All posts by Francis Mitterrand

Tuning

Autozam AZ-1 as a mini Ferrari F40

Liberty Walk is a Japanese car shop that makes body kits for Ferrari, Lamborghini and GTR. Their latest work is a car created as a combination of Ferrari F40 and mid-engine kei-class sports car Autozam AZ-1.

The AZ-1 was one of the most exciting cars from the Japanese kei class. Even in factory form it looks like a mini supercar, and the gullwing doors add to the sporty look. It is powered by a 657 cc three-cylinder engine with 63 hp (47 kW) mated to a five-speed manual transmission that sends power to the rear wheels.

The tuner changed the front of the AZ-1 with a new grille and hood to resemble the F40. Wings in the corners, an extended splitter, extended fenders connected to massive sills were also added. Dual round headlights are not part of the package.

New door panels with the shape of the NACA opening were installed, creating a look closer to the legendary Ferrari. A new fixed rear wing, diffuser and redesigned bumper with reflectors have been installed, but there are no taillights.

Although Liberty Walk doesn’t mention the exhaust system, the photo shows three centrally placed tailpipes, just like those on the F40.

When it comes to the price, the body kit costs $22,600, and that includes all of the above as well as sports seats. 16″ and 17″ six-spoke wheels wrapped in Toyo tires that cost an additional $14,300.

Source: Liberty Walk

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Autozam AZ-1 as a mini Ferrari F40
News

Hyundai NPX1

Hyundai recently introduced the most powerful electric Ioniq 5 N, called the NPX1, equipped with several N Performance components produced by Hyundai’s N division.

The Ioniq 5 N is powered by two electric motors that produce a total of 650 hp (485 kW) and 546 lb-ft (740 Nm) of torque. That’s just enough power to push the car from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.4 seconds with a top speed of 162 mph (260 km/h). Its 84 kWh battery enables a range of up to 560 kilometers.

The presented carbon components, among which the elements of the front bumper, the rear air diffuser and the large spoiler on the fifth door stand out, will also be offered as an option with the electric Ioniq 5 N from the middle of the year. There are also special rims that contain carbon, which contributes to reducing the weight of one of the most compact electric cars today.

Its dark color gives it a more aggressive look, and thanks to the adjustable suspension, the car is even closer to the ground. There is no photo of the car’s interior, and the company announced that it will be dark with lots of Alcantara.

At the end of last year, Hyundai announced the arrival of the Ioniq 6 N, based on the Ioniq 6 model. It will be Hyundai’s most powerful car ever, and its premiere is not expected until 2025.

Source: Hyundai

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Hyundai NPX1
News

BMW Group recorded sales growth in 2023

2023 has been a successful year for the BMW Group when it comes to sales, and they can be especially pleased with the demand for their electric vehicles, which has increased by 74%.

In the past year, the BMW Group sold 2,555,341 cars worldwide, which is 6.5% more than the same period in 2022. It is the best result ever for the group which includes the BMW, Mini and Rolls-Royce brands.

Sales growth was recorded in all markets, and the most cars were delivered in Asia (over a million units) with a growth of 4.1%. In Europe, 942,805 cars were sold, an increase of 7.5% compared to 2022. In North and South America, the BMW Group sold 480,380 cars, an increase of 9.3%.

When it comes to local markets, 281,986 vehicles were sold in Germany (+11.7%), 395,741 vehicles in the USA (+9.4%) and 842,932 vehicles (+4.2%) in China. This is an excellent result if we take into account that some European manufacturers have recorded a drop in sales on the Chinese market.

Looking at the brands, BMW sold the most cars (2.2 million units). It is interesting that the M performance division sold 202,530 cars, and that Mini sold 295,474 vehicles. Rolls-Royce reached the number of 6,032 cars, which is the best result in the history of this luxury brand and the second year in a row with over 6,000 cars delivered.

The highest demand was for electric vehicles (367,183 units), which is a growth of 74.4% more than in 2022. This means that of the total number of vehicles sold, 15 percent were electric.

This is a good sign for the BMW Group, which intends to switch production to fully electric cars by 2035.

Source: BMW