Nissan puts Mr Whippy on a charge
WITH many of the UK’s estimated 5,000 ice cream vans running on old diesels, producer Mackie’s of Scotland teamed up with Nissan to build an e-NV200 electric van that was perfectly suited to selling ice cream. An ‘energy roam’ function with solar panels charged a 1.4kW lithium-ion battery to run the softserve ice cream machine, fridge and freezer that are fundamental to such a van’s life.
THE Range Rover Evoque Convertible didn’t exactly prove itself to be a roaring sales success, but that didn’t stop Volkswagen telling us back in August that it plans to dip its toe into the world of drop-top SUVs with the T-Roc Cabriolet.
Taking the place of previous style-led VW convertibles such as the Golf and Beetle, while cashing in on the evergrowing SUV craze, the open-top T-Roc sports a chunky twodoor body with space for four inside. The fabric hood takes only nine seconds to retract at the touch of a button, and can operate at up to 19mph. This folding roof means that practicality will fall behind the standard T-Roc SUV’s, though; at 284 litres, boot space has dropped by 161 litres.
Production of the T-Roc Cabriolet will take place at VW’s Osnabruck factory, which is the production site of many other of the brand’s historic convertibles including the Karmann Ghia, Mk1 Beetle and Golf Cabriolet. The new model looks set to hit showrooms by spring 2020, with UK prices expected to start from approximately £25,000.
Open-top T-Roc sports a chunky two-door body with space for four; UK prices to start from £25k
THIS year marked Citroen’s centenary, and we celebrated with a trip to Paris, delving into the French firm’s history. A highlight was getting behind the wheel of a 2CV. We were surprised how well the old two-cylinder hatch held up in the 21st century; once we became accustomed to the controls, it was easy to drive smoothly.
We also spent time in a 2006 C6. While slightly less idiosyncratic than some of its Citroen saloon predecessors, it was distinctive enough to stand out, while also offering the silky smooth ride Citroen has become known for.
THE Mazda MX-5 has been the go-to affordable sports car around the world for the past three decades, so it’s only fair that we made a big fuss on its 30th birthday. At a special party, we got the chance to cast our eye back over all four generations before taking a 30th Anniversary Edition MX-5 on a road trip, hitting destinations that shared their names with MX-5 special editions.