+++ ALFA ROMEO ’s limited-edition supercar, to be revealed on 30 August, will be named 33. Previously expected to be called the 6C, a source says it will actually be named both in reference to the legendary 33 Stradale of 1967, and as a nod to its exclusive billing: just 33 will be produced, each priced north of €1 million. Coincidentally, its projected top speed is 333 kph. Alfa Romeo previously released a preview image with the strapline “dare to dream”, alluding to the model’s aspirational positioning compared with the Italian brand’s wider line-up. It will be revealed to coincide with this year’s Italian Grand Prix at Monza is no coincidence. “This project is a dream come true, inspired by a daring team that wanted to achieve something unique”, said Alfa Romeo CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato. Imparato confirmed in February that deposits were being taken before the supercar had been officially signed off by Alfa Romeo parent firm Stellantis. “It will be sold out before I unveil the car”, he told. It’s not yet known exactly what form the 33 will take, but it will “contribute to the DNA” of the brand, Imparato said, hinting at a heritage-inspired design. “We’re working on something that I could put aside the 8C in the museum of Arese, being proud of our contribution to the history of Alfa Romeo. That is what we want. To take this type of decision in 2022 in a group like Stellantis, everyone considers that you’re completely mad”, added Imparato, hinting that the car will likely be fitted with a combustion engine, rather than an electric powertrain. It is expected to use a derivative of the Giulia Quadrifoglio’s twin-turbocharged 2.9-litre V6, no doubt boosted to give more than the usual 520 hp. Imparato also said the 33 wouldn’t just be a track car, but one that could still be driven every day, despite its likely price and positioning. “It could be iconic, super-sexy and recognisable as an Alfa Romeo at first sight”. +++
+++ ALPINE has replaced its CEO of 2 years, Laurent Rossi, with ex-Ferrari and Alfa Romeo engineer Philippe Krief. Rossi, who headed up Alpine’s road car and Formula 1 operations, “will now focus on special projects linked to the transformation of the group”, the brand said, giving no further details about his new position. Rossi was appointed to lead Alpine following the shock departure of former boss Cyril Abiteboul (now Hyundai Motorsport team principal) in January 2021. During his stewardship, Alpine has embarked on a dramatic expansion and electrification programme, giving details of how it will go from a one-car line-up (in the form of the petrol-powered Alpine A110 sports coupé) to a 7-strong family of battery-electric cars in a range of segments by the end of the decade. High-profile unveilings under Rossi’s tenure include the A290 Beta, a concept preview of the firm’s 2024 electric hot hatchback; the radically styled Alpenglow hydrogen hypercar concept; and most recently the A424, a prototype for Alpine’s hybrid hypercar for the 2024 Le Mans 24 Hours. Rossi was previously the Renault Group’s director of strategy and business development, having started at the firm in 1990 – but he also spent time at Boston Consulting Group and Google. Under his leadership, Alpine has achieved dramatic growth and encouraging profitability. Last week, the brand announced a sales uptick of 9% in the first half of 2023, driven by a record month in June, with 593 units of the A110 sold. Committed to transforming Alpine from a niche brand into a volume player, Rossi was working towards the company breaking even in 2026 and achieving an operating margin of more than 10% by 2030. Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo thanked Rossi “for his unwavering commitment over the last 2 years at the helm of Alpine”. He added: “Laurent has set out a clear and ambitious strategy for the brand. He has put Alpine in the best possible position to achieve its long-term goals. Alpine is now ready to enter a new phase of its development and to become a brand of the future”. Rossi’s replacement, Philippe Krief (photo), is a recent Alpine recruit, having previously worked for Michelin, Fiat, Maserati and (most notably) as technical director for Alfa Romeo and engineering boss at Ferrari. He was instrumental in the development of the acclaimed Ferrari 458 Italia and Alfa Romeo Giulia. De Meo said: “Philippe combines a long industry experience, great technical knowledge with the leadership qualities that are key to the success of our project, including the launch of the brand’s new vehicles starting next year. I fully trust Philippe and his team to take Alpine to new heights”. +++
+++ AUDI SPORT , Ingolstadt’s storied performance division, will have a 100% electrified line-up by the end of this decade, including searing-hot, pure-electric successors to its quickest and most potent combustion cars, from the RS3 hot hatch to the RS7 grand tourer. Audi will “put more focus on the RS brand” over the coming years, according to Volkswagen Group CEO Oliver Blume, building on the hugely successful formula of today’s RS e-Tron GT in adding sporting credentials and more purposeful styling cues to its standard models. Furthermore, the company is dedicated to ensuring that the RS badge doesn’t become a mere trim level. Audi Sport managing director Sebastian Grams highlighted the popularity of the hottest e-Tron GT (every third car built is an RS) as a sign that “the world is changing and our target portfolio is changing, so the target customers are changing”. He continued: “We have to focus also on the new target groups, which are growing up, and therefore we definitely believe that electrification and high performance go really, really well together”. RS versions of the upcoming A7 e-Tron Avant and Q6 e-Tron will be the first new full-fat Audi Sport EVs, but following quickly behind will be outlandishly styled and hugely powerful sporty takes on the upcoming electric replacements for the A3, A4, A6 and A7. Audi hasn’t confirmed plans for that last model, but chief designer Marc Lichte described the recently revealed Activesphere concept as “like an A7 elevated” and suggested that a production version could arrive in around 2027, and no doubt a fiery RS variant would follow soon after. The brand is now working on “how you give the special character from the exterior design perspective to an RS model”, said Grams. “We believe that there needs to be a differentiation between a normal model and an RS model. This will be a USP (or characteristic DNA) in the electric world”. Sharing his priorities and vision for performance EVs, Grams (a self-professed “engine guy at heart”) said that overt differentiation from standard Audis will remain a hallmark of the RS line-up, not just in design and equipment terms but also in how they feel and sound on the move. “With electrification on board”, he said, “you can find special driving modes and you can create a special sound for the powertrain. This is something we’ve shown in the RS E-tron GT. We had sound engineers making a specific sound that’s characteristic for an RS model. These are the new patents we have to bring into our cars, into our technology”. Grams stopped short of confirming whether Audi will introduce synthesised 5-cylinder or V8 soundtracks into RS EVs, but the sportier version of the RS e-Tron GT makes a bespoke ‘engine’ note under acceleration in a nod to its enhanced performance. It won’t just be sound that marks these cars out on the road, of course, and Grams said the scope for torque curve and power delivery adjustments means “you can even design and give a special characteristic to the electric powertrain, even better than in a combustion car. This is what we have learned also out of the RS e-Tron GT”, he said, “and the feedback is really positive”. Electric powertrains are, said Grams, “a better playground for our engineers”. The first wave of RS EVs will ride atop the new PPE platform that Audi is developing with Porsche. This has now been confirmed to be capable of hosting powertrains with up to 960 hp, though it remains to be seen whether Audi will push to these heights for sub-supercar sports EVs. Today’s V8-engined RS7 produces 630 hp in its most potent form, and any electric follow-up will look to offer comparable pace. Beyond straight-line speed, Audi Sport is investigating ways of ensuring its cars are among the keenest-handling and engaging in their field. Grams said it’s “trying to transfer” technology from motorsport applications to road cars and pointed to the S1 Hoonitron drift car developed for the late Ken Block as an indicator of what’s possible. “We’ve taken technology out of Formula E, which is very advanced technology and put it into a ‘serial’ car. It’s not a serial car; it’s a race car. But we’ve really designed, in a new way, an electric Quattro of the future, which is highly emotional”, said Grams. Whether Audi road cars will ever be “capable of spinning into a donut at 150 kph directly from standstill” like the S1 Hoonitron remains to be seen. But no doubt advanced four-wheel torque-vectoring functionality will play a role in ensuring RS EVs handle like their combustion forebears. +++
+++ HONDA ’s famous Type R badge will continue into the electric age if the right level of driving pleasure can be achieved by EVs, Ko Yamamoto, the firm’s technical advisor, has told. Speaking at the launch of the new Honda e:Ny1 electric SUV in Norway, Yamamoto said: “Type R is an attribute that maximises the pleasure of driving and operation. “If that pleasure can be transported with an electric car, then that car could be called a Type R”. Yamamoto also ruled out the possibility of the firm’s other models, the CR-V, HR-V and Jazz, ever receiving Type R performance models. This means the current Civic Type R would be the final combustion car to feature the iconic badge, before moving into an era of electrification. However, Yamamoto added that the badge would not be going away any time soon. It comes shortly after Honda revealed a special track-only CR-V, powered by a high-performance 800bhp V6 hybrid engine. “I think Type R will always continue. If we have a full-electric society one day, there will still be Type Rs”, Yamamoto said. “The Jazz, HR-V and CR-V… okay, so we’ve seen the CR-V Max Verstappen was driving. That’s something different. As a race category, the base car needs to be suitable for a racing application first. There’s still hope for the survival of the combustion engine for a certain time, as Honda has clearly stated their interest in e-fuels. But it’s not necessarily obliged to use a combustion engine. It could be something electrified or full electrified”. As for the firm’s existing electric line-up, which now comprises the E and the e:Ny1, performance models are off the table. Yamamoto confirmed there would be no performance variant of the e:Ny1, and no 4WD model, due to its platform, but future EVs based on the firm’s EN architecture would receive more powerful variants. “This platform is not built to accommodate 4WD”, Yamamoto said. “This platform family however, the EN architecture, is designed to accommodate different drive units and wheel drive configurations, so maybe we’ll see in the future, with perhaps 2 or 3 motors. It’s quite a flexible possibility”. +++
+++ Fresh spy shots have given us our first look at the new MINI COOPER JCW ELECTRIC , showcasing plenty of exterior design changes over the upcoming Cooper. The JCW (short for John Cooper Works) will be a compact all-electric hot hatch that will have rivals in the shape of the Abarth 500e and the production version of the Alpine A290_ß concept. This isn’t the first time Mini has toyed with the idea of a JCW-badge electric model. Back in 2020 the firm announced an all-electric John Cooper Works was in development and in 2021 there was the Mini Electric Pacesetter; a safety car for Formula E. Mini boss at the time, Bernd Korber, said the Pacesetter “does reveal one of the directions we could take with the electrification of the JCW brand”. He also said “we have to go and define JCW in an electrified context and era. But that’s possible, there’s no problem, no contradiction”. That possibility is now a reality judging by these new spy shots. Camouflage covers the entirety of the exterior body panels but we can clearly see the grille low down on the front bumper has gained a new shape compared to the same part on the standard car. The faux grille higher up will probably take on a new design. As with JCW Mini’s in the past, there should be some exclusive paint finishes and accents to signify this is the sportier offering, a set of bespoke alloy wheels will also help the JCW stand out. To the rear there’s a larger roof spoiler, a new diffuser look to the rear bumper and a larger rear reflector behind the rear wheels. Entry-level electric Cooper Electric models will utilize a 40 kWh battery, with higher-specification SE versions upping this to 54 kWh. I don’t expect that Mini will offer a separate battery just for the JCW so the 54kWh unit should be used here. We also expect a single electric motor on the front axle and to keep it in contention with the rivals from Alpine and Abarth, a power figure comfortably north of 204 hp seems likely. +++
+++ When bankruptcy made SAAB fall off of its pedestal in the early 2010s, NEVS (New Electric Vehicle Sweden) purchased its assets. NEVS began working on an electric version of the Saab 9-3 (called the 9-3EV), offering around 175 hp and 300 km of range. Despite several deliveries in 2018, the NEVS 9-3EV never reached the mass production stage. Within the next 2 years, China-based Evergrande Group purchased a majority stake and eventually wholly acquired NEVS. Within this period, the Chinese conglomerate faced a series of financial woes leading it to want to offload the recently acquired automaker. To prevent bankruptcy, NEVS announced it would enter “hibernation mode” and lay off 95% of its employees. In light of the “hibernation” announcement, the team at NEVS decided to showcase one of their creations, the Emily GT, in early 2023. The Emily GT is a Model S-size sports saloon packing a massive 175 kWh battery pack, targeting the 1.000 km range mark. It comes equipped with 4 in-wheel electric motors allowing for true torque vectoring. Sharing the Emily GT with the world was to reveal the firm’s technology and gain investors to save the company. In a recent report made by Saab Planet, the team’s plan worked. An unidentified investor signed a purchase intent letter for the Emily project. Within the purchase agreement, the Trollhättan, Sweden, assembly facility will once again commence production. More information will likely surface next month, but for now, Saab’s spirit has been given a second lease on life. Details regarding the new brand have yet to be released, but the Saab name might not be in use due to legalities. Some other names have been floating around, but there is no official information now. Regardless of the moniker, the Emily GT captures the essence of Saab in a modern package. With its signature floating roofline and muscular proportions, the electric sedan embodies the vision of Saab’s 9-5 Aero successor. +++
+++ STELLANTIS says it will build a second U.S. electric vehicle battery factory in a joint venture with Samsung. The automaker didn’t disclose the location but said Monday that it signed a memorandum of understanding with Samsung SDI under its existing joint venture called StarPlus Energy. The new plant will open in early 2027, joining a joint-venture facility in Kokomo, Indiana, that’s already under construction and scheduled to start production in early 2025. CEO Carlos Tavares said in a prepared statement that the second plant will help the company offer at least 25 new battery-electric vehicles in North America by the end of the decade. Stellantis is planning for half its U.S. passenger car and light truck sales to be battery electric by 2030. The company wants 100% of its sales in Europe to be electric in the same time frame. No financial details of the new venture were released. The Kokomo plant, about 60 miles north of Indianapolis will employ up to 1,400 workers and cost about $2.5 billion. Earlier the company also announced a $4.1 billion battery plant in Windsor, Ontario, that would employ about 2,500 people. It’s a joint venture with LG Energy Solution. Stellantis was formed in 2021 through a merger of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Peugeot SA. +++
+++ TESLA is in discussions with a big car manufacturer to license its so-called Full Self-Driving driving assistance feature, the EV brand’s CEO Elon Musk said during the Q2 2023 Earnings Call. Last month, Musk wrote on his Twitter account that Tesla made its patents freely available in 2014 and that it’s currently allowing other companies to use the Supercharging network. In that same tweet (embedded below), he stated that the Austin-based EV marque is also happy to license its Autopilot/FSD systems to other automakers. Well, a month and a half later, it looks like there are some negotiations going on, with Musk saying during yesterday’s webcast that Tesla is already in early discussions with “a major OEM” about using FSD. “Something I want to emphasize strongly, this is a very important point, is that Tesla (as with the North American Charging Standard), although we’re not licensing it, we’re just making it available, but we are very open to licensing our full self-driving software and hardware to other car companies, and we are already in early discussions with a major OEM about using the Tesla FSD”, the CEO said. “So, we’re not trying to keep this to ourselves, we’re more than happy to license it to others”. No details or hints about what OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) is involved, but it’s interesting to see where this possible collaboration will lead. In the same conference call, Musk said that cars enrolled in the FSD Beta programme have travelled over 480 million kilometers. If I was to guess, we’d say that Ford, General Motors and Mercedes-Benz are out of the question when it comes to licensing FSD, as their proprietary driving assistance systems – into which millions of dollars have been invested, have been ranked among the best by Consumer Reports. +++