McLaren P1 GTR gets Ayrton Senna MSO makeover

https://ift.tt/2BBekHY

Luke Wilkinson 2018-12-20 13:00

McLaren Special Operations creates unique P1 wrapped in Ayrton Senna’s iconic Marlboro livery, marking 30 years since his first F1 title

McLaren Special Operations (MSO) has created a unique McLaren P1 GTR, wrapped in the same iconic Marlboro livery which featured on Ayrton Senna’s 1988 McLaren MP4/4 Formula 1 racing car. The one-off model commemorates the 30th anniversary of the racing driver’s first Formula 1 World Championship win.

It was commissioned by a private collector, and is a faithful replication of Senna’s livery. Finished in McLaren Rocket Red and Anniversary White, the entire design was hand-painted in a painstaking process which took more than 800 hours to complete.

• McLaren Senna review

Details on this bespoke McLaren P1 GTR includes Senna’s race number 12, Senna branded exterior script, the Brazilian’s “Driven to Perfection” slogan on the doors and intake, and Brazilian flags on the car’s flanks.

Image 2 of 8

Image 2 of 8

Nicknamed “Beco” by the owner, and designed with the blessing of Senna’s family, this modified P1 GTR also includes a 24-carat gold heat-shield, a Lexan engine cover, new engine bay shrouds and a range of exterior modifications.

Outside, “Beco” has been fitted with a new front splitter, new dive planes, an updated rear diffuser and a larger rear wing, which is supposed to echo the wing fitted to Senna’s 1988 F1 car. These modifications mean that this one-off P1 GTR now generates up to 800kg of downforce.

The interior features of range of F1-inspired modifications, including an Alcantara-trimmed steering wheel (colour-matched to Senna’s wheel, of course), racing seats from the McLaren Senna, an Alcantara-trimmed fascia panel, as well as Senna-branded dash and door panels.

Now read our review of the standard McLaren P1. Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below... 

Associated Advanced Gallery 

McLaren P1 GTR gets Ayrton Senna MSO makeover - pictures

from Featured Articles https://ift.tt/2SbHAML

Lexus RX and NX SUVs revised for 2019

https://ift.tt/2EyhQ9h

Luke Wilkinson 2018-12-20 11:54

Japanese firm’s mid-size and large SUVs receive a range of updates for the 2019 model year

Lexus has updated its large and mid-size SUVs, the RX and NX, with a range of new trim and technology options for 2019. Due to go on sale next year, prices for the new RX start at £49,700, while the new NX is priced from £35,950.

Both models will adopt Lexus’ latest three-tier trim structure, giving customers the choice of a base model (badged only as “RX” or “NX,” according to the car), a mid-range model (badged as “F Sport”) and a range-topper (badged as “Takumi”). Lexus will also provide a range of option packs for both models.

• Best SUVs and 4x4s to buy

The base-model Lexus RX comes as standard with 18-inch alloy wheels, leather upholstery, heated and cooled front seats, an eight-inch infotainment system and front and rear parking sensors. Only one engine is available across the range; a 3.5-litre V6 petrol-hybrid with 308bhp, and claimed economy of up to 37.4mpg.

The RX F Sport models, priced from £55,200, adds a heated steering wheel, adaptive suspension, a powered hands-free tailgate, an aluminum pedal set, F Sport steering wheel and a revised grille.

Range-topping RX Takumi models are priced from £61,700 and include power-folding and heated rear seats, a head-up display, a 15-speaker Mark Levinson stereo, blind spot monitoring system, automatic LED headlights and memory settings for the electric seats, steering wheel and door mirrors.

Lexus NX: 2019 updates revealed

The new NX follows the same trim pattern as the RX, with the base model coming as standard with 18-inch alloys, heated front seats and an eight-inch touchscreen display. All models come with a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol-hybrid with 192bhp, and economy figures of up to 54.3mpg.

NX F Sport models are priced from £41,500, adding an F-Sport steering wheel, a set of F-Sport 18-inch alloy wheels, a range of F-Sport exterior styling details, LED headlamps, a powered tailgate and leather upholstery.

The range-topping Takumi trim starts at £45,500 and gives the NX a panoramic roof, heated and ventilated front seats, a head-up display, a 14-speaker Mark Levinson stereo, blind spot monitoring and a 360-degree view camera.

Both the RX and the NX can be specced with a range of optional extras, available for purchase in packages. The premium pack, priced at £3,000 for the RX and £2,450 for the NX, gives both models 20-inch alloys, larger infotainment display screens, heated steering wheels keyless entry and go and wireless smartphone chargers.

Lexus will also supply a Tech and Safety pack for its RX models only. Priced at £2,400, it adds a range of driver convenience technologies, including rear cross traffic alert, automatic emergency braking and auto-folding/auto-dimming door mirrors.

Now read our reviews on the Lexus RX and Lexus NX here...

 

from Featured Articles https://ift.tt/2EFKB4G

Congestion Charge exemption to end for electric cars

https://ift.tt/2GubXwo

Tristan Shale-Hester 2018-12-20 11:39

Discounts for alternatively fuelled vehicles to be phased out; Uber and other private hire taxi firms to start paying next year

Electric vehicles (EVs) will be required to pay the congestion charge from December 2025, as discounts for alternatively fuelled vehicles (AFVs) are phased out from next year.

From 8 April 2019, only cars capable of achieving zero emissions – such as plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) and electric vehicles (EVs) – will be exempt from the Congestion Charge.

• Mayor of London announces van scrappage scheme

The rules will tighten even further in October 2021, when only full EVs will qualify for exemption. However, this discount will expire in December 2025, at which point EVs will be required to pay the levy.

In addition, private hire vehicles from Uber and other minicab companies will also have to start paying the congestion charge from April next year, when the new Ultra Low Emissions Zone is implemented.

The plans from Transport for London (TfL) and the Mayor of London follow a public consultation that received more than 10,000 responses – the majority of which supported the measures – and include replacing the Ultra Low Emission Discount with a new phased Cleaner Vehicle Discount (CVD) designed to “incentivise only the cleanest vehicles to drive in central London”.

It has also been announced that, under the new plans, PHEVs that do not meet the CVD standard or are not wheelchair-accessible will have their exemption from the Congestion Charge removed as well.

TfL hopes the changes will reduce the number of PHEVs circulating the Congestion Charging Zone by up to 8,000 a day.

• First public EV charging lamp posts installed in London

The plans also include incentives to get taxi drivers to switch to new zero emission-capable vehicles, including a delicensing fund – providing up to £10,000 for drivers who trade in older, dirtier vehicles earlier – a £2.5m fund to help drivers of newer Euro 5 taxis convert to cleaner LPG fuel and a consultation early next year on a phased reduction in maximum taxi age limits for the dirtiest vehicles from 15 years to 12 years by 2022.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: “We have to make tough decisions to protect the health and wellbeing of Londoners and tackle harmful emissions from the most polluting vehicles.

“We've prioritised cleaning up our bus fleet and the early introduction of the 24-hour Ultra Low Emission Zone in central London. Now we need private hire vehicles and taxis to play their part and help us clean up our filthy air.”

What do you think of the new Congestion Charge rules? Let us know in the comments below...

from Featured Articles https://ift.tt/2SaAaJt

JLR develops auto-opening door for disabled drivers

https://ift.tt/2SWt8Io

Luke Wilkinson 2018-12-19 16:23

JLR develops prototype door which can open and close automatically, giving disabled motorists easier access to their vehicles

Jaguar Land Rover has developed a mobility door that opens automatically as the driver approaches through a combination of motion sensors, existing keyless entry technology and gesture control.

Once on board, occupants close the mobility door with an overhead button, removing the need to reach for the handle. Jaguar Land Rover say this technology could make life significantly easier for disabled drivers, a third of whom report that using a car presents difficulties. JLR also says the technology could be useful for drivers entering their cars when carrying heavy items.

• Best Motability cars

The system was developed over the course of six months, before its trial fitment to the British company’s Range Rover Sport. Jaguar Land Rover hope the technology will be relevant to all its future models, finding particular use in shared mobility vehicles.

Radar sensors in the driver’s door detect cars and other obstacles to prevent damage when the door automatically swings open. The car’s infotainment system shows the status of each door, as well as allowing the operation of the two front doors. The software can also be used to programme the doors to automatically close and lock behind the driver when they walk away from the vehicle.

Jaguar Land Rover worked with the gold-medal-winning, triple-amputee, Invictus athlete, Mark Ormrod during the prototype’s development. He praised the system, saying: “opening and closing the car door may seem like such an insignificant task to many people but sometimes it’s the small, everyday obstacles which people take for granted that are most frustrating to overcome for those living with disabilities.”

What are your thoughts on Jaguar Land Rover’s mobility door? Let us know in the comments below…

 

from Featured Articles https://ift.tt/2R9b4h0

Hyundai develops fingerprint recognition system to unlock and start its cars

https://ift.tt/2R9Wu8I

Luke Wilkinson 2018-12-19 12:45

The system will be available in China from early 2019, allowing buyers to unlock and start their vehicles with fingerprints

Hyundai has developed a fingerprint recognition system which allows drivers to unlock and start their cars without the need for a conventional key. It is due to be launched in China during the first quarter of 2019 and will appear first on the Hyundai Santa Fe SUV. 

Drivers will register their fingerprint to the car before using the system. Fingerprint scanners in the door handle and on the car’s start button will then recognise the driver when used, granting access and starting the engine.

• All the latest in the build to CES 2019

Multiple drivers can register their fingerprints and Hyundai says that the system will automatically adjust the driving position, mirrors, climate control and steering settings according to each individual user.

The system is secured through human capacitance, or natural stored electric charge, to prevent fingerprint forgery and vehicle theft. So, if the fingerprint scanners read the correct fingerprint, but detect no electrical charge, the vehicle will remain locked and the engine will not start.

Hyundai says the system is reliable, with an error rate of one in 50,000. Supposedly, the scanners will resist the sun’s rays, and have been built to withstand heat and cold to prevent drivers from being locked outside their cars in extreme weather. 

Keen for more automotive technology news? Read our article on the 2019 Consumer Electronics Show right here...

from Featured Articles https://ift.tt/2GDLnBg

Government agrees security standards to prevent driverless cars being hacked

https://ift.tt/2R6xOhw

Hugo Griffiths 2018-12-19 12:40

JLR, Bentley and Ford join forces with Department for Transport to develop cyber security guidelines for self-driving cars

A set of official security and operating standards for driverless cars has been developed by a number of car companies and academic institutions.

Jaguar Land Rover, Ford and Bentley have collaborated with the Department for Transport in devising The Fundamental Principles of Automotive Cyber Security. The guidelines – while not mandatory- provide a framework to prevent future autonomous and connected cars from coming under the control of hackers, while also ensuring the safe storage and management users’ data.

• All you need to know about autonomus driving

The document is aimed at car companies and their suppliers, and is based on previous principles developed by the DfT and the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles. These set out that self-driving and connected vehicles must be able to resist their sensors being jammed by hackers, and must automatically report hacking attempts to the relevant companies. Autonomous cars must also have fail-safe systems to protect road users and occupants if the self-driving cars malfunction.

The Government is determined to put the UK at the forefront of autonomous vehicles, an industry ministers expect to be worth £52 billion by 2035. Commenting on the new guidelines, Jesse Norman, minister of state for transport, said: “As vehicles get smarter, major opportunities for the future of mobility increase. But so too do the challenges posed by data theft and hacking.”

Norman added the new standards “should help to improve the resilience and readiness of the industry, and help keep the UK at the forefront of advancing transport technology.”

What do you think about autonmous cars? Let us know in the comments below...

from Featured Articles https://ift.tt/2GDLiNY

Black cabs up to 30 times more polluting than cars

https://ift.tt/2SaHYev

Tristan Shale-Hester 2018-12-19 12:35

Research finds the most common London taxis emit up to 30 times as much NOx as personal petrol cars of the same age

The most common models of the iconic London black cab emit up to 30 times the amount of NOx as personal petrol cars of the same age, according to emissions experts.

The data from The Real Urban Emissions Initiative (TRUE) shows average NOx emissions per kilogram of fuel used from black cabs have increased over the past five years. The research also suggests Euro 5 black cabs are producing at least 50 per cent more NOx than older Euro 3 and 4 models.

• Meter glitch halts new London black cab rollout

TRUE’s findings came from measurements of real-world NOx, particulate and CO2 emissions from more than 100,000 vehicles – including taxis and buses – on the streets of London. The data was acquired using in-vehicle portable emissions measurement systems (PEMS) and well as remote sensing, which sees light beams shone through vehicles’ exhaust fumes.

The negative ratings for black cabs can be expected to change with the recent introduction of the electric LEVC TX. The latest generation of London taxi is powered by a battery pack and a small range-extending petrol engine, making it effectively zero emission in most circumstances.

• London Taxi Company loses appeal to trademark black cab shape

As for standard passenger cars, it was revealed Euro 5 models and older are responsible for 60 per cent of Greater London’s NOx emissions from that vehicle type.

Meanwhile, the capital’s Euro 5 and Euro 6 diesel cars produce, on average, six times more NOx than the equivalent petrol models. In contrast, average NOx emissions from London’s bus fleet have fallen 65 per cent in the last five years.

• Black cabs to map London for future autonomous cars under new deal

Commenting on the data, London’s Mayor, Sadiq Khan, who recently announced a van scrappage scheme for small business owners, said: “We all need to play a part in cleaning up our toxic air and while I am encouraged that almost 1,000 taxi drivers have switched to cleaner electric taxis, this damning report really highlights why we need to accelerate their uptake.”

Should more be done to encourage cab drivers to upgrade their vehicles? Let us know your thoughts in the comments...

from Featured Articles https://ift.tt/2A54myG