Even if you're pretty enthusiastic about driving, parking is
probably more of a chore than a joy. That's why Volkswagen is working on a way
to potentially skip over that part.
The German automaker is testing a system called V-Charge in
Europe that combines automated parking with automated charging with electric
cars. All the driver needs to do is get out and order the car to park itself,
and the vehicle finds a space, including one with a wireless charging station,
if necessary. VW essentially hopes to put valets out of business.
To create a self-parking car, Volkswagen festooned an e-Golf with
cameras and ultrasonic sensors. That includes four wide-angle cameras, two 3D
cameras, and 12 ultrasound sensors. The car uses digital maps for reference,
and V2V
communication technology to pick up signals from infrastructure and
other cars for further guidance.
The sensor-based approach allows a car to orient itself
without the use of GPS, which often doesn't work in underground parking garages
because the signal can't penetrate below the surface. VW promises
"centimeter-exact" parking, so the system is probably more accurate
than a human valet too.
In the case of an electric car, V-Charge can also be
programmed to find parking spaces with charging stations. Since the car
obviously can't connect itself to a charging cord, these have to be wireless.
Once the car is done charging, it automatically vacates the space to make room
for the next vehicle in need of some juice. Electric car owners will probably
appreciate that feature, as blocked charging stations are already testing the
limits of social decorum in their ranks.
VW says V-Charge is "already functional today,"
but won't discuss a timeline for putting it into production.
These days, it seems autonomous parking gets as much
attention as autonomous driving. BMW and Land Rover have
both demonstrated systems that could be used for human-less parking, and
Mercedes-Benz will introduce a remote
parking pilot on the 2017 E-Class.
The 2016 Mercedes-Maybach S600 is
certainly no slouch with its ample 523 horsepower and 612 pound-feet of torque,
but if you’re the type that needs your luxury behemoth to keep up with top
sports models, then Brabus has just what you need. The German tuner is
intimately familiar with the latest S-Class as it was responsible for much of
the engineering work done on the extra-long Mercedes-Maybach
S600 Pullman.
For the regular Mercedes-Maybach S600, the firm has
developed a comprehensive tuning package that sees the car deliver as much as
887 horsepower. It makes the car more powerful than even Porsche’s 918 Spyder,
and it totally decimates the latest crop of supercars when it comes to torque:
the peak figure registers at a staggering 1,106 pound-feet. It means owners of
the Brabus-tuned Mercedes-Maybach S600 will see 0-62 mph acceleration of just
3.7 seconds and a top speed in excess of 217 mph.
The tuning package is called the Brabus Rocket 900. The
firm’s high-tech engine shop employs the tried and tested principle of
increasing the engine’s displacement, achieved via a custom billet crankshaft
with longer stroke in concert with a larger cylinder bore, matching forged
pistons and precision-balanced connecting rods. The result is an increase in
displacement for the Mercedes-Maybach S600’s V-12 engine from 6.0 to 6.3
liters.
Along with the new internals, the engineers also add bigger
turbochargers, which are adapted to the V-12 engine with the help of special
exhaust manifolds. In addition, the conversion includes large-diameter down
pipes, high-flow catalytic converters, and a high-flow exhaust system made from
stainless-steel. The gearbox is also enhanced to handle all of the torque, and
to aid agility the suspension is lowered by almost an inch. The list of
modifications is rounded out by a custom body kit and a set of 21-inch forged
wheels, the latter wrapped in 255/35 size tires up front and huge 295/30 size
tires at the rear.
For the interior, the firm’s upholstery shop creates
perfectly finished leather interiors tailored to the requests of the buyer.
This includes an almost limitless variety of types of leather and Alcantara in
any desired color, which can be finished in any desired upholstery design. Just
as individual is the range of precious wood or carbon fiber inlays, which are
also available in any desired color and with a variety of surface finishes. And
since this is Brabus we’re talking about, the company will also happily add
armor protection to the car should you desire.
This week in Autoblog's Detroit office, we've taken
delivery of the 2015
Range Rover Sport SVR. That means a good portion of the team will have the
opportunity to drive the 550-horsepower animal that I first sampled a few
months ago in upstate New York.
Fast SUVs are a sort of guilty pleasure for many car writers I know, and an
outright joy for others. Even with a design brief that may challenge sanity – a
capable off-roader that one can take to a track day, you say? – there's
something compelling in the milieu of upright, wide-shouldered looks and a
brawny powertrain.
What I found out in NY was that, no surprise Range Rover pulls off the mixture
even better than most. Or, at least until Jeep submits to reason and brings us
a Grand Cherokee SRT Hellcat, the SVR deserves top-fast-SUV consideration with
Porsche and BMW offerings.
It’s only a matter of time until Jaguar turns the wick up on
the 550-horsepower supercharged V-8 fitted to its sublime F-Type R sports car,
especially since the automaker already revealed a more powerful version of the
engine in last year’s limited edition F-Type Project
7. And it appears that that is exactly what the automaker is working on, as
we now have spy shots showing an F-Type prototype that’s more extreme than
anything we've seen.
The prototype is thought to be for a new F-Type SVR
range-topper being developed by Jaguar Land Rover’s SVO skunkworks. SVO is the
Brit automaker’s rival to the likes of BMW M and Mercedes-AMG, though it also
handles personalization work and other special projects.
SVO’s first SVR-badged car was the brilliant Range Rover Sport SVR, and
it looks like an F-Type SVR will be next in line. Spotted here is an F-Type SVR
Convertible. A coupe has also been spotted,
suggesting that both variants will be launched simultaneously.
The F-Type Project 7 is thought to have served as
inspiration for the new model. Its engine, the familiar supercharged 5.0-liter
V-8, was rated at 575 hp, which was enough for 0-60 mph acceleration in just
3.8 seconds and a governed top speed of 186 mph. Further tuning should bump the
output closer to 600 hp here, and together with the F-Type’s new
all-wheel-drive system, made
available for the 2016 model year, we could see the F-Type SVR’s
performance surpass that of potential rivals like the Porsche 911 Turbo and
Audi R8 V10.
Look for more aggressive aero enhancements similar to those
featured on the F-Type Project 7, as well as the car’s electronic active
differential, carbon ceramic brakes and uprated suspension. We can clearly see
that the front bumper is a new design, with large intakes and an aggressive lip
spoiler present. At the rear, there’s a new diffuser integrated with the
bumper, flanked either side by a pair of exhaust tips. It also appears that the
car has a wider track, and the rear wing looks like a fixed unit.
A debut of the Jaguar F-Type SVR should take place in the
next six to 12 months, meaning it will likely arrive as a 2017 model.
Every once in a while we experience something that is true
bucket list stuff. We joined Porsche in Lapland for a day on snow and ice and
this earned a spot on the GTspirit Bucket List! Let me tell and show you what
went down.
Every year major car manufacturers and private companies
build camps in the European Arctic for winter testing and driving experiences.
Porsche is no exception and for a few years now they travel to the Finnish town
of Levi where they host the Porsche Winter Driving Experience.
Levi is a popular Finnish winter destination and ski resort.
The slopes not comparable to the Alps but enough for a few days of fun. From
Kittila Airport it takes only 15 minutes to reach Levi and another 20 minutes
to reach the Porsche Driving Experience camp. The last time we were in Levi was
8 years ago and the town has grown quite a bit. We stayed at the new Panorama
hotel directly on the slopes of the ski resort with stunning views of the
surrounding forests, mountains and lakes.
But enough about Levi, we are here to drift Porsches on ice!
The Porsche Driving Experience is spread out over a huge area in the Finnish
forests. Unlike many other ice driving events in the Arctic, Porsches tracks
are not build on a frozen lake or river but on a sort of swamp land sprayed
with water. This makes that the frozen race tracks over slight height
differences and camber, something you won’t have on a lake.
Upon arrival we realize how huge the area is, over 20
different ice tracks, drift circles and slalom courses are dotted around the
area. Separated in a North and South area Porsche can accommodate up to 100
people per day. We arrive at a garage where 50 Porsche 911 Turbo S and Cayman
GTS models are waiting for us.
Porsche offers four different multiple-day driving events in
Levi. Starting with Camp4 which is all about precision; learning how the car
behaves on snow and ice and how to stay in control while having fun. The next
level is Camp4S which is more about performance. Assuming you know the basics
about driving on snow and ice Camp4S shows how to handle the car on its limit.
Both Camp4 and Camp4S participants drive with the Porsche 911 Carrera S with
spikes.
The next level is Porsche Ice-Force. Here participants learn
to control a Porsche 911 Turbo by braking and accelerating. A combination of
theory and driving on various handling tracks gives deeper insights in advanced
vehicle control. Than finally there is Porsche Ice-ForceS where experienced
drivers can raise their limits with the Porsche 911 Turbo, GT3 and other
vehicles. In a mix of all-wheel drive and rear-wheel drive vehicles the driver
is challenged to find the perfect line across the various handling tracks. All
programs include three days of instruction and driving.
Today we take part in a special program based on Porsche
Ice-Force(S). I receive the keys for a 560hp 911 Turbo S with 4mm spikes and
snow tires. This all-wheel drive monster comes with Porsches PDK gearbox and
Sport Chrono Package. We are guided to another part of the camp which will
serve as base for our day there. After a small program and safety briefing the
group is split in smaller groups and our instructor Yukka takes us to the first
course.
Due to the weight balance of the AWD rear-engine Porsche 911
Turbo a different technique is required to drift it and the first exercise
couldn’t be a better start to learn this: slalom on ice. Accelerating off the
line we are required to steer in for the first corner, tap the brakes briefly
to shift the weight to the outside and accelerate to drift. Approaching the
next corner, counter steer quickly and tap the brakes again to swing the back
around to the other side. It soon feels like an automotive dance as we swing
from side to side around the cones.
The cones were quite close to each other so our first
exercise was fairly low speed but the second course would all change that. We
are taken to a large circle to practice our drift consistency. The drift circle
is a great place to see the all-wheel drive system in action. In comparison to
a rear-wheel drive car it is a bit harder to drift but once you have it going
you can reduce your steering inputs to the minimum and almost keep the wheels
straight. Balancing the drift is entirely done by the throttle, more throttle
makes the circle wider, less throttle makes the circle smaller. Being gentle on
the throttle and steering is rewarded with a smooth never-ending drift.
But enough with the exercise, time for the real action! We
head back to the base and swap our 911 Turbo S for a rear-wheel drive Cayman
GTS. To give the Cayman a bit more grip it has 5mm spikes instead of 4. We head
out to a little track on the far end of the camp. Every track has a little
paddock where you can stop and change drivers and every track also has a
Cayenne on stand-by to pull any cars out of the snow besides the track.
The Porsche Cayman GTS is fundamentally different on snow
and ice than the all-wheel drive 911 Turbo. It is much easier to get a drift
going but it is harder work to stay in control. One little mistake and you soon
find yourself with the nose pointing in the wrong direction. In my third lap I
got a bit carried away and after drifting through three nice S-corner
combinations I clearly over did it and found myself stuck in the snow wall for
the first and luckily last time this day.
Adjacent to our Cayman GTS track was another track with a
little surprise for us. This track called the GT3 Cup track had a Porsche GT3
Cup and Porsche 918 Spyder on spikes waiting for us. Seeing the 918 Spyder
there on snow and ice was a surreal sight. With its low ride height and wing
extended up it looked like it was ready to eat the ice.
We had a few laps with both cars on the ice and although you
will rarely top 100 km/h on the ice and don’t have the same forces as on a
regular race track, it was a sensational experience that we will remember for
quite some time. The 918 Spyder interior is so futuristic and not reminiscent
of anything else in the Porsche line-up, we hope some of its styling clues will
soon make its way in other Porsche models.
We drove back to base with the 918 Spyder and took a short
break for lunch. After lunch the 918 Spyder was available for a few photos and
after that we had to return to our ‘normal’ program. The next chapter in our
Porsche Finland story was the Porsche Cayenne Turbo. Warned about the car’s
weight and poor drift capabilities, we weren’t sure what to expect. But as soon
as we left the paddock and turned in to drift around the first corner we knew
this is going to be fun!
The Cayenne is by far the hardest Porsche we have been
trying to drift in Finland. You really have to trick it into a drift. Before
setting out on the icy tracks we always switched to Sport Plus mode and
disabled ESP. In the Cayman and the Turbo we switched back to the soft
suspension setting to make the car a bit more forgiving. In the Cayenne however
we chose to keep the suspension in sport to reduce body roll.
With the Cayman and the 911 Turbo I tried to drift as clean
as possible as going off the cleared track did not only bring a high risk of
getting stuck but also of damaging the car. In the Cayenne however it was not a
problem to let the back wheel slide through the snow bank a little bit on the
outside corner and keeping my foot on the power meant the Cayenne would get out
of most tricky situations just fine. Lap after lap I drifted the Cayenne from
corner to corner with a big smile on my face. My co-driver at one point had the
window open to let some fresh air in, he regretted it a while later when one of
my drifts saw a load of snow fly in through the open window and end right in
his face.
For our last sessions of the day we returned to the majestic
Turbo S. With plenty of practice behind us our last track was a combination of
two smaller tracks with wide long sweeping corners ideal for long drifts.
Coming from the Cayenne, the Turbo was easy to drift. On this track cones
helped initiate the perfect Scandinavian flick around three tighter corners.
Along with two dedicated instructors it was just one of the examples where the
Porsche Driving Experience is not just about fun but also helps improve your
driving skill.
As we drove back to the garage in a convoy of Porsche 911
Turbos, the Finnish sky glowing in the light of dawn it hit me; words fail to
describe it but this is something every car enthusiast should have on his
bucket list!
Typically when an automotive publication pits two rivals against each other, they come from different companies. After all, why would one automaker – even one parent company – develop two distinct models to compete against each other? Well, the Volkswagen Group isn't like most. It pits Porsches against Lamborghinis, Audis against Bentleys, Seats against Škodas... all under the same roof.
In the high-powered hot hatch market, it offers both the VW Golf R and the Audi RS3. The question is, which is the better drive? Evo put them both on track for a quick bout of sibling rivalry to find out.
On paper it would seem like an unfair fight. Sure, both are based on the same platform and channel their power to the tarmac through all four wheels. But the Audi's five-cylinder engine packs considerably more muscle than the Golf's four: 362 horsepower and 343 pound-feet of torque trump 296 hp and 280 lb-ft. There's just no way around that – at least until the Golf R 400 comes along.
The Audi, as you might have guessed, also costs substantially more than the Volkswagen. But that's not Evo's concern here. This is a cost-no-object, bare-knuckle throw-down. Watch the ten-minute video above to find out if the cheaper, less powerful Golf R can keep pace with its more upscale and brawnier brother.
A new race series called the Touring car Racer International
Series (TCR) launched this year and it’s already proving popular among
enthusiasts and up-and-coming drivers. That’s because the concept behind TCR
calls for low cost of entry and low running costs.
The cars designed for the series are mostly based on
affordable compacts and have a cost ceiling of approximately $90,000. The
regulations call for turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engines with no more
than 300 horsepower, and drive to the front wheels via six-speed
sequential transmissions. The minimum weight must be 1,260 kilograms (2,777
pounds) including the driver.
Volkswagen is the latest manufacturer to design a car for
TCR, joining the likes of fellow Volkswagen Group brands Audi and seat, as
well as Honda and Opel. VW’s racer is based on the Golf hatchback, and right
now it’s being used for evaluation purposes with a view to be offered to
customer teams starting in 2016.
However, in order to accelerate the development, the new
Golf TCR will be tested under competitive conditions between now and the end of
the 2015 motorsport season: as cooperation partner, the Liqui Moly Team
Engstler will run two of the cars at the eighth round of the TCR series, which
takes place this weekend at Austria’s Red Bull Ring.
Under the hood sits the turbocharged 2.0-liter four from the
production Golf R, which is paired with a six-speed, paddle-shifted
sequential transmission. On the outside, extended fender flares house a widened
track that VW says is around 15 inches wider than stock. The wheels are 18-inch
light alloys, and an aerodynamically-shaped front splitter and carbon rear wing
are also among the modifications for competition use.
“The newly created
TCR category provides a promising platform for customer racing—on a national
and international level,” VW motorsport Chief Jost Capito said in a statement.
“With exciting races, production-based technology and reasonable costs, it
offers a new outlook for private racing teams.”
