Motor City rumours starting to rev up
International auto show in Detroit likely to feature latest Mustang, Corvette ZR1
We’re likely going to see Ford reveal a refreshed 2018 Mustang at the North American International Auto Show next month.
According to an unnamed source reporting to Ford Authority, the 2018 Mustang could feature a new 4.8-litre V-8 to replace the outgoing 5.0-L engine. In the incessant march toward smaller engines to benefit fuel economy and emissions, this downsized V-8 will reportedly adopt new technology known as ‘dual injection,’ using both port- and direct-injection to hopefully achieve the best of both worlds in terms of efficiency and responsiveness.
Along with the Mustang, this new engine will likely appear in the refreshed F-150 pickup, which is also rumoured for a Detroit debut. This could also enable a higher compression ratio and predictably a higher horsepower figure compared to the outgoing 435-horsepower V-8.
If the rumours are true, the new 4.8 L would serve as the base V-8 option in the Mustang and continue to provide a normally aspirated alternative to the optional EcoBoost engines already offered in the F-150 and Mustang.
New ‘Vette engine?
GM is working on a new, dual overhead-cam 6.2-litre V-8 engine — dubbed the LT5 — for 2018.
This development, coming from a leaked GM service document on Reddit, closely follows the automaker’s trademark filing of the LT5’s name that will likely power the upcoming Chevrolet Corvette ZR1. From this information, we can assume the upcoming monster of a Corvette will eschew pushrods for dual overhead camshafts on each bank of cylinders. Output is rumoured to be more than 700 hp.
GM is the undisputed master of modern overhead valve pushrod engines. Since the LS V-8 replaced the venerable “small block Chevy” in 1997, the automaker introduced variable valve timing, active cylinder deactivation and, on some models, supercharging. That particular design offers weight and size advantages, plus it’s easier to build.
GM first used a DOHC V-8 in the C4-generation Corvette ZR1, built between 1990-95. Much like GM did in the 1990s, we can expect base-model Corvettes to continue with the OHV engine and reserve the V-8 for the higher-performance models. The latest Corvette ZR1 is also rumoured to debut at the North American International Auto Show.
Audi to reveal Q8 halo SUV
Audi is putting the finishing touches on the Q8, its upcoming halo SUV.
When it debuts next month at the NAIAS, the Q8 won’t be a production vehicle per se; Audi is calling it a “near-production study.” But based on the details we can pick out from the series of a teaser images, the Q8 does seem quite production ready, wearing a number of design cues seemingly influenced by Audi’s Prologue and e-tron Quattro concepts.
Powertrain details are still a secret, but the e-tron badges seen in the teasers strongly suggest some sort of electric powertrain under the skin.
VW teases another I.D. concept
Volkswagen will be taking the wraps off another all-electric concept at the Detroit auto show in a few weeks.
Billed as the next model in its upcoming I.D. lineup, this particular model will take the shape of a van — with VW even going as far as promising to link the “legendary origins of the … brand and its electrifying future.” Sounds like either an electrified, modern-day Microbus or evolution of last year’s BUDD-e concept.
The concept will have two motors and all-wheel drive, plus full autonomous driving technology and a multi-functional interior — not unlike the BUDD-e.
It’ll be Volkswagen’s second vehicle in the I.D. lineup, following up on the Golf-sized hatchback introduced at the Paris Motor Show earlier this year.
The 2017 North American International Auto Show kicks off Jan. 9.