The Continental: Bugatti Veyron Successor Gets a Name, Topless Mercedes-AMG GTS Appears Unlikely

Each and every week, our German correspondent slices and dices the latest rumblings, news, and rapid-hit driving impressions from the other side of the pond. His byline might say Jens Meiners, but we basically contact 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 known as the Chiron, just like the eponymous 1999 Bugatti idea automobile styled by Italdesign Giugiaro. You study it right here 1st. In case you had been asking yourself, 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 much 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 observed its nightmare, and it is the Mercedes-AMG GTS, Benz’s new sports automobile which is in the middle of a multi-stage launch. Starting with prototype drives and continuing with an ever-rising multitude of details on its powertrain and interior, Daimler is keeping suspense at a maximum. Complete info 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 spectacular 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 customer racing series. But there won’t be a V-6 engine selection. And if Porsche ever decides to do a 4-banger 911, I am confident that the boys from Stuttgart will have that market all to themselves.

A roadster version of the AMG GTS is practically total, and at this point it demands small more than an executive yes/no selection. But a decision in the affirmative is unlikely to come, provided that the topless GT would undermine the position of the more prestigious SL. Currently under 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 final thing the ailing SL would need to have standing beside it in the showroom.

Volkswagen to Empower the U.S.

The U.S. may possibly be Volkswagen’s most hard marketplace of late: Sales are effectively under expectations, and the vehicles are not in tune with the expectations of the typical American buyer. The design is perceived as cold and generic, and there is too little “news” or pizazz in the brand’s portfolio.

Now best management has given the U.S.-market operations a lot a lot more clout. Product cycles will be shortened to 5 years, in a 3–2 pattern: Following a model’s redesign, its very first key facelift will come following 3 years 2 years later, an totally new product will be ready. The 1st vehicle to which this life cycle will apply is the upcoming B-segment SUV, followed by the subsequent-generation Passat. Even just before that, in time for the 2016 model year, the current Passat will get a significant face lift. This update will give it a far far more aggressive and contemporary appearance.

To be clear, the new American-market life-cycle technique won’t be applied to the brand globally, but they have implications for markets exactly where U.S.-developed models are sold, such as China.

I have received more intel on the subsequent-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 several higher-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 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 include new headlights and taillights, bring the auto visually closer to the 2009 Sportback idea, which is a good factor.

The most fascinating model, apart from the ultra-effective RS7, is the A7 Competitors (pictured above), a leading-of-the-line diesel model with a twin-turbocharged V-6 TDI. Thanks to far more aggressive timing, optimized turbocharger bearings, and a distinct exhaust downpipe, it tends to make 326 horsepower (up to 346 horsepower beneath overboost situations). The sprint to 62 mph now requires merely a claimed 5.1 seconds, and top speed is governed somewhere north of 155 mph. (Audi is usually a bit more generous with its limiters than the competitors, so raise your expectations.)

But Audi has but a greater thought: Electric supercharging, which we have described in detail right 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 primarily based on a 3.-liter V-6 TDI with a single turbocharger plus the e-superchargerr, it is rated at a healthful 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 technology on the road.

---

---

A  Cool Lada—No, Seriously!

Fairly significantly absolutely 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 vehicles with character. And the Vesta positive has lots of character.

The Continental: Bugatti Veyron Successor Gets a Name, Topless Mercedes-AMG GTS Appears Unlikely