Aurelia Butler

The Alfa Romeo Giulia SWB Zagato is a one-of-one creation by Italian coachbuilder Zagato, using a Giulia Quadrifoglio as its base.The twin-turbo 2.9-liter V-6 has been upgraded to GTAm spec, sending 533 horsepower through the six-speed manual gearbox offered on the Quadrifoglio in Europe. The unique bodywork is made from carbon fiber and features a fierce front end covered in vents with smooth curves wrapping around the two-door cabin.The Alfa Romeo Giulia is not long for this world, at least as we know it. Starting in 2027, the Italian marque aims to only sell electric vehicles, with the current gas-powered lineup giving way to battery-powered replacements around 2025. But before that happens, famed Italian design house Zagato has decided to celebrate the Giulia with a striking one-off called the Alfa Romeo Giulia SWB Zagato.While it wears completely unique bodywork, the SWB Zagato is based on the high-performance Giulia Quadrifoglio, packing a twin-turbo 2.9 liter V-6 and the ZF six-speed manual gearbox available in Europe. However, Zagato boosted the engine to the specification found in the track-focused, automatic-only Giulia GTAm, providing a stout 533 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque. As the SWB portion of the name implies, Zagato shaved some length out of the Giulia’s wheelbase to create the svelte two-door body, which is fashioned from carbon fiber. Zagato doesn’t make any performance claims for the one-off model, but we would expect similar metrics to the GTAm, with the sprint to 60 mph in the mid-three-second range and a quarter-mile time under 12 seconds. The real highlight of the Giulia SWB is the Zagato bodywork which pays homage to the SZ, an unusually styled Zagato-built sports car from the 1990s. The slinky two-door shape has hints of Jaguar F-type to it, but with a distinctively Alfa Romeo face. The headlights are reminiscent of those on the new Tonale crossover and an air intake carved out above the triangular grille adds aggression. The expressive front end is followed by a smooth profile and a clean rear end that features a thin taillight wrapping around the edge of the body above a burly diffuser.More Beautiful ZagatosThe Giulia SWB Zagato was built for a German customer who is a loyal Alfa Romeo enthusiast, owning every vehicle from the company’s modern lineup as well as a 1990 SZ and a rare 8C Competizione. His garage also apparently features several special edition Aston Martin Zagato models. While there was no price announced for the Giulia SWB Zagato, we imagine the customer paid a hefty sum for the one-off. But given the customer’s passion for both Alfas and Zagatos and the Giulia SWB Zagato’s jaw-dropping looks, we imagine the price was well worth it.This content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.This content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. More

Based on the Ford F-150 Raptor R, the Hennessey VelociRaptoR 1000 is a tuned-up version with nearly 1000 horsepower. Hennessey, a Texas-based tuner, claims a larger supercharger and other upgrades increase the 700-hp Raptor R’s output by 40 percent. The 2023 F-150 Raptor R starts at $109,145, but pricing isn’t yet available for the VelociRaptoR. Builds start next year.If the 700-hp Ford F-150 Raptor R isn’t monstrous enough for you, the new Hennessey VelociRaptoR 1000 is even more of a monster, with a horsepower rating approaching four digits.We all saw this coming, right? Ford builds a mega-horsepower version of the Raptor, stuffing it with a supercharged 5.2-liter V-8 from the Shelby GT500. Shortly thereafter, Hennessey Performance Engineering, a well-known tuner based in Texas, gets its gloves on that supertruck and turns it up to 11.HennesseyEnter the VelociRaptoR 1000. Hennessey has swapped the regular Raptor R’s 2.7-liter supercharger for a larger 3.8-liter unit. The company says it also adds a new supercharger belt, larger fuel injectors, upgraded fuel lines, and a high-flow intake system.Hennessey expects the enhancements to increase the output of Ford’s Predator V-8 by 40 percent. That math suggests the VelociRaptoR’s final horsepower figure will be nearly 1000 (980 horsepower, to be exact). The truck’s torque rating is expected to exceed 850 pound-feet, a considerable uptick compared with the stock motor’s 640 pound-feet.HennesseyThere’s more to the VelociRaptoR than just a more beastly engine, though. Hennessey outfits every version with unique front and rear bumpers. There’s also a front-mounted LED light bar to better spot small cars in the dark and prevent accidentally crunching them. The regular Raptor R’s standard 37-inch off-road tires remain, but they’re now mounted on a set of Hennessey-designed 20-inch rims. If you’re gonna own a super powerful pickup truck, you’re probably gonna want to broadcast that to your bros. Along with a more subtle plaque with a build serial number, Hennessey covers both sides of the VelociRaptoR with big graphics that say “R1000”. At least the Texas tuner’s livery isn’t as gaudy as the one Ford offers on the regular Raptor R’s bedsides.Must-Read Raptor StoriesFor those eager to own the Hennessey VelociRaptoR 1000, orders can be placed right now through an authorized Ford dealer or directly through Hennessey. While we currently don’t know how much the nearly 1000-hp truck will cost, we bet a sizable sum will be added to the 2023 F-150 Raptor’s MSRP, which starts at $109,145. VelociRaptoR builds are set to begin sometime in 2023. This content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.This content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. More

Nearly carbon-free driving with an internal-combustion engine is possible but takes work. Porsche has been investigating synthetic eFuels for many years and turned on a new plant in Chile today to start making fuel from water and carbon dioxide.Chile is an ideal location for this facility because it has plenty of renewable energy sources, Porsche said, and the end product can easily be shipped from there around the world.The first batches of eFuel will be used for promotional “lighthouse projects,” but Porsche hopes to be selling 145 million gallons of this new eFuel on the open market each year before the end of the decade.South American wind will soon be powering Porsche vehicles around the world thanks to a new biofuel plant that started production today. The automaker announced that its pilot plant in Punta Arenas, Chile, successfully produced its first liters of eFuel, Porsche’s name for its synthetic fuel, which is made from water and carbon dioxide using renewable energy. Porsche has been working with partners on new liquid fuels for many years, as a supplement to the work on electric vehicles that the VW Group as a whole has been highlighting. Porsche sees eFuels as a green supplement to EVs on what it calls its “double-e path” that encompasses both e-mobility and eFuels. Porsche calls eFuel a practical alternative that allows internal-combustion-engine vehicles to operate in a “nearly CO2-neutral” manner and said its new plant would be able to produce up to 145 million gallons of biofuel each year before the end of the decade.Those gallons will one day be sold on the open market, Porsche representatives said during a briefing for journalists today, but the initial test batch of a modest 34,000 annual gallons is destined more for promotional purposes. The eFuel will first be shipped from Chile to what the automaker calls its “lighthouse projects,” like the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup. The eFuel will also be used in vehicles at Porsche Experience Centers around the world, allowing fans to burn biomass instead of fossil fuels on the track. Once the pilot phase ends, the Punta Arenas plant will be able to produce a projected 14.5 million gallons each year by the middle of the decade, Porsche said, before hitting the 145-million-gallon target two years later.Not a New IdeaToday’s start of production can be traced back at least five years. That’s when Porsche engineers first discussed Chile’s ideal combination of reliable renewable energy sources and shipping opportunities with Siemens Energy, according to Porsche board member Michael Steiner, during a briefing with journalists today. Porsche also worked with global eFuels company HIF, ExxonMobil and other partners on the plant, he said.Using renewable energy to produce a liquid fuel has a bigger impact on reducing overall CO2 emissions than any fossil fuels that might be used to transport it to end users, according to Porsche board member Barbara Frenkel. Frenkel also spoke at the briefing and said that it makes sense to use green energy where it’s found, whenever possible. “If there is not enough renewable energy available [to make eFuels], it makes much more sense that you use this energy directly in electric cars,” Frenkel said. “Our strategy [is to] push fully on electromobility, and we have eFuels in addition. Therefore, especially when it comes to Europe, it’s of essential importance that the government increases the ambition to establish a good charging infrastructure based on renewable energy.”But that’s where Chile stands apart. It happens to provide a steady supply, which means it makes sense to use zero-emission energy there to make a liquid fuel that can then be burned in places that don’t have as strong a renewable-energy infrastructure built up but can handle a biofuel as a replacement for gasoline. This is especially important for the estimated 1.3 billion combustion-engine vehicles on roads around the world today, Steiner said.In April, HIF Global announced it had secured $260 million in equity investments from a number of companies, including Porsche. The money was raised to fund an expansion of HIF’s decarbonization business, including carbon-neutral eFuels projects in the U.S., Chile and Australia. Porsche said today that it has invested over $100 million in eFuel development and production, including $75 million in HIF.This content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.Porsches to Know and LoveThis content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. More

The 2024 ZDX is Acura’s first EV, and it’s slated to launch sometime in 2023.The ZDX will have a Type S performance variant, likely with extra horsepower.This model is part of Honda’s collaboration with General Motors, and it will use GM’s Ultium battery platform.Acura’s new electric SUV is starting to take shape, thanks to these new photos of a 2024 ZDX Type S prototype released by the automaker. Though the S-patterned camouflage obscures the details, we can see the overall profile of this new EV model, which will be a mid-size SUV and a more luxurious counterpart to the upcoming Honda Prologue.Both the Honda and the Acura are part of a collaboration with GM, meaning they will ride on GM’s Ultium battery platform. The ZDX is rumored to be built alongside the Cadillac Lyriq in Tennessee, while the Prologue may share its production line with the Chevy Blazer EV in Mexico.AcuraAcura previewed the ZDX’s design language with its Precision EV concept car earlier this year, and this prototype shows similar proportions. The hood is long and low, but the greenhouse has a relatively conventional squareback shape, meaning this won’t be a spiritual successor to the previous ZDX, a daringly styled crossover that was an early adopter of the “coupe-SUV” sloped roofline craze.More from AcuraIf the ZDX shares mechanical components with the Cadillac Lyriq, we might expect a base model with a 340-hp electric motor powering the rear wheels. The Type S, then, could adopt the Lyriq’s all-wheel-drive dual-motor setup with over 500 horsepower. The Lyriq’s battery pack, a 102.0-kWh lithium-ion unit providing an EPA-rated driving range of 312 miles, may also indicate the ZDX’s potential offering.AcuraWe’ll have to wait a bit longer to learn more about the 2024 ZDX, as Acura says it will reveal the new electric crossover in 2023.This content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.This content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. More

It’s safe to say that more people know who the CEO of Tesla is than could tell you who runs General Motors, Ford, Toyota, Volkswagen, or Hyundai. Elon Musk may own a lot of companies, but it’s Tesla that made him a household name. Not since Henry Ford and his Model T has the head of a car company been so associated with its wares. For many of the brand’s fans, veneration of Elon has gone hand in hand with veneration of Tesla, but what happens if people start thinking Elon is not so swell? Will they sour on Tesla’s products? We may be about to find out.After his high-profile purchase of Twitter for $44 billion, Musk assumed control of the social-media giant and has made an almost daily series of controversial moves. He reinstated formerly banned accounts, attacked Dr. Anthony Fauci, retweeted QAnon memes, and spouted off about “woke mind virus.” Advocating for “free speech,” Musk has gutted Twitter’s content-moderation function, with the result being that hate speech has skyrocketed and advertisers have fled. Now, he says he’ll be stepping down as Twitter CEO, but it remains to be seen whether he actually steps away.Wall Street, which has bestowed upon Tesla a sky-high valuation that has helped make Musk the planet’s richest man, has of late been tapping the brakes. Tesla’s stock price has been cut by 55 percent so far this year, and the selloff has accelerated since Musk’s takeover of Twitter. Of course, many factors can affect the share price (among them, Musk himself selling nearly $40 billion worth of stock this year). But is Wall Street concerned specifically about Elon’s behavior? Interviewed on CNBC’s Squawk on the Street on Friday, Bernstein analyst Toni Sacconaghi said, “Absolutely, to some degree Musk may be disenfranchising potential customers.” Sacconaghi, whose firm has a $150 price target on the stock, saw bigger headwinds facing the company.Teslas TodaySome investors are voicing similar concerns. Quoted in the Wall Street Journal, Gary Black with Future Fund LLC, which is a major Tesla shareholder, said, “The $TSLA brand has been negatively impacted by the Twitter drama. Where before EV buyers were proud to drive their Teslas to their friends or show off Teslas in their driveways, now the Twitter controversy is hurting Tesla’s brand equity.” On Twitter, Black expressed hope that Elon would see the error of his ways: “He will realize soon (if not already) that his polarizing political views are hurting customer perceptions of [Tesla] EVs.”A recent story in Forbes echoed this sentiment, as does a just-released report on automakers’ brand equity, by the automotive research consultancy Strategic Vision. Strategic Vision says, “Tesla’s brand image is heavily tied to its CEO, Elon Musk” and that Musk’s recent actions “all have had a direct impact on his own image and that of Twitter and Tesla.” Strategic Vision president Alexander Edwards notes: “These problems are magnified in that battery electric vehicles (BEVs) are more often purchased by self-identified Democrats who have generally opposed Musk’s actions with Twitter.”Elon seems to be going out of his way to antagonize this core audience. And research shows Democrats’ view of Tesla has dimmed lately, while Republicans’ opinion of the brand has turned more favorable, although to a lesser degree. “Tesla has offered among the best, if not the best, electric vehicles for over a decade, but these buyers aren’t necessarily making the choice based on how environmentally friendly it is,” counters Sam Fiorani, vice president of global vehicle forecasting at AutoForecast Solutions. He adds: “An aura has grown around Tesla ownership. It shows the financially green status of the owner rather than their eco-green mindset, which doesn’t automatically equate to being left-leaning. Given Tesla’s popularity, its buyers will cover a wide political spectrum, and a portion will likely be offended by Musk’s opposing political views, but the numbers aren’t likely to put a huge dent in Tesla’s totals.”The Marketplace TodayTesla, by and large, created modern EV demand. At one time, those who were turned off by Musk’s statements or behavior might nonetheless have overlooked them, owing to the dearth of EV alternatives. Today, though, Audi, BMW, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Ford, Genesis, GMC, Hyundai, Jaguar, Kia, Lexus, Lucid, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Polestar, Porsche, Rivian, Subaru, Toyota, Volkswagen, and Volvo all offer electrics, with legions more heading to the on-ramp. And all of them are from automakers whose CEOs keep their politics to themselves.This content is imported from OpenWeb. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. More