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Degler's 2015 calendar pays tribute to Cuba's unique automotive landscape

The 2014 Degler calendar mounted on the wall of the Car Design News office serves up a nicely-shot image of one of Bertone's significant concepts each month. But next year's calendar has taken an altogether different direction: 'Carros de Cuba - a tribute to the cars that have survived over half a century on the island thanks to the inventiveness of the Cuban people.' The Degler calender is the work of automotive photographer Piotr Degler Jablonski. For the 2015 edition, he spent a month traveling across the island of Cuba, meeting mechanics and car enthusiasts and documenting the eye-catching automotive landscape.

Driver escapes unhurt in rail crash

A 67-YEAR-OLD woman motorist has escaped injury after her car went through a level crossing barrier and collided with a train. The incident happened at 6.05am today at Datchet crossing in Berkshire. Neither the driver nor the guard on the train, which was not in service, were hurt.

Ultra-rare Steyr Puch 500 goes to auction

£18,000 might seem like a lot of money for a car based on the original Fiat 500, but this particular Steyr Puch example is one of just 33 ever built. Austrian firm Steyr Puch entered into an agreement with Fiat in 1954 after production was halted during World War II, and began production of the 500 under licence. Only 33 right-hand drive examples were ever produced, and of those only two survive; this example and one in the Steyr Puch museum in Austria.

Apple Watch users warned

IN THE wake of the new Apple Watch's arrival, early-adopters are being warned that using it while driving could be a deadly mistake that lands them in jail. Smart watches can issue regular updates from internet services, apps and the user’s mobile phone, but the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) is urging people to turn them off while at the wheel. In a statement the IAM said: “The latest piece of wearable technology from Apple will allow users to make and receive calls, check their messages and monitor their health by operating the device on their wrists.

Revival revels in sell-out crowds

A SELL-OUT crowd of 148,000 guests witnessed the 17th Goodwood Revival meeting last weekend, including an amazing celebration of the venue’s wartime role. The on-track highlights included the annual RAC TT Celebration race for early-1960s GT cars, which was won by the AC Cobra of Sauber Formula 1 test driver Giedo van der Garde and David Hart, after a thrilling battle against a £150million field that included Jaguar E-types, Aston Martin project cars and even a Bizzarini. Sir Jackie Stewart’s extraordinary career – which was catapulted into life at Goodwood in 1964 thanks to a maiden single-seater test – was marked with a 24-car parade that featured fellow motor racing legends John Surtees, Richard Attwood, Mark Webber and Arturo Merzario The 75th anniversary of RAF Westhampnett – Goodwood Aerodrome’s name during World War II – was marked with a display of 600 military vehicles and personnel, including a flypast that featured the world’s only two airworthy Lancaster bombers.

Toyota reveals Qashqai rival teaser

THE CROSSOVER bubble seems to be far from bursting, with Toyota revealing a sneak preview of the car it hopes can challenge the Nissan Qashqai. The C-HR concept will be revealed fully for the first time at the Paris Motor Show at the beginning of October. It is said to be fitted with a hybrid drivetrain and is likely to be based on the same chassis that underpins the Lexus NX compact SUV that has recently been launched to global media.

Infographic: How much clay do Ford’s design studios use each year?

Ford has offered an insight into its clay modeling processes with a series of videos and an infographic that charts the process involved in turning a designer's sketch into a full-size model. The infographic uses data taken from all of Ford's global design studios in 2012 to give an idea of how much clay is used in a year, plus how much paint and di-noc film is used to cover each model. Ford has also released a video that gives a behind-the-scenes look at the firm's clay modeling studio in Merkenich, Germany, including interviews with members of the modeling team.

Drivers say no to more diesel costs

THREE QUARTERS of drivers in the UK say there should be no more additional costs for those driving a diesel car. Under proposals for Ultra Low Emissions Zones (ULEZ), diesel car drivers would be charged more to drive in towns and cities across the UK. With the possibility of ULEZs becoming widespread by 2020, 75.4% of drivers in the UK say they object to this plan and are not prepared to pay more to use their car.

Unique book captures iconic motor racing colours

A BEAUTIFUL new book has been released that documents 77 different liveries from famous racing cars throughout the decades. Among the famous and celebrated paint schemes set out in Racing Colours are Gulf, Martini and British Racing Green classics from the racetrack and even from cinema, like that of the Porsche 917K driven by Steve McQueen’s Michael Delaney in the 1970 film Le Mans. A racing car’s livery is a key component in the enjoyment of motorsport through creating attractive car designs.

2015 Ford S-Max revealed – debuts at 2014 Paris Motor Show

The new Ford S-Max debuts at Paris and goes on sale next summer The Ford S-Max Concept arrived at the Frankfurt Motor Show last year as Ford worked hard to prove they really did have new cars on the way, despite the huge delay in delivering the new Ford Mondeo to Europe – with which the new S-Max shares its underpinnings – and now we get the real deal – the 2015 Ford S-Max. Looking very like the S-Max Concept, the new S-Max is the same size as the outgoing model but gets an evolutionary redesign complete with Ford’s ‘Aston Martin’ grill and some funky headlights, with the A-Pillars further back, higher beltline, bigger shoulders at the back and a set of slim tail lights at the back separated by a chrome strip. It all conspires to make the new S-Max sportier and more appealing.

Refreshed B-Class Gains Cosmetic And Kit Enhancements

MERCEDES has revealed an updated version of its family-friendly B-Class model. The arrival of the second-generation car follows sales of more than 350,00 units since its launch in late 2011. Changes to the B-Class include exterior and interior enhancements along with improved equipment lines.

Wacky Racers For French Urban Mobility Project

TOYOTA’S involvement in a new three-year urban mobility project in Grenoble, France promises to inject a little fun into what can be an otherwise dull undertaking. The trial scheme will see radical three-wheel Toyota i-Road and COMS four-wheel electric vehicles available for public car sharing on local journeys. Toyota is supplying 35 of each type of vehicle and is also contributing its Ha:Mo (harmonious mobility) system to manage the scheme day-to-day, following a model that’s already been successfully piloted in Toyota City in Japan.

Careful young drivers penalised by hire companies

YOUNG DRIVERS with good driving records are being unfairly penalised by car hire firms. Rental companies are accused of imposing tough age limitations on those able to hire a car. In a study by the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM), it found car hire companies often have stringent minimum age limits that take no account of a driver’s clean record.

Aston Martin Vanquish Carbon Edition – costs £200,000

The Aston Martin Vanquish Carbon Edition in Carbon White It’s only a month since the 2015 Aston Martin Vanquish (and Vanquish Volante) were revealed with a series of updates that manage to turn the Vanquish in to a much more appealing car. That new appeal is mainly down to AML finally ditching their ancient six-speed auto ‘box and replacing it with a new 8-Speed ZF ‘box – which cleverly sits inside the old housing – increasing performance, drivability and economy in one fell swoop. The Vanquish now gets to 62mph in a very respectable 3.8 seconds and can top 200mph, despite which official economy improves to 31mpg (more like 16mpg in the real world).

Evanta Barchetta gets revealed at Goodwood Revival

Evanta Barchetta gets revealed at Goodwood Revival There’s definitely an appetite for properly built, low-run retro sports cars – from proper roadsters to GTs like the David Brown’s Speedback – so the arrival of the Evanta Barchetta at the Goodwood Revival, looking like a properly sorted (and built) retro-styled Roadster, should be greeted with enthusiasm, rather than moans about ‘Garden Shed’ cars. That’s because the Evanta Barchetta is the result of a collaboration between Afzil Kahn – he of Bradford’s Kahn Design – and Evanta’s Ant Anstead, with low volume experience and expertise coming from Ant’s Evanta and design and engineering from Kahn. So it should be properly sorted.

Mercedes AMG GT S hits the track in new HD video

The new Mercedes AMG GT S on track at Circuit of Americas The Mercedes AMG GT is the long-awaited replacement in the Mercedes range for the SLS AMG, but even though the new AMG GT (and GT S) offers performance almost the equivalent of the SLS, it’s price tag is a lot lower. In fact, at prices expected to start at around £100,000 – and an extra £10-15k for the GT S version – the new AMG GT is at least a third cheaper than the SLS, and aimed at cars like the Porsche 911 and Jaguar F-Type rather than the stratospheric supercars the SLS had in its sights. That also means Mercedes AMG are going to have to sell a chunk more GTs than they ever did SLS models, so you can expect more promos and more profile for the AMG GT than you’d ever have seen for the modest-run SLS – like the latest Mercedes has just released (below).

Toyota FCV Has Passed its Most Important Stage Yet

Toyota FCV (pictured) moves closer to production With anticipation and excitement growing stronger and stronger for the Toyota FCV’s release, we are now one step closer to seeing it on the road with Toyota gaining the government’s approval status for them to build and inspect manufactured hydrogen tanks that carry high amounts of pressure. This has been a large hurdle in Toyota’s race to produce the world’s first road legal hydrogen powered vehicle due to the strict Japanese laws that outline all pressurised gas containers should be type-certified and should be available at all times to inspect for an official safety inspection throughout the manufacturing process. Now that Toyota have been given the go ahead, this boost in plans means that they can now ramp up the production of hydrogen tanks that can store hydrogen fuel at 70mpa (700bar) pressure.

Air-powered car edges closer to reality

FANCY a car that runs on thin air? We all would, and Peugeot is almost ready to turn it from science-fiction to science-fact. The firm is ready to actually demonstrate its Hybrid Air technology, where a 208 supermini runs partly on petrol and partly on compressed air, resulting in astonishing fuel economy figures topping 140mpg.

Harry motorcade officer in accident

A POLICE OFFICER in Prince Harry's motorcade had to be taken to hospital after hitting a car as the royal was on his way to an engagement. The police motorcyclist was thrown from his motorbike after colliding with a Toyota Prius near Regent's Park, London and had to be taken to hospital for treatment. The driver of the Prius remains in hospital in a "non-life threatening" condition after being cut out of the car by firefighters.

Driven: Cadillac CTS

If you know Detroit, you might recognize the location of our photoshoot for this feature. Midtown is the home of Shinola's flagship store, one of the big success stories of the resurgence of ‘craft' in Detroit, and the States in general. "Why not accept that manufacturing is gone from this country?

Confirmed: special Ferrari for 60th anniversary in USA

It’s been a busy week for Ferrari chairman Luca di Montezmolo. First he announced his resignation (effective from October) from the Italian sports car firm after 23 years at the helm. Then he proclaimed record financial results for Ferrari for the first six months of 2014 (£101.4 million profit) before declaring a special Ferrari model will be unveiled in October to celebrate 60 years of the Prancing Horse in America.

Mercedes B-Class gets a facelift for 2015 – debuts at Paris Motor Show

The Mercedes B-Class facelift goes on sale today (12 Sep 2014) from £22,575 It seems only five minutes since the second generation Mercedes B-Class arrived, but it’s getting a bit of a facelift – with the emphasis on the ‘bit’ – for 2015, with the main focus being the arrival for the UK of the B-Class Electric Drive which, for many considering an EV from a premium maker, is perhaps a better option than the ‘statement’ BMW i3. Tesla had a big input on the B-Class ED’s electric gubbins, and the result is an electric B-Class that develops 177bhp (and 251lb/ft of torque), enough for a scoot to 62mph in 7.9 seconds (top speed is limited to 100mph). Range, in an ideal world, is 124 miles from the 16.6kWh lithium ion batteries – enough for most commutes.

Britain leads bumper year for Ferrari

FERRARI may be struggling on the Formula One track, but its bank accounts are in fine shape after profits reached new record highs. After delivering 3,631 cars in the first six months of the year – 3.6% fewer than the me period in 2013, in line with the company's plans to reduce deliveries – revenues were up 14.5% to almost £1.35 billion. Profits rose 5.2% to £185 million, which should pay for a good send-off for the outgoing Ferrari Chairman Luca di Montezemolo after his 23 years of service.

Vauxhall revives Viva name for new budget car

Vauxhall has confirmed it will bring back the “Viva” nametag for a new small, budget hatchback, set to go on sale in the UK from summer 2015. The new 2015 Vauxhall Viva will make its debut at next month’s 2014 Paris Motor Show. On Bing: see pictures of the 2015 Vauxhall Viva Find out how much a used Vauxhall costs for on Auto Trader According to Vauxhall, the Viva will be the latest addition to the firm’s small car range and will sit alongside the Adam city car and the new Corsa supermini.

Rising Vehicle Ownership Puts The Squeeze On Roads

IF YOU’RE starting to think that the roads are getting crowded, you’re not wrong. The latest data shows that the number of licensed vehicles on the roads has passed the 35 million mark for the first time. Government figures show that by the end of 2013 there were 35.03 million licensed vehicles in Britain.

BMW i8 fetching 50% premiums in UK market

The BMW i8 (pictured) is commanding a 50% premium The simple rules of a capitalist market is that supply and demand dictate price. Which is why BMW’s i8 hybrid supercar is fetching premiums of up to 50 per cent. With the entire i8 supply sold out for the next year, those with deep enough pockets – and a compelling desire for an i8 – are turning to i8 owners who have already taken delivery and making them offer they can’t refuse.

Concept Car of the Week: Ford 021C (1999)

As Australian-born designer Marc Newson this week joined Apple, we can only wish that he brings with him the same smart-yet-playful approach as he did with his radical Ford 021C concept. Presented at the 1999 Tokyo Motor Show, the project began when Marc Newson was commissioned by Ford global design director, J Mays, to create an innovative interior. Their mutual passion for design and their enthusiasm led to a much larger project and Newson eventually delivered a complete working prototype.

Support For Fuel Duty Pothole Plan

MORE than four in five people would support a plan in which money raised from fuel duty was used to repair potholed roads, research has found. Support is highest in eastern England, Wales and Yorkshire and Humberside, according to a survey by the Local Government Association (LGA). The LGA said the Treasury got £33 billion a year from fuel duty, while the Government was spending just under £2 billion a year on maintaining and improving roads over the next five years.

Honda HR-V small SUV debut at Paris Motor Show

The Honda HR-V small SUV (pictured) debuts at Paris 2014 If the Honda HR-V name sounds familiar, that’s because Honda has already made an HR-V – a small supermini SUV – which arrived in 1999-  but disappeared a few years later before the world fell in love with small, funky SUVs like the Nissan Juke and MINI Countryman. So having been in the small SUV market ahead of the curve – and dropping out again before the market took off – Honda has decided it’s time to bag a share of the seemingly ever-growing small SUV market – a market worth getting on for 100,000 sales a year in the UK – which means only one thing – an all new Honda HR-V. Due to be revealed at the Paris Motor Show next month, Honda are billing the HR-V as a concept, but as far as we can see it’s pretty much production ready, and will arrive in Honda’s UK showrooms in summer 2015.

Apple iWatch illegal to use while driving

The Department for Transport (DfT) has confirmed that any driver caught using Apple’s new iWatch wearable technology behind the wheel will receive the same penalty as if they were using a mobile phone. The new “smartwatch” was announced this week and allows wearers to read text messages, make phone calls and browse the internet on the device. On Bing: see pictures of the Apple iWatch Apple to launch app that finds your car The wristwatch is wirelessly linked to the user’s mobile phone, which supplies the data connection to surf the web and make and receive calls.