Drew Dowdell

They gotta save something for the actual Frankfurt show. They've been doing all the small releases ahead of time because they can't fit them all in during show days.

The latest CEO at Nissan, Hiroto Saikawa, is out-of-office permanently as of September 16th after yet another financial scandal rocks the company. Saikawa is the second Nissan CEO to be tainted by financial misconduct allegations. Allegedly, Saikawa received improper payments with regards to the sale of Nissan stock. The payments were after the date of the sale of the stock was altered and netted Saikawa additional hundreds of thousands of dollars. Saikawa has not yet been charged with a crime. Saikawa originally said he would stay on until a replacement was found, but abruptly changed course and formally resigned today. The temporary replacement will be Chief Operating Officer Yasuhiro Yamauchi until a permanent replacement has been found. There are currently ten candidates for the positions and Nissan says it is considering outsiders and non-Japanese. View full article

I still think 30 miles EV only range is kinda sad in this day and age.... but the performance of this should be swift.

It's a one month blip. But in the UK, the Model 3 outsold the Focus which is one of the top 10 popular cars there.

I thought the current generation of Hemis were Hemi-in-name-only and didn't actually have a hemispherical combustion chamber. They also have 2 spark plugs per cylinder, so putting more valves in there would be challenging.

Volkswagen debuted today the Volkswagen ID.3 for the European market. Those of you reading from North America will be disappointed to learn that this is yet more Forbidden Fruit. The ID.3 is the first vehicle built on VW's new MEB electric vehicle platform. Basic versions will be priced under €30,000 ($33,156) with a range of around 205 miles. Two more battery options will be available, the mid-range giving 260 miles and the largest battery enabling a range of 342 miles. When using DC fast charging, the ID.3 can add enough range to cover 180 miles with just 30 minutes on the plug. With 201 horsepower driving the rear wheels and 229 lb-ft of torque, the ID.3 promises spirited and engaging driving. The inside is roomy for a vehicle just 165.4 inches long, and should seat 5 with relative ease, while 13.6 cubic feet of cargo room allows for some luggage as long as it is tidy. VW is limiting the configurations at launch to just 3 options. The basic ID.3 1ST edition includes navigation, heated seats and steering wheel, and 18-inch wheels. The ID.3 1ST Plus adds a rear view camera, adaptive cruise control, keyless access and starting system, a center console with USB-C charging ports, and ambient lighting. For the ID.3 1ST Max, you'll also get an augmented reality heads up display, Beats audio system, panoramic sliding glass roof, and 20-inch alloy wheels. Volkswagen will be offering home chargers with optional datalink and remote access. VW plans on offering these chargers at a significant price cut below the existing chargers currently available on the market. Free energy with ID.3 1ST Edition purchases allows owners to charge up to 2,000 kWh for free at any WeCharge or Ionity network charging stations, allowing access to more than 100,000 charging stations across Europe. The ID.3 will be available in Germany in mid-2020. View full article

Thanks for the explanation. In my head I was thinking about the design you described for the diesel, but I forgot that valves are at an angle in gasoline engines.

@dwightlooi - I had an off-topic question for you. Why couldn't a pushrod engine or even a SOHC engine still have 4 valves per cylinder?

6 minutes for what capacity though?

Mercedes-Benz has debuted the third generation of plug-in hybrid GLC with a tongue twister of a name. The Mercedes-Benx GLC 350e 4Matic EQ Power... yes, that's the whole model name...will have its formal debut at the Frankfurt International Auto Show this month. The GLC 350e gets an increase in all-electric range to 28-30 miles on the NEDC rating, EPA rating is yet to be determined. Power comes from a 2.0-liter turbo 4-cylinder rated for 208 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and 258 lbs.-ft of torque at 1,200 - 4,000 rpm. Inside the 9-speed automatic is an electric motor that adds 121 horsepower and 325 lbs.-ft of torque for a total system output of 315 horsepower and 516 lbs.-ft of torque. Acceleration to 60 is estimated at 5.6 seconds. Level one charging (household plug) from 10% takes 7.75 hours to reach 100%. On a level two charger, that time drops to just 2.25 hours. The MBUX system can help drivers find a charging station by simply saying "Hey Mercedes, find charging stations nearby." View full article