+++ AUDI is considering the launch of another electric supercar to follow its previous limited-run R8 e-tron. “You can very well imagine that at some point in time we will have an electric supercar”, said Peter Mertens, Audi’s new R&D boss, at the Formula E race in Berlin. First mooted as far back as 2009, the R8 e-tron had a tortuous development, one that became mired in Audi’s internal politics. It was cancelled by Audi’s then development boss Wolfgang Dürheimer back in 2013 on the basis that battery technology was insufficient to deliver the targeted performance. Then Dürheimer’s replacement, Volkswagen’s engineering supremo, Ulrich Hackenberg, ordered that the e-tron be put into very limited production, with sales lasting just 19 months until the death of the first-generation R8 last year. Hackenberg has since departed, following the Dieselgate scandal, but Mertens (newly arrived from Volvo) made it clear that he is keen for Audi to have another halo electric model, although plans for such a car are still at an early stage. “The question is ‘would I like to make it happen soon?’ and the answer is yes, of course”, he said. “For a brand like Audi, a supercar is always interesting and it’s a segment in which we have been playing. We have been a very serious player”. Mertens has committed Audi to the development of e-tron models that will shadow the full line-up of the brand’s combustion-powered offerings. However, his insistence that electric Audis will be distinct models in their own right suggests any range-topper would have a unique design rather than being another R8 spin-off like the e-tron. Mertens said technical collaboration with Porsche is likely on fast EVs, and a super-sports version is likely to feature high-performance 800V electrics in place of the 400V system of lesser Audis. He said: “800V puts a significant extra cost on the bill. We need to evaluate whether customers will be prepared to pay that. In segments like super-sports cars, the answer will be yes, no doubt about it”. +++
+++ Automotive supplier BOSCH is developing a new computer ‘brain’ for autonomous vehicles, equipping them with artificial intelligence (AI) and the capability to make decisions much quicker than a human. The system will be in production by 2020 at the latest and will initially form the basis of driverless Robocabs being developed in conjunction with Daimler. Bosch says the computer brain will be able to carry out 30 trillion computational operations per second; 3 times faster than a human brain. The AI system is able to undergo a learning process as large numbers of autonomous vehicles pass experiences back to base via the cloud. Once the data has been checked by engineers, it will be accessible to all autonomous vehicles fitted with the system, improving their ability to deal with traffic situations. AI is crucial if autonomous cars are going to be capable of self-driving in difficult traffic conditions without outside assistance. “The chip to power the AI computer is being developed by Nvidia, which is the world’s most advanced chip producer. The software algorithms to run on the chip will be developed in-house at Bosch,” said Gerhard Steiger, head of Bosch’s automated driving division. “The electronic architecture is totally different to anything that has gone before”. The array of radar, lidar and camera sensors produce large amounts of data. Bosch says a self-driving car can produce as much as one gigabyte of data per second. The sensors give the car 360deg vision and the AI system will be powerful enough to process the data from all of them, simultaneously, in real time. Unlike a human, cars equipped with the system will be able to see all-round at all times and will never be distracted or lose concentration, says Bosch. +++
+++ Bread-and-butter automakers aren’t the only ones cashing in on the market’s SUV craze. Even luxury brands with no history of sport utility vehicles have found success in offering posh, high-riding SUVs. Case in point: Bentley. The Bentayga has been a smash hit for the brand and rival LAND ROVER believes there’s room within its portfolio to legitimately take on the ultra-luxury SUV. Gerry McGovern, Land Rover design chief, said he is completely open to the idea of an even more opulent Land Rover Range Rover. “Why not? We’ve realized that the Range Rover has got this big expanse across its price range, so it’s not a very big step to get into Bentayga country”, he said. Currently, the most expensive Land Rover is the long-wheelbase Range Rover. The most recent comments echo what McGovern has said in the past: Range Rover has in no way “reached its ceiling in terms of price”. He also stated he’d like to expand the number of models bearing the Range Rover badge. Currently, Land Rover sells the Range Rover, Range Rover Evoque, Range Rover Sport, and Range Rover Velar. As for how additional Range Rover vehicles would be positioned, McGovern doesn’t believe model overlap is a problem, specifically when looking at the size of upcoming products. “I would argue you could have 2 Range Rovers exactly the same size but if they had 2 personalities then they would both have equal appeal but to different customers”, he said. And McGovern is confident a more upscale Range Rover would be more than enough to sway Bentayga buyers to his brand. “Bentley doesn’t have the pedigree and authenticity in that particular sector. We’ve got unquestionable pedigree”, he noted. +++
+++ Volkswagen says it welcomes the competition for its Amarok workhorse in the form of incoming high-end pick-ups from MERCEDES and Renault, with the company confident that it can maintain its strong sales well into the future. The production version of the Mercedes X-Class is set to be revealed midway through July and should hit showrooms in 2018, with Renault’s Alaskan also likely to hit our dealerships next year. Both models are based on the underpinnings of Nissan’s Navara, but the Benz will use its own V6 diesel paired with the company’s 4Matic four-wheel-drive system, in flagship guise. The Amarok is currently the only ‘semi-premium’ offering in the pick-up segment. Volkswagen manager Paul Pottinger said the company was not fearful about the arrival of the X-Class and Alaskan, but suggested that the 2 rivals would need to more than just rebadged Navaras to properly compete. “We really welcome more in that market, it is better for everyone”, he said. “We certainly don’t fear the challenge. I think real competition is healthy. As long as those cars are not just badge-engineering exercises, which ours most certainly isn’t; it’s entirely from this group. It shares a drivetrain with a Porsche SUV and indeed an Audi SUV and we have had trade-ins on said Porsche SUV for an Amarok”. VW launched the powerful 225 hp / 550 Nm V6 diesel version of the Amarok late last year, and flagship Highline grades, with the kitted-out version receiving widespread critical acclaim. When asked if Volkswagen could lose some sales to Benz and Renault when their respective offerings are launched, Pottinger said: “They are not really known quantities at the moment. We have set the benchmark. The question I think is more for them: are they going to be good enough. Every indication is that the X-Class is going to be positioned above us. When you think about it, the Volkswagen brand has a history of being built off the back of successful commercial vehicles. The Amarok, I think, is a critical part now of the evolution of the Volkswagen brand”. +++
+++ NISSAN is using the debut of the 2018 Leaf and ProPilot system to reveal more than self-driving capabilities; the car will also be able to park itself. In the latest drip-drop of teasers for the next-generation 2018 Nissan Leaf, the brand revealed ProPilot Park. The system is activated with the push of a button and the driver then scouts the parking lot for their desired space. When the perfect spot is located, the driver simply holds down the same button and the 2018 Leaf handles steering input, braking, and light acceleration for a perfect parking job. Of course, Nissan says drivers should still be attentive and monitor their surroundings with ProPilot Park, but the brand is confident the technology will erode the stress level associated with parking in tight quarters. In addition to ProPilot Park, ProPilot Assist will provide self-driving capabilities in “single-lane” highway scenarios. Nissan says the system will handle braking, accelerating, and steering in the proper conditions. Eventually, the system will be capable of navigating city intersections as the technology evolves. Nissan plans to take the wraps off of the next-generation Leaf on September 6. The 2018 Nissan Leaf has big shoes to fill: the current-generation Leaf is the best-selling electric car globally with more than 260,000 units sold since its 2009 launch. I expect an assortment of electric ranges to be offered this time around as well. The maximum range may even eclipse the Opel Ampera-e. +++
+++ Mark Webber isn’t leaving PORSCHE anytime soon, though his role is changing from race cars to road cars. Following his retirement from racing in 2016, the Australian stayed on with Porsche as a consultant and brand ambassador. Now, he’s going to have a hand in developing future road cars for the marque, similar to how rally legend Walter Röhrl started to test Porsche road cars after ending his own motorsport career. Drive reports that Webber got his first taste of road car development with the 2018 Porsche 911 GT2 RS, a car whose predecessor was once owned by Webber. Porsche didn’t have to beg much in order for the retired racer to sign on for the project either. Webber said his involvement is a “natural fit” following his racing career. Notably, he won the 2015 World Endurance Championship as a Porsche driver. “It was fun, really enjoyable and very different to racing”, Webber said of his experience working on the GT2 RS. “We’re very happy with the finished product”. Webber went on to say most of his expertise will revolve around track-focused cars from Porsche. Again, a natural fit for the champion LMP1-class driver and former Formula One driver. However, he will have other things to keep him busy outside of Porsche vehicle development. “It’s definitely not my full-time job, far from that”, he said. “With Porsche, I have many opportunities to do different projects and obviously to have an interface with the road car is clearly one avenue”. The 2018 911 GT2 RS represents the most powerful road-going 911 ever built. With 700 horsepower and 750 Nm of torque coming from its 3.8-liter twin-turbocharged flat-6, I understand why Webber is giddy about his new role and to have his name attached to such a car. +++
+++ TESLA deliveries are flatlining amid persistent production snafus, reinforcing concern that Elon Musk may again be setting targets that his electric-car company won’t hit on time. The maker of Model S and Model X has reported quarter-by-quarter shipment declines for the second time in the past year. In addition to stoking fear about whether demand has peaked, these figures cast doubt on whether Musk can pull off a steep production ramp for his most ambitious offering yet, the cheaper Model 3. “Tesla’s Q2 production and deliveries report raised more questions than answers, particularly about Model S and X demand”, Toni Sacconaghi, a Sanford C. Bernstein analyst, wrote in a report. “The Tesla investment thesis hinges on the success of Model 3, and the ability for the company to ramp production, make the car profitably and deliver good initial build quality”. Musk has a history of setting aggressive goals and timelines for Tesla and coming up short, including his calls for how soon the Model X and less-expensive Model 3 would follow the company’s top-selling Model S. His latest target (producing the Model 3 at a rate of 20,000 cars per month in December) reinforces the challenge ahead. That’s nearly as many vehicles as the company has delivered quarterly over the last year. Demand for Tesla’s higher-priced Model S and Model X appears to be plateauing, analysts at Goldman Sachs Group and KeyBanc Capital Markets said in reports. Musk is relying on appetite for those vehicles remaining strong as the Palo Alto, California-based company spends heavily to bring out the Model 3. Tesla plans to hand over the keys to about 30 Model 3 customers on July 28. “While it is nice to see Tesla finally hit a stated target on time, we question whether 30 vehicle deliveries essentially built by hand count as ‘mass production’ ”, Jeff Osborne of Cowen and Co. wrote in note to clients. “We also are surprised that this ‘mass market’ vehicle does not have official photos, options, pricing or really any details available”. Goldman Sachs cut its 6-month price target for Tesla stock by $10, to $180. 8 analysts rate the shares a buy, 10 recommend holding and 6 suggest selling. In the statement, Tesla didn’t disclose the number of cars in transit, a departure from previous reports. Deliveries were impacted by production issues with 100 kWh batteries, according to the company. Tesla first introduced the 100 kWh battery, which has a U.S. estimated range of 480 kilometers, last fall. The company has been shifting the cell chemistry of its latest packs to using more silicon rather than graphite, Musk said at the time. This swap allows the batteries to pack more energy within the same volume, Osborne said. Second-half Model S and Model X deliveries are expected to exceed first-half sales “provided global economic conditions do not worsen considerably”, Tesla said in its statement. The caveat raised eyebrows for some analysts. “Typically, Tesla’s delivery forecasts are not conditional; why now?” Sacconaghi wrote. “Is the company worried about any specific macroeconomic headwinds? Is it fully confident in its orders?” +++
+++ VOLKSWAGEN executives say the company does not need a standalone halo sportscar to boost its brand image and pointed to the incoming Arteon 5-door liftback as a possible new luxury flagship that could compete with Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz. The car-maker no longer offers a sportscar in its line-up after it discontinued the slow-selling Scirocco late last year, sending it off with a limited-run Scirocco R Wolfsburg edition that is still trickling out of dealerships in run-out mode. Volkswagen’s pair of drop-tops (the Eos and closely related Golf Cabrio) were discontinued 2013 and 2016 respectively, with no replacement in sight. VW sells a number of performance variants of key models, predominantly based on the Golf, including the Golf GTI and R, as well as the Polo GTI. Many rival car-makers offer a sportscar in their line-up, often as a halo model, including Ford and its Mustang, the Nissan 370Z and GT-R, Honda’s NSX, the Mazda MX-5 and Toyota’s GT86 as well as its Subaru BRZ twin. When asked if he thought the brand needed a halo sportscar in its line-up to enhance its image, Volkswagen manager Michael Bartsch said it was not being considered at the moment. “We’re all car nuts, right? We’re in this business for those sorts of products as much as anything”, he said. “But do we feel at the moment that it creates a lacking anywhere in terms of brand or sales performance? No. “More depth in our SUV portfolio is more important than worrying about whether we have a sportscar like the Mazda MX-5 or not”. He describes the Arteon as a “halo car” and a “statement of intent” of what the car-maker was capable of and suggested it would compete with the big German players in the premium segment. “It is an unapologetically prestige car”, he said. “Arteon is going to sit at a premium of the current Passat range. That will be a premium car, except that you will find the standard fitment that would probably cost you a lot more in the equivalent BMW and Mercedes. And it absolutely begs comparison”. The Arteon is the successor to the CC, which was based on the previous-generation Passat, and while the new model shares its underpinnings with the eighth-generation mid-sizer, VW has put more effort into differentiating it from its more mainstream sibling this time around. +++