All posts by Francis Mitterrand

News

Police found stolen cars worth $1 million

A few days ago, the Houston police found stolen cars worth over 1 million dollars. It is a long-prepared operation of catching thieves who have been stealing expensive cars for a long time and disassembling them into parts.

This is the second case of the discovery of large sites for dismantling stolen vehicles. Previously, the police in San Joaquin found vehicles worth $600,000, and among them were examples of the new Chevrolet Corvette and Camaro.

After a six-month investigation, the police arrested three people in several locations, and now they are trying to return the vehicles to their owners. Several agencies participated in this operation, and no one expected to find such valuable cars. The cars were found in service shops, and police believe these places are linked to the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion cartel. It is one of the most powerful and dangerous cartels in Mexico, known for extreme violence and smuggling of the deadliest substances.

The first estimates were that the cars were worth several hundred thousand dollars, but after 14 vehicles were found, they realized they had a jackpot. The total value of the cars was over $1 million, which means the average vehicle value is just over $71,000.

Source: ABC 13; Photo: HCSD

Gallery:

Police found stolen cars worth $1 million
News

Huawei driver assistance system in future Toyota cars

In the future, Toyota intends to use the Huawei driver assistance system in its cars in order to increase driver safety and the level of autonomy. This information came from unverified sources, and Toyota did not make a statement.

As a reminder, Huawei provides smart components and systems for autonomous vehicles, and this is not the first time that these two companies have collaborated together, as they previously worked on smart cockpits and connected systems for vehicles. In this case, Momenta would provide the software while Huawei would be responsible for the hardware.

China is one of the largest markets in the world and it is especially interesting for manufacturers of electric vehicles to keep up with Chinese manufacturers. In this market, the Japanese manufacturer currently offers electric vehicles bZ3 and bZ4X, but the sales results are not so good. Cooperation with the Chinese company could be a turning point, because Toyota is currently lagging behind other major manufacturers when it comes to car autonomy systems.

Whether this cooperation will happen, we will know after the 2024 Beijing Auto Show, which will be held from April 25 to May 4, 2024.

Source: CnEVPost

Tuning

Porsche 911 GT3 Touring with Manthey Kit

The German auto racing team Manthey-Racing has been cooperating with Porsche for years, and now they have prepared a special Manthey Kit for the track-focused Porsche 911 GT3 Touring.

The current generation Porsche 911 GT3 is a truly remarkable car even without the Touring Package. Thanks to ingenious aerodynamics, cornering remains impressive, even without a large rear wing. Manthey-Racing took it to a higher level by installing a coilover suspension, front lip, air guide elements on the underbody, upgraded brake pads and brake lines as well as a carbon fiber diffusor for improved aerodynamics.

Manthey-Racing has shown that better performance doesn’t always require more power. Under the bonnet is still a 4.0-liter naturally-aspirated flat-six engine with 510hp (375 kW) and 347 lb-ft (470Nm) of torque. Power is sent to the rear wheels via a 6-speed manual or automatic seven-speed transmission (PDK). Manthey Kit also includes an optional lightweight wheel set that saves you 7.3 kg of weight compared to the stock wheels.

In 2022, the same company equipped this model with the Manthey Performance Kit, thanks to which the Porsche 911 GT3 on the Nürburgring Nordschleife set a lap time of 6: 55.74. That’s 4.19 seconds faster than the standard 911 GT3 which set a lap time of 6: 59.93 the year before. The same can be expected with the Manthey Kit.

Source: Manthey-Racing