• Details emerge on next-gen Renault Megane

    March 7, 2015
    Renault is putting the final touches on the next generation of its Golf-fighting Megane compact, and a new report give us a better idea of what to expect from it when it bows.
    Visually, the next Megane will feature a more evocative look that will borrow styling cues such as sharp, elongated headlights and a U-shaped radiator grille from recent members of the Renault lineup like the Kadjar and the Juke-fighting Captur. The next Megane will be about as big as the current model (pictured) but it will gain a more upright rear end in order to offer a more spacious cabin.

    The Megane will ride on the same modular CMF platform as the aforementioned Kadjar and Nissan’s new Pulsar compact. The switch will allow the Megane to shed a considerable amount of weight, a move that is expected to boost performance and fuel efficiency all across the board.

    Renault will offer the next Megane with a wide number of downsized three- and four-cylinder gasoline- and diesel-burning engines. A hybrid is not believed to be in the works, but Renault will round out the lineup with a R.S.-badged hot hatch that could pack over 300 ponies in order to fend off competition from new entrants like the recently-introduced Honda Civic Type R.

    Additional details about the next Renault Megane will emerge in the coming months. The hatchback will be presented to the public for the first time next September at the Frankfurt Motor Show and it will go on sale across the Old Continent early next year.


    Photos by Ronan Glon.

  • Volkswagen to drop three-door Polo, Beetle?

    March 7, 2015
    Volkswagen recently axed the slow-selling Eos, and a new report finds that the Wolfsburg-based automaker will deep-six several additional models before the end of the decade.
    The first model to get the axe will reportedly be the three-door version of the Polo, a subcompact hatchback sold in Europe and in a number of other markets around the globe. The Polo is one of the best-selling vehicles on the Old Continent but three-door economy hatchbacks have been steadily declining in popularity over the past few years. Rival Renault has already dropped the three-door version of the Polo-fighting Clio, and its third-generation Twingo city car recently went five-door-only for the first time in the nameplate’s long history.

    Insiders believe that dropping the three-door Polo could allow Volkswagen to save up to 200 million euros ($217 million) in the long run by reducing the amount of parts that it needs to build.

    The three-door version of the Golf is said to be safe for now, but German newspaper Spiegel reports that Volkswagen could axe the retro-inspired Beetle at the end of the current generation’s life cycle.

    Additional details were not provided and Volkswagen has not commented on the report. Only time will tell if the three-door Polo and the Beetle will live on.


    Photos by Mark Elias.

  • Toyota Racing Prospectus, 2015 edition

    March 7, 2015
    The Daytona 500 has come and gone.
    But before it was in full swing, we spent some time with two members of the Toyota Racing program. Andy Graves heads Toyota Racing Development’s US Racing efforts while Clint Bowyer is the driver of the “5-Hour Energy” number 15 Toyota Camry for Michael Waltrip Racing.
    Andy Graves
    Andy Graves is TRD’s group Vice President and Technical Director. We had a chance to catch up with him just prior to the qualifying races to determine starting positions in the Daytona 500 and to ask him about the 2015 Toyota Camry Sprint Cup car.

    LLN: What sort of effort went into making the new 2015 Toyota Sprint Cup Camry?

    “One of the biggest goals of the new Gen-six cars was that using the design parameters that the manufacturers have agreed upon with NASCAR, was to make sure our brand identity was caught in the design of the car. We don’t want to give away performance, and we don’t want to have to alter the character of the car’s styling to achieve performance. Those design parameters go to CALTY (Toyota’s Newport Beach, California design studio) who goes over it, and may alter, or modify our designs based on requests from us. For instance, we could ask them to modify it for engine or brake cooling or for maybe what we know is a new rule change by NASCAR. Once they perform such tweaks to our designs they will do a final design and we approve it, and then build the first set of prototype parts from that.”

    “While those are being made, we will do CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) studies on the designs to get initial ideas on what the performance metrics will be and to see the flow characteristics. I would say the greenhouse shape is the same basic shape for all manufacturers, it’s just trading steel for glass on the window shapes.”

    LLN: How do the cars from all the manufacturers differ between each other?

    “The greenhouse is a finite design as dictated by NASCAR, and we’re not worried about the airflow around it. We’re primarily concerned about the nose and the hood area and looking at that flow. We start with those simulations, with usually 30 to 45 days to digest the results, and by that time we usually have the prototype parts and then we head to the wind tunnel. We’ll get some initial look at performance numbers, and based on reports, we can change things slightly, as a result of the wind tunnel tests.”

    “From there we go back to CALTY and ask them to modify certain areas of the car in order to hit our performance metrics. Obviously with NASCAR, there are design parameters, but we also have downforce and drag numbers we have to hit. There is a maximum downforce and a minimum drag number that we can’t get outside of.”

    LLN: Aren’t the front-end parameters pretty rigid in the sense that there is a basic shape that needs to be met?

    “The design of the front of the car is pretty open (to interpretation). There are some parts, like the bottom inch and a half that is locked in, and then almost an inch up the wheel wells. Other than that, it’s pretty well open on the front of the cars. There is a lot you can do there. The Chevrolet, the Ford and our new Camry, you’ll see the front ends are so different, yet the numbers from the wind tunnel are so close because everyone tries to hit the design parameters. So we go back and forth several times with CALTY to the point where we know we can pass the NASCAR criteria and we’re happy with the performance of the vehicle. The 2015 Camry nose is actually version four, the fourth stage of what we started with.”

    “When a body gets approved, we know that all the bodies from the manufacturers are pretty close to being equal. What the teams try to get away with, that is up to them…”

    “We will always try to capture the car as close to a Camry as possible, almost making too good a car and then dial it back if we have to. It’s been a great project, it looks awesome and we’re really happy with it and really happy with the performance, as well.”

    Clint Bowyer
    Starting to race on two-wheels at the age of five before jumping to four, Clint Bowyer has been at it for thirty years, the last three with Toyota and Michael Waltrip Racing (MWR). Seemingly wired as though he mainlines “5-Hour Energy” drink, which also happens to be the primary sponsor of his NASCAR Sprint Cup number 15 Toyota Camry, he is quick with a quote that verges just on the other side of impropriety-but that’s okay. It makes for a more interesting story, don’t you know.

    “I love the new Camry. Not only do I race them, I sell them at my dealership in Emporia, Kansas,” said Bowyer. “How it happened was kind of a dream come true…my brother and I both worked at this dealership as kids growing up, and knew the owner of it. I used to tell him, “If you ever think you want out someday, let me know. Because I would love to be in! It’s something I have a lot of fun with and a lot of passion for. I love interacting with people, and I love cars, and have always liked the aspect of working and being around a car dealership.”

    LLN: When you win races do you sell more cars?

    Boyer responded in the affirmative, but followed with “I haven’t won a race here in a while, so I better get off my ass…. “The thing with Toyota,” he continued, ” is you don’t have any gimmicks. They are a solid, safe, dependable and reliable car and always have been. So it is a pretty easy sale when you are talking about a Toyota. That’s a good sales pitch, isn’t it? They sell themselves! Is that a top-five blog?” he asks a reporter. “No?,” he asks incredulously. “Damn! I’ll go on, I’ll get better.”

    LLN: What do you get from Toyota and what do you give them back?

    “Well, that’s the neat thing. I was with Chevrolet before, and I think Toyota is, hands down, the best automobile maker I have been with, on and off the racetrack. The support we get with the TRD program allows the team to focus on lots of different things without necessarily worrying about their funding. TRD provides a lot of support, like the shaker rig, (for track emulation) the pull-down rig (to simulate suspension loads), a lot of support that the other manufacturers don’t necessarily provide for their teams. The whole TRD team in Salisbury, NC, provides a lot of resources that we use every single day for what you see on Sundays and it all comes out of that TRD shop there. “

    “What we do for them? We win races for them so they can sell automobiles. That’s how it works, that’s how our world goes round and round. I’m getting better. Did you get the round and round part?”

    LLN: Talk a little bit about your background, how you got here.

    “I grew up racing motocross when I was about 16. How the whole car racing thing got going is laughable. I was working in a Goodyear Tire shop, and my boss and all the co-workers were working on this old Monte Carlo, a street stock piece of crap, to go up to Thunderhill Speedway, the local dirt track to battle it out on a Saturday night.”

    “We got to going up there with a bunch of older guys, and I just fell in love with it. The comradery amongst the guys was amazing. We’d go to the junkyard, build this engine from junkyard parts, then go to the track, blow up, drive home all night, get home, go back to the junkyard at daylight, and rob Junkyard John of all the parts to get back to the next race to go again. It was a constant recycle of parts…the same thing over and over again. But looking back, it was some of the best times of my life. That’s how it all got going.”

    He continued, “When I finally had my opportunity to drive a car and had some success, it was my mom and I, my dad owned a towing service. But my mom and I would go to the track and I started running a little bit better, and got my dad’s attention and when he started helping, business picked up and we started winning. And the rest is history.”

    “Eventually a guy in Kansas City had an ARCA car, and gave me an opportunity to drive it in Nashville. And that won races and put me on the map. We went there, qualified well, led a lot of the race, and then a caution flag came out and we didn’t really have a pit crew, so that put a major dent in that night’s program. We ended up second but that was enough. NASCAR team owner Richard Childress happened to be watching that race and called me that next week, and I was in North Carolina pretty quick. So, one would call that luckier than hell. You can go ahead and blog that. It wasn’t like $500-million, but it was a good start at it!”

    LLN: Was that all it took?
    “Once you get the exposure you need a pretty good resume to stand on. The dirt racing, though, keeps you grounded and humble. I own two dirt racing teams and we’ve been down here racing for two weeks. A lot of people don’t realize that Speed Weeks isn’t just what you see here at Daytona, there’s asphalt racing every night over in New Smyrna Beach, there’s a tremendous amount of racing around here for these couple of weeks. The USAC guys are racing in Ocala on Friday. Those guys have got big balls. Large ones.”

    LLN: What was the last movie you saw?

    “I’m actually watching a very awful movie that John Goodman made in 1991… he was the King. (King Ralph). I don’t even know what in the hell it was. I was doing something for my Facebook page, and I looked up and was kinda dumbfounded by what I was seeing on the TV. Movies have come a long way….”

    LLN: Other favorites in racing?

    “John Force. He is my favorite character in all of motorsports. Without John Force, the NHRA would probably be done. It’s scary to think one guy could carry something that big, but I’m telling you, he does.”

    Wrapping up our conversation, Bowyer was surprised by the severe drop in temperatures leading up to the Daytona 500. “My brother went across the street to get some cold weather gear for tonight’s festivities. He didn’t have much luck. The man says to him, “this is Florida, sir. We sell T-shirts.”

    Words photos by Mark Elias. Additional photography courtesy of TRD.

  • BMW M4 GTS to feature water injection system, bow in August

    March 7, 2015
    BMW is reportedly preparing to introduce the M4 GTS at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.
    The company quietly previewed an M4 MotoGP safety car this week in Geneva, featuring a water injection system that cools the intake charge and helps prevent knock. Engine tuning can then be revised to achieve more power and torque via higher boost pressure and more aggressive timing.

    Water injection is already popular in track cars and has been offered in a few production vehicles. BMW will soon use the technology to help squeeze more power out of the M4 GTS, unnamed company insiders told Car and Driver.

    Water is stored in a 1.3-gallon tank in the safety car’s trunk, presumably mixed with alcohol to prevent freezing. The system is said to be capable of still running the engine if the water is exhausted.

    Consistent with the E92 M3 GTS, the F82 build is expected to be stripped down and outfitted with plenty of carbon-fiber components to further reduce curb weight. The track-focused M4 will also likely receive upgraded suspension and new tires to help reduce lap times.

    If the report is accurate, the concept M4 GTS will be unveiled in August.

  • Elio details 0.9-liter prototype engine for 3-wheel car

    March 7, 2015
    Elio Motors has detailed a new 0.9-liter three-cylinder engine that will power the company’s three-wheel car.
    The startup has not backed down from its promise to deliver 84 mpg and a top speed in excess of 100 mph. To achieve both goals, the company asked German engineering firm IAV to design the diminutive powerplant specifically for the three-wheeler.

    The engine has now been taken from the engineering stage to prototype assembly and initial testing.

    “Seeing this new technology come to fruition has been one of the most exciting stages in our history,” said chief executive Paul Elio. “This prototype puts us right were we need to be at this stage of development.”

    Elio Motors promises its made-in-America three-wheeler will arrive on the market with seating for two, airbags, air conditioning, a stereo and power windows and door locks, all for $6,800.

    The company claims to be on track to ship the car sometime next year, after facing several delays that pushed the project back from its initial mid-2014 launch target.

  • Audi RS 7 mit Fahrwerkskomponenten von H&R: Technische Daten und Preise

    March 7, 2015

    Die Fahrwerksspezialisten von H&R versehen den Audi RS 7 Sportback mit einem Optik- und Performance-Feinschliff

    Die speziell entwickelten Sportfedern werden mit den Seriendämpfern kombiniert. An der Vorderachse senkt sich die Karosse um 30, an der Hinterachse um 20 Millimeter

    Laut H&R wird so aus dem RS 7 ein echter Kurvenstar. Die Fahrwerkskomponenten kosten samt TÜV-Gutachten 354 Euro

    Lennestadt, 6. März 2015
    Während die gesamte Autowelt nach Genf auf den Automobilsalon 2015 blickt, kitzeln die Fahrwerksspezialisten von H&R mit maßgeschneiderten Sportfedern samt Tieferlegung die letzten Performance- und Optik-Rücklagen aus dem Audi RS 7 Sportback.

    Mehr Tiefgang
    Die speziellen Federn werden mit den Seriendämpfern kombiniert. An der Vorderachse senkt sich die Karosse des 560 PS starken Ingolstädters etwa 30 Millimeter, an der Hinterachse rund 20 Millimeter ab.

    Kurvenräuber mit Komfort
    Durch die Federcharakteristik und den tieferen Schwerpunkt entpuppt sich die 2.005 Kilogramm schwere Sportlimousine laut H&R als “echter Kurvenräuber”. Die Komfortmerkmale des viertürigen Coupés sollen dabei aber völlig erhalten bleiben.

    Preise samt TÜV-Gutachten
    Die Fahrwerkskomponenten des Tuners sind ab sofort mit TÜV-Gutachten lieferbar. Der Preis beträgt 354 Euro. Dazu kommen selbstverständlich die 113.300 Euro, die für das Tuning-Objekt – den RS 7 Sportback – bei Audi aufgerufen werden.
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  • Aston Martin DBX Concept auf dem Genfer Autosalon 2015 mit technischen Daten

    March 7, 2015

    Aston Martin präsentiert auf dem Genfer Autosalon 2015 die SUV-Studie DBX

    Der Zweitürer hat eine ungewohnte Form für einen Aston, weist aber die typischen Heckleuchten und den Kühlergrill auf

    Innen gehts es noch sehr futuristisch zu, aber edles Alcantara fehlt schon mal nicht

    Genf (Schweiz), 6. März 2015
    Dass auch Aston Martin ein Stück vom großen SUV-Kuchen abhaben will, liegt auf der Hand. Schließlich ist die Konkurrenz aus der First Class schon gefährlich weit mit ihren geplanten Crossover-Modellen. So hat Bentley bereits für 2016 den Bentayga angekündigt, Lamborghini könnte den Urus bald zur Serienreife entwickeln, Maserati will den Levante bringen und selbst bei Rolls-Royce denkt man laut über ein Sport Utility Vehicle nach. Und Porsche hat mit dem Macan schon das zweite SUV ins Programm genommen, nachdem der große Cayenne so gut läuft.

    Praktisch, familientauglich und umweltfreundlich

    Auf dem Genfer Salon hat Aston Martin nun den Schleier des Schweigens gelüftet und ein hochgelegtes Concept Car enthüllt. Mit seinem charakteristischen Kühlergrill und nicht minder markanten Heckleuchten ist es erkennbar ein Aston Martin. Nach den Worten von Aston-Boss Andy Palmer soll der DBX nicht nur ein luxuriöser Reisewagen sein, sondern auch praktisch, familientauglich und umweltfreundlich – Attribute, die normalerweise nicht an erster Stelle genannt werden, wenn es um Aston-Modelle geht.

    Elektro-Antrieb

    Das Concept Car ist ein Zweitürer mit vier Sitzen, die Anzahl der Türen dürfte sich bei einem Serienmodell jedoch verdoppeln. Es gibt noch nicht viele Informationen zur Studie, die vermutlich erst einmal die Reaktionen von Kunden und Interessenten austesten soll. Nur soviel, dass der rein elektrisch angetriebene DBX über Radnabenmotoren verfügt und dass sich dank des fehlenden Verbrenners in Front und Heck praktische Stauräume ergeben. Die Motoren werden von Lithium-Schwefel-Batterien gespeist – das wars auch schon an Infos.

    Bremssystem mit Rekuperation

    Der DBX zeigt zudem einige technische Features, die ebenfalls in einem Serienmodell der Marke kommen könnten. Dazu zählen eine rein elektrische Lenkung (drive-by-wire), eine Bremsanlage mit Keramikscheiben und Rekuperations-Funktion, Kameras anstelle von Rückspiegeln, automatisch dimmendes Sicherheitsglas sowie speziell für Fahrer und Beifahrer konstruierte Head-up-Displays.

    Markteinführung noch nicht bekannt

    Laut Palmer ist die Studie vom Serienmodell noch ein Stückchen entfernt. Ob und wann das Aston-SUV auf den Markt kommt und ob unser Freund 007 irgendwann einen Serien-DBX mit den Wort “Ihr neuer Wagen, Mr. Bond” überreicht bekommt, steht noch in den Sternen. Apropos Bond: Der Agent darf ja erst mal einen Aston Martin DB10 in Empfang nehmen, der eigens für den neuesten Streifen “Spectre” entworfen und zehnmal gebaut wurde. Der Film kommt im Oktober 2015 in die Kinos.
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