The Commons Transport Committee says an outright ban on pavement parking across England should be put in place to combat ‘unsightly and obstructive’ parking habits that ‘blight’ communities.
Parking on the pavement has been illegal in London for 45 years and offenders could face a £70 fine. The proposal for a country-wide ban comes as a report highlights the problems it causes.
Pavement-parked cars could present a potentially impassable obstacle for someone with limited sight, or someone on a mobility aid. Parents with young ones in buggies also struggle. Finding an alternative route could mean walking in the road. There are also concerns about the damage that cars do to the pavements.
The report reads: “Pavement parking puts pedestrians in danger when they are forced to move into the road to get around a vehicle or where there are trip hazards due to damage to the pavement.”
“People with mobility or visual impairments, as well as those who care for others, are disproportionately affected.
“It exacerbates, and is a cause of, social isolation and loneliness for people who feel unable to safely leave their homes or are physically prevented from doing so by pavement parking.”
The committee inquiry received more than 400 written submissions, with a majority coming from the public. Representatives from places where the issue is prominent have said that there’s ‘parking anarchy’.
“Motorists may feel they have no choice but to park on the pavement and many try to do so in a considerate way,” said chairman of the committee Lilian Greenwood.
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“But evidence to our inquiry revealed the impact on those with visual and mobility impairments and people with children.
“The Government’s inaction has left communities blighted by unsightly and obstructive pavement parking and individuals afraid or unable to leave their homes or safely navigate the streets.”
The Labour MP did however suggest a degree of pragmatism, just short of a blanket ban. She said that local authorities could create exemptions where appropriate. The committee has also conceded that a widespread ban wouldn’t be an overnight job. It suggested that there would need to be an awareness campaign to educate the public on the problems pavement parking causes.
Ian Callum is one of the most celebrated car designers of the modern era. His 30-year back catalogue includes the Aston Martin DB7 and Ford Escort Cosworth. He also revitalised Jaguar with a 21st-century sense of style.
Now, Callum is striking out on his own with a new company called… Callum. His first project was to remaster one of his classic designs. Meet the Aston Martin Vanquish 25 by Callum.
Modifying a masterpiece
The Vanquish is one of Callum’s greatest hits. The original was Aston’s breakout car for the new millennium, first previewed with the Project Vantage concept in 1998. Over the past two decades, it has aged like a fine wine. How does he go about improving on that?
Well, even the Vanquish had elements elements that Ian wishes could have turned out better. For him, the Vanquish 25 is the facelift the Vanquish always deserved.
Making you look
Ian was keen to embrace the indulgent and boutique nature of such a project. Overall, there are 100 changes to the car, all of which come with the blessing of Aston Martin itself.
The front has a stylish and aerodynamic overhaul, with added carbon fibre. That signature Vanquish grille is accompanied by a new chin spoiler. Flanking that, classic Callum-style vents in carbon seem reminiscent of those on the stillborn Jaguar C-X75 hypercar.
Aston Martin Vanquish 25 by Callum revealed at Concours of Elegance.
New 20-inch forged wheels modernise a classic element of the Vanquish. The originals were a favourite of Callum’s, so their design has been updated, rather than replaced. The car sits 10mm lower and has a superb stance. New door mirrors join carbon fibre side strakes, updated sills and one-piece carbon window surrounds.
At the rear, the curvaceous light clusters are now fitted with LEDs, while a larger diffuser houses integrated exhausts. Take a look underneath and Callum has a little treat for you: the words ‘Made you look’ on the underside of this show car’s exhausts.
Customising the cabin
If the exterior is timeless, the cabin was a comparative disappointment from day one. It’s here that Callum says the most work needed to be done. Gone are the dull black plastics and cheap buttons, replaced by symmetrical carbon fibre on the centre ‘waterfall’, with up-to-date eight-inch infotainment. And yes, that’s Apple CarPlay you see.
Elements from later Astons are included, and the air vents are carbon strakes instead of plastic. What remains is the steering wheel, albeit re-trimmed in blue leather with a thinner rim. The shift paddles are borrowed from newer Astons, while the lower-set sports seats are trimmed with Callum’s own tartan design. You’ll find the same tartan-effect forged in metal for the bonnet vents, too. No sign of deployable shotguns, though…
The centrepiece for the cabin is the Bremont luxury watch that sits atop the dashboard, where you’d find the Sport Chrono dial in a Porsche. Thankfully, it can be removed when you park. Bremont is also responsible for the new instrument binnacle.
The start of something special
Of course, the Vanquish isn’t an automotive oil painting. In period, the driving experience was as muscular as the styling suggests. Vanquish 25 gets stiffer anti-roll bars, tuned dampers and custom springs, along with that lower ride height. The goal is to provide the sharper sporting edge that modern GT buyers expect, while maintaining the comfort of a grand tourer.
With re-designed wheels and newly calibrated suspension, the Vanquish 25 should have a lighter, pointier feel in the bends. And because nobody gets nostalgic about below-par brakes, modern Aston ceramic rotors are fitted – cooled by air ducts at the front.
Side-by-side comparison of the original Aston Martin Vanquish (Ian Callum’s own car) and the Vanquish 25.
There are lots of detail changes you might initially miss, including the door mirrors, beefier sills, smoother window rubbers and front splitter. pic.twitter.com/KHL7ZnofsJ
The V12 was the jewel in the original Vanquish’s crown. No matter how much more accomplished an equivalent Ferrari or Porsche felt at the time, the Aston would win you over as soon as the engine fired. The Vanquish 25’s 5.9-litre V12 gets a 60hp boost, to 580hp. There’s a new carbon induction system and re-tuned exhaust. So don’t worry, that rumbling soundtrack should be preserved.
Lastly, the bane of the original Vanquish: its gearbox. While the Vanquish 25 won’t come with a manual option, you can get a proper six-speed automatic in place of the much-derided automated manual.
Ian Callum’s love letter to his own best work won’t be for everyone, not least because it costs £550,000 (including the donor car). If you hadn’t twigged, 25 is the number of examples they’re going to make. Ian Callum says there are more projects to come, but this seems a promising start. Bring on the reborn Escort Cosworth.
Ian Callum on the Vanquish 25 – Tim Pitt
We’re in the grandiose gardens of Hampton Court Palace, surrounded by classic cars at the annual Concours of Elegance event. Less positively, it’s just started drizzling and, by the time of my late-afternoon interview slot, Ian Callum has probably been asked the same questions hundreds of times today.
Not that he’s letting on. Callum’s pride and enthusiasm for the Vanquish 25 are infectious. “It has always been one of my absolute favourite cars,” he says with a smile. “That’s why I bought one.” Ian’s own Vanquish – original spec and painted in a very ‘007’ shade of grey – is parked on a plinth next to the ’25’. “I planned to modify this one for personal use,” he explains, “but David Fairbairn [programme director at Callum’s eponymous new design consultancy] suggested making it our first project.”
Asked to pick his favourite details, Ian cites the deeper front grille graphic (“I never liked the DB7 spotlamps either”) and upswept rear diffuser. “It would have been easy to do something more flamboyant, but that’s not in keeping with what the car’s about.” Interestingly, the Vanquish 25 has gained official approval from Aston Martin: “They respect the fact that I was the original designer and they’ve given it their blessing.”
Callum hopes to have the first Vanquish delivered by the end of 2019, and the entire 25-car run built within two years. “There’s plenty more we want to get on with,” he says. And while Callum is adamant he doesn’t want to “redesign somebody else’s car,” he says the next project won’t be an Aston. A Jaguar or even a classic Ford, perhaps? “We don’t know yet, but it will be more in-depth, with bespoke bodywork. Eventually, we hope to build a car from scratch.”
As Ian dashes for his next interview, I’m left feeling enthusiastic about the Vanquish 25 too. After all, ‘restomod’ Porsches are commonplace, yet a modified, modernised Aston is something quite different. I’m intrigued to see what Ian does next.
Transport for London (TfL) has announced plans to reduce speed limits in the capital. The limit within the central Congestion Charge zone limit is dropping to 20mph in 2020.
This is the first phase in a plan to cut speeds across London. Limit reductions of 10mph are planned for 80 miles of 50mph and 40mph roads, too.
The primary aim is to reduce pedestrian casualties. According to the World Health Organisation, any roads where pedestrians and cars regularly share space should have a 20mph limit.
Research says that a pedestrian who is hit by a car travelling at 20mph is five times more likely to survive than if they were hit at 30mph. Speed is a factor in more than one in three (37 percent) collisions where a person is killed or injured in London.
TfL has completed a risk analysis on roads with the highest likelihood of collisions. Factors include death and serious injury figures, the density of pedestrian usage in the area and speed limits in surrounding areas.
If you’re worried that lower speed limits will cause congestion, this is also a factor in judging the suitability of a limit reduction.
TfL says that the limits will mostly be ‘self-enforcing’. That means signs, road markings, speed bumps, raised crossings, traffic islands and other elements that encourage slower driving.
What it doesn’t mean, apparently, is a barrage of speed cameras.
One happy side effect of lower speed limits could be less pollution. An Imperial University evaluation said that there would be no net negative effect on emissions. It also suggests that lower speeds could mean reduced particulate matter from tyres and brakes, given the reduction in acceleration and deceleration cycles.
Porsche has increased its stake in Rimac Automobili to 15.5 percent following the purchase of an additional 5 percent share of the Croatian electric hypercar firm.
The German sports car company is strengthening its partnership following its initial investment in Rimac back in June 2018.
“It quickly became clear to us that Porsche and Rimac could learn a lot from each other,” said Lutz Meschke, Porsche AG CFO.
“We are convinced of Mate Rimac (pictured above) and his company, so now we have increased our stake and are expanding our cooperation in battery technology.”
As Porsche scales up its electric car portfolio, it will increasingly harness Rimac’s expertise in EV powertrains, batteries and other components related to electrification.
Porsche also plans to utilise Rimac’s expertise in autonomous driving.
Founder Mate Rimac remains CEO of the firm, which today employs 600 people. “It was one of the most important milestones in our history to win Porsche as a partner,” he said.
“The fact that Porsche is now increasing its stake is the best confirmation of our cooperation and the basis for an even closer relationship.”
Porsche’s investment will speed up development capabilities at Rimac, so it can support other automotive companies. It will also help the firm launch its new C_Two electric hypercar, which it describes as the most technologically advanced model ever launched.
Final development is now underway, ahead of customer deliveries beginning in 2020.
There are numerous ways fraudsters try to dupe used car buyers. Whether it’s the condition of the car itself, or the process of paying for it – you have to be vigilant at every stage.
Vehicle valuation specialist HPI has compiled a list of the methods car sales scammers use. Here are the six main issues to be aware of.
Clocking
It’s the oldest trick in the book. For as long as cars have been on the road, those selling them have been winding back mileage. Fewer miles mean more money, after all.
Clocking is less of a problem with modern cars. MOT history checks via the government website can usually show you the progress of a vehicle’s mileage over the years.
Needless to say, if it goes from 70,000 to 30,000 between one MOT and the next, drop it like a hot potato. You should expect a documented service history with any car you buy, so use this to double-check.
One of the most dangerous scams, being the victim of a cut-and-shut means your car could be unsafe to drive.
A cut-and-shut is a crashed car that has been welded together with a donor car. Needless to say, structural strength often isn’t up to par.
Inspect the car you’re buying closely. Look at door shuts and panel gaps to see if they’re tight and even, then examine the chassis underneath.
Cloning
Cloning is a bit less ‘Dagenham Dave’ and a bit more ‘organised crime’. It involves a car being stolen and given the identity of an identical model that isn’t stolen.
It likely won’t come with a V5 registration document, so that’s your first warning sign. If you’re not sure, call the DVLA to confirm the V5 is genuine.
Similarly to cloning, a stolen car is given a new identity by a scammer. The difference here is that the identity is from a car that’s been written off. Yet another reason to be cautious around cars with crash categorisations such as ‘Cat D’.
Make sure the chassis number matches the V5, and that the vehicle identification (VIN) plate hasn’t been tampered with.
Aim to match the address where you view the car with the V5, too. If you have a stolen car, the police will seize it and you’ll be out of pocket, regardless of who is at fault.
Hire car fraud
It’s as simple as it sounds. This involves a scammer hiring a car and then selling it to you.
In other words, it’s the sale of a stolen car. Carry out all the basic checks, including the V5 document, and walk away if there isn’t one.
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Deposit fraud
Deposit fraud is where a scammer will pressure you to send money in advance, especially if you can’t view the car right away.
It’s a technique used by long-distance fraudsters, and indeed people selling parts as well as cars. If you must send a deposit, get a receipt.
Even deposit-holding third-party services can be risky. Make sure any service you use is registered and approved by Trading Standards.
Ecotricity, the company that established the first electric car charging network in the UK in 2012, is upgrading its network. To that end, the cost of charging will increase.
The unit cost of Ecotricity’s energy will go up on 4 October 2019, with the Electric Highway rate of 30p per kWh rising to 39p. Fully Charged tariff members get a reduced rate of 19p per kWh.
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In spite of the price rises, however, the Electric Highway will continue to lose money. It says, profits aren’t attainable yet because the user base isn’t at capacity.
Put simply, not enough people drive plug-in vehicles yet. The Ecotricity charging infrastructure seems ahead of the game in terms of the capacity it needs, but is due an upgrade in technology. Faster charging speeds should draw more customers, too.
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Electric car technology has come a long way since 2012. It’s Ecotricity’s intention that the entire network is upgraded to include CCS charging and contactless payment.
Rapid chargers will begin rolling out over the next month to replace the existing 50kW ‘pumps’. In the longer term, ultra high-speed charging facilities are coming. More than 50 applications have been submitted to secure grid capacity for 350kW charging.
Volkswagen has given a classic Beetle a heart transplant. It’s goodbye to the air-cooled chunter that defined seven decades of the original people’s car, and hello to the futuristic hum of electric power. The Beetle will be on display at the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show.
Volkswagen has teamed up with eClassics for the project. However, the powertrain, including battery, transmission and motor, is borrowed from VW’s e-Up electric city car.
The result is perhaps the heaviest classic Beetle ever made. By comparison with modern cars, however, it’s a featherweight, at 1,280kg. It’ll go more than 120 miles on a charge, and can be recharged up to 90 miles of range within an hour.
Will you be able to buy one? Well, Volkswagen is talking up the capability of its components division, so there’s a very real possibility.
“The electrified Beetle combines the charm of our classic car with the mobility of the future,” said Thomas Schmall of Volkswagen.
“Innovative e- components from Volkswagen Group Components are under the bonnet – we work with them to electrify historically important vehicles, in what is an emotional process.
“We are also providing Beetle owners with a professional conversion solution, using production parts of the highest quality.”
While Volkswagen provides the parts, eClassics is responsible for fusing car and powertrain.
“We are proud that we and Volkswagen Group Components could get the show on the road with this project. We are also looking forward to seeing many e-Beetles on the street soon,” said MD of eClassics, Dennis Murschel.
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What’s perhaps even more interesting is that the Beetle won’t be a one-off. The marque is investigating the possibility of electrifying other classics from its back-catalogue. VW is even considering infusing classics with its latest Modular Electric Drive Matrix (MEB) electric car tech.
“We are already working together to prepare the platform for the Bus,” explained Thomas Schmall. “An e-Porsche 356 could also be pursued in the future.”
Exotic, exclusive and expensive, Salon Privé is the UK’s A-list supercar show, held on the manicured lawns of Blenheim Palace. This year, no less than 11 vehicles made their UK debuts, from a Slovenian supercar to a resurrected vintage Bentley. We donned our best suits and selflessly quaffed free champagne to bring you the highlights.
Read on for details of all 11 debuts at Salon Privé 2019, plus an MR-exclusive photo gallery.
Austro Daimler Bergmeister ADR 630 Shooting Grand
Try saying “Austro Daimler Bergmeister ADR 630 Shooting Grand” after a couple of glasses of Krug. Back in 1910, Austro Daimler built the world’s fastest car – the 85mph Prinz Heinrich – but the company closed its doors in 1931. Fast-forward nearly 90 years and it’s back, this time attached to a plug-in hybrid loosely based on the Mercedes-AMG GT.
The headline stats are startling: 1,215hp, 1,180lb ft of torque and 0-62mph in 2.5 seconds. Combining the GT’s 3.0-litre straight-six with three electric motors, the ADR 630 Shooting Grand also offers an electric-only range of 155 miles. Top speed is ‘in excess of 200mph’ and kerb weight is a relatively modest 1,650kg.
The styling of the Bergmeister (let’s call it that for convenience) clearly owes much to the Mercedes-Benz 300SL ‘Gullwing’ – it even emulates that icon’s trademark doors. The area usually occupied by the AMG GT’s boot is full of batteries, so a shooting break tail treatment provides added storage space. Other neat touches include a ‘double-bubble’ roof and Art Deco-inspired interior.
Puritalia Berlinetta
‘Puritalia Automobili Berlinetta’ is another name that could prove challenging to say when sloshed. If we were being cruel, we might suggest the designer of this 965hp Italian sports car also imbibed one too many. But beauty is in the eye of the beer holder.
Hand-built near Naples, the Berlinetta has its roots in the 427 Roadster – a reborn AC Cobra. As such, most of its power (750hp, to be precise) comes from a good ol’ 5.0-litre supercharged V8, with the remaining 215hp via an electric motor driving the rear axle. In a 1,410kg carbon fibre coupe, that means 0-62mph in 2.7 seconds and 208mph.
HR Owen is the sole UK retailer for Puritalia and only 150 cars – each one taking 800 hours to build – will be sold worldwide. Be prepared to stump up £500,000 if you want one.
Tushek TS 900 H Apex
Slovenian racing driver Aljosa Tushek has launched his eponymous company in some style. The 1,410kg TS 900 H is billed as ‘the lightest hypercar on the road’ (don’t tell the McLaren Senna) and makes a combined 950hp from a petrol V8 and two electric motors. Performance? Yep, there’s plenty of that: 0-60mph in 2.5 seconds and a top speed of 236mph.
The wedgy bodywork is all carbon fibre, mounted on a chrome-moly spaceframe. Upwards-opening scissor doors add some visual theatre, while the removable roof means you can ‘experience the full exhilarating symphony of the thunderous V8’. In the genteel gardens of Blenheim Palace, it sounded utterly ferocious.
In a nod to its racing roots, the TS 900 H Apex wears super-sticky Pirelli Trofeo R tyres. Can we expect a establishment-baiting Nurburgring lap-time, perhaps even with Aljosa behind the wheel? Watch this space.
Alpine A110S
The Alpine A110 was pretty much perfect from launch: an immaculate conception that marked a triumphant return for a largely forgotten brand. Now Alpine has launched the faster, stiffer and all-round sportier A110S. Has it gilded the lily?
Thankfully, the changes are subtle. The 1.8-litre turbo four has been tweaked to produce 292hp – an increase of 40hp over the standard car – while a switchable sports exhaust delivers a ‘more emotive engine sound’. Brakes, tyres and suspension have also been upgraded, with beefier Brembo calipers, wider Michelin Pilot Sport 4 rubber and a 4mm drop in ride height, plus stiffer anti-roll bars.
On sale from 3 September 2019, the A110S is priced at £56,810: around £10k more than the entry-level ‘Pure’ spec A110. Worth the extra cash? We’re itching to find out.
Ateliers Diva Targa
The ‘backdated’ Porsche 911 – with classic looks and more modern mechanicals – is nothing new. However, the rise of Singer has supercharged this market so that no ropey old SC or 964 is safe from a ‘restomod’ makeover. Now French company Crubilé Sport, which has decades of experience restoring 911s, wants a piece of the action.
The Ateliers Diva Targa is based on the 964-model 911, built between 1989 and 1994. Buyers can choose from a Carrera 2 or 4 drivetrain (the latter with four-wheel drive) and Coupe, Targa or Safari body styles – the Safari with raised suspension and rally accessories. Crubilé Sport will build 75 cars in total.
As ever, the heart of this 911 is behind the back axle: a race-derived 4.2-litre engine said to offer ‘the reliability of a modern 991’. No performance figures have been quoted yet, but with a kerb weight around 1,100kg, safe to assume it’s pretty swift. We want one.
Jannarelly Design-1
Designer Anthony Jannarelly first grabbed the attention of petrolheads with the W Motors Lykan HyperSport, a money-no-object hypercar built in the Middle East. Now he’s put own name on a retro-styled, rear-wheel-drive roadster.
The Design-1 was originally a one-off for Anthony’s personal use. However, “such was the enthusiasm”, he explains, “we decided to go the whole way and launch our own sports car brand. And so Jannarelly was born”. Based on a steel and aluminium tubular frame, the Design-1 weighs just 810kg with composite bodywork, or 760kg in all-carbon. Power comes from a 330hp 3.5-litre Nissan V6, serving up 0-62mph in ‘less than four seconds’.
Salon Prive debut 6: Jannarelly Design-1.
Retro roadster from the man who designed the W Motors Lykan Hypersport. A 320hp Nissan V6 and 800kg kerb weight. pic.twitter.com/9odJxicIyS
David Bagley, co-founder of Salon Privé said “I’m thrilled that Anthony and Thomas Ceccaldi, director of Jannarelly Paris, have selected our event to launch the thrilling Design-1 to the UK market. By and large, the guests who attend Salon Privé are knowledgeable, well-heeled enthusiasts and I’m confident that they will welcome this fabulous new sports car brand when it is unveiled on the lawns of Blenheim Palace.”
Rolls-Royce Ghost Zenith
Not even Rolls-Royce is immune to knocking out special editions when a car reaches its twilight days. The 10–year-old Ghost is due for replacement soon and 50 Zenith editions will mark its passing. Each car has a commemorative ingot inlaid into the dashboard, which is made from the melted-down Spirit of Ecstasy of the original ‘200EX’ Ghost prototype.
The 200EX is also remembered by an engraving on the centre console. This blueprint-inspired artwork has been divided into 50 parts, ‘allowing each Ghost Zenith customer their own personal and individual work of art, while at the same time uniting the collection as a group homage to Ghost’. So now you know.
Three different colour combinations are available: Iguazu Blue with Andalusian White, Premiere Silver with Arctic White or Bohemian Red with Black Diamond. Whichever spec you go for, future classic status seems assured. Rolls-Royce doesn’t quote a price, but if you have to ask, etc, etc….
Bentley Corniche
The original Bentley Corniche was commissioned by Greek racer Andre Embiricos and styled by Georges Paulin. Thanks to its streamlined body, it topped 100mph on the banked Brooklands circuit. Sadly, the Corniche was damaged by a bus while road testing in France in July 1939. The subsequent outbreak of World War Two then saw it damaged by a Luftwaffe bombing raid, never to be seen again.
Now, Bentley’s bespoke Mulliner division has re-created the long-lost Corniche, which makes its public debut at Salon Privé. The car has been a true labour of love, aided by volunteers who gathered information and sourced parts to assemble the chassis. Using original technical drawings combined with modern CAD techniques, the end result is simply stunning. Mulliner carpenter Gary Bedson even devised a custom steam booth to bend sections of wood for the window surrounds.
Salon Prive debut 8: Bentley Corniche.
The original was destroyed by a Luftwaffe bombing raid in 1939. This version has been recreated in-house by Mulliner using original blueprints and parts. pic.twitter.com/qVsTu8jOmy
“It’s been a fantastic team effort,” said Stefan Sielaff, design director at Bentley. “We have skilled craftsmen within Mulliner and around the rest of Bentley Motors and they all have massive pride in what they’ve achieved with this car.”
Pininfarina Battista
Pity the poor Pininfarina Battista. With a faintly ludicrous 1,900hp, it was (briefly) the most powerful production car ever until the Lotus Evija came along. Still, buyers who stump up the requisite £2 million aren’t likely to complain about 0-62mph in ‘less than two seconds’.
All that oomph comes from four electric motors – one for each wheel – providing a combined 1,696lb ft of torque. Handling has been honed by ex-F1 driver Nick Heidfeld, along with chassis guru Peter Tutzer (formerly of Bugatti, Pagani and Porsche).
Fittingly for the company that penned many of Ferrari’s finest, the carbon-bodied Battista is also utterly gorgeous. Sleek, curvaceous and devoid of aggressive aero appendages, it’s every inch the 21st-century hypercar. Just 150 will be built, after which Indian-owned Pininfarina Automobili plans to make an SUV.
Rimac C_Two
The Rimac C_Two was delayed en route to Salon Privé, hence the library pics here. To our knowledge, it’s the only car besides the first-generation Kia Pro_Cee’d to feature an underscore in its name. The Croatian electric supercar also promises the small matter of 1,913hp (yep, even more than the Battista) for 0-60mph in 1.85 seconds, 0-186mph in 11.8 seconds and a top speed of 258mph. Yowzers.
The £2.3 million Rimac also uses facial recognition rather than a key to unlock and start (don’t grow a beard or you’re going nowhere), plus it should deliver more than 400 miles range on a full charge.
Hands-down our favourite feature, though, is inside the cabin. After Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond famously crashed and burned its Concept One predecessor on camera, the C-Two has the words ‘In case of hill climb, extinguish fire’ inscribed on the leather strap that secures its fire extinguisher.
Bentley EXP 100 GT
Finally, back to Bentley. The EXP 100 GT is a celebration of the first 100 years of the British marque. It ‘reimagines the Grand Tourer for the world of 2035… a world of shared luxury experiences where passenger and driver enjoy equal status in their enjoyment of their extraordinary journeys’. In part, that means this concept EV can virtually drive itself.
A total of four electric motors produce 1,106lb ft of torque, enough to propel the 1,900kg EXP 100 GT to 60mph in 2.5 seconds and 186mph flat-out. The design, which looks stunning in the metal, hints at legendary Bentleys of old: spot the R-Type Continental rear haunches and headlights that evoke the iconic Blower. The illuminated matrix grille, however, is fearlessly futuristic.
A quoted range of 435 miles is perhaps less impressive than the batteries’ ability to be recharged to 80 percent capacity in just 15 minutes. Inside, a ‘Bentley Personal Assistant’ analyses your eye movements and blood pressure, tailoring the car’s systems to suit. A unique ‘Enhance’ mode also adapts light, sound, smell and air quality to deliver a ‘feeling of open top motoring from under the glass canopy’. Only 16 more years to wait…
It seems like only yesterday the BMW i8 was launched, looking every inch a vision of the future. Six years on, it’s signing off with the ‘Ultimate Sophisto Edition’ – the last of the i8 line.
Announcing the run of 200 cars, BMW confirmed the i8 will cease production in April 2020. In the company’s own words: ‘the Ultimate Sophisto Edition will escort the world’s most successful plug-in hybrid sports car since its launch in 2014 onto the finishing straight’.
BMW i8 Ultimate Sophisto Edition
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So what defines the Ultimate Sophisto Edition, besides that cringeworthy name? Sophisto Grey paint lends part of the car’s moniker, plus a rather attractive colour.
E-Copper accents provide contrast on the wheels, front grille and around the body, and are reminiscent of the Vision M Next concept. Look to that for clues as to what replaces the i8 next year.
Both Coupe and Roadster versions will be offered, each with a ‘1 of 200’ plaque inside the cabin. The sill plates also get ‘Ultimate Sophisto Edition’ script, while the tail lights are made from clear glass.
BMW i3S Edition Roadstyle
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As ever, the more down-to-earth i3 follows in the i8’s tyre tracks. It too gets a special version called the ‘Edition Roadstyle’, although not to signify the end of production.
It also has flashes of E-Copper, but over Fluid Black paint. On the inside, the headrests come with ‘Edition Roadstyle’ badging.
In spite of BMW’s relative inactivity with the ‘i’ brand, the i8 and i3 have both been trailblazers. What follows the i8 will surely be something special.
A new car reliability survey ranks electric and hybrid vehicles best overall. A rating of 96.1 percent compares with 86.5 percent for the worst-performing vehicle category: luxury SUVs.
The second-best category in the 2019 What Car? survey is city cars, with a 94.7 percent rating for reliability.
When it comes to individual brand reliability, you might be surprised to see Tesla placed fourth, on 96.9 percent. In fact, the only marque that seems to be dragging down the electric and hybrid class is Renault, with the Zoe scoring a disappointing 82.3 percent.
At the opposite end of the scale, the Lexus CT and Toyota Yaris Hybrid both received 100 percent ratings.
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As for luxury SUVs, you could blame much of their dismal performance on the Range Rover. It’s the least reliable car on sale, with a 69.3 percent rating.
The Volkswagen Touareg SUV, by contast, scores 96 percent.
The small and family SUV classes perform disappointingly, given their popularity. Ratings of 93.3 and 91.6 percent respectively are just below average. Again, the family SUV class seems to suffer for the inclusion of the Range Rover Evoque, which scores just 78.4 percent.
Overall, Land Rover is the least reliable marque, with an average rating of 81.3 percent. Lexustops the table, with a 99.3 percent rating.
The What Car? survey questioned more than 18,000 car owners about their experiences This included how reliable their car had been over the past 12 months, how long it took for faults to be repaired, plus what it cost.
“With some models suffering a near-50 percent failure rate, it shows how important it is for buyers do their research when purchasing their next car,” commented Steve Huntingford, editor of What Car?.
