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Land Rover will downsize with a pair of hybridized turbodiesel sixes

Europe's automotive industry has ground to a halt, but the strict emissions regulations that went into effect in early 2020 are still looming on the horizon. Land Rover is preparing to launch a pair of hybridized turbodiesel six-cylinder engines in a bid to comply with the regulations and avoid paying huge fines, according to a recent report. British magazine Autocar learned Land Rover has applied the mild hybrid technology already offered on the Evoque and the Discovery Sport, its two smallest models, to a 3.0-liter straight-six to obtain 300 horsepower. The company will also release a more powerful version of the six rated at about 350 horses. The former will be available on HSE, HSE Dynamic and Autobiography Dynamic variants of the Range Rover Sport, while the latter will be added to upmarket models like the HST. The full-size Range Rover (pictured) will get them, too. The sixes represent a two-pronged approach to replacing the 4.4-liter turbodiesel V8 available in Europe, among other markets. It delivers 335 horsepower and 546 pound-feet of torque, and it sends the Range Rover from zero to 60 mph in 6.5 seconds while giving it a 7,700-pound towing capacity. These figures are hard to argue against, but it's an older engine that's increasing the company's fleet-wide average emissions output, so it has to go. The mild hybrid system won't power either Range Rover on electricity alone, but it will make them cleaner and more efficient; losing a pair of cylinders will help in both areas, too. Although Land Rover hasn't confirmed plans to ax the V8 or launch a hybridized six, suppliers have started publishing information about the powertrain, so its launch is believed to be around the corner. Time will tell whether it will appear on the current-generation models or their replacements, which are undergoing shakedown testing globally and due out in the coming months. Sister company Jaguar will use the mild hybrid technology, too. The six-cylinder will find its way into the XF and the F-Pace, which are both expected to receive comprehensive updates before the end of 2020. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Talking Land Rover Defender, Ford Bronco and GMC Jimmy | Autoblog Podcast #586

Not just 'our logo on a sail': Automakers gain technology from America's Cup

HAMILTON, Bermuda - From water taxis that "fly" on hydrofoils to aircraft wings and cutting-edge car steering wheels, the America's Cup has produced technology with potential far beyond its "foiling" catamarans. With their focus on carbon fiber and aerodynamics, the teams that fought for the America's Cup attracted partners including planemaker Airbus and automotive groups BMW and Land Rover, who were keen to learn from them. One area where this is likely to have an impact is in harnessing "foiling" technology, where the America's Cup boats "fly" above the water on foils, cutting water resistance. "Foiling in small electric boats will most likely appear on rivers in major cities. We are just at the beginning of the foiling adventure," Pierre Marie Belleau, head of Airbus Business Development, who managed its partnership with Larry Ellison's Oracle Team USA, told Reuters. The space-age catamarans used in the 35th America's Cup, which ended in victory for Emirates Team New Zealand this week, can sail at maximum speeds of 50 knots (57 mph) and have more in common with flying than sailing."CARBON FIBER RELATIONSHIP" For Jaguar Land Rover, which sponsored British sailor Ben Ainslie's attempt to win the cup, the relationship is a strategic one with a focus on technology and innovation. "We don't just get our logo onto a sail," Mark Cameron, JLR's Experiential Marketing Director, said by telephone, adding that the carmaker would be providing more designers to help Land Rover BAR with technology for their next campaign. "This is a dynamic sport that is developing fast. ... It's moving quickly just like the car industry is moving quickly. It's all changing," Land Rover produced a special steering wheel for Ainslie to use in the America's Cup, with in-built gear shift paddles that allowed him to adjust the catamaran's "flight" levels. The relationship is similar between BMW and Oracle Team USA, with the German automaker focused on areas including the electronics in the wheel used by skipper Jimmy Spithill, the development of carbon fiber used to make the boat and its components, and the aerodynamic testing. "We like to think of ourselves more as a partner than a sponsor. We have a very strong carbon fiber relationship," Ian Robertson, who is the BMW management board member responsible for sales and brand, told Reuters between races. "This is a dynamic sport that is developing fast. ... It's moving quickly just like the car industry is moving quickly.

2017 Jaguar F-Type SVR is a very fast, very angry kitty

Well, Jaguar has gone and done it. The British marque hit the perfect sweet spot with its newest F-Type, the range-topping SVR, landing squarely in a price/performance segment its butt-engined rivals from Stuttgart aren't playing in. Confirming our previous reports, the new SVR will debut at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show with the latest version of Jaguar Land Rover's 5.0-liter, supercharged V8. With some fettling by the team at JLR's Special Vehicle Operations, the engine has been boosted to 575 horsepower, 25 more than F-Type R. Torque is up from 501 pound-feet to 516 pound-feet, while the 0-60 time has dropped from 3.9 to just 3.5 seconds. And yes, 200 miles per hour is possible with the hardtop – the convertible will only do 195. That means you'll be getting more power, more torque, a quicker run to 60, and a higher top speed than an all-wheel-drive Porsche 911 GTS, but for just $5,000 more, a figure that's quickly erased by Porsche's insane options catalog. The Jag can't stand up to the 0-60 performance of 540-hp, 2.9-second 911 Turbo or the high speed of the 205-mph Turbo S, but with prices for the SVR Coupe starting at just $126,945 ($129,795 for the droptop), it's going to cost anywhere from $33,000 to $62,000 less than the Carreras. With only modest increases in output, it's pretty clear SVO made some bigger changes to score an extra 14 mph on the high end and cut 0.4 seconds off the 0-60 time. At its most basic level, the SVR is 55 pounds lighter than the F-Type R, thanks in large part to the new Inconel titanium exhaust, which cuts 35 pounds of fat (and makes for a more sinister note, we're told). Tack on the optional carbon-ceramic brakes, along with a few carbon-fiber accents, and the overall savings sits around 110 pounds. JLR is also promising faster performance from the eight-speed ZF automatic transmission, which still sends its power to all four wheels. Speaking of which, the new 20-inch forged aluminum alloys are shod in wider Pirelli PZero – 265s in front and 305s in the back, compared to 255/295 on the R model. There is also the usual array of aesthetic and aerodynamic changes. You can check out the more aggressive body work in the full gallery, but know the changes contribute to improved cooling and cut the coefficients of drag and lift by up to 7.5 and 45 percent, respectively, when the adjustable rear wing is in its aerodynamic down position, and 2.5 and 15 percent with the wing up.