All posts by Francis Mitterrand

EV, News

BMW i3 HomeRun Edition

Every now and then we hear about car manufacturers retiring cars with internal combustion engines, but the time has come for an electric car to become a thing of the past. So soon? BMW has decided to produce a limited number of i3 HomeRun Edition. Only 10 will be produced.

The B-segment car was first presented as a concept in 2011, and went into production in September 2013. Since then, 250,000 cars have been sold, and the BMW i3 HomeRun Edition is the latest edition. It will be offered in two body colors and a lot of standard equipment. These include adaptive LED lights, sliding glass roof, leather-trimmed interior, Harman Kardon audio system, etc.

The car is powered by an electric motor with 184 hp (135 kW) and 199 lb-ft (270 Nm) of torque. It reaches 62 mph in less than seven seconds with a top speed of 99 mph (160 km/h). Power is transmitted to the rear wheels via a single-speed transmission.

In the middle of last year, the BMW i3 was withdrawn from the American market. The reason for this is that it did not achieve the sales expected in the US. Since 2015, sales of this model have been gradually declining, so that in 2020, slightly more than 1,500 units were sold. The car was replaced by the BMW i4 eDrive40 with a more powerful electric motor.

Source: BMW

News, Tuning

Performmaster C63 V8 Final Edition

The exclusive tuner of the Mercedes-AMG cars, Performmaster, has introduced the Performmaster C63 V8 Final Edition, based on the Mercedes-AMG C63.

The car is painted in metallic gray and is equipped with a special equipment kit. This includes much wider fenders, typical performmaster grill, large air intakes, double exhaust tailpipes, AMG diffuser and the spoiler lip on the boot lid that provide the sporty finish.

The Performmaster C63 V8 Final Edition is powered by a 4.0L V8 engine with 612 hp (450 kW) and 620 lb-ft (840 Nm) of torque. This is a significant increase in power compared to the standard model with 510 hp (375 kW) and 519 lb-ft (700 Nm) of torque. The V8 Final Edition reaches 62 mph in 3.8 seconds with a top speed of 192 mph (310 km / h).

Increasingly strict regulations on CO2 emissions have forced Mercedes to slowly abandon the 4-liter V8 engine after giving up the legendary biturbo V12. Some information says that the V8 engine will not be offered in the new generation C-Class (W206), which will be powered by a 2.0L 4-cylinder Hybrid.

It is unknown at this time how much the upgrade will cost. For those who can afford it, it could be a good investment given that the price of the Mercedes-AMG C63 is expected to rise in the future.

Source: Performmaster

News

Chevrolet C7 Corvette Z06 is the new Escambia County police car

We all know that police forces, in most countries, have powerful cars at their disposal. Some even own super cars. As of this month, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office in Florida has a Chevrolet C7 Corvette Z06 in its fleet.

In one of the police operations, the Corvette Z06 was seized from a drug dealer. After the seizure, the car was painted in a green-white combination, the color of the local police. Police lights have been installed, and the car will be used for promotional purposes but also in road cruising to chase fast drivers.

This police Chevrolet C7 Corvette Z06 is powered by a front-mounted 6.2-liter V8 supercharged engine with 650 hp (478 kW) and 650 lb-ft (880 Nm) of torque. That’s enough power for a 3523 pounds (1598 kilograms) heavy car to reach 62 mph in 3.7 seconds with a top speed of 196 mph (315 km / h). The engine is paired with a seven-speed manual transmission that transmits power to the rear wheels.

The money for the modifications was provided by the Escambia County Sheriff Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides support to police officers, encourages community engagement, and promotes public safety.

Source: Escambia County Sheriff’s Office via Twitter