Letter From The UK: Negative Thoughts On The SUV

• Are SUVs today nothing more than a rush of plain vanilla?
• Are they as capable as they claim? Or is it just clever marketing? 
• DriveWrite Automotive Magazine founder Geoff Maxed with a perspective.

Throughout life, this writer has always tried to stay positive and upbeat and take every day as it comes. But these days I find that, now the novelty has worn off, the sight of an SUV brings on those negative waves of boredom, frankly.

Let me explain.

The Ideology of The SUV

The original idea of the ‘Sport Utility Vehicle’ is fine. I have no problem with that. Mostly, when the term was first coined, the cars so designated were tough off-road specialists; they were there to do a job. ‘Sport,’ because they served the surfing community as much as the hunting fraternity. ‘Utility,’ because they provided rural transport and could carry items of furniture. And ‘Vehicle’ because that’s what they are.

Not so now. And they are taking over the world.

Lemmings To The Rescue

Today there are SUVs beyond counting. They are as herds of lookalike bison sweeping across the plains, or lemmings, queueing up to hurtle themselves off a cliff in a form of collective automotive extinction. Every manufacturer has several in their product catalogue. Audi, for example, have their ‘Q’ range. Once, there was just the Q7 and it was pretty good; now that car has been joined by several smaller siblings and one big brother.

They are the motoring equivalent of Russian dolls.

The same goes for many other brands both in the USA and Europe. This writer road tests cars routinely but, increasingly, my press vehicle list is excluding more and more of this type of vehicle, principally because they do not do what they purport to do.

Marketing Gimmicks

We should expect an SUV to be reasonably comfortable on-road and capable off-road. There’s always going to be a compromise, but broadly speaking that was the original intention. Sadly though, manufacturers saw the potential for sales and began to make, effectively, soft-roaders. Vehicles that looked butch and rugged but patently were not. After a while, they pretty much gave up on the original concept and produced instead big hulking cars with only modest aerodynamic properties and an enhanced thirst for fuel.

Now we have something called a ‘crossover.’ What? What is that exactly? Don’t worry, I’m going to tell you anyway; a ‘crossover’ is a marketing exercise. It is saying to the public that these vehicles are something they are not. They are small town cars dressed up in the King’s New Clothes. Don’t look for substance, there is none.

Related: Automakers race to target younger buyers with small SUVs and crossovers.

The British Car Buyer

It warms the heart to see the continuing popularity of the F-150 and trucks generally in America. Alas, this is not the case here in the UK. I have tried, really I have, to convince the readers of my blog that pickup trucks are the ideal family vehicle. They can work and they can have fun and they are not frightened of mud.

It is fair to say there is some interest in hunky trucks. It is also fair to say there are a handful of SUVs out there that do fit the bill. However, for most car buyers, the SUV/Crossover fallacy continues to suck them into the vortex of the mediocre ‘world’ car. The world of shared platform, shared components, shared technology, ‘keep the accountants happy,’ profit first car manufacture and boy, is it dull.

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They are the motoring equivalent of Russian dolls.
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2018 Ford F-150. Photo: Ford Motor Company.

Impending Storm

Meanwhile, further to the saga of Brexit, we are reaching the end of days. A deal has been signed off between Britain and the European Union but it is, in fact, a sell-out of much that we hold dear. The Great British Public is very restless. There could be trouble ahead.

One of the constraining issues is, of course, what happens to those industries that work compatibly and freely in both the UK and the EU? The car industry is one of the biggest players here with both areas being huge markets for automobiles. On the face of it, nothing much will change if our devious Prime Minister has her way, but what if it does?

What happens if cross-border trading becomes too difficult? Cars and components are made here that are shipped to Europe and vice versa. Perhaps we will once again have to resurrect our own home-grown car industry and bring back some famous old names of the past. British cars for British people. Let’s just hope they are not SUVs.

Geoff Maxted is a motoring writer, photographer, and author of our Letter From The UK series. Follow his work on Twitter: @DriveWrite

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2019 Bentley Continental GT Convertible: You Won’t Believe The Center Console

• The 2019 Bentley Continental GT Convertible hits 60 mph in 3.7 seconds.  
• The Z-fold roof provides a three decibel noise reduction; the chassis is 20 percent lighter.
• Despite the luxury, performance, and technology we still cannot get over the center console.  

Let’s get right to the point. Are you filthy rich? Are you so rich that if, say, you’re crazy, shallow trophy wife (let’s call her Daisy) were to, oh, run over and crush a woman named Myrtle that you’ve been having an affair with for a while, you could buy your way out of it without breaking much of a sweat?

Then buddy, have I got a car for you: The 2019 Bentley Continental GT Convertible!

Digging For Gold

Look, I’m not obsessively anti-rich or anything. But I’m having a devil of a time figuring out why someone would buy a car like the 2019 Bentley Continental GT Convertible. It has everything a person could want in a production luxury car: style, technology, power, refinement, gorgeous materials, all that stuff.

It’s the flash I don’t completely understand.

The Conti Convertible is just so affectedly showy, so over the top in what it’s trying to present to the world, that even Kanye West would look at it and say, “Nah, that’s a little too much, don’t ya think?” And the Saudi prince, you know, the one with his own custom-made Boeing 747 as a private jet would answer, “yeah bruh, I know, right?” Maybe it’s just the top . . . it is made of tweed – a first for any car, which is kind of surprising, since you’d think some British company would have done that ages ago.

But apart from the pretention, the affectedness, and the flamboyance, what we have here is a pretty standard Bentley, circa 2019: tons of everything, and it’s very well screwed together.

The air suspension uses three-chamber springs for 60 percent more air volume in the softest setting than the prior model. Furthermore, the braking system is the most powerful yet for a Bentley, with 28 pistons. Photo: Bentley Motors.

300 Million Calculations Per Second

Let’s start with the first place everyone overlooks: The engine bay. Nestled within you’ll find Bentley’s 6.0-liter, W12 TSI engine, designed, developed, and hand-built in Crewe (if you ignore that Bentley is a VW subsidiary and variations of this plant can be found elsewhere in the line). Bentley says it is the “most advanced 12-cylinder engine in the world” to which, some guys in Maranello respond, “Tieni il mio chianti, amico.”

Said plant is controlled by a computer making 300 million software calculations per second.

The healthy 626 horsepower and 664 lb-ft. of torque throws this barge down the esplanade at substantial speeds. Zero to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds, for example, with a top speed of 207. Impressive by any measure. And it becomes even more so when you figure this thing has got to weigh more than the HMS Ark Royal.

Although the 2019 Bentley Continental GT Convertible is 20 percent lighter and five percent stiffer.

2019 Bentley Continental GT Convertible. Photo: Bentley Motors.

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Even Kanye West would look at it and say, Nah, that's a little too much, don't ya think?
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Transmission & Efficiency

The new engine utilizes start-stop technology, which is now mandatory in the Euro zone, yes? The engine also has Bentley’s Variable Displacement system that shuts down half of the engine. Intake and exhaust valves, fuel injection, and ignition are all cut on selected cylinders, with the mill running as a six-cylinder for better efficiency. The trans is a dual-clutch, eight-speed deal mated to a new “Active All-Wheel-Drive System” that varies the front-to-rear torque split, depending on the driving situation.

But enough about all that! Engines are dirty with grease and the province of the working classes (shudder). Here, step inside, have a seat. The interior of the 2019 Bentley Continental GT Convertible is like the drawing room at Highclere Castle.

Related: Bentley Continental GT First Edition: Grand or Bland Tourer?

All About Dat Center Console

The details are enough to choke a horse. For example, over 10 square meters of wood including Koa and Dark Fiddleback Eucalyptus wood as options. There are eight interior roof lining colors to choose from. The center console can be spec’d in a new Côtes de Genève finish, which is used for the surfacing inside Swiss watches. Each “row” of the center console, according to Bentley, is five millimeters wide and machined at an angle for a three-dimensional finish. Each “pass of the machine” makes a “minute step” of 0.5 millimeters.

This is the center console, y’know, where you put yer French fries. Sheesh.

“Excuse me . . . I couldn’t help but notice your center console . . . “

Royal Treatment

And it just goes on and on from there. Haptic finishes, pillow knurling for the switches and controls, diamond knurling on other controls, 20-way adjustable seats, heating and massage functions for those seats, and signature Bentley quilting. The Naim 2,200 watt, 18-speaker system with Active Bass Transducers and eight sound modes ranges all the way from “symphonic” to “Pete Townshend’s Bleeding Eardrums.”

There’s a “Bentley Rotating Display” that provides a “digital or analogue” journey. A 12.3-inch MMI display (Audi!) resembles a smartphone with its configurable home screen. Apple CarPlay of course (Android is so plebian) connected via a USB port. What, no Bluetooth?

Finally, the convertible roof opens and stows in about 20 seconds at speeds up to 30 mph.

2019 Bentley Continental GT Convertible interior layout. Photo: Bentley Motors.

Color Options & Pricing

All this and your choice of 17 colors. Oh, and that convertible roof? In addition to tweed, you get your choice of seven other colors. When picking out yours, I’m sure you’ll hear your shallow trophy wife exclaim something along the lines of “They’re such beautiful colors. It makes me sad because I’ve never seen such beautiful colors!”

Bentley has not, as of this writing, announced pricing.

Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He is the author of Bricks & Bones: The Endearing Legacy and Nitty-Gritty Phenomenon of The Indy 500, available in paperback or Kindle format. Follow his work on Twitter: @TonyBorroz

2019 Bentley Continental GT Convertible Gallery

Photos & Source: Bentley Motors.

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Win gear from Velomacchi, REV’IT!, NEXX and Rizoma

It takes just a couple of minutes to vote for the best images in our photography competition, and you could win high-end gear from four top brands: Velomacchi, REV’IT!, NEXX and Rizoma.

We’ve picked out the ten best professional and privateer shots sent in by photographers over the past few days, and now it’s our readers’ chance to win gear.

When you vote for your favorite shots, you automatically go into the draw to win one of three prize packages:

• Velomacchi Speedway 28L Backpack and Speedway Impact Storage Case, a REV’IT! Halo jacket, a NEXX XG100R helmet, and Rizoma Tapered Handlebars. Total Value c.$1,160.
• Velomacchi Speedway 40L Backpack and Impact Laptop Sleeve, a REV’IT! Trench GTX jacket, a NEXX X.WED helmet, and a set of Rizoma universal fit Eccentrico Mirrors. Total Value c.$1,870.
• Velomacchi Speedway 50L Travel Duffle Hybrid and Speedway Tool/Med Pouch, a REV’IT! Livingstone jacket, a NEXX XG200 helmet, and a set of Rizoma Legend handgrips. Total Value c.$1230.

If you’re one of our winners and you’d prefer a women’s jacket or top from the REV’IT! range, you’ll be able to choose a substitute up to the same value as the listed prizes.

So head over to the voting page now, and pick out your top shots.

Voting closes at 11:59pm PST on December 19, 2018 and we’ll announce the winners via our social media accounts on or after December 21, 2018. A very nice Christmas present for three lucky winners!

Velomacchi | REV’IT! | NEXX | Rizoma | Rules

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Lamborghini Urus SUV Race Car? No, Really

• The Lamborghini Urus SUV Race Car ushers in a new Motorsport program
• The Urus racer is 25 percent lighter than its production counterpart.

You know Lamborghini is making an SUV now, right? It’s called the Urus and, besides it being a questionable move in every way but financial (they’ll sell them by the boatload, just watch), Lambo has come up with an idea that’s even goofier than making their own truck.

An all-Lambo SUV racing series.

No, they’re serious.

Squealing Tires & Mangled Carbon Fiber

At first, I thought this was some sort of monumentally sick joke. Then I slipped into a deep existential dread that a sports car company (even though it’s a sports car company as fundamentally compromised as Lamborghini) would even contemplate a truck racing series. But now, the more I think about it, the more this could turn into a real hootin’ hollerin’ good time!

Think of it: if they play it right, and only allow entries to be driven by housewives from Orange Country and plastic surgeons from Scarsdale, the on track action (and by action, I mean non-stop mistakes, over-driving, and completely preventable shunts) could be hysterically entertaining.

That tried and true combination of high power, high center of gravity, and high self-regard could equal squealing tires, concussive thumps, and mangled carbon fiber from the green flag till the checker.

Related: Lamborghini Urus: Everything wrong at just the right time.

Lamborghini Urus SUV Race Car. Photo: Automobili Lamborghini.

Filthy, Stinkin’ Rich

At the 2018 World Finals, for their single make racing series, Lamborghini Squadra Corse unwrapped the Urus ST-X Concept. Their, uh, vision is a ride imagined for a single-brand racing championship that combines both a race circuit and an off-road track. Lambo made no mention if this “vision” was the result of Hunter S. Thompson levels of peyote ingestion combined with a frightening lack of sleep, but it sure sounds like it.

The new racing series will debut in 2020 both in Europe and the Middle East (lots o’cash floating around there). The competitors will race on specially-prepared and FIA-approved circuits, with the whole rich guy “arrive and drive” formula in place. Just hop in your Gulfstream Jet (you bourgeoisie jerk) fly to, oh, probably Dubai or some such place, and Lambo will have the complete package, including the car and technical support, all ready and waiting for the entire race weekend.

Related: Lamborghini Squadra Corse unveils their unicorn.

Photo: Automobili Lamborghini.

Engineering & Performance

The Urus ST-X Concept has, of course, been thoroughly worked over. As fun as it would be to watch them do this with a showroom stock machine, Lambo isn’t that senseless. The Urus ST-X Concept comes with all the FIA-approved safety elements you would expect. There’s a steel roll cage, fire suppression system, and an FT3 fuel tank not found in the production model.

Visually, this thing is all Lamborghini and about as subtle as shotgun blast. The Urus ST-X Concept is laid out in a matte Verde Mantis (i.e. screaming green) livery and the hood is in naked carbon fiber. The air intakes are larger and optimized for cooling the V8 twin-turbo plant. Said mill puts out 640 ponies and 627 lb-ft. of grunt.

Rear wing? Sure, why not? New hexagonal racing exhausts, and 21-inch single-nut aluminum alloy wheels, fitted with Pirelli tires, complete the visuals.

Compared to the production model, the Urus ST-X Concept drops 25 percent of its all up weight. Combined with an increase in torsional stiffening via the roll cage and a “raised set-up,” the Urus ST-X Concept is ready for the track. Or so says Lamborghini.

Photo: Automobili Lamborghini.

Heavy Metal Noise

Chances are the entire thing will be a circus sideshow, rather than some sort of racing to improve the breed situation. So why not go full circus? Grab a Kardashian or two (there seems to be a lot of them) a few rap moguls, burned out stadium rockers (what’s Sammy Hagar up to these days?), bone saw wielding Sheiks, and a few hedge fund managers and turn ’em loose!

Let’s go full on Ben-Hur!

Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He is the author of Bricks & Bones: The Endearing Legacy and Nitty-Gritty Phenomenon of The Indy 500, available in paperback or Kindle format. Follow his work on Twitter: @TonyBorroz. 

Photos & Source: Automobili Lamborghini.

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An Extension of Your Senses: 5 Modern Pieces of Technology Designed to Prevent Car Accidents

New safety technology on vehicles is saving lives and preventing injuries, but many of these technologies aren’t yet set on all vehicles.

System capabilities of your car will vary from others because they are not all created the same. So, it’s important to pick a car with systems that you’re going to understand to avoid possible failures.

Below are some of the five best vehicle technologies that can help prevent you avoid a crash.

1. Electronic Stability Control (ESC)

Electronic stability control is the most crucial of these crash avoidance technologies. This technology does a very brilliant job of preventing your car from sliding out of control especially during wet seasons or even snow. But, how does it work? You’ll have to apply the brakes of your car momentarily to individual wheels or you can reduce the engine power.
ESC is the most ideal crash avoidance technologies compared to other safety technologies because it has always been on the lead. It never disappoints!

2. Automatic Emergency Breaking (AEB)

Collision avoidance systems prevent most of the crashes. Sometimes your AEB might fail to work but will still prevent a collision reducing the severity enough by cutting the number of injuries in half.

Forward collision warning will always guide you because it watches the road ahead. This is done with the help of cameras that will alert you in case of a detectable collision. But,how does the AEB do this? The AEB will warn you by flashing lights or raising alarms that tells you to take action thus reducing rear-end crashes. You can contact David Abels if you want help with your case.

AEB is an ideal standard equipment for luxury cars or optional feature for other cars.

3. Lane Departure Warning and Prevention

Lane departure warning will alert you – with beeps or dashboard lights or even by vibrating the steering wheel – if the car is drifting out of its lane. Lane departure prevention will try to steer a vehicle back into its lane. That’s the better part of it. So, you don’t have to panic much trying to get your vehicle back to the lane because, lane departure warning got you covered.

The quality and capability of these systems varies wildly from car to car. Ensure you get a test-drive because others some will try to keep your vehicle in the middle of its lane, while others will tend to make your vehicle swerve from side to side in its lane.

These systems will only work when turned on so, don’t turn off your lane departure warning to help you avoid injuries.

4. Blind spot warning

Sometimes you may find yourself constantly surprised that there’s a car next to you when changing your lanes and you’re left shaken. You don’t have to worry because there’s a solution. You can use radars in your car which will greatly help you “see” the invisible cars that you can’t see in the mirrors. On the other hand, a monitoring system will alert you with a warning light in case of a vehicle sitting on your blind spot. Some systems will also vibrate the steering wheel to give you a pause to take a look.

5. Front/rear cross-traffic alert

These systems alert the driver when backing out of a parking space or crossing an intersection. Some systems only work when backing up, while others are specifically for intersections. Some will automatically brake, while others will only warn the driver to take action.

6. Bottom Line

The above safety technologies can never fail you. Ensure your safety and that of others by installing these devices.

The post An Extension of Your Senses: 5 Modern Pieces of Technology Designed to Prevent Car Accidents appeared first on Automotorblog: Daily news on cars and motorcycles.

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The Honda CB500 cafe racer that staved off bankruptcy

Building custom motorcycles can be a tough game. And the Swedish builder Fredrik Pål Persson was ready to throw in the towel, just before the commission came in for this rather chic Honda café racer.

His shop, Malmö-based PAAL Motorcycles, has been operating for five years now. But last year, the business almost closed down. “We basically hit rock bottom,” Fredrik admits.

“We were paying for costly mistakes we made, and we had to downscale everything. We sold everything we could sell, and held our breath to avoid going bankrupt.”

“When a client asked us to build a CB500, I was standing on a pivot. I could say no and close the shop—or say yes, while knowing that all profit had to go back into the company, and I wouldn’t be able to take out a salary.”

Fredrik decided to say yes. He also decided to sell his home and invest the profit into the company: “I was basically buying one more year to follow my dreams.”

Since Fredrik was going all in, he knew that the CB500 would have to be one of the shop’s best builds to date. “A bike that truly represents what we stand for as a brand here at PAAL,” he says. “Design, craftsmanship, quality and performance.”

The donor—a 1976 CB500—was liberated from Fredrick’s own cache. It was a bike that he’d customized years ago, but he was never quite happy with it. It was a candidate for a complete makeover.

So the PAAL crew stripped the motor down (again), building it up with new valves and reworked cylinders. The engine also got a new coat of paint, and the carbs were refreshed, and tuned to run with pod filters. Ancillary bits like cables, bearings, seals, and the chain and sprockets, were all replaced.

PAAL then ripped out all the wiring and started over with a Bluetooth-enabled Motogadget m.unit Blue module. The setup includes a Lithium-ion battery, and a new digital ignition.

They also installed LED turn signals, a tiny speedo and switches from Motogadget, along with Motone control buttons and an LED taillight.

The taillight’s neatly embedded in the back of a new, custom-built subframe. Up top is a custom-made seat in a classic café racer style, complete with a removable rear cowl. The fuel tank’s a one-off too, and includes PAAL’s signature upholstered indents on the sides.

The effect’s carried through to the gorgeous tank and cowl straps, and even to the custom leather grips. The actual bars are a set of KustomTech clip-ons, matched to Tarozzi rear-sets on hand-made brackets.

PAAL rebuilt the front forks, installed new rear shocks, and overhauled the brakes. The wheels were refreshed too, with new stainless steel spokes, a fresh powder coat, and a set of Firestone Champion Deluxe tires.

The four-into-one exhaust system was fabricated in-house, and terminates in a chunky, low-slung muffler. The frame and a bunch of other components were powder coated black, while the bodywork was shot in a tasteful light grey.

“We didn’t take any shortcuts on this bike,” says Fredrik. “Everything was done by the book, for the best outcome possible. It basically ended up being a brand new motorcycle, with modern performance, combined with some of our signature design features. Still keeping the retro vibe but bringing it in to the 21th century.”

Around the time PAAL were wrapping up the CB500, they were also turning screws on a Kawasaki KZ650 and a Honda CB750. And while Fredrik went into the projects with a weight on his shoulders, he came out the other side freshly invigorated.

“A lot has changed now,” he says. “I found new partners and investors, and we’ve been able to slowly turn the ship around with a lot of hard work. We are now excited about the future and the path we’re on.”

“I know that I can write pages about all the parts we used on the bike. But the story of this bike represents a lot more then material things for us.”

We’re glad to hear it: we hope to see many more bikes rolling out of PAAL’s doors in the future. And there’s a little more good news for Fredrik: his Kawasaki KZ650 is one of the stars of the 2019 Bike EXIF wall calendar.

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