The Financial Conduct Authority is a UK organization that regulates financial companies. Here, it’s involved in deciding how people should be compensated after car finance was sold unfairly.
Car finance misselling means car loans or finance deals were sold in a misleading or unfair way. Because of that, some customers are entitled to compensation.
Mercedes-Benz Financial Services is the company that arranges car finance for Mercedes customers. In this segment, it’s mentioned because it’s appealing a decision about compensation for unfair car finance sales.
Volkswagen Financial Services is the part of Volkswagen that provides car finance. The hosts say it’s appealing and also claimed there are issues the court needs to clarify.
They’re talking about Toyota and how global events can affect how many cars it can build. When supplies get delayed or more expensive, car production can slow down.
A knock-on effect is “one problem causes more problems.” If one supply gets disrupted, it can ripple through and slow down other parts of car production.
Injection molding is how many plastic car parts are made. Plastic is melted and pushed into a mold to form the shape, so if plastic supplies are disrupted, those parts can’t be made as easily.
Printed circuit boards are the “wiring boards” inside electronics. Cars use them for things like control modules, so if the materials needed to make them are in short supply, electronics production can slow down.
Totobushoku is mentioned as a company that supplies car seats. If the materials it needs (like resins and adhesives) become scarce or delayed, seat production can be affected too.
Resin is a type of material used to make plastics and other manufactured parts. If resin supplies are tight, companies that build parts like seats may struggle to keep making them.
“Chinese-only” means those cars or that version of the brand is meant for China and won’t be sold elsewhere. That can change what models you’ll ever be able to buy.
Lamborghini is another big car company. The host mentions an executive moving there to a top engineering role, which is basically in charge of technical direction.
A concept rendering is basically a computer picture of a car idea. It shows what the car might look like, but it isn’t the final, real version you’d drive.
Car
Audi E7X
They’re talking about a proposed Audi design called the E7X. They don’t like how it looks, saying it resembles a generic Chinese SUV, especially because of the big front grille and bland overall shape.
Black Hat is a security conference where experts try to break into systems in order to find weaknesses. They then share what they found so companies can protect themselves better.
Term
hardware and IoT security
This phrase means security for both the device itself and the way it connects to the internet. If either side is weak, hackers may be able to exploit the device.
An IoT security researcher works on protecting connected devices (like smart electronics) from hackers. They look for security problems that could let someone take control or steal information.
The “backend” is the server-side software and infrastructure that runs behind the scenes. For EV charging networks, compromising the backend can allow an attacker to change charging behavior or shut down service across multiple chargers.
They’re describing a hacking risk where someone could interfere with EV charging. If many chargers rely on the same computer system, one hack could disrupt charging for lots of people.
An EV charger is what you plug into to charge an electric car. This episode is talking about the online system that controls charging, not just the plug itself.
MG is a car brand from China. They’re talking about MG choosing a factory location in Europe for making electric vehicles.
Concept
minimum price agreements
Minimum price agreements are arrangements that set a floor price for products in a market, limiting how low sellers can go. The segment frames these as another trade barrier Chinese brands may try to navigate to maintain access to European sales.
Tariffs are taxes imposed on imported goods. The segment suggests Chinese car brands may adjust production or sourcing to reduce the impact of tariffs (or related pricing agreements) when selling into European markets.
Cupra SEAT is part of the Volkswagen Group. The hosts are saying Spain already has that company building electric cars there, which helps attract more investment.
In automotive manufacturing and shipping, logistics means how efficiently parts and finished cars move through ports, rail, roads, and storage. The hosts argue Spain’s logistics—ports, rail connections, and space—make it a strong location for new vehicle assembly.
Brand
SEIC
SEIC is the name the host uses for another company investing in Spain. The segment doesn’t explain what SEIC stands for, so it’s hard to pin down exactly which automaker it is from this excerpt alone.
A “luxury brand” is a car maker that sells higher-priced cars and is expected to feel more premium. The hosts are saying Chinese brands will be judged by those higher expectations.
This means the car’s screen can rotate so it faces the driver differently—about a quarter turn. It’s a flashy interior feature meant to make the cabin feel more high-tech.
Vauxhall is a car brand that’s more common in the mainstream market. The hosts are saying it’s easier to attract those buyers than to pull premium customers away from top luxury brands.
The Audi e-tron is an electric SUV. The podcast says Audi is recalling many of these cars because there may be a problem related to braking—either how the brake pedal feels or how the brakes work. A recall like this is meant to fix a safety concern.
The podcast is referring to an Audi electric model with “Quattro” in its name. Audi is recalling many of these cars because there may be a problem related to braking. The recall is meant to make sure the brakes work correctly.
The brake pedal is what you press to slow the car down. The hosts are saying the recall is about a possible problem that could affect braking response.
Term
limited functionality
Limited functionality means the car may not work exactly as intended in certain situations. Here, it’s tied to the braking/brake-pedal concern and suggests the car could restrict braking behavior.
Torque here means how tightly a bolt or screw is tightened. The recall fix is basically to re-tighten a screw to the correct tightness so it won’t loosen.
A recall is when a car maker says, “We found a problem—bring your car in and we’ll fix it.” It’s usually about safety, and the fix is typically free for owners.
Mitsubishi is the other car company in the comparison. The hosts are discussing how many recalls it has had in the U.S., and what kinds of problems those recalls might involve.
Term
misposition sticker
The hosts mention a “misposition sticker” as an example of the kind of issue that can trigger a recall. In practice, recalls can be caused by labeling/fitment errors where a sticker is installed incorrectly, even if the underlying mechanical risk is low.
A joint venture means two companies team up to make a product together. The hosts are saying this new Freelander model is being developed and built in China as part of that partnership.
The Land Rover Freelander is a type of SUV made by Land Rover. The podcast is talking about a new or related version and how it’s connected to production and branding. It’s mentioned because the name and lineup are being discussed in the news.
Term
production intent design
“Production intent” means the design is basically aiming to match the real car that will be built. It’s not the final version yet, but it’s close enough to preview the look.
A quarter light is a small window on the side of the car near the back. The hosts are saying the new Freelander keeps a distinctive triangular version of that window from the older model.
LiDAR is a sensor that uses lasers to “see” the road and surroundings in 3D. It helps the car understand what’s around it, and in this case it’s mounted where you can easily spot it.
The Volvo EX90 is an electric SUV, meaning it uses a battery and is built for families or everyday trips. The podcast notes seeing one used like a taxi, which suggests it can handle frequent driving. It’s being mentioned because of how it’s used in the real world.
Twin chamber air suspension uses air bags to adjust the ride height. It can make the ride smoother and more stable, but it’s more complicated than basic suspension parts.
This is a traction system inside the drivetrain that helps the wheels work together. When one wheel loses grip, it helps send power to the wheel that still has traction.
The all-terrain function is a driving mode that helps the car handle different road surfaces. It tries to automatically adjust how the car drives when the grip changes.
The BMW 7 Series is a large luxury car designed for maximum comfort. A facelift usually means BMW updates the look and some features without changing the whole car. The podcast is talking about how the updates may or may not be enough.
Here, “range” means how many miles the EV can go before the battery runs out. Bigger batteries and better efficiency usually help, but driving style and conditions matter too.
The BMW 3 Series is a regular-size car made by BMW, usually as a sedan. People talk about it a lot because it’s designed to feel fun to drive while still being practical. The podcast mentions the older E30 version as a favorite.
The Saturn Aura is a car model that was made for everyday driving. The podcast mentions an electric hatchback called the Aura 3 and says it’s being discontinued in the UK. It’s being discussed because the company is stopping that version.
The Fiat 500 is a small car made for city driving. It’s designed to be easy to park and maneuver. The podcast groups it with other small cars to talk about what makes that kind of car appealing.
The Nissan Leaf is an electric hatchback, meaning it runs on a battery instead of gasoline. It’s designed for everyday driving in a small, easy-to-handle size. The podcast brings it up alongside other small cars to compare what makes them work well.
ADAS are driver-assistance features that help you drive, like alerts and automatic safety actions. The host is saying the Aura 3’s system was especially noticeable.
The Lotus Europa is an older Lotus sports car. It’s known for being light and fun to drive, and it’s a bit of a “hidden gem” compared with the more famous modern Lotuses like the Elise.
The Lotus Elise is a small two-seat sports car. It’s built to be light and fun to drive, especially around corners. The podcast is clarifying that the car being discussed is an Elise, not a different Lotus model.
The Mitsubishi Space Wagon is a family vehicle designed to carry people and cargo. The podcast speaker is saying they bought one and thinks it could have been set up differently. It’s mentioned because it’s a practical choice for everyday use.
“Hoon” is slang for driving aggressively or recklessly for fun—often involving fast acceleration, loud throttle use, and sometimes drifting. In the segment, it’s used to describe the game’s “mad” driving activities.
The British Motor Museum is the venue being discussed, where an exhibition day tied to Forza Horizon 6 is planned. The hosts mention booking tickets, live music, gaming setups, food trucks, and a drift demonstration, positioning the museum as an interactive event space.
A drift demonstration is when a skilled driver makes the car slide sideways on purpose while turning. It’s a way to show off driving skill and how the car handles.
LIVE
Welcome to the Motoring Podcast, a week discussion of Motoring News. This is episode 684 on Tuesday,
the 5th of May, 2026. Hello, I'm Alan.
Hello, I'm Andrew. And this week, you'll hear how some brands are off to Spain for
their duty-free. In new car news, you will get to say goodbye to one car, even though
you hardly knew it at all. And in points of interest, you'll be told how you can drive
around Japan when in the Midlands. But first, we have a smidgen of follow-up.
Last week, I started the show with follow-up that the consumer group was challenging the
Financial Conduct Authority's ruling on how it is decided it will give out money to those who
have been affected by the car finance misselling that was found in the... Just to remind everyone,
the courts... By give out money, you mean recompense.
Yes, compensation, sorry. As I said in the show, the deadline was the day that I was recording,
the 27th, I think it was, 27th of April. On that day, though, Mercedes joined two other car
finance companies to appeal as well against the ruling. So you have someone appealing from the
finance. These are CA auto finance, Mercedes-Benz financial services, and Volkswagen financial
services. And the really annoying thing is that those of us who have claims in and will probably
receive something but not related to any of these companies, we also have to wait.
Everyone waits. Here's the thing, we don't know what those finance companies are appealing against.
Two of them have declined to comment at all. And Volkswagen is said, and I'm quoting here from
a money-saving expert article, which will be linked in the show notes. Volkswagen had told us it had
identified issues that require independent clarification from the court, but they wouldn't
go into more detail than that. To remind everyone, again, these companies broke the UK law, which is
why compensation is due to people. Shall we move on to New News, Alan? Yes, it turns out,
and who would have thought it, that forcing the closure of one of the world's most important
shipping lanes can have knock-on effects. Really? Really, really. I don't know who would have guessed
this knocked in the US government. Knock me down with a feather. Quite. Well, according to CBT News,
Toyota's supply chain strain has intensified as Iran conflict disrupts materials flow.
This is Toyota going back and pointing out that, obviously, a restriction the amount of oil
and oil-based products getting out of the Arabian Gulf is starting to have a knock-on effect.
And it's having knock-on effect from a couple of sites. On one hand, there's the chance that
suppliers might not be able to deliver things on time just because there are no raw materials of
plastics to make injection molding parts and all of that kind of stuff. And there might not be enough
other solvents, gases, all of these kind of things to enable the manufacture of more complex parts,
things like printed circuit boards. On the other hand, then, obviously, the increase in oil prices
and, thus, fuel prices around the world probably mean that fewer people will be running out and
trying to buy cars. But even if they go off and try to buy the electric cars, they can't buy the
electric cars because the electric cars still need some of the oil products in order to make the
components of the electric cars. They're probably going to make fewer cars. Are you trying to tell
me, Alan, that everything is interconnected in some way? You know it's this amazing thing, Andrew,
there are impacts. Oh, wow. Because I thought you could just live in your little bubble and talk
about or be fixated on your little aspect. And as long as that was all right, everything was all
right. So it turns out things happen outside a ballroom. Secure or otherwise. Secure or otherwise.
That people actually do stuff and make stuff and contribute to the way the world works. And to do
those, large supplies of those materials are all trapped in a smallish area of water. It's a
little tricky for everybody to get on with their lives. Because I has factored some of this instability
into its forecasts down the road. And it's anticipating production for by about 200,000
vehicles compared to their original plans. Then so likewise, projected and operating profit of
500 billion yen for the fiscal year ending March, 2027, again, falling short of previous
analyst expectations. Although analysts do tend to use a proctologist with a torch whenever
they're finding their expectations. Totobushoku, again, they make seats and stuff. They need resin
based materials, glues, all these kinds of things. And again, they're going to have a knock on effect
too. It's going to be things like switches and switches and seats that cause some of these
shortages in the near to medium term anyway. Again, all we can do is keep an eye on it,
watch and hope, but say their minds prevail. On top of certain governments suddenly getting an
education in this, I think there's an awful lot of people, particularly in the automotive world,
who've been very loud and talking about things, who are going to get a massive education on how
interconnected things are and how difficult life is going to be. Are you talking in the sort of
motoring commentary world? Yes, the experts out there who talk about... Yeah, that doesn't surprise
me. We deliberately, you'll notice everyone is listening that we haven't gone for the new car
registrations for April. We've deliberately not done that because they only came out this morning
on the day of recording. And we want more time, one, to digest it and two, to see what stupid
nonsense people are coming out with. And honestly, this month, they are really topping themselves
in stupidity. We'll have to come out with a... Actually, the reality is this next week as well.
I don't want to do a sort of waving my bits about thing, but do remember some of us, maybe,
who aren't full-time motoring commentators, do have degrees in manufacturing related things,
have worked in manufacturing related jobs, have also done lots of consultancy for many
different types of companies all around the world. And I'm not sure people who have spent their
lives at the Inhamersmith occasionally driving cars necessarily do 100%.
I am going to move us on. And we're going to talk about Audi, which is the Chinese only
wing of Audi. They have had to find themselves a new CEO because Furman Scenaria has left to
become the Chief Technical Officer for Lamborghini. Quite what the Chief Technical Officer does in
the beginning, I'm not quite sure. He makes the doors. It's the doors. However, he is going to be
replaced by Fred Schulze, who is currently the plant manager at Neckoslem. The Audi in China
is an Audi SAIC joint venture project. I think in as much as sort of modern German cars with
slightly aggressive grills go, it's as attractive as you'll find a modern German car with an
aggressive grille. But we'll never see it because it's only for China.
No, no, because somebody photographed one and sent me pictures in Europe and it didn't look bad.
I mean, the grille looks fine. The grille looks fine. But the whole vehicle looked kind of,
I mean, it was half on the cup, but it looked good. But it looks like a Chinese SUV.
No, no, no, no. Sorry, that was the estate car one, which is already out. Not this concept
rendering of an Audi E7X. The E7X is kind of, it looks like a lumpy generic Chinese SUV with a
big grille put on it. I mean, I don't mind the grille thing, to be honest, even, but I mean,
obviously I object to the complete surrounding of light, but it's so bland, the rest of it.
Yeah, but the estate car one, I'm sorry, there's so many models, so many things these days,
you just can't keep on top of it. They're not selling either. Yeah, I know. No, they're not.
I mean, they're offering enormous discounts. Yeah, as I said, they look good, but you're
absolutely right. They are not actually selling in China.
Would you like to take us on, though, to open up the box that is or go into the corner that is,
oh no, are you telling me something connected to the internet is not secure?
The Black Hat Asia conference has taken place recently. If you don't know what the
Black Hat conferences are about, they are about hacking things and testing security of electronic
things and exposing vulnerabilities. And there's a whole competition about it when you're there,
but lots of people do stuff and then obviously in an ethical fashion and then explain what they've
done to others in a sort of general way so that they can be aware of it. And so hopefully,
the same mistakes aren't repeated time after time after time. I say hopefully.
Well, except they are, yes, yes, exactly, tech companies.
The work delivered by a guy called He Tianxi. He is a hardware and IoT security researcher
at China's Tsinghua University. What they discovered was that if you have a set of devices
and you kind of rent the backend infrastructure and just say, well, yeah, we're all the same stuff
out multiple times. It'll be fine. Same platform. No worries. Make it seamless. Make it easy.
It's sure enough to make it seamless and easy and you don't necessarily know that it's the same
backend. The trouble is when they're doing it seamless and easy quite often, they skip the
whole security bit. As a result, she has described that basically he can hack into or easily access
the backend of these systems and shut off. We need supposedly demonstrated at the conference
that he could shut off a single charger. Yeah, it's an EV charger. He's been EV charger on one
network. But you quite easily have just shut off all of the charges on that network.
And that causes far more of a challenge. It wasn't just that network. It was
all the other ones that shared that backend. Once again, it's one of these things where sort of
IT and automotive and everything all joins together. And you just think, please, people,
please do incorporate some form of security, any form of security into this kind of stuff.
And not stuff where basically you can have a pre-prepared script, type in a number and then,
oh look, it's just changed status. Yeah.
We'll cut and paste our usual, please stop doing this. Yeah. Please get serious about this.
You are going to damage your customers, you're going to damage yourselves,
and the knock on implications are far wider than that as well. So stop it.
Yeah, it's quick. It's cheap for these companies trying to build new businesses. But the challenge
is that it's also terribly risky. Yeah. More Chinese news.
Yeah. Chinese news mixed in with some Europe. And MG has picked Spain over Hungary for
New European EV Factory is the title of this EV-powered article. Obviously,
the Chinese car brands are looking to try and circumvent any tariffs or
minimum price agreements for their cars, which is tariff in another way.
And also have entry into the little e-car market potentially that we discussed before.
Well, yeah. And the Made in Europe, obviously taking advantage of the Made in Europe,
I discussed that last week or the week before. I can't remember. I think it was last week
on how people are waking up to how exposed the UK is. China are well ahead on that one.
They've got a lot of people who've been thinking about this.
However, the interesting thing is that Spain was picked not Hungary because Hungary has done well
recently in getting factories built there. However, Spain has done a cracking job of
trying to attract investment into there. Obviously, they've kept VW there with the
Cupra SEAT making electric cars there. This is another manufacturer coming to do that.
As Alan was saying before we pressed record, their logistics is amazing. They're in a great
position logistically. They've got the ports, they've got the railroad, they've got the space,
they're diversifying the income to Spain. And of course, geographically, they're in a great
location too. So right on the edge, you just go straight to the streets of Gibraltar and
you're pretty much there. Big container ports at Barcelona as well. So loads and loads of
reasons really to choose Spain. It's easy to see why SEIC and MG have decided to do that.
Kind of funny to have MG is built in Spain though whenever you think about it.
No doubt there'll be some people who are really up in arms over that and that'll
somehow be worse than China. Yeah, they won't have noticed they were made in China, that's why.
That's the way it lands. I can understand how it ended up in this situation.
Yep, absolutely. Well, do you want to continue on that theme then?
MG and SEIC aren't the only people who are looking to cohabit with the land and also in Spain.
Hongqi, and I've got to be careful how to pronounce that. Hongxi, sorry,
one of China's luxury brands. And it has, it's probably one of China's longest serving luxury
brands because they've been building very large limousines for Chinese presidents and
premiers and so on for many, many, many decades. The only place I've ever seen one is actually at
the Shlomf Collection in Maluus. They have one, they have the sort of presidential style one with
the little curtains and the back windows and everything. The one that the Karlsruhe's article
is sort of based on, aesthetically, I would say the original is more successful from that point of
view. Hongxi are looking to assemble again vehicles in Europe, probably at a start, probably in Spain
again. And supposedly it's all being run by the LeapMotor joint venture as well. Again, European
production would mean that Hongxi avoids the import tariffs, minimum so whatever.
But I think that also that them coming over as clearly saying they're a luxury brand,
that is really going to test all the claims that China is wiping the floor with Western or
traditional car makers or more established car makers that we're used to over here.
Because I think that's where it begins to start falling apart a little bit in terms of
someone spending £100,000 plus on a car, they have a certain set of requirements that
doesn't necessarily involve who does my screen turn around 90 degrees or not.
Hey, you can't diss the screen turning around 90 degrees, that's kind of fun.
Yeah, that's fine at 25 to 30 grand.
Exactly. It's maybe a little harder at the higher end of the market
still to be able to justify some of these what we're seeing as newer brands,
which isn't very fair on Hongxi to be honest, because they're not a newer brand.
But it is tricky. I have also seen, by the way, one of their more modern SUV models.
I can't remember what dishwasher code it sounded like, but I've seen one in Denmark.
It was imposing. It was very large. I actually thought it was American.
It's big and blocky and it was all in black.
Oh, good. So you've got all the details.
Yeah. Yeah, it was just big and scary looking.
We'll see what happens with this. We'll see what happens with I think the luxury
end. I can see the Chinese brands are going to push it. They're going to try and move that way.
I'm curious whether or not the European market
there. I think you're sort of BMW Mercedes-Borscht, a higher end Audi SUV customers.
I think they're going to be much harder to pull away from those brands than maybe in this same
cash guy into a JQ or something or in a Moda. Vauxhall Groundland buyers are going to be to
pull them in, as you say, a JQ or a Moda or Tiri or any of these brands. I think that it's harder.
It's going to be harder. It's going to be much more of a crowbar is needed to get people to
actually move away from the brands that they have aspired to for most of their lives.
Yeah, I totally agree. I'm going to finish out the first part of the show with Recall Corner.
That is not becoming a thing by the way. I don't know. The way that we have so many
recalls we're seeing, we might need to make our own dedicated section.
No.
Audi is recalling 96,180 cars that are the e-tron Quattro and the QA e-tron worldwide
because there is a potential issue with the braking which may or the brake pedal which may
result in, and I'm quoting on the ElectriVarticle here, in limited functionality, which is not
two words I want next to each other when someone says anything about my brake pedal.
I really don't want that to happen. We did look into this because we were trying to find out if
this was because somebody has had a crash, sorry, an incident.
Yes.
And whether someone was injured or things were damaged, and it turns out the wording I think
is very telling here, and I'm going to quote says, however, no incidents involving property
damage or personal injury linked to this issue have been reported. That is not saying it has not
happened. My other favourite here is a little further down where it says, if the screw connection
does not meet the required specifications, presumably due to insufficient torque, it will
be corrected, and the screw will be tightened to the correct torque. In other words, if the screw is
loose, we'll do it up.
Yes. I love how they also make clear that the customers will not incur any costs for this
repair. I decided I wasn't going to say that bit.
If you have an e-tron Quattro or a QA e-tron, and it was built between the 2nd of February,
2018 and the 11th of June, 2024, which is a long time to not notice that the screw isn't
in tight, by the way, everyone, then go get in touch with your dealer or tell your friend
or colleague who has this vehicle and tell them to get in touch with the dealer if they have not
already received a letter from them going, yeah, we'd love to see your car. No cost. We've got
lovely coffee here. Won't take long. Fortunately, no one's been hurt. That's the main thing.
Yeah. It could be recall corn sponsored by Ford, probably pushing it a bit.
Did you see there was an article out that said,
the entirety recalls that Mitsubishi have ever made in the U.S. was still below Ford's 2025
number of recalls. I can believe that, though. Their entire history of recalls.
That's not number of vehicles, though. That's just number of recalls. I can entirely believe that.
I can also believe that the Mitsubishi ones would be for all sorts of strange things,
like a misposition sticker. The sticker is there. It's just on upside down or something silly.
They're doing it just because. Yes. Oh, dear. Anyway, all of which breaking news
takes us to guilt minute, the quick break in the show where we ask for a tanner for
our support to keep the lights on and the hosting running. If you feel the battery podcast
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We also have a small range of merchandise in our spring store from stickers to mugs and t-shirts.
If you don't have any spare cash, but do completely understand, then you can help us
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If you've done all of that and many of you do, so thank you very much,
then the last thing you can do is to recommend us to your friends or colleagues.
Thank you all. You were lovely. Yes. Have I recorded the show since we did the live stream?
No. Thank you, everyone, for that. Thank you for all your kind comments. I'm sure Andrew
said that last week, but I just wanted to make sure I said it as well. Yes, it's become very
clear that Macaulay doesn't bother to listen to my work from last week. I didn't listen to...
Okay, I didn't listen to last week's show. I have listened to the special edition
that was out, though. Yes. On the BYDC, Lyon, DM, see...
I. I. Dash I. Yeah, thank you for the kind words about that, too. It was a pleasant jolly,
and it was also a pleasure to record, so thank you.
Well, do you want to take us into new, new car news, then?
Yeah, no, I thought I'd stopped talking for a moment, but obviously not.
No. We think we've discovered why Jerry McGovern was let go.
Well, we hope that this is the reason. Well, we hope that this is the reason.
Otherwise, there's major HR issues.
JLR and Cheery Joint have unveiled the first fruits of their Chinese-built joint venture
with the new Freelander brand, and the Freelander 8. I don't really know where the 8 comes from.
I haven't really worked out a way of working that in, and it's a Discovery 5 with a weird
squinty bit at the back, and it looks all primed for a Lego model. I think it's flipping hideous,
by the way. In case you haven't picked this up, it is planned initially for release in China,
but then coming to the UK and other markets at some point.
Late 2027, we're getting it over here. Yeah.
There will be two articles linked in the show notes. There's an auto car that's talking about
the Freelander 8, and then there is a EV powered that talks about how it's definitely coming to
the UK. In the meantime, actually, what's been unveiled isn't the final version. That's hopefully
a relief, but it's a production intent design. It does have door handles, and it does have
reasonable sized mirrors. I imagine that headlamp detailings and some other little
widgety bits and pieces are all that separates this from release.
They've taken a couple of elements from the original Freelander, like the triangular last
quarter light in the boot space, which is recognizable.
Which came from the three-door, not the five-door.
Yeah, but if you look purely at the side perspective,
I'm seeing the back end reminds me of that Aztec thing from America.
Oh, yeah, Aztec. Oh, that's quite grim. I thought you were going to say it reminded you of a cool
and then with someone to sort of stuck on the missing bit.
No, no. Yeah, all that. I see one. Yeah, no. Oh. All right, now I've seen that. I can't
not see it. Yeah. But the front end is just blunt. There's very little to recommend about this.
It's a lot of metal. I know it's going to be electric, isn't it? Obviously, the size of the
metal at the side is due to the amount of battery they've got to squeeze in, et cetera, et cetera.
But there's very little Freelander in this, as we would recognize it. I love how they've
got the LiDAR on the top above the window, so you're all going to look at it and go,
why doesn't it say taxi? Taxi? Yeah. Like the EX90s did. Yeah, I've seen at least one EX90 with
the taxi module. Yeah, it just looks so grim. It's an SUV that have eight elements of the JLR
back catalog is how it comes across to me. If you covered up the Freelander name,
that could have been from anyone. If this just said cheery on it, I believe it was one of those
ones, a bit like that, whoever it was that made the evoke alike. I really hope that the thing is,
let's be positive here, it's going to be more reliable than original Freelander.
I think we can pretty much say that, despite the fact that it has much more technology. I'm really
hoping this is one of those times when Chinese construction techniques and experience really
sort of pushed the quality on a JLR product. It does have twin chamber air suspension,
a limited slip electronic differential, and an all-terrain function that can read changes in
the road surface and automatically engage the appropriate drive mode. So there is still plenty
to go wrong with it. Fingers crossed it's much nicer in real life and we haven't been lynched by
JLR by then. They don't listen, they don't care. Okay, I am now going to move us on to BMW and I'm
sorry everyone, it doesn't get any better. The BMW 7 Series has had an facelift. It's not enough
of a facelift, but as Macaulay pointed out to me before the show, he said it's better than the
original. However, the bar was so incredibly low that still doesn't get it anywhere near
acceptable, let alone good or nice. It is just a shocking bit of design all the way through the car.
If it's good enough for the king, the front is an improvement, the back actually is worse.
I'm just going to make sure I get these words in before he speaks over.
The problem is though, they are totally constrained with the air engineering and the
underpinnings. They have decided that they want a massive amount of range of 452 miles, which you
can understand in something like this. We've got car companies still trying to pretend that an EV
is equivalent to an internal combustion engine vehicle. And as the technology stands, they are
not. It's just that simple. They are not equivalent because they are constrained by range.
And to get over the range issue, whether that's a valid constraint or not, that's a different
argument for a different thing. But what people expect today is a car that stupidly does 800,
700 miles. And to try and get near that with batteries, they have to put bigger and bigger
batteries, which makes the car bigger, which makes them taller. And then we have what we have here
with the i7 like we have with the Freelander, huge swathes of metal to house that and the occupants
in. They cut down on the glass to try and minimize how tall these things are. But that's just where
we are. And it's a very depressing time for most car design at the moment because of the
engineering constraints these people are being put under. 112 and a half kilowatt hour battery.
Went down long I could run my house for and that probably quite a long time actually.
Yeah, have you seen the steering wheel? It's got an awful steering wheel as well.
It looks like it has four spokes, but it doesn't. It's actually only got two vertical ones.
And they've got rid of their normal instrument binoculars. And there is now the full width one
that's going to kill the full width one with right on the floor. We're merging new class with
luxury. This car is all about presence said Max Miscellany, BMW's lead designer for luxury models.
The grill stands proud and the eyes are focused. It's so big you can't take your eyes off it.
And yeah, we know it's ugly and ugly equals presence these days.
It's just really depressing. You can get 700 interior material combinations,
including leather, metal and crystal glass at 500 exterior color combinations.
You can also spec it in a two tone finish, which by the way the current one can be
specced in a two tone finish because it was an awful burgundy and black one,
which is a combination I normally quite like if you're going to have two tone.
But it was it was just not good. The my nearest BMW dealer for quite a while,
unsurprising. But there we go. It has many powers. It does not 62 in a very short time.
And the talks are quite impressive too. There's not just the pure electric i7. There is also the
entry level 750 EX drive that puts out a mere 482 brake horsepower 516 pound feet,
which is a plug-in hybrid and again the M760E 600 combined 604 brake horsepower and 590 pound
feet of torque. Not 64.2 seconds. Just what your chauffeur needs. I still prefer the E30.
Ooh, I'm going to get my numbers wrong now, aren't I?
E38? Whatever. The nice one. The James Bond 7 series that my dad has.
That was a far nicer looking car and I'd much rather have one of those in my garage
at my friend. Yep. Electrical challenges and everything. Last but not least.
All card dead news. All card dead news. GWM is discontinuing the Aura 3 electric hatchback
in the UK. The Aura 3 is the one that was the Funky Cat Aura 3 when it was launched before
they got rid of the Funky Cat part. It's never done particularly well. No. I think you either liked
it because it was called a Funky Cat or wanted one. Or you went, I could not be seen driving a car
called a Funky Cat. Well seen looking like that. Oh, looking nice. Kind of weird. Remember,
there's such a fusion of everything of mini Beetle and Fiat 500 and Nissan Leaf,
the best of kind of combination that it was a bit weird. I know it's ADAS was particularly special.
Really? Yeah, we never drove it. With all the noises that it made and the sensitivity.
Yeah, this never sold. It was never really going to sell. It was a very early Chinese brand into
the UK. I'm not really surprised. There we are. Anyway, GWM is sort of restructuring their approach
to importing to the UK and they're going to expand its presence with a broader portfolio of
electrified vehicles. That means more brands. Well, that means Alan, we're into points of
interest and after what was thoroughly depressing new car news, we can now cheer everyone up
because points of interest is actually cracking all the way through.
First up, we have a lunchtime read from Hagerty and this is titled Sibling Rivalries,
competing cars from the same designer. And it is actually a lovely article talking about
a few designers and the cars that they designed that came out at the same time but from different
brands. And there was a bit of education in here for me, but also some I did actually know
for a change. So go me. Alan knew them all, obviously.
I did. It hadn't quite to egg with them. If this was longer, then it would be a list of the week,
but it's not quite long enough to be that. Yeah, but do click the link in the show notes and learn
about BMWs, Mercedes, Alphas, Audi's, Fiat's, Minis, Jaguars, Rovers, as well as a Triumph
Dolomite. We like the Triumph Dolomite. We do. But yes, nice one from Craig Cheatham there.
Yeah. Really good. The list of the week this week is from Classic & Sports Car and it's 23
space inspired car names. 23 is plenty so we can both choose one. Andrew, from this
eclectic selection, what have you chosen? That's a way of putting it. Obviously, there are
some Americana in here. It's quite a lot. But there are others from the rest of the world
and I've actually changed my mind. Oh no. I'm going to ask ladies and gentlemen to go
through your slide pack to slide seven, which is in fact number six, the Lotus Europa from 1966
to 1975. I nearly picked the next one, but then I sort of felt, well, it's a bit too obvious.
However, it is cracking. But this one, I just, it's mad and daft and there is a Lotus specialist
not too many miles from me that I've been past several times and they've always had
two or three of these sat outside the garage or in the garage being worked on. So they are well
known in the region for this. Just great. It's not an Elise. It's not the typical
usual Lotus or Lotai that one would think of and I love it. The thing about the Europa is it's
so low. It makes the Elise seem easy to get in the note. It was three foot seven and a half,
quite something. I went for something that was far more obvious and also yes, obvious.
If you turn to slide 20, the number 20 in the list, if you go in reverse, it's actually quicker.
I've just managed to get from your seven to 20 and a few of that. I have gone for the
Mitsubishi space wagon. I think they could actually have got one different if they'd gone
for the smaller one and gone for the Mitsubishi space star because that's like a doubler.
But now there's the Mitsubishi space wagon in here, 1993 to 1991,
one of the earliest MPVs, some of that was sold here in the UK, one of those ones that you just
do not see them anymore. The picture here is truly appalling.
It's from public domain, it says.
It's probably yes. Somebody's taking it off Wikipedia, I'm sure. But yes,
of one street parked in New Jersey of all places. I just thought it was cool.
I love the thinking behind the car.
The thinking behind the car was great and it's got a very, very obvious name.
It says space right there, right in the name. Definitely space inspired.
Good choice.
The other 21 are really good as well, as Andrew said, lots of American
honor, but others that he might have forgotten about from European marks as well.
Yep. Do check out the link in the show notes and make your selection.
Okay, that means it's now the end finally.
And I promised in the introduction that you could find out how you could drive around
Japan whilst sat in the Midlands. And the answer is at an exhibition that will be out
at the British Motor Museum on the 23rd of May, that's Saturday the 23rd of May, 2026.
There is going to be the UK's first Horizon Experience exhibition.
Now this is Forza Horizon, the latest edition is coming out,
it says Forza Horizon 6. This is a console or online racing game,
predominantly around the Xbox and PC, although it is coming to PlayStation 5 later in the year.
And you get to basically hoon around in lots of mad, mad stuff that you would never normally get
anywhere near. And Japan is the location for this edition.
They were in Mexico last time, they were in the UK before that, which was a brilliant version.
Was that the one with Edinburgh in it?
Yeah. This is going to have obviously a lot of the iconic Japanese cars.
On the exhibition day, which you can book, there will be a link in the show notes to a
Motoring Research article that links to how to get to the British Motor Museum website.
You can get tickets to this. And there's going to be a lot of things going on during that day.
So there's going to be live music, there's going to be these gaming vans, which is going to have
the sim setups you can race around. Food trucks, so they're trying to make it really make it a
festival experience. There's going to be some drift demonstration by a precision stunt driver,
Tessa Wittock. And it just sounds like it's going to be a hoot. So if you are down there
around that day, or if you've got kids as well, they'll love this.
Do book your ticket, do get in there. Alan, what were you saying at the start before we
first record about the first 2,000 people? Yeah, tickets can be for the Forza Horizon 6
experience. Now, the first 2,500 visitors will receive a limited edition Forza Horizon inspired
wristband according to the Motoring Research article. Excellent. It's good to see the museums
doing a more interactive thing like this. And it is hopefully attracting a younger audience as well
as some old farts like me who like playing games. I don't think it takes a lot to attract kids to
museums, to be honest. But it's good that that happens there. And then they go off and, you know,
yeah, I like gaming. And then off and wander around the museum as well and see some of the
cool stuff at the British Motor Museum. Yeah, but that's me, I suppose. I shouldn't tar everyone
else with the same brush. No, no, it's a good point though. It's a gateway to get them in where
people might not have gone in before. They're there anyway, so why not go and then they find
out actually it is good fun. But on the other hand, if you're playing Forza Horizon, you probably
have a passing interest in cars anyway. Yeah. So it's a nice, twins together nicely. Yes,
there's great synergy. That's the word that I was definitely not using. No, because you're not being
paid. Anything else?
Doing a thing. Okay. I'm talking about the thing at the start of June, not the thing in July.
My lives are so busy. We have so many things to discuss. Yes, we really enjoyed the Q&A session
last time. Many of you seem to enjoy the Q&A session last time. Many of you seem to go,
Oh, we missed this, because we were a little bit uncertain about it. So we didn't publicize it very
doing. Who would have thought of it in just under a month's time? On Thursday, the 4th of June,
we're going to do it again, eight o'clock. This is just the first call. We will actually
publicize more now that we know that the format vaguely works. But we will need your questions.
We won't need your thoughts. And please, for goodness sakes, not one. I'm going to keep trying
to keep them away from Andrew for as long as possible, so that he doesn't essentially write
an essay like he did last time. I'm going to try to anyway. If you start thinking about that,
and then submit them via all the various ways to get in touch with us just as before. Yep.
I figure I limited it too much when I first announced how to get in touch with us because
then everybody used other beans anyway. But it was cracking. Yep. Quite like to do another one.
And so we're trying to give you notice as well, which is unlike us. I know.
Those are the parish notes done, I think. Finally. Okay. Good. Which means don't forget
that between now and next week, you can give us any feedback and share your thoughts for the show
at motoringpodcast.com on Blue Sky at Motoring Podcast on Instagram and Facebook and on the
contact page of www.motoringpodcast.com. A home of all our activities. Remember you can support us
financially via Patreon and please leave a review rating on Apple Podcast, YouTube or however your
podcast app lets you do such a thing. Andrew, in the meantime, what's the best way to get in touch
with you? The best way to get in touch with me is if you search for the correct windscreen on
Blue Sky. I'm also on LinkedIn under my name. And Alan, if people would like to get in touch
with you personally, what's the best way for them to do that?
Blue Sky and LinkedIn under the same fashion as him.
Blue Sky, where I'm at ADP, Brad, that's B-I-A-D-L-U-I dot B Sky dot social. Andrew threw me earlier
on today by posting a story and I was scrolling through the feed and I thought, I wonder if Andrew
seen that story. And then realized it was him that posted it. So I was like, oh, we'll be back
soon. But until then, I've been Alan Bradley, I've been Andrew Cleese and Safe Motoring.
About this episode
The hosts cover a wide sweep of industry news, from car finance compensation appeals and Toyota’s production hit from Middle East disruption to a Black Hat Asia demo showing how EV charger backends can be vulnerable. They also look at Chinese brands building in Europe to sidestep tariffs, an Audi brake-related recall, and the unveiling of the JLR Freelander 8 and BMW 7 Series facelift. The episode closes with a British Motor Museum Horizon Experience announcement and a June listener Q&A.
Following the deadline passing for appealing against the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) plans for compensation following the car finance industry breaking the law, there are now three lenders fighting back. Mercedes-Benz Financial Services join VW Financial Servcices and CA Auto Finance. The companies have declined to clarify to the public why they have made the move. To find out more, click this link from MoneySavingExpert.
TOYOTA SUPPLIERS HIT BY IRAN CRISIS
Toyota has announced that their suppliers have already begun to state they are feeling the effect of the Iran crisis with warnings that parts will not be delivered at the time expected. Toyota and their suppliers have already downgraded their expectations on 2026 production numbers. Click this CBT News article link here for more.
LAMBORGHINI GETS A NEW CTO
Fermín Soneira is leaving heading up of AUDI, the Chinese only off-shoot of Audi, to take up the role as Chief Technology Officer for Lamborghini. Fred Schulze will replace Soneira. For more on this story, click the electrive article link here.
EV CHARGING GRID VULNERABILITY DEMONSTRATED
At BlackHat Asia, a large cybersecurity and research conference, the vulnerable nature of EV charging networks and shared e-bikes was demonstrated. Companies are being accused of putting customer convenience ahead of security. One possible scenario is the ability to remotely disable an entire city’s EV charging network. You can learn more by clicking this link, from The Register, here.
MG TO BUILD CARS IN SPAIN
MG has chosen Spain as the location for their European car factory, over Hungary. By doing this they should avoid any tariffs or agreed minimum price requirements that are to apply with cars coming to Europe from China. Click this EVPowered article link here, to read more.
HONGQI IN TALKS WITH STELLANTIS ABOUT SPANISH FACTORY
The Chinese car maker, Hongqi, is in discussions with Stellantis about using capacity at their Spanish factory to build their cars in Europe, also taking advantage of avoiding extra financial penalties. Both parties are tight lipped on the matter. If you wish to find out more, click this Carscoops article link here.
AUDI RECALLING 96,000 CARS WORLDWIDE
Audi is recalling 96,180 e-tron quattros and Q8 e-trons, due to a potential brake issue. The fault is a lose screw that may prevent full braking ability in cars built from the 2 February 2018 until 11 June 2024. To read more, click this electrive article link here.
If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCASTNEW NEW CAR NEWS -Freelander 8
JRL and Chery have revealed their first concept from their joint-venture for the Freelander brand. Unsurprisingly, this is an electric SUV with a hint or two of the original Freelander and some of the JLR back catalogue. Initially this will be launched in China but then to other international markets, including the UK. We don’t really know much about the specs or what the final look will be. Click this Autocar article link to learn more.
BMW have given the 7 Series a facelift. Specs have improved with a longer range possible. The interior has also had a spruce up. For more on this, click this Autocar link here.
Old Car Dead News: GWM Ora 03
The car formally known as the GWM Ora Funky Cat is no longer going to be sold in the UK. Never a big seller, whether it was the looks or name that put people off. GWM is reviewing their strategy in the UK and are looking to bring more offerings here. Click this electrive article link here for more.
LUNCHTIME READ: COMPETING CARS FROM THE SAME DESIGNER
Not big enough to be a List of the Week it is still a fab article to have a read through and check out some designer’s work where they competed against their own designs. Click here to read the Hagerty article.
LIST OF THE WEEK: 23 SPACE INSPIRED CAR NAMES
Classic & Sports Car provide the slideshow this week, all around the theme of space related car names. Click this link here to see if you agree with the choices made on the show. Thank you to listener, Damien Scully for sending the link our way, very much appreciated.
AND FINALLY: HOW TO DRIVE IN JAPAN FROM THE MIDLANDS
The racing game Forza Horizon 6 is about to launch on the Xbox and PC, with Playstation following later in the year. This iteration is set on the roads of Japan and include a lot of JDM cars. In a collaboration with the British Motor Museum there will be a Horizon Festival on 23 May 2026 on site, where there will be live music, food trucks, gaming vans (to try out the game) and drifting demonstrations. Click this Motoring Research article to find out more, including how to book your tickets.
