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Bugatti teases something new on the horizon
Sat, Aug 15 2015Bugatti isn't keeping a secret that development on a follow-up to the Veyron is advancing, but the brand continues to be very cagey about what is coming. In a new teaser video, the company is at least giving us something to think about with a narrator asking viewers to "imagine the impossible." Sadly, the clip never shows an actual vehicle, but you can hear a growling engine at the end. While Bugatti isn't talking officially, rumors are heaping up about the future vehicle, reportedly called the Chiron. Spy shots show a design that so far is largely similar to the Veyron, but the 8.0-liter quad-turbo W16 reportedly is pushed to 1,500 horsepower and 1,106 pound-feet. The extra oomph comes thanks to the fitment of electric turbochargers to compliment the standard ones, and some reports even suggest a hybrid setup. During the unveiling of the final Veyron, company president Wolfgang Durheimer admitted, "Our challenge is to make the best even better." It's interesting to see Bugatti teasing something now because a previous report suggests a launch in 2016. Here's hoping, we get a glimpse sooner than that.
Xcar weighs in on the five best-sounding modern cars
Fri, Jul 24 2015Getting behind the wheel of a well-balanced vehicle can be a wonderfully visceral experience, thanks to the combined feeling of things like the weight of the steering, the bite of the brakes, and, of course, the roar of the engine. Unfortunately, many of the sensations of driving require actually being in the driver's seat to understand them, but thankfully the intoxicating noise of a beautifully tuned internal combustion engine can be shared with everyone. In a new video, Xcar shares their opinion on the five best-sounding modern performance cars. The list is a symphony of horsepower. As opposed to keeping all of the vehicles brand new, Xcar actually picks a few that are recently off the market. They're all definitely champs, though. While the list itself is well stocked, you might be able to argue with the specific order, and it would be nice to hear a few participants from outside of Europe for a collection like this one, too. No matter. Every listener is sure to find something they like in the bunch, though. Turn up the volume and enjoy.
Volkswagen building budget car family planned for China in 2018
Mon, Jun 29 2015Volkswagen has publicly pondered a low-cost car for China, something akin to Nissan's Datsun revival in Southeast Asia, for at least three years. In 2013 it tapped Chinese partner FAW to help develop an entire budget brand, with plans to have something on the market in 2016 in the 6,000- to 8,000-euro range. About a year ago, VW said it couldn't figure out how to engineer an inexpensive car that didn't run counter to the brand's values, then three weeks later said it had overcome the issues. Reuters now reports that VW CEO Martin Winterkorn told German newspaper Bild am Sonntag, "We will bring a budget-car family to market in 2018, with an SUV, saloon and hatchback." Winterkorn didn't offer any other details like who VW would work with to build it - VW has partnerships with both FAW and SAIC, but the announcement will be welcomed by the brand's Chinese outpost. When this adventure started, VW said it was working to create a model that would cost 6,000 to 8,000 euro. That estimate has increased. Winterkorn is now saying the 2018 offerings will come in between 8,000 and 11,000 euro. In a straight euro-to-yuan conversion, that would equate to Chinese pricing of 56,000 to 77,000 yuan. For comparison, the New Polo with a 1.4-liter engine and a manual transmission starts at 85,900 yuan. Perhaps with an eye on the success of the Nissan-Renault sub-brand Dacia in Europe and emerging markets, Winterkorn told Bild, "We will see if this is something of interest for other markets as well." On the opposite end of the price/performance spectrum, Winterkorn also said that VW is working on two new models for Bugatti, one powered by a traditional gasoline engine and another with some sort of hybrid setup. The latter model would reportedly be the higher-performing of the two, though it's not clear whether there would be two vehicle lines or two versions of the same vehicle. As ever, as soon as we know more, so will you.
VW Group to split brands under four holding companies
Tue, Jun 16 2015The Volkswagen Group is planning a tremendous shift in its internal structure that will decentralize operations by splitting its 12 brands into four different holding companies. Here's the breakdown. Things will be split logically, considering the inter-sharing of parts, platforms, and engines. The Volkswagen brand, Seat, and Skoda make up a passenger vehicle division led by former BMW man Herbert Diess. Audi, which is tightly intertwined with Lamborghini and motorcycle manufacturer Ducati, will be managed by current Audi exec Rupert Stadler. Porsche and Bentley, which are already quite close, will be joined by Bugatti and run by Matthias Mueller. Finally, a commercial vehicles division will include Volkswagen Commercial, Scania, and Man. Former Daimler exec Andreas Renschler will take care of the big vehicles. The massive move, according to Automotive News Europe, is part of an internal VAG effort to move away from the structure established by ousted Chairman Ferdinand Piech, who favored a compact, but highly centralized, management structure to oversee the independent actions of the company's brands. Criticism of Piech's arrangement stemmed from the company's slow responses to changes in the market, ANE reports. The new structure should make for a more efficient, streamlined company that's better able to make crucial decisions. What are your thoughts? Should VAG decentralize, or did Piech have the right idea? Have your say in Comments.
Petrolicious turns a masterful lens on Bugatti specialists Garage Novo
Thu, Jun 4 2015Petrolicious is known for the fantastic cinematography of its videos, but the latest clip featuring Bugatti specialists Garage Novo in France and a Bugatti Type 38 is a visual masterpiece. Combining lingering shots of the car's mechanicals at work, a roadster sliding around narrow roads with the sun low in the sky and a fascinating family story, this is an absolute must-see. Garage Novo was founded due to one man's love of Bugattis, and the shop has been in the business of repairing and restoring the cars for three generations now. In the family's personal collection is the Type 38, covering a claimed 125,000 miles over the Novo's decades of ownership. Giving away much more would ruin this charming story, but be sure to experience this video because it's a treat for the eyes.
Kawasaki H2R races Bugatti Veyron, MP4-12C, and 1,350-hp GT-R
Fri, May 22 2015The Kawasaki Ninja H2R ranks among the modern marvels of the production motorcycle world. The bike is only for the track, but with a 1.0-liter, supercharged, four-cylinder engine making 300 horsepower, it's ludicrously quick. Super Street decided to put that acceleration to the test by staging a half-mile race against a Bugatti Veyron with the 1,200-hp tune from the Super Sport. We aren't going to spoil the winner, but according to Super Street this bike is the only H2R that Kawasaki USA currently has. The magazine also staged similar races against a McLaren MP4-12C and a Nissan GT-R with a claimed 1,350 hp, and you can check them both out below. If you're curious to read more about this event, there's an in-depth piece online about it all, as well.
Bugatti targeting two-second 0-62 mph time, 14 mpg for Chiron
Thu, Apr 30 2015Car magazine has put a couple more outrageous numbers to the automobile expected to be called the Bugatti Chiron in honor of Monegasque racing driver Louis Chiron. We've already been looking forward to a 25-percent jump in output to 1,500 horsepower compared to the final-run Vitesse coupes; Car says that the torque target is 1,106 pound-feet, which would be unchanged from the last Veyron models. Those numbers will put indisputable distance between the Chiron and the trio of supercars that have surrounded it. They could also allow the Chiron to do the 0-100 km/hr run - note, 62 mph, not 60 mph - in 2.0 seconds. That would be four-tenths of a second under the Vitesse models, and would put the Bugatti more than 0.6 seconds ahead of the McLaren P1, more than 0.5 seconds ahead of the Porsche 918 with the Weissach Package, and more than 0.5 seconds ahead of the Ferrari LaFerrari. There has been talk about "lighter weight" and "more nimble handling," but sticking with the basic Veyron form, even when 92 percent of the components are said to be new or revised, means we shouldn't expect miracles. But big changes are being made to make the Chiron kinder in urban environments, and that will include gas mileage. Our own EPA gave the Veyron a rating of 10 miles per gallon combined, Car says the Chiron is going after 14 mpg with those electric turbos as well as regular old luxury car tech like cylinder deactivation and economy car tech like direct injection. We wonder if the recent departure of Volkswagen Group Chairman Ferdinand Piech, father of the Veyron, will end up making more changes to the car; he was the one who delayed its arrival to next year because he wanted more done to it. At the moment, we're apparently looking at a kinder, gentler Bugatti that will slay everything - in a straight line, at least.
Floyd 'Money' Mayweather has purchased 100 cars from one dealer
Fri, Apr 24 2015If you bought 100 Nissan Versa sedans and didn't pay a cent over MSRP and got the dealer to forgo destination and handling charges, you'd rack up a bill for $1,199,000. Floyd Mayweather has bought 100 cars from Towbin Motorcars in Las Vegas, and not a single one of them was a Nissan Versa; in fact, one of the Bugatti Veyrons he bought probably cost more than that bill for 100 Versas. And he bought three. Towbin Motors, which was featured in the show King of Cars that ran for two seasons on A&E, tells USA Today what it's like catering to a guy who might want to car shop at 2:00 AM and who brings duffel bags of cash to pay for his sprees. Some doors never close for folks who have made more than $400 million, as the video above explains. News Source: USA TodayImage Credit: Eric Jamison/Getty Images Celebrities Bugatti Coupe Luxury Performance Supercars Videos Sedan
Xcar sends off the Bugatti Veyron
Mon, Apr 13 2015By now, there are a small but growing number of exotic supercars costing seven figures, producing 1,000 horsepower and reaching 250 miles per hour, but ten years ago, those kinds of bragging rights were unheard of. It was Bugatti that broke such barriers with the Veyron, and it's that story which Xcar tells in this latest video installment. The story of the Veyron is one of unprecedented technological achievement, the dawn of a new era of performance and the height of status-symbol transportation. It's also a story worth telling, and worth telling right. And we're glad Xcar has set about it. So sit back, crank the speakers and listen to the most cacophonic yet refined swan song in the history of the automobile. Related Video:
We drive the cars of Furious 7... in Forza Horizon 2 [w/video]
Thu, Apr 9 2015On March 27, Turn 10 Studios, the folks behind the Forza Motorsport series, and Universal Pictures, the studio responsible for the Fast and Furious franchise, gave us a match made in heaven, announcing a "standalone expansion" featuring the two franchises. Called Forza Horizon 2 Presents Fast and Furious, it features the cars from the latest film installment, unique missions and the voice-acting of Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, who plays tech guru Tej Parker on camera. A Fast and Furious video game? Seems like a no brainer. It gets better. Rather than limiting the Fast and Furious Edition cars to the expansion game, Turn 10 made them available through one of their (some may say notorious) downloadable content packages. Eight of the expansion's 11 cars were made available for just $4.99 (the only cars that weren't included were the Fast and Furious Edition Nissan GT-R, while the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport and McLaren P1 are already available in-game). What's cool ais that the cars featured in both games are visually identical to the vehicles driven by the stars of Furious 7. Each in-game car has an on-screen parallel that plays a role in advancing the film's story. Considering that we're unlikely to score seat time in Dominic Toretto's real Dodge Charger, then, we figured we'd take to the game and test the car in the digital realm. We've got nine little cluster reviews, covering the cars both in the game and how they appear in the movies. And don't worry, there are no major spoilers here. Click on for the cars of Forza Horizon 2 Presents Fast and Furious. 1970 Dodge Charger R/T Fast and Furious Edition Supercharged 7.2L V8 / 900 HP / 663 LB-FT The one vehicle that is mandatory in a Fast and Furious video game, Dom's hot-rodded 1970 Dodge Charger, is as much a character in the films as its driver. Furious 7 marks the fourth appearance of this Mopar beast in the series. Not surprisingly it's a handful to drive, wildly quick and with a four-speed transmission packed full of very tall gears. But beyond that, it's arguably the coolest of the FF Edition cars. This black beauty is exactly as it appears in the latest installment of the film, with the video game version featuring intricate little details, like the moving parts on the BDS supercharger. It's an iconic car, and it's treated as such in the game.