All posts by Francis Mitterrand

News

The Ford Mustang GTD showed all its power on the Nürburgring Nordschleife

Leave a comment

In June, Ford presented the most powerful and most expensive Mustang ever, which unleashed all its power on one of the most famous tracks, the Nürburgring Nordschleife, becoming the fastest American production car on this track.

On the 20.8 km long track, the Mustang GTD achieved a lap time of 6 minutes and 57.685 seconds, which is 4.3 seconds faster than the Dodge Viper ACR. Dirk Miller was the driver, and Ford is convinced that the Mustang GTD can achieve a better lap time, which they will prove next year.

This was announced by Greg Goodall, head of the engineering department in charge of this model, who said that he is confident that the Mustang GTD Coupé (with most of its carbon body panels and adaptive suspension/aerodynamics) will close the lap in less than seven minutes.

The Mustang GTD is powered by a 5.2-L Coyote V8 engine assisted by a mechanical supercharger with about 800 hp (597 kW) at 7,500 rpm, paired with an 8-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission that sends power to the rear wheels.

Source: Ford

Gallery:

The Ford Mustang GTD showed all its power on the Nürburgring Nordschleife
News

New Popemobile is Mercedes-Benz G 580 with EQ technology

Leave a comment

Christmas is approaching and Mercedes has decided to deliver the Holy Father a new Popemobile as a Christmas present. It is a unique car based on the G 580 with EQ technology.

The car is painted pearl white and Mercedes has made some modifications such as changing the rear end by removing the left rear door while keeping the right rear door. The door provides access to a raised platform, which contains a centrally placed seat that can be rotated and is height-adjustable, allowing the Pope to change position and address the audience from different angles. Behind the Pope’s seat are two more, as well as steps and a rear platform for bodyguards. There is also a solid roof available to protect the Holy Father during bad weather.

When it comes to the powertrain, the standard model is powered by a quad-motor with 587 hp (431 kW) and 857 lb-ft (1,163 Nm) of torque, which is enough to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in less than 5 seconds with a speed of 180 km/h. It is equipped with a 116 kWh battery that gives the G-Class a range of 385 kilometers on a single charge.

“With the new Popemobile, Pope Francis is the first pope to be traveling in a fully electric Mercedes-Benz when making public appearances. This is a special honor for our company, and I would like to thank His Holiness for his trust. With this Popemobile, we are also sending out a clear call for electromobility and decarbonization. Mercedes-Benz not only stands for the special and individual – but also for consistently creating the conditions for a net-carbon-neutral new car fleet in 2039,” said Ola Källenius, chairman of the board of management of Mercedes-Benz.

Source: Mercedes-Benz

Gallery:

New Popemobile is Mercedes-Benz G 580 with EQ technology
News

All-electric BMW M3 coming in 2028

Leave a comment

In May, BMW unveiled a redesigned version of its high-performance car, the M3, and now the Bavarian manufacturer is announcing the arrival of the first all-electric M3. It will debut in three years and will be built on the Neue Klasse platform.

The BMW M3 has been produced with every generation of the 3 Series since the E30 M3 debuted in 1986. 40 years later, the BMW M division is still producing the M3 (G80), which is also offered as a station wagon for the first time (G81). It is powered by a 3.0-liter 6-cylinder biturbo engine that in the most powerful CS version offers 550 hp. The new generation is coming in three years and will still be powered by a combustion engine.

BMW has released the first official photos of a camouflaged prototype that somewhat shows what the first all-electric M3 will look like.

At the 2023 IAA MOBILITY, BMW presented a concept with a vision of the future that pays respects to the past, the BMW Vision Neue Klasse. With this concept, the Bavarian manufacturer started the era of individual mobility. And while many thought that the Neue Klasse concept would include only all-electric cars, the Bavarian company thinks otherwise.

At the Paris Motor Show, BMW design director Adrian van Hooydonk stated that the Neue Klasse will also include future models powered by combustion engines assisted by various hybrid systems. “With the Neue Klasse concept, we are embarking on the largest investment in the history of the company. We are not only writing the next chapter of BMW, we are also writing a whole new book,” said Frank Weber, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG.

Source: BMW

Gallery:

All-electric BMW M3 coming in 2028