All posts by Francis Mitterrand

News

Xiaomi YU7 is coming soon

After the great success of the SU7 model, which was produced in more than 100,000 units, the Chinese technology giant announced the arrival of a new model, the Xiaomi YU7. This is the second car from the company and is expected to hit the market in the summer of 2025.

Xiaomi published information about the YU7 model on Weibo, and information from the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology says that the YU7 will also be an all-electric car. It will come in two versions, powered by two electric motors with a total power of 300 and 392 hp.

The YU7 will be 4,999 mm long, 1,996 mm wide and 1,600 mm high, with a wheelbase of 3,000 mm and a weight of 2,405 kg. It is not known which battery it will use, but information suggests that it could be one of the batteries from CATL.

The Xiaomi SU7 comes in three versions: SU7, SU7 Pro and SU7 Max. The standard version is powered by an electric motor with 299 hp (220 kW) and 295 lb-ft (400 Nm) of torque, and will have RWD. It will accelerate from 0 – 100 km/h (62 mph) in 5.28 seconds with a top speed of 210 km/h (130 mph). It is equipped with a BYD Blade 73.6 kWh battery that provides a range of 700 kilometers.

The more powerful version of the SU7 Pro will be equipped with an 800V architecture, and a 94.3 kWh battery that provides a range of 830 km. However, the most powerful version, Xiaomi SU7 Max, is really impressive. It is powered by two electric motors with a total output of 673 hp (495 kW) and 618 lb-ft (838 Nm) of torque, and has AWD. It reaches 100 km/h (62 mph) in 2.78 seconds with a top speed of 265 km/h (165 mph). It is equipped with the Xiami Pilot Max ADAS system, 800V architecture, and a CATI Qilin 101 kWh battery that enables a range of 800 km, or 510 km after a 15-minute charge.

Source: Xiaomi via Weibo

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Xiaomi YU7 is coming soon
News

2025 Dacia Duster Soul of Dakar

The start of one of the largest and most difficult rally races in the world, the Dakar Rally (01/03 – 01/17/2025), is approaching, and the Romanian car manufacturer Dacia has presented a special vehicle dedicated to this race, the Duster Soul of Dakar.

The Duster Soul of Dakar has a livery reminiscent of that of the Dacia Sandero prototype that will compete in the upcoming Dakar Rally. It is equipped with optional components for the Duster model (InNature) such as a waterproof bag, a luggage box and a shovel, located on the roof rack. Inside, there are YouClip fasteners such as hooks for bags and holders for smartphones, tablets and drinks.

Although Dacia could have done more, some believe that the Soul of Dakar is an example of what a series of special versions based on the current offer will look like. This was also hinted at by Dacia director Denis Le Vot. Such a project would not require large investments, and it would be a good marketing move.

When it comes to the powertrain, the car uses the same engine as the standard Duster, a mild hybrid 1.2-liter engine with 130 hp (95 kW). The engine is mated to a 6-speed manual transmission with an electronic four-wheel drive system, which is different from most Duster models that have front-wheel drive.

At the upcoming Dakar Rally, Dacia will participate with the Sandrider model powered by Nissan’s 3.0-L twin-turbo V6 engine with 360 hp (265 kW). In the vehicle will be one of the greatest in the world of rally sports, Sebastien Loeb and Nasser Al-Attiyah.

Source: Dacia

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2025 Dacia Duster Soul of Dakar
Auctions

1984 Sbarro Super Eight is for sale

At the 1984 Geneva Motor Show, the small Swiss high-performance replica and sports car company Sbarro unveiled a special edition car, the Sbarro Super Eight. The car was designed by company founder Franco Sbarro for Bernd Grohe, and is now for sale.

The car is powered by a 3.0-L Ferrari F106 V8 engine with a factory rated 240 hp, mated to a 5-speed manual transmission that sends power to the rear axle. The engine is equipped with dual overhead camshafts on each cylinder bank, four valves per cylinder, and Bosch fuel injection. It sits on 15″ multipiece BBS wheels wrapped in Yokohama AVS AV1-40 tires.

This unique red Sbarro Super Eight is based on a Ferrari 308 GTB whose frame was shortened before being fitted with a two-door fiberglass body, a nose panel that extends over the headlights, a chin spoiler, an offset cowl vent, flared fenders, straked intake vents ahead of each rear wheel, ghosted horizontal stripes along each B pillar, simulated straked vents behind the rear windows, and a rounded rear profile with a painted heckblende and quad upturned exhaust outlets. Ventilated disc brakes and double-wishbone independent suspension with coilover shock absorbers and anti-roll bars at front and rear, were taken from the Ferrari 308.

The interior is covered in brown leather with cloth inserts over the two-place seating and door panels. In front of the driver is a MOMO three-spoke steering wheel wrapped in brown leather and a five-digit odometer showing 30,011 km (~19k miles). Additional equipment includes color-keyed carpeting, wood door caps and dashboard accents, shoulder belts, a lockable console storage compartment, a gated shifter, power windows, and a Clarion component stereo system with a cassette player and an equalizer.

The auction ends on December 11th and the highest bid at the time of writing was $145,000 USD.

Source: Bring a Trailer

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1984 Sbarro Super Eight is for sale