number one on the most-searched-for terms on the entire website. While she seems quite proud, as any artist would, this could have ended much worse than it did. Because while Tesla’s Model lineup does spell S-3-X-Y, we’re not sure this is exactly what Elon intended. (Or maybe he did. Who knows?) At any rate, this should never be attempted; in an emergency situation, it would be very hard for the driver to react properly when, well, otherwise engaged. According to The Next Web, Autopilot crashes are much less likely than those caused by humans, but Autopilot still isn’t a fully autonomous system. It still requires human input—and this doesn’t
Origin: A Model X-rated video made ‘Tesla’ the top search term on PornHub overnight
Tesla Model S driver ignores common sense, plows through flooded street
Tesla fans are heralding a video recently posted to Twitter, showing a Tesla Model S driving straight into a flooded street, as proof of the EV’s merits—while others simply see a driver apparently ignoring all possible signs of danger or thoughts of self-preservation. From the video, shared by user Richard Richter, we can see the water is about up to the centre of the wheels, which is about a foot. While the video ends before we see the Tesla exit the water, we can only assume it made it out safely. Obviously, driving into a pond in any vehicle isn’t the smartest idea, but in an electric one, there could be even more consequences, even one with a sealed battery unit and electric drivetrain like the Model S. If this isn’t a commercial for Tesla then I don’t know what is. pic.twitter.com/Fid0A9L2lr Richard Richter (@Ricardo_Lee_) May 3, 2019 The risks for immediate failure are high. Electrical connectors are given some water-shielding but the harnesses and components were never designed to be subjected to total immersion, explains Driving’s resident wrench Brian Turner. And as water conducts electricity, the risks of shorting out high-powered batteries and circuits are substantial. The long-term effects can’t be discounted either. A lot of communication within vehicle systems operates on low-power signals, meaning it doesn’t take a lot of barriers and interference to cause glitches. A wet connector can play havoc with these signals, and the water-shielding will keep moisture in to continue its longer-term effects. So in short: don’t be stupid and use your Tesla as a boat. It wasn’t designed for that. With Teslas seemingly setting themselves on fire in parking garages for no reason, it might in fact be the worst possible idea to get the electrical components of your EV (a.k.a. the whole thing)
Origin: Tesla Model S driver ignores common sense, plows through flooded street
Tesla gets creative with Model 3 pricing to qualify for federal electric vehicle rebates
Tesla’s Model 3 now qualifies for Ottawa’s electric vehicle rebate program.SeongJoon Cho / Bloomberg Tesla has announced that it will be dropping the retail price of its popular Model 3 electric vehicle to $44,999 in Canada, in a move that appears to just barely qualify the car for a $5,000 government incentive for green vehicles. The incentive was announced in the federal budget in March, and starting May 1 car buyers can take advantage of the subsidy. When the subsidy was first announced, it looked as though Tesla vehicles — the most popular electric cars on the market — would fail to qualify because Ottawa would only offer subsidies for vehicles with a price tag of less than $45,000, and in March the Tesla Model 3 was listed for $47,600. But in the past couple months, it appears that Tesla has gotten creative with its vehicle pricing to qualify for the rebate. The company is now selling a Model 3 vehicle with a range of just 150 kilometres, far less than the 386-kilometre range listed for the standard base model. That new ultra-short-range model comes in at $44,999. But the price-tag contortionism doesn’t stop there. The federal program specifies that vehicles with a base price of less than $45,000 qualify, even if they have add-ons of up to $10,000, bringing the total price of the vehicle to $55,000. This means that a standard Tesla Model 3 with a retail price of $53,700 will also qualify for the rebate. The federal government appears to endorse this pricing scheme because the Model 3 is now officially listed among the vehicles that qualify. John Zhang, an analyst with research firm IDC, said that Tesla is going out of its way to convince customers that they absolutely should not buy the 150-kilometre car. “The 150 km range is really just a deterrence that Tesla is trying to create in order to minimize the number customers purchasing these 150-km range Model 3s. Because there needs to be a base model that’s under the $45K mark in order for the higher-priced variant to qualify for the rebate as well, that’s essentially what Tesla did,” Zhang said. “Another piece of evidence that Tesla is deterring customers to buy this model is that you can’t order that specific car online. The order needs to be placed either over the phone or at a Tesla store. So essentially, Tesla wants customers to purchase the higher priced Standard Range Plus model, which has a range of 386 km.” Zhang also said that the 150-km version actually ships with the same battery pack as the 386 km version, and the range is only limited by a software lock, so customers can pay to upgrade their car after purchase. We can’t help but wonder how much that unlocking will cost, and how long it takes before some entrepreneurial software engineers take matters into their own hands with cheaper third-party solutions. Zhang said this isn’t the first time Tesla has engaged in this kind of pricing. “Tesla did this in Germany before in a similar situation. From a policy standpoint, the fact that the rebate was excluding the best-selling electric car in Canada partially defeated the purpose of putting the incentive in the first place, which is to promote/increase EV adoption,” he said. “Now that the base Model 3 is included, it’s levelling the playing field and customers have another choice when making their purchase
Origin: Tesla gets creative with Model 3 pricing to qualify for federal electric vehicle rebates
Tesla Model 3 UK prices revealed
Tesla Model 3 UK prices revealed Right hand driver versions are due in June The Tesla Model 3 has gone on sale in the UK, with prices starting at £38,900 for the company’s most compact model in Standard Range Plus specification. The entry level model has a range of 258 miles, which is an estimated WLTP figure, and is rear-wheel drive, with a 0-62mph time of 5.3 seconds. Above Standard Range Plus are Long Range and Performance specifications, starting at £47,900 and £56,900 respectively. The Long Range Model 3 will cover 348 miles on a charge with a sprint time of 4.5 seconds 0-62mph, while the Performance version drops that to just 3.2 seconds, and has a range of 329 miles. Both are all-wheel drive. All cars get the large landscape touchscreen system that controls and displays just about everything. Standard Range Plus models have electric and heated front seats, standard maps and navigation, premium seat material and trim, and upgraded audio. The next two trim levels add heated rear seats, a premium audio system, satellite view maps with live traffic and navigation, and in-car internet. All models get a tinted glass sunroof. Tesla fits its Autopilot hardware to all vehicles, meaning that the cars can be upgraded to be autonomous once the laws allow, and be updated via over-the-air downloads. Autopilot currently allows for adaptive cruise control with lane keep assist. Deliveries are set to start in June for those first customers that put their deposits down.
Origin: Tesla Model 3 UK prices revealed
Tesla Model 3 on sale in the UK from £38,900
The Tesla Model 3 saloon is now available to order in the UK. The company’s most mainstream EV to date will see right-hand-drive deliveries from June, with customers who reserved a build slot first in line to receive their cars. Prices start from £38,900 for the entry-level Standard Range Plus model, which has a WLTP-estimated range of 258 miles. The dual-motor Long Range model starts from £47,900 and can reach 348 miles on a single charge, meaning it takes the lead in Europe as the EV with the longest official range. Both models come with aerodynamically optimised 18in alloy wheels as standard, with 19in alloys available as an option. Prices include the UK government plug-in car grant. The top-end Performance version, which has a 162mph top speed and can manage 0-62mph in 3.2sec, starts at £56,900. It rides on 20in alloy wheels and includes a Premium interior package, which includes satellite-view navigation with live traffic, a premium 14-speaker audio system and in-car music and media streaming. Tesla’s ‘full self-driving’ autonomous functionality, which is due to roll out later this year, can be added for an additional £4900. The system can be installed post-purchase for £6800. Tesla CEO Elon Musk previously confirmed that UK orders would go live in a tweet, allowing UK customers to place an order before Tesla raises the price of its ‘full self-driving’ autonomous functionality. From 10 May, those placing orders in the US will need to pay an additional $1000 for the feature. The car maker launched its configurator in December for European customers who had already put down a deposit for a Model 3 saloon, which in the process revealed previously unconfirmed pricing and range details. The Model 3 went on show in UK dealerships for the first time at the beginning of the year, with demonstration models on display at Tesla’s London Park Royal and Manchester Stockport locations ahead of right-hand-drive models going on sale. Model 3 owners will not get free access to the Tesla Supercharger high-speed charging system, with the US company planning to charge for electricity as demand grows and it requires more investment to build up its charging network. Tesla’s latest results from the third quarter of 2018 showed that it hit production targets for the Model 3, building 53,239 units. This followed a tumultuous second quarter in which a temporary ‘tent’ was constructed outside the firm’s Californian plant containing another production line so as to increase output. Tesla revealed its Semi lorry in November last year, and this is expected to go into production in 2019. Its next model, the Model Y small SUV, was revealed in March. The highly anticipated Roadster, a sports car that is promised to hit 0-60mph in 1.9sec, is pegged to arrive in
Origin: Tesla Model 3 on sale in the UK from £38,900
News Roundup: Tesla sales stall, a Model S catches fire, and what to make of Rivian
A Tesla car arrives at a service center in Los Angeles, California on March 4, 2019.Mark Ralston / Getty via AP Dismal Q1 earnings and explosion reports from Tesla, the saga of John Cena’s GT and more fiery auto news from around the world Welcome to our weekly round-up of the biggest breaking stories on Driving.ca from this past week. Get caught up and ready to get on with the weekend, because it’s hard keeping pace in a digital traffic jam. Here’s what you missed while you were away. The first quarter of 2019 has not been kind to Tesla The Tesla Model 3 Performance Handout / Tesla Tesla is reporting net losses of US$702 million in the first three months of 2019, which is almost six times the profits earned in Q4 of 2018. Ouch! This despite Elon Musk doing what CEOs are wont to do and calling for profits throughout the year. The source of the leaking funds? Delivery woes that have seen a 31 per cent decline in cars actually getting to their owners. Now reports are surfacing that Tesla is trying to stop the bleeding by shuttering stores, cutting staff and shifting sales online. What if the value of a used car depends not on brand but on its owners? Does maintenance trump brand? Handout / Fotolia Driving’s Justin Pritchard has been asked the question, “So what’s the best used car to buy?” many times over his years as an auto journalist. Today, his answer has nothing to do with brand. Instead, he encourages used car shoppers to look for responsible owners with good maintenance rather than nameplates. Finding an owner who was religious in his execution of the vehicle’s ‘maintenance schedule’ is arguably more important than mileage, interior condition or any of the other metrics by which we often measure used cars. As Pritchard puts it, “It’s all about how well you take care of things.” Watch as a Tesla spontaneously combusts in a parking garage in China When will videos of Teslas going up in flames get old? Maybe after this one, but certainly not before. The clip shows the Model S quickly going from smoky to fully engulfed in the crowded parking garage. Video was pulled from the lot’s closed-circuit feed and Tweeted out by @ShanghaiJayin, some sort of self-appointed watchdog to the Chinese EV market who went on to share another video, this time of a NIO ES8 going up in flames at a repair centre in Xi’an, China. Environmentally unfriendly: These are the biggest gas guzzlers of all time Lamborghini Countach Brendan McAleer / Driving As governments and automakers alike set their sites on the electric future, we’re looking back at those vehicles that make gas station owners smile and environmental advocates shudder. Using the Environmental Protection Agency’s records dating back to 1984, we’ve rounded up the most gas-guzzling vehicles of all time, featuring such thirsty beasts as the 7-mpg 1986 Lamborghini Countach, the small but insatiable 1995 Saab 9000 sedan, and the 1,000-horsepower Bugatti Veyron. Rivian’s proposed electric pickup’s numbers don’t really add up Rivian R1T There were many highlights at the recent New York Auto Show, but perhaps none shone brighter than the Rivian R1T electric pickup truck. As one of the main belles at the ball, it also raised a lot of questions. This week, Motor Mouth David Booth pulled out his calculator and green accounting visor to see if he could make sense of the promised 640-km range, advertised weight and what we already know about how EVs function. In short. He couldn’t, saying that “dissecting the numbers, the battery-powered R1T makes a great case for a hydrogen fuel cell.” Slip inside the 10 finest car interiors of 2019 Jeep Gladiator Jeep People make a lot of fuss about tires and engines and paint colours, but the majority of the time spent in cars is spent, well, in them. That’s why ranking their interiors, as WardsAuto recently did, is a worthwhile exercise. The Michigan-based brand tested 32 nominated vehicles, scoring them on design, comfort, ergonomics, materials, fit and finish, and user-friendliness. The top ten includes the Bentley Continental GT, Genesis G70, Hyundai Santa Fe, Jeep Gladiator and Toyota Rav 4. Check out the full piece to see if your car made the cut. We built a visual timeline of the saga of John Cena’s 2017 Ford GT John Cena’s 2017 Ford GT crossing the Mecum Auctions block in Dallas in October 2018 Mecum Auctions When John Cena was hand selected to take order of a liquid blue 2017 Ford GT back in fall of 2017, he was instructed by the brand not to sell it for two years, or until late 2019. And considering that said GT was auctioned in February, changing hands for the fifth time, it’s safe to say the big guy didn’t follow the rules. In fact, since Cena sold it just a month after he’d received it, the GT has been the centre of an ongoing scandal. Then there’s the silver GT that’s also being sold against Ford’s wishes. Confused? Our timeline of the Ford-defying GTs should clear things
Origin: News Roundup: Tesla sales stall, a Model S catches fire, and what to make of Rivian
Tesla Model S, Model X get a bump to almost 600 kilometres of range
Tesla has just updated its long-range Model S sedan and Model X SUV with even more range, growing ever closer to the fabled 400-mile EV. While the battery itself remains the same, the latest over-the-air software update helped Tesla squeeze out just a few more electrons in order to get you closer to the next charging station. The Model S’ 100 kWh battery pack will now take you up to 370 miles (595 kilometres) on a charge, calculated using the EPA test cycle — a big improvement over the previous 335-mile (540-kilometre) rating. According to Tesla, the improvements are the product of new drive-unit technological improvements, such as lubrication, cooling, bearings, and gear design in the motors, which boosts efficiency above 93 per cent. The Model X, on the other hand, now sees a range of up to 325 miles (523 kilometres), a healthy bump over the previous 295 miles. These range, power, and acceleration improvements will also trickle down to other battery sizes — which are now designated Standard Range, Long Range, and Performance. Dual-motor all-wheel-drive will also now be standard on the Model S and X. On top of the range improvements, fast-charging has also been made 50 per cent faster, with up to 200 kW achieved from Tesla’s proprietary V3 Superchargers and 145 kW on V2 Superchargers. Adaptive air suspension with predictive damping will also be standard on the Model S and X. As a final gift, Ludicrous Mode will now be a free upgrade for current owners looking to upgrade to the Performance line. Canadian pricing and availability have yet to be announced for the new
Origin: Tesla Model S, Model X get a bump to almost 600 kilometres of range
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