The News for August 15th, 2014

McCalls_Toyota_FT1_002 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. I just throw in a little opinion of mine because I can. This week:

  • The Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat is real(ly awesome)

  • Range Rover builds world’s fastest SUV because reasons

  • Toyota reveals second FT-1 concept

  • Jaguar shows off the F-Type Project 7 in U.S. spec with a price

  • Volvo gives us a glimpse of the new XC90’s face

  • Bentley prices the Continental GT3-R

  • Dodge to race the Challenger in Trans Am

Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat

chargerhellcat1 It’s almost as if the guys at Dodge have some sort of psychic connection into the minds of people like us. When they got done revealing the Challenger SRT Hellcat, what is now the most powerful muscle car to ever hit production, they peered into our minds and heard us as we wondered “what would the Hellcat V8 be like in another car, like the Charger?” “Eh, why not”, thought Dodge.  “We’ve already developed the most powerful production V8 in existence, what’s stopping us from putting it in everything we build?” Which brings me to this – the Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat. If you’ve been following this weekly news thing I do, the name “Hellcat” is enough to tell you everything you need to know about this car, or any car that ends up bearing the name. For those who don’t know yet, Hellcat is what Dodge calls their new 6.2-liter supercharged V8 which was first revealed in the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat a few months ago. Any car privileged enough to have the Hellcat V8 crammed under its hood will benefit from the 707 horsepower and 650 lb.-ft. of torque it has to offer, and the Charger is no different. Power gets sent to the rear wheels through an eight-speed automatic (the same one in the Challenger) – no word of a manual being offered. 0-60 mph takes just 3.7 seconds, a 1/4 mile goes by in eleven seconds, and its top speed is rated at an astonishing 204 mph. chargerhellcat2 That ridiculous power output puts it well ahead of other four-door super sedans, like the Cadillac CTS-V, BMW M5, Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG, and Audi RS6. Of course, those other super sedans also have a focus for handling to match their power, but Dodge claims to have focused on that as well. A “beefed up” suspension and 15.4-inch brake discs with six-piston Brembo calipers might do the trick. You can visually distinguish the Charger SRT Hellcat by its revised front end, which features a larger intake and hood scoops, as well as its twenty-inch wheels and the special Hellcat badging. Also, if you see a Charger that’s engulfed in tire smoke, it’s definitely a Hellcat. The 2015 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat will go on sale Q1 of next year. No pricing is available yet, but for reference, the Challenger SRT Hellcat starts at about $60,000. [Source: Dodge via Autoweek]

Range Rover Sport SVR

RRS_15SVR_EXT_LOC08_21_INCH_WHEEL_LowRes Keeping with the theme of performance, we now move on to… Land Rover? Yep, because they’ve got a new Range Rover that will blow the doors off any other SUV, according to them. The 2015 Range Rover Sport SVR is a Rangie that rebelled against its off-roading ancestors and ran away from home to join its sports car friends on the Nürburgring. After many months of testing and fine-tuning, the Range Rover Sport SVR ended up posting a lap time of 8:14, which nudges it ahead of every other SUV on the planet. It accomplishes this with a heart of gold – a familiar 5.0-liter supercharged V8 producing 550 horsepower and 520 lb.-ft. of torque, making this the most powerful Land Rover ever. Power is sent to all four wheels through an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission and it’s tamed by its 50/50 torque split, fully independent aluminum suspension, and its optional sticky tires over twenty-two inch wheels that help it grip in any weather condition. The SVR also uses an aluminum monocoque which increases rigidity and reduces weight. 0-60 mph takes just 4.5 seconds and will top out at 162 mph. RRS_15SVR_INT_LOC02_LowRes The exterior and interior both reflect its sporting personality, with more body work hanging off the front to channel air where it’s supposed to go and sport bucket seats inside. Yet despite the SVR’s rebellious nature, it can still do what its ancestors do best, which is take you so far into the wilderness that you lose cell service. It has a two-speed transfer case with a low range option, height-adjustable air suspension, and a Wade Sensing system, which uses photo recognition synced up to an NSA database to help you find or avoid anyone named Wade (it provides depth info when driving through water). The Range Rover Sport SVR will go on sale early next year. [Source: Jaguar Land Rover]

Second Toyota FT-1 Concept

McCalls_Toyota_FT1_003 It seems that lately Toyota has been taking their concept cars very seriously. The series of concepts under the FT-86 name ended up making it to production as the awesome GT-86/FR-S and even some of Lexus’s concepts have been given the green light for production. Toyota’s latest concept is the FT-1 which was revealed earlier this year and has been winning the hearts of enthusiasts ever since. This week, at no place else but Pebble Beach, Toyota double-downed on the FT with a second concept car. It’s time for it to win our hearts again. All in all, not that much has actually changed about the car in terms of its shape or its mechanical goodness. The only purpose this second concept serves is to show the world what an upscale FT-1 could look like. Whereas the first concept was bright red with a black racing-inspired interior, this second concept is a more elegant graphite on the outside and a classy saddle brown on the inside. The quick changes are designed to transform the car’s image and show that its versatility by being both a fine-tuned track weapon and an elegant boulevard star. McCalls_Toyota_FT1_016 This hoon at least thinks it worked. I’ve loved this car since its first debut, and now that we can see it in another color, I love it more. It’s been said that the FT-1 is a preview of the new Supra or whatever new joint sports car they’re developing with BMW. Either way, the day this gets approved for production is the day I start saving up for a Toyota (as amazing as that sounds). ft1racing In other FT-1 news, Toyota has also revealed a new [digital] racing version of the FT-1 exclusively for Gran Turismo. It looks kind of awesome. This graphite FT-1 and the racing version will be available to download for free on Gran Turismo 6 in September. [Source: Toyota, Gran Turismo]

Jaguar F-Type Project 7 in U.S. spec

USproject7 At this point I’m honestly just looking for a reason to feature the Jaguar F-Type Project 7 again, and it being shown at Pebble Beach in U.S. specification with extra power and a price tag is good enough for me. So here it is… the America-version of the F-Type Project 7. It looks the same as the others we’ve seen, which is to say it looks incredible. During the car’s trip across the Atlantic, it managed to gain a bit of horsepower as well with a new total of 575 horsepower. The transmission of choice is still an eight-speed automatic and power is sent nowhere but to the rear wheels. 0-60 mph takes about 3.8 seconds according to Jaguar’s estimates and the top speed is still limited to 186 mph (boooo). American pricing for the Project 7 is set at $165,925. Only 250 will ever be made. [Source: Jaguar via Motor Trend]

Volvo XC90 teased (again)

XC90loveslamp There’s a chance that this will be the final teaser Volvo gives us before the all-new Volvo XC90 is actually revealed at the Paris Motor Show in two weeks. Volvo’s relentless teaser fest has shown us the interior, its bare chassis, and its engines. This is the first teaser which gives us an idea of how its sheet metal is being rearranged. Compared to the current XC90, which has been on sale in the same form for over ten years, it looks like it will be much more sculpted and elegant compared to the dinosaur it replaces. Its LED headlamp design looks cool… and, umm… it looks cool. When we eventually see the whole thing I’ll definitely cover it here. Unless it ends up being crap. [Source: Volvo]

Blips

JL8_9049_2 Remember that Bentley Continental GT3-R I covered a few weeks ago? Basically a Rodeo Drive cruiser in its expensive designer track suit. Well this week Bentley announced pricing info, and it’s a very expensive designer track suit indeed with prices starting at $337,000. Only 300 will ever be produced of which 99 are headed to the U.S. Deliveries start early 2015. [Source: Bentley] challengerTA SRT will be entering the newly update Challenger into the Trans Am racing series next season. The official debut will take place this weekend at Mid-Ohio along with Miller Racing who will field two cars – one driven by the legendary Tommy Kendall and the other driven by the also successful Cameron Lawrence. More details will be available after the official debut, but it already looks awesome. [Source: Dodge via Autoweek] Renovo Coupe-6 Renovo Coupe Makes Its All-Electric Boogaloo Debut. Based in Silicon Valley, Renovo Motors is jumping into the Pebble Beach action with a headline grabbing machine. It’s called the Renovo Coupe, and it’s essentially a Shelby Daytona Coupe on the outside. Under the skin, however, sits a pair of electric motors that produce 500 horsepower and 1,000 pound-feet of torque. That’s good for a 0-60 mph blast of just 3.4 seconds, and a driving range of just 100 miles. Using a quick charge system, the car will be good to go in just 30 minutes. No word on pricing at the moment, but the company says deliveries will begin in early 2015.

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