All posts by Francis Mitterrand

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2024 BMW Z4 Pure Impulse

At the 2002 Paris Motor Show BMW introduced the sports model Z4 which was offered in two versions, roadster and coupe. It was produced until 2008, and now the Bavarian company presented a new special edition of this model, the BMW Z4 Pure Impulse.

The car is powered by a 3.0L inline six engine with 340 hp (254 kW) and 369 lb-ft (500 Nm) of torque, mated to a 6-speed manual transmission that sends power to all wheels. It will go from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.6 seconds, which is only 0.1 second slower than the models equipped with the 8-speed Steptronic automatic transmission.

The car comes in two body colors, Frozen Green Metallic (European market) and Sanremo Green Metallic (American market). It is equipped with the “Handschalter” package, revised adaptive M suspension, new front and rear springs, a specially strengthened set of anti-roll bars, as well as the Shadowline package with black details on the grille, emblems and mirror caps. The electronic mapping for the rear shock absorbers has also been retuned, as has the mapping for the variable sport steering. It is mounted on 19-inch front and 20-inch rear wheels.

Inside, the interior exudes a blend of sumptuous elegance and sporting flair. Vernasca leather trim in Cognac with black M piping is exclusive to this car.

The BMW Z4 Pure Impulse will go into production next month.

Source: BMW

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2024 BMW Z4 Pure Impulse
News

VW ID.1

After VW announced at the end of last year that it was retiring its small electric city car, the VW E-Up!, chief technology officer Kai Grunitz announced that the German manufacturer is developing a new small electric model, the ID.1, which will be positioned below the electric model ID.2. It will be a good alternative for increasingly expensive larger electric cars.

The demand for electric cars is growing year by year, and manufacturers are trying in different ways to take over the growing number of undecided customers as well as those who have already decided on an EV. Of course, the price of the car plays the biggest role in the selection, and the most expensive part of the EV is the batteries. Cheaper batteries would definitely have an impact on reducing vehicle prices, and Grunitz is convinced that Volkswagen is close to achieving that.

“With our unified cell, coming in 2026, we’re really going to drive down the cost of the battery itself,” Grunitz said. He also stated: “From a technology perspective, I think we can do it. In the end, it’s a question of scalability, but it’s difficult to get a really affordable all-electric vehicle. We’re looking for cooperation partners outside the VW Group, we’ll see what happens. The car has to be profitable, but for VW this model is much more important than just profit because it represents the entrance to our brand. The first car must be accessible to the customer, because if he sits in ID.1, maybe a little later his next car will be ID.2, ID .3 or ID.4. That’s why it’s really important to have a small affordable vehicle.”

According to Grunitz, the ID.1 will not be part of the SSP family, as this platform will arrive a little later, in 2028. Therefore, they will use a different platform. Whether that means adapting the current MEB platform remains to be seen.

The VW ID.1 should reach the market by 2027.

Source: VW

News

2025 Red Bull RB17

One of the best engineers and designers of Formula 1 cars as well as road-legal ones like the impressive Aston Martin Valkyrie, Adrian Newey, is developing a brand new hypercar, the RB17, in cooperation with Red Bull. The car was announced in mid-2022, and now we have more information about it.

Although it was said at the time that the car will be powered by a hybrid V8 engine with more than 1,200 hp (883 kW), according to Adrian, this will not happen. Under the hood will be a naturally aspirated V10 engine (around 1,000 hp) combined with an electric motor (200 hp / 149 kW). The reason is Newey’s wish for the car to be similar to F1 cars from the 90s.

“The RB17 will summarize everything we know about creating Formula 1 championship cars into one package that will deliver extreme levels of performance in a two-seater dedicated track. Driven by our passion for performance at every level, the RB17 pushes design and technical boundaries far beyond what has previously been available to enthusiasts and collectors,” said Newey in 2022.

The car should weigh less than 1,000 kg and create a downforce of 1.7 tons at a speed of 242 km/h, while the downforce of its own weight will reach 193 km/h. Also, it should be the most aerodynamic car in history, and will have a new diffuser and multi-functional active suspension that allows the driver to change the mechanical balance of grip between both axles, making it more comfortable than an F1 car and an LMP1 race car.

Red Bull will produce only 50 examples of this car and future RB17 owners will have access to the Red Bull F1 simulator as well as track training. All this is included in the price of the hyper car, which will cost around 5 million pounds. Production will begin in 2025.

Source: Red Bull