'The UK Government Needs To Create A New Car Company After Brexit'

I鈥檓 glad it exists, because it creates so many jobs and consumer products which, in turn, offer freedom of movement to people across the world. But even I concede that when looking at the numbers, global car manufacturing is a bonkers business. This industry is colossal, superbly organised, highly efficient and deeply impressive. But there鈥檚 also an unfathomably illogical side to the car-building game. For example, I know of one large, wealthy, rough-around-the-edges industrialised country (China) that, with apparent ease, produced almost 24 million cars last year. Yet not far from China, another large, wealthy, 鈥榤ore sophisticated鈥?industrialised country (Australia) didn鈥檛 build a single car over the same period. From China鈥檚 point of view, this insane disparity is just fine. But what the hell do Aussie business leaders, workers and politicians think they鈥檙e playing at as they transform themselves from a nation churning out 300,000 vehicles a year in 2008 to a non-producer today?

If places such as Bangladesh (24,000 cars annually), Egypt (19,500), Iran (851,000) and Pakistan (230,000) can master the art of car building, so too can Australia. Former Soviet States including Belarus (10,941) Kazakhstan (30,016), Ukraine (5,660) and Uzbekistan (220,667) are also having a go at producing cars, with most enjoying huge percentage increases year on year (from a low base, admittedly). Good on 鈥檈m, I say. Assuming Brexit eventually happens, the UK Government should then be more free, open and able to subsidise and create high-quality jobs at an all-new, long-overdue, homegrown, Brit-owned-and-run motor manufacturing concern. British Motor Vehicles (BMV) PLC is what we should call the maker of mid-to-premium-class petrol, electric and petrol-electric cars, and other modes of personal transport. BMV鈥檚 badge should be red, white and blue, and its HQ probably on the conveniently located site at Swindon from which struggling Honda is about to retreat. Who cares if Munich complains that BMV sounds suspiciously like BMW? It鈥檚 all part of the car-building game in a fast-changing world, and an even faster-changing Britain.

Speaking of Q2, once launched, it will not have a direct competitor in the country, however, it will attract buyers who will consider buying a Mercedes GLA, BMW X1 or Volvo V40. Although there is no official word about the prices, we expect the prices to be within the range of 28 to 32 rupees per lakh (former fair). It is not clear what kind of Q2 will come to India, or European Q2 or Chinese Q2L with a long wheelbase. The launch list is a strong trend for consumers as buyers show increased preference for more powerful vehicles that provide more power and safety on the road, let alone enhanced ground clearance for better maneuvering on steep terrain. The launch of the Tailing the Kicks will be the Harrier, an off-road off-road vehicle from Tata Motors that could cost more than Rs 12 lakh. Audi Q2 and Q8 in India With a 2 liter diesel engine (which also meets the compass pocket), Harrier has been developed on the Land Rover platform which also supports the Discovery Sport model of the British brand. Harrier will compete with Compass and Mahindra XUV5OO and Tata hopes to achieve the same success with Nexon. Tata is also expected to take the lead in smaller SUVs, at a low price of Rs 10 per kilo, during the year. On the luxury front, BMW will launch all weapons. The German leader X4 (expected price around Rs 60 lakh) and X7 (above Rs 95 lakh) will be introduced for the first time and will also feature the new generation version of the X5 (Rs 70 lakh). The Audi Rival will offer a powerful Q8 engine (more than 1 rk crore), which will be a step forward of the Q7 muscle.

We have lamented the passing of the venerable Ford E-Series鈥攙ehicle that鈥檚 ingrained in the fabric of automotive America, and that was offered with a 6.8-liter V-10 to the very end. The ultra-efficient Transit, nothing more than a soulless breadbox. The Transit, in fact, has a rich history of a full half century, and we have assembled some of the more notable pictures from its long production run. They include some ridiculously cool one-offs. Its name, actually, is derived from the German-market Taunus Transit van, and was a last-minute change. Originally, it was supposed to be called V-series. The first Transit, a rear-wheel-drive van, was launched in 1965, with a basic design that carried on for more than twenty years. The box shape was fitted with a different nose for the diesel engine and high-performance V-6 engines. In 1978, Ford gave the van a massive facelift, with a far more contemporary look.

Another facelift came in 1984. Engine size grew up to 4.1 liters in Australia, a high-performance market until recently. The first complete redesign came in 1986, and it saw the Transit adopt a more aero style. A fitting companion to forward-looking passenger cars like the Ford Sierra and Scorpio, it remained on a rear-wheel-drive platform. Fourteen years later, for 2000, the Transit was redesigned yet again鈥攁nd for the first time, the rear-wheel-drive model was complemented with a front-wheel-drive derivative. Space-efficient and highly modern, it remained remarkably successful. The 2006 facelift awkwardly mirrored the Volkswagen Crafter van, a derivative of the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. Our favorite Transit of this era is the rear-wheel drive version with the 200-hp 3.2-iter Duratorq diesel鈥攁 capable drifter, as it turns out. Check out the gallery - and you鈥檒l understand why Europeans are as fond of their Transits as Americans are of the E-Series. From now on, a joint heritage will be forged. The 鈥減ig snout鈥?diesel model breaking an endurance record at the Monza racetrack in Italy.

Aston Martin Announces 拢30m Brexit Contingency Fund

Aston Martin is creating a 拢30m Brexit fund to ensure its business is not interrupted by the UK鈥檚 imminent departure from the EU. A sum of 鈥渦p to 拢30m of advanced working capital and/or operating expenses鈥?will be set aside in order to 鈥減rotect production and customer deliveries鈥? The news comes in the midst of a raft of warnings against a no deal Brexit from the automotive industry, particularly from large-volume manufacturers. In addition, Honda is shutting its Swindon plant - although it has been claimed this is unrelated to Brexit - and UK manufacturing has seen its eighth consecutive month of decline, with demand from China falling 72.3 per cent. Nevertheless, Aston Martin鈥檚 preliminary financial results show the brand enjoyed a 31 per cent boost in wholesale volumes in China last year and 44 per cent in the Asia-Pacific region as a whole. The premium manufacturer also saw a 17 per cent increase in UK wholesales, 13 per cent in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and 38 per cent in the Americas. Aston Martin鈥檚 total revenue hit a record 拢1.1bn - up 25 per cent year-on-year - while operating profit was up 18 per cent to 拢147m. What effects do you think Brexit will have on the British car industry?

Porsche recently confirmed the production version of the Mission E would be called the Taycan, and now the automaker has released additional information about its upcoming electric vehicle. Set to debut next year, the Taycan will have an 800 volt electrical system and two electric motors that produce a combined output in excess of 592 HP. This will enable it to accelerate from 0-100 km/h in less than 3.5 seconds and 0-200 km/h in less than 12 seconds. Furthermore, the model will have a range in excess of 500 km in the New European Driving Cycle. Despite their high-tech nature, the electric motors are relatively lightweight and compact. Porsche didn鈥檛 go into specifics, but said the motors have solenoid coils with a special hairpin design. The Taycan also features inverters that use a 鈥渟teplessly variable pulse frequency鈥?as well as a cooling system which works in real time. Speaking of the latter, Porsche says sensors constantly monitor cooling requirements and special software ensures water is immediately directed to the right spots when required.

Porsche has been relatively tight-lipped about the Taycan鈥檚 battery, although it revealed the lithium-ion unit has approximately four hundred cells, which are connected serially and in parallel, and each has a current of roughly 4 volts. The battery has an optimal operating temperature of between 20掳 and 40掳 C and it can be charged to provide a 400 km range in just 15 minutes. Speaking of charging, Porsche is part of a consortium of automakers that have teamed up to launch the Ionity joint venture. Since it will be awhile before the Taycan is launched, Porsche is extensively testing the model in extreme conditions. As an example, the automaker said 21 prototypes and sixty employees traveled to South Africa to test the car in temperatures of around 40掳 C. During that trip, the team logged approximately 40,000 km on the prototypes. By the time the Taycan is launched in late 2019, the prototypes will have logged 鈥渕illions of kilometers鈥?during testing. Porsche said it has already built over 100 prototypes. Although the company says the exact number is confidential, each was manufactured by approximately 40 specialists.

Infiniti QX70 review. The stylish Infiniti QX70 4x4 looks like nothing else on the road. It鈥檚 fair to say Nissan鈥檚 luxury brand, Infiniti, hasn鈥檛 been a huge success in the UK yet. However, this QX70 model is one of its better sellers. A rival to sporty 4x4s, such as the BMWX5 and PorscheCayenne, the QX70 blends a raised driving position with striking looks and offers greater exclusivity than any of its rivals. The QX70 is like the Tardis in reverse; it鈥檚 huge on the outside, but has a surprisingly small interior. While four adults can fit, those in the back can鈥檛 stretch out like they can in other big 4x4s. And the boot isn鈥檛 much bigger than a VW Golf鈥檚. More positively, there鈥檚 a decent amount of storage space around the driver, and the rear seats can be folded flat. Every QX70 has an electrically adjustable driver鈥檚 seat that makes it easy to get comfortable. Sadly, you won鈥檛 stay that way for long because the QX70 thumps over potholes. In fact, even on roads that look relatively smooth, you can feel the car shimmying around beneath you. Three engines are available: 3.7- and 5.0-litre petrols and a 3.0-litre diesel.

The petrols are smooth enough, but the diesel sounds a little gruff when you accelerate and it sends too much vibration into the car in stop-start traffic. It鈥檚 easy to adjust the cabin temperature or fan strength. Unfortunately, you have to stretch to reach the controls for the stereo and satellite-navigation. You sit high in the QX70, so get a good view of the road ahead. Sadly, there are big over-the-shoulder blind spots that make changing lanes tricky. The QX70 is also a very wide car and you can鈥檛 tell where its bonnet ends from the driver鈥檚 seat. These issues combine with heavy steering to make it tricky to drive in town. Whichever engine you choose, there鈥檚 no shortage of performance, and every model comes with an automatic gearbox and the reassurance of four-wheel drive. If you can put up with the QX70鈥檚 firm ride, you鈥檙e rewarded with good composure; it doesn鈥檛 lean much when you ask it to change direction and there鈥檚 a decent amount of grip.