There are now more options than ever in the small SUV segment and buyers are especially spoiled if looking for a little luxury. One of the newer options is Land Rover’s Discovery Sport which arrived last year as a 2016 model and replaces the aging LR2. For the 2017 model year, Land Rover is offering Discovery Sport buyers an expanded color...
Earlier this year, I brought you the breakdown on the FreeValve camless engine and how it worked. The technology itself had been fiddled with for a while from various companies, but up until now, it hasn’t been a feasible option to use production vehicles, so the camless engine has yet to take off. Well, all that is about to change, as Freevalve – a sister company of Koenigsegg – has found a home for its camless engine with Chinese automaker Qoros.
It was probably one of the most unnoticed vehicles, but a Qoros concept named “Qamless” was actually on display at the Beijing Auto Show this year along with a display model of the freevalve engine sitting next to it. The concept car was based on the Qoros 3 Hatchback that is already on sale in the Chinese market. There is no telling when the concept car will move over into production, but Freevalve’s CEO Urban Carlsson has said that the partnership between freevalve and Qoros will help the company move into a production application.
For those of you who don’t know about Freevalve’s camless engine, it uses pneumatic-hydraulic-electric direct valve control that, in theory, allows infinite valve timing and cylinder deactivation. The engine doesn’t have the need for a throttle body and relies on pressurized air and oil for vital operation functions. As Christian von Koenigsegg has put it, the switch to camless engines is comparable to the leap from carburetors to direct injection. It is impossible to say how long it will take for the camless engine to hit major manufacturers, or if it ever will. Surely, that will depend on how reliable and efficient the engine proves to be when the Qoros Qamless goes into production.
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Next month, the prestigious RM Sotheby’s auction house will set up shop amongst the gleaming yachts and flashy casinos of Monte Carlo for its 2016 Monaco event. This biennial orgy of money and mirror-polished metal regularly attracts throngs of well-heeled collectors, who arrive to browse and bid on an assembly of top-dollar automobiles while enjoying a historic motorsports atmosphere. To help spark the flames of enthusiasm, RM Sotheby’s has released a digital catalogue documenting the lots slated to hit the block, which is available for browsing online here. The catalogue is also available for purchase as a high-quality print here.
While a bit pricey (70 euros, or $78.56 at current exchange rates), the catalogue makes for a fantastic (and unique) gift for that car lover in your life, with stunning photography, specs, history, and individual background on each of the automobiles scheduled to appear in Monaco. Standouts include the 1951 Ferrari 340 America Barchetta (Lot 232, page 98), 2008 Peugeot 908 HDi FAP Le Mans Prototype (Lot 251, page 170), 1968 Ferrari 275 GTS/4 NART Spider (Lot 254, page 186), and 1997 Porsche 911 GT1 Evolution (Lot 261, page 218).
At the last RM Sotheby’s Monaco auction in 2014, total sales reached 41 million euros ($46 million at current conversion rates, 04/22/2106), and this year’s event is expected to match (if not exceed) that figure. The event will be held at Le Sporting Monte-Carlo on Saturday, May 14th. Stay tuned to TopSpeed for a full recap.
In what could very well be a landmark moment for autonomous driving technology, Ford and Volvo have teamed up with Google, Uber, and Lyft to form a coalition that will push for federal action to help expedite the development of autonomous cars. The group calls itself the “Self-Driving Coalition for Safer Streets” and it’s main objective is to work hand-in-hand with lawmakers, regulators, and the general public in an effort to raise awareness of the “safety and societal benefits” of autonomous vehicles.
The formation of this group is about as serious as it gets in championing autonomous driving technology. All five companies not only share a common interest in the technology, but they’re also bent on ensuring that the tech gets the proper exposure and awareness from as many sectors as possible. It’s even tabbed former NHTSA chief David Strickland to act as the group’s counsel and spokesman.
Strickland himself discussed the formation of the Self-Driving Coalition for Safer Cars in a conversation with Reuters, where in he emphasized the main objectives of the group as it pertains to the creation of specific rules on how autonomous driving cars can be integrated into public roads. The former NHTSA chief also insisted that the group isn’t an organized lobbying formation, but merely a “full policy and messaging campaign movement.”
The formation of the group comes at an intriguing time, especially when you take account the NHTSA’s own plans to issue self-driving guidelines by July 2016. The agency hopes to release these guidance to states, policymakers, automakers, and companies that are involved in developing autonomous driving technology.
It remains to be seen how effective the Self-Driving Coalition for Safer Streets will be in championing this cause. But the mere formation of the group and those involved in it paints a clear picture that all parties are all-in on the development of autonomous driving technology.
Continue after the jump to read the full story.
BMW launched the X3 back in 2003 as its second SUV and the market’s first compact luxury crossover. Updated in 2010, the X3 ditched its weird-looking front fascia in favor of a nose that resembled the X5’s. The second-gen crossover also saw production move from Graz, Austria, to BMW’s U.S. factory in Greer, South Carolina. As a result, the X3 entered the North American market as a locally built vehicle with a more affordable sticker. For 2015, BMW offers the X3 in three guises, with the engine lineup including 2.0-liter, four-cylinder and 3.0-liter, inline-six gasoline units, as well as a 2.0-liter diesel mill.
With both Mercedes-Benz and Audi reportedly working on beefed-up versions of their GLC (GLK) and Q5 models, respectively, BMW is considering green-lighting a high-performance version of the X3 for the third-generation model. Likely to arrive in 2016, the X3 M has been somewhat confirmed by BMW M chief Frank van Meel at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show, who also revealed that the X4 is scheduled to receive an M version as well. While the X3 M is being kept under wraps as of April 2016, we put together a speculative piece on what the crossover might have to offer once it arrives. Read on for the details.
Updated 04/28/2016: Our spy photographers caught the upcoming BMW X3 M out for a first testing session on public roads in Germany as well as close to the M test center outside of Munich.
Continue reading to learn more about the upcoming BMW X3 M.
Acura was founded as a luxury division of Honda on March 27th, 1986, which means this year marks the brand’s 30th anniversary. Adding to 30 years of success is the fact that Acura has become the leading luxury brand to millennial buyers, as it has the highest share of millennial customers among all luxury brands. That said, Acura has launched a new advertising campaign to help it celebrate all of its success.
The new marketing campaign includes a new 60-second ad titled “30 Years Young.” The video is narrated by Michael B. Jordan and depicts a quick rundown of Acura’s history. It’s a pretty hard feat to accomplish in 60 seconds, but the ad starts off showing the original Acura NSX, and some historical images and footage. Halfway through the video, we see Acura engineers working, then shortly after the screen is graced a quick slide show of each Acura model and eventually ends with the new Acura NSX as it barrels down a desert road. Don’t take my word for it, though. If you’re a fan of Acura, you’ll want to watch the clip for yourself.
Jon Ikeda, the Vice President and General Manager of Acura, said, “The Acura brand is 30 years young, and we wanted this spot to communicate the energy, excitement, and optimism that surrounds Acura at this important moment in our history. As we continue to focus on advancing our Precision Crafted Performance DNA, we are excited at how this direction is resonating with our millennial customers.”
The campaign kicks off this week with the 60-second commercial airing on broadcast television, and there will also be 15-second ads featured on the brand’s social channels. By the end of the month, Acura dealerships should be sporting 30th-anniversary posters and “collateral.”
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Introduced in 2002, the Cayenne was Porsche’s first-ever SUV, and despite being heavily criticized for going against the company’s tradition as a sports car manufacturer, the performance people hauler is credited for saving Porsche from financial downfall. The popular SUV was redesigned in 2010 and the second-gen model received its mid-cycle facelift for 2015, when all models, including the hybrid, gained updated or brand-new drivetrains. For 2016, Porsche is expanding the Cayenne lineup with the Platinum Edition.
Available for the base Cayenne and the S E-Hybrid version, the Platinum package gives the crossover a sportier appearance by means of 911-spec wheels, beefier fenders, blacked-out chrome, and a special color palette. Inside, it adds more features to the usual standard equipment list, enhancing comfort and safety. Both models carry the same engine as their standard siblings under the hood, but that’s far form surprising given the recent update. With 300 and 416 horsepower at their disposal, respectively, that’s hardly an issue.
Both vehicles will arrive in U.S. showrooms in 2016, expanding the North American Cayenne lineup to no fewer than eight models.
Continue reading to learn more about the Porsche Cayenne Platinum Edition.
