{also piping hot}
The Supra is beginning to look super:
The
Sleuth has been informed that the longexpected fifth generation of Toyota’s premium sports car is nearing completion and will likely be revealed in January at the 2019 North American International
Auto Show in Detroit, Mich. The rearwheel-drive Supra coupe will be built alongside the new BMW Z4 roadster at a plant in Graz, Austria. Common to both cars are the 260-horsepower turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder and 335-horsepower twin-turbo 3.0-litre V-6. Both engines will be linked to eight-speed automatic transmissions. A hybrid powertrain is reportedly in the Supra’s future a year or so following the car’s launch.
Land Rover makes a new Discovery:
The Sleuth’s sources have confirmed that the least expensive model in the off-road automaker’s lineup will receive significant changes for the 2020 model year. Along with growing in size, both overall and between the front and rear wheels, the Discovery’s basic architecture will be revised to accept a plug-in battery-electric powertrain (something all Land Rovers and Range Rovers will offer in the next few years). In the Discovery’s case, it will apparently consist of a 1.5-litre three-cylinder gasoline engine working in combination with two electric motors (one for each axle). Word has it the hybrid system will also be employed in the sleeker (and smaller) Range Rover Evoque. Details regarding electric-only range and pricing aren’t yet known, but it will likely be a few thousand dollars higher than the base turbocharged four-cylinder Discovery.
Ferrari will make a utility vehicle:
The Sleuth reports that one of the last holdouts in the global shift to tall wagons will finally build its own. Called the Purosangue (Italian for thoroughbred), the new all-wheel-drive model is expected to launch in late 2022 as a 2023 model. It will be equipped with a V-8 gasoline engine positioned just behind the front wheels (called a front-mid-engine design) in conjunction with an electric motor located over the rear axle. Although clearly meant to be a utility vehicle, the automaker’s top brass are refusing to describe the Purosangue as such. That might placate brand-loyal owners who might be horrified that such a vehicle would wear the same prancing-horse badge as the latest Ferrari 488 Pista or Portofino sports cars.
Cadillac readies another multi-row wagon:
The Sleuth’s crack team of snoops has spied what will be labeled the XT6. This seven- or eight-passenger (depending on the configuration) full-size utility model differs from the Escalade in that it’s based on an existing sedan platform and not a body-on-frame truck chassis. This will make it an ideal alternative to The Lexus RX L, Infiniti QX60 or 2019 Lincoln Aviator. Although the XT6 will use the same platform as the Buick Enclave and Chevrolet Traverse, its powertrain lineup will likely include a 335-horsepower 3.6-litre V-6 and optional Cadillac-exclusive twin-turbocharged 400-horsepower V-6. Naturally, all-wheel-drive will be standard, along with a full array of autonomous (self-driving) and dynamic safety technologies. The XT6 is expected to be revealed in early 2019 and go on sale shortly after as a 2020 model.