News

2024 Hyundai Sonata

At this year’s Seoul Motor Show, the South Korean automaker revealed the refreshed Hyundai Sonata. The car brings a sensational design that results in less noise and vibrations, but also a new energy distribution structure to increase protection against side collisions.

The car will be powered by three types of engines: a 2.5-liter naturally aspirated, a 2.5-liter turbocharged engine (for the N Line), as well as a 2.0-liter hybrid. Although it was announced that it will have AWD, there is no confirmation of this information from Hyundai. That could happen soon, given that the rival Kia K5 also has AWD. Also, Hyundai did not reveal the technical specifications for these three engines.

Some of the innovations are that the new Sonata can be parked by controlling it via smartphone while the driver is outside the car, and it can also be put out of park by moving forward and backward. The trunk is electronic, and the Sonata is equipped with numerous safety and auxiliary systems.

Inside, the car is equipped with a curved display with two 12.3-inch screens. There’s also a 12-inch head-up display, while over-the-air upgrades ensure the arrival of new software. For a better experience inside the car, there is a Bose sound system with 12 upgraded speakers.

Gallery:

2024 Hyundai Sonata

Source: Hyundai

News

Audi A3 will be all electric

Audi intends to produce an electric car that will be based on the next-generation platform from the Volkswagen Group, which should replace the Audi A3. This was hinted at by CEO of Audi, Markus Duesmann.

“We are moving towards the goal of becoming a 100 percent electric brand. By 2027, we want to offer a fully electric car in every segment. We recently decided to launch an additional electric entry-level model below the Audi Q4 e-tron,” said the Audi director. Markus Duesmann.

Duesmann said that Audi plans to produce 20 new models by 2025, and more than half will be electric. The arrival of the electric successor of the A3 model is expected after the appearance of the Q6 e-tron, the first model based on the new and more premium platform Premium Platform Electric, or PPE.

The new electric model will be a four-door hatchback and a four-door sedan, according to Autocar. It is expected to be based on the SSP platform, which is currently being developed under the code name Project Trinity. It should bring an improvement over the current MEB platform and offer a range of up to 700 kilometers. Also, it will enable charging up to 270 kW, which means that a ten-minute charge will be enough to cover 129 kilometers. The new electric Audi will use Volkswagen’s new Unified Cell battery technology.

Source: Autocar

Auctions, News

2000 Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R driven by Paul Walker is for sale

After the Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R, driven by Paul Walker in the “Fast and Furious” film franchise, was offered for sale last year, another example of this car will soon be up for auction. This 2000 Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R was also driven by the former actor, and the sale was announced by auction house Bonhams.

The car is painted in the legendary Bayside Blue, and Walker personally chose it for the fourth part of the popular franchise. Fans will remember how this car raced through the streets of Los Angeles with the BMW M5 (E39) and Nissan Silvia.

Walker was a big fan of this model, so he played a big role in the development and modification of this car, even down to the smallest details. JDM was imported from Japan, and Kaizo Industries prepared the RB26DETT engine. A Turbonetics intercooler, Nismo NE-1 exhaust system, custom roll cage, as well as ARC titanium struts, Nismo springs and Retora brakes with six-piston front and four-piston rear calipers are installed. This allowed the 2.6-liter twin-turbo engine to produce 500 hp (368 kW). As a reminder, the factory model has 276 hp (206 kW). Power is transmitted to all four wheels via a 6-speed manual transmission with rear differential and limited traction. It is mounted on 19-inch Volk Racing RE30 wheels.

Inside, the standard steering wheel has been replaced by a Momo steering wheel wrapped in Alcantara. The rear seats have been removed to reduce weight, and up front there are two OMP racing seats with five-point seat belts. There is also a Sony sound system, head-up display and MFD Xenarc Display unit.

Walker paid attention to detail and refused to use any decals in order to maintain a “clean look”. The car was seized by US customs due to the fact that it was never actually officially sold in the US. In 2012, it was returned to Japan, and then transported to Germany.

The car’s history is unknown from the time it was in Japan. However, it is currently in excellent condition. The auction will be held 28 April – 5 May 2023.

Gallery:

2000 Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R driven by Paul Walker is for sale

Source: Bonhams

Cars and catalogues