All posts by Francis Mitterrand

News

Two motorcycle Dakar Rally champions will be co-drivers in the Toyota Hilux Overdrive T1+

In 24 days, one of the world’s toughest rally races, the Dakar Rally, will kick off in Saudi Arabia. As all the teams make their final checks, drivers Toby Price and Sam Sunderland have completed their first car test with the Toyota Hilux Overdrive T1+.

Toby Price and Sam Sunderland have previously competed in the race as motorcycle riders, and this will be their first time competing in the car category. Price has been competing in car and other events since 2015, and he won the Baja 500 this year and has also scored podiums in the Stadium Super Trucks series. He also recently competed in the Dubai Baja with Hannes Kiningadner.

“It’s all a bit surreal to be honest. We’ve worked so hard on this and it’s incredible to see it all come together. It’s really exciting to show the car to the world and to have the great partners who support us,” said Price.

Sunderland will be the navigator for the team and he highlighted the ability to focus on one thing as a positive aspect of competing in a car. “The advantage is that there are two riders in one car. We’re going to make mistakes, things are going to go wrong sometimes, but we’ll still have some traces of bikes and cars in front of us until we get used to it and find our bearings. After that, we’ll be good,” said Price. “I’m extremely lucky to have been in this sport for a long time and to have good relationships with the riders and drivers. I was lucky to be able to talk to Mathieu Baumel a few days ago and get a lot of information. I still have a lot to learn, but I’m picking out the key information and learning day by day,” said Sunderland.

Pierce highlighted that the advantage of the two will be experience, as they have both won this race twice. “Even though we have more than 20 Dakar participations, this is still a new category for us, so previous victories do not guarantee anything. Finishing the Dakar in the top 10 would be a great result for us. You can make a thousand plans, but it will not be enough. We have to go day by day and make sure the wheels are rolling,” said Price.

It remains to be seen how this duo will work together and whether, with their experience, they will be able to contribute to a good result for the team.

Source: Reuters

News

Tesla is developing a new car

Tesla Model Q is a new car from the American manufacturer that should hit the market in the middle of next year. It will be smaller than the Model 3 but also affordable to a larger number of buyers with a price tag of less than $30,000.

Tesla is still considered a leader when it comes to premium all-electric cars, but the price of EVs is a big problem that plagues all manufacturers. Currently, demand for EVs is declining and buyers are increasingly opting for cars with combustion engines or hybrids.

The Model Q will be 3,988 mm long and 30 percent lighter than the Model 3. This means that it will be cheaper to produce but also more competitive in the market. It will be equipped with lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) batteries with a capacity of 53 and 75 kWh, which will provide a range of up to 500 kilometers. Also, buyers will be able to choose versions with RWD or AWD, and at the beginning of the year it was stated that it could have an HW5 FSD computer for autonomous driving with a modern 3 nm processor.

Tesla’s biggest competitors are Chinese manufacturers, so the new Model Q will be priced lower in the country (around $19,280) to compete with them. It will be manufactured at the Gigafactory in Texas, and there is a possibility that it will also be manufactured at Tesla’s facility in China.

Source: Tesla

Tuning

Tesla Model 3 Performance with new carbon fiber aero kit

Over time, some tuners have specialized in vehicles from one manufacturer, and Unplugged Performance specializes in Tesla cars. One of the projects of this American company is Project Highland, a carbon fiber aero kit for the Tesla Model 3 Performance.

Tesla Model 3 Performance was revealed in April as the perfect high-performance car for everyday driving. It is equipped with a more capable performance-oriented chassis, but also components that reduce mass and increase stiffness at the same time, new sports bumpers, a new front splitter and an aggressive diffuser, which improves the aerodynamics of the car. However, Unplugged Performance went further and added a carbon lip spoiler, wings, aerodynamic deflectors and the lower part of the diffuser, all made of carbon.

The carbon fiber aero kit also includes side skirts, rear bumper detailing, a diffuser and a fixed rear wing that can be had in a satin or gloss finish. All the listed components create an additional 193 kilograms of downforce.

Customers can also choose carbon-ceramic brakes, several different types of suspension, front and rear limited-slip differentials, new stabilizer bars, adjustable upper suspension arms and braided brake system hoses. The total price of the carbon fiber aero kit is $19,995.

When it comes to the powertrain, nothing has been changed. The car is powered by two electric motors with 517 hp (386 kW) and 547 lb-ft (741 Nm) of torque. This allows the car to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph (97 km/h) in 2.9 seconds with a speed of 163 mph (262 km/h). It is equipped with AWD and a battery that provides a range of 476 km on a single charge.

Source: Unplugged Performance