NEWS

CUPRA confirms participation in Extreme E for 2022

As the curtain comes down on the sustainable, electrified motor racing series’ inaugural season, attention begins to shift to next year, which will once again feature CUPRA.

The ABT CUPRA XE team drivers Mattias Ekström and Jutta Kleinschmidt have built a solid foundation, pushing the ABT CUPRA XE team forward in one of the most challenging race series imaginable at the wheel of the e-CUPRA ABT XE1, the team’s 400kW (550PS) 100% electric off-road SUV.

Mattias Ekström said: “The inaugural Extreme E Championship has been an exciting year, where we discovered a new style of racing, while also highlighting some incredibly important environmental issues around the world.” His team-mate, Jutta Kleinschmidt, added “Extreme E has been a great discovery; the technology, the cars, the places we compete.”

The Extreme E Championship is a wake-up call on the climate crisis, and is the first sport built out of concern for what’s happening to ecological systems around the world. Its goal is to use electric racing to highlight natural environments under threat from climate change issues, encouraging us all to take positive action to protect our planet’s future.

Extreme E is a powerful mix of thrilling sports action, scientific education and storytelling to accelerate EV adoption in order to reduce CO2 emissions and achieve a more sustainable lifestyle.

Extreme E Season 2 calendar (2022):

- February 19-20: Neom, Saudi Arabia

- May 7-8: Sardinia, Italy

- July 9-10: Scotland or Senegal

- September 10-11: Antofagasta, Chile

- November 26-27: Punta del Este, Uruguay

The Bentayga Outdoor Pursuits Collection

A new Bentayga collection from Bentley Mulliner is being launched to celebrate traditional British outdoor pursuits. Three unique specifications have been curated by Bentley’s in-house bespoke division with the great outdoors in mind, with eleven cars in total to be handcrafted in Crewe.

This unique collection encapsulates three of the most iconic British outdoor activities including angling, horse riding and dog walking, all fitted with beautiful interiors, full of exemplary craftsmanship and bespoke detailing.

Each Bentayga combines a number of bespoke features including a woodland embroidery scene, hand crossstitching to the main interior stitching and a unique chrome overlay to the passenger fascia that describes each outdoor theme.

The new woven wool finish to the inside of the doors, seat back pockets, grab handles and further detailing around the instrument panel adds further depth of natural textures and materials to the already classleading interior.

Sand Herringbone Tweed has been selected to complement the interior design, with natural colour harmony with both the main and secondary leathers throughout the cabin. Paint colours Havana, Cumbrian Green and Magnetic have been chosen as the ideal exterior specification colours for this country-dwelling car.

Through Bentley's revered craftsmanship, the outdoor pursuit collection uses Liquid Amber: a straight grain veneer, now with a boxwood inlay, to edge the dark fiddleback eucalyptus veneer of the fascias and waistrails. Examples of bespoke inlays on offer to customers of the Pursuits Collection include a jumping horse motif, a fly-fishing scene, British foxhounds or just the word ‘MULLINER’.

The Bentayga’s 22” ten spoke alloy wheels have been matched to the exterior paintwork and then diamond turned and polished to produce the final surface. On entry to the car, passengers will notice the LED Bentley Welcome lights, illuminated treadplates and tactile tweed surfaces. A bespoke accessory in the form of a Hunter Flask bound in matching leather to the interior has been commissioned for when away from the car.

Lexus unveils Hydrogen powered ROV Concept

Lexus has revealed a new ROV (recreational off-highway vehicle) concept - a unique, hydrogenpowered vehicle that offers near-zero emissions driving combined with extreme off-road capability.

Measuring 3.12m long, 1.725m wide and 1.8m high, Lexus wanted to create the kind of vehicle people would expect from a luxury car maker without sacrificing the rugged performance of an ROV. The body provides protection for passengers while incorporating Lexus’s signature spindle grille, robust front wings and generous front suspension travel.

A suspension cover, connected to the rear hydrogen fuel tank, protects functional parts, whilst a lightweight body and suspension are designed for both comfort and fun off-road driving.

Inside, the driver’s cockpit is designed according to Lexus’s Tazuna concept, with a simple meter to display the information the driver needs so they can concentrate on the job of driving.

The ROV Concept showcases Lexus build quality, craftsmanship and luxury, inside and out. The seats have integrated suspension elements that help smooth out the ride and are upholstered in a hard-wearing synthetic leather. Throughout, the vehicle meets all Lexus’s requirements for quality durability and reliability.

The hydrogen-powered ROV Concept is the result of Lexus’s desire to preserve the pleasures of off-road driving in tomorrow’s low-carbon society. Its 1.0 litre hydrogen engine works like a petrol internal combustion engine, producing a pleasing engine note and responsive torque delivery. The fuel is contained in a high-pressure tank and delivered into the combustion chamber with precise direct injection. Importantly, the new hydrogen engine produces close to zero emissions, with only a negligible amount of engine oil burned during driving.

Make money from your driveway

A new league table released by an online parking portal has revealed the regions where shrewd homeowners are making the most money by renting out their empty driveways as parking spaces.

Coming as no surprise, data from YourParkingSpace.co.uk has shown that householders in London topped the money-making chart as pre-paid bookings on the portal soared past the onemillion-pound mark to a massive £1,110,428 in November alone.

The UK’s capital was followed by the Northwest and Southeast of England, where residents made a whopping combined total of £225,143 and £216,523 respectively also in November this year.

However, the regions where homeowners enjoy the fastest rates of growth were the East Midlands, Wales and the Northeast of England, which benefitted from a surge in takings of 106%, 84% and 59% respectively in November, when compared to prepandemic figures in February 2020.

Harrison Woods, managing director at YourParkingSpace.co.uk, commented: “Our booking data shows that renting out an empty driveway, garage or secure parking space can be a serious money spinner. What’s more, it’s very encouraging to see that the top earning regions are spread across the UK, offering money making opportunities to countless homeowners who have an empty driveway or parking space.”

This news comes as the cost of living surged tothe highest level since September 2011. Indeed, many householders troubled by financial worries are looking for creative ways to offset the rising cost of living.

Woods added: “With inflation and tax bills surging, householders will be assessing how they can tighten the purse strings or make some extra cash in the New Year. Finding an additional stream of income can be challenging and hard work, but by renting out a vacant driving space, it really can be one of the easiest ways to make some extra cash and kick their financial worries to the kerb.”

So if 2022's price increases are already hitting your wallet, and you have a spare driveway, and also happen to live somewhere that is popular with commuters (airports, train/tram/tube stations), in a popular city or near a landmark/event venue, then you may want to list your space too.

Total earnings by region

London - £1,110,428 Northwest - £225,143 Southeast - £216,523 Yorkshire and The Humber - £126,993 East of England - £115,859 Southwest (England) - £115,217 West Midlands - £96,093 Scotland - £84,338 East Midlands - £73,201 Wales - £24,668 Northeast - £17,383 Northern Ireland - £5,248