SMMT has revealed the new car registration figures for March 2026. Unsurprisingly, EVs have had their best month yet, in the UK. Unfortunately, the market share is far from the 33% required by the Government. Lots of people and organisations were erroneously using the term “sales” when we only have figures for registrations. The SMMT once again called on the Government to review the ZEV mandate targets, adding the Iran war and it’s knock on effects to the usual, valid, points. Click this link here, from the SMMT, to read more.

TATA RECEIVES MORE GOVERNMENT MONEY

The UK Government is investing £380 million in Tata’s battery factory, being built near Bridgewater in Somerset. The company states that once opened it will employ 4,000 staff on site. The money is coming from the Automotive Transformation Fund. Additionally a Devon based battery recycling facility and low-emission brake manufacturer have also been awarded money from the fund. Click this Autocar link to find out more.

STELLANTIS EUROPE TO STOP FIGHTING ITSELF

Giles Vidal, who is the head of design for Stellantis, gave a frank interview with Autocar after he has spent a few months reacquainting himself with the brand following his time at Renault. His main point was that the group’s brands will be making cars that are distinct from each other, despite the shared underpinnings and restrictions that brings. Music to the ears of us, here at the Motoring Podcast! To read more, click the link here.

BYD TO INSTALL CHARGING NETWORK

BYD will be installing 300 chargers with a maximum capacity of 1500kW, making them the fastest in the UK. BYD claims that this can enable five minute charging of of 10% to 70% for their new 123kWh battery. These sites will be open to all car brands and will be run under the name ‘Flash’. As ever though, what a charger is capable of and what the grid can provide are often two different things, in the UK. For more on this story, click this Autocar article link here.

UK’S LARGEST EHGV CHARGING HUB

Fleete (no, that’s not a spelling mistake), has opened the largest UK eHGV charging hub. Located at the Port of Tilbury , it has 16 ultra-rapid chargers enabling up to 16 eHGVs to charge at the same time. The company plans to open a 26 bay facility near Birmingham too. Click this EV Powered article link here to read more.

On Thursday 23 April at 20:00 BST, we will be going live with a Q&A on our YouTube channel. We need your help though, send us your automotive and motoring related question you would like to hear us answer. To send one in use our Contact Page, linked to here, and put “Q&A” in the Subject Line so it does not get lost in all the spam.

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

Honda Super-N

Honda has revealed a small EV, with up to 199 miles range and a price starting under £20,000 which will be coming to the UK this summer. Their previous foray into the small EV market was the Honda-E that was expensive for what it offered, although did look great. The Super-N seems to have addressed that, nearly 200 miles range for under £20,000 sounds great, hopefully real world use backs that up. Click this Motoring Research article link here, for more.

Cupra Raval

Cupra has unveiled their Renault 5 rival, the Raval. Starting price for the Core trim, will be just under £23,000, whilst offering around 185 maximum range. Moving up through the specs increases the prices and capabilities as the V1 and V2 levels can be fitted with a 52kWh battery enabling up to 280 miles maximum range. Top of the range aims to take on the Alpine A290, with an approximately £37,000 price tag and a drop in range to around 250 miles. Click this Autocar article link, for more.

Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV

As we stated a few weeks ago, Mitsubishi is bringing back the Outlander PHEV when they return to the UK market. The price will start at £46,995, but full technical specs are yet to be released. Information that EV Powered has managed to gleam includes an expected EV-only range around 53 miles, with an overall of about 500 miles. Does it bring anything new enough to the market to attract buyer? Time will tell. Click this EV Powered link, for more.

LUNCHTIME READ: ESTATE OF THE MARKET

S.V. Robinson, on Driven to Write, discusses affordable estate cars or the lack of them, more to the point. As he owns one himself he explains how he keeps an eye out, essentially for what he might replace his Octavia with. Pickings are thing. Click this link to read through his thoughts on what is out there now and also to become a little sad at the state of the market.

LIST OF THE WEEK: PERFORMANCE VS PRACTICALITY

Tom Ford has compiled another special list for Top Gear, that we are recommending to you. Often we are shown concepts that are either all about the performance or practicality. Very rarely does these cross over. Click the link here to see what your options are.

AND FINALLY: THE FUTURE FROM BACK IN 1982

Antony Ingram, writing for Hagerty, explains all about the fascinating British Leyland ECV 3, which was an experimental design that incorporates a lot of what we expect in cars today, but were very futuristic in 1982. Click this link to find out more and learn a little about British Leyland and innovation.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has published their report on two fatal incidents that involved Ford’s BlueCruise semi-automated driving system, that allows for ‘hands off eyes on’ driving. Some blame is being put on the driver’s “over-reliance” in the systems, but also it is made clear the company and regulations played a part. if you wish to read more on the findings, click this CNN article link here.

However, the findings fail to discuss the inherent flaw in the system that has been documented from as far back as April 1948, when it comes to humans supervising automated systems. Click this Sage Journals link to N H Mackworth’s research examining this issue.

MOTABILITY DRIVERS SINGLED OUT AGAIN

Thanks to the victimisation of those using the Motability scheme, originating from a far-right ‘think-tank’, all drivers under 30 and those newly entering the scheme will have to have black boxes fitted. These boxes will record their journeys and from the binary inputs of those drivers they will be ‘judged’ on how well they drive. This is despicable because the technology cannot judge because it is only using the binary inputs on braking, accelerating and steering with absolutely no knowledge of the environment or anything occurring around the vehicle. For more on this story, click this article link here from The Canary.

NEW MOT RULES FOR 2026

There are new MOT rules, for the UK, in 2026. Most of the onus is on the garages themselves, but you should be aware of them. The Government is asking for the centres to do more but is keeping the price cap where it is. To find out what the changes are, click this link to a MotorCheck article link here.

LUCID COMING TO THE UK IN 2027

Lucid is bringing their next to be revealed car, the Cosmos, to the UK in 2027. This will be an electric SUV which is aiming at the likes of the BMW iX3 and Volvo EX60. There are no images yet, nor any technical details. Click this Autocar article link here to find out more.

SCOUT LAUNCH IN THE US PUT BACK TO 2028

The launch of Scout, in the US, by Volkswagen is being delayed until 2028. Thanks to the change in Governmental policy the company is reportedly re-engineering the cars to take range extender technology when they were to be EV only. For more on this story, click this electrive article link here.

STELLANTIS RECALLS 44,000 UK CARS

Around 44,000 Stellantis cars, fitted with the 1.2 litre petrol engined mild hybrid, are being recalled in the UK due to a potential fire risk. The vehicles were built between 2023 and 2026. To find out if you car or the car of friends and family is covered, click this Autocar article link, which breaks down how many from the individual brands.

On Thursday 23 April at 20:00 BST, we will be going live with a Q&A on our YouTube channel. We need your help though, send us your automotive and motoring related question you would like to hear us answer. To send one in use our Contact Page, linked to here, and put “Q&A” in the Subject Line so it does not get lost in all the spam.

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

Kia EV2

Kia has announced the EV2 prices, ahead of them going on sale later this year. There is some complication to all this as there is a First Edition option, which will be, yes you guessed it, the launch edition but that starts at £26,995 and has a 42kWh battery and 198 miles range. However, the entry to the range, available later, is the Air trim which will get a 61kWh battery and 281maximum range. Click this Motoring Research article link here, to run through the trim levels and see if one meets your needs.

For the link to the Special Edition about Kia at Milan Design week, click here.

Leapmotor A05

Leapmotor is expected to be bringing the A05 to the UK later this year. The car is aimed at the VW ID.3 and is expected to be priced around £25,000. Unfortunately, the external looks leave a lot to be desired. Click this Autocar article link for more.

Seat and Cupra Ateca sales end

Seat and Cupra are ending the sale of the Ateca. Originally launched a decade ago, this SUV is now not seen as worth updating in its current guise. Click this Auotcar link here to read more.

LUNCHTIME READ: THE ISUZUS JUST GET US THERE

Hagerty and John Voelcker are our recommendations to you this week. John explains why he and friends take their old Isuzus on a long road trip and how the car is just the ‘vehicle’ (pun intended, for a change) for friends to get together in a shared joy. Click this link here to read more and maybe you too will be inspired to do something similar.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 20 ALFA ROMEO CARS NEVER MADE

Classic & Sports Car has a list of 20 Alfa Romeos that were never made, for you to peruse and chose from. Do you agree with Alan and Andrew’s choices? Click this link here to see your options.

AND FINALLY: HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE RENAULT 21

We refused to believe that the Citroën Saxo is 30 years old, recently. As did some of you. Another car that we cannot believe is the age it is, is the Renault 21. Once a common sight on UK roads, time has not been kind but when a company decides one platform/layout is not enough, it is easy to see why. Click this Hagerty article link here for more.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has confirmed the details for the redress scheme, following finance mis-selling to car buyers. Less people will be eligible to claim, as somehow they have deemed that dealer direct to manufacturer finance was not liable to the same issues as was found to be open to abuse. However, the average payout will be higher than expected, at £829. For more on this, click the Autocar article link here.

JLR FIND A NEW STRATEGY CHIEF

Tata exec, Balaje Rajan, has become the chief strategy officer for JLR. This move indicates a tighter alignment with between the companies. We can expect more platform sharing plus electrification and software development being closer aligned. You can read more about this, by click the Autocar India article link here.

JLR HALTS PRODUCTION AT SOLIHULL

JLR has halted production at the Solihull plant, due to a problem with their supply chain, specifically one supplier. We do not know who the supplier is, nor what the part is. This pausing of production dovetails into a planned shutdown over the Easter period. Click this Business Maters article link here, to read more.

£1B FROM THE GOVERNMENT TO HELP E-LORRIES AND E-VANS

The UK Government rolled out two initiatives to help the transition to zero emission lorries and vans. First is the Zero Emissions Truck and Van Grant, with the second being the Depot Charging Scheme. The aim is to assist with two of the major blocks for companies switching, costs to buy and lack of infrastructure. For more details, click this EV Powered article link here.

AFEELA CANCELLED BY HONDA AND SONY

The joint-venture between Honda and Sony, called Afeela, has been cancelled following Honda’s decision to can their 0 Series EVs. This is no real surprise as the project was going to use a lot of the 0 Series technology and platform. If you wish to read more, click this Top Gear article link here.

VW TO RECALL NEARLY 100,000 EVS WORLD WIDE

The German Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) has stated that the VW Group must recall 94,031 ID.3, ID.4, ID.5, ID.Buzz and ID.Buzz Cargo, plus Cupra Born vehicles, globally, built between 7 February 2022 and 23 August 2024. The vehicle batteries do not meet the agreed specification and might produce reduced driving range as well as there being a risk of fire. Click this electrive article link for more information.

BRING A TRAILER COMING TO THE UK

The US auction site, Bring a Trailer, is coming to the UK. Last year the company $1.7 billion in sales and now sees this as the right time to bring their way of doing things to the UK classics market. For more on this story, click this link to a Motoring Research article.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

Dacia Striker

Dacia has revealed what we are told is an estate, but it is not, its a crossover. Going up against the likes of the Skoda Octavia, it is aligned with the Bigster. Details are very thin on the ground, including what the interior looks like. Click this Autocar article to see more about this handsome looking car.

Jeep Easter Safari Concepts

That time of year has rolled around again where Jeep go off on an Easter Safari, in Moab Desert, with their tricked out cars. Always a treat to see what they have come up with, this year is no different. Click this Carscoops article to see more.

Mika Mino

The Miko Mino is designed with the core philosophy of small and light. A collaboration between friend of the show Nir Kahn and Robin Hall, they are pursuing this core axiom with lazer focus. To find out more about this idea, click here for an EV Powered exclusive article.

LUNCHTIME READ: THE AUTOMOBILE AS AN APPLIANCE

Driven to Write provide the article we are recommending you read whilst enjoying your lunch this week. Often it is said, on this show, how cars are becoming appliances to most, but what if that idea was the basis for a concept that was explored? Find out more, by clicking this link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE 20 GREATEST WEDGES

We all like concept cars, but one way to make them much cooler is for one to be wedge shaped. Well, Top Gear are not content with that, how about 20 wedge shaped concept cars? Click this link to check out your options.

AND FINALLY: HOW DIRTY IS THE A1?

Listener’s discretion is needed with this week’s recommendation. Auto Shenanigins is asking the question many of us have wondered, why are there so many adult stores on the A1? Click this YouTube link to find out.

Following an ‘is he/isn’t he’ saga which started back at the beginning of December 2025, Gerry McGovern is officially leaving JLR at the end of March 2026. He will be starting his own consultancy. Details are almost non-existent outside of that. Click this Autocar article for the story.

AUDI MAKES £2.9 BILLION PROFIT

As expected, more brands from within the Volkswagen Group have been announcing their financial results for 2025. Audi, despite it being a difficult year, managed to make a £2.9 billion profit, from a revenue of £56.6 billion. This was all done whilst fewer overall vehicles were delivered. To read more, click this Autocar article.

BENTLEY TO CUT JOBS

Bentley had a difficult 2026 and as a result are going to shed 150 jobs. Some are open positions they won't fill but the rest will come from office based roles. Additionally they have had to tweak their product plans partly due to Porsche postponing their platform development. If you want to learn more, click this Autocar article link here.

ROLLS ROYCE NOT GOING 100% EV FROM 2030

Rolls Royce has announced that it will no longer be producing EVs exclusively, from 2030. They state that customer wishes mean that they will still offer internal combustion engine options. For more on this, click this link here to take you an EV Powered article.

THATCHAM SPLITS FROM EURONCAP

Thatcham, after 22 years in partnership, are splitting from EuroNCAP and developing their own systems for testing car safety systems. They mention real world safety quite a bit and also how they believe the technology should not be intrusive and annoying. Time will tell if they can deliver on this. Click this link here to read more from Autocar.

EU RELAXES CO2 RULES FOR LORRIES

The EU has listened to lorry manufacturers and softened the requirements of their fleets, in terms of CO2 emissions. Whilst the fixed jumps, from the interim targets at 2025, 2030 and 2040 still stand, the intervening years will not have moving requirements. This means, if a brand manages to exceed the target they can carry over that extra to the next year, thus companies are rewarded for pushing. If you want to find out more, click this electrive article link here.

LYTEN BUYS MORE OF NORTHVOLT

Lyten, a US based company, has continued to purchase operations from the collapsed Northvolt electric car battery and recycling company, this time they have bought the Swedish battery recycling facility at Skellefteå. For more about this story, click this electrive article link here.

FRESH ZEBRA FUNDING MADE AVAILABLE

The Government has announced a new raft of funding for the Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) to a total of £73.2 million. There are 10 areas across England that will receive money to help pay for infrastructure and electric buses. To read more, click this electrive article link here.

FIRST YEAR ZEV MANADATE REPORT

The UK Government has finally published their report on compliance with the car and van zero emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate for 2024. No brand has been fined as all reached the required minimums through a combination of registration numbers and purchasing credits from others who had exceeded the requirements. Click this electrive article link here for more.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

BMW i3

After much teasing BMW has finally taken the wraps off their i3 electric saloon. Boasting an astonishing range of up to 559 miles, with looks, both inside and out, that have divided opinion but cannot be trusted as we have only been given heavily rendered images so far. Further details are to be announced later, including the price. Click this Motoring Research article link here for more.

DS No7

The latest Stellantis brand to utilise the mid sized SUV platform is DS, being the premium one of the group they will be charging a suitable price, above their sister brands. Click this Autocar article link here to read more.

KGM Musso EV

KGM are bringing their first electric pickup to the UK from May 2026. With four wheel drive and payload capacity of 690kgs, the vehicle will have a maximum range of 240 miles. This is the fourth four wheel drive pickup for the UK market and it will be competitively priced at £42, 495 (inclusive of VAT and £2,500 Plug0In Van Grant). Click this Autocar article link here to read more.

LUNCHTIME READ: INSIDE GM’S DECISION TO HELP RESTORE A RARE EV1 FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER

GM have seemed like a company embaressed by their pioneering EV1 which was available to the public on a strict leasing deal for two years in the later 1990s, with many examples having been destroyed and recycled. However, one person has managed to legally get hold of a damaged EV1 and is in the process of restoring it. GM heard and instead of deploying a fleet of lawyers to stop this their President heard and has ordered the company to help. Click this article link here from The Drive to find out more.

LIST OF THE WEEK: FORGOTTEN CARS OF THE 1990S

Autocar are where we are sending you this week. They have a slideshow dedicated to cars you might well have forgotten, if you are not Alan. Do you agree with chaps choices? Click this link here to see what your options are.

AND FINALLY: WALKING AROUND AND POINTING AT THINGS

This week we are recommending you click this HubNut YouTube video link to check out their interesting spots from the NEC Restoration Show. As ever, this is a lovely, relaxed film that will allow all of us who missed out to experience the sights and sounds of last weekend.

During the SMMT Electrified event, held last week, the call went out for an urgent review of the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Mandate, as the reality is far below the assumptions that went into the amount of registrations demanded each year. Government representative immediately poured cold water on that hope, though. A review will not begin until 2027. For more on this story, click this EV Powered article link here.

NEW RENAULT STRATEGY ANNOUNCED

Renault Group’s new strategy will be called Futuready. Using the previous as the basis they will now launch 36 new models by 2030. These will be split across European and global markets. The three brands will continue to exploit what they do well and what customers expect from them. Additionally, a lot of talk is about technology and their partnership with Google. Click this Autocar article here, for more.

SEAT AND CUPRA 2025 SALES ARE IMPRESSIVE

Seat and Cupra had very impressive sales figures for 2025, but that did not translate to much of a profit thanks to tariffs and capex investment costs. Tariffs were imposed by the EU on Chinese made EVs, this hit the Tavascan as the company chose to not pass the costs onto customers. They are also investing in a new battery factory, developing new models and updating existing. To read more, click this Autocar article link here.

VW GROUP ANNOUNCE MORE HUGE COST CUTS

After a very rough 2025, the Volkswagen Group has posted an operating profit of 2.8%, which equates to €8.9 billion in revenue. The company announced there would be a new (or is it?) cost cutting drive, which will include up to 50,000 job loses. The aim is for cost savings around €6 billion per year by 2030. If you wish to find out more, click this Autocar article link here.

HONDA SCRAPS NEW EV MODELS

Honda has cancelled the launch of the 0 Series Saloon and SUV. They make it explicitly clear they are blaming the United States change in policy when it comes to EVs. They expect the write-down will cost them between £1.6 and £2.7 billion, this year, with more to come in 2026-27. Additionally, their products in other markets are not meeting customer requirements. You can find out further information by clicking this Autocar article link here.

STELLANTIS TO ADD MORE ELECTRIC VANS TO ELLESMERE PORT

Stellantis are to add more electric van production to their Ellesmere Port. The company is investing £50 million to add a new assembly line to the factory. The electric variant of the Vauxhall/Opel Vivaro will take up the newly created capacity. For more, click this electrive article link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

Jaecoo 8

In May Jaecoo will be selling the 8, their range topping SUV, in the UK. Prices will start at £45,500 for the PHEV. That is a £10,000 jump over the 7 PHEV, but it does not offer a third row of seats. Click this Autocar article to find out all the details.

Caterham Seven HWM Edition

HWM is the dealership that Caterham is tied closely to but also was a racing team with their own car that Sir Sterling Moss won his first F1 race in. The latest Seven plays homage to them for this, with cars painted in the HWM Green, also the grille in the nose cone harks back to team. Click this EVO article link to learn all the details.

Mercedes-Benz VLE

Mercedes has revealed the VLE, an electric V-Class sized vehicle that is hoped will bring it new customers. Externally it has the very prominent grille and the rear looks like its been taken from a Hyundai Inonq 9. Inside the press pics show an interior that is festooned with more light strips than a Twitch streamers setup. Click this Autocar article link to find out all the details, including an impressive claimed range.

LUNCHTIME READ: TOWER OF POWER

Top Gear are where we are pointing your attention this week. Ollie Marriage brings to life his adventure with Mark Riccioni as they drove in Georgia. The writing is wonderful and the pictures are stunning, hopefully this encourages you to plan a trip, but maybe one less “tricky”. Click the link here to read more.

LIST OF THE WEEK: SEVEN BRILLIANT AND PERFECTLY FORMED TINY CONCEPT CARS

We stick with Top Gear as the outlet to visit, this time for seven tiny but wonderful concept cars. Do you agree with Andrew’s choice? Click this link here to see what your options are.

AND FINALLY: CARS AND FILMS

Jesús Predencio is a graphic designer who has created some wonderful, striking art involving cars, with his most famous project probably being Cars and Films. Click this Classic & Sports Car article to find out more. Additionally, at the bottom of the piece are several links to Jesús’s work which you must check out.

The EU Commission has unveiled the draft Industrial Accelerator Act, which is aimed at making Europe a powerhouse and self contained when it comes to green energy related industries, including automotive. To read more about the proposals, click this electrive article link here.

By the fact that so much of the act is pointed inwards to EU countries, this has caused fear in the UK automotive industry that they will be penalised thanks to the idiocy of Brexit. Nissan has declared if there is not agreement on UK built cars then it will close Sunderland. Click this Autocar article for more.

FEBRUARY 2026 NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES

SMMT released the new car registration figures for February 2026 and there was a surprising number of vehicles registered, with this being the best February since 2004. BEV market share is no where near where it needs to be as it sits at 22%, lower than last year, with the mandate requirement of 33%. SMMT called on the Government to urgently look at the mandate in the face of market reality. You can learn more, by clicking this SMMT article link here.

TRIBUNAL SHOWS PUBLIC CHARGING VAT SHOULD BE 5%

In a tax tribunal, Deloitte proved how the public charging VAT rate should only be 5%, using HMRC’s own rules. The use, by an individual, of no more than 1000kWh over a month is classified as “personal use”. To go over this, using public charging, would be very difficult in a EV. To find out more, click this EV Powered article link here.

TESLA EU CO2 POOL USERS DECLINE

The EU allows car companies to buy and sell CO2 credits so that companies can avoid hefty fines for not meeting average fleet levels. Tesla has benefited hugely from this, however that is now changing as Toyota and Stellantis leave their pool. If you wish to read more, click this electrive article link here.

SUZUKI BUYS SOLID-STATE BATTERY FIRM

Suzuki has bought Kanadevia, a company that has been developing solid-state batteries for 20 years. This is a great move by one of the smaller Japanese brands and if batteries can be made affordable at scale, this will help them be competitive or even steal a march on others. Click this electrive article link here, to read more.

WRIGHTBUS SELLS 31 EBUSES TO THE ISLE OF WHITE

Wrightbus is providing 31 double decker electric buses for use on the Isle of White. Using funding from a combination of local and central government schemes, they will help move the islands public transport to being a cleaner service. You can read more by clicking this electrive article link here.

ELECQ HIT BY CYBER ATTACK

ELECQ, a Chinese home and business smart charger company, has been hacked with customer details being accessed. They operate in the UK and Europe and have informed data protection organisations. The company state that their chargers and systems are working and are protected. For more on this story, click the link here from The Register.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

Genesis GV60 Magma

Genesis has revealed their first performance car that we can buy, with the very orange GV60 Magma. Sharing a lot of the underpinnings with the Hyundai Ioniq 5N expect similar levels of go and stop. Click this EV Powered article link to read more.

GM Specialty Vehicles UK launched

GM Specialty Vehicles UK will be importing the large and “luxury” models from the General Motors stables. Think along the lines of the Suburban, Cadillac Escalade and Chevrolet Silverado. The cars will be left hand drive but all requirements to be UK legal will be undertaken by dealership Clive Sutton. Click this Motoring Research article link for more.

Lamborghini Lanzador killed off

Before the Lanzandor even made it to market, it has been killed off. The official statement is that it is due to a lack of customer demand for such a vehicle. But it was to share the underpinnings from Porsche but they canned their development meaning Lamborghini would not have anything to make the car from. Click this Motoring Research article to learn more.

LUNCHTIME READ: THE GREAT DISGRACE

Hagerty supply the article we are recommending that you read this week, thanks to Jim Magill for suggesting it! The piece discusses the shocking state of our roads and how that has impacted people’s desire to drive. Click the link here to read it for yourself.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 25 OF THE COOLEST MID-ENGINED CONCEPT CARS THAT NEVER MADE PRODUCTION

Top Gear is where we are pointing you to for the List of the Week. And boy, is it a CRACKER! Check out 25 concept cars and try to pick on from this wonderful list. Click here to get overwhelmed by the options!

AND FINALLY: CAR SONG

Saturday Night Live has produced a song that shows the wider population have had enough with silly and dangerous door handles. Click this YouTube link to see for yourself.

Thanks to Phil Huff, from Professional Van, who heard our plea for facts about the Flexis electric van models we can bring you a link from one of his sites that confirms which vans Renault will be bringing. The first three will be the Trafic, Estafette and Geolette E-Tech. Click this link to read more from Professional Van.

HUGE LOSS FOR STELLANTIS IN 2025

Stellantis making a loss should not surprise anyone but maybe the scale of it might. The company posted their first loss since forming in 2021, of $26.3 billion. Much of this is due to the write-down they undertook in changing product plans. The new leadership team say that steps they have taken are positive showing signs, with cash being freed up. If you want to find our more, click this Yahoo!Finance article link here.

ASTON MARTIN TO REDUCE WORKFORCE

2025 was another tough year for Aston Martin, with profits falling by 36%. Tariffs are taking much of the blame for the drop. To counter this, the company has said it is looking to reduce the workforce by 20%, similar to the cut of 170 jobs this time last year. For more on this story, click this Autocar article link here.

TESLA SUES CALIFORNIA OVER RULING

Tesla has removed all mention of “Autopilot” from advertising material, following a ruling by the California Department of Motor Vehicles that it was deceptive marketing. This prevented them being banned from selling cars for 30 days, however, they have now sued the DMV to get this overturned. To read more, click this Yahoo!Finance article link here.

UK GOV TRACKED PHONE USERS TO SEE IF THEY HAD AN EV

The Department for Transport (DfT) asked O2 to monitor their network users to try and establish if they were EV users and if so what were their habits and routines. O2 also supplies the network for Tesco Mobile and Sky Mobile. After two years the study was ended with the conclusion being this type of data was not sufficient to conclude if someone was an EV owner or not. For more on this, click this Yahoo!News article link here.

HOME EV CHARGER GRANT EXTENDED

The UK Government has extended the Electric Vehicle Chargepoint Grant another year and increased the amount to £500. Those without driveways, including renters and businesses can apply for the grant to help with the installation of charge points. This amount apparently covers nearly half the average cost of installation. Click this Autocar article to read more.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

UK Car of the Year 2026 Winner

Congratulations to Renault as the 5 E-Tech wins the overall prize of UK Car of the Year 2026. 20 of the 33 judges chose the car as their pick. You can read all about it by clicking this UK Driver link and going to pages 22-23. Once you’ve finished do check out the rest of the digital magazine, which is the official UK Car of the Year publication!

Lepas L8

New to the UK, Lepas has confirmed their first model here will be the L8. Expected to rival the likes of the Mazda CX-5 and Toyota RAV4 with the expectation being they will beat them on price. Details are thin on the ground as the company will announce them “in the coming weeks”. Click this Autocar article to learn more.

Alfa Romeo Giulia and Stelvio Quadrifoglio

In a new segment titled Old Cars Undead News, we have to talk about the Alfa Romeo Giulia and Stelvio Quadrifoglio that the brand are bringing back to the UK. The successors were supposed to be full EVs but Stellantis, like many, is finding that customer uptake is not at the pace anticipated, or in the case of the US the Government has flipped it’s requirements. Whilst re-engineering takes place to allow for hybrid powertrains to be fitted to the upcoming models the pure combustion engined versions will go back on sale into 2027. Click this Autocar article for more.

Honda Civic recall

Honda Civics built between 2017 an 2022 are being recalled in the UK due to an issue that could lead to a wheel falling off the vehicle whilst being driven. 46, 152 cars are covered in the UK, with more being affected abroad. Click this Autocar article for more.

LUNCHTIME READ: JELLY MOULD THEORY

Our recommendation is from Hagerty and Alex Wakefield, discussing the idea that all cars look the same. Whilst its easy to say that they do, is that true? Click this link to read more.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THESE ARE THE 50 GREATEST CARS OF THE 1980S

Get yourself a huge hit of nostalgia, if you are of a certain age, as Top Gear bring what they think are the greatest 50 cars from the 80s. Do you agree with Andrew and Alan’s choices? Click this link to see what you could select.

AND FINALLY: TOUR OF JLR CLASSICS

The Goodwood & Racing YouTube channel visit the JLR Classic division to find out their ethos, what they do and have a peak at some of the vehicles they have. Click this link to enjoy.

In August 2025 a jury awarded a payout against Tesla of $243 million, for their partial responsibility in a fatal crash where Autopilot was in use. Tesla appealed this but that has been rejected. The expectation is they will appeal again. To read more, click this article link from TechCrunch.

EU TO BRING IN RULES BENEFITTING EUROPEAN BUILT EVS

The European Union (EU) is working on legislation that would push for any state subsidies or incentives to be tied to EVs being made in Europe. The likelihood is that a vehicle will have to contain parts, excepting the battery, that have been 70% made in the EU. If you wish to learn more, click this electrive article link here.

The news has caused concern in the UK, as this would mean cars made here would not meet the criteria for state incentives. You can read about this by clicking the link here from Modern Diplomacy.

RENAULT TAKES FULL CONTROL OF FLEXIS

Renault has now taken full control of the electric light commercial vehicle company it created a joint-venture with Volvo Group and CMA CGM to form. Renault has agreed to buy out the 55% that the two other partners held, but the Volvo Group will remain a ‘strategic partner’. For more on this story, click this electrive link here.

AUDI GETS A NEW CTO

Geoffrey Bouquot is leaving Audi and his role as Chief Technology Officer, after only a year. He will be replaced by Rouven Mohr, who is Lamborghini’s CTO, to become Head of Technical Development. The wording of the electrive article is quite interesting, you can see more for yourself by clicking this link here.

STAGECOACH BRINGS MORE EBUSES TO DEVON

Stagecoach is bringing 110 electric buses to Devon, working on routes from Tobay, Barnstable and Exeter. Let’s hope they have measured the road widths and checked this time! To read more, click this electrive article link here.

TFL AWARD RAPID CHARGER CONTRACT

TotalEnergies has been awarded the contract for installing 43 rapid charge points across London. These will be a mix of 100 and 200kW power. You can find out more by clicking this electrive article link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

Omoda 5 SHS-S

Omoda are bringing a hybrid version of the 5 model to the UK, from March 2026. Called the 5 SHS-S, which stands for “Super Hybrid System - Hybrid”. Priced at £25,740 this undercuts the Nissan Qasqai by around £5,000. The company makes it clear the electric capability of this is to aid economy and efficiency. Click this Autocar article link here to read more.

Audi RS5

The old RS4 is now the RS5 due to the change in naming conventions from Audi. That’s not the only new thing, the car is a plug-in hybrid too, bringing 630bhp to help propel the 2,370kg vehicle from 0-62 in 3.6 seconds. All this can be yours, starting from £89,400. Click this Autocar article to find out more about the technical details, including the size of the exhausts.

Bertone Runabout

Five decades after the Runabout concept was first shown off Bertone are finally making this a real car. Prices start at £400,000 and underneath is a Lotus Exige, which is an impressive base to mount the utterly gorgeous body on top. Click this Autocar article link here to read more.

DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: ANDREAS MINDT TAKES VW GROUP ROLE

Andreas Mindt has been promoted from leading the Volkswagen brand design team to overseeing the Group’s design future. To read more, click this Autocar article link here.

LUNCHTIME WATCH: RENAULT 5 - THEN AND NOW

Siôn Hudson, of the Morsels and Motors You Tube channel, has a video running through the history of the Renault 5, from the original to the new EV version of today. Fabulous video with great insight into the design cue that have made it through or that we thought were always there! Click the link here to watch.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE BEST MOTORING EVENTS FOR CAR ENTHUSIASTS IN 2026

Motoring Research has compiled a list of the high profile motoring related events you can attend during 2026. With the weather and everything else being so grim and unrelenting, we all need something to look forward to. Click this link here and work out which one you are going to attend later in the year.

AND FINALLY: IDEAS FOR PLANNING A ROAD TRIP

Continuing on the theme of looking forward to escaping from reality for a little while, we are suggesting you read a Hagerty article with five ways in which you could plan a road trip. Click this link here and once again, get planning!

Obviously on the day we published last week’s episode the news came out that OX Delivers had failed to find the funding it needed and has entered recievership. Thanks to listener Suzie Richards for sending the article link confirming this. You can read more, by clicking this link from The Business Desk here.

FORD POSTS ANOTHER BIG LOSS

Ford has announced their financial results for 2025, with $8.2 billion in losses. A large portion of this being a write-down in the final quarter after the US changed their national policy on electric vehicles. The results for the final quarter of 2025 was a $11.1 billion loss. Adding to the gloom, BYD outsold Ford on the global market. To read more, click this Auotcar article link here.

STELLANTIS BRINGING BACK DIESELS

Stellantis are bringing back some diesel models, in Europe, following their pivot from an electrified centric future. They have added Peugeot 308, Opel Astra and DS 4 options, on top of which Opel Combo Van, Citroën Berliongo and Peugeot Rifter. To read more on this, click the electrive article link here.

BMW RECALL ANNOUNCED

BMW is recalling 575,000 cars, globally, due to starter motor issue that could result in a fire. In the UK 24,732 cars are affected by this recall, with BMW stating that the car is not to be left unattended if the engine is running. Click this Autocar article link here to find out which cars are involved.

BE.EV EXPANDS THROUGH ACQUISITION

Be.EV, the UK public charging network, has expanded by aquiring the UK arm of the European charging network Mer. By doing so, they have added 450 sites, with 1600 charge bays. For more on this, click the electrive link here.

HARROW TO INSTALL 500 CHARGE POINTS IN BOROUGH

Once again the neglected South East is getting some charge points, this time in the London Borough of Harrow. 500 on-street charge points are to be installed char.gy and the project will be completed by October 2026. Click this electrive article link to read more.

KENT TO INSTALL 10,000 ON-STREET CHARGERS

More good news for the South East, as the disparity of charge points compared to the rest of the country will hopefully be one step closer to being rectified as Kent County Council announce that 10,000 on-street chargers are to be installed across the county dependent on demand and suitability. You can read more, by clicking this electrive article link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

Mazda 6e

Mazda has now released details for the UK version of the electric 6e, coming in the summer. Priced from £38,995, it will be rear wheel drive and is in fastback form. Maximum range is 348 miles and if you can find a suitable charger 10-80% charging can happen in 24 minutes. Unfortunately, Mazda have followed the current trend for ditching physical switches, which is a disappointment. Click this Autocar article link to read more.

BYD Atto 3

BYD has updated their Atto 3 SUV, by moving the electric motor to the rear and increasing the battery capacity to 74.8 kWh that increases the range up to 317 miles. Click this Autocar article link to read more.

Volvo P1800ES restomod

Niels van Roij has created a new division, for his design company, called Autoforma, which will build restomod designs. Their first is one based on the Volvo PS1800ES. Adding a T5 Volvo engine helps boost the appeal of the car. Click this Motoring Research article link here, to read more.

To visit the Autoforma website, click this link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: FROM PARIS TO TOKYO

The recommendation this week is about how a chap took an ancient Peugeot 104 from Paris to China. This is a fabulous read and reminds us all how much the car does enable us to do. To read more, click this Top Gear article link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 25 carS that are 40 in 2026

Classic & Sports Car provide the article we are referring to this week. For some of us, this may be a case of utter depression or having to live with total denial that some of these cars are 40 years. Click the link here to see your options for which one upsets you the most!

AND FINALLY: FUSION ART

Remaining with Classic & Sports Car, we are suggesting you should check out this article about artist John A Frye, who blends his skills as an illustrator and industrial designer to produce work that blends different types of vehicles to produce cars with a retro futuristic vibe. All brilliant stuff. Click this article link, to read more.

To visit John’s own website, click this link.

New car registrations rose 3.4% compared to January 2025. In what is typically a slow month, BEVs rose in total numbers but lost market share compared to a year ago. The industry is not confident it will meet the mandate target of 33% for 2026, when it comes to zero emission vehicles. The calls for the Government to re-evaluate the ZEV mandate grow in volume and validity. Click this article link, from SMMT, to read more.

STELLANTIS WRITES-DOWN €22 BILLION

On Friday, last week, Stellantis shocked the markets by announcing that they had written down €22 billion in a pivot from their EV focus. They have made the move as buyer interest is less than previous assumptions stated. You can read more, by clicking this Yahoo! Finance article link here.

Also announced was the news that the company are selling their 49% stake in NextStar Energy to LG Energy Solution. NextStar Energy was a joint venture between the two companies where Canada’s first large battery factory was to be built. If you want to find out more, click this Yahoo! Finance article link here.

Automotive Cells (ACC), which is backed by Stellantis, has stated that the planned battery factories in Italy and Germany will no longer be built. They have been on pause for some time. Click this Yahoo! Finance article link here, to read more.

JLR 2025 Q4 RESULTS ANNOUNCED

There is little shock that JLR announced a loss for the final three months of 2025, thanks to the fallout from the cyber attack. The company suffered a £310 million loss, with revenues down 39%. The cost of the attack has risen to £260 million. If you wish to learn more, click this EVO article link here.

TOYOTA GETS A NEW CEO

Toyota announced that they have appointed Kenta Kon, currently the Chief Financial Officer, as the new CEO from 1 April 2026. Koji Sato, who has only been in the role for three years, will move to the role of Vice-Chairman and Chief Industrial Officer. Details are yet to be made clear as to why this change is happening. To read more, click this electrive article link here.

OX DELIVERS IN RISK OF LIQUIDATION

Ox Delivers is the company that makes the OX, a low-cost flat pack electric truck, stated that they will go into liquidation on 5 February 2026 unless urgent investment can be found. There is no news on whether this has actually happened or not. A franchise, OX Rwanda, will continue to operate. Click this Autocar article link for more.

EZO CHARGERS ROLLING OUT TO NORTHERN SCOTLAND

EZO has started their project of doubling the charging infrastructure of north and north-east Scotland. Initial steps are converting 177 ChargePlace Scotland chargers to the EZO network. These are the first steps of a 20 year contract, awarded via the Scottish Government’s Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund. To read more on this story, click this electrive article link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

Lepas brand coming to the UK

Chery are adding to their stable of brands in the UK by bringing Lepas to join Jaecoo, Omoda and Chery UK. Using the same platforms they intend to bring crossovers with combustion, hybrid and battery electric powertrains. Click this Motor Trader article link for more.

Kia Niro updated

Kia has updated the Niro, with the ‘Opposites United’ design language, meaning it will align with the rest of the range. The interior also gets the latest layout and technology. Powertrains will continue to be hybrid, PHEV and EV. Prices and technology details will be announced next month. Click this Autocar article link, for more.

Ferrari Luce interior

Ferrari has shown off some of the interior of their new EV, called the Luce. This has been designed by the Jony Ive’s company. Click this Autocar article link here to read more.

LUNCHTIME READ: FOTUGRAPHY

Antony Ingram has written this week’s recommendation, explaining how to take better photographs of your car. This is especially helpful for anyone who wishes to submit their application to be part of the Festival of the Unexceptional Concours de l’Ordinaire. Click the link here to see more.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE FINEST MID-ENGINED MARVELS

Autocar, once again, supplies the slideshow for you to check out, this week covering mid engned cars. Do you agree with the chap’s choices? Click this link to read more.

AND FINALLY: WALK THE RAC RALLY

Auto Shenanigans walks part of the RAC Rally, in Wales, whilst reminiscing about Colin Mcrae. Click this YouTube link here to see what the stages look like now.

Volvo is now telling owners not to leave their Extended Range and Twin Motor models unattended when charging indoors or undercover. This is additional to informing them not to charge past 70%. To find out more, click this Autocar article link here.

NORTHERN IRELAND BRINGS IN GRADUATED LICENSES

Come October 1 if you live in Northern Ireland and are a newly licensed driver under the age of 24, you will only be allowed to carry one passenger aged between 14 and 20 for the first six months after passing. This is a first for the UK, with the British Government stating they have no plans to do similar. Click this Autocar article link here to read more.

AMPERE TO BE REINTEGRATED INTO RENAULT GROUP

Ampere, which is the electric and software division is to be reintegrated into the Renault Group after being split off three years ago. Renault fully own the company anyway, after releasing Nissan and Mitsubishi from their obligations to it. If you wish to learn more, click this electrive article link here.

VW GROUP CANCELS US FACTORY

Oliver Blume, VW Group CEO, has stated that they cannot afford to build the planned Audi plant in the US with the planned tariffs. He said that negotiations have not been fruitful and as a result the costs of the tariffs has been in the region of €2.1 billion making large investments unfeasible. To read more on this, click the link here to a Yahoo! Finance story.

ELECTRIC FREIGHTWAY OPENS EHGV CHARGING HUBS

Electric Freightway, part of Gridserve, has opened their first HGV charging hubs, at Extra Baldock and Moto Exeter. Baldock has six and Exeter four dedicated charging bays. They intend to open another five sites. You can find out more by clicking this electrive link here.

CHERY TO OPEN EUROPEAN COMMERCIAL VEHICLE HQ

Chery, the Chinese vehicle manufacturer, are going to open their European commercial vehicle HQ in Halewood, England. Details of the time frame and the exact location are yet to be confirmed. This will be where their R&D departments are located. Click this Autocar link for more.

Additionally, there are reports of Chinese car companies looking to use the spare capacity of UK factories to build their vehicles, including Chery utilising it’s joint venture partner JLR’s facilities. For more on this, click this Autocar article link here.

ELECTRIC BUSES TOO BIG FOR SOME DEVON ROUTES

Stagecoach has stopped using electric buses on Park Road and Hartop Road, in Torquay, due to being too large to safely operate. It is not all bad news for the South West, as the company is bringing electric buses to Torbay. You can read more on this story, by clicking this electrive article link here.

ALL POST-2020 VOLVO CARS TO GET LATEST UI UPDATE

Volvo will roll out an over the air update to all of its post 2020 cars that will give them the latest generation UI. Click this Autocar article link, to read more.

AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES BLINDLY FOLLOW SIGN INSTRUCTIONS

Researchers have demonstrated that autonomous vehicles and drones, using embodied AI, are easily tricked by taking a sign instruction over the actual conditions and environment. Work is ongoing to come up with solutions to this problem. To find out ore, click this article link from The Register.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

Hyundai Ioniq 6 N

Hyundai are going give a second electric model the N treatment, this time the Ioniq 6. Sharing the same architecture as the 5N we can expect similar power and range. This time however, the car will be a super saloon. Prices start below £70,000 too. Click this EV Powered article link here.

UK Car of the Year 2026 category winners

Andrew was unable to be on the show last week because he was at the driving day for the UK Car of the Year awards. The category winners have been announced and from that list the 33 judges will cast their vote for the car they deem the best. The overall winner will be announced on 26 February 2026. To see the list of category winners, click this Motoring Research article link here.

You can also read the latest edition of UK Driver, the UK Car of the Year publication by clicking this link here.

Tesla axe the Model S and X and lose their Director of Vehicle Operations and Engineering

Finally Tesla has called time on the Model S and X. The Model S is arguably one of the most important cars of the 21st century. But they are both long in the tooth and the company is turning its focus on humanoid robots and their self driving vehicle. Click this Autocar link to read more on this.

Benjamin Bate, the Director of Vehicle Operations and Engineering is leaving the company after eight years. He is apparently also leaving the automotive industry. Click this electrive article to read more.

DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: PORSCHE GAIN A DESIGNER

Porsche has announced that Tobias Sühlmann will be taking up the position of head of design that is being vacated by Michael Mauer who is leaving the company after 21 years. This will mean that now McLaren are on the hunt for a new designer. To read more, click this Autocar article link here.

LUNCHTIME WATCH: SPARK MOMENTS - PART 2

Hagerty bring the second part of two articles written by Charlotte Vowden, who has spoken to enthusiasts to find out how they got into the classic car scene and how to inspire the next generation of drivers to join. This is a wonderful piece which we strongly recommend you read and share or take on board some of the suggestions and see if we can all encourage more to become interested in the classic car scene. Click this link to read more.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 24 TOTALLY CHARMING CARS

Autocar are not lying with the headline to this week’s list. Do you agree with the chap’s choices? What would you select above all the others? Click the link here to check out your options.

AND FINALLY: LANDS END TO JOHN O’GROATS THE OLD WAY

Thank you, to Daniel Puddicombe, for sharing this article with us. Click this link to a Telegraph piece where Ralph Messenger explains how he travelled the length of the country in his Austin 12/4 to raise money for the Motor Neuron Disease Charity.

The German Government has reintroduced their electric car grant that is between €1500 and €6000. Criteria for eligibility include the vehicle’s size, buyer’s earnings and family size. To find out more, click this EV Powered article link here.

RENAULT BECOMES EUROPE’S NO.2 CAR COMPANY

Renault Group became the No.2 car maker in Europe after a jump in sales. By doing so they overtook Toyota. They increased their sales by 7.4%, which includes light commercial vehicles. Click this Autocar article link here, to read more.

BYD INCREASED BATTERY WARRANTY

BYD, the Chinese EV maker, has increased the warranty for their batteries to 155,000 miles. This increases from the previous 93,000 miles but still remains at eight years. To learn more, click this Motoring Research article link here.

SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT ALLOCATES £85M TO LOW CARBON PROGRAMMES

In the 2026/27 budget, from the Scottish Government, they announce that they will be allocating £85 million to ‘low carbon programmes’, with vague language about expanding public charging and support for low emission vehicles. The details, currently, are scant and it would be unwise to get too excited until knowing more. More can be found by clicking this electrive article link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

Volvo EX60

Volvo has unveiled their new electric SUV, the mid sized EX60. Boasting a ‘game-changing’ new platform and ‘radical in-car technology’. With a range of up to 503 miles, prices start at £56,850 and rise to £70,360. Click this Autocar article link here for more.

Leapmotor B05

Leapmotor has finally revealed the interior of their B05 hatchback, at the recent Brussels Motor Show. Following the trend of a minimalist space, there are virtually no physical buttons to be seen. A maximum range of 285 miles is better than the Astra Electric but much less than the VW ID.3 and Kia EV4. The brand is hoping the price will sway buyers as it is expected to start below £30,000. Exact prices and availability timings are yet to be announced. Click this EV Powered article for more.

Encor S1

The Encor S1 is a restomod based on the Lotus Esprit Mk1. See, restomods don’t just need to be 911s! It comes with a carbon fibre body, a 400bhp V8 and will set you back at least £500,000. It looks fantastic. Click this EVO article link here, to see more.

LUNCHTIME WATCH: ALRIGHT, WHICH RICH DIPSH*TS COMMISSIONED THESE ROLLS-ROYCES

We are sharing a wonderful article from Victoria Scott, where the bespoke configurations of Rolls-Royce cars from the last year, are evaluated. Not holding back, as you will see, this is well worth your time. Click this link here to the article.

LIST OF THE WEEK: TINY BUT MIGHTY

Hagerty, once again, brings a list that we think you will enjoy running through, being all about kei sports cars. As ever, whilst there will be a few that you do expect, there are others which are not the usual suspects. Click this link here to check out the options.

AND FINALLY: HOT WHEELS BRICK SHOP

Hot Wheels has launched a Brick Shop Speed Series. These are cars you build yourself from plastic pieces that snap together. Sound familiar? However, these do closely resemble the real thing, unlike some we have seen. Click this PetrolBlog article link here to see more.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has released the details about the colours we selected in 2025 for new cars that were registered. Once again, claiming the top spot, grey won out. Black was second and blue rounded out the top three. To find out more, click this SMMT article link here.

HONDA LIGHT UP THEIR NEW LOGO

Honda has revealed their new ‘H’ logo that will adorn their electric and hybrid vehicles from 2027 onwards. This is a flat, stylised letter H that will be illuminated from behind. Click this Motor Trader article link here, to read more.

MERCEDES PAUSE THEIR LEVEL 3 DRIVING SYSTEM

Mercedes-Benz are to pause the sale of their Level 3 automated driving system, which under certain circumstances allowed the driver to have their hands off the steering wheel and be looking away from the road. They will only be fitting Level 2 driver assistance systems to cars that previously had the L3 option. If you wish to find out more, click this electrive article link here.

TESLA FSD TO BE SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

Tesla has announced that customers in the US will no longer be able to purchase the Full Self Driving driver assistance system outright, from the middle of February 2026. But, it can still be added to suitable cars for a subscription. To read more, click this electrive link here.

UK GOVERNMENT INCREASES FUND FOR EHGV GRANTS

The UK Government is adding £18 million to the fund for electric HGV purchase grant. The amount is tiered dependent on the size of the lorry, with up to £120,000 available to help buy HGVs up over 26 tonnes. You can find out further information by clicking this electrive article link here.

SOUTH EAST GET EVEN MORE EV CHARGERS

Charging company Zest will be installing over 200 charging points in the Lewisham Council controlled area. Good to hear the South East is getting even more chargers - but more seriously, we need more and we need all the country to be well provided for. Click this electrive article link here for more.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

Mercedes-Benz CLA wins European COTY

52 years after the German brand last won a European COTY award, they do so with their latest CLA. Second place, the Skoda Elroq, was 100 points behind. To find out more about the CLA and the European COTY awards, click this Motoring Research article link here.

Skoda Peaq

Skoda has revealed the name for their new seven seat electric SUV will be Peaq (pronounced “peak”). Very little else is know, although it is based on the 2022 concept the Vision S7. Click this EV Powered article link here to find out more.

Geely Galaxy Cruiser

Geely are bringing a rival for the Defender and G-Class to the UK. Based on the concept we saw last year at the Singapore Motor Show it will be based on the Lotus Eletre PHEV. Click this Autocar article link here to find out more.

LUNCHTIME WATCH: EVO COTY 2025 AWARD

EVO has released the film of their Car of the Year award, for 2025. This year they chose the roads in the South of France to spend a week trying to work out which was their favourite car of the year. Oh, the humanity! Click this YouTube link here to watch the video.

LIST OF THE WEEK: EARLY 90S SUPERSALOONS TO MAKE YOU SWOON

Hagerty brings us a list about early 1990s super saloons in which to get lost reminiscing about. Do you agree with Andrew’s choice? Click this link here to check out the options.

AND FINALLY: ANDREW RITTER ARTIST

We are recommending an older Classic and Sports Car article about the artist Andrew Ritter and his cartoon style motoring related images. Fabulous work you need to check out, if you haven’t heard of him. Click here to see more.

The UK Government first mentioned it was looking at some of the rules relating to road safety, back in the summer of 2025, but now has published its Road Safety Strategy which gives more information on proposals aimed at making our roads safer. Aspects being covered at young and elderly drivers, giving councils more powers to change speed limits, technology that is fitted to cars and more. To read this story, click the Autocar article link here. If you wish to visit the Government’s page with a link to the strategy and the five consultations, click this link here.

FOLLOW UP: GEELY TAKES ZEEKR OFF THE STOCK MARKET

As discussed a few months ago, Geely has taken Zeekr back to being a private company and off the stock market. To read more, click this electrive article link here.

FOllow up: jlr cyberattack hit payroll info

During the cyberattack on JLR’s systems, information from payroll was accessed. The company has warned staff to be careful of potential phishing and fraud. Click this article link from The Register, to read more.

DECEMBER AND 2025 NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES

2025 saw registrations creep over 2 million for the first time since 2019. Battery electric vehicles made another solid gain in December, but it was not enough on its own to get to the Government’s mandated level for the year. SMMT made it clear that the discounts the industry is funding cannot continue, especially when the financial pressures are mounting and the introduction of taxes aimed specifically at EV owners could cause some buyers to look elsewhere. If you want to read more, click this SMMT article link here.

GMA LOSES A CEO BUT GAINS £90M INVESTMENT

Gordon Murray Automotive’s (GMA) CEO, Phil Lee, has left the company. However, Halo Cars Group has invested £90 million and had two of their officers added to the board. The company said the money will help them push forward with the model plans they have. Click this EVO article link here, for more.

FORD FORCED TO TAKE A FINANCIAL HIT

Outside of the EU, Ford is changing plans when it comes to EVs. They are taking a £14.5 billion hit, as a result. The company says this is a “customer-driven change” but equally, the changes in policy by the US Government has had a big impact on the adoption of EVs. To read more, click this Autocar article link here.

MERCEDES FINANCE SERVICES MAKES A BIG LOSS

Mercedes-Benz Financial Services UK made a loss of £365 million, in 2025. The main reason is setting aside £424 million to their finance mis-selling compensation fund. You can find out more, by clicking this Business Matters Magazine article link here.

TESLA CANCELS CATHODE MATERIAL CONTRACT

Tesla has effectively cancelled a contract with L&F, a South Korean battery manufacturer, who were to supply up to $2.9 billion worth of cathode material. The contract is now worth $7000. Click this electrive article link to find out more.

CHINA HAS NEW EV ENERGY CONSUMPTION RULES

China has introduced, as of 1 January 2026, new rules regarding the consumption of energy by electric vehicles. These are graded depending on the weight of the vehicle. They are the first country to do so. More on this, can be found via this electrive link here.

THOUSANDS INCORRECTLY CHARGED WITH SPEEDING

Thanks to a faulty software update, thousands of UK drivers have been charged with speeding incorrectly. Those who have been fined will be reimbursed and points removed from their license. Police are not using the system until they are satisfied that it is working correctly. To find out more, click this Yahoo! News article link here.

BMW SOFTWARE FAULT HITS X3 STEERING

BMW steering software on some US-based X3s has a fault that causes the steering wheel and front wheels to move without any input from the driver whilst stationary. Owners can either download an OTA update or take the vehicle to their local dealer for it to be fixed. Click this Carscoops article link here.

VOLVO TO RECALL SOME EX30S

Volvo is in the process of setting up a recall for UK owners of EX30 Single Motor Extended Range vehicles, due to the risk of fire. There is a problem with the battery pack on this specific model that could ultimately lead to a fire. Until the recall is organised, Volvo has asked that the cars are not charged beyond 70%. You can read more on this, by clicking this EV Powered article link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

Alpine A390

The French sports car company are coming out with a 2.1 tonne electric SUV, called the A390. There will be three trim levels on launch and various maximum ranges dependent on where the model sits in those levels. Prices are starting at £61,390. To read more about the vehicle, click this electrive article link here.

Kia K4 Sportswagon

Kia are adding an estate to their K4 hatchback model, to take on the likes of the Skoda Octavia and Peugeot 308 SW. The car is expected to have the same powertrain options and a slight increase to the price. Click this Autocar article to read more.

Mitsubishi to return to the UK

Mitsubishi is returning to the UK with the latest Outlander PHEV and L200 pickup. The company left the market in 2021 but returns this coming summer. The main question will be can it compete in an increasingly competitive sector? If you want to find out more, click this Autocar article link here.

DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: INGENLATH RETURNS TO VOLVO

Thomas Ingenlath is returning to Volvo, to be the chief design officer, after a stint as CEO of Polestar. To learn more, click this Autocar article link here.

DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: WAGENER LEAVES MERCEDES

Gordon Wagener is leaving Mercedes-Benz after 28 years at the company. He has been the Chief Design Officer for the last nine years, with his role being filled by Bastian Baudy, the head of design at Mercedes-AMG. For more on this story, click the EVO link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: DRIVING THE TATA NANO

Antony Ingram learns more about the Tata Nano thanks to Siôn Hudson and Jim Magill. Click this Hagerty link here, to find out how the car came to be and what it is like to drive.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 10 OF THE BEST BADLY DRIVEN CARS ON UK ROADS

Petrolblog supplies the first list for you to peruse, in 2026, thanks to Major Gav having to drive an awful lot of miles recently. Do you agree with Alan’s choice or do you have strong feelings about another car? Let him know! FOLLOW UP: UK GOVERNMENT MULLS DRIVING SAFETY CHANGES

The UK Government first mentioned it was looking at some of the rules relating to road safety, back in the summer of 2025, but now has published its Road Safety Strategy which gives more information on proposals aimed at making our roads safer. Aspects being covered at young and elderly drivers, giving councils more powers to change speed limits, technology that is fitted to cars and more. To read this story, click the Autocar article link here. If you wish to visit the Government’s page with a link to the strategy and the five consultations, click this link here.

FOLLOW UP: GEELY TAKES ZEEKR OFF THE STOCK MARKET

As discussed a few months ago, Geely has taken Zeekr back to being a private company and off the stock market. To read more, click this electrive article link here.

FOllow up: jlr cyberattack hit payroll info

During the cyberattack on JLR’s systems, information from payroll was accessed. The company has warned staff to be careful of potential phishing and fraud. Click this article link from The Register, to read more.

DECEMBER AND 2025 NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES

2025 saw registrations creep over 2 million for the first time since 2019. Battery electric vehicles made another solid gain in December, but it was not enough on its own to get to the Government’s mandated level for the year. SMMT made it clear that the discounts the industry is funding cannot continue, especially when the financial pressures are mounting and the introduction of taxes aimed specifically at EV owners could cause some buyers to look elsewhere. If you want to read more, click this SMMT article link here.

GMA LOSES A CEO BUT GAINS £90M INVESTMENT

Gordon Murray Automotive’s (GMA) CEO, Phil Lee, has left the company. However, Halo Cars Group has invested £90 million and had two of their officers added to the board. The company said the money will help them push forward with the model plans they have. Click this EVO article link here, for more.

FORD FORCED TO TAKE A FINANCIAL HIT

Outside of the EU, Ford is changing plans when it comes to EVs. They are taking a £14.5 billion hit, as a result. The company says this is a “customer-driven change” but equally, the changes in policy by the US Government has had a big impact on the adoption of EVs. To read more, click this Autocar article link here.

MERCEDES FINANCE SERVICES MAKES A BIG LOSS

Mercedes-Benz Financial Services UK made a loss of £365 million, in 2025. The main reason is setting aside £424 million to their finance mis-selling compensation fund. You can find out more, by clicking this Business Matters Magazine article link here.

TESLA CANCELS CATHODE MATERIAL CONTRACT

Tesla has effectively cancelled a contract with L&F, a South Korean battery manufacturer, who were to supply up to $2.9 billion worth of cathode material. The contract is now worth $7000. Click this electrive article link to find out more.

CHINA HAS NEW EV ENERGY CONSUMPTION RULES

China has introduced, as of 1 January 2026, new rules regarding the consumption of energy by electric vehicles. These are graded depending on the weight of the vehicle. They are the first country to do so. More on this, can be found via this electrive link here.

THOUSANDS INCORRECTLY CHARGED WITH SPEEDING

Thanks to a faulty software update, thousands of UK drivers have been charged with speeding incorrectly. Those who have been fined will be reimbursed and points removed from their license. Police are not using the system until they are satisfied that it is working correctly. To find out more, click this Yahoo! News article link here.

BMW SOFTWARE FAULT HITS X3 STEERING

BMW steering software on some US-based X3s has a fault that causes the steering wheel and front wheels to move without any input from the driver whilst stationary. Owners can either download an OTA update or take the vehicle to their local dealer for it to be fixed. Click this Carscoops article link here.

VOLVO TO RECALL SOME EX30S

Volvo is in the process of setting up a recall for UK owners of EX30 Single Motor Extended Range vehicles, due to the risk of fire. There is a problem with the battery pack on this specific model that could ultimately lead to a fire. Until the recall is organised, Volvo has asked that the cars are not charged beyond 70%. You can read more on this, by clicking this EV Powered article link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

Alpine A390

The French sports car company are coming out with a 2.1 tonne electric SUV, called the A390. There will be three trim levels on launch and various maximum ranges dependent on where the model sits in those levels. Prices are starting at £61,390. To read more about the vehicle, click this electrive article link here.

Kia K4 Sportswagon

Kia are adding an estate to their K4 hatchback model, to take on the likes of the Skoda Octavia and Peugeot 308 SW. The car is expected to have the same powertrain options and a slight increase to the price. Click this Autocar article to read more.

Mitsubishi to return to the UK

Mitsubishi is returning to the UK with the latest Outlander PHEV and L200 pickup. The company left the market in 2021 but returns this coming summer. The main question will be can it compete in an increasingly competitive sector? If you want to find out more, click this Autocar article link here.

DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: INGENLATH RETURNS TO VOLVO

Thomas Ingenlath is returning to Volvo, to be the chief design officer, after a stint as CEO of Polestar. To learn more, click this Autocar article link here.

DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: WAGENER LEAVES MERCEDES

Gordon Wagener is leaving Mercedes-Benz after 28 years at the company. He has been the Chief Design Officer for the last nine years, with his role being filled by Bastian Baudy, the head of design at Mercedes-AMG. For more on this story, click the EVO link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: DRIVING THE TATA NANO

Antony Ingram learns more about the Tata Nano thanks to Siôn Hudson and Jim Magill. Click this Hagerty link here, to find out how the car came to be and what it is like to drive.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 10 OF THE BEST BADLY DRIVEN CARS ON UK ROADS

Petrolblog supplies the first list for you to peruse, in 2026, thanks to Major Gav having to drive an awful lot of miles recently. Do you agree with Alan’s choice or do you have strong feelings about another car? Let him know! Click here to check out all the options!

AND FINALLY: THE ALFA

This is a wonderful short film that really gets across how special a car can be to someone or a family due to more than just looks. Do watch this as it is really very special. Click this YouTube link here to see more.

In this Special Edition, Alan shares his thoughts on the Inster.

To see more about the Honda Super-one Prototype, click this Carscoops link here.

For more on the BYD Racco, click this Top Gear link here.

To join the chaps in their adoration of the Daihatsu Kayoibako K, click this Carscoops link here.

You can see more about the Toyota Land Cruiser FJ, by clicking this Carscoop link here.

Click this Top Gear link here, to read more about the Subaru STi Concept.

To see more of the very attractive Mazda Vision X Coupe, click this Top Gear link here.

The Lexus LS Concept take luxury MPV to the next stage, you can see more by clicking this Carscoops link here.

Toyota revealed concepts that considered mobility needs of a variety of people, click this Carscoops link to see their vision for handling children. Then for those with restricted mobility, click this link to a Parametric Architecture article.

Toyota had a busy show, they also presented a vehicle platform that would allow the owner to add just the elements required for their needs. Click this Autocar article link here to see more about this clever and fascinating idea.

Honda explored their full catalogue of companies to show off what they are or potentially are capable of. Click this link here for the HondaJet Elite II. To see more about Honda’s reusable rocket, click this link here.

You can hear about all three and listen to the designers involved as they tell you more about the vehicles and ideas behind them. Do note, that the interview took place at the exhibition, therefore the sound quality is different.

Special thanks to Kia and their photographer for supplying the majority of the photos you see. The copywrite to the images lies with Kia and the Motoring Podcast, dependent on who took them, they cannot be reproduced without permission.

10 days after the story first came to light that Gerry McGovern, the design chief of JLR, had unceremoniously left the company, they state that isn’t the case and nothing else. No further details, no explanation, nothing. Instead of clearing things up, this has only caused more confusion. Click this Autoevolution article link here to read more.

FOLLOW UP: CRIT’AIR STICKERS STILL NEEDED IN FRANCE

Due to the chaotic nature of French politics, currently, the proposed legislation that would have removed clean air zones from the country’s cities has not been passed into law. Therefore, we are warning all that intend to visit the country in the next few months to make sure they have the appropriate stickers and paperwork. If you wish to read more, click this link from The Connexion.

FORD SIGNS DEAL WITH RENAULT

Ford has signed a deal with Renault that will mean the Blue Oval will be gaining the small electric car platform from the French firm. This will allow them to create more affordable EVs following how badly their larger electric SUVs are doing in the marketplace. Click this Autocar article link here to read more.

BMW GETS A NEW CEO

BMW has announced that they have chosen their production expert, Milan Nedeljković, to take over departing Oliver Zipse’s role as CEO. The change will officially take place on 14 May 2026. If you wish to learn more, click this Autocar article link here.

MERCEDES-AMG GETS A NEW CEO

Mercedes-AMG has announced Stefan Weckbach will be taking over the role of CEO after leaving Porsche, where he headed up the Taycan product line. To read further about this, click this Autocar link here.

ITALDESIGN SOLD TO A LITTLE KNOWN US FIRM

Audi has sold their stake in ItalDesign to a US firm that most will not have heard of, named UST. It is difficult to understand, via their website, exactly what it is they do too. Lamborghini retains their shares. Click this Carscoops article link here, to read more about this story.

EU MOVES ON 2035 ICE BAN REQUIREMENTS

Following hard lobbying from both nations and the automotive industry the EU is proposing some tweaks to the legislation regarding 2035 ICE bans. To read the first rumblings of this matter, click here for an electrive article link.

To find out the apparent shift in the EU’s position, click this Autocar link here.

RENAULT HITS THE BRAKES ON MOBILIZE PROJECTS

Renault has halted most projects that are part of the Mobilize division, with the rest being reduced in scope and size. For more on this, click this electrive article link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

Vauxhall Astra

The Vauxhall Astra is getting an update, with the external visuals being brought in line with the rest of the range. Additionally a slightly larger battery pack is being fitted which will result in up to an extra 22 miles of range. Click this Autocar article link here to read more.

Lexus LFA concept

Based on the same ‘core technologies’ as the Toyota GR GT, we discussed last week, Lexus has revealed their LFA concept. This is an all electric two-seater coupe. Details are still scant and the vehicle is clearly more of a real concept than production ready one. Click this Top Gear article link to read more.

Citroën ELO concept:

Citroën has revealed, once again, a small, clever concept that showcases many useful and interesting aspects that would make this MPV a real treat for families and the likes. Unfortunately it won’t get built but to see more about it, click this Autocar article link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: GERRY MCGOVERN WAS A LARGER THAN LIFE CHARACTER AT JLR

Friend of the show, Matteo Licata, has written a wonderfully balance piece on Hagerty’s website all about JLR’s design chief Gerry McGovern. As the situation is as clear as mud, this is well worth your time in reading it. Click this link here to see more.

LIST OF THE WEEK: BEST CHEAP CLASSIC CARS TO BUY IN 2026

Honest John has provided the list for you to choose from, this week. Do you agree with Alan’s choice? Don’t forget to let us know. To read more, click this link here.

AND FINALLY: GYMKHANA 2025 TIMES 2

There is a new Gymkhana set in Australia and powered by a restomod Subaru Brat. Not only that, but we are recommending you watch this video first, to warm you up, from the Mighty Car Mods channel, as they appear in the Hoonigan video too. Click here to see that.

To watch the full Hoonigan video, click this link here.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is restarting finance mis-selling claims on 31 May 2026, which is earlier than previously announced. The FCA states this should be enough time for companies to ready their compensation schemes. You can find out more, by clicking this Motor Trade article link here.

NOVEMBER 2025 NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES

The SMMT has released the new car registration figures for November 2025. The overall market dropped 1.6%, year on year. Battery electric, plug-in hybrid and hybrid numbers all rose, with petrol and diesel dropping. Fleet once again is the major market, at 61% of all registrations, whilst Private and Business make up the rest. Click this link to see more, from SMMT.

VAUXHALL LOSE THEIR MD

Steve Catlin has left his role as managing director of Vauxhall, after only eight months in charge. Citing “personal reasons”, his seat will be taken over by Stellantis UK managing director Eurig Druce. If you wish to find out more, click this Motor Trader article link here.

ZIPCAR PAUSES UK OPERATIONS DUE TO LOSSES

Zipcar, a car sharing company operating in the UK but is US based, is pausing all operations in this country due to £11.7 million loss in 2024. Blaming charging costs, insurance and larger than expected depreciation the company has opened a consultation with employees. Additionally, from 2 January 2026 EVs will be liable for the Congestion Charge in central London. To read more, click this Autocar article here.

BEE NETWORK SPEEDS UP EV FLEET SIZE

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) is investing £65 million to enable more of the bus fleet to be electric as well as move the train-tram development for one particular corridor. If you would like to find out more, click this Sustainable Bus article link here.

ROYAL MAIL GAINS ELECTRIC HGVS FOR MIDLANDS AND NORTH WEST

Royal Mail is going to use electric HGVs at their North West and Midlands hubs, delivering between the hubs and mail centres. They will be utilising eight vehicles which will replace diesel versions. You can read more, by clicking this edie article link here.

NEW ‘WOMEN IN AUTOMOTIVE’ JOURNAL LAUNCHED

Rygor Group, a car retail company, has launched a ‘Women in Automotive’ journal, to help inspire, inform and empower women and girls where they hopefully pursue a career in the automotive world. Women from across the company, as well as partners such as Ben, The Automotive Charity and Motor Trader, have had their advice published. If you want to find out more, click this Motor Trader article link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

Mercedes-Benz GLB

Mercedes has released information about their new GLB SUV that will come with the option of EV or hybrid petrol powertrains. Utilising the MMA compact cars architecture, even though it is a seven seat vehicle. Prices are expected to be around £41,000 for the hybrid and around £50,000 for the EV. Click this Autocar article link to find out more.

Toyota GR GT

Toyota surprised us all with the unveiling of ‘a race car for the road’, which they back up by also showing off an FIA GT3 spec version. Power comes from a new V8 combined with a hybrid powertrain that will give a boost rather than any electric only running. This large two seater coupe’s design is all about function rather than form. Click this EVO article link here for more information.

Hyundai Crater concept

Hyundai revealed a rugged off-road concept, from their XRT range, at the LA Mobility Show. This is a small SUV that is designed for adventure and looks great. There is no indication as to how much will make it to future models but we’d love to see this in production. Click this Top Gear article link for more.

DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: GERRY MCGOVERN LEAVES JLR

Last week shocking reports started to swirl around the internet, that Gerry McGovern had been unceremoniously kicked out of JLR. A week later we are none the wiser as to what has actually gone on and why. The silence is a worry as it is allowing the rumour mill to come up with a variety of possible stories. If you wish to find out more, click this Autocar article link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: UNFINISHED

New to us outlet, Alloy, is where we are linking you to this week as Tim Stevens discusses how what he saw previously in software and gaming is being mirrored by software in cars and this is not a good thing. To read our recommendation, click this link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: TOP 10 MISUNDERSTOOD CLASSICS

Hagerty provides the thought provoking list, this week. Possibly challenging you to reconsider your opinion on ten classics. Click this link here to see your options.

AND FINALLY: AUTO DIDAKT MERCEDES SL REVIEW

Auto Didakt reviews the Mercedes-Benz SL (R129). Always an enjoyable and educational event, click this YouTube link to enjoy.

The UK Government finally announced the autumn Budget, after weeks of leaks and rumours. There was some motoring related aspects, most notable being from 2028 new electric and plug-in hybrid car drivers will have to pay-per-mile which is additional to previously announced measures. How this is to be run has yet to be decided, with a consultation being conducted in early 2026.

More money is being allocated the Electric Car Grant, increasing the pot by a further £1.3 billion.

Additionally, the luxury car tax will increase, only for EVs, to £50,000, following a lot of lobbying by industry.

Click this EV Powered article link here, to read more.

MOTABILITY FORCED TO REMOVE PREMIUM CARS FROM SCHEME

Thanks to a dishonest and disgusting campaign, that attacked those with extra mobility needs, Motability has been forced to removed premium brand vehicles from their scheme before the Government caved to such abhorrent pressure and pushed to remove nice things from a segment of society. There are many reasons, both factual and moral, why this did not need to happen. Click this Autocar article link here, to read more.

NCAP TO REVISE ADAS TESTING

As this show has stated many times, along with others in the automotive media, the current raft of ADAS safety systems are not fit for use on public roads. NCAP has announced they are revising the testing standards and procedures for them. After admitting they are not good enough, by the way they will now be tested, NCAP is finally doing something. To read more, click this Autocar article link here.

SOUTHEND-ON-SEA GETS BIG CHARGER BOOST

EV charging company Zest has been selected to install 3,000 public charging points across the city. This will be a mix of on-street chargers in lamp posts, as well as fast and rapid charging stations. If you want to read more, click this electrive article link here.

NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE GETS SOME NEW CHARGERS

Believ has been chosen to install up to 470 fast and rapid chargers across the region, over the coming years. Very limited details have been revealed, such as some of the charging stations will be fitted to some ‘key’ car parks. To learn more, click this electrive article link here.

GOVERNMENT DECIDES PHYSICS DOESN’T APPLY TO E-VANS

The UK Government, following hard lobbying by fleet operators who didn’t pay attention to details, is going to reclassify electric vans in a way that removes them from being classified as HGVs, even though they are overweight. One of the key elements of doing this will be not requiring a first year MOT. In the same week as it was shown that a quarter of all vans fail their first MOT. For more on the reclassification of e-vans, click this electrive article link here.

To learn about one aspect that makes this a very dumb idea, click this Motoring Research article link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

Dacia Jogger

Dacia are updating the seven seat, affordable family car for only £25 more than the outgoing version. The revisions include external and internal design features, plus revised technology to match the rest of the range. Click this Top Gear article link here to read more.

Renault Traffic E-Tech

Renault has shown the world their new electric van, the Traffic E-Tech. With ranges from nearly 217 miles all the way up to 278, there is flexibility across trims. There will be a two tonne towing weight and a load capacity of 1.25 tonnes. 15-80% charging is expected to be 20 minutes if the right charger and environmental conditions are met. Click this EV Powered article link here to read more.

Genesis Magma GT Concept

Genesis wants to go GT racing, or more specifically set up the ability to enable customer racing, which they announced with the Magma GT Concept. They will need to build 200 road going versions to be eligible to join GT racing series. This is not the final design as that is still being worked on but will largely remain the same when finally revealed. Click this Top Gear article link to read more.

LUNCHTIME WATCH: PROJECT BINKY EPISODE 42

The ongoing and lengthy project run by Richard Brunning and Nik Blackhurst, turning a rusty old Mini into a monster version of itself continues with the latest video. Episode 42 sees them tackle more jobs on the interior. Click this YouTube link to see more.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 31 TIMES HONDA GOT IT RIGHT

Once again Classic & Sports Car provides the list we are recommending you lose some time to by checking out some of the best Honda cars. Do you agree with the chap’s choices? What would you pick, if you could have any from the list? Click this link here to see your options.

AND FINALLY: RENAULT AUCTIONS OFF THE VAULT

On December 7 2025, Renault will be selling off a huge number of cars from their vault. These include models, concepts and motor racing vehicles. Think of this as a second List of the Week. There are some stunning and evocative cars to check out. To see more, click this Carscoops article link which has a number of slideshows embedded in it.

This week, we have a follow-up on the Dutch/Chinese Chip Wars and the prices of the new Nissan Leaf.

New news includes management changes at Gordon Murray Group, VW’s Chief Strategist making an exit, Hyundai opening a new testing centre in Germany, Bollinger Motors shutting up shop, and Wrightbus covering EV buses into, err, EV buses.

New Car News includes the MG S6 EV, the Jeep Recon, and the crazy-powerful Porsche Cayenne Electric.

In Points of Interest we look at the moments people become interested in “automotive stuff”, we have a list of 20 affordable coachbuilt cars, and we round off with a look at the Hot Wheels Legands finalists.

New New Car News covers the Bentley Continental GT Supersports, Maserati and Alfa twinning-up, and Mitsubishi Motors in a proposed return to the UK market.

Points of Interest include part 3 of the Citroen DS story, and a list of 10 winter-friendly modern classics.

And Finally, we see if Ed March can finish his ridiculous mini-JEEP adventure.

New News this week includes New Car Registration Figures for October, profit analysis for Bentley and Lamborghini, a new boss at Caterham, and cybersecurity gaps in Chinese buses.

New New Car News looks at the just-unveiled Renault Twingo, some likely fleet favourites from BYD and a lot of shiny stuff at SEMA.

Points of Interest bring us Jim and Siôn’s epic charity adventure, and some lovely models from Autocar. We end up on a steamy story of an And Finally.

Back in August we said that Matt Windle had resigned as Lotus Europe CEO, but actually he was on a ‘leave of absence’. However, he has now officially announced that he has left Lotus after eight and a half years with the company. You can read more, including the challenges facing the sports car maker, by clicking this EVO article link here.

VW GROUP PROFITS PLUNGE

Volkswagen Group has announced their financial results for the first nine months of 2025 and they are bad. With a 58% drop in profits, described as “unsustainable” by the company, at €5.4 billion and a pre-tax profit margin of 2.3%. The usual reasons were given, Chinese market drop, tariffs and the slowdown in electrified transition with Porsche’s write-down also being mentioned. To fix this they will be ensuring their cost cutting measures really take effect. Click this Autocar article for more.

MERCEDES-BENZ PROFITS PLUNGE

Mercedes-Benz’s third quarter profits fell by 30.8%, surprisingly this was better than analysts expected. The company said the results were in line with their adjusted projection, from earlier in the year. To find out more click this Yahoo!Finance article link here.

POLESTAR AT RISK OF STOCK MARKET DE-LISTING

Polestar are running the risk of being de-listed from the Nasdaq stock market due to their share price falling below the accepted minimum requirement. Their share price is below one dollar and they have until 29 April to get it above the threshold or will be removed from the index. Click this Carscoops article link here for more.

UK ELECTRIC MOTOR START UP PARTNERSHIP ANNOUNCEMENT

Advanced Electric Machines, a UK based start up that is developing electric motors without using rare earths, has announced a partnership with a significant automotive supplier. If you wish to learn more, click this electrive article link here.

FRANCE OPENS INDUCTIVE CHARGING ROAD

Located near Angervilliers, close to Paris, a stretch of motorway has been adapted to provide inductive charging to vehicles travelling along the road. The section is 1.5 kilometres long. For more on this, click this link here to read an electrive article.

NEW FRENCH GOVERNMENT BACKED EV SCHEME POPULAR

The French Government has reopened their EV leasing scheme aimed at less well off households. In the space of four weeks it has reached over 41,500 applications and will be closed once it hits 50,000. To read more, click this electrive article link here.

EV DRIVER TRACKER YEAR 1

The Department for Transport commissioned an investigation into the habits of UK electric vehicle drivers to find out what the reality is. The first of these reports has been published and it is illuminating. Also the tone and direction of the narrative around the ‘discourse’ is made clear due to who is an EV driver and their circumstances. Additionally, some of the claims made by many turn out to not be reflected in the data collated. Everyone involved in discussing EVs needs to read and fully understand the information as it can help the transition to zero emission vehicles but only if all concerned start being honest and open. Click this link here to read the findings.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

Honda Prelude

In the last week, the embargoes of driving the new Honda Prelude have lifted. This is a two door coupe based on the Civic, which enters the market at a strange time. We applaud that it is not yet another SUV but are curious who this is for. Irrespective of that we hope it finds an audience and is successful. Click this Autocar review to learn more.

Smart #5

Smart are bringing their largest vehicle to date, the #5, to the UK starting at a fraction under £40,000. This electric SUV is going up against the likes of the Skoda Enyaq and Hyundai Ioniq 5. There are a host of trims and powertrain options all the way up to a Brabus version that tops the range. Click this EV Powered article to learn more.

Seat Ibiza and Arona

Seat are facelifting the Ibiza and Arona, now that the VW Group realise the brand adds to the bottom line in a positive way. Once again the Spanish company is doing a lot with so little and these will continue to be popular models. Click this Top Gear article link here to find out more.

LUNCHTIME READ: LA DÉESSE - BEYOND THE MYTH - EPISODE TWO

Following on from last week, your recommended reading this week is, again, from Driven to Write. This is the second part of Patrick le Quément series on the Citroën DS and it’s history. Click the link here to read more.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 26 TIMES MAZDA GOT IT RIGHT

Classic & Sports Car has compiled a slideshow with 26 wonderful examples from the Japanese company’s back catalogue. Do you agree with the choices? What would you pick instead, if not? Click this link to view the options.

AND FINALLY: DON’T SHELVE THAT IDEA

Stu Bird brings you a video about the Citroën Visa parcelshelf that is actually quite clever. Do click the YouTube link here to learn more and be entertained.

Professor David Bailey has written up a piece on Blogs from the Blackstuff following a report from the Cyber Monitoring Centre (CMC), which outlines the cost of the JLR shutdown and it is large. The estimated cost is in the region of £1.9 billion but could be as high as £2.1 billion. Over 5,000 businesses were affected. The CMC hopes businesses, the Government and insurers to learn lessons. To read more, click this article link here.

NEW CHIP CRISIS LOOMING

Another week and another example of how crucial China is to making things. This time there is a spat between Dutch and the Chinese Governments over the chip maker Nexperia after the Chinese CEO was removed and the European country took control of the company. They supply a lot of the car industry, particularly the electric car making segment. China has restricted exports of their chips, which means the company cannot guarantee reliable supply. For more on this story, click this link to an electrive article here.

PORSCHE PROFITS PLUMMET AGAIN

Porsche has released their financial results for the last quarter and they are, once again, poor. They had an operating loss of €966 million, with return on sales for the year dropping to just 0.2% after being 14.1% the year before. Click this Piston Heads article link here, for more.

FORD EUROPE FINDS A NEW BOSS

Ford Europe are to get a new president, Jim Baumbick, who moves from global head of product development and head of advanced product development. He takes the reigns on 1 November 2025. The role has been vacant for some time. If you want to read more, click this electrive article link here.

UK GOVERNMENT HELP TOYOTA BUILD A CAR

Toyota is receiving £15 million investment from the UK Government to explore the feasibility of bringing their FT-Me Concept to market. Think IQ size and it being a quadracycle, with the idea of it being used in high density urban areas. You can find out more, by clicking this Autocar article link here.

WAYMO SELF-DRIVING CARS TO TEST IN LONDON

Waymo is bringing some of their autonomous vehicles to London, to take part in a Government backed trial. They will join Uber, in the spring. For more on this story, click this Autocar link.

For some context, here is a link to a Bluesky thread that demonstrates had bad Waymo is at autonomous driving (and it is the least worst at it!).

LORDS PUSH FOR ACCESSIBILITY AT EV CHARGERS

The House of Lords has backed an amendment to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, that would make accessibility standards legally binding for EV chargers if approved in the House of Commons. Click this link from EV Powered to read more.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

Geely EX5

Geely, the parent company of Volvo, Polestar and Lotus, is coming to the UK with it’s own vehicles. They start with the EX5, an electric SUV. They will be offering incredible discounts from the outset to entice buyers. Click this Autocar article link here to read more.

Chery Tiggo 9

Chery is bringing a new PHEV with seven seats and up to 91 miles of electric only range, all for £43,105. There will be a 1.5 litre petrol engine mated to their ‘Super Hybrid’ system, to give 422bhp, which seems excessive for a family car. Click this Autocar article link here to read more.

BYD Atto 2 DM-i Super Hybrid

The first compact PHEV for the UK market will arrive in 2026, from BYD. Whilst information is scant, the claims are about 56 miles of electric only range and a total range up to around 633 miles. The company hopes to temp buyers with the fact it is the only PHEV in this segment. Click this EV Powered link for more.

DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: ALEXANDRE MALVAL JOINS RENAULT

Alexandre Malval is joining Renault as vice president of design, for the brand. He moves from Mercedes-Benz, where he was the head of the International Design Centre. To find out more, click this Car Design News article link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: LA DÉESSE - BEYOND THE MYTH

Your recommended reading this week is from Driven to Write. Patrick le Quément is bringing part one of a series on the Citroën DS and it’s history. As ever the writing is fantastic and so are the accompanying images that dot the piece. Click here to read this wonderful piece.

LIST OF THE WEEK: SAME CAR DIFFERENT NAME

We return to Autocar and they bring a slideshow about cars that were sold by different manufacturers. Do you agree with the choices? What would you pick? Click here to see what is on offer.

AND FINALLY: THE CANNOLI-BALL RUN 2025

Jim and Siôn from AlsoDriven are o going to undertake a mad caper whilst raising money for MIND charity. Click this YouTube video link to see more, including how to donate if you are able to!

A trial has begun in the UK High Court to decide if some manufacturers used software to pass emission tests but then acted differently outside of test conditions. The brands all deny the charge. To read more, click this Motor Trader article link here.

FOLLOW UP: JLR RESTARTS ALL PRODUCTION LINES

JLR has now started the last of their production lines following the chaos from the cyber attack at the start of September. Halewood was the last facility to get back up. If you wish to find out more, click this Autocar article link here.

PORSCHE FINDS A NEW BOSS

Following the announcement that Oliver Blume would relinquish his role as CEO of Porsche the company has been searching for a replacement. Ex-McLaren CEO Michael Leiters returns to the brand to lead it, allowing Blume to focus on his Volkswagen Group role. You can learn more, by clicking this Autocar article link here.

TOYOTA GB FINDS A NEW BOSS

Toyota GB has announced that Luigi Ksawery Lucá will be the new prsident and managing director of the company, as Scott Thompson will be returning to Toyota Australia. Lucá starts in the role from 1 January 2026. For more, click this Motor Trader article link here.

CARDIFF PARKING PLAN

Cardiff Council has announced how they will be revamping parking within the city. Unfortunately, nearly all of the reporting on the matter has been shockingly bad thanks to equating weight with size. There are no restrictions to the size of a car, being introduced only the weight. Cars over 2400kg revenue weight (gross weight) will face a surcharge for a parking permit. This includes EVs. However, they plan to phase in a reduced weight for the surcharge, of 2000kg revenue weight that will exempt EVs. Do residents actually know what cars will be charged extra? In all likelihood they are going to be surprised, especially when the reduced limit comes into force. To read one of the better articles out there on this story, click this Motoring Research link here.

To read the Cardiff City Council parking plan, click this link here.

QUICK FIRE CATCH UP ON EV RELATED NEWS

To read about the new funds for Cornish Lithium, click this electrive article link here.

To read about Duracell entering the ultra-rapid charging network space, click this electrive article link here.

To read about Blink Charging being engaged in a West Yorkshire charging infrastructure project, click this electrive article link here.

To read about Openreach’s deal with myenergi for staff home chargers, click this link here from EV Powered.

To read about Compleo leaving the UK charging market, click this electrive link here.

To read about BP Pulse and Moto installing lorry chargers at motorway services, click this electrive article link here.

To read about E.ON testing a booking system for charging EV lorries, click this electrive article link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

Cupra Formentor update

Cupra is going to fit the same engine from the Audi RS3 into their Formentor, boosting power and performance but also the price. To read more, click this Autocar article link here.

Alfa Romeo Tonale

Alfa is already updating the Tonale, increasing the width of the track, changing the grille and powertrain options. Will this help boost sales? Time will tell. To find out more, click this Top Gear article link here.

VW ID.4 and ID.5 eligible for ECG

Volkswagen has gained approval for Level 2 of the Electric Car Grant (ECG), enabling it to take advantage of a £1500 from the UK Government, for some versions of the ID.4 and ID.5. Click this Motor Trader article link here to find out the details.

LUNCHTIME READ: WHEN PERFORMANCE MAGAZINE CLOSED TWO WRITERS AND A SUBARU KEPT DRIVING

This week’s recommended read is a light hearted piece about when Performance Magazine closed and EVO came into being, thanks to Richard Porter’s imagination. Click this EVO link here to put a smile on your face.

LIST OF THE WEEK: HERE ARE NINE OF THE BEST CLASSIC CAR INTERIORS

This week we have a Top Gear list to chose from, all about the best car interior. Do you agree with Andrew’s choice or would you go for something else. Click this link to see what your options are.

AND FINALLY: HOW TO BE A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSMAN AND KIND

The Autopian has the article that rounds the show out with a heartwarming story of a cardboard manufacturing magnate who used some of his wealth to help others by overpaying for their cars when they were in need. He’s now putting all those cars up for auction. Click this link to read more.

Following the Supreme Court’s recent ruling that some forms of historical car financing was illegal the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has opened a consultation into how those effected should be compensated. Some from within industry are unhappy at what is being covered and the potential exposure in terms of repayments. To find out more, click this article link here from Broker News.

STELLANTIS MANAGEMENT AND PLAN CHANGES

Stellantis are getting a new European boss, with Emanuele Capellano taking over from Jean-Philippe Emperato, who takes the reigns at Maserati. This is the latest move by the new CEO of the group, Antonio Felosa, as he continues to shape the company in a way he feels will bring success. Click this Autocar article for more.

Talking of shaping the company, in the US Stellantis announce a huge investment of over £10 billion to help the North American brands bring new models to market including, it is being suggested, V8 power plants. Click this Carcoops article link here to find out more.

ASTON MARTIN PROFIT WARNING

Aston Martin gave a warning to investors that it will not hit the target of profitability by the end of 2025, as hoped. Blame is being laid at the feet of weak demand and delays to the Valhalla hypercar. Adding further pain is that they share several suppliers with JLR who have been dealing with the knock on effect of the cyberattack. If you wish to read more, click this Business Matters article link here.

MUNRO GETS FURTHER INVESTMENT

Munro, the Scottish off-road EV start up, has secured a further £2 million funding from an existing and other investors. This will enable them to expand their production facilities and create up to 300 new jobs as they aim for an annual production capacity of 5000 vehicles by 2031. To read more about this success story, click the EV Powered link here.

CHINA RESTRICTS RARE EARTH EXPORTS AGAIN

China is reminding the world exactly how much power it has, in terms of controlling global manufacturing, by adding more restrictions to some rare earths that are used across industries, including automotive. You can find out more, by clicking this Chatham House article link here.

To read the latest from Ed Conway, about rare earths, click this Substack link here.

JEEP OTA UPDATE BRICKS CARS

Another week and another story of an Over the Air (OTA) update having unintended consequences on cars and their owners. This time Jeep issued an update last week that has put some cars in ‘limp home mode’, whilst others have been bricked. Once more, much of the car industry does not seem to get software and how much harm doing it badly reflects back on manufacturers. Click this link from The Autopian to read more.

2024 UK ROAD SAFETY STATISTICS

The UK Government has published the 2024 Road Safety Statistics report, which have a slight percentage reduction but are effectively a flat line on the last 14 odd years.

To be noted this year is a change from how incidents are reported by police as no longer are Contributing Factors (CF) used but instead Road Safety Factors (RSF). There are six groups and new coding within each group and the changes are strange, some might say over stretching their remit. One example is the group “Speed”, this has six codes, of which only two have anything to do with speed and should be classed elsewhere. Additionally, most police forces are yet to use RSF in reporting, if they report at all.

When dissecting the figures, you will not be surprised that following the recoding “Speed” is scored the most. They have even changed last year’s report to reflect this new way of doing things, and “Speed” is now the number one factor when it was fifth or sixth in the old system.

To read the annual report, click this Department for Transport link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

‘Affordable’ Teslas

Tesla has revealed images and details of their ‘affordable’ Model Y and Model 3s. Essentially they have stripped them of much and yet only shaved around $5000 off the price. You can find out more by clicking this link from The Autopian.

Dacia Spring refresh

Dacia has refreshed the driving dynamics and power for the Spring, which retaining the 140 WLTP mile range. Prices are expected to remain the same. This should mean it outperforms the Leapmotor T03, which is their only competator at the price point. Click this link from Autocar for more.

Aston Martin DB12 S

Good job Aston Martin said the DB12 S was new as its really hard to tell the difference these days. But they have fettled with lots of handling and chassis settings to improve the handling and control of the car. Power is up too. Click this EVO article link here to play spot the difference.

LUNCHTIME WATCH: CATALYTIC CONVERTERS ARE SIMPLE

Technology Connections YouTube channel has started a new series focusing on the engine side of cars, with the first video explaining catalytic converters and how they work. Thanks to a great presentation style you’ll enjoy learning all about them. Click this link here to watch.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 34 TIMES JAPANESE MARQUES GOT IT RIGHT

Classic & Sports Car provides yet another list for you to enjoy, this time 34 of the big hitters from Japan. Click this link here to try and pick just one from those suggested, we found that a very hard task.

AND FINALLY: SUBARU SVX 30 YEARS ON

We are effectively giving you a Lunchtime Read as the And Finally, thanks to Jon Burgess fighting off the internet telling him “facts” and “the truth” about a car he himself actually owns. This is a great read about a wonderful car, click this Hagerty link here to read all about it.

JLR continues to battle the effects of the cyber attack that caused them to shut all systems on 1 September, 2025. They are still waiting on signed approval of the Government guarantee for 80% of the loan they are seeking. In the meantime, they are going to inject up to £500 million into their first tier suppliers to help them after no payments for over a month. Click this Business Matters article link here, to read more.

The phased restarting of factory operations is expected to begin on 8 October, 2025 (day of publication of this episode). Click the link here, to find out the latest update from Autocar’s coverage.

SEPTEMBER 2025 NEW CAR REGISTRATIONS

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has released the new car registration figures, for September 2025. This is the best September since 2020, with BEVs taking a market share, for the month of 23.3%, whilst petrol still remains the most popular fuel. Fleet sector did most of the heavy lifting, being 55.7% of registrations. Private dropped to 41.9%, although the actual number did increase on 2024. There are new models in the Top Models list. Suggestions are that the Government’s Electric Car Grant (ECG) is having a positive effect on this. But don’t forget, the way the ECG is set up means it is possible to abuse the system, not that we are saying this has happened. To read more, click this article link from SMMT.

RENAULT PLANNING TO ASK FOR VOLUNTARY REDUNDANCIES

Under the name “Arrow”, Renault will be implementing cost saving initiatives such as asking for voluntary redundancies from non production roles, to the tune of 3,000. The final plan is still being worked on and is expected by the end of the year. For more on this story, click this Yahoo!Finance article link here.

RENAULT AND DACIA CUSTOMER DATA HACKED IN THE UK

Renault and Dacia UK customers have had their data accessed by hackers, who go into a supplier’s system. Customers are being warned to be careful of scams and attempts to defraud them as a result. You can read more on this, by clicking the link here to an article from The Register.

EV CHARGING COMPANY HACKED

Digital Charging Solutions (DCS), a German based company, has admitted to being hacked. This does affect some UK drivers, as Kia customers have been warned to be vigilant. Click this article link from The Register, to read more.

NEARLY ALL CHARGER OPERATORS FAIL RELIABILITY OBJECTIVES

The Public Charge Point Regulations mandate that charger operators must ensure their chargers are operational 99% of the time. Only 4% meet this requirement. Lots of blame being thrown around as to why. To learn more, click this EV Powered article link here.

PUBLIC CHARGING STRUGGLING FOR PROFITABILITY

The public vehicle charging network has released information to try and show how the business is struggling for profitability. For example, standing charges for a ‘typical’ hub have increased from £99 to £8600 per year, according to Osprey. On top of which, the VAT rate is 15% higher than for home charging. If you want to read more, click this Autocar article link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

Dacia Hipster concept

Dacia has revealed a concept car, called the Hipster, which explores what a European derived kei-car type vehicle could be. Lots of effort has gone into weight saving, modularity and keeping costs down. Really quite a fascinating study especially around pushing consumers into thinking about what they exactly need. Click this Autocar link here, to see more.

Lamborghini Manifesto concept

Lamborghini has shown off their latest concept which explores what future vehicles could look like from the brand. There are very obvious queues from their heritage and this is unmistakably a Lambo, but there are also some interesting aspects that could prove exciting if they are utilised in future cars. Click this EVO link here, to see more.

WhatCar? reliability survey 2025

WhatCar? has published their annual reliability survey, where they canvass members of the public to fill out a questionnaire on cars up to five years old and then score the results. The Nissan Juke gets the most stick, but Nissan are questioning the results. Brand wise MG is worst with Nissan and Fiat making up the bottom three. At the other end of the scale Honda will be happiest, with Mini and Suzuki rounding out the top three. Click this Autocar article link here, to read more.

LUNCHTIME READ: THE ATOMIC AGE

Steve Cropley and Matt Prior bring us the history of the British success story, Ariel. Profitable from the very first car, they have continued to evolve and grow, with plans for expanding production now financed. To read more on this wonderful story, click this Autocar article link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 35 TIMES MERCEDES-BENZ GOT IT RIGHT

Classic & Sports Car provide another fabulous list for us to recommend to you, this time all about Mercedes-Benz. Run through some of the highlights of their back catalogue, by clicking this article link here.

AND FINALLY: BREAKING THE HOT WHEELS LAW

Petrolblog are the hosts of this week’s And Finally. Read about the shocking story of a person who buys a Hot Wheels car and doesn’t post it on social media! Tongue firmly in cheek many of you may feel a bit seen, it has to be said. Click this link to read all about this shocking turn of events.

This gives us the opportunity to let you know, in case you missed it, that Club Petrolblog has relaunched. You should check out this link here to see what it is all about and how you can obtain your membership by supporting a creator who brings a lot of fun to the car corner of the internet.

Whilst JLR is still battling against the hack that caused them to shut all their systems down on the 2 September, there is some positive progress. The company has started a phased process of turning back on some systems and they expect to begin limited car production later this week. On top of that, the Government has guaranteed 80% of a loan the company is seeking to take out to help cover the costs resulting from the shutdown. To find out the latest, click this Autocar article link here.

Link to Professor David Bailey’s piece explaining about the loan JLR has taken out and the UK Government has guaranteed a portion of, can be clicked here.

VW GROUP PAUSING EV PRODUCTION

Due to a lower demand than anticipated, the Volkswagen Group is pausing EV production in several factories. The factories in Zwickau and Emden in Germany, as well as Tennessee in the US, will pause production of various electric models in the coming weeks. Tariffs are also impacting the finances of the company which is already struggling to cut costs. Click this InsideEVs article link here to read more.

STELLANTIS PAUSING PRODUCTION ACROSS EUROPE

Stellantis is another company that is pausing their car production facilities due to cost savings, lacklustre sales figures and the impact of the tariffs. Pomigliano factory, in Italy, is currently not making the Fiat Panda and Alfar Romeo Tonale. The Poissy site, in France, will pause production for the middle of October. On top of that facilities in Poland, Spain and Germany are also expected to follow suit. If you want to find out more, click this Carscoops article link here.

BENTLEY TO FOLLOW PORSCHE AND KEEP ICE IN LINEUP

In what should be no surprise to anyone, Bentley will be keeping combustion engine powertrain options in their cars contrary to the previous ‘Beyond100’ plan, just as Porsche has announced. You can read more, by clicking this Autocar link here.

BOSCH CUTS JOBS

Bosch is cutting up to 13,000 jobs on top of the previously announced 9,000. This is a result of trying to save €2.5 billion. Of note, Bosch is the world’s largest automotive supplier. For more on this story, click the link here to an electrive article.

FRANCE REVIEWING NISSAN SUPPLIER PAYMENTS

The French Government has asked to see Nissan’s payments to suppliers. There is no indication as to why this has occurred nor is there a suggestion Nissan has done anything wrong. In France companies have to pay invoices within 60 days. Click this Yahoo!Finance article to read more.

CHANGES IN MERCEDES MANAGEMENT

CTO Markus Schäffer is leaving Mercedes-Benz, after 30 years service. Jörg Burzer will move from head of production, quality and supply chain management to replace him. That means Michael Schiebe will move on from being in charge of Mercedes-AMG to take up Burzer’s old role. A new head of Mercedes-AMG is to be announced later. To read more, click this Autocar link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

Kia Stonic

Kia are updating their small Crossover, the Stonic. Design changes bring it bang up to date with the ‘Opposites United’ design language. Interestingly, there will be a manual option. Powertrains offered will both use a 1.0l three-cylinder petrol engine, with one only using that and the other mating it to a mild hybrid. No confirmation on prices yet, but expect it to be a bit more than the existing which starts at 22,085. Click this Autocar article link for more.

TypeH Citroën e-Relay H Van

Citroën, thanks to TypeH, are offering to H Van-like the e-Relay, where they retrofy the outside of the electric Relay van. Probably quite niche but fun that they do it nonetheless. To find out more, click this Motoring Research article link here.

GMA Le Mans GTR and S1 LM

Gordon Murray Automotive has shown off two special cars inspired by the McLaren F1 GTR LM, the Le Mans GTR and S1 LM. All have been sold and only a very small number are being made. Which is a shame as they are great looking, particularly the S1 LM. But they are not all show and no go, as they are fitted with V12s. Click this Autocar article link here for more.

LUNCHTIME READ: RADWOOD 2025 RECAP

At the end of August, there was the 2025 RADwood meet up, where people celebrate the 80s and 90s through the medium of cars. Many also don period dress for the full affect. Click this link here, from Hagerty to catch up on what happened and who won what!

LIST OF THE WEEK: 32 TIMES FIAT GOT IT RIGHT

Classic & Sports Car provide a fabulous list with Fiat’s back catalogue to pick from. Obviously there are some usual suspects, but also some you may not know. Click this link here to check out what options there are.

AND FINALLY: SNAPSHOT OF HISTORY

Photographer Philip Butler has captured 226 garages and service stations, across the country, to document the design and architecture these buildings have before they are lost. Click this link here to visit his site and also find a link in the article taking you a page where you can buy this wonderful book for a very reasonable price.

JLR have put back their proposed production restart from 24 September to 1 October as they continue to try and deal with the hack on their systems where the effects became apparent on 1 September. What has only started to be appreciated is the knock-on effect the closures have had on suppliers to the company. Staff have been told to apply for Universal Credit, due to stopped wages, and many are calling on a furlough scheme to be instigated by the Government.

To read more about the ongoing issues for JLR, click this Autocar article link here.

To gain an understanding of the affects down the supply chain, click this article link from The Record.

CITROËN ISSUES NEW NO-DRIVE WARNING

Citroën UK has issued a new no-drive warning, covering the C3, ë-C3, C3 Aircross and ë-C3Aircross, due to potential brake failure. This no-drive notice is on top of the other two the company is already dealing with. Click this Autocar article link here to read more.

PORSCHE DELAY EV MOVE GIVING VW GROUP $6BN PROFIT HIT

Porsche has announced that they are delaying their move to EVs as had been expected. The Panamera and Cayenne will have ICE and hybrid options into 2030, rather than going all electric. Likewise the new 718 models. The projected hit to Volkswagen Group profits is a smidgen under $6 billion, following this move. You can read more by clicking this Yahoo! Finance article link here.

NISSAN SHRINKS LONDON DESIGN STUDIO AND CLOSES OTHERS

Nissan cost cutting efforts have been turned to the design studios across the globe. Those in California and Brazil will be shut, with the Paddington studio expected to lose some staff numbers too. Click this Autocar article link here.

FORD CUTS JOBS IN GERMANY

Due to much weaker than expected sales of the Explorer and Capri, Ford has announced that it is cutting up to 1,000 jobs at their Cologne factory. This is on top of the previous 2,900 jobs that went at the end of 2024.If you wish to read more, click this Autocar article link here.

TOM MATANO HAS PASSED AWAY

Tom Matano was the designer of the first two generations of the Mazda MX-5 and has sadly passed away on 20 September 2025, aged 76. He had a long career where he worked for GM, BMW and then onto Mazda. To learn more about him and his career, click this Classic & Sports Car article link here.

BUFFETT SELLS ENTIRE BYD STAKE

Warren Buffett, the renowned investor, has sold his entire stake in the Chinese EV maker BYD. This is the first time since 2008 that Berkshire Hathaway did not hold any stock in the company. Click this article link from Fortune for more information.

TOYOTA AE86 ENGINE BLOCKS BEING BUILT AGAIN

Toyota is building the parts for engine blocks of the classic AE86, as they become the latest brand to help classic car owners use factory made parts. We applaud such moves and hope other companies look back at their heritage and offer to help drivers in a similar way. You can find out more, by clicking this EVO article link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

Hyundai Ioniq BJ/3 Concept

We apologise for missing out, in last week’s review of the Munich Motor Show, one of the few interesting cars by omitting the Hyundai Ioniq BJ/3 Concept. This could be a preview to how the company designs smaller electric vehicles. Regardless, we think it looks great. Click this Autocar article link and go to Slide 7, to see more

Kia K4

Kia has revealed the K4 an ICE and hybrid powered hatchback to rival the likes of the Golf. The car’s dimensions mean it straddles the line between C and D segments, although this should be to the benefit of those on the inside. Good to see brands still looking to bring us cars and not just SUVs. Click this Motoring Research link here to read more.

Eccentrica Diablo Pacchetto Titano

As we continue to try and lift the mood of the first half of the show, we bring you this wonderful restomod from Eccentrica, a Lamborghini Diablo refresh. Rest assured though, it does have a V12 as well as a lovely looking interior. Click this Motoring Research article link here to read more.

LUNCHTIME READ: CHINA IS SENDING ITS WORLD-BEATING AUTO INDUSTRY INTO A TAILSPIN

Reuters bring a very lengthy article explaining the rise of China’s EV industry and how they have been successful but now are hurting themselves. This will go some way to illuminate why more and more brands are looking overseas for market share. To read more, click the article link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 24 MEMORABLE MICHELOTTI CLASSICS

Giovanni Michelotti produced a wide variety of vehicles for the likes of Triumph, Alfa Romeo, Ferrari and Leyland buses. Click this link here from Classic & Sports Car, to see what options you have when it comes to picking your favourite.

AND FINALLY: MAZDA PATENT IS A GAS

Mazda has patented an engine that will separate hydrogen from petrol to burn the hydrogen but not the carbon. However, the engine can still burn carbon if the process isn’t extracting enough hydrogen to run the combustion side of things. Can they make it? Will it save the internal combustion engine? Time will tell. To read more, click this CarBuzz article link here.

As expected, there is no quick resolution to their IT woes, following the hack reported on 1 September, 2025. Also, again as expected, they have confirmed that data has been accessed including personal data. However, we do not know who’s data that is. Reports suggest the company is losing around £5 million per day, thanks to the global shutdown. As a result there are increasing calls for the Government to step in and support the JLR. To read more about the situation, click this Autocar article link here.

SHOCKING FAIL FOR MG3 DURING EURONCAP TESTS

During the latest round of EuroNCAP tests the MG3 driver’s seat, when in the frontal offset crash test, twisted upon impact due to the latching mechanism failing. MG has confirmed that this has now been rectified but cars bought before August 2025 will not get the fix. Added to this is that the driver’s airbag was only sufficient for an “adequate” rating. If you want to find out more, click this Autocar article link here.

EU AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY SUMMIT

EU politicians and the continent’s car manufacturers have met to discuss the state of the industry and the future. The EU is sticking by its 2035 ICE ban but is open to a new car category, for small efficient vehicles, similar to the Japanese kei car. For more on this story, click this electrive article link here.

VW ID.GOLF TO BE DELAYED

The woes for Volkswagen continue as news comes out that they are delaying the launch of the ID.Golf and ID.Roc, as well as seeking a partner for their battery subsidiary PowerCo. The ID.Golf had previously been delayed from 2028 to 2029, but now 2030 is the target. You can read more, by clicking this article link here from electrive.

BMW INSTALLS CHARGERS IN NATIONAL PARKS

BMW has spent the last three years helping to install 135 charge points in the UK’s National Parks, costing the company around £1 million. On top of that BMW helped fund projects within individual parks. Click this Motoring Research article to read more.

ALEXANDER DENNIS OFFERS RETROFIT EV POWERTRAINS

Alexander Dennis, the bus manufacturer, is offering a service where they replace older diesel powertrains with new electric ones. This will save some costs for operators the full cost of a new electric bus. If you wish to learn more, click this electrive article link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

Munich Motor Show

The Munich Motor Show was last week, we run through a summary of what happened and what caught our eye, for good and for bad. Click this Motoring Research article link for more.

Additionally, Autodidakt has a video out, from the show, which you can watch by clicking here.

LUNCHTIME READ: WHY CAR JOURNALISTS SHOULD GO SHOPPING

Mark Smyth has written an excellent piece on LinkedIn about the trials and tribulations he experienced when trying to help his Wife buy a car. Click this link to read that.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 33 OF ALFA ROMEO’S GREATEST HITS AND MISSES

A trip through Alfa’s past efforts is always a nice thing to do, even if some of those shown are not the greatest of cars. Click this Top Gear link to see what options you have to pick from.

AND FINALLY: SHOULD ‘T’ PLATES BE USED BY VISITORS TO SCOTLAND

A campaign has started in Scotland, pushing for visitors from Scotland who normally drive on the other side of the road to fit ‘T’ plates to their car to indicate this. There has been a sharp rise in accidents due to, what is described as, “inexperience of driving on the left”. The idea is this would help warn other road users that caution is required near such marked cars. Click this STV News article link for more.

August registration figures are down on 2024. Typically a quiet month prior to the number plate change in September, it was still a disappointment. We also do not know how much of an effect the mishandling of the ECG approval list had on the overall numbers. BEVs took a 26.5% market share. There are also some returning models to the Top Models list and a newcomer. To read more, click this link from the SMMT.

JLR HIT BY CYBER ATTACK

JLR have been hit by a cyber attack that has halted all sales, aftersales and production work. The group claiming responsibility are the ones who hit M&S and others on the UK highstreet. The company has employed specialists to help address the problem but communication has been limited as to what has happened and what is going on. If you want to learn more, click this Autocar article link here.

PORSCHE CHANGES TACK ON BATTERIES

Due to recent financial performances and market conditions Porsche has reviewed their high performance battery projects and decided to shut some down. They have a battery subsidiary called CellforceGroup which they are reorganising and CellForce will become a small R&D company focusing on developing batteries. This will result in approximately 200 jobs going. For more on this, click the link here from electrive.

ZOOPLA TO SHOW PUBLIC EV CHARGER LOCATIONS

Occasionally there are stories you hear and think “why hasn’t that been done before” and this is one. Zoopla, in partnership with Vauxhall, are adding whether a listed house has a home charger and if not, the location of nearby public chargers. This is a great initiative. Click this Autocar link here to read more.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

Kia EV5

Kia has revealed the specifications and pricing of the EV5, prior to going on sale later this year. Looks wise, it is very similar to the EV9 but smaller and without the third row of seats. Pitched against the Skoda Enyac and Renault Scenic. Kit will be comprehensive, especially as you move up the trim levels and it come with up to 329 WLTP miles. Expect to see these everywhere. Click this EVPowered to find out more.

Audi Concept C

Ahead of the IAA Munich show Audi revealed their Concept C, inspired by the TT but is not to be seen as a replacement for one. The design is similarly executed that of the Jaguar 00 concept. Design chief Massimo Frascella claimed that this is virtually the production ready design, although we have to wait until 2027 before that is shown. Click this Autocar article link here to read more.

Porsche culls the 718

Linked to the Porsche battery story and the Audi Concept C story, Porsche announced that the 718 models will end production. Partly this is due to recent cyber security rules which the car cannot meet. There was supposed to be the electric replacement but many issues have hit that project, and like the Concept C, will not be ready until 2027. Click this EVO article link to read more.

To listen to the Special Edition where Alan got time with some Porsches, click this link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: FRANKLY WE DON’T TALK ABOUT THE PEUGEOT 309 ENOUGH

For this week’s recommended reading, we return to PetrolBlog as MajorGav talks about the Peugeot 309. This is a wonderful piece which reminds us all of how good and important a car it was, even though it was in the shadow of more illustrious siblings. Click this link here to read on.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE LARGEST CAR MUSEUM IN THE WORLD

Autocar provide the slideshow we are sharing with you this week. See what the options are from this wonderful French museum, by clicking this link here.

To listen to the Special Edition where Alan visited the same museum, click this link here.

AND FINALLY: MINI JEEP ADVENTURES CONTINUE

Ed March continues his crazy adventure of taking a Chinese mini jeep, which he has only ‘slightly’ modified to help him try to get Area 51. Click this YouTube link here to continue the amazing journey.

The Government has tightened the loophole where if one vehicle in the range is eligible for the Electric Car Grant (ECG) then all others with the same powertrain configuration are, no matter their price. This has been capped at £42,000. Click this Autocar story link here, to read more.

Additionally, the Government has announced the first two cars to be eligible for Band 1 of the grant and thus the full £3750. The Ford Puma Gen-E and the E-Tournio Courier. Click this Motor Trader article to read more.

LOTUS CUTS MORE STAFF

In the continued troubling news from Lotus there is the announcement that they are cutting another 550 jobs in the UK, roughly 40%. This follows another poor first half to the year, as sales dropped 42%. If you wish to learn more, click this Autocar article link here.

DACIA LOSE A CEO BUT FIND ANOTHER

Denis Le Vot has decided to leave as head of Dacia, with Katrin Adt taking over the reigns. This is one of several changes in Renault Group management. To find out more, click this Autocar article link here.

STELLANTIS SHELVES LEVEL 3 AUTONOMOUS DEVELOPMENT

Stellantis has pulled the plug on deploying their SAE Level 3 autonomous driving system. In February they were saying it was ready to be rolled out. No reasons have been given but the reality of how expensive it is to developing such systems and the flawed path chosen must be part of the reason. To read more, click this Yahoo! Finance article link here.

BATTERY RECYCLING CONSORTIUM RAISES £8.1M

A consortium, made up of JLR, LiBatt Recycling, WMG at Warwick University and Mint Innovation has secured £8.1 million investment for their battery recycling plans. They intend to perfect recovering lithium, cobalt and nickel from end of life EV batteries. Click this electrive article link here to read more.

TESLAMATE SERVERS OPEN TO ALL

TeslaMate is a self-hosted data logger for Tesla owners that records all the data that is sent out by the car. A security researcher has discovered he could access thousands of these self-hosted servers and get all the information from the vehicles. To read more, click this link from TechCrunch here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

Changan Deepal S07

Changan are one of the biggest Chinese car makers, but you’ve probably not heard of them. You will now as they’re coming to the UK, with the Deepal S07, a similar size to the Skoda Enyaq or VW ID.4. Prices start at £39,990, with up to 295 WLTP mile range. Also of note is that they are owned by the Chinese Government. If you wish to learn more, click this Auotcar link here.

Subaru E-Outback

Subaru revealed the Trailseeker in the US and we were told it is coming to the UK. It is, but they have changed the name to E-Outback. Using Solterra underpinnings, this has been developed by Subaru and uses around 70% Subaru parts too. It will come with four-wheel drive, up to 279 WLTP miles thanks to a 74.7kWh battery pack. To find out more, click this Autocar article link here.

Lamborghini Fenomeno

Lamborghini has taken the wraps off their latest insane vehicle, the Fenomeno. Based on the positively sluggish Revuelto, in comparison, it has upped the power, the speed and well everything. As it should as it costs £3 million. But you can’t have one as 29 of the 30 have been sold and the remaining one is heading off to the Lamborghini museum. If you want to read more and you should, click this Autocar link here.

LUNCHTIME WATCH: RUSTIVAL 2025

The 2025 Rustival event took place last weekend and it looked brilliant. We are recommending three videos, one each from the organising trio, to watch and catch up on what happened. You might also see Alan’s car.

For Hubnut’s video, click this link.

For I Drive a Classic’s video, click this link.

For FuriousDriving’s video, click this link.

Then make a note to get tickets for next year’s event!

LIST OF THE WEEK: 13 OF THE STRANGEST CONCEPT CARS YOU’VE PROBABLY NEVER SEEN

This week we recommend a great list from Top Gear as they bring us some of the more out there concepts of recentish years. Whilst only 13 long they are all good. Don’t forget to tell the chaps what you would pick. Click the link here to see the options.

AND FINALLY: HOT WHEELS LEGENDS TOUR UK WINNER

This year’s UK winner of the Hot Wheels Legends Tour has been announced and it is a heavily modified E-21 BMW 3-Series. Do click this Motoring Research article link here, to read more and gawp at what has been achieved.

Following a long campaign from the Historic and Classic Vehicles Alliance and other similar associations, the Government has simplified the red tape around modifying and restoring vehicles. Notifications can be sent to DVLA for ‘significant structural modifications’ and the vehicle can retain the original license plate number and Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). This is a big step forward. Click this Hagerty article link here to find out more.

ARIEL DOUBLING PRODUCTION CAPACITY WITH NEW FACTORY

Ariel, the Somerset based specialist performance vehicle manufacturer, have agreed a deal to buy more land that will allow them to double their production capability. If you want to read more, click this Autocar article link here.

HMRC RAISES EV MILEAGE CLAIM RATE

After lots of complaints were raised over the last announcement of the rate business mileage for electric cars could be claimed back at, HMRC has revised them. Now there are two tiers, home charging and public charging. However, the rates still aren’t great and frankly totally inadequate if you charge via the public network. To find out more, click this Autocar article link here.

PLUG-IN VAN AND LORRY GRANT EXTENDED

The UK Government has extended the plug-in grant for van and lorries, until “at least 2027”. However, the money is coming out of the £650 million we were told was for the Electric Car Grant (ECG), which turns out to also be improving the charging infrastructure across the country. Click this Autocar article link here, to read more.

DO NOT HOON YOUR EV FOR MORE BATTERY LIFE

A recent study has been misreported, according to Aviloo, battery experts. Many read the results to mean one must be very heavy with the right foot to extend the battery lift of one’s EV. That is not the case. You can find out more by clicking this Carscoops article link here.

TESLA DOES HAVE TO FACE CLASS-ACTION OVER SELF-DRIVING CLAIMS

A recent hearing, in front of a judge, between those trying to pursue Tesla in a class-action over mis-selling their self-driving system that has yet to make it to market even though they have taken money from people for it, has resulted in permission being granted to pursue the company. If you want to read more, click this Reuters article link here.

To read Ed Niedermeyer’s coverage of the hearing, click this link to his Bluesky post.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

BYD Atto 2

BYD has revealed details of their Atto 2, a C segment electric SUV. Priced aggressively, at £30,850, it will win fans on that front along. A totally inoffensive design won’t cause people to flock to the brand but equally is not polarising. Click this Autocar article link here to find out more.

DS No4

DS’s bestselling model to date has been the 4. Hoping to capitalise on this the company has revealed specifications for the new No4, as it is called. There are a variety of powertrains and trim levels. To find out all about this car, click this link to an Autocar article.

VW announce new car blitz. Again.

Volkswagen has announced, once again, that it is bringing a raft of new cars to market in the next few years. We get to see the production ready ID.2 shortly, at the Munich car show, with some others also being shown for the first time. If you want to read more, click this Autocar article link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: THE MYTH OF THE LONE GENIUS CAR DESIGNER

As a society we have this ideal that there are individual designers who create some of the world’s most famous and fantastic productions, art and buildings. This is, of course, not true. Matteo Licata explains how this is not true in the car world too. Click this Hagerty article link here, for more.

LIST OF THE WEEK: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE DEUTSCHES MUSEUM

Possible Germany’s finest car museum, the Deutsches Museum has a host of fabulous vehicles to gawp over. Autocar has share a slideshow with just a few of them. Don’t forget to tell the chaps if you agree with their choices. Click this link here to view your options.

To see the Goliath GP 700 Sport from Weird Car of the Day, that Alan mentioned, click this link here.

AND FINALLY: HOW MUCH FOR A BEETLE?

To round out the show we share a story about a Beetle project from back in the 1960s, where an American car dealer paid an eye watering amount of money to create the best limo Beetle. It recently sold at the Monterey Car Week auction. Click this link here, from The Autopian to read more.

The UK Government has released the list of car models that are eligible for the Electric Car Grant (ECG). There are a few surprises, including how no cars meet the Band 1 £3750 grant requirements. Click this link here, from EV Powered, to read more.

To see Nick Gibb’s Bluesky post, adding context to the question of how the Nissan Ayria was eligible, click this link here.

For the UK Government’s official list of eligible car models, click this link here.

FOLLOW UP: CITROËN ADDS MODELS TO ‘STOP-DRIVE’ RECALL

Citroën has now added new models to the previous ‘stop-drive’ order over faulty airbags. Car Dealer is reporting that before this around 120,000 vehicles were affected by the issue. Now that the C4 and DS4, built between 2010 and 2011, plus the DS5 built between 2010 and 2013 there is just a fraction under 10,000 additional vehicles. Citroën was already receiving a backlash on the perceived slowness in addressing the problem, this will not help. If you wish to learn more, click this Car Dealer article link here.

ROAD SAFETY CONSULTATION LAUNCHED

The UK Government has launched a road safety consultation, with a number of issues being given prominent place. For example, once drivers reach 70, they will have to have formal eye tests every three years to show they are fit to drive. Drivers with non seat belt wearing passengers will receive points on their license. There are more besides. Click this Autocar article link to read more.

UNSAFE ROAD VEHICLE NUMBERS RISE IN UK

In 2024, nearly 50% more vehicles that were found to be unsafe than the previous year. Tyres were the biggest issue but defective brakes too an alarming jump with 1190 drivers charged last year compared to 181 in 2023. To read more, click this Autocar article link here.

LONGBOW ADD MANAGEMENT HEAVYWEIGHTS TO BOARD

Longbow, the electric sports car start up, has announced that Mike Flewitt, Michael van der Sande and Dan Balmer are now on the advisory board. Flewitt was CEO of McLaren, van der Sande was at Alpine and Balmer was the boss of Lotus Europe. They will help the company as it works to bring a £65,000 lightweight two seater electric sports car out in 2027. If you want to find out more, click this Autocar article link here.

JLR THREATEN RIDICULOUS LEGAL ACTION

JLR sent a ‘cease and desist’ letter to the Rail Delivery Group, who run the National Rail website, due to them using the phrase “ranger and rover” to refer to ranger tickets and rover tickets. The car company decided that you are all too stupid to work out a rail company was not referring to a Range Rover. You will now only ever see the words if they are as follows, “ranger tickets and rover tickets”. If you wish to learn more, click this link to a piece in The Telegraph.

HYUNDAI TO CHARGE YOU TO SECURE YOUR CAR

Hyundai UK is now charging UK customers £49 to secure their cars from a known vulnerability. Unbelievable, but actually true. Click this link here, from The Register, to find out more.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

Ford plans for the future

Ford has revealed the plans for their electric future, which goes from production to cars. They are going to shake up the way the make cars, which will allow them to make more affordable EVs. Models that will be brought out, from the new universal platform, include a mid-sized double-cab pickup, a hatchback, crossover, van and three row SUV. Ford admits this is a gamble, though. To find out more, click this Autocar article link here.

Kia simplifies model range

Kia UK has simplified their model range, as the Ceed is axed. Additionally they have slimmed down the Picanto range to one engine choice, whilst the Xceed gets a new range topping version. If you want to read more, click this Autocar article link here.

Stellantis recall due to fire risk

Stellantis is recalling 24 models, totalling just over 72,000 cars, due to loose nuts on fuel pipes that can lead to increased fuel consumption, with an ultimate risk of fire in the engine bay. Affected cars were built between 2023 and 2025 that have the 1.2 litre petrol engine. Click this Yahoo! News article link to check out the models involved.

DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: KAI LANGER HEADS TO XIAOMI

Kia Langer, who was head of BMW i design has joined Xiaomi. Very few details have been revealed, including exactly what he will be doing. Click this electrive article link here to read more.

LUNCHTIME READ: CRIME DRIVEN TECHNOLOGY AND THE MOTOR BANDIT

In the inter-war period, the UK was gripped with fear about criminals using motor cars to enable them to commit crime. The reality was this happened significantly less than was imagined. A classic in the genre of ‘technology is bad’ and ‘society being whipped up by the media’. Fascinating read on how the police did have to adapt to this new threat. Click this link here to read more from The Journal of Historic Criminology.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE BEST DASHBOARDS OF THE 70S AND 80S

If you think car makers have only recently taken to messing up interiors by being over complicated or oversimplified, think again. Here we are recommending you run through the slideshow provided by Autocar to see some of the more spectacular dashboards from the 70s and 80s. Click here to view your options.

AND FINALLY: A TINY HOME ON WHEELS

Toyota has a small people carrier that you can add to and configure the interior to replicate a lounge, a bedroom or an office. You can buy modular furniture to help transform the inside to match your requirements. Find out more, by clicking this Carscoops article link here.

New car registrations fall, year-on-year, in July 2025 by 5%. Whilst the electric car grant is now available, which models are eligible and at what rate remains to be seen. This has had a knock on effect with registrations of EVs raising slower than expected. BEVs and PHEVs increased but all other powertrains declined. To read more, click this article linked from the SMMT, here.

JLR PROFIT PLUNGE IN FIRST HALF OF 2025

Mainly thanks to the tariff farcical situation, JLR saw profits in the second quarter of 2025, plunge by half. Whilst the UK has negotiated a deal that has been implemented, the EU’s one is not yet on stream, thus the Defender is still paying the price. Adding to their woes is the self inflicted issue of warranty costs, but outside of their control is volatile foreign exchange rates. if you wish to read more, click this Autocar article link here.

LOTUS LOSE ONE CEO AND FIND ANOTHER

Matt Windle has left Lotus, either of his own volition or was pushed, depending on who you listen to. The company has appointed Mao Jingbo, current president of China operations, to oversea the UK and European sector. This is the fourth head of the company in two years, with Windle lasting just four months. Click this Autocar article to learn more.

ASTEMO INVESTS IN BOLTON SITE

Astemo is investing £100 million at a site in Bolton, which will be staffed by 200 employees, to produce components for the next generation of EVs. They have received Government backing for this move. To find out more, click this article link from The Manufacturer.

NISSAN OPENS TRUCK CHARGING HUB

Nissan has opened a truck charging hub on it’s production site, in Sunderland. This is open to the public, but they will also charge up electric cab units that they use for their own purposes locally. You can learn more, from this link here to a an electrive article.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

Honda Civic

Honda is updating the Civic, but you’ll have to be good to spot the differences, according to Motoring Research. Tweaks to the looks and the interior are the order of the day. Hybrid powertrain remains the same, as do the three trim levels. Prices start at £33,795. Click here to read more.

Nissan Micra

Prices and specs have been confirmed by Nissan for the new Micra. Order books open on 1 September and the starting price matches that of the Renault 5, which this is a rebadge of. The three trim levels are Engage, Advanced and Evolve. Prices start at £22,995. Click this Motoring Research article to read more.

VW to end the Touareg

Volkswagen are to end production of the Touareg in 2026 and there is to be no replacement. The company feel the role will be fulfilled by the cheaper Tayron that they released recently. Additionally, the ID5 is also being pulled from sale, in 2027. Click this Autocar article link for more.

DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: ERCOLE SPADA PASSES AWAY

Ercole Spada passed away on 3 August 2025. His might not be a name that many know, however, his work is knows. From cars such as the Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato to Alfa Romeo Junior Z to the BMW E34 5-Series, we have all seen his work. To find out more about the man and his work, click this Octane article link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE BEST SMALL CARS EVER MADE

Autocar has our recommended options for picking your favourite from many, when it comes to small cars. There are some questions about if all are exactly “the best” but nevertheless you have many to select from. Click here to check out what you could decide is the best.

AND FINALLY: IT’S BEHIND YOU

U-Haul is a famous American rental company, that allows you to hire vans of various sizes and trailers. Alan explains all to us unenlightened heathens outside of the US of A. However, they’ve developed and built a new trailer, one that will allow a lot more to be towed across the continent. Click here to read more, from Car and Driver.

The Supreme Court has ruled on car finance claims follow last years shock appeal decision that could have meant that lenders were liable for billions in compensation for mis-selling car finance schemes.

The court has ruled that dealers do not have to work solely for the benefit of customers, which covers most claims, however if the commission rate is excessive then there is a possibility of a claim.

What wasn’t covered in this is claims where the dealer and lender could increase the interest on their PCP or HP deal without telling the customer. Anyone who signed up to this is still able to claim. To read all about this complicated matter, click this link here from MoneySavingExpert.

FOLLOW UP: RENAULT GROUP ANNOUNCE NEW CEO

Just over a week after the interim CEO was announced, Renault Group have found their new permanent CEO, Francois Provost. He has been at the company for 23 years, with his latest position being head of procurement, partnerships and public affairs. Click this Autocar article link to learn more.

JLR LOSE ONE CEO AND FIND ANOTHER

Adrian Mardell is to retire from JLR, after 35 years at the company. The surprise news came out last week and by Monday the company announced his replacement, PB Balaji, who is the chief financial officer of Tata Motors. If you want to read more, click this Autocar link here.

STELLANTIS MAKE A BIG LOSS

First half year results are in for Stellantis and it is brutal. They have made a loss of £2 billion pre-tax. Tariffs are being blamed for a lot of it, but also a slow uptake on their B-segment offerings. The new CEO, Antonio Filosa, has said he will make tough decisions to help turn results around. To find out more, click this Autocar link here.

PORSCHE TAKES PROFITS HIT

Porsche’s operating profits dropped €2 billion in the first half of 2025. Once again tariffs are being blamed, but also they continue to lose market share in China. The company is looking at ways to save money, on top of the job cuts it has previously announced. You can read more on this, by clicking an Autocar article link here.

HELSINKI REPORTS NO FATALITIES ON ITS ROAD NETWORK IN A YEAR

Helsinki has not had a road traffic fatality, for over a year. Reasons for this excellent news are a combination of improved infrastructure, all road users working together, reduced speed limits, improved public transport and targeted police efforts. To find out more, click this yle article link here.

TESLA FOUND PARTIALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR FATAL CRASH

A jury has found Tesla partially liable for a fatal accident that also caused life changing injuries to a passenger of a struck vehicle, after Autopilot was engaged. The driver of the Tesla vehicle claims he thought the driver assistance system would handle things whilst he retrieved his dropped phone. Tesla is to appeal the ruling. You can read more by clicking this article link from The Register.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

Vauxhall Mokka GSE

Vauxhall has upgraded the performance and handling of the Mokka, with a hot-ish GSE version of their small SUV. This should be quick, not just in a straight line, but in the bends too. Click this EVO article link to learn more.

Jaecoo 5

Jaecoo is bringing the 5 to the UK very soon. This is the smaller sibling to the popular 7, with the same design cues, ie. takes a lot of ‘inspiration’ from Range Rover models. Prices will start at £24,505. Click this Autocar article link to read more.

Cadillac to return to the UK

Cadillac is to return to the UK soon, with two models. The first will be the Lyric SUV and most likely the Optiq SUV, both being electric. Other models were being discussed at GM head office. Click this Autocar article for more details.

LUNCHTIME READ: PEUGEOT’S BRILLIANT TORSION BAR REAR AXLE

We return to recommending articles after two weeks of videos, with a wonderful piece from Hagerty about Peugeot’s torsion bar rear axle. You get to learn the history of development and where it ended up. Superb nerdery abounds! Do enjoy. Click here to read all about it.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE STRANGEST CAR PUBLICITY PHOTOS EVER PUBLISHED

Autocar provides a slide show of some classics of the genre “what on earth was marketing thinking?”, when it comes to cars and promotional pics. You must click this link here, as some of these have to be seen to be believed. Do you agree with the chap’s choices or do you have a favourite, let them know.

AND FINALLY: PETROL & PRIDE MEETING

The first Petrol & Pride meeting took place at the British Motor Museum recently, where LGBTQ+ petrolheads and their allies, gathered to celebrate their love of cars. This is a brilliant idea and we hope it continues for many year. Click this Autocar article link here to read more.

As more details are revealed and more people begin to understand all of the ramifications of the UK Government’s Electric Car Grant. Firstly, the list of car eligible for the two tiers of payments will be confirmed on 11 August 2025. The scheme went live on 16 July 2025. Click here to read an Autocar article on this.

Secondly, car companies can self-register cars for the scheme and as the rules include Fleet registrations, this opens up the ability for abuse. Whilst these cars contributed to the Zero Emission Vehicle mandate, now tax payer’s money will be used to support car companies to be compliant. Click this link here to read more on that from Autocar.

There are some suggesting that the overall scheme will have little affect, as was discussed on the show last week. Indicata, a motoring related data firm, has calculated that the grant will affect only 5.8% or 14.4% of new car registrations, dependent on which tier is sought. They also have used information from Italy’s attempt as a similar scheme that made a small impact. On top of all that they highlight the danger of dramatic depreciation for newly bought vehicles and those outside of the eligibility of the scheme. Click this link to read more from a Motor Trader article.

Some manufacturers are forging ahead and offering discounts on their cars at the same rate as the lower tier of the grant. The likes of Alfa Romeo, GWM, Hyundai, Leapmotor, MG and Volvo have already made their move. Click this AutoTrader article for more.

Another issued raised was that the scheme ignores the used market. The Independent Motor Dealers Association (IMDA) has called for a £1000 grant for used EVs. Click this Motor Trader article link here to read more.

FOLLOW UP: EMPLOYEE CAR OWNERSHIP SCHEMES IN CROSSHAIRS

The UK Government first brought up, what it felt, was the unfair practice of Employee Car Ownership Schemes back in the autumn. This is where a member of staff gets a new car, for a short period of time and then moves onto a new car, whilst paying a much reduced contribution that anyone outside of the scheme would. Proposed legislation will mean anyone taking advantage of such a scheme will be taxed as though that was a company car. To read more, click this Motor Trader article link here.

VW PROFIT DROPS 29% YEAR ON YEAR

VW financial results for the first half of 2025 show a drop of 29%, with a big hit in Q2 thanks to the US tariffs. Both the profit and revenue was down on market expectations. If you want to find out more, click this Yahoo! Finance article link here.

GEELY GROUP WELCOMES BACK FAMILIAR FACES

Lotus Group has appointed Jim Rowan, ex-CEO of Volvo, to their board. You can read more about that by clicking this Consumer Warranty Solutions page here.

Additionally, Thomas Ingenlath, ex-CEO of Polestar, is now a design advisor for the entire Geely Group. If you wish to learn more, click this Electric Vehicles article link here.

JLR PUSHES BACK LAUNCH OF ELECTRIC RANGE ROVER

JLR is reported to have pushed back the launch of the electric Range Rover, for further development and due to a lack of demand from consumers. Suggestions are this will impact other models lined up for launch. JLR issued a statement that stated “we will launch our new models at the right time”. To read further about this, click here for an Autocar article on the story.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

Chery Tiggo 7

The second of two SUVs Chery is bringing to the UK, is the Tiggo 7. Aimed at the likes of the MG HS and Dacia Bigster, this will come with both a petrol and plug-in hybrid powertrain options. With the PHEV, the maximum electric only range is 56 miles. Prices are expected to start from £24,995 for the petrol and £29,995 for the PHEV. Both those prices undercut competition. You can read more, including the trim levels, by clicking this link from Autocar.

Subaru Uncharted

Subaru has revealed the latest tie-in with Toyota, the Uncharted. This is based on the C-HR+ with off-road abilities. Additionally, Subaru are clear to state they have re-engineered the steering and suspension setups to enable a “sporty and nimble character”. Pricing hasn’t been confirmed but is expected to start at under £40,000. Click this Autocar link for more.

Kia EV4 Fastback

Kia has revealed more details, including pricing, for the EV4 Fastback, which is expected in the UK from the autumn. Starting at £40,895, the lowest trim level is the GT Line, rising up to GT-Line S and a £45, 385 price tag. Click this EV Powered article link to learn more about what you can get for the money.

DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: GILLES VIDAL LEAVES RENAULT

Gilles Vidal is leaving Renault, who he joined in from Peugeot in 2020, to become head of design for Stellantis Europe. He has overseen a resurgance in Renault’s design and is the second big loss for the company following the departure of Luca de Meo recently. If you want to read more, click this link to an Autocar article.

DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: JEREMY OFFER LEAVES VOLVO

Jeremy Offer is resigning from Volvo thanks to the newly implemented ban on working from home. Offer was commuting between the UK, where his family is based, and Sweden. Nick Gronenthal, who leads automotive design for Volvo, is the interim design chief. You can read more by clicking this Autocar article link here.

LUNCHTIME WATCH: FESTIVAL OF THE UNEXCEPTIONAL 2025

Festival of the Unexceptional took place last weekend and we could not attend so are having to live vicariously through other people’s content. This week we recommend two videos to watch.

The first is Steph, from I Drive a Classic channel, who takes us around the show to see what caught her eye. Click here to see that.

The second is Jon Coupland’s video, which you can see by clicking here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE FOTU

Continuing on a theme, the list of the week is a selection of the cars attending the Festival of the Unexceptional 2025, that caught the eye of Sam Phillips of Autocar. Do you agree with the choices? Click here to see what options there are.

AND FINALLY: MODEL MAN

Last week the sad news came that Shunsaku Tamiya had died. He is created with helping to spread the love of finely detailed model cars, amongst other things, across the globe. Whilst now Tamiya are a byword for radio controlled models, they started in a much more humble beginning. FOLLOW UP: ELECTRIC CAR GRANT FALLOUT CONTINUES

As more details are revealed and more people begin to understand all of the ramifications of the UK Government’s Electric Car Grant. Firstly, the list of car eligible for the two tiers of payments will be confirmed on 11 August 2025. The scheme went live on 16 July 2025. Click here to read an Autocar article on this.

Secondly, car companies can self-register cars for the scheme and as the rules include Fleet registrations, this opens up the ability for abuse. Whilst these cars contributed to the Zero Emission Vehicle mandate, now tax payer’s money will be used to support car companies to be compliant. Click this link here to read more on that from Autocar.

There are some suggesting that the overall scheme will have little affect, as was discussed on the show last week. Indicata, a motoring related data firm, has calculated that the grant will affect only 5.8% or 14.4% of new car registrations, dependent on which tier is sought. They also have used information from Italy’s attempt as a similar scheme that made a small impact. On top of all that they highlight the danger of dramatic depreciation for newly bought vehicles and those outside of the eligibility of the scheme. Click this link to read more from a Motor Trader article.

Some manufacturers are forging ahead and offering discounts on their cars at the same rate as the lower tier of the grant. The likes of Alfa Romeo, GWM, Hyundai, Leapmotor, MG and Volvo have already made their move. Click this AutoTrader article for more.

Another issued raised was that the scheme ignores the used market. The Independent Motor Dealers Association (IMDA) has called for a £1000 grant for used EVs. Click this Motor Trader article link here to read more.

FOLLOW UP: EMPLOYEE CAR OWNERSHIP SCHEMES IN CROSSHAIRS

The UK Government first brought up, what it felt, was the unfair practice of Employee Car Ownership Schemes back in the autumn. This is where a member of staff gets a new car, for a short period of time and then moves onto a new car, whilst paying a much reduced contribution that anyone outside of the scheme would. Proposed legislation will mean anyone taking advantage of such a scheme will be taxed as though that was a company car. To read more, click this Motor Trader article link here.

VW PROFIT DROPS 29% YEAR ON YEAR

VW financial results for the first half of 2025 show a drop of 29%, with a big hit in Q2 thanks to the US tariffs. Both the profit and revenue was down on market expectations. If you want to find out more, click this Yahoo! Finance article link here.

GEELY GROUP WELCOMES BACK FAMILIAR FACES

Lotus Group has appointed Jim Rowan, ex-CEO of Volvo, to their board. You can read more about that by clicking this Consumer Warranty Solutions page here.

Additionally, Thomas Ingenlath, ex-CEO of Polestar, is now a design advisor for the entire Geely Group. If you wish to learn more, click this Electric Vehicles article link here.

JLR PUSHES BACK LAUNCH OF ELECTRIC RANGE ROVER

JLR is reported to have pushed back the launch of the electric Range Rover, for further development and due to a lack of demand from consumers. Suggestions are this will impact other models lined up for launch. JLR issued a statement that stated “we will launch our new models at the right time”. To read further about this, click here for an Autocar article on the story.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

Chery Tiggo 7

The second of two SUVs Chery is bringing to the UK, is the Tiggo 7. Aimed at the likes of the MG HS and Dacia Bigster, this will come with both a petrol and plug-in hybrid powertrain options. With the PHEV, the maximum electric only range is 56 miles. Prices are expected to start from £24,995 for the petrol and £29,995 for the PHEV. Both those prices undercut competition. You can read more, including the trim levels, by clicking this link from Autocar.

Subaru Uncharted

Subaru has revealed the latest tie-in with Toyota, the Uncharted. This is based on the C-HR+ with off-road abilities. Additionally, Subaru are clear to state they have re-engineered the steering and suspension setups to enable a “sporty and nimble character”. Pricing hasn’t been confirmed but is expected to start at under £40,000. Click this Autocar link for more.

Kia EV4 Fastback

Kia has revealed more details, including pricing, for the EV4 Fastback, which is expected in the UK from the autumn. Starting at £40,895, the lowest trim level is the GT Line, rising up to GT-Line S and a £45, 385 price tag. Click this EV Powered article link to learn more about what you can get for the money.

DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: GILLES VIDAL LEAVES RENAULT

Gilles Vidal is leaving Renault, who he joined in from Peugeot in 2020, to become head of design for Stellantis Europe. He has overseen a resurgance in Renault’s design and is the second big loss for the company following the departure of Luca de Meo recently. If you want to read more, click this link to an Autocar article.

DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: JEREMY OFFER LEAVES VOLVO

Jeremy Offer is resigning from Volvo thanks to the newly implemented ban on working from home. Offer was commuting between the UK, where his family is based, and Sweden. Nick Gronenthal, who leads automotive design for Volvo, is the interim design chief. You can read more by clicking this Autocar article link here.

LUNCHTIME WATCH: FESTIVAL OF THE UNEXCEPTIONAL 2025

Festival of the Unexceptional took place last weekend and we could not attend so are having to live vicariously through other people’s content. This week we recommend two videos to watch.

The first is Steph, from I Drive a Classic channel, who takes us around the show to see what caught her eye. Click here to see that.

The second is Jon Coupland’s video, which you can see by clicking here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE FOTU

Continuing on a theme, the list of the week is a selection of the cars attending the Festival of the Unexceptional 2025, that caught the eye of Sam Phillips of Autocar. Do you agree with the choices? Click here to see what options there are.

AND FINALLY: MODEL MAN

Last week the sad news came that Shunsaku Tamiya had died. He is created with helping to spread the love of finely detailed model cars, amongst other things, across the globe. Whilst now Tamiya are a byword for radio controlled models, they started in a much more humble beginning. Click this Hagerty article link to learn more about the man’s life and how he shaped the company.

Following months and months of calling on the UK Government to help private registrations with financial aid, the motor industry has got what it wants. Sort of. The Electric Car Grant has been announced that will be up to £3,750 off the price of a new car that is listed at under £37,000 plus other criteria, including how clean the grid is where the car was built. That last point effectively cuts out Chinese EVs due to their CO2 intensive energy supplies.

The grant is active now, with OEMs and dealerships claiming the money back following registration. Added to which, it applies to all buyers and not just private, as was called for. Many within the industry have expressed their disappointment in the scheme, especially how it has ignored the second hand market plus the knock on effect this will have to depreciation. If you wish to learn more, click this Autocar article link here.

To read about the expected impact on Asian built cars, click this EVfleetworld article link here.

FOLLOW UP: RENAULT GROUP APPOINT INTERIM CEO

Duncan Minto has taken over the interim CEO position at Renault Group, following Luca de Meo’s exit. Minto was appointed chief financial officer in March. The search for a new CEO continues. Click this Autocar article link here, to read more.

CHINA THROTTLES BATTERY MATERIAL EXPORTS

China is once again reminding the world who controls almost all of the supply chain when it comes to electric cars. This time they have, due to being now classed as security relevant, implemented an immediate export restriction on battery material preparation technology, ie. stuff that goes into making battery cathodes used in electric cars and energy storage. No reason has been really given for the sudden move. You can find out more by clicking this electrive article link here.

JLR CUTS JOBS AS SALES DROP

JLR has announced it is seeking voluntary redundancies from management positions, following the last quarter’s drop in sales. The company said it expects no more than 500 roles to go. The reason for reduced sales is being mainly put at the feet of the US tariff mess. Click this Autocar article link here to read more.

GEELY BUYS ZEEKER

Geely has acquired the final 37.2% of Zeeker shares, that were listed on the New York Stock Exchange only last year. This will cost the Chinese company around $2.4 billion. Suggestions are this has happened due to the geopolitical outlook and adding them to the group enables greater cost savings thanks to increasing the economy of scale benefits when purchasing parts. You can read more by clicking this electrive article link here.

UK GOVERNMENT OPENS AV TAXI CONSULTATION

The UK Government is asking for our feedback on rolling out autonomous taxi and bus services. They are going to do it, be under no illusion, but we might be able to influence just how that looks, in terms of the information these companies must supply. To read more, click this Autocar article link here.

To go straight to the Government webpage to access the proposed rules and the consultation questions, click this link here.

HISTORIC WELSH SITES GET EV CHARGERS

Evolt has installed electric car chargers at nine historic sites across Wales. This will help to fill in some of the gaps in the public charging infrastructure across the country. If you wish to learn more, click this electrive article link here.

UK GOVERNMENT LAUNCHES EV FLEET INFRASTRUCTURE GRANT

At the same time they were unveiling the Electric Car Grant, the UK Government was also starting the Depot Charging Scheme, where they will pay up to 75% of the costs to set up and install charge points for fleet companies. The scheme will only last until November though, so be quick! You can read more, by clicking this electrive article link here.

STELLANTIS PULLS HYDROGEN PROJECTS

Stellantis has shelved projects that were connected with hydrogen power for light commercial vehicles. Citing a lack of infrastructure and the high costs of hydrogen as reasons behind the move. Hydrogen industry has failed to learn the lessons of what Tesla did to bring so much confidence for EV owners. Click this Autocar article link here to find out more.

MERCEDES TO ALLOW IN-CAR CAMERA USE WHILST DRIVING

Mercedes-Benz is not only adding Microsoft’s Teams to their app store but enabling the use of the in-car camera for calls, on those models that have the facility. Whilst drivers will be able to use the app and have video calls whilst driving, the screen will not show the feeds from other attendees of the call. In a world where there is a mountain of research showing how dangerous hands free calls are, for impairing drivers cognitive ability, this seems utterly insane. If you want to read more, click this link to an article from The Verge.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

Chery Tiggo 8 Super Hybrid

The first of two SUVs Chery is bringing to the UK, is the Tiggo 8 Super Hybrid, capable of a claimed maximum range of 745 miles from one full tank and one full charge. Prices and UK specs are yet to be announced, but in the meantime you can read more by clicking this link from Top Gear.

Hyundai Ioniq 9

Hyundai has revealed UK prices and specifications for their flagship car, the Ioniq 9. Based on the same underpinnings as the Kia EV9, this is a large, luxury electric SUV. To find out more, click this Autocar article link here.

Ariel Atom 4RR

To celebrate 25 years of the Atom (how many years?!?) Ariel has taken a Civic Type R engine and made it, well, more, so that this is the most powerful and quickest Atom the company has produced. Click this article link here to read more.

LUNCHTIME WATCH: MONOBOX SPECIAL

Auto Didakt has taken a dive into monoboxes, with the help of the Renault Twingo Mk1 and the Mercedes-Benz A-Class Mk1. Click this YouTube link here to see the excellent video.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 10 OLD CAR FEATURES WE MISS

Antony Ingram and Hagerty supply this week’s list, which is all about features we miss on modern cars. Excellent list, thanks to Antony’s choices and his research. Click here to see more and don’t forget to tell us if you agree with Andrew’s choice.

AND FINALLY: YESTERDAY’S WORLD

We are recommending an old snippet from Tomorrow’s World, in the 1980s, that talks about in-car CD players and how remarkable they actually are when you think about it. Click here to see the YouTube video that takes you back in time.

The Times is reporting that more brands are now being brought into the Department for Transport (DfT) investigation into the use of defeat devices. This is where they pass the emissions testing regime but are set up to a different output when used on the public roads. Now there are 72 models from 27 brands being looked at. Click this article link to read more.

LEVC TO CUT JOBS IN COVENTRY

LEVC is to cut 180 jobs at it’s Coventry facility due to an increasingly difficult business conditions. The site is already running well below capacity, apparently. If you wish to learn more, click this Autocar article link here.

CHERY IS COMING TO THE UK

Chery, the owner of Jaecoo and Omada, is coming to the UK with it’s own vehicles later in the year. They chose to announce this with two vehicles at Goodwood’s Festival of Speed. To read more, click this Motor Trader article link here.

MUNRO TO EXPAND

Munro, the Scottish EV maker who focuses on rugged commercial type vehicles, is planning to expand their operation following the appointment of a new chairman, Avinash Rugoobur. Following a period of testing the company expects to fulfil the order book that currently have. You can find out more, by clicking this EV Powered article link here.

CAR THEFT DATA

The Loop Agency has investigated car theft data and decided to present it as number sold divided by the number stolen. This then gives a different perspective on the DVLA’s information, penalising smaller selling vehicles. If you want to read more, click this Autocar article link here.

FRANCE TRIAL IN-ROAD CHARGING SYSTEM

On a short section of the A10 near Paris, in-road electric vehicle charging infrastructure is being installed ahead of a trial due to begin in September for charging your EV as you drive, via inductive charging. To find out more, click this EV Powered article link here.

FRAUD CHARGES FOR RUNAWAY CAR DRIVER

In March 2024 the driver of a Jaguar I-Pace called the police to claim his car could not decelerate, this led to an incident that covered the M58, M57 and M62 in Lancashire and Merseyside. After being brought to a stop the police and JLR forensically investigated the car, which has resulted with the individual being charged with two counts of fraud, causing a public nuisance and dangerous driving. Click this EV Powered article for more.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

Fiat 500 Hybrid

After 17 years, the Fiat 500 petrol platform is being retired as a new mild hybrid version will be sold, based on the 500e underpinnings. Further updates will occur to the exterior, to enable cooling to the engine and the interior. Click this Autocar article to find out more.

Aston Martin Vantage S

Aston Martin bring back the S model, for the Vantage. Along with the badge comes oodles of power and tweaks to the chassis and suspension set up to enable drivers to take advantage of the upgrade to the engine. Click this Autocar article link here, to read more.

Bentley EX 15 Concept

Bentley has revealed the EX 15, a raised up two-door coupe that is apparently an urban SUV. The company says it is a hint at the direction future models will go, in terms of looks. Click this Autocar article link here to see more.

LUNCHTIME WATCH: GOODWOOD FESTIVAL OF SPEED HIGHLIGHTS

We have compiled the list below, of the Goodwood Festival of Speed highlights, they’ve published on their YouTube channel. This should cover your lunches for a week!

Click here for Thursday’s highlights.

Click here for Friday’s highlights.

Click here for Saturday’s highlights.

Click here for Sunday’s highlights.

Click here for Sunday’s Rally Stage livestream.

Click here for the Hillclimb Shoot Out final.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE FINEST MID-ENGINED MARVELS

Autocar has come up with a huge and cracking list of mid-engined cars for you to check out. Agree with Alan and Andrew? Click here to see what options you have.

AND FINALLY: WHEEL OF FORTUNE

Hagerty provide a short list of classic wheels, which is too short to be a List of the Week, but is equally too good to not share with you. Click here to read more and take a trip down memory lane.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has published the registration figures for new cars, that took place in June 2025. There is good news, as overall numbers rose, year-on-year. Not only that, but BEVs had a market share of 24.8% as uptake continues. To read more, click this article link from SMMT.

MCLAREN CONTINUES TO CHANGE LEADERSHIP TEAM

McLaren has appointed for Ferrari CEO, Luca Cordero Di Montezemolo, as a director. Presumably he is bringing a wealth of knowledge on how to run a successful performance car brand. If you want to find out more, click this EVO article link here.

GEELY IS COMING TO THE UK

Geely will be launching their own cars in the UK, starting with the EX5 a mid sized SUV. Sales are expected to begin towards the end of 2025. You can read more, by clicking this MotorTrader article link here.

RENAULT HIT BY NISSAN STAKE

Renault Group has reported a €9.5bn loss on their stake in Nissan. This is due to a combination of them reducing their share of the Japanese company and Nissan’s share price dropping by nearly 40% over the last year. Click this Financial Times article link to read more.

FERRARI LOSE TRADEMARK CASE

Ferrari claimed that an energy drink logo would cause confusion with consumers as they think they’ll be buying a Ferrari energy drink, thanks to the use of prancing horses. A Malaysian High Court has thrown the case out, however. The “Wee Power” logo can continue to be two prancing horse over a ‘W’. Click this link, from Free Malaysia Today, to read more.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

Kia EV4

Kia has revealed details about the EV4, which is due for sale in the UK in the autumn of 2025. Priced from £34,695, having a 58.3kWh battery pack that gives a max range of 273 miles as a hatch. There will be a saloon option too. For £37,695, you get a 81.4kWh battery pack that has a max range of 388 miles. Click this Autocar article link, to read more.

Kia Sportage

Kia are updating their most popular model, the Sportage. Externally the looks will now be in line with other refreshed models. Click this Autocar article link here, to find out more including prices.

Stellantis recall

Stellantis has issued a recall on their 1.5 BlueHDi diesel engine, built between 2017 and 2023, due to potential camshaft chain issues. Click this Bermuda Broadcast News article link for more.

LUNCHTIME READ: COMO CAR WEEK

Hagerty attended the Como Car Week, and we’re not jealous at all, no, nope, not us. Anyway, they have a great article explaining what went on that is accompanied by some fabulous pictures. Click this link here to see more.

LIST OF THE WEEK: TREASURES OF THE TOYOTA MUSEUM

Autocar has a great slideshow for this week’s list, as they take us inside the Toyota museum. Slightly unexpectedly, it is not all about Toyotas, there are plenty of cars from other brands to see too. Do you agree with Alan’s choice? Click this link to check out your options.

AND FINALLY: TV’S PAUL COWLAND’S OWN CAR COLLECTION PT 1

TV’s Paul Cowland has released the first of three videos where he explores his own eclectic car collection. Click this YouTube link here to see more and do enjoy!

UK car production dropped the lowest since 1949, bar the lockdown year of 2020. That is the second record breaking (and not the good type) month on the trot. The US tariff jump is being largely blamed for this. To read more, click this Autocar article link here.

NISSAN CONFIRMS UK JOB CUTS

Nissan has announced that around 250 employees are taking voluntary redundancy in Sunderland, as the car company looks to cut costs. This is all part of the dramatic steps the Japanese company is actioning due to their financial woes. If you wish to read more, click this Top Gear article link here.

Adding to the bleak picture Nissan is painting, leaked documents show the company approaching suppliers to request a delay in paying them. The reasoning is claimed to be a freeing up of cash. The request is voluntary, but would be two to three months delay for invoices being paid. You can read more, by clicking this Reuters article link here.

LOTUS MAY OR MAY NOT CLOSE UK PRODUCTION

Late last week Autocar was told that Lotus was planning to move production, from the UK, as it explored the possibility of building cars in the US thanks to the tariffs. However, on Monday, the company issued a statement refuting the possibility of shutting down the Hethel factory. The UK Government has pledged to discuss the matter with Lotus to safeguard British jobs. Click this Autocar link here to read more.

CAR MAKERS GO COLD ON APPLE CARPLAY ULTRA

Some of the companies that had agreed to work with Apple and integrate Apple CarPlay Ultra into their vehicles, are now stepping back from those commitments. Regular CarPlay will still be available but allowing access to data that enables the display on the driver's binnacle was too much for them. To learn more, click this MacRumours article link here.

GM CLASS ACTION TO BE SPLIT UP

General Motors won a ruling that will cause the class action against them, regarding defective transmissions, is to be split up into smaller cases due to the wide variety of vehicles involved. The case is not going away and it is only a reprieve as this will be sent back to the regional judge to decide which owners will be clumped together. If you want to read more, click this Reuters article link here.

INTEL RETREATS FROM THE AUTOMOTIVE SECTOR

Intel is closing down its automotive business and laying off the majority of people who worked on it. Intel is having to restructure due to business competition and struggles. Click this article link here, from The Register to read more.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

Mercedes-AMG Concept GT XX

Mercedes-AMG has revealed an electric performance car they are promising will stir our emotions. There will be a simulated sound of a V8 as well as pretend gear changes. To read more about this, click the link here to an Autocar article.

Porsche 911 Carrera Reimagined by Singer

Much to Alan’s “joy”, Singer has shown off their latest restomod of a Porsche 964. Prices are on the “oh, how much?” end of the scale and have utilised help from Red Bull Advanced Technologies and Cosworth. For more on this, click this EVO article link here.

Cadillac CELESTIQ

Cadillac has delivered its first CELESTIQ. This is a hand made electric luxury car, aiming at the Bentley and Rolls Royce markets. Prices start at just over $300,000 and can be personalised in a myriad of ways.Click this GM News article link for more.

LUNCHTIME READ: THREE IS A MAGIC NUMBER

Driven to Write provides our recommendation, for your reading pleasure this week. Eóin Doyle tells us all about BMW and their first 3-Series. As ever, a wonderful history lesson into a car that has been so important to the company. Click this link here to read all about it.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 25 OF RENAULT’S GREATEST PERFORMANCE HITS

We turn, once again, to Autocar as they provide a slideshow of performance Renaults. Don’t forget to tell us if you agree with Alan and Andrew’s choice. Click this link here to check out the options.

AND FINALLY: TAKE YOUR HOTEL WITH YOU

Fancy going off on a big adventure, into areas of the world that are a touch more inaccessible than you usually visit, but also want to take around 20 of your closest mates? No problem, Rotel Tours can help you! We link you to an article from The Autopian, that explains the history of Rotel Tours and the various vehicles they have used, including their latest which is are six wheeled Mercedes Actross based expedition vehicles. Click here to read more.

Following our confusion, last week, on what had actually been signed, it appears that the US and UK have indeed signed an actual, real trade deal. This means that for up to 100,000 cars exported to the US, there will only be an additional 10% tariff added, instead of 25%. Click this Autocar article link here, to read more.

NO RETURN TO 30MPH LIMIT IN DENBIGHSHIRE

One county in Wales has canvassed local residents to see if any of the roads that have been changed from 30 to 20mph limit, should be changed back to the original speed. Only people outside of specific areas, travelling through, have asked for a return to the higher speed and have not been considered. As a result, no roads are going back. You can read more, by clicking this BBC News article link here.

DEALER TO PAY FOR INFOTAINMENT REPLACEMENT SHOCK

A ruling by the Motor Ombudsman has stated that a dealer must pay for the full replacement costs of a broken infotainment system as it was deemed unsatisfactory quality. This was all under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. The shock is that the dealer is being held responsible and not the manufacturer, however, the contract is with the dealer and customer, not the customer and manufacturer. If you want to learn more, click this lawgistics article link, here.

NEW STELLANTIS PARTS DISTRIBUTION HUB IN THE UK

Ellesmere Port is the location of the new Stellantis parts distribution hub, which has just opened. This site will feed 19 regional parts hubs across the country and Ireland. To find out more, click this Autocar article link here.

AMAZON AND STELLANTIS SOFTWARE COLLABORATION ENDS

Stellantis and Amazon have shelved the software collaboration that was first announced in January 2022 and meant to be behind the SmartCockpit system. If you wish to learn more, click this Yahoo Finance article link here.

OLD NISSAN LEAF BATTERIES GET SECOND LIFE IN ROME

Rome Airport is using old Nissan Leaf batteries as part of a system that reduces the pull on the electrical energy network, making them more self contained. Nissan predicts the batteries will have a life of at least seven years. Click this EV Powered article to learn more.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

VW Golf GTI Edition 50

Volkswagen are getting ahead of the game, with announcing how they will celebrate the Golf GTI’s 50th anniversary. There will be a special edition, with 321bhp, giving a 0-62mph of 5.5 seconds an a limited top speed of 168mph. There is also some fettling to the chassis and suspension set ups to help deliver improved driving dynamics. Prices are expected to start around £45,000. Click this Autocar article link, to read more.

Caterham 310 Encore

Caterham is saying goodbye to the Ford 1.6 litre engine via a 25 vehicle special run of the 310, called the Encore. There are a number of improvements to the oily bits which allow the car to get to 62mph in just 4.9 seconds and a top speed of 127mph. Additionally there are funky colour and livery options that will mean you not miss them. Click this EVO article link to read more.

Toyota Land Cruiser Commercial

Toyota are brining a commercial version of the Land Cruiser which will mean no back seats and acres of room, plus a mighty towing capacity. You will be able to order one from 1 August 2025 and deliveries begin in September. Prices start at £52,729.17. You can find out more, by clicking this article link from The Mud Life.

Citroën DS3 and C3 stop driving order

Citroën has issues a ‘stop driving immediately’ order to owners of Mk1 DS3 and Mk2 C3 owners, for cars built between 2009 - 2019, due to potential risk from a Takata airbag misfiring, following a fatality in France. This is connected with the recall issued in December 2024 for the same issue. To read more, click this Autocar article link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: WELCOME TO PANDELLERIA

Thanks to Jim Magill for posting about the island of Pantelleria, which has the highest density of Fiat Pandas. Sitting in the Mediterranean Sea, between Tunisia and Sicily, the locals have adopted the Panda as the car to do all the things. Click this YouTube link to a Fiat video that shows you more about this marvellous place.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 19 INTERESTING FRENCH LUXURY BARGES

Autocar has provided a list of potential luxury French cars for you to select your favourite from. And this will be a tough choice. Agree with Alan and Andrew? Let us know. Click here to see the options.

AND FINALLY: SECRET STASH

We return to the topic of Porsche’s secret stash of cars, which thanks to our seeming obsession, is less secret! We are suggesting you try the following two links as Tom Ford walks around the facility discussing the various cars for Top Gear.

Click this link here, for the concept cars and prototypes.

For the road going cars, click this link here.

Over the weekend there was surprise from Renault Group, as Luca de Meo announced he would be leaving the company on 15 July to become CEO of French luxury group Kering. To find out more, click this Yahoo Finance article link here.

£15.6BN FOR TRANSPORT IN GOVERNMENT SPENDING REVIEW

The UK Government has announced their spending review, where £15.6 billion is being allocated for transport projects, of which £1.4 billion is for the uptake of electric vehicles. More money is set aside for other connected projects such as training and upskilling young people. Click this Motor Trader article link here to read more.

MINISTERS TO CHOOSE WHO CAN ACCESS US UK TRADE DEAL

With the US and UK having negotiated the details of the previous agreement of areas they would discuss, the proposal of 100,000 UK built cars being exported to America, annually, at an additional tariff of 10% looks set to come into force. However, who from these shores can access that is yet to be decided. Car Dealer Magazine is suggesting that Government ministers are to work that out. If you want to read more, click this article link here.

VOLVO REVEALS ADAPTIVE SEAT BELT

Volvo has shown off a new seat belt, which has been designed to react to the individual wearing it and the environment around the car. There will be a host of sensors which relay specific information to allow different tension strengths, in the event of an collision, depending on the size and weight of the occupant. On top of which there will be over-the-air updates that Volvo says it will use to improve the technology. To learn more, click this Top Gear article link here.

BELIEV TO EXPAND EV CHARGER NETWORK

Believ has announced that, thanks to public and private funding, it will expand the public EV charging network helping to try to achieve the 300,000 charger target by 2030. They will be helping on-street charging needs as well as rural areas that have been overlooked up to now. You can find out more, by clicking this EV Powered article link here.

UBER AND WAYVE TO BRING DRIVERLESS CARS TO LONDON

Uber and Wayve will be trialling a taxi service in London come the spring of 2026. Wayve claims it uses AI to pilot vehicles and only last month Uber was complaining that they could not meet the requirements to launch driverless vehicles in the UK. A reminder that AI cannot meet the requirements of safety critical software. For more on this, click here on a Top Gear article link.

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NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

VW Polo Edition 50

Volkswagen are celebrating the Polo’s 50th birthday with a special edition, the Edition 50. There are a host of features included in this limited run model for a price of £26,350. Click this Motoring Research article to read more.

Honda Civic Type R Ultimate Edition

Honda are ending the sale of the Type R in Europe and the UK due to regulatory pressures. However, they are signing it off with a limited run of the Ultimate Edition. Just 10 are coming to these shores. No news on the price but expect it to be more than the current £48,900. Click this Autocar article link for more.

Pogea Project R107

German company Pogea has shown off their Project R107, a restomod SL, and it looks fab. A showcase for the level of detail and individuality they can offer the well heeled and discerning customer. Price is very much POA, mind you. Click this Evo article link to see more.

LUNCHTIME READ: DON’T LOOK BACK IN ANGER

Patrick Fuller, writing in Autocar, explains the media landscape of the 1990s. This was a formative time for many of us as we got new magazines and a change in how things were done. Click this article link to take a history lesson.

LIST OF THE WEEK: WHAT DAD DROVE

Hagerty, thanks to Antony Ingram, has provided the list of the week. Here are 10 examples of what typical Dad’s used to drive. Do you agree with Alan’s choice? Let us know. Click here to see your options.

AND FINALLY: ADVENTURES IN CUP HOLDER DESIGN

The humble cup holder may seem like a simple thing to add to a car but that is not the case. You can read about how much effort goes into trying to add something that as many people as possible will be happy with, by clicking this DesignNews article link here.

New car registrations rose, year on year, 1.6% thanks to Fleet. BEV registrations rose to 21.8% of the market share, which is growth but still a long way off the mandated amount. The SMMT once again called on Government financial help to encourage more people to buy electric. Click this link here to read more from the SMMT.

TFL TO INCREASE LONDON CONGESTION CHARGE

From 2 January 2026, the rate of the Congestion Charge if being proposed to increase to £18 along with the exemption for zero emission vehicles (ZEV) ending. However, ZEVs will pay a reduced amount that will change over time. If you wish to learn more, click this electrive article link here. For the Autocar article, click here.

PIRELLI CAUGHT UP IN ANTI-CHINESE CONNECTIVITY RULES

The US Department of Commerce has finalised their rules on connected vehicle technology and software. They are banning any from Russia and China. This has brought Pirelli’s ‘Cyber Tyre’ technology into the crosshairs as Sinochem, a Chinese company, has 37% of shares in the manufacturer. To read more, click this Carscoops article link here.

BRAZIL SUES BYD OVER WORKER'S CONDITIONS

BYD, the Chinese EV maker, is building a plant in Brazil, but has been raided by officials who state they released 220 workers from conditions they likened to slavery. Welfare and financial restrictions were found that contravened the local laws. For more on this story, click here to read a BBC News article.

NORTH OF SCOTLAND EV CHARGING CONTRACT SIGNED

EasyGo, an EV charging network, has signed a 20 year contract to install and maintain electric charging points across the north of Scotland. On top of that they will take on the upkeep of 425 existing council charge points. Click this electrive article link here to read more.

FASTNED TO OPEN NEW CHARGING HUB IN WEST SCOTLAND

Fastned will open its fifth charging hub in Scotland, this time at Greenock, which will house four ultra-rapid chargers that can add around 100 miles to a car’s range in five minutes. If you wish to read more, click this Electric Drives article link here.

MCDONALD’S EV CHARGING PROVISION INCREASES

McDonald’s, in partnership with Instavolt, has EV charge points at 250 sites across the UK and Ireland. They do not plan on slowing down either. Fast charging for fast food. Click this Motoring Research article link here, to read more.

TFL STUDY SHOWS ROAD INJURY AND DEATH REDUCTION

A study by Transport for London (TfL) into rates of serious injury and death on roads with 20mph speed limits has shown a reduction in the numbers. This backs up what is already known about how much a maximum speed of 20mph is better for vulnerable road users, if there is an incident. To read further on this, click the ETSC article link here.

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NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

BYD Seal 06

BYD are bringing the PHEV version of the Seal to the UK, depending on spec it can have up to 50 miles of electric only running, according to WLTP testing. Additionally, we will get both the saloon and estate versions. Prices are yet to be revealed. You can find out more, by clicking this Autocar article link here.

Lotus Emira

Lotus is updating the Emira. With changes so small we feel only the most nerdy of tread shufflers will notice the difference. However, anything that improves and already impressive vehicle is a good thing. Click this Autocar article link, to read more.

Get Lost Project Safari

Get Lost, a UK start up, has taken a Lotus Elise S1 and reimagined it in a way not many would think to go. They have made a safari rally version, with raised ride height, flared arches, big knobbly tyres and spot lights on the front. We applaud the team for what they have made and would love to have a go in one. Click this Autocar article link to read more and see the fabulous machine.

LUNCHTIME READ: THE FAMILY CAR REIMAGINED (PARTS 1 & 2)

Daniel O’Callaghan, has written about the Renault 16 in two Driven to Write articles. In these he explains the history and philosophy of the car and its origin. Fascinating stuff, which we heartily recommend you check out, by clicking this link here, for Part One.

For Part Two, click this link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: HERE’S TO THINKING DIFFERENTLY

Hagerty has provided the list we are recommending to you to check out, this week. The Top 10 designs by William Towns. There are a couple of the usual suspects, but there are also some more obscure vehicles which are very interesting in their own right. Click the list here and see if you agree with Andrew’s selection.

AND FINALLY: NEW FUEL COST ESTIMATOR

A former colleague of Alan’s, Filip Ruminski, has produced an app and API for fuel cost estimating called Journey Cost and is especially helpful for road trips. This is a lovely bit of clean design with some excellent functionality, plus some lovely little touches which help it stand out. Click this link here to read Filip’s LinkedIn post about it all.

Click this link here to go straight to the web app.

Over nine and a half years after dieselgate first hit the news, a court in Germany has sentenced four ex Volkswagen Group executives for their part in the scandal. Two were given prison time, with the others being given suspended sentences. Former Group CEO, Martin Winterkorn, is still awaiting trial after several health issues. Click this article link from DW for more.

FOLLOW UP: FRANCE CANS ZFES DUE TO COMPLEXITY

French politicians voted to end low emission zones, as it was part of a wider proposal to make daily life in France more simple. Alan predicted this would be the case, as he had just bought passes for his cars. Statues are being erected in honour of the man bringing a better life to the ordinary people of France. They will know Alan Bradley’s name and they will honour it! To read more, click this Connexion article link here.

FOLLOW UP: STELLANTIS GET A NEW CEO

After months of searching, Stellantis have named the ex-Jeep boss, Antonio Filosa, as the new chief executive officer. Also announced is that the leadership team for the 14 brands of the group will be confirmed next month. You can find out more, by clicking this Autocar article link here.

APRIL UK CAR PRODUCTION THE WORST FOR 73 YEARS

Apart from 2020, which was hit by Covid lockdowns, April 2025 was the worst for production since 1952. SMMT suggests that the Easter date and reduced export demand is to blame. Obviously, the call went up to demand UK based incentives to encourage more to buy. Click this Autocar article link here, for more.

TOYOTA BRINGING GR COROLLA PRODUCTION TO THE UK

On more positive production news, Toyota is bringing GR Corolla production to the UK. Expected production levels are yet to be announced. To read more, click this Autocar article link here.

VOLVO CULLING MORE JOBS

Volvo has announced big cuts at it’s Swedish bases, with 2200 roles to be made redundant. On top of that, a further 800 jobs will go across the global network. If you wish to find out more, click this Autocar article link here.

VAUXHALL GETS A NEW BOSS

Steve Catlin will be returning to Vauxhall, where he started his journey in the automotive journey, via Audi, Seat, VW Group and latterly Volvo UK where he headed up the Financial Services division. To read more, click this Car Dealer article link here.

UK EV CHARGER PLANNING REQUIREMENTS REMOVED

Lillian Greenwood, the Future Roads Minister, has announced that the requirements of planning permission for private and public chargers is to be removed. The hope is that this will help speed up the installation of chargers across the country. For more on this story, click this link to an EV Powered story.

PORSCHE REMOVE CERTAIN TAYCANS FROM SALE IN THE UK

Late last week Porsche issued a bulletin to UK dealers, to remove certain second hand Taycans from sale. This is believed to be as a result of the DVSA making a request due to an issue with battery monitoring and the risk of a short circuit and ultimately a fire. Click this Car Dealer article link here to find out more.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

Alpine A390

Alpine has revealed their inevitable SUV, the A390, a SUV coupe with lots of talk about being driver focused, as you would expect from the brand. They are using a tri-motor layout to give, what the company explains, is the feeling of lightness as two are at the back and one at the front. Prices are expected to start around £60,000. Click here to read more, including the specs, via an Autocar article link.

Genesis Electrified G80

Genesis will be bringing their updated and electric G80 to the UK this month. Big battery, lots of power, quick, refined and capable of up to 323 miles. On top of which, it is longer, so everyone inside will enjoy even more room. Click this Top Gear article link for more.

Fiat Grande Panda 4x4

Fiat has shown off their concept for a 4x4 Grande Panda. Harking back to the original and adding elements that one regularly sees if searching the internet, such as a roof rack, spot lights and steel wheels. Yet to be officially confirmed for production, it is expected to make showrooms at some time. Click this Autocar link for more.

LUNCHTIME READ: MARCELLO GANDINI HONOURED AT ITALY’S POLITECNICO DI TORINO

This is over a year old, but is the acceptance speech from Marcello Gandini following the award of an honourary degree. You hear about his path to designing some of the most special cars ever, who helped him, his thoughts on how to design and use of technology. A wonderful speech from a very special person. Click this Magneto link here to read.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE SMALLEST CARS EVER MADE BY EVERY MAJOR CAR MAKER

Autocar, once again, is the provider of the List of the Week, with the smallest cars from each car maker. Some you will know, some you might not due to being local market only. Do you agree with the choices made by the chaps? Do let them know. You can check out the options, by clicking this link here.

AND FINALLY: SECRET BMWS

EVO has an article on a book about the BMWs we never have seen, as they were created to help bring the models we did get to see and buy. Fascinating pictures and stories about things that have been secret up to now. Click this link to see more.

Following an appeal to block the case, by Nissan, the Inner House of the Court of Session has concluded that the ‘dieselgate’ class-action can proceed against the Japanese company and Renault. The claim is that the brands fitted defeat devices in their vehicles and 8,500 people are stating they suffered loss as a result. Click this article link from The Standard to read more.

GOVERNMENT PARKING APP TRIAL PROVES SUCCESSFUL

Trials, by the UK Government, have resulted in three of the largest parking payment firms agreeing to use one single app. RingGo, JustPark and PayByPhone will enable drivers to pay for parking at the sites run by them, via the National Parking Platform. If you wish to read more, click this Autocar link here.

FREIGHT HUB EV CHARGERS FOR LORRIES

Maritime Transport will have EV lorry chargers at three site by the end of the month. Tilbury, Doncaster and Wakefield are the first to enable the use of electric lorries, with a further nine following before the end of the year. To read more, click this article link here from Current News.

DISABLED DRIVERS LEFT BEHIND BY PUBLIC CHARGING NETWORK

The Public Accounts Committee, has published a report to Parliament, that highlights and criticises the public charging network roll-out’s failure of installations when it comes to disabled drivers. You can find out more, by clicking this Autocar article link here.

‘CHARGE UP CHANGE’ CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED

EVA England, an organisation that states it is the voice of EV drivers to aid in policy creation. They have created an online tool that allows you to write to your local MP to help highlight issues facing the switch over to EVs. Click this MotorTrader article link here to read more.

For the link to the EVA England Charge Up Change page, click this link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

Nissan Micra

Nissan has revealed the next generation Micra and it will be electric. This is a reworked Renault 5. Apparently it is aimed at the European market and is trying to shed the previous generation’s reputation of being for older drivers. To find out the specifications and more details, click this Autocar link here.

Toyota RAV4

Toyota has tweaked the looks of the new RAV4, making it more boxy but also improved the technology side of things. Additionally, in the UK, we will only be able to buy the PHEV version. If you want to learn more, click this Autocar article link here.

Fiat TRIS

Fiat Professional has revealed its first electric three wheel vehicle, called the TRIS. Aimed at last mile delivery work, it has a 90km range and comes in three styles - picl-up, flatbed and chassis-cabin. At first this will be sold in the Middle East and Africa. If you wish to read more, click this electrive article link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: IF YOU CARE ABOUT CAR CULTURE DON’T BE A JERK ALL THE TIME

Matt Hardigree writes about how people being idiots in cars is potentially speeding up the demise of cars as it gives more weight to those who want them banned. He also introduces a new principle that sounds good. Click this article link from The Autopian to read more.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE CARS THAT ARE CULTS

Autocar has produced a slideshow of cars that are famous for being cult classics and a couple more they think need adding to such a list in the future. Do you agree with the decisions the chaps made? Let us know. Click here to view your options.

AND FINALLY: GARAGE RENAISSANCE

Fabris Photography has created a series that is recreating the famous Renaissance paintings, using a garage and the staff as subjects. This really is a work of art, do click this link back to the site to see all the fabulous images.

As the And Finally of our episode Nice Weave - 22 April 2025 we discussed the story of citizen campaigner, Zoë Bread, who uses TikTok to highlight typically fun issues but this time it was about how misleading the parking signs were on Collier Street in Manchester. She was fined and dug into the issue as she mistakenly paid at a private machine, thanks to the confusing signage. As a result of this and the attention it drew, she and others will be refunded. Click this BBC News article link here, for more.

NISSAN CUTTING MORE JOBS

Nissan is cutting up to 20,000 jobs across its global footprint, previously the number was 9,000. On top of this plants will be shut, additional to the announced proposed battery factory. Great effort is being put into making operations more efficient, particularly from engineering and the supply chain. If you wish to read more, click this electrive article link here.

Additionally, Nissan said it would be happy to integrate the Chinese state-owned Dongfeng into it’s global production capabilities. To read more, click this BBC News article link here.

EXCELLENT FINANCIAL RESULTS FROM JLR

JLR has revealed pre tax profits of £2.5 billion for the last financial year. This took place whilst sales in Jaguar cars and the Discovery dropped, showing how important the Defender and Range Rover brands are to the organisation. You can read more, by clicking this Autocar link here.

POLESTAR GROWTH IN FIRST QUARTER OF 2025

Polestar are suggesting that some of the help that has enabled them to have a 76% increase in sales and 84% in revenue is partly down to abandoning the agency sales model. If you want to find out more, click this Autocar article link, here.

HYUNDAI TO BUILD CARS IN SAUDI ARABIA

Hyundai has announced it will begin producing cars in Saudi Arabia, from late 2026. They are the second brand to be situated in the King Salman Automotive Cluster, part of the King Abdullah Economic City near Jeddah. The expectation is for them to build 50,000 cars a year. Click this Autocar article link here, for more.

CITROËN GETS A NEW BOSS

Citroën’s new CEO will be Xavier Chardon, who is currently the head of VW France. He takes over from Thierry Koskas on 2 June 2025. Before working for VW back in 2012 he was at Citroën. To read more on this, click here for the Autocar article link.

ASTON MARTIN REVEAL CAR PLAY ULTRA INTEGRATION

After announcing their new Car Play back in mid 2022, Apple has partnered with Aston Martin, bringing us the first brand to integrate into their cars. Click this Motoring Research article link here to see more.

Drew Smith has an interesting thread on Bluesky, discussing this, click here to read that.

For additional context, here is a link to a Looking Out newsletter piece by Drew with several links mentioned that add layers of nuance to it all, click here to read the first one.

To read the second piece, click this link here.

To read the third one, click this link here.

GOVERNMENT CONSULTATION FOR CAR PARK SOLAR CANOPIES

The UK Government has opened a consultation on mandating new outdoor car parks must install solar panel canopies. The scope of the consultation includes the size, type and ownership of car parks to be included. For more on this, click this Yahoo Finance article link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

Toyota bZ4X Touring

Toyota has revealed their version of the Subaru Trailseeker, we discussed a few weeks ago. Larger than the bZ4X SUV, this is being portrayed as a electric estate. For more information, click this Autocar link here.

Volkswagen ID.3

VW are updating the ID.3. Again. A revised front end, to bring it more in line with other cars of the range and a much improved interior is promised. There is also a presumption that the powertrain and tech side of things will be improved. You ca read more, by clicking this Autocar link here.

Denza Z9 GT

Denza, a premium brand under the BYD group, is bringing the Z9 GT to the UK at some point. This is aimed at the likes of the Porsche Taycan, with looks similar to a Panamera. In China these boast astonishing power outputs, 0-62mph times and ranges but we have yet to be told more details. Click this Top Gear article link here, for more.

LUNCHTIME READ: WHY JAGUAR’S REBRAND FAILED AND WHAT IT CAN TEACH US

Whilst most of the dust has settled following Jaguar’s marketing splash to announce how they were changing as a brand, news has come out that the company is no longer using the marketing firm Accenture Song. Apparently, the contract has come to an end, naturally. Click this Creative Bloom article link to read about how marketing professionals viewed the campaign.

If you, like the chaps, were confused as to why Accenture had anything to do with marketing, click this Marketing-Interactive link, that Drew Smith shared, which helps to explain more.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE BEST FRENCH CARS EVER

Do you like French cars? Do you like the best? You are in luck then, as Autocar’s slideshow this week has the best French cars ever and some of them were even made in large numbers too! Do you agree with the choices Alan and Andrew made? Click this link here to view your options.

AND FINALLY: SEATS TOO BIG FOR AMERICA

Volkswagen are having to recall the ID.Buzz in the US, for a very strange reason, the seats are too big! We are prodding fun, a bit, but the real concern is due to their size some may thing they can seat three instead of the two that are catered for with seatbelts. To read more, click this link from The Autopian, here.

As expected, the new car registration figures for April 2025, were down following the jump in March prior to the tax changes. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) explained how there was a ten percent drop, year-on-year. However, BEV and PHEV registrations rose, but are not near the levels needed to comply with the ZEV mandate. Once again the SMMT called on the Government to assist the industry and buyers. Click this link to read more, from SMMT.

GOVERNMENT FUNDING FOR SUNDERLAND BATTERY FACTORY

The planned factory, by AESC, in Sunderland, which will make batteries for Nissan is to receive Government funding. £350 million has been allocated, with an expectation of a thousand well paid jobs, according to the chancellor Rachel Reeves. You can find out more, by clicking this Sunderland Echo article link, here.

NISSAN CANCELLING JAPANESE BATTERY FACTORY

Nissan is not going to build the planned battery factory in Kitakyushu, Japan. This will save the company $1.1 billion, it is reported. If you wish to read more, click this Yahoo Finance article link here.

UK - INDIA TRADE AGREEMENT ANNOUNCED

Details are a bit sketchy, but the UK and Indian Governments announced that they had reached a trade agreement. One beneficiary is the car industry or at least those who produce “high end cars”, whatever they are. Until more information is more forthcoming it is difficult to confirm if it is good or not. Click this Autocar article for more.

EU TWEAKS CO2 EMISSION RULES

The EU has made changes to the rules for car manufacturers about CO2 emissions. They will now allow brands to average their fleet output over three years rather than annually. If you wish to read more click this Yahoo Finance article link here.

FOXCONN AND MITSUBISHI AGREE PRODUCTION DEAL

Foxconn has announced the first deal to develop and produce a car for a brand. Mitsubishi has agreed to allow them to bring a car to the Australian and New Zealand markets in late 2026. To read more, click this electrive article link here.

CONFUSION OVER FRENCH ZEVS

The future of French Clean Air Zones is in doubt as the country’s parliament is voting on making daily life more simple. After hearing Alan explain some of the intricacies it is easy to see why people are suggesting it is not the most straightforward thing. Click this Connexion article to read more.

VOLTA TRUCKS GOES BANKRUPT AGAIN

In late 2023 the Swedish arm of Volta Trucks went into receivership, alas now the UK and Austrian elements have followed suit. This is a sad end to what looked like a promising venture that was let down by relying on technology from a company that themselves went bankrupt. To read more, click this article link here from electrive.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

Jeep Compass

The latest variant of the Stellantis Medium Architecture platform is the jeep Compass, a mid sized SUV with extra off-road capability over sister cars such as the Citroën Aircross and Vauxhall Grandland. A mix of powertrain offerings is topped out by an EV with a maximum range up to 404 miles. Click this Autocar link to read more.

Volvo XC70

Volvo are brining back the XC70, in the form of a range extender with an EV-only maximum capacity of 124 miles. At the moment this is only for the Chinese market, but they are not saying it won’t be sold globally. Click this Autocar link here.

Mika Mino

Mika are a company that sell a funky electric beach buggy, but have now revealed images of the Mino, an all electric quadracycle with a top speed around 56 mph and a maximum range up to 160 miles. Friend of the show, Nir Kahn, is behind the design. Click this Wallpaper article to read more.

LUNCHTIME READ: MICRO MACHINES

Top Gear go to Japan, this time to find out more about the museum dedicated to the country’s micro machines. Smaller than kei cars these fabulous creations are discussed. Do click the link here, to read more and see the wonderful pictures.

LIST OF THE WEEK: TOP 1990S COUPÉ ICONS

Sticking with last week’s selection of the decade, the chaps move onto coupés and they do not agree with each other’s choices. At all. Click this Hagerty link here, to read more and see what is being suggested.

AND FINALLY: CAREFUL WHERE YOU PARK

Mark Lucas parked his electric van in a vehicle stacker car park on Rathbone Square, in London. Due to a fault in the mechanism he couldn’t get it back for over two years. Click this Autopian link to read more about this ridiculous situation.

Stellantis has decided not to publish their profit forecast, stating that the tariffs cause far too much uncertainty for the financial year ahead. Their financial results for the first quarter of 2025 continued to disappoint, with a 14% drop in revenue and a 9% drop in vehicle shipments. If you wish to learn more, click this Autocar article link here.

40% DROP IN PROFITS FOR VW

Volkswagen’s financial results for the first quarter of 2025 are in and are not great. They did make a profit but it is down 40% on last year, being £1.9 billion with a 1.4% rise in sales. They stated that the increased number of EVs being bought had impacted them due to the much reduced profit margin in electric vehicles. Click this Autocar article to learn more.

IMPROVED ASTON MARTIN PERFORMANCE DESPITE LOSS

Aston Martin announced a pre tax loss of £76.9 million, for the first quarter of 2025, which is significantly down from last year’s £138.8 million. Revenue was also down, 13%, to £233.9 million, showing how the cost cutting efforts were working for the company. You can learn more, by clicking this Autocar link here.

DROP IN REVENUE FOR VOLVO

Volvo too were announcing their financial results for the first quarter of 2025 and they were down. Deliveries, earnings and revue are all down. Interim CEO Håkan Samuelsson announced cost cutting measures across their global network. To read more, click this Autocar article link here.

PORSCHE IN-HOUSE BATTERY PRODUCTION PLANS CHANGE

Porsche are not going to expand their in-house battery production, as was originally planned. Instead that money will go to software and other products, as they claim the slow uptake in EVs is to blame. This all comes as they announce a further dramatic drop in China sales, down 42% for the first quarter, and an expected drop in revenue and profits for the company overall. You can learn more, by clicking this Autocar article link here.

MCLAREN GETS A NEW BOSS

Following the merger of McLaren and Forseven, Michael Leiters has stepped down with immediate affect. Forseven’s boss Nick Collins, who coincidentally was named CEO of McLaren Group Holdings - the new overarching company that encompass McLaren and Forseven. Click this Autocar article link to read more.

SKODA OPENS ONLINE SHOWROOM WITH AMAZON

You will soon be able to research and peruse your next Skoda via Amazon, in the UK. On top of which you can book your test drive before visiting a Skoda showroom and buying, if you so wish, from the car company directly. If you want to learn more, click this Top Gear article link for more.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

Citroën C5 Aircross

Citroën has shown off the new C5 Aircross, using the same Stellantis Medium platform as the Peugeot 3008 and Vauxhall Grandland. This will be their flagship model. Visually there are some attractive elements and the interior looks a good mix of interesting materials and finishes. There will be a multitude of powertrains, including an electric version. Prices, for the hybrid are expected around £35,000 with a rise to about £40,000 for the EV. Click this Autocar article to read more.

Renault Trafic, Estafette and Goelette electric vans

Renault has revealed actual examples of their electric vans, rather than renders. With an EV Trafic, where you can expect a lot of versatility in its configuration and use. The Estafette is a European version of the Rivian vans Amazon uses in the US, where the parcel delivery function has been thought through extensively. Finally the Goelette is a Trafic cab, with a huge list of possible combinations and types of rear body. You can read more, by clicking this article link from Professional Van.

Isuzu D-Max EV

Isuzu, at the Commercial Vehicle Show, recently showed their electric only pickup, with a really decent towing and load capacity, the same capability as the ICE version, in terms of off road ability and a range up to 163 miles. That may not sound much, to a car owner, but to the intended end user that should easily meet their needs. To find out more, click this Professional Pickup article link here.

LUNCHTIME WATCH: HOW DOES PETROL GET TO YOUR CAR

AutoShenanigins has produced an excellent video that shuld be part of the chemestry sylabus, explaining how we in the UK get petrol up to the point of putting it in our cars. Click this YouTube link to watch.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 1990S NON-GERMAN SALOONS

A shorter than what we have recently shared list, this week, but looking at the title you will understand why. What were the options, in the 1990s if you didn’t or weren’t allowed on the company car list, to have something German? Do you agree with Andrew’s choice? What would you have? Click this Hagerty link to find out more.

AND FINALLY: DRIVING AROUND THE COAST OF BRITAIN IN A LAND ROVER

Derek Hernaman took his Series 1 Land Rover, put an 80 year old caravan on the back of it, and drove around the coast of Britain. Took him a little while and he was escorted back on the last leg with 50 other Land Rovers, as he also raised £12,000 for charity. What a lovely trip to undertake. Click this BBC News article link here, for more.

Thanks to listener, Alexander Aucken, we now know that the EU is not banning carbon fibre. Last week the material was removed from the draft proposal after information supplied by the car industry and conflicting research which, in the end, could not show it was a hazardous material. Click this excellent piece from Michael Taylor, to learn more.

NISSAN GB GETS a new boss

James Taylor has been appointed the managing director of Nissan GB, following his departure from Vauxhall. He replaces Diana Torres, who has been in charge for the last year. You can read more, by clicking this article link from Motor Trader.

PLANS TO INCREASE DRIVING LICENSE TEST AVAILABILITY

In some parts of the UK a learner driver may have to wait up to six months to get a driving test appointments. The Government is hoping to add up to 10,000 slots per month with additional testers and reintroduction of overtime payments. There are administrative changes happening as well. To learn more, click this Autocar article link here.

CHAIRMAN WANTS TOYOTA TO BUY SUPPLIER

Akio Toyoda, the Chairman of Toyota Motor Corp., has proposed buying Toyota Industries Corp., a supplier of the car company. However, the price suggested is much higher than current market value. The deal is at the very early stage and may not come to any fruition. If you wish to learn more, click this Yahoo! Finance article here.

ARNOLD CLARK GETS A NEW BOSS

Russell Borrie is taking over the role as Chief Executive Officer for Arnold Clark Automobiles, following the departure of Eddie Hawthorne who led the company for 27 years. To read more, click this CarDealer article link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

Volvo S90

Volvo has updated and refreshed the S90, which will not be coming to the UK. External touches include design cues that we have seen on the XC90 and XC60, internally there is the new touchscreen and more refinement. The EV only range of the PHEV has increased to 50 miles. Click this Autocar article to read more.

Subaru Outback

Subaru revealed the new Outback at the New York Motor Show and it is a full SUV now. With cues to the Forester from the late 90s and early 2000s, the Outback has got bigger, with a more blunt front end. Internally there are upgrades to the displays, infotainment system and a return of physical controls for climate control. Click this Carscoops article link, to read more.

Slate Truck

An EV start up, backed by Jeff Bezos, has revealed their first vehicle an all electric small pick up truck. Based in the US, the vehicle can be bought for around $20,000 with US Government incentives. A stripped back vehicle, with no touchscreen inside (you use your own phone) and wind up windows, for example. Questions remain about the business model and if the car will come to market. You can see more by clicking this EVPowered article link here.

Thanks to listener Jamie Stokes, we discuss how the UK has a need for such a vehicle.

LUNCHTIME WATCH: THE 1976 SAFARI RALLY

Thanks to the YouTube algorithm actually suggesting something worthwhile, we bring you a video that covers the Safari Rally from 1976. Be warned, Mitsubishi commissioned this therefore they do feature quite a bit, but it is a fascinating film showing how it used to be and how much of an adventure it was. Click this link here to watch for yourself.

LIST OF THE WEEK: SECRET TREASURES OF THE OFFICIAL PORSCHE VAULT

Autocar are the supplier of this week’s list, for you to peruse. See the hidden cars no one usually sees, from test mules, to prototypes, to race cars, this place has lots to check out. Click here to see what you can select your favourite from.

AND FINALLY: ROVING REPORTER AT THE NEW YORK MOTOR SHOW

Listener Matthew Tyson kindly went and found the Subaru Outback at the New York Motor Show, following Alan’s request. But he didn’t stop with just photos of that! Below are a bunch of links to some of the weird, the wonderful, the sublime and new vehicles he found whilst mooching around. Do check them out!

4Runner Surf Concept

Selection of Toyotas and predicting the future

Toyota Land Cruiser Rox Concept

Genesis Hypercar / IMSA GTP

Hyundai IONIQ 5N Pikes Peak

Dodge Charger Daytona

Fiat making an appearance

Subaru Outback Wilderness and Trailseeker

Kia WKNDR

Mustangs

Broncos

Overlanding options if your pockets are deep

Corollas

RWB Porsches

Tastefully modded Buick

Modded Batmobile

Mercedes 300SL

BMW E30s

More BMW E30s

Geely has announced a restructuring of Lotus to bring the two companies, Lotus UK and Lotus Technology, into one entity. Lotus Technology will buy Geely’s 51% share in Lotus UK. The hope is to make the brand more sustainable and competitive in the current market. You can find out more, by clicking this Autocar article here.

CARBON FIBRE IN ENVIRONMENTAL SPOTLIGHT

The EU is looking into carbon fibre, in connection with their ‘end-of-life’ rules, as it currently does not meet the requirements. Due to the energy required to make it and how it is very problematic if recycling is attempted, it is likely to be added to the banned or restricted list. This will be a problem for the car industry. Click this Top Gear article to read more.

To listen to the Bcomp Special Edition, where they explain more about what they do, click this link here.

UK MILITARY REALISES CARS CAN BE TRACKED

The latest episode of “oh gosh, new cars are full of sensors” from the UK, finds that specific bases have banned Chinese EVs from being brought onto site or near some buildings. On top of which, officials have been instructed to not discuss sensitive information whilst inside such cars. To learn more, click this article link from The i Paper.

NYBOLT RAISES INVESTMENT

Nybolt, who showed off a reworked Lotus Elise that was charged from 10-80% in under five minutes, last year has raised more money through external investment. Whilst we are all interested in the vehicle application, their core business is energy storage which has seen a jump in interest in. If you want to read more, click this Autocar article here.

CHINA CLAMPS DOWN ON DRIVER ASSISTANCE ADVERTS

Following the fatal accident involving a Xiamo SU7, which returned control to the driver just before impact, China has revised rules on driver assistance and autonomous driving technologies. Ads are banned from using “smart driving” and “autonomous driving”. OTA updates cannot be sent to existing cars without approval, public beta testing is banned, remote parking and summon features are banned and driver monitoring cannot be switched off. Click this article link from CarNewsChina for more.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

Mercedes-Benz G-Class ‘Stronger than the 1980s’

Mercedes has revealed a special edition of the G-Class which evokes the original G Wagon of the very late 1970s and 80s. Styled with touches of the first models but with up to date technology and engines this will only cost from £152,815. To see more, including gingercators, click this Autocar article here.

Subaru Trailseeker

At the New York Motor Show, Subaru showed us all their new electric car, the Trailseeker. An electric version of the current Outlander (not the new one, that’s a whole different story!), therefore a raised up estate. With 260 miles range, a 0-62mph time of 4.4 seconds thanks to 375bhp. Details of when it will come to Europe and the price are yet to be revealed. Click this Autocar article to read more.

Genesis X Gran Equator Concept

Remaining with the New York Motor Show, Genesis revealed their luxury SUV concept, the X Gran Equator. A long bonneted, typically different looking SUV, with many stating how elegant it looks. If you wish to learn more, click this article link from The Autopian.

LUNCHTIME READ: PAST GLORIES

This week we bring you not one, but two article links from Driven to Write, as Daniel O’Callaghan brings us the history of attractive and desirable Fiats. As ever, there is a history lesson punctuated with some glorious photographs helping remind us all of some of the beauties that Fiat have made.

To read Part One, click this link.

Once you’ve finished that, click here for Part Two.

LIST OF THE WEEK: INTERESTING CARS FROM RÉTROMOBILE

Not content with one segment giving you two links, we have two lists for you to peruse. There is some cross over of the cars at Rétromobile 2025, as one might expect, but the cars are so glorious that we believe you will forgive us.

Click here for the first link, from Autocar.

The second link can be clicked here, from Classic & Sports Car.

AND FINALLY: USING YOUR LOAF

A woman in Manchester has taken to TikTok to get the attention of the council following receiving a fine, thanks to buying a parking ticket but from the wrong machine. Nothing unusual in that, you might be thinking, however she appears in her videos from behind a slice of bread. Click this BBC News article link to see how she has got a council to address a problem.

Following the announcement in November last year, Lotus are cutting a further 270 jobs in the UK. The proposal is claimed to be to “enhance competitiveness”. The jobs will be lost from the Hethel production facility and not the other two sites in the UK. If you want to learn more, click this Autocar article link here.

ASTON MARTIN RESTRUCTURING FINANCES

Lance Stroll is looking to increase his stake in Aston Martin, taking it to 35%. At the same time, the company is selling shares in the F1 team, to help raise further cash. You can read more, by clicking this Yahoo! Finance article here.

STELLANTIS ENDS LEAPMOTOR PRODUCTION IN POLAND

Stellantis has suddenly and without explanation, ended production of the Leapmotor T03 in Poland. The company had already backtracked on opening a second Polish production facility, back in November 2024. If you wish to find out more, click this electrive article link here.

AMPERE GETS NEW CEO

Luca de Meo has handed over the running of Ampere to Josep Maria Recasens, who was the Chief Operations Officer. Ampere is the electric vehicle and software development spin off from Renault. de Meo was CEO of Ampere whilst being CEO of the Groupe Renault. Click this electrive article link to read more.

LUCID WINS NIKOLA FACTORY AUCTION

The bankruptcy auction of Nikola’s assets has enabled Lucid Motors to buy the production facility in Arizona. You can find out more, by clicking this TechCrunch article here.

6000 NEW PUBLIC CHARGERS FOR BRIGHTON

Char.gy and Brighton and Hove city have penned a deal that means 6,000 new public on-street chargers will be installed. Char.gy takes advantage of utilising the greenest/cheapest grid production, with different costs depending on when you charge. You can read more, by clicking this EV Powered article here.

GM AND CRUISE SUED BY INVESTORS

Investors have sued GM and Cruise, claiming that the companies overstated the capability and state of their autonomous project. The lawsuit contends that GM also asserted that the AV division was key to the financial performance of the company, with the company claiming $50 billion profits were expected by 2030. If you wish to find out more, click this GM Authority link here.

HCVA LAUNCHES CAREERS HUB

The Historic and Classics Vehicle Alliance (HCVA), has launched a careers hub that will allow for a central point that will highlight job opportunities in the industry. To learn more, click this Hagerty article link here.

For a direct link to the careers hub, click here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

Audi A5 PHEV

Audi has revealed the specifications for their A5 PHEV, which will come with a maximum electric only range of 67 miles. The electric motor will be paired up with the 2.0 litre petrol engine, giving a combined 295bhp. The saloon prices start at £48,950, with the estate reaching £60,520. Click this Autocar article link to read more.

Isuzu Dragon Max

For the Bangkok Motor Show, Isuzu created the Dragon Max, a restomod version of their third gen TFR space cab pick up. It looks ace. More of this please. Click this Top Gear article link to see more.

Easter 2025 Jeep Safari

The annual Jeep Safari is upon us and once more we get to see some brilliant ideas from the company. Click here to see the link from CarScoops, which not only has lots of photos but videos for each of the models.

LUNCHTIME READ: 50 YEARS OF THE MERCEDES-BENZ 450 SEL

The 450 SEL 6.9 brought astonishing performance and power to the top of the Mercedes-Benz range 50 years ago. The technical challenges and solutions, though, are very impressive. Click this link, from Hagerty, to read what went into creating this famous car.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE INTERESTING, WILD AND OFTEN OBSCURE TREASURES OF THE SAAB MUSEUM

Saab, a car company we still mourn the loss of, does have a museum. Thanks to Trollhättan, Saab AB (a defence company) and the Wallenberg Memorial Trust the car collection has been kept together. Click this Autocar link to see some of the special cars that make up this special museum.

AND FINALLY: CARS HELPING PLANES

Motor Trend has an article explaining all the times cars have worked with planes, to the benefit of planes and us. Click this link here to read more.

The March 2025 new car registration figures have been revealed by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). They show an increase that you have to go back to 2019, to find bettered. Electric vehicles, unsurprisingly, increased as buyers tried to avoid the new VED and luxury car tax. Private, on the one hand, had a surprising jump but then not when thinking about the tax changes. This is expected to be a bit of a one off month, with the numbers next month being a lot lower. Click this link to read more, from SMMT’s own article.

UK GOVERNMENT TINKERS WITH ZEV

The UK Government has announced changes to the requirements of the Zero Emission Vehicle mandate. These add up to tinkering. Finally, we get a decision on hybrid vehicles post 2030, where they will still be sold. Small manufacturers will be exempt from the requirements. All OEMs will be given more flexibility in achieving the required target rates, with the CO2 credit transfer system remaining in place until 2029. In reality though, as we continue to be in a cost of living crisis and vehicles are too expensive, trying to mandate a market will remain difficult. You can read more, by clicking this Autocar article link here.

CAR BRANDS AND TRADE BODY FINED BY CMA

Ten car companies and the SMMT have been fined by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) for agreeing to not compete with each other when advertising the amount of recycling that could be achieved with their cars. Additionally, the second charge was for anticompetitive practices when it came to recycling end of life vehicles. Following an admission to this, they are to pay £77 million in fines. In Europe a similar investigation has found 15 brands guilty and they will pay £382.7 million, as a consequence. To find out more, click this Autocar link here.

MCLAREN MERGES WITH FORSEVEN TO SECURE FUTURE

McLaren has merged with Forseven, to create McLaren Group Holdings, thereby securing its immediate future. Both entities are owned by CYVN Holdings, which is the Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund. Forseven has a raft of vehicles almost ready for production but needed a badge to stick on them. Click the EVO article link here to read more.

RENAULT AND NISSAN RESET PARTNERSHIP

Renault and Nissan have renegotiated their partnership, following a few tumultuous years. Nissan will no longer contribute to the Ampere project, will rebadge the Twingo city car vehicle and have sold their joint-venture stake in India to Renault. If you would like to learn more, click this electrive article link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

Nissan Micra

Nissan has revealed the first images of the new Micra, which is a rebadged Renault 5 EV. Once again the company revealed no details or specifications. This caused the chaps to discuss the Leaf and ask why it was coming back. Click this Autocar article link to learn more about the Micra.

Longbow Speedster and Roadster

Longbow is a UK EV sports car start up that showed off their images of how they envisage their coupe and roofless lightweight EV sports cars will look. Without the context of technical specifications we are promised rapid 0-62mph times, as well as a range that is surprisingly long considering the aimed weight of the car. Will it ever be made, we doubt it, but if it is, that would be cool. You can read more, by clicking this Autocar article link here.

New New Van News: Mercedes-Benz eVito

Mercedes has almost doubled the range of the eVito, which will boast a maximum of 298 miles, beating all the competition on that metric. Will be very interesting to see what the real world figures are, when used by customers, and what the price will be. Click this Top Gear article link to find out more.

LUNCHTIME READ AND WATCH: 50 YEARS AGO GM BUILT THE MOTORHOME OF THE FUTURE

Gm created the GM Motorhome and it was groundbreaking at the time, whilst still innovative today. You can read more by clicking this article link, from The Autopian, here.

To watch the restoration project, as Alan recommended, click this YouTube link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 30 SHOW STOPPING CLASSIC CARS FROM RÉTROMOBILE 2025

We are bringing you a list, that we are confident you will struggle to pick just one car from. We did! Click the Classic & Sports Car link here, to see what options you have.

AND FINALLY: ADDING A STICKER TO SAVE A RECALL

Think of this as a bonus Lunchtime Read as The Autopian recounts the story of Ford saving themselves the largest recall in history, by sending a sticker to customers. Click this link here, to find out more.

François Bailly, who is head of planning for Nissan, in Europe, has stated that the Sunderland plant’s future is “very safe” as they reveal images of the next Leaf and Juke EVs to be built there. However, the Qashqai EV is being delayed for market uncertainty reasons. To read more, click this Autocar article link here.

US TO IMPOSE 25% TARIFFS ON IMPORTED CARS AND PARTS

President Trump has announced tariffs on imported cars and parts, of 25%. This will increase the price of cars, to US consumers. This will also hit US based manufacturers, when the market is already struggling. Click this Autocar article to read more about the implications.

Sam Lowe, who writes about EU and UK trade policy, has looked into the announcement and has explained some of the nuance that might be lost in the mainstream coverage. Click here to read his Substack post.

Meanwhile, the UK Government is in “intense” negotiations with the US over these moves, hoping to avoid being hit. To read more, click this Autocar article link.

UK SPRING STATEMENT REACTION

The car industry has reacted to the UK Government’s spring statement, and it is not happy. Seemingly, when the leaks made it clear they were going to remove benefits from those most in need, some in automotive land thought that there would be financial incentives for wealthy private buyers to get new shiny cars or for incoming taxes to be postponed. If you wish to read more, click this article link from Motor Trader.

UK VEHICLE EXCISE DUTY CHANGES COME INTO FORCE

The UK Government’s changes to Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) came into affect on 1 April 2025. There is an inflationary increase to all levels, but additionally some cars previously exempt from VED as well as the Expensive Car Supplement, will now be covered. This includes electric cars and those first registered back in 2017. On top of all that there are changes to the van excise duty and pick ups. To find out more, click this article link from Ayvens, which explains all the issues well.

JIM ROWAN LEAVES VOLVO

Jim Rowan, the Volvo CEO for the last three years after moving from Dyson, has left the company with immediate effect. His replacement is the former CEO, Håkan Samuelsson, on a two year interim basis. You can read more, by clicking this Autocar link here.

WAYNE GRIFFITHS LEAVES SEAT AND CUPRA

More changes to the heads of brands, this time, the surprise announcement that Wayne Griffiths is leaving the Seat and Cupra brands. He has managed to keep Seat relevant, in the face of the VW Group’s inability to work out what to do with it, and brought Cupra from nothing into a rapidly expanding brand. To find out more, click this Autocar article link here.

INSTAVOLT OPENS NEW CHARGING HUB

Instavolt has opened a new charging hub, near Winchester, not far from junction 9 of the M3. This is their largest site to date as well as being powered completley by 100% renewable energy. They use a mix of solar, renewable grid energy and battery storage. You can find out more, by clicking this EV Powered article link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

Nissan Leaf

Nissan has revealed the first images of the new Leaf, which has morphed into a SUV. There are no technical details yet, but the company claims it will have 372 miles or real world range. The full launch is later this year. Click this link to read more, from Autocar.

Smart #5

Smart has shown off their largest car to date, the #5. According to Autocar the dimensions mean it is a similar size to the Peugeot 5008 SUV. Using the same underpinnings of the #1 and #3, it will have a 800V architecture.Range is expected to a maximum of 366 miles and prices are predicted to start around £40,000 when deliveries begin in October. Click this link to read more.

Aston Martin Vanquish Volante

Aston Martin has revealed the Vanquish Volante, a 214mph V12 soft top. Coming with 824bhp the convertible is 95kgs heavier thanks to stiffening of the chassis and suspension, as well as the folding roof mechanism. Prices have not been announced but it is expected to be a smidgen more than the coupé version, which starts at £334,000. If you wish to read more, click this Autocar article link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: AUTOMAKERS ARE BEGINNING TO REALISE YOU’RE FED UP WITH OVERCOMPLICATED CAR TECH

The Autopian bring us all a sliver of hope that car makers are waking up to the fact that most of us do not like in-car tech they are foisting on us. Interestingly, this is thanks to reviewing a RAM heavy duty pick up. Click this link here to read more.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE BEST CARS OF THE 1990S

Once again we invite you, via a list, to wallow in nostalgia and escape the grim reality of life, at the moment. Again we visit the 1990s, with Autocar offering many options from which to pick. Do you agree with Andrew and Alan’s choices? Click here to see what you can find.

AND FINALLY: WHERE UTILITARIAN IS COOL

Again, we link to an Autocar article for this recommendation, a visit to the Mercedes Unimog museum. Have a look at the many and varied tasks these cool machines have and continue to help with. Click the link here for the fun!

Auto Data Solutions (ADS), data analysts, have reported on their Freedom of Information request regarding how many cars and vans have been repaired following manufacturer recalls. Between 2018 and 2023 announced recalls, 3.2 million vehicles are still to be fixed. ADS suspects the number is actually higher. Click this Motor Trade News article link for more.

COUNCILS TOLD TO REPORT POTHOLE REPAIRS

The UK Government has stated that, from 30 June 2025, local councils must report back to them the number of potholes they have repaired in order to continue to receive highways funding. To read more, click this article from Autocar.

EMPLOYEE CAR OWNERSHIP SCHEME TO END

The UK Government is expected to close what it believes is a loophole, with ending the Employee Car Ownership Scheme (ECOS). This allows the employee of a manufacturer or dealership to buy a brand new car at a large discount, pay very little to no interest and hand it back after six months, whilst getting another. As the employee “buys” the car it isn’t covered by benefit-in-kind requirements. To read more and find out the impact this might have, click this Autocar article link here.

BYD HAS NO UK FACTORY PLANS

BYD has made it clear that it will not open a factory in the UK, due to what it says are the limitations of the manufacturing base, including a lack of workers. They will be building a factory in Hungary though. You can read more, by clicking this Autocar article link here.

AUDI TO CUT 7,500 JOBS TO SAVE CASH

Audi is the latest OEM to announce a huge cost cutting initiative that will include the loss of jobs. To save $1 billion a year, they will cut 7,500 jobs by 2029. Click this Autocar article link, to read more.

ARNOLD CLARK EXPANDING CHARGING NETWORK

Arnold Clark has announced they are investing a further £30 million to expand their rapid EV charging network by doubling in size. Following their original announcement, nearly two years ago, they have installed 240 charge points to date. To learn more, click this electrive article link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

Renault 5 Turbo 3E

Renault has shown off their electric hyper hatch. The 5 Turbo 3E is due to arrive in 2027 and will have 533bhp. Only 1980 examples will be built, which is the year the original 5 Turbo came out. Maximum range is expected to be around 250 miles however, it is not clear how much this is reduced by enthusiastic driving. No price has been announced. You can read more, by clicking this Autocar article link here.

Renault 5 E-Tech Roland-Garros

Renault also gave us information on a much more attainable model, the Roland-Garros. With a max range up to 252 miles, it comes with a 52kWh battery pack and a 150bhp electric motor. There will be a variety of design touches to highlight the connection with the French Open tennis championship. Prices start at £29, 995. Click this Motoring Research article to read more.

Toyota bZ4X

Toyota has updated the technology and looks of the bZ4X, their first full EV. The looks are now in line with the rest of the range, whilst the tech upgrades should mean for a better ownership experience. To read more, click this Autocar article link here.

LUNCHTIME WATCH: CARS THAT MADE THE 90S

Join us on a trip down memory lane, if you are old enough as we recommend watching a video about what made the cars from the 1990s so special. Click this Influx YouTube link to watch.

LIST OF THE WEEK: TOP 10 ROAD GOING RALLY CARS

Continuing, well -ish, the theme from the previous recommendation, we have a list from Hagerty of their selection of the best road going rally cars. Do you agree with Alan’s choice? If not, what would you have picked, let us know. Click this link here to view your options.

AND FINALLY: DRINKING GAME RETURNS HARD

To those that play along with the Motoring Podcast’s drinking game, this is going to be one item that may well send you blind. In the 1970s and 80s, Toyota brochures in France actually came with a record that could play in the brochure and explain things to prospective owners. Click this link to read more from the Autopian and we can all be happy for Alan.

The turmoil at Nissan continues, as CEO Makoto Uchida announces he will resign and Ivan Espinosa, the chief planning officer, will step up into the vacated role. That is the fourth CEO in six years. Click this AMOnline article link to read more.

FORD INJECTS $4.8 BILLION INTO EUROPEAN OPERATIONS

Ford has been forced to help the European division, a separate company, by investing up to $4.8 billion, as debts reach $5.8 billion. Unions are very fearful that the company will go bankrupt. If you wish to learn more, click this Reuters article link here.

FIAT UK MAKE MANAGEMENT CHANGES

Ah, the carousel that is Stellantis management positions, in the UK. This time Fiat are making changes, with a new head of sales and a new head of marketing. Neil Heilbron will be heading up the sales function and Victoria Hatfield in charge of marketing. You can read more, by clicking this AMOnline article link here.

MIDLANDS CHARGER NETWORK TO EXPAND BY 16,000

13 local authorities have been allocated up to £40 million, via a Government grant, to install a further 16,000 charge points across the Midlands region. Apparently, this more than doubles the provision. To find out more, click this EV Powered link here.

MOTO INSTALLING 300 HGV CHARGERS

Moto, the motorway service station operators has announced that they will be installing 300 eHGV charge points across the UK in the next five years. Click this EV Powered article link here, for more.

M56 TO GET NEW SERVICE STATION

The M56, near Tatton, will get a new service station in the mould of the one at Tebay, following approval of the planning permission. There will be a farm shop, 100 bed hotel and the usual provisions one would expect. If you wish to learn more, click this Manchester Evening News article link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

Mercedes CLA

Mercedes has taken the wraps off the new CLA, a four door saloon, which will come in electric and hybrid forms. The EV has a claimed maximum range of up to 495 miles, with Mercedes making the further claim that it will do 421 if driven just on the motorway. Hybrids are supposed to give us diesel like mpg figures. Click this Autocar article link to learn more.

Toyota C-HR+

Toyota has revealed the C-HR+, an electric SUV that sits below the bZ4X in the range, but hoped to be a huge seller for them. With a maximum claimed range of 373 miles and a price which is expected to start from around £38,000 it will be up against the likes of the Volvo EC30, BMW iX2 and Mini Countryman. Click this Autocar story link for more.

Morgan Supersport

Morgan has unveiled the Supersport, their most advanced car to date with a host of engineering and design work to make a modern car which is still linked to their heritage. Price is starting from just over £100,000. To read more, including an interview with the head of design, Jonathan Wells, click this Autocar link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: FRANCE’S MANOIR DE L’AUTOMOBILE MUSEUM IS MIND BLOWING

Hagerty provide the link to this week’s recommended reading, with an article about the Manoir de l’Automobile museum. A stunning example of how and what to house for the visitor’s pleasure. Click this link here to read more and maybe add to your trip agenda.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 30 CARS THAT ARE 50 IN 2025

A couple weeks ago, we helped to make you feel old with a list of cars that in no way many could be 25 years old. Well, thanks to Classic & Sports Car we have doubled the age. 50 year old cars are on the menu, which some are more believable but still. Click this link to see what options there are.

AND FINALLY: TEMPORARY DELAY

Auto Shenanigans has visited the longest running temporary traffic lights in England. They’ve only been in place for 10 years. Click this YouTube link to see more.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has published the latest new car registration figures. Once again it is not great news overall, with a 1.0% decrease. However, BEVs are up 42% year-on-year but this is just 6253 extra electric cars. For the first time since October 2023 Private rose, but only marginally as Fleet decreased but is still doing all the heavy lifting. Interestingly Tesla registrations rose 21%. To read more, click this link to SMMT’s post.

MOTABILITY POSTS BIG LOSSES FOR 2024

Motability, the UK’s biggest fleet operator, that supplies cars to those who qualify for disability payments, posted a loss of more than £565 million for 2024. This is a huge drop from 2023, when they had profits of £748 million as well as a rise in revenue of 24%. Blame is being put on insurance, servicing and new car costs rising dramatically, with the additional penalty of depreciation being more than expected. If you want to find out more, click this Autocar article here.

EU TO CHANGE CO2 AIMS AND PUSH FOR FANTASY TECH

The EU has announced the Automotive Action Plan. In their industrial strategy they will be targeting aspects to help the industry on the continent. CO2 targets are due to be relaxed, a push on charging infrastructure, incentives to buy EVs, help with battery raw materials and autonomous driving technology. Click this electrive article link here, to read more.

KIA MANAGEMENT PLAYS MUSICAL CHAIRS

Kia UK is the latest company to play managerial musical chairs, with the head of sales and head of marketing swapping offices. You can read more, by clicking this AMOnline article link here.

SELF DRIVING CARS CANNOT BE MADE TO WORK

An article in The Register, covering how academics are able to fool self driving car technology by adding simple stickers to road signs. In the piece they actually make it clear that the current development process will never work. Click this link to read it and understand the issue.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

Volvo ES90

Volvo has unveiled their flagship electric saloon. Using a lot of the same stuff as the EX90 SUV, except 800V architecture instead of 400V. Prices are expected to start around £70,000 and run up to £90,000 for the top of the range Ultra spec. Two battery packs are available which give a variety of performances depending on configuration. Range of the smallest set up is expected to be a maximum of around 400 miles. Click this Autocar article to read more.

Volkswagen ID.Every1

Volkswagen has shown off the concept for their small, affordable electric car. Called the ID.Every1, the claim is the production car will look very much like this. Expected to have a maximum range of around 155 miles, costing around €20,000. The design is reminiscent of the Up! and is very simple, as cost is a key factor for VW with this car. You can read more, by clicking this Top Gear article here.

Volkswagen reintroducing buttons

Not only do VW treat us to a cute affordable car but also deciding we can have buttons again, for key controls. Volkswagen are saying this is due to customer feedback, hoping we all forget EuroNCAP are changing their scoring to ensure we do not have only touch screen interfaces. Click this Autocar article to read more.

UK Car of the Year 2025 - Kia EV3

Kia has won the overall UK Car of the Year award with their EV3, following in the footsteps or should that be tyre treads, of last year when the EV9 won. As a reminder, Andrew is one of the 30-odd judges for these awards. Click this link here to read more from the UK Car of the Year awards site.

LUNCHTIME READ: JAG MAN MUST DIE

As the dust has settled a bit, after the reveal of New Jaguar, we are sharing an article from Esquire, that discusses how the brand decided to move on from its past and the aims it has for the future. Whether they are successful, only time will tell. To read more, click here for the link.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 22 CARS POWERED BY BRITISH V8 ENGINES

Classic & Sports Car provide, once more, the list of cars for you to select from. This time, which is the one with a British V8 you’d like to have the most. Click here to see more.

AND FINALLY: RUSTIVAL 2025

Hubnut, has announced Rustival is returning in 2025. The date is 30 August and it will be located at the British Motor Museum at Gaydon. Click here to see more and sort your tickets.

To wet your appetite, here are the host’s reviews of Rustival 2, from last year.

Click Hubnut’s video link here.

To see Steph from I Drive A Classic, click here.

And for Furious Driving’s take on the last show, click here.

Last week, during the discussion on the Kia PV5 Andrew moved onto a matter that was tangentially related as it concerned the coverage of the Government announcing the extension of the plug-in grant for electric vans.

However, in how he moved to that and the editing after, Andrew inadvertently gave the impression he was attacking the Professional Van outlet and their writers. That was not the intention and we apologise for how that segment came out. It has been removed.

ASTON MARTIN CUTS JOBS IN COST SAVINGS PUSH

Aston Martin has cut 170 jobs as it looks to cut costs following a disappointing 2023. Hit by supply chain issues production was down and therefore so were deliveries to customers. The company is aiming for £25 million savings annually. To read more, click this link to a BBC News article.

STELLANTIS PROFITS FALL 70%

Stellantis has released information on their 2024 performance and it is bad. Net profits fell 70% on those of 2023. With an operating income down 80% for just the US market alone. Whilst in Europe it fell 63%. Much of the blame is put on an ageing line up, with much of the hope resting on the new cars coming out. If you wish to read more, click this AMOnline article link here.

NISSAN CANCELS NIGHT SHIFT AT SUNDERLAND PLANT

Nissan has announced that it is cancelling one of the night shifts at the Sunderland plant, as it looks to save costs globally. Click this BBC News article link here, for more.

SKODA TO SLASH WORKFORCE BY 15%

Skoda is the latest brand to announce it is reducing it’s workforce. 15% of the 41,000 employed positions will go through natural fluctuations, the company stated. For more information on this, click the link here for a Yahoo!Finance article.

PORSCHE REPLACES BOARD MEMBERS

Porsche has decided the fault of increased costs and sales falling, is due to the chief financial and the marketing and sales directors. They have been now replaced, with Jochen Breckner now in charge of finance and IT, whilst Matthias Becker will be heading up sales and marketing. To read more on this, click the Autocar link here.

ITALIAN REGULATORS INVESTIGATE MISLEADING EV INFORMATION

The Italian Competition Authority (AGCM) and the Italian financial police (Guardia di Finanza) are investigating BYD, Stellantis, Tesla and the VW Group over claims of misleading information regarding their electric vehicles. Driving range, battery degradation and warranty information are all being questioned. If you want to learn more, click this CarScoops article link here.

LIVERPOOL TO GET 58 ELECTRIC DOUBLE DECKERS

Liverpool City Region Combined Authority has ordered 58 electric double deckers, from Alexander Dennis.The Department for Transport’s Zero-Emission Bus Regional Areas fund (ZEBRA 2) is partially helping to fund the purchase. Click this electrive article link here to read more.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

Kia EV2

Kia, at the EV event in Spain, previewed the next electric car due to come out after the EV4, the EV2. This is around the same size as the Renault 4 and 5, as well as Vauxhall Corsa, but will be a SUV. Once again, details are scant from the Korean company, yet the price is expected to be around €30,000. To find out more, click this Autocar article link here.

Kia EV4

After last week’s tease, Kia filled in the gaps with details emerging at the same Spanish event as previously mentioned. Prices are expected to start at €37,000 and the maximum range will be 391 miles. There will be a variety of battery packs and thus capabilities, which differ between the saloon and hatchback. Click this Autocar article link to learn more.

Kia PV5

Again, at the same event mentioned, Kia detailed the specifications and performance of their first foray into electric commercial vehicles. Cargo wise, it should be able to swallow two Euro pallets, however, weight is limited to a maximum of 850kgs for the load. To find out more information, do click this link to a Professional Van article.

LUNCHTIME WATCH: ASTON MARTIN’S NEW CEO PLANS TO BE THE FIRST TO MAKE IT SUSTAINABLY PROFITABLE

Our recommendation this week is a fascinating interview with Adrian Hallmark, the CEO of Aston Martin. He explains why he took the job and the belief in the mission. This appears to be quite an honest interview too, with his passion and ideas coming across. Time will tell if he is successful, but it seems, from this distance, the best plan the company has had for decades. Click this link to read more from the Robb Report.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 25 CARS THAT ARE 25 IN 2025

Classic & Sports Car provide our recommended list for you, this week. You may not like it though, as there is a very good chance at making you feel old. Do you agree with the chap’s selections? Let us know your pick. Click here to view what options you have.

AND FINALLY: BMW’S PAST

BMW has created an online museum for their past models. What an amazing thing it is too. So much information and easy to navigate. Click this link to their website and say goodbye to many hours!

The College of Optometrists, working with the RAC, has conducted research into if headlight dazzle is a problem. The results from the first research suggest there is, particularly for under 35s and those not in SUVs. If you wish to find out more, click this article link from the College here.

FOLLOW UP: AUTOPIAN THINKS APPLE SHOULD BUY NISSAN

Matt Hardigree makes the case, in The Autopian, as to why Apple should buy Nissan. He does however admit that he’s not using logic. Click this link to read more, if you so wish.

RENAULT SHARES BATTERY SUPPRESSION SYSTEM WITH INDUSTRY

Renault has developed a system to allow for EV and hybrid battery fires to be put out quicker than is currently possible. An access port has been added to the battery pack which will be opened by the pressure of a fire hose, enabling water to get directly into the battery cells and cover them with water. Renault has named this the Fireman Access system and is sharing it with the entire car industry. To read more on this excellent move by Renault, click this Autocar article here.

BMW PAUSES INVESTMENT IN OXFORD EV PLANT

BMW has paused the planned £600 million investment in the Mini Oxford plant that would enable EVs to be made there. They have cited “multiple uncertainties facing the automotive industry" and not taken up a £60 million grant from the UK Government, as a result. If you want to read more, click this BBC News article link here.

BRAKE DUST PARTICULATE TOXICITY

Research from the University of Southampton has suggested that brake dust particulates, when the brakes have copper as part of their construction, is more damaging than diesel vehicle emissions. Removing copper from the brakes drops this. Click this Top Gear article link to read more.

FAKE SPEAKERS IN SOME CHINESE VOLVOS

Customers in China have discovered that some of them have fake Bowers and Wilkins speakers fitted, as the displayed names are Bowers and VVilkins. Not only that but the drive selector is not as advertised by Volvo. This is embarrassing, to say the least. To find out more, click this Ars Technica article link here.

TESLA AUTOPILOT RULED DEFECTIVE IN GERMANY

A German court has agreed with a Tesla owner and ruled that the company’s Autopilot was defective, due to phantom braking issues. Either the owner is to be fully compensated or have their Model 3 replaced with a car that has non defective Autopilot. You can read further on this, by clicking the link here to a CarScoops article.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

Kia EV4

Kia has revealed the Cupra Born, VW ID.3 rival the EV4. Coming in both hatchback and saloon shape but not fastback which is destined for other markets. Details on powertrain and battery options are yet to be revealed, but the expectation is 58kW or 81kW battery packs and front or four-wheel drive. Range should therefore be around the 350 miles maximum. The car will be launched later this year. Click this Autocar article link for more.

Kia PV5

The first of Kia’s commercial vehicles has been revealed, the PV5. Details, as with the EV4, are yet to be revealed however it will initially come as a panel van, called the Cargo Van and passenger vehicle, named the Passenger Van. You can find out more by clicking this Professional Van article link here.

Peugeot 504 Break

Peugeot’s in-house design team have reimagined the classic 504 and produced there distinct versions. One being inspired by Pikes Peaks hillclimb. A second drift capable version. Finally, a homage to the French rap group 113 who drove one onto stage at the French music awards in 2000. To see more, click this Wallpaper article link here.

Mazda 2 axed

Mazda is cutting the ICE and mild hybrid versions of the 2 from its range in the UK. You can still buy a rebadged Toyota Yaris Hybrid, called the Mazda 2 Hybrid. Click this Autocar article to read more.

LUNCHTIME WATCH: FROM CANADA TO ARGENTINA

Follow a young couple as they modify a Toyota Chinook and drive from Canada to Argentina. We love an adventure and this video shows some of the experiences they shared in taking such a fabulous journey. Thanks in large part to a car. Click this YouTube link to watch.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 25 OF RENAULT’S GREATEST PERFORMANCE HITS

Autocar give us 25 options for your favourite fast Renault. Do you agree with the choices? What would you pick? Do let us know. Click here to see what you can select from.

AND FINALLY: MOTORING ART - OLGUN KORDAL

Classic & Sports Car interview Olgun Kordal about his work and use of vivid and bold coloured backgrounds in his images. There are a stunning set of pictures to view, which you can by clicking this link here.

The UK’s Supreme Court has blocked the Government’s attempt to reduce the compensation due to those sold finance for their car purchase. The fear was it would stop or reduce car loan availability. We now wait until April to find out the final ruling. Click this BBC News article to read more.

ASTON MARTIN GIVEN DEADLINE TO BE FIXED

Adrian Hallmark, the new CEO of Aston Martin, has outlined that the company must be “going in the right direction’, in terms of towards profitability in the next 12-18 months. Aston will not be following a volume model, but one where they maximise the profitability from each vehicle. If you wish to learn more, click this CarScoops link here.

For the more bizarre ideas from Aston Martin, you can click this Top Gear article link to read further.

NISSAN CANNOT GUARANTEE SUNDERLAND FUTURE

As the fall out of the collapsed merger continues to rain down, one step Nissan is taking is to continue it’s global cost saving exercise. Unfortunately, that means the Sunderland facility is under threat as three international plants are earmarked for closure. This is a step up on November’s original announcement, where only job losses were thought to be enough. If you want to learn more, click this Autocar article link here.

PORSCHE TO REDUCE WORKFORCE

Another car company not immune from the issues of the industry, Porsche has announced that it will be reducing the workforce by around 1900 staff. The expectation is this will be achieved by natural retirement and turnover. Some reports suggest 1500 positions will also go for temporary staff. This is the latest in a number of announcements from Porsche that show just how badly hit they are. Click this electrive article link to learn more.

NEW UK CAR PARK GUIDANCE ANNOUNCED

On Monday 17 February new guidance came into affect, from the new organisation, the Private Parking Scrutiny and Advice Panel (PPSAP). They have brought in a rule that offers greater protection to those struggling to pay upon arrival at a car park, if they are privately run and use ANPR or CCTV to enforce and monitor parking. To read more on this, click here for an article link from Motoring Research.

CONIGITAL GOES INTO LIQUIDATION

Conigital, once heralded as beacon in the UK autonomous vehicle world has called in a liquidator as it voluntarily folds. This is after the company claimed to have raised £500 million from a private equity group. However, the UK Tech News outlet was suspicious of this and published an article back in June 2024 questioning the validity of this claim. Click this article link to read about that. Then, click here, to read about the latest situation.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

Subaru Forester

Subaru has released the details of the new Forester which is coming to the UK, from late Spring 2025. Revised looks, both inside and out, with power coming from a mild hybrid powertrain combined with their 2.0 litre boxer four petrol engine. Prices start at £38,995 for the entry level Limited model, rising, for the range-topping Touring version to£42,995. Click this link to read more from PistonHeads.

Modena MA-01

A restomod that isn’t a butchers 911, well knock us down with a feather. Instead, Modena has decided to bring their interpretation of the Maserati Biturbo and Shamal. This is a very good thing. Okay then, so it is a touch pricey at around £500,000 but that does include the donor car! Click this Evo link here to see these lovely looking cars.

Renault 5 GTL

A classic Renault 5 GTL has been converted to electric power, giving a range of 50 miles, and updating of some aspects of the vehicle. There is a retro styled digital dash, which came from a company using ‘software code-free approach’ and no, we don’t know what that means either. Not that we care, in this case, as it looks very cool. Click this Top Gear article link to see more.

LUNCHTIME READ: SKYLINE OR SIMILAR

Antony Ingram went to Japan recently-ish and he chose to hire cars to help him get around. What a brilliant idea! He has written up his experience for Hagerty and click this link to read more. Fabulous.

LIST OF THE WEEK: CARS THAT ENDED PRODUCTION IN 2024

As there has been too much nice stuff in the second half of the show, here is a list thanks to Evo, which has all the cars that went out of production in 2024. Do you agree with the choice of what will be missed the most? Click the link here to see what options there are.

AND FINALLY: YOU WILL NEED YOUR BIG COAT

Top Gear went to the wonderful F.A.T. Ice Race, at Zell am See and they took a lot of gorgeous photos. Click this link, which will bring a smile to your face, which is the whole point of the And Finally section.

Before it even really got going, it appears Nissan are to walk away from the deal as Honda are accused of changing the agreement, with a proposal that made Nissan a subsidiary and not equal partner. When you look at the market evaluations of them, you can see why Honda may suggest they are the bigger company. Click this Autocar article link here to read more.

FOLLOW UP: VAUXHALL LUTON TO SHUT BY JUNE 2025

Stellantis has confirmed that the Vauxhall Luton plant will close by June this year. The announcement of the closure came in November 2024, with this one now being the specific date. Ellesmere Port will continue to operate. For more on this story, click this Autocar article link here.

JANUARY 2025 NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES

The Society of Motor Manufacturer and Traders has revealed the new car registration figures for January 2025. They are down over all, but BEVs are at 21% market share. Unfortunately, Private is still down with Fleet doing all the heavy lifting. Many “commentators” have tried to tie in Tesla’s drop to the CEO’s actions in the US, but this is not the case due to the length of time it takes to get a delivery from order, especially if specific options are wanted. Click this SMMT article link to read more on the state of the market.

STELLANTIS RESHUFFLE CONTINUES

Linda Jackson, the CEO of Peugeot, will retire as the reshuffling of Stellantis management continues, following the departure of the previous CEO. To read more, including other moves, click this Autocar article link here.

MOT CHANGES WORRY INDUSTRY

A new change expected to MOTs, where any recalls that have not been completed must be noted as either an advisory or fail, is worrying the industry. The fear is this could overwhelm workshops as there is an estimated 5 million vehicles on the road with recall work to be performed on. If you wish to find out more, click this AMOnline article link here.

BID TO STOP GHOST MOTS

The DVSA is taking the next step in using photographic evidence, in a bid to prevent ghost MOTs. These are where a workshop gives an MOT without even seeing the car. Following an initial trial they are now working on honing the process of confirming the car is in the garage and being inspected. Click this article link from the UK Government.

ELECTRIC VAN MOT PROBLEM

Fleet operators are asking for an approved deferral for electric van MOTs as they need to be handled at a commercial vehicle testing station due to their weight. As they fall into the heavy goods vehicle category, they must be tested at one year. However, the Association of Fleet Operators seems to think that the rules need not apply because they’re electric, as somehow physics doesn’t apply when its an EV. Click this Motoring Research article link for more.

UK GOVERNMENT FINDS CARS SEND LOTS OF DATA

According to reports in the media, the UK Government has warned some employees to be careful when inside their or Government issued cars as what is said could be sent to a foreign Government. Of particular concern are Chinese vehicles. They will be really shocked when they learn what all modern cars can do. To read more, click this electrive article link here.

SNAKE PASS UNDER THREAT

Derbyshire County Council has called on the Government for help in maintaining the Snake Pass. The threat is that they will not be able to afford to repair the route, which is seeing an increasing number of landslides and damage. You can find out more, by clicking this BBC News article link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

Arctic Trucks’s Land Cruiser 250

Arctic Truck has sprinkled their magic on the new Land Cruiser. They have raised and widened the vehicle, added chunky tyres and a wide body kit. These will be available later in 2025. To see more, click this Hagerty article link here.

Audi naming change. Again.

Audi has, once again, changed how it will name its models. No longer will the the odd numbers for ICE and hybrid versions and the even numbers for EVs. This is as a result of “feedback” from customers and dealers. Click this Autocar article link here for more information.

LUNCHTIME READ: SEATTLE TO SARATOGA SPRINGS

For our recommendation this week we are going on a road trip across America. In some 2CVs. Yep. Really. Follow this amazing journey via this link to the article on Citroënvie.

LIST OF THE WEEK: BELLISIMA! FIVE FABULOUS FIATS OF THE 1990S

Hagerty supplies this week’s list to select from. It may be small but it is mighty, as someone once almost wrote. The best Fiat’s of the 1990s. Do you agree with the choice? What would you pick? Do let the chaps know. Click here to check out the options.

AND FINALLY: FINES, THE FINAL FRONTIER

A lady from Long Island, USA, used to have a license plate with the same alphanumeric ID as the Enterprise from Star Trek. That sounds quite cool, except people are buying novelty plates from online stores and fitting them. Even though she handed back the plates four years ago, she is getting fines and citations for driving offences. To find out more, click this Gizmodo article link here.

Before we had even managed to publish last week’s show, Mercedes-Benz had joined the lawsuit against the EU over Chinese made EV tariffs. Click this Bloomberg article link to learn more.

US PAUSES TARIFFS ON CANADA, MEXICO AND CHINA GOODS

The US has paused imposing 25% tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada, as well as a 10% tariff on Chinese made goods. Even though this has not gone through, the chaps explain the consequences should they come to pass, on the US car manufacturing industry, dealerships and buyers. To find out more, click this electrive article link here.

UK GOV INVESTS IN CHARGING AND MINING

The UK Government is investing £65 million in Connected Kerb, who provide on street parking charging solutions. On top of this, £28 million is being invested in Cornish Metals, who mine minerals for EV batteries, solar panels and more besides. If you wish to learn more, click this Autocar article link here.

JLR PROFITS DROP DUE TO CHANGE OF DOMINANT MARKET

JLR’s most dominant market is now the US, instead of China. With a weak pound against the dollar, the two factors have reduced the year-on-year profit for the company. Another impact was warranty costs. However, they did take in a record revenue, along with an improved profit margin. Click this Autocar article link here for more.

MOST RECALLED CARS OF 2024

Once again the annual list of shame comes out, where the car brands that were recalled the most in Europe has been published. To find out more, click this Autocar article link here.

PROPOSED ASTON MARTIN MUSEUM CANCELLED

A proposed Aston Martin museum, in Newport Pagnell, have been cancelled due to the costs of the project. The Aston Martin Heritage Trust could not find a commercial partner for the museum. If you want to learn more, click this BBC News article link here.

HALF OF YOUNG PASSENGERS KILLED IN UK WORE NO SEATBELT

The shocking statistics from the Department for Transport show that 43% of young people who are killed in vehicle incidents are not wearing a seatbelt. To read more about this horrifying data, click this ETSC article link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

Fiat Grande Panda

Fiat has revealed the full specs and prices for the Grande Panda. It will undercut the sister car from Citroën, the eC3, with a price of £20,975. The 44kWh battery has a maximum range of 199 miles and is able to charge at up to 100kW. There is also a petrol hybrid version. Fiat is making the Panda a model range all of its own, with a new model coming out in the next two years. Click this Autocar article link for more.

BMW iX

BMW has given the iX a facelift.Cost a mere £74,400 for the entry level, but if you want a maximum of 426 miles you need to pony up £92,200. There is a range of trims, battery packs and power outputs, all to suit the wealthy buyer who needs such a car. If you want to learn more, click this Autocar article link here.

Flexis vans

Flexis, the joint venture between Renault, Volvo Trucks and the French logistics company CMA CGM, has revealed their first three electric vans. We will have to wait a few years before they appear on our streets, as the end of the decade is the expected timeline. Click this Autocar article link to read more.

Genesis ends ICE sales in UK

Genesis has announced that it will not be selling pure internal combustion engined vehicles in the UK, for the foreseeable future. To find out more, click this Autocar article link here.

Lexus removes LS from sale in UK

Lexus is removing the LS saloon from its UK line up. Whilst homologation and legislation are being blamed the fact they have sold just 39 since the start of 2020 has probably made that an easy decision. If you want to read more, click this Autocar article link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: HISTORY OF LANCASTER (FORTON) SERVICES

This week we recommend reading about one of the most iconic service stations in the UK, Lancaster (Forton), positioned on the M6 between Preston and Lancaster. Click this link to a Motorway Services Online article here, to read more.

LIST OF THE WEEK: TOP GEAR’S TOP 9 - CARS WITH DODGY WOOD TRIM

Thanks to listener Dan Hall, that sent us this list, from Top Gear and their Top 9 cars with dodgy wood trim. Oh boy, are there some crackers too! Click this link to be amazed and horrified.

AND FINALLY: A FILM THAT BROKE THE RULES

Fifty years ago the original Gone in Sixty Seconds came out and it was unlike anything previously. This article from Hagerty tells the story of the film and the man who made it happen. Click this link to read more.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer has written to the Supreme Court to ask them to not penalise car dealers and finance companies too much, for breaking common law. To read more, click this AMOnline article link here. For more context on how we are at this point, click this link here, from The Conversation.

FOLLOW UP: WESTERN AND CHINESE EV MAKERS TAKE EU TO COURT

BMW and Tesla has joined with BYD, SAIC and Geely to challenge the tariffs imposed on EVs made in China that are brought to Europe. They are arguing that the rates imposed are unfair. If you wish to read further on this, click this AMOnline link here.

FOLLOW UP: NHTSA BLUECRUISE INVESTIGATION SHOCKS

The investigation into Ford’s hands-off eyes-on driving system, called BlueCruise, by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in the US, has found that the system does not detect stationary vehicles when the car is going over 62mph. This has been implemented to try and prevent false positives being sensed and thus “phantom braking”. Click this Autoevolution article link for more.

FOLLOW UP: GOVERNMENT BACKS GREATER MANCHESTER PLANS

The UK Government has assessed and approved the proposed plans from Greater Manchester, to reduce the amount of nitrogen dioxide in the air. This will take place without the need to charge drivers for a Clean Air Zone, as so many other cities have chosen. If you would like to learn more, click this article link from BBC News, here.

VW GROUP DITCHES AGENCY MODEL FOR EVS

In the UK, the Volkswagen Group will end its use of the agency model, where they sell directly to customers, for their electric vehicles. They are the latest in a number of companies to make this move. Click this Auto Retail Agenda article to read more.

SUBARU HACKED

Ethical hackers found a vulnerability in Subaru’s StarLink connected service that allowed them to access incredible amounts of data and even control some functions of cars remotely. This has now been patched and we have only found out after the fix was deployed by Subaru. If you want to learn more, click this link to Sam Curry’s post detailing what he did and found.

WAYMO HACKED

Jane Manchun Wong, a security researcher, found a hidden element of the Waymo app that allowed her to change what the top dome, on the roof of their vehicles, displayed. Waymo have now closed this off to ‘normal users’. If you want to learn more, click this TechCrunch article link here.

MANY THINGS HACKED

Pwn2Own Automotive 2025 took place over three days last week and found 49 unknown vulnerabilities in software for head units and EV chargers, including Tesla’s own wall charger. On top of which, some known vulnerabilities were exploited again as companies has not fixed them since being alerted to them previously. To learn more, click this BleepingComputer article link here.

JLR INVESTS IN BESPOKE OFFERINGS

JLR is investing £65 million in Castle Bromwich and Nitra, Slovakia plants, to enable them to offer more bespoke paint options to customers. The company states more Range Rover owners are requesting more personalised options. Click this BBC News article link here, for more.

JLR INVESTS IN RARE EARTH RECYCLING COMPANY

Cyclic Materials, a Canadian company that plans to commercially recycle rare earth material from magnets in electric motors, wind turbines, MRI devices and electronic scrap, according to electrive.com. To read more, click this article link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

Dacia Bigster

Dacia has revealed their largest SUV, a chunky C-segment vehicle that undercuts the competition with the entire range being under £30,000. There are a couple of trim levels and several powertrain options. To read more, click this Motoring Research article link here.

GWM Ora 03’s new entry level model

GWM Ora has announced a new entry level model for the 03, with a price reduction of £7000, bringing it to £24,995. This will be called the Pure and comes with a range up to 194 miles and much of the kit the Pure+ (which is being retired) did. There will also be a range topping GT, which will be from £32,995 and have more aggressive styling and technology. Click this Autocar article to read more.

LUNCHTIME READ: LET’S HOPE ELON MUSK DOESN’T TAKE EVS WITH HIM

InsideEVs has a piece about the potential for the move to EVs, in the US, to be dealt a significant blow thanks to how the CEO of Tesla is behaving. In the United States the EV industry and adoption is hinged on Tesla, from the visible brand to charging infrastructure, without the company there will be, at best, a stalling and at worst a collapse. If you want to read more, click this article link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: SHOOT FROM THE HIP

Hagerty is the provider of this week’s list, with it suggesting the 11 coolest shooting brakes, even though some are not technically shooting brakes but estates. Glossing over that, there are some fabulous options for you to pick from, click here to see what they are.

AND FINALLY: GUILTY PLEASURE

PetrolBlog has a series called Guilty Pleasures, where Major Gav shares a car that is a bit of a guilty pleasure. We have chosen to share the Suzuki X-90 as your starter into the series. Do check out the rest of the series on the website. Click here to read about this mad car.

After converting just a single junction box to enable EV charging, BT has pulled the plug on their project. Originally touted as having a potential to convert up to 90,000 cabinets, the company is focusing on improving wifi provision for EV chargers. To learn more, click this Autocar article link here.

FOLLOW UP: FTC SUES JOHN DEERE OVER REPAIR MONOPOLY

In the US, the Federal Trade Commission along with Illinois and Minnesota, have taken John Deere to court over claims of a monopoly on repair to their equipment. The claims explain how due to only John Deere being able to fix farm machinery their is a loss of earnings as the farmers have to wait for a technician. This has potential knock on for the motoring industry. Click this 404 Media article link, to read more.

EV POWERTRAIN FACTORY TO BE BUILT IN SUNDERLAND

A company owned by Nissan, Jatco, will build a factory in Sunderland that will produce the car company’s next generation EV powertrains. The UK Government is investing £50 million in the project. If you want to read more, click this Autocar article here.

STELLANTIS UK MANAGEMENT CHANGES

Stellantis UK have made changes to their management team, again. This time Nicola Dobson will head up Peugeot. Giuseppe Cava will be the MD for Fiat, Fiat Professional and Abarth. Damien Dally will lead the Leapmotor brand. Nick Richards will be the director of pre-owned vehicles. Tom Ray is in charge of business-to-business for all brands. To learn more, click this AMOnline link here.

FTC BANS GM FROM PASSING DRIVER DATA ON

For the next five years, GM is banned from passing driver data onto consumer reporting agencies, in the United States. Additionally, they must make it clear what data they do collect and give people choice over if it is collected and used. Click this article from the Federal Trade Commission for more details.

HINO SETTLES US EMISSION BATTLE

In the United States, the Toyota subsidiary Hino, has settled with regulators an emission scandal involving their diesel engines. Fined $1.6 billion, plead guilty and banned from importing their engines to the country for five years. Amazing what happens to non-US companies, compared to their own. Click this BBC News article link for more.

CANOO FILES FOR BANKRUPTCY

The EV startup, Canoo, has filed for bankruptcy after it failed to find further funding. To find out more, click this TechCrunch article here.

CHARGE CAR HAS BEEN BOUGHT

The collapsed EV restomod company, Charge Car, has been bought and resurrected, by a consortium who plan to follow through on the program of building electric Mustangs. If you wish to read more, click this Autocar link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

KGM Actyon

KGM has revealed details of their new SUV, the Actyon. Aimed at the likes of the Skoda Kodiaq and Honda CR-V, it will initially come with a 1.5 litre turbo petrol engine producing 161bhp. Prices are expected to start from £31,995. Click this Autocar article to learn more.

Toyota Urban Cruiser

The Urban Cruiser name returns, on a new electric SUV from Toyota. Due to arrive later this year, with a rumoured price over £30,000. This is very similar to the eVitara we covered recently. Click this Top Gear article link to read more.

BYD Atto 2

BYD is launching the Atto 2 SUV in Europe. Sitting between the Dolphin and Atto 3, in their range. Rivals are expected to be the likes of the Vauxhall Frontera and Renault 4. Range, for the 45.1kWh battery, is expected to be around 194 miles. Prices are thought to be around the mid £20,000s, in line with the competition. Click this Autocar article to read more.

DS plans

DS has bold plans. No, you don’t seem to understand, we really do mean BOLD. Not content with not competing with Mercedes, BMW and Audi they now are aiming higher and looking to challenge the likes of Bentley. They seem to like the thinking from Jaguar and are following suit, although we have to wait for the rebrand and adverts. Click this Autocar article to read more.

LUNCHTIME WATCH: WILL THE MINI JEEP MAKE IT TO AREA 51? EP.3

The third instalment of the insane journey by Ed March and a mini Jeep he has modified, to Area 51. Hope you like snow and tank tracks! Click this YouTube link to watch this brilliant video.

LIST OF THE WEEK: HOW TO ESCAPE YOUR CAR IF THE ELECTRONIC DOOR HANDLE FAILS

Consumer Reports has listed all the ways to get out of cars that have electronic door handles, if they fail. There is a lack of consistency in how brands enable you to use and override, let alone where it is located. Click this article link to read more on this dangerous and stupid door handle evolution.

AND FINALLY: VISIT POTHOLE LAND

The enterprising residents of a village near Wrexham have decided to try and cash in on the state of their roads by setting up a tourist attraction called Pothole Land. Once again, people using humour to point out the ridiculous state of the UK’s infrastructure. And no, AI won’t make a difference. Click this BBC News article to read more.

The Department for Transport has stated it is confident no car maker will be hit with fines, for failing to meet the requirements of the Zero Emission Vehicle mandate of 2024, due to the many different ways a brand can be compliant. If you want to read more, click this AMOnline link here.

JLR STATE GEAR SELECTOR SETUP STAYS FOLLOWING TRAGEDY

A coroner has urged JLR to change their gear selector system by including an “intermediary step” to engage the drive as required. A tragic accident occurred when the driver of an electric Jaguar relied on feel to pick correctly but ultimately failed, which led to the death of a child. JLR, whilst expressing sympathy over the incident, stated they comply with all legal requirements. You can learn more, by clicking this BBC News link here.

ROLLS ROYCE INVESTS £300M IN NEW PRODUCTION CAPACITY

Rolls Royce will be upgrading their Goodwood production facility, with a £300 million investment, ahead of a second electric model reveal. More important, perhaps, than the second ev model, is that this will allow even more personalisation of cars being sold. To read more on this, click the link here to an Autocar article.

TESLA BEATS FORD TO MOST RECALLED BRAND IN 2024

In the US, Tesla has taken the dubious crown of the brand with the most recalls, from Ford in 2024. The latest is 700,000 for tyre pressure sensors not working as hoped. That brings the total of 15 recalls. Click this San Antonio Express News article link for more.

TESLA DRIVER ASSISTANCE COMPUTERS FAILING

The computers controlling Tesla’s ‘Self Driving’ ADAS system are failing. This is causing serious issues, including disabling other aspects and technology in cars. Getting replacements is tricky and there is a long lead time due to how the company likes to do business. If you want to read more, click this Jalopnik article link here.

WAYMO TAXI GOES IN CIRCLES TRAPPING OCCUPANT

A Waymo in Arizona, trapped an occupant whilst circling the airport car park, which he could not stop or get help. The man nearly missed his flight as it took so long to rectify the situation. You can see more, by clicking this BBC News article link here.

DRIVERLESS SCOTTISH BUS ROUTE SHUT DOWN

The much heralded driverless bus project, set up with Stagecoach, called CAVForth, has shut down 18 months after beginning. The claim is a lack of passengers. To read about this, click this link to an article from The Scotsman.

AFTER 23 YEARS A ROAD UPGRADE IS SET TO FINISH

A project, started in 2002, to upgrade the A465 Heads of the Valleys is set to be finished. Seemingly an example of how not to do things, the team has finally overcome all the issues which will enable communities to be easily linked to the rest of the country and no longer ‘cut off’. Click this BBC News article to see the details of this enormous project, the mess and the hope for the future.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

Mazda 6e

Mazda will be bringing their electric saloon, which is known as the EZ-6 in China, to the UK under the 6 name. As we said when we covered EZ-6, it is a very good looking car and importantly it IS a car and not a SUV. 300-345 mile range, depending on spec, this is expected to be priced from just under £40,000 when it arrives in 2026. Click this Autocar article link for more.

Afeela 1

The Sony Honda collaboration is due to produce a car, under the brand name Afeela. The Afeela 1 is another (nice to say that) electric saloon. You’d better really want one and have really deep pockets as prices will start at the merest sliver under $90,000. Question is, will anyone want a bland looking EV that offers nothing the market already gets and usually for a lot cheaper? You can see more by clicking this Top Gear article link here.

Honda 0 Saloon and 0 SUV

Also at CES, Honda revealed their Series 0 cars, the Saloon 0 and SUV 0. We’ve seen, for so many years now, an iteration of the Saloon 0 design, whilst the SUV seems to be influenced by Polestar’s 3. The chaps fail to be excited by either and perhaps are indicative of how far behind Japanese companies are. Even now. Click this Autocar article to read more.

LUNCHTIME WATCH: EVO CAR OF THE YEAR 2024

That time of the year has come around again, the EVO Car of the Year video is now out. Watch as the team show off the contenders and pick their ultimate car of 2024. Click this YouTube link to watch the fabulous film.

CONFIGURATOR OF THE WEEK: ROLLS ROYCE SPECTRE

We return to fantasy shopping, with the Rolls Royce Spectre configurator. Click this link to have a go your self.

To see Alan’s choices, click this link here.

To see Andrew’s selections, click this link here.

AND FINALLY: BODY KITS

Liberty Walk, the company that likes to bolt on an arch extension, has revealed one kit that is not that, the Silhouette Works GT Lamborghini Miura. It looks good too. However, if you do miss the exposed rivets look, they also have a new MX-5 kit that will warm your cockles. Click this Hagerty link to read more.

As a result of the intense negotiations between Volkswagen and the unions, agreement has been reached on cuts that are hoped will create $4 billion in savings. Voluntary redundancies, selling one plant, reducing production lines and repurposing other plants are all measures being taken. Click this Autocar article link, to find out more. You can also click this link here to an AP article explaining other aspects of the steps being taken.

FOLLOW UP: HONDA AND NISSAN OFFICIALLY CONFIRM MERGER

We covered the rumours of this a few weeks ago, yet it has still caught many by surprise. Nissan and Honda has announced that they intend to merge in an attempt to fight for an increased market share. We cannot work out what the companies will gain from this as they seem to be effectively identical in terms of products and markets. To find out more, you can click this Autocar article link here.

FOLLOW UP: UK GOV STARTS FRESH ZEV MANDATE CONSULTATION

The new Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, has opened a fresh consultation with stakeholders regarding the zero emission vehicle mandate, as the reality of the economy and the market hit home. SMMT is pushing for financial help for private buyers and pushing the charging industry to do better. The charging industry is in a flap over the potential to slow down the move to EVs. To learn more, click this Autocar article link here.

DECEMBER AND 2024 NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES

SMMT has released the data for December and the entire year, with regards to new car registrations. Surprising no one, or it really shouldn’t, BEVs had a bumper month as the fear of fines loomed over brands. Fleet buyers completely propped up the market in 2024. The question of the ZEV mandate and economy, going into 2025, will impact the market heavily. Click this SMMT article link to read more.

WHISTLEBLOWER ACCUSES JLR AND TATA OF BLACKLISTING

Hazar Denli, who was heading up the chassis design element of VinFast’s car for Tata Technologies, raised concerns over parts and quality internally but was ignored. Feeling he had no option he went public, was fired by Tata and subsequently found a new job, via an agency, with JLR. He is claiming that he was blacklisted and unfairly fired by JLR who were told to let him go. To read more, click this BBC News article link here.

LOCAL AUTHORITIES GIVEN EXTRA POTHOLE REPAIR FUNDS

The Government has added £500 million to the pothole repair fund and is pushing local councils to get on with sorting the roads. However, to receive the full funding they will need to demonstrate they are tackling the problem to a standard expected. If you would like to read more, click this BBC News article link here.

VW CUSTOMER CAR DATA LEAK

Volkswagen Group has now fixed a misconfigured cloud storage area that was open to everyone. 800,000 customer’s car’s data was accessible by anyone, including location history, battery charge level and car status, amongst others. Politicians, security service personnel and high profile owners are thought to be hit in Germany and elsewhere in the world. Trust is a fragile thing, which the car industry keeps destroying. Click this Carscoops article link for more.

US DIGITAL LICENSE PLATES JAILBROKEN

In a couple of states in the US, you can purchase or pay a hefty subscription for a digital license plate. Apparently this has many advantages over normal ones, but we can’t see any unless you can jailbreak them and put someone else’s details on it and have them pay your road tolls and more. Which is exactly what has happened. To learn more about this daft product, click here for a Wired article link.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

Nio to launch in the UK in early 2025

Nio, the Chinese EV maker, will be launching early 2025 in the UK market, with the L60 SUV coupe. This is a direct competitor to the Tesla Model Y. Expected to be around £40,000 it will undercut the Model Y on price. In order to find out more, click here for the link to an Autocar article.

GWM Ora to rebrand

GWM Ora will now be known as GWM, in the UK, as it expands the brands it will be bringing to this market. Adding to the Ora 03 (formerly the Funky Cat) they will launch the Haval Jolion Pro Hybrid SUV in early 2025. Click this AMOnline article link for more.

Nio bringing budget brand Firefly to Europe

Nio will be bringing it’s budget brand, Firefly, to Europe in 2025 with their small EV hatchback. Visually it is astonishingly similar to the Honda-e. No news on whether it will be brought to the UK yet. To read more, click this Autocar article link here.

Arnold Clark the exclusive Corvette dealer for Glasgow and the North of England

Corvette are coming to the UK, with right hand drive versions of their latest sports cars. Arnold Clark is the dealer for their Glasgow and North of England sites. If you want to find out more, click this AMOnline article link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: HOW AN ARMOURED CAMARO AND A SPECIAL FORCES OFFICER KEPT CIVILIANS ALIVE IN WAR-TORN BOSNIA

This is the remarkable story of the special forces officer who modified a Camaro and went unarmed into conflict areas to bring humanitarian relief for civilians caught in the horrific civil war of Bosnia. To read about his heroism and more, click this Hagerty article link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: EVO CAR OF THE YEAR - EVERY WINNER

We have managed to source a list for you to select from this week and it is a cracker. All of the winners of the EVO Car of the Year awards. There are some brands who feature more heavily than others, but click this link here to see if you agree with the choices made by the chaps.

AND FINALLY: RICH NEW YORKERS LEARN ABOUT WALKING

New York is the first city in the US to introduce congestion pricing, thus catching up to most of the rest of the world. However, the shock has reverberated around many who live and work there. They’ve been introduced to a new concept called “walking” as a way to avoid paying the charge. Click this Jalopnik article link to see one man’s reaction to this news.

Volkswagen are continuing to endure more challenges. Workers were on strike last week, with the threat of more in the new year as unions and management continue to talk but appear no closer to agreement. You can click this HTAutos article link to learn more.

Meanwhile, VW’s CFO Arno Antilitz, stated that factories must get more efficient. Which is code for cut costs. Unless they haven’t bothered to optimise efficiency up to now. Click this MSM article link here, to read further.

To round out the Volkswagen news, they are being sued in Brazil for treating farm workers, on a farm they owned, like slaves. This is a historical claim, which it is claimed took place between 1974 and 1986. If you want to find out more, click this MSM article link here.

CRUISE AV PROJECT CANCELLED BY GM

General Motors has announced that it is ceasing to fund Cruise and will fold elements of the company, including technology, into GM. The news has shocked some, including staff, but that is not surprising considering how poor reporting has been and how the industry has used PR and legal moves to obfuscate reality. You can read more on this, by clicking this link from TechCrunch here.

Honda will be saving roughly $100 million per year, as they will no longer need to pay a licensing fee for the Origin vehicles that never made it to service. Click this Nikkei Asia article link here, for more.

For some extra context, click these two links to John Berry posts on Bluesky. Link one can be found here. For the second, click here.

CYVN HOLDINGS AGREES TO BUY MCLAREN AUTOMOTIVE

The Abu Dhabi based investment group, CYVN Holdings, has agreed with Bahrain's sovereign wealth fund, Mumtalakat, to purchase McLaren Automotive. They already have invested in Gordon Murray Technologies, Forseven and NIO. If you wish to learn more, click this Autocar link here.

MUSK TRIES TO INFLUENCE UK GOVERNMENT POLICY

The BBC has see attempts by Musk and Tesla to change the UK’s zero emission vehicle mandate by pushing for ICE drivers to be charged more, if they buy a petrol or diesel car. If you wish for your blood pressure to be raised, click this BBC News article link here.

AMAZON AUTOS ROLLS OUT TO 48 CITIES IN THE US

Amazon Autos is now rolling out to 48 cities, in the US, where you can use their platform to view, order, pay and arrange to collect your Hyundai. More locations are expected to added as time goes on. Key element to this, is knowing exactly what you’ll be paying without low moves by a dealer suddenly adding a cost, out of the blue. Click this Amazon article link to learn more.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

This week we talked about how to add Apple Podcasts service, to your Android homescreen, following a revised article from James Cridland and Podnews. If you use Android or know someone who does and are struggling to find a likeable player you can try it. Click this link here to see more.

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

Renault 5 Turbo 3E

Renault has announced that they will be reviving another back catalogue car, just after telling us they would only be looking to the future with their vehicles. They will be bringing to production an electric 5 Turbo, with 500bhp and promises of breathtaking performance. Makes us wonder what the point of Alpine is. What was that? The price? Apparently in excess of £100,000. Click this Autocar article for more.

Aston Martin Valhalla

Aston Martin has confirmed the plug in hybrid, Valhalla, will be in production, finally, next year. With a starting price of only £850,000, this 1064bhp will take on the likes of the Ferrari SF90. There will be a maximum of 999 vehicle built and the company expects most of them to go through their personalisation program which will make the price jump significantly. Click this Autocar article to read more.

Farizon Supervan

Geely will be bringing a competitor to the EV van market, in the form of the Farizon SV (for Supervan). Price is expected to be less than that for the Ford E-Transit and Vivaro Electric. Range, from the largest battery that will initially be available, is a maximum of 225 miles. Click this Autocar link to learn more.

Toyota Urban Cruiser

Toyota are bringing back the Urban Cruiser name. This time it will adorn the Japanese car maker’s version of the Suzuki e-Vitara that was jointly developed by the two companies, although the project was led by Suzuki. For more information on the car, click this Autocar article link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: THE BRIXMIS OPEL SENATOR WAS THE RIDE OF REAL SECRET AGENTS DURING THE COLD WAR

During the Cold War, British agents would go and poke around areas of East Germany in modified Opel Senators. This Hagerty article tells you all about it, click here to read a fascinating story.

CONFIGURATOR OF THE WEEK: BENTLEY CONTINENTAL GT MULLINER

This week we have chosen to play with Bentley’s configurator and specifically the one for the Continental GT Mulliner. Unfortunately, we cannot establish just how eye-wateringly expensive our vehicles would be but we do have the links below to play along at home to, as well as check out Alan and Andrew’s choices.

Click here to go to the blank configurator.

For Alan’s choices, click this link here.

For Andrew’s choices, click this link here.

AND FINALLY: VW HONOURS DECADES OLD IMPORT PROGRAM

Volkswagen US had a program where people could order a US spec car, have it delivered to Europe, drive it around and then have it shipped back to the United States for the owner. One such participant never made it home, until very nearly forty years later, where VW honoured their part of the deal even though it has been shut for decades. FOLLOW UP: ANOTHER ROUGH WEEK FOR VW

Volkswagen are continuing to endure more challenges. Workers were on strike last week, with the threat of more in the new year as unions and management continue to talk but appear no closer to agreement. You can click this HTAutos article link to learn more.

Meanwhile, VW’s CFO Arno Antilitz, stated that factories must get more efficient. Which is code for cut costs. Unless they haven’t bothered to optimise efficiency up to now. Click this MSM article link here, to read further.

To round out the Volkswagen news, they are being sued in Brazil for treating farm workers, on a farm they owned, like slaves. This is a historical claim, which it is claimed took place between 1974 and 1986. If you want to find out more, click this MSM article link here.

CRUISE AV PROJECT CANCELLED BY GM

General Motors has announced that it is ceasing to fund Cruise and will fold elements of the company, including technology, into GM. The news has shocked some, including staff, but that is not surprising considering how poor reporting has been and how the industry has used PR and legal moves to obfuscate reality. You can read more on this, by clicking this link from TechCrunch here.

Honda will be saving roughly $100 million per year, as they will no longer need to pay a licensing fee for the Origin vehicles that never made it to service. Click this Nikkei Asia article link here, for more.

For some extra context, click these two links to John Berry posts on Bluesky. Link one can be found here. For the second, click here.

CYVN HOLDINGS AGREES TO BUY MCLAREN AUTOMOTIVE

The Abu Dhabi based investment group, CYVN Holdings, has agreed with Bahrain's sovereign wealth fund, Mumtalakat, to purchase McLaren Automotive. They already have invested in Gordon Murray Technologies, Forseven and NIO. If you wish to learn more, click this Autocar link here.

MUSK TRIES TO INFLUENCE UK GOVERNMENT POLICY

The BBC has see attempts by Musk and Tesla to change the UK’s zero emission vehicle mandate by pushing for ICE drivers to be charged more, if they buy a petrol or diesel car. If you wish for your blood pressure to be raised, click this BBC News article link here.

AMAZON AUTOS ROLLS OUT TO 48 CITIES IN THE US

Amazon Autos is now rolling out to 48 cities, in the US, where you can use their platform to view, order, pay and arrange to collect your Hyundai. More locations are expected to added as time goes on. Key element to this, is knowing exactly what you’ll be paying without low moves by a dealer suddenly adding a cost, out of the blue. Click this Amazon article link to learn more.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

This week we talked about how to add Apple Podcasts service, to your Android homescreen, following a revised article from James Cridland and Podnews. If you use Android or know someone who does and are struggling to find a likeable player you can try it. Click this link here to see more.

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

Renault 5 Turbo 3E

Renault has announced that they will be reviving another back catalogue car, just after telling us they would only be looking to the future with their vehicles. They will be bringing to production an electric 5 Turbo, with 500bhp and promises of breathtaking performance. Makes us wonder what the point of Alpine is. What was that? The price? Apparently in excess of £100,000. Click this Autocar article for more.

Aston Martin Valhalla

Aston Martin has confirmed the plug in hybrid, Valhalla, will be in production, finally, next year. With a starting price of only £850,000, this 1064bhp will take on the likes of the Ferrari SF90. There will be a maximum of 999 vehicle built and the company expects most of them to go through their personalisation program which will make the price jump significantly. Click this Autocar article to read more.

Farizon Supervan

Geely will be bringing a competitor to the EV van market, in the form of the Farizon SV (for Supervan). Price is expected to be less than that for the Ford E-Transit and Vivaro Electric. Range, from the largest battery that will initially be available, is a maximum of 225 miles. Click this Autocar link to learn more.

Toyota Urban Cruiser

Toyota are bringing back the Urban Cruiser name. This time it will adorn the Japanese car maker’s version of the Suzuki e-Vitara that was jointly developed by the two companies, although the project was led by Suzuki. For more information on the car, click this Autocar article link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: THE BRIXMIS OPEL SENATOR WAS THE RIDE OF REAL SECRET AGENTS DURING THE COLD WAR

During the Cold War, British agents would go and poke around areas of East Germany in modified Opel Senators. This Hagerty article tells you all about it, click here to read a fascinating story.

CONFIGURATOR OF THE WEEK: BENTLEY CONTINENTAL GT MULLINER

This week we have chosen to play with Bentley’s configurator and specifically the one for the Continental GT Mulliner. Unfortunately, we cannot establish just how eye-wateringly expensive our vehicles would be but we do have the links below to play along at home to, as well as check out Alan and Andrew’s choices.

Click here to go to the blank configurator.

For Alan’s choices, click this link here.

For Andrew’s choices, click this link here.

AND FINALLY: VW HONOURS DECADES OLD IMPORT PROGRAM

Volkswagen US had a program where people could order a US spec car, have it delivered to Europe, drive it around and then have it shipped back to the United States for the owner. One such participant never made it home, until very nearly forty years later, where VW honoured their part of the deal even though it has been shut for decades. Click here to see more, from Volkswagen’s own press release. Well done all involved.

AND FINALLY FINALLY: SUMMER IN THE TETONS

YouTuber Jonny Roams, has a short two minute video that is a beautifully shot teaser to longer film, about his time in the Teton mountains over the summer in his overland 944. Have a couple of minutes of calm and peace, whilst thinking about the adventures you’ll have next year in your car. It is nearly time again. Click here to watch the video.

Some good news, for a change, as Ricaro, the seat manufacturer, being saved by an Italian parts maker called Proma Group. Unfortunately, many will lose their jobs as production will move to Italy. However, some technical and sales people will remain. You can learn more by clicking this Auotcar link here.

FOLLOW UP: ARAMCO BUYS 10% STAKE IN HORSE

Aramco has finally bought the 10% stake in Horse which Geely and Renault were hoping for, after signing a letter of intent earlier in the year. Click this Yahoo Finance link for more.

FOLLOW UP: JUDGE BLOCKS MUSK PAY PACKAGE AGAIN

The appeal by Musk, to be awarded a ridiculous $56 billion pay package, has failed. The judge cited that the many arguments Musk’s legal team used to change the ruling were full of flaws, anyone of which could have led to dismissing the appeal, let alone all of them together. Tesla will appeal. Again. To learn more, do click this link to a TechCrunch article here.

NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES FOR NOVEMBER 2024

The November new car registration figures were released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), and they’re not great. A 1.9% decline in registrations overall, but BEVs increased again, with over 14,000 extra registrations than for the same month in 2023, amounting to a 25.1% market share for the month. Petrol and diesel fell, as did PHEVs. What will be concerning is that Fleet numbers fell, on top of Private continuing to decline. The SMMT called on the Government to help the industry out as the levels of price cutting and incentives was not sustainable.

To read the SMMT post and information, click this link here.

AMOnline have an article discussing EV depreciation, which we have discussed many times on this show, that you can read by clicking this link here.

For context on why registrations are not increasing at a rate many hoped and expected, click this link to a post about research into the financial well being of UK adults in 2023.

TESLA PAUSES CYBERTRUCK PRODUCTION

Last week Tesla paused Cybertruck production, which is on top of reducing hours earlier in the year. They are, for now, back to normal. You can read more, by clicking this Yahoo Finance article link here.

OX DELIVERS AFRICAN CONTRACT JOY

OX Delivers, which is an electric truck mobility service company, has created a new franchise partner that signed a $163 million agreement to expand their services in Rwanda and some neighbouring countries. Customers can either contract an electric truck including the servicing costs or book space on one of the OX trucks to collect and deliver their products, increasing the reach for businesses. If you want to learn more, click this EV Powered link here.

NEW RURAL WALES EV CAR CLUB LAUNCHED

TrydaiNi, a community owned car club, has expanded operations to cover parts of mid Wales (apologies to all Welsh speakers for Andrew’s pronunciations). People can apply to join, once approved are able to book a car to use. We applaud this sort of initiative. We need more of this, as well as improved public transport services. Click this link here to learn more.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

Ford Puma Gen-E

Ford have finally announced a car they should have, when they ended the Fiesta and Focus, an electric Puma. Starting price is just under £30,000 and the specs seem pretty good. If you want to find out more, click this Motoring Research article link here.

Cupra Terramar

Cupra are brining a new SUV to market, with a variety of powertrain train options, from internal combustion engine, to hybrid to plug in hybrid. Power output is also varied. Click this Motoring Research article link to find out more.

Lamborghini Temerario

Lamborghini has revealed the details of their V8 hybrid supercar, the Temerario. Heaps of power, hugely fast, very Lamborghini. You can read more, by clicking this Motoring Research article link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: VIN DIESEL IS RIGHT

The Autopian discusses the highbrow Fast and Furious movie series, agreeing with Vin Diesel’s assertion that when it was about car races and the likes it was much better. Alan puts forward his suggestion for the best of the series, whilst Andrew admits to not watching more than half an hour of the first one before never returning.

And do check out the podcast Automovie, who the chaps refer to by clicking this link to their website here.

CONFIGURATOR OF THE WEEK: PORSCHE E-MACAN

Thanks to a suggestion from listener Jamie Stokes, when we asked what we could replace the List of the Week as it becomes increasingly more difficult to find ones good enough to include, we now have the Confirgurator of the Week. We bring you the Porsche e-Macan to start this off.

Click here to go to the blank configurator.

For Alan’s choices, click this link here.

For Andrew’s choices, click this link here.

AND FINALLY: PHOTOGRAPHER’S TOKYO CAR SPOTS

The Tokyo based photographer, Alfie Goodrich, has captured random cars on his walks around the city and compiled some of them into a small gallery for us to enjoy. Click this link to his website to see more and then check out what other excellent work he does by mooching around the rest of the site.

Transport for London (TfL) has announced the prices, including how there will be peak and non peak prices, for using the new Silvertown tunnel and the Blackwall tunnel. £4.00 for peak use of either, dropping to £1.50 in off-peak, which requires signing up to the auto-pay TfL system. if you wish to find out more, click this link here to an article from The Standard.

CARLOS TAVARES RESIGNS WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT

Carlos Tavares surprised all by resigning as CEO of Stellantis, with immediate effect over the weekend. Reports indicate there was a growing rift between the board, shareholders and the vision Tavares had, following the reduction in expected dividend. The company will appoint a successor in early 2025. Click this Autocar article to read more.

STELLANTIS TO CLOSE LUTON VAN FACTORY

Stellantis announced, that they would be closing the Luton van factory, whilst blaming the UK Government and the zero emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate, for this only weeks after saying they were not going to be hurt by the ZEV to investors. 1,100 people will be losing their jobs.

We have a link to an Autocar article explaining the situation, click here to read that.

For some context, including how the company has operated, click this post from Nick Gibbs.

More context is provided by The Guardian, which you can read by clicking this link here.

TRANSPORT SECRETARY RESIGNS

The Transport Secretary, Louise Haig, has resigned over an incident with police in 2013. This has caused concern in the industry as she had just been talking to leaders about the ZEV mandate and possible changes to it. Click this Autocar article link here for more.

UK GOVERNMENT TO REVISE ZEV MANDATE

Following extensive lobbying by the car industry, the UK Government is looking at how it can revise the zero emission vehicle mandate, in the light of the current market reality. The language, from the Government, has switched to putting the blame on the previous incumbents, whilst hoping we all forget they pledged to ‘bring back the 2030 ban’ that was never a thing in the first place. If you want to read more, click this Autocar article link here.

ASTON MARTIN ISSUES ANOTHER PROFITS WARNING

For the second time in quick succession, Aston Martin has issued a warning on its profits. China and supply chain issues are being blamed. On top of which, the company is seeking to raise more money. To learn more, click this Autocar article link here.

VW LEAVES CONTROVERSIAL CHINESE PLANT

Volkswagen has confirmed it has sold it’s factory in Xijiang, which is an area linked to forced labour practices. VW, following several investigations, never found evidence of such in their plant. However, they have been lobbied for some time over this issue. You can read more, by clicking this Yahoo article link here.

VOLKSWAGEN REVIEWS UK AGENCY SALES PLAN

VW is undertaking a "review of its sales model", in the UK. They intend to complete this by March 2025. The German company are the latest to consider pausing their plans as the current market conditions remain tough. Click this AMOnline article link for more.

SCOTLAND CONSIDERS REDUCING SOME RURAL SPEED LIMITS

Transport Scotland is proposing a cut to certain road’s speed limits. However, it also recommends increasing the speed of HGVs. Deaths on Scottish roads fell last year, with speed being linked to roughly one in five road incidents. A reminder, that compliance is not the same as safety. Click this BBC News article link here, for more information.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

Follow Up: DS 8 will be called No8

DS, even before fully revealing their new flagship model, that we discussed last week, has changed the name and confirmed a rethink of their interiors. Now the DS 8 is to be known as the No8. Click this Autocar article for more.

Jaguar Type 00 Concept

We finally get to look at a car, from Jaguar, but don’t get too excited as its only a concept. But at least there’s something to show for the years they’ve been working on this. How much will make the road cars? Maybe the overall shape and dimensions, but not much else in all likelihood. Some have pointed out the similarities to other concept cars, such as the recent Lancia Aurelia GT. You can read more, by clicking this Autocar article link here. Also, here is a link to a Top Gear video. Now we wait once more, this time for something real.

Jaecoo 7

The latest Chinese brand to come to the UK is bringing, what is claimed to be a premium quality vehicle for around £30,000. They are aiming at a broad range of competitors, such as the Kia Sportage and Range Rover Evoque. It will come in petrol and petrol plug-in hybrid forms and a variety of off-road technology. Click this Autocar article to find out more, including the pronunciation guide.

Toyota GR Supra

Toyota is sending the GR Supra into retirement, with one last ultra rare track focused version. More power, more wings, more roll cage, just a lot more of more. Only 300 examples will be made. You can find out more, by clicking this Autocar link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: FRENCH DESIGN DESERVES BETTER THAN THE CITROËN SM TRIBUTE

Matteo Licata has written for Hagerty, a piece on the SM Tribute we were not very kind about, a few weeks ago. However, he brings a design perspective to his argument. To read this recommendation, click the link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 37 GLORIOUS PICTURES OF 37 GLORIOUS JAGUARS

As Jaguar has done such a great job of being in the limelight over the last couple of weeks, Autocar has brought us a slideshow of some of their past glories. Click this link here to check out if you agree with Alan’s choice.

AND FINALLY: HOT WHEELS LEGENDS TOUR 2024 OVERALL WINNER

The overall Hot Wheels Legends Tour 2024 winner has been announced. Check out this link, from Design News, to see a video on the event and find out who and what won, overall.

After the surprise Court of Appeal’s ruling, that not only must commission for brokers must be explicitly made clear, including the rate they receive, the potential fall out could be up to £30 billion. Even Martin Lewis, the consumer campaigner, has said the ruling appears to be going much further than expected. Click this AMOnline article link here, to read more.

FOLLOW UP: INEOS TO RESTART PRODUCTION

Following the collapse of their seat supplier, Ineos has been hit by a halt to production. They now say they will restart in January. This will be a relief as an expansion into China and Mexico was about to take place when they were hit by the issue. If you want to learn more, click here for a link to an Autocar article.

JAGUAR REIMAGINING BEGINS

Unless you lived under a rock, and had no contact with any person or the internet, then you will know that Jaguar produced their first glimpse at the reimagining of the brand.

This has caused the internet to lose its mind, in various ways. Some through confusion, some because ‘change is bad’, some because their firmly held beliefs are being challenged, some because they just want to dunk on anything.

We have compiled some links below that explain what Jaguar have done as well as more thoughtful pieces trying to explain aspects of the information.

The Jaguar rebranding article from Autocar, click here.

For CarDealer’s explanation of the launch event, click here.

Creative Bloq discuss what the logos and visuals are meant to represent, click here to read that.

Rory Sutherland has a discussion about the rebrand, from an advertising professional’s perspective, click this Spectator TV YouTube link.

Mostly About Driving’s take on the more technical aspects of the branding can be read by clicking this link here.

To read comments regarding the hateful reactions to the rebrand, click this link to a Driven article.

Seemingly Jaguar have been caught off guard by the reaction, click this BBC News article link where they are asking for people to hold off and wait in judgement.

FORD TO LAY OFF 4000 WORKERS IN EUROPE AND UK

Ford has announced a restructuring of its European business, by making 4000 workers redundant, including 800 in the UK. We have mentioned how bad their figures have been for new car registrations, over the last few months. You can read more, by clicking this Autocar link here.

NISSAN APPEALS TO THE UK GOV FOR HELP OVER ZEV MANDATE

Nissan, who’s dire situation we discussed a couple of weeks ago, is asking for help from the UK Government, with the zero emission vehicle mandate. As their sales drop they are struggling to hit the targets laid out. If you want to learn more, click this article link from The Japan Times.

LOTUS PULLS BACK FROM EV ONLY 2028 DATE

Lotus will introduce hybrid powertrains to some of their cars, in an attempt to increase sales. This also means that the plan to be EV only by 2028 is being pushed back towards 2030. Click this Autocar article for more information.

TESLA AND RIVIAN CONCLUDE TRADE SECRETS LEGAL FIGHT

Tesla has announced that they have reached a ‘conditional’ agreement with Rivian with regards to claims that staff were poached and trade secrets were handed over. To read more about this story, click this TechCrunch link here.

HONDA TRIALLING SOLID STATE BATTERY PRODUCTION LINE

In another, what is hoped by Honda, step towards production ready solid state batteries for EVs they are creating a trial production line. This is to help them work through issues that they cannot see in the making of the batteries at scale. In the meantime, they are still working on making solid state batteries a viable ‘thing’ for electric vehicles. If you want to learn more, click this SAE International article link here.

NORTHVOLT FILES FOR BANKRUPTCY

Northvolts has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy as the effects of BMW pulling their huge contract hit. The hope is that the restructuring of their debt will allow them to be a viable business moving forward. On top of this, the CEO Peter Carlsson, has resigned. Click this article link from The Guardian for more.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

Hyundai Ioniq 9

Hyundai has taken the wraps off their range topping EV, the Ioniq 9. Similar in dimensions to the sister brand Kia EV9, this is a big car. They have high aspirations for where they want it to sit in the market. Prices are expected to start in the low £60,000 but end up at a smidgen under £80,000 for the top of the model range. Click here to read about the details, from an Autocar article.

DS 8

DS has shown us their new range topper, although it is heavily disguised in pictures. Apparently taking inspiration from the DS Tribute concept we were not fans of a few weeks ago. Technology wise, claims are of 466 miles range, thanks to help from active aerodynamics. There are also claims about drag coefficient numbers, which are like a red rag to bull with Alan. Click this Auotcar link here, to read more.

Renault 5

Renault has finally revealed full specifications and prices, for the very cool looking Renault 5 EV. Starting at £22,995 it undercuts some rivals. Prices go up as you move through the range but also technology improves, such as range. You can learn more, by clicking this Autocar link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: HOW THE BMW E36 3-SERIES CAME TO BE

Hagerty has published a fascinating article explaining how the BMW E36 3-Series, which was filling some awfully popular shoes of the E30 version, happened. Hear from someone who was part of the team that brought the car to market. To read about this story, click here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: LONGEST LASTING CARS TO REACH 250,000 MILES

A US-based list, of vehicles that have made it over 250,000 miles and more. Do you agre with the choices made or would you pick something else? Let us know. Click here to check out the options, from iSeeCars.

AND FINALLY: BEAR NECESSITIES OF INSURANCE

An owner has tried to claim a bear got into their Rolls Royce and damaged the interior. The company was suspicious and investigated, including reviewing the supplied video evidence. Turns out, if you wear a bear suit and use garden tools to replicate an animal attack, this can be worked out. FOLLOW UP: £30B POTENTIAL FALLOUT FROM FINANCE RULING

After the surprise Court of Appeal’s ruling, that not only must commission for brokers must be explicitly made clear, including the rate they receive, the potential fall out could be up to £30 billion. Even Martin Lewis, the consumer campaigner, has said the ruling appears to be going much further than expected. Click this AMOnline article link here, to read more.

FOLLOW UP: INEOS TO RESTART PRODUCTION

Following the collapse of their seat supplier, Ineos has been hit by a halt to production. They now say they will restart in January. This will be a relief as an expansion into China and Mexico was about to take place when they were hit by the issue. If you want to learn more, click here for a link to an Autocar article.

JAGUAR REIMAGINING BEGINS

Unless you lived under a rock, and had no contact with any person or the internet, then you will know that Jaguar produced their first glimpse at the reimagining of the brand.

This has caused the internet to lose its mind, in various ways. Some through confusion, some because ‘change is bad’, some because their firmly held beliefs are being challenged, some because they just want to dunk on anything.

We have compiled some links below that explain what Jaguar have done as well as more thoughtful pieces trying to explain aspects of the information.

The Jaguar rebranding article from Autocar, click here.

For CarDealer’s explanation of the launch event, click here.

Creative Bloq discuss what the logos and visuals are meant to represent, click here to read that.

Rory Sutherland has a discussion about the rebrand, from an advertising professional’s perspective, click this Spectator TV YouTube link.

Mostly About Driving’s take on the more technical aspects of the branding can be read by clicking this link here.

To read comments regarding the hateful reactions to the rebrand, click this link to a Driven article.

Seemingly Jaguar have been caught off guard by the reaction, click this BBC News article link where they are asking for people to hold off and wait in judgement.

FORD TO LAY OFF 4000 WORKERS IN EUROPE AND UK

Ford has announced a restructuring of its European business, by making 4000 workers redundant, including 800 in the UK. We have mentioned how bad their figures have been for new car registrations, over the last few months. You can read more, by clicking this Autocar link here.

NISSAN APPEALS TO THE UK GOV FOR HELP OVER ZEV MANDATE

Nissan, who’s dire situation we discussed a couple of weeks ago, is asking for help from the UK Government, with the zero emission vehicle mandate. As their sales drop they are struggling to hit the targets laid out. If you want to learn more, click this article link from The Japan Times.

LOTUS PULLS BACK FROM EV ONLY 2028 DATE

Lotus will introduce hybrid powertrains to some of their cars, in an attempt to increase sales. This also means that the plan to be EV only by 2028 is being pushed back towards 2030. Click this Autocar article for more information.

TESLA AND RIVIAN CONCLUDE TRADE SECRETS LEGAL FIGHT

Tesla has announced that they have reached a ‘conditional’ agreement with Rivian with regards to claims that staff were poached and trade secrets were handed over. To read more about this story, click this TechCrunch link here.

HONDA TRIALLING SOLID STATE BATTERY PRODUCTION LINE

In another, what is hoped by Honda, step towards production ready solid state batteries for EVs they are creating a trial production line. This is to help them work through issues that they cannot see in the making of the batteries at scale. In the meantime, they are still working on making solid state batteries a viable ‘thing’ for electric vehicles. If you want to learn more, click this SAE International article link here.

NORTHVOLT FILES FOR BANKRUPTCY

Northvolts has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy as the effects of BMW pulling their huge contract hit. The hope is that the restructuring of their debt will allow them to be a viable business moving forward. On top of this, the CEO Peter Carlsson, has resigned. Click this article link from The Guardian for more.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

Hyundai Ioniq 9

Hyundai has taken the wraps off their range topping EV, the Ioniq 9. Similar in dimensions to the sister brand Kia EV9, this is a big car. They have high aspirations for where they want it to sit in the market. Prices are expected to start in the low £60,000 but end up at a smidgen under £80,000 for the top of the model range. Click here to read about the details, from an Autocar article.

DS 8

DS has shown us their new range topper, although it is heavily disguised in pictures. Apparently taking inspiration from the DS Tribute concept we were not fans of a few weeks ago. Technology wise, claims are of 466 miles range, thanks to help from active aerodynamics. There are also claims about drag coefficient numbers, which are like a red rag to bull with Alan. Click this Auotcar link here, to read more.

Renault 5

Renault has finally revealed full specifications and prices, for the very cool looking Renault 5 EV. Starting at £22,995 it undercuts some rivals. Prices go up as you move through the range but also technology improves, such as range. You can learn more, by clicking this Autocar link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: HOW THE BMW E36 3-SERIES CAME TO BE

Hagerty has published a fascinating article explaining how the BMW E36 3-Series, which was filling some awfully popular shoes of the E30 version, happened. Hear from someone who was part of the team that brought the car to market. To read about this story, click here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: LONGEST LASTING CARS TO REACH 250,000 MILES

A US-based list, of vehicles that have made it over 250,000 miles and more. Do you agre with the choices made or would you pick something else? Let us know. Click here to check out the options, from iSeeCars.

AND FINALLY: BEAR NECESSITIES OF INSURANCE

An owner has tried to claim a bear got into their Rolls Royce and damaged the interior. The company was suspicious and investigated, including reviewing the supplied video evidence. Turns out, if you wear a bear suit and use garden tools to replicate an animal attack, this can be worked out. Click this link here to an article from The Autopian, to read more.

The Department for Transport (DfT) is investigating claims that 47 car models emissions are not the same as the official test figures, with the accusation that they are manipulating the emissions. The DfT is attempting to establish if a defeat device is being used. You can learn more, by clicking this FleetWorld article link here.

RIVIAN AND VW SIGN PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT

After announcing they would partner up, Rivian and Volkswagen have signed the partnership agreement. This will include extra investment from VW, taking the full price up to $5.8 billion. Click this EV Powered article link to read more.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

Caterham Seven CSR Twenty

Caterham bring us the most “luxurious” and pricey Seven variant yet, with a price tag of a smidgen under £80,000. Celebrating 20 years of the CSR chasis, which allowed for those of us on the slightly larger side of things to be more comfortable, this bespoke model will come with features, fittings and materials not available elsewhere. Click this EVO article link to read more.

Toyota Kayoibako

Toyota showed off an electric van that truley is a multipurpose vehicle. They have imagined it as an urban centric vehicle providing transport for people, being a mobile retail area, a coffee shop and more. Not content with that, the outdoor activities market get a version too, which added chunky tyres and obligitory stuck on elements. Both look fab, we want both and we want them now. But they have been cleverly thought out too. You can see more, by clicking this Yanko Design article link here.

Old Car Dead News: Jaguar F-Pace ends global sales in 2026

If you remember, Alan asked why the wording of the end of UK sales of the F-Pace was so specific. We now know that the rest of the globe will no longer be able to buy one from 2026. Click this Autocar article link here, which clears up the issue.

LUNCHTIME READ: IT’S ALL A BIT MUCH

Do you too feel that modern supercars are all a bit much? Let alone hypercars and even hyper hatches are becoming too extreme for UK roads. Well, you are not alone, check out this link from Mr Jalco’s Mostly About Driving to possibly find an answer to it all.

LIST OF THE WEEK: TOP GEAR - TOP 9 VIRAL CAR ADVERTS

We are increasingly struggling to find good List of the Week article to share with you. If you find one, please do send it our way and if its good enough we’ll put it on the show!

Top Gear have nine adverts for you to check out, which are bound to bring back memories. Do you agree with Alan, on his choice and/or his comments about Andrew, and what about Andrew’s choice? Let us know. Click here to see what is on offer.

AND FINALLY: THE JOY OF RATS

A neuroscientist found that rats could drive. Not only that, it appears to be bringing them joy, which they even have begun to anticipate. This all has lots of implications for us humans. Click this link from The Conversation. Alan reminds everyone why the podcast is called what it is too.

VW UK GET A NEW MD

Volkswagen UK will have a new managing director, in Damien O’Sullivan, following the request by Alex Smith to leave the company. O’Sullivan moves from Audi Ireland. If you wish to learn more, click this article link from AMOnline.

HYUNDAI GET A NEW GLOBAL CEO

Hyundai announced that Jose Muñoz will be the new global CEO of the brand, as Jaehoon Chang is promoted to vice chair. Muñoz has been heading up Europe, the US, India, the Middle East and Africa. To read more, click this Autocar link here.

XPENG TO LAUNCH IN THE UK

Xpeng will be launching in the UK, by bringing their G6 electric SUV coupe early 2025. More models are due to follow. You can learn about their plans, by clicking this AM Online article link here.

LEAPMOTORS OUTLINES UK PLANS

Leapmotors are being brought to the UK, by Stellantis. They will be in 50 dealerships by the end of 2024. Offering their city EV, the T03 that frightens Alan, and an EV SUV, the C10. Expect prices to be very competitive. AM Online has more, which you can read by clicking this link here.

SIXTH RECALL FOR THE CYBERTRUCK THIS YEAR

Tesla has announced the sixth recall for the Cybertruck, this year. Which is an astonishing feat. This time, some vehicle’s drive inverter could manfunction meaning a loss of drive. Click this TechCrunch article link to read more.

TESLA HAS WORST FATALITY RATE FOR OCCUPANTS

A study in the United States has found that Tesla has the worst fatality rate for occupants of its cars, narrowly beating Kia and Buick. A Top 3 of shame there. To read about the research and results, click this Road&Track article link here.

Listen to the Alan and Andrew discuss the first impressions of the car, following the amount of driving they crammed in.

To find out more from Hyundai, about the Santa Fe, click this link to their website here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has revealed the new car registration figures, for October 2024. They are not good. For the month of October the market is 6% down on 2023. Even Fleet dropped, for the first time in a long while. One bright spark, no pun intended, is that EV registrations grew to 20.7% market share for the month. This is to be expected as the end of 2024 approaches and so do the fines for not hitting the mandated levels. Click this link to read more, from the SMMT’s own article.

FOLLOW UP: FINANCE INDUSTRY THROWN INTO TURMOIL

Following a court ruling regarding commission on finance agreements, the industry has been thrown into turmoil as there are questions on what they need to do in order to be compliant. Some companies have halted all offerings for car finance until the situation is clarified. You can find out more, by clicking this AMOnline article link here.

MANY MANUFACTURERS REVEAL STRUGGLING RESULTS

The number of brands that are reporting challenging results, after Q3, has grown. There is a real problem for the industry, globally, and it might not get better anytime soon. Expect a lot of management word salads, littered with the likes of “efficiencies” and “cost-cutting” etc.

BMW’s woes thanks to the ongoing brake recall and huge profit drop, can be read about by clicking this Reuters article link here.

To read about Audi’s problems, click this Autocar link. Audi plan to cut jobs to help save money, click this Reuters article link here, to find out what that means.

Toyota are also hit by problems, with quality issues, safety recalls, plant stoppages and a Chinese market that is proving tough for all but the home grown brands. Click this Yahoo Finance article link to read more.

Honda announced a surprise drop in profits, thanks in large part to the ongoing issues in the Chinese market as their economy struggles. Click here to read more from a Yahoo Finance article link.

Nissan are not immune to the industry wide slump. They announced the cutting of around 9,000 jobs and dramatically that they are entering “emergency mode” as profits drop 304%. You can read more, from Autocar, by clicking this link here.

JLR profits hall 10%, which is being blamed largely on the aluminium supplier issue discussed a few weeks ago, click this Liverpool Business News article link for more.

Lotus are far from immune to the problems the industry are suffering from, as they announce they will be shedding around 200 jobs at their Hethel site, ahead of the Lotus Technologies (Chinese sister brand that brought out the Emeya and Eletra EVs) financial results announcement later in the month. If you wish to find out more, click this Autocar article link here.

Rivian, the EV maker who recently signed a deal with VW Group, lost just over $39,000 per car sold in the last quarter. You can read more, by clicking this article link from The Autopian.

For context and more information about what is going on, click this article link from The Autopian, which discusses Nissan, Audi and Stellantis, but from a mainly US perspective.

HEADLIGHT GLARE BEING RESEARCHED

Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) are beginning an investigation into the complaints over modern headlight glare. They will set up monitoring devices to establish if the anecdotal reports are valid and if so, what is causing the issue. If you wish to learn more, click this BBC News article link here.

FISKER CLAIM NORTH KOREAN AGENT STOLE THEIR MONEY

Fisker, who is being investigated by the SEC in the United States over their collapse into bankruptcy, has made the claim that they lost $6 million due to a hired remote member of staff, who turned out to be a North Korean agent that funnelled the money to the regime’s missile projects. They are not the only car maker to be targeted. Click this Torque News article link to learn more. Thank you, to Damien Scully for sending us this fascinating item!

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NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

Suzuki eVitara

Suzuki has revealed their first own developed EV, the eVitara. They have chosen to use a familiar name, which will come with two batteries. The larger giving an estimated 250 mile range. The vehicle is expected to sell from just under £35,000 in the UK. Click this Autocar article to read more.

Bentley ‘Urban SUV’

Bentley announced that their first EV, which is due in 2026, that will be the world’s first “true luxury urban SUV”, whatever that is. With little other details the chaps are left to speculate about “urban SUV” and “true luxury”. They also stated that their EV only goal has been pushed back to 2035. If you want to hear more, click this Autocar article link here.

Kia EV9 ADVNTR and PV5 WKNDR

At the US customisers show, SEMA, Kia unveiled two rugged, go anyway variants on their EV car and van the EV9 and PV5. They have been suitable raised up, had chunky tyres added and a number of off-road adventure accessories fitted. They look great. But the PV5 is what caught the attention of the chaps the most. We are now hoping that the PV5 becomes a people carrier. Click this EV Powered link to read more.

LUNCHTIME READ: SWORDS AND PLOUGHSHARES

Friend of the show, Nir Kahn, tells us a bit about his history, his philosophy for future vehicles and what he is going to be working on next. Very much worth your time in reading this LinedIn piece from him, which can be accessed by clicking here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: EPIC STARS OF THE SEMA SHOW 2024

We are increasingly struggling to find good List of the Week article to share with you. If you find one, please do send it our way and if its good enough we’ll put it on the show!

Autocar have another slideshow for you to run through, this time with a selection of vehicles from SEMA. Do you agree with Alan and Andrew’s choices? Click this link to find out.

AND FINALLY: TACO BELL COMING TO A MOTORWAY NEAR YOU

Taco Bell is expanding their footprint in the UK by opening at five locations on the UK’s motorway network. Click this link to a Motorway Services article, listing each of the places you can get Mexican food from soon.

Listen to the Alan and Andrew discuss the first impressions of the cars, following his short time with each of the models.

To find out more from Volkswagen, about the Golf hatch, click this link to their website here.