+++ ASTON MARTIN has poached a key figure from rival British make McLaren. Chris Goodwin will join Aston Martin as its new expert high-performance test driver, the brand announced. Goodwin most recently served as McLaren’s chief test driver and his recruitment comes as Aston Martin plans for intensive product development. The brand called Goodwin’s hiring part of “phase one.” However, Goodwin wasn’t the only high-profile figure Aston Martin snagged. Simone Rizzuto will also join the brand. Rizzuto previously worked for Maserati and Alfa Romeo as a vehicle performance testing and integration expert. He will take the title of chief engineer for vehicle dynamics. The 2 new hires are now part of a lengthy list of poached engineers. In the past few years, the brand has brought on other high-profile engineers from Lotus and Maserati. Aston Martin named 2 future vehicles as centerpieces to the hiring spree, the DBX cross-over and the Valkyrie hypercar, which, in case you missed it, could race at Le Mans if regulations shape up in the brand’s favor. A slew of electrified powertrains is also in development at the company. All-electric and hybrid powertrains are currently a focus. The strategic vision is coming into clarity under CEO Andy Palmer. The brand plans for 7 cars total over 7 years as part of its ‘Second Century Plan’, and aims to become profitable, something that has eluded the British brand over is 100-plus year history. Rumors of an initial public offering have also swirled once again. Aston Martin’s current owners, Italy’s Investindustrial and Kuwait’s Adeem Investment and The Investment Dar, have reportedly hired a financial firm to oversee an IPO or an all-out sale. +++
+++ When AUDI first launched the R8 at 2006’s Paris auto show, the whole world took notice of the brand with the 4 rings. The car brought the exoticness of a Ferrari or Lamborghini and combined this with impeccable build quality and reliability you could count on every day. It also cost a fraction of what its Italian rivals were going for. However, that same magic was lost when the second-generation R8 arrived a decade later. Perhaps because the car no longer broke any molds. The design and technology had barely changed, and Audi raised the barrier to entry by dropping the previous model’s entry-level V8 option. It also didn’t help that Audi launched the car pretty much alongside the related Lamborghini Huracán. This is reflected in the sales. Worldwide sales of the second-generation R8 totaled 3,688 units in 2016, which is lower than the 4,125 units the previous model sold in its first year on the market and well off the 5,656 units the car sold in its best year. The sales situation will likely lead to Audi dropping the R8 after the current model’s run ends sometime early next decade. Also likely dead is a hypercar, a model incumbent Audi Sport boss Stephan Winkelmann hinted at as recently as August. Winkelmann is moving on to Bugatti and his replacement at Audi Sport, Michael-Julius Renz, will likely be busy for the foreseeable future developing higher volume models like SUVs. So what will serve as Audi Sport’s flagship? Audi Sport will launch an electric car based on the platform of the Porsche Mission E. Winkelmann has said in past interviews that Audi Sport will launch an electric car in 2020 or 2021, and that it would either take the form of a coupe-like sedan or coupe-like SUV. If the Mission E underpinnings is accurate, it appears Audi Sport is going with the former. Stay tuned. +++
+++ French high-performance car maker BUGATTI Automobiles commenced deliveries of its 1.500 hp Chiron super sportscar in March 2017. While the demand for the hypercar is high, its production nature limits the number of examples assembled and delivered each year. Good news though as the company was able to reach its delivery target for 2017: 70 examples of the Bugatti were sent to customers around the world. Ordering and purchasing a new Chiron is one thing, while getting to drive it is another. Wolfgang Durheimer, President of Bugatti Automobiles, remarked that the French carmaker is aiming to keep the waiting times for the customers as short as possible. So far, only 70 customers who ordered the Chiron have received their supercars. When Bugatti commenced delivery of the Chiron in March 2017, the carmaker has already taken more than 200 orders. As of December 2017, the orders have ballooned to more than 300 examples. Bugatti revealed that 43 percent of orders were from customers in Europe while 26 percent were from North America, which includes the United States and Canada. Around 23 percent of the orders were from the Middle East while the remaining 8 percent were from the Asia-Pacific region. During the official unveiling of the Chiron at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show, the luxury sports car maker disclosed of plans to build and offer just 500 examples (a limited number) of the spectacular hypercar. At Bugatti’s current pace of delivery for the Chiron, I estimate the French carmaker to take nearly 6 years to deliver all 500 examples. With 70 Chiron units already delivered, the 500th customer would have to wait around 5 years to receive his or her hypercar ride, provided that all 500 models are sold out by then. Since Bugatti’s order book for the hypercar has already reached more than 300 examples sold, the carmaker’s Molsheim atelier would be still be busy building the Chiron for more than three years from now, or until 2021. At a price of around 2.6 million dollar, the Chiron is marketed towards customers with really deep pockets. It is worth the price considering that Chiron is powered by an 8.0-liter W16 engine with four turbochargers larger than the Veyron’s. This W16 engine delivers 1.500 hp of max output and 1.600 Nm of peak torque as transmitted to all wheels, while it boasts a top speed of up to 420 km/h. Once all 500 examples of the Chiron are delivered, Bugatti would have already sent out a total of 750,000 hp to customers around the world. +++
+++ The next FORD Focus has been confirmed for launch in early 2018, with multiple variants planned for a phased launch akin to that of the Fiesta. The 4th-generation will follow the same evolutionary path as the recently unveiled Fiesta, using the brand’s highly flexible global C-class platform. It will be a 5-door hatch: Ford is keeping its development funds for making more SUVs, which European president Jim Farley believes are turning into “preferred family cars”. The new Focus is unlikely to grow in length or width, but is tipped to have about 50 mm more wheelbase to match its rivals for rear leg room. It will also deliver weight savings of around 50 kg, model for model, although precise figures are still being calculated. Efficiency will be high on the agenda: Ford will undoubtedly improve on the current car’s aerodynamics. It will also launch a new all-electric version as one of one of a dozen electric cars promised last year by European chief Farley. The company has also been experimenting with hybrid models, already successful in its US line-up, but there are no sure signs yet of a Focus hybrid. The Focus’s engine range will depend heavily on the successful 1.0-litre Ecoboost 3-cylinder petrol engine (available in 100, 125 and 140 hp versions) and is likely also to offer 1.5-litre and 2.0-litre petrol units in several power outputs with up to 280 hp to drive its ST-line and ‘full fat’ ST versions. The staple diesel will again be the 1.5 TDCi, although a 2.0-litre diesel may still be offered for ST performance models. Ford is likely for the time being to stick with its the 6-speed Powershift twin-clutch gearbox as the European automatic option. One certainty is that Ford will launch a high-riding Focus Active, along lines established by the recently revealed Fiesta Active, to take advantage of burgeoning demand for ‘lifestyle’ models. There will be several models: base cars will have a regular front-wheel-drive system, but there is likely to be an optional four-wheel drive utilising hardware from the existing Kuga. Suggestions that there would be no replacement for the current Focus RS appear wide of the mark: Ford sources suggest there may be “at least one more” version of the highly rated sports hatch in the company’s armoury. Ford chief Farley is known to be keen on such models, which he says do much to boost the image and desirability of the Ford range. Inside, the new Focus will be more carefully packaged than ever, to offer enhanced passenger space in key areas even though it is no bigger externally. The dashboard will be simpler and more stylish: the company’s designers privately admit they “over delivered” on dashboard complexity in the previous Fiesta and Focus cabins. The fascia, in particular, will be simpler and less claustrophobic, with more functions activated via a prominent central touch-screen. The overall look, fit and finish has been previewed by the latest Fiesta, which has been noted for its vast improvements and quick-responding infotainment system. The car also comes available with a 10-speaker B&O Play soundsystem as part of its cabin entertainment armoury; expect a similar technical list in the Focus. Ford is still deciding launch details for its 4th-generation Focus. It showed the third-generation model, earmarked for a 2011 launch, at the 2010 Detroit motor show at the beginning of that year, evidently to stress the car’s global credentials and pay homage to the firm’s hometown. However, the Focus is expected to land after the Geneva motor show in the late spring before sales commence later in the year. +++
+++ 11 Japanese companies, including Toyota, Honda and Nissan, will work together to create a network of HYDROGEN refuelling stations across Japan. Joining the 3 automakers are 6 energy and infrastructure companies (JXTG Nippon Oil & Energy, Idemitsu Kosan, Iwatani, Tokyo Gas, Toho Gas, and Air Liquide), as well as 2 financial firms (Toyota Tsusho, and the Development Bank of Japan). The new joint venture will begin operation during the second quarter of 2018, and plans to build 80 new hydrogen refuelling stations across the nation during its first 4 years. Not only will the new company build and run these new fuel stops for at least 10 years, the as-yet-unnamed firm will look to standardise equipment and streamline regulations. It’s hoped this collaboration will “simultaneously accelerate and scale up” Japan’s deployment of hydrogen refuelling stations, and increase the uptake of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and its Council for a Strategy for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells has set a target of 160 refuelling stations and 40,000 fuel cell cars by the 2020 Japanese financial year. Although both the Toyota Mirai and second-generation Honda Clarity hydrogen fuel cell cars have a claimed driving range of over 500 kilometres, and refuelling times as quick as a conventional petrol or diesel vehicle, both have sold only in small numbers. This is partially down to their high cost of purchase, but is also due to a dearth of refuelling infrastructure. Sales of both vehicles have been primarily limited to Japan, California and large corporations. +++
+++ LAND ROVER hinted an electrified Defender will be part of the powertrain lineup. Sources close to Jaguar Land Rover told that a battery offroader is confirmed for production and it will utilize at least one electric motor with a powerful battery pack. When I pressed for information on an electrified Defender this past October, Chris Marchand, executive vice president for Jaguar Land Rover North America, told me electrified powertrains and off-roaders are not mutually exclusive, seemingly dropping a hint before this new report. The new Defender will not utilize the company’s front and all-wheel drive transverse-engine D8 architecture or the steel and aluminum iQ-Al platform. Rather, the off-road icon will use a new variation of the Discovery, Range Rover, and Range Rover Sport’s aluminum platform. Sources added the platform will indeed be closely related to the Discovery’s platform. And the new Defender won’t be a one-trick pony, either. Land Rover will develop a broad model range to cover hardcore off-road, luxury, and performance variants of the SUV. The iconic Defender 90 and Defender 110 names will remain, thanks to two separate wheelbases measuring 90 and 110 inches. As for the new Defender’s design, the report said to expect a “controversial” look to help the nameplate not only retain its rugged history, but also attract new customers. An all-electric Land Rover Defender will fall in line with the brand’s call for electrified options for all new vehicles starting with the 2020 model year. I don’t have a set date, but the Defender will be part of the brand’s massive 70th-anniversary celebration in late 2018 before going on sale in 2019. +++
+++ LEXUS has outdone its German rivals for after-sales service in the JD Power Customer Service Index. The Japanese luxury brand scored 869 out of a possible 1.000 points, a handy 17 point jump over last year, and 27 points above the industry average. A total of 547 owners who had bought a car in the past 5 years, and had it serviced at an authorised dealership in the past 12 months, were surveyed. Mercedes-Benz came in second with a score of 852, while Audi (840) and BMW (835) lagged a little behind. Land Rover and Volvo owners were questioned as part of the study, but their sample wasn’t big enough to include them in the final results. The study found an increasing number of owners were booking services online. Companies which clearly explained the cost of servicing scored better, as did those which offered alternative transport. Interestingly, only 93.5 percent of customers said work was done right the first time, compared to 95 percent in 2016. “These results are a tribute to the entire Lexus team, from the unsurpassed quality of our vehicles, to world-class customer engagement, to the attention to detail of our dealers who deliver the finest after-sales care”, Peter McGregor, Lexus chief executive, said. +++
+++ MCLAREN Automotive revealed that it officially opened in the U.S. its F1 Service Center. Based in Pennsylvania, this will be the first such service center in North America. In addition, it will be 1 of only 2 service facilities that are authorized to operate out of the McLaren Special Operations (MSO) located in Woking, United Kingdom. The facility is expected to offer both service and maintenance on F1s in North America. It is important to note that while this new facility is managed by McLaren Philadelphia, it remains to be separate from the main retail facility. This new facility was developed in order to duplicate the services that are provided by the Woking-based MSO. All of the facility’s staff was trained by none other than the in-house technicians of MSO on providing the total F1 service experience. These include the standard annual maintenance all the way to full system refreshes. It even adds in major renovations. The brand disclosed that the North American service center will be equipped with one of the original sets of special tooling, the same one used to service the F1. This annual service of the F1 generally involves a careful level of inspection done on the vehicle. These would include filters, fluids, full suspension inspection, and replacements for the wider blade. Under this facility, F1 models will get the full “vehicle shakedown” and participate in high speed runs on the runway or a closed test track. This process also entails assessing the vehicle through the model’s full performance envelope. Second annual service though means a higher level when it comes to inspection. Finally it is important that the fuel tank be replaced every 5 years. McLaren North America President Tony Joseph said that servicing an F1 is not something that is done in a quick manner. When it comes to properly maintaining and servicing a McLaren F1, he added, it takes considerable time as the technician needs to check painstakingly each nut and bolt. Joseph continued by saying that adding how long it takes to service the model and the actual time to transport it from and to the U.K. results to F1 owners in North America spending a lot of time away from their dear models. With the presence of a service center in this region, it not only significantly cuts the transport time but it also now has an authorized facility that can prioritize owners in this part of the world. With a limited production run of 106 units, it comes as no surprise that the McLaren F1 is one of the world’s most exclusive cars. Developing an F1 model, from the planning, designing building, takes around 4 years. It continues to be the fastest naturally aspirated road car by being fitted with the 6,1 liter V12 engine that can deliver 630 hp. McLaren disclosed that another F1 Service Center is expected to be set up in the West Coast of the U.S. and will be announced soon. +++
+++ As coupe-styled SUVs gain a following among customers around the world, carmakers are also racing to offer Sports Activity Coupes (SAC), as these vehicles are called. While the VOLKSWAGEN Tiguan is currently becoming one of the best-sellers in the world, it wouldn’t be a big surprise if the German carmaker adds a coupe variant of the Tiguan. Just recently, a German report said that VW is indeed planning to sport a coupe version of the Tiguan. It added that the car could launch the Tiguan coupe-SUV as early as next year (2018). The German carmaker is seeing an opportunity to introduce the coupe-SUV version after it launched a now larger Tiguan Allspace, which is capable of accommodating an optional 3rd-row seat. The coupe-SUV version would mean that the Tiguan could now cater to more groups of potential customers. For instance, the coupe-SUV version of the Tiguan would be a great proposition to customers who don’t need the extra space offered by the now-larger SUV. These customers are willing to give up the extra room for the sake of driving a Tiguan that looks more chic and stylish. Featuring a smaller interior, the coupe-SUV variant of the Tiguan would also be less practical and less utilitarian. Its chic and stylish exterior would be matched by a premium-looking trim while its rear bench would be replaced by 2 more luxurious seats. As for power, the R variant of the Tiguan coupe-SUV could be powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that delivers up to 300 hp of output and 380 Nm of torque. If realized, the coupe-SUV variant could cater to a niche of Tiguan customers looking not just for sportier or sleeker looking SUV, but it will also be ideal for those seeking a sportier ride and a higher level of driver engagement common with SACs. However, it remains up to VW whether it sees enough reason or customer demand to start the development and production of a coupe version of the Tiguan. There might be a low chance for VW to offer a coupe version of the Tiguan, but the chance is not zero given the increasing demand for SACs. +++