All posts in “hybrid”

Lamborghini Temerario price list with options invites you to dream big

The Lamborghini Termerario configurator is up and ready for your imagination with six categories of customization: Paint, Wheels, Roof, Details, Carbon and the lightweight Alleggerita Package. Problem is, the configurator doesn’t show pricing, making it tough to know how much you’ll need to plunder your offshore account to bring the Italian PHEV home. Lamborghini Talk has the solution (via CarBuzz), a thread at the Sant’Agata-focused forum posting a price list for standard, special and Ad Personam options. Starting with the base price, MSRP has been set at $357,621, about $24,000 above the Huracan STO. There will be another roughly $4,000 for destination, for a subtotal of $361,621, and that doesn’t count the gas-guzzler tax, so add another couple grand due to thirst — say an even $365,000 before making the coupe your own expression.

The big money option before getting into one-off exclusives is the Alleggerita Package. This can cut as much as 55 pounds from the curb weight thanks to a front splitter, side skirts, and engine cover made in carbon fiber reinforced plastic, plus door cards and a passenger footrest in carbon fiber, polycarbonate side windows, and lighter rear glass. Created for weight weenies likely to track their cars, the bundle also comes with a rear spoiler that creates more downforce. If added to a Temerario with a simple gloss or matte paint job, the Alleggerita Package costs $45,000. If added to a coupe with one of the so-called Livery Colors that combines a main and an accent color, cutting weight costs $78,600. Buyers can spec a carbon splitter and diffuser separately without going all-in on the package, as well as carbon mirror caps and intakes. Strangely, carbon fiber wheels aren’t part of the weight shaving, they’ll need another $26,200 as an a la carte choice.

Speaking of paints, they run from seven free colors to five metallics and three pearl finishes for $9,600, five matte hues for $12,000, a large number of Ad Personam color families in various finishes that range from $13,900 to $16,500, and the custom Ad Personam Request colors in three finishes that start at $23,600 and max out at $32,700. Yet again, in the piecemeal way of detailed personalization, buyers can add accent colors everywhere from the roof to the Velador Forged wheels. A livery accent color demands another $13,100, yellow accents on those forged rims need another $6,600.

As far as we can tell, the price list is in line with Huracan option prices. A window sticker for a 2022 Huracan STO purchased at Marshall Goldman Motor Sales in Cleveland, Ohio shows upgrades like a $19,600 Blu Metallic paint job, a $6,000 Contrast Pack, and a $37,800 Full Livery Exterior Pack, another $8,100 for “Color according to,” plus $2,000 for Exterior Contrast Color Ad [Personam]. That’s more than $70,000 just in paint, two years ago. The Temerario is more standard operating procedure.

If you’ve waited this long to get an order in, you might end up waiting some time to see your fancy come to life. CEO Stephan told us during Monterey Car Week, “This year is going in a perfect way, we had another record first six months in 2024. So if things are going ahead like this, the year 2024 will be a very good one for Lamborghini.”

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August 26, 2024 / Comments Off on Lamborghini Temerario price list with options invites you to dream big
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Ferrari trims lineup, Q2 report says SF90 and 812 GTS order books closed

Ferrari’s quarterly report revealed the next chess moves coming to the lineup. The SF90 Stradale, the automaker’s first hybrid and a coupe so important to the brand that it shared its name with Ferrari’s Formula 1 car that year, is out of production after five years on the market. The convertible version, the SF90 Spider, remains on sale. The hardtop has no direct successor — that is, a mid-engined V8. However, the mid-engined 296 GTB with its V6 hybrid powertrain could be viewed as a taking up the mantle. The outgoing SF90 produces 986 horsepower from a 4.0-liter V8 aided by three electric motors, sending that power to both axles. The 296 gets a 3.0-liter V6 and one motor to make a combined 819 hp and 546 lb-ft, all of it sent to the rear wheels only.  

The 812 GTS waves goodbye as well, this the open-topped version of the 812 Superfast and another launch from 2019. It does have a direct successor, the 12Cilindri that debuted a few months ago. The dirty dozen in the new car deliver 819 horsepower, up from 788 in the 812 Superfast and GTS, matching the track-focused 812 Competizione. Ferrari pegs 0-62-mph acceleration in 2.9 seconds, a 7.9-second rip to 124 mph, and a top speed beyond 211 mph.

The Roma, another coupe that launched in 2019, is preparing for its exit but not done with production. Along with the 812 Competizione, Ferrari says the duo are “approaching the end of the life cycle.” Only one of them can still be ordered, though; Roma books remain open, the 812 Comp’s production run was entirely spoken for the moment that car hit the public airwaves.

That leaves the best sellers, the Roma Spider, Purosangue SUV, and 296 to continue doing the heavy lifting. Specials such as the Daytona SP3 in the Icona series and customer versions of the 499P Modificata add their share to the automaker’s engorged bank balance, raising revenues and profits compared to Q2 of 2023 thanks to deliveries that were 2.7% higher. There’s more good stuff in the immediate pipeline while we wait for word on what follows the SF90 and Roma coupes, a new hypercar that might be called F250 supposed to debut before year’s end and a battery-electric model reportedly arriving next year.

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August 12, 2024 / Comments Off on Ferrari trims lineup, Q2 report says SF90 and 812 GTS order books closed
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Listen to the Lamborghini Huracan successor’s V8 rev to 10,000 rpm

Lamborghini is about to break a decades-long tradition: it confirmed that the Huracán‘s successor will be its first turbocharged super-sports car. The company released a short preview video that briefly shows the new car revving to over 10,000 rpm to reassure skeptical fans.

The 55-second video takes you on a trip down memory lane. First, we see — and hear! — the Gallardo, which was sold between the 2004 and 2014 model years, going flat-out on a dyno. Next, it’s the Huracán’s turn to demonstrate what it’s capable of; the video briefly shows a tachometer with a redline pegged at 8,500 rpm. Finally, it’s the new car’s turn, and it out-revs its predecessor by going over 10,000 rpm.

While we can hear the new, twin-turbocharged V8 engine’s exhaust note, we can also clearly hear the whine of an electric motor as the tach needle makes its way past the 10,000-rpm mark. That’s because the model that will replace the Huracán will use a plug-in hybrid drivetrain. We’ll need to be patient to learn the full specifications, but we already know that the 4.0-liter engine will develop about 800 horsepower and 538 pound-feet of torque on its own. The pistons are linked to a flat-plane crankshaft, so the V8 should sound a lot like a racing engine.

The video hides the new car’s styling, but earlier spy shots suggest it will remain characterized by a wedge-shaped silhouette. It’s difficult to tell how the finer design details, such as the headlights, have evolved because the test mule spotted by our spies is covered by camouflage. The car could borrow a handful of styling cues from the Revuelto, which was unveiled in 2023 to replace the Aventador with a new V12.

We won’t have to wait long to find out more, as an earlier report claims Lamborghini will reveal the Huracán’s successor during Monterey Car Week, which is right around the corner. When it lands, it will join the Revuelto and the updated Urus SE in Lamborghini’s hybrid-only range.

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August 6, 2024 / Comments Off on Listen to the Lamborghini Huracan successor’s V8 rev to 10,000 rpm
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Second Lamborghini Revuelto Opera Unica inspired by Sardinian coastline

Not long after debuting its new Revuelto, Lamborghini rolled out a one-off example prepared by the Ad Personam personalization division called the Opera Unica, which is Italian for “unique work.” That “purely artistic” exercise of Ad Personam’s capabilities, fittingly launched during Miami’s Art Basel show, required 435 hours to paint the bodywork and another 220 hours to paint and stitch the interior. Nine months later, a second Revuelto Opera Unica stays closer to Lamborghini’s home, being inspired by the coastline of Sardinia and revealed at the island’s Hotel Cala di Volpe. The resort lies on the island’s Emerald Coast, and while emerald gems run from yellow-green to blue-green, Lamborghini artists emphasized the blue for this Revuelto, using brushes, trowels, spatulas, and more by hand to complete a 475-hour paint job. 

CEO Stephan Winkelmann said, “This Opera Unica takes our creativity a step further, demonstrating paint techniques and interior finishes that are reserved for Opera Unica one-offs, presenting a truly unique art-piece reflecting the distinctive seascape and emotions of Italy’s most beautiful island destination.”

Outside, Nero Bocca paint provides the canvas, complemented by the carbon splitter and sills, and wheels in Shiny Black with Diamond Polished Altanero. From there, a Light Blu Tawaret base blends with an even lighter Blu Cepheus, Blu Okeanos, sometimes to suggest waves, sometimes as a gradient, sometimes with sharp separation following the vehicle lines. 

The automaker didn’t say how long the craftsmen spent on the interior, only noting that it took 85 hours to make the tool required for the embroidered accents on the seats. Thread colors in Blu Amon, Blu Cepheus, and Bianco Leda are meant to suggest waves and wash against the primary cabin colors of Blu Delphinus and the lighter Blu Amon. Even the start button gets in on the wavy look, a Blu Mira Carbon plaque on the rear bulkhead acting as a signature for the artwork.

It’s business as usual for the gasoline-electric plug-in hybrid drivetrain, a new 6.5-liter V12 working with three electric motors and a 3.8-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack to make 1,001 horsepower and 793 pound-feet of torque. And as with the last Opera Unica, we’re not sure where this one will end up. But now that you’ve seen (again) what Ad Personam can do, there’s no reason you can’t commission a V12-powered postcard of your own.

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August 2, 2024 / Comments Off on Second Lamborghini Revuelto Opera Unica inspired by Sardinian coastline
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Koenigsegg Gemera goes V8-only due to low take-rate for three-cylinder

It’s been more than four years since Koenigsegg debuted the Jesko and Gemera just ahead of the 2020 Geneva Motor Show. The Gemera was the first home for a few of Koenigsegg’s pet projects, a hybrid powertrain based around a twin-turbocharged 2.0-liter three-cylinder dubbed the Tiny Friendly Giant (TFG). The engine featured cam-less Freevalve technology and was assisted by three electric motors. The Swedes claimed a combined 1,676 horsepower and 2,581 pound-feet of torque — 592 horses and 443 twists from the TFG — and a zero-to-62-mph sprint in 1.9 seconds. Those three e-motors, one on the crankshaft and two at the rear, helped deliver all-wheel drive, all-wheel torque vectoring, and all-wheel steering.

And it’s all gone. Not the Gemera, but the Tiny Friendly Giant. Two years after the Gemera appeared, Christian announced that the automaker found a way to fit the Jesko’s twin-turbocharged 5.0-liter V8 into the Gemera’s tighter bay. Once that happened, Koenigsegg said most customers switched to the V8 — reportedly a $400,000 option. “There were so few left that asked for a three-cylinder,” he said, “we managed to convince almost all of them [to go for the V8 instead]. So for the time being, it [the Gemera] is V8 only.

We could frame this as conservative buyers rejecting ingenious novelty, but that wouldn’t be true. This is buyers giving up one ingenious novelty for another ingenious novelty with more familiar bragging rights. See, to get the Jesko’s V8 to work, Koenigsegg engineers redesigned the castings, heads, intake, exhaust, and sump. They shelved the direct-drive transmission from the Regera they’d originally fitted, and created what they call the Light Speed Tourbillon Transmission (LSTT). This was an evolution of the nine-speed direct-drive Light Speed Transmission developed for the Jesko, but smaller, lighter, better. Then the whitecoats created a new six-phase e-motor to replace the original trio of three-phase Quark e-motors that had been paired with the TFG. This 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. Their combined output when working together rang in at 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 again, after the transmission gains, further 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. And the fastback sedan retains its all-wheel drive, four-wheel steering, and four-wheel torque vectoring.

With the hybridized V8, final output comes to 2,268 hp and 2,028 lb-ft. of torque — 600 more horses but 553 fewer torques than with the TFG. So we can’t be mad at buyers.

We would love to see Koenigsegg fit two Gemeras with these respective powertrains to gauge performance. One day, it might happen, Christian telling TG the TFG tech “is still interesting, we’re still working on it…. We might eventually do it in the Gemera one day in some version, but it just took over with the V8. I understand that.”

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July 29, 2024 / Comments Off on Koenigsegg Gemera goes V8-only due to low take-rate for three-cylinder
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Ferrari F250 prototype caught prowling Maranello

We’re not sure Ferrari’s coming hypercar will be called the F250, but that name has the short odds. What’s almost certain is that the car we’re going to call the F250 for now will break the 1,000 Imperial horsepower mark. Short money also says there’s a modified version of the hybrid twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6 from the 296 GTB behind the cockpit, another reworked version of that mill powering the 499 Hypercar that Ferrari races in the World Endurance Championship. In the 296 GTB, the powertrain makes 819 horsepower and 546 pound-feet of torque, 654 of that coming from the internal combustion engine. However, since the hybrid V8 powertrain in the SF90 makes 986 hp and 590 lb-ft, that’s the real benchmark. Don’t expect a great deal of sound from all that fury in the F250; unless Ferrari’s drastically altered the exhaust setup, during testing at Fiorano last year the hypercar emitted the equivalent of an urgent whisper by Ferrari standards. 

Speculated performance says 0 to 60 miles per hour in less than two seconds, and a top speed of more than 217 miles per hour. 

Spy shooters are still tracking the remarkably low-slung coupe doing rounds in the Maranello region, the prototype finally shedding enough camo that we can make out some of the lines. The way the doors cut into the roof leads us to believe we’ll see the same mechanism as used on the Enzo and LaFerrari. Based on how many air passages and flics designers made integral to the bodywork, this one’s going to be an aero specialist, active elements including a rear wing that rises and can dramatically change its angle of attack.

The sports car maker told company investors that production numbers would “be limited to far less than 5% of total volumes.” With a 2023 global sales tally of 13,663 units, 5% comes to 683 cars. Unless the firm plans on selling a lot more cars this year, guesstimate production figures of around 599 F250 Berlinettas, roughly 200 Apertas, and perhaps 30 track specials would already be 250 units over the limit. Not that it matters. Potential customers have already been invited to a private reveal, every unit must already have a buyer’s name attached plus three alternates. Price is expected to surpass $2 million apiece, a debut should come late this year or early next.

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July 26, 2024 / Comments Off on Ferrari F250 prototype caught prowling Maranello
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Lamborghini Huracan’s successor shows its details in new spy photos

The Lamborghini Huracán’s successor is coming in hot with a reveal set to take place during Monterey Car Week in August. We already have the full download on the PHEV powertrain that you can read about here, but now a new set of spy shots provides us with the best design preview yet.

All of the spy photos of this new Lambo so far have shown it with coverings over openings and far more trickery to its finer edges than this latest set. Finally, we get a chance to see this mid-engine supercar’s true shape. Its headlights are fully uncovered and are essentially slits in the front bumper. The shape of the central intake in said front bumper is shown here with massive openings for cooling. Plus, some funky hexagonal running lights are visible in the lower side air intake openings.

This Lambo’s side view is predictably full of sharp creases and funky shapes. Even the rear fender’s air intake features some funky slats in them to add even more drama to the design. The openings in both rear fenders to feed air into the engine bay are huge and should help to keep the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 fed.

Around back, Lamborghini has done away with its shrouding of the taillights and given us an even better view of the spicy rear end than before. The chopped rear bumper behind the tires makes for a very aggressive aesthetic. Meanwhile, the huge rear diffuser and lower light integrated into it just screams race car. Its high-mounted exhaust is reminiscent of the Revuelto, which can be said for a number of the styling elements around this Huracán successor. Lastly, we’ll point out the hexagonal LED taillights that are now plenty visible and no longer hiding behind large strips of camouflage.

Look out for the full details on this Huracán successor in about a month’s time, as Monterey Car Week is just around the corner.

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July 18, 2024 / Comments Off on Lamborghini Huracan’s successor shows its details in new spy photos
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2025 Bentley Continental GT Speed launches 771-hp PHEV powertrain

In getting us ready for the 2025 Bentley Continental GT Speed, the automaker from Crewe hyped the coupe’s Ultra Performance Hybrid engine, not the car. That’s because we already know what to expect of any modern Bentley — opulence + velocity. The only question is how many horses will be used to fulfill the second part of the formula, and what kind of engine will make them. In this case, it’s a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 producing 584 horsepower on its own. When assisted by the 187-hp electric motor between the engine and eight-speed dual-clutch transmission, combined output is a very cheery 771 hp and 738 pound-feet of torque, making this Conti another notch in VW’s Year of Living Powerfully. Throughout the VW Group, the Porsche Taycan, Audi E-Tron GT, Audi RS Q8 Performance, and this new Bentley have all set benchmarks for being the most powerful roadgoing products their respective brands have ever produced.  

For reference, the current GT’s W12 engine produces 650 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque, propelling the car to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds. The new coupe is said to take 3.1 seconds to 60 mph, the convertible one tenth behind. The current V8 makes 542 horsepower and 568 pound-feet of torque.

The 25.9-kWh battery behind the rear axle provides a few benefits. First, it powers that e-motor, and Bentley programmed this powertrain to recharge the pack while driving, a feat the Bentayga PHEV isn’t designed to do. Second, it can power pure-electric driving up to 87 miles per hour, although not for long; claimed electric range is 50 miles on the European cycle. But wait, there’s more: The Continental’s battery placement is said to bestow the coupe with a 49:51 weight distribution, improving on the 55:45 balance in the current GT range and establishing the best balance we’ve seen in a Bentley. The price of all this goodness is a 400-kW electrical architecture and a maximum charging rate of 11 kW, meaning a three-hour charge time to get the battery from empty to full. 

After engineers got the third-generation 2019 Continental GT down to 5,056 pounds, this one hits the scales at 5,421 pounds in coupe form and 5,811 pounds in droptop GTC form. A chassis dubbed Bentley Performance Active Chassis holds the driving line thanks to mechanicals like all-wheel steering and all-wheel drive, an e-LSD, torque vectoring, and Bentley Dynamic Ride active anti-roll system working a new dual valve damper system and dual chamber air springs. We’re not fazed, having grown used to Bentleys being sensational heavyweights; this 2025 is only 270 pounds more than the original 2003 Conti GT, but with 219 more horsepower and 259 more pound-feet. 

The automaker calls this model a fourth generation, making its case by saying 68% of the parts are new, percentages being the argument of choice when it’s tough even for automotive media to figure out what’s new. Bones underneath carry over, beneath sheetmetal given some clear revisions one can make out from afar, though. Start with those Bacalar eyes in the front end, an oval headlight cut by an illuminated slash the company calls an eyebrow, filled with diamond-like detailing. This is the first time since the 1950s that a Bentley’s shown a face with just two headlights. Wider taillights carry their own jewel-like highlights.

One needs to get closer to realize length has grown by 1.8 inches, and that the decklid’s been redesigned to eliminate lift so designers could get rid of the current car’s active spoiler. And the convertible’s roof adds a seventh crossbow for sleeker profile.

Inside, there’s a new look to the digital gauges, and there’s still plenty of buttons and knobs. Three audio system choices go from 650 watts pumped through 10 speakers to 1,500 watts working 16 speakers to 2,200 watts run through 18 speakers. 

New tech features include deeper smartphone integration through the MyBentley app, cabin preconditioning, remotely summoning the car from its parking spot, and Zoom call capability. The standard color palette will add this fetching Tourmaline Green and Gravity Gray.

If convention holds, the “Speed” in the name hints at a less powerful version to come once the flagship coupe and convertible have launched.

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June 26, 2024 / Comments Off on 2025 Bentley Continental GT Speed launches 771-hp PHEV powertrain
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Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato and GMC Acadia driven | Autoblog Podcast #837

In this episode of the Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Senior Editor, Electric, John Beltz Snyder. They’re both jazzed after driving the off-road-ish and totally sublime Lamborghini Huracán Sterrato. John recently drove the new GMC Acadia, Greg spent some time in the Toyota Camry, and they also discuss Autoblog‘s long-term Subaru WRX. In the news, the Porsche 918 Cayman and Boxster are reportedly ending production, while it’s officially the end of the road for the Nissan GT-R and Volvo S60. Fisker has officially filed for bankruptcy. Cadillac has shown off a couple cool Blackwing special editions in honor of Le Mans. Finally, we reach in the mailbag and help a listener pick a sporty convertible in this week’s Spend My Money segment.

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

Autoblog Podcast #837

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June 21, 2024 / Comments Off on Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato and GMC Acadia driven | Autoblog Podcast #837
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McLaren Automotive CEO admits there’s a plan for an SUV

Road & Track put McLaren Automotive CEO Michael Leiters through his interview paces, trying to assess how the ex-Ferrari man wants to return the carmaking operation to the top of the charts. Leiter, in place since late 2022, has mainly finished patching the holes in the ship like some organizational issues, delays with the Artura, and securing enough money to stay in business. There’s a long way to go to restore the glow of 12 years ago, when the MP4-12C impressed all with its combination of capability and drivability, however. The company still makes great cars, but of the current lineup, it’s the 750S and 765LT that shoulder McLaren’s aspirational allure; the GTS and Artura haven’t been nearly as convincing to the supercar set, and the balance sheet shows it. RT says 2023’s full-year loss of more than $1 billion on 2,137 global sales equated to McLaren losing more than $500,000 per car.

Naturally, Leiters didn’t get into how the current products might change to address that, but he vowed that supercars and Ultimate Series cars like the P1 and Senna would remain the “first focus.” The CEO believes one way McLaren can hit the front of the pack is by achieving what no competitor has so far: A lightweight EV supercar. There’s one such in development, the curb weight target is around the same 3,300 pounds as the Artura PHEV. “For me, a supercar that weighs two tons is no supercar,” he said. For comparison, the Lamborghini Revuelto is claimed to weigh about 3,900 pounds, the Rimac Nevera comes in at 5,100 pounds.

He also admitted that McLaren’s working on an SUV. Rather, the automaker’s working on a vehicle with “shared performance,” meaning it will fit more than two people, because SUV is still a bad word among superluxury makers until the first SUV is out the door making big bucks. The CEO’s ideal powertrain would be a plug-in hybrid based on a McLaren engine, but the car might not be a solo project, Leiters open to partnering with another automaker to “create synergies” so long as the result makes sure “not to lose anything which is core to McLaren and the DNA of the brand.” The idea’s familiar, we’ve just rarely seen it pulled off at this price point — something around $400,000, supposedly — outside of the Volkswagen Group. 

The CEO had more to say on a range of topics, from too much serial production to too many limited editions, why an EV supercar could still make sense despite a softening market, and why the next Ultimate Series car doesn’t need to be all-wheel-drive even if it’s more powerful than the 903-horsepower P1. Head to RT for the full interview.

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June 10, 2024 / Comments Off on McLaren Automotive CEO admits there’s a plan for an SUV
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Lamborghini confirms 800-hp V8 for hybrid Huracán successor

Lamborghini went to significant lengths to keep the naturally-aspirated V12 engine alive, but its naturally-aspirated V10 has nearly reached the end of its life cycle. Instead, the yet-unnamed model that will replace the Huracán will downsize, adopt forced induction, and electrify.

Code-named 634 internally, the Huracán’s successor will get a 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 rated at about 800 horsepower and 538 pound-feet of torque and linked to an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. For context, the 10-year-old Huracán uses a naturally-aspirated 5.2-liter V10 tuned to develop 631 horsepower and 441 pound-feet of torque in its most powerful state of tune and the Revuelto’s V12 makes 814 horsepower. The hybrid part of the drivetrain will consist of three electric motors and a battery pack whose capacity and chemistry haven’t been announced. The system’s total output also hasn’t been revealed, but it should check in well above 800 horsepower. 

Before rumors begin to fly, let’s get an important detail out of the way. Lamborghini is part of the Volkswagen Group, and several of its sister companies — including Porsche — offer a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8, but this is not what you’ll find in the Huracán’s successor’s engine bay. The brand claims that the eight-cylinder is new; it was developed in-house on a blank slate. Its delivers its peak horsepower output between 9,000 and 9,750 rpm, it provides its peak torque output over a broad range that stretches from 4,000 to 7,000 rpm, and it revs to an un-turbo-like 10,000 rpm. The pistons are linked to flat-plane crankshaft, too. On paper, it sounds like Lamborghini developed a racing engine. 

The dual-clutch automatic is a version of the transmission developed for the Revuelto, which made its debut in 2023 as Lamborghini’s first series-produced plug-in hybrid super-sports car. Details about the electrified part of the drivetrain remain relatively vague: all we know at this stage is that one of the three motors is sandwiched between the V8 and the eight-speed transmission. Fear not, the model won’t sound like the average hybrid. It will likely be capable of driving on electricity alone for short distances, but Lamborghini stresses it spent a great deal of time tuning the engine’s exhaust note to ensure it sounds the way a modern supercar with a flat-plane crankshaft and a high redline should.

Lamborghini will unveil the Huracán’s successor later in 2024, and we expect to hear more about it in the coming months. When it lands, it will complete the company’s shift to an all-electrified line-up: it will join the Revuelto and the plug-in hybrid Urus SE unveiled in April 2024.

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May 20, 2024 / Comments Off on Lamborghini confirms 800-hp V8 for hybrid Huracán successor
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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.

February 27, 2024 / Comments Off on 2025 McLaren Artura Spider loses roof, gains power and performance
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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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January 7, 2024 / Comments Off on Red Bull RB17 due in 2024, makes 1,250 hp, weighs 1,984 lbs
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Autoblog’s Editors’ Picks: The Complete List

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November 1, 2023 / Comments Off on 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?

October 5, 2023 / Comments Off on 2024 Chevrolet Corvette prices now up between $2,300 and $5,100
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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.

Related video:

September 21, 2023 / Comments Off on Bugatti Rimac signs exclusive distribution deal with VW of America
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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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September 1, 2023 / Comments Off on Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale revealed, Dodge Challenger Black Ghost driven | Autoblog Podcast #796
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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.

August 2, 2023 / Comments Off on Zenvo Aurora to run with quad-turbo 6.6-liter V12 hybrid powertrain
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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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August 1, 2023 / Comments Off on New Alfa Romeo supercar teaser mentions ‘6 weeks’ and ‘792 hours’
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