Latest news with #HWA
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Here's a teaser of the sportscar that could become Mercedes' next GT3 model
Mercedes has released teaser images of a new sportscar that is set to be the base for its next-generation GT3 racer. What the German manufacturer is calling the Concept AMG GT Track Sport is described as an 'uncompromising concept vehicle' that has been 'designed for absolute driving dynamic peak performance to set new standards and record times'. It demonstrates Mercedes-AMG's 'great expertise as a sportscar manufacturer and provides a preview of a possible expansion of the GT series', the short statement accompanying camouflaged images of the concept car continued. No mention was made of racing or the GT3 category, but the statement revealed that the car 'offers an exclusive insight into the development workshop in Affalterbach'. That is a reference to the new Affalterbach Racing GmbH division established last year on the takeover of the HWA organisation that developed the previous two Mercedes GT3 contenders, the SLS and AMG respectively released to customers in 2011 and 2016. Mercedes announced the start of the new company last July at the same time as revealing that a successor to the AMG GT3 would be developed at its facilities to the north of Stuttgart. Mercedes AMG Concept AMG GT Track Sport The only technical detail of the concept car acknowledged by Mercedes is that it is powered by a V8 engine like the first two GT3 racers. The 6.2-litre normally-aspirated powerplant was carried over from the SLS to the AMG GT3 even though there was no such engine in the road car range of the latter machine. Mercedes appears to be developing what might be described as a racer for the road in order to remain in a category in which it has enjoyed considerable success, including a pair of victories in each of the 24-hour classics at Spa and the Nurburgring. A study of the C192 model GT, introduced in 2023 to replace the C190 on which the current Mercedes-AMG GT3 is based, determined the car's unsuitability for motorsport. It is a 2+2 rather than a two-seater like its predecessor. No timeline was mentioned in the Mercedes statement for a possible introduction of the car, though it suggested that a commencement of testing is imminent. It talked of the project being 'finalised' prior to the concept car 'proving itself on the test tracks'. Read Also: George Russell 'at peace' with future as Mercedes focus on results after Max Verstappen talks To read more articles visit our website.
Top Gear
18-07-2025
- Automotive
- Top Gear
HWA Evo review: sacrificial 190e gets the Evo II treatment Reviews 2025
Amazing what a towering rear wing, a good colour and proper stance will do to an old Mercedes 190e. Restomod is the word you've been thinking, but you need to unthink it. In the meantime yes, those are some of the best arches since the Romans built the Colosseum. But this is a restored and modified 190e Evo II isn't it? Obviously it's riffing on that 1990 DTM homologation special, but none of the 502 that were built originally has been sacrificed in the name of creating this. Instead it starts life as a sacrificial 190e, and that's fine seeing as Merc built some 2,000,000 of those. Advertisement - Page continues below Now, we did do a deep dive on this project last year, and made a full walkaround film, so if you want proper nitty gritty details check that out. I'm going to skate over some of that to focus on what it's like to drive this prototype. The only prototype I'm guessing? I can't imagine HWA has the funds to build more than that. You're under-estimating HWA's engineering capacity. I know I said I wasn't going to repeat myself, but here's a quick recap: HWA is named after Hans-Werner Aufrecht (who, in a previous life, was also the 'A' in AMG). In partnership with Mercedes it has been one of the most successful race teams across DTM, GT3, even Formula E. And it's where hypercar firms come when they need a hand: HWA did the nat asp V12 for the Pagani Huayra R, engineered the stillborn Fittipaldi EF7, and is currently working on the De Tomaso P72. The correct interpretation of all this is that HWA does things properly. So not one single prototype, but eight. The last two will be crash tested, four, five and six will do all sorts of dynamic development. But the first three are with Bosch for electronic development. And this green car is, as a sticker under the bonnet proclaims, prototype number 1. Advertisement - Page continues below It's a different story underneath. The cabin is a sprawl of wires, gauges, red buttons, cables and instrumentation, every surface wears temperature strips, there's giant race seats, a non-standard roll cage and the boot is full of electronic boxes. We're at Boxberg, Bosch's top secret test track about an hour north of Stuttgart. It's a corking facility with a banked outer circuit wrapped around a litter of other surfaces, inclines, trails and tracks. Before I can drive I have to wait for everything else to finish for the day. There's all sorts here, but an intimidating piece of paperwork I've signed insists I can't tell you what. Pity. So come on then, what's it like? It shows huge promise. The engine is a modified version of Merc's M276 3.0-litre twin turbo V6 that's found in lesser AMGs such as the SLC 43. I've never been blown away by it, but here it's been uncorked with new turbos, induction and exhaust. It sounds fabulously raspy, yet revs unbelievably smoothly. Barely a vibration to be felt. Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Look out for your regular round-up of news, reviews and offers in your inbox. Get all the latest news, reviews and exclusives, direct to your inbox. Too smooth, too linear in its delivery, reckons HWA. At the next stage of development the intention is to make the turbos less linear, to introduce a bit more lag, more turbo-ness. It's not intended to be a modern car, so they don't want it to feel like one. I'm limited to 5,000rpm, which is about the point the V6 starts to get interesting and the engine note hardens. So I don't have the full ticket of power – which will now be upwards of 500bhp. 450bhp was the original plan, but there's been some mission creep and where once the intention was to leave the internals alone, now HWA is tinkering with conrods and pistons. It's not especially fast right now, but ultimately should have a power to weight ratio of over 370bhp/tonne, which is about bang on with the 656bhp bruiser that is the current Aston Martin Vantage. So it's light then? Just 1,350kg is the plan – the same as the original Evo II. That was steel bodied, this is full carbon. The front and rear subframes are entirely new to improve stiffness and crash protection. The bodyshell feels very rigid, giving the suspension a strong central platform to work from. There's a bit of bodyroll, but it's comforting and true to its heritage, and as you push through that the car takes up an edge through corners, working both axles equally. It really does feel like you're sat centrally in the wheelbase with the car pivoting around you – probably a legacy of the front wheels being pushed forward 50mm. It's got a manual gearbox, hasn't it? Yeah, but like the rest of the controls, it hasn't been polished at all yet. Everything you operate is too light. A lot of this is purposeful to lower the effort levels the development drivers have to put in when they are spending hours and hours at the wheel each day. So the gearlever flicks lightly about the gate. It's a short, accurate throw, but needs more meat and weight to suit the car. Same goes for the steering and brakes. Especially the brakes, which currently have zero feel and not much more than zero power. Until your foot is near the bulkhead at which point they bite hard. But this is a development car, and all of this is to be expected. To be honest, I'm only amazed by how composed it is considering this is the very first. HWA's Chief Technology Officer, Gordian von Schoning reckons cars four, five and six, which are in build now, are a huge leap forward. Car nine, after the two crash test cars, will be the first production intent car. What cars does it put you in mind of? Before I drove it I assumed there would be AMG overtones, but this is not a muscle saloon like a C63, it's more finessed and nuanced than that. There's already a Porsche-like precision to the way it moves, which I suspect is largely due to the fact it's relatively compact, doesn't weigh much and comes from a similar motorsport mentality. This is not a muscle saloon like a C63, it's more finessed and nuanced than that I tell you what, on these initial impressions it drives exactly like you hope a recreated version of the Evo II would drive. With crispness, authority, accuracy and enough charisma to see which way AMG would end up taking its hot road cars. Before they decided the best approach was a hybridised four cylinder. I think I'd have an original Evo II. I completely understand that. It's a legend, but first you need to know two things: it's not very fast and it's a lot of money. The engine is a nat asp 2.5-litre four cylinder with about 230bhp (probably less these days) so 0-60mph takes around seven seconds. Which is going to feel anaemic in 2025. And because they only made 502 (the original intention was 500, all painted the same Blauschwarz metallic, but then Merc built two extra silver cars because they could), a good one nowadays is around £350,000. As I said, being a legend back then means it's an investment now. I haven't driven one, but having had a good nose around it, the new one floats my boat in a way the original doesn't quite. How long will development take? First customer deliveries are planned for early next year, which means Bosch's development schedule is tight and HWA is going to have a very hectic next 12 months. But then they're a race team, they're used to tight deadlines. And once this is done, they get to take it racing anyway. But that's another story. 17 minutes 16 seconds
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Koenigsegg Is Taking Hypercars To A Whole New Level Tomorrow
Koenigsegg Is Taking Hypercars To A Whole New Level Tomorrow originally appeared on Autoblog. As enthusiasts of high-performance cars, we're really being spoiled lately. HWA is taking its epic 190E restomod to the track, the people at Toyota are working on a new Lexus supercar, and the astonishing new Corvette ZR1 family has been making waves everywhere. If none of those raise your pulse, perhaps this will: Koenigsegg has posted a series of clips that tease a new hypercar (or megacar, in Koenigsegg parlance). The Swedish purveyor of speed hasn't said much, though. The most recent of three teaser posts has the caption "Perfection is a moving target," and the one before that says Koenigsegg is "crafting a legend." Happily, the first post tells us when we'll know more: 25 June 2025. That's tomorrow... The post above gives us a glimpse of the front end of the car, with the Koenigsegg badge at the bottom of the frame and a NACA duct directly above it. Behind that, exposed carbon fiber appears to indicate an aero bridge on the clamshell, likely evacuating air that enters at the lower front bumper like the Ferrari S-duct, or, closer to home, Koenigsegg's own Gemera four-seater. The second post in the trilogy also calls to mind past Koenigsegg designs, revealing a rear end with a massive wing that seems not dissimilar to that of the track-focused Jesko Absolut. However, in this application, there's a vertically oriented central stop light giving strong motorsport vibes. Finally, the most recent post seems to show more aerodynamic devices, including vents in the front wheel arches that likely help smooth airflow running along the sides of the car. So what are we looking at here? Well, it's highly unlikely that Koenigsegg would be building a hardcore version of the Gemera, and the imagery appears to show something very sleek with a small cockpit, so it's certainly a two-seater. The easiest guess to make is that this is a more hardcore, more focused, potentially track-only version of the Jesko. Could this be a Nürburgring record chaser or a hint at an entry into motorsports? Koenigsegg hasn't had the greatest luck at the Nürburgring, with a few crashes marring its early visits to the Green Hell, and the last time it tried to enter endurance racing, the rules changed before the CCGT could compete. When asked by Top Gear last year if he would ever consider dipping another toe into the World Endurance Championship, company founder and CEO Christian von Koenigsegg bemoaned the many hoops a car must jump through to meet Balance of Performance regulations, arguing that the current regulations deprive automakers of the ability to showcase their unique individual we doubt that this will be a track-only special, though the aero devices indicate it will be one of the most hardcore 'Seggs yet. Other possibilities include that it may be an all-new model or even a hardcore take on the CC850, but that sort of thing is generally revealed at Monterey Car Week. Our best guess is that this is a one-off Jesko Absolut turned up to 11 for a single wealthy commissioner, but the caption "perfection is a moving target" could easily apply to any of the Swedish company's creations. Whatever the facts, we'll bring them to you as soon as possible tomorrow. Koenigsegg Is Taking Hypercars To A Whole New Level Tomorrow first appeared on Autoblog on Jun 24, 2025 This story was originally reported by Autoblog on Jun 24, 2025, where it first appeared.
Miami Herald
24-06-2025
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
Koenigsegg Is Taking Hypercars To A Whole New Level Tomorrow
As enthusiasts of high-performance cars, we're really being spoiled lately. HWA is taking its epic 190E restomod to the track, the people at Toyota are working on a new Lexus supercar, and the astonishing new Corvette ZR1 family has been making waves everywhere. If none of those raise your pulse, perhaps this will: Koenigsegg has posted a series of clips that tease a new hypercar (or megacar, in Koenigsegg parlance). The Swedish purveyor of speed hasn't said much, though. The most recent of three teaser posts has the caption "Perfection is a moving target," and the one before that says Koenigsegg is "crafting a legend." Happily, the first post tells us when we'll know more: 25 June 2025. That's tomorrow... The post above gives us a glimpse of the front end of the car, with the Koenigsegg badge at the bottom of the frame and a NACA duct directly above it. Behind that, exposed carbon fiber appears to indicate an aero bridge on the clamshell, likely evacuating air that enters at the lower front bumper like the Ferrari S-duct, or, closer to home, Koenigsegg's own Gemera four-seater. The second post in the trilogy also calls to mind past Koenigsegg designs, revealing a rear end with a massive wing that calls to mind the track-focused Jesko Absolut. However, in this application, there's a vertically oriented central stop light giving strong motorsport vibes. Finally, the most recent post seems to show more aerodynamic devices, including vents in the front wheel arches that likely help smooth airflow running along the sides of the car. So what are we looking at here? Well, it's highly unlikely that Koenigsegg would be building a hardcore version of the Gemera, and the imagery appears to show something very sleek with a small cockpit, so it's certainly a two-seater. The easiest guess to make is that this is a more hardcore, more focused, potentially track-only version of the Jesko. Could this be a Nürburgring record chaser or a hint at an entry into motorsports? Koenigsegg hasn't had the greatest luck at the Nürburgring, with a few crashes marring its early visits to the Green Hell, and the last time it tried to enter endurance racing, the rules changed before the CCGT could compete. When asked by Top Gear last year if he would ever consider dipping another toe into the World Endurance Championship, company founder and CEO Christian von Koenigsegg bemoaned the many hoops a car must jump through to meet Balance of Performance regulations, arguing that the current regulations deprive automakers of the ability to showcase their unique individual innovations. Related: Watch a Koenigsegg Jesko break four speed records in one pass Thus, we doubt that this will be a track-only special, though the aero devices indicate it will be one of the most hardcore 'eggs yet. Other possibilities include that it may be an all-new model or even a hardcore take on the CC850, but that sort of thing is generally revealed at Monterey Car Week. Our best guess is that this is a one-off Jesko Absolut turned up to 11 for a single wealthy commissioner, but the caption "perfection is a moving target" could easily apply to any of the Swedish company's creations. Whatever the facts, we'll bring them to you as soon as possible tomorrow. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
HWA Plans V8 Supercar and All-New Hypercar
HWA Plans V8 Supercar and All-New Hypercar originally appeared on Autoblog. While the name HWA might not ring a bell for most car enthusiasts, you're almost certainly familiar with their work. The company, named after AMG co-founder Hans Werner Aufrecht, has played a major role in building some of the most extreme performance machines in the world. From Mercedes-Benz icons like the CLK GTR Strassenversion and SL 65 AMG Black Series to modern monsters like the Pagani Huayra R and Aston Martin Valkyrie, HWA has long been engineering the outrageous. But HWA doesn't just help out behind the scenes. They've started to build their creations from the ground up, too. One of their latest efforts is the HWA EVO, a modern reimagining of the iconic Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.5-16 EVO II. Starting with a donor 190 E, HWA replaces much of the bodywork with carbon fiber and fits a twin-turbocharged V6 under the hood, pushing out close to 500 horsepower. Now, the company is planning its next big move. In an interview with Carscoops, HWA's Chief Technology Officer, Gordian von Schöning, shared a few exciting details. First, he confirmed that their next car shares the same philosophy as the EVO by being based on a well-known Merc, but ditches the V6 for a V8. More interestingly, he revealed that HWA plans to build its own 'super hypercar' from scratch. Normally, news of a new exotic wouldn't raise too many eyebrows, unless your name is Corvette ZR1X. But HWA isn't just another startup with empty promises. They've been responsible for some of the finest engineering in the business for over 60 years. They helped develop the naturally aspirated 6.0-liter V12 used in the Aston Martin Valkyrie, Pagani Huayra R, and GMA T.50, and they're involved in building the stunning De Tomaso P72. They have the resources, the know-how, and the pedigree to build something hasn't said much more about the car, but if you combine their current talents, the V12 engine, and the exotic nature of the De Tomaso, the HWA 'super hypercar' has the potential to genuinely rival — or even outshine — the hypercars they've helped create. HWA Plans V8 Supercar and All-New Hypercar first appeared on Autoblog on Jun 23, 2025 This story was originally reported by Autoblog on Jun 23, 2025, where it first appeared.
