CARSCOOPS

Volkswagen Set To Become 'More Emotional' With E-Mobility Roll-Out
Skoda In 'No Rush' To Enter The U.S. Market
BMW's 'The Escape' Looks Intense In New Trailer
RenaultSport Rules Out Potent RS-Branded SUVs
Next Skoda Yeti Taking Design Inspiration From Kodiaq
Five Turbocharged V8 Ferraris That Preceeded The GTC4 Lusso T
Neidfaktor Trims The Porsche 911 GT3 RS Inside And Out
U Spy: Volvo's Full New 90 Series Spotted On American Roads
Volvo P90 Is A Modern Day El Camino From Sweden
Make Your BMW X5 More Aggressive With TopCar And Lumma
First Drive: Nissan Sentra SR Turbo Is About Managing Expectations
All-New Hyundai i30 Rendered As A 'Sport' Model
Mercedes GLE 350d Coupe Tuned By Chrometec To 300 PS, 700 Nm
Beautifully Restored Porsche 993 Turbo Is A Sight To Behold
Tesla Model S Crashes Into Gym; Driver Blames The Car, Tesla Says Otherwise
Mercedes SLR McLaren Goes All Darth Vader On Us - And We Like Her
Jaguar F-Pace SVR Let Loose On The Nurburgring
Ford Enters 5.0-liter V8 Mustang In Eco-Driving Contest

Volkswagen Set To Become 'More Emotional' With E-Mobility Roll-Out

Posted: 03 Oct 2016 04:30 AM PDT

One year after the Dieselgate, Volkswagen is rolling out a new brand strategy alongside its future range of electric vehicles.
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Skoda In 'No Rush' To Enter The U.S. Market

Posted: 03 Oct 2016 04:03 AM PDT

Skoda is in no rush to launch in the U.S. market, despite its ongoing expansion and introduction of new models.
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BMW's 'The Escape' Looks Intense In New Trailer

Posted: 03 Oct 2016 12:08 AM PDT

BMW Films has just released the latest trailer for its upcoming short film 'The Escape' and it seems to be packing more action that we could have ever wished for.
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RenaultSport Rules Out Potent RS-Branded SUVs

Posted: 02 Oct 2016 11:02 PM PDT

A source close to RenaultSport claims that the French firm's performance division has ruled out any possible RS-branded SUV models.
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Next Skoda Yeti Taking Design Inspiration From Kodiaq

Posted: 02 Oct 2016 10:04 PM PDT

The next-generation Skoda Yeti is set to take design inspiration from the recently-launched Kodiaq, according to design chief Jozef Kaban
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Five Turbocharged V8 Ferraris That Preceeded The GTC4 Lusso T

Posted: 02 Oct 2016 07:31 PM PDT

Ferrari rolled out the GTC4 Lusso T just a few days ago, packing a smaller engine and two fewer driven wheels than the range topping shooting brake. But it's not the first turbocharged Prancing Horse. Not by a long shot.

The House That Enzo Built introduced its first turbocharged engine back in 1981 for Gilles Villeneuve and Didier Pironi to drive in the Formula 1 World Championship, winning two races before taking back-to-back titles, and in the three and a half decades since, it has developed a succession of turbo V8 road cars available to customers.

Following a 22-year gap in Ferrari's turbo development, forced induction is now back in Maranello. And downsized though the engines may be, it's back in a big way. Scroll on down for a brief history of Ferrari's turbocharged V8 supercars.

208 GTB Turbo

Following the rollout of the 126CK with its turbocharged V6 the previous year, Ferrari extended its new forced-induction technology to the road with the introduction of the 208 GTB and GTS Turbo in 1982. The 208 was based on the 308 launched in 1975, which in turn replaced the six-cylinder Dino 246, and kicked off a string of mid-engined, eight-cylinder models that continues today with the 488. When local taxes heavily penalized cars with engines displacing more than two liters, Ferrari introduced the 208 version in 1980 with a downsized V8 that came in below the cap, but only produced 153 horsepower. With a single turbocharger, the factory increased output to 217, exceeding the cavallino-count of all previous versions save for the final Quattrovalvole version that debuted the same year.

When the 308 range was replaced by the updated 328 (pictured) at the end of '85, a new GTB Turbo and targa-topped GTS Turbo were offered, employing the same engine to produce 251 hp, coming within spitting distance of the naturally aspirated 3.2-liter V8 and its 270 hp.

288 GTO

More impressive (and more fondly remembered) was the 288 GTO. Widely regarded as the first of Ferrari's flagship supercars, the 288 was also based on the 308, but this time it applied two turbochargers (not just one) and to the larger 2.9-liter V8 engine. This time output rose to a massive 400 hp, helping the GTO sprint to 60 in five seconds flat. A later Evoluzione version was said to produce as much as 600 hp – unheard of at the time. Maranello developed and homologated the 288 to compete under the FIA's Group B regulations, but the class was unfortunately eliminated before the GTO ever got to compete.

F40

As disappointed as they must have been in Maranello at the Group B's demise, Ferrari used the 288 program as a starting point for what could be described as the most iconic of Ferrari supercars of all time: the legendary F40. It wore fresh bodywork fashioned from carbon, Kevlar, and aluminum, punctured by myriad NACA ducts and capped by that signature handlebar rear wing. But underneath was the same basic engine as the GTO, kicking out 471 hp – more than twice what the 208 GTB Turbo offered. Embraced by even the most ardent advocates of analog performance in a digital age, the twin-turbocharged F40 was ultimately succeeded by the naturally aspirated, twelve-cylinder F50.

California T

It would take 22 years for Ferrari to come out with another turbocharged model after the discontinuation of the F40 in 1992 until the launch of the California T in 2014, taking the very different form of a cabriolet with a folding hardtop. Replacing the California and its 4.3-liter atmospheric V8, the California T packed a slightly smaller unit displacing 3.9 liters, but still (like the F40) with eight cylinders and a pair of turbochargers. As a result, output increased significantly from 453 hp to 552 and even more impressively from 358 lb-ft of torque to 557. The six-speed manual option disappeared in the process, offering only the seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox that debuted on the California four years prior.

488 GTB

Evidently admiring its own work on the California T, Ferrari flipped the engine around and placed it in a revised version of the 458 Italia that it dubbed the 488 GTB. While it was at it, the engineers in Maranello also increased output to 661 hp and 561 lb-ft, eclipsing the California T and the F40 that was the last mid-engined turbocharged Ferrari before it. (With the arrival of the Spider version, the 488 became the first turbo Ferrari to offer multiple bodystyles since the GTB/GTS Turbo.) The result was a Fiorano lap time of 1:23 flat, making this the fastest eight-cylinder Ferrari ever to lap the company's on-site test track, coming in behind only the twelve-cylinder F12 Berlinetta, F12 TDF and LaFerrari.

GTC4 Lusso T

Where the California T and 488 replaced (relatively) larger V8s with smaller turbocharged ones, the GTC4 Lusso T has stripped away far more. In its latest form, Maranello's largest model does away with the top version's innovative all-wheel drive system, drops four cylinders and gives up 2.4 liters of displacement – enough to power a small family car – and seeks to replace them with a pair of turbochargers. That same award-winning 3.9-liter V8 here produces 602 hp and 561 lb-ft of torque, splitting the difference between the versions found in the California T and 488, giving up just 79 hp compared to the twelve-cylinder GTC4 Lusso, but gaining 47 lb-ft of torque to compensate.

As a result, it's said to lose just 0.1 seconds off the V12 model's 0-60 time, which is as solid a case for downsizing and turbocharging as we've ever seen. Those more enamored of unadultered V12 power, though, will take solace in knowing that the F12 and its successors are slated to stick with twelve naturally aspirated cylinders for as long as Ferrari can hold on.

Neidfaktor Trims The Porsche 911 GT3 RS Inside And Out

Posted: 02 Oct 2016 06:32 PM PDT

As the 918 Spyder is no longer produced, the 911 GT3 RS is arguably the most hardcore road car currently made by Porsche. Nevertheless, German company Neidfaktor thought it could make it a bit better and decided to customize two stunning examples.
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U Spy: Volvo's Full New 90 Series Spotted On American Roads

Posted: 02 Oct 2016 05:41 PM PDT

Volvo has by now rolled out its entire new 90 series. But while some of the new models have already been made available, it will still be a while before we see the full range roaming American roads. That's just what we're looking at here, though.
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Volvo P90 Is A Modern Day El Camino From Sweden

Posted: 02 Oct 2016 04:24 PM PDT

Ever since the V90 Cross Country broke cover a couple of weeks ago, we've seen it inspire other vehicles from Volvo's lineup, in different renderings.
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Make Your BMW X5 More Aggressive With TopCar And Lumma

Posted: 02 Oct 2016 03:28 PM PDT

Aside from a mean-looking front-end, the standard BMW X5 is your regular Sports Activity Vehicle that doesn't necessarily stand out from the crowd.
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First Drive: Nissan Sentra SR Turbo Is About Managing Expectations

Posted: 02 Oct 2016 11:18 PM PDT

The best thing you can really say about the Nissan Sentra is that it's good value. As these compact sedans get more grown up and feature-laden, the Sentra is a decent amount of car for the $20,000 range.
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All-New Hyundai i30 Rendered As A 'Sport' Model

Posted: 02 Oct 2016 12:50 PM PDT

As was the case with the first-generation i30, Hyundai could be yet again tempted to sell a sportier-looking version of their all-new C-segment car.
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Mercedes GLE 350d Coupe Tuned By Chrometec To 300 PS, 700 Nm

Posted: 02 Oct 2016 11:08 AM PDT

Compared to its rivals, the GLE Coupe's aesthetics aren't as much aggressive as they are imposing. This is one reason the model is slowly becoming a favorite among tuners.
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Beautifully Restored Porsche 993 Turbo Is A Sight To Behold

Posted: 02 Oct 2016 09:55 AM PDT

What could possibly be better than a brand new Porsche 911? Well, a 991 Turbo, from the 993 generation, freshly restored, would make for a pretty good candidate.
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Tesla Model S Crashes Into Gym; Driver Blames The Car, Tesla Says Otherwise

Posted: 02 Oct 2016 10:05 PM PDT

Remember the Tesla Model X that purportedly accelerated on its own back in June and crashed into building? Well, it seems that another accident is mirroring that one, only this time it involves a Model S.
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Mercedes SLR McLaren Goes All Darth Vader On Us - And We Like Her

Posted: 02 Oct 2016 07:07 AM PDT

The current Mercedes-AMG GT has its roots deeply embedded into the SLS AMG and SLR McLaren, but the truth is that these two belonged in a different league.
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