The expression "doing well by doing good" is totally hot in business/academia. This Third Way thinking attempts to reconcile the [allegedly] conflicting notions of "making enough money to buy a Ferrari and a house in the Hamptons" and "getting enough props for being socially responsible to keep the trophy wife happy." As your average Land Rover belches-out enough CO2 to offend every environmental group on planet earth, Land Rover's got to hold a pity party to make their PC bones. And so they have, by donating 60 vehicles (48 Defenders, eight Discoveries and four Freelanders) to the British Red Cross (BRC) and other national Red Cross societies in "troubled" countries (Sierra Leone, Mongolia, Liberia, Lesotho, South Africa). Accepting the gift, Sir Nicholas Young, the CEO of the BRC, remarked that the people they help are often "in the places that are hardest to reach." True dat. And we applaud both the positive impact of this largesse and its PR efficacy. Every time the BBC shows all hell breaking loose somewhere, the guys handing out medical supplies and food are in a butch Defender 110. Our only question: why didn't Land Rover ship some free vehicles to the Red Cross (or other worthy group) in Tata's Indian pridelands? 

London's new Mayor Boris Johnson has scrapped his predecessors plans to hike congestion charges to nearly $50 per day, reports the Times. Not only has BoJo repealed Ken Livingstone's proposed fee bump, but he's even paid Porsche's six-figure legal bill after the German automaker lead the charge against the increase. "I am delighted that we have been able to scrap the £25 charge, which would have hit families and small businesses hardest," said Johnson. "I believe the proposal would actually have made congestion worse by allowing thousands of small cars in for free." And what makes "Red" Ken Livingstone most angry about the reversal of his controversial legacy? Environmental damage? Long commute times? No, it's the lost revenue for the city government. "The claim that £10m has been 'saved' by scrapping the CO2 charge is entirely false – in reality London will lose £30 million – £60million expected annual revenue from the scheme," said Livingstone. With that admission, any pretext that the beefed-up congestion charge is actually an environmental or traffic-calming measure is well and truly put to bed. Along with Mr Livingstone's political career. And good riddance too.

While the 4th is an American day of celebration, it's a day of national shame, disgust, and disappointment for our British friends across the Atlantic (Jeremy Clarkson, in particular, is said to be spending the day sobbing and eating some kind of pie with meat, rather than apples). To help combat their dreadful feelings, BMW of UK has put out a press release on the just revealed new uberlux 7-Series sedan. Not surprisingly, it will holster the new twin-turbo V8 engine (badged 750i in The Land of Hope and Glory). The 740i name returns, denoting the sublime 3.0-liter twin turbo six from the 335i, making 326hp– as much power as the last gen 745i V8. The force-fed six will rocket the 740i to 60 in six seconds. Naturally, the "Biggest Losers of 1777" will get a straight-six diesel 7, stumping-up 245 hp and returning some 32 mpg. BMW UK estimates the six-pot oil burner will account for 85 percent of 7-Series UK sales. With a 0 – 60mph time of 7.2 seconds, why not? So, is BMW ready to bring a six cylinder 7-Series to America? Uh, no. But ours (like theirs) will come with enough gizmos to make an S-Class nervous: optional four-wheel steering (!), side view cameras, variable damping suspension, night vision, and something called "post warranty heart attack." On sale in the UK in November; anticipate a similar date for us Yankees. 

AutoExpress reports that Ford has prepped a not-so-mean but oh-so-green Fiesta ECOnetic for the British Motor Show. While not officially confirmed for production, odds are it will eventually hit (love tap?) the streets of The Land of Hope and Glory. The ECOnetic Fiesta will have a 1.6-liter turbodiesel powerplant with all of 89hp, as well as loads of aerodynamic mods. Equally important, the UK-market Fiesta will have low enough CO2 emissions to evade London's congestion charge. ECOnetic trim recently debuted on a European Ford Focus, with a claimed 55mpg. As Edward Neidermeyer reported, in real-life testing, the Focus ECOnetic that number dropped to some 37 mpg. If we saw a proportionate drop for the ECOnetic Fiesta, that would mean about 44 real world miles per gallon. That's still very impressive. The new model Fiesta isn't on sale yet, although it is coming to the US with gasoline engines about 12 – 18 months from now. [All numbers are US miles per gallon]

While you contemplate the full misery that this sad state of affairs inflicts upon the average UK motorist, eating into what's laughing called their after-tax income, consider this factoid. At various times in the last three years, the UK was an oil exporter. So why the masochism at the pump? Hey, you try running a socialist country– whose population's roughly equal to California and Texas combined– on just £552b per year. The bottom line: taxes. Pistonheads reports that "Duty on both petrol and diesel is now 50.3p a litre – around 40% of the total cost at the pumps. The duty on champagne is said to be £1.87 a bottle, which means that on a £20 bottle the duty makes up roughly less than 10%…. Polls have shown that more than half the population now blame the Government for the spiralling cost of fuel." So what's a government faced with disgruntled (disgruntled I tell you) motorists to do? Raise the fuel duty by .2p per [imperial] gallon. PH commentator 109 Bob shows how cynical UK subjects have become. "What bloody difference will it make by scrapping the 2p increase that is planned. What difference would it make if 10p was to be taken off duty, absolutely no difference what so ever to me our you. The decrease in price would just get swallowed up & prices will continue to increase." Yes they're mad as Hell and they're gonna take it some more. 

I've long argued that the UK's anti-speeding jihad has seriously degraded the relationship between the average British motorist and the police. Despite the public's underlying laissez-faire attitude towards invasive policing– if you're not doing anything wrong you have nothing to worry about– it stops being "fair" when it starts being you. By now, millions of otherwise law-abiding motorists have been trained to see the police as "the enemy." By the same token, the us vs. them gestalt has alienated the police from their so-called employers. The Times reports that the Metropolitan [London] police have been emboldened to the point where they don't even feel compelled to pretend to give a shit about road safety. How else could you explain a Facebook site created by the police where they boast about accidents and, get this, collisions with pedestrians? Needless to say, the Powers That Be have pulled the "Look I’ve Had a Pocol" (slang for police collision) page, and warned 14 officers to cut that out. But not before we learned that "One picture… showed a police vehicle in an accident with a small white car. The officer who posted it wrote: 'I did him a favour. At 82 years old you just shouldn’t be on the road and if you are, then most certainly don’t go through a green light into the path of an innocent police car.' Another member wrote: 'Ran over a drunk. I believe he has a permanent limp and a hefty payout. I was given a three-month holiday from job driving. Ooh, bummer.'" 

From the birthplace of George Orwell, now the most-watched nation in the world, comes news of a car that has nanny-cams of its own. Car Magazine UK tells us that the new Vauxhall/Opel Insignia will offer a camera system that can read traffic signs, and  alert the driver when they have violated them. GM's Traffic Sign Recognition system uses a Hella-sourced (not in the Nor-Cal slang sense) wide-angle camera, that can take 30 photos per second at a range of up to 100 meters. It can recognize traffic signs, and by comparing them to an on-board database, it can tell if the driver is violating their edicts. When you drive your Insignia at 25 mph in a 20 mph zone, expect a "reminder" to flash on your dashboard, removing any doubt that you are, in fact, breaking the law. Though the proliferation of remote speed-control cameras in Britain give this option some merit there, less repressive societies will doubtless provide much weaker markets for GM's new technology. Still, when we heard that GM would "democratize technology" with its newly-upmarket Opel/Vauxhall brands, the last thing we expected was an option that facilitates continuous government intrusion into the driving experience. Sounds more like they've "totalitarianized technology."

The Scotts invented Free Masonery, Scotch and Golf. They then kicked back, cursed the English and watched their American cousins play with the world. Until now. Edinburgh-based Artemis is claiming that they've doubled an internal combustion powered car's mileage. Their new tech– officially launched in 2005– replaces the port and swash plates in a typical slushbox with hydraulics and a computer-controlled solenoid valve system. According to cleantech.com, a "third party" compared a brace of BMW 530is. One sported a five-speed manual, the other Artemis's hydraulic hybrid system. The HEDDAT equipped Bimmer achieved 41.1 mpg (Euro city cycle) and 39.6 mpg on the highway (Euro highway cycle). The system also reduced all-important CO2 emissions by 30 percent. Instead of storing regenerative energy in a battery, hydraulic hybrids store the power hydraulically. That makes "charging" faster. Discharging, too. Also, the harder you drive, the more energy gets stored for later. Exactly the opposite of an electric hybrid, where hard driving tends to create much more energy than can be fed into the battery. Artemis is also claiming their HEDDAT system is cheaper and more durable than an electric hybrid. Artemus has already inked a deal with Bosch to get the Digital Displacement system into on-highway vehicles.

Your faithful correspondent was in the UK in September 2000, during a truckers' strike that literally crippled the country. It was a scary ass reminder of the U.S. fuel shortages during the 70s Arab Oil Embargo, complete with fist-fights and long lines of cars that had run out of gas waiting for gas. It looks like UK is headed for more of the same, as 641 tanker drivers who supply 10 percent of UK petrol stations are set to strike over wages at Friday at 6am. The Times reports that the truckers are engaged in "last-ditch" talks with their employers. Meanwhile, concerns are mounting (as they say) that other fuel-price-beleaguered groups (e.g. farmers) could join a blockade of refineries and other distribution points. In a move of epic imbecility, the UK government has advised the general public not to panic– an advisory that's already set off panic pewtrol buying. There's a big difference this time 'round: after 2000, the government created an emergency plan to deal with the threat, including a significant police/military response. Unless, the strike is averted, and maybe even if it isn't, it's clear there'll be tears before bedtime. 

BBC News reveals that the UK government is about to reveal their plan to introduce a £5 ($9.84) congestion charge to the city of Manchester. This despite the recent public backlash against increased petrol taxes, simmering resentment towards new "green" sales taxes on vehicle purchases, the ouster of London Mayor Ken Livingstone (proponent of increased, CO2-based congestion charges), polls showing widespread opposition to a Manchester congestion charge, and calls for, God forbid, a referendum on the issue. Of course, British politicians didn't get where they are by attending Oxbridge. Oh wait… I mean, they didn't get where they are by not playing the class warfare card. This piece by The Times' transport correspondent on the issue– and the timing of the charge– offers a fascinating insight into British politics. "The deal has been cleverly designed by Government to ensure that local politicians of all parties must risk their political necks by approving it. Seven of the ten local authorities in Manchester have to vote in favour of the deal for it to go ahead. Once they have accepted it, they will not then be able to claim that it was forced upon them. It may sound like the councils are being bribed [by a promise of £3b for public transportation improvements] into charging drivers up to £5 a day, but they will be wary of making this accusation themselves because he who accepts a bribe is just as guilty as he who offers it." Madness.

In the face of bracing headwinds (sales down nearly 30 percent year-to-date), Bentley has unveiled its latest variant: the "Continental Flying Spur Speed." Well, of course it is. The new "Speed" trim is less about competing with Merceeds' AMG brand as it is about making sure their cars don't get completely dusted by uber S-Classes at stoplights or during an ad hoc Monte Carlo road race. To that end, the British/German engineers tuned the 12-cylinder engine to produce 600 horsepower (up from 552), refreshed the suspension, added new exterior trim pieces (especially around the front fascia, which now looks like it wears a goofy smile), and slotted-in bigger brakes. The sprint from rest to 60 now requires only 4.5 seconds of you and your cosseted passengers' time. Gas price crisis? Surely you jest. Bentley Chairman Dr Franz-Josef Paefgen waxes, "The global success of the Continental Flying Spur has created a new generation of Bentley owners. Responding to their feedback, we have refined an already remarkable car and with the debut of the Flying Spur Speed we are extending its appeal." In other words, pro athletes don't care about no gas prices. Touché.

 Click here for a Pixamo gallery of the Flying Spur Speed 

AutoExpress offers a "review" (in the Motor trend sense of the word) of the European Focus, complete with Ford's new dual clutch gearbox. Parsing AutoExpress' usual PR puffery, it's not sounding amazing. Whereas VW's DSG is a viable alternative to a manual transmission– it accelerates faster than rowing your own and returns even better mileage than the stick– Ford's sounds little better than a bog standard autobox. AutoExpress says "But there are no steering wheel-mounted paddleshifters with which to change up or down – and no Sport mode on the box, either – as Ford is keen to stress the gains in economy and emissions offered by Powershift, rather than its outright sportiness." Right, so that puts the "stick replacement" theory to bed. It's just a better automatic transmission. AutoExpress also notes that the Powershift's a very expensive option only available on higher end cars (this is what VW does, too, but not as badly). The rumor is that PowerShift is coming to the US (would be great paired with EcoBoost). Let's hope FoMoCo's boffins reprogram it not to suck.

Volvo has announced [via Autocar] UK pricing for their new XC60. The cute ute's expected to go on sale in October for £24,750 (base), or about £5k less than BMW's X3. If we take a look at similar Volvo model pricing in The Land of Hope and Glory, the XC60 slots-in at around the same price as the V70 or XC70 ($32,465 / $36,775 in the USA). True Brits will get the same gasoline/petrol engine as the Yanks: Volvo's smooth and torquey turbo inline six, good for 281hp. Sadly for New England's college professors, the 182hp D5 diesel is unlikely to make it across the pond. Billed as the "safest Volvo ever," the XC90s baby brother will arrive with more [electronic] nannies than Angelina Jolie. Whether it can rescue the brand's falling US SUV sales is a whole 'nother matter…

MINI's forthcoming Crossman cute ute is set to debut later this year at the Paris Auto Show. Spy images and details are already making the rounds on the autoblogosphere. Channel Four tells us that the Crossman is based on the next-generation generation of MINI platforms, which will accommodate larger variants like the Crossman. As a result, the MINI Ute is larger, rides about 80mm higher than a standard MINI and stretches over 12 feet long. The Crossman will offer BMW X-Drive AWD, although front wheel drive will most likely be the base configuration. An optional Efficient Dynamics start-stop system should help keep fuel efficiency reasonable. The Crossman will be closely related to BMW's forthcoming X1 baby ute (cannibalism much?). Both vehicles will be built in Austria by Magna Steyr. With a planned annual production of 80k units, there should be plenty of Crossmen available for those urban sophisticates who are willing to pay considerably more for a MINI that looks like it could handle a forest service road. The Crossman will be available stateside some time in… 2010.