Each and every week, our German correspondent slices and dices the newest rumblings, news, and quick-hit driving impressions from the other side of the pond. His byline could say Jens Meiners, but we just call him . . . the Continental.
Next year, we will lastly see the wild Bugatti Veyron 16.4‘s successor in the metal. I hear it’ll be referred to as the Chiron, just like the eponymous 1999 Bugatti concept automobile styled by Italdesign Giugiaro. You study it right here very first. In case you have been wondering, the Chiron idea automobile appears to have taken its naming inspiration from early Bugatti racing driver Louis Chiron. Naturally, a cursory Google search returns far a lot more information for a various Chiron, who is apparently a notable centaur from Greek mythology.
No Mercedes-AMG GT Roadster
Challenging occasions lay ahead for the Porsche 911. I have seen its nightmare, and it is the Mercedes-AMG GTS, Benz’s new sports car which is in the middle of a multi-stage launch. Starting with prototype drives and continuing with an ever-growing multitude of information on its powertrain and interior, Daimler is keeping suspense at a maximum. Complete information here subsequent week.
Inside, the GTS is beautifully executed, with a stylized NACA duct in the center console and 8 cylindrical buttons mimicking a its engine’s V-8 cylinder arrangement. The most beautiful detail is the row of buttons positioned above the windshield. It lends a positively aeronautical look to this currently spectacular interior.
Power will come from the new M178 twin-turbocharged 4.-liter V-8 engine. Down the road, there will be a GT3 version, which will kind the basis for a buyer racing series. But there won’t be a V-6 engine option. And if Porsche ever decides to do a 4-banger 911, I am confident that the boys from Stuttgart will have that market place all to themselves.
A roadster version of the AMG GTS is practically total, and at this point it needs small a lot more than an executive yes/no decision. But a choice in the affirmative is unlikely to come, provided that the topless GT would undermine the position of the far more prestigious SL. Currently below pressure from the upcoming S-class cabriolet that Daimler R&D board member Thomas Weber confirmed is on its way, an open-leading GT is the last thing the ailing SL would need standing beside it in the showroom.
Volkswagen to Empower the U.S.
The U.S. could be Volkswagen’s most hard marketplace of late: Sales are nicely under expectations, and the vehicles are not in tune with the expectations of the average American buyer. The design is perceived as cold and generic, and there is also tiny “news” or pizazz in the brand’s portfolio.
Now leading management has given the U.S.-market place operations a lot more clout. Solution cycles will be shortened to 5 years, in a 3–2 pattern: Following a model’s redesign, its first major facelift will come following 3 years 2 years later, an totally new solution will be prepared. The first car to which this life cycle will apply is the upcoming B-segment SUV, followed by the subsequent-generation Passat. Even ahead of that, in time for the 2016 model year, the existing Passat will acquire a main face lift. This update will give it a far a lot more aggressive and contemporary look.
To be clear, the new American-market life-cycle technique will not be applied to the brand globally, but they have implications for markets where U.S.-developed models are sold, such as China.
I have received more intel on the next-gen VW Phaeton, which “is developed and finished” as these words are published. Based on the “MLB Evo” platform, the new Phaeton will be presented with a number of high-powered engines, including a V-8 TDI with around 450 horsepower, a gasoline plug-in hybrid, and a W-12 (!).
Audi News, Electrically Supercharged Edition
Audi has just face-lifted its A6 and A7 models for the European marketplace, and now I’ve spent some time behind the wheel of the new A7 at the vehicle’s launch in Copenhagen. The updated A7 will come to the U.S. for the 2016 model year. The modifications, which include new headlights and taillights, bring the auto visually closer to the 2009 Sportback notion, which is a very good issue.
The most fascinating model, apart from the ultra-potent RS7, is the A7 Competition (pictured above), a prime-of-the-line diesel model with a twin-turbocharged V-6 TDI. Thanks to far more aggressive timing, optimized turbocharger bearings, and a certain exhaust downpipe, it makes 326 horsepower (up to 346 horsepower beneath overboost conditions). The sprint to 62 mph now takes merely a claimed 5.1 seconds, and top speed is governed somewhere north of 155 mph. (Audi is usually a bit far more generous with its limiters than the competitors, so raise your expectations.)
But Audi has however a far better thought: Electric supercharging, which we have described in detail right after Audi let us try out an RS5 TDI with a twin-turbocharged, 385-horsepower diesel equipped with such a device. In Copenhagen, Audi had a pre-facelift A6 prototype with an electric supercharger for us to try, as effectively. With its engine primarily based on a 3.-liter V-6 TDI with a single turbocharger plus the e-superchargerr, it is rated at a healthier 326 horsepower. The motor doesn’t match the twin-turbo RS5 TDI concept’s sheer upper-rev energy, but it performed just as beautifully at step-off and at low rpm. I can not wait to see this technologies on the road.
A Cool Lada—No, Seriously!
Quite considerably everyone missed out on the Moscow auto show, which is a pity. Lada unveiled the Vesta, a new compact sedan of unprecedented high quality (for the brand) and style. I like Ladas they are sincere cars with character. And the Vesta confident has lots of character.
The Continental: Bugatti Veyron Successor Gets a Name, Topless Mercedes-AMG GTS Seems Unlikely
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