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Morgan sign partnership for new EV

Morgan Motor Company, an automaker best known for producing classic three-wheeled vehicles, has entered into a technical partnership with Frazer-Nash Energy Systems. The move is a nod to the impending release of the company’s new EV.

Called the EV3, the vehicle which was first revealed in 2016, will be the British automaker’s first model that will feature an all-electric drivetrain. Despite this, the car still retains familiar design cues seen on previous generation cars.

Unlike most automakers, Morgan’s design inspiration comes from 1930s Aero-engine race cars, classic motorcycles and 1950s fantasy automatons. The EV3 combines this vintage tubular styling with new technology to deliver a raw driving experience and traditional British craftsmanship.

Regarding the tie-up, Steve Morris, Managing Director of Morgan Motor Company, said, “We are delighted to announce our technical partnership with Frazer-Nash Energy Systems as we enter this exciting phase of EV3 production.”

He added, “We have been working closely on optimizing the EV3’s architecture in every way to develop a car which will offer proven reliability range and cooling performance, combined with the pure driving experience that is expected of every hand-crafted Morgan.”

As a result of the partnership with Frazer-Nash Energy Systems, Morgan will be able to utilize certain technologies that will allow further development of the EV3. It will come with all-new, more robust architecture, greater levels of torque, a stiffer chassis and under-slung battery.

Enclosed within the tubular space frame chassis sits a 21 KWh Lithium Battery and a liquid-cooled 34.8kW (41.8kW peak) motor that drives the rear wheel. On a full charge, the EV3 will be able to travel a full 193km without needing a recharge. This, the automaker says will be enough to allow for the kind of driving pleasure that is absent in the EV industry.

The Morgan EV3 is expected to enter production in 2018 and thanks to Frazer-Nash Energy Systems, will have greater performance and rapid charging technology. Once launched, the EV3 will be part of a niche market, offering enthusiasts unrivaled driving enjoyment.

New Chevy Silverado is mean and tough

Chevrolet has updated its Silverado pick-up truck, making it tougher and more masculine than before. Completely new from the ground up, higher grade alloy has been used in the roll-formed, high-strength-steel bed floor, contributing to a bed that is more functional and lighter.

This manufacturing process and the idea of combining several metals, have been adopted for the construction of other parts of this truck as well. As a result, the new Silverado is significantly lighter than the outgoing one, but with no reduction in toughness.

Performance has been bumped up too, and when combined with the Z71 package, enables the truck to go just about anywhere. Adding to that, with the new vehicle, Chevrolet is offering a plethora of options that include engine/transmission combinations, tech and others.

The 2019 Silverado builds upon the modern design advances in Chevrolet’s history of industry-leading pick-up designs. Its current truck is a culmination of decades of experience from developing models such as the Advance Design trucks of the 1950s and the C/K series of the 1960s.

According to the automaker, this new 2019 Silverado will make its public debut in January 2018 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.The event will coincide with the the fact its been 100 years since the first Chevy trucks were delivered to customers.

Genesis opens Connected Store

Genesis, Hyundai’s luxury sub-brand has collaborated with WIRED to open a store that showcases the connected capabilities of the G80 Sport. Located in Manhattan, New York, the store will remain open till the 22nd of December where, visitors will be able to enjoy demonstrations of the G80 model line’s connected technology and other connected products.

The store has two activation areas, each having a Google Home or an iPad Pro, which guests may use to interact with the G80’s standard Genesis Connected Services technology. Users will be able to use these devices to experience various features of the car. Travel destinations via GPS can be beamed straight to the infotainment system.

Other more sophisticated tasks such as remote engine starting, adjusting the climate control, can be can be executed just as easily. That said, these features won’t be on display at the indoor store, but they exemplify Genesis’ experience in developing the latest tech for customers.

Speaking of the new store, WIRED’s Jason Tanz, and Genesis’ brand ambassador, Wesley Chan, Managing Director at Felicis Ventures, and previously a General Partner at Google Ventures, hosted an invitation-only event, discussing “The Future of Our Connected World” and a tour of the store on Wednesday, December 13.

The launch of the WIRED Store marks Genesis’ second such partnership following a store that was opened in California. Through such efforts, the automaker wants the general public to be well versed with it’s range of tech and the roles they play in making customers lives more convenient.

Nissan 350Z from Tokyo Drift is up for sale

A very special car is currently listed for sale on one of UK’s online used car portals, Auto Trader. A Nissan 350Z with distinctive body artwork that resembles that featured in Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, is currently being listed for sale for £99,950 (RM543,203.26). It is one of two cars that survived filming, six of them were written off.

The car was registered in Japan in 2002, and bears all the original hallmarks expected of a street racing film car. It is said to be the only one to have the desirable performance upgrades, including the APS twin turbo engine. And is believed to be the main car used in the famous drifting scenes of the film.

Equipped with a Nitrous Oxide system, which was only installed for cinematic purposes, it was the primary vehicle of Takashi AKA The Drift King, a character in the third installment of the Fast and the Furious movie franchise. Auto Logix, is the car retailer that has advertised the 350Z for sale on Auto Trader.

“Unique in every way, we’re delighted to have another Hollywood star showcased on the UK’s largest automotive marketplace, and I’m certain we can match it with an owner that shows a little bit more TLC than Takashi did 11 years ago,” said Erin Baker, Auto Trader Editorial Director.

According to Auto Logix, it claims to be selling the car on behalf of a car collector, who purchased Takashi’s drifting machine from Universal Pictures. This particular 350Z was also featured on most of the promotional material for the 2006 film.

Tokyo Drift was considered an international box office success when it hit the silver screen in 2006, grossing $95,953,877 (RM391,443,841.22) worldwide. The ninth installment of the franchise is expected to be released in 2020, which will probably break further records during its premiere.

Abbie Eaton is The Grand Tour’s racing driver

After 9 months of searching high and low for a ‘tame racing driver’ to replace the unpopular ‘American’ on Amazon’s The Grand Tour, the team have found a winner in Abbie Eaton. The former trio of BBC’s Top Gear, Clarkson, Hammond and May have broken convention by introducing a female to take the role of the show’s racing driver.

The news was announces on The Grand Tour’s twitter page with a caption “Ladies and gentlemen, our new driver”. Just stopping short of mentioning her name, The Grand Tour hopes that 25-year-old Eaton provides a breathe of fresh air to a segment that hasn’t been particularly entertaining in the first season. Mike Skinner, a former Nascar racer played the role of the American.

His character had an abrasive nature, seeming irritated and obnoxious about having to drive non-american cars around the show’s test track. Meant to portray the character traits of true rednecks, Skinner wasn’t particularly liked by fans and viewers alike. Even his professional racing credentials weren’t enough to convince viewers to overlook his less than funny rants.

Eaton, who has taken part in numerous professional racing competitions, is a British born racing driver who has 28 wins and 38 podium finishes to her name. She was the 2010 Production Touring Class B champion and 2014 Mazda MX-5 supercup champion. A seasoned racer with several big title finishes, Eaton should be more entertaining to watch than The American.

Polestar chooses 6 countries for initial launch

Polestar, the electric performance brand that is a spin off from former parent company Volvo, will be introducing its first ever vehicle to a select number of markets. The car will be offered with a subscription service to the U.S.A., China, Germany, Sweden, Norway, and the Netherlands.

Outlets called Polestar Spaces, will be launched in these countries, serving as showrooms for the general public. The spaces are expected to open by the middle of 2019 in these 6 chosen countries due to the high initial demand for the vehicle. That said, eventually, the Polestar 1 will be introduced to more markets across the globe.

When it was introduced in October, interest in the car was so overwhelming that approximately one customer per minute was registering their interest in being one of the first to receive it. Other than its performance credential, what’s makes the Polestar 1’s presence so extraordinary is the fact that it will only be offered with a subscription service.

That means that owners won’t be able to buy the car outright, instead they will pay a monthly fee that covers insurance, depreciation, collection and delivery for inclusive servicing, and various on-demand benefits as-and-when required. This will negate the need for hefty deposits, down payments and complicated insurance and bank loan applications.

Production for the Polestar 1 is expected to begin by mid-2019 in the automaker’s new state-of-the-art, purpose-built Polestar Production Centre in Chengdu, China. The highly anticipated car is a 2+2 Grand Touring Coupé with a 600hp Electric Performance Hybrid powertrain. Once launched, it’s bound to cause quite a stir in the industry.