Lotus could build GTs, sports saloons, crossovers or SUVs in future, according to new boss Phil Popham – but only after it has re-established its credentials as a sports car firm. Earlier this year, Lotus revealed plans for an electric hypercar, codenamed Type 130, as well as indicating it was preparing to launch a new… Continue reading Lotus considering GT, saloon, crossover and SUV projects
Author: Autocar Magazine UK
Volkswagen ID 3: pre-orders for electric hatch reach 15,000
Volkswagen sales boss Jürgen Stackmann said that the start of ID pre-booking ushered in “the third major chapter of strategic importance in the history of our brand, following the Beetle and the Golf”. He added: “With the ID 3, we are making the electric car fit for mass mobility.” Stackmann said that the ID 3 represented… Continue reading Volkswagen ID 3: pre-orders for electric hatch reach 15,000
Chinese EV start-up boss: new premium firms won’t survive
The boss of new Chinese EV firm WM Motor believes the challenge of establishing a brand means that premium start-up firms will struggle to survive – which is why his firm will focus on the mainstream market. Originally known as Weltmeister, WM Motor was founded in 2015 and last year launched the electric EX5 SUV… Continue reading Chinese EV start-up boss: new premium firms won’t survive
Aston Martin details James Bond-inspired DB5 continuation
When Aston Martin announced that it was planning to create 25 ‘continuation’ replicas of the DB5 used in the James Bond film Goldfinger, the big question was how it would deliver on the original car’s huge tally of gadgets. Now the firm’s Works Division has shown us several of the gadgets under development in the… Continue reading Aston Martin details James Bond-inspired DB5 continuation
Up to 230 jobs at risk as MG moves to downsize UK base
Up to 230 engineering and design jobs at MG Motor are at risk as the Chinese car company plans to radically downsize its technical centre in Birmingham at the site of the former Longbridge factory. News of the plan leaked out after a consultation with the workforce on Friday, with one source suggesting that 140… Continue reading Up to 230 jobs at risk as MG moves to downsize UK base
Meeting Jost Capito, the man behind Volkswagen’s R division
Next came a lateral move to Sauber, specifically Sauber Petronas Engineering, which was charged with moving Proton beyond its early technical alliance with Mitsubishi. Capito led development of an all-new 2.0-litre engine, and although this didn’t make production his skills at project management were noticed and he was made COO of the Sauber F1 team… Continue reading Meeting Jost Capito, the man behind Volkswagen’s R division
Autocar confidential: Volkswagen ditches coal, BMW plans the i3’s future and more
In this week’s round up of automotive gossip, we take a look at BMW’s plans for future electric models, Jaguar’s subtle interior ethos and more. BMW’s theory of EVolution The BMW i3 could spawn multiple successors rather than a single new car, says product management boss Peter Henrich. “Do we need one specific successor to… Continue reading Autocar confidential: Volkswagen ditches coal, BMW plans the i3’s future and more
2022 Porsche Boxster and Cayman to get hybrid and EV options
Porsche is now pursuing a plan that could see pure-electric Boxster and Cayman variants using the company’s new PPE architecture offered alongside updated versions of today’s models featuring hybrid and plug-in hybrid drivetrains. The plan would mirror the move taken by Porsche with the next-generation Macan, which will continue to be produced on its existing… Continue reading 2022 Porsche Boxster and Cayman to get hybrid and EV options
Under the skin: the latest CVT gearbox technology
Toyota’s umpteenth incarnation of the Corolla is now on sale, mainly in Hybrid form. It’s billed as having an ‘e-CVT’, which at first had our news antennae all a-quiver. In fact, e-CVT is simply another marketing moniker for essentially the same hybrid driveline concept Toyota came up with in the 1990s for the first Prius… Continue reading Under the skin: the latest CVT gearbox technology
Byton M-Byte SUV gearing up for production
Byton’s chief vehicle engineer is Irishman David Twohig, who formerly worked for the Renault-Nissan Alliance and won the Mundy Award for Engineering at the 2018 Autocar Awards for his work on the Alpine A110. We caught up with Twohig at the Pebble Beach Concours event to find out more about Byton’s ambitious plans. Where is Byton… Continue reading Byton M-Byte SUV gearing up for production