Tag Archives: Scoops

Rumored Porsche 911 Sport Classic Prototype Coming With Retro Styling Cues

For the 997 generation, Porsche introduced a retro-styled version of the 911 called the Sport Classic. Produced in very limited numbers, the car was said to be inspired by the 1973 Carrera RS 2.7 of Porsche fame. Now, after skipping the 991 generation, it appears as if the Sport Classic nameplate will make a return for the current 992 911.

We’ve seen prototypes of this car floating around before, but our spy photographers were able to capture it again testing out on public roads in Germany.

See Also: Mysterious 992 Porsche Prototype Could Be New 911 Sport Classic

Styling-wise, the car appears to share its front and rear bumpers with the 911 Turbo S, though its widened fenders are absent of any cooling vents. It also seems to borrow blacked-out versions of its center-lock wheels, although they’re expected to be replaced by a Fuchs-style set upon this car’s eventual debut.

That being said, the prototype isn’t just a parts-bin special, as it has a few unique styling elements in the form of a channeled hood, double-bubble roof, and a sleek ducktail spoiler finishing off the silhouette at the rear. And for what it’s worth, both that double-bubble roof and ducktail spoiler were present on the previous Sport Classic, which only solidifies even further that it is in fact what this car is.

Related: Porsche 911 Safari Spied Again Showing Its Adventurous Rally-Bred Spirit

As for the powertrain, power is speculated to come from the Carrera GTS‘s 3.0L twin-turbocharged flat-six, which makes 473 hp (480 PS / 352 kW) and 420 lb-ft (569 Nm) of torque. The car would also likely adopt a similar philosophy to the 991 R and previous 997 Sport Classic, placing a heavy focus on driver engagement with a lower curb weight, rear-wheel drive, and a manual transmission.

Only 250 units of the previous Sport Classic were ever produced, and while this new one isn’t expected to be as scarce, production is rumored to be capped at a relatively low 2,000 cars. A reveal is expected in February 2022 as a 2023 model year vehicle. And if everything surrounding this car is to be believed, and a new Sport Classic is truly on the way, then it would make perfect sense to have a debut scheduled for the 2023 model year, which would also be the Carrera RS 2.7‘s 50-year anniversary.

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Image Credits: CarPix for CarScoops

2022 Honda Civic Type R Takes To The Nurburgring In Anger

The forthcoming 2022 Honda Civic Type R has been filmed being pushed to its limits at the Nurburgring and looks very, very quick.

The new Civic Type R promises to be a significant improvement over the outgoing model, a car that has already established itself as the king of front-wheel-drive hot hatches. Honda’s eleventh-generation Civic is based on a new platform that’s stiffer than its predecessor while also having a slightly longer wheelbase and wider rear track. These upgrades alone should have a particularly profound effect on how the new Civic Type R drives.

Read More: 2022 Honda Civic Type R Hits The Nurburgring, Probably Has A Lap Record In Mind

All signs point towards the new car retaining the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder as the FK8 Civic Type R, albeit slightly modified to deliver a bit more than the curent 306 hp and 295 lb-ft (400 Nm). Adding even more horsepower and torque than this is never easy with a front-wheel-drive platform but given how well Honda’s engineers did in eliminating torque steer from the outgoing model, we suspect it can work out ways to add some extra grunt without any downsides.

Throughout this clip, a pair of camouflaged prototypes are shown lapping some of the most difficult sections of the circuit, including the famed ‘mini-Carousel’ where the car briefly jumps into the air, lifting one of its wheels off the pavement.

Honda will no doubt look to set a new production car lap record for a front-wheel-drive performance vehicle around the ‘Ring. The current record was set in April 2019 by the Renault Megane R.S. Trophy-R at 7:40.1. If the new Civic Type R can dip below the 7:40 mark, that would be a huge achievement, especially when you consider that the Megane R.S. Trophy-R is a stripped-down variant with front racing seats, no rear seats, and a roll bar.

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U Spy The Hyundai Ioniq 5 Robotaxi Being Tested At The Las Vegas Airport

Just a few days after Motional unveiled its Hyundai Ioniq 5-based robotaxi at the Munich Motor Show, a prototype has been spied by a CarScoops reader several thousand miles across the Atlantic on American shores.

This heavily-camouflaged prototype was spied testing at an airport in Las Vegas and certainly appears to have turned quite a few heads. It is equipped with an array of sensors previewed through renderings released by Motional last month.

Read More: Hyundai Ioniq 5 Robotaxis With Level 4 Autonomous Tech Coming To Lyft In 2023

The Ioniq 5 robotaxi has no less than 30 sensors that includes a host of cameras, radar, and LiDAR. Sensors can be seen on the roof of the car, as well as its front fascia, front quarter panels, and rear-end. A driver was pictured behind the wheel controlling the car but when development of it is complete, Motional hopes to remove the driver completely and use a remote vehicle assistance as a safety redundancy, allowing a remote operator to control the robotaxi in the event of something unexpected happening.

“For the Ioniq 5-based robotaxi, we have applied various redundancy systems, in addition to a suite of essential technologies to ensure safety and convenience of the passengers,” head of the Autonomous Driving Center at Hyundai Motor Group, Woongjun Jang recently said in a statement. “By successfully integrating the Group’s Ioniq 5 Robotaxi with Motional’s autonomous driving technology, we are proud to announce that we have achieved another important milestone on the road to the commercialization of our robotaxi.”

The vehicle will begin to transport passengers in 2023 through a partnership with ride-hailing giant Lyft, meaning Motional and Hyundai still have plenty of time to get the autonomous EV ready for launch.

Thanks to Aditya Gaur for the photos!

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Is This Funky E-Class Actually A Next-Gen Test Mule In Highly Effective Camouflage?

Mercedes appears to be testing the next-generation E-Class with a lightly modified test mule high in the German mountains.

The photos, sent to us by our trusty spy photographers, show a dark red E-Class with plastic fender flares, unusual sensors, and a “Brake-Test” sticker on the back. The whole look actually looks rugged and fun but implies that Mercedes is already in the process of getting the W214 E-Class ready for production.

If those fender flares and the seemingly extended track-width are anything to go on, that would suggest that the next E-Class is going to go wider than the current model. Speaking of the current model, although it fits in with Mercedes’ current design language, it’s actually still a generation behind the C-Class and the S-Class.

Read Also: Mercedes-Benz Gives 2021 E-Class A Face And Tail Lift Along With New Straight-Six

The update that Mercedes gave the E-Class in March 2020 didn’t herald a new generation. Instead, it was just a facelift that introduced new design elements, the latest MBUX infotainment technology, fresh safety tech, and a pair of new inline-six-cylinder engines. The gas versions make between 156-367 PS (154-362 HP/115-270 kW) and the diesel versions from 160-330 PS (158-326 HP/118-243 kW).

The current, fifth-generation W213 E-Class, though, launched in 2016 and is therefore getting a little long in the tooth by Germany’s premium sedan standards. A new generation is therefore expected before too long. Whether Mercedes will include the level of electrification that defines the new C-Class remains to be seen, but odds are good.

The AMG version of the E-Class is likely to make use of an electric motor to supplement its engine, too. A trademark application for “E73” may suggest a big hybrid to stand out above the rest of the lineup.

Although we’re still a little far out to know when Mercedes plans on revealing the new E-Class, the recent facelift and this mule would make a 2023 or 2024 debut sensible.

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Photo credit: CarPix for Carscoops

Miata-Based Hurtan Sports Car Now Spied As A Roadster, Too

Last week, we shared spy pictures of a retro-style targa based on the MX-5. Now we have images of the roadster version and some extra info.

The car will reportedly be called the Hurtan Grand Albaycin (the name is borrowed from an Andalusian region of Spain) and, according to the company, it will be unveiled on January 22.

In the spy photos, the roadster is wearing significantly less camo than the targa-top we saw before. The photos also reveal that this is a two-tone car with pontoon-style fenders. Those fenders are deliberately designed to mimic the style of 1950s cars, something founder Juan Hurtado says has been his dream since the ’80s. The Spanish company has previously built bespoke cars made to order, so it will be interesting to see if that will also be the case with the Grand Albaycin.

Also Read: Hurtan Coupe Is A Retro Spanish Sports Car That’s Based On The Mazda MX-5 RF

Based on the latest MX-5, the car will reportedly come with a pair of familiar Mazda engines, a 1.5-liter making 132 hp or a 2.0-liter with 184 hp. Both manual and automatic versions will be offered. The switch gear, vents, and gauges all appear to be lifted straight from the Mazda, although the steering wheel and shifter have been finished in fancier leather.

The name will be a familiar one for Hurtan’s patrons. Of the seven models the company has produced since the ’90s, five carried the name. In 2008, a previous generation Grand Albaycin made 178 hp and weighed only 900 kg.

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Photo Credits: CarPix for CarScoops

Watch The Mercedes EQS Electric Luxury Sedan Being Tested At The Nurburgring

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The all-electric Mercedes EQS has been spied during a recent round of testing at the Nurburgring as the automaker is getting it ready for the production line.

Like other prototypes snapped by our own spy photographers, this car is dressed in camouflage that does a good job of hiding its exterior design. Evidently, Mercedes is eager to keep the final design of the EQS a secret for as long as it can. With that being said, the camouflage cannot hide everything. The overall shape of the EQS immediately catches the eye and, thanks to the elongated roofline and long wheelbase, rear-seat passengers should have plenty of head and legroom.

Read Also: 2022 Mercedes EQS Debut Getting Closer As Electric Flagship Starts Nürburgring Testing

Underpinning the EQS is the automaker’s latest Modular Electric Architecture (MEA) and all signs point towards the EV getting a pair of electric motors, one on the front and one on the rear axle. Mercedes will obviously sell the EQS in a number of different configurations with varying levels of power. The base model should have at least 400 hp, while an AMG-tuned variant can be expected to churn out upwards of 600 hp.

The driver behind the wheel of this EQS prototype clearly wasn’t holding back when testing the car as its tires can be heading screeching through some of the corners. While the EQS has not been designed with a focus on track performance, it’s clear that the electric executive sedan, which also features all-wheel steering, handles very well.

Mercedes-Benz should premiere the EQS before the end of the year with production due to commence in 2021.

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$5.6 Million, 1,479 HP Bugatti Divo Goes All-Out At The ‘Ring

It doesn’t make much sense to be testing the Divo at the track after presenting it two years ago and commencing deliveries back in April, but for whatever reason, this is exactly what Bugatti did, and we cannot complain, as we don’t often get a chance to check out such a rare beast in action.

Based on the same platform as the Chiron and featuring unique styling, the Divo boasts improved aerodynamics that have resulted in an extra 198 pounds (90 kg) of downforce. It boasts improved cooling, upgraded brakes, four-tailpipe exhaust system and is 77 lbs (35 kg) lighter than the ‘regular’ hypercar.

Read Also: Bugatti Details Divo’s Development As First Examples Head To Customers

The Divo is powered by the Chiron’s W16 engine, with 8.0 liters in displacement and no less than four turbochargers. It still pumps out 1,479 HP (1,500 PS / 1,103 kW) at 6,700 rpm and 1,180 lb-ft (1,600 Nm) of torque between 2,000 and 6,000 rpm, which is identical to the Chiron. The output is channeled to both axles via the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, and the 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) sprint takes only 2.4 seconds. Should you find a straight road long enough with no speed limit, you will eventually see 236 mph (380 km/h) on the speedometer.

The fuel consumption may interest no one who can afford to blow €5 million ($5.6 million) on a set of wheels, but it is WLTP-rated at a combined 12.9 mpg US (18.3 l/100 km), although you will have to be very gentle on the throttle, otherwise it will return 5.3 mpg (43.3 l/100 km).

Described as “Bugatti’s first coach-built hyper sports car of the 21st century”, the Divo is limited to only 40 units, and all of them have been spoken for.

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