From cardboard McLarens to flying Lamborghinis and Bugatti SUVs, this week’s Fast News Friday offers quite the magical mystery tour through the wackiest, wildest and ‘wow, they really did that’ automotive news. So crack out your camera and hop aboard. First stop…
1. Is Bugatti about to produce an electric SUV?
We’ve enjoyed the countless rumours and artists impressions of a potential Bugatti SUV this week, and were totally blown away by ‘Spartacus’ from Sajdin Osmancevic. As far as we can tell however, the source of all the online chatter originates from George Kacher’s article on Automobile.com, which examines the entire VAG’s potential routes to market for such a vehicle. Will it ever exist? Will it be fully electric? Will it feature a powertrain from Rimac? The truth is, only the senior bods at VW and Bugatti CEO Stephan Winkelmann will know.
This rather intriguing piece of film shared by popular auto blogger Supercar Blondie, seems to show a Lamborghini Huracan Performante attached to a commercial airliner at 30,000ft. Or does it? Of course it’s computer generated (‘3D VFX’ written on the aircraft’s fuselage is a big giveaway), but more than that, it has split the office here at Foxtrot Papa. Half of us think it’s cool–end of. The other half question the value of something that is so clearly fake. One thing we can all agree on: this type of Marmite, love/hate content starts conversations. What’s your take on it?
3. New Ford MK2 Escort anyone?
Call us old fashioned for a moment if you like, but in a world of high-tech EV this, and EV that, it’s so refreshing to read an automotive new story with good-old-fashioned mud, sweat and gears at its core. This is a story about the legendary Escort Mk2; the front-engined, rear wheel-drive compact family saloon that turned out to be one of the most successful (and tail-happy) rally cars of all time, winning a total of 46 world-class rallies with drivers such as Mikkola and Vatanen at the helm. So, why are we taking such a trip down memory lane? Well, you will soon be able to purchase a brand new Escort Mk2, built to Group 4 rally spec, from two companies who are responding to the demand for MK2 rally cars that remain in motorsport competition to this day. The legend lives on.
4. Nice Porsche! Thanks, it’s Carbon Neutral.
With global warming an ever prominent topic of discussion and debate, many of us are under increased pressure to take responsibility for our individual carbon footprints. In news that has no doubt delighted pub-frequenting Porsche owners the world over, Porsche are aiming to clear consciousness and offer drivers a handy rebuttal to those pesky ‘aren’t they really bad for the planet’ remarks, by offering a number of ‘carbon offsetting’ packages. How very civilised. Think of it as a levelled-up version of ‘sponsoring’ an Orangutan in Borneo when you were younger, then running to show off the welcome pack photo of your new primate pal to your friends (whilst chowing down your favourite palm oil-filled break-time snacks, of course.)
As part of the scheme, new Porsche owners are presented with a variety of hand-picked environmental projects to sponsor — such as the Za Hung Hydropower plant in Vietnam — so that they can then drive safe in the knowledge that they have done their bit. Scepticism aside, we think this initiative offers a significant development in the automotive industry’s struggle to tackle the consumers’ growing climate conscience and at the very least, adds an interesting new dimension to the Porsche experience.
5. The McLaren F1 Team just made Logan’s day, and melted our hearts in the process
The McLaren Formula One Team’s social media team were in fine form this week, responding to a young fan’s antics on Twitter, as his mother filmed him turning a humble cardboard box into his very own McLaren F1 car. The fan in question, Logan, was then invited by McLaren to visit the MTC HQ ‘to see the real thing’ and to see if the engineers could have a look at his car. Admirably inspiring the next generation of racing drivers and fans alike, this beautifully put together and heart-warming piece displays a huge appreciation for the power of sport from McLaren, and in our eyes at least, proves the longstanding British team is a dedicated competitor in the F1 arena.