Auto Industry News: Speculation Abounds with Monterey Car Week, Ranger Raptor European Release, and RAM 1500 Hybrid Drivetrain

This week provided a lot of fresh chatter for the auto world. Several new models made their debut at Monterey Car Week in Pebble Beach. The Ford Ranger Raptor is getting a European makeover. And Red Bull Racing is moving on with the future of its F1 team. But it wasn’t a feeling of excitement for everyone. Tesla appears caught in a months-old rut, and Musk is still feeling the heat of that Tweet. The RAM 1500 Hybrid seems to have made a lateral move in green technology. And no one in motocross can keep up with Eli Tomac!

Monterey Car Week Unveils What the Other Half Drives

For many auto lovers, Monterey Car Week is like the Super Bowl, Opening Day, and Christmas morning all in one. And this year, attendees got exactly what they wanted as both classic and freak vehicles came out in droves to cruise along Pebble Beach. The auctions were hot, as always. But this year had an interesting flare, with a wrecked Porsche 959 still selling for $476,500. (No, it was not Jerry Seinfeld.)

Monterey was also the location for some stunning debuts. The brand new SSC Tuatara, which has been spreading quite the buzz with its 1750 horsepower and rumored 300+ miles per hour being one of them. (Ya know, just a casual land speed record.) Other vehicles like the 2019 Acura NSX, a really nifty Mercedes electric concept, and the all new Bugatti Divo made debuts at the legendary event as well. Check out the entire photo gallery via AutoBlog with all the best showings, reunions, and more!

Ford Ranger Raptor Announced for European Market

Speaking of new releases, the Ford Ranger Raptor creeps closer every day (In case you didn’t already know). Its launch got a little closer this week, with a European market release for the sporty midsize resurrection predicted during summer of 2019. Many outlets have interpreted this to mean that the US will be the following year. And while gearheads across the America collectively cross their fingers, it can be painful to rest all of your hopes in spy shots and whispers alone (despite how juicy they are). Because let’s be honest, this hype is almost certainly by Ford’s design.

As you might remember, there were reports in June of spy shots with the steering wheel on the left side. But then only a couple of weeks later, Ford’s head of development for the Asia Pacific region made statements that implied the inevitability of a small-displacement diesel Ranger Raptor—a market that would not favor a US release. So, what we know is still nothing. Except that our fingernails will be taking damage over the course of the next couple months.

Tesla: Bend But Don’t Brake

We won’t be the only ones with chewed cuticles, though. In a move that should surprise absolutely no one, Elon Musk has announced that Tesla will not be going private. This comes only two weeks after he tweeted the exact opposite, implying the company would be worth $420 a share (Nice).

According to Musk, the move was done in an effort to keep focus on Model 3 production. But that wasn’t the only hitch in the company’s giddy-up. The waffling on where it will be in the market coincided with a financial report stating that the $35K base Model 3 is likely to lose money for the company. Not to mention, BBC skewered the company’s autopilot feature in a recent video demonstration where the Model S failed to brake for another stopped simulation vehicle.

2019 RAM 1500 Hybrid Poses More Questions

It’s been a confusing week for future auto technology. Reviews have been rolling in for the RAM 1500 Hybrid, and from the sounds of early reports, going green doesn’t have to be such a sacrifice. But is it green at all? The pairing of HEMI and hybrid has many scratching their heads about how something so massive can have such an improved MPG. Understandably so, because the V8 still rips as hard as ever, and the 1500 sure hasn’t lost any steps in terms of its off-road abilities.

But now, instead of 17 miles to the gallon, the RAM 1500 Hybrid gets an estimated 22 mpg combined. Not a wild improvement by any standard, and you can be sure that the other big names in truck production are already taking notes. (These figures almost mirror that of the F-150.) RAM doesn’t quite take a leap into the future, as much as dip its toe.

Around the Circuit

Last week was the final round of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship. Eli Tomac won his second straight title in 450 and Justin Barcia claimed the Iron Man crown. After getting stuck in mud, Barcia took back the lead in the Moto 1 heat, edging out Tomac who finished second. Tomac, however, ultimately got the last laugh when he captured the 450 MX title. The weekend was damage control for Tomac who stayed relevant enough throughout the weekend to cling to a 16-overall lead. Dominance is cyclical, as he nearly matched his 17-Point margin of victory from last year’s title.

In F1 News, Pierre Gasly is expected to join Max Verstappen at Red Bull Racing in 2019. The young star has been driving for Red Bull since his days in their Junior Driver program, so this doesn’t really come as shock to anyone. But now that Red Bull sees Gasly as a matured competitor, he will run alongside Verstappen, whose rival Daniel Ricciardo announced he would be leaving the team for Renault which shook the entire off season. Gasly seems a perfect fit to replace Ricciardo with three top-ten finishes in his brief, but bright, F1 circuit stint.

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