Saturday 28 February 2015

Output of Smart ForFour to hit 60,000

According to IHS Automotive Production Forecasts output of Daimler’s Smart ForFour is expected to peak in 2015 at more than 60,000 units.

Thursday 26 February 2015

New engineering head for GKN Automotive

Peter Mölgg is the new president of engineering GKN Automotive, covering the GKN Driveline and GKN Powder Metallurgy divisions.

Wednesday 25 February 2015

Ricardo unveils low-cost EV motor

A new prototype 85kW synchronous reluctance drive motor, designed primarily for electric vehicle traction applications, avoids expensive rare earth elements according to Ricardo.

Audi moves prologue Avant a step further

Next week, Audi will launch the new 3-litre TDI prologue Avant show car at the Geneva Motor Show.

City of London waits for Torotrak


The next three months are likely to prove interesting at transmission specialist Torotrak plc.

Monday 23 February 2015

DPE Group working on new UK auto jobs

Durham Precision Engineering Limited is understood to be working closely with Nissan Motor Manufacturing UK in Sunderland and Gestamp Tallent in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham on numerous new projects that will continue to create jobs and growth.

Ingenium diesel for 2016 Evoque

First application of JaguarLandRover’s Ingenium 2-litre diesel outside the Jaguar XE saloon will be the 2016 Range Rover Evoque.

Saturday 21 February 2015

‘New’ V8 engine powers latest G-Class

In Mercedes-Benz’s extreme G-Class model family, the G 63 AMG 6x6 has an addition in the form of the G 500 4x4².

Friday 20 February 2015

Kia to launch three-cylinder engine, DCT

The upcoming Geneva Motor Show will see the launch of Kia Motor's new three-cylinder 1-litre T-GDi Kappa engine as well as the company's first double-clutch transmissions (DCT).

Thursday 19 February 2015

Mixed picture for UK automotive output

UK engine manufacturing has started the year with only minimal growth with a rise of only 0.2% in January, producing 206,686 units.

Cummins shifts B-Series output from China to UK

In an unusual strategic move, Cummins Limited of Darlington is switching production of B-Series bus engines from China to its facility in the UK

Wednesday 18 February 2015

Car exports to China rise five-fold

Figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show that exports of cars to China from the UK have increased five-fold since 2009.

Brooklands race track to get facelift

Brooklands, Surrey in the UK, the birthplace of British motor racing, is to receive a multi-million-pound facelift to help restore it to its former glory, according to the BBC.

The big just get bigger

As Rolls-Royce unveils its 4x4 off-road luxury car Mercedes-Benz lifts the veil on its  latest  version of the legendary 600 Pullman saloon.

Tuesday 17 February 2015

Ford outpaces Euro industry growth

As Nissan in the UK highlights its sales success in Europe (see below) total sales of Ford vehicles in its 20 traditional European markets totalled 88,700 in January, an increase of 9.8 per cent on the same period last year.

Qashqai Euro sales boost Nissan UK

Nissan Motor Manufacturing UK (NMMUK) claims its European vehicle sales hit 57,332 last month; higher than the 48,560 recorded in the same period last year.

Ram 1500 and F-150 battle over fuel economy

In the US, fastlanetruck.com (flt.com) has carried out road tests on the Dodge Ram 1500 versus the Ford F-Series F-150pick up truck to assess the fuel economy of vehicles.

Monday 16 February 2015

Audi rolls with three-cylinder TFSI engine

The arrival of the Audi A1 with a three-cylinder TFSI gasoline engine has made weighing up the pros and cons of petrol and diesel power somewhat harder

Wednesday 11 February 2015

Deutz adopts CGI for agricultural diesels

Deutz has series production of new heavy duty cylinder heads in compacted graphite iron (CGI).  The cylinder head for Deutz is for a high performance 7.8-litre engine developed for agricultural applications. 

Tuesday 10 February 2015

Driverless UK vehicles head for Greenwich

The first of the UK’s driverless vehicle projects made its inaugural journey today in Greenwich, London.

Monday 9 February 2015

Ricardo moves into vehicle composites

Ricardo plc has teamed with US aerospace composite supplier Albany Engineered Composites (AEC) to provide composite body, chassis and other structural components to the automotive industry.

Automakers are incorporating a variety of new and advanced materials to reduce the weight of vehicle structures and components as they work to reduce carbon emissions and improve passenger safety. 

Wilcox makes 1000th bespoke Jaguar XJ

Wilcox Limousines Ltd. of Chalfont St. Peter, Buckinghamshire, UK has delivered its 1000th Jaguar Aluminium XJ Limousine.

Sunday 8 February 2015

Mercedes adds C-Class production in Brazil

Mercedes-Benz is adding production of the C-Class in a new plant in Iracemapolis, near Sao Paulo, Brazil,

Wednesday 4 February 2015

1,550 jobs boost for Ford F-150

Ford is adding 1,550 new jobs to its Kansas City Assembly, Dearborn Stamping, Dearborn Diversified and Sterling Axle facilities to meet growing demand for the 2015 F-150.

Tuesday 3 February 2015

Sports cars heading for a revival?

Research group Frost & Sullivan claims OEMs are reviving the sports car segment by using it as a flagship model and halo to communicate new concepts through exciting products that bring focus to new technologies.

Monday 2 February 2015

Ford profits dip from a year ago

Ford Motor Company has declared a full-year 2014 pre-tax profit of $6.3 billion, a decline of $2.3 billion compared with a year ago.