Saturday's royal wedding between Prince Harry and Meghan
Markle wasn’t just about the dress, as there were an assortment of interesting
British cars in service throughout the event.
One of the standouts was the Jaguar
E-Type Zero, an electric version of the iconic sports car that Harry and
his new wife drove from Windsor Castle to the reception at nearby Frogmore
House.
The E-Type Zero isn't a car you can buy just yet. It's a
concept built using a donor E-Type, which Jaguar unveiled last year to gauge
interest in a potential commercial electric conversion for the sports car.
It packs a 40-kilowatt-hour battery and 295-horsepower
electric motor in the tight confines of the E-Type's sexy silhouette. The
relatively high range is made possible because of the low weight of the car
coupled with its slippery shape.
Other cars on duty during the day included a 1950
Rolls-Royce Phantom IV State Car that Markle rode in to the chapel, a Bentley
Mulsanne that Markle's mother Daria rode in, and the Bentley Golden Jubilee
(shown above) that Queen Elizabeth rode in together with Prince Philip. And
behind each car in the procession was a Range Rover carrying British secret
service, royal guards and police.
Now that she's part of the royal family, Meghan, whose title
is Duchess of Sussex, will have to get used to living with a permanent securty
detail, though that doesn't mean she'll have to give up driving on her own.
Simon Morgan, the director of a security agency that works
closely with the royal family, told CBS
News in an interview published Thursday that Markle will be given
special driver training on how to avoid a potential attacker chasing her on the
road, including how to execute high-speed J-turns, a maneuver where a reversing
vehicle is spun 180 degrees and continues, facing forward, without changing
direction of travel.
BMW has dropped multiple hints over the past couple of years
about a new technological flagship code-named
the iNext, and at its annual general meeting held in Munich on Thursday the
automaker provided an early glimpse at the vehicle which is due in 2021.
The teaser goes some way toward confirming the iNext as a
crossover SUV with styling influenced by the i Vision
Dynamics concept (shown below) unveiled at the 2017 Frankfurt auto
show. We can expect the final design to be similar in size and shape to an X5,
in other words a mid-size SUV.
Speaking at the annual general meeting, BMW CEO Harald
Krüger said a concept previewing the iNext will be revealed this year.
Being a technological flagship for BMW, the iNext will
incorporate multiple technologies that will define the automaker's cars going
into the future, the three main ones being electric propulsion, self-driving
capability and advanced interfaces.
BMW has confirmed the iNext will be a pure electric vehicle
with a fifth-generation
battery design. The biggest battery is expected to be a 120-kilowatt-hour
unit with over 400 miles of range.
The automaker has also confirmed the iNext will offer Level 3 self-driving capabilityin
certain highway situations. Level 3 means the driver can let go of the wheel
and even look away for extended periods, though they have to be ready to take
over within seconds.
BMW in April said the iNext will also be capable of Level 4
self-driving, though this feature may not be offered to the public initially.
This is because the situations required will be very limited and regulations
may not be ready in time to support it. BMW said the iNext's Level 4 capability
will function in traffic moving in the same direction and where there is a
solid barrier separating oncoming traffic. Level 4 capability is similar to
Level 3, with the key difference being a much longer time span given to the
driver to take back control.
As for the interface technology, BMW hinted at the
possibilities with its i
Future Interaction unveiled at the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show. The
highlight was a gesture control system called AirTouch that enables control of
entertainment, navigation and communication functions using purely hand
gestures. Also planned for the iNext will be new connectivity features.
Underpinning the iNext will be the BMW Group's CLAR modular platform
designed for large cars, and production will take place at the automaker's main
plant located close to its Munich headquarters.
The iNext will be one of 12 electric cars that
the BMW Group will launch by the end of 2025. The first of these will be an
electric Mini Hardtop due in 2019. It will be followed by an iX3 in 2020, and
then the iNext in 2021. An i4
sedan has also been confirmed.
The 2018 Aston DB11 Volante just may be the grandest of
today’s grand touring cars. A 2+2 convertible with a sensuous shape and 503
German horses under its clamshell bonnet, it’s a beautiful means of getting you
wherever you want to go.
We drove the DB11 Volante on the California coast to find
out just how grand Aston Martin’s latest grand tourer actually is.
The concept of the grand touring car traces its roots back
to pre-World War II Europe. A two-seater or 2+2, a grand tourer could carry
you, your sweetie, and your luggage to a weekend getaway and do it at high
speeds. If it got you there in style and handled well on twisty mountain roads
along the way, so much the better.
The Volante trades the seductive coupe hardtop for a
convertible cloth top that opens in 14 seconds at speeds up to 31 mph. With
eight layers, it seals out the wind and weather, as well as the ambient noise.
But Aston Martin gives owners a good reason to drop the top,
aside from letting the wind whip through your hair—for those of you who have
hair. It’s 4.0 liters of twin-turbocharged V-8 fury that comes by way of
Mercedes-AMG. To make it sound like a proper British sports car, company
engineers replaced the intake and exhaust to bring up the Aston Martin-like
midrange and high tones in the mix.
As a result, the V-8 sings a deep, rumbling, sonorous note,
especially in the Sport modes, which also trigger barks and rasps during
shifts. And it gives the DB11 the high-speed capability of a proper grand
tourer, rocketing the car from 0-60 mph in 4.1 seconds. The top speed is the
same 187 mph as the coupe, but it might not be wise to tempt fate at that speed
because the coupe’s Aeroblade, which sends air through the C-pillars the help
create downforce and keep the car planted at speed, can’t be part of the
droptop formula.
The turbos need to spool up from a stop, so it won’t roast
the tires. Once it’s underway, the throttle responds immediately, passing is a
breeze, and the ZF 8-speed transmission shifts crisply.
Handling is equally charming. The new structure is 57 pounds
lighter and 5-percent stiffer than the outgoing one, but it adds 242 pounds of
weight versus the coupe due to additional structural components to make up for
the lack of a roof.
On the road, the DB11 Volante delivers the kind of smooth,
responsive dynamics you’d want in a grand tourer. Sharp steering carves into
corners and the chassis is happy to follow along on mountain switchbacks. The
structure feels solid, without the quavering you can get in a convertible, and
6-piston calipers chomp down on big 15.7-inch front discs to provide worry-free
stopping power.
The interior is as beautiful as the exterior. It comes
standard with leather and wood or carbon fiber trim. But Aston Martin lets
buyers personalize their cockpits with numerous trim and color choices. Our
test car featured two-tone Cream Truffle and Aurora Blue leather that was both
quilted and brogued. The supple leather was offset by Dyed Tamo Open Pore wood
trim that even extended to the seatbacks. Absolutely stunning.
For infotainment, Aston turned to Mercedes again, which
enabled a system with more functionality than a small company would normally be
able to develop. While the DB11 Volante does have a pair of rear seats, think
of them as package shelves. After all, more than two is a crowd for a weekend
getaway with your best gal.
So, how does the 2018 Aston Martin DB11 Volante rate as a
grand tourer? It has room for two and their luggage for a weekend away. Check.
It can travel at high speeds and handle mountain roads with
grace. Check.
It will get you and your sweetie anywhere you want to go in
style. Double check.
And if you don’t have a sweetie, a car like this just might
get you one.
Buyers looking for a serious sports car with luxury and
style have a new option in the form of the 2019 Mercedes-AMG GT S Roadster.
The open-top version of AMG's sports car made its debut in
2016 but only in GT and GT
C guises. Now the Affalterbach tuner has added the mid-range GT S
Roadster.
Like all AMG GT models, the GT S Roadster is powered by a
4.0-liter twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch
transmission and spinning the rear wheels. The car also comes standard with an
electronically controlled locking differential at the rear axle, which is
integrated with the rear-mounted transmission (transaxle).
Peak output is 515 horsepower and 494 pound-feet of torque,
which will see the car sprint to 60 mph from rest in 3.7 seconds and top out at
192 mph. The acceleration figure matches the GT S coupe though the top speed is
1 mph lower.
The roof of the car is a three-layered automated soft-top
supported by a lightweight structure combining aluminum, magnesium and steel,
which helps to keep the vehicle's center of gravity low. Additional roll-over
protection is provided by an integrated aluminum cross-member, while the
inserted acoustic mat improves noise comfort.
Despite being a convertible, the GT S Roadster is still a
serious sports car. In addition to the aforementioned differential lock, the
car also comes with dynamic engine and trasmission mounts and composite brake
rotors measuring up to 15.4 inches at the front and clamped down by six-piston
calipers.
And there's plenty of luxury, too. Nappa leather features
throughout the cabin and AMG adds its silver chrome trim package as standard.
This lines the center console surround, air vent bezels and trim strips in the
door armrests in silver chrome. Piano black and carbon fiber are offered as
alternatives.
Pricing information for the GT S Roadster will be announced
closer to the market launch in late 2018, but we can expect a slight premium on
the $132k starting price of the GT S coupe.
Jaguar created a monster sedan when it
built the XE SV Project 8. The 592-horsepower four-door set a production
car record when it went around the 'Ring in just 7:21.23 back in 2017.
The full production version is being
made even faster and Jaguar has quite the helping hand as the Project
8 enters its final development phase. A pair of Le Mans winners have spent time
with the car, and they seem quite pleased with what Jaguar has managed to
create.
Davy Jones has finished atop the podium at both Le Mans and
Daytona. He's done so in Jaguar race cars, and he's done so alongside veteran racer
Andy Wallace. Both men have conquered the upper echelons of their sport, so
they know what a vehicle needs to go fast with regards to its dynamics.
According to Wallace:
"The brake pedal feel is fantastic. It is absolutely
linear and you can feel what it's doing. The steering too is brilliant. It
feels like a car that’s developed after days and days, and hours and hours, of
testing. You don’t just ‘luck’ something as good as this. Anybody can build a
fast car. But to build a fast car that feels this good – that’s quite an
achievement.”
Jones have more to add:
“I’m used to powerful racing cars. But this feels really
fast. The sheer acceleration didn’t feel all that different from a 700bhp
racing prototype – and that really surprised me. It’s certainly Jaguar’s best
track car I’ve driven since the sports prototype Jaguars of the 1980s and
1990s.”
That's high praise for any car, especially one that's going
to be offered to the public as a street-legal sedan. The Jaguar XE SV Project 8
will be hand assembled starting this June. Jaguar plans to offer it as a
standard four-seater car or in a lighter-weight Track Pack guise that just
features the front seats only, though only the former is heading here. The
starting price is nearly $190,000 and Jaguar is only going to build 300
examples.
Right now, there's more final testing to be done. Jag
engineers are taking their test cars to Portugal, Spain, and Laguna Seca in the
States. You can expect a few more production sedan lap records to fall in the
process.
Once all of the testing is done, the car will start rolling
out to lucky customers all over the globe. What they'll have, at that point, is
a British-built four-door packing a supercharged 5.0-liter V-8 engine. The 592
hp is joined by 516 lb-ft of torque, and it's all fed out to each wheel through
an eight-speed automatic gearbox.
If you want a 200 mph-capable luxury sedan, then Jaguar has
what you seek. And we want to be friends with you.
April 30th was a special day for the Land
Rover brand. On April 30 day 70 years ago, the very first Land Rover
was revealed at the 1948 Amsterdam auto show. Since then, a total of 7,357,676
Land Rovers have been built, as of April 30,2018. To mark the occasion, Land
Rover held a special live broadcast on YouTube celebrating seven decades of the
SUV.
Viewers were treated to scenes of adventure, tough work, and
humanitarian aid—all things Land Rover has been apart of over 70 years.
Additionally, the brand showcased some of its most memorable models as it told
the story of how Land Rover came to exist after World War II. The broadcast
also included special insight from engineers, designers, Camel Trophy drivers,
restorers, and explorers to help tell the Land Rover story. Watch the video.
Land Rover didn't just do a simple online broadcast,
however. Earlier this year, the brand revealed plans for a production run
of V-8
powered Defender Works models with 400 horsepower. Furthermore,
restoration is underway on a pre-production
1948 Land Rover model. In fact, it's one of the three SUVs from the
1948 Amsterdam auto show, though it went missing for two decades.
Land Rover Classic will undertake Defender
V-8 production as well as restoration of that significant vintage model.
The company will build just 150 Defender models to celebrate its 70th
anniversary.
In addition to the video, Land Rover provided the following
timeline of highlights from its 70-year history.
70 YEARS OF LAND ROVER TIMELINE
1948 Land Rover Series I launched at
the Amsterdam motor show
1953 Long Wheelbase version of the Series
I introduced
1956 Oxford and Cambridge teams
complete on London to Singapore expedition in Series I
1958 Land Rover Series II unveiled with
more refined design
1970 Original two-door Range Rover (the
Classic) goes on sale
1971 Land Rover Series III launched
1972 Range Rover crosses Darien Gap on
18,000-mile Trans-America expedition
1976 1,000,000th Land Rover built
1979 A Range Rover wins the inaugural
Paris-Dakar rally (and again in 1981)
1981 Land Rover begins legendary
partnership with Camel Trophy
1981 Four-door Range Rover released
1989 Land Rover Discovery, the third Land
Rover model, goes on sale
1990 Original "Landie"
relaunched and renamed Defender
1994 Second-generation Range Rover
launched
1997 All-new Freelander unveiled with
innovative new technology: Hill Descent Control
2001 Third-generation Range Rover with
all-round independent air suspension revealed
2003 Inaugural G4 challenge sees 16 teams
traverse USA, South Africa, and Australia
2004 Range Stormer Concept previews
performance Range Rover and three-door body
2004 Discovery 3/LR3, the third-generation
Discovery, launched at New York auto show
2005 Range Rover Sport unveiled
2006 Freelander 2/LR2 launched. The first Land
Rover to be manufactured at Halewood
2008 LRX concept car previews design
language of a new luxury compact SUV
2009 Fourth generation of the Land Rover
Discovery introduced
2010 Range Rover Evoque makes global debut
2012 Fourth-generation Range Rover
introduced—the first all-aluminum SUV
2013 New generation of Range Rover Sport
unveiled at New York auto show
2014 Special Vehicle Operations (SVO)
division officially launched
2014 Range Rover Sport SVR debuts, the
fastest, most agile, most powerful Land Rover
2014 Discovery Vision Concept previews
design vision for new family of Discovery vehicles
2014 Launch of Discovery Sport, a new
premium compact SUV with 5+2 seating
2015 Trio of end-of-line Defender
editions revealed with biggest sand drawing in UK
2015 Exclusive Range Rover SVAutobiography
long wheelbase launched in New York
2015 Evoque Convertible becomes world’s
first luxury compact SUV convertible
2015 One-of-a-kind Land Rover
"Defender 2,000,000" sells for £400,000 (about $625,000) at charity
auction
Automakers have started using electric compressors to help
eliminate lag in their turbocharged engines.
The first with the technology was Audi, which introduced it
in its SQ7
TDI high-performance diesel SUV sold overseas. The SUV's engine
features a pair of turbochargers, a diesel V-8, a 48-volt electrical system,
and an electric compressor, also referred to as an electric supercharger.
Thankfully we're not asking you to wrench on it right now. Instead, we have
Jason Fenske from Engineering Explainedto, well, explain what's going
on with this setup.
The SQ7 TDI's engine is a 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V-8
delivering 435 horsepower and a massive 660 pound-feet of torque. Normally on a
system like this, you'd expect to hit the throttle and then wait. You'd be
waiting for the boost to pile on before the welcome rush of torque ushered your
SQ7 at warp speed toward the horizon.
Audi has worked to eliminate the waiting issue, i.e. the
dreaded turbo lag.
The automaker has done so by employing an electrically
powered compressor that can provide some boost virtually in an instant—we're
talking less than a second.
With this setup, the SQ7 can generate its peak torque from
as low as 1,000 rpm. If you're at a standstill and you mash the throttle,
you'll run from 0-62 mph in just 4.8 seconds.
How this process works is thanks to the electric compressor,
which in turns owes thanks to the 48-volt system.
The powerful 48-volt system provides power to a variety of
systems through the car, including powering a 10-horsepower electric motor used
to spin the compressor at speeds up to 70,000 rpm. From there the compressor
uses its whirling witchcraft to provide on-demand boost after which the
conventional turbochargers take over. .
It's a slick system so it's no surprise that other
automakers such as Bentley and Mercedes-Benz have also picked it up.
BMW has dropped the first details on its new 8-Series ahead of
the car's debut in June at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The 8-Series will mark
BMW's return to the French classic, with a dedicated race version set to compete
in the GTE class for production-based cars.
The road-going 8-Series has now reached the final stage of development
and will be in European showrooms by the end of the year, BMW confirmed
Thursday. An arrival in the United States is not expected until the first half
of 2019, meaning we could see the car arrive as a 2020 model.
At the top of the range, at least until an M8 arrives, will be an M850i
xDrive, combining V-8 performance and all-wheel-drive traction. The M850i
xDrive is an M Performance model, so it gets a number of enhancements developed
by the M division including a rear differential lock as well as sport-tuned
suspension and steering.
Under the hood sits BMW's familiar 4.4-liter
twin-turbocharged V-8, which gets paired up with an 8-speed automatic
transmission. The engine is tuned to deliver 530 horsepower and 553 pound-feet
of torque in this latest application and should result in 0-60 mph acceleration
figures of around 4.0 seconds.
The M850i xDrive is in its most potent form when the driving
mode selector is switched to Sport+. Here the engine is in its most aggressive
setting, as are numerous additional elements such as the electronically
controlled dampers, transmission logic, stability control system and all-wheel
drive.
Beyond the impressive drivetrain, BMW says 8-Series owners
can also look forward to a low center of gravity and a stiff body and chassis.
Underpinning the car is BMW's CLAR modular platform that debuted in the 2016
7-Series. Although BMW is yet to confirm it, we're expecting the CLAR's carbon
core lightweight construction to feature in the 8-Series. So far it's only
found in the 7-Series.
Production of the 8-Series in coupe guise will start at
BMW’s main plant in Dingolfing, Germany later this year. The coupe will be
joined shortly by an 8-Series Convertible and
an 8-Series Gran Coupe
sedan, and all three body styles will be offered in high-performance M8
trim. M8 versions will also come with a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V-8 but with
output hovering above 600 hp.
Aston Martin is taking its design and engineering to the open
waters. The British luxury marque announced Wednesday it has completed the
design for a submersible vehicle.
The submersible, called Project Neptune,
will be built with Triton Submarines. The two companies have worked together
since last year to design and engineer the submersible with Aston Martin's
in-house design team ensuring the vehicle is worthy of the badge.
The exterior doesn't seem to recall any particular Aston
Martin trait, though it does appear in-line with the automaker's design ethos.
Triton has ensured the final design embody its core values,
including 360-degree visibility for passengers and a pilot.
Speaking of passengers, Project Neptune will hold two plus a
pilot. Designing the interior was a challenge, according to Marek
Reichman, Aston Martin EVP and chief creative officer.
"Unlike a sports car where the interiors are installed
into an open-sided cabin before the doors are fitted, everything you see inside
will be lowered through the upper-hatch and assembled within the completed
sphere of the pressure hull," he said in a statement.
In the end, designers were able to design a cohesive cabin
that foregoes complexity in the name of luxury. Aston Martin's Q division will
handle customization and personalization for buyers.
As for performance specifications, the vehicle will move
faster than 5 knots, which is four times quicker than Triton's current
flagship submarine. Aston Martin and Triton also have worked to
improve the vehicle's hydrodynamic efficiency by shortening the frontal
area.
As for cost? Well, Aston Martin and Triton aren't talking
price. But chances are that if you have to ask...you know the rest.
Mercedes-AMG added the E43 sport sedan a
couple of years ago to appeal to the buyer looking for a fast car but without
the flashiness and firm ride of something like the full-fat
E63.
Well, the boffins at AMG have now enhanced the car by adding
mild hybrid technology and in the process renamed it an E53. We first saw the
technology in the 2019 CLS53 and E53 Coupe and Cabriolet models from AMG, which
were unveiled in January at
the 2018 Detroit auto show.
AMG's 53 series all feature a new 3.0-liter
twin-turbocharged inline-6 with an electric compressor to build the boost at
low revs. Peak power of the system is a V-8-like 429 horsepower and 384
pound-feet of torque, but according to AMG your fuel economy will come in
roughly 20 percent better than a V-8. The output compares to the 396 hp and 384
lb-ft from the 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V-6 of the outgoing E43.
The mild hybrid part of the equation comes in the form of an
electric motor-generator that replaces the starter motor and alternator
typically found on internal combustion cars. The motor-generator is powerful enough
to give you a boost of 21 hp and 184 lb-ft during high-load situations, like
sprinting off the line, but can't power the car on its own.
And under braking, the motor-generator recovers energy to
charge up a battery for later use, so there's no need to plug the car in for
charging. The rest of the drivetrain includes a nine-speed automatic and
all-wheel-drive system as standard.
AMG quotes a 0-62 mph time of 4.5 seconds and a governed top
speed of 155 mph.
The E53 also benefits from some minor visual touches. These
include the power bulges on the hood, the circular design for the four exhaust
tips, and a more pronounced rear diffuser. The car is also available with a set
of 20-inch light alloys.
AMG will offer both an E53 sedan and wagon, though it's
likely we'll only see the former in the United States. Availability hasn't been
announced but we should see the car here later this year as a 2019 model.
Thanks to modern communications and sensor technology, it
will soon be possible for cars to know what's immediately around them even when
the line of site is blocked, in a sense making them able to see around
corners.
This ability is one of the core pillars of most self-driving
systems being developed, including that from Jaguar Land Rover. But even if you
prefer to drive yourself the ability for a car to know what's around a blind
corner is definitely a bonus.
Jaguar Land Rover on Friday announced it is leading a
project called Autoplex that looks to create a system combining car-to-car and
car-to-infrastructure communications with highly detailed maps with real-time
updates. The system can then be used by a self-driving car to gather more
detailed information about its surroundings.
It's not just blind corners where such a system could prove
helpful. Just some of the other situations could be junctions, merging and
roundabouts. It could also be developed to help you find a parking spot.
The upcoming
5G network is expected to support the necessary bandwidth required to
reliably send back and fourth so much data.
Jaguar Land Rover late last year started testing
its self-driving cars on public roads in the United Kingdom. The
automaker is developing both partially and fully self-driving systems and has a
long-term goal to make self-driving cars viable in the widest range
situations, including
in off-road conditions. The automaker also in March entered a deal to
supply Waymo with up to 20,000
Jaguar I-Pace electric SUVs over the coming years for Waymo's
expanding self-driving fleet.
source: https://www.motorauthority.com/news/1116354_jaguar-land-rover-developing-system-that-lets-cars-see-around-corners
by viknesh Vijayenthiran
T.Fotiadis Design, a company based in Berlin, Germany that
normally crafts luxury yachts and high-end residential interiors, has plans for
a Range Rover 6x6 pickup truck dubbed the SLT.
But where a similar vehicle like Mercedes-AMG's
G63 6x6 is all about performance, T.Fotiadis' SLT not only
maximizes capability but also ushers in ultra-posh motoring.
The vehicle also has a specific purpose. It's envisioned as
a tender for superyachts where it could be used to transport the yacht's owner
and guests (plus all their luggage) from the dock to an airport or hotel or to
private residences. Fotiadis tells us the vehicle's initials stand for
Superyacht Land Tender.
The company says the vehicle also features inspiration from
its luxury yacht designs. Yacht-like are its proportions, indeed. The SLT is
based on the Range
Rover Long-Wheelbase and measures 244 inches long, 84 inches wide, and
sits 73 inches tall.
Details on its off-road gear are slim, but T.Fotiadis
said the vehicle features three axles, six 20-inch wheels, and a custom body
kit. Powering the mammoth 6x6 will be the choice of a 2.0-liter inline-4
married to a plug-in hybrid system, a 4.4-liter diesel V-8, or a
5.0-liter supercharged V-8—all standard powertrain units offered on the
Ranger Rover in Europe.
On the luxury front, T.Fotiadis plans to outfit
the interior of the SLT with liquid metal and resin, porcelain, crystal. A set
of exclusive seats will come from Foglizzo and owners will be able to customize
all interior motifs and colors. Other niceties will include a wine chiller,
airline-style and power-operated folding tables, onboard Wi-Fi, and LCD
touchscreens in the rear.
Development of the SLT is ongoing but the vehicle should be
ready (fittingly) for a debut at the 2018 Monaco Yacht Show in September. The
order books will open in the next three months.
