Tag: News

  • MOUNTUNE FIESTA ST M260 UPGRADE

    The Mountune Fiesta ST m260 power upgrade brings about 256bhp and 269lb ft of torque to take your Mk8 ST even hotter. 

    If you’re sat there thinking the factory 197bhp and 214lb ft of torque isn’t enough from your Mk8 Fiesta ST, well step right this way. Say hello to the m260 package from Mountune.

    First things first, to get the m260 upgrade there are some hardware requirements needed, which means a Mountune induction kit, charge pipe upgrade and a bigger intercooler. No changes are made to the exhaust system and therefore, cars are still equipped with the factory GPF and catalytic convertor.

    The Mountune Fiesta ST m260 utilises the company’s SMARTflash smartphone app to adjust fuel, ignition and boost pressure to extract further performance via a bluetooth OBD interface. According to Mountune, the software irons out some of the bottlenecks in the rev range for more effortless performance.

    There are a number of other features available to those who opt for the m260 flash and that includes an anti-theft mode, optimised flat-foot shifting, more aggressive pops and bangs (should you want them), a more aggressive launch control strategy as well as a further two performance calibrations and a stock map.

    Prices for the m260 upgrade start from £675, but remember it’s also recommended to buy the induction kit (£239), charge pipe (£165) and intercooler (£549) to support the software, bringing the total to a little under £1700 before fitting. For the m235 upgrade, which requires an induction kit (£239) as well as the software (£575) costs a little over £800 before installation. Those who already have the m225 power kit from Mountune can upgrade to the m235 or m260 for £99.

    Mountune Fiesta ST m260

    Mountune Puma ST m235 and m260

    Like the Mk8 Fiesta ST, the Puma ST uses a 1.5-litre, three-cylinder turbocharged engine, which means the upgrades you can get on the Fiesta ST, you can also get on the Puma ST. As a result, the Puma ST boasts the same 256bhp and 269lb ft of torque, and is available for the same price of £575 (m235) and £675 (m260), again, you will also need the required hardware.

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  • RIMAC NEVERA REVEALED IN PRODUCTION SPEC

    With 1887bhp on tap, the Rimac Nevera, based on the Concept_Two, is a bonkers electric hypercar that’s hoping you’ll forget about internal combustion.

    What do electric car companies and Thanos have in common? They like referring to things being inevitable. Sadly, no click of the fingers will escape the fact that the internal combustion engine is on its last legs, holding on tight while a new wave of greener cars take over. It needn’t be a sad moment, though, and manufacturers like Rimac are opening our eyes to the possibility of next level performance and electric hypercars.

    Rimac Nevera

    What is the Rimac Nevera and how fast is it?

    The Rimac Nevera is an electric hypercar based on the company’s own Concept_Two that was unveiled in 2018. Underneath is a central carbon fibre monocoque tub, with aluminium subframes at each end where the axles are mounted, while the battery pack is also attached to the tub to add in an extra 35% torsional rigidity stiffness. As you’d expect, double wishbone suspension sits at all four corners, combined with adaptive damping and adjustable ride height.

    In a couple of words, the Nevera is very fast. Located behind the two seats in the Rimac Nevera sits a 120kWh lithium-ion battery pack, which is connected to four individual “Permanent Magnet” motors on each axle (2). Peak power sits at 1887bhp while generating a colossal 1741lb ft of torque, of which its deployment is controlled by two separate single-speed transmissions on each axle and naturally sent to all four wheels. It also features what Rimac calls “Rimac All Wheel Torque Vectoring 2 (shortened to R-AWTV 2). With so much torque on offer, Rimac engineers thought about ways of developing its traction and stability controls to better utilise all of the performance while keeping the car stable. What the new system does is calculate the amount of torque being sent to each wheel (individual motors allow this) by understanding the conditions, driver input and selected drive mode and limiting said torque when necessary.

    Rimac Nevera

    Let’s talk numbers. Rimac reckons it’ll accelerate from 0-60mph in 1.85 seconds, 0-100mph in 4.3 seconds, 0-186mph in 9.3 seconds and completing the 1/4 mile in just 8.6 seconds. Top speed? 258mph. Bothered about economy? A WTLP cycle returned 340 miles.

    Now for the biggest number of all, the price tag. With a production run of 150 units, the Rimac Nevera starts at £1.72 million, that’s without taxes on top… New technology is by no means cheap!

    Rimac Nevera

    What else can you tell me about it?

    The stench of new-wave technology continues inside with not one, not two, but three digital screens. Rimac was keen to point out that due to its level of customisation available, no two Neveras will leave the factory the same, with three starting specs on offer and a plethora of bespoke interior colours available.

    The exterior is almost identical to the Concept_Two, with Rimac tidying the shape up and making aerodynamic refinements. A number of active aero components are littered throughout, with moveable grille inserts, flaps under the splitter and rear diffuser as well as that big moveable rear wing.


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  • CUPRA BORN: RWD EV REVEALED

    The Cupra Born represents the marque’s first all-electric vehicle and may well be an early look into hot hatch electric life. Oh, it’s also RWD.

    Let’s get down to business. The Cupra Born is the manufacturer’s first electric car and comes with a range of different sized batteries with differing power levels. At the bottom of the range is the 45kWh Cupra Born, which gets a lukewarm 148bhp with a 0-62mph time of 8.9 seconds. Mileage range is roughly 211 miles.

    Cupra Born

    Next up is the 58kWh battery-powered Born, which gets 201bhp as standard and a 0-62mph time of 6.6 seconds. This Cupra Born also gets Cupra’s new e-Boost, which will momentarily produce 228bhp if you mash the throttle for kickdown or if you’re using the Cupra driving mode. According to Cupra, the 58kWh battery has a range of around 260 miles, enough to not have you worrying where the next charging point is.

    Cupra Born

    If you are worried about range and less bothered about performance figures, there is also a 77kWh battery that will extend the range to 335 miles on the WLTP cycle, however, you lose 0.4 seconds from the 0-62mph time due to the increased weight. The other benefit to the bigger battery is access to 125kW charging, which can offer 60 miles of range in around 7 minutes of charging.

    Cupra Born

    Underneath resides MacPherson struts at the front and multi-link suspension at the rear. Adaptive damping is available as an option and gains all the driving modes we are used to from VAG products, but tailored towards the EV: those include Range, Comfort, Individual and Cupra.

    Cupra Born

    Cupra is reporting near 50:50 weight distribution as well as the trademark low centre of gravity that an electric motor offers. Speaking of which, the aluminium frame that holds the motor is bolted directly to the MQB platform to help with body rigidity.

    Cupra Born

    While you will be able to switch traction control off for some sideways action, between the rear wheels is a standard differential, rather than a limited-slip job, so don’t expect 90-degree angles on roundabouts…

    Inside it’s business as usual, sharing most of its design with the VW ID.3. As a result, you get a 12-inch touchscreen that controls pretty much everything. Those looking to appease environmentalists will gladly learn that the bucket seats and seat material upgrade options are all made from recycled plastics and t-shirts. This is all in pursuit of Cupra’s promise that the Born will be delivered to customers net CO2 neutral.

    Are we looking at the future of the hot hatch?

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