Maxxd.com – Modified and Performance Car News

  • VW GOLF GTI MK8 REVIEW

    The go-to hot hatch has long been the Golf GTI, but recent generations have lost a bit of the sparkle and rivals like the Focus ST and i30N have made it look dowdy. With the new VW Golf GTI Mk8, Volkswagen claims to have injected the fun back into the GTI, but has it? And could it possibly be worth that pricetag?

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    VW Golf GTI MK8: what you need to know

    It’s been much talked about, the new Mk8 VW Golf GTI. Depending on which side of the fence you sit on, there’s not a lot of change from the Mk7 to the 8, at least not visually anyway. The front end gets a nip and tuck with an optional full-width light bar across the grille, but that’s about it. Dare we say it’s all a bit facelift(y) rather than new model…

    While visually it might not be much different, underneath is where all the magic takes place. Despite still carrying over the EA888 2.0-litre, turbocharged four-cylinder engine from the previous generation, it now produces 242bhp in base form, equivalent to the Performance model in Mk7 guise. However, VW has implemented a new, higher-pressure fuel injection system and revised combustion and emissions controls for a smoother, punchier drive.

    The biggest changes come in the handling department with three key components. The first is an electronic limited-slip differential, which was previously an option on the Mk7. The second is a new Vehicle Dynamics Manager. Essentially what this Vehicle Dynamics Manager does is not only just control the XDS differential, but also the adaptive dampers, adjusting them up to 200 times every second. This then forces the components to work together harmoniously for greater traction, handling and overall driving dynamics in order to meet the car’s overarching target of being more fun.

    The third are stiffer spring rates. VW’s aim was to focus on better rotating the car’s chassis in tighter corners and in doing so has stiffened the front springs by 5%, and the rear springs by 15%. As a result, you can induce lift-off oversteer like never before in the previous generation and inject some fun into the driving experience.

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  • ASTON MARTIN SAFETY CAR REVEALED

    Aston Martin has revealed its all new safety and medical car ahead of the start of the 2021 F1 season, with it now sharing duties with Mercedes at race events. 

    The introduction comes as no surprise given Mercedes and Aston Martin’s relationship has developed strongly over the past year or so. Within that time frame, Mercedes has increased its stake in Aston Martin to 20% while also allowing Aston Martin to raid its powertrain and electric/electronic architecture departments amongst other technologies.

    Aston Martin safety car

    The new safety car is an Aston Martin Vantage, which features a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engine from Mercedes-AMG. Here it’s been given a spruce up with an extra 24hp, bumping its power to 528hp. A new vane grille and front splitter generate as much as 155kg of downforce at 124mph, which equates to some 60kg more than the regular Vantage makes at the same speed.

    Instead of the single infotainment screen, there are now two digital displays, one with a live television feed of the race, the other with vehicle statistics, lap timing of the F1 cars and where their positions are on the track.

    A variety of other tech is on board, this includes controls for the LED lightbar, siren and radio communications, as well as the FIA Marshalling System, telling the driver which sections of the track are flagged.

    The medical car comes in the form of the Aston Martin DBX. Using a version of the same twin-turbo V8 engine, it produces 525hp and will hit 181mph. On board is a whole host of medical equipment, fire extinguishers and a defibrillator.

    Aston Martin safety car

    Live vital medical information from the drivers gloves is also fed to the medical car in the event of a collision to help diagnose the condition of the driver.

    Stefano Domenicali, President and CEO of Formula 1, said: “We are very pleased to announce our new partnership with both Aston Martin and Mercedes-AMG to provide the Official Safety and Medical Cars to the FIA Formula 1 World Championship.”

    Tobias Moers, CEO of Aston Martin Lagonda, said: “Together with the whole company, I am extremely proud of the Aston Martin brand’s return to Formula 1, the pinnacle of motorsport, for the first time in more than 60 years and represents the start of a significant new era for Aston Martin.


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  • 2021 Ram 1500 TRX strapped to dyno, puts out 583 hp at the rear wheels

    The 2021 Ram 1500 TRX boasts a factory-quoted 702 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque, but that’s as measured at the crank, not the wheels. Hennessey Performance Engineering tried to measure how much power the TRX makes at the wheels by strapping one to a dyno, but only ran numbers for the rear wheels.

    The dyno test showed 538 hp and 570 lb-ft of torque at the rear wheels. That represents around 17% driveline loss, which isn’t unusal for a pickup truck. Hennessey previously recorded 20% driveline loss at the rear wheels when it tested a 2019 Ford F-150 Raptor.

    The TRX is full-time four-wheel drive, so you might be wondering how Hennessey got dyno results for the rear wheels only. Company founder John Hennessey told Motor Authority that four-wheel drive was temporarily disabled by disconnecting the front driveshaft.

    2021 Hennessey Mammoth 1000 1500 TRX

    2021 Hennessey Mammoth 1000 1500 TRX

    While the TRX was designed for off-roading, the amount of power produced by its 6.2-liter supercharged Hellcat V-8 makes this truck pretty quick on pavement. Ram says it will do 0-60 mph in 4.5 seconds.

    Inevitably, that wasn’t enough for Hennessey. The company has developed more powerful versions of every Hellcat-powered vehicle, and it’s doing the same with the TRX. Dubbed the Mammoth 1000, Hennessey claims its take on the TRX will boast 1,000 hp, will do 0-60 mph in 3.2 seconds, and run the quarter mile in 11.4 seconds.

    To achieve those numbers, Hennessey plans to equip the Mammoth 1000 with an upgraded supercharger, pulley, and air intake, stainless-steel headers, high-flow exhaust piping (retaining the catalytic converter), and new engine mapping. The price for the complete truck is $135,350, and Hennessey only plans to build 200 this year.

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