If you keep a list of the most unusual product placements, ready your pencils: Ford announced this week that it has partnered with Nabisco to print a limited-run pack of Oreo Thins cookies labeled as if they were the owner's manual of a Ford Maverick, ostensibly to camouflage them so the cookies will not be eaten by anyone but the intended snacker. The concept is tortured and relies on anecdotes about the Maverick design team's love of Oreos. But everyone knows you only need a hiding place if they're Double Stuf. Revealing from Polestar 2 to Opel all in one place. Stay with us till the end and catch up all the reveals this week.
This Week in Electric
POLESTAR 2 Prototype revealed at Goodwood FOS
The experimental EV rides lower, with a stiffer suspension and minor exterior enhancements. It's appearing at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in the U.K. this week.
With a zero-to-60-mph time of 4.1 seconds and 100 mph arriving in 10.5 seconds in our testing, the Polestar 2 is no slouch. Still, Polestar decided to surprise us by bringing an upgraded performance-oriented prototype of its electric hatchback to this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Built on the long-range, dual-motor version of the 2, the two motors now churn out a combined 476 horsepower in this example, 68 horsepower more than the standard car. The 2 also gains some attitude thanks to a slightly wider track and a ride height about an inch lower. Under widened fender flares sit 275/30R-21 Pirelli P Zero Rosso tires from the $156,500 Polestar 1, and the prototype also borrows the Polestar 1's six-piston Akebono front brakes.
This week in Supercars
Aston Martin Vanhalla
Aston Martin first confirmed it was planning to produce two other mid-engine supercars to follow the Adrian Newey–designed Valkyrie back in 2019, releasing rendered images of what would become known as the Valhalla at the same point. But the change in the company's senior management last year, when a consortium led by Lawrence Stroll took control of the English company and former AMG boss Tobias Moers arrived as CEO, has led to a bold new direction for the car.
The Valhalla name remains, and some of the original design concepts live on, but almost everything else has changed. Red Bull Racing's connection with the car has been unsurprisingly broken now that Aston has its own Formula 1 team, and the Valhalla will now use an AMG-sourced V-8 in place of the hybridized V-6 engine that Aston had previously committed to building itself. It will also be a plug-in hybrid with an electrically powered front axle, production won’t be limited to 500 cars, and the outline pricing has fallen considerably from the $1.3 million we were originally told to expect.
Lamborghini Huracan STO revealed in India
Lamborghini has expanded the Huracan range with the new STO model that will cost you ₹4.99 crores (ex-showroom, India). This means that the STO demands a hefty premium over Huracan EVO AWD but tries to justify that price difference by offering better performance than any other Huracan model. Globally revealed last year, the Huracan STO is inspired by Huracan Super Trofeo EVO and the Huracan GT3 EVO race car that has won 24 hours Daytona championship thrice. Developed by Lamborghini’s R&D, Squadra Corse, and Centro Stile departments, the Huracan STO is the most performance-oriented Huracan ever and this is evident by the performance specs.
This week in Off-Road
Tuner Marc Philipp Gemballa is set to build 40 units of this modified Porsche 911 intended for desert running.Gemballa was previously known as one of the more outlandish of Germany’s aftermarket tuners of Porsches in the 1990s and 2000s—and was made infamous when founder Uwe Gemballa was murdered in South Africa in 2010, amid rumored links to organized crime. Though the original Gemballa was later sold and still exists, a new company has emerged that is led by (and named after) Uwe's son, Marc Philipp Gemball
This off-road supercar designed for use in the desert is set to be Marc Philipp Gemballa's first product. Clearly inspired by the Porsche 959 that entered the Paris-Dakar rally in 1985 and 1986, it's called the Marsien; similar to the word for “martian” in French.
New Reveals this week
Hyundai Elantra N
Hyundai Motor has revealed its high-performance Elantra N sedan in a digital world premiere, building on the sporty theme of the Elantra N Line. The latest hot sedan gets a strong and aggressive stance along with dynamic driving capabilities. It features over 40 'N' exclusive elements and a suite of upgrades.
Hyundai Elantra N sedan sources power from a 2-liter turbo flat power engine mated to an 8-speed wet dual-clutch transmission system. The engine delivers 280 horsepower, 40 kgf·m of torque, and can attain a top speed of 250 km/h. It can reach from 0-100 km/h in 5.3 seconds.
To enhance its performance, the hot sedan is equipped with N Corner Carving Differential, Variable Exhaust Valve System, and Launch Control - all of which are standard specialized and high-performance features. Further, N Grin Shift (NGS), N Power Shift (NPS) and N Track Sense Shift (NTS) are also provided as standard features to enhance driving pleasure.
2022 Opel Astra
The 2022 Opel Astra has been unveiled in Europe. The sixth generation of Opel's small-car nameplate in Europe, the new Astra 'L' moves to the same EMP2 platform as the Peugeot 308, Citroen C4, and other Stellantis group vehicles – unlocking plug-in hybrid power for the first time.
The new model measures 4374mm long, 1860mm wide (likely with mirrors), and 1470mm tall, riding on a 2675mm wheelbase – 4mm longer overall, 51mm wider, 15mm lower, and 13mm longer in wheelbase. A 422-liter boot features behind the rear seats. Inside, Opel's 'Pure Panel' dashboard design features in front of the occupants, with a 10-inch digital instrument cluster and 10-inch infotainment touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Sleek gloss black and metallic switchgear feature below the touchscreen and along with the center console, alongside a redesigned steering wheel, push-button automatic gear selector, electric parking brake, and an available head-up display in front of the driver.
2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4Xe
Along with revealing the first image of the new two-row Grand Cherokee, Jeep says it plans to have a zero-emission model in every SUV segment by 2025.
Jeep wants a lineup that produces zero emissions, and the company plans to sell models in every SUV segment that meet that mandate by 2025. In addition to announcing its plans for an electrified future, Jeep showed the first official image of the new 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee. This marks the first time we've laid eyes on the non-L Grand Cherokee, which features a shorter wheelbase and only has two rows of seats compared with the three-row 2021 Grand Cherokee L. However, the version shown is a plug-in-hybrid 4xe model.
The 2022 Grand Cherokee 4xe follows in the tire tracks of the electrified 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe that's now currently on sale. The plug-in Wrangler combines the nameplate's iconic off-road abilities with an eco-minded powertrain that generates a combined 375 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque. The EPA estimates the Wrangler 4xe has an all-electric range of 22 miles and a combined MPGe rating of 49.
2022 BMW X5 Black Edition
Limited to just 350 units in the U.S. and starting at $83,295, this limited-edition X5 is based on its 335-hp all-wheel-drive base model.
BMW is offering just 350 of these X5 Black Vermilion Edition models in the United States, and the limited-edition package gives the luxury SUV a blacked-out appearance with bright red accents. They're scheduled to start arriving in September.
Each X5 Black Vermilion Edition is finished in Frozen Black Metallic paint. Their kidney grilles have red vertical slats, and the adaptive LED headlights are darkened to match the blacked-out look. The M Sport package is standard, a $5400 option, and includes the Shadowline black trim along with more aggressive front and rear bumpers. The limited-edition SUVs are equipped with Orbit Grey 22-inch wheels and red M Sport brake calipers.
We've had our first look at the 2022 F1 race cars, which will use ground effects—tunnels on the underside of the car used to generate downforce—for the first time in decades, along with other changes intended to minimize the vortex of turbulent air that follows in the wake of the current models.
Read more about all the reveals on Automotives.com.
-by Amaan Attar
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