Welcome to the Hooniverse News! As always, this is a weekly recap of some of the biggest stories in the automotive industry without the fluff or bull. There’s also just a little opinion of mine because I can. This week:
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BMW shows off a little bit more of the new 8 Series in testing
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Land Rover is building a two-door Range Rover
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Alfa Romeo 6C rumored for 2020 debut
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Groupe PSA sets up American HQ in Atlanta
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What’s your automotive news?
BMW 8 Series development update
BMW has completed a series of endurance tests for the all-new 8 Series at a high-speed proving ground in Aprilia, Italy as they inch closer to its launch date. The main goal of the testing was to harmonize all drive and suspension systems and further develop its #dynamism. When the final product hits the road later this year, we can expect a sports car that “offers maximum agility and precision in highly dynamic situations” while being as advanced and comfortable as its richest customers demand. And we’re not even talking about the M8 yet.
In addition to a short video which lets us briefly hear its V8 snarl for the first time, we also get more shots of this thing in action. While still heavily camouflaged, it’s clear the production 8 Series will closely resemble the concept as we had thought.
Of course, the best glimpse yet of the new car will be racing in the Rolex 24 at Daytona this weekend. Which is all I can think about right now as I head that way the morning this goes live.
[Source: BMW]
Land Rover is getting into 2-door Rovers again
Speaking of news that doesn’t affect us in any way, Land Rover has been developing a two-door Range Rover SV Coupe as a special edition throwback to the two-door trucks they launched the brand with. And no, it isn’t also revisiting old school British quality control either – the mismatched leather is intentional. Only 999 of these will be built and all of them will be hand-assembled at their SV Technical Centre, which is good because we have less of a chance of being exposed to a yet another real “SUV Coupe”. It debuts at the Geneva Motor Show.
[Source: Land Rover]
Alfa Romeo reportedly considering 6C
Alfa Romeo is working on a new 6C coupe according to a tip Autocar received from a German tuning company. Pogeo Racing told Autocar they were closely involved with the new sports car’s development and that we could see it on the road within two years. Alfa Romeo’s official response was that it was speculation, but did not rule out a new sports car. They also announced they’re looking for a new tuning partner (they actually didn’t, but I can only assume they will).
As with its predecessors, we can safely assume the name refers to the number of cylinders under the hood. The only noteworthy six-cylinder engine they have right now is the 2.9-liter twin-turbocharged V6 with 505 horsepower, as seen in the Giulia Quadrifoglio. Things could change a lot in two years and the thought of another Alfa Romeo sports car is sure to make that wait unbearable. This is a story I’ll definitely be following.
[Source: Alfa Romeo via Autocar]
Groupe PSA to set up American HQ in Atlanta
Groupe PSA, parent company of Peugeot, Citroen, and now Opel and Vauxhall, is setting up shop on our shores with a new North American HQ in Atlanta. The decision was just publicly announced a few days ago and even this Atlanta boi was surprised by the news.
Groupe PSA says the decision came after a “yearlong, nationwide search to find the optimal balance of business environment, standard of living, and workforce” – and maybe the biggest tax break. They will join Porsche and Mercedes-Benz in setting up operations within this great city. Atlanta is rapidly becoming a global automotive hub and it’s so exciting.
The HQ will be operational by next month and will spearhead their entry into the North American market. The planned rollout spans a ten year period, but there’s no word yet on exactly how soon we can start buying PSA products here.
[Source: Groupe PSA]
What’s your automotive news?
That’s all I’ve got for you this week, so now it’s your turn. If you saw anything, fixed something, broke everything, or otherwise did anything even remotely car related that you want to share with your fellow hoon, sound off in the comments.
And if you’re heading to the Rolex 24 at Daytona this weekend, follow me/us at gregckach and therealhooniverse on Instagram for live-ish updates. If you find me, I’ll share my moonshine.
Have a good weekend.
[Image © 2018 Hooniverse/Greg Kachadurian]
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