Porsche Working On An All-Electric Pajun To Battle Tesla

The 2019 Porsche Pajun (AKA the baby Panamera) has been on and off for some time now, but the latest news was that it was pushed back to 2019. 

Now, a new report from Auto, Motor und Sport claims that there may be more than meets the eye with the upcoming model, asPorsche has reportedly turned its focus to making it more on it being a Tesla competitor.

According to the report, the Pajun will carry a full-electric powertrain that will offer in the range of at least 350 to 400 km (217 to 248 miles). 

That would put the Pajun directly in the wheelhouse of the lower-range Model S versions, but still far short of the2015 Model S P85D’s range. 

Chances are that the range included in this report was simply a base model.

There is no mention of whether or not the Pajun would be solely an electric car or if Porsche may make a standard gasoline-powered model and an EV. However, the German-to-English translation sure does imply that it may be EV only.

According to AMS, the Pajun EV will be ready for the road by 2018 or 2019. As with all of these speculative reports based on some shrivel of fact, take it with a grain of salt.

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Jaguar XF R-Sport Black 2015

With the expected arrival of the new XF at the New York International Auto Show in April 2015, Jaguar is throwing a few extra odds and ends at the current range of vehicles, creating a new derivative labeled the XF R-Sport Black in the process. 

The British automaker wants you think you’re getting excellent value for your money, stating the R-Sport Black “offers an additional £8,770 ($13,322 as of 1/22/2015) worth of value over standardR-Sport models for just a £2,100 ($3,190) increase to its On-the-Road price.” 

However, is it really worth ignoring the new XF to spend more on a soon-to-be outdated vehicle packing a bit more standard equipment?

Creating specialized, last-minute spinoffs of a model slated for the dustbin is standard operating procedure in the car world, and given the XF’s popularity over the last year, the announcement of the R-Sport Black shouldn’t come as much of a surprise.

In addition to the new variant, Jaguar is also adding new specifications to the Luxury, R-Sport, Portfolio, Diesel S Portfolio, XFR, and XFR-S models, with some even gaining slight price hikes as a result (including the R-Sport). Clearly, JLR is confident that interest in the XF line will stay strong. In fact, the XF recorded its best year of sales in 2014, which makes the new R-Sport Black a likely candidate for success.

The R-Sport Black is available in either a saloon four-door or Sportbrake body style. Upgrades include new exterior features and interior accouterments, but sadly, the drivetrain has remained unaltered. 

Still, the R-Sport Black doesn’t represent a major cost increase over the standard R-Sport model, especially when you consider the minor price adjustment seen with this most recent refresh.

But the question remains- is it worth the money?

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Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution XI 2013

The Evo-loving world was in shambles after Mitsubishi Global Product Director, Gayu Eusegi, announced that the company would be killing off the all-wheel-drive turbocharged Lancer Evolution . 

The Evo is one of the best models Mitsubishi has ever offered and fans everywhere were shocked that the company would take such extreme measures. 

A few back pedals later and Mitsubishi President and CEO, Osamu Masuko, calmed the waters by stating that the the Evo X would not be the last of the Evolutions. 

Now, Masuko has offered even more details for the future of the Evo to Japanese magazine, Best Car, stating that "Mitsubishi is fully intent on producing a high-performance car in the future, albeit green." Yeah, join the club, Masuko.

The rumor has long been that the Evo XI would be a diesel-electric hybrid. Such a powertrain would allow the Evo XI to hustle to 0-60 MPH in under 5 seconds while still receiving better fuel economy than the current Evo. 

Now, it seems the technology that was unveiled in the PX-MiEV concept at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show is looking to fit itself into the EVO XI. 

This would mean a 1.6- liter gasoline engine combined with an electric motor that will take its power from a set of lithium-ion batteries. 

The electric motors will power the vehicle at low to middle speeds, while the engine will kick on at high speeds. 

The engine will also provide back up for the motors when their charge runs low. The hybrid system will be combined with Mitsubishi’s S-AWC all-wheel-drive system and active yaw control, technologies that have already been used in the Evo X.

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Audi Wants RS Hybrids In The Next Generation

Last week in our coverage of the new 2016 Audi R8, you may have read a cryptic remark from Audi’s board member for technical development Ulrich Hackenberg, expressing his desire to see some level of electrification in every new Audi. 

It seemed a bit outlandish, at least for the company’s short-term product lineup, but now some new information has surfaced to back it up.

It looks like Audi’s high-performance RS range could embrace electrification soonish. Speaking with Top Gear at the launch of the new RS3, Quattro GmbH Technical Director Stephan Reil discussed the work his division has been doing with hybridization as a means to enhance performance, but his remarks suggest it could be a while longer before we see an RS e-tron.

“We know that it could give us more in terms of straight line performance," Reil told Top Gear. "But it is not just about straight-line performance. 

It is about performance in the bends, how it feels as well. At the moment there are more negatives than positives."

For Reil, another big hurdle is battery weight, but the more it’s reduced, the more likely an RS hybrid becomes. "The next generation will be very interesting," Reil said when discussing current battery tech. "They are getting smaller and lighter. We don’t rule it out."

The highly complex and expensive electronic wizardry needed to make these systems work makes sense for the current crop of hypercars — Ferrari LaFerrari, McLaren P1 andPorsche 918 — but we’re still a few years away from seeing it in mainstream performance cars. 

Current rumors suggest you’ll be able buy a next-generation R8 with internal combustion or electric power, but not both.

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Chevrolet Malibu 2016

The beginnings of the Malibu name are tied to that of theChevrolet Chevelle , as the former was a range-topping trim level of the latter from 1964 to 1977. 

Featuring added luxury and the same powerful V-8s as the Chevelle, the Malibu went on to become the best-selling badge in the lineup by 1978, when it received its own model line. 

Although dropped in 1983, the moniker returned in 1997 and soldiered on through 2012, when the eighth-generation model was launched on GM’s Epsilon II platform, shared with the Buick LaCrosse andRegal . 

The new Malibu became a global vehicle, receiving a host of four-cylinder and V-6 engines, as well as three different transmissions. 

Although criticized for offering less legroom than its competitors, the eighth-gen Malibu was praised for its upscale interior design and smooth and quiet ride. 

Nearly three years old as of 2015, the current Malibu is set to receive a comprehensive redesign for the 2016 model year, one which promises to bring significant improvements inside and out.

You are going to be blown away styling-wise," Mark Reuss, GM’s executive vice president of global product development, told Edmunds at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show 

without going into specifics. "I think it is more true to what Chevrolet should be. 

Think about Impala . It’s not luxury , but it is more than what you thought you would get for that price. That is what Chevrolet should be and you will see that in the (redesigned) Malibu," he added.

GM’s decision to overhaul the Malibu just a little more than three years since the current model debuted is not at all surprising. With competitors like the Toyota Camry , Honda Accord or the Ford Fusion around, the eighth-gen Malibu has been struggling sales-wise ever since it arrived into dealerships in 2012. 

Details are still being kept under wraps as of January 2015, but GM vice president of global design Ed Welburn disclosed a few details about the upcoming Malibu. Keep reading to find out more about that.

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2014 BMW M3 Caught During Hot Weather Testing

The next generation BMW M3 won’t be showing its face until the 2013 Paris Auto Show, but we’ll at least get to see it undergo its painstaking testing until that happens. Bimmerpost was able to capture the future sports sedan as it endured the hot weather in Spain.

The video shows a little more of the M3’s exterior, but our main focus as we watched it was the sound pouring out of what we suspect is the new inline-six cylinder engine. We believe the previous V8 engine has been dropped in favor of the new V6, but we are still unaware of whether the new engine will be equipped with two or three turbos. Either way, it will boast of 450 HP, an increase over the current model’s 420 HP.

The future BMW M3 will be offered exclusively as a sedan and will show up on US dealerships in the winter of 2014. Before that, we’ll be able to get a closer look at the future model whenBMW unveils its M3 Concept at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show.

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