These are the winners of the 18th Michelin Challenge Design – Concours d’Elegance 2050 – Future Classic

  “The premise of a car being built in 2025 becoming a classic is extremely hard. You have to project in 2025 first something that would be that far out and then in 2050 becomes a classic. This challenge is unique,” Frank Saucedo, General Motors. Michelin Challenge Design competition “Michelin Concours d’Elegance 2050 – Future … Read more

The Terrafugia Transition, the world’s first practical flying car, is announcing new features

  Terrafugia presents updates for its two-seat auto and aircraft. As a single vehicle that can fly & drive, it’s designed to kick off the Mobility Revolution.   The first production flying vehicles by Terrafugia will come to market in 2019, announced the company at EAA AirVenture 2018 in Oshkosh. Terrafugia announced new features in … Read more

What it’s like to own and drive a Koenigsegg: Koenigsegg Ghost Squadron 2018

 

After two consecutive years in Scandinavia, Koenigsegg Ghost Squadron 2018, the Koenigsegg Owners Tour, was held in southern Germany – “the ancestral home of the Koenigsegg family,” as Koenigsegg’s team announced in a statement. The Swedish manufacturer of high-performance sports cars is based in Ängelholm, Skåne County, Sweden.

Koenigsegg ghost Squadron
Video and stills: Sebastian von Koenigsegg and Johan Bohlin. Photos by Keno Zache and Steven Wade. www.koenigsegg.com

 

As has become tradition, the supercar manufacturer produced a video of the weekend. The video offers images of some amazing cars snaking their way through the mountain roads of the Black Forest in Germany and interviews with some Koenigsegg’s customers who gave their thoughts on what it’s like to own and drive a Koenigsegg.

Ghost Squadron 2018 kicked off in Baden-Baden, 70kms west of Stuttgart. Guests and their cars assembled at the Brenners Park Hotel and Spa, a beautiful hotel and our base for the first two nights of the event.

“Our first duty of this event was to present the keys to Thor and Väder to their lucky owners. The two Agera Final Edition cars made their public debut at Ghost Squadron 2018,” said Koenigsegg.

The goal, as always for this event, is to have fun and build friendships within the wider Koenigsegg family. The event is open to all Koenigsegg customers world-wide and while timing and logistics prevent many owners from attending, the 2018 turnout was fantastic with 16 Koenigseggs present and a handful of future customers driving other vehicles as part of an extended fleet.

The largest ever gathering of the Koenigsegg family – 19 cars, took place in 2017 in Sweden. Starting in Malmö, the fleet toured the southern Swedish countryside, including a stop at a wet Ring Knutstorp. The first ever customer, Stephan, who still owns and drives his Koenigsegg CCR today, is also starring in the event video.

The Koenigsegg Regera and Agera FE ‘Thor’ both participated in the hillclimb at the 2018 Goodwood Festival of Speed
The Koenigsegg Regera and Agera FE ‘Thor’ both participated in the hillclimb at the 2018 Goodwood Festival of Speed; koenigsegg.com

Koenigsegg at Goodwood Festival of Speed 2018

Koenigsegg’s factory involvement in this year’s show included three vehicles – two Agera FE models and one Regera.

Fresh from their debuts at the Ghost Squadron event in Germany one week earlier, the Koenigsegg Regera and Agera FE ‘Thor’ were both part of the Michelin Supercar grouping that completed two runs per day up the Goodwood hillclimb circuit. These two cars split the event, with Thor running Thursday and Friday, and the Regera running on the weekend.

Koenigsegg ghost Squadron 2018 - 003
Video and stills: Sebastian von Koenigsegg and Johan Bohlin. Photos by Keno Zache and Steven Wade. www.koenigsegg.com
Koenigsegg ghost Squadron 2018 - 004
Video and stills: Sebastian von Koenigsegg and Johan Bohlin. Photos by Keno Zache and Steven Wade. www.koenigsegg.com
Koenigsegg ghost Squadron 2018 - 002
Video and stills: Sebastian von Koenigsegg and Johan Bohlin. Photos by Keno Zache and Steven Wade. www.koenigsegg.com

On 1 October 2017, an Agera RS set an unofficial record for 0–400–0 km/h (0–249–0 mph) with a time of  36.44 seconds. The record was set at the Vandel Airfield in Denmark and broke the record of 42 seconds. The Agera RS broke the previous record set by the Bugatti Chiron a few weeks earlier.

On 4 November 2017, an Agera RS set a new record for the world’s fastest production car with an average speed of 446.97 km/h (277.73 mph). The record breaking run was done on a closed 11 mi (18 km) section of Nevada State Route 160 in Pahrump, Nevada, United States. On the same day they also beat their own 0– 400–0 km/h record they set a few weeks prior (33.29 seconds compared to the old record of 36.44 seconds).

Koenigsegg ghost Squadron 2018 - presenting the keys to Thor and Väder to their lucky owners
Video and stills: Sebastian von Koenigsegg and Johan Bohlin. Photos by Keno Zache and Steven Wade. www.koenigsegg.com
Koenigsegg ghost Squadron 2018 - 007
Video and stills: Sebastian von Koenigsegg and Johan Bohlin. Photos by Keno Zache and Steven Wade. www.koenigsegg.com
Koenigsegg ghost Squadron 2018 - 006
Video and stills: Sebastian von Koenigsegg and Johan Bohlin. Photos by Keno Zache and Steven Wade. www.koenigsegg.com
Koenigsegg ghost Squadron 2018 - 001
Video and stills: Sebastian von Koenigsegg and Johan Bohlin. Photos by Keno Zache and Steven Wade. www.koenigsegg.com
Koenigsegg ghost Squadron 2018 - 005
Video and stills: Sebastian von Koenigsegg and Johan Bohlin. Photos by Keno Zache and Steven Wade. www.koenigsegg.com
Koenigsegg ghost Squadron 2018 - 004
Video and stills: Sebastian von Koenigsegg and Johan Bohlin. Photos by Keno Zache and Steven Wade. www.koenigsegg.com

 

Huracán Super Trofeo Evo 10th Edition celebrates Lamborghini’s achievement in customer racing

  Motorsport allows Lamborghini to perfect the supercars, which in turn is the basis of the racing cars of the future. “They are two spirals that intertwine indissolubly to form the Lamborghini DNA,” says Maurizio Reggiani, Automobili Lamborghini Chief Technical Officer. Lamborghini, the Italian brand and manufacturer of luxury sports cars and SUVs based in … Read more

Bugatti is giving occupants of the Chiron a clear view of the sky

  Sky View – Bugatti is unveiling Glass Roof For the Chiron. Bugatti customers can now order their new Chiron with the “Sky View” option and enjoy air and sunlight from above. Bugatti plans to give occupants of the Chiron a clear view of the sky at the Monterey Car Week in California at the … Read more

Audi Q8 preview: ‘A vehicle born to impress’

“Full-size Audi SUV in coupe design”

Dynamic, highly efficient and extremely comfortable: The new Audi Q8 combines the spaciousness typical of an SUV with the emotional lines of a coupe. The concept car is the basis fo the production model that Audi is now launching on the market.

Audi presented the Audi Q8 concept at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in 2017. With this model the premium manufacturer is tapping into a new segment for the full-size class – an elegant alternative to the robust presence of a classic sport utility vehicle. The Q8 concept stands for maximum prestige. Propulsion is provided by a powerful, yet highly efficient plug-in hybrid with 330 kW of system output and 700 Nm (516.3 lb-ft) of torque.

audi Q8 launch 2017
photo: audi.com/

 


Powered by Guardian.co.ukThis article titled “Audi Q8 preview: ‘A vehicle born to impress’” was written by Martin Love, for The Observer on Sunday 22nd July 2018 05.00 UTC

Audi Q8
Price TBC but expect to pay £70,000
Engine 3-litre V6 diesel
Top speed 144mph

Next month sees Audi launch the latest model in its ever-expanding line-up: the Q8. Don’t presume that just because it has the largest number in the range it also sits at the apex of the Audi pyramid. It is actually slightly smaller than the mighty Q7. It is also hard to pinpoint exactly what the Q8 is for. It’s a weird blend of a coupé and SUV. Who knew that was something we needed?

It follows hard on the heels of the equally pointless and fabulously fashion-conscious Mercedes GLE Coupé, Range Rover Velar and BMW X6 (automotive proof that class and cash can be mutually exclusive).

Final prices and specs for the Q8 have yet to be confirmed, but it is estimated that despite being smaller than the Q7 and only offering five seats as opposed to the Q7’s useful seven, you will pay a lot more. It’s hardly the practical choice, but then this car is about everything except practicality. It’s a vehicle made to be impressive. One look at the vast ‘single frame’ grille will convince you of that.

Lurking behind it is an equally huge engine. Badged the 50 TDi, the 282bhp 3-litre V6 is an all-wheel drive, eight-speed brute. Driver tech is abundant, as it always is with Audi. And the interior is a paean to luxury motoring and unconditional coddling. Maybe it’s not quite so pointless after all.

Email Martin at martin.love@observer.co.uk or follow him on Twitter @MartinLove166

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