(RED) Forms Multi-Brand Partnership With Jeep, Fiat & Ram To Help Fight COVID-19

(RED) was established in 2006 by U2 frontman Bono (Paul David Hewson in real life) and American attorney and activist Bobby Shriver to partner with companies and fight the spreading AIDS pandemic. (RED) establishes partnerships with the world’s top brands to create (RED) branded products and experiences to raise money for the Global Fund, the planet’s most significant funders for global health.

And now, (RED) is joining forces with multiple Stellantis brands like Jeep, Fiat, and Ram to heighten consumer awareness towards COVID-19. Jeep, Fiat, and Ram are the first multi-brand automotive partners of (RED), pledging to donate no less than $4 million in proceeds to help fight global emergencies between 2021 and 2023, particularly AIDS and a relentless COVID-19 pandemic.

The Race To Vaccination

Some people still fail to realize that COVID-19 is a global battle against survival. The virus is not going away anytime soon unless humans find new ways to either curb, eliminate, or adapt to something that has already infected more than 233 million people and killed about five million globally.

“Less than five percent of people in Africa are fully vaccinated, while vaccines are plentiful in Europe and America,” said Bono, co-founder of (RED). “We have to do more and fast to support the hundreds of millions of people who don’t yet have access to vaccines, therapeutics, or sufficient PPEs. Because unless this pandemic is defeated everywhere, no one will be safe anywhere.”

Special-Edition (RED) Vehicles

Helping the cause is the debut of special-edition (RED) branded vehicles from Jeep, Fiat, and Ram. The 2022 Jeep (RED) Compass edition will arrive at dealerships in the United States and Canada in the first half of 2022. Next to come will be a 2022 Jeep (RED) Renegade, which also arrives in Europe by mid-2022. Jeep has launched The (RED) Mission on its social media and digital platforms to highlight the brand’s new (RED)-themed off-road vehicles.

(RED) Edition Vehicles

Coming sooner than the (RED) Jeeps is the 2022 Ram 1500 Limited (RED). The truck will start with a Ram 1500 Limited Night edition and carry its bevy of custom touches and (RED) branding. You can expect the (Red) Ram 1500 at dealerships later this year. In addition, Ram Nation has launched its “Born to Save” campaign on social media to celebrate the arrival of the Ram 1500 (RED) edition. And Fiat has already launched the new 500 (RED) in Europe.

“As the first automotive brands ever to join forces with (RED), our immediate goal is to initiate a call to action to help combat these global health emergencies, including COVID-19 relief efforts,” said Olivier Francois, global chief marketing officer, Stellantis.

The Global Fund

(RED) has partnered with the world’s most popular brands like Bank of America, Apple, Amazon, Louis Vuitton, Starbucks, Montblanc, and Vespa to generate resources for the Global Fund. (RED) has generated over $700 million for the Global Fund to help more than 220 million people globally. All monies raised by (RED) partners and campaigns go directly to support health systems and life-saving programs in communities most affected by the ravages of COVID-19.

Alvin Reyes is an Automoblog feature columnist and an expert in sports and performance cars. He studied civil aviation, aeronautics, and accountancy in his younger years and is still very much smitten to his former Lancer GSR and Galant SS. He also likes fried chicken, music, and herbal medicine.

Photos & Source: Stellantis

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SBK #4: Walt Siegl’s latest Ducati Superbike is his best yet

There’s something lacking in contemporary superbike design. Aside from the odd alluring exception, most modern superbikes look sterile—even if they are lightning fast.

Walt Siegl’s made-to-order, Ducati-powered SBK series is the antidote. Each SBK combines modern performance with timeless styling, sprinkled with cherry-picked parts and a healthy dollop of unobtanium. This is the fourth one that Walt’s built, commissioned by an existing client who already owns one of his Leggero builds.

“I built this SBK the way I would have built it for myself,” Walt tells us. “That’s exactly what the owner asked me to do: build the bike I would want to own.”

Each Walt Siegl Motorcycles SBK uses the same basic ingredients: an aircraft-grade chromoly frame, carbon fiber bodywork, and a special engine built by the Ducati specialist Bruce Meyers Performance. But Walt is relentless in his pursuit of perfection—so SBK #4 has evolved since the first build.

Walt took the brief on this bike quite literally, by using a motor that Bruce had built for a personal SBK project that never happened. “I love Ducati’s long stroke motors,” he says, “but instead of a big monster Corsa engine, I wanted an engine that’s as spritely and responsive as possible, matching the lightness and agility of my SBK chassis.”

“The idea behind the SBK was to build a machine as agile as possible, that steers significantly better than anything you can buy off the showroom floor. Such a bike allows its owner to become a better rider—because riding well and having fun is what it’s all about. High horsepower engines are not necessarily really conducive to having fun, which is why I picked this engine configuration.”

This particular motor uses a Ducati 848 crankcase, a lightened and balanced crank with upgraded bearings, titanium connecting rods, and a 1040 cc big bore kit with Pistal race pistons. Other highlights include ported and flowed cylinder heads with high lift cams, and lightened 1098 gears with an open clutch housing.

“It picks up the throttle like a shotgun blast,” says Walt.

The SBK setup includes a custom WSM carbon fiber airbox, but it’s seen some changes. Most notable is a new fuel injection system inside, designed to reduce air turbulence. The electronics package includes a custom-programmed ECU, traction control and a quick-shifter.

The exhaust headers are unique to this SBK, and terminate in an SC-Project muffler. It has a removable dB-killer that offers an additional 5 horsepower when it’s out.

There’s running gear to match the motor too. Walt specc’d it with Öhlins suspension at both ends, complete with custom internals matched to the bike’s light weight. The wheels are ultra-light carbon fiber units from BST, and the brakes are Brembo radial calipers with Spiegler Performance lines.

All of the bodywork is carbon fiber, manufactured by Indy Performance using tooling masters that Walt made in-house. He redesigned the SBK tank on this project to increase its capacity, and to change the way air flows into the airbox. And, to save weight, the floor of the carbon fiber tank is now the lid of the airbox.

The tail section sits on a carbon fiber subframe, which weighs a paltry three pounds. It’s another part that’s been improved on SBK #4.

“I’m always trying to build the perfect machine,” says Walt, “but I don’t want to give up the visual clues that show that these bikes are largely designed by me, and built with my hands. This is always a conversation I have with myself: which components should carry that visual language of the handmade?”

“I worry sometimes that some streamlined, high-tech looking parts might lose that visual aspect, of all the love and effort that I put into these machines.”

Because of the demands of a race bike, not all components can be made by hand—but everything is top shelf. Up in the cockpit are a Ducati Corsa magnesium upper triple tree, an Öhlins steering damper, Brembo RC master cylinders, a Ducati 1198S speedo, Ducabike switches and Kellermann turn signals. The subtly branded foot controls are Walt’s own products.

The Ducati’s owner did have one special request: the color. “He sent me a picture of a Ferrari SP2 painted in a limited color,” Walt tells us.

“It’s always a bit tricky to try to transfer color combinations that work on a car onto motorcycles—it’s not always successful. Cars, with their big panels, reflect light and show shadows much differently than on bikes, since bikes have much more intricate surfaces.”

The risk paid off though—SBK #4’s livery is simple and striking, complete with a WSM logo that tips its hat to vintage Ducati typefaces. It epitomizes what we’ve come to expect from Walt: desirability, quality, and supreme levels of good taste.

Walt Siegl Motorcycles | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Gregory George Moore

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2021 Rolls-Royce Ghost by Mansory, New Design and Power

Whenever I get closer to a Mansory product, I get shiver down my spines, as the German tuning company is well-known for its exclusive yet aggressive design, or impressive power packages under the hood.

And even if we are used to seeing plenty of crazy customizations mainly carried out on BMW models, Mansory does turn its attention to other cool and exotic cars from other well-known auto manufacturers from time to time. Below, we have a new design and power kit performed on the brand-new 2021 Rolls-Royce Ghost.

By definition, the new high-end saloon from the British carmaker is the point of reference when it comes to luxury, imposing design, and impressive performance under the hood. However, rich people need more from their rides and resort to different customizations.

Mansory has worked its magic around this high-end model from Rolls-Royce, turning it into a real beast in terms of power. It has also added some extravagant features at the exterior, as well as inside, which overall, makes it a real head-turner.

If we take a closer look at the photos below, we can easily identify Mansory`s custom body parts made from carbon fiber. First, there is the new integrated lip with side flaps at the front, along with the custom radiator grille that can be illuminated with a wide choice of colors, to fit the rest of the kit.

Next is the ultra-light carbon fiber bonnet with carbon structure, wings with carbon air outlets, blacked-out door handles, dark carbon sills and LED daytime running lights. Then is also the roof spoiler and the tailgate at the rear which significantly reduce the lift forces while at high speeds. Additionally, the sports exhaust system announces a massive power under the hood.  

Hopping inside the car, the cabin welcomes its customer with sports feel as well, defined by white leather with Mandarin inserts, along with leather-carbon sports steering wheel or LEDs around the dashboard, seats, or door panels. Extra features can also be ordered, as the company’s high-end „cool bag”, as well-made of leather.

Now, you’ve all been wondering what lies under the hood: it’s probably Mansory`s most impressive customization made on a luxury car such as the 2021 Rolls-Royce Ghost. The customization is the tuner’s new power kit, consisting of a highly modified ECU system that comes with new turbochargers and the aforementioned sport exhaust system with high-performance catalytic converters. And that significantly improves the ride’s acceleration and performance.

Speaking of performance, this beast is capable of producing no less than 720 horsepower and mind-blowing 1,020 Nm of torque, while the 0 to 100 km/h sprint is done in around 4.4 seconds, which is impressive if we think of the car’s massive weight. To reduce engine noise, the German technicians from Mansory have also installed one of their finest engine cover, finished in carbon fiber.

To make the car more steady on the roads and especially in tight corners, a new set of high-performance wheels have also been fitted. We are dealing here with massive 22 x 9.5 and 22 x 10.0 front and rear wheels with high-performance tires, measuring 256/35 R22 upfront and 295/30 R22 at the rear. The wheels are also finished in glossy black and look extremely cool with the „V6” signature.

Take a closer look at the photo gallery below and tell us what you think about Mansory`s latest creation on the 2021 Rolls-Royce Ghost!

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Ride Free: A KTM Freeride EX C electric scrambler

Any conversation about electric motorcycles will eventually turn to gripes about range and charging times. But if you just want to hoon around on trails with your friends on weekends, without alerting the locals, a small electric enduro makes sense. Which is why Tom Gilroy at Purpose Built Moto picked the KTM Freeride EX C for his latest project.

This KTM Freeride model packs 42 Nm of torque into a package weighing just 108 kilos [238 pounds], with a top speed of 80 km/h and a city range of 100 km. So it’s the perfect weekend weapon.

“I was excited to have a ride on this thing,” says Tom, “but I wasn’t excited about the way it looked. Like most E-motorcycles, it had a sharp appearance devoid of any shred of nostalgia. I think that’s a sticking point for converting a lot of riders to electric bikes.”

“My bet was if I could inject a touch of class, a little nostalgia and jam in a bit of PBM styling, I might get a few people off the fence and onto electric bikes.”

Tom hasn’t technically customized the KTM under the Purpose Built Moto banner though. Instead, PBM has teamed up with another e-bike enthusiast to form a new company, Grid Cycles. This scrambler their first official release, and there’s a Zero-based street tracker breaking cover soon too.

The Freeride EX C is made for pure off-roading—so it has no turn signals, no license plate mount, and minimal bodywork. “The teardown was simple,” says Tom. “Being a motocrosser, it’s built to be pulled down in five minutes track side; plastics off, power pack out, subframe gone.”

Tom had the idea to hollow out a vintage-style fuel tank, and turn it into a new cover for the battery, electronics and charge port. So he bought a few aftermarket options, and started measuring. In the end, a replica Yamaha XT500 unit from the late ‘70s ended up being the perfect donor.

Once the bottom was chopped off and the shell modified to fit, the crew fabricated a hinge system to provide access to the components underneath. A push button up front releases the tank from a custom-made latch, with a handle and gas strut to help lift it. Tucked inside the shell is a hidden fabric pouch—big enough to stow a smartphone or a pair of gloves.

Tom didn’t want to hack the KTM’s main frame, so he fabricated a bolt-on chromoly subframe to hold a new custom saddle. Because of the tank’s hinge position, the seat had to be made with a two-piece base, so that part of it could flip up with the tank.

“The idea was to work with the KTM by just modifying the external bodywork,” says Tom. “That way we could more easily replicate this bike. The wheels would stay, the frame wouldn’t be repainted, and the running gear would remain untouched.”

The left side of the subframe includes two extra mounting points, to fit a hand-made chromoly surfboard rack to. It bolts on in a hot minute, and leaves hardly a trace when it’s not fitted.

Up front, the team built a tubular bracket to hold a 5.75” Flashpoint LED headlight, and a pair of LED turn signals. Just below is a hand-shaped aluminum fender, similar to the one PBM put on their Harley Dual-Sporty. The tail wears a set of LED turn signal and taillight combos, and a small custom plate mount.

For the livery, Tom decided to accentuate the KTM’s distinctive orange chassis with a subtle black base and color-matched highlights. The seat was trimmed to match, using a modern gripper fabric.

“The KTM is bucketloads of fun,” reports Tom. “It’s super light, handles well and while the top speed isn’t anything wild, it makes getting there a lot of fun.”

Grid Cycles’ classic twist on the modern KTM has done wonders for its aesthetic appeal too. They’ve taken it from garden-variety plastic motocrosser to retro scrambler, adding a touch of class to its inherently fun nature. We’d say they’ve kicked things off well.

Purpose Built Moto | Grid Cycles | Images by Nine Five Media

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