A coalition of climate campaigners says a ban is needed on all internal combustion vehicles in Scottish cities by 2030. It claims the Scottish government needs to speed up its response to air quality and environmental issues. 

At present, Scotland’s first minister Nicola Sturgeon has agreed that 2045 is the target for net-zero carbon emissions.

And while the Scottish government has made significant investments in zero-emissions road and rail projects, CO2 reductions are yet to materialise.

• Petrol and diesel ban is needed by 2030 to meet global warming targets

“The proposal for banning petrol and diesel cars from city centres is a reasonable one given the target date of 2030,” said Andrew Llanwarne, co-ordinator at Friends of the Earth Tayside.

“This is not far short of the Scottish government’s current target of banning the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2032.”

A ban on petrol and diesel vehicles from Scottish cities is one of 12 parts of an overall plan by the ‘climate emergency response group’ to accelerate Scotland’s response to the issue.

In addition, it wants £100 million spent on the decarbonisation of farming, a PR campaign to promote a reduction of meat consumption, plus the establishment of low-carbon city investment deals. 

• Most Brits will wait almost 10 YEARS before buying an electric car

• Diesel bans: where can’t you drive in the UK and Europe?

“We are already witnessing the effects of climate change,” said Claire Mach, chief executive of Scottish Renewables, an industry body for energy companies.

“Now is the moment when we must accelerate our response if we are to avoid the worst effects and secure the many social and economic benefits of moving to a climate-neutral economy.”

Dundee, one of the cities in the spotlight for the internal combustion ban, is set to host a conference on climate change this month. Speakers and experts will be presenting at the event at Dundee University on 27 and 28 September. 

Honda has revealed first official images of its production-ready Honda e electric car, and confirmed the model will have a 136-mile EV range from a single charge.

This figure is from Honda’s own testing ahead of launch, but is likely to be broadly similar to the final WLTP figures required by EU legislation.

• 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show preview

The innovative Honda e is being offered with two different power outputs: an entry-level 100kW (136hp) version or a punchier 113kW (154hp) variant.

Just the single 35.5kWh battery is available: a built-in fast-charging system means it will top up to 80 percent charge from flat in half an hour.

Honda doesn’t yet have final performance figures, but estimates a 0-62mph time of around 8.0 seconds.

The electric driving range has been one of the most debated aspects of the new Honda e. Similarly-priced rivals generally have larger batteries giving bigger driving ranges – but Honda insists the 136-mile range is right, because the Honda e is a compact urban EV.

• Electric Vauxhall Corsa-e: 205-mile EV range confirmed

Making the battery so compact will “meet the needs of modern urban lifestyles through… exceptional driving dynamics”. We’ve already discovered the amazing turning circle and grippy rear-wheel drive traction of the little Honda.

Honda is also building in plenty of tech – such as the ability to lock and unlock using a smartphone app: a ‘digital’ key rather than a physical one.

There’s an onboard Honda Personal Assistant too. Say ‘OK Honda’ and the AI bot will follow your commands. And when you’re away from the Honda e, you can monitor it using the My Honda+ smartphone app.

The new Honda e will make its official world debut at the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show next week. Motoring Research will be there: keep coming back for more news from the show.

The Nissan Juke singlehandedly invented the marketplace for small crossover SUVs when it was introduced in 2010. Now, almost a decade on, Nissan has released an all-new second generation version.

With challengers from every major rival, Nissan knows it won’t have things quite so easy this time round. So the new Juke is packed full of technology to give it the best possible chance of success.

• New Skoda Kamiq revealed: the baby SUV to take on the Nissan Juke

Built in Sunderland, the new Juke is on sale now from £17,395. Deliveries begin from the end of November 2019.

All-new landmark

Visually, it’s derived from the original landmark model. But it has grown up, gaining in length width and height. Now over 4.2 metres long, the benefits are found inside, with a vast 5.8cm more rear kneeroom, and 1.1cm more headroom.

The boot, a glaring weakness of the original, is 20 percent larger, with a total capacity of 422 litres. That’s bigger than a Volkswagen Golf.

The curves of the original Juke have been given an edge, and it now appears a sharper, less cutesy design. It has a more planted stance and much more aggressive front end.

Ultra-slim headlights are distinctive and the high-mounted driving lamps of the first Juke have been turned into LED running lights seemingly modelled on a fidget spinner. Every model, even the base car, gets full LED lights as standard.

Much-improved interior

Inside, the plasticky dashboard has become more premium-looking, with a high-mounted touchscreen and greater use of soft-touch trims. The motorcycle-style centre console has been toned down, but we can’t imagine Juke owners minding too much now the novelty has worn off.

The extra space, comfort, technology and refinement will all be a pronounced step on over the nine-year-old current model.

That all-new NissanConnect 8.0-inch touchscreen has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality, TomTom Maps and onboard Wi-Fi hotspot. This is fitted to every model above the base Visia.

There’s a remote app so owners can check how much fuel is in their tank from their smartphone, and whether their new Juke is locked or not.

It’s even compatible with Google Assistant. Nissan says owners can talk to their smart device and control lights and central locking, and send navigation destinations via voice control.

Tech fans will also like the Bose Personal Plus optional sound system. This has eight speakers – including two ‘UltraNearfield’ units built into the front head restraints, for “immersive music in ultra-clear definition’.

All-new underneath

The new Juke is built on an all-new platform that’s stiffer and safer than before. Despite being much larger, it’s actually 23kg lighter. At launch, just a single 1.0-litre three-cylinder DiG-T turbo petrol engine will be offered. This produces 117hp and is paired with either a six-speed manual or seven-speed DCT automatic.

0-62mph takes 10.4 seconds and it will do 112mph flat-out. Nissan doesn’t yet know how economical it is, nor what the final homologated CO2 figures will be.

16-inch steel wheels will be fitted to the base Visia model; Acenta and N-Connecta will get 17-inch alloys, with Tekna and Tekna+ featuring 19-inch alloys – among the largest in the small SUV sector.

Nissan ProPilot tech (and the ‘blue button’ on the steering wheel) offers auto-assist steering, acceleration and braking, to make driving less stressful in single-lane highway driving.

This will be the first small SUV to offer blind spot intervention: if the driver attempts to change lane with a car in their blind spot, the new Juke will steer away from danger.

Nissan has sold almost one million Jukes since its introduction in 2010. “The new design and exciting driving experience will appeal to the growing number of customers opting for compact crossovers,” said Nissan Europe product planning boss Ponz Pandikuthira.

“The Juke has grown up, while still retaining the fun-to-drive qualities that have always made it stand out.”

2020 Nissan Juke prices

DiG-T 117 petrol engine

• Visia: £17,395
• Acenta: £18,995
• N-Connecta: £20,995
• Tekna: £22,495
• Tekna+: £23,895
• Premiere Edition: £23,995

(DCT auto: + £1,400 on all grades apart from Visia)

2020 Nissan Juke: in pictures

Jim Clark had farming, Niki Lauda had his airline and Lewis Hamilton already has interests in the fashion industry. Now the British champion has invested in a meat-free burger chain. 

The business is called Neat Burger, and will use plant-based substitutes for meat. His co-investors are Ryan Bishti, a nightclub mogul, and Tommaso Chiabra, a backer of the US vegan burger maker, Beyond Meat.

Its first outlet opened near Regent Street in London yesterday (Monday, 2 September). Sites in Covent Garden and Kings Cross will follow, along with a US and European launch. A total of £15 million ($18 million) is being raised to fund the expansion. 

Hamilton’s high-steaks investment

• Lewis Hamilton ‘earns £40,000 per Instagram post’

According to Bishti, Lewis has taken a sizeable stake in the endeavour. As the UK’s richest sportsperson, he can afford to branch out. Meat-free eating is close to Hamilton’s heart, too. He’s a noted public proponent of vegetarianism and veganism. 

Beyond Meat has been working with the new chain to develop a plant-based imitation of meat, down to the infusing of beetroot juice so the patty can ‘bleed’. Beyond Meat’s other partners in meat-free food development include Honest Burgers and KFC on the development of a chicken substitute.

“We are not aiming for vegans or a plant-based niche, we are aiming to convert meat-eaters,” Bishti said.

“We are part of a movement happening when you look at the world today in the Amazon with deforestation for crops and agri-farming. This is a perfect way to make a change.”

• Artist spray-paints Mercedes as tribute to Lewis Hamilton

Meat-free foods are a solid area of investment for Hamilton. This year alone the beef industry has been taking a lot of criticism for its contribution to climate change.

The Vegan Society claims the number of vegans in the UK has shot up from 150,000 to over 600,000 during the last five years.

The Corvette Museum in Kentucky has taken delivery of a new C8 Stingray. The car is a prototype used for powertrain development and will remain on display for the foreseeable future.

It was built in 2018 and used primarily at the Milford Proving Ground in Michigan to record data from the 6.2-litre LT2 V8 engine. To that end, it was kitted out with a variety of sensors to measure efficiency, emissions and performance.

• New Chevrolet Corvette WILL be right-hand drive

While testing, it wore a good deal of camouflage, which has been stripped off for this display. What lies beneath is a patchwork Corvette, with a white bumper, white sills, black wheels, blackened ‘dummy’ lights and black bodywork.

Joining it will be a 40 percent-scale clay model of the new C8 from 2014. This was for aerodynamic testing, with ink drops used to demonstrate air flow.

• These special edition 2019 Chevrolet Corvettes were designed by RACING DRIVERS

The C8 is the most hotly-anticipated Corvette in the model’s near-70-year history. Neither development models will be far from base camp, given the National Corvette Museum is minutes from the Bowling Green production facility. 

The mid-engined Corvette has, of course, been a long time coming. Corvette design and race legend Zora Arkus-Duntov campaigned for the engine to move amidships as early as the late 1950s.

American Audi fans have long been denied access to the hottest RS-branded station wagons. 

That will change with the new 2020 RS6 Avant but, for those who just cannot wait, Bring a Trailer has a solution.

Up for auction right now is this rare 1994 Audi RS2 Avant, taking advantage of its 25-year-old age to become eligible for import into the USA.

Vorsprung Durch Technik 

The limited-edition five-door RS2 Avant was developed in partnership with Porsche, using the Audi 80 sedan as a base. 

Production was undertaken between March 1994 and May 1995, with around 2,900 examples leaving the factory. The majority remained in Europe, with a handful of cars escaping overseas. None came officially to the United States. 

This particular car was sold new to an Italian buyer, before spending time in Belgium. It made the trip to the U.S. in May 2019, and is currently residing with the seller in Englewood, Colorado.

The joint venture with Porsche resulted in substantial changes to the regular Audi 80 Avant. Styling changes included a front bumper inspired by a Porsche 911, whilst between the rear lights is a strip intended to replicate the rump of a Carrera 4.

Porsche’s 911 sports car also supplied the side mirrors for the RS2 Avant, along with the 17-inch ‘Cup’ alloy wheels, and the upgraded Brembo brakes which hide behind them. 

Discreet badges inscribed with ‘RS2 Porsche’ are the other subtle hints that this is not your average Audi station wagon.

The practical Porsche in disguise

Porsche was also involved in upgrading the 2.2-liter five-cylinder gasoline engine found beneath the hood of the RS2. In came a larger KKK turbocharger, combined with strengthened internals for the motor. 

Peak output was boosted to 315 horsepower, matched with 302-lb ft of torque. A six-speed manual transmission fed this power to all four wheels, using Audi’s iconic Quattro drivetrain. 

Performance was suitably startling. 0-30mph was clocked at a record-breaking 1.5 seconds, with 0-62mph taking 4.8 seconds. Top speed was 163mph, making this a seriously quick wagon for the early 1990s. 

Interior changes included a pair of Recaro bucket seats in the front, with the ones in this particular car finished in a leather and Alcantara combination. 

A three-spoke steering wheel was also added, along with a white-faced speedometer reading all the way to 180 mph. 

This car features wood trim in place of the optional carbon fiber finish. The black headliner has been replaced, whilst a new Blaupunkt stereo head unit has also been fitted.

Living the American Dream 

Following importation in May 2019, the dealership selling the RS2 has had small dents repaired ahead of sale. Work was undertaken on the air-conditioning system in August 2019 to fix a leaking line.

Servicing records from Europe are provided. These are said to show the belts and water pump being replaced in November 2018, along with engine oil, coolant, and other fluids being changed. 

Importantly, the RS2 is registered on a clean Colorado title, along with plenty of documentation from its life in Europe. The odometer currently displays a recorded 89,000 kilometers – equivalent to 55,000 miles.

As the first RS-badged car, the RS2 Avant has established a cult following in both Europe and further afield. The relative rarity, and the incredible performance on offer, makes them a prized purchase. 

With news of Audi bringing the 2020 RS6 Avant to the USA, interest in classic examples like this RS2 is only likely to increase. 

Bidding on Bring a Trailer is open until Wednesday September 4th, with the car already attracting substantial interest from the hundreds of comments on the website.