Tag Archives: nearly

Motorsport

There’s A New Aston Martin Vantage Coming February 12

It’s been a very long time coming, however the wait is sort of over. Circle February twelfth in your calendar, it is when the brand new Aston Martin Vantage debuts. Not solely that, Aston will unveil the street automotive alongside the brand new Vantage GT3 race automotive and it is AMR24 Formula 1 challenger.

To maintain us over, Aston Martin despatched out the teaser seen above, focusing carefully on the entrance fender. It grants us a transparent have a look at the Vantage’s trademark vents, which seem to imitate the form and crease of the present mannequin, however differ in execution general.

The teaser picture actually gives a greater have a look at the vents than we have seen beforehand in spy photos, and from this new perspective, the Vantage’s rear wheel arches look severely extensive. That function wasn’t precisely hidden on the Aston’s camouflaged prototypes, however this angle actually accentuates the visible drama.


Motorsport

The Electric Macan Is $18,900 More Than The Gas-Powered Macan

The Porsche Macan has all the time been an costly automobile. The electrical model is even pricier — almost $20,000 costlier in contrast with their gas-powered predecessors.

At the low finish, there’s the Macan 4 at $80,450, which is $18,900 pricier than the present base Macan mannequin. Meanwhile, the brand new Macan Turbo carries an $106,650 MSRP, which is $18,500 larger than the highest internal-combustion mannequin, the GTS. Generally talking, electrical vehicles are costlier than their gas-powered equivalents, however this can be a large gulf. And the Macan clearly gained’t qualify for any federal rebates on buy both. We do marvel if the existence of a Macan 4 portends a future, rear-drive base Macan. A spokesperson informed us “[a]t the moment, we don’t have further information on future variants.”

To be truthful, Macan EV fashions supply much more energy and efficiency than their internal-combustion equivalents – the Macan Turbo EV has 630 horsepower, rattling close to 200 hp greater than the GTS. But the Macan 4 remains to be $6900 costlier than the gas-powered Macan S.


Motorsport

Porsche Carrera GT Owners Still Can’t Drive Their Cars

In April 2023, Porsche issued a recall for practically all Carrera GTs bought in North America. We’re speaking a couple of very uncommon supercar right here, so on this case, practically all equals 489 automobiles. With that recall got here a warning from Porsche to not drive the automobile, lest one thing occur that might trigger a crash. These aren’t precisely every day drivers, so parking the Carrera GT within the storage most likely is not a giant deal for many house owners. But 9 months later, that warning continues to be in place. Yikes.

We covered the recall last year, however the present standing of the Carrera GT was delivered to life by Jalopnik. Reaching out to Porsche, it was revealed {that a} repair nonetheless hasn’t been finalized for the issue. Furthermore, a spokesperson advised the web site that it may very well be a number of months but, coming someday within the third quarter of 2024. That could be July on the earliest – one 12 months and roughly two months after the stop-drive warning was issued.

2003 Porsche Carrera GT

Yes, not with the ability to drive your million-dollar supercar is a first-world drawback. But technically, you can drive it. Porsche strongly recommends towards it, however therein lies one other facet of this saga we hadn’t thought of. It appears a few of these house owners have realized that insurance coverage protection may very well be dropped if one thing occurs to the automobile whereas being pushed, as a result of Porsche advised house owners to not do it. The Jalopnik crew contacted an insurance coverage firm and had been mainly advised the identical factor. Bummer.

As a refresher, this all stems from a possible concern relating to spherical joints connecting the wishbone suspension parts. Porsche discovered some damaged joints throughout a normal car inspection that the car proprietor apparently wasn’t conscious of. A deep dive decided that the fabric used for the joints does not present “sufficient resistance to intergranular stress corrosion when exposed to salt and mechanical stress over service life.”

The repair, then, is new joints. But after 9 months, that hasn’t occurred but. We’ve reached out to Porsche in hopes of gaining some further perception into the restore and what a number of the challenges are, as a result of frankly, we’re curious. We will provide you with an replace if new data turns into out there, however within the meantime, we’ll must maintain driving the Enzo. Darn all of it.

Motorsport

Shut Up And Take Our Money: Buy This Futurama-Themed Honda Odyssey For $2,500

While not almost as in style as The Simpsons, Matt Groening’s Futurama gathered a stable following over time, amassing 150 episodes over eight seasons. So in the event you’re a die-hard, you must try this tribute to the present’s Planet Express spaceship constructed atop a 2002 Honda Odyssey. It’s presently on the market on Facebook Marketplace in Commerce City, Colorado, for $2,500.

Eric, the vendor, personalized this Odyssey in late 2019. The exterior wears plenty of teal paint with a pink pinstripe identical to the Planet Express. Pictures of Futurama characters are on the faux portholes alongside the edges. The minivan additionally wears a set of fins to imitate the look of the spaceship. These items are detachable for transporting the Honda. A gun turret is on the roof, and a faux rocket exhaust attaches to the again. 


Motorsport

Volkswagen Shortens New Car Development Time To Three Years

Volkswagen needs to have an additional €10 billion (almost $11B) at its disposal by 2026. To get there, it is slicing prices wherever attainable, and there are some main modifications deliberate. Per the “Accelerate Forward/ Road to 6.5” program, measures will likely be taken in any respect ranges of the corporate. As you could keep in mind, CEO Thomas Schäfer just lately mentioned VW is “no longer competitive.” Reducing expenditures might put the automaker again on observe.

The first order of enterprise will likely be to cut back the time it takes to develop a brand new automotive from the present 50 months to only 36. VW insists three years will likely be sufficient to deliver a automotive to market “with out sacrificing high quality or security.” This measure alone ought to assist the corporate save greater than €1B (nearly $1B) by the tip of 2028.


News

London earns £8.5m from pavement parking fines in 2023

London councils have earned almost £8.5 million from pavement parking fines in 2023, in keeping with knowledge obtained by Autocar.

A Freedom of Information request uncovered that within the 12 months main as much as November, £8,443,068 was earned by councils in London from penalty cost notices (PCNs) given to drivers who parked on a pavement.

Newham was discovered to be the preferred borough for such infractions, with greater than 21,000 PCNs issued – almost half of which (45%) have not but been paid. 

Further analysis by Autocar revealed that almost a 3rd of all of the fines issued throughout London throughout that interval hadn’t been paid, with 167,066 issued and 111,495 paid.

Despite this, Newham council nonetheless earned £936,391 from pavement parking fines between January and November 2023.

Fines are handed to drivers discovered to be in breach of parking contravention code 62, which prevents vehicles from being parked with a number of wheels on the pavement. 

The regulation additionally bans parking on footways, on footpaths, in entrance of dropped kerbs or on raised carriageways and is enforced all 12 months spherical.

Last week, this got here into drive in Scotland, with its authorities introducing a regulation that may make offenders pay as much as £100.

Autocar editor Mark Tisshaw mentioned: “Scotland is following London’s lead by clamping down on pavement parking, which might have critical penalties for pedestrians – particularly these with decreased mobility.

“Drivers throughout the nation – in each rural and concrete areas – want to grasp the principles to keep away from being fined.”

In the capital, fines gathered from parking infractions are certain by regulation to be put again into the mayor’s transport technique, which was launched in 2018 and includes an enchancment in public transport and jobs and houses created for London residents. 

The cash will due to this fact be invested in off-street parking, public transport providers and freeway upkeep.

Motorsport

Tesla Recalls Over 2 Million Cars To Prevent Autopilot Misuse

Tesla has to recall practically all of its automobiles bought within the US on account of security flaws with its Autopilot know-how. It impacts greater than two million automobiles and consists of the Model S, Model X, Model 3, and Model Y outfitted with Autosteer. The automaker will rectify the difficulty with an over-the-air software program replace.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has been investigating the corporate’s Autopilot know-how since 2021, and it has concluded that the system doesn’t do sufficient to forestall drivers from misusing the characteristic. NHSTA mentioned in its Safety Recall Report that Autosteer’s controls “may not be sufficient to prevent driver misuse” in sure circumstances.


Motorsport

This New Alpine A110 Trim Makes The R Model Slightly More Affordable

We’ve seen a lot of iterations of the mid-engine Alpine A110 since its launch almost seven years in the past. Now, there is a new taste. It’s referred to as the A110 R Turini and it serves as a cheaper-but-still-expensive various to the range-topping R.

The distinction between the 2 is the dearth of carbon fiber wheels. The new A110 R Turini does away with the light-weight wheels in favor of 18-inch alloys with a matte black look. But this downgrade nonetheless is not a discount by any stretch of the creativeness.

In France, the latest A110 mannequin retails from €106,000, about $114,000 at present alternate charges. Go for the full-fat R mannequin and you will be paying an eye-watering €112,000 (almost $121,000).


Motorsport

Toyota Supra Gets Fancy Paint And More Performance With GT4 Special Edition

Time flies once you keep in mind that the fifth-generation Supra has been round for practically 5 years. The BMW Z4-based sports activities automobile has spawned a mess of particular editions since its debut, together with a long-awaited manul for the six-cylinder mannequin. Until the hotly anticipated GRMN arrives subsequent yr, Toyota is squeezing in yet one more limited-run mannequin.

There’s an excellent purpose this seems to be like a race automobile with a license plate. The newest Supra particular is modeled after the GR Supra GT4 Evo. Toyota is celebrating the manufacturing of 100 race automobiles with a GT4 100th Edition Tribute sporting a color-matching Plasma Orange paint. It comes with a customized physique wrap and boasts quite a few Gazoo Racing equipment to set it aside from a regular Supra.

2024 Toyota GR Supra GT4 100th Edition Tribute

This model is accessible solely in Europe and relies on the Lightweight trim degree with a 3.0-liter engine and a six-speed handbook gearbox. Upgrades differ from carbon fiber facet mirror caps and rear wing to black brake calipers and AC Schnitzer’s entrance splitter. It additionally will get a Bilstein Evo T1 suspension with 10-stage damper adjustment and a lowered experience peak of as much as 1.4 inches (35 millimeters).

Other substantial modifications embrace light-weight Protrack One solid wheels and a Milltek sports activities exhaust system with bespoke tricks to match the usual rear apron. Because this Supra comes with a number of aftermarket components, it is on show on the 2023 Essen Motor Show in Germany till December 10 – principally Europe’s SEMA equal.

2024 Toyota GR Supra GT4 100th Edition Tribute
2024 Toyota GR Supra GT4 100th Edition Tribute

Toyota goes to promote solely 100 examples of the Supra GT4 100th Edition Tribute on the Old Continent. In Germany, it is charging a steep €68,900 or €2,450 greater than the Lightweight model upon which it is based mostly. At the identical time, it is €16,050 pricier than a base Supra in Deutschland. In the United States, costs differ from a far decrease $45,540 for the bottom 2.0 to $64,375 for the 45th Anniversary Edition.

Car review

Porsche 911 GT3 RS

The GT3 RS offers similar straight-line performance and character to the GT3, with power delivery that is exceptionally smooth and linear. The engine delivers sharp throttle response and produces a distinctive sound as it revs, peaking at 9000rpm.

The engine produces peak torque of 343lb ft at 6300rpm and 518bhp at 8500rpm. This requires the driver to push the engine to higher revs, making it necessary to exercise the engine’s capabilities. The car is well-suited for the track, where it feels right at home.

The Porsche’s GT model-specific PDK gearbox shifts with impressive speed, maintaining uninterrupted torque to the rear wheels. It offers precise rev matching and is operated via magnesium shift paddles, providing a “motorsport” feel. The car’s weight of 1476kg contributes to its explosive acceleration, reaching 60mph in 3.2sec and achieving a top speed of 184mph.

The GT3 RS excels in braking performance, able to come to a standstill from 70mph in just 38.8m, thanks to its downforce. Its track performance is particularly impressive, with stability during high-speed cornering and powerful braking capabilities.

On the track, acclimatizing to the car’s downforce and suspension configurability is necessary to fully enjoy its capabilities. The GT3 RS allows aggressive mid-corner throttle and impressive braking from high speeds, making it a potent track machine.

Track Notes (Anglesey Circuit, International)

The RS is designed for track driving, with a focus on downforce and suspension configurability. It requires acclimatization to the downforce’s impact in fast corners and the substantial mid-corner throttle it allows. Similarly, its braking capabilities from high speeds are remarkable.