Final front-engine ’Vette will be a stunner
The last of the front-engine Corvettes:: Your Dedicated Spymaster is blown away by the news that the oft-touted ZR1 Corvette is a real thing and will arrive in early 2018 as a 2019 model. It will also mark the final bow for the frontengine sports car before the switch is made to a mid-engine placement (behind the cockpit and ahead of the rear wheels). The ZR1 will be fitted with a 755-horsepower supercharged LT5-designated V-8 engine. Physically, the car will come with a unique grille and hood, along with a carbon-fibre roof and large rear wing that can provide hundreds of kilograms of downforce. There’s no word on pricing, but The Sleuth expects this low-volume Corvette to sticker in the $140,000 range in Canada. Lamborghini readies a serious SUV: Since other automakers are having huge sales success with utility vehicles, Lamborghini’s bottom line is about to get a whole lot greener. A camouflaged version of the 2018 Urus utility vehicle has been spotted performing stunts in what appears to be somewhere in the Sahara Desert. Among the few known facts about the Urus is that a twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V-8 will send up to 650 horsepower to all four wheels. It will also be capable of a 300 km/h) top speed, over pavement, presumably. The Urus’s operational modes include Strada (street), Sport, Corsa (track), Sabbia (sand), Terra (dirt) and Neve (snow). A price tag north of $150,000 US is expected. Mercedes-Benz fans could soon get an “A”: The Sleuth has reported that the Stuttgart, Germany-based automaker was considering selling the new A Class in North American. Sources indicate that, after a recent meeting with M-B’s North American dealer group, it’s likely the car will arrive in dealer showrooms for the 2019 model year. The A Class will be built on a new front-wheel-drive platform that will support other smaller models. It will also be propelled by a new turbocharged four-cylinder engine that’s linked to a paddle-shift automatic transmission. Although the hatchback version won’t be sold here, the sedan will be, followed by a utility vehicle. A sportier AMG model with 400 horsepower on tap is in the works. The Silverado goes trucking anew for 2019: The Sleuth is looking forward to a significant redesign of Chevrolet’s light-duty pickup that will likely break in early 2018 as a 2019 model. The automaker has been trying to match or overtake the class-leading F-150, but Ford’s aluminum-bodied hauler remains solidly in front. Among the expected changes is a new frontend design, a completely redesigned interior and, perhaps as an homage to the F-150, a number of aluminum body panels. All V-6 and V-8 powerplants are expected to have 10-speed automatic transmissions. There is also a strong possibility that the recently revealed 450-horsepower Silverado 1500 Performance Concept truck — a possible F-150 Raptor fighter — is also productionbound. An electric supercar from Tesla: The Sleuth was shocked (no pun intended) when Tesla supreme leader Elon Musk unveiled an allnew 2+2 roadster at a launch event for his company’s big-rig truck. The all-wheel-drive two-seater uses three electric motors (one for the front wheels and one for each rear wheel) and will reportedly accelerate to 100 km/h from rest in 1.9 seconds, hit 160 km/h in 4.2 seconds and breach the quarter-mile mark in 8.9 seconds (much quicker than a Dodge Challenger Demon). That easily makes it the world’s quickest production car. Musk also claims that the Roadster’s range is (about 1,000 kilometres on a full charge. Initial pricing will start at $250,000 US for the 1,000 “Founders series” versions, but drops to $200,000 US following the 2020 model-year launch. Predictions for the automobile’s future: Fifteen to 20 years from now, driving a car will be akin to riding a horse; relegated to hobby status. That’s what the former head of General Motors is prognosticating for the future of the automobile, according to a recent interview in trade publication Automotive News. Bob Lutz feels that, as the development of autonomous (self-driving) vehicles rapidly increases, and ride-hailing companies such as Uber and Lyft get on board, the idea of owning a car will become a thing of the past, and could even be banned.