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Category: Highlight

  • 1949 Citroen Traction Avant featured on Jay Leno’s Garage

    With front-wheel drive and unibody construction, the Citroën Traction Avant helped set the template for modern cars. A 1949-built example of the groundbreaking French sedan was featured on a recent episode of Jay Leno’s Garage.

    Introduced in 1934, the Traction Avant wasn’t the first car with front-wheel drive, but it was the first to try to take front-wheel drive mainstream. Company founder André Citroën identified the benefits of front-wheel drive, including better traction from positioning the engine over the driven axle, and greater interior space due to the lack of a transmission tunnel. Unibody construction gave the Traction Avant greater structural rigidity than traditional body-on-frame cars, while independent suspension improved ride quality. These features are commonplace on cars today and they all existed when this car was introduced, but few if any others put them all together. Several of those features would take decades to catch on in the industry.

    For all of its innovation, the Traction Avant was a financial failure. André Citroën gambled big on the car, rebuilding his company’s factory in anticipation of production. But he couldn’t recoup that investment, and eight months after Traction Avant production started, the company went bankrupt. Michelin soon took control, and André Citroën died shortly thereafter. However, the Traction Avant stayed in production until 1957 (excluding the World War II years), with about 760,000 built.

    1949 Citroën Traction Avant on Jay Leno's Garage

    1949 Citroën Traction Avant on Jay Leno’s Garage

    Leno’s car is a later 1949 model with the larger 2.9-liter 6-cylinder engine. Leno said he prefers this version because he believes the earlier 4-cylinder engine was underpowered. The bigger engine allows the car to keep up with modern traffic, although the extra weight in the nose makes the steering a bit heavier, Leno said.

    This car is unrestored, as evidenced by scuff marks on the painted steel wheels, and currently shows 58,000 kilometers (36,000 miles) on its odometer. Leno, who is the third owner, said he made some mechanical repairs and updates, but has otherwise tried to keep the Citroën original.

    Watch the full video for more details on the Traction Avant, and to see Leno put that 6-cylinder engine to good use on the streets of Los Angeles.

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  • How Gordon Murray’s T50 embarrasses every supercar on the planet

    Gordon Murray Automotive (GMA) recently unveiled the T50 supercar and, perhaps not surprisingly for the product of the man who designed the McLaren F1 and numerous winning race cars, it’s full of interesting technical details. Jason Fenske at Engineering Explained put together this deep dive, highlighting five elements that distinguish the T50 from other supercars.

    The T50 is not a numbers car. Murray calls it the “ultimate analog supercar,” and has said the focus was on creating the best driving experience, not breaking top speed or lap records. For example, the 3.9-liter naturally aspirated V-12 “only” develops 653 horsepower and 344 pound-feet of torque, which aren’t very impressive numbers for a supercar these days. But the Cosworth-developed engine can rev to 12,100 rpm and is coupled to a 6-speed manual transmission.

    That manual transmission is a rarity in modern exotics, most of which have gone to quicker-shifting (but less fun) dual-clutch gearboxes. The T50 transmission also has fairly high gearing for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, which should make burnouts easy, Fenske noted.

    Gordon Murray Automotive T50

    Gordon Murray Automotive T50

    A 15.7-inch fan is mounted at the rear of the car as part of an active aero system. The fan is inspired by Murray’s Brabham BT46B Formula One car, but it serves a different purpose here. In the Brabham, the fan worked with side skirts to create an area of low air pressure under the car, creating downforce by sucking the car onto the track. In the T50, the fan works with active rear spoilers to reduce drag at high speeds by bleeding off downforce, or increasing downforce under braking. However, the effect is relatively small for such a complex feature, Fenske noted.

    The fan may be somewhat of a gimmick, but the T50 embarrasses other supercars when it comes to weight. The T50 weighs just 2,714 pounds—over 1,000 pounds less than a Ferrari LaFerrari, McLaren P1, and Porsche 918 Spyder, Fenske noted. All three cars have more power than the T50, thanks to complex hybrid powertrains, but none can match its weight-to-power ratio of 3.3 pounds per horsepower.

    Only 100 buyers will get to experience the brisk acceleration afforded by that weight-to-power ratio, and they won’t get their cars for awhile. Production is scheduled to start in January 2022. The car is priced at $3.08 million (at current exchange rates), and each owner will have a fitting session for positioning of the central driver’s seat, steering wheel, and pedals. GMA might also develop a track-only version, and a racing version that could potentially compete at Le Mans.

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  • 2021 Porsche Panamera, 2022 Mercedes SL Roadster, Rolls-Royce shooting brake: This Week’s Top Photos

    Porsche’s second-generation Panamera came in for its mid-cycle update this week, with some new powertrains on the list and the styling and chassis receiving revisions, too. The Panamera is a seriously quick car for its size. In fact, one variant has lapped the Nürburgring faster than a C8 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray.

    2023 Porsche 911 GT3 RS spy shots - Photo credit: S. Baldauf/SB-Medien

    2023 Porsche 911 GT3 RS spy shots – Photo credit: S. Baldauf/SB-Medien

    Another Porsche in the headlines this week was the 911 GT3 RS based on the 992 generation of the 911. A prototype was spied and revealed many of the unique design details pegged for the car.

    2022 Mercedes-AMG SL Roadster prototype

    2022 Mercedes-AMG SL Roadster prototype

    Another upcoming car in the headlines this week was Mercedes-Benz’s next-generation SL. This time around the SL is being developed by Mercedes-AMG, and this could constitute a name change to Mercedes-AMG SL Roadster.

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    The first trailer for the new Batman movie starring Robert Pattinson dropped this week, and it provides a look at the Batmobile the “Twilight” star will use to fight crime. Production of the movie was interrupted by the coronavirus but a release date in October 2021 has been confirmed.

    2020 Lister Stealth based on the Jaguar F-Pace SVR

    2020 Lister Stealth based on the Jaguar F-Pace SVR

    British sports car marque Lister revealed what might possibly be the world’s fastest SUV. It’s based on the Jaguar F-Pace SVR but has 666 horsepower on tap, or enough to hit a top speed of 195 mph.

    2021 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat

    2021 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat

    When it comes to the world’s most powerful SUV, the title goes to a humble Dodge. Well, a Dodge equipped with a Hellcat 6.2-liter supercharged V-8. We’re talking about the new Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat, which comes with 710 hp and has just been priced.

    2021 Polestar 2

    2021 Polestar 2

    Polestar’s follow-up to the Polestar 1 plug-in hybrid coupe is a battery-electric sport sedan named the Polestar 2, and we drove it this week. It’s a different kind of luxury car from a brand that has room to grow.

    Carat Duchatelet Silver Specre Shooting Brake by Niels van Roij Design

    Carat Duchatelet Silver Specre Shooting Brake by Niels van Roij Design

    Dutch designer Niels van Roij has penned a Rolls-Royce Wraith shooting brake, and just seven will be built. Each will be unique, and each will have 700 hp on tap.

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