Ultra-exclusive Rolls-Royce Wraith Eagle VIII revealed

Rolls-Royce will use this year’s Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este to unveil its latest limited-run Collection Car: the Wraith Eagle VIII. Set to be on public display tomorrow at the event in Lake Como, Italy, the Wraith Eagle VIII is limited to just 50 examples. Rolls-Royce says its purpose is to “tell the epic tale of one of the most pivotal moments of the 20th century” – the first non-stop transatlantic flight. In June 1919 – 100 years ago next month – British aviators John Alcock and Arthur Brown took off from Newfoundland, Canada, in a modified First World War Vickers Vimy aircraft, landing in Clifden, Ireland, nearly 16 hours later after battling with thick cloud cover and freezing fog. The aircraft was powered by two 20.3-litre 350bhp Rolls-Royce Eagle VIII engines, from which the new car takes its name. The special Wraith gets a two-tone light and dark grey paint scheme separated by a brass feature line – a scheme used because the flight was at night. ‘Translucent shadow’ wheels also feature, while the black X-pattern grille vanes are a reference to the engine cowling of the aircraft. The interior is finished in grey and black leather with brass accents, but it’s the detailing that’s key. Brass speaker covers show the estimated flight distance (1880 miles) while brass is also used on the door panniers. The dash-mounted clock even receives an iced background effect – glowing green at night – designed to imitate the plane’s frozen-over instruments and the green glow from the control panel. The eucalyptus wood dash fascia features gold, silver and copper inlays depicting a view of the earth from above at night, while the starlight headliner is claimed to show the exact celestial arrangement at the time of the flight, with the flight path embroidered across it in brass thread. Even the moment the pilots were able to clear the clouds and navigate via the stars is marked by a red fibre-optic light. The halfway point of the flight is marked with a plaque, while embroidered ‘clouds’ also feature. A plaque (also brass) on the driver’s door contains the following quote from Sir Winston Churchill on the historic flight: “I do not know what we should most admire – their audacity, determination, skill, science, their aeroplane, their Rolls-Royce engines, or their good fortune.” No pricing details have been revealed for the Wraith Eagle VIII – the old ‘if you have to ask, you can’t afford it’ adage probably
Origin: Ultra-exclusive Rolls-Royce Wraith Eagle VIII revealed

Land Rover Discovery Sport revealed with new tech, familiar looks

Land Rover has revamped its best-selling model while keeping the status quo in terms of what buyers want. The looks haven’t changed a whole lot, which is good, because half of the allure of a Land Rover is the classic looks. Buyers can choose from 25 different exterior paints with a contrasting black roof, and add the Black Exterior Pack which includes Narvik Black detailing on the grille and fender vents, extending to the hood and tailgate lettering. R-Dynamic-spec’d vehicles will receive a small hint of a rear diffuser as well as a front bumper that is much more aggressive, and kind of reminds us of offerings from FCA’s sporty truck division. Shadow Atlas exterior accents and contrast stitching also pushes home the Sport’ vibe. Powering the Sport will be Land Rover’s venerable Ingenium series turbocharged four-cylinder, which makes a respectable 246 horsepower. To give it a bit of a kick though, Land Rover has added an all-new 48-volt mild hybrid system that bumps the power up to 296. The Discovery Sport is Land Rover’s volume model—it sells more of this little truck than anything else, but that doesn’t mean there’s a whole lot of compromise. You can still fit seven people in it, provided two of them aren’t big enough to ride a roller coaster, and there’s still Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to accommodate all your devices. ClearSight Ground View monitor also trickles down from higher-spec Landies, allowing you to see through the forward lower body panels. The 2020 Land Rover Discovery Sport will hit dealerships in the U.S. this summer; Canadian pricing and availability have yet to be
Origin: Land Rover Discovery Sport revealed with new tech, familiar looks

New Renault Megane RS Trophy-R revealed with Nurburgring lap record

The limited-run Renault Mégane RS Trophy-R has been revealed, with the hot hatch undergoing comprehensive weight reduction programme to offer increased performance. Due on sale later this year, the new range-topper features the same highly tuned 1.8-litre turbo engine as the Mégane RS 300 Trophy, which produces 296bhp and 295lb ft of torque. That car achieves 0-62mph in 5.7sec and a top speed of 161mph. Renault says that the Trophy-R is 130kg lighter, due to a weight reduction programme led by Renault Sport, which developed the new model with the same apporach taken on a racing car. The Trophy-R is claimed to feature improved aerodynamics and a reworked chassis drive axles to boost performance. That maintains the ethos of previous generations of Trophy-R, which have been focused on extracting performance through handling and dynamics, rather than purely relying on power. The model has also benefitted from development work undertaken by Renault Sport’s partners; it features an Akrapovič exhaust, Brembo brakes, Bridgestone tyres and Öhlins shock absorbers. While Renault has yet to give full performance details of the Trophy-R, it claims it has set a new front-wheel-drive production car lap record at the Nürburgring Nordschleife. According to Renault, the car lapped the 12.80-mile Nordschleife in 7min 40.10sec on 5 April, and also posted a time of 7min 45.39secs on the full 12.94-mile layout. It has previously been spied in action on the German race track. The Trophy-R is set to make its public debut at Formula 1’s Monaco Grand Prix this weekend before going on sale later this year, with a limited production run of “a few hundred” models. Pricing hasn’t yet been disclosed. The 300 Trophy costs £31,835, and the exclusivity of the new model means it’s likely to cost around £10,000 more. The front-wheel-drive production car record at the Nürburgring was previously held by the current Honda Civic Type R, which lapped the track in 7min
Origin: New Renault Megane RS Trophy-R revealed with Nurburgring lap record

Hyundai Tucson N Line: pricing revealed for sportier SUV

Hyundai has announced pricing and spec details for the new Tucson N Line, a performance-inspired trim line that previews a possible hot N version of the SUV. Going on sale at the end of this month, the Seat Ateca FR rival will be priced from £25,995. That price gets you a 174bhp 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine with a manual gearbox and two-wheel drive. Standard kit on top of the N Line styling upgrades, detailed below, includes heated seats with electric lumbar support, keyless entry, climae control and front and rear parking sensors. Also available is a 135bhp 1.6-litre diesel with mild hybrid tech. Both engines can also be had with a dual-clutch automatic transmission. The Tucson N Line follows on from the i30 N Line launched in 2018. Tweaks to the standard Tucson, Hyundai’s best-selling model in Europe, include a stiffened chassis, revised bumpers, new black-painted 19in alloy wheels and a sportier interior. “This is an understated sporty car with some subtle improvements inside and out, so it brings the N Line character to a Hyundai SUV for the first time,” says Thomas Buerkle, Hyundai Europe’s design chief. Buerkle’s team has created a more muscular-looking Tucson with time-honoured changes such as a new front bumper, new grille, revised headlights and twin exhausts. New in the front bumper are distinctive ‘boomerang’ daytime running lights, while the headlights feature standard LED illumination and black bezels to emphasise the lamp shape. The dominant design theme is to remove all the brightwork from the exterior, replacing it with black trim or black finishes to add some sporty menace to the Tucson. The window frames are finished in black – as is typical on Audi, BMW and Mercedes sports models – and the grille gets a dark chrome treatment, while the rear spoiler has a glossy black finish. Inside, the dark theme continues with bucket-style seats trimmed in breathable microfibre cloth, while red stitching for the steering wheel, dashboard and gear selector provide visual highlights. But the Tucson N Line isn’t just about styling. The front suspension is 8% stiffer and the rear is 5% stiffer, while software changes in the electric power steering are claimed to “give a slightly more direct, linear feel at the wheel”. Suspension development was carried out by engineers at Hyundai’s technical centre at Russelsheim, Germany. The European N Line range is built around three engines: a 135bhp 1.6-litre diesel equipped with 48V mild hybrid technology, a 175bhp 1.6-litre turbo petrol unit and a 183bhp 2.0-litre diesel 48V mild hybrid. Hyundai says the new 1.6-litre mild hybrid diesel has an WLTP-rated combined fuel economy of between 51.3 and 47.1mpg, with CO2 emissions that range from 110 to 118g/km. The UK range will be limited to the two 1.6-litre engines, both with front-wheel drive; these currently make up 95% of Tucson sales. With UK demand for the 2.0-litre diesel, only available with four-wheel drive, making up only 5% of sales, Hyundai UK says it can’t justify launching N Line trim with that power unit. Keeping the 2.0-litre diesel out of the N Line range also creates room for Hyundai to slot in a full Tucson N, although Hyundai refused to comment on the possibility. One engineering challenge will be to find an engine that isn’t as peaky as the i30 N’s 271bhp 2.0-litre turbo four; that may be exciting in the low-riding hatchback, but an SUV will need a wider spread of
Origin: Hyundai Tucson N Line: pricing revealed for sportier SUV

McLaren teases new ‘GT,’ to be fully revealed May 15

McLaren’s next offering will be simply called the GT, and the marque is billing it as a more usable, practical supercar, with extra trunk space and cabin room, it said early May. Slotted in between McLaren’s Sport and Super series, the GT will be a less-intense version of the 720S, but still deliver considerable performance. The exterior design will be lightly based on an evolution of the new Speedtail, which could mean more flexible rear body panels. The headlights are a strange departure from the usual boomerang-shaped units of the past, but that falls in line with the brand’s #newrules. From the company’s teaser video we can see the silhouette of the new vehicle; the rear end is definitely higher than a standard McLaren supercar, apparently to offer more storage space underneath a liftback hatch. McLaren drove the car on a 1,600-km journey from Spain to the United Kingdom to test its worthiness as a true grand tourer, and we’re guessing it did not do too badly. Inside the vehicle will be a standard two-seat arrangement, despite the fact it’s inspired by the Speedtail (which has three seats). McLaren wants the GT to be more useful, so it would make sense for the company to omit the Show and Display Only penalty that comes with owning a sports car with the driver’s seat in the centre. Underneath your luggage will likely be McLaren’s trusty 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8, making somewhere around 710 horsepower as it does in the 720S. The GT will be fully revealed on May 15, when we’ll get a better idea of how McLaren travels in
Origin: McLaren teases new ‘GT,’ to be fully revealed May 15

The C8 Corvette will be revealed in California

Chevrolet announces the next generation Corvette will debut 07.18.19. A camouflaged next generation Corvette travels down 7th Avenue near Times Square Thursday, April 11, 2019 in New York, New York. (Photo by Jennifer Altman for Chevrolet)Chevrolet The C8 Corvette has finally been given a release location to go along with the July 18 date, the extremely anticipated mid-engine revolution will be revealed in California, not at a major auto show. According to MidEngineCorvetteForum, lucky customers have received personal invitations to join media at the reveal which will take place in Orange County, California. On July 18th, 2019, we’ll finally be able to see what has been cooking in Chevrolet’s kitchen for so long, and we are seriously hungry for some mid-engined American burgers I mean sports cars. Chevrolet knows we’re frothing at the mouth, so they’ve released a few appetizers in the form of a sound check in front of the Corvette museum, and an aperitif video. The wonderful sounds are rumoured to be courtesy of the 6.2-litre LT1 V8 found in the current C7 Stingray. We assume that Chevrolet will reveal the base model, which is expected to carry on the Stingray name. While the motor currently makes 455 horsepower in the C7, it is expected to be upgraded to reach 500 horsepower in the C8. Along with the base model, the 5.5-litre DOHC flat-plane crank V8 could make its way to the sports car making 600 horsepower, as well as a twin-turbo version with 800 horsepower, and some of the wilder rumours suggest a 1,000 horsepower hybrid version – just make sure you order the brown seats. We’re guessing that Chevrolet will also stick to tradition with the mid-engined Corvette and offer a removable targa top, as it’s done with pretty much every model in its history, so it makes sense for the vehicle to be revealed in sunny California, the birthplace of American hot rodding. Another tidbit recently revealed on the Corvette Facebook page was its new logo, ditching the chrome border for a sporty, stealthy black border for the crossed flags: Before its California debut, the last C7 will be auctioned off at Barrett-Jackson, it will be the final front-engined Corvette
Origin: The C8 Corvette will be revealed in California

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

New 2019 Vauxhall Corsa: Official testing images revealed

New images released by Vauxhall show the upcoming fifth-gen Corsa supermini carrying out extreme weather and performance testing. Camouflaged prototypes are shown being subjected to temperatures of -30 deg celsius in Sweden, carrying out chassis tuning at a test circuit and being analysed by electrical engineers in a laboratory. The new images come as Luton wraps up development on its reborn Ford Fiesta rival, with sales set to begin in the coming months. Vauxhall recently confirmed that the fifth-generation Corsa weighs up to 108kg less than the outgoing model. According to the manufacturer, depending on specification, the new supermini can weigh as little as 980kg – roughly 130kg less than the lightest Ford Fiesta. The weight loss comes courtesy of new high-strength steel bodywork, lightweight interior insulation materials and a range of all-aluminium powertrains. Like the range-topping variant of the current Insignia, the new Corsa will feature an aluminium bonnet weighing 2.4kg less than the steel unit fitted to the current model, as shown in a breakdown of weight savings published by the manufacturer (below). Previous spy shots of the upcoming Volkswagen Polo rival show a design that shares cues with the recently revealed Peugeot 208, which uses the same underpinnings. It’s the first mainstream Vauxhall produced entirely under the brand’s new owner, the PSA Group, and is crucial to Vauxhall and Opel’s success given the car’s historic popularity. It will also be both brands’ first model to be sold with a battery-electric variant. A preview image, released earlier this year, showed the Corsa’s headlights will feature adaptive-beam full LED technology – claimed to be a segment first. Usually the preserve of premium models, the LEDs are able to continuously adapt the full beam pattern to stop it from causing glare to oncoming traffic. The Corsa will set the tone for a new wave of Vauxhall/Opel models, each of which will be overhauled thanks to access to new platforms, engines and hardware that are also used across the group’s other car brands: Peugeot, Citroën and DS. The new Corsa has been developed in an unusually fast time. When it is unveiled, less than two years will have elapsed since work began, just as the deal to buy Vauxhall/Opel was being agreed between PSA and General Motors. The quick turnaround is due to PSA reversing the original decision for the next Corsa to be based on GM’s architecture. Once PSA had taken over Vauxhall/Opel, it would have been required to pay a licensing fee to GM to use the platform, something boss Carlos Tavares is keen to avoid. Vauxhall/Opel boss Michael Lohscheller has previously told Autocar that the new Corsa will not be compromised in any way. “It’s true that we had a version ready to go, and you can’t just stretch a design to fit a new platform,” he said, “but the teams have done a fantastic job in record time to ensure that the car is on schedule.” The new Corsa will be based on PSA’s Common Modular Platform (CMP), a front-wheel-drive architecture. The Corsa will also dip into PSA’s engine line-up and is likely to adopt the turbocharged 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol unit in a variety of power outputs. Despite the switch to a new platform, the Mk6 Corsa’s dimensions are understood to closely match the outgoing model’s. Vauxhall chose to launch the current Corsa in 2014 with near-identical dimensions to its predecessor, because the company felt it was the ideal size for customers. This strategy is expected to continue. The current Corsa is 4021mm long, 1736mm wide and 1479mm tall, dimensions that make it slightly longer and taller, but narrower, than the existing 208. The design of the Corsa was set to be evolutionary before the plan for a GM-derived model was axed. Now, to mark a new era for the model under PSA ownership, the styling promises to mark a departure from its traditional look. However, if the Grandland X SUV is anything to go by, its relationship with PSA will result in a design less radical than the new 208. The three-door Corsa will be axed, reflecting an industry trend to discontinue such bodystyles, which are less popular with buyers. Producing only a five-door Corsa will also help Vauxhall/Opel’s drive for greater efficiency and increased profitability. Inside, the Corsa will receive PSA’s familiar touchscreen infotainment system, but the overall feel of the interior is expected to be distinct from that of its French siblings. Vauxhall’s new grille and lights design and all-glass fascia panel are expected to be introduced. Not long after the debut of the standard Corsa this year, an electric version will be launched, named eCorsa. Although the Peugeot 208 will get an electric variant first, it and the Corsa will be among the select few in the supermini segment to adopt electrified powertrains. Key rivals such as the Ford Fiesta are not expected to go electric for many years yet. The electric
Origin: New 2019 Vauxhall Corsa: Official testing images revealed

The new Land Rover Defender will be revealed in September

2020 Land Rover Defender It’s been over two decades since the Land Rover Defender, the British marquee’s most capable off-roader, has been available for purchase in North America. According to recent insight provided by a brand insider, that dry spell may soon come to an end as the top-tier SUV gets ready to make its international debut in September and lines up for arrival in 2020. Jaguar Land Rover’s communications and PR GM, Tim Krieger, told the Australian publication CarAdvice that the Defender will step into the spotlight this fall, and be delivered to Aussie dealerships starting in 2020. There will be something around Frankfurt (in September),” Krieger told CarAdvice. “Whether it’s at the motor show or whether it’s an out-of-show event, we’re sorting that out at the moment, with Australia in early 2020.” Reading between the lines, and considering how highly Land Rover regards the US market (look closely at the camo and you’ll see that it’s all about USA and legendary off-roading destinations there) we would speculate this means North America will be working with the same timeline. You can add this news to the stack of hints about the upcoming Defender and its release schedule. The brand had already unveiled a series of images of the camouflaged off-roader kicking up dirt in various terrain, and it promised the new Defender would be available for purchase on North American soil in 2020. JLR has already been busy testing it here this year. Thanks to a photographer with speedy reflexes, we’ve also been granted a glimpse under the new Defender. View this post on Instagram My awesome camera dude/bear jerky and Coors swigger @benstanziale crawled under a Land Rover Defender Mule and got these shots of the fully independent rear end. I see a big fat aluminum control arms and air bags (air suspension). You see anything else? Was Land Rover happy? No, but what were they going to do? #hard #landrover #defender @landrover 🇬🇧🕷🇬🇧😉 A post shared by Jonny Lieberman (@jonnylieberman) on Apr 11, 2019 at 8:42pm PDT The upscale 44’s underside (this model, at least) reveals what looks to be a system incorporating air suspension, an anti-roll bar and independent rear suspension. Other spy shots of the interior show that it will have a definite rugged, utilitarian design. We’ll provide updates here just as soon as North American dates have been confirmed by the brand. But Canada is a lot closer to the UK than Australia, so
Origin: The new Land Rover Defender will be revealed in September

Updated Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 S revealed as fastest SUV to lap the Nurburgring

Mercedes-AMG has unveiled its facelifted GLC 63 and GLC 63 Coupé at the 2019 New York motor show and proclaimed the former to be the fastest SUV to have ever lapped the 12.9-mile Nürburgring Nordscheife. The performance SUVs have received a series of subtle changes, most of which are focused on the exterior styling and upgrades to its interior. New features include redesigned LED headlights and tail-lights and new trapezoidal twin tailpipes. Customers can now also specify new 21in alloy wheels and Graphite Grey Magno matt paint. The most significant upgrades are found inside, however. Included is a revised instrument binnacle and Mercedes’ new MBUX operating system with touchscreen, touchpad, voice and (optional) gesture control. There’s also a new AMG steering wheel that features touchpads within its horizontal spokes and offers additional upholstery options. Power for the SUVs continues to be provided by AMG’s twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre petrol V8. Its output remains unchanged, so the standard cars make 469bhp and 442lb ft and the S versions 503bhp and 516lb ft. As standard, drive is channelled through AMG’s nine-speed Speedshift MCT dual-clutch automatic gearbox and fully variable 4Matic+ four-wheel drive system. As an upgrade, all models now come as standard with an additional ‘slippery’ driving mode for damp or wet conditions as well as an electronically controlled locking differential. AMG quotes a 0-62mph time of 3.8sec for both the GLC 63 S 4Matic+ and GLC 63 S Coupé 4Matic+. Their top speed is nominally limited to 155mph, but it can be increased to 174mph with the optional Driver’s Package. The two also feature AMG-tuned suspension with adaptive dampers and so-called Ride Control+ air springs at the rear. AMG claims the facelifted GLC 63 S 4Matic+ has become the fastest SUV to have lapped the Nürburgring, with a time of 7min 49.4sec. “The lap record on the Nordschleife has proven the GLC 63 is right at the top of its segment in terms of dynamics,” said AMG chairman Tobias Moers. “With our V8, we hold a decisive unique selling point in the competitive environment. We were able to hone the dynamic even more and also further increase the suitability for every
Origin: Updated Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 S revealed as fastest SUV to lap the Nurburgring