Good morning and welcome to our daily digest of automotive news from around the globe, starting with…
VW Boss Says A Delay In Transition To EVs Could Cost 30,000 Jobs
Herbert Diess, Volkswagen’s chief executive, claims that 30,000 jobs within the company could be dependent on the swift transition to EV power. However, a spokesperson for Volkswagen’s workers’ council said that “a reduction of 30,000 jobs is absurd and baseless.” Diess’ comments were made at a supervisory board meeting in September and were in reference to competition from new entrants such as Tesla.
Petrolheads Rejoice, 2023 Acura Integra Will Come With A Six-Speed Manual
As we’re drip-fed info on the upcoming reprise of the Acura Integra, another teaser signaled an important option to the reborn five-door offering. In a short video clip, Acura confirmed that the reborn’ Teg will be offered with a six-speed manual. We already know that the “compact premium car” will feature a liftback five-door body style, and suspect it’ll be based on the Civic chassis.
New 2022 Subaru WRX Wagon Confirmed For Australia, Looks Like A 1.8 GL
Good news for wagon fans based down under: Subaru will be offering a WRX wagon to its Australian customers. The long-roof version of the WRX doesn’t actually appear to share all that much visually with the 2022 WRX sedan that was revealed in September. Instead, the WRX Sportwagon is the spitting image of the Levorg STi sold in Japan.
BMW Is Ready For ICE Bans Say Boss, But Hints It May Not Be The Way To Go
BMW’s boss has said that the brand is ready for ICE bans as they come in, region by region. However, the German automaker won’t commit to a cut-off date for the sale of ICE engines. Speaking on the ICE bans being mooted by several bodies, including the EU, CEO Oliver Zipse said, “Whether it’s a good idea is another question… but we will have an offering.”
Ford Bronco Everglades Officially Announced With Factory-Installed Winch And Snorkel
https://twitter.com/mrlevine/status/1448433882563448834?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1448433882563448834%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.carscoops.com%2F2021%2F10%2Fford-bronco-everglades-officially-announced-with-factory-installed-winch-and-snorkel%2F
Ford’s North American Product Communications Director has officially confirmed plans for a Bronco Everglades. In a tweet, it was revealed that the new car would feature a factory-installed winch and snorkel. The trim is “coming soon” to the 2022 Bronco configurator, alongside the new and potentially potent Raptor variant.
Bugatti Centodieci Concludes Hot Weather Testing In America, Production Slated For Next Year
The stunning Bugatti Centodieci has concluded hot-weather testing in the U.S. A 27-member team spent three weeks in America, where they and the Centodieci were subjected to an “extremely hostile environment for both humans and machines.” Their journey began in California and traversed a 497 mile (800 km) route to the deserts of Arizona. Unveiled in 2019, Bugatti is aiming to deliver the first customer cars next year.
Mustangs Are So Powerful, They Can Cause Accidents Without Even Hitting Someone
It seems that if you drive a Mustang, the car’s reputation proceeds you. At least it did when one Honda Fit owner falsy preempted a Mustang would swerve into them, reversing their own car into a concrete pillar instead. It’s a sad situation for all, but it does prove that Mustangs can now seemingly cause chaos without directly being a part of it.
What Else Is Making The News
Whatsapp Reveals Major Advance In Encryption
Mark Zuckerberg just announced a new WhatsApp update that adds end-to-end encryption to backups so your chats are safe no matter where they're stored. Here’s how it works: https://t.co/mzAnl99TYa
— WIRED (@WIRED) October 14, 2021
The widely-used messaging app, WhatsApp, will be rolling out full encryption for its users. Whatsapp introduced end-to-end encryption for instant messaging as standard, and the new update will offer an extra, optional layer of security to protect backups of text, audio, images, and video stored either on Google Drive or Apple’s iCloud.
Shredded Banksy Artwork Sets New Record
The Banksy painting that sensationally self-destructed three years ago after being sold at auction was resold by Sotheby’s Thursday for 18.6 million pounds, or $25.4 million, a record for the artist. https://t.co/BwxkYZhd2F
— The New York Times (@nytimes) October 14, 2021
Banksy’s “Love Is In The Bin,” which famously shredded itself after being sold in 2018, has set a new record, selling for £18.5m ($25.4m). That means the artwork’s owner made a profit of about £15m in the three years since the first auction. Sotheby’s said the “decommissioned, remote-controlled shredding mechanism” was still in the frame.