carbon fibre

McLaren is set to introduce an all-new carbon-fibre architecture, revealed today, to underpin the company's next generation of electrified supercars. The chassis is designed specifically to accommodate hybrid powertrains. It was developed at McLaren’s $91 million Composites Technology Centre in Sheffield, and will also be manufactured onsite. McLaren previously reported that the factory's workforce would increase by more than 140 staff when the new-generation chassis enters production.

Cupra, performance wing of Spanish marque Seat, will debut its new range of beefed-up Leons at the 2020 Geneva motor show. The Cupra Leon will be available in a five-door or Sportstourer wagon body. Models of the sportier Leon will be available in front-wheel drive layout or 4Drive all-wheel drive. All models of the Cupra Leons will come equipped with a six-speed DSG transmission.

Toyota has unveiled the latest work of its Gazoo Racing performance division, in the shape of the Mark X GRMN sedan at the 2019 Tokyo Auto Salon. Don’t worry if you’re not familiar with the Mark X, though – confined to the Japanese market, this almost Camry-sized sedan fills in for past Toyota mainstays like the Cressida and Chaser nameplates which have come and gone over the years.

Ford is evaluating a new carbon-fibre subframe, assessing whether it can be used in a high-volume production vehicle. The new front subframe was jointly developed by Ford and Magna, a key supplier in the automotive industry, and contains mounting points for the engine and the front wheels. It is currently being evaluated in a Ford Fusion development vehicle — the Fusion is essentially the North American variant of the Mondeo range sold locally.

Hennessey Performance has unveiled the interior for its upcoming Venom F5 in a set of images on Facebook. Launched at SEMA, the Venom F5 promises some truly staggering performance specs. The twin-turbo V8 engine makes 1193kW of power, and the car weighs just 1338kg. As you might imagine, that makes for some impressive acceleration figures.