https://www.gtrlife.com/_/auto-industry/ Thu, 26 Dec 2019 16:07:56 +0000 86400 https://www.gtrlife.com/_/auto-industry/former-gt-r-chief-talks-intentions-and-new-plans-r454
The new vehicle announcement comes from Yulon subsidiary Luxgen and the vehicle is a facelift update of one of their SUVs, the U6. The facelifted SUV will be powered by a 4 cylinder turbocharged motor in 1.8 liter and 2.0 liter varieties, outputting 170-190 horsepower. Advanced technology will be incorporated with features such as a retractible head up display with an interior night mode, panoramic camera vision with side view monitoring, front and rear radar for collision and pedestrian detection, road imaging for lane detection and monitoring, adaptive LED headlights and tail lights, an HTC audio and communication system with cell phone interface via USB, Bluetooth and HDMI, Voice interface, advanced stability and traction control, and more. The facelifted SUV is also said to achieve a 12-13% improvement in both power and fuel economy.

Mizuno's work with Yulon Group will involve developing additional new cars for Luxgen beyond the U6. The offerings are all expected to reside in the $25,000 range with releases occurring over the next three years.

The challenge of taking on Europe's best in this fashion may appear large, but it's familiar territory for Mizuno. He's also quoted saying "I'm not a gambler... I won't start a fight unless I'm 100 percent sure I'm going to win."

[Bloomberg - How a Star Designer Plans to Take on BMW With $25,000 Sedans]]]> Thu, 16 Apr 2015 07:03:52 +0000 3bbfdde8842a5c44a0323518eec97cbe https://www.gtrlife.com/_/auto-industry/porsche-confirms-turbo-for-standard-911s-hybrid-on-the-way-r370
Also noteworthy was Hatz comment on hybridization, saying “At the end of the decade electrification has to be the next huge step”. Top Gear asked for clarification on this, “Does that mean a hybrid for the all new 911?” To which he responded “Yes”.

Hatz's comments outline the technical approach Porsche will be taking heading into the next generation of 911. With standard 911s going turbo and a hybrid 911 on the way as well, the upcoming line up could be very competitive despite all of the newcomers to the $100k+ sports car segment.

[source: Top Gear - Porsche 911 range goes turbo]]]> Sun, 25 Jan 2015 08:06:11 +0000 d1ee59e20ad01cedc15f5118a7626099 https://www.gtrlife.com/_/auto-industry/new-nsx-and-ford-gt-revealed-how-will-the-gt-r-compare-r358
Lets start by taking a quick look at what’s been announced.

The production NSX is the result of an infamously long development process, one that’s nearly as old as the R35 GT-R. What’s come of it is a car that Acura says rivals the Ferrari 458 italia. The new NSX packs a mid engined twin turbocharged V6 mated to a 3 motor all wheel drive hybrid system with a 9 speed dual clutch transmission, mounted in an all aluminum chassis. Like its iconic predecessor, the NSX’s body and suspension are aluminum. Total power output is above 550 horsepower.

The new Ford GT is similarly an all new look at an old icon. A legendary icon with a rich motorsport history that’s worthy of great respect. By all counts, Ford will continue to build on that history with the new GT. At the heart of it sits a mid engined 3.5 liter V6 outputting over 600 horsepower. Its transmission is a 7 speed dual clutch unit, transferring power to the rear wheels. The passenger cell is fully composite and subframes are aluminum. Ford says the car’s power to weight ratio will be among the best of “any production car” to date.



Both the Acura NSX and Ford GT are expected to be priced similarly, if not higher, than the GT-R. Acura says the NSX will be priced from the mid $150k range when it hits the streets later this year. That's similar money to the (already sold out) GT-R NISMO. Acura has already started hinting at special versions coming as well. Less is known about the Ford GT’s pricing. Ford says the new GT is coming next year and it’s possible that it will cost above $200k.

Some might not think that the R35 GT-R, even in NISMO form, could be compared with the NSX or Ford GT. But it would seem premature to compare cars that are one to two years off with a car that’s not even in its current model year stateside. Besides, this has been the story of the GT-R, punching above its class. Nissan’s also said that there’s more left in it. Even today, Nissan's CEO Carlos Ghosn reiterated Nissan's claim on performance with the GT-R NISMO. How things will shake out then is still an unknown, but one thing is for certain. The bar's going to be raised.

[GT-R Life - Here Comes The New NSX]

[GT-R Life - New Ford GT - Revealed]]]> Tue, 13 Jan 2015 10:13:42 +0000 83adc9225e4deb67d7ce42d58fe5157c https://www.gtrlife.com/_/auto-industry/infinitis-q60-concept-the-next-skyline-gt-r351 very, very, very, very" close to production form. And in Japan, this is the car that's sold as the Skyline GT.














]]> Wed, 07 Jan 2015 07:40:34 +0000 3e313b9badf12632cdae5452d20e1af6 https://www.gtrlife.com/_/auto-industry/2015-super-sports-car-battle-heats-up-r346 facelift update is on the way.

Despite the increasingly crowded marketplace, both the new NSX and Sports Series are expected to be big players. Honda has said that the new NSX will be a hybrid drivetrain layout, produced in Ohio, and will squarely target the Ferrari 458 italia in driving experience. While McLaren hasn’t said a lot about the Sports Series, they have said that the car will have more than 500 horsepower and the UK company has also shown teasers of the car in action.



With a highly competitive landscape that’s unfolding, Nissan’s focus on refinement with the GT-R and performance with the GT-R NISMO may prove to be a wise move- particularly if Nissan aims to go toe to toe in an increasingly upscale market with everyone from Mercedes to McLaren.]]> Thu, 01 Jan 2015 18:30:08 +0000 82965d4ed8150294d4330ace00821d77 https://www.gtrlife.com/_/auto-industry/kazutoshi-mizuno-becomes-vp-of-taiwanese-auto-company-r330
Haitec is a wholly owned subsidiary of Yulon Motor Company, a Taiwanese auto maker and importer. The cars that Yulon manufactures are sold under the brand name Luxgen. It is Haitec, the company that Mizuno is now a Vice President of, that develops the cars.

While Luxgen may not be well known stateside, the cars are relatively advanced when it comes to technology. The company’s motto “think ahead” is seen across its range and reflected in its cars: Luxgen vehicles have features such as LCD dashboards, retractible head up displays, night vision, surround view monitoring, blind spot imaging, lane tracking, and more. The company even partnered with phone maker HTC to bring the latest in mobile technologies and infotainment platforms to all of its cars.

Mizuno is not expected to be moving to Taiwan with the new position. Instead, Haitec will be establishing an R&D team in Japan, which Mizuno will lead locally. From Japan, Mizuno will guide all of the company’s planning, research and development including automotive technology development, automotive manufacturing methods, and product planning.

Luxgen currently produces 5 models- primarily for the Chinese market at present- and is on track to sell approximately 16,000 vehicles this year. As the company is bringing new platforms to market and is expanding to new regions, Mizuno’s involvement with Haitec will help bring the overall quality of Luxgen’s cars up to a global standard. Mizuno will also be developing and positioning automotive platforms, specifically upcoming EV offerings, as the Yulon owned company seeks to round out its automotive lineup by 2018.]]> Tue, 16 Dec 2014 15:29:21 +0000 fe51510c80bfd6e5d78a164cd5b1f688 https://www.gtrlife.com/_/auto-industry/lexus-lf-lc-the-next-gt-r-competitor-r298
Details around the production LF-LC are still unknown, but Autocar has quoted Lexus Europe boss Uyttenhoven as saying “It is true that we are evaluating this car as a potential halo car, to take on the role of the Lexus LFA supercar in a more affordable way... The LFA was an incredible project; it showed what we could do and it brought all sorts of positives to Lexus.”

It will be interesting to see just how much of the LFA’s DNA winds up in the LF-LC, and just how close competition will be between the two Japanese 911 turbo rivals. Autocar expects the LF-LC hit the market in the next 12-24 months.

[source: Autocar - Lexus SC to take on Porsche 911 Turbo in 2016]]]> Sun, 23 Nov 2014 19:49:44 +0000 a51fb975227d6640e4fe47854476d133 https://www.gtrlife.com/_/auto-industry/bmw-says-sports-car-market-on-the-decline-may-never-recover-r285
Interestingly, BMW is continuing with its Toyota partnership on a new mid range sports car. In fact, the two companies recently announced that the initial phases of design study were complete and that they will continue to move forward together. Perhaps it is this view on the sports car market that has led both companies to be hesitant to invest on their own in new sports car platforms.

In the coming years the market will be no less competitive, with a number of new offerings due in the $120-160k price range. Porsche, Mercedes, McLaren, Honda, Nissan, Lexus, and others are all expected to reveal new sports and GT coupes in or near this price range.

Is BMW correct? Or is there still room for growth? Time will tell how this will play out.

[source: Bloomberg - BMW Sees Sports-Car Heyday Over as Super-Rich Eyes Wander]]]> Tue, 18 Nov 2014 17:53:03 +0000 944bdd9636749a0801c39b6e449dbedc https://www.gtrlife.com/_/auto-industry/gtr-life-sema-coverage-2014-r260
http://www.gtrlife.c...sema-2014-pics/]]> Thu, 06 Nov 2014 22:11:23 +0000 f4573fc71c731d5c362f0d7860945b88 https://www.gtrlife.com/_/auto-industry/the-vr38-powered-renault-rs-01-r214
Renault says its R.S. 01 is positioned in between GT3 and DTM in performance. Renault also says that it will be featured in their 2015 World Series and compete in the Renaultsport Trophy, which acts as a springboard for professional GT and Endurance championships.

But just listen to it.



This video has more from the car's first days of testing:

]]> Sat, 25 Oct 2014 07:43:56 +0000 c8ba76c279269b1c6bc8a07e38e78fa4 https://www.gtrlife.com/_/auto-industry/nsx-development-resumes-at-the-ring-r213
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHlUcrIiYaw

Photo Credit
Motortrend]]> Sat, 25 Oct 2014 07:15:29 +0000 33ceb07bf4eeb3da587e268d663aba1a https://www.gtrlife.com/_/auto-industry/the-mclaren-p1-gtr-r203
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSpKYDNkAsk

While these programs are not entirely new, the degree to which McLaren is going on this one is unique. A lesser known fact for GT-R enthusiasts is that Nissan has in the past offered a program for a race spec R35 GT-R in Japan. In the program, owners bought track focused (not street legal) GT-Rs, and a set number of events were held that could be attended. It was offered on the Club Track Edition GT-R.

One element of McLaren's program that Nissan should borrow is the selling approach: Current P1 owners had a first opportunity to buy the P1 GTR. It would be great if ultra limited GT-Rs such as the GT-R NISMO were made available to GT-R owners in that fashion.

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1440]]> Wed, 22 Oct 2014 21:03:11 +0000 491442df5f88c6aa018e86dac21d3606 https://www.gtrlife.com/_/auto-industry/edmunds-ranks-top-100-japanese-cars-of-all-time-r201
Edmunds - 100 Greatest Japanese Cars of All Time]]> Wed, 22 Oct 2014 14:59:05 +0000 7501e5d4da87ac39d782741cd794002d https://www.gtrlife.com/_/auto-industry/as-911s-go-turbo-what-does-this-mean-for-the-gt-r-r199
The move would be sensible for three reasons: efficiency, performance, and branding. It would benefit the 911 platform as a whole, both as the pinnacle of Porsche's lineup (in brand perception if not cash flow), and in a segment that is about to become extremely competitive (GT-R, R8, NSX, AMG GT, etc). The ramifications of this change would be large as well. A turbocharged 911 Carrera could theoretically compete with cars like the GT-R on both a price and performance basis. Also there are rumors that the base Carrera could get well over 400 horsepower. Indeed it would be an fitting move from the company that has been making its flagship much faster, more spacious and more drivable ever since one certain Japanese sportscar hit the market.

Should the Carreras go turbo, what would this mean for the GT-R and other cars in the segment? Also, what would it mean for the 911 Turbo?

Porsche may not be concerned about their own cars. The Macan S and Macan Turbo are both already turbocharged, and Porsche has no problems there. Evidence is tilting in the direction of the rumor being accurate, as this piece from Stuttcars seems to affirm. The question returns to other cars in segment. This could move the horsepower war forward in a serious way. Also, it could have serious ramifications in the aftermarket.

With Nissan focusing their performance efforts on the GT-R N Attack and, to a lesser extent, the GT-R NISMO and other GT-Rs, is Porsche about to cover off the risk that the GT-R posed to the future of the brand?

It should not be too long to wait to find out. Porsche may be talking about the car as early as next month at its dealer meetings and at the Los Angeles Auto Show. A reveal of the 991.2 is expected in the next six months.

For Car's speculation on the transition and some of the details of what they understand to be the future of the 911, hit the source below.

Source
Car Magazine

Photo Credit
Car Magazine]]> Wed, 22 Oct 2014 00:43:57 +0000 4d2e7bd33c475784381a64e43e50922f https://www.gtrlife.com/_/auto-industry/porsche-preparing-to-introduce-gt4-r193
Where all of this becomes interesting is how a GT4 might fit into the greater sportscar marketplace. Porsche may address the issue by keeping production extremely limited. But if not, the GT4 would be entering the sportscar market just south of the GT-R, R8, NSX, AMG GT, and many others. If the pricing materializes in this range, what would the lightweight, focused little car mean for sportscars? And what kind of market would there be for it?

Porsche seems to have quite a few cars pending release, from the GT3RS to the 911.2, but with testing of the GT4 ongoing, it probably won't be long before we learn more.

Source
MotorAuthority]]> Tue, 21 Oct 2014 07:48:53 +0000 9a3d458322d70046f63dfd8b0153ece4 https://www.gtrlife.com/_/auto-industry/new-spy-shots-reveal-porsche-911-gt3rs-in-minim-r188
We expect something like 500 horsepower in a lightened version of the GT3 using the 911 Turbos body. Also expected are lightweight components such as a magnesium roof, but all of the actual specifics are still unknowns. Also unknown is if the car will have Porsche's new rear wheel steering system as fitted on the standard GT3. Either way, the car was expected to have seen a debut this year but with GT3 production delays we're operating on the assumption that the RS was equally impacted, given that it was using the same groundwork. Hopefully we won't be waiting much longer to see the car in final form, but here's the real question: GT3RS or GT-R NISMO? More shots of the new GT3RS at the source link below.

Soruce
Motorward]]> Tue, 21 Oct 2014 05:59:04 +0000 c44e503833b64e9f27197a484f4257c0 https://www.gtrlife.com/_/auto-industry/mclarens-beautiful-f1-owners-manual-r185
]]> Tue, 21 Oct 2014 05:54:21 +0000 5680522b8e2bb01943234bce7bf84534 https://www.gtrlife.com/_/auto-industry/the-porsche-gts-the-real-deal-r179
The version that most people would associate with the moniker is the 911. No surprise as the PDK variant sees sub 4 second 0-60 mph speeds- placing it firmly in GTR territory. But performance is the obvious part of the 911 story, the heart of the GTS seems to run deeper with Porsche attaching the label to just about every product they produce from their sports cars to their SUVs and everything in between. This is an expression of performance and emphasis on passion that is not currently seen in any other brand including our native Nissan.



More importantly, it's an approach worth paying attention to given that Porsche has gone to great lengths to not only deliver a fantastic driving experience but to facilitate an engaged owner experience in the form of their "GTS Community." Check out the link below for more details on the community and the car.

http://www.porsche.c...-carrera-4-gts/
http://www.forbes.co...or-convertible/
http://www.porsche.c...11-carrera-gts/]]> Tue, 21 Oct 2014 05:43:03 +0000 dabd8d2ce74e782c65a973ef76fd540b https://www.gtrlife.com/_/auto-industry/how-successful-is-the-gt-r-lamborghini-has-sol-r171
Source
LeftLane News]]> Tue, 21 Oct 2014 05:31:10 +0000 a113c1ecd3cace2237256f4c712f61b5 https://www.gtrlife.com/_/auto-industry/2015-m3-does-11-second-quarter-mile-pass-r165
Many caveats apply. Chief among them, while this car is claimed to be stock, did have 103 octane in it. And exact weather/track conditions are not documented. That said, the numbers beat what's been expected of the car by some margin, and put the M4 in solid performance territory. With these kinds of numbers and some of Germany's best getting fully behind the car, it's not difficult to see the new M3 and M4 finding their way into more than a few homes, either as an only cars, or as a dailies to accompany other cars- from GT-R to Porsche and beyond.

For the full video, hit the source below.

Evo M4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scXXhmknySA

Evo GT-R
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asFRRpwfxfU

M4 Quarter mile
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUTqbhh2DCc

Source
Bimmerpost]]> Tue, 21 Oct 2014 05:24:40 +0000 a3fb4fbf9a6f9cf09166aa9c20cbc1ad