All posts by Francis Mitterrand

News

Saudi police to use all-electric Lucid Air

Lucid Motors has been struggling with stock prices and car deliveries due to a slowdown in electric vehicle sales, and now they have signed a contract to supply the Saudi Arabian police force with Lucid Air. These are all-electric sedans that will cruise on the roads of the Kingdom.

The first copy was presented in Riyadh, and it is finished in black and white police livery. On the roof of the car, instead of a siren and police lights, there is a carrier with a drone. By pressing a button, the driver activates the drone, which takes off.

For now, there are no detailed photos of the car’s interior. All cars should be equipped with standard police equipment, with perhaps some extras.

This is not a surprise if we consider that the sovereign fund of Saudi Arabia owns 60% of the shares of Lucid Motors, and that Saudi Arabia recently signed an agreement with Lucid Group on the construction of the first ever facility for the production of electric vehicles in KSA. It is part of the Vision 2030 plan by which the largest oil producer wants to transform its economy.

Representatives of Saudi Arabia stated that this is only the beginning of what can be expected in the future, and the opening of the first Lucid Group factory will enable the realization of the recently signed agreement with the Government of Saudi Arabia on the sale of 100,000 vehicles in the next decade. The factory will be built in Jeddah and will have a capacity of 150,000 vehicles per year.

Source: MOI Saudi Arabia via X

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Saudi police to use all-electric Lucid Air
Tuning

MANHART MH2 560 based on BMW M2 G87

At the end of 2022, BMW premiered the BMW M2 G87 as the last generation of this model with ICE. Now, 15 months later, the German tuner Manhart has introduced its first project based on this model, the MANHART MH2 560.

Manhart finished the car in a traditional black color with a decal set in matte gray/blue that goes from the front mask over the hood and roof to the rear spoiler. There are blue details on the front splitter, front grille, front air intakes, side skirts, around the rear exhaust pipes and on the rear spoiler.

Also, Manhart equipped the car with carbon body parts that include hood, kidney grilles, front bumper inserts, Alpha-N front spoiler lip, side skirts, spoiler lip on the trunk and an Alpha-N carbon rear diffuser. Of course, there are also M Performance mirror caps. Additional equipment includes Sport Downpipes with HJS catalytic converters with ECE certification, MANHART stainless steel exhaust system with valve control function, four matte black 100-millimeter tailpipes, and Variant 4 coilover suspension by KW Suspensions. Optionally, customers can order Race Downpipes and OPF-Delete replacement pipes with 200-cell catalytic converters and OPF/GPF Deleters, as well as a set of MANHART coil-over springs by KW Suspensions.

Inside, the M Sport seats, curved display on the instrument panel, with two screens of 12.3 and 14.9 inches through which the driver can adjust various vehicle systems, such as the chassis, steering, braking and M traction control, have been retained. Added MANHART floor mats and plenty of carbon.

When it comes to the powertrain, the MH2 560 is powered by a twin-turbo 3.0-liter inline-6 engine with 560 hp (418 kW) and 479 lb-ft (650 Nm) of torque. As a reminder, the standard M2 has 453 hp (333 kW) and 406 lb-ft (550 Nm) of torque. The increase in power was achieved thanks to the MANHART MHtronik control unit. The car is mounted on 21″ Concave One alloy wheels in diamond-polished finish wrapped in 275/25ZR21 and 295/25ZR21. 20″ wheels with 265/30ZR20 at the front and 285/30ZR20 tires are optionally available.

Source: Manhart

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MANHART MH2 560 based on BMW M2 G87
Tuning

Mansory Gronos 6×6 based on the Mercedes-AMG G63

In 2013, the Mercedes-AMG G 63 was one of the first cars to be transformed into a six-wheeler, and now the German luxury car modification firm Mansory has created another six-wheeler based on this model, the Mansory Gronos 6×6.

The standard G63 was transformed into a pickup truck with suicide doors that allow easier access to the rear seats. It is equipped with impact protection devices mounted in front of the aprons,
LED additional headlights mounted on the roof, cable winch at the front, additional axle with a lockable differential in the longitudinal and transverse directions on the third (additional) axle, and high-performance shock absorbers.

Inside, customers can choose the interior design in terms of leather, colors, quilting and carbon design. A special highlight is the roof lining with more than 3,000 LEDs, which is installed at the request of the customer, who can choose the design. There are other accessories that make this car more luxurious and comfortable.

Mansory offers a wide range of options so customers can choose whether they want on-road or off-road tires. If they opt for the on-road option, they will get 22-inch “YN.5″ wheels wrapped in 325/55 22 Pirelli Scorpion ATR tires. The off-road option brings 20” rims wrapped in 37×12.50×20 tires. The driver can use the control unit in the cockpit to adjust the air pressure in all tires thanks to the integrated tire inflation system with a high-performance compressor.

When it comes to the powertrain, the car is powered by a 4.0-liter V8 engine with 900 hp (671 kW) and 885 lb-ft (1,200 Nm) of torque. That’s a big increase in power over the standard G63, which has 577 hp (424 kW) and 627 lb-ft (850 Nm) of torque. This was achieved by installing a new exhaust gas turbocharger, a new intercooler, two high-pressure fuel pumps, adapted engine, transmission and CPC software, a sports air filter and a sports exhaust.

This exceptional car will be produced in only 10 examples. The price is not known.

Source: Mansory

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Mansory Gronos 6x6 based on the Mercedes-AMG G63