Tag: News

  • NEW LAND ROVER DEFENDER V8 LAUNCHED WITH 518BHP

    The long-awaited, top-of-the-range new Land Rover Defender V8 is here and comes equipped with bespoke styling and the in-house AJ V8 engine.

    The new Land Rover Defender V8 represents the most powerful and fastest Defender ever to reach series-production. It’s an engine we’re all familiar with now, having featured in the Jaguar F-Type and Range Rover Sport. Here it produces a humble 518bhp and 461lb ft of torque, making its claimed 0-62mph time just 5.2 seconds and topping out at just shy of 150mph in short-wheelbase, three-door 90 guise.

    New Land Rover Defender V8

    Inside, the V8 Defender gets more performance touches including an Alcantara steering wheel in place of the standard leather item. Behind the wheel sits new chrome-finished paddle shifters.

    New Land Rover Defender V8

    It may comes as a surprise to learn that Land Rover has been lapping the new V8 defender around the Nurburgring in an attempt to increase its handling abilities by ushering in some chassis tweaks. As a result, a new Dynamic drive mode is available alongside the regular driving modes already available on the Defender. The new mode sharpens throttle response and firms up the variable dampers.

    Elsewhere in the chassis department, there are stuffer suspension bushes and thicker anti-rolls bars and a fancy yaw controller connected to the rear differential that varies torque across the rear axle for optimal grip.

    New Land Rover Defender V8

    How much does the V8 Land Rover Defender  cost?

    Prices for the new Defender V8 start from £98,505 for the 90 variant, while the large five-door 110 starts from £101,150. Styling changes over the regular model include a quad-exit exhaust, similar to that found on the Range Rover and Jaguar, as well as 22-inch wheels and blue front brake calipers.


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  • CUPRA FORMENTOR VZ5 UNVEILED WITH AUDI 5-POT ENGINE

    Cupra is marking its 3rd anniversary with a bang unveiling the Formentor VZ5, which comes with 385bhp and 354lb ft of torque. 

    The Cupra Formentor is the brand’s first standalone model, meaning you won’t see an equivalent Seat on the road. While previously the top dog of the range was the tried and tested 2.0-litre turbo EA888 motor, here, the Cupra Formentor VZ5 gets a similar version of the 2.5-litre five-cylinder turbo engine found not only in the Audi TT RS and RS3, but also in the RS Q3, too.

    Cupra Formentor VZ5

    Cupra Formentor VZ5: what you need to know

    As you’d imagine, being a halo model means you get the full works thrown at you, and not just in the engine department mentioned above. At the rear, the exhaust is now a Lexus RC F-esque stacked quad exhaust, while extended wheel arches hide 20-inch wheels with Akebono six-piston brakes up front to help stop all that power.

    Cupra Formentor VZ5

    As mentioned, underneath the bonnet is the 2.5-litre engine, which produces 385bhp and 354lb ft of torque here. Official figures have the Cupra Formentor VZ5 excellerating from 0-62mph in just 4.2 seconds, interestingly, that’s 0.3 seconds quicker than Audi’s RS Q3. It’ll go on to a limited 155mph.

    Thankfully, Cupra has focused entirely on performance, dropping the ride 10mm for a sportier stance, while the 4Drive all-wheel drive system has been designed to optimise traction at all times.

    Inside, the performance vibe continues with a flat-bottom steering wheel equipped with gearshift paddles, a Cupra mode button and engine start-stop. You also get some pretty serious bucket seats, too.

    Just 7000 examples are being built but here’s the kicker, all will be left-hand drive only. Not to worry, though, it’s suggested that some models will officially be imported into the UK and expected to cost around £50,000.


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  • FORD TO GO FULLY ELECTRIC IN EUROPE BY 2030

    Ford has announced plans to go fully electric in Europe by 2030, meanwhile all models will have a zero emissions-capable option by 2026.

    As governments around the world look to tighten vehicle emissions by ending the sale of new internal combustion-engined cars, manufacturers have slowly started announcing their own targets for the future. Just a few days ago Jaguar Land Rover announced it would go fully electric by 2025, now Ford has announced it will follow suit by 2030.

    Ford to go fully electric

    To do so, Ford is spending $1 billion dollars on electrifying it’s Cologne plant, which is part of a wider $22 billion investment into electrifying the entire range. The first production car to leave the new electrified-Cologne plant will utilise VW’s MEB platform and is likely to be smaller than the Ford Mach-E.

    For commercial vehicles, emissions targets are less stringent and as a result, if you still want internal combustion after 2030, you can do. By 2024, all of Ford’s commercial vehicles will have a zero emissions variant with the Blue Oval expecting plug-in hybrids and electric options to make up two-thirds of its sales by 2030.

    What does this mean?

    In short, car’s like the Ford Fiesta ST Mk8 and Ford Focus ST will either morph into a new model or adopt an electrified powertrain of some sort, either in plug-in hybrid format to begin with and later on as a fully electric vehicle. Let’s just hope that the chassis genius that Ford possesses isn’t lost in the future.

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