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    See the First $3.6 Million Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport in the U.S.

    This is the first Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport to arrive in the United States.
    It’s finished in Quartz White and powered by a 1479-hp quad-turbocharged 8.0-liter W-16.
    Only 60 will be made, and they cost $3.6 million each.
    Bugatti recently decided that it wanted to develop a track-focused car, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t going to continue making some of the fastest straight line accelerating cars in the world as well. The Chiron Pur Sport is the result of Bugatti’s desire to crush apexes, and one of the 60 cars has now arrived on U.S. soil at Bugatti of Greenwich, Connecticut.

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    Bugatti

    The Chiron Pur Sport is 110 pounds lighter than the standard Chiron, and it has a 74.8-inch fixed rear spoiler, a lighter set of wheels wrapped in specially developed Michelin Sport Cup 2R tires, a stiffer suspension, and a 3D-printed lightweight titanium exhaust spitting out of a huge rear diffuser. The first example to arrive in the U.S. is finished in Quartz White with exposed carbon fiber and Gun Powder accents. Inside, there’s an optional glass roof, and the interior is finished in Italian Red leather.

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    Bugatti

    Bugatti’s quad-turbocharged 8.0-liter W-16 engine is at the heart of the Pur Sport, and its output of 1500 horsepower is unchanged from the standard Chiron, though it has a 6900-rpm redline. Bugatti claims that it’ll help the Pur Sport reach 62 mph in 2.3 seconds. In our testing, a Chiron Sport reached 60 mph in 2.4 seconds on its way to a lightning quick 9.4-second quarter-mile at 158 mph, making it the quickest car we’ve ever tested.
    This example was sold to a customer at Bugatti of Greenwich, Connecticut, for over $3 million. Only 60 Pur Sports will be built, and we hope to see a few more land on our shores.

    Bugatti Chiron Is the Quickest Car We’ve Tested

    Hermès-Edition Bugatti Chiron Took 3 Years to Make

    1500-HP Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport Is an Apex Hunter

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    Toyota Will Pay $180 Million over Clean Air Act Violations

    Between 2005 and 2015, Toyota failed to follow proper reporting procedures for emission-related issues with its vehicles in the U.S. market, according to a settlement it just reached with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
    Toyota employees in Japan knew about the issues but failed to correct them, the federal government said in a civil lawsuit against the automaker.
    Toyota has agreed to a record $180 million fine but says the issues resulted in “negligible” emissions impacts, “if any.”
    Toyota has agreed to pay a $180 million fine to the United States government over violations of Clean Air Act protocol that went on for a decade between 2005 and 2015. The violation was related to timely reporting of defects that interfered with some cars’ tailpipe emission regulation systems. In a federal lawsuit, the EPA said that Toyota managers and other employees in Japan knew about the issues but systematically failed to report them as agreed between 2005 and 2015. More

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    Renault 5 EV Concept Is an Adorable Blast from the Past

    Renault has unveiled a new concept car that previews a future EV hatchback.
    Its styling is reminiscent of the Renault 5, which was sold in the U.S. as the Le Car.
    The French automaker is planning to launch seven EVs by 2025.
    As the auto industry rushes towards a brave new future, it is becoming strangely keen to reference the past. We already know that Volkswagen is working on an EV reimagining of its original Microbus, and now French automaker Renault has shown a new electric hatchback paying very obvious homage to the Renault 5 hatchback that was sold in the U.S. as the Le Car between 1976 and 1983.

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    The 5 concept was unveiled at an event in France where Renault joined the increasing number of European automakers committing to rapid electrification, with boss Luca de Meo saying the company is set to launch seven EVs by 2025, with 30 percent of its total production anticipated to be fully electric by the same time. The 5 concept will presumably become one of these—although production hasn’t been officially confirmed, the official line is that “it demonstrates how Renault will democratize the electric car in Europe with a modern approach influenced by one of the most popular and essential cars of its era.”

    Renault

    It’s certainly cute. Although the concept has gained more muscular contours than its slab-sided predecessor, it retains the original’s combination of trapezoidal headlights, a steeply raked tailgate, and taillights integrated into the C-pillars. Hidden door handles at the back disguise the fact that it is actually a four-door. The company hasn’t released any images of an interior. We’re told that the charging port is on the front fender, where the later “SuperCinq” 5 had a distinctive air intake, and that the Renault logos front and rear illuminate. The blistered wheel arches and red stripe kit also pay tribute to the Renault 5 GT Turbo, a car that introduced many Europeans to torque steer.

    Renault

    What’s missing is any information on the powertrain, performance, or range. We can be sure that any production version of this new 5 will use much more modern underpinnings than the existing Zoe EV hatchback’s, which was launched in 2012. The concept’s proportions suggest it features front-wheel drive rather than rear-wheel drive, and trunk space looks fairly minimal, but we will have to wait for any further details.
    Renault hasn’t sold cars in the U.S. since 1987 and the company has no publicly stated plans to return. Which is a shame, as we like the idea of a Federalized take on this stylish baby EV – we could call it Le Eco Car.
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    2021 Audi Q5 Sportback Is More Expensive Than Standard Model

    Audi has released pricing for the new Sportback variant of the Q5 crossover.
    The 2021 Q5 Sportback starts at $48,895, while the SQ5 Sportback starts at $57,195.
    Both versions are available in Premium, Premium Plus, and Prestige trim levels.
    Predictably, Audi is charging extra for the new Sportback version of the 2021 Q5. The Q5 Sportback Premium starts at $48,895, a $4500 increase over the standard Q5, and the more powerful SQ5 Sportback Premium starts at $57,195, a $3200 increase. Like the BMW X4 and Mercedes GLC Coupe, the Q5 Sportback has a more sharply sloped roofline compared to the standard Q5 SUV.
    Audi’s price premium for the Sportback is actually less steep than BMW’s and Mercedes-Benz’s, as both the X4 and GLC Coupe cost over $6000 more than their squareback equivalents. And the Q5 Sportback does come with extra standard equipment including 19-inch wheels, a panoramic sunroof, and sport seats.

    2021 Audi SQ5 Gets Slicked Up

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    Audi Debuts 2021 Q5 Sportback, a New Variant of Q5

    The Q5 Sportback has the same 261-horsepower turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four as the standard Q5. The SQ5 Sportback has a turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 with 349 horsepower. All-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic transmission are standard across the board. Premium is the base trim level, while the costlier Premium Plus and Prestige versions add equipment such as a premium audio system, a digital gauge cluster, and adaptive cruise control.
    Audi says that the Q5 Sportback will start arriving at U.S. dealerships sometime in mid-2021.
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    VW’s ID.Buzz Microbus U.S. Launch Delayed to 2023

    Volkswagen’s ID.Buzz electric Microbus has been delayed from the expected 2022 launch and will arrive in the United States in 2023, according to Volkswagen of America CEO Scott Keogh.
    The delay is likely due to the need to retool VW’s Hanover, Germany, factory for both the Buzz and a separate electric commercial van.
    The MEB-platform-based ID.Buzz was unveiled in 2017 and instantly became one of the more highly anticipated EVs.
    These may be challenging times, but at least we could look forward to the glorious Volkswagen ID.Buzz electric Microbus landing in U.S. showrooms in 2022. Well, former hippies, #VanLife fans, early adopters, and eco-conscious vehicle lovers, we have some bad news. According to Volkswagen of America CEO Scott Keogh, the U.S. launch of the ID.Buzz will be delayed until sometime in 2023.
    Keogh dropped the heartbreaking bombshell during an interview with Automotive News. “I wish it was coming next year,” Keogh said. “It’s not going to come quite as soon as that; it’s going to be a little bit later than that.”
    The issue is that the ID.Buzz will be built at VW’s Hanover, Germany, plant instead of the Zwickau, Germany, electric vehicle plant where the ID.3 compact hatchback and ID.4 crossover are currently being produced. The Hanover location builds commercial vehicles and needs to be retooled for both the ID.Buzz and an upcoming commercial electric van, both of which will go on sale in Germany in 2022.

    Deep Dive into VW’s MEB Platform and EV Plans

    VW ID. Buzz Electric Bus Confirmed for U.S.

    ID. Buzz Getting an Adorable Cargo Version

    All of these vehicles are based on VW’s MEB (modular electric vehicle) platform that’s the underpinning of the automaker’s push for electrification. Part of that strategy is the launch of the ID.4 crossover as a 2021 model in the U.S. market. That’s a smart move considering the growth of the small-SUV segment and the automaker’s desire to have an EV with mass appeal as it attempts to persuade U.S. customers into battery-powered vehicles.
    Still, the excitement around the ID.Buzz has been palpable ever since its unveiling in 2017. Nostalgia and a new appetite for vans has likely helped keep the Microbus on the minds of many potential buyers. And that anticipation hasn’t been lost on Keogh. The CEO mentioned that he receives texts from dealers (both VW and non-VW) about the ID.Buzz, saying, “The reaction’s been huge, and we just got to get it here.”

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