Fiftyyears after the GT40 began dominating the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Ford introduced a worthy spiritual successor in the form of the 2017 GT. On the latest episode of Ignition, host Angus MacKenzie takes a closer look at the history-rich GT and discovers if it’s really a race car suited for the road.
Although it has a twin-turbo V-6, the 2017 Ford GT produces a healthy 647 hp and 550 lb-ft of torque. That’s more power than the Ferrari 488 and more torque than the McLaren 675LT. Put the car in Track mode, and in ceremonious fashion, the rear wing shoots up while the ride height drops 2 inches. As MacKenzie explains, the GT benefits from near-telepathic steering and a remarkably agile chassis. “The way this car changes direction is utterly stupendous, better than almost any other supercar in the business,” he asserts.
After tearing it up on the track, the 2017 Ford GT gets ready for perhaps the ultimate test. Does its ability on the track live up to its performance on everyday roads? The chassis that proved so impressive on the track also impresses on the road, and the GT exhibits a very comfortable ride for a car sitting on such low-profile tires. However, there are some noticeable drawbacks to cruising along the highway in a GT.
Find out what MacKenzie has to say about the 2017 Ford GT in the full episode below.
Before Jaguar launches the E-Pace later this month, it has released a video of the compact crossover testing in different parts of the world under extreme conditions. During the course of 25 months, the E-Pace endured everything from the 40-degree weather of the Arctic Circle to the 118-degree heat of Dubai.
Using more than 150 prototypes, Jaguar logged more than 120,000 hours on and off the road. Along with completing more than 400 laps on the Nürburgring, the E-Pace traversed the rivers of China and manage high altitudes of 5,000 feet above sea level.
The Jaguar E-Pace is based on the same platform as the Range Rover Evoque. While the new crossover adopts a silhouette similar to the larger F-Pace, it features unique taillights and a more-coupe-like rear end. Globally, the model is expected to offer a range of gas and diesel Ingenium engines as well as an eight-speed automatic transmission sourced from ZF. All-wheel drive should come standard, and an electric variant is likely at some point in time.
The E-Pace will make its world debut on July 13 in London. When it arrives on our shores in early 2018, it will start at $39,595 including destination fees.
It won’t be long before Volvo stops offering pure gasoline-powered cars. By 2019, the automaker will only launch EVs, hybrids, and mild hybrid vehicles.
“This is about the customer,” said Volvo Cars CEO Håkan Samuelsson in a release Wednesday. “People increasingly demand electrified cars and we want to respond to our customers’ current and future needs.”
Moving away from a lineup dominated by pure gas and diesel cars represents a big change for the automaker, which hasn’t yet launched a fully electric vehicle. To make up for lost time, Volvo will introduce five EVs between 2019 and 2021, three of which will be Volvo models and two of which are destined for the high-performance Polestar brand. Although we don’t know much else about Volvo’s plans, we do know the first Volvo EV goes on sale in 2019 and will sit on the Compact Modular Architecture designed for electrification.
In addition to five EVs, Volvo will offer a range of gas and diesel plug-in hybrids throughout the lineup. Mild hybrid cars will also be available, although the timeline surrounding the introduction of these vehicles is unclear.
By 2025, Volvo plans to have sold a cumulative total of 1 million electrified vehicles, just one of the automaker’s ambitious goals for the coming decade. With the help of new autonomous driving features, the automaker vows to end all deaths and serious injuries in its vehicles by 2020.
Why was I surprised when the keys to a 2017 Hyundai Tucson Limited AWD showed up on my desk? I mean, it could have been the Sedona Sunset orange color. But that’s not a big deal anymore because the shade, whether you call it Longhorn orange or Texas tan or whatever, has become part of many OEM lineups. The paint job on the compact SUV, by the way, is spectacular.
No, it was because usually, our long-term test vehicles are brand new models, newly redesigned, or have had a major powertrain or equipment refresh. The current-generation Tucson bowed in 2016, and for the 2017 model year the most noticeable improvements are rear air-conditioning vents in lower trims and Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility in the Limited.
Although it’s not new, it’s amazing to me how engines are amazingly smaller as time goes on. Our Tucson is powered by a 1.6L, turbo GDI engine generating 175 hp and 195 lb-ft. Power is routed to the front wheels (and all four when necessary and on demand) via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.
As is typical for Hyundai, the Limited comes with an impressive array of standard features, including downhill braking control, hill-start assist, 19-inch alloy wheels (I’m thankful every day that OEMs are raising their wheel games considerably), LED headlights and taillights, heated side-view mirrors with signal indicators, a rear spoiler, and an automatic liftgate.
The safety department is no different. The Limited arrives with blind-spot detection and rear cross-traffic alert. The interior has an 8.0-inch color LCD touchscreen with navigation, leather and heated (in the front) seats, an eight speaker, 315 watt Infinity sound system with satellite radio, and auto dimming mirror.
Our Limited totaled out $32,195 and included $125 for carpeted floor mats, the only option box we checked. That’s a long way from the rock-bottom Tucson base price of $23,595. We’ll discuss in a future update where it lands among the fierce competition from the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, Subaru Outback, and others, and where the value sweet spot might be.
Before I even walked out to the car, I will admit I scanned the Monroney twice for signs of my hands-down favorite Hyundai feature: Ventilated front seats. Call me spoiled, but I’ve come to really value the feeling of cool air on my legs and back in the mid-summer sun of the Southwest. But alas, we didn’t opt for the $2,750 Ultimate package, which, in addition to the butt-cooler, comes with useful safety features such as HID headlamps with dynamic bending, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking, rear parking sensors, a big panoramic sunroof, and heated rear seats.
Among the first things I’ll be interested to find out is how close the Tucson’s EPA estimate of 24/28/25 mpg city/highway/combined comes to our Real MPG figure. My 15-mile commute, most of which is on clogged city streets, tends to be hard on efficiency, so we’ll see how far a Tucson tank will take me.
I’ll also be interested to see how smart/nimble the DCT is. Transmissions haven’t always been a strong point in Hyundai vehicles, so I’ll be comparing this one to the class sales leaders. And of course, why have an AWD vehicle if you don’t take advantage of it, so Mother Nature and work permitting, we’ll head out for a snowshoeing trip or two.
