All posts by Francis Mitterrand

Volkswagen announced a new electric car

Recently published sales data showed that VW is the biggest car seller, and sales growth is expected in the coming year as well. This refers primarily to electric cars, whose demand is on the rise. Thus, Volkswagen will reveal a new fully electric car at the beginning of next year.

VW is still keeping the details under wraps, but will soon show a camouflaged version of the car and reveal its name. After that, at CES, it will allow guests to “experience a new step in Volkswagen’s journey towards electrification”. Some rumors say that it could be a model ID. Aero, whose concept was presented six months ago. It was the announcement of the first global electric sedan to be offered in China, Europe and the US.

For now, it is known that it is a medium-sized premium sedan based on the MEB platform. It will be equipped with a 77 kWh lithium-ion battery that provides a range of 385 miles (620 km). The concept features an aerodynamic design that enables a low drag coefficient of 0.23.

Volkswagen has not revealed many details about the new car. Some predict that it could be called the ID.7 and that it will retain the aerodynamic design with clean lines. In the interior, there will be a digital cluster and a large infotainment system. But these are just guesses. We will have more information at the premiere on January 3, 2023.

Source: Volkswagen

BMW X5 v Porsche Cayenne v Range Rover in off-road challenges

New expensive cars in off-road challenges are always interesting, but the guys from Carwow decided that the older models, BMW X5, Porsche Cayenne and Range Rover, show that they are still capable of excitement and are not for the scrapyard.

The BMW X5 is powered by a 4.4-liter naturally aspirated V8 engine with 286 hp (210 kW) and 325 lb-ft (440 Nm) of torque. Power is sent to all wheels via a 6-speed automatic transmission.

The Porsche Cayenne is powered by a 4.5-liter naturally aspirated V8 engine with 335 hp (246 kW) and 310 lb-ft (420 Nm) of torque. This is the first generation of this model, which has a 6-speed automatic transmission and AWD.

The Range Rover is the third luxury SUV in this challenge, and it is powered by a 3.0-liter turbodiesel engine with 175 hp (129 kW) and 288 lb-ft (390 Nm) of torque. Power is transmitted to all wheels via a 5-speed automatic transmission.

Of course there were some rules. The winner of each race won three points, the runner-up two, and the third-place winner one point. If the car does not complete the challenge then it gets no points, while in the end the car with the most points wins. In the end, the Porsche Cayenne showed the most (14 points), the second place went to the BMW X5 (11 points) and the Range Rover was, shall we say, less successful (10 points).

How it all went, watch in the video:

Gallery:

Source: Carwow via YouTube

SEAT Leon Cupra reached 300 km/h

The Volkswagen Golf R is definitely a fantastic powerful hatchback to drive, but its price is too high for many, so they find a more affordable alternative in the SEAT Leon Cupra. This is the third generation of this model, which unleashed all its power on the highway in Germany.

According to the AutoTopNL magazine, the Leon Cupra 280 reached a speed of more than 300 km/h on the highway. The video was published on the YouTube channel, and it can be seen how after several attempts the car crosses the magic limit.

The Leon Cupra 280 hit the market in 2014 and is powered by a 2.0-liter TSI turbo gasoline engine with 276 hp (203 kW) and 258 lb-ft (350 Nm) of torque. However, the car in the video underwent an upgrade by the company KolbenKraft, which took its capabilities to a new level, and now the car has 520 hp (382 kW) and 443 lb-ft (600 Nm) of torque.

As a reminder, the Volkswagen Golf R 20 Years Edition (Mk8), which is also the most powerful Golf in history, reaches a maximum electronically limited speed of 270 km/h (168 mph).

Source: AutoTopNL via YouTube