All posts by Francis Mitterrand

News

2024 Alpine A424 LMDh

As previously announced, the French car manufacturer Alpine will enter the top class in the WEC (World Endurance Championship) from next season. Now they presented the prototype of the car they will use in the next season, the Alpine A424 LMDh.

Alpine is not the only brand that will join the company of the best in the WEC, as BMW and Lamborghini have also announced their participation earlier. This will mean more excitement but also more competition for the current best teams such as Ferrari and Toyota Gazoo Racing.

The Alpine A424 will be powered by a turbocharged 3.4L V6 engine that, in combination with an electric motor, delivers a total power of 680 hp (500 kW). Power is sent to all wheels via an Xtrac 7-speed sequential gearbox.

The first indoor tests, in cooperation with Orec and Mecachrom, were made in the middle of last year, while the rest of the tests will be at the Paul Ricard, Motorland Aragon and Jerez tracks. At the end of November, the A424 will face the 24-hour endurance test at Aragon for the first time, and ahead of FIA homologation in December, it will take part at the Portimao circuit in Portugal. The car has a carbon body, and on the rear there are housings of LED lights in the form of the Alpine trademark, and the last two numbers in the prototype designation refer to the legendary 24 hours of Le Mans.

Gallery:

2024 Alpine A424 LMDh

Source: Alpine

News

2024 Toyota C-HR

After successful testing, Toyota released a teaser of the second generation of the C-HR model. The arrival was announced last year when Toyota hinted that the crossover from the B segment was completely redesigned.

A few details have been revealed so far, it is known that the C-HR has a slightly shorter suspension, but is slightly more spacious inside, which means that it has a longer wheelbase. Toyota’s Hammerhead front fascia is inspired by newer models, while the door handles are integrated into the body for better aerodynamics. Although the camouflaged car on test had a Toyota logo on the rear, it cannot be seen in the teaser. Is this the final design, remains to be seen.

The car will be available alongside other Toyota crossovers, such as the Yaris Cross and Aygo X. One of the new things that the C-HR brings is that it will also be offered as a plug-in hybrid version. The PHEV will use batteries manufactured in Europe and will be sold as a standard plug-in hybrid.

The premiere will take place on June 26, and the first cars on the market are expected by the end of the year.

Source: Toyota

News

2024 BMW M5 by X-Tomi Design

BMW is extensively developing the new generation of the M5 model, which will inherit one of the most powerful cars from the Bavarian company’s offer. And while everyone is wondering what it will look like, designer X-Tomi Design has released renderings based on photos of the car captured on the Nurburgring track.

X-Tomi Design predicts that the car will have traditional black M rims and an X-shaped front end, featuring a black radiator grille with a red border. The front fenders are wider than the standard model, which is to be expected given that the M5 will almost certainly have wider wheels, as well as more powerful brakes.

The hood looks very similar to that of the M4 coupe, and there is a radar cruise control sensor positioned in the lower part of the front bumper. It’s certainly a better position than the one BMW chose for the standard Series, as the German manufacturer tried to integrate it into the kidney grille, but it’s hard not to notice.

When it comes to the powertrain, BMW did not reveal the data. Rumors say that the new generation could be a hybrid, mentioning a combination of a twin-turbo V8 engine and a single electric motor with a total output of 644 hp (474 kW) and 590 lb-ft (800 Nm) of torque in the entry version, and 738 hp ( 543 kW) and 737 lb-ft (1,000 Nm) in the XM Red Label model. As a reminder, the current BMW M5 is powered by a 4.4L twin-turbo V8 engine with 617 hp (454 kW) and 553 lb-ft (750 Nm) of torque.

BMW has not revealed when it will premiere the new model, but some rumors say it could be in early 2024.

Source: X-Tomi Design