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Citroen Is Once Again Going After Audi And BMW, This Time With A New Flagship Sedan For China

Citroen will take yet another swing at the premium segment with a new four-door model. Aimed at the Chinese car market, it’s expected to launch before the end of next year, likely as the successor of the second-gen C6, which has been around since late 2016 in the People’s Republic.

So, why limit it to China and not launch it globally? Because sedans still outsell SUVs in the People’s Republic. As for the basics of the model, Autocar reports that it will be based on the EMP2 platform, which will tie it to the Peugeot 508 and new DS 9.

See Also: DS Designers Imagine What A Modern-Day Citroen SM Would Look Like

In terms of power, it’s expected with regular combustion engines and a plug-in hybrid that will give it a zero-emission driving range of around 40 miles (64 km). A full-blown electric version has been ruled out for launch, even if the architecture could support such a powertrain, but could be added at some point given China’s appetite for EVs. More importantly though, it will have a magic carpet ride made possible by the Progressive Hydraulic Cushion suspension set-up.

The design of the vehicle is said to be in the process of being finalized, as it needs to be adapted to the local market, where the looks of the front end of a vehicle “must deliver the right status, presence, reassurance that you made the right choice”, according to the French firm’s CEO, Vincent Cobee.

2016 Citroen CXPerience Concept

“Plus, safety regulations, road conditions, engine size and fuel are different. There will be a number of things related to suspension tuning, powertrain choices, color and material and overall delivery of the car that vary”, he added. “The different versions will use the same platform and silhouette, but there are a number of dimensions where you can adapt expectations.”

Citroen’s new flagship sedan could be inspired by the 2016 CXperience Concept, which was presented at the Paris Auto Show, came with an electrified gasoline engine and had a 37-mile (60-km) electric range.

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Note: Citroen CXPerience Concept pictured above

2021 BMW 5-Series: These GIFS Perfectly Illustrate The Changes Between Old And New

After countless spy images, multiple leaks and now 185 official photos, it’s time to really get down to brass tacks and see just how different the facelifted 2021 BMW 5-Series is visually compared to its predecessor.

The G30 5er was launched back in 2016 (as a MY2017 car) and it was immediately clear that BMW wanted a sharper, less anonymous and more modern-looking 5-Series, as opposed to the somewhat conservative-looking F10 model.

Since then, Audi came out with a brand new A6, looking techy inside and out, while Mercedes recently updated the E-Class, giving it some of that Sensual Purity styling that you’d find on the latest CLS, CLA, A-Class and so on.

Read Also: BMW M550i In Verde Ermes Begs The Question – Who Needs An M5?

Anyway, lo and behold there’s an updated 5-Series in town and most of its visuals (mainly front fascia and taillight related) are either sharper, tighter or slimmer. These gifs demonstrate perfectly what BMW wanted for the G30 5-Series as it moves into the second part of its life cycle.

The new adaptive LED headlights are a little less bulky and feature two L-shaped daytime running lights, instead of the smaller question mark-shaped ones from before. It was a pretty obvious choice seen as how the entire front fascia is a little more angular now.

The bumpers are also new, both front and rear, and the taillight graphic is a little more pronounced and differently shaped.


As for the interior, the changes are a lot less noticeable. All models feature the carmaker’s iDrive 7 infotainment system with its larger 12.3-inch touchscreen display, while a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster is also available. There are also some differences in terms of trim and materials, but that’s something you look at only when you’re actually interested in buying the car.

In the end, how well do you feel BMW’s latest design language applies to the G30 5-Series?

Silent Killers: 2020 Porsche Taycan Turbo S Drag Races 2019 Tesla Model S P100D

An empty airfield in Bulgaria, judging by the license plates of the two cars, served as the battleground for a drag race between the Porsche Taycan Turbo S and Tesla Model S P100D.

Representing America, the Model S P100D has a dual-motor setup, with the front one delivering 275 HP (279 PS / 205 kW) and 310 lb-ft (420 Nm) of torque, and an extra 503 HP (510 PS / 375 kW) and 531 lb-ft (720 Nm) produced by the rear motor.

Each mode results in a different total system output and torque, but officially, it puts out 750 HP in Ludicrous+ mode and needs 2.5 seconds to complete the 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) sprint, although it was clocked at a whopping 2.28 seconds by MotorTrend three years ago.

Watch Also: Porsche Taycan Turbo S Vs Tesla Model S Performance In Cheetah Mode

In the green corner, we have the Taycan Turbo S, which is also capable of supercar-rivalling performance, with the 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) acceleration taking only 2.6 seconds. Top speed in the Porsche is 161 mph (260 km/h), and its zero-emission powertrain can pump out up to 750 HP (761 PS / 560 kW) and 774 lb-ft (1,050 Nm) with the Overboost mode enabled.

As the two super EVs have very similar performance numbers, we could see it go either way, but if you had to, which one would bet on to emerge victorious?

Before finding out if you were right or not, it’s worth noting that both the Model S P100D and Taycan Turbo S are customer, not press, cars, owned by the same individual. Thus, there shouldn’t be any accusations of rigging the outcome, as we’ve seen in previous duels, in favor of either performance EV.

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Rainbow Livery Makes Bentley’s Exclusive Bacalar Even More Difficult To Ignore

While the brightly-colored Bentley Mulliner Bacalar you’re looking at won’t make it to production, it’s one hell of a head-turner.

The British marque recently held an online design contest challenging its workers and their families to design their perfect Bacalar. This was the winner as selected by the company’s director of design, Stefan Sielaff.

While you could be excused for thinking these are just a bunch of random colors, there’s a little more to the paint scheme than that. The seven shades, from top to bottom, include Bentley’s Dragon Red II, Orange Flame, Yellow Flame, Apple Green, Jetstream II, Sequin Blue, and Azura Purple. The aforementioned Yellow Flame is the same color that the Bacalar launched with earlier in the year.

Watch Also: Take A Tour Around The $2M Bentley Mullinar Bacalar Roadster

Bentley will build just 12 examples of the Bacalar and each unit has already sold, despite a price tag of around $2 million.

Power is provided by a 6.0-liter twin-turbo W12 engine that pumps out 650 hp and 664 lb-ft (900 Nm) of torque, giving it an edge over the existing Continental GT. Mated to the W12 is an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission that drives all four wheels through a system that varies the torque split between the axles.

The exterior design takes inspiration from the radical 2019 Bentley EXP 100 GT Concept, making the Bacalar the most emotional-looking modern-day Bentley production car. Key visual highlights include custom 22-inch wheels, unique headlights, and particularly striking LED taillights.

UK’s Post-Brexit Tariff Regime Settles On 10% Car Import Tax

The UK’s new post-Brexit tariff strategy, in place for January 2021, has finally been agreed upon, maintaining a 10% tariff on cars but cutting levies on supply chain imports. The new regime is said to be less complex than the EU system.

Britain is now looking for free trade agreements with countries around the world and wishes to have deals in place covering 80% of all British trade by 2022, as reported by Reuters.

The regime, also known as UK Global Tariff, is also said to be cheaper than the EU’s Common External Tariff, and will also apply to countries with which the UK has no agreement, while removing all tariffs below 2%.

Read Also: Brexit Could Result In Nissan Increasing Its Market Share In UK

“Our new Global Tariff will benefit UK consumers and households by cutting red tape and reducing the cost of thousands of everyday products,” said International Trade Secretary, Liz Truss.

The British government also said that tariffs will be eliminated on a wide range of products, with 60% of trade coming into the UK tariff-free, either on WTO terms or through existing preferential access. However, the UK will keep in place tariffs on products competing with industries such as agriculture, automotive and finishing, cutting levies on 30 billion pounds ($37 billion) worth of imports entering UK supply chains.

“Keeping agricultural protection makes sense as a bargaining chip for the EU & US trade negotiations. But means big cost increases for agriculture imports if no UK-EU FTA,” said Thomas Sampson, Associate professor at the London School of Economics.

The UK also wants to remove tariffs on products which support energy efficiency and will introduce a temporary zero tariff on goods being used to combat the COVID-19 pandemic – such as personal protective gear.

To summarize, the new trade plan is meant to protect the farming and automotive industry, while scrapping tariffs on household items such as dishwashers, freezers, gardening tools and many food and sanitary items.

How Does The 495 HP 2020 Corvette Fare Against A 760 HP Mustang Shelby GT500?

Whenever a performance-focused vehicle is released in the U.S, you can be assured that Hennessey Performance will get its hands on one and bump up its performance. However, before working on a recent C8 Corvette and Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 that came into its shop, the tuner lined up the two to see how they compare in a straight-line.

Kicking things off is a drag race from a standing start where the Corvette has an advantage. You see, while the ‘Vette’s 6.2-liter naturally-aspirated V8 engine ‘only’ churns out 495 hp with the Z51 Performance Package, it is mid-engined and has much better grip than the GT500.

Watch Also: All American V8 Brawl – Dodge Charger Hellcat Widebody Vs New Corvette C8

Consequently, the Corvette gets off the line for quicker than the Mustang which, by the way, uses a 5.2-liter supercharged V8 with no less than 760 hp. The Chevy holds on to its lead for quite a long time and it isn’t until the C8 hits roughly 120 mph (193 km/h) that the Mustang overtakes it and storms ahead thanks to its added power.

For the second test, the two went toe-to-toe in a rolling drag race from 40 mph (64 km/h). This race favors the Mustang because it is able to put all of its power to the ground from the get-go without encountering any traction issues like it does when getting off the line.

Neither of these results are surprising but they have made us very intrigued to see how Hennessey’s twin-turbo Corvette will stack up against a GT500 when it’s been tuned and is running at full power.