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Abbie Eaton is The Grand Tour’s racing driver

After 9 months of searching high and low for a ‘tame racing driver’ to replace the unpopular ‘American’ on Amazon’s The Grand Tour, the team have found a winner in Abbie Eaton. The former trio of BBC’s Top Gear, Clarkson, Hammond and May have broken convention by introducing a female to take the role of the show’s racing driver.

The news was announces on The Grand Tour’s twitter page with a caption “Ladies and gentlemen, our new driver”. Just stopping short of mentioning her name, The Grand Tour hopes that 25-year-old Eaton provides a breathe of fresh air to a segment that hasn’t been particularly entertaining in the first season. Mike Skinner, a former Nascar racer played the role of the American.

His character had an abrasive nature, seeming irritated and obnoxious about having to drive non-american cars around the show’s test track. Meant to portray the character traits of true rednecks, Skinner wasn’t particularly liked by fans and viewers alike. Even his professional racing credentials weren’t enough to convince viewers to overlook his less than funny rants.

Eaton, who has taken part in numerous professional racing competitions, is a British born racing driver who has 28 wins and 38 podium finishes to her name. She was the 2010 Production Touring Class B champion and 2014 Mazda MX-5 supercup champion. A seasoned racer with several big title finishes, Eaton should be more entertaining to watch than The American.

Polestar chooses 6 countries for initial launch

Polestar, the electric performance brand that is a spin off from former parent company Volvo, will be introducing its first ever vehicle to a select number of markets. The car will be offered with a subscription service to the U.S.A., China, Germany, Sweden, Norway, and the Netherlands.

Outlets called Polestar Spaces, will be launched in these countries, serving as showrooms for the general public. The spaces are expected to open by the middle of 2019 in these 6 chosen countries due to the high initial demand for the vehicle. That said, eventually, the Polestar 1 will be introduced to more markets across the globe.

When it was introduced in October, interest in the car was so overwhelming that approximately one customer per minute was registering their interest in being one of the first to receive it. Other than its performance credential, what’s makes the Polestar 1’s presence so extraordinary is the fact that it will only be offered with a subscription service.

That means that owners won’t be able to buy the car outright, instead they will pay a monthly fee that covers insurance, depreciation, collection and delivery for inclusive servicing, and various on-demand benefits as-and-when required. This will negate the need for hefty deposits, down payments and complicated insurance and bank loan applications.

Production for the Polestar 1 is expected to begin by mid-2019 in the automaker’s new state-of-the-art, purpose-built Polestar Production Centre in Chengdu, China. The highly anticipated car is a 2+2 Grand Touring Coupé with a 600hp Electric Performance Hybrid powertrain. Once launched, it’s bound to cause quite a stir in the industry.

Ford’s survey says parents are hypocrites

“Do as I say, not as I do” is a saying used to describe parents’s driving habits. According to Ford’s survey, it appers that parents, not their teenage/young adult, children tend to fiddle about with their mobile phones will driving. Despite the notion that millennials suffer from short attention spans, Ford’s statistics prove the contrary to be true.

Ford’s recent study conducted of drivers across Asia Pacific, would suggest that parents are the most distracted group of drivers on the road. Apparently, 43% of them reported to have experienced a distracted driving incident compared to 40% of people without children. Fathers were more likely to use their phones will driving.

The most popular excuses given for using a phone while driving are, taking calls from friends or family (62%), being stuck in traffic or at a traffic light (59 percent), and answering work calls or emails (46%). About 24% of millennials and 17% of parents have admitted to using their phones while driving because ‘they were bored’.

This survey was conducted to help understand distracted driving behaviour and attitudes. And it coincides with the expansion of DSFL, Ford’s flagship corporate social responsibility programme. Through this, the automaker conducts various campaigns that benefit drivers and society as a whole.

“Ford is committed to helping raise awareness of road safety and educating drivers on safe driving practices,” said Cynthia Williams, director, Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering, Ford Asia Pacific. “Phones are a great distraction normally, but behind the wheel they can be life threatening.”

The World Health Organisation (WHO) data states that over 1.25 million people die each year from car crashes and between 20 to 50 million more of them suffer non-fatal injuries. Drivers who use their phones will driving are about four times more likely to be involved in a crash than those who don’t.

In Asia Pacific, 54% of drivers say that they try to refrain from using their phones while driving, but end up doing so anyway. Many believe that bad weather or the presence of a police officer are the only deterrents from using a phone while driving.

These numbers are nothing short of alarming, considering that how many driving licenses are issued each year. If nothing is done to curb the practise, our roads are going to become extremely unsafe overtime.

Kia wins Workshop Award

Kia is known for producing good cars at reasonable prices, Lately however, the company has been consistently outdoing itself with its latest range of vehicles. The Korean automotive giant has picked up a number of awards due to this very fact. Now, it has done so for its after sales services.

Kia Motors UK has been awarded Manufacturer Warranty Scheme of the Year at the 2017 Workshop Awards. The automaker was celebrated due to the important work that was undertaken in the service and repair industry. The main contributing factors for the win were Kia’s quick resolution time and parts availability.

Speaking of the win, Hamish McCowan, After Sales Director of Kia Motors (UK) Ltd. said, “We are delighted to receive this award. Since launch in 2007, our customers have benefited from the security and peace of mind the seven year warranty provides. We are yet to be matched in terms of level of cover and simplicity of our warranty scheme.”

Workshop Magazine is a monthly publication in the UK that is tailored to workshop owners, managers and automotive technicians. It provides the necessary information to keep its readership well informed of the automotive news that is of interest an relevance to them.

Kia provides lengthy warranty periods for vehicles sold all over the world. Over here in Malaysia, it offers a 5-year warranty for all its vehicles, which offer customers a worry-free ownership experience.

Rare classic Aston Martin goes on sale

One of the rarest Aston Martin cars that still exist, is now on sale. It’s a 1959 DB4, which has been placed on sale by classic car experts, Hexagon Classics. What elevates its preciousness however, is the fact that its a pre-production model with more than £222,000 (RM1,207,042) invested in its restoration process.

Aston Martin registered it as their London demonstration model until 1963, before production continued for the model. The car boasts a retrimmed leather interior, and has been converted to run on a Vantage triple Weber set-up. Other additions include a 5-speed gearbox and cosmetic tweaks to the front and rear wheel arches to accommodate its larger offset wire wheels.

This Blu Scozia Aston was the third right-hand-drive DB4 to come from Newport Pagnell. It was lovingly cared for by owner, Richard Williams for the past 37 years. The car was enjoyed immensely, and participated in legendary hill climb events throughout its life. This is why extra effort had to be taken to restore it to the current, almost concours condition.

Paul Michaels, chairman of Hexagon Classics, said, “The DB4 is unmistakably iconic, made more so thanks to this particular pre-production model claiming the legendary Richard Williams amongst it previous owners. It has been lovingly restored to immaculate condition and it ready for inspection from our North London showroom now.”

Under the hood is a rebuilt 4.2-litre engine that has undergone a recommissioning process that was carried out by specialists. This complements the almost pristine condition of the car’s restored interior and exterior. There’s no word yet on the car’s price tag or how much it is expected to sell for, but we will let you know more as we find out.

Nissan’s unconventional test approach

Contrary to popular belief, some automakers utilize odd methods to determine paintwork durability. Nissan USA, has a miniature car wash about the size and shape of a popcorn machine that serves an important role at its Technical Centre in Michigan, USA.

As its name suggests, it is equipped with a spinning brush that has vibrant blue bristles, which whisk away at paint samples. For illustration purposes, a red 1:16 scale model of the 370Z is passed through the machine to study the damage that a regular car wash would do to the paint that Nissan uses.

In practice, paint is applied to rectangular plates, which are placed into the miniature car wash and tested multiple times to ensure a top-quality finish that lasts. Nissan’s little contraption is said to mimic the real thing, its brush rotates at 180rpm, causing the bristles to pelt the painted samples repeatedly as water jets spray water.

A special layer, called the ‘Arizona Dirt’ is applied to paint samples to replicate real-world grit, and allow for more practical understanding of the abuse that vehicle paintwork have to endure, especially when it comes time to wash them clean.

Testing methodology differ between manufacturers, but at Nissan, a miniature car wash is what they prefer. In reality, car wash centres may not use the best of tools when cleaning customers’ cars, which is why test such as these are conducted. Rough cloths or bristles can scratch clear coats and abrade paint, so durability is important.

Hyundai Kona earns 5-Star rating

Hyundai’s newest vehicle, the Kona has received high marks in the latest round of Euro NCAP crash safety tests. The independent European body determined that the Kona deserved a 5 star rating, the highest distinction possible in all four categories: Adult Occupant, Child Occupant, Pedestrian and Safety Assist.

“The five-star safety rating from Euro NCAP for the All-New KONA proves that our newest SUV fulfills the highest standards for the safety of our customers,” says Thomas A. Schmid, Chief Operating Officer at Hyundai Motor Europe. “The top result demonstrates that Hyundai Motor not only offers technology-driven and innovative solutions, but also makes them easily accessible to everyone.”

The compact SUV completed the required tests with more than satisfactory results thanks to it’s slew of safety tech. Most notable of the lot have to be Lane Keep Assist and Autonomous Emergency Braking. The former monitors vehicle movements, prompting drivers to keep within the white lines when they stray off course. It does give off audible and visual warnings before stepping in to steer it back on track.

The latter, which is becoming commonplace on many new vehicles, monitors the road ahead via radar and camera sensors. If the system senses an impending collision, it warns drivers both visually and audibly. If the driver continues to ignore the warnings, the system will step in and apply the appropriate braking pressure to avoid or lesson the severity of an impact.

Apart from these, the Kona also benefits from having High-Beam Assist (HBA) with Static Low Beam Assist, Driver Attention Alert (DAA), Blind-Spot Detection (BSD) and Rear Cross-Traffic Alert (RCCA). Together, these safety features makes up Hyundai’s SmartSense system. Adding to this, the car also offers SUV capabilities, allowing drivers to traverse tricky terrain in a safe manner.

Volvo to work with public to ready autonomous cars

Volvo is one of the pioneers of autonomous cars, this news isn’t new. What is however, is the fact that the Swedish automaker will be developing its fleet of self driving vehicles with the help of regular civilians. Select Swedish families will be responsible for testing these cars on the public roads of Gothenburg and feedback their impressions to Volvo Cars engineers.

The first two families of this pilot programme are the Hains and Simonovskis. They will be tasked with driving their respective XC90 SUV on daily commutes to help the automaker iron out some of the creases with its systems. Called the Drive Me project, data collected here will allow engineers to monitor and study the acquired data from these vehicles.

https://youtu.be/xQvpUZQzcBg

Drive Me will involve real customers who will be responsible for testing various stages of Volvo’s autonomous system from driver-assisted to fully autonomous. During the initial stages, drivers will need to keep their hands on the steering wheel while the vehicles are in motion. Later on, they will be exposed to more advanced autonomous functions after attending special training sessions.

“Drive Me is an important research project for Volvo Cars,” said Henrik Green, Senior Vice President for the company’s R&D department. “We expect to learn a lot from engaging these families and will use their experiences to shape the development of our autonomous driving technology, so that by 2021 we can offer our customers a fully autonomous car.”

https://youtu.be/gv8Vw8yiliI

These XC90 vehicles have been fitted with Volvo’s latest driver-assistance technology, as well as an array of cameras and sensors. The initial stages of the programme will take place in a controlled environment under the supervision of a Volvo Cars safety expert. Once the Hains and Simonovskis get the hang of things, they will be allowed to use these vehicles as their daily drivers.

Volvo plans on launching its first fully autonomous car for the general public by 2021. And the data acquired through Drive Me, will play a vital role for the automaker as it prepares its technology for mass production.

Ford Focus RS is experiencing engine problems

Ford’s hothatch, the Focus RS, may not be as perfect as we hoped it would. According to a recent article by Autocar UK, several owners if the latest car have reported seeing white smoke from the exhaust. This is a result of coolant being burnt during cold running. A remedy has yet to be established but Ford has stated that a fix will be rolled out to all customers, even ones not affected by the issue.

Several affected owners have already had their engines replaced with ones that are of the latest specification. Whether or not Ford resorts to swapping all these engines with newer ones, remains to be seen but there are several theories as to why the problem occurred in the first place. Some are saying that the issue could be related to the engine head gasket failing to maintain a seal, while others say it’s something worse.

The problem could also be due to the engine block itself getting distorted over the course of several heat cycles. It may not be as tolerant as Ford had hoped with coping with the demands of enthusiastic owners. Whatever the case, Ford could be looking at a major campaign to rectify the issue and help pacify disgruntled owners who yet to even to break-in their new cars.

Coincidentally, the Ford Mustang uses the same engine as the Focus RS but may not inherit the problem. Autocar UK‘s article states that the material used for the Mustang’s block differs from that used for the Focus. Stay tuned and we will keep you updated as the story unfolds.

Source: Autocar UK

Swedish Dodge Charger heads to Jay’s garage

Classic muscle cars are still in high demand in the US. The cool factor, myriad of aftermarket parts and powerful engines, are just some of the reasons why these cars are presently able to exchange hands for huge sums of money.

Jay Leno, the former Tonight Show host, has several of them. But the latest car that rolled into his shop, is something truly extraordinary. Believe it or not, this Dodge Charger was found in Sweden by Johan Eriksson, who painstakingly restored it to ‘beyond brand new’.

It was initially a race car but years of neglect had caused severe deterioration to the bodywork. Thankfully, Eriksson and his small team, managed to restore the car completely with the use of various different parts. Many of the interior’s trim pieces were crafted from aluminium.

Despite what it may look like, this 1968 Dodge Charger RTR is far from stock. In fact, it has more in common with Frankenstein than an original bearing its namesake. The car sits on a Corvette Chassis and is powered by a twin turbo V10 engine from a Viper.

It caused a bit of a stir at SEMA this year, where many stopped and took notice of the excellent level of workmanship that was carried out. The entire restoration process was tastefully done, allowing the car to look almost bone-stock from the outside, but revolutionary on the inside.

Check out the latest Jay Leno’s Garage video and let us know what you think of Eriksson’s creation and whether his efforts deserve more praise.