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World Cup Defender special: it’s all kicking off

By
John Redfern
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Kahn Chelsea Truck Co. World Cup Edition

What better way to celebrate the start of the 2018 FIFA World Cup that with a £70,000 custom Land Rover Defender? That’s the view of vehicle modifier Chelsea Truck Company, part of Kahn Design.

  • Hyundai is Chelsea FC’s new car partner

It’s hard to argue with the description that the World Cup Edition sets itself apart from ‘virtually anything on the road’, with the Honey Mustard paintwork certainly not subtle. It makes the recent Kahn Vengeance Green Superhero look almost subtle.

The eye-searing colour is applied to Chelsea Wide Track bodywork, with the stretched wheel arches the most obvious feature.

Stainless steel mesh fills vents in the bonnet, there’s a custom X-Lander front grille, and a new bumper with integrated lights. The headlights themselves are replaced with shadow chrome units, and it is also impossible to ignore the gloss black 20-inch Mondial alloy wheel.

Inside the usually spartan Defender interior, almost everything has been covered with leather. That includes the sports seats, the instrument binacle, and the central glove box. A Kahn Design steering wheel made from billet aluminium is not the biggest trinket, as that prize goes to the Churchill Time Clock.

Beneath all the exterior adornments and interior details, the World Cup Edition is powered by the same 2.2-litre TDCI diesel engine as found in a regular Defender. Adding all the additional bits doesn’t come cheap, with the lucky buyer needing £69,995 to take home the World Cup edition.

Kahn Design founder and CEO Afzal Khan also has plans to try to encourage members of England’s football team to give it their all at the World Cup.

Should England lift the trophy, Mr Kahn has promised to gift midfielder Eric Dier the number plate ‘NO 4’, said to be valued at £500,000. Defender Danny Rose would also have a choice of number plates, said to reward him for his openness about his battles with depression.

England play their first game of the 2018 World Cup against Tunisia on Monday 18th June. That might give us some indication as to whether the promise of number plates helps England score.

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In pictures: Saga Norén’s Porsche 911 is an auction star

By
Gavin Braithwaite-Smith
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Saga Norén’s Porsche 911

The Bridge isn’t exactly what you’d call a feel-good television show. Set in Malmö and Copenhagen, the Scandi-noir crime drama sees Sofia Helin playing the socially challenged but brilliant detective Saga Norén as she attempts to solve a series of gruesome murders.

Saga is the star, but her choice of wheels has been the talk of forums and blogs since the first episode aired in 2011. It’s a Porsche 911S and it is being auctioned for charity at the forthcoming Bonhams sale at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. We did a little detective work of our own to discover more about the car.

Saga Norén’s Porsche 911

Following much speculation and guesswork about Saga’s Porsche, the case closed on a definitive verdict. It’s a 1977 Porsche 911S, imported from San Francisco in 2010. More information was revealed in an article on the old Origin Porsche website.

Hans Hedberg, test manager of Swedish car magazine Teknikens Varld, imported the Porsche to Sweden in 2010. He said: “I bought the car from a Porsche workshop outside San Francisco in autumn 2009. From out of the blue, I suddenly spotted the car when just passing by: a sudden stop, 180-degrees turnaround and in for a quick check of the cars and the workshop. I gave them a price and the next day it was all mine.”

Hans continued: “[I liked the fact that the car was] original and non-fixed. The 1977 911S has the big 180hp engine but in the small body. In 1978 the wider 911SC came, but the 911S-77 is, in my eyes, the cool cat. And fast! The colour, Jäger Grün (Hunter Green as I call it) was an option, and yes; the paint has been fixed, but not by me.”

Saga Norén’s Porsche 911

From a city famous for its Golden Gate bridge, the 911 was sold to The Bridge production company in 2010. According to Hans, the colour was key to the deal: “The film/production company behind Bron (The Bridge) called me up and the car was sold as quickly as it had been over in the States. Just like with me, it was the colour and appearance that made the deal.”

Hans concluded: “I think The Bridge is one of the best TV crime series ever… and every time I see Ms Saga and her Jäger Grün Porsche, I’d like to have it again. Of course it’s even more fun that people around in the world by this way can enjoy the car as much as I did!”

Not that Sofia Helin enjoyed the driving the car. Speaking to the Independent in 2015, Sofia said: “All I can say is that it’s very hard to drive. It’s so old.”

Saga Norén’s Porsche 911

Little chance, then, that the Swedish actress will be making a bid on the famous 911. In 2015, the Telegraph revealed that Sofia Helin doesn’t have a car. “I live in the city,” she said, “I don’t need a car.”

The 911 was introduced around 49 minutes into the first episode of series one. “Nice car,” says Saga Norén’s Danish crime fighting partner, Martin Rohde (played by Kim Bodnia) as he sees the Porsche for the first time. “Is the Swedish police paid well?” he asks.

“Don’t jump to conclusions about by wages based on my car,” says Saga. Later, in episode four of series four, the Swedish detective reveals to her current Danish partner that she won it in a bet with her tutor at the Police College.

Saga Norén’s Porsche 911

The Bridge will close at the end of the current series, leaving fans wondering what will come of Saga Norén. Of more interest here is the fate of the Porsche 911. It must be due a dramatic send-off. But, as Saga drives over the Oresund Bridge for one final time, this could be your chance to take the wheel of the famous 911.

The Porsche 911S is owned by the production company and has been on display at the Malmö museum. But with the series reaching its conclusion, the producers have donated it to charity, with the proceeds going to WaterAid.

Sofia Helin, who is an ambassador for WaterAid, said: “Saga’s Porsche is not only a big part of my own acting life but has also become part of Swedish TV history. I’m so pleased the sale of this car will go to such a good cause. Through my work with WaterAid, I’ve seen first-hand the difference clean water can make to people’s health, education and livelihoods.”

Saga Norén’s Porsche 911

Meanwhile, Lars Blomgren, Anders Landström and Bo Ehrhardt, creators of The Bridge said, “We are very happy that The Bridge will finish its successful UK journey with the sale of Saga Norén’s Porsche and that we are able to donate the money to a cause as important as WaterAid.”

Its appearance at Goodwood won’t be the first time the 911S has paid a visit to the UK. In February 2014, the Porsche was on show at Nordicana, the festival of Nordic fiction and film in Shoreditch, London.

The 911 is being auctioned without a reserve, with Bonhams slapping a £20,000 to £30,000 pre-auction estimate on the TV star. Too cheap? According to the Hagerty Classic Car Price Guide, the average value of a 1977 Porsche 911 2.7-litre is £34,000.

Saga Norén’s Porsche 911

But the Hagerty value tells only half the story. Writing on the PetrolBlog Facebook page, Adrian Crawford of Porsche specialists Williams Crawford, said: “It’s the last of narrow bodied 911s with a light motor and great sound. This one [offers] no knowledge of true condition or tech status but it is in a great colour and bit of fame, too. Typically they are £35,000 to £60,000. I think it will do well.”

The Porsche 911S will go under the hammer at the Bonhams Goodwood Festival of Speed Sale on 13 July 2018. Buy it and treat yourself to a Scandinavian holiday this summer. Just don’t linger too long when you reach the middle of the Oresund Bridge. Tack!

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Jaguar Land Rover launches car subscription service

By
Richard Aucock
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0

Jaguar E-PaceJaguar Land Rover has launched a car subscription service aimed at high-mileage drivers. The new venture is called Carpe and is available in the UK now.

Prices for the all-inclusive, unlimited-motoring packages start from £910 (excluding VAT) per month for a standard Jaguar E-Pace (pictured above). A Range Rover Sport HSE is the priciest car on the scheme, at £2,200 a month, again ex. VAT.

The package runs for 12 months and users don’t need to put down a deposit. JLR says it’s being aimed specifically at high-mileage UK drivers who are busy and spend a lot of time behind the wheel.

Turning over the cars each year will help keep mileages in check (despite the scheme coming with no mileage restrictions), and also ensure users don’t get bored driving the same car year after year. Cars don’t have to be off the shelf, either – they can be individually specified.

Included in the subscription deal is servicing, maintenance, insurance, roadside assistance and delivery.

InMotion Ventures is running the Carpe subscription service for JLR. Its MD Sebastien Peck said: “We know there is an appetite for unlimited motoring packages and demand is growing rapidly for subscription services that better meet individual needs.”

He said Carpe is perfect for those who like premium cars, but not the inflexible contracts that come with them. “We aim to give our customers as much flexibility, freedom and choice as we can.”

Want to find out more? Check out www.carpedrive.com. If it’s a success, adds JLR, it might consider expanding its tailored subscription packages further.   

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Volkswagen fined €1 billion in Germany for dieselgate

By
Richard Aucock
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Volkswagen logoVolkswagen has been fined €1 billion (£880 million) by German authorities over the ‘dieselgate’ diesel emissions cheating scandal that has rocked the firm in recent years.

The company has accepted the fine and does not plan to appeal it.

“Volkswagen AG, by doing so, admits its responsibility for the diesel crisis and considers this as a further major step towards the latter being overcome,” it said in a statement.

It hopes that by accepting the fine and settling proceedings, there will be “significant positive effects on further active administrative proceedings in Europe against the Volkswagen AG and its subsidiaries”. 

The firm has already agreed to pay $4.3 billion (£3.2 billion) in the United States. VW has forked out over £20 billion in settlements and fines for the dieselgate scandal, which was uncovered in the U.S. in 2015. Almost 11 million vehicles were found to contain software that manipulated official economy and emissions tests.

The German fine is one of the largest ever handed out by authorities, and largely consists of cash to account for the ‘economic benefits’ Volkswagen gained from cheating. Just €5 million is going towards legal penalties.

And although the fine is huge, it should be put into context, Evercore ISI analyst Arndt Ellinghorst told Reuters. “Paying out 1 billion euros is extreme painful but in the broader context it isn’t a material number.” After the first quarter, currently-thriving VW had €24.3 billion in the bank…

Following news of the German fine, Volkswagen shares closed marginally higher. 

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New Tesla Model S Shooting Brake unveiled in London

By
Gavin Braithwaite-Smith
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RemetzCar Tesla Model S reveal

The Tesla Model S estate is a shooting brake for the new millennium. Forget images of the thoroughly British Lynx Eventer, pheasants hanging from the tree and long liquid lunches in the village pub. This Dutch-American effort is more dotcom than Dog & Duck.

It’s the work of Schiphol coachbuilders RemetzCar, under the watchful eye of London-based designer Niels van Roij. A total of 20 electric shooting brakes will be built, and the first one is taking a tour of Europe ahead of its official debut at the International Concours d’Elegance Paleis Het Loo at the end of the month. Today, it made its UK debut at the Dutch Embassy in London.

Video: Tesla Model S Shooting Brake

We’ll gloss over the fact that the Model S has too many doors to be classed as a real shooting brake – manufacturers have been blurring the lines for many years now – and instead, marvel at what could pass for a Tesla factory build. The Model X might have fancy gullwing doors, but it can’t match the Dutch creation for style, grace and charm.

The team at Niels van Roij Design penned the Model SB at the firm’s base in Woolwich, before briefing hearse and limousine experts RemetzCar. The Dutch coachbuilding company has over two decades experience in the field, with a CV featuring the likes of a Bentley Flying Spur station wagon, a six-wheeled stretched Range Rover Sport and a Rolls-Royce Phantom pick-up.

It’s not the first Tesla Model S shooting brake – Norfolk-based Qwest unveiled its SportsWagon earlier this year, before showing it at the London Motor Show – but car collector Floris de Raadt turned to his Dutch compatriot when he required a little more practicality from his electric hatch.

RemetzCar Tesla Model S at Dutch Embassy

“We’ve invested a lot of time in the design process of our Shooting Brake,” said Niels van Roij. “We started with writing the design strategy, after which the design research was initiated, then sketching began.

“The aesthetics of this conversion have been developed thoroughly by producing three design propositions, within which 16 different design themes were generated. Our research focused on benchmarking high-end performance station cars, one-off vehicles and market trends.”

RemetzCar began the process by translating the design sketches, leaving the core structure and the crumple zones intact. To achieve a seamless transition from hatchback to an estate, the coachbuilders developed a bespoke tailgate featuring a rear spoiler with a brake light and a concealed rear wiper.

RemetzCar Tesla Model S in London

Finishing touches are provided by a chrome strip running from the A-pillar, along the roofline and around the panoramic roof, with a body finished in green metallic paint with a twist of gold. Inside, the exterior colour is complemented by a cream, green and black cabin. Overall, it takes five months to complete the conversion. Is Mr de Raadt pleased with the result?

“The idea was to translate my Tesla Model S into a dynamic and sporty yet elegant Shooting Brake, rather than creating a car with maximum luggage space,” said de Raadt. “Niels van Roij Design developed several options for the conversion, focusing on premium design combined with limited conversion costs: thus making coachbuilding available for a larger group of connoisseurs.

“Our favourite was the option called ‘Bold Chrome’, featuring remarkable high gloss chrome window trims emphasising the bold, dynamic lines of the car. The result is truly stunning.”

RemetzCar Model S Shooting Brake chrome

At the launch, it was revealed that it costs around £80,000 plus local taxes to convert the Model S, which is in addition to the cost of the base car. Tesla Model S prices start at around £65,000 for the 75D, rising to around £123,000 for the P100D. Not cheap, then, but with a further 19 planned, exclusivity is guaranteed.

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Porsche launches new smartphone app to help charge EVs

By
John Redfern
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0

Porsche Charging Services App

Following the announcement that Porsche’s first all-electric car will be called the Taycan comes news of the Porsche Charging Service app.

Intended for use with plug-in hybrid or full electric cars, the app aims to simplify the process of finding a charger to top-up your battery.

The Charging Service app will first search out the nearest charging point to the current location of the driver. It then makes use of the car’s navigation system to guide the driver to the available charger. The app will also provide information about the cost of each charging point, helping drivers decide which is the most suitable

Once at the charger, the app will also handle all aspects of payment itself. This is done by scanning a QR code on the charger, or by using a ‘Porsche ID Card’ which issued for free to registered users.

By registering payment details with the Charging Services app, the cost for using the selected charging point can be handled by it. Porsche claims this will be of real value when travelling through different countries, avoiding the need to worry about creating new accounts for specific locations or currencies.

Available free to users of both Apple iOS and Android smartphones, currently the app covers users in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium and Finland. Porsche promises that the app will be expanded to include other countries throughout the course of 2018.

Porsche admits the app can be used by those who own other brands of electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles. So even if you’re not a Porsche owner, you can at least charge your car as if you are one.

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What the new WLTP car fuel economy test means for you

By
Tim Pitt
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Vauxhall/Opel WLTP testing

We all know the fuel economy test isn’t realistic. You’ll be lucky to manage within 10mpg of the ‘official’ figure in a typical family car, while results for plug-in hybrids are hugely wide of the mark.

However, the test is changing – and soon. From 1 September 2018, all new cars sold must be homologated under new, more stringent WLTP rules. And what amounts to a huge headache for car companies should be good news for customers.

To find out more, we attended a ‘Tech Day’ at Vauxhall and Opel’s test centre in Rüsselsheim, Germany, and spoke to one of the company’s leading experts on WLTP. So, without further ado…

Best of the tests: WLTP vs. NEDC

Vauxhall/Opel WLTP testing

The WLTP laboratory test – conducted with the car on a rolling road – is longer than its NEDC equivalent (30 minutes and 14.4 miles, rather than 20 minutes and 6.8 miles) and covers a wider range of driving behaviours and speeds (up to 81.3mph). It also takes account of car specification, with differing results depending on the options fitted.

A key difference versus NEDC, though, is the new Real Driving Emissions (RDE) process, which takes place on public roads. Monitoring gear is plumbed into the car’s exhaust pipes, measuring key pollutants such as nitrogen oxide (NOX) and particulates.

Another important change concerns plug-in hybrids. These were previously tested with fully-charged batteries, leading to tax-dodging CO2 emissions results. Now, they will now complete the test cycle multiple times, starting with a full charge and continuing until their batteries are depleted. The WLTP result is therefore very much dependent on a car’s electric range.

Confusingly, the old NEDC stats will be published alongside WLTP figures for the time being – and NEDC CO2 emissions results will remain the basis for road tax (VED). New VED bands, using WLTP data, are likely to arrive in April 2020.

Insider view: Marcus Schneider, Vauxhall

Marcus Schneider

Vauxhall has led the way with WLTP, publishing results for the Astra as far back as 2016. We spoke to Marcus Schneider, head of product marketing for Vauxhall and Opel, to learn more about the challenges and benefits of WLTP testing.

Is WLTP good news for car buyers?

“Absolutely, yes. The WLTP results provide more transparency for customers about the fuel economy they can expect.

“The test cycle is based more closely on real driving behaviour than the NEDC – including the RDE road driving element, of course – and the fact that options on the car are accounted for, such as air conditioning or larger alloy wheels, also means a more realistic result.”

Vauxhall/Opel WLTP testing

What about car companies? Are they struggling to meet the targets?

“It’s a complicated process. As a manufacturer, we must produce an individual efficiency and CO2 calculation with every vehicle and option combination a customer can choose.

“We do this by testing the upper and lower ‘bookends’ of the range, then using a calculator – created by our engineers – to provide individual results for each car and specification. This calculation is certified by governments.”

Are buyers confused about the switchover from NEDC to WLTP?

“Our engineers obviously understand this new way of testing cars, but communicating it to marketing departments, dealers and, ultimately, customers takes time.

We’re working on new IT systems so that people can find real-time WLTP results when they configure a car online. But we need, by law, to keep communicating the previous NEDC results, so unfortunately there is, for now at least, some confusion for customers.”

Vauxhall/Opel WLTP testing

Does the WLTP test favour some cars over others?

“Well, the right foot of the driver is by far the biggest influence on fuel economy. However, some cars that did particularly well in the NEDC test, such as those with downsized turbocharged engines, aren’t faring so well now. Percentage-wise, we may see a double-digit decrease in efficiency, mainly because these engines favour low load conditions, rather than the more intensive WLTP cycle.

By contrast, cars with larger, more powerful engines cope more easily with WLTP, thus its impact is less significant – more or less the same results in some cases.”

Will the WLTP test damage plug-in hybrid sales?

“Not really. All our research and testing shows that plug-in hybrids still have significantly better CO2 results than conventional cars under WLTP. And although CO2 emissions are less in the media spotlight at the moment, they are still very important for manufacturers. We have strict targets to meet.

“Vauxhall will launch the plug-in Grandland X PHEV in 2020, along with the all-electric eCorsa.”

Vauxhall/Opel WLTP testing

What about diesel? Does it have a future?

“Absolutely. The levels of cleanliness we’ve achieved in recent years – using Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) with AdBlue, for example – mean diesel engines definitely have a place. They’re also important for bringing down whole-fleet emissions.

“The market is shrinking, for sure, but diesel is here to stay”

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Ford goes hybrid for new 2019 Police Interceptor Utility SUV

By
John Redfern
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New 2019 Ford Police Interceptor Utility Hybrid

It’s already vehicle of choice for law enforcement officials across North America, but Ford’s latest Police Interceptor Utility is likely to become even more attractive to those in charge of fleet budgets.

The new 2019 Interceptor Utility, which is based upon the Ford Explorer SUV, now features a standard hybrid powertrain. All-wheel-drive is also standard, with Ford promising that the additional components needed for the hybrid system do not compromise interior packaging.

More importantly, Ford states that the new Interceptor Utility will be even faster than the previous version. The hybrid combination of gasoline engine and battery power is said to give quicker acceleration, and a higher top speed, than the outgoing model. Criminals might be wise to check for ‘hybrid’ badges before deciding to outrun the law.

Potential felons might also have to think twice about hoping pursuing police will run out of fuel. Hybrid efficiency means an estimated increase in fuel efficiency of some 40 percent over the existing 3.7-litre V6 engine.

New 2019 Ford Police Interceptor Utility Hybrid

The new hybrid Interceptor is estimated to save around $3,200 (£2,400) per vehicle in fuel usage compared to the old non-hybrid model. Based upon the substantial number of Interceptor Utility vehicles Ford sold in 2017, when totalled this would equate to an incredible $126 million (£94 million) saving on fuel costs alone.

Hybrid systems in the new Interceptor have been tuned to be suited to police usage, being able to run computers, radios, and lights from the lithium-ion battery alone. Perfect for waiting around to catch crooks in the act.

Adding hybrid technology is not the only big change for the Interceptor Utility, with Ford also proud of the new Perimeter Alert system. This makes use of the Utility’s blind-spot monitoring to scan for threats, and react automatically if one is detected by locking doors, closing windows, and making noise.

Ford increased its share of the police vehicle market in the United States by 5 percent during 2017, claiming a total of 65 percent. Dodge will soon have a new challenger in the shape of the Durango SUV Pursuit model, albeit without the option of hybrid power.

Production of the new Ford Police Interceptor Utility will begin in summer 2019 at Ford’s Chicago Assembly plant.

There is no mention of the Interceptor Utility coming to the UK in the near future, meaning the diesel Vauxhall Astra is likely to remain King of the police fleet on this side of the Atlantic for now.

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Top Gear’s Sabine drives the Nürburgring… in a Skoda SUV

By
Gavin Braithwaite-Smith
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0

Sabine Schmitz Skoda Kodiaq vRSNobody knows the Nürburgring quite like Sabine Schmitz, but a Skoda SUV is an unlikely choice of wheels for a record-breaking lap of the ‘Green Hell’.

The flagship Skoda Kodiaq vRS will make its public debut at the 2018 Paris Motor Show, but no new performance car is complete without a lap of the Nürburgring to its name. We’ll have to wait a couple of days before the full video is revealed, but – spoiler alert – Skoda claims that it’s a “sensational record-breaking lap”.

https://twitter.com/SinclairSkoda/status/1006548350806712320

We suspect Skoda is chasing the lap record for a seven-seat SUV, rather than the 7 minute 51.7 second set by the Alfa Romeo Stelvio last year. Alfa’s reign at the top of the fastest SUV lap board might be short-lived, as Lamborghini is likely to send the Urus on a tour of the 12.9-mile circuit this summer.

Alternatively, maybe the Czech company is gunning for the fastest lap… by a Skoda.

Lap time to be revealed on 14 June

This teaser video reveals the preparations that went into the camouflaged Kodiaq vRS’ record attempt at the Nordschleife, with the full video revealed on 14 June.

The Skoda Kodiaq vRS is expected to be a powered by a 2.0-litre twin-turbocharged diesel engine developing around 240hp and 369lb ft of torque. To cope with all that power, the vRS is likely to be offered in four-wheel drive form, with five- and seven-seat versions available.

Speaking of seats, we rather like the look of the high-backed bucket-style chairs Sabine’s showing off in Skoda’s teaser image. 

The performance Kodiaq will be sold alongside the Octavia vRS, with the UK expected to be a lucrative market for the hot SUV. Around 1 in 5 of all Octavias sold in the UK leave the factory with a vRS badge, with diesel versions accounting for the majority of sales.

Prices are likely to be revealed in Paris, but with a seven-seat Kodiaq Sportline costing upwards of £33,135. we wouldn’t expect much change from £35,000. More news, including the full lap of the Nürburgring, when we get it.

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New 2019 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 gets race-proven upgrades

By
John Redfern
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0

New 2019 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350

Following on from the revised regular Mustang, Ford has revealed the even higher-performance version wearing the famous Shelby badge.

Despite the American muscle car arms race seeing engine outputs increase ever higher, Ford has resisted entering into the horsepower contest with the GT350. This Shelby is all about maximising ability on the race track. Plus, the Blue Oval is already working on a GT500 version which should deliver the big power numbers.

Ford has made use of the current Mustang in a variety of sports car championships, including creating a bespoke GT4 version of the Shelby. This has helped the company learn how to improve the road-going version. Ford has worked with World Endurance Championship driver Billy Johnson to refine the GT350.

Aerodynamic performance has been the focus of attention. Ford has subjected the Shelby GT350 to countless hours of wind tunnel testing. The result is a revised rear spoiler, with an additional optional Gurney flap, helping deliver more downforce to stick the Shelby to the track.

Helping traction further are new tyres created through close work with Michelin. The new Pilot Sport 2 Cup tyres feature a bespoke tread pattern developed specifically for the GT350. Said to improve stiffness, Ford says they also complement the new 19-inch alloy wheels.

Substantial Brembo brakes with six-piston calipers at the front, and four-piston calipers at the rear, have been tuned to improve stopping power. On-track testing has helped improve brake balance, and also sees tweaks to the stability control system. Recalibrated settings for the suspension springs and dampers are also part of the package.

With a revised interior featuring new carbon fibre trim, and a wider range of colours for the exterior, the 5.2-litre engine is about the only part of the GT350 left untouched. Still, an output of 526hp and 429lb-ft of torque are hardly figures to complain about.

Despite the current generation Mustang being produced in right-hand-drive, and sold here in the UK, Ford has made no mention of the Shelby GT350 making the journey across the Atlantic. American buyers will be able to get their hands on the new car from early 2019.

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