Since its birth a decade ago, Audi RS3 has been using the firm's unique 5-cylinder engine with 2.5 liters displacement. It produced 340hp in the beginning, then rose to 367hp and 400hp. The latest RS3 is no exception. While the familiar 5-cylinder still produces 400hp, the latter is available earlier than before, from 5600-7000 rpm. Maximum torque is lifted from by 15 lbft to 369 lbft, available across a wider band (2250-5600 rpm). Although it makes less power and no more torque than arch-rival Mercedes-AMG A45 or CLA45 S, the RS3's torque delivery is far broader. Perhaps this is why Audi claims it takes just 3.7 seconds to sprint from 0-60 mph, a tenth quicker than the AMG. It has an advantage in top speed as well, because you have the choice to lift its speed limit from 155 mph to 174 mph or even 180 mph, if you opt for the RS Dynamic pack and ceramic brakes. The AMG? No more than 168 mph.



In the chassis side, there are upgrades to suspension (lower, stiffer, stronger, more negative camber etc.), bigger brakes and electronic control systems. However, the biggest news is abandoning the long-serving Haldex-clutch-based Quattro system for a new RS Torque Splitter supplied by Magna. In fact, the same hardware was first used in the VW Golf R, and a similar one used even earlier on its AMG arch-rivals. Its design is pretty simple: the prop-shaft drives the rear axle through a bezel gear. There are 2 multi-plate clutches attached the ends of the rear axle, each couples to a rear wheel. When both clutches open, the RS3 runs in FWD mode to save fuel. When both fully engage, 50 percent torque goes to the rear axle. In corner where you need to tame understeer or even introduce some oversteer, the inside clutch opens and the outside clutch engages, so more torque goes to the outside rear wheel. Therefore, by altering the degree of clutch engagement, you can control the balance of the car.



Thanks to the new torque splitting device, the new RS3 can introduce Drift mode to thrill its driver on track. However, unlike the last Ford Focus RS, the Magna device can never deliver more than 50 percent torque to the rear axle (unless the front wheels are running on slippery surfaces while the rears are not). That said, as proved by AMG and Golf R, the ability of directing all of that 50 percent torque to the outside rear wheel is already very useful and fun enough.

2 years ago, Aston Martin unveiled a supercar codenamed AM-RB 003 in Geneva motor show. The car was developed together with Redbull Racing under the leadership of star F1 designer Adrian Neway. It was set to sit under the range-topping Valkerie, but still cost a hardly affordable £1 million, with 500 cars slated to production. An inhouse-developed, hybridized 3-liter twin-turbo V6 would give the car around 1000 horsepower to spend. Later on, the car was given a name: Valhalla.

However, when ex-AMG boss Tobias Moers was appointed as the new CEO of Aston Martin in August last year, he reviewed the product plan and decided to change the Valhalla. The inhouse V6 was abandoned in the view of high development costs as well as development prospect (who would invest a great deal of money into a bespoke new engine these days?). Instead, he utilizes his relationship with Daimler to secure the supply of AMG's V8. Here, we are not talking about the detuned version of AMG 4.0-liter V8 being used by other Aston Martins, but the most advanced, flat-plane crank version that is until now reserved for AMG GT Black series. Not just that, it is tuned even higher, thanks in part to a bespoke roof-mounted airbox and top-exit exhaust, producing 750 horsepower, 20 more than the AMG Black. It revs to 7200 rpm like the Black.



The V8 is supplemented with 2 electric motors, one incorporated into the new Granziano 8-speed DCT together with electronic differential, another drives the front axle. They provide an additional 204 horsepower, making up a total of 950 hp. Performance is at least as good as Ferrari SF90 Stradale, with 217 mph top speed (against Ferrari's 211 mph), and 0-62 mph sprint done in an identical 2.5 seconds.

It does have an EV mode, where only the front axle is driving. However, such mode is good for speeds up to only 80 mph and a dismal 15km (less than 10 miles) range due to the small battery - believed to be the 6.1kWh unit of the upcoming Mercedes-AMG C63 (yes, the four-cylinder one). Apart from aiding acceleration, the rear motor doubles as the power source for reverse, so that the Graziano gearbox can skip a reverse gear to save weight.

The Valhalla's shape has evolved as well, looking slimmer and richer in details. In particular, it finally gets a face - the traditional horizontal grille of Aston Martin, but it still looks like a Le Mans race car on the road, thanks to a very low stance, a roof snorkel and fenders that look more like aero foils than part of a solid body. The car keeps using huge ground effect tunnels, so it can generate 600kg of down force at 150 mph without resorting to high-mounted spoilers. Now wonder Aston says it targets at a new Nurburging lap record of 6:30. The current production car record is held by AMG GT Black at 6:43.6 (a Porsche 991.2 GT2 is even quicker at 6:38.8, but modified with Manthey Performance Kit).



Compared with AM-RBV 003, the chassis doesn't change much. It is still built around a carbon-fiber tub, on which the seats are directly moulded for an ultra-low driving position (adjustable steering wheel and pedals adapt to different sizes). Suspensions are double-wishbones up front, with push-rod operated inboard dampers and springs, and a multi-link setup at the back. Canadian supplier Multimatic contributes its Adaptive Spool Valves (ASV) dampers and 2-stage adjustable ride height and spring rate, both were first used on the current Ford GT. The wheels are 20-inch up front and 21-inch at the back, shod with Michelin Cup tires with bespoke compounds. Brakes are Brembo CCM, of course.

Using a full carbon-fiber structure means the Valhalla can be lighter than Ferrari SF90, which still employs an aluminum spaceframe structure like other mainstream Ferraris. Aston targets at a dry weight of 1550kg, 20kg less than the Ferrari. Add around 100kg of water and oil, the Aston could tip the DIN scale at 1650kg, not what you would expect for a million-dollar supercar. To make you feel better, Moers has adjusted its market position slightly, lowering its price tag to somewhere around £600,000 to £700,000. He said that is a sweetspot in the market place, more than production supercars like Lamborghini V12 but not as high as Bugatti / Koenigsegg / Pagani / LaFerrari / McLaren Ultimate series etc., although you can buy almost 2 SF90s with that money. He plans to build 1000 cars over a period of 2 years, with customer delivery slated to start at Q4 2023, 2 years later than originally planned.

Hyundai's N performance brand has built a good reputation with cars like i30N, Veloster N and i20N. The 4th member of the line is Elantra N, whose target audiences are American motorists. While I don't think it could rock the domination of Honda Civic Type R, it offers similar performance with less money.

The Elantra N employs the same 2.0-liter turbocharged engine as the i30N, rated at 280hp and 289 lbft of torque, but it can be overboosted to 290hp for a maximum 20 seconds. Unlike the European i30N, the America-oriented sports sedan offers only an 8-speed DCT, good for 0-60 mph in 5 seconds flat. An active differential helps it to put down the power effectively through the front wheels. Oversized 245/35ZR19 Michelin Pilot Sport 4S rubbers, 360mm front brake discs, front and rear chassis reinforcing brackings and a rear spoiler complete the performance upgrade. Still, the ungainly shape of the Elantra base car might let you down.

The new generation Opel/Vauxhall Astra is not only built on PSA's EMP2 platform, but it shares the same size and proportion with the new Peugeot 308, so only the exterior styling and interior packaging differ them. At 4374mm long, 1860mm wide and 1470mm tall, it is 4mm longer, 11mm narrower and 15mm lower than the last Astra. Its 2675mm wheelbase is identical to that of its Peugeot sister but 13mm longer than its predecessor. Boot space is quite generous at 422 liters.



Inside, it is very different from the 308, thanks to putting two 10-inch screens inline horizontally, and the instrument is seen through the steering wheel in conventional way. However, as in the Peugeot but unlike Volkswagen, some physical switches are retained for easier control, say, the air-con. Moreover, Opel stresses that the user interface of the touchscreen is very intuitive, without needing to access sub-menus. It seems to put salts on Volkswagen's wounds.



As the car is derived from EMP2, there is no surprise in the mechanical aspects. It rides on struts and torsion-beam suspension, although its ride and handling tuning biases towards high-speed stability as demanded by German motorists. Torsional rigidity of the monocoque is 14 percent higher than the last one. Powertrain includes 1.2 Puretech 3-cylinder turbo with 110hp or 130hp, 1.6HDi turbo diesel with 130hp or, in the case of plug-in hybrid, a combination of 1.6 turbo four, a front-mounted electric motor and a 12.4kWh battery for a combined output of either 180 or 225hp.

As indicated by its name, this is the final (production) version of the Aventador. Its power has risen to 780hp, 10hp more than even the SVJ. Meanwhile, it cuts 25kg from the outgoing Aventador S, so it boosts the same power to weight ratio as the SVJ, explaining why it could attain 0-60 in the same 2.7 seconds. The car shares its front end with the production S, but the tail is taken from the SVJ, which has the exhaust moved up to make space for a larger diffuser. However, as it lacks the SVJ's fixed rear wing, it can reach 221 mph, a new height for any Aventadors or Lamborghini.

Lambo is going to build 600 units of Ulitmae, 350 coupes and 250 roadsters. After that, it will introduce the next generation V12 model, which will be assisted with plug-in hybrid. Therefore, the Ultimae is really the ultimate chance to enjoy a pure combustion V12 Lamborghini.

12 years have gone since Lotus introduced its last new car, Evora. During the tenure of Jean-Marc Gales (2014-2018), Lotus was starved of investment, so it could only keep squeezing the resitdual values of its existing cars. Now with Geely's fresh funds and concrete planning, a new boss named Matt Windles (ex-Lotus and Tesla engineer) and a new production facility at Hethel that turns to semi-automated assembly line, a new generation Lotus called Emira is finally born.



Mind you, the Emira is not the exactly the future of Lotus. In fact, it is a stop-gap car and a bridge from the old Lotus formula to the green, all-electric and user-friendly next generation Lotus to come in a few years' time. Lotus makes no secret that it will be the brand's last model powered by pure combustion engines. If you love the lightweight formula of Collin Chapman, this might be the last chance to buy a proper Lotus.



While its appearance bears more to the Eviji electric hypercar, the Emira is actually derived from the Evora platform. It keeps using the latter's bonded aluminum extrusion chassis, although Lotus said many chassis members and dimensions have been altered. Like the Evora, its engine is mounted transversely behind the cockpit and drive the rear wheels. Its suspensions are double-wishbones at all corners, without any kind of adaptive or active functions. Its hydraulic steering, a dinosaur feature nowadays, is carried over. Likewise, its bodywork is still made of composites. It produces front and rear matching downforce without using active aerodynamics. Even the car's dimensions are very close to the Evora's. At 4412mm long, 1895mm wide and 1225mm tall, its only noticeable difference is the 55mm gain of width. The 2575mm wheelbase remains unchanged.



There will be 2 engines on offer, one of them is carried over from the Evora, too. The supercharged 3.5-liter Toyota V6 produces 400hp and 317 lbft of torque here, curiously less than the last Evora. It comes together with 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic. As you can see, Geely-Lotus is reluctant to investment into combustion technology anymore.

Another engine will be AMG's 2.0-liter turbo four, comes together with its 8-speed DCT. This supply contract is made possible through the relationship of Geely, which has stakes and a board seat in Daimler. The AMG engine is good for 421hp in A45 S, but Lotus claims only 360hp on the Emira, not sure if AMG deliberately reserves the best for itself or if the bespoke intake and exhaust Lotus applied to its mid-mounted engine compromise its breathing. However, final figures are yet to be released, as the development of this engine is not finished yet. Lotus will deliver the Emira from next spring with the V6, and the AMG four will join a quarter later.



Read through the specifications, I have to admit a little disappointing. Weight is claimed at minimum 1405kg, which is 106kg more than an Evora GT430. 0-60 mph is claimed to be less than 4.3 seconds, while top speed is up to 180mph, both are pretty slow by nowadays' standard. A Porsche 718 Cayman 4.0 GTS will do 0-60 in 3.9 seconds, and it is likely to undercut the Lotus as well. The Emira will start at just under £60,000 for the 4-cylinder model, so the V6 may rise to at least £75,000, or £10K more than the Porsche. Without offering more performance for the buck, how can Lotus beat Porsche?



Admittedly, the Emira is a very different kind of Lotus. Have you ever imagine a Lotus to offer these features? An easy-entry cabin, sufficient luggage space (151 liters of boot plus a 208-liter cargo space behind the seats, as it gets rid of the Evora's +2 seats), door pockets large enough to hold 500ml bottles, cup holders (and 2 of them), storage cubbies for phones and sunglass etc., a largely soft-trimmed cabin, a 10.25-inch touchscreen and 12.3-inch TFT instrument, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility, USB charging port, a multi-function steering wheel, 12-way adjustable electric seats, 10-channel KEF sound system, curtain airbags, keyless go, adaptive cruise control, anti-collision system, fatigue alert, road sign information, lane departure warning, lane change assist, parking sensors, rain-sensing wipers... if Lotus can do the quality right, it is going to enter the territory of Porsche.



I think it can still keep the brand's traditional great handling. With Evora's chassis basis underneath, there is no reason to doubt, especially when the car gets wider tracks.

As for styling, I think Lotus design chief Russell Carr has done enough to bring the Lotus design forward. It is more streamline than the old Lotuses, yet more dramatic in the curvy fenders and more refined at the tail design. If these pictures are accurate, its perceived quality is lifted.

Lotus wants to build 4800 Emiras a year from the new production line. While it is still not a rolling line, it employs automated guided vehicles to move car bodies around the site. The paint shop is now fully automated, and rebotics are used to apply adhesives evenly to aluminum bondings. It is strange to say the Chinese teaches British to improve quality, but in this case, Geely is doing so to Lotus. Let's see if all these changes can turn the fate of Lotus.

When BMW turned its 1-Series hatchback and 2-Series Gran Coupe into front-wheel drive, we expected the 2-Series Coupe would follow suit. Fortunately, Munich resists the attempt to cost reduction and keeps its smallest, most affordable coupe in rear-wheel drive format. To that end, the second generation 2-Series Coupe is built on the CLAR platform of 3/4-Series and Z4 rather than the UKL2 architecture of front-wheel drive BMWs and Minis. This means, the new 2-Series Coupe inevitably grows larger and, in M240i form, has to be bundled with xDrive and therefore getting more expensive.

These pictures proves the new baby BMW coupe gets significantly longer, especially the engine bay, resulting in a cab-rearward proportion not unlike an Z4. It measures 4537mm in length and 1838mm in width and 2741mm in wheelbase, exceeding its predecessor by 105, 64 and 51mm, respectively, although the overall height is lowered by 28mm to 1390mm. Although engine side members, spring struts, bonnet and front fenders are now made of aluminum, these measures save only 10kg, so the new car should still gain quite a lot of weight. However, by lowering Cd from 0.28 to 0.26, fuel economy is partly compensated.



The model range starts from 220i, whose 2-liter turbo engine is good for 184hp and 0-60 in 7.1 seconds. Next is 220d turbo diesel, with 190hp and 0-60 taking 6.6 seconds. 230i employs a 245hp version of the turbo four, while the range-topping (before M2) M240i xDrive employs the same 374hp 3-liter straight-six turbo from the M340i and M440i. The latter goes from 0-60 in 4.1 seconds, 3/10ths faster than the old, 340hp and rear-drive M240i. All engines mate with 8-speed ZF automatic, so drivers preferring stick shift will be disappointed.

The M240i xDrive employs a rear-biased 4WD system which disengages the front axle in normal driving. M sport active differential is standard, while adaptive dampers and variable ratio steering are optional.

Performance aside, the biggest improvement of the new 2-Series Coupe is the interior, which mirrors those of its latest siblings.

The deal has been circulating for some time, and now it is official. Bugatti will merge into Rimac. Currently, Bugatti is wholly owned by Volkswagen group via Porsche. Its future has been in doubt for some time because the group seems reluctant to invest a great deal of money into the next generation Bugatti, presumably an electric hypercar. Meanwhile, Porsche also owns 24 percent stakes in Croatian supercar maker and EV technology leader Rimac. Merging the two could benefit both, while retaining the interest of Volkswagen group.

Rather than selling Bugatti to straight to Rimac, the deal will be carried out in the form of merger. A new company, Bugatti Rimac LLC, will be formed, which will be 45 percent owned by Porsche and 55 percent by Rimac group. As a result, Rimac boss and founder Mate Rimac will be its CEO. This means Bugatti will be effectively absorbed by Rimac, although Porsche will directly and indirectly control 58.2 percent of its interest. Meanwhile, the existing consultancy services of Rimac provided to other car makers will be separated into a technology division, so to assure confidentiality.

What will this mean to the future of Bugatti? While both the German and Croatian sides provide no details, we can safely assume that the next generation Bugatti will be developed by the Croatian, which is expanding rapidly and will open a 2500-strong Rimac Campus by 2023. The current Rimac Nevera (production version of C_Two prototype) is already good at 1900 horsepower, 300 more than the most powerful Bugatti. Expect the next Bugatti will be developed from that basis.

To Rimac, the addition of Bugatti will sort out its long-term weaknesses: lack of a prestigious brand, customer basis, design and craftsmanship. IMO, Bugatti could be the main brand Rimac use to sell hypercars in the future.

The Bugatti HQ and factory in Molsheim, France, will be kept, as are its 130 employees. However, it is not sure where the next Bugatti will be built once the new Rimac Campus is opened.