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Health, Technology

Top 5 iPhone Apps for Tracking Calories

If you’re searching for a straightforward and efficient calorie counter app, look no further than Calory. This app specializes in tracking your calorie intake, making it an excellent option if that’s your main goal. While it may lack some of the fancy features found in other apps on this list, Calory excels at what it does. It offers a simple and user-friendly interface, presenting your calorie information through a convenient bar chart. This feature allows you to quickly assess how many calories you have remaining for the day.

All of these features are available for free. However, there is a paid option priced at $14.99 per year. Opting for the paid version grants you access to additional features such as a barcode scanner, a water tracker, and even an AI-powered recipe creator. Some of these features may be available for free in other apps, so it’s worth considering those alternatives if you desire these extras. If you’re solely interested in tracking your calorie intake without any frills, Calory is an excellent choice.

Motorsport

Cadillac Compact EV Crossover Spotted Inside and Out

In these recently taken spy shots from Colorado, we get a closer look at the camouflaged vehicles, particularly the one next to the white Cadillac Lyriq. This is the first glimpse we’ve had of Cadillac’s small electric crossover, currently unnamed but expected to be similar in size to the XT4. While it shares a similar shape with the XT4, the electric crossover is fundamentally different beneath the surface.

Credit goes to Cadillac for effectively concealing the prototype, even without heavy covers. The lack of a large cooling system, inherent in electric powertrains, allows for a securely wrapped camouflage. However, upon closer examination, you can spot narrow trim at the top of the solid grille. Placeholder lights are positioned vertically at the sides, framing the expected grille design similar to that found on the larger Lyriq.


NewsNew

YAMAHA YZ345 PROJECT: TWO-STROKE TUESDAY

On this week’s Two-Stroke Tuesday we take another look with some unseen photos of a very unique Yamaha YZ345 built by fabricator Howard Jenkins of MotoFab Industries located in central California. Could you imagine a YZ250 two-stroke engine dropping right into a newer Yamaha four-stroke chassis without any major frame modifications? Well, it might just be possible! The topic in our 2-Stroke History section this week is Suzuki’s RM250 and could it be the best used bike ever. Don’t miss our Behind The Build of Mike Browns FXR/Rockstar Yamaha YZ250 at the bottom of this post!

So what if we told you a Yamaha YZ250 two-stroke engine would fit into newer four-stroke chassis without cutting huge sections of the frame away? True story Howard Jenkins CEO of MotoFab Industries in central California had a customer that really wanted to make this bike a reality and he was excited about the challenge of creating something truly different.

This is our first build with the 345 kit the MotoFab crew has done and are excited to feel it put power to the ground.  Eddie Saunders (ESR) designs and manufactures the entire cylinder kit in house except for the casting which he has casted in California.  The most unique aspect to the cylinder is the power valve design.  The main exhaust port actuation is driven by exhaust pressure and can be adjusted to fasten or slow its operation based on the spring tension.  The two exhaust side ports are open all the time with no actuation at all.

With more than a year of development the MotoFab intake for the YZ345 has been finalized. This one piece carbon fiber system utilizes the stock air box placement providing a larger volume of air in the system before being restricted by the air filter and is giving better performance on the bottom end. The system has a rubber grommet that presses into the opening of the part at the carburetor that allows for the OEM air boot clamp to make the seal.  At the other end it’s connected to the intake boot with a small section on silicone turbo hose that gives the system the ability to flex.  Attachment is made to the sub-frame with molded carbon tab at both sides of the subframe.

This YZ345 has a unique wide ratio transmission setup featuring YZ 1st and 2nd gears and WR 3rd, 4th, and 5th.  The WR 1st gear the MotoFab crew felt was too low and love the combination of YZ 2nd and WR3rd because the  YZ 2nd and WR 3rd are more closely geared than the stock setup from either the YZ or the WR and give a great combination for woods or trail riding.

With Yamaha focusing so much on centralizing mass for the four-stroke version the MotoFab crew positioned the YZ250 two-stroke engine as low as we could in the chassis wanting to keep the weight low. With the much shorter 2-stroke engine and forward facing cylinder, the motor weight in the bike is lower and further forward.  They hope it gives the bike a more “planted and stable” feel.

2-STROKE HISTORY

The story of the Suzuki RM250 isn’t just about a single motorcycle. It’s about a dynasty of bikes, championships and riders that goes back to a glorious era in the history of motocross. Click the image below for the full story!

CLICK THE IMAGE FOR FULL STORY

2-STROKE BEHIND THE BUILD

Mike Brown has raced at the highest level of motocross, Supercross and off-road for factory-level teams during a career that has spanned over three decades. The 47-year-old racer is no longer competing to put food on the table, but is now doing selected events for Yamaha, FXR and Rockstar Energy just for fun. Click the image below for the full story! 

News

A Suzuki Burgman Transformed into a Replica of a BMW R 100 RS

Although it may look like a BMW R 100 RS, this motorcycle is actually a Suzuki 650 Burgman that has been customized to resemble the iconic BMW model. The creator, Thomas Janotta, has named it the “Suzuki R 65 Burgman RS,” a unique and intriguing addition to the world of custom replicas.

Based in the Swabian town of Beilstein, Janotta is a man of many talents, including optician, watchmaker, goldsmith, and inventor. Alongside this motorcycle project, he has also worked on several other creations in his garage.

Opinions are divided when it comes to this homage to the BMW R 100 RS. Some people find it cool, while others question the reasoning behind it. This is understandable because the Suzuki Burgman is quite different from the R 100 RS.

Janotta was drawn to the Suzuki 650 Burgman due to its impressive reputation. He initially wanted to use it as a towing vehicle for a racing kneeler team. However, certain obstacles prevented him from pursuing that idea.

He purchased the 650 Burgman for a mere 600 EUR. The affordable price was due to the previous owner falling off the scooter at a slow speed and deciding to sell it. Janotta then acquired the damaged bike and brought it into his garage.

As a BMW enthusiast, Janotta decided to give the Burgman a makeover with a 1981 R 100 RS fairing. After obtaining a gas tank, side covers, and a seat from the R 100 RS, Janotta successfully transformed the top half of the bike to resemble the BMW model.

However, fitting the fairing onto the scooter was not a straightforward process. It required custom brackets and adaptors to be created and installed. Additionally, since the Burgman lacked boxer heads, Janotta had to cover the air-cooling holes with sheet metal cladding taken from a Volkswagen Transporter.

In addition to the absence of a boxer engine, the modified Burgman features 15-inch front wheels. Other modifications include an access pipe for the integrated 18-liter fuel tank, a special gas pump for the Burgman’s engine, a slightly widened and shortened RS seat, and a relocated air filter now placed inside the tank. Janotta also added an R 100 GS handlebar to enhance the Burgman’s overall appearance.

What makes this custom build even more impressive is that it is compliant with TÜV regulations. With the original headlights, taillights, indicators, drivetrain, and chassis of the Burgman intact, it is roadworthy and ready for registration. The only non-original accessory is an approved muffler. However, the shortened rear end no longer accommodates two passengers.

All in all, the entire project cost 2,200 EUR (approximately $2,400 USD), covering the bike, parts, and metallic gold paint. It was a budget-friendly endeavor. For more details about the build, Motorrad’s article on the bike provides further insights.

Featured

Ferrari Shows Off A Gradient-Exterior Tailor Made SF90 Spider

Ferrari’s Tailor Made program expands the horizons of what a Ferrari can look like to include unprecedented configurations, allowing Ferrari clients to personalize their cars and execute creative visions in a unique way, creating cars that fit seamlessly into carefully-curated collections, and exuding the personalities and stories of their owners. The results of the Tailor Made program are some incredible specs, and a new Ferrari SF90 Spider created through Tailor Made and posted by Ferrari on Instagram shows the potential that it has.

The exterior is finished in an incredible two-tone spec, with Blu Corsa at the front blending into Canna di Fucile at the back. In addition, the number 45 on the doors serves as a suggestion of the Ferrari SF90 Spider’s racing readiness. Inside, the car features Baby Blue leather upholstery on the seats, as well as on the steering wheel grips, bringing the bright hue from the front of the exterior to the interior as well. The vivid color is a sharp contrast to the glossy carbon fiber that decorates much of the interior, completing yet another stunning SF90 Spider spec that shows why Ferrari’s Tailor Made program is the source of some of the most aspirational supercar configurations out there.

View All Ferrari SF90 Spiders For Sale

 
Featured

Maruti Invicto’s Latest Teaser Gives Official Glimpse Of Interior Details


The teaser showcases ventilated seats, and also gives the first official look at the new grille

  • The bookings for the Invicto are already underway, and it can only be booked in a single fully loaded trim.

  • It will be powered by a 2-litre petrol engine with strong hybrid tech, which has an output of 186PS and 206Nm.

  • To get a 10-inch touchscreen system, dual-zone AC, 360-degree camera, and ADAS.

  • The teaser also confirms the ventilated seat feature for the front seats.

  • It is expected to be priced at around Rs 30 lakh (ex-showroom).

Maruti Invicto will go on sale in India on July 5, and ahead of that, the carmaker has released a new teaser of the MPV showcasing a few more details. The Invicto is based on the Toyota Innova Hycross and will be offered with the petrol-hybrid powertrain option. Bookings are already underway for a token amount of Rs 25,000.

New Details Seen

The Invicto’s latest teaser clearly shows the split chrome grille and LED headlamps, which we had previously seen through spy shots. We also get a glimpse of its interior, with a close look at the leatherette front seats. In the video, you can also spot the button for the ventilated seat function.

At the end, the video reveals the overall silhouette of the Maruti Invicto, which bears a close resemblance to the Innova Hycross. Like other shared models between the two, the main exterior design changes are typically focused on the front and rear.

Any changes to the cabin?

Based on the Innova Hycross, the Invicto will likely have a similar dashboard layout, but gets a different shade of upholstery. The teaser hints at a dark finish unlike the brown upholstery in the Toyota MPV. It will most likely come with the same amenities too, such as a panoramic sunroof, digital driver’s display, dual-zone AC, and a 10-inch touchscreen infotainment. The safety will be ensured by advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), six airbags and a 360-degree camera.

Some of these features are first for a Maruti Suzuki product in India, as detailed in this article.

Same Strong-Hybrid Powertrain

Toyota Innova Hycross strong-hybrid powertrain

It recently came to light that the Maruti Invicto will be offered in a single fully-loaded variant at launch. It will be powered by the 2-litre petrol-hybrid powertrain which has a combined output of 186PS and 206Nm, mated with an e-CVT automatic transmission. Toyota’s more affordable petrol-only engine option may not be offered at launch.

Expected Price & Rivals

Since the Maruti Invicto will be offered in a single fully loaded variant at launch, it is expected to be priced at Rs 30 lakh (ex-showroom). It will directly rival the Toyota Innova Hycross, while being a premium alternative to the Kia Carens.

BMW

BMW M Motorsport News, 20th June 2023.

Björn Lellmann, Head of Customer Racing at BMW M Motorsport:

“Once again, we can look back on plenty of exciting races with superb successes for the BMW M Motorsport teams in Europe, Asia and North America. Be it in the BMW M4 GT3, the BMW M4 GT4, the BMW M2 CS Racing, or other BMW M racing cars – they secured wins and podiums around the world. Congratulations to the Walkenhorst Motorsport team, who clinched the fourth win in the fourth race for the BMW M4 GT3 on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife. In the ADAC GT Masters, Schubert Motorsport got the season underway with a podium, and FK Performance Motorsport made an impressive debut in the series. Dan Harper and Century Motorsport celebrated another podium in the British GT Championship, and BMW Italia Ceccato Racing enjoyed success at the 12H Monza. The races of the various series at the VIRginia International Raceway were also a great deal of fun, with the podiums for the BMW M4 GT3 through BimmerWorld, ST Racing and Turner Motorsport, as well as the dominant successes in GT4 America and TC America. Our BMW M4 GT4 was also unbeatable in France. And there were further successes in real-world and virtual racing. Congratulations to all the teams and drivers!”

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Top topics in this newsletter:

– Walkenhorst Motorsport celebrates overall win in NLS 4.

– Schubert Motorsport gets the 2023 season of the ADAC GT Masters underway with a podium.

– BMW M Motorsport teams secure wins and podiums in Virginia.

– Further podium finishes for the BMW M4 GT3 in the British GT Championship and at the 12H Monza.

– BMW M4 GT4 wins in the GT World Challenge Asia and GT4 France.

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NLS 4: Walkenhorst Motorsport celebrates clear win on the Nordschleife.

Four races and four wins for the BMW M4 GT3 is the current state of play for the BMW M Motorsport teams in the Nürburgring Endurance Series (NLS). After a long break, the season resumed with race number four on Saturday, and after four hours Walkenhorst Motorsport celebrated their second NLS overall win of the year. Jakub Giermaziak (POL) and Christian Krognes (NOR) started the race from second on the grid in the #34 BMW M4 GT3. The duo took the lead in the second hour of racing and when they crossed the finish line, Giermaziak / Krognes had a lead of more than two minutes over their closest rivals. Giermaziak previously celebrated overall victory with the #34 at the beginning of April, when he shared the cockpit with BMW M works driver Jesse Krohn (FIN).

It even looked like there might be a one-two result for Walkenhorst Motorsport. Thomas Neubauer (FRA), Niklas Krütten (GER) and Dylan Pereira (LUX) in the #35 BMW M4 GT3 were in second place behind their team-mates temporarily, but then an accident forced them towards the back of the field, and they ended up being classified as Did Not Finish.

In addition to the overall win, and thereby victory in the SP9 Pro category of Walkenhorst Motorsport, the BMW M Motorsport teams claimed a further seven class wins in the fourth NLS race of the season. Walkenhorst Motorsport also won the SP10 class with the #191 BMW M4 GT4. Aris Balanian (BEL), Florian Weber (GER) and Ace Robey (USA) shared the cockpit. Two class wins went to Adrenalin Motorsport Team Motec. In the strong field in the VT2-R+4WD category, Daniel Zils, Oskar Sandberg, and Philipp Leisen (all GER) won once again in the #1 BMW 330i. Their team-mates Sven Markert, Nils Steinberg, and Yannick Fübrich (all GER) secured first place in the BMW M240i class with the #650 BMW M240i Racing. Victory in the BMW M2 CS category went to the two Swedes, Peter Larsen and Johan Rosen in the #884 BMW M2 CS Racing. In the V4 class it was Jürgen Huber, Oliver Frisse and Danny Brink (all GER) who won in the #702 BMW 325i of QTQ-Raceperformance. The #250 BMW 325i of Serge van Vooren and Christian Schotte (both GER) won the SP4 class, and in the H4 category, Bernd Kleeschulte (GER) was victorious in the #600 BMW M3 E92 GTR.

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ADAC GT Masters: Schubert Motorsport gets new season underway with a podium.

The Schubert Motorsport team started the 2023 season of the ADAC GT Masters with a podium finish. The season opener was held at Hockenheim (GER). In the first of the two races, Edoardo Coseteng (PHI) and Ben Green (GBR) in the #20 BMW M4 GT3 moved their way up the field from eighth on the grid into second place to make it onto the podium. They crossed the finish line in fourth place in race two.

The FK Performance Motorsport team made its ADAC GT Masters debut at Hockenheim and was up there at the front from the start. In the first race, Kim-Luis Schramm (GER) and Igor Walilko (POL) in the #10 BMW M4 GT3 were in the lead for much of the race. However, a safety car period and a turbulent final phase saw the duo drop down the field and end up narrowly missing out on a spot on the podium in fourth place. The duo finished the second race in eighth place.

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GT World Challenge America: BMW M Motorsport teams bag podiums in Virginia.

The Fanatec GT World Challenge America stopped off at the VIRginia International Raceway (USA) at the weekend, and the BMW M Motorsport teams picked up podiums. In race one on Saturday, Chandler Hull and Bill Auberlen (both USA) in the BimmerWorld #94 BMW M4 GT3 finished in second place on the overall podium, which was also equal to second place in the Pro class. In the ST Racing #38 BMW M4 GT3, Samantha Tan (CAN) teamed up with BMW M works driver Neil Verhagen (USA). The new pairing had plenty of reason to celebrate in Virginia; they moved up six places in race one to cross the finish line in fourth place in the overall ranking. This was second place in the Pro-Am class and the first podium for ST Racing in the Fanatec GT World Challenge America.

Verhagen and Tan levelled up in the second race on Sunday. This time they also finished on the overall podium and got second place in the race classification as well as second place in the Pro-Am class again. Verhagen also set the fastest race lap. Hull and Auberlen were also up there fighting for the win, but a penalty for speeding in the pit lane pushed them back down into ninth place (fifth place in the Pro class).

Robby Foley and Vincent Barletta (both USA) competed in the #96 BMW M4 GT3 of Turner Motorsport in Virginia. They finished in P13 and P10 (eighth and fifth in the Pro-Am class).

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British GT Championship: Dan Harper and Century Motorsport on the podium at Snetterton.

BMW M works driver Dan Harper (GBR) was in action in the British GT Championship once again at the weekend. He and his team-mate Darren Leung (GBR) had further reason to celebrate at Snetterton (GBR) where the duo bagged another spot on the podium in the #91 Century Motorsport BMW M4 GT3. Harper and Leung finished in second place on the podium in the first of the two races. “Darren drove into P2 in a superb first stint and after we dropped down a few places during a pit stop I gave it my all to regain the position. I saw where we were quicker, could move back up the field, and bring the podium home,” reported Harper after the race. Harper and Leung finished race two in fifth place.

Their Century Motorsport team-mates in the BMW M4 GT4 also joined in the podium celebrations at Snetterton. In race one, Michael Johnston and Chris Salkeld (both GBR) finished third in their class in the #14 car, with Carl Cavers and Lewis Plato (both GBR) in the #22 right behind them in fourth place. In race two, Cavers/Plato finished fourth in their class again, while Johnston/Salkeld crossed the finish line in eighth place this time of asking.

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24H Series: Class podium for BMW Italia Ceccato Racing at 12H Monza.

The 24H Series headed to Monza, Italy for the fifth race event of the season where BMW Italia Ceccato Racing enjoyed success at the 12H Monza. The #15 BMW M4 GT3 had the three Brazilians Leo Sanchez, Atila Abreu and William Freire at the wheel. The trio celebrated second place on the podium in the GT3-AM class in the two-part twelve-hour race. They finished in an outstanding fourth place in the overall rankings.

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GT World Challenge Asia: BMW M Team Studie with GT4 class win at Fuji.

At the Fanatec GT World Challenge Asia race weekend at Fuji (JPN), BMW M Team Studie claimed a class win in the GT4 category. In the first of the two races, Masaki Kano and Manabu Orido (both JPN) in the #50 BMW M4 GT4 of YZ RACING with BMW Team Studie crossed the finish line as winners in their class. They were not classified in race two.

In the #5 BMW M4 GT3 of PLUS by BMW Team Studie, Tomohide Yamaguchi and Seiji Ara (both JPN) took to the Fuji track. They finished in fifth place overall in the second race. They retired from race one.

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GT / GT4 / TC America: BMW M Motorsport Teams with back-to-back successes.

In the GT America, GT4 America and TC America races that were held at the VIRginia International Raceway (USA) at the weekend, the BMW M Motorsport teams celebrated back-to-back successes once again.

In the GT America, Vincent Barletta (USA) in the Turner Motorsport #96 BMW M4 GT3 finished third on the podium in race one. He crossed the finish line in eighth place in the second race.

The BMW M4 GT4 dominated the GT4 America in Virginia at the weekend. In the first race, the BMW racers brought home a top-four lock-out. Kevin Boehm and Kenton Koch (both USA) won the thrilling race in the #92 BMW M4 GT4 of Random Vandals Racing. That also saw them win the Silver class. Second place went to the #51 car of Auto Technic Racing, with Zac Anderson and John Dubets (both USA) at the wheel. The #82 and #36 BMW M4 GT4 of BimmerWorld crossed the finish line in third and fourth place. James Walker Junior and Tyler McQuarrie (both USA) in the #82 also got the win in the Pro-Am standings, while James Clay and Charlie Postins (both USA) in the #36 won the Am category.

In the second GT4 America race, Anderson and Dubets secured the overall win and first place in the Silver classification. Boehm and Koch crossed the finish line in second place this time of asking to complete the one-two finish for the BMW M4 GT4. There were also further class wins for Walker Junior / McQuarrie in the Pro-Am standings and Clay / Postins in the Am category.

In TC America, it was Maddie Aust (USA)’s weekend. In the first of the two races, she celebrated her first TC America victory in the #9 BMW M2 CS Racing of Fast Track Racing. She repeated that success in the second race when she was the first to cross the finish line once again. The first race, which was characterized by a dramatic final phase, ended being a top-four lock-out for the BMW M2 CS Racing. In second place behind Aust was her team-mate Adam Gleason (USA). This was his first podium finish in the series. Joseph Catania (USA / Rigid Speed Company) finished third, Colin Garrett (USA / Rooster Hall Racing), who was spun around by a competitor in the battle for P1 on the final lap, crossed the finish line in fourth place. In race two, second and third place behind winner Aust went to Garrett and Lucas Catania (USA / Rigid Speed Company).

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GT4 France: Double win for L’Espace Bienvenue in Dijon.

There was no getting past Benjamin Lessennes (BEL) and Ricardo van der Ende (NED) at the third GT4 France race weekend in Dijon (FRA). The duo was dominant in the #17 BMW M4 GT4 of the L’Espace Bienvenue team and secured the overall win in both races. That saw them also get both class wins in the Silver category. In addition, the VSF Sport – Amplitude Automobiles team in the #41 BMW M4 GT4 finished in second place in the Pro-Am classification in the first race.

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BMW M2 CS Racing Cup Italy: Double victory for Luigi Ferrara in Vallelunga.

The second round of the 2023 BMW M2 CS Racing Cup Italy was held in Vallelunga (ITA). The man of the weekend was Luigi Ferrara (ITA) from Team V-Action by Nanni Nember. He was unbeatable in his #1 BMW M2 CS Racing and secured victory in both races, each with a significant lead. In the first of the two races, Jody Vullo (ITA) and Steven Giacon (ITA) also took second and third place on the podium. In race two, the podium spots behind Ferrara went to Marco Zanasi (ITA) and Lorenzo Marcucci (ITA). In the championship standings, Ferrara leads ahead of Vullo and Zanasi.

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Sim Racing: Successful Weekend for BMW SIM Teams on Assetto Corsa Competizione and iRacing.

The BMW sim racing teams enjoyed a successful weekend. In the Intercontinental GT Challenge Esports powered by Mobileye, hosted on Assetto Corsa Competizione, BMW M Team BS+COMPETITION celebrated their first podium finish in the second race. The driver trio of Nils Naujoks, Gregor Schill and Arthur Kammerer (all GER) moved up from fifth on the grid into second place during the nine-hour race on the virtual Kyalami (RSA) track. Victory went to the Williams Esports team in the #66 Audi.

In the Silver class in the race, BMW Romania Team West Competition Racing finished in 14th place with drivers Sebastian Apostol (ROM), Marco Jonkers (NED), Victor Nicolae (ROM) and Andrei Miclea (ROM).

The special Six Hours of the Glen event, part of the VCO Grand Slam, was held at the same time on the iRacing platform. The highlight here was the Redline BMW SIM team’s victory in the GTP class at the virtual Watkins Glen (USA). Diogo Pinto (POR) and Chris Lulham (GBR) drove the BMW M Hybrid V8 with car #20 to a convincing win. Their team-mates Enzo Bonito (ITA) and Luke Bennett (GBR) in car #69 secured second place to clinch an impressive Redline one-two finish. Also contesting the GTP class was the BMW Bank team represented by Pedro Sanchez (ESP) and Nathan Lewis (USA), however, an accident forced the duo to retire.

The Redline team with Gianni Vecchio (ITA), Ole Steinbraten (NOR) and Josh Thompson (GBR) were also convincing in the GTD class and got the win there as well with the BMW M4 GT3. BMW M Team BS+COMPETITION finished in sixth place with Felix Quirmbach (GER) and Elias Raikaa (FIN).

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BTCC: Three Races, Three BMW Wins at Oulton Park.

BMW drivers celebrated a perfect weekend in the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) at Oulton Park. The outcome of the fifth race weekend of the season was three races, three wins. It all started with race one, in which Jake Hill (GBR) of Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport claimed the win. In race two, Hill clinched the brace by winning again. The third race made it a triple win for the BMW 330e M Sport. This time it was Colin Turkington (GBR) of Team BMW who celebrated victory. Hill finished the race in second place, followed by Adam Morgan (GBR) in third place, also of Team BMW.

Cars, News

Tesla Cybertruck Wrapped In Camo Spotted In California

The camouflaged look of the Tesla Cybertruck has sparked speculation about new design features or a sneak peek at what to expect when the truck goes into production. Tesla had previously mentioned that customers would have the option to choose from a variety of colors, most likely in the form of a wrap. This black-and-white camo design seen in California could potentially be one of those options.

Since its announcement in 2019, Tesla has made several promises about its all-electric truck, but there have been numerous production delays. Originally scheduled for 2021, the release date had been pushed back to 2024 at one point. Currently, the Cybertruck is expected to be available for purchase later this year.

All versions of the rear-wheel and all-wheel models are projected to reach speeds of at least 110 mph and offer a battery range between 250 and 620 miles. The Cybertruck is designed to have 100 cubic feet of storage space, a 6.5-foot-long cargo area, and 16 inches of ground clearance. With a substantial market for light-duty trucks, Tesla’s fully electric version has the potential for great success, provided it lives up to the hype built over the years. While there is a chance of further production delays, if all goes as planned, we may start seeing Tesla Cybertrucks on the road by the end of this year, some of which may still be camouflaged.

Featured

The Newly-Revealed 2024 Lexus GX Looks Like A Serious SUV

The new Lexus GX is a completely fresh model from the ground up with an all-new look and more off-roading credentials to its name

2024 Lexus GX

The third-generation of the Lexus GX has been globally premiered. This is its most significant update till date, and the previous generational update was introduced over a decade ago. This luxury off-road capable SUV is set to go on sale across international markets towards the end of 2023. Here are five things you need to know about the all-new Lexus GX: 

Looks Like A Tank

2024 Lexus GX

The new GX is based on the new GA-F platform, which is shared with the Lexus LX. It looks nothing like its predecessors and adopts a block-ish design that looks like something that Dwayne Johnson would drive through walls in the next Fast and Furious movie. The curvy nature of the previous generation is replaced by a meaner, more aggressive looking sharp silhouette and looks more butch than it ever has. 

The grille now seems a lot more palatable while still being in-your-face with its tall stance. Its wheel arches are more prominent than its predecessor, thanks to the chunky cladding all around, and can be filled with wheels ranging in size from 18- to 22-inches. The strong shoulder line flows through the entire body and the lines casually integrate into the bonnet. One quirky detail is the upward kink in the window line. 

The boxy SUV trait continues at the back with an upright boot design and crisp geometrical proportions. A touch of modernity can be seen with the connected LED tail lights. The GX truly gives you that off-roader vibes with a neo-retro appeal. 

Premium And Luxury From The Inside

2024 Lexus GX

The cabin of the new Lexus GX has a very different design approach to the badass styling on the outside. Its interior looks very luxurious and premium like one would expect from a Lexus, but still gives out utilitarian vibes. It has a single-pane sunroof and grab-handles on the A- and B-pillars on each side.

Occupying the centre stage is a massive 14-inch touchscreen system and the 12.3-inch digital driver’s display is integrated into the same panel. The tall heighted dashboard gives you the feeling of a giant SUV. Even though the climate controls are operated via the touchscreen, it has physical dials integrated for the dual-zone temperature adjustment.

Also Read: Upcoming Cars In India

It’s Got A V6!

2024 Lexus GX

The new GX continues to be a body-on-frame SUV that is powered by a 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 engine, which comes mated to a 10-speed automatic gearbox. Also on offer is a 2.4-litre turbocharged hybrid engine, which will be good for the fuel efficiency. It is the first ladder-on-frame Lexus to use a hybrid system. Both powertrains come with 4WD.

Off-Road Monster

2024 Lexus GX

Aiding its off-road credentials is a full-time 4WD with low-range gearbox and multi-terrain select mode. The controls for which are housed in the centre console, ahead of the drive selector, with switches to lock the differentials. It’s also the first Lexus to get E-KDSS, which provides compatibility between off-road and on-road driving. There are special seats which minimize the head toss while driving off the road. Lastly, the driving performance is improved by all-terrain tires.. 

Lexus will also be offering two hardcore off-road variants – OVERTRAIL and OVERTRAIL+. Both of them get several modifications to make it more capable. 

Expected Price And India Launch Details

2024 Lexus GX

Lexus is expected to bring the new GX to India sometime in 2024, after the global launch. The GX sits between the RX and LX in the Lexus SUV range and has never been offered in India. It’s expected to be priced around Rs 2 crore (ex-showroom). 

RollsRoyce

SIR HENRY ROYCE (1863 – 1933): DRIVEN BY PERFECTION

  • Rolls-Royce marks the 160th anniversary of the birth of co-founder Sir Henry Royce
  • A look back at his remarkable life and work reveals a driven, even obsessive character and a relentless work ethic forged in childhood poverty and frequent adversity
  • The quest for perfection extended to every aspect of Royce’s professional and personal life
  • His famous maxim “Strive for perfection in everything you do. Take the best that exists and make it better” still informs and inspires the company’s activities today
     

“Sir Henry Royce bequeathed to the world an extraordinary legacy of engineering innovation and achievement. He also left us, his successors at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, an unequivocal instruction: ‘Strive for perfection in everything you do. Take the best that exists and make it better’. Sir Henry himself lived out this maxim in every aspect of his personal and professional life. Today, as we mark the 160th anniversary of his birth, his challenge still informs and inspires everything we do. It serves as a constant reminder that perfection is a moving target: it is never ‘done’. There is always something we can refine, adjust, rework, reinvent or innovate in our pursuit of perfection; and that is what makes our life and work here so exciting.”
 Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

Sir Henry Royce’s uncompromising command, “Strive for perfection in everything you do. Take the best that exists and make it better” is one of the most famous quotations in automotive history. It is also a maxim that rings down the ages, and still inspires and informs the company that bears his name.

As Rolls-Royce marks the 160th anniversary of Sir Henry’s birth, we look back at his remarkable life and career, in search of the origins of his most celebrated and oft-repeated exhortation. What drove his own lifelong striving for perfection; and how did his relentless, some might say obsessive, desire to improve and refine manifest itself in both his work and domestic spheres?

A LOT TO IMPROVE ON

Royce’s early life was one of hardship, poverty and disadvantage. The youngest of five children, he was born in 1863 into a family in perilous financial circumstances. Matters worsened considerably when his father, a miller, was finally declared bankrupt and, under the law of the time, ended up in prison.

It was against this unpromising backdrop that Royce’s character was formed. Yet he was determined to make a better life for himself, and by the age of just 10 was working in London, first as a newspaper seller and later as a telegram delivery boy.

Things appeared to be moving his way when in 1879, with financial support from his aunt, he secured a coveted apprenticeship at the Great Northern Railway (GNR) workshops in Peterborough. Instantly and obviously in his element, his natural aptitude for design and innate skill with tools and materials quickly become apparent. One early indicator of his talent was a set of three miniature wheelbarrows he made in brass; these pieces clearly demonstrate the exemplary standard of workmanship and quest for excellence he would maintain throughout his life.

VICISSITUDES

Royce’s drive for self-improvement came to an abrupt halt after two years, when his aunt was unable to pay his annual apprenticeship fee. Undaunted, Royce returned to London and, in 1881, began work at the fledgling Electric Lighting & Power Generating Company (EL&PG).

His decision to forsake traditional engineering for the emerging field of electricity was essentially a pragmatic one. Electricity was then so new it had no governing body or professional institutions, and thus no examinations to pass or standards to attain. Unlike in engineering, therefore, Royce’s lack of formal qualifications was no barrier to his progress.

His fascination for the subject, already formidable work ethic and commitment to study (he attended evening classes in English and Mathematics after work) meant that in 1882, the EL&PG, by now renamed the Maxim-Weston Electric Company, sent him to work for its subsidiary in Lancashire as First (Chief) Electrician, responsible for street and theatre lighting in the city of Liverpool. Yet again, however, circumstances conspired against him: through gross mismanagement in its acquisition of patents, the company abruptly went into receivership and Royce, aged only 19, found himself unemployed once more.

TAKING CHARGE

Although the parent company of his erstwhile employer chose to salvage what it could rather than sell off the remaining resources, Royce had had enough. Impelled by his innate drive, clear appetite for (calculated) risk and the abundant self-assurance noted by his contemporaries, he started up in business on his own.

In late 1884, he founded F H Royce & Co (he was christened Frederick Henry) in Manchester. Initially producing small items such as battery-powered door bells, the company progressed to making heavy equipment such as overhead cranes and railway shunting capstans.

But while the business was thriving, Royce himself was not. By 1901, his years of overwork and a strained home life were taking a severe toll on his health, which had probably been fundamentally weakened by the privations of his childhood.

His doctor persuaded him to buy a De Dion quadricycle as a way to escape the office and enjoy some fresh air; but before long, Royce’s health collapsed. A major contributing factor was his growing concern that the company was heading into financial problems; something that would perhaps have had particular significance for him given his father’s experiences.

The company owed its dwindling fortunes to an influx of cheap, or at least cheaper, electrical machinery from Germany and the USA that was able to undercut Royce’s prices. Ever the perfectionist, Royce himself was not prepared to enter a race to the bottom or compromise the quality of his products.

Complete rest was required, and he was eventually persuaded to take a 10-week holiday to visit his wife’s family in South Africa. On the long voyage home, he read ‘The Automobile – its construction and management’. The book would change his life – and ultimately, the world.

MAKING THE BEST BETTER

On his return to England, Royce ­– now fully revitalised both mentally and physically – immediately acquired his first motor car, a 10 H.P. Decauville. Given the still-parlous state of his company’s finances, this might have seemed a frivolous squandering of precious funds; but in fact, this purchase was a shrewd and calculated one that, in his mind, held the key to the company’s future prosperity.

The story usually goes that this first car was so poorly made and unreliable that Royce decided he could do better. In fact, his holiday reading had already focused his mind on producing his own car from scratch; he had already supplied a limited number of electric motors for the ‘Pritchett and Gold’ electric car. So contrary to the received wisdom, he chose the Decauville precisely because it was the finest car available to him, in order to dismantle it and then, in his most famous phrase, “take the best that exists and make it better”.

He began by building three two-cylinder 10 H.P. cars based on the Decauville layout. That he was the only person who believed this new direction could save the company is another sign of his tenacity and self-belief. Just as importantly, his attention to detail in design and manufacture, accompanied by a continuous review of components after analysis, set the production template he would follow until his death.

These first examples were followed by the three-cylinder 15 H.P., four-cylinder 20 H.P. and six-cylinder 30 H.P. – each of which represented significant advances in automotive design. In 1906, two years after the founding of Rolls-Royce, Managing Director Claude Johnson persuaded Royce to adopt a ‘one model’ policy. In response, Royce designed the 40/50 H.P. ‘Silver Ghost’, the car that rightly earned the immortal soubriquet “the best car in the world”.

The Silver Ghost demonstrated Royce’s almost uncanny instinct for using the right materials for components, long before scientific analysis could provide reliable data. He also worked out that the properties of fluids alter with speed, so designed the Silver Ghost’s carburettor with three jets that came into play at different throttle openings, thereby eliminating ‘flat spots’.

HOME AND AWAY

By 1906 it was obvious that Rolls-Royce’s Cooke Street works in Manchester could no longer accommodate the company’s rapidly expanding motor car production. Rolls-Royce acquired a site on Nightingale Road in Derby, where Royce designed and oversaw the building of a brand-new, purpose-built factory. He undertook this enormous and technically complex task on top of his normal workload, and demanded his customary exacting standards from all concerned, not least himself.

Given the relentless volume and pace of his work, Royce’s second serious health crisis in 1911 came as little surprise. Rest was again prescribed, and during the summer and autumn, Johnson drove him on a road trip that extended as far as Egypt. On the return journey, they stopped in the south of France, where Royce took a strong liking for the tiny hamlet of Le Canadel, near Nice. Ever the man of action, Johnson bought a parcel of land and commissioned a new house for Royce, plus a smaller villa for visiting draughtsmen and assistants. Royce himself naturally took a keen interest in the building work, basing himself in a nearby hotel.

His health, however, remained fragile. After a relapse which led to emergency surgery in England, he returned to the now-finished house to recuperate. For the rest of life, he (very sensibly) spent his winters at Le Canadel and the summers in the south of England.

From 1917, his English residence was Elmstead, an 18th-Century house in the village of West Wittering on the Sussex coast, just eight miles from the present-day Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood. Elmstead had some adjoining land, where Royce resumed his long-standing interest in fruit farming. Inevitably, he brought his desire for perfection to this activity, too, and he quickly became a leading expert in many aspects of farming and horticulture.

His domestic life at Elmstead throws further light on his perfectionist nature, which focused his attention on even the smallest actions of others. For example, any aspiring cook would be employed only if they boiled potatoes in the ‘right’ way – just as an unfortunate labourer in the Cooke Street works was once admonished and shown how to use a broom correctly.

A REMARKABLE LEGACY

Whether he was designing car components or aircraft engines, Royce’s search for perfection never waned; yet even he acknowledged that it was, in fact, unattainable. His mantra for his drawing-office staff was ‘Rub out, alter, improve, refine’, and that process of constant improvement and development led to some of his greatest engineering achievements. Under his direction, the Buzzard aero engine built in 1927 with an initial output of 825 H.P. was transformed in just four years into the Schneider Trophy-winning ‘R’ engine that, in its final form, was capable of producing 2,783 H.P. And his outline design for a V12 engine would appear almost unaltered in the Phantom III of 1936, three years after his death. An instinctive, intuitive engineer, he was a firm believer that if something looked right, it probably was right. His extraordinary ability to assess components by eye alone proved infallible time and time again.

Royce’s tendency to overwork, often at the expense of his own health, was a symptom of his quest for perfection, and a will to achieve it forged in hardship and adversity. He was a highly driven – some might say obsessive – man who overcame many setbacks and misfortunes, and applied his meticulous engineer’s eye, inquisitive mind and relentless work ethic to every aspect of his life. And such is the power of his ethos and legend, they still inform and inspire the company that bears his name 160 years after his birth.