The Rezvani Beast is, well, a beast. Based on the Ariel Atom, it’s a lightweight sports car from a small California company that is available with up 700 horsepower. With the car’s performance credentials established, Rezvani sought to add some beauty to this Beast.
At the 2016 Los Angeles Auto Show, Rezvani unveiled the Beast Alpha, an enclosed coupe counterpart to the existing Beast roadster. The roof is actually a removable Targa-style panel, so drivers can still enjoy a little open-air motoring. The Alpha boasts what may be the craziest doors on any production car. Called “SideWinder” doors, they pop out and slide forward. The Beast roadster doesn’t have any doors at all.
At 1,950 pounds, the Beast Alpha weighs about 300 pounds more than the open-top Beast, but it’s still a lightweight. Unlike other versions of the Beast, which are based on the Ariel Atom, the Alpha uses a Lotus chassis. Because of its enclosed cockpit, the Alpha gets some luxuries the Beast roadster doesn’t have, including air conditioning and power windows. All versions of the Beast are available with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration.
Power comes courtesy of a Honda-sourced 2.4-liter, four-cylinder engine with a turbocharger. The Beast Alpha has 500 hp, and can do 0 to 60 mph in 3.2 seconds, according to Rezvani. A six-speed manual transmission is standard, while an automated sequential gearbox is optional. Drivers also get multiple settings for things like power output and traction control intervention.
If the Beast Alpha seems too tame, Rezvani still offers the Beast X, a 700-hp version of the Beast roadster that can do 0 to 60 mph in 2.5 seconds. It doesn’t have the Alpha’s trick doors, but its acceleration will rip your face off.
The Rezvani Beast Alpha is available to order now, with a starting price of $200,000.
Volkswagen’s newest EVs in China are making its American and European models look unusually conservative.
With Xpeng’s help, VW has introduced 800-volt charging and advanced urban driving assistance. The new VEGA technology package brings its locally developed vehicle platforms and CEA electronic architecture under one umbrella. Bloomberg reports that Volkswagen intends to update VEGA every three months. Western buyers can find pieces of that package, but not the whole thing in a Volkswagen.
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?