Meet Apocalypse’s custom Ram 1500 TRX 6x6, the Warlord
“Some pickups these days are already so overpowered and over-accessorized that you wonder if there’ll be any room for aftermarket junkies to play around with. An example of this is the Ram 1500 TRX.
“This pickup rolls off the production line with a 692hp supercharged 6.2-liter V8 along with a boatload of off-road accessories as standard. What else can you do with a truck like this, right? Well, for Apocalypse Manufacturing, the job’s pretty simple: Add two more wheels.
“Dubbed as the ‘Warlord,’ this 6x6 TRX rides on six 18-inch wheels wrapped in 37-inch mud-terrain tires. The engine was left untouched, though, so this truck will be far from the Hennessey-tuned six-wheeled TRX in terms of performance. That being said, the Warlord’s still a rather menacing truck in itself.
“It appears no other aesthetic changes were made, save for the addition of a spare tire out back. You know, in case six aren’t enough already.”
Toyota updates the Aqua—a.k.a. the Prius C—in its home market of Japan
“Toyota quietly removed the Prius C from our market sometime last month. If you check Toyota Motor Philippines’ (TMP) website, you’ll only find the bigger Prius listed there.
“That, however, doesn’t mean that the end is nigh for the hybrid subcompact hatchback. As a matter of fact, Toyota has just unveiled the next-generation Prius C—also called the Aqua—in its home market of Japan.
“Toyota has made some significant changes to the design. The overall shape of the car has been retained, but its front fascia now looks a lot like that of the all-new Yaris’, with sleeker headlights, a wider grille, and smaller foglamp housings. The rear, meanwhile, gets snazzier taillights and some black plastic accents underneath.
“In contrast to the exterior, the interior gets a major rework. The entire dash looks a lot fresher than before, and the center console sports a modern look that’s fitting for a hybrid vehicle in this decade. There’s a new instrument cluster with popping blue elements, and this is paired with a new 10.5-inch infotainment system.
“The new Aqua also gets Toyota Safety Sense tech, which includes features like full-speed range radar cruise control and lane-tracing assist. It also gets Toyota’s automated parking feature, which is a first in a Toyota compact car.”
Hennessey has done its magic on the Ford Bronco
“The Internet’s hottest off-roader that’s not a Defender has already been given the Hennessey treatment. Welcome to the—deep breath—Hennessey VelociRaptor 400 Bronco.
“Unsurprisingly, the 400 Bronco produces a smidge over 400 horsepower—405hp to be exact—which is 75hp more than the current factory range-topper, the 2.7-liter twin-turbo V6 with 330hp. Torque also rises by 119Nm to a total of 681Nm in Hennessey’s motor.
“It’s been achieved via The Usual Suspects: an upgraded ECU and exhaust and a high-flow air induction system. Hennessey reckons it’ll do 0-97kph (60mph) in 4.9sec, which isn’t too shabby at all.
“The Hennessey Off-Road pack adds 35-inch off-road tires on 18-inch wheels, new VelociRaptor bumpers front and rear, retractable side steps, some badges, and even embroidered headrests.
“Everything’s warranted for three years/58,000km, and it keeps all the original Bronco’s modes and off-road systems (which, as it turns out, are rather good). Hennessey’s only building 200 models this year, in either two/four-door and with our without a soft-top. The price? $24,950 (P1.26 million), on top of the small matter of buying a new Bronco.”
Here are the intitial PH specs and prices of the VW Multivan Kombi
“Volkswagen Philippines gave us a mere sneak peek at the Multivan Kombi the last time around. Today, the carmaker has released more specs as well as the introductory prices of its new people-hauler.
“First, let’s talk pricing. Contrary to the indicative prices VW previously announced, the Multivan Kombi will start at P3,595,000. Two-tone models, meanwhile, will cost an additional P45,000. All units will come with a two-year, unlimited-mileage warranty on both engine and spare parts.
“As for the specs, it was already confirmed that the van will pack a 2.0-liter TDI diesel engine that generates 148hp and 350Nm of torque mated to a seven-speed Direct Shift gearbox. Now, we get a better idea of all the added niceties inside.
“For starters, the dual sliding doors and the tailgate are all automatic. Inside, it’ll get dual swivel captain seats and a multi-function table as standard, as well as three-zone climatronic air-conditioning. The eight-inch infotainment system up front will also have Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay.
“There are also driver- and safety-assist features aplenty. Apart from the six airbags, there’s active park assist and park distance control with a reversing camera, and hill-start assist. Crosswind assist is also fitted as standard—this tech helps stabilize the vehicle through course-correcting braking at 80kph or faster, keeping it from drifting away from its lane.”
Honda will launch the 11th-generation Civic in Thailand next month
“Been waiting around for the all-new Honda Civic to arrive in our market? Well, here’s some good news for you guys: Honda is officially launching the 11th-generation sedan in Thailand on August 6.
“This launch marks the Civic’s arrival in the ASEAN market, and could well mean that a Philippine launch is already on the calendar. We’re expecting Honda Cars Philippines (HCPI) to bring this sedan over in just a matter of months. Well, barring the sudden imposition of extreme quarantine restrictions such as ECQ, of course.
“All that Honda has revealed so far, though, is a launch date—we get no specs or other details whatsoever. While we already know a good bit about the car from the official reveal earlier this year, we don’t know what powertrain “the best Civic ever” will be packing in these parts. We also don’t know if all the amenities and extra tech will be made available in our region.
“Then again, if we do get the exact same specs as North America’s Civic units, we wouldn’t mind. That would mean getting the more potent 2.0-liter naturally-aspirated and 1.5-liter turbocharged engines. W e wouldn’t be complaining, either, if HCPI did decide to launch the all-new Civic Hatchback, too, although we know that one’s a long shot.”
Modellista gives the 2021 Toyota Land Cruiser LC300 a makeover
“As with most new releases, you don’t need to wait long for someone to come up with visual enhancements or aftermarket packages after a reveal. This one by Modellista for the all-new Toyota Land Cruiser comes less than two months following the SUV’s full debut—a viable option for anyone who thought the LC300’s stock appearance was a tad too plain.
“Now, the all-new Land Cruiser’s standard look already made abundant use of rugged black plastic. If, however, you’re of the mindset it could use some more, well, you’re going to like the look Modellista has gone for here.
“The Modellista front bumper adds a few more dark elements to the SUV’s face. And frankly, it nicely accentuates the squarish proportions, too, which might appeal to those who expected a more stylish appearance from the LC300. The rear bumper spoiler adds the same visual flair, too.
“You also have the option of slapping new Modellista 21-inch alloys in either matte black or with flashy silver elements as well. The stock wheels looked fine as is, but if you’re looking to stand out a bit more, again, you have options.”
Meet Militem’s modified Jeep Wrangler
“‘The perfect blend of American DNA and majestic Italian styling’ says Militem, of the modified Jeep Wrangler it calls the ‘Ferox Adventure,’ and for which it charges around £70,000 (P4.8 million) before tax.
“That’s a lot to pay for a Wrangler, so what do you get for your money? Well, all Feroxes get 35-inch mud tires, part-denim upholstery, ambient lighting, a carbon-fiber grille, new head- and tail-lights, uprated suspension, and a dual-mode exhaust. The Adventure mainly adds “scratch-resistant” bodywork, a roof rack, a snorkel, and lots of twinkly LEDs.
“As for engines, looks like Militem has left them well alone. You can either have the Wrangler’s 2.0-liter four-banger or 3.6-liter V6, both paired with a standard eight-speed auto. Neither is fast, but both are powerful and torquey enough for scrabbling around off-road.”
Koenigsegg will soon start production of the 500kph Jesko
“Here it is folks—the finished Koenigsegg Jesko. Well, almost finished. You’re looking at a “pre-series production car,” revealed just as Koenigsegg begins “pre-assembly” of the first customer chassis. 125 Jeskos are due to be built—split between the regular car and the low-drag Absolut—at a rate of 40 to 50 a year. The first cars will be ready come spring 2022, and of course they’re all already sold. Even at £2 million+ (P139 million, before tax) a pop.
“If you need to reacquaint yourself with the fastest thing to come out of Sweden since this Saab, then by all means go ahead. You’ll want to click here to read about the ‘normal’ Jesko, and here to brush up on the low-drag Absolut.
“In brief, the Jesko uses a 5.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 that revs to 8,500rpm and makes around 1,600hp on E85 biofuel. It drives the rear wheels through a nine-speed transmission—with SEVEN wet, multidisc clutches—that “represents a scale of evolution not seen since the development of modern dual-clutch technology at the turn of the century.” Koenigsegg claims the so-called “Light Speed Transmission” (LST) is set to be the world’s fastest-shifting gearbox.”
Everrati is now working on an electric Ford GT40
“Here’s one that might just rattle the purists. Everrati’s last electric car conversion was a Porsche 911, and even though it was a 964-gen Tiptronic—i.e. not a mega-money rarity—the bottom half of the internet was not best pleased. And now… it’s done a GT40.
“Yikes. But before you worry a Le Mans-winning racecar has been wheeled from a museum and given a disrespectful heart transplant, worry not. This isn’t a Ford GT40. Everrati is working with Superformance—‘the leading manufacturer of 1960s-era continuation component sports cars’—on what’s effectively a replica rather than the real thing. Which means it’ll be sold new and with a zero-emission powertrain that could just swing it onto your company car scheme. Imagine that?
“Expect the sound-symposing software shown off in Everrati’s 911 to be cranked up several notches here, and a more integral part to the plug-in GT40 experience. It could even work with a bunch of different power maps to simulate the experience of a manual gearbox.
“It’s all part of Everrati’s plan to turn the heads of people like us—enthusiasts who might not yet have found that car that convinces them to take the plunge into EV ownership.”
