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2017 BMW i3: Now with More Electric Range – Official Photos and Info

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Tesla Model 3 to Come with Ludicrous Mode

Planning on chasing down any rogue Winnebagos or Druidian princesses in your Tesla Model 3? Then you’ll be happy to know that the brand’s forthcoming sedan will be available with Tesla’s much-loved “Ludicrous Speed” mode.

In a tweet dated April 29, Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirmed as much, assuring a curious fan that the Model 3 will “of course” be offered with the neck-snapping drive mode.

@vigneshraju of course
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— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 30, 2016

Needless to say, if the precedent set by the Model S and the Model X is anything to go by, then “Ludicrous Speed” will be reserved for the most performance-oriented (read: pricey) Model 3 sedans sold. And even then, it will likely be an option. Currently, Model S and Model X P90D buyers have to shell out an additional $10,000 for the “Ludicrous Speed Upgrade.” Although not cheap, Tesla claims that engaging Ludicrous Speed shaves approximately 0.3- and 0.6-second off of the electric vehicles’ 0-to-60-mph times, cutting the Model S’s sprint to 2.8 seconds and the Model X’s down to 3.2 seconds.

While top-end Model 3s may be blessed with the option to engage Ludicrous Speed, a new report suggests that base Model 3s may ultimately struggle to reach the brand’s promised range of 215 miles.

According to StreetInsider, Tesla Vice President of Global Investor Relations Jeff Evanson, in a call with Colin Langan, an analyst for UBS, and Jon Bereisa, former EV systems architect for the first-generation Chevrolet Volt and current head of the firm Auto Lectrification, confirmed that the base Model 3 will come standard with a battery pack smaller than 60 kWh. That’s less storage capacity than that of the Chevrolet Bolt electric vehicle, a car General Motors vaguely promises will go “more than” 200 miles on a full charge. Nevertheless, the Model 3’s slick shape and partial use of aluminum may result in a car that’s both slippery and light enough to achieve the brand’s stated range goal.

While StreetInsider calculates that Tesla would be selling the Model 3 at a loss at a base price of $35,000, the hefty upcharge for “Ludicrous Speed” might make the model profitable.

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A True Independent: 2017 Hyundai Elantra Sport To Get Independent Rear Suspension, 200-plus Horsepower

The Avente Sport that Hyundai unveiled in South Korea is more or less the car that will be shipped to our shores as the 2017 Hyundai Elantra Sport. Avente is Elantra; Elantra is Avente.

We’ve been aware of Hyundai’s intentions to add a more powerful Sport trim to its all-new Elantra sedan for some time now, writing in our first-drive review in February that we were “bound by secrecy not to discuss the Sport too much, but it may just have a major technical change between its rear wheels that does not involve propulsion.”

Yes, the Elantra Sport will remain front-wheel drive, just like all other Elantras, but it will ditch the standard car’s torsion-beam rear end and replace it with an independent multilink rear suspension. We’ve been told the Elantra Sport’s 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine will produce “more than” 200 horsepower, or at least 37 percent more power than the 2.0-liter four-cylinder that powers most Elantra models. And for what it’s worth, the Avente Sport makes 201 horsepower.

In the Korean-market car, power is channeled to the ground via a six-speed manual transmission or a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission with paddle shifters. Stateside, Hyundai already pairs the 1.6-liter turbo with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission in both the Sonata Eco and most Tucson models; a manual option hasn’t been confirmed for our Elantra Sport, but we’d expect it to make the cut.

Along with the aforementioned mechanical changes, the Elantra Sport also will get bolder looks to better match its sporting nature. Expect the Avente Sport’s aggressive front and rear fascias, attractive wheels, and integrated side skirts, as well as the interior’s flat-bottom steering wheel and unique trim, to appear on the Elantra Sport. Hyundai plans to unveil the American-grade 2017 Elantra Sport at the SEMA show in November.

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Nissan Recalls 3.2 Million Cars for Airbag Sensors

2016 Nissan Sentra SR

Nissan is recalling 3,177,645 cars in the U.S., including Infiniti models and Chevrolet-badged NV200 vans, to fix sensors that may disable the airbags in a crash, according to filings with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The front seat occupancy-classification sensor (OCS), which measures weight or capacitance to determine whether to disable the frontal passenger airbag for an empty seat or for a child or small adult, is defective on several models. That includes the 2016–2017 Nissan Maxima; 2015–2016 Murano and Chevrolet City Express; 2014–2017 Rogue; 2013–2017 Pathfinder; 2014–2016 Infiniti QX60 and Q50; 2013–2016 Altima, NV200 (including the taxi model starting in 2014), Leaf and Sentra; and 2013 Infiniti JX35.

2016-Infiniti-QX60-PLACEMENT

This is the third recall for the same faulty airbag sensors since February 2013, when only 82,038 cars in the U.S. were affected. In March 2014, Nissan expanded that recall to include 989,701 cars. Nissan had cited “unusual seating posture” and engine vibrations as possible reasons for the OCS failing to recognize seated passengers. But after dealers updated the OCS software, owners still reported illuminated passenger airbag lights on the dash, which indicate the airbag is deactivated, when there were grown adults sitting next to them. NHTSA opened an investigation in March 2015 after receiving 124 such complaints, and to this date Nissan and NHTSA know of at least 3283 complaints and warranty claims for OCS failures after the repairs were completed. At least one person has been injured as a result of the defect.

Dealers will perform two separate repairs, depending on the model. For Altima, Maxima, Murano, Rogue, and Sentra models, the airbag control unit and the OCS electronic control unit will be reprogrammed. For all other vehicles, the OCS electronic control unit will be replaced. Owners will receive an interim notice within two months, although not all parts will be readily available. Chevrolet City Express owners will be notified separately by General Motors.

Of the nearly 3.2 million cars affected—which includes vehicles previously recalled for this problem—all of the 622,110 Sentra models must also have their front seat belt brackets reinforced as that can affect the OCS. Specifically, this happens only when a child seat is installed in the front (which Nissan warns against), the seat belt lock is engaged, and the belt is “significantly over-tensioned.”

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2017 Aston Martin DB11 Prototype Drive: A First Turn in the Most Important New Aston in Years.

-We often get invited to drive what automakers assure us are prototype vehicles, but which turn out to be carefully cosseted show ponies rather than hardworking test mules. Doing so allows automakers to provide an early taste of a new model while still offering the plausible deniability of being able to say, “That’s not the final spec,” if we don’t like something. READ MORE ››

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Ferrari Has a New CEO and It’s Who You Probably Expected

Sergio Marchionne is taking over as CEO of Ferrari, with current CEO Amadeo Felisa announcing his retirement. The change is effective immediately, and Marchionne will retain his position as CEO of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles.

Marchionne was previously named Chairman of Ferrari after former Chairman Luca Di Montezemolo quit in September 2014, reportedly over disagreements with Marchionne over Ferrari’s future. Marchionne then oversaw Fiat Chrysler’s sell-off of the Italian supercar brand later that year and an IPO in 2015. His reign as the top Ferrari exec will be brief, as Marchionne, 63, has said that he intends to retire in 2018.

Amadeo Felisa

Felisa, 69, is retiring after 26 years at Ferrari. He assumed the role of CEO in 2008, after time spent in product development and as general manager of the brand. He will continue to serve on Ferrari’s Board of Directors and will be a technical advisor to the company.

We don’t yet know what this shakeup might mean for Ferrari, but Marchionne certainly will be busy heading up both FCA and highly profitable Ferrari. He has previously stated intentions to increase Ferrari production, but assures that doing so won’t “screw up the DNA of Ferrari.” Ever the entertaining and quotable executive, he’s also said that a Ferrari SUV is highly unlikely—”You have to shoot me first”—and that an entry-level, V-6–powered Dino sports car was “not a question of if but when.”

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Porsche Panamera Shooting Brake Is a Go for Production (and We’ll Get It!)

porsche-panamera-sport-turismo-wagon-concept-photo-476114-s-986x603

The second-generation Porsche Panamera will come with a shooting brake body variant—and it will come to the U.S.

According to Porsche Cars North America CEO Klaus Zellmer, speaking to Automotive News, a long-roof Panamera like the 2012 Sport Turismo Wagon Concept is headed for production, and, even though Americans hate station wagons that aren’t lifted or body cladded, we’ll be getting one.

“We have to have some patience for [the wagon] to arrive in the U.S.,” Zellmer told AN. “But we are confident that this car will be well received here, despite the fact that this country doesn’t really like hatchbacks or wagons.”

porsche-panamera-sport-turismo-wagon-concept-photo-476118-s-986x603

Although we haven’t seen spy shots of the new sedan, a wagon version (as we previewed before the 2012 concept made its debut in Paris) would stretch the current Panamera’s ungraceful rear haunches as they should have been from the start, had then Porsche CEO Wendelin Wiedeking not complained about the back seat being cramped.

Right now, the Mercedes-Benz CLS Shooting Brake is the only wagon derived from a four-door “coupe” (and it is not for sale here). But not for too long. The 2017 Panamera launches at the Paris auto show in September, while the wagon version, says AN, would arrive stateside in 2018. A Panamera coupe in the vein of the 928 is also being considered, but that model has yet to be officially confirmed.

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