Author: Tabitha
You betcha, thinks The Spy Guy. Word leaking out from the Jeep division of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) is that the next-generation Grand Cherokee, which is expected later this year or in early 2016, will include an all-new model called the Trackhawk. This all-wheel-drive model would get the same supercharged 6.2-liter V8 as the Dodge Charger and Challenger Hellcats, but in slightly detuned form. The Sleuth estimates the Trackhawk’s numbers might be somewhere in the region of 675 horsepower and 600 pound-feet of torque. Even with reduced output, the Trackhawk would still outperform the returning Grand Cherokee SRT’s 470 horsepower…
BMW has freshened its benchmark 3 Series compact sedan and introduced a turbocharged three-cylinder plug-in hybrid option to its powertrain lineup. All of the engines in the updated 3 Series have been reworked to combine better fuel economy with more power, reports online emerging-technology magazine, Gizmag, but it’s at the bottom end of the gasoline lineup where BMW has made the biggest changes. Its updated 318i model is fitted with the three-cylinder plug-in hybrid driveline, marking the first time BMW has ever used a three-cylinder engine in its midsize car. Whether buyers think it fits the BMW image, it is…
Plug-in hybrid power is at the core of Volkswagen’s 118 mpg, 155-mph Sport CoupŽ Concept GTE. The car is aimed at upwardly mobile buyers who seek performance and environmental responsibility, and have the means to pay for it. The “Grand Touring Electric” is a dramatically-styled fastback concept that uses a turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 engine making 295 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque. A lithium-ion battery powers two electric motors: a 54-horsepower front motor is incorporated in the six-speed automatic transmission; the rear electric motor adds 114 horsepower for the rear wheels. The combined output is 374 horsepower, which is good…
It’s amazing the stuff that can be made from discarded vehicle parts. For example, Yesterday Reclaimed out of Virginia, makes furniture from a variety of recycled items. For gear heads and lovers of old pickup trucks, there’s a line of “Blue Collar Benches” made from discarded tailgates. The example shown here uses an old GMC pickup tailgate for a seat back, antique barn wood for the arms and base and old steel tubing for the legs. The resulting patina is quite striking. The Blue Collar Benches in stock sell for $1,150 each, but you can have one built to order…
Most people who work on cars or other machinery carry a variety of tools wherever they go. For this a handy tool tote is required and The Best Made Co. has designed a unique Front Loading Toolbox that makes the accessibility part particularly easy. Once the latches are opened, the front opens to reveal your tools and other equipment. It’s not necessary to have the lid open and the top tray out to get at your gear stored beneath it. The hand-fabricated, made-in-USA box is powder-coated in classic red and comes with a heavy-duty handle on top and one on…
The Detroit automaker is opening its portfolio of electrified-vehicle-technology patents to all automobile manufacturers, in a bid, it says, to speed up industry-wide electrified vehicle research and development. It has a lot of technology to offer: in 2014, Ford filed 400-plus EV patents, up 20 percent from the year previous. “As an industry, we need to collaborate while we continue to challenge each other,” said Ford EV development director, Kevin Layton. Unlike Tesla Motors’ public domain release of its technology a year ago, Ford’s altruism doesn’t come free, varying in cost with the significance of the technology from between hundreds…
The makers England’s all-new Metrocab – the only zero-emissions capable cab currently operating in London, England – will enter volume production in Coventry next year, in partnership with Canadian manufacturing specialist, Multimatic. Range-extended electric taxis are the solution to delivering on the city’s Ultra-low Emission Zones promises; London has one of the world’s toughest urban emissions standards. Markham, Ontario-based Multimatic, which helped bring Metrocab’s prototype fleet to market, manufactures complete cars as well as body/chassis assemblies for low-volume models including Aston Martin’s One-77, Zagato and GT12, the Lagonda Taraf and Ford’s upcoming GT, through its Multimatic Niche Vehicles division. Said…
The Spy Guy is impressed with what the Sweden-based automaker concocted for its 2016 XC90 tall wagon (the original appeared for the 2003 model year). The vehicle’s distinctive look bears zero resemblance to first-gen versions or similar models from other European and North American automakers. The T6 model uses a 316-horsepower 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that’s both turbocharged and supercharged, while the T8 plug-in hybrid adds an 82-horsepower electric motor fitted to the rear axle that allows the XC90 to operate in electric-only mode for up to 25 miles. The T8’s combined system output is 400 horsepower and 472 pound-feet of…
Fans swooned over the hot new all-wheel-drive 2015 Volkswagen Golf R. However that’s nothing compared to how The Spymaster believes people will react once the Golf R 400 hits the streets in mid-2016. The ultra-performance Golf’s turbocharged inline five-cylinder engine (courtesy of Audi’s hot TT RS) is expected to produce close to 400 horsepower, which is more than 100 horsepower better than the 292-horse Golf R. The new super Golf should also shave a full second off the Golf R’s 4.9-second zero-to-60-mph time. Other Golf R 400 perks include enlarged fenders (that accommodate a wider front and rear track width)…
It’s a crowded market full of fickle customers, but sometimes you just have to go for it. By TODD BURLAGE www.wheelbasemedia.com The Lower South Hall of the 2014 Specialty Equipment Market Association show – a.k.a SEMA – in Las Vegas, Nev., is lined with perhaps thousands of wheels. They twinkle like casino lights as corporate buyers mosey from the booth to booth and chat up the reps, which is a process that can literally take days to complete. Let’s be frank here: there is no shortage of wheel variety, brands or experience. Not by a long shot. Names and trends…