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1990 Ferrari F40 destroyed in a car accident

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The icon of the Maranello-based company, the Ferrari F40, is considered one of the most important Ferrari cars. It was produced between 1987 and 1992, and 1,311 cars left the factory. Each copy of this model is considered collectable, and it should be noted that this is the last model approved by the legendary Enzo Ferrari. One example, a 1990 Ferrari F40, was recently destroyed in a car accident.

According to Bild, the Mechatronik employee was supposed to deliver a Ferrari F40 to a car show 18 km away. However, while driving, he lost control of the vehicle and hit a wall in the tunnel, destroying the front of the car. The accident happened in the Engelberg tunnel near Stuttgart, and the car was supposed to be sold for €2,995,000.

This F40 was finished in Rosso Corsa and was in excellent condition with only 21,100 km on the odometer. It was powered by a longitudinally-mounted 90-degree 2.9-liter twin-turbo V8 engine with 478 hp (356 kW) and 426 lb-ft (578 Nm) of torque. That’s enough power to push the car up to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 4.2 seconds with a top speed of 201 mph (323 km/h). Power is sent to the rear wheels via a five-speed manual transmission.

Police are still investigating how the crash happened, and reports of the driver’s condition are conflicting.

Source: Bild

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1990 Ferrari F40 destroyed in a car accident
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Renault 5 E-Tech Electric Roland Garros

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For years, Renault has produced special editions of its Renault 5 model inspired by one of the biggest tennis tournaments in the world, Roland Garros. The same path was continued with the new electric version of this model, the Renault 5 E-Tech Electric.

The special edition will be offered in three body colors: Pearl White, Midnight Blue, Starry Black and Matt Slate Gray. Each car will be equipped with a Satin Black roof trimmed with chrome trim, featuring Roland Garros logos and a St. Andrew’s Cross pattern inspired by the stadium’s architecture. There are also 18-inch Ecrou Diamond Black wheels with Matt Slate Gray center caps.

Inside, the seats are covered in recycled textiles, inspired by the fabric used to make sports equipment. There’s also plenty of Roland Garros logos, even on the e-pop shifter shaped like a tennis racket handle. Also, the dashboard lighting displays the inscription “Roland Garros Paris” and pays homage to the clay surface of the court.

When it comes to the powertrain, the 40 kWh battery version is powered by an electric motor with 95 hp (71 kW) and 159 lb-ft (215 Nm) of torque or 120 hp (89 kW) and 166 lb-ft (225 Nm) of torque, which is enough to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 10 seconds. It weighs 1,350 kg. The slightly heavier version (1,450 kg) is equipped with a 52 kWh battery, and is powered by an electric motor with 150 hp (110 kW) and 181 lb-ft (245 Nm) of torque. It reaches 62 mph in 7.5 seconds with a top speed of 150 km/h (93 mph) and a range of 400 km.

Source: Renault

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Renault 5 E-Tech Electric Roland Garros
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KAIST has developed a battery that can be charged in seconds

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At a time when car manufacturers are struggling with production costs as well as battery quality, many of them are trying to find the best solution. Lithium-ion batteries are currently the most used on the market, but a new type of battery that is much more efficient has been talked about for a long time. These are sodium batteries that are more cost-effective and more sustainable because they can be produced almost entirely without rare metals. However, scientists from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) have developed a hybrid battery that can be charged in a few seconds.

The journal Energy Storage Materials published an article about a new type of battery that can be fully charged and discharged in just a few seconds. This was achieved thanks to the use of materials used for supercapacitors (a type of an electrochemical energy storage systems which have great power density and specific capacitance), known for high charging speeds, but they can only store a very small amount of energy.

It is believed that the combination of the best properties of the sodium battery and the supercapacitor could be an advantage in the production of batteries that, in addition to the enormous charging speed, would have a longer range than the current ones. Thanks to the high power density, the vehicles could also use significantly more powerful electric motors.

Sodium batteries are already in use, but they do not provide a short range (250 km). JAC Yiwei EV is the first car equipped with sodium-ion batteries.

Source: Energy Storage Materials

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