When Gernot Döllner arrived in Ingolstadt in September final 12 months to start out his new position as CEO and chairman of Audi, he most likely discovered fairly the to-do record in a bulging in-tray.
Shortly earlier than Döllner’s appointment, Volkswagen Group chair Oliver Blume described Audi as “lagging [behind] the competition”. That’s why the job had turn into vacant within the first place: former boss Markus Duesmann was sacked, stories counsel, due to quite a few delays to the flagship Q6 E-tron.
But getting the Q6 E-tron undertaking again on monitor was only one problem dealing with Döllner. Audi was gearing up for the largest wave of product launches in its historical past, whereas dealing with an elevated problem from new Chinese rivals, attempting to maintain tempo with BMW and Mercedes-Benz, dealing with a slowing marketplace for electrical autos and coping with ever-changing rules.
Whereas Duesmann had jumped throughout from BMW to supervise Audi in 2020, Döllner wasn’t a flashy rent. The 55-year-old has been on the Volkswagen Group since 1993, with the majority of his profession spent at Porsche, the place he labored with Blume.
Among different roles, he was product supervisor for the 918 Spyder and the Panamera mannequin collection. Since 2021, he has been VW’s group technique boss – a key if considerably back-room position.
That appears to suit Döllner’s fashion – and explains why he doesn’t appear in any respect fazed by the challenges forward of him at Audi. In truth, his manner is a good match for the model: it’s not about being showy; it’s about being environment friendly, thought of and decisive.
Since he began at Audi six months in the past, Döllner and his board have spent their time laying out a brand new technique for the corporate, which has been referred to as the Audi Agenda. See, informed you he wasn’t flashy.
The agenda is meant to assist sort out the important thing points affecting the agency. “We’re currently managing the biggest model initiative in Audi’s history,” he says, “while at the same time driving forward a fundamental transformation.”
The Kawasaki Ninja H2 arrived within the U.S. in 2015 and rapidly turned a fan favourite. The all-new mannequin affords unimaginable energy with out compromising on consolation, boasting an enormous 998cc four-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine, which delivers an exhilarating and fast burst of pace and energy with each throttle. It has a light-weight trellis body that means that you can comfortably deal with the ability delivered by the supercharged engine whereas providing sufficient flexibility for aggressive sports activities driving.
The motorbike can also be designed with a state-of-the-art electronics bundle that comes with options just like the Bosch Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) that permits for exact chassis orientation consciousness, Kawasaki Engine Brake Control to set your most well-liked engine braking stage, and Kawasaki Quick Shifter for faster and smoother gear shifts which can be utterly contactless. In phrases of styling, this newer Ninja H2 retains the mannequin’s inherent ruggedness. As anticipated, it includes a premium look. A noteworthy characteristic price highlighting is that this motorbike has a prime coat that minimizes the looks of and even repairs sure scratches.
This mannequin reaches a prime pace of over 200 mph and may go from 0 to 60 mph in seconds. In best conditions, the bike can full 1 / 4 mile at a mean pace of 151.6 mph in simply 10.1 seconds. All of this does not come low-cost, nonetheless, provided that the 2024 Ninja H2 ABS has a beginning worth of $32,100. That mentioned, in the event you’re a seasoned rider, the funding in a bike that gives unparalleled efficiency is effectively price it.
The new-gen Mahindra Thar arrived with 6 colors choices, however later new colors have been added with the RWD variants
The Mahindra Thar, certainly one of India’s hottest off-roaders and way of life SUVs. It lately got a new Earth Edition which additionally gave it a particular exterior color choice. However, this isn’t the primary time this SUV has acquired a brand new exterior shade. Let’s see the colors that the Thar arrived with and the brand new colors which have been launched for the off-roader.
Thar Colour Options
The second-generation of the Mahindra Thar has been round since 2020 and when it was launched, it got here with 6 colors choices: Mystic Copper, Galaxy Grey, Napoli Black, Rocky Beige, Red Rage, and Aqua Marine.
Thar Blazing Bronze
Fast ahead to 2023, Mahindra launched the rear-wheel drive variants of the Thar which got here with two new colors, together with this daring golden-yellow shade known as Blazing Bronze. It was launched completely for the rear-wheel-drive Thar solely and was not supplied on the 4WD varaints.
Thar Everest White
The different new color that debuted with the rear-wheel drive Thar was extra standard however simply as placing: Everest White. Given that white is likely one of the hottest automobile colors amongst Indian patrons, it was crucial for Mahindra to supply it with the Thar. Originally restricted to the RWD variants, it’s now accessible with the 4WD variants too.
Later in 2023, Mahindra partnered with IPL cricket group Rajasthan Royals. The partnership introduced forth a Thar in a pink shade with dual-tone purple to match the group’s jersey. However, this was not a manufacturing unit paint choice and easily a wrap. Also, as a substitute of wanting just like the group’s automobile, this pink Thar regarded prefer it got here out of the Barbie film.
Thar Desert Fury
Moving on to 2024, Mahindra has launched the Earth version of the Thar, which comes with a brand new Desert Fury color choice. It additionally will get dune-like decals on the facet whereas the brand new satin-matte beige shade can also be utilized to the grille and the ORVMs inserts.
Since its launch, many colors have been added, however many have been faraway from the Thar’s palette as nicely. As of now, the Mahindra Thar is being supplied in 5 color choices: Red Rage, Deep Grey (Galaxy Grey), Stealth Black (Napoli Black), Everest White, and Desert Fury.
More About Mahindra Thar
The Mahindra Thar comes with three engine choices: 2-litre turbo-petrol engine (152 PS/300 Nm), 2.2-litre diesel engine (132 PS/300 Nm), and a 1.5-litre diesel engine (118 PS/300 Nm). All engines get a 6-speed handbook transmission as normal, and the larger diesel and petrol engines additionally get the choice of a 6-speed computerized transmission. The Mahindra Thar is on the market in each rear-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive setups, the previous with the smaller diesel choice and the latter with the bigger diesel unit.
In phrases of options, it will get a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, Android Auto & Apple CarPlay, handbook AC, steering mounted controls, and cruise management. In phrases of security, it presents dual-front airbags, ABS with EBD, traction management, hill descent management, and rear parking sensors.
The Mahindra Thar is priced between Rs 11.25 lakh and Rs 17.60 lakh (ex-showroom) and is a rival to the Maruti Jimny and Force Gurkha.
The inevitable has lastly arrived. Everyone is aware of SUVs are fashionable – within the US they outsell different classes together with pickup vehicles. The similar may be stated for Europe, however an much more disturbing statistic reared its head within the Old Continent for 2023. SUVs weren’t merely the most well-liked car class. They outsold all different classes mixed.
We saw this coming last year when preliminary numbers pointed in direction of complete SUV dominance, however a tally from Automotive News Europe exhibits the 50-percent threshold was certainly crossed for 2023. Specifically, 51 p.c of recent car gross sales went to SUVs and crossovers, leaving sedans, vehicles, wagons, and hatchbacks to replenish the remaining. It’s a 19-percent year-over-year improve for the phase, led by the Tesla Model Y, which earned the title of best-selling vehicle in the world for 2023. For some context, Model Y gross sales alone elevated a whopping 85 p.c within the area.
Having arrived at our vacation spot, the compactness of the Tonale was advantageous when parking on a good driveway and never wishing to dam the pavement. My relative (who drives a Peugeot 3008, if that is related) stated “not sure about the colour!”, however I defended it. Besides, you need to have seen the garish vehicles I had noticed across the nook. When in Essex…
Getting again within the Tonale for a protracted, darkish night schlep up the M11 to my dad’s home in Bedfordshire, I appreciated the significantly vibrant full beams. And I’m nonetheless having fun with the smallest of wins: a bodily up/down toggle for the cabin temperature on the fitting aspect of the centre console, which is simply so simple to make use of and – importantly and never a given – inside straightforward attain so not distracting to function.
After a protracted day of driving, socialising and parenting, I observed the seat’s lumbar help for the decrease again, and never for the primary time. Just a few months in the past, I went daytime dancing (not a typical incidence) and put my again out. I’m previous. It eased after a number of days, however a key factor that supplied consolation was sitting within the Tonale’s driver’s seat. Having reached Dad’s, I hooked as much as his electrical provide. I might be doing a whole lot of quick native journeys for a few days, and having the luxurious of a driveway with an influence provide meant I needed to profit from the Tonale’s PHEV performance. Oh, and I wasn’t paying (thanks, Dad).
Having a everlasting parking spot additionally meant I might go away the cumbersome charging cables out and simply plug in with none effort. It’s certainly not an issue singular to the Tonale, however there have to be a product designer on the market who could make these unwieldy issues considerably extra user-friendly.
Enjoying the electrical energy on a number of quick journeys, all of which involted methods tet steady ands, the management, even when I did not push its limits on stated lanes.
Eventually, it was time to pack up and head again to Middlesex. On the return leg, I famous 43 claimed electrical miles remaining, cruised in EV mode and watched once they ran out. I’m happy to report the automobile drove extra miles on zero emissions than it had predicted, and with little eco-driving effort from me.
Home 300-plus miles later, there was loads to have fun and little of which to complain. The Tonale is certainly not good, but when you are able to do a number of journeys on typically unfamiliar roads with toddler (and corresponding Peppa Pig songs) in tow and nonetheless really feel comfortable about driving it, that is a fantastic signal for proudly owning one.
The new Subaru Crosstrek has arrived within the UK as a substitute for the XV, bringing a design overhaul and powerful concentrate on off-road driving.
Designed for “utility and sportiness that lends itself to an active lifestyle”, the household SUV touts a collection of drivetrain revisions to make it simpler to drive off-road.
It will get a “class-leading” floor clearance of 220mm and a revised everlasting four-wheel drive system over the outdated Subaru XV, permitting for extra agile dealing with and higher management each on and off-road.
There’s additionally X-Mode on top-end fashions, which supplies the driving force higher management on slippery surfaces.
Subaru additionally claims the Crosstrek is 10% stiffer than the XV, as a result of refined manufacturing strategies, leading to a quieter cabin and higher dealing with.
The Crosstrek is the primary UK-bound Subaru to put on the Japanese agency’s new frameless hexagonal grille, together with reshaped air ducts and channels which are stated to enhance enhance gas economic system.
It additionally options slimmer headlights, new alloy wheels which are accessible in 17in or 18in sizes and black cladding on its wheel arches
It makes use of the identical 2.0-litre four-cylinder boxer petrol engine because the XV. That means it produces 134bhp and an similar torque determine for a 0-62mph time of 10.7sec and a prime pace of 123mph. Power is shipped to each axles by way of a CVT.
Inside, the Crosstrek will get an 11.6in infotainment touchscreen with smartphone mirroring as customary.
It additionally will get Subaru’s Eyesight suite of energetic security programs, which is claimed to function extra easily and rapidly than earlier than.
Just about everybody remembers the Dodge Ramcharger. The huge two-door SUV arrived for the 1974 mannequin 12 months and would stay in manufacturing for US patrons by the early Nineteen Nineties. What you could not know is that Plymouth additionally had a model of the off-roader: The Trail Duster. That’s the main target of this new video from Dead Dodge Garage on YouTube.
When we are saying model, we imply the Trail Duster was principally a Ramcharger with a special badge. The our bodies had been the identical, a lot in order that even a eager eye could be hard-pressed to identify the variations. Badges determine this explicit 1978 mannequin as a Trail Duster Sport, which incorporates fake wooden trim as a result of hey, it was the ’70s. Of higher curiosity is the 400 cubic-inch (6.5-liter) V8 below the hood, topped with an aftermarket Edelbrock four-barrel carburetor.
The Trail Duster was not too long ago present in Washington, the place it had been sitting for 16 years. The video paperwork the trials and tribulations of bringing the forgotten Dodge again to life, which is rarely a simple job for one thing with decade-old gasoline within the tank. However, with some fuel-line patches and a rebuilt distributor, the previous Plymouth’s engine does certainly hearth up. It’s unclear if a full restoration is within the SUV’s future, however the present proprietor is no less than having some enjoyable with it for now.
Whereas the Ramcharger stayed in manufacturing by the early Nineteen Nineties, Plymouth dropped the Trail Duster on the finish of the first-generation run in 1981. It’s believed roughly 36,000 had been made, which does not precisely make it uncommon. But unfold out over a six-year manufacturing run, it is not almost as widespread as its Dodge stablemate.
Beeper Mini’s beginnings are reasonably extraordinary. Now, Beeper arrived on the scene earlier this 12 months, providing a strategy to cluster all of your messaging apps — comparable to WhatsApp, iMessage, Slack, and Telegram — in a single place. The 15-chats-1-app formulation was fairly darn profitable in itself. Then, in August, a high-schooler going by the alias JJTech arrived on GitHub claiming to have reverse-engineered iMessage. They subsequently reached out to Migicovsky with their pitch for a Mac-free, open-source implementation of iMessage referred to as pypush. As unbelievable because it appeared, Migicovsky was bought on the thought, and JJTech promptly handed over the reins to the parents over at Beeper whereas nonetheless being part of the mission.
So started the journey of Beeper Mini. As talked about above, Beeper Mini would not depend on a system of Mac relays to trick Apple servers into believing {that a} message is originating from an Apple machine. Instead, it depends on the very foundations of an Apple system that dictates push notifications. The firm calls it Apple Push Notification Service (APNs). It is bidirectional and handles the supply chain for iMessage. After latching on to the APN hyperlink, pypush proceeds with the registration course of, the place Apple requires validation knowledge, which basically asks for proof that an iMessage token request originated on an Apple machine.
Pypush depends on an identical machine serial identifier format as instruments like Hackintosh, which implies the identifiers are reputable and validation is with none shady loopholes. Notably, Beeper Mini additionally retains end-to-end encryption intact, a secure strategy to guarantee customers that they do not have to fret about safety when texting from an Android telephone over the iMessage line to succeed in an iPhone person—an in depth breakdown of how all that transpires will be discovered here.
The Tesla Cybertruck has lastly arrived, and with it comes the tri-motor variant dubbed “Cyberbeast.” It’s now been pitted towards one of many quickest-accelerating SUVs cash should purchase, the Lamborghini Urus. The EV vs ICE showdown was orchestrated in Texas on the Gigafactory on a freshly paved street.
The two dueled on the similar location the place the Cybertruck obliterated the GMC Hummer. Whether we’re speaking in regards to the drag or rolling races, the end result was just about the identical in all situations. Tesla’s workhorse gained each single battle with out breaking a sweat, regardless of weighing a whopping 6,843 kilos. Lamborghini’s LM002 religious successor was no Caterham both, tipping the scales at 4,848 kilos, however nonetheless quite a bit lighter than the ultra-angular truck.
Last week, the 2024 Yamaha YZ450F arrived and Pete Murray, who rode the 2023 YZ450 all last year, immediately took possession of it. Pete had a successful year on the bike, winning another Vet Championship as well as a couple of wooden bears at Mammoth. However, the rest of us also wanted our turn with the new bike. Surprisingly, everyone loved Pete’s settings and input.
Pete Murray was all over the new YZ450F as soon as it arrived.
First and foremost, the YZ450F is incredibly fast. It doesn’t need any additional modifications to increase its speed. Interestingly, despite its powerful feel, it wasn’t the dyno champion last year. However, it does have the most rapid power gain between 7500 rpm and 10,000 rpm. This is the crucial powerband range that provides the extra boost when shifting through the gears on the way to the first turn. Yamaha has done a good job of making all that power manageable, and the convenience of easy mapping changes with the Yamaha Power tuner smartphone app is irresistible. We immediately installed Pete’s favorite maps from last year.
Our test bike was the 50th Anniversary Edition, which sells for $10,199–that’s $200 more than the standard edition. The Jamie Ellis map. Pay close attention to the throttle opening settings on the vertical axis. They can be adjusted and it makes a big difference.
Pete’s map, which was developed by Jamie Ellis at Twisted Throttle, made the YZ450F more manageable. Pete also made a slight modification to the airbox lid. Typically, riders drill holes to increase airflow, but in this case, Pete taped off part of the air entrance. If you examine the airbox lid closely, you’ll notice an opening on the left that’s closed off on the right. Pete closed off both sides, resulting in what he refers to as the “Husky” effect. For years, Husqvarna had a more restrictive airbox, and as a result, their FC450 felt more controllable compared to the KTM 450SX.
The seat height increased last year making the YZ the tallest of all the 450s.
One of the major changes last year was the Yamaha chassis. There’s no doubt that the new bike has quicker steering and lighter overall handling. Pete was fine with these changes, and while many riders preferred more race sag for stability, Pete went the opposite way. We settled on a setting of 102mm for the sag, with the fork height remaining stock at 7mm. Pete weighs around 175 pounds and found that all the clickers were well-positioned in their stock positions in the rear. He made small adjustments by increasing the rebound damping by 2 clicks in the fork and reducing compression by 1 click.
What all our test riders love about the Yamaha is its roomy layout. The 2022 model felt cramped, leading most of our taller riders to install optional tall seats and lower aftermarket footpegs. But, this year, that’s not necessary. Small riders might not appreciate the increased seat height, but for anyone close to 6 feet tall, the new Yamaha is a great fit.
The 2024 Yamaha YZ450F weighs 231.5 pounds without fuel.
Last year, we mistakenly published an incorrect weight for the bike without fuel. To rectify this, we weighed the 2023 Yamaha YZ450F once more and confirmed that it weighs 231.5 pounds, which is the same as the 2024 model. This makes it the lightest of all the Japanese 450s. A comprehensive test of the 2024 Yamaha YZ450F will be featured in the January 2024 print edition of Dirt Bike magazine.
3-BROS 24 HOURS OF GLEN HELEN
On the 28th of this month, the 3-Bros 24 Hours of Glen Helen event will take place. The SRA racing crew has put together the entire course, which includes the GP track, the Arroyo, the Vet track, the Truck track, miles of fire-roads, and some single track. The race will start at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday.
SETH AND THE VETS
Seth and the Vets will be riding a Yamaha YZ450FX in the 24 Hours of Glen Helen.
Seth Barnes, a National Sales Rep at Dirt Bike Magazine and a former U.S. Marine Corps member, has teamed up with fellow Marines Ray Rodden and Skyler Periera to participate in the 3-Bros 24 Hours of Glen Helen. They are all part of the Soflete Race Team. Soflete is a fitness training company for military and first responders. The team was formed last year for the Vegas to Reno race, where Brent Phillips and below-the-knee amputee Josh Rotcaamp secured a 3rd place finish in the +30 Intermediate class. This will be their fourth ride together in the 24-hour race. You can follow their progress through Glen Helen’s live scoring system.
Seth Barnes breaking in the Team Soflete 24-Hour Yamaha.
NEW TRIUMPH TIGER 900 RANGE
2024 Triumph Tiger Rally Pro.
Triumph has announced significant upgrades to its Tiger 900 line of adventure bikes. The range consists of three variations: the Tiger 900 GT, the GT Pro, and the Rally Pro. Some of the key highlights from the Triumph press release include:
– The new Tiger 900 range offers increased performance, enhanced capability, improved all-day comfort, and a more aggressive attitude. – The engine has been significantly upgraded to provide 13% more power, higher peak torque of 66.38 LB-FT, and a 9% improvement in fuel economy. – New active safety features and a new 7″ TFT instrument panel offer improved capabilities. – The rider seat and damped handlebar mounting system have been redesigned to enhance long-distance comfort.
USA Pricing: Tiger 900 GT starting from $14,995
Tiger 900 GT Pro starting from $16,895
Tiger 900 Rally Pro starting from $17,395
See you next week!
-Ron Lawson
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