Evo

HERBERT DIESS IS NO LONGER THE chosen one of the VW Group, his pass to the CEO washroom (and use of the VW private jet) rescinded, handed to Oliver Blume, current CEO of Porsche. There are a number of reasons for Diess getting the tap on the shoulder. Trying to take on Germany’s all-powerful unions. Publicly asking for Ukraine and Russia to come to a quick deal so wiring looms could be delivered to his factories. A mangled analogy referencing Auschwitz. And his unwavering belief that electricity was the only power option for every VW Group car. You couldn’t fault his commitment – $100bn investment, 10,000 new software engineers to develop an operating system to take on Apple and Google (yes, really) and 25 per cent of all VW Group vehicles…

AUTO INDUSTRY CONVENTION DICTATES ageing model lines should be replaced as soon as possible for fear of falling behind competitors. However, it would appear nobody told Lamborghini, who are still cheerfully spinning new models from the Huracán almost nine years after we first saw it, back in the winter of 2013. For once it would appear being last to replace your supercar is a distinct advantage. Not only is the Huracán the last of its kind – that’s to say still using a naturally aspirated, non-hybrid powertrain – but in squeezing the Huracán until its pips squeak, Lamborghini has released a string of driver’s cars blessed with extraordinary ability and irresistible appeal. Latest of these is the Huracán Tecnica. With the exception of a promised ‘surprise’ send-off – our money’s on the…

HERE’S MERCEDES-AMG’S PROBLEM. OVER THE years it hasn’t just moulded a company persona celebrating the now-outmoded connection between the number of cylinders under your bonnet and how swiftly you intend to get down the road, it’s riffed it to death. For AMG, the ‘emotion’ to be extracted from strength in numbers might well be distilled down to the correlation between the magnificent sound of an AMG V8 on full afterburner and the angle of the hairs on the back of its pilot’s neck. But of course, the rules of the game, informed by urgent environmental concerns, have changed, and in the drive to downsize for efficiency, severely pruning the pot count is an industry-wide MO. Sounds like a buzzkill but, no, the good times can be re-engineered. Think how much…

FORTY PER CENT OF ALL BENTLEYS SOLD are Bentaygas – the Continental GT accounts for 33 per cent, the Flying Spur the remaining 27 – so as with so many of its type, this makes Crewe’s SUV a big deal when it comes to the balance sheet. They might be big, clunky, inefficient machines but they keep the accountants happy and the investors willing to part with their cash to pay for whatever comes next. Perhaps because of this profit-first approach the Bentayga has struggled to shake off its VW Group underpinnings, the exquisitely crafted interior only just enough of a distraction to mask the very un-Bentley-like driving experience. An experience that’s a little bit soft, a little bit vague and a little bit forgettable. But unlike its looks, which still lack…

NEWS, INTERVIEWS, TECH AND EVERY NEW CAR THAT MATTERS AFTER YEARS OF DISCUSSIONS, negotiations, and probably plenty of arguments behind closed doors, the future of sportscar racing looks set to finally be on a secure footing, with a multitude of manufacturers joining both the World Endurance Championship (WEC) and the American IMSA series over the next few years, encompassing the blue riband events such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans and Daytona, plus the Sebring 12 Hours. Before we get into the individual cars, let’s have a recap of the rules. As it stands, sweeping changes will be made to all the categories that make up the top level of sportscar racing, with the current LMP2 rules continuing until 2025 and GTE – that’s the 911s, Aston Martin Vantages and so…

‘DRIVE IT ON THE PADDLES.’ WELL, YES, I DON’T MIND if I do. This is more like it: a concept EV that lays down some groundbreaking claims for range, efficiency and sustainability, and yet the German engineer alongside is encouraging me to use the paddles to make progress? Happy days. In fact, what my newfound driving buddy is actually asking me to do is switch between regen modes, adjusting the severity of the regen braking in and out, and back to coast, to vary my speed without ever touching the actual brake pedal. It’s how you drive the EQXX the proper way. Brakes equal heat, which equals wasted energy, you see. Why should you care about this rather unusual-looking Mercedes-Benz concept car? Well, it was created in just 18 months, by a…