#Brussels motor show

[carsthatnevermadeitetc]

 Alfa Romeo P33 Cuneo, 1971, by Pininfarina. Built on the chassis previously used for 1968’s P33 Roadster, the Cuneo was presented at the Brussels Motor Show in January 1971. An almost pure wedge with bodywork finished in white with orange stripes, tis was the third of Pininfarina's design studies based on the mid-engined Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 race car

[micksradio]

2023 Brussels Motor Show ↳ © Shutterstock

[diabolus1exmachina]

Skoda 110 Super Sport ‘Ferat’ (the czechoslovak vampire-car!) 

The Skoda 110 Super Sport 'Ferat' is one of those forgotten prototypes that had a very different purpose than the initial objective with which they were created. It is based on the Skoda 110 R Coupé, a concept car that was forgotten for a decade until a studio sued a vehicle to produce a horror film in 1981. In 1970 the Skoda 110 R Coupé was born, a well-known sports model in the world of rallying. A year later, the Czech manufacturer ventured to develop a prototype that would take it even further to the extreme. The Skoda 110 Super Sport Type 724 is born. Its main attraction was the absence of conventional doors, in whose place was a kind of capsule that gave access to the entire cabin, while in the central position was the same 1.1-liter gasoline block and 73 CV capable of reaching 161 km. /h maximum speed. The concept was presented at the 1971 Brussels Motor Show, although it failed to impress those present and ended up being forgotten and collecting dust in a company store until 1981, at which time a film studio was interested in the car for a horror movie. The film 'Upír z Feratu' from 1982, whose translation would be 'The Vampire of Ferat'. The Skoda 110 Super Sport Type 724 was lent for filming and given that its access capsule to the interior gave it a lot of personality, it was decided to make a series of tweaks to the design to adapt it to the glamor of the cinema. New bumpers and headlights, a huge spoiler, and black paint with red accents were installed. The plot of the film tells the story of a nurse who is recruited as a rally driver by a manufacturer (Ferat) to participate in races, although the car hides a hidden secret: it does not need gasoline to run, it does so from human blood. . Currently, the Skoda 110 Super Sport Type 724 (or 110 Super Sport 'Ferat' in honor of the film) is part of the company's museum.

[mrsmyths-automobilia-1984]

[wheelsgoroundincircles]

Lamborghini Miura P400S

One of the most iconic supercars 1967 Lamborghini Miura P400! Designed by Marcello Gandini

Very few cars managed to change the automobile world like Miura, this ultimate sports car.

Only 764 Lamborghini Miuras were built from 1966 to 1973.

Sixty years ago, precisely on May 1963, “Automobili Ferruccio Lamborghini SAS” was registered as a company. It was the first name of an industrial adventure that, starting from scratch, has revolutionized the automotive industry and created style icons, evolving up to becoming today the world-famous company “Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A.

1965 Turin Auto Show, Lamborghini Automobili unveiled something out of this world, a masterpiece that has never seen before. A car? No, much more better, a chassis of a car.

The story says that at that event Nuccio Bertone was very fascinated by that chassis, so he approached Ferruccio Lamborghini and said: “I’m the one who can make the shoe to fit your foot”. Ferruccio of course agreed.

The body for that chassis was designed in only 4 months by the young Marcello Gandini and the final car was unveiled at the 1966 Geneva Motor Show and it was the highlight of the show. That car was the Lamborghini Miura.

Ferruccio's reaction? Disappointment. The first time he saw the car he said: "how am I supposed to put my foot in it? There's no hole, see?"

So they went back to work and 2 years later, at the 1968 Brussels Auto Show, Bertone unveiled the Miura Roadster, that was actually in a targa configuration. It was finished in a metallic light blue color, a slightly redesigned rear, no engine cover and, most importantly, it had no roof.

The Lamborghini Miura P400S is the car the is the definition of cool back in the day. If you owned a Miura then, you are definitely going places. Famous Stars owners of the Miura included Miles Davis Frank Sinatra, Elton John, and Rod Stewart.

[beardedmrbean]

Big taxes will be imposed on imports of electric vehicles from China to the EU after the majority of member states backed the plans.

The move to introduce tariffs aims to protect the European car industry from being undermined by what EU politicians believe are unfair Chinese-state subsidies on its own cars.

Tariffs on electric cars made in China are set to rise from 10% to up to 45% for the next five years, but there have been concerns such a move could raise electric vehicle (EV) prices for buyers.

The decision, which split EU member states such as France and Germany, risks sparking a trade war between Brussels and Beijing, which has condemned the tariffs as protectionist.

China has been counting on high-tech products to help revive its flagging economy and the EU is the largest overseas market for the country's electric car industry.

Its domestic car industry has grown rapidly over the past two decades and its brands, such as BYD, have begun moving into international markets, prompting fears from the likes of the EU that its own companies will be unable to compete with the cheaper prices.

The EU imposed import tariffs of varying levels on different Chinese manufacturers in the summer, but Friday's vote was to decide if they were implemented for the next five years.

The charges were calculated based on estimates of how much Chinese state aid each manufacturer has received following an EU investigation. The European Commission set individual duties on three major Chinese EV brands - SAIC, BYD and Geely.

EU members were divided on tariffs. Germany, whose car manufacturing industry is heavily dependent on exports to China, was against them. Many EU members abstained in the vote.

German carmakers have been vocal in opposition. Volkswagen says tariffs are "the wrong approach".

However, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Poland were reported to have backed the import taxes. The tariffs proposal could only have been blocked if a qualified majority of 15 members voted against it.

Germany's top industry association, BDI, called on the European Union and China to continue trade talks over tariffs to avoid an "escalating trade conflict".

The European Commission, which held the vote, said the EU and China would "work hard to explore an alternative solution" to the import taxes to address what it called "injurious subsidisation" of Chinese electric vehicles.

China's Commerce Ministry called the decision to impose tariffs "unfair" and "unreasonable", but added the issue could be resolved through negotiations.

The dispute has raised fears among industry groups outside the car sector that they could face retaliatory tariffs from China.

A trade body for the French cognac industry said the French authorities "have abandoned us".

"We do not understand why our sector is being sacrificed in this way."

It said a negotiated solution needed to be found that would "prevent our products from facing a surtax that could exclude them from the Chinese market".

'Serious concerns' over UK sales

Figures show that in August this year, EU registrations of battery-electric cars fell by 43.9% from a year earlier.

In the UK, demand for new electric vehicles hit a new record in September, but orders were mostly driven by commercial deals and by big manufacturer discounts, according to the industry trade body.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said firms had "serious concerns as the market is not growing quickly enough to meet mandated targets".

The industry has warned that drivers need better incentives to buy electric to help manufacturers ahead of the planned ban on sales of new petrol and diesel vehicles. Under the Conservative government the deadline for this ban was pushed back to 2035 from 2030, but Labour has pledged to bring it back to 2030.

Car makers are required to meet electric vehicle sales targets. Under the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate, at least 22% of vehicles sold this year must be zero-emission, with the target expected to hit 80% by 2030 and 100% by 2035.

Manufacturers that fail to hit quotas could be fined £15,000 per car.

The bosses of several car companies, including BMW, Ford and Nissan, wrote to Chancellor Rachel Reeves on Friday saying the industry was likely to miss these targets.

They said economic factors such as higher energy and material costs and interest rates had meant electric cars remained "stubbornly more expensive and consumers are wary of investing". The average cost to buy an electric car in the UK is around £48,000.

They said a "lack of confidence" in the UK’s charging infrastructure was another barrier to encourage people to switch to electric.

[nerdgirlriot]

Another whirlwind day at the parks. We only do two full days at Disneyland because we have a specific plan for what we want to do, and we always have the mindset of rolling with the punches and having contingency plans when things don't go to plan.

Yes, technically I am a Disney adult, aka a millenial or Gen-Xer with a decent amount of disposable income and a slight obsession with Disney. I know what to do, I plan ahead, I watch a lot of Disney Park Youtubers, I know what to do and where to go and how to maximize my time in the parks, all without spending anything extra on Lightning Lanes or Genie +.

You may ask, what's your secret? I say, I try to go with the flow.

We don't rope drop anymore. The last time we did was for the opening of Rise of the resistance, the Star Wars ride in Galaxy's Edge. The virtual queue required guests to physically be in the parks to use the app. Thankfully that's not required anymore. So, our usual plan is to get up at around 8am and grab the free breakfast offered by the hotel before it shuts down at 9:30. Then we wander into the park and check on stand-by wait times and if anything is under 30 minutes, we consider riding it.

This morning, we started at California Adventure, looking in the shops for all the new anniversary merch. I wish there were more Oswald the Lucky Rabbit stuff in general, though his ear hats were available. But I don't wear ear hats or ear bands at the parks. I did more searching of 100th anniversary medallions. One of the shops on Buena Vista Street had a kiosk so I bought its collection of 4, Steamboat Willie Mickey, classic Minnie, Oswald, and an image of the DCA Walt and Mickey statue.

Wandered into Cars Land and did Mater and Luigi's rides. We don't usually do Radiator Springs Racers anymore since the queue never really goes under an hour. We had a reservation at Lamplight Lounge for lunch, but we managed to squeeze in Toy Story Midway Mania before our check-in time arrived. It's been a while since I'd played, my arm got sore. I always seem to get the beaver prize for this ride.

Lamplight Lounge was just as tasty and filling as ever. We ordered steak nachos and the brussel sprout Caesar salad to share while we watched folks get launched at the Incredicoaster. Fun!

I even managed to get into the virtual queue for Runaway Railway again, at the expense of our poor server who had to repeat herself because I was too distracted by my attempt. Checked at 1pm for a 6:30pm return time. I didn't care, though because I got in!

Got stuck on the Little Mermaid ride for a surprising amount of time, right when your seashell eases down that short hill as you go "under the sea". It was long enough that my back was starting to ache from the pressure of leaning backwards. I am old.

Park hopped back to Disneyland, did Autopia and Mr. Toad again, browsed through the shops. I had a healthy amount of redemption dollars from my Disney Visa card, and I was hell-bent on getting souvenirs. In addtion to the 100th anniversary medallions, I picked up a couple of new pins, Mr. Toad in his Motor Car and Fix-it Felix and Wreck-it Ralph. Also paid for a few snacks on the points as well. Ice cream for J. and a pickle for me. Yes, I said pickle. I love the Disneyland pickles. Highly recommended if you're a pickle fan. And I am.

It was started to get really really cold and I wasn't wearing enough layers and I was considering giving up on getting on Runaway Railway and just head back to the hotel room to rest before the 9pm World of Color showing. But as we were settling into the room I got an alert saying that my boarding group for Runaway Railway was being called and I had an hour to get in line for the ride. I'm so glad I opted for a hotel across the street because we got back in record time and we were able to ride Runaway Railway again!

After that, we went back to DCA for World of Color. Had a hot link corn dog for dinner while we waited. The new WOC show is special for the 100th anniversary of the Disney company, and it's meant to show how even one person can change the course of things. It started with Walt and then every other Disney character featured sure had the HERO'S JOURNEY thing going on. I liked it, though not as much as the OG WOC show.

By the end of the night, I was freezing, I couldn't feel my fingers, so we called an end to our Disneyland adventure and headed back to the hotel room, where I had a nice long warm soak in the bathtub and started to feel human again. It got to the point where my fingers didn't have fine motor control and I got a glimpse of my future when I will be old and unable to unbutton pants without struggling. Yikes.

So, checking out of the hotel tomorrow morning, will grab breakfast and will hopefully be able to check in early at the Marriott for Gally!

Onwards.

[isfeed]

Toyota’s next EV is this small Urban Cruiser SUV for Europe

Toyota’s Urban Cruiser is a compact electric SUV coming to Europe. | Image: Toyota Toyota revealed its latest all-electric vehicle today as the Urban Cruiser compact SUV. The EV, which will be fully revealed at the Brussels Motor Show next month, is intended for the European market, first coming to the UK in the third quarter of 2025. Toyota says the wheelbase is only about 5 inches longer than…

[gurutrends]

Brussels Motor Show: brands with a big yes!

Just like the recent Paris Motor Show, the Brussels Motor Show is getting is reviving. The January event has already received confirmation from 50 brands. Others could still be added. From 10 to 19 January 2025, the Heysel plateau in Brussels will regain a fervour that has been somewhat lost since Covid and absent in 2024: that of the Motor Show. The Belgian manufacturers’ federation, Febiac,…

[newstfionline]

Sunday, January 28, 2024

Inflation slowed further in December (AP) The Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge cooled further last month even as the economy kept growing briskly, a trend sure to be welcomed at the White House as President Joe Biden seeks re-election in a race that could pivot on his economic stewardship. Friday’s government report showed that prices rose just 0.2% from November to December, a pace consistent with pre-pandemic levels and barely above the Fed’s 2% annual target. Measured from a year earlier, prices increased 2.6%. The latest data suggests that the economy is achieving an elusive” soft landing,” in which inflation falls back to the Fed’s target without a recession.

Shunned in computer age, cursive makes a comeback in California (Reuters) A generation of children who learned to write on screens is now going old school. Starting this year, California grade school students are required to learn cursive handwriting, after the skill had fallen out of fashion in the computer age. Assembly Bill 446, sponsored by former elementary school teacher Sharon Quirk-Silva and signed into law in October, requires handwriting instruction for the 2.6 million Californians in grades one to six, roughly ages 6 to 12, and cursive lessons for the “appropriate” grade levels—generally considered to be third grade and above. Experts say learning cursive improves cognitive development, reading comprehension and fine motor skills, among other benefits. Some educators also find value in teaching children to read historic documents and family letters from generations past.

US approves F-16 fighter jet sale to Turkey, F-35s to Greece after Turkey OKs Sweden’s entry to NATO (AP) The Biden administration has approved the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey following the Turkish government’s ratification this week of Sweden’s membership in NATO. The move is a significant development in the expansion of the alliance, which has taken on additional importance since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The State Department notified Congress of its approval of the $23 billion F-16 sale to Turkey, along with a companion $8.6 billion sale of advanced F-35 fighter jets to Greece, late Friday. The move came just hours after Turkey deposited its “instrument of ratification” for Sweden’s accession to NATO with Washington, which is the repository for alliance documents and after several key members of Congress lifted their objections. The sale to Turkey includes 40 new F-16s and equipment to modernize 79 of its existing F-16 fleet. The sale to Greece includes 40 F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters and related equipment.

Venezuela’s highest court upholds ban on opposition presidential candidate (AP) The prospect of a free presidential election in Venezuela was dealt a heavy blow Friday when the country’s highest court upheld a ban on the candidacy of María Corina Machado, a longtime government foe and winner of the primary held by the opposition faction backed by the United States. The ruling came months after President Nicolás Maduro and the U.S.-backed opposition reached an agreement aimed at leveling the playing field ahead of the election later this year. The deal led Washington to ease economic sanctions on Maduro’s government. Machado, a former lawmaker, won the opposition’s independently run presidential primary in October with more than 90% of the votes.

Russia projects confidence as it pursues alliances to undermine West (Washington Post) Russia is increasingly confident that deepening economic and diplomatic ties with China and the Global South will allow it to challenge the international financial system dominated by the United States and undermine the West, according to Kremlin documents and interviews with Russian officials and business executives. Russia has been buoyed by its success in holding off a Western-backed Ukrainian counteroffensive followed by political stalemates in Washington and Brussels over continued funding for Kyiv. In Moscow’s view, the U.S. backing of Israel’s invasion of Gaza has damaged Washington’s standing in many parts of the world. The confluence of events has led to a surge of optimism about Russia’s global position. Officials in Moscow point to growing trade with China, military cooperation with Iran, diplomatic outreach in the Arab world and the expansion of the BRICS grouping of major emerging economies—Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa—to include Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Ethiopia.

Tensions simmering in the South China Sea and violence in Myanmar as Laos takes over ASEAN chair (AP) Simmering tensions in the South China Sea between China and several Southeast Asian nations now regularly spark direct confrontation. Fighting in Myanmar against the military government that seized power three years ago has grown to the point that most say the country is now in a civil war. Hopes were high that Indonesia might be able to make significant inroads on both issues during its 2023 chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, using its clout as the bloc’s largest country, but little progress was made. Now Laos, the bloc’s poorest and one of its smallest countries, has taken over the rotating chair. As foreign ministers gather in Luang Prabang for this year’s first top-level meetings over the weekend, many are pessimistic that ASEAN can keep its biggest challenges from festering and growing.

Beijing steps up military pressure on Taiwan after the US and China announce talks (AP) China sent more than 30 warplanes and a group of navy ships toward Taiwan, the island’s defense ministry said Saturday. The military pressure comes on the heels of an announcement that senior American and Chinese representatives were expected to meet in the Thai capital as the two countries seek to cool tensions. The Chinese People’s Liberation Army sent 33 aircraft, including SU-30 fighters, and six navy vessels around Taiwan, between 6 a.m. Friday to 6 a.m. Saturday. Of these, 13 warplanes crossed the midline of the Taiwan Strait—an unofficial boundary that’s considered a buffer between the island and mainland. Taiwan has monitored the situation and employed its own forces in response to the activities. China claims self-ruled Taiwan as its own territory and in recent years has shown is displeasure at political activities in Taiwan by sending military planes and ships.

For Palestinians in Lebanon, Gaza war is a reminder—and a warning (Washington Post) At 84 years old, Amsha Haj Sleiman is blind in one eye and struggles to walk. But she still remembers fleeing as a young girl from her village in historic Palestine. Sleiman is one of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who were driven from their homes during the 1948 founding of Israel and the subsequent Arab-Israeli war, an exodus Palestinians remember as the Nakba—Arabic for “the catastrophe.” For Sleiman, her family’s flight began a lifetime of displacement. Scenes of nearly 1.9 million Palestinians displaced by Israel’s offensive in Gaza—many of them, again, fleeing their homes on foot—are deepening a communal wound for Palestinians that spans generations. In Lebanon, the risk of the conflict spreading into the country is adding to the alarm. Israeli warnings of war, and cross-border fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, have put people across Lebanon’s many divides on edge.

South Africa welcomes ‘landmark’ ICJ ruling, Israel vows to continue war (Washington Post/Reuters) The International Court of Justice ruled Friday that Israel must take measures to prevent the killing of more Palestinian civilians in Gaza and to prevent acts of genocide, although the court stopped short of calling for a cease-fire. The ruling is not a verdict on whether Israel has committed genocide, which could take years. The U.N. court ruled that it has jurisdiction to move forward with South Africa’s genocide case against Israel, and the provisional measures aim to stop the crisis in Gaza from worsening while the case progresses. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected a charge of genocide as "outrageous," and said Israel would continue to defend itself. "The mere claim that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians is not only false, it's outrageous, and the willingness of the court to even discuss this is a disgrace that will not be erased for generations," Netanyahu said.

Deadly attacks on Gaza, cold weather making it 'uninhabitable'—U.N. (Reuters) Relentless attacks against infrastructure and cold weather in Gaza are making the Palestinian enclave "completely uninhabitable", the U.N. human rights office warned on Friday. "I fear that many more civilians will die," said Ajith Sunghay, head of the U.N. Human Rights Office for the Occupied Palestinian Territory. "The continued attacks on specially protected facilities, such as hospitals, will kill civilians, and there will be a further, massive impact on access to health care, safety and security in general of Palestinians." Israel's offensive has killed more than 26,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities, with thousands more feared buried under rubble and most of the 2.3 million residents displaced, facing acute shortages of food, water and medicine.

Oil tanker ablaze after Houthi strike (Washington Post) An oil tanker is on fire in the Gulf of Aden after being hit by a Houthi missile strike, with military vessels providing assistance to the tanker, U.S. Central Command and the vessel’s operator said, adding that no injuries have been reported. Early Saturday, U.S. forces conducted a strike against a Houthi anti-ship missile in Yemen that was aimed into the Red Sea and prepared to launch, Centcom added.

Kenyan Court Blocks Deployment of Police Force to Haiti (NYT) A Kenyan court on Friday prohibited the deployment of 1,000 Kenyan police officers to Haiti, jeopardizing a multinational security force charged with stabilizing the chaos-hit Caribbean island nation before it even got off the ground. The force, which is backed by the United Nations and financed by the United States, had been stalled since October, when Kenyan opponents of the mission challenged it in court, calling it unconstitutional. The High Court upheld those arguments on Friday, throwing into doubt the latest international effort to rescue an impoverished country that is spiraling ever deeper into violence and instability. The international force was meant to help break the grip of the armed gangs that control most of Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, and that have turned Haiti into one of the world’s most dangerous nations. Haiti’s government has pleaded for foreign military forces to restore order, but the United States and Canada have been unwilling to commit their own troops.

AI Audio Deepfakes Are Quickly Outpacing Detection (Scientific American) Experts have long warned of a future where artificial intelligence makes it impossible to tell digital fact from fiction. Now that future is here. A recent case of a recording that sounds like a high school principal making racist comments shows the risk that widely available generative AI tools can pose and the difficulty of detecting their use. The offensive audio clip, which resembled a Baltimore County, Md., school principal’s voice, was posted on social media last week. It quickly spread online and then made local and national news. But the clip has not been verified, and a union spokesperson has claimed it was generated by AI, according to multiple media outlets. It’s not the first time the authenticity of a potentially damaging recording has come into question. But most instances have involved well-known public figures such as Russian president Vladimir Putin or U.S. president Joe Biden—not high school principals. The recent explosion of generative AI means that more people have the means to create convincing fakes than ever before. Society may be woefully unprepared to deal with the resulting inevitable wave of digital fraud and the looming implication that any media item could be fraudulent.

[carsthatnevermadeitetc]

Mercedes-Benz 200D Universal, 1968. The first station wagon offered by Mercedes was based on the “fintail” W 110 model series and was presented by the then Daimler-Benz AG at the Brussels Motor Show in January 1965. The vehicles were designed in-house at Mercedes and manufactured by IMA in Belgium on the basis of delivered chassis with partial bodywork.

[micksradio]

2023 Brussels Motor Show ↳ © Shutterstock

[rnewspost]

Nissan, Renault to invest $600 million to make new models in India

Renault and Nissan automobile logos are pictured during the Brussels Motor Show on January 9, 2020 in Brussels. (Photo by KENZO TRIBOUILLARD/AFP via Getty Images) Kenzo Tribouillard | Afp | Getty Images Nissan and Renault said on Monday they would invest $600 million to make six new models in India. The Japanese and French automakers will work on the projects from their base in Chennai, turning…

[gamegill]

Renault slashes Nissan stake as the automakers overhaul their decades-long alliance

Renault and Nissan automobile logos are pictured during the Brussels Motor Show on January 9, 2020 in Brussels. (Photo by KENZO TRIBOUILLARD/AFP via Getty Images) Kenzo Tribouillard | Afp | Getty Images Automobile giants Renault and Nissan on Monday agreed to restructure their decades-long alliance, in a move that would see Renault’s shareholdings in Nissan reduced from around 43% to 15%. The…

[arun-pratap-singh]

Renault slashes Nissan stake as the automakers overhaul their decades-long alliance

Renault and Nissan automobile logos are pictured during the Brussels Motor Show on January 9, 2020 in Brussels. (Photo by KENZO TRIBOUILLARD/AFP via Getty Images) Kenzo Tribouillard | Afp | Getty Images Automobile giants Renault and Nissan on Monday agreed to restructure their decades-long alliance, in a move that would see Renault’s shareholdings in Nissan reduced from around 43% to 15%. The…