In a press conference, McLaren’s boss spoke about the headquarter acquisition and the sale to GNL. The real estate investment company specializes in sell-and leaseback deals to single tenants.

The site, which spans 840,000 square feet began construction in 1998. The historic premises include McLaren’s headquarters, car plant, and wind tunnel. McLaren was initially hoping to muster 200 million British pounds from the sale but they fell short of the target.

The British automaker began its search for a potential buyer last September. The move has been seen as a way to bring in finances following the effects of the pandemic. During the lockdown season, the manufacturing plant was temporarily closed, global car sales figures plummeted and the 2020 F1 season was delayed. The company saw it difficult to raise revenues.

By May 2020, McLaren laid down 1,200 workers from its applied, automotive, and racing division. That’s more than a quarter of their entire workforce. The brand also sought a £150m loan from the National Bank of Bahrain and looked to borrow £275m more against its classic car collection and its working facilities.

McLaren is expected to vacate its premises by the end of May 2021.

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However, the upgrades inside the cabin are what impresses the most. On the exterior, Lexus has made little to no changes. Except for a stylized grille and new LED headlights, there is not much to talk about. The Japanese automaker is also offering a new color along with a new wheel design.

Headlight:

In terms of safety, the new Safety System 2.5 comes standard on all trims. The new system works better than the previous one with enhancements to the front-facing camera and millimeter-wave radar system. The fresh upgrade means the car will be able to detect obstacles much better and provide an accurate response.

The previous generation Lexus ES earned a Top Safety Pick+ award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and a five-star rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The base ES features a 203-hp 2.5-liter inline-4. One step above is the ES 350 with a 302-hp 3.5-liter V-6, and at the top of the range is the ES 300h with a 2.5-liter inline-4-based hybrid setup good for 215hp. Front-wheel drive is standard, with only the ES 250 available with all-wheel drive.

Lexus says that pricing and option availability will be revealed closer to the car’s release date, which is currently expected to take place in Fall 2021.

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The new spy shots do not completely describe the exterior design. It seems that the previous set of shots were more expressive. The next-gen Opel Astra will not be a complete copy of the Peugeot 308, on which it is based, but the German variant will have slight variations in design and performance. We are expecting a mix of gasoline and diesel engines will be offered, along with hybrid and PHEV models. The base variant Opel will get Peugeot’s 180hp engine with a 12.4kWh battery pack helping its cause. The battery will add around 37 miles to the total range.

Peugeot is reportedly working on an all-electric model of the 308, which will be launched in 2023 as a direct competitor to the Volkswagen ID.3. Opel has done a great job hiding the details of its new Astra. They haven’t disclosed anything about this new model, but we will know the particulars soon. The car is expected to be revealed in September at the IAA show. An online premier could took place a few days before that happens.

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The 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz brags a bold yet ultra-modern design, potent powertrain options, state of the art connectivity and a highly adaptable all-wheel drive platform that is perfect for both urban and adventure-focused environments. The new Hyundai Santa Cruz will turnout in Montgomery, Alabama this summer among high hopes from fans.

Hyundai will invest $410 million in upgrades at its plant to make way for the Santa Cruz. The flow-on effect at suppliers and logistics companies is expected to add a further 1,000 jobs in the region. That’s a big relief after the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the economy.

The 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz will be based on a modified version of the unibody chassis that can be found on the new Hyundai Tucson. Loaded or not, the Santa Cruz should ride more comfortably than a typical body-on frame, ridge line, live-rear-axle truck, thanks to what we expect will be a fully independent suspension.

The Hyundai Santa Cruz will possibly get a 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-4 engine that is good for 290 hp. The powertrain currently comes in the N-line Hyundai Sonata. However, it is expected that the Santa Cruz might be offered with more power and torque. Front-wheel drive will be standard along with an optional all-wheel-drive system.

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To start, the new RDX has square exhaust tips, which enhance the aesthetic appearance of the SUV. However, the fresh design could mean that there is a new engine under the hood. Right now details are scarce but a powertrain upgrade is unlikely since Acura will save that for the redesign that comes a few years later.

It is also possible that the company opts for a hybrid powertrain to appease the modern trends. The brand offered a hybrid setup in the RLX flagship that consisted of three motors. The engine was supported with a single motor while two of them rested in the rear axle. Acura hasn’t confirmed the rumors but we will know more close to the launch.

Currently, the Acura RDX runs a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 engine that ekes out 272 hp while being teamed up with a 10-speed automatic gearbox. The RDX is available in FWD and AWD functionality.

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The news is sourced from the Korean Car Blog and the website reports that the information is reliable. It is backed by Kia so there is no margin for error.

The new Stinger is going to get the exciting 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-4 that purges out a fairly decent 300 hp. The new powertrain option is more potent than the previous one, improving the horsepower output by 45 units.

However, the fresh engine offering beefs up the price tag taking the starting price of the base model to $37,135. The all-wheel-drive variant is even more expensive at $39,335.

Moreover, the GT trim will not reappear for 2022. Instead, the GT1 and GT2 models will fill-up the roster. The two GT variants will come packed with the twin-turbocharged 3.3 liter V6 that has been better tuned to produce 368 hp. The major difference between the two models is cosmetic, which means mechanically they are identical.

Talking about upgrades, the Kia Stinger GT models will have ventilated seats, a better sound system, an electronically-adjustable suspension, and a memory foam seat for the driver. What’s more, the 2022 Kia Stinger gets remote start functionality, interior ambient lighting, leather inside the cabin, and larger 18-inch wheels that are upgradeable to 19-inches.

The Safety features also take precedence and as such the Stinger comes with a host of modern tech equipment like the blind spot monitoring system, lane following assist, highway driving assist rear passenger alert and more.

The 2022 Kia Stinger will come late in 2021 dubbed as the next year’s model.

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The cheapest ‘S’ variant starts at $19,500 excluding the 1 grand delivery fee. The next model in the line-up is almost two thousand dollars expensive. We are talking about the SV model that has a price of $21,300. The range topping variant called the SR has a $21,940 price tag.

The brand-new Nissan Kicks facelift has a V-shaped grille in the front that adds to the aesthetic appeal of the vehicle. Other than that you get LED headlights as standard on all the models, with the top variant getting LED Fog lights on top of that. The exterior has also been changed from the back with the addition of a new bumper and redesigned taillights.

If you take a look inside the cabin, you will find a decent 7.0-inch infotainment display. You have the ability to upgrade to an 8.0-inch system in the top two SV and SR trims. The infotainment system has all the latest amenities, including Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and navigation. The center console has three USB charging ports, with an extra USB-C port in the SV and SR models.

Nissan has added a host of active driver safety assists to improve your driving experience. The Nissan Safety Shield is included, which means that rear automatic braking, reverse parking camera and  lane assists can be found inside the SUV.

The range-topping SR grade can be made even better by opting for the Premium Package. It costs $1,200 but the upgrade is worth every penny, as you get heated front seats, heated steering wheel, Wi-Fi hotspot, 8-speaker Bose system, security system, and Prima-Tex fabric in the vehicle.

The engine is carried over from last year but the two top models get 4-wheel disc brakes, so more stopping power with the same acceleration and speed. The 2021 Nissan Kick is the perfect vehicle for the everyday commuter.

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Currently, all the Rivian vehicle orders are made online on their website. The method works best but it seems that the EV startup wants to make an impact in the conventional market as well. The more it is able to penetrate the contemporary market the more it will increase its sales. The 10 new showrooms will provide buyers with a hands-on experience with Rivian cars. Such an experience was not possible before.

However, Rivian doesn’t want their space to be called a showroom as they believe in providing a satisfying customer experience at their locations. Hence, the ‘showrooms’ will be based more on providing a top-notch retail experience. What this entails is yet to be known but it is true that Rivian has thought of doing something unconventional.

The first of ten dealerships will open in Chicago, Illinois. The showroom will open up near the Fulton Market inside the city. The Chicago location was not chosen at random, but rather there is a reasoning behind it.

Tony Caravano, Rivian’s Senior Director of customer experience has said, “As we prepare to deliver our first vehicles this summer, we’re working to establish physical locations where people can experience Rivian in person. With a high concentration of Rivian pre-order customers, Chicago is a key location for us, and Fulton Market is a vibrant neighborhood and a great fit. Our vehicles are Illinois-built and we’re looking forward to sharing them with this community.”

The first batch of Rivian vehicles will roll out in June starting with the pickup truck. The SUV deliveries will soon follow.

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If you have heard about Porsche you must have heard about the 911. It is the German company’s most successful vehicle being in the business for more than 55 years. After the blinding accomplishments of the 911, Porsche decided that it will release the legendary model with upgrades every few years. We saw the 911 GT3 that broke records, so it would not be a surprise if the upcoming 911 is a killer as well.

Porsche has revealed a photo in which they tease the appearance of the upcoming 911. The picture only shows the car’s silhouette, but we can make out the spoiler and the aggressive lines on the side. If the brand’s history is anything to go by, then this 911 will prove to be a trend-setter like its predecessors.

The released photo also mentions that the new model will be revealed 10 days after and it will belong to the GT family. The teaser is not the first one to circulate in the media. Earlier, Porsche 911s were caught during testing and many GT models, including the GT3 was spotted. The new vehicle, therefore, might not be the fresh GT3 but rather the GT3 Touring model.

It is possible that Porsche goes with a new model altogether. The German brand is known to do that so it should not come as a surprise. Perhaps a cross between luxury and performance is planned. But one thing is for sure, that the market will welcome the new Porsche 911 with open arms. The 911 is loved so much that each model does well in the market.

If you can’t wait for the reveal and you want it to happen soon, don’t worry, as the reveal event is scheduled to take place on the 16^th of February and it will be broadcast live.

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