Hey, Your Top Automobile News for 28 November,2020

Your Daily Automobile updates From Around The World [img]  [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( [img]( [The Automobile News]( [Mazda3 Turbo is a Performance Hatchback in Stealth Mode]( Some auto trims seem inevitable. Ford Mustang and Mustang GT500. Dodge Challenger and Challenger Hellcat. Chevy Corvette and Corvette ZR1. Mazda3 and Mazda3 hot hatch. Yet we have been denied the latter since 2013.Rejoice, motorheads, the 3 hot hatch is back. Albeit in stealth mode.Badged the 2021 Mazda3 Turbo, this glorious athlete is the answer to many a motorhead’s (this one included) prayers. I spent three days with 3 Turbo over three states, 800 miles and a small West Virginia test track, and it was worth the wait. Pound for dollar, this all-wheel drive hellion is one the best cars in the auto kingdom. It is based on the most-handsome compact hatchback made — the Mazda3 — which dropped jaws at the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show. The well-dressed 3 cried out for a performance model. Two years later, here it is — but you’ll have to look hard for it.Unlike its peers, the Turbo is virtually indistinguishable from the standard 3 — no wings, no flashy badges, no fancy wheels. The Mazda3 Turbo couldn’t be more timely. As sedans have fallen to SUVs, so too have pocket rockets. The Ford Fiesta ST, Ford Focus ST and Hyundai Elantra GT have all been shelved in recent years. Which is a shame, because performance versions of these small cars offer the perfect combination of affordability, cargo utility and performance. Their close kin, the Honda Civic Si coupe and Subaru WRX STI sedan, are plenty sporty — but lack that unique hatchback ingredient. The remaining players are an enticing group of misfit Christmas toys — the three-door Hyundai Veloster, the outrageously winged Honda Civic Type R, the pricey Mini Cooper John Cooper S. The exception is the VW Golf GTI.The Golf GTI not only invented the segment waaay back in 1984, it is the gold standard. And now it has an equal. It’s Federer vs. Nadal. Frazier vs. Ali. Magic vs. Bird. The Turbo vs. GTI has the potential of a great rivalry. They are similarly understated, yet offer meaningful differences.It’s the Turbo’s ferocious-yet-civilized performance that makes it the GTI’s peer. It achieves this by stuffing its engine bay with the same turbocharged 2.5-liter inline-4 found in the Mazda 6. It’s a gem. Spitting out 250 horsepower (with 93-octane fuel — 228 on regular gas) and 320 pound-feet of torque, the turbo-4 is a match for the VW’s 228-horse (on 93 fuel) 285-torque turbo-4. The two even sound the same with low, pitbull growls. Alas, unlike GTI, you can’t row the Mazda3 with a manual gearbox.Not that Mazda doesn’t produce superb manuals — see the Miata and the standard Mazda3 — but Mazda has convinced itself that, like the mid-engine Corvette, its customer wants auto-sophistication over manual fun. Whatever. Mazda’s auto-6 is one of the best in the business.Mash the throttle anywhere and it will downshift seamlessly, quickly. On a closed test track in West Virginia, I wrung the Mazda’s neck in both automatic and manual-paddle shifter modes. So intuitive was the auto tranny that I didn’t have a preference. It’s targeted at a broader, more upscale audience (think AWD Audi buyers), yet maintains the extraordinary value of a mainstream compact (think AWD Subaru buyers). The 3 comes with Mazda’s typically best-in-class standard features: heated seats, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, blind-spot assist, automatic headlights, automatic windshield wipers, adaptive cruise-control and a partridge in a pear tree. The VW won’t bother to include these amenities until you opt for a $37,115 Autobahn trim. Oof. Just to rub it in, my $34,820 Turbo tester included a Premium Plus package with red leather sets, sunroof and autonomous feature called Traffic Jam Assist. [Read More]( The post [Mazda3 Turbo is a Performance Hatchback in Stealth Mode]( first appeared on [TheAutomobileNews.com](. [Read Full Story]( [TVS ARIVE App Launched – All You Need To Know]( TVS Motor Company has introduced an innovative mobile application TVS A.R.I.V.E aimed at transforming customer experience of exploring two-wheelers. The Augmented Reality Interactive Vehicle Experience (A.R.I.V.E) app allows an in-depth product exploration and purchase experience using AR technology, from the convenience of the homes. This first in its segment app will offer a holistic experience to the customers, and further strengthen the company’s dedication to constantly engage with them through this unique platform. The TVS A.R.I.V.E app will make its foray with a module on the company’s flagship models, TVS Apache RR 310 and TVS Apache RTR 200 4V, catering to its tech-savvy customers. This will be followed by the inclusion of the entire range of TVS products. The app will offer an independent module for every product, which can be downloaded by users as per their preference and interest. Each module is further divided into three different modes, namely, Place to explore (AR-based), Scan a real bike (AR based) and the 3D mode (for non-AR compatible devices). Each of these modes offers multiple hotspots that highlight the critical features through an X-ray vision of the vehicle, supported by a detailed description, videos, animations, and more. The app also provides the Sell Through Process option for last-mile connectivity. Through this users can schedule a test ride, locate the nearest dealer, or book their vehicle online. Mr. Meghashyam Dighole, Head – (Marketing) Premium Motorcycles, TVS Motor Company said, “TVS Motor Company has been at the forefront of introducing technological advancements across our products, and services. The TVS A.R.I.V.E app is an extension to that philosophy, as our customers now get an opportunity to explore our products at the convenience of their homes through the AR technology. We introduce the app with the TVS Apache RR 310 & TVS Apache RTR 200 4V, the flagship models from our stable. This app will bridge the gap between a customer’s consideration and the decision of testing or purchase, by using augmented reality to give a 360-degree experience of the product using audio-visual and textual formats. We are sure that our potential and existing customers will find great value in this new service.” The three available modes on the app perform specific functions to ensure an all-inclusive experience to the users. The Place to explore mode creates an augmented experience of the real vehicle, by positioning the virtual 3D model of it in the AR world. The virtual vehicle can be placed on any horizontal flat surface, allowing the user to have a 360-degree view by moving around it, or by performing swipe gestures to rotate it on the screen. Users can zoom in and out the model or move the camera closer to the surface for a more precise and in-depth view. The Scan a real bike mode, on the other hand, is a combination of real objects, and AR. Users can scan a real vehicle by holding the device in front of it. Once detected, different features of the vehicle will automatically get highlighted by the pulsating hotspots on it. By tapping on them, users will get the x-ray vision of the functionality, and detailed explanation through audio-visual and textual format. The 3D mode will be available for both AR & Non-AR supported devices. Non-AR supporting devices will have only the 3D mode functionality where users will be able to rotate the vehicle 360-degree along with zoom in and out functionality, to have a better visual experience. To highlight the key features of the motorcycle, users can click on the pulsating hotspot enable icon, which will activate the key features on it, and provide audio-visual, and textual information. This option will also offer a suitable background for an enhanced experience. Here, the user can experience an aerial view of the vehicle using the camera option. [Read More]( The post [TVS ARIVE App Launched – All You Need To Know]( first appeared on [TheAutomobileNews.com](. [Read Full Story]( [Here’s What Went Into The Design Of The Ferarri SF90 Spider]( Ferrari chief design officer Flavio Manzoni details the design approach behind the company’s first-ever plug-in hybrid. Auto designers are a different lot than gearheads. While the latter likes the complexity of all those pieces coming together to create a monster four-wheeler, designers prefer to make statements that reflect all that power. And the simpler the better. It’s more of an art than a science, like creating a sculpture, which was how Ferrari chief design officer Flavio Manzoni approached the look of the SF90 Spider, the company’s first-ever plug-in hybrid. This is an engineering masterpiece and the design must capture the very essence of the project,” said Manzoni about the Spider, which has more ergonomic properties than previous Spiders like the 360.The concept involved the hybrid car having a long tail to emphasize the power of the engine, a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 that also has three electric motors. They generate a combined 986 horsepower as well as 590 pound-feet of torque. Sleek Aerodynamics All that technology, blended with the sleek aerodynamics, are spelled out in a two-tone appearance with some external surfaces in gold and the rest in black carbon fiber.Despite its sleekness, the rounded parts might stand out a bit, but according to Manzoni, those demonstrate the airflow the vehicle passes through. That flow surrounding the cockpit, in particular, creates what Manzoni calls a “spoon cut” on the sides of the Spyder, which also directs air to the intake and the rear engine. Futuristic Spaceship Appearance The rear resembles a spaceship, according to Manzoni, which he says is futuristic in appearance, with all the functions, like the tail lights aerodynamically built right into the car. Even the rear spoiler can be raised or lowered according to the driver’s preferences.Ferrari always redefines the limits of the possible,” said Manzoni about the Spider. “It merges engineering and innovation and fascinating beauty.” [Read More]( The post [Here's What Went Into The Design Of The Ferarri SF90 Spider]( first appeared on [TheAutomobileNews.com](. 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