Local schoolboy Sam Scharer aged just 10 from Ysgol Bro Gwydir School, Llanrwst, Conwy, won the nationwide competition to design a striking livery for a sports car at last week's Wales Rally GB. The resulting Toyota GT86 sportscar wrapped in Scharer’s prize-winning sea-themed design was publicly unveiled in Llandudno on the eve of this year’s Wales Rally GB, the UK’s round of the FIA World Rally … [Read more...]
Car makers rising concerns over Brexit
European Union car-makers have joined forces to warn of billions of euros in losses in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Groups including the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association, the European Association of Automotive Suppliers and 17 national bodies warned of the impact of “no-deal” and the effect on 13.8 million people in the European Union including Britain. Last week, it was said … [Read more...]
Newslines 13 September
Volvo is first to offer plug-in hybrid versions of its entire model range with launch of new XC40 T5 Twin Engine. The front-wheel-drive hybrid system uses 180hp three-cylinder 1.5-litre petrol engine with 82hp electric motor to achieve combined output of 262hp – highest figure in the XC40 line-up. With the UK set to bake in an Indian summer heatwave this weekend, and motorists set to take … [Read more...]
Shocking battery costs revealed
Dealers are charging as much as £1,248 just to supply and fit a new battery on an ordinary family car, a new investigation by Auto Express has revealed. Massive variations in the prices different dealers demand for the same work were also revealed in the mystery shopping exercise comparing the cost of new batteries for Britain’s 20 best-selling vehicles. Some Mercedes dealers charge up to three … [Read more...]
Newslines 30 August
As families head home from holiday over the weekend and back to school and work, Green Flag is predicting around 73,398 breakdowns and 132,644 calls on UK roads between Friday 30th August and Monday 2nd September or to 13 breakdowns per minute over the course of the weekend. Lucy Davies at Green Flag said, “As many people head back home after a long holiday break between Friday and Sunday, the … [Read more...]
Wales to host Britain’s greenest ever motorsport event
Britain’s greenest-ever rally is taking place in Wales next weekend. The Green Dragon EV Rally is exclusively for hydrogen and pure electric cars and is based in Swansea, where Sir William Robert Grove invented the fuel cell in the 1840s. The event also breaks ground as it’s not only the first low carbon rally to be held in Britain, but it also allows any driver with a battery electric vehicle … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Toyota Corolla Touring SE 1.8 Hybrid
The enduring and enterprising Toyota Corolla is a firm favourite with British car buyers and it’s easy to understand why after a week with the 1.8 Sports Excel estate hybrid, writes Robin Roberts. This spring , the 12th generation Corolla replaced the oddly-named, smaller and less attractive Auris series of models and it brought with it the latest self-charging hybrid technology which … [Read more...]
Sunday drive: Toyota Corolla Excel 2.0 Hybrid estate
In March this year the Corolla name returned to the Toyota line-up of passenger cars 14 years after the Auris name replaced it, writes David Miles. Like the Auris range it replaced, the 12th generation five-door Corolla Hatchback and Touring Sports estate petrol and hybrid models are being built in the UK at Toyota’s Burnaston factory in Derbyshire for European markets. In addition there is a … [Read more...]
WRGB eyes future artists and designers
Wales Rally GB has once again joined forces with Toyota GB to reignite its exciting car livery design competition for young students, with the winning entry being applied to a real-life GT86 rally car. The highly successful initiative launched in 2017 and now enters its third year. When liveried, the GT86 will be displayed within the Big Bang showcase located right at the heart of the … [Read more...]
Newslines 10 June
Ford will sell its idle Russian plants. Its passenger-vehicle production in Russia will cease by the end of June following the closure of its Fiesta and EcoSport car plants in Naberezhnye Chelny and Focus and Mondeo assembly in Vsevolozhsk near St. Petersburg and an engine plant in Elabug. Toyota will explore making solid-state traction batteries in 12 months time. It is increasing ev … [Read more...]