Is Airbus developing a car that can fly over traffic jams?

Italdesign and aircraft manufacturer Airbus are working on a futuristic car whose upper body can be airlifted by a drone and flown above traffic congestion, sources said.

Italdesign will debut a concept for the vehicle at the Geneva auto show on Tuesday, according to people familiar with the matter.

The concept will be for a two-stage car that would cruise city streets. The passenger would sit in a capsule on top of a self-driving chassis. If the vehicle hits traffic congestion, a large drone measuring roughly 5 meters by 5 meters would pick up the capsule and fly it to a destination.

Italdesign first developed a car with an upper body and chassis that could separate with the Capsula concept unveiled at the 1982 Turin auto show. The Capsula had an Alfa Romeo chassis with a cabin on top. There were different upper cabins such as a passenger car, a commercial van or a minibus which could be switched according to what was needed.

The new Italdesign/Airbus concept would be a ground/air vehicle that would offer fast, shared individual mobility in crowded megacities.

Italdesign, Audi’s design and engineering subsidiary, is looking to innovative future mobility solutions to increase its engineering and prototype business, as well as to expand its customer base beyond traditional automakers.

The Italdesign project is not related to a flying car project under development by Airbus called Vahana. Airbus plans to test a prototype for a helicopter-style car that would be used for ride-sharing by the end of the year.

Italdesign and Airbus declined to comment for this story.

Last month, Italdesign said it had formed a business division to build limited-edition supercars. The new unit will unveil its first car, a coupe priced at 1.5 million euros ($1.6 million) plus taxes, at the Geneva show.

The article “Italdesign and Airbus develop car that can be airlifted above traffic” originally appeared on autonews.com

Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace: VW scales up its compact crossover

Ahead of the Geneva motor show, Volkswagen revealed a larger, stretched version of its Tiguan compact SUV. Because “long-wheelbase Tiguan” doesn’t work well for marketing materials, VW decided to call the longer crossover the Tiguan Allspace. The Tiguan’s wheelbase has been stretched by 4.3 inches, which goes a long way toward a hefty 8.5-inch bump in total length. That brings total length to 183 inches — an inch longer than the Jeep Cherokee.

The extra length allows VW to throw a pair of seats in the rear, turning the two-row Tiguan into a three-row seven-seater. It’ll also give you some much-needed extra storage space, especially when folding down the second- and third-row seats. With standard roof rails, VW hopes the Tiguan Allspace will appeal to folks who like to go on road trips or camping adventures.

Volkswagen borrowed styling cues from its latest large SUV, the VW Atlas, for the front fascia and the crossover’s entire profile. Still, VW says you’ll still be able to get an off-road version of the front fascia as part of an off-road package that also includes extra underbody protection and a front bumper that’ll allow for a seven-degree increase in approach angle. 

Powering the base-spec Tiguan Allspace is the same 147 hp 1.4-liter turbocharged I4 you’ll find in the regular Tiguan. You’ll also be able to nab the larger 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine in either 177 hp or 217 hp form. In Europe, you’ll be able to find some TDI variants, but we don’t think those will come stateside anytime...ever. The four-cylinder engine will feed a standard 4Motion all-wheel drive system by way of a DSG automatic transmission.

VW will also offer tech features like LED headlights, keyless entry and a 9.2-inch gesture control infotainment system. Dubbed Discover Pro, the system is the first to offer gesture controls in a Tiguan, which might help keep your screen free from fingerprints. VW will also offer the driving convenience features like adaptive cruise control, lane keeping, automatic high beams, park assist and Traffic Jam assist, a system that essentially allows for automated driving while stuck in traffic.

The VW Tiguan Allspace will join the VW Atlas in 2017. It’s unclear how the specifications will change as the Tiguan Allspace gets ready to come stateside (all the above specs and features we have now are for European models), but we do know the Allspace will be available this summer. There also isn’t any word on pricing, but we imagine it’ll fall somewhere between the standard Tiguan and the Atlas, probably starting in the low $30K range.

Latest Challenger Demon update: Putting the power to the ground

The 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon won’t get away from the starting line at all without beefier driveline components. We don’t know the actual torque numbers yet, but we do know it will have more twist than the Hellcat’s 650 lb-ft. Well, we don’t actually know that, but we’d bet on it.

Today’s bit of info concerns putting all of that power to the ground. The Demon will come with an upgraded prop shaft — increasing torque capacity by 15 percent over the Hellcat through the use of high-strength steel — a 20 percent increase in tube thickness and heat-treated stub-shafts. The differential housing is made with heat-treated A383 aluminum alloy and a higher strength gearset, good for a 30 percent increase in capacity. Finally, the upgraded 41-spline half-shafts are made from high-strength, low-alloy steel, improving torque capacity 20 percent.

To keep those wheels from hopping on hard launches, the Demon uses its launch assist function to watch for slip. If spin is detected, the control module reduces engine torque momentarily without the driver having to lift. That’s cool, but it takes a little of the fun out of it, no?

Lastly, the Demon is available with a four-point harness bar from Speedlogix, for use while at the track. The Demon’s rear seat is deleted and mounting points are accessible, so customers can install it themselves without drilling or cutting. The bar goes for $800 online, but we’re not sure if that’ll be the option price. We’ve emailed Dodge to check and we’ll update when we hear back.

And for the fans, Dodge is going to invite 10 lucky enthusiasts who use the hashtag #DodgeDemon on social media to the Demon reveal at the New York auto show.

Check back next Thursday for more SRT Demon news — we have about four or five more of these before the final reveal on April 11.

This is the 2018 Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo

Though the new Panamera is just now available for the 2017 model year, Porsche already is adding to the lineup with the 2018 Panamera Sport Turismo. Think of it as a sort of Euro wagon alternative to the regular Panamera’s hatchback as it makes its debut at the Geneva motor show. Everything from the B-pillars back is new, with the new model available in four distinct Porsche flavors.

Expected to hit the U.S. market by the end of this year, the base vehicle is the Panamera 4 Sport Turismo. Starting price is $97,250, and it comes packing a 330-hp turbocharged V6. One step up is the Panamera 4 E-Hybrid Sport Turismo. Total output is 462 hp from the 2.9-liter twin-turbocharged V6 and electric motor combo. Starting price is $105,050 with destination.

Because it’s a Porsche, this is not a bench seat. This is “2+1 seating.”

The Panamera 4S Sport Turismo packs the 2.9-liter twin-turbocharged V6 from the E-Hybrid, but leaves the electric motor behind. Horsepower is 440 with a starting price of $110,250. And no Porsche model would be complete without a Turbo trim, with the Panamera Turbo Sport Turismo packing a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 making 550 hp. The Turbo will start at $155,050. Expect prices to climb quickly when adding options.

The design, which is unique from the B-pillars back, gives the Panamera Sport Turismo more storage capacity. With the seats up, capacity is 18.3 cubic feet compared to 17.4 in the regular vehicle. Storage increases to 49 cubic feet when the seats are folded flat, which is three more than the sedan. To aid in loading, the tailgate loading edge measures a scant 24.7 inches from the ground.

The luggage compartment, which has an optional management system consisting of loading rails in the floor, four latching points and luggage net, measures 15 cubic feet with the seats up and 45.7 with the seats folded.

The wagon-esque lines suit the new Panamera design well.

The design also applies to the roof, which extends into an adaptive spoiler that can be set to three different stages depending on the driving situation and vehicle settings. Not only does the adaptive spoiler provide an additional 110 pounds of downforce on the rear axle, but when the panoramic sliding roof is open at speeds greater than 56 mph, the spoiler helps minimize wind noise.

The spoiler is part of the Porsche Active Aerodynamics system. Up to 105 mph, the guide element stays retracted to reduce drag and optimize efficiency. Above 105 mph, the spoiler moves into the performance position to increase stability and dynamics. When the Panamera Sport Turismo is in sport or sport-plus driving modes, the spoiler automatically moves to its performance position at speeds greater than 56 mph.

We’ll have more details and live shots of the Panamera Sport Turismo lineup from the car’s official Geneva motor show launch.

Next Volvo XC60 will steer away from accidents, animals, oncoming cars

Volvo wants the 2018 XC60 SUV to be one of the safest cars on the road when it makes its debut at the Geneva auto show in March. It comes with three new (or updated) features that will fall under the Swedish brand’s City Safety umbrella, including steering support, oncoming lane mitigation and updates to its blind-spot warning system.

“We have been working with collision avoidance systems for many years and we can see how effective they are. In Sweden alone, we have seen a decline of around 45 percent (in Volvos with the third-generation safety systems) in rear-end frontal crashes thanks to our collision warning with autobrake system. With the XC60, we are determined to take the next step in reducing avoidable collisions with the addition of steering support and assistance systems,” said Malin Ekholm, senior director, Volvo Cars’ Safety Centre.

Steering support reacts when automatic braking alone won’t save you from a crash. It watches for pedestrians, cars and animals at speeds between 31 and 62 mph.

Oncoming lane mitigation alerts the driver if he or she is drifting into an oncoming lane; if the driver doesn’t react, the XC60 will take over the steering wheel, bringing the car back into the proper lane. That system works from 37 to 87 mph.

Finally, the blind-spot warning system now includes a steering-assist function that will attempt to correct you when you drift our of your lane accidentally or try to change lanes on purpose while another car is approaching from the neighboring lane.

“We have all of the benefits of the safety technology we introduced in our larger 90 Series cars in the new XC60. This is fully in line with our strategic approach to develop automotive safety systems based on real-life, real-road safety. Our vision is that no one will be killed or seriously injured in a new Volvo car by the year 2020,” added Ekholm.

The XC60 gets the rest of Volvo’s safety systems, too, including large animal detection, run-off road mitigation and the semi-autonomous Pilot Assist we loved in the bigger XC90.

We’ll get a better picture of the car and its safety systems March 7 or 8, which are the press preview days for the show. Check out all of the auto show news at our dedicated Geneva auto show page.

The first Lynk and Co. model is set for its Shanghai auto show debut

China’s Zhejiang Geely Holding Group will showcase its first model for Lynk & CO — the 01 compact crossover — at the Shanghai auto show in April, the Nikkei Asian Review reported, citing a company executive.

The car will go on sale in China in the fourth quarter 2017, followed by Europe and the United States in the first quarter 2019. Originally, Lynk was to debut in Europe and the U.S. in 2018.

According to Nikkei, Geely senior vice president Alain Visser outlined the company’s plans for Lynk & CO at a marketing event in Shanghai on Thursday.

The 01 crossover, introduced as a concept in October in Berlin, will be a hybrid powered by a 1.5-liter, three-cylinder gasoline engine and an electric motor. It will compete against global rivals such as the Nissan Qashqai.

Lynk models will feature cutting-edge features such as a dashboard button that will allow the motorist to rent the vehicle to other users.

Alibaba Group Holding, Ericsson and Microsoft will provide the connectivity for Lynk, according to Nikkei.

The article “Geely to unveil first Lynk model at Shanghai auto show” originally appeared on autonews.com

Will the DS 7 Crossback bring Peugeot-Citroen back to the United States?

Peugeot-Citroen’s statement last year that it plans to return to North America garnered some skepticism. It wasn’t the concept of a comeback itself but the manner in which PSA is choosing to do it: PSA CEO Carlos Tavares said the automaker’s 10-year, multistep strategy will start with car-sharing.

To be fair, it makes sense for PSA to slowly dip its toes back into the U.S., which it left a distant 26 years ago: The automaker has no dealership network and will be unable to build one overnight. It might, in fact, be easier for Renault to start selling cars in the U.S. because it’s a part of Nissan. But Peugeot-Citroen is another automotive empire altogether.

Now, a year after PSA’s announcement, the ride-sharing service TravelCar will be launched at the Los Angeles and San Francisco airports in April. TravelCar currently operates in 10 European countries and has over 300,000 users, but this rental agency works differently from other airport rental companies — it rents out cars owned by other travelers. Those who lend their cars get free parking in exchange, and those who rent the cars pay about half of other companies’ rental rates, according to TravelCar. This car-sharing concept also relies on you being cool with total strangers using your car while you’re on some business trip.
 

The DS 7 will offer a luxurious interior with leather over just about everything, including the door cars which will feature a diamond-quilted pattern.

“We announced our progressive entry to North America by launching mobility services with our partners,” said PSA’s head of mobility services Grégoire Olivier. “We deploy these services worldwide to meet customers’ expectations. With TravelCar today, we’re writing the beginning of this new step overseas.”

PSA plans to use TravelCar to study the U.S. market, with the possible goal of offering its upscale DS models as rental cars in the U.S.

But which model should PSA use to reintroduce itself to U.S. buyers?

Britain’s Autocar believes that the DS 7 Crossback, revealed days ago prior to its upcoming debut at the Geneva motor show, should lead the charge.
 

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Aimed at the likes of the Lexus NX, Audi Q5 and the BMW X1, the DS 7 Crossback will offer luxurious room for five, a camera-guided suspension system similar to Mercedes’ Magic Body Control, and a range of four-cylinder engines paired with six-speed manual and eight-speed automatic transmissions. Raw horsepower is not what the DS brand is about, and all-wheel drive won’t be on the menu at launch, but as far as luxury crossovers, go the DS 7 Crossback appears to tick all the right boxes for American consumers.

To be clear, the DS 7 Crossback has not been named as the first vehicle that PSA will offer stateside. But the DS sub-brand of Citroen has been mentioned as the starting lineup for the States. The end goal for PSA is to sell cars in the U.S. by 2026.

Say hello to Detroit Autorama’s finest ‘rods, customs and race cars

Home of the acclaimed Ridler Award, Detroit Autorama has always drawn some of the country’s finest hot rods, customs and competition cars. While the cars competing for the prestigious trophy are undoubtedly beautiful and generally flawless, the show has also become a staple of the traditional hot-rod world. Period-correct custom cars, nostalgia race cars and timeless hot rods that once filled the basement, known by show promoters as the Autorama Extreme, have started peppering the same show floor as the ultra-high-end Ridler contenders.

Check out the gallery above for a look at some historically significant cars, like Ed Roth’s restored shop truck, and some beautiful brand-new builds.

The 2018 Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid cranks it up to 680 hp

Porsche is in a race with itself to produce the most powerful Panamera, and leading the pack as of today is the Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid, which couples a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 with the electric boost technique from the 918 Spyder. The result is 680 hp and 626 lb-ft of torque, along with a 0-60 mph sprint time of just 3.2 seconds and a top speed of 192 hp. This electrically souped-up sedan will debut in a matter of days at the Geneva motor show unless a more powerful Panamera emerges between now and then.

The Turbo S E-Hybrid follows the premiere of the slightly less bonkers Panamera 4 E-Hybrid, which we drove just last month and bring up not only to avoid confusion between the two but to point out that the less potent version uses a twin-turbo V6 instead of a V8. But the basic recipe is similar: To combine an already hot twin-turbocharged engine with an electric motor integrated into the transmission itself, which in both cars is the eight-speed dual-clutch system sending power to all four wheels.

The electric motor in the Turbo S E-Hybrid draws juice from a 14.1-kWh lithium-ion battery, which gives the sedan a pure-electric range of approximately 31 miles when it wants to operate in “stealth mode” without the sound of that twin-turbo V8 exhaust.

The most powerful Panamera to date will offer 680 hp and 626 lb-ft of torque.

Running in hybrid mode, the Panamera’s engine will kick in automatically when the battery level gets too low or when the gas pedal is applied past a certain point. The battery takes 12 hours to charge using a 120-volt, 10-amp connection and the standard 3.6-kW charger, but that charging time can be cut down to just three hours with the optional 7.2-kWh onboard charger.

The Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid will go on sale in the U.S. by the end of the year in two wheelbases, with the Executive model offering an extra 5.9 inches for the benefit of rear-seat passengers. For the U.S. market, the Panamera will be offered with the Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control Sport including Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus, Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes, the Sport Chrono pack and Power Steering Plus. In addition, the three-chamber air suspension including Porsche Active Suspension Management will be standard, along with auxiliary air conditioning. The long-wheelbase model will also offer rear-axle steering, and both models will wear the 21-inch 911 Turbo Design wheels.

The shorter version of the two will start at $185,450.

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How much should you budget for one of the two wheelbase versions of the Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid? Porsche has released pricing info far ahead of time: The shorter sedan will start at $185,450 while the long-wheelbase variant will be available from $195,850.

Stay tuned for more Porsche news from the Geneva motor show.

E-Class Cabriolet rounds out Benz midsize lineup

The E-Class Cabriolet will headline Mercedes’ efforts at the Geneva motor show in March. It will be joined by the “extensively revised” GLA crossover and 32 other cars, among them special models of the SL and SLC.

The entire E-Class lineup was recently refreshed, including the sedan, wagon, coupe and something called the E-Class All-Terrain, which isn’t available in the U.S. market.

Guests in Switzerland will also see the new Mercedes-Maybach G650 Landaulet, Concept X-Class and a few Mercedes vans.

Here is the E-Class Cabriolet in action. Photo by Mercedes-Benz

AMG is also celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. It’ll bring its E63S Wagon, AMG GT C Roadster Edition 50, C63S Cabriolet Ocean Blue Edition and the Night Edition C43 Coupe.

Mercedes says it will additionally “showcase the future direction of electric mobility,” which could be anything from a one-person cellphone pod to a LED box on wheels. Whatever it is, Mercedes says virtual reality will be involved.

We’ll keep all of this on our radar — check back March 7 for everything from the Geneva auto show.

Dodge Challenger Demon has a dedicated drag mode

In this week’s Dodge Challenger SRT Demon update, the folks at Dodge tease a dedicated drive mode for drag racing and an equally dedicated suspension. Dodge is tight-lipped about exactly how drag mode will work, but the automaker is more forthcoming about the suspension.

While the Demon isn’t a purpose-built drag racer (you’ll have to step into the Drag Pak Challenger for that), it does feature some suspension decisions that make it more useful down the quarter-mile than the Hellcat. Helping shift the weight over the rear rubber, Dodge looked toward the traditional approach of a loose front suspension sans sway bar coupled with a stiff rear suspension. 

Dodge uses modern tech to create the same effect without the old-school tradeoffs: The Demon gets lower spring rates front and rear, a hollow front sway bar and adaptive dampening shocks. We won’t know how well it works until we drive it, but this setup should give the Nitto drag radials a fighting chance for grip at launch without creating something only suitable for the strip. 

Dodge still hasn’t mentioned how much horsepower this Challenger will have; we’ll probably have to wait until Dodge lifts the cover off its new halo car at the New York auto show, but it’s safe to say it’ll upstage the Challenger SRT Hellcat’s 707 hp.

Like the other updates, Dodge released a short teaser video. Check out “Third Law” below.

Hollywood Hot Rods’ Mulholland Speedster Wins Sacramento Autorama

How special is Hollywood Hot Rods’ Mulholland Speedster? You could say it’s twice as special as any car ever made. The ’36 Packard-based Speedster won America’s Most Beautiful Roadster in January at the Grand National Roadster Show in Pomona, then they hauled it up to the Sacramento Autorama for last weekend’s show and it won there, too. And it not only won the headliner Custom d’Elegance award but also the World’s Most Beautiful Custom award. So yes, it’s pretty special.

The Sacramento Autorama has been held every year for 67 years, one of the longest-running car shows on the planet. This year organizers said there were over 650 cars, trucks, motorcycles, hot rods and street cruisers in the show. Of those, the majority went home with at least one trophy, as there were 400 of those handed out.

But the biggest and most prestigious is the Custom d’Elegance, awarded to the best chopped, channeled and/or sectioned vehicle from 1935-1948, the golden era for custom cars. The Mulholland Speedster was all that –- and less. Troy Ladd, whose Hollywood Hot Rods built the Speedster for owner Bruce Wanta, estimates the car is about ¾ the size of the Packard from whence it was derived (that would be a 1936 Packard 1401 Coupe, powered by a Lincoln Zephyr V12). 

John D’Agostino’s 1958 Packard, “Rita”

John D’Agostino’s 1958 Packard, “Rita,” was crowned “King of the Kustoms” at the same show, an award that recognizes the best 1935-1964 custom build with a particular focus on body lines, design, flow and quality of workmanship.

“The best thing about the Sacramento Autorama is that it gives custom builders a place to show off their vision of how they feel these classics should have looked originally,” said John Buck, owner of Rod Shows and producer of both the Sacramento Autorama and the Grand National Roadster Show. “This year’s winners were shining examples of that. Troy Ladd’s history-making win as the first builder to ever win both the ‘Custom d’Elegance’ and ‘America’s Most Beautiful Roadster’ titles. It shows just how amazing his ‘Mullholland Speedster’ really is.”

The “Sam Barris Memorial Award” was picked by the Barris family for best metal work, alignment of body panels, and paint. This year the Barris family chose – you guessed it – Troy Ladd’s Packard. The Joe “Candy Apple Red” Bailon Award was designed, created, and handpicked by Joe Bailon who is known as one of the nation’s premier custom car designers and builders. This year it went to Joe and Carol Cusumano for their 1954 Mercury named “Tangerine On Ice.”

The Dick Bertolucci Automotive Excellence Award for a vehicle manufactured before 1973 that Dick Bertolucci personally felt exhibited the best craftsmanship in assembly, fit and finish, and detail was Michael McAuliffe’s 1940 Ford Sedan called “The Second Time Around.”

Now attention turns to another great custom show, this weekend’s Detroit Autorama, held at Cobo Center Feb. 24-26. Who will win that? Stay tuned.
 

Nissan previews BladeGlider before Geneva motor show debut

New electric cars need consular and diplomatic staff, led by ambassadors, preferably with diplomatic immunity. And Margot Robbie has just been named ambassador for Nissan’s electric vehicles. Her official ride (still missing the required diplomatic license plates) is the fully electric Nissan BladeGlide, which she has just taken for a spin around Monaco Grand Prix circuit at midnight — exercising diplomatic privilege that apparently includes this sort of thing, but not in the daytime.

Haven’t seen the BladeGlider down at your local Nissan dealership? That’s because the three-seater is still a prototype, which will be on display at the Geneva motor show in a matter of days.

Here’s what we know about this EV, which looks like a prop from “Tron: Legacy,” so far: The BladeGlider is powered by a 220-kWh battery producing 268-hp and 521 lb-ft of torque, and it’s good for sprints from 0-62 mph in “less than five seconds.” The BladeGlider also has a top speed of 118 mph. And it seats three.

“It’s a really exciting time for electric vehicles,” said Ambassador Robbie. “More people are choosing to go electric, leading the way to a more sustainable future, and the Nissan BladeGlider hints at the future of smarter performance cars.”

Nissan will show the BladeGlider in Geneva later this spring. Photo by Nissan

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Even though the BladeGlider will be shown in Geneva, don’t count on it making into production in this form. The prototype is meant to generate buzz for Nissan’s other electric-car efforts before the debut of the next-generation Leaf or an even more affordable model. Hopefully the BladeGlider will point the way to a sportier version of the Leaf even if it does not adopt the exterior design of this prototype.

“As the global leader in electric vehicles, and with mass adoption just around the corner, it is more important than ever that we showcase all of the benefits of driving an electric car — from energy efficiency to sustainability, from handling to performance,” said Gareth Dunsmore, director of electric vehicles for Nissan Europe. “Having Margot on board will support us in spreading news of the personal and societal benefits of electric vehicles to more people than ever before. Nissan’s Electrify the World movement recognizes the importance of us all working together to achieve positive change in our communities. We want to inspire people to take meaningful steps toward cleaner, safer cities.”

TechArt brings 3 pumped Porsches to Geneva

If you don’t know TechArt, then you haven’t dived into the world of aftermarket parts for Porsche. For 30 years, the tuner, based in Germany and just a stone’s throw away from Stuttgart, has been making parts across the Porsche lineup. To celebrate three decades of performance Porsches, the tuner is bringing three new products to the Geneva motor show — the Coupe, GrandGT and GTstreet R Cabriolet.

The Coupe, based on the 718 Cayman, gets performance and style. Power is up to 400 hp, with a sprint to 60 mph taking 3.9 seconds. Top speed is 183 mph. There is a new exhaust, two-piece front splitter, central air outlet, lateral air inlet fins, rear diffuser and two different rear spoilers. Wheels are 21-inch alloys. Carbon-fiber bits are available both inside and out for the TechArt Coupe.

TechArt’s GrandGT is a Panamera Turbo with poise. The body has been widened by 80 millimeters, which is combined with a new front integrated splitter, central air outlet, side skirts, extended wheel arches and a new rear fascia and diffuser. Twenty-two-inchers wrapped in 285/30ZR-22 and 335/25ZR-22 Conti Sport Contact 6 tires provide grip. The sport exhaust system has four central carbon-fiber tailpipes. Performance is obviously upped, but TechArt hasn’t released any numbers yet, with the GrandGT available later this year.

No collection of Porsche performance cars would be complete without a hopped-up 911. The GTstreet R Cabriolet, based on the Turbo S Cabriolet, kicks out 720 hp and comes with two available interiors — Clubsport and Exclusive. Zero to 62 mph happens in just 2.7 seconds. Sprints to 124 mph and 186 mph take 8.5 and 23.3 seconds, respectively. Top speed is 211 mph. There are numerous carbon-fiber aerodynamic bits and wide 265-mm and 325-mm Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires (Michelin Pilot Super Sports are also available).

Rounding out TechArt’s Geneva assault is news of a performance kit for Porsche Macans equipped with the 2.0-liter engine. Performance is increased to 300 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque. If this is how TechArt celebrates, we would love to get an invite — or a ride.

Autoweek in review: Everything you missed Feb. 13-17

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2018 Hyundai Accent is the biggest to date

Hyundai redesigned the 2018 Accent to bring the subcompact sedan’s styling into line with the brand’s other offerings at the Canadian International Auto Show on Thursday. The new Accent features a grille, headlights and wraparound taillights similar to other recently redesigned models in the Hyundai lineup like the Elantra GT, unveiled earlier this month in Chicago.

The new Accent, 0.6 inches longer and 1.14 inches wider than its predecessor, is set to hit showroom floors in the fourth quarter in the U.S. and Canada. A five-door version of the Accent will be available for sale only at Canadian dealerships, in early 2018.

“The Accent five-door will be tailored specifically for the needs of Canadians,” Hyundai Auto Canada Corp. CEO Don Romano said at a press event on Thursday.

The Accent comes with a 1.6-liter, four-cylinder 132-hp engine and a six-speed transmission. The new model has improved its fuel economy by 7 percent over its predecessor, according to Hyundai.

It is equipped with a backup camera and has options for a 7-inch touchscreen display with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, as well as an optional autonomous emergency braking system.

The redesign comes following a strong 2016 for the model in the U.S. Hyundai sold 79,766 Accents in the U.S. last year, up 30 percent from 2015.

Canadian sales in 2016 dipped slightly to 19,198 units, a drop of 0.9 percent from the year prior.

Pricing for the 2018 model was not immediately available.

The article “Redesigned Hyundai Accent grows slightly, takes on siblings’ look” originally appeared at Automotive News.

Dodge Challenger SRT Demon launches 35 percent harder than the Hellcat

It’s Thursday, which means more Dodge Challenger SRT Demon news! Today’s nugget is about the drag-rated rubber this monster will wear, as well as the rear gear. The Nitto NT05R meats are labeled 315/40R18 and will have a width of 12.6 inches.

Dodge says that gives the Demon a 15 percent larger tire patch than the Hellcat and more than twice as much grip, along with a new 3.09 rear axle and a higher stall speed torque converter. According to Dodge, that nets an 18 percent increase in converter torque multiplication and an 18 percent increase in rear axle torque multiplication.

Dodge says the Demon will launch with 35 percent more force than the Hellcat. We’ll get more tidbits as we approach the New York auto show, where the Demon will make its world debut.

Over the past few weeks, we’ve learned about the SRTs weight reduction, wide body, hood scoop and more. Our only hope is that the Demon makes its world debut outside of the New York auto show, preferably at a red light.

Ferrari 812 Superfast is a quicker, sexier F12berlinetta

Ferrari’s Geneva show stand is getting a big boost with the unveiling of the 812 Superfast, a car replacing both the F12berlinetta coupe and TDF.

According to Ferrari, the 812 is the most powerful and fastest road-going Ferrari ever and celebrates 70 years since the marque’s first V12.

The new mid-front-mounted 6.5-liter develops 788 hp and 530 lb-ft, 80 percent of which is available at 3,500 rpm. What’s that mean? It means the Superfast is, you guessed it, super-fast: 62 mph arrives in just 2.9 seconds, according to Ferrari, which adds the top speed is “over 211 mph.”

Mamma mia!

Ferrari says the 812 is also the first car in its history to sport electronic power steering; it has the company’s patented Side Slip Control (its stability system), while the Virtual Short Wheelbase 2.0 system uses microchips to tame the rear-drive power and improve response time.

The interior evolves from the F12’s with new sport buckets and upgraded steering-wheel controls.

There’s even a new color: Rosso Settanta.

We can’t wait to see it in person. The Geneva auto show runs March 9-19.

Wes Raynal – Wes Raynal joined Crain Communications’ circulation department while still in college. When he graduated in 1986, he became a reporter for Autoweek sister publication Automotive News. He has worked as Autoweek’s associate editor, news editor, motorsports editor and executive editor before being named editor in 2009. Read more »
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Next-gen McLaren Super Series will have a 4.0-liter V8

Ahead of the Geneva motor show, McLaren revealed some details about the next generation of McLaren Super Series cars. The upcoming supercars will take in more air than the currently available cars, and they’ll sport a 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8. For those unfamiliar with modern McLaren V8 engines, that’s a 0.2-liter increase over the 3.8-liter turbocharged V8 you can get in a 650S.

Saving the official output figures for the full debut at Geneva, McLaren did say that the next-gen car can run a standing quarter-mile in 10.3 seconds, and it can scoot from 0 to 124 mph in a mere 7.8 seconds. We can only figure that this thing will be more powerful than anything currently available at the McLaren dealership. The 903-hp P1 has long been sold out.

McLaren will put a light in the engine bay to draw even more attention to your wild supercar.

Feeding the new 4.0-liter V8 is a pair of ultra-low inertia twin-scroll turbochargers. The new turbochargers will spool faster and reduce turbo lag, McLaren says, but we won’t know for certain until we get behind the wheel. McLaren also developed a new exhaust system, which is supposed to sound crisper than the current cars.

Waiting for horsepower? We are, too. McLaren says it’ll release more performance and engine specs on March 7, just two days before the Geneva motor show kicks off. A few other supercars will be making their debuts at Geneva, so make sure to check back to sate your supercar needs.