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  • 2024 Volkswagen ID Buzz spy shots and video: Modern electric Bus takes shape

    Volkswagen’s electric successor to the iconic Microbus, which was previewed by 2017’s ID Buzz concept vehicle, has been spotted testing in prototype form (earlier shots showed a test mule).

    The prototypes are barely disguised, but some finer details like the lights are camouflaged by stickers. There are also fake elements attached to the front to hide the true design of the vehicle’s face.

    Some of our spy shots also show a T6-generation VW Transporter/Multivan. We can see that the ID Buzz is wider and lower than the T6 van. It’s hard to compare the wheelbase, but we know the ID Buzz will have two wheelbase options, with the United States expected to receive the longer version as standard.

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    We also know that both passenger and commercial versions are planned, the latter previewed by 2018’s ID Buzz Cargo concept. The U.S. is only expected to receive the passenger version, however.

    The final design should resemble the design shown in a teaser sketch of a self-driving ID Buzz (shown below) that’s slated to enter a commercial taxi service in 2025. The service will be run by Volkswagen Group’s Moia mobility division using a self-driving system developed by Argo AI, which VW Group is a major shareholder of.

    The ID Buzz, which will likely be called something along the lines of ID.7 or ID.8 in production guise, is due to start sales in Europe in 2022. It won’t reach the United States until 2023, meaning it will likely arrive as a 2024 model. That’s a year later than originally promised.

    Volkswagen ID.Buzz AD self-driving car prototype

    Volkswagen ID.Buzz AD self-driving car prototype

    VW has hinted at a modern Bus for years. In fact, the automaker rolled out the first concept for one as far back as 2001. Now production is finally happening. The production will be handled at a VW Group plant in Hanover, Germany, which is being upgraded to handle electric vehicles. The plant is where VW currently builds its T-series van, the true successor to the Microbus.

    The T-series in June spawned the new T7 generation in passenger-oriented Multivan guise. The T7 van, which is based on VW Group’s MQB platform, will be sold alongside the ID Buzz. The ID Buzz rides on VW Group’s MEB battery-electric platform.

    Look for a base model with around 201 hp and rear-wheel drive. Above this should sit a 302-hp model with a dual-motor all-wheel-drive system. The biggest battery option should offer close to 300 miles of range.

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  • 2022 Mercedes-Benz AMG GT 73e 4-Door Coupe spy shots and video: 800-plus-hp super hatch coming soon

    Mercedes-Benz AMG is readying a new plug-in hybrid version of its GT 4-Door Coupe.

    Our spy shots and video show a prototype of the AMG super hatch with a concealed flap on its rear fascia, located just below the taillight on the right. On the corresponding rear fender is the regular filler cap.

    When the Mercedes-Benz AMG GT Concept bowed in 2017 as a preview of the GT 4-Door Coupe, the striking show car packed a powerful electrified V-8 under the hood. So far such a powertrain hasn’t taken shape but that is now about to change. In fact, AMG has already revealed it. It will debut in this new GT 4-Door Coupe variant later this year.

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    The electrified hatch will be positioned as the range-topper in the GT 4-Door Coupe lineup, similar to how Porsche’s Panamera and Cayenne also feature plug-in hybrids as their top option. Expect the AMG to be called something along the lines of GT 73e, the small “e” representing AMG’s new E Performance branding for electrified cars.

    The powertrain, which replaces AMG’s former V-12 line, is confirmed to feature a 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V-8 mated to a 9-speed automatic up front and a single electric motor mated to a 2-speed transmission at the rear. There will also be a 6.1-kilowatt-hour battery kept charged to provide power during high-performance driving, rather than pure electric range although an electric mode will be possible. Drive will be to all four wheels via a conventional all-wheel-drive system.

    The exact output hasn’t been confirmed but we know it will be at a minimum 804 hp, with the electric motor making 94 hp on a constant basis and up to 201 hp during high-load situations. Currently, the GT 4-Door Coupe range tops out with the GT 63 S, whose output is 630 hp. With over 800 horses, expect the super hatch to sprint to 60 mph in less than 3.0 seconds. The GT 63 S does it in 3.2 seconds.

    Mercedes-AMG E Performance

    Mercedes-AMG E Performance

    The plug-in hybrid system will eventually filter across to other high-end models in the AMG lineup. AMG’s version of the new S-Class is likely the next recipient.

    Eager buyers should expect a premium price for the extra performance the powertrain brings. The GT 63 S already starts at $159,995. For this kind of money, buyers could also opt for the Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid or the battery-electric Porsche Taycan Turbo S and new Tesla Model S Plaid+.

    AMG doesn’t have an answer to the Taycan or Model S Plaid+ just yet, but its first dedicated electric vehicle is coming this year. It will be based on the recently revealed Mercedes EQS.

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  • 1988 Chevrolet Corvette Callaway SledgeHammer for sale

    With a top speed of nearly 255 mph, the 1988 Chevrolet Corvette Callway SledgeHammer was one of the fastest cars you could buy during the Reagan years. The modified Corvette was just listed on Bring a Trailer, and the price has already climbed well into the six-figure range by the time of publication.

    Connecticut-based Callaway Cars was already an established tuner in the late 1980s when it launched Project SledgeHammer, with the goal of breaking production-car speed records. This car started out as a stock 1988 Corvette coupe, but was shipped directly to Callaway for modification.

    The 5.7-liter V-8 got twin turbochargers, a blueprinted block, forged pistons, a dry-sump oiling system, and other modifications. That boosted output to 880 hp and 772 lb-ft of torque. The car currently has a ZF 6-speed manual transmission, which is not the gearbox originally installed by Callaway. 

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    The SledgeHammer stood out from other C4 Corvettes thanks to a sleeker front fascia incorporating vents and the Corvette logo, functional front-fender and rear quarter-panel vents, and a new rear fascia incorporating a rear spoiler and quad exhaust. These elements were later put into limited production as the AeroBody for Callaway C4 customer cars.

    The car rides on 17-inch Dymag magnesium wheels with Goodyear Eagle tires. However, these tires aren’t suitable for extreme speeds, as Goodyear manufactured special tires for the 1988 top-speed run, the listing notes.

    Upon completion, the Corvette was driven from Callaway’s shop in Old Lyme, Connecticut, to the Transportation Research Center’s 7.5-mile test track in East Liberty, Ohio, where John Lingenfelter drove it to a 254.76-mph top speed. It was then stored in a museum environment for most of the next three decades, and got a refresh from Callaway in 2018, according to the listing. Now it’s ready to make you the most popular person at Radwood.

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