One Liners:
- The Opel Grandland X gets new 1.5lire turbodiesel engine
- Next generation of VW’s ‘R’ cars set to become wilder, hotter, extremer?
- VW are developing a new 2.0 litre TDI engine with mild hybrid-drive tech
- Lewis Hamilton narrowly wins the Azerbaijan F1 GP after Reb Bull duo lose the plot.
Another pair of fresh-faced Pininfarinas revealed in China
Auto China 2018 in true motor show was a hotbed for new machinery. Meet then if you dare the Pininfarina HK K350 SUV and HK H500 Sedan concepts. The writing is right on the tin, an SUV and saloon people mover respectively, both enjoying sweeping curves and chiseled creases, with an identifiable face for this exciting new Italian-Chinese brand. They’re joint ventures with the Hybrid Kinetic Group – that’s the HK bit in their names (and you thought it meant Hong Kong?). So hybrids it is, but with in excess of 300kW via a conventional engine and electric motor setup with a range extender for a theoretical range over 1000km. Performance is rated at a top speed of 250kph and a sprint to 100kph from standstill in just 4.5 seconds for both cars. Well okay then, let’s see what develops.
BMW officially launches its empirically photogenic i8 Roadster
The BMW i8 is a beautiful slice of futurism, with a practical purpose firmly in place. It was the next generation of sports car from Bavaria, by no means with aspirations of being a super car. Instead, it riffed off the hybrid theme already in play but sheathed it in a design and with surfaces that would excite and delight. Well now they’ve chopped the roof off and bloody hell if it hasn’t reached new levels of excitement and delightfulness all over again. That’s an all-electric soft-top roof up there, opening the leathery 2+2 cabin to the world. To validate it even further the Roadster gets its own signature set of lightweight allow wheels and a new paint colour. And to satisfy the neanderthal in us all, 0-100kph in just 4.6 seconds is the answer you’re looking for, versus 4.4 seconds in the coupe.
Want to watch a Ford Raptor drift the Nurburgring?
Let’s talk about the Ford Raptor. No, not the hopped-up incoming Ranger but rather its dad, the original F150 Raptor. Someone at Ford had the inspired idea of sticking Vaughn Gitten Jr, the Formula Drifter with a penchant for Fast Fords and hooniganism, into this massive truck and letting him out on the infamous circuit. In the (real) Raptor it really is all about the engine, endowed as it is with 336kW and 691Nm from it’s twin-turbo 3.5litre V6 engine. Chaos ensues after the link.
Watch the video above
BMW 8 Series drivetrain teased
Meanwhile in Munich, BMW has given us some information about the all-new V8 engine that will ultimately live in the imminent M850i xDrive super coupe. It will be coupled to a new Steptronic Sport 8-speed automatic transmission, which will have the task of sending 390kW and 750Nm to all four wheels. Exciting, but then you just know there’s an M8 waiting in the wings that will make the M850i look like fodder.
Meanwhile in USA, Amazon will deliver parcels to your boot
Sigh, seriously, who asked for this? Amazon recently came under fire for their service which allows them to deliver your packages right inside your home. Without you there?! Now they’ve gone one step further and extended the service essentially to the boot of your car? We’re note we’re comfortable with this just yet, are you?
