Auto Express 1705

IN the space of a couple of months we’ve had two successful major motor shows take place (Munich and then Los Angeles) while one – Geneva – was cancelled. This was after the British Motor Show this summer pleased many thousands of showgoers. That’s one thing we forget: these shows are for car buyers and car fans. The days that us journalists turn up and industry folk network are a happy byproduct. To prove the point, I met up with two Auto Express readers from the US at the LA Auto Show: Ralph Grimes and George Pasti (above). They’d travelled to LA from Arizona because, as Ralph put it, “A good motor show is still the best place to see lots of cars in one place to help me decide…

● Models share same E-GMP EV platform ● Different design directions for the two seven-seaters HYUNDAI and Kia used the Los Angeles Auto Show to preview their forthcoming flagship electric SUVs. The Hyundai Ioniq Seven concept provides a clear glimpse of the production Ioniq 7 large SUV, confirmed for 2024. Kia’s Concept EV9, meanwhile, has no timeline, but a production version is all but confirmed (see designer’s notes, right). The Seven (above) is said to have “an aerodynamically pure silhouette instinctively divergent from a typical SUV”. Hyundai cites the low bonnet line, curved roof shape and long wheelbase as marking a design break from traditional SUVs. Details include a large, single-piece glass tailgate, wheels featuring “Active Air Flaps” that can either cool the brakes or reduce drag, and the Ioniq…

John_McIlroy@autovia.co.uk @johnmcilroy ● Limited-run Icona model packs 829bhp V12 ● 0-62mph in 2.85 seconds, top speed more than 211mph “Bespoke body mixes cutting-edge aerodynamics with nods to Ferrari’s sports prototypes from the sixties” FERRARI has never shied away from its heritage, and its Icona series of models celebrates some of its most prestigious moments. The front-engined Monza SP1 and SP2 led the way, but now it’s time for the first mid-engined Icona car: the Daytona SP3. This new creation is a tribute to one of Ferrari’s greatest ever days on the race track, when the firm locked out all three podium positions at the 1967 Daytona 24 Hours with a 330 P3/4, 330 P4 and 412 P. The Daytona SP3 is Ferrari’s first midengined V12 since the LaFerrari hypercar. It…

● All-electric concept racing car ● May preview Cayman EV THE last time Porsche built a Mission badged concept car – the Mission E – it became the Taycan, which this year will be the biggest-selling Porsche in the UK. So when the firm recently announced the wild-looking Mission R concept racing car, it immediately came under very close scrutiny. The 718 Boxster and Cayman models will be the first of Porsche’s sports cars to go fully electric. While it’s unconfirmed for now, it looks likely this will happen with their next generations, and the Mission R potentially gives us a glimpse of what the new cars could look like – if you remove the huge wings and other racing elements. This car is also a suggestion from Porsche Motorsport…

TVR has partnered with lithium mining company Ensorcia Metals Corporation to secure battery supply for planned future electric models, and to fund production of its long-awaited Griffith sports car. The company has also admitted that its V8-powered Griffith – first shown to the public in 2017 – is now not due to reach customers until the end of 2023. The joint venture with Ensorcia provides “significant funding” for TVR to establish electric powertrain projects, while Ensorcia Automotive will also assist with production at the British company’s factory in Ebbw Vale, Wales, which is still undergoing refurbishment.…

Chris_Rosamond@autovia.co.uk ● Euro NCAP awards scores for tech in seven new models ● Tests were conducted in the UK by Thatcham Research ● Makers praised for highlighting limits of systems THE BMW iX3 has been awarded a “very good” ranking out of seven cars assessed for the performance of their assisted driving tech. It joins the Mercedes GLE, BMW 3 Series and Audi A8, which received similar “very good” ratings in 2020, while the Ford Mustang Mach-E and Cupra Formentor assistance systems have been judged as “good”. The latest assessments, which rate features such as speed and steering assistance, and adaptive cruise control, have also seen the Polestar 2 and Hyundai Ioniq 5 earn only “moderate” ratings, while the Toyota Yaris and Vauxhall Mokka-e were assessed as “entry” level. Thatcham…