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Toronto mayor says people with loud cars are compensating for something

To maintain the departure angle of the Mercedes AMG 63 G Wagon, the twin exhaust exists just aft of the rear wheels instead of out back.Derek McNaughton Toronto is enacting a new noise bylaw that will see some cars and motorcycles penalized for being too loud, BlogTO reports.But were sure it wont affect you, since only people who have to, um, compensate for something have such raucous exhaust systems, at least according to the citys mayor.The crackdown comes on the heels of complaints levelled by residents of the citys more affluent Yorkville neighbourhood about the noise pollution somehow getting around their Apple EarPods.Comments on a tweet by Mayor John Tory mostly seem to agree loud noises in the city are irritating, even if a few Twitterers instead categorized the Mayors speeches as such.Loud and excessive noise can be characterized as noise that is a nuisance to the general public, taking into consideration the nature, location, time and proximity of the source to residents and members of the public. Some examples of enforceable disturbances include: pic.twitter.com/tSjDGNuGS8 John Tory (@JohnTory) July 16, 2019Thats not all there is to the noise crackdown, however; Mayor Tory had an extra burn to add to the perpetrators of said pollution during his evening press conference.My wife has explained this many times to me as being simply an outcropping of the inadequacies that certain people feel mostly men who drive these cars around, he explained. I will go no further than that.Even as car people, we understand its pretty wanky to rev up your engine at a stoplight or do a big squealy burnout outside of the grocery store. We dont think youre cool, and if youre in a Mustang or Corvette, youre making us fear for our lives. I think people who live in the city understand that its not going to be Algonquin Park and its not going to be silent at all times, Tory added.But the thing they have no understanding and no patience for, and I tend to agree with them, is noise that is caused by vehicles especially people who are deliberately revving their engines and otherwise modifying their equipment to create an excessive level of noise that is disrupting the lives of people who are living in the city.Being excessively noisy will now cost you $155 during the blitz
Origin: Toronto mayor says people with loud cars are compensating for something

Rapid EV chargers should have card payment by 2020 says OLEV

Rapid EV chargers should have card payment by 2020 says OLEV Rapid units should have easier access from next year By Spring 2020, all new rapid EV charge points should offer card payment access for pay-as-you-go usage, as part of the UK Government’s Road to Zero strategy. As part of a roaming solution to allow easier access to EV chargers, the Office for Low Emission Vehicles is encouraging the use of bank card compatibility, to enable EV drivers to use the units without first needing to register with a card or app. The majority of charge points are likely to offer contactless bank card access, allowing drivers to ues and pay for the charge point as they would pay for shopping at a supermarket for example. It brings the process in line with how drivers fill up at a petrol station, with no need for them to sign up with oil companies first. It is a common complaint amongst both those that drive electric vehicles, and those that have looked into buying one, that access to UK charging infrastructure is a limiting factor in EV uptake. Future of Mobility Minister, Michael Ellis, said: “The government’s vision is for the UK to have one of the best electric vehicle charging networks in the world, but we know the variety of payment methods at the moment is a source of frustration for drivers. “It is crucial there are easy payment methods available to improve electric vehicle drivers’ experiences and give drivers choice. This will help even more people enjoy the benefits electric vehicles bring and speed up our journey to a zero-emission future. Business and Industry Minister Andrew Stephenson said: “Initiatives like this are essential as we move towards a net zero economy, making it easier than ever for people to own and use electric vehicles. “Investing in batteries, technology and infrastructure through our modern Industrial Strategy and Faraday battery challenge will ensure the UK leads the world in the global transition away from fossil fuels while supporting the future of our automotive industry.” The announcement comes on the same day as Polar revealed it is adding contactless bank card payment to all new rapid and ultra-rapid chargers going forward, plus retro-fitting existing rapids with the technology. Some networks, including InstaVolt and Engenie, already offer contactless bank card payment on all their rapid charge points.
Origin: Rapid EV chargers should have card payment by 2020 says OLEV

BMW grille debate should focus on 7 Series, says design director

Debate over BMW’s ‘over-sized’ grille design should be focused on the BMW 7 Series alone, according to the group’s design director Adrian van Hooydonk. Discussions regarding BMW’s controversial grille designs ramped up this year with the launch of the facelifted 7 Series, and grew louder with the reveal of the BMW X7. However, van Hooydonk believes the criticism – led by UK commentators according to BMW’s monitoring – has now incorrectly put a focus on BMW grille designs as a whole. “I don’t think it should be a BMW brand discussion at all, but rather one of the 7 Series alone,” said van Hooydonk. “All of our other cars are world cars, where the various tastes of the market tastes converge with no discrepancies, but the 7 Series sits separately. “In Europe – the smallest market – the buyers are understated, but in the US and China – where most 7 Series are sold – they are younger and more extrovert. When we launched the new 7 Series (in 2015) it was criticised for not looking different enough, so the message for the facelift was clear: make it stand out. And now we have.” However, van Hooydonk predicted that the separation in global tastes would not last long, pointing to feedback that he is increasingly receiving from BMW’s Shanghai design centre. “I hear from them that design tastes in China are developing rapidly,” he said. “Yes, they still want a modern look that pushes boundaries, but they are increasingly calling for subtle too. The gap is narrowing down, so I see the 7 Series design coming together with the rest of the range in a short time.” Asked about the X7’s grille design van Hooydonk argued that it was in proportion to the car and smaller than those found on rival brands, including Range Rover, the Audi Q7 and Mercedes GLS. “Yes, the X7’s grille is bigger than other BMW’s – but so is the X7 bigger than any BMW before it. That one is in proportion. “Don’t worry, I don’t want the brand to turn into an oversized kidney grille brand – but I believe we understand the reasons for what we have done with the 7 Series and that the issue will solve itself thanks to evolving tastes in the markets for which the grille was
Origin: BMW grille debate should focus on 7 Series, says design director

FCA, Renault hoping merger talks will restart, report says

2018 Renault Twingo Executives at Fiat Chrysler and Renault-Nissan remain open to the idea that a merger deal could still happen, but they warn that conditions imposed by each side could hurt efforts to restart talks, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the situation.Renault executives are optimistic that the outcome of Nissans shareholder meeting this week will spur new merger talks with FCA as support for a deal still exists inside the French automakers headquarters near Paris, the newspaper said, citing people close to Renault.In addition, Nissan has not closed itself off to the possibility of an eventual deal, but would also like to reshape the alliance to allow for added flexibility and independence for each partner, the WSJ reported.Renault CEO Thierry Bollore said last week that there was nothing happening between the French automaker and FCA after the collapse of merger talks aimed at creating the worlds third-largest automaker.The merger discussions with FCA ended abruptly after the French government, Renaults most powerful shareholder, sought a delay to gain the explicit assent of Nissan. FCA blamed political conditions in France when it withdrew its proposal, and a signal from the French state that it would give up its sway over Renault would be necessary for a resumption of talks, people with knowledge of the situation have said. For Renault and the state, repairing the relationship with Nissan will take priority over a FCA deal, officials have said. France in particular views securing the Japanese automakers explicit backing as crucial for the success of an FCA-Renault combination.Despite the finger-pointing that followed the failed talks, Renault, FCA and France have left the door open for a possible deal as they brace for the costly changes sweeping the industry, such as developing electric and autonomous
Origin: FCA, Renault hoping merger talks will restart, report says

Volkswagen says ID 3 to be fastest-charging car in its class

A camoflaged version of the VW I.D. HatchbackElektrowoz Volkswagen is getting the buying public charged up about its upcoming ID 3 electric hatchback, with a new announcement the car can juice itself faster than every other mainstream electric on sale today. Hey, yesterday was Father’s Day. I’m allowed to make dad jokes. According to the company, the ID 3 charging capacity taps out at 125 kW, eclipsing all other electron-fuelled machines save for the snazzy Audi E-tron and Tesla Model X. That’s where the “mainstream” detail in VW’s proclamation comes into play. Customers in about thirty European countries have been laying down deposits to pre-book an ID 3 for an expected April 2020 delivery. When in full production, the hatchback will be available with three battery sizes, which will essentially represent small, medium and large—just like your favourite cup of coffee. The mid-level 58-kWh version will be offered first, coughing up a claimed range of 417 kilometres. Two other trims, driven by 45-kWh and 77-kWh batteries, should be good for 328 km and 547 km, respectively. Sized about the dimensions of a two-door Golf, the ID 3 is the first production car to utilize VW’s new MEB architecture, an electric car platform scheduled to underpin a myriad of models. The brand aims to sell 150,000 electric cars, including 100,000 ID models, by calendar year 2020. By 2025, Volkswagen aims to sell one million EVs. Plans call for 1,500 ID family vehicles to be rolling off assembly lines per day in 2021, with about 10 million vehicles to be produced on the platform during its first product life cycle. That’s some dandy economies of scale. Production of the ID 3 is scheduled to start at Volkswagen’s Zwickau factory near the end of this year. Those who have slapped down a pre-booking will be able to order their cars after it is launched at this year’s Frankfurt motor show in
Origin: Volkswagen says ID 3 to be fastest-charging car in its class

BMW M boss says the M8 will own the Nürburgring and the 911 Turbo

The 2020 BMW M8BMW If the bar wasn’t high enough for the M8, the latest remarks from BMW’s head of the M division have jacked it up another few inches.   BMW’s M Division head Markus Flasch recently told Australian media including WhichCar in a teleconference that the M8 “is the ultimate performance machine that we offer; it will be the fastest-ever BMW at the Nürburgring Nordschleife.” How’s that for tempering expectations? The new flagship is powered by a 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 making 600 horsepower and 555 lb.-ft. of torque in the base model (the same as it does in the M5) and 617 horsepower in the Competition model. That gets the fastest M ever up to 100 km/h in 3.4 seconds, 3.3 seconds in the Competition.   According to Flasch, this will carry the coupe around the Nürburgring in record time, setting a new benchmark for the brand. And, if the test drivers are to be believed, it will compete with the Porsche 911 Turbo on the famed German track; Flasch reports hearing pilots calling the car a “Porsche Turbo-killer.” And despite sharing the same power plant, the M8 is not just a coupe version of the M5, says Flasch. The center of gravity is 0.95 inches lower than in the M5, you sit lower and we’ve done a lot to the connection of the chassis to the body, he told WhichCar. It makes the front much stiffer and the steering feels different; all our test drivers were surprised by the different character. It was a confident interview, to say the least. Now the only thing left for Flasch and his M team to do is back it up on the track. The M8 is scheduled to enter production in July.
Origin: BMW M boss says the M8 will own the Nürburgring and the 911 Turbo

Caddy says new V-Series’ horsepower is lower because drivers were ‘intimidated’

The 2020 Cadillac CT5-VGraeme Fletcher / Driving.ca As we recently covered, the new 2020 CT4-V and CT5-V have arrived with upgrades across the board, except for in the power department. That’s down, but why? According to statements made by GM president Mark Reuss and reported by Automotive News, people were scared of the gobs of horsepower in the last V-Series, so the company is pulling back a bit for this new generation to make them more appealing.   There was, frankly, some people who were intimidated by the cars, Reuss said following the unveiling of the cars last week. When we did a V-Series, they were hammers. There’s some intimidation there. Those “hammers” included the CTS-V, which claimed 640 horsepower from its supercharged V8 and topped out at over 320 km/h; and the ATS-V, whose twin-turbo V6 made 464 horsepower and could push the car to 304 km/h.   In contrast, the new V-Series CT4-V makes 320 horsepower from its turbocharged four-cylinder, while the CT5-V gets 355 from its turbo-six. So, yeah, they’re less intimidating now, perhaps hinting at a detuned CT6-V on the way, too (its 550 horsepower will no doubt be too scary for drivers, as well). Meanwhile, Cadillac has been testing a pair of track-ready V-Series prototypes that Reuss says “represent the next step in Cadillac’s V-Series performance legacy.” It’s expected the track-approved CT4-V will house a 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 with 400-plus horsepower, and the matching CT5-V either a twin-turbo 4.2-litre V8 with 500-plus horsepower or the same 640-horsepower supercharged V8 that currently powers the CTS-V. Pricing for the now-less-intimidating V-Series cars hasn’t been announced, but Caddy says they’ll be the most accessible to date.
Origin: Caddy says new V-Series’ horsepower is lower because drivers were ‘intimidated’

EU says Trump’s proposed car import quotas aren’t happening

US President Donald Trump speaks with reporters as he departs the White House, in Washington, DC, on June 2, 2019. (Jim Watson / Getty Images The European Union vowed to reject any U.S. push to curb imports of EU cars and auto parts, highlighting the risk of greater transatlantic trade tensions. EU trade chiefs late May dismissed an idea floated by President Donald Trump earlier in the month of fixing quotas on European automotive exports to the U.S. He claimed such shipments pose a threat to national security—a view repudiated by Europe. On May 17, Trump put off a decision on auto tariffs for 180 days while saying that “domestic conditions of competition must be improved by reducing imports” and instructing U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to address the matter in talks with the EU and Japan. Voluntarily restraining exports is illegal under World Trade Organization rules. “That is something that we are 100 per cent against,” Swedish Trade Minister Ann Linde told reporters in Brussels where she met her EU counterparts. Other national ministers and European Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom echoed the point by saying the 28-nation bloc is determined to respect WTO requirements. Being played out in the shadow of a U.S.-China trade war that has unnerved investors worldwide, the transatlantic discord over tens of billions of dollars in European auto exports to the American market risks morphing into a new headwind for the global economy. The issue could scuttle planned EU-U.S. negotiations on eliminating tariffs on industrial goods across the board and end a trade truce struck by both sides in July 2018. That in turn would increase the likelihood of U.S. duties on European cars and an EU tit-for-tat
Origin: EU says Trump’s proposed car import quotas aren’t happening

Lowered VW’s owner says speed bumps are ‘discrimination,’ asks town to pay

Christopher Fitzgibbon and his lowered VW PassatMichael Cowhey / SWNS via the Daily Mail An Irishman whose lowered Volkswagen sedan suffered damage driving over his hometown’s speed bumps wants the town to pay for its repair because, he says, the traffic-calming measures are a form of discrimination. Christopher Fitzgibbon, 23, wants his small town of Galbally in Limerick, Ireland to pay for around £2,000 ($3,400) worth of damages done by driving his lowered VW Passat over the speed bumps, according to The Daily Mail. Fitzgibbon modified the car in March of 2016 to sit about four inches above the ground, but he claims the new speed bumps, installed in September of 2018, are six inches high, which means he can’t drive over them. “I feel discriminated against because I’m driving a modified car – it’s lowered, so it’s four inches off the road – and I’m being denied my right to drive on these roads,” he says. It doesn’t matter what speed I’m at either—I could be driving at 5 km/h or 80 km/h and it wouldn’t make a difference. Having to avoid the speed bumps has meant he can’t drive through the town on his commute, which used to be 50 kilometres. He also says he can’t drive into town to visit the post office, the shops or the pub (which you shouldn’t drive to anyway). Now he must use an alternate route that adds more mileage. Limerick City and County Council has responded by disputing Fitzgibbon’s claim regarding the height of the speed bumps; even though he says they are six inches tall, according to the town’s Traffic Calming Policy Document, they are in fact 75 millimetres tall, or less than three
Origin: Lowered VW’s owner says speed bumps are ‘discrimination,’ asks town to pay