News

2025 Renault Rafale E-Tech 4×4

Renault Rafale E-Tech 4×4 is the first version of Renault’s flagship SUV coupe with four-wheel drive and plug-in hybrid drive. With the Atelier Alpine version, you get a custom chassis that was worked on by the brand’s experts who also worked on the A110 model.

The Rafale was introduced last summer, but the only available model was powered by a 1.2-L engine with 200 hp (149 kW) assisted by two electric motors (one starter generator and one larger motor integrated into the gearbox) and all-wheel drive. However, Renault added a third engine (136 hp/101 kW) to the rear axle in the Rafale E-Tech 4×4, and now the power total is 300 hp (224 kW). That’s more than enough to accelerate the SUV from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 6.4 seconds. It is equipped with a 22 kWh battery that provides an electric range of 100 km. The battery can be charged to 80 percent capacity in 130 minutes, and a full charge takes 2 hours and 55 minutes.

Customers can choose between two equipment packages, Espirit Alpine and Atelier Alpine. The Espirit Alpine gets branded floor mats and 20-inch wheels, while the Atelier Alpine version is adorned with Satin Summit blue bodywork, a Starry black spoiler and a set of 21-inch Chicane wheels. Atelier Alpine brings adaptive suspension, a road scanning camera in front of the car, Chasis Control on the infotainment system screen, which is used to select one of three settings (Comfort, Dynamic and Sport) that adjust the shock absorbers and steering angle of the rear wheels.

The car will go on sale in Europe in Q3 2024, and the price is currently unknown.

Source: Renault

Gallery:

2025 Renault Rafale E-Tech 4×4
News

2025 Morgan Midsummer Limited Edition

Morgan and Pininfarina joined forces and produced a special model called Midsummer. It is a car based on the platform of the Morgan Plus Six model, and will be produced in only 50 copies, which are already sold out.

Midsummer is the first production model with the Pininfarina Fuoriserie label, which hints at more similar projects by the Italian design house in collaboration with other car manufacturers. Morgan is an appropriate choice for the first partnership given its long tradition of coachbuilding.

The car’s exterior design hints at key elements of the future Morgan design language mixed with Pininfarina perfection. At first glance, one could say that it is a pure Morgan – round headlights, long hood and fenders. The body is made of hand-formed aluminum panels, and it took more than 250 hours to make each part.

Inside, the two-seater cabin is covered with more than 400 layers of sustainably sourced teak, which are laminated together. The seats and door panels are covered in leather, while the analog instrument panel is made exclusively for Midsummer. Small windshields provide an unforgettable open-air driving experience.

Under the long hood is BMW’s 3.0-liter turbocharged six-cylinder engine with 335 hp (250 kW) and 369 lb-ft (500 Nm) of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. The car sits on a set of 19-inch wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport 5 tires, and has adjustable Nitron shock absorbers. It weighs 1,000 kg without liquids.

The Morgan Midsummer will make its debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, which will take place from 11 – 14 July. Production will start at the end of 2024, and the plan is for all 50 examples to leave the factory in 2025, when Morgan celebrates its 115th anniversary. When it comes to the price, each car will cost around £200,000.

Source: Morgan

Gallery:

2025 Morgan Midsummer Limited Edition
News

Porsche has started production of the Macan EV

In January, Porsche introduced the new generation Macan EV, which attracted a large number of buyers. In March alone, Porsche received over 10k orders, and the company announced that production had started.

The new Macan will be produced at its main factory in Zuffenhausen and at the plant in Leipzig, in which Porsche has invested over half a billion euros. The new generation Panamera is also produced in this plant, and more than 4,600 employees work in production. In this factory, it is possible to produce ICE, hybrid and fully electric cars on the same line.

Although Porsche’s plan was that by the end of the decade the majority of cars produced would be fully electric, the latest information suggests that this will not happen. Customer demands and the development of electromobility in certain regions of the world played a big role in this turning point. Demand for the Macan is high, so Porsche is considering increasing annual production from the planned 20,000 to 40,000 – 60,000 in 2025.

The car is 4.78 meters long, 1.93 meters wide and 1.62 meters high, with a wheelbase of 2.89 meters. It is built on the PPE (Premium Platform Electric) platform, which Porsche developed in cooperation with Audi, and the same platform will be used for the upcoming electric Audi A6 and Q6. It is equipped with an 800-volt architecture and a 100 kWh lithium-nickel-manganese battery that enables a range of 613 km (380 miles) of range in WLTP (591 km in the Macan Turbo). The battery can be charged from 10 to 80 percent within approximately 21 minutes at a suitable fast-charging station. Depending on the amount of energy available in a battery, the electric Macan can regenerate up to 240 kW of energy when braking.

When it comes to the powertrain, the Macan 4 is powered by a dual motors with 408 hp (300 kW) and 479 lb-ft (650 Nm) of torque, the Macan Turbo has 630 hp (470 kW) and 833 lb-ft (1,130 Nm) of torque. However, all these figures are implied with overboost, which means that this power is available for a limited time even when using Launch Control. The Macan 4 accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 5.2 seconds with a top speed of 220 km/h (137 mph), while the Macan Turbo reaches 62 mph (100 km/h) in 3.3 seconds with a top speed of 260 km/h (161 mph).

Source: Porsche

Gallery:

Porsche has started production of the Macan EV

Cars and catalogues