USA - Dodge produces the fastest most powerful SUV available - and why not !

New Dodge Durango SRT starts at a U.S. Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $62,995 (excluding $1,095 destination)

• New 2018 Dodge Durango SRT is the most powerful three-row SUV with its 475-horsepower legendary 392-cubic-inch HEMI® V-8 engine
• Fastest and most capable three-row SUV with a National Hot Rod Association (NHRA)–certified quarter-mile time of 12.9 seconds and capable of 0-60 miles per hour (mph) acceleration in 4.4 seconds
• Durango SRT out-hauls every three-row SUV on the road with best-in-class towing capability of 8,700 pounds
• New exterior performance features include widebody exterior design and functional SRT hood with center air inlet duct flanked by heat extractors, as well as a new front fascia and lower valence to house new cold-air duct and LED fog lamps
• Standard leather and suede, available high-performance Demonic Red Laguna leather seating and new carbon-fiber trim distinguish Durango SRT’s performance interior
• All customers who buy a new Durango SRT will receive one full-day session at the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving
• The new 2018 Dodge Durango SRT will start arriving in Dodge dealerships during fourth quarter 2017

The Dodge and SRT brands are rocking the high-performance automotive world once again, bringing a huge burst of American power, acceleration and best-in-class tow capability to the three-row SUV segment with the new 2018 Dodge Durango SRT – the fastest SUV in its class.

 

With the proven 392-cubic-inch HEMI® V-8 under its new functional SRT hood, the new 2018 Dodge Durango SRT delivers 475 horsepower and 470 lb.-ft. of torque, and a wicked fast time on the drag strip – from 0-60 miles per hour (mph) in 4.4 seconds, covering the quarter mile in 12.9 seconds as certified by the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA). 

“The new 2018 Dodge Durango SRT is America’s fastest, most powerful and most capable three-row SUV,” said Tim Kuniskis, Head of Passenger Cars Brands, Dodge, SRT, Chrysler and FIAT – FCA North America. “This is what you get, when you take everything great about the Durango and combine it with the performance of the Charger SRT: a 12-second quarter mile, 8,700-pound-toy hauling, three-row muscle car.”

 

Vehicles will start arriving in Dodge dealerships in the fourth quarter of 2017 with a U.S. Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $62,995 (excluding $1,095 destination).

 

The new 2018 Dodge Durango SRT is loaded with standard performance features, including:

• Proven 392-cubic-inch HEMI V-8 delivers 475 horsepower and 470 lb.-ft. of torque and 4.4-second 0-60 mph times
• New performance-tuned AWD system helps the Durango SRT set world-class performance marks
• Standard TorqueFlite eight-speed automatic transmission specifically calibrated for the Dodge Durango SRT to optimize shift points and deliver maximum torque to all four wheels
• Massive new Brembo high-performance six-piston (front) and four-piston (rear) calipers and vented rotors at all four corners, measuring 15 inches (front-slotted) and 13.8 inches (rear)
• Bilstein active-damping high-performance suspension
• 20 in. x 10 in. Goliath wheel with Low Gloss Black Noise finish
• New Pirelli 295/45ZR20 Scorpion Verde all-season tires or available Pirelli P Zero three-season tires
• New widebody exterior brings the Durango SRT together as a true performance SUV
• Newly designed SRT hood with a functional cold-air duct and heat extractors to cool the engine and improve overall performance
• New front fascia and lower valence to house new cold-air duct and LED fog lamps
• New performance AWD badging on liftgate
• New interior appointments including SRT flat-bottom performance steering wheel with SRT paddle shifters, heated and ventilated front and heated second-row captain’s chairs with embroidered SRT logos
• New driver-oriented electronic T-shifter, standard on all 2018 Durango models, provides the driver with intuitive gear selection and offers an Auto Stick selector gate for added control
• Premium velour-bound floor mats with embroidered SRT logo
• New SRT rear body-color lower fascia with Gloss Black accent surrounds the 4-inch dual round exhaust tips finished in Nickel Chrome
• New 180-mph speedometer
• New SRT seven-mode drive system gives the driver the ability to precisely adjust drive settings to maximize performance or comfort
• New Sport Mode reduces shift times by up to 50 percent versus Auto Mode and delivers up to 65 percent of the 392 HEMI engine’s torque to the rear wheels
• New Track Mode delivers maximum performance track driving with 160-millisecond shifts and up to 70 percent of engine torque to the rear wheels for the most pronounced rear-wheel-drive experience
• Sophisticated Active Damping System opens and closes the Durango SRT’s suspension’s damper valves, according to which of the seven modes is chosen, giving the driver options for any driving style
• Stiffer front springs (3 percent), stiffer rear springs (16 percent) and stiffer rear sway bar (18 percent) give Durango SRT drivers outstanding high-speed cornering capability
• New exhaust system tuned to offer an unmistakably deep, high-performance Dodge SRT exhaust note modeled after the Dodge Charger SRT

Available options include 20 in. x 10 in. split-five spoke wheels with Low Gloss Black Noise finish, three-season tires, trailer tow, power sunroof, Demonic Red Laguna leather seating, rear DVD entertainment and technology group. Durango SRT also has an available premium interior, which includes suede-wrapped headliner and A-pillars, true carbon-fiber instrument panel and door bezels (late availability), and a hand-wrapped instrument panel with live black and silver accent stitch.

The 2018 Dodge Durango SRT is available in seven exterior colors, including B5 Blue (late availability), Billet Clear Coat, Bruiser Grey Clear Coat, DB Black Clear Coat, Granite Clear Coat, Octane Red Pearl Coat and White Knuckle Clear Coat.  

USA - The first all-new Honda Civic Type R to go under the hammer for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation.

• All auction proceeds benefit the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation
• Auction goes live at 
• www.bringatrailer.com/listing/2017-honda-civic-type-r-for-charity.com  on June 7
• 2017 Civic Type R to be first new production vehicle available for purchase on BringATrailer.com vintage and collector car auction site

The very first 2017 Honda Civic Type R in the world, Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) 01, will be auctioned online beginning June 7, with all proceeds benefitting the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. The Civic Type R is the fastest, most powerful Honda of all time produced for the U.S. and the first Honda Civic Type R to be sold in America. Enthusiasts eagerly anticipating the Civic Type R's arrival can visit http://bringatrailer.com/listing/2017-honda-civic-type-r-for-charity/ to bid1 on the exclusive model with the auction closing on June 15.

"The Civic Type R has long been forbidden fruit for enthusiasts in the U.S., so we thought it would be fun to offer one lucky customer a shot at owning the first of its kind in America while benefitting the leading nonprofit solely dedicated to finding a cure for childhood brain tumors, the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation," said Jeff Conrad, Senior Vice President, Automobile Division, American Honda Motor Co., Inc.

The first production 2017 Civic Type R will be the first new vehicle to be sold on the vintage and collector car auction site, Bring A Trailer. This first-ever Honda Civic Type R to be sold in America is the pinnacle fun-to-drive vehicle of the Honda brand and recently established itself as the fastest front-wheel-drive production car in the world, having set a record lap time of 7 minutes 43.80 seconds on Germany's 12.9-mile Nürburgring Nordschleife (north loop), more than three seconds faster than the previous record. Video of the new Civic Type R's record-setting lap can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibvMm8bVQXY.

The 2017 Civic Type R features the most powerful engine ever offered in a Honda production vehicle in America, a 306-horsepower 2.0-liter 16-valve DOHC direct-injected TURBO powerplant with i-VTEC® valvetrain mated to a short-shifting six-speed manual transmission. Type R's fully independent suspension with dual-axis strut front strut and Adaptive Dampers at all four corners can be controlled through three selectable driving modes – Comfort, Sport and +R. Additional design elements of the track-ready Type R include cross-drilled front brake discs squeezed by Brembo 4-pot calipers and a comprehensive aerodynamic package for outstanding high-speed stability and low drag.

The 2017 Civic Type R for the U.S. market will be produced exclusively in Honda's Swindon, UK plant. Its turbocharged engines will be produced in Anna, Ohio, Honda's largest automobile engine plant in in the world, using domestic and globally sourced parts.

Honda's Longtime Commitment to the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation

Honda is a longtime partner of the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation (PBTF). Since 1991, Honda has supported the organization through many efforts, including its quarter-century sponsorship of Ride for Kids (www.curethekids.org/events/ride-for-kids). This support has helped fund research to understand, diagnose and treat pediatric brain tumors, the top cause of cancer-related deaths in children. The PBTF is the world's largest nonprofit solely dedicated to funding childhood brain tumor research and caring for diagnosed families. Since 1991, it has funded more than $29 million in research to improve quality of life, increase survivorship and ultimately eliminate pediatric brain tumors.

All proceeds from the auction of Type R VIN 01 on Bring A Trailer will benefit the PBTF. More information about the PBTF's mission can be found at www.curethekids.org/mission.

To view and bid on the 2017 Honda Civic Type R VIN 1: http://bringatrailer.com/listing/2017-honda-civic-type-r-for-charity/

International jury names the Bugatti Chiron as the winner in the “Exterior Premium Brand - Luxury” category

• German Design Council honours the product design of the Bugatti brand
• International jury names the Bugatti Chiron as the winner in the “Exterior Premium Brand - Luxury” category

It has been officially confirmed. The world’s most powerful, fastest, most luxurious and most exclusive production super sports car has the best design in the world. In its "Automotive Brand Contest", the German Design Council honours outstanding product and communication design in the automotive industry every year. 

At this year’s awards ceremony, the Bugatti Chiron¹ was selected by the jury as the winner in the category “Exterior Premium Brand - Luxury.” This March, the Chiron celebrated its world debut in Geneva. The awards ceremony was held on the occasion of the Paris Motor Show.

In their citation, the international jury of independent experts explain their decision as follows: “The designers have succeeded in interpreting the Bugatti DNA in a modern way and adding new, distinctive features in line with the motto of “Form follows Performance”. These features became necessary as a result of the technical requirements posed by higher performance.” In the category of “Exterior Premium Brand - Luxury”, which takes a closer look at the exteriors of all vehicle classes under the aspect of elegant design, the Chiron convinced the jury.

“The Bugatti design team is extremely pleased about this award,” said Achim Anscheidt, Chief Designer of Bugatti, at the awards ceremony held in Paris on Thursday evening. “The stylistic challenge posed for us designers by the tension between Bugatti’s traditional brand DNA and the need to adapt the exterior design of the car to the technical requirements of this ultimate 1,500 PS super sports car was enormous. Honours like this and the extremely positive reaction of our customers and fans to the Chiron confirm that we adopted the right approach.“

The Automotive Brand Contest is held annually by the German Design Council. As the only impartial design competition for automobile brands, it has rapidly established itself as one of the world’s most important competitions in the industry. The German Design Council is one of the world’s leading competence centres for communications and know-how transfer in the design field. The association currently has more than 230 members. The German Design Council was established in 1953 at the initiative of the German Bundestag to strengthen the design competence of German industry.

The All-New Bugatti Chiron had it's Asian Unveiling at last weekends Singapore Formula One Grand Prix.

• Ceremonial unveiling of the world’s most powerful, fastest, most exclusive and most luxurious production super sports car in Singapore
• Bugatti partner in South-East Asia, Wearnes Automotive, invites customers to exclusive private appointments
• Fans admired the Chiron¹at the Formula 1 Grand Prix last weekend
• Singapore is Bugatti’s hub in South-East Asia

On its world tour, the Bugatti Chiron is now visiting South-East Asia. Following its debuts in Europe and North America, the world’s most powerful, fastest, most exclusive and most luxurious production super sports car was ceremonially unveiled in Singapore today. 

Over the past few days, Bugatti and Wearnes Automotive, Bugatti’s dealer in South-East Asia, had presented the Chiron to customers at exclusive private appointments. 

The French super sports car will also be on display this weekend at the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix. Singapore is Bugatti’s hub in South-East Asia. 

“With the presentation of the Chiron here in Singapore, Bugatti is honouring the special importance of the South-East Asia region for the brand,” said Dr. Stefan Brungs, Member of the Board of Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S. for Sales, Marketing and Customer Service. 

“Especially here in South-East Asia, there are a large number of super sports car collectors as well as Bugatti owners and brand ambassadors. Here, people show fantastic levels of appreciation and passion for groundbreaking performance and exclusive brilliance as well as enthusiasm for the Chiron. For us, it is a special pleasure to celebrate the premiere of the Chiron in South-East Asia with our highly esteemed customers and loyal fans who follow the Bugatti brand with such passion.”

“In Wearnes Automotive, we have a partner with the capabilities, the network and the passion we need to bring our business in South-Asia forward,” Brungs added. Wearnes Automotive has been the official dealer of Bugatti South-East Asia since 2006. The two partners recently agreed to continue this cooperation.

Pang Cheong Yan, Managing Director of the Prestige Division of Wearnes Automotive Pte Ltd, said: “Having officially renewed our dealership appointment with Bugatti, we are thrilled that the Bugatti Chiron has made its way to Singapore. It is truly the world’s most powerful, fastest, most luxurious and most exclusive production super sports car, and we are honoured to showcase the actual car for the very first time in Asia to an exclusive group of customers and guests here.”

For this special occasion, Bugatti and Wearnes Automotive have created a stylish and elegant Bugatti world in Singapore. In an ambience of Bugatti blue, not only the Chiron finds the perfect scenery. The presentation also focuses on exhibits and animations highlighting the extraordinary technical achievements and the elegant and aggressive design of the super sports car as well as the history of the brand.

This weekend, which will probably be the most eventful weekend in the Singapore calendar this year, the Chiron will be on show to fans and potential customers in the renowned Amber Lounge at the Singapore F1 Grand Prix. After that, the super sports car will be on display for a short time at the Bugatti Singapore showroom.

¹ Near-production vehicle without type approval – Directive 1999/94/EEC does not apply

The world’s lightest & fastest two-seat pure-electric sports car, the Detroit Electric SP:01 goes on sale in China.

• First production-specification Detroit Electric sports car rolls off the company’s UK assembly line
• Detroit Electric distributor for China, Jowett Motors, is presented with first vehicle
• Initial SP:01 will serve as a demonstrator vehicle for prospective customers

The first production-specification Detroit Electric sports car has rolled off the UK assembly line and has been exported to China, as the electric vehicle company’s expansion in Asia continues.

The first SP:01 pure electric vehicle was handed over to Detroit Electric’s new importer for China, Jowett Motors (Asia) Ltd, in a ceremony at the company’s main assembly plant in Leamington Spa, UK.

The white SP:01 was presented to Dr Richard Lee, Chairman of Jowett Motors, by Detroit Electric Head of Engineering, Ben Boycott. It will be used as a demonstrator vehicle to fulfil a stream of enquiries from prospective customers that followed the appointment of Jowett Motors last April and the appearance of the SP:01 at Auto Shanghai 2015.

This handover of the first SP:01 marks another major step forward in Detroit Electric’s continued expansion and investment in the Asian region, where the company hopes soon to announce the appointment of a distributor for Japan.

Commenting on the latest developments in Asia, Albert Lam, Chairman and CEO of Detroit Electric, said: “We are extremely proud to team up with Jowett Motors, a company that has an exceptional track record in the establishment and selling of exclusive, high performance sports cars in the Chinese market.

“Jowett Motors’ desire to join us as we prepare for full-scale production and sales of our upcoming range of pure electric vehicles is a huge endorsement of our products and brand, and a demonstration of their confidence in the progress we are making in Asia and around the world,” he added.

Jowett Motors’ owner and management team have been importing renowned sports car marques from Italy and Germany to China for over 23 years.  Dr Lee said at the handover: “We were honoured and excited to be selected as Detroit Electric importer for China and we are now delighted to receive the first production-specification SP:01. Our many potential customers in China have been looking forward with relish to this chance to experience the SP:01 close-up in our country.

“The new SP:01 sports car is a diamond and a collectable item in itself.  It has super car look and feel and, of course, it delivers supercar performance,” he added.

The Detroit Electric SP:01, the world’s lightest and fastest two-seat pure-electric sports car, goes on sale in Asia and Europe over the coming months. It promises blistering acceleration, reaching 60mph from standstill in just 3.7 seconds (0-100km/h in 3.9 seconds) and a sprint to an impressive top speed of 155mph (249km/h).

Featuring a 285HP / 210kW electric motor and carbon fibre body panels, the car is fitted with a single speed automatic transmission as standard, with the option of both twin-speed automatic and six-speed manual transmissions. The SP:01 is supplied with both hard and soft tops as standard. The battery in the SP:01 has been integrated into the chassis as a stressed member, adding stiffness to enhance handling and safety. The military grade, lightweight high density lithium battery is the most energy-dense automotive battery pack in the world, offering over 140Wh/kg, benefitting range while keeping overall vehicle weight low.

USA - Ford's Police Interceptor has the quickest acceleration & fastest lap times in Michigan, California Agency tests.

• Ford EcoBoost^® Police Sedan turns in fastest 0-60 mph and 0-100 mph acceleration times, fastest quarter-mile time, fastest top speed in the quarter mile and fastest average lap time for overall vehicles in Michigan State Police and Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department tests
• Ford EcoBoost Police Utility clocks fastest 0-60 mph and 0-100 mph acceleration times, fastest quarter-mile time, fastest top speed in the quarter mile and fastest average lap time for utility vehiclesinMichigan State Police and Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department tests
• 2.0-liter Special Service Police Sedan now “pursuit rated” by both Michigan State Police and Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department; tests faster than Crown Victoria Police Interceptor

New testing protocols adopted by the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department (LASD) last year and Michigan State Police (MSP) this year only underscored the performance dominance of Ford’s best-selling Police Interceptors. In the most recent tests performed by LASD and MSP of 2016 model-year vehicles, both the Ford EcoBoost^®Police Interceptor Sedan and the Ford EcoBoostPolice Interceptor Utility set records and beat out competitors.

“We are proud to maintain our performance advantages, and these validate Ford Police Interceptor leadership,” said Arie Groeneveld, Ford Police Interceptor chief engineer. “We love the bragging rights, but for these officers, best-in-class performance is a huge safety attribute. Pursuits that end quickly are more likely pursuits that end safely. This team is obsessed with officer safety.”

For the first time ever, both police agencies conducted testing with a “key on and drive” policy, meaning stability and traction control settings were in default mode, as when the vehicles are first turned on and how officers drive these vehicles in the real world. LASD began implementing the test protocol last year.

Ford EcoBoost Police Interceptor Sedan repeated its top performance in MSP and LASD testing of 2016 police vehicles, retaining its title as quickest-accelerating pursuit vehicle, and turned in faster lap times than all competitors.

The EcoBoost-powered Ford Police Interceptor Sedan bested all vehicles, including V8-equipped competitors’ sedans in testing by both Michigan and California authorities, while Ford Police Interceptor Utility with EcoBoost out-accelerated the competition’s newest V8-equipped utility and all base V6-powered sedans. 

Interestingly, the 2.0-liter EcoBoost Special Service Police Sedan test results showed the turbo four-cylinder to be quicker to 60 mph than the last Crown Victoria Police Interceptor tested by MSP for the 2011 model year (8.6 vs. 8.9 seconds).

Highlights of Test Results: Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department (LASD)

• Ford EcoBoost Interceptor Sedan repeats as best-in-class acceleration for overall pursuit vehicles (0-60 mph in 5.8 seconds vs. 6.6 seconds for the 5.7-liter Charger and 6.7 seconds for the 6.0-liter Chevrolet Caprice)
• EcoBoost Interceptor Utility repeats as best-in-class acceleration for utilities and repeats faster than all base V6 cars
• Ford 2.0-liter Special Service Police Sedan achieves 0-60 and 0-100 times faster than the 2011 Crown Victoria Police Interceptor

LASD Fontana/Auto Club Speedway High-Speed Pursuit Tests:

• Ford 2.0-liter Special Service Police Sedan passes 32-lap Fontana Vehicle Dynamics test, and for the first time will be in the LASD Vehicle Test book as a pursuit-rated vehicle
• 3.5-liter EcoBoost Interceptor Sedan repeats as best-in-class lap time and fastest average lap speed among all police vehicles tested
• 3.7-liter all-wheel-drive Interceptor Sedan achieves fastest lap and fastest average lap among base V6 police vehicles
• EcoBoost Interceptor Utility repeats as best-in-class lap time and fastest lap in utility segment
• Both the 3.7-liter and 3.5-liter EcoBoost Interceptor Utilities achieve faster average lap time than a competitor’s utility vehicle, having implemented a “Track Detect” automatic stability control mode, which reduces stability control intervention

Highlights of Test Results:Michigan State Police

• Ford EcoBoost Interceptor Sedan repeats as top acceleration for overall pursuit vehicles
• EcoBoost Interceptor Utility acceleration repeats as top acceleration for utilities and repeats as faster than all base V6 sedans
• Ford 2.0-liter Special Service Police Sedan achieves 0-60 and 0-100 times faster than the 2011 Crown Victoria Police Interceptor

Grattan Raceway (Belding, Michigan) Test Highlights:

• This is the first year all police vehicles were tested with stability control, traction control and engine mode systems full key-on as driven by officers in the real world
• Electronic stability control on agreement results in a 0.5-2.0-second decrease in competitor vehicle performance
• EcoBoost Interceptor Sedan is best-in-class lap time
• EcoBoost Interceptor Sedan achieves fastest lap and fastest average lap
• EcoBoost Interceptor Utility repeats as best-in-class lap time and fastest average lap speed in utility segment
• Even the 3.7-liter non-EcoBoost Interceptor Utility achieves faster lap time than a competitor’s V8-powered police utility vehicle
• 3.7-liter all-wheel-drive Interceptor Sedan achieves fastest lap and fastest average lap time among base V6 police vehicles
• Ford 2.0-liter Special Service Police Sedan passes 32-lap Grattan Vehicle Dynamics test, and for the first time will be in the MSP Vehicle Test book as a pursuit-rated vehicle