MARK Webber is set to make a star appearance at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed at the wheel of Porsche’s 919 Evo Tribute.
Speaking exclusively to Wheels, Webber confirmed he’s in line to drive the ultimate version of Porsche’s world championship winning LMP1 car, with Goodwood the most likely place.
“I’m going to have a bit of a go at some point, but just for fun,” he said. “I’m not going to be pushing it for a time anywhere, but it’ll be nice to have a little feel of that.”
When asked if the Nurburgring is an obvious circuit for him to drive, Webber added it’s unlikely as the car has already made an exploratory visit to the Green Hell.
“That was just a demonstration run with Timo [Bernhard], said Webber. “I’d have liked to [do that], but yeah, I think I’ll get a run in the same car at Goodwood.”
Set free of the World Endurance Championship’s strict racing regulations, the 919 Evo provides a glimpse at what’s possible when there are no rules to play by.
As first reported exclusively by Wheels earlier this year, Porsche plans to take the 919 Evo on a “Tribute tour” that will also take in Brands Hatch and Laguna Seca before it attempts to crack the ultimate lap time – the 6:11.13 that marks the outright record at the Nurburgring Nordschleife.
“They’re going around the Nordschleife and having a little look around so that’s interesting,” said Webber. “I think a car like that you have to push the envelope, you’ve got to really run hard at it because it’s in Formula 1 guise if you like. We always knew the car could do that but obviously it was so heavily restricted by the regulations. That’s the way it is now. So we were very keen to deregulate the car and take all of the handcuffs off it and see what she could do and yeah we’ve got some nice projects this year with that car.”
While Webber may steer the car at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, it seems he won’t be looking to break Nick Heidfeld’s record run up the hill, a 41.6 seconds set in 1999 in a McLaren MP4/13. F1 cars were banned from making full-attack attempts at the hillclimb after Heidfeld’s run, with many believing his time would stand as unbeatable.
However, if Webber decides to flex that right foot of his to its full extent, the 919 Evo could endanger Heidfeld’s longstanding benchmark at Lord March’s.
Volkswagen Australia has announced that the 2019 VW Golf GTI will gain the specs list of its Performance Edition 1, with more power and upgraded kit.
Featuring 180kW and 370Nm as opposed to the current GTI’s 169kW/350Nm 2.0-litre turbo four engine tune, the next ‘standard’ Golf GTI will be followed by what will likely be an even more powerful ‘Performance Edition 2’.
In addition, the next model year GTI will have the Performance 1’s bigger brakes, front LSD, and 7-speed wet-clutch DSG transmission.
While manual stock for the current 169kW GTI exists in both standard 5-door spec and as the 3-door GTI Original, that’ll be the last of the manual GTI for now.
A Volkswagen Australia spokesperson tells MOTOR that after the GTI Original’s next allocation finishes, it’s unlikely there will be a big enough demand for manual GTIs as customers are generally looking at ‘higher-spec’ variants.
The next move from Volkswagen in the performance space, the GTI TCR, is still largely unconfirmed in its Australian spec, but it’s unlikely we’ll see a third pedal in the footwell.
VW Australia marketing manager Ben Wilks says VW made this move to ‘adapt’ to the market and upgrade its offerings as it sees fit to fill demand.
“Change brought about by the advent of Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Procedure in Europe is one of the major challenges confronting European brands in this market, but we were able to take advantage of this situation to improve the best-selling car of its type.
“Such has been the demand for Performance Editions that making its specification standard is a logical progression, especially in terms of DSG, a transmission others are either trying to copy or cannot.
“This GTI embodies what customers want.”
TELL ME ABOUT THIS CAR
Jaguar’s new E-Pace is a fun-driving and spacious small-SUV that’s expected to become the British brand’s biggest seller. The E-Pace range starts at $47,750, with the P250 S priced from $57,600 – about nine places down the 38-variant E-Pace range.
The ‘P250’ suffix signifies the gutsy 183kW/365kW 2.0-litre turbocharged ‘Ingenium’ engine, which is the smaller of the two turbo petrols in the E-Pace range. The S marks it out as the second-tier spec-grade, which brings additional features over the standard P250, including signature daytime running lights; auto-dimming interior mirror; auto-dimming, power-folding, heated-door mirrors with puddle light; power-adjusted leather seats, satellite navigation and bigger 18-inch alloy wheels.
STRENGTHS
- It’s fun to drive, especially around town. The steering is light and direct, the wheels feel well planted and the throttle response is instant requiring a light foot if you want to maintain a constant speed with the cruise cntrol off.
- The powertrain is excellent, with the 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine providing plenty of oomph, which is complimented by the smooth-shifting nine-speed automatic transmission that has no trouble keeping up with throttle or brake inputs.
- It’s comfortable. The front seats feel like they’re hugging you and afford a relaxed driving position with good forward vision.
- The rear comfortably seats two adults or three children, with excellent leg and headroom. Conveniences include air/heating vents, deep door bins, map pockets, and three USB ports that should help avoid arguments from backseaters on long trips.
- The wide rear-door entrance makes getting in and out, or placing babies in car seats, easy.
- It’s quiet, with minimal wind and tyre noise. Jaguar has added a synthetic engine noise that’s pumped through the front speakers when you put the foot down. It sounds quite genuine and rather pleasing, unlike similar systems in some other cars that sound fake and get a little grating.
- The boot space measures a very useful 484-litres with the rear seats in place.
- The E-Pace isn’t the most striking Jag ever designed, but it has attractive styling that makes it stand out amongst its peers.
WEAKNESSES
- It’s heavy. The E-Pace has a hefty 1832kg kerb weight which is more than many bigger medium-sized SUVs. Next to its main rivals, it’s about 120kg more than a similarly sized Volvo XC40 and about 230kg more than the Audi Q2.
- That weight makes it a little thirsty for a 2.0-litre-turbo small-SUV, with the claimed combined fuel economy rating of 7.7L/100km pushed out to 10.7L/100km during our testing.
- The E-Pace’s heft also affects its high-speed handling on country roads. The ride is pretty bouncy and there’s plenty of body roll which is particularly felt in the rear seats. That lean is eased a little when switching from Comfort to Dynamic drive mode.
- The standard black interior colour scheme is a bit dull and robs the E-Pace of the elegance that’s usually associated with Jaguar cars.
- While the features list is pretty long, there are costly options that would be standard kit in other competitor SUVs such as high-speed automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, keyless entry and heated front seats.
ARE THERE ANY RIVALS I SHOULD CONSIDER?
Other premium small-SUVs/crossovers include the Audi Q2 and A3, BMW X1 and new X2, Mercedes-Benz GLA and Volvo XC40.
Poker-faced, the AMG PR man handed over the keys. Then, as if somebody had suddenly changed the voltage that governed the play of his features, he smiled. In a heavily German-flavoured drawl, he said: “I hope you carry a booklet of driving licence vouchers – you may need them”.
This feature was originally published in MOTOR’s February 2005 issue
I looked at the key ring in my palm, a heavy silver lozenge with a black-and-yellow plastic label attached to it. It said: WARNING, LIMITED ADHESION IN THE WET.
Disconcertingly, the first eight minutes were spent adjusting the Kacher frame to the bucket seat, or rather vice versa.
The CLK DTM AMG offers plenty of legroom, and the widest of three available Kevlar cocoons is just large enough to act as a suede-trimmed suction cup for my behind. But the five-point seat belt is something else. The tight shoulder straps and the short lap belts are a cinch, but the massive centre buckle that juts up between your legs, making a pancake out of your wedding tackle, tells you you’re in something serious.
The cockpit of the 428kW Benz is true to the badge on the bootlid: it combines elements of the stock CLK (the dashboard) with the DTM racer (the carbon-fibre environment) and the AMG boutique (the trimmings).
To start the engine, you can either turn the key or hit a button above the stubby aluminium gear selector. What follows is a dense and intimate mechanical experience, the ultimate fusion of noise, vibration and harshness – but not the kind manufacturers spend millions trying to eliminate.
And that monster supercharged V8 is mated to a five-speed slushmatic. No sequential tranny, no manual ’box, no twin-clutch arrangement. Just a plain, old-fashioned automatic gearbox.
Our road book has five chapters, covering: Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Italy and back to Austria and Germany. To visit all five countires is a distance of 1173 kilometres.
In theory, German autobahns are the ideal playground for the fast and the furious. But in reality, nobody expects to be slurped up by a silver-something at an indicated 325km/h, least of all Dutch holiday makers and local van bandits.
Your best protection is to flash the xenons at them to warn of your sharpish approach. Should you need to bleed speed in a hurry, though, the cross-drilled, pizza-sized brake discs straddled by six-piston calipers at the front and four-piston calipers in the back aren’t bad. The rotors are made of steel, not carbon or ceramic, but the system nonetheless slows the car so vigorously that your cheeks, your eyeballs and your ears all point forward in the event of an emergency braking manoeuvre.
It is an extremely lively, extroverted and demanding piece of kit. First of all, it reminds you how essential it is to read the road. Avoid puddles, grooves and white lines. Beware of ridges, expansion joints, patchwork sections. Learn to feel the difference between concrete, tarmac and, worst of all, low-noise asphalt. Be prepared for crosswinds, for the slipstream of trucks and for the calm of tunnels. Most important, though, is to pace your inputs. The direct steering (only 1.7 turns from lock-to-lock) needs a firm grip, but it does not require frequent adjustments.
Although the tank behind our backs holds a comfortable 92 litres, the fuel warning light came on after only 330 kilometres. A dozen heartbeats later, the snarling noise of the auxiliary petrol pump forced us to make a detour to the nearest highway service station. The average consumption over the entire trip worked out at a fairly thirsty 24.4l/100km.
Despite the omission of rear seats, stacks of trim and almost all sound deadening materials, the CLK DTM AMG still weighs 1748kg, 100kg more than the CLK55. But unlike most of its supercar competitors, the winged Benz is a perfectly practical all-rounder with a roomy cabin and a useful boot.
We clipped a corner of Austria at Bregenz before entering Switzerland east of Lake Constance, then we headed for Liechtenstein, which is, even on the largest-scale map, about the size of a postage stamp. A famous tax haven, the capital of Vaduz harbours hundreds of letterbox companies, dozens of banks and one castle which looms large above this extremely rich microcosm.
From Liechtenstein we headed to Switzerland. Theoretically, the home of Toblerone chocolate, Emmenthal cheese and Rolex watches it could be the perfect stomping ground for our road racer, but in reality the local constabulary is deadly serious about their speed limits.
We spent the night in Davos, and the following morning made straight for six famous alpine passes: Flüela, Ofen, Umbrail, Stilfser, Joch and Reschen. It was a beautiful day and a truly memorable experience. The early impressions gathered on the autobahn were confirmed on the twisties – the CLK is an incredibly tactile driving instrument.
The one element which stands out in this high-tech automotive jigsaw is not the engine but the steering. It is immediate and translucent, precise and three-dimensional, intuitive and ideally weighted. The rack-and-pinion device is both receiver and transmitter, an accurate and reliable mediator between car and driver, as well as between moving object and the surface it travels on.
Its ultra-sharp calibration (the gearing is 15.5:1) not only allows you to aim at the apex, it also helps you to apply the right amount of opposite lock when needed – which is often. This is the only Mercedes passenger car I’ve driven which scores a big fat 10-out-of-10 for its steering.
The supercharged 5.4-litre V8 is an evolution of the SL55 unit. It features hotter camshafts, a free-flow intake and exhaust manifolds, lightweight forged pistons and a higher-revving Kompressor which produces a maximum boost pressure of 0.85bar. The tweaked engine is good for 428kW at 6100rpm and 800Nm at 3500rpm.
If the conditions are right, it will accelerate the silver arrow from 0-100km/h in 3.9 seconds and from 0-200km/h in 10.9. If the conditions are less than perfect, the nose-heavy weight distribution (54:46), the extreme tyres (Dunlop SP SuperSport) and the all-or-nothing limited-slip differential struggle to convert all that torque into traction and action.
The transmission is conveniently spaced in the lower gears, too. First takes you to 72km/h, second stretches to 120km/h, and third knocks on the 193km/h mark. All that’s missing, compared to a sequential shift transmission is the entertaining heel-and-toe blip during downshifts.
Even with ESP active, the Affalterbach road rocket is always on its toes. It wags its tail fin as soon as it smells the proximity of a corner, and habitually struggles for grip as it scans the bend for the exit, it may even put in a second- or third-gear zig-zag on an undulating piece of straight tarmac. In cold and wet weather, the transition from stick to unstuck is about as subtle as a guillotine, but at least it’s always the rear end which lets go first.
Thanks to its limited wheel travel, stiff, height-adjustable sports suspension and the extra-wide footwear, the Merc struggles for directional stability on the knobbly tarmac the Swiss, Italian and Austrian mountains are paved with. And thanks to the metal universal joints, which replaced the more compliant rubber mounts on both axles, you know at all times exactly what is going on beneath the seat of your pants and through your fingers.
The loud Benz might have gone close to permanently etching a grin on my face, but it’s not free from little niggles. There was, for instance, absolutely no reason to fit an ovoid steering wheel, there was no need to go for fake air intakes like those in front of the rear wheels, and there was really no need to curb the maximum speed to 320km/h when the tyres are safe at least up to 345km/h.
But the latter measure is of course a delicate political one, because the 428kW CLK is not supposed to outperform the 460kW SLR, which costs almost twice as much. And yet it does – because the AMG car has more responsive brakes, better steering, a sportier engine and a less compromised chassis.
On the way back to Stuttgart, the rain returned, and I made a mental note to slow down. That requires a fair dose of self-discipline when the road ahead is clear and you’ve got 3000 more revs to exploit in fifth gear. Over the Swabian Alb, the clouds finally cleared, and once again we went through the spine-tingling motions as the Benz zigged and zagged its way along.
But then, with Untertürkheim just around the corner, and the Merc’s fuel gauge showing empty, for the fourth time in 24 hours, we pulled into the nearest petrol station. Then began the task of getting out of the car: peel off the belt, wriggle out of the cockpit, sort out the crown jewels, straighten the back and fire up the circulation.
For most people, the CLK DTM AMG is simply too much car, but I would do almost anything to hit the repeat button for this tour-de-force. And I can pretty much guarantee that next time the car won’t be returned before I have used up all of my driving licence vouchers.
FAST FACTS 2005 Mercedes-Benz CLK DTM AMG
ENGINE: front-mounted, supercharged 5.4-litre, SOHC, 24-valve, V8 POWER: 428kW @ 6000rpm TORQUE: 800Nm @ 3500rpm COMPRESSION RATIO: 10.5:1 BORE X STROKE: 97.0mm x 92.0mm WEIGHT: 1748kg POWER-to-WEIGHT: 245kW/tonne SPECIFIC POWER: 79.3kW/litre 0-100KM/H: 6.73sec (tested) 0-400M: 14.74 @ 160.8km/h (tested) TRANSMISSION: five-speed automatic SUSPENSION: MacPherson struts, adjustable coil springs and gas-filled shocks (f); multi-link, adjustable coil springs (r), anti-roll bars (f & r) L/W/H: 4650/1800/1360mm WHEELBASE: 2722mm TRACK: 1569mm (f); 1580mm (r) FUEL: 62 litres and a 30 litre auxiliary tank, PULP BRAKES: 360mm ventilated discs, six-piston calipers (f); 330mm ventilated discs, four-piston calipers (r), ABS WHEELS: 19 x 9.0-inch (f ); 20 x 10-inch (r), alloy TYRES: Dunlop Super Sport Race, 255/35 R19 (f ); 285/30 R20 (r) PRICE: $700,000 (est)
German-style Tin Tops Mercedes and AMG dominate DTM
The Deutsche Touring Car Masters (DTM) is considered by Autosport Magazine to be the world’s best touring car series, (a recent poll placed it just ahead of our very own V8 Supercars series). DTM kicked off in 1984, and ran parallel to the International Touring Car Series (ITC) in which Mercedes and AMG also competed.
However, unlike V8 Supercars, which is a semi-production-based race series, DTM is a silhouette-based racing series, in that only the body shell resembles the donor vehicle – a bit like NASCAR in the States. For example, front-drive road cars suddenly become rear-drive DTM racers.
Mercedes-Benz and AMG have dominated DTM since its inception in 1984. Indeed, between 1986 and 1996, Mercedes-Benz became the most successful brand in DTM/ITC history, first with the 190E and then the C-Class. It chalked up more than 84 victories, four driver’s championship titles, five manufacturers’ titles and 10 runner-up positions in the manufacturers’ rankings. Sticking with the C-Class for racing duties, the CLK AMG is proving to be just as dominant on the track as its predecessor was.
In fact, former Formula One ace, Jean Alesi, who signed with Mercedes AMG after retiring from single seaters, successfully piloted his CLK AMG to a podium finish in his first race in 2002, finishing fifth overall at the series’ end.
In 2003 he mirrored his ’02 result, finishing fifth again. He went on to finish the 2004 series in seventh place.
TRADEMARK filings and executive mumblings are fuelling speculation that BMW is cooking up an even bigger, even blingier companion to the yet-to-be-launched X7. BMW is already sitting on trademark papers for the X8 name, and according to BMW brass, “there is room for X8, especially in markets like China”.
According to UK magazine Autocar, BMW has is still ironing out the precise approach for its would-be super-SUV, to be based on the imposing X7 iPerformance Concept (above) revealed last year.
“Each car must have a distinct character, and these are the sort of areas that take time to evaluate,” said BMW head of development Klaus Frolich to Autocar.
“It is early to talk about the X8, but one of the first decision I made when I worked on product strategy was to take the X5 and make the X6. Everyone said it was not necessary, but it worked. Now we have the X2, X4 and X6. They are emotional and sporty derivatives that work for us.”
The X8 isn’t expected to boast the same three-row seating configuration as the X7. Rather than maximum utility, the X8 would instead prioritise sprawling space and luxury with a five-seat – or even four-seat – layout. Befitting its position as a flagship SUV, V8 and even V12 power via the M760Li’s 448kW/800Nm twin-turbo V12 seem like a natural fit – at least for markets like the Middle East, Russia and the USA. Anticipated strong demand in China may also see the availability of a plug-in hybrid option as well.
Depending on which direction BMW’s product planners wish to go regarding performance, weight and packaging, the X8 may also borrow bits from its corporate cousin, the recently-unveiled Rolls-Royce Cullinan. That super-sized SUV – or high-sided car in Rolls-Royce speak – is built on an aluminium architecture that trims down weight and is designed from the outset to accommodate a long-wheelbase, V12-powered SUV.
When can we expect it? Frolich’s words suggest that development work is still in the very early stages, with many key details still to be locked in indeed, the X7 is still officially under wraps, with the only images BMW has released thus far being of a camo-clad prototype (above). A debut this decade for the X8 seems unlikely, but a launch sometime in 2020 could be possible.
If you’ve ever wanted a 522kW HSV with a wrap that says ‘look at me!’, then boy do we have some good news for you…
…if you’re in the UK, that is.
The administrator of a Facebook page called ‘HSV Holden UK Community’ has decided to sell his own pride and joy, a 2007 E Series HSV VXR8 with a ‘W705’ Walkinshaw kit.
The car is up for grabs at 30,000 pounds, or $53,500 to us in Australia, and is listed on eBay.
The owner, who we won’t name, says he’s owned the car for around 7 years and has put just over 72,000km on it, bringing its total mileage up to a respectable 133,500km.
Given it’s over a decade old, and for the relatively rare nature of HSVs in the UK (compared to Australia, anyway), it seems like the price has been set rather fairly.
Where it might fall apart for some is the extent of the modifications the owner has made to the car.
“The modifications that I have carried out have transformed the car, managing to combine breath-taking performance with supreme comfort and reliability,” he writes in his listing.
With the 6.2-litre LS2 putting out 522kW and 813Nm, it’ll apparently hit 100km/h in just over 4 seconds and top out at around 322km/h.
“I have totalled all the bills and put them on a spreadsheet. I won’t lie, a little bit of sick came up.”
In Australian dollars, he claims to have spent over $100K on the car in total.
“I cannot begin to describe the passion that has gone into this car – and selling it has been a difficult decision.
“However, a new project is on the horizon – and if I don’t sell it now, I may well change my mind.”
Have a listen to the exhaust sound, affected largely by an aftermarket cam, and see if that doesn’t tempt you just a little.
You can check out the listing, which is still active at time of publish, on eBay.
ARGUABLY the best moment of this weekend’s wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle was when the royal couple drove away from Windsor Castle in the all-electric Jaguar E-Type Concept Zero. Not just because E-Types are cool and always worthy of our attention, but because their silent departure signified the end of the Royal Wedding circus.
But for Markle that fairly tame ride in the E-Type – her first vehicular experience as a member of the royal family – will soon be upstaged by more exciting moments behind the wheel (and away from the cameras). According to security experts, she’ll soon become trained in the challenging craft of evasive driving.
Speaking to CBS News, Simon Morgan, a former close-protection officer to Queen Elizabeth II, said Markle will need to get used to living within a ‘security bubble’.
“She will no longer be able to just pop to the shops and buy a pint of milk or a newspaper. A protection officer will now go with her,” he said.
Markle will still be able to get behind the wheel herself – but will be trained by specialists in how to avoid and evade would-be hostage takers, stalkers, terrorists and pests.
“Certainly within the younger members of the royal family, they are very much used to being independent – independent within a security bubble. And driving does afford them a degree of independence,” Morgan explained.
A highly-trained driver will be part of her security detail, though Markle is nevertheless expected to be educated on the finer points of steering herself to safety by security specialists – who are often former or serving members of Britain’s special forces.
Markle may not wind up with the wheelmanship of Jason Bourne, but by the time her training is done, whipping a mad J-turn in that electric Jag should be no problem for the Duchess of Sussex.
“WILL BEAT anything in its class on track.” That’s quite a claim for a hefty four-door electric car, but it’s one that Elon Musk is ready to stand behind, if his latest volley of tweets on the box-fresh dual-motor version of the Model 3 are anything to go by.
Of course, it’s pure conjecture as to how Musk defines that particular class, but with a 0-60mph (97km/h) time of 3.5 seconds and a 250km/h top end, the hottest Model 3 is bringing some serious firepower. Musk isn’t shy of naming names either, claiming that its USD $78k price is about the same as a BMW M3, but with his car delivering 15 percent better performance and superior handling to boot. That’s fighting talk.
Thus far, we’ve only seen plans for the single-motor version of the Model 3, but Tesla announced the next phase of the Model 3’s rollout yesterday: the dual-motor version. As is becoming a Tesla trait, the dual-motor car is being offered in two distinct versions, a standard and a performance version. Even the standard version (available for a USD$5000 premium over the single-motor model) will get to 60mph in 4.5 seconds, with a 224km/h top speed and a range of 496km.
The performance version retains the 496km range and bundles in the cost of all options other than Autopilot. Both cars feature an AC induction front motor and a switched reluctance, partial permanent magnet rear motor.
As has been widely publicised, Model 3 production is nothing like as quick off the line. In February, Tesla said it had taken deposits and orders for more than half a million Model 3s in the last two years, but by the end of March it had built a mere 12,500 units, or around 2.5 percent of the order backlog.
Production has recently improved to around 2200 cars a week, and Musk is optimistic that the company will be building 5000 Model 3s per week by the end of next month. Right-hand drive versions of the Model 3 are slated to start being built in the middle of 2019, and Australia is due to get both single and dual-motor versions of the car, confirmed Tesla’s local spokesman, Heath Walker. Given that this is still around a year away, potential currency fluctuations mean that exact local pricing has yet to be pinned down.
Shortly before sharing the specs for the Tesla Model 3 performance version, Musk also signalled the launch of a service option called Tesla Ranger, in which a technician will “take care of your car” after being summoned via smartphone. A version of that service has already been trialled in Perth, and Tesla is expecting to roll out this programme across Australia over the next year.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has announced two new all-wheel drive variants for the Tesla Model 3, and has revealed some preliminary specs for the electric cars.
In a series of tweets – the candid Tesla boss’ preferred method of announcement – Musk said that he had been testing the ‘Performance version’ as recently as yesterday.
The same afternoon, Musk candidly and casually tweeted several details and figures for the higher-performance version of the new variants, which should be able to hit 100km/h in just more than 3.5 seconds, and has a top speed of about 250km/h.
The all-wheel ‘Performance’ Model 3 will also, according to Musk, have a 500km range and cost about USD$78,000 in the US.
In a bold move, which ought to have made the Tesla PR team uncomfortable, Musk also added that this version of the Model 3 would be better than the BMW M3 for the same price.
Additionally, the all-wheel drive dual motor system could be added to a standard Model 3 for $5000 on top its USD$35K price.
With this option, Tesla’s cheapest model would be able to hit 100km/h in about 4.5 seconds and reach a top speed of 225km/h.
He said the dual motor system has been developed to utilise a power engine and a range engine, which can swap activation when one is needed over the other.
Despite Tesla’s claim to have amped up its Model 3 production after difficulties saw the production lines shut down for a while, Australia won’t see any Model 3s locally until at least 2019.
THE 2019 Porsche Mission E has had its first official outing, with former Aussie F1 ace and Le Mans winner Mark Webber stumping up his impressions of the groundbreaking sports car.
Webber drove the all-wheel-drive, all-wheel steer Mission E – first teased as a concept car in 2015 – to give us the first definitive impression of how the battery-powered production version of the pure electric sports car will perform – albeit as an official Porsche ambassador.
“I’ve got many Porsche moments that will stay with me forever – winning the WEC in the 919 Hybrid would be one – and I think I’ve just experienced another; driving the Mission E for the first time,” he said.
“It’s a game changer, this car. Quite literally, it is stealth in motion.
That reference to the 919 points back to Porsche’s groundbreaking petrol-electric LMP1 racecar, the 919 Hybrid. It paired a turbocharged 2.0-litre V4 petrol engine with an innovative energy recovery system that scraped up the energy normally lost via the front axle through braking, or via the turbocharger, and converted it to electric energy that could then be stored in a lithium ion battery pack and then used to power the front wheels.
The 919 is currently on a farewell tour, winding down after Porsche made the decision to quit endurance racing for a switch to Formula E – and setting a lap record at Spa as a parting shot at how far the LMP1 category could have taken the sport. It is also expected to take a tilt at the outright Nurburgring lap record.
However, Webber also links the car to the Porsche 918 Spyder hybrid, a road-going two-seat sports coupe that showed just how advanced the German sports car maker was in terms of building purely performance-honed petrol-electric drivetrains. We’ll let him make the connection: “The gorgeous view from inside the cockpit over the front wheel arches is pure 918 and the way the four-wheel drive system puts its 600hp down [is] simply sensational.” So sensational, that he also calls it a “game changer”.Like the concept car that preceded it, the Mission E’s dual electric motors produce a combined 440kW. In concept form, that’s enough juice to propel the show car from 0-100km/h in “less than 3.5 seconds” – Porsche is obviously sandbagging here – and wind out to 200km/h in “less than 12 seconds”. The Mission E is expected to use a new generation of permanent magnet synchronous motors similar to those developed for the 919 Hybrid to power both the front and rear axles.
Webber said because he was a “bit of an old-school kind of guy and I love nothing more than to drive”, he did harbour some reservations before jumping behind the wheel of the near production-ready electric car. “I thought that the Mission E could feel a little heavy but the driving experience is seriously dynamic: the four-wheel steering, the performance and the braking ability were a really amazing experience,” he said.
Porsche hasn’t revealed any details of when the Mission E is expected to hit showrooms. However, the latest appearance of the four-door hints that the sports car and performance SUV maker is aiming for a September reveal coinciding with the 2018 Frankfurt Motor Show – the German car industry’s premier showcase.
