Despite Amazon being rather busy with everyone taking advantage of Black Friday deals, the online giant has partnered with Alfa Romeo to offer an experience of the Stelvio SUV.
Forget heading down to your local dealership, Amazon will bring a Stelvio direct to your home or offices. Interested customers will then get to take the brand’s first SUV on a 45 minute test drive, providing they live within one of the chosen locations.
Booking a test drive is simple, making use of a dedicated section on the Amazon website, and can be done from either a desktop computer or mobile device.
Specialist staff will be on hand to make sure drivers discover the most about the car, and are also able to answer any questions about the Stelvio.
Sadly there are no online shopping discounts should you want to buy, with customers directed to their nearest Alfa dealership should they want to order a Stelvio.
Prime choices
Alfa Romeo joins other marques who have partnered with Amazon in recent months.
Volvo made use of the company to offer test drives of the V40 hatchback in May this year. Demand was so high, that the company offered a second round of Prime Now events a month later.
In the USA, Hyundai has an online store integrated into the Amazon.com website. This allows customers to arrange test drives at a location of their choice and discover specifications.
James Marsh, Alfa Romeo customer experience director, explained the Amazon partnership as a chance to put “customers at the centre and make the whole process of trying a new car as convenient as possible while still allowing them to experience the Alfa Romeo passion”.
2018 Amazon Alfa Romeo test drive schedule
Offered on a first come first served basis, test drives will be available on the below weekends:
With risk comes reward. That’s the theory, anyway. Betting your life savings on black will either make you rich or sitting on the brink of financial ruin. Still, nothing ventured, nothing gained.
I’m not going to pretend that blowing £100 on a Renault Laguna is quite the same as risking your rainy-day cash on the spin of a roulette wheel, but the effects could be just as severe.
My life in surprisingly reliable cheap cars
The Laguna has become an axiom of unreliability. It is the antithesis of the Honda Jazz. The opposite of common sense. Only a fool would buy one. Which probably explains why I’m the custodian of a 2004 Renault Laguna II Sport Tourer.
Yep, the Laguna II is the problem child. It all started so well for Renault’s family exec, with the first-generation Laguna securing a foothold in a segment dominated by Ford and Vauxhall, helped in no small part by the exploits of the Williams-Renault BTCC cars, most notably in 1997.
Win on Sunday, sell more toner cartridges on Monday, or something along those lines.
The toast of Leigh Delamere
The Laguna II, unveiled at the 2000 Paris Motor Show, looked set to carry Renault’s repmobile into the new millennium, riding on a wave of avant-garde styling. Regie invested heavily in the car, developing the hatchback and estate models individually from the outset to create two different vehicles.
Things started well. The design, influenced by the Initiale concept car of 1995, was smart, if not exactly groundbreaking, and the Laguna packed enough tech to keep a sales rep chatting over his Early Starter for hours on end.
Entering and starting a car with the aid of a keycard felt otherworldly back then, while sat-nav, parking sensors and xenon headlights were the preserve of the cars lined up in the senior management parking bays, not those jostling for position at South Mimms or Leigh Delamere.
But the Laguna’s pièce de résistance, its main party trick, was its five-star Euro NCAP safety rating. Crash tested in 2001, the Laguna became the first car to achieve the maximum score: a milestone in the history of European safety ratings.
However, 17 years is a long time in the car industry, and it hasn’t been kind to the Laguna II. Spend a few minutes online, and you’ll be greeted with tales of terror, shocking stories and ‘approach with caution’ notices.
The Honest John ‘Good & Bad’ section provides the perfect demonstration of the Laguna’s many imperfections, with the list of faults far outweighing the positives, of which there are just two. Seriously, nobody in their right mind would buy a leggy Laguna II after perusing this CV.
Or would they? The problem is, I dream about different cars to most folk. While many car enthusiasts head to the numerous car festivals or concours events to get their motoring kicks, I tend to find my thrills in less salubrious surroundings.
Under the arches, at the back of industrial estates or searching the ‘under £500’ category in the classifieds are the kind of places you’ll find me. It’s a dark, gritty and occasionally oily existence, but it makes me happy.
Which is why the £100 Laguna ranks as my best purchase of 2018.
Shabby, cheap
Admittedly, £100 isn’t a tremendous amount of cash to risk on a car – some kids spend more than that playing an hour of Fortnite – but, you need to factor in the cost of insurance (£140), tax (£195) and petrol, servicing and maintenance.
Standard costs regardless of what car you’re buying, and at least there’s no depreciation to worry about. Which is great, because you have plenty of other things to lose sleep over when you own a Laguna II.
It’s not perfect, but what would you expect from a car costing a ton? Cosmetically, you could describe it as tatty, bordering on shabby. But, isn’t shabby chic all the rage, or have I got the wrong end of the stick?
There’s a nasty scrape on one of the wheelarches, a bodged repair on a sill and enough scratches to make me think it has had a tussle with Edward Scissorhands. But, it’s all original, it has never been in an accident, and it even wears its original dealer number plates.
It helps that it has had just two previous owners in its 14-year life. The original custodian kept it for the first three years, racking up 60,000 miles in the process, with the second owner holding on to it ever since.
There are enough invoices, receipts and old MOTs to fill two box files, providing the kind of service history used car buyers dream about. Admittedly, in the case of the Laguna II, a history of maintenance is as much a paper trail of terror as it is evidence of loving care.
But, everything has been fixed when required, advisory notes have been acted upon and, mechanically at least, the £100 Laguna has wanted for nothing. Let’s also remember that it has survived various scrappage schemes and opportunities for it to be traded in for something less troublesome.
Not that getting rid of a Laguna II is a straightforward process. According to Honest John, some dealers refused to take these cars in part-exchange, preferring to chance their arm with something less problematic, like an unexploded bomb, Katie Price’s financial affairs or world peace.
It means that the Laguna II tends to be cheaper than the original Laguna – it’s not hard to find a selection of cars available for £300 to £500. You can thank our disposable society and the rise of the PCP deal for the plethora of bargain-basement family cars, but there are far safer options at this end of the market.
The Honda Accord, Toyota Avensis, Ford Mondeo, taking the bus or staying indoors – all preferable to a cheap Laguna II.
A moustache and monkey’s leotard
OK, enough of the doom and gloom, what’s this car really like? Well, subjectively, I think it has aged as well as any other estate car of the previous decade. It doesn’t have the Teutonic class of a German wagon, but in profile and from the front, it remains elegant and understated. The brushed aluminium ‘tache’ above the grille is a nice touch, as if the designers took inspiration from a Magnet kitchen catalogue.
The 1.9-litre dCi engine is relatively economical – I’ve averaged 42.0mpg since buying it, which isn’t bad for a diesel estate in the autumn of its existence. With a fleet of petrol-engined coupes, hot hatches and convertibles, it’s rather refreshing to see a 700-mile range when you fill the tank.
Similarly refreshing is the fact that I don’t give a monkey’s leotard where I park the Laguna, or indeed what happens to it. Only last week, when the winds were whipped into a frenzy by Storm Seigfried – or whatever the latest bit of bad weather was called – a six-bar gate swung back and struck the nearside wing mirror.
Had this happened to my other cars, I’d have gone a little pale, muttered a few obscenities and prepared myself for a bill. In this instance, I didn’t give it a second thought until a couple of days later when I returned to the car to find the wing mirror folded in.
For the first four weeks of ownership, I even left the car unlocked, as the keycard’s lock function wasn’t working. Fortunately, I soon realised that the spare keycard is fully operational, but I can’t imagine leaving any of my other cars open to a legion of ne’er-do-wells.
That said, I’m guessing the underclass have standards – a getaway car is no good if it’s going to leave you stranded before Jamie Theakston has climbed into the back of a 3 Series patrol car to give chase.
It’s also an excellent car for the tip run, and not just because of the massive load area. Two dumpy bags of hawthorn bush cuttings were merely forced into the back, with little regard for the headlining, seats or trim. Who’d have thought a French estate could be so liberating?
To liberation joy, I’ll add comfort to the mix. You’d expect a family car from France to offer a soft ride, but I wasn’t expecting so much comfort from the Laguna. The seats are both supportive and soft, while the suspension is beautifully damped and cossetting. It’s hard to believe the car is running on 17-inch rims and 225/45 tyres.
Bump and grind
Have I fallen hopelessly in love with a seemingly hopeless car? Possibly, but if it’s good enough for Rhianna, it’s good enough for me.
What started out as a bit of an experiment – I’ve bought a £100 Laguna, so you don’t have to – has the makings of yet another car to gain membership as a permanent member of the fleet. It’s the car I have used the most often since buying it four months ago to the day, and I’m already planning a trip to France. Well, if it’s going to die, it may as well be in its native country.
Many things are either broken, faulty or in need of attention. One of the washer jet units has gone AWOL, the outside temperature gauge is wrong, the climate control unit doesn’t light up at night, the sat-nav is dead, and the offside front alloy wheel requires re-sealing, to name just five problems off the top of my head.
Rainwater has a tendency to collect in the bottom of the nearside rear passenger door, the self-levelling headlights do a little too much self-levelling, the wiper blades sweep across the windscreen like an R. Kelly song, the split-tailgate doesn’t always shut at the first attempt, to name a further three issues.
But by far the biggest problem is the ABS light, which has the potential to kill the car when the next MOT looms into view next June. It might be a sensor, but it might be something more sinister, and therefore more costly. I should get it checked out, but I might be left with something akin to a doctor telling you how long you have left to live.
Budget accordingly
For now, ignorance is bliss, but that orange warning light serves as a reminder that the Laguna might not make it beyond its 15th birthday.
Until then, I will continue to enjoy life with one of the world’s least desirable and most unreliable cars, safe in the knowledge that I’m not locked into a lengthy finance contract and I’m driving a car that cost the equivalent of a single PCP payment on a new city car.
At the moment, it owes me £100 plus the cost of tax and insurance. If it dies tomorrow, I’ll get a few quid scrap, keep the seats for the office, and receive a refund for what’s left of the tax and insurance. That’s budget motoring done well, even if the smart money would go on a Honda Accord.
The best thing I have bought this year? Unquestionably. Because everybody needs a little mild peril and jeopardy in their life, right?
Many of us might dream of being a racing driver, but access to motorsport is a tough and costly process. Could one of the latest powerful games consoles offer a solution, or just a welcome dose of escapism?
Xbox vs PlayStation – the age-old rivalry
Coke vs Pepsi, Ford vs Holden, City vs United. All huge rivalries, and the games console world is no different with Microsoft’s Xbox against the Sony PlayStation. Both companies have new upgraded consoles available, and there’s no definitive right answer to which is best. However, one may suit your gaming needs better, whilst the lure of brand-exclusive games may also draw you to a particular console.
Why should I buy the Xbox One X?
The brand-new Xbox One X is described as being the most powerful games console on sale, and closer to a gaming PC wrapped in a user-friendly box. Think of it as the equivalent to road-legal race car and you’re on the right lines.
With the ability to display games in fancy 4K HDR, along with 76% more CPU power than the regular Xbox One, this is a serious piece of kit. It’s also more powerful than the PlayStation PS4 Pro, and packs a 4K Blu-Ray player to watch the latest movies. Oh, and if you’re done with discs, it’ll also happily stream Netflix and Amazon Video in 4K as well.
Performance doesn’t come cheap, with the Xbox One X still retailing at £412 in the UK, despite being a year old. Microsoft also offers the cheaper £206 One S 1TB, which can still play all the same games but lacks the ultimate processing power of its bigger brother. Games for both average around £40-60.
On pure technical comparisons, no. The stats of the PS4 Pro lag behind the Xbox One X, but that doesn’t mean you should automatically discount it, especially if you’re only looking to game casually.
Whilst the PS4 Pro will still show games in 4K HDR, it does this via upscaling it to the TV, rather than in native 4K. It sounds a small difference, and for many will be negligible, but will be a consideration for those wanting the ultimate visual performance.
It is substantially cheaper than the One X though, with a current retail price of £349. The regular PS4, now fitted with a 1TB hard drive, can be found for £299, but there’ll be no 4K ability with that machine. It makes buying the PS4 Pro seem like a no-brainer. Games prices are similar to the Xbox.
Microsoft’s Forza franchise was first introduced in 2005, with the latest Forza Motorsport 7 launched in October 2017. Forza 7 packs in a garage crammed with 700 road and race cars, each with detailed interiors and the option to tune and customise them to your heart’s content.
There’s a challenging single-player mode, along with the option to race online against real people, allowing you to be fully immersed in motorsport competition. The Forza Racing Championship also offers the ability to compete for actual cash prizes and glory.
There are a number of driver assists like traction and stability control to help out newcomers, whilst changeable difficulty settings allow it to be challenging without frustrating. New cars are added each month, but do cost extra, whilst 32 different race circuits offer multiple thrills.
Forza’s other offering is the Horizon series. Centred more on having fun, these offer a massive open-world environment to explore and tackle jaw-dropping challenges.
Forza Horizon 4 is the latest version, and sees Britain used as the backdrop of the automotive action. If you’ve ever had the urge to race a car against a Vulcan bomber jet, or drift around the streets of Edinburgh, this game is for you.
The thirteenth game in the now two decades-old Gran Turismo series, Gran Turismo Sport is intended to offer a genuine motorsport experience.
It may have only launched with 177 cars on offer, but developers Polyphony Digital have focused on modelling real racing as closely as possible. A number of key updates have also added a host of new cars to the game, along with expanding the choice of circuits to race them on.
Aside from a few arcade challenges, and the inevitable licence tests, the meat of GT Sport is racing online against others. Thankfully, the game encourages good online behaviour, but is worth noting you’ll need to be constantly connected to the internet to even save this game.
However, GT Sport can lay claim to offering genuine FIA-sanctioned competitions. Battling against online rivals, the winners will receive trophies, and an invite to attend the formal FIA annual awards event alongside real racing drivers. Gran Turismo also has a strong history of creating real racing drivers through the GT Academy, with Jann Mardenborough and Lucas Ordonez achieving real-world success.
Driveclub is another PS4 exclusive, although now slightly aged. It’s packed with supercars, and offers real-world locations like Norway and Scotland to race them in.
What other racing games are out there for both consoles?
F1 2017
Dirt 4
Need for Speed Payback
If you’re unhappy with Lewis Hamilton winning another World Championship, F1 2018 lets you change history and compete in the full Formula 1 season. All the tracks and drivers are present, along with bonus classic cars. This year also lets you take part in media interviews, so start practicing your Kimi-style answers now.
Should the rough stuff be more your style, Dirt 4 centres on rallying and rallycross, with a detailed career mode and the voice of famed WRC co-driver Nicky Grist. It’s the latest in the Dirt stable, with the anticipated Dirt Rally 2.0 delayed until the new year.
A recent remaster of EA’s Burnout Paradise brings the classic arcade-style spills and crashes to a new generation of consoles.
Meanwhile, Project Cars 2 and Assetto Corsa are both renowned racing simulations that will require commitment to truly get the best from.
An internet connection (whether wireless or wired) is going to be a necessity for either console. Frequent updates and new content are added constantly, so playing in isolation would defeat the point. Essentially, it’s like using a supercar just to drive to the shops.
The Xbox One uses the Xbox Live service, and you’ll need to pay for the ‘Gold’ subscription in order to undertake multiplayer gaming online. Factor in £39.99 for a full-year, but you will get a host of additional content and even free games through the Gold service.
Sony’s PlayStation Network ‘Plus’ service is the equivalent to Xbox Live, and would be needed to take part in the majority of features offered by GT Sport, for example. Right now, thanks to Black Friday, it costs the same £39.99 for 12 months, but guarantees you two free new games each month and more.
It’s worth remembering that console networks are exclusive, meaning you sadly can’t race against someone with an Xbox if you have a PlayStation – even with the same game.
Do I need to buy a steering wheel?
It all depends. Almost all of the games featured above can be played perfectly fine with a standard control pad. If you’re only planning to use your console for casual gaming, and keeping it in your main living room, sticking with the control pad is perhaps easiest.
However, if you plan on creating the ultimate racing experience, a steering wheel is the first step on that deep dive. Dedicated force feedback steering wheels are offered for both Xbox One and PS4 Pro, with £200-300 needed for the best ones.
Given that both the Xbox One X and PS4 Pro focus heavily on 4K HDR gaming, if you haven’t done so recently it might be time to invest in a new TV.
Both consoles will work perfectly well with a normal HD television, and therefore you don’t need to upgrade immediately. However, you’ll get the most from your shiny new console by pairing it with a 4K TV, and especially one which features a dedicated ‘game’ mode.
Decision Time
As noted, there is right answer to this question. Will you tempted by the cheaper PlayStation PS4 Pro, and the lure of FIA-sanctioned online racing with Gran Turismo Sport? Or would you rather go for the ultimate performance console experience with the Microsoft Xbox One X?
Don’t discount the cheaper Xbox One S or PS4 either, as both offer the same games as their more expensive brethren, just without the graphical trinketry.
Whichever choice you make, there is a wealth of games and accessories to on offer to make your console racing as realistic as you could want.
What if I just want to have fun?
OK, not everyone dreams of becoming a racing driver. For many, consoles offer the chance to just to have fun with friends and family. There is still the chance to add racing to the mix, with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe available for the Nintendo Switch.
It might not be serious motorsport, but expect the competition to be just as fast and furious when you’re competing for family pride.
The Rolls-Royce of SUVs has made a splash in London, with no less than six Cullinans descending on the H.R. Owen showroom for deposit-holders to experience.
The Cullinan is the most important Rolls-Royce to launch since the re-introduction of the Phantom – the first car developed under BMW ownership – in 2003.
The SUV market has shown no signs of slowing down and, as such, the Cullinan is tasked with going in at the top and setting the standard.
In spite of being engineered to be able to tackle the world’s harshest environments, London’s congested roads might be the greatest challenge many Cullinans will face.
Future customers were able to experience the Cullinan’s ‘magic carpet ride’, traversing London in ‘the tranquillity of the most luxurious interior of any SUV on sale today’.
All things considered, a high-riding view, insulated from the hustle and bustle of London in Rolls-standard comfort, sounds pretty good to us. The car’s ‘Effortless everywhere’ ad tagline doesn’t just mean the Sahara or Arctic Circle, after all.
There’s something weirdly right about seeing the Cullinan in London. A car that’s as stately and cathedral-like as its surroundings, if not more.
Read more:
Grab a Black Friday deal on the Mercedes-Benz X-Class pickup
Even the entry-level SZ4 has air con, cruise control, Bluetooth and front foglights. It also comes wtih ‘Dual Sensor Brake Support’, Suzuki’s name for autonomous emergency braking.
The SZ5 costs £17,999, which is quite a jump, but the spec list bears this out. It adds 15-inch alloys, rear privacy glass, LED headlights, climate control, sat nav, heated seats and a 7-inch touchscreen with smartphone compatability (so, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto).
An SZ5 automatic is available for £18,999.
Miniature hero: history of the Suzuki Jimny
Metallic paint is a £485 option, and so-called dual metallic paint (all with a black roof) is £650. Personally, we’d pick the ultra-bright Kinetic Yellow paint pictured here: it’s been developed especially for the Jimny, to stand out like a safety beacon when off-roading.
All Jimny use the same 101hp 1.5-litre petrol engine. They’re all equipped with switchable 4WD: it normally runs as a rear-wheel drive car, with selectable high- and low-ratio all-wheel drive.
The arrest of Carlos Ghosn has shocked the automotive world, with the Nissan chairman accused of underreporting his salary, using company funds for personal use and “significant acts of misconduct”.
As a result, Ghosn will be dismissed, with the Nissan board apologising “for causing great concern to [its] shareholders and stakeholders”. It’s the latest in a long line of scandals to rock the car industry. These are some of the biggest.
Cancer-causing cadmium found in Volkswagen hybrids
The discovery of cadmium – a highly toxic cancer-causing metal – in 124,000 Volkswagen plug-in hybrid and electric cars has led to a production shutdown. The issue affects Golf GTE, Passat GTE, e-Golf and e-Up! models, which may be recalled to fix the fault.
Volkswagen is, of course, no stranger to controversy (read more about ‘Dieselgate’ below), but it’s certainly not the only car company with skeletons in its closet. Here is our pick of the biggest motoring scandals.
Jack Sears hits 185mph on the M1 motorway
Prior to July 1967, users of Britain’s motorway network were unfettered by speed limits. Although most contemporary family cars would struggle to top 100mph, some drivers had slightly loftier ambitions.
In June 1964, AC Cars used the M1 to test high-speed performance of its A98 Le Mans Coupe, with driver Jack Sears reaching a completely legal, but terrifying, 185mph. Although it may not have directly lead to the 70mph speed limit, it certainly focussed the minds of policymakers.
Tesla Model 3 production woes
With Tesla CEO Elon Musk touting the Model 3 as the affordable face of all-electric motoring, including competitive pricing to match, interest was naturally high. Some 455,000 reservations were taken for the Model 3 by August 2017, and Tesla was confident of producing 100,000 cars in 2017, and 400,000 in 2018.
However, Tesla fell way short of the predicted numbers, with just 260 cars trickling out of the factory by the end of September. A series of ‘bottlenecks’ were blamed, although Elon Musk at least ensured that he took home the very first Model 3 to be built.
Ralph Nader swings opinion on the Chevrolet Corvair
As a core subject of the 1965 book Unsafe at Any Speed by US consumer advocate Ralph Nader, the Chevrolet Corvair garnered attention for all the wrong reasons. With a rear-engined swing-axle setup, Nader argued that the Corvair was inherently dangerous and a risk to everyday drivers.
Although independent studies suggested the Corvair was no riskier than other contemporary offerings, the media scandal forced General Motors to make changes. A new front anti-roll bar was added to make the handling more controlled, but the damage to sales was already done.
Cost-benefit analysis and the Ford Pinto
That the Ford Pinto, introduced in 1971, was prone to catching fire after even minor rear-end impacts was not even the most sordid part of this debacle. That instead was found in an internal Ford memo, which weighed the cost-benefit analysis of fixing the known problem, versus doing nothing.
Despite the required modifications adding just $11 to the cost of building the Pinto, Ford’s analysis found that taking no action would be more economically beneficial. By 1978, Ford was forced into recalling 1.5 million Pintos for modifications, whilst subsequent lawsuits would cost hundreds of millions of dollars.
Takata airbag recall
The irony of a safety device like an airbag being potentially lethal was seemingly lost on the Takata Corporation, who allegedly covered up knowledge of manufacturing defects in its airbag inflators. When exposed to hot and humid conditions, the Takata inflators could rupture unexpectedly, showering drivers and passengers with deadly shrapnel.
With the airbags fitted to tens of millions of cars across the globe, covering brands from Audi to Volkswagen, a giant recall is still ongoing. Takata executives pleaded guilty to criminal wrongdoing, and paid $1bn to resolve a US Justice Department investigation. The cost of the payout, and related compensation, resulted in Takata filing for bankruptcy.
John DeLorean and the FBI
No, it’s not the shocking news that the DeLorean DMC-12 is actually unable to time travel if fitted with a flux capacitor. Although the ability to go back in time may have been useful for John DeLorean, who found the company facing financial difficulties early in the DMC-12 project.
Unable to produce and sell enough cars to meet costs, DeLorean considered cocaine smuggling in 1982 as a way to meet the company’s debts. A sting operation by the FBI saw DeLorean charged with drug trafficking, although he was able to argue entrapment and escape conviction. The company still fell into bankruptcy, whilst DeLorean himself would be declared personally bankrupt in 1999.
Vic Lee transports more than just race cars
In the early 1990s, Vic Lee Motorsport saw considerable success in the British Touring Car Championship, with star drivers like Tim Harvey and Will Hoy taking title wins. However, suspicions were raised as to why a team based in the UK was testing at the Zandvoort circuit in the Netherlands. The answer was drug smuggling, with team owner Vic Lee caught stashing £6m worth of cocaine in the team’s race transporter in 1993.
Lee received a 12 year prison sentence, but was released on parole in 1998. He returned to motorsport, but was caught again in 2005 transporting £1.7m of cocaine in the boot of his car.
1995 Takata seat belt recall
Killer airbags were not the Takata Corporation’s first taste of scandal, with the company becoming embroiled in the recall of over eight million cars sold in the United States between 1986 and 1991. Following an investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Authority (NHTSA), it became apparent that the plastic used in Takata seat belts became brittle when exposed to ultraviolet light.
A total of 11 manufacturers were affected, with Honda penalised for failing to make authorities aware of the Takata seat belt problem, despite knowing of the issue since 1990.
Audi 5000 unintended acceleration
An episode of American news show 60 Minutes aired in November 1986, alleging that the Audi 5000 (sold as the 100 in Europe) was capable of accelerating unexpectedly, even when the brake pedal was depressed. With a number of drivers reporting the phenomenon, 60 Minutes used engineering trickery to make it look like the Audi 5000 was an unhinged killing machine on TV.
Despite an NHTSA report concluding that driver error was the cause of the problems, and changes to the automatic gearbox by Audi, US sales for the brand collapsed almost overnight from 74,000 in 1985 to just 12,000 by 1991.
Ford Explorer and Firestone
Launched during the 1990s SUV boom, Ford’s Explorer saw sales of up to 400,000 units per year, with Firestone tyres fitted to the cars rolling off the production line. However, the tyres developed a worrying trend of failing at high speed, pitching the sizeable Explorer into a rollover accident. More than 270 deaths were attributed to the Explorer/Firestone combination in the USA alone.
Ford and Firestone became entangled in legal warfare, with hundreds of millions paid out in compensation to victims. The end of the relationship between Ford and Firestone also resulted in the closure of a Firestone factory, and the need to recall millions of tyres.
Fire risk in thousands of BMWs
Faulty exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) modules caused a Europe-wide recall of 324,000 BMW cars due to potential engine fires. The issue affects 1 Series, 3 Series, Z4 and X1 petrol and diesel models built between March 2007 to August 2011. So far, 27 cases have been recorded.
A criminal case has been filed against the marque in Korea for its hesitance to recall more than 100,000 cars that may suffer similar issues.
Chevy Cobalt ignition key scandal
General Motors became aware of a problem with the ignition switch in the compact Chevrolet Cobalt as early as 2004. But, the American giant did nothing, despite the fact it could lead to the car inadvertently turning itself off whilst in motion. One GM engineer even found a solution in 2005, yet no action was taken to implement it.
A total of 13 deaths have been attributed to the defective ignition switch, with GM only recalling vehicles in 2013 to fix the problem. A fine of $35m was levied on the company as punishment for the decade of inaction.
Mk1 Audi TT high-speed stability
With smooth and rounded Bauhaus-inspired styling, the 1995 Audi TT Concept looked like nothing else on the market. That Audi brought the finished car to production virtually unchanged was even more impressive. Yet problems became apparent from early in the life of the TT, with a number of cars involved in high-speed accidents.
With five fatalities, Audi was forced to act. A rear spoiler was bolted to the boot to reduce aerodynamic lift, whilst modifications were made to the suspension to make the handling more predictable. An Electronic Stability Programme was also added as standard to tame the wayward rear end.
Toyota sudden unintended acceleration
The spectre of unintended acceleration rose again in 2009, with three separate recalls undertaken globally by Toyota covering some nine million vehicles. Following reports of cars accelerating without warning, ill-fitting floor mats were initially blamed for the problem. Yet when other cases occurred without the floor mats, sticking accelerator pedals and even faulty software were investigated as causes.
After information came to light that Toyota had hidden knowledge of the unintended acceleration incidents, the US Department of Justice issued a $1.2bn fine against the company to bring proceedings to an end.
Mercedes-Benz A-Class and the elk test
It may have had an innovative ‘sandwich’ chassis construction to help safety in frontal impacts, but the high-sided Mercedes-Benz A-Class had a fear of elk. Or, more specifically, a test by a Swedish car magazine seeing how well the A-Class fared at avoiding a hypothetical big mammal in an emergency manoeuvre.
After a prominent test failure with an A-Class rolling over, Mercedes was forced to recall all cars to fit them with electronic stability control. The embarrassment dented the image of the German giant, which had denied the problem when it was first highlighted.
Phoenix Four Consortium
Having purchased the MG Rover Group of companies from BMW for a nominal £10, the Phoenix Four of John Towers, Peter Beale, Nick Stephenson and John Edwards embarked on a plan to push the British brand forward. But it failed, with MG Rover racking up losses of £611m in just four years.
Despite the company collapsing around them, the Phoenix Four took over £36m in salary and pensions before the final collapse of the firm in 2005 with the loss of 6,500 jobs. A £16m government investigation found Peter Beale had used special software to delete data from his computer, whilst Nick Stephenson had paid £1.6m to a close friend acting as a consultant.
Tucker 48 fraud fiasco
Having earned success during World War II producing turrets for armoured cars, Preston Tucker set his sights on building cars with futuristic features. His Tucker 48 was planned to have a fuel-injected engine, disc brakes, direct-drive transmission, and a body with a built-in roll bar. Tucker assembled a wealth of automotive experts, and the largest factory building in the world.
To fund all this, Tucker raised money through offering shares, and subsequently by selling parts and accessories to buyers before their car was built. The US Securities and Exchange Commission indicted Tucker for fraud, and began a three-month trial. Tucker was found not guilty, but the company was destroyed by debt and bad publicity, with just 51 Tucker 48s eventually made.
American Motors assassination
The smallest of the mainstream US manufacturers, American Motors Corporation struggled during the 1970s and eventually agreed to a Renault takeover. French executives took to fixing the problems at AMC, increasing efficiency and modernising production. But then Renault itself hit trouble in the 1980s, and called on the help of George Besse in 1985.
Appointed as director, Besse had a plan to turn Renault around, and returned the company to a profit within 18 months. This had involved making some 25,000 Renault employees redundant – making him a target for the anarchist Action Directe group. Besse was shot dead outside his home in 1986, sparking a chain of events that led to Chrysler buying AMC, making the brand defunct by 1987.
Volkswagen Dieselgate
In order to meet stringent diesel engine guidelines, aimed at reducing the emissions of harmful NOx particulates, Volkswagen fitted ‘defeat devices’ to a range of TDI engines across the VW Group. The special software detected when the car was being driven in laboratory conditions, changing performance to minimise emissions. Only when real-world testing was undertaken was the discrepancy discovered, and VW owned up.
With over 11m vehicles affected across the world, Volkswagen set aside over €16bn to cover the costs of recalling cars and settling litigation, with billions more due in fines from admitting criminal liability in the United States alone.
Mitsubishi fuel economy cover-up
Facing aggressive targets to hit fuel economy goals for Japanese-market cars, Mitsubishi Motors employees falsified data and used unapproved testing methods for more than 25 years. This covered Kei (micro) cars like the Mitsubishi eK Wagon and eK Space.
Nissan uncovered the discrepancies whilst developing a new range of cars with Mitsubishi, bringing the findings to light in early 2016. The scandal caused the value of Mitsubishi to plummet rapidly, conveniently allowing Nissan to swoop in and acquire a controlling interest in the company.
The EPA takes on FCA Chrysler
Proving that ‘defeat devices’ are not solely the preserve of the Volkswagen Group, the US Environmental Protection Agency launched action against Fiat Chrysler Automobiles in May 2017. The EPA alleges FCA fitted almost 104,000 EcoDiesel Dodge Ram trucks and Jeep Grand Cherokees with software to make engines perform differently when tested.
With vehicles sold between 2014 and 2016 affected, the EPA also banned the sale of new EcoDiesel vehicles, unless FCA could provide software update to bring the engines into line with NOx emissions requirements.
Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn has for many years underreported his salary, used company money for personal use and committed other “significant acts of misconduct”, the firm has revealed in a statement.
As a result, it plans to “promptly remove Ghosn from his positions as chairman and representative director”.
The misconduct was exposed by a whisleblower report, the firm has revealed. “Nissan deeply apologies for causing great concern to our shareholders and stakeholders,” it said.
Nissan CEO Hiroto Saikawa later confirmed Ghosn has been arrested by prosecutors in Japan.
“This act cannot be tolerated by the company,” said Saikawa. “Experts judge we have enough reason for dismissal…. [we have] decided to propose dismissal to the board of directors.”
This is expected to happen during an extraordinary board meeting on Thursday.
Watch: Nissan Motor Corp press conference
Representative director Greg Kelly also had “deep involvement” in the acts and Nissan CEO Saikawa will propose to the Nissan board that he be removed too.
In a press conference, Saikawa described Kelly as the “mastermind of events”.
The misconduct has apparently occurred “over many years” and Nissan has already been providing information to the Japanese Public Prosecutors Office.
During the press conference, Saikawa revealed the investigation had remained secret: even senior executives only found out about it “a few hours ago”.
Hiroto Saikawa, CEO of Nissan about Carlos Ghosn bombshell: “I feel a big disappointment, frustration, despair, indignation and resentment” pic.twitter.com/FhvsNphD9G
Nissan is part of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance, following Renault’s 1999 rescue of Nissan. Following today’s news, shares in Renault have tumbled more than 10 percent, wiping 2 billion Euros off the value of the company.
Earlier in the year, Renault asked Ghosn to stay on as chief executive of the Alliance for a further four years. He first took up his role in 2005.
He has been chairman of Nissan since 2000. It is not yet clear how Ghosn’s other roles in the Alliance will be affected by today’s developments.
MotoGP World Champion Marc Marquez has taken delivery of another BMW M car after once again being the fastest qualifier in MotoGP 2018.
This year’s BMW M Award is an M3 CS, and makes it six times in a row that Marquez has picked up a new BMW M car for being top qualifier.
Marquez first won the BMW M Award in 2013, becoming the first rookie to take the prize car. And he hasn’t stopped since.
“I can hardly believe that I have won the BMW M Award for the sixth time running,” he said during the handover ceremony.
“I want to thank BMW M GmbH… this shows special appreciation for us as MotoGP riders. The prospect of winning this prize provides even more motivation for us.”
BMW has been the official car of MotoGP for 20 years and has handed out the top qualifier prize car for 16 of them.
“There are hardly enough superlatives to describe Marc Marquez,” said BMW M GmbH president Markus Flasch. “The fact he has now won the BMW M Award for the sixth time running is more than just impressive… Marc has made history again.
“The prize is a token of our appreciation for his outstanding performance.”
How does the MotoGP BMW M Award work?
MotoGP riders get points for their performance in races, but also clock them up for qualifying performances.
Riders get 25 points for pole, 20 points for second, and so on: they’re awarded in the same way as race points.
Marquez is way ahead in the all-time rankings, but Valentino Rossi and Casey Stoner have each received three BMW M cars for qualifying speed.
Jorge Lorenzo has won two BMW M cars, with Sete Gibernau and the late Nicky Hayden taking one M car each.
Meet the Lamborghini Urus ST-X – the one-make rallycross-esque racer that’ll hit tracks in its own series in 2020. We presume ST stands for Super Trofeo and the X refers to the Urus’s off-road all-wheel-drive capability.
The new racing series was announced, along with the reveal of the ST-X Concept, at the Lamborghini World Final in Vallelunga. The cars will compete throughout Europe, the Middle East and beyond on FIA-approved circuits.
Yes, those circuits will involve both on and off-road elements to test all ends of the Urus’s very broad envelope of talents. The series will offer an ‘arrive and drive’ formula, giving driving customers the complete car and support package.
How do you turn a full-size ‘Super SUV’ into a race and rally-prepped racer? You start by lopping out some weight – in this case, 25 percent of it. That’s a hefty 550 kilograms, or the mass of an Ariel Atom V8? How? A lot of that luxurious cabin will have been ripped out, along with sound deadening and much more, we imagine.
FIA-approved race bits include a roll cage, a fire suppression system and homologation-spec fuel tank. There are bigger air intakes, a subtly different rear spoiler and a vented bonnet to better feed and cool that 4-litre twin-turbo V8. New centre-lock alloy wheels, Pirelli P Zero Corsa tyres and a very Super Trofeo-style livery complete the Urus to racer transformation.
There’s no calendar for the series yet but the race-ready version of the ST-X should make its dynamic debut during next year’s Lamborghini World Final.
Much as the Urus has divided opinion, we quite like the idea of a grid full of these door-to-door racing on all surfaces. We wonder whether it’ll spawn a Performante version of the road car, too…
Launched in 1975, the BMW 3 Series changed the shape of the compact executive sector. Since then, some 14 million units have been built, making it one of the best selling cars of all time.
To mark the launch of the all-new seventh generation G20 3 Series at the 2018 Paris Motor Show, we take a look back at 43 years of the world’s best selling premium executive saloon.
The BMW 3 Series: this is your life.
BMW 2002
No history of the BMW 3 Series would be complete without first mentioning the BMW 2002. Introduced in the late 1960s, the 2002 laid the foundations for the 3 Series by forging a reputation for reliability and sharp dynamics. The BMW 3 Series couldn’t have asked for better parentage.
BMW 5 Series (E12)
The first 3 Series was designed to look like a smaller version of the BMW 5 Series, which had been launched three years earlier in 1972. Codenamed the E21, the first 5 Series would remain in production until 1984, by which time nearly 700,000 cars had been built.
1975: BMW 3 Series (E21)
Developed over a five-year period and at a cost of 35 million Deutschmarks, the BMW 3 Series – codenamed E21 – was unveiled in July 1975. It featured four different four-cylinder engines and was launched in the UK in October 1975. It was the smallest BMW ever developed and, at the time, the most comprehensively engineered.
Mercedes-Benz 190
The BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class would go on to become fierce rivals, but in launching the E21, BMW drew first blood. In fact, the Bavarians could afford not to offer a four-door version until 1983, by which time the Mercedes-Benz 190 (forerunner to the C-Class) was only just being unveiled.
1977: BMW 3 Series convertible
In 1977, the first left-hand-drive BMW 3 Series convertible was launched in the form of the E21 Baur convertible. It harked back to the effortlessly pretty 2002 Baur convertible (as shown here).
BMW 323i of 1977
In the early days, prospective BMW owners could choose from the entry-level 316, the 318, the 320 and the range-topping 320i, with the ‘i’ denoting fuel injection. But in 1977, BMW unveiled a new range of six-cylinder engines for the 3 Series, the ultimate of which was the 323i, complete with a fuel-injected 2.3-litre engine.
Motorsport debut 1977 – BMW Junior Team
The 3 Series made its motorsport debut in 1977 when BMW Motorsport entered a BMW Junior Team in the 1977 German Championship. Although early days, BMW – and in particular the 3 Series – would go on to develop a strong relationship with the track.
1982: BMW 3 Series (E30)
BMW sold 1.36 million E21s, making it a phenomenally successful car. But that’s nothing compared to the E30 3 Series of 1982. If ever a car put a company on the map, the E30 did for BMW. A stalwart of the 1980s, the E30 would shift 2.22 million units, helped in part by its Swiss Army Knife levels of versatility.
BMW 3 Series: optional extras
As it developed, the E30 would offer a bewildering array of options and accessories. Who else could offer a front-engined, rear-wheel-drive compact saloon powered by anything from a lowly diesel engine to a high-powered M3 version? The E30 would also cement BMW’s relationship for being – how should we put it – a tad miserly with the spec sheet. A competitive screen price may have lured the punters in to the showroom, but they soon found that many extras would need to be paid for.
BMW 3 Series: four-door arrives
In 1983, BMW launched the first four-door version of the 3 Series, a version that would be critical to the model’s long-term success. The B-pillar was pushed eight inches forward to make room for the extra door.
BMW 325i
The 3 Series gained a new flagship in September 1985 with the launch of the new 325i. Thanks to its 2.5-litre engine, the 325i offered performance levels comparable to the likes of the Volkswagen Scirocco, Toyota Supra and Porsche 944, but in a more conservative and practical body.
BMW 324d
At the opposite end of the spectrum was the 324d, the first diesel-powered BMW 3 Series. A turbocharged version – the 324td – would arrive two years later.
BMW E30 Touring
The original 3 Series Touring – or estate – wasn’t developed by BMW at all. Well, not as such. It was the work of Max Reisbock, a BMW engineer, who found the saloon version wasn’t practical enough for his growing family. So he bought a wrecked 323i and converted the car himself. BMW liked the design so much, a factory version was built with only minimal changes to Max’s original design.
BMW E30 M3
The E30 M3 is quite simply one of the greatest performance cars of all time. Launched at the 1985 Frankfurt Motor Show, the first M3s would be unleashed in a cloud of tyre smoke a year later. An output of 200hp may not seem like a great deal in an age when a hot hatch won’t get out of bed for less, but the M3 had rear-wheel drive and 50:50 weight distribution on its side.
BMW E30 M3 Touring Car
Of course, the E30 M3 road car was developed for homologation purposes, allowing BMW Motorsport to go racing. And go racing it did, competing with great success in the British, French, Italian and German Touring Car Championships, as well as at the Nürburgring 24-Hour. BMW needed to build 5,000 road cars. It actually built nearly 18,000. Enough said.
BMW 3 Series and the rise of the yuppies
Yuppies: young, upwardly mobile professionals. In the 1980s, no aspirational and wealthy Londoner would be seen without a mobile telephone, big hair and an appropriate set of wheels. For many, the BMW 3 Series was the vehicle of choice. Sales rocketed, but the 3 Series would develop an unfortunate image that would take years to shake off.
BMW Z1
The E30 3 Series also spawned one of the most striking sports cars of the era: the delightful BMW Z1. It used the E30’s platform and the 2.5-litre engine from the 325i, plus it and featured a pair of trick doors, which ‘disappeared’ into the door sills. It was the first BMW Z car.
1990: BMW E36 3 Series
As the 1980s gave way to the 1990s, BMW launched the third generation 3 Series, otherwise known as the E36. It was a case of out with the old and in with the new as the E36 shared virtually nothing with its predecessor. Noticeably bigger than before, the new 3 Series also featured a pair of double headlights, now sat behind glass covers.
BMW Z3
Like the E30 before it, the E36 spawned a sports car of its own, this time in the form of the BMW Z3. This was the first BMW to be built in the United States and it was propelled into the public eye by its appearance in the 1995 film, Goldeneye.
BMW 318tds
Although far less glamorous than James Bond or a two-seat roadster, the BMW 318tds of 1994 represents another milestone in the model’s history. It was the first four-cylinder diesel engine to be fitted to a BMW 3 Series.
BMW E36 M3
But we don’t want to give you a four-cylinder diesel. Not when you can have a firecracker of a BMW M3. The E36 is rarely ranked alongside the best of the M3s, but the M3 Coupe remains a thing of beauty. And the 3.0-litre straight-six engine represented a new era for the badge. Saloon and convertible versions would follow and BMW would shift over 71,000 units, making it hugely successful.
1993: BMW 3 Series Compact
The purists weren’t impressed with the BMW 3 Series Compact of 1993, but there’s no doubting the business case for it. Essentially it was a smaller, hatchback version of the E36 and it helped BMW reach an entirely new audience. Think of it as a forerunner to the current 1 Series.
1998: BMW E46 3 Series
Fast forward to 1998 and the launch of the fourth generation (E46) BMW 3 Series. From a sales perspective, the new 3 Series picked up where the old car left off, breaking the three million units mark for the first time. In total, 3.27 million E46s were built.
BMW E46 M3
If the E36 M3 was a little soft for some people, the E46 M3 was a welcome return to form. Its 3.2-litre six-cylinder engine would propel the M3 to a top speed of 150mph, sprinting past 62mph in just 5.2 seconds. It was good. Like, really good. But it will forever live in the shadow of the ultimate E46 M3…
BMW E46 M3 CSL
The legendary E46 M3 CSL. By shedding 110kg of weight and upping the power, BMW created a performance icon. The 0-62mph time now slipped under the five-second mark. The M3 CSL was quite simply one of the most driver-focused cars of its day. If you get the chance, you must drive one.
BMW 320Cd Convertible
For those who prefer boulevard cruising to kissing the apex, this is perhaps more suitable. The BMW 320Cd Convertible of 2004 was the first open-top BMW to feature a diesel engine. Yes, we know, we’d prefer a CSL, too.
2005: BMW E90 3 Series
We’re getting rather close to the modern era now with the E90 3 Series of 2005. Barely 13 years old, the E90 is still a familiar sight on Britain’s roads, especially on motorways and in office car parks. The World Car of the Year judges clearly liked it, as it won the award in 2006. To confuse matters, the E90 was a saloon, E91 a Touring, E92 a coupe and E93 a convertible. Remember the days when BMW codenames and models were simple?
BMW E90 / E92 M3
Breaking with tradition, the M3 now featured a V8 engine. Talk about the end of an era. Sadly, despite the 4.0-litre V8 engine, the new M3 weighed in at 1,655kg, so it was hardly the featherlight CSL of yesteryear. Still, it did spawn some tasty special editions, including the last-of-the-line M3 Coupe. It’s rather orange.
2012: BMW F30 3 Series
And so to the current era and the outgoing sixth generation BMW 3 Series. Codenamed the F30, the 3 Series was unveiled in 2011 and launched in 2012. You’ll probably remember it from the 2012 London Olympics, where it was the most widely used support vehicle.
BMW F30 M3
Right, bear with us on this, because you can no longer buy an M3 Coupe. But you can still buy an M3. Just only in four-door guise. If you want an M4 Coupe, you’ll need to buy the M4. Got that? In both cases, the V8 has been ditched, with BMW now favouring the 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged six-cylinder unit. It’s a welcome return to form for the iconic badge.
BMW F32 4 Series
The four-door 3 Series is no more. If you want one, you’ll have to buy a new BMW 4 Series instead…
BMW 3 Series Gran Turismo
Or, if you fancy something slightly different, you can opt for the BMW 3 Series Gran Turismo. It’s more practical than a 3 Series Touring and offers more rear legroom than a 5 Series. And yes, despite us telling you otherwise, it is a BMW 3 Series with four doors…
BMW 3 Series ActiveHybrid 3
The BMW 3 Series ActiveHybrid 3 was a thoroughly modern interpretation of the classic 3 Series recipe, featuring as it did, a hybrid powertrain. That said, at £42,000 it was very expensive and you’d probably be far better off with a cheaper, diesel-engined 3 Series. The more recent BMW 3 Series iPerformance is no longer available to order.
BMW X3
Alternatively you could opt for the incredibly popular BMW X3. These things offer rock-solid residual values and further proof that the 3 Series platform remains as versatile as ever.
BMW 3 Series: British Touring Car Championship
A change in focus here, because racing cars will always be more exciting than SUVs and crossovers. The BMW 3 Series has enjoyed great success in the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC), especially in the 1980s and 1990s. Frank Sytner, Will Hoy, Tim Harvey, Joachim Winkelhock and Colin Turkington all drove to the Championship at the wheel of a 3 Series. And Steve Soper (seen here) was a track legend.
BMW 3 Series: German and World Touring Car Championship
The BMW 3 Series was also successful in both the German and World Touring Car Championships. Indeed, the Briton, Andy Priaulx, performed heroics at the wheel of a BMW 320, winning the World Touring Car Championship in 2005, 2006 and 2007. He also won the European Touring Car Championship in 2004.
BMW 3 Series: European Car of the Year?
Strangely, for all its success, the BMW 3 Series has never won the European Car of the Year trophy. The closest it came was a second place in 1976, when it was sandwiched between the Simca 1307-1308 and Renault 30 TS.
BMW 3 Series: production figures
But neither of those cars have had quite the same level of success. In fact, the BMW 3 Series is the most successful premium car of all time, shifting 14 million units in 43 years. That’s more than the Vauxhall Corsa. BMW deserves credit for managing to balance exclusivity and popularity. Must be all that practice with the acclaimed 50:50 weight distribution…
2019: BMW 3 Series (G20)
The new 2019 BMW 3 Series was unveiled at the 2018 Paris Motor Show, before going on sale early next year in Europe. The new car is 10mm lower than its predecessor, as much as 55kg lighter and features the most powerful 4-cylinder engine ever fitted in a BMW production model. The automotive world is holding its breath to get behind the wheel…
Read more:
New 2019 BMW 3 Series breaks cover at the Nürburgring
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Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn has for many years underreported his salary, used company money for personal use and committed other “significant acts of misconduct”, the firm has revealed in a statement.
MotoGP World Champion Marc Marquez has taken delivery of another 
Launched in 1975, the BMW 3 Series changed the shape of the compact executive sector. Since then, some 14 million units have been built, making it one of the best selling cars of all time.
