The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
{also piping hot}
Toyota is planning something GRreat:
Word has reached The Sleuth that the automaker is launching a new performance series that will extend to a number of otherwise benign vehicles. The GR line — named for Toyota’s Gazoo
Racing division — will include three separate performance levels: full-on race cars with added horsepower (likely for Japan-only sales); GR models with upgraded chassis, suspension, wheels and brakes; and GR Sport, with styling pieces such as spoilers and diffusers. As well, dealers will stock a number of GR parts, not dissimilar to what Fiat Chrysler Automobiles’ Mopar parts division does. Rumor has it that the upcoming Toyota Supra sports car will be the first to get the GR treatment, but worldwide rollout plans for the program are not yet known.
Porsche has a new “coupe” in the works:
The Sleuth’s operatives are hearing rumblings that the company that made its bones producing exemplary sports cars is seriously considering adding a four-door fastback version of the Cayenne utility vehicle to the lineup.
Apparently this is in response to the sales success that BMW and Mercedes-Benz are experiencing with their similarly shaped
X6 and GLE models, respectively. Each of the company labelled coupes is available with a choice of turbocharged powerplants from relatively mild to wild, which is exactly what Porsche currently installs in the Cayenne. The only flaw in this plan is that plenty of cash is already being spent to put a battery-electric model into production by the end of the decade. Does Porsche have the money to also develop a fastback Cayenne? The Sleuth thinks that Porsche will find a way.
Care for some Italian in your Dodge sedan or coupe?
The product planners at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles can’t seem to decide how to proceed with the next-generation Dodge Charger and Challenger models. The Spymaster heard that the plan was to use a platform originally developed for the current Alfa Romeo Giulia sedan and Stelvio sport wagon. The Spymaster’s sources are now saying that the next Charger and Challenger will be based on the Maserati Quattroporte, which were modified for use in the Ghibli sport coupe. The Sneakster thinks that would only be somewhat fitting, since both Dodge models were originally developed using suspension components from Mercedes-Benz. Until the next totally new Dodges arrive, however — rumored to be for the 2021 model year — the Charger and Challenger will undergo a refresh for 2019. That’s easily more than a decade using the same basic nuts and bolts.
Mazda socks it to the rotary engine:
The Sleuth recently received a package from Mazda that included a form letter reminding him that 2017 is the 50th anniversary of the automaker’s rotary engine that was first installed in the 1967 Cosmo Sport. That car was never officially imported to North America, but it spawned a number of RX-branded models, culminating with the RX-8 that bowed out in 2008. Included with the note was a pair of green-orange argylepatterned socks (the colors displayed on Mazda’s 1991 Le Mans-winning race car) as a memento of this milestone. In the Sleuth’s opinion, the socks can only mean one thing; Mazda will launch a rotary revival in the near future.