All posts in “hybrid”

2025 McLaren Artura Spider loses roof, gains power and performance

Hitting the one-year mark for a new McLaren hardtop model means it’s time for a convertible version. The timeline got fudged with the Artura, the hardtop delayed a tad while McLaren worked out some technical issues. But here we are, the Artura Spider not only packing a clear view to the sky, but 19 more horses from its 3.0-liter V6 and a brace of additional performance tweaks. The mid-mounted engine has been tuned from 577 hp to 596 hp, torque unmoved at 431 pound-feet. Working with the electric motor in the transaxle, combined output is now 690 hp and 531 lb-ft. 

New engine mapping boosts torque delivery, and the retuned gearbox improves shift speeds. McLaren said the eight-speed dual-clutch transmission now keeps the hydraulic fluid pressurized to near the “kiss point” that activates a gear change. Called “pre-fill” in company parlance, swapping cogs takes 25% less time than before. Using launch control, the Artura blitzes from 0 to 60 miles per hour in a claimed 3 seconds, and on to an electronically limited 205-mph top speed. A new feature called Spinning Wheel Pull-Away — which sounds like a Saturday afternoon kung-fu movie move — is the opposite of launch control, allowing the driver to work up a rooster tail of smoke when pulling off the line or out of a car meet. 

Eight motors stow or restore the top panel in 11 seconds, at up to 31 mph. The standard panel comes in carbon fiber, while an electrochromic unit can cycle through five stops from opaque to transparent. Curved polycarbonate panels in the buttresses improve three-quarter visibility and help direct air into the revised vent arrangement on the engine cover. 

Elsewhere, new mounts provide better restraint for the powertrain, revalved rear dampers provide better responsiveness, and recalibrated ABS provides shorter threshold stopping distances. More valving work done to the stock exhaust, and new conical, upward-facing pipes, are said to create cleaner, richer sound.

Standard equipment grows with the inclusion of lane-departure warning and road-sign recognition, the Bowers and Wilkins audio gains new rear speakers and, just for the Spider, a center speaker between the seats. The lithium-ion battery is more efficient with its 7.4-kWh usable capacity, enough to increase pure-electric range in European testing to 21 miles, but not here, holding at 11 miles. And at the corners, there’s a new silver 15-spoke wheel as standard fit, plus an optional gold finish for the wheel range.

All of the changes made under the skin are new to the 2025 Artura Coupe as well. Even better for Coupe owners making do with lesser output, a visit to the McLaren dealer gets a free engine upgrade to add the 19 horses.

Order books are open, and deliveries commence later this year, the Spider starting at $273,800.

Red Bull RB17 due in 2024, makes 1,250 hp, weighs 1,984 lbs

In 2022, Red Bull Advanced Technologies (RBAT) announced the development of a new hypercar, the RB17. RBAT is the commercial technology arm for the Oracle Red Bull Racing Formula 1 team — akin to Williams Advanced Engineering, it’s a place to market technologies developed for F1 and to employ engineers cut from the F1 team when the sport introduced a cost cap. The track-only car’s rough specs in the announcement were a twin-turbocharged V8 hybrid powertrain making 1,250 horsepower, bodywork incorporating every useful F1 performance aid both legal and banned, a price of five million pounds ($6.4M U.S.) plus taxes and options, and a market launch in 2025. Evo magazine, via an interview Red Bull team principal Christian Horner gave to Sky Sports, revealed the debut’s been pushed up to this year instead of 2025 and provided a few more details on what’s inbound.

An unnamed third party is building the twin-turbo V8 engine and, if not the entire transmission, the gearsets inside. Red Bull still isn’t ready to disclose the engine maker, so we’re going to put two placeholder possibilities here. First, Red Bull announced the RB17 in June 2022, stating that the coupe was in the “advanced stages of development.” Porsche began making noises about joining F1 in 2021, then announced it would pair with Red Bull in July 2022, one month after the RB17 news. And Porsche knows all about hybridized twin-turbo V8s and racy track cars. The collaboration process went far enough to reveal that Porsche planned a ten-year project that involved taking a 50% stake in Red Bull F1. In March 2023, both parties deep-sixed the deal over a disagreement about a controlling stake, but there’s no reason the breakup would need to end a potential powertrain partnership for the RB17.

Second, the placeholder we’d love to see: A Ford engine in the RB17. One month before Red Bull and Porsche officially hit the rocks, Ford announced it would return to F1 with Red Bull in 2026. We have no idea what engine sits behind the RB17’s cockpit, and suspect the chance of it wearing a Blue Oval badge (for due cause, not badge engineering) are close enough to zero to be considered zero, but that doesn’t stop us from thinking it would be great to see.

Horner said the RB17’s target weight is 900 kilograms (1,984 pounds). Top Gear, which drove Red Bull’s most recent track-only hypercar project, the non-hybrid, V12-powered Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro, said it weighs 1,009 kg (2,225 lbs). The track-only version of the road-legal Gordon Murray Automotive T.50, called the T.50s, weighs 851 kg (1,878 pounds). For comparison, last year’s minimum weight for an F1 car was 798 kg (1,759 pounds).

Red Bull’s targeting a lower center of gravity for its 900 kg than found on the Valkyrie AMR Pro. The RB17’s said to have a longer wheelbase than that of the 124-inch span on the Aston Martin, the Pro’s wheelbase itself stretched 15 inches beyond the wheelbase of the regular road Valkyrie. The RB17’s also expected with larger wheels, too, meaning hoops larger than 18 inches, a bit surprising seeing that would outdo the spec sizes for F1 and LMP1 cars as well. 

Motorsports fans have long mused on what Red Bull chief technology officer Adrian Newey could create without restrictions; Red Bull has done the same, creating virtual concepts like the X1 for Gran Turismo in 2010. The RB17 will be the first real-world demonstration, originally described with phrases like “All the tricks we’ve learned in F1” and “Adrian’s greatest hits.” 

Production begins in RBAT facilities later this year, the division capping assembly at no more than 15 per year. With a planned production run of 50 cars, that’s more than three years for builds. The multi-million-pound purchase price is said to pay for service and maintenance, access to Red Bull simulators, and on-track instruction. And Christian Horner wants everyone to know, “It will sound fantastic, like a track car should.” 

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Autoblog’s Editors’ Picks: The Complete List

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2024 Chevrolet Corvette prices now up between $2,300 and $5,100

The 2024 Chevrolet Corvette is about to be unloaded on dealer lots with four-figure price increases in its frunk. Corvette Blogger got eyes on a dealer bulletin stating that, effective October 2, the starting price on all Corvettes will be $2,000 higher. That’s unwelcome enough. Even worse, the price changes and final prices are quite a bit higher. Starting with the entry Stingray, Chevy has the 2023 and 2024 models on its consumer site at the moment. Comparing Build & Price pages for each year shows a $4,100 price difference, not a $2,000 difference. It appears that what’s happened is the latest increase comes on top of an earlier $2,000 increase described in order guides that came out in July. Less than four months ago, Corvette Blogger reported that dealer Rick “Corvette” Conti revealed new pricing that would have the 2024 Stingray starting at $67,895. Instead, the new Stingray is shown as starting at $69,995. 

Exactly $100 of the $2,100 difference between now and July is an even higher destination charge that was already going up by $200, according to the July order guide. 

The total price bumps aren’t consistent across trims, though, so we’re comparing prices on the 2023 Build & Price page against the 2024 page to get the variations. For the coupe, that means:

  • 1LT Coupe: $69,995 ($4,100)
  • 2LT Coupe: $77,095 ($3,900)
  • 3LT Coupe: $81,745 ($3,900)

It’s a little less extreme on the Stingray Convertible side of the fence. The 2023 Build & Price page shows a Standard Vehicle Price of $72,000 and a destination charge of $1,395 for a 1LT Convertible, a total of $73,395. A Monroney from April of this year for a 2LT Convertible checks out against the configurator. Flip to the 2024 Corvette Convertible configurator, the 1LT starts at $75,300 with a destination charge of $1,695 at the time of writing. That’s a total of $76,995, a $3,600 difference. Back to the Monroneys, the window sticker for a 2024 3LT Corvette Convertible shows Standard Vehicle Price as $85,050 and destination as $1,595, while the configurator shows it as $87,050 with the $1,695 destination. This car would have been ordered before the October 2 price change date, explaining the difference. 

Here’s what 2024 Corvette Convertible pricing looks like on the retail site, compared to the 2023 pricing:

  • 1LT Convertible: $76,995 ($3,600)
  • 2LT Convertible: $84,095 ($3,900)
  • 3LT Convertible: $88,745 ($3,900)

Step up to the Z06 Coupe, and we find the highest increases so far. The prices on the retail site and their differences from 2023, after the $1,695 destination charge and $2,600 gas guzzler tax, are:

  • 1LZ Coupe: $114,395 ($5,100)
  • 2LZ Coupe: $120,595 ($4,800)
  • 3LZ Coupe: $125,245 ($4,800)

And here’s the outlay for your 2024 Z06 Convertible, which is up $4,800 across the board: 

  • 1LZ Convertible: $121,395
  • 2LZ Convertible: $130,295
  • 3LZ Convertible: $134,945

Finally, the 2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray caught the same bug. Unlike with the Stingray and Z06, there was no 2023 E-Ray so we can’t compare pages on the consumer site. We can, however, compare to the launch price; the model wasn’t mentioned in the order guides from July. With winter approaching, buyers who want the security of hybrid all-wheel-drive are going to need $2,300 more than asked at launch — $300 of which is in the destination charge: 

  • 1LZ Coupe: $106,595 
  • 2LZ Coupe: $112,095 
  • 3LZ Coupe: $117,545

The 2024 E-Ray Convertible rises by the same amount:

  • 1LZ Convertible: $113,595
  • 2LZ Convertible: $119,095
  • 3LZ Convertible: $124,545

You’d almost think automakers — plural “automakers,” not only Chevy — uploaded new pricing to configurators without telling anybody because it’s all bad news. Or, in the Corvette’s case, is it? A Porsche 911 Carrera starts at about $116,000, a 911 GT3 starts at about $184,000. Ford’s Mustang Dark Horse starts at nearly $61,000, the take-all-comers Mustang GTD starts at the monumental-for-a-Mustang sum of $300,000. So what’s crazy about the Corvette price increases isn’t the increases, it’s the fact that even with the higher prices, for the money, the Corvette is still a screaming performance bargain. Like, screaming. What a world, eh?

Bugatti Rimac signs exclusive distribution deal with VW of America

Volkswagen Group of America (VGoA) has only just announced a deal it signed with Bugatti Rimac during Monterey Car Week last month. The deal gives VGoA exclusive rights to import and distribute Bugatti and Rimac products in the United States, and puts the COO of Bugatti America, Sascha Doering, in charge of the Rimac’s American outpost as well.

Mate Rimac, CEO of what’s now called the Rimac Group, said, “For both the Bugatti and Rimac brands, the U.S. is the strongest single market in the world, so it’s important that we curate a sales and ownership experience befitting the extraordinary cars that we’re delivering to customers. The alignment and cooperation with Volkswagen Group of America will allow a new dealer network in the States to evolve with the enormous experience and resources available to them, allowing us to combine all the best bits of a mass-market sales operation with the bespoke, customer-centric special touches that have become a hallmark of both Bugatti and Rimac brands.”

We suspect the news will have more effect on Bugatti dealers than Rimac dealers, but neither company explained what the new arrangement will mean. Rimac’s retailer map shows seven stores in the U.S. Three of those seven also sell Bugatti, one assumes they’ll only need to deal with paperwork and potential new showroom dictates. Of the remaining four, two sell numerous additional brands that include VW nameplates other than Bugatti, one appears to only sell Rimac and Koenigsegg, and one appears to sell just Rimac. Those latter two could be cut off from the herd.

However, it’s more likely that all of the dealers saw this coming once Rimac turned into Bugatti Rimac in 2021. For anyone interested in minutiae, Bugatti Rimac is a joint venture between Porsche and Rimac, the German sports car company owning a 45% stake, the Rimac Group owning 55%. The Rimac Group is the carmaking division and Rimac Technology, which engineers electric powertrains for other automakers like Pininfarina and is separate from the production cars, is 100% owned by Rimac Group.

No matter all that. By the time Bugatti’s new hybrid debuts next year, eager buyers should be clear on who they’ll need to call to place a deposit.

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Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale revealed, Dodge Challenger Black Ghost driven | Autoblog Podcast #796

In this episode of the Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Senior Editor John Beltz Snyder. John has been driving the 2024 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392, while Greg has been making noise in another last call from Dodge, the 2023 Challenger Black Ghost. John, along with Associate Editor Byron Hurd, recently tested the 2023 Honda CR-V and Kia Sportage hybrids for an upcoming comparison review.

In the news, Felipe Massa seeks to overturn the 2008 F1 Championship in his favor through legal means; Ford might return to the street-performance truck scene with the F-150 Lobo; Volkswagen has been hinting at something interesting at the Munich show by tweeting a mysterious video of a rabbit (the animal); and while the podcast recording was underway, Alfa Romeo unveiled its beautiful 33 Stradale supercar.

Send us your questions for the Mailbag and Spend My Money at: Podcast@Autoblog.com.

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Zenvo Aurora to run with quad-turbo 6.6-liter V12 hybrid powertrain

This year’s edition of The Quail: A Motorsports Gathering is going to be a sort of royal running. It’s the 20th anniversary of the event, the 25th anniversary of the Quail Rally, and two-wheelers get their 13th showcase. The show plans four featured classes and 20 debuts, one of those reveals the Zenvo Aurora. The Danish hypercar maker closed its TS model chapter last year with a TSR-GT that a driver ran up to 263 miles per hour. As with every Zenvo up to that point, motivation for that speed run came from a GM-based LS-series V8 bearing some amount of both turbocharging and supercharging. The Aurora writes at least two new chapters for the company, introducing Zenvo’s first in-house engine as well — and not just any engine, a quad-turbocharged 6.6-liter V12.

Those are larger specs than Zenvo announced earlier this year when it said the Aurora would run with a twin-turbocharged 6.0-liter V12. The Danes are working with the German boffins at Mahle Powertrain on the unit, seems one of the parties realized they had a lot more potential in their design.

Named Mjoner, the name of Thor’s hammer, the engine’s heart is a new aluminum block in a modular design so Zenvo can break off V8 and V6 mills to power Aurora offshoots. The heads hide Mahle’s Jet Ignition tech. This is the same pre-chamber ignition design Maserati uses in the twin-turbo 3.0-liter Nettuno V6; the Italians also worked with Mahle after watching sister brand Ferrari use Jet Ignition in the Ferrari F1 cars. The integration isn’t about bragging, it’s for emissions. The coming Euro 7 regulations place limits on an engine’s fuel-use trickery, Jet Ignition keeps Mjolner within regulation for the European and U.S. markets. Compatibility with synthetic fuels lends another measure of future-proofing — for the near future, at least.     

Internal combustion horsepower comes to 1,232 (1,250 ps) at 8,000 rpm on the way to a 9,800-rpm redline, leading Zenvo to say this will be the most powerful road-legal V12 in the world. Electrical assistance will add another 592 hp (600 ps), taking matters to 1,824 hp. The company says the hybrid unit’s being tuned for drivability and usability. We know the combined sources will grant the Aurora all-wheel drive. It’s not clear which motor powers which axle, but our guess is that there will be a short electric-only range to satisfy stricter urban demands in Europe.

All-carbon chassis construction means a carbon tub and front and rear subframes. There are going to be two trims, Tur the slicker GT variant ready to cross Germany at more than 249 miles per hour, Agil the higher-drag and higher-aero track variant. Zenvo plans to make no more than 100 cars in total, split between the two trims. We’ll find out what they look like on August 18 during Monterey Car Week.

New Alfa Romeo supercar teaser mentions ‘6 weeks’ and ‘792 hours’

Alfa Romeo got on Instagram again to tease the coming supercar that will debut on August 30. The image is a bit funky, and so is the caption. The picture shows the steering wheel, shot from underneath. The hub center is the first unusual bit, being a monochrome Alfa Romeo logo. The Italian brand’s steering wheels usually feature a full-color logo except in the Quadrifoglio trims that bear a black and silver design. Vintage Alfas like the GT Junior models of the 1960s and 1970s were known for silver logos. They were also known for drilled steering wheel spokes, which might be featured in the teaser as well. No current Alfas we know of use metal-looking steering wheels spokes, and none contain what look like dials set into the bottom spoke. Even the limited-edition Giulia GTAm that started at about $225,000 in Europe took the Giulia’s regular wheel and replaced plastic with carbon fiber for the lower spoke.

Then there’s the caption, “792hours and less than #6weeks left to ignite your spirit with #AlfaRomeo. Witness history unfold on August 30th, as #Courage and passion #Converge to give birth to a visionary #Creation. Save the date!”

That’s an oddball number of hours for a countdown timer. The guess is that this is a reference to the horsepower figure engineers coaxed from the twin-turbo 3.0-liter Nettuno V6 poached from the Maserati MC20. In the MC20, the engine produces 621 horsepower. Rumors out of Europe have said the Maserati mill is going to share the Alfa Romeo’s engine bay with at least one electric motor and make about 800 horsepower — close enough to 792 not to quibble over. Since that would be a metric horsepower rating, converting PS to U.S. HP gives 781 hp, a tidy 160 horses more than the MC20 and totally achievable with a single flux capacitor.

Unless the Italians are taking a MacGuffin from Hitchcock’s playbook, six weeks away could foreshadow the 6C name instead of the 33 name that’s worked its way into the conversation. The livestreamed debut from the Alfa Romeo museum in Arese, Italy is a month away.

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Alfa Romeo teases million-dollar supercar debut for August 30

The long-rumored and limited-edition Alfa Romeo supercar will see its debut August 30. The brand teased an intake grille on Twitter with the line, “The courage to dream. It’s time to seize a game-changing moment with more passion than ever. Be prepared to enter the dream.”

We’re also informed that the happening will be livestreamed from the Alfa Romeo Museum in Arese, Italy. The location was foreshadowed by brand CEO Philippe Imparato in February, when he said, “We are working on something that I could put aside the 8C in the museum of Arese, being proud of our contribution to the history of Alfa Romeo. That is what we want.”

Reports say the something could be called either the 33, a call to the original Tipo 33 race car and Stradale of 1967. Both versions of the T33 are legendary in the brand’s history, although both were powered by the 2.0-liter V8 in the competition variant. The 6C name that’s been bandied for years would recall six-cylinder Alfas from the late 1920s to the early 1950s, and slot between the here-and-gone 8C Competizione supercar and 4C sports car.      

This new beast will be a V6, that much we know. Reporting agrees that the Maserati MC20 Cielo roadster will provide the bones. Maserati’s flagship is built on a carbon tub sprouting front and rear aluminum subframes, same as the 4C’s construction, the Maserati built in the same Modena facility as the retired 4C. The Alfa Romeo-branded Formula 1 team might be contributing chassis tweaking suggestions; the supercar reveal happens the same weekend as the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, making for a natural crossover showcase.

Sources differ on the engine. Some believe the entire MC20 Cielo package makes the jump, including the twin-turbo 3.0-liter Nettuno V6 making 621 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque. It’s said engineers will add at least one electric motor to bump output to around 800 hp. Others believe it’ll be the twin-turbo 2.9-liter V6 from the Giulia Quadrifoglio, tuned up to 539 hp and 443 lb-ft in the limited-edition GTAm.

Production and price guesses are all over the map. Autocar says only 33 examples are coming out of Modena. Autocar believes each will cost more than 1 million euros ($1.1M U.S.), and each will reach a top speed of 333 kilometers per hour (206 mph) — although the supposed name will be 6C. Italian mag Quattroroute thinks “a few dozen” will see life. Either way, the run is gone, a state of affairs the CEO warned everyone of in February when admitting the automaker was taking deposits before the car got the green light, saying, “It will be sold out before I unveil the car.”

Koenigsegg details outrageous new Gemera specs with Dark Matter e-motor

Koenigsegg recently held an event to celebrate an expansion of its campus headquarters in Angelholm, Sweden. We got some initial bits out of it from Koenigsegg Registry, focusing on changes to the production-spec Gemera such as the option to swap the turbocharged 2.0-liter three-cylinder engine for the 5.0 TTV8 from the Jesko. It looks like the Swedes saved the juiciest details for now. Coming straight from founder and boss Christian von Koenigsegg, the Gemera hasn’t only been improved by a lot, it’s got some outstanding new tech that started with the question of an engine and transmission swap.

Engineers had developed a nine-speed gearbox called the Light Speed Transmission (LST) for the Jesko’s TTV8. The LST dispenses with a flywheel and clutch or hydraulic coupling, making the TTV8 engine’s output shaft the LST’s input shaft. At some point during Gemera development, someone wondered if the Gemera could fit the TTV8 and LST instead of the planned Direct Drive transmission from the Koenigsegg Regera. The short story is the engineers answered that question in the affirmative with what’s now called the LSTT, the Light Speed Tourbillon Transmission. In the lingo of jewel-like Swiss watch internals, a “tourbillon” is a mechanical feature that makes a watch more accurate. Reworking the LST for its new employment made it smaller, lighter, and better.

Alongside that, engineers created a new six-phase e-motor to replace the three, three-phase Quark e-motors that had been paired with the 2.0-liter Tiny Friendly Giant (TFG) engine. The one motor to rule them all is called Dark Matter, designed as a blend of radial flux and axial flux topologies called “raxial.” In the original powertrain, two of the Quark motors on the rear axle could each make a maximum 500 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque, the third Quark on the crankshaft made 400 hp and 369 lb-ft. transmission. Their combined output in operation came to 1,100 hp. 

The Dark Matter makes 800 hp and 922 lb-ft. Pairing a single Dark Matter with the LSTT makes the TFG powertrain lighter and smaller, improving acceleration and performance. New control logic means the Dark Matter can drive the Gemera on its own, the TFG can power the car, or both can be called to action. When operating together, max output comes to 1,400 horsepower and 1,365 pound-feet of torque. The Gemera retains its all-wheel drive, four-wheel steering, and torque vectoring.

Thanks to the more compact transmission and single e-motor, the TTV8 could find a home in the Gemera’s engine bay. That required more development, mostly changing the turbo setup to a hot vee, putting the exhaust into the valley between the cylinders. Note the more pronounced pipes emerging from beside the rear window.

Previous info said going to the V8 would add $400K to the Gemera’s price. It also makes a huge difference to output. With 1,500 hp coming from the TTV8 and 800 hp coming from the Dark Matter, final output is rated at 2,300 hp and 2,028 lb-ft. of torque. Well then. 

This Gemera iteration is called the Client Specification. It’s what those who managed to get on the Germera reservation list will fly to Sweden to configure in the new extension called the Gripen Atelier. Production begins toward the end of next year, first deliveries planned for early 2025.

Koenigsegg shows production Gemera with TTV8 option

The Koenigsegg Gemera is taking the scenic route to production, making stops along the way that buyers will appreciate. Koenigsegg Registry attended an event to inaugurate a new production line for the Gemera, company boss Christian von Koenigsegg telling the audience the mid-engined four-seat hypercar can be optioned with the 5.0-liter twin-turbo V8 that powers the Koenigsegg Jesko. The V8 adds $400,000 to the price and about 500 horsepower to the spec sheet, while decreasing torque by about 500 pound-feet, the announced figures being 2,300 hp and 2,028 pound-feet of torque on E85. The TTV8 makes 1,280 hp and 738 lb-ft by itself on premium fuel, 1,600 hp on E85. The remaining output comes from the Gemera’s three electric motors. The nine-speed Light Speed Transmission (LST) would also make the jump from the Jesko. 

The Gemera debuted in 2020, the original spec sheet boasting 1,700 horsepower and 2,583 pound-feet of torque from a plug-in hybrid drivetrain that could get the four-seater from 0-60 miles per hour in 1.9 seconds. A turbocharged 2.0-liter inline three-cylinder called the Tiny Friendly Giant (TFG) sends 600 hp and 443 lb-ft of torque to the front axle. It’s frugal enough that the company lists gas-powered range as 590 miles. Three Quark electric motors turn the rear axle, two motors for each wheel, another between the crankshaft and the Hydracoup direct-drive transmission. The axle motors each produce 500 hp and 738 lb-ft of torque, the crankshaft e-motor makes 400 bhp and 369 lb-ft of torque. Their combined output in the powertrain comes to 1,100 bhp.

The Gemera shown on stage at the event sported physical side mirrors instead of the cameras on the concept car. Those will be a necessity for markets like the U.S. that haven’t approved digital outside mirrors yet. It’s not clear if the camera system will be offered in places like Europe that do allow such. 

The options sheet grows again with the addition of a Ghost Package. This installs a larger front splitter, an S-duct in place of the traditional hood, and a rear wing. Aggression and downforce get amped up, but practicality diminishes since the S-duct front end replaces the frunk. That would be a shame considering the four-season, nuclear family potential of the car. The Gemera comes with all-wheel drive, all-wheel steering and torque vectoring on both axles. The 16.6-kWh battery can power up to 31 miles of all-electric range on the WLTP cycle. The interior’s been designed with four heated seats, tri-zone climate control, infotainment screens for front and rear passengers, wireless chargers front and rear, and a few climate-controlled cupholders among the beverage receptacles. 

After production begins, 300 Gemeras will come off the line. As part of the improved headquarters, customers visiting Sweden to configure their cars will find a new showroom, lounge, experience center and retail space. 

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2025 Lamborghini Urus to drop gas-only model, go PHEV-only

After introducing the first hybrid to the brand this year in the Revuelto, Lamborghini’s transformation takes two more big steps next year. Autocar reports that toward the end of 2024, the Urus will switch to a PHEV-only powertrain. We’ve known for a while there was an electrical cord headed to the Urus’ flanks, but we didn’t expect Lamborghini would give up the pure ICE variant. Brand honcho Stephan Winkelmann confirmed to Autocar the engine will be a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8, but didn’t give output figures. A 2021 report in Car magazine — back when the purported Urus PowerHybrid was due in 2022 — predicted the engine in question is coming from Porsche and would produce about 660 horsepower and 660 pound-feet of torque. The horse count would rise with help from a 168-hp electric motor in the transmission. However, the gearbox’s internals wouldn’t allow any more than 660 lb-ft. That’s still a perfectly fine number; the 6.5-liter V12 and three electric motors in the new Revuelto “only” throw a combined 783 lb-ft.

Today’s Urus romps with a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 making 657 horsepower and 627 lb-ft. in both S and track-focused Performante trims. Theoretically, the Urus PHEV could crank that to about 830 hp and 660 lb-ft. The additional power would be partially offset by additional weight, as much as 551 pounds if Car is correct. This SUV would carry on until 2029, when an all-electric version ushers in a second generation.

The Lamborghini Huracan successor is expected to debut before the PHEV Urus but go on sale about the same time as the Urus. Since that successor will use an adapted version of the engine headed to the Urus mated to the transmission in the Revuelto, we expect the release of vital details to begin as soon as the new baby coupe makes its introduction, thought to be around next spring. 

To hear Winkelmann talk, we’re ruminating now on the last hurrah of old-school, visceral, ICE-powered Lamborghinis. The brand has a high-riding battery-electric 2+2 GT penned in to debut in 2028 with about 300 miles of range. That will be the next big sign of things to come. He told Autocar, “You go with the most difficult legislation, which is the US, and is really California. Other states adopt California’s rules — typically big cities and that’s where we sell cars. …

Even if it [legislation] is not banning EVs, taxation will be a killing factor. Then mega-cities are talking of abolishing non-EVs before 2035 regardless.” And despite the work of sister brand and collaborator Porsche, Winkelmann’s not sold on synthetic fuels yet. For him, they’re “more about keeping alive the current car parc,” not creating new ICE-powered models using said fuels.

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Acura to climb Pikes Peak with Integra Type S and wildly modified NSX

This year marks the 101st anniversary of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, one of the oldest motorsports events in the world. As has been the custom for the past 13 years, Acura will head to the Colorado summit with a fleet of specially prepped cars based on production models. This year, their team consists of two new Integras in regular and Type S flavor, a modified NSX Type S, and a TLX Type S pace car.

Of the Integras, the HPD-prepped Type S will be the most eye-catching, as it’s wrapped in an anime-style livery. It’s an extension of the company’s “Chiaki’s Journey” web series whose second chapter was released to coincide with the Integra Type S’s launch. The second installment features the Pikes Peak race as part of its story line. 

The real-world Chiaki is Lori Unser, a fourth-generation driver in the Unser racing dynasty. Her father Johnny raced at the Indianapolis 500, and if you count her extended family of Al, Bobby, and Al Jr., the clan has nine Indy championships under its collective belt. The family also has a history of racing at Pikes Peak, with Louis and Joe Unser competing in the hillclimb way back in 1926.

In the Time Attack I division Acura is fielding a wild-looking NSX Type S called the Active Aero Study. We prefer its nickname, Yamabiko, which means “echo” in Japanese but is also the name of a spirit from Japanese folklore that lives in the mountains. 

The NSX wears an enormous carbon fiber front splitter and rear diffuser, which by the looks of them extend the length of the car by two to three feet. The one-off aero bits include an active aero rear wing that can be electronically moved to reduce drag on high-speed sections of the course, or deployed as an air brake. At the same time, enough has been stripped out to reduce weight by 200 pounds. More powerful turbos have been fitted to the twin-turbo V6 and the engine software re-written, but Acura did not reveal how much over the stock Type S’s 600 horsepower Yamabiko’s output might be.

The NSX was built specifically to tackle the hillclimb by Crazy New, the skunkworks team of Honda employees that brought us the 800-horsepower CR-V Hybrid. It’ll be driven by Honda engineer James Robinson, who holds the current Hybrid class record of 10:01.913, which he set with an NSX in 2020. With Yokohama Tires’ trademark Advan black and red livery and lightweight HRE forged wheels wrapped in Advan A005s, it certainly looks the part of a purpose-built Pikes Peak racer.

In addition, an Integra 1.5T modified with off-the-shelf parts including an HPD suspension from the Civic TC America race car, Cusco LSD, and Bilstein dampers will be driven by Acura engineer Paul Hubers. weekend wrenchers will want to see the result of this one, as it’s a car anyone can build in their garage. Another engineer, Jordan Guitar, will campaign a TLX Type S as well, and a separate TLX Type S will serve as pace car. 

The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is a 12.42-mile course packed with 156 turns and rises over 14,000 feet above sea level. It takes place June 25.

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Ferrari supercar spy photos may show LaFerrari successor

Ferrari has made big news with the launch of its first ever crossover in the Purosangue, perhaps to the chagrin of the Ferrari faithful. But it seems the supercar builder will have something for traditional fans soon. Spy photos show a serious-looking prototype, and we suspect it’s a successor to the automaker’s last flagship, the LaFerrari.

This prototype does still look like a fairly early prototype, sporting slightly blocky bodywork and parts bin lights. We’re also not expecting the giant fixed rear wing to appear on the final product, especially since it looks like the struts are mounted in slots where a retractable piece would go.

But there’s still plenty to glean. The center section of the body, mainly the cockpit and roofline are probably close to production. That cockpit is particularly narrow, and, like the LaFerrari, features a door panel that goes into the roof, likely to aid entry, and a rear window that tapers toward the rear, boat-tail style. The overall body is also fairly rudimentary, but between the substantial width, aggressive diffuser and giant wing, this car will probably have impressive amounts of downforce.

There’s still a lot that’s unknown about this new supercar. The powertrain is probably the biggest mystery. We’re willing to bet it will be a hybrid of some sort, just as the LaFerrari was and as more modern Ferraris such as the 296 GTB are becoming. The number of cylinders is the question, as well as whether forced induction will be used. It would be nice to see one final top-end application of a Ferrari V12 before emissions and fuel economy regulations make it non-viable.

Also, while this prototype suggests there’s still a decent amount of development remaining, we wouldn’t be surprised if the car is revealed in the next year or so. Ferrari has a rough cadence of 10 years between flagship supercars starting with the F40. That has fluctuated by a year or two either way, but with that in mind, we’re coming up on a decade since the launch of the LaFerrari.

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More V8s on the way: McLaren extends relationship with engine builder Ricardo

McLaren recently announced that it would be extending its partnership with engine manufacturer Ricardo “into the next decade.” The relationship will produce V6 and V8 engines, including both hybrid and non-hybrid variants, at a time when most automakers are eying partial or complete electrification.

The two companies are intimately acquainted, having worked together since the McLaren 12C in 2011, and the partnership has already spanned 34,000 engines. Ricardo builds the engines in its facility in Shoreham, England, and ships them 50 miles to McLaren’s base in Woking. The engine builder said it would “make further significant investment” in its production facility and noted that it already employs more than 100 engineers and technicians on the McLaren powertrains project.

McLaren Automotive’s CEO, Michael Leiters, said that the new “high-performance, hybrid V8 powertrain will form an integral part of McLaren’s next-generation product lineup, delivering best-in-class performance and thrilling driver engagement.” Ricardo’s CEO, Graham Ritchie, echoed that excitement: “We are extremely pleased to have concluded this new engine supply agreement with McLaren Automotive for their next-generation high-performance V8 powertrain, which extends the long-term relationship between both companies into the next decade.”

Despite the enthusiasm, it’s interesting that McLaren is still homed in on gas V8s. Lamborghini’s entire product catalog will be electrified by the end of 2024, and the Italian supercar maker said it would release its first EV before the end of the decade. Ferrari plans to release an EV in the next few years and noted that 40 percent of its sales will be electric by 2030.

McLaren confirmed plans to design hybrid powertrains with this agreement, so it will be interesting to see how the company transitions over the next few years. In any case, the McLaren-Ricardo partnership has produced some impressive vehicles thus far, so there’s plenty to be encouraged about with this extension.

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Lamborghini Revuelto gets its closeup, makes some noise

Lamborghini revealed the successor to the Aventador at the end of March. The new biggest, baddest bull from Sant’Agata is called the Revuelto, powered by a hybrid V12 designed to celebrate the most feral side of Lamborghini’s take on internal combustion while also providing everyday hybrid manners in the city and meeting global emissions regulations. The first public viewing happened at Auto Shanghai in April, the Revuelto taking its first European bow late in the month at Milan Fashion Week, where Lamborghini also showed versions of the 60th Anniversary Huracan models. Now we’re getting more details on the new V12 in Lamborghini’s own words, thanks a seven-minute video called “The Challenge.”

Most importantly, we’re getting a taste of the Revuelto’s sounds. A leaked trademark application in Europe from earlier this year put a clip of the Revuelto’s pure EV mode on YouTube. That video’s been banished, but at 3:10 in this new vid there’s a sample that sounds similar to the leak. It opens up a discussion of techniques the sound engineers used to represent the new frontier for the brand, that section ending with a short blast of V12 noise.

Technical officer Reuven Mohr runs through some of the special numbers defining the Revuelto: The carbon fiber “monofuselage” is composed of RTM, pre-preg, and forged carbon fiber and weighs 10% less than the previous carbon tub while being 25% stiffer; and the V12 makes 30% more power than the final Aventador while producing 30% fewer emissions. There’s also an animation of the new eight-speed double-clutch gearbox that houses an electric motor. Replacing the former longitudinal transmission placed between the cabin seats with a compact unit mounted behind the engine meant being able to move the engine forward. Mohr gives the impression the relocation enabled designers to add a proper, deep diffuser. However, the 2017 Centenario gave us a taste of what we have now, including the visible chunk of rear tire.

There’s so much more we’re still waiting to find out about the new Italian flagship, but you can start your studies with the video above.

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Lamborghini highlights Aventador successor’s carbon fiber chassis

Earlier in March 2023, Lamborghini detailed the gasoline-electric hybrid drivetrain that will power the Aventador’s successor. We still don’t know what the model (which is called LB744 internally) looks like, but the firm revealed one way it kept the hybrid system’s weight in check.

Lamborghini built the LB744 around a new chassis called a “monofuselage” that consists of a carbon-fiber monocoque and a front structure made with Forged Composites, an innovative material the company has used since 2008. While the now-retired Aventador featured a carbon-fiber monocoque as well, its front structure was made with aluminum. Switching to a composite structure unlocks many advantages: It’s 20% lighter than the Aventador’s front structure, and it helps make the overall monofuselage 10% lighter than the Aventador’s chassis.

Out back, the structure that the engine, the transmission, and parts of the hybrid system are mounted on is built with high-strength aluminum alloys. It incorporates a pair of hollow castings that the rear suspension system’s shock towers and the powertrain’s suspension system are integrated into. Here again, this layout saves weight by reducing the number of parts that need to come together to assemble the car.

Power for the LB744 comes from a gasoline-electric plug-in hybrid drivetrain that consists of a new, 6.5-liter V12 engine located directly behind the passenger compartment, an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission mounted transversally behind the engine, a small electric motor integrated into the transmission, two electric motors on the front axle (one per wheel), and a 3.8-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack housed in what was previously the transmission tunnel. The system’s total output checks in at 1,001 horsepower. This layout delivers through-the-road all-wheel-drive, meaning that there’s no mechanical connection between the front and rear axles.

Lamborghini will unveil the LB744 in “a few weeks.”

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2024 Ford Mustang interior, and we drive the BMW X7 M60i | Autoblog Podcast #771

In this episode of the Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Road Test Editor Zac Palmer. They kick things off with a discussion about the 2024 Ford Mustang’s interior that Zac got to spend time in this week. Then, in the news, the pair run through news of a CT5-V Blackwing refresh by way of spy shots, the reveal of a new AC Cobra, rumors of the 911 GT2 RS going hybrid for its next generation and hit on the start of the Formula 1 season. Next, they discuss the cars they’ve been driving as of late, including our long-term 2022 Kia EV6 GT-Line, the 2023 BMW X7 M60i and the 2023 Toyota Corolla Cross. Finally, our hosts field a Spend My Money question for someone looking to go electric for their next vehicle purchase.

Send us your questions for the Mailbag and Spend My Money at: Podcast@Autoblog.com.

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Lamborghini previews the Aventador’s hybrid, 1,001-hp successor

Lamborghini is nearly ready to introduce the Aventador’s long-awaited successor. Referred to as the LB744, the company’s next flagship model adopts a gasoline-electric hybrid powertrain that’s built around a new, naturally-aspirated V12 and rated at about 1,000 horsepower.

We’ll need to be patient to discover the model’s exterior design, but Lamborghini provided us with a very good idea of what the specifications sheet looks like. The system’s centerpiece is a mid-mounted, 6.5-liter V12 that eschews forced induction — the company has previously made it clear that it wants to keep the naturally-aspirated 12-cylinder alive for as long as possible. While the Aventador was V12-powered as well, it sounds like the mechanical similarities between the two cars end there. In the upcoming LB744, the engine is bolted to an eight-speed, dual-clutch automatic transmission that’s mounted transversely behind the engine instead of longitudinally directly in front of it.

The company will need to find a new name for the transmission tunnel: it now houses a 3.8-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack. The electricity stored in it zaps three electric motors: one is integrated into the transmission, while the other two are each assigned to one of the front wheels. This layout delivers through-the-road all-wheel-drive, so there’s no mechanical connection between the axles, and it allows the LB744 to drive on electricity alone for short distances. The configuration also provides a torque vectoring function for sharper cornering.

Lamborghini pegs the system’s total output at 1,015 metric horsepower, which represents approximately 1,001 horsepower measured in U.S. terms. The bulk of the cavalry comes from the V12; it’s billed as the lightest and most powerful 12-cylinder that Lamborghini has ever made and it develops about 813 horsepower at a screaming 9,250 rpm (that’s 250 rpm short of its redline). Maximum torque checks in at 535 pound-feet. We haven’t heard the new engine yet, but Lamborghini stresses that it went to great lengths to give it an exhaust note worthy of a supercar.

More details about the LB744 will emerge in the not-too-distant future.

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