Category: News

The likelihood of Renault building cars at the Nissan Sunderland plant has increased today after the Renault Nissan Mitsubishi Alliance outlined its plans for the future.

The three companies cemented their relationship following years of uncertainty that came after former boss Carlos Ghosn left, and took the chance to confirm that Nissan would not leave Europe despite recent rumours to the contrary.

In an initiative that’s being called ‘leader follower’, the biggest brand in each global region will take the lead in the future – in Europe, that is Renault.

The alliance says it wants to find efficiencies across the group, particularly by running factories at full capacity. It also plans to have Nissan take the lead on C-segment SUVs such as the Qashqai, which is built in Sunderland, potentially further securing a factory that has had an uncertain future ever since Britain voted to leave the EU.

However, this factory is not currently running at full capacity, which opens the door for Renault models to be built there to maximise production efficiency.
The manufacturers already share the Flins factory in France, with Nissan building the Micra and Renault the Clio and Zoe, so building cars together is not unusual.

A spokesman for Renault UK said: “Today’s announcement reaffirmed the strength of the alliance and presented a new business model for how member partners will improve their competitiveness, efficiency and profitability. We cannot comment on speculation with regards to future developments.”

Each brand within the alliance will make individual announcements about their futures separately, with Nissan coming tomorrow, Renault on Friday, and Mitsubishi Motors in ‘a few weeks’.

Car dealerships in England are set to open on June 1, throwing open doors which have remained closed for more than two months. Prime Minister Boris Johnson made the announcement this week, giving dealers the opportunity to trade fully once again – though many have been selling cars online and via click-and-collect services for much of the lockdown period.

But even though dealers are allowed to open, what is being done to ensure customer safety?

Certificate

All dealers are going to be required to display a safety certificate which signifies that they are complying with government guidance on managing the risk of coronavirus.

If you’re planning on visiting a dealership after June 1, make sure that this certificate is being displayed. If you’re worried, give the dealers a call ahead of your visit to make sure that they’re complying with the latest measures.

Social distancing

As with all other aspects of businesses operating during the coronavirus pandemic, car dealerships will need to enforce strict social distancing policies. It means that signs will be put up to remind all in the dealership to remain two metres apart, and walkways will be marked out through the site too.

One-way systems will also be introduced, and all the vehicles in the showroom will remain locked to stop people from entering them.

Cleanliness

Some of the aspects of a dealership that you might have been used to are being removed to ensure cleanliness levels are kept to a maximum. Magazines, books and brochures will all be removed to avoid transmission, and refreshments won’t be served either.

Hand sanitiser will be available throughout the dealership, too.

Test drives

Testing a car out is a huge part of purchasing a new vehicle. From June 1, test drives will be permitted – but only solo ones. That means you’ll be able to take out a vehicle to try it, but the dealer won’t accompany you.

Trade plates must be used, and dealers must have the correct insurance policies in place – so speak to them beforehand to make sure that the right coverage is in place. The car will also be extensively sanitised both before and after each test drive.

Click-and-collect

Of course, if you don’t want to go to a dealership to buy a car then there are still plenty of options available. Click-and-collect services are being offered by many dealers, allowing you to choose your car online, contact the dealer for more information before placing an order and collecting the car at the dealership under social distancing measures.

In addition, a lot of dealers and manufacturers are now offering completely contactless purchasing. Order and pay online, and then the car will be delivered directly to your home.

The Torsus Praetorian has won a prestigious design award as the world’s first heavy duty off-road bus.

Czech-based Torsus, which was founded in 2016 and says it is ‘breaking new ground by designing, developing and manufacturing the world’s toughest off-road buses’, teamed up with transportation design studio Werkemotion to create the Praetorian.

It has been built to transport personnel and equipment across the world’s trickiest terrain, and uses a heavy-duty MAN chassis, engine and drivetrain. It uses Michelin off-road tyres, while the body panels are coated in Line-X, a military-grade material.

The Torsus Praetorian was handed the Red Dot Award in the Product Design category for 2020. This year, 6,500 products were entered for consideration, with jurors testing each one to give a detailed assessment and choose the best in design and innovation.

Vakhtang Dzhukashvili, founder and CEO of Torsus said: “It’s a privilege and an honour for us to be awarded the globally respected and admired Red Dot Award, for the outstanding design of our iconic Torsus Praetorian. We are very proud to accept this award and it is testament to the skilled work of the Torsus team and our design partners at Werkemotion who, together, helped produce the world’s toughest and most capable off-road bus.”

Bystrík Míček, CEO and design manager of Werkemotion, said: “We would like to congratulate Torsus on receiving the esteemed Red Dot award for Product Design. We are very proud to have worked alongside Torsus to design the world’s first off-road 4×4 bus and we are ecstatic they have been selected for what is, undoubtedly, one of the best product design awards in the world.”

Professor Dr. Peter Zec, founder and CEO of Red Dot said: “The winners of the Red Dot Award have proved that they have created excellent products worthy of winning an award. The products won over the jury not only through their aesthetic, but also thanks to their incomparable functionality. With their designs, the award winners are setting new standards in their industry. I wish to congratulate them most sincerely on their success.”

Mazda has revealed a sleek virtual race car with a high-performance rotary engine.

Called RX-Vision GT3, it’s the latest addition to Gran Turismo Sport’s Vision series of fantasy racers, and is available to download and race in the PlayStation 4 game now.

While most manufacturers let their imaginations run totally wild when designing Vision cars, Mazda has kept its new creation grounded in motorsport reality. Based on the RX-Vision concept first revealed at the 2015 Tokyo motor show, it has been modified to conform with official GT3 regulations.

Modifications include a wider track front and rear, chunkier wheel arches, removal of heavy materials and a stripped-back interior. The aerodynamics have been improved through the addition of a large air bonnet vent and tweaks to the front and rear spoilers and rear diffuser.

Power comes from a front-mounted four-rotor engine making 562bhp. Mazda enthusiasts have lamented the death of the rotary engine, which powered the firm’s classic sports cars such as the RX-7, but rumours suggest the quirky motor could make a return in Mazda’s hybrids in the future.

Like a piston engine, a rotary engine – often referred to as a Wankel engine after its inventor Dr Felix Wankel – makes its power through igniting a compressed mixture of fuel and air. However, instead of using pistons, it uses a triangular rotor that spins within an oval chamber.

Increasing the number of rotors increases the capacity of the chambers, similar to increasing the size and number of pistons in a typical engine, which improves performance by allowing more fuel and air to be ignited in each revolution. Therefore, the ‘four-rotor’ engine in the RX-Vision GT3 uses four separate rotors within four chambers.

Rotary engines work well in performance applications because they perform best at high revs, but have proved difficult to make reliable in mainstream applications as they require a completely different style of driving to work properly. They also use a lot of oil, making running costs higher than conventional engines.

McLaren Automotive has teamed up with the BBC’s Blue Peter show to create a ‘Supercar of the Future’ competition.

Young viewers will be given the chance to submit their supercar designs, with the winner seeing their creation brought to life as a 3D scale model. They’ll also meet McLaren’s designers and engineers once Covid-19 restrictions are lifted.

The prize includes a passenger lap in a McLaren with The Stig at the wheel, a VIP tour of McLaren’s Woking factory, and a Blue Peter badge.

In an episode of Blue Peter being broadcast this evening, McLaren’s design director Rob Melville explains how a supercar should ‘look fantastic, have sensational performance and push the boundaries of what already exists’.

Meanwhile, materials engineer Ella Podmore explains why using the right materials to make the car lighter and faster is so important.

Entrants have been asked to consider how their vehicle is powered, its impact on the environment, and describe what materials it is made from. They should also choose one outstanding feature of their design and explain why they’re proud of it.

Mandeep Dhatt, executive director of HR at McLaren, said: “Working with CBBC’s Blue Peter on this competition to get kids to design their supercar of the future is an exciting and fun way to get them to apply all of their design, science and technical creativity.

“It’s also a great way to showcase how they can use those skills in the real-world, having to follow the same thought processes and tackle the same challenges as our designers and engineers like Rob and Ella do every day at McLaren. I’m looking forward to seeing what the Blue Peter audience comes up with and what amazing idea wins our top prize.”

Ellen Evans, editor at Blue Peter, added: “This is such an exciting Blue Peter competition with an amazing prize to see behind closed doors at McLaren.

“The judges are going to be looking for designs that are full of imagination, with a great story and we want to see that they have given some thought to the science behind the design too. I can’t wait to see what the amazing, creative Blue Peter kids come up with!”

The competition is open to children between the ages of six and 15. More information and terms and conditions can be found on the Blue Peter website.

Porsche has unveiled its latest incarnation of the 911 Targa this week. An ever-present feature in the line-up of 911 variations, the Targa is a classically styled sports car which puts an emphasis on experience rather than being an out-and-out track monster.

But where did it come from and how has it changed over the years? Let’s take a look.

The original Targa

The original Targa was introduced back in 1967, following on from the inception of the regular 911 in 1963. It was named to celebrate Porsche’s victories in the Targa Florio races, and debuted an innovative hoop-based roof design.

In fact, it was a reaction from Porsche to an argument happening in America, where full convertible cars were considered too dangerous, with rumours that regulations could require a motorsport-inspired rollover hoop in the future. It’s why Porsche took inspiration from its race cars and fitted the roll hoop design on the Targa.

Originally fitted with a flip-down rear screen, this was later changed to a fixed glass version after customers complained about the original soft screen.

It would continue to be offered through the 1970s and 1980s as the 911 evolved, gaining a satin black finish and mild design tweaks.

993-generation 911 Targa

The 993-generation 911 was built between 1994 and 1998, and saw the biggest evolution of the Targa concept since its inception.

Instead of the prominent rollover hoop, the roof looked similar to the coupe. However, a glass roof above the driver would retract to give that Targa top feel, sliding back beneath the rear glass pane. It was a major departure from the manually removable Targa tops that had come before.

Addressing the early fears about convertible car safety that spawned the Targa, the thick B pillar would act as the rollover hoop. Other advantages were that it removed the need to find somewhere to store the roof, and this design would continue through the 996 and 997 generations.

Back to its roots

As with most design, if you leave enough time then nostalgia will make it cool again – and that appears to be the case with the Targa too.

In 2014 for the then-new 991-generation 911, Porsche revived the brushed aluminium rollover hoop on the Targa model with its fixed rear screen. However, unlike the original model, the roof could retract automatically, introducing the much-loved and incredibly complex closing mechanism we know and love today.

This week, Porsche revealed the 2020 911 Targa, complete with rollover hoop and complex closing mechanism that can be completed in just 19 seconds. Available in both 4 and 4S trims, the 3.0-litre engine makes 380bhp and 444bhp respectively – thoroughly modern performance in a classically styled sports car.

For large families, sometimes a typical SUV just doesn’t provide enough space – for that, you might just need a seven seater.

There are plenty on the market, but they tend to be quite pricey because of their size. However, with a reasonable budget of £25,000 there are some genuinely brilliant cars available, with some premium models you might be surprised are within budget.

Here’s our pick of the bunch.

Land Rover Discovery

Affectionately referred to as Disco, this Land Rover is a premium product that’s well within our budget. While you can’t get the latest fifth-generation models, the handsome fourth-gen is certainly within reach.

While it’s not hugely spacious in the middle row, there’s more than enough room for children, while the rear seats will happily seat smaller kids in comfort even on longer journeys.

Volvo XC90

Perhaps the most appealing car in this list, the Volvo XC90’s smart new-generation models are within budget. Volvo has gone from being a mid-range brand to a genuine premium marque, and some of the stylish new versions introduced in late 2015 and 2016 are within budget.

Only being about four years old means they still look like the latest models, with the distinctive ‘Thor’s Hammer’ headlight design and minimalist interior. A truly fantastic deal.

Seat Tarraco

Sitting right on the cusp of our budget as new, the Seat Tarraco is the latest addition to the Seat family. It’s big, spacious and practical, with all the latest kit on board.

With prices starting just below £30,000, you might be able to haggle an entry-level model below budget, but you’re probably best to get a nearly new model with better equipment and only a few thousand miles on it.

Ford S-Max

MPVs aren’t cool anymore, but don’t let that put you off the Ford S-Max. It’s truly massive and probably has the most cabin space of any model in this list. What’s more, it’s genuinely great to drive.

Like the Tarraco, brand new models start around £30k, but you can get well specified 2019 models comfortably within budget. If practicality is key, go against the SUV grain and get this MPV.

Citroen Grand C4 Spacetourer

While we’re on the subject of MPVs, why not give this hefty Citroen a try. It’s got bags more character than the Ford and is incredibly comfortable inside – that huge windscreen makes it very light and airy.

Again, haggle an entry-level new model down and you won’t be disappointed, but we’ve spotted plenty of the top-spec Flair Plus trim levels available on the used market well within budget – and some just have delivery miles, too.

Skoda Kodiaq

If you’re in the market for a smart seven-seater that provides excellent value for money, you could do a lot worse than the Kodiaq. It looks great, has a hard-wearing but smart interior, and has all the space you could need for the family.

It’s the least expensive new car here starting at about £26,000, which just reiterates what value for money you’re getting. Top-spec nearly new models are probably the most sensible choice in this list.

Kia Sorento

Kia has been on a bit of a roll in recent years, completely overhauling its bargain image to provide genuinely appealing mid-range cars. That’s especially true of the Sorento, which is a large, smart SUV that won’t break the bank.

Opt for one of the most recent diesel engines and it’s considered an ultra-low emission vehicle, saving you on running costs, too.

Three classic BMW models owned by Jamiroquai frontman Jay Kay are set to go under the hammer at auction.

The sale, which is taking place on May 23, will see the three classic models sold by Silverstone Auctions. The first, a 1972 3.0 CSL E9, is just one of 500 and has 62,000 miles on the clock. Jay Kay originally found the vehicle in storage where it had been parked up for several years, before the singer fully restored it. It arrives with an estimate of between £135,000 and £155,000.

The second car is a 1983 Alpina B9 3.5. Though technically a different brand to BMW – Alpina is seen as a manufacturer in its own right – the basis for the car does come straight from a BMW model. Fitted with a manual gearbox, it’s thought to be one of only 18 made and was purchased by Jay Kay nine years ago. It hits the market with an estimate of between £25,000 and £35,000.

The third and final car is a 1987 E30 M3, which was converted into competition spec and used by the singer to compete in the Rally Isla Mallorca in March. It comes with an estimate of between £48,000 and £56,000.

Harry Whale, Silverstone Auctions Sales Manager, commented: “We are extremely happy with this catalogue and the selection of cars offered. There are several very rare classic and modern cars on offer providing a great opportunity for any discerning collector.”

“We are also very honoured that Jay Kay has entrusted three BMWs to us from his personal collection. These cars are superb examples of the BMW marque and the CSL is quite outstanding.”

The trio goes up alongside other motoring icons such as a 2010 Mercedes-AMG SLS AMG and a 1960 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Speciale.

All cars included in the auction are being held in a single storage location, with one-to-one viewings organised in line with government guidelines. Interested buyers will be able to place bids online, on the phone or via a commission bid.

The congestion charge will be bumped up to £15 a day following the government’s bailout for London’s transport system, which has been hit by the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Though the congestion charge was suspended on March 23 to help key workers to move around safely under lockdown, it is due to be re-introduced on Monday (19) at the pre-lockdown cost.

However, from June 22, drivers will have to pay £15 rather than £11.50 per day including weekends – rather than just on weekdays as current rules stipulate. In addition, its operating hours will be temporarily increased in the evening, extending from 6pm to 10pm.

Transport for London will also be extending the congestion charge reimbursement scheme to help NHS and care home staff.

The ultra-low emissions zone (ULEZ) will also be re-introduced on Monday, having been suspended alongside the congestion charge. It requires drivers of older, more polluting petrol and diesel cars to pay £12.50 a day.

The increases reflect a recent government bailout of Transport for London (TfL) of £1.6 billion, consisting of a £1.1 billion grant and a £505 million loan.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: “We have just reached agreement with the Government on a funding package to allow TfL to run public transport safely in London for the next four and a half months. This was necessary because Covid-19 has had a catastrophic impact on TfL’s finances – as it has on every transport provider in the UK.

“I want to be completely honest and upfront with Londoners – this is not the deal I wanted. But it was the only deal the Government put on the table and I had no choice but to accept it to keep the Tubes and buses running.

“This deal is a sticking plaster. The old model for funding public transport in London simply does not work in this new reality – fares income will not cover the cost of running services while so few people can safely use public transport.”

The coronavirus pandemic has hit the car industry hard, with sales plummeting as factories closed down and dealerships shut their doors.

The constant influx of new models to the market has meant that some exciting vehicles have therefore been delayed at various stages of their development, with some not even being revealed and others just waiting for dealers to reopen.

Here are some of the new cars that have been hit by coronavirus-related delays.

Two new Ferraris

Ferrari is being delightfully vague when it simply says it will reveal two new models in 2020. While early speculation hinted at delays forcing a 2021 release, the Italian firm has since said the models will only be delayed by three to four months.

Ferrari CEO Louis Camilleri said the company looked at its bottom line to reduce costs and expenditures in 2020, and decided that it would have to delay some models, while others will arrive on time.

Aston Martin DBX

Aston Martin’s first SUV has received rave reviews ahead of its launch, but anyone who’s put in an order might have to wait a little longer for their car to arrive.

On March 30, the British company confirmed billionaire Lawrence Stroll would take over, with a rights issue raising £536 million and a further £150m being made available to the company.

That funding would allow the DBX to go into production, but Aston Martin’s factory in St Athan, Wales, has been shut because of the pandemic.

Maserati MC20

Another one we haven’t even seen yet, the new Maserati supercar had been scheduled to be revealed this month, but it will now not be seen until September.

We know very little about the MC20, other than a hint at its silhouette in camouflaged teasers. However, Maserati says the model will see the brand ‘return to the world of racing’.

Ford Mach E

Once all the ‘you can’t use the Mustang name for an electric SUV’ drama from enthusiasts had died down, excitement for the first of Ford’s new era of e-mobility has been growing.

The Mustang Mach-E is a handsome and intriguing car, but enthusiast forums have been sharing images of a notice sent to Norwegian buyers saying their cars will not be delivered until November.

In a statement, Ford said: “We’ll have more details to share on the timing of our upcoming all-new vehicles once we have safely brought our factories and facilities back online. Final timing is not yet determined.”

VW ID.3

The launch of the first of Volkswagen’s new electric vehicles, which use an all-new EV platform, has been beset by delays. The issue surrounds the software built into the car, which is said to be completely unusable.

In March, the Financial Times quoted VW’s chief financial officer Frank Witter saying that the target was still an August release, though he admitted the company was “a bit handcuffed” because of coronavirus factory closures.

Couple this with engineers working hard to figure out the major software issues and the ID.3’s 2020 release date is coming increasingly under strain.