BMW iX3 conceptHandout / BMW BMWs upcoming ix3 electric crossover will offer 286 horsepower and an estimated 354 km of battery range per charge when it goes on sale in Canada in 2020, the automaker said mid-December.The SUV will be the first in a long line of new EVs launched by the brand next decade, and will essentially be an electric version of its X3 crossover.Powering the iX3 will be BMWs fifth-generation electric powertrain technology, fed by a 74-kWh lithium-ion battery pack; the electric motors should deliver about 286 horsepower and 295 lb.-ft. of torque.The battery, transmission and motor are all built into one housing to keep the unit compact. The motor powers the rear wheels only, but an all-wheel-drive variant will likely drop later on. Range will likely be rated by the EPA at about 220 miles per charge (354 km). BMW says it will purchase the lithium and cobalt for the batteries directly from mining companies instead of third parties, and that the components that power the iX3 will be produced in-house as well. The motors will also be produced without the use of rare-earth metals.While BMW has been experimenting with grille designs, the iX3 will feature a classic double-kidney-bean grille befitting of a traditional BMW, even if thats what it aint. The brand even developed sensors that can see through chrome just so it could throw the trademark-style grille on the fascia. The iX3 will begin production in 2020 in China, where it will be assembled under contract by state-owned automaker Brilliance; thisll make it the first North-American-market BMW to wear a made in China label.That launch date also puts it ahead of the Mercedes-Benz EQC in making it to market in North
Origin: BMW’s 2021 electric ix3 will boast 286 hp and 354-km range
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Cadillac’s 2021 Escalade will get a 38-inch-wide OLED dashboard
Everything about the Cadillac Escalade is big.The vehicle is physically huge, the wheels are large, the grille is vast, and the price will likely be massive as well.Cadilllac is now adding one more mega-feature to the luxury SUV, a humongous curved OLED screen that takes the place of the dashboard and the infotainment screen.Cadillac released a teaser video for the dashboard on Twitter mid-December.Straight lines are so last year. Introducing the first curved OLED in the industry, with over 38” diagonal of total display on the 2021 #Cadillac #Escalade. First look February 2020, available late 2020. pic.twitter.com/AoW4SvXhYA Cadillac (@Cadillac) December 16, 2019The screen spans 38 inches from the left side of the steering wheel to the midpoint of the centre console, and is curved behind the steering wheel. A plastic surround encompasses the gauge cluster, but but doesnt break up the OLED screen.Cadillac calls it an industry first, which is technically true, because Bytons electric SUV is still in the startup phase otherwise, it would take the crown with its 48-inch display. Cadillac also says the display has twice the pixel density of a 4K television, with perfect blacks and the largest color range available in the automotive industry. I guess they think were going to watch Dunkirk on this thing, but nonetheless, thats pretty damn impressive.No other details were mentioned, so were just going to have to wait until our first look of the vehicle in February of 2020. The 2021 Cadillac Escalade will go on sale in late
Origin: Cadillac’s 2021 Escalade will get a 38-inch-wide OLED dashboard
BMW will install Android Auto on its cars beginning 2020
BMW M135iBMW BMW is finally adding Android Auto compatibility to its cars beginning mid-2020, the German automaker said mid-December.Starting in July, BMW owners will be able to hook up their Android-powered devices to their car, and, as long as the vehicles running version 7.0 of its multimedia interface, theyll even be able to do so wirelessly.The integration means those devices can also be synced to the cars digital instrumentation systems, and even the heads-up display. The roll-out will begin in 20 countries in July 2020, then hit additional markets after that.The announcement comes hot on the heels of BMWs Apple CarPlay policy reversal; it has, in most markets, charged a subscription fee to connect to the software, but will now, like basically every other automaker, make such integration
Origin: BMW will install Android Auto on its cars beginning 2020
Gordon Murray’s T.50 will use fans to vacuum the supercar to the road
Gordon Murray has released the first renderings of his sequel-to-his-world-changing-McLaren-F1, and while it does indeed look like it has the potential to be the last great sports car, it still has a lot to live up to.Powering the new car, the T.50, will be the best engine in the world, a V12, displacing 3.9 litres and producing 650 horsepower. It will be built by famed engine builder Cosworth, and rev to 12,100 rpm.The styling is distinctly reminiscent of the 1990s McLaren F1, albeit slightly tweaked. Oh, and theres obviously now a huge fan protruding from its rear.Thats because the T.50 will also use aerodynamic technology based on fan car concepts from the past. The first car to use this tech was the Chaparral 2J, which had two snowmobile motors in the rear that would suck air out from under the car, sticking it to the pavement. The car was quickly banned from racing. The tech found itself in racing once more, however, in the Brabham BT46B Formula 1 car, which was also designed by Gordon Murray. Unfortunately, that car only raced once before team boss and future F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone shut down the project over concerns the upset from other teams could collapse the Formula One Constructors Association.The McLaren F1 was also supposed to have this fan tech, but Murray ran out of time to implement it. The T.50 will weigh just 2,160 pounds, much lighter than the 2,500-pound F1, so it will need all the help it can get from gravity and
Origin: Gordon Murray’s T.50 will use fans to vacuum the supercar to the road
Canadian gov’t will charge VW with violating environment law via emissions tests
A staff member cleans the logo of a SUV VW Touareg on display ahead of the annual general meeting of German carmaker Volkswagen, in Berlin on May 3, 2018.Tobias Schwarz / Getty Images The federal government is charging Volkswagen for allegedly importing cars into Canada that company executives knew violated emissions standards.The German automaker faces 58 charges for violating the Canadian Environmental Protection Act for bringing 128,000 cars into Canada with illegal emissions between 2008 and 2015.The company faces another two charges for providing misleading information.Canadas case against Volkswagen comes more than four years after the company admitted to installing software on 11 million cars worldwide to trick emissions-testing equipment into concluding the cars ran more cleanly than they actually did.Volkswagen pleaded guilty to charges in the case in the United States in March 2017 and was fined more than $4.3 billion.The companys first court appearance on the Canadian charges is to take place
Origin: Canadian gov’t will charge VW with violating environment law via emissions tests
Acura will bring this modified retro SLX to RADwood
While it says Acura on the front, underneath its skin, this truck is really a Honda Horizon. And under that facade, its really an Isuzu Trooper. Although in this video made by the brand, its much more than any of those.Acura threw together this retro clip showcasing one of its classic SUVs with a wacky, modern twist. It shows an enthusiast buying the vehicle, then taking it home to park it beside his partners new Acura SLX.A couple bottles of liquid are spilled on the floor to create a powerful potion, which, thanks to the magic of 90s video-editing, takes parts from the new vehicle and imparts them into the 1997 model.In real life, Acura modified the original 1997 model year truck to include a bunch of components from its latest models. Namely, theres the 2.0-litre turbocharged VTEC engine, the Super Handling All-Wheel Drive System and the 10-speed transmission. Various suspension components were also upgraded to give the truck better ride and handling that includes an independent rear suspension in place of the original live axle.The video preys on the nostalgia of the 20- to 30-year-olds of today, who perhaps grew up in the back of one of these classic 1990s SUVs and are now trying to relive that childhood. Good luck finding one like the hero car for $500, though.The end of the video shows the same goopy concoction being spilled in order to recreate the effect of the potion, but instead with a brand-new NSX.The vehicle will be on display at the upcoming RADwood car show in Los Angeles, along with a 1991 NSX, the earliest known example in North
Origin: Acura will bring this modified retro SLX to RADwood
Buick will become a crossover-only brand in 2021, killing off Regal
2018 Buick Regal GS Buick will kill off its Regal sedan in Canada after 2020, making the brands product range crossovers only for model year 2021, a spokesperson told magazine Motor Authority.The four-door will say good-bye to the North American market, where crossovers made up almost 90 per cent of Buick sales this year, says Stuart Fowle of Buick and GMC communications, but will remain on sale in China, where demand for sedans is still strong.In Canada, Regal sales in 2019 are the highest theyve been since 2016, with about 747 units moved to-date.The mid-size LaCrosse left the Buick lineup earlier this year, and the Regals being axed will leave the brand with a range of En-named utilities, from the subcompact Encore to the full-size Enclave.The current-generation Buick Regal is built by German automaker Opel, which General Motors sold off in 2018, around the time of this gens debut. The two companies worked out an agreement where GM pays Opel to build the car for it.The 2020 Buick Regals sold in China recently refreshed by Opel will apparently continue to be built for GM by the German company. We wont be getting that updated car in Canada next year, though, just a continuation of the 2019
Origin: Buick will become a crossover-only brand in 2021, killing off Regal
Chevrolet will lose money on base-price C8 Corvettes: report
PHOTO: GMGM The new C8 Corvette starts at a surprisingly low price for something with Italian supercars in its sights, but it seems GM is swallowing the difference to make it that low.Motor Trend reports the $59,995 starting price charged to U.S. buyers $69,998 in Canada will only stick around for one year. And if it doesnt go up by $20,000, the company will continue losing money on the lower trim levels, according to what a senior GM official told the publication.Its not surprising, really, given that the C8 marked such a radical departure from the front-engine C7. Even minor changes to a vehicle can run into the millions, taking into account the cost of redesign, retooling, any adjustments or training at the assembly level, any new crash test requirements, and even the far more mundane, such as stocking new replacement parts or rewriting the repair manuals. With a major change such as C7 to C8, costs can get closer to or even over the billion-dollar mark. Its hard enough to make that back on a volume-seller, and even tougher on a halo car that will end up in far fewer driveways.Motor Trend said the base price of the last-gen C7 rose nearly $2,000 the year after it debuted, and then went up another $2,000 the following year. The GM source said that, with the C8, the price would have to go through the roof in order to cover GMs cost.Keeping the initial price down might well prove worth it, in terms of the buzz it created and how many buyers are eager to plunk down their deposits and its likely many people will come in for the starting price, but go home with something higher up on the trim scale.For American buyers, $59,995 gets you a 1LT trim, while the 2LT starts at $67,295, and the 3LT begins at $71,945. Thats even before you start piling on options that range from premium paint colours ($500 to $995) and specialty wheels ($2,695), to a carbon-fibre roof at $2,495, or the Z51 Performance Package for $5,000.Motor Trend reports that GM loses money on every C8 priced under $80,000, but that customers also drop off the radar when a vehicle climbs over $100,000. It looks like adjusting the C8s price tag is going to be a very careful balancing game for the
Origin: Chevrolet will lose money on base-price C8 Corvettes: report
This Porsche X Lucasfilm starship will get you pumped for the new ‘Star Wars’ film
The Porsche Taycan had an Imperial escort at its recent debut in Singapore, rolling along the black carpet beside a squad of stormtroopers. In fact, Porsche built an entire “spaceport” in collaboration with designers at Lucasfilm for the event, which also hyped the upcoming film Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker. And while those of us in the Western world have already seen the Taycan, we hadn’t laid eyes on the sketches of the spacecraft also co-designed by Porsche and the Star Wars team, presented at the event.The starship combines Porsche and Star Wars design elements for a piece of fantasy machinery that, though it probably wont appear in any actual Star Wars movies, looks like something a young Han Solo would totally enjoy hijacking. Its got bits reminiscent of the X-Wing, Y-Wing and U-Wing with touches of the Taycan.“Even though they do not seem to share many elements at first glance, both worlds have a similar design philosophy,” said Michael Mauer, Vice President Style Porsche at Porsche AG, in a press release. The close collaboration with the Star Wars design team inspires and fascinates us it was a pleasure to present the design process and some sketches together with Doug Chiang in Singapore. We are looking forward to finalizing the fantasy spaceship design within the next weeks.While they wait for said promised final product, super-fans of Porsche, Star Wars or both can nerd out at the Wired microsite dedicated to the build process, which includes videos, insights and even more sketches of the
Origin: This Porsche X Lucasfilm starship will get you pumped for the new ‘Star Wars’ film
Ford’s new electric crossover will officially be named ‘Mustang Mach-E’
Ford’s all-new Mustang-inspired fully-electric performance utility arrives in 2020 with targeted range of 480 kms.Handout / Ford Ford will be expanding its Mustang range to include its new all-electric crossover or at least, thats what its officially naming the SUV the Mustang Mach-E suggests.Rumours of the “Mach-E” part of the name have been circulating for a long while, but this is the first hard confirmation weve got the crossover will also wear a Mustang badge.Reaction to the announcement was understandably mixed it didnt sit well with many critics whod pointed out there’s never been an electric Mustang before, nor a crossover-bodied example. Crossing the trendy new powertrain and volume-seller body style was just a little irreverent for some who see Mustang as a hallowed marque.To assuage their worries, Fords brought on none other than Idris Elba as a sort of brand ambassador for the new vehicle; the actor himself used to work on a Ford assembly line once upon a time. The long-awaited but controversial new crossover will make its debut just ahead of the Los Angeles auto show, via a livestream at 9:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, November 17.At the presentations conclusion, Ford will immediately open up a configurator tool where prospective Mach-E customers can spec their electric Mustang and put down a US$500 deposit to reserve one. Order forms will formally open up next
Origin: Ford’s new electric crossover will officially be named ‘Mustang Mach-E’
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