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Geely to go on spending spree to benefit sub-brands

Geely is looking to spend big bucks to ensure its EV performance brand gets the head start it needs to become a global player in the electrified performance market. It, together with its subsidiary, Volvo Cars, have announced that they will jointly invest RM3.18 billion to support the initial phase of Polestar’s development.

This investment will ensure that the newly formed sub-brand (Polestar) of Geely will be able to develop a strong product portfolio as well as have a state-of-the-art facility to build these vehicles. Apart from this, Polestar will also benefit from being able
to rummage through the treasure trove that is Volvo designs and technology.

Volvo Cars and Polestar will continue to enjoy a symbiotic relationship that will see them working together on next-generation technologies, bear shared procurement costs, joint development and economies of scale. Unlike Volvo, Polestar has been chosen to spearhead Geely’s charge for EV dominance by producing enticing EV products.

Rather than start from scratch, Polestar will benefit from Volvo Cars’ technology and take it to the next level, at least that is what they hope to do. But based on what we know so far, Polestar vehicles will closely resemble that from Volvo, albeit they will feature high performance electrified drivetrains rather than the current petrol and diesel ones.

Polestar 1 is automaker’s first hybrid concept car for the masses

Polestar has finally revealed its first ever production car to the world. Called the Polestar 1, the vehicle is a Volvo S90 based Coupe that is built upon the Swedish automaker’s Scalable Platform Architecture (SPA).

The company stated that parts sharing with its Volvo cousin has enabled it to build the Polestar 1 in record time, taking just a fraction of what usually amounts to years worth of research & development as well as testing. That said, 50% of the components used are new while the remaining half are inherited from Volvo.

Sporting similar a silhouette as the S90 sedan, Polestar has done away with Volvo’s signature chrome grille and placed an understated yet menacing louvered grille. The projector headlights with DRL’s resembling Thor’s hammer are still present but subtle tweaks have been made to the front and rear sections of teh car for better aero efficiency.

The body is made from carbon-fibre, which has enabled the improvement of torsional stiffness by 45% and lowered the car’s centre of gravity. This will result in a massive weight reduction compared to the standard Volvo meaning, that agility and nimbleness should be better too.

The car features a hybrid powertrain that brings total output to a colossal 600bhp and 1000Nm of torque. Called the Electric Performance Hybrid, the Polestar 1 is able to travel about 150km on pure electric power, making it the only hybrid vehicle currently on sale that can achieve such a feat on a single charge.

Another first, the Polestar 1 is the first car in the world that will be fitted with the Öhlins Continuously Controlled Electronic Suspension (CESi) advanced chassis technology. That coupled with a double electric rear axle for torque vectoring, will enable the car to remain planted while cornering at high speeds.

Marketed as a 2+2 seater grand tourer, the Polestar 1 is a concept vehicle that previews what the production version may look like when it is unveiled in mid-2019. The vehicle will be built in Polestar’s state-of-the-art production centre in Chengdu, China. Due for completion in mid-2018, the facility will be responsible for manufacturing future models from the automaker.

During the reveal, Polestar made it known that it will be launching two further models called the Polestar 2 and Polestar 3. The former will be an electric vehicle that will take on the Tesla Model 3, while the latter is poised to be an SUV styled EV.

Apart from this, the automaker is also planning on revolutionising the way we buy our cars. It will allow its vehicles to be purchased/rented online and will also introduce a substription service that will enable ownership with zero-downpayment at a steady monthly fee. In addition to that, owners can also rent alterntavie vehicles within the Volvo family.

The exact details are still a bit hazy at the moment as Polestar has yet to lay down concrete framework that will enable the public to its subscriptions service for a 2-3 year lease of its vehicles rather than opt in to an out-right purchase.

Thomas Ingenlath, Chief Executive Officer of Polestar said, “Polestar 1 is the first car to carry the Polestar on the bonnet. A beautiful GT with amazing technology packed into it. All future cars from Polestar will feature a fully electric drivetrain, delivering on our brand vision of being the new standalone electric performance brand.”

Despite this, Polestar will still have its brick and mortar showrooms around the globe to facilitate customers how prefer the old fashion way of buying vehicles. The order books of the Polestar 1 begins today, and Polestar says its ready to facilitate all interested parties.

Finest Porsche cars head to Silverstone Auctions

Silverstone Auctions is collaborating with the world’s biggest car club, Porsche Club GB, for an event that will see 59 of the finest Porsche vehicles roll onto the auction floor, which is sure to garner quite a bit of attention.

These vehicles range from an entry-level 2003 Porsche 911 (996) Carrera 2 Tiptronic, right up to a prestine 1998 Porsche 911 (993) Turbo S. That said, out of the 59 cars, 3 of them a little more special then the rest and should fetch a significant amount of money over the reserve price.

First off is the Turbo S, which is 1 of 26 built in right-hand drive, and is considered one of the most desirable and powerful version of the 993 generation. estimated at £245,000 – £285,000, (RM1,372,478 to RM1,596,556) it features one of the last of the air-cooled generation engines, the car boasts 450bhp , Ocean blue body colour with a grey leather and carbon-fibre clad interior.

The second car, is a 1985 Porsche 911 (930) Turbo SE that is owned by Glenn Tipton, lead guitarist of the legendary rock band, Judas Priest. He has owned the car since new and happens to be very fond of it. In fact, this was the very car that was the inspiration for the platinum-selling album ‘Turbo’, and the hit single ‘Turbo Lover’, both penned by Tipton.

Despite his fondness for it, Tipton has decided to sell his prized possession and probably move on to something else. The car has an estimated value of between £180,000 – £220,000 (RM1,008,351 to RM1,232,430) and should fetch a similar figure at auction.

Lastly, one of the rarest cars at Silverstone, is a 1992 Porsche 911 (964) RS Touring. It is one of six UK-supplied cars that are in right-hand drive and has a black body colour as well as a black interior. It is an extremely desirable vehicle that has been featured in several specialist magazines and road tests, estimated value is between £185,000 – £210,000 (RM1,036,361 to RM1,176,410).

Silverstone Auctions will take place on the 21st of October and will see 59 Porsche cars roll on and off the auction floor with substantial money changing hands as they are are sold to their new owners.

BMW sales figures are up again, especially for its electrified vehicles

BMW has recorded an increase in demand for its electrified vehicles this September. According to the automaker’s recent reports, it mentioned that a total of 10,786 vehicles have been sold in September which is a 50.5% increase compared to the same period last year.

The German automaker’s current electrified line-up includes 9 different models from a number of its sub brands that include BMWi, BMW iPerformance and MINI electric vehicles. The extensive portfolio has allowed the company’s electrified division to record a year-to-date total sales figure of 68,687 vehicles which is a 64.2% increase compared to last year.

This proves that the demand for electric or hybrid vehicles are growing with each passing year. And with cities around the world tightening regulations on petrol and diesel powered vehicles, these numbers are going to rise exponentially.

That said, in general, BMW’s global sales figures have risen across the board with the automaker recording exceptional sales figures for 2017. In fact, in the first three quarters of 2017, BMW managed to sell as many vehicles as it did in the entire 12 months of 2017.

The BMW group consists of a number of brands, which are BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce, BMW Group electrified and BMW Motorrad. And this year alone, BMW has managed to sell a total of 1,811,234 vehicles to date, which is a 3.7% increase compared to the same period last year.

Kobe Steel falsified claims of aluminium and copper specifications

Yet another scandal has hit Japan, and this time its from a company called Kobe Steel. Though this company maybe relatively unfamiliar to many, it is a key player in supplying the automotive industry with a whole host of parts that include doors and bonnets.

Based on an article posted by The Guardian, Kobe Steel has admitted that over the course a decade, it has falsified data regarding the strength and durability of its aluminium and copper products that are used in cars, aircraft, space rockets and defense equipment.

This issue affects a whole host of manufacturers that include Boeing, General Motors, Ford, Toyota, Honda, Mazda, Subaru, Hitachi and several others. In fact, Hitachi has said that it used Kobe Steel parts in trains that it built for the UK market.

Boeing, the US based aircraft maker, has stated that it is currently inspecting Kobe Steel products that it had used, but for the moment at least, says that there is no evidence to suggest that the safety of the respective parts had been compromised in any way.

This news has many mainstream automakers scrambling to assess the extent of which Kobe Steel products were used in their vehicles. Though certain companies have said that safety may not be an issue despite the fact that Kobe Steel didn’t honour the specifications agreed upon, we won’t know for sure until further investigations are carried out.

The extent of the issue and the sectors that are affected by it are still unknown, but we hope that for the most part at least, that the issue is isolated to the Japanese market. That said, we will let you know more as this scandal begins to unravel in the coming weeks.

Source: The Guardian

Man steals ambulance, leads police on challenging chase

The USA is home to Hollywood, muscle cars and of course the world’s most entertaining police chases. And this time, its no different, as reported by The Drive, Macomb County Sheriff’s department was tasked with chasing down an ambulance that was stolen by a 21-year-old male from a nearby hospital.

A video was uploaded to Macomb County Sheriff’s Facebook page explaining the incident. On 7/10/17, its officers responded to reports that an ambulance had been stolen from a local hospital. Apparently Paramedics and presumably the ambulance driver left the vehicle unattended to drop of a patient at the hospital.

A 21-year-old man, who at the time wasn’t a patient at the hospital, upon exiting the premises sighted the parked ambulance, and decided to drive off with it. Macomb County Sheriff’s deputies responding to the call gave chase, which lead to the apprehension of one of the most erratic erratic getaway drivers in the world.

https://www.facebook.com/288866701171269/videos/1581779721879954/

Though the chase was devoid of the high speed action, the erratic driving behaviour of the 21-year-old was still considered dangerous. And had there been a higher volume of traffic at the time, things would have probably ended a lot worse.

Fortunately, police officers managed to apprehend the suspect after he attempted to drive over a banked pavement in an attempt to avoid being boxed in between a civilian vehicle and a police cruiser.

The driver has been charged with one felony count of Unlawful Driving away of an Autombile and given an interim bond of $75,000 (RM315,450). This is proof that crime doesn’t pay, and thankfully, no one was hurt during this horrific chase.

Source: Macomb County Sheriff Department Facebook Page, The Drive