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Aston Martin V12 Speedster – inspired by the F/A-18 jet fighter

Conceived a little over 12 months ago, the Aston Martin V12 Speedster has undergone an intensive development programme, going from drawing board to production reality within that short period. Demonstrating the skills and meticulous planning of ‘Q by Aston Martin’ and Aston Martin Design, the V12 Speedster is a living showcar, using engineering ingenuity and advanced materials.

Denied of a global debut at the Geneva International Motor Show which was cancelled at the last minute, Aston Martin nevertheless went ahead with an announcement of the car’s debut at its UK headquarters.

“It makes me enormously proud to reveal Aston Martin’s latest, most exciting special model. The V12 Speedster is an incredible demonstration of the breadth of capability and determination from the ‘Q by Aston Martin’ team, who have worked tirelessly to create this stunning, two-seat sports car aimed at our most demanding and enthusiastic customers,” said Aston Martin Lagonda President & Group CEO, Dr. Andy Palmer.

Inspiration from a jet fighter
The V12 Speedster draws inspiration from both the brand’s rich racing history and aeronautical design. The debut model, for example, has a conceptual F/A-18 Super Hornet jet fighter livery which will be available to customers. Born from an exciting new collaboration with Boeing and created by the brand’s bespoke customisation service, this striking car is finished in Skyfall Silver, with contrasting satin black on the exhaust tips, vent grilles and vanes.

*The F/A-18 Super Hornet which inspired the designers of the V12 Speedster*

Utilising Aston Martin’s latest bonded aluminium architecture, the V12 Speedster incorporates elements from both the DBS Superleggera and Vantage model lines to create its own unique platform. With independent double wishbone front, and multi-link rear suspension with coil springs and adaptive damping offering Sport, Sport+ and Track modes, the V12 Speedster also benefits from standard 21-inch forged centre lock alloy wheels. Carbon Ceramic Brakes of 410 mm diameter on the front axle and 360 mm at the rear are also standard equipment.

Over the V12 Speedster’s unique chassis is a bespoke body constructed almost entirely from carbonfibre. No roof or screen, a big engine, low, with broad shoulders and exaggerated and emotional styling with twin humps and the spine separating the driver and passenger. The light, low, rear end contrasts with the bold, enlarged grille, unique headlights and bonnet nostril at the front.

2-seat interior with purposeful look
The dark theme is carried through to the interior, with satin dark chrome, machined aluminium, black leather, black technical textile, black carpets and vivid red Aston Martin scripted door pulls, creating a purposeful look.

The interior specification pushes new boundaries, using a mix of traditional and modern materials. Structural satin carbonfibre contrasts with traditional hand-crafted Saddle Leather, chrome, aluminium and even 3D-printed rubber.

Aston Martin V12 Speedster — *The seats do not eject (at least Aston Martin didn’t say so) but you probably need a helmet when going at 300 km/h with no roof on the car!*

Visually and physically, the interior reduces mass, for a leaner, efficient style but one that retains all the emotion and craftsmanship Aston Martins are renowned for. In front of the passenger is a removable leather bag in place of a traditional glovebox, while there’s additional storage space under the rear bumps for luggage.

3.5 seconds to get to 100 km/h
Powering the V12 Speedster is Aston Martin’s 5.2-litre, Twin-Turbo V12 engine with peak output of 700 bhp/753 Nm. Front mid-mounted, the all-alloy, quad-cam 48-valve engine is mated to a ZF 8-speed automatic transmission with a limited-slip differential driving the rear wheels. Aston Martin says the V12 Speedster can accelerate to 100 km/h from standstill in 3.5 seconds. After that, it can continue to a top speed of over 300 km/h but is electronically limited to that maximum speed, which is about the speed at which the F/A-18 starts to leave the ground.

Orders are now being taken for the 88 units that will be built, with prices starting at £765,000 (about RM4.15 million). The first customers are expected to have the V12 Speedster in their driveway during the first quarter of 2021.

DBX – the first-ever Aston Martin SUV is unveiled today, priced from RM798,000 (w/VIDEO)

Big reduction in fuel prices!

Peugeot 208 wins sixth European Car of the Year award for the brand

Just a few days before its opening, the Geneva International Motor Show 2020 was cancelled by force majeure – the coronavirus outbreak – following an order by the Swiss government forbidding events 1,000 or more people. An annual event which has always been looked forward to for the unveiling of new models and concept cars, it was a disappointment.

One of the events for the motorshow was the announcement of the European Car of the Year 2020 (ECOTY), perhaps the oldest COTY as it began way back in 1964 with the first winner being the Rover 2000. However, the management at Palexpo, where the motorshow has been held for a long time, allowed the announcement of Car of the Year 2020 as scheduled.

Seven finalists were nominated by the jury which consisted of almost 60 motoring journalists and experts from over 20 countries (including Russia). They were the BMW 1-Series, Ford Puma, Peugeot 208, Porsche Taycan, Renault Clio, Tesla Model 3 and Toyota Corolla.

2020 Peugeot 208 — *The 2020 winner – Peugeot 208*

It was the Peugeot hatchback that collected the most points – 281 – followed by the Tesla Model 3 with 242 points. Third was the Porsche Taycan with 222 points. It is notable that all three models are EVs (the Peugeot also has an all-electric variant). The first EV model to win the ECOTY was the Nissan LEAF in 2011 although the first electrified model to get the top award was the Toyota Prius Hybrid in 2005.

The scores for the other finalists were 221 points for the Renault Clio, 209 points for the Ford Puma, 152 points for the Toyota Corolla and 133 points for the BMW 1-Series.

Three powertrain choices for 208
The jury was impressed by the Peugeot’s engine range – electric, petrol and diesel – which gives customers more choices. It also appreciated the bold design and technology of the car which was launched in October last year. Nearly 110,000 customers have ordered a Peugeot 208 and 15% of them have chosen the all-electric version.

The latest award for Peugeot makes it six for the French brand, putting it among the top three of the ECOTY list. The first Peugeot model to win the ECOTY title was the 504 in 1969. Fiat currently leads with nine awards since the 124 model in 1967.

Eligible models for each year’s ECOTY are selected from the many newcomers over the previous 12 months. They must be new models, not simply changed cosmetically or by the installation of a new powertrain. They must also be in production and sold in at least 5 European countries when the jury starts voting.

1964 Rover 2000 — *Rover 2000 was the first Car of the Year winner in 1964.*

Only 12 people will get to own this super exclusive Bentley Bacalar (w/VIDEO)

This is the rarest two-door Bentley of the modern era, a definitive Grand Tourer that spearheads a return to coachbuilding by Bentley Mulliner – the oldest coachbuilder in the world. Just 12 examples of this striking, limited edition model – called the Bacalar – are being created, guaranteeing rarity and exclusivity.

This exceptionally rare car is appropriately named after Laguna Bacalar in Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula, a lake renowned for its breathtaking natural beauty, continuing Bentley’s strategy of naming cars after remarkable landmarks which started with Bentayga in 2015.

The Bacalar has a roofless Barchetta design with all-new and highly muscular coachwork. With a myriad of options and materials, each Bacalar will be truly unique, the result of direct interaction between the Bentley Mulliner design team and the individual customer.

The most exclusive two-door Bentley of the modern era also launches a new Bentley Mulliner operation, part of a new strategy that will see the division offer three different portfolios: Classic, Collections and Coachbuilt.

“The Bentley Mulliner Bacalar is our ultimate expression of an open-top, luxury grand tourer, and of the immense capabilities of our team in Crewe. In Bacalar, we have created a fully bespoke Bentley, orientated towards a two-seat open-top experience, and carrying a number of the forward thinking elements of future luxury, first heralded in our EXP100GT as part of our Centenary celebrations last year,” said Adrian Hallmark, Chairman & CEO of Bentley Motors.

Truly exclusive bodywork
The Bacalar shares no body panel with any other car in the Bentley model line-up and derives inspiration from the EXP 100 GT concept car. Indeed, it only shares one exterior component with a Continental GT – the door handle, simply because it contains the keyless entry system.

Pure in line and execution, the distinctive, wraparound cockpit flows from a new, steeply angled centre console seamlessly into the dashboard and doors. These then wrap rearwards towards the semi-enclosed luggage compartment behind the two seats.

At the heart of the centre console is the now famous Bentley Rotating Display. This digital MMI display has been elegantly designed by Bentley with a customer-configurable home screen. The system involves 40 moving parts and revolves the Riverwood veneer when the engine is started to reveal the high-resolution touchscreen.

5,000-year old wood
Sustainable, ethically-sourced materials previewed in the EXP 100 GT concept car last year have now become reality in the Bacalar – just 8 months after first being previewed. These include paint containing ash from rice husks, which provides a sustainable way of delivering a rich metallic finish, natural British wool and 5,000-year-old Riverwood sourced from the ancient Fenlands of East Anglia.

The Bacalar is powered by an enhanced version of Bentley’s 6.0-litre, W12 TSI engine. Claimed to be the most advanced 12-cylinder engine in the world, it produces 659 ps/900 Nm. An advanced Active All-Wheel-Drive System varies the torque split between front and rear wheels. It allows the Bacalar to use rear-wheel drive as much as possible during normal driving for optimum efficiency and dynamic performance.

All 12 cars have already been allocated to customers around the world, each of whom would have paid a deposit based on a price believed to start from £1.5 million (around RM8 million).

UMW Toyota Motor recalls Toyota and Lexus vehicles for fuel pump replacement

Following a global recall of a number of Toyota and Lexus models, UMW Toyota Motor Sdn Bhd (UMWT) has announced a Special Service Campaign (SSC) to replace a fuel pump. In Malaysia, Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) has identified around 12,000 units of Toyota models (Alphard, Camry, Corolla, Innova and Fortuner) and 1,500 units of Lexus models (GS300, GS350, IS300, LC500/500H, LS460, LS500/500H, LS600H, NX200T/300H, RC350/300H, RX350/450H and RX350/450)

The vehicles were manufactured between 2013 and 2019 and distributed by UMWT. The company stresses that models not listed above are not affected by this recall.

*Lexus NX is among the models which need to have the fuel pump replaced.*

The issue with the fuel pump is that it may stop operating. If this were to occur, warning lights and messages may be displayed on the instrument panel, and engine power hesitation may happen. This may result in the vehicle stalling and being unable to restart. TMC is concerned that this could increase the risk of a crash while driving at higher speeds.

UMWT will officially notify affected vehicle owners to bring their vehicles in for the replacement of the fuel pump unit. There will be no charges for the parts and labour involved in this SSC.

If you own one of the vehicles listed and it was manufactured between 2013 and 2019 (and distributed through the authorised Toyota and Lexus network) but do not receive any notification from UMWT, you can contact any authorised Toyota Service Centre or call the Toyota Freephone at 1800-8-TOYOTA (869682) for assistance. For Lexus owners, contact authorised Lexus Service Centres or call the Lexus Freephone at 1800-22-LEXUS (53987).

Goodyear reCharge tyre creates its own treads when needed (w/VIDEO)

Ever since the pneumatic tyre was invented, motorists have had to live with the possibility of the air inside leaking out due to being punctured by a nail or damage from hitting a pothole. Loss of air pressure, which is what keeps the tyre in its hard shape to roll along, means the tyre cannot be used and has to be replaced. Not something you want when you are on the way to a meeting or a holiday resort.

Various solutions have been developed over the years which try to keep the tyre usable even when the air is gone. Run-flat tyres are capable of continuing even when deflated, though at limited speeds and for a limited distance. Obviously, they need to be replaced or repaired as soon as possible.

More specialised tyres for off-road use have flexible foam inside which can maintain the tyre shape even when air has leaked out.

Regenerating the tread
Now Goodyear is taking another approach with a prototype tyre it calls recharge. This is reloadable and has a tread compound that can be recharged with individual capsules, radically simplifying the process of replacing your tyres.

Filled with a customized liquid compound, these capsules allow the tread to regenerate and the tyre to adapt over time to climatic circumstances, road conditions, or simply how you want to travel. Thanks to artificial intelligence, a driver profile would be created around which the liquid compound would be customized, generating a compound blend tailored to each individual.

The compound itself would be made from a biological material and would be reinforced with fibres inspired by one of the toughest natural materials in the world – spider silk. This would make it both extremely durable and 100% biodegradable.

No maintenance needed
In addition to radically simplifying the process of replacing tyres using the rechargeable capsules, the tread would be supported by a lightweight, non-pneumatic frame and tall-and-narrow shape. This is a thin, robust low-maintenance construction that would eliminate the need for pressure maintenance or downtime related to punctures.

“Goodyear wants the tyre to be an even more powerful contributor to answering consumers’ specific mobility needs,” said Mike Rytokoski, Vice-President and Chief Marketing Officer, Goodyear Europe, “It was with that ambition that we set out to create a concept tyre primed for the future of personalized and convenient electric mobility.”

Recharge is just a concept for now although it could become one of the features of tyres of the future. Only thing is, if the tread can be regenerated, then the tyres doesn’t need to be replaced. That’s good for the environment but is it going to be good for company business?