Aston Martin has confirmed that its upcoming Valkyrie hypercar will take part in the 2021 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race. New rules put in place by Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO), Le Mans’ governing body, effectively replace the top-rung LMP1 category, a field in which Toyota’s Gazoo Racing has been the only factory-backed team since the departures of Porsche and Audi, with a new ‘hypercar’ class. Aston Martin, along with McLaren and Ferrari, had been campaigning for race-prepared versions of roadgoing hypercars to be allowed to participate in the famous endurance race, with the vision that such a category would make it more affordable for manufacturers to partake and thus encourage more works teams. The new regulations allow the bodywork of competing cars to take more obvious brand design cues, meaning they will more closely resemble their production counterparts. Active aerodynamics will also be permitted, because such technology has started to become more relevant to roadgoing vehicles. Aston Martin says at least two Valkyries will be specially developed for entry into the 2020/21 FIA World Endurance Championship. The Valkyrie, a collaboration between Aston Martin and Red Bull Advanced Technologies, produces a combined 1160bhp and 546lb ft from a Cosworth-developed 6.5-litre V12 and a 160bhp electric motor from Croatian EV manufacturer Rimac. Technical details of the racing Valkyrie remain scarce, but Aston has confirmed that it will receive a track-prepped variant of the high-revving V12 and retain its distinctive carbonfibre bodywork. The FIA has implemented a 980kg limit on cars in the new hypercar class – just below the Valkyrie’s estimated one-tonne kerb weight. The announcement comes as Gaydon marks the 60th anniversary of its DBR1/300 racer taking first and second place in the 1959 race, while the 2021 event will take place on the centenary of the British brand’s first Le Mans entry. Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer said: “We have always said that we would one day bring Aston Martin back to Le Mans with the intention of going for the outright win when the time was right. Now is that time.” It remains to be seen which manufacturers will challenge Aston Martin for victory in the hypercar division, but the McLaren Speedtail and recently revealed Ferrari SF90 Stradale seem obvious candidates for homologation. Aston Martin will use this year’s event to display a newly completed DB4 GT Zagato Continuation model, the first of 19, which was hand-built over 4500 hours at the firm’s heritage centre in Newport
Origin: Aston Martin Valkyrie will race at Le Mans in 2021
will
Mazda CEO confirms brand will launch an EV in 2020
2019 Mazda CX-9Nick Tragianis / Driving Mazda has finally seen the electric-vehicle light. And it only took the threat of the European Union’s CO2 emissions penalties to bring it into focus. CEO Akira Marumoto disclosed in a QA interview with Automotive News Europe that Mazda does indeed have an EV in the oven, and it should be ready by 2020. “The first Mazda battery-electric vehicle will hit the market next year,” explained Marumoto in response to a question about how the company plans to reduce its fleet’s CO2 output. Not much else is known about the EV, other than it will be an entirely new vehicle with a Mazda-built electric powertrain. Mazda’s also planning changes to its Skyactiv-X engine, lowering CO2 output to 100 g/km, but that alone will not save it from the heavy hand of the European powers that enforce the Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP) dictates. One major reason is that in Europe, Mazda’s best-selling vehicle is the CX-5, which has CO2 emissions in the 128 to 150 g/km range, well above the target of 114.9 g/km set by the WLTP. To lend support to the upcoming EV, Mazda has more goods in the electric oven, too. Marumoto says the brand will “introduce plug-in hybrid models from 2021 or 2022,” and that these, too, will have new powertrains. Brands that don’t make the CO2 target either pay fines or are forced to otherwise discontinue more-polluting models until the fleet average is brought in line; when asked which strategy Mazda’d take, the CEO said they’d have to wait and see. “We will have to balance the impact of possible CO2 penalties with our sales targets,” he said. “But we also have to consider the sustainability of our dealer
Origin: Mazda CEO confirms brand will launch an EV in 2020
Rivian will offer electric truck-to-truck battery charging
2019 Rivian R1T Electric TruckHandout / Rivian EV upstart Rivian is offering up another reason to get excited about its upcoming products. First there was the announcement the all-electric R1T pickup and R1S SUV will do more than 640 km on a charge and cost just $70,000. Then there was the Camping Special trim teaser that showcased some of the accessories that will come along with the outdoor-focused vehicles. And now, thanks to some candid comments from the usually rather reserved CEO, RJ Scaringe, in conversation with The Drive, there’s the news that Rivian’s first fleet will also offer vehicle-to-vehicle charging. We’d say that’s freakin’ cool! but at this point we’re almost scared to hype Rivian any further for fear of jinxing it. Though, the company may be beyond the powers of the jinx—Rivian recently received a US$500-million investment from Ford and similar contributions from Amazon. Scaringe also announced that auxiliary battery packs will also be made available, allowing off-road enthusiasts even greater range. You’re starting to get into the long tail of use cases, but even there we’ve designed the vehicle so you can have auxiliary battery packs,” Scaringe told The Drive. “You can also charge Rivian-to-Rivian, which is a neat thing. You connect the two vehicles and then I could hand you some electrons. That takes us to the limit, and of course you can always find a corner of the world where it won’t work, just like you can’t find a gas station in Antarctica. You won’t be able to find a plug in Antarctica, so there are natural limitations. Other topics covered in the interview include the “holy grail” of battery chemistry, the pace of change in the industry, how the company has extended range by improving aerodynamics in its products, and what it’s like to always be compared to Elon Musk. The R1T pickup and R1S SUV are on schedule to be on roads by the end of 2020.
Origin: Rivian will offer electric truck-to-truck battery charging
The final, brand-new Saab 9-3 ever built will be auctioned off
Saab may have folded in 2012, ending an era of vehicles that were quirky and safe, but now, the final brand-new 9-3 sedan will be going up for auction later this year. According to Autocar, the 9-3 in question is a 2013 model-year car powered by a 217-horsepower, 2.0-litre turbocharged gasoline engine. It was supposed to be crash-tested, but somehow survived the concrete wall before the tests were conducted — meaning it only has 3.1 miles on the odometer. When National Electric Vehicle Sweden (NEVS) acquired Saab’s assets after their collapse in 2012, this 9-3 came along with it. The vehicle will be on display at the annual Saab Car Museum Festival celebrations in Trollhattän. Production of the 9-3 ceased in 2011, and there were plans to build a new-generation 9-3, as well as a BMW-powered two-door coupe, but neither materialized due to the company folding. Final production of all Saab models under NEVS stopped in 2014 with 420 units having been built, leaving the crash-test model we see here hidden away. According to a NEVS spokesperson, discussions are being made to determine if the profit from the sales will go toward a
Origin: The final, brand-new Saab 9-3 ever built will be auctioned off
GM’s first public autonomous cars will probably have manual controls
In this Jan. 16, 2019, file photo, Cruise AV, General Motors autonomous electric Bolt EV is displayed in Detroit.Paul Sancya / AP If GM has its way, it will be setting loose onto the roads of North America up to 2,500 driverless taxis a year. The vehicles would be requested by users with smartphones, and then commanded with touch screens inside once it arrives. What they wouldn’t be able to do, however, is be driven by a human in the traditional manner. But despite requests to put out its first fleet of publicly available self-drivers sans manual controls this year, a GM executive in charge of the autonomous division says the upcoming fourth-gen Cruise AV will “most likely” feature manual controls, meaning a human could grab the literal wheel, step on the pedals and pilot the vehicle using traditional methods if need be. The comments first highlighted by Automotive News suggest that, due to the U.S. government’s hesitation to hand out exemptions for vehicles that don’t meet the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards’ idea of a safe vehicle, GM’s upcoming initial wave of public-serving, self-driving cars will include such manual controls. Until we have exemptions, which we filed a petition for, and/or law changes, we probably wouldn’t go forward with Gen 4, Doug Parks, GM vice president of autonomous and electric vehicle programs, said during a recent conference in California. But we think it’s really something we’ve got to talk about, we’ve got to work on. The third-generation Cruise AV, which is currently being tested in San Francisco, includes manual controls as well as “safety driver” there to take over for the autonomous system should an issue arise. Would you feel comfortable in a self-driving car with no steering wheel or pedals? Or would you prefer to know that an actual foot on an actual brake could still bring the vehicle to a halt?
Origin: GM’s first public autonomous cars will probably have manual controls
Mexican tariffs will probably impact car costs in Canada
2019 Honda FitHandout / Honda Rhetoric south of the border about tariffs on Mexican imports continues apace. Current plans call for a five-per-cent tariff to be slapped on all goods entering America from Mexico, including cars and trucks. Furthermore, top brass say they want to increase the levy by a further five per cent each month, topping out at 25 per cent in October. What does this have to do with us in Canada? Plenty, according to the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association. They represent Honda, Toyota, Mazda, Nissan, Subaru and Mitsu, plus the luxury brands of those automakers. And they warn that small cars like the Fit and Yaris could be affected by the tariffs. According to a spokesperson for the association, in a conversation with Automotive News Canada, tariffs can impact Mexican-made cars heading to Canada a couple of different ways. In one case, vehicles could be shipped to Japanese subsidiaries in the U.S. and then re-sold to Japanese automakers in Canada. Otherwise, they’d be shipped through America into our country directly. Either way they get here, one thing’s easy to understand: the tariff cost will almost surely be passed on to consumers. While it’s likely the tariff will be applied to some other calculated number rather than the final MSRP, it could still make for an unpleasant price hike. Adding 25 per cent to the sticker of a base Honda Fit, for example, would add about $4,000 to its $15,590 asking price. A good many light trucks are also assembled in Mexico, vehicles which bear a much higher cost than the Fit. Tacking a 25 per cent surcharge onto a $50,000 pickup jacks the sticker to $62,500. Again, we know these tariffs, should they come into effect, will likely not go right on top of the MSRP. Still, these examples make the stark point that many vehicles could become a heckuva lot more expensive – and that car buying activity will probably stall – until cooler heads
Origin: Mexican tariffs will probably impact car costs in Canada
Teasers suggest Kia’s refreshed 2020 Cadenza will get killer looks
Kia released teaser images early June showing a refreshed K7 model for 2020, the car we call the Cadenza in Canada. The changes are stark, and give the car a much more aggressive and upmarket look compared to the relatively forgettable Cadenza. The front grille is a lot more pronounced, with a larger lower intake, while the rear end gets full-length taillights. Of course, any new vehicle looking to be respected nowadays has to come with LED DRLs, and this one is no exception, with the front and back both being adorned with them. Inside the car is a much more tidy interior with a new dashboard that does away with a lot of the buttons, the functions of which were probably moved to a menu on the touchscreen, which has also been made larger. Under the hood? We’re not sure, but there probably isn’t any plan to stray from the current powertrain, which is a 3.3-litre V6 producing 290 horsepower. Kia updated the transmission from a 6-speed to an 8-speed when it was redesigned in 2017; that transmission is still present in this vehicle. The mid-sized vehicle is usually compared with the Chrysler 300, Toyota Avalon and the company’s own Stinger, although it lacks the all-wheel-drive. This K7 should preview what the Canadian market Cadenza will look like, but there still could be some changes to
Origin: Teasers suggest Kia’s refreshed 2020 Cadenza will get killer looks
BMW and Jaguar Land Rover will join forces on electric-car technology
A Jaguar I-Pace having its battery removedJaguar BMW and Jaguar Land Rover will collaborate on their next generation of electric cars, following similar moves by other automakers that have teamed up to share the burden of developing the expensive new technology. Jaguar Land Rover, owned by India’s Tata Motors, will cooperate on BMW’s fifth generation of electric drive technology, the companies said in a statement on Wednesday. It forms the backbone of a BMW electric model offensive set to start next year with the introduction of an electric X3 sports utility vehicle. The move follows Fiat Chrysler Automobiles’ proposal last week to merge with Renault, creating the world’s third-biggest automaker. The deal would bring the Italian-American automaker into a global alliance that includes Nissan, maker of the pioneering Leaf, and Mitsubishi Motors. The world’s largest automaker, Volkswagen, and U.S. rival Ford are cooperating on building vans, a project that could extend to autonomous cars or sharing production platforms. The need for record spending on the technology coincides with a time of low profit and stagnating sales. BMW is currently working through a US$14 billion savings plan, while Jaguar is undergoing a 2.5 billion-pound savings program of its own and cutting 4,500 jobs. The carmakers will form a joint team of experts in Munich that will develop power units together. Both companies will still produce drivetrains in their own factories, they said in the statement. BMW was an early entrant into the electric-car market with the i3 hatchback, which began production in 2013, though sales haven’t taken off. Jaguar started deliveries of the all-electric I-Pace last year, one of a crop of premium SUVs being launched by traditional carmakers to take on the Tesla
Origin: BMW and Jaguar Land Rover will join forces on electric-car technology
Kia’s new compact SUV will be named ‘Seltos’
As if we needed further confirmation the crossover and SUV craze is a permanent market shift and not just a flash in the pan, Kia has announced it is adding yet another compact crossover to its portfolio. It’ll be called the Seltos. Said to be aimed at Millennials – a target group which, it must be noted, isn’t as young as you think any more – the Seltos apparently draws its name from Greek mythology, son of Hercules and father of the Celts. Kia replaced its first consonant with an ‘S’ to denote speed and sportiness. Alright then. Absent of official pictures, we’re left to speculate exactly the form Seltos will take when it hits the market in Korea and other as-yet-unnamed regions later this year. Spy photos are floating about, however, showing a machine whose front end reminds your author of a pleasant mashup of Soul and Telluride. The entire vehicle will be shown later this month. Inside the Seltos, Kia says the cabin is characterized by broad, sweeping shapes and highly technical details. Equipped with a range of tech, the cabin’s design is said to incorporate a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system and something called Sound Mood Lighting. Your author assumes the latter turns the Seltos into a pulsating nightclub when the oontz is cranked to eleven. Specifics such as dimensions and powertrains aren’t mentioned, but alert readers will recall that corporate cousin Hyundai unveiled a car called the Venue earlier this year. It would make more than a dose of sense if the Seltos shared some or most of its
Origin: Kia’s new compact SUV will be named ‘Seltos’
Lotus’ first all-electric hypercar will debut July
Colin Chapman is widely credited with coining the creed “simplify and add lightness.” Whether that attribution is accurate or not is up for debate, but what cannot be disputed is that the company’s current owners are determined to drag the British marque into the 21st century. They’re thinking—simplify and add electrons, and why not? It’s been a minute since Lotus introduced a new car; over ten years, in fact. Earlier this year, the brand confirmed at the Shanghai Auto Show it’d be unveiling an all-electric hypercar, dubbed the Type 130. We now know it is set to appear at an event in London in mid-July, on the 16. Thanks to a new teaser video, we also have a clue as to a few of its details. https://youtu.be/XJ-zYTBoue0 Kicking off with a panning shot of a badge reading “Hand built in Britain by Lotus” should have petrolheads across the U.K. beaming with national pride. That same badge is then shown residing underneath a retractable cover, whose panel also houses a charging port. That port, by the way, seems shaped to accept electricity from fast-chargers, meaning even if the Type 130’s battery pack is small, it won’t take long to refill. Beyond that, the car is a bit of mystery. One can assume the red trim bookending the charging port opening’s edges are tail lamps, while the illuminated L O T U S’ billboard is a slick interpretation of the traditional badge found on cars like the Elise and Evora. Betting on all-wheel drive is a smart move, since most performance vehicles powered by electrons send juice to the four corners thanks to two or more electric motors. Interested? The car should begin finding its way into customer hands sometime next
Origin: Lotus’ first all-electric hypercar will debut July
All about car 