Money Blinded Junky Man

Tuesday, 9 August 2016

2018 Mazda CX-5 Spied: Round Two for One of Our Favorites – Future Cars

2016 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring AWD 2.5-liter inline-4 engine

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2018 Mazda CX-5 Spy Photos: Round Two for Mazda’s Bestseller

-What It Is: The next-generation Mazda CX-5, spied wearing some rather psychedelic camouflage and shot near a 7-Eleven selling “classic chicken” sandwiches for $1.99. The CX-5 compact crossover SUV is Mazda’s bestselling model, and the next generation is nearing production. READ MORE ››

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2017 Ford F-150 Raptor Video Shows Off Shocks, Sweet Jumps

Ford-Raptor-2017-Fox-Shocks

The Ford Raptor‘s Fox shock absorbers were perhaps its single best feature, even ahead of the brawny V-8 and grille-mounted clearance lights. Knowing their capabilities, you sped up for any obstacle—speed bumps, curbs, Mt. Kilimanjaro. Now, they offer even more wheel travel for the all-new 2017 model.

The new Raptor’s three-inch diameter shocks are a half-inch burlier than before. Max wheel travel increases to 13 inches up front and 13.9 inches out back (compared to the previous Raptor’s 11.2 and 12.1). Within the shocks, nine internal bypass zones let the hydraulic fluid flow at varying damping rates, allowing the suspension to be as firm or as soft as necessary, with minimum risk of bottoming out completely. Ford also mentioned greater approach and departure angles, though it made no mention of actual numbers. It’s all in a video that also features some desert running and sweet jumps:

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2016 Fiat 500 Quick-Take Review: Lots of Style, Not as Much Substance

Overview: If you’re an urban dweller who follows fashion trends more than car culture, the 2016 Fiat 500 just might be your car. Small and tidy, the 500 first came to our shores for 2012, marking the return of the Fiat brand to the U.S. market after a nearly 30-year absence. Initially introduced only as a hatchback, the 500 lineup has expanded over the past four years to include the 500C convertible, the electric 500E, and the high-performance, turbocharged Abarth. Although they’re not based on the pint-size 500, the larger but similarly styled 500L wagon and the 500X crossover-utility vehicle still share its name and showroom space. READ MORE ››

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Invisible Touch: Genesis Still Debating Which Model Will Be First To Get Performance Version (It Won’t Be an SUV)

2017 Genesis G90 badge As one of the busiest men in the auto industry, Albert Biermann must sometimes struggle to remember which of his many hats he is wearing. The former BMW M development boss is now responsible for vehicle testing and high-performance models across the Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis brands, managing a team of 1300 engineers and dozens of forthcoming models.

But while we’ve been heard about the arrival of Hyundai’s go-fast-ified N models in the U.S., plus plans for a wave of sporty Kia GT variants, things have been noticeably quieter on plans for tuned versions of forthcoming Genesis models. This is, it transpires, because there’s still some major internal debate as to which of the new family should receive the treatment first.

“On the Genesis lineup, the whole thing is still in discussion,” Biermann told us on a visit to Hyundai’s Namyang engineering center. “Before [the lineup is] fixed, we’re not making any decisions on performance cars—the lineup needs to be clear, and it’s still moving and fluid.”

According to Biermann, the issue is both deciding which order performance Genesis models will be created, but also whether they will be built with conventional engines or as hybrids: “The road map for the next three or four years is clear, but at some point you have to make sure that, with future mobility and all the emissions targets, that you have the technology out there. A lot of discussion is going on about the timing of switching away from pure internal combustion to hybrid or plug-in hybrid. That’s the same for the high-performance applications.”

Yet although there are going to be at least two Genesis SUV models, it doesn’t seem that either is likely go get an ultra-fast version. “I don’t think there are really customers out there,” Biermann said. “You have to think about it. Even for the Genesis brand, if we were to make a big SUV with 500 horsepower—or even 600 horsepower—then who would buy it? How long will such cars survive with emissions standards [and] what market would have such a car in seven years’ time? Europe or China? Probably not. Even the U.S. is moving on emissions. I think it would be very hard to make the case for a car like that.”

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