Transport Secretary Chris Grayling MP has spoken out in favour of diesel cars as a stepping stone to future zero-emissions vehicles, during a keynote address to the UK automotive industry.

Responding to claims he advised people to ‘think twice’ before choosing a diesel car, Grayling said he was only partially quoted. It’s people in cities who should look at alternatives to diesel, such as electric cars and hybrids, he said.

“If you’re driving long distances, if you’re out and about for work, diesel is a perfectly sensible option. I think it’s a very important distinction to make.

“Diesels can still play a valuable role in reducing CO2 emissions during the transition period to that low emission future,” he said during his speech to delegates at the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders’ 2018 International Automotive Summit.  

“There are horses for courses in today’s technology,” he said. “I hope consumers will think about the nature of the motoring they do and buy the right vehicle and the right technology for that usage.”

This may be positive news for the fleet car industry, which makes up more than half the UK new car sector. Some businesses and fleet managers have been questioning whether they should buy diesel or switch into less economical, higher-CO2 petrol cars: Grayling’s clarity will provide much-needed guidance.

Transport needs to clean up

Grayling also spoke about the need to continue reducing emissions of the UK transport system, which currently contributes 91 percent of British greenhouse gas emissions. The government last year published its clean growth strategy and more is planned soon, said Grayling.

“This summer, we will publish our Road to Zero Strategy. We’ve worked hard to get it right.” It will contain the roadmap that will outline how every new British car and van will be “effectively zero emission by 2040”.

Expectations are that it will clear up just what the government means by electric and electrified cars, and when it expects key steps to be achieved.

But again, he said, it will not favour one technology over another. “There are no plans to bar any specific technology – our strategy remains that we should be tech neutral.”

Grayling also noted that one in eight battery electric vehicles currently sold in Europe is built in the UK. The government is thus encouraging the development of next-generation electric car batteries in the UK, with the £246 million Faraday Challenge.

The technological change that’s in store for the automotive industry “is a great opportunity for this country, for the skilled people who work in this industry. There are opportunities that are unprecedented… a revolution lies ahead.”

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Billed as the ‘ultimate last chance auction’, two final editions of Dodge performance cars went under the hammer at the weekend.

The Barrett-Jackson Northeast Auction took place in Mohegan Sun, Connecticut, and attracted huge interest in the chance to own this particular pairing. Sold together as one lot, the very last Dodge Viper was matched with the final Challenger SRT Demon muscle car.

All proceeds of the sale were destined from the outset to be given to charity, with the United Way organisation receiving the $1 million (£753,000). Given that the Viper was usually sold for $87,995, with the SRT Demon priced at $84,995, it shows just how hot the bidding war for the Dodge duo really was.

An $827,010 (£623,000) premium may seem steep, but the desirability of the two cars for collectors is already guaranteed.

Both cars were painted in the same Viper Red colour, a classic choice inspired by the original 1992 RT/10 Viper. This required the SRT Demon to be painted by hand to match, a process which had to be done especially after the car had been built on the regular production line.

Powered by a 645hp version of the 8.4-litre V10 engine, the Viper is capable of a top speed in excess of 200mph. Some 30,000 Vipers were built between the introduction of the first-generation in 1992, through to this special car rolling off the production line in August 2017.

The SRT Demon is the ultimate version of the current Challenger muscle car, created as little more than a thinly disguised road-legal dragster. In fact, the SRT Demon is so quick on a drag strip – setting the world’s fastest production car quarter-mile time – that it was banned from competition usage in the United States.

With a list of world firsts, including the first production car to pull a wheelie on acceleration, the 6.2-litre supercharged 840hp SRT Demon has proven to be a serious collectors item already. Sales being limited to just one year will no doubt push values even higher.

Along with making a charity very happy, and taking home two serious performance cars, the lucky auction winner collected numerous other special items. Along with a number of branded items, the buyer also received certificates of authenticity, and photos detailing the build of each car.  

It might be the most unlikely motorsport machine in the Bentley range, but the Bentayga luxury SUV has become a racing winner.

Reaching the top of the 12.42-mile long Pikes Peak International Hill Climb course took the Bentayga 10 minutes 49.9 seconds. This slashed more than two minutes from the previous SUV class record, and saw the big 4×4 average 66.5mph on the way to the top.

Experienced New Zealand driver Rhys Millen added the class win to his previous two Pikes Peak victories, in what turned out to be a successful weekend in Colorado for the Volkswagen Group. The radical all-electric Volkswagen I.D. R having set a new outright Pikes Peak record, too.

Whilst there won’t be a road-going version to celebrate Volkswagen’s achievements, Bentley fans will be able to own a tribute to the Pikes Peak Bentayga.

Powered by the same 600hp and 664lb-ft W12 engine as the car driven by Rhys Millen, the special Pikes Peak Bentayga will be limited to just ten examples.

Each will be built by Mulliner, Bentley’s coachbuilding department, and offered in a choice of two colours. Beluga Black is the subtle option, whilst those wanting the full Pikes Peak replica can can pick the eye-watering Radium green colour.

The 22-inch alloy wheels are finished in a combination of Beluga and Radium, whilst all the chrome on the Bentayga is replaced with gloss black. Carbon fibre is used for the splitter, rear spoiler, diffuser, and side skirts.

A special Pikes Peak logo adorns the wheel arches, with similar branding applied to the tread plates and dashboard facias. The seats are upholstered in a combination of black leather with Key Lime Alcantara, with the same combination found on the doors.

With the Pikes Peak record-setter based on a production model, the ten buyers will be safe in the knowledge that they will have the same technical specification as Mr Millen. That means an eight-speed automatic gearbox, adaptive air suspension, carbon ceramic brakes, and a four-wheel-drive system, of course. A sports exhaust is also standard.

Those interested in recreating the Pikes Peak record will have to wait until August, when Bentley will start accepting orders for US and European customers. Plenty of time to learn the 156 corners that make up the hill climb course.

The trade war between the US and Europe stepped up a gear last week, with the European Union announcing a range of tariffs on products manufactured in North America, including Harley-Davidson motorcycles.

These would, says iconic American firm, result in an incremental cost of around $2,200 (£1,650) per motorcycle – so, to avoid having to put up prices and lose market competitiveness, it has announced plans to move production out of the US to other worldwide facilities.

It perhaps isn’t the result US President Donald Trump wanted, but it’s one that has been forced upon Harley-Davidson. Last year, it sold almost 40,000 motorcycles in Europe, making the region its second most profitable sales channel (behind North America).

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“Increasing international production to alleviate the EU tariff burden is not the company’s preference,” it said in an 8-K filing to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, “but represents the only sustainable option to make its motorcycles accessible to customers in the EU and maintain a viable business in Europe.”

The ramp-up of its international factories will take at least nine months, and could take up to 18 months – and the firm says the incremental cost for 2018 alone will be between $30 million to $45 million.

The full-year cost of the trade war tariffs to Harley-Davidson is estimated to be around £90 million to £100 million.

“Harley-Davidson’s purpose is to fulfil dreams of personal freedom for customers who live in the European Union and across the world,” it added. “The company remains fully engaged with government officials in both the US and the EU helping to find sustainable solutions to trade issues and rescind all tariffs that restrict free and fair trade.”

Hyundai has facelifted its i20 supermini for summer 2018, and has opened ordering with prices starting from £13,995.

Responding to car buyers’ ever-greater desire for advanced infotainment systems, the firm has standardised Apple CarPlay and Android Auto on all models, as part of a 7.0-inch touchscreen display.

It means that all i20s effectively now come with standard sat nav, via car owners’ mobile devices, while DAB radio and Bluetooth connectivity are also included – and every i20 also comes with a reversing camera.

Other standard features for 2018 cars include engine stop-start, automatic headlamps, air con and steering wheel stereo controls. Pick an SE and safety also received a boost, with standard autonomous emergency braking, lane keep assist and high beam assist.

SE models and above also feature a standard driver attention monitor.

There are three new colours as part of the eight-colour paint range: Tomato Red (which is free), Clean Slate and Champion Blue (which both cost £550).  

Hyundai’s also improved the appeal of the i20 to those who favour an automatic: a seven-speed dual clutch transmission replaces the fuel-hungry old automatic. It’s paired with the 100hp 1.0-litre T-GDI petrol engine, and now returns exactly the same 56.5mpg combined fuel economy of the regular five-speed manual.  

Tony Whitehorn, president and CEO of Hyundai Motor UK said: “Alongside the i10, the i20 played a significant part in kick starting Hyundai’s growth, with over 125,000 i20’s sold in the UK since the first generation was launched in 2009.

“Whilst the small car segment has been a challenging place for all manufacturers over the past few years, we expect the new i20 to build on its predecessor’s solid and stable sales performance by offering customers the mix of connectivity, safety and efficiency that they demand.”

2018 Hyundai i20 prices

• 1.2 75 S: £13,995
• 1.2 84 SE: £15,495
• 1.2 84 Premium Nav: £16,245
• 1.2 84 Premium Nav SE: £17,295
• 1.0 T-GDi 100 SE: £16,395
• 1.0 T-GDI 100 SE DCT: £17,645
• 1.0 T-GDi 100 Premium Nav: £17,145
• 1.0 T-GDI 100 Premium Nav DCT: £18,395
• 1.0 T-GDI 120 Premium Nav SE: £18,695

New and used car marketplace Auto Trader has gone bold with its competition for the 2018 FIFA World Cup – by giving away a brand-new car for every single goal England scores.

The opening match started off without too much drama, with the 2-1 scoreline costing it two vehicles – a Jeep Renegade for Nick Browne from Egham (above), and an Abarth 595 for Kendra Florence from Teesside (below).

But barely had those cars been handed over when England shocked football watchers everywhere with a record-breaking 6-1 scoreline against Panama. And as the nation celebrated, so too did another six motoring enthusiasts who found they had also scored a new car.

The #AutoTraderGoals competition has so far seen over 34,000 entrants, reports the firm, and may well now mean bosses have to secure a fresh supply of cars ahead of England’s next match against Belgium on Thursday.

The vehicles up for grabs are an Abarth 595, Alfa Romeo Mito, Fiat 500X and a Jeep Renegade. As they all retail from around £15,000, it means the competition may have already cost Auto Trader around £120,000…

Audience and brand director Lei Sorvisto said: “Since England’s first World Cup game, #AutoTraderGoals has been posted over 98,000 times on social media, which clearly demonstrates how the campaign has engaged a huge amount of people all over the UK.

“Good luck to everyone getting involved with England’s next game against Belgium on Thursday.”

The reaction of Auto Trader’s finance department following England’s game on Sunday has not been disclosed.

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Mazda is launching a revised MX-5 next month (August 2018). While the visual changes are modestly limited to colour options for wheels and roof, enthusiasts won’t care because the world’s best-selling roadster has been improved where it matters: driver appeal.

The big news is a revised Skyactiv-G 2.0-litre engine. This enjoys a substantial power hike from 160hp to 184hp, which Mazda has achieved through the most old school of tuning tweaks: raising the rev limit.

And not by just a modest amount, either.

The 2.0-litre now revs to a dizzy 7,500rpm, which is up from the 6,800rpm of today’s car. The boosted power is actually delivered at 7,000rpm, so Mazda perhaps didn’t need to engineer an extra 500rpm of revs on top, but we’re delighted that it did (particularly as strengthening any engine to cope with sustained high revs is neither easy nor cheap).

Torque is up too, by an almost entirely irrelevant 4lb ft. The MX-5 produces a relatively weedy 151lb ft of pulling power at 4,000rpm (in contrast to its turbocharged Fiat 124 Spider cousin), but this doesn’t matter to true MX-5 drivers because they’re rarely pulling so few revs anyway.

The 2019 MX-5 isn’t just racier, though. It’s also more honest, because Mazda has homologated both 1.5-litre and 2.0-litre engines to be compliant with the new WLTP/RDE fuel economy test cycle. This is where the marginally greater torque comes in, and Mazda says the acceleration control has also been revised to ensure there’s less lag between pressing the accelerator and the engine responding.

It’s added new safety tech as well, focused on active safety. Now available are advanced smart city brake support (which works both forwards and in reverse gear), driver attention alert, traffic sign recognition and a rear-view camera (which is now mandatory on all new cars in the United States).

In 2015, the MX-5 scored four Euro NCAP stars. Since then, the safety organisation has stepped up its active safety demands: the revised car should thus at least maintain this score.

Oh, and those new wheels and hood colours? There’s a darker paint finish on 16-inch and 17-inch alloys, and a new brown roof colour for the soft-top. That’s it. But who cares, when the 2.0-litre can now rev to 7,500rpm?

Prices and performance details of the new MX-5 will be revealed closer to market launch from August. Can’t wait that long? Perhaps £1,500 towards the deposit on the current one may sway you to give up that 7,500rpm red line…

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The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is a world-famous challenge that dates back to 1916. For decades, car makers have been entering exotic one-off rally cars to set a new course record at the Colorado, North America hill climb: since 2013, the all-time record was held by nine-times World Rally Championship holder Sebastien Loeb.

Volkswagen has now set a fresh Pikes Peak record, with a time 16 seconds faster than Loeb’s run – in an all-electric racer.

The Volkswagen I.D. R Pikes Peak is a futuristic 680hp EV that is a motorsport version of the upcoming I.D. electric road car family. It was tailored to the Pikes Peak challenge, so weighs less than 1,100kg but has a lot of downforce and a lot of quickly-deployed power: ideal for a course that has 156 corners and rises 4,720 feet (1,440 metres) to finish at a heady altitude of 14,110 feet (4,300 metres).

Volkswagen also designed a new fast-charge system that replenishes the batteries in less than 20 minutes; generators running on eco-conscious glycerol situated at the foot of the 12.4-mile course provide the charge.

The firm’s motorsport director Sven Smeets reckons the I.D. R Pikes Peak is “the most innovative and complex car ever developed by Volkswagen Motorsport”. French racer Romain Dumas is the new record holder and reckons it is “the most impressive car I have ever driven in competition” – quite some praise from a three-times Le Mans 24 Hours winner.  

The Volkswagen bosses were duly delighted. “The I.D. R Pikes Peak is the sporty forerunner of Volkswagen’s I.D. family,” said VW board member Dr. Frank Welsh. “Today, we saw what this technology is capable of.”

The fact it has set a new record at a motorsport challenge that’s run for more than a century “speaks volumes for electric mobility”.

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Dumas’ overall time was 7m 57.148s, and his name now joins the Pikes Peak wall of fame, alongside legends such as Loeb. Walter Rohrl, Michele Mouton and Stig Blomqvist. Not bad, added Volkswagen, for a project that only started eight months ago…