Production of the Volkswagen Beetle will end in 2019, two decades after the model was revived by the German carmaking giant. VW will send it off in America with two runout specials, the Final Edition SE and Final Edition SEL.
Volkswagen says it’s canning the Beetle to focus on electrifying its car range, broadening it into a full range of family-focused models. There’s no room for a niche retro pastiche, says its North American president and CEO, Hinrich J. Woebcken.
“But as we have seen with the I.D. Buzz – which is the modern and practical interpretation of the legendary Bus – I would also say, ‘never say never’.”
How Volkswagen Tried And Failed To Replace The Beetle
Volkswagen is also determined to give the Beetle a proper send-off this time, after letting the original wither away slowly.
“We’re excited to kick off a year of celebrating one of the true icons of the automotive world, with a series of events that will culminate in the end of production in Puebla in July 2019.”Beetle Final Editions
Volkswagen will paint the Final Edition Beetles in two special colours. Safari Uni is a homage to the 1998 New Beetle’s Harvest Moon Beige; Stonewashed Blue references the 1970s Jeans Bug Beetle.
For those not bothered about historical significance, they will also be offered in white, black and grey. Both models have a special ‘Beetle’ badge on the bootlid; to date, Volkswagen has preferred to fit a stylished ‘Turbo’ logo there.
The cars are well equipped, with a range of driver assist systems, climate control and unique seat trim. They also have a 174hp 2.0-litre TSI turbo engine – a petrol, of course, rather than a diesel, because we can’t mention diesegate.
Ordering for the final year Beetles is open now in the United States, with prices starting from $23,045.
So much has moved on in the world, in culture, over the past 20 years. We’ve witnessed change at a pace that makes cars seem out of touch – the proliferation of EVs and autonomous drive notwithstanding. Today, culture is seemingly all about social media, resulting in the hyper-acceleration of trends as they emerge, are digested and then abandoned. In the space of eight years, the world of fashion, for example, has exhumed, worn out and tossed aside influences from most of the latter half of the 20th century.
Where cars and culture do still to collide, however, is modification. The way we modify our cars says a lot about us as people. And people historically enjoy saying a lot about themselves.
It’s an expression of personal vision. The owner curates his or her own mood board – a four-wheeled fibreglass-clad (Max Power era) air-bagged (modern stance era) or track-prepared motoring mural. For all the changes society has gone through, a modified car remains a statement of self, whether you’re in a £500k Brabus G-Class or a Corsa with retro-fit LED bulbs and a pop-and-bang exhaust.
Social media has supercharged car culture
If anything, social media has simply provided a bigger platform to sell yourself and your vision on wheels. All kinds of subcultures have emerged in car modification as the true potential of a connected hive mind is realised. Some so-called influencers even make full-blown careers out of the image they’ve crafted for themselves.
Driving enthusiasts band together via the internet to get the best they can out of their cars. The pool of knowledge at our disposal has resulted in a volume and quality of upgraded performance machines never seen before. Yes, style over substance still dominates, and ‘stanced’ Volkswagens and videos of 90s Japanese sedans going ludicrously sideways still clog our timelines, but we’re better than ever at making our own cars go fast and drive well.
Cars themselves are also more digital, of course, and more easily tuned than ever. Gone are the hardware-only days – you can get mega power from a fast Audi with little more than an engine remap. The expense hasn’t changed, mind.
Online communities dedicated to specific marques, individual models and styles of modification have blossomed – for better or worse. A detailed guide on preparing a Renaultsport Clio for track days plays how to get the most ‘lows’ and extreme camber (resulting in cracked leaking sumps and rust) on a classic Mercedes-Benz estate. The phrase ‘each to their own’ is never used more than in the comments section on a car forum these days. That’s a good thing.
Modded from factory
It’s got to the point where buying a new car has become an exercise in modification all its own. It doesn’t matter whether you’re speccing up your new Fiat 500 or Ferrari 812 Superfast. The options lists of both offer customisation you simply wouldn’t have seen 20 years ago. Whether that means stick-on stripes for the 500, or carbon trimmings on the Ferrari worth more than the Fiat itself. The more expensive the car, generally, the more extensive the customisation on offer.
Companies that began by modifying certain types of car have entered the mainstream. AMG was originally a separate entity to Mercedes-Benz but is now a fully integrated sub-brand. Alpina supplied engine hardware for BMWs, now its cars are warrantied. The same applies to Ford and Mountune; previously the preserve of ST owners with a hunger for more poke. Now you can drive out of a Ford dealer with that distinctive yellow badge and a few more warrantied ponies for your money.
Never mind societal change. Never mind our new-found obsession with ‘likes’ and compulsion to post pictures of our lunches. Car culture and modding has flourished in the social media age. Worry about whether our kids will have to plug in their first cars all you want; they’ll still wonder if they can fit a bigger electric motor, better speakers, maybe drop the suspension. Cars will continue to define us, and our culture.
It’s less than a month now before Turn 10 and Playground Games unleash the fourth instalment of their Microsoft Xbox arcade sandbox all-seasons epic, Forza Horizon 4. As if setting the video game in Britain wasn’t enough, Bond cars have been announced as a day one add-on.
The Best of Bond Car Pack is to feature 10 of the coolest famous bond film vehicles. Everything from the modern Aston Martin DB10, DBS and Jaguar C-X75, to the original Aston DB5 features.
That’s via the Lotus Esprit S1, AMC Hornet, Citroen 2CV6 and more along the way. Even the 1999 BMW Z8 from The World is Not Enough features, though no word on whether it will come ready-cut in half…
Pleasingly, many of the cars will feature the gadgets they had, though only viewable in the Forzavista. The DB5 with its revolving number plates and extendable bumper rams features. No word yet on the machine guns.
Also fully kitted-out is the Esprit S1, with the epic “Wet Nellie” submarine version available as a special body kit.
The only disappointing omission is the Aston Martin Vanquish from Die Another Day. Definitely one of the coolest Bond cars given to us by one of the worst Bond films. Those studded ice tyres would’ve come in handy during the winter months on the game.
This quintessentially British addition should lend the extreme miniaturisation of the UK that Forza Horizon 4 will bring a bit more replay value. We can’t help but think a burnt-out Corsa at the side of every road might be a more authentic addition to the game than these movie star cars, but ho-hum…
The official demo for the Forza Horizon 4 came out yesterday (September 12) and the full game releases on October 2, with Ultimate Edition players able to play on September 28.
BTCC racer Rob Austin has driven a Volkswagen Transporter around the Nurburgring in 9 minutes 58 seconds – becoming the first person to ever lap the green hell in a van in under 10 minutes.
And it was in a rented van.
Provided by Northgate Vehicle Hire, the rental Transporter was a mid-range 2.0-litre TDI 150, and entirely standard production-spec. Watch the record run below.
Presumably, it’s already returned to the hire compound and will be available to rent by people unaware of its small place in Nurburgring history.
Austin spent two days at the circuit testing and attempting to crack the 10-minute mark. The final time was 10 seconds faster than racer and Top Gear presenter Sabine Schmitz’ 2005 time.
Northgate is Austin’s HMS Racing team sponsor in the BTCC, and pulled together the record attempt. “This feat by a professional racing driver was an unusual way to showcase the quality and durability of one of our most popular vans, the Volkswagen Transporter,” said a spokesperson.
Kate Wright, Volkswagen CV national rental manager, agreed this accolade “is perhaps one of the most unusual.
“We’re really excited to be part of this record attempt, which shows just what our vans can do.
“Most customers choose them because they’re reliable, cost-effective and offer some of the best technologies available – but maybe this is another good reason to choose one…”
The latest new series of Fifth Gear has returned to our screens on Quest. Aired on Thursdays at 9pm, the new series started on 6th September and will run throughout the autumn.
Presenter Tiff Needell revealed the welcome news back in the summer, two years after the former F1 racing driver suggested that the show was over for good.
First broadcast on Channel 5 in 2002, Fifth Gear rose from the ashes of Top Gear, which had been cancelled a year earlier. Several ex-Top Gear presenters have appeared on the show, including Tiff, Quentin Willson and Vicki Butler-Henderson. Other popular hosts include Jonny Smith and Jason Plato.
Most recently, Fifth Gear was broadcast on ITV4, but the show has also appeared on Discovery and History. Tiff put the show’s cancellation down to a lack of funding, ending a tweet with the hashtag #money.
But now it’s back – and Vicky Butler-Henderson has since confirmed that the full team is back together: herself, Tiff, Jason and Jonny.
While Fifth Gear has always lived in the shadow of its more famous rival, the show’s down-to-earth and relaxed style made it a huge hit with car fans. On its return, it will face a battle for ratings, with big-budget competition from Top Gear and The Grand Tour, along with a host of cable and YouTube channels.
The high-profile status of the four presenters will help, though. Only this week, Jonny tweeted: “In the last two weeks the offers of TV work seem to have gone crackers”. Meanwhile, ‘VBH’ is part of the AutoTrader REV team, hosting car reviews alongside Erin Baker and Rachael Hogg.
Responding to a tweet, Tiff hinted that Jason Plato will be part of the team, saying: “We were both smoking tyres yesterday…”
In the last 2 weeks suddenly the offers of TV work seem to have gone crackers. I’ve been in the business long enough to know they rarely all come to fruition, but nevertheless it bodes well for an exciting remainder of 2018.
Tiff Needell’s broadcasting career began at ATV Midlands before he joined Murray Walker for live coverage of Silverstone’s Formula Two race on BBC Grandstand in 1981. He became a regular co-commentator with Walker throughout the 80s, before joining Top Gear in 1987.
Details for the inaugural Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy have been announced, with 10 races set to take place in nine different cities.
Created as an official support race for the FIA Formula E Championship, the eTrophy will pit a grid of up to 20 identical production-based Jaguar I-Pace EV racers against each other.
The first round will get underway on the 15th December, with competitors taking to a street circuit in the Saudi Arabian city of Ad Diriyah. Further rounds will take in Europe, Asia, and the Americas, before a season finale in New York City.
Races in the I-Pace eTrophy will last for 25 minutes, plus one lap, giving drivers and fans plenty of time for action on track. Taking place before the Formula E main event, the eTrophy is intended to highlight emerging young talent, and show that electric cars are anything but boring.
Each round of the calendar will also see a VIP driver added to the grid. Jaguar hopes to attract famous faces from the world of motorsport, and further afield, to enter the fray.
The eTrophy has the makings of a potentially dramatic race series. With 20 equal cars on narrow street circuits, the competition should be close. Hopefully Jaguar has produced plenty of spare body panels in anticipation. A prize fund exceeding £500,000 ($650,000) for the season should offer additional motivation.
Entrants will receive their specially prepared I-Pace race car later this month, with a special test day at the Silverstone race circuit. After that, the drivers will have several weeks to prepare themselves for the opening round of the championship.
The new 2019 Mercedes-Benz GLE will be offered with world-first active air suspension that delivers “extraordinary” ride comfort. It’s so clever, it can even scan the road ahead to counteract bumps before they are reached.
The new large SUV rivals the Audi Q7, Land Rover Discovery and BMW X5, and is offered for the first time as a three-row seven-seater alongside the standard five-seater. The GLE is the most aerodynamic car in its class (the Cd drag factor is just 0.29) and has the most active driver-assist systems.
Mercedes-Benz will give the new GLE its world debut at the 2018 Paris Motor Show, before sales begin in the autumn.
‘SUV leadership’
The new GLE “shows our determination to reinforce our claim to leadership in the SUV segment,” said Mercedes-Benz R&D chief, Ola Kallenius. Significantly more interior space, a completely new engine range and far more assistance systems underline this, he explained.
The trick suspension, which Mercedes-Benz calls E-Active Body Control, is an optional system that blends Airmatic air ride with 48-volt active assistance. It can control each wheel individually, and a camera reads the road surface ahead so it can spot bumps, dips and other intrusions.
Mercedes-Benz calls it “the world’s most intelligent SUV suspension” that delivers “an extraordinary level of comfort”. It will even lean into bends, like a motorcycle, offsetting centrifugal forces almost entirely.
It’s good for off-road driving, too – again because of its infinite adjustability. Each wheel can be actuated individually via the touchscreen, and if you get stuck, the suspension will raise up and down several times to change the ground pressure and allow the GLE to “rock itself free”.
All-new engines – but petrol-only at first
Mercedes-Benz will bring an all-new engine range to the GLE, including a 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel and a plug-in hybrid with a much greater electric-only driving range than today’s models.
However, the launch engine range is restricted to a single six-cylinder petrol version, the GLE 450 4Matic EQ Boost. This produces 367hp and 368lb ft of torque – to which an extra 22hp and 184lb ft of pulling power are added in short bursts thanks to the EQ Boost 48-volt electronics system.
CO2 emissions from 190g/km are claimed, and claimed fuel economy of 34.0mpg underlines the need for a diesel and plug-in hybrid.
Sensual purity
The GLE’s styling was overseen by design boss Gorden Wagener, who says it combines the latest ‘sensual purity’ design philosophy with more traditional off-roader cues. It has the wide C-pillar seen on all large Mercedes-Benz SUVs since the original 1997 M-Class, plus big wheels that start at 18 inches and run all the way to 22 inches.
The wheelbase is stretched significantly, the overhangs are short, the grille is octagonal and upright, and Mercedes-Benz offers the chunky roof rails with a set of illuminated running boards.
However, it also has liberal use of chrome, including the luxury saloon-style window surrounds, which reveal an interior that again blends the modern Mercedes-Benz cabin look with SUV traits. The free-floating screens on top of the dash, for example, both blends into the doors but also the raised centre console, which incorporates SUV-style grab handles as well as rich, finely-crafted details.
Seven-seat GLE
It’s also significantly roomier in there. More upright A-pillars mean it’s easier to get in and out of the front, while a wheelbase that’s nearly three metres long liberates far more space for middle-seat passengers. They can even have sector-first six-way individually-adjustable seats, which slide back and forth 100mm, have reclining backrests and even electrically-adjusted head restraints, all done via the familiar Mercedes-Benz ‘seat’ control in the door.
The three-row, seven-seat option is a GLE first; if you don’t pick it, you will enjoy a boot that stretches from 825 litres to over 2,000 litres. The air suspension also lowers down via a button in the boot, so it’s easier to load.
Then there’s the brace of driver assist systems, which frankly, we’d be here for hours explaining in detail. Suffice to say, although the GLE can’t quite yet drive itself, you sense it has more than enough technology on board to do so.
The MBUX infotainment system is all-new too, and further developed over the A-Class it launched on. With more clever tricks, Mercedes-Benz continues to develop the system, and has added a camera that monitors driver movements – so you can, for example, switching on the reading lamp simply by raising your hand towards the rear-view mirror. Here’s hoping it’s a bit more intuitive than the similar system in the latest BMWs…
Prices for the new 2019 Mercedes-Benz GLE have yet to be announced, but we won’t have long to wait. It’s due to go on sale in the autumn, following its world debut at the 2018 Paris show, so we can also expect to be driving it sooner rather than later. First deliveries to Europe are scheduled for early 2019.
Is it the new SUV the Land Rover Discovery, Volvo XC90, Audi Q7 and upcoming new BMW X5 have to beat? We shall see…
It might have a Korean badge, but there are few cars more American than the Kia Telluride. If only we could buy it in the UK…
Kia describes its new monster truck as “ranch-ready with saddle-like leather accents”. Granted, that’s with reference to the New York Fashion Week concept version seen here, but you get the point. The Telluride is an extra large – with extra cheese – blunderbuss of a car, named after a town in the Colorado Rocky mountains.
All-American hyperbole aside, it’s a large SUV not unlike the Audi Q7. It seats eight, looks great and is most certainly not lightweight. It makes us wonder whether Kia could score a home run by offering this type of flagship SUV in the UK, complete with a bombproof warranty to worry German rivals.
Could the Kia Telluride have a place in the UK?
That’s the question, isn’t it? Kia is keen on making statements of intent at the minute. The Stinger GT is all about affirming the company’s place as a legitimate alternative to the premium executive stalwarts, and does so really rather well. Truth be told, it sticks out like a sore thumb in the current range of value-for-money volume fodder.
With the eight-seater, Georgia-built Telluride by its side, Kia’s range of premium cars would gain strength and no little style.
It is premium, too. Underneath all that Texan garnish the cabin features lovely styling with similar design language to what we saw in the Stinger’s cabin. On the outside you could take the badges off, stick it in a Grand Theft Auto game and players would mistake it for a fictitious recreation of the Bentayga. It really does have that kind of presence – and no, that’s not an illusion generated by all the adventuring paraphernalia on the car pictured.
What’s more, Kia isn’t seemingly betraying any brand values or hero cars of old by offering a big hairy truck. Envy that, Maserati, Ferrari and Lamborghini…
Is the King Kia too big for our roads?
A big truck is a halo car and a statement, just like Volkswagen’s Touareg, the Audi Q7 and, of course, the SUV that started it all: the Range Rover. A premium SUV at the head of the range adds brand kudos – just ask BMW (although they might be busy readying their X7 flagship SUV).
On the X7, there’s the argument about size. The argument is ongoing about whether certain cars are too big for UK roads. Yet here we are about to receive a proper American-sized (and American-built) German bus onto our Tarmac – the largest BMW ever made. Why shouldn’t the Kia join it?
A beefy X7-sized truck with Stinger-esque feel, eight seats and a seven-year warranty, and for thousands less than the aforementioned German bruiser, sounds like a winner to us.
Some Euro-centric tweaks – like a competent hybrid model and a toning-down of any chrome lashings – and it’ll be ripe for sale, we reckon. At the very least, it’s another mega boost to Kia’s brand image, picking up where the Stinger left off.
Gone are the days when a car breakdown would result in a long walk to a telephone box or pleading with a nearby homeowner to borrow their phone. Today, you simply call the breakdown company using your smartphone. Or do you?
According to research conducted by the RAC Foundation, there are 5,540 stretches of road in Britain where drivers would find it impossible to call for help because there is no mobile phone voice coverage from any network provider.
This represents two percent of the length of Britain’s road network, with a further 44,368 miles of road (18 percent) having only partial voice coverage. Maybe that dilapidated telephone box you pass on a daily basis might come in handy after all.
Unsurprisingly, it’s Britain’s rural extremities that fare the worst, with the Highland local authority area containing 910 miles of road with no voice coverage. If your car breaks down in Powys, Argyll & Bute, Cumbria or Dumfries & Galloway, be prepared for a walk in search of a signal.
In total, 90 local authority areas have one or more stretches of road where there is no voice signal available, making a call for help impossible. If, however, a motorist is in a location where their phone network provides no coverage but another network does, an emergency call can still be made.
‘Still work to be done’
Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, said: “The good news is that mobile coverage has improved a great deal across our road network. On our motorways, which carry around a fifth of all traffic, every mile should now have voice and basic data coverage plus a 4G signal for all but a couple of miles.
“As rapidly as the technology has advanced, so too have our expectations of enjoying uninterrupted connectivity. Hopes are high that autonomous and connected vehicles will make our roads safer and help cut congestion, but that is dependent on those vehicles being able to communicate with each other and the infrastructure around them.
“This analysis shows that there is still work to be done to make constant and comprehensive coverage a reality.”
The local authorities with the most miles of road with no voice coverage
Highland (910 miles of road with no voice coverage)
Williams Advanced Engineering and Unipart are teaming up to open Britain’s largest independent vehicle battery factory in Coventry. The new site will open for business in 2019 – and Aston Martin will be its first customer.
Called Hyperbat Limited, the new electric car battery plant will create 90 jobs. The first vehicle to use batteries built there will be the Aston Martin Rapide E.
The collaboration will build upon Williams Advanced Engineering’s experience of supplying batteries to FIA Formula E racers, and Unipart’s expertise in manufacturing, logistics and supply.
Fittingly, the battery factory will be housed in a 100-year-old building, which until recently produced vehicle exhausts.
Business secretary Greg Clark said the factory “will develop new vehicle battery technologies and create high-skilled jobs in Coventry.
“Through the Industrial Strategy, the government us building on our world leading strengths in auto manufacturing and clean growth, making the UK the go-to place for these technologies.”
It’s not just electric cars that Hyperbat Limited is targeting. “Hyperbat will also look into high performance battery applications beyond automotive,” said Williams Advanced Engineering MD Craig Wilson, “delivering innovative technology and high value manufacturing, as well as jobs for the next generation workforce”.
The factory will specialise in high performance, low volume and fully flexible batteries and, said Unipart MD Carol Burke, “be highly adaptable to meet the changing requirements of future demands”.
Production will begin in Q1 2019 – and additional customers for Hyperbat Limited will be announced “in due course”.
Production of the Volkswagen Beetle will end in 2019, two decades after the model was revived by the German carmaking giant. VW will send it off in America with two runout specials, the Final Edition SE and Final Edition SEL.
BTCC racer 
The new 2019 Mercedes-Benz GLE will be offered with world-first active air suspension that delivers “extraordinary” ride comfort. It’s so clever, it can even scan the road ahead to counteract bumps before they are reached.
Williams Advanced Engineering and Unipart are teaming up to open Britain’s largest independent vehicle battery factory in Coventry. The new site will open for business in 2019 – and 