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Everything you need to know about cars this week: 31 May '20
A Lego Lambo, Aston gets a new boss and we drive the 911 Turbo in the UK
Charles Leclerc has thrashed a Ferrari SF90 through Monaco
"Ferrari has deployed its youngest, fastest driver and youngest, fastest supercar to pay homage to one of the most legendary – and controversial – pieces of motoring cinema ever. Charles Leclerc has driven the new SF90 Stradale hybrid around the streets of Monte Carlo for a remake of the 1976 film C’était un rendez-vous, in partnership with the original’s director, Claude Lelouch."
Advertisement - Page continues belowThe boss of AMG is now running Aston Martin
"Aston Martin is to have a new boss from August 1. He is Tobias Moers, who was until now the chief of Mercedes’ AMG division. Aston’s existing CEO Andy Palmer steps down immediately. Palmer launched some great new cars but the past year has been one of terrible losses, a steady and catastrophic share price fall, and a descent into near-bankruptcy."
The facelifted Kia Rio has a trick manual gearbox
"The clutch-by-wire system means the third pedal remains, but it isn’t directly connected to the clutch by a mechanical linkage. Instead, a sensor on the pedal tells the car’s electronic brain when to engage the clutch, and an electromechanical actuator does the operating."
Advertisement - Page continues belowAudi suspends Daniel Abt after he cheated in an online race
"The truth emerged – Abt wasn’t driving. He had enlisted a professional sim-racer called Lorenz Hoerzing to race in his car, under his name. On Sunday Abt, who’s been a Formula-E driver since 2014, was disqualified, stripped of his points and ordered to pay a €10,000 euro fine to charity."
BMW has revamped the 5 Series and 6 Series Gran Turismo
"If you’ve been following recent developments at BMW you won’t be surprised to learn that the main visual change is a deeper, wider grille. Shallower, brighter headlights contrast with and emphasise the grille’s depth. But this new chrome work does stop short of the cartoon dentistry adopted by the biggest cars in BMW’s range. Not to mention the upcoming 4 Series."
Will the 2021 Geneva Motor Show also be cancelled?
"International motor shows look like an endangered species. Even before coronavirus, it was announced the Frankfurt event was moving to Munich for 2021, because that’s a city (like Geneva) with a lot of local wealthy car buyers. Detroit was planned to move from its traditional January slot to a more of a family summer fair event in June, but the 2020 event is of course cancelled. Paris is held every other October, and again 2020’s is cancelled."
What would you do with a 107bhp crate electric motor?
"In much the same way Ford and GM will sell you a big, thirsty V8 and all the bits you need to make it work, a few companies have begun offering off-the-shelf electric powertrains. One such company is Swindon Powertrain, an outfit you’ve never heard of that’s been building road and race engines and components since the Seventies."
Advertisement - Page continues belowWoohoo! A 523bhp BMW 550i saloon is coming to the UK
"BMW has announced that a range-topping 550i xDrive saloon will be available to purchase in the United Kingdom for the grand old sum of £67,595."
Glenn Irwin: “racing gave me the highs to pull me out of the lows”
"Glenn Irwin is a racer with a bunch of British Superbike wins to his name and an Isle of Man TT ride with Honda in the pipeline. But after a recent interview, he’s also become a bit of a spokesperson for mental health, which is rare (thus far) in the motorsport paddock."
Advertisement - Page continues below2020 Porsche 911 Turbo S review: 641bhp supercar’s UK test
"There’s a marked, firmly delivered kick, and after that your brain can’t really process what’s going on. So maybe it kicks again at four thousand, but basically it’s bloody hard to tell. Same again at five and six. Anyway, the force sustains all the way to the 7,000rpm red line. Exponential propulsion."
Mercedes has facelifted the E-Class Coupe and Cabriolet
"Back in March, Mercedes unveiled the facelifted versions of its E-Class saloon and estate – how long ago does that feel? And now, just in time for summer, we’ve been treated to mid-life updates on the two-door Coupe and Cabriolet versions. Perfectly timed."
Pay attention 007: these are the gadgets on Aston’s £3.3m DB5
"There are toys, and then there are toys. This is the latter. In the words of Aston Martin Works boss Paul Spires, this continuation Goldfinger DB5 is one of 'the most desirable toys ever built for 25 very lucky buyers worldwide'."
There will be no new Mercedes-AMG E63 Coupe or Cabriolet
"Mercedes-AMG has confirmed that the Coupe and Cabriolet versions of the recently facelifted E-Class will not be offered in full-fat E63 form. Boooo."
Check out this carbon-fibre 1967 Shelby GT500 Mustang
"Restomodded Shelby Mustangs are nothing new, that’s for sure, but this from Oklahoma-based ‘Stang builder Classic Recreations might just move the game on."
Lotus won its first ever F1 race 60 years ago with Sir Stirling Moss
"Sixty years ago today, Lotus scored its first World Championship Formula One win. There would be another 80 where that came from and a long list of era-defining technical innovations. But the first time is always special, not least because the winning driver in the Monaco Grand Prix that day was one Stirling Moss."
Travis Pastrana is doing Gymkhana 11
"Here’s some news we weren’t expecting. For the eleventh Gymkhana video, Kenny from the Block - Mr Gymkhana himself - is letting someone else do the driving. None other than Travis Pastrana will star in the next film, which should be released sometime later this year."
This is the new, 3,696-piece Lego Technic Lamborghini Siån
"Yep, the bonkers Lamborghini Siån is the latest hypercar to be immortalised in Technic, complete with a replica of its mega V12, a fully-functioning eight-speed sequential gearbox operated by flappy paddles, full front and rear suspension, a retractable spoiler, an opening ‘frunk’ with matching Lambo overnight bag (yeah, seriously) and of course the all-important scissor doors."
A Porsche 935 that's covered zero miles is up for auction
"Did you miss the chance to grab one of the 77 Porsche 935s last year? Are you still kicking yourself about it? Rest thine foot for a moment. The Martini-liveried example you see above is set to cross the virtual auction block at the RM Sotheby’s European Sale next month."
At last! Nissan confirms it’s working on a new 370Z
"After centuries on sale, during which it’s been owned by the likes of King Henry VIII, Joan of Arc and Adam ‘n’ Eve in the garden of Eden, the 370Z is set to make way for an all-new Nissan Z-car. There’s life in the sporting coupe yet, folks."
How to make a V12 supercar weigh less than a Ford Fiesta
"Nope, Gordon Murray hasn’t fully revealed the T.50, his long-awaited successor to the McLaren F1… yet. We’re going to have to hang on for another few months before we get a look at the design and a proper poke around one (and another 18 months before it goes into production), but to keep the excitement bubbling he’s released details on the witchcraft that allows a three-seater, V12 supercar to weigh just 980kg – less than your average supermini."
The 800bhp Kiwi Kona rally car now has a carbon bodykit
"After a period of inactivity (guess why…) the Kiwi Kona is back in development. It’s World Rally driver Hayden Paddon’s take on an electric rally car – a Hyundai Kona with the potential for 800bhp coursing through it – and now that lockdown’s eased in his native New Zealand, the project is back up at full strength."
This is TopGear.com’s very own Bentley Mulliner Bacalar*
"When Bentley’s UK headquarters sent me an email asking if anyone from TopGear.com would like to go through the process of configuring a Bacalar, I completely forgot to forward it on to my colleagues and accidentally booked myself in for possibly the most fun it’s possible to have on a video conference call. Whoops. "
Review: Mercedes GLA
"Crossover'd A-Class is an improvement on the old one and will no doubt sell very well indeed, but it's not without its problems..."
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