Sparkly Clingfilm - 31 March 2020

Motoring Podcast - News Show

FOLLOW UP: DUTCH CLASS-ACTION FOR VW

A Dutch foundation has been formed to take on Volkswagen in a class-action, which the group hopes will include people from across Europe, in connection with #Dieselgate. Apparently, thanks to a law change in Holland, “justice for millions of EU customers” is the aim, however, the chaps are still unsure what is the loss these people have suffered. To read more, click here for The Irish Times article.

FOLLOW UP: EMERGENCY MOT EXTENSION GRANTED

Before last week’s show had been published, the Government announced that MOT’s will be extended an automatic six months, during the coronavirus emergency. However, note that the DVLA website was yet to catch up with this and could cause some issues when renewing insurance. Also, it should be noted, your car still needs to be in a safe and roadworthy condition. To read more, click here for the BBC article.

HOW VIRUS IS EFFECTING EUROPEAN PRODUCTION

If you would like to know more about the effect the virus is having on European car production, please click here for the Automotive News Europe article, that lists what is going on.

UK TRAVEL LEVELS DROP

In this week’s ‘Bleedin’ Obvious’ information, due to the travel advice, there has been a big drop in the numbers using the roads, rail and tube. Whilst this is no surprise to anyone, the figures are quite dramatic. To read more, click here for the Motoring Research article.

QUIETER ROADS BUT SILLY SPEEDERS

With the roads being significantly quieter, some have taken this to mean they can thrash their cars along the highways and byways. However, those caught have been highlighted on social media with the reminder that we are trying to keep clear of hospitals at the moment, and not drain the resources with incidents that could well have been avoided. To read more, click the example Tweet here.

INDUSTRY CONSORTIUM DESIGNS VENTILATION DEVICES

The VentilatorChallengeUK Consortium has designed and been given a contract to build a variety of ventilation devices. Companies including F1 teams, Ford and non-automotive companies make up this group who have rapidly created space for the production of the devices the country will need. Added to that, Mercedes F1 power-train team has developed a device, in conjunction with University College London to create a breathing aid that will prevent the need for a ventilator in some cases. To read more, about this amazing effort, click here for the Autocar article.

HONDA REMEMBERS BUTTONS

Honda is somewhat bucking the industry trend, by making sure there are buttons and knobs for controls such as the heating, rather than incorporating it within the touchscreen. However, Audi is moving in the opposite direction by putting more within their touchscreens. To read more, click here for the Autocar article.

We are pausing our Patreon for the foreseeable future due to the ongoing crisis, however, if you are still able to help someone, we recommend supporting Mission Motorsport’s COVID-19 Response Fund. To find out more click this link here.

WRC AGREE ON HYBRID SUPPLIER

An agreement has now been reached on who will supply the hybrid technology for WRC in 2022, a German company called Compact Dynamics. There was also an announcement that the Global Race Engine will be retained and not use the R5-based engine, as some had been pushing for. To read more, click here for the DirtFish article.

DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: WEAVER APPOINTED VP BY NISSAN EUROPE

Matthew Weaver has been appointed Vice President of Nissan Design Europe, taking over from Mamoru Aoki, who retires after 39 years with the company. To read more, click the Auto & Design article here.

LUNCHTIME READ: TREASURES OF THE OFFICIAL VW MUSEUM

Autocar has created a Virtual Tour, for us all to enjoy some of the delights and surprises of the official Volkswagen museum, which is located next to the Wolfsburg factory. To look at what is on display, click here for the link.

LIST OF THE WEEK: ALAN’S BEST OF MOTORING YOUTUBE (MARCH 2020 EDITION)

To help all of us, who have more time on our hands or who just need an automotive viewing fix, Alan has created a list of YouTube channels he believes we should all try. To read this, and try, click the link here.

AND FINALLY: HONDA CITY TURBO II PLUS MOTOCOMPO HOT WHEELS CUSTOM

To round out the show, here is a video of a Hot Wheels Honda City Turbo ii modification. The level of detail and effort that goes into creating the fabulous end result is amazing. There are many more on the channel to sample. To watch this one, click the YouTube link here.