Lotus Evija and Lexus IS F renderings, Lexus LC convertible

Lotus Evija and Lexus IS F renderings, Lexus LC convertible

BAC Mono R, Nissan Juke rendering and current model, Mitsubishi Outlander rendering

BAC Mono R, Nissan Juke rendering and current model, Mitsubishi Outlander rendering

Lotus Evija

Lotus just unveiled production specs (yesterday) in London. The awd car will be the most powerful production car in the world, with 1972 hp. It is a full EV, with the electric powertrain developed with Williams Advanced Engineering of F1 fame.

Drive is supplied to each wheel through a combined motor and single-speed epicyclic transmission. Each motor will make up to 493 horsepower and will also add the ability to use aggressive and almost instant torque vectoring. Total torque output across the four motors is claimed to be 1254 lb-ft.

Built on a carbon-fiber tub, built by CPC in Modena, Italy. Car will weight around 3700 lb. 0-60 in less than 3 seconds, top speed well over 200 mph.

The battery has a capacity of 70.0 kilowatt-hours but can support output of up to 2000 kW. Using an ultrafast charger producing 350 kW, the Evija's battery will reach an 80 percent charge in 12 minutes and 100 percent in 18 minutes. Lotus is claiming 250 miles of range. Only 130 slated for production.

$2.1 million. Put down $310K for a placeholder. Not offered in the U.S!

2021 Lexus IS F

With the debut of the next-generation Lexus IS sedan scheduled for 2021, we hear that the IS F is making a comeback into the lineup.

The normal IS, which will share its platform with the Toyota Crown, will be slightly large than the current car and will come with a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-4 and a 2.5-liter hybrid, and an all-new 2.4-liter turbo engine that will replace the 3.5-liter V-6.

The IS F was discontinued in 2015, when the current-generation model was introduced. We hear that it will come powered by the 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 from the LS 500. That engine produces 416 horsepower and 442 lb.-ft. of torque and paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission.

The 2014 Lexus IS F was powered by a 5.0-liter V-8 with 416 hp and 371 lb.-ft. of torque. 8-speed transmission. 0-60 was 4.6 sec.

Also, as we reported months ago, Lexus was indeed planning on producing a convertible version of the LC luxury coupe. A test mule, wearing cool QR code camouflage, ran at Goodwood earlier this month.

The Mono R

Also at Goodwood was the Mono R. Based in Liverpool, England, BAC, maker of the Mono, unveiled an all-new iteration of the road-going single-seater called the Mono R. It’s lighter, more powerful than the first model.

The car has a new 2.5-liter engine, co-developed with Mountune, that produces 340 horsepower, 35 more than the "normal" Mono. This engine delivers 136 hp per liter, which is a new world record for a road-legal, naturally-aspirated car. The car only weighs 1223 lb., meaning that it is like an F1 car. 0-60 is 2.5 seconds.

The Mono R has a magnesium chassis and transmission components, a titanium floor, a carbon floor, and all-new carbon ceramic brakes which are surrounded by specially-homologated Pirelli Trofeo R tires.

Only 30 will be produced, and all of them are spoken for to original Mono owners.

Original Mono was about $150K. No info on cost of new one, but probably around $175K to $200K.

New Nissan Juke

According to Nissan Europe’s website, the new Juke will be revealed on Sept. 3. While they did not mention any specifics and just a weird detail of the headlight, here’s what we know.

Power units will be a 1.5-liter inline-4, a turbocharged 1.6-liter and an electric motor (e-POWER). The e-POWER will be equipped with an updated version of the new LEAF’s powerplant. 147 hp (40kW battery, 110 kW motor), 150-mile range. 214 hp (62kWh battery, 160 kW motor), 226-mile range.

Will come in FF and AWD. AWD will be powered by 1.6-liter turbo and e-POWER. There will probably be a NISMO version of the new Juke, like now.

2020 Mitsubishi Outlander

Mitsubishi moving its US offices from Cypress, Ca. to Franklin, Tennessee, to be next to Nissan.

New Outlander rumored to be based on the Engelberg Tourer concept the company showed in Geneva. The concept was a plug-in hybrid, so expect the new Outlander to continue with the plug-in theme. (Engelberg is a Swiss ski town).

Built on the Alliance platform, which it will probably share with the Nissan X-Trail.

Will be AWD, with electric motors powering the front and rear wheels, like now. It will also probably have the S-AWD and active yaw control system (AYC) to split the torque front to rear.

Toyota Sora and Mirai

With no real increase in hydrogen fuel stations, are fuel-cell vehicles (FCV) no longer pertinent? Toyota doesn’t seem to think so as it continues to devote itself to FCV technology. Case in point, the company launched the Sora FCV bus earlier this year.

Toyota will deliver 100 Sora buses, introduced last year, to the Tokyo area, just in time for the 2020 summer Olympics.

Sora is equipped with two FC stacks - 114 kW each that provide electricity for the two 113 kW AC synchronous electric motors. For the small drive battery, Toyota is still using NiMH.

We hear the next Mirai will no longer look like the oddly-designed vehicle you know of today, but will be built on the FR platform of the Crown sedan, which is Toyota’s new GA-L platform used on the LS and LC.

This means the next Mirai will probably produce more than the current 115 hp (114kW). Its single stack, unlike the bus. Perhaps a larger battery and motors to produce 150 to 200 hp.

Bentley EXP 100 GT

Earlier this month, Bentley celebrated its 100th anniversary by introducing the EXP 100 GT.

The EXP 100 GT is a battery-electric vehicle with four motors enabling torque vectoring to make the most of the system's peak torque output of 1100 lb-ft.

You need that much to make the 4188-lb. sedan run from 0-60 in 2.5 seconds. Top speed of 186 mph. A horsepower figure hasn't been given yet.

The claimed range is 435 miles, which comes from batteries that Bentley says are five times more energy-dense compared to what's available today. They can be charged to 80 percent full in just 15 minutes.

While it is just a concept, Bentley officials say that the ET 100 GT is a look at Bentley 15 years from now.

Lee Iacocca (Lido Anthony Iacocca).

Lee Iacocca, who died at 94 years old, on July 2, was one of the most powerful and best known people in the car industry.

Iacocca become closely associated with at least three iconic vehicles, including the Ford Mustang, the K-Car, and minivans. Known as father of the Mustang. Served as president of Ford from 1970 to 1978, then was fired and went to Chrysler, which probably would have went BK if it wasn’t for him.

Nissan Skyline

Nissan today unveiled a new Nissan Skyline, with updated styling and ProPILOT 2.0 technology – the world’s first driver assistance system to combine navigated highway driving with hands-off single-lane driving capabilities.

Podspeed #7 Photo Gallery

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