Ford’s new 2020 Super Duty can tow 37,000 lbs, thanks to 1,050 lb.-ft. of torque

Bugatti’s record-breaking Chiron Super Sport could be yours for US$4 mil

After selling almost all 30 of its US$3.9 million special-edition Chiron Super Sport 300+ supercars over dinner this weekend, Bugatti is moving to double its lineup by adding a second model.Unlike the limited-run Chiron a version of the car that set a 304 miles-per-hour record earlier this month the new vehicle may take the shape of a four-seater, Bugatti President Stephan Winkelmann said in an interview.It could also leave the worlds racetracks for some off-road driving, he said, a departure for a brand honed on producing race cars going at incredible speeds.Bugatti, one of a stable of super-premium Volkswagen-owned brands including Porsche, Lamborghini and Bentley, is looking at sexy financing for the new model, Winkelmann said. Porsche used a German promissory note called a Schuldschein to partially fund the development and production of the battery-powered Taycan.Demand for supercars remains unbroken, judging by a dinner held at Bugattis headquarters in Molsheim, France, over the weekend. Nearly all of the Chiron Super Sport 300+ models slated for production were sold, Winkelmann said.Even so, the focus at the Frankfurt auto show this week will be on electric vehicles like the Taycan and VWs coming ID.3. A battery version of the Chiron wouldnt work, he said hypercars still need combustion fire power. But he could see a less-expensive daily driver at a lower price, say in the US$1 million range, working in a hybrid-electric set-up.There is still a lot of time for internal combustion engines, the 54-year-old said. The Chiron Super Sport 300+ has some modifications and is 20 centimeters longer than the version that raced around a recently resurfaced Volkswagen track in Ehra-Lessien, Germany.Winkelmann briefly discussed the idea of uniting VWs luxury brands under one umbrella. He declined to be drawn on the prospects of Bugatti holding a public stock offering, saying its not his decision to make.If we put those type of brands together its unique in the automotive industry, Winkelmann
Origin: Bugatti’s record-breaking Chiron Super Sport could be yours for US$4 mil

Under the skin: The difference between regular and super unleaded fuel

When you pull into your local filling station, chances are there will be two types of petrol on offer: the cheaper premium grade and pricier super unleaded. So what’s your poison? Go for the super just because it sounds like a good idea, or be thrifty and stick with the premium? The most significant difference between the two is the research octane rating (RON) of the petrol. The octane rating tells you how resistant the fuel is to detonation, known as knocking or pinking. In a petrol engine, petrol is mixed with air, then it’s compressed and ignited by a spark. When that happens, the mixture burns outwards from the point of ignition like a grassland fire (but faster). The burn should be smooth and controlled, but if the mixture is compressed too much, random pockets of the mixture spontaneously detonate too early. It’s audible and can make a sound like dried lentils being poured into a tin can, or a diesel-like knocking noise. A key way of increasing a petrol engine’s performance is by raising the compression ratio, or in a turbocharged engine increasing the boost – or both. Either one increases pressure inside the combustion chamber when the fuel ignites. In older engines, the threshold at which detonation became a threat had to be carefully managed by engine designers and tuners, especially when turbos came along. Then back in 1982, Saab’s engine genius, Per Gillibrand (known as ‘Mr Turbo’), dreamed up Automatic Performance Control. APC listened for the onset of knock by using a microphone attached to the cylinder block – a knock sensor – and monitoring boost pressure and engine revs. Today petrol engines use similar anti-knock systems, but thanks to much faster processors in engine computers they can also use algorithms to predict when knock will occur. Naturally aspirated engines delay the point at which combustion is triggered (retarding the ignition) if knock threatens, all of which brings us back to the question of whether you need to fork out the extra dosh for super unleaded. The answer is, there’s only one real reason to and that is because your car has a high-performance engine or the handbook explicitly says you should use it. Using fuel of a higher octane than your engine needs or can benefit from won’t hurt it, only your wallet. The difference between premium and super unleaded these days is a maximum of two points (97 octane versus 99) and the chance of a modern engine being damaged by the lower of the two is nil. However, the engineers calibrating higher-performance engines and chasing the best performance numbers are likely to have done so using the highest-octane pump fuel available. The higher octane allows the engine to use a higher boost pressure and more aggressive settings to pump out a little more power. With the lower octane, it may back off those settings a tad to stay below the knock threshold. Whether you can notice the difference subjectively, though, is down to how attuned you are to your car. Worst case scenario Extreme cases of detonation can badly damage an engine. This cylinder head from a very highly tuned competition engine looks like it has been nibbled by rats. Rest easy, though, because there’s no chance of anything like this happening to a production car by choosing premium petrol over super unleaded at your local
Origin: Under the skin: The difference between regular and super unleaded fuel

Want a Maserati Levante? Consider these other super sport-utes, too

2019 Maserati Levante GTSHandout / Maserati So, you want a Maserati SUV — a really fast one: Well, your timing is impeccable. Two years after the launch of the Levante, its first SUV, Maserati has followed up with the new GTS. Essentially the Quattroportes twice-turbocharged 3.8-litre V8 plunked into the engine bay, the Levante GTS boasts a Porsche Cayenne Turbo-challenging 550 horsepower and an equally stout 538 lb.-ft. of torque. Now, if numerical one-upmanship matters to you, know that the GTS is officially a little slower than the Porsche, Maserati claiming it takes around four seconds to scoot from rest to 100 km/h, while the Cayenne Turbo can get there a smidge faster with the Sports Chrono package.You wouldnt know it from the drivers seat, though. Once you get the (admittedly hefty) 2,170 kilogram Levante rolling, the thing is the proverbial rocketship, seemingly getting faster the more it gathers speed. Its hard to remember anything short of a supercar with such immediate roll-on throttle response. One second youre doddling behind a semi, the next youre getting a notification from air traffic control that youre cleared for takeoff. Seriously fast is this Maserati and if you want even more, theres a Trofeo version with even more 590! horses. Seriously, if you need an SUV with more horsepower than the Levante is now offering, you need therapy.It doesnt quite sound the part, though. Oh, it bellows and roars, but after the symphony of the V6 in the Levante S creates, I expected more of an intoxicating V8. Only as musical as a Porsche V8 might not sound like much of an insult, but if youre ever driven the Levante S, youd know my disappointment. Maybe the Trofeo ups the ante. Not much else ruins the ride. The suspension variable, natch is firm when you need it; supple if not. The seats, swaddled in the most hedonistic of leathers, will flatter your behind. Theres room a-plenty in the rear seats, and even if the cargo area isnt the most commodious among comparable SUVs, its still plenty roomy. The Harman/Kardon sound system is faithful in its aural replication, but it could stand a few more decibels when Billy Idol starts lamenting his ex-girlfriends White Wedding.Even Maseratis MTC+ infotainment system is top notch. Oh, the graphics may be six months out of date thats 48 months in Silicon Valley years but, based on Chryslers UConnect system, its one of the most capable touchscreen systems in the segment. Nothing fancy no gesture control, for instance, just straight-up good programming.The GTS also does right by your wallet that is, of course, if youre filthy rich. The base price $138,500, some $3,300 cheaper than the equivalent Cayenne Turbo. Like Porsches ubiquitous SUV, the GTS can get pricier quickly, my test unit optioned out to a cool $155,540. But thats also true of all of Porsches Turbo models, not just the Cayenne, notoriously expensive when you throw in the doo-dads. 2019 Porsche Cayenne Turbo Brian Harper / Driving You still want the Porsche: Of course you do. Porsche fans are only slightly less devoted deluded? than Tesla fanatics, so no matter what I say here, the Levante will never going to outsell the Cayenne. That said, I dont have anything really bad to say about the Cayenne Turbo. As I mentioned, Porsche would make toilet paper a (costly) option in a public bathroom, were it in the commode business. But pricing issues aside, its a more than competent vehicle.In fact, these two vehicles are so similar they could easily have been separated at birth. Both are powered by twice-turbocharged V8s with roughly the same horsepower, both boast the Cayennes Sport Chrono package notwithstanding the same acceleration, and and both reach about equal lock-you-up-and-throw-away-the-key top speeds: 286 km/h for the Porsche, versus 291 for the Maserati.Theyre roughly the same size and though their interiors are vastly different, the cabins are equally luxurious. Hard to say anything bad about either, though if it matters to you, Porsche Cayennes are becoming as common as VWs these days. 2019 Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S Handout / Mercedes-Benz You want a different kind of German muscle: Then you might want to consider AMGs version of the Mercedes GLE, the 63 S. Boasting 577 horsepower from its twin-turbo V8, the 63 S also undercuts both Porsche and Maserati with its $116,300 starting price. That said, whod have ever thought thered come a day when Mercedes-Benz would become the price-point competitor in the luxury segment.It shows: The interior isnt quite as nice, and the ride isnt quite as settled as the Cayenne or Levante. And while were being frank, the GLEs styling leaves me a little cold, exhibiting neither the passion of the Maserati nor the ruthless efficiency of the Porsche. Buy it for the horsepower or its booming exhaust if you must, but its not quite as sophisticated as either of the other two. (It’s worth noting the 63 S is still based on the bones of the
Origin: Want a Maserati Levante? Consider these other super sport-utes, too

Ford creates off-road Tremor package for Super Duty

The 2020 F-Series Super Duty is delivering next-level capability in an all-new way – the Tremor Off-Road Package. Tremor pushes the boundaries of Super Duty off-road capability with new hardware and tech to handle rough terrain, providing greater towing and payload than Ram Power Wagon. This is the most capable off-road Super Duty ever. Ford has decided to toss its Blue Oval hat into the heavy duty off-road ring with a new package that will be optional on their upcoming 2020 F-250 and F-350 Super Duty pickup trucks. Called the Tremor, it will include a dose of off-road cred meant to bring the fight to Rams Power Wagon and GMCs Sierra HD AT4.Upgrades kick off with a set of 35-inch flotation size Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac meats, tires that Ford alleges are the largest diameter tires available on a heavy-duty pickup. They are on 18-inch wheels, by the way. Tremor-equipped trucks also get a 2-inch front-end lift and shorter air dam, resulting in 10.8 inches of ground clearance.See that puddle? Theres a good chance you can plow on through it thanks to Tremors 33-inch water-fording capability. Also on board are the best approach and departure angles ever found on a Super Duty: 31.6 degrees and 24.5 degrees, respectively. Approach angle and ground clearance measures outstrip Power Wagon, by the way.Two extra tidbits regarding the Tremor: itll be available on a myriad of trims and with joy of joys the Power Stroke diesel. In fact, the package will play with XLT, Lariat, King Ranch, and Platinum on both F-250 and F-350. Thats a huge range of models, ranging from a (relatively) affordable 3/4-ton XLT to a bucks-deluxe Platinum one-tonner.The all-new 7.3-litre gas V8, of which we are yet to learn many details, will be an engine option on Tremor as will the burly 6.7L Power Stroke diesel. An off-road focused diesel-powered heavy duty pickup is a unique weapon that your author can hardly wait to experience. Tremor can be specified on single-rear-wheel SuperCrew trucks with a 6.75-foot box. F-250 models also require the high-capacity trailer tow package. Four-wheel drive is also required, natch.Compared to Power Wagon, the Tremor brings some excellent goods but leaves a few things on the table namely a disconnecting sway bar. Thats a feature that gives the Ram a tremendous amount of wheel travel. A winch is absent from Tremor as well, at least for now. However, Ford takes pains to point out their truck retains outstanding towing and payload capacity, a statement which could be construed as a swipe at Ram, whose Power Wagon doesnt haul as much mail as its non-off road brethren.Your author heartily endorses any new entrant into the off-road arena, especially of the heavy duty variety. Look for the Tremor on order sheets when the 2020 Super Duty shows up later this year, likely at the State Fair of
Origin: Ford creates off-road Tremor package for Super Duty

Toyota Gazoo Racing tests Super Sport hypercar ahead of Le Mans debut

A production version of Toyota Gazoo’s GR Super Sport Concept is set to be entered into a new hypercar-based class at the Le Mans 24 Hours endurance race from 2020, and the factory racing outfit has been conducting early track tests at Fuji Speedway in Japan. An official video, published just as the team was winning the LMP1 division of this year’s Le Mans 24 Hour race, shows Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda trying out the Aston Martin Valkyrie rival alongside test driver Kamui Kobayashi. Toyoda’s participation in sports car development is well documented; the recently launched GR Supra was not signed off until he had a chance to put it through its paces at the Nürburgring. Styling changes over the Super Sport concept, shown in 2018, are minimal, save for the addition of a mild camouflage paint scheme. Two prototypes feature, one with a prominent roof scoop and one without, though it is not clear which is the race car and which is destined for series production. Homologation rules dictate that the top-rung Le Mans hypercars must be strongly related to roadgoing equivalents, meaning reigning LMP1 champion Gazoo Racing will soon reveal a road-going version of the Super Sport. The company says: “Both road and race car are undergoing design and intensive development at the company’s technical centres in Toyota City, Higashi-Fuji and Cologne.” The model’s name has yet to be confirmed. First shown at last year’s Tokyo Auto Salon, the concept is based on the company’s World Endurance Championship prototype racer, the TS050 Hybrid. The concept features the same carbonfibre structure as the racing model and has a 2.4-litre V6 petrol engine with electric assistance behind its cockpit. The road-going version of Gazoo Racing’s concept will sit above the new Supra. Gazoo, Toyota’s performance and racing arm, also recently introduced the Yaris GRMN hot hatch, which marked Gazoo’s arrival in Britain and serves as its entry-level model. Gazoo president Shigeki Tomoyama said: “If the e-Palette concept (an autonomous pod that was revealed in Las Vegas) is the next generation of the horse-drawn carriage, the GR Super Sport Concept would be the polar opposite as the next-generation racehorse. Its appeal is more personal, like that of a much-loved horse to its owner. “Despite the differences between the two concept models, both are electrified vehicles equipped with the latest IT technologies and are set to become safe and environmentally friendly connected
Origin: Toyota Gazoo Racing tests Super Sport hypercar ahead of Le Mans debut

Watch: Toyota’s new GR Super Sport supercar spotted at Fuji

Toyotas GR Super Sport Concept, built with Gazoo Racing, on display at the 2018 24 Hours of Le Mans.Handout This past weekend, Toyota Gazoo Racing won the Le Mans 24 Hours in France with a one-two finish following an intense final hour of the FIA World Endurance Championship season. One day later, Toyota’s new GR Super Sport road car showed up for track testing at Fuji Speedway. And guess who was at the wheel? None other than Mr. Akio Toyoda himself. To recap, the GR Super Sport first showed up last January at the Tokyo Auto Salon. Looking for all the world like a Le Mans racer for the street, the machine was said to be powered by a twin-turbo 2.4-litre V6 lashed to a hybrid system. The works of it should make somewhere in the neighbourhood of 1,000 horsepower. You know we live in a gearhead’s paradise when four-figure power outputs are mentioned almost in passing. This road car will form the basis of Toyota’s entrant into the new Hypercar class of racers. They will form a new top category of cars, replacing the current LMP1 prototypes, and be introduced from September 2020. Unlike the current spaceships, the general thought behind the creation of this class is to host cars that are instantly recognizable by their marque. They are charged with a performance goal of 03:22.00 during qualifying at Le Mans. For comparison, this year’s LMP1 pole-sitter ran a 03:15.497. If you’re interested in all the details of this new class, check them out here. As for the machine seen tackling Fuji, its camouflaged bodywork doesn’t give much away in terms of styling choices. We do get a shot of the interior around the thirty-second mark, showing a focused cockpit with a steering wheel surprisingly devoid of the typical myriad of race car controls. A centrally-mounted screen appears to show the GR Super Sport rocketing down Fuji’s main straight at 252 km/h. Cars generally get up to 275 km/h at the end of that stretch, so the GR SS certainly has the goods. No timeframe has yet been announced for
Origin: Watch: Toyota’s new GR Super Sport supercar spotted at Fuji

Cadillac’s super-smart Super Cruise finds even more roads

A steering wheel light bar and cluster icons indicates the status of Super Cruise™ and will prompt the driver to return their attention to the road ahead if the system detects driver attention has turned away from the road too long. Super Cruise is active (green light bar) in this image.Cadillac Detroit, MICHIGAN—Cadillac’s semi-autonomous Super Cruise system is about to get a major update, with more roads ready for use. We can tell you from experience, it takes a big leap of faith to trust at first, but once over this hurdle, it works to perfection and, unlike other “traffic” assistants, it works at any speed—it was perfectly happy doing the piloting on the highway at 120 km/h. Once on a divided highway, the driver centers the car in the lane and, when ready, activates the system. Once activated, a light bar in the steering wheel turns green. Super Cruise now does all of the driving, and it does so without the need for the driver to have their hands on the steering wheel. To pass a car is simple. First signal, make the lane change, and when centered in the new lane, the system automatically picks up where it left off. The impressive part is that fairly sharp bends were taken smoothly and without the wheel-wrenching common in older systems. The fact it did this at the aforementioned 120 km/h and without the need for my itchy hands to step in was very impressive. The system is also smart. For example, when passing a large truck in the adjacent lane rather than hugging the centre of the lane, it moved left in the lane to give the truck, and me, some welcome breathing room. To ensure the driver has not nodded off or taken to texting because the system is in charge, a small camera mounted on the steering column monitors the driver—look away from the road and the system turns the light bar red to tell them to get a grip. It is quick to react, taking about four seconds to note I was not watching the road. If action is not taken, it goes on to vibrate the seat to wake a potentially drowsy driver. If there’s no action after the seat warning, the car will bring itself to a stop, and OnStar contacts the driver to find out if there is a medical emergency. If that’s the case, assistance is dispatched immediately. Currently there are 208,000 kilometres of highway in Canada and the US that have been mapped by LIDAR, the high-resolution imaging Super Cruise uses to interpret its surroundings, which allows it to operate without an on-board LIDAR. Using this hi-res mapping, cameras and radars, it navigates a dived highway with remarkable accuracy. By the time the CT4-V and CT5-V debut next year, the LIDAR-mapped roads will have grown to 320,000 km of Super Cruise-capable roads. The plus is the system is being upgraded from the current controlled-access divided highways to include divided highways with intersections and traffic lights. In the case of railroad crossings, pedestrian crossings, stoplights or stop signs, Super Cruise turns the steering wheel light bar red, which tells the driver to take control. Once through the intersection it resumes the driving duties. Interestingly, an intersection controlled by a yellow flashing light will see the system negotiate it without handing over to the driver. The only pause for thought is what happens if the amber flashing light changes to a red flashing light, making it a four-way stop intersection? Between map updates there is the risk the system will run the red, mistaking it for the stored flashing-amber. That aside, Super Cruise is streets ahead, literally, of its
Origin: Cadillac’s super-smart Super Cruise finds even more roads

News Roundup: The proper way to hit a moose, Keanu Reeve’s bike collection and more super Canadian news

Moose on the shores of a river in Alberta.Vince Crichton 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. A guide to hitting animals with your car to avoid injury Crash victim Michelle Higgins’ car is seen May 23, 2012, at the local bodyshop in Gander, Newfoundland, following a visit to the crash site where she hit a moose. Doctors told Higgins she went into shock, explaining why she continued to drive to work oblivious of the damage. Victoria Higgins / Supplied In Canada, motorists don’t just share the road with other drivers, but also often with wildlife. Obviously precaution is the best strategy here, but when a collision is inevitable, there are some things you can do to improve your chances of avoiding injury. Considering some 236 Canadians were killed following collisions with moose between 2000 and 2014, it’s probably worth taking the crash course, no pun intended. Tips include limiting speed, avoiding swerving and releasing the brakes at the last second. Can you be a distracted driver if your phone is dead? This week the Driving staff got into a heated but always civil debate over a recent conviction of a B.C. man who was booked for distracted driving because he had earphones in that were connected to a dead iPhone. Now, it’s not illegal to drive with two earphones in in B.C. like it is in the rest of Canada, but according to the justice deciding the case, the phone was “in a position in which it may be used.” A real puzzler, mainly because, as Lorraine Sommerfeld points out, “Why would anyone have two earbuds in to listen to nothing?” These are Canada’s new federal EV incentives An EV electric vehicle charging parking spot in a parking lot at UBC, Vancouver, February 20 2019. Gerry Kahrmann / Postmedia It’s no secret that the Canadian government wants people to think about the environment when choosing what car to buy. This week, the feds outlined the details of its EV perks plan, including a list of 27 models and trims that qualify for the $2,500 incentive for “shorter-range plug-in hybrid vehicles” or the $5,000 incentive for “battery electric, hydrogen fuel cell, or longer range plug-in hybrid vehicles.” The update comes as the federal government moves toward its goal of having 100 per cent of new vehicle sales to be zero-emission cars by 2040. Ontario’s licence plates get a new look A new look and a new catchphrase! “A Place to Grow.” That’s the slogan that will appear on the new Ontario license plates slated to arrive once existing stock runs out. The plates feature the line from the old Canadian tune written to celebrate Ontario at the ‘67 Expo, with flattened white lettering on a blue background, and the crown in the corner. Commercial vehicle plates will also be updated to read “Open for Business,” a phrase borrowed from the Ford government’s favourites. Why you need to be careful when fuelling up your classic A detailed view of the rear gas cap on a Austin Healey 100M during the 40th Antwerp Classic Salon on March 3, 2017 in Antwerpen, Belgium. Dean Mouhtaropoulos / Getty Images Owning and caring for a vintage vehicle is a big responsibility. Often special care is needed, sometimes even at the pump. Because as Jil McIntosh details, modern fuel can be hard on old vehicles. Potential issues include the presence of the corrosive, rubber-eating chemical ethanol in modern fuel, and the absence of lead, which helped raise octane levels and protected valve seats. Take a read and make sure you’re parking at the right pump next time you’re out with your classic. Chevrolet finally put a date on the mid-engined Corvette Chevrolet has announced that its much anticipated mid-engined C8 Corvette will debut on July 18th and will head for production later this year. We’re still learning more, but the engine that’s to sit in the middle of the new ‘Vette is expected to be a version of the outgoing model’s 6.2-litre V8, tweaked to the tune of about 500 horsepower. Chevy is expected to introduce it in Stingray format and then follow that up with a Z06, ZR1 and some 1,000-horsepower line-topping trim allegedly named Zora. Basically all good news except that there’s no option for a manual transmission. Keanu Reeves give GQ a tour of his bikes At 54 years old, Keanu Reeves is aging like a fine wine. He’s still rocking the same haircut and t-shirt-suit-jacket combo he had in the ’90s, but it somehow looks super-stylish and current on the John Wick-era Keanu, as it did the Bill and Ted-era Keanu. Speaking of stylish, the man owns some seriously sweet bikes, which he showed off to GQ in this recent YouTube video. There’s the Matrix Ducati special, a 1973 Norton Commando 850 MK2A (the second bike he ever owned) and a selection from his own company Arch Motorcycles. Keanu takes
Origin: News Roundup: The proper way to hit a moose, Keanu Reeve’s bike collection and more super Canadian news