Articles by Viknesh Vijayenthiran

Land Rover is currently working on its next-generation Freelander, which is expected to ride on an extended version of the platform it shares with the Evoque, and is due to appear late next year. However, the new vehicle isn’t expected to wear the Freelander name. Instead, Autocar reports that the next generation will likely adopt the Discovery nameplate. As was previously reported, Land Rover is planning to expand its lineup with several new crossovers and SUVs and to help differentiate these will group them into three distinct categories: luxury, leisure and utility. The luxury category will consist of the Range Rover-branded models like the regular Range Rover, Range Rover Sport and Range Rover Evoque. An ultra-luxurious, long-wheelbase Range Rover will be the next to join this group and it's rumoured that a long-wheelbase Range Rover Evoque is also planned. The utility category, meanwhile, will be made up of models derived from the next-generation Defender, which was previewed by the DC100 concept first shown in 2011. The last we heard, development of the new Defender was being delayed and the number of variants likely to be pruned back. Finally, the leisure category will feature the Discovery and Freelander-replacing Discovery models, which will be targeted at buyers of the BMW X3 and X5 and similar premium soft-roaders, though there will be a distinct price difference between these and the upmarket Range Rover models. If given the green light, a compact crossover would also join this group. www.motorauthority.com  

Brand value can be a fickle thing. It’s impossible to measure accurately and it can be affected by numerous volatile factors. But at the end of the day, if a consumer is willing to pay more for one brand over another then brand value becomes a vital indicator of a company’s overall value.Nowhere is this more apparent than in the auto industry, where a consumer’s perception of a brand can often be the main decisive factor when it comes to buying a new car. One of the best indicators of how valuable each brand is compared to its rivals is the annual BrandZ Top 100 global survey, conducted by influential market research firm Millward Brown.In its latest study, Millward Brown researchers found that Toyota is once again the most valuable automotive brand in the world, with an estimated value of $24.5 billion, a gain of 12 per cent on last year’s result. BMW, which has held the top spot since 2010, has been relegated to second, with its value coming in at $24 billion, a drop of 2 per cent on last year.Toyota’s strong gain was said to be brought about by increasing interest in hybrid vehicles while BMW’s image was tarnished slightly by its performance in the slumping European market. Interestingly, only four other automakers made it into the BrandZ Top 100 global survey this year: Mercedes-Benz, Honda, Nissan and Volkswagen.Apple, which has been the top ranking brand since 2011, is once again on top, with an estimated brand value of $185 billion.For the study, brand value is essentially the sum of all earnings that a company’s brand alone is expected to generate. It is calculated based on information from surveyed consumers, who are asked to judge a brand based on attributes that are important to them.World's most valuable car brands in 2013 in $billion; rank in top global 100; +/- % value change from 2012:1) Toyota $24.5 -- (23) +122) BMW $24.0 -- (24) -23) Mercedes $18.0 -- (43) +114) Honda $12.4 -- (71) -25) Nissan $10.2 -- (86) +36) Volkswagen $8.8 -- 3 (100) +37) Ford $7.6 -- (*) +88) Audi $5.5 -- (*) +189) Hyundai $4.0 -- (*) +1110) Lexus $3.5 -- (*) +2(number) = overall top 100 position(*) = Did not rank in the top 100www.motorauthority.com 

The hardcore version of Ferrari’s 458 Italia supercar, the spiritual successor to 2007’s 430 Scuderia, is reportedly being prepped to be unveiled at the 2013 Frankfurt Auto Show this September. The biannual event has been favoured by Ferrari of late for debuts concerning its entry-level mid-engine model, with 2007’s Frankfurt Auto Show playing host to the debut of the 430 Scuderia followed by the debut of the 458 Italia at 2009’s event and the 458 Spider at the most recent 2011 show. Thus, it’s easy to see why Car and Driver is reporting that the new hardcore 458, which some are suggesting will be called the 458 Challenge Stradale or perhaps even a 458 Monte Carlo, will be shown in Frankfurt in just a few months.   Like its predecessors, the hardcore 458 will be lighter than its donor 458 Italia. The previous 430 Scuderia weighed 100kg less than the regular 430, meaning the hardcore 458 could end up weighing about 1300kg. The car is also expected to borrow a number of elements from the 458 Challenge racer, and utilise knowledge learned during development of the new LaFerrari flagship supercar. Look for new gear ratios and a more tightly calibrated tune for the 458 Italia’s seven-speed dual clutch transmission. There should also be stiffer suspension, uprated brakes, stickier rubber and the aforementioned lighter kerb weight. Peak output from the 458’s 4.5-litre V8, meanwhile, is reported to see an increase to around 450kW, up from the current 425kW rating. This is said to be courtesy of forged internals, the redline moved up 300 revs to 9,300 rpm, and the exhaust system made less restrictive. Finally, new aerodynamic features are said to be planned, including the use of active winglets on the rear diffuser. Oh yes, one of the best supercars on the market is about to get a whole lot better. www.motorauthority.com

Maserati has ambitious plans to boost its annual sales to as much as 50,000 units per year in the mid to longer term, up from less than 7,000 units sold last year. To do so, the automaker intends on two brand new model introductions. One of these is the recently revealed 2014 Ghibli sedan, which goes on sale later this year. The other is the Levante SUV, which was previewed in 2011 by the Kubang concept car and is expected to be revealed late next year as a 2015 model. The Levante name comes from Via Emilia Levante in Bologna, Italy, where the Maserati brothers first dreamt of the company that today still bears their name. And, with Maserati’s centenary taking place next year, the use of the Levante name on the SUV seems appropriate; it hints at the past while also serving as a bridge to Maserati’s future.  As we’ve reported for some time, the Levante will share a platform with the Jeep Grand Cherokee. However, it will feature its own engines and be produced in Italy rather than the Jefferson North Assembly plant in Detroit as originally envisaged by Maserati. According to a report from Edmunds, demand for the Jeep Grand Cherokee means capacity at the vehicle’s plant is too tight to include the additional run of Levantes expected. The Levante is expected to be Maserati’s top seller, just as the Cayenne SUV is the most popular model in the Porsche lineup. Previous estimates have put production figures between 10,000 and 15,000 units annually. Power will come from the same assortment of engines fitted to the 2014 Ghibli and Quattroporte sedans. This means a twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 with 300kW in the base model and a twin-turbocharged 3.8-litre V8 with 390kW in a range-topping model. The Ghibli’s 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel will also be offered in the Levante overseas. The only transmission will be an eight-speed automatic. Interestingly, the report claims the Levante will use Maserati’s Q4 all-wheel-drive system rather than the existing setup found in the Jeep Grand Cherokee. This is due to the Levante being tuned more for sport handling rather than off-road prowess. With a reveal scheduled for next year, we should be seeing the first spy shots for the 2015 Maserati Levante very soon. www.motorauthority.com  

News has emerged that development of a Land Rover Defender successor -- after close to three decades -- has been delayed.Land Rover first previewed its next-generation Defender with its DC100 concept in 2011 and shortly after confirmed that a production version would arrive in 2015.Around the same time, reports emerged claiming Land Rover was planning a whole range of Defender variants including a low-cost version likely to be built in India.Now, Land Rover global brand director John Edwards has revealed to Autocar that the new Defender won’t be ready by 2015. The existing Defender, however, will still be phased out in 2015 due to tougher emissions regulations coming into play.Edwards didn’t reveal why the new Defender was being delayed, though it’s thought that a switch to Land Rover’s PLA aluminum platform found in upmarket Range Rover models is the likely cause. This means that the new Defender will likely remain a premium product and keep its off-road prowess.The DC100 concept had its own bespoke platform, though one derived from that used in the Range Rover Evoque and Freelander 2 models. Going premium also means that the new Defender could be built profitably in the UK instead of having to be sourced from low-cost countries such as India.www.motorauthority.com 

The new Lamborghini Egoista concept is one of the most startling vehicles the Italian brand has produced. Developed as a tribute to Lamborghini’s 50th anniversary by a team led by Volkswagen Group design boss Walter De Silva, the concept’s name, which is Spanish for “selfish,” has been applied because of the single-seat design. But rather than signify a potential for single-seat racing, the design was picked to allow its driver the ability to express their individual personality to the maximum.“This is a car made for one person only,” De Silva explained at the unveiling of the Egoista at Lamborghini’s recent 50th anniversary Grande Giro drive in Italy.The Italian designer also used the words “hedonism,” “four-wheeled UFO” and even “Never Never Land” in describing the car. While the Egoista is a pure design concept, Lamborghini has said in the past that it never builds a concept without the intention of production. But this one is a gift from Lamborghini to itself, so we doubt it will be sold to the highest bidder.It does present some interesting technology we may see in the future, however. Namely, lightweight construction, new design language and a 441 kilowatt version of the Gallardo’s 5.2-litre V-10 engine. Materials used in the construction include aluminium and carbon fibre.The upper part of the vehicle also features active flaps integrated in the bodywork that move depending on the driving conditions, providing a balance between drag and downforce. Two rear flaps activate automatically at high speeds to increase stability, while a series of air intakes on the back of the engine hood provides the cooling air flow to the V-10 engine. New features of the Gallardo successor perhaps?Inspiration for the concept’s design came from an Apache helicopter, whose ejecting cockpit design was borrowed for the Egoista. The profile, meanwhile, is said to represent a charging bull with its head down and horns pointed forward.“The cockpit represents a sort of survival cell, allowing the driver to isolate and protect themselves from external elements,” De Silva explained.”We kept an eye on the future when designing the Egoista, with the idea that its cockpit could have been taken from a jet aircraft and integrated into a road vehicle.”Inside, there is a racing seat with a four-point seatbelt, airbags, and the bare minimum of instruments. The focal point of these is a head-up display, typical of jet fighters. To get out of the vehicle, the driver must remove the steering wheel and rest it on the dashboard, open the canopy, stand up and then sit down on a precise point of the bodywork, then swivel 180 degrees. At this point, he or she can finally set their feet down and stand up. Hedonism, indeed.www.motorauthority.com 

This was no ordinary Mustang, however, as the car in question was the famous ‘Eleanor’ Mustang driven by actor Nicholas Cage in the movie’s closing stages.Eleven of the fictional Eleanor Mustangs were created for the movie, although only three of these were working cars, and two of these were destroyed during filming. This one was Cage’s primary ‘beauty’ car, used mostly for close ups as well as promotional efforts.The car was sold during the Dana Mecum 26th Original Spring Classic Auction in Indianapolis last week. No details about the auction’s winner have been announced, though the price paid is not at all unexpected given the car’s fame as well as its pedigree.Though not an original Shelby, the Eleanor Mustang was based on a 1967 Ford Mustang fastback and was built by Cinema Vehicle Services with the help of legendary coachbuilder Chip Foose. Key features of the car are its central-mounted driving lights, pumped fender flares, and unique hood and trunk. Power comes from a 351 Ford V-8 crate engine, rated at 400 horsepower.Other specs include a four-speed manual transmission, lowered suspension with coilovers, 17-inch wheels shod with Goodyear F1 tires and a faux nitrous kit.Included in the sale was certification of the vehicle’s authenticity from the company responsible for building it as well as a special plaque that includes the VIN.Note, this is the second time in five years that this particular Eleanor Mustang has come up for sale.www.motorauthority.com

The details follow the striking concept’s debut at the Nürburgring 24 Hours -- due to finish 10pm tonight AEST -- in which Aston Martin competed on the weekend, fielding the Rapide S Hydrogen Hybrid. The concept was created in celebration of Aston Martin’s centenary this year and features a design inspired by the lines of the DBR1 race car of the 1950s. A 1959 DBR1 was famously driven to victory in a 1,000-kilometer race at the Nürburgring by Sir Stirling Moss, and both the original race car and the new CC100 made a lap of the legendary German circuit this morning. But it’s not just about reflecting on the past, as the CC100 also looks towards the future, giving us a glimpse of Aston Martin’s future design direction. Key among the concept’s design features is a new take on the Aston grille and fender vent, and a completely new design theme for the rear. The CC100 was designed and constructed in fewer than six months at Aston Martin’s global headquarters in Gaydon, England. Measuring almost 4.6m nose to tail, and almost 2m across, the CC100 is proof of the flexible nature of Aston Martin’s trademark Vertical Horizontal (VH) platform design. Being based on the V12 Vantage, the CC100 packs a front-mounted V-12 engine displacing 6.0 litres and outputting in excess of 375kW. The engine sits in a rigid aluminum chassis and spins the rear wheels via an automated sequential manual gearbox with paddle shifters. According to Aston Martin, the setup is enough to accelerate the concept to 100km/h in just over 4.0 seconds and on to a governed top speed of 288km/h. The body is all new and is made completely of carbon fibre, tooled and provided by low volume specialists Multimatic. It was designed by Aston design chief Marek Reichman together with the automaker’s exterior designer, Miles Nurnberger.        At its debut in Germany, the CC100 was driven by Aston Martin CEO Dr. Ulrich Bez. He explained that the concept represents the automaker’s sporting heritage as well as its design capability, and it also represents the next generation of Aston Martin sports cars. “The future of Aston Martin is, very clearly, more exciting now than perhaps at any time in its history and I’m looking forward to seeing the excitement and anticipation that CC100 creates among Aston Martin owners and enthusiasts worldwide,” Bez said. www.motorauthority.com  

Porsche has revised the specs for its 918 Spyder, bringing the car’s performance into line with that of its rivals in the hybrid supercar market, the Ferrari LaFerrari and McLaren P1.The German sports car manufacturer has officially announced full details for the 918 Spyder and revealed for the first time a production-spec prototype. We’ve already seen most details on previous mules, but this week’s event marks the first sighting of the 918’s production-spec LED head and taillights.The key goal in the car’s development is the parallel improvement of both efficiency and performance without one being at the cost of the other, but how Porsche has gone about it is very different to anything we’ve seen yet from the company.The numbersFor the 0-100km/h run, Porsche claims the 918 Spyder to take just 2.8 seconds, hit 200km/h in 7.9 seconds and reach 300km/h in 23 seconds. It is this last number that has performance fans wondering, as McLaren has quoted sub-17 seconds for the P1’s 0-300km/h run and sub-15 seconds for the LaFerrari. We can’t wait until the first showdown.Only 918 examples of Porsche's new supercar will be built, with production set to commence in September. Each has a starting price of US$845,000.Weight and drivetrainAt the core of the 918 Spyder is a monocoque chassis, constructed from lightweight carbon fiber reinforced polymer. Unfortunately, the weight of the hybrid system means the 918 Spyder still weighs a portly 1640kg (an available ‘Weissach’ package brings that figure down to 1600kg).Still, while its rivals may weigh less than 1300kg, the 918 Spyder has the advantage of an all-wheel-drive system, in this case a through-the-road setup made possible by the car’s hybrid system. A race-bred 4.6-litre V8 is paired with an electric motor and seven-speed PDK dual-clutch transmission for the rear axle, while a second electric motor is used to spin the front axle.The engine produces 447kW on its own and screams to 9,150 rpm. It is based on the design of the racing engine found in the successful RS Spyder Le Mans prototype and also features lightweight components made from carbon fibre. The two electric motors produce 115kW (rear) and 95kW (front), respectively. System output for the 918 Spyder is a staggering 653kW and 1275Nm of torque.Porsche had previously estimated outputs closer to 575kW and 750Nm, but kept the final numbers close to its chest until McLaren and Ferrari announced their respective figures at Geneva in March.Driving modesThe car’s hybrid setup enables multiple driving modes, E-Power, Hybrid, Sport Hybrid, Race Hybrid and Hot Lap, all of which are accessed using a control on the steering wheel.When the vehicle is started up, the all-electric E-Power mode is the default setting. In ideal conditions, the 918 Spyder can cover approximately 30km/h in this mode (charging takes approximately 7 hours using a household plug). Even in all-electric mode, the car accelerates from 0-100km/h in seven seconds and can reach speeds of up to 150km/h. In this mode, the combustion engine is only used when needed. If the battery’s charge state drops below a set minimum value, the vehicle automatically switches to hybrid mode.In Hybrid mode, the electric motors and combustion engine work alternately with a focus on maximum efficiency and minimum fuel consumption.In more dynamic situations, there is the Sport Hybrid mode. The combustion engine now operates continuously and provides the main propulsive force. In addition, the electric motors provide support in the form of electric boosting or when the operating point of the combustion engine can be optimized for greater efficiency.For track work, Porsche engineers have developed a Race Hybrid mode. Here, the combustion engine is chiefly used under high load, and charges the battery when the driver is not utilising its maximum output. Again, the electric motors provide additional support in the form of boosting. Furthermore, the gear-shifting program of the PDK is set up for even sportier driving. In contrast to the Sport Hybrid mode, the electric motors run at their maximum power output limit for a short time for better boosting.Finally, there is the Hot Lap mode. Here, everything is turned to the max and the battery is no longer charged so that the combustion engine can focus purely on driving the wheels. This mode is designed for setting lap records.Nürburgring lap timeWhen in the Hot Lap mode, Porsche is confident the car will beat the previously quoted 7:14 figure 'Ring time, and some are even suggesting it may crack the 7 minute barrier. Importantly, Porsche is confident the 918 Spyder will be quicker around the famous track than its rivals because of its all-wheel-drive system and some other advanced chassis technologies.One of these is a four-wheel steering system already showcased on the latest 2014 Porsche 911 GT3 and Turbo models. Basically, this incorporates an electro-mechanical adjustment system at each rear wheel. The adjustment is speed-sensitive and executes steering angles of up to three degrees in each direction.At low speeds, the system steers the rear wheels in a direction opposite to that of the front wheels. This makes cornering even more direct, faster and more precise, and it reduces the turning circle for easy parking. At higher speeds, the system steers the rear wheels in the same direction as the front wheels. This significantly improves the stability of the rear end and is said to make the wheelbase feel like that of a shorter car.The benefit of all this technology, according to Porsche, is that drivers of the 918 Spyder should be able to brake much later going into a corner than those behind the wheel of a conventional rear-drive supercar.In addition, the 918 Spyder features its own active aerodynamics. Here, there are three modes, with the most potent being a Race mode. A spoiler positioned between the two wing supports near the trailing edge of the airflow extends. Furthermore, two adjustable air flaps are opened in the underfloor in front of the front axle, and they direct a portion of the air into the diffuser channels of the underbody structure, helping to increase downforce.Double-wishbone suspension is fitted up front and a multilink setup is used in the rear, with adjustable dampers at both ends. An electro-mechanical setup is used for the steering and the brakes are carbon ceramic discs measure up to 16 inches in diameter.www.motorauthority.com 

The new 2014 Mercedes-Benz S Class has all the technology needed to operate fully autonomously, but has been programmed not to due to a lack of legislation.That’s according to the head of Mercedes’ R&D division, Thomas Weber. "We can do it now, but there are rules in place that we have to accept," Weber explained to British outlet Auto Express.That doesn’t mean we’ll never see a fully autonomous S Class. Weber went on to reveal that Mercedes is preparing for the launch of an S Class that can drive itself with no involvement from the driver whatsoever.He also revealed that there are prototypes capable of driving in full autonomous mode and that a production version will come within the latest S Class’ lifetime, suggesting it may be introduced as part of the model’s mid-cycle facelift.The latest 2014 model does already feature an autonomous system, however. Called Steering Assist, it allows the car to crawl through traffic and drive along highways by itself, though due to regulations the driver needs to have his or her hands on the steering wheel at all times. It starts working as soon as Mercedes’ existing cruise control system, Distronic Plus, is activated by the driver.www.motorauthority.com