Autocar confidential: Volkswagen’s rowdy crowds, Mini’s sales success and more

In the Frankfurt motor show edition of Autocar confidential, we hear how Volkswagen kept order at the revealing of its new ID 3, how things are looking for Mini’s first electric model, and more. Keeping the (Green)peace Volkswagen was taking no chances, given the threat of protesters disrupting its Frankfurt press conference, and had a ring of burly security guards set 20m from the stage to give anyone who dared to move within range the evil eye. It worked: despite the presence of Greenpeace protesters outside, the conference passed without incident. Goodbye-ton Byton CTO David Twohig claimed the surprise departure of joint founder Carsten Breitfeld is “normal for a start-up”. He said: “If Carsten had left earlier, it would be a serious blow. But we were stable by the time he left. He was a visionary, but now the priority is getting that vision to production”. The production M-Byte electric SUV, shown at Frankfurt and on sale in Europe by 2021, could also be offered in right-hand drive “if there’s enough interest”, Twohig said. Shocking demand for Mini’s EV Mini has taken 60,000 expressions of interest in its new Electric model, order books for which opened during the show. It’s the first time Mini has run a pre-sales programme and sales are well ahead of where the company expected them to be, according to its boss, Bernd Körber. Pura Vision… without the vision Automobili Pininfarina showed its new Pura Vision SUV concept in Frankfurt – but took away our iPhone for a picture that would have been worth 1000 words… Perhaps a cross between a Lamborghini Urus and an Aston Martin DB11 best describes it, but it’s elegant in a way most SUVs simply aren’t. We expect Automobili Pininfarina to reveal it next
Origin: Autocar confidential: Volkswagen’s rowdy crowds, Mini’s sales success and more

Autocar confidential: Citroen says comfort is crucial, Fiat won’t downsize and more

As we flick through our notes this week, we learn why Fiat won’t make a Renault Twizy rival, why the new Evoque will attract more buyers than its predecessor, and more. Fiat stays full-sized Despite its expertise in small cars, Fiat will not make a quadricycle-based city car such as the Renault Twizy or Seat Minimo (pictured), according to boss Olivier François. “They answer a need because 16-year-olds can drive them,” he said, “but they won’t help (EU) CO2 (fleet) targets as quadricycles aren’t counted. Evoque has room for improvement Some 60% OF Evoque customers are conquests from other brands, but Land Rover marketing boss Anthony Bradbury reckons that figure will rise even higher with the second-generation version. Referencing the old model’s shortage of space, he said: “That was one reason the car was rejected by some, so now that’s been addressed, this gives us another chance in conquest audience.” Citroen’s lounging around Citroen boss Linda Jackson believes the impending rise of autonomous systems will reward the firm’s key focus on comfort. “There aren’t many manufacturers talking primarily about comfort, and if we’re going to be spending more time in our cars, it has to be friendly and comfortable,” she
Origin: Autocar confidential: Citroen says comfort is crucial, Fiat won’t downsize and more

Autocar confidential: Alfa plots next-gen Giulia, Pininfarina’s usable hypercar and more

In this week’s round-up of automotive gossip, we hear how Volkswagen’s inching nearer to a brand-wide electric revolution, why Pininfarina thinks its Battista has the edge over the Aston Martin Valkyrie and more. New plan for Milan’s sedan Sales of Alfa Romeo’s critically well-received Giulia are not strong, saloons being a declining segment – and FCA’s European design boss Klaus Busse says Alfa is already thinking about what kind of vehicle might replace it. “We have an idea, but it’s too early to share,” he said. Vorsprung durch tech-quick Audi exterior design chief Andreas Mindt said the E-tron GT, the firm’s Tesla Model S-rivalling flagship electric saloon, is a “miracle”, owing to its short development time. He added that “our competitors will be shocked” by the performance of the production version, due next year with Porsche Taycan underpinnings. Pininfarina’s 1900bhp runabout Pininfarina boss Michael Perschke reckons the forthcoming 1900bhp Battista EV shouldn’t be compared with track-focused machines such as the Aston Martin Valkyrie. Perschke said the Valkyrie is “designed with a different purpose: it’s a collector’s item for crazy guys who want a track tool, but are probably never going to use it to its best. Our purpose is to give you a car you can drive on a daily basis and, if you want to go on a race track and clock more than 200mph, it’s doable.” Volkswagen’s new ‘green’ house Volkswagen is converting its Zwickau factory in Germany from Golf and Passat assembly into its first home for electric car production. The site should be ready in the next couple of months. In time, up to 330,000 electric cars a year will be built there for VW, Audi and Seat, the first being the VW ID hatch due next
Origin: Autocar confidential: Alfa plots next-gen Giulia, Pininfarina’s usable hypercar and more

Autocar confidential: Byton thanks Tesla, Fiat pumps out more Pandas, and more

As we chat to the motoring industry’s bigwigs this week, we hear how Tesla made life easier for Byton, how Audi will differentiate between each of its SUVs and more. Fiat Pandas to market demand It may be ageing but sales of the Fiat Panda have risen substantially this year, thanks to the popular new City Cross model. The high-riding, snappily dressed version looks like a four-wheel drive (a version you can still buy) but isn’t. Volkswagen: diesel’s not dead… yet Volkswagen sales and marketing boss Jürgen Stackmann says the brand isn’t giving up on diesel yet. “There is nowhere the date (we give up on diesel) is written,” he said. “We believe diesel is great for certain vehicle types and long-distance drives, with unparalleled efficiency. We’re the only manufacturer that has actually grown its diesel mix. We’ll give it a strong shot for EU7.” Ingolstadt draws up a plan Audi’s ever-growing SUV range makes varying the design of each model vital in order to identify its place in the line-up, according to Jakob Hirzel, exterior design leader of the recently facelifted Q7. “It’s about character, and identifying where it makes sense to make them different,” he said. “It’s a much bigger line-up now, so it’s a challenge to make sure they all make sense.” Byton boards the Tesla train Tesla’s early success helped lay the groundwork for other electric car makers, according to Byton CEO Carsten Breitfeld. “They did a great job to build up this premium electric brand. They changed the perceptions of people,” he said. Hiring designers and engineers for the upcoming M-Byte SUV was that much easier because “no one is questioning the potential of electric cars any more. No one would say an electric car is something
Origin: Autocar confidential: Byton thanks Tesla, Fiat pumps out more Pandas, and more

We got it wrong: the Autocar team’s misjudged motoring gems

Even Autocar’s motoring writers are sometimes guilty of a bit of misplaced scepticism when it comes to new cars. From the Range Rover Velar to the Porsche 911, here are the motors Autocar team members have massively misjudged. Range Rover Velar A three-and-a-half-star road test verdict wasn’t a promising fanfare for Land Rover’s most overtly metropolitan model, subconsciously compounding reservations about a style-centric Range Rover sprung from Jaguar underpinnings. But at least half a star had been shed by the test car’s underwhelming 237bhp diesel engine – a failing remedied by the 296bhp petrol four-pot powering the Velar I spent a fortnight with last summer. It was quick, it handled and it was comfortable. Moreover, it did things off road I would never have anticipated – certainly more than almost anyone would need. It’s currently the Land Rover that would fit my life better than any other. Richard Webber Porsche Cayenne I was a Cayenne sceptic. I couldn’t work out why Porsche had bothered, which explains why I am not a product planner or in marketing. I thought it was a bit pointless and not very pretty. Then I bought an old one. After the passing of quite a few years – 17, I think – I have to say it really is quite handsome. A high-rised 996-generation 911 is not a bad thing. That V8 makes a wonderful noise, it is pin sharp on the road and there is a ton of space in that great big boot. A practical Porsche. Brilliant. James Ruppert BMW Z3 M It’s not so much that I got it wrong at the time, more a case of realising now that although it was flawed, it was almost the last of a breed. Or, to put it more simply, if it was made new today, we’d all love it. I’m talking about BMW’s Z3 M Roadster. A simple car with hardly any electronics, and a lovely straight-six engine with more than enough performance. It looked way better than the standard car thanks to blown-out wheel arches and wide rims. The chassis wasn’t brilliant and the steering a bit soggy. If you own one today, I’d suspect you love it. Colin Goodwin Porsche 911 When I was new to this game, I struggled with the appeal of a car that, conceptually, was deeply flawed. We don’t think about the 911’s seriously unhelpful weight distribution much now, because Porsche long ago defeated the urge of its rear-hung powerpack to initiate unwanted gyrations. Back in the mid-1980s, said flat six could quite easily tip the 911 into a spin if you were rashly indelicate with throttle, wheel and a bend. And if you braked hard while travelling downhill on a wet road, a lock-up might follow. It was an intimidating car. I didn’t realise you had to master the 911, this the key to its appeal. I do now. Richard Bremner BMW Z8 The most obvious car I got wrong was the BMW Z8. When it came out 20 years ago, I noted its 5.0-litre V8 motor, 400bhp output and the fact the engine came from the M5 and concluded this must be a thoroughbred sports car. So when I discovered it was actually quite a soft and comfortable grand tourer, I sharpened my pen and wrote about what a missed opportunity it represented. In fact, the only miss was me missing its point. I drove one a couple of years back and loved its languid gait, dead cool interior and effortless performance. No wonder prices are now nudging £200,000. Andrew Frankel Audi A2 Smart Roadster Brabus ‘Wrong’ is a harsh word in this context. I was honest about the Audi A2, and later about the Smart Roadster Brabus, because they were both fundamentally flawed cars. The A2 had poor visibility, the Smart a poor gearbox, and neither particularly clever ride comfort. Both, though, are cars I could quite happily own today – they’d make a great two-car garage – because their pursuit of an ideal has outlived and outshone their drawbacks. So, in a sense, mea culpa. I’ll tell you what, though: I remain spot on about the one-star-at-best BMW C1 Scooter. Matt Prior Jaguar I-Pace Last summer, I was given the keys to a late prototype Jaguar I-Pace and decided to drive it to the British Grand Prix on qualifying day. Given the potential for traffic snarls, it was possibly brave, but the return journey was only 170 miles and its real range beyond 200. The first worry came when the car started emitting a loud buzzing sound at around 4am. Not looking my best, I ran outside and unplugged it from the charger, reasoning it should have been full by then. Alas, fully clothed and behind the wheel at 6am, I discovered it was saying it would hold only 190 miles of charge. As a result, I drove at a constant 55mph and got home with little to spare. How could this possibly be the future? Then something amazing happened. The same week, Jag’s folks held their hands up and asked to do a software update to put the car in final production spec. I held out no hope that plugging a laptop in could elicit more range… and then spent close to 250 miles driving non-stop. The Achilles heel was no more and the I-Pace was
Origin: We got it wrong: the Autocar team’s misjudged motoring gems

Autocar readers visit Bentley HQ for exclusive concept viewing

The histories of Autocar and Bentley have frequently intertwined over the past century, but the Crewe-based luxury car maker set an entirely new standard earlier this month by treating 30 Autocar subscribers, plus their friends and partners, to an exclusive concept car world premiere of their own. A few days earlier, the company had invited a strictly limited group of the world’s automotive journalists to Crewe to see the wraps come off the EXP 100 GT, a magnificent electric four-wheel drive luxury saloon concept, intended to show what luxury motoring could be like in 2035, from the points of view of styling, interior design, flexible accommodation, convenience and new materials that might be available. Similar in length (5.8m) to the longest Bentley Mulsanne limo in production, the 100 GT was configured both for autonomous and normal driving, under the theme of “extraordinary journeys”, either with the steering wheel retracted and the car in full self-driving mode, or with the driver taking charge on enjoyable roads. Bentley board member Astrid Fontaine explained the thinking behind the car to our Autocar group, while head of exterior design JP Gregory talked about the key design cues of the EXP 100 GT. Afterwards, both took part in a QA involving Autocar and Bentley people. The audience, who stayed for lunch, showed a keen appreciation of the car’s magnificent styling, and a passionate interest in the whole subject of electrification and the part it will play in 2035 motoring. But questions ranged far and wide, even including one reader’s forthright criticism of the shape of the current Bentayga SUV. Bentley’s diplomatic answer: it suits the customers who choose it, sir… All attendees – readers (two of whom brought Bentleys of their own), Crewe staff and Autocar writers – enjoyed this special occasion, which is fortuitous because right across its long history, Autocar has set out to be more than a magazine (and lately a website) but also the centre of a thriving, like-minded, car loving community. We’re already hatching plans to stage more of these events, one of the first likely to be an Autocar visit to Plant Oxford, the Mini factory. Keep reading the magazine and website and we’ll publish full
Origin: Autocar readers visit Bentley HQ for exclusive concept viewing

Autocar confidential: Porsche’s colour conundrum, Renault hatches a plan and more

In this week’s round-up of automotive news bites, we hear why Volkswagen’s CEO thinks EVs are the only way, how Porsche created the 911’s interior colour combinations, and more. Renault’s hatch, back? Renault will not quit the small car segment, unlike some brands, according to its Europe boss Jean-Christophe Kugler. “I’ve been asking my team to investigate deeply this segment” he said. “Let’s look at it and understand what is the evolution in the main cities.” Kugler also claimed car sharing could make the Twingo – now dropped from the UK – more viable. Porsche’s colourful combos One of the biggest challenges in developing the new Porsche 911 was making sure that all the interior trim colours matched, according to the firm’s quality control boss, Frank Moser. He noted the 11 interior colours offered on the new 911 had to work with 16 equipment levels and across 300 visible parts featuring 51 different materials, produced by 76 different suppliers. Ssangyong predicts a taxing period for manufacturers The growing uptake of EVs is going to have major effects on the rest of the UK car industry when it comes to taxation, according to Ssangyong’s UK MD, Nick Laird. “Manufacturers invested big in diesel technology for 20 years because that’s what all the signals the governments were giving. The government needs to find that (missing fuel duty) from somewhere.” Is hydrogen a load of hot air? “There’s no alternative to electricity to cut emissions and make mobility CO2-free,” VW Group chairman Herbert Diess said, despite Audi recently restarting its hydrogen powertrain research. The group’s vehicles are responsible for 1% of all transport-related emissions worldwide and it is committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2050.
Origin: Autocar confidential: Porsche’s colour conundrum, Renault hatches a plan and more

Autocar at the British GP: access all areas (or not)

It’s been a long break. I’ve had to look it up and the last time I was at Silverstone for the British Grand Prix was in 2006, when I spent the weekend following the late, great, Formula 1 correspondent Alan Henry. What an experience. Alan knew everyone and everyone knew and loved Alan. Clinging onto his shirt tails got me into motorhomes and press conferences and enabled me to eavesdrop on one-to-ones with F1 royalty. I was introduced to Keke Rosberg by Alan. An Autocar colleague greatly missed. Thirteen years later, I’m back at Silverstone. No media accreditation this time, no golden card in the form of an F1 legend to hold my hand. Just a general admission ticket for Saturday qualifying. And a list of a dozen challenges supplied by the editor and a few other Autocar mates. I have, for example, got to get a driver’s autograph. That could be tricky. Some challenges are a lot easier, such as watching from the outside of Maggotts and Becketts as the F1 cars hammer through. Walking a bit of the old GP circuit should also not be too challenging. The circuit has changed dramatically since I was last here and I don’t recognise a lot of it. I’ve flown over it many times but you can’t see the subtleties of the layout from 2000ft. With me today is our photographer Olgun Kordal. He drove down from Birmingham this morning and I came up from London. Since I had the tickets, we met first for a coffee at Cherwell Valley services. Silverstone’s traffic scares me to death (I was caught in the famous car park mud bath of 2000) so I’ve come up on my Royal Enfield 650 Interceptor. We’ve had to buy a car park pass for Kordal, which cost £30. Motorbikes park for free, which is another reason for coming on two wheels. The general admission tickets themselves are £95 each, so if you tot that lot up, you get a total of £220. Oh, and another £7.50 for posting the tickets to the office. Talking of the filthy lucre, editor Tisshaw, as one of the challenges, has said that our expenses claim should not exceed £50. I have a feeling he means for both of us. Our rendezvous at the services was set for 7.15am not just to avoid the traffic going into Silverstone but also because I want to see the Masters historic race for old F1 cars, which starts at 8.20am. It’s also one of our challenges (to see a support race) so this will be one in the bag early on. The traffic avoidance ploy worked a treat. Kordal was already parked up and in the circuit by the time I’d filled up the bike with fuel and parked up right next to the main entrance. A quick security search and I’m with him next to Gate 16. If you come on Friday, your general ticket gives you access to the grandstands but today we’d need to pay extra. No problem. There are lots of raised grass banks that give a good view of the circuit. Rather, a good view of the tall wire fence. I’ve no interest in photography, but for many people, part of the appeal of a live motor race is being able to take dramatic photos. Good luck with that at Silverstone in 2019. The car is quite a distance away and has a filter of mesh in front of it but the Lotus 49 still looks incredible. At its wheel is its owner, Adrian Newey. The Gold Leaf-liveried 49B is the oldest car in the race and is up against newer Marchs and Williams chassis but Newey is doing a cracking job. I haven’t heard a current F1 car live yet. I wonder how it will compare to the DFV in Newey’s Lotus. I shall enjoy having a closer look at the 49 later and with luck will be able to find its owner for a quick chat. First, though, let’s find the old circuit and have a stroll. That was simple: we’ve come across it on our way to the Fanzone. The bit we’re on is where the old track came under the bridge and then went towards the Priory and Brooklands bends. If you’ve got hair as grey as mine, you’ll remember the track when it led from here direct to Woodcote with no chicanes before it turned right for the pit straight and on to Copse. The kerbs are still in place and extremely brutal. You could easily break a suspension wishbone on them. I know from experience they’ll snap a collarbone and ribs. I did both during a bike race here about 15 years ago. We were going on a Nile cruise the next day and I didn’t dare tell my wife (who was in the pits). She only found out when I had to explain to her a few days later why I was crying carrying our suitcases. From here, we enter the Fanzone. What is that I see? A Mercedes F1 car on a stand. It’s bound to be a show car but Tisshaw didn’t say it had to be a real one. I touch it for Kordal’s camera and the rear wing wobbles worryingly. But over the other side of the ’Zone, there’s a stand for the Jim Clark Trust and on it is a pukka Lotus 25. Tisshaw can’t argue: it’s a real F1 car. Another ticked off. The results are coming thick and fast. A long row of driving games that are part of the E-Sports display give me the chance to drive a lap of the circuit
Origin: Autocar at the British GP: access all areas (or not)

Autocar confidential: Seat predicts a rough patch, BMW circles the wagons and more

In this week’s summary of motoring meetings, we hear about Porsche’s plans to develop new electric vehicle infrastructure, Ssangyong’s difficulties as a low-volume value car maker, and more. Porsche is Taycan EV infrastructure up a notch Porsche will offer branded fast-charging points at destinations such as hotels when the Taycan EV is launched, according to Porsche UK boss Marcus Eckermann. The chargers will be open to users of other makes of EV and Porsche will also tap into the Ionity network, part-funded by the Volkswagen Group. Seat’s glass is half full The pressure to cut emissions and switch to EVs will prove tough not just for Seat but also the industry as a whole, according to CEO Luca de Meo: “It will be a hard proving ground before a new era of automotive can blossom again. The next two or three years will be challenging, but the next 10 will probably be fantastic, for the whole industry.” Europe’s getting in estate The BMW 3 Series is best known as a saloon, but buyers in Germany – where more than a third of 3 Series are sold – prefer estates. The firm says 67% of the models sold in Germany to date have been Touring versions. Italian buyers are most keen on the estate, with 73% choosing it over the saloon. By contrast, 73% of UK buyers opt for the saloon. The cost of compliance The growing need for advanced safety systems means it’s not credible for smaller brands to be entirely focused on value, according to Ssangyong UK managing director Nick Laird. “Small brands can’t also be cheap brands, unless you under-invest in the long term,” he said. “That’s going to require niche brands to go more upmarket. Ssangyong has always been SUV-focused – which more brands are becoming – but we need to work hard to be different to the
Origin: Autocar confidential: Seat predicts a rough patch, BMW circles the wagons and more

The test of time: the best cars from the Autocar team’s birth-years

Can you stop doing this, please?” requested colleague and friend Richard Bremner. He’s got a point. This is the second feature in a year that has involved Bremner and I getting together with some of the younger members of the Autocar team and some iconic cars of varying vintage. It’s fun but it does make us feel rather ancient. So here we are again. The challenge this time is for half a dozen of us, representing a broad sweep of ages on the magazine, to choose our favourite from cars that were launched in the year we were born. You can now appreciate Bremner’s anxiety, not least because he’s the oldest. As you will read, the exercise has brought together a truly fascinating line-up of cars; a group so varied that they would be unlikely to appear together in a feature in a classic car magazine. They’re from a wide range of years, too. Bremner starts us off in 1958, followed soon after by me in 1962 and stretching right up to Simon Davis, who the stork deposited on the earth in 1993. In between, we have Matt Prior in 1975, Matt Saunders in 1981 and Mark Tisshaw in 1989. The cars are interesting in their own right, but they also mark moments in time and put into context the companies and industry that produced them. My choice, as you’ll see, and Tisshaw’s, are extremely closely linked despite being 27 years apart in age. Prior’s and Saunders’ cars also narrate a telling tale about the British motor industry, straddling the old world and foreshadowing the new one. Who out of the six was born in the best year for cars? We’ll be tackling that thorny one, but I’ll tell you right now: from memory and from checking on Wikipedia, I can’t see how Saunders will be able to put forward a case for 1981. So follow us on this journey back to the crib. I’ll wager that all of you will be poring over the list of cars launched in the year of your birth to see if you’re from a vintage year or one in which the grapes died on the vine. Richard Bremner – 1964 Aston Martin DB4 Quite surprisingly, the DB4 is the best-known new car that 1958 produced. Well, almost – it’s the succeeding but largely identical DB5 that’s familiar throughout much of the world as the Aston Martin of James Bond. But there would have been no inkling of this at the time. Only 1110 DB4s were produced, the car’s price ensuring it a rarefied clientele and infrequent sightings for the rest of us. Miles certainly aren’t drawn out in a DB4. This coupé had 240bhp to deploy 61 years ago – massive, compared with the 37bhp of a Morris Minor 1000. Not that sterile statistics make it my choice among the class of ’58. Rather obviously, it’s the exquisite beauty of its superleggera aluminium skin that makes this the irresistible fantasy choice. Designed by coachbuilders Touring of Milan, its complex construction consisted of a steel chassis, a tubular steel framework from which were hung hand-wrought aluminium panels that with rain and time provide an expensive demonstration of electrolytic corrosion. But the alloy panels also reduced the Aston’s weight, its 1311kg not so bad given the size and the heft of the twin-cam six-cylinder lying beneath its letterbox-scooped bonnet. In the unlikely event that you tire of admiring the DB4’s just-so lines, opening the bonnet also presents you with a beautifully sculpted cluster of machinery. The low walls of the cam covers that house neatly arrayed spark plug leads, the bell-shaped domes of the twin SU carburettors and the absence of plastic mouldings make this a sight to admire even if you don’t understand the combustive forces that occur within. When it was new, those forces were sufficient to thrust the elegant nose past 60mph in 9.0sec. Slightly disappointing today, perhaps, if scaldingly fast compared with a Minor 1000. Many of these earliest of DB4s – the Series 1 you see here the first of five mild evolutions – have had their cylinder blocks bored out of necessity, the pistons and liners required to renew them unavailable for decades. The only solution was to expand the engine to 4.2 litres, yielding 280 horsepower, and of more believable strength than the original 240bhp. More realistic, says this car’s owner Bryan Smart, is 215bhp. Despite his installing a longer-legged axle ratio to counter the lack of overdrive, this DB4 bounds away, and will quite effortlessly travel at 30mph in first should you need it. That makes it more than able to keep up with, and outpace, many moderns, providing you master a gearchange that requires a sometimes brutally firm hand to gift first gear. The rest submit more easily, and with rewardingly mechanical engagement once their oils are warmed. The chassis sometimes feels quite mechanical too, from the resistant heavy steering to a suspension prone to sudden, vintage jerks and geometry that allows topography-induced wander. So you need to pay attention. Paying attention to curves and throttle brings reward too, the Aston’s urge to run wide snuffed out
Origin: The test of time: the best cars from the Autocar team’s birth-years