- Automobili Pininfarina is set to take the wraps off its new electric hypercar concept at next week's Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.
- Currently codenamed PF-Zero, it will be the first production car branded as Pininfarina from the renowned Italian design house. A total of 150 examples will be produced and sold globally after the production-spec model launches in 2020. The model will be the brand’s halo product. It will be followed by several all-electric models that are a part of Automobili Pininfarina's product plan.
- Along with confirming the model’s Pebble Beach debut, the company has also released sketches of the PF-Zero's interior, which show a minimalist and driver-focused layout for the two-seat hypercar.
- Anand Mahindra, chairman of Mahindra & Mahindra, which owns Pininfarina, previously said that the hypercar will draw “upon the pedigree and design vocabulary of the Pininfarina aesthetic heritage" to "develop a rare collector’s item that only a handful of connoisseurs will ever own".
- He said that the PF-Zero will "be an innovative and pioneering product powered by high technology" and combine "power, beauty and high-end EV technology".
- A source said that the Pininfarina brand will be given an initial investment of $100 million (about Rs 703 crore) from Mahindra to fund the creation of its model range.
- Automobili Pininfarina's CEO, Michael Perschke, has more than 25 years of industry experience. He is joined at the helm by chief operating officer Per Svantesson, who has previously worked at Volvo.
- “Establishing Automobili Pininfarina as a leading sustainable luxury brand is our strategic vision and will be a dream come true," said Perschke. "It will combine 88 years of iconic design heritage with leading-edge electric vehicle competence of the Mahindra group and Mahindra Formula E racing. It’s a powerful combination."
- Mahindra intends to invest a total of about £358m (about Rs 3,205 crore) into Automobili Pininfarina over five years. The new brand will work independently of its parent’s EV division, Mahindra Electric, with operations based in Europe.
- BMW will reveal a concept version of its M8 performance car with a four-door Gran Coupé body at the Geneva motor show. The concept, partially shown in a new shadowy picture, will preview the look and styling of the M division's 608hp range-topper in its most practical guise. Along with those new back doors, it will have a longer roofline to offer increased rear head room.
- The concept for the BMW M8 Gran Coupé – as it is expected to be called – foreshadows a production version, which is due next year. The four-door version of the M8 will sit alongside the coupé and convertible models at the top of the new 8-series range, which will appear on public roads in November.
- Although it has yet to be officially revealed, we know the production M8 models will use BMW's twin-turbocharged 4.4-litre V8 engine because the racing M8 that competed in this year's Daytona 24 Hours was equipped with this powerplant. Without motorsport restrictors to worry about, the finished road car is expected to produce 608hp. This places it above the latest 600hp M5 and giving it more firepower than the Mercedes-AMG S63 Coupé, which has 585hp.
- M division president Frank van Meel revealed that development of the M8 has started at the same time as the regular 8-series and that their programmes ran in parallel. He said that the M8 builds "on the genes of the 8-series and augments its DNA with an added track ability and generous extra portions of dynamic sharpness, precision and agility."
- "It all flows into a driving experience that bears the familiar BMW M hallmarks and satisfies our customers’ most exacting requirements,” said van Meel. He also said that BMW's engineers set out "to ensure that the standard car wasn’t too sporty for its customers", because the M division "wanted the M8 to feel like a proper step up".
- "Also, because not all 8-series customers want an M car," he added.
- “We certainly want to make a statement with this car," he said. "It will sit at the very top of our model range and, for now, we have no confirmed plans for any series production model above it, so we understand it must have a specification suiting its position in our hierarchy.”
- Images of the Japanese carmaker's upcoming UX crossover have been released ahead of its public debut at the Geneva motor show. The images – consisting of both exterior and interior shots – show that the car, in addition to being one of the brand's most aggressive-looking models, will also be as agile as a hatchback. This is mainly thanks to an all-new platform with a low centre of gravity.
- Inside the car, there's a new widescreen infotainment system that appears related to the one used in the Lexus LS. The small SUV – which brings the fight to the Jaguar E-Pace and Mercedes-Benz GLA – stems from the UX concept, which was revealed at the Paris motor show, back in 2016.
- The UX will be powered by a mix of internal combustion engine and traditional hybrid powertrains, as proven by Lexus’ trade marking of the UX200, UX250 and UX250h monikers, following the concept’s reveal. This suggests the car will share engines with lower-end NX SUV models and the ageing CT hatchback. It is thought that the UX will eventually replace the CT. Features of the production car will be toned down from those of the concept; the large, intricate wheels and door cameras in place of mirrors are the first to go.
- Its rivals range in length from 4,400mm to 4,450mm; so it’s likely that the UX will sit somewhere in the middle. The Lexus RX L, a seven-seat version of its large SUV featuring three rows of seats, will make an appearance at the Geneva motor show, alongside the Lexus LF-1 Limitless concept, which was first revealed at the Detroit motor show, in early January.
- Mercedes has launched the S-class facelift at Rs. 1.33 Crore for the
diesel engine S 350d and Rs 1.37 Crore for the petrol engine S 450 (all
prices, ex-showroom, India). The S-class has always remained a top pick
among luxury car buyers, with the German carmaker selling over 6,700 of
them in last 18 years in India. The new models comply with Bharat Stage-VI emission norms while running on BS-IV grade fuel.
- Speaking to Autocar India at the unveil,
Mercedes-Benz India boss, Roland Folger, shared that the company used
the learnings from the conversion of Euro-V to Euro-VI in Europe, back
in 2010. It had faced a similar challenge due to limited availability of
Euro-VI grade fuel across the European region.
- A new 3.0-litre, in-line, six-cylinder diesel motor has replaced the
previous 3.0-litre V6 diesel in the new S 350d. In a bid to meet the
upcoming BS-VI norms, this new OM656 engine emits 68 percent less
nitrous oxide and 82 percent less particulate matter, while running on
BS-IV grade fuel. The engine is mated to a nine-speed G-Tronic automatic
transmission and churns out a good 28hp more than the previous engine
at 286hp. However, the torque figure, at 600Nm, is lower by 20Nm.
- The S 450 is powered by a 3.0-litre, V6, petrol engine that cranks
out 367hp of maximum output and 500Nm of peak torque, and is mated to
the same nine-speed automatic gearbox. Both the refreshed cars are
equipped with new-gen, radar-based driver assist features like active
distance assist with emergency braking and active steering assist.
- On the exterior front, the new S-class isn’t all that different from
the previous model, with alterations limited to new triple-striped LED
headlamps, new tail-lamps and subtly re-profiled bumpers. On the inside,
Mercedes has included a new, horizontally elongated, 12.3-inch
touchscreen unit, which adds futuristic appeal to the interiors. The new
leather and wood trim option for the interior inlays and seats sides is
also new. The update also adds a new fragrance and 64 ambient lighting
options. Moreover, ventilated seats with a massage function and
four-zone climate control continue to compliment the luxury quotient of
the S-class.
- As per the Supreme Court ruling, BS-VI grade fuel is expected to be
retailed in the Delhi-NCR region from April this year, though it will be
made available much later across the country.
