Auto Express 1727

Visit autoexpress.co.uk for all the latest new cars news WE thought we’d heard the last of Government plans to move to a biennial MoT for cars more than three years old. However, it’s been widely reported that the idea was raised again at a recent Cabinet meeting as part of ideas to ease the cost-of-living crisis. While the sentiment is welcome, the idea is not. How about addressing the cost of fuel first rather than rekindling an idea that was previously dismissed on safety grounds? Because those grounds still exist. Moving to MoTs every two years may well increase maintenance costs, according to the AA, while it will also hit the garage trade hard, which relies on remedial work on the nearly one third of all cars that fail their…

James_Brodie@autovia.co.uk @JPBrods • Vauxhall to bring back Manta name on flagship for EV range • New SUV will have coupé-like roofline to give sporty look VAUXHALL is forging ahead with its electric revolution as part of the Stellantis Group, where the brand has a future thanks to a fresh approach to design that will be underpinned by its transformation to selling electric cars only by 2028. An all-electric version of Britain’s bestselling car, the Corsa-e, has already proven to be a big hit with buyers. And next year, the Astra family hatchback will aim to perform a similar feat when a fully electric version goes on sale in the UK. The use of familiar names for these new electric cars will take on an altogether more desirable edge a few…

NAMES are an overlooked but important part of the process of creating a new car, and good names with longevity can build a brand on their own. According to Steve Saxty, a Brit with a wealth of automotive branding experience, “Memories of a name can help a new model. Ford’s new Bronco has been a smash hit, in no small part because it was designing an authentic Bronco, not applying the name afterwards. That’s where Vauxhall went a bit wrong in 2015 with the Viva. It brought back a name from the sixties and seventies that only resonated with buyers of pensionable age. Far from ideal for a low-cost city car aimed at young buyers. “But Ford struck gold with the Puma, and Stellantis must have noticed,” says Steve. “So…

sean_carson@autovia.co.uk • All-electric SUV driven for the first time • New tech in the shape of steer-by-wire system “Steer-by-wire allows you to change direction rapidly with little input at the wheel” ELECTRIFICATION isn’t a new concept for Lexus, but until now the hybrid pioneer hasn’t had a bespoke electric car. That all changes with the RZ 450e. This mid-size SUV is based on the firm’s e-TNGA architecture – the same platform that underpins the Toyota bZ4X SUV – and the RZ uses the same 71.4kWh battery, which Lexus’s engineers are predicting will deliver more than 250 miles from a full charge. All fairly conventional so far. There’s a dual-motor set-up, too, with the front motor offering 201bhp and the rear 108bhp for a combined output of 309bhp. Again, all fairly…

Q Are there any differences between the chassis of the conventional steering set-up and the steer-by-wire car? A No, the steering rack, amount of steering lock, the suspension – they’re all the same. Even the steering ratio at high speed is the same. The extra hardware and software calibration allows us to do clever things with the steering ratio and the steering set-up’s map at different speeds. Q Does this tech have a future in different models – such as a sports car? A Yes, yes, yes. We can programme and tune everything, the yaw rate, the amount of lock, the amount of steering angle, the steering ratios and how fast the ratio changes – the whole lot. We are looking into the possibilities of what can be done with…

Alastair_crooks@autovia.co.uk • New special edition features classic Porsche design touches • Rear-wheel-drive only with manual gearbox CELEBRATING some of its iconic models from the sixties and early seventies, Porsche has revealed its new 911 Sport Classic. It’s the second model designed under the brand’s ‘Heritage Design strategy’. It incorporates plenty of famous touches, and the firm says it aims to “bring the spirit of past Porsche decades back to the road, while creating something new”. One of the stand-out features is the reintroduction of the ducktail spoiler, which references the iconic 911 Carrera 2.7 RS from 1972 and is made from carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic to help save weight. Another is the Fuchs-style wheel design. The alloys are 20-inch (front) and 21-inch (rear) centre-lock items that pay homage to the 911 S…