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Everything you need to know about cars this week: Oct 21 '18
News of a big BMW, a fast Jeep and German eco incentives in this week's roundup
Check out these five modified Mustangs headed for SEMA
"GAS is no stranger to tuning up Mustangs. This one takes the 5.0-litre V8 base car, adds a Ford Performance/Roush supercharger, a Ford Performance (FP) exhaust, short-throw gearshift for the six-speed manual and an FP driveshaft."
Advertisement - Page continues belowBloodhound project goes into administration
"The funds needed to progress from here, while a long way from insignificant, are a drop in the ocean of those needed to run an F1 team. Bloodhound believes that taking the Land Speed Record beyond 800mph (it’s currently held by Thrust SSC at 763mph) will cost around £15 million, while £25 million would be needed to take the record beyond 1,000mph."
Mick Schumacher wins F3 title
"The 19-year-old scored seven pole positions, eight wins and 13 podiums on his way to the championship, in only his second season in the sport. 'It’s a slightly unreal feeling – I’m absolutely delighted,” said Mick. “I still can’t quite believe it. All I can say is thank you to everyone in the team for your support during this incredible season.'"
Advertisement - Page continues belowHennessey's Jeep Trackhawk just did 0-60mph in 2.3s
"Running on 109-octane fuel and 22psi of boost, Hennessey’s Trackhawk makes 1,003bhp and 892 lb-ft. At the wheels. At the crank, you’re looking at 1,200bhp and 1100 lb-ft. Or if you’d rather, enough to win a tug-of-war with a medium-sized aircraft carrier."
Nissan's future sports cars will be electrified
"It’s no surprise for a carmaker to confirm more and more of its products will be electrified, but it’s no less intriguing to hear it, not least when it involves sports cars. One of Nissan’s marketing bosses, Jean-Pierre Diernaz, has told Top Gear that around 40 per cent of the cars his company sells in Europe will be electrified by 2022. And that’s not just limited to Qashqais and suchlike."
This is the new Porsche Panamera GTS
"Like the GTS models of old, it’s pretty much business as usual: bits and bobs from across the range and plenty of options all thrown in with the addition of an alcantara steering wheel and lots of red stitching to keep people who like driving happy. "
This is the new BMW X7 and it’s huge
"Welcome to a MASSIVE radiator grille, and the SUV to which it’s attached. Ostensibly for the American market, we suspect, the BMW X7 is designed to compete with the full-fat Range Rover and Mercedes GLS. But at 5,151mm long, 2,000mm wide (how much of that is the grille?!) and 1,805mm tall, the seven-seater isn’t just BMW’s biggest-ever SUV, it could well be Britain’s, too. It’s longer, wider and taller than a Range Rover, which is just about the biggest car you can get away with in the UK. Gulp."
Advertisement - Page continues belowReview: Volvo S60
"It’s a brand-new saloon car, just as we’re being told the unstoppable march of the SUV is killing the traditional four-door off. But the new Volvo S60 counters by purporting itself as a modern-thinking saloon car. Not least by offering no diesels; it’ll only come in petrol and hybrid form."
Chevy has fitted a '73 Chevelle with a 755bhp ZR1 engine
"If there’s one way to fix the Malaise Era, it’s with modern muscle. And we’re inclined to believe that Chevy’s latest is definitely muscular enough. In fact, the menacing bruiser you see pictured here is equipped with the sort of brute force that’s usually reserved for bullet trains: a full 755bhp and 715lb ft of torque."
Advertisement - Page continues belowSkoda reveals Kodiaq GT... for China only
"Here it is then: a coupe-SUV from Skoda. Yes, Skoda. After the Vision RS hot hatch hybrid concept, and the Kodiaq vRS hot crossover, the Kodiaq GT will be the next Czech offering that’s supposed to make you go ‘mmm, phwoar’."
VW announces diesel scrappage plan for Germany
"Since 1992 the EU has set emissions targets that all new cars must meet. The Euro 1 standards came into force in July 1992, Euro 2 in 1996 and so-on. You’re eligible for these new “environmental incentives” – worth between €1,500 and €8,000 towards the purchase of a new VW – if you trade in a diesel car that doesn’t conform to Euro 5 or today’s Euro 6 standards."
Jag I-Pace, Merc EQC, Tesla Model X and Audi e-tron: how do they compare?
"You wait years for a long-range, electric, posh, fast SUV to provide an alternative to the Tesla Model X, and then three come along at once. Side-by-side at the Paris show, Jaguar and Audi and Mercedes had their new entries. Jaguar is just beginning to deliver the i-Pace, Audi is taking orders for the e-tron and Mercedes will shortly follow with the production-ready EQC making its public debut here for sale next year."
Ford is going to build another 350 GT supercars
"Good news, the application process to buy a Ford GT is set to reopen on 8 November (2018) for one month only, giving the thousands of people who missed out first time around another chance to give Ford lots of their money."
UK petrol and diesel ban should be ‘brought forward’ to 2032
"Banning petrol and diesel car sales in the UK should be brought forward to 2032, according to a new report by the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy committee."
Porsche is putting the Mission E Cross Turismo into production
"As the electric car revolution gathers pace, it’s started splintering off into niches already. Say you wanted an EV, but you’ve been waiting for a semi-sporty one with a raised ride height and an estate body – what to do? Wonder no more – Porsche’s got you covered."
Here's what seven months living with a Honda Civic Type R is like
"It’s a big car, the Civic, and you notice it in car parks. And for such a big footprint, only offering four seats (Honda bullishly says no middle rear seat is a Type R tradition) feels wasteful. The boot’s massive, though. The seats are superb. Cabin ergonomics are vastly improved from the old Type R. What a pity that global player Honda couldn’t be arsed to spend another tenner developing a touchscreen that wouldn’t look outdated in 1993."
This is Lynk & Co’s 500bhp sports saloon concept
"Lynk & Co, China’s answer to subscription-based car ownership, has announced it intends to build a road-going, 500bhp saloon car. This is exciting news."
TG drag races: Hyundai i30N vs Megane RS vs Civic Type R
"Who rules the drag-strip from the modern hot hatch world? Find out as Honda’s Civic Type R takes on the Renault Megane RS Cup 280 and Hyundai i30N."
Enter Sandman: Australia’s van culture
"Look at them. Just look at them! Slathered in majestic candy paint, adorned with bizarre acid trip airbrushing and rolling on jelly bean mag wheels with mattresses sloshing away in the back. Seriously, if there was ever a car that captured a generation so well, yet would be pretty much impossible to resurrect in our current cultural and political climate, it’s the iconic Aussie panel van. And boy, do they look resplendent in the spring southern hemisphere sun."
Skoda's new hatchback is called 'Scala'
"Scala. An electronic string quartet that once competed on a well-known ITV talent show. A night club near King’s Cross. A programming language. And now, a small Skoda."
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