Author: kirklandc008@gmail.com

When François Provost, a distinguished Renault Group director of vast experience but low profile, suddenly succeeded Luca de Meo as CEO in July last year, there was no suggestion that he would be bothered about trying to mirror de Meo’s well- chronicled star quality or instinct for headlines.Whereas de Meo was a kind of troubadour car boss who has specialised in orchestrating car company revivals across Europe – and in ensuring his achievements were well and truly on the record – Provost (chosen in preference to the other obvious candidate, dynamic Dacia chief Denis Le Vot) seemed a quieter, less flamboyant…

Unless you’re a hardcore fan of Japanese sports cars or an avid Gran Turismo player, you might not be familiar with the Tommykaira ZZ. Originally launched in 1996, the first-gen model was a tiny roadster with a Nissan-sourced 2.0-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine mounted behind the driver, turning the rear wheels. In essence, it was rather like a Japanese take on the Lotus Elise. A second-generation model, the Tommykaira ZZ-EV, arrived and went on sale in 2014, dropping the combustion engine in favor of a single electric motor. Now, the Tommykaira ZZ is getting a new lease on life for…

Photo: T1 Energy T1 Energy, formerly known as FREYR Battery, is buying battery storage and software company KORE Power in a deal aimed at growing its presence in the fast-expanding energy storage and AI data center markets. The deal is valued at around $32 million in equity, cash, and assumed debt, and is expected to close in Q2 2026. The highlight of T1’s acquisition is KORE Power’s NRI division, which designs, installs, and operates large-scale battery energy storage systems (BESS). T1 says KORE’s NRI team has worked on around 1,100 battery storage projects worldwide and has provided energy storage solutions…

A team of researchers at Georgia Tech has developed a new smartphone-based system that could dramatically simplify how people interact with robots. Called COBALT, the platform allows users with little to no computing experience to remotely control robot arms from virtually anywhere in the world using just a phone and an internet connection. The project, developed at Georgia Tech’s People, AI & Robotics (PAIR) Lab, transforms smartphones into motion controllers for robotic arms. Users simply move their phones in different directions, and the robot mirrors those movements in real time. Basic tasks such as grabbing, moving, and releasing objects can…

Why are the British so good at making sports cars? It’s a question put to me in an interview recently, to which a previous interviewee had said that, in times gone by (maybe even now), only the British would be barmy enough to stand in a small, cold shed and decide that a world-class small sports or racing car might roll out of the doorway. I think there’s a bit more to it than that, and that in creating what is today a world-leading array of companies, from niche sports car or component makers employing a handful of people to…

SUVs have become vastly more popular in recent years for a number of key reasons, with the main one being that they’re the trendiest family-suitable machine on the road. The thing is, one of the primary catalysts that led to SUVs becoming the go-to family vehicle lies with how far engineering development has traveled over the last couple of decades. Pre-2000, SUVs used to be thirsty and ungainly things that, while tall and safe, usually ended up getting you into more accidents than they saved you from due to their high centers of gravity. Improved engine and suspension technology now…

Who’s afraid of the next GTA? Based on the last few days of Summer Game Fest, just about everyone. Grand Theft Auto VI hasn’t been present at any of the keynote events, but its presence was felt every time a release date was announced. The month of November, when GTA VI launches, is virtually empty. The rest of the fall, meanwhile, is absolutely packed.It started at Sony’s State of Play showcase on Tuesday. Even before that show, we knew that Wolverine, the next big PlayStation exclusive, would be launching on September 15th. But now it’s joined by a bunch of…

Affordable small cars once gave students, commuters, and budget-conscious families a realistic path into new-car ownership. But as SUVs exploded in popularity and vehicle prices climbed higher, many manufacturers abandoned the entry-level compact segment almost entirely. That is partly why the Chevrolet Spark became such an interesting little car. Focusing primarily on the final 2016–2022 models sold in the United States, the tiny hatchback quietly filled a role many modern vehicles no longer do: honest, affordable transportation. Why The Chevy Spark Became So Popular America’s Cheapest New Car Filled A Huge Gap Action shot of a blue 2021 Chevrolet Spark cruising…

Its new gameplay trailer gives us a glimpse of Anakin Skywalker. EA The developers behind Star Wars Zero Company has revealed the official gameplay trailer for the title at Summer Game Fest 2026. They have also revealed that the game will be available on the PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S starting on August 27. Star Wars Zero Company was announced in 2022 as one of the games being co-developed by Respawn Entertainment, the studio behind Jedi: Fallen Order and Jedi: Survivor.  Respawn developed the game with a new studio called Bit Reactor, with EA as the publisher. The studio includes…

The world’s most famous Lotus? It has to be the Esprit, thanks to its appearance in James Bond movie The Spy Who Loved Me.  It was the wedgy, four-cylinder sports car that sparked current CEO Qingfeng Feng’s awareness of Lotus when he saw it on the big screen. Back then he was studying chemistry at university. “But it wasn’t in the famous James Bond movie but Pretty Woman,” he tells Auto Express. “I was really amazed to see those headlamps pop up: I just thought it was really cool.” Advertisement – Article continues belowIt’s no fleeting appearance, with the timid-driving executive…