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News

McLaren P1, RB7, Subaru and Pro4 Truck in a drag race

Drag races are popular events where car enthusiasts present their tuned cars by racing against each other. One such event was organized by Red Bull, where an F1 Car, a Rallycross Car, a Drift Hypercar and a Pro4 Truck demonstrated their impressive capabilities on a modified race track.

Red Bull built the ultimate race track where each driver set a lap to make sure that the track is fair. Each vehicle had its own line specifically built for its strengths in order to even the odds and see which one comes out on top.

The Pro4 was driven by off-road racing champion Andrew Carlson, and his car develops more than 960 hp and weighs 2,041 kilograms. Behind the steering wheel of the McLaren P1, which has more than 1,000 hp and weighs 1,400 kilograms, was Mad Mike Whiddett. The powerful Subaru was driven by World Rallycross Championship champion Scott Speed, and the car has more than 600 hp and weighs 1,300 kilograms. The RB7 F1 car, which has 750 hp and weighs 640 kilograms, was driven by Patrick Friesacher.

The first to go out on the track was Friesacher, who also has the longest line, but thanks to the best aerodynamics, he achieved a lap time of 1:20.36. At one point, the RB7 car reached a speed of 288 km/h. After him, Mad Mike Whiddett came out on the track and his show started with a powerful engine sound and burning tires. He had to drift in every corner in order to maintain speed and record the best possible time. In the end, he achieved a lap time of 1:21.40 (+0.84).

World Rallycross Championship champion Scott Speed ​​had the advantage of his Subaru’s fantastic acceleration and the ability to drive off-road terrain outside the track, which ultimately earned him the third fastest lap time, 1:20.56 (+0.20).

Andrew Carlson drove the shortest line compared to all the participants. Its advantage was the best suspension, which allowed the Pro4 Truck to jump over the track and also race off-road terrain with ease. He ended up with a best lap time of 1:20.23.

Finally, it was time to see who would win in a head to head race. Subaru had the best start as the RB7 car soon took the lead. However, the longest line was too much for the RB7 car, which eventually arrived last. The fastest was Mad Mike Whiddett in a McLaren P1, second was Andrew Carlson in a Pro4 Truck while third was Scott Speed ​​in a Subaru.

Source: Red Bull via YouTube

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McLaren P1, RB7, Subaru and Pro4 Truck in a drag race
News

Volvo supports a ban on ICE cars after 2035

Although many European car manufacturers have abandoned the plan to become fully electric by 2030, and put their focus on hybrids, they still believe in the EU’s plans. One of them is Volvo, which believes that the EU must not abandon the ban on the sale of ICE cars after 2035.

At the beginning of 2021, Volvo announced that it is rapidly moving towards the complete electrification of its fleet by the end of the decade. However, production problems and a drop in demand for EVs showed that everything was too fast. This forced Volvo to change its plan and face reality.

The Swedish company has announced that it will continue to produce cars with internal combustion engines after 2030, but they will have mild hybrid systems and will be produced in limited series. Also, the plan is for PHEVs and electric cars to account for between 50 and 60 percent of total sales by the end of this year. This target is too ambitious if we consider the sales of the last few months when fully electric cars accounted for only 26 percent of the total sales.

Volvo and 49 other car companies have signed a declaration with which they unreservedly support the European Union’s plan to ban the sale of cars with internal combustion engines, which should enter into force from 2035.

Some car companies disagree with the Swedish manufacturer. Similar opinion is shared by officials in several European Union countries who consider the plan absurd and unsustainable. The goal of the European Union is cars without harmful emissions, but not at any cost. In theory, this leaves room for internal combustion engines that would use synthetic fuel or hydrogen.

Source: Euronews

News

Fall in demand for Chinese EVs in Europe

For years, cheap EVs from China have been flooding the European market, destroying the competition, so the European Union has introduced additional tariffs on vehicles imported from this country, which are paying off. According to the latest data, demand for Chinese EVs has been declining for the past year and a half, and in August it fell by 50%.

For the second month in a row, the market share of Chinese manufacturers has been declining, and the data show that SAIC Motor is no longer the leader in Europe. This was also influenced by MG’s poor sales results (-65% in August), as the brand focused more on hybrid and plug-in hybrid cars. The new leader is BYD, which is one of the few that recorded sales growth (+10%).

According to some analysts, the biggest reason for the drop in sales is the additional tariffs that the European Union wants to impose on Chinese EVs. However, it should also be taken into account that the European market is currently facing a steady decline in the number of electric vehicles sold. Since the beginning of 2024, demand for EVs has fallen by 5.5 percent.

Car manufacturers will face stricter EU regulations on CO2 emissions in the coming year, as the current average emission limit for new vehicles should be reduced from 116 g/km to 94 g/km next year. European car manufacturers have once again called on Brussels to reconsider its climate goals.

Source: Reuters