For any number of reasons — greater performance, a more eye-catching design, or simply to give customers that bespoke feeling — independent vehicle tuners take stock or even factory-modified cars and attempt to push the envelope.
Sometimes, good things happen. Just look at this RUF CTR Yellow Bird that was unveiled in Geneva. RUF’s reinvention of its 1987 model is a stunning display of a Porsche 911’s potential. Of course, sitting opposite the RUF at this year’s Geneva Motor Show was Gemballa’s trainwreck of modified Porsches. Sadly, for every RUF, there are 10 Gemballas.
Which brings us to the Jaguar F-Pace. We here at Digital Trends absolutely love the look, feel, and performance of Jag’s first crossover — unmodified. Hamann, on the other hand, saw the F-Pace and thought, “this needs more bling.”
Introducing the Hamann F-Pace. Currently on display at the Geneva show is this modified wonder. ECU tunes for both the F-Pace S (supercharged V6) and F-Pace 30d (diesel V6) bump output to 410 horsepower and 376 pound-feet of torque for the gas model, and 340hp and 575 lb-ft. of torque for the diesel. These modest increases probably won’t do much to reduce engine life or turn the F-Pace into a rocket ship, but they’ll definitely void your warranty.
In terms of design, Hamann added new front and rear bumpers, built a custom diffuser, replaced the exhaust system with four large oval outlets, and installed 23-inch Anniversary Evo II wheels. While the modifications don’t quite go “full Gemballa,” it’s still hard to call these changes improvements.
In the end, customers who are willing to shell out the extra cash (pricing for Hamann’s kit has yet to be announced) for something “unique” will keep Hamann in business. Too bad it comes at the expense of Jaguar’s suave crossover.
BYD has launched the third-generation Qin Plus DM-i in China, and the first thing that caught my eye is its price. According to CarNewsChina, the plug-in hybrid sedan starts at 79,900 yuan, which is about $11,980. That’s an incredibly low price for a brand-new car, especially by US standards.
What’s even more impressive is the range. The Qin Plus DM-i can drive up to 137 miles on electricity alone, which should cover most people’s daily commutes without using a drop of gas. Once the battery runs out, the 1.5-liter engine takes over. Thanks to its 17-gallon tank and roughly 91 mpg with a drained battery, the combined range reaches up to 1,423 miles.
Apple won the PC market’s worst quarter, but that’s not the entire story. It won the race by stumbling less than everyone else.
PC makers shipped just 57 million computers worldwide in Q3, which might look good, but it’s a 21% year-over-year plunge (via Counterpoint Research). And despite Apple’s Mac shipments falling by 11%, to 5.6 million, its market share rose from 8.7% to 9.8%. How did that happen?
Update (October 22 23:54 PT): In response to our query, GM clarified that offline recording support is already available on eligible vehicles. Like Tesla's Sentry Mode, it requires owners to connect a USB drive to save incident recordings, which can be viewed on the vehicle's infotainment screen. The upcoming Connected Cameras feature will build on this by giving owners remote access to these recordings via the revamped OnStar app, allowing them to check footage without walking out to their car.
General Motors has announced plans to add a new Connected Cameras feature to its OnStar service starting next year, giving drivers a way to monitor parked vehicles remotely and capture footage of certain incidents.