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The end of the Ford Mondeo in Europe

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After almost three decades, the last produced Ford Mondeo, for the European market, came off the production line in Valencia, Spain on April 4, and the photos were published online.

It all started in 1992 when Ford produced its first Mondeo, as one of the key global models. However, its market share has declined due to the growth of popular SUVs. Last year, only 2,400 cars were sold in the UK, which is a big drop if we take into account that, two decades ago, that number was almost 90,000.

A Ford spokesman said the main reason for ending Mondeo production was “a change in customer preferences and a revolution in Ford passenger cars in Europe to meet the changing needs of customers as the world moves towards a fully electric future”.

Ford plans to offer all models as a plug-in hybrid in the next four years. Also, the company will continue to produce a 2.5-liter hybrid petrol engine for the Kuga, Galaxy and S Max models from the end of this year.

Ford has announced an investment of € 5.2 million to increase battery production capacity in Valencia, in addition to the € 24 million investment announced last year. The reason given is the need for additional capacity to meet current and future requirements for the production of electrified vehicles.

The fifth generation Ford Mondeo has been introduced, but will be manufactured and sold exclusively in China, as demand for sedans in the world’s largest car market remains high.

Source: Autocar

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Mercedes-Maybach S650 found and seized in Sardinia

The European Union is hunting down the property of Russian oligarchs, and their last catch is Alisher Usmanov’s armored car. It is a Mercedes-Maybach S650 found and seized on in Sardinia.

Following sanctions against the Russian Federation, the rest of the world is putting pressure on wealthy Russians, who are hiding their assets outside Russia, especially those close to President Putin. According to the Corriere della Sera, an expensive Mercedes was used to transport officials during their secret visits to the island. Some of the car users were Putin but also his daughters and other politicians like Dmitry Medvedev.

The Mercedes-Maybach S650 Guard VR10 is powered by a 6.0L V12 engine with 621 hp (457 kW) and 738 lb-ft (1,001 Nm) of torque. Power is transmitted to the rear wheels via a 7G-TRONIC 7-speed automatic transmission. It reaches 62 mph in 4.6 seconds with an electronically limited top speed of 155 mph (250 km / h).

The car is equipped with special protective equipment. When the door is opened with the help of pneumatic cylinders, 10 cm thick glass can be seen. It is equipped with the Guard VR10, which provides protection against small arms attacks, but can also withstand a simultaneous attack with two hand grenades. The price of the car is EUR 600,000.

Source: Corriere della Sera

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Sebastien Loeb is the new DTM driver

Sebastien Loeb is one of the greatest WRC drivers ever with nine world championship titles in a row. He will now debut in the DTM as a replacement for Nick Cassidy who misses the first race of the season in Portimao this month due to Formula E competition. The legendary Loeb will drive a 2020 Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo as a Red Bull AlphaTauri AF Corse driver.

“I will be up against specialists in such racers and my last proper GT3 race already is a long time ago. My goal will be to find my rhythm as well as I can and I will try to use my experience to give the team good feedback about the set-up of the car. I know that it will be difficult but the cars really are fun to drive. Really fast, nice cars. Therefore, I am looking forward to it,” Loeb said.

At the recent Dakar Rally, Loeb finished second, and just seven days later he won the Monte Carlo Rally. He also won on the ice in the Race of Champions race in February when he was better than Sebastian Vettel, the current Aston Martin driver in Formula 1, in the final.

The nine-time WRC champion has a lot of experience driving on the track, and in 2006 he won second place in the 24 Hours of Le Mans race. He was also third in the 2014 and 2015 World Touring Car Championships.

Source: Motorsport