Ontario-based classic car auction company RM Sotheby’s is famed for attracting rare and expensive vehicles to its events. But this recent addition to the docket for the firm’s upcoming event in Monterey, California is incredible even by its standards. The Ming Collection is a group of seven rare and immaculately kept Ferraris, any one of which would be worthy of a headline in and of itself. Especially the Collection’s crown jewel, a 2006 Ferrari FXX, one that’s so low-mile it’s “essentially still ‘in the wrapper’.” The track-only 800-horsepower prototype FXX Enzo finished in Rosso Scuderia with white stripes, for example, was only ever driven once when it was delivered to its first and only owner, and still comes with the original factory support equipment and an unused race suit and helmet. The price of the FXX alone is an estimated US$2,850,000 to US$3,250,000. The collection also includes a 1991 Ferrari F40, a 1984 Ferrari 512 BBi, a 1985 Ferrari 308 GTSi, a custom-ordered 2007 Ferrari F430 Spider F1, a 2013 Ferrari 458 Spider and a 1997 Ferrari 355 Spider. None has travelled more than 2,500 miles (4,023 km). The quality and originality of the Ming Collection is absolutely incredible, Gord Duff, Global Head of Auctions at RM Sothebys, said in a press release. Every single car in the group is nearly better than new and the meticulous level of care that has gone into maintaining these cars is outstanding.Ferrari FXX models rarely come up for auction, and it is an especially rare opportunity to find one that has never been raced yet has been so well cared for. Add the lineup of additional low-mileage supercars finished in gorgeous, rarely-seen colors and our Monterey sale is like a toy store for enthusiasts of modern performance.The team of Prancing Horses will be auctioned off at the RM Sothebys event in California, taking place from August 15 through 17 at the Monterey Conference
Origin: RM Sotheby’s will auction off this family of pristine, rare Ferraris
will
Aston Martin will withhold DBX production just to keep it exclusive
Despite the fact it’s getting into the SUV game so it can simply sell more vehicles, Aston Martin will reportedly limit production of the upcoming DBX in an effort to retain the brand’s exclusive reputation. As the brand’s first SUV, it’s likely that the DBX will sell more than any other Aston — and that’s kind of the problem. Andy Palmer, the British luxury automaker’s CEO, told Australian website Carsales that DBX production will be capped for the first year unlike other luxury brands, which continue to chase larger numbers. “I purposefully restrained production to 5,000 units — for exactly that reason,” Palmer told the publication, speaking to the brand’s rep as a maker of premium automobiles. “There’s always a tendency when you’ve got an order book to turn everything up. And when you do that, you start making mistakes, in my experience.”Despite the self-imposed limits, Aston Martin is still aiming to double its output by 2025. Palmer explains how the overall production numbers will be increased over time. “When the Lagonda comes in 2023, we’ll turn it up to 7,000 but we’ll leave it at that, with around 4,000 DBXs rolling off the line and another 3,000 Lagondas,” he said.The brand anticipates many of the initial DBX sales will go to Aston Martin owners who already own an SUV. The DBX is already in the works at Aston’s Wales plant and is slated for a public debut sometime later this year.
Origin: Aston Martin will withhold DBX production just to keep it exclusive
Ford will close six European plants as part of global downsizing
A contractor works on the yet-to-be-completed engine production line at a Ford factory on January 13, 2015 in Dagenham, England.Carl Court / Getty Ford will eliminate about 20 per cent of its workforce across Europe and close six factories in a sweeping overhaul aimed at reviving the money-losing region as the company also moves to prepare for the future of electric and self-driving cars.The restructuring will involve reducing its manufacturing footprint in Europe to 18 facilities by the end of 2020 from 24 at the beginning of this year.Germany, the U.K. and Russia will be hardest hit by the cuts, which total about 12,000 regular staff as well as workers employed at joint ventures, Ford said Thursday.Separating employees and closing plants are the hardest decisions we make, Stuart Rowley, Fords president of Europe, said in a statement. We are moving forward and focused on building a long-term sustainable future.The cutbacks are a key part of Chief Executive Officer Jim Hacketts US$11-billion restructuring, which also includes 7,000 salaried job cuts worldwide. Hackett, 64, is trying to boost Fords bottom line by exiting the slow-selling sedan market in the U.S. to focus on high-profit sport-utility vehicles and trucks.In Europe, where Ford is the top-selling brand in the U.K., the automaker also is backing away from the traditional passenger-car business to focus on commercial vans and trucks.We have a winning hand in Europe and its called commercial vehicles, then-Chief Financial Officer Bob Shanks said at a May 15 Goldman Sachs conference in New York. Well have a smaller portfolio of passenger vehicles.Ford is cutting costs as it pours billions into electric and self-driving cars that are seen as the future of the auto industry. The company is close to sealing a deal with Volkswagen to join forces to develop these
Origin: Ford will close six European plants as part of global downsizing
FCA, Renault hoping merger talks will restart, report says
2018 Renault Twingo Executives at Fiat Chrysler and Renault-Nissan remain open to the idea that a merger deal could still happen, but they warn that conditions imposed by each side could hurt efforts to restart talks, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the situation.Renault executives are optimistic that the outcome of Nissans shareholder meeting this week will spur new merger talks with FCA as support for a deal still exists inside the French automakers headquarters near Paris, the newspaper said, citing people close to Renault.In addition, Nissan has not closed itself off to the possibility of an eventual deal, but would also like to reshape the alliance to allow for added flexibility and independence for each partner, the WSJ reported.Renault CEO Thierry Bollore said last week that there was nothing happening between the French automaker and FCA after the collapse of merger talks aimed at creating the worlds third-largest automaker.The merger discussions with FCA ended abruptly after the French government, Renaults most powerful shareholder, sought a delay to gain the explicit assent of Nissan. FCA blamed political conditions in France when it withdrew its proposal, and a signal from the French state that it would give up its sway over Renault would be necessary for a resumption of talks, people with knowledge of the situation have said. For Renault and the state, repairing the relationship with Nissan will take priority over a FCA deal, officials have said. France in particular views securing the Japanese automakers explicit backing as crucial for the success of an FCA-Renault combination.Despite the finger-pointing that followed the failed talks, Renault, FCA and France have left the door open for a possible deal as they brace for the costly changes sweeping the industry, such as developing electric and autonomous
Origin: FCA, Renault hoping merger talks will restart, report says
Upcoming electric Jag sedan will be followed by gas version: report
In the not-too-distant future, British supervillains will need to allow time for their getaway vehicle to fully charge. The good news? Theyll be able to accelerate away from Mr. Bond pretty quickly.The luxury EV race is heating up faster than a bank of un-cooled batteries. Companies like Audi, Mercedes, and, of course, Tesla, are hard at work either designing or churning out fast and sumptuous examples of electric vehicles.The latest to jump into the game? JLR, announcing a new XJ sedan and Range Rover SUV that will be powered by electrons.In fact, the next big sedan from Jaaag will launch solely as an electric car, taking aim at the Tesla Model S and upcoming Porsche Taycan. At a global investor meeting earlier in June, promises were made the companys new modular platform, one which is electric-capable, will first spawn a big SUV and premium sedan. Even without further specifics, it doesnt take a rocket scientist to figure out what models they will be.This new platform will be adaptable to plug-in and mild-hybrid powertrains, so dont expect the new XJ and electric Rangey to be offered purely in EV form. Citing unnamed sources, Automotive News Europe says the XJ will be endowed with six-pot gasoline engines later in its development cycle. All-electrics on this new platform are said to pack a 90-kWh battery good for nearly 500 km of range. Plug-in hybrids using this architecture, meanwhile, will have a 13-kWh battery and be able to power themselves sans gasoline for about 50 km.Platform-sharing has become a key manner in which car companies can save a few dollars in the face of rising costs and competition. Look for these first two vehicles to appear in calendar year
Origin: Upcoming electric Jag sedan will be followed by gas version: report
Rumour has it Toyota and Lexus will use Mazda’s upcoming straight-six
Costa Mouzouris behind the wheel of the 2020 Lexus RC F.Handout / Lexus Back in 2016, Toyota and Mazda reached an agreement to share their technology.Since then, we’ve seen the fruits of the partnership ripen in a joint plant in Alabama, and in vehicles like the 2020 Yaris Hatchback, which borrows a platform from the Mazda2. Now, according to rumours uncovered by Japan’s Best Car magazine, which cites news broken in a Jalopnik story, and translated by Lexus Enthusiast.com, Toyota-Lexus will be dipping into the Mazda honey pot once more to put its second-generation Lexus RC coupe on a Mazda platform and use a Mazda engine.While speaking with Toyota about something else, Best Car’s editors uncovered information suggesting the brand has plans to use Mazda’s upcoming straight-six engine and rear-drive platform not just for the replacement to the Japan-only Mark X sedan, but also in an upcoming Lexus coupe slated to fit between the Lexus RC and LC. What’s more, Best Car suggests that Lexus will also use the platform for the generation after the next of the Lexus IS and RC. That means the first Mazda-Lexus models could arrive in 2022. It’s a juicy rumour, but a rumour nonetheless. And if you want another one: there have been whispers about a full merger between Toyota and Mazda. Shhhh.
Origin: Rumour has it Toyota and Lexus will use Mazda’s upcoming straight-six
The 2020 Shelby Mustang GT500 will have 760 horsepower
2020 Ford Mustang GT500Ford The 2020 Shelby Mustang GT500 was revealed five months ago with the promise of extreme aerodynamics; a new dual-clutch gearbox; and an engine that would deliver more than 700 horsepower.So, sure, Ford warned usbut we didnt expect the final production engine to have almost 800 ponies.Yes, the new GT500 will make a ton of horsepower.Some 760 to be exact, and 625 lb.-ft. of torque to go along with it, which is leaps and bounds over almost everything else in the field.The top Chevrolet Camaro, Corvette and Dodge Challenger Hellcat all fall behind the new Shelby, save for the Hellcat Redeye. Even some exotics cant catch up, like the Porsche 911 GT2RS, and the Ferrari F8 Tributo. The all-new 2020 Mustang Shelby GT500 will produce 760 horsepower and 625 lb.-ft. of torque, making it the most powerful street-legal Ford ever – with the most power- and torque-dense supercharged production V8 engine in the world. Ford Of course, it isnt likely the GT500 will be able to stack up to the likes of the Ferrari and the Porsche, but with a dual-clutch transmission that can shift in less than 100 milliseconds and aero that can provide almost 550 pounds of downforce, Ford looks like its gunning for the big boys once again.Ford uses the 5.2-litre V8 from the GT350 as a starting point (but not the flat-plane-crank R version) and adds a supercharger to give it the extra oomph. The extra power should help the GT500 run a sub-11-second quarter-mile timeat least, thats what Ford says. The zero-to-100-km/h time is still not being revealed, but were sure it isnt too high.Pricing has still not been released, but if we know Ford plans to overdeliver on the horsepower, perhaps itll also give the 2020 Shelby GT500 a nice
Origin: The 2020 Shelby Mustang GT500 will have 760 horsepower
The 2020 Lexus GX has a new off-road package nobody will use
Lexus is not redesigning the GX luxury SUV for 2020, but instead introducing some minor updates (on a vehicle which has remained essentially unchanged since 2010).Yes, the 2020 Lexus GX receives a new grille, which, dare we say, improves the look over the 2019 model? Inside the vehicle are much more significant changes, with real wood and aluminum trim panels adorning the dash to make it feel more luxurious.Opting for the Sport package will add a unique lower grille surround; 19-inch gunmetal grey rims; and accents on the side mirrors and exhaust tips.The crown jewel of the update is a new off-road package that has a bunch of features that would actually be great if any owner of the vehicle would actually take it off-road; after all, underneath the Lexus GX is a pretty capable Land Cruiser Prado.The package adds a driving mode selector for Snow, Mud and Sand, and even Loose Rocks; there are also cameras that can show you whats happening in front, on the sides and underneath your vehicle. Theres even a crawl feature, which will probably also never get used.On top of those physical upgrades, Lexus has also updated the safety systems with a suite of new technology, such as intelligent LED headlights that default to high beam when turned on, but turn to regular beam when other vehicles are detected. Collision warning with pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning and blind-spot warning are all now standard across the entire lineup.The 4.6-litre V8 is the only engine available; it makes 301 horsepower and 329 lb.-ft. of torque, and is good for 6,500 pounds of towing capacity. The updated 2020 Lexus GX 460 will go on sale later in the
Origin: The 2020 Lexus GX has a new off-road package nobody will use
The 2020 Hyundai Palisade will start at $38,499 in Canada
2020 Hyundai PalisadeJil McIntosh / Driving Hyundai is serious about getting North American families into its three-row products. With an intro price of under $39,000, the 2020 Palisade will no doubt attract some budget-conscious buyers in Canada. And so it should. The new flagship, which debuted at the L.A. auto show last year, will fill the hole left by the Santa Fe XL, which the brand recently sent into retirement. The Palisade is larger than its predecessor in most ways (it’s got to accommodate that extra row of seats, after all), with more legroom and cargo space. But as we noted in our first drive of the vehicle, the Palisade is far from a redone and renamed Santa Fe. The 2020 Palisade is based on a brand-new chassis, which it shares with its cousin, the Telluride, over at Kia. Its 3.8-litre V6 engine makes 291 horsepower and 262 lb.-ft. of torque and is paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission in all models. That power is sent to the front two wheels in the entry-level Essential trim, but to all four for the rest of the Palisade fam. 2020 Hyundai Palisade Jil McIntosh / Driving These details add up to a nimble ride, which is made comfortable as well by interior features like Nappa leather and suede surfaces, standard heated front seats, and new safety tech like lane-following assist, highway driving assist and blind view monitor. Driving modes include the usual Comfort, Sport, Eco and Smart, but Hyundai has also pre-programed ‘terrain’ settings for mud, sand and snow. We shouldn’t need to tell you which of those will be most useful to Canadians. The Essential and Preferred trims are fitted with the 8-seat configuration featuring three rows of bench seats, and the Luxury trim has that option too. The top-of-the-Palisade-line Ultimate trim is available exclusively as a seven-seater. Here’s the full list of Canadian MSRPs for the 2020 Hyundai Palisade models set to arrive in Canada this month. Essential FWD 8P $38,499 Essential AWD 8P $40,499 Preferred AWD 8P $45,499 Luxury AWD 8P $50,199 Luxury AWD 7P $50,699 Ultimate AWD 7P
Origin: The 2020 Hyundai Palisade will start at $38,499 in Canada
BMW M boss says the M8 will own the Nürburgring and the 911 Turbo
The 2020 BMW M8BMW If the bar wasn’t high enough for the M8, the latest remarks from BMW’s head of the M division have jacked it up another few inches. BMW’s M Division head Markus Flasch recently told Australian media including WhichCar in a teleconference that the M8 “is the ultimate performance machine that we offer; it will be the fastest-ever BMW at the Nürburgring Nordschleife.” How’s that for tempering expectations? The new flagship is powered by a 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 making 600 horsepower and 555 lb.-ft. of torque in the base model (the same as it does in the M5) and 617 horsepower in the Competition model. That gets the fastest M ever up to 100 km/h in 3.4 seconds, 3.3 seconds in the Competition. According to Flasch, this will carry the coupe around the Nürburgring in record time, setting a new benchmark for the brand. And, if the test drivers are to be believed, it will compete with the Porsche 911 Turbo on the famed German track; Flasch reports hearing pilots calling the car a “Porsche Turbo-killer.” And despite sharing the same power plant, the M8 is not just a coupe version of the M5, says Flasch. The center of gravity is 0.95 inches lower than in the M5, you sit lower and we’ve done a lot to the connection of the chassis to the body, he told WhichCar. It makes the front much stiffer and the steering feels different; all our test drivers were surprised by the different character. It was a confident interview, to say the least. Now the only thing left for Flasch and his M team to do is back it up on the track. The M8 is scheduled to enter production in July.
Origin: BMW M boss says the M8 will own the Nürburgring and the 911 Turbo
All about car 