The design of the production version of the Volkswagen ID hatchback has been signed off and stays true to the concept first seen in 2016, according to VW’s design boss, Klaus Bischoff. The ID hatchback, due on sale in 2019, is the first model from the VW brand to be designed as an electric vehicle from the… Continue reading Volkswagen ID hatch to stay true to concept, says design boss
Author: Autocar Magazine UK
Canadian entrepreneur buys 10% of McLaren Group for almost £204m
Michael Latifi, a Canadian businessman, has become McLaren Group’s third-largest shareholder, investing almost £204 million in return for a 10% stake. Latifi’s company Nidala Limited now owns one tenth of McLaren Automotive, McLaren Racing and McLaren Applied Technologies, with the only larger shareholders being the Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company and Mansour Ojjeh’s TAG Group. McLaren… Continue reading Canadian entrepreneur buys 10% of McLaren Group for almost £204m
Motability faces official investigation into financial operations
Motability, the charity provider of lease cars, wheelchairs and scooters to disabled people, has come under fire over its financial operations. Motability Operations, which receives around £2 billion per year from the Department of Work and Pensions, has accrued a £2.4bn reserve in cash – a four-fold increase over 2008. Meanwhile, the salary of CEO… Continue reading Motability faces official investigation into financial operations
2021 Jaguar J-Pace moves closer to production with global trademark
Jaguar is working at top speed on an all-new £80,000-plus J-Pace SUV for 2021, designed to beat the Porsche Cayenne at its own game. A global trademark filing for the J-Pace moniker suggests that the model is edging closer to production, having been scooped by Autocar last year. The Range Rover-rivalling SUV will have a brand-new… Continue reading 2021 Jaguar J-Pace moves closer to production with global trademark
Porsche Mission E: 592bhp output confirmed by Webber in new video
Porsche has released the first official drive footage of its upcoming Mission E electric sports car that shows it being driven at pace by Mark Webber around the brand’s Weissach test track. The Formula 1 race winner and 2015 World Endurance Championship champion demonstrates the all-electric car’s agility and traction on the technical layout, with the Porsche employee stating that it’s… Continue reading Porsche Mission E: 592bhp output confirmed by Webber in new video
Prodrive: how it went from building rally cars to hybrid transit vans
“I’ve always looked at ambulances as heavy, old technology. How do you bring them into the modern era? That’s what we’re working on next.” David Richards, the boss of the Prodrive race team and engineering company he set up in 1984, is nothing if not diverse in his business. While closely associated with high-profile World… Continue reading Prodrive: how it went from building rally cars to hybrid transit vans
German authorities call for Porsche to recall 60,000 diesel Macans and Cayennes
Porsche has been asked by German automotive regulator KBA (Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt) to recall 60,000 diesel-engined Macan and Cayenne models running with emissions defeat devices. The Audi-produced 3.0-litre V6 Euro 6 diesel engine used in the two models was found to have lower emissions during lab testing, constituting a test cheat device — and linking the cars to the Dieselgate scandal. It’s estimated… Continue reading German authorities call for Porsche to recall 60,000 diesel Macans and Cayennes
BMW X5 confirmed for arrival later this year with 7 Series architecture
BMW‘s next-generation X5 and X5 M models are being tested on public roads in Scandinavia, as the brand puts the finishing touches to its Porsche Cayenne-rivalling model range. BMW boss Harald Krüger confirmed at the brand’s Annual General Meeting that the X5 will arrive later this year; an October launch is anticipated Our spy photographers laid eyes on a new… Continue reading BMW X5 confirmed for arrival later this year with 7 Series architecture
Genesis boss: UK will be ‘main target’ in 2020 European launch
The UK will be the main target of Genesis when the marque is launched in Europe in 2020, according to brand boss Manfred Fitzgerald. Hyundai’s luxury arm launched as a brand in its own right in 2016, focusing on US and Asian markets but with the expectation that it would eventually arrive in Europe. However,… Continue reading Genesis boss: UK will be ‘main target’ in 2020 European launch
Analysis: Are car makers ready for WLTP?
Car makers are ramping up their efforts to ensure they are ready for the roll-out of tougher new emissions tests, which must be undertaken by all new cars from 1 September. After that date, the Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP) will apply to all new type approvals for cars. The test is designed… Continue reading Analysis: Are car makers ready for WLTP?