The execs And Cons Of Leasing A automobile

Around thirty % of latest vehicles within the U.S. are leased, in keeping with Statista. That range is up from simply seventeen % in 2002. As automobile leasing becomes additional common, it is important for any potential automobile purchaser or tenant to {understand|to grasp} what it means that to lease a automobile and understand the execs and cons of leasing versus shopping for.

What Is automotive vehicle Leasing?
Traditionally, most Americans have purchased their personal cars. If they can’t afford to shop for the automobile outright, they remove associate consumer loan and pay back each the principal on the loan and interest over time. therein sense, associate consumer loan is analogous to a mortgage therein, once the mortgage is paid off, the customer owns the house.

Leasing is that the comparable to paying rent on a house or lodging. rather than confiscating a loan and gaining equity within the property over time, lessees merely pay a monthly fee to use the vehicle. once the lease is up, possession of the vehicle goes back to the owner.

See also: ten States That place the smallest amount money Strain On yank Earners

The execs of car Leasing
A handful or reasons might justify why leasing has become additional common over the years.

Lower credit necessities. In several cases, the credit score necessities for associate automotive vehicle lease area unit below the standards for a loan on a comparable automobile. automotive vehicle leases usually need very little or no payment. If the automobile of your dreams is outside of your worth vary for associate consumer loan, you would possibly still be ready to drop behind the wheel with a lease.

No depreciation. one in every of the foremost frustrating things automobile patrons expertise is that the fast depreciation within the worth of cars. not like homes, that have values that tend to understand over time, roughly eighty % of a car’s worth is gone when 9 years.

Latest vehicle models. For fashionable drivers WHO invariably need to be seen within the latest and greatest automobile, transitioning from one lease to a different are often as straightforward as moving from a downstairs lodging to a top-floor unit. Lessees don’t have to be compelled to worry regarding marketing or commerce in their vehicle.

Minimal maintenance. Lessees area unit nearly always driving low-mileage cars that area unit but 5 years recent. On average, vehicles tend to need little maintenance throughout these years, and also the possibilities of a breakdown area unit token.

The Cons of car Leasing
Despite the benefits of leasing, there area unit robust reasons why most Americans still purchase.

A chartered  vehicle is rarely paid off. Lessees still create monthly payments forever if they merely jump from one lease to following. Once a automobile purchaser pays of associate consumer loan, he or she is liberal to drive the automobile freed from charge till the wheels fall off.

Maintenance prices. each lessees and automobile house owners should pay for oil changes and different normal maintenance. however within the case of backseat spills, upholstery tears, paint scratches and different dings and dents that automobile house owners area unit liberal to merely ignore, lessees usually have to be compelled to pay. They don’t own the automobile, in order that they area unit financially chargeable for returning it to the owner in good shape.

Locked-in contract. whereas leases area unit usually viewed as less of a semipermanent money commitment than associate consumer loan, they'll be very troublesome and dear to exit. Lessees WHO have to be compelled to break their lease before it ends area unit usually hit with steep fees and fines which will quantity to thousands of greenbacks due all directly.

Limited customization. automobile patrons area unit liberal to paint their vehicles lime inexperienced, tint their windows and install the loudest speaker unit within the market. Lessees, however, should come back the vehicle basically within the condition during which it had been received. If you would like to pimp your ride, a lease might dramatically limit the scope of your pimping.

Maximizing worth
For Americans merely wanting to form the neatest attainable money call once it involves shopping for a vehicle, the graph below indicates that there area unit undoubtedly ways to time shopping for and marketing vehicles to optimize worth. the simplest thanks to maximize vehicle worth is to shop for a 10-year-old vehicle and sell it once it’s fifteen years recent. The worst approach buying} a vehicle is purchasing a replacement vehicle and marketing it when 5 years.

If {you need|you would like|you wish} to form a wise money call however don’t want to shop for a decade-old automobile, shopping for a replacement automobile and holding onto it for twenty years continues to be a comparatively affordable choice compared to used automobile patrons with higher turnover rates.

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Mercedes-Benz V-Class 300d Marco Polo 2019 review

What is it?
This is a well presented two-bedroom detached house with a newly fitted kitchen and dining area, with yacht wood flooring, situated in the heart of anywhere you care to park it. You get the idea. The Mercedes-Benz V-Class Marco Polo is a bite-size luxury property on wheels, and it’s just had a few updates as part of a facelift for the entire V-Class MPV range.

Chief among them – a very welcome refresh in the engine and gearbox department. The OM654 four-cylinder diesel engine from the E-Class, GLE and CLS, with two power outputs (220d and 300d), is now available, along with Mercedes’ nine-speed automatic gearbox.

Elsewhere in the V-Class lineup, automatic emergency braking is now standard and the styling has been tweaked inside and out. So, is this 2019’s must-have holiday adventure vehicle?What's it like?
Well, it’s not short on passenger space, that’s for sure. It’s more than five metres long and has a three-metre wheelbase, but, when you clamber into the back, you will still be amazed at the amount of stuff they’ve been able to cram in. There’s seating for four, with rear seats that fold down into a double bed, and a pop up roof that allows space for another double bed on the makeshift ‘second-floor’. There's also a full-on kitchen installation with a sink, gas hob, fridge and plenty of cupboards and storage compartments.

The end result is a living space that is significantly more glamorous than most university halls' of residence, and that offers endless opportunities for #lifestyle advertisements that feature handsome windswept blonde couples with guitars and surfboards.

All this will be familiar to anyone with the pre-facelift Marco Polo, though, so what’s actually new? Well, not a great deal. There’s some new upholsteries, a new front-end design, some new paint colours and alloy wheels, but, these days, the dashboard design feels a step behind the flashy widescreen interiors you'll find in Mercedes' new A-Class and GLE. There’s not even the option of a fully digital driver's display. On top of that, the fiddly panel that controls such features as the roof and auxiliary heating feels jarringly ‘retro’, complete with its Nokia 6610-style pixelated screen.

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BAC delivers 100th Mono with unique colour and trim

The 100th example of the BAC Mono supercar has rolled off the company’s production line and been delivered to a car museum in Denmark.

But this is no standard Mono. The Mono #100 is finished in British racing green atop visible carbonfibre bodywork. It is the first BAC model to sport such a combination.

This particular Mono also comes with a unique golden plaque built into the driver’s headrest that reads ‘Chassis 100’. The rest of the interior has been given gold stitching to further set it apart.It was acquired by the Strøjer Samlingen car museum in the Danish town of Assens, home to more than 120 esteemed cars, including models from the Danish royal family, McLarens, James Bond cars, Bugattis, Ferraris, Koenigseggs and more. Fittingly, the delivery of the car also marked 10 years since BAC was founded by Ian and Neill Briggs.

Neill Briggs said: “Delivering Mono #100 is a huge milestone in our history, but stay tuned; there is a lot more excitement to come from BAC in the near future.”

First launched in 2012, the Mono is the world’s only road-legal single-seat supercar. BAC now makes three cars a month at its factory in Liverpool.

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Bentley model strategy to focus on grand tourers and SUVs

Bentley will finalise its new model strategy by this summer, with a renewed focus on its credentials as a maker of grand touring vehicles and SUVs, and no ‘pure sports cars’.

Werner Tietz, Bentley’s board member in charge of engineering, has revealed that the company has decided not to pursue any of the themes explored by the EXP 10 Speed 6 sports car or electric EXP 12 Speed 6e roadster concepts shown by its former management.

Instead, the Crewe firm, now led by Briton Adrian Hallmark, will look to expand its GT lineup. “The concept positioning was not something that fits with our future strategy now,” said Tietz. “Pure sports cars are not a topic for us now.

“Since joining, our first move has been to work on the current range, and to set a better cadence for launching products at spaced intervals. Now we are looking at what future possibilities there are.”

Tietz declined to elaborate on specifics, but said any new products would need to broaden the firm’s spectrum of buyers, rather than sell additional cars to them.

“The first thing we want to be sure of is that we have a GT car in every segment, and it is not certain if we are there now,” he added.

“There is more potential in that segment, I think. Bentley can offer something unique, particularly around delivering cars with a sport edge that can, at the push of a button, transform into a luxury, refined car.“There is some potential when you look at SUVs too, especially around a car larger than the Bentayga if you consider its value to the Chinese and American markets. So, yes, that is one opportunity we are exploring. Bigger cars are an interesting avenue for Bentley – for now, we are not thinking about doing anything smaller, as that’s not what we’re about.”

Reports had suggested that Tietz was considering a smaller, battery-electric crossover as an urban-focused model, but he said: “We are investigating several concepts for electrification, but for now the promise is that we will offer a plug-in version of every car we have on sale today by 2025. Our research suggests that is what customers want now.

“An electric, city-focused car is one idea we are thinking about, it’s true. But it is just a concept in our minds. But would an electric car have to be a new car line, or a successor to something we already have? What kind of range does an urban car need to have? There are so many directions we need to consider rather than just saying ‘we will make an electric car’.”

Tietz added: “It is by no means certain that battery-electric is the right way to go. One point we see is that some cars in our line-up – the Bentayga, for instance – is used for towing horseboxes and boats. With the current EV technology, that wouldn’t work.

“So we are looking for a step in technology that doubles battery capability. We have looked at solid-state batteries for nearly five years now – they should be able to achieve these goals, but they are not yet ready. If solid state achieves its goals, then it becomes interesting – but only then.

“That’s why we are also evaluating fuel cell technology constantly, even if it is probably 10 years away from reaching a point that it can be practical, and also seeing what possibilities there are with the development of synthetic fuel.”

Tietz highlighted the potential for synthetic fuels to be made using clean energy, such as wind power, as being especially appealing.

“The evidence is that these fuels could be CO2 neutral, and that raises interesting possibilities,” he said. “We see the airline industry looking into this quite seriously – the electric plane doesn’t look like becoming a large-scale reality soon – and that could help us open up possibilities. We have open minds.”

Tietz said Bentley would give clues to its future direction at events coinciding with its 100th anniversary celebrations in July.

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Kia Soul EV 64kWh 2019 review

What is it?
We have previously driven the all-new electric Kia Soul in Korea, but this is our first taste of the third-generation compact crossover in its European spec.
Since it was launched in 2009, the Soul has found more than 1.6 million customers, although the vast bulk of those are in the US, where the machine was designed and styled. It has never been taken to heart in quite the same way by Europeans, even if the previous electric version, which arrived in 2014, did reasonably well, outselling combustion-engined versions in the UK last year.
So while some markets, such as the US, will get petrol-powered versions of the new Soul, Kia will only offer it in Europe only in electric form, with the same powertrain as the hugely successful e-Niro and sister firm Hyundai’s Kona Electric.
Our tests of the e-Niro have shown the strength of that system, particularly its compelling – and game-changing – range of 282 miles on the WLTP test cycle. Despite it being smaller than the e-Niro, the Soul’s boxier design means its range is slightly reduced to 280 miles, but that’s a vast improvement on the original Soul EV's 132 miles and more than enough to make this a car that can be used in virtually any situation.
When it goes on sale in the UK at the end of the year, the new Soul will be offered in a single guise, featuring an 'SUV pack' that adds a few styling tweaks, including a skidplate and some 'rugged’ trim panels.
The question is whether a smidgen more space and a whole heap of extra practicality, thanks to a greatly improved drivetrain, will help the British public find a place in their hearts for a bit of Soul.What's it like?
Kia describes the Soul’s design as 'iconic', which decidedly stretches the definition of an already much-misused word. Still, the new model undoubtedly has character and a certain charm, with the front end shaped by the narrow lights and trapezoidal grille. The rear now features an LED light strip that wraps almost all the way around the rear screen. It’s certainly distinctive, and a bold attempt to inject some design vibrancy, although this tester isn't entirely convinced by its effectiveness.
The Soul’s boxy shape is harder to mask from the side, where it’s also easy to spot the size increase over the old model. At 4195mm, it’s 55mm longer, with its 2600mm wheelbase 30mm larger. It’s also 1605mm high and 1800mm wide.
A more relevant comparison is with the e-Niro, which is 180mm longer and 5mm wider but 130mm lower. Perhaps the biggest difference between the two is at the back: the e-Niro has a 451-litre boot, while the Soul’s is just 315 litres. It does feature a clever twin-level design with a floor under which the charging cables are neatly stashed, though, and its narrow, deep design at least makes much of that space usable.
But while the e-Niro scores on practicality, the interior of the Soul shines brighter. It features the newest version of Kia’s infotainment system, with a bright 10.3in central touchscreen. There’s also plenty of safety tech, including a head-up display, adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assistance and blindspot monitoring. The new infotainment also syncs with a new Kia app that enables owners to check their Soul's battery charge on their smartphone, pre-charge it and control its heating system remotely.
With its high roof, the Soul also feels airy and spacious, although the high-riding, upright style makes it very clear that this is never going to be a hot hatch to drive. Not that the Soul doesn’t have decent performance; the 64kWh model (the sole version to be offered in the UK at launch, while a 39.2kWh model will be sold elsewhere) has virtually identical performance to the e-Niro, with 201bhp, 291lb ft of torque, a 0-62mph time of 7.9sec and a top speed of 103mph.The Soul makes good use of that power, too, with direct and responsive steering that allows you to zip in and out of traffic in urban situations, while also offering strong response when you get onto Germany's more flowing rural roads. On the autobahn, it remains comfortable to drive even approaching its top speed, although the wind noise does become somewhat noticeable.
The Soul’s suspension, aided by dynamic dampers, does a good job of masking its 1682kg kerb weight, and it rides both bumpy city streets and flowing lanes with decent pliancy and balance.
As with the e-Niro, the strongest point of the Soul's powertrain is how adjustable it is, with four different driving modes (ranging from Eco+ to Sport) and the ability to customise the amount of regenerative charging the car undertakes while braking.
That system can be controlled through steering column-mounted paddle shift-style controls, and once you’ve adjusted to it, it's intuitive and simple to use. It’s more easy to adapt to your own driving style than, say, the ‘magic pedal’ in the Nissan Leaf.Should I buy one?
As the e-Niro and Kona Electric have already shown, the electric powertrain fitted to the Soul should remove any symptoms of range anxiety: for the majority of people, 280 miles is absolutely enough for just about any purpose.
The Soul is also easy to drive, practical and comfortable. The key question is likely to be the price: while yet to be set in the UK, it will be a few thousand pounds cheaper than the £32,995 e-Niro. That saving comes at the expense of some practicality, but the Soul should appeal to those seeking a bit more character and charm from their electric Kia.
Due to limited battery availability, Kia currently can’t produce the e-Niro fast enough; the waiting list in the UK already stretches into 2020. On evidence of our first taste on European roads, the Soul could prove just as popular.

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Mercedes-AMG GT R Pro 2019 review

What is it?
With no more power than the Mercedes-AMG GT R and the same Michelin Cup 2 tyres, the new AMG GT R Pro is around seven seconds a lap faster around the Nurburgring Nordschleife. It registered a time of 7min 4.6secs late last year, making it one of the fastest front-engined road cars ever to lap the wriggly 13-mile circuit.

How? It’s all down the revised aero and suspension setup, as well as a modest weight saving. Mercedes-AMG doesn’t quote any exact downforce figures but that prominent front spitter, dive planes ahead of the front wheels, Porsche 911 GT3 RS-style vents in the wheel arches, a bigger rear wing, a Gurney flap and various other wings and flicks reduce aerodynamic lift, keeping the car pressed into the surface of the track at speed.

The suspension has been completely overhauled as well. The new coilovers are manually adjustable - for high- and low-speed compression at the front, plus rebound at both ends - as is the ride height. The anti-roll bars are both adjustable as well (the bar at the front is made of carbon fibre to trim away 3.3kg), while the upper rear wishbones are now attached to the body by uniball bearings that have no play in them whatsoever (only the lower wishbones use uniballs on the GT R).

There’s much more to the GT R Pro than that. It has a carbon fibre sheer panel attached to its underside, for instance, that actually increases the body’s torsional rigidity by as much as eight per cent. Lightweight bucket seats remove another 3.6kg between them, the wheels and ceramic brakes are all lightweight items and the dynamic engine and transmission mounts - which tighten up when driving on circuit to reduce inertia - have been retuned. Those weight saving measures remove something like 40kg, although the AMG Track package (standard-fit in Europe) adds in a roll cage, fire extinguisher and four-point harnesses, so the actual saving is closer to 25kg.

The AMG GT R Pro is the road-legal sum of Mercedes-AMG’s expertise in production-based motorsport. It exists for one purpose only: so that a small number of rather well-heeled owners can drive it to a trackday, spend many joyful hours lapping the circuit and fiddling with damper clicks between sessions, then drive home again at the end of the day. This is a car that really should be used as intended, and not left to gather dust in a climate controlled lock-up somewhere.

The drivetrain is unchanged compared to the GT R. The Pro uses exactly the same 4-litre twin-turbo V8 that develops 577bhp and 516lb ft of torque. Drive goes rearwards via the transaxle that houses a seven-speed twin-clutch transmission. Mercedes-AMG quotes a 0-62mph time of 3.6 seconds and a 198mph top speed.
What's it like?
Taut, responsive, agile and exceptionally well controlled. Quite how that uncompromising chassis setup will deal with a bumpy public highway is anybody’s guess, because for now we’ve only tried the car on Hockenheim’s flat and smooth grand prix circuit.

What’s curious about the GT R is that it’s pretty firm and unyielding on the road, but then just a little loosely controlled and hesitant on circuit. This new Pro model addresses almost every one of the on-track criticisms we’ve levelled at the GT R because it feels so at home on a circuit. There is a little body roll to allow you to feel the grip building along the outside of the car, but otherwise the Pro is keyed-in to the track surface. The instant the front axle is locked into a bend the car takes a set, as though it’s dropped into a groove, then carves its way through the corner. There’s none of the hesitancy or up-down heave that could make the GT R a wild ride, just immediate and precise responses.

The steering is fairly light but intuitive while the brakes didn’t show any sign of fade during a quick four-lap stint. What counts against the GT R Pro is its sheer size, because the front axle feels so far ahead of you and the car’s nose in another county altogether. It’s wide as well, all of which means there’s a significant familiarisation period while you learn where the car’s extremities are. And despite the Pro’s weight saving measures, 1575kg is still a significant amount of weight for a trackday machine.

It is an absorbing and thrilling track car, though. Being able to fiddle with its chassis settings adds another dimension to a trackday and allows you to play out your race engineer fantasies. It isn’t a particularly difficult car to drive quickly, though, nor is it intimidating. All that results from an overcooked corner entry is predictable and safe front axle push. There is good traction as well thanks to the transaxle layout and an electronically-controlled LSD, although with so much power on tap it is easily overcome with a generous extension of your right foot. The multi-stage traction control system that first appeared on the GT R is present here too, which means you can find the exact right setting for a given circuit and the conditions on the day to balance security with playfulness.

The whole drivetrain is excellent and the soundtrack is thunderous, while the bucket seats and harnesses make a real difference out on circuit. There’s no doubt the GT R Pro is a far more adept track car than the GT R - it couldn’t be anything else with all that motorsport-derived hardware - but at £188,345 you’ll be paying a premium of more than £40,000 for it.

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14 Automakers + eight extra automobile Brands See Sales Drops In USA

Now that we’ve got a really mass market electric automobile within the U.S.A. (the thirteenth best merchandising car within the country within the half-moon of 2019 and also the best merchandising luxury car), I’ve found it attention-grabbing to require a better investigate changes all told automakers’ overall automobile and automobile sales. I meticulously track changes from month to month and quarter to quarter victimisation manufacturer sales reports for this purpose.

As you'll be able to see within the headline, the subsequent automakers saw their sales call in March 2019 compared to March 2018:

Fiat (−45%)
Chrysler (−38%)
Alfa Romeo (−31%)
Infiniti (−23%)
Jeep (−11%)
Buick (−9%)
Chevrolet (−8%)
Dodge (−6%)
Toyota (−5%)
Nissan (−5%)
Mercedes (−5%)
GMC (−4%)
Ford (−2%)
Cadillac (−2%)
Those ar the fourteen automakers that saw sales drop across all categories/vehicle categories combined. In most cases, automobile sales were down even quite overall vehicle sales.

There were conjointly eight cases during which associate overall automaker’s sales were up however its automobile sales were down year over year. Those carmakers were:

Subaru Cars (−22%)
Lincoln Cars (−17%)
BMW Cars (−15%)
Volvo Cars (−10%)
Hyundai Cars (−9%)
Acura Cars (−7%)
Audi Cars (−7%)
Lexus Cars (−6%)
There were solely four automakers that saw overall growth year over year and conjointly didn’t see a call in automobile sales:

Ram (+15%)
Volkswagen (+14%)
Kia (+10%)
Honda (+4%)

So, what’s the takeaway? the most important takeaway is that the majority automakers are becoming beat within the U.S.A. whereas Tesla sales are mounting (up a hundred and tenth Q1 2019 versus Q1 2018) and many alternative choose automakers saw way more modest sales will increase.

In total fourteen machine brands saw their sales decline from March 2018 to March 2019, whereas another eight brands saw their income increase by their automobile sales decrease. this can be value noting within the context of the Tesla Model 3’s burst onto the scene similarly as a broader shift aloof from cars and into crossovers, SUVs, and trucks.

Luxury brands, particularly luxury automobile brands were hit across the board, that isn't notably stunning since the Model three fits into the posh automobile class.

What’s future within the coming back months? We’ll see, however if quite a dozen automakers still suffer sales drops, many of them could hit a fatal money wall. Stay tuned.

Interested in shopping for a Tesla? want a referral code to urge one,000 miles of free Supercharging? Use ours: http://ts.la/tomasz7234 (or not — up to you).

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2020 Karma Revero range extender EV to use BMW engine

The 2020 Karma Revero range extender electric luxury saloon will make use of a three-cylinder petrol engine from BMW, likely the 1.5-litre unit used in the i8.

The Munich-supplied unit powers a generator that charges a new, improved lithium ion battery, which in turns feeds a pair of rear-mounted electric motors. This set-up that allows for a claimed 0-60mph time of 4.5sec – nearly a second faster than the current Revero.

More detailed performance information will be revealed when Karma officially unveils the new Revero at the Shanghai motor show, alongside its new Vision EV concept and a luxury saloon concept developed with Pininfarina.

Originally launched in 2016, the Revero is the model born out of the ashes of Fisker's bankruptcy. Chinese-funded, California-based firm Karma has been selling the model in the US since then and is now planning to introduce it in European and Asian markets after a number of updates to make the powertrain more competitive.

Spy pictures show that the four-door coupé, which will rival the Porsche Panamera 4 E-Hybrid, will get styling revisions to its front and rear but that its overall bodyshape will stay true to the Fisker Karma, from which the Revero was developed.
Karma's chief revenue officer, Jim Taylor, previously told Autocar that the Revero's delayed entry into Europe (including the UK) and Asia was always part of the business plan. Prices for the current model start at $130,000 (£98,124) in the US.

The current Revero uses solar panels located on its roof that can power the car's electrified powertrain. Solar panels have been seen on earlier development cars, so expect improvements to their efficiency with the 2019 model if they do continue into production.

"The energy collected from the solar panels is supplied directly to the car's high-voltage battery, which in turn powers the electric motors," Taylor explained when asked how they work on the current model. "Our solar panels are twice as powerful as the original [Fisker] ones."

While no charging time for the solar roof was revealed, Taylor suggested that strong Californian sunshine would enable owners to leave their car parked outside all day and return to it with noticeably more charge.

"We're still a long way off from being able to charge it up significantly in a few hours, but if you left your car parked in an airport car park for a couple of days, you'd see more energy," added Taylor.

The input of the sun's energy is displayed on the Revero's infotainment screen, so drivers can see when energy is being captured, even on the move.The current Revero uses a 260bhp turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine from General Motors and a twin electric motor set-up, with some parts supplied by BMW. It's claimed to be capable of running on battery power alone for up to 50 miles, but Karma has pushed for a better range in the updated model in order to satisfy even more stringent real-world tests.

As a range extender, the Revero straddles the line between electric cars such as the Tesla Model S and plug-in hybrids like the Porsche Panamera. It will also compete with the upcoming Polestar 1 hybrid coupé.

Karma Automotive has been built upon the remains of Fisker Automotive, which went under in 2013. With owner Wanxiang Group providing stronger financial backing, insiders are anticipating a more productive future for the American brand.

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New Volkswagen Golf range to be topped by 400bhp R Plus

Volkswagen’s R performance division has reignited a development programme on a “close to 400bhp” Golf R Plus model as a range-topping rival to the Mercedes-AMG A45 and Audi RS3.

The four-wheel-drive machine would sit above the planned Golf R version in the line-up of the eighth-generation model. Under its skin, it would rely on hardware and technology from the seventh-generation Golf R400 concept shown in 2014 and the Golf TCR race car developed by Volkswagen Motorsport.

The secret model is being developed alongside the standard version of the new Golf R at VW’s R&D headquarters in Braunschweig, Germany.

VW insiders have claimed it will be the “most extreme and powerful Golf yet”. As an indicator of its potential performance, they pointed to the supercar-like acceleration and top speed of the R400, which was claimed to have a 0-62mph time of just 3.9sec and a 174mph top speed.
A source added: “We’re looking at introducing a new ‘halo’ performance model that would offer a level of performance beyond that of the next Golf R.”

The new Golf R Plus has not yet been approved for production, but Autocar has been told that it has the support of VW boss Herbert Diess. If it gets the go-ahead, it is likely to join the VW line-up after the new Golf R goes on sale in 2020, at a price similar to that of the £45,250 RS3.

Highlighting the advanced state of the Golf R Plus development programme, VW officials confirmed that a styling proposal for the variant has already been completed. It features a considerably more aggressive appearance than the standard version of the next Golf R, with broader front wings that, insiders say, have been adopted in combination with a widened front track.

The next-generation Golf will be produced as a five-door only, so both the Golf R and R Plus will be offered in that bodystyle alone.

At the heart of the secret new range-topping Golf is a highly tuned version of the Volkswagen Group’s EA888 petrol engine. In the new Golf R, the Audi-developed turbocharged 2.0-litre unit is planned to deliver around 320bhp. But with a range of power-enhancing measures, the engine could ultimately provide the Golf R Plus with between 380bhp and 400bhp. Originally a project of Volkswagen’s former head of petrol engine development, Friedrich Eichler, the powered-up four-cylinder was first showcased in the R400 concept with 395bhp and 332lb ft at the 2014 Beijing motor show. That model was closely considered for production.

An even more powerful version of the EA888 with added turbocharger boost pressure and other changes was featured in the Audi Quattro Sport concept, which made its debut at the Geneva motor show in 2014. In that car, it offered 414bhp and 332lb ft of torque.

Both projects were placed on hold due to the Dieselgate emission scandal until VW’s head of development, Frank Welsch, decided to revisit the ideas behind the R400 in 2018. New developments brought to the engine of the Golf R Plus include a particulate filter. Like the next Golf GTI, though, it is thought to eschew mild-hybrid electric motor boosting.

As with the standard version of the new Golf R, drive is set to be channelled through a standard-fit seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox and a sixth-generation version of VW’s 4Motion four-wheel-drive system. That set-up will now feature fully variable control that constantly alters the amount of drive being sent to the front and rear axles.

The new four-wheel-drive system is likely to operate in combination with VW’s EDS and XDS+ electronic differential locks and a multi-stage ESP stability control system incorporating a drift mode similar to that set to appear on the new A45.

News of the new Golf R Plus comes as VW is preparing to extend the number of R models it offers, starting with the T-Roc R, which made its public debut at the recent Geneva motor show.

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The best cars from dead car companies

Times change, markets evolve and sometimes companies who rule the roost get a wheel stuck in a ditch and never recover.
Some of the brands who are no longer with us are gladly forgotten, while others left us wonderful memories of motoring days gone by. Join us as we look at some of the best cars built by automakers no longer around:AMC: Eagle (1980)
AMC’s most notable contribution to the automotive edition of Noah’s Arc is the Eagle. It was a family car on stilts which relied on serious four-wheel drive hardware and ample ground clearance to tackle tough trails and knee-deep snow.

In many ways, the Eagle was the modern crossover’s predecessor. Have you noticed the rising popularity of SUV-coupes? AMC did it first with the Eagle SX/4, and it had two doors like a proper coupe should.

So what happened to AMC?  The company was bought by France’s Renault in 1979, but AMC’s range of mostly smaller cars suffered as fuel became relatively cheaper during the ‘80s. Renault CEO Georges Besse - who championed the firm’s American presence - was murdered in 1986 by terrorists, and his successors lost interest and sold the firm to Chrysler in 1987, and the AMC badge then quickly came to an end.Austin-Healey: 3000 (1959)
When it made its debut in 1959, the Austin-Healey 3000 stood out with a 3.0-liter engine and front disc brakes. The big Healey was a force to be reckoned with in European rallying events, but convertible-hungry buyers in North American scooped up most of the production run.

It was one of the greatest British sports cars of its era, and it was continuously updated throughout the 1960s.

So what happened to Austin-Healey? The deal between Austin and Healey ended in 1972 after 20 years. There have been talks of a revival since, including under BMW’s ownership of Austin successor company Rover, but nothing has appeared. The name itself is now owned by China’s SAIC. PICTURE: Austin-Healey 3000 Mk3.Autobianchi: A112 Abarth (1971)
When Volkswagen takes credit for pioneering the hot hatch, it overlooks the Autobianchi A112 Abarth.

Admittedly, the A112 was easy to miss due to its Matchbox-like dimensions. It was introduced in September of 1971 (before anyone knew what a Golf was) as a hotter version of Autobianchi’s successful Mini-punching model. Early models used a 58 hp four-cylinder engine, though power climbed to 70 hp later in the production run.

So what happened to Autobianchi? The company was a joint venture between bicycle-maker Bianchi, Pirelli, and Fiat. Fiat took full control in 1968, and then folded the operation into Lancia. The badge disappeared in 1995.Daimler: SP250/Dart (1959)
Once a supplier of motor-cars to royalty, Daimler grew out of the German company, but soon built its own models. The SP250’s engine had an interesting configuration; while being only a 2.5, it was a V8. Elegant but interesting to look at, it was a spirited drive, good for 120mph, and determinedly different from its stately predecessors. It was famously used to police speeds on Britain’s first motorway, the M1.

So what happened to Daimler?

The company was sold to Jaguar in 1960, its cars eventually becoming badge-engineered Jaguar derivatives. The brand disappeared in 2007, though Jaguar still has the right to use the name in many markets, though given it’s now also the name of the parent company of Mercedes-Benz (this story is complicated…), this seems unlikely.De Tomaso: Pantera (1971)
Ferruccio Lamborghini went through the excruciatingly difficult process of developing an entire car from scratch to take down Ferrari. Alejandro De Tomaso took a simpler route: he designed a breathtakingly gorgeous car and bought a V8 from Ford to stuff behind the seats.

America’s appetite for performance cars ensured a steady cash flow for De Tomaso in spite of the Pantera’s quality issues.

Unreliability caused Elvis Presley to shoot his Pantera on numerous occasions, presumably as a punishment. It’s not known if this helped. Ford stopped importing the car to the United States in 1975, but production carried on for other markets (including Europe) until 1992.

So what happened to De Tomaso? De Tomaso merged with Maserati in 1975 and that brand was always more prolific, but De Tomaso sales carried on in small numbers until 2004 when the firm died. The trademark was sold on, and a De Tomaso concept car appeared at the 2011 Geneva motor show, but nothing’s been heard since.Facel Vega: Excellence (1958)
The most luxurious French car you can buy today is about on par with a low-end BMW 5 Series – on a good day. It wasn’t always that way. Facel Vega was a brand favored by the world’s most image-conscious and self-adoring stars, and it built the Excellence to take the fight directly to Rolls-Royce. From its stately design with suicide rear doors to its hand-built interior, the Excellence easily lived up to its name. It served as the flagship for the brand, and for France’s entire automotive industry.

So what happened to Facel Vega? Competition from larger luxury-car rivals like Mercedes-Benz did the company no favors and it closed down in 1964.Hudson: Hornet (1951)
The Hudson Hornet dispels the myth that all American cars looked alike in the 1950s. Granted, it had big round headlights and enough chrome trim to be seen from outer space, but the similarities with its peers stopped there.

It boasted a long, sloping roof line that flowed into a pontoon-like rear end. Were it built today, it’d be classified as a four-door coupe in the same vein as the Mercedes-Benz CLS. It was fast, too; the Hornet dominated NASCAR racing in the early 1950s.

So what happened to Hudson? It merged with Nash-Kelvinator in 1954, to form American Motors (AMC). The Hudson badge survived until 1957.

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Skoda Scala 2019 review

What is it?
This is the big play from Skoda, because the new Scala is a Focus-sized, Golf-shaped family hatchback that slots slap-bang into the two-box mould of Europe’s most popular segment.
Of course, Skoda has been here before – that is, offering a C-segment model to bridge the gap between Fabia supermini and Octavia – and the result was the Rapid. The problem with the Rapid was it looked achingly bland, and rather than borrowing VW Group’s MQB platform, its underpinnings were shared with the Fabia, with the same a basic torsion beam rear axle.
The Scala now gets the MQB basis you’d expect it to, though because Skoda equips only its more powerful models with expensive multi-link rear suspension, there’s still a torsion beam at the back. It’s a MacPherson strut setup at the front, and while we’re at it, Skoda is building only five-door bodies for the Scala and, for now, they’ll all be front-driven.
But this car is also meant to represent a new high-water mark for Skoda’s design language, which is why it gets scrolling rear indicators (on top-spec SE L trim), LED head- and tail lights (fully, but again only if you pay more for SE L), and a Porsche-style ‘SKODA’ written across its boot-lid. In fact, in the tightly defined world of mass-produced cars, the Scala is impressively faithful to the Vision RS concept, so credit is due for that.
The engine line-up comprises a selection of VW Group’s transversely mounted TDI and TSI units, all of either three or four cylinders. A 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol is available with 94bhp or 113bhp, while the four-cylinder 1.5-litre TSI driven here tops the range with 148bhp. The only diesel is a 1.6-litre with 114bhp, and depending on which engine you choose, Skoda is offering either five- or six-speed manual gearboxes or a seven-speed dual-clutcher. A 1.0-litre 89bhp version powered by natural gas is due at the end of 2019, though whether or not it will be offered in the UK is unknown.What's it like?
Slide into the Scala and there are plenty of reminders these cars are built to a cost. The window switches are clearly old stock from the VW parts bin, and there’s a degree of play in the buttons on the transmission tunnel that’s just a little too pronounced. You get a proper, old-school handbrake (a good thing, perhaps) and almost every surface below chest-height is made of the scratchy, textured plastic that’s been chased almost entirely from the Scala’s posher cousins.
Not that any of this should be considered a deal-breaker. For the money Skoda asks for the Scala – just £16,595 for the entry-level 1.0 S – this is a nice cabin, with a thoughtful design and very strong ergonomics. The dashboard has a fair bit of interest to it and mirrors the Scala’s rakish new face, and our test car’s red pinstripes give the place a lift. Neither is it difficult to find a good driving position. Visibility is also excellent thanks to substantial C-pillar cut-outs, and the optional 9.2in (and commendably crisp) central display of our test car is mounted usefully high – in line with the optional digital instrument binnacle. In short it’s spacious, comfortable and unpretentious, and very Skoda.
The Scala really is exceptionally spacious, in fact, not least because it boasts an exceptionally long wheelbase for the class – 10cm longer even than a Golf. You’ll get a six-foot passenger sitting behind a similarly tall driver without issue, and rear headroom is unusually generous, even with the optional, full-length panoramic roof. Unless you’re in the middle seat, that is; here both the seat base and back protrude awkwardly, and so it’s a berth best left for children.
In truth, you might well get away with the Scala if your original plan was to buy something Golf Estate-sized. The boot is cavernous – class-leadingly so, at 467 litres with the rear seats up – with a low lip and square sides.
Then, of course, there’s Simply Clever, which is Skoda-speak for all the useful things most manufacturers forget or chose to ignore. The ticket-holder mounted on the A-pillar is a classic of the genre, but in the Scala the cap for the screen-wash also folds out to become a funnel, and there’s an ice-scraper that doubles up as a tread-depth gauge stored within in the fuel-filler cap. Much more useful than logo-projecting door lights, we say, and far more endearing.
As for the driving experience, it’s similarly unpretentious. Don’t expect much in the way of weight or feel through the controls, but the combination of this VW-sourced 1.5-litre four-cylinder TSI and dual-clutch gearbox is predictably slick, if not quite the most clinical around. You get a slight rattle on ignition, but thereafter progress is easy-going and impressively refined, at least so far as the powertrain is concerned. This is a nice gearbox calibration, being neither to keen to bolt for the highest, most economical gear possible nor desperate to downshift unnecessarily under power. Overtaking is a cinch, too, so long as you anticipate when to make your move.
The Scala doesn’t ride like a Golf, though – nothing like, as obvious as that might seem. On sensibly sized 17-inch wheels, our test car was serene enough on smooth dual-carriageways but poorer surfaces saw the ride become conspicuously choppy. At times it feels like a car in the class below, which is interesting because this version of the MQB platform – dubbed A0, which Skoda is actually now is charge of developing – is the same used for the Seat Ibiza and Volkswagen T-Roc, rather than the Golf and Audi A3. As an aside, the use of MQB has allowed Skoda to fit a range of assistance systems, including lane-keeping and blind-spot detection programme that can spot overtaking cars as much as 70 metres away.
But what if you happen upon a nice set of bends? Unfortunately the Scala never really gets going dynamically. There is some weight in the steering, but it only reveals itself after you’ve ventured through a slow, numb swathe of lock around the dead-ahead, and by that point you’ve little confidence in the front axle anyway. The car’s balance is reasonably good, and body control adequate, but try to splice quicker corners and unless the road is glass smooth the rear axle constantly tampers with any stability that brings.
Does any of this matter? Well, yes, a bit. This is Autocar, and it would have been nice to discover another an unexpected handling gem, similar to the Seat Leon. As it is, we’re not surprised Skoda has no intention of building a vRS model, and the deft Ford Focus can rest easy as the class benchmark for dynamism.
Should I buy one?
If you’re willing to trade some refinement and rather a lot more handling ability for excellent value and utilitarian charm, then yes, you should probably buy one. Even the most basic Scala S is relatively well equipped, cavernous like no other car in this class and even brings a bit of Audi to the exterior design, if you appreciate that sort of thing. And as with so many Skoda models of late, the Scala is simply very likeable.
Those on the fence might want to hold fire until we’ve driven the Scala in the UK, though. The car's ride quality and isolation don't live up to similarly sized models found elsewhere in the VW Group stable, which is something British roads may exacerbate.

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Autocar confidential: Ferrari welcomes new rivals, Volkswagen gears up for mass EV production and more

Found in this week's pile of Autocar writers' scribblings is news of Volkswagen's bespoke EV factory, Dacia's success in 2018 and more. 

Maranello mimicry 

Is Ferrari concerned about a new wave of supercar makers arriving with competitors for its products, such as the new Aston Martin Vanquish and Pininfarina Battista? Perhaps not. “Imitation is the best form of flattery,” said Ferrari CEO Louis Camillieri recently. “We’re flattered.” 

V-Class MPV keeps Mercedes young

The Vito-based Mercedes-Benz V-Class large MPV might seem an unlikely choice to gain an AMG-Line version, complete with sporty styling tweaks. But the firm does so because of the V-Class’s customer base, which is the youngest of any Mercedes model. Around three-quarters of buyers are under 55, according to Mercedes. 

Volkswagen readies new EV home 

OUR VERDICT

Ferrari 488 Pista

Ferrari 488 Pista 2018 road test review hero front

Ferrari's special series of track-honed road cars rarely disappoints, but is the 710bhp 488 Pista better than the McLaren 720S or Porsche 911 GT3?

Volkswagen is currently converting its Zwickau factory in Germany from Golf and Passat production into its first home for making electric cars. The site should be ready for the autumn and in time it will build up to 330,000 electric cars a year for Volkswagen, Audi and Seat. The facility’s first model will be the Volkswagen ID hatchback, which is due at the end of this year. Three other ID models have now been signed off to follow it: an SUV, a saloon and an MPV, launching over the next three years in that order. 

Dacia celebrates success in 2018

Dacia sales grew by 10% last year, bucking the broader market. But Europe region boss Jean-Christophe Kugler said there’s even more room for growth and that the only limiting factor is production capacity. There are still no plans for an extended line-up.

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Jaguar F-Type could become electric halo model

Jaguar is on the cusp of deciding whether the next F-Type will be a full-blooded petrol-engined car or a dramatic, futuristic first take on a battery-electric vehicle designed to act as a ‘halo’ for future mobility.

Speaking to Autocar, Jaguar design director Ian Callum said: “We’re asking ourselves if it should be a final hurrah for the old-school sports car that we know and love, or to switch now to make our first all-electric sports car,” said Callum. “It’s a very difficult decision. What I will say is that the electric decision is looking more interesting with time.”

Although the F-Type is expected to be on sale for at least three more years, Callum confirmed that the development cycle for its successor would have to begin soon, suggesting a new car is around three years away from making production.

Callum admitted that the performance of the I-Pace had forced him to rethink his views on electric cars, although he stressed that the final decision on which technology to use would not be down to him.

“The performance capabilities of an electric car are not an issue,” he said. “The kick from an electric car is quite beguiling, and if you adapt your mindset to enjoying that – driving slower into corners but getting the thump when you hit the throttle earlier – it’s every bit as enjoyable as a V8- engined car in many respects.

“The dynamics we know we are strong at – Mike Cross and his team don’t make anything other than first-rate cars in that regard – and despite the challenges of mass, the I-Pace is already proving that electric cars can be dynamically entertaining.

“Then there’s range, but that is becoming less of an issue, and there are advances coming that should help move that on again in the next few years. So the main challenge remaining is the inherent raising up of a car required by the packaging of the batteries. But I see that as an interesting challenge, not an insurmountable one.”

Callum’s comments also confirm that Jaguar will have a sports car in its line-up in future, after doubts were raised because of the relatively low sales of the F-Type compared with the class-leading Porsche 911. “We will always do sports cars,” he said. “End of story.”

Callum added that saloons – or hatchbacks – were also pivotal to Jaguar’s standing. Again, the firm’s saloon car range has been under pressure as a result of slow sales relative to its premium competition.

“I can’t see a day when Jaguar won’t make saloons or – perhaps – hatchbacks, either of which I regard as core to the DNA,” he said. “You can take any of our SUVs, electric or otherwise, and they will do a fantastic job for you. But some people will always want better aerodynamics and greater efficiency, and some people will always want the additional thrill from the dynamics that a car inherently does better than an SUV.”

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Hyundai remembers twenty,000 Veloster cars as a result of engines may take fire

Hyundai has found a replacement drawback which will cause its automotive engines to fail or take fire, supplying yet one more recall to repair issues that have affected quite half-dozen million vehicles throughout the past three ½ years.

The Korean manufacturer, stressed from safety regulators, is recalling regarding twenty,000 Veloster cars within the U.S. and Canada as a result of fuel will untimely ignite within the cylinders round the pistons. which will cause excessive pressure and harm the engine, inflicting vehicles to stall and in some cases take fire, consistent with Hyundai documents announce Fri by the U.S. National route Traffic Safety Administration.

It’s a special drawback from what has caused the remainder of the remembers since 2015 from Hyundai and its related  manufacturer Kia, that are littered with engine failures and fires across the U.S.

The recall, that covers solely the 2013 Veloster with one.6-liter engines, is because of a package drawback that has been found solely in this model year and not in different Hyundai engines, company voice Michael Stewart aforementioned. Kia voice James Bell aforementioned during a statement that the manufacturer didn’t use any engines from the plant that created Veloster engines.

Jason Levine, executive of the middle for car Safety, a shopper cluster that has petitioned the govt seeking a lot of Hyundai and Kia remembers, aforementioned the hearth and engine issues keep spreading to a lot of vehicles.

“This recall raises the question of whether or not we have a tendency to square measure even on the far side the tip of the iceberg with these non-crash fires with each of those makers,” Levine aforementioned. “How again and again square measure we have a tendency to progressing to hear from either Hyundai or Kia that these circumstances square measure distinctive to a selected model then have another recall or fireplace scenario declared weeks or months later?”

Hyundai aforementioned in documents that it's been analyzing fireplace claims from house owners and reportage the findings to NHTSA, that in December raised questions about the Veloster. the corporate derived the matter to engine management package in vehicles created at the Ulsan plant in Asian country from April twenty six, 2012 to October. 16, 2013, consistent with documents.

While claims were high for the 2013 model, they attenuated beginning in 2014, the corporate wrote. package was updated on vehicles at the manufactory in Oct of 2013, the corporate aforementioned. Hyundai wrote that it’s not responsive to any crashes or injuries.

Dealers can install updated package on the recalled cars. house owners are going to be notified beginning could thirteen.

In Feb, Kia declared that it might recall the Soul little SUV with the same-size engine because of fireplace and equipment failure issues, however Stewart aforementioned that was for a haul that was completely different from the Veloster.

The Soul recall lined nearly 379,000 vehicles from 2012 through 2016. Documents showed that prime exhaust gas temperatures will harm the chemical change converters, that management pollution. which will cause abnormal combustion and harm pistons and connecting rods. A unsuccessful rod will pierce the block and cause oil leaks which will cause fires.

So far Hyundai and Kia have recalled regarding a pair of.4 million vehicles to repair issues which will cause fires and engine failures since 2015. additionally, the automakers do a “product improvement campaign” covering another three.7 million vehicles to put in package that may alert drivers of doable engine failures and send the cars into a reduced-speed “limp” mode if issues square measure detected.

Both automakers square measure underneath investigation by NHTSA for probably being slow to repair faulty vehicles.

The Center for car Safety says it's found quite three hundred Hyundai-Kia fireplace complaints during a government info, that is high compared with similar vehicles. Levine has aforementioned fireplace complaints to NHTSA have return from across the country, as well as a death in Ohio in April of 2017.

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New Kia Soul EV Gets Tested By Autocar With Mostly Positive Results

2020 Soul EV grows up in terms of packaging and performance, according to Autocar
A lot of electric vehicle attention at Kia has gone to its e-Niro and its Chevrolet Bolt-busting range, giving those shying away from an all-electric one less reason to get anxious about range. But the 2020 Kia Soul EV has the benefit of sharing the e-Niro’s tech while wrapped in one of the most popular small hatchback/crossover styles of the last decade.
In a largely positive first drive, Autocar found the new Soul EV to be a more grown-up vehicle than the model it replaces. The second-generation Soul, unveiled in November at the Los Angeles Auto Show, gets more powerful innards to go along with evolutionary design changes in line with its internal combustion engined brethren. The liquid-cooled 64-kWh battery and standard rapid charging give it a practical range (280 miles for the EU, while Kia’s U.S. branch is targeting around 230 miles from the EPA). Its 201 horsepower and 291 lb.-ft. of torque give it prompt acceleration in spite of its weight.Sure, Autocar bemoans the new Soul’s slightly smoothed-out lines and the fact that its increased external footprint isn’t really backed up by more meaningful space inside. And at around £32,000 ($41,685) to start in the U.K., it certainly isn’t cheap – although when the 2020 Soul EV lands in the U.S. later this year, it should be priced closer to the $34,945 of the outgoing car (and before relevant incentives). But based on early reviews, the Soul EV has graduated to the mainstream EV big leagues, and could make life harder for the likes of the Bolt and Nissan Leaf.

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2019 Porsche Taycan: new official pics and details

The Porsche Taycan, the firm's first electric car, is in the final stages of an extensive test programme ahead of its launch later at the Frankfurt motor show – and Autocar has been given in-depth access to the development team.

Autocar was to visit a cold weather test with Porsche in northern Sweden. There was no technical briefing, no press release at what was no kind of launch but a piggyback on an extant engineering operation, but, nevertheless, after two days of conversation, the clearest picture yet of the Taycan’s technical content is now becoming apparent.

The Tesla Model S rival will be launched by Porsche in September with two power outputs, and first customer deliveries will take place before the end of the year. It seems the most powerful will now have rather more than the 600bhp originally suggested for it (perhaps as much as 630bhp), with the less powerful model around 100bhp behind. At least one more model will be introduced thereafter, likely to have an output in the mid-400bhp range.

But there's also a fourth model that has been fully engineered but may or may not go on sale. This car has a single electric motor and rear-wheel drive, so it will likely have just over 300bhp but come with a substantial weight saving. "The decision to make it is not technical but financial," a spokesperson said. "If the market wants it, we will make it." There's no two-door Taycan anywhere in the product plan, nor any ultra-sporting GT model.

The naming strategy for the car will be interesting, as Porsche is keen to make it feel as familiar as possible. So expect a conventional approach, with the range topper called the Taycan Turbo, with GTS, S and standard Taycan badging also to be used. A high-riding crossover version based on the Mission E Cross Turismo concept is planned.

Much speculation has surrounded the weight of the Taycan, but I was told it was ‘in the range of the Panamera hybrid’, which means around 2250kg, making it a touch heavier than the Jaguar I- Pace and on a par with the Tesla Model S. Acceleration for the top model is now informally referred to as ‘way below’ the 3.5sec 0-62mph sprint originally claimed for the Mission E. Interestingly, all Taycans will also be capable of at least 155mph, a function not only of their power but also the two-speed gearbox, which, like that in the BMW i8, allows prolonged use of full electric power at sustained high velocity.

Porsche has also been improving the repeatability of the Taycan’s performance. It can now do at more than a dozen 0-62mph standing starts with no fall-off in power (earlier talk was around 10) and at least four 0-124mph runs without degradation, which is doubtless at least four more than most owners will attempt. It will maintain its top speed "for longer than you could drive at that speed on any public road".

The range is still 310 miles, but bear in mind this measured on the old NEDC scale and will be lower on the new and more realistic WLTP measure – probably around 270 miles.

The charging times now talked about for the Taycan appear genuinely game-changing, with Porsche engineers freely quoting an additional 62 miles of range for every four minutes of charge and a charge from 10% to 80% of less than 20 minutes. Key to this is the Taycan’s 800V charging apparatus (which also halves the weight of the wiring loom).

Frustratingly, however, the 350kW charging infrastructure that facilitates such rapid charging is very much in its infancy. Ionity is in the process of rolling out 400 such stations across Europe by 2020, but just 69 are functioning at present, and none are in the UK. Indeed, just two are even under construction, in Maidstone and Gretna Green. So it will likely be 2021 at least before British Taycan owners are able to take full advantage of the technology that their car contains.

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British car manufacturing falls for ninth straight month in February

British car manufacturing fell by 15.3% year-on-year in February, the ninth consecutive month of decline due a continued fall in demand from both Britain and key export markets.

A total of 123,203 cars were produced in the UK in February, compared to 145,518 in February 2018, according to date produced by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. So far this year, 243,852 cars have been built in this country, a 16.8% year-on-year fall.

Of the cars produced in February, 28,350 were for the UK market – down 11% on Feb 2018 – with 97,985 exported, a 16.4% decline. It was the ninth consecutive month that demand for home-built cars has declined in the UK.
The decline in cars built for export was particularly driven by the ongoing struggles of the Chinese market, where demand for British cars slumped by 55.6%. Demand in the  European Union, where the UK exports most cars to, fell by 14.9%.

With eight of 10 cars in the UK still exported to the EU, SMMT boss Mike Hawes reiterated that the continued decline in manufacturing highlighted the risk of a no-deal Brexit.

Hawes called the figures “a wakeup call for anyone who thinks this industry, already challenged by international trade hostilities, declining markets and technological disruption, could survive a ‘no deal’ Brexit without serious damage.”

UK car manufacturing levels are likely to be further hit in the coming months, with several plants, including BMW and Mini’s factories, bringing forward annual closures until the period after March 29, the date Britain was originally due to leave the EU.

While the date Britain leaves the EU is now uncertain, the complexities of car manufacturing means that the production closures are fixed. That raises the prospect of further interruptions to car manufacturing later this year, depending on when - or if - Brexit takes place.

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Aston Martin Rapide AMR 2019 review

The Aston Martin Rapide AMR is it, then. The once bold new era, heralded by the introduction of a vehicle platform called VH, which allowed about a dozen (similar) cars to be launched on the same architecture, draws to a close. It was the Bez of times, it was far from the worst of times.

But the new Aston Martin revolution is under way. And this Rapide, as outlandish as VH cars became, what with having four doors and four seats, is the last of the old line of cars to disappear.

It’s going out in limited-run AMR specification. There’ll be 210 of them badged this way, with 35 extra horsepower and costing 45,450 extra pounds over a Rapide S, so 595bhp and £194,950. You might find unregistered examples of the Vanquish S at dealers, but production of that has finished. These are the last VH cars. Production and some deliveries have already started, but you can still order and specify one, and you don’t have to have the racing-inspired day-glo highlights of the one photographed here.

You will get carbon-ceramic brakes behind 21in wheels and AMR-specific tuning, turning what was Aston’s most laid-back GT car/four-door coupé/fastback saloon/family hatch/call it what you will into something more raucous.

You’ll also get, if you’re prepared to overlook the Valkyrie (which, for these purposes, I am) the last of the naturally aspirated V12s, the 6.0-litre-badged (actually 5935cc) stalwart which has provided sterling work, in various iterations, since its introduction in the DB7 Vantage of 1999. That was the first production Aston with a V12. Now you can’t imagine the Aston range without one.

What's it like?
As ever, the V12 drives the rear wheels, these days through an eight-speed automatic gearbox mounted at the rear, and a limited-slip differential.

Those traits and a lengthy 2989mm wheelbase are what have lent the Rapide one of the nicest inherent chassis balances among super-saloons, or even some big GT cars, over which the Rapide was – and remains – more agile and deftly balanced.

The Rapide’s kerb weight is 1995kg, which seems like a lot until you realise a Bentley Continental GT, despite having two fewer doors, weighs another quarter of a tonne.

And even now, nine years after the Rapide’s first introduction, I don’t think there are many more cars of this weight and size that are more engaging or more agile to drive, or that hide their mass so well.

The AMR alterations to the chassis are pretty subtle. They add a firmness to the ride and a bit of extra body control. I might have preferred it as it was – this is a big saloon, after all – but it has been a while since I drove a standard one. The ride quality is still actually pretty good – a touch fidgety over small ripples, but never close to frighteningly harsh. And what’s still very much evident is that lovely balance. The steering’s smooth, pleasingly weighted and gains weight and road feel as you turn. At three turns between locks, it has anything from half to a full turn over some big cars, as they try fitting sharper steering to make them feel more agile. Not here. No hyperactivity, no active roll bars, air springs, rear steer. It just is what it is – straightforward, honest, with the smoothest of V12s and a clean gearshift – and frankly all the better for it.



If rivals have anything over the Rapide, it’s interiors that are roomier, and stuffed with lavish materials and world-class electronics systems – hence their weight. The old Aston navigation and entertainment are as baffling as they ever were, and the analogue dials never as clear as they should have been, but there’s a digital speedo and phone mirroring. I’d get along just fine with those.

Should I buy one?
There’s not a direct Rapide replacement – the DBX will, effectively, be it. I wonder if it’s a shame that the last of the VH cars wasn’t a fire-breathing version of one of the more glamorous coupés, rather than this lower-key run-out. But the Rapide, being the longest Aston, with a hefty aluminium structure down its middle, has the biggest backbone of them all. So, in a way, fitting. I know, new dawn, but I’ll miss it.

Aston Martin Rapide AMR specification

Where Warwickshire Price £194,950 On sale Now Engine V12, 5935cc, petrol Power 595bhp at 7000rpm Torque 465lb ft at 5500rpm Gearbox 8-spd automatic Kerb weight 1995kg Top speed 205mph 0-60mph 4.2sec Fuel economy 21.0mpg CO2 300g/km Rivals Mercedes-AMG GT 4dr S, Rolls-Royce Ghost

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New BMW i4 shown winter testing in first official images

Images released by BMW show the firm's new i4 electric saloon carrying out cold weather testing alongside the upcoming iNext and iX3 electric SUVs.

The iX3, based on the latest X3, will arrive in 2020, followed a year later by the standalone iNext and 4 Series-based i4 a year later.

BMW said the tests taking place at its cold weather testing facility in Arjeplog, Sweden aim to determine the durabilThe Tesla Model 3-rivalling i4 is claimed to have a range of over 373 miles, a 0-62mph time of 4.0sec and a top speed of more than 124mph.

As in previous prototype shots, a clear visual link between the i4 and the latest 3 Series can be seen. The i4 will share much of its design with the upcoming second-generation 4 Series. However, a side-on view reveals that the new car appears higher off the ground (both in terms of roof height and ground clearance) than today's 4 Series, suggesting a raised floor to accommodate a sizeable long-range battery. Other tell-tale signs that this is the i4 include a blanked-off front grille, fake 'exhausts' in the disguise and legally mandated 'electric test vehicle' stickers. The i4 is scheduled to be built on the same line as standard 3 Series models at BMW's factory in Munich, Germany. To ensure a smooth production process with existing petrol, diesel and hybrid models, the manufacturer is already running assembly tests with pre-production versions.

The expansion of the i sub-brand follows a ruling by the EU to enforce a fleet average CO2 emission reduction of 35% by 2030. The ruling effectively spells an end to the combustion engine as a sole source of propulsion for high-volume cars sold in Europe by the end of the next decade.

This was expected by BMW’s top management, who initiated an acceleration in the development of both long-range plug-in hybrids and electric models in a board meeting held earlier this year. Speaking to Autocar at the 2018 Paris motor show, chairman Harald Krüger confirmed the altered i division plan, which aims to enable BMW to offer more electric cars than any rival premium brand in the short term.

It calls for the introduction of up to five dedicated i models by the end of 2021, with tentative steps to expand to 12 electric models within the whole BMW Group, including Mini and Rolls-Royce, by 2025.

Krüger has also given the green light for 25 new plug-in hybrid models to be introduced by 2025 in order to meet the 2030 target.Among the models at the centre of BMW’s electrification strategy is a further developed version of the continuously evolving i3, the Mini SE, the iX3 and the i4. BMW will follow that with a more advanced range of premium electric cars employing solid-state batteries and autonomous driving features, previewed on the recent iNext concept car.



Talking about the i4, Krüger said: “The leading factors that will set it apart are fantastic design, which is very different to anything else on the road, and the fact that it is lighter and therefore more dynamic than anything we see on the market today, thanks to the materials we will use. Couple that with the connectivity technology we are constantly developing and we are confident it will lead the market.”

Sources suggest BMW is considering two drivetrain options for the i4. The first uses a front-mounted electric motor in combination with a fixed-ratio gearbox and an electric propeller shaft to channel drive to the rear wheels. This layout would give the i4 traditional BMW traits and, according to one source, the best possible weight distribution.

The second, and more costly, option is to use two electric motors: one driving the front wheels and a second within the rear axle assembly driving the rear wheels. Similar to the system that’s set to appear on the iX3, it offers the choice between front and four-wheel drive, depending on the drive mode that is selected. To achieve performance targets similar to those of the current 335d, BMW is banking on a total output for the electric motor set-up of the i4, whether as a single unit or dual units front and rear, of approximately 350bhp.

BMW's electric revolution begins in the sales charts

BMW’s sales of electrified models have increased rapidly in the past two years. In January 2017, it registered 5232 plug-in vehicles globally, but that figure had more than doubled to 13,271 by December. The company registered on average more than 10,000 electrified models per month in 2018.

These registrations are more significant viewed as a percentage of BMW’s total sales figures. In January 2017, this was an unremarkable 3.2%, but in August 2018, it was 6.7%. Surprisingly, the most popular plug-in BMW Group model in 2017 was the i3 – a car that has been in showrooms since 2013 and failed to meet targets for many of its years on sale.

A total of 31,482 were registered in 2017, nearly double the number in 2014. Despite this, BMW still has a long way to go to achieve its 2020 target of 500,000 electrified vehicles sold annually.

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Out with the old: nearly-new motoring bargains

Car manufacturers just can’t help themselves, can they? Building cars, that is. Whether sales are up, down or indifferent, there are factories to feed and workers to keep busy.

Something has to be done with all those cars and there is only so much that compounds or airfields can take, which is why dealers are persuaded to register some of their allocation and rental fleets are asked to take them on. These, ladies and gentlemen, are nearly new cars (NNC). As new, but with a filled-in V5 log book and often a fairly marginal mileage. So the asking price for what is either a dealer demonstrator or pre-reg car will be rather less than full retail price. New in all but name. What’s not to like? We say: buy while stocks last.As we all know and accept, the MX-5 is the single greatest roadster ever invented. The simple fact is that more people buy these when it is sunny, but an RF is the obvious all-year-round option. They are a tad better value of the current crop of pre-registered ‘demonstrators’. Pop along to your local dealer and see what they have on the forecourt.Under the dictionary definition of ‘nearly new car’, surely there would be a picture of a traditional family Ford, be it a Cortina, or the very latest Mondeo. That’s how they roll, making lots of cars, which are not the top fleet choice any more, so they have to be priced attractively. There are a lot of 2.0 TDCi 180 ST-Lines around at £20k. We got a little distracted by a top-of-the-line Vignale on 11 miles with kitchen-sink specification.Volvo can do no wrong. When it comes to SUVs, it dominates the school run and company car park, but saloons are a bit more sticky these days and not on-trend. The S90 is still a handsome old thing, but it does require some dealer contribution to move off the forecourt. If you go for their PCP offers, they will take £3511.20 off the full price, so that’s a discount right there. However, a preregistered car with under 10 miles helps buyers to save about £10,000.I suppose not everyone is really that keen on a four-cylinder sporting Jaguar. Not only that, but most are not sold on the F-Type. Combine that with a bit of a downturn and an awful lot of recent Fs are in circulation. Most are dealer demonstrators, so they have 5000-6000 miles under the wheels. We found a convertible at coupé prices and a lot were loaded with £10,000 of extra spec.I suppose there comes a point when the world really is overstuffed with compact SUVs. The C3 is actually rather good, even though it looks like an overinflated balloon interpretation of an SUV. Right now, there are a lot of Feel-specification models being pre-registered and most have just a few miles on the clock. The others are demonstrators, but do look around because we found that Start/Stop examples and automatics are around £1000 more.I doubt I’m the only one who is now truly baffled by BMW’s model naming and whole niche policy. That certainly explains why many buyers just take the simple way out with a 3 or 5 Series if they want a saloon with decent rear head room. GTs are pre-registered at the main dealers and the interesting thing is that if you can find the more expensive and better-equipped M Sport, it can be picked up for the same money as the standard example.

Renault Twingo 0.9 TCe Energy Dynamique SSThe Twingo is going to disappear from our showrooms and already the purge of this cute city runabout is happening. You can get it in only Play and Iconic trim as a new car now but we chanced across a higher-specification Dynamique Start Stop. Well, it would have been more than £12k. They have filtered out beyond dealers to car supermarkets. The mileage can be well below 1000 miles to a fairly marginal 44 and up to 5000.Surely, Volkswagen doesn’t need to offer deals on what is its cash cow, does it? Again, oversupply is always an issue and there’s a Mk8 Golf on its way so dealers need to make room for their new demos. As a result, it is possible to come across an SE with all the clever infotainment services that buyers want. This one is fashionably petrol, but the 1.6 TDI diesel is also entry-level priced.

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