Wolfsburg - It was an impressive debut from Volkswagen in the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC): in their maiden competitive outing in the Polo R WRC, Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (F/F) promptly finished runner-up at the Rally Monte Carlo. In an interview, the Volkswagen works driver, who was making his first appearance in a World Rally Car at the "Monte", spoke about the success of the past four days. Congratulations on a perfect start to the 2013 season. Did you believe, before the start of the Rally Monte Carlo, that you would finish runner-up at the first attempt? “I really had no idea how well we would fair. The Rally Monte Carlo was the first time we had come up against the opposition in direct competition. Up until then we had only been able to compare data from the test drives with that from the Skoda Fabia S2000, with which I contested the whole of last season.” Sébastien Ogier, Volkswagen Polo WRC, Volkswagen Motorsport Photo by: XPB Images … [Read more...] about Sébastien Ogier: The first time I’ve been happy with second place
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Corvette to contest WEC opener, Glickenhaus sits out
The latest-generation Corvette that came on stream in last year's IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship will be raced by Oliver Gavin and Antonio Garcia in the eight-hour WEC race in Portugal on April 4. The entry provides further confirmation of Chevrolet's intent to return to the Le Mans 24 Hours in 2021 after skipping last year's rescheduled edition of the French enduro as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Read Also: Ferrari announces top flight Le Mans return with hypercar A further outing for the General Motors brand in the Spa WEC round at the beginning of May looks likely given that a reshuffle of the IMSA schedule means there will not be a race incorporating the GT Le Mans class between next month's Sebring 12 Hours and the Watkins Glen 6 Hours two weeks after Le Mans in June. Corvette Racing has made sporadic outings in the WEC in addition to its annual trip to Le Mans over the past two seasons. It contested the Shanghai round of the 2018/19 with a … [Read more...] about Corvette to contest WEC opener, Glickenhaus sits out
Jaguar Land Rover To Cut Production Capacity By 25 Percent
This is in line with the shift to electrification. In terms of relevance, Jaguar and Land Rover are both making tides with their announcements lately. While the big cat announced that it will purr silently starting 2025, Land Rover goes the other way and introduced the Land Rover Defender V8 , the most powerful for the nameplate. While those things sound exciting for both British brands, Automotive News reports that Jaguar Land Rover is cutting down its manufacturing capacity by 25 percent within five years. The information came from an investor presentation. Gallery: Land Rover Defender 110 V8 44 Photos The downsizing in production came from the previously announced projects that the brands will not complete, moving forward, including the Jaguar XJ replacement . While JLR announced a £2.5 billion ($3.48 billion at the current exchange rates) … [Read more...] about Jaguar Land Rover To Cut Production Capacity By 25 Percent
Jaguar Will Become An EV Brand, But XJ Sedan Is Not Happening
The automaker will get an exclusive EV architecture. Jaguar is one of the manufacturers that offer the most powerful combustion engines in the world but starting from 2025, there won’t be any new Jags with a tailpipe. The British luxury automaker has just announced its ambitious plans to become an EV-only brand in just five years’ time. As a part of its Reimagine strategy, Jaguar will begin producing only electric vehicles by the middle of the decade as the first step towards a net-zero carbon business by 2039. The brand will develop a “dramatically beautiful new portfolio of emotionally engaging designs and pioneering next-generation technologies” to support its initiative. Unfortunately, the move to zero-emission models means there won’t be a direct replacement of the XJ . In its official press release, Jaguar says a new XJ is not happening “as the brand looks to realize its unique potential.” Apparently, that potential doesn’t include a large combustion-powered … [Read more...] about Jaguar Will Become An EV Brand, But XJ Sedan Is Not Happening
Jaguar hints at smaller crossover to slot below F-Pace
Jaguar has announced they are analyzing the prospects of coming out with additional crossovers following the F-Pace's launch. Jaguar has announced they are analyzing the prospects of coming out with additional crossovers following the F-Pace's launch. It seems the upcoming F-Pace will not be Jaguar's sole crossover offering for a long time as the company's brand director Steven de Ploey told Autocar recently that "a family [of SUVs] is not confirmed but we are investigating it." He went on to specify the company has the tools to launch new high-riding models positioned above and below the F-Pace, but any new crossover wearing the Jaguar badge has to be "dynamically the most capable and it has to meet our design standards." De Ploey also hinted at a sub F-Pace model to tackle the BMW X1, but did admit it's going to be tricky to launch a model in this segment worthy of the Jaguar badge in terms of performance and design. The F-Pace could actually become the middle … [Read more...] about Jaguar hints at smaller crossover to slot below F-Pace