All posts by Francis Mitterrand

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Porsche has started production of the Macan EV

In January, Porsche introduced the new generation Macan EV, which attracted a large number of buyers. In March alone, Porsche received over 10k orders, and the company announced that production had started.

The new Macan will be produced at its main factory in Zuffenhausen and at the plant in Leipzig, in which Porsche has invested over half a billion euros. The new generation Panamera is also produced in this plant, and more than 4,600 employees work in production. In this factory, it is possible to produce ICE, hybrid and fully electric cars on the same line.

Although Porsche’s plan was that by the end of the decade the majority of cars produced would be fully electric, the latest information suggests that this will not happen. Customer demands and the development of electromobility in certain regions of the world played a big role in this turning point. Demand for the Macan is high, so Porsche is considering increasing annual production from the planned 20,000 to 40,000 – 60,000 in 2025.

The car is 4.78 meters long, 1.93 meters wide and 1.62 meters high, with a wheelbase of 2.89 meters. It is built on the PPE (Premium Platform Electric) platform, which Porsche developed in cooperation with Audi, and the same platform will be used for the upcoming electric Audi A6 and Q6. It is equipped with an 800-volt architecture and a 100 kWh lithium-nickel-manganese battery that enables a range of 613 km (380 miles) of range in WLTP (591 km in the Macan Turbo). The battery can be charged from 10 to 80 percent within approximately 21 minutes at a suitable fast-charging station. Depending on the amount of energy available in a battery, the electric Macan can regenerate up to 240 kW of energy when braking.

When it comes to the powertrain, the Macan 4 is powered by a dual motors with 408 hp (300 kW) and 479 lb-ft (650 Nm) of torque, the Macan Turbo has 630 hp (470 kW) and 833 lb-ft (1,130 Nm) of torque. However, all these figures are implied with overboost, which means that this power is available for a limited time even when using Launch Control. The Macan 4 accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 5.2 seconds with a top speed of 220 km/h (137 mph), while the Macan Turbo reaches 62 mph (100 km/h) in 3.3 seconds with a top speed of 260 km/h (161 mph).

Source: Porsche

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Porsche has started production of the Macan EV
Sale

BMW M4 DTM Champion Edition is up for sale

In 2022, the Schubert Motorsport team won the championship title, and in their honor BMW produced a special edition of the M4 DTM model, the BMW M4 DTM Champion Edition. It is a limited edition car and one example is for sale.

This M4 DTM Champion Edition is powered by a 3.0-L twin-turbo inline-six with 503 hp (375 kW), mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission that sends power to all four wheels.

The bodywork is painted red, while the right front part and the left rear part are yellow, just like the car of the South African driver Shelden van der Linde, who was the 2022 DTM driver’s champion. There are white details with the number 31 on the front fenders, and black decals adorn the hood. The sills are painted black, the rear lip spoiler is a combination of yellow and black, while additional black details adorn the rear bumper.

Inside, the black sports seats are decorated with red details and the inscription “#31 SVL DTM Champion Edition” on the hearrest. There are plaques with the Schubert Motorsport logo and Van der Linde’s signature on the door sills, while a small plaque located on the center console contains the words “Hockenheim 1/9” and the silhouette of the track.

The car is located in Germany and the asking price is €169,900.

Source: Schubert Motors

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BMW M4 DTM Champion Edition is up for sale
News

Chinese manufacturer Aiways is moving to Europe

China has been the leader in the production of electric cars for years, and now it has become an overcrowded market with a large number of manufacturers who are finding it increasingly difficult to survive. One of them is Aiways, which in the battle of giants like BYD, Tesla or VW, decided to leave the domestic market.

Aiways Automobiles was founded in 2017, and from the very beginning, the goal was to develop a range of SUVs with electric drive. Now the company has announced that it has no plans to stay in the Chinese market due to the intense price pressure and competition that exists in this market, and that the center of global sales operations is moving to Europe (Germany).

After financial problems that forced the company to suspend car production at the Shangrao plant, Aiways still managed to find a way out and continue operations. They are currently working on a new crossover that, according to the company’s plans, should attract a larger number of customers with a low price and ensure better days for the manufacturer. According to Autocar, for now Aiways does not intend to transfer production to European soil, so the U5 and U6 models will continue to be produced in China.

Source: Autocar

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Chinese manufacturer Aiways is moving to Europe