Ten things we learned this week: 26 February 2016 edition

Much news has been spilling from Formula 1’s pre-season testing in Barcelona this week.

But the big news comes from camp Hamilton: Lewis has stepped aside and let his pet dog - and sometime social media personality - Roscoe put the miles under the wheels of Merc’s new W07 instead.

Reports suggest Roscoe emerged looking like a bulldog chewing a wasp, due to several bones of contention: a car that feels like it’s on the leash, and an engine that’s still ruff around the edges.

Lewis should retake his (hopefully still clean) seat for the first race in Australia. He’s expected to be hounding his rivals from the off.

Picture: Lewis Hamilton

It’s not just Roscoe that’s having all of the fun. Dad Lewis has been rolling around Catalonia’s paddock on this, erm, thing.

Hoverboards would be here in 2015, Back to the Future told us, but what he have in their place are glorified unicycles such as this.

Yes, that is Lewis aboard this head-boggling electronic wheel. And yes, that is poor old Roscoe bounding along beside him, probably unaware of just how surreal the whole thing looks…

Yup. In an attempt to lead by example, Daimler is making its workers drive plug-in cars from now on.

The policy applies to just the big guns for now, but they aren’t likely to grumble: the Mercedes plug-in range is a diverse thing now. Though given the option between a 436bhp hybrid S-Class and a 74bhp electric Smart, we imagine their choices are rather top heavy.

"We are continuing on the path of zero-emission driving with consistency," says Mercedes board member Ola Källenius. "This is why we are making electric mobility an integral part of the everyday lives of our top management to set an example and to provide a clear role model."

Wonder if he’s set himself an SLS Electric Drive aside? We know we would…

You’ll have heard the term ‘life hack’. Now meet the 'Leaf hack'.

If you own a Leaf and you’re signed up to Nissan’s Carwings programme - which allows you to fiddle with your car’s functions remotely - then there’s apparently a hack that means someone else can do it, too. Someone who you've not asked to.

Over on troyhunt.com, lots of beardy explanations detail the hows and whys, alerting Nissan to the problem in the hope it will be resolved.

“As car manufacturers rush towards joining in on the ‘internet of things’ craze, security cannot be an afterthought nor something we’re told they take seriously after realising that they didn’t take it seriously enough in the first place,” says Troy.

“Imagine getting it as wrong as Nissan has for something like Volvo’s ‘digital key’ initiative where you unlock your car with your phone.”

Perhaps unsurprisingly, as we write, Nissan has taken Carwings offline…

Last year, we warned you that sinkholes are a bigger danger than even quicksand these days.

And this week, that’s been proved to be no mere quip, as the mighty Earth has claimed another four-wheeled victim simply by opening its jaws and munching on it.

Okay, so it was more a burst water main and an overly deep puddle that really claimed this CR-V in Nottinghamshire village Epperstone, but the testament still stands: FEAR THE SINKHOLES!

Picture: BBC Radio Nottingham

Or police dogs, to be more precise. Skoda has this week launched its new blues’n’twos Superb, but this one isn’t for feverishly chasing down wanted crims.

Nope, this is for the law-enforcing pooches, who need transporting about the place to sniff out contraband, unearth explosives or nip at the heels of ne’er-do-wells.

“Available in either two- or four-wheel drive,” Skoda tells us, “each vehicle goes through a police vehicle conversion service, with bespoke interior features to keep the dogs safe, cool, and comfortable.”

Whether they’ll be as cool and comfortable as this dog is as yet unconfirmed.

When Audi’s not busting a load of niches or mismatching car genres together, it’s gently updating its lengthy roster of existing cars. As such, meet the new S4 Avant, ready for next week’s Geneva motor show.

It is the latest A4 Avant with the latest S4’s powertrain, as you’ve no doubt deduced. That means 350bhp from a turbocharged V6 petrol engine, Quattro four-wheel-drive, and shedloads of space.

Good dog transport, you might surmise, but given it’s good for 155mph and 0-62mph 4.7 seconds, they’re probably best off sticking in that Skoda…

Is this still a thing? It would seem so. Despite many people plugging in clever city-traversing apps to get about, the downloadable sat nav voice hasn’t followed the downloadable ringtone into the confines of electronic history.

In fact, the voice of Hollywood legend Morgan Freeman has been added to one of those very apps, namely Waze. It’s all part of a promo for his latest film.

If it directs us to a haul of treasure buried in the ground, however, a la The Shawshank Redemption, we’re totally cool with it.

Picture: Focus Features

There have been many Minis since BMW relaunched the British icon 15 years ago. Some have been more successful than others, especially when we’re discussing aesthetics, but one of the loveliest by far is this, the Mini Superleggera concept.

It was shown at the Villa d’Este concours event a couple of years ago, looking like a pertly proportioned and expertly judged Mazda MX-5 rival.

Sadly, though, it’ll probably never see the light of day. This week, Mini boss Peter Schwarzenbauer told Automotive News that a new Mini model will arrive, but that it might have to be one that pays the bills rather than raise the brand image.

"Economically it is easier to put a sedan on paper than a great halo car," he said. "We have to look at all the options.” Those options include a Superleggera-like roadster, but they also include a small saloon, which he acknowledges is “a huge segment”.

Boo, and indeed, hoo.

Last week, we brought you our favourite treats from the London Classic Car Show.

It played host to a ‘Six Nations’ competition, with visitors encouraged to vote for their favourite carmaking country from the UK, France, Italy, Germany, Japan and the USA.

It should surprise you not one bit to learn that Britain won on its home turf. Was there ever going to be any other outcome?

Italy finished second, followed, respectively, by the USA, Germany, France and Japan. Of the 33,000 visitors, 9,000 voted. Most of them while humming God Save the Queen, we assume...