A video posted by MI6-HQ.com, a behind-the-scenes James Bond channel, shows a lesser-known 007 vehicle being used for the next film. An Aston Martin V8 Vantage is shown driving alongside a lake in Norway, which looks to be a similar location to where The Spy Who Loved Me was filmed, but we don’t expect the Aston to sprout fins and turn into a submarine. We’ll leave that to Lotus. The vehicle obviously bears a striking resemblance to the one used by Timothy Dalton in the 1987 film The Living Daylights — even the license (to kill) plates bear the same B549 WUU designation. The V8 Vantage was the first Aston Martin that 007 had driven since On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. The original car had lasers that fired from the wheel centre caps, as well as a pair of skis that came out of the rocker panels, and of course, rocket launchers of course. This time, though, Daniel Craig’s Bond will likely save the gadgets for his other car, reportedly an Aston Martin Rapid E. Bond 25, as it’s tentatively known, has been put through the wringer when it comes to production: The original director was replaced due to scripting issues, multiple accidents have occurred on set, and even an explosion seriously damaged EON Productions’ studios. Even the picturesque location in Norway, where this video was shot, had problems — tire tracks were left behind on the road by BMW owners during a large event. The movie will be Daniel Craig’s final run as the explosive secret agent.
Origin: Aston Martin V8 Vantage to make appearance in Bond 25
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Tarmac uses waste tyres to make rubberised road asphalt
A new rubberised asphalt being trialled by construction materials firm Tarmac could repurpose up to 1200 used tyres per mile. According to the company, the UK exports 120,000 tonnes of rubber waste each year. The newly developed road surfacing material could significantly reduce this figure. The amount of granulated rubber used for each stretch of road would depend on the thickness required, Tarmac states, although the average ratio would be one tyre for each tonne of asphalt. Trials have taken place already in Tarmac’s home city of Coventry, where two 200-metre stretches of public road were paved with the new material. A spokesperson for the council said it was “delighted” with the results and expressed a desire to use “more of the product across the city in the future”. As well as the environmental benefits associated with using rubber in asphalt, Tarmac’s technical director, Brian Kent, told Autocar that the capacity of rubber to absorb movement will reduce the risk of roads cracking. Although more sustainable than existing processes, rubberising asphalt has proven to be more expensive overall. The cost of securing, breaking down and mixing the rubber with the asphalt outweighs any saving made by using the waste material. Tarmac currently recycles a claimed 8.7 million tonnes of waste from other industries each year, including using waste tyres to fuel cement kilns. Rubberised asphalt is already used in the US, where it’s estimated that 12 million tyres are recycled to surface roads annually. Kent said: “In the UK, there’s a lack of the necessary industrial infrastructure required to allow manufacture of this type of material. “Against the backdrop of major investment in the strategic road network, there’s now an opportunity to leverage this technology and unlock the benefits of this circular economic approach.” Talks are underway between Tarmac and Highways England regarding the nature of subsequent
Origin: Tarmac uses waste tyres to make rubberised road asphalt
2020 Audi A6 Allroad could make a trip across the pond
Static photo, Colour: Gavial green It’s true that every automaker, Audi included, has a model line that is filled to the gunwales with crossovers and SUVs. Those of us with long memories will remember the genesis of this segment, when companies like AMC and Subaru offered station wagons with slightly more ground clearance and a butch appearance. Of course, Audi also did this with the original Allroad. In this country, we are blessed with the ability to purchase the A4 Allroad, a wagon combining increased ground clearance and Quattro all-wheel-drive. Now, according to reports, there’s a chance the midsize A6 Allroad will be offered in North America as well. This would be great news for Audi fans who want Quattro traction and prodigious cargo space in a wagon-shaped package larger than an A4. Across the pond, the A6 Allroad sits 1.8 inches higher than a standard A6 wagon. It features adjustable air suspension, which set ground clearance at 5.5 inches but can stand a further 1.8 inches taller on its tippy-toes, when the proper settings are selected. Oh yeah, it can also tow more than 2,200 kilograms if the correct, European-spec engine is fitted. 2020 Audi A6 Allroad Handout / Audi Why do we need crossovers again? In other markets, a myriad of powertrains are offered including a trio of diesel engines, one of which heaves out 457lb.-ft of torque. If the A6 Allroad makes it to our country, look for a turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 under the hood. That mill is currently found in the A6 sedan, making 335 horsepower. It’s connected to Audi’s seven-speed S-tronic transmission and can scamper from rest to 100km/h in about five seconds. Given the extra sheet metal and glass needed to create a wagon, an A6 Allroad would likely be a little bit heavier than the 1,935-kilo A6 sedan. Price? Our best guess would be in the mid-$70,000 ballpark, given that the A4 Allroad is priced about $10,000 more than an entry-level A4. Raise one while you’re watching the Raptors tonight in hope that Audi will bring this Quattro wagon to our
Origin: 2020 Audi A6 Allroad could make a trip across the pond
New Honda e to make first UK appearance at Goodwood
Honda has confirmed that its new electric city car, the Honda e, will make its first UK appearance at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed. The new machine, which is now available to order before deliveries commence in 2020, will take to the event’s hillclimb course, with another on display on the Honda stand. Honda says the e that will appear at Goodwood will be “95% true” to the production version. The latest version of the NSX hybrid supercar will also appear on the Japanese firm’s Goodwood stand. The e is the production version of the Urban EV concept, which was revealed at the 2017 Frankfurt motor show, and Honda has confirmed that many of that car’s features will reach the final model as standard. These will include the camera wing mirror system, which Honda claims reduces aerodynamic drag by around 90%. That is said to improve the efficicency of the entire vehicle by 3.8%, playing a significant role in maximising range. The camera system will feature two modes: a normal mode and a wide mode with an extended field of view, and Honda claims they reduce blindspots by at least 10% compared to mirrors. A special water-repellent coating will be used to stop water obscuring the driver’s vision. Honda recently began taking orders for the e, ahead of first deliveries beginning in spring 2020. Mirroring the process of rivals such as Tesla and Peugeot with the e-208, potential customers are invited to cough up a reservation fee of £800 to get “priority status” on the order books. Those customers will be invited to place a full order later this year. The e’s pricing is still yet to be announced, but as with most reservations, the fee is refundable if buyers change their mind. A near-production version of the e was shown at this year’s Geneva motor show, dubbed the e Prototype. Honda has confirmed the ‘e’ name will stay for the production version and revealed a selection of available paint options for customers at launch. The firm believes the car’s retro design will give it an Apple-style appeal to customers. It maintains the styling of the Urban EV, albeit with the addition of an extra set of doors. While Honda has yet to reveal full technical details of the car, its designers told Autocar at the Geneva show that it would offer “more than” 98bhp and 221lb ft of torque. Honda has said there are more than 6500 people in the UK who have expressed interest in the e so far. Pricing has yet to be set, but Autocar understands a ballpark figure is £35,000. Project manager Kohei Hitomi said the machine had been the subject of an internal “battle” over whether to put it into production, with the positive reaction to the concept being a key factor in it gaining approval. The car is slightly shorter than the Jazz and around 100mm taller than the Mini hatchback. Honda has said it will likely have an official range of around 125 miles, with fast-charging capacity to reach 80% in 30 minutes. The e is built on a new platform designed for A and B-segment electric cars, with underfloor batteries produced by Panasonic that are similar to those used in the US-market Accord plug-in hybrid. The rear-mounted electric motor drives the rear wheels, which employ torque vectoring to give a smoother response and improved handling in tight corners. Although the range is substantially lower than that offered by rival EVs such as the 282-mile Kia e-Niro and 193-mile BMW i3, Hitomi said it was necessary to keep the batteries small to fulfil its city car role. “We believe the range is sufficient for this segment of car,” said Hitomi. “Some potential customers might not be satisfied, but when you think about bigger range and a bigger battery, it has drawbacks in terms of packaging. It’s a balance.” As well as featuring cameras instead of rear-view mirrors, there are also flush door handles to further boost aerodynamic efficiency, while the charging port is mounted centrally in the bonnet. The cockpit of the e prototype is dominated by two 12in touchscreens, built into a dashboard finished with a wood-effect trim. The seats – including a two-seat bench in the rear – are covered in polyester, which, as with the wood effect, is designed to make the interior feel like a living room. The e will be built in Japan and go on sale in selected European markets in late 2019, with others following in 2020. It will also be sold in Japan. Hitomi said it is “important” the car is affordable but he added: “A low price is not always a guarantee of success. When you look at Apple products, they are not cheap, but everyone wants to have them because of their added value. We believe it is the same for the electric
Origin: New Honda e to make first UK appearance at Goodwood
New fuel cell design could make hydrogen-powered cars cheaper
Researchers at Ontario’s University of Waterloo have developed a fuel cell they say could potentially make the technology cheap enough to replace the gasoline engine. Fuel-cell vehicles are electric cars that make their own power by producing electricity within the fuel cell, using ambient air and an on-board supply of hydrogen. Xianguo Li, director of the university’s Fuel Cell and Green Energy Lab, said the new cell may last as much as ten times longer than current fuel-cell technology. This improvement would make them economically practical to power vehicles, if they are mass-produced. “With our design approach, the cost could be comparable or even cheaper than gasoline engines,” Li said. “We have found a way to lower costs and still satisfy durability and performance expectations.” The researchers originally concentrated on hybrids, looking at ways to replace the hybrid system’s gasoline engine with a fuel cell. However, the high cost of current fuel cells is an issue. The new design makes the fuel cell far more durable by delivering a constant amount of electricity, rather than a fluctuating flow. Li collaborated with researchers and professors in Waterloo and in Sweden on the design. A paper on their work describes the design as three fuel-cell stacks that each work at a fixed power output, but are switched on and off to shorten the time each one is active. The results showed that the durability of the cells increased by 11.8 times in city driving, 4.8 times in highway driving, and 6.9 times in a combination of the two. The cost savings would come from the cells not having to be “over-designed” to make them last
Origin: New fuel cell design could make hydrogen-powered cars cheaper
MG ZS EV electric SUV to make UK debut this month
MG’s first ever electric car, the ZS EV, will be on display for the first time in the UK this month ahead of sales beginning in September. The brand will use the London motor show, which opens its doors on 16 May, as the venue for the model’s debut. The brand also claims it has had 800 “expressions of interest” from buyers, the most it’s ever had in Britain. The Kia Soul EV rival was first revealed at the Guangzhou motor show in China last year, and will be sold alongside the existing petrol versions of the ZS. While specifications have yet to be confirmed, the UK-bound ZS EV is expected to use the same front-mounted 148bhp electric motor as the model sold in China. The car’s lithium ion battery will reportedly be good for a 268-mile range on the old NEDC test cycle, and MG says it can achieve an 80% charge in as little as 30 minutes. As a guide, the WLTP range of the Nissan Leaf is 28.5% lower than its NEDC range, and the same reduction would put the ZS EV at 192 miles. “We’re delighted to be entering the electric car market at such an exciting time,” said Daniel Gregorious, MG’s head of sales and marketing. “With MG’s trademark value-for-money approach, we’re confident that we can help more and more new car buyers to go electric.” UK sales weren’t confirmed at the ZS EV’s global debut last year, but they were considered likely as part of the slow but steady growth of the MG brand worldwide and its transition to being a maker of SUVs. MG is enjoying sales success in China, under the ownership of SAIC. Last year, it sold 134,786 cars, a significant increase over the 80,389 sold in 2016. That success accelerated in 2018; MG had already surpassed its 2017 total by the end of August, having sold 179,109 cars. China is the world’s largest market for electric cars, and ranges in excess of 250 miles are now the norm there, rather than the exception. The ZS EV first made its debut alongside the new HS SUV, which is understood to be lined up to replace the GS in MG’s UK range later this
Origin: MG ZS EV electric SUV to make UK debut this month
8 ways to make your car feel instantly more luxurious
When it comes to protecting your cars paint, there are more than a few things you can do.Supplied / iStock.com via Getty Images Whether your daily driver deteriorated to the point where strangers raise an eyebrow when you cruise by, or you just want to make a few improvements for your own personal satisfaction, there are plenty of possibilities to class up your ride. Sure, some cost more than others, but these eight add-ons are sure to make your car feel instantly more luxurious. Leather steering wheel cover Your hands are literally wrapped around this thing every time you drive, so why settle for the stock option your car came with? The guys at West Coast Customs make a DIY version look easy, assuming you have an industrial sewing machine in your garage. If not, there are plenty of options on Amazon that’ll do the trick. Upgrade your floor mats Floor mats get filthy, and depending on wear and tear, will need to be replaced once in a while, regardless of how religious you are about caring for them. They’re a cheap update and will improve the overall aesthetic, plus give you that rubbery new car smell you can’t help but love. Or switch up your carpet entirely It’s the pricier option, but gutting your interior carpet and replacing it with entirely new material will have a big impact. There are companies that specialize in this, and you can order exact-fit carpeting online. Then, simply decide to install the carpet yourself or have an expert do it. Change up the wheels Forrest Gump’s mother knew how important people’s shoes are. Cars are the same — you can tell a lot about a driver based on the type of wheels and tires on their vehicle. Upgrading the pair can earn you a smoother ride (or rougher, if you go much larger), but it also instantly changes the look. You don’t need to go super flashy with chrome, spinning parts, or wrap them in expensive performance tires, but upgrading wheels — particularly if your car comes with steel wheels and hubcaps — is an effective way to change the aesthetic. Add a collision avoidance system So your vehicle is a bit, shall we say, mature and lacking certain modern features. Depending on the aftermarket upgrade kits, you can install safety features like a back-up camera, a blind spot monitor, or a collision-warning system without having to buy an entirely new vehicle. Modern technology without the modern price tag. Replace your shocks and struts Some manufacturers suggest replacing them every 80,000 kilometres, but really, it depends on what and how you drive. If your shocks and struts have deteriorated over time, and it’s been years since you’ve done anything about them, you might not even realize how much of the road you’re feeling when you drive. Consider new seats Look, sitting behind the wheel shouldn’t feel like you’re in a La-Z-Boy recliner, but it also shouldn’t feel like you’re strapped onto a seat on a budget Ryanair flight. Upgrading your entire seats is another switch that’ll cost you, but it’s a high-end upgrade you’ll literally feel every time you sit down. If your seats are still in decent shape, consider swapping the material from fabric to leather. Give it a wax Spring has sprung, which means you’ll be able to spend some quality time giving your machine some TLC. A fresh coat of wax will protect the paint and make it shine, plus anybody can do it at home. Just make sure you do it
Origin: 8 ways to make your car feel instantly more luxurious
News Roundup: Tesla sales stall, a Model S catches fire, and what to make of Rivian
A Tesla car arrives at a service center in Los Angeles, California on March 4, 2019.Mark Ralston / Getty via AP Dismal Q1 earnings and explosion reports from Tesla, the saga of John Cena’s GT and more fiery auto news from around the world Welcome to our weekly round-up of the biggest breaking stories on Driving.ca from this past week. Get caught up and ready to get on with the weekend, because it’s hard keeping pace in a digital traffic jam. Here’s what you missed while you were away. The first quarter of 2019 has not been kind to Tesla The Tesla Model 3 Performance Handout / Tesla Tesla is reporting net losses of US$702 million in the first three months of 2019, which is almost six times the profits earned in Q4 of 2018. Ouch! This despite Elon Musk doing what CEOs are wont to do and calling for profits throughout the year. The source of the leaking funds? Delivery woes that have seen a 31 per cent decline in cars actually getting to their owners. Now reports are surfacing that Tesla is trying to stop the bleeding by shuttering stores, cutting staff and shifting sales online. What if the value of a used car depends not on brand but on its owners? Does maintenance trump brand? Handout / Fotolia Driving’s Justin Pritchard has been asked the question, “So what’s the best used car to buy?” many times over his years as an auto journalist. Today, his answer has nothing to do with brand. Instead, he encourages used car shoppers to look for responsible owners with good maintenance rather than nameplates. Finding an owner who was religious in his execution of the vehicle’s ‘maintenance schedule’ is arguably more important than mileage, interior condition or any of the other metrics by which we often measure used cars. As Pritchard puts it, “It’s all about how well you take care of things.” Watch as a Tesla spontaneously combusts in a parking garage in China When will videos of Teslas going up in flames get old? Maybe after this one, but certainly not before. The clip shows the Model S quickly going from smoky to fully engulfed in the crowded parking garage. Video was pulled from the lot’s closed-circuit feed and Tweeted out by @ShanghaiJayin, some sort of self-appointed watchdog to the Chinese EV market who went on to share another video, this time of a NIO ES8 going up in flames at a repair centre in Xi’an, China. Environmentally unfriendly: These are the biggest gas guzzlers of all time Lamborghini Countach Brendan McAleer / Driving As governments and automakers alike set their sites on the electric future, we’re looking back at those vehicles that make gas station owners smile and environmental advocates shudder. Using the Environmental Protection Agency’s records dating back to 1984, we’ve rounded up the most gas-guzzling vehicles of all time, featuring such thirsty beasts as the 7-mpg 1986 Lamborghini Countach, the small but insatiable 1995 Saab 9000 sedan, and the 1,000-horsepower Bugatti Veyron. Rivian’s proposed electric pickup’s numbers don’t really add up Rivian R1T There were many highlights at the recent New York Auto Show, but perhaps none shone brighter than the Rivian R1T electric pickup truck. As one of the main belles at the ball, it also raised a lot of questions. This week, Motor Mouth David Booth pulled out his calculator and green accounting visor to see if he could make sense of the promised 640-km range, advertised weight and what we already know about how EVs function. In short. He couldn’t, saying that “dissecting the numbers, the battery-powered R1T makes a great case for a hydrogen fuel cell.” Slip inside the 10 finest car interiors of 2019 Jeep Gladiator Jeep People make a lot of fuss about tires and engines and paint colours, but the majority of the time spent in cars is spent, well, in them. That’s why ranking their interiors, as WardsAuto recently did, is a worthwhile exercise. The Michigan-based brand tested 32 nominated vehicles, scoring them on design, comfort, ergonomics, materials, fit and finish, and user-friendliness. The top ten includes the Bentley Continental GT, Genesis G70, Hyundai Santa Fe, Jeep Gladiator and Toyota Rav 4. Check out the full piece to see if your car made the cut. We built a visual timeline of the saga of John Cena’s 2017 Ford GT John Cena’s 2017 Ford GT crossing the Mecum Auctions block in Dallas in October 2018 Mecum Auctions When John Cena was hand selected to take order of a liquid blue 2017 Ford GT back in fall of 2017, he was instructed by the brand not to sell it for two years, or until late 2019. And considering that said GT was auctioned in February, changing hands for the fifth time, it’s safe to say the big guy didn’t follow the rules. In fact, since Cena sold it just a month after he’d received it, the GT has been the centre of an ongoing scandal. Then there’s the silver GT that’s also being sold against Ford’s wishes. Confused? Our timeline of the Ford-defying GTs should clear things
Origin: News Roundup: Tesla sales stall, a Model S catches fire, and what to make of Rivian
All about car 