Aston Martin Developing New Turbocharged V6 To Prove Its Engine Mastery

You can't rely on others like Mercedes-AMG forever.

A few days ago, Aston Martin revealed a simple yet interesting sketch of its planned third mid-engined hypercar, currently codenamed “Project 003”. Like the upcoming Valkyrie, it will be co-developed with the Red Bull Formula One team. Details are thin at the moment, but the automaker did claim the hypercar will be built around a lightweight structure and powered by a turbocharged gasoline-electric hybrid engine. No power figures were given, nor the number of engine cylinders. Until now, that is.

Auto Express recently chatted with Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer about a number of topics, among them Project 003.

Asked specifically about the car’s engineering strategy, Palmer revealed there are similarities between it and the Valkyrie, even though the latter will come powered by a naturally aspirated V12. “Yes there are similarities, starting with the engine – it’s a V6,” Palmer said. “In the 003 it’s a turbocharged V6. There will be hybrid power in there, but very much tuned from a KERS perspective than a normal hybridization perspective – think of it as raced tuned.”

A turbocharged V6 connected to a hybrid system will provide all sorts of awesome, such as a high output figure, though Palmer refused to discuss specific numbers.

“Obviously it’s a new engine, designed by Aston Martin, so we’re demonstrating that in the V12 arena we have mastery, so V12 and V6 is obviously closely related.” There have also been some rumors swirling around that Project 003 is none other than the previously announced mid-engined Ferrari 488 fighter. It’s certainly possible but, again, Aston Martin isn’t divulging any details at this time.

We do know Project 003 will be fully street legal and will offer drivers “outstanding levels of downforce” and provide “next-level precision, control, and driver connection." The automaker also says Project 003 will be a practical hypercar, meaning, for example, sufficient luggage space. Given everything, it sure does sound like Project 003 and that mid-engined 488 competitor are one and the same.

View the original article here

Audi's Not Kidding About Developing Flying Taxi Concept

Italdesign and Airbus join Audi at Drone Week in Amsterdam.

Pie in the sky. That's where we filed away Audi's flying taxi concept when it debuted at the Geneva Motor Show back in March. But Audi, it turns out, wasn't kidding, and neither were its partners.

Stemming from a joint effort between the German automaker, its sister studio Italdesign, and passenger-jet consortium Airbus, the Pop.Up project envisions a multi-modal form of transportation consisting of an autonomous vehicle that docks into an aircraft so that passengers can be whisked around through the air and on ground. And the project, it seems, it picking up speed.

Now over eight months since its debut, the concept has evolved into the Pop.Up Next, showcased at Drone Week in Amsterdam – albeit not in full size. This concept is a 1:4 scale model with a tiny car docking into a quadricopter not unlike those you can buy from companies like DJI or Parrot (or build yourself from a kit).

“Flying taxis are on the way. We at Audi are convinced of that,” said Audi tech chief and Italdesign president Dr. Bernd Martens. “More and more people are moving to cities. And more and more people will be mobile thanks to automation.”

While it's working on the Pop.Up Next project with its partners, Audi is developing parallel programs like the Airbus' Voom initiative, which pairs helicopter charters in Mexico City and Sao Paulo with Audis to complete the last mile to the destination, and the Urban Air Mobility project in its home town of Ingolstadt.

In the future, continued Martens, “senior citizens, children, and people without a driver’s license will want to use convenient robot taxis. If we succeed in making a smart allocation of traffic between roads and airspace, people and cities can benefit in equal measure.”

Aston Martin Developing New Turbocharged V6 To Prove Its Engine Mastery

You can't rely on others like Mercedes-AMG forever.

A few days ago, Aston Martin revealed a simple yet interesting sketch of its planned third mid-engined hypercar, currently codenamed “Project 003”. Like the upcoming Valkyrie, it will be co-developed with the Red Bull Formula One team. Details are thin at the moment, but the automaker did claim the hypercar will be built around a lightweight structure and powered by a turbocharged gasoline-electric hybrid engine. No power figures were given, nor the number of engine cylinders. Until now, that is.

Auto Express recently chatted with Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer about a number of topics, among them Project 003.

Asked specifically about the car’s engineering strategy, Palmer revealed there are similarities between it and the Valkyrie, even though the latter will come powered by a naturally aspirated V12. “Yes there are similarities, starting with the engine – it’s a V6,” Palmer said. “In the 003 it’s a turbocharged V6. There will be hybrid power in there, but very much tuned from a KERS perspective than a normal hybridization perspective – think of it as raced tuned.”

A turbocharged V6 connected to a hybrid system will provide all sorts of awesome, such as a high output figure, though Palmer refused to discuss specific numbers.

“Obviously it’s a new engine, designed by Aston Martin, so we’re demonstrating that in the V12 arena we have mastery, so V12 and V6 is obviously closely related.” There have also been some rumors swirling around that Project 003 is none other than the previously announced mid-engined Ferrari 488 fighter. It’s certainly possible but, again, Aston Martin isn’t divulging any details at this time.

We do know Project 003 will be fully street legal and will offer drivers “outstanding levels of downforce” and provide “next-level precision, control, and driver connection." The automaker also says Project 003 will be a practical hypercar, meaning, for example, sufficient luggage space. Given everything, it sure does sound like Project 003 and that mid-engined 488 competitor are one and the same.

View the original article here