Aston Martin might be best known for its luxury sports cars, but, like many of its rival automotive companies, it routinely takes part in third-party projects. Examples are the chronograph watch (pictured) it did with Swiss company TAG Heuer, the ACH130 helicopter with Airbus, the Brough Superior motorcycle, and the single malt whisky with Islay distiller Bowmore. And … [Read more...] about Aston Martin design moves up a gear into luxury houses
Volkswagen's Piech
Skyactiv-X: 16 years on, Mazda paints another picture of itself
In February 2004 I wrote this in the NZ Herald: ‘In the 1980s and 90s, Mazda pretty much went from one conservative passenger car to another, with the exception of the brilliant MX-5 sports car. ‘Its mainstream models were well built but largely lifeless. An outsider could be forgiven for thinking that Mazda executives wore cardigans, carried cut lunches and sat around … [Read more...] about Skyactiv-X: 16 years on, Mazda paints another picture of itself
Kia lines up seven new EVs as global battery market powers up
The global battery market to power EVs and consumer electronics and to store renewable energy on power grids will be worth about $NZ175 billion a year by 2030, up from around $NZ42 billion now, according to Bloomberg research. South Korea is one of the countries leading the way in developing the technology for the EV era. The others are China and Japan. By 2025 all three … [Read more...] about Kia lines up seven new EVs as global battery market powers up
2021 Toyota Yaris hits high point with safety firsts
Toyota NZ has equipped its 2021 Yaris with significant safety firsts in a bid to inject renewed interest in the small car. Yaris, like the rest of its five-door, town-and-around hatchback rivals, has been pushed aside in the last decade by the growth of compact SUVs. In 2013, for example, small cars (21,511) accounted for 26 per cent of an overall 82,355 NZ Transport … [Read more...] about 2021 Toyota Yaris hits high point with safety firsts
Exhaust gases: combustion engine looks for answers
One hundred to one – that’s the ratio of petrol- and diesel-powered to hybrid or all-electric SUVs registered with the NZ Transport Agency since the beginning of 2017. It’s actually closer to 100/0.5. In theory, a single hybrid/electric SUV would still be in bits and pieces on the assembly line by the time the 100th conventional SUV was logged with the NZTA. Of the … [Read more...] about Exhaust gases: combustion engine looks for answers