Latest news with #Minis
Metro
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
James Martin rages after thieves smash up car in broad daylight
Celebrity chef and TV presenter James Martin has declared that 'London is broken' after his car was broken into in broad daylight. The 52-year-old announced this on Instagram when he shared a photo of his car, which had a huge hole in the windshield 'So in a week two of my friends cars got stolen,' he captioned the post. 'One other mate got mugged and now I had this happen all in broad daylight all in central London. London is broken big time' The ITV star then joked that next time he's going to bring his dogs to deal with thieves. James did not reveal what, if anything, had been stolen during the incident. After sharing what had happened on his miserable morning, fans rallied round the star, sharing kind words on the post. Joanne Lokwiya wrote, 'So sorry this has happened to you. The whole of the UK is the same, the laws need to change and we need more police on the streets'. 'This is so sad, what once was an incredible capital city is now a centre for crime, ' added Sarah O'Sullivan. Catherine Evans, meanwhile, said, 'This is so sad, what once was an incredible capital city is now a centre for crime'. James is well known for his love of cars and owns an impressive collection, which is reportedly worth an estimated £5 million. Despite owning more vehicles than some car showrooms – including chef Keith Floyd's Citroën 2CV, rally driver Paddy Hopkirk's Minis,and a 1988 Drophead Bentley – his favourite is the relatively unassuming Toyota Hilux. That said, despite adoring the car presenter admitted to that had put a target on his back when he's with his motoring mates. 'I've got a Toyota Hilux pickup truck that I absolutely love – you can chuck everything in it and it will go forever,' he explained. More Trending 'All my mates take the mick: 'So you've got all these cars, but you drive around in a pick-up truck?'' Fans of Top Gear will remember the Hilux as the indestructible car that even the combined chaotic might of Jeremy Clarkson, James May, and Richard Hammond couldn't destroy. Metro has approached the London MET and James Martin for comment. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Porsche switch paying off for Walmsley
Lydia Walmsley believes her decision to switch to the Porsche Sprint Challenge GB Championship has been fully justified after achieving her first win in the Pro Series. Walmsley, from Kesgrave in Suffolk, has stepped up this season after racing Minis for the past few years and is having to adjust to rear-wheel drive cars for the first time. But following three second places at Donington Park last month, she achieved a maiden victory in between two more runner-up finishes at Brands Hatch on 12 May. There are four more rounds, each featuring three races, to come and she told BBC Radio Suffolk: "I think we're 10 points behind, which is not a lot really at this stage of the championship. "It's definitely all still to play for. I'm hoping we'll be right there at the end of it. "I'd never have believed we'd be in contention for the championship and there's obviously a long way to go, so I don't want to look ahead too much - I'm just trying to focus on every weekend and doing the best that we can." Walmsley on track for Porsche Sprint Challenge GB 'History-making' racing driver eyes next challenge Walmsley looks to build on 'history-making' podium Last year, Walmsley became the first female driver to achieve a podium finish in the JCW Mini Challenge Championship, relying solely on her parents and mechanic Dave Barber for help with her car. The change of competition for this season pits her against a small field of rival drivers in identical Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport vehicles and she is second in the Pro Series drivers' standings behind Jonathan Moore. "Even before the season started I knew it was definitely the right decision to make the move, and I've never had such a successful start to a season ever," she said. "When you think back to this time last year, my first race weekend at Donington Park, I didn't leave with a single point to my name. "There's still a lot of work to be done but it's been fantastic and I couldn't have really asked for it to go any better. "I've had more testing this year than I've ever had in anything previously - because it was a new car, I needed the testing to get some laps under my belt and figure out what I was doing with this car because it's very different to what I'd been used to." The championship now moves on to Oulton Park - one of Walmsley's favourite circuits - where the next round will take place on the weekend of 21-22 June. "There isn't really much room for error - if you have a bit of a moment, you're either in a gravel trap or in a barrier so I'm going next week for a test day to get acquainted with the circuit," she added. "It always feels faster than others because of how narrow it is and how close the barriers are to the circuit. It'll take me a while to get used to [but] hopefully will get me ready for the race weekend."
Saba Yemen
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Saba Yemen
Workshop do develop Electricity Ministry's plan for new year
Sana'a - Saba: A two-day workshop began today in Sana'a to prepare a 1447 AH plan for projects, activities, and indicators at the Ministry of Electricity, Energy, and Water. The workshop, organized by the Ministry, will last for two days. The workshop aims to enable 40 male and female trainees from the Ministry's affiliated bodies and institutions, as well as local water and sanitation institutions in the capital and governorates, to familiarize themselves with the plan models and incorporate their comments and additions. This will then be adopted as a unified model for the Ministry and its affiliated bodies, resulting in a unified plan for 1447 AH. At the opening, Abdulsalam Al-Hakimi, Assistant Undersecretary for the Water Sector at the Ministry, highlighted the importance of the workshop in familiarizing planning officials at the Ministry and its affiliated bodies, agencies, and institutions with the key tasks involved in preparing the plan. He considered the workshop a practical translation of the directives of the Revolutionary Leadership, the Supreme Political Council, and the program of the Government of Change and Construction, within the framework of the objectives and regulations of the Ministry of Electricity, Energy, and Water, to move forward toward improving performance and advancing the electricity and water sectors. The Ministry's Assistant Undersecretary for Planning and Projects, Engineer Ahmed Al-Mutawakel, emphasized the importance of training specialists to prepare the 1447 AH plan, based on models prepared by the Planning Sector at the Prime Minister's Office. He emphasized the need for next year's plan to be realistic and in line with the current situation and actual needs, thus contributing to its implementation on the ground. He expressed hope that the 1447 AH plan would be the beginning of the comprehensive implementation of the Government of Change and Construction program across the Ministry's agencies. At the opening of the workshop, attended by the Head of the Ministry's Planning Unit and workshop coordinator, Wassama Al-Ariqi, the Ministry's Director of Water Sector Reform, Zaid Al-Kahlani, emphasized the importance of preparing the Ministry's plan in accordance with general guidelines, prepared models, and urgent priorities. He explained that the workshop aims to enable participants to familiarize themselves with models of plans and programs, based on a scientific, participatory vision based on reality and actual needs. He emphasized the need to strengthen the capacity of planning personnel to ensure the achievement of strategic planning objectives in designing projects and activities and addressing obstacles facing their implementation in a scientific and thoughtful manner. Al-Kahlani commended the efforts of the workshop coordinator in preparing and equipping the camp, as well as the role of the Ministry's Training and Rehabilitation Center, with its expertise and capabilities in qualifying and training the Ministry's employees, institutions, and bodies. Whatsapp Telegram Email Print
Auto Car
05-05-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Car
Touchscreens in cars? The truth is we need them
Mini has got the right idea with its latest infotainment display, even if it's not exactly perfect Close A while back, someone made the case on this website for cars with no digital screens. We look at screens all day anyway, and they're distracting and just plain lazy design, the author posited. The author in question was, er… me. So allow me to set the record straight by disagreeing with myself. Yes, car makers' screen addictions have got out of hand and I enjoy the zen of simple cars, but for the vast majority of mainstream cars, touchscreens are essential to harnessing the inherent complexity and something that customers want. The Ineos Grenadier demonstrates as much: its interior looks like the flight deck of an airliner. You know, the things that require multiple years of study and training to learn how to operate. I firmly believe that certain essential, often-used functions should ideally be controlled by physical buttons, like the interior temperature, seats and useless mandatory driver assistance features. But the tyre pressure reset, the setting for deciding whether the speedo should be in miles or kilometres, the equaliser for the audio? It's stuff you adjust once and then forget about, so a screen is perfect for them. Remember those separate single-DIN equaliser units with sliders in '80s and '90s cars? What a waste of space those were. When sensibly implemented, touchscreens can make a limited amount of dashboard space much more useful by giving the driver quick and easy access to a multitude of functions while keeping the peripheral stuff out of sight. The classic BMW iDrive rotary controller is brilliant for scrolling through menus or zooming in and out on the sat-nav map, so it makes an ideal partner to a well-laid-out screen, but trying to enter an address with it is excruciating. A touchscreen does that much better. Unlike some, I don't think touchscreens are inherently dangerous to use in a moving car. Some of them definitely are, and there should also be standards for the response time and reliability of these things, because there's nothing more distracting than ineffectually prodding at a dead or – possibly worse – nearly dead touchscreen. But if the hardware can keep up and the menus are sensibly laid out, with big icons, simple graphics and a clear sense of prioritisation that puts important stuff permanently on screen, touchscreens can be great. Apple CarPlay has been a game-changer, because it lets you safely control music and podcasts. And the dinner-plate touchscreen in new Minis, for all its faults, is a great reinvention of an old styling cue and feels like an extension of the brand. Touchscreens are a sort of superpower for interior designers. But in the same way that Spider-Man falls off the odd roof in his early days and is occasionally tempted to use his powers for evil, car makers need to learn to find a balance. Join our WhatsApp community and be the first to read about the latest news and reviews wowing the car world. Our community is the best, easiest and most direct place to tap into the minds of Autocar, and if you join you'll also be treated to unique WhatsApp content. You can leave at any time after joining - check our full privacy policy here.
France 24
02-05-2025
- Automotive
- France 24
Trump vs Toyota? Why US cars are a rare sight in Japan
Japan's Toyota is the second-top-selling automaker in the United States, where it shifted more than 2.3 million vehicles last year. Meanwhile US industry leader General Motors sold just 587 Chevrolets and 449 Cadillacs in Japan, while Ford pulled out of the tough Japanese market nearly a decade ago. And it's not just an aversion to foreign brands -- in 2024 Mercedes-Benz sold more than 53,000 vehicles and BMW sold over 52,000 including Minis. "They don't take our cars, but we take MILLIONS of theirs!" Trump said in April, accusing Japan of treating its ally "very poorly on trade". To try and rev up the US auto industry, Trump has imposed a 25 percent levy on imported vehicles, in a major blow to Tokyo. Many people in Japan admire vintage US cars, but when it comes to new wheels, they hold more trust in domestic brands, Fukuda told AFP. West Coast hip-hop booms out at his shop Y-Tech, an incongruous slice of Americana amid the rice paddies north of Tokyo. "To be honest I think the problem is the size of the roads," as well as an impression that US cars break down more often, which is likely unfounded, Fukuda said. At his garage, the 20 or so classic US models in varying states of restoration include a silver-green 1970 Chevrolet Nova and a 1954 Buick Roadmaster. But Fukuda also drives a modern SUV -- a General Motors Yukon, which is two metres (6.5 feet) wide and "sticks out or is packed in" when parked in Tokyo's narrow streets. Although some US cars are smaller, the brands remain a niche choice because "there are hardly any places that sell them or repair them", he said. 'Bowling ball test' Yuka Fujimoto, a 42-year-old modelling agency manager, told AFP she had never considered buying a US car. "American cars don't sell very well" in Japan, where domestic automakers offer "a wide range of line-ups including for families", she said. However Trump believes Japan is keeping out American cars with "non-tariff cheating". This includes "Protective Technical Standards (Japan's bowling ball test)" he wrote last month on Truth Social. "They take a bowling ball from 20 feet up in the air and they drop it on the hood of the car. And if the hood dents, then the car doesn't qualify," Trump reportedly elaborated in 2018. A Japanese transport ministry official in charge of safety standards told AFP that no actual bowling balls are used. Trump "may be mixing it up with a test where a hemispherical human head model is hit on the hood", the official said. But the car's bonnet is in fact required to dent to absorb the impact, he explained. Tweaking Japan's vehicle import procedures is a potential bargaining chip for Tokyo in tariff talks with Washington. The country could offer to widen access to a simplified screening process which currently applies to 5,000 vehicles per model annually, Japanese media reports said. Fuel efficiency Trump's auto tariffs have already brought some changes, with Nissan last month revising plans to reduce US production. Meanwhile Honda is moving production of its hybrid Civic model from Japan to the United States, saying no "single issue" had prompted the decision. But US carmakers still face the problem of tepid demand among Japanese consumers. Hisashi Uchida, a 56-year-old construction firm employee, said his Toyota car "doesn't have any special features, but it doesn't break down". "Many American cars can't be parked at multi-storey parking lots, and their fuel efficiency isn't good," he said. Overall "I don't think US carmakers are really putting importance on the Japanese market, which is significantly smaller than their home market", said Masamitsu Misawa, chief editor of Japanese vehicle magazine Car Top. In contrast, German car brands offer a better range and their designs "better match Japanese people's tastes", he told AFP. Cars in Japan drive on the left, and unlike US rivals European automakers usually put the steering wheel on the correct side for vehicles sold there, he added. That could be changing. General Motors' 8th-generation Chevrolet Corvette has right-hand drive in Japan for the first time. "I think that reflects efforts (for selling in Japan) by manufacturers and importers," Misawa said. © 2025 AFP
