Welcome to the Hooniverse News! As always, this is a weekly recap of some of the biggest stories in the automotive industry without the fluff or bull. There’s also just a little opinion of mine because I can. This week:
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Updated F-150 Raptor is ready for more fun in the dirt
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Chevrolet announces new turbo four-cylinder option for Silverado
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Ferrari debuts another one-off project for elite customer, will never see daylight again
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Subaru reveals 2019 WRX STI with “more power”
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What’s your automotive news?
2019 Ford F-150 Raptor
An lightly updated F-150 Raptor will be jumping off the production lines later this year with a few improvements aimed at increasing its already excellent off-road abilities. I say ‘lightly updated’ because only three new features are mentioned in detail, but they should make a big difference to those who like getting them dirty. It gets new adjustable shocks, a new trail control system, and Recaro seats.
Ever since the Raptor first started soaring into our hearts, one of the keys to its success was Fox’s internal bypass shocks that allowed it to take such a beating off road. The 2019 Raptor will use a brand new set of those but with Live Valve technology that electronically and continuously adjusts damping in real-time. Ford says this provides better comfort and handling plus more bottom-out resistance because it can now “make the most” of its suspension travel (13 inches front, 13.9 inches rear). Ford also had to add sensors to detect when the truck was in mid-air so it can adjust the shocks for the landing.
For those who spend time navigating trickier terrain, Ford is introducing Trail Control with the Raptor which is like cruise control for rugged terrain. It can be activated between 1 and 20 mph and handles power and braking application at each wheel individually so drivers only need to worry about steering.
To help keep drivers and passengers in place while being tossed around on that rugged terrain many Raptors will never see, Ford now offers Recaro seats with “aggressive” support and extra bolstering in the seat back and cushion. The seats feature blue Alcantara inserts and accent stitching.
As with most new model years, you have some new paint colors and a new wheel design to pick from. There’s no word on pricing yet. Buyers will start getting theirs delivered late 2018.
[Source: Ford]
2019 Chevrolet Silverado Gets 4-Cylinder Option
You read that right. Chevrolet’s new full-size Silverado, seen here stalking its prey under the cover of tall grass, is getting an all-new turbocharged 2.7-liter four-cylinder gas engine. This new engine was developed specifically for truck applications and replaces the 4.3-liter V6 they used to offer. This new engine is part of Chevy’s strategy to give buyers more options and create a Silverado that caters to every need. The need this engine seems to fulfill is the small but reasonable “I want a big truck but I’m not towing a yacht up the Rockies every weekend” market.
The new 2.7 Turbo offers 310 horsepower at 5,600 RPM and 348 lb.-ft. of torque between 1,500-4,000 RPM, a good improvement over the old 4.3. When speaking of the engine’s capabilities, its chief engineer described it as an engine that can “punch above its weight” with a broad, flat torque curve and quick throttle response.
It was designed from a clean sheet specifically for trucking duties and has a few tricks that make this a beefier four-cylinder. It has a longer piston stroke of 4.01 inches to aid in generating strong low end torque, forged steel crankshaft and connecting rods to support the higher cylinder pressures from turbocharging, high and low-lift valve profiles to prioritize torque or efficiency as needed, and continuously variable valve timing.
It’s also GM’s first four-cylinder engine to feature cylinder deactivation and those last two features mentioned above. This 2.7 Turbo also has GM’s first use of active thermal management which uses targeted engine heating and cooling to improve engine performance in extreme conditions.
The new 2.7 Turbo is standard on the LT and RST trims and is paired with the 8-speed automatic transmission. With the next-gen Silverado shedding 380 pounds over the outgoing V6 model this replaces, the performance isn’t terrible with a sub-7-second 0-60 mph time. Though they haven’t released official payload and towing capacities, they hope to match that of the N/A V6-equipped Fords and Rams. The EPA fuel economy estimates aren’t available yet either. It’ll be interesting to see just how easily this four-cylinder can move a full-size truck around and whether the MPG benefits will be there.
[Source: Chevrolet]
Ferrari SP38
Remember the Ferrari 488 GTB that anyone with deep pockets can buy? This new Ferrari SP38 is just like that, but it’s uglier and can’t be bought by just anyone with deep pockets because there’s only one of them and it was made for someone with the deepest pockets of them all.
[Source: Ferrari via Autoweek]
2019 Subaru WRX STI finally gets a power bump!!!1!
It gains five horsepower. Five. The turbocharged 2.5-liter boxer four-cylinder gets a new intake, high flow exhaust, ECU tune, and stronger pistons but its factory-quoted power rating improves by five.
Prices start at $36,595.
[Source: Subaru]
What’s your automotive news?
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.
[Image © 2018 Hooniverse/Greg Kachadurian]
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