All posts by Francis Mitterrand

News

Ford Mustang stays loyal to the V8 engine

In 1964, Ford introduced a series of cars with, currently, the longest manufactured nameplate, the Ford Mustang. After six decades and six generations of this model, Ford still remains loyal to the V8 engine, despite the fact that most manufacturers have completely abandoned internal combustion engines.

The seventh generation will be powered by a 5-liter naturally aspirated Coyote V8 engine with 486 – 500 hp (362 – 373 kW), depending on the market. The Mustang is an icon of the American auto industry and has been one of the best-selling sports cars for years, and soon it could get a GTD version based on the Mustang GT3 racer. The GT3 was developed in cooperation with M-Sport and is powered by the Coyote engine-based 5.4L naturally aspirated V8. However, the GTD will be powered by a 5.2-liter V8 engine with more than 800 hp (597 kW).

Their main competitors in the American market, Chevrolet and Dodge do not share the same opinion when it comes to V8 engines. The Camaro and Challenger models are no longer available with this type of engine, leaving muscle car fans without the sound of their thunder.

Last summer, Ford introduced the fully electric Mustang Mach-E Rally powered by two electric motors, one on each axle, with a total output of 480 hp (353 kW) and 652 lb-ft (884 Nm) of torque. This caused a lot of resentment among fans of this model, and Ford tried to calm it down a bit with the Ford Mustang EcoBoost model, which is powered by a 2.3-liter four-cylinder turbo gasoline engine with 315 hp (235 kW) and 350 lb-ft (475 Nm) of torque.

Source: Ford

News

Three rare supercars in an abandoned dealership

Gordon Cheng is one of the car enthusiasts who travels around the world making videos about high performance cars. In Dongguan, China, he found an abandoned dealership with three rare supercars: a Porsche Carrera GT, a Ferrari 575 Superamerica and a Corvette Z06.

All the cars are in perfect condition, covered with dust, and the collector’s Porsche Carrera GT attracts special attention. It was produced between 2004 and 2006, and only 1270 units left the assembly line. It is powered by a 5.7 L V10 engine with 603 hp (450 kW) and 435 lb-ft (590 Nm) of torque. It reaches 60 mph (97 km/h) in 3.5 seconds, 100 mph (161 km/h) in 6.8 seconds and 209 km/h (130 mph) in 10.8 seconds with a top speed of 330 km/h (205 mph). It should be noted that Porsche produced only three cars in the Zanzibar Red Metallic shade, and this one is one of them.

The Ferrari 575 Superamerica was produced in only 599 examples and this example is one of 43 produced with a manual transmission. It was originally sold in Russia and Germany before arriving in China with just 3,500 kilometers on the odometer.

The Corvette Z06 is powered by a 7.0-L LS7 V8 engine with 505 hp (377 kW) and 470 lb-ft (637 Nm) of torque. That’s enough to push the car to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.9 seconds with a top speed of 320 km/h (199 mph). Power is sent to the rear wheels via a 6-speed manual gearbox.

It is not known why the dealership was abandoned, and it is assumed that the owner fled because of debts. The space is not in good condition, so there is a risk that cars will be damaged. Some information says that Porsche tried to take over the Carrera GT, but due to strict Chinese regulations, it was an unsuccessful attempt.

Source: effspot via YouTube

News

2025 Kia K4 – Compact sedan powered by ICE

Kia is not giving up on ICE cars, and their latest model, the Kia K4, is one of them. It is a compact sedan and the successor of the Kia Forte model, with a completely different design.

The design of the car is adorned by the body color, which at first glance gives the impression that it is a two-door car. However, if you look closely, you will notice the rear door handles hidden in the C-pillar. The headlights have a “T” shape, which also adorns other Kia models such as the Sorento. The design continues with a straight roof line to the rear part where there is a vertical line of taillights that extends almost to the rear bumper.

Inside, the seats are covered in Slate Green material, which also covers the dashboard, center armrest and steering wheel. It is not known what kind of material it is. There is also a centrally positioned 30-inch screen through which all important functions can be controlled. However, Kia kept the buttons, so the air conditioner can still be operated manually.

When it comes to the powertrain, the Kia K4 will be offered in two versions. The entry version is powered by a 2.0L naturally aspirated gasoline engine with 149 hp (111 kW) and 132 lb-ft (179 Nm) of torque, mated to a CVT gearbox. The second version is powered by a 1.6 L I4 engine with 193 hp (144 kW) and 195 lb-ft (264 Nm) of torque, mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission.

The car was premiered at the 2024 New York International Auto Show in early March, and will be available as a 4-door sedan and a 5-door hatchback.

Source: KIA

Gallery:

2025 Kia K4 - Compact sedan powered by ICE