All posts by Francis Mitterrand

Auctions

2008 Conquest Knight XV is up for auction

At the 2008 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), Conquest Vehicles unveiled a luxury armored civilian vehicle, the Conquest Knight XV. It is a limited edition vehicle based on a military design and built on a Ford F-350 chassis. One of only 100 examples planned to be produced, the 2008 Conquest Knight XV is up for auction.

This Conquest Knight XV is powered by a 6.8-liter Triton V10 engine with 325 hp (242 kW) and 400 lb-ft (540 Nm) of torque. Power is sent to the rear or all wheels via a five-speed automatic transmission and a dual-range transfer case. It sits on forged 20″ wheels wrapped in 40×15.50″ Nitto Mud Grappler Extreme Terrain tires.

The car is 6.1 m (240 inches) long, 2.5 m (98 inches) wide, and 2.5 m (100 inches) tall, with a ground clearance of 14 inches (360 mm). It is finished in black and is equipped with lifted suspension, disc brakes on all four wheels, armored windows and sunroof, hood scoop, stainless-steel running boards, body-color wheel arch extensions, front and rear night-vision cameras, and a side-hinged rear door.

Inside, power-adjustable seats are upholstered in black Muirhead leather with Knight shields on the backrests. In front of the driver is a Knight-branded steering wheel behind which is a digital odometer showing 15,229 miles. Additional equipment includes Wilton wool carpets, air conditioning, MOMO pedal covers, an Alpine touchscreen stereo, aftermarket speakers, a rear-mounted subwoofer, and dual LCD displays for the night-vision cameras.

The car has a clean Carfax report that shows no accidents or other damage. It comes with a clean Florida title describing it as a 2008 Ford Truck.

The auction ends on September 27 and the current highest bid is $54,500 USD.

Source: Bring a Trailer

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News

France cancels subsidy on electric cars produced in China

It has been written for a long time that Chinese electric cars are slowly but surely taking over the European market and endangering domestic production. Now that things have become serious, the question arises: How to protect European car manufacturers? France was the first to react by canceling incentives for electric cars produced in China.

To protect domestic car manufacturers, the French government is considering a new subsidy decree. Citizens with lower incomes will have a subsidy of up to 7,000 euros for the purchase of a new electric car, while for others it will be up to 5,000 euros.

The French Agency for Ecological Transition (ADEME) will assess the car manufacturers’ requests and decide which models will be eligible for the subsidy. Materials, energy consumption, battery type, and the impact of transporting vehicles to Europe on the environment will be taken into account. French President Emmanuel Macron first announced the decision in May. Macron then said that the use of “French taxpayers’ money” to subsidize cars made outside the EU should stop.

“Customers who ordered cars from China can ask for a refund, but that would no longer be the case for most of them under the model we have created. If you don’t produce vehicles in the country, you will hardly remain eligible for the green bonus,” the French official said.

The decree has not yet been adopted, and the French government hopes that it will not affect relations between the two countries, as it complies with the rules of the World Trade Organization. The Chinese government has not yet commented on this.

Source: Reuters

News

McLaren GT limited edition

The British car manufacturer McLaren presented the McLaren GT limited edition but only for the domestic market. Only 8 examples will be produced and will be offered in four body colors that have graced some of the best McLaren supercars.

McLaren will produce two examples of each in four different body colors: Cerulean Blue which was the original color of the P1 supercar, XP Green adorned the prototype F1 road car, Sargian Quartz was on the SpeedTail XP model and Cyber Yellow a new shade based on the existing Volcano Yellow . All cars will be equipped with the MSO Black Pack package, which includes gloss black side mirror housings, tailpipe trims and a few other details, while the roof and rims are the same color as the body.

Inside, the seats are upholstered in black brown leather with brown stitching and the MSO logo on the headrests. The same combination covers the door panels, while the dashboard is covered in black leather. The Union Jack flag is embossed into the armrest and key fob. Customers will be able to choose the interior in black leather with blue stitching.

When it comes to the powertrain, McLaren hasn’t said anything. Presumably unchanged, the limited edition will be powered by a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 engine with 620 hp (456 kW) and 465 lb-ft (630 Nm) of torque. Power is sent to the rear wheels via a seven-speed automatic transmission.

Source: McLaren

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McLaren GT limited edition