While driving, it is often left out of one’s thoughts that the only things giving you any turning ability and acceleration and braking are four small patches of vulcanized rubber that are in contact with the pavement beneath you. Yet, these four contact patches are quite literally what you are staking your life on. Traction, or the ability of these four contact patches to grip against the pavement, plays a huge role in controlling your vehicle.
There are many different types of tires out there. Racing cars on specialized tracks will use slick tires, with no grooves, to maximize their contact with the tarmac. On the road, you can get everything from “summer tires,” which are more rationally semi-slicks with some water displacing grooves, to full all-season tires, to off-road and mud/snow specialized tires.
What is important is that you know where you drive as well as you can, and make an informed decision on the best tires you can get.
How Rain Reduces Traction
You’ll have to pardon us, we’re going to do a little science talk here. A tire grips the road due to three specific forces acting upon it.
The first is gravity, which pulls the weight of the car down, through the suspension, into the tire. This is combated via pressurized air preventing the tire from literally being flattened by the weight. In terms of physics, at a full stop, this balance of air pressure resisting the weight of the car is called “normal force,” or more properly the overall weight the object is exerting on the ground, and is expressed as N in formulas.
The second force is inertia. When a tire spins, inertia acts upon the tread of the tire, increasing the diameter of the tire slightly. This inertia also transfers its force into the ground, pushing against the pavement that wants to resist it, and moving the car forward. This can be seen in quite dramatic fashion if you look at the rear tires of a top-fuel dragster.
Notice how the rear tire is “standing up,” due to rotational force and the soft sidewalls.
These tires are normally quite squat, with extremely flexible sidewalls. When the driver lets all the power of the engine out through them, they expand their diameter to almost double the diameter while at rest, and become as narrow as the compound of the rubber allows, literally “Standing up” the tire so it gets maximum grip and acceleration.
The third force acting on the tire is friction, which is roughly the amount of resisting force a surface has, expressed in physics as “f.” This friction is what causes you to scrape your palm if you trip and fall on the sidewalk vs no scrapes on your palm if you trip and fall while skating on ice. Ice, by definition, has a much smoother surface than pavement, and doesn’t act as quickly on your skin.
There is an important equation that determines that, known as the coefficient of friction, expressed in physics as “µ.” This equation takes the normal force acting upon an object, and the friction of the surface it is pushing against, and comes up with a number between 0 and 1 that expresses that coefficient. General use pavement, for example, in a dry and clean condition, often is rated as having a coefficient of friction of around 0.7, which is quite grippy. Teflon, on the other hand, has the lowest coefficient of friction of any man-made substance at 0.05.
This is expressed in the formula: = fN
This diagram also expresses how all these forces interact:
With the understanding of these forces, namely normal force, rotational inertia, and friction and the relationship between the normal force and friction expressed as the coefficient of friction, we can finally start to delve into just how rain reduces traction.
Rain & Tires
Your everyday standard low profile sport tire
On dry pavement, with a normal coefficient of friction of 0.7, your tires stick well to the road because the maximum amount of normal force, inertia, and friction are allowed to exist between all parts of the tire. However, when it rains, something happens to these forces.
Water, in sufficient amounts, acts as a lubricant. Effectively, what happens between the normal force and friction is that a new surface is introduced between the tire and the pavement. This new layer has a very low coefficient of friction, and while thin enough that the normal force can push down through it in a few milliseconds, it introduces enough of a lubricating force that the coefficient of friction drops.
This drop can be affected by the volume of rain falling and the amount of standing water on the pavement. Often, a heavy rain can drop the coefficient of friction to 0.4, or almost half of what it normally is on dry pavement.
The most dangerous situation is where there is enough standing water at enough of a depth to cause your tire to completely lose contact with the pavement, immediately dropping the coefficient of friction to 0.0. This is also known in general parlance as hydroplaning.
Tire Grooves & What They Do
Groovy! And, if you’ll allow us, sipey!
If you went out to your car right now, you will see that your tires have two or three major grooves in the middle or offset to the interior side of the tire. You will also see multiple angular groves that almost make an arrow shape leading towards those central grooves. These are called, respectively, water displacement grooves and tire sipes.
What the central grooves do is quite literally in the name. With water on the road, these grooves are there for the water being acted upon by the normal force of the tire to have somewhere to go, or, in more scientific wording, they allow for the water under the tire to be displaced into an empty volume.
Sipes, on the other hand, are very interesting. There two types of sipes, known as hard sipes, or the grooves that are cut into the tire that are large enough to put your little finger into, and soft sipes, which you will see if you run your finger over a section of a mud & snow tire and see little gaps appear in the solid part of the tread.
These sipes are shaped so that the moment the leading edge of the tire contacts water, it first displaces that water into the groove of the sipe, and then, using rotational inertia, fling it towards the outer or inner edge of the tire until it departs from under the tread. Soft sipes can help by allowing the tread in contact with the pavement a little extra grip without needing to displace water.
Why You Need Good Quality Tires in Good Condition
With the sciency bit out of the way, let us now focus on what actually happens in the real world. Scott Kirk, auto accident lawyer at Brett McCandlis Brown & Conner, says that many of his clients are surprised by how little traction they have when they drive in the rain. This can be contributed to by a number of factors, the least of which is an important part of your tire, the tread depth.
Tires have a certain tread depth that, once reached, means the tire must be replaced. In the USA, this is federally mandated as being 2/32 of an inch, or 1.6mm if expressed in metric. Any tread that is lower than this is technically an illegal tire and can end up with you being fined for having it on your vehicle.
But the far more serious implication is that in rainfall, you will not have enough water displacement to effectively gain traction against the pavement. This, in the worst case scenario, means that you will not have any friction to work against your tires while braking, and even with ABS, you could lock your wheels and hydroplane into another car.
Another consideration regarding tires is that they need to be in good condition. Tires do have specific life cycles, even if they are not at the minimum tread depth. Things to watch out for here are sidewall rot, tread rot, and small bubbles appearing in the sidewall of your tire. If you see any or all of the three, your tires need to be replaced.
This is what sidewall rot looks like from the tire being too old and underinflated
Something that helps massively in traction and keeping your tires healthy in the long run is something that also helps fuel efficiency and is the most often overlooked part of the tire. This is, surprisingly, correct tire inflation. Your tires should realistically be checked weekly for correct pressures, and air added or bled off to make sure that your tire is precisely on the recommended inflation in your vehicles owners manual and on the driver’s side car information sticker.
By following these simple steps, as well as leaving a little more space between vehicles in the rain, you can maximize your traction in the wet. But keep in mind, no matter what you do, physics can’t be beaten with happy thoughts. Leave space, brake progressively, accelerate progressively, and take corners at reasonable speeds, and you should be fine!
April 2, 2021 / Comments Off on How Much Does Rain Reduce Your Traction?
Unique hyper sports cars demand an extraordinary backdrop. The former monastery, Abbaye des Vaux de Cernay, lies at the heart of the forest of Rambouillet around 50 kilometers southwest of Paris. Parts of the complex were established in the 11th century as a Cistercian abbey. Nowadays it is one of the world’s most charming hotels – and thus the ideal place to highlight the Chiron Sport and Chiron Pur Sport to French passion.
“We are delighted to share, with an authentic simplicity, this passion that keeps us together”, explains Edouard Schumacher, CEO of Groupe Schumacher and LS Group. “La Maison Bugatti Paris has the purpose to create special experiences, that bring people to live the French Art de Vivre. The Chiron Sport and Pur Sport are extraordinary vehicles, with superlative performances, a real dream that links together all the automotive passions.”
Since its creation in 1947, the family Group has developed a representative network of roughly twenty automotive brands throughout France and has carried on the historical tradition and presence of sports cars brands in the Paris metropolitan region.
“For myself personally, it’s a particular pleasure to be part of this Bugatti Paris event and showcase the Chiron Sport and Chiron Pur Sport to our customers”, says Guy Caquelin, Regional Director Europe at Bugatti. “After long abstinence and merely digital presentations, aficionados of our brand finally have the chance here to test and experience the two hyper sports cars. Customers need to be able to see, drive and feel Bugatti vehicles so they can internalize their unique and special character.” The test drives in Paris have been the kick-off of a Bugatti Road Show for the Chiron Sport and Pur Sport in Europe.
The Chiron Sport, launched in 2018, refines the Chiron and relies on lightweight components and firmer running gear – for even more direct handling and impressive agility. With the Chiron Pur Sport Bugatti engineers developed a hyper sports car uncompromisingly geared towards lateral dynamics, boasting maximum agility, driving performance, and excellent handling. Ideal for fast cornering and appropriately matched with the 8.0-liter W16 engine generating 1,500 PS and 1,600-newton meters of torque. It propels the Chiron Pur Sport from 0 to 100 km/h in a mere 2.3 seconds and from 0 to 200 km/h in 5.9 seconds. The series-production version of the Chiron Pur Sport has been limited to 60 units and comes with a price tag of 3 million euros (net). Just like the Chiron Sport, the Chiron Pur Sport is being built in the Atelier in Molsheim in the Alsace region of France.
Paris site of historic significance to Bugatti
As a French luxury brand, Paris has always been a special place for Bugatti. Ettore Bugatti established the brand’s first showroom here in Avenue Montaigne almost 100 years ago. Even though the founder chose Molsheim as the company headquarters and production site in 1909, he frequently visited Paris, the center of the intellectual avant-garde. He spent pivotal parts of his professional and personal life here. Today Bugatti lives on in the spirit of Ettore Bugatti at the recently inaugurated, new showroom in Neuilly-sur-Seine – situated only 500 meters from where Ettore Bugatti spent his last days in 1947.
MG Motor UK Limited just published the first images for their upcoming MG Cyberster, a new concept for a sportscar that reminds us of the classic MG roadsters, the intention is to unveil this concept at the Shanghai Show later this month.
Developed by the team at the MG Advanced Design Centre in London, the MG Cyberster will be a 2-door, 2-seater sports car, featuring the classic-looking round MG headlights, together with a slim grille design, along with interactive ‘Magic Eye’ headlights that open when switched on. Another striking detail on the MG Cyberster Concept is a ‘laser belt’, an LED strip along, the side of the car and the outline of the door, which follows the direction of the LED strip.
The side profile MG Cyberster shows a distinctive two-stage shoulder line, together with a ‘kamm tail’ rear design, and LED taillights that clearly show MG’s British heritage by their design inspired by the UK flag, the Union Flag.
Carl Gotham, Director of SAIC Design Advanced London, said:
“The Cyberster is a bold statement that looks strongly into MG’s future, touching on our heritage but more importantly building on our cutting-edge technology and advanced design. Sports cars are the lifeblood of the MG DNA and Cyberster is a hugely exciting concept for us.”
The MG Cyberster will be an electric vehicle, with the new intelligent architecture MG intends to offer an EV range of up to 800km (500 miles) while acceleration figures from 0 to 100km/h time (0-62mph) will be below the three seconds mark. Detailed specifications will only be made public after the unveiling at the Shanghai Motor Show (April 21-28, 2021).
We have curated the ultimate collection of the best 2021 Pagani Huayra R Wallpapers and HD backgrounds for you to enjoy. Our team focused on finding the top 2021 Pagani Huayra R Wallpapers only to keep the quality high. These 2021 Pagani Huayra R Wallpapers are free to download so go ahead. To download any of these pictures for use as a wallpaper, right click the picture and choose Save As …
We have curated the ultimate collection of the best 2021 McLaren 720S GT3X Wallpapers and HD backgrounds for you to enjoy. Our team focused on finding the top 2021 McLaren 720S GT3X Wallpapers only to keep the quality high. These 2021 McLaren 720S GT3X Wallpapers are free to download so go ahead. To download any of these pictures for use as a wallpaper, right click the picture and choose Save As…
We have curated the ultimate collection of the best 2021 Novitec Lamborghini Huracan EVO RWD Wallpapers and HD backgrounds for you to enjoy. Our team focused on finding the top 2021 Novitec Lamborghini Huracan EVO RWD Wallpapers only to keep the quality high. These 2021 Novitec Lamborghini Huracan EVO RWD Wallpapers are free to download so go ahead. To download any of these pictures for use as a wallpaper, right click the picture and choose Save As…
U.K.-based race car builder Prodrive’s next project is a supercar described by founder and CEO David Richards as a “Ferrari of the desert.” Based on its BRX-T1 Dakar race rig, the vehicle will be powered by a Prodrive-modified Ford 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6. As with the rally raider, its design will be led by Ian Callum.
According to Autocar, the road car will likely be called the Hunter, and will hew closely to the Dakar-bred BRX-T1. However, it will feature a full interior and all the fixings to make it comfortable street car. It will also have, reportedly, a 500-horsepower version of the V6, which is more power than the 400 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque that the race car puts out. Power will be delivered through what Richards calls a “sophisticated transmission,” but he didn’t specify whether it’d be based on the six-speed sequential gearbox of the race car.
The race machine was built atop a steel tube-frame chassis draped in carbon fiber body panels. It’s not clear whether the road car will use a similar construction, but Callum, who has designed many beloved cars for Jaguar, Aston Martin, Ford and the BRX race car, will lend his hand to the body. The BRX-T1 definitely exhibits shades of the F-Type visible in the rear.
Richards told Autocar that the road car will be wider than the race car to accommodate bigger tires. In fact, having too-small tires was among the reasons Prodrive’s BRX-T1 Dakar racers didn’t have a better turnout in January. Nine-time WRC champion Sebastian Loeb logged a DNF because he kept getting punctures and eventually just ran out of tires. The other car, driven by Nani Roma, finished fifth overall. The team believes it has gained valuable experience that will help them log a better result next year.
The Hunter will likely cost £1 million ($1.83 million), but will stand in a class of its own. Richards told Autocar, “Imagine a road car capable of going across the sand dunes at 100mph – and keep doing it for 300 miles because the fuel tank is so big. It’s going to be quite exciting.”
April 1, 2021 / Comments Off on Prodrive to build $1.4 million street-legal rally raid supercar
Lexus, just like everyone else, is moving toward electrification. Allow the new LF-Z Concept to be the harbinger of things to come. The BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle) just debuted, and it’s packed with evolutionary design…
Nissan has unveiled a new race-inspired Patrol NISMO for the year 2021, exclusively available to the Middle East market. It marks an annual celebration to mark the brand’s 70th anniversary of the Patrol since 1951.
The new Nissan Patrol NISMO combines refinement of a luxury car and performance of a sports car as well as underlining Nissan’s heritage as a motorsport brand. The new model has been built with premium luxury and increased power performance to improve the handling of the car. The exterior has been designed to allow advanced aerodynamics and suspensions while achieving zero lift force.
The new Patrol NISMO has an output of 428hp and 560Nm of torque from the 5.6L V8 engine. It joins the the 370Z NISMO and GT-R NISMO to provide agility, improved handling and motorsport inspired aerodynamics.
The exterior of the new model features new dynamic designs including new front fascia, three dimensional honeycomb mesh V-Motion grille, new front lamps, horizontal chrome lines adorned with Nismo emblem, signature red line wrap at the base and 22 inch two-tone aluminum sport wheels with Nismo logo. The rear bumper features dark chrome inserts, roof spoiler to improve airflow over the rear, new tail lamps, Formula 1 inspired LED fog lights on the rear and tuned suspensions which feature Bilstein shock absorbers.
The interior features luxury and racing lineage i.e spacious seats with Alcantara fabric and leather sides, black Alcantara steering wheel with red carbon fibre inserts and headrests embellished with Nismo logo. The exterior is available in four colours: White pearl, Black Solid, Grey and Silver metallic colors.
The vehicle has been upgraded with Nissan Intelligent Mobility (NIM) to ensure quietness and calmness when driving. Additional upgrades include intelligent Emergency Braking, pedestrian detection, Intelligent Forward Collision warning, high beam and smart rear view mirror, wireless charging, USB ports and Apple CarPlay compatibility.
2021 Nissan Patrol NISMO
The Nissan Patrol Nismo will be available for purchase across the Middle East from April 2021 and the price will start at 105,000 USD, VAT inclusive.
April 1, 2021 / Comments Off on 2021 Nissan Patrol NISMO Revealed for the Middle East
McLaren already had two dealerships in Switzerland, in Zurich and in Lugano, but now they opened up the third one in the famous city of Geneva, famous for the yearly Motor Show, this new dealer is better located for clients in the Romandy cantons of Switzerland. Operated by luxury brand specialist, Pegasus Automotive Group SA, this is the 37th official McLaren showroom in Europe, the Middle East, and the Africa region.
To celebrate the grand opening of McLaren Geneva, there was a very impressive gathering of various models, including the new McLaren Artura, but also one of the rare McLaren Senna as the ultimate representative, but the Mclaren line up available once the dealership opens in Q2 of this year will also include cars like the 720S, 720S Spider and the two-seater Elva Roadster, a car created to distill driving exhilaration to its purest form, symbolized by an open cockpit with no windscreen or windows, but with a world-first Active Air Management System to shelter occupants by manipulating the airflow over the car.
Kia has entered the BEV world with a new crossover coupe named the EV6 GT. This is the first full EV by Kia built on the company’s new platform that is solely dedicated to BEVs.
Top of the range and most interesting to us is the AWD GT version powered by two 430kW motors. The output is rated at 576hp and 740nm of torque, allowing for a 0-100km/h time of 3.5s. Top speed is capped at 260km/h in this high performance model. It even comes with an electronic-Limited Slip Differential software for drivers to master ride control and handling under different settings.
Kia also offers entry EV6 models including a GT-Line, with a choice of long range or standard battery packs. The EV6 GT is only available with a long-range (77.4 kWh) battery pack, while entry models can be optioned with a standard-range (58.0 kWh) or the long range battery pack. The regular EV6 can be ordered as AWD or RWD. When paired with the long range battery pack the RWD version has a electric range of 510km.
The 77.4 kWh RWD version is powered by a single electric motor rated at 229hp and an electric range of 510km, while the 77.4 kWh AWD has 2 electric motors powering each axle and rated at 325hp/605nm. 0-100km/h in this AWD version is 5.2s.
The 58.0 kWh AWD EV6 is powered by 2 electric motors rated at 235hp and 605nm torque, 0-100km/h is achieved in 6.2s. On the 58.0 kWh RWD EV6, the single electric motor powering the rear axle is rated at 167hp.
Kia offers both 800V and 400V charging options without the need for additional hardware. The faster 800V option can charge from 10% to 80% in just 18 minutes and 0 to 100km range in under 4.5s – this is when pairing the RWD with the 77.4-kWh battery option. The EV6 also utilizes Integrated Charging Control Unit (ICCU) which enables vehicle-to-load (V2L) or the ability to discharge energy from the vehicle. This means one can power appliances using the EV6 while on a camping trip for example.
The new V2L function can discharge up to 3.6kW of power, which is then used to power electrical appliances including TVs, water heating, lighting and camping equipment. Even with 35% charge left, one can still tow up to 1600kg.
The EV6 also benefits from Kia’s energy harvesting methods including a heat pump that collects heat from the cooling system. This enables the car to operate in extreme cold weather (such as minus 7 degrees) with the same efficiency of a 25 degrees situation. A smart regenerative braking system is also used to harvest kinetic energy when braking, this can be done using paddle shifters or automatically through the system’s auto mode.
The EV6 comes with key driver assistance systems (ADAS) including Safe Exit Assist (SEA) which warns the passenger of any incoming car from behind before they exit the EV6; Lane Following Assist (LFA) that helps keep the EV6 in its lane and the Highway Driving Assist 2 (HDA 2) which is an advanced cruise control system.
KIA EV6 GT
March 31, 2021 / Comments Off on Kia EV6 GT: Full Electric Crossover Coupe Revealed with 576hp
The options list on a Bentley Bentayga might be impressive for most people, but still, they offer the ultimate personal touch for your luxury SUV through the Mulliner Guide, where the sky is the limit when it comes to personalization options for their more demanding customers that have the bank account to cater to their every need.
At the Shanghai Motor Show Bentley will be showcasing their latest example of Mulliner’s handcraftsmanship, this Viridian painted Bentayga Hybrid isn’t just a show car, it has been customer ordered by a Chinese client through the Bentley Mulliner Personal Commissioning Guide to create a true one-off, bespoke SUV.
The dark emerald hue from the Mulliner Extended paint range for the body is complemented with 22-inch machined, Mulliner driving specification wheels with Viridian color-coded spokes, Viridian is a stunning, dark emerald green, created specifically for the EXP 10 Speed 6 concept, it contains metal flakes of amber and gold to embody a sense of luxury.
While the stunning interior is finished in Cumbrian green leather with a piano-finished veneer in the same shade, an amazing-looking white cross-stitch pattern is hand-stitched on the green seats, door panels, and even in the piano Cumbrian Green veneer via a unique overlay.
Bentley Mulliner added a handcrafted design to the passenger fascia using a silver metal overlay to create a beautiful geometric diamond design of the EXP 100 GT concept car. Note that the hand-stitched pattern found inside this bespoke Bentley Bentayga took a total of 44 hours to complete.
For such a large and a rather heavy car as the Bentley Bentayga, the performance figures from the combination of an electric motor and a 3.0-liter V6 engine are impressive, acceleration from 0 to 60 mph takes 5.2 seconds thanks to the 443 bhp, with a top speed of 158 mph.
Enjoy some more images of this stunning one-off Bentley Bentayga Hybrid in our image gallery below:
March 31, 2021 / Comments Off on The One-off Bentayga Hybrid
MINI’s latest vehicle isn’t for sale, but it’s worth mention because it… is… awesome. This electric Cooper SE is the official pace car of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship race series. It’s basically…
The Bugatti Chiron is hand-built in Molsheim, France, and with a limited production run of only 500 units, it is noteworthy they’ve just completed construction of the 300th units, a stunning black Chiron Pur Sport, a shade known as ‘Nocturne’ in Bugatti language.
As which each of these 500 Bugatti Chiron, this number 300 is a one-off, bespoke build for the enthusiast owner, remember the Chiron Sport ‘Alice’ we’ve covered a while ago, a white and pink combination that seemed to be a stunning Valentine’s gift, or the even more impressive Bugatti Divo ‘Lady Bug’ with that amazing, faded pattern scheme that took 18 months to complete.
Back to the Chiron Pur Sport, number 300 in the Chiron production, as mentioned, finished in Nocturne with several exterior details in grey carbon fiber, while the famous Bugatti logo comes in ‘Gris Rafale’ while wheels and the famous ‘C-line’ have a ‘Gun Powder’, the stunning engine cover shows carbon fiber again.
On the inside, the dark and intimidating shades make their return, for the leather and Alcantara upholstery the customer opted for ‘Beluga Black’ while the seams come in Gris Rafale to complement the same shade on the outside, while the optional ‘Sky View’ adds large glass panels in the roof of this Chiron Pur Sport, and you can admire the tribute to Ettore Bugatti’s younger brother Rembrandt, a drawing of the famous dancing elephant on the head restraints.
From the 500 Bugatti Chiron that will be made, only 60 will be the amazing Pur Sport version, with the fixed rear wing and 1,500 PS from the 8.0-Liter W16 engine … the Pur Sport can reach 300 km/h in only 12 seconds! Most of the 60 Chiron Pur Sport will be delivered to their customers in 2021, but next to the Pur Sport they are also building the Chiron Sport and the Divo this year.
Remember La Voiture Noire? Bugatti presented this very special car in March 2019, but now they are finally producing this return to the coachbuilding tradition of this luxury automotive manufacturer with the most exclusive and most expensive car in the world in 2021.
March 31, 2021 / Comments Off on Bugatti Chiron 300 of 500
Mercedes-Benz has lifted the sheet off its new modular AMG E Performance hybrid powertrain, giving us our first in-depth look at the electrified system that will power the company’s future high-performance models. Borrowing tech from the AMG Project One and its recent line of mild-hybrid gasoline engines, the new E Performance powertrain represents a significant evolution of the AMG formula.
This new modular powertrain pairs a rear-mounted electric drive unit to a turbocharged gasoline engine. The electric motor drives the rear axle directly, but power can be sent to the front axle (essentially the same way it is transferred from the gasoline engine to the rear, just in reverse), thanks to AMG’s advanced all-wheel drive system.
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In its most basic form, the electric drive unit comprises a 6.1-kWh battery pack and an electric motor producing up to 201 horsepower. Thanks to its holistic electrification strategy, both the company’s platforms and this new powertrain were engineered with plug-in tech in mind, which we expect to see introduced at the higher end of the performance spectrum first, such as in the rumoredAMG GT 73e, which is expected to utilize an E Performance variant capable of producing up to 804 horsepower and more than 738 pound-feet of torque.
While the ICE engine up front is of a fairly conventional design, be it an inline-four or V8, it does incorporate one notable new element: an electric turbocharger. Mercedes has dabbled in electric boosting with its 48-volt mild hybrid powertrains, but this represents a fairly significant evolution of the tech.
At its core, it’s still an exhaust-powered turbine, but at lower engine speeds and throttle openings, it will be juiced by electricity from the E Performance hybrid’s battery, spooling it instantly and effectively eliminating any potential turbo lag. In this capacity, it eliminates the need for additional (or more complex) turbochargers to smooth out power delivery at different engine speeds.
Apart from the inclusion of electric power, AMG’s powertrain remains fairly conventional. Power from the engine goes through a nine-speed, multi-clutch automatic gearbox on its way to all four wheels, thanks to a 4Matic all-wheel drive system designed to harness both power sources. Torque can be vectored to all four corners from both the gasoline engine and electric drive unit, meaning even the front wheels can benefit from electric power under the right slip conditions. In typical AMG fashion, the advantages of this tech will be integrated into its cars’ available drive modes.
AMG has not yet confirmed individual power outputs for its new line of E Performance hybrids, but given its habits, we’re skeptical that there will be any regression in the performance of models whose powertrains get the hybrid treatment. This includes the enthusiast-favorite C-Class AMG lineup, which will pair the 2.0-liter engine from the smaller 45-series AMGs with the new electric drive unit, for a total expected output that should easily eclipse the current C63’s 503-horse figure.
March 30, 2021 / Comments Off on AMG lays out an electrification roadmap with high-performance hybrids at its core
Earlier this year, Gymkhana master Ken Block and Ford announced an amicable and uneventful divorce, with Block declaring himself a “free agent.” This quiet split may have slipped past your scopes, but one bit of fallout from the separation is guaranteed to stir up some interest: Ken Block is letting a few of his fast Fords go.
LBI Limited’s “Ken Block Collection” showcase features two of Block’s rally-prepped Ford Fiesta STs and his Group B Ford Escort RS200. Both of the Fiestas — dubbed GYM3 and RX43 are powered by 2.0-liter turbocharged engines pushing north of 600 horsepower (per the Global RallyCross Supercar Spec, in the RX43’s case) and, thanks to their all-wheel drive and sequential gearboxes, can hit 60 mph in two seconds or less. GYM3 is allegedly capable of 850 horsepower with a different tune, but Block preferred the torque band offered with the less aggressive calibration.
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The RS200 is a different beast entirely. Not only is it a genuine Group B rally car, it’s one of just 24 that were upgraded to EVO spec (more than 500 horsepower from the 2.1-liter version of the Cosworth-tuned 4-cylinder engine), which meant a 0-60 time of 3.0 seconds flat way back in 1986, when such things were virtually unheard of.
Nope, these won’t go cheap, and only the RS200 has a price listed ($550,000 asking, if you’re curious) and we suspect there might be enough interest to push that price higher. If you’re like us and these are well outside of your budget, just remember, you can enjoy them from the comfort of your own home thanks to the countless YouTube videos produced by the Hoonigan team during the Ford era.
Related Video:
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March 30, 2021 / Comments Off on Three of Ken Block’s Hoonigan builds are up for sale, including his RS200
Up for sale on BringATrailer is this beautiful 165-mile 2018 Porsche 911 GT2 RS that was originally delivered to The Porsche Exchange of Highland Park, Illinois. At the time of writing, this Porsche has a bid of just $275,000.
This Porsche GT2 RS is finished in Guards Red over black leather and Alcantara and is powered by a 700-horsepower twin-turbocharged 3.8L flat-six coupled with a seven-speed PDK dual-clutch transaxle.
This car was factory optioned with a Weissach Package ($18K option), the Chrono Package, Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes, satin black staggered-diameter magnesium wheels. This beauty also features a factory Bose surround sound system – in case you plan on reminiscing to Daft Punk’s greatest hits or the latest revived Fleetwod Mac classic from TikTok.
This GT2 RS will come with the original window sticker, four spare wheels, a clean Carfax report, and a clean Ohio title.
Based upon the contemporary 911 Turbo, the 991 GT2 RS features a carbon-fiber hood, front fender vents, side air intakes, and a fixed rear wing. Weissach Package weight-saving measures include a carbon-fiber roof panel and carbon-fiber anti-roll bars.
Other amenities among the over $40K in options include Alcantara-covered sun visors, a leather-wrapped steering column, and carbon-fiber illuminated door sills.
This GT2 RS was also optioned with the extended range 23.7-gallon fuel tank – perfect for your next cross country rally. The car features a water-injection system that sprays the intercoolers to lower intake temperatures.
The auction is set to close on this pristine 2018 GT2 RS on Thursday, April 1 at 4:07 pm EST. This gives you a couple of days to figure out what you need to sell to make room for this track slayer.
March 30, 2021 / Comments Off on FOR SALE: 2018 Porsche GT2 RS Weissach
The wave of EVs has already begun, and it’s only going to get bigger. The question as to whether or not there will be commensurate charging infrastructure is the big question. Humble MOtors has a…
Michigan-based Falcon Motorsports built seven examples of the F7, and one was reportedly destroyed, so finding a used example takes a great deal of searching. While it’s too late to order a new one, you can buy the entire product line (including the tools needed to manufacture the car) for less than the price of a limited-edition supercar.
Falcon listed the bundle for $675,000 on a site named LoopNet. It includes the tools, the molds, the material lists, and anything else required to resume production of the F7. And, you won’t need to start your marketing efforts from scratch, because the logos, the slogans, the trademarks, the copyrights, and all intellectual property will be yours. Based on the listing, it seems like Falcon will keep its name, so plan on creating your own automaker brand before you launch production. We’ve reached out to learn more.
It doesn’t sound like the deal includes real estate, so you’ll also have to find your own production facility. However, the buyer will be able to tour the United States in search of the perfect warehouse in style because an example of the F7 is included in the sale. Photos of it haven’t been released, but it’s described as being fully operational.
It’s difficult to put a value on the F7. Falcon charged about $250,000 for the car when it was new, and the third example built was listed for sale on enthusiast auction site Cars & Bids earlier this month. In relatively good shape with low miles, it failed to meet its reserve at $122,000, a number which provides a solid indication of what it’s worth.
Power for the F7 comes from a naturally-aspirated, 7.0-liter V8 borrowed from the Corvette Z06. Indiana-based tuner Lingenfelter then increased the engine’s output to 620 horsepower and 585 pound-feet of torque. Mid-mounted, the engine spins the rear wheels via a gated six-speed manual transmission. We imagine it’s possible to keep this drivetrain, but the engine bay might be big enough to use another engine — say, Ford’s Godzilla V8.
Car and machines are located in Holly, Michigan, a town about an hour north of Detroit. Company founder Jeff Lemke is selling the product line, and he’s open to providing training and support to the next owner. This is a unique opportunity for enthusiasts who like to buy supercars like they buy Ikea furniture. And, for context, McLaren charges approximately $1.7 million for the Elva; for less than half that, you could build supercars to your heart’s content.
March 30, 2021 / Comments Off on Falcon Motorsports is selling an F7 supercar and everything you’d need to build more
