McLaren unveils new green P1 at Geneva Motor Show

It’s only February, but already there’s a contender for the year’s best super car. And not just any top-end speed monster, either – the McLaren P1 is a green machine. And since the press shots show a yellow paint-job, this can only mean ‘green’ as in eco-friendly.

Even though it can hit 62mph in three seconds, the impact of revving it up can be consolidated by the P1’s innovative energy-saving technology. Running on petrol with an additional electric motor, its CO2 emissions will be way below that of most other super cars. At 200g/km, it’s 10-20% greener than its competitors, and even includes an electric-only mode with zero emissions, which runs for around six miles.

Then take a look at the thing – a snarling speed buggy that outstrips even the “best car in the world,” McLaren’s own 12C Spider, in the cosmetics department. True, it’s almost exactly the same as the prototypes revealed last year – the only difference being a couple of air vents ahead of the front wheels. But with the look of a Lotus Elise reimagined by George Lucas, this is the motor that really looks like it’s operating in another dimension. Unfortunately, this kind of whizz-bang doesn’t come cheap, even by super-car standards.

Limited to a fleet of 375, the McLaren P1 will set you back £866,000 when it hits the mega-exclusive forecourts this Autumn. A first glimpse of the P1 is being offered to attendees of the 2013 Geneva Motor Show. Ask a mechanic nicely and he may let you take one for a spin – or not.

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Why more people are buying new

Despite tight economic conditions, new-car sales continue to rise. More vehicles were driven off the forecourt than the previous months in January, an 11% increase on 2012. This is the eleventh consecutive rise in monthly sales. There are a number of reasons this is happening.

It’s cheaper (sometimes)

It can actually be cheaper to buy new if you’re paying through a finance scheme. Auto Express recently compared the prices of new and used versions of the same vehicle, and found that with cheaper and mid-range models such as the Ford Focus and Volkswagen Scirocco, customers saved up to £3,200 with a new car. Combined with increased warranties and better insurance deals, it’s no wonder 70 per cent of new cars are now bought this way.

Technology

"Some motorists are looking to the new car market to take advantage of the latest technologies that offer enhanced fuel efficiency and lower running costs," a spokesperson for the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders told the Guardian. "Very little movement in the housing market may have also shifted focus to new car replacement."

New-car smell 

There aren’t any figures relating to the number of people who buy a new car for its unique scent. But the new-car smell is certainly a factor in the emotional appeal of buying a new car. Getting a whiff of that leathery freshness signifies success, security and freedom.

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Petrol price looking to go up 4p in the next few days

Campaigners are warning the public that petrol prices may increase by 4p a litre in the next couple of days.

The Petrol Retailers Association has reported that a review of the wholesale fuel market was needed as "despite recent arctic weather cutting fuel demand across northern Europe and refinery chiefs complaining at their glut of petrol capacity" wholesale costs of petrol have risen 5p a litre in the four weeks after Christmas.

PRA chairman Brian Madderson said: "The shock rise in wholesale costs is just one of the reasons why the Petrol Retailers' Association has been knocking on the door of the Office for Fair Trading, since this time last year, to demand a full investigation into the workings of the UK market for road fuel".

Motoring journalist Quentin Wilson said: "A 4p rise is going to be cataclysmic for motorists, for families, for businesses across the UK. In some parts of the country we are seeing diesel as high as 148p so this will tip it over the psychological threshold of 150p...and it's unsupportable."

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The best of the 2013 Detroit Auto Show!

The two day event has come to an end and we have pulled ourselves together to sit down and bring you the best bits and top news from the spectacle.


Shelby GT500 & Super Snake Widebody

Can we just say… WOW! Shelby are known for retuning Ford products into racing demons and they’ve done it again with their Ford Focus ST. With an upgraded suspension, hard hitting breaks and exhaust system, the car is a beast of a machine. 

 Buyers can upgrade the 252 horespower output to over 300 and production of these cars will be limited to 500 units.

Along with the internal upgrades, Shelby released a new body kit, the Super Snake, which is a wider option that will accommodate the 10 inch front and 13inch back wheels.

To get your hands on one of these beauts prepare to spend around £22,000 for the Ford Focus ST and then another $14,995 for the original kit and $28,995 for the Super Snake.

 

Acura NSX Concept Car

Don’t expect to get your hands on this gem for a few years, but Acura’s hybrid supercar is still pulling in admiration. The exterior is sleek and almost Batman like while the interior reveals maroon leather bucket seats and a “human connected space” which we determine means loads of snazzy buttons and high tech amenities. 

Lexus Entry Level Sports Car

Lexus are keeping their word on broadening their market by introducing affordable, yet stylish vehicles. The new Sedan’s design is sleek and flawless and will be available from 2014. 

2013 Bentley GT Speed Convertible

This car left tongues wagging and soft whimpers escaped the crowds of admirers that surrounded Bentley’s new speed devil.  With 616-horsepower, 6.0 liter W12 engine and top speed of 202mph, we dare you not to be impressed. The latest ME17 engine management system, capable of performing 180 million individual calculations per second, provides enhanced turbocharger control and torque management, enhancing drive ability. In common with all W12-engined models, the GT Speed convertible features an energy recuperation system.

2014 BMW Z4

While we aren’t into the current Hyper Orange package on display, the new Z4’s 335 horsepower, 332 pound-feet of torque and a 7-speed DCT gearbox totally makes up for it. 

2014 Chevrolet C7 Corvette Stingray

We left the best for last here! The C7 seemed to take on a life of its own at the show and like a giant magnet, drew us in and never let us go.  Slightly smaller than previous models and with a slick, aerodynamic design, this machine will give the appearance of flight down an empty highway. Boasting 450 horsepower and 450 pound-feet of torque to the promised 0-60 mph of under four seconds, what more could we really ask for? Oh, Did we mention the four massive rear end valves?

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MINI JCW Paceman Photos Revealed!

Released just ahead of the Detroit Motor Show!

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1 in 16 Commuters sleep in car to save cash

RAC and FairFuel UK launched a survey recently which discovered that 1 in 16 commuters have resorted to sleeping in their cars in order to save money on fuel. A further 3% have admitted to camping out near work to avoid the skyrocketing petrol prices.

 A spokesman for FairFuelUK, Quentin Willson said: “As a society, we’ve never seen this financial pressure on personal mobility.

Last year, Brits spent an incredible £26 billion in fuel, nearly three times more than in 1990.

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Peugeot Onyx - Supercar?

When thinking of Peugeot, your mind may wander from the bicycles they began manufacturing, to the reliable yet not so flashy cars we see on our streets today. But with the Peugeot Onyx, comes some serious supercar competition.

It’s exterior, made up of a sleek smooth shell of carbon fiber covered in a matte black finish and sheets of gleaming copper give the Onyx it’s empowering presence. Peugeot also claim that the copper panels on the outside will develop a patina over time, which makes this car ever changing. The French automakers stunned all at the 2012 Paris Motor Show with this desirable alternative power-train concept car. Weighing in at 1,100kgs, and fitted with a lithium-ion battery powered electric system, this car’s 3.7-liter V8 powers out a seemingly effortless 600 horsepower. And as you thought it simply could not get any better, you take a peek inside to discover a cabin fit for a king, equip with wool, felt and more glorious copper. 

Stepping inside, you find a floor to ceiling coverage of French’s finest, which is just as outrageous yet mouthwatering as the exterior. To sum up the inside, Onyx’s interior stylist, Julien Cueff stated, “I was inspired by an everday object, the egg box”. But rest assured, this is no egg box. 

There is no better word to describe this breathtaking concept car but the ‘future’.  So for all those with money to spare, speed and luxury on their minds, the Peugeot Onyx is a head turner, and for the rest of us, we best start saving up.

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Two-Tier Vehicle Tax System Considered

It has come to light that one of the Treasury’s think tanks has had the wonderful idea of introducing a two-tiered form of vehicle excise duty (VED) and the reform plans have sent many economists and the general public up in arms.

The plan is to charge a higher rate of road tax for those drivers wanting to use ‘high-traffic roads’ including the UK’s main motorways. Another standard tax rate would see the lower tier of drivers consigned to local and B-roads.

Currently the VED brings in £6 billion a year for the Treasury, but even with year-on-year increases as more people take to the roads it is still not enough to mitigate the budget cuts that have to be made. On top of this, while more people are heading onto the roads, larger families are buying cars that incur less road tax due to being hybrid or environmentally-friendly cars.

This is only a natural thing, in fact the policies that they benefit from were introduced to try and reduce the UK’s carbon footprint and getting more people using green vehicles. It has had an impact on the VED income though and the Treasury have been trying to figure out how to make back the shortfall.

This two-tier system was one of their plans, and would see a staggered road tax system for green cars, like before, but it will also have a higher-tax band for those wishing to use motorways. Some left-wing commentators have pointed out the issues of having the richer motorists commuting on faster routes, leaving those with lower salaries struggling to get to work as quickly because of using B-roads and increased congestion along those routes.

Thos travelling on motorways without the proper road tax could be caught out by traffic cameras and licence-plate readers and levied with considerable fines.

Another alternative from the Treasury is creating more toll roads, privatising large amounts of the UK’s motorways and road system. They feel that they could generate almost £150 billion from the sale of such roads and save money as private companies become responsible for the upkeep of high-traffic areas. It would also fall to local communities to take care and maintain their local roads (as is the case in Sweden).

Again, this idea has been met with fierce resistance as the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), who proposed these ideas,  is a free-market think tank that would expect these companies to remain unregulated and hindered by government intervention. We could see a huge expansion in our road systems, but as America has seen with its highway system, more lanes does not mean less congestion. In fact, it can cause quite the opposite.

Either way, times are worrying for prospective drivers who already have to face soaring petrol prices and insurance premiums (even with comparison sites being more popular than ever) and it seems there’s no easy way out of this.

If the two-tier VED does become implemented, we are sure to see a huge physical backlash and resistance of the ideas.

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London to See First All-Electric Taxi Fleet

Eco-friendly taxi service greentomatocars have completed a deal with Chinese manufacturer BYD that will see them receive 50 of their pure electric e6 vehicles to trial within the city of London.

The company currently use hybrid and biodiesel vehicles for their fleet and consider themselves instrumental in popularising the Toyota Prius when the company launched in 2006. Their dedication to providing a low-carbon source of transport is at the heart of what the company hopes to achieve.

The deal with BYD will be the first time that all electric vehicles have been used as a taxi service within the capital. The cars themselves boast top speeds of 87mph and a charge distance of 186 miles, which makes it perfect for urban taxi fleets. The deal also sees a significant expansion of the 300-strong low-emission fleet that they currently run.

Greentomatocars are hoping that by using the new e6 models they will help popularise fully-electric vehicles within urban environments, much as they encouraged the use of eco-friendly hybrid cars.

London Mayor Boris Johnson has applauded the deal. The Tory’s plan to have all taxis and minicabs emission-free by 2020 seems to be heading in the right direction. "Every year [London's] fleet is getting cleaner, making our city an even more attractive place to live, work and visit," Johnson said in a statement, "Encouraging many more electric vehicles is a key part of this transformation, so it is great news that greentomatocars has committed to operating 50 of these super clean machines from next year."

A similar programme is being implemented in the USA aswell. The Nissan Leaf was the vehicle of choice to be tested as an all-electric taxi alternative in New York and Mexico City, with tests in Virginia coming up.

The popularity for an all-electric vehicle for every day and family use is not high due to a number of reasons that mostly focus on the short charge distance that most vehicles possess. However, it seems that the urban taxi environment is a perfect fit for electric vehicles, where long journeys are not expected to occur. Developments in the battery-life and motor power of electric vehicles are also making their use far more feasible.

The e6 model used by greentomatocars will be available in the second quarter of 2013.

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Automatic Number Plate Recognition Comes to UK Car Parks

Car parks across Britain are being fitted with ‘SwishPark’ technology, which reads and monitors number plates as they enter and leave the car parks. 

The ANPR technology is currently being monitored by Paythru and concerns about private data are being raised.

The idea of the scheme is that drivers will register a Paythru account, so that the company can automatically charge you for the time you spend parked. It removes the need for tickets and could even lead to cheaper, and more time-focused, tickets and mean that British drivers could save.

The system will also have a grace period so that new drivers can register for an account when entering a Paythru car park, and those that don’t will receive fines from the company.

They plan to reinforce these fines by using information from the DVLA about who owns each license plate, and here’s where the privacy issue comes in. Not only will the company have access to names and addresses associated with each vehicle, but they will also be able to monitor where that car was parked, for how long and build up a geographical profile of each driver.

Although the company have stated  that they have no intention of accessing or using that data except when in conjunction with car park charges, serious concerns about what could happen if that information was accessed by nefarious means.

The UK is already one of the most heavily monitored nations in the world. You have probably heard the statistic of how often a person, going about their normal life, will be caught on some form of CCTV. The SwishPark technology will also mean that companies, not just the government’s own DVLA, will be monitoring where and when drivers travel.

For example, Paythru highlighted a recent spike in car parking activity and correlated it with the release of the newest Twilight movie. This seems innocuous enough, but many people in the UK are already nervous about being monitored as they go about their normal day and this will only increase that surveillance. 

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