The new Golf – still camouflaged The Volkswagen Golf nameplate has been around for 45 years, popping up in family driveways and autocross courses alike in a variety of body styles over that time. This year will see the introduction of its eighth-generation, with VW promising a digital, intelligent, and connected new car.By way of a camouflaged teaser image, the company has announced that development work on the Gen 8 Golf has entered the final testing phase. While the black-and-white wrap confuses our eyes as to its details, theres no mistaking this for anything other than a Golf a two box hatchback design houses five doors and a familiar set of peepers. Fans should expect a sharpened and modernized version of the current car, in other words.Close examination of this testing mule reveals little, save for the round dots of forward-facing parking sensors embedded into its front fascia. That feature currently shows up in high-zoot Golfs in this country. Its fuel filler door is in roughly the same location as the existing Golf but is of a slightly different shape on this test car. Headlights are of a different shape than the Gen 7 car, cutting slightly upwards as they meet the grille instead of following those bodylines as they do today. Keyless entry nubs pepper the door handles and some sort of forward-facing camera presumably for driver aids is perched above the rearview mirror. As expected, the stern German behind the wheel reveals nothing.Klaus Bischoff, head of Volkswagen Design, says At this time, we will not disclose all details of the new Golf but you can already perceive its elegant proportions, before going on to exhort that The next generation will be a genuine eye-catcher.The countdown to the debut of number eight has already begun the new Golf will celebrate its world introduction this
Origin: Fore! Next-gen Volkswagen Golf almost ready for production
next-gen
Next-gen Corvette’s rear end already leaking
A photograph of what looks like the rear end of the upcoming next-generation Chevrolet Corvette C8 showed up on a forum early July, about 10 days before the much-hyped cars global reveal.The image, posted by AbsolutHank of corvetteforum.com, shows the back of a blue sports car that lines up pretty closely with everything we know and have seen of the mid-engined sports car so far.The image was also shared by an Instagram user with the same handle.The most interesting design cue revealed in the photo may be the taillights, which GM had been pretty keen on disguising even on the camoflaged test mules its been driving around the U.S. View this post on Instagram The new #Corvette #C8 #mecorvette #midenginecorvette 👀 A post shared by Ryan Hartley (@absoluthank) on Jul 7, 2019 at 5:58pm PDTThe lamps have a very Camaro-esque aesthetic, which seemed to divide members of the Corvette forum, and will likely split car enthusiasts generally, too.Chevrolet said July 8 that the Corvette C8s full reveal on July 18 in Orange County, California will also be livestreamed online by the automaker globally, so that fans all around the world can watch the covers get pulled at the same time, if they log on at 10:30 EDT (7:30 PDT).If that includes you, youre going to want to bookmark this website here, which is where the official stream will be hosted. The stream will include Corvette video footage, a hosted preshow and the reveal presentation, the automaker said.Following the reveal and through to early 2020, the new Corvette will go on a tour of some 125 U.S. dealerships on the East and West coasts, where fans and prospective buyers can see the thing up close. Well let you know when its wheels will first touch down in
Origin: Next-gen Corvette’s rear end already leaking
Next-gen safety to focus on rear seat safety
The 2019 Jeep Wrangler undergoing Euro NCAP crash testingHandout / Euro NCAP In recent years, auto manufacturers have been steadily ratcheting up their safety game for vehicle occupants, spurred on by ever-tougher crash tests cooked up by the NHTSA and IIHS. In particular, the new small- and medium-overlap tests put a big push on redesigning some vehicle components so front seat occupants are less likely to be injured in such a crash. But what about those who are sitting in the back seat? According to a recent story in the New York Times, that rear seat area might not be the safest spot in a car anymore. This is contrary to what most of us have been taught for years, that the back seat is definitely the safest place for certain passengers (read: children) in a crash. This likely stems from the days when dashboards were made of metal and the only thing between you and that enormous steering wheel was your face. Advancements for front seat passengers may have started to tip the balance. Those up front generally benefit from the likes of seat belt pre-tensioners and a raft of airbags, not all of which show up in rear passenger compartments of cars and SUVs. The Times reports safety professionals now have new recommendations about what to buy and where to sit, highlighting vehicles whose rear seats have similar safety gear as the ones up front. If seatbelts with pre-tensioning and load-limiting technology aren’t available in the back seat, the NHTSA recommends people aged 55 and older should sit up front. No more relegating grandpa to the back seat, so be prepared to hear more stories about the Pony Express in the name of safety. To be clear, the seatbelts in question meet federal safety standards. Perhaps it’s time for the standards to evolve. Help is on the way for new-car buyers who like to do their research. Within the next three years, the IIHS hopes to have developed a back-seat crash test, allowing buyers to compare new models on this measure. Stay safe out there,
Origin: Next-gen safety to focus on rear seat safety
Ram’s next-gen EcoDiesel boasts class-leading torque
Ram has kicked off the month in a big, torquey way by announcing its next-generation EcoDiesel bound for its 2020 half-ton pickups. Rated at a heady 260 horsepower and 480 lb.-ft. of torque, FCA can make the claim it has the torquiest diesel half-ton on the market, as it bests the former champ, General Motors’ Silverado/Sierra, by 20 lb.-ft. All that torque is available at a barely-off-idle 1,600 rpm, by the way, meaning this thing should provide a good kick in the pants from rest. It’ll certainly haul the mail—12,560 pounds of it. That’s its new towing capacity when properly equipped, vastly outstripping the old EcoDiesel, which maxed out at 9,290 lbs of hauling. “The all-new EcoDiesel engine and our eTorque mild-hybrid powertrain technologies deliver the highest available fuel efficiency for our Ram 1500 customers,” said Reid Bigland, head of Ram Brand. That statement is interesting, given this new EcoDiesel – informally called the Gen 3 – hasn’t yet been rated for mileage. The old version of the EcoDiesel, which we’ll call the Gen 2, had a fuel economy rating of 8.71 L/100 km on the highway cycle. The 2020 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel is available in all models and configurations, including a first-time offering in the Ram Rebel. This is great news for off-road gearheads like your author, who know the value of low-end grunt out on the trail. Diesels aren’t great for high-rpm situations like blasting through a sand wash, but provide many advantages in other forms of off-roading. Offering it on the Rebel trim makes a whole lotta sense. 2019 Ram 1500 Limited Pricing wasn’t announced today, nor were official fuel economy ratings. Note well: the Ram 1500 Classic is also available with an EcoDiesel, but it is of the so-called Gen 2 variety. The 2020 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel will go on sale in the fourth quarter of
Origin: Ram’s next-gen EcoDiesel boasts class-leading torque
Next-gen Porsche 911 GT3 tipped to use 4.0-litre flat six
The new 911 Speedster’s heavily revised 4.0-litre flat-six engine will be carried over to future GT models as Porsche’s GT division persists with naturally aspirated engines. GT boss Andreas Preuninger said: “We’ve invested in the future with this engine. I can’t comment on future projects but we would be stupid not to re-use this engine somewhere. “Our philosophy in GT cars is to stay naturally aspirated. We want to keep that engine for the future and that’s why we’ve made such a tremendous effort to get the engine right without taking emotion and performance away.” Preuninger declined to reveal which models would use the updated engine, but a strong likelihood is the next-generation GT3. Recently spied prototypes at the Nürburgring Nordschleife emitted the telltale wail of a high-revving engine free from turbocharging, adding further weight to the speculation. The Speedster, a swansong for the 991 generation of the 911 priced from £211,599, uses the same powertrain as the outgoing GT3 but receives a host of updates. Chief among the updates, and in order to extend the regulatory life of this big-capacity direct-injection flat six, Porsche has fitted two sizeable petrol particulate filters – one integrated into the exhaust tract that exits each side of the block. And yet owing to the use of thinner steel, nickel and soldering techniques rather than welding, the exhaust system now weighs 10kg less than before, despite the additional hardware. Power has also increased, from 493bhp to 503bhp, and continues to arrive at 8400rpm. To achieve this with an engine that is not only cleaner but also suffers from an increase in exhaust back-pressure owing to the new filters is no mean feat. The fuel-injection system now operates at 250bar rather than 200 for improved propagation, and each of the engine’s six cylinders now gets a dedicated throttle-body. The combined effect – but particularly due to the new throttle-bodies – is even sharper throttle response, says Porsche. Rachel Burgess and Richard
Origin: Next-gen Porsche 911 GT3 tipped to use 4.0-litre flat six
Next-gen Porsche 911 GT3 tipped to use 4.0-litre flat-six
The new 911 Speedster’s heavily revised 4.0-litre flat-six engine will be carried over to future GT models as Porsche’s GT division persists with naturally aspirated engines. GT boss Andreas Preuninger said: “We’ve invested in the future with this engine. I can’t comment on future projects but we would be stupid not to re-use this engine somewhere. “Our philosophy in GT cars is to stay naturally aspirated. We want to keep that engine for the future and that’s why we’ve made such a tremendous effort to get the engine right without taking emotion and performance away.” Preuninger declined to reveal which models would use the updated engine, but a strong likelihood is the next-generation GT3. Recently spied prototypes at the Nürburgring Nordschleife emitted the tell-tail wail of a high-revving engine free from turbocharging, adding further weight to the speculation. The Speedster, a swansong for the 991 generation of the 911 priced from £211,599, uses the same powertrain as the outgoing GT3 but receives a host of updates. Chief among the updates, and in order to extend the regulatory life of this big-capacity direct-injection flat-six, Porsche has fitted two sizeable petrol particulate filters – one integrated into the exhaust tract that exits each side of the block. And yet owing to the use of thinner steel, nickel and soldering techniques rather than welding, the exhaust system now weighs 10kg less than before, despite the additional hardware. Power has also increased, from 493bhp to 503bhp, and continues to arrive at 8400rpm. To achieve this increase with an engine that is not only cleaner but also suffers from an increase in exhaust back-pressure owing to the new filters is no mean feat. The fuel-injection system now operates at 250bar rather than 200 for improved propagation, and each of the engine’s six cylinders now gets a dedicated throttle-body. The combined effect – but particularly due to the new throttle-bodies – is even sharper throttle response, says Porsche. Rachel Burgess and Richard
Origin: Next-gen Porsche 911 GT3 tipped to use 4.0-litre flat-six
Next-gen Porsche hypercar could adopt retro styling
Porsche design boss Michael Mauer is deciding whether the firm’s new hypercar, due around 2025 as a successor to the 918 Spyder, should be styled futuristically or with a retrospective nod to some of the greatest cars from the company’s past. The firm recently released a Porsche 917 Concept design study (above) to mark the 50th anniversary of its 1970 Le Mans victory, with Mauer saying it reflected ongoing discussions over the next-generation hypercar. “If you launch a new hypercar then you can go extremely modern in your thinking or maybe just go back to our sports car roots and take inspiration from some of the many icons in our history,” he said. “When you look at the 917 Concept then, personally, I love it. You look at it and you immediately make the connections. “But as a designer who believes that the next hypercar should point to the future, I’m not so sure. There is always the option to look into history, but sometimes you can also take the option to create some history.” Porsche CEO Oliver Blume confirmed that plans for a next-generation hypercar are under way, but said its future hung on a decision on its powertrain: “If we want it to be electric then we must wait, because battery performance is not where we need it to be yet in order to meet our performance targets. “It is not decided though that the car will be fully electric. There are opportunities with hybrid, too. We will make a decision when the time is
Origin: Next-gen Porsche hypercar could adopt retro styling
Will the next-gen Toyota 86 and Subaru BRZ use a Toyota platform?
2019 Subaru BRZ RaiuHandout / Subaru As vehicular twins, the Subaru BRZ and Toyota 86 are no Olsen sisters, but they’re also no Danny DeVito and Arnold Schwarzenegger, either. The two coupes have their similarities and they have their differences. At the core of their shared genetics is the platform. Current versions are built upon a modified Impreza platform, but that may be about to change. According to Australian site CarSales, the next-gen 86 and BRZ will ditch their current base and swap in Toyota’s newer TNGA underpinnings. The rumour comes from an anonymous source at Subaru who says that, in order to retain both vehicles’ original rear-wheel-drive layout, the brands will be steering away from the Subaru Global Platform that’s being used for Subaru’s new AWD vehicles and toward the rear-wheel-drive- friendly TNGA option that already supports vehicles like the Highlander, Prius and Camry over in Toyota land. That or they’ll continue to work with what they’ve already got. It’s a very flexible platform, but we make all-wheel-drive vehicles, said the source with regards to the new platform. That’s our forte, all-wheel drive. Subaru’s forte may be AWD, but the BRZ and 86 are all about that rear-wheel-drive — gloriously so, at that. And seeing as the TNGA option would likely be the most affordable and the lightest option, our money is on that.
Origin: Will the next-gen Toyota 86 and Subaru BRZ use a Toyota platform?
Next-gen Porsche Boxster, Cayman may get a plug-in hybrid variant
The Porsche 718 Cayman GTSPorsche Porsche’s plans to electrify the Boxster and Cayman may also include offering a plug-in hybrid version to be sold alongside gasoline versions. According to Autocar, the German automaker hasn’t decided on whether the electrified sports cars will be a regular or plug-in hybrid, but Porsche boss Oliver Blume says they’re working on it. We have prototypes of the 718 running in electric now, and a hybrid prototype is being built, he said. If you look to the next generation of those cars, it’s possible, although not clear whether it would be plug-in hybrid or hybrid. Porsche has been mulling over the idea of an electric sports car since 2011, when it built a few prototypes of the Boxster and Cayman as an EV. Furthermore, the Boxster E-volution concept from 2017 actually managed to beat the current 718’s zero-to-100 km/h sprint time thanks to a 38 kWh battery, which also lended to a 190-kilometre range. The 718 Boxster and Cayman EVs would be built on Porsche’s Premium Performance Electric (PPE) platform that will also be used on the Taycan, and is expected to have a range of up to 300 kilometres. Porsche says this is currently the absolute limit of the battery technology. A hybrid-ized 718 would employ the same hybrid systems currently used in the 992-series 911, just adapted for the smaller four-cylinder engines. The strategy will be a similar one used by the Macan — the EV will utilize the PPE platform, while the hybrid versions will remain on the MLB platform. Solid state batteries are expected to arrive in 2025, changing the landscape of EVs completely with up to 50 per cent more
Origin: Next-gen Porsche Boxster, Cayman may get a plug-in hybrid variant
This Chinese-market Nissan could preview the next-gen Sentra
Nissan has just revealed the latest Sylphy, and while it’s a model we don’t get in North America, it’s closely related to our Sentra and it could preview the styling of the next-gen compact sedan. Compared to the outgoing Sentra, it seems as though Nissan is changing up its styling quite a bit to punch in above its weight, competing with more luxurious brands. Out with the fat, eyebrowed headlights and generic tail lights, in with slimmer bodywork and mature styling. Nissan’s V-motion’ front grille looks good here, as well as the floating C-pillar, lending to a fastback-like trunk treatment. Sculpted haunches give the Sylphy the appearance of a lower beltline, and the front lip makes it look rather sporty. Under the hood of the Sentra will likely be Nissan’s 141-horsepower, 2.0-litre inline-four from the Rogue, as well as a CVT. It doesn’t sound like much — until you take into consideration that the base 1.8-litre inline-four in the outgoing Sentra only makes 130 horsepower. The 188-horsepower, 1.6-litre turbo-four from the Sentra SR Turbo and Nismo models could also return, hooked up to a six-speed manual. Inside, the Sylphy has also grown up, with quilted leather seats and a cleaner layout. The steering wheel is also flat-bottomed for added sportiness. Don’t be surprised if these touches also make an appearance in the next Sentra. The 2020 Sentra is still likely a few months out, but Nissan has hinted we’ll know more about it before the end of the
Origin: This Chinese-market Nissan could preview the next-gen Sentra
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