Woke up angry - 16 July 2024

Motoring Podcast - News Show

UK CAR FACTORIES HALVE CARBON EMISSIONS

The UK car manufacturing industry has managed to cut carbon emissions by half in the past 25 years. On top of which, water use has dropped significantly. This comes from the SMMT’s 25th annual Sustainability Report. If you wish to learn more, click this AMOnline link here.

JLR SALES INCREASE

JLR, in the last quarter, saw their sales to dealers (wholesale) rise for the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport. The reason being given is the new body shop opening at Solihull. The Range Rover, Range Rover Sport and Defender made up 68% of wholesale numbers. Foreign markets such as China and particularly the US also grew. Click this Autocar article link to read more.

They also announced that the Jaguar lineup will be cut down to just one model, due to lack of profitability. Only the F-Pace will be sold by the Jaguar brand until they announce their new models, aimed at the luxury market. If you wish to learn more, click this AMOnline article link here.

RENAULT OFFERS EV CONVERSION TO MASTER OWNERS

Owners of Master III vans are being offered a conversion to EV, by Renault in France. At a cost of €26,900 + tax the vehicles will have a maximum range of 124 miles. This is significant saving on a new electric van, but with a limited range. To read more about this, click here to go to an electrive article.

AUDI MAY CLOSE BRUSSELS PLANT

Due to a lack of sales, of the Q8 e-tron, the future of the VW Group plant in Brussels is under consideration, with the ultimate move being to close it and stop selling the model. Whilst Volkswagen Group has just announced it is investing heavily in Rivian, it has financial issue to sort as they and shareholders lower their earning expectation. Click this Reuters article link here to read more.

US STUDY QUESTIONS SAFETY CLAIMS OF ADAS

A study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the Highway Loss Data Institute (IIHS), in the United States, has questioned how effective some of the advanced driver assistance systems actually are and if they do mitigate road incident rates. This covers technology which claims to be partial automation, not crash avoidance such as automatic emergency braking. Their conclusion is that partial automation adds nothing when it comes to additional safety. You can ream more, by clicking this link from IIHS here. To read the TechRadar piece associated to this, click here.

NEW CAR THEFT ATTACKS HIT HYUNDAI AND OTHERS

With the use of an emulator, thieves can trick a car into thinking the key is near enough to allow access and starting of the car. This has hit the Hyundai Group with several models from their range being targeted. The device is made to look like a Nintendo Game Boy and can cost between €16,000 - €30,000. Vehicles that are claimed to be susceptible, apart from the Hyundai Group, include Mitsubishi, Renault, Mercedes and Nissan. To read more, click this article link from InsideEVs. For more context click this link to a post from Dr Ken German on LinkedIn.

BLACKWALL AND SILVERTOWN TUNNELS TO GET TOLLS

Transport for London has announced that they will be imposing tolls on both the Blackwall and Silvertown tunnels in 2025. The claim is the prices, which change for peak and non-peak, will reduce congestion. If you wish to find out more, click this link from The Guardian here.

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NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

Ford Capri

To much wailing and gnashing of internet teeth, Ford unveiled the new Capri. Based on the VW MEB platform, they have created a SUV coupe version of the Explorer. Maximum range comes at either 390 or 370 miles, depending on spec. Likewise, 0-62mph time is 6.4 or 5.3 seconds. Prices are expected to start from £47,000. To read more, click this Autocar article link here.

Due to the reaction Keith WR Jones has written this thread on Twitter, that is worth read. Click here.

Graham King also wrote a thread on Twitter that is also worth a read. Click here.

MG HS PHEV

The HS is the biggest car MG offer and has now been refreshed. Powertrains include petrol and plug-in hybrid. The PHEV coming with a maximum EV range of 75 miles. Prices range from £24,995 to £31,495. The vehicle is longer, with a lower roof and larger boot. Click this Autocar link to read more.

Evoluto 355

A UK startup, called Evoluto Automobili, has created a restomod Ferrari 355. They have brought in Ian Callum to help sharpen the looks and the V8 has been reworked to be more reliable. The car is also lighter, stronger and stiffer thanks to the use of carbon fibre and manufacturing techniques. Prices and specifications are yet to be fully revealed. Click this Autocar article to read more.

Lexus reduces EV and hybrid prices

Lexus is cutting the price of some of its range by as much as £7,100. The UX 300e now starts from £40,795. Prices are also cut on RZ 450e, hybrid NX 450h+ and RX 450h+ models. Only the LBX remains the same. To read more, click this Autocar article link here.

DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: IAN CAMERON

On Monday the motoring world was shocked at the news of the death of Ian Cameron, at his home in Germany after he was attacked by an intruder. He was Rolls Royce’s design chief, who created the Phantom in 2003. He retired in 2014. He has led a fascinating and illustrious career, which you can learn more about by clicking this Autocar link here. Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this time.

LUNCHTIME READ: CONCEPT CARS MON AMOUR! SIMPLEXITY IN MOTION

We turn to Driven to Write and Patrick le Quément, former SVP of design at Renault, to tell the story of the Ellypse, a 2002 concept car. This is a fascinating peak into the design philosophy behind the car, as well as how these things come to be at a car company. To read this and enjoy all the photos, click this link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: TOP 10 PROTOTYPES AT THE LE MANS MUSEUM

Top Gear have created a list of what they think are the best prototype racing cars at the Le Mans museum. Do you agree with the choice made? Click this link to check out what is on offer.

AND FINALLY: FOTU SCHEDULE REVEALED

Festival of the Unexceptional has released the timetable for the day. Taking place on 27 July 2024, the gates open at 07:30 and the event closes at 19:00. In between, there is a LOT going on. To find out what is happening, click this link to a Hagerty article here.