Autocar 23/05/2018

VOLVO’S DECISION TO equip the S60 with petrol and hybrid options only (p12) would have been unthinkable a couple of years ago given Europe’s addiction to diesel. We commend Volvo for backing its announcement last year to go diesel-free with actions so soon after. Yet diesel remains a logical, sensible and natural choice for many drivers who do big motorway miles. There are car makers who will rightly continue to support and develop this technology, which is increasingly becoming electrified itself, Kia being the latest to confirm diesel hybrid plans (p13). Investment budgets must now be weighted towards the development of electrified models. No major new car should now be launched without an electrified option. After all, unlike diesel, electric power is truly global. What is urgently needed is education on the virtues…

Tesla’s upcoming Model Y crossover could be the company’s most important model yet, finally propelling it into a long promised self-sustainable future, according to the latest information from the supply industry and hints from company boss Elon Musk. Although the Model Y is set to be based on the structure that underpins the existing Model 3 saloon, the fourth vehicle in Tesla’s range will be produced in a radically different way to its predecessors. Autocar understands that the Model Y could be built outside the US, is likely to feature a new electrical architecture and will be more thoroughly resolved from a manufacturing perspective. Perhaps most importantly, though, it will compete in a much bigger market segment than the troubled Model 3. Industry experts believe the demand for pure-electric crossovers will explode…

Tesla has long acted more like a tech company than a car company, so perhaps it is not a surprise that the speed of innovation could make the Model 3 look like yesterday’s electric vehicle within 24 months. On paper, the Model Y is a better bet for securing Tesla’s medium-term future. It’s a crossover, the type of vehicle that is rapidly becoming the norm, and it should include new tech which spells the end for the incredibly complex and expensive conventional wiring loom. Furthermore, lessons learned from the difficult build of the Model 3 can be incorporated into a new production system. And China’s thawing of restrictions on foreign manufacturers opens a massive opportunity to build a new car plant. However, Tesla has to manage to stay solvent for another 24 months…

Lamborghini is determined to stick with naturally aspirated engines for its super-sports models despite many of its rivals switching to turbocharging to enhance performance and reduce emissions. The company’s technical director, Maurizio Reggiani, also said that he is intent on resisting any pressure to reduce the number of cylinders in its next generation of supercars. “Every car has a mission, and based on that mission you have to choose the right engine,” Reggiani said. “For the [Urus SUV] the decision was turbo, but we will continue to choose natural aspiration for the super-sports cars. In the future, we will need to take account of fuel consumption and emissions. I am convinced the naturally aspirated engine coupled with a hybrid system can be the right answer.” The Huracán replacement, due in 2022, is likely…

CAR MANUFACTURING in Scotland has been resurrected after 37 years thanks to East Lothian-based Raptor Sports cars, which has launched the first of what will become a family of Caterham-like lightweights. Scotland has not had any significant car production since the Talbot plant in Linwood closed in 1981. Founder Andy Entwistle is a former electrical engineer who started building motorsport engines in 2001. He then diversified into producing kit cars that used chassis fabricated in Yorkshire, but the Raptor marks a new chapter. First, because it will be offered entirely built, but also because it has a chassis that is made in Scotland. Although there is a strong resemblance to the typical ‘Seven’ lightweight, the Raptor is considerably longer than the Caterham, a fact explained by Entwistle’s 6ft 7in height. “I wanted a…

Lamborghini will continue to offer rear-wheel-drive versions of the Huracán and Gallardo even though technical chief Maurizio Reggiani admits that such models only appeal to a minority of customers. “There are people who are expert [drivers] and they love a car that oversteers much more,” he said. “If you have all-wheel drive, you must really put the car into an extreme condition if you want to oversteer. There are some who enjoy the drifting. Two-wheel drive is for some created with MIT, which showcased next-generation energy storage systems and innovative materials. Reggiani also said that an electrical drivetrain may help to civilise a version of the current Aventador’s sometimes aggressive single clutch transmission: “You could use the electric motor to ensure that you don’t have torque interruption.” As well as his commitment to a…