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Lamborghini Aventador Ultimae Roadster ends non-hybrid V12 production

To quote Hall & Oates: "She's gone," the "she" here being the Lamborghini Aventador. The last of the scissor-doored supercars with a naturally-aspirated V12 rolled off the line in LP 780-4 Ultimae Roadster form colored an Ad Personam light blue, headed for a quiet life in Switzerland. That also closed the chapter on the 350 coupes and 250 roadsters made in Ultimae spec. This is a belated end-of-life, the Italian concern restarting production lines after 85 Lamborghinis, 15 of them Aventador Ultimaes destined for the U.S. market, got torched on the cargo ship Felicity Ace in March of this year. The final tally for the latest V12 spreadsheet counts 11,465 cars delivered in 11 years, more than doubling the entire sales count of its predecessor, the Murcielago, and exceeding the combined sales of every one of Lamborghini's V12 models since the 3.5-liter V12 in the 350 GT in 1964.  What began with the 6.5-liter 12-cylinder with 691-horsepower and 509 pound-feet of torque in 2022 ended with that engine making 760 hp and 531 lb-ft in the Ultimae. The official 0-to-62 mile per hour dash came down a tenth of a second in that time, depending on where you look, from 2.9 seconds to 2.8. Top speed rose from 217 mph to 220. Plenty fast then, plenty fast now. Between those yardposts there have been more than 10 one-offs and limited editions. The former group includes the Jota, SVJ Xago, and the SC18 Alston track car. The latter group counts the Anniversario, Veneno, Centenario, and Sian FKP 37. There were also innovations like the enclosed carbon fiber monocoque supported by "flying doctors" that traveled the world to help diagnose and repair damage that benefited owners. There was the pushrod suspension that turned a heavyweight into a flickable canyon runner, benefiting all drivers. There was the Independent Shifting Rod (ISR) single-shift transmission, which Lamborghini says was "chosen for lightweight compactness and the most emotive shift." Given its tidal shifting motion and occasionally clumsy changes under partial throttle or when trying to figure out what the driver wanted in changing conditions, we never figured out who that benefited. What comes next will be a hybrid V12 powertrain wrapped in looks that, based on spy shots, will evolve the latest design language with details like new lights, bladed B-pillars, and high-rise exhaust. Shouldn't be long to wait now.

Bentley expands hybrid lineup to Bentaya S and Azure models

People often joke that buyers of ultra-luxury vehicles from Rolls-Royce and Bentley don’t care about gas prices, but even if thatÂ’s true, a lot of people still may not want to own the rolling embodiment of earthÂ’s impending doom. Rolls-Royce will go all-electric by 2030, and its British rivals at Bentley are hard at work on the brandÂ’s first EV, expected by 2025. In the meantime, the Brits at Bentley have come up with hybrid powertrains, and the automaker recently announced an expansion of hybrid options for its only SUV, the Bentayga. The automaker says that 100 percent of Bentayga Hybrid owners use their SUVs in full electric mode, with half staying within the vehicleÂ’s electric range. The Bentayga S and Azure are now available with hybrid powertrains, meaning half of BentleyÂ’s lineup is electrified. Rather than focusing solely on improving efficiency, Bentley implemented a plug-in hybrid system that offers up to 27 all-electric miles of range, a 6-percent surge in power, and a 15-percent improvement in torque. The Bentayga S Hybrid, for example, delivers 455 horsepower. All Bentaygas get almost 300 pound-feet of torque just from the electric motor. All Bentayga hybrids come with a 3.0-liter V6, and Bentley says that the S Hybrid can reach 62 mph (100 km/h) from a standstill in 5.3 seconds. The SUV got 15-percent stiffer dampers that shift damping force based on the selected drive mode, and Bentley says a new Hybrid Sports Exhaust “brings a stirring symphony of sound within the cabin.” It sounds a lot like fake engine noises to us, and Bentley notes that the sounds can be adjusted differently for front and rear passengers. The Bentayga Azure Hybrid is a more luxury-focused variant that features intense noise-canceling technologies and unique interior touches to improve comfort and a sense of well-being. The Azure is up to 26-percent quieter than its rivals on the road, and Bentley says it tuned the SUV to deliver 27 percent fewer vibrations. Buyers can choose from 15 different interior materials and color combinations, and 22-inch 10-spoke wheels come standard.

Volvo EX90 SUV will have interior radar system to detect kids, pets

Volvo has introduced a number of important safety features in its vehicles throughout the years including the first three-point seatbelt back in 1959. But now the company has developed something a bit more techy with what it's calling the world's first interior radar system for cars.  Set to debut on its upcoming flagship EX90 electric SUV, Volvo's new radar system is designed to monitor both the cabin and trunk of a vehicle in order to prevent the car from being locked while anyone is still inside. The idea is to guard against situations where pets or children may be inadvertently trapped inside a car on a hot day, with the car surfacing reminders if it recognizes that there are still occupants inside when being locked. Additionally, the car's climate control can also be set to stay on if a passenger is detected, further lowering the risk of heatstroke.  While the thought of leaving a pet or child inside a car on a hot day is unimaginable to most people, it can happen to anyone. In its press release, Volvo cited statistics from the U.S. where more than 900 children have tragically died due to hyperthermia since 1998.  Volvo's senior technical specialist for injury prevention Lotta Jakobsson says, “No one chooses to be distracted or tired, but we know it can happen. WeÂ’re all human and distraction is a fact of life. With the help of cutting edge technology, weÂ’ll support you when youÂ’re not at your best and help you avoid leaving family members or pets behind by accident.” In order to cover as much of the inside of the EX90 as possible, Volvo says it will use multiple radars positioned in the car's overhead console, roof-mounted reading lamps and in the trunk that can detect "sub-millimeter" movements. Unfortunately, we won't get a more detailed idea of how Volvo's new interior radar system really works until the EX90 is officially revealed on November 9th. But given that the new feature will come standard on the company's forthcoming EV (where allowed by regulation), we're hoping to see similar systems become basic equipment on more cars and makes in the future. 

2023 Infiniti QX50 gets new Sport trim and more

The Infiniti QX50 is a perfectly fine SUV with attractive styling and great standard features. Perhaps its most significant fault is that its rivals exist, as the BMW X3, Audi Q5 and Cadillac XT5 all do the same things, just as well (better, in some cases), and for less money in higher trims. Even so, the QX50 is worth a look if you’re in the market, and the automaker just updated the SUV with a new trim level, better standard features and a new maintenance plan. Infiniti offers five QX50 trims for the 2023 model year: Pure, Luxe, Sport, Sensory and Autograph. The base Pure trim starts at $40,300, and pricing reaches $57,350 for the top trim. Buyers can opt for AWD in lower trims for a $2,000 upcharge, and the Autograph trim adds AWD as standard equipment. Infiniti Premium Care is standard for all QX50s sold in the United States, which includes oil changes, inspections and tire rotations for up to three years. The headline change for 2023 is the new Sport trim. It gets dark-painted 20-inch wheels, unique badging and gloss-black exterior trim. Inside, the Sport adds semi-aniline leather upholstery and a 12-speaker Bose audio system. Those upgrades build on the Luxe trim, which starts at $43,600 and brings most of the goodies the base Pure trim forgets. That means standard wireless charging, remote start and rear passenger alerts. All QX50s get a decent suite of advanced driver aids, including forward automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, rear automatic braking, blind spot monitoring, lane departure warnings and automatic high beams. The 2023 QX50 is too new to have received complete crash test results, but its predecessor scored “Good” in crash tests and “Superior” for front crash prevention systems. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

U.S. VP Harris pledges to consult S. Korea over EV subsidy concerns

TOKYO/SEOUL — U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris told South Korea's prime minister on Tuesday that Washington will work to address Seoul's concerns over recently enacted electric vehicle (EV) subsidies that could disadvantage Asian automakers. The $430 billion "Inflation Reduction Act" bill enacted in August includes a host of U.S. President Joe Biden's priorities, including investments to roll back climate change and make Washington a world leader in the EV market. Among the law's provisions are requirements that EVs be assembled in North America to qualify for tax credits. The law also ends subsidies for other EV models and requires that a percentage of critical minerals used in those cars' batteries come from the United States or an American free-trade partner. Harris, visiting Japan, met with South Korea's Han Duck-soo and "underscored that she understood (Korean) concerns regarding the Act's tax incentives for electric vehicles, and they pledged to continue to consult as the law is implemented," the White House said. A senior Biden administration official said extensive conversations have already taken place within the U.S. government over how to address South Korea's concerns. "She listened very carefully and made clear our commitment to work within the U.S. government — the U.S. Trade Representative, the Treasury Department — as we look ... to help address that issue," the official said. Biden has sought to deepen business with South Korea as part of a bid to increase U.S. manufacturing jobs and build a united front against China, who he views as the country's key ideological and economic competitor. Korean officials see the new requirements as a betrayal after South Korean companies agreed to make major investments and build factories in the United States. Heavily industrialized South Korea worries the new subsidies will set back Hyundai Motor Co and its affiliate Kia Corp in the world's largest consumer market. Cars are South Korea's third-largest export. (Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt in Tokyo, and Soo-hyang Choi and Joyce Lee in Seoul; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Kim Coghill) Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Government/Legal Green Plants/Manufacturing Genesis Hyundai Kia Electric South Korea

2023 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV gets more power, EV range

It's been quite awhile coming, but the key details of the 2023 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV are finally here: electric range, horsepower and pricing. And they're all increases over the old model, mostly in good ways. Like before, the Outlander PHEV runs mainly as a series hybrid, with forward propulsion coming from a pair of electric motors (one front, one rear). The naturally aspirated 2.4-liter four-cylinder mainly acts as a generator, though it can provide direct power in certain circumstances. Overall output is 248 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque. Supplying electric power is a 20-kWh battery pack, a touch more than 6-kWh greater than the old pack. The bigger battery boosts electric range to 38 miles. Interestingly, Mitsubishi continues to also offer the ability to charge at a DC fast charger. At 38 minutes to charge to 80%, it's not especially fast compared with many modern electric cars, but it's a neat option that few plug-in hybrids offer. Overall fuel economy is rated at 64 mpg-e, which is actually worse than the outgoing model that got 74 mpg-e. We're not entirely sure what resulted in the lower overall number, since fuel economy when running on a depleted battery wasn't given. We would expect numbers close to the regular Outlander, which gets 26 to 27 mpg in combined driving depending on configuration.  The price also goes up. At $41,190, it's $2,690 more than the old model. But that seems fairly reasonable considering the additional electric range and power, not to mention the fact that the powertrain is packaged in the vastly improved new Outlander chassis with its more attractive styling and nicer interior. It also finds itself priced carefully between the slightly more expensive RAV4 Prime (which has a bit more electric range and more power) and the Ford Escape Plug-in Hybrid (which is front-drive only and just one mile less range). Both those options are more efficient overall, as is the most affordable Tucson PHEV, though it's only available in select states and has the lowest range at 33 miles. It does offer a bit more power than the Mitsubishi, though. The 2023 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV goes on sale first in select states around November, but will be offered nationwide a little later. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

VW may move production because of Russia's cutoff of natural gas

Volkswagen AG is exploring ways to counter a shortage in natural gas, including shifting production around its network of global facilities, signaling how the energy crisis unleashed by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine threatens to upend EuropeÂ’s industrial landscape. Volkswagen, EuropeÂ’s biggest carmaker, said Thursday that reallocating some of its production was one of the options available in the medium term if gas shortages last much beyond this winter. The company has major factories in Germany, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, which are among European countries most reliant on Russian gas, as well as facilities in southern Europe that source energy from elsewhere. “As mid-term alternatives, we are focusing on greater localization, relocation of manufacturing capacity, or technical alternatives, similar to what is already common practice in the context of challenges related to semiconductor shortages and other recent supply chain disruptions,” Geng Wu, VolkswagenÂ’s head of purchasing, said in a statement.  RussiaÂ’s decision to throttle gas supplies to Europe has raised concerns that Germany might be forced to ration its fuel. Recent news that gas storage levels hit 90% ahead of schedule has soothed fears of acute shortages this winter, but Germany faces a challenge in replenishing depleted reserves next summer without contributions from Russia. Southwestern Europe or coastal zones of northern Europe, both of which have better access to seaborne liquefied natural gas cargoes, could be the beneficiaries of any production shift, a Volkswagen spokesman said by phone. The Volkswagen group already operates car factories in Portugal, Spain and Belgium, countries that host LNG terminals. Labor hurdles To be sure, any major production shift away from EuropeÂ’s biggest economy would face significant hurdles. VW has some 295,000 employees in Germany and worker representatives account for around half the companyÂ’s 20-member supervisory board. Any shift in production would likely involve a limited number of vehicles rather than wholesale factory shutdowns. While gas supplies for VWÂ’s plants are currently secured, the company has identified potential savings at its European sites to cut gas consumption by a “mid-double-digit percentage,” said Michael Heinemann, managing director of VWÂ’s power-plant unit. Still, the carmaker said it was concerned about the effect high gas prices could have on its suppliers.

Fisker Ocean to be sold in India, Pear could be built there

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Fisker says it will begin selling its Ocean electric sport-utility vehicle (SUV) in India next July and could begin manufacturing its cars locally within a few years, the company's chief executive officer told Reuters. Sales of electric cars in India will increase by 2025-26, Henrik Fisker said in an interview in New Delhi, adding that the company wants to secure a first-mover advantage. "Ultimately, India will go full electric. It may not go as fast as the U.S., China or Europe, but we want to be one of the first ones to come in here," Fisker said. Electric cars currently make up just 1% of India's roughly 3 million annual car sales, with insufficient charging infrastructure and high battery costs partly to blame for the slow shift. The government, which wants to increase this share to 30% by 2030, is offering companies billions of dollars in incentives to build their EVs and associated parts locally. Tesla put its India entry plans on hold after failing to secure a lower import tariff for its cars. Like Fisker, it first wanted to import vehicles to test the market before committing to local manufacturing. While Fisker admitted it is "very expensive" to import vehicles into India, the company wants to use the Ocean to build its brand, with its premium pricing likely to limit numbers, he said. The Ocean retails at around $37,500 in the United States but importing it to India would add logistics costs and a 100% import tax. That would put it out of reach of most buyers in a market where the bulk of cars sold are priced under $15,000. "Ultimately, if you want to have somewhat of a larger volume in India, you almost have to start building a vehicle here or at least do some assembly," Fisker said. The company's next EV, the smaller Pear pictured in a rendering above, is being considered for production in India but not before 2026, he said. "If we can get that vehicle just below $20,000 locally in India, that would be ideal. Then I think we'll get to a certain volume and market share," he said, adding that if they find the right local partner the timeline could be shorter. To set up a plant in India would require volume of at least 30,000 to 40,000 cars a year, Fisker said. He did not directly comment on the size of investment the company considered necessary, but said that to set up a plant with an annual production capacity of 50,000 cars would likely cost $800 million in India.

Junkyard Gem: 1972 Buick Centurion Four-Door Hardtop

During the mid-to-late 1960s, General Motors made flashy, semi-sporty versions of each of its full-sized B-body cars. Oldsobile had the Delta 88 Royale, for example, while Pontiac offered the Grand Prix. The rakish big Buick of that period was the Wildcat, built through the 1970 model year. Just as the Wildcat shoved aside the Invicta, the Centurion appeared in 1971 to replace the Wildcat. Named after a famous 1956 concept car, production of the Centurion continued just through 1973. Just over 100,000 were built, and here's one of those rarities in a Colorado self-service boneyard. The Centurion was available as a hardtop coupe, a convertible, and a four-door hardtop sedan. It was at heart a LeSabre with a different grille and other cosmetic touches. Instead of the usual triple-shield Buick emblems, the Centurion got Roman-soldier badges. Perhaps the world's best-known Centurion is the '72 convertible driven by Kurt Russel's slimy-car-salesman character in the 1980 film, Used Cars. Kurt ends up selling his Centurion to a customer he "baited" from the rival lot across the street. In 1974, the Centurion was replaced by the LeSabre Luxus, a trim-level designation that Buick swiped from Opel. The only engine available in the 1971 and 1972 Centurion was Buick's 455-cubic-inch (7.5-liter) V8, renowned for its low-rpm torque. Power numbers for 1972 dropped considerably compared to 1971, mostly due to the switch from gross to net measurements that year; the base '72 Centurion 455 was rated at 225 horsepower and 360 pound-feet, while an optional higher-compression version with dual exhaust made 270 hp and 390 pound-feet. All Centurions came off the assembly line with three-speed automatic transmissions. For 1973, a Buick 350 (5.7-liter) V8 became standard Centurion equipment, with the 455 an extra-cost option. The original buyer of this Centurion probably regretted the single-digit fuel economy of the 455 when OPEC shut off the oil taps in October of 1973. Front Range Colorado isn't particularly rusty, but this car looks like it must have spent some time in a road-salty place like Wisconsin or Iowa. There isn't much left of the padded vinyl roof, standard equipment on all Centurion sedans and coupes. It would have been prohibitively expensive to make this car nice again, so here it sits. This radio played AM and 8-track tapes and cost $363 extra on a $4,508 car (that's $2,615 and $32,485 in inflation-adjusted 2022 dollars).

Germans, Brits and Ferrari's new V12 SUV | Autoblog Podcast #748

In this episode of the Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Associate Editor Byron Hurd. With the Detroit Auto Show now in the rearview, focus shifts to news that crept up outside of the North American spotlight. The two talk about the new Ferrari Purosangue SUV, then pivot to a discussion about the future of the Dodge Charger and Challenger based on rumors of a new assembly facility. Next, they discuss what they've been driving recently. Byron leads off with anecdotes from his trip to Spain to drive the 2023 Range Rover Sport and his weekend with the VW GTI SE. Next, Greg talks about the ups and downs of the BMW X3 M Competition and Mercedes-Benz GLE450 Coupe. After that, they spend your money; this week's is a whopper.   Send us your questions for the Mailbag and Spend My Money at: Podcast@Autoblog.com. Autoblog Podcast #748 Get The Podcast Apple Podcasts – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes Spotify – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast on Spotify RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown Ferrari Purosangue SUV revealed: V12 power, big price tag, surprisingly pretty Dodge Charger/Challenger production moving to Windsor? Cars we're driving 2023 Land Rover Range Rover Sport 2022 Volkswagen GTI SE 2022 Mercedes-Benz GLE 450 2022 BMW X3 M Competition Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts Autoblog is now live on your smart speakers and voice assistants with the audio Autoblog Daily Digest. Say “Hey Google, play the news from Autoblog” or "Alexa, open Autoblog" to get your favorite car website in audio form every day. A narrator will take you through the biggest stories or break down one of our comprehensive test drives. Related video: Ferrari Purosangue revealed