German Chancellor Angela Merkel speaks at the BMW stand while a Greenpeace activist protests against the auto industry behind on the opening day of the IAA 2019 Frankfurt Auto Show on September 12, 2019 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany.Sean Gallup / Getty Thousands of climate protesters marched past the Frankfurt auto show Saturday, highlighting the simmering tensions between the German car industry and the countrys environmentalists.Make love not CO2, read one protesters banner as activists from Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth joined scores of cyclists to demand that Germany take action to cut the number of cars on its roads, with some calling for an outright ban on SUVs and other large vehicles.Organizers claim that more than 25,000 people took part in the event, which came as the chancellor convenes a climate cabinet tasked with cutting emissions from Germanys transport and heating sectors.The automotive industry makes money by destroying the environment, Marion Tiemann, a transport expert at Greenpeace and one of the events organizers, said at the protest. Were in the midst of a climate crisis.Germany has pledged to cut carbon emissions by 55 per cent by 2030, compared with 1990 levels. But by the end of this year, the country will have reduced CO2 output by only 30 per cent, with transport emissions rising steadily.Record-breaking heatwaves, the dwindling of the Rhine river and a series of powerful storms have turbocharged the climate debate in Germany and lifted the environmentalist Green party to second place in election polls.In the last 50 years, storms, hot spells and floods have increased threefold in Germany, Merkel said in her weekly podcast Saturday. We must act. Cars are an obvious target for climate protesters who on Saturday paraded effigies of Volkswagen, BMW, Daimler and Toyota executives with exhaust tailpipes in place of where their sexual organs would be. Other banners called for Clean air for all as a giant, black, inflatable upturned car drifted over those gathered around Hauptwache, a square that borders Frankfurts main shopping street.Our message to the automakers is: Stop selling sports utility vehicles, said Juergen Resch, executive director of Deutsche Umwelthilfe, an environmental group thats brought lawsuits against German cities where nitrous oxide pollution has exceeded legal limits. Theyre climate killers. Demonstrators on bicycles are pictured on their way over the A 648 motorway to protest against the Frankfurt motor show IAA 2019, in Frankfurt am Main Germany, on September 14, 2019. Daniel Roland / Getty The conflict between German environmentalists and automakers sits uneasily with the fact that around 5 per cent of Germanys economic output depends on car companies.Despite calls for calm, tensions have boiled over several times in recent week. Climate change activists met with representatives from Germanys car lobby earlier this month in an unusually hostile debate in Berlin. A fatal accident last week, when a Porsche SUV crashed into a group of pedestrians in Berlin, prompted a local politician to call for a ban on such tank-like vehicles.Some protesters in Frankfurt on Saturday called for the German government to go further and ban all cars from city centers. Theyd also like Germany to invest billions of euros in its rail network and plot an eventual exit from the internal combustion engine, similar to the countrys decision to quit coal-fired power generation by
Origin: Thousands protest at Frankfurt car show over emissions concerns
U.S. workers’ union starts first strike against GM in 12 years
Members of the United Auto Workers (UAW) who are employed at the General Motors Flint Assembly plant in Flint, Michigan, slow down salary employees entering the plant as they strike early on September 16, 2019.Jeff Kowalsky / AFP via Getty The United Auto Workers union is leading its first strike against General Motors in 12 years, digging in for a fight over jobs and benefits that could cost the carmaker dearly.The strike that took effect at midnight may cost GM about US$50 million a day in earnings before interest and taxes due to lost production, Dan Levy, an analyst at Credit Suisse, said Sunday.While GM touted an offer to invest in plants across the U.S. and boost wages and benefits, UAW leadership has been rocked by a corruption scandal and needs to show willingness to bring the fight to an automaker thats been scaling back its workforce.The union is playing some hardball. It seems they are pretty far apart, said Kristin Dziczek, vice-president of the labor and economics group at the Center for Automotive Research. GMs offer still doesnt address some of the unions demands.GM has offered US$7 billion of investment in eight U.S. plants and more than 5,400 additional jobs, most of which would be new hires. But the union said GMs proposal fell short in key areas including health care, use of temporary workers and the length of time it takes for shorter-tenured members to get to top-scale pay.The union is seeking pay raises for entry-level workers, who currently start at less than US$20 an hour, and to get them to the peak wage of almost US$30 an hour in three or four years, instead of the current period of eight years.Going into this bargaining season, our members have been very clear about what they will and will not accept from this contract, UAW Vice President Terry Dittes said at a press conference on Sunday.Temporary employees and those working their way up the pay scale are doing the same work for less compensation, said Ted Krumm, the head of the unions bargaining committee. We are fighting for the future of the middle class, he said. GM countered that it made the union a generous offer to invest in factories in four states, including a new vehicle in the Detroit-Hamtramck sedan plant that had been slated to end production in January.In Lordstown, Ohio, where GM has idled the factory that once had three shifts of workers making Chevrolet Cruze compact cars, the automaker plans to set up the first union-represented electric-car battery plant in the U.S. There are also four electric trucks coming that other UAW plants will build.GM offered workers a signing bonus of US$8,000 per member if they ratify the deal, plus wage gains or lump-sum payments in all four years of the contract. The carmaker says its offering to keep members health-care contributions the same as in the current contract.The walkout will be just the second national work stoppage at GM since a 67-day strike in 1970. GM did have a 54-day strike at a key plant in Flint, Michigan, in 1998 that effectively shut down most of its assembly
Origin: U.S. workers’ union starts first strike against GM in 12 years
800 miles in a week in an electric car: 12 things I learned
Earlier this year, as part of a long-term test review, I had six months to discover just how good the Kia e-Niro is. But as the time neared its end, it became apparent that the car’s real-world 250-300-mile range meant I hadn’t driven anywhere that necessitated the use of the UK’s public charging network. So it was that I took the plunge, adding further jeopardy by making this pioneering journey with my entire family in tow, off on our summer holidays to West Wales. At worst, I wouldn’t return just on a flatbed truck but also divorced and with children who no longer wanted to know me. The challenge was complex, because we needed to travel to and from Wales on the motorway networks, whereas we would be looking for every kind of charger available while we were there, from rural public spots to those provided by local car dealers and even, on occasion, three-pin plugs where we were staying. However, 800 miles later and with two journeys of more than 250 miles under our belts, we were back home and still on speaking terms. It took some planning and there were fleeting moments of inconvenience and lost time, but it worked out just fine, a few ultimately minor dramas aside. Here, then, are some of the lessons learned from a trip that proved to me once and for all that the capability of today’s EVs and charging network make the switch from a petrol or diesel car far easier than most people imagine. 1. Electric car people are nice people I’ll be honest, I had my doubts. Social media is awash with virtue-signalling EV evangelists who jump at the chance to strike out at anyone who dare suggest even the slightest compromise of electrification. But everyone I met in an electric car was friendly, helpful and informative, and many went out of their way to help and educate me. This is the kind of advocacy needed to persuade anyone with doubts to switch to electric motoring, and it was a joy to discover a positive subject that bound people together in a common goal. 2. Some people can’t help behaving like idiots Based on my journey, ‘some people’ is actually mostly made up of BMW drivers. The chap who parked his diesel X6 in a charging bay and left its engine running for 20 minutes? Idiot. The BMW 5 Series plug-in hybrid buyer who dropped it in a charging bay but then got ticketed because he wasn’t smart enough to plug it in? Bigger idiot. The only upside was that they weren’t using disabled bays, I guess. 3. The Tesco/Podpoint/Volkswagen tie-up is a stroke of genius Parked up in Tesco in Cardigan taking on a quick top-up, I must have encountered close to 100 shoppers wanting to know what I and my Hyundai Ioniq-driving neighbour were up to. It helps, of course, that there are big signs and a video screen to catch the attention, but for most people I spoke to, it was the prospect of free fuel that had them intrigued and – from the quality of the questions – off to research more about electric cars. Greater news for EV uptake, even greater news if you’re about to launch the ID 3. 4. 7kW charging on the motorway is useless You don’t need big energy to charge overnight at home, but it’s all you want when you’re trying to get somewhere. Incredibly, I encountered numerous motorway outlets that could only trickle around 20 miles of range into the car in the maximum 45 minutes of charging allowable. That’s nigh-on useless and underlines that as well as expanding the network, providers must focus on upgrading it where appropriate. 5. Ecotricity’s motorway network needs urgent improvement I have pondered over naming and shaming, but the weight of evidence against Ecotricity is overwhelming, both from the fact that my only disrupted or failed charges came at its hands and the catalogue of complaints online. The company isn’t without its positives, but it’s regularly providing the sort of experiences that would put off many people from making the switch to an electric car and prompt hugely damaging headlines. If it won’t improve its act, someone else should be asked to step in. 6. Planning ahead isn’t that hard – but it helps to do it It sounds obvious, but if you’re like me, the only planning you’ve thought about ahead of long trips previously is trying to avoid rip-off motorway prices. Driving an electric car requires more care, but not much, and of course you get better with experience. There are apps to tell you where chargers are, how fast they charge, whether they’re working and whether they’re available to use. Even if you hate planning ahead, you’re looking at five minutes of homework. 7. Charging needs to be simpler That said, the infrastructure providers and legislators need to bang their heads together fast. I was delighted to discover a Welsh Government initiative trying to pull together the mishmash of providers under an umbrella scheme, so that users could access all the chargers using one app or card, rather than having to sign up to a patchwork of providers. Rumour
Origin: 800 miles in a week in an electric car: 12 things I learned
First Drive: 2020 GMC Sierra 1500 Diesel
2020 GMC Sierra 1500 DieselDerek McNaughton / Driving JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. General Motors, after announcing last January it was bringing a diesel engine to its Sierra and Silverado light-duty pickups, delayed releasing power and torque figures for what seemed like forever. The reason? Its brand new 3.0-litre baby Duramax engine, developed specifically for the freshly redesigned pickups, had to compete with Ford’s new diesel in the F-150, as well as a looming update to the long-running EcoDiesel in the Ram.Ford had come out swinging with 440 lb.-ft., besting the Rams 420. Most figured GMs new 3.0L diesel would, at the very least, produce 450. But in March of this year, GM Authority revealed the secret: The 3.0L Duramax would come with an SAE-certified 277 horsepower and 460 lb.-ft. of torque, making the Sierra and Silverado the most powerful half ton diesels on the market. And for a few short months, GM proudly wore the crown.But competition and bragging rights in this category matter and RAM, never to be outdone raised the stakes by recently proclaiming its EcoDiesel would deliver 480 lb.-ft., although less overall horsepower than GMs pair of trucks. The torque war was suddenly on full display and GM lost its best-in-class status. But while GM may have lost the early numbers battle, it may have won the war simply through intelligent engine architecture: Instead of using a V6 for its diesel, GM chose a straight six a configuration long known for its inherently superior balance and buttery smooth delivery of power.That decision paid off. Touch the throttle on the 2020 Sierra equipped with the diesel and the reaction is quick, only the slightest pause as the Hydra-Matic 10-speed automatic transmission figures out where it needs to be before unleashing the engines full fury. Astonishing in force, the small diesel rockets the Sierra ahead with power that feels as strong and stout as GMs 6.2-litre V8. And, wow, is it ever smooth, with just enough feel through the cabin and steering wheel. Exceedingly quiet at idle, the engine delivers an almost BMW-like roar under full power, a hearty mix of turbocharger, high compression, and pistons all surging in perfect harmony. Engineers say they worked specifically on the intake sound, combining an air induction system with noise-reducing elements. Instead of blanketing the engine sound, GM has enhanced it. Yes, theres a bit of diesel clatter at throttle tip-in as would be expected and nearly impossible to eliminate, but in simple cruising theres just a low and deep and pleasing hum to the engine. Even though Ram has more torque, theres something about this engine that simply feels better behind the wheel, more satisfying when the foot hits the floor.No doubt some of that comes from an engine mount solenoid that basically acts as an adaptive shock absorber to control vibration and lower NVH levels. But some also comes from an aluminum cylinder head that caps an aluminum block (with iron cylinder liners for durability) to reduce mass over the front wheels. A variable-geometry turbocharger adjusts boost pressure according to demand, and air flow into the intake manifold is electronically controlled.An inline-six also has less moving parts than a traditional V6 two fewer camshafts and the chains to drive them, so theres no need for balancing shafts. Overall friction is less, too, all of which resulting in a clean, higher purity of power that begins to peak in this engine as early as 1,250 rpm and summiting at 1,500 rpm, sustaining itself through 3,000 rpm.Stepping on the gas returns some long legs of power, tapering off only after the truck blows past 110 km/h. Like a performance car, the Sierras power is constantly tempting and teasing the driver to explore its depths. Its almost too much seduction for a truck. If I were ordering a Sierra tomorrow, there is no doubt what engine Id choose, even if it does cost an extra $3,135 and is available on all trims (except the base truck) and only in double and crew cabs. Thats also because Im frugal, and would love to be able to travel more than 1,000 kilometres between fill-ups as the Sierra diesel should. Transport Canadas official rating for the 4WD diesel is 10.5 L/100 kilometres city, 9.1 highway and 9.9 combined. Two-wheel-drive trucks get an 83-litre fuel tank, while 4WD trucks get a 90.Mileage in the real world might skew lower, too, more toward the estimates on the Chevy Silverado which can be optioned with the same engine and returns 8.0 highway and 10.4 city on 4WD trucks. GM says the Sierra has more content and typically wears more aggressive tires that affect fuel economy. Based on the couple of hours we spent driving the Sierra on some mountainous roads, we achieved a low of 7.6 L/100 kilometres in some steady, 90 km/h driving, while the longer average on the trucks computer showed 11.2, though we had no idea how hard the truck was driven before our drive or how much it was idled.
Origin: First Drive: 2020 GMC Sierra 1500 Diesel
New Skoda Kamiq crossover priced from £17,700
The Skoda Kamiq, revealed at Geneva motor show and on roads this November, will be priced from £17,700. The smallest SUV in Skoda’s line-up, the Kamiq range comprises four trim levels, S, SE, SE L and Monte Carlo, the latter of which will be available later this year. Of the three trims available to order now, prices range from £17,700 to £25,130. Rival, the new Nissan Juke, starts from £17,395. The entry-level S trim includes 16-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights and tail lights, air conditioning, infotainment system with DAB and a 6.5-inch touchscreen display. The mid-range SE model, from £19,135, adds 17-inch alloy wheels, 8-inch touchscreen display, Apple CarPlay, rear parking sensors and cruise control. The Kamiq, which completes Skoda’s European SUV range, will offer class-leading space and features, claims the Czech firm. The Juke rival, first shown at the Geneva show, sits underneath its Karoq and Kodiaq siblings. The Kamiq is based on the Vision X concept shown at last year’s Geneva show and is the first Skoda to show the influence of new design chief Oliver Stefani. While it takes styling cues from both the Karoq and Kodiaq to ensure a ‘family’ resemblance between Skoda’s SUV offerings, the Kamiq has several distinctive features, including a more upright grille and optional narrow LED running lights. The latter feature animated ‘dynamic’ indicators and sit above the main headlights. As with the new Scala, the boot displays the Skoda name in letters, instead of the firm’s logo. The Kamiq will be offered in front-wheel drive only. Although aimed primarily at a family market in urban areas, it will deliver “sporty” handling, according to project manager Emil Nikolov. The Kamiq is available with optional Sport Chassis Control, which makes the car sit 10mm lower than standard and includes adjustable shock absorbers. Three petrol engines and one diesel are offered in the UK. There are two 1.0 TSI petrol options, with 94bhp and 113bhp respectively; and a 1.5 TSI petrol with 148bhp. The diesel offering is a 1.6 TDI with 113bhp. In certain European markets, a CNG powertrain will be offered, although this version won’t come to the UK. There is a choice of a six-speed manual or a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. The Kamiq is built on the Volkswagen Group MQB A0 platform used by the Seat Arona and Volkswagen T-Cross but has more interior space than both. The new compact SUV is 4241mm long with a wheelbase of 2651mm, both of which are 85mm longer than the Arona. That also makes the Kamiq 106mm longer than the Juke, with a 121mm-longer wheelbase. Skoda says extending the wheelbase has allowed it to maximise interior space, claiming more rear leg room than in the Octavia and Karoq. It has a boot capacity of 400 litres, identical to the Arona’s and 46 litres bigger than the Juke’s. The Kamiq’s boot can be accessed using an electric tailgate and expands to 1395 litres with the rear seats folder. The interior features a similar layout to the recently launched Scala, including the option of a 9.2in free-standing infotainment touchscreen that sits above a hand-rest ‘shelf’ and an optional 10.25in virtual cockpit. The air vents have been pushed to the side of the dashboard in a bid to increase space and ambient lighting is offered in three colours. Options include heated front and rear seats. Skoda claims more than 20 of its ‘Simply Clever’ features are available, including a removable LED torch in the boot. The Kamiq will be offered with a permanent internet connection and a number of connected features, such as remote vehicle access via an app. The car comes with Front Assist and Lane Assist as standard, with optional safety features that include Park Assist, Rear Traffic Alert and a rear-view camera. The Kamiq is unrelated to the Chinese-market SUV of the same name. That machine is larger and built on an older platform, but Skoda has used the same name because they are the smallest SUVs it offers in each market. As with the Karoq and Kodiaq, the Kamiq name is based on a word from the Inuit language. It “embodied something in which you can feel comfortable in any situation and that has its own character,” according to Skoda sales boss Alain
Origin: New Skoda Kamiq crossover priced from £17,700
Volkswagen ID 4: 2020 electric SUV tests alongside ID 3
Volkswagen upcoming ID 4 SUV has again been caught testing, a week after it was on display in camouflage at the Frankfurt motor show. The electric crossover-style SUV will be a big part of VW’s ID brand’s range offensive in the US. The bodywork similarities of these two prototypes suggests the ID 4 will be closely linked to the ID 3 it is testing alongside, albeit slightly larger and sporting more evident SUV design cues. The ID 4 was on show at Frankfurt sporting a heavily camouflaged livery and is inside a glass box wrapped in a similar pattern. The set-up was similar to that used by VW when it launched pre-sales for the ID 3 hatch earlier this year. Although VW was giving away little information about the car at Frankfurt, to keep the focus on the company rebranding and the launch of the production ID 3, the Kia e-Niro rival is set to go into production next year. Despite the camouflage, the new EV appears to retain many of the same exterior themes as the ID Crozz concept car, which was first shown more than two years ago and then reworked for the 2017 Frankfurt motor show. Volkswagen ID 3 2020 review Two production versions of the ID Crozz will be offered: a coupé-SUV in the vein of the original concept and this straight SUV model with a more conventional roofline and tailgate design. We can also see it has conventional rear doors, ditching the sliding items of the 2017 car. It’s not yet clear if the coupé variant will also adopt this approach, but it’s likely. The ID 4 will be built in Europe, the US and China, cementing its status as a truly global model and a crucial kingpin of the brand’s rapid EV rollout. “As early as 2020, we aim to sell 100,000 all-electric Volkswagens (per year),” said Volkswagen Group chairman Herbert Diess at the concept’s 2017 unveiling. “But this is just the beginning. By 2025, annual sales could increase tenfold to one million vehicles.” Volkswagen had previously shown ID hatchback and ID Buzz concepts, which will lead to production models. Diess said the new electric car line-up will be offered alongside traditional combustion-engined and hybrid-powered Volkswagen models. The ID Crozz aims to combine the dynamic lines of a modern day sports car together with the all terrain capability of a dedicated off-roader. It’s said to offer interior space on a par with the Tiguan Allspace, a new long-wheelbase version of Volkswagen’s best-selling SUV model, together with a claimed 515 litres of luggage capacity. The ID Crozz concept is 4625mm long, 1891mm wide and 1609mm tall, putting it in between the five-seat Tiguan and seven-seat Tiguan Allspace in terms of dimensions. It will have a wheelbase of 2773mm. The MEB-based ID Crozz is powered by the same zero-emissions driveline used by the original concept, featuring two electric motors – one mounted within the front axle, and one at the rear – powered by an 83kWh lithium ion battery housed within the floor structure. The front electric motor sends its 101bhp and 103lb ft to the front wheels. The rear unit delivers 201bhp and 228lb ft to the rear wheels, giving the car a combined output of 302bhp and 332lb ft of torque. This is just under 100bhp more than the powertrain used by the rear-wheel-drive ID hatchback, intended to offset a likely weight increase. The ID Crozz is set to have a range of more than 311 miles, with no specific figure yet quoted. No performance figures have been revealed, though Volkswagen says it intends limiting the production version’s top speed to 112mph. With its large battery mounted low down within the floor structure and the electric motors also housed within the axle assemblies front and rear, Volkswagen also claims the ID Crozz possesses a front-to-rear weight distribution of 48:52. VW officials are already talking up the dynamic qualities, suggesting the new platform and chassis provide a “large spread between handling and comfort”. The ID Crozz has been built to offer a choice between manual and autonomous driving
Origin: Volkswagen ID 4: 2020 electric SUV tests alongside ID 3
2020 Wiesmann ‘Project Gecko’ to have BMW V8 power
German sports car maker Wiesmann will end a tumultuous period in its history by introducing a new car in 2020. Called Project Gecko internally, the model will draw inspiration from the limited-edition GT MF5 of 2009. Project Gecko will spearhead the company’s comeback after a short hiatus. It remains under wraps, but teaser images strongly suggest it falls in line with the previous design language, featuring a long bonnet that flows into an upright grille with vertical slats, plus a sloping roofline and pronounced rear wheel arches. Wiesmann points out that its stylists call the model an evolution, not a revolution. Lightweight materials such as aluminium keep the car’s mass in check. That’s even more important than it was in 2009, because the regulations with which the coupé must comply to be street legal in key markets around the globe have become much stricter. Wiesmann has also pledged to modernise key features, likely in the name of comfort and daily usability. Project Gecko – a name that won’t be used in production – will arrive with a front-mid-mounted 4.4-litre V8 engine provided by BMW’s M division. The twin-turbocharged unit will spin the rear wheels through a BMW-sourced automatic gearbox in a mechanical layout that enable a 50:50 weight distribution. Wiesmann hasn’t published any performance specifications yet. The new car will be assembled by hand at the original Wiesmann factory in Dülmen, Germany. Production is scheduled to start in 2020, so we expect to learn more details about the car over the coming months. While pricing hasn’t been announced publicly, enthusiasts interested in the first new Wiesmann model in more than a decade can put their name on the waiting list from 17 September. Wiesmann’s decision to rummage through the BMW parts bin hardly comes as a surprise. Founded in 1988, the German firm has historically powered its cars with six, eight and ten-cylinder engines stamped with a Munich parts number. Using turn-key components allowed it to keep costs in check while developing limited-edition sports cars with a retro-inspired design, although it filed for bankruptcy in 2013 and has struggled to recover
Origin: 2020 Wiesmann ‘Project Gecko’ to have BMW V8 power
James Ruppert: the surprisingly cheap world of online dealers
Got a fairly daft press release the other day going on about ‘decidophobia’. Apparently, we Brits struggle with information overload when buying a used car. At that point, I’d have usually binned it, since the basis of the quoted stats will be a small survey. Good job I kept reading, though, because I found out that the company that carried out the survey is owned by Volkswagen and Daimler. They should have told me that a lot earlier rather than making up a phobia. They should also have mentioned they use selected dealers who supply cars that are less than eight years old and under 100,000 miles. So let’s go and do a virtual check of their stock. Being me, I searched for cheapness first and came up with a bunch of city centre assault vehicles. First off, there was a Ford Ka 1.2 Studio from 2012. It had 83,000 miles and cost just £2200, which is pretty good from a dealer group, in this case a Nissan outlet. They usually don’t stock affordables because they can be a pain to warranty. Similar models included a 2012 Citroën C1 1.0 VTR three-door at the same outlet with 70,000 miles and on offer at £2500. Otherwise, a badge-engineered Peugeot 107 1.0 Urban with 77,000 miles and a couple of extra doors at £2400 at a car supermarket offered something more practical. You can compare and contrast, as most clever websites allow you to do these days. Plus you can get posh barges like Bentleys. Without searching too hard, I found a 2013 Bentley Flying Spur with 35,000 miles from Bentley’s own Specialist Car Division, priced at £53,950. If a Spur makes you feel like a chauffeur, then a Continental GT – in this case, a 2012 car in Mulliner Driving spec – came in at £57,950. Or £69,000 would get you the same model and spec but this time as a roof-free GTC. Somewhere in the middle of these two extremes come the everyday family cars. A Vauxhall Astra 1.4i Exclusiv from 2012 with 74,000 miles is a reasonable £3500. So what we have here is another way of choosing your next used car. You may well end up at the same place as you would have anyway, but it is true the reassurance is very nice. That is what buying from a dealer should be. There are 1400 dealers in this arrangement so there is plenty of choice. A couple of big manufacturers are involved so clearly there is money to be made from us. Should I use such a service, or some other used car search? I just can’t decide what to do. What we almost bought this week Perodua Myvi 1.3: When it was launched in 2006, Malaysia’s version of the Daihatsu Sirion cost just £6799 after a £1000 dealer cashback. Today, those same folk who bought into the tough little hatch should be congratulating themselves since, as we found, a 2010-reg example with 83,000 miles and full service history still commands a price of £1690. Tales from Ruppert’s garage Just checking in with the Lorry, which is doing sterling work, shifting all sorts of stuff. Indeed, not pictured is a load bay stuffed to the roof with all sorts of metal- and paper-based nonsense. I also took the time to do a check and saw that, after a long time of being normal, the oil level had dropped a bit. I don’t think it is a problem – just might be a week or two longer since I checked. I use the mineral stuff that Halfords does, although I am sure someone else supplies something that is just as good. But I can’t be bothered to find it. Reader’s ride Here’s the second instalment of Nick Williams’s love-in with used Hondas. “My Accord is still going strong. I’ve had it for five years now. It has done 90,000 miles and is extremely reliable. Expenditure – apart from insurance, car tax, fuel, servicing and MOT – has been a set of Michelin Primacy 3 tyres three years ago and brake pads and discs on the front. “Even though it has a 200bhp 2.4-litre, I get very reasonable mpg. I think it will be our main car for years yet. And it’s not costing me a £300-per-month PCP!” Readers’ questions Question: I paid a deposit on a car but have changed my mind about buying it. Can I get my money back? The car was a nearly new MX-5, so the dealer will have little trouble reselling it. Gary Kingman, Basingstoke Answer: Whether the dealer does or does not have trouble selling it is irrelevant. In paying the deposit, you formed a legally binding contract to buy the car and your deposit is non-refundable. Circumstances when you could get your money back include if the dealer broke their side of their agreement, there’s a cooling-off period in the contract or you bought the car away from the dealer’s premises. John Evans Question: I can’t decide between a 2016 Subaru BRZ SE Nav with 22,000 miles for £14,290 and a 2015 Toyota GT86 D-4S with 24,000 miles for £15,500. Both have full history. Can you help, please? Paul Hudson, via email Answer: The Subaru is younger and £1000 cheaper but still you’re undecided between it and the older, more expensive Toyota? It can only be an image thing because both are
Origin: James Ruppert: the surprisingly cheap world of online dealers
Road restrictions for military-type vehicles: Quebec is backing off
It came last month in the form of a letter sent by Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) to 550 owners of original Hummers, Bombardier Iltis, Steyr-Puch Pinzgauers and Mercedes-Benz Unimogs:Because those military-type vehicles are designed as Quebec alleges as off-road vehicles, they dont comply with the Highway Safety Code, therefore they could no longer get a regular Je me Souviens registration.That affects recent model-year military-type vehicles, but also those with an antique status (15 years or older, in Quebec).Rather, those military-type vehicles would have to wear the C plate, meaning they would not be allowed anymore on:Quebec roads with a speed limit higher than 70 km/h; All Quebec highways, no matter the speed limit. Basically, the military-type vehicles wouldnt be allowed on almost all provincial roads.And they wouldnt be authorized on Autoroute 520 Cte-de-Liesse and Autoroute 15 Decarie in Montreal, nor on Autoroute 740 Robert-Bourassa in Quebec City suburbs, simply because these are considered highways even with their posted speed limit below 70 km/h.They were going to be totally banned…If Quebec was to rule this way, it would be the only Canadian province with such restrictions for military-type vehicles.But it could have been worse: The actual Quebec Highway Safety Code (article 21) forbids anybody from putting a vehicle into operation on a public highway () if it has been restricted to off-highway use by its manufacturer or importer.This provision was going to be enforced as a total ban on military-type vehicles from La Belle Provinces roads, but the Ministre des Transports du Qubec ushered in, by mid-July, a semi-less-dramatic arrêté ministériel, to be enforced this past 22nd of August.The news was brought to military-type vehicles owners by official SAAQ letters they received between mid-August to end of August. The communication, for which Driving.ca was able to get a copy, stated this: Upon verification, we received confirmations that their manufacturer, or importer, has restricted the use of these (military-type vehicles) for off-road use.Then: We invite you to visit one of our service points to get a new license plate and a new registration certificate. () We remind you that it is forbidden to drive with () and that you could, according to the Highway Safety Code, be liable to fines.Cost of those fines: $200-$300 plus fees (no demerit point).550 owners or… 3000?The (first) problem is, theres six times more military-type vehicles licensed in Quebec than what the government estimates, assesses Philippe Raymond, who is trying, with his fellow members from the Club Véhicules Militaires du Québec, to defuse the bomb.Why such a gap with official numbers?Because the SAAQs data base doesnt have a checkbox for military vehicles, says Raymond. And Ive been told that when they searched with keywords Jeep for the Willys and Dodge for the M37, they got all those other models Grand Cherokee, Wrangler, Caravan, Ram So they excluded Jeep and Dodge.For now.The second problem? As you can imagine, when 550 or 3000 people are told they cant drive their passion as freely as before, you see them stepping to the barricades.In our research for this story, we learned that some are daily commuting with their military-type vehicle to work or to pick up the kids at school.Some use them as emergency vehicles to help in natural disasters or search and rescue operations, as seen on this Amateur Radio Operator Bernard Giguère’s Facebook Page.Others are driving them to the campground or the chalet, on roads that my Mazda3 wouldnt be able to overcome, says Philippe Raymond.Ultimately, this resident of La Capitale Nationale, owner of a 1990 Humvee and a 1985 Bombardier Iltis (bought directly from the neighbouring Canadian Forces Base ValCartier), is planning a back-and-forth trip across Canada with his 4 teenagers next summer.But: If things stay as they are, it means I wont have a problem driving across the country but Ill have one when leaving Quebec!Stepping to the barricadesSo, those military-type vehicles owners are stepping to the barricades, especially since the Transport Quebec Minister, Franois Bonnardel, declared that the decision came after suppliers informed his government of potential dangers with these vehicles, in the event of an accident.Not true, maintain the owners interviewed by Driving.ca who, incidentally, are in constant communications with AM General and other military-vehicle manufacturers and distributors:Forget about that, Militaires are known to never give any information! blurts Vincent Simard, who owns a military-vehicles restoration shop in Lévis.Philippe Raymond confirms: I contacted the worlds three largest vehicle manufacturers. The three provided me with official documents from their engineering department stating that their vehicles were designed to run on any type of road and highway, but they have off-road capabilities adapted to military requirements. In
Origin: Road restrictions for military-type vehicles: Quebec is backing off
Chevrolet’s 1LE package makes you want to drive your Camaro lap after lap
Camaro 1LE Ron Fellows Driving ExperienceClayton Seams / Driving In the old days, you used to be able to build some weird cars.I dont mean the cars themselves were weird, but that you could ask your cheerful local Chevrolet sales manager to build you a car in one of an assortment of odd combinations: so many engines, big or small, to be paired with interiors, luxurious or sparse.Today, cars pretty much come in well-defined packages. The big engine only comes with the nice leather seats and the handling package. The small engine is available with a stick only if you forgo the luxury options.But there are exceptions. Just like in decades part or, perhaps, much like Burger King Chevrolet will still let you have it your way at least a little, pairing its 1LE track package with any of the four engines available in its new Camaro.Not only that, the 1LE mechanical package is independent of the four luxury option groups (thats 1LS, 1LT, 2LT, 3LT). This means you can order a track package on a Camaro with any engine and any level of luxury trimmings. You can get a lightweight 2.0-litre Turbo with cloth seats and base infotainment to get maximum value; or you can heap your plate high with a supercharged 6.2-litre ZL1 and the full luxury treatment. Now I dont have a calculator handy to tell you how many combinations are possible, but suffice it to say they are many. So to test out the 1LE package on various Camaro models, I went to the Ron Fellows Driving Experience at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. There, on the big track, we would have the chance to put these 1LE cars on track and see how they compare.So what makes a 1LE a 1LE? Well, it depends on the engine choice. The 1LE contains different bits to match the output. On the four- and six-cylinder cars, it includes the uprated suspension from the SS; 20-inch wheels; four-piston front Brembo brakes; a mechanical limited-slip diff; and a track cooling package with diff, oil and transmission coolers.Step up to the V8 SS model and you get Magnetic Ride Control; an electronic limited-slip diff; six-piston Brembos up front; Recaro front seats; and a dual-mode exhaust system. The ZL1 takes things even further by adding Multimatic dampers with adjustable front ride height, adjustable front camber plates and huge 305-section front and 325-section rear tires.The first car I hopped into was the SS 1LE with a manual transmission and the naturally-aspirated 455-horsepower 6.2-litre V8. Its as close as youll find to a classic muscle car formula in Chevrolets lineup, which is perhaps why it offered proper muscle car noise. Out on the big track, the 6.2-litre could really stretch its legs, and the wide torque band meant few shifts were needed.The upgraded four-piston brakes from the 1LE package were more than up to the task and felt great diving into corners hard. Visibility has never been a Camaro strong suit, and the impaired vision across the A-pillars and low windshield sometimes reduced driver confidence around undulating and tight turns on-track.The SS is an extremely fun car to drive. You can feel it wiggling around under power and sliding around turns. It doesnt feel like a car youd want to set blazing hot lap times in, but you could. It feels like a BRZ with some actual power. And thats high praise.Next up was the world-beating top-of-the-line ZL1. Still 6.2-litres but with a burly supercharger stacked on top of it the ZL1 makes a full 650 hp. Though the ZL1 is available with a stick, the test car had the new ten-speed automatic transmission. No typo: ten speeds.On track, the ZL1 is an entirely different animal than the SS. The playful sliding has been replaced by relentless grip. The ZL1s flanks are peppered with blade-like aero bits, and I have to assume they actually work, because this car sticks harder the faster you go. The massive summer-only Goodyear tires probably dont hurt much, either. The ZL1 simply grips and goes exactly where you point it.The other big difference from the SS is the 10-speed automatic. Whereas I rarely had to shift the six-speed manual around the track, I felt like a Formula One driver ratcheting down through gear after gear in the braking zones. With ten gears to choose from, it almost doesnt matter which one you choose. You could drive through a turn quite happily in 4th, 5th or 6th. It may have been better to let the transmission shift for itself, but I didnt have enough laps to mess around with it in full automatic mode.The ZL1 was also the most fun down Mosports hilly back straight. The ZL1 would come out of Moss corner with a vengeance and storm to 160 km/h almost faster than the speedometer needle could move. Letting all 650 hp pin you in your seat for several seconds without worry of encountering the constabulary were some of the best moments of the day.But the crux of this is that the 1LE package opens up that fun track experience for anyone with coin for a new Camaro. Even the 2.0-litre guys can join in the fun.
Origin: Chevrolet’s 1LE package makes you want to drive your Camaro lap after lap
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