At last, a sequel to the McLaren F1

So you’ve won Lotto. How to spend $34 million? Fortuitously, Gordon Murray Automotive has finally pulled the covers off its T.50 hypercar

ONLY 100 in road trim will be built, each will cost around $NZ5 million … and, yeah, it’s understandable if you’re already looking for Gordon Murray’s email and have a hand down the back of the sofa looking for any spare change to go toward his latest car.

Unveiled overnight, the new Gordon Murray Automotive T.50 is an amazing achievement by any standard, perhaps destined to be the ultimate opus of the man who created the original 1993 McLaren F1 and was behind F1 title-winning racing cars.

The T.50 has been designed as a kind of ultimate evolution of the original F1 concept. It has huge power, but top speed is incidental in a design that's far more focused on driver pleasure. Hence the car is light, just 986kg, and compact, the same physical size as a Porsche Boxster.

It apes the F1 is also having a three-seat cockpit, with the driver in the central seat and passengers set back on either side. The chassis is, of course, carbon-fibre, with an aluminium honeycomb core.

The really clever bit is the aerodynamic package. As with the McLaren F1, and the seminal 1978 Brabham BT46B Formula One car that Murray designed, and which was pulled from entry because it was too fast, the T.50 uses a huge rear fan to aid its aero performance. Primarily it’ll deliver genuine ground effect, by sucking air out from under the car, but there are modes in which it can feed air into the car's wake to reduce drag, cut the braking distance and act as performance booster, by ramming high-speed air into the engine's air intake.

And the engine is? Designed for the car by Cosworth, it's a naturally aspirated four litre V12 (Murray hates turbos), with 494kW – yes, that’s in the top league for power-per-litre for a naturally aspirated engine – and 467Nm of torque. It redlines at 12,100rpm, peak power delivering at 11,500rpm. Power goes to the rear wheels, via a six-speed manual, again bespoke built for the car by XTrac.

Murray hasn't given any specific performance figures for the T.50 yet, but the 0-100kmh time should be pretty special. It's not the point, though - the T.50 has been designed to be fun and rewarding to drive.

Only 100 T.50s will be built as road cars. There’ll also be a small count of track day specials and Murray has talked about taking the car racing. Delivery starts in January of 2022.

Mustang: Black Shadow yes, Mach 1 ... maybe not

Good news and bad seems set to arrive in respect to Fords’ latest Mustang ‘special edition’ news.

Latest talk from Detroit has downplayed NZ opportunity for the MACH 1 (above), but we do get the GT in a Black Shadow edition (below)

PREPARE to meet the Black Shadow … but perhaps don’t get your hopes up about the Mach 1.

 That seems to be the situation in respect to two special edition Mustangs, both of which pay homage – albeit to differing degree - to range-topping Mustangs from the late 19670s’ to early 70s’ muscle car era, whose announcements have synched.

In the same period Ford New Zealand chose to divulge information about a cosmetic package for the GT, called the Black Shadow, the parent in Detroit has finally fully unveiled a far more macho rendition of the V8 coupe, the new-era Mach 1 set to go into production soon for sale in 2021.

Like the original, the new-gen Mach 1 bridges the gap between the a standard GT and the Shelby Mustang, so packs visual upgrades alongside chassis and performance revisions, all intended to enhance its track feel.

A new intake manifold, oil filter adapter and a reflashed engine management system enhance power and torque to 352kW and 569Nm. Like the standard car, the engine sends its power to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox, although a ten-speed automatic is offered as an optional extra.

Ford has also fitted a few extra mechanical upgrades that are designed to keep the car’s drivetrain cool on the track. There’s a pair of new heat exchangers – one for the engine oil and one for the gearbox oil – along with a cooling system for the differential.

As with the original Mach 1, Ford has worked on the Mustang’s handling, adding stiffer anti-roll bars, front springs and subframe bushes, as well as a set of tweaked adaptive dampers, a sharper steering rack and an improved brake servo. Buyers also get a new set of 19-inch alloy wheels, which are styled to look like the original Mach 1’s.

So exciting, right?

And now the bad news. In pulling the covers off the latter, Detroit has dampened hope about export potentials or even right-hand-drive development, having immediately indicated to media in the United Kingdom – a key RHD Mustang market - that it won’t be available there.

So, perhaps, the Ford NZ hope of seeing the Mach 1 is also ruined; though it says it will continue to hold out hope until being absolutely told otherwise by head office.

Meantime, the Auckland-centred operation is spruiking the Black Shadow, which is an interesting format on two counts.

First, the car is a reprisal of one of several specials first developed in celebration of Mustang’s 55th year of production, a milestone that was reached in 2019. Secondly, it is a variant Mustang’s home audience doesn’t experience.

Black Shadows are for export only and, from the information available, only New Zealand – which is taking 30 initially though more can be ordered if need-be - Australia and Brazil achieve this dress-up at the moment.

Based on the $82,990 5.0-litre V8 GT fastback, but with a $5000 premium (so, the same price as a GT convertible) the … erm …. ‘BS’ is all about kerbside attitude.

A Black Shadow is best identified by its boot mount spoiler and a set of unique alloy wheels, but the package also includes a lot of black accents, including on the roof, bonnet and side stripes, there’s a grille-mounted pony badge and some 5.0 wheel arch badges.

The body colour choices are limited to blue, a metallic grey, red and ‘Grabber Lime’, which is from Ford’s heritage palette – so-called because it’s inspired by a hue offered in North America on early 1970s’ Mustangs, including the Mach 1. Grabber Blue and Dark Highland Green, previously offered in NZ, are also from that collection.

The interior features various unique goodies and picks up the as standard the Recaro seat that is a cost-extra option for the standard GT.

Seven-seater CR-V coming

The CR-V family unit has grown – a new generation of Honda’s compact crossover will deliver extra strength in the seat count.

ONE edition within the new Honda CR-V range set to come on sale in July will deliver something new for the model – an extra row of seats.

Honda New Zealand has confirmed it will introduce a seven-seat version of the all-new car, but for now only in front-drive format.

The trim specification of this first-time format has yet to be provided. The car will place alongside several front and all-wheel-drive versions that continue to configure in the more familiar five-seat format.

The variant is expected to go head to head with other mid-size seven-seat SUVs including the just refreshed Nissan X-Trail, Mitsubishi’s Outlander and Volkswagen’s impending Tiguan Allspace. 

The fifth-generation CR-V takes just one powertrain, a 140kW/240Nm ‘Earth Dreams’ turbo-petrol VTEC engine, paired with a continuously variable transmission.

This engine is an uprated version of the 1.5-litre turbo-petrol unit that powers the new Civic that was launched last year in sedan guise and arrives next month as a hatchback. It’s the first turbo petrol for the car.

Honda has promised this fifth gen car will build on the characteristics of the previous CR-Vs, such roominess, flexibility and “off-highway” capability.

The model has an all-new platform, will offer “benchmark steering precision, ride comfort, body control and cabin quietness,” according to the Japanese car-maker. 

The model is 14mm shorter than the model it replaces, but the wheelbase is about 40mm longer, and it is close to 30mm lower and about 35mm wider than the fourth-gen car.

All wheel drive models feature an upgraded Real Time AWD System with a significant increase in maximum rear wheel torque delivery and new electronic control allowing stepless control in everyday driving conditions and further improved all weather confidence and control.  

“The new Honda CR-V raises the bar in every way, delivering more style, performance, economy, space, safety, connectivity and premium interior than ever before,” said Nadine Bell, General Manager Marketing, Honda New Zealand.

“Customers are going to love what they see and what they experience behind the wheel of this new CR-V.”

Flagship Peugeot SUV set for NZ

The 5008 is the latest number from Peugeot. It will be here by mid next year.

IN brand-speak, it is “the first SUV to offer modularity on a par with that of the best people carriers”.

Translation: The 5008 is a sizeable Peugeot seven-seater crossover with slight off-roading pretension, similar is size to the Kia Sorento, Hyundai’ s Santa Fe, the Mazda CX-9 and Renault’s just launched second-generation Koleos.

Meaning? It’s a familiar fare for Kiwis, and potentially a winning formula for the French marque’s distributor, given that SUVS – particularly of this size – are capturing significant sales at the moment.

Peugeot New Zealand has confirmed the model is being considered for local launch around April 2017, making it the second SUV it will release next year following the next size-down 3008.

The local market announcement was made yesterday, to time with the international release of images of the model, which has its full reveal at the Paris International Motor Show later this month.

The 3008 and 5008 models are incredibly important to Peugeot here; it is virtually set to reinvent as a SUV specialist, having felt the bite of diminished interest in orthodox passenger cars.

While the 208 and 308 hatchbacks are hanging on, it dropped the 508 large sedan at the start of the year. The last SUV of this type offered by Peugeot was the 4007, a derivation of the previous Mitsubishi Outlander (built in Japan) that sat in the medium sector.

Simon Rose, the divisional manager of Peugeot New Zealand, believes the 5008, as the first truly big SUV Peugeot has offered here, will be a key model.

“The all-new 5008 will be perfectly suited for the New Zealand market, offering the flexibility, power, space and lifestyle appeal Kiwi families really want.

“It will change the market offering for us in New Zealand by appealing to an entirely new range of conquest customers.”

This is the second generation of 5008 but also a fresh start, as the previous car was a people carrier.

With MPVs no longer in vogue, Peugeot has re-written the formula ; the end result being a car that is radical departure from its forebear insofar as exterior styling is concerned – now it is very much a sister ship to the 3008 – but still maintaining MPV-ish flexbility within.

It’s not a wholly new idea ; Mazda having gone down much the same track with the new and just-landed CX-9.

Full 5008 details have yet to be revealed, but the brand’s images show it has the same sort of dahsboard as the 3008, with all the latest i-Cockpit design features of a compact steering wheel, eight-inch central touchscreen and a larger digital instrument cluster.

Rose says final local market specifications have yet to be finalised. Ambient lighting, massage seats and in-car fragrances, LED headlamps, wireless smartphone charging and a panoramic glass roof are among features notified in France.

A suite of active safety features also apply. These include Advanced Grip Control with Hill Assist Descent Control, Automatic Emergency Braking, Distance Alert, Active Lane Keeping Assistance, Driver Attention Warning, Smart Beam Assistance, Speed Sign Recognition and Speed Suggestion, Adaptive Cruise Control with stop feature (automatic variants only), Active Blind Spot Monitoring, Park Assist, and Visio Park which provides 360-degree vision.

Model variants span Access, Active, Allure, GT Line and sportier GT trims.

The three separated and foldable second-row seats have length and inclination adjustment, while the two seats in the third row are also separate, foldable and even removable. Peugeot claims a boot capacity of 1060 litres; the largest in its class according to the make. 

In Europe, engine choices span four petrol and six diesel powertrains; of these a 123kW turbo-diesel unit and a 134kW petrol engine seemed best positioned for launch here.

The 5008 is based, like the 3008, on the EMP2 platform that was also the basis of the large Citroen Picasso and Grand Picasso MPVs that have also been pulled from local sale after failing to pull interest.

However, it now seems the double chevron brand is set to apply the same rebirth process meted the 5008, with a new SUV - codenamed C84 – to be built alongside the Peugeot and a another Citroen also on this platform, the E-Mehari, at a plant in western France.

It is said the C84 will be based on the Aircross concept seen at the 2015 Shanghai motor show.

The production C84 is expected to replace the low volume C4 Aircross, which is a rebadged Mitsubishi ASX.