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Ford will offer a manual transmission for EVs

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Manual gearboxes are slowly going out of use, and Ford made sure to offer fans of this form of transmission its experience in electric cars. The American manufacturer has registered a patent in the US for a simulated manual transmission lever.

The patent, called “Shifter Assembly For Electric Vehicle”, was published on March 20 and describes a classic gear lever, which is fixed to the floor like in the old Ford Mustang. However, instead of connecting to the manual transmission, the lever only transmits signals to an electronic controller, which changes the engine torque. More precisely, the driver moves the lever as if changing gears, while the electronics imitate the pauses in power to create the feeling of a manual transmission of a car with an internal combustion engine.

Better connoisseurs of the automotive industry will remember that Hyundai previously offered a similar effect in its Ioniq 5 N model with the help of paddles, while Toyota is testing an electric car with a clutch simulator and even the ability to turn off the car. However, Ford has taken a different approach, installing small motors in the base of the gear lever, which provide resistance for a full experience.

This idea emerged two years ago, and whether it will be implemented and used for production cars is currently unknown.

Source: Ford

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8 new Chevrolet Corvettes stolen from the factory

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In July 2024, Chevrolet introduced the new generation Corvette ZR1 as the most powerful and fastest Corvette ever. A few days ago, 8 copies of this model were stolen from the General Motors plant in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

After arriving at work, the employees did not notice that the cars were stolen. The thieves cut through the fence and drove the cars, and some of them were left in the parking lot of the Lowe’s Home Improvement store.

One of the police officers noticed a Corvette with factory stickers in a neighborhood 14 minutes drive from the factory, and called the factory. After checking, it was determined that 8 Corvettes were missing. An investigation was launched and 21-year-old Deantae Walker of Westland, Michigan was arrested, who, in addition to stealing the car, was also charged with fleeing from police and resisting arrest. Police are still searching for his accomplices.

The reason why the thieves chose this location is still unknown. One of the customers took a photo of the red Corvette, and the police arrived and returned several stolen cars to the factory, while others were later found.

Source: Mark Thomas via Facebook

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BMW M5 Touring reached sales of M5 sedan

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When BMW introduced the M5 Touring in August 2024, few could have predicted that it would reach sales of the M5. That’s exactly what happened, with an increasing number of the Bavarian brand’s customers opting for the estate version of the powerful car.

The M5 Touring is 63 kg heavier than the sedan and has an almost 50:50 weight distribution thanks to its long wheelbase, wide wheel track and low center of gravity. It is equipped with wide wheel arches and an integrated roof spoiler, while the interior features a new steering wheel, a curved screen displaying M graphics and BMW Operating System 8.5, a Sky Lounge panoramic roof, an electric rear curtain and an electric tailgate.

When it comes to the powertrain, the BMW M5 Touring is powered by a turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 engine in combination with an electric motor with a total power of 727 hp (542 kW) and 737 lb-ft (1,000 Nm) of torque. It accelerates to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.6 seconds, 200 km/h in 11.1 seconds with a top speed of 305 km/h (189 mph), with the optional M Driver’s package.

Sylvia Neubauer, BMW’s vice president for customer experience, brand and sales, said that demand had led BMW to increase production of the M5, adding that the M5 Touring could soon overtake the sedan in sales.

Source: BMW