The Firefly, Google's autonomous driving prototype, seems to have reached the end of its journey with Google all set to retire the model to put more emphasis on Chrysler Pacifica minivans instead.

The news has already been confirmed by Waymo lead systems engineer Jaime Waydo and lead industrial designer YooJung Ahn. Waymo believes that this move will increase access to the autonomous driving technology for more people in lesser time. In a statement released by Waymo, it has been said, "By focusing on mass-produced vehicles like the Pacifica minivan, we'll be able to bring fully self-driving technology to more people, more quickly."

The Chrysler Pacifica minivans are equipped with newer sensors and technology that will enable them to see a greater distance with increased clarity. Besides being more comfortable to travel in, the minivans are not limited to a meagre 40km/h speed like the Firefly. The minivans are being developed in a manner that will allow them to be commercially mass-produced very soon by major carmakers.

Despite the success of the Firefly as the pilot project for its autonomous driving technology, it is understood Google hadn't intended to mass produce the model. It was developed primarily as a research vehicle that successfully made 'self-driving' a reality for the first time.

Courtesy : Autocar

V10 Plus drop-top R8 to be the last variant of the second-gen R8; V10 develops 610hp and 560Nm of torque.

Audi has revealed the R8 Spyder V10 Plus as the final addition to its R8 supercar range. Set to go on sale internationally in the coming months, the Plus has around 70hp and 20Nm more than the standard R8 Spyder V10, giving it a total of 610hp and 560Nm of torque.

It's also 25kg lighter, thanks to the use of carbon fibre-reinforced plastics on its interior and exterior. This means the Plus weighs 1,587kg, which is 167kg more than the Lamborghini Huracán Spyder and 83kg less than the Porsche 911 Turbo.

The Plus's increased power and decreased weight equate a 0.3sec improvement to 0-100kph time and a 10kph increase in top speed over the regular V10 Spyder, at 3.3sec and 332kph.

The Plus is marked out by carbon fibre trim across the exterior in place of the standard car's gloss black trim. Its trapezoidal exhausts are also split into four separate pipes, in place of two larger, undivided pipes. The Plus also gets standard bucket seats and ceramic brakes.

Audi confirmed that no further variants on the R8 will be added to the range after the R8 Spyder V10 Plus, quelling speculation of a lightweight variant akin to the Huracán Performante.

The second-gen R8 is currently available in India only as the R8 V10 Plus Coupe though the automaker could expand the line-up to include the drop-top models at a later stage.

Courtesy: Autocar

Volkswagen has unveiled the new sixth-generation Polo at a media reception held at its Wolfsburg headquarters in Germany. The all-new hatchback is an outwardly larger, significantly roomier and more technically sophisticated model than today’s eight-year-old car.

Set to make its public debut at the upcoming Frankfurt motor show, the new Polo will be produced in five-door hatchback form only, with buyers offered the choice of up to six engines – the most powerful being a range-topping 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol unit good for 200hp powering the GTi model.

Based around the German carmaker’s MQB A0 platform – the old car was underpinned by VW’s PQ25 platform, the new Volkswagen has grown quite significantly. Measuring in at 4,053mm in length, 1,7511mm in width and 1,446mm in height, it is 81mm longer, 63mm wider and 7mm lower than its predecessor. The wheelbase too is now 94mm longer at 2,564mm.

Despite being immediately recognisable as a Volkswagen, VW designers have incorporated a number of new design elements on the new car, including a distinctive swage line graphic that provides additional structure to the bodywork in an area above the door handles.

The new Polo will be sold in six different trim lines. Included are the familiar Trendline, Comfortline and Highline trims, a special Beats edition with an upgraded sound system and an R-line trim featuring re-profiled bumpers, standard 16-inch alloy wheels and darkened exterior elements among other unique touches.

At the top of the line-up is the GTi. It receives a number of traditional cues, including uniquely-styled bumpers, a honeycomb grille insert, red highlights within the headlamps, 17-inch alloy wheels, a rear spoiler atop the tailgate, LED tail lamps and dual-chromed tailpipes.

The decision to dispense with the three-door bodystyle, which has traditionally accounted for over 30 per cent of worldwide sales, comes on the back of slowing sales and follows similar moves from rival automakers.  

The increase in external dimensions combines with the improved packaging offered by the new MQB A0 platform to provide the new Polo with a larger interior boasting a claimed 15mm increase in headroom up front and 30mm increase in headroom in the rear. Volkswagen also quotes a significant 71-litre improvement in luggage capacity at 351 litres.

The interior has been thoroughly redesigned, with a newly styled dashboard featuring a new steering wheel and more contemporary switchgear at the centre of the changes. Analogue instruments remain standard, though Volkswagen’s Active Info Display digital instruments along with a wide number of connectivity functions, including a wireless smartphone charging pad and keyless access are offered as options.

Volkswagen has confirmed that the 2017 model year Polo will be sold with the choice of four petrol engines and a sole diesel one in varying states of tune, although not all will be available at the time of launch. Each receives a standard stop/start function and brake energy recuperation for improved efficiency.

Gearboxes include either a standard five- or six-speed manual, with a seven-speed dual clutch unit available as an option in combination with the more powerful engines on offer. Despite developing the smaller version of the MQB platform to accept four-wheel drive, Volkswagen says the sixth-generation Polo models will be sold exclusively with front-wheel drive.

Among the petrol engines is a naturally-aspirated, 1.0-litre, three-cylinder multi-point injected unit offered in two states of tune – 65hp or 75hp. It is joined from the outset by a more sophisticated turbocharged 1.0-litre, three-cylinder direct-injection engine developing either 95hp or 115hp.

Further up is a new 1.5 TSI running Volkswagen’s newly developed turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder direct injection petrol engine with 150hp.

Topping the line-up is the new GTI. It eschews the turbocharged 1.8-litre, four-cylinder direct injection engine of its predecessor for a larger turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine which bumps up power by about 8hp to 200hp.

On the diesel front, Volkswagen will launch the new Polo with just one engine option – a 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel unit delivering either 81hp or 96hp.

Also available in selected markets will be a natural-gas-propelled 1.0 TGI model running a specially adapted version of Volkswagen’s turbocharged 1.0-litre four-cylinder direct injection petrol engine developing 90hp.

The all-new Polo will go on sale internationally by the end of the year with production expected to start shortly. For India, Volkswagen recently signed an MoU with Tata Motors to use the latter’s AMP platform to develop models for the country. So, while a Polo replacement could be on the cards, it is yet unknown if VW will bring in a reengineered version of the all-new international model shown here or launch an indigenously developed alternative.

Courtesy: Autocar

All-electric Honda NSX under considerationThe next-gen NSX could use four electric motors that would be able to potentially carry from 0-100kph in 2.5secs.Honda is looking at bringing technology from its 1,014hp Pikes Peak race car, 4-Motor Acura EV Concept, to production in the form of a fully battery-powered next-generation NSX.The revelation that a potential all-electric NSX is under consideration was made by Sekino Yosuke, Honda's head of research and development, during a demonstration of the Acura EV concept. Given the acceleration figures of that car and the NSX’s famed handling prowess, the electric drivetrain would have the potential to give the NSX hypercar-beating levels of performance. Although, the competition car’s top speed is a relatively low 249kph and a production car would likely weigh more.

“The technology used on the Pikes Peak car could be interesting,” said Yosuke. “It's not just a competition car; I would like to make such a car in production, and there are some studies around that. We want our electric cars to be joyful to drive, and it is clear that this proposal, with around 1,014hp, is both joyful and uses technology that could one day reach production. We are evaluating what is possible now.”This means that the next-generation NSX could potentially use four electric motors to generate acceleration that would be able to carry from 0-100kph in 2.5secs and 0-200kph in 6.2secs, making it more potent than a Porsche 918 Spyder.The 4-Motor Acura EV Concept, which weighs 1.5 tonne, finished third overall in last year’s Pikes Peak Hill Climb event in Colorado, USA. It has a modified version of the SH-AWD powertrain in the production Honda NSX. With an electric motor powering each wheel, the concept is claimed to be the “world’s first supercar with four-wheel independent torque allocation”.

As such, each wheel can accelerate or decelerate at any time, offering maximum grip and the potential for handling-improving torque vectoring.Although it's only required to run at full speed for around 32km at Pikes Peak, insiders say that it carries sufficient battery capacity to drive for 322km if driven at modest speeds. A production car is likely to require a broader range of talents, and the main barriers to a road car matching the competition car’s performance are said to be the weight (for safety), additional battery systems and the need for more cooling.However, the current NSX has only been on sale in international markets since last year, with Type R and convertible variants still in the pipeline. As such, an all-new NSX is unlikely to be launched before 2023, when battery technology is expected to have progressed significantly.

Courtesy : Autocar

Mercedes has started testing the next-generation A-class’ autonomous functions. The car is set to get driverless technology from the S-class, as hinted to our sister publication Autocar UK by Mercedes sales boss Britta Seeger earlier this year, giving it the potential to reach Level 2 autonomy.

The new autonomous technology will enable the future BMW 1-series rival to steer and brake itself up to certain speeds. It'll do this by using systems that are part of the car's lane keep assist and adaptive cruise control technology.

Previous sightings have shown that the car’s design will take influence from the Concept A, with slimmer headlights and wider front grille for a more aggressive appearance, as well as a longer wheelbase and higher roofline to improve practicality.

Sources say the interior will feature plusher materials and Mercedes’ latest infotainment system as well, with top-spec models likely to get a widescreen display integrated more cleanly into the dashboard than in the current A-class. The fit and finish of the interior will also be improved, with strong competition from Audi, with its virtual cockpit dashboard layout.

The 2018 model year A-class will gain a new plug-in petrol-hybrid drivetrain to offer a pure-electric driving range of around 50km. The plug-in model will come as part of Mercedes’ push for a larger, electrified range, which currently only features electric versions of its B-class and Smart models, but will soon gain an SUV, as seen testing earlier this year. An updated line-up of turbocharged four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines will power the range, improving performance and reducing emissions compared to the current car.

At the top end of the line-up, the range-topping AMG A45 version of the new A-class hatchback is expected to produce close to 406hp – 24hp more than today's AMG. The car will rival the likes of the next Audi RS3.

As previewed by the Concept A, the A-class will eventually gain a sedan version that will rival the Audi A3 and BMW 2-series sedans. Alongside standard front-wheel drive, the A-class sedan will be engineered to support Mercedes’ multi-plate clutch 4Matic four-wheel drive system in combination with most engines.

Courtesy : Autocar