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.
No comments:
Post a Comment