Audi - Repair and Consignment Sales Redwood City - Is Audi testing an electric A7? - Bosch European Redwood City - (650) 368-3000

There appear to be signs that suggest the prototype might be for an electric version of the new A7.

A shot of the rear reveals no exhaust tips whatsoever. It’s hard to gauge from the angle but there also doesn’t appear to be a muffler or piping of any kind.

We also cannot see any fuel filler door on the flanks of the car. Normally, one would be located on one of the rear fenders.

Audi doesn’t sell an electric car but previous concepts from the company as well as theA3 e-tron Sportback plug-in hybrid feature charging ports located behind the grille. Accessing these involves sliding the four-ring logo to the side.

There is a radiator peeking through the grille on the prototype, though electric carsstill require cooling for their batteries and other powertrain hardware.

Audi’s Volkswagen Group parent is committed to launching as many as 30 electric cars by the end of 2025 across its various brands. Many of these, perhaps most even, will come from Audi.

In 2018 Audi will launch its first electric car, a mid-size SUV based on 2015’s e-tron Quattro concept. It will be followed by two more electric cars by 2020, CEO Rupert Stadler recently revealed. It’s possible one of the two will be an electric A7.

miles of range on a single charge. It’s likely an electric A7 will offer similar range, making the car a rival to Tesla Motors’ [NSDQ:TSLA] Model S.

Audi has previewed a hydrogen fuel cell powertrain in its current A7, but the automaker has stated that production of a fuel cell model will depend on adequate hydrogen fueling infrastructure being in place.

The new A7 is expected to be revealed in 2017. Stay tuned for updates as development continues.

source: http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1023863_is-audi-testing-an-electric-a7
by Viknesh Vijayenthiran

http://www.boscheuropean.com

Aston Martin - Repair and Consignment Sales Redwood City - New Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato Volante drops its hood - Bosch European Redwood City - (650) 368-3000

After the Vanquish Zagato Coupe debuted at the Concorso d’Eleganza at Villa d’Este in May, Aston Martin has stunned showgoers at the 2016 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance with the Volante convertible version. 

Reportedly driven by "overwhelming" customer interest for the hardtop, the Volante will be limited to just 99 cars, with a price believed to be upwards of £500,000. It's the latest creation from a six-decade partnership between the British sports car maker and the Italian coachbuilding company. 

The Vanquish Zagato Volante uses the same V12 as the hardtop, with 592bhp and a projected 0-62mph time of 3.7 seconds. The styling is radically altered over the standard Vanquish, with a gaping grille, striking LED running lights and a shapely rear end. 

You lose the shapely roof profile of the coupe, but you gain twin cowls on the rear deck, plus the same cloth folding roof mechanism as the Vanquish Volante. Aston Martin's specialist 'Q' division can personalise the cabin to your heart's content, too, with options like anodized bronze detailing and Bridge of Weir leather. Customer deliveries for the Zagato Volante will begin in 2017.

source: http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/aston-martin/96756/new-aston-martin-vanquish-zagato-volante-drops-its-hood

by Lawrence Allan

http://www.boscheuropean.com

Jaguar - Repair and Consignment Sales Redwood City - Jaguar offering F-Type SVR rides around the Nürburgring - Bosch European Redwood City - (650) 368-3000

With Jaguar's announcement that it will offer rides in its new F-Type SVR, Germany's famed Nürburgring is becoming even more of an amusement park for car enthusiasts. And that's all right with us.

The British automaker says visitors to the track can sign up for a 30 minute program offered on weekends through October that includes a spirited ride (not drive) around the complete Nordschleife in the passenger seat of a new F-Type SVR. On-board cameras mounted inside the car will record the experience for passengers to take home.

Passengers will suit up and be issued a helmet and a HANS device for safety since this is not designed to be a mere light jaunt around one of the most demanding racetracks in the world. It is, however, a track that Jaguar knows well since it has operated a development facility nearby since 2003. The company has also run a 'Ring Taxi service in the past.

The F-Type SVR itself was largely developed at the 'Ring. Jaguar calls the 575-horsepower version of the stunning F-Type a genuine supercar, and it has fitted the particular car set to be used in the passenger experience with a roll cage and Recaro racing seats with harnesses.

The experience runs €295 (approximately $333) and can only be booked at the website: www.nuerburgring-shop.de/fahraction/co-pilot-fahrten.html.

source: http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1104604_jaguar-offering-f-type-svr-rides-around-the-nrburgring

by Andrew Ganz

http:/www.boscheuropean.com

Mercedes - Repair and Consignment Sales Redwood City - Report: Mercedes plans sub-brand for new electric cars - Bosch European Redwood City - (650) 368-3000

Mercedes-Benz plans to launch a handful of electric cars over the coming years to counter models already offered by Tesla Motors [NSDQ:TSLA], as well as newcomers from its fellow German rivals Audi and BMW.

The first of these electric cars are to include a pair of sedans and a pair of SUVs, and Mercedes will preview at least one of them in concept form in late September at the 2016 Paris auto show. They are expected to start arriving on the market before the end of the decade.

Based on its sources, Bloomberg is reporting that Mercedes will follow the lead of BMW and establish a sub-brand for its new electric cars. However, the sources said a name for the sub-brand is yet to be determined. Mercedes already offers some electric cars like the Smart ForTwo Electric Drive and B-Class Electric Drive, but these are sold under the regular brands.  

Establishing a sub-brand is a risky move for Mercedes which has suffered major losses with Smart, as well as Maybach back when it was a standalone brand. BMW’s own i sub-brand has failed to make a major impact, though it could be due to the limited performance of the cars compared to the competition as well as their somewhat radical styling.

Mercedes’ new electric cars are expected to feature a level of sophistication comparable to or superior to the automaker’s existing cars. They are also promised to have a range of 300 miles or more, though stricter EPA ratings may see a lower figure stated for the United States.  

The cars will ride on a “skateboard” style platform where the batteries are stored in the floor and an electric motor is mounted at one or both axles. The platform, which was previewed in June, will be flexible enough to spawn multiple models.

As for batteries, Mercedes plans to produce its own. They will be produced by fellow Daimler subsidiary Deutsche Accumotive, which already offers home energy storagein some markets and is currently expanding its factory in preparation for the new electric cars.

Note, these electric cars are separate to the electric commercial vehicles also being developed by Mercedes, such as the electric truck previewed by the Urban eTruck concept.

source: http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1105402_report-mercedes-plans-sub-brand-for-new-electric-cars

by Viknesh Vijayenthiran

http://www.boscheuropean.com

BMW - Repair and Consignment Sales Redwood City - 2017 BMW 740e plug-in hybrid gets 64 mpge, 14-mile electric range - Bosch European Redwood City - (650) 368-3000

BMW’s 7-Series gets a few new additions for the 2017 model year, one of which is a plug-in hybrid model in the form of the 740e xDrive i Performance.

The eco-friendly luxury sedan is priced from $90,095, including a $995 destination charge, and is available in dealerships from August.

The EPA rates the electric efficiency as 64 mpge (i.e. the distance the car can travel electrically on the same amount of energy that is contained in a gallon of gasoline) and the range as 14 miles.

The battery is a 9.2-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion unit that can be fully charged in less than 2 hours with Level 2 (240V) charging or around 7 hours on a standard 120V household plug.

The car’s closest rival is Mercedes-Benz’s S550e, which the EPA rates as 58 mpge and 12 mi of electric range.

The 740e xDrive i Performance features the same plug-in hybrid system found in the2016 BMW X5 xDrive40e that we recently rested. A turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-4 is paired with an electric motor that’s integrated with an 8-speed automatic transmission. Drive is then routed to all four wheels.

Peak output of the system is 322 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque, which BMW says is enough for 0-60 mph acceleration in 5.1 seconds and a top speed of 155 mph.

source: http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1105520_2017-bmw-740e-plug-in-hybrid-gets-64-mpge-14-mile-electric-range

by Vicknesh Vijayenthiran

http://www.boscheuropean.com

Audi - Repair and Consignment Sales Redwood City - Audi to launch 3 electric cars by 2020, says CEO - Bosch European Redwood City - (650) 368-3000

The Volkswagen Group is committed to launching as many as 30 electric cars by the end of 2025.

Many of these will be sold under the Audi brand, which will have its first electric car on sale in 2018, in this case a mid-size SUV that many, including us, expect to becalled a Q6 e-tron.

Once the SUV arrives, Audi will launch more electric cars in quick succession.

CEO Rupert Stadler revealed to Heilbronner Stimme (via Reuters) that the automaker will have three electric cars by 2020. He also said between 25 and 30 percent of the vehicles sold by Audi will be electric by 2025, a goal Audi’s VW Group parent is also targeting.

Stadler didn’t reveal what types of vehicles Audi will offer in electric guise, though he did say compact cars were included in the list. We have a feeling the R8 e-tron vaporware won’t be on the list, however.

In his interview with Heilbronner Stimme, Stadler also revealed that Audi planned to set up a subsidiary called SDS Company to develop fully autonomous cars and was seeking partners to help develop the technology.

source: http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1105177_audi-to-launch-3-electric-cars-by-2020-says-ceo

by Viknesh Vijayenthiran

http://www.boscheuropean.com

Aston Martin - Repair and Consignment Sales Redwood City - Limited run Aston Martin V12 Vantage S Spitfire 80 swoops in - Bosch European Redwood City - (650) 368-3000

Special Aston Martin V12 Vantage S launched to celebrate 80th anniversary of the Supermarine Spitfire’s fighter plane's first flight

Aston Martin of Cambridge has launched a limited edition of theV12 Vantage S model. The special has been created to mark 80 years of the Spitfire fighter plane and will set buyers back £180,000. Only eight examples of this exclusive car will be made with first deliveries taking place on October 18th this year.

Visually, the Spitfire 80 is finished in a special ‘Duxford Green’ colour with a yellow pinstripe running along the sides, a nod to the wing design of the famous single-seat fighter aircraft. Yellow detailing is also present on the grille and brake calipers, along with carbon fibre front and rear diffusers to complete the unique look.

The aviation theme continues inside with Spitfire 80 logos embroidered onto the headrests and door pulls in red ‘webbing’, similar to that found in the aircraft. Buyers will also receive a number of accessories including a Irvin flying helmet and flying goggles for added retro appeal.

No changes have been made under the bonnet meaning the usual 565bhp 6.0-litre V12 is present, capable of 0-62mph in a brisk 3.9 seconds and 205mph top speed.

The eight Spitfire 80 models will be handed over to buyers at the famous IWM Duxford museum. The new owners will be treated to a day of activities including a Spitfire flight experience, armoured vehicle driving experience and a personal museum tour. The finale will be an opportunity to test the limits of their new cars along the runway, before watching a display of one of the last Mk1 Spitfires.

source: http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/aston-martin/v12-vantage/96353/limited-run-aston-martin-v12-vantage-s-spitfire-80-swoops-in

by Julian Sandiford

http://www.boscheuropean.com

Range Rover - Repair and Consignment Sales Redwood City - New details on British billionaire’s plan to build Defender-like SUV - Bosch European Redwood City - (650) 368-3000

On July 11 reports emerged of the plans of British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe to resurrect the iconic Land Rover Defender that went out of production in January.

Ratcliffe, the founder of chemicals giant Ineos, had been in talks with Jaguar Land Rover about possibly purchasing the Defender’s intellectual property rights or some of its tooling in order to restart production.

But with Land Rover planning a modern Defender for 2018, those talks didn’t progress very far.

Nevertheless, Ratcliffe and his team at Ineos remain determined to build a vehicle that can fill the void left by the Defender’s exit from the market.

Speaking with Auto Express, Ineos executive Tom Crotty said Ratcliffe is looking to build a vehicle that “captures the essence of the Defender,” but is unrelated to the Land Rover icon. Crotty went on to explain that the proposed vehicle would match the Defender’s look and off-road capability but skip its shortcomings, which the Ineos exec described as drivability, emissions and safety related.

source: http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1105070_new-details-on-british-billionaires-plan-to-build-defender-like-suv

by Viknesh Vijayenthiran

http://www.boscheuropean.com

The team at Ineos is still researching whether the project is feasible and should have a better idea by December. If production is approved, Crotty said the vehicle could be ready within two or three years.

Mercedes - Repair and Consignment Sales Redwood City - Mercedes-Benz mulls electric Sprinter van- Bosch European Redwood City - (650) 368-3000

2017 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Worker

Many automakers are focusing on electric cars, but what about an electric van?

Mercedes-Benz is reportedly considering an electric version of its next-generation Sprinter. The electric Sprinter could arrive by the end of the decade, coinciding with the arrival of the next-gen van, according to Trucks.com.

If approved for production, it would join a handful of electric vans already on sale—mainly outside the United States—and prove that Mercedes is serious about electric commercial vehicles.

Tesla Motors [NSDQ:TSLA] CEO Elon Musk only last week also hinted at an electric van, so there could be some competition in this space soon.

"I see there is growing demand in the market," Volker Mornhinweg—director of Mercedes-Benz Vans—told Trucks.com regarding electric vehicles.

Electric delivery vans make particular sense because they are generally used on short, predictable routes, which would make range anxiety less of an issue. They could also help reduce pollution in urban areas, and would likely reduce operating costs for owners significantly.

Mercedes has already shown some interest in electric commercial vehicles. Hot on the heels of Tesla's announcement of an electric semi truck, it unveiled the Urban eTruck concept. It's an electric truck designed for short hauls in urban areas.

Mercedes' parent Daimler is also conducting trials in Germany and Portugal of an electric truck made by its Fuso division. Called the Canter E-Cell, it has a 48-kilowatt-hour battery pack and a range of about 60 miles.

source: http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1105355_mercedes-benz-mulls-electric-sprinter-van

by Stephen Edelstein

http://www.boscheuropean.com

BMW - Repair and Consignment Sales Redwood City - BMW 507 owned by Elvis fully restored, heading to Monterey - Bosch European Redwood City - (650) 368-3000

BMW 5-7 formerly owned by Elvis

Elvis Presley may have left the building, but his BMW 507 is making a comeback.

Following a two-year restoration by BMW's Classic division, the sports car will appear at the 2016 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance on August 21.

Driven by Elvis during his military service in Germany, the Feather White sports car was thought to be lost to history until it was uncovered—in a warehouse full of pumpkins, of all places. The video shows what it looked like prior to the restoration.

The 507 was unveiled at the 1955 Frankfurt Motor Show. While designer Albrecht Graf Goertz's beguiling shape has made the car a classic, an expensive sports car did not fit the needs of most buyers in postwar Germany. Just 254 cars were built between 1955 and 1959. Elvis purchased his—chassis number 70079—used in 1958. The car had previously been owned by racing driver Hans Stuck and ended up on a used car lot in Frankfurt.

Elvis drove the 507 between his house in Bad Nauheim and the U.S. Army base in Friedberg, until his enlistment ended in 1960. He shipped the BMW back to the U.S. but apparently didn't keep it long, trading it in to a Chrysler dealer in New York a few months after returning to the States. The 507 passed through a series of owners over the ensuing five decades, and eventually fell off the radar.

The car was acquired by Jack Castor, an engineer living in California, in 1968. Castor drove the car briefly before stashing it away for a restoration that never came. Castor was never able to confirm the connection to Elvis. It wasn't until 2006, when he read an article in Bimmer magazine, that Castor and journalist Jackie Jouret were able to put the pieces together and confirm that chassis number 70079 was Elvis' 507.

Castor contacted BMW, which acquired the car and began an extensive restoration. While the 507 was mostly intact, its engine and transmission were missing, and there was significant rust and interior decay to deal with. Restorers also had to undo some modifications made to the car for racing in order to bring it back to stock form.

The result of all of that work will be on display in Monterey in just a couple of weeks. 

source: http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1105405_bmw-507-owned-by-elvis-fully-restored-heading-to-monterey#image=100560048

by Stephen Edelstein

http://www.boscheuropeancom

Jaguar - Repair and Consignment Sales Redwood City - Next Jaguar Project 7 to be even bolder - Bosch European Redwood City - (650) 368-3000

Next Jaguar's SVO division is already contemplating a 'more individual' successor to the Project 7 special edition

Jaguar bosses have admitted that the firm has started to think about a successor to the limited-edition Project 7 sports car, Auto Express can reveal.

The first car produced by Jaguar Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) division, Project 7 was a heavily modified F-Typeusing the same 567bhp supercharged V8 now available in the ‘regular’ F-Type SVR.

All of the 250 Project 7s sold out and second-hand values have recently started to rise beyond the original £135,000 price. Now senior Jaguar officials say that early discussions have taken place about how the company could build a successor.

When asked if Jaguar would consider custom-bodied cars in future, design director Ian Callum said: “We’ve thought about it. We’ve started asking, ‘What do we do after Project 7?’, because I’d like to take it a step further. And that means making it more of an individual car than an F-Type. 

“But the business case is hugely difficult,” he added. “What can you charge for it?What do you charge for a Jaguar? How far can it go? With a supercar like the C-X75, you could probably go to £1million, but with a limited number of, say, 200 cars. And even that, as a business case, was pushing it. So if you’re going to get into the realms of something that’s a modified F-Type, it’s very difficult.”

John Edwards, boss of Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations, said the success of Project 7 had taken management by surprise. “We said we’d build 250 examples of Project 7, and within the business there was quite a lot of nervousness about that,” he told us. 

“We kind of plucked that number out of thin air, really. I personally had to guarantee we’d sell 250; as it turned out, we could have sold 500.” Edwards stated he’d “made a conscious decision” to make SVR performance Jaguars four-wheel drive – potentially leaving space for more extreme rear-drive editions like the Project 7. 

However, he indicated that SVO would focus on production runs of cars, rather than exclusive bespoke one-offs. “Custom bodies are not our plan; we want to push the cosmetics of the car to the limit, not re-engineer the car as some others have done,” Edwards said.

source: http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/jaguar/f-type/95233/next-jaguar-project-7-to-be-even-bolder

by John Mcllroy

http://www.boscheuropean.com

Aston Martin - Repair and Consignment Sales Redwood City - AMG Powered Aston Martin Vantage First Spy Shots - Bosch European Redwood City - (650) 368-3000

The first spy shots of the AMG powered Aston Martin Vantage have been released online.

While Aston has not confirmed the official name of the DB11’s smaller brother, the smart money suggests that Aston will continue to call its small sports car by the long standing Vantage moniker.

The prototype caught testing in the gallery above is clearly a physically shorter model than the DB11 and features a rounder roof line, modified headlights as well as a new grille and front spoiler. Another noted change is the addition of a modified rear bumper. In terms of interior changes, we can expect the new Vantage to feature many of the same styling traits as the DB11. These changes will include use of higher quality materials, a digital instrument cluster as well as modern infotainment system with eight-inch display.

Powering the new Vantage will be two different engine options, both from AMG. The first option will be a 4.0-liter V8 as wel as a brand-new 5.2-liter V12 engine with an output of 608 horsepower.

The new Vantage will hit showrooms in autumn 2017.

source: http://gtspirit.com/2016/06/30/amg-powered-aston-martin-vantage-first-spy-shots/

by Andrew Elliott

http://www.boscheuropean.com

Range Rover - Repair and Consignment Sales Redwood City - Next Land Rover Range Rover to become more upscale - Bosch European Redwood City - (650) 368-3000

While Land Rover’s Range Rover is widely regarded as the progenitor of the luxury SUV, today there are numerous brands competing in the space including some with offerings much more luxurious than the Range Rover.

It’s something that hasn’t gone unnoticed at Land Rover which has attempted to challenge newcomers such as the Bentley Bentayga with special versions of its Range Rover like the SVAutobiography.

For future generations, though, we will see the SUV become more upscale.

“I think Range Rover has no way reached its ceiling in terms of price,” Land Rover design boss Gerry McGovern told Automotive News (subscription required). “As we make [the Discovery and Discovery Sport] more premium, it becomes incumbent on us to make Range Rover even more luxurious, and that is what we are focused on.”

The Discovery McGovern is talking about is the replacement for the LR4. The vehicle, which shares a platform with the Range Rover and is expected to be revealed soon, has been designed to be more on-road-focused than its predecessor to help widen its appeal (a new Defender will be aimed at fans of serious off-roading). Thus, it’s more vital than ever that Land Rover differentiates the two to prevent them from cannibalizing each other.   

Interestingly, McGovern suggested that Land Rover won’t go down the 3-row, 7-seat option with the Range Rover. He said the premium family hauler market is for vehicles like the Discovery and Range Rover Sport, the latter of which already offers a third row.

McGovern has also previously ruled out an SUV positioned above the Range Rover to go head-to-head with vehicles like the aforementioned Bentayga and upcoming Rolls-Royce SUV.

Land Rover still has plenty of time to finalize plans for a next-generation Range Rover as the vehicle isn’t due until towards the end of the decade. Before it arrives, Land Rover will introduce a subtle facelift for the current model.

source: http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1105167_next-land-rover-range-rover-to-become-more-upscale

by Viknesh Vijayenthiran

http://www.boscheuropean.com

Mercedes - Repair and Consignment Sales Redwood City - Next Mercedes-AMG CLA45 could have 400 horsepower - Bosch European Redwood City - (650) 368-3000

Mercedes-Benz is working on the next generation of its compact range and according to a report out of the United Kingdom the high-performance versions from Mercedes-AMG could come with as much as 400 horsepower.

AMG’s current compact range, which consists of the A45 hatchback, CLA45 sedanand GLA45 SUV, offers 375 hp. Based on information from its sources, Autocar is reporting that the successor models will offer 400 hp or possibly even more.

AMG only upped the power of its compacts to 375 hp from a previous 355 hp in 2015. The increase this time is to challenge Audi’s upcoming RS 3 which will also have around 400 hp when arrives next year. Yes, the power war is still very much alive among the German automakers.

The AMGs will draw their power from an uprated version of the tuner's existing turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder. Enhancements are said to include new fuel injectors, a new turbocharger and changes to the combustion process.

Beyond the potent powerplant, the cars will also benefit from changes planned for Mercedes’ next-generation compacts. The list includes a larger yet lighter structure, a 9-speed dual-clutch transmission, and more advanced electronic driving aids. All-wheel drive will remain standard.

One of the performance targets is said to be a 0-60 mph time in under 4.0 seconds. Top speed will likely remain capped at 155 mph.

The first of Mercedes’ next-generation compacts will be a new A-Class in 2018 (prototype shown above). The A45 from AMG should trail it by about a year, after which the new CLA and GLA models should arrive.

Interestingly, we hear there will also be tamer AMG models along the lines of the “43” series currently offered by the tuner. These are expected to feature turbocharged 2.0-liter engines with around 275 hp on tap.

source: http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1087103_next-mercedes-amg-cla45-could-have-400-horsepower

by Viknesh Vijayenthiran

http://www.boscheuropean.com