Jeep CEO Mike Manley recently confirmed that a Hellcat version of the Jeep Grand Cherokee is on its way, and now it appears that spies have caught one testing.

The brief video below shows the Grand Cherokee mule launching, slowing, accelerating again and then backing away from the spy’s prying eyes (and cellphone).

What really stands out in the video, however, is the clear sound of the supercharger mixed in with the already-boisterous V8. Equally important is what you don’t hear–a lot of tire squeal.

Has Jeep built an all-wheel drive system robust enough to handle all 707 horsepower (and more importantly, the 650lb-ft of torque) on offer with the 6.2L, supercharged Hellcat V8? From what we’re seeing (and hearing) here, it seems like a distinct possibility. However, it’s also possible the engine will be de-tuned for the larger Grand Cherokee platform, the precedent for which has already been set by the 392.

This variant of the Grand Cherokee is likely to be called a “Trackhawk,” riffing off the “Trailhawk” moniker used for the brand’s more trail-ready trim levels. It’s expected to go on sale in late 2017 as a 2018 model.

Stay tuned to Leftlane for all the details.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has reported another record year for recalls, tallying nearly 900 individual campaigns affecting 51 million vehicles in 2015.

The agency has launched a new public awareness campaign that calls on consumers to be more proactive in resolving recalls. Traditional notifications sometimes fail to reach owners or are accidentally discarded as junk mail.

The government recommends checking VINs twice a year using the NHTSA’s online lookup tool.

“To remember to check, NHTSA suggests timing it with day light savings – every November when setting clocks back and every March when setting clocks forward,” the agency added.

Officials recently spearheaded a collaborative initiative with more than 15 automakers, calling for companies and regulators to work together on a voluntary basis to improve vehicle safety. The NHTSA has also asked consumers to brainstorm potential improvements to recall notification outreach and other relevant issues.

“We’re interested in what the public has to say about recall notifications and today we issued a proposal to get their input,” said administrator Mark Rosekind. “Success is getting a 100 percent completion rate for every single recall.”

Volkswagen has backtracked from its remorseful reaction to the TDI emissions scandal, signaling a more defensive and argumentative approach in dealing with European regulators.

The company has not retracted its admission that a ‘defeat’ system ran afoul of US emissions laws, however board members have reportedly decided that European regulations provide more room for interpretation.

The controversial emissions control system “is not a forbidden defeat device” when interpreted against European rules, a spokesman said in a statement to The New York Times.

Vehicles sold in many overseas markets will receive revised software and an airflow guide to improve mass airflow sensor (MAF) accuracy. The refits are minor compared to the more extensive modifications that will be required for offending vehicles sold in the US, as the Environmental Protection Agency enforces much lower limits for nitrogen oxides.

The latest statement is interpreted as the first hint toward a legal defense against lawsuits and potential damages. VW sold 17 non-compliant vehicles in Europe for every one cheating vehicle that landed in the US. The disparity potentially exposes the company to much higher settlements, buyback costs and compensation payouts in its home region.

The automaker claims it has worked with German authorities to develop an acceptable resolution “in the interest of customers,” but the cooperation does not represent an admission of guilt.

“We did not want a dispute putting a strain on [implementing an action plan],” the statement added.

The strategy will presumably be put to test in various courts throughout Europe, potentially affecting both criminal and civil litigation. In the meantime, VW’s US legal team faces an ever-growing onslaught of separate lawsuits and government investigations.

Honda has announced US pricing and launch details for its Clarity Fuel Cell sedan, unveiled late last year in Tokyo.

The hydrogen-powered car is expected to fetch ‘around’ $60,000 when it arrives in California. Early adopters will only be able to lease the FCV, with costs targeted at below $500 per month.

“The company … expects to move to retail sales with increased volumes and market coverage coincident with increasing vehicle supplies and the growing hydrogen refueling station network,” Honda noted in its announcement.

Hyundai’s Tucson Fuel Cell has been available in California for nearly two years, while the Toyota Mirai first landed in the state last July. Sales of both FCVs have been low, wether from insufficient supplies or limited demand. The California Fuel Cell Partnership currently lists just seven public hydrogen refueling stations open across the entire state, two of which are currently ‘offline’ for both H35 and H70.

Many California FCV owners have complained that certain stations are frequently down for maintenance, sometimes for weeks or longer. With only a few stations spread across the entire state, the persistent reliability problems make hydrogen-powered vehicles essentially useless, if temporarily, for owners that are forced to drive dozens of miles across notoriously traffic-jammed cities just to fill the tank.

Toyota has attempted to reassure owners by promising to commission temporary hydrogen stations, placed at eight dealers across the state. Notably, the mobile equipment will only be capable of filling at H35 pressures — shutting off when the tank is just half full.

Honda promises to deliver its first limited batch of Clarity Fuel Cell sedans before the end of the year. The already-struggling hydrogen technology will face increasing pressure from next-generation EVs in 2017, including the Tesla Model 3 and Chevrolet Bolt, as lower battery prices pave the way for cheaper long-range models. Honda’s Clarity FCV platform will be shared with a new plug-in hybrid vehicle slated for 2018, providing a potential hedge against hydrogen.

Live images by Ben Hsu.

Audi has announced launch details for its 2017 R8, significantly increasing the base price as the entry-level V8 variant drops from the lineup.

Buyers now must pay at least $164,150 (including $1,250 freight) for Audi’s redesigned supercar, representing an increase of $47,000 over the discontinued V8 package.

Comparing just MSRPs for the standard V10 edition, the 2017 model costs $9,000 more than the outgoing edition. The V10 ‘plus’ now fetches $191,150, up more than $16,000 from the first generation.

Introduced early last year in Geneva, the revamped R8 is powered by a Lamborghini-derived 5.2-liter FSI V10 with 540 horsepower and 398 lb-ft of torque. Stepping up to the ‘plus’ trim brings a more aggressive tune, good for 610 ponies and 413 lb-ft of twist. The variants are claimed to reach 62 mph in just 3.5 seconds and 3.2 seconds, respectively, with top speeds ranging from 200 to 205 mph.

The second-generation R8 brings a modestly evolved exterior styling, centered around a more aggressive front fascia with angular headlights and a wider Singleframe grille.

Dropping the cheaper V8 package puts the R8 into the same price bracket occupied by the McLaren 570S ($184,900), Ferrari California T ($198,973), Porsche 911 Turbo S ($182,700), Aston Martin V12 Vantage S and even the Lamborghini Huracán LP 580-2 (under $200,000, TBD).

Live images by Ronan Glon.

BMW has joined Tesla in pushing to replace side mirrors with cameras for production vehicles.

The German automaker showed off the i8 Mirrorless concept earlier this month at the Consumer Electronics Show. Two side-mounted pods and a third camera above the rear window provide a wide view of the surroundings, presented on an 11.8-inch digital display in place of the rear-view mirror.

Tesla Motors was among the first companies to recently increase pressure on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to amend its archaic regulations and allow cameras to supplant traditional mirrors. Concepts boasting such systems have been around since at least the 1990s, providing several decades for the technology to be made production-ready.

BMW development head Elmar Frickenstein suggests the company is approximately three years away from implementing mirrorless systems in production vehicles. The i8 would make a likely launch candidate, potentially followed by an updated 7-Series.

“First, should there be a development like a mirror camera, it will trickle from top to bottom in the upcoming model family,” he said, according to a Focus.de report translated by BMWblog.

Three cameras can theoretically provide a much more natural view to the sides and behind the vehicle, free of blind spots and requiring no adjustments to suit different drivers. Cameras can be paired with machine-vision algorithms to help highlight potential danger, such as approaching vehicles.

The Mirrorless concept featured camera lenses protected by Gorilla Glass with a dirt-repellent coating. It may not be difficult to argue the virtues of digital cameras when the lenses are unobstructed, but automakers may need to prove that mirrorless systems can reasonably compete with traditional mirrors when the lens surfaces become covered by snow, water, dust, salt residue or other grime.

The NHTSA recently promised to begin granting exemptions for autonomous driving technology, potentially eliminating red tape that sometimes takes years to overcome via traditional rule-making. It remains unclear if associated technologies, including mirrorless systems, will also be considered.

Some automakers may opt to launch their first mirrorless vehicles in markets with less restrictive regulations, rather than waiting for the NHTSA to complete its research and move forward with a notoriously slow rule-making process.

Amid persistent low gasoline prices, electric vehicle demand has fallen short of President Barack Obama’s 2015 sales goal.

Announced in 2008 before gasoline prices collapsed from a 10-year high of more than $4 per gallon, the ambitious plan called for EV and plug-in hybrid sales to reach more than a million units.

Despite gasoline prices staying above $3 per gallon for four years, only 400,000 EVs have been sold in the US since Obama announced the target, according to a Reuters report.

The market failed to reach the figure despite billions of dollars in incentives, aimed at both consumers and automakers, and ever tightening fuel efficiency standards.

EV adoption so far has been limited by a combination of high battery costs and low gasoline prices. The Nissan Leaf carries a mass-market MSRP, but with a range that many potential buyers believe is too short to completely replace their existing gasoline-powered vehicles. At the other end of the spectrum, the entry-level Tesla Model S can travel nearly three times as far as the 24-kWh Leaf but costs more than twice as much.

Some analysts believe current gasoline prices will remain low into the foreseeable future. Oversupply and a change in Saudi Arabia price-manipulation strategy initiated the stumble, while Iran’s fresh return to global oil markets could further extend the slump.

Many automakers are still investing heavily in electrification technologies, and with good reason. Battery prices per kilowatt hour are expected to continue a downward trend in the coming years, eventually making long-range EVs competitive with gasoline-powered vehicles in terms of up-front price and long-term ownership costs. Sub-$2 gasoline prices will undoubtedly delay the meeting point, however the intersection is widely viewed as inevitable.

The Chevrolet Bolt and Tesla Model 3 are expected to usher in the next generation of EVs with sub-$40,000 price tags and at least 200 miles of range. If the Obama Administration gets its way, federal incentives could bump to $10,000 to further offset the premium prices paid for EVs. Automakers are also under pressure to meet ever-tightening fuel-efficiency regulations, even if they are effectively forced to temporarily sell EVs or fuel-cell vehicles at a loss.

A Porsche executive has confirmed development progress on the plug-in hybrid 911.

The oft-rumored 911 PHEV is said to present several technical challenges, but the company is under pressure to raise its fleet-wide average mpg ratings. Engineers are reportedly working to offset the battery’s weight penalty and integrate the hybrid powertrain into the rear-engine layout.

“It takes some time to bring something like this to market,” Porsche engineering head Erhard Mössle said at the Detroit auto show, as quoted by Autocar. “With the packaging problems of the car, there are a lot of things to solve before then.”

Previous reports have suggested a hybrid could debut in concept form by 2018 or 2019, however the latest report claims the next-generation electrified 911 is not likely to arrive on the market until 2020.

Whenever it does arrive, the hybrid is expected to be offered in an all-wheel-drive configuration. A gasoline engine will turn the rear wheels, while one or more electric motors will power the front wheels as needed. The company has not yet disclosed electric range targets or an estimated performance boost from the electric system.

The hybrid will be sold alongside traditional powertrains, which will continue to center around a flat six for the foreseeable future. The company is presumably focusing on turbocharging and electrification to meet fuel efficiency regulations.

Looking further down the road, Porsche has indicated that a pure electric 911 is also under consideration.

Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess said Wednesday that the company is taking measures to reduce development times and improve cost savings in its core (VW) brand.

To accelerate these efforts, Diess appointed new senior managers for each of Volkswagen’s four main product lines–small, compact, midsize and EV. These managers will have direct control over the products in their portfolios, allowing decisions to be made more quickly.

“We expect these changes to bring about a major acceleration in (vehicle) development,” Diess told the wire service. The new structure “strengthens cooperation across all functions and also increases the profitability of the brand.”

Diess plans to reduce investment costs by as much as 1 billion euros per year, according to Reuters. The company’s long-standing goal has been a profit margin of six percent. Slow growth in North- and South-American markets due to lagging shifts in product strategy have left Volkswagen falling short of that goal. Since Dieselgate, that target seems even more out of reach.

Volkswagen Group was working toward decentralizing its leadership long before the Dieselgate scandal. Back in June, the company announced a major restructuring that is currently being realized. Individual brands are to be grouped under one of four new holding companies.

By volume, the largest company is that overseeing Volkswagen, Skoda and Seat. The next rung up is a group comprised of Audi, Lamborghini and Italian motorcycle manufacturer Ducati. The top-tier group manages Bentley, Bugatti and Porsche.

The fourth group, which doesn’t represent a different tier so much as an entirely different sales channel, is to oversee the group’s commercial vehicle offerings, including MAN and Scania (VW-branded commercial vehicles will also be managed by this group).