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Recent Motor News
What's coming when - the new cars arriving in 2015 and 2016. Autocar's new cars calendar gives you all the information on 2015 and 2016's new arrivals. As they round up all the new models going on sale in the UK keep checking back to this page as we'll be updating it regularly with new car unveilings.
By Wayne Cunningham
8 Fabruary 2015 Power steering shifts to electric
If you buy a car today, it will likely have a major difference in the power steering than cars from 10 or even just 5 years ago: The steering system will rely on an electric motor instead of a hydraulic piston for power boost. The majority of new cars sold today use electric power steering.
I've seen -- and felt -- this change in cars ranging from Toyotas to Porsches over the years. My own car, a 1999 BMW, is firmly in the hydraulic boost camp. But I've grown to appreciate the precise response and linear boost in modern sport cars, which has improved dramatically as engineers learn how to program these steering systems.
Not everyone feels this way. The switch to electric power-assisted steering (EPAS) met its detractors among driving enthusiasts, often citing a lack of road-feel in newer cars. Jeremy Clarkson of BBC's "Top Gear" said, in a review of the Ford Focus ST, that cars with electric power steering tended to understeer, a claim that doesn't make much sense when you compare the architecture of the competing systems.
By Matt Burt
29 January 2015 Renewed push to promote the benefits of LPG
It is “patently absurd” that the UK hasn’t embraced liquefied petroleum gas as a car fuel with the same enthusiasm as other nations, say champions for LPG.
The call for greater recognition of LPG’s potential benefits came as Autogas, one of the UK’s leading suppliers, announced a major rebranding exercise aimed at highlighting customer awareness of the fuel. Since its introduction 15 years ago, the take-up of LPG by motorists has hit a plateau of just over 150,000 users.
The fuel’s supporters say its benefits are manifold; there is a cost saving for the customer because LPG attracts a lower Government fuel duty than petrol or diesel, meaning it can be sold for around 60p per litre.
By Profit ndtv
22 January 2015 GM Recalls Cover Over 57,000 Vehicles
Washington: General Motors Co said on Saturday it was recalling more than 57,000 vehicles in the United States for potential problems ranging from a wiring problem in the steering column to inadvertent shutdown of the engine. The recall of 57,182 vehicles in three categories came a day after GM recalled 524,384 cars and sport utility vehicles globally for different problems. The No. 1 US automaker now has issued 74 recalls this year, affecting some 30 million vehicles.
Saturday's recalls included 46,873 Pontiac G8s from 2008 and 2009, and Chevrolet Caprices marketed as police vehicles between 2011 and 2013. GM said the cars' ignition keys could be accidentally knocked out of the "run" position by the driver's knee, shutting off the engine and air bags.
By Jim Holder
18 January 2015 Jeep considers new sub-Renegade SUV
Jeep is evaluating the launch of an even smaller car to its Nissan Juke-rivalling Renegade, but it cannot yet see a business case for such a model, according to its CEO Mike Manly. Speaking at the Detroit motor show, Manly said the firm was watching the growing small SUV segment with interest. “The growth rates of sales in the segment are very impressive, but we have yet to find a compelling case to do it,” he said. “Smaller cars are inevitably less capable - the laws of physics dictate that - and a level of capability is key to any Jeep product.
“Smaller cars are also harder to build profitably, especially if you are manufacturing them away from the home market. So there are some issues with the idea of a smaller Jeep than the Renegade. “That said, the nearest rival would probably be the Fiat Panda Cross, which is incredibly capable for such a small car and which is enjoying a lot of success at the moment in some markets. So we have the know-how within the Group.”
By Matt Prior
17 January 2015 Driving Toyota's GT86 rally car - picture special
Toyota is doing well out of its GT86 coupé. Not just because it’s selling quite a few of them – 126,000 worldwide, including 14,000 in Europe – but also because it has embraced what glow the car can cast over the rest of Toyota’s range.
I’m not sure that Subaru has quite had to do that with the BRZ, its version of the same car – partly because even if it wanted to, it doesn’t have Toyota’s budget. And, in truth, because it doesn’t make the Avensis, perhaps it doesn’t need to.
Toyota, however, is hard at it. There’s a German race series for GT86s. GT86s have set two world drift records. And now there’s this,the CS-R3, a customer rally car developed by Toyota Motorsport GmbH (TMG) in Europe.
You want one? You buy one and go rallying in it. It’s as simple as that.
By Adam Towler
16 January 2015 How to prepare a Ford GT40 for the Goodwood Revival
An original Ford GT40, like any 50-year old racing car that represents its manufacturer in the public eye, requires an unstinting attention to detail to ensure any appearance doesn’t end prematurely with an embarrassing puddle underneath – or worse.
Happily for Ford, it has hugely experienced heritage workshop technicians Colin Gray and Ivan Bartholomeusz to tinker, cajole and cosset these superlative machines into peak condition. Somewhat less promisingly, they also have me today to generally obstruct, fumble and look clueless. I have already nearly fainted with excitement at the prospect of groping a GT40’s oily bits.
By Andrew Frankel
14 January 2015 Mercedes-AMG plans hot GT Black Series
Mercedes-AMG boss Tobias Moers has confirmed that a Black Series version of the new Mercedes-AMG GT sports car is in the pipeline. "It won’t be here soon, because Black Series cars tend to come towards the end of a car’s production cycle, but an AMG GT Black is a car we must do," he revealed at the Detroit motor show.
Before then, Moers had promised to turn the GT into "a full family".
This means a convertible version will be forthcoming, probably in 2016, as well as a high-performance GT3-style version that will be positioned between the existing GT S and the hardcore Black Series. When interviewed about this car previously, Moers explained the plan thus: "We need more power, less weight, better aero and different suspension, but the targets should be the power-to-weight ratio, driveability, lap time and tremendous feel."
By Greg Kable
13 January 2015 New Mini John Cooper Works unveiled
The third-generation Mini John Cooper Works has been revealed at the Detroit motor show.
Packing the most powerful engine ever brought to a series production Mini, it is set to go on sale in the UK on 25 April at a starting price close to the £22,460 of its predecessor. As tradition dictates, the new John Cooper Works is based around the three-door Cooper S and receives a series of styling upgrades to reflect its enhanced performance potential.
Included is a unique front bumper with enlarged air ducts, revised LED headlights, altered wheel arch cladding, wider sills, a more prominent spoiler atop the rear hatch, a deeper rear bumper and a pair of centrally mounted chromed tail pipes. Power for the new front-wheel-drive supermini comes from a revised version of the standard Cooper S’s turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine – the B48 as it is known internally at Mini's parent company BMW.
By Autocar
12 January 2015 2015 Tokyo Auto Salon highlights
If you find standard cars fresh from the production line a trifle tame, the Tokyo Auto Salon should rouse your interest. The show was held last weekend at the Makuhari Messe convention centre, on the outskirts of Tokyo.
It’s the biggest show on the Japanese tuning scene and features a brace of modified vehicles, including some striking creations that have never been seen before.
Here is a selection of some of the fantastic designs that were on display. Let us know your favourites in the comments section below.
Kenji Sasamoto.