Bentley concept with a range of 700km
The EXP 100GT is the sexiest Bentley concept yet. Unveiled to mark the brand's centenary, it is a sports car which is electric and autonomous.
The 100GT is said to have a range of 700km - more than what any combustion engined supercar can attain today.
Bentley says the autonomous car "can be driven when one wishes to enjoy the thrill of driving". An onboard Bentley Personal Assistant maximises comfort by monitoring occupants' well-being, with adaptable biometric seating (presumably assuming a driver's preferred settings without having to touch any button).
McLaren 600LT Spider arrives in Singapore
McLaren's new 600LT Spider has landed, with prices starting from $889,000 (excluding a certificate of entitlement).
The car features top-exit exhausts and is at least 80kg lighter than its rivals. With a dry weight of 1,297kg, it is merely 50kg heavier than its coupe twin and 100kg lighter than the 570S Spider.
It has 600hp and 620Nm from a 3.8-litre twin-turbocharged V8, giving it a power-weight ratio of 463hp per tonne. It hits 100kmh in 2.9 seconds, matching the coupe's sprint.
Volkswagen ID R breaks 20-year record
The Volkswagen ID R has set a new record at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in England. With Romain Dumas at the wheel, the electric racer completed a 1.86km run in 39.9 seconds last weekend.
In doing so, the 500kW (680hp) car broke the previous 20-year record by 1.7 seconds. The previous record holder was a petrol-powered 574KW (780hp) McLaren-Mercedes MP4/13 Formula One car.
World's most powerful four-cylinder engine
The Mercedes-AMG CLA45 and CLA 45S will have the world's most powerful series production turbocharged four-cylinder engine: a 2-litre tuned to make 387hp or 421hp.
Paired with an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission, the engine sends power to all four wheels, while Torque Control sets the car up for Drift mode if the driver so desires. This is made possible by a rear-axle differential featuring two multi-disc clutches - one for each rear wheel. The CLA45S, with 500Nm of torque, goes from zero to 100 in four seconds, and on to a top speed of 270kmh.
Mini Electric to go on sale next year
The new Mini Electric will roll out from the Mini plant in Oxford later this year, with first deliveries slated for March next year. The BMW-owned company said the car will perform "close" to the Mini Cooper S and be priced competitively.
Only 500 units of Renault Megane RS Trophy-R
The new Renault Megane RS Trophy-R is 130kg lighter than the Megane RS Trophy. It holds the Nurburgring record of 7min 40.1sec for a front-wheel-drive. And it is powered by a 300hp turbocharged 1.8-litre engine mated to a six-speed manual gearbox.
Limited to just 500 units, the car hits 100kmh in 5.4 seconds.
Lexus unveils LC Convertible
Lexus will extend its LC range with an open-top. A thinly disguised LC Convertible prototype made its debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed last week. Long, low and lean, the topless LC will share the coupe's athletic proportions, yet project its own distinct identity (note the prototype's large wheels and short overhangs).
End of the road for Volkswagen Beetle
Volkswagen rolled the last Beetle off the assembly line on Wednesday in Mexico - the end of the road for a car that ran from Nazi Germany through hippie counterculture, but failed to navigate a swerve in consumer tastes towards sport utility vehicle (SUVs).
Serenaded by a mariachi band and surrounded by proud factory workers, the final units of the retro, rounded compact were celebrated at a Volkswagen plant in central Puebla state more than 80 years after the model was introduced in Germany.
Reuters reported the Puebla factory, which already produces VW's Tiguan SUV, will make the Tarek SUV in place of the Beetle starting late next year.
Ride-hailing contributes to fatalities: Study
Ride-hailing services may be driving up traffic deaths, reported Xinhua news agency, which cited a University of Chicago study.
The study found that ride-hailing had contributed to a 3 per cent rise in vehicle fatalities and fatal accidents.
The university's Booth School of Business used the staggered roll-out dates from Uber and Lyft to review the eight quarters before and after ride-hailing adoption in large American cities from 2001 to 2016, and analysed traffic volume, transportation choices and accidents to arrive at the conclusion.
The documented increase in accidents appears to persist and even increase over time and that rate has stayed steady through weekdays, weeknights, weekend days and weekend nights.
For perspective, while in 2010, the number of roadway deaths in the United States stood at 32,885, the lowest since 1949, that number increased to more than 37,400 in 2016.
Correction note: This article has been edited for accuracy.
