All posts by Francis Mitterrand

News

Red Bull RB17 with more than 1,200 hp

Adrian Newey is the man behind many phenomenal Formula 1 cars, he is also the creator of the impressive Aston Martin model Valkyrie. Now, in collaboration with Red Bull, they will design a brand new hypercar that will offer a superior track driving experience, the RB17. Only 50 copies will be produced at Red Bull’s home in Milton Keynes, and production will begin in 2025.

“The RB17 will summarize everything we know about creating Formula 1 championship cars into one package that will deliver extreme levels of performance in a two-seater dedicated track. Driven by our passion for performance at every level, the RB17 pushes design and technical boundaries far beyond what has previously been available to enthusiasts and collectors, ”said Newey.

The RB17 will be powered by a hybrid V8 engine that will develop more than 1,200 hp (883 kW). That’s a lot more than other hypercars like the Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro which is powered by a 6.5-liter V12 engine with 1,000 hp.

Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro
Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro

Future RB17 owners will have access to the Red Bull F1 simulator as well as track training. All this is included in the price of the hyper car, which costs around 5 million pounds.

Source: Reuters

News

2023 DS 7

French carmaker DS has unveiled a new version of the DS 7. The new version brings a refreshed design, new technologies and a powerful plug-in hybrid drivetrain.

The new DS 7, depending on the market, will be offered with a petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrid engine. The offer remains a BlueHDi diesel engine with 130 hp (96 kW). The base model is powered by a 1.6-liter four-cylinder turbocharged engine combined with an electric motor with a total power of 225 hp (165 kW), which is supplied to the front wheels. There are also more powerful all-wheel drive models, the DS 7 E-Tense 4×4 360 with 300 hp (221 kW) and the DS 7 360 with 355 hp (261 kW) reaching 62 mph in just 5.6 seconds. All three models are equipped with a 14.2 kWh battery. The car will be offered with new 18, 19, 20 and 21 inch rims, as well as an optional dark exterior design.

The refreshed design brings new lights with three optical elements that have 84 matrix LED matrix technology. There are also LED daytime running lights consisting of 33 LEDs each, and they are covered with a transparent polycarbonate surface in the color of the body. The front grille has also been redesigned with a new mesh design, reminiscent of that of the DS 4. The new DS Automobiles inscription on the tailgate has replaced the old DS 7 Crossback.

Inside, there were no major changes. The center console features a standard 12-inch screen with a new infotainment system, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay function, as well as a night vision system. Most of the new models from Stellantis got a new shift-by-wire button, but the DS kept the “old school” solution.

Sales of the new DS 7 begin in September, and DS Automobiles has already started receiving bookings.

Source: DS Automobiles

EV, News

2023 VW ID. Aero

After ID.4 and ID.5, hatchback ID.3 and van ID. Buzz, Volkswagen has introduced its new electric model, the ID. Aero. It will be produced in China only for the Chinese market. Next year, Volkswagen will also unveil a version for the European and American markets, which will be produced at the Emden plant, Germany.

The all-electric luxury sedan is Volkswagen’s response to rivals, the Tesla Model 3 and BMW i4. In fact, the goal of VW is to attract the attention of the upper class of Chinese families with this model. The medium-sized premium sedan has a longer wheelbase and provides plenty of space inside.

The design of the front of the car is something that has not been seen on conventional VW models. Thin LED Matrix lights and a light line that extends the entire length, while the back is a wide light element like the one on the Audi Sportback. The extent to which Volkswagen designers took care of the design is also shown by the air resistance coefficient of 0.23.

VW did not disclose performance data, but said it would ID. Aero have a range of 385 miles (620 km). It will be built on the same MEB platform for electric cars as other models from the VW ID family. When it comes to propulsion it is assumed that it will use the same electric motors available in other VW electric vehicles. It is equipped with a 77 kWh battery and a set of 22 inch wheels.

Source: Volkswagen