Drivers are demanding greater discounts on their car insurance for fitting devices such as dashcams and parking sensors.
Research by leasing company Flexed.co.uk reveals that three quarters of drivers don’t feel their insurance premiums reflect their investment in safety – with many only saving around £30 a year for having a dashcam installed.
One respondent, Dave from London, said: “I’ve got a good quality dashcam fitted – front and back-facing – but I’m told it’s only worth £30 off my insurance. If someone goes into the back of me, I’ll be saving the company thousands. It’s a con.”
Other drivers said they felt they should be given greater discounts for paying extra for parking sensors, adaptive cruise control and collision avoidance systems.
Flexed.co.uk spokesperson Mark Hall said: “Motoring technology is coming on leaps and bounds in the fields of driver assistance and safety. Just five years ago, the dashcam was the preserve of the police car, and now they’re accessible to all.
“However, drivers are telling us that insurance companies aren’t offering a sufficient award for making their life easier. £30 isn’t much compared to the fortune that dashcam technology is saving them.”
Dashcams are available for less than £10 and can provide concrete evidence in the event of a crash, while other safety kit can prevent a collision in the first instance.
Hall added: “Dashcams and other car safety gadgets are changing our roads, and new technology is emerging every year to make cars safer and to make drivers think more about their behaviour.
“But there’s a strong feeling from drivers that they’re not being treated fairly by insurers, even after they’ve gone to these expensive lengths to reduce risk on the roads.
“Even relatively little extras like parking sensors save insurers money on minor dings, bumps and scratches, but they don’t appear to be reflected in premiums.”
A £6 fee for a 30-minute rapid charge at motorway service stations across the UK is being rolled out from today – with the firm responsible pointing the figure at the success of the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV.
Mitsubishi sold 11,786 Outlander PHEVs in the UK last year, making it the country’s best-selling plug-in vehicle. It works by running on electric-power when it’s charged, with an official range of up to 32 miles. When its runs out of battery, or when extra power is required, the petrol engine kicks in.
Ecotricity hits EV drivers with £5 fee for 20 minute charge
Opinion: Ecotricity’s £6 charging fee could be a huge blow for electric cars
Speaking to Motoring Research, Ecotricity spokesperson Max Boon said: “The vast majority of complaints we receive are about PHEVs clogging up chargers. We want to encourage electric car use and if we can do that by discouraging plug-in hybrids from using our network, that’s a good thing.”
Interviewed for Radio 4’s You and Yours programme earlier today, Ecotricity’s owner Dale Vince defended his company’s decision to charge £6 for a 30 minute charge (a pound more than when it was announced on Friday) – and pointed the finger at drivers of the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV.
He said: “We’ve changed our plan over the weekend following feedback from our drivers. It’s now going to be a 30 minute charging session for £6. So that’s a 50% increase in time and a 20% increase in cost. We’ve done this to reflect that most EV drivers have said that they need 30 minutes to get the ideal 80% battery charge.”
Responding to a question from a Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV owner, Vince added: “[It] is not designed to be used on electric power for long journeys. It’s designed for running around town on its very small electric battery, filling up at home or at your destination over a period of several hours.
“It’s an inappropriate use of a fast charger at motorway services.”
Motoring Research is currently running a Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV on long-term test and recently questioned the etiquette around using public electric car charging points when other users might need them more urgently.
Ecotricity: Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV is ‘a compromised car’
After Radio 4 presenter Shari Vahl pointed out that not all plug-in hybrid cars sold are Mitsubishi Outlanders, Vince commented: “It is only the Mitsubishi that can plug into a fast charger – all of the others just plug into a type-two or three-pin socket over a period of several hours.
“The [Mitsubishi Outlander] hybrid is essentially a compromised car. It’s an electric vehicle with a very small battery and a petrol engine so that you have the back-up of the petrol engine for long journeys.
“It’s designed to use its petrol engine for long journeys. It takes half an hour to charge on a fast charger, and then you can travel 20 to 25 miles, and then you have to stop for another half an hour. It’s just not practical.
“The point of a hybrid is that they don’t have to charge. They have a petrol engine for a long journey, that’s the whole point of them. It’s just been an anomalous use of our network and our fast charge technology… it’s only happened within the last 12 months.”
Defending the charges, Ecotricity points out that its home energy customers will continue to be able to use the motorway charge points at no extra cost. The renewable energy firm generates 100% of its power from renewable sources, and has so far powered 30 million miles using electricity for no cost.
Speaking to Motoring Research, Boon added: “This hasn’t been an overnight decision. We’ve known since we launched that we would have to start charging one day.”
Mitsubishi: Ecotricity’s announcement is a ‘retrograde step’
Mitsubishi has branded Ecotricity’s comments a ‘retrograde step’ for the electric car industry.
A spokesperson told Motoring Research: “We don’t understand why the only supplier of charging points in the UK’s motorway services would want to deter the drivers of the UK’s most popular zero emission capable vehicle from charging.
“For an organisation whose vision is of a ‘Green Great Britain’, the decision of imposing a £6 per charge fee hampers the promotion of electric miles.
“In a growing sector, with a diversity of pure-electric vehicles and plug-in electric vehicles, we believe that consumers should have a choice. A reasonable nationwide strategy would be to have the same charging facilities to match everyone’s requirements.
“The Outlander PHEV is the first 4WD plug-in hybrid electric vehicle and offers a widespread consumer base uncompromised access to ultra-low emission motoring. Being able to cover the majority of journeys under electric power whilst having the security of a petrol engine as back up for longer trips is a key factor in its success.
“This announcement is more than disappointing – it seems to be a retrograde step not just for us but for the whole industry.”
‘Blaming’ drivers of the UK’s most popular EV for wanting to charge their car. Extraordinary. https://t.co/Am6zpdhMMs
Between January and March 2016, 11,755 new ultra-low emission vehicles (ULEVs) were registered in the UK – an increase of 31% over the same period in 2015, and 508% on two years previous.
These figures were released last week as part of a report by the Department for Transport looking into attitudes towards electric vehicles. But that’s about as far as the good news for EV manufacturers goes.
While sales are on the up, public perception of electric cars is seemingly stuck in 2013. More than half (55%) of drivers surveyed by the government revealed they hadn’t even considered a plug-in vehicle. A further 16% have and decided against it, while just 5% said they’d think about an electric car in the future.
Crucially, those stats are ‘not significantly different to those in 2014 and 2015’. So, despite Government-led incentives, an increased amount of plug-in vehicles on the market and the ongoing bad publicity for diesels, we’re apparently no more likely to buy an electric car.
The biggest electric car turn-off cited by members of the public were concerns around recharging (45%) – such as the availability of public charge points – and the distance travelled on one charge (40%).
There’s a lot of PR work to be done, then, to convince members of the public that you don’t need to be an ‘early adopter’ to drive an EV – and you can realistically use them on a daily basis without being left stranded with an empty battery.
Organisations such as Go Ultra Low are working hard to promote EVs (did you know, for example, that the average UK driver travels just 25 miles a day – meaning they could go a whole week between charges?).
But that good work has been dealt a huge blow by Ecotricity – the firm responsible for 300 rapid chargers at service stations across the UK motorway network.
The firm, which holds a monopoly on motorway EV chargers, has announced it will charge £6 for a 30 minute top up from today. Previously it was free (and, breaking news, this itself is a 20% increase on Ecotricity’s announcement last week that it would charge £5 for a 20-minute fast-charge: Ecotricity founder Dale Vince made the announcement this lunchtime on BBC Radio 4 You and Yours).
What does Ecotricity’s £6 charge mean for EV drivers?
To put that into context, the driver of a 24kWh Nissan Leaf will be able to cover roughly 100 miles from a £6 30 minute Ecotricity charge. That’s roughly the same distance a careful driver of a diesel Volkswagen Golf will be able to travel on £6 worth of fuel – and they won’t have to hang around for 30 minutes waiting to fill up.
While previously electric car drivers have had the luxury of being able to travel across the UK, stopping every 100 miles or so to recharge for free, they’ll now have to pay £6 each time. That’s almost as expensive as running as combustion-engined car with added inconvenience.
Then there’s plug-in hybrids. The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV has enjoyed huge success in recent years, continually topping the charts as number one best-selling plug-in vehicle. We’re currently running one as a long-term test car – and when it’s charged, it’s great.
But that charge doesn’t last long (Mitsubishi quotes an official electric-only range of up to 32 miles). And that means you’ll save less than a fiver by stopping to charge on a long journey – so, by the time you’ve paid Ecotricity and bought a cup of coffee in the services, you’ll be left out of pocket compared to driving straight past the services. And under petrol power, without charging, the Outlander’s fuel economy is… well, as you’d expect for a heavy, petrol SUV.
We asked Mitsubishi UK’s managing director Lance Bradley what he thought of the charge. He had this to say:
@MR_AndrewBrady@Editorial_MR Disappointing. Not sure why a supplier would appear to want to put customers off charging.
That second tweet raises an interesting point. Most people would accept that Ecotricity has to charge for the service it provides. It’s a company, after all, and there are quite significant costs associated with installing rapid chargers at motorway service stations. But how much would people be happy to pay?
How much would you be prepared to pay to charge your #EV at a motorway service station? https://t.co/OvRkA9SpRQ
We ran a quick online poll on our Twitter account over the weekend. 68% of those who voted said they’d happily pay £1-2 every time they used a rapid chargers – while a further 10% would pay £3-4. But no one thought the £5 charge was fair.
We have yet to go back to them to get their thoughts on the increased-by-20% £6 charge.
Is it really the end of the road for EVs?
There are two sides to the argument, of course. Some point out that, in fact, with so many of us only using our cars for short journeys, rapid electric car chargers are only there for rare occasions.
One of the people on that side of the fence is LeasePlan UK’s account director Scotland and Northern Ireland, as well as GreenFleet EV Champion, Judith Eadie. She points out that people are increasingly used to paying more for a ‘rapid’ service – think paying more Amazon Prime next day delivery, for example, or for EasyJet’s speeding boarding.
She said: “As technology advances, we expect to see vehicles directing drivers to free-of-charge charge-points as well as rapid chargeable charges should they need to use them.”
Just like week, Milton Keynes, one of the UK cities award a Go Ultra Low City status, announced it had designated 15,000 free parking spaces to electric vehicles.
Eadie added: “The Green Parking Permit is just one part of a £40 million funding pot to encourage exciting and innovative ideas that will encourage drivers to choose an electric vehicle. While drivers may be concerned with range anxiety, they can be assured that infrastructure and attitude is changing to support and encourage the uptake of electric vehicles.”
So, no, Ecotricity’s extortionate £6 charge for a 30 minute charge shouldn’t kill the electric car market. They still make sense for a lot of people. But, when we broke the story last week, someone on Twitter pointed out: “[it’s] far too early in the introduction of EVs and PHEVs to start giving people reasons not to bother.”
And that hits the nail on the head. While numbers of electric cars on our roads are increasing, they’re still a long way off being mainstream. The public perception of the electric car is it’s too expensive, too inconvenient – and now, unless you do all your miles within a short radius of home, too costly to run.
Will we see a downturn in EV sales? Time will tell.
The company behind the UK’s ‘electric highway’ and sole provider of electric car chargers at motorway service stations has announced it’s going to start charging a fee for charging your electric car.
Ecotricity has revealed that it plans to roll out a £5 fee for a 20 minute charge at its 300 fast-charging stations across the country.
A 20 minute charge in our Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV long-term test car will fill the battery by around 50%. At most, that provides enough power for around 15 miles of electric-only driving. Without charging, the same distance will cost around £2 in petrol.
In an email sent out to its users, Ecotricity said: “When we began in July 2011, there was a bit of a chicken and egg situation – people were reluctant to buy electric cars because there were no charging facilities being built, but nobody wanted to build those facilities while there were still so few cars on the road. That’s when we jumped in to help kickstart the electric car revolution in Britain.
“And that’s going pretty well: today there are over 40 models to choose from and 64,000 plug-ins on the road. The Electric Highway itself comprises almost 300 electricity pumps – of the fast charging variety.”
The move renders it almost pointless to charge plug-in hybrid vehicles at motorway service stations – a significant change as more manufacturers introduce plug-in hybrid cars. Hyundai launched its new Ioniq this week – with a plug-in hybrid version set to follow next year.
Drivers of electric cars, which rely solely on being charged regularly, may have no choice but to pay the £5 fee to complete long journeys. They will still be able to charge at home and at public (non-Ecotricity) chargers, and Tesla drivers will continue to use the company’s supercharger network at no cost.
A 24kWh Nissan Leaf will be able to cover roughly 75 miles from a £5 20 minute Ecotricity charge. In a petrol-powered car, that would equate roughly to 75.0mpg, meaning EV drivers will generally continue to be better off than those driving petrol or diesel cars. This doesn’t take into consideration purchase or battery lease costs, however.
It comes as figures released today by the Department for Transport reveal that 45% of drivers are put off buying an electric car due to concerns over charging.
Ecotricity added: “The combination of more cars on the road and faster charging means we’re now delivering two million miles of clean driving each month – all powered from the wind and sun. That’s a great result. It’s also a growing cost. And to keep pace with demand, we need to build more electricity pumps – at existing and new locations.
“So the time has come for us to charge – for charging. We’ve taken a lot of feedback from EV drivers in order to arrive at the right pricing model. We’ve decided that a simple flat fee of a fiver for a 20 minute fast charge strikes the right balance.”
EV drivers who wish to continue to use the Ecotricity stations will have to download the company’s mobile app, which will show available chargers and allow them to pay online.
The ‘pay-for’ system is being rolled out across the network from Monday 11 July, and is expected to be completed by Friday 5 August.
Update: 11.07.16
Speaking on Radio 4’s You and Yours, Ecotricity boss Dale Vince said: “Following reaction from our customers, over the weekend Ecotricity has decided to provide a 30 minute charge for £6. This is following feedback from drivers of plug-in hybrids who say they can get a full charge in half an hour.”
Charging for charging: reaction
We contacted Mitsubishi Motors UK managing director Lance Bradley for his thoughts on the change. He responded that he was ‘disappointed’.
@MR_AndrewBrady@Editorial_MR Disappointing. Not sure why a supplier would appear to want to put customers off charging.
And he’s not the only one. A number of Twitter users are frustrated by the announcement, with some even considering cancelling their electric car orders.
Typical. Just about to get an electric car and ecotricity are basically introducing fees the moment I’ll get it. Tempted to cancel car now.
The company behind the UK’s ‘electric highway’ and sole provider of electric car chargers at motorway service stations has announced it’s going to start charging a fee for charging your electric car.
Ecotricity has revealed that it plans to roll out a £5 fee for a 20 minute charge at its 300 fast-charging stations across the country.
A 20 minute charge in our Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV long-term test car will fill the battery by around 50%. At most, that provides enough power for around 15 miles of electric-only driving. Without charging, the same distance will cost around £2 in petrol.
In an email sent out to its users, Ecotricity said: “When we began in July 2011, there was a bit of a chicken and egg situation – people were reluctant to buy electric cars because there were no charging facilities being built, but nobody wanted to build those facilities while there were still so few cars on the road. That’s when we jumped in to help kickstart the electric car revolution in Britain.
“And that’s going pretty well: today there are over 40 models to choose from and 64,000 plug-ins on the road. The Electric Highway itself comprises almost 300 electricity pumps – of the fast charging variety.”
The move renders it almost pointless to charge plug-in hybrid vehicles at motorway service stations – a significant change as more manufacturers introduce plug-in hybrid cars. Hyundai launched its new Ioniq this week – with a plug-in hybrid version set to follow next year.
Drivers of electric cars, which rely solely on being charged regularly, may have no choice but to pay the £5 fee to complete long journeys. They will still be able to charge at home and at public (non-Ecotricity) chargers, and Tesla drivers will continue to use the company’s supercharger network at no cost.
A 24kWh Nissan Leaf will be able to cover roughly 75 miles from a £5 20 minute Ecotricity charge. In a petrol-powered car, that would equate roughly to 75.0mpg, meaning EV drivers will generally continue to be better off than those driving petrol or diesel cars. This doesn’t take into consideration purchase or battery lease costs, however.
It comes as figures released today by the Department for Transport reveal that 45% of drivers are put off buying an electric car due to concerns over charging.
Ecotricity added: “The combination of more cars on the road and faster charging means we’re now delivering two million miles of clean driving each month – all powered from the wind and sun. That’s a great result. It’s also a growing cost. And to keep pace with demand, we need to build more electricity pumps – at existing and new locations.
“So the time has come for us to charge – for charging. We’ve taken a lot of feedback from EV drivers in order to arrive at the right pricing model. We’ve decided that a simple flat fee of a fiver for a 20 minute fast charge strikes the right balance.”
EV drivers who wish to continue to use the Ecotricity stations will have to download the company’s mobile app, which will show available chargers and allow them to pay online.
The ‘pay-for’ system is being rolled out across the network from Monday 11 July, and is expected to be completed by Friday 5 August.
Update: 11.07.16
Speaking on Radio 4’s You and Yours, Ecotricity boss Dale Vince said: “Following reaction from our customers, over the weekend Ecotricity has decided to provide a 30 minute charge for £6. This is following feedback from drivers of plug-in hybrids who say they can get a full charge in half an hour.”
Charging for charging: reaction
We contacted Mitsubishi Motors UK managing director Lance Bradley for his thoughts on the change. He responded that he was ‘disappointed’.
@MR_AndrewBrady@Editorial_MR Disappointing. Not sure why a supplier would appear to want to put customers off charging.
And he’s not the only one. A number of Twitter users are frustrated by the announcement, with some even considering cancelling their electric car orders.
Typical. Just about to get an electric car and ecotricity are basically introducing fees the moment I’ll get it. Tempted to cancel car now.
High-performance Porsche specialist RUF has opened its first official sales outlet in the UK, in association with Kent-based brokerage thecarspy.net.
Part of RUF’s expanding international network, founder Estonia Ruf says entry into the UK market comes at an important time “because our range of cars is now the strongest it has ever been”.
> RUF Automobile UK
RUF has been tuning Porsches for four decades now, building an envied reputation for its super-fast models that has helped it expand internationally into the USA, Canada, Singapore, Japan, China, Thailand, Taiwan and Chile.
Now the UK is the next overseas market to gain official recognition and will now sell the full range of RUF Porsches (of which every one is capable of more than 200mph), plus custom bespoke-build classic models of which the firm has an even broader choice.
The RUF Porsche 2016 new car model range comprises:
RUF RtR (it has 802 hp: because RUF thinks the regular Porsche 911 Turbo is too slow)
RUF RGT (RUF’s extreme 525hp non-turbo 911 is for those who think the GT3 RS is too subtle)
RUF Turbo Florio (the 645hp hyper-power turbocharged Targa)
RUF 3800S (RUF’s take on the Porsche Boxster and Cayman, compete with 420hp)
Mark Sekula is the new co-director of RUF Automobile UK, after being friends with the Ruf family for many years.
“Knowing what RUF is capable of producing, we are very excited to be a part of the expanding international presence. The UK has tremendous potential for RUF cars and it will be our task to establish a sound base for both pre and post-sales support for customers in this country.
“We feel that now is the perfect time for us to satisfy the needs of the high-performance and luxury sector based on our own current market experience here in the UK.”
In the 1990s, due to regulations and increased performance, Porsche made the move – an unfavorable one by many Porsche aficionados – to go from air-cooled to water-cooled engines on all 911s.
Now, due to similar circumstances, Porsche’s standard engines are, once again, entering a new era as they will all be turbocharged; first the 911, and now the 718 Boxster and 718 Cayman.
But turbocharging is nothing new to Porsche as it has been playing with the force induction devices since the early 70s. Porsche’s inaugural venture in turbocharging began with its motorsports program.
In order to challenge the dominating McLarens of the Can-Am, Porsche engineers were pushed to adapting a turbo to its Type 912 engines used in its 917 racecars.
From the track to the road
Turbos elevated Porsche’s motorsports program and company chairman, Ernst Fuhrman, believed they could also enhance the performance of the production cars. The 911 Turbo – the first production turbocharged Porsche – was introduced as a prototype in 1973 before officially launching in 1975.
The 911 Turbo
Iconic 930 body – with ‘shark-fin’ fender covers and large ‘whale-tale – on the outside. 3.0-liter turbocharged flat-six on the inside. The first 911 Turbo, for the time, impressively produced 260 hp. Five-hundred models were initially to be produced, but due to immense demand over 1,000 ended up being sold.
Expanding turbocharger utility
Porsche’s entry-level model, the 924, was in need of a variant which could bridge the gap between a base 924 and base 911. To fill the vacancy Porsche took inspiration from the 911 Turbo and added a turbocharged 2.0-liter I4 to the front-engine sports car.
Entry-level turbo Porsche
Introduced as a 1978 model, the 924 Turbo produced 170-horsepower – 10-horsepower off of the 911 SC – and featured a NACA duct in the hood and air intakes in the nose to help distinguish the base 924 from the Turbo. In its short production run the 924 Turbo say minimal changes before its end.
Upgraded 911 Turbo
In 1978 the 911 Turbo’s engine’s displacement increased from 3.0-liters to 3.3-liters, giving the car a 40-horsepower jump over the last. Unfortunately for the U.S. in 1979 the 911 Turbo would no longer be available due to an energy crisis, and would not return until 1986.
New front-engine turbo
Before the 911 Turbo returned to the U.S. the 924’s replace, the 944, arrived with a turbo variant. The turbo produced 217-horsepower and had a recorded 0-60mph time of 5.9 seconds.
Advanced 944 Turbo
In 1988 a 944 Turbo S was revealed. Improved suspension, clutch, transmission, rear-end, and engine and clutch combination, helped make the Turbo S the fastest production four-cylinder car of its time. With 247-horsepower and 258ft-lb of torque, the Turbo S could go from 0-60mph in 5.5 seconds.
Superior supercar
While the 911 Turbo returned to the U.S., something much more menacing and paramount was leaving Stuttgart at the same time – the Porsche 959. Powered by a bi-turbo flat-six, the 444-horsepower all-wheel-drive super-Porsche could reach 195mph, making it the world’s fastest street-legal production car for its time.
Next generation 911 Turbo
Not until 1990 would the second generation 964 911 Turbo be released. It retained the same 3.3-liter flat-six from the last generation, but retuned to 320-horsepower. A Turbo S variant was released in 1992 with improved suspension and a power increase to 376-horsepower.
Improving the 964
In 1993 Porsche replaced the 3.3-liter engine with a new 3.6-liter flat-six pushing 360-horsepower with the Turbo variant. Only 1,500 3.6-liter Turbo 964s were produced, making it almost as sought after as the 959.
New 911 features
When the 993 generation of the 911 Turbo was revealed in 1995 it was equipped with two never-before-seen features on a 911 – twin turbos and an all-wheel-drive system. The twin-turbo 3.6-liter flat-six produced a whopping 402-horsepower, and combined with the new aerodynamic body the 993 Turbo launched from 0-60mph in a blistering 3.8 seconds. The Turbo S even faster with 424-horsepower.
The apotheosis of the 993 911
The GT2 name presents a sense of nobility. And when placed next to another dignity name, 911, everything you need to know about the car is represented in six characters. Bestowed with 430-horsepower – 450-horsepower on the upgraded edition – widened plastic fenders, larger rear spoiler with air scoops in the struts, six-speed transmission and rear-wheel-drive, the GT2 was truly a street-legal 911 racecar.
First water-cooled 911 Turbo
Diehard air-cooled 911 fans were thrown a curve ball with the launch of the new water-cooled 996 model 911. But the 911’s new feature in no way hindered the Turbo model’s performance. Its 3.6-liter flat-six is derived from the 1998 Le Mans winning GT-1 car and produced 415-horsepower at 6,000rpm.
996 generation GT2
Despite how enthusiasts felt about water-cooled 911s, there was no denying the pertinence of a 911 GT2. And the 996 GT2 did not disappoint. Two large turbochargers assisted the 3.6-liter flat-six in producing 476-horsepower, and according to reports of the time, the GT2 hardly suffered any dreaded turbo lag.
Turbocharged SUV
Porsche entered uncharted territory in 2002 with the development of a SUV. But in typical Porsche fashion, the Cayenne had superb handling and a line of strong motors – including a turbocharged 4.8-liter V8 – and quickly became the company’s best-selling vehicle. The Cayenne has a Turbo and Turbo S variant with the current Turbo S producing 560-horsepower.
Growing line-up
Porsche continued to grow its lineup with the Panamera – a full-sized luxury sedan. Like the Cayenne, a Turbo and Turbo S variant of the Panamera was made available with a turbocharged 4.8-liter V8. The current Panamera Turbo S is the most power mass production Porsche producing 570-horsepower.
997 generation turbos
While it was no surprise to see new turbo editions with the launch of the 997 generation 911, what was new was the first time use of BorgWarner VTG turbos. The new turbos cut lag and increased power with the 911 Turbo producing 473-horsepower and the mighty GT2 producing 523-horsepower.
997 generation two
For the 2008-09 model years of the 997 911 there were a few updates including revised suspension, PDK 7-speed transmission option, slightly altered front fascia and a couple other minor details. This didn’t have a major effect on the Turbo variants, but there was the addition of a new Turbo S and a staggering 612-horsepower twin-turbo GT2 RS.
Crossover endeavor
Porsche continued to work on increasing its audience by jumping on the crossover bandwagon with the launch of the Macan in 2014. There is a Turbo variant of the Macan, but a unique feature of the Macan is all of its engine options include a turbo. The base Macan and diesel models house a single turbo while S, GTS and Turbo models house twin-turbos.
991 generation 911
With the new 991 generation 911 came the end of the 3.6-liter flat-six. Now all Turbo models would be powered by a twin-turbo 3.8-liter flat-six. The Turbo now produced 513-horsepower, while the Turbo S produced 552-horsepower.
The 911 blows into another new era
Mid-generation updates usually include minor revisions, but this time the facelifted 991.2 sees all Carrera models sporting a 3.0-liter turbocharged engine. Aside from GT models, no longer can you go to a Porsche dealer and purchase a new naturally aspirated 911.
991.2 Turbo models
The Turbo and Turbo S models will still exist and will be the most powerful editions. Both all-wheel-drive with a twin-turbo 3.8-liter flat-six, but the Turbo will produce 540-horsepower with an estimated 0-60 time of 2.9 seconds, while the Turbo S will produce an incredible 580-horsepower with an estimated 0-60 time of 2.8 seconds.
Increasing its turbo line-up
New emission regulations are pushing manufacturers to adapted turbocharging technology to their lineups, and for Porsche this doesn’t stop with the 911. As of 2016, the Boxster and Cayman, now named 718 Boxster and 718 Cayman, have been given the turbocharged treatment coming standard with a turbocharged flat-four.
Boost or bust?
Now, Porsche’s entire line-up is turbocharged. The exceptions will be super-raw road-going racers such as the 911 GT3 RS. Like it or not, if you’re a fan of Porsches, you now need to be a fan of turbochargers. Not all the die-hard enthusiasts are happy, but such is the march of progress. Besides, as we’ve now seen, Porsche’s history with the turbo goes back decades. If anyone can lay claim to being an authentic turbo car maker, it’s Porsche…
Aston Martin and Red Bull Racing have revealed the stunning new AM-RB 001, the radical hypercar developed by the two brands and led by star F1 genius Adrian Newey, Aston Martin designer Marek Reichman and engineering ace David King. The new Aston Martin Red Bull could just be the F1 car for the road to outdo every other car ever created…
‘The like of which has never been seen before’
Aston Martin and Red Bull say the AM-RB 001 (that’s currently a codename: the real name will follow) is ground-breaking, ambitious, uncompromising and wholly extraordinary. Red Bull has won multiple F1 titles and Adrian Newey has won many, many more on top: by collaborating with Aston Martin, he’s now able to turn his brilliance to road cars. The rest of the supercar world is shuffling uncomfortably…
What is the Aston Martin Red Bull AM-RB 001?
The new Aston Martin Red Bull hypercar is a proper road-going machine. A maximum 150 will be built, with 25 more track-only super-specials. Purists, rejoice: it will have a mid-mounted non-turbo V12 engine that revs to the heavens and, although a power figure hasn’t been revealed, the AM-RB 001 will have, like the Koenigsegg One:1, a 1:1 power-to-weight ratio – that’s 1 hp per kilo of weight.
Road car with F1-like downforce
Described as having “unprecedented levels of downforce in a road-legal car”, the AM-RB 001 will, as you’d expect of an Adrian Newey-engineered car, further blur the dividing line between road car and racing car. The carbon fibre car’s aero secrets are mainly beneath the surface too, so Reichman’s been able to design a pure body shape without humungous wings and spoilers.
Yes, it really is a road-going Aston Martin
Looking truly unique, space-age and 22nd century, the incredible shape of the Aston Martin Red Bull AM-RB 001 makes every other hypercar to date seem old-fashioned and prosaic. It’s more Batmobile than road car, with designer Reichman admitting “there has never been an Aston Martin – or any car, actually – quite like the AM-RB 001”.
‘A truly remarkable project’
Aston Martin CEO Dr Andy Palmer is in no doubt as to the historical significance of the new Aston Martin Red Bull AM-RB 001. “As the project gathers pace it’s clear the end result will be a truly history-making hypercar that sets incredible new benchmarks for packaging, efficiency and performance, an achievement that elevates Aston Martin to the very highest level.
The practical Red Bull F1 car for the road
It pushes performance boundaries endlessly, but Aston Martin and Red Bull insist the AM-RB 001 will also be a perfectly usable, practical and enjoyable road car. Just one that performs on the track like no other road car up to now. The two firms promise a roomy two-seat cabin, plentiful comfort and the sort of packaging brilliance more mundane A-to-B runabouts would be proud of. Newey has a reputation for innovations like this in his F1 cars: the AM-RB 001 will be the first road car ever to benefit from it.
Ingenious suspension, aerodynamics, gearbox
Adrian Newey will also apply his F1 nous – brilliance that’s made him the most successful designer the sport has ever seen – to give the Aston Martin Red Bull innovative new suspension, radical aerodynamics and a clean-sheet transmission that’s been conceived and engineered by the far-sighted Red Bull Advanced Technologies department.
Adrian Newey’s first-ever road car
“I’ve long harboured the desire to design a road car,” says Red Bull’s Adrian Newey. His intention is to create a car of two characters – indeed, he says that’s the secret they’re trying to put into the AM-RB 001: “The technology that allows it to be docile and comfortable, but with immense outright capabilities.” Be in no doubt, the Adrian Newey road car is going to be extraordinary…
The tech nuances: TBC…
Today, Aston Martin and Red Bull are revealing the shape of the new hypercar, whose AM-RB 001 title is currently a codename. All the tech details underpinning it will be revealed in due course: for now, savour the pure and breathtaking dramatic form that blends Aston Martin tradition in a quite incredible futuristic form.
Why has Red Bull partnered with Aston Martin?
So why has Red Bull teamed up with Aston Martin to create its first ever road car? Because Newey reckoned it was the best way to make the project work: Red Bull would do all the clever hypercar engineered with Aston Martin helping it turn this into a beautiful, fast and comfortable GT car.
What next? How much will it cost?
Aston Martin will make the AM-RB 001 at its Gaydon facility, in the same area used to produce the One-77. It will produce between 99 and 150 of the road-going Red Bull, with 25 track-only models on top. First deliveries will start from 2018: the price has not and will not be disclosed, but a guess of around £2 million and £3 million is a safe estimate…
Less than 24 hours after the final episode of the current series of Top Gear, Chris Evans has announced he is leaving the show. The news comes after it was revealed that the final episode attracted just 1.9 million viewers, lower than any episode during the Clarkson era of the popular BBC programme.
In tweet, Evans said:
Stepping down from Top Gear. Gave it my best shot but sometimes that’s not enough. The team are beyond brilliant, I wish them all the best.
It means that Chris Evans has resigned after just six episodes, leaving Top Gear without its main host. That said, over recent weeks, it has become clear that Matt LeBlanc, Chris Harris and Rory Reid are more than capable of stepping into the shoes of Messrs Clarkson, Hammond and May.
A statement from Mark Linsey, BBC Studios director, said: “Chris is stepping down from his duties on Top Gear. He says he gave it his best shot doing everything he could to make the show a success. He firmly believes that the right people remain, on both the production team and presenting team to take the show forward and make it the hit we want it to be.
“The new series has so far notched up over 30m views in the UK alone and has already been sold to 130 territories worldwide.”
In an official statement, Chris Evans said: “I have never worked with a more committed and driven team than the team I have worked with over the last twelve months. I feel like my standing aside is the best thing I can now do to help the cause.
“I remain a huge fan of the show, always have been, always will be. I will continue to focus on my radio show and the allied events that it encompasses.”
These ‘allied events’ include CarFest and Children in Need. In a second tweet, Chris Evans posted:
Full steam ahead then with Radio 2, CarFest, Children In Need, 500 Words and whatever else we can dream up in the future.
Within minutes of Evans posting the tweet, Chris Evans became the top trending topic on Twitter. Meanwhile, you can expect to see former Top Gear presents rolled out for their opinions on the news. Tiff Needell, former racing driver turned TV personality, tweeted:
And all of a sudden the phone is hot with news reporters again … off to studio for BBC News 24 at 5pm!
There’s already speculation surrounding who will replace Chris Evans on Top Gear, although the resignation of Nigel Farage is not said to be linked to now the vacant position.
To celebrate Independence Day (no, not the Will Smith movie), we’ve put together a list of American cars that broke the mould. Automobiles that deserve a virtual high five. As Will Smith might say: we’ve got to get ourselves one of these.
AMC Eagle
Putting this list into some kind of order was proving tricky, so we gave up and opted for a simple A-Z. Which, by default, gives the AMC Eagle top billing. Not that this is an issue, because this was a true pioneer, blazing a trail for a new breed of off-road vehicles. With the notable exception of the Subaru Leone, before the Eagle had landed, 4x4s tended to be lumbering and heavy SUVs. Thanks to its Ferguson Formula (FF) all-wheel drive system, it’s also a distant relative of the Jensen FF.
Buick Riviera
On a shorter list, the Buick Riviera might not have made the cut, but its impact in the US cannot be underestimated. GM’s design chief, Bill Mitchell, is reported to have demanded the style and luxury of a Rolls-Royce with the performance of a Ferrari. The result was one of the most elegant and sought-after V8-engined cars of the 1960s. This wasn’t the first American luxury car, but it’s one of the first to call upon influences from the other side of the Atlantic.
Cadillac Eldorado
Revolutionary? Not really. Game changing? We think not. But as a symbol of the American dream and a hark back to the country’s golden age, few cars can touch the 1953 Cadillac Eldorado. Its follow-up, the 1959 Eldorado, symbolised the era of massive fins, chrome and excess.
Chevrolet Bel Air
Few cars encapsulate the image of 1950s Americana better than the Chevrolet Bel Air. The first generation car of 1950 ushered in a new era of car design and while the Bel Air had many imitators, few managed to capture its magic. Note the design of the hardtop, styled to look like a convertible. The idea wasn’t new, but Chevrolet popularised the concept.
Chevrolet Corvair
The Chevrolet Corvair was the only American mass-produced car to feature a rear-mounted air-cooled engine, which pitched it against the Volkswagen Beetle. But it was this layout, combined with a swing axle rear suspension, that led to wild handling characteristics. A number of single-vehicle accidents led to 100 lawsuits and the publishing of the book: Unsafe at Any Speed. Cutting a long story short, this changed the process of interaction between consumers and manufacturers.
Chevrolet Corvette
A production run spanning seven different decades and global recognition would be enough to earn the Chevrolet Corvette a place in this gallery. But the Vette was also the first sports car to be built in America and the first production car to be built using a fibreglass body. The Corvette name stemmed from a small, manoeuvrable frigate of the 17th century.
Chevrolet Suburban
We offer two reasons for the inclusion of the Chevrolet Suburban. Firstly, it’s the longest running nameplate in the world. Secondly, the first generation car – known as the Suburban Carryall – featured seating for up to eight people. It was therefore an early interpretation of the people carrier recipe.
Chrysler 300 Series
The Chrysler 300 Series of cars are considered to be America’s first performance cars, evolving from the C-300 of 1955, through to the 300B, 300C and beyond. The C-300 was the first American production car to develop 355hp, while the 300B gets the credit as the first car to produce 1hp per cubic inch.
Chrysler Thunderbolt
Though Peugeot had got there first with the first production, electrically-operated retractable hardtop, the Chrysler Thunderbolt of 1941 takes the honour as being the first American version. Other innovations included retractable headlights, doors that opened via buttons and air intakes beneath the front bumper. Even today, the Thunderbolt still manages to look futuristic.
Chrysler Turbine Car
The Chrysler Turbine Car probably has no place in a gallery focused on cars that broke the mould. Had Chrysler got its way, we could have been driving about in jet-powered cars, which sounds exciting and futuristic, even today. As it happened, the project was scrapped, with Chrysler crushing all but a handful of examples. If you haven’t watched it already, check out Jay Leno’s review online. It’s terrific stuff.
Cord 810
The Cord 810 was a stunning, if ultimately expensive, vision of the future. The L-29 was America’s first front-wheel drive car, but the 810 took this forward with a package that included independent front suspension. It also featured concealed headlights, a hidden fuel filler cap and the world’s first horn ring.
Dodge Caravan
To fans of muscle cars and rear-wheel drive legends, the inclusion of the Dodge Caravan might ruffle a few feathers. But in its day, the front-wheel drive Dodge Caravan was a revolutionary package, offering up to seven seats in a space shorter than a full-size station wagon. Chrysler’s minivans set the tone for a new breed of people carriers and – quite literally – changed the shape of American vehicles.
Dodge Viper
The recipe might seem rather primitive, but there’s no doubting the Dodge Viper’s significance. Stripped back to the barest of essentials, the Viper was loaded with an 8.0-litre V10 engine developing 400hp and 465lb ft of torque, helping to propel it to a top speed in excess of 160mph. It was crude, but it was also a relative bargain, putting supercar-taming potential within reach of the everyman.
Duesenberg Model SJ
The Duesenberg Model J was the supercar of the late 20s and 30s, offering a blend of luxury and brutal performance. The Model SJ was in a different league, adding a supercharger to its armoury to offer a top speed of around 140mph. A remarkable achievement, given 100mph was considered otherwordly.
Dymaxion
Buckminster Fuller – great name, not so great car designer. Fuller was an architect who had visions of a future including industrial system-built houses and flying cars. The Dymaxion car was wingless, but was intended to ‘plane’ on two wheels. It was flawed and the prototype was involved in a fatal accident at the 1933 Chicago World Exposition. As the Design Museum says: “the Dymaxion proved for ever that architects should not meddle with automotive design”.
Ford F-Series
The pickup is part of the fabric of America and the Ford F-Series is the most successful of the breed. It’s an institution. A legend. It’s part of the furniture. It can trace its roots back as far as 1948 and is consistently America’s best-selling vehicle.
Ford GT40
The GT40 is a controversial choice. To some Americans, the car’s Lola underpinnings and construction in Slough make it a British car, while the Brits will argue it’s a product of Uncle Henry. Whatever, its success at Le Mans was the equivalent of Henry Ford turning up at Maranello, pressing the doorbell and running away before Enzo Ferrari had managed to reach the door.
Ford Model 18
V8 fans should raise a glass to the 1933 Ford, because this was the first affordable, mass-produced car to be powered by a V8 engine. The Model 18 arrived in 1932 and was replaced by the Model in 1933.
Ford Model T
Launched in 1908, the Model T wasn’t the first car to be built, but it was the vehicle that mobilised an entire nation. For the first time, the automobile was accessible to more than just the upper reaches of society. Furthermore, the Model T was the first mass-produced car built on a moving assembly line.
Ford Mustang
There had been quicker cars, there had been cheaper cars, heck, there had been more beautiful cars. But few cars had made an impact quite like the Ford Mustang. It offered a slice of exotica to the post-war ‘baby boomer’ generation and captured an emergent trend towards optimism and a brighter future. It’s also one of just a handful of cars that are recognised simply by their model name.
Ford Pinto
Arguably one of the most famous cars in American history, but for all the wrong reasons. The Ford Pinto’s tendency to explode in the event of a rear-end collision didn’t exactly help sales, but it thrust it to the front of American newspapers. The most infamous American car in history?
Ford Fairlane 500 Skyliner
It was billed as the ‘world’s only hide-away hardtop’ and while retractable roofs were nothing new, the Ford Fairlane 500 Skyliner was quite the innovator. Rather than using hydraulics, as was commonplace at the time, the Skyliner used a series of electric motors – three to open the rear deck, one to unlock the top and another to send it into the boot. The rear deck then lowered via a separate servo, with the entire process taking less than a minute.
Ford Taurus
The 1981 Ford Taurus saved the company from bankruptcy, but it didn’t happen by accident. When the project team set out to create the car, they evaluated 400 different characteristics of the best cars in the world, ranging from the feel of the heater control to the appearance under the bonnet. Numerous design features ensured it was one of the most aerodynamic cars in the world.
Ford Thunderbird
Though the Ford Thunderbird had the look of a sports car, it was the first vehicle to be marketed more as a personal luxury car. The T-bird became a social and cultural icon, with a legion of celebrity owners helping to elevate the Ford to a higher plane. Over 4.4 million units were sold before Ford, and not daddy, took the T-bird away in 2005.
GM EV1
Twenty years on, the GM EV1 looks like the right car in the wrong era. It was the first mass-produced and purpose-designed electric car and the first to be produced by a major American carmaker. A range of 100 miles simply wasn’t enough for the majority of Americans, while as a two seater it was hardly family friendly. It was also cripplingly expensive to build, meaning GM was all too quick to crush the majority of EV1s when the leases expired. A groundbreaking failure?
GM LeSabre Concept Car
The 1951 LeSabre Concept Car didn’t so much as break the mould as change it. This was one of the world’s first concept cars, which introduced a number of technical procedures that would become commonplace in automotive design. Indeed, by using precise measurements and data, the LeSabre Concept Car laid the foundations for computer-modelling techniques. The aircraft-inspired design influenced many cars of the 1950s.
Hennessey Venom GT
The Hennessey Venom GT is essentially a Lotus Exige fed on a diet of Red Bull and rocket fuel. It has set a number of unofficial speed records, including an amazing 270mph at the Kennedy Space Record. Unfortunately for the twin-turbocharged V8 Venom, it doesn’t qualify for a Guinness World Record as the speed would have to be recorded over a measured mile in both directions.
Honda Accord
Wait, what, a Honda Accord? While we accept Honda is as Japanese as sushi, the Mk2 Accord will go down in history as the first Japanese car to be built in America, changing the automotive landscape forever. The first Accord rolled off the Marysville production line in 1982.
Hummer H1
Few cars can thank the influence of one outside individual for coming to market. None other than Arnold Schwarzenegger convinced AM General to launch a civilian version of the HumVee, made famous by its role in Operation Desert Storm. The original Hummer was born and production would continue until 2006.
Jeep Wagoneer
Step aside Range Rover, because this was the world’s first luxury SUV. Introduced in 1963, the Jeep Wagoneer offered the biggest cargo area and largest tailgate opening in its class, while passengers reveled in a huge amount of cabin space and a few luxuries. As it evolved, the Wagoneer grew ever more luxurious, spawning a larger Grand Wagoneer, before it made way for the Grand Cherokee.
Oldsmobile Curved Dash
While the Ford Model T was the first affordable mass-produced vehicle, the Oldsmobile Curved Dash of 1901 is credited as being the first mass-produced vehicle of any kind.
Oldsmobile ‘Rocket’ 88
Work started on the Rocket V8 engine back in 1946, with the engine going into production in 1948. The Oldsmobile Rocket 88 shot to fame as the pace car for the 1949 Indianapolis 500, before winning no fewer than six NASCAR races in the same year. It’s credited as being the world’s first muscle car.
Oldsmobile Toronado
The aforementioned Cord was a bit of a false dawn for front-wheel drive, but it would make a reappearance in the Oldsmobile Toronado of 1966. This itself gives it historical significance as the first volume production front-wheel drive car since the 1930s. It went head-to-head with the Ford Thunderbird as one of the first personal luxury cars.
Shelby Cobra
The very first Shelby Cobra is set to go under the hammer at RM Sotheby’s auction in Monterey, California. The auctioneers describe it as “the most important modern American car – period.” Not convinced? RM Sotheby’s claims: “When it comes to American sports cars, CSX 2000 is without peers. Its historical significance and impact on the global sports car scene cannot be overstated.”
1923 Star
For many American children, a family holiday meant piling into a station wagon and hitting the freeway. Face it, nobody does station wagons quite like the Americans. And these big, softly-sprung and occasionally wood-panelled family trucksters can trace their roots all the way back to the 1923 Star – a vehicle large enough to carry passengers and their cargo.
Studebaker Avanti
A genuine case of what might have been. The Studebaker Avanti’s styling was handled by the flamboyant Raymond Loewy and it was America’s first mass-produced fibreglass body, four-seat passenger car. Innovations included a built-in roll cage, padded interior and no front grille, while the shape was delightfully Italian in style. Sadly, production issues led to the demise of the Avanti, with Studebaker following soon after.
Tesla Model S
Is it too early to credit the Tesla Model S as being a car that broke the mould? Perhaps, but there’s no doubting its success, which has spread far beyond the coast of America. Here is an electric car that has the range and practicality to rival a standard car, while developing a near-cult status. It’s not cheap, but it has moved the game on.
Tucker 48
Preston Tucker assembled an all-star cast and the largest factory building in the world to bring the Tucker 48 to market. History will recall that, while the project was ill fated, the Tucker 48 had the potential to be a hugely successful automobile. Not only did it look magnificent, it also featured the likes of a central headlight that swivelled when cornering; disc brakes; a pop-out windscreen; rear engine; and a padded dashboard.
Vector W8
The first American-built supercar, arguably of all time, but certainly of the modern era. Thanks to its carbonfibre body and 650hp V8 engine, the Vector W8 could top 220mph, sprinting to 60mph in four seconds. Sadly, a $400,000 price tag resulted in slow sales, meaning Vector failed to get its W8 beyond second base.
1901 Waverley Electric
Early electric cars (such as the pair pictured here) outsold petrol cars in many parts of America, which suggests we haven’t really moved on at all. The Waverley Electric is, according to James May, a car that changed the world.
Willys MB Jeep
The Willys MB was the first mass-produced off-roader and the forefather of all modern SUVs. It played a significant role in the Second World War and yet its initial design was completed in just 49 days. It also influenced that other off-road icon – the original Land Rover.
Aston Martin and Red Bull Racing have revealed the stunning new AM-RB 001, the radical hypercar developed by the two brands and led by star F1 genius Adrian Newey, Aston Martin designer Marek Reichman and engineering ace David King. The new Aston Martin Red Bull could just be the F1 car for the road to outdo every other car ever created…
