Latest news with #Vidal
Scottish Sun
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Scottish Sun
Design boss for major carmaker reveals the unexpected motors set to make a ‘come back' – and it's good news for families
It could shake up the family car market WHEEL I NEVER Design boss for major carmaker reveals the unexpected motors set to make a 'come back' – and it's good news for families Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE DESIGN boss for a major carmaker has revealed the unexpected motors set to make a comeback and it's good news for families. Once a regular sight on roads across Europe, these motors could make a stunning return to shake up the family car market. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Renault's design boss has suggested people carriers could make a comeback Credit: Alamy 2 Renault Espace Credit: Handout Gilles Vidal, Renault's design boss, predicts the people carrier could make a comeback as "SUV bashing" becomes more prominent. The likes of the Renault Scenic, Vauxhall Zaifra, Ford Galaxy and Citroen Picasso were once the first-choice for families across the continent. They used to account for more than 10% of the regional car market with their ability to accommodate up to seven people in a tall cabin. And they occupied a footprint comparable to an estate car too. But the decline of the people carrier, or multi-purpose vehicle (MPV), started in 2006 when Nissan launched the Qashqai. It came to be the default choice for families and dominated Europe's car market. At present, SUVs make up more than half of all European car sales while people carriers have dropped to a market share in the low single digits. But Giles Vidal believes a renaissance of the people carrier is on the cards with the transition to electrification. Car manufacturers are striving to make their motors as efficient as possible and exploit the packaging freedoms afforded by EV "skateboard" architecture. EV "skateboard" architecture refers to the EV chassis design where the the battery pack, electric motors, and other core components are integrated into a flat, skateboard-like platform. "SUVs won the battle against the MPVs because MPVs are cars that you need but you don't desire, and suddenly SUVs with the same engines, same weight, same everything - they are shapes that you will desire," Vidal said. New Renault 4 is no longer a cheap, simple no frills runabout - it's now a funky family crossover and a capital B bargain But now, Vidal claims, there's a lot of "SUV bashing" in Europe. However, he added that the general concept of an SUV is "still attractive" today to most people and remain a functional and practical vehicle. But as cars become more aerodynamic in pursuit of efficiency, he adds that we may see a comeback of the lower, sleeker and more MPV-like motors. Vidal predicts that SUVs will attempt to become more efficient, becoming lower and having better aerodynamics. He said: " They will morph into a very efficient car, less energy consuming, with equivalent habitability and roominess and everything that's probably the trend." Renault's Embleme concept, which is due in production in the coming years as the first of a new-generation electric car line-up, is a "morphing of all of that". It has a raised ride height but a sleeker, lower profile than any of Renault's current SUVs. Multi-purpose vehicles are already taking off in China, the world's biggest car market. Manufacturers such as Zeekr, Lynk&Co, Li Auto, Denza and Xpeng have all launched luxurious three-row people carriers with technology and refinement to rival the likes of the Mercedes S-Class and BMW 7 Series. Vidal believes that the pursuit of efficiency could spur an all-out rethink for Europe's most popular type of car. But he did admit that MPVs would be broadly comparable with SUVs in terms of energy consumption and usage of materials. "I see two trends: super-efficient SUV transformation, and maybe a big comeback of sexy, desirable MPVs,' he said. Elsewhere, Renault has confirmed that its new EV will arrive in the UK shortly after its launch next year. The Renault Twingo electric car is set to launch in the UK sometime in 2026 with an affordable starting price tag of £16,700. And an iconic 1980s Renault 5 Turbo is returning as an EV "beast" in 2027. Each car will be outrageously fast, hand built, predominantly carbon fire and priced at around £135,000.
The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- Automotive
- The Irish Sun
Design boss for major carmaker reveals the unexpected motors set to make a ‘come back' – and it's good news for families
THE DESIGN boss for a major carmaker has revealed the unexpected motors set to make a comeback and it's good news for families. Once a regular sight on roads across Europe, these motors could make a stunning return to shake up the family car market. 2 Renault's design boss has suggested people carriers could make a comeback Credit: Alamy 2 Renault Espace Credit: Handout Gilles Vidal, Renault's design boss, predicts the people carrier could make a comeback as "SUV bashing" becomes more prominent. The likes of the Renault Scenic, Vauxhall Zaifra, Ford Galaxy and Citroen Picasso were once the first-choice for families across the continent. They used to account for more than 10% of the regional car market with their ability to accommodate up to seven people in a tall cabin. And they occupied a footprint comparable to an estate car too. Read more Motors News But the decline of the people carrier, or multi-purpose vehicle (MPV), started in 2006 when Nissan launched the Qashqai. It came to be the default choice for families and dominated Europe's car market. At present, SUVs make up more than half of all European car sales while people carriers have dropped to a market share in the low single digits. But Giles Vidal believes a renaissance of the people carrier is on the cards with the transition to electrification. Most read in Motors Car manufacturers are striving to make their motors as efficient as possible and exploit the packaging freedoms afforded by EV "skateboard" architecture. EV "skateboard" architecture refers to the EV chassis design where the the battery pack, electric motors, and other core components are integrated into a flat, skateboard-like platform. "SUVs won the battle against the MPVs because MPVs are cars that you need but you don't desire, and suddenly SUVs with the same engines, same weight, same everything - they are shapes that you will desire," Vidal said. New Renault 4 is no longer a cheap, simple no frills runabout - it's now a funky family crossover and a capital B bargain But now, Vidal claims, there's a lot of "SUV bashing" in Europe. However, he added that the general concept of an SUV is "still attractive" today to most people and remain a functional and practical vehicle. But as cars become more aerodynamic in pursuit of efficiency, he adds that we may see a comeback of the lower, sleeker and more MPV-like motors. Vidal predicts that SUVs will attempt to become more efficient, becoming lower and having better aerodynamics. He said: " They will morph into a very efficient car, less energy consuming, with equivalent habitability and roominess and everything that's probably the trend." Renault's Embleme concept, which is due in production in the coming years as the first of a new-generation electric car line-up, is a "morphing of all of that". It has a raised ride height but a sleeker, lower profile than any of Renault's current SUVs. Multi-purpose vehicles are already taking off in China, the world's biggest car market. Manufacturers such as Zeekr, Lynk&Co, Li Auto, Denza and Xpeng have all launched luxurious three-row people carriers with technology and refinement to rival the likes of the Mercedes S-Class and BMW 7 Series. Vidal believes that the pursuit of efficiency could spur an all-out rethink for Europe's most popular type of car. But he did admit that MPVs would be broadly comparable with SUVs in terms of energy consumption and usage of materials. "I see two trends: super-efficient SUV transformation, and maybe a big comeback of sexy, desirable MPVs,' he said. Elsewhere, The Renault Twingo electric car is set to launch in the UK sometime in 2026 with an affordable starting price tag of £16,700. And an iconic 1980s Each car will be outrageously fast, hand built, predominantly carbon fire and priced at around £135,000.
San Francisco Chronicle
3 days ago
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
$1 million lottery winner who hoped to ‘get off the streets' officially identified
The California Lottery has identified a homeless man who once lived in the Bay Area as the winner of a $1 million prize from a scratcher purchased in San Luis Obispo earlier this year. The winner, Armando Vidal, said he bought two $10 Triple Red 777 Scratchers in April at Sandy's Deli & Liquor, where he is a regular customer. At first, Vidal believed he had just won $200. When he returned to the store to verify the tickets, the scan suggested he might have won $100,000 — until the store's manager, Wilson Samaan, took a closer look at the printout. 'What are you going to do with a million dollars?' Samaan asked him, according to Vidal. 'I was like, huh?' Vidal said. 'And that's how I found out I'd won a million dollars.' Vidal became homeless in 2008 after an injury left him unable to work. He spent years living on the streets in Santa Maria and San Luis Obispo. He told lottery officials that the win marks a dramatic turning point for him. He plans to use the money to secure stable housing – ideally with a bed and room for a couple of dogs – and hopes to invest the rest to ensure long-term financial security. The odds of winning a $1 million prize on a Triple Red 777 scratcher are 1 in 2,047,423, according to the California Lottery. Samaan, who built a rapport with Vidal over the years, personally drove him to the Lottery office in Fresno to help him claim the prize securely. 'He tried to mail it,' Samaan told the Chronicle in April. 'I told him, I'll help you out. I offered him a bus ticket or for me to drive him. I didn't want a million dollars to get lost in the mail.' Vidal told lottery officials that the media attention following his win in April was overwhelming, after another local business owner — Adam Kemp of the vintage shop Thrifty Beaches — shared his story on Instagram. 'My friend here just won $1 million in the lottery in SLO,' Kemp said in a viral video, pointing at Vidal. He now plans to keep a much lower profile.
The Herald Scotland
22-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Oasis spat with Edinburgh Council is more fun than going to their gig
Gallagher hit back with 'I'd love to see a picture of all the people on the Edinburgh council. Bet there's some real STUNNING individuals.' It's always great when celebs resort to caps; it reveals they are really irate. And we've all enjoyed the Oasis brothers' long-running spat, suspecting it's little more like a 15-year-old mump and that the pair would kiss each other's scratchy faces and make up just as soon as the ink was dry on the £100m performance contract. Read more But why do we really enjoy these feuds? We clearly love the theatre of it all, the unscripted (or sometimes scripted) bitching, we get to see the celebs with a real clarity; we see where their heads and their hearts truly are. And this insight helps determine our remote relationship with them. Don't we all love to see someone agree with what we've been thinking, when their truth coalesces with our truth? (Had to agree with Gallagher on this occasion. Local politics is politics is hardly overpopulated by those defined by a clean, healthy living regime.) And who could criticise Sir Rod's once machine gunning of Michelle Mone? "I think Michelle Mone is a nasty piece of work, I really do," he fumed. "She is a manipulative cow.' Except perhaps Mone's accountants, lawyers and family. As humans, we've long existed thanks to our learning what makes others tick, whether they have a Rolex Daytona personality – or that of a hastily made bomb. Wasn't the best part of Celebrity Big Brother centred on the times countless feuds feature? And isn't it great to be caught up in the heady discourse of debate, which almost becomes a TV game show in itself, whereby the terminal whiners with issues can be set up in front of a camera and proceed to whack each other about the head with rhetoric - and sometimes a little bit of bile. Remember the war of words between the US literary giants Norman Mailer and Gore Vidal, prompted by Vidal's unflattering comments about Mailer's book The Prisoner of Sex. Of course, we didn't enjoy it so much when the spat turned physical when Mailer later headbutted Vidal. Six years later, Mailer lamped him again, prompting Vidal's immortal line: 'As usual, words fail him.' Bette Davis (Image: free) And we won't forget the acid tongues of both Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, the movie stars who hated each other more than they hated losing the Vaseline on their spotlight. Crawford once put rocks in her pockets in preparation for a scene in which Davis had to drag her across a floor in the film Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? Then Bette Davis taunted; 'Joan slept with every male star at MGM except Lassie.' Okay, I know what you're thinking; it's undignified to surrender to a little schadenfreude. But isn't seeing the more human side of celebrity useful, in that it that stops our aspirational fires burning to the point you can smell singeing? And don't we sometimes simply crave for a truth, which happens to coincide with our truth? Yes, Elton may have been a little unkind to label one-time chum Madonna a 'fairground stripper,' but who can argue he was wrong to take a pop when he described the Material Girl as a 'lip-syncing miserable cow,' who was charging a (then) whopping £75 to see her mouth the words to backing tracks? Read more Yet, you had to admire Madge's miaow of a reply, after turning down an invite to sing at Reg's wedding. 'Madonna wishes Elton all the best and hopes married life will make him a happier person.' Yet, we aren't always treated to clever bitchery, which is often about self-aggrandising behaviour. Did Louis Walsh have to continually refer to his former protégé Ronan Keating as 'the former shoe-shop worker? Did Mel Brown really have to claim a lesbian tryst with fellow Spicer Geri Horner? Could it have been about Brown's need to shift book sales rather than come out with her truth? Of course. But let's enjoy the little spats, nonetheless. They are wonderfully reductive, sometimes wise, often waspish. It's conflict, but not REAL conflict. And when the Beckhams or the Sussexes fall out with their families, we can take comfort that it's not just us muggles who are capable of that.
Time of India
10-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
U.S. pizza chain Little Caesars eyes India expansion with dozens of new stores
HighlightsLittle Caesars, the third largest pizza chain in the world, plans to open its first store in the Delhi National Capital Region of India this month, aiming for significant expansion in the country. With India's economy projected to grow at 6.5% for fiscal 2026, Little Caesars intends to establish up to 100 stores by the end of the decade, customizing its menu to include vegetarian options for the local market. The Indian pizza market is highly competitive, with established players like Domino's Pizza and Pizza Hut, but Little Caesars is optimistic about its prospects as it also looks to expand into other countries such as Malaysia and Brazil. U.S. pizza chain Little Caesars is planning to open dozens of stores in India over the coming years aiming to capitalise on the country's robust economic growth, an executive told Reuters. Little Caesars will open its first Indian store in the Delhi NCR region this month. "India is on a growth trajectory ... We don't want to miss this wave," said Carlos Vidal, vice president of international development at the privately held Little Caesars. India's economy is projected to grow at 6.5% for fiscal 2026, maintaining its position as the fastest-growing major economy, according to the International Monetary Fund. Founded in 1959, Little Caesars is the third largest pizza chain in the world, with a presence in more than 29 countries. The Indian pizza market is fiercely competitive, with established players like Domino's Pizza and Yum Brands' Pizza Hut, alongside local chains such as La Pino'z and numerous independent shops. India has proven a challenging market for other major pizza chains. Papa John's, for instance, exited in 2017 due to fierce competition and operational challenges, though it now plans to re-enter the market in 2025. A 100 Little Caesars stores in India by decade-end is a realistic target, Vidal said, adding the brand is "thinking about hundreds and eventually thousands of stores over time." Little Caesars is customizing its menu with vegetarian pizzas to cater to the country's significantly large vegetarian population. It will also introduce flavored crusts-a first for the brand-as plain crusts are often left uneaten by Indian consumers. In addition to India, Little Caesars plans to also focus on Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates and Brazil over the next few years with a view to opening more new stores outside the United States.
