All posts by Francis Mitterrand

News

Mustang Dark Horse sold at auction for $375,000 USD

In the middle of 2022, Ford presented the seventh generation of its legendary car, the Mustang Dark Horse. It is about a car whose production will only be limited by demand. The first example was recently sold at a charity auction for $375,000 USD.

This example is finished in Ember Blue Metallic, and is equipped with Recaro sports seats, Handling and Appearance packages, MagneRide suspension, K-brace Torsen rear differential, and Pirreli Trofeo RS tires.

Mustang Dark Horse is offered in two body styles (Coupé and Cabrio). Both versions come with a lot of additional equipment (optional) and a lot of personalization options as well as a significantly changed interior design. This includes higher quality materials and fewer analogies. The old instrument panel has been replaced by an adaptive 12.4-inch display in combination with a high-resolution 13.2-inch display of the multimedia system.

“For decades, Mustang has competed against the most premium brands on the biggest world stages and won. We surprised everyone, and we’re going to surprise them again with a track-capable Mustang that puts a new level of performance, styling and American engineering in the hands of everyday customers who still want the thrill and excitement of a V8 sports car,” said Jim Farley, CEO of Ford Motor Company at the premiere in 2022.

Under the hood is a 5.0L Coyote V8 engine with 500 hp (368 kW) and 418 lb-ft (567 Nm) of torque. Power is sent to the rear wheels via a 6-speed manual or 10-speed automatic transmission.

The total amount from the sale will be donated to the humanitarian organization Juventile Diabetes Research Foundation, which works on the prevention and treatment of type 1 diabetes.

Source: Barrett-Jackson

News

2025 Aston Martin Vantage

In March 2022, Aston Martin presented the latest generation Vantage powered by a V12 engine. It was the fastest, most powerful and most dynamically capable V12 Vantage ever. However, in two weeks the British car manufacturer will premiere the new Vantage as well as its racing GT3 version and the Formula 1 AMR24 car.

The car was announced with a teaser showing the front of the left side. Not much can be seen in the teaser, but if we go by the spy photos, the new Vantage will have wider wheel arches than its predecessor, which should give the car a muscular look. Anyway, we will have more information on February 12, when the premiere is scheduled.

When it comes to the powertrain, the Vantage will no longer be powered by a V12 engine, instead it should be the 4.0-liter V8 that powers Mercedes-AMG cars (this is not official). Aston Martin has other options available, such as the twin-turbo V8 engine with 680 hp that powers the DB12 model, and rumors say that it could also be a new V8 engine with more than 600 hp. It will also have an automatic gearbox like its predecessor, while a manual gearbox could appear in the future, as Aston Martin has previously indicated that it will offer this option in limited numbers such as the Valour that debuted last summer.

Source: Aston Martin

News

2024 VW Golf R

Ten days ago we saw the sketches of the redesigned VW Golf Mk8 and now we have the first official photos of the new generation of the most powerful version of this model, the VW Golf R. Of course, something remained hidden under the blue foil, to save it for the premiere that will happen in the summer .

For now, there are not many details about the car, but some information suggests that the difference in power between the GTI and R models has been reduced. The new generation Golf GTI now has 265 hp, which is 20 hp more than its predecessor, while the new Golf R will be powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged gasoline engine with 315 hp (235 kW) and 310 lb-ft (420 Nm) of torque. It will accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in just 4.7 seconds with a top speed of 155 mph. Power is sent to all wheels via a DSG automatic gearbox.

When it comes to the design, what can be noticed at first glance is that there have been subtle changes, but it is still the recognizable Golf R. The design of the front bumper has been changed and now includes a centrally positioned radar, which is not the case with the current model. There are also lowered suspension, blue LED light strip between the headlights, LED tail lights, four exhaust pipes, a rear diffuser and 18-inch alloy wheels. The interior is minimalistic with lots of blue stitching, sports seats, few buttons and some fiddly details.

Europeans also have a more powerful Golf R 333 model, as well as a Golf R station wagon, unlike buyers in North America. R 333 is powered by a 2.0L gasoline engine with 333 hp (245 kW) and 310 lb-ft (420 Nm) of torque. That’s enough power to push the car to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 4.6 seconds with an electronically limited top speed of 270 km/h (168 mph).

Source: VW