4
Tim Pollard,
24 April 2012 14:58
1) The Chinese market is the answer to western companies woesThe longest established western brands in China are the ones whose cash tills are ringing loudest. Market leaders VW and GM saw China's potential early and are now reaping the benefit, and still latecomers are scrambling into the Orient. Volkswagen's runt of the litter, Seat, is the latest arrival - ...
4
Gavin Green,
23 April 2012 17:26
In Beijing, the smog is appalling and the traffic dreadful. Outside, we are ringed by coal-burning power stations, trying to fuel the city’s insatiable appetite for energy. The air is so bad you can taste it and feel it when you breathe. China’s newly enriched middle class also has an insatiable appetite for personal mobility, and you can’t blame them ...
4
Greg Fountain,
20 April 2012 16:42
News of the threatened strike at the Mini plant in Oxford is frustrating and disappointing. The last thing anybody on either side wants is a dispute which will damage all parties, and which would mark a return to the bad old days of the last industrial action in 1984, when Rover was running the show. It’s especially tricky at a ...
4.5
Gavin Green,
16 April 2012 14:32
Every time I go to a so called 'developing' country I am reminded of the wonderful appeal of old well-used cars. India and Morocco happen to be two of my favourite destinations. One of their appeals is the horde of old cars - aged Fiats and Morrises in India, ancient Peugeots and Mercedes in Morocco - still providing loyal service ...
Ben Barry recently drove to the site of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in a Land Rover Discovery. While the company's busy driving from its UK headquarters to Beijing to celebrate the millionth Disco built, CAR managed to snaffle a 4x4 to drive across the Ukraine. Watch Ben Barry's video diary in our player above as he drives into the perimeter ...
- Blogs
- Stuff Weve Done
- 13 April 2012
3.5
Greg Fountain,
12 April 2012 11:32
There’s a lot of smoke blowing around right now on the subject of Lotus and whether it has a future. I don’t have the inside track on this, but the amount of mud-slinging from commentators and the reciprocal mud being chucked back by the Hethel PR machine suggest something is ‘going on’ Anyone who loves cars should love Lotus, and ...
3.5
Ben Barry,
12 April 2012 07:02
Where Audi is intent on creating cars for market segments that don’t yet exist, the Subaru BRZ/Toyota GT86 sports coupe twins do almost the opposite: they have a market segment all to themselves – the £25k, rear-wheel drive sports coupe market – because everyone else has abandoned it. In decades gone by, young tearaways would have had their pick of ...
By day, Dyson employees are known for their innovative household products, such as cyclone vacuum cleaners and bladeless fans. However, it appears that by night, Dyson's 650 engineers moonlight as a wannabe land speed record team, judging by the evidence in this video above... A load of hot air? The premise behind this after-hours project was simple. Using whatever spare parts ...
- Blogs
- Weird Stuff
- 12 April 2012
4
Ben Oliver,
10 April 2012 11:01
As rumours swirl about the future of Lotus and its boss Dany Bahar, one senior executive remains fully committed to the Norfolk car maker. The only problem New York rapper Swizz Beatz, 'vice president of creative design and global marketing at Lotus', seems to have is how to fit his ‘entourage’ (every rapper must have one) into his two-seat company ...
3.5
Gavin Green,
03 April 2012 09:00
This is the tale of two Volkswagens. One risible. One righteous. The new VW Up is a brilliant little car. From its tough yet well-textured cabin, to its composed ride quality, to its tuneful three-cylinder engine, to its outstanding space efficiency, this is one of the finest small cars I’ve driven. Unlike the brilliant Audi A2 – the Volkswagen Group’s ...
