The MSO R coupe and the Spider have been produced for one customer; both sport a 688hp, 3.8-litre V8 motor.

McLaren has revealed a pair of bespoke models created by the brand’s MSO (McLaren Special Operations) division – a coupe and a Spider convertible.

Both models have been made for a single customer and share the same powertrain, chassis, suspension and all other mechanical bits. The only difference is their body style.

The MSO R cars are based on the 675LT, like the MSO HS models displayed last year. They are powered by a retuned version of the 675LT’s twin-turbo, 3.8-litre V8 motor, which now churns out 688hp (an increase of  13hp over the 675LT) thanks to hand polished exhaust ports and a titanium exhaust. Power is sent to the rear wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

The bespoke models feature new aggressive aerodynamic enhancements including a large rear spoiler, front dive planes and the MSO Visual Carbon-fibre Pack parts. Both cars come with five-spoke wheels; the coupé’s are finished in satin black, while the Spider’s are gloss black.

In the cabin, both models get a dashboard covered in black Alcantara, red bucket seats complete with MSO R stitching and MSO R plaques on their upper sills.

As both the coupe and Spider are bespoke models, there will not be another exactly like it.

Courtesy : Autocar

Limited-edition flagship model to come with unique bronze paint and additional accessories; remains mechanically unchanged.

Tata Motors is gearing up to launch a special edition of its flagship Hexa in the coming days. The Hexa special edition will be based on the top-spec trim and will feature unique ‘Urban Bronze’ exterior paint shade which is similar to the one offered on the recently-launched Tigor compact sedan.

Additionally, the company will offer a long list of official Tata Motors accessories with the special-edition Hexa, which includes rear-seat entertainment, unique seat covers, a heads-up display, a tyre pressure monitoring system and a few more goodies. The Hexa special edition will not feature any mechanical changes.

The Hexa in higher trims comes with a 156hp 2.2-litre Varicor 400 diesel engine mated to either a six-speed manual or an automatic gearbox. Sources tell us that the Hexa special edition is likely to cost around Rs 85,000 over the cost of the standard top-spec Hexa XT variant.

Courtesy : Autocar

The Audi A5 Cabriolet and A5 Sportback are powered by a 190hp, 2.0-litre diesel while the S5 Sportback gets a 354hp, 3.0-litre, turbo-petrol, V6.

Audi has expanded its India line-up with the launch of the new A5 Sportback, A5 Cabriolet and S5 Sportback at Rs 54.02 lakh, Rs 67.51 lakh and Rs 70.60 lakh, respectively (ex-showroom, Delhi).

The previous-gen S5 Sportback was sold in India, as was the range-topping RS5 Coupe. This is the first time that Audi has brought the drop-top version of the A5 to the market.

The A5 Sportback and Cabriolet are both powered by the same 2.0-litre, four-cylinder, turbo-diesel mill that produces 190hp and 400Nm of peak torque. Both body styles also get the same seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, thought the Sportback only comes with front-wheel-drive while the Cabriolet gets Audi’s Quattro all-wheel-drive system.

Unlike the previous-gen S5 sold in India that came with a supercharged engine, the new range-topping S5 Sportback gets a 3.0-litre, turbo-petrol, V6 motor putting out 354hp and 500Nm of twisting force, mated to an eight-speed automatic gearbox that sends power to all four wheels.

The 2.0-litre diesel and the 3.0-litre petrol motors, both get an engine start-stop system as standard.

A fair amount of the A5’s interiors are shared with the A4 sedan, though the new model gets a new sporty three spoke steering wheel, black wood-trim in the cabin (faux aluminium in the S5), the MMI Touch infotainment system and the Virtual Cockpit digital instrument cluster. A 755W Bang and Olufsen sound system and Audi’s smartphone integration suite with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are optional extras along with a sunroof for the Sportback version.

The A5 Cabriolet rivals the Mercedes-Benz C 300 Cabriolet, while the A5 Sportback will be a more stylish take on the A4, without any direct rivals at this price point.

The S5 Sportback will face competition from Volvo’s S60 Polestar and Mercedes-AMG’s C 43 Coupe.

Courtesy : Autocar

Limited to 20 units, the Mini John Cooper Works Pro Edition is available for booking exclusively at Amazon India.

Mini has launched a limited run JCW Pro Edition of its popular hatchback at Rs 43.9 lakh (ex-showroom, India). The Mini John Cooper Works Pro Edition is a CBU limited to 20 units of the three-door hatchback for India, and is exclusively available on Amazon India for bookings.

As the name implies, the JCW badged-model is powered by a range-topping 2.0-litre, four-cylinder, turbo-petrol engine developing 192hp and 280Nm of peak torque. The JCW Tuning Kit adds another 18hp and 20Nm of torque. The engine is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. The special edition also features launch control, an auto start/stop function, brake energy regeneration, shift point display, an electromechanical power steering and three driving modes – Green, Mid and Sport.

The special edition model is available in two exterior colours – Midnight Black and British Racing Green. It also features a red roof and red door mirrors, a matte black bonnet, rear stripes accented by a red pinstripe, LED headlamps surrounded by black trim, 17-inch alloy wheels shod with 205mm rubber, dual pipe exhausts finished in carbon- fibre and a controllable exhaust valve system.

The cabin of the JCW Pro Edition gets John Cooper Works sport seats with integrated headrests finished in Alcantara leather with a contrasting red colour, leather wrapped JCW steering wheel with paddle shifters and JCW logos on the door sill. In terms of equipment, the limited edition model comes with a heads-up display that incorporates navigation, media and smartphone connectivity via a 360W Harman Kardon audio system. The sound system features 12 speakers and an eight-channel digital amplifier.

Safety equipment on the JCW pro Edition includes dual-front airbags, brake assist, Dynamic Stability Control (DSC), a crash sensor, ABS, cornering brake control and a run-flat indicator.

The standard Mini Cooper S faces off against the likes of the VW GTI though the Skoda Octavia RS offers similar performance at a lower price.

Courtesy : Autocar

BMW has announced that it will be the world’s first mass-market carmaker to introduce wireless charging for its new 530e iPerformance sedan.

The system will first be introduced on the hybrid 5-series due next year and is based on the BMW i8 safety car that is used in the Formula E racing series.

The German manufacturer claims that the wireless charging system can charge the 530e’s lithium-ion battery in 3.5 hours, which is about an hour and a half slower than the fastest current wallbox plug that is offered with the model.

The 530e’s wireless system uses resonant magnetic inductive coupling technology to create an electromagnetic field, just like the one the BMW i8 safety car used in Formula E possesses. The 9.2kWh battery can be charged at a rate of up to 3.2kW via this field.

Charging begins automatically as soon as the 530e is parked on the floor charge pad with its engine switched off. Guiding lines displayed on the infotainment system will guide driver’s onto the pad, which can be placed indoors or outdoors.

While BMW has only confirmed wireless charging for the plug-in hybrid 5-series, it will surely be offered with other BMW EVs such as the facelifted i8, which will be equipped with a larger, 10kWh battery as used by the uprated Formula E safety car.

BMW has recently launched the new 5-series in India with three diesel trims and the 530i petrol variant. The range-topping 600hp, AWD M5 that was showcased at the 2017 Frankfurt motor show will also come to India next year.

Courtesy : Autocar