THIS IS BMW’s new Gran Coupé, officially in concept form. Unveiled at a Design Night event in Beijing, it is meant as a template of the future design direction of the brand. However it’s not simply a design study: BMW is due to produce a four- door coupé, to compete against the Mercedes CLS, in the coming years.
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Japanese tyres for EU
TYRES THAT carry a Japanese quality mark (JIS) instead of the EU-approved E-mark could potentially pass the NCT again in future if they are recognised by the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).
Since April 1st, the NCT requires cars to have E-mark tyres to pass the NCT after a public consultation conducted by the RSA early in 2009 found the majority of respondents were in favour of checking tyres for the E-mark.
The RSA has acknowledged proposals have been made to UNECE that tyres with the JIS mark be recognised and treated as equivalent to E-mark tyres in the context of the EC type approval directives.
“Consideration of this issue will include an assessment of international developments and a consultation with stakeholders and, in particular, the importers of secondhand cars,” a spokesman for the RSA said.
In the meantime, vehicle owners are advised to ensure they have the E-mark confirming the tyre meets the minimum EU or international standards in its dimensions, load and speed rating, to ensure they pass the NCT.
Prius plug-in
A PLUG-IN hybrid version of Toyota’s Prius will go on sale in Ireland in 2012.
The new car uses a battery that is rechargeable from a wall socket and can be charged in an hour and a half. This will power the Prius on EV mode for 20km up to 100km/h. The plug-in Prius uses the same petrol engine in tandem with the electric motor, but this model has fuel economy of 2.6 l/100km, a 30 per cent improvement. Emissions are just 59g/km.
The standard model is set to lose its VRT rebate at the end of this year, while the plug-in version will get a €2,500 grant under the new Government backed scheme to assist buyers of electric vehicles, which will run from January 2011 to December 31st 2012.
The vehicle is expected it to be very close to the cost of the current Prius. The current model costs from €25,900.
Kiely meets Citroen
IRISH DESIGNER Orla Kiely is believed to be in negotiations with French firm Citroën to design a version of the new DS3. The new car is already on sale with several bespoke colour and trim options but the plan is to give the car the sort of fashion credentials Mini has garnered in recent years.
While it’s unclear what styling touches the new car will feature, it would be a significant coup for the French brand to link the DS3 with the internationally successful Irish design star.
