Part of A617 closed at Bilsthorpe after three-vehicle crash
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
27 minutes ago
- The Sun
MG takes on Tesla for a fraction of price with its new IM range – although some of the features look VERY familiar
I'VE seen a telly in the back of an MG before. At a car boot sale. 7 7 7 Never have I seen an MG with it's own flip-down widescreen TV. Or driven an MG with supercar acceleration and air suspension. Until today. You see MG is going all fancy with a new sub-brand called IM, which stands for Intelligence in Motion. Probably more in keeping with today's world than Morris Garages. The value-packed superminis and SUVs are here to stay — and there's more to come. But MG wants a slice of the lucrative corporate market too. So IM5 is a fully loaded electric saloon (cough, Tesla Model 3) and IM6 is the SUV version (cough, Tesla Model Y). Let's now run through the headlines . . . The fastest versions are comically fast, like 751hp with 802Nm of torques. Like, see-ya-later Lando-fast. Major car brand reveals compact £20k supermini EV will be released in UK in just two years The IM5 Long Range version has an official WLTP range of 441 miles. London to Edinburgh in one go. But it's less powerful at 407 horses. Which is still rapido. Recharging to 80 per cent takes just 17 minutes thanks to the industry-leading 800v battery tech. Like Porsche. And Kia. The cheapest? That's the IM5 Standard Range with a 304-mile battery costing £39,450. Crucially, dipping below £40k will save owners £2k in road tax in the years ahead. Both IM5 and IM6 get four-wheel steering as standard. So they'll outturn an MG4 in town. And they can self-park. Press a button and the boot lowers for the dog to jump in. But that's only on the top-spec SUV with air suspension for now. IM6 is also the first MG with massaging seats. And that optional flip-down TV. From here on out, the cabins are pretty much copy-and-paste. The dash is crowned by a 26in widescreen display and there's a second control panel in the centre console with hard controls for the things we use most. It's quiet in here. It's comfy. It's roomy. There are lots of details which remind me of other brands. But, hey, these are Chinese cars. That's what they do. I've done a checklist of familiar features elsewhere on this page. The bottom line is, MG has done an excellent job providing families with sensibly priced cars backed by a seven-year warranty. It is now a top ten manufacturer. These IM cars take MG into new territory, yet they're still a fair chunk cheaper than a similar-spec Tesla, BYD Seal or Polestar 2. Even with a TV in the back. 7 7 NOW I'M SEEING DOUBLE HERR are ten features on the IM cars which look familiar: Flip-down TV. Like a BMW i7. Just a bit smaller. Watch Netflix or YouTube. Play video games. That car-shaped key's pretty cool. Been in a Porsche recently? Steering wheel controls to adjust the wing mirror. Like a Tesla. Merc-inspired gear selector and 'cheese-grater' speakers in the doors. No door handles. Oh yeah, Fiat 500. They've got a button. Proper deep and soft carpet mats. Like a Rolls-Royce. What, what. Indicate to turn left or right and a blindspot camera pops up on the dash. You can thank Hyundai for that. Autonomous reversing tech, a la BMW. The car remembers the last 100 metres before you pulled up – then retraces it for you. Like pressing rewind on a movie. Widescreen dash. Like, er, everyone else, really. Finally, looks. Tesla vibes at the front and sides. Shades of Aston Martin at the rear with that ducktail spoiler and integrated lightbar. 7 7
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Aston Martin's 24-hour scramble to get lower US tariffs pays off
Aston Martin scrambled to deliver three months' worth of cars to dealers in the US within 24 hours as it rushed to qualify for lower tariffs that came into effect on 30 June. By invoicing the whole quarter's cars on that same day it avoided having to report a sales slump that might have alarmed investors. The operation may not have matched the drama of the James Bond films that have long featured the brand, but it 'was quite exciting, to put it mildly', said Adrian Hallmark, Aston Martin's chief executive. Donald Trump has shaken the global economy with a trade war, causing a particular stir in the car industry with his imposition of a 25% tariff on 3 April on top of an existing 2.5% levy. Germany's Mercedes-Benz said on Wednesday Trump's border taxes would cost it about €360m (£311m) this year, while the sportscar-maker Porsche said it had taken a €400m hit from the levies in the first half of the year. However, in early May, the US president and Keir Starmer agreed a deal to limit tariffs on 100,000 British-made cars per year to 10%. That rate came into force at one minute past midnight on 30 June, the final day of the second financial quarter. Aston Martin Lagonda manufactures all its cars in factories in Gaydon, Warwickshire, and St Athan, south Wales. It shipped 328 cars to dealers in the Americas between April and June but the majority were sent on 30 June. It was a 'mammoth task', Hallmark said. 'This left us with 24 hours to invoice the entire quarter's-worth of vehicle sales in the US.' The one-day scramble illustrates the tariff turmoil causing headaches for goods exporters around the world. Aston Martin revealed that it had raised prices for US customers by 3% to absorb some of the hit from the border taxes. Getting the cars to dealers early would have meant a big financial blow from absorbing the higher tariff rate, while late arrivals that missed the quarter-end would have meant reporting a big slump in sales. So Aston Martin decided to send hundreds of cars to bonded warehouses in the US – where goods can be stored without being subject to tariffs – before delivery firms raced to get them all to dealers before the end of day on 30 June. Those cars attracted the 10% rate, rather than 27.5%. Other carmakers face higher costs. The EU reached a deal with the US to cut tariffs on most goods including cars to 15%. Mercedes-Benz boss Ola Källenius said he did not expect any improvement on that for the car industry, despite lobbying for a lower rate from Germany's carmakers. Sign up to Business Today Get set for the working day – we'll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morning after newsletter promotion Aston Martin also said it had cut production and limited exports to the US to try to limit the financial impact. Even after its 30 June operation, Aston Martin could still be hit later in the year when it launches its million-dollar Valhalla, a mid-engine hypercar that it hopes will be a major contributor to profits. However, it is worried that the quota of 100,000 cars covered by the 10% tariff could be used up before it can get the Valhalla to dealers – potentially adding more than £100,000 to the price if importers must pay the 27.5% rate. British companies exported just over 100,000 cars to the US last year, with the bulk being Range Rovers shipped by JLR. The quota could mean an end-of-year race between British carmakers to get their vehicles into the country, with 'pressure on the number of slots available on the 100,000 quota', Hallmark said.
The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
Three pedestrians injured by falling rubble as van crashes through multi-storey car park wall in UK city centre
THREE people have been injured by falling rubble after a van crashed through a multi-storey car park wall in a UK city centre. Cops were called to reports of the collision at NCP car park on York Street, Leeds at around 4:15pm today. Shocking images show the motor protruding from the building with bricks collapsed on the vehicle's windscreen. Three pedestrians were rushed to hospital after being struck by the rubble but their injuries are not thought to be life-threatening. A West Yorkshire Police spokesperson said: "Police were called to the NCP car park on Harper Street, Leeds at 4.09pm today to a report a van had collided with an interior wall while driving on the first floor. "The collision caused damage to the building wall itself and led to the vehicle protruding outwards. "Occupants of the vehicle were taken to hospital for precautionary checks. "Three members of the public were also taken to hospital for assessment after being struck by rubble. None of the injuries are thought to be life threatening. "A police scene has been established and damage to the building is being assessed by colleagues from the fire service and structural engineers. The vehicle involved will be recovered." 1
