Motoring News


Black to the future


It’s not oſten a car manufacturer delights in telling customers that the latest version of its sports coupé is a shadow of its former self. But BMW did just that in September… and made a virtue of it.


The company used the Frankfurt Motor Show to premiere its third-generation BMW X6.


Of course, its creators trumpeted the motor’s fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.


Tey highlighted the optional “iconic glow kidney grille, distinctive twin headlights and striking taillights”.


But, what really got them excited was the colour… black.


Electric vehicles cause a buzz


Volkswagen has unveiled the first of its “completely new generation of pure electric vehicles”.


Te ID.3, it claims, offers zero local emissions, outstanding efficiency, and full connectivity.


VW stresses “local emissions”, of course, because, while the car itself is greener than green, the power station generating its electricity might not be.


As with all electric vehicles, the million dollar question is how far they’ll run on a single charge. Well, VW says the ID.3 comes in three batery sizes…


Te basic version, at 45 kWh, will get the car around 330 kilometres up the road before it needs a recharge.


Te next size up, 58 kWh, has a range of up to 420 kilometres.


And the energy content of the largest batery, 77 kWh, is sufficient to cover up to 550 kilometres.


So, once the average mid Kent driver reaches either Exeter, Greater Manchester or Carlisle, according to these figures, they’ll then


Mid Kent Living 77


But not just black, really black. Te BMW X6 is the first and only vehicle in the world to feature a Vantablack VBx2 paint finish.


Tis stuff is a variant of a coating used in the aerospace industry. It absorbs light to such an extent, the eye interprets it as staring into a hole or even a void. It was initially developed for coating space-borne components. In particular, optical equipment that allows astronomers to observe faint stars and distant galaxies that would ordinarily be hidden by stray light from the sun.


BMW concedes, in its purest form, Vantablack is far from ideal as a car coating because it blots out virtually all the motor’s design details and highlights.


But a watered-down version, VBx2, is still


have to top up… and that means a slightly longer linger at the charging point than you’d expect at the pumps.


VW says that, thanks to its fast charging capability, it’s possible to boost the ID.3 sufficiently for a range of around 290 kilometres within 30 minutes. Tat equates roughly to the distance between Maidstone and Oxford by road.


Of course, going electric isn’t all about benefits for the environment… drivers benefit to.


For starters, there’s no road tax… the basic ID.3 will be available for around £27,000, while the top of the range is in the region of £36,000. Tis puts the series below the Government’s £40,000 price cap for vehicle excise duty exemption.


regarded as ‘super-black’ while allowing just enough reflected light to give an idea of shape. Ben Jensen, founder and chief technical officer of the paint’s inventors Surrey NanoSystems, said: “We turned down numerous requests from various automobile manufacturers in the past. It took the BMW X6 and its unique, expressive design for us to entertain the idea.”


Despite its coup in geting the green light to go super black, BMW hasn’t yet indicated whether the new paintwork will be released onto the roads or remain the province of motor shows. And that, in a way, isn’t surprising. Aſter all, for all the vehicle’s super-blackness, you can’t help wondering how long the two-dimensional appearance would last once it gets a coating of mud or road dust in the real world.


And, despite the recharging limitations while you’re out on the road, you can, at least, refuel at home… a luxury you don’t have with petrol and diesel motors (unless you’re prepared for a visit from the local constabulary).


Te car’s configuration also means that, in relation to its size, the ID.3 is roomier inside than you’d expect, and can seat five comfortably. Its designers put this down to its long wheelbase, combined with very short overhangs.


VW’s Silke Bagschik, head of sales and marketing, says: “Te ID.3 is an all-rounder that is suitable for everyday use. It is compact, as such offering the manoeuvrability of a small car with the interior space of a mid-range vehicle. It combines exciting design with innovative technology and significant range.”


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80