And the weekend is here. Starting with the launch of the super sexy Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR PRO to the futuristic flying cars. Stay with us till the end and get to know what happened this week in the Automotive Sector.
This week in Hypercar
Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro
It's still named Valkyrie, but this track-only version looks different, is aerodynamically extreme, and is targeted to be competitive at Le Mans. Last week we reported that, in addition to suing one of its Swiss dealers over deposits for the forthcoming Valkyrie, Aston Martin had also canceled the original proposal to build a track-only version to be called the AMR Pro and was to replace it with another variant.
It turns out we were half right on the second point: Aston has confirmed it will be sticking with AMR Pro branding, but applying it to a car that is substantially different from the original proposal, with an all-new aerodynamic kit and the loss of the regular Valkyrie's hybrid system.
Read more by clicking here.
This Week in SUVs
Porsche is stuffing a built twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter into the Cayenne Coupe, and it's the most powerful V-8 the German automaker has ever produced. It makes 631 horsepower in this new Turbo GT model, and Porsche says its factory driver Lars Kern set a new SUV lap record at the Nürburgring Nordschleife in it lapping the 12.9-mile course in 7:38.9. The new Cayenne will arrive in the U.S, only in Coupe form, next year starting at $182,150.
The massaged V-8 engine produces 631 horsepower and 626 pound-feet of torque, 90 hp and 59 pound-feet more than the standard Turbo Coupe. The total output might be less than the Turbo S E-hybrid's 670 horses, but that powertrain uses an electric motor and a 14.3-kWh battery pack. This is solely the work of the internal combustion engine. Porsche upgraded the V-8's crankshaft, connecting rods, and pistons; enlarged the turbos' compressor wheels; and increased the fuel injection flow rate and the intake and cooling systems' airflow to make the additional power. The eight-speed automatic transmission also shifts quicker compared to other models, and the all-wheel-drive system's transfer case is water-cooled. Porsche claims that the Turbo GT will launch to 60 mph in 3.1 seconds, hit the quarter-mile in 11.6 seconds, and reach 186 mph. In our test, a 541-hp Cayenne Turbo reached 60 mph in 3.5 seconds.
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This Week in Retro
While Audi hasn't competed in a World Rally Championship for a few decades, the German brand still revisits some design aspects of the iconic Audi Sport Quattro S1 across modern models.
Despite this, it doesn't look like Audi is going to revive the Quattro S1 anytime soon, so an electric startup has taken on the project, and plans to sell its creation as an all-electric sports car.
Named the EL1, the coupé is powered by three electric motors and draws its reserves from a 90kWh battery pack, all of undisclosed origin.
E-Legend says the rally-inspired EV has a 248-mile range, can do 0-62mph in just 2.8sec and will be able to complete the Nürburgring Nordschleife twice when driven in its power-hungry Sport Plus mode.
The 1680kg car is equipped with 19in front wheels and 20in rear wheels, front and rear LED daytime running lights, a bespoke spoiler, and three-way adjustable suspension. The interior is yet to be finalized, but we do know that it will feature multimedia connectivity, air conditioning, and a rear-view camera.
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This Week in Teaser
We now have a name for the new Honda EV that will arrive a few years from now: PROLOGUE. Set to go on sale in calendar-year 2024, the 2024 Honda Prologue will be the first result of a partnership between Honda and General Motors on EV powertrains. It will use the same Ultium battery packs found in upcoming GM electric vehicles such as the GMC Hummer EV and the Cadillac Lyriq.
Honda hasn't yet shared exactly what size or shape the Prologue will take, but we expect it to be either a compact or mid-size SUV. The powertrain and platform will be made up of GM components, and Honda executive vice president Dave Gardner said that the biggest points of differentiation between the Prologue and GM EVs will be in its "top half"—its body design—and its interior.
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Subaru is getting ready to unveil the new WRX rally-inspired sport compact sedan, and it has shared the first official teaser image showing the car's outline. The 2022 WRX will debut via Livestream later this year, and a hotter STI model should follow shortly after. You can stay up to date on the reveal here.
Reports suggest that the new WRX will use a version of Subaru's FA24 turbocharged 2.4-liter flat-four. This engine makes 260 horsepower and 277 lb-ft of torque in the Ascent. We think it could make more power in the WRX, and the STI is rumored to make upwards of 400 horsepower. Both models are likely to use either a six-speed manual gearbox (#SavetheManuals) or a continuously variable automatic transmission. All-wheel drive will be standard.
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This Week in Concept & Tech
The Mini Vision Urbanaut first appeared last year as a series of renderings, but the sleek minivan concept has now returned as a full-scale model, debuting at the Digital-Life-Design Summer conference in Munich. The Urbanaut is a peek into Mini’s crystal ball, showcasing a future of electric lounge-style autonomous pods.
At 175.6 inches long, the Urbanaut is only about six inches longer than Mini's diminutive Countryman crossover, but the interior appears far more spacious thanks to an electric powertrain, which allows for a flat floor and living-room-like proportions. The exterior design of the Urbanaut is smooth and simple, and the front and rear ends are dominated by LEDs. In the original renderings, the LEDs were lit up in organic patterns to resemble traditional headlight and taillight units, but the new photos give a sense of how the LED panels look when not in use during the daytime. The only other major change from the renderings is the color, which goes from green to a light bluish silver.
Volvo has unveiled the Concept Recharge, which previews the future of the Swedish automaker's design language and shows how the company will increasingly integrate advanced technology into its cars. The concept takes the form of a two-row SUV using electric propulsion, and it demonstrates how Volvo thinks electric-vehicle platforms will revolutionize transportation design.
Volvo’s existing EVs, such as the XC40 Recharge, is still based around an architecture designed for internal combustion engines, meaning the vehicles are largely beholden to the packaging requirements of gas cars. The next generation of Volvo EVs will instead be based on a dedicated EV platform.
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Daymak Inc., a pioneer in personal Light Electric Vehicles (LEVs), announced that the first prototype of its electric car, Spiritus, and officially started mining cryptocurrency on June 29, 2021, using its patent-pending Daymak Nebula platform. Nebula is the world’s first comprehensive cryptocurrency suite for electric vehicles and will allow every Spiritus car to mine and manage crypto anywhere on the planet. Using this technology, the Daymak Spiritus will be the first car in history to continuously make money for its owner.
On the heels of Daymak’s June 1, 2021 announcement of the Spiritus as the world’s first electric car to mine crypto, Daymak has successfully installed its Nebula system in the first Spiritus prototype vehicle. On June 29, Daymak will begin live-streaming a 24/7 feed of the Spiritus prototype’s crypto mining results.
Read more by clicking here.
This Week in Future
AirCar by Klein Vision is a dual-mode flying car that took a step towards getting into production as a prototype completed a 35-minute inter-city test flight in Slovakia. A video, now going viral on the Internet, showed the sleek car taking off from an airfield in Nitra, getting airborne, and then landing in the country's capital Bratislava. For perspective and recording purposes, two planes flew by their side. The sight seemed interesting, with the typical car wheels visible and the car's shape appearing wider than the regular planes.
The video showed the vehicle, designed by inventors at Klein Vision, flying without a hitch and maneuvering to change its directions. After a few minutes, it approaches the landing strip in Bratislava and makes a smooth landing with its rear wheels making contact with the ground first. It then showed the car winding up its wings and securing them inside itself. Then, the tail contracts, and the vehicle closely resembles a sports car to run on the road.
Watch its flight here.
This Week in India
BMW has launched the 2021 M5 Competition with a price tag of Rs. 1,61,90,000/- (ex-showroom) in India today. Revealed last year, the facelifted 2021 M5 Competition comes with some minor styling updates and a retuned chassis.
Visually, the sports sedan looks pretty much the same as before. But, when looked closely, one can see that it has an updated kidney grille, revised Laser lights with L-shaped light tubes, and restyled front apron.
It also has larger air intakes now and the central air dam incorporates the radar sensor for the Active Cruise Control (ACC) system. At the rear, the LED taillights get a new 3D design and L-shaped graphics, while the bumper has also been redesigned Black styling details all over the exterior of the car and even the quad tips of the M Sport exhaust system are finished in Black Chrome.
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Land Rover Range Rover Sport SVR has been launched in India at ₹2.19 crore. It is the high-performance iteration of the Range Rover Sport SUV that gets a price tag ranging between ₹91.27 lakh and ₹1.84 crores. All prices are ex-showroom, India. Developed by Land Rover's Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) division, Range Rover Sport SVR model is the fastest and most powerful SUV in Range Rover's portfolio. It has received some enhancements to the chassis aimed to improve the handling while the cosmetic tweaks intend to improve the aerodynamics. The cornering capabilities and body control are enhanced because of the special damping hardware.
Rohit Suri, President, and Managing Director, Jaguar Land Rover India, said, "Range Rover SVR redefines & further elevates performance and luxury in an SUV by leveraging the best of bespoke British design and engineering. I am sure that Range Rover Sport SUV enthusiasts and fans will simply love this latest offering combining formidable British engineering craftsmanship with high-end and refined luxury."
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-by Amaan Attar
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