Car news today: Mazda promises RX-7 production with twin-rotor engine, BYD Dolphin to receive styling and powertrain upgrades and more – 11 December 2024

Thanks for joining us this Wednesday 11 December 2024. Notably in car news today: Mazda RX-7 confirmed for production – with twin-rotor engine, BYD Dolphin to receive styling and powertrain upgrades, and more

Browse this issue:

• Mazda RX-7 confirmed for production with a twin-rotor engine 
• BYD Dolphin to receive styling and powertrain upgrades 
• Ford Mustang GTD sets a sub-seven-second Nürburgring lap 
• EV batteries could last much longer than expected 
• Reviewed: Porsche Taycan Turbo S

Ford Mustang GTD sets sub-seven-minute lap around Nürburgring

• Ford has lived up to its claim of producing a vehicle capable of a sub-seven-minute lap of the globally famous Nürburgring Nordschleife.   

• This makes the Mustang GTD one of six stock production sports cars to beat this threshold, and officially the fifth fastest in the production sports car class. 

• The Mustang GTD boasts 607kW (815hp) and was driven by Multimatic Motorsports driver, Dirk Müller. He produced a time of 6.57:685 around the 20.8-kilometre, 73-turn track nicknamed ‘Green Hell’. 

• A 13-minute documentary titled The Road to the Ring was filmed on this challenge, which can be FOUND HERE. This documentary takes a behind-the-scenes look at the testing process, through to development conducted at the Nürburgring. 

BYD Dolphin to receive styling and powertrain upgrades 

• Car News China has reported that a 130kW electric motor is expected to be added to the BYD Dolphin range. Currently, 70kW and 150kW powertrain options power the model. 

• A Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information (MIIT) has filed plans and images documenting the changes expected to flow across the line-up in 2025. 

• As well as an additional powertrain, styling updates have also been photographed with front-and-rear styling revisions being the main changes. Headlight, grille, bumper bar changes can also be spied.   

• Overseas pricing has been announced, with models expected to cost between $21,500 and $28,000 depending on powertrain selection. 

Mazda Iconic SP confirmed for production with twin rotor engine 

• Mazda CEO, Masahiro Moro, has confirmed that the Iconic SP will go into production, a spiritual successor to the RX-7 of sorts. Moro recently confirmed this to Automotive News, saying: “we still persist in making it happen, and we are marching towards it step by step.”  

• Moro also confirmed a twin-rotor setup will be required to make enough power required to be successful in the United States market. It will also need to comply with strict US emission regulations, providing an extra challenge. 

• “We have tested with the single rotor. The next phase will be moving to two. The rotors spin separately in different chambers with one shaft. We need to generate more electricity. Two rotors will generate more power, which is more suitable to U.S. market characteristics,” Moro says. 

• It is expected Mazda will incorporate a 25KW electric motor to act as a flywheel to twin-rotor engines that will be located after the front axle for better weight distribution.

EV batteries could last much longer than expected 

• Scientists at the SLAC-Stanford Battery Center say we’ve not been testing EV batteries the right way. Acceleration, braking and downtime help EV batteries last longer they claim. 

• According to the report, the traditional methods of calculating battery life cycles need improvement when it comes to EVs. This is due to an assumption of fairly constant discharge and recharge habits. 

• Some 92 commercially available EV batteries were tested over the space of two years, with four-discharge profiles used. These were based on accumulated driving data. The results found the more realistic a charge profile is to real-world conditions, the life of EV batteries climbed. . 

• Those interested can find the full study HERE. The key finding made by researchers being they feel manufacturers could make updates to their battery management software taking advantage of these findings – thus increasing the longevity of EV batteries. 

Porsche Taycan Turbo S reviewed

• Chasing Cars Deputy Editor Curt Dupriez’s  review of the 2024 Porsche Taycan Turbo S was published, including his thoughts on performance VS pricing.
  
• Dupriez liked the performance, long range battery and rapid charging.

• However, Dupriez questioned why it is called a turbo, the poor warranty as well as the cost of purchasing and optioning up the Taycan. 

• In summary, Dupriez’ conclusion is that if Porsche’s updated Taycan isn’t the best series-production electric model range on sale, then what is?
  

The next issue of Car News Today will be published on Thursday  12 December at 4.30pm Sydney time.