Page 28 - Motoring World (January 2020)

THE GRAPEVINE

THE FUTURE ON EDGE

Tesla vehicles have built up a reputation of being
wildly futuristic, loaded with new tech and packed
with gimmicks. And they are all electric. But when
Elon Musk unveiled its first pickup truck, it made
the internet lose its mind. It looks more like a
drawing, than a production vehicle, but here it is- a
vehicle that looks like nothing else on the road. It’s
called the Cybertruck, it will hit 100 kph in 2.9 sec-
onds with a range of 800 km, has a towing capacity
of 6300 kg and a maximum ride height of 400 mm.
It will still be a while before you see one on the road,
though, as production will only commence in 2021
for the base variants, with the range topping one in
2022. Prices start at Rs 28 lakh.

MINI MISSILE

If you thought the Mini John Cooper Works
was the hottest variant in the Mini range, you
wouldn’t be right anymore. There’s a new one,
the Mini JCW GP, and it’s a lot more serious
(or hilarious) than anything else from the Mini
stable. The 2.0-litre engine gets new pistons,
conrods, crankshaft and an upgraded turbo, all
of which is good for 302 bhp, now. No manual
option though. It’s wider and lower, gets a rear
wing and aero on the front. Oh yeah, and the
rear seats are gone. It’ll hit 100 kph in 5.2 sec-
onds, and it’s quite exclusive, with only 3000 to
be made. The ultimate go-kart, then?

THE ROAD AHEAD

The Ford Mustang is, in many ways, definite of Amer-
ican motoring. A big burly V8, a long bonnet and
attitude. But Ford unveiled the strongest sign that
Greta Thunberg is onto something. The newest Mus-
tang, the Mach-E, is fully electric. A crossover, no
less. It has all the EV traits, from multiple powertrain
options, offering 450 km to 590 km of range, and 254
bhp, 281 bhp and 332 bhp outputs. There’s a huge
touchscreen inside, and an optional large panoramic
sunroof above. And the flagship AWD one will hit 100
kph in under seven seconds. A faster GT version will
arrive in 2021, but for now, the only question every-
one has is- why did Ford have to call it a Mustang?

28 MOTORING WORLD | JANUARY 2020