Good morning and welcome to our daily digest of automotive news from around the globe, starting with…
Hertz and wrongful arrests once again hit the headlines as a woman is suing the company after being arrested four times in connection with an allegation of theft. Antwanette Hill was a Platinum member of Hertz’s Gold Club Loyalty, which entitles her to book and collect a Hertz rental car without engaging with staff, but an employee of the company assumed she was stealing the vehicle instead. Tragically, during her stay in jail after the fourth arrest, she was pregnant and miscarried, which led to a three-day stay in the hospital. Hertz has declined to drop charges.
2023 Audi R8 Coupe GT RWD Is An Oversteering Last Hurrah For The V10 And (N)ICE Sounds
The swansong for Audi’s V10 engine comes in the form of this: the second iteration of the R8 GT. The GT is the most powerful RWD R8 on offer, gaining the uprated specs from the Quattro, with 612 hp (456 kW / 620 PS) and 417 lb-ft (565 Nm) of torque from its 5.2-liter naturally-aspirated V10. The car is also 44 lbs (20 kg) lighter than the base R8 Coupe RWD, and features a new Torque Rear Drive mode to allow the tail to step out.
All-New Maserati GranTurismo Debuts In ICE-Powered And EV Forms
The details are now out surrounding the all-new Maserati GranTurismo. It’ll be offered in three variants: the V6-powered Modena and Trofeo, as well as the fully-electric Folgore. The design and proportions remain evolutionary, as was expected, while the EV assumes the mantle of performance flagship. The entry-level GranTurismo Modena produces 490 hp (365 kW / 496 PS) and 600 Nm (442.5 lb-ft) of torque, which rises to 550 hp (410 kW / 557 PS) and 650 Nm (479.4 lb-ft) of torque for the Trofeo. Meanwhile, the Folgore has a combined output of 751 hp (560 kW / 761 PS) and a monstrous 1,350 Nm (995.7 lb-ft) of torque, and holds the quickest 0-100 km/h time of the lot, at just 2.7 seconds.
Porsche Shares Drop Below IPO Launch Price
Porsche launched onto the stock market last Thursday with a €75 billion ($72 bn) valuation that raised $19.5 bn ($18.7 bn). But shares dropped below €81 ($79.40) when trading resumed yesterday before recovering slightly to €81.48 ($79.87). However, that’s not to say the IPO is an Aston Martin-like disaster, which has continued to drop since being listed in 2018 and is now at a historic low of £1.29 ($1.47) per share.
Aurus Komendant Debuts As A Russian Ultra-Luxury SUV With Four-Seats And 590 HP
If you’re a Russian Oligarch alarmed at the number of manufacturers leaving the country, then the all-new Aurus Komendant may come as a solution. This ultra-luxury SUV is designed in the same vein as the Bentley Bentayga and Rolls-Royce Cullinan and features double-glazed windows, a prominent shoulder line, 20-, 21- or 22-inch wheels, Nappa leather upholstery, and much more. Power is provided by a hybridized twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 engine that produces 590 hp (440 kW / 598 PS) and 649 lb-ft (880 Nm) of torque with all-wheel drive. Pricing starts at 33.7 million rubles, or $580,784.
Tesla’s Optimus Robot Could “End Poverty” According To Elon Musk
Elon Musk has made a bold claim with the unveiling of Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robot, saying it will lead to “a future of abundance, a future where there is no poverty, where you could have whatever you want in terms of products and services.” While we’d like to think this is true, Musk also revealed how much they intend to sell the finished Optimus for — around $20,000.
What Else Is Making The News
Kim Kardashian Fined $1.26 Million For Backing Cryptocurrency
Kim Kardashian has agreed to pay a $1 million fine for touting cryptocurrency on her Instagram without disclosing that she was paid to promote it.https://t.co/JcDpSSjVp0
— NPR (@NPR) October 3, 2022
Kim Kardashian has been fined $1.26 million by the U.S. Securities And Exchange Commission, reports The Guardian. The penalty was levied for failing to disclose a $250,000 payment she was given to promote EthereumMax’s EMAX tokens.
Playstation 5 Has Been Jailbroken For The First Time
It's… beautiful.
The PlayStation 5 has been jailbroken. pic.twitter.com/54fvBGoQGw
— Lance McDonald (@manfightdragon) October 3, 2022
Sony’s PlayStation 5 has seemingly been jailbroken for the first time since it was introduced two years ago. According to IGN PlayStation modder SpecterDev unveiled the jailbreak, which allows users to access the debug menu and install unauthorized software. However, the hack will only work on consoles running firmware 4.03 or lower, and even then will only work 30 percent of the time.