Limited-edition McLaren 620R

Limited-edition McLaren 620R

The McLaren 620R is a road-legal version of the McLaren 570S GT4 race car. Only 350 will be made and each will be powered by a 3.8-litre biturbo V8 with 620hp and 620Nm, making it the most powerful car in the McLaren Sports Series.

With aerodynamics of the 570S GT4, the car develops 185kg of downforce at 250kmh. Carbon ceramic brakes, centre locking wheels, low-exit stainless-steel sports exhaust, lowered suspension with wider track, and manually adjustable GT4 dampers are part of the package.

(Related: All-electric Aston Martin supercar debuts at Auto Shanghai 2019)

 

A bigger Mercedes-Benz GLA

The new Mercedes-Benz GLA is shorter but wider and taller than its predecessor. In fact, at 1,616mm, it is more than 100mm taller. Its wheelbase has grown by 30mm to 2,699mm.

It gets typical off-road styling cues, such as an upright front section, short overhangs and protective cladding all round. All-wheel-drive variants get downhill driving assist and an off-road animation in the media display.

The range-topping GLA35 is powered by a 2-litre turbo making 306hp regulated by an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission.

 

BMW Group to add Android Auto to cars next year

BMW Group will introduce Android Auto in its cars from the middle of next year. Android Auto will allow BMW owners to connect their Android smartphones wirelessly with their vehicles. Android Auto is said to be a simpler, safer way to use a smartphone in BMW vehicles, making it easy to access music, media and messaging apps.

 

Upgraded Jaguar I-Pace gets range and battery capacity boost

Jaguar has tweaked the electric I-Pace’s software to gain an additional 20km of real-world range. Enhancements are delivered through optimisation of battery management, thermal systems and all-wheel-drive torque improvements. The software upgrade, free to all I-Pace owners, will also add enhanced software-over-the-air functionality.

 

Ford to use McDonald’s coffee waste in car parts

Ford Motor and McDonald’s USA will soon be giving vehicles a caffeine boost. Coffee chaff – the dried skin of the bean – comes off during the roasting process. Chaff can be converted into a durable material to reinforce certain vehicle parts. By heating the chaff to high temperatures under low oxygen, mixing it with plastic and other additives and turning it into pellets, the material can be formed into various shapes.

The resulting components will be about 20 per cent lighter than those made from conventional materials, and require up to 25 per cent less energy during the moulding process.

 

This article was originally published in The Straits Times.

(Related: 3 new luxury cars from BMW, Lexus and Maserati to try out)