Tag Archives: vehicles

News

Ford’s sales results in Europe

Ford has announced its sales results for 2024, and what was already known in advance was a bad year on the European market. According to the data, Ford sold 426,307 cars in Europe last year, or 87,174 units less than in 2023.

From the beginning of the year, everything indicated that nothing would go right for the American company. The rapid transition to all-electric cars and the discontinuation of some models were a gamble. The rise in the price of electric cars forced buyers to opt for models with combustion engines and hybrids rather than EVs. All this forced many manufacturers to focus more on hybrids, but not Ford, which remained stubborn and therefore recorded a bad year in Europe.

In 2024, Ford had a market share of only 3.3 percent, which is 0.7 percent less than in 2023. Hyundai and Kia are ahead of it, while Volkswagen is the undisputed leader with 10.6 percent. The top 5 are Toyota (7.2%), Skoda (5.9%), Renault Group (5.4%) and Dacia (4.5%).

2025 has just begun and it seems that it will not be much different for Ford from the previous one.

Source: Dataforce

News

Hyundai Mobis developed In-Cabin Monitoring System (ICM)

Almost all new cars are equipped with cameras that record the surroundings of the car to allow the driver to better assess the circumstances, but also to provide better evidence in case of an accident. However, cars could soon come with cameras that record the interior of the vehicle.

Hyundai Mobis is developing cameras that use the In-Cabin Monitoring (ICM) system to record the driver’s posture, seat belt use, and passenger vital signs such as heart rate. The function of the ICM is to warn the driver if he is not wearing a seat belt, is tired, is using a mobile device while driving, or has forgotten children after leaving the vehicle. The system will also monitor the condition of all passengers in the vehicle.

All of these systems help drivers prevent accidents and make travel safer. Statistics have shown that some of them, such as the AEB (Autonomous Emergency Braking) system, are already giving positive results, reducing the number of accidents by almost half.

The system has been approved in Europe and is expected to soon be seen in vehicles.

Source: Hyundai

Tuning

MH2 500 II (G42) has more power than BMW M2

The MH2 500 II (G42) is a new project from German tuner Manhart, which once again shows why it is considered one of the best, if not the best, BMW tuners. It is a special equipment kit produced for the high-performance sports car, the BMW M240i.

Unlike most Manhart projects, the MH2 500 II is finished in pastel blue with a dark decal set instead of the gold that is standard on most of their projects. It is equipped with an aerodynamic package that includes a front bumper, sills, rear diffuser and a flat rear wing, 20″ Concave One double-spoke alloy wheels finished in glossy white, Variant 3 coil-over suspension by KW Suspensions with adjustable rebound and compression damping, sports brake system that can be individually upgraded at the customer’s request. Customers can also choose MANHART lowering springs by H&R in combination with the OEM shock absorbers.

Inside, the BMW M steering wheel is wrapped in a leather/Alcantara combination with black-painted spokes, and there are also MANHART carbon fiber shift paddles.

The biggest change is under the bonnet. The MH2 500 II is powered by a 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder turbo engine that now delivers 503 hp and 663 Nm of torque, which means it is more powerful than the M2, which has 460 hp / 550 Nm as standard or 480 hp / 600 Nm in the LCI version. The increase in power is achieved thanks to the installation of a new intake manifold, an integrated intercooler and a MANHART downpipe with a 300-cell HJS catalytic converter, which is connected to a GRAIL stainless steel rear silencer with valve control and four matte black MANHART exhaust pipes. The in-house MHtronik power box is tuned for high-quality 102-octane gasoline.

For those who want more power, Mahnart has also prepared performance upgrade packages (Stage 2 and Stage 3), which are available on request.

Source: Manhart

Gallery:

MH2 500 II (G42) has more power than BMW M2