CAR UK January 2022

Electric cars have, when it comes to power outputs at least, gone from a low baseline to a position of absolute dominance. The combustion engine has been fastidiously evolved for more than a century, specific outputs rising only incrementally as devoted acolytes nurse marginal gains from this curious device of world-changing potential. New understanding brings a little more compression here, a touch less friction there, a few more revs without catastrophe. Take Ferrari’s 6.5-litre V12. Chief technical officer Michael Leiters and his team engineered an all-new valvetrain, lightened and re-balanced the crank and adopted titanium conrods, all to take peak power from 789bhp (812 Superfast) to 818bhp (812 Competizione). It was, Leiters admits, ‘really difficult work’. The V12 in Ferrari’s first car, the 1947 125 S, was good for 79bhp per litre; the…

Electric cars have, when it comes to power outputs at least, gone from a low baseline to a position of absolute dominance. The combustion engine has been fastidiously evolved for more than a century, specific outputs rising only incrementally as devoted acolytes nurse marginal gains from this curious device of world-changing potential. New understanding brings a little more compression here, a touch less friction there, a few more revs without catastrophe. Take Ferrari’s 6.5-litre V12. Chief technical officer Michael Leiters and his team engineered an all-new valvetrain, lightened and re-balanced the crank and adopted titanium conrods, all to take peak power from 789bhp (812 Superfast) to 818bhp (812 Competizione). It was, Leiters admits, ‘really difficult work’. The V12 in Ferrari’s first car, the 1947 125 S, was good for 79bhp…

THE MONTH ACCORDING TO CAR F1: NO ELECTRIFICATION, NO FUTURE Formula 1 remains clear of the pack. For all its flaws, no other form of motor racing comes close to its reach and influence. ‘If you look at PR values, fan base and advertising value, Formula 1 is extremely good compared to other series – no question about it,’ explains Porsche’s new motorsport boss Thomas Laudenbach. He takes charge just as Porsche is plotting its top-flight return to Le Mans in the hypercar class (from 2023), increased commitment to pure-electric racing (via Formula E and its customer-racing Mission R project), and a potential assault on the big one: F1. Electric power is key to all three. F1’s powertrains have been turbo V6 hybrids since 2014. Outputs hover around the 1000bhp mark, with the powertrain…

THE MONTH ACCORDING TO CAR Illustration: Chris Rathbone F1: NO ELECTRIFICATION, NO FUTURE Formula 1 remains clear of the pack. For all its flaws, no other form of motor racing comes close to its reach and influence. ‘If you look at PR values, fan base and advertising value, Formula 1 is extremely good compared to other series – no question about it,’ explains Porsche’s new motorsport boss Thomas Laudenbach. He takes charge just as Porsche is plotting its top-flight return to Le Mans in the hypercar class (from 2023), increased commitment to pure-electric racing (via Formula E and its customer-racing Mission R project), and a potential assault on the big one: F1. Electric power is key to all three. F1’s powertrains have been turbo V6 hybrids since 2014. Outputs hover…

McLaren is a potential acquisition target for both BMW and Audi. The supercar brand and legendary F1 team under one roof has suffered a torrid time during the pandemic, with the Automotive division recording a £222.9 million operating loss in 2020, a swing from £91.1m profit in 2019. The situation improved in 2021, however, with revenue doubling in the first half of the year. Regardless, behind the scenes mediators, brokers and agents for BMW and Audi have been busy examining options. A key player is Mumtalakat, the Bahrain state investment fund which owns about 42 per cent of McLaren; it’s expected to have its first, on-the-record meeting with BMW in early December. BMW has had ties with McLaren since providing the iconic F1 supercar’s V12 in the ’90s. Acquiring McLaren would…

Factfile POWERTRAIN 105kWh battery (est), rear-wheel drive, 500-mile range (est) CHASSIS Aluminium monocoque DUE 2024 1 A NEW DIRECTION Alfa Romeo’s five-year plan under new boss Jean-Philippe Imparato is to take advantage of current trends by increasing its SUV offering while also whipping the retailer network into shape. Imparato says Alfa – now part of the giant Stellantis group – is currently profitable, but adds: ‘If you don’t make money, you’re dead.’ 2 HELP FROM STELLANTIS While the STLA Medium platform is exclusive to Alfa and DS, the next Giulia could use STLA Large instead, allowing for battery sizes between 101kWh and 118kWh and e-motor outputs as wild as 443bhp per axle, or range in the region of 500 miles per charge. 3 A FOUR-LEAF E-CLOVER? Imparato says he is open to the idea that the next Giulia’s high-performance Quadrifoglio rangetopper could…