All posts by Francis Mitterrand

News

Chery is considering building a plant in Italy

European manufacturers are still struggling with Chinese car manufacturers, who are trying to conquer the European market in different ways, so the European Union introduced additional tariffs on vehicles from China. However, Chinese companies seem to have a “plan B”, building plants in Europe. After the Chinese car manufacturer BYD announced that it is building its plant in Hungary, another Chinese company (Chery) could follow the same path, but in Italy.

Currently, Stellantis is the only major car manufacturer in Italy and the new Italian government is trying to increase production by introducing another manufacturer, the Chinese company Chery. According to official information, the government is considering offering the Chinese manufacturer to build a plant in Italy, in order to increase the annual production of cars to over one million. Italy currently produces 800,000 cars a year.

Building a plant in Europe would be a good strategic decision that would allow Chinese companies to avoid obstacles when it comes to additional taxes or potential quotas that the EU could impose on vehicles imported from China. Obviously, Italy is the ideal place for that. According to Italian Industry Minister Adolfo Urso, over the past year the government has been talking to several manufacturers, including Tesla. The government’s goal is to increase production by an additional 300,000 cars per year.

Chery is the fifth largest Chinese car manufacturer with 1,881,316 vehicles sold in 2023. In the next two years, the company will launch three new SUV models with different power options, primarily intended for European customers. “Expectations are high and sales in Europe should be high enough to support the construction of the plant,” said Chery Europe Managing Director Jochen Tueting.

Source: Reuters

Tuning

Brabus 930 based on Mercedes-AMG S63 E Performance

German high-performance automotive aftermarket tuning company Brabus introduced a powerful luxury sedan, the Brabus 930, based on the Mercedes-AMG S63 E Performance.

At first glance, the Brabus 930 has a more powerful look than any factory S-Class, with a package of carbon components that include a front splitter, bumper intake trim, a new grille with integrated RamAir intakes, side skirts, a lip spoiler and a larger diffuser with four tailpipes. . The offer also includes actively controlled valves of the Brabus sports exhaust system, which gives the car a more powerful sound. Thanks to the Brabus SportXtra suspension module, the car can be lowered up to 10 millimeters, depending on the driving mode.

Inside, the Masterpiece package brings two interior configurations, black and sky blue, premium leather upholstery with a diamond pattern, plenty of carbon fiber and Brabus badging. The number 77 refers to the year 1977, when Brabus was founded.

When it comes to the powertrain, the Mercedes-AMG S63 E Performance is a powerful car powered by a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine with 802 hp (590 kW). However, Brabus did its best to raise the output to 930 hp (684 kW) and 1,114 lb-ft (1,510 Nm) of torque, thanks to the PowerXtra B40E-930 module.

Power is sent to all wheels via a 9-speed automatic transmission. Although weighing almost 2.6 tons, the car accelerates from 0-100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.2 seconds with an electronically limited top speed of 290 km/h (180 mph). The car is mounted on a set of 22-inch BRABUS Monoblock ZM “Platinum Edition” high-tech forged wheels.

Speaking of the price, the Brabus 930 starts at 405,000 euros.

Source: Brabus

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Auctions

2011 Ferrari 599 GTB 60F1 Gonzalez Final Edition is up for auction

In 2011, Ferrari celebrated 60 years since Froilán González won at Silverstone in 1951 with the 375 F1. For this occasion, Ferrari has introduced a special edition of the 599 GTB model, the 599 GTB 60F1 Gonzalez Final Edition, which is up for auction.

This 599 GTB 60F1 is powered by a 6.0-liter Type F140C V12 with 611 hp (456 kW) and 448 lb-ft (607 Nm) of torque. Power is sent to the rear wheels via the F1 SuperFast electro-hydraulic automatic gearbox, which can be operated via paddle shifters. It is mounted on 20″ forged wheels wrapped in 245/35 front and 305/35 rear Pirelli P Zero tires.

The car is finished in Rosso F1 Storico with painted Scuderia Ferrari fender shields in honor of the racing 375 F1 car that Gonzalez drove in 1951. It is equipped with bi-xenon headlights, a silver-finished fuel door, front and rear parking sensors, quad exhaust outlets, black-finished multi-piston calipers over carbon-ceramic rotors at all four corners, Handling Gran Turismo Evoluzione (HGTE) suspension components including a lower ride height with a stiffer rear anti-roll bar and springs as well as magnetorheological dampers.

Inside, power-adjustable carbon-fiber-shelled Recaro seats are trimmed in black Alcantara with red contrast stitching. The seats feature belt loops and Scuderia Ferrari embroidered shields. There’s also a carbon-fiber-accented steering wheel and a digital odometer that reads 2,260 miles. Additional equipment includes dual-zone automatic climate control, navigation, a Bose sound system, and drilled aluminum pedals. A plaque with a facsimile signature of Fernando Alonso commemorating 60 years of Formula 1 wins at Silverstone is affixed to the stereo wrap.

The car has a clean Carfax report that shows no accidents or other damage. It comes with a window sticker, factory literature, a battery tender, a car cover, spare parts, and a clean Arizona title.

The auction ends on March 14 and the highest bid at the time of writing was $185,000 USD.

Source: Bring a Trailer

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