motoring news Bahrainthismonth.com 42 September 2024 MG MOTOR EXPANDS MG Motor Middle East has announced the launch of the all-new MG4 Electric, marking a significant milestone in the brand’s journey towards a sustainable automotive future and further diversifying its lineup in the region. The MG4 Electric, a state-of-the-art electric model, is set to redefine the Electric Vehicle (EV) ownership experience in the Middle East with its innovative technology, impressive performance, striking design and affordability. The Middle East will see three variants of the MG4 Electric – COM, LUX and XPOWER – as the model provides flexibility to meet diverse customer preferences. The COM model offers a range of up to 465 km WLTP with a 51 kWh battery, while the LUX variant extends the range to 530 km WLTP with a 64 kWh battery. The top-of-the-line LUX version boasts an impressive range of 530 km WLTP with a 77 kWh battery, ensuring that drivers can go the distance without compromise. Finally, the XPOWER performance model would cover up to 400 km WLTP. FORD RANGER DOORS SLAMMED MORE THAN 100,000 TIMES TO ENSURE THEY CAN WITHSTAND YEARS OF PUNISHMENT “If you use your Ranger for work, family or play, then you’ll know the hard life lived by the door of your vehicle,” says Tim Griffiths, test engineer of Ford Australia. That’s why Ford slams the front and rear doors on its Ranger more than 100,000 times to simulate a decade of hard use in the hands of customers. “The door slam test is as demanding as anything the rest of the vehicle experiences during development; we open and close the front and rear doors in temperatures ranging from a colder than cold minus 40-degrees Celsius to a piping hot 80-degrees Celsius,” says Griffiths. Using two internal and two external automated hydraulic arms, Ford simulates 10 years of use and abuse over the course of a month with testing running day and night. To ensure all closure techniques are covered, from soft to hard, the speed of the door closure is varied. As if that doesn’t sound rigorous enough, Ford applies a special ‘gritty’ spray to vehicle parts to simulate outback and coastal conditions. “Rest assured, if it opens and shuts, we’ve tested it to Built Ford Tough standards,” concludes Griffiths. EV OFFERING WITH NEW MG4 ELECTRIC IN THE MIDDLE EAST ASTON MARTIN VANTAGE GT3 CHASING GLORY IN FIA WORLD ENDURANCE CHAMPIONSHIP Aston Martin made a racing return to the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) and the Lone Star Le Mans 6 hours race – the scene of extraordinary success for Vantage in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) – as the newest Vantage GT3 took its Texas bow in the hands of partner teams The Heart of Racing (THoR) and D’station Racing, last month. No other manufacturer boasts such a tremendous victory tally at the Austin venue, which returned to the WEC calendar for the first time since 2020 when Aston Martin also recorded a double-class victory. Indeed, the British ultraluxury sportscar brand has achieved no less than nine GT class wins in the six events COTA has staged since the series was formed in 2012. That’s a 75 percent win ratio, and four of those triumphs were double-class victories.
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