Redline Issue 8 by Redline

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REDLINE LINE > SIBLING RIVALRY

MAGAZINE

HONDA CIVIC TWIN-TEST TYPE R vs SPORT LINE

LONGTAIL RETURNS

> MAKE DIESEL GREAT AGAIN WHY PHEVs ARE NOT THE FUTURE OF MOTORING

NEW McLAREN 765LT IS FERRARI’S LATEST HEADACHE

KOENIGSEGG THE MEGA-GT

ALL NEW GEMERA IS A GAME CHANGER POWER HOUSE

SPEED KING

PLAYING SAFE

BENTLEY BENTAYGA SPEED IS THE WORLD’S FASTEST SUV

THINK YOU KNOW FAST? THE McLAREN 720S SAYS THINK AGAIN

ROAD TESTING THE LATEST PORSCHE 911 CARRERA 4S

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Welcome

Welcome all, to Redline Magazine Issue 8. I find myself writing this in what are truly unprecedented times. Not only is the UK currently in lockdown with social distancing measures set to continue for the foreseeable future, but the impact it’s having on our beloved motor industry is profound. Manufacturer production lines have been temporarily halted, staff have been made redundant, motor racing has been postponed, and car meets and shows have either been cancelled or rearranged. It seems, just as car season 2020 was set to launch, Coronavirus has forced us to dive on the brakes. However, while these things may seem important to every single one of us – particularly at a time when there isn’t much to do – we understand that public health is everyone’s priority and we all have a part to play. With that in mind, the team and I at Redline Magazine wish you well and we look forward to seeing you once we’re free to do so. Now, let’s move on to something more positive. Coming up in this issue, we have what is arguably our strongest line up of content, yet. Stand out features include reviews of the McLaren

720S, Bentley Bentayga Speed, and Porsche 911 Carrera 4S. Beyond the fast and luxurious, we have a comprehensive collection of reviews, with cars that will satisfy a wide range of budgets and preferences. Elsewhere, we have our usual line up of columns and car news with a special feature on our cover car, the revolutionary Koenigsegg Gemera. Needless to say, an issue of Redline Magazine wouldn’t be complete without our partners and sponsors. Whatever motoring product or service you’re looking for, our sponsors are able to provide it for you, so please check them out and contact them directly with any enquiries you have. Finally, we would like to thank you for reading our latest issue. Whether you’re an existing reader or a new one, we appreciate you taking the time to indulge in your passion for cars, through us. Please remember to follow us on YouTube and social media for more great content, and we look forward to bringing you our next magazine under better circumstances. In the meantime, stay safe and keep the passion. Warmest regards

Mark Rose

Owner & Managing Director

Team Redline

Contact

Editor - Mark Rose Lead Photographer & Videographer - Dom Ginn Photography & Videography Assistant - Stevo Jones Magazine Photographer - Matt Price Junior Road Tester - Blee Carswell Columnists - Victor Harman, Sid North Events Photographer - Stephen Boroughs Contributing Photographer - Harry Hartland Photography Assistants - Zac Davies, Amy Welch Social Media Consultants - Gravity Socials

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ISSUE 8 > Welcome

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Contents Twin Test Hig Octa h ne 40 :

06 - The Honda Civic Type R and new Civic Sport Line battle it out.

Cover Feature

12 - The new Koenigsegg Gemera is the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first Mega-GT car and a complete game changer.

Inside Line High e: n Octa 32

16 McLaren 765LT 18 Aston Martin Valkyrie

Columns

21 Back to Basics: Clio 182 23 Not So Smart Motorways 25 Unplugged: PHEVs

Driven

High e: n Octa 50

26 32 40 50 60 66

Audi Q5 TFSI-e Bentley Bentayga Speed McLaren 720S Porsche 911 Carrera 4S Range Rover Sport Ford Fiesta ST

Daily Driver

74 Honda Civic Sport Line 76 Alfa Romeo Stelvio 78 MG ZS EV

Other

58 Magazine Subscriptions 83 Our Partners Please note, whilst we take care to be accurate, no liability will be accepted under any circumstances should any of the content of this magazine be incorrect. Reproduction of whole or in part without permission of the publisher is strictly prohibited. All rights reserved. Redline Magazine UK Ltd. Registered in England No: 10596691. Registered Office - The Old Grange, Warren Estate, Lordship Road, Writtle, Chelmsford, Essex, CM1 3WT.

ISSUE 8 > Contents

SIBLING

Can the new Honda Civic Sport Line live in the company of the mighty Type R? We test them both to find out. Words: Mark Rose Photography: Harry Hartland

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RIVALRY

ISSUE 8 > Twin Test

Honda’s two sportiest Civics at play.

magine for one moment, you want a Honda Civic Type R but you can’t have one. There will be a number of reasons why, but let’s get the obvious ones out the way. It’s either not within budget or your significant other won’t let you have one, no matter how hard you try to convince them that it has ISOFIX points and ample boot space for the weekly shop. Short of raiding the back of the sofa for extra cash or filing for divorce, your options are unfortunately limited. Or are they? There are of course other hot hatchbacks that are great fun to drive and have the ability to fly under the radar, but when your heart is set on something it becomes difficult to separate yourself from the idea of having it. Fortunately, Honda think they can offer a solution in the shape of the new Civic Sport Line. Sport Line represents a trim level that’s aimed at people who want something fun without the compromises associated with the ‘go faster’ model. A standard Honda Civic comes in five flavours, SE, SR, Sport, EX, and now the top spec EX model has received the Sport Line treatment. For context, think Ford’s ST-Line products, Audi S-Line, so on and so forth. In order to accurately test whether the Sport Line represents a fair compromise between normal Civic and fire-breathing Type R, we drafted in an FK8 for the purpose of comparison. Disclaimer: this test won’t be a consumer based review of the Sport Line. If you want to read one of those please turn to page 74. No, we’re interested in how Honda’s sportier Civic holds up against arguably one of the finest hot hatchbacks ever made.

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In terms of aesthetics, Honda has added some bits to help spice up the Sport Line’s styling. These include new skirts, a rear diffuser, a low-level rear spoiler and some gloss-black 17-inch alloy wheels. If you want a sporty looking hatch, then the extra details successfully play their part in lifting the car’s visual impact. It doesn’t look as outrageous as a Type R, but it’s not supposed to. On the inside, they’re broadly similar with a few key differences. The Sport Line gets new textured interior panels and fresh designs for the front seats to help separate it from lesser Civics, and the infotainment screen has also been updated and now comes with physical buttons to make it easier to navigate round the system. Where most manufacturers are trying their hardest to make everything touch screen, it’s refreshing to see Honda adding some good, old fashioned buttons back in to the mix. The main differentiating features in the Type R include the bucket seats, older infotainment screen – this will probably be updated when the refreshed Type R hits showrooms later this year – the switch for the driving modes, and the gearstick. Moving on to the driving and this is where the differences between the two cars really start to play out. In a previous issue of Redline Magazine, we titled our Honda Civic Type R review, ‘Backroad Bully’, and had this to say about it. “It doesn’t just devour B-roads, it bullies them until they hand over their lunch money”. It’s worth reiterating, there’s little out there that can live with a well driven FK8 on a technical stretch road. The Civic Sport Line, however, is less of a bully and more like

that mouthy kid at school who took the piss from afar. He has his fun, but rarely ruffles any feathers. Indeed, the lesser of our two Civics treats country lanes with the same moderate approach. Dynamically, it’s very capable. It changes direction keenly, the body resists roll and there’s plenty of grip on offer. You can have genuine fun, but it doesn’t treat tarmac with the same disdain as its bigger brother. Paradoxically, both cars have features that the other would benefit from. Lack of driving modes in the Sport Line creates a slightly one-dimensional driving experience. I understand that it’s supposed to be approachable in terms of usability and enjoyment, but separate normal and sport modes would offer keener drivers some more options at the wheel. What it does have up its sleeve, however, is individually adjustable dampers which is something the Type R would benefit from. For all the FK8’s brilliance, it does lose some of its composure when you’re using +R mode and you come across a particularly bumpy road, at speed. Does the ‘bumpy road button’ transform the way the Civic Sport Line rides? Not drastically, but it serves as an indicator that Honda can implement it if they want to, and rumour has it, the refreshed Type R won’t be getting the benefit of the that system. Tut, tut, Honda. The biggest difference between our test cars concerns their

engines and respective performance. The Type R isn’t just quick in the corners, it accelerates with real urgency. The 2.0 litre 4-cylinder motor has the benefit of turbocharging and VTEC, which lends it an exploitability not usually associated with forced induction. Where most turbocharged motors give up the ghost towards the upper reaches of the rev range, the Type R engine boosts at 3,000rpm and then encourages you to chase the 7,000rpm rev limiter when VTEC kicks in at 6,000rpm. 0-62mph in 5.7 seconds may sound average, but those numbers don’t do justice to the in-gear performance. The fact it runs on to 169mph tells you all you need to know about how fast it really is. In truth, 316bhp and 295ft lb is enough for any hot hatch, let alone one that sends its power to the front wheels. Conversely, the Sport Line’s engine is far more modest. The 1.0 litre 3-cylinder VTEC turbo motor produces 122bhp and 147lb ft, offers up 62mph in 11.2 seconds and runs on to 126mph. Despite never feeling like a fast car, the Sport Line feels quicker across the ground than the headline figures suggest, the only issue being the lowly 5,500rpm rev limiter which leaves the engine feeling a little restrained. The highlight of the package is the six-speed manual gearbox. You can spec the Civic Sport Line with an automatic (CVT), but optioning it seems counter intuitive if you’re after a sporty

“Paradoxically, both cars have features that the other would benefit from”

ISSUE 8 > Twin Test

hatch. Besides, Honda have form when it comes to manual gearboxes. The shifter in the Type R is one of the best manuals found in any car, and the Sport Line’s effort captures some of the magic that lives in the FK8. It offers proof that a well placed stick, with a short, mechanical throw does wonders for driver engagement. Another factor to consider is price. The Civic Sport Line starts from £25,510, and because it’s based on the top spec EX model, it comes with plenty of extras as standard. The Type R starts from £31,870 and then you’ll want to add the £2,000 GT pack which includes most of the optional equipment you would want and need. If you’re paying on the monthly, then the Sport Line will set you back around £250 per month with a £6,000 down payment, and the FK8 is around £330 with an £8,000 deposit. That extra £2,000 in the bank and £80 a month is undeniably useful if you have a family to feed and your annual holiday to the Costa Del Sol to pay for. In terms of economy, the Sport Line is also the easiest on the wallet by some margin, but you already guessed that. Engagement is the gold dust that people who enjoy driving want from their car, and although the Civic Sport Line never feels as alive as a Type R, it certainly has something to offer buyers who are looking for a little dynamism in their daily commute. There is however, a but. If you go searching for a watered-down FK8 in the Sport Line, then you’ll be left disappointed. Yes, it captures some of the qualities that its hot hatch sibling possesses, but it’s definitely not the fire breathing, Nürburgring busting, back road bullying hot hatch that the Type R is. Having said that, what it does show is that Honda don’t just make a great hot hatch, a highly regarded NSX supercar – we’ll be driving that later this year – and then forget about the rest of their model range. No, they have the ability to inject some of the qualities that make their halo cars so great, in to their run-of-the mill family offerings. Fancy a Honda Civic that’s not a Type R? Worry not, Honda has you covered.

Honda Civic Type R

Price: from £31,870. Engine: 2.0-litre VTEC turbo 4cyl, 316bhp @ 6,500rpm, 295lb ft @ 2,500rpm. Performance: 0-62mph 5.7 seconds, VMAX 169mph. Transmission: 6spd manual, front wheel drive. Weight: 1,397kg.

Honda Civic EX Sport Line

Price: from £25,510. Engine: 1.0-litre VTEC turbo 3cyl, 122bhp @ 5,500rpm, 147lb ft @ 2,250rpm. Performance: 0-62mph 11.2 seconds, VMAX 126mph. Transmission: 6spd manual, front wheel drive. Weight: 1,289kg.

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;Engagement is the gold dust that people who enjoy driving want from their carâ&#x20AC;?

ISSUE 8 > Twin Test

MEGA-GT

The brand new Koenigsegg Gemera is the world’s first ‘mega-gt’ car and the company’s first four-seater. We delve a little deeper ... Words: Blee Carswell

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ou’d be forgiven for thinking we’d put the wrong pictures on these pages. After all, a 4-seater fitted with a 2.0 litre 3-cylinder hybrid powertrain sounds more like a recipe for the next Prius than it does an uber glamorous super GT. But this is Koenigsegg we’re talking about. And this, their new Gemera, is more than your Uber drivers next favourite car. Described in the press material as “the world’s first mega-GT” and “an extreme megacar”, this carbon monocoqued family car satisfies the company’s philosophy of solely focusing on performance, and then some. The headline figures sit at a barely believable 1,700bhp and 2,580lb ft of torque. For perspective, that first figure is over 14 times what a Prius makes and don’t worry about picking up your jaw yet. 0-62mph? That’ll take 1.9 seconds and 0-248mph will arrive “in record matching pace”. Thanks to all-wheel drive, all-wheel steering and all-wheel torque vectoring it’s unlikely that the arrival of a corner will hinder progress at all. Those staggering numbers are achieved thanks to a combination of electric and combustion power. The Gemera makes use of three electric motors – one for each rear wheel and another on the crankshaft that powers the front wheels – producing a combined 1100bhp. The remaining 600bhp and whopping 443lb ft of torque comes courtesy of a 2.0 litre 3-cylinder twinturbo “Freevalve” engine, which is rather endearingly called The Tiny Friendly Giant. “Freevalve” by the way, is Koenigsegg-speak for tech that replaces the camshaft with actuators that allow for better control of the engine which translates into significant performance and environmental benefits. Koenigsegg say that this engine is a glimpse at powertrains of the future, and it offers “a more efficient cradle-to-grave solution compared to any combustion engine before it”. It can run on fuels such as C02-neutral methanol, and when doing so, becomes “at least as C02neutral as a pure electric car running on a ‘good’ electric source”. Now, you’ll have to forgive me for this slight bore fest, but any prospect of an internal combustion powered future is worth a mention. A Tiny Friendly Giant powered small sports car anyone?

ISSUE 8 > Inside Line

The Gemera’s electric party piece - assuming 1100bhp hasn’t excited already - is the idea of completely silent travel up to 186mph in EV mode. In theory the 800v 15kWh battery should be good for a range of 31 miles, but I’m going to go out on a limb here and suggest that traveling at 186mph might affect the range, somewhat. One thing I can say for certain though, is that if you ever find yourself needing to get your family from one side of a continent to the other in record time, then it’s probably worth leaving the private jet on the runway. That’s because with a full tank of fuel and a topped-up battery the Gemera can cover 1000km, or in English, 621miles before needing to fill up. Koenigsegg has taken the grand tourer part of “mega-GT” seriously, meaning that comfort on a trip of that scale shouldn’t be an issue. There is storage space for 4 lots of carry-on luggage and despite looking a tad pokey, we’re assured that even large adults can sit comfortably in the back. Enclosed in one of the most awe-inspiring interiors money can buy, occupants of this road going rocket ship will be able to make use of front and rear central infotainment screens,

wireless phone chargers, on-board internet and Wi-Fi, and that’s without mentioning things such as the memory foam heated seats, 3 zone climate control and the state of the art sound system. It seems then, the only thing missing to make that range truly achievable is a Koenigsegg branded travel toilet. By now you’ve probably made your own mind up, but can we take a second to appreciate the outside of this thing. It is gorgeous. Despite the Gemera having a longer wheelbase than a Range Rover, thanks to clever styling you’d never be able to tell. Cues such as short overhangs, dominant wheels and wrap-around windshield help it look distinctively Koenigsegg, and mid-engined. As for a final showstopper, what about those full-length automated doors. They open up to allow for effortless showing off, wait, no scrap that, I mean effortless and unhindered access … Want one? Of course you do. Unfortunately, with an estimated price tag of £1.5million and with only 300 being made its unlikely us mere mortals will ever realise that dream. For those who do bag one though, it’s likely they’ve snagged the best family car ever made.

“Koenigsegg has taken the grand tourer part of mega-GT seriously” 14

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COVER FEATURE - KOENIGSEGG GEMERA According to Koenigsegg, the doors aren’t just for show.

The first ever ‘family friendly’ Koenigsegg ...

ISSUE 8 > Inside Line

LONGTAIL RETURNS

The 765LT is McLarenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s second Super Series model to receive the Longtail treatment. We bring you the lowdown. Words: Dom Ginn

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cLaren has unveiled a new addition to their Super Series line up, the 765LT. Lighter and with heaps more power than its 675LT predecessor, McLaren boasts it’s the most dynamically advanced and engaging Longtail model ever produced. The LT story began in the 90’s with the infamous McLaren F1 GTR race car and since then the LT love story has evolved, with McLaren now using the name for their track-focused offerings. The latest McLaren road car to receive the LT treatment is the 720S – a car we know and love at Redline Magazine – and as with previous models, the transformation to LT focuses on a handful of factors. Top of the list are things like driver engagement, trackfocused dynamics, minimised weight, refined aero, and some extra ponies. There is however, a catch. McLaren is limiting 765LT production to, you guessed it, 765 cars, so if you want one you need to hurry up and get your order in. The Longtail really pushes the boundaries of automotive engineering. Advanced carbon fibre technologies and bespoke body panels help strip 80kg out of a standard 720S. The 765LT comes with a re-designed aero package which includes a carbon fibre splitter, front bumper, front floor, side skirts, rear bumper, rear diffuser and larger, active rear wing which produces 25% more downforce. In their quest to reduce weight as much as possible, McLaren engineers have shown no mercy and have gone as far as deleting comfort and convenience features such as air-con and the infotainment system. Don’t fancy full race car mode? Then these can be optioned back in at no additional cost. Further weight saving channels also include a titanium exhaust system which is 40% lighter than the traditional steel system, F1 grade transmission materials, and motorsport-style polycarbonate glazing. McLaren has tuned the engine to a staggering 765PS and 800lb ft. of torque which comes from a midmounted 4.0 litre, twin-turbocharged V8 engine. The 765LT will see 0-62mph in a hair raising 2.7 seconds, or for the real speed freaks, 0-124mph in 7.2 seconds. Even more impressively, by shortening the gear ratios, in-gear acceleration has been improved by 15%, making the 765LT 0.4 seconds quicker than the Ferrari 488 Pista and a full second faster than the Porsche 911 GT2 RS, to 124mph. Stopping power is taken care of, courtesy of carbon-ceramic brake disks and calipers, the same as those found on the Senna, although they do come as a costly option. All that weight saving and power is useless if it can’t be applied efficiently while beaming it around a track. The chassis is paired with springs and dampers which are bespoke to the LT, an increased front track, lower ride height, and state of the art hydraulically-linked suspension. On the inside it’s still very much a 720S. The cabin can be optioned with carbon fibre, leather and Alcantara, and in a wide range of colours. Continuing with the weight saving theme, the carbon fibre shelled racing seats are 18kg lighter than the sports seats found in the 720S. This may be the most track-focused Super Series McLaren yet, but driving it to and from the circuit doesn’t have to be a hardship. At the time of writing, no price has been announced, but don’t expect a limited-run LT to come cheap. We reckon a starting price between £250,000 and £300,000 seems likely.

ROAD WEAPON

Yes. It’s an Aston Martin Valkyrie. With number plates. On the public highway. And no. When we first saw it we didn’t believe it either ... Words: Dom Ginn

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o this isn’t an F1 car nor has Bruce Wayne got a new toy. What it is, is Aston Martin’s new hypercar, the Valkyrie, driven on the public road for the very first time. First pictured on the roads around Silverstone, it looks as though it’s been dragged and dropped from a 80’s SCI-FI film, when placed in the presence of ordinary road going vehicles. Needless to say, the Valkyrie is a world away from your average daily driver. The aggressive styling and huge gaps where most cars have arches have been done away with in the name of F1-grade aerodynamics. Co-developed by Aston Martin and the boffins at Red Bull Advanced Technologies, the Valkyrie boasts an eye watering 1,160 horsepower. Its power is derived from a naturally aspirated 6.5 litre V12 engine designed by British engine legends Cosworth, which alone produces 1000hp and 546lb ft, with the hybrid electric motor designed by Rimac contributing an extra 160hp and 207lb ft. to the car’s overall performance. Combining both motors, the Valkyrie reaches a peak power of 1,160hp at 10,500rpm while its 664lb ft torque figure peaks at 7,000rpm. The Valkyrie delivers its immense power to the rear wheels through a single clutch seven-speed automatic transmission. The car’s overall kerbweight is expected to be just over 1,000kg, which backs up Aston’s claims for a 1:1 power to weight ratio. Although this car has been designed to shave precious seconds off your lap time, Aston Martin has still kept some basic, but vital essentials if you want to take it to the shops. Wing mirrors have been replaced with cameras mounted to the car’s flanks. Most of the car’s buttons and driving information has been moved to the steering wheel with a single OLED display feeding the driver with all the relevant information. With only 150 units set to be manufactured, pricing starts at £3 million for the road going version while the additional 25 AMR Pro variants are being sold upwards of £3.5 million, but don’t expect to see any Pro variants on the road as they’re built solely for track use. Shame. However, the road going Valkyrie is rumored to be chasing lap times of the Silverstone GP circuit similar to those set by Formula 1 cars. Aston Martin report that both versions are already sold out with deliveries expected to be made in the second half of 2020.

ISSUE 8 > Inside Line

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COLUMN - SID NORTH

Back to Basics: Clio 182 You don’t need a big budget and big power to have fun on the public highway. Sid North explains ...

> Obsessed! That’s what the world is right now. As someone who has a huge love for going fast all of the time, and experiencing wailing V12 engines and that sudden surge of boost from twin-turbochargers, I know it can be super addictive. But it’s not always the case, and the more I get into this discussion with fellow car enthusiasts, the more I realise that people aged between 21 and 28 all feel that their next performance car must have a 0-60 time of 3 seconds and a 185mph+ top speed. I have, in the past, been the culprit who had to have something in that realm as my daily smoker. In the last six years I’ve owned seventeen cars and been lucky enough to test some other cool toys as well. Within the last year, the garage has seen a Porsche Cayman GT4, a McLaren MP4-12C, Jaguar F-Type, Mercedes C63 AMG S and a BMW M5. I’m not what you call a normal person in the sense that I go through phases of wanting to own various different vehicles, whereas most car guys or girls are set on what genre of car they want i.e. hot hatchbacks, supercars, GT cars, luxury limousines, convertibles etc. On the other hand, I love all genres of car. Of course, my soft spot is for cars with a naturally aspirated engine and a manual gearbox, but I genuinely love them all. This year, I’m going through a phase of wanting to own cars from my childhood past, and one in particular is the Renaultsport Clio 182. I just adore the purity of it and its humble nature of simply wanting to thrill you down a country road, and I also love the big engine small car philosophy. Four months prior to lockdown, I went out and bought my very own 2005 Clio 182

in Inferno Orange with 163,000 miles for £1,550. It had a few dings as well as the wear and tear bits you would expect of a 15-year-old car, but the engine, gearbox and chassis were well looked after and it was a peach to drive! Let me start with my first week of ownership. I had to drive from Essex to Bedford, and surprisingly, the weather turned out to be pretty good considering the usual dismal weather we get in the U.K. Rather than using the boring M25 and M1 route, I decided to take the twenty-five-mile longer B-road route, because why not? No word of a lie, it was the most fun and thrilling drive I’d had for a long, long time. But can you guess why it was fun? Nope? It was the sensation of speed and the involvement as a driver you get by committing to getting it right, which made me want to drive for the sake of it. The 182’s performance is more than adequate, but it’s what you do as a driver to get the most out the car that counts, and that’s what I, and probably what a lot of other car enthusiasts, need in their life. Everyone who has questioned or couldn’t quite get the gist of the plucky little French, plastic bag quality hatchback has been converted once I’ve let them have a little go in it. I now use my faded orange Clio 182 as a lie detector test that separates the poser show offs from the diehard driving enthusiasts. What’s my conclusion, then? Well, if you can’t get enjoyment out of a Clio 182 then I’m sorry, you’re not into cars. It also proves that while big power is always going to thrill you, it won’t always bring the biggest smile to your face on the public road. Trust me.

“No word of a lie, it was the most fun and thrilling drive I’d had in a long, long time”

Sid is a professional YouTuber. Please check out his channel ‘Sid North’ and his Instagram @sid.north for more great car content.

ISSUE 8 > Column

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COLUMN - BLEE CARSWELL

Not So Smart Motorways In the modern world, there are plenty of uses for the word ‘smart’. But motorways? Blee needs some convincing ... > Dangerous, killer, death traps. These are just

some of the words that appear after doing a simple internet search for smart motorways. And to be fair, after learning that a BBC Panorama study showed an increase of near misses from 72 to 1,485 in the five years after one section of the M25 was converted, those words don’t appear to be misplaced. Add into the mix the 38 deaths that have occurred on smart motors and it isn’t really a surprise that the overarching opinion of these sections of our network is a negative one. From former Ministers, to top car journalists, and even down to Joe public, it seems obvious that smart motorways aren’t safe. I could go on for days with various stats and quotes, but fortunately for you, I won’t. Instead, perhaps we should be a little more understanding. Afterall, on the face of it at least, you’d be forgiven for thinking a plan to ease congestion by utilising existing space on the network was a good one. Well that is until you engage your brain for a nano second and it becomes obvious that it completely defies logic. Sure Mr. Bloggs, you want travel on our smart motorway? Go ahead, just be aware that if you break down, on average it’ll take 17 minutes for us to spot you and then another 17 to rescue you…Yeah, when you put it like that, I’ll take my chances and catch the Titanic to work instead. Furthermore, Highways England’s advice on what to do if you break down on the motorway doesn’t exactly fill you with confidence. If you can’t get to the next junction then their website states to “follow the orange SOS signs to an emergency area and call for help using the free telephone.” The problem with that, however, is that these areas are positioned up to 1.5 miles apart from each other. Not ideal

then if you’ve suffered a crippling breakdown. Furthermore, considering the stats mentioned at start of this article, the advice section, if you can’t reach an emergency area might as well just read “good luck.” In pursuit of fairness it is worth noting that smart motorways are relatively new and in light of the concern around them, the Department for Transport and Highways England are now acting to improve them. Response time will be quicker, emergency areas closer together and a new vehicle detection system will be rolled out. All done and dusted then? Well not quite. In such a life or death situation it doesn’t feel like an exaggeration to say that any delay, no matter how short, is simply too long. Having said that, I fear we are trying to solve the unsolvable. It’s worth remembering that incidents happen regardless of the road type. The only delay solving solution I can think of is some sort of James Bond type barricade gadget that pops up to defend a stricken car. Of course, the side effect of this would be death to whoever fails to notice the obstacle in the first place. With that proposal in the bin, what next? Well I reckon emergency areas are a good idea, after all if you’re broken down it only makes sense to get out of the way of moving traffic to avoid a crash. The latest proposals stating they’ll be a mile apart at most are a good start, but I think the government should go further and bring them even closer together. Half a mile? What about 200 metres, maybe 100? In fact, at the point they may as well join them all up and I don’t know, maybe call it a hard shoulder.

“It’s worth remembering that incidents happen regardless of the road type”

ISSUE 8 > Column

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COLUMN - VICTOR HARMAN

PHEVs: Unplugged Have you ever wondered what on earth a ‘PHEV’ is and how one works? Luckily, Victor Harman is on hand to explain. > What exactly is a PHEV, or Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle? Well, all normal hybrids, like the renowned Toyota Prius, use recovered braking energy to charge their small hybrid batteries and, fully charged, their batteries can stretch to around 25 miles at below 15mph before engine power is needed. PHEVs recover waste energy, just like normal hybrids, for battery charging, but can also be plugged into the mains to charge up their somewhat larger capacity batteries. Some may have allelectric ranges of as much as 50 miles, and can run and cruise on battery power alone at quite high speeds. The fossil fuel engine only cuts in when more power may be briefly needed for hard acceleration or higher speeds on the open road, which will rapidly shorten the battery range. We also now have “mild” hybrids, like Kia’s Sportage and the new Ford Puma, with small capacity batteries that power small electric motors used solely to boost engine power for short periods, primarily during acceleration and overtaking, when they also help to reduce fuel consumption. PHEVs were all the rage back in 2017-2018, particularly for company car users looking to minimise their BIK company car taxation and when juicy £2,500 government purchase subsidies on them were available. Those went out in October 2018, and the arrival of the WLTP testing cycles also reduced the vehicle excise duty benefits of PHEVs, as their CO2 figures went up. Some PHEVs, like Mitsubishi’s Outlander, were updated with more efficient engines and larger batteries, whilst other models were dropped in anticipation of facelifts and modified new models. Around twenty modified and completely new PHEV contenders have since arrived. With a fully charged battery, the best can comfortably handle a 25-30 mile each way commute to work without using the engine, if the charge level is boosted during the working day. This represents one of the most efficient and flexible forms of motoring. They are cheaper than a full EV, on account of battery cost savings, and the PHEV system totally

eliminates the problems of range anxiety, as the petrol or diesel (Mercedes-Benz only) engine is always there as a backup, or “range extender.”. What’s not to like? Well, you really should know that PHEVs are something of a fraud, since their “official” fuel consumption and low CO2 figures are derived from a hypothetical mix of running on electric power and fossil fuel brewed up by EU officialdom. In reality you may not get very good mileage from a big loaded PHEV’s petrol engine, once the battery power is exhausted. Smaller models like the new BWW 330e, the Kia Niro, Hyundai Ioniq and Kona, and the MINI Countryman, might nudge 50mpg, but in contrast, you will probably struggle to average 40mpg on long, fast runs in big, heavy SUV PHEVs like the Mitsubishi Outlander and Volvo XC90, in spite of “official” figures well in excess of 100mpg. But figures can confound expectations. One road test on a Range Rover P400e, with 295bhp of petrol power, supported by a 296bhp electric motor and a battery range of around 25-30 miles, somehow attained an overall 75mpg, seemingly surpassing the laws of physics. Another P400e tested over 75 miles of mixed city, mountain, and rural highway driving, after a full overnight battery charge, gave only 40mpg. Which one was telling porkies? Putting that aside, there are significant PHEV benefits that for some may overcome any fuel cost shortcomings. The PHEV BIK company car taxation is based on those “optimistic” official CO2 figures, which means that with regular longdistance motoring on fast roads you’re getting away with paying a lot less tax than you really should. It’s essentially a “tax loophole,” and there are very few that are as totally legal (albeit maybe immoral) as this one, which could be worth as much as £150-200 a month, for 40 per cent taxpayers! If you fancy the PHEV concept, maybe you should take a look?

“Well, you really should know that PHEVs are something of a fraud”

ISSUE 8 > Column

Charge Gate

Do plug-in hybrids actually work in the real world? Mark investigates with the Audi Q5 55 TFSI-e quattro ... WORDS: Mark Rose PHOTOGRAPHY: Dom Ginn

ith the motor industry heading towards a fully electric future, and hybrid vehicles serving as a stepping stone from traditional internal combustion, now would be a suitable time to test a Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV). As a premium, eco-friendly, family SUV with an unnecessarily long name, the Audi Q5 55 TFSI-e quattro is bang on trend. Japanese manufacturers aside, if anyone can make a decent plug-in hybrid, it’s the Germans. Right? Before I get in to the review, allow me a moment to go over the techy bit. The hybrid Q5 uses a 14.1kWh battery which is mated to a turbocharged 2.0 litre 4-cylinder petrol engine. The combined outputs are 362bhp and 369lb ft which send the Q5 to 62mph in 5.3 seconds and on to a top speed of 148mph. Power is distributed to all four wheels via a 7-speed dual clutch gearbox. It all sounds very simple, but it doesn’t stop there. According to Audi, the Q5 can cover 26 miles in EV mode with a full battery, can be charged from empty to 100% within 6 hours using mains electricity, and can be charged within 2 hours if you employ the services of a public fast charger. The big upshot to all this? Manufacturer quoted fuel economy figures are 113mpg and you get to feel better about your carbon footprint. When our test car arrived, it had 8 miles of electric only range left which was respectable considering it had just travelled 96 miles, although the battery had spent its time supporting the petrol engine and not running in full milk float mode. In order to offer consumer advice, I decided to run the battery down so that I could glean fuel economy figures while the petrol engine was doing most of the hard work. Interestingly, even when the battery displays zero miles it still behaves as a hybrid with the engine holding fire until you’re doing 18mph. On a sensibly driven petrolpowered run, the Q5 began returning 32mpg which is respectable given the performance but way off the mark when you realise that the main benefit of a plug-in hybrid is improved efficiency. Over a short journey the fuel economy figures dropped to 25mpg. For context, you can eek 27mpg

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Rapid Chargers are available at various locations.

ISSUE 8 > Driven

“According to Audi, the Q5 can cover 26 miles in EV mode with a full battery”

out of Audi R8 V10 if you treat it nicely … Once I’d finished collecting my data, I decided to reward the Q5 with some electricity so I could begin testing it to its full potential. This is where the real problems began. I popped to my local town and rocked up to the charging point only to find a Tesla Model S sat at the bar, sipping on some leccy. The charger had three types of plug available and it just so happened that the one I needed was already in use. Fortunately, the Tesla was nearly done charging, and while it was finishing, the driver talked us through the process of getting our Q5 charged. If you’re under the impression that you can just rock up to a charger, plug your car in, and get a healthy dose of free electricity in under 20 minutes, then you’re mistaken. Our chosen fast charger was supplied by a company called Pod

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Point, and if you want to use one of their charging points then you have to download their app, register your car, put money on your account and then plug it in. Another person we spoke with who drove a Mitsubishi Outlander, talked of the frustration of having four different accounts with other service providers, as he often drives cross-country and never knows which brand of fast charger is installed at any given motorway services. It’s still much cheaper to charge a car than fill it up with petrol, but what it confirms is that electricity is already being monetised meaning it won’t be long before the government finds a way to tax it. I digress. Back to the charging. With the app downloaded, money on the account and the car plugged in (as per the instructions and charging confirmation on the app), we headed off for a coffee break. We returned half an hour later only to

The Pod Point app said the car was charging when it wasn’t ...

The Q5 has a top quality interior.

discover that the Q5 had consumed zero electricity … After two more failed attempts we finally worked out that if you plug the car in, lock and then leave it, it will charge. But if you unlock it at any time, it cuts the charge immediately and you have to go through the process all over again. Furthermore, even though the Q5 has a 14.1kWh battery, it can only receive up to 7kWh per hour of electricity meaning that our 43kWh fast charger would still take a full 2 hours to charge it. Now, I didn’t take the hybrid Q5 on test with the expectation that it would provide me with other-worldly fuel economy and a solution to global warming, but 2 hours of charge for 26 miles of EV range is pants! For short commutes to work with a fast charger at both ends, this could theoretically work, but I guarantee that if you ask your boss to install a charging point at your office specially

for you, he or she won’t authorise it. We left the charging point frustrated at the lack of infrastructure, annoyed with the Pod Point app which tells you the car is charging when it isn’t, and feeling sorry for an Audi Q5 that works on paper but not in the real world. And just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse, I decided to have a crack at charging the Audi at home via the mains. The process for this was much simpler, hook up the cables that come with the car, roll out the extension lead and plug it in. Finally! Some electricity! The problem here was the charging time. Audi reckon it takes 6 hours to charge the Q5 using mains electricity, so in theory, 3 hours of charging should have gleaned 13 miles of range. Needless to say, I was disappointed to find that the range had extended by a mere 6 miles in that time. Based on the

ISSUE 8 > Driven

calculations then, it would appear that the Q5 needs a full 12 hours to charge using mains electricity. At this point, I gave up. As frustrating as it is, there’s a laughable irony to not being able to test a PHEVs fuel economy figures when the very thing that’s supposed to improve efficiency – the battery – charges too slowly or not at all. Of greater annoyance though, is that there’s actually a lot to like about the Q5. If you’re in the market for a premium family SUV then the Audi has to be on your radar. There are a couple of other areas where the package lets itself down, boot space and dynamism being the main culprits, but that’s purely because the battery takes up space and adds weight. Can anyone see a trend developing here? If you remove the plug-in hybrid technology, what you’re left with is a car that’s comfortable, quiet, well built with great materials, and there’s more than enough room for the entire family to enjoy it. This review does not do the Audi Q5 justice, but my job is to test cars so that you can make an

REDLINE 6 rating 10

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Premium, family SUV with good performance and a prestige badge.

Not very economical, slow to charge and too expensive.

Audi make a Q5 with a diesel engine. Buy that one instead.

Audi Q5 55 TFSI-e quattro Price: from £54,900. Engine: 4-cyl petrol, 14.1kWh battery. 362bhp @ 5,000rpm, 369lb ft @ 1,600rpm. Performance: 0-62mph 5.3 seconds, VMAX 148mph. Transmission: 7spd dual-clutch, quattro all-wheel drive. Weight: 2,030kg.

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informed buying decision, and I’d be doing a disservice if I didn’t address the elephant in the room. Oh, and the 50 TFSI-e starts from £49,745 with our 55-model coming in at £54,900 before options. Not cheap, then. I’ve never reviewed a car where the tech has left such a negative impact as to overshadow all the other things that make it so great, and I feel it’s important to highlight that Audi also offer the Q5 with a diesel engine which starts from a comparatively affordable £41,420. Unless your lifestyle works around all the nuances associated with a plug-in hybrid, I fear you’ll just grow frustrated with it and curse the day you didn’t buy the diesel that’s capable of returning good fuel economy with a respectable lick of performance. If you can make the Q5 TFSI-e work, then more power to you. I, on the other hand, will be sticking with internal combustion until the law and market place force me out. Make diesel great again!

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Power House

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Bentley claim that the new Bentayga Speed is the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fastest SUV. Mark investigates further ... Words: Mark Rose Photography: Dom Ginn

ISSUE 8 > High Octane

“The Bentayga Speed occupies the extreme end of big things that move quickly”

The W12 engine makes 626bhp.

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can’t seem to recall ever spending time in a slow Bentley. The craftspeople at Crewe may specialise in building large, luxurious cars, but my goodness they know how to make them shift. The ‘Speed’ nomenclature has long been reserved for the faster iterations of Bentley’s already fast cars. But where other manufacturers choose to remove weight in the name of performance, Bentley prefer to give you extra power and sharpen up the dynamics. The ‘less is more’ philosophy simply doesn’t cut it when it comes to the finest luxury vehicles. The Bentayga Speed occupies the extreme end of big things that move quickly. According to Bentley, the most powerful Bentayga is the world’s fastest production SUV, with a top speed of 190mph. If, however, SUV top trumps isn’t your kind of game, then you’ll be pleased to know that you can purchase a Bentayga with a comparatively modest V6 hybrid or a midrange-petrol V8. But of course, the one you really want is the Speed. It uses Bentley’s famous twin-turbocharged 6.0-litre W12, and it’s an engine we know well from the latest Continental GT. Its 626bhp and 664lb ft. is sent to all 4 wheels via an 8-speed ZF gearbox in a package weighing a not inconsiderable 2,491kg, with fluids. Cars rarely come heavier than this, but it still manages to crush 62mph in just 3.9 seconds, and the fact that it’s built like a mansion but still manages 190mph goes some way towards highlighting how immense power can make a mockery of aerodynamics. The amusement doesn’t stop with the performance either. The engine has a deep, thunderous tone to it and you can spec an optional Akrapovic sports exhaust which rumbles away and adds to the powertrain’s stormy disposition. Despite the Bentayga Speed’s seemingly disproportionate straight-line performance and its penchant for unnerving Astraphobia sufferers, you’d be forgiven for thinking that it doesn’t perform so well when asked to tackle the complexities of a British B-road. This is perhaps where the Bentley SUV plays its biggest party trick. It won’t pulverise a country lane with the same levels of competence and urgency as a Lamborghini Urus, but by big SUV standards, it’s bloody capable. The Bentayga uses the now ubiquitous 48-volt antiroll system that you find in plenty other performance SUVs to help keep the body level through corners. Hustling the Speed through a set of turns borders on comical. You initially feel the heft giving way to physics, only to sense the electric anti-roll system working hard and propping the car up again. There are four driving modes to cycle through – comfort, Bentley, sport and individual – with sport receiving a recalibration over the mode in the outgoing Bentayga W12. The throttle response has been sharpened, the suspension revised, and the steering is now weightier. Needless to say, the Bentley isn’t an engaging driver’s car, but it inspires you with enough to confidence to send it down the road, safe in the knowledge that it won’t roll over in to the nearest hedge. If you’re the type of person who enjoys throwing around cars that shouldn’t be, then you’ll never grow tired of the Bentayga Speed. Of course, something in the package has to give, and it’s the brakes that don’t appreciate excessive punishment. Our test car came optioned with carbon ceramics which measured a colossal 440mm and are the biggest brakes ever fitted to a Bentley.

ISSUE 8 > High Octane

For context, the radius of a 17-inch alloy wheel is 431mm. But despite their size and sheer power, they couldn’t quite deal with the Bentayga’s combination of performance and weight when really anchoring down. Bentley also insist on using an 8-speed ZF automatic gearbox which comes with its pros and cons. For day to day driving, it’s a pleasant ‘box that shuffles through ratios without you noticing. Arguably, this is what you want from a gearbox in a Bentley, but when you drive the world’s fastest SUV you also want something that can snap through gear changes when the mood takes you, and is an area where the torque converter in the Bentayga Speed falls behind something with a dual clutch transmission. Another area that divides opinion is the Bentley’s appearance. The Bentayga is never going to win any beauty contests, but what it lacks in elegance it makes up for with pure road presence, particularly the Speed which now comes with revised bumpers and skirts, a boot spoiler, a darkened grille, and Speed badging. I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m a fan of the aesthetics. There’s a majesty to its appearance which is in character with the engine and the way it wafts down the road. Whatever your feelings are towards the car’s exterior, jumping in the Bentayga is always an event. Rolls Royce notwithstanding, Bentley come in to their own when it comes to interior quality, but the Speed comes in a different flavour compared to other models in the range. Alcantara and carbon fibre take the place of traditional materials like leather and veneer; stuffy walnut burr seemingly side-lined in favour of something with a little more dynamism. There’s still plenty of leather with contrast stitching lavished about the cabin, and aluminium remains present and correct, but a more sporting approach has clearly been taken to the Speed’s cabin. The touch points continue to be the small things that make the big difference. Anyone can throw exotic materials at an interior, but so few manufacturers pay attention to the finer details. Indeed, it’s the knurled controls, beautiful damped pullies for the air vents, and the weight behind the switchgear that delight in the hand and create the sense that you’re handling a luxury item. Customisation is also a luxury that many car makers forgo, but is an area where Bentley allow you to have free reign. You can spec any colour and material combination you desire, and sure enough, our press demonstrator’s cabin was finished in a colour called cricket ball. You know, because red is for peasants. One area where the Bentayga falls behind is the infotainment and the way it’s housed. Where the Continental GT and new Flying Spur get the up to date MMI system with the rotating display, the Bentley SUV makes do with the old navigation’s hardware and tech. Remember in the last generation Conti’ there was that sense of hand-me-down VW? Well, that legacy lives on in the Bentayga. The system is still very usable and connecting your phone is easy – you even get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto – but the graphics now look old and the plastic buttons around the screen look inexpensive alongside all the other quality materials. I suspect when Bentley update the Bentayga this will be the first thing to receive an overhaul, but for the moment this is what’s available. Back to the good stuff, and the upgraded Naim

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“Anyone can throw exotic materials at an interior, but so few manufacturers pay attention to the finer details”

The Bentleyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interior is pure luxury.

ISSUE 8 > High Octane

Bentley Bentayga Speed

“Like every great car to come out of Crewe, the Speed does indeed waft”

Price: from £182,800. Engine: 6.0-litre, W12 Twin-Turbo, 626bhp @ 5,750rpm, 664lb ft @ 1,500rpm. Performance: 0-62mph 3.9 seconds, VMAX 190mph. Transmission: 8spd automatic, all-wheel drive. Weight: 2,491kg.

REDLINE 8 rating 10

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Combines potent performance with pure luxury.

Dated infotainment system and extremely thirsty.

Upgrade to the Naim surround sound system. It’s excellent.

surround sound continues to be the most immersive in-car audio system on the market, but if you don’t want to shell out the extra money for it, there’s also a midrange Bang & Olufsen hi-fi. There’s plenty going on in the rear of the car. Options such as the rear entertainment package, window blinds and three different seat configurations – seven seats, rear bench or individual seats for two – are available depending on your requirements. Needless to say, there’s acres of rear head and leg room, and you can play with the climate control settings using a mobile tablet. Whether you like to drive or be driven, a Bentley is a fabulous place to cover ground from. Away from the country roads and its uncanny ability to make light work of them, the Bentayga is still pure Bentley. In the same way that attention to detail separates luxury interiors from premium cabins, a cars ability to waft allows it to distance itself from others that are merely comfortable. Like every great car to come out of Crewe, the Speed does indeed waft. It irons out road imperfections like a steamroller flattening out freshly laid tarmac, and does so while keeping wind and road noise as far from your ear drums as possible. Supercars are fun and all, but luxury vehicles are more enjoyable for longer periods of time owing to their ability to make you feel special, and the Bentayga Speed is matched only by other models in the Bentley range and Rolls Royce. It is exquisite in every single way. When it comes to cars of the Bentley Bentayga Speed’s ilk, I don’t actually like discussing price but I appreciate it has to be done. Placing a monetary value on something instantly makes it a commodity, and while a car’s job is primarily reserved for the purpose of transportation, it’s often the journey it takes you on and the experience it offers that define its true value to the individual. Prices for the Speed start from £182,00 with our test car coming in at £236,000 with options. If you want a Bentayga but aren’t bothered about the W12 engine, then you’ll be pleased to know that the range starts from £133,100. If you’re reading this and these numbers are nothing but pie in the sky, then you’ll just have to trust me when I tell you that the car justifies its asking price. And now for some final thoughts … The motor industry is changing at a rapid rate. By 2035 every new car sold in the UK will be electric, and as a result, car manufacturers are scrambling to electrify their ranges. Internal combustion is now firmly on the endangered species list making the Bentley Bentayga Speed a car that’s out of touch with modern times. Many would argue that it’s offensive, it takes up too much space and devours more super unleaded than it needs to. I’m also inclined to agree with them. However, if I had to sum up the world’s fastest SUV in one word, it would be ‘Beguiling’. Sure, it hogs the road, drinks more fuel than a middle-eastern country that’s recently struck oil, and has spelt the grisly end for more cows than an outbreak of foot and mouth disease, but it’s also brilliant in every single way. Cars like this are becoming rarer by the day, and we should hang on to them while we have the chance.

Special thanks to Baddow Park House in Chelmsford for use of their grounds while taking photos and filming. ISSUE 8 > High Octane

SPEED

Just when you thought you knew a thing or two about speed, along comes a McLaren 720S to set the record straight. Words: Mark Rose Photography: Dom Ginn

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KING

ISSUE 8 > High Octane

o say the McLaren 720S is fast is like saying the Burj Khalifa is really tall. Unless you go and take a look for yourself, you’ll never truly understand the scale of it. Indeed, the rate at which the 720S covers ground can’t be fully appreciated until you’ve experienced it first-hand. It doesn’t just accelerate like a ‘normal’ supercar – it relentlessly chases down the horizon, warping space and time in the process. It’s Veyron quick. Whoever said “numbers don’t lie” has clearly been misled. The manufacturer spec sheet is as follows: 0-62mph in 2.8 second, 0-124mph in just 7.8 seconds and 212mph flat out, but independently tested 720S’ strapped with timing gear have seen those acceleration figures fall and that top speed rise. Clearly, it’s not just Porsche who are conservative with their performance numbers. I’m no stranger to fast cars, but after my first encounter with the 720S on a fully open throttle, I decided to have a word with myself over whether such behaviour was suitable for the public road. The numbers on the speedometer don’t go up in multiples of 10, they rise in 20s and 30s. Most entertaining of all, however, is the way the McLaren unleashes its performance. The twinturbocharged 4.0 litre V8 makes 710bhp and 568lb ft. which is sent exclusively to the rear wheels via a 7-speed Seamless Shift Gearbox (SSG). Catch it off-boost, and you can feel the turbos breath in, but once they wake up, they leap to in to life and fire you down the road as if they’re obsessed with making up for lost time. While some manufacturers work hard to disguise that their cars are turbocharged – anyone who has driven a recent V8 Ferrari will know that despite the forced induction, the delivery is beautifully linear – McLaren unashamedly allow the turbos to dictate the personality of theirs. This approach also carries over to the noise the 720S produces. It doesn’t sing like the V8 in a Ferrari and aurally it doesn’t have a patch on the V10 in the R8 and Huracan Evo (nothing does), but the McLaren makes an angry, mechanical sound that’s layered with whooshes and flutters from the turbos. If McLaren wanted to, they could have called it quits there. There’s enough media to prove that the 720S munches its competition in a straight line, looks like the road-going equivalent of a spaceship, and sounds just as pissed off as the next supercar, if not more so. However, what Woking really specialise in is creating driver’s cars, and the Super Series Mac does not buck the trend. A few more numbers for you: the 720S weighs just 1,419kg at the kerb, is 50% more aerodynamically efficient than the 650S it replaces, and the steering is 2.5 turns lock to lock. Moving on, McLaren’s infamous carbon fibre chassis has received a thorough going over. Now called Monocage II, it adds an upper element and chassis surround to increase overall rigidity and reduce weight. Arguably, the most complex area of the car is the suspension setup. Instead of opting for a traditional antiroll bar, McLaren has gone for a system called ‘Proactive Chassis Control II’ which hydraulically links all four corners and pushes fluid from one damper to another to ensure that the car remains flat while cornering. Make no mistake, the 720S is made to monster race tracks while offering the driver all the confidence and engagement they could want for, but the trick is to make it attainable on the public road.

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HIGH OCTANE - McLAREN 720S

“It relentlessly chases down the horizon, warping space and time in the process” ISSUE 8 > High Octane

HIGH OCTANE - McLAREN 720S

If you’re fond of your driving licence, then pushing the Mac to the ragged edge in the real world is not advisable, but thankfully, the chassis is good enough to enjoy at six tenths. Although it sounds cliché, the 720S is more than just the sum of its parts. There’s a cohesiveness to the way the steering, engine response, tyre, brakes, suspension and gearbox operate. It’s a communicative, fluid and beautifully balanced package that flows down the road with complete dexterity. There are 3 driving modes to choose from – comfort, sport and track – which are adjusted via the ‘Active’ panel, and change the car’s personality depending on how racy you’re feeling. The McLaren’s standout feature is its hydraulic steering rack – Woking don’t deal in EPAS systems – which is a sensual delight to the hands. The weighting is always perfect for whatever driving mode you’re in, and the feel is such that you could accurately map out the road surface beneath you. As a result, you always feel connected to the car and road, you’re constantly aware of where the front wheels are positioned, and it gives you the confidence to lean on the front end safe in the knowledge that it will respond faithfully. This confidence is aided further by the way the suspension

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and damping deal with changes in the road. In comfort, the ride is so refined its spooky; think Mercedes ride quality and you won’t be far wrong. To say it wafts would be an exaggeration, but over larger undulations you can pick out a little extra suspension travel over a more conventionally sprung supercar. As you cycle in to sport and track modes, everything tightens up, but whatever setting you find yourself in, the McLaren rides with genuine compliance. In track you lose a bit more of the suppleness, but unlike a few other journalists, I’d argue that it’s still agreeable on the public road. Unsurprisingly, carbon ceramic brakes come as standard on the 720S. When you really need to anchor down, the retardation is as impressive as the car’s acceleration, with McLaren claiming that you can come to a complete stop from 124mph in just 4 seconds. Despite the phenomenal stopping power, the pedal is also progressive which makes the 720S easy to judge at speed. Now to address a few areas where the McLaren requires some small but essential improvements. Why our 720S was wrapped in a standard Pirelli P Zero was beyond me. In the dry, it’s a great tyre that offers more grip than you’d ever need on the public road. When it’s wet however, it lacks the ability to

“It’s a communicative, fluid and beautifully balanced package that flows down the road with complete dexterity”

displace water compared to other brands of tyre, and trying to get 710bhp through the rear wheels in the wet is tricky enough let alone doing it with rubber that’s not up to the task. The 7-speed Seamless Shift Gearbox could also do with a little sharpening. Compared to most transmissions, it’s still lightningfast and the carbon paddles which sit on a rocker are beautifully tactile. However, when it comes to outright speed, Ferrari’s dual-clutch transmission is now operating in a completely different world, even in the entry level Portofino. Finally, for the life of me I couldn’t make it oversteer. Even when the car told me the traction control was off, I could feel it cutting in every time I started to get some angle on. A play with McLaren’s Variable Drift Control – a system that allows you to preselect the angle of your slide and then perform it – also did nothing to quench my thirst for exploring the limits of adhesion and balance. Traction off, should mean off. These points aside, I find myself clutching at straws in an attempt to avoid writing a one-sided review. When the imaginary visor comes down and you get properly stuck in to the 720S, the lines of communication are such that it’s hard not to build an intimate relationship with it. There are naysayers

who claim that McLarens lack drama, but believe me, there’s nothing boring about the way it slingshots you down the road, and anyone who appreciates driving will marvel at the agility and how it makes light work of country lanes. It’s truly breathtaking. The relationship building process isn’t just confined to the way the 720S drives. It starts from the moment you drop in to the driver’s seat and pull the door shut. The driving position can only be described as perfect. You sit low in the carbon tub with your knees above your bottom and the steering wheel pulled towards your chest. What’s more, the pedal alignment is centred so that left foot braking comes naturally, and the interior architecture is positioned towards you so you always feel like the centre of attention. When in track mode, the digital instrument binnacle also folds down and simply displays your speed, revs and what gear you’re in for maximum focus when spanking it round your local circuit. You can tell that as much thought has gone in to the driving position as the rest of the car, and this attention to detail pays dividends when you choose to immerse yourself in the driving experience. Something that may come as a surprise is that a car so damn

ISSUE 8 > High Octane

HIGH OCTANE - McLAREN 720S

fast could be used day to day. All round visibility is fantastic thanks to the amount of glass used in the cabin, and the door mirrors sit on stalks and protrude outward, making for great rear three-quarter visibility. McLaren’s IRIS infotainment system has been updated and is much easier to use than earlier iterations, the Bowers & Wilkins hi-fi is clear with a decent amount of base, and the rear parcel shelf / frunk combination means there’s enough storage for weekend luggage. Unbelievably, we managed a long and sensibly driven journey in the 720S where it returned 27mpg and proved a comfortable longdistance companion. Our only gripe was the road noise at 70mph which meant we had to raise our voices to have a clear conversation. First world problems, ay … The McLaren 720S always feels special when you’re behind the wheel. There’s something life affirming about idling around in a car that has the performance to run with big bikes and decimate anything this side of a Veyron. Never have I driven anything where knowing that I have the speed is equally as satisfying as using its potential. Other people also think the McLaren is special. I’ve received unprovoked hate when driving supercars – I appreciate that being in my late 20s doesn’t help – but the 720S seems to deter people with bad attitudes. What you observe instead are dropping jaws, nods of approval and

plenty of thumbs up gestures. Even the Coppers fail to contain themselves as you drive by, something that occurred twice over my five days with the car. As for the people who know what it is, well, they just appreciate seeing it and grabbing pictures where possible. Of course, all this automotive brilliance comes at a cost. The McLaren 720S starts from £208,600 and the ‘Luxury’ specification we tested starts from £225,000. You can also buy a convertible version which starts from £237,000, but that’s for another review … All told with options our test car weighed in at £281,000. And now, for the consumer advice. It represents outstanding value for money. If you want to go anywhere faster, then you’ll need to part with a million pounds, and even then, the 720S doesn’t exactly get left behind. In terms of price, it may occupy the upper end of the supercar spectrum, but I’d argue that when you get it hooked up on the right piece of road, it’s hypercar fast. Finally, consider this. If you like it half as much as I do then I guarantee you’ll fall for it. If speed thrills you, if you love to drive, if you enjoy the sense of occasion that’s associated exclusively with the most exotic cars, then the McLaren 720S will tick every box on your wonderfully outrageous list. I’ve never driven anything so perfect, and my word, it’s going to take some beating.

“The McLaren 720S always feel special when you’re behind the wheel”

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“I’d argue, when you get it hooked up on the right piece of road, it’s hypercar fast”

The cabin was dripping in carbon fibre

HIGH OCTANE - McLAREN 720S

“I’ve never driven anything so perfect, and my word, it’s going to take some beating”

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McLaren 720S Price: from £208,600. Engine: 4.0-litre twin turbo V8, 710bhp @ 7,500rpm, 568lb ft @ 5,500rpm. Performance: 0-62mph 2.8 seconds, VMAX 212mph. Transmission: 7spd SSG, rear wheel drive. Weight: 1,419kg.

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Hypercar levels of performance and a real driver’s car.

Traction control wouldn’t turn completely off.

If you can afford it, buy it. The McLaren 720S is not to be missed.

ISSUE 8 > High Octane

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Playing Safe The Carrera 4S is often seen as the most usable model in the 911 range. Does the latest 992 beat or buck the trend? Words: Mark Rose Photography: Dom Ginn

ISSUE 8 > High Octane

llow me to begin this review with a statement that will surprise many and potentially offend some – the Porsche 911 has never been my thing. But before you go chucking your copy of Redline Magazine in the bin, just hear me out. As a young and impressionable petrolhead, it was the shape and sound of something Italian that really ignited my passion for fast cars, and if I’m honest, the 911 never really did anything for me. Of course, driving is believing and some time behind the wheel of a 991 Carrera 4S for an article in Issue 4, gave me a first glimpse in to what a 911 is about. But still, the Porsche bug was not biting. So, let’s try this again, but now with the latest 992 and sticking with a Carrera 4S because we clearly have unfinished business. I first had a play with a 992 at the Porsche Experience Centre some months ago, in an environment where I could legally give it a jolly good thrashing. The impression it left me with was of a car that could take some severe punishment. Whether you were repeatedly launching it, braking, emergency braking and suddenly changing direction, or throwing it round a circuit at ten-tenths; it felt as though it could deal with a beating all day, every day. If there was one limiting factor, it was the rear tyres which naturally got hot, but rubber has a habit of perishing especially when you consider where the weight is in a 911. Admittedly, most C4S owners won’t be tracking their car, but the fact that it can emergency stop in half the time it takes to accelerate to 62mph and safely change direction while doing so, offers a degree of reassurance should said owner get in to trouble on the public road. Needless to say, the public road is where we conducted our full test of the latest 911 C4S, and true to late Wintery form, it rained most of the time we had the car. Thank goodness for four-wheel drive. The 911 spends most of its time sending 90% of the power to the rear wheels, but can also shuffle it forward if need be. It helps lend the C4s a rear-biased feel, but unless you turn all the driver aids off it’s never going to have you driving around with your arms crossed up. Instead, you get near seamless traction, and only when the roads were soaked did the 992 step out of line, only for the electronics to gather it up again. Surefootedness may sound like a prequal for unengaging, but get the C4S hooked up on a country road and the package tells its own story. It’s regularly forgotten that 911s are inherently unbalanced owing to the engine being slung out over the rear axle, but Porsche have been engineering this imbalance out since 1963, and their commitment to it shows.

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HIGH OCTANE - PORSCHE 911 C4S

“The 911 spends most of its time sending 90% of the power to the rear wheels”

The 911 now has digital instruments as well.

The 992 carves through twists and turns and flows down the road, with the new wider front track helping dial out any understeer at road speed. Despite increased use of aluminium over the old 991, the latest 911 is actually a heavier car, but you genuinely wouldn’t notice the extra weight owing to its accuracy when showing the nose a corner. Part of this precision is thanks to the EPAS system. Remember when hardened 911 fans lost their minds over the switch from hydraulic to electrically assisted steering? Well, EPAS is one thing that Porsche won’t be making a U-turn on, and Stuttgart’s version of it is probably the best out there. The steering wheel will never brim with feel, but the weighting is perfect and it allows you to place the 992 with real accuracy. Our test car came with Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) which added welcomed compliance given the state of our roads. I’d hate to roll out the word ‘flow’ again, but PASM genuinely helps with the cars ability to tackle poor roads without being deflected from its line, which is something

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you’re thankful for when you have a twin-turbo, 3.0 litre flatsix pendulum positioned behind you. The constant reminder of where the weight is what gives a 911 its unique driving experience. The latest iteration of the C4S is the most powerful production Carrera to date, and occupies an interesting space in the sports car market. It doesn’t boast supercar performance, but is comfortably faster than most other sports cars on sale. With outputs of 444bhp and 390lb ft. it fires to 62mph in 3.6 seconds and runs on to 190mph. The Sport Chrono Pack which includes a driving mode selector on the steering wheel and a Sport Plus mode with launch control, brings the 62mph dash down to 3.4 seconds. The C4S is now a very fast car, it’s not Audi R8 V10 quick, but it’s not far off. As impressive as the outright performance is, it doesn’t have a patch on how it’s delivered. Ferrari aside, Porsche must make some of the most responsive and linear turbocharged motors in the industry. When Stuttgart decided to move to turbocharging, they did

Leather, aluminium and high quality plastics are present and correct.

Truffle brown leather isn’t for everyone, but we approve!

so at the fury of their core fanbase – honestly, these people need to get with the times – but have again proven that their engineers know what they’re doing. There’s real linearity to the 992’s delivery and the engine performs strongly to the 7,5000 rev-limiter. It also sounds fantastic. Much like the 4.0 litre in a GT3 but shy of 1,500rpm, it winds its way through the revs and crescendos at the upper reaches. It’s distinctly 911. The flat-six is mated to an 8-speed PDK which rifles through gearchanges irrespective of whether you’re moving up or down the ‘box. It doesn’t have Ferrari or McLaren levels of snap, but it’s easily best of the rest when it comes to dual-clutch transmissions. Dynamically, the C4S is difficult to fault, what did cause some controversy however, was the colour of our test cars interior. The truffle brown leather may have gotten the thumbs up on our Instagram poll by winning 62% of the vote, but the people who didn’t like it were a lot more vocal in our direct messages. Either way, the 992’s cabin is befitting that of a sports car optioned to a six-figure price tag. The quality of the materials is high,

from the leather and aluminium right down to the plastics. The fit and finish is unashamedly German, all-round visibility is as uncompromised as a sports car’s could be, and the seating position is low with plenty of adjustment. The instrument cluster is typical 911 with its five dials and has been modernised so that the central tachometer remains analogue, but the four dials that flank it are now digital displays. A word on the cupholders. You now get one in the centre console and another that pops out from the far side of the dash just above the glovebox, which marks a move away from the beautifully engineered fold out dual-cupholders that debuted in the 997. Forget turbocharged Carreras and electrically assisted steering, this is truly controversial and Porsche should fix their mistake. The infotainment has been updated so there’s now a new 10.9-inch touchscreen display with Google Maps. General tasks like pairing your phone with the system, switching between radio and your own music, and putting a route in to the

ISSUE 8 > High Octane

Porsche 911 Carrera 4S Price: from £98,418 Engine: 3.0-litre twin turbo flat-six, 444bhp @ 6,500rpm, 390lb ft @ 2,300rpm. Performance: 0-62mph 3.4 seconds, VMAX 190mph. Transmission: 8spd PDK, four-wheel drive. Weight: 1,565kg.

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“The latest Carrera 4S really is the ‘do everything’ sports car”

navigation are all easy to do. You can also spec your 992 with a Burmester surround sound system for a not inconsiderable £3,258. It may be an expensive option, but the sound quality is such that I’d argue it’s worth the outlay. Between the quality cabin and overall refinement, the latest Carrera 4S really is the ‘do everything’ sports car. You wouldn’t hesitate in taking it on a long trip given its sizable frunk, rear sears that comfortably accommodate extra baggage, and respectable ride quality. If I were to nit-pick, I’d say the road noise at 70mph is a touch intrusive, but you can still hold a conversation. The Porsche 911 range starts from £82,793 and if you want a Carrera 4S that will set you back £98,418 before options. Needless to say, our test car was well-equipped and came in at £116,647, which makes the price point an interesting one. Six-figures for a 444bhp sports car seems like a digit too many, but the 911 Carrera 4S is so well rounded that it carries a whiff of grand tourer about itself and GT cars are not cheap. Call me old fashioned, but I came to test a 911 and by extension, a sports car. I’m not arguing with the Porsche’s sporting credentials, but I expected a little more edge. I wanted it to

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excite me more than it did. For all of its brilliance, the 992 is yet to make a Porsche 911 enthusiast out of me. But here’s the thing, I don’t think it’s a problem with the 911 in general, but perhaps the model I keep opting to test. I’ve come to the conclusion that a Carrera 4S is not the one for me and that my lack of enthusiasm surrounds how capable a sports car it’s become. A monkey could as easily extract the performance from it as I could drive it up the M1, which of course has its benefits, but you can also do that in an Audi R8 which has a V10 engine and a tendency to bite back when you lift off. You see where I’m going with this? In making the Carrera 4S as usable as possible, I fear that Porsche has sacrificed the magic that I’m told exists and I still find myself yearning to discover. Perhaps I’ll find it in the banzai performance of a Turbo or Turbo S, or at 9,000rpm in a GT3, maybe even in a base-spec Carrera with a manual gearbox. All of these models are to be released in 2020, but for now though, I can only respect the 992 and make a recommendation for you to buy one based on an objective review. As for my personal quest, that seems set to continue.

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Fabulous flat-six engine that doesn’t feel turbocharged.

Trades excitement for usability. Could do with a little more edge.

Buy a 911 with a manual gearbox once the option is available.

ISSUE 8 > High Octane

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The Range Rover Sport has real road presence.

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Trend Setter

The Range Rover Sport gets a new engine and trim level. Is this the best all round SUV money can buy? WORDS: Mark Rose PHOTOGRAPHY: Matt Price

here are certain cars from the mid-noughties whose impact on the motor industry can be seen to this day. Cars of such influence include the Audi R8, Bentley Continental GT and the Bugatti Veyron. They didn’t just appear and steal a market share from under their competitors’ noses, they set new benchmarks for performance, refinement and popularity, and it was down to the rest of the industry to play catch up. The Range Rover Sport can also be included on the aforementioned list. When it went on sale in 2005, it brought the luxury SUV to a more affordable (relatively speaking) price point, and it’s been selling in droves ever since. Think about it, when was the last time you went out anywhere and didn’t see one? In 2019, the current ‘L494’ generation Sport received a couple of updates which include a new ‘HST’ trim level and a new 3.0 litre, twin-scroll turbo straight-six petrol engine. The motor, however, isn’t your average internal combustion engine. It uses a 48v electrically powered supercharger and a mild-hybrid system, to help improve performance and efficiency. The result is a power unit that will eventually work its way in to every JLR product in some form, over the next few years. Since the engine is the big news here, let’s discuss some numbers. 395bhp, 406lb ft. 0-62mph in 6.2 seconds, a top speed of 140mph, and 27.4mpg on the WLTP cycle. Before you go pointing the finger and suggest that 27.4mph isn’t very green, you would do well to remember that it’s actually very good when you consider the performance and the fact that the car weighs 2,310kg. A detuned version of this engine in a lighter car will undoubtedly pump out better fuel economy figures, so stick with JLR on this one. The electric motor is used to spin the turbo instead of just waiting for the exhaust gases to start moving, which in turn reduces lag and improves the responsiveness of the engine. It’s a clever system and means that throttle response in the HST is sharp. After coming out of something as thunderously quick as a Bentley Bentayga Speed, we were worried the Range Rover would feel a little

ISSUE 8 > Driven

The Meridian HiFi sounds excellent.

pedestrian in comparison. Fortunately, there’s more than enough performance to entertain and the responsiveness only adds to the urgency with which it sets off down the road. Power is sent to all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic gearbox, and it’s the gearbox which is a bit of a mixed bag. If you’re just pottering around town or cruising along a motorway, the ‘box is a quiet and smooth companion, but it’s slow to respond when you ask it to do anything sporty. If you want the extra grunt offered by a lower gear, then you’re better off taking control manually instead of using the kickdown feature. For such a tall and heavy car, sporty driving is something the HST does well. It’s not the final word in SUV dynamism as it doesn’t have the 48v anti-roll system that the VW Group cars come with, but it still resists the urge to roll about when you show it a corner. Carry some speed across a country road and

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it deals with larger undulations well, and it offers a reasonable amount of confidence providing you don’t get carried away – it’s still a big car so understeer creeps in and the brakes fade if you spend too much time deep in the pedal travel. In truth, driving it in a sporty demeanour feels at odds with what the car is meant for. The Range Rover Sport is an SUV that prefers to be driven with a light hand and gentle right foot. The steering is well weighted and requires small inputs, and the 406ft lb. torque figure is more than adequate when wanting to make unrushed progress. The ride quality is a tale of two halves. Despite riding on air suspension, the low speed ride is firmer than you would expect, but get some momentum beneath it and things improve considerably. Our test car was running the optional 22-inch alloys which may contribute to the firmer ride, so if complete comfort is top of your list then you may

“For such a tall and heavy car, sporty driving is something the HST does well”

The leather seats are sumptuous.

The interior is high quality. want to spec the smaller wheels. Either way, the HST is still a wonderfully comfortable car, it’s just not as floaty as you might anticipate. One thing the Range Rover is, is quiet. The straight-six engine doesn’t really announce itself until you demand performance from it, and the quality of the sound deadening is excellent. These attributes combined with a well-appointed cabin serve as a reminder of the car’s luxury SUV credentials. Everywhere you look and touch, the finish is premium. The leather seats are sumptuous, the Alcantara on the steering wheel and drive selector is soft to the touch, and the lashings of aluminium trim lift the cabin aesthetics further. It feels British, in that attention is paid to the quality of the materials and how widely they’re used, whereas the German marques are more tech-driven. A particular highlight of the cabin is how airy it is

with its tall windows and huge panoramic sunroof, although the bright pimiento leather might not be to everyone’s taste – of course, other colours are available. We would hate to point out the obvious, but there’s plenty of space in a Range Rover Sport, with ample leg and headroom in the rear, a large boot, and plenty of storage bins dotted around the cabin. On to the tech and the first thing you’ll notice is that most of the physical buttons have been integrated in to the infotainment system and the climate control panel beneath it, with the instrument binnacle also a digital-only affair. You can tell JLR have been keeping an eye on what’s happening in Ingolstadt. Let’s be honest, JLR don’t do tech as well as the Germans. The hardware may be on par, but the software isn’t, and it shows in the user experience. Navigating through the infotainment system was sometimes a little bewildering and it lacked

ISSUE 8 > Driven

responsiveness. It’s not that it’s bad, it’s just not as simple to use or as snappy as Audi’s MMI and BMW’s iDrive systems. There are however, some good things to point out. You can manually adjust the viewing angle of the 10-inch main display, and the system graphics are clean and sharp. There’s also plenty of connectivity options with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and the upgraded Meridian HiFi is a treat for the ears. There’s a likeable balance between the amount of tech offered and how much of it is stuffed in your face – screens are great, but you can also have too much of a good thing. The Range Rover Sport starts from £65,295, but depending on your choice of trim and engine, things can get expensive, quickly. Our P400 HST test car started from £81,820 and came with another £10,000 worth of options. This places the HST in a favourable spot within the model range. In terms of

REDLINE 8 rating 10

Range Rover Sport P400 HST Price: from £81,820. Engine: 3.0-litre, stright-six petrol, 395bhp @ 5,500rpm, 406lb ft @ 2,000rpm. Performance: 0-62mph 6.2 seconds, VMAX 140mph. Transmission: 8spd auto, four-wheel drive.

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performance, it’s trumped only by the stonking SVR, but in terms of price it sits below the Autobiography which makes it a mid-range proposition. You don’t have to do much Redline Magazine maths to work out that the HST occupies the sweetspot in the Range Rover Sport line up. Ultimately, the sub £100,000 SUV segment is a fiercely competitive market place, but the Range Rover Sport continues to be a go-to-choice for many. You can make an argument for the blend of performance, refinement and overall quality, but there’s something bigger at play that drives people in to JLR dealerships. Image. Even if the car was rubbish, people would still flock to buy it because it’s a Range Rover, which in itself is a headache for the competition. What makes it worse for them is that it also happens to be a very good car.

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Quiet, comfortable and fast. Everything a Range Rover Sport should be.

Low speed ride can be busy and infotainment needs improving.

Spec the smaller wheels if you want a smoother ride.

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Fun or Bust? The latest Ford Fiesta ST is supposedly the most grown up variant yet. Does the added refinement take the shine off the fun? WORDS: Mark Rose PHOTOGRAPHY: Dom Ginn

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pologies for being late to the party, but yes, this is the first chance I’ve had to properly review the latest Ford Fiesta ST. The little Fiesta’s arrival has been long awaited and hotly anticipated. As someone who’s owned a late Mk6 Zetec, a Mk7 Zetec S, a Mk7 ST, and road tested a Mk8 ST-Line, I consider myself somewhat of a Fiesta aficionado. I also once drove a Mk6 ST, and despite the encounter being short lived, I shall add it to the list because this is my road test and I can do as I please. The go-faster version of Britain’s best-selling car has long been a hit with the masses, thanks to an eclectic mix of performance, usability and affordability. This demand only intensified when Ford made us wait five years for a new one between Mk6 and Mk7. Lack of supply during this period clearly didn’t do any harm to Ford’s bank balance either, as Mk7 ST sales boomed when the car went in to production in

2013, and still, 7 years on, rare is the day you go out and not see one being driven with a joyous enthusiasm and disregard for the law. And therein lies what makes the Fiesta ST such a hit. It’s fun with a capital F. With the latest variant however, Ford has gone to lengths to ensure it is considerably more refined than the car it replaces. This, is a ballsy call. I’m a great believer in the old adage “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it”, and despite the Mk7’s lack of refinement, it was a car that I struggled to find fault with, even after 18 months of ownership. Needless to say, I worried that a grown up ST would also mean a less exciting one. There’s no denying, the new car is a lot easier on the dayto-day. The ride is significantly more supple, the fuel economy has improved (we regularly saw 45mpg), and the cabin feels about two generations newer. Fortunately, this hasn’t come at the expense of fun. The essential ingredients for good, oldfashioned, hot hatch hoonery remain present and correct.

ISSUE 8 > Driven

ST branding is present and correct.

The secret to a good hot hatchback isn’t just found in one specific area, but in the package as whole, and in the case of the Fiesta ST nearly every element is as good as the next. The engine is somewhat of a centre piece. Gone is the old 1.6 litre 4-cylinder turbo and in its place is a 1.5 litre 3-cylinder EcoBoost motor with cylinder deactivation. Power outputs are an adequate 197bhp and 214lb ft. which are the same figures as the Mk7 on overboost. 0-62mph is despatched in 6.5 seconds and the top speed is 144mph. Despite its small capacity and low cylinder count, it feels highly strung and urges you to press on. The ST is an energetic car and you often find yourself driving it with the corresponding enthusiasm. The motor sends its power to the front wheels via a slick, six speed manual gearbox. The quality of the shift and the

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placement of the three pedals can make or break a hot hatch, and the ST nails both of them. On up-changes you can flat shift in to the next gear, and on down changes you can heel and toe with precision. There was however, one thing that let the package down. The ST-2 spec press demo that Ford sent us came without the optional £925 Performance Pack, which meant no launch control, gear shift lights, and most importantly, no Quaife limited slip differential. Modern front wheel drive hot hatchbacks have become so adjustable on the throttle that it’s almost a sin to buy one without diff, so when you’re sitting in your local Ford dealership, make sure you tick this very important box. Without it, you can still use the front wheels to help you out of corners, but it ultimately lacks the adjustability

The cabin has been improved. A lot. you would gain from a differential. That said, the quick steering helps the front end turn in sharply and there’s enough feedback through the wheel to be able to tell where the front wheels are, and if you’re feeling particularly naughty, you can easily force the rear to step out with a bit of lift-off oversteer. Like a small terrier, it’s a playful thing that’s always straining at the leash, with occasional torque steer serving as a reminder that it sometimes requires you to reign it back in to line. Body control remains tight and there’s enough roll in the chassis to help you gauge how hard you’re pushing the tyre, and overall, it does a decent job of communicating what it’s up to. This sense of joy is amplified by the sounds from the engine and exhaust. From in the cabin, it sounds like a half-baked BMW M2 Competition, which is

no surprise when you consider it has half the displacement and cylinder count. The exhaust is also naughty with plenty of crackles and pops. When you’re not hooning around, the ST is a far more comfortable proposition than the car it replaces. The low speed ride can be busy, but it’s not as bone shaking as it was before, and once it’s up to speed it deals with larger undulations in a way that the old car could only dream of. Massively bolstered bucket seats also help keep you in place, and when you’re just driving round town, they’re hugely comfortable. Elsewhere in the cabin, quality has taken a giant leap forward. You still get some hard plastics but they tend to be hidden from your eye line, and what you’re left with are soft touch finishes and flashes of ST branding to remind you that

ISSUE 8 > Driven

Ford Fiesta ST

“The Fiesta ST still offers bang for your buck performance”

Price: from £21,775. Engine: 1.5-litre, 3-cyl EcoBoost, 197bhp @ 6,000rpm, 214lb ft @ 1,600rpm. Performance: 0-62mph 6.5 seconds, VMAX 144mph. Transmission: 6spd manual, front-wheel drive. Weight: 1,262kg.

you’re not in a normal Ford Fiesta. Lovers of fake carbon trim can also rejoice; it has a home in the Fiesta ST. Now, who remembers the Mk7’s old infotainment layout and button-heavy centre console? It was originally designed to look like a mobile phone, but thankfully Ford has dropped that design idea for the Mk8. As is the way in most modern cars, there is now a touchscreen, and lots of it. The entire system is much easier to interact with, with far fewer physical buttons and Ford’s SYNC3 software. The 8-inch touchscreen display is responsive and the software is easy to use. What’s more, there are plenty of connectivity options with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard, and you even get a premium B&O audio system. Fancy a little wind in your hair? You can now option your ST with a panoramic sunroof for an extra £700. This, we reckon, is a nice touch. If practicality is important to you, then you can also have the Fiesta ST as a 5-door hatch, but honestly, who buys one because ease of access is high on their

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Likes A joyous supermini hot hatch that’s sure to make anyone smile.

priority list? The entry level trim for the fast Fiesta now begins at ST-2 and is priced from £21,775 OTR. If you’re wondering what happened to the entry level ST-1, it was dropped last year because hardly anyone bought it. It goes to show that despite the price hike over the old car, which could be bought from as little as £16,995, the Fiesta ST still offers bang for your buck performance. Initially, I was a touch critical of the price increase. Yes, it’s as fun as before and more usable than ever, but the jump seemed a bit steep. However, the more time I’ve had to think about it, the more I’ve realised that the Ford Fiesta ST is still very much in a class of one. Name me another supermini hot hatch on sale today that has the same appeal, reputation and offers the same free-spirited fun that the ST does? Ford has cleverly taken an already brilliant car and made it that little bit better in nearly every single area, without spoiling the recipe. Bravo Ford, bravo.

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Daily Driver 74: Honda Civic

78: MG ZS EV

76: Alfa Romeo Stelvio

Who said we canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t offer genuine consumer advice? Here are some sensible reviews on cars the entire family can enjoy ... ISSUE 8 > Daily Driver

Honda Civic Sport Line

WORDS: Mark Rose / PHOTOGRAPHY: Harry Hartland What is it? In December 2019, Honda refreshed the 10th generation Civic and introduced a new model to the range, the EX Sport Line. There are now six different variants for buyers to choose from which include, SE, SR, Sport, EX, EX Sport Line and Type R, with the Sport Line now representing the top of the Civic range, second only to the Type R. The new model promises all the equipment of the EX, with some added dynamism for keener drivers. The Sport Line also benefits from upgraded styling thanks to revised bumpers, side skirts and a bootlid spoiler. The additions help separate it from lesser Civics in the range without it being mistaken for a Type R. How does it drive? Very well. It strikes a convincing balance between sporty demeanour without sacrificing comfort or refinement. What’s

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more, the Sport Line now comes with adaptive damping, so you can have a firmer set up when you fancy going for a more spirited drive. The steering has a decent weight to it, the front end turns in keenly, and body roll is well managed. The standout feature is the slick, six-speed manual gearbox which we would option over a CVT any day, especially when you consider the Sport Line’s design brief. Despite the car’s sporting intentions, overall performance isn’t even of the warm variety, let alone hot. The 1.0 litre, 3-cylinder, VTEC turbo engine produces 122bhp and 147lb ft, which propels the Civic to 62mph in a modest 11.2 seconds and on to 126mph. Needless to say, this is not a fast car, but the motor and overall performance feel sprightlier than the headline figures suggest. It’s fair to say the Sport Line will primarily be used for daily activities like the school run, commute to and from work, and shopping trips. To that end, it performs as you would expect a family hatch to: the ride is supple, the NVH levels are low and general refinement is high.

The EX Sport Line gets aggresive styling.

Honda Civic EX Sport Line Price: from £25,510. Engine: 1.0-litre, 3-cyl turbo VTEC, 122bhp @ 5,500rpm, 147lb ft @ 2,250rpm, Performance: 0-62mph 11.2 seconds, VMAX 126mph, Transmission: 6spd manual, front-wheel drive, Weight: 1,289kg.

“The Sport Line now comes with adaptive damping” A slick, six-speed manual gearbox.

REDLINE 7 rating 10 What’s it like inside?

What are the costs?

Pleasant but with the usual Japanese caveats. Some of the materials and tech are a little lacklustre, but this is by far one of the nicest Civics we’ve spent time in. The infotainment graphics and the system as a whole, require a thorough going over. The graphics look like they’ve been copied from early versions of Need for Speed, and the infotainment is clunky to use with excessive sub menus. Honda has tried to remedy concerns surrounding how you interact with the display by adding some physical buttons, and despite being a welcomed addition, an entirely new setup would offer a better solution. A highlight of the cabin is the new, leather trimmed sports seats, and in terms of space, there’s more than enough for the family to take advantage of with generous storage bins and 478 litres of boot space, with the seats up. The 11 speaker audio system is also a delight, and is one of the better non-premium audio systems we’ve heard.

The Honda Civic EX Sport Line starts from £25,510, and because it’s a top spec model, it comes with plenty of optional extras as standard. Put £6,000 down and you can pick one up for around £250 a month. Manufacturer quoted, combined fuel economy figures for the Sport Line are 45.6mpg, and in testing we regularly achieved mid-40s to back this claim up. To buy or not to buy? This is an easy buy. Along with the competitive finance deals, Honda is offering a very well-rounded family car for the money, its only real problem being the competitiveness of the market place it sits in. There are a lot of convincing family hatchbacks out there, but if you want something that’s refined, sporty, and eye catching – yes, we like the way it looks – then you won’t go far wrong with one of these.

ISSUE 8 > Daily Driver

Alfa Romeo Stelvio

WORDS: Mark Rose / PHOTOGRAPHY: Dom Ginn What is it? It’s another SUV, but maybe this one is different? The Stelvio is Alfa Romeo’s answer to the SUV-rush the motor industry is currently experiencing. It’s what you get when a manufacturer that’s famed for creating desirable and sporty vehicles turns their hand to a mainstream product. But, is the Stelvio just a styling exercise, or is it backed up with some substance? How does it drive? There are currently 3 diesel and 2 petrol engines to choose from. All of them come equipped with an 8-speed automatic gearbox which sends power to all four wheels, although there is also a rear wheel drive option available. Our test car came with the most powerful turbocharged 2.0 litre 4-cylinder petrol engine. Outputs of 276bhp and 295lb ft. mean the Stelvio can sprint to 62mph in 5.7 seconds and top out at 143mph. It’s a strong engine with decent midrange poke, and despite never feeling

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fast, it could still give a generously powered hot hatch a run for its money in a straight line. The Stelvio is both comfortable and sporty, and we’d suggest optioning the £1,700 performance pack which gives you aluminium paddles, a limited slip differential and adaptive dampers. You can toggle through the driving modes using the ‘DNA’ switch (D is for Dynamic, N is for Natural and A is for Auto Efficiency), and then use the bumpy road button to adjust your damping to suit. In its Dynamic setting, the Stelvio changes direction well and resists body roll. There’s also plenty of weight from the steering, and generally speaking, the Alfa feels agile. The automatic gearbox comes with 8 speeds and also sharpens up when the car is in its sportiest set up. In contrast, if you want to drive around in comfort, then the Natural and Auto Efficiency modes offer the Stelvio a calmer character. In these modes, the throttle response backs off and the ride softens up. Bumpy surfaces can make the ride feel busy, but the Stelvio deals with larger undulations well while offering low NVH levels.

The Alfa Romeo Stelvio is a handsome looking car.

Alfa Romeo Stelvio Price: from £39,175 Engine: 2.0-litre, 4-cyl turbo, 276bhp @ 5,250rpm. 295lb ft @ 2,250rpm. Performance: 0-62mph 5.7 seconds, VMAX 143mph. Transmission: 8spd auto, front-wheel drive. Weight: 1,660kg.

“In its Dynamic setting, the Stelvio changes direction well ”

The interior quality is hit and miss.

REDLINE 7 rating 10 What’s it like inside?

What are the costs?

The cabin is hit and miss. There’s leather and quality soft touch materials in some areas, but cheaper plastics in others, and even though it felt well put together, the trim round one of the air vents fell off when one of my passengers brushed over it with their arm. Other than that, it’s a comfy car to cover miles in thanks to seats that are incredibly supportive and beautifully bolstered. The seating position also has plenty of adjustment but the steering wheel needs a little more reach. Rear occupants benefit from a reasonable amount of leg room but anyone over 6ft will struggle for head room because of the sloping roofline. Ergonomically, Alfa hasn’t gone overkill with the buttons and so the Stelvio is a simple car to operate. Crucially, for 2020, Alfa has upgraded the infotainment system and there’s now a new touchscreen display, and all models comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard. These additions make it much more user friendly than before.

The Alfa Romeo Stelvio range starts from £39,175 with our ‘Milano Edizione’ test car coming in at £49,400 with options. Our recommendation would be to go for one of the more efficient engines as the 280hp 2.0 litre in-line 4 achieved a disappointing 29mpg during our time with it, and that was on a long and sensibly driven journey. To buy or not to buy? When it comes to SUVs, buyers are now so spoilt for choice it makes it difficult where to look. The Stelvio is by no means the best car in its class, but that doesn’t mean you should avoid it. Alfa Romeo’s take on the SUV proves that you don’t have to sacrifice your love of cars for the sake of something convenient. Looks are subjective but we think it’s a fine looking car that’s clearly been designed with some passion, and the fact that it handles well and has reasonable performance means that it might just be the SUV the petrolheads have been looking for.

ISSUE 8 > Daily Driver

MG ZS EV

WORDS: Blee Carswell / Photography: MG UK What is it? Despite looking almost identical to the petrol-powered model that featured in the last issue, let me assure that this is not simply a reprint. This is an altogether different machine. Whilst exterior changes extend to the wheels, badge and grill, gone is the internal combustion engine. In its place, packaged underneath the car, you’ll find a 44.5kWh water-cooled battery capable of rapid charging. How does it drive? Pretty well to be honest! Compared to the ‘normal’ ZS, the EV adds an extra layer of competence to the whole experience. Instant torque means performance is rapid up to 40mph, and it feels like MG have improved the ride and overall fit and finish to compliment the next to silent drivetrain. Thanks to the lack of an ever-shuffling gearbox or engine clattering in and out of life, there is real ease to how the ZS EV

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deals with town driving. On B-roads it does about as well as you’d expect a compact SUV to do and on motorways the extra level of refinement is a welcome surprise. It’s worth pointing out the driving modes and different levels of regenerative braking; normal combined with level 2 (the medium setting) of regen seemed to make the most sense. Level 1 slows the car akin to engine braking whilst level 3 just felt too harsh for most day to day situations. Sport and eco modes just felt contrived and unnecessary. With a WLTP range of 163 miles, and the promise of a 40 minute 0-80% charge via a 50kW charger, range anxiety wasn’t an issue during my use. Thanks to a heavy road-testers right foot and some freezing mornings, I did fall a little short of the claimed 163 miles. I’d imagine the quoted range would be within reach given some more favourable conditions. What’s it like inside? Spacious, airy and practical. Around the back you’ll find the

MG ZS EV Price: from £22,495. Battery: 44.5kWh, 141bhp, 260lb ft. Performance: 0-62mph 8.9 seconds, VMAX 87mph, WLTP Range: 163 miles.

“As has quickly become tradition with MG, it’s hard not to be lured in by the price”

The WLTP range for the ZS EV is 163 miles.

REDLINE 7 rating 10 impressive 448-litres of boot space that you get in petrol models, and inside, despite the Exclusive model’s panoramic roof, all passengers have ample room. Whilst no Rolls Royce, the ZS EV is a nice enough place to be up front. A new, raised tunnel runs between the driver and passenger giving a much-needed boost to how premium the cockpit feels. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay come as standard, a blessing seeing as the built-in system can be frustrating to use. Talking of niggles, there are a few, and unfortunately for a car that makes so little noise they are both audible. Firstly, the car bongs at you, a lot … which is understandable if you open the door at 70mph, but a little annoying when it’s telling you to take the key with you when you’ve just gotten in. The other niggle was a creak that emanated from around the windscreen. To end on a positive though, the ZS EV comes fitted with a suite of driving assistance tech including active emergency braking, traffic jam assist and intelligent speed limit assist. Collectively the systems are known as MG Pilot.

What are the costs? As has quickly become tradition with MG, it’s hard not to be lured in by the price. After grants, a ZS EV Excite can be had from only £22,495, which is over £4000 cheaper than the entry level and similarly capable Nissan Leaf. The car we have on test here is the more expensive Exclusive variant which commands a £2000 premium over Excite models. £695 is added to that bill thanks to the Tri-coat Dynamic red paint. Nevertheless, and factoring in the car and battery covering 7-year warranty, a cheaper pound per mile ratio and easier, less expensive maintenance costs, it’s hard to argue with the value for money on offer here. To buy, or not to buy? If you do 300 miles a day then no, it’s probably best to steer clear. If, however, your usage is more moderate, have access to a home charger and fancy an EV that’s well optioned, then the MG ZS EV is as practical and affordable as they come.

ISSUE 8 > Daily Driver

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ISSUE 8 > Partners

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