Nissan’s plans for Juke

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FROM: Casper Gorniok I THINK Nissan has done an excellent job with this new Juke. All it really needed to do was tidy up the front end and make improvements suggested by customers like increasing space and improving quality. Great to read that there will be a hybrid, too.

Join the debate at www.autoexpress.co.uk

■ “I never liked the Juke’s styling but at least it was distinctive. Now Nissan is just adding extra ‘dullness’.” Oswald Spong ■ “Style is always a matter of taste, of course, but I think it’s fair to say Nissan knows how to make a stylish car.” MRT ■ “Please offer more spacious and cushioned seats. I would enjoy leather upholstery with less friction than the suede.” hdn

IT’S remarkable the difference three millimetres can make. By cleverly engineering this tiny gap between the carbon fibre trim surrounding the titanium and steel exhausts, it’s possible to prevent the carbon fibre from heating above 150 degrees Celsius, even when the exhaust itself glows to 600 degrees.

The development allowed Red Arch – an engineering company based in Northamptonshire – to be the first in the world to produce carbon fibre exhaust trims, and in the process, secure a lucrative deal with BMW. The trim can now be found on the latest M2, M3 and M4, along with the MINI John Cooper Works, and stands as another unheralded victory for British engineering.

Red Arch is just one of thousands of UK manufacturers busy supplying vital and unique automotive parts to giants like BMW around the world. In fact, the UK is home to more than 2,000 component manufacturers that support 78,000 jobs and contribute a massive £4.3billion to the economy