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Category: Highlight

  • Renault Megane eVision concept previews French brand’s EV styling, tech

    Renault on Thursday unveiled a handsome battery-electric crossover SUV concept based on the new CMF-EV modular EV platform of the Renault Nissan Mitsubishi Alliance.

    The platform underpins the upcoming Nissan Ariya and will also spawn a production version of this Megane eVision concept around 2022. While we won’t see the Renault in the United States, Nissan has confirmed the Ariya for local sale starting late 2021.

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    Renault said the Megane eVision represents a reinvention of the compact hatchback, i.e. into something more versatile like an SUV, and with zero emissions. However, the production version isn’t expected to directly replace the Megane hatch. Instead, it may hint at an expanded Megane family that will include a high-riding EV alongside the existing hatch, sedan and wagon body styles.

    The Megane eVision also signals the styling direction for future EVs from Renault. Think big wheels, deeply sculpted surfaces, and plenty of LEDs. Interestingly, the way the daytime running lights form a switchback around a panel matching the body color looks to have been inspired by the design of the latest Chevy Silverado.

    Renault Megane eVision concept

    Renault Megane eVision concept

    The concept features a 60-kilowatt-hour battery that Renault said is the thinner than any EV battery currently in production. The battery sits low in the floor and powers a single electric motor at the front axle, rated at 217 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque. This is enough for 0-62 mph acceleration in under eight seconds.

    The concept measures just 165 inches in length, making it perfect for the city. Its small size also means it weighs a relatively light—for an EV—3,630 pounds. In comparison, Nissan’s Ariya is a more substantial 182.9 inches long, though it’s been designed to fit a 90-kwh battery.

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  • Ford’s new CEO races a 1966 Ford GT40 as his form of yoga

    Jim Farley, who replaced Jim Hackett as Ford CEO earlier this year, doesn’t just sell cars. He races them.

    Farley has been racing vintage cars for more than a decade, and he received permission from executive chairman Bill Ford to continue racing alongside his new responsibilities as CEO.

    It was probably the second conversation we had after we had talked about this leadership opportunity,” Farley said in a Ford-produced interview (via Autoblog). “I said, ‘You know, Bill, I just can’t stop racing. It’s just who I am. It’s my yoga. You’ve got to let me do this if I’m going to be a better CEO. He was very supportive.”

    Farley started racing in 2008 after buying a Shelby 427 Cobra, according to Automotive News. He currently races a 1966 Ford GT40 and a 1978 Lola T298. Other cars in his collection include a 1932 Ford roadster, a 1965 Shelby GT350 Mustang, and a 2012 Mustang Boss 302 Laguna Seca. He also reportedly owns a 1987 BMW 325i convertible purchased new by his wife.

    Senior Editor Kirk Bell rode with Farley in his 427 Cobra at a Ford event in 2014 and he can attest that Farley didn’t baby that car despite its collector value.

    Ford CEO Jim Farley racing his 1978 Lola T298

    Ford CEO Jim Farley racing his 1978 Lola T298

    The passion for cars started at a young age. As a teenager, Farley worked at a garage owned by Formula One champion Phil Hill, and once restored a 1966 Ford Mustang he paid $500 for, according to Top Gear.

    In the interview, Farley said racing keeps him grounded.

    “When I’m at the track, I’m just Jimmy Car-Car, nothing more. It’s a great way to stay humble and connected to the product, and it’s a great way for me to relax, because I love competing,” he said.

    Farley isn’t the only automotive executive to trade a suit and tie for a helmet and overalls. Toyota president Akio Toyoda, General Motors president Mark Reuss, and PSA Group CEO Carlos Tavares all race. Toyoda even took his firm’s latest World Endurance Championship race car for a test drive.

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  • 225-mile R34 Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec II Nur for sale

    The R34-generation Nissan Skyline GT-R, built from 1999 to 2002, spawned numerous variants, but the V-Spec II Nür is among the most coveted. A virtually new example of this very rare GT-R is for sale, with an asking price of $485,000.

    Offered through JDM Expo, a Japan-based import/export company, this GT-R is one of just 718 V-Spec II Nür models built, and one of just 156 finished in Millennium Jade. What makes this car so special, though, is that it has only 225 miles on its odometer, according to the seller.

    The V-Spec II Nür was the pinnacle of R34 GT-R development. Nissan introduced the V-Spec II version in 2000, with major changes that included stiffer suspension and a carbon-fiber hood with a NACA duct. 

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    In 2002—the R34’s final year of production—Nissan upped the ante with the V-Spec II Nür model. Named in honor of the Nürburgring, the car featured an upgraded version of the RB26DETT engine with larger turbochargers on top of the V-Spec II upgrades. It made about 330 horsepower versus 276 hp for base models. Nissan also launched an M-Spec Nür model with different suspension tuning.

    This particular car has been for sale for quite awhile; a promotional YouTube video for it was posted last November. Buyers may be shying away due to the potential difficulty in registering this car for street use in the United States, as it doesn’t yet qualify for the 25-year exemption.

    The price could be another issue. It would smash the record GT-R selling price of $313,645 recently set by an M-Spec Nür model (per CarBuzz). Keep in mind that the previous record of $302,540 was set by another V-Spec II Nür with just 6 miles on the odometer. The asking price is also more than twice the $212,435 base price of a new 2021 Nissan GT-R Nismo, which offers far more performance but far less exclusivity.

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