onwheelsxyz-blog

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VW definitely building its new electric Microbus, but not its Tanoak truck The Volkswagen I.D. Buzz concept is part of VWs push towards electrification — along with phasing out internal combustion engines starting in 2026. Thing is, Volkswagen cant be the worlds largest automaker and go totally green at the same time. Its either one or the other.Handout / Volkswagen Volkswagens retro-futuristic vision of the original Type 2 Bus is finally getting off the ground, with the brand this week announcing its build location, Germany, reports Motor Trend.Only one plant will build the van, as VW sees it as more of a niche, low-volume vehicle. While other plants take care of high-volume vehicles, the Buzz is intended to show off VWs fun side, just like the brand did in the 1960s.As for the name, Buzz wont be sticking around it was never planned to. According to VW American COO Johan de Nysschen, the I.D. Buzz was an internal name, and a proper one hasnt been chosen yet. The I.D. part will stay, though, as VW uses that for a few different products, but Buzz is going to change.As the Buzz starts to ramp up, another one of VWs concepts is ramping down. The Tanoak, VWs Atlas-based pickup concept, will go no farther than the prototype stage. In de Nysschens interview with Motor Trend, he says the vehicle doesnt make sense for VW to produce, and that if it were to build a truck that it would be better with an electric powertrain. However, any kind of pickup for the North American market wouldnt be in the cards for at least five years.The I.D.

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The original Ford Interceptor from 'Mad Max' is up for sale The, uh, first of the V8 Interceptors used on-screen in the cult classic film Mad Max is being put up for sale in Florida by the Orlando Auto Museum.Titular character Mad Maxs ride of choice was a 1974 Ford Falcon XB GT, modified with a Concorde nose and nicknamed the Pursuit Special. The car was built in 1977 for Mad Max, which saw wide release in theatres in 1979.Ray Beckerley at Graf-X International built the vehicle with the help of Ford designer Peter Arcadipane, who fitted the Concorde nose; Errol Platt installed the roof and tail spoilers. Beckerley fitted the blower himself, but unfortunately, it doesnt really work it was originally just plonked on top of the air cleaner.The vehicle was already something of a rarity before it was transformed into the car we see today, but back in 1977, it just didnt have the value it has now. The Falcon GT was a JG66 example, that is to say a real XB GT. Standard features included a 351-cubic-inch V8, a Toploader four-speed manual transmission, nine-inch rear end, four-wheel disc brakes and sway bars.The crew tried to sell the vehicle after the film was finished, but there were no bites at US$7,500, so they gave it to mechanic Murray Smith for unpaid work. Murray would sell the vehicle back to the production team for the filming of the second movie, Max Mad 2: The Road Warrior. It was then that it was fitted with the dual tanks in the trunk. Thought destroyed after the second movie, it actually sat at a junkyard for

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First Look: 2021 Aston Martin Vantage Roadster The 2021 Aston Martin Vantage RoadsterAston Martin Aston Martin says its latest Vantage is its most driver-focused model line ever. Now, for 2021, said focus can be enjoyed al fresco, the Roadster version of Astons lightest I suspect thats where that driver focus comes from sportster set to hit the street late summer of 2020.Said roadster will be plenty rapid, the company quoting 3.8 seconds to 100 kilometres an hour and an over-305-km/h top speed from its 503 horsepower Mercedes-sourced twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8. Tire-smoking alacrity isnt the only thing the new Vantage is quick about, Aston claiming the Roadster can stow its soft top in 6.7 seconds and raise it in just 0.1 seconds more, both seemingly records of some sort.Both performance figures are, in fact, related; the ragtops acceleration rendered impressively brisk because the Roadster is but a mere 60 kilograms heavier than the Coupe; and stowing the roof so quick because the roofs Z-fold mechanism is so compact and lightweight. Indeed, the entire mechanism is so space-efficient that Aston claims and this is a boast that could only apply to an exotic convertible the trunk can hold an entire golf bag. Yes, one whole golf bag.Unlike the Coupe, the roadster is only available with ZFs eight-speed automatic, no odd dog-leg seven-speed manual for the drop-top. It does, however, offer a full complement of driving modes Sport, Sport + and Track each tuned, says Aston, to give the driver control of the

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Toyota recalls 8,214 vehicles in Canada for coolant leak risk Once production of the 2019 model is fully ramped up at Toyotas Woodstock plant, a RAV4 will be born every 60 seconds.Peter Bleakney / Driving Toyota is recalling 52,000 vehicles in North America over a heightened risk for coolant leakage, which could lead to engine overheating and damage, possible stalling and even a fire.The recall covers the 2020-model-year Toyota Camry, Camry Hybrid and Lexus ES 300h models; as well as 2019- and 2020-model-year Toyota RAV4 and RAV4 Hybrid SUVs.In the United States, around 44,000 vehicles may be affected; in Canada that number is 8,214 cars and trucks.The issue stems from an improperly manufactured engine block, which can leak coolant during normal engine operation. This can lead to engine noise, engine smoke, warning lights/malfunction indicator illumination, an audible chime sounding, and/or, in some cases, engine overheating and possible internal mechanical engine damage, said Toyota in a statement.Affected vehicles with a coolant leak could stall while driving, which could lead to an accident if it happens without warning. A vehicle with a coolant leak could also develop an oil leak, and in the presence of an ignition source, can lead to an increased risk of fire. Once the vehicle is returned to a dealership, it will be inspected to see if its one of the affected. Toyota and Lexus dealers will inspect the engine block casting serial number to determine if it is involved, the automaker says. In the cases where an

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First Ride: 2020 Suzuki V-Strom 1050XA 2020 Suzuki V-Strom 1050XAHandout / Handout MARBELLA, Spain The Suzuki V-Strom has, for the most part, slipped under my radar. Theres nothing wrong with bike, but it never really stood out as being an outstanding machine by adventure bike standards. By contrast, BMW’s big GS has been around since Blondies Call Me was a number-one hit, and over the decades, has built a reputation as the mother of all adventure bikes.KTM, meanwhile, specializes in off-road motorcycles and has a number of Dakar wins to boost its bona fides; its Adventure models are renowned for their off-road prowess. Not far behind is the Honda Africa Twin, which despite its more recent arrival into the adventure-bike genre, has already gained a reputation for tackling hard off-roading with ease, while exhibiting exemplary roadworthiness. Theres a couple of other noteworthy adventure bikes and then, well, in my previous estimation there was the lowly Suzuki V-Strom.But theres much more to the V-Strom than meets the eye. For one thing, this year Suzuki has given the V-Strom a makeover. Two models will still be available: The base V-Strom 1050A, and the higher-spec V-Strom 1050XA, the latter of which is the bike we came to Spain to ride.The XA comes equipped with a crash bar, hand guards, lower cowling, a centre stand, mounts for plastic saddlebags, a tool-free adjustable windscreen, a 12-volt socket under the passenger seat, the adjustable seat itself, LED turn signals, and a more comprehensive

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EDF acquires charging firm Pod Point Energy company EDF has acquired electric vehicle charger supplier Pod Point for an undisclosed sum, as part of a drive to become “the leading energy company for electric mobility in France, the UK, Italy and Belgium”. The new deal means EV drivers will soon be able to schedule charging times and take advantage of cheaper electricity supply during off-peak times. EDF already offers financial incentives to electric vehicle owners under the ‘Go Electric’ banner, and says its acquisition of Pod Point will allow it to include charging point installations as part of its packages. The energy company claims it is “the leading generator of low-carbon electricity in the UK, avoiding 18 million tonnes of CO2 last year”. Pod Point produces charging units for private, public and commercial use, and claims to have installed 62,000 devices across the UK since it was founded in 2009. Its founder, Erik Faribairn said: “We set out in 2009 with the vision that travel shouldn’t damage the earth and a mission to put a charge point everywhere you park. So far, we have made great progress towards those goals. “By joining up with EDF we can take things to the next level and accelerate our national roll out of charging points and make it even easier for drivers across the UK to go electric.” The news comes following last week’s government announcement that the sale of new combustion-powered cars will end in 2035, or sooner if possible. The plans have been repeatedly criticised by industry leaders

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Kia teases more renderings of the 2021 Sorento Kia let slip some new teaser images of its upcoming 2021 Sorento SUV mid-February, ahead of the utility's full unveil at the Geneva auto show early March. The teaser images give us a pretty good idea of what the vehicle looks like. The Tiger Nose' grille has been widened, and the headlights now encroach on its boundaries. The sides of the vehicle have been made more upright to give it a muscular stance. Kia also dropped a teaser image of the Sorento's interior, showing much more mature styling. A rotary transmission shifter now sits in place of the massive lever, leaving more room for a drive mode dial and buttons for other functions. For the first time, the Sorento will be available with a hybrid powertrain. Although the specific details have not been released, it will likely consist of a 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder coupled to an electric motor. As for other engine options, in European markets, there will be a 2.2-litre turbo-diesel that carried over from the previous generation that won't likely make it to North America. According to a leak from the Korean Car Blog, there will be three gasoline options on top of the hybrid. First up, a naturally aspirated 2.5-litre four-cylinder; followed by a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder; and then a 2.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder. All models feature six- or eight-speed automatic transmissions, while a two-wheel-drive Sorento with the base model 2.5-litre naturally aspirated engine can be

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British firm Apex to reveal electric hypercar at Geneva British sports car manufacturer Apex will reveal a new ‘hyper-EV’ at the Geneva motor show next month. The firm, which launched the 620kg, 400bhp AP-1 as its debut model in 2019, claims the all-electric AP-0 weighs 1200kg – significantly lower than the majority of electric sports cars – thanks to the use of a pure carbonfibre tub at its core. Performance figures are unconfirmed, but Apex claims the AP-0 will offer “rapid acceleration”, as well as “superior agility, outstanding handling and exceptional cornering ability”. The AP-1 can crack the 0-62mph sprint in well under three seconds and has a top speed of 174mph.  Like the AP-1, the AP-0 is expected to be designed mainly for track use, in the same vein as combustion-fuelled rivals such as the Radical Rapture, KTM X-Bow and Ariel Atom.  A preview sketch gives little away, but it appears the AP-0 will sport a heavily angled front end, bonnet-mounted mirrors and a centrally mounted, sharkfin-style

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2020 Ford Puma ST: hot crossover seen without digsuise Ford is readying an ST performance version of its new Puma SUV, and our spy photographers have caught it completely undisguised for the first time.  The new images confirm that the Hyundai Kona N rival will feature a trapezoidal lower grille design, large-diameter performance-inspired alloy wheels shod in low-profile tyres, and the same wing-mounted headlight clusters as the standard model. The big clue as to this prototype's performance ambitions is a prominent lower bodykit that extends around the car from the splitter-style front bumper to a new rear bumper designed around a twin exhaust tailpipe - the same as that fitted to the Fiesta ST.  Official details of the model's drivetrain and chassis set-up are still yet to be confirmed, but previous images of the prototype raising a rear wheel under hard cornering show it will feature a stiffer suspension set-up in the same vein as the Fiesta ST. The big wheels appear to hide larger-diameter front brakes, too, while the Puma seems lower to the ground than the stock model. Ford global development boss Hau Thai-Tang told Autocar last year that the Puma “would be a good place for us to look” in expanding the ST range beyond the Fiesta and Focus in Europe. The Puma ST is expected to share its key running gear, including a 197bhp 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbo engine, with the Fiesta ST. As confirmed by the latest photos, the ST version of the Puma will not vary drastically from the ST Line version of the car, which

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New Audi E-tron 50: entry-level EV SUV priced from £59,900 Audi has revealed UK pricing for the E-tron 50 – a cheaper and lighter entry-level version of its flagship electric SUV. The new model is available from £59,900, including the government's £3500 plug-in car grant, representing a saving of £7445 over the E-tron 55. It will be available in four trim levels, with prices rising to £72,700 for the highly specified Launch Edition, which is marked out by black trim elements and bespoke 21in alloy wheels from Audi Sport. Available to order in the UK now, the new model weighs roughly 120kg less than the 2565kg E-tron 55, primarily as a result of its smaller battery pack. The E-tron 50's 71kWh pack – likely to be the lowest-capacity pack Audi will offer in the E-tron – enables it to achieve a range of up to 190 miles on the WLTP test cycle. That's 51 miles fewer than the 95kWh E-tron 55. By comparison, the E-tron’s main rival, the Mercedes-Benz EQC, has a WLTP-certified range of 259 miles in its standard 400 form. A future lower-spec variant could be expected to offer less than 200 miles. While the E-tron 55 is compatible with 150kW chargers, the E-tron 50 can accept only up to 120kW. It can still, however, be charged to 80% in approximately half an hour at a rapid-charging station.  The E-tron 50 is also less potent than the E-tron 55. It employs the same twin-motor set-up, but maximum power is down from 402bhp to 308bhp and maximum torque is down from 490lb ft to 398lb ft.  It has a 0-62mph time of 7.0sec and an

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Of course somebody crashed this 707-hp Hellcat-powered Mazda Miata The infamous Hellcat Miata if you havent heard of it before, its just what it sounds like, an MX-5 with a 707-horsepower Dodge V8 stuffed mostly under the hood has finally crashed into a ditch following its departure from a car show.The custom project gained international notoriety for being absolutely ridiculous, an idea guaranteed either to be awesome or to lead to some irresponsible shenanigans.It seems like the Hellcat Miata did one, then the other, attending a few shows and doing a few donuts before being sold to its new owner, who promptly binned it into a ditch.As a refresher, the build was undertaken by the KARR channel on YouTube. The vehicle is or, was a 1999 Mazda Miata with a 707-horsepower 6.2-litre supercharged Dodge V8 plunked in between the front fenders.The crash-er of the vehicle, Michael Kelly, bought the car from the original builder at Barrett-Jackson auctions. He was leaving a car show and decided to show off a bit and thats when it all went wrong.Today was a huge eye opener, Kelly explained in a Facebook post. We had a near death experience. Thank you everyone whos asking if we are okay. Leaving a car show today, I did a small pull. When I hit the brakes to slow down I had a caliper lock up. Before I could get off the brakes, the car was already in the grass. I got sucked in and the car did a 180 in the ditch. Mechanically, the car is still 100 percent good. The body has a few dings and scratches. The tail lights and bumpers are damaged.

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MOT checklist: everything you need to know The MOT test can make many car owners nervous. A failure could cost hundreds of pounds in repair bills, or, in some cases, take your pride and joy off the road for good. But there's no need to stress about it; once you're familiar with how vehicles are tested, it's easy to tell if your car's likely to pass or fail before you head to the test centre, and get any potential faults rectified. What is an MOT? The MOT is your car’s annual roadworthiness examination, and is carried out in accordance with the latest regulations issued by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA).  All vehicles more than three years old must have a valid MOT before being driven on public roads, and you can be fined up to £1000 for driving a vehicle after its certificate has expired. Insurance companies are also within their rights to invalidate a damage claim if the policyholder cannot produce proof of their vehicle’s roadworthiness.  To pass, a vehicle must conform to a strict set of safety and emissions criteria, with precise requirements varying according to its size, age and class. If any faults are identified as dangerous or illegal, the vehicle will automatically fail, but less significant shortcomings - such as a nearly worn-out tyre or rusty exhaust - will be listed as an ‘advisory’ and will likely need to be rectified before the next test.  Drivers can visit any one of around 20,000 licenced MOT stations in Britain, with the average test lasting around 45 minutes. How

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Nikola reveals it's considering an electric pickup of its own Nikola, the Arizona-based truck manufacturer known for its zero-emission big rigs, is now apparently throwing its hat into the EV pickup ring along with Telsa, Rivian, Ford and GM.The truck is called the Badger, and it differs from the competition in some small but important ways. While it does have an electric battery, it is first and foremost a fuel-cell vehicle powered by hydrogen.The technology is similar to the systems used in the brands semi trucks, which use the hydrogen to create electricity to drive the vehicle and emit nothing but water out the tailpipe.Not only will the Badger be a hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle, but Nikola says it will have an onboard battery pack than can power the truck without the aid of hydrogen.According to Trevor Milton, Nikolas CEO and founder, the vehicle will boast impressive specifications such as 600 miles of range, 300 of those on battery power alone. The Badger will also have over 900 horsepower on tap, and get to 60 mph (96 km/h) from zero in just 2.9 seconds. Sporting a more traditional truck look, the Badger might appeal to people turned off by the PlayStation-One-graphics-styling of Teslas Cybertruck. The truck is also going to be co-built by Nikola and another OEM utilizing their certified parts and manufacturing facilities, but it has not announced who that would be.Nikola has not given a release date for the truck yet, so its possible it could be a while. In America, there isnt much infrastructure for hydrogen

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Toyota, Honda and Porsche retain value best: Canadian Black Book Its an argument thats been around ever since Augustus took his new whip off the lot at Caesars House of Chariots: the instant one drives a shiny new car away from the dealer, a significant chunk of its value evaporates like water on a sunny morning.From that day forward, wear and tear not to mention the relentless march of time all conspire to scupper the value of your pride and joy.This depreciation is inevitable, just like death, taxes and the interminable tedium of the upcoming Conservative leadership race. Fortunately, not all vehicles shed their value with the speed of our family cat headed towards her bowl at feeding time.The boffins at Canadian Black Book keep meticulous track of this data, analyzing the value of cars and trucks in no fewer than 23 different categories. In addition to those individual measures, there are also three Overall Brand Awards, presented to car companies that hold the most value amongst their full product line.Simply put, the Canadian Black Book Best Retained Value Awards acknowledge vehicles that retain the highest percentage of their original MSRP after four years. This is extremely valuable information for consumers, given that depreciation is the single largest expense of vehicle ownership, outstripping maintenance and insurance costs.Heres some good news: vehicles are hanging on to more of their worth than ever before. This year saw an all-time record for overall industry average retained value at 57 per cent, an increase of 5

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No diesel powertrains for North America, Genesis says 2021 Genesis GV80 Yet another automaker has confirmed it has no plans to offer diesel powertrains in North America.Genesis is already nixing the idea of selling diesels here, and it does so as its long-awaited GV80 SUV lands in South Korea with a 274-hp 3.0-litre six-cylinder diesel with 434 lb-ft of torque as its launch engine.Its exclusive to the Hyundai Motor Group luxury brand, drives the rear wheels only as standard, and in its two-row configuration returns a combined fuel consumption rating of 8.5 L/100 km according to Korean testing protocols.We know it hurts our hearts, too. We just cant have nice things anymore. Richard Trevisan, managing director of the Genesis brand in Canada, says its due to all the same market forces that are keeping other brands out of this continents rapidly dwindling diesel game. The Korean market is much more of a diesel market, Trevisan told Driving.ca. That engine is not coming to North America because we are focusing on our advanced internal combustion engines.(The decision is) based on market potential. So, market conditions, legislation, emissions standards, those are all variables that you have to consider. Trevisan added that Genesis is of the opinion that its possible to offer too many powertrains.For our brand, we cannot have too many different powertrain options, he said. Then, we start diluting our brand values. And we see that there is potential to have certain products in specific niche segments (that) need to

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Honda reveals new details of 2020 hybrid-only Jazz Honda says its new Jazz, being sold exclusively as a hybrid, will “raise the bar in terms of comfort and driver enjoyment”. It is the fourth-generation of the supermini, which is known as the Fit in its home Japanese market. It uses a similar dual-motor hybrid system as already seen in the brand's CR-V hybrid, downsized for a supermini application. Honda said the powertrain “provides an exceptional blend of strong and effortless driving performance and impressive fuel economy”. The CR-V Hybrid pairs two electric motors with a 2.0-litre petrol engine and a CVT transmission. However, given its smaller dimensions, the Jazz supermini will use a 1.5-litre petrol engine mated to a pair of compact electric motors, which will send a combined 108bhp to the front wheels through a bespoke gearbox with a single fixed-gear ratio for a more linear acceleration curve. Honda claims a 0-62mph time of 9.4 seconds and a top speed of 108mph, and says the new Jazz is capable of achieving 62.8mpg on the WLTP combined cycle, while emitting 102g/km of CO2, in standard form. Three driving modes are available, allowing drivers to choose between running on the petrol engine, the electric motors or a combination of the two. Regenerative braking functionality features, and sends charge to the battery pack under deceleration.    The Jazz is the first in the brand 's line-up to only offer a hybrid powertrain, with other models soon to follow suit. Honda announced last year that all of its

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Europe will get the Ford Mustang Mach-E before North America New car buyers in a handful of European countries will be the first to taste the new Ford Mustang Mach-E, the first EV from the American brand.However, Americans wont have to wait too long to get their hands on the vehicle, or its sporty upgraded version.According to Mach-E Club, a few details about the new vehicle were confirmed at the Chicago auto show by electrification marketing guru Jason Mase. One of those details was that the Mach-E would be available in Europe first, specifically Norway.The reason for the staggered release is the same reason Fords building the Mach-E in the first place: surging demand. As demand in Europe is much higher than it is in America, the company wants to roll it out there first. The Mustang Mach-E is slated to hit dealerships there before the end of the year, meaning Americans wont have to wait very long after all. The first models to launch will be the First Edition, Premium, Select and California Route 1. There is also a faster version available called the GT, but that isnt expected to come out this year. Ford says 30 per cent of prospective American Mach-E buyers made their reservations for the GT, which sports a whopping 459 horsepower and a zero-to-96-km/h time in the range of 3.5