Last weekend, Jean-Eric Vergne grew to become the brand new record-holder for the best variety of factors scored within the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship
The solely two-time champion within the historical past of Formula E has scored 34 podiums, 11 wins, 15 pole positions and a report 1,047 factors all through his profession within the all-electric collection
The Frenchman, a model ambassador for DS Automobiles, now writes his personal chapter in Formula E historical past
Jean-Eric Vergne has been on the forefront of Formula E since beginning his profession within the all-electric collection again in 2014, because of his efficiency and consistency. The Frenchman is the one Formula E two-time champion, claiming his titles in 2018 and 2019, and has additionally significantly contributed to the 2 constructors’ titles gained by DS Automobiles in 2019 and 2020: the model for which he’s a world ambassador.
Up to at present, Jean-Eric Vergne has 121 races, 34 podiums, 11 victories, 15 pole positions and two driver titles to his identify. An distinctive report of feat, sealed partly with the French constructor, along with a group of engineers who’ve been round him for a number of years.
Driving the quantity 25 DS E-TENSE FE23 developed by DS Performance for the DS PENSKE group, Jean-Éric Vergne is an everyday star on the E-Prix calendar everywhere in the world, and a key contributor to the fame of the DS Automobiles model.
Round eight of Season 10 of the ABB FIA Formula E championship will happen in Monaco on April 27.
Eugenio Franzetti, DS Performance Director:
“JEV is a truly great champion! The numbers sum it all up: two titles, 34 podiums, 11 wins, 15 pole positions, and now this extraordinary record of points. It’s a privilege for us to have shared so much success with him. JEV is an extremely talented individual and a very hard worker who always desires to go one better and constantly aims for this goal. His way of thinking has always been very useful to us as a team, as it helps us make progress. Furthermore, our DS Automobiles brand ambassador brings motorsport experience to all the engineers who work on the road cars of today and tomorrow. His dedication and expertise are a huge asset for the marque.”
Jean-Eric Vergne, 2018 and 2019 Formula E Champion:
”I’m clearly very pleased to have this report and to have collected all these factors, because it’s a reminder of how far I’ve come since making my debut in Formula E. Now, what pursuits and motivates me greater than something is the factors that I’m but to attain sooner or later! We want to gather much more from the subsequent races. “
Key figures since DS Automobiles entered Formula E:
112 races
4 championship titles
16 victories
48 podiums
23 pole positions
PRESS CONTACTS
Krystyna Perry +44 (0) 7710 062783 – krystyna.perry@stellantis.com
Driven by the spirit of the avant-garde and backed by an distinctive heritage, the DS model, born in 2014, goals to embody the French artwork of journey. Remarkable merchandise, discernible French luxurious savoir-faire, coupled with a collection of bespoke providers, DS Automobiles provides a singular expertise earlier than, throughout and after each journey.
Designed for patrons trying to stand out who wish to journey the world and luxuriate in each second, DS fashions mix refinement and expertise. With DS 3, DS 4, DS 7 and DS 9, the DS model provides a world vary.
Based on quite a few information since its entry into Formula E in 2015, together with double Teams’ and Drivers’ titles, DS Automobiles is on the forefront of electrification by already promoting every of its fashions with an electrified model. Under the E-TENSE label, DS Automobiles provides 100% electrical powertrains in addition to plug-in hybrids with as much as 360 horsepower and 4-wheel drive. From 2024, each new mannequin launched by DS Automobiles will likely be 100% electrical.
For its discerning prospects, DS Automobiles has crafted a collection of unique providers, known as “ONLY YOU, a wealth of attention.”
With a presence in 41 international locations, the DS model has created and is growing an unique distribution community that features 450 DS STORES all through the world.
Follow information from DS internationally on www.DSautomobiles.co.uk @ds_uk
After many profitable years competing in IndyCar (2007-2014), the group embraced the shift to electrical mobility and have become one of many founding groups of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.
The group motto is the Latin phrase “E Pluribus Unum” – that means “out of many, there may be one.
Ford Focus shortly turned a favourite, with a stability of energy, enjoyable, and practicality as an ideal day by day driver.
Shifting to in-house design led to the world’s best-selling automotive and the revival of the new hatch class with the Focus ST.
Discontinued in North America, used fashions stay accessible.
Twenty-two years in the past, Ford launched the compact household automotive generally known as the Focus, changing the legendary Ford Escort and filling a much-needed hole between the ‘supermini’ Fiesta and the mid-size (later full-size) Taurus. After the wild success of the Escort – promoting over 250,000 automobiles yearly via the 80s and 90s – the Focus had huge boots to fill, and Ford didn’t disappoint, creating arguably the perfect daily driver with the perfect stability of energy and enjoyable.
After a decade of robust gross sales, Ford shifted away from the European-designed, Volvo-powered mannequin and shifted the design and manufacture in-house, creating what would turn out to be the world’s highest-selling automotive and resulting in a resurgence of the new hatch section. This shift led to the creation of a now legendary efficiency mannequin; the Focus ST.
In 2018 Ford announced they were discontinuing all cars besides the Mustang and crossover Focus Active, then in 2019, after tariffs have been imposed on Chinese imports, Ford scrapped the Focus nameplate in North America totally. While it was nonetheless accessible abroad, specifically all through Europe, Ford has now confirmed the Focus will meet its finish in 2025, bringing a detailed to 2 (and a bit) a long time of compact, sporty enjoyable.
In order to provide the most recent and correct data potential, the info used to compile this text was sourced from authoritative sources together with Chicago Tribune, Car and Driver, GoodCarUnhealthyCar, Edmunds, zero60times, FordAuthority, and Ford.
The MK3 Focus RS is an all-wheel drive drift monster with a stick, that’s sorely missed and nonetheless instructions a premium in the present day
The Ford Focus ST, A Compact Classic
The Ford Focus ST was initially launched in 2005 because the ZX4 ST, replacing the performance SVT model, the brainchild of Ford’s Special Vehicle Team – though it wouldn’t be till the third era in 2012 when the Focus ST could be upgraded from trim to a standalone mannequin. Ford’s Special Vehicle Team was behind fashions such because the SVT Lightning and Terminator SVT Cobra Mustang, so the Focus was in good palms on the time and this set the stage for the basic it was to turn out to be. Since 2005, Ford had been providing the Focus ST in Europe with a turbocharged five-cylinder Volvo engine, and whereas the North American mannequin’s engine was one cylinder and half a liter smaller, it pushed out 25 extra horsepower than its European counterpart.
Turbocharged Goodness Upgraded The Focus To Hot Hatch
The inventory 2012 Focus had modest energy to say the least, providing simply 160 horsepower from its 2.0-liter Duratec four-cylinder, the one engine on provide within the Focus on the time. Ford took this small however succesful Mazda-designed engine and added a turbocharger for the ST mannequin, pushing the facility as much as 252 horsepower with a handbook transmission, and heating the new hatch market.
In 2015, Ford added an excellent smaller engine for these with gas financial system in thoughts; a 1.0-liter three-cylinder with 123 horsepower, whereas on the opposite finish of the size, it formally unveiled the Focus RS which shortly launched to the highest of the new hatch world with 350 horsepower and torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive.
Efficient and enjoyable to-drive scorching hatches are nonetheless alive in 2023, due to a number of the standard suspects and a few new children on the block
Escorting Ford Through The 2000s
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Following on from the Ford Escort was a tricky ask, given how successful the car had been within the compact market, and with some fashions fetching very high prices at auction years later, it’s clear folks nonetheless miss the automotive. Luckily for Ford, followers of the model shortly took to the Focus, with gross sales figures instantly hitting numbers much like the Escort at its prime.
Aside from an comprehensible dip throughout (and barely after) the worldwide monetary disaster in 2008, the Focus offered round 200,000 models yearly till it was discontinued by Ford in 2018, together with all different fashions that weren’t a Mustang. Despite this disappointing information for followers of the new hatch Focus ST, you may’t take away from the legacy it leaves behind as probably the most impactful compact household automobiles within the 2000s, main not solely to huge gross sales for Ford however a market shift in direction of potent hatchbacks with correct efficiency upgrades.
Highest Selling Car In The World
Wikimedia Commons
After a profitable launch within the early 2000s, Ford went from energy to energy with the compact Focus, and in each 2012 and 2013 turned the highest-selling car in the world with over a million fashions offered every year, partly on account of an explosion of demand in China following Ford’s enlargement there.
It was on the again of this stellar efficiency that Ford launched the Focus ST in North America, they usually did so on the excellent time; the Focus was in standard demand, scorching hatches have been making a return with fashions just like the Golf GTI and Civic Si placing a highlight on the category, and emissions rules have been beginning to come into the image, resulting in smaller extra environment friendly engines and a divide between smaller automobiles and bigger vehicles.
Turning A Compact Family Car Into A Performance Machine
Alan Mulally efficiently guided Ford via the U.S. monetary disaster and relentlessly applied a complete technique for the corporate’s turnaround. Mulally’s technique, referred to as “One Ford”, introduced the corporate collectively below a compelling imaginative and prescient and restored Ford’s standing as one of many world’s main automakers.
It wasn’t only a turbocharger and a heap of additional energy that reworked the modest Focus into the monstrous Focus ST; the third era Focus (and the primary to be designed absolutely by Ford) was part of Ford’s new “One Ford” plan to supply ‘world cars’, slightly than have a number of variations throughout a number of markets. Stepping up from the inventory 2.0-liter four-cylinder with 160 horsepower, the ST introduced that as much as 252 horsepower and 270 pound-feet of torque with a turbocharger and stored the six-speed handbook transmission as normal, but nonetheless maintained impressive fuel economy at 27 miles per gallon.
While solely the Focus RS affords torque-vectoring and all-wheel-drive, the Focus ST has Torque Vectoring Control to regulate the velocity and energy on the entrance wheels to maximise cornering and scale back understeer. Pair that with AdvanceTract digital stability management, MacPherson strut front suspension, and Control Blade multilink rear suspension, and also you get a speedy little beast that virtually glues to the bottom whereas cornering.
The extra grown up Civic Type R has a number of distinctive methods up its sleeve, to assist it stand out within the aggressive scorching hatch section
The Model That Gave Us The RS
Ford
Given the wild success of the Focus and the efficiency ST mannequin, it’s no shock that Ford determined to ramp things up with the RS, taking an already quick and agile scorching hatch and including simply what each fanatic would need; extra energy, and all-wheel-drive. Not solely did the Focus RS carry the identical 2.3-liter EcoBoost engine because the Mustang, nevertheless it added Drift Mode and Launch Control as a transparent message to drivers – it is a automotive you’ll need on a monitor.
The automotive was instantly troublesome to purchase with many orders and restricted provide, and the MSRP was already high at simply over $40,000, particularly when in comparison with the Focus ST on the time, which started at a mere $23,700 – so buying a Focus RS was a tricky resolution for anybody who wasn’t an fanatic.
A Very Hot Hatch That Kept Up With The Big Guns
Launching itself immediately to the highest of the new hatch class, the Focus RS squeezed 350 horsepower and 350 pound-feet of torque out of the EcoBoost engine (vs the Mustang’s 315) and managed a 0-60 half a second quicker than the Mustang, placing it on par with the Porsche 911’s 4.6 seconds. The Focus RS dominated the new hatch market till its retirement in 2018, and but, when Car and Driver put it up against the Golf R and Subaru WRX STI, they discovered that, except you actually thrash it, the driving expertise shouldn’t be too completely different to the Focus ST. This reveals simply how robust the Focus ST was as a automotive in a market of small, underpowered household automobiles, and regardless of its compact measurement managed to maintain up with fashions that on paper ought to have outperformed it.
Beyond being sensible, reasonably priced, and correctly quick, this is why this was one in all Mazda’s biggest sporty non-rotary handbook automobiles ever created
Soon To Be Gone But Not Forgotten
Ford
The Focus ST was a automotive on the leading edge, and in the event you look again on the options it included at its launch in 2012, you’ll be shocked that it has been over a decade. As the Focus instantly topped gross sales internationally, and the Focus ST was met with rave critiques, what was it precisely that made the Focus ST simply so good? Ford’s SYNC system introduced options like voice management, navigation, hands-free calling, and wi-fi hotspot, all via an eight-inch contact display.
Active parking help can reverse parallel park for you, automated wipers are a pleasant contact in consistently altering climate, and Ford’s Active Grille Shutter System can open and shut the entrance grille to enhance gas financial system or enhance efficiency by mechanically adjusting airflow.
No Sign Of A Hybrid Or Electric Future For The Focus
While the Focus left the US in 2018, Ford has continued producing the mannequin for the worldwide market, however 2025 will see the top of the Focus at its meeting plant in Saarlouis, Germany. Ford is in reality seeking alternate opportunities for the manufacturing facility that would embody promoting it. It’s a disgrace to see the top of the Ford scorching hatches regardless of a push into EVs and hybrids.
Ford hasn’t given any indicator that it’ll provide up an electrical model of the Focus ST. For the time being, lovers can nonetheless choose a used one for an affordable worth with models averaging around the $19,000 mark, and for the cash, you’re nonetheless an important buy in order for you a automotive that may day by day drive you in consolation and nonetheless tackle larger sports activities automobiles on a monitor.
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.
Before the Model T grew to become a manufacturing actuality, Ford and his engineering group constructed round 20 prototypes earlier than debuting the automotive in 1908, naming every design after a letter of the alphabet. By the time the group had reached what would turn into the Model T, the revolutionary options they’d designed labored collectively to make it sturdy, dependable, and simple to function. The Ford Motor Company’s inside naming scheme caught, and Henry Ford agreed to the Model T manufacturing title — naming the automotive after the 20th letter within the alphabet.
The Model T earned a set of nicknames since its debut — from Tin Lizzie to T Model — however what about its successor, the Model A? If the Model T was supposedly the 20th prototype, why did not Henry Ford name his second manufacturing automotive the Model U as a substitute?
As it seems, the Model T’s successor was a clean-sheet design, and Ford needed a contemporary begin with the Model A. Ford bought three million Model A models by 1930, three years after its debut, and launched the Model B in 1927 earlier than abandoning the alphabet-based nomenclatures and debuting the Ford Model 18 and Model 40 by 1932. This, after all, would solely be the start of the various historic and iconic Ford models produced over the next century.
Sony and Honda turned companions in 2022 when the Japanese giants introduced plans to work collectively on an EV. The duo has since established a brand new firm, plainly named Sony Honda Mobility, and their first automotive is the Afeela. The EV was baptized ultimately yr’s CES, and now a closer-to-production model debuted this yr.
But the most effective a part of the debut was how Sony introduced the automotive on stage at CES. Izumi Kawanishi, President and COO of Sony Honda Mobility, used a Playstation 5 controller to “drive” the up to date Afeela on stage in entrance of crowds at CES.
Watch the video under:
It may not have a catchy title, however the Sony Honda Mobility Afeela does look attention-grabbing. The swoopy electrical sedan now has conventional facet mirrors as a substitute of cameras, together with a barely redesigned entrance bumper with a spoiler lip. The sweptback headlights have a curvier form than earlier than whereas the pillars appear thicker than on final yr’s prototype. At the again, a black piece of trim has been added above the license plate, and there is a new factor protruding from the bumper.
Originally unveiled because the Vision-S concept at CES 2020, the Afeela has gone by way of much more adjustments inside. The screen-heavy cabin now boasts a unique rearview mirror, a discreetly revised yoke-like steering wheel, and twin smartphone wi-fi chargers. There additionally appears to be a digital camera atop the dashboard that retains a watch what the motive force is doing.
As for technical specs, the Afeela has a dual-motor setup granting an all-wheel drive setup. The entrance and rear motors every ship 241 horsepower to the respective axles and draw their juice from a 91.0-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack. Owners will be capable to recharge the battery utilizing DC at as much as 150 kilowatts whereas AC charging goes to high out at 11 kW.
The Sony Honda Mobility firm will open order books for the Afeela in 2025 when manufacturing is scheduled to kick off. North American deliveries are earmarked for early 2026, however you can drive the Afeela (just about) in Gran Turismo 7 with an replace this yr.
The first-generation Ford Focus debuted on the 1998 Geneva Motor Show and shortly turned one of many firm’s most essential fashions. While the way forward for the nameplate seems very uncertain, towards the tail finish of the Nineteen Nineties, it set the stage for a brand new period in compact automotive manufacturing with its distinctive design and superior options. Ford’s UK and German groups labored collectively to create a automotive that was the envy of the world.
Welcome to Timeless European Treasures, our weekly look again at automobiles from the European market that outlined a motoring era.
Why Do We Love It?
Good query. The Ford Focus has earned a particular place within the hearts of automotive lovers and on a regular basis drivers for a lot of causes. Its attraction is multifaceted, beginning with its groundbreaking design. The unique Focus departed from conventional compact automotive aesthetics, embracing the New Edge styling philosophy launched within the late Nineteen Nineties. The outcome was a polarizing but fascinating exterior that caught the attention and set the mannequin aside from its opponents.
One of the important thing causes for the Focus’s widespread admiration is its engineering prowess. The introduction of the Control Blade rear suspension system, for instance, marked a leap ahead in dealing with and journey consolation for a compact automotive. The engineers, led by Richard Parry-Jones, crafted a class-leading, space-saving unbiased multi-link rear suspension that delivered distinctive elasto-kinematic efficiency. This innovation contributed to the Focus’s sharp steering, superior physique management, and clean journey over numerous terrains.
Of course, Ford lovers will at all times bear in mind the first-gen Focus for its efficiency variations. From the extra delicate US-market SVT fashions to the Focus RS with a 2.0-liter turbo engine, the compact automotive delivered an honest efficiency for rookie and semi-pro drivers. And after all, the Focus RS WRC was a profitable rally automotive with plenty of prestigious triumphs within the World Rally Championship.
In 2015, Rolls-Royce introduced its first SUV, the Cullinan. Over the years, it has become the company’s top-selling nameplate. Now, this significant model is undergoing a mid-cycle refresh, and the first spy photos of the lightly camouflaged prototype have been released.
The prototype was spotted near BMW’s research and development center in Munich. It features camouflaged portions on the front fascia, suggesting revisions to the front bumper. The lower section of the panel is not camouflaged, offering a clear view of the new shape and size of the air intakes at the sides. The center section with the large radar in the middle remains mostly unchanged, though there appears to be a different pattern for the grille.
We were thrilled when the Toyota Mega Cruiser became legal to import a few years ago. It’s Japan’s equivalent of the Hummer H1, mainly used by the police and military. It made it onto our 2020 list of cars you could legally import because Toyota produced a small number for civilian use. Now, a 1996 Toyota Mega Cruiser is up for auction on Cars & Bids, and you can potentially own this rare vehicle in America.
Toyota manufactured this SUV from 1996 to 2001, and it’s believed that fewer than 150 were ever made for civilian use. This specific model, featuring a right-hand-drive configuration, was initially green, but it now sports a striking white color that complements the aftermarket 17-inch custom billet aluminum wheels, which replaced the original 17.5-inch rims.
The original Pontiac GTO was a successful experiment in the 1960s, inspiring Pontiac to offer it as an independent model.
The 2004 model of the rebirthed GTO was unremarkable, but the 2005 model featured a more powerful LS2 6.0-liter V-8 engine.
The fourth-generation GTO faced issues such as high price, reliability problems, and a lack of the quintessential muscle car look.
In the 1960s, the Pontiac GTO was the top muscle car in the United States. It began life as an experiment by Pontiac executives, including John DeLorean, to build a vehicle attractive to the younger generation. The company evaded a GM rule that outlawed engines over 330ci in midsize cars by offering the GTO package as an option on the LeMans line. The executives predicted that Pontiac would sell 5,000 units; car dealerships sold over 32,000 examples.
Clearly, the experiment was a huge success, inspiring Pontiac to offer the GTO as an independent model. Pontiac had inadvertently created the muscle car and became the most successful manufacturer in the segment. However, the vehicle’s reign at the top ended swiftly due to dwindling sales, the oil crisis, and tightening emissions regulations.
Pontiac waited until they had a car worthy of the GTO name before resurrecting it. In the early 2000s, the famous name returned on a car popular in Australia, the Holden Monaro. The rebirthed GTO featured a 5.7-liter V-8 engine and could reach 60 MPH in a little over 5.3 seconds. The 2005 model saw significant improvements, including a more powerful LS2 6.0-liter V-8 engine producing 400 horsepower and a top speed of 178 MPH.
The new GTO was not a conventional muscle car in terms of its appearance, but it offered impressive performance and handling. It had a stiff chassis and a performance-tuned suspension, resulting in stable and precise cornering. The car was also a comfortable cruiser and featured a spacious and well-designed interior.
Despite its performance capabilities, the fourth-generation GTO faced issues such as high price, reliability problems, and a lack of the quintessential muscle car look. These factors contributed to its sales failure. However, the GTO is now considered one of the best sleeper cars on the market, with its combination of power and understated looks. A 2005 model can be found for as low as $12,500.
Munich. Effective 1 September 2023, Isabel Richter became the Head of Sustainability Communications at the BMW Group, with responsibility for development, coordination and implementation of communications messaging on the subject of sustainability. Isabel Richter is assigned to the main department of Alexander Bilgeri, Vice President Communications Human Resources, Production, Purchasing and Sustainability. Richter comes from Microsoft Germany, where she was responsible for economic and corporate strategy topics, such as digital transformation and AI, cybersecurity, corporate citizenship and sustainability, as Corporate Communications Lead. She also headed communications at the Berlin location, where she shaped digital policy dialogue with the press, policymakers as well as society and established digital public affairs.
Prior to working for Microsoft, Richter was Head of the Environment and Sustainability division at the digital association BITKOM in Berlin. Richter began her career in corporate communications at IBM in London, before working for communications agency Waggener Edstrom in London, Seattle and Munich for several years. Ms. Richter earned a degree in Communication and Media Studies from Leipzig University.
If you have any questions, please contact:
Diana Schaidnagel, Press Spokesperson Sustainability BMW Group Telephone: +49-151-601-38407 Email: Diana.Schaidnagel@bmw.de
Isabel Richter, Head of Sustainability Communications BMW Group Telephone: +49-151-601-53189 Email: Isabel.Richter@bmw.de
Media website: www.press.bmwgroup.com
Email: presse@bmwgroup.com
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