+++ ASTON MARTIN is preparing to reveal a hot new version of its DBX, which it says will be “the world’s most powerful luxury SUV”. Scheduled for an unveiling on 1 February, the new model will be the range-topping performance version of the DBX promised by Aston Martin CEO Tobias Moers last year. The company has yet to disclose how much more potent than the standard DBX it will be, but a 600 hp-plus output is expected, given the existing model packs 550 hp. One likely scenario is that the DBX ‘S’ (as it could be called, in line with traditional Aston Martin nomenclature) will take some 630 hp from a twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 running in the same state of tune as it does in Mercedes-AMG’s GT 63 S super-saloon. Previously, it was thought that the DBX could play host to the 5.2-litre V12 from its DB11 and DBS sibling models, but recently spotted prototypes hint at a less subtle engineering overhaul, and an official teaser video hints at a distinctive V8 growl. The model will be introduced as part of a push to create a comprehensive family of DBX models, much like rival Porsche has done with the Cayenne. It arrives following the recent launch of a straight-six-powered mild-hybrid model for the Chinese market, and is expected to be followed by additional variants, possibly including a 7-seater and a coupé. Alongside a substantial power boost, the new DBX will be marked out from the standard car by way of a chassis overhaul aimed at improving its dynamic behaviour; bigger brakes, stiffer suspension and stickier rubber are among the most likely upgrades. It will also no doubt sit lower and feature a more aggressive bodykit than the existing DBX, which is more overtly focused on long-distance refinement. While the DBX is unlikely to receive Aston’s V12, that engine will be deployed in a new edition of the Vantage coupé (the last model to wear the Vantage V12 nameplate) which is also due in the coming months. +++
+++ Chinese battery supplier Contemporary Amperex Technology Ltd (CATL) will venture into the world of BATTERY SWAPPING through its new Evogo brand. CATL supplies its batteries to a number of different automakers, including Tesla, Volkswagen Fisker, and NIO. The latter already operates a large battery swapping service in China that is now also expanding to Europe. While some details about CATL’s own battery swapping plans remain unclear, it did recently sign a partnership agreement with Guizhou Province in southwest China to establish a network of battery swapping stations. Through the partnership, CATL will construct battery swapping stations for electric vehicles while also looking to promote the development of the whole EV industry. Nio has established itself as the leader in battery swap technologies in recent years. As of December 31, it was operating more than 750 battery swap stations throughout China and has recently opened a handful in Norway. It plans to expand the service into Germany and given that Nio has ambitions to enter the North American market, it’s entirely possible that the U.S. and Canada will also see some swapping stations pop up in the coming years. Nio is also working alongside Shell to establish a network of co-branded swapping stations. Geely is also investing heavily in the technology. In October 2021, it announced plans to establish 5.000 battery swapping stations across China by 2025. Its stations will take just 59 seconds to swap out an empty battery for a fully charged one and payments will be automatic, meaning drivers won’t even have to leave their vehicle. +++
+++ BENTLEY will soon offer a more powerful V8 plug-in hybrid powertrain in its Flying Spur saloon, according to the car’s chief technical engineer. The set-up, a version of which is currently offered in the Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid, produces almost 700 hp. Speaking at the launch of the new Bentley Flying Spur Hybrid, Steve Jones (chief technical engineer for Continental GT and Flying Spur) told the V6 is a “stepping stone”. Bentley will electrify its entire range by 2024, with hybrids playing a big part in the switch to EVs. With the new Flying Spur Hybrid lifting the entry-level Panamera 4 E-Hybrid’s 2.9 litre twin-turbo V6 (rather than the Bentayga Hybrid’s less powerful, single-turbo 3.0-litre), I asked Jones whether we might see Porsche’s flagship V8 motor fitted to a Bentley in the future. “That is absolutely the path”, he said, suggesting that while the end goal is an entire range of pure-electric Bentleys, in the interim the maker is looking to offer a variety of electrified options, including other engines from the wider Volkswagen Group. Exact specifications for the range-topping hybrid Bentley have yet to be revealed, however. While the new Flying Spur V6 uses the very same 136 hp electric motor as the Panamera, the British manufacturer has given the petrol engine a slightly different tune. Producing 540 hp, the Flying Spur sits between the cheapest Panamera 4 E-Hybrid and the faster 4S variant. It’s therefore unclear whether Bentley may choose to boost the power of the V8 even further when fitting it to its luxury saloon. Either way, with a figure in the region of 700bhp, it’s likely the Hybrid V8 will manage 0-100 kph in comfortably less than 4 seconds and hit almost 320 kph flat out. While the 2-door Continental GT is yet to be officially revealed as a hybrid, we know that one is on the way. Like the Flying Spur, it’s expected Bentley will eventually offer the coupe with both V6 and V8 hybrid powertrains. Bentley confirmed its Beyond 100 strategy back in 2020, stating it will offer hybrid versions of every model in the line-up by 2024, before declaring itself a pure-electric brand by the end of the decade. The maker intends to launch its first EV in 2025. +++
+++ BMW just announced that it will be producing its last V12-powered production vehicle in June this year. The only BMW that comes with a V12 engine now is the M760i xDrive sedan, and yes, that 7 Series will indeed be the car that will carry BMW’s last V12. To commemorate this occasion, BMW is going to make a “Final V12” special edition version of the M760i, of which only 12 will be built for the U.S. market. Before we get into what makes the Final V12 special, let’s talk about the V12 engine itself. BMW’s current V12 engine is a big 6.6-liter twin-turbo that makes more than a whopping 610 horsepower and 840 Nm. That’s good enough for a 0-100 kph run of just 3.7 seconds in the big ‘ole sedan. It’s paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission, and, fun fact, the M760i performs launch control starts from second gear instead of first on account of the enormous torque it makes low down in the rev range. As for what makes the Final V12 special, it gets a number of unique design and styling touches. To start, BMW adds a “V12” badge on the rear (the standard M760i has no such exterior badging). The 20-inch wheels are painted either Window Grey or Jet Black, then “burnished to reveal a dark silver surface highlight”. Those wheels will also be hiding the customer’s choice of either blue or black brake calipers. As you’d expect, BMW has its full Individual paint color selection available to choose from: BMW says customers can choose from over 80 different exterior colors. +++
+++ FORD expects to record a gain of $8.2 billion in the fourth quarter on its investment in Rivian Automotive after the electric-truck maker’s blockbuster initial public offering late last year. The legacy automaker disclosed the gain along with several special items it intends to report when Ford releases earnings on February 3. The Dearborn, Michigan-based company will also reclassify a noncash gain of about $900 million on the Rivian investment from the first quarter of last year as a special item, meaning it will be excluded from the full-year adjusted results, according to a statement. The disclosures show Ford continues to gain from its connection to the startup even after the auto giant exited Rivian’s board in September and subsequently announced it had abandoned plans to jointly develop an electric vehicle. Ford, which has invested a total of $1.2 billion in Rivian since early 2019, has a 12% stake that the company has said was valued at more than $10 billion in early December. Since a November listing that was the largest IPO of 2021, Rivian has been on a roller coaster. The shares peaked at more than $172, but have tumbled 57% since then as the company faced new competition in the electric-vehicle market. Rivian was briefly valued at more than $100 billion, then more valuable than Ford, but Ford has subsequently reclaimed the lead after it topped $100 billion in value for the first time last week. +++
+++ RIMAC Technology, the Rimac Group’s engineering division, will become a standalone entity dedicated to developing EV technology for the Croatian hypercar maker and third-party manufacturers. The Rimac Group now consists of 2 companies: Bugatti Rimac (created when Rimac and French hypercar firm Bugatti merged last year) and Rimac Technology. The Rimac Group owns 100 % of Rimac Technology and a majority stake of 55 % in Bugatti Rimac, with the remaining 45 % owned by Porsche. Rimac Technology will expand its operations in engineering, development and production of high-performance battery systems. It will also develop electronic systems, electric drive units and user-interface components. It will have the capability to produce “tens of thousands of high-performance systems” annually by 2024 and beyond that will eventually scale up to the hundreds of thousands. Its output, Rimac said, will range from small hybrid battery systems to full rolling chassis, hinting at the potential for simultaneous involvement with large global manufacturers and low-volume firms. As its own entity, Rimac Technology will be free from any potentially restrictive oversight from other manufacturers, Rimac says, and could technically collaborate with any other firm. So far, Rimac Technology is known to have worked with Aston Martin, Automobili Pininfarina, Hyundai, Kia, Koenigsegg and Porsche, but the firm said “there are many additional projects which are still unknown to the public”. “Separating the technology business into its own entity is a natural step, as the focus of the 2 markets (hypercars and components) are completely different”, said Rimac founder and CEO Mate Rimac. “The products of Rimac Technology, while being on the cutting edge of performance, also need to be extremely cost-competitive and producible at huge scales, while those issues are secondary for the hypercar business. “This new structure will enable each company of the Rimac Group to flourish to their full potential while still sharing the synergies between them, for example using our own hypercars as testbeds for new technology before we offer it to other OEMs”. Headquartered in Zagreb, Croatia, the Rimac Group currently has around 1000 employees, but it will move to a larger campus in 2023 with enough space to support 2.500 workers. “If we go back to the very beginning of the Rimac Automobili business in 2009, the dream for me was to build my own electric hypercar. With the Nevera, we believe we’ve achieved that dream, creating a car that’s not only the fastest-accelerating in the world but also comfortable, usable and brimming with our advanced technology”, said Rimac. Rimac believes the 1920 hp and 2.300 Nm Nevera is a showcase of what Rimac Technology is capable of without the cost or volume restraints of a large-scale manufacturer. “We believe once you’ve pushed the technology as far as it can go, it makes it a lot easier to scale up to higher volume and lower cost”, Rimac said. “The e-axles, torque vectoring, battery systems, connectivity, AI [Artificial Intelligence] and countless other electrical systems on the Nevera are all our own creations, and each of them can be scaled to suit applications you might find on a range of higher-volume performance vehicles”. +++
+++ The Dawn Project, an organisation self-described as “dedicated to making computers truly safe for humanity”, has attacked TESLA Full Self-Driving technology in a full-page ad in the New York Times. Founded by 1976 CalTech graduate Dan O’Dowd, who describes himself on the organisation’s website as “the world’s leading expert in creating software that never fails and can’t be hacked”, The Dawn Project sees computers as a “grave threat to humanity since they have been hooked up to the internet together with every safety critical device”. The bio published on the website states that O’Dowd “created the secure operating systems for projects including Boeing’s 787s, Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Fighter Jets, the Boeing B1-B Intercontinental Nuclear Bomber, and NASA’s Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle”. O’Dowd is also the founder and CEO of Green Hills Software, a company that builds operating systems and programming tools for embedded systems. Titled “Don’t be a Tesla crash test dummy”, the NYT ad is a harsh critique of the Full Self-Driving “robot car experiment”. Dan O’Dowd announced the full-page NYT advertisement on Twitter as part of a campaign to ban Tesla Full Self-Driving. What he conveniently forgot to mention is that his company, Green Hills Software, is a supplier for the all-electric 2022 BMW iX, a Tesla Model X rival. This piece of information alone is enough to discredit The Dawn Project’s claims in the paid NYT ad, but there are more reasons why this undertaking is difficult to take seriously. For example, cherry picking FSD Beta YouTube videos to suit a desired narrative does not sound too scientific or unbiased, does it? In addition, using third-party YouTube videos (instead of directly testing the technology) to extract “evidence” that FSD would kill millions every day if it were fitted to all the cars in the world is ridiculous. Another red flag is the fact that the ad not once uses the software’s full name Full Self-Driving Beta. It leaves the Beta part out, which may lead some readers to believe FSD Beta is a finished product when in fact it is still undergoing development testing. Tesla’s only reaction so far to this strange attack came from Elon Musk, who called O’Dowd’s Green Hills software “a pile of trash”, implying that Linux, which Tesla uses in a customised form on its cars, is way better. +++