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Huracan Performante: Best Lamborghini Ever Made

Lamborghini’s Huracan Performante might just be the best Lamborghini ever made.

Huracan Performante

I’ve driven a few Lamborghinis – the Aventador S and Huracan Spyder. All-wheel drive, V12, rear-wheel drive V10. Before The Redline there was the Huracan LP610-4 at the Sepang Circuit in Malaysia and then on Australian roads.

It’s a terrific car. Fun, silly, entertaining, emotional. And a naturally-aspirated V10. The Spyder I drove was fun because it was rear-wheel drive and I came away thinking that it was my favourite Huracan.

And it was. Then the Performante came along.

The Performante is one of a great tradition at Lamborghini. SVs, Superleggeras – Sant’ Agata knows how to turn up the volume.

Drivetrain

The Lambo/Audi 5.2-litre V10 is still here in all its high-revving, soundtastic glory. Except here in the Performante, power is up to 470kW (640PS), a rise of 22kW (30PS). Torque is also up slightly, to 600Nm (up from 560Nm). Well, slightly is a relative term. Another 40Nm makes quite a difference in a hatchback, less so in a V10 supercar.

Lots of stuff is new and/or improved. Shorter intake ducts, lighter exhaust, modded software contribute to the extra power. Not sure if the gold coloured cam covers do much, but they look good.

The seven-speed twin-clutch transmission is back, but Lamborghini says it’s even better and the all-wheel drive system has absolutely been tweaked.

0-100km/h (0-62mph) now arrives in just 2.9 seconds. 0-200km/h (0-124mph) is an impressive 8.9 seconds. Braking from 100km/h (62mph) to zero happens in just 31 metres, or about 103 feet.

Chassis

Yes, there’s been some work done here. The suspension had a lot of work done and our car was fitted with the optional magneto-rheological dampers. Huge 20-inch forged alloy wheels are fitted with Pirelli P-Zero Corsas, with 245/30s up front and 305/30s at the rear.

Braking is by a whopping set of carbon ceramics – 380mm up front and 356mm at the rear.

When my fat backside isn’t in the driver’s seat, the car weighs 1390kg and weight distribution is 47/53 to the rear. That works out about 22kg lighter than the LP610-4 coupe.

Aerodynamics

This is kind of important. So far, the changes aren’t really all that big. Ten percent here, ten percent there, it’s a bit lighter. Lots of small details. Most of the changes Lambo don’t really talk about – the software, the tweaks to the oily bits. But the company is super-happy to talk aero.

For the first time, a Lamborghini is fitted with ALA – Aerodynamica Lamborghini Attiva – or Lamborghini Active Aerodynamics. ALA partially explains the giant wing at the back and the even more racy front splitter.

That front wing changes its angle of attack to improve downforce in the corners.

The rear is even more complex. If you’re familiar with the way torque vectoring works, ALA does the same with air. In a straight line the air flows over the wing creating even downforce. Hidden in the engine bay are two intakes with flaps. They’re connected to two ducts hidden in the struts holding up the rear wing.

Underneath the trailing wing is a series of perforations. When you turn the wheel, one of the engine bay flaps opens and lets air up the duct to help equalise the pressure – or stall – that side of the wing.

So when you apply right lock, the left side of the wing stalls to promote turn in. Can you feel it? Not specifically. Is it clever? Hell yes.

Driving

I was convinced this car was over-tyred – 305 is a lot of P-Zero Corsa at the back and without a ton of extra torque, it was hardly likely the fairly neutral-to-mild understeer attitude of the Huracan LP610-4 (with oversteer on provocation) was going to change too much.

But I was wrong. So wrong.

The Performante is a whole different beast. It’s hugely fast. It’s enormously grippy. It’s utterly, devestatingly, brilliant. And you should watch the video to find out just how good.

June 21, 2018
Links We Like: 500X, GLA45, Kona,

Links We Like is a weekly *cough* round-up of stuff I’ve written elsewhere as well as a few highlights of what’s going on around the traps.

carsguide.com.au

I drive lots of normal cars to help keep my feet on the ground and pay some bills. Over at carsguide I drove the Fiat 500X mini-SUV. I actually like, but I don’t know if it’s a very good car.

I also drove the Mercedes-AMG GLA45. I didn’t much like the A45 AMG (it’s good, but I didn’t like it that much), so I didn’t hold much hope for the GLA.

The May instalment of my long-term Hyundai Kona is also up.

SUV Authority

Over in Perth, the inestimable Karl Peskett has got stuck into the base model Audi Q2. He also went to the other end of the scale and spent some time in the Kia Sorento V6.

rallysport.com.au

Over at Rally Sport Magazine, an Australian rallying mag, Matthew Whitten writes about the excellent job Molly Taylor is doing. She’s an Australian Rally Championship winner and the fans love her.

The Dollop Podcast

The Dollop is a bi-weekly* American history podcast. It’s extremely funny but also hugely sweary (as in lots of bad language) but this episode is about the 1908 New York to Paris motor race (iTunes) (Dollop Podcast) and it’s awesome.

June 21, 2018
Aston Martin Rapide AMR: Four Doors Fast

The Aston Martin Rapide AMR may well be the answer to a question nobody asked, but it’s here, it’s a V12 and it looks amazing.

The Aston Martin Rapide is, let’s face it, getting old. It’s still gorgeous. It’s still one-of-a-kind and it’s the car I’d have if I needed one like it. Even though I’ve never driven it. Because it’s pretty and it’s fast and it’s an Aston Martin.

Aston Martin Rapide

The Rapide is an interesting thing. I actually wrote “old school” first, but it’s nothing of the sort. A four-door sedan with a coupe roofline, Aston pedigree and a V12 engine was unheard of until it arrived way back in 2010.

You could probably call it a four-door GT car and that’s as close as you can get without just saying, “It’s a Rapide.”

As it has been around for a while, the Rapide has been tweaked over the years, with the Rapide S now leaving the factory with its 5.9-litre V12 (Aston calls it a 6.0-litre) producing 412kW (550PS) for all your…uh…rapid needs.

Rapide AMR

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Like the other DB11 AMR cars, the Rapide ups the power, the torque and the grrr. A mere 210 of these bad boys will hit the streets and tracks and are price accordingly.

Power is up on the V12 to 440kW (603PS) in the US and Europe, while other markets (read Southern Hemisphere) “only” score 433kW (589PS). Car makers should stop doing that.

The extra poke comes from a freer breathing engine courtesy of larger inlet manifolds and tuned dual inlet runners.

The shouty new exhaust probably has something to do with a few extra horses, too. And shouty it will be with peak power arriving at 7000rpm.

It’s no quicker to the benchmark 100km/h (62mph) – 4.4 seconds – but will run on to 330km/h.

The AMR rides on huge 21-inch forged alloys wrapped in Michelin Super Sports. The huge carbon ceramic brakes – 400mm front and 360mm rears – help wipe speed off the two tonne machine. Cornering is further improved with a 10mm lower ride height.

Styling

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As you can see, it’s not the elegant, lithe four-door coupe that is the S. No, the AMR isn’t shy. You can choose from three different colour schemes. The Signature you see in the Aston-supplied photos and there is also Standard and Silhouette.

The front splitter and grille is lifted from the Zagato concept used as the Rapide AMR’s styling taster, along with circular LED driving lights. Some of the styling changes are all function, with a ton of aero parts made from carbon fibre. The rear diffuser is particularly striking, flanked by quad exhausts either side.

Inside is…well, it’s pretty much the same in front of you. It’s not bad it’s just looking a bit old. You can get the whacko steering wheel from the Vulcan, though, if you want. The front seats are deep buckets trimmed in Alcantara with an AMR lime stripe.

If you don’t like any of it, you have a choice. 1. Don’t buy the AMR (oh, duh) or 2. You can engage Aston’s Q design division.

Pricing has finally been announced and makes this slightly late article look bang up to date. Unfortunately for Chinese and Russian buyers, Aston won’t be making the AMR available. Officially, at least.

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June 16, 2018
The BMW 8 Series Returns

The BMW 8 Series is making a triumphant return to our roads after a two decade holiday.

We knew it was coming and like all modern launches, seemed to go on forever. The M8 race car made its debut before the road. That might seem odd, but this new car is a big deal for BMW.

As you’ll see, both the launch models are M Performance cars, so there’s bound to be more on the way.

BMW 8 Series

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The new car, first showed concept form at the Concours D’Eleganza Villa d’Este in 2017 marks a turning point in BMW’s design language. It’s also the marque return to the top-end coupe market.

At launch, you’ll be able to choose from two all-wheel drive variants, the M850i xDrive and M840d xDrive.

While xDrive tells you all four wheels send power to the road, you’ll be pleased to know that like the Jaguar F-Type SVR it’s really rear-wheel drive. BMW says that all the power goes to the rear until the car’s system detect slip and then the party heads for the front door.

Both look pretty much the same, although the M850i gets all the goodies. It’s a long, sleek thing with what BMW calls “extremely slim headlights.” I can’t say they’re incredibly slim from the photos, but BMW says they’re the slimmest ever for a Beemer, so I’ll take their word for it.

Along with all-wheel drive, the 8 Series also comes with four-wheel steering (with the silly official name of Integral Active Steering).

You can also get optional laser lights if you’re keen. They throw a beam 600m (well over a quarter of a mile) down the road and through some black magic avoid dazzling oncoming traffic.

BMW’s engineers have kept weight down with lots of aluminium (roof, doors, bonnet and front bulkhead) while the transmission tunnel is made of carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP). You can also spec the double-bubble roof in CFRP to reduce weight even further. The lengthy options list has lots of stuff to choose from.

8 Series Interior

The cabin is packed full of fun gear like heads-up display, digital dashboard and standard leather seats. There is a set of rear seats, but how big they are is hard to tell from the supplied images. The interior design is still very familiar to BMW owners, but it’s an evolution that makes it look more contemporary.

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M850i xDrive

BMW is clearly aiming this one at the more sporting driver. The company says the V8 has undergone a massive amount of refinement while still providing “intense power delivery.” I’m not being sarcastic, it’s what the press release says. It’s a good engine, though.

The M850i xDrive ships with BMW’s twin-turbo 4.4-litre V8 spinning out 390kW (530PS) and 750Nm for a 3.7 second run to 100km/h (62mph). Interestingly, the V8’s torque figure is well clear of the diesel’s.

The top of the launch range rolls on 20-inch wheels and the M Sport styling kit comes in Cerium Grey along with a wing. The car in the pic also has the laser lights, which are those blue tinges.

BMW 840d xDrive

Ah, does sir or madam prefer a relaxed cruiser? Step this way.

For your long-distance cruising pleasure, the M840d xDrive has BMW’s straight-six turbodiesel. That engine is good for 235kW (320PS) and 680Nm for a 0-100 time of 4.9 seconds. And a lower fuel bill, obviously.

The two are distinguishable by different design details, but you’ll have to look closely. The 840d has 19-inch alloys and specific interior trim.

BMW M8

Haha, fooled you. Well, only slightly. There is proper 8 Series M-car on the way, but it will be well into next year as the new car turns heads to the brand. That will have the M5’s bonkers 441kW (600PS) V8. Well I say those power figures knowing that everyone who has plopped the new M5 on a dyno has seen rather more than the quoted figures.

Rumour has it that the M8 will pack 480kW, putting it up there with the Huracan Performante. as far as actual outputs go, anyway. Should be a riot.

June 16, 2018
2018 Jaguar F-Type SVR Coupe

Jaguar’s awesome topless F-Type comes in hardtop form. If you really want to get moving, you want the F-Type SVR Coupe.

If you’ve been here before, you’ll know I drove the F-Type SVR a few months ago. I may have loved it. I even confessed that I didn’t mind it was a convertible. A little while later, our local Jag man mentioned that he had an SVR coupe on the way. It’s almost like the room fell silent when he said it. But because he’s awesome, I didn’t have to ask.

History

The F-Type arrived – after years of prevarication – in 2013. It went off and everyone loved it. The Coupe followed a year later, first shown at the 2013 LA Motor Show, then at the Tokyo Show the same year.

In 2016, Jaguar showed us the SVR in both forms. There are few genuine differences between the cars, but two are important to know – the SVR Coupe is lighter and the top speed is 8km/h (6mph) higher at 320km/h (200mph).

SVR Coupe Drivetrain

As you may already know, the SVR Coupe shares the same 423kW (575PS) supercharged V8 with that completely mad active exhaust. Power goes to all four wheels (don’t knock it) and the eight-speed ZF automatic is as delicious as ever.

The SVR version of the V8 has larger air intakes to suck in more air as well as a lot more cooling.

Despite being faster than the R, it’s also lighter, the Coupe lighter again. The brilliant exhaust is 16kg lighter than the R’s and made of titanium and Inconel.

SVR Coupe Chassis

Despite lashings of aluminium and that lighter exhaust, the F-Type is not a lightweight. If you want something lighter, go and…um…acquire a Project 7. You can knock off a few more kilos with the carbon ceramic brakes and the carbon roof, but your starting weight is still the wrong side of 1700kg.

Those carbon brakes are huge – 398mm up front and 380mm at the rear, gripped by tell-tale yellow calipers. Our test car had both the brakes and roof, lopping a total of 25kg (55lb) from the Coupe’s kerb weight. That’s useful and the brakes’ weight saving is extra good as it’s less unsprung weight. Redesigned suspension knuckles save a further 600 grams at the rear.

On the SVR Coupe the wheels are forged alloys, saving 16kg over those on the R.With the carbon brakes came those gorgeous 20-inch alloys (same size as the standard wheels), which knocks the edge off the cost.

As I’ve already said it’s all-wheel drive but it’s as rear-biased. And that’s rear-biased in the way a bear is fond of honey. It’s basically rear-wheel drive most of the time until the fronts are needed. Ten percent finds its way forward of your feet, but you wouldn’t know it. Between the rear wheels, the active limited slip differential ensures shenanigans. The torque vectoring available across the range is also along for the ride.

The SVR Coupe also has the same active aero as the convertible, with a wing that pops up at around 110km/h (70mph) with the front splitter reacting accordingly. One of the coolest bits about the car is that if you manually retract the wing, a “VMax” graphic appears on the dashboard.

Naturally, SVO fits a gun set of springs and adaptive damping helps calm things down when you want to just pootle around town.

Driving – Every day

Anybody reading this will drive the SVR Coupe in Race mode, but let’s talk about what it’s like in Normal. It’s excellent, but the SVR is never normal. It’s quieter and calmer but still has colossal potential under your right foot. Despite the exhaust system’s valves being shut, it sounds menacing. And when you press start, will bellow like a cow meeting a truck on a highway. You’ve been warned.

It’s a long car but it never feels too big. The doors are obviously long enough to be double as a spare bridge over the River Kwai, but that’s only part of the struggle to get into the F-Type – doesn’t matter which one you buy, it’s a long way down. But that’s kind of the point.

Once you’re in and the door is shut, the Coupe feels barely different to the Convertible. I wonder if the Coupe with the carbon roof might be slightly noisier, but hey, it weighs less and that’s all I really care about.

Obviously, it’s a strict two-seater and it feels like you’re sitting in a big baseball mitt. And I’m not saying that because of the colour of the test car’s leather. You sit low, cradled in the cockpit, it almost feels like a race car. Hilariously, because you sit so far rearward, the wheel arches don’t intrude into the footwell.

The only worry I have driving this is the front splitter – it’s very low and doesn’t mind a scrape out of driveways. Most of the time it’s the rubberised plastic aero skirt making the noise, which is heartening.

Driving. Like, really driving.

This is a proper, fun car. I’ll tell you right now it’s probably not the best of its kind. The Mercedes GT C will probably go faster around a track but it won’t look as good. It won’t sound as good. It won’t make you feel as good. The Jaguar will affix a permanent grin to your face.

One of the greatest things about this car is its broad appeal. When you’re gunning this thing, everybody loves it – your passenger and the audience when they hear that supercharged V8 fired up. The exhaust racket is massive and it never, ever gets old.

When you’re firing it down the bends, the turn-in and grip is fantastic. You can feel the rear diff working hard as you thread it through the twisting stuff. For its weight, the SVR handles the bumps extraordinarily well – the MY18 model is happier on the rough stuff – and helps you build confidence. The Jag looks after you.

If you’re unsympathetic with the throttle and have left the electronics on, it will still buck and kick but again, will never let you down.

But you never get away from the fact it’s a heavy brute. But you know what? It doesn’t matter. Even here in the Coupe, the noise still invades the cabin providing you put the windows down, it makes the car feel alive.

The SVR Coupe is about fun. It knows it’s about fun, not about lap times. It’s an amazing road car that would be an absolute hoot on the track, but is fun on the road. Because eve when you’re dribbling along in traffic, the supercharged V8, the feel of the car under your backside and the reflection in windows.

The fact it’s supercar-fast to 100km/h and with a supercar top speed is neither her nor there – it’s hilarious, brilliant and a car I would own in a heartbeat.

And the real clincher? My wife loves it too.

Like the Coupe? Want to know about the convertible? Click here.

Or go straight to the video

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F-Type SVR Pricing

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Jaguar F-Type SVR Coupe Exterior Images

Jaguar F-Type SVR Interior Images

June 12, 2018
2018 BMW X2 sDrive 20i Review

The BMW X2 is fine looking compact crossover (or SUV, if you will), taking on the likes of Audi’s Q2.

BMW X2 sDrive 20i

The BMW X2 is one of those cars that leaps out at you. It has the profile and stance of a paper plane laid carefully on a bench top but is actually a high-ish riding crossover. Built as part of BMW’s pincer movement on the compact SUV segment, it supplements the X1 in this wildly popular part of the market.

The sDrive 20i is a front-wheel drive 2.0-litre turbo version of the stylish new X2, which is also available with xDrive all-wheel drive and diesel options. We tested an Australian-delivered X2 M Sport X with a few tasty options on board.

History & Design

It’s a short one – the BMW X2 is the first of its name. It would be lazy of me to leave it there, though.

Way back in 2009, BMW gave us the first X1. Codenamed E84, it was cobbled together from the E91 3 Series wagon platform. That wasn’t a bad thing, because it meant it was rear-wheel drive and a good laugh to drive.

The 3 Series platform meant it was a bit weird-looking for its segment. The compact SUV wasn’t really a thing back then but people still complained it didn’t look enough like one. I didn’t mind it, although the front was a tad bluff, something the mid-life LCI didn’t do enough to fix.

The second-generation was a more considered effort, spun off the Mini front-wheel drive UKL2 platform. “That’s more like it,” everyone said. “It looks like a compact SUV now.” Or something to that effect, anyway. It was better looking and, if you knew your Minis, had that same darty front end and vertical bounce in the chassis.

The X2 announcement came on the heels of Audi’s Q2 and the car was first shown at the 2016 Paris Motor Show. I was there and it looked great. Happily we saw the production version a year later and it still looked great, if less sleek, particularly around the front end.

It looked like it had survived the journey to production relatively unscathed, which is pretty good going. The X2 debuts M Sport X, which means M Sport styling bits in Frozen Grey. I quite like that, but plenty don’t. If you don’t like it, you can delete M Sport altogether in some markets and get the dull version. Here in Australia, M Sport X is standard.

BMW X2 Drivetrain

The X2’s sDrive 20i designation means a front-wheel drive (in this case) setup with a 2.0-litre turbo producing 141kW and 280Nm. As it’s a UKL2 car, the engine is mounted across the car.

That’s not a truckload of power or torque, but with a seven-speed twin-clutch will hit 100km/h (62mph) in 7.7 seconds. That’s not slow but won’t set your backside on fire either.

The engine is from BMW’s modular engine family and is everywhere – 1 Series, 2 Series (of all kinds), 3 Series, 5 Series, X1, X3…you get the picture. The confusing “twin power” badge means twin-scroll turbo, not twin turbo or hybrid.

The seven-speed is a weird choice given the usual eight-speed ZF (you get that with the diesel engines), but if I’m honest, I thought it was the ZF…

Driving

There was a bit of an argument in our household about the X2. I’ll come straight out and tell you I thought it was terrific fun to drive. The engine spins quickly and quietly and the transmission makes sure you’re away without any fuss.

The electric power steering is reasonably direct and the front end nice and grippy. I really liked the driving position, too, and the M Sport (ish) steering wheel is one of my favourites.

This particular car had the dynamic damping, which might mask some bad behaviour on the standard units, but I haven’t spoken to anyone who doesn’t like them. In Sport mode it firms up very nicely and with the turbo spinning, it really moves.

The UKL2 platform is where my wife and I disagree. She hates the Mini and the X1. Not that she thinks they’re bad cars, she hates the way they ride. Both have a distinct bounce to them. Not a heaving, hearty wallow, but a particular feel in the dampers where there’s a frequency of vertical movement she just doesn’t like. I do like it, it feels go-karty. Our marriage has survived worse arguments, but she is resolute in her opinion that BMWs are rear-wheel drive and that’s all there is to it.

I really like the way the front end goes where you want it to. It’s a bit like the Q2 that way (not the base model, I hasten to add), it feels like a warm hatch. That’s a good thing because this segment is full of cars that are fun to drive (although many are much cheaper), so BMW had to do something to make the extra money worthwhile.

The X2 is 10mm lower than the X1 and you sit 20mm lower, too, which explains the good driving position. It’s not really that high, either, riding at 182mm. The changes to the platform didn’t stop there, with a bit of extra negative camber up front to improve turn-in. The anti-roll bars feature pre-loaded bushes and the body is ten percent stiffer. All that means that in non-adaptive damped cars (ours was), the ride is better but the handling is also better. Nifty.

Bottom line – it’s better than the X1 in nearly every way, but costs more and has a slightly smaller boot and tighter rear seat. If this car is one of those family compromises, don’t panic – it’s a lot of fun and bodes well for the next-generation 1 Series.

Specs

Our car had a few extras – the Launch Package ($4000 in Australia) includes the panoramic glass sunroof, head-up display (excellent), wireless charging for phones and Navigation Plus. The wireless charging is funky but and works nicely if want to use Apple CarPlay (an option!). Most cars insist on USB for CarPlay so the Qi pad makes sense all of a sudden.

The red interior was a bit of a laugh and, unexpectedly, I didn’t mind it.

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June 10, 2018
Porsche Taycan – New Electric Porsche Named

Porsche’s electric future is underway and the first car has a name – Porsche Taycan. Yeah, you read that right. Tell me you didn’t hear aha’s “Take On Me” in your head as soon as you saw that.

Mission-E becomes Porsche Taycan

The Porsche path to electric has been a long, considered one. While Tesla provides covering fire for everyone, the people at Porsche have been getting on with it. By 2022, Porsche will have spent more than €6bn (US$7.1bn) on electric mobility. That’s twice the originally-planned figure, but I smell some double accounting here.

It’s not just Porsche, obviously. Following the PR disaster of Volkswagen’s Dieselgate, the whole group is going to EV land. We’ve already covered the new electric SUV Cross Turismo and I’ve written about it’s Audi sister car over at Drive Zero.

The Porsche Taycan is the automobile formerly known as plain old Mission E. Taycan sort of means “lively young horse.” I guess Mustang and Colt were already taken (that’s a joke, obviously).

Porsche went to great lengths to remind us they do good names. Cayenne means fiery (ok, cool, but it’s a massive SUV). Cayman means “incisive and agile” (does it?). Panamera apparently means it offers “more than a standard Gran Turismo” (uh-huh).

And Macan comes from an Indonesian word meaning tiger. That I like and didn’t know before.

Taycan Me (not sorry)

We don’t know much else. The drivetrain is comprised of two “permanently excited” synchronous motors. The system output is over 440kW (600PS) with a 0-100km/h (0-62mph) time of 3.5 seconds. Porsche reckons you can do multiple successive launches without a loss in performance. That’ll cause a bit of side-eye among the Tesla fans.

The company says the range is “over 500km” on the NEDC, so it’ll be an I-Pace matching (ish) 450km on the more realistic WLTP. It’s quicker than the Jag, though.

The car goes into production in 2019 at the new upgraded Zuffenhausen plant. The upgrades include a new assembly area, a new bridge to get the bodies and drive units to final assembly and mods to the existing engine plant. Which will no doubt include heaps of power plugs to charge them all up.

Of the extra €3bn, Porsche will spend €500m on the Taycan and variants, €1bn on electrification of the rest of the range (including hybrid versions) and €700m on charging networks, new tech and smart mobility. Oh, and another several hundred million on production sites. Porsche says the Taycan will create 1200 jobs all on its own.

This is as big a deal for Porsche as the I-Pace is for Jaguar. The Cross Turismo will also be super important because SUVs bankroll Porsche’s sportscar business. That doesn’t mean the sportscars don’t make money, it’s just that the SUVs make stacks more. And that means lots of cool weird stuff like special edition Speedsters and 918-style hypercars.

Porsche Taycan Video

Here’s a video of the Taycan, hosted on Vimeo for some reason:

https://vimeo.com/274133567

And here’s ah-ha’s Taycan Me (still not sorry):

Like our Porsche coverage? There’s more here!

Porsche Taycan Images

June 9, 2018
New Alfa 8C and GTV Coming Soon

Alfa Romeo’s decade of indecision is a distant memory with a new Alfa 8C and GTV on the way.

Sergio Marchionne, on his way to retirement as head of the gigantic Fiat Chrysler Automotive Group, laid out is five year plan on Friday. Electrification is top of the agenda, along with new cars from Maserati, Jeep and electrified Fiat 500s and Pandas. Diesel is on its deathbed at FCA and I’m not mourning it.

Along with the startling shift to all-electric for the Alfieri (replacing the GranTurismo), Alfa Romeo is doing a new 8C and GTV.

Alfa 8C

Back in 2007, Alfa Romeo dropped the 8C, an achingly pretty V8-powered sports coupe. It didn’t seem to matter that the rest of company was about to burn down – the 159 was about to die, the odd-looking MiTo was old before it released a year later and the Giulietta wasn’t going to sell very well. Alfa was in dire straits while management messed about deciding what to do next (hint, nothing until about 2014).

Now with the extraordinary Giulia (well, the QV is anyway) and acclaimed Stelvio under its belt, Marchionne says a new 8C is on the way.

As the picture says it will have a combined 515kW (700PS), a mid-mounted (Ferrari-supplied) twin-turbo V6 and the front wheels will have an electric motor. The sub three second 0-100km/h (0-62mph) time seems reasonable but I can’t help wondering if Ferrari are going to be too pleased about that.

The carbon fibre monocoque pushed my eyebrows skyward, suggesting this is going to be another low-volume special. The carbon-bodied, steel chassis 2007 8C and 8C Convertible sold exactly 500 units.

Alfa GTV

A subject dear to heart is the Alfa Romeo GTV. I owned a 1977 Alfetta GTV and I loved it and so did everyone else. Even though it was poo-brown (or “Eye of the Tiger” according to the brochure).

The GTV came back in the 90s as a…steady…front-wheel drive coupe. It looked pretty cool and had a Spider twin, but it was hardly a worthy successor to the gorgeous 105 of days gone by.

Alfa was less forthcoming about the GTV, but did say it would have over 440kW (600PS), torque-vectored all-wheel drive and seating for four. With any luck that means a front-engined twin-turbo V6 with electric boost. That kind of suggests the electric motor can’t run on its own, but it is a plug-in hybrid, so who knows.

The rendering, as with the 8C, is all we have to go by, but I’ll go out on a limb and say it’s basically a four-door Giulia.

Alfa 2022

In five years the cute-but-ancient MiTo will be gone, the Giulietta replaced and joined by what looks like a small SUV and Giula and Stelvio will also be replaced. It looks like the Stelvio will score a long wheelbase version, either for the Chinese market or to accomodate a third row. The E segment car looks like a bigger SUV, so that’s probably a spin-off from the Maserati Levante.

They’re all going to be electric, with six PHEVs, which mirrors what’s happening elsewhere in FCA.

I don’t know about you, but this all looks terrific.

June 2, 2018
The Maserati Alfieri is Electrifying – Guaranteed

You read that dodgy joke right – the next Maserati coupe, the Alfieri, is going electric.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles’ outgoing boss, Sergio Marchionne spent Friday telling the world about his five-year plan that someone else has to deliver. He’s off to terrorise his grandkids if they don’t win every three-legged race.

Maserati’s sales increase increase since 2011 – 700 percent! – is funding two new models to join the Levante, Ghibli and Quattroporte. That means the Alfieri (finally) and a new mid-size SUV to take on the Q5/X3/GLC-sized segment.

The presentation also included two new Alfa Romeo sportscars but what really got our attention was the new Alfieri.

Maserati Alfieri

First shown at a Geneva Motor Show aeons ago (okay, 2014) it looks like it’s finally happening. And it’s a bit unexpected.

The Alfieri is powered by three electric motors and the company says it will sprint to 100km/h (62mph) in two seconds. That sounds familiar. The three motors feature active torque vectoring and drive all four wheels.

Like the Gran Turismo and Gran Cabrio it replaces, it will carry four people but with that kind of performance will give a Ferrari GTC4 Lusso a walloping in a straight line. As well as mashing your kidneys.

Maserati says the battery system is 800-volts and will feature quick charge. The company also reckons the Alfieri will weight just 175kg more than it would if it sported a petrol engine.

Maserati Blue

The same electric tech will also find its way into the new Quattroporte, Ghibli and Levante replacements, offering fully electric and/or plug-in hybrid versions.

In fact, all Maseratis will feature electric or PHEV versions by 2022. The entire FCA Group is going mad for electric in order to ditch diesel, which doesn’t sound like a terrible idea. Guess who is going to make these power units? Ferrari. Join the dots, folks.

All of this is pretty bold for Maserati. Going all-on on electric is part of FCA’s €8 billion electrification spend that will see not just EV Maseratis, but Jeeps, Fiats, Alfas…and Ferraris.

Not going to lie, though – I’ll miss that Ferrari V8 in a Maserati coupe’s nose.

June 2, 2018
Links We Like: Mazda6, SQ5, NX 300h

Every week – okay, nearly every week – I post links to stories I’ve done elsewhere as well as stories I like. I’ve been a busy boy for carsguide.com.au (as you can see) and there’s more Redline goodness on the way in the form of a very special car indeed.

Have look, have a click, do me proud.

carsguide.com.au

I had the good fortune to drive the new Audi SQ5. I was a huge fan of the old diesel one (the only one I’ve driven) so was wondering if the petrol one had the mojo.

The new Mazda6 is an even prettier car than before with a new nose and tail and basically a whole new interior. The big news is the CX-9’s 2.5-litre turbo petrol engine with 170kW and 420Nm (the twin-turbo diesel is 140kW/450Nm). It’s no MPS6, but goodness is it a nice car.

I also drove the new Ingenium-engined Range Rover Evoque HSE Dynamic. I really like the way the Evoque looks (Rob Melville at McLaren had a hand in the LRX design study that became the Evoque).

And finally, I spoke to William Chergowsky (with video) from Toyota’s Calty Design studio. Calty is a hugely influential design studio, not just inside Toyota, but in the whole industry.

SUV Authority

My very good friend Karl over at SUV Authority got his teeth into the Lexus NX 300h Hybrid. I’m not a massive fan of the NX and it really should have put Lexus on the SUV map with younger folks but it doesn’t seem to have worked.

Practical Motoring

Over at PM, Paul Horrell had a crack at Volvo’s stylish Volvo V60. I have a thing for the looks of Volvos but haven’t had nearly enough chances to drive them. Paul went to the international launch of the brand new wagon and came away…well, have a look.

June 1, 2018