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Porsche unveils the mid-range Taycan 4S EV
So far, we've seen Porsche's Taycan in the Turbo and Turbo S variants, but Porsche has already said that it's planning more models. Now, the company has unveiled the Taycan 4S, a mid-range version of the electric sports car. It will deliver up to 420 kW (around 630 horsepower), compared to 500 kW for the Taycan Turbo and 560 kW for the Turbo S.
Piëch's electric coupe charges to 80 percent in five minutes
For many would-be electric car buyers, slow charging is frequently a major obstacle -- even Porsche's promise of 15 minutes for 250 miles is agonizingly long when you're in a hurry to get home from work. The upstart brand Piëch (created by Toni Piëch, a descendant of VW's Ferdinand Piëch) might just eliminate that hurdle with its just-unveiled Mark Zero. The electric sports coupe uses "special" battery cells that can handle high currents without a risk of overheating, allowing it to reach an 80 percent charge in an extremely speedy four minutes and 40 seconds. It might not take much longer to top up your EV than it would to fill the gas tank in a conventional car.
Porsche's latest 911 knows when it's on a wet road
Porsche may pitch the 911 as a pure driver's car, but that doesn't mean it will turn down technological assistants that could get you out of a jam. The company has unveiled the eighth-generation 911 as a 2020 model, and one of its most conspicuous upgrades is a "world first" Wet mode that detects water on the road, prepares control systems and alerts the driver to the slippery conditions. You don't have to tone the car down (say, if you're on a track and expect to slide around), but you only need to push a button to configure the car for safety. The feature will come standard, Porsche said.
This driveable Bugatti Chiron is made out of 1 million Lego blocks
Lego's Bugatti Chiron Technic kit is a stylish recreation of the sports car at ⅛ scale. But what about making one at 1:1 scale? The wholesome toy company teamed up with the automaker to create a life-size model of the performance vehicle out of Technic blocks. And it works! The recreation drives itself, though its "engine" made of over 2,300 Lego set motors ekes out an estimated 5.3 horsepower. That doesn't quite reach the blistering speeds of its real-life version, the but the Lego Bugatti Chiron is a pretty neat execution of a dream to build a car completely out of bricks.
Audi will unveil its e-tron supercar EV concept next month
Audi's first all-electric car, the 2019 e-tron, hasn't even made its global debut yet, but the car manufacturer is already teasing its next venture. The PB 18 e-tron, billed as an "electric-drive supercar concept", will be unveiled next month during the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.
Tesla Roadster's 'Augmented Mode' will boost your driving ability
Tesla's current semi-autonomous technology helps reduce your driving involvement. Its next big move, however, could encourage you to take a more hands-on approach. Elon Musk has revealed that the new Roadster will include an "Augmented Mode" that promises to "massively enhance" your driving ability -- he likened it to Tony Stark's Iron Man suit. Just how it would work is unsurprisingly a mystery (the car isn't even slated to arrive until 2020), but it's implied that this will give you a helping hand when you're driving near the car's performance limits.
Porsche claims Mission E won't have Tesla's performance limits
Porsche knows you're probably going to compare the Mission E to Tesla's cars, and it's determined to prove that it its electric performance car is the one to beat. Company EV head Stefan Weckbach has promised that the Mission E has "reproducible" performance Tesla (and particularly the Model S) can't match. The Model S can only hit its claimed 0-60MPH time "twice" in short succession, Weckbach claimed, and can't run at at full speed for significant stretches either. The Mission E can maintain its full speed for "long periods," Weckbach said.
Ferrari plans to build an electric supercar after all
Despite Tesla's lead on the electric vehicle market, large automakers spent 2017 announcing they will transition their gas-powered car models to EVs. But other companies selling more elite vehicles are also throwing their hat in the ring. At NAIAS in Detroit, Ferrari stated it will build its own electric sportscar seven years after its previous president vowed the company would never build an EV.
Porsche's electric Mission E will pack up to 670 horsepower
We've already noted that Porsche is gunning for Tesla with its Mission E sports car, and has even been spotted testing it against the Model X and Model S. Now we know more about what you'll be able to buy when it goes on the market, reportedly in 2019. Automobile reports that it will likely release three all-wheel drive versions with 300 kW, 400 kW and 500 kW (402, 536 and 670 horsepower). It'll have a two-speed transmission and, as we've noted earlier, will hit 0 to 60 mph in around 3.5 seconds with a top speed of 155 mph, and go around 300 miles on a charge.
Tesla reveals a new Roadster, due in 2020
At Tesla's Semi event, the automaker dropped its new Roadster. It'll have a 620-mile range via a 200kWh battery pack."You'll be able to travel from LA to San Francisco and back without recharging," CEO Elon Musk said. The new Tesla Roadster will do zero to 60 in 1.9 seconds, and it'll blast through a quarter mile in 8.9 seconds, before reaching a top speed of over 250 MPH. Oh, and it's a four-seater.
Honda's Sports EV Concept puts an AI assistant in the passenger seat
If you thought Honda's Urban EV Concept was a clever mix of modern electric car technology with boxy retro style, you'd better brace yourself. The automaker has unveiled the Sports EV Concept, which adapts that new-and-old formula to a low-slung, nimble coupe -- we can see traces of the 1300 Coupe mixed in with other intriguing design cues (check out the B-pillar wrapping around the otherwise all-glass roof). Frankly, it's one of the better-looking EV concepts we've seen. Honda hasn't talked performance figures, but the real focus appears to be on the AI under the hood.
Volvo's performance brand launches a 600HP plug-in hybrid
When Volvo declared that its Polestar performance brand would revolve around electric powertrains, it wasn't kidding. Polestar has unveiled its first car, appropriately named the Polestar 1, and it's a plug-in hybrid coupe that musters 600HP while managing a surprisingly large 93 miles of electric-only driving. This is an EV that just happens to have a gas engine under the hood, according to Volvo, and the odds are that you might never use fossil fuels during your daily commute. It also promises to be nimble thanks to a continuously adjusted electronic suspension and an electric rear axle to maximize grip. The 1 sounds like it could be a relatively guilt-free way to drive, then. However, it's almost more important for what it isn't.
Porsche's $2,000 Passport subscription swaps cars on demand
Like the idea of Cadillac's car subscription service, but feel its lineup is a little too... proletarian? If you live in Atlanta, you're in luck. Porsche is launching a Passport service in the city that gives you "frequent" vehicle swaps, unlimited mileage and coverage for the essentials (insurance, registration, maintenance and taxes) for as many as 22 different cars through a mobile app. If you want to ferry the kids to school in a Cayenne but cut loose with a Cayman on the weekends, you just have to tap your phone screen. Think of it as Netflix for speed junkies.
Maserati's first electric car won't be a Tesla rival
Italian supercar makers haven't exactly embraced electric vehicles with gusto (the LaFerrari hybrid is about as close as you get), but that should change in the next few years. Ferrari's sibling brand Maserati tells Car and Driver that it's working on an electric vehicle that would be shown before 2020. And unlike other luxury car brands, Maserati doesn't plan on eating Tesla's lunch. It has to produce something "very different" to stand out, the company's Roberto Fedeli says. Think of something more like the GranTurismo coupe (see above) than yet another upscale sedan.
Porsche chief is no fan of self-driving cars
Porsche might be embracing electric cars and hybrids, but it's not about to welcome autonomous driving tech with open arms. Company chief Oliver Blume has utterly rejected the prospect of a self-driving Porsche, arguing that its owners are the sort who want to drive themselves. The executive doesn't pull any punches, either -- he says it's about enticing as using a "Rolex for boiling eggs," and adds that an iPhone (or rather, its technology) belongs "in your pocket, not on the street." Tell us how you really feel, Oliver.
Rinspeed's latest concept is a self-driving sports car
Most prototype self-driving cars are designed for comfort, not performance. After all, wouldn't you want to take the wheel if you really wanted a thrill? Rinspeed thinks there's a case to be made, though: it just teased the Σtos, an autonomous sports car concept. The vehicle still has a steering wheel for those hands-on moments, but the controller automatically retracts into the dashboard when you're content to let the car do all the hard work. Two curved widescreen displays also move closer into view in this mode, and there's even a drone (complete with a landing pad) that could deliver goods or record your adventures on camera.
Bugatti's 'Gran Turismo' concept car hints at life beyond the Veyron
Bugatti's monstrous 1,000HP-plus Veyron supercar may be riding into the sunset, but you won't have to wait long to get a hint of what the exotic automaker is planning next. The company has taken the wraps off of its own Gran Turismo virtual concept car, the not-so-cleverly-titled Bugatti Vision Gran Turismo. This in-game prototype is a direct hint at both the brand's "future design language" and the kind of performance it's aiming for in an ideal world. Not surprisingly, that means something supremely quick. On a simulated Le Mans track, the VGT is powerful enough (thanks largely to its W16 engine) that it can reach 250MPH four times each lap -- ultimately, it's about as fast as the speediest real-world Le Mans prototypes.
Lamborghini reveals 910-horsepower Asterion hybrid concept
Lamborghini has announced its first plug-in hybrid showpiece, and it's quite beautiful. The Asterion LPI 910-4 packs in a 5.2-liter V10 with 610 horsepower, and its trio of electric motors beef up that latter figure another 300 (hence the 910 moniker). Those numbers puts the hypercar in the same neighborhood as McLaren's P1 and the LaFerrari hybrid. In terms of speed, the blue machine can hit 0 to 60 MPH (0 to 100 km/h) in three seconds and tops out at just under 200 MPH (320 km/h). What's more, the Asterion can reach 78 MPH (125 km/h) using only electric power, traveling around 31 miles (50km) without firing up the main engine. As this is more of a proof of concept than anything else, there's no word on pricing and availability, or whether more than one will even be made. However, feel free to ogle the leather-wrapped cockpit after the break.
Americans now have an electric supercar to call their own
It's not hard to find electric supercars, but finding one that's truly American is a challenge. Even Detroit Electric's SP:01 borrows a British car body. Relief is in sight for patriotic EV buyers, however -- Renovo has just unveiled the Coupe, billed as the first "all-electric American supercar." It combines a Shelby CSX9000 chassis with eco-friendly guts, making it an odd blend of '60s-era sports car looks with modern responsibility. That still makes it a pretty fearsome beast. Its twin electric motors put out the equivalents of 500HP and 1000lb/ft of torque, which is enough to catapult it to 60MPH in 3.4 seconds -- that's quicker than most exotic gas guzzlers, and substantially faster than American performance EVs like the SP:01 and Tesla Roadster (both of which take "just" 3.7 seconds). It's quick to recharge, too, and can use a fast charger to top up in half an hour instead of the usual five.
GRID 2 Mono Edition: buy a £125,000 racing game, get a supercar for free
While we like our collector's edition games, there's no question that even the better bundles are full of knick-knacks we'll use just once or twice. No one will say the same for Codemaster's GRID 2: Mono Edition, though. The UK-only bundle includes the GRID 2 racing game, a PS3 to play it on... and a very real BAC Mono supercar. Whoever buys the £125,000 ($188,700) kit will get to both pick up the 280HP single-seater as well as customize it at the BAC factory, including the racing suit for those inevitable track days. With just one instance available for GRID 2's May 31st release, the Mono Edition bundle is more of a promotional stunt than a business strategy -- but it might be the only special edition where the extras are more exciting than the game itself.
