With its carbon-fiber body and minimalist design, the Vuhl 05 is the kind of car you buy if you want something more hardcore than the average sports car. But Vuhl apparently didn’t think this track-focused car was hardcore enough.
Debuting at the 2016 Goodwood Festival of Speed, the Vuhl 05RR has more power and less weight than the previous 05, which was already pretty light on its feet. Mexico-based Vuhl (pronounced “Vool”) says the 05RR is still road legal, although it’s hard to say whether anyone would want to drive this go-kart on steroids anywhere but on a track.
The 05RR uses the same Ford-sourced 2.3-liter turbocharged EcoBoost four-cylinder engine as the original 05, but output has increased by 100 horsepower to 385 hp. That power is sent to the rear wheels through a six-speed sequential gearbox. Vuhl claims the 05RR will do 0 to 62 mph in 2.7 seconds, putting it in the same ballpark as some of the world’s fastest supercars. Top speed is 160 mph.
Read more: McLaren P1 LM to debut at Goodwood Festival of Speed
Like the original 05, the 05RR has an aerospace-inspired aluminum honeycomb chassis with carbon-fiber bodywork. It weighs just 640 kilograms (1,410 pounds) dry, which Vuhl says represents a 10-percent weight reduction over the standard 05. To shed some of that weight, Vuhl equipped the 05RR with carbon-fiber wheels. The company didn’t think to add a windshield, though, so a helmet is probably a good idea.
Vuhl also focused on aerodynamics. The 05RR gets an aggressive aero package, including a big rear spoiler and Formula One-inspired diffuser strakes. Those additions should generate significant downforce, although Vuhl would not quantify their effect. Other changes to the chassis include a quicker steering rack and modifications to lower the center of gravity by 50 millimeters (1.9 inches).
Vuhl hasn’t published pricing information yet, or said whether the 05RR will be sold in the U.S. Considering that a standard Vuhl 05 already starts at close to $95,000, expect the o5RR to be a fairly expensive thrill ride.
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.