Home - Piston.my

New Beetle could be an EV and look similar to original

There might be some good news for classic Beetle fans in the near future. Volkswagen’s Chairman Herbert Diess, admitted to Autocar UK in an interview that “The next decision on electric cars will be what kind of emotional concepts we need”.

He was referring to the idea of using VW’s modular platform called MEB (Modular Electric Baukasten) to underpin future models like the Microbus and Beetle. The former, which was previewed as the ID Buzz Concept, will be put into production by 2022.

The Microbus is a modern interpretation of the original VW Bus and by using the MEB platform, they could place the electric motors at the rear, mimicking the original’s engine and transmission layout. The same could be done for the Beetle if the company does decide to introduce a retro-modern one.

Utilizing this EV platform, the modern Beetle could sport similar traits and drivetrain layout that isn’t dissimilar to what the original car used. That said, Diess was quick to quash the idea that any solid plans have already been made about the future of the new Beetle.

What he did admit however, is that the new Beetle, if given the green light for production, will probably be an electric vehicle and will utilize the MEB platform. Evidently, the MEB can be used used to underpin a variety of different vehicles of various sizes and dimensions.

Though it will be sometime before we hear more about this, its comforting to know that the classic Beetle might get a reboot in the not so distant future. Despite several attempts in the past to recreate its success, VW has fallen short of enthusiasts’ expectations. Instead of starting from scratch, Volkswagen opted to use the Golf platform to underpin the Beetle.

Though ‘The Beetle’ and ‘New Beetle’ resembled the original somewhat, their engines were front-mounted and were also front-wheel-drive. But with MEB, the electric motors could be rear-mounted and as such, allow for design and cosmetic features that retain the essence of the original car.

Source:Autocar UK

Alfa Romeo honored by Irish Car of the Year Awards

Leave it to the Italians to make amazing cars, and they will outdo themselves every time. Such is the case with Alfa Romeo’s Giulia, which has been recognized at the prestigious 41st annual Irish Car of the Year Awards 2018. It managed to edge out other entries in what was regarded as ‘stiff competition’ from established brands.

The standard Guila took home the award in the ‘Medium Car’ category while its more powerful sibling, the Quadrifoglio emerged victorious in the ‘Performance Car’ category. Alfa Romeo says these recognitions are a testament to its heritage and the ability of its team to continue to produce some of the best driver’s cars on sale today.

Alfa Romeo has always been known to produce some of the nicest looking cars in the world, but in terms of driving enjoyment, it’s either been ‘hit or miss’ in most cases. But when it came to the Giulia, the Italian marque managed to summon the best engineers and designers under the Fiat Chrysler Autombiles (FCA) umbrella to create an absolute masterpiece.

It’s innovative powertrains, good weight distribution, cutting edge tech and best weight-to-power ratio in its class, have made many in the automotive industry stop and take notice. This year’s Irish Car Awards jury panel consisted of 30 members of the Irish media’s most influential online, broadcast and print journalists.

Speaking of the achievement, Paul Hunt, Managing Director FCA Ireland, said, “The Irish Car of the Year jury have recognised the passion and dedication that has been gone into making the Giulia and has made it into a car that can be chosen with both the head and the heart.”

The standard Giulia is powered by a 2.0-litre petrol engine while the more powerful Quadrifoglio comes with the 2.9-litre V6 powerplant. At the moment, Alfa Romeo doesn’t have a local distributor here in Malaysia to support the brand, but we hope that changes sometime in the near future.

General Motors helps reunite two soldiers after fateful day

As a touching gesture and to support its partnership with the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, General Motors reunited two U.S. Army soldiers after a gap of 5 years. The duo are Staff Sgt. Eric Myers and Medic Steven Rooker, who crossed paths under unfortunate circumstances.

In 2012, Myers was serving his third deployment in Afghanistan with the 82nd Airborne Division when he stepped on an IED (Improvised Explosive Device). As a result of this, Myers suffered serious injuries and lost both legs above the knee.

Rooker, who was close by at the time, sprung into action to stabilize Myers until he could be airlifted our for more advanced medical treatment. Since that day, the two haven’t met but GM decided to reunite them as part of its efforts to support the foundation’s Building for America’s Bravest (BFAB) programme.

As a proud primary sponsor of such a programme, GMC has pledged more than $2 million (RM8.4 million) in 2017 toward building smart homes for catastrophically injured service members. The automaker is also heavily involved in this area to raise awareness for injured veterans.

Since the partnership was forged between GM and the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, General Motors has provided more than $4 million (RM16.8 million) and contributed to building 66 smart homes. The target is to build 200 smart homes nationwide and raise an additional $1 million (RM4.2 million) through the end of 2017 to build more homes for deserving service members.

Dodge Ram 1500 Hydro Blue Sport signals end of an era

Dodge has announced a special edition variant of its ever popular Ram 1500 pick-truck as a send off for the 2017 model year vehicle. Called the 2018 Ram 1500 Hydro Blue Sport, the Blue body-coloured vehicle features a black-decaled performance hood, body-colored grille with black billet inserts and black R-A-M letter badges, as well as other upgrades.

Apart from this, the vehicle also receives a body colored front fascia, rear bumper, side mirrors and door handles. The 4×2 model rolls on 22-inch aluminum wheels while the 4×4 one, gets slightly smaller polished 20-inch ones.

On the inside, this particular Ram gets blue colour-matched highlight stitching on the instrument panel, heated steering wheel and door trim. There’s also Blue Sport accents spread throughout including the Ram head logos that are on the headrests. Blue anodized surfaces make up the instrument panel bezels, center console trim and door spears.

“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.

“Enthusiasts demand that their trucks get noticed and our Ram 1500 Sport lineup delivers a durable, powerful alternative with great visual appeal,” he added.

According to the automaker, there will only be 2,000 examples of the Hydo Blue Ram will ever be produced for the US market, which should make it a rare offering. That said, the Hydro Blue pearl paint job is available as an option for customers who purchase a Ram 1500 Sport crew cab with short-bed body styles and the 5.7-liter HEMI® V-8.

The Ram 1500 Hydro Blue Sport will go on sale this month and should be of interest to those looking for a pick-up truck with far more street credibility.

The American to be axed from The Grand Tour

According to a recent post on twitter, The Grand Tour’s Season 2 will proceed without the presence of The American. Representing Amazon’s version of The Stig, The American character was played by Mike Skinner, a former NASCAR Driver.

Skinner admitted on Twitter that the second season will go on without him, stating that ‘his character wasn’t developed as he was told’. Unlike the universal likability of the Stig, Amazon’s character received a lukewarm welcome.

FYI I won't be joining the guys on @thegrandtour 2nd season – I wish them all the luck. My character wasn't developed as I was told.

— Mike Skinner (@MSTheGunslinger) November 7, 2017

The Stig was known for his cool and calm demeanor, which were virtues that The American lacked completely. His repulsive nature and complete lack of etiquette became a bit tiresome after the first few episodes. And despite his impressive car control skills around the test track, it wasn’t enough to win over the show’s audience.

and I agree with many of you that it sucked – if you're gonna wear Evil Knievel's firesuit, you need to be Evil Flipping Knievel! Peace out

— Mike Skinner (@MSTheGunslinger) November 7, 2017

Now that this news is official, one can’t help but wonder who will take over from The American as The Grand Tour’s tame racing driver. The Stig is considered part of the BBC and as such, Clarkson, Hammond and May aren’t legally allowed to have a similar figure in their current show.

There’s a possibility that the hot lap segment might be scuttled entirely mirroring the decision to put to pasture the travelling studio tent. Whatever the case maybe, we hope that Season 2 brings us the same thrills and spills we have come to expect from the Amazon exclusive show.

Volvo XC60 earns top marks in crash tests

Thatcham Research is an independent advocate of automotive safety & repair as well as an adviser to motorists, insurers and vehicle manufacturers in aiding the reduction in accident frequency, severity and costs. This world leader in crash safety and research, has awarded the Volvo XC60 with top marks for vehicle safety.

In fact, the Swede scored 95% in the Safety Assist category, which is about 40% higher than the average for cars that were tested this year. Contributing to this stellar score was its Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) system that scored maximum points when tested at highway speeds and was successful at avoiding all collisions.

“The new Volvo XC60 has “aced” the exacting test protocols,” said Matthew Avery director of research at Thatcham Research. “It’s exceedingly rare for a vehicle to score so favourably across the board. The adult occupant protection result for the Volvo XC60 is one of the best on record.”

“But it’s in active safety that Volvo is really maintaining its lead. The XC60’s standard-fit safety technologies are excellent – or rather those that we were able to test, as its Turn Across Path and Run off Road systems are not yet a feature of the Euro NCAP programme,” he added.

Other SUVs that were tested during the same period included the Citroën C3 Aircross, Opel / Vauxhhall Crossland X, VW T-Roc, Skoda Karoq and Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross. All of them performed relatively well by achieving the Euro NCAP 5-star rating respectively.

Besides crash and track research, Thatcham Research also conducts tests and accredits crash repair parts, vehicle repair technicians, as well as others services. The acquired data is then used to benefit the collision repair industry for insurers, motor manufacturers, equipment manufacturers and suppliers.