Latest news with #boyracers
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Daily Mail
End of the road for noisy boy racers? Car makers are axing their beloved hot hatches to go electric
The days of noisy boy racers flying past in souped-up cars with offensively loud exhaust pipes look numbered. That's because their beloved 'hot hatches' are accelerating towards demise as car makers cull them from their ranges as part of their transitions to electric vehicles. Two of the nation's most popular have been confirmed for the chopping block by their respective manufacturers in recent weeks. Ford says production of its much-loved model is due to cease in November - and it is no longer taking new order. And Honda has said its big-spoilered offering will disappear for good next year, bowing out with a final edition version that's just been unveiled to culminate its near 30-year lifecycle. Riotous petrol-engined hot hatches are now being replaced by a new breed of silent electric performance cars that are likely to cause far less offence, though might not provide the excitement craved by boy racers congregating in McDonalds car parks. Hot hatchbacks are high performance variants of run-of-the-mill family cars. While they're fast and relatively easy to customise with bigger exhaust systems and whooshing dump valves that when passing your house in the evening will make you leap out of your armchair - they are also practical enough to cope with the rigours of day-to-day life, with lots of space in the back and traditionally big boots. But as manufacturers brace for an electric future, they are increasingly being motivated to kill off their combustion engine vehicles at alarming pace to avoid Government-imposed fines for failing to achieve adequate EV sales between now and 2030. And its hot hatches that have become prime candidates to kill off earliest. Stricter emissions regulations due to come into force have also rendered many of these unleaded-gulping motors unviable for sale. Ford has reacted to these mounting pressures, confirming last month that its Focus ST is no longer available to order in the UK - ahead of production climaxing at the end of this year. The blue-oval brand had still been taking deposits on the ST until April, but on 26 May culled it from its updated dealer price lists. It ends a 23-year run for the hot hatch that's spanned four generations of Focus family cars, much to the upset of petrolheads across the country. Ford UK said that while it is no longer taking new orders, there are 'around 170 built and unsold' STs currently available within the dealer network. Just a week after Ford ditched Focus ST availability, Japanese rival Honda confirmed its Civic Type R - an icon among boy racer ranks for almost three decades - will bow out in the next few months. The Civic Type R has epitomised the boy racer scene for decades, thanks to its scintilating performance, big exhausts and even larger spoilers Unveiling an 'Ultimate Edition' version at the start of June, it said the Civic Type R's 28-year lifespan is being ended in 2026 by more stringent emissions regulations. Honda said it's removing the Type R from its line-up next year because 'the industry is changing and our model range is having to evolve with it in accordance with European legislation' being introduced in the next 12 months. Only 40 Ultimate Edition Type Rs will be made - and just 10 are guaranteed for UK customers, with prices likely to exceed £50,000. The Focus ST and Civic Type R's expiries come in the tyre tracks of a series of hot hatches being axed in the UK. Last year, Hyundai called time on its i20N and i30N, while Ford terminated its Focus RS in 2018. The Fiesta, which Ford lowered the curtain on in the summer of 2023, took with it the ST variant, while Peugeot's 308 GTi was terminated in 2020, having only been available for around a year. It means that very few front-wheel-drive hot hatches now remain, with the VW Golf and Polo GTI, Mini Cooper S, and Ford Puma ST among the increasingly limited options. Those wanting a four-wheel-drive performance model can still get their hands on a Golf R, Mercedes A45 AMG S, or Toyota GR Yaris - though these hot hatches are seriously under threat from the tightening EU emissions regulations due shortly. In the last few days, Toyota confirmed that production of its GR Corolla hot hatch will move from Japan to its Derbyshire factory in the UK to appease huge demand from US customers. Though despite being in Britain, the GR Corolla isn't a car that's sold here. Instead, brands are focussing on a new wave of electric performance models. Car makers forced to kill off their hot hatches over emissions regulations and the EV transition running towards the end of the decade, we're seeing the arrival of electric performance models, like Abarth's 500 Alpine's new A290 is a hot hatch version of the recently-launched Renault 5 E-Tech. It promises to be one of the best electrified performance cars we've seen so far The Hyundai Ioniq 5 N is another electric hot hatch on sale currently. It's not cheap, though, starting from an eye-watering £65,000 The Abarth 500, Alpine A290 and Hyundai Ioniq 5 N are all zero-emission - and zero noise - cars already on sale to fill the void left by the traditional hot hatchback. Though they're not cheap. The Fiat 500-sized Abarth rings in at £30k, Alpine's tuned-up take on the Renault 5 E-Tech starts from £33,500, and Hyundai's souped-up electric SUV is an eye-watering £65,000. On Friday, Peugeot unveiled its e-208 GTi on the eve of the Le Man 24 Hour race. It is the battery-powered spiritual successor to its legendary 205 GTi from the 1980s and '90s.
RNZ News
05-06-2025
- General
- RNZ News
The Panel with Ed Amon and Madison Burgess-Smith Part 1
Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone Tonight on The Panel, Wallace Chapman is joined by panellists Ed Amon and Madison Burgess-Smith. They discuss the heated debate in Parliamemt about the proposed punishment for Te Pāti Māori MPs; the privacy issues highlighted by the Michael Forbes case and violent boy racer culture in Levin; coming to your town soon?
RNZ News
30-05-2025
- General
- RNZ News
Sirens, choppers, burnouts reported in Levin, one year on from violent boy racer conflict
Events a year ago this weekend turned violent, with confrontations between a large crowd and police in Levin. Photo: NZ Police / Supplied Levin residents say police and hoons are already out in force on the anniversary of earlier conflict. Last year, a gathering of more than 200 people and cars in Levin turned violent on Saturday 1 June, with a crowd blocking the town's main street, and officers reporting projectiles thrown at them. A year later, on Friday night, "riot police" had closed State Highway 1 through central Levin, the administrator of popular Facebook page Traffic Fox said. Video showed police standing in formation with shields and body armour, across the highway at the central Queen Street and Oxford Street shops, with multiple sirens heard and many thick dark tyre skid marks seen in circles on the intersection in front of them. "At around 10pm, hundreds of car enthusiasts, or "boy racers" converged on Levin and tried to close off the main highway doing burnouts and skids, police were prepared and stopped a lot of it," the Traffic Fox administrator said. "Yet bottles were smashed, rubber was laid, a couple of people were arrested for carrying weapons, riot police were out in force, cars were rammed etc. Even the Police Eagle helicopter was brought down from Auckland!" Much of the group had left the town by about 11pm, and were heading north toward Palmerston North, she said. More than 100 comments on Levin social media groups showed locals were following the progress of the police helicopter across the town, with many reporting the helicopters were tracking boy racers. "Sounds are going hard now, from police sirens to choppers, to burn outs, to police chases ... quite uneasy for Levin locals," one person said on a local forum, shortly before 11pm, Friday. "[We] will see if this current government puts its 2025 boy racer legislation where it's mouth is," another commenter said. Stuff reported a large gathering of boy racers were expected in the town for King's Birthday Weekend, but were not wanted. Horowhenua District Mayor Bernie Wanden told Stuff the town has "had a gutsful", and did not want hoons coming back and causing "mayhem". Police were aware of the event and had plans and resources to respond, he said. Police did not respond to RNZ's request for comment. Earlier this month, the government announced stiffer punishments for those convicted of offences related to boy-racing, and for drivers who fail to stop for police. Those caught doing burnouts or taking part in unauthorised street racing or intimidating convoys faced vehicle destruction as a presumptive sentence, while fines for making excess noise from a vehicle were also raised. At the time of the announcement, Transport Minister Chris Bishop said New Zealanders were sick and tired of seeing "idiot drivers" put the community at risk. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
30-05-2025
- General
- RNZ News
Police out in force in Levin, one year on from boy racer conflict
Events a year ago this weekend turned violent, with confrontations between a large crowd and police in Levin. Photo: NZ Police / Supplied Levin residents say police and hoons are already out in force on the anniversary of earlier conflict. Last year, a gathering of more than 200 people and cars in Levin turned violent on Saturday 1 June, with a crowd blocking the town's main street, and officers reporting projectiles thrown at them. On Friday night, posts on Levin social media groups said at least one police helicopter was circling the town, with commenters reporting the helicopters were tracking boy racers. "Sounds are going hard now, from police sirens to choppers, to burn outs, to police chases ... quite uneasy for Levin locals," one person said on a local forum, shortly before 11pm, Friday. "[We] will see if this current government puts its 2025 boy racer legislation where it's mouth is," another commenter said. Stuff reported a large gathering of boy racers were expected in the town for King's Birthday Weekend, but were not wanted. Horowhenua District Mayor Bernie Wanden told Stuff the town has "had a gutsful", and did not want hoons coming back and causing "mayhem". Police were aware of the event and had plans and resources to respond, he said. Police did not immediately respond to RNZ's requests for comment. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
10-05-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
Government announces harsher penalties for boy racers, fleeing drivers
Transport Minister Chris Bishop. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone The Government has announced harsher penalties for boy racers and fleeing drivers, as it tries to clamp down on anti-social road behaviour. New legislation is proposed to target drivers who don't stop for police, while speeding or driving dangerously, those taking part in unauthorised street racing or doing burnouts, intimidating convoys and unlawful dirt bike gatherings, or those who cause excessive noise by having siren battles. A presumptive sentence of vehicle destruction or forfeiture for street racers, those fleeing police, convoys and vehicle owners who fail to identify offending drivers is expected to be set. Vehicle owners who fail to immediately provide information on a driver who has used their vehicle to flee police will also face a court-ordered fine of up to $10,000. Infringements for making excessive noise from a vehicle will also increase from $50 to $300. The court-ordered fine will increase from $1000 to $3000. New legislation will target street racing and other unlawful gatherings. Photo: Police/Supplied The new penalties give police more ability to manage illegal vehicle gatherings by closing off areas and issuing infringements. Transport Minister Chris Bishop said New Zealanders were sick of seeing "idiot drivers" putting the community at risk. "At present, the penalties for anti-social or intimidating driving behaviour aren't strong enough to deter this appalling behaviour," he said. "Police reporting shows some types of anti-social road events are actually increasing in frequency. We're saying enough is enough." Bishop said the changes would be introduced in new legislation, expected mid-2025. "The legislation will establish a presumptive court-ordered sentence of vehicle forfeiture or destruction," he said. "This means, if someone is convicted of these offences, courts must order that vehicle be destroyed or forfeited to the Crown to be sold." Police Minister Mark Mitchell said anti-social behaviour on the roads and illegal street racing had no place in the country. "People have had enough of boy racers and their dangerous, obnoxious behaviour," he said. "These people drive without regard for the danger and disruption it causes to our communities. "They have no consideration for anyone other than themselves. Our message is clear - if you want drive dangerously, face the consequences." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
