CAR UK September 2021

‘I’m optimistic the enforced battery future offers plenty for petrolheads’ I can’t shake the feeling that this issue encapsulates the new normal for cars. Almost in its entirety, it is about electrified cars, from city cars to supercars, from Le Mans racers to Dakar rally cars, from the battery gigafactories this country needs to what the EV age means for BMW, a brand with motorised combustion at the heart of its very name. To some car enthusiasts, that is a cause for concern, for fear that drivetrain ingenuity, charismatic combustion and the nuanced personalities of different car brands will all be sacrificed on the altar of zero emissions. But zero emissions is the inevitable endgame: the government has published the outcome of its consultation on banning the sale of new cars with…

‘I’m optimistic the enforced battery future offers plenty for petrolheads’ I can’t shake the feeling that this issue encapsulates the new normal for cars. Almost in its entirety, it is about electrified cars, from city cars to supercars, from Le Mans racers to Dakar rally cars, from the battery gigafactories this country needs to what the EV age means for BMW, a brand with motorised combustion at the heart of its very name. To some car enthusiasts, that is a cause for concern, for fear that drivetrain ingenuity, charismatic combustion and the nuanced personalities of different car brands will all be sacrificed on the altar of zero emissions. But zero emissions is the inevitable endgame: the government has published the outcome of its consultation on banning the sale of new…

CARS, PEOPLE, SCOOPS, MOTORSPORT, ANALYSIS – THE MONTH ACCORDING TO CAR Bugatti, Rimac and Porsche are joining forces and will go into business together towards the end of the year. The official announcement confirms news broken by CAR’s Georg Kacher last September. Three legendary brands, one goal: to electrify the performance cars of the future with a new joint venture: Bugatti-Rimac. ‘It’s the perfect fusion of Rimac’s fast-paced electrification innovations, and Bugatti’s 110-year heritage of design and craftsmanship,’ Mate Rimac told the world’s media during the announcement. ‘All of those involved will benefit,’ Lutz Meschke, Porsche’s deputy chairman added, ‘and the future of Bugatti - a proud and tradition-rich brand - has been secured.’ But how exactly will the three brands benefit? How will it all be organised? And, most crucially, what cars can…

► The Mercedes SLC is no more and won’t be replaced. The same fate will befall the C- and E-Class droptops, and the race director in the sky will black-flag a new AMG GT Roadster in order to give the upcoming SL some breathing space. The demise of the most emotional Mercedes products was a decision based on the need to cut costs and stop cannibalising sales of its own models. ► Along with the new SL, due with all-wheel drive and PHEV power very soon, Mercedes will fuse the C- and E-Class convertibles into one newcomer, the CLE, and a coupe version. Codenamed A/C236, the new arrivals are tipped to combine the less expensive C-Class front axle with multi-link rear suspension. Designed to look wide, low and sporty, the CLE…

CARS, PEOPLE, SCOOPS, MOTORSPORT, ANALYSIS – THE MONTH ACCORDING TO CAR Bugatti, Rimac and Porsche are joining forces and will go into business together towards the end of the year. The official announcement confirms news broken by CAR’s Georg Kacher last September. Three legendary brands, one goal: to electrify the performance cars of the future with a new joint venture: Bugatti-Rimac. ‘It’s the perfect fusion of Rimac’s fast-paced electrification innovations, and Bugatti’s 110-year heritage of design and craftsmanship,’ Mate Rimac told the world’s media during the announcement. ‘All of those involved will benefit,’ Lutz Meschke, Porsche’s deputy chairman added, ‘and the future of Bugatti - a proud and tradition-rich brand - has been secured.’ But how exactly will the three brands benefit? How will it all be organised? And, most…

Factfile POWERTRAIN 100kWh battery pack (est), twin e-motors CHASSIS Aluminium and steel DUE 2022 1 THE MASTER’S TEACHINGS A pioneer and huge success in both its generations, the XC90 is a crucial part of Volvo’s electric product plan. Its replacement will remain the brand’s flagship model, but will not be named XC90. Like the outgoing XC90, the new electric SUV will introduce new safety and autonomy standards. 2 A PROPER PREVIEW Volvo gave us a peek at its new design direction with the Concept Recharge (below). Cues from the concept will span the entire model range from Volvo in future, including a bulbous lidar sensor suite that promises Level 4 self-driving ability aided by artificial intelligence. Regional laws permitting, of course. 3 A NEW TOY BOX Scalable Product Architecture 2 will underpin the XC90 replacement – an evolution of SPA used in…