The major reveals have been dealt with at the 2016 Detroit Auto Show, but we’re not ready to put a bow on the event quite yet.
On Tuesday, American brand VLF Automotive debuted the Force 1 V10, a menacing supercar powered by the 8.4-liter, 10-cylinder heart of the Dodge Viper. The gargantuan powerplant actually makes more juice in the Force 1 — 745 horsepower compared to the Viper’s 645 hp — and it churns out more torque as well with 638 pound-feet. Flat out, VLF says the 3,395-pound coupe will hit 60 mph in 3.0 seconds flat en route to its top speed of 218 mph.
Performance is just one of the Force 1’s selling points though. Behind the car is a star-studded team of auto industry veterans, including Henrik Fisker — a man credited with designing the Aston Martin DB9, BMW Z8, Fisker Karma, and others — as well as former GM chairman Bob Lutz, aerospace manufacturer Gilbert Villarreal, and famed Viper racer Ben Keating. Apparently, Keating’s motorsport experience was vital in calibrating the Force 1’s active suspension, which constantly adjusts to keep its 21-inch wheels on the road.
The car’s credentials come at a steep price, however. Despite its Dodge-sourced chassis and powertrain, the carbon fiber-bodied Force 1 costs a steep $268,500. That’s $31,250 more than a Lamborghini Huracan 610-4 and about $160,000 more than a Viper GTS, but perhaps the car’s leather, suede, and alcantara interior will soothe your sticker shock. If that doesn’t work, check out the champagne saddle mounted between the seats, but you might want to save the bottles for later.
For a (slightly) cheaper option, check out VLF’s Corvette-powered Destino, which runs $229,000.
Ahead of its reveal in Detroit, there was some controversy that the Force 1 would look too similar to the Aston Martin DB10 featured in 007’s Spectre, but in reality the car looks much closer to a Jaguar F-Type with a slew of vents added to the front. The Viper’s influence can be clearly seen at the rear though, most notably with the swooping hatch lid and side-exit exhausts.
Just 50 examples of the Force 1 will be initially produced by VLF, all of which will be available through Ben Keating’s Viper Exchange.
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.