Each and every week, our German correspondent slices and dices the newest rumblings, news, and swift-hit driving impressions from the other side of the pond. His byline may possibly say Jens Meiners, but we merely call him . . . the Continental.
Subsequent year, we will finally see the wild Bugatti Veyron 16.4‘s successor in the metal. I hear it’ll be called the Chiron, just like the eponymous 1999 Bugatti concept automobile styled by Italdesign Giugiaro. You read it right here 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 more data for a various Chiron, who is apparently a notable centaur from Greek mythology.
No Mercedes-AMG GT Roadster
Challenging instances lay ahead for the Porsche 911. I have noticed its nightmare, and it is the Mercedes-AMG GTS, Benz’s new sports auto which is in the middle of a multi-stage launch. Starting with prototype drives and continuing with an ever-rising multitude of specifics on its powertrain and interior, Daimler is maintaining suspense at a maximum. Complete information right 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 appear 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 client racing series. But there won’t be a V-6 engine choice. 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 virtually full, and at this point it requirements little more than an executive yes/no decision. But a decision in the affirmative is unlikely to come, given that the topless GT would undermine the position of the far more prestigious SL. Already under pressure from the upcoming S-class cabriolet that Daimler R&D board member Thomas Weber confirmed is on its way, an open-best GT is the final point the ailing SL would require standing beside it in the showroom.
Volkswagen to Empower the U.S.
The U.S. may be Volkswagen’s most challenging marketplace of late: Sales are effectively beneath expectations, and the cars are not in tune with the expectations of the typical American buyer. The design and style is perceived as cold and generic, and there is also small “news” or pizazz in the brand’s portfolio.
Now best management has offered the U.S.-marketplace operations a lot much 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 entirely new item will be prepared. The very first vehicle to which this life cycle will apply is the upcoming B-segment SUV, followed by the subsequent-generation Passat. Even before that, in time for the 2016 model year, the existing Passat will obtain a key face lift. This update will give it a far more aggressive and modern look.
To be clear, the new American-market life-cycle technique won’t be applied to the brand globally, but they have implications for markets where U.S.-made models are sold, such as China.
I have received much more intel on the next-gen VW Phaeton, which “is created and finished” as these words are published. Primarily based on the “MLB Evo” platform, the new Phaeton will be provided with many higher-powered engines, like 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 industry, 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 contain new headlights and taillights, bring the automobile visually closer to the 2009 Sportback concept, which is a great issue.
The most fascinating model, apart from the ultra-powerful RS7, is the A7 Competitors (pictured above), a best-of-the-line diesel model with a twin-turbocharged V-6 TDI. Thanks to more aggressive timing, optimized turbocharger bearings, and a distinct exhaust downpipe, it makes 326 horsepower (up to 346 horsepower under overboost situations). The sprint to 62 mph now requires merely a claimed 5.1 seconds, and leading speed is governed somewhere north of 155 mph. (Audi is normally a bit more generous with its limiters than the competition, so raise your expectations.)
But Audi has yet a much better thought: Electric supercharging, which we have described in detail after Audi let us attempt 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 nicely. With its engine based on a 3.-liter V-6 TDI with a single turbocharger plus the e-superchargerr, it is rated at a wholesome 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’t wait to see this technologies on the road.
A Cool Lada—No, Seriously!
Quite much 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 honest cars with character. And the Vesta sure has lots of character.
The Continental: Bugatti Veyron Successor Gets a Name, Topless Mercedes-AMG GTS Appears Unlikely
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