In this week's round-up of automotive gossip, we hear how Peugeot will use its Le Mans programme to develop performance models, why there's no hard feelings between Ola Källenius and Tobias Moers and more.
Peugeot's Le Mans test bed
Peugeot's new Le Mans hypercar programme will be used as a test bed for hot road cars, according to boss Jean-Philippe Imparato. He said “there’s a convergence between the entrance, the electrification movement and the development of a new line-up based on performance”, adding that the new 508 PSE “contains elements we could integrate, thanks to the regulations, into the final race car”.
Merc's clean break
There are no hard feelings between Daimler chief Ola Källenius and new Aston Martin boss Tobias Moers, previously head of Mercedes-AMG. Källenius said: “When he came to me and said he had this opportunity and asked my advice – probably as a friend rather than a boss – I said ‘you’ve spent your life at AMG and you’re great but, if I were in your shoes, I would do it’. It’s a friendly exit.”
Hyundai spurns premium label
Despite pushing its new Hyundai Tucson upmarket, Hyundai isn’t gunning for the likes of Audi and BMW, according to product boss Lorenz Glaab. “We don’t see Hyundai in the premium game,” he said, “but the C-SUV segment is more and more competitive, so we need to stay very relevant and stand out with new design language. We want to keep our customer base loyal but also open it to a new pool of customers.”
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The Great Leveller
He knows full well that all the rest of their junk piles will have exactly the same acceleration so he's trying to talk rubbish about 60-100 mph to somehow differentiate their top of the range junk piles. Given that the UK speed limit is 70mph (in theory) it ain't gonna be worth it is it. I have already said that electric cars will leave the manufacturers with "nowhere to go" as far as acceleration/performance is concerened and even if they did the EV aftermarket will have a field day remapping and removing all the power strangulation that manufacurers will have in place to differentiate one model from another I reckon.
Is Germany the only country Jost?
Clearly Jost Capito has no idea of the world outside of German Autobhans! He's just made the R brand pointless for 95% of roads and countries. What the UK needs is speed from 30-60 for overtaking on A/B roads. Come on Jost, would be very easy to allow driver selectable maps in electric cars.
Deputy wrote:
If a car will accelerate quickly from 60>100mph, I don't imagine it will be slow from 30>60...
Bob - maybe
It depends on how they choose to map it, even more so for electric motors. My old GSXR1000 was optimised for 80+ mph acceleration (redline was 101 mph in first gear!) so it was not optimised for road speeds. I sold it and now have a bike with less power but is better geared for 40-70 overtakes. Yes, in future electric torque, no gears etc all help but it shows VW thinking is led by old school autobhan users, not the other 99% of the world!