Red Bull unveiled its RB17 hypercar, boasting 1,200 hp, a curb weight under 2,000 lbs, and a $6.4 million price tag. Get all the latest auto industry news in the Executive Briefing.
Today’s headlines:
+ Italy’s government is considering taking over defunct auto brands owned by Stellantis and offering them to Chinese companies as incentives to set up factories in Italy. More at Reuters.
+ Volkswagen’s share price dipped after the company issued an overnight profit warning and announced it was studying the potential closure of an Audi plant in Brussels. More at CNBC.
+ Ford has filed an application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for a system called Night Drive Mode that limits vehicle speeds after dark. More at Motor Authority.
+ McLaren CEO Zak Brown has called out fellow Formula 1 teams over what he calls their undue influence over the sport’s regulations, a practice he describes as “embarrassing.” More at SI.com.
+ Germany is expected to abstain on this week’s vote by the European Union member states on a proposal to impost stiffer provisional tariffs on electric vehicles produced in China. More at World Auto Forum.
+ The 2025 Subaru BRZ sports car features a driver-selectable Sport Mode that alters the throttle response and increases the volume of the simulated exhaust sound generator. More at The Drive.
+ Two extremely rare Porsches, a 1971 911 S/T and a 1993 959 Komfort Series II, will take center stage at the annual Bonhams|Cars’ Quail Lodge Auction on August 16th. More at Old Cars.
+ Ford is considering a $400 million investment in an aluminum unicast manufacturing facility in Shelby County, Kentucky near Louisville to support the production of electric vehicles. More at The Detroit News.
+ At the Goodwood Festival of Speed, Redbull unveiled its RB17 hypercar, boasting a normally-aspirated V10 with 1,200 hp, a curb weight of less than 2,000 lbs, and a $6.4 million price tag. More at Autoblog.
+ The Legacy Motor Club NASCAR Cup organization has made key personnel changes, with veteran Bobby Kennedy promoted from crew chief to general manager. More at Yardbarker.
Photo courtesy of Red Bull Racing.
Review the previous MCG Executive Briefing from July 12 here.
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“a system called Night Drive Mode” Police officers often have a very high opinion of themselves & their abilities. I don’t imagine that many will wait long to push the ‘override’ switch. I also think the public will clamor for near-instant response to their personal crisis and shoot down this idea. The only ones who won’t complain are Dodge and Mustang owners.
Yeah, this is about as stupid an idea as the speed limiters fixing to be required in Europe. Just another way to take away a freedom. I’m sure the insurance companies will be chomping at the bit to get both installed on new vehicles here asap if they can.
Driver selectable exhaust sound for EV’s. What a wonderful idea. Not !
How long before some bright hacker installs the sound of a duck quacking or better yet the sound of a cow contributing to global warming.
I believe that Tesla has already offered the sound of that cow and was forced to remove it from the menu via an over-the-air software update. The new electric Dodges will go so far as to offer mufflers in order to recreate the muscle car sound.