Category: News

A robin has found the perfect home for its nest – in the wheel arch of a parked-up Toyota Corolla.

Discovered by Toyota staff at the firm’s press fleet headquarters, the bird’s nest is already populated by six tiny chicks.

Staff were able to carefully place a video camera opposite the nest in order to monitor the progress of the birds, with footage showing the baby robins being fed by their parents.

The Corolla had been returned to the garage following a long-term test and was parked up alongside a 40-strong fleet of cars usually used for press test drives. However, because of coronavirus restrictions, the fleet has been grounded – giving more time for the robins to nest.

Graham Bothamley, Toyota press fleet manager, said: “I noticed a pile of leaves around the base of the rear wheel arch of the Corolla on April 12 and discovered a nest full of eggs balanced on the top of the wheel.

“With a carefully hidden GoPro camera, we’ve been able to watch the parent robins sitting on the eggs and now feeding the baby birds. You’d have thought the birds might have chosen one of our more famous cars, such as the Lexus LFA or Toyota Supra, but instead they chose the world’s best-selling model, the Corolla.

“We saw signs in early April that the robins had tried to build a nest in our car wash area, but that’s usually very noisy, so we think that’s why they relocated to a quieter spot, and with our car test drives on hold owing to the current lockdown, the family have plenty of peace and quiet.”

Everyone is being encouraged to recycle more than ever, such as households looking to reduce the amount of single-use plastics used. It’s a valiant endeavour, too, with the aim of lowering the detrimental impact we have on the environment striking a chord with many.

It’s hitting home with car manufacturers too. In an effort to bring down their environmental impact, not only are vehicle makers turning their attention to lower-emissions vehicles but also recycled interiors. Here are some of the earliest adopters of recycled materials in car interiors that we’ve seen.

BMW i3

Despite being one of the older options in the electric car segment, the i3 pioneered an eco-friendly interior when it was introduced by BMW back in 2013. The interior was as cutting-edge as the materials it used, which means that even today it looks surprisingly up-to-date.

Much of the interior is made from kenaf – a lightweight material taken from the mallow plant – while the seats are crafted from sustainable wool. Even the dashboard is finished in quick-growing eucalyptus.

Hyundai Ioniq Electric

It’s little wonder that another electric vehicle features next on this list. After all, most manufacturers see electrified powertrains as the future, while recycled materials show that they’re environmentally aware of more than just engines alone.

The Ioniq Electric is one such car. Creators Hyundai went for a different tack when using recycled materials inside, lowering the weight of the interior plastics by 20 per cent through the use recycled plastic combined with powdered wood and volcanic stone.

Polestar 2

Polestar is right at the cutting edge of electric car performance, and thanks to its latest ‘2’ model, the Volvo spin-off company is showcasing a wider range of vehicles. As a wholly electric company, it’ll come as no surprise that Polestar is looking into sustainable materials, too.

The 2 uses a natural fibre composite to help reduce plastic content while lowering the overall weight. In addition, the car’s seats are made using recycled plastic bottles, and many of the interior plastics use waste cork products. The carpets are made from recycled fishing nets, too.

Ford EcoSport

As one of the world’s largest car manufacturers, there’s certainly a lot of pressure on Ford to make sure its products are made as sustainably as possible. The Blue Oval is, like most manufacturers, on course to an electrified future, which shows some of its commitment to lowering emissions.

On a more current level, however, are the recycled materials used in the latest EcoSport crossover. The carpets are made from recycled plastic bottles – 470 of them, in fact.

Renault Zoe

Another entry and another electric vehicle. The Renault Zoe has, much like the i3, been around for some time now. However various updates have helped it to stay current ensuring that it remains one of the best choices in the electric segment.

It’s got an environmentally conscious interior, too. In fact, the fabric used in the cabin is made up of recycled seat belts, textile cut-offs and recovered plastic bottles. The creation of this material is better for the environment too, with CO2 emissions down by 60 per cent compared with the production of standard materials.

Let’s be clear – no one should be planning any non-essential travel for the foreseeable future. However, a couple of months into lockdown, many of us are turning our attention to what we’ll do once it’s safe to venture back out into the world.

With that in mind, here are a few road trip ideas for Brits dreaming of indulging their wanderlust.

Scottish Highlands

Some of the most beautiful scenery in the world can be found on our doorstep. The Scottish Highlands are famous for their endless rolling hills and otherworldly mountainous landscapes, including Ben Nevis, Britain’s tallest peak.

Fly into Glasgow airport and rent a car for the two-hour drive north to Fort William, and you’ll also take in the utterly gorgeous Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park.

Snowdonia

From one tall peak to another, this time in Wales. It’s a similar story here, with epic scenery on tap along with some of the most exciting roads in the UK. Keen drivers should try to take in the roads around Bala, which are synonymous with popular automotive magazine photo shoots.

If you’ve got a bit of time on your hands, Anglesey island is about an hour north, too, offering more picturesque views and some fantastic ocean drives.

Lake District

While you’re touring the UK’s tallest mountains, add Scafell Pike in the Lake District to your list. Climb this along with Snowdon and Ben Nevis and you’ve completed the Three Peaks Challenge – climbing the tallest spots in Scotland, Wales and England.

Aside from the big pointy hills, the Lake District is full of lakes (you’ll be shocked to hear) and forests, as well as being steeped in history. There’s really something for everyone.

Wild Atlantic Way

Just a short 1,500 miles long, the Wild Atlantic Way is a tourism trail that takes in the west coast of Ireland. Unless you have three or four weeks to take it all in, it’s probably best to take a more detailed look at what’s along the way and pick the section that appeals most rather than cram it all into a week or two.

There are tonnes of places to visit, so however long or short your trip, there’s plenty to see, with highlights such as Skellig Islands, the Dingle Peninsula, Cliffs of Moher and Killary Harbour standing out.

Nurburgring

Pan-European travel seems like a distant memory, but once it’s safe to resume crossing onto the continent then petrolheads should look no further than making a pilgrimage to the Nurburgring.

It’s not known as The Green Hell for nothing, with the formidable circuit winding through the beautiful Eifel forest for a ludicrous 12.9-mile stretch. It’s open to the public too if you’re feeling brave. If not, it’s free to park up by the track and watch others have a go, or perhaps time your visit to coincide with one of the official races.

Route Napoleon

Loosely following the route taken by Napoleon in his 1815 escape from Elba to Grenoble in France, the aptly named Route Napoleon is a 200-mile stretch of twisting tarmac close to the Alps that naturally provides some breathtaking scenery.

What makes it so appealing, though, is that the roads are largely well-sighted, meaning you can really enjoy driving without being concerned that a tourist bus could appear out of nowhere and punt you off the road.

Stelvio Pass

Made famous by the Top Gear trio, the Stelvio Pass is situated in northern Italy close to the Swiss border. If you’re a fan of hairpins, boy are you in for a treat, because this mountain pass snakes its way down steep Alpine mountains via seemingly endless switchbacks.

It’s narrow and popular with cyclists, so you need to keep your wits about you, but even so, there can be no arguments that the Stelvio Pass is pure bucket list material.

Trollstigen

Driving in Norway is a unique experience, because its endless fjords make for beautiful scenery while its mountains result in fun-to-drive roads and some of the longest road tunnels in the world.

The main attraction is Trollstigen, though. Translating as Trolls’ Path, it features a steep incline of 10 per cent with eleven hairpin bends and waterfalls cascading down the rocks beside the road. It’s far from easy to get to, but well worth the journey – just remember to go in summer, because it’s closed during winter.

Bruges

Less known for its World Rally Championship-style ribbons of tarmac, better known for its craft beers and picturesque architecture, Bruges might seem like an outlier in this list.

However, it’s a worthy entrant because it’s the perfect city break location, and it’s just 90 minutes from Calais. So if you fancy a weekend away in Europe you could pack the car up on a Saturday morning, jump on the Eurotunnel, and be in Bruges for lunch!

Car finance is a commonly-used option when buying a car today. It allows people to get behind the wheel of a new motor and pay in monthly instalments, spreading out the cost of ownership while giving you that fresh-car feeling.

And though many people use finance as a way of getting into a regular car, plenty see it as an option through which they can own some of the world’s most expensive and high-performance cars. We’ve been given a sneak peek at the most expensive cars ever financed by new finance brokerage Elev8 Finance – and it’s quite a list.

LaFerrari Aperta – £3.5m

The LaFerrari Aperta is a drop-top version of the Italian’s firm’s powerhouse hypercar. Utilising a V12 hybrid setup, the Aperta was limited to just 200 cars initially – though an additional nine were sold shortly after. It makes this one of the most sought-after hypercars of its type.

It’s little wonder why it’s accompanied by such as hefty price tag – £3.5m – putting this at the top of most-expensive financed cars.

Maserati MC12 – £2.75m

The Maserati MC12 was the firm’s own entry into the ultra-high-performance segment, and though it was based on the Ferrari Enzo – which we’ll get to shortly – its lack of Prancing Horse seemed to only elevate its prestige.

In fact, just 50 were made – which is why this car’s £2.75 price tag sneaks in just above that of its Ferrari stablemate.

Ferrari Enzo – £2.25m

Ferrari has a history of making the most powerful, precise and exceptional supercars ever. The Enzo followed in the footsteps of cars like the F40 and F50 and, of course, featured the name of the firm’s famous owner.

It certainly fits the bill, with a howling V12 engine and excellent dynamics making it one of the greatest cars of its time. That prestige is reflected in its price tag – a considerable £2.25m.

Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse – £2m

The Bugatti Veyron is a car known by most, largely for its near-otherworldly performance and ferocious top speed. Bugatti wasn’t nearly satisfied with what the standard Veyron produced, however, which is why it turned up the wick with the Grand Sport Vitesse.

With 1,184bhp on tap and a drop-top design, the Grand Sport Vitesse was the ultimate Veyron – and it comes with an ultimate price tag of £2m, too.

Ferrari F50 – £1.75m

We’ve already hinted at the iconic F50, and now it’s here in full. The successor to the F40, the F50 did struggle to emerge from its forebear’s shadow owing to its heavier weight and slightly more blunted performance.

However, that hasn’t stopped it from going down in supercar history as one of the most sought-after. A current price of £1.75m apiece is testament to this.

Pagani Huayra – £1.75m

You might know Pagani for its iconic Zonda – the supercar which seemed to never go away. However, when the Italian supercar manufacturer did need to replace its much-loved Zonda, it did so in typically exuberant fashion with the Huayra.

Using a turbocharged engine for the first time in Pagani history, the Huayra was a flamboyant example of what Pagani could do. It comes with a flamboyant price of £1.75 too.

McLaren P1 – £1.2m

McLaren’s P1 was the Woking-based company’s halo model. Taking everything the firm had learnt from road cars and F1 too, the P1 arrived as a V8-powered, tyre-shredding and track-devouring monster.

Arguably one of the best-handling cars of all time the P1 gained a lot of fame – and its £1.2m price tag is pretty famous too.

Porsche 918 Spyder – £1.1m

The Porsche 918 Spyder was the final entry into what was to become ‘The Holy Trinity’, which saw it, the LaFerrari and McLaren’s P1 pitched together in high-performance battle. The Porsche went around its business in typically efficient fashion, with plenty of hybrid performance on offer.

It has remained one of the Stuttgart-based company’s most iconic models, while its £1.1m price tag shows it is still very much in demand.

Ferrari F40 – £1m

The Ferrari F40 broke the mould when it came to supercars. Lighter, faster and sharper than any of the competition, it’s still seen as one of the very best-handling cars ever made. A turbocharged V8 engine means it’s got the performance to match elegant handling, too.

The chance to own one is something people dream of, which is probably why good examples still command up to £1 million.

McLaren Senna – £900,000

It’s a sign of this list that the cheapest model available here chimes in at a snick under £1m – and it falls to the McLaren Senna to hold this title. A car built in the spirit of the P1, the Senna moved the game forward for McLaren with more performance and in-car tech.

It’s still, at heart, a proper drivers’ car, mind you, and remains most at home on the circuit.

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Luxury car manufacturer Bentley has switched its vehicle production facilities to build and deliver 30,000 face shields to local health services.

The Crewe-based firm’s specialist engineering teams are using 3D printing equipment to make the shields, which will be used by the Cheshire care sector, NHS and other local community services.

In addition, Bentley says it has also provided urgently needed personal protective equipment to local health services, including 20,000 pairs of disposable gloves, 10,000 face masks, and 1,800 disposable seat covers.

Meanwhile, other staff members have been helping to deliver parcels for local food banks and charities, and helping to shop and drop off medical supplies through Cheshire East’s People Helping People programme.

Commenting on the support efforts, Dr. Astrid Fontaine, Bentley board member for people, digitalisation and IT, said: “This is such an incredibly difficult time for everyone and with our number one priority being the safety and wellbeing of our colleagues, their families and our communities, we are determined to help as best we can.

“We are utilising our world-leading engineering and manufacturing expertise, the remarkable vehicles and resources we have available to us, and also our extraordinary colleagues, who are going to such efforts to help the local Cheshire area and the healthcare professions, locally and nationally, who continue to perform such heroics.

“We will endeavour to work with the whole community in the proceeding weeks and months to help in every way possible in this time of great need.”

Visiting family is the number one priority for drivers planning their first journeys when the lockdown lifts, according to a new survey.

The AA asked 19,732 drivers where they were most likely to head in their cars when the lockdown restrictions were lifted and 38 per cent said they’d visit family, while 12 per cent were desperate for a haircut and 10 per cent wanted a drive in the country.

However, the AA found that one fifth are planning to drive less when the government eases movement restrictions.

The AA said 22 per cent of respondents plan to do more social activities with people they live with such as days out or even board games after lockdown and that’s even more of a priority for those aged 25-34, with just under half agreeing with this (44 per cent).

AA president Edmund King said: “Potentially there could be major changes to the way we travel post-lockdown. Analysis suggests that one fifth might use public transport less in cities.

“Outside of London, which has parking and congestion charging restrictions, we could see an increase in car use in other cities where people shun public transport for fear of the virus.”

The survey also found respondents were planning a variety of lifestyle changes too, with 36 per cent revealing they planned to exercise more and 40 per cent planning more outdoor activities.

While currently two-thirds surveyed (66 per cent) are working from home, one third (34 per cent) said they can’t work from home and 11 per cent said they would work from home more often after the lockdown lifts.

King added: “Life after lockdown will be different. Some will shun public transport, others will drive less, more will cycle and walk, working from home will continue for many.

“Some drivers who have appreciated lower traffic noise, fewer and shorter journeys, may be prompted finally to buy an electric vehicle.

“So all in all, life will return and the increase in car use in some areas instead of public transport will be countered by others realising that they can use their cars less by working from home or even walking and cycling more.”

Sometimes car manufacturers aren’t happy with a new model. Particularly when it comes to performance cars, engineers are always looking at ways to tweak, fettle and enhance what their go-faster models offer. On occasion, this falls to tuner companies, but often it’s the manufacturers who break out the spanners and laptops to turn the wick up on their cars.

So let’s take a look at some of the cars which were dialled up to 11 by their own manufacturers.

BMW M5 Competition

The standard M5 arrived and dealt its competition a serious hammer-blow, with all-wheel-drive and a powerful turbocharged V8 engine giving it plenty of prowess. But BMW wasn’t happy just there and decided to sort a Competition version.

It gained more power, and was lower and firmer too. It tweaked the regular M5 just enough to sharpen it without ruining its road-going performance.

Mercedes-AMG C63 Black Series

The Mercedes-AMG C63 isn’t a car known for its shy and retiring nature, but the company decided that the standard model wasn’t hardcore enough, bringing in a Black Series edition to remedy this.

With its 6.2-litre V8 engine tuned even further and motorsport suspension fitted underneath, the Black Series was a serious bit of kit.

Audi R8 V10 LMX

The LMX version of Audi’s iconic first-generation R8 V10 was a last-hurrah for the supercar, bettering the car’s original performance figures thanks to a healthy 562bhp.

It also debuted Audi’s new Laserlight headlights – a regular feature on many of the firm’s current cars – which helped the R8 to stand out even more.

Ferrari 488 Pista

Ferrari’s 488 GTB was hardly a slouch when it hit the streets, but Ferrari felt that a little bit of the car had been left unexplored, leading to the harder and meaner Pista version.

More downforce and an incredible 710bhp made the Pista a truly formidable machine and one which certainly kept rivals on their toes.

Lamborghini Huracan Performante

One of those rivals, in fact, was the Lamborghini Huracan Performante. A more focused and more powerful version of the firm’s entry-level supercar, the Performante achieved great success – not least by setting a production car lap record at the Nurburgring.

The Performante, in classic Lamborghini fashion, was all about theatre and drama, yet it was incredibly accomplished on both circuit and road, too.

Mini John Cooper Works GP

We arrive at the other, slightly more compact, end of the scale with the Mini John Cooper Works GP. Mini took to enhancing the regular car’s key attributes such as neat handling and incredible adjustability through more mechanical upgrades.

It also ditched the rear seats to help in the strive for lightness, which only highlighted the car’s commitment to going faster.

Aston Martin DBS

Aston’s DB9 showcased the very best of what the British manufacturer could do when it came to GT cars. The DBS, meanwhile, only served to highlight the firm’s thirst for performance.

In what is a common theme in this list, the DBS was lighter, sharper and more powerful than the standard DB9, and it featured some subtle styling differences too.

Jaguar F-Pace SVR

It’s not often that manufacturers put the magnifying glass over their SUV models in the hunt for performance, but that was certainly the case with the Jaguar F-Pace. Though a punchy V6-powered model already existed, this wasn’t quite enough for Jag – and that’s where the SVR came in.

Utilising a supercharged V8 engine, the SVR monsters its way along the road. It has the performance to outshine many a sports car, in fact.

Nissan Nismo GT-R

The Nissan GT-R is a car which is well-known by motoring enthusiasts for its razor-edged performance and passenger-shocking launch control. It’s not often seen as a car which requires more power, but Nissan certainly felt that way with its Nismo version.

A special aerodynamics package was fitted, while the engine put out close to 600bhp. Lashings of carbon-fibre made sure that everyone knew that this wasn’t just ‘any old’ GT-R, too.

Audi RS6 Performance

Audi’s RS6 is a muscle car wrapped up in a conventional estate body, matching effortless practicality with performance that can monster even the most powerful of supercars.

Audi turned up the wick on the RS6 with its Performance model, which tuned up the super-estate even further.

Karma Automotive has shared details of its new 1,085bhp electric vehicle platform that could underpin high-performance cars of the future.

The American company’s newest E-Flex Platform uses a dual-motor set-up to provide four-wheel drive, with an astonishing claimed torque output of 14,000Nm.

That would contribute to a targeted sub-two-second 0-60mph time.

Meanwhile, Karma says the platform has the batteries mounted within the floor to improve weight distribution, with a targeted range of 400 miles.

Kevin Zhang, chief technology officer at Karma Automotive, said: “Our latest E-Flex platform is well-suited for supercar configurations and is designed to be outfitted to high-performance vehicles such as Karma’s SC2 concept car.

“The goal of all of Karma’s E-Flex platforms is to offer our partners a multitude of electric mobility solutions with different drive motor systems and battery pack variants; our High-Performance E-Flex platform is among the most premium of these configurations, offering unprecedented performance results.”

Karma has been revealing a range of electric vehicle platforms that can be used by companies looking to build everything from supercars to commercial vehicles.

To demonstrate this versatility, the Californian company has previously revealed a level four autonomous van built on a variation of its E-Flex system.

Jaguar Land Rover has announced plans to gradually resume production at three of its factories from May 18.

The British firm says its Solihull plant in the UK, as well as those in Austria and Slovakia, will be the first to reopen, with other locations due to restart once local pandemic-related restrictions are eased.

In a statement, Jaguar Land Rover said: “The health and wellbeing of our employees is our first priority. We are developing robust protocol and guidelines to support a safe return to work.

“We will adopt strict social distancing measures across our business and are currently evaluating a number of different measures to ensure we protect and reassure our workforce when they begin to return to work.

“We continue to monitor the Covid-19 situation and follow the guidance of all relevant authorities in the markets in which we operate.

“Jaguar Land Rover is doing whatever it can to support its communities through the current situation. The company’s thoughts are with those directly affected by Covid-19 and with the healthcare professionals, whose role in combating this virus is appreciated by all.”

Car production across the industry has ground to a halt in recent months as governments imposed strict lockdown procedures. However, some manufacturers have begun to restart production as restrictions have eased and new social distancing measures have been implemented.

The industry was also buoyed yesterday by confirmation from the government that dealerships could deliver cars they sell online during lockdown.

With the UK on lockdown, countless companies have taken advantage of the government’s furlough scheme to help ease the financial burden they’re facing.

Furloughed staff are not allowed to do any work that is related to their job or benefits the company during this time. They are, however, allowed to undertake training to keep themselves engaged in work before they return.

If you run a company car that includes personal use but you’ve been furloughed, you might be concerned that because you’re temporarily away from the business, you’re not allowed to drive the vehicle.

However, according to Nona Bowkis at legal consultancy Lawgistics, that’s not the case: “There is no reason why an employee cannot continue to drive the car as long as the employer is happy for them to do so and the contract allows for it.

“No amounts in respect of the vehicle can be used to calculate any furlough payment as is the case with any other benefits in kind.

“Employers should check with their insurance company to ensure the car remains covered while the employee is not working for them. We haven’t heard any reports of this being an issue but it is best practice to check to avoid any losses.

“We have heard of an issue where the employer had taken a payment holiday on the car finance which led to the employee not being able to access the usual breakdown cover for reason of default. However, this was resolved but is something again to check for.”

Earlier this week, Chancellor Rishi Sunak revealed more than 140,000 companies had applied for the furlough scheme on its first day, with applications averaging 17,500 per hour.