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Fernando Alonso's final chapter?
Jordan Greer
August 16, 2024
Good morning, SpeedBites readers. Let’s dive in!
AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY NEWS
In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the first 911 Turbo, Porsche is releasing a special edition 2025 911 Turbo 50 Years model, which is based on the 2025 911 Turbo S and features a 3.7-liter flat-six engine with 640 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque. The new model, priced at $263,095, showcases a unique color scheme, tartan upholstery, and numerous Turbo 50 shoutouts, and buyers also have the option to purchase a Porsche Design chronograph that matches the car's theme.
The 2025 Lincoln Navigator, now in its fifth generation, debuts a major redesign with changes mostly in its exterior and interior design, while retaining the same mechanicals as its predecessor, including a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 engine and a ten-speed automatic transmission. The new model features a sleeker design language, a stepped dashboard with a 48-inch panoramic display, a 28-speaker sound system from Revel Audio, up to 14 USB ports, and advanced driver-assistance systems like BlueCruise hands-free highway driving, with a focus on providing comfort and luxury to all passengers, not just those in the front row.
The 2025 BMW M5 Touring, debuting at Pebble Beach, is a high-performance wagon that offers family-friendly practicality and a plug-in hybrid powertrain with rear-wheel steering. With an electrified V8 engine and an electric motor, the vehicle delivers 717 horsepower and 737 lb-ft of torque, enabling it to go from 0-62 mph in 3.6 seconds, and features an electric-only driving mode with a range of up to 42 miles, a spacious cargo area, and a high-quality interior with BMW's iDrive 8.5 system and an 18-speaker Bowers & Wilkins sound system.
Ford is intensifying efforts to launch affordable electric vehicles (EVs), showcasing renderings of potential future models, including sedans, SUVs, and pickups, to dealers. The company, which has hired talent from Tesla, Rivian, Lucid, and Apple's cancelled electric car project, is developing a new platform for low-cost EVs, with models expected to start at around $25,000, in a bid to compete with Tesla and Chinese EV leaders like BYD.
Rumors suggest that Toyota could reintroduce the Celica sports coupe as early as five months from now, equipped with a turbocharged 2.0-liter gasoline engine producing around 400 horsepower, making it more powerful than the Supra. The revamped Celica, a front-engined AWD car, will reportedly feature a four-cylinder version of the turbo three engine currently used in the GR Yaris and GR Corolla, and will be available with a 6-speed manual or Toyota's DAT 8-speed automatic transmission.
MOTORSPORT
Alpine advisor Flavio Briatore has suggested that Fernando Alonso, who signed a multi-year contract extension with Aston Martin earlier this year, may retire from Formula 1 at the end of the 2026 season. Despite a challenging season for Aston Martin and Alonso's advancing age, Briatore praised the driver's unwavering commitment and performance, but remained uncertain about Alonso's plans beyond 2026.
NASCAR champion Kyle Larson has claimed he is a "better all-around driver" than F1 champion Max Verstappen, stating that while he might not be able to win a Formula 1 race, Verstappen would struggle to win in NASCAR or sprint car racing. Despite discussions about motorsport potentially being included in the 2032 Summer Olympic Games, Larson expressed skepticism, arguing that the sport's reliance on machinery rather than pure athleticism makes it an unlikely fit for the Olympics.
CURIOSITIES
UK authorities have seized over 60 supercars and ultra-luxury vehicles, worth more than $7 million, from nuisance drivers in central London, in a joint operation by the Metropolitan Police, Westminster City Council, and the Motor Insurance Bureau. The operation, which began on August 2, resulted in five arrests for offenses including insurance fraud and dangerous driving, and saw the confiscation of models from Bentley, Rolls-Royce, Ferrari, Lamborghini, and McLaren.
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum is partnering with RM Sotheby's to auction off a selection of its extraordinary car collection, including a 1954 Mercedes-Benz W196 Streamliner and a Ferrari 250LM that won Le Mans in 1965. The auction, whose dates are yet to be announced, aims to increase the museum's endowment and long-term financial sustainability, enhance the restoration and care of its collection, and acquire new artifacts that reflect a more comprehensive history of the Indianapolis 500 and Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
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