A small German company called eClassics is teaming up with Volkswagen to build a modern electric conversion for classic air-cooled VWs.All drivetrain components are sourced from the e-Up, which means it wont be hard at all to get parts for this battery-powered classic. Plus there are vast breadth of parts being remade today for old Beetles.The battery pack is built into the underbody and consists of 14 modules with a capacity of 2.6 kWh each, for a combined output of 36.8 kWh. Although the Beetle will be pretty heavy at 1,280 kg, it will accelerate from zero to 50 km/h in 4.0 seconds, and to 80 km/h in 8.0 seconds. A top speed of 150 km/h is achievable, and so is a maximum range of 200 km. This is not exactly a new idea: people have been transforming VW Buses and Beetles into electric drive for a while, due to the ease of the conversion. Heck, even Bill Gates has a Porsche 356 with an electric conversion, though you wont have to have Bill Gates money to buy this electric VW (or Porsche).We are already working together to prepare the platform for the Bus, says Thomas Schmall, member of the board of management of Volkswagen Group Components. An e-Porsche 356 could also be pursued in the future. The electrified Beetle combines the charm of our classic car with the mobility of the future. Innovative e- components from Volkswagen Group Components are under the bonnet we work with them to electrify historically important vehicles, in what is an emotional process.Shmall also says that the program will offer electric vehicle parts to owners of classic VWs to be able to convert them themselves with high-quality
Origin: VW teams up with boutique shop to create electric Beetles
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This speed shop will fit your new Toyota Supra with a manual
2020 Toyota SupraHandout / Toyota Disciples at the Church of Supra cried out in collective anguish when they learned the 2020 version of the Toyota sports car would not be available with a manual transmission.Never mind that most modern boxes can shift gears faster than most humans, it was the loss of driver interaction that was mourned.Toyota knows this and, back at the North American Inernational Auto Show last January, chief engineer Tetsuya Tada told assembled media he was open to the idea of adding a stick (though he’s since gone back against that prospect).One performance outlet in Texas apparently couldnt wait anyway, and decided to engineer its own solution. First reported on at CarBuzz, a Texan outfit called European Auto Group is now taking customer deposits for a 2020 Toyota Supra manual swap.This is the same crew that stuck a gated six-speed manual in a Ferrari 430 Scuderia, so chances are good they know what theyre doing. Theyre also working on a stickshift 458 Italia, by the way.In a Canadian connection, the crew at EAG have tag-teamed with the Canucks at ProTuning Freaks in Ontario for help in offering a power boost in addition to the manual swap. Yes, that ProTuning, the one that works on BMWs. After all, at heart, a Supra shares much with a Z4. According to the report, EAG will source all its parts from BMW, meaning the greasy bits will likely come from Munich. But the madman behind it all says he would enjoy deploying a shift lever like the one found in Toyotas own GR HV Sports Concept, the one shown back in 2017. That would keep its interior appearance all in the family, at least.Cost? Figure on a bill somewhere in the $12,000 range, and to be without your Supra for about a
Origin: This speed shop will fit your new Toyota Supra with a manual
Texas shop plans to swap manuals into Ferrari 458 Italias
The Ferrari 458 Italia may have been born and bred in Maranello, Italy, but a select few are going to be spending some time being retrained at a small stable in San Antonio, Texas. European Auto Group (EAG) has announced its plans to be the first tuner to fit the Ferrari 458 Italia with a gated six-speed manual transmission. The 458’s naturally aspirated 4.5-litre V8 making 562 horsepower and just shy of 400 lb.-ft. of torque has always been commanded by the brand’s dual-clutch F1 tranny—until now. Carbuzz spoke with the shop’s owner, Art Bartosik, about the project. People are screaming for a manual 458 and 488. If the demand wasn’t there, we wouldn’t do it” he said. It won’t be easy, even if EAG’s portfolio includes a Ferrari F430 it converted into a manual, because the F430 already had a factory manual option available to work with. The 458 does not. This time around, Bartosik says, the “transmission in the 458 needs to be swapped out for a six-speed because it came with a dual-clutch.” The video above features the prototype, which is still in development. Bartosik says the company plans to convert “around 10 or 11 of them.” We’ve already got a list but people should start lining up out the door, he said. It’s going to be exclusive.” Deposits are being collected now, and these purist machines surely won’t be long on the market. Bartosik says that there are more swaps to come once they’re done with the 458s. The Lamborghini Huracan is definitely on the list.”
Origin: Texas shop plans to swap manuals into Ferrari 458 Italias
Texas shop plans to swap manuals into 458 Italias
The Ferrari 458 Italia may have been born and bred in Maranello, Italy, but a select few are going to be spending some time being retrained at a small stable in San Antonio, Texas. European Auto Group (EAG) has announced its plans to be the first tuner to fit the Ferrari 458 Italia with a gated six-speed manual transmission. The 458’s naturally aspirated 4.5-litre V8 making 562 horsepower and just shy of 400 lb.-ft. of torque has always been commanded by the brand’s dual-clutch F1 tranny—until now. Carbuzz spoke with the shop’s owner, Art Bartosik, about the project. People are screaming for a manual 458 and 488. If the demand wasn’t there, we wouldn’t do it” he said. It won’t be easy, even if EAG’s portfolio includes a Ferrari F430 it converted into a manual, because the F430 already had a factory manual option available to work with. The 458 does not. This time around, Bartosik says, the “transmission in the 458 needs to be swapped out for a six-speed because it came with a dual-clutch.” The video above features the prototype, which is still in development. Bartosik says the company plans to convert “around 10 or 11 of them.” We’ve already got a list but people should start lining up out the door, he said. It’s going to be exclusive.” Deposits are being collected now, and these purist machines surely won’t be long on the market. Bartosik says that there are more swaps to come once they’re done with the 458s. The Lamborghini Huracan is definitely on the list.”
Origin: Texas shop plans to swap manuals into 458 Italias
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