Author: Robin Roberts

There’re new supercars coming out of Wales with familiar faces, writes Robin Roberts. After the launch of the Aston Martin DBX from its new state of the art St Athan factory in South Wales last year, altogether different cars are being built in a small industrial unit in North Wales. While the luxurious £158,000 SUV is wowing the world’s richest owners, the buyers of the latest Welsh supercars are even more discerning but must also be wealthy. MST Cars, Pwllheli has recreated the famous 1970s’ Ford Escorts Mk1 and Mk2 models. The business was founded over 100 years ago in…

The Nissan X-Trail has been a long-lived and much loved member of the Japanese family, sitting above the smaller Qashqai SUV with which it shares many components and technology. Launched in 2001 as a tough dual purpose 4×4 alternative to the bigger and heavier Patrol 4×4, the X-Trail has gone through three generations and it cannot be too long before it is again revised or replaced, possibly with a platform from the sister company Renault or as a new model for both brands. Nissan has a lot of faith in its X-Trail series and as if to underline that belief…

Welsh Government and TVR will begin work on its Ebbw Vale factory renovation and enhancement programme in mid-January, writes Robin Roberts. Jones Brothers (Henllan) Ltd has been awarded the principal contract for works including replacement of the main building’s roof, the recladding of the building, extensive groundworks and also preparation of a prototype build area at the side of the intended main production area. Les Edgar, Chairman of TVR said, “This is a fantastic milestone in our mission to rejuvenate an iconic British brand, and we are all tremendously excited to witness the renovation of our new home in Ebbw…

The UK new car market fell by almost a third (-29.4%) in 2020, with annual registrations dropping to 1,631,064 units, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. A -10.9% decline in December wrapped up a turbulent 12 months, which saw demand fall by 680,076 units to the lowest level of registrations since 1992. Against a backdrop of Covid restrictions, an acceleration of the end of sale date for petrol and diesel cars to 2030 and Brexit uncertainty, the industry suffered a total turnover loss of some £20.4 billion, and that has further implications of the Exchequer with lost…

The UK new car market fell by almost a third (-29.4%) in 2020, with annual registrations dropping to 1,631,064 units, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. A -10.9% decline in December wrapped up a turbulent 12 months, which saw demand fall by 680,076 units to the lowest level of registrations since 1992. Against a backdrop of Covid restrictions, an acceleration of the end of sale date for petrol and diesel cars to 2030 and Brexit uncertainty, the industry suffered a total turnover loss of some £20.4 billion, and that has further implications of the Exchequer with lost…

Aston Martin is a survivor in a world of hard knocks and is looking for a smoother ride with their latest DBX sports utility vehicle, writes Robin Roberts. After 100 years of making some of the most sought after sports cars in the world it has applied its knowledge to what it sees as a family car, albeit for a well off family. Keen to blend practicality with performance and panache, there are very few rivals. It entered the market in 2020 against the Bentley Bentayga and Lamborghini Urus with little else to touch it except for the most expensive…

Lexus has shaken up the UK car market in every sector it’s entered and with the latest UX urban SUV its challenge intensifies. Intended as an introduction to the Lexus range, the UX is their first contemporary compact SUV with the urban driver in mind rather than the country living/ loving driver who needs a serious off-roader. That’s not underselling the Lexus UX as it is the first to get the latest Global Architecture–Compact platform with low centre of gravity and suspension designed to promote good handling with comfort. At night it turns heads with 120LEDs across the tailgate with…

The £2.6 Billion Britishvolt gigaplant which held the promise of 5,000 construction jobs and 3,000 permanent posts will not now be built at St Athan and the company says it will go to a 230 acres site in Blythe, Northumberland. The decision follows a few months of talks with Welsh Government during which time Britishvolt appointed Italian designer Pininfarina for scheme. Doubts about the Welsh plant going ahead started to surface a few months ago and recently the company announced its R&D centre would be in the Midlands close to the heart of the UK car industry. The production plant…

The Mazda MX-5 R Sport Convertible is limited to 150 examples in the UK, where it has consistently led the sector since the 1990s with revisions and upgrades. This stand-out MX-5 Convertible features free-of-charge Polymetal Grey metallic paint and a grey soft-top hood, while 16-inch RAYS gunmetal alloy wheels and piano black mirrors finish the unique exterior look of this special edition which is an addition to the 2020 Mazda MX-5 line up while inside the R-Sport features burgundy Nappa leather seats with silver stitching, ensuring the interior has the same bespoke feel as the exterior. Based on the 1.5-litre…

Second-hand battery and electric cars are being sought by drivers, says the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders in their latest report on the used car market. The UK’s used car market increased by 4.4% in Q3 after two consecutive quarters of decline, according to the latest figures published today by the SMMT. During the busiest quarter since the end of 2016, some 2,168,599 transactions took place between July and September, 92,217 more than the same period in 2019, with September recording the largest growth, up 6.3%. Despite the growth, spurred by the re-opening of showrooms and easing of lockdown…