Online car sales platform Auto Trader has launched a new car fragrance. But it’s not for your car – it’s for you.
The inspiration comes after Auto Trader’s research found that the scent of a new car was most-associated with success, with 25 percent of respondents claiming as much. It also found that an association with success commanded respect in the workplace. Success is also reported to increase someone’s attractiveness.
Success equals attractiveness and respect, and the smell of new cars implies success. Which brings us to the new Auto Trader scent: Eau de New Car. It’s designed to give you the smell of a new car and, by extension, success.
The so-called ‘purifying fragrance’ will set you back £175 for a 50ml bottle, and yes, you can buy it now on Auto Trader. The scent blends smells of quality leathers and leather wax, with quality automotive carpeting, that you’d get when climbing into a new car.
“When our research found that the scent of a new car is the one which people are most likely to associate with success, we couldn’t resist creating a bespoke fragrance which brings this to life,” said Auto Trader’s Rory Reid.
The 10 cars most at risk of keyless car theft
Petrol-scented candle comes top in poll of nicest smells
“Let’s face it – the feeling you get when getting into a brand-new car is unforgettable. There’s little wonder that this is the scent we most associate with success. Why shouldn’t we be able to smell that scent and feel that way all the time?
“Eau de New Car is a scent like no other. It is your own personal spritz of success, to provide an instant, refreshing lift.”
The former Top Gear presenter has channelled his inner Jonny Depp, sans Dodge Challenger, modelling the fragrance for the video advertisement. The limited-edition fragrance is available while stocks last. We expect Auto Trader’s entry into the world of fragrances is more a dalliance than a lasting presence.
A new report reveals how much dashcams are currently contributing to dangerous driving convictions. Dashcam company Nextbase says 50 percent of the footage uploaded to its National Dashcam Safety Portal has led to a conviction.
The report, by BBC Inside Out, looked at how police are utilising this new resource.
Nextbase’s safety portal has seen footage of around 10,000 incidents uploaded, with 5,000 leading to police using footage for a prosecution. At present, 28 of the UK’s 39 police forces are signed up to the portal.
The 10 cars most at risk of keyless car theft
The report features support for dashcam tech from a number of public figures. Journalist Quentin Wilson is an advocate, saying “We need a kind of army of eyes in the 37 million cars on the roads in the UK”.
“Having dashcams there as a deterrent, where people know ‘I could be on camera, I need to behave myself’… it will save potentially hundreds of lives. So as far as I’m concerned that’s it.”
His support was echoed by radio broadcaster Jeremy Vine. “I honestly believe that cameras on bicycles are going to transform the safety of our roads both for cyclists and pedestrians and even for other car drivers,” he said.
There are dashcam detractors, however. There are worries that the influx of ‘evidence’ from thousands of drivers – and counting – all over the country, will overload police resources and manpower.
“The danger is the whole system will be saturated and the police will just give up because they won’t be able to afford the resources to sift through and work out,” said Nick Freeman, the lawyer colloquially known as ‘Mr Loophole’.
The full Inside Out report is due to air tonight (Monday 9 March), on BBC One at 7.30pm.
New technology will allow you to see what your new car looks like on your driveway before you’ve bought it.
A finance company is trialling the use of the Apple iPhone’s augmented reality (AR) feature. With it, car buyers can view 3D and true-to-scale car models parked on their driveway or in a parking space.
If you’re familiar with Pokemon Go, you’ll understand how it works.
Most car buyers will be able to access AR through platforms such as Safari and Messages without the need for specific apps. If you don’t like the way the car looks outside your house, you can try something different.
Creditplus says “it hopes that customers will be more satisfied with their choice of car”.
This is only one example of how AR is helping to shape the car industry. The likes of Mercedes-Benz, Cadillac and Genesis are introducing AR-based navigation systems to their flagship models. When in use, the guidance systems give the driver a live camera view of the road ahead.
Google is also rolling out AR walking directions in Maps.
Some car dealerships are also experimenting with AR. For example, a salesperson can use AR on an iPad to show people how options and accessories could change the look of their new car. This could include exterior colours, interior trim and alloy wheels.
Land Rover has used the tech to good effect on the Velar, while Hyundai’s sales team have used iPads to showcase the features of the latest i30. This article also outlines how AR can be utilised to help owners with everything from basic car maintenance to taking their car on a virtual track day.
The Renault Morphoz, which was due to be unveiled at the 2020 Geneva Motor Show, previews a number of autonomous and shareable features that are likely to become mainstream in the future. For example, the car accepts user profiles from smartphones, including an AR screen overlay for the driver.
One of the best-preserved and most original Volkswagen Golf GTIs is for sale. This 1979 right-hand-drive Mk1 has covered just 17,000 miles from new, and could be yours for between £31,000 and £42,000.
The rare four-speed example is available through online auction platform The Market, with the sale taking place between March 19 and March 25.
On top of being in near-immaculate condition, this Golf also has a claim to fame. Appearing in a number of magazines, it’s also one of the cars featured on the BBC’s The Car’s The Star’ TV show, with this particular episode broadcast in May 1995.
It also featured on Clarkson’s Car Years in June 2000. On the programme, presenter Jeremy Clarkson declared the Golf GTI the “car of the century”.
2020 Volkswagen Golf GTI revealed: the history of a hot hatch
If none of that sells it to you, perhaps the inclusion of its very own bespoke Corgi scale model will. Along with all the service history and documentation you could ever want.
Four-speed cars were sold for just three months in the UK in late 1979, before the five-speed manual gearbox was introduced. This very basic car also goes without a sunroof, rear fog lamp, radio, aerial or passenger door mirror.
The car was restored in 2015 by Mk1 GTI specialist Crazy Quiffs, at a total cost of more than £7,000. The underside was stripped and restored, with key components replaced. The engine was cleaned, while the gearbox was rebuilt and the clutch assembly was renewed.
2020 Volkswagen Golf GTI revealed: the history of a hot hatch
“This is possibly the last opportunity that any of us will ever have to own what is still an essentially brand-new, unrestored, reference quality Golf GTI Mk1 – and not just any GTI, but the very purist, earliest model of the car that blazed a trail for everything that came thereafter,” said Tristan Judge, director of The Market.
“This is a true collector’s car and a genuinely unrepeatable opportunity. It is also road-ready. We believe this amazing Golf GTI will be hard fought over when the auction takes place, potentially providing the opportunity to set a new record price for the model.”
The latest Mini Remastered build by David Brown Automotive is an absolute showstopper. Whatever you think of the price of these little hot rods, you just can’t put a number on cool.
It’s the Mini you’d spec if you had the resources of Simon Cowell.
It takes inspiration from the Lotus Esprit Turbo used in the James Bond film, For Your Eyes Only. That means bespoke ‘Copper Glow’ paint over DBA’s ‘Fade to Black’ wheel arches and roof.
Even the ‘Turbo’ graphic from the original Esprit features down the side, along with gold striping.
As for whether there is actually a turbocharger fitted to this Mini, DBA claims the standard 1,330cc remastered A-series remains, sans boost.
Matching the stripes are the wheels, painted in Sahara Gold with a silver rim, again like the Lotus. Unlike the Lotus, there isn’t a set of skis on the top, perhaps due to fears they would cause the little Mini to take off. They are an option, however.
The wheels are 13-inch items and hide black brake callipers. At the front, this Mini is mission-ready, with an arsenal of lighting, from the standard LED headlights, to the bumper-mounted auxiliary driving lights.
The interior is trimmed like one of Mr Cowell’s Britain’s Got Talent suits. That’s to say, the leather is a striking ‘Arctic White’, contrasting the ‘Dark American Burr Walnut’ dash.
Adding to the high-spec Remastered Mini are the LED-illuminated Smiths dials and up-to-date seven-inch touch screen with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Bluetooth connectivity. The six-speaker audio system should give Mr Cowell a clear listening experience when he’s critiquing demos on his travels.
“The notion of a £90,000 Mini is crazy, of course, yet the demand is clearly there. And after a few hours criss-crossing the capital, I’m also in thrall to its charm. Roger Daltry hoped to die before he got old, but the Mini has life in it yet”.
The verdict, then? Practicality and sensibility aren’t the order of the day with a Mini worth over £90,000. But we don’t blame anyone for falling for its charms, and finding it impossible to resist.
When the likes of Simon Cowell and his kin do take the plunge, we all get to enjoy incredible builds like this. Power to him, and anyone else that drinks the Mini Remastered coolade. It looks delicious.
Thatcham Research has released its first Consumer Security ratings of the year. It’s a poignant topic, given that thefts are up five percent overall, as keyless hacking continues to proliferate. One of the surprise losers in Thatcham’s research is the Tesla Model 3. It achieved only a ‘Basic’ rating.
Thatcham says that the Tesla Model 3, along with models from Hyundai and MG, is “missing some basic security features”. Features like an immobiliser, alarm, double locking system and wheel security are minimum insurer requirements.
That said, the Tesla is a very different type of car and might not require some of these features given its advanced connectivity capabilities.
“Thatcham Research has been working closely with Tesla on the security features on the Model 3,” said Richard Billyeald, chief technical officer, Thatcham Research.
“Their ability to enhance security functionality via advanced connectivity across all vehicles is a huge advantage.”
Given the problem of keyless theft and relay attacks at the moment, the Model 3 also enjoys an advantage. Unlike many other cars, with signal-based keyless systems, the Tesla uses NFC (near field communications), which requires a key card to be ‘tapped’ against the car. This means it’s not susceptible to relay attacks.
There is also Tesla’s Sentry Mode to consider, which has not been mentioned in Thatcham’s summary. This is likely because it’s an opt-in security feature that drivers need to activate.
Geneva show week is almost over. This year, floodlit motor show stands were replaced by video streams due to the threat of coronavirus. New supercars have debuted from McLaren, Koenigsegg, Pagani, Aston Martin and more. But which cars of past Geneva shows past have stood their buyers in best stead? Here are the 10 greatest Geneva climbers.
Aston Martin One-77 – up 25 percent
This list comes courtesy of JBR Capital, which has compared the price of the cars now with when they were new (not accounting for inflation), then calculated the percentage increase in value. In ascending order, we start with the Aston Martin One-77. While an Aston Martin hypercar seems to be revealed every other month these days, the One-77 was the first. With a 7.3-litre V12, carbon fibre tub and 215mph+ top speed, you could be forgiven for imagining an Italian mid-engined supercar. But it’s a traditional front-engined, long-bonneted grand touring Aston, albeit taken to the extreme.
Aston Martin One-77 – £1,500,000
When it debuted in 2009, one of the 77 One-77s produced would have cost you £1.2million. Given how limited it is, it sounds like a surefire way to make serious money. The increase is more modest than you’d imagine, though: it’s up 25 percent to £1,500,000.
Ford GT – up 77 percent
The newest debut on this list, Ford was critical of buyers of its Le Mans class-winner who tried to sell for a profit. There was even talk of legal action against the so-called ‘flippers’.
Ford GT – £800,000
We can’t blame these owners, though. The 650hp GT cost from £450,000 at launch. Cars that went to market when availability was scarce approached seven figures. Their average value now, five years on, is £800,000 – up 77 percent. A tidy profit and a good investment for those who want to move their GT on.
Porsche Carrera GT – up 96 percent
The Carrera GT is considered to be one of the greatest Porsche road cars of all time. With a high-revving 600hp V10 hooked up to a manual transmission, in a carbon cradle with a carbon tub, it’s a hero of analogue evangelists. It was part of a star-studded era for hypercars, joining the Pagani Zonda, Koenigsegg CC, Ferrari Enzo, Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, Maserati MC12 and Bugatti Veyron. They dominated Monaco car parks and the bedroom walls of 10-year-olds alike.
Porsche Carrera GT – £650,000
In spite of the critical acclaim, the Carrera GT was criticised for its cost when new in 2003, at a then-shocking £330,000. If those first buyers kept their cars, they could well have doubled their money. CGTs now go for £650,000 or more, and could soon break seven figures.
Alfa Romeo SZ – up 100 percent
Now for something more Italian and more affordable. The Alfa Romeo SZ was controversial at first, but today is almost universally loved. Now more than 30 years old, the Sport Zagato has doubled its money.
Alfa Romeo SZ – £70,000 or more
In the early 1990s, £35,000 was a lot of money to spend on something so odd. But an SZ can now go for more than £70,000, having increased in value by 100 percent.
Maserati MC12 – up 300 percent
Maserati’s incredible hypercar reclothed Ferrari Enzo underpinnings and swapped the prancing horse for a trident. It was Maserati’s shot at Le Mans GT racing glory. To homologate the racer, a limited run of 50 road cars was made.
Maserati MC12 – £2,000,000 or more
If the Carrera GT was shocking with its £330,000 price in 2003, the MC12 was unbelievable in 2004. Each car cost £500,000, and you couldn’t even have your own custom specification. But this exotic gem, 20 times rarer than the Porsche, has now increased in value by 300 percent, with prices starting at £2,000,000.
Ferrari F50 – up 328 percent
Like the Porsche, the Ferrari F50 is another analogue hero. With an F1-derived V12, carbon chassis and open-gated manual gearbox, it’s a near-irresistible recipe. Unfortunately, it suffered in the shadow of its predecessor: the legendary F40.
Ferrari F50 – £1,500,000
How wrong we were at the time, though, and what a win for those that bought in. Yes, £350,000 was a lot of money in 1995. But F50s now sell for upwards of £1,500,000.
Ferrari Dino 246 GTS – up 2,172 percent
We’re now looking at cars that have leapt up in value by thousands of percentage points. The first is the Ferrari 246 Dino GTS. This represented the genesis of the so-called ‘affordable’ Ferrari. It remains one of Maranello’s most iconic machines.
Ferrari Dino 246 GTS – £250,000 or more
Named after Enzo Ferrari’s son Dino, who passed away at a very young age, the Dino became a near-instant pin-up. While a GTS would’ve set you back £11,000 in 1972, you’ll be lucky to find one for less than £250,000 today. That’s a jump of more than 2,000 percent, not considering inflation.
Range Rover – up 5,135 percent
The Range Rover has to be one of the most iconic debuts in Geneva show history. Indeed, this year, it’s 50 years since the Range Rover’s 1970 Geneva reveal. What the modern Range Rover certainly isn’t known for is earning its owners money. Quite the opposite, in fact. The original, however…
Range Rover – £80,000
This Range Rover has rocketed in value. Contrast the £1,528 it cost when new to the price of a classic Range Rover in restored condition today: around £80,000. That’s a jump of more than 5,000 percent. If a current Range Rover does that, in 2070 it’ll be worth more than £8 million.
Lamborghini Miura P400 – up 6,566 percent
The Lamborghini Miura is considered by many to be the original supercar. Gandini’s masterpiece debuted at Geneva in 1966, and set the precedent for more than 50 years of V12 flagships for the raging bull. It’s also one of the most beautiful cars ever made. Little surprise, then, that it’s gone up quite spectacularly in value over the decades.
Lamborghini Miura P400 – £1,000,000 or more
By ‘spectacularly’, we mean it’s up over 6,000 percent on its 1966 list price of £15,000. You’ll be spending seven figures for the privilege of a Miura in your garage.
Porsche 356/2 – up 26,566 percent
Porsche is often at the heart of speculation when it comes to making money with cars. The 911, nevermind being an iconic sports car, has also become a staple of auction houses. But there would be no 911 without the 356: Porsche’s first model. The 356/2 variant debuted in 1949 at the Geneva Motor Show.
Porsche 356/2 – from £800,000
Back then, a 356/2 would have set you back £3,000. Today, if you spot one at auction, you’d better have at least £800,000 burning a hole in your pocket. That is a 26,566 percent value jump. Cripes.
McLaren Automotive admits it still has work to do in terms of brand awareness, but the company is outperforming expectations in one important channel – digital.
“We have 12-year-olds bringing their dads into our showrooms, saying they must check out the new McLaren,” said Jolyon Nash, global sales and marketing director.
“Their dad might not be fully aware of us, but I’ve anecdotally heard of some ending up buying a McLaren instead of a rival supercar.”
Mr Nash says the brand’s extensive exposure in video games, “which are mainly played by teenagers,” is leading to heightened brand awareness in the younger generation.
Other age groups, however, perform less well. “Target buyers in certain regions of the world are still not aware that McLaren makes supercars at all.”
The British brand’s focus for the foreseeable future is therefore doubling down on reaching these groups, rather than broadening out into other luxury sectors outside of automotive.
“It’s old fashioned hard marketing: talking to customers, getting people into the product – basic hard graft.
“We are still a young automotive brand; we only took our first car to market in mid-2011.
“We’ve enjoyed good growth, but we still have work to do in the broader car market.”
Perhaps the biggest ever Geneva Motor Show for Koenigsegg was dominated by both the debut of the Gemera, and the fact that its presentation had to be online, due to the show being cancelled over coronavirus fears.
We say ‘definitive’ because it will be the last Koenigsegg geared towards top speed. This is a big thing for the Swedish marque; for the last 25 years, its bread-and-butter has been VMAX potential, chasing the McLaren F1 and Bugatti Veyron.
But the pursuit is evolving, from an engineering challenge to a question of safety for Koenigsegg.
CEO Christian von Koenigsegg spoke in his Geneva presentation of the dangers of the Nevada run the Agera RS made in 2017, reaching a 284mph maximum and a two-way average of 276mph.
Following on, he said that while the Absolut will be Koenigsegg’s fastest car yet, it will also be the company’s fastest ever car, period. Koenigsegg follows Bugatti in exiting the top-speed race, with the latter announcing its intentions following the reveal of the 300mph+ Chiron Super Sport.
No doubt, the decision to bow out of the race won’t have been taken lightly, and the company built on engineering and speed will want to take its leave with a bang.
So what exactly is the Jesko Absolut capable of? Well, in a recent interview with Dina Pengar, Christian said of the Jesko Absolut, that “it’s the Koenigsegg we do that will be the fastest ever. It has the potential to drive faster than 530kph (329mph)”.
Rumour had it before the Geneva show that the version of the Jesko geared for top speed would look to set a record of 310mph (a nice even 500kph). According to Christian himself, then, that initial estimate was rather conservative.
Adding to the speculation, in a video with YouTuber Shmee150 Christian claimed that “with this kind of power, with 1,600hp, with this gear ratio and that drag, anyone with a little bit of math skill can check out the rpm limits, and all these factors, to see how potentially fast it can go. We were blown away [in simulator testing]”.
“To prove it a reality, we need to find a road, some friendly policemen that shuts it down, and good weather. We all know how difficult that is. But if we do, this thing is going to prove itself as the fastest Koenigsegg ever.
“We actually don’t have any plans whatsoever to try to drive faster,” he continued, joking that “no one should even do this, in a way. This is the last hurrah”.
Doing the maths
So, with the challenge (and the method) explained by Christian, forum members of the ‘Koenigsegg 4 Life’ Facebook group set to doing the ‘math’. Here’s what forum member Clint Domine calculated:
“I calculated that at theoretical top speed…
So V = cube root( 2*power/pCdA)
Where we know [the] following:
Power= 1193120 watts
Cd = 0.278
p = 1.225 kg/m3 (air density)
A = 1.88 m2 (frontal area)
So V = 155m/s or 558kph (346mph)
Now, this doesn’t account for tyre rolling resistance but still, this figure is quite crazy!”
Quite crazy indeed. So Koenigsegg himself said it could “drive faster” than 329mph, and the above calculation, save for the rolling resistance variable, results in 346mph.
Remember that the fastest car in the world just six months ago topped 284mph. Maybe it is time to hang up the top speed overalls, before this gets out of hand…
Toyota has finally put a price on its GR Yaris hot hatch. And at £29,995, it’s cheaper than many expected
The all-wheel-drive Yaris, born to homologate Toyota’s next rally car, is a near-bespoke creation, so a high price was predicted – although not by us.
Our last estimates put it around £30,000, and we weren’t far wrong. The GR Yaris will start from £29,995 for the standard version. For the Circuit pack, featuring more kit for track driving, you’ll pay £33,495.
Additional specs and details will come in due course, but those keen for more GR Yaris news can sign up to Toyota’s ‘keep me informed’ service. First deliveries are expected in November this year.
The GR Yaris really is almost completely bespoke. The chassis is a mash-up of Yaris and Corolla, while the bodywork is entirely new, save for the lights. Even the roof is much lower than a standard Yaris.
Packed inside is Toyota’s new GR-Four all-wheel-drive system, with limited-slip differentials at each axle. And powering it is a new 260hp 1.6-litre three-cylinder turbo engine. It’s claimed to hit 62mph in 5.5 seconds.
Also, let’s factor in how GR Yaris will be built. There’s an entirely new Gazoo Racing production facility in Motomachi, Japan, where it’ll be made largely by hand.
So it could have been very expensive. But it seems Robert Tickner, general manager of communications at Toyota Motor Europe, was telling the truth when he said it wouldn’t be “a million miles away” from the Japanese equivalent price of £27,000.
The only question now is, do you take a GR Supra or a GR Yaris and a load of change?
