All posts by Francis Mitterrand

Auctions

1991 BMW 850i is up for auction

At the 1989 Frankfurt Motor Show BMW premiered the first generation E31 8 Series. It was the first road car to offer a V12 engine mated to a 6-speed manual transmission and was one of the first vehicles to be fitted with an electronic drive-by-wire throttle. It was produced until 1999, and one of them, a 1991 BMW 850i, is up for auction.

1991 BMW 850i is up for auction

This car was owned by one of the best NBA basketball players ever, Michael Jordan, and is powered by a 5.0-liter M70B50 V12 with 296 hp (221 kW) and 332 lb-ft (450 Nm) of torque. Power is sent to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual transmission. It is mounted on 17″ multi-piece AC Schnitzer wheels wrapped in 235/45 front and 275/40 rear Continental ExtremeContact tires.

The car is finished in Mauritius Blue Metallic, well maintained and in good condition. It is equipped with pop-up headlights, fog lights, a power-operated sunroof, and black bodyside trim, refinished front bumper cover, hood, and front fenders, four-wheel ventilated discs with ABS, and a MagnaFlow exhaust system.

Inside, the power-adjustable front seats are upholstered in Light Parchment leather that also covers the door panels and the lower part of the dash, with matching door panels and carpets. In front of the driver are a four-spoke leather-wrapped steering wheel and a digital odometer showing 30,112 miles. Additional equipment includes an onboard computer, dual-zone automatic climate control, an AM/FM/cassette stereo with a trunk-mounted CD changer, driver position memory, a power-adjustable steering column, and air conditioning.

The car has a clean Carfax report that shows no accidents or other damage. It comes with documentation bearing Michael Jordan’s signature, manufacturer’s literature, a stamped service booklet, and a clean Illinois title in the owner’s name.

The auction ends on January 8 and the highest bid at the time of writing was USD $70,023.

Source: Bring a Trailer

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1991 BMW 850i is up for auction
EV

Audi Q8 e-tron Edition Dakar

The new season of the Dakar Rally starts this weekend, and on that occasion, Audi prepared a special edition of its SUV, the Audi Q8 e-tron Edition Dakar. The car is based on Audi’s largest electric SUV, the Q8 55 e-tron quattro, and will be produced in 1,000 units.

The car will be available in black, white and gray, but regardless of the choice, the lower body parts and wheel arches will be in black. The SUV is additionally raised by 65 mm and has a 57 mm wider wheel track compared to the Q8 55 e-tron quattro. It is equipped with a roof rack that can carry 40 kg of cargo.

The interior is equipped with the S line package and special floor mats with markings. The backgrounds of the infotainment screen feature sandy themes, and an indicator of the current inclination of the SUV is also available. In the interior, there is no protective cage or special communication system typical for motorsport.

When it comes to the powertrain, the Audi Q8 e-tron Edition Dakar will be powered by two electric motors with a total output of 402 hp (296 kW) and 490 lb-ft (664 Nm) of torque. It will reach 0 to 100 km/h in 5.9 seconds, and thanks to the 106 kWh battery, it will have a range of 450 kilometers.

Each copy of the Edition Dakar will cost 120,000 euros, while the German manufacturer announced that it will also produce 99 copies in RS Q e-tron colors at a price of 130,000 euros.

Source: Audi

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News

Xiaomi SU7 is coming soon

In 2022, Xiaomi announced its intention to enter the automotive market with its first electric car, the Xiaomi SU7. In September, it was announced that the company will start production when it receives approval from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), which is expected early next year.

The technological giant is busy preparing for the start of production, and a certain number of people are already employed. The HR department is working full steam to hire 100 new workers in the production sector, and some sources claim that some of the applicants, who worked at Mercedes and Tesla, do not meet Xiaomi’s high criteria. Mass employment is expected at the beginning of 2024.

The first photos of the blue Xiaomi SU7 were published on the Weibo social network. It is 4,997 mm long, 1,963 mm wide with a height of 1,440/1,455 mm, and a wheelbase of 3,000 mm. When it comes to the powertrain, there is no information for now, but some information says that customers will choose between two batteries with a capacity of 73.6 and 101 kWh, and that it will have a range of 800 km. Also, it will support 800V architecture for fast chargers up to 350 kW.

The CEO of Xiaomi, Lei Jun, said a few days ago that the SU7 is in the trial production phase and that it will appear on the domestic market in a few months.

Source: Weibo

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Xiaomi SU7 is coming soon