Top Gear’s Jeremy Clarkson Suspended

Top Gear’s Jeremy Clarkson Suspended
Volkswagen Beetle Could be Axed
Porsche Rear Seat Entertainment Gets an Upgrade
BMW Not Bringing FWD 2-Series to US
Lamborghini Sales Set New Record in 2014
McLaren Going Hybrid With Half Its Lineup

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Top Gear won't broadcast this Sunday on the BBC2 due to a falling out with one of its hosts.

Jeremy Clarkson has been suspended after allegations of an argument with a Top Gear producer. The network has decided to conduct an investigation while putting the show on hold. In a statement, the BBC said, "Following a fracas with a BBC producer Jeremy Clarkson has been suspended pending an investigation. No one else has been suspended. Top Gear will not be broadcast this Sunday. The BBC will be making no further comment at this time."

One of the most popular shows for BBC Worldwide, it holds a Guinness World Record for being the world's most widely watched factual television program.

In February of 2011 the Top Gear team got into some hot water over remarks made about Mexicans being lazy. Clarkson said they wouldn't even anticipate any complains from the Mexican ambassador because he would likely be asleep.

Clarkson has come close to being fired numerous times for everything from suggesting that truck drivers are murderers to demanding that striking public sector workers be shot.

Last year, Clarkson was given a final warning over his behavior on the show after Danny Cohen, BBC's director of television, conducted an internal investigation into the show's concerns on racism. At the time, Clarkson said that the BBC had told him he would be fired if he made "one more offensive remark, anywhere, at any time."

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Volkswagen Beetle Could be Axed

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As iconic as the Volkswagen Beetle is, it may not be long for this world.

According to a recent report from German publication Der Spiegel, Volkswagen is cutting costs and looking for ways to produce more models based on the same platforms and powertrains, like other automakers. As a result, some of its models are getting the axe, like the Eos that ends production this year. The company also has plans of cutting the three-door Polo from the lineup so that only the five-door variant is available, but the biggest news is that the Beetle could be next on the chopping block.

The company is targeting a five-billion euro cut and by eliminating the three-door Polo alone, it saves 200-million euros. The Volkswagen Beetle was a good seller for the brand when it was reintroduced in 2002, moving 49,549 units that year. Sales peaked the following year at 56,971 and has been on the decline since. The company did see a boost in 2013 when sales reached 43,134 but last year's numbers dropped down to 29,182.

To put that into perspective, the Jetta sold 160,873 units in the U.S. last year, nearly four times as much as the Beetle. Expand those sales figures to cover the entire world market and you can understand why Volkswagen might have its sights set on ejecting the Beetle from its lineup.

[Source: Der Spiegel via Autoblog]

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Porsche Rear Seat Entertainment Gets an Upgrade

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Porsche is spreading a new rear seat entertainment unit to its entire four-door lineup.

Originally introduced in the Panamera Turbo S Exclusive Series, the system, which consists of two high-resolution 10.1-inch touchscreens integrated into the front seat backrests, can now be had on any model of the Panamera, Macan or Cayenne. The system comes with an integrated DVD player, two USB ports, an SD card slot and HDMI hookups.

A wireless internet connection allows videos to be played on both screens directly from the internet. Sound comes courtesy of Bluetooth headphones, included with the package. There is a Plus version of the rear seat entertainment package that comes with a 32 GB internal flash drive. An internet browser is also available along with a special app that lets you send and receive E-mails.

In Germany, the system will cost 3,082 Euros ($3303) for the standard model and 3,439 Euros ($3686) for the Plus model.

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BMW Not Bringing FWD 2-Series to US

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BMW has decided to keep its new front-wheel drive 2-Series lineup out of the United States.

The 2-Series Gran Tourer and the 2-Series Active Tourer (seen above) are both too small for the U.S. market according to the company. The Gran Tourer, with a length of 179 inches, is not long enough to allow three rows of seats according to BMW, one of the deciding factors in the decision.

The X1, with its 175.5-inch length, will continue to be the smallest BMW crossover on sale in the U.S. A redesigned X1 that will use the same front-wheel drive platform as the new Mini will go on sale late in 2015.

[Source: Automotive News]

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Lamborghini Sales Set New Record in 2014

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Lamborghini had is best sales year ever in 2014.

The Italian exotic brand moved 2,530 cars in 2014, a 19 percent increase over the previous year. Revenue also jumped for Lambo by 24 percent, as the company brought in 629 million euros last year. The brand says the demand remains strong for the Aventador and that the Huracan had a "very successful" market introduction.

"Today the company is driving towards the future from a very solid economic base," said Stephan Winkelmann, President and CEO of Lamborghini. "With our very attractive model mix, ongoing anticipated investment and stable markets, we anticipate a phase of solid growth in the medium term."

The production facility in Sant'Agata Bolognese is already at maximum capacity for 2015 according to the company. To keep growth on track, Lamborghini invests over 20 percent back into research and development along with the factory grounds.

Lamborghini brought on 192 new technicians and specialists in 2014, bringing the company's total number of employees to 1,175.

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McLaren Going Hybrid With Half Its Lineup

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McLaren has lots of changes in store for its line of supercars that will make them faster, lighter and more aerodynamic.

McLaren Automotive CEO Mike Flewitt spoke with Car and Driver at the Geneva Motor Show, spilling the beans on the brand's plan to install hybrid powertrains in more of its cars. "I would say that 10 years from now at least half our cars will be hybrids—I don't see any other way of meeting the demands around emissions—and we also get some significant drivability benefits in terms of the character of the powertrain," said Flewitt.

One of the drawbacks of a hybrid system is added weight, but Flewitt thinks that McLaren already has a leg up in that area thanks to the brand's expertise with carbon fiber. The lightweight material is also becoming cheaper for McLaren to buy because the company now has more volume leverage and world prices have come down. The proof sits with cars like the 675LT, which weighs just 2712 pounds, less than the new Porsche Cayman GT4.

Enhanced aerodynamics are also going to play a big part in future McLaren models."We've learned a huge amount and it's one of the things we've been able to bring across from motorsport. The P1 has the most downforce of any road car ever. Aero is going to have to continue to develop for us to be able to carry on delivering improved performance—and driver-focused performance," said Flewitt.

Finally, the CEO revealed that a followup to the range-topping P1 is on its way, but not for at least 10 years. "I think a P1 replacement is 10 years or so away, and it won't just be 'P1 and a bit'—it's going to have to be another significant technology step," said Flewitt. "As for whether it will be faster, let me just say I can't see this part of the market losing its appetite for more performance."

[Source: Car & Driver]

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Car Reviews

Tuesday 10 March 2015

Top Gear’s Jeremy Clarkson Suspended

Top Gear’s Jeremy Clarkson Suspended

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