Renault sport F1: A future Mercedes usurper?

After all of the talks round the table and the paper contracts, Renault has finally took over the cash-strapped Lotus F1 team. (I know this isn't recent news but i'm talking to people who maybe hadn't heard.) This move, in the eyes of this Lotus fan, was good news. Under the financial muscle of Renault surely the future is good and there will be podiums and titles aplenty (although the single podium at Spa last year was very satisfying). Despite the obvious sadness that comes from the fact that Lotus are no more and wont be there on the grid, I like to think of it as a simple renaming and imbursement, rather like what is so commonplace in the football world. Indeed, the facility and staff at the Enstone plant are the same, the people who designed and run the team on a practical basis.

But the real excitement was over the idea of the driver line-up. Being already aware that Grosjean was destined for the new Haas team, and not being overly overjoyed at the idea of the lesser of the two drivers leading the team, the new driver line-up was eagerly anticipated. The promotion of Jolyon Palmer from reserve driver to his first seat was seen as a promising concept, with Palmer being the son of the famous F1 driver Jonathan Palmer, and so the hop was that he has his dad's talent.

Then came the intrigue. Rumours began to spread that Maldonado's sponsor, the Venezuelan oil company PDVSA, was late in its payment to the team. Then came the story that Renault, who apparently was not keen on retaining Maldonado anyway, and only did because of his contract, were prepared to use this late payment as a ground for the termination of his contract. The driver that was to take his seat if this was to happen would be Kevin Magnussen, who had impressed many when driving for McLaren alongside Button a couple of years ago. However the return of Alonso had pushed Magnussen into being a reserve driver. Contemplating withdrawing from F1 altogether, Magnussen's hope of continuing in F depended on the validity of these rumours. Renault themselves were not to be drawn on the issue and refused to comment. That was until last Wednesday, at the launch of the new Renault Sport F1 car. The new drivers were there to reveal the car. And they were Magnussen and Palmer. Maldonado was gone, and the Formula One community rejoiced. There is fresh hope for the future of Renault in F after all.

Nev

High-Tech cars: a vision of the future?

There was a time where cars were simply cars, a transporting vehicle. There was not even a radio. However, from the looks of the concepts that were on show at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, technology in cars is becoming ever more advanced. Manufacturers such as BMW and VW used this opportunity to show off their visions of the future. And my do they look techy.

BMW showed us their version of the future with a car called the...future vision. Well, its full title is the BMW i Vision Future Interaction Concept. And, despite looking a lot like a simple i8 Spyder, it offers us a look a the interior of future BMW's, in theory at least. This car is in theory totally autonomous, and because of this the seats face slightly inwards and the steering wheel retracts when the car is in self-driving mode, getting out of the way for you to do, well, whatever. The HD screen in the car wraps around the whole passenger side facia, and the system itself uses a more advanced version of the gesture control that is currently use by the 7-series. Very cool.

VW offered another version of the future, but this one wasn't as aesthetically pleasing. It's called the Budd-e, and serves to connect your car to your home. To achieve this it uses data services in order to realise that you are on your way home and therefore turn on the lights and heating. This concept also uses advanced gesture control, but this time it means that you can open the doors with a swipe of the hand. Also, the screen vibrates according to how hard you are pressing the buttons, meaning there is less need to take your eyes off the road. Just a shame it looks weird.

But the concept that took technology to freaky levels was the Faraday Future FFzero 1. This car definitely looks the most futuristic, but also contains some very odd tech. For starters, it has your mobile phone attached to the middle of the steering wheel, and consequently no screen. The reason for this is that Faraday Future wants an app to control all interior functions, and therefore there is no need for a screen. Another strange feature is the fact that the cockpit (which is single-seated) is in a 'low-gravity environment', requiring the driver to wear a helmet that provides oxygen and water. Freaky.

So there you are. Some of the various visions of what the future of motoring might look like, as well as the tech that will be found in them. It's now up to time to decide which vision will be the most accurate.

Nev

Lexus LC500 & Infiniti Q60: imitators or successors?

Fed up of being intimidated in the performance coupé sector by the might of the Germans, the companies of Japan have decided to join together and launch a double-assault on the heavy-weights. And these are the cars championed by Lexus and Infiniti: the LC500 and the Q50 respectively. But, since they are separate cars, its best to address them individually.

We'll start with the Infiniti Q50. The fact that most sticks out on paper is the use of an all-new 3-litre V6, complete with twin- turbochargers. this engine manages to muster 400BHP and 350lb ft of torque. this power is delivered to the road through a four-wheel drive system which is also capable of diverting all torque to the rear, if conditions require. Furthermore, due to the clever aerodynamics of the body a drag coefficient of 0.28 exists, which prompts much admiration.Also present is a system that permits many different modes and settings, dependent on preference and/or conditions. According to Infiniti the Q50 has 'best-in-class handling and agility'. We'll see when it goes on sale later on this year.

Now, on to the Lexus LC500. A car that could be the spiritual successor of the LFA (I know I said that about the RC-F too. But that didn't turn out too well so that prize is still up-for-grabs). Unfortunately here there is no new engine, instead the same 5 litre V8 as found in the RC-F. However, this engine makes the car capable of a sub-4.5 seconds 0-60MPH time. And it boasts more power than the Q50: 466BHP and 389lb ft, to be precise. But this car is rear-wheel only, instead of adaptive like the Q50. And, because it will be a rival for the BMW M6 and the 911 Carrera S, it will have improved weight-distribution (52/48), and increased mass within the car's wheelbase.

So, here we have two fairly different cars. But, despite the differences, there is a clear and unifying purpose that ties these cars together. To place Japan back at the top of the performance coupe sector, and in doing so knock Germany and Europe of their perch. It will be a tough job but these cars have potential.

Nev

Mazda RX-VISION: a new era for the Rotary Engine?

One car that was the object of huge debate at the Tokyo Motor Show was this: Mazda's RX-VISION concept, a car that demonstrates Mazda's desire to resurrect the Rotary engine, as found under the bonnet of the third-gen RX-7. However, the problems of bringing back such an unusual engine design were bountiful, with most of the problems centred on emissions and economy. 

Ever since the Volkswagon emissions scandal, legislators have been very strict on emissions, and have raised several issues, for example the amount of NOx that these engines produce. This is not so much of an issue now thanks to lower temperatures for combustion, but hydrocarbons are, as well as the low CO2 levels required for tax (Rotary engines have a large thirst for petrol). Furthermore the engines require expert maintenance, although they are generally reliable. Also the rotor-tip seals remain a problem due to their frequent wear and poor-sealing, due to high temperature differences.

Mazda have confirmed that its latest evolution Rotary engine will go by the name of Skyactiv-R, which also links to its Skyactiv Petrol and Diesel engines. By giving the Rotary engine this name it clearly wants to align it with its normal engines, and therefore address its inherent flaws. Some theories of how to improve the problems of the engine have been direct fuel injection, compression ignition (as on diesel's) and turbochargers to ensure power output is sufficient. There are also rumours of electrification, with electric power helping to eliminate the flaws.

But all of this hard work on Mazda's part should, if it succeeds, be something of a revelation in terms of responsiveness, smoothness and weight, and will resurrect one of the best engines designs ever devised. But it will take a while...

Nev 

Fiat 124 spider: a new icon or simply a rebadged MX-5?

Fiat always were good at making roadsters. The original 124 ran for 19 years, with 200,000 of them being built in that time. The only problem that these cars had is that they were always overshadowed by the Mazda MX-5, with only people brave enough buying the Fiat over the Mazda. Such was the overshadowing that it has been 10 years since fiat have offered a roadster. But now, thanks to a good business deal, the competition may be a bit more fair.

Now you may remember that way back in March I did a piece on the newest incarnation of the Mazda MX-5. It was a car that I claimed had not deviated from its roots, and was still a lightweight fun roadster. That car (as I may had said at the time) was made as a joint venture between Mazda and Fiat, meaning that the cars would be very similar. And so it is now (about a year later) that Mazda are revealing their half of the deal. What took them another year (this car won't be on sale until summer of 2016) I have no idea. The two cars will even be built on the same production line, in Hiroshima.

From the outside, with the exception of a few details, the two cars look similar. And the similarities don't end there, with the whole of the suspension system being identical in both cars. The only reason that the engines differ is due to Fiat using their own in-house one. This means that, whereas the Mazda uses a 1.5 litre four-cylinder, the Fiat uses a 1368cc turbo four-cylinder engine. This use of turbocharging on the Fiat means that it is estimated to be slightly quicker than the Mazda, with an estimated 8 seconds 0-62MPH and 130MPH top speed, compared to the Mazda's 8.3 seconds and 127MPH. However, it is estimated to be more expensive, around £22,000.

So, Fiat have re-entered the roadster market by teaming up with one of the best company's for them. But will the differences, though small, mean that the Mazda still sells more? Or wil the Fiat turn out successful? We will see when the Fiat is released in summer 2016.

Nev

Lamborghini Aventador SV roadster: a good old-fashioned Lambo?

Ah, a car that the majority of you will hopefully see on the road or at a car show at some point in the future. not some start-up racer. A proper Lamborghini. And, not only that but an SV too. Goody. But is this a full-blooded Lamborghini? This car is a roadster that wears the SV badge, only the 4th to in 44 years. So will this be a car that doesn't live up to it's badge? Let's see.

The engine remains the same as in the standard Aventador, the 6.5 litre V12, but the SV does benefit from a completely new exhaust system, which makes it sound like the inside of an active volcano. Other small tweaks result in a 49BHP boost on the original, with the overall power rising to 740BHP. 0-62MPH takes 2.9seconds, which may be a tenth down on the normal SV but who really notices? The top speed remains the same as the normal SV, at 217MPH.

Furthermore, by removing the entertainment system and installing carbon shell bucket seats (amongst a lot of other carbon elements), the overall weight has been reduced by 50KG on the standard Aventador, but remains 50KG heavier than the normal SV, because of the structure bolstering needed for the convertible roof.

So. A hard-core Lamborghini which definitely hasn't lost it's edge along with it's roof, but remains as focused as ever. I did mention in my review of the new Huracan that it seemed to be lacking a bit of the old Lamborghini flair. In my opinion this car serves to dissolve these comments that Audi are starting to have an effect on the cars. Even the price is typical Lamborghini: £350,000

Nev

Rezvani Beast X: just another lightweight racer?

I don't know, all these new companies coming up with lightweight racers. Just when you thought that surely there is no-one left that wants a bite of the cherry, here comes another. this here is a hardcore version of an already speedy racer from the California-based supercar company Ruzvani. it is essentially an Atom with the modesty to cover up, with the chassis of an Atom but panels to cover up the rather bare structure of the Atom. And, as a covered-up Atom, it definately beats the Atom in a beauty contest, in my opinion. So, let's dive under the bonnet...

...And what we find is no less than astounding. under the bonnet is a Honda 2.4 litre four cylinder K24 engine, which on its own is not breath-taking. But, as the 'X' version, there are also two high-powered turbochargers, which means that the power figure is 700BHP. I can only surmise that some sort of witchcraft has happened here, either that or incredible engineering. Being an Atom with clothes does mean that the Atom is lighter, but the Rezvani is still very light, at 839KG. Surely you can see where this is going. High power + lightweight=blistering pace, right? Correct. 0-60MPH in 2.5 seconds, to be exact. And Rezvani doesn't really believe in driver aids, and because of this there are none, with the exception of two carbon fibre rear wings.

However. I feel an enormous sense of deja vu here. How man times have I been here and said something like 'we'll just have to hope this company flourishes.' And, sad as it is, usually no-one hears from them again. And, with only 5 Rezvani Beast X's being made, and at a price of £215,000, this will probably be another. And that is sad.

Nev