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Hurrah readers in the United States - you can finally buy a Tesla Model 3 EV for $35k, provided you order it in black and without Autopilot. The news comes amid a storm of mixed communications regarding Tesla store closures and moving to online sales - something which the brand announced a blanket approach on in a statement released on 28 February 2019, only to revert back and announce the closing of 'half' of its stores: 'in other words, we will only close about half as many stores, but the cost savings are therefore only about half.' Tesla says the basic and cheapest version of the Model 3 will remain at $35,000, but the rest of the Model 3, S and X ranges will face a price increase of 'about 3% on average worldwide.' And that was after a huge price drop had already irritated some recent buyers. It's all quite confusing, but hopefully the $35,000 price tag for an entry-level 3 will translate into a somewhat competitive price when right-hand drive models go on sale in the UK. For reference, German buyers can choose from a 'long distance' (€52,300) and 'Performance' (€63,000) version but no standard one just yet. Are they finally building enough Tesla Model 3s? Yes. Production has steadied to the point that a new report published in July 2018 by Reuters, the company only just missed its goal of producing 5000 of the EVs per week, but it did hit the target a few hours after the midnight deadline. That’s one of the first times Tesla has come remotely close to hitting one of Musk’s self-imposed deadlines, and shares rose by 6% as a result. Elon Musk followed up the news by tweeting that the company produced 7000 models in total that week: ‘Not only did we factory gate over 5000 Model 3s, but we also achieved the S & X production target for a combined 7000-vehicle week,’ he wrote, in an an email obtained by Bloomberg in July 2018 ‘What’s more, with the widespread productivity gains throughout Tesla and the new production lines spooling up, we are on track to reach 6k/week for Model 3 next month.’ The news was obviously good for Tesla, and especially welcomed by those on the ever-growing Model 3 waiting list. However, while the numbers are good, some of the methods Tesla has used to get them – including production ‘tents’ – aren’t exactly conventional, and they don’t seem sustainable, either. Article created by „carmagazine”.

Nissan is axing the Infiniti brand in western Europe, ending a decade of uphill struggles to establish it as a premium rival to BMW and Audi. The UK's six dealers will shutter in spring 2020, bringing a close to a sorry chapter in the brand's history. Just 750 new Infinitis were registered in the UK in the whole of 2018; if you exclude dealer demonstrators and other pre-registrations, you quickly understand the scale of the problem faced by the brand. 'It just wasn't sustainable,' a spokesman admitted. Infiniti in Europe: a short, unsuccessful decade Launched in western Europe in 2009, Infiniti never really caught on here. It remains a mid-sized player globally, selling around 150,000 cars last year in the US and 46,000 in China. The Infiniti Motor Company mothership today committed to selling cars in Eastern Europe, the Middle East and China, as well as the US, its biggest market. In a statement issued this lunchtime, the company said: 'Infiniti and Nissan Motor Corporation are confident in this restructuring plan for the long-term vision and success of the brand, for its employees, customers and shareholders.... The company will place more focus on its SUV line-up in North America, bring five new vehicles to China over the next five years, work to improve quality of sales and residual value, and realise more synergies with Nissan Motor Company.' It's clear it's having to focus its investment on bigger challenges, such as electrification - rather than pushing a round peg into a square hole. Pulling the plug on European sales is part of a wider restructure, the first since the departure of Carlos Ghosn, who oversaw Infiniti's expansion into Europe a decade ago. Infiniti's withdrawal from the UK: what it means The ramifications of Infiniti's withdrawal will be felt across the industry: Nissan's Sunderland factory will stop building Q30 and QX30 Shifts likely to be lost at UK factory as a result from July 2019 Six dealers will stay open until spring 2020 Warranties 'will be honoured,' company pledges Around 10,000 Infiniti owners believed to be in the UK More details on aftercare to be issued on customer website This is a breaking news story and we'll be sure to update this article as we learn more about the implications for owners of the 10,000 or so Infiniti cars sold in Britain in the past decade. Infiniti owners: warranties, servicing and aftercare The company has pledged to 'fulfil all its obligations towards customers.' Don't forget Infiniti is owned by Nissan, one of the world's biggest car making groups. So you can be sure that your local Infiniti dealers - in Birmingham, Reading, Stockport, Leeds, Belfast and Glasgow - will remain open until March 2020. After that, the picture is murkier. 'Beyond March 2020, we are currently assessing the most effective and convenient way of providing full aftersales services for Infiniti owners including service, maintenance and warranty repairs,' the company says. 'We will confirm these arrangements in the months to come.' It seems likely that owners will see a fall in residual values over the months ahead; uncertainty over servicing and parts supply will probably hit values - but there is a chance that an Infiniti could become a leftfield choice against the mainstream, in the same way that Saab retained a lingering cool image long after the brand died. That said, it's probably best not to mention the Swedish and Japanese brands in the same breath around these parts... Are you an Infiniti owner? Have you been affected by the UK departure? Be sure to sound off in the comments below. Article created by „carmagazine”.

Porsche has surprised us again, this time with an homage to its iconic 917 racer. Finished in the red and white livery of the 917KH Coupe and first Le Mans winner, the new design study marks 50 years of the 917; the original was shown at the 1969 Geneva motor show. Stuttgart plans to celebrate the original car – which won a total of 19 gold medals at the famous Le Mans 24 Hours – wtth a special exhibition in the Porsche Museum this year, and we’re told it’ll include 10 original 917s as well as this concept study. The exhibition will run from 14 May to 15 September 2019. According to Porsche, the concept was actually made before the brand's entry into LMP1 – something it’s since pulled out of – but is now finally being shown to the public. Like most of these projects, it was the work of a small team of engineers within the company. Article created by Curtis Moldrich for „carmagazine”.

The first GTR version of the Senna, unveiled a year ago, was a concept. It served as confirmation McLaren was working on its most extreme track car yet, while reserving the right to change things a little ahead of the real deal. Now the production-spec Senna GTR is with us, complete with 814bhp, 1000kg of peak downforce and the kind of no-compromise, race-developed aero you’d expect given McLaren’s pedigree in the field. Just as the P1 GTR stripped the P1 of its road legality while ramping up its performance, so the Senna GTR does the same for the already pretty spicy Senna. Weight’s been reduced to 1188kg dry and the twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 pushed to 814bhp (25bhp up on the Senna, achieved by clearing the exhaust of its secondary catalyst and re-calibrating the ECU) But it’s with regard the aerodynamics that McLaren’s design and engineering teams have taken full advantage of the extra freedom afforded by the GTR’s track-only remit. Peak downforce is up 200kg to 1000kg. More importantly, the Senna’s grip-boosting push is stronger sooner, giving a tangible helping hand at lower speeds. It’s on this attribute that McLaren bases its claim that, despite its searing speed, the Senna GTR will be exploitable for 95% of those fortunate enough to occupy the FIA-approved driver’s seat. The GTR generates the same downforce as the Senna at speeds 15% lower, meaning the Senna’s spooky high-speed grip, stability and composure will also be felt in medium- and low-speed corners in the GTR. Handy. Over the concept, the production-ready GTR gets a re-designed diffuser (fed by a front end that now lets more air under the car) and front splitter, new dive planes and vortex generators on the nose and a striking new rear wing, complete with serious-looking LMP1-style wing endplates. The Senna GTR sits lower than the standard car and runs wider rubber and broader track widths (by 77mm at the front and 68mm at the rear). 19-inch wheels house brakes bigger even than those of the 720S GT3 racer. Inside, the left-hand drive only GTR trades the standard car’s infotainment and driver’s display for race-spec instrumentation, a GT3-style quick-release steering wheel and a screen for the front- and rear-facing cameras. Additional go-faster functionality includes a pit radio, air jacks, a fire extinguisher and a Racelogic data-logger. There’s also a pit-lane speed limiter, to help placate marshals grumpy about your McLaren’s outrageous turn of speed. 75 GTRs will be built, with first deliveries in August. Article created by Ben Miller for „carmagazine”.