Audi’s bringing back its rear-wheel-drive R8 V10 for good

Dynamic photo, Colour: Florett Silver Audi is adding a rear-wheel-drive version of its venerable R8 supercar to its permanent lineup, and this time, you wont need to be on a waiting list to see if you get the privilege of owning one.Rear-wheel-drive in Audi R8s has been available only on special edition models up to this point, but now your regular Jolene (assuming theyve a fair chunk of change in their pocket) can own a more hair-raising version of the supercar, too.You still get a V10 with 532 horsepower and 398 lb.-ft. of torque, with the sonorous soundtrack coming frombehind your head; difference is the vehicle is 65 kilograms (143 pounds) lighter thanks to the omission of all the quattro parts. Down 30 horsepower and 15 lb.-ft. from the AWD model, the RWD version matches the special-edition RWS. To tell the RWD from the AWD, all you have to do is look at the distinctive side blades. The AWD versions will be painted all-black, while the RWD version sees blades body-coloured on the bottom with a black upper portion. As well as being distinctive, it also gives the car a much more cohesive look.Both coupe and spyder versions will be available, and since theyre missing the front-wheel-drive parts, theyre both cheaper than the standard R8. Only European pricing has been unveiled, but there it starts at 144,000 for the Coupe; and 157,000 for the Spyder, both representing a 22,000 discount from the AWD
Origin: Audi’s bringing back its rear-wheel-drive R8 V10 for good

BMW’s 2019 1 Series ditches rear-wheel-drive for front

Count another BMW lost to front-wheel drive: after fifteen years of primarily rear-drive motivation, the new 1er hatch makes a switch to pull rather than push. Consumer demands for space, and shareholder demands for platform efficiency, seem to be at the core of this decision. BMW says the new 1 Series’ interior is much roomier than its predecessor, especially in the rear compartment. There’s more space for kit in the cargo area as well, thanks to the space-saving packaging of front-wheel-drive. We pause now to remind our readers of ads that BMW used to run. Both iterations of the old 1 Series have always looked a bit gawping, with large headlights and slightly-off styling proportions. This new model, shown here in M135i form with xDrive, neatly integrates Munich’s current styling language, from an expressive set of headlights to slick horizontal tail lamps. Its twin-kidney grille has not grown to tumour size as it did in the X7, thankfully. For European-market cars at least, there are three diesel engines and two gasoline mills from which to choose. They are bookended by a 116-horsepower oil-burner at one end and the blue M135i shown here, which makes 306 ponies. BMW suggests the latter will scamper to 98 km/h from zero in less than five seconds. There will be a six-speed manual transmission available, at least on lowly 116d and 118d trims, plus the gasoline-powered 118i. Certain models in that range will be available with a seven-speed dual clutch. There will also be an eight-speed Steptronic ‘box, the only one mentioned as available in the snazzy M135i xDrive shown here. Keeping up with the other two-thirds of the German Drei, the new 1 Series will be offered with all manner of driving nannies, ranging from lane-keeping to city-braking functions. Active cruise control will help at the helm, at least up to 160 km/h, and an array of parking assistants will aid even the most hamfisted BMW owner in avoiding dinging up their new whip. The third-gen 1 Series will be unveiled to the public for the first time in late June at BMW Welt in Munich. Hosting the auto show premiere, meanwhile, will be the IAA event in Frankfurt later this year. The worldwide launch will get underway on September
Origin: BMW’s 2019 1 Series ditches rear-wheel-drive for front

Mazda planning new straight-sixes, rear-wheel-drive platform

Mazda Vision CoupeClayton Seams Mazda is shaking up the car world once again with what could be a brand-new entry into the sports car realm: for the first time ever, we could see a straight-six-powered Mazda, with concept-car-like styling and rear-wheel-drive. According to a Mazda presentation to its investors, the near-future will see two new engines from the Japanese brand with six cylinders in a row, to be fitted to a large architecture platform. One will be a gasoline-powered Skyactiv-X engine employing Mazda’s SPCCI technology, which essentially makes gas engines function like a diesel with little to no added spark to ignite the fuel. The other engine will be a second-generation Skyactiv diesel engine, also with six cylinders. The presentation also stated Mazda would mature its Kodo design language, and dropped a picture of the Mazda Vision Coupe right next to the words. We hope this means the vehicle might get a second chance at the showroom, instead of just wowing us in concept form. The result of Mazda’s efforts could be another great sports car to compete against the likes of BMW and even Toyota (the latter uses the former’s engine in its new sports car, the Supra). Mazda is a much smaller brand than Toyota, so it’s great to see it casually announce a brand new sports-car engine when Toyota said it would cost the company too much time and money in development. Jaguar and Mercedes-Benz are also developing a straight-six engine for various uses, so it seems like the time is right for Mazda to do the same. The straight-six engine has a history with sports cars since the very beginning; the smooth power delivery combined with the sonorous exhaust notes make it unmatched by almost any other engine on the
Origin: Mazda planning new straight-sixes, rear-wheel-drive platform