Tag Archives: conversation

News

Range Rover thefts: JLR boss needs motion to sort out organised crime

JLR boss Adrian Mardell has referred to as for an “urgent national conversation” about organised car crime, calling on the federal government to take a position additional to crack down on gangs, even when that comes as a substitute of tax cuts.

Concerns in regards to the high theft of Range Rover vehicles have led to a stories from homeowners of a pointy improve in insurance coverage charges. Asked in regards to the concern throughout a media name for JLR’s third quarter monetary outcomes, Mardell launched a passionate defence of the security of his agency’s vehicles, saying information suggesting a excessive theft fee of Range Rover and Land Rover Defender fashions has been exaggerated because of misreported information. 

Mardell acknowledged that organised car crime was “a serious issue in this country” that was “touchdown closely on all [manufacturers]”, together with JLR.

He added: “Our purchasers are affected by that, and most of the people on this nation gained’t like that, whether or not they’re struggling or not.”

But he insisted that lots of the stories on the excessive theft fee of JLR autos was primarily based on previous or incomplete information that has been misinterpreted.

Citing the latest full year DVLA statistics for 2023, Mardell mentioned: “Contrary to a widely repeated myth, the Range Rover does not feature in the top 10 vehicles in the UK stolen for calendar year 2023. It is not Britain’s most stolen vehicle. There are no JLR models in the top three stolen vehicles in calendar year ’23.”

The car theft figures for 2023 present the Ford Fiesta was the UK’s most stolen automobile, forward of the Ford Focus. The Range Rover Sport was fifth, with 1631 stolen, the Range Rover Evoque (1489 thefts) was sixth and the Discovery Sport (954) was tenth. Those numbers cowl all vehicles on the street, no matter age.

Mardell famous that the DVLA information exhibits a 27.2% year-on-year decline in Range Rover theft and a 28.6% decline in Range Rover Sport theft. He additionally cited information displaying minimal thefts of the most recent Range Rover and Defender fashions.

“For [the] Defender, since launch in 2019, only 130 cars have been stolen out of 45,200 vehicles, a rate of 0.3%,” mentioned Mardell. “The Police National Computer exhibits solely 0.08% of latest Range Rovers – simply 11 autos out of 12,800 autos which have been handed over to purchasers since launch two years in the past – have been stolen. It’s 15 for the brand new Range Rover Sport.

“I’m not sure which other brand could actually claim such a high level of security and a low level of theft.”

Mardell mentioned the figures meant “there is no reason whatsoever why any insurance company should not gladly and readily insure those new vehicles – zero reason, in any part of this country.”

News

Someone Brought Kaneda’s Bike From Akira To Life, And It’s A Working Moto

Great artwork is a dialog. It’s not simply “here’s this thing I painted, take a look at it and go home.” It strikes you. It sticks in your thoughts, and maybe influences you in methods each seen and never. Those who’re in different artistic professions might discover that it informs their work in a roundabout way, and will even reference it occasionally within the backs of their minds.

Some artists hold their influences quiet, whereas others want to shout them from the rooftops. Bel y Bel is a artistic studio pushed by its two founders, Carles Bel and Jesús Bel (no relation). Like many design creatives within the present period, alongside the way in which, they found their shared appreciation for the works of globally-renowned manga and anime grasp Katsuhiro Otomo. 

Since founding Bel y Bel in 2005, the pair have largely centered on upcycling scooter and basic automotive elements into new, purposeful designs. Many are workplace furnishings, just like the Vespa workplace chair or the Sofa 600, which is constructed from the entrance and extra items from a Seat 600 Model D. The upholstery itself was taken from the seat of one other Seat, the Seat 124.

That’s one major goal that drives Bel y Bel, however it’s removed from the one one. In 2020, the agency determined to carry the Akira Toriyama-penned Bulma’s Capsule No. 9 motorbike and Lunch’s monowheel to life as full-size creations. Here you may see a video shot on the twenty fifth anniversary version of the Manga Barcelona conference held in 2019:

Kaneda’s Bike from Akira

In 2023 and into 2024, Bel y Bel has been engaged on a prototype of what is arguably some of the well-known fictional bikes of all time, Kaneda’s bike from Akira. The first model was a hybrid design utilizing a 250cc Yamaha combustion engine paired with an electrical motor.

However, the present model is all electrical, and the group is working to include reverse functionality into the construct this time round. (Having spent numerous time using a Zero with reverse, I can affirm that it is an extremely helpful characteristic to have on an electrical bike.)

After prototyping, Bel y Bel have been within the strategy of constructing two Kaneda bikes to order. However, the plan after that’s to make a restricted sequence accessible for folks to buy someday in 2024, based on Mundo Deportivo. It’ll value €20,000 (about $21,863 on the time of writing), however you can arguably spend much more on one thing that will not make you smile as a lot as this does.

 

We’ve included a hyperlink to Bel y Bel’s web site in our Sources, or you may try the corporate’s Instagram to speak about perhaps constructing you the Kaneda bike of your desires.


Bel y Bel - Kaneda Bike Left Side 2

11 Photos

News

Will MV Agusta Ever Debut The Lucky Explorer 5.5?

MV Agusta’s CEO recently had an interview with Motorcycle News (MCN) where he shared some updates on the Lucky Explorer project. Initially, the adventure bike was supposed to come in two variations, a twin and a triple. However, it seems that only one version is close to being launched while the other has been put on hold.

We also reached out to MV Agusta, and their distributors confirmed that the Lucky Explorer 9.5 is still in progress, but the 5.5 might not see the light of day. Despite rumors of the project being a failure, MV’s CEO clarified in the interview that the 5.5 model is on temporary hold, indicating that it has been postponed.

The reason behind MV’s decision to pause the Lucky Explorer 5.5 might be their evaluation of market conditions, particularly within KTM’s sales network. Currently, KTM has been working closely with MV Agusta, utilizing its resources to assist the Italian brand with sales and networks in different countries.


MV Agusta Lucky Explorer Project 5.5 - Tunnel - Right Side

12 Photos

Initially, MV Agusta introduced two new adventure-touring motorcycles under the Lucky Explorer project to meet the increasing demand for versatile bikes. While the 9.5 model received positive feedback from MV fans, the 5.5 model raised some eyebrows. MV Agusta announced that the 5.5 model would be produced in collaboration with QJ Motor in China and be based on the Benelli TRK502.

Following the announcement, KTM became more involved with MV Agusta by acquiring a 25.1 percent stake in the Italian brand. This partnership involves KTM’s assistance in terms of distribution and dealer network. It seems that Pierrer Mobility, KTM’s parent company, is looking to deepen its involvement with MV Agusta, possibly different from Saradarov’s perspective on maintaining MV’s independence from the Pierrer Group.

Saradarov affirms that the Lucky Explorer 9.5 will retain the inline three-engine configuration instead of being replaced by KTM’s 890cc twin. MV Agusta is committed to maintaining its technological independence. Before entering mass production for the 9.5 model, MV Agusta plans to manufacture 500 special editions. However, the fate of the 5.5 model remains uncertain as it is no longer scheduled for production. Saradarov has not completely ruled out the possibility of seeing it in the future, and he mentioned that MV and QJ Motor are still collaborating on other projects.

Currently, the MV Agusta Lucky Explorer 9.5 is expected to begin production in October 2023 for the 2024 model year, and enthusiasts are eagerly awaiting its release.