lol-lol

Well I love the 1.4 TSI 150 hp, have been looking forward to more than 7 speed so sorry to not see 8 or 9 speed boxes as with other marques and models. The proper hybrid Mk4 do sound interesting but the battery range of 30 miles a bit low for my liking as I tend to do 125 mile journeys so lecky on providing a quarter of the journey power is light. The over 7 second 0-100 km/hr also a bit shabby for such a car so hopefully reality will be in the 6s where it belongs. 8 speed box is a Japanese item so not sure VW will want to use it in large volume but rather use their own more than 7 speed box, I think the 10 speed was dropped as it was not viable. https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2019/MC-10159424-0001.pdf

Indeed, all quite strange and we are only getting part of truth from Skoda. 1.4 TSI has been measured at upwards of 160 hp on some rolling roads and seems to exhibit more tuning potential with 190 hp being quite in range with a chipping. Oddly getting more hp when chipped than the 1. TSI evo, clearly some of those NOX lower measure strangling in ways the 1.4 TSI does not. Still have not seen a reason why the hybrids/PHEVs keep the 1.4 TSI where as others have the 1.5 TSI, space or the extra tech just not needed to get the emissions where they want them. Mk 3 has a great advantage over the mk 2 ie over 100kgs and great to see the mk 4 getting its Aero Drag Coefficient down to 0.24 for the hatch and 0.26 for the estate, should help give great MPG.

Mercs should have most of their advantage back as they are allowed to drop back down to 23 psi from 27 psi. A pressure of 25 or 26 psi would have perhaps kept things interesting, shame. https://scuderiafans.com/pirelli-race-preview-2020-spanish-gp/ EOS CAMBER LIMIT MIN. STARTING PRESSURES (slicks) EO CAMBER LIMIT 23.0 psi (front) | 20.5 psi (rear) -3.25° (front) | -1.75° (rear)

What on earth happened to the latest 1.5 TSI engine over the 150 hp 1.4 TSI and older 1.5 TSI in the mk 3 ? 150 hp Petrol use to be two or three tenths quicker that the diesel and now it is the other way round. Why ? Mark 3 figures Hatch - OCTAVIA SE 1.4 TSI 150 PS 1.4 TSI 150 PS DSG 1.5 TSI 150 PS 1.6 TDI 115 PS 1.6 TDI 115 PS DSG 2.0 TDI 150 PS 0 to 60 mph - secs 7.8 7.9 7.9 9.8 9.8 8.1

We continue to install new 22 and 7 kWh chargers, many double output ones. They are not easy to install, particularly the 22 kWh as they need to tap the 3 phase supply. https://www.sourcelondon.net/new-ev-charge-points-installed-5-london-boroughs We now have over 1300 in London. Whilst London is very supportive of the change to EV it is still a 44 Borough authorities rather than the Unitary authority that Paris is for that roll out. UK government cut the EV subsidy by 20% rather than keeping it up with inflation is not helping the rolls out but EVs now are a substantial percentage of overall sales. Tesla banks at service stations seem to often have 16 chargers in their bank, shame the bigger battery non-Tesla EVs cannot use their chargers even for a price. Model 3 LR, Ford Mustang-e or Zoe seem the optimum choices. Who really knows how much we will need to travel by road over the next few months/years ?

There will be small print in the price quoted, as there already is with VAT rates if you look carefully. The 10% car duty would be on the imported price. I was the customs Officer for Mitsubishi Motors, the UK importer of Mitsubishi, who have just announced they are abandoning Europe as a territory, and the import values were interesting as it was with Korean importers I have done customs software installs for. So the 10% car duty against the Importer may not mean 10% on the RRP but certainly a heavy loading ie closer to 10% than 0% as they are not going to take all the hit of the tax. I would like to see VAT dropped back to 17.5% or even 15% to help post BREXIT which would help on the price we pay. Amazing to think that those or Northern Ireland would not be paying the 10% import duty whilst those of us on the UK Mainland would ! One could try and get a deal sown up before end of year but SUK could still ask for the import duty from you if it clears customs after 31 December 2020.

Difficult to guess where the landed cost will be in 2021. If there is no trade deal with the EU, which includes CZ of course, and where the Euro/GBP is then the landed cost next year could be closer to £37k to £40K.

Sorry to hear the above. These are bad times for many and the Government needs to rejig the economy quickly to the new normal. Covid and BREXIT are a perfect storm. Amazing to think there will be customs at Holyhead shortly and 10% car import taxes, mad world at the mo.

Impressed to hear the Mini EV is turning in some low 6s in the 0-60.

I am already with Octypus for lecky so that should work out nicely. Going to see what deals Renault have next month when I should have both an old Scenic and a Mk 4 Clio to trade in. 5.2 Miles per kWh is awesome, range would be well over 250 miles by those figures ! Still torn on which model to go for, could even be the Play with steel wheels as I have lots of Dacia and Renault wheels in the 185/15 size or could be a R135 if the PCP is a better deal overall. Thanks for sharing your experience.

Is the e-corsa a 200 mile range car in reasonable and considerate driving ?

The car's computer does tend to over read by about 5% so 83 mpg is probably somewhat less than true 80 mpg. If one is cruising at 50 mph or less the amount of horsepower to do this is less the 10 hp so one does not need much fuel to supply 10 hp or so. Do all the tricks of hyper-miling, use other vehicles to break the frontal wind resistance, coast down hills and getting near 80 mpg is entirely possible for the petrol version and the diesel version ie the 1.6 tdi with the 7 speed DSG running in ECO mode get display close to 90 mpg and be running genuine 85 mpg is possible. All that said doing this on the motorway or even A roads in the UK means running slower that many of the Articulated trucks and being a bit of a menace on the road sometimes so I tend to hop within the traffic and sometime pick a lorry travelling at around 50 mph and stay some 20 metres behind, just in his mirrors, especially when on works phone calls or early for a meeting. Something we do on the naked motorcycles sometimes, especially in to a headwind, to give our necks a rest and it helps mpg too. Amazing what one can do with a bit of slipstreaming............. or how about 127.3 mph...... https://cycling.ahands.org/bicycling/datewithdeath.html

But companies do, £750 a month for my company car allowance and £400 a month on my fuel card ie £1150 per month. They could provide an really good EV ie a high spec Tesla which would probably only use about £100 of energy per month to cover my 2000 miles a month and save themselves hundreds of pounds a month over their existing expenditure. Plus gain greener credentials.

Well done Red Bull KTM Brad.......... Good day for Red Bull Motorsport !

Who buys vehicles these days (answer is around 10%). PCP is the norm and add to that the many cars particularly for those of us who do high annual mileages, the car is a business tool. I get £9K a year car allowance which I will often lose £3,700 in tax as the car benefit is paid through payroll. An EV is now 0% as Benefit in Kind so company could get for me and supply at a very reasonable price....... https://www.parkers.co.uk/car-buying/2019/uk-pricing-for-tesla-model-3-slashed/ "Long Range models will set you back £602 per month via PCP, or £682 per month on a Hire Purchase deal. Performance models start from £590 per month with PCP, or £751 per month with Hire Purchase. Model 3 LR is in a different performance league to any standard Skoda of course so it is comparing Avocados to Turnips and the Tesla range on a single charge is still relatively poor but as the best of EVs it has access to the Tesla Supercharging network. Power at 2 p a mile rather than 10p plus a mile and not further damaging the planet is a big draw to some of us.

I find the Green Score impossible to keep in the 90s. Starts there then slips back at a varying rate. Not sure what parameters it uses, probably deducts for using air con or any electrical usage even the air circ even if air not used but would not know if the window is open so a non-sense. Think my rear tyres are still the Michelin Greeen OE even though I have just crossed 60k miles ! Fronts only last 30k or so , now on Avon ZV7 from Tyreleader costing less than £42 for V rated tyres. Had the servicing costs nailed down at every 10 months a 20K service but since Covid I am only doing a few hundred a month instead of a coupel fo thousand so sub optimal cost efficient as I will have to service under the time parameter rather than mileage on variable servicing. Road tax only £20 a year as registered a few days before the new road tax regime came in. Only an electric car will match this low running cost as a replacement that I can see. Model 3 Long Range to cover my 300 mile occasional daily visits to airports or ports needed or one of the conventional car makers to step up and match Tesla.

A very strange season. Dani Ric 3rd fastest in FP2, and Renault have used the least amount of replacement parts, things coming together for the Oxford based team. Rise in front tyre pressure this weekend could mean some of those lead teams not being able to use their speed in the straights as they will have trouble slowing down for the corners without washing out with under-steer, will need to load on even more front wing. Maybe Max doing well as well as Mclaren under these conditions.

Very Good. Had mine in the 70s mpg and range in the 700 miles plus. Car loves being held to 50 mph in the traffic controls and using coasting down hills helps the figures. Must admit usually happy to settle for 60 mpg and cruising a bit higher ie in the 60s and taking some A roads where 50-55 mph is the norm. Mines DSG so coasts down hills automatically in DSG. Also picking the occasional and slip streaming of transit van or the like. Only the 16 inch 205 tyres set iin the mid 30s PSI rather than the mpg damaging 17s or 18 inch wheels. Well done, who needs diesels with all their pollution baggage with mpg like this.

Minimum Front tyre pressure to be 27 PSI, 1.9 Kilopascals (?) ie high https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.pirelli-confirm-tyre-pressure-changes-and-strategy-expectations-for-second.26VNLwhtlBTTUFyPHoVh5n.html "Pirelli boss Mario Isola has confirmed that tyre pressures will be changed for this weekend's 70th Anniversary Grand Prix, also being held at Silverstone. On Tuesday Pirelli revealed the results of their investigation into the tyre failures on Sunday, explaining that an unusually long final stint and the "biggest forces ever seen on tyres" were to blame for the series of deflations in the last few laps. There was concern that the planned move to an allocation of softer compound tyres might have to be re-thought in light of the failures on Sunday, but Pirelli said the change would go ahead - though they would be changing the minimum tyre pressures. "We are going up by 2psi front and 1psi rear," Isola confirmed. As a result, teams will be running 27 psi for the front tyres and 22 psi for the rears, and with the softer compounds in play, Isola said he is expecting the teams to have to run a two-stop strategy."

Surprised Mercedes did not points and fines as well as the parts were Mercedes parts last year unless they are saying that Racing point just spied the spec of the parts. Ferrari and Mercedes clearly going beyond the rules to win at all costs like the burning the oil as fuel which happened. So Racing point can carry on with the existing Brake Ducts. RP considering an appeal, see what happens.

1kwh taking a car 10 km is very efficient for current tech and weight etc. Zoe will do 300 miles ie 500 km if one hypermiles. Sounds like a great slow race if one had 10 hours to spare. Could be down to the driver carefully playing with the controls.

Just that the Zoe seems slightly more efficient in energy burn giving it about 20 miles or 10% or so range. Battery tech similar as far as I can see. I like the bigger boot and if the ride is more forgiving then that is good too. Just want the good scrappage deals to add to the government subsidy. Think I can get about £7k off https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/new/201911074127685?sort=price-asc&model=ZOE&postcode=wr40lx&onesearchad=New&onesearchad=Nearly New&onesearchad=Used&advertising-location=at_cars&price-from=500&make=RENAULT&radius=1500&aggregatedTrim=R135&page=1 https://ev-database.uk/compare/electric-vehicle-longest-range#sort:path~type~order=.erange_real~number~desc|price-checkbox-dropdown:pathGroup=.price_filter10-20~.price_filter20-30|range-slider-range:prev~next=0~600|range-slider-bijtelling:prev~next=0~600|range-slider-acceleration:prev~next=2~23|range-slider-fastcharge:prev~next=0~1000|range-slider-lease:prev~next=150~2500|range-slider-topspeed:prev~next=60~260|paging:currentPage=0|paging:number=9

Albion hitting other again...

Swindon built, Worcestershire tuned, good job and points for Drivers and Team.

Autoexpress verdict....................................... Vauxhall Corsa-e vs Renault Zoe Vauxhall breaks new ground with the electric Corsa-e supermini, but is it good enough to beat the Renault Zoe? https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/electric-cars/352881/vauxhall-corsa-e-vs-renault-zoe Verdict First place: Renault Zoe 37 It's bigger battery means more range, and while the Zoe is slightly slower, there’s more than enough go. It lacks the Corsa’s greater charging capability, but 50kW compatibility is still good. The Renault packs more practicality and tech, lower running costs (although not by much), greater quality and more space at a similar price, so the Zoe proves yet again why it’s our favourite compact EV. Second place: Vauxhall Corsa-e 37 The Corsa-e is a solid all-electric debut from Vauxhall. Its range is respectable, it has excellent charging capability, and it’s quick and agile, but it’s not as comfortable as the Zoe and nor is the tech as advanced. It’s slightly less efficient yet will still be incredibly affordable to run, but the Vauxhall’s lack of quality and practicality does stand out when compared to the Zoe.