On March 11, I’m running the Silverstone Half Marathon to raise money for the Richard Burns Foundation.

The Foundation was set up following the British WRC legend’s untimely death. It’s a genuine honour for me to represent it in the annual Silverstone run.

Richard Burns and the RBF

Richard was the 2001 World Rally Champion – indeed, England’s first WRC title-winner.

He scored 10 WRC victories with Mitsubishi and with Subaru, the team with which he won the championship. He also gave his name to one of the greatest road-going cars of all time, the Subaru Impreza Turbo RB5 pictured above.

He died in November 2005, following a long battle with a form of brain tumor called astrocytoma. He was 34.

Since being set up in his name, the fund has raised tens of thousands of pounds: it has made numberous donations, such as £47,286 to the Teenage Cancer Trust in 2008 and £35,781 to Make-A-Wish in 2009.

The Richard Burns Foundation has also donated £26,157 to the Lewis Hamilton Foundation.

Silverstone Half Marathon

By running the Silverstone Half Marathon, I aim to add funds. I’ve pledged to raise £500. As always, every donation is welcome: I’d be delighted if you could help me.

My JustGiving Page tells you how to donate. My Twitter feed will also update you on progress, via the hashtag #runsilverstonerbf

And to find out why I’m doing it, watch this:

I spied an interesting hashtag on Twitter recently – #10yearsago, which threw up some interesting tweets. 

This got me thinking: what was I doing 10 years ago? Something very significant, that’s what.

I joined Motoring Research, as Staff Writer.

This was back in April 2001, after freelancing for a few months on the launch of the MSN Cars account.

It certainly doesn’t feel like a decade (a decade!) ago. I can still remember my nervous first day, the first cup of Nescafe Alta Rica (favoured choice in the office) I drank, my first iBook computer which remains safely stored in my desk to this day.

The first press car I drove on my first day is also stored in the memory bank: an Audi A4 1.8T. In blue. Driven after a call to the Audi press office, and a much-appreciated OK on the insurance check.

Good job: my first press launch was also an Audi event – the C5 A6 facelift. Flying from the Stansted Harrods business terminal to Germany, to drive a left-hand drive car for the first time, abroad for the first time, on my own.

It was all a bit fraught, as was heading down to the press conference, then dinner, then the shock of the post-dinner trek to the bar: I only had €20 and this was an expensive-looking hotel. Ah, how naive…

An hour later, I was playing darts with James May and Richard Hammond, both in pre-TopGear days, being described as the new chap and slowly becoming less awkwardly starstruck.

The thrill remains to this day, though. For people like me, this is unquestionably the best job in the world.

10 years ago, then, my professional motoring journalism career began. That’s not a bad call for  #10yearsago tweet, is it?

So, does anyone else have any motoring journalism memories from 10 years ago?

First press car drive

Audi A4 1.8T

First computer

iBook

First project

MSN Cars – vehicle information pages (model history)

First launch

Audi A6 facelift

28 Jan

• Fiat has announced the 500L, a five-door mini MPV version of the 500 city car that will be offered in five- and seven-seat guise. Replacing the Idea, it is 60mm longer than the standard 500, says Fiat, with the seven-seat model 10mm longer still. Sales of the 500L, codenamed L-zero, will start in July. (Automotive News)
• Fiat will build the 500L in its new €700m Serbian plant. The former Yugo facility is 67 per cent owned by Fiat, 33 per cent by the Serbina government. The 500 is built in Tychy, Poland. (Automotive News)
• Honda president Takanobu Ito is bullish: he expects record earnings within five years, and sales to exceed 4 million for the first time in 2013. His forecasts are well above analysts’. (4wheelsnews)
• Ford earnings fell 15 per cent in Q4 2011, to $1.1bn. Results are down due to mounting losses in Europe but it is still the best Q4 in Ford’s history. (4wheelsnews)
• The 2013 Porsche 991 911 Turbo will get a tri-turbo system for the current 3.8-litre engine. A smaller turbo will boost low-end response and complement the two Borg Warner turbos currently used. (Autocar)
• The third generation MINI range, codenamed F56, will arrive in 2013. Replacing R56 the new model will be modular and also underpin a future FWD BMW. Derivations will include an F54 five-door hatchback, F54 four-door clubman, F58 five-door SportVan and F59 four-door saloon. All engines will be three-cylinder turbos. (CAR)
• The final R56 MINI derivative will launch later this year: the MINI Paceman, a BMW X6-style crossover coupe based on the MINI Countryman. (CAR)
• Kia Motors Slovakia has built its 1 millionth car.

25 Jan

• Japan has posted an annual trade deficit for the first time in 30 years. Imports rose 12 per cent and exports fell 2.7 per cent, which led to the £20bn deficit. The Japanese earthquake plus the strength of the yen, which investors are turning to as a save haven, is affecting Japan’s ‘competitiveness to produce domestically’. (BBC)
• 94 per cent of car buyers use the internet at some point in the buying process (Nissan Insider)

24 Jan

• The average UK car dealer made £90k profit per site, a return on sales of 0.7 per cent. This is better than expected: data agency ASE advises dealers of focus energies into used cars and aftersales to ensure profits are sustained until the new car market recovers. (Auto Retail Bulletin)
• Porsche has built the 100,000th MkII Cayenne (360k MkI Cayenne were built between 2002-2009). The Leipzig facility is also celebrating its 10th anniversary. A third shift has just started there and, from 2013, it will also build the new Porsche Cajun junior SUV. (Car Advice)
• Volvo is seeking a partner to build small cars with. This will involve sharing platforms and engines. Autocar reports Volvo chief executive Stefan Jacoby has taken various measures to streamline Volvo since joining from Volkswagen in August 2010. These include the development of modular engines and modular platform. (Autocar)
• Volvo’s Jacoby prioritised the new Volvo V40 over the replacement for the Volvo XC90. The new VW Golf rival will launch at the Geneva Motor Show in March. (Autocar)

22 Jan

• There are 190k Saabs on the road in the UK, and 200 brand-new models within the dealer network. A new company has been set up to distribute Saab parts, headed by former Saab GB MD Charles Toosey. (Autocar)
• Fiat is to supply an extra 100k diesel engines per year to Suzuki’s Indian division Maruti Suzuki. The same deal led to the breakdown of the partnership between Suzuki and VW. (4wheelsnews)
• Turkey’s Brightwell Holdings is expected to make a bid for Saab soon. The private equity firm is studying the worth of Saab’s assets and has met with both he administrators and Saab CEO Victor Muller. China’s Youngman may also bid for Saab. (4wheelsnews)
• The Volkswagen Golf was Europe’s best-selling car in 2011 for the fourth year running. Sales declined 2 per cent to 484,547 units. The VW Polo was second and Ford’s Fiesta was third (sales were down 13 per cent). VW is Europe’s best selling brand with a 12.4 per cent market share. (4wheelsnews)
• The VW Golf MkVII will debut at the Paris Motor Show in September. (4wheelsnews)
• The five-door Fiat 500 will debut at the Geneva Motor Show 2012. The car will go on sale in the US in 2013, to lift sales: 2011 sales of 26k were half of forecast. (4wheelsnews)
• Bentley will continue to ‘experiment’ with new models and features, in an expansion similar to Porsche. Engineering chief Rolf Frech, a former Porsche man, said plug-in hybrid drivetrains are being considered, because of efficiency and ‘huge low-end torque’, a Bentley characteristic. (Autocar)

21 Jan

• The third generation MINI will be launched later in 2012. It is codenamed F56 and uses a new BMW-engineered front-wheel drive platform called UKL1, which comes in two wheelbase lengths and will also underpin FWD BMWs. The MkIII MINI will expand to a 10-model range and will use three-cylinder engines. There will also be a hybrid version. (Autocar)
• GM is the world’s largest car manufacturer, with group sales of 9.03m units in 2011. These grew 7.6 per cent on 2010. Volkswagen was second on 8.16m. (4wheelsnews)
• The US government still owns nearly a third of GM. In the first nine months of 2011, GM earned $8.47bn: through 2010, it earned $6.17bn. (4wheelsnews)
• VW wants to be the car world’s Apple. (Autocar)
• Daimler wants to boost Mercedes-Benz sales by 100 per cent by 2010. 2.7m sales will, it is intended, see it become the world’s biggest luxury car brand. In 2011, Mercedes sold 1.26m cars. The 2015 sales target is 1.6 million cars. (4wheelsnews)
• The baby Porsche is on ice and may be killed off completely within the next two years. The decision may be influenced by Volkswagen’s rumoured decision to end the Bluesport roadster project: VW engineering chief Uli Hackenberg says strategists are struggling to find enough sales volume to make the mid-engined roadster a success, something that a decision not to sell it in the US (the world’s largest sportscar market) does not help. (Autocar)
• Bentley will make a decision on its proposed SUV within the next few weeks, says Bentley chief Wolfgang Durheimer (who described it as ‘on the large side’). It’s a key vehicle for the Russian, Chinese and US markets: it will be powered by W12 and V8 engines and there may also be a pug-in hybrid version. (4wheelsnews)

8 Jan

• The Toyota deals with BMW for diesel engines and Tesla for lithium ion batteries marks the first time Toyota has purchased core technology from other brands. Its previous deals were collaborations. The change has come thanks to CEO Akio Toyota ‘shaking up decades-old practices’. (Bloomberg)
• This year, Toyota forecasts profits of 1 per cent of revenue. This is the lowest figure since 1992. in the 2000s, Toyota was recording profits of 7 per cent of revenue. in 2008, it made $22bn. Its stock has fallen 70 per cent from its 2007 peak. (Bloomberg)
• 80 per cent of GM cars by 2016 will be fitted with new brake squeal-reducing technology. The GM-patented ‘Coulomb’ friction-damped system consists of a thin ring of metal embedded in the brake disc. (4wheelsnews)
• The Dodge Dart will debut at the Detroit Motor Show. It will offer three engines: 2.0-litre petrol, 2.4-litre petrol ‘Tigershark’ and the 1.4-litre turbo from the Fiat 500. A six-speed manual gearbox will initially be offered, with a nine-speed DCT arriving in 2013 (supplied by ZF). (4wheelsnews)
• Investors are interested in the assists of Saab but there are little left say industry analysts. GM will be reluctant to licence technology and the Saab name rights are owned by security company Saab AB and truck maker Scania. GM may, however, consider a licence agreement with a government rather than a company: ‘Turkey could be one such scenario’.  (Automotive News)
• Chinese brands Geely and Great Wall are searching for UK dealers. Geely will debut at the end of 2012 and is seeking 30-40 dealers. Great Wall has already appointed its first 30 dealers: it is distributed by IM Group and some former Daihatsu dealers have taken the franchise. The brand will launch with a pickup called the Streed. (Car and Van News)
• Suzuki has revealed a new mini-MPV based on an extended Swift platform. The Ertiga, impressively, seats seven. It goes on sale in March, with a new 93hp 1.4-litre petrol engine. (Car Advice)

7 Jan

• 701k people visited the Mercedes-Benz museum in 2011. 4.2m people have visited since it opened in 2006. (4wheelsnews)
• SAIC is China’s largest publicly traded car maker (and owns the MG brand). Sales grew 11.9 per cent last year, to 4m cars. (Car News China)
• The Chinese new car market grew 3 per cent in 2011. It grew 32 per cent in 2010. (Car News China)
• The Mazda3 has knocked the locally-produced Holden Commodore off the top slot of Australian new car sales. The advantage was just 812 cars. (Car Advice)
• 1m new cars were sold in Australia in 2011. It is the fourth time in history that the 1m mark was broken. (Car Advice)
• Bentley’s last annual profit (of €10m) was recorded in 2008. It lost €245m in 2010 but this lessened to €6m in the first nine months of 2011. (Car News China)
• Tata is not planning to acquire Saab. (4wheelsnews)
• Ashok Leyland has increased its stake in struggling bus manufacturer Optare from 26 per cent to 75.1 per cent. Ashok Leyland aims to become a world top-five bus manufacturer. (AROnline)
• BMW expects the premium car market to grow 8 per cent in 2012, twice the rate of the overall car market. European growth will be flat but China’s growth will continue. A decision is expected on a mooted BMW plant in Brazil too. (4wheelsnews)
• Audi is planning a new RS4 that will be Avant only. The majority of RS4 sales are traditionally in Europe. It is scheduled for launch at the Geneva Motor Show and will use the RS5′s  450hp 4.2-liter V8. (Autocar)
• The UK van market is recovering: 260,153 vans were registered in 2011, almost a 17 per cent rise. Larger vans fared best: the sub-2.0 litre sector was down 4.3 per cent and pickups were down 2.5 per cent. The Ford Transit was the best selling van: Vauxhall Commercial Vehicles topped the retail sales chart for the first time, thanks to a 28 per cent rise. Vivaro sales were up 58 per cent. (Car and Van News)
• Audi will take on BMW and Mercedes in the US with more models. At Detroit, it will launch a ‘vail’ version of the Q3, set to go on sale in the US. The A3 saloon will also go on sale there. Audi beat Mercedes to no.2 in the worldwide premium brand stakes – but both Mercedes and BMW outsell it 2:1 in the US. (4wheelsnews)
• The German new car market grew by 9 per cent in 2012. (Just-Auto)
• Toyota sales in Germany were up 5 per cent: Hyundai sales were up 17 per cent. Hyundai outsold Toyota in Germany, Europe’s biggest new car market. (Just-Auto)
• Emerging European markets to watch are Poland and Turkey. (Just-Auto)
• Bentley now sells more cars in China than the UK. 2011 sales grew 37 per cent, to 7003 cars. Its record year was 2007, when it sold 10,014 cars. Bentley’s largest market is the US: China is second. (Car News China)
• China is also Maserati’s second largest market. Sales doubled in 2011, to 780 cars. (China Car Times)
• Hyundai US sales were up 20 per cent in 2011, to 645k cars. Kia sales were up 36 per cent, to 485k. (4wheelsnews)
• Honda is rumoured to be planning a crossover based on the Civic, to rival the Nissan Qashqai. It would be an European-only model: speculation is that it could be produced at Swindon. (4wheelsnews)

6 Jan

• Fiat has increased its stake in Chrysler by 5 per cent, to 58.5 per cent.
• Audi set a sales record in America last year with 117k cars sold, a 15.7 per cent rise on 2010. A6 sales were up 124 per cent in December, to 1855 cars: the TT was up 238 per cent, to 216 cars. TDI sales grew too: 55 per cent of A3 sales were diesel.

3 Jan

• 701,000 people visited the Mercedes-Benz museum in 2011. 4.2m people have visited since it opened in 2006. (4wheelsnews)
• The Fiat mini-MPV will debut at the 2012 Geneva Auto Show in March and may go on sale in the middle of the year. Based on Fiat’s Small US Wide platform (also to underpin a new compact Jeep crossover), it is codenamed Ellezero, which could become its production name. (4wheelsnews)
• The Fiat Ellezero will be assembled at Fiat’s new Serbia factory, formerly a Zastava plant, and will be exported to the US. (Autocar)
• 30 years after the launch of the G-Class, Mercedes-Benz has sold its 2 millionth SUV. (4wheelsnews)
• Images have leaked of the Vauxhall Insignia CrossFour – an Audi allroad-inspired off-road-estate. It will have standard four-wheel drive, FlexRide adaptive suspension and a locking rear differential. It may debut at the 2012 Geneva Auto Show. (Car Advice)
  
• Nissan’s Chinese JV partner Dongfeng is to produce Renault cars in the country. Renault is currently an importer: sales of 15,958 in the first 10 months of 2011 is an 49 per cent rise on 2010. (4wheelsnews)

2 Jan

• Hyundai Motor and Kia Motor growth will fall to 6 per cent in 2012, following years of double-digit growth. The two will sell 7m cars in 2012. (Automotive News)
• Youngman is preparing its own SUV, loosely based on the 2006 Lotus APX concept car. Lotus Engineering is co-developing the new compact crossover SUV. Engines will include a 150hp 1.5-litre turbo. It is expected to launch at the Beijing Auto Show in April. (Car News China)
• Toyota recalled 12m vehicles in 2009 and 2010. During this time, Volkswagen Group was finishing its new modular compact platform and modified its testing process as a result. Boss Martin Winterkorn was described by suppliers as ‘merciless’ in testing the new toolkit platform, to ensure similar problems do not occur. (4wheelsnews)
• Toyota’s problems were partly attributed to management limitations, plus an inability to train foreign managers and integrate them into the company culture. 50 per cent of VW’s 500k employees work outside Germany: in 2018, this will rise to 60 per cent. (4wheelsnews)
• Porsche expects the worldwide new car market to grow 6.5 per cent in 2012, to 66 million cars. It wants to outperform the market, though. Asia and Russia will be its big growth markets. (4wheelsnews)
• A €2bn lawsuit has been filed against Porsche for damages related to its failed 2008 takeover of Volkswagen AG. Porsche is alleged to have taken control of the VW common stock share price by ‘secretly’ building ‘enormous derivative positions’ that covered nearly all VW’s freely traded shares. Porsche is also accused of causing a ‘massive short squeeze’ and releasing €bns into this for its own profit. (4wheelsnews)

1 Jan

• Victor Muller has initiated discussions with the Turkish government after the country expressed interest in helping stage a Saab recovery. (4wheelsnews)
• European car sales will fall 4 per cent in 2012 to 13m units predicts PriceWaterhouseCoopers. The peak was 16m in 2007. (4wheelsnews)
• Renault, Fiat and PSA will suffer the most from a fragile European market in 2012. 73 per cent of PSA sales and 70 per cent of Renault and Fiat sale are in Europe. Fiat and PSA are most at risk because their balance sheets are already stretched and they lack product momentum said Credit Suisse. (4wheelsnews)
• The Chevrolet Sonic (Aveo) is the only supermini built in the US. It is assembled in GM’s Orion Township, Michigan plant. (Automotive News)
• Growth in the Chinese car market has fallen to a tenth of last year. (Automotive News)
• China has ended benefits encouraging foreign car makers to invest in the country, following seven years of benefits. The changes commence from 30 January and mean it will be harder for foreign brands to get approval for new plants. Foreign makers will still be encouraged to invest in green vehicles. (Automotive News)

Nearly every new car on sale comes equipped with an onboard thermometer.

The Vauxhall Cavalier was one of the first cars I can remember to have one. How we all were awed by it.

Now, I can’t name a car that lacks one. Good job: I’d be lost without it. Serving my geeky side so very well, I look at it almost as much as I glance at the trip computer (a lot, then, for those who know me).

Which has given me an idea.

Namely, to embrace the in-car temperature gauge, plus the power of Twitter, to give the nation a new real time weather service.

It’s simple.

1. Take a picture of your in-car thermometer
2. Compose a tweet of this image
3. Include two hashtags: #cartemp, and your #<location>

Bingo: one real-time state of the nation’s temperature. Example: ‘Cold in the #Midlands today. <image> #cartemp. ‘. Simples.

It’s potentially even neater if you include weather meta data. If it’s -2deg C and the snow’s just starting, tweet that. In the summer, if it’s 30deg C but raining, tweet it. Weather geeks everywhere will revel in such real-time data.

I’ll be doing it from now on, usually early doors. Fancy starting a movement? Then start tweeting #cartemp and let’s get on the Met Office’s weather radar.

+ Land Rover app out snow?

+ My hit car colour is Pantone’s colour of 2012

+ 6Music and the RAC Rally: Propaganda and Duel

31 Dec

• On 1 January 2012, 65 per cent of cars sold in Europe must emits 130g/km CO2 or less. Car makers building more than 10k cars a year must to this by law: a €5 fine per gram of CO2 for each car sold over this cap will be imposed if they don’t. (Left Lane News)
• In 2006, the average European car produced 161g/km CO2. In 2011, this has fallen to 137g/km. (Left Lane News)
• China has switched on its own GPS system called Beidou. It offers accuracy up to 10 metres: the US GPS system has accuracy of 20 metres. It currently only covers China with 10 satellites but, by 2020 35 satellites will give it worldwide coverage. (China Car Times)
• Indian SUV firm Mahindra & Mahindra is expressing an interest in buying Saab assets. At least one Turkish firm is also reportedly interested in making an investment: the Turkish government wants the country to have a car brand of its own. (Automotive News)
• Car firms have nested £4bn in British car manufacturing in 2011. The UK car production record was 1.92m cars in 1972 but this could soon be beaten. Car exports rose 19 per cent in 2011: 88 per cent of British-produced cars are exported, 10 per cent of Britain’s exports. (Glass’s)
• Hyundai Design Centre’s new chief designer is Christopher Chapman. He moves from BMW DesignworksUSA: he designed the X5, X Coupe concept and BMW 1 Series Coupe. As BMW director of automotive design, he also included the X3 and Z4. (4wheelsnews)
• A breakup of the Eurozone would hinder Volkswagen but help Fiat. A breakup would signal a stronger German currency, increasing production costs and thus making exports more expensive. However, a weaker Italian currency would help Italian production. (4wheelsnews)
• Volkswagen’s new platform strategy begins in 2012 with the launch of the new Audi A3. Its platform will underpin at least 40 cars (3.5 million cars a year), lowering costs by €5bn annually. Assembly times will also reduce by 30 per cent. There is, however, the risk of a Toyota-style ‘epidemic plague’ if there are any defects in the common parts. (4wheelsnews)
• BMW has reduced the cost of building the F30 3 Series by 7 to 9 per cent by using parts common to the 1 Series and 5 Series. (4wheelsnews)
• GM is recalling 4000 Chevrolet Sonics to check for missing brake pads. (Detroit Free Press)
• Fuel is the biggest export of the US for the first time ever (10 years ago, fuel wasn’t in the top 25 list). It has also become a net producer for the first time in 60 years. It is also, however, the world’s biggest importer of crude oil: the fuel exports are partly influenced by high prices. (USA Today)

30 Dec

• Renault may soon sign a Chinese joint venture agreement with Dongfeng, a firm that already has partnerships with Honda, Kia, Nissan, Peugeot and Citroen. Renault’s Samsung-developed Koleos and Latitude are popular in China but it has yet to fully launch in the country. (China Car Times)
• FAW Volkswagen paid $3.96bn in taxes to the Chinese government in 2010. Brilliance BMW paid $4.19bn, and SAIC GM paid $4.15bn. (Gasgoo)
• FAW Volkswagen is also paying a yearly bonus equal to 27 months’ salary to workers. (Gasgoo)
• Japanese scientists have invented a new system of car seat ‘bum-metrics’. (Glass’s)
• Renault and Nissan may complete a deal to purchase a controlling stake in AutoVAZ. The Alliance bought a 25 per cent share in 2008 for $1bn. the 50 per cent plus one share deal is expected to be completed in March, said AutoVAZ chief executive Igor Komarov. The Russian new car market is bigger than France and is tipped for big growth. (4wheelsnews)
• China is falling short of its electric car sales goals. In 2008, it targeted 500k EV sales a year. (Gasgoo)
• Opel will launch a Corsa-based mini-SUV called the Mokka, says AutoBild. Similar in size to the Meriva, it will go on sale in November 2012. (4wheelsnews)
• Lada has begun production of the Granta saloon, which replaces the 1997 Samara. It is derived from the Kalina hatchback, with 30 per cent unique parts. 20k orders have already been received: Lada plans to build 100k in 2012. It is set to appear in the 2012 World Touring Car Championship too. (Left Lane News)
• Hyundai Motor Group has upped its R&D and facilities budget for 2012 by 15.6 per cent, to $12.3bn. It will also create 7500 jobs. (4wheelsnews)
• Fiat will reveal a mini MPV extension to the 500 range based on the new Panda at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show. (4wheelsnews)
• Suzuki will show a concept at the 2012 New Delhi Motor Show that previews the Jimny/Samurai replacement. It may arrive in 2014. (4wheelsnews)
• Auto Express says the new Honda NSX will be a 400hp four-wheel drive hybrid: a 3.5 V6 will drive one axle and in-wheel electric motors will drive the other. It will be revealed as a concept at the 2012 Detroit Motor Show.
• Germany produced twice as many cars as the US last year (5.5m v 2.7m) and its workers were paid twice as much ($67 an hour average v $33). BMW, Daimler and Volkswagen Group all operate plants in the US, whose workers are not paid rates matching their German colleagues. (Auto Guide)
• Jaguar Land Rover is planning a £100m investment in a Chinese factory employing 5000 people and producing 50k cars a year. It is now on the hunt for a joint venture partner: Chery is heavily tipped. JLR sold 37k cars in China to the end of November: 32k were Land Rovers. (Gasgoo)
• Chery is China’s best-selling own-brand auto maker. (Gasgoo)
• Mercedes-Benz plans to make 1m cars in Germany in 2012: 65 per cent of Daimler’s worldwide car production. Targeted total output is 1.52m. (4wheelsnews)
• Audi will launch the new A3, A8 hybrid, A6 all road and all-electric R8 in 2012. The latter is targeted with ‘enhancing Audi’s expertise in lightweight construction and electric mobility’. (4wheelsnews)

29 Dec

• Leaked patent images have revealed the BMW F21 1 Series three-door. It’s due to go on sale in spring 2012. (F20.1addicts)
• The Chinese Fiat C-Medium saloon will go on sale in Q3 2012. Based on the C-EVO platform also used by the Dodge Dart, it will be built by the Guangzhou-Fiat joint venture. The wheelbase is 10mm longer than the Alfa Romeo Giulietta and it will offer a six-speed DCT gearbox. (Car News China)
• Infiniti wants to build cars in China in a joint venture with Dongfeng. The proposal, that’s still to be approved, would see 25k cars built in the first year, 2014, going up to 80k saloons and 45k SUVs in 2015, and 145k overall in 2016. (Car News China)
• Fiat has built its two millionth car with Blue&Me. Powered by Microsoft’s Windows Embedded Automotive system, it allows voice control of portable devices connected via USB or Bluetooth. (4wheelsnews)
• Renault will launch the Safrane in China for 2012: it is not a new car, but a rebadged Nissan Teana. (Car News China)
• Dongfeng, China’s third-largest brand, lacks its own self-developed brand. This is behind the rumours it may purchase Saab’s assets, although Youngman and an unnamed Turkish firm are also expressing interest. (China Car Times)

28 Dec

• Toyota has more than 60k pre-orders for the Aqua, which returns 83mpg by the US measure – that’s 100mpg in the UK. (Cnet)
• The Buick Verano automatically turns on the heated seats when the car is started remotely and temperatures fall below 7deg C. The heated door mirrors and heated rear window also auto switch on. (4wheelsnews)
• China has overtaken Germany as the world’s second-largest market for luxury cars. The US remains top. It is expected to grow 16 per cent in 2012, with Germany’s premium sector growing 4.4 per cent. Mercedes sales have grown 31 per cent in China during 2011: Audi is up 35 per cent, and BMW is up 40 per cent. (4wheelsnews)
• In four days, responsibility for Toyota’s small cars will pass to the firm’s European division. This will see Europe develop future city car, supermini and family hatch models. Current marketing boss Alain Uyttenhoven will move up to president of product planning. (4wheelsnews)
• Moody’s has lowered the credit outlook of Toyota Motor Corp from stable to negative. It says the firm’s return to strong profits will be impacted by the strength of the yen (it has advanced by more than 8 per cent in the last six months alone). Toyota is targeting a 12-year high for car sales in 2012 as part of its recovery. (4wheelsnews)
  
• Proton may be preparing to sell Group Lotus, which it bought in 1996 and has not made a profit from since. Experts say Proton may need the support of a larger car company than Proton in order to survive: the company may be worth £200m if it were profitable, three times more than its current worth – but this will require £500m of investment. To be profitable, Proton needs to seek 8k cars a year. (Bloomberg)
• Speculation that Proton may sell Group Lotus has grown over the past few months: Chinese firm SAIC (which has a joint venture with former Lotus owner GM) last month denied any interest in the British sports car firm. A sale to investment firm Genii Capital was also denied in October. (Bloomberg)
• Audi CEO Rupert Stadler has denied reports he will succeed Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn in 2016. (4wheelsnews)
• The US premium car sector is, at 2 million units, as large as the entire UK car market. (4wheelsnews)

27 Dec

• Toyota has launched the Aqua, a hybrid supermini rival to the Honda Fit (Jazz). The firm plans to sell 12k units a month of its smallest hybrid model to date in Japan. It will be sold in the US as the Prius C. (Automotive News)
• In Japan, the hybrid version of the Honda Fit outsold the Toyota Prius during the first six months of 2011. (Automotive News)
• GM has begun work on the sixth generation Chevrolet Camaro. The model is now within the GM product system as a 2016 MY car, using a fifth-generation 6.2-litre V8. (GMInsideNews)
• In the first 11 months of 2011, Lexus sold 24,623 cars, for a 0.2 per cent market share. BMW sold 590,453 cars, for a 4.7 per cent market share. Analysts say this is why the lack of BMW diesels as part of the deal with Toyota is not a big hindrance: Lexus’ niche position means it is best positioned as an “innovation leader and to go in the direction of plug-in hybrids and full hybrids”. (Automotive News)
• Stefan Sielaff will move from Audi to head Volkswagen AG design from February 1 2012. He replaces Thomas Ingenlath and will report to VW Group design chief Walter de Silva. Sielaff has been head of Audi design since 2006: he is credited with creating the Audi frontal ID, including the use of LED headlights.  (4wheelsnews)
• Wolfgang Egger, current head of Audi group design, replaces Sielaff. (4wheelsnews)
• Youngman has bought Saab’s Phoenix platform architecture destined for future models including the 9-3 replacement. The firm is already beginning the process of establishing a company in Sweden to develop the new cars. (4wheelsnews)
• GM was able to veto the purchase of Saab by Chinese firms Youngman and Pang Da because it retained enough preferred shares to veto any investment. (4wheelsnews)
• Volkswagen is to restrict emails sent to workers’ Blackberrys. They will only be sent half an hour before and half an hour after shifts start and end. 1154 employees at Volkswagen’s six German plants carry a company smartphone. (Reuters)
• Chrysler has ended production of the Dodge Caliber. Analysts say it is the last cynical ‘small car, small profit’ design: it will be replaced by the Dodge Dart, based on an Alfa Romeo-derived platform (a car prioritised by Sergio Marchionne following Fiat’s takeover of Chrysler in 2009). This car is expected to triple sales compared to the Caliber. (Detroit News)
• Honda is developing new production methods to make cars lighter. This include welding outer plan els to the frame rather than bolting them on, saving the weight penalty of bolts and reinforcing materials. Small cars will initially use the new production methods but it will extend to all models (and will help Honda expand in emerging markets). The N Box is the first car to display this new concept: new assembly methods will make 10 per cent lighter and cheaper to produce. (Reuters)
• Audi will invest $22m between 2012-2016 on new products and factories. It will add 1200 staff in 2012 too. (Straits Times)

26 Dec

• The 2014 Toyota Auris will be the first Toyota to use a BMW diesel engine. In return, BMW will get access to Toyota’s battery cell technology IP. However, BMW will not get access to Toyota’s hybrid technology – and in return, Lexus can’t use BMW diesel engines. (Autocar)
• Dongfeng, China’s third-largest car brand, wants to buy the assets of Saab. Swedish Automoble CEO Victor Muller has also met with Turkish diplomats regarding a possible sale or investment. (Gasgoo)
• The liquidation of Saab will start in April 2012. (Gasgoo)
• Chevrolet will post an all-time sales record in 2011: the brand sold 4.8m cars up to the end of November. 60 per cent of sales are outside the US and a Chevrolet is sold somewhere in the world every 6.6 seconds. (The Detroit Bureau)
• Alfa Romeo is to launch a Giulietta estate in mid-2013. Estates account for 25 per cent of European sales and 75 per cent of German and Italian sales. Also following in 2013 will be a large crossover and the Giulia junior executive. Alfa currently only sells two cars, the Giulietta and MiTo: the Giulietta accounts for 60 per cent of sales. (4wheelsnews)
• Youngman plans to salvage parts of Saab in a deal that would decouple GM technology (estimated to be around 10 per cent) from the Phoenix platform. This would take around one to two years. New rights to use the Saab name would also have to be agreed with defence and security company Saab AB plus truck maker Scania: the two own the rights to the Saab name. (Reuters)

20 Dec

• The US accounts for 50 per cent of BMW M5 sales. It will be released there in August 2012 – with a manual transmission. (Bimmerpost)

18 Dec

• Skoda has broken the 800k sales mark for the first time. Volumes up to November totalled 816k cars: its previous record year was 2010, where it sold 762k cars. The year-on-year rise of 16.2 per cent marks a successful first year of the Skoda Growth Strategy, said the firm in a statement.

17 Dec

• Generating 1kWh of electricity from a coal or natural gas fired power station in the UK generates 525g/km CO2. (Ben Rose)
  
• Fiat wants to sell 230k Panda next year: up to 190k will be the new model, with the current car (Europe’s best-selling minicar since 2004) taking the rest. The current car will become the Panda Classic and its price will drop from €10,250 to €8500. (4wheelsnews)
• The grandchild of Louis Renault has taken the French government to court, asking for the return of the French brand. It was nationalised in 1945 after L. Renault was accused of being a Nazi collaborator: Renault was under German control during the Nazi occupation of France in WW2. The French government today has a 15 per cent stake in Renault. (Automotive News)
  
• GM may respond to China’s import tariffs for US-built cars by increasing production in the country. In 2010, 1.3% of GM’s 2.43m Chinese sales were imported. The duties are on cars with engines above 2.5-litres: China currently imposes tariffs of 25 per cent on imported cars. (Bloomberg)
• Ford is unaffected by the Chinese duties on US-built cars: the Ford Edge it imports into China is built in Canada. (Bloomberg)
• Fiat is to offer a headline finance deal in Europe for the new Panda – ’100 squared’: €100 a month for 100 months. The UK has not been confirmed for the UK. (Car and Van News)
• 7000 people work at Fiat’s Pomigliano plant which has enjoyed €130m investment and been transformed into a ‘benchmark for all Fiat and Chrysler’s manufacturing sites in Europe, North America and Asia’. The redevelopment started in 2008: it closed for a few months when Alfa Romeo 159 production ended. (Just-Auto)
• Saab’s new administrator is a Swedish lawyer called Lars Soderqvist. He will replace Guy Lofalk. Saab has this week received €3.4m from Youngman: the next deadline is Monday when a court decides whether it can remain in voluntary reorganisation (Lofalk will remain in his position until then). (Car Advice)
• Skoda and VW are setting up a new centre of competence in India to develop low-cost cars for emerging markets. The move follows its failed alliance with Suzuki, which is market leader in India. (CAR)
• Tata will begin customer clinics next year on expansion of its cars into Europe: a decision will be made by early 2013. The firm is preparing minicar, subcompact and compact models for the customer clinics. Tata cars are currently sold by private importers in Italy, Spain, Poland and Turkey. (4wheelsnews)
• Honda is considering a rival to the Nissan Qashqai: in Q1-Q3, it outsold the entire Honda range in Western Europe: 153k sales vs 105k. Honda sales are down 19 per cent in Europe this year for a 1.1 per cent market share: Nissan’s sales are up 16 per cent for a 3.4 per cent market share. Honda is considering mini cars and compact MPVs to push sales above 300k and market share above 2 per cent. (Automotive News)
• The US NHSTA wants to standardise engine start-stop buttons, with an engine shut-off time of 0.5secs if held down. It follows a fatal 2009 crash in a Lexus ES 350, whose start-stop button takes up to 3secs to shut off the engine. (Car Advice)
• Scania has developed cruise control that uses a GPS feed to improve fuel economy. The Active Prediction system claims to save up to 3 per cent by altering vehicle speed before going up or downhill. (Telegraph)
• China’s import duties on US-built cars, which started this week and are to run for two years, are part of a trade spat between the two countries. Mercedes and BMW, which assemble cars in the US, will be affected too. Cars with engines larger than 2.5-litres will be hit by duties between 2-21.5 per cent. Automotive News reports GM’s duties range from 8.9-12.9 per cent, Chrysler’s are from 6.2-8.8 per cent, while Mercedes and BMW’s duties range from 2-2.7 per cent. (Automotive News)

16 Dec

• Ford’s Michigan production line has built SUVs and large trucks for years. Now it is building Focus: with normal or turbo petrol engines, Focus EV, C-Max hybrid and C-Max plug-in hybrid. $550m of investment has set a new Ford standard for flexibility – every variant comes down the same line. Multifunctional work stations aid this: one installs the fuel tank on petrol cars and the battery charger for EVs. Another installs the lithium ion battery pack for the EV and the exhaust for IC cars. (Automotive Engineer)
  
• The Infiniti M will next year receive two Mercedes-Benz-sourced four-cylinder engines: the 204hp C 250 CGI’s turbo petrol and the 170hp 2.1-litre C 220 CDI diesel’s motor. The cars are expected to be revealed at Geneva 2012. An Infiniti hatch based on the Mercedes A-Class platform is also mooted for 2014. (LeftLaneNews)
  
• Toyota doesn’t want to stretch the Prius brand. Soon, the regular Prius and Prius V will be joined by Prius plug-in hybrid and Prius C. Chief engineer Satoshi Ogiso confirms there will not be another version in the next two years, although Toyota is considering bringing EVs and hydrogen fuel cells under the Prius brand. Currently, 70 per cent of Toyota hybrid sales are badged Prius: by 2020, the target is 50 per cent. (4wheelsnews)
  
• Mercedes may have lost second place in the premium car sales rankings to Audi this year, but it will still set another production record this year, of more than 1.25m cars. Production plants are operating at capacity thanks to adding extra shifts following agreements with works councils. (4wheelsnews)

15 Dec

• Lotus will sell 2700 cars this year. That’s down on last year, but revenues from sales will increase 20 per cent, after improving 10 per cent in 2010. (Autocar)

14 Dec

• Each major Volkswagen Group brand has been charged with developing a new platform. Volkswagen itself is doing the small car platform, with the Modular Transverse Matrix (‘MTM’) set to be used by all VW Golf/Audi A3-derived models. Audi is doing the Modular Longitudinal Matrix (‘MLM’) for larger A4-sized and above saloons plus Q5-sized and above SUVs, Porsche is doing the Modular Standard Matrix (‘MSM’) sports car platform (both front and mid-engined designs). VW hopes the new strategy will help cut production costs by 20 per cent and engineering costs by 30 per cent. (Car Advice)
  
• The first Jaguar-Chery joint venture car may launch in 2015-16, as news strengthens that a deal between the two will be signed imminently (following approval from China’s NDRC). A source tells China Car Times the new car will be an entry-level premium compact saloon and hatch, similar to the BMW 1 Series and Audi A3 (suggesting the new car may be derived from the forthcoming ‘small Jaguar’ platform apparently derived from the Range Rover Evoque). The JV may work in a similar way to the Mazda-Ford setup, where both firms share R&D costs. (China Car Times)
• Chery previously inked a joint venture deal with Alfa Romeo but this later fell through. The firm has recently been trying to finalise a JV deal with Subaru, but Toyota’s 16.5 per cent ownership of Subaru has created hurdles: Chinese laws say foreign companies can only be involved in one JV. However, a deal to badge Subarus as Cherys for the Chinese market is expected to clear the JV. (China Car Times)
• There are around 31m cars in the UK: the Royal Mail reveals there are also 29m addresses.
• There are 120m electric scooters in China, powered by lead acid batteries: electric transport is not a new concept for the Chinese. However, the high price of electric cars is rousing ‘ridicule’ in the country. (China Car Times)
• Volkswagen will reveal a Jetta Hybrid at the Detroit Motor Show next month, to rival the Toyota Prius. It will pair a 1.4-litre turbo petrol to an electric motor, and go on sale in November 2012. (Car Advice)
• Porsche new car sales are up 25 per cent year to date, to 109k. China is up 68.9 per cent, Asia 47.8 per cent and the US is up 19.5 per cent. Europe is up 9.9 per cent. To meet demand for its key models, the Panamera and Cayenne, Porsche is adding a third shift at Leipzig in January 2012.
• Ford hopes the new Focus Electric will break the 100MPGe barrier. The Nissan LEAF achieves 99MPGe. (Left Lane News)

13 Dec

• Honda hopes its new 1.6 diesel engine will give VW sleepless nights because it has caused its engineers sleepless nights. It is the highest-output 1.6-litre diesel in its sector, at 120hp, and it produces 300Nm. At 180kg, it is 50kg lighter than the current 2.2-litre i-DTEC. Honda says it will emit less than 100g/km CO2. The new engine, part of Honda’s Earth Dreams Technology portfolio, will be built in Swindon, will debut at the 2012 Paris Motor Show and may also go on sale in the US. (Automotive News)
• Honda is also developing direct-injection turbo petrol engines and three new transmissions. There will be a seven-speed DCT, an eight or nine-speed automatic and a new CVT that addresses a current DCT weakness of lag. Honda is improving it with a new drive belt supplied by Bosh that reduces the ‘rubber band’ feel, while an optimised ECU reduces hunting. (Automotive News)
• Jaguar might develop a Chery-badged model based on one of its platforms in order to get approval for a Chinese joint venture. China’s NDRC demands ‘substantial cooperation’ for any joint ventures to be approved – it can’t solely be a manufacturing deal. Jaguar would also commit to developing green cars for China. JLR’s discussions with Chinese partners (it has spoken with Great Wall, amongst other) have been unsuccessful to date. (Reuters)
• 2013 will be the year of Chrysler and Fiat, says Sergio Marchionne. That’s when model development plans will mature, Alfa Romeo will launch in the US and the two firms may possibly merge.
• Both Lexus and Honda are to unveil new supercar concepts at the North American International Auto Show in January. Honda’s Acura-badged model is the NSX Concept and is rumoured to include electric hybrid drive.
• China is now Lamborghini’s largest world market. 300 cars have been sold there this year, 70 per cent more than last year (when total sales numbered 1302). (Gasgoo)

12 Dec

• Bentley Crewe is the largest producer of 12-cylinder engines in the world.
• The 2013 Chevrolet Volt’s lithium ion batteries will be less volatile than the Chevrolet Volt. The Spark will use safer, longer-lasting phosphate-based batteries built by A123 Systems Inc. NHSTA investigations into three reported Chevrolet Volt battery fires continue. (4wheelsnews)
• Daimler AG’s market value was €17bn higher than BMW AG in January. It was €39bn in 2007. Today, it has narrowed significantly, to €700m. Daimler and BMW have similar market valuations but Daimler’s revenue was 38% lower than BMW in 2010 and it employs twice as many people as BMW (270k) (4wheelsnews)
• Group Lotus chief executive Dany Bahar has signed a new four-year contract a year before his current one expires. Bahar is leading the Lotus reinvention to become a British Porsche, after joining the firm in October 2009. The first New Lotus will be the 2013 Esprit: all should be on sale by 2018. (Autocar)

11 Dec

• There are 49m people living in South Korea, a country the size of Indonesia. US cars account for 1.1% of the new car market, and the recent US-Korea trade deal (calling for the phasing out of South Korea tariffs on US vehicles) is unlikely to improve this, say analysts. South Korean brands account for 92% of the 1.2m cars registered in the country in 2010. European makers account for 65% of all imported cars, followed by Japanese cars on 26%. US cars are third at 8.2%. (Business Week) 
• GM hasn’t recorded an overall profit in Europe in over a decade. The firm is aiming to emulate Volkswagen’s high profit margins, which it attributes to high prices, effective cost management and strong performances in key markets. (4wheelsnews)
• Toyota is planning a design overhaul inspired by president Akio Toyota and led by designer Tokyo Fukuichi. He is ‘highly regarded’ within Toyota for creating the 1989 Previa and is being charged with creating ‘cool cars’. Current Toyotas have good proportions, he says, but little character. Insiders say it is he that drove through the distinctive nose of the new Lexus GS. (Autocar)
• China has overtaken Germany as Audi’s biggest new car market. Production capacity will be boosted to 700k with the addition of a new plant from 2013: it’s being built by Volkswagen and JV partner FAW. The new plant will build the Q5 and a new A3 version, the firm’s third best-seller in China after the A4 and A5. Audi sales increased 32 per cent between Jan-Oct 2011: it is targeting 300k sales this year. (China Car Times)
• Suzuki builds 280k Fiat-licensed 1.3 JTD turbodiesels in its Indian Maruti-Suzuki joint venture. 50k are sent to Hungary: the rest remain in India. Fiat has recently signed a contract boosting the license to 380k (despite the conflict with Volkswagen…). Diesel cars are growing in popularity in India due to high fuel prices (4wheelsnews)
• A conventional four-cylinder engine requires 45 machining processes and 15 assembly operations. Mazda’s new SkyActiv-G engine needs four machining processes and six assembly operations. Autocar’s Hilton Holloway says other manufacturers are reportedly expressing interest in buying SkyActiv engines. (Autocar)
  
• Mazda currently makes 1.3m cars a year. By 2016, it wants to boost this by 400k cars. 
• Audi has already topped 2010′s record US sales of 101k with a month still to go. Lexus, BMW and Mercedes still sell twice as many cars as Audi, but the brand is growing fast: full-year estimates of 117k could have been 10k higher too, as Audi is supply constrained. It takes Audi 11 days to receive, prep and ship cars within the US: the Q5 has 14 days’ supply… (MSNBC)
  
• BMW will co-develop an electric car with Chinese partner Brilliance, as part of its joint venture obligations. ‘It’s a legislative requirement’ said sales and marketing board member Ian Robertson. Brilliance and BMW have already collaborated on the plug-in hybrid 5 Series. (4wheelsnews)
  
• Audi sales will pass Mercedes-Benz for the first time this year to see it take second place in the global luxury car sales league, behind BMW. Automotive News reports Audi leads Mercedes by 56k cars: Mercedes sales are up 7 per cent this year, to 1.13m cars, but Audi sales are up 18 per cent, to 1.19m. BMW sales are up 13 per cent, to 1.25m – and BMW Group has already sold more cars in the fist 11 months of the year (1.51m cars) than in all of 2010. (Automotive News)
  
• Audi is aiming to become the world’s number 1 premium luxury brand by 2015: Mercedes wants to take the slot in 2020. BMW wants to retain its position. (Automotive News)
• Sergio Marchionne says Maserati will launch three cars ‘in quick succession’: a new Quattroporte, a Chrysler 300C-based saloon (which could be built alongside the Quattroporte in Modena) and the new Jeep Cherokee-based Maserati Kubang. Which comes first is being kept under wraps: CAR reckons it will be the new Quattroporte. (Auto Guide)
• Chinese brand Chery has exported 80% more cars so far in 2011 (more than 150k) than in 2010: it is China’s most exported car brand. (Gasgoo)
• Porsche wants to double its US sales in 7 years, reaching 50k annual sales by 2018. 2010′s total of 25k case represents 28% of worldwide sales: this year’s total will grow to over 29k cars. New models will drive this growth, including the H2 2012 launch of the first diesel US Porsche, the Cayenne Diesel (which will make up 15% of US sales). (4wheelsnews)

10 Dec

• Volkswagen, meanwhile, is to get a new sub-Tiguan crossover model: the Cross Coupe Concept   previews first ideas for its appearance, said Walter de’Silva, when confirming the new model. The next Tiguan will retain its traditional proportions. (4wheelsnews)
• Europe’s small crossover sector is up 81% in 2011 to 112k sales – the Dacia Duster accounted for most of this with a sixfold sales growth to 76k vehicles. (4wheelsnews)
  
• Vuxhall/Opel is targeting €1bn a year profit from 2016, with 5 per cent return on sales and an 8.5 per cent EU market share. CEO Karl-Friedrich Stracke revealed the target in a staff newsletter: he also said 30 new models will come to market by 2014. (Automotive News)
  
• Ford is replacing the Econoline van name in the US with the Transit. Production will start in 2013 with a family of next-generation Transit, further broadening sales of the model designed by Ford of Britain and Ford of Germany in 1965 (whose genus move was the forward-mounted engine, variety of body styles and passenger car derived mechanicals). (Automotive News)
• Volkswagen has approval to build its 13th plant in China: the latest is a $315m site with a 50k annual capacity (it will produce mid-size cars). VW Group wants to sell 2m cars in China this year; and its nine current factories have a 1.9m capacity (imports account for the rest). VW Group cars account for nearly 18% of total car sales in China. (4wheelsnews)
• Restricted supply and tight competition mean Honda US sales have fallen 5.3% in 2011. Market share has fallen from 10.5% to 9%: Hyundai and Kia share has risen from 7.8% to 9%. Its situation is improving – the Civic was the best-selling compact car in November. (Businessweek)
• Mercedes will replace Maybach with a 6.5-metre long S 600 Pullman in 2014. It will be base on the current W222 S-Class but will have unique front and rear ends. (4wheelsnews)
• A new Mercedes A-Class AMG will boast a twin-scroll 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder engine producing up to 320hp. The A 25 AMG will also use a Haldex four-wheel drive system. There may also be a performance version of the 2013 GLC Range Rover Evoque rival. (Autocar)
• The 2012 Mitsubishi Colt will be built in Thailand and Outlander production has also been moved away from the Dutch Nedcar plant – leaving its future in doubt. It built 250k cars in 1999 but only 50k last year. UK MD Lance Bradley says the oct difference between assembly in Japan and the Netherlands is minimal. (4wheelsnews)
• Chinese new car sales will beat last year’s record and exceed 18 million in 2011, reports the Chinese Association of Automobile Manufacturers.
• Ferrari is planning a HGTE handling pack for the California. The suspension will be 50% ‘more responsive’, steering is 10% faster and power will go up 28bhp to 483bhp. (4wheelsnews)
• The last R 230 Mercedes SL has been produced on the Bremen: 165k have been sold since launch in 2001. Production of the R 231 at Bremen will be combined with C-Class, E-Class, GLK and SLK production in 2012 – the 40th anniversary of the Mercedes SL. (4wheelsnews)
• Audi is planning a Q6 rival to the BMW X6. Suggestions are it will be akin to an A7 crossover. Audi design boss Walter de’Silva says it is already signed off. Audi is also considering a Q4 rival to the upcoming BMW X4. (Automotive News)
• Europe’s best selling luxury SUV is the BMW X5; the Audi Q7 is fifth. (Automotive News)

5 Dec

• The Bank of China (China’s fourth-largest bank) has replaced car retailer Pang Da as proposed investment partner in Saab, alongside car maker Youngman. It is suggested the two are looking to take just under a 50% stake in the Swedish maker, in a revision of the original 100% takeover. GM objected to this and, in a Detroit meeting with Saab administrator Guy Lofalk, indicated that each investor should take no more than a 20% stake. (Automotive News)

3 Dec

• Revised Renault Scenic economy surprise: February 2012 sees a much more economical Scenic go on sale, marked out by a mild facelift with LED running lights. The key 1.5 dCi now gets stop-start, for a 23g/km CO2 cut down to 105g/km, plus an 11.3mpg economy boost, to 68.9mph. A new 1.2 TCe 115 replaces the old 1.6 110. It emits 135g/km and ups econoy by 20%, to 49.6mpg.
• Renault aims to become the number 1 brand for CO2 emissions in Europe. A greener Scenic is a key part of this: it’s Europe’s best selling compact MPV, with 400k sold since its launch in 2009. Built in Douai, Northern France, 3.9m Scenic have been sold since the model debuted in 1996.
• The Renault 1.6 dCi 130 is the most powerful and fuel efficient diesel engine of its size on sale.
• Honda R&D base for UK: Honda is planning an R&D centre in the UK, following a decision to renew focus on Europe. Honda president Takanobu said Europe is the world’s most challenging market and the one where a future focus is most important. ‘We must be successful there if we are to succeed elsewhere,’ he told Autocar, which points out Honda year to date UK sales are 54k: in 2008, it sold 100k cars here. (Autocar)
• BMW scoops lucrative new engine sales outlet with Toyota: BMW and Toyota MoU for longer-term collaboration on eco technology, including next gen EV architectures. BMW will also supply Toyota with 1.6-litre and 2.0-litre diesel engines for the European market from 2014. Norbert Reithofer, chairman of BMW AG, summarised it: Toyota is the world leader for green tech in the volume segment, and BMW is world leader in innovative premium cars. Pairing the two adds strength in force (and also gives BMW a profitable new outlet for its engines and powertrain systems).
• Chinese brand on sale in UK by 2015: Great Wall will begin assembling cars in Bulgaria from spring 2012. The Voleex C10 will be sold in Bulgaria, Romani and Turkey. First year sales will be 8000 but grow to 50k by 2015 – when the Chinese brand plans to expand in to Norway, Sweden and the UK. (Autocar)
• Ferrari no longer offers manual-gearbox cars in the UK: the last car with a manual option was the California, but the 2012 model ends this. Just 1 out of 260 UK California is a manual: a manual 599 has never been sold here in the five years it’s been available. (CAR)

40 years ago this month, Sir Alec Issigonis, creator of Britain’s best-selling motoring icons, retired.

The creator of the original Mini, the Morris Minor, the Austin Maxi and Landcrab 1800 had reached the official BL retirement age of 65. And so, left full-time employment.

He was to remain on as a design consultant – indeed, reveals AROnline, at his retirement party, deputy MD George Turnbull joked: ‘Sir Alec would be doing exactly what he had been doing for the past three years. “But, I hope perhaps working slightly shorter hours “.’

This itself was a bending of official company rules, continues AROnline: semiretirement status was not an official category on the company books. “We have had to bend the rules because we do not believe that Sir Alec’s extraordinary talents have suddenly waned or dried up”.

Even so, it marked the end of a glittering career within the British motoring giant that was so large as a direct result of his talents (and arguably was not larger due to the lack of managerial control and focus of them).

It was also no way to treat a great man.

Issigonis as technical director

Issigonis had been made technical director in 1961 after winning worldwide plaudits for creating the Mini. However, in 1968, he asked to be relieved of day-to-day engineering duties. Charles Griffin took over development of the mainstream cars with Issigonis working in a forward-looking research capacity.

Why? Because Issigonis was becoming sidelined: design by committee was the new rule as BMC headed towards its merger with (takeover by?) Leyland, leaving him isolated and preferring to concentrate on his own special projects.

He was also politically weakened, through two great ideas that were flawed because of his stubbornness and thus failed in the marketplace. The 1800 and, in particular, the Maxi were good concepts hurt by a lack of focus on what customers wanted. They were too idealistic.

This worked for the Mini but, don’t forget, even Issigonis’ brilliant 1100/1300 was styled by a designer rather than simply designed by an engineer. How could BMC subsequently forget?

Hence the request to be relieved of his mainstream car duties. He wanted instead to work on his brilliant, uncompromised, far-sighted concept for a Mini replacement, the ingenious 9X. In his mind, this was the new Mini: bigger, better, smarter, cheaper, more profitable. A decade on, it was the car to revive the industry once again.

BL, as history tells us, singularly failed to spot the potential of this. Issigonis worked on it until his retirement, yet even a knighthood in 1969 couldn’t regain power at BL.

Indeed, many of BL head Lord Stokes’ team apparently blamed Issigninis for the decline of BL. As AROnline reports, the five millionth FWD BMC car was built in May 1971: a Mini Clubman. This was a notable achievement but one that also riled those within Lord Stokes’ team: 4.3 million of that 5 million total were Mini and ADO16 1100/1300 models.

Customers were simply not buying the more expensive (more profitable) Maxi and 1800 Landcrab FWD cars. Indeed this lack of profit for BMC was part of the reason it needed to be rescued by Leyland.

Issigonis leaves Britain’s biggest car company

A great career at Britain’s largest car company thus fizzled out as the new guard took over. Even Issigonis’ leaving gift seems rather mealy-mouthed: a no. 10 Meccano set. Fitting for a great man, sure, but shouldn’t such a key figure have been given something more significant, more substantial, besides?

40 years ago, Mr. Mini retired. One of Britain’s finest inventors was no longer able to influence British cars, despite his genius remaining bright.

It is to the eternal shame of BL that his power, expertise and impact effectively ceased in 1968 and ended for good in 1971. Mini 9X is the glittering example of what could have been…

• Would 9X have worked?
• Was weak management behind Issigonis’ mistakes?
• Does Issigonis deserve his reputation as an inventive engineering genius?

Orange cars have been (back) in for some time now and are slowly moving from motor show stands to supermarket car parks.

I dubbed it my Hit Car Colour of the Year back in May. This was a result of SO many new cars and motor show stars appearing in varying shades of orange.

Now, thanks to Pantone voting an orange hue its Colour of the Year 2012, its scope may soon stretch to the catwalk and the make-up counter, too.

In the car world, Bentley started the trend with the latest Continental GT back in November 2010. Today, VW Group brand partner is carrying it onto the road with orange Q3 and, from early next year, A1 Sportback.

(As is increasingly the case, Audi is launching the five-door A1 with a bespoke colour – Samoa Orange – ensuring it will probably be the marketing ‘brochure colour’ at the launch event. Expect to see a lot of it in early 2012)

Now, orange is set to gain official recognition as a cool colour, courtesy of the Pantone Matching System propriety colour space. Each year, it announces its Colour of the Year, one researched, debated and chosen to ‘connect with the zeitgeist’. And this year’s colour has been revealed.

Colour of the Year 2012

The 2012 Colour of the Year is Pantone 17-1463 Tangerine Tango. Yes, orange.

Why? Because it’s a vivacious, enticing hue, says Pantone: ‘The 2011 Color of the Year, PANTONE 18-2120 Honeysuckle, encouraged us to face everyday troubles with verve and vigor. Tangerine Tango, a spirited reddish orange, continues to provide the energy boost we need to recharge and move forward.’

As Pantone itself says, orange has grown in popularity and gained acceptance amongst both designers and consumers. Hence, receiving official validation from the colourspace masters for 2012.

What next for Tangarine Tango, then? Fashion, reckons Pantone: look out for it in the 2012 collections of Tommy Hilfiger, Nanette Lepore, Cynthia Steffe by Shaun Kearney, Elie Tahari and Adrienne Vittandini, it says.

Cosmetics, too: it’s apparently particularly good for eyeshadow, as it’s ‘a complementary opposite that flatters blue or green eyes. When paired with brown eyes, it brings out an amber cast.’

I’m curious to see what happens now, and will be looking to people who know much more about this stuff than I (chiefly, my girlfriend) to tell me how orange is making its way into High Fashion.

In the meantime… geeks (like me), do you want to recreate Tangerine Tango yourself? Try the CMYK code: 0/82/80/0. The official Pantone code is 17-1463. Hexadecimal? #FA500A will do it for you.

So… what IS the Pantone Colour of the Year?

A very thoughtful process, says Pantone. It scours the world for influences, from the entertainment industry, art collections, new artists, travel destinations ‘and other socio-economic conditions’. Not only that, continues Pantone, but influences also come from technology, including new textures and effects that can affect colour.

Influences even, get this, stretch to ‘upcoming sports events that capture worldwide attention’.

The Colour of the Year influences product development and purchasing decisions across multiple industries, continues Pantone: ‘fashion, home and industrial design… (even) product packaging and graphic design’. Who knew.

Past winners? Here’s a list, with the Pantone codes, colour-coded in hexadecimal:

• PANTONE 18-2120 Honeysuckle (2011)

• PANTONE 15-5519 Turquoise (2010)

• PANTONE 14-0848 Mimosa (2009)

• PANTONE 18-3943 Blue Iris (2008)

• PANTONE 19-1557 Chili Pepper (2007)

• PANTONE 13-1106 Sand Dollar (2006)

• PANTONE 15-5217 Blue Turquoise (2005)

• PANTONE 17-1456 Tigerlily (2004)

• PANTONE 14-4811 Aqua Sky (2003)

• PANTONE 19-1664 True Red (2002)

• PANTONE 17-2031 Fuchsia Rose (2001)

• PANTONE 15-4020 Cerulean (2000)

 + My hit car colour of 2011

+ My hit car colour of 2010

+ From the Porsche archives: Carmine Red and the Panamera GTS

A press delivery driver revealed a cunning car coverup recently, exposing a famous Nissan to be not quite what it seemed.

Remember the pink Nissan Micra C+Cs? A brace of which Nissan ran between 2005-2006, both to turn heads and worry motoring journos who were given one from the press fleet in equal measure? And also, as you’ll see below, famously featured on Top Gear with Richard Hammond wearing a bag on his head?

Well, here’s something. It turns out they weren’t actually pink.

They were blue.

Yes, the pink colouring was a wrap – technology then still in its infancy and thus relatively unknown – and applied to one of the more popular colours available on the Micra C+C, the launch metallic blue seen in the brochures and press launch shots.

Obvious, innit? Not so at the time though, particularly for those serious motoring journalists stuck behind the wheel of one for a week (unless they looked up close, and spotted the bits not covered by the wrap). Their only solace being that it was all in a good cause…

Lot of good work for charidee, mate

Nissan put four pink Micra C+C them on the press fleet between November 2005 and January 2006. For every motoring journo that booked one out and put 250 miles on the clock, Nissan donated £250 to Breakthrough Breast Cancer.

It was £250 for every 250 miles, too. As my weekly commute, back then, was around 1200 miles, Nissan could’ve been very charitable indeed. Alas, I didn’t manage to get one out.

Rich Tuckwell of topgayer.com did, though – and put on an amazing 1400 miles in just there days.

(Incidentally, the Micra C+C was in its (ahem) purple period back then, which meant Nissan had several more besides the pinks ones on the fleet, too. If journos didn’t manage to bag a pink one, then, Nissan also donated £10 to the charity for each normal one booked out.)

How much was raised? A hefty £8000, the total boosted further by some journos rallying friends and family to make additional donations.

The journo campaign tied with a broader Nissan GB campaign. The pink Micra C+Cs toured the UK to launch the Breakthrough ‘TLC’ campaign (Touch, Look, Check). Nissan visited city centres in the cars to hand out promo leaflets, and also held a competition, Text to Win, with the prize being a pink C+C.

All admirable stuff. But what happened to that car now? And, more importantly, is both it and the four press cars still pink? Or, has the secret of the delivery driver spread..?

+ How to make a motoring journalist happy

+ Saab classic: USB press kit joy

+ flickr: diary of a road tester

God is in the details and creating those details keeps thousands in the automotive industry gamefully occupied across the globe. 

Spending time with a car reveals more and more of them. Running a long-term test car gives you the best opportunity of all to spot and savour them.

My current long-termer is an Audi A6 Avant. Here, thus, is a running photolog of these details.

Up close and personal with an Audi A6 Avant? You’ve got it…

Aircraft-style centre console lighting at night, complete with red downlighters.

Remember the crescent-shaped auxiliary dials on the Porsche 996 and 997? Here they are, in digitised form.

The feature-packed climate control display up front is, as an option, replicated in simplified form in the rear too.

Renault Vel Satis guru Oliver Hammond piqued my attention via Twitter a while ago because of his efforts in building up a VelSat community.

His Vel Satis forum site is ever-more popular and it remains a curio I dip into regularly, not least to see what’s up for sale and whether prices have finally dropped down to a level that would warrant an impulse purchase (not yet).

And why my fasciation with the failed French 5 Series rival? Because of a happy week back in 2002, when I took one down to Newquay for a week’s holiday. Quite something for a still-green writer back then, stymied by the 25-and-over insurance rules of many press offices. Renault was one exception. Bingo: the keycard to a Vel Satis 3.0 V6 dCi Initiale was mine for a week.

Memories? Mainly of its might. A big car, is the Vel Satis, accentuated by its outlandish design and super-bold le Quement detailing. Like the MkII Megane, it’s dating now, but there’s still no denying its presence – back then, resplendent in road test dark green, it looked amazing. Every inch the epitome of avant-garde French executive travel.

If anything, it felt even bigger from the inside. The huge seats were mounted very high atop their electric multi-adjust motors, whose variability even extended to a split seatback – the upper half could be raked independently to the lower. On the 300-mile trek to Newquay, this gave me no end of entertainment.

It was a distraction from all the glances I got. Seriously, everyone (so it felt) looked at us. I’d never driven anything that was such a headturner and, even now, few things have roused so much attention on the road. The Vel Satis was amazing, so it seemed: a pink Ferrari would have roused less attention.

Luckily, we were cocooned from it within, savouring the Makintosh-style wood trim and details, decent in-car audio quality and the surge of the big diesel. Something this easy and torquey was still a refreshingly new experience for me back then, and the satisfaction I felt remains clear in my mind. My love of torque may even have been cemented on that trip.

It wasn’t perfect. The ride could be taut, trim could creak in sympathy and lifeless steering certainly didn’t help pilot the big beast round Cornwall’s narrow streets. But I still loved it – still love it. The MSN Cars Renault Vel Satis road test talks about the minutiae, but the general vibe was positive.

Yes, it bombed, but it wasn’t through lack of character which, as a result, certainly infused goodwill amongst a loyal few. Still does, too: so, power to you, Oliver. Give me a shout when a cheap dCi V6 turns up, won’t you..?

+ Renault Energy dCi 130: F1 on the road

+ Renault Raider is back

+ The auto brands Lotus has links with