Welcome to the Hooniverse News! As always, this is a weekly recap of the biggest stories in the automotive industry without the fluff or bull. This week: Hyundai previews the facelifted Elantra N, Lamborghini is celebrating 60 years with some special Huracans, the Land Rover name is simultaneously going away and staying and we’re all confused, plus your news for the week.
Hyundai Elantra N
The growing Chinese market has become impossible for any brand to ignore, including Hyundai who are introducing the high performance N line to the country for the first time. They used the Auto Shanghai show to debut the facelifted Elantra N, which will continue to be available in other markets including ours. We just saw the facelifted Elantra not long ago and this new Elantra N certainly looks like it could come to the US with minimal changes.
They provided no specs or any kind of timeline, but we can at least see one of the more polarizing aspects of the Elantra N – its face – has been thoroughly reworked. The Elantra N now has a lower stance with enlarged black trim and exterior color garnish compared to the base model as well as a “bolder” bumper design. The rear bumper, also black, has been enlarged and a boat tail detail has been added to assist with aerodynamics.
As it’s only a facelift, I wouldn’t expect significant powertrain or chassis updates. The 2.0-liter turbocharged 4cyl engine it has now is more than capable with 276 horsepower and 289 lb.-ft. of torque. And with an eLSD, six-speed manual or seven-speed DCT, and loads of knowledge and experience gained from racing these things in TCR, it’s already plenty of fun to drive. It’s just that now it might look a little nicer.
[Source: Hyundai]
Lamborghini Huracan 60th Anniversary Editions
The Lamborghini Huracan STO, Technica, and EVO Spyder will each be getting a very limited production run of 60th Anniversary Edition models. Just 60 units of each car – 180 total – are being made and buyers get two paint schemes to choose from. These cars, along with the recently revealed Scrambled Eggs, are of course celebrating the 60th anniversary of one of the greatest “screw you I’ll do it myself” moments in history when a man named Ferruccio founded one of the silliest and most memorable car brands to date. Each model has a special “1 of 60” carbon fiber plate and a “60th” painted on the doors and embroidered on the seats.
The 60th Anniversary Edition Huracan STO wears one of two paint schemes that they say is inspired by high-performance athletic sportswear or team colors using tone-on-tone hues. One is painted Blu Aegeus with elements of Blu Astraeus providing some contrast as well as optional exposed carbon fiber with a Blu Mira finish. The second version is Grigio Teleso (gray) and Nero Noctis (black). Both versions are equipped with 20″ forged aluminum wheels with a matte black finish.
With the Huracan Technia, the theme changes to motorsport inspiration (which you think would’ve been more appropriate for the STO, given it’s closer to a race car than any Huracan to date) and incorporates the colors of the Italian Tricolore. One option is Grigio Telesto (gray) with Nero Noctis (black) and Rosso Mars (red) accents. The second option is Bianco Asopo (white) with Verde Viper (green) accents. Both ride on shiny 20″ black wheels.
There’s no real theme to speak of with the Evo Spyder models. One is Blu Le Mans with contrasting Bianco Isi (white) details and the other is Verde Viper (green) combined with Bianco Isi (white), both on shiny 20″ black wheels.
Regardless of the 60th Anniversary Edition one chooses, it’s sure to impress a crowd when it’s taken out to its first and only car show before being tucked away somewhere for good. It may even fetch a small premium at auction one day.
[Source: Lamborghini]
The Land Rover name is gone, but it’s also not?
Bear with me here. This news hit the industry like a turd at a pool party this week and there’s been some “misinterpretation” which still isn’t completely cleared up. The gist of it is Jaguar Land Rover is rebranding to just JLR (I wonder what the LR stands for) and is turning themselves into a “House of Brands”, leveraging more popular nameplates under the current Land Rover brand to spin them into their own entity.
Instead of Jaguar Land Rover comprising of Jaguar and Land Rover, it’s JLR comprising of Jaguar, Range Rover, Discovery, and Defender. It’s not unlike what Dodge did with Ram and SRT when the Viper was still around. The reasoning for this was given by their creative officers – “the reality is Range Rover is a brand and so is Defender. Customers say they own a Range Rover. In luxury, you need absolute clarity. Land Rover Range Rover SV Autobiography doesn’t give it. We love Land Rover, but there isn’t as much equity as Range Rover, and Defender is increasing massively.”
So you’d read that and think the historic Land Rover name is a goner, right? Especially given that the clarity he’s talking about is a perfectly valid point. Apparently everyone thought that too, because JLR issued a statement to Car and Driver stating that the Land Rover name was going nowhere – without explaining how it was going nowhere. Looking for answers, I saw that MotorTrend was told “… the Land Rover name remain(s) on our vehicles, reinforcing our all terrain credentials and technology capabilities”, which appears to be the only clarification anyone has received about the future of the Land Rover name. Even then, it still leaves a lot of questions. Are the cars still wearing green Land Rover badges? Is Land Rover going to be the name of a trim level or equipment package? What sign(s) will dealers have on their stores? Will Land Rover be what “Trail Rated” is to Jeep but for people with vacation homes? At this point, no one seems to know.
On the plus side, this is the most anyone’s talked about Jaguar Land Rover in a very long time.
[Source: JLR, Car and Driver, MotorTrend]
What’s your news for the week?
So that’s all I’ve got for you this week, so now it’s your turn. If you saw anything, fixed something, broke everything, or otherwise did anything even remotely car related that you want to share with your fellow hoon, sound off in the comments.
Have a good weekend.
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