Automotive

2018 BMW M3 CS: The Bavarian Powerhouse

2018 BMW M3 CS: The Bavarian Powerhouse

BMW’s M3 has sort of been the benchmark performance sedan since its inception. And BMW continues to bang that drum, even though their 3 Series has grown over the years, and their original hot rod, something that’s light and tossable and small and agile, has grown sizably over the years. And I mean that literally. In comparison to where it started, the current BMW 3 Series is about where the 5 Series was decades ago. Ever thus is that trend for auto manufacturers; slightly bigger, an inch here, ten pounds there, year over year. And what was once small and logical is now bigger and fatter.
To make this even weirder, here we have the new BMW M3 CS, a special edition model that delivers a “fine blend of high performance and complete everyday practicality.” Wait, I thought that’s what the M3 already was? What gives?
Abundantly Speaking
What gives is, essentially, marketing speak. Oh sure, the M3 CS has more. More power, more torque, more gee-gaws and such, but essentially it’s “just” this year’s M3, only more so. Why the Bavarians didn’t take all the CS stuff and simply call it the “2018 M3” is beyond me, but BMW gets funny sometimes. So that weirdness aside, the BMW M3 CS is everything we’ve come to expect from an M3. It’s quick, it’s fast, it’s powerful (and I mean really powerful), it has tons of tech, but not so much tech that it gets in the way of the overall driving experience (hopefully). And it is screwed together by members of a society that have a real fetish designing and screwing things together “right.”
Weight Loss
The CS has lots of carbon fiber, even more than you’d normally find on an M3. The widespread use of carbon fiber, carbon fiber-reinforced plastic to be accurate about it, keeps this first-ever BMW M3 CS much lighter than the “normal” M3. Around 110 lbs. less than a normal M3, so that’s worth paying attention to. Large portions of the body are also made from carbon fiber, like the hood, which drops 25 percent of its weight in comparison to the regular M3. The roof panel is made of carbon fiber and that alone is more than 13 lbs. lighter than a conventional steel version. Plus, that weight savings comes from way up high on the body, so the center of gravity will drop, handling will improve and such. The front splitter? Carbon fiber. Even the “Gurney Flap” hanging out back is done up in exposed carbon fiber.
According to BMW, the engine’s crankcase has a “closed-deck” design to make it more rigid, thus allowing for higher cylinder pressures. The sleeveless cylinder walls have a twin-wire, arc-sprayed coating to reduce weight. Photo: BMW of North America, LLC.
Power & Performance
And all this lightness is a good thing. Regular readers know I’ve got a fixation for lightweight cars, but what the M3 CS is really about is power. Lots of it. Bags of it. For BMWs, it all seems to come down to what that “M” stands for, which is motor. And boy does the 2018 M3 CS pack a whopper of a mill. To wit, it’s an M TwinPower Turbo inline 6-cylinder that cranks out 453 horsepower at 6,250 rpm (28 more than the “normal” M3), with 443 lb-ft. of peak torque, available from 4,000 to 5,380 rpm (37 lb-ft. more). Great googly-moogly, that’s a lot of power!
Some would say that’s too much power and, let’s be frank here, those people are morons. 453 + 443 sounds like f-u-n fun to me. And I mean mathematically verifiable fun. 60 mph comes up in a scant 3.7 seconds and the top speed has increased to 174 mph. See? F-u-n fun. All of that power and torque is put to the bahn through the 7-speed M Double-Clutch Transmission with Drivelogic.
Naturally, the suspension is tweaked to deal with the higher engine output. The M3 CS comes standard with BMW’s Adaptive M Suspension that offers a choice of three modes: Comfort, Sport, and Sport+ with different damper settings in each of the three modes. Three different settings for the precisely tuned M Servotronic electromechanical steering can also be selected at the touch of a button.
The BMW M3 CS is outfitted with an Active M Differential, an electronically controlled limited-slip differential to enhance traction and stability. The control unit communicates with the DSC (Dynamic Stability Control) system, and factors in the accelerator position, rotational wheel speeds, and yaw rate to deliver the maximum torque to the rear wheels while still maintaining traction. Photo: BMW of North America, LLC.

Noteworthy Points
Also adding to the fun is a nice, throaty sounding M sport exhaust system. It’s specially tuned for the CS with a quartet of stainless steel tailpipes blending perfectly into the carbon fiber diffuser. Point of parliamentary procedure: BMW uses the term “rear diffuser.” Most car companies do. Rear diffuser? That’s idiotic and redundant. Of course it’s a rear diffuser. Have you ever seen a diffuser at the front end of something? No. No you have not.
That’s like saying, “the new rear feathers of this arrow . . . ” Duh! You don’t put feathers on the front of an arrow no more than you’d put a diffuser anywhere but on the rear of a car. So knock it off, it’s starting to bother me.
Interior Treatments
The inside is drenched in Alcantara and two-tone full Merino leather in Silverstone/Black. There’s a new red start/stop button and the passenger compartment is pared down to the essentials for significant weight savings, but still graced by the presence of lightweight M sport seats. There is, however, such niceties as automatic climate control and a Harman Kardon surround sound system.
Pricing & Availability
You like? Of course you do. And if you really like, you better get to your local BMW dealer. Production of the M3 CS is limited to approximately 1,200 units worldwide, with only 550 of them coming to the United States. Pricing has not been announced but BMW will start taking orders in May.
Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He means well, even if he has a bias toward lighter, agile cars rather than big engine muscle cars or family sedans.
2018 BMW M3 CS Gallery

Photos & Source: BMW of North America, LLC.

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Lamborghini Terzo Millennio: When Crazed Italians Hang With Hyper-Geeks

Lamborghini Terzo Millennio: When Crazed Italians Hang With Hyper-Geeks

The Lamborghini Terzo Millennio is, to me, a prime example of what has been Lambo’s Achilles’ Heel for decades: Styling. Ever since the Countach, Lamborghini basically gave up on giving their cars any sense of grace or elegance and have gone for brute presence and hard edges and gaudiness with all the subtly of a 25 minute heavy metal guitar solo. Automobili Lamborghini got together with not one, but two laboratories at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (aka MIT) and asked, in so many words, “hey, what would a possible future Lamborghini electric super sports car be like?”
The answer is this: The Lamborghini Terzo Millennio. A car that looks like something a 13-year-old would draw on the back of his notebook.
Central Command
MIT, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is arguably the best engineering school in the known universe (that’s right Vulcan Science Academy, you heard me). You know the MIRV, the Multiple Independently Targetable Reentry Vehicle for atomic warheads? That was dreamed up and invented at MIT. By graduate students. Stroboscopic photography? That was invented, single-handedly, by Harold “Doc” Edgerton, an MIT professor who taught freshman chemistry. The people that roam the halls and wander the MIT campus sit at the top of the Everest of geekdom. You ask MIT for “help” on your transportation project, and a byproduct might turn out to be a mass-driver that can sling ore from the asteroid belt back to planet Earth.
And Lamborghini, bless their hearts, decided to ask, and the result is the Terzo Millennio which, styling aside, packs about as much performance as a cruise missile on final approach. Bear witness.
Photo: Automobili Lamborghini.
Breaking Down The Beast
At its heart, this is a moon-shot of a car. If it happens at all in anything close to what we see here, it will happen many years (decades) down the road. Lamborghini flat-out states: “The concept physically imagines design and technology theories of tomorrow.” Theories? Wow, equivocate much? Lamborghini has chosen to focus on five different dimensions: energy storage systems, innovative materials, propulsion, visionary design, and emotion. Or, to put it in layman’s terms so you don’t have to be Florence LaRue: where the fuel goes, what it’s built from, how that fuel is dispensed to the tarmac, what it looks like, and . . . er, emotion? Really, they went with emotion? What does that even mean?
Energy Storage Systems
THUS SPAKE LAMBO!!: “The strategy of creating super sports cars with uncompromising performance generates Lamborghini’s motivation to revolutionize the approach to . . . SAVE ME!!! SAVE ME!!! Please don’t make me read this stuff. No need to get lost in all that MarComm drivel. The Energy Storage System, effectively the gas tank is a, in one word, supercapacitor. Which is (I hear some of you asking) just like yer run of the mill capacitor, only super. Essentially, a battery that is quick to discharge, quick to charge, and holds “enough” stored energy to “practically” use. Think of a much larger electric go-kart with a bodyshell and a license plate.
Photo: Automobili Lamborghini.

Innovative Materials
What is it built from? Answer: cloth and glue (aka carbon fiber). Cloth and glue that are used all over the place in structures and parts and the bodyshell, and also in interesting ways: like that same bodyshell acting as an accumulator for energy storage. Swift, eh? Lambo and MIT closely monitor the bodyshell to look for and predict cracks and structural failures, and self-fix them via micro-channels filled with “healing chemistries.”
To which I say, that’s cool and all, but couldn’t you just make the skin a little thicker and a little tougher and not even worry about “monitoring” it?
Propulsion System
Works like this: each wheel gets its own engine/generator, a pretty standard layout for an EV drivetrain. It’s so much easier to do this with electric motors, because even very powerful versions are also relatively small. And since all of these motors are controlled by enough computing power to make Seymour Cray tear up, that means you can automatically build in (and tweak on the fly) things like differential anti-lock braking based on accelerator data and steering wheel angles to optimize traction through mid-corner out to corner exit. To name just one of the simpler sub-routines anyway.
It’s not just that the car, with tons of electrical power delivered to the pavement near-instantaneously, can go and turn and stop, it can potentially do two or even three of those simultaneously.
Photo: Automobili Lamborghini.
Design
Let us just be Gorn-like, quick and merciful, and say this thing’s styling – regardless of how much aerodynamic sense it makes – looks like 13-and-a-half axe heads randomly attached to a big magnet. This car, the Terzo Millennio, does not look graceful or animated or lithe or agile. No, it looks stocky and apathetic and rigid and clumsy. Seriously. I’ve seen more aesthetic doorstops in Leningrad.
Emotion
Yeah. Yeah . . . no. Just, no.
Chances are the Lamborghini Terzo Millennio will hit the streets right about the time the mid-engine, quad rotor Wankel-powered Corvette is arriving (i.e. right around the time Gloria Steinem marries Harvey Weinstein). It’s a neat idea though.
Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He means well, even if he has a bias toward lighter, agile cars rather than big engine muscle cars or family sedans.
Lamborghini Terzo Millennio Gallery

Photos & Source: Automobili Lamborghini.

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2018 Buick LaCrosse Avenir Debuts, Signals New Direction

2018 Buick LaCrosse Avenir Debuts, Signals New Direction

Buick recently unveiled the 2018 LaCrosse Avenir, a more premium option when compared to the traditional model. Avenir is Buick’s new sub-brand, meant to expand their product line into more luxurious territory. The move may well usher in a new chapter for Buick, an automaker seeking to redefine themselves. Last year, we sat down with Buick’s Marketing Director, Molly Peck to gain some insight as to where they are headed in the future. Part of that conversation included the Avenir sub-brand, which made its official debut in October with the release of the 2018 Enclave.
Avenir is, interestingly enough, the French word for future.
Above & Beyond
In short, Avenir is Buick’s way of delivering more for their customers: more styling cues, more standard features, more premium materials – and so on. The idea is to make Buick resonate with those who desire a luxury vehicle unique to their lifestyle.
“Nine out of ten LaCrosse buyers are choosing one of the top two trim levels – customers are signaling they want more from Buick,” explained Duncan Aldred, Vice President of Global Buick and GMC. “With even more content and an elegant look, Avenir adds a unique name and appearance for those who want the best of our attainable luxury.”
2018 Buick LaCrosse Avenir. Photo: Buick.
Styling & Design
The Avenir’s design was ultimately inspired by Buick’s concept cars and employs a more dramatic, three-dimensional look. This is seen especially on the LaCrosse’s upper and lower grilles and chrome wings. Avenir script badging on the front doors and exclusive 19-inch Pearl Nickel or 20-inch Midnight Silver wheels are also characteristic of the LaCrosse Avenir. Inside, driver’s will find a Chestnut interior theme, embroidered first-row headrests, and Avenir-scripted sill plates.
Buick’s intent is for the design cues to create a truly memorable automobile.
“Exterior styling is very important to LaCrosse buyers, and its sculpted beauty withstands passing trends,” said Bob Boniface, Global Director of Buick Exterior Design. “For Avenir, we focused on maintaining the timelessness of the LaCrosse, while giving these customers subtle and tasteful details that elevate this car to a new level.”
2018 Buick LaCrosse Avenir interior layout. Photo: Buick.
Power & Performance
The 2018 Buick LaCrosse Avenir has a 310 horsepower V6 engine mated to a nine-speed automatic transmission. Intelligent Twin-Clutch All-Wheel Drive and Dynamic Drive with real-time dampening control are both optional. A suite of active and passive safety features will also be available.
Pricing & Availability
The 2018 Buick LaCrosse Avenir will arrive at dealerships early next year. Pricing and the vehicle’s complete specifications are forthcoming.

Carl Anthony is Managing Editor of Automoblog and resides in Detroit, Michigan.
2018 Buick LaCrosse Avenir Gallery

Photos & Source: Buick.

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2018 Ram 1500 Hydro Blue Sport Revealed

2018 Ram 1500 Hydro Blue Sport Revealed

Today, at the San Antonio Auto and Truck Show, Ram Trucks unveiled their latest special edition, the 1500 Hydro Blue Sport. New for 2018, the Hydro Blue Sport features a black-accented performance hood, Sport grille with black billet inserts, and the brand’s signature “R-A-M” tailgate lettering. The truck’s monochromatic exterior is characterized by black bezel projector headlamps, LED taillights, and the body-colored front fascia, rear bumper, side mirrors, and door handles.
Ram believes the truck will be instantly recognizable, especially on 20-inch (4×4) or 22-inch (4×2) wheels.
“The custom look and high-impact colors have been well received in the marketplace and this new Ram 1500 Hydro Blue Sport will surely stand out on dealers’ lots and in customers’ driveways,” said Mike Manley, Head of Jeep & Ram Brands, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles.
Interior Treatments & Optional Equipment
Drivers are treated to blue highlight stitching on the instrument panel, center console, heated steering wheel, and door trim. Blue Sport embroidery accents line the heated seats while the Ram logo adorns the headrests. Optional equipment includes leather seating and trim, black tubular side steps, chrome wheel-to-wheel side steps, Active Level air suspension, ParkSense, and the RamBox storage system.
Photo: FCA US LLC.
Power & Performance
The 2018 Ram 1500 Hydro Blue Sport is powered by the ever-so-famous 5.7-liter HEMI V8. The engine creates 395 horsepower and 410 lb-ft. of torque while utilizing variable-valve timing to increase overall performance and efficiency. All Ram 1500 models have best-in-class aerodynamics with a coefficient drag of 0.360. Coefficient drag is likely not the first topic at hand when discussing pickups, but Ram tends to lead in some of these more unique, yet essential areas. For example, Ram 2500 and 3500 have that segment’s highest snow plow rating.
Pricing & Availability
The 2018 Ram 1500 Hydro Blue Sport will be a limited affair, with total production numbering just 2,000 units for the U.S. market. The truck goes on sale later this month with an MSRP of $46,060, plus $1,395 for destination. The Hydo Blue Sport is a crew cab, short-bed configuration in either a 4×2 or 4×4 layout.
Carl Anthony is Managing Editor of Automoblog and resides in Detroit, Michigan.
2018 Ram 1500 Hydro Blue Sport Gallery

Photos & Source: FCA US LLC.

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Aston Martin CEO Swaps Business Suit For Racing Suit This Weekend

Aston Martin CEO Swaps Business Suit For Racing Suit This Weekend

Never trust a businessman who doesn’t use his own product. Or, in this case, never trust a businessman who runs a car company who doesn’t go racing. For me, in general, I don’t trust car companies that don’t go racing. It’s just a personal quirk, and I know a lot of auto manufacturers are just in this business to make money. Fine for them, but for me, if your company doesn’t race, it gives me the heebee-jeebees.
Different Cloth
It would be like if Leo Fender didn’t play guitar for some reason. Dr. Andy Palmer, President and Chief Executive Officer of Aston Martin of Gaydon, England on the other hand is not like that. Got to give the boy props. He’s no dilettante. He’ll be running this year’s Hankook 24 Hours of the Circuit of the Americas (CoTA) in Austin, Texas.
His ride, naturally, will be an Aston Martin Vantage GT8, the very same car that won its class at the Nürburgring 24 Hours earlier this year, a backbreaker of a race on a track that is notoriously dangerous. He will be paired with Paul Hollywood, John Hindhaugh, and Peter Cate throughout the twice-’round-the-clock endurance race happening this weekend, November 11th and 12th.
“It is a real treat for me to take part in the race at COTA,” Dr. Palmer said. “I have a fantastic car, some great co-drivers, and a top team behind me, and we are going out there to try to win the SP3 class.”
Coaching & Instruction
The Doc. is an intense amateur racer, having competed in Aston Martin Owners Club events at Snetterton, Brands Hatch, Rockingham (England), and Silverstone this year alone. The 24 Hours of CoTA marks his return to 24-hour racing after a stretch of shorter competitions. Along the way to getting back into the driver’s chair for this long haul, he as been mentored by such highly qualified types as Darren Turner and Jonny Adam, both of whom won the 24 Hours of Le Mans for Aston Martin this past June.
“It’s a fantastic circuit with some fast sections and some tight, technical corners and I know our WEC drivers enjoy racing there,” Dr. Palmer continued. “I have no delusions of being the next Turner or Adam, but I’m grateful for all the advice I can get from the professionals.”
Dr. Andy Palmer has raced with the Aston Martin Owners Club this year in preparation in a standard Vantage GT4. Photo: Aston Martin The Americas.

Teamwork & Dreamwork
Palmer’s teammates have strong links to Aston Martin. For example, Paul Hollywood (that’s his real name) gets his kicks racing an Aston Martin Vantage GT3 with the Beechdean AMR team in British GT races. He’s also known for something called the Great British Bake Off which is a TV show of some sort that, based on the title alone, has zero interest for me. There is no mention of Peter Cate’s baking chops, but he has raced for Aston Martin many times, notably taking a class win in the GT8 at the Nürburgring 24 Hours this year.
Then there is John Hindhaugh, a fellow who normally watches races rather than competing in them. Turns out he’s the main commentary guy for Radio Le Mans, but this weekend he’ll be going all George Plimpton (look it up) and getting behind the wheel. Given the team’s, uh, varied levels of experience and abilities, this will probably make for an interesting spectator experience.
Dr. Andy Palmer, President and Chief Executive Officer, Aston Martin. Photo: Aston Martin The Americas.
Racing Rundown
The action starts with a practice session on Friday (November 10th) around lunchtime before the hour-long qualifying run that afternoon. Not that qualifying counts for all that much in a race this long. Second practice is on Friday night to give the drivers the opportunity to acclimatize to racing at night. Curiously, the race is run in a split format. The race itself takes place on Saturday between 9:00 in the morning and 11:00 that night, then takes up again on Sunday from 8:00 in the morning to 6:00 in the evening. Yes, the cars do remain in Parc Ferme conditions overnight, and yes, this does allow the racers to grab some hard-earned rest, but it’s also kind of a weenie deal, and they should just run it in one long continuous go. In my opinion.
“Our plan is to emulate the motto of another Aston Martin racer, Nicki Thiim: ‘Go hard or go home,’” Dr. Palmer added.
Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He means well, even if he has a bias toward lighter, agile cars rather than big engine muscle cars or family sedans.
Photos & Source: Aston Martin The Americas.

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Ford Introduces World’s First Electronic Handbrake

Ford Introduces World’s First Electronic Handbrake

I know what you’re thinking, I was thinking the same thing too: Don’t we already have those (sort of stupid) push-button parking brakes already? That’s not much of an innovation. Au contraire mon frere. What Ford now offers is not a pushbutton electronic parking brake. No, this is an electronic version of the same sort of handbrake Sebastien Loeb used to slither up the Sisteron like an electric eel up a drainpipe.
Or, to put it more plainly: This is totally cool!
The all-new Ford Performance Drift Stick is a first-ever from a major car manufacturer. Basically, it is a rally-inspired electronic handbrake that can, if you’re good enough and coordinated enough, momentarily (momentarily is the key here) lock the rear wheels so you can either slide the car through corners and/or position the car for better corner exit. I raced rallies for a couple of seasons, and it’s not a particularly easy trick to master, but like a lot of tricks, when you get it juuust right, it’s a total gas.
Big Name Or No Name?
The Ford Performance Drift Stick was developed and designed for the Focus RS (a pretty good candidate for you and your navigator to run in the next Friday-Nighter Rally). Ford also mentions the Performance Drift Stick was approved by “rally and stunt star” Ken Block, for what that’s worth (not very much t’me). Block’s one of these half-talented narcissistic knuckleheads that seems to be all too common these days. I’m not saying he can’t goof around with a car in spectacular fashion, but what I am saying is doing it on film is not even close to doing it for real on a rally stage. When he does rally, he’s a make-up-the-numbers kind of guy that scrapes into the top ten with a current career best placing of ninth. So for me and my various rally friends, adding his name to a product doesn’t really help matters much. You might feel different, but so be it.
Photo: Ford Motor Company.
Inner Workings
The Drift Stick stems from the Focus RS’s Drift Mode and was developed by the same team. The Drift Stick itself is a trick looking aluminum lever between the driver’s seat and manual transmission’s gear selector. It is not, however, just a lever connected to the rear brakes, oh no. This is 2017, so even the most mundane of cars, let alone a Ford Focus RS, comes chock full of stuff and systems and computers and such that must be accounted for. The Drift Stick interfaces with the Ford Performance all-wheel drive system in conjunction with the anti-lock braking system. It opens up the rear-drive unit clutches and applies hydraulic pressure to lock the rear wheels; to kick the car into a slide essentially, but you’re not necessarily aware of all that. All you do is simply pull that trick looking lever.
Ford says the results are “clutch-free drift turns very similar to the experience of a real rally car.” Personally, I’d love to get my hands on one and see if this is true.
Photo: Ford Motor Company.

Plug & Play
The traditional route, a hydraulic handbrake, would have been a real pain to put in a production car. For starters, it would have required considerable alterations to the car, so Ford went entirely electronic. Turns out, going fully electronic opened up a number of interesting benefits. In fact, the electronic Drift Stick has many similarities with the professional calibration tool Ford already sells. So integrating the Drift Stick with this existing technology was literally as easy as plugging in a USB cable.
This allows you to recall diagnostic data and upload powertrain calibrations for the Focus RS. Slick!
There’s a bunch of other nifty advantages by going with this digital design. You get instantaneous engagement and release of the rear brakes. The Ford Performance Drift Stick is also light, requiring just five to six pounds of pressure to operate, significantly less than a hydraulic handbrake. Installation and removal is easy, if you go with this after you’ve bought your Focus RS. There’s no welding, hole drilling, or calipers needed like you’d do with a hydraulic kit. The Drift Stick connects to the on-board diagnostics port on the car, so it can function as a calibration tool. Pretty nifty, eh?
Photo: Ford Motor Company.
Pricing & Availability
The kit comes with the Drift Stick lever, all the mounts, circuit board, and professional calibration functionality. And, get this, the car’s warranty is not voided by its installation. The Ford Performance Drift Stick will be available starting December 1st at any authorized Ford Performance Parts distributor for $999. Ford also, rightly, points out how the Drift Stick is intended for track use only (my emphasis added).
And if I have to point out why Ford is right in saying this, and why you should not go screwing around with stuff like this on everyday streets with traffic and pedestrians and such, then I have only four words for you: Hand. Me. The. Keys. Seriously you slack-jawed chucklehead. You shouldn’t even be driving if you’re out there taking dumb risks like that. Take the bus. Take a taxi. Leave stuff like this on the track where it belongs.
Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He means well, even if he has a bias toward lighter, agile cars rather than big engine muscle cars or family sedans.
Photos & Source: Ford Motor Company.

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Letter From The UK: At The Industrial Cliff Edge

Letter From The UK: At The Industrial Cliff Edge We are just a few weeks away from the 29th of March when the United Kingdom is scheduled to acrimoniously depart the European Union. Even at this eleventh hour there is still rampant uncertainty as to what is going to happen. No final decisions have been made by our weak and floundering politicians.
Emotive words and phrases like ‘crisis’ and ‘crashing out’ and ‘going over the cliff’ don’t help at all.
Economic Strife
A crisis is a plague or famine or warfare; this is economics. If you expect nothing from your so-called ‘leaders’ then you won’t be disappointed, that’s the people’s motto. Nevertheless, wide social divisions have opened like earthquake fissures. It is neighbour against neighbour and it is going to take a generation to get past, whatever the final outcome. In some quarters, hatred is not too strong a word. It is all very sad and the blame lies as much with the blustering, bombastic, un-elected suits who run the EU (which, remember, is only a trading bloc and not a country in its own right) as it does with our home-grown authorities.
Industry is similarly divided with some sectors saying it’s all going to be great with many new global trade opportunities including the USA. Other players are saying it will all end in tears for manufacturing. Batting firmly for the latter team is the motor industry.
Related: It’s crunch time across the pond. How will the motor industry respond?
Lost Investments
There’s a reason for their negativity. Although the car industry is truly global now with mergers and associations, the European car makers are very closely tied. They depend on us for vehicles, parts, and consumers just as we depend on them. Vehicle parts criss-cross the Union on a just-in-time basis. When it is considered how important motor manufacturing, retail sales, the used car market, and all the ancillary trades and professions are to employment and the success of individual economies, it makes sensible people wonder what politicians are for.
The indisputable fact is that investment in the British car sector almost halved last year and output has tumbled as the growing fear of the unknown have put manufacturers on red alert. Inward investment fell 46.5 percent to 588.6 million Pounds Sterling last year from £1.1bn in 2017. These figures are courtesy of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
Last year, the Nissan Juke became the fourth Sunderland-built model to hit one million units. On average, a Juke is built at the plant every 105 seconds. Photo: Nissan Motor Company Ltd.
Crashing Out
Similarly, UK production fell 9.1 percent to 1.52m vehicles, with output for the UK and for export falling 16.3 percent and 7.3 percent respectively. It is not Brexit as an entity that has done the damage so much as the uncertainty surrounding it. This was highlighted by the recent, now-confirmed rumour, that Nissan will not build the new X-Trail at their Sunderland, UK plant.
Much is being made of this but, on the other hand, the X-Trail is a very niche model and low-scale seller that currently only offers unpopular diesel engines, so how much of a problem this will make can only be conjectured. It does indicate though how conflicted UK motor manufacturing is.
As SMMT chief Mike Hawes puts it about the impact so far on output, investment, and jobs: “is nothing compared with the permanent devastation caused by severing our frictionless trade links overnight, not just with the EU but with the many other global markets with which we currently trade freely. With fewer than 60 days before we leave the EU and the risk of ‘crashing out’ without a deal looking increasingly real, UK Automotive is on red alert.”
Photo: Nissan Motor Company Ltd.
Lower Sales
In fact it is hard to be totally accurate with forecasts such as this because investment in the motor industry always comes in uneven chunks as old models are retired and new ones are introduced over time. But even allowing for that, the plunge in new investment is clear. In 2015, car manufacturers invested £2.5bn in the UK. In 2016 we had the national Brexit vote which signalled the end of our association. Since then it has fallen ever year and in 2018 was just £589m, according to SMMT.
Regulatory Hiccups
There are other factors which get less publicity, for example falling sales in the Chinese market and EU regulatory hiccups are of concern. With exports to China slumping 24.5 percent, Jaguar Land Rover, Britain’s biggest car maker, has already underlined the pain being felt from a sales slowdown in China. The industry is clear that Brexit has presented “the most significant threat to the competitiveness of the UK automotive sector in a generation.”
Thank goodness we didn’t join the Euro currency too!
Geoff Maxted is a motoring writer, photographer, and author of our Letter From The UK series. Follow his work on Twitter: @DriveWrite

Cover Photo: Jaguar Land Rover.

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Audi TT 20th Anniversary Edition: The Tradition Continues

Audi TT 20th Anniversary Edition: The Tradition Continues The Audi TT 20th Anniversary Edition will receive a limited-production run.
Design elements include the original “baseball stitch” and commemorative badging.
Available as either a coupe or roadster with a 2.0 liter four-cylinder turbocharged engine.
I must be getting old. Has the Audi TT really been around for 20 years? Maybe I’d remember that if it had kept some of its original pizzazz instead of slowly fading into “just another sports coupe” territory. Or maybe it would have made more of an impact, year after year, if the performance matched the (original) style. But anyway, here we are. Audi is rolling out a 20th anniversary edition to remind us what we’ve forgotten.
Carrying On The Tradition
Audi says the TT 20th Anniversary Edition features “unique design elements that celebrate the heritage of the Audi TT and embody the model’s transcendent design.” That might be true, but the first thing I notice is that nowhere does Audi say what counts as “limited.” They could be making 40 of these things, they could be making 40,000 but I can’t really tell.
That aside, I can’t really argue with Audi calling it a “transcendent design.”
When the TTS Roadster concept study hit the stand at the 1995 Tokyo Motor Show, people were very impressed. It was clean and direct, a design dominated by arcs and finished in a cool silver gray. A car like the TT couldn’t have been designed in Italy or France, this thing had to be German. Audi, naturally, wants to carry this on with the TT 20th Anniversary Edition.
Photo: Audi of America, Inc.
Design Appeal
It’ll come as both a coupe and roadster, painted either Aviator Gray pearl metallic or Nimbus Gray metallic. I can’t really see what the difference is, but we do know Nimbus Gray will be exclusive to the United States. As a nod to the original TT from the Tokyo show, all models will feature Mocasin Brown Fine Nappa leather with custom yellow contrast stitching. (Yes, I know that’s not the way you spell “Moccasin,” but Audi chooses to spell it that way).
On top of the two select paint colors, the TT 20th Anniversary Edition features high-gloss black exterior trim and 19-inch, five-arm-design wheels painted in gunmetal, natch. When you get into a cool, gray Teutonic-style jag, why stop? The trumpet-style stainless steel exhaust is exclusive to the model, as are the OLED taillights which are only available on the TT RS.
Badges? You bet this TT’s got badges: “20 Years of TT” badging adorns the front fenders, alongside the matte-finish Audi rings etched into the rear sills.
Photo: Audi of America, Inc.
Interior & Technology Treatments
Naturally the Ingolstadt firm has worked over the interior. The S Sport seats, door armrests, steering wheel, and center console all get the aforementioned Mocassin Brown Fine Nappa leather with bespoke yellow contrast stitching. This harkens back to the “baseball stitching” in the original TT, which I always loved but owners told me it was kind of a pain to live with.
Of course there are interior badges marking the TT’s production number alongside a “TT 20 Years” icon.
What counted as high-tech gadgetry 20 years ago wouldn’t even past muster these days, and Audi is not going to leave their special TT behind. The standard Audi phone box with wireless charging and signal booster is on-board, along with the standard Technology package that includes Audi’s virtual cockpit, MMI navigation plus, smartphone integration (with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto), and a Bang & Olufsen sound system.
Related: Virtual Showdown: Tesla Model S vs. Audi e-tron GT Concept.
Audi TT 20th Anniversary Edition interior layout. Photo: Audi of America, Inc.
Power & Performance
The Audi TT 20th Anniversary Edition is not a no-go-show-boat, but it’s not a full-out Bahn burner either. Powered by an evergreen 2.0 liter four-cylinder turbo engine, Audi’s special TT puts out 228 horsepower. It comes with a standard seven-speed S tronic dual-clutch transmission. Nice, love that tranny! Add it up, and the anniversary coupe can haul from zero to 60 mph in 5.2 seconds. Not that bad at all.
The roadster is slightly slower, hitting 60 in 5.5 seconds. Still not that bad.
Pricing & Availability
The Audi TT 20th Anniversary Edition is on sale now. The coupe starts at $52,900 and the roaster begins at $56,800. Which is about what you’d figure.
Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He is the author of Bricks & Bones: The Endearing Legacy and Nitty-Gritty Phenomenon of The Indy 500, available in paperback or Kindle format. Follow his work on Twitter: @TonyBorroz.
Audi TT 20th Anniversary Edition Gallery

Photos & Source: Audi of America, Inc.

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Jaguar F-TYPE Checkered Flag: A Limited-Edition F-TYPE For 2020

Jaguar F-TYPE Checkered Flag: A Limited-Edition F-TYPE For 2020 Jaguar, the most successful of British sports car companies, just announced a new model – variant actually – to their 2020 lineup, the F-TYPE Checkered Flag. The limited-edition model will be available as both a coupe and convertible and, like all Jags, will be as gorgeous as it is fast.
Based off of the Jaguar F-TYPE R-Dynamic Coupe and Convertible, the Checkered Flag is offered with either a four or six-cylinder engine. Obviously, I’d go with the six, but theoretically the four-banger could be fun. And it should make for a lighter car.
Visual Enhancements
The Jaguar F-TYPE Checkered Flag comes with a bunch of subtle “visual enhancements” (i.e. badges and such) for the exterior, while the “1+1” cabin is also set apart from its more plebian brethren. Comically, Jaguar refers to the Checkered Flag as having a “1+1” seating arrangement. That’s a pretentious way of saying it’s a two-seater, just like true sports cars always are.
Obviously, with a name like this F-TYPE has, Jag is leaning heavily on the brand’s prolific heritage, dating back to the XK 120 in 1948. The Checkered Flag version is further set apart by a Black Contrast roof on the Coupe, a not-all-that-bad styling choice used rather nicely by the Corvette and various big Ferrari coupes.
Spartan the Jaguar F-TYPE Checkered Flag is not, with a standard InControl Touch Pro infotainment system with Meridian audio (nice!). Along with a collection of other “connected services,” Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are both standard. Everything is accessed through a 10-inch touchscreen.
2020 Jaguar F-TYPE Checkered Flag Limited Edition. Photo: Jaguar Land Rover.
Interior & Exterior Treatments
The inside is drowning in plush Windsor Leather and performance seats with embossed headrests, a nice styling touch. The center console gets a Dark Brushed Aluminum trim finisher (Jag capitalizes stuff in the oddest ways) and the steering wheel is emblazoned with a distinct Checkered Flag logo.
There is a red leather band at 12 o’clock so you always know (hopefully) which way is up.
The exterior of this special F-TYPE includes extended side sills to cleverly increase visual width, while giving the car a greater sense of charisma and grace. The wheels are big 20-inch Gloss Black jobs, carrying on with that fine Coventry tradition of bolting on huge wheels. The rims are exclusive to the Checkered Flag Limited Edition and contrast wickedly with the red brake calipers.
The 2020 Jaguar F-TYPE Checkered Flag Limited Edition is available in Caldera Red, Fuji White or Carpathian Grey. Each color is matched with a Black Contrast Roof and 20-inch wheels. Photo: Jaguar Land Rover.
Power & Performance: Two Solid Options
As I said, you get your choice of two plants. First, there’s a 296 horsepower, 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder Ingenium gasoline engine. Which seems fine. It probably revs easier than the big six, and it’ll get better gas mileage (if you care about that stuff). Speaking of the six, that would be a 380 horsepower, 3.0-liter supercharged V6. Yes, I get the packaging and weight issues, but a big Jag without a big, straight six still seems odd to me.
Both lumps are mated to an eight-speed “Quickshift” transmission, which I think is Coventry’s way of saying nice, but automatic trannies. Alas.
Pricing & Availability
The 2020 Jaguar F-TYPE Checkered Flag Limited Edition starts at $71,900, which is actually kind of reasonable. That’s right in the same ballpark as various BMW and Mercedes-Benz coupes. No word yet on when it’ll be gracing the polished floors of Jaguar dealers.
Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He is the author of Bricks & Bones: The Endearing Legacy and Nitty-Gritty Phenomenon of The Indy 500, available in paperback or Kindle format. Follow his work on Twitter: @TonyBorroz.
Jaguar F-TYPE Checkered Flag Limited Edition Gallery

Photos & Source: Jaguar Land Rover.

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