Blockbuster new car
Toyota releases GR Corolla
Core Edition
If you are a JDM fan, you will not be unfamiliar with Toyota's GR brand, because GR is equivalent to Toyota's AMG and M Power. This week, the GR series has a new member, which is the high-performance version of the Corolla - GR Corolla. This car is also the fourth model of the GR brand after the GR Supra, GR YARiS and GR 86. GR Corolla has launched two versions, the basic Core version and the Circuit (Tour) version with a more exaggerated sports kit.
Circuit Edition
In terms of shape design, gr corolla front and rear fenders have added more exaggerated wide-body shape, the middle mesh size is larger to improve the vehicle's intake and heat dissipation efficiency, and the rear and sides of the car are also covered with a large number of aerodynamic kits. The most eye-catching place of the vehicle is the three exhaust pipes arranged on the left, center and right of the rear of the car, which is indeed very rare and appears to be very arrogant.
The interior is still the Corolla style that we are familiar with, but the GR style sports steering wheel is replaced, the instrument has also been upgraded to a GR exclusive full LCD instrument, and more importantly, the original Corolla standard electronic handbrake has been changed to a more hardcore mechanical handbrake on the GR version, and the fans must like it!
The powertrain is still the 1.6T three-cylinder engine used on the GR YARiS, but because the GR Corolla is larger and heavier, the power of the engine has also increased from the original 272 horsepower to 304 horsepower, and the torque remains unchanged at 370 N·m. Matching the engine is still a 6-speed manual transmission, and there is also a GR-Four full-time four-wheel drive system, the default state of the ratio of the first 6 to 4 ratio of torque distribution, and in drift and other modes, can also achieve the first 3 rear 7 power distribution, more biased to the driving experience of the rear-drive car. In addition, the Circuit version will also provide mechanical limited-slip differentials for the front and rear axles, and the vehicle's track performance will be even stronger.
In terms of body architecture design, when Toyota launched the GR YARiS, a separate platform was developed because the TNGA-B platform of the ordinary model could not meet the performance requirements. The Corolla's own TNGA-C platform can already meet the needs of high-performance steel guns for four-wheel drive systems and suspension structures, so GR Corolla still continues the ordinary Corolla TNGA-C platform. However, in order to meet the performance requirements, GR Corolla has greatly increased the body solder joints and improved the torsional stiffness. In addition, the vehicle also uses a carbon fiber roof, aluminum hood and front door panels, so that the weight of the vehicle is controlled at 1474kg, which is only 85.7kg heavier than the ordinary hatchback Corolla.
In terms of suspension, gr corolla uses front McPherson, rear double wishbone independent suspension, front suspension with ESC damping suspension, front and rear suspension also add specially designed anti-roll bars. Coupled with the GR department's exquisite tuning of the vehicle, the original factory can have a very strong track performance.
As for whether it will be introduced into the country? According to toyota's previous product planning of "one GR a year" in the Chinese market, GR Supra will be released in China in 2020, GR 86 in 2021, we will usher in GR YARiS at the end of 2022, perhaps GR Corolla will be expected to be introduced into China in 2023, but it is probably necessary to really buy it in 2024... In terms of performance specifications, the 300-horsepower GR Corolla is at the same level as models such as the AMG A35, Audi S3, and BMW M135i. But manual + full-time four-wheel drive that supports drift, its hard core degree has left these three German steel guns behind. It was previously rumored that the price of GR YARiS in China would be around 500,000, so it is foreseeable that the more powerful GR Corolla, even if introduced into China, the price will be frighteningly high.
A new generation of BMW 7 Series hypothetical drawings
Top: New 7 Series Spy Photo / Bottom: New 7 Series Hypothetical Image
In recent years, it is really BMW's product "big year", X5 has just been domestically produced, the new i3 has also been officially released, and then they will bring a new generation of 7 series, X1, 1 series and other models. Recently, there are foreign media according to the new generation of 7 series test camouflage car drawn a hypothetical picture, from the picture, the new generation of 7 series will use BMW's new giant kidney network design, headlights using a split structure, above is two narrow light bars used as daytime running lights, high and near lights are arranged below, the front bar is also very exaggerated.
The shape of the body side is very simple, there is no exaggerated waistline design, and the door handle also uses the current popular hidden structure. In addition, the classic Horns of the new generation of 7 Series backdoors have also been changed to a more angular shape, in fact, this design is a tribute to the classic. Because of the 7 generations of E32 and E38 in the 80s and 90s, their Horns are angular designs, and now they have been changed back. As for the rear part of the car, the new 7 Series has also become very simple, the middle is very crisp and clean two tail lights, the license plate frame is moved down to the bumper position, the whole car looks very retro, heavy.
Rear 31-inch screen
As for the interior and power part, the new generation of the 7 series will also adopt a curved dual screen style similar to its own electric vehicle iX, and the overall sense of technology is more. And in order to enhance the experience of rear passengers, the new 7 Series will add a 31-inch 8K resolution screen to the rear to achieve various entertainment functions. In terms of power, the fuel version of the new generation of 7 Series models will no longer provide V12 engines, and its top 760i version will use the plug-in hybrid form of V8 engine with motor. In addition, based on the new generation of the 7 Series, BMW will also launch a pure electric i7 model, and the two will not have much difference in appearance design. As planned, the new generation of the 7 series and i7 will be released this month, so stay tuned!
BYD and Changan have released new electric vehicles
BYD seals
Relying on the excellent product strength of DM-i plug-in and hybrid models, BYD's sales and reputation in the past two years can be described as peaking. But in the pure electric market, BYD has always lacked a model that can compete head-on with Tesla's Model 3. And just recently, BYD released a new pure electric medium-sized sedan seal, this car using a new pure electric platform to build, the shape design is very dynamic, looks quite beautiful, the rear of the car also uses a very delicate through taillights. In terms of size, the SEAL is 4800mm long and has a wheelbase of 2920mm, which is 106mm longer than the Model 3 and has a wheelbase of 45mm.
As a BYD, the performance part is naturally of great concern to everyone. The SEAL adopts a front double wishbone and rear five-link suspension structure, which is obviously more advanced than the front McPherson and rear double link of Han EV. The basic version adopts rear-motor rear-wheel drive with a motor power of 204 horsepower; the medium-equipped model is a high-power single-motor rear-drive with a maximum power of 313 horsepower; the high-performance version adopts front and rear dual motor four-wheel drive, with a maximum power of 530 horsepower and 0-100km/h acceleration in only 3.8 seconds. Judging from the news previously exposed, SEAL will use BYD's own lithium iron phosphate blade battery, which is expected to be priced in the range of 220,000-280,000 yuan, which is about 80,000 yuan cheaper than the Model 3 as a whole.
In addition to BYD, Changan is not to be outdone, and this week released a new pure electric medium-sized sedan code-named C385. This car is also benchmarked Tesla Model 3, with a length of 4820mm and a wheelbase of 2900mm, which is also a typical proportion of pure electric platform models. Compared with the dynamic elegance of the seal, the changan C385 has a more sharp and sporty shape style, which is quite similar to its UNI series of fuel vehicles.
The most grumpy design of the C385 lies in the rear, the one-piece blackened roof extends to the tailgate, the middle through the taillights are dotted with stars, and the two sides are three-pronged lamp sources, with the tail wing shape on the trunk cover, which is very futuristic. However, at present, Changan has not yet announced the specific naming, performance, endurance and other information of this car, but considering the current situation of the domestic competitive pure electric vehicle market, C385 as a latecomer naturally has to have some real skills.
Rim frontier
BYD became the official courtesy car of the Bahamas
In recent years, the rise of domestic new energy vehicles, BYD, Weilai and other brands have been exported to foreign sales, compared with the era of fuel vehicles, the competitiveness of Chinese cars is obviously stronger. But many people must think that the export of vehicles is at most overseas Chinese, or ordinary people will buy, but in fact, some countries have even used our Chinese cars as official courtesy cars!
On March 24th, the British Prince William and his wife visited the North American island nation of the Bahamas, and surprisingly, the official Bahamian courtesy car that picked up Prince William and his wife turned out to be the BYD Tang EV that we are familiar with! I don't know if Prince William and his wife have felt that the UK has lagged behind in the field of electric vehicles after riding the Tang EV? Judging from the video, BYD Tang EV is the main car of the team, followed by Han EV in the rear, and both cars are painted in all black, which looks quite aura. I have to say that the row of our Chinese cars is really full!
* Will you abandon AMG and choose Toyota GR?