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Jeremy Clarkson may not be in the best of health according to his latest post on Instagram. The former Top Gear presenter recently posted a picture of his right arm with hospital tags clearly visible along with the a drip needle in his forearm.

Apparently, Clarkson was admitted to a hospital while on vacation in Mallorca, Spain due to Pneumonia. In his Instagram post, Clarkson said, ” Not the sort of bangles I usually choose on holiday”.

He later added that it would be awhile before he sees any further action, hinting at the possibility that a great deal of rest and recuperation was needed for him to make a full recovery.

Clarkson is the second casualty of the trio that is responsible for the world renowned automotive show, The Grand Tour. Several months prior, Richard Hammond lost control of a Rimac Concept car that led to a horrific crash. Hammond was taken to hospital where extensive surgery was required to correct the injury to his left leg.

It seems for the moment, that both presenters will need considerable amount of time off while they recuperate. Though Hammond is considerably younger than Clarkson, the injury that he suffered, isn’t an easy fix.

As such, both incidents have caused a major blow to the current filming and should set back the release date of the new season even further. Only one of the infamous trio has managed to stay clear of any problems, and that’s James May.

After checking into a hospital, Clarkson, in good humour, posted a picture of May on his Instagram page with a quip, “The only functioning member of the Grand Tour team right now. God help us”

Jokes aside, we wish both Hammond and Clarkson a speedy recovery and hope they are able to get back on the saddle in no time. We also hope that they continue to produce even more over-the-top episodes of The Grand Tour.

Volvo cars and its parent company Geely, have completed an agreement that will see two new entities created for the sharing of existing and future technologies. they will provide economics of scale that will allow Volvo and Geely to rapidly develop next generation EV technology.

The first will be a new technology joint venture that will be called GV Automobile Technology Co. Ltd. which will be headquartered in China with a subsidiary in Gothenburg, Sweden. Volvo and Geely will each hold a 50 percent stake in the company that will improve the synergy of technology sharing between them.

The second entity will be for the LYNK & CO company, jointly owned by Volvo Cars, Geely Holding and Geely Auto, with a newly constituted board of directors. Volvo will hold a 30 percent stake here while Geely Auto and Geely Holding will hold a 50 and 20 percent stake respectively.

Cong Hui, President and CEO of Geely Auto, has been named Chairman of the Board of LYNK & CO and Håkan Samuelsson, President and CEO of Volvo Cars, will serve as board director alongside Daniel Li, Executive Vice President and CFO of Geely Holding and Feng Qing Feng, Group Vice President and CTO of Geely Auto.

“These joint ventures will create significant value for our automotive brands. We aim to deliver global economies of scale by facilitating closer cooperation between our brands on shared vehicle architectures, powertrain development and electrification, while offering synergies that will enable LYNK & CO to achieve its full potential,” said Li Shufu, Chairman of Geely Holding.

Both Volvo and Geely are utilizing the former’s Compact Modular Architecture (CMA), which will be used to underpin the upcoming smaller range of 40 series cars as well as those from LYNK & Co. It’s unclear whether Proton, which recently became a member of the Geely family, will also benefit from this agreement.

But we do hope that our national automaker is able to incorporate more Volvo advanced safety tech into its future cars. Thanks to Lotus, Proton has managed to offer us cars with improved handling and we hope that its the same in terms of safety with Volvo.

It looks as though German regulators are getting tough on manufacturers of diesel engines. Based on a news article published by Auto Express, Big name automakers such as Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen and BMW have reached an agreement with the German authorities to update 5.3 million cars with software tweaks enabling them to run a lot cleaner.

This news affects vehicles with Euro5 and 6 diesel engines and the new software will reduce the amount nitrogen oxide emissions emitted by 25 to 30 percent. Having said that, 3.8 million of those vehicles are Volkswagens, which makes up a majority of the total stated earlier.

As many of you already know, VW found itself in a bit of a pickle when regulatory agencies in the US and Europe discovered that the automaker had installed cheat devices in its vehicles. These devices allowed them to circumvent the rather stringent diesel emissions regulations that were put into force in recent years.

As result of the scandal, VW has had to pay hefty fines in these markets on top of initiating programmes to roll back the effectiveness of the devices. Apart from that and to help alleviate the anger of many disgruntled VW owners, the company has opted to buy back their vehicles at reasonable prices.

BMW and Daimler, the latter being the parent company of Mercedes-Benz, are also introducing incentives for customers who trade in their older and dirtier burning diesel vehicles for new models that are more friendly to the environment.

We aren’t sure whether such practices will be adopted in other markets but for now, it looks like only German car buyers will benefit from this. That should suit the rest of us just fine because the days of the diesel engine are numbered. The advent of practical electric cars will soon render eco oil burners obsolete and relegate them to the history books.

Source: Auto Express

Suzuki has revealed more images of the upcoming Swift Sport and by the looks of things, its going to be far sportier than its predecessor. We have covered its exterior design in a previous article and as such, we aren’t going to elaborate much about it here.

But we are happy to announce that the new car looks aggressive enough to pass off as a performance vehicle, but not enough to be repulsive to non-enthusiasts.

The recessed matte black honeycomb grille is far prettier than what you would get on the standard Swift, which besides being aesthetically pleasing, should also be able provide higher airflow to the powerplant.

Around the back, the racing style rear bumper features a two piece design that contrasts well with the twin performance exhaust pipes. They protrude somewhat, through dedicated holes in the lower piece of the bumper assembly.

That said, the area that has received the most improvement compared to the previous generation car is the interior. It looks and feels far sportier and more technologically advanced.

The bottom of steering wheel takes on a flattened shape, mimicking that
of racing cars. Several buttons have been integrated in to the steering wheel and a number of others set directly below it.

Red accents throughout the cabin provide the car with a a racing feel. This is especially evident when glancing at the bright red tachometer. A touch screen infotainment system occupies the majority of the centre stack.

This will probably function as a tool to inform drivers of their performance as well as provide them with an intuitive way of managing the vehicle’s systems.

The combined use of analog and digital instrument clusters should make for a more rewarding drive. Suzuki has built the car so as to be an extension of the driver instead of overwhelming him/her with a barrage of complicated data that detracts from the Swift’s Sport’s purpose.

Last but not least, we have to mention the semi-bucket racing seats. The minimalist black upholstery and contrasting red stitching are a nice touch. But as a whole, the seats should provide the driver and front passenger with adequate support during cornering.

The new Suzuki Swift Sport is shaping up to be a much needed improvement over its predecessor. We hope that builds upon the lively handling of the previous car without compromising on practicality.

Suzuki Motor Corporation will officially reveal the new Swift Sport at the 67th IAA Frankfurt Motor Show, which will take place on 12 to 13 September.

Has there ever been an instance when you absentmindedly left something, food or groceries, overnight in the back seat of your car? It’s an annoyingly common mistake that has has often times resulted in you dealing with a foul odor in your cabin for the next several days.

Well, Nissan USA might have a solution for you in the form of a backseat reminder. Called the Rear Door Alert or RDA, this system monitors the opening and closing of the rear doors as well as you the driver’s movement.

If it detects that the rear door has been opened prior to a journey, but the driver, who once reaches his/her destination, attempts to shut off the engine and walk away without opening one of the rear doors, the vehicle will promptly remind them with an alert.

The system will respond with a series of notifications, beginning with a reminder message on the instrument cluster, and if ignored, the vehicle will then respond by activating the horn at a lower intensity and at short intervals.

It will defer from patterns used to inform drivers of other vehicular functions, so as not to confuse the driver when responding to the alert message.

The automaker admits that there will be many different types of scenarios in which a driver might open the rear door to check for something, throw in a gym bag or just to make sure that the door is shut properly.

As such, this RDA system has been designed to be turned off temporarily or permanently through prompts in the cluster display. This will allow the owner more flexibility of adapting to the system without it becoming over bearing or a mild annoyance for those who have no use for it.

The idea to include such an ingenious feature was thought up by two mums at Nissan. they were Elsa Foley, an industrial engineer and mother of two young children, and Marlene Mendoza, a mechanical engineer and mother of three.

This duo decided that a safety net/third eye was needed especially for mothers who have a lot on their plates. It would help avoid silly, but costly mistakes for those who are preoccupied with other matters while exiting the vehicle.

Speaking of the feature, Foley said, We pushed each other along and knew we were on the right track one morning when Marlene discovered she had left a pan of lasagna in the back seat of her car one night after coming home after a long day at the office. The worst thing was the car smelled for days, but it made me ask myself, ‘what if that had been something else back there?”

According to the automaker, the first of its vehicles to receive the RDA system is the 2018 Pathfinder. it will also be made available on other upcoming models in Nissan’s product line in the near future.

Despite the rather basic and rudimentary nature of the method of operation, one can’t help but wonder why so many supposed family focused vehicles, lack this feature. It’s more of a necessity rather than an option, and we hope that it eventually becomes standard equipment on many mainstream models.

Jaguar’s I-Pace Concept has been named Most Significant Concept Vehicle of 2017 at the 16th North American Concept Vehicle Awards. Apart from that, it also bagged the award in the Production Preview Concept of the Year category.

Speaking of the accolade, Ian Callum, Jaguar Director of Design, said, “Our challenge was to design an electric vehicle that’s distinctively and unmistakably a Jaguar – and one which demonstrates that an electric vehicle can be visually dramatic as well as practical.”

He then added, “I think that the Jaguar I-Pace Concept has done exactly that, and is clearly at the forefront of the trend for more beautiful, more desirable electric vehicles. We’re very proud of it, and we’re delighted that the North American jurors have recognized us for succeeding in our mission.”

The award ceremony was held at the Concours d’Elegance of America, an upscale automotive event that plays host to a gathering of the elite as well as car shows and competitions. But the point of the North American Concept Vehicle Awards, is to give recognition to vehicles that will most likely shape the future of the automobile industry.

More than a dozen jurors were responsible for picking out the awards’ winners. They were involved in a selection process that included a total of 24 vehicles, each introduced to North America during this year’s motor shows in Los Angeles, Detroit, Chicago, Toronto and New York.

See, the I-Pace concept is a precursor of the soon to be launched I-Pace road vehicle. It was meant to ready us for the road going all-electric version that is said to blend suave looks with with respectable performance and practicality.

It is slated for release sometime during the second half of 2018, which isn’t that far away. And unlike automakers like GM or Nissan, EV territory is considered uncharted waters for Jaguar. As such, there is a lot at stake with the I-Pace, because its success will determine how well Jaguar EVs of the future will be perceived by the general public.

Nissan has announced that a new and more efficient version of the Leaf will be due for release sometime in the near future. Nothing is set in stone yet, and the only image that the automaker has made available is a detailed outline of the actual car.

According to the company, the new Leaf’s body will feature improved and more efficient aerodynamics. This will help it reduce drag when in motion and remain more stable at higher speeds. The car’s bodywork will also allow it to withstand strong crosswinds without being dragged off its path, which is a very dangerous situation to be in.

This new design is said to have been inspired by airplane wings and the physics behind their method of operation. Utilizing the lessons learnt from the aerospace industry, Nissan’s engineers were able to recreate the ideal shape for the new Leaf. It will have a symmetric air flow that will help it cut through the air for a more smoother and efficient journey.

Cleaner and more streamlined design characteristics are of great importance when it comes to electric cars. Due to the limited battery pack capacity and the time it takes to recharge one, every kilometer gained through better efficiency can be extremely beneficial to the car’s practicality.

This coupled with an improved electrified powertrain should provide the new Leaf with a respectable range on a single charge. The new car has a lot to live up to considering that the original one was the first electric car to be mass produced. And with companies like Tesla making ever efficient EVs, Nissan will definitely want the new Leaf to perform well.

We believe that this is an exciting time for electric cars as more and more mainstream automakers jump on the electrified bandwagon in a bid to outdo each other. and this will benefit us, the consumer, the most. Ever stiffer competition between manufacturers mean that EVs will get better and better with each passing year.

Lately, many high-end luxury car brands have taken notice of the SUV craze and have decided to build one of their own. Porsche has the Cayenne and Macan, Bentley has the Benteyga, Maserati has the Levante SUV and Rolls-Royce will be coming out with one too.

Luxury SUVs have been in high demand for quite a while and automakers have noticed this and are capitalizing on it. Now, Ferrari, the most respected name in motoring wants ‘in’ on the action, as well.

Based on an article from the US edition of the Bussiness Insider, CEO of Ferrari’s parent company, Fiat Chyrsler Automobiles (FCA), Sergio Marchionne said that he wouldn’t rule out the possibility of the Italian sports car maker building an SUV. Though stopping short of revealing the time frame, he did imply that the possibility was quite real.

He added that it would be a crime to prevent Ferrari engineers from exploring the possibility of building a Ferrari version of a vehicle with ‘utilitarian features, to travel through uncharted territory’.

Marchionne went on to admit that the SUV market and demand for such vehicles were too big to ignore, and mentioned that Ferrari sees potential in building such a vehicle. However, when asked if the automaker would follow in the footsteps of Porsche with the Cayenne, he replied, “hell no.”

The news seems rather vague, but there is no doubt in our minds that Ferrari is mulling over the idea of creating a Porsche Cayenne rival albeit, more expensive and built in smaller numbers. Ferrari is adamant that unlike Porsche, it want’s to maintain a certain level of exclusivity with its vehicles.

As such, expect more hair-raising news from Ferrari in the coming months when it divulges more about the potential of creating its own SUV. This will definitely seem like stomach-churning news for the Ferrari tifosi and purists alike – so stay tuned.

Source: Business Insider

Ford has introduced a new feature that might help Mustang owners be less ‘quieter’ when arriving or leaving their homes. It helps lower the audible volume of the raspy exhaust notes emanated by the V8 equipped Mustangs, enabling owners to go about their activities without announcing their intentions to the entire neighborhood.

It’s called the Quiet Exhaust Mode, which is available on the latest Mustang that is equipped with the active valve performance exhaust system. It can be activated through the car’s infotainment system – offering three audible exhaust levels namely, Quiet, Normal, Sport and Track.

“Active valve performance exhaust gives Mustang owners the best of both worlds – that classic Mustang sound, and the ability to not wake up your neighbors when you leave the house early in the morning or arrive home late at night,” said Matt Flis, Ford exhaust development engineer.

Also referred to as the ‘Good Neighbour Mode’ this addition to the Mustang line-up should refute the stigma that plague decent Mustang owners – obtuse driving etiquette. It will also allow them to enjoy the vehicle without disturbing the peace and activating about a dozen car alarms.

It’s inception is a result of first hand experience by Steve von Foerster, former head of vehicle engineering for the Ford Motor Company. Apparently, Steve ruffled a few feathers when he drove his Shelby Mustang GT350 out of his driveway one morning. The loud and aggressive roar of the Mustang’s Coyote V8 maybe music to our ears, but his neighbors of the quite suburb, were more than perturbed.

One of them phoned it in to the Police, requesting law enforcement deal with the disturbance. Steven was long gone by the time the cops come and as such, escaped being ticketed. But this goes to show that you can’t really trust your neighbors to be tolerant with your way of life.

The video below was published by Ford to demonstrate the night and day difference that the new Quiet Exhaust mode feature has on the Mustang’s exhaust note. And going a step further, the company has also introduced Quiet Start, which adds on another layer of stealth.

https://youtu.be/Z1MehhS4GIw

This feature enables drivers to schedule a time for when they require the engine started so as not to inconvenience their neighbors. Owners can set a time between 8pm and 7am to have this feature activated. Working together with the Quiet Exhaust mode, most people won’t notice that they live right next door to the most advanced muscle car that Ford has ever made.

https://youtu.be/sUOkrUPpRro

Apart from the exhaust system, Ford has equipped the new Mustang with a restyled exterior design and refined interior, Mustang will offer an all-digital 12-inch instrument cluster, a 10-speed automatic transmission, MagneRide damping system and SYNC® Connect with FordPass.

Check out the videos and picture gallery below and let us know what you think of these new additions to the new Ford Mustang.

Like former racing cars, rally ones are some of the most sought after vehicles of collectors. And when a Lancia Delta Integrale Evo rally car driven by Juha Kankkunen was put up for sale by Silverstone Auction, a bidding war ensued.

Multiple bidders, both on site and by phone were vying to be the owner of the car that competed in the 1990 1000 Lakes Rally. The bids came pouring in from online bidders and commission ones, pushing the price well beyond the estimated price (£120,000 or RM 680,777). Within minutes, the asking price for the car surpassed the £200,000 (RM 1,134,629) mark and by the time the hammer went down, the winning bid was £225,000 (RM 1,276,458).

The auction took place at the Silverstone Classic Race Car Sale held at Silverstone on 27th July. The event saw many amazing vehicles that were rich in history being sold for huge sums of money, including an E30 BMW M3 driven by Tim Harvey. Other notable mentions include a BMW 320 E36 built by McLaren as well as race spec 1961 Jaguar MKII 3.8 and 1966 Mini Cooper.

But the Lancia may have stolen the show due to its importance in rally history and the fact that it belonged to a Finnish maestro that meandered it through the tricky rally stages in the early 1990s. Kankkunen was a four-time World Rally Champion and his connection to the car, was probably the reason why people were clamoring to out bid each other.

Speaking of the car, Nick Whale, managing director of Silverstone Auctions, said “The car is a true rally legend and an important part of World Rally Championship history and clearly much in demand on the evening. It was a dramatic highlight in a remarkably successful race car sale.”

Conducted annually, this particular auction in the UK sees its fair share of classic and vintage cars every year. Some of the most coveted vehicles pass through its doors each year, giving rise to ever increasing bidding records.

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