Category Archives: performance

Cadillac Lyric EV SUV Gets V-Series Performance Option

Posted on 29 October 2024 by Ken Zino

Cadillac (NYSE: GM) said today that  the first electric SUV to earn the V-Series badge – the 2026 LYRIQ-V – debuts in early 2025. LYRIQ-V will appear markets around the world in both left-hand-drive and right-hand-drive, including the U.S., Canada, … Continue reading →

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Man vs Autonomous Machine Race Coming to Suzuka

Posted on 10 October 2024 by Ken Zino

The Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League (A2RL)* said today that a “Man vs Machine Showdown” is coming to the Suzuka Circuit in Japan next month. The exhibition race will be the first time Japanese spectators  can see a head-to-head race between human drivers and AI technology. It will take place on the Super Formula double-header season finale on November 9-10.

“In partnership with Japan Race Promotion, A2RL’s ‘Man vs Machine’ challenge will pit two Super Formula race cars against each other in a head-to-head competition. One car will be piloted by former F1 driver Daniil Kvyat, A2RL’s development driver, while the other will be entirely controlled by advanced autonomous algorithms and robotics, showcasing cutting-edge technology,” A2RL said. Continue reading →

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Mattias Ekström Joins Ford Performance for 2025 Dakar Rally

Posted on 1 October 2024 by Ken Zino

“Joining the Ford Dakar program is really exciting for me,” said Mattias Ekström. “Ford and M-Sport have built a vehicle that looks, sounds, and drives awesome and we all have a common ambition to win the Dakar Rally. I have had four tries at Dakar so far and now I can say that I have some experience to be able to aim for the top. There is also a lot of knowledge and experience in the team to back up the ambition – starting with the long motorsport heritage of Ford, proven track record of M-Sport, very impressive driver line-up, smart engineers, technicians, and the rest of the team. I look forward to the first competitive outing with the Ford Raptor T1+ at Rally du Maroc and later at the Dakar Rally. I am in it to win it and I hope we will have very successful and great years ahead of us. I will do everything in my power to make it happen.” Continue reading →

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McLaren W1 Supercar Global Reveal This Sunday

Posted on 27 September 2024 by Ken Zino

McLaren Automotive today said that the next version of its legendary ‘1’ car lineage – a new supercar named W1, will be revealed at 13:00 BST on Sunday 6 October 2024. The McLaren W1 is the successor to the McLaren F1. The W1 name “celebrates McLaren’s World Championship mindset.” The public reveal date marks the 50th anniversary of McLaren winning its first Formula 1 Constructors’ World Championship, and Emerson Fittipaldi winning the 1974 World Drivers’ Championship with McLaren.

“The McLaren W1 is defined by real supercar principles and is the ultimate expression of a McLaren supercar. Born of our rich racing history and World Championship mindset, W1 pushes the boundaries of performance and is worthy of the ‘1’ name. Like its predecessors the F1 and McLaren P1™, W1 defines the rulebook of a real supercar,” Michael Leiters, Chief Executive Officer, McLaren Automotive. Continue reading →

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McLaren P1 $449.99! Some Assembly Required

Posted on 13 September 2024 by Ken Zino

McLaren F1™ driver, Lando Norris has completed a lap of the British racetrack, Silverstone, in a 1:1 scale LEGO Technic McLaren P1. Norris successfully lasted through the twist and turns of the 5.891km (3.66 miles) track. You can buy the 1:8 scale LEGO Technic McLaren P1 Lego for $449.99 (£389.99, €449.99), but some assembly is required.*

“Having worked on the original P1 program for McLaren, it’s amazing to see so many of the elements from the original McLaren P1™ brought to life so realistically by the LEGO Technic team for the full-scale model. The car was an icon of its time. I hope that through this collaboration with the LEGO Group, we are able to inspire the next generation of designers and engineers to push the boundaries of automotive innovation,” said Ben Gulliver, Test & Development Director, McLaren Automotive. Continue reading →

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Acura Performance EV Concept Debuts

Posted on 16 August 2024 by Ken Zino

“The Acura Performance EV Concept kicks off the exciting next step in our electrification strategy, showcasing the styling direction of our next all-new, all-electric Acura model that will debut next year,” said Mike Langel, assistant vice president, Acura National Sales. “Building on the just-launched all-electric 2024 Acura ZDX, our next all-electric Acura SUV will continue our focus on delivering Acura clients an exhilarating driving experience in the electrified future.” Continue reading →

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Performance Driving – Acura Integra Type S HRC Prototype

Posted on 16 August 2024 by Ken Zino

Acura today debuted the Integra Type S HRC Prototype, showcasing a potential new line of street and track-focused Honda Racing Corporation* performance parts. Introduced during Monterey Car Week, a congregation of automotive and motorsports enthusiasts, the Acura Integra Type S HRC Prototype is said to build “upon the dynamic capabilities of the most powerful, best performing Integra ever to deliver ultimate street and track performance for Acura enthusiast customers to enjoy on their own Integras.”

“HRC performance parts is an exciting concept focused on building a stronger connection with Acura and Honda enthusiasts eager to access exclusive HRC race engineering to augment their performance driving experience,” said Jon Ikeda, Senior Vice President, Honda Racing Corporation USA.”Every spec of the Acura Integra Type S HRC Prototype screams performance. Everything is functional – if it doesn’t add performance it isn’t on the car.” Continue reading →

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Cadillac Racing Expands WEC Entries to Two Cars in 2025

Posted on 6 August 2024 by Ken Zino

Cadillac Racing said today that its FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC)* Hypercar program will expand to a two-car factory program to be named Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA** beginning with the start of the 2025 season. It’s a major realignment of two separate racing programs that have tried to beat each other for two seasons now. Jota is leaving Porsche. Drivers of the No. 12 and No. 38 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R racecars, powered by the purpose-built Cadillac 5.5-liter DOHC V8 engine, will be announced in the future. Continue reading →

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AC Cars Revives Cobra GT Coupe

Posted on 1 August 2024 by Ken Zino

AC Cars released today the first images of the new AC Cobra GT Coupe. The first ever official AC Cobra coupe set for production, working from an augmented version of the existing AC Cobra GT Roadster architecture. This road-going model, you might remember – if you are of a certain age and Monte Carlo Rally, LeMans and Kammtail resonate – draws on AC’s racing heritage. Continue reading →

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Retro-Vette? 2025 Chevy Corvette Split-Window ZR1 Coupe

Posted on 26 July 2024 by Ken Zino

“We went into the ZR1 program with lofty goals, but even our first development tests on-track showed the teams were already exceeding them,” said Tadge Juechter, executive chief engineer, Corvette. “As we worked to develop this car, we continued to leap past expectations, and we knew we had a special Corvette on our hands.” Continue reading →

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Annals of Marketing 2026 – Audi Formula One and bp

Posted on 15 July 2024 by Ken Zino

“Audi and bp have always worked together successfully in motorsport. We are delighted that we can take this special partnership to the next level in Formula 1. Audi stands for ‘Vorsprung durch Technik’ and bp and Castrol also aspire to deliver the best technologies in the field of fuels and lubricants. This is a perfect match. It is a strong signal for Audi’s future F1 factory team that we have been able to establish this partnership at such an early stage,” said Andreas Seidl, CEO Audi F1 team. Continue reading →

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New Porsche Panamera Bests Old Time at Nürburgring

Posted on 15 July 2024 by Ken Zino

“On the Nordschleife, the transverse dynamic capabilities of a car are particularly important,” said  Kern. “The new Panamera has made significant gains in this area. In technically demanding corner sequences in particular, such as between the ‘Hohe Acht’ and ‘Brünnchen’ sections of the track section, it responds with noticeably greater agility.” Continue reading →

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Polestar 6 Concept EV Hill Climbing at Goodwood

Posted on 11 July 2024 by Ken Zino

Polestar (Nasdaq: PSNY) is at Goodwood Festival of Speed showing its expanded model line-up with the new Polestar 3 and Polestar 4 electric SUVs joining the Polestar 2. They are accompanied by the Polestar 6 Concept, marking the dynamic debut for the electric roadster concept.

“Now we are a brand with three models in production it’s great to see them here together for the first time at a global event. Goodwood Festival of Speed is full of the most exciting cars and the most enthusiastic crowds,” said Thomas Ingenlath, CEO of Polestar, a Chinese-owned company. Continue reading →

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Annals of Marketing – Porsche 4Kids and LEGO

Posted on 8 July 2024 by Ken Zino

Porsche said today that its free Porsche 4Kids summer holiday program this year is Porsche meets LEGO. To celebrate the latest LEGO Technic GT4 e-Performance model, the program running from 30 July to 18 August 2024 is entirely about the … Continue reading →

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Subaru 2025 WRX tS Debuts at Wicked Big Meet

Posted on 30 May 2024 by Ken Zino

Today Subaru announced its new performance 2025 model WRX tS will make its first public appearance at Wicked Big Meet, America’s largest Subaru enthusiast festival, on June 2. The tS trim level offers increased performance and handling capability and ride comfort with a new STI-tuned suspension featuring electronically controlled dampers and revised suspension tuning. Pricing has yet to be announced for the 2025 model, which will be at dealers early next year. Continue reading →

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