CAR UK July 2021

Have you heard the one about bicycles and algebra? (I know; exciting!) That the ideal number of bicycles is n+1, where n is the number of bicycles you currently own? Cute, but true too. CAR’s Gavin Green owns several bicycles, all of significant aesthetic merit, and he does so for very sound reasons. (For me it’s motorcycles; three in the garage, one in the loft. So, officially at least, n= 3…) On the face of it such behaviour makes no sense, of course. You can only ride one bicycle at a time. But if you’re really into something chances are you’ll look to test those skills in new ways. Just as few climbers only ever tackle one peak, so owning a couple of different bicycles brings variety and challenge to what…

Have you heard the one about bicycles and algebra? (I know; exciting!) That the ideal number of bicycles is n+1, where n is the number of bicycles you currently own? Cute, but true too. CAR’s Gavin Green owns several bicycles, all of significant aesthetic merit, and he does so for very sound reasons. (For me it’s motorcycles; three in the garage, one in the loft. So, officially at least, n= 3…) On the face of it such behaviour makes no sense, of course. You can only ride one bicycle at a time. But if you’re really into something chances are you’ll look to test those skills in new ways. Just as few climbers only ever tackle one peak, so owning a couple of different bicycles brings variety and challenge to…

CARS, PEOPLE, SCOOPS, MOTORSPORT, ANALYSIS – THE MONTH ACCORDING TO CAR The inhabitants of planet Earth extracted 100 billion tonnes of raw materials in 2017, as the concept of the circular economy remained – largely – a concept. But 2021 feels different. The former governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney, is putting pressure on investors to eschew carbon-heavy players. The UK will host the COP26 climate summit, aiming to deliver a new global emissions reduction target. Cars are under the spotlight. Some 18 per cent of the world’s carbon emissions come from road transport. One particularly mind-boggling statistic is that one per cent of global emissions come from the Volkswagen Group alone. Two initiatives are crucial to drive sustainability in the car industry, suggests consulting firm Capgemini: shifting to electric vehicles…

► Lamborghini has nailed some dates for its all-out attack on electrification, with hybrids and the start of a new electric generation to come. But, before any of that reaches production reality, Sant’Agata is belting out a non-electrified V12 swansong in the shape of a concept car bound for 2021’s Pebble Beach concours. ► But 2023 is the year Lambo plugs in for real. Stephan Winkelmann’s first planned production hybrid for the brand – a proper one, unlike the supercapacitor-fed Sián – is the long-awaited replacement for the Aventador, due in 2023. It’s still powered predominantly by V12, since it transpires that the allegedly dramatically more drastic EU7 emissions regulations will not take effect before 2027, the grace period for the legendary engine was automatically extended by another four years. ► The…

CARS, PEOPLE, SCOOPS, MOTORSPORT, ANALYSIS – THE MONTH ACCORDING TO CAR Illustration:Chris Rathbone The inhabitants of planet Earth extracted 100 billion tonnes of raw materials in 2017, as the concept of the circular economy remained – largely – a concept. But 2021 feels different. The former governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney, is putting pressure on investors to eschew carbon-heavy players. The UK will host the COP26 climate summit, aiming to deliver a new global emissions reduction target. Cars are under the spotlight. Some 18 per cent of the world’s carbon emissions come from road transport. One particularly mind-boggling statistic is that one per cent of global emissions come from the Volkswagen Group alone. Two initiatives are crucial to drive sustainability in the car industry, suggests consulting firm…

1 TO THE POWER OF N Hyundai’s N division, after smashing it first time with the i30N in 2017, is growing rapidly. The i20N is already a winner in our book, and the new Kona N is the performance division’s first SUV. But the next step for N is the same as all other brands: electrification. The Ioniq 5 is a great starting point for a hot EV to excite the masses. 2 THE BEST INGREDIENTS Hyundai Motor Group’s 800-volt e-GMP platform is built for ultimate flexibility, with rear-and all-wheeldrive variants. And Hyundai has already been stress-testing eye-popping power outputs from it. ‘We will go almost up to 600 horsepower in certain models,’ Albert Biermann told CAR in 2020. 3 BEATEN TO THE PUNCH Kia has shown that the group is ready, able and willing…