Motorsport

Porsche North America CEO Kjell Gruner Departs from Company

Porsche Cars North America President and CEO Dr. Kjell Gruner will be leaving the company, announced the automaker this week. He will officially depart on July 6, and Porsche has not yet named his successor. The company plans to make an announcement in the near future.

In the meantime, Porsche Cars NA COO Joe Lawrence and CFO Thierry Kartochian, both vice presidents, will take the lead in running the business. The reason for Gruner’s departure has not been disclosed by Porsche, and Motor1.com has reached out to the automaker to inquire further. This story will be updated if any additional information becomes available.


Motorsport

2024 Ford Mustang Equipped with “Exit Warning” System to Enhance Pedestrian Safety

The upcoming 2024 Ford Mustang introduces a new safety feature that aims to protect pedestrians. While it does not prevent Mustang drivers from causing accidents, the “Exit Warning” system focuses on preventing collisions between car doors and individuals, especially in busy urban areas.

The primary function of the Exit Warning system is to alert drivers when someone is approaching the vehicle. When the Mustang is parked, its onboard radar can detect objects approaching from the rear at speeds exceeding 4 mph. If something enters the danger zone, the driver will receive a warning notification on the instrument cluster and side mirror, accompanied by an audible chime. However, ultimately, it is up to the driver whether they choose to open the door or not.

2024 Ford Mustang Exit Warning

The system is primarily designed to prevent accidental door collisions with cyclists, scooter riders, and joggers, considering that the average human walking speed is around 3 mph. The system remains active for three minutes after the vehicle is turned off and is only available on Mustangs equipped with relevant driver-assist systems. Although rural drivers may not benefit significantly from this feature, those familiar with city driving understand the risks associated with parallel-parked cars and crowded streets.

Furthermore, the 2024 Ford Mustang will soon grace the streets as the seventh-generation model. These new Mustangs will feature a fresh yet familiar design, with a choice between Ford’s established 2.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder or 5.0-liter V8 engine. Currently, the Mustang remains a pure internal-combustion vehicle, making it the sole option for enthusiasts of Detroit muscle after this year. In contrast, the Chevrolet Camaro is ceasing production in January 2024 with no successor in sight, and the Dodge Challenger will also make its exit by the end of this year.

Motorsport

2024 Volkswagen Golf: Everything We Know

The upcoming eighth-generation Volkswagen Golf is set to receive a significant update between late 2023 and early 2024. This redesign is expected to be one of the last before the model transitions to an electric vehicle (EV).

New spy shots have emerged, showcasing development vehicles being tested in Europe. Based on these images, our artists have created a rendering that provides an idea of how the updated Golf may look.

What Will It Look Like?


Motorsport

Lotus Emira Equipped with Four-Cylinder AMG Engine to Make Its Debut at Goodwood

Lotus is set to make a grand entrance at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed, showcasing its largest exhibition space to date. The highlight of the event will be the public unveiling of the four-cylinder Emira, which will also be participating in the festival’s hill climb course alongside three other Lotus models.

Deliveries of the four-cylinder Emira, powered by a Mercedes-AMG engine, are scheduled to begin later this year. However, US customers will have to wait until early 2024 to receive the First Edition models. The Emira was first introduced two years ago with two powertrain options: a supercharged V6 sourced from Toyota and a turbocharged four-cylinder engine from AMG. These engines produce 400 and 360 horsepower respectively.


Motorsport

Check out 13 Upcoming Cars in Recent Spy Shots

Motor1.com regularly shares spy shots of upcoming vehicles, providing readers with a glimpse of what’s to come. To stay updated on the latest developments, here are the highlights from the past week:

The next-generation BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe, as seen in these spy shots, showcases a unique interpretation of the brand’s kidney grilles. This sedan is built on a front-wheel-drive platform, but there may also be an option for all-wheel drive.


Motorsport

McLaren Solus GT, 750S To Debut at Goodwood Festival Of Speed

This year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed will be a special occasion for McLaren as the brand celebrates its 60th anniversary. McLaren will mark this milestone with the dynamic debut of two of its newest products – the Solus GT and the 750S. In addition, other supercars from McLaren, including the Artura, will be showcased at the 2023 FoS.

McLaren will showcase the first production car of the Solus GT, which will also take on the challenging Goodwood Hillclimb. The Solus GT is the sixth model in the McLaren Ultimate Series and is a limited-production track-only mid-engine car. It draws design inspiration from the 2017 Vision Gran Turismo concept and weighs around 2,205 pounds (1,000 kilograms). Powered by a naturally-aspirated 5.2-liter V10 engine, the Solus GT is expected to be a strong contender for the fastest run up the hill.

The new 750S will also attempt the hillclimb event at Goodwood. While less aggressive than the Solus GT, the 750S is still a capable supercar. It is equipped with a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine producing 740 horsepower and can accelerate from 0 to 62 miles per hour (0 to 100 kilometers per hour) in just 2.8 seconds. The car’s newest feature, the Proactive Chassis Control hydraulic suspension, is expected to be one of its secret weapons in the hillclimb race.

“This year is the 60th anniversary of McLaren being founded, and the Goodwood Festival of Speed is the ideal event to celebrate six decades of thrilling performance. Alongside iconic cars from our past, we will be showcasing our current model range which together with two global dynamic debuts further strengthens the foundations for a new Future of Performance for McLaren,” says Michael Leiters, McLaren’s CEO.

In addition to the Solus GT and the 750S, McLaren will display other models from its past and present at the McLaren House, including the Artura, P1 (celebrating its tenth anniversary this year), Senna, and Elva.

Motorsport

Exploring the World’s Only 12-Rotor Engine

Is it real? Is it a myth? Does it actually work? Can it really produce 5,000 horsepower? These are some of the questions that have intrigued us ever since we first heard about the world’s only 12-rotor engine. Finally, we have most of the answers, and there’s a lot to learn about this unique creation, including all the potential issues that can arise in a rotor engine.

But let’s start with some background information. The only 12-rotor engine in existence was built by Tyson Garvin of Apex Manufacturing and Design more than 15 years ago. Rob Dahm, a popular YouTuber who frequently discusses Wankel engines, received this incredible 15.7-liter engine a few months ago and is now releasing a second video showcasing its immense power.

In its current form, this engine is said to be capable of reaching 10,000 rpm and generating up to 800 pound-feet of torque at 2,000 rpm. Although the exact power output is not known at the moment, reports suggest that it could potentially produce up to 1,400 horsepower with its current configuration. Even more power could be achieved with the use of race fuel and turbocharging.

But why would someone build such an extraordinary engine? According to Garvin, his main goal was to use it for speed boat racing, but there were some design flaws that limited its applications. The good news, however, is that the 12-rotor engine has the same dimensions and bolt pattern as Chevy’s big block engines, making it compatible for various engine swaps.

“A rotary engine has no known true failure,” explained Garvin. “The tip seals and other parts can wear out, but there’s nothing that will break just for the fun of it like a Big Block Chevy. You can only get so much power out of a Big Block Chevy for extended periods of wide-open throttle. So we measured a Big Block Chevy and figured out how many rotors we could fit in that space. Eventually, we came up with this design, which has the exact shape of a Big Block Chevy.”

However, it turns out that Garvin’s statement may not be entirely accurate, as revealed by Rob Dahm in his latest 20-minute video. Dahm discusses the various issues and challenges associated with the 12-rotor engine, despite its remarkable capabilities. There is still much to learn about this engine and its flaws.

Motorsport

See 23 People Crammed Inside Suzuki Vitara Small Crossover

# See 23 People Crammed Inside Suzuki Vitara Small Crossover

The Suzuki Vitara is a small crossover that is popular in Europe. Although it is not sold in the United States, it is currently manufactured in Hungary and China. However, its sales in Europe have decreased in recent years, with only about 40,000 units delivered to customers in 2022 compared to over 80,000 in 2019. To showcase the practicality of the Vitara, Suzuki Iberica, the Spanish arm of the brand, decided to conduct a unique marketing campaign.

Suzuki Iberica challenged 23 people to get inside the cabin of the Vitara. Although this is far from the world record of 57 people inside an original Volkswagen Beetle, it is still impressive considering the relatively small 98.4-inch (2,500-millimeter) wheelbase of the Vitara. Suzuki emphasizes that the Vitara has one of the largest cabins compared to its compact exterior dimensions.

During the Suzuki Family Day in Spain, which celebrated 20 years of Suzuki Iberica, the brand showcased the Vitara facelift. The rear seats were folded down to create more space, allowing six people to sit in the front and another seventeen in the area behind the front seats, which has a volume of 39.51 cubic feet (1,119 liters). All 23 participants were medium-sized youngsters who completed the challenge with a fun choreography, a lot of elasticity, and enthusiasm. You can watch the footage of the experiment at the top of this page.

The current fourth-generation Vitara was launched in 2015 and received a facelift in 2018. Despite being one of the oldest models in Europe’s subcompact segment, it remains popular. Since March 2020, the model is only available in Europe with a 1.4-liter turbocharged engine supported by a 48-volt mild-hybrid system. The peak system output is 127 horsepower (95 kilowatts) and 173 pound-feet (235 Newton-meters) of torque. In selected countries like Hungary, France, Poland, and the Netherlands, there is also a more powerful 1.5-liter hybrid option with 115 horsepower (85 kilowatts).

Motorsport

Audi R8 Upgraded to 830 HP with VF Engineering’s Supercharger

Last year, Audi made the announcement that the R8 will be discontinued after the 2023 model year. To commemorate the 16-year production run of this supercar, the German company introduced the 2023 R8 GT RWD limited edition, consisting of only 150 units priced at $249,900 each. If you missed out on purchasing the most powerful rear-wheel-drive Audi, you have another option – buying a used R8 and enhancing it with VF Engineering’s bolt-on supercharger system.

VF Engineering, an American tuning company, has designed a kit that can be installed on various versions of the R8, including the standard R8 V10, R8 V10 RWS, and R8 V10 Plus, regardless of their specific configurations offered worldwide. The key component of this system is the Eaton TVS2300 supercharger, incorporating an air-water after cooling system. This package can be easily installed on the 5.2-liter V10 engine without requiring any additional hardware modifications, making it fully reversible.


BMW

The new BMW CE 02.

The new BMW CE 02 – neither e-scooter nor e-motorcycle: The cool eParkourer for cities and urban areas.

With the new BMW CE 02, BMW Motorrad is introducing an e-vehicle designed for urban areas, following the launch of the CE 04 two years ago. This is in line with their commitment to electric mobility. The eParkourer offers a dynamic and enjoyable riding experience in urban environments, thanks to its electric drive, innovative design, and practical features.

Progressive design with new proportions and plenty of room for individualization.

The new BMW CE 02 represents a new approach to BMW Motorrad. It is an electric vehicle that appeals specifically to young people and defies categorization as either an e-motorbike or an e-scooter. It is an eParkourer designed for the city and urban environments. The design is practical, robust, and minimalist. It features large wheels for durability and excellent performance on various terrains. The frame, wheels, front fender, and triple clamp fairing are all black, creating a striking contrast with the granite grey metallic matt engine cover. The interplay of matte and high-gloss surfaces adds to its visual appeal. The special HIGHLINE version features gold anodized forks and a tape design with Petrol as a contrasting color, giving the CE 02 a dynamic and futuristic look even when stationary.

Powerful drive, low weight, and practical range. Two performance variants.

Riders aged 16 or older can ride the new CE 02 with a maximum power output of 11 kW (15 hp). There is also a 4 kW (5 hp) version, limited to 45 km/h, which meets the requirements of the AM driving license class. This version can be ridden in Germany from the age of 15, as well as by riders with a car license. The powerful drive allows the 11 kW version to accelerate quickly at traffic lights and provides a dynamic riding experience. It has a top speed of 95 km/h and a range of over 90 km (11 kW version according to WMTC), making it suitable for extended urban adventures. The CE 02 weighs only 132 kg (11 kW version) or 119 kg (4 kW version) and has a low seat height of 750 mm, which contributes to its playful handling characteristics.

Two riding modes “Flow” and “Surf” as standard and optional “Flash” mode.

The new CE 02 comes with the “Flow” and “Surf” riding modes as standard. “Flow” is optimized for cruising in urban traffic, while “Surf” offers a more dynamic riding experience beyond city limits. The sporty and dynamic “Flash” driving mode is available as part of the HIGHLINE optional equipment and as an original BMW Motorrad accessory.

External charger as standard, optional quick charger.

The new BMW CE 02 comes with a standard external charger with a charging power of 0.9 kW, allowing for quick and convenient charging at standard household sockets. The HIGHLINE optional equipment includes a quick charger with a charging power of 1.5 kW. This option is only available for the 11 kW version and can also be purchased as an original BMW Motorrad accessory.

Chassis with double-loop tube frame, telescopic forks, single-sided swingarm, and cast light alloy wheels.

The chassis of the BMW CE 02 features a torsionally rigid double-loop frame made of tubular steel. It has hydraulically damped telescopic forks at the front, a single-sided swingarm, and a directly pivoted shock absorber at the rear. The bike is equipped with wide tires mounted on cast light alloy wheels in a disc wheel design. Disc brakes ensure safe deceleration at the front and rear wheels, and BMW Motorrad ABS is featured at the front.

TFT display, USB-C charging port, and connectivity solutions.

The cockpit of the CE 02 features an easy-to-read TFT display that provides information on riding speed, battery charge status, and more. There is also a USB-C charging socket for powering a smartphone. Using the BMW Motorrad Connected app, riders can see the estimated time remaining for charging, thanks to Bluetooth connectivity. In the HIGHLINE variant, the app can be controlled safely using the keypad on the handlebar, and trips can be recorded. The BMW Motorrad Connected Services, included in the HIGHLINE package, allow users to view the charging status and other CE 02 vehicle information via the app.

The highlights of the new BMW CE 02:

  • Maximum power: 11 kW (15 hp), rated power: 6 kW (8 hp), torque: 55 Nm.
  • Performance variant for AM *driving license AM: Maximum power: 4 kW (5 hp), rated power: 3.2 kW (4 hp), torque: 55 Nm.
  • Steel frame and single-sided rear swingarm.
  • Telescopic forks at the front.
  • BMW Motorrad ABS (front wheel only).
  • ASC (Automatic Stability Control) and RSC (Recuperative Stability Control).
  • Reverse assistant.
  • Two riding modes “Flow” and “Surf” as standard.
  • Third driving mode “Flash” available as part of the HIGHLINE optional equipment and as an original BMW Motorrad accessory.
  • Low seat height of only 750 mm.
  • Suitable for riding two-up.
  • Keyless Ride.
  • LED headlights including daytime running lights and side indicators.
  • 3.5″ micro TFT.
  • USB-C socket.
  • Cradle mode in the BMW Motorrad Connected app.
  • BMW Motorrad Connected Services.
  • External charger 1.500 W (900 W series) for household socket use as part of the HIGHLINE optional equipment and as an optional accessory (for 11 kW version).
  • Anti-theft alarm preparation.