All posts by Francis Mitterrand

Restomod

Maserati Biturbo-Shamal Restomod Limited Edition

Recently, the popularity of restomod cars has been growing, and the Italian company Modela Automobili presented the Maserati Biturbo-Shamal. With this car, the Italian company pays tribute to the iconic dynasty of the Trident car models.

The Maserati Shamal was produced between 1990 and 1996, and only 369 units left the assembly line. It was the last model announced under the De Tomaso ownership: in January 1990, half of debt-plagued Maserati was acquired by Fiat S.p.A.

Compared to the original Shamal Restomod, it has slightly sharper hood and side lines. It is equipped with a new exposed carbon front end with integrated LED headlights, larger air intakes and a new splitter that enhances the car’s sporty performance. At the back, a new aerodynamic spoiler and a large extractor with incorporated exhausts increase the car’s sporty appearance.

Under the hood is a 3.0-L V6 biturbo engine borrowed from the Ghibli model with at least 500 hp (367 kW), instead of the original 3.2-liter V8 biturbo engine (326 hp). Power is sent to the rear axle via an 8-speed ZF automatic transmission. The car is mounted on lighter 18-inch rims and for safe braking and stopping there are 343 mm front and 330 mm rear Brembo brakes.

Modena Automobili will produce only 33 units and the first deliveries are planned for the spring of next year, with a starting price of over 590,000 euros.

Source: Modena Automobili

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Maserati Biturbo-Shamal Restomod Limited Edition
News

Xiaomi will increase the production of the SU7

At the beginning of 2024, Xiaomi revealed its first car, the SU7, which has been recording outstanding results for months. In October, 20,000 units were produced, and almost 50,000 SU7s will be produced by the end of the year.

Since its arrival on the car market, Xiaomi has received a large number of orders for its first car, and in April the Chinese company announced that one SU7 leaves the production lines every 76 seconds. That was impressive, and the fact that buyers have to wait 21 weeks for their cars shows how much demand there is.

Xiaomi’s first-phase facility has a capacity of 12,000 units per month, meaning the utilization rate is close to 200 percent thanks to multi-shift operations. The second phase is currently under construction and should be operational in mid-2025. This would increase annual production to 300,000 units, which would reduce demand pressure.

Xiaomi SU7 comes in three versions: SU7, SU7 Pro and SU7 Max. The standard version is powered by an electric motor with 299 hp (220 kW) and 295 lb-ft (400 Nm) of torque, and will have RWD. It will accelerate from 0 – 100 km/h (62 mph) in 5.28 seconds with a top speed of 210 km/h (130 mph). It is equipped with a BYD Blade 73.6 kWh battery that provides a range of 700 kilometers.

The more powerful version of the SU7 Pro will be equipped with an 800V architecture, and a 94.3 kWh battery that provides a range of 830 km. However, the most powerful version, Xiaomi SU7 Max, is really impressive. It is powered by two electric motors with a total output of 673 hp (495 kW) and 618 lb-ft (838 Nm) of torque, and has AWD. It reaches 100 km/h (62 mph) in 2.78 seconds with a top speed of 265 km/h (165 mph). It is equipped with the Xiami Pilot Max ADAS system, 800V architecture, and a CATI Qilin 101 kWh battery that enables a range of 800 km, or 510 km after a 15-minute charge.

At the end of October, Xiaomi presented the racing version of this model, the SU7 Ultra. It is powered by three electric motors with a total output of 1,548 hp (1,154 kW), which is enough to push the 1,900 kg car from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 1.97 seconds, 200 km/h in 5.97 seconds and 300 km/h in 15 seconds, with a top speed of 350 km/h (217 mph).

Source: Xiaomi

News

2025 Porsche 911 (992.2) Carrera T Coupé

After unveiling the redesigned edition of its most famous Carrera 911 model (992.2), Porsche has expanded its range with the Carrera T (Touring) version.

This version is lighter than the standard 911 (992.2) and weighs 1,490 kilograms thanks to lighter glasses and less insulation, and customers can further reduce the weight of the car by choosing the optional carbon seats. It also got larger and more efficient brakes, 20- and 21-inch alloy wheels, adaptive suspension, improved stabilizers and steering through the rear axle to increase handling. Also, this time Porsche decided to offer the Carrera T as a Cabriolet.

When it comes to the powertrain, there were no major changes. There is still the 6-cylinder boxer biturbo engine that now has 394 hp (289 kW) which is slightly more than the standard model (385 hp) and 332 lb-ft (450 Nm) of torque. That is enough for acceleration to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.5 seconds and a top speed of 295 km/h (183 mph). Drivers will no longer be able to count on the 8-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission (PDK) that was optional in the previous edition, as there is now a 6-speed manual transmission that sends power to the rear axle. The shift lever with a wooden ball was reminiscent of those from the racing model 917 with which Porsche achieved the first of 19 victories at Le Mans 54 years ago.

Speaking of price, the new Porsche 911 Carrera T Coupé in Germany starts at 141,700 euros.

Source: Porsche

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2025 Porsche 911 (992.2) Carrera T Coupé