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T H E N E W FORWARDISM

It’s bye-bye to bangers as car bosses eye recycling revenue

EVERYONE loves a banger a pre loved motor with plenty of years, miles and owners under its belt that can be bought and kept on the road for peanuts

As is always the case when we have a retro rundown like our 90s special in this issue, I’m straight into the classifieds to see what I can get for not much cash Mazda MX 5s can be had for under £1,000 (although decent versions of the original model above are at least three times that), while first gen Toyota RAV4s are similar cash Ford Mondeos of all sorts are even cheaper

But while banger racing fans need not worry yet about a shortage of cars for the demolition derbies, the future paints a bleak picture for fans of cheap, old cars Cut a long story short, there won’t be any

The value of the components in a modern car means ageing models will be recycled long before they reach banger status Of course, recycling is a great thing and should be warmly welcomed, and car companies have cottoned on to the value in controlling the whole lifecycle of their cars, including what happens at the end

One company boss I spoke to this week told me, “We can make four figure sums from the components in our cars at the end of their lives ” Rare materials used in batteries and the batteries themselves still have real value long beyond the car they live in Renault has turned one of its traditional car plants in Flins, France, into a ‘refactory’ upgrading used cars for their second, third or even fourth lifecycles with different owners Citroen and others are looking at a very similar model owning the cars from cradle to grave That’s very much part of the new business plan for car companies that could end up making fewer new cars And the next step is to own the recycling process, too.

It’s great news for the planet, which, of course, we welcome But it’s going to mean bye bye to bangers and the end of super cheap (and fun) car ownership

STEVE FOWLER Editor in chief

TOPSTORY

Visit autoexpress.co.uk for your daily news updates

MINI’S expansion under new boss Stefanie Wurst could well include a more direct rival for the Volkswagen Golf, Auto Express can reveal, and our exclusive images show how it might look

Already confirmed are new three and five door Cooper hatchbacks, plus a convertible version, the new Aceman crossover (see P 8), which Wurst described as a “gamified concept”, and a bigger Countryman

Speaking to Auto Express, Wurst said: “We have a small and flat car [Cooper], we have small and high [Aceman] and we have large and high [Countryman]

“But we don’t have large and flat Another body type is feasible. I’m a big fan of analysing different body types ”

MINI insiders revealed to Auto Express that a ‘VW Golf sized’ model was in the

BIGGER

MINI range is expanding in both physical dimensions and the breadth of models offered

brand’s thinking, but Wurst didn’t rule out a production version of the Urbanaut concept (as exclusively revealed by Auto Express in issue 1,702). However, clearly a ‘lower roofed Countryman’ model to rival more conventional family hatches is something Wurst is considering, too She made no mention of a replacement for the Clubman, though, despite that car previously being touted as a potential Golf rival

A MINI ‘Golf’ could also help the brand’s plans for growth in the US something the larger Countryman SUV will also aid “Countryman will be a very good car for the US,” she told us That’s because it’s set to grow significantly in size, with the all electric Aceman below it in MINI’s line up

A new, ‘large, flat’ MINI would likely be based on the same platform as the new

Countryman, which is set to be built at BMW’s Leipzig plant and available in fully electric and petrol forms That means it’s likely to make use of BMW’s FAAR platform (an updated version of the UKL architecture that MINI’s current generation of cars sits on), which allows for everything from internal combustion engines through plug in hybrids to fully electric powertrains

Using FAAR will keep costs down, with BMW’s ‘Neue Klasse’ all electric platform reserved for larger models. “We need to remain accessible,” Wurst said

The new models are likely to get a subtly different look from other MINIs “They will have new faces, but will be unmistakably MINI,” Wurst told us, while they will also be true to the company’s DNA “The go kart feeling will always be of the utmost

importance,” she added, with that sensation being one of three identifying pillars for MINIs, alongside electrification and technology, and sustainability

Connectivity is key, too, with MINI set to make more of its app with future models. “You need to be able to connect to the car with the app,” Wurst told us

“Digital is really important; it has to be immersive We did that with Aceman, with fewer toggles in the cabin, but the screen will always be in the middle ”

The production ready Aceman (which is previewed in our other exclusive images on Page 8), with its crossover styling referred to as ‘Charismatic Simplicity’ by MINI design chief Oliver Heilmer, should go on sale in 2024, sporting a look that’s not far from the concept seen earlier this year

It’ll be built in China alongside the three door all electric Cooper Indeed,

● New MINI boss hints at plans to build rival to Volkswagen Golf

● Both petrol and fully electric powertrains are being planned

Steve Fowler

Steve Fowler@autovia co uk @stevefowler

Stefanie Wurst Head of

EXCLUSIVE IMAGES

all Coopers, no matter whether they’re constructed in the UK or in China, will share their upper bodywork and look, but will sit on different platforms

The Chinese built Aceman and Cooper will make use of an all electric platform In effect, the Aceman will take care of five door ‘small MINI’ electric car duties there will not be a five door all electric Cooper.

However, with the wheels pushed out to the far corners of the bodywork, the Aceman should offer excellent interior space, while leaving room for the next generation Countryman to move further up in size Auto Express understands that the Aceman will have similar dimensions to the original MINI Countryman, measuring a little over four metres long Rumours suggest that there may be two battery sizes and two power outputs on the Aceman: an entry level car with a 40kWh battery, around 180bhp and a range of up to 200 miles A bigger 50kWh battery with a more powerful motor of around 215bhp could deliver a range of 250 miles

In spite of the growing physical size of MINI’s range, it’s very much seen by Wurst as an urban brand “There’s almost no other car brand that can meet urban mobility needs in a friendly way,” she said However, she quashed ideas that MINI could go smaller than the planned new hatch.

Wurst did tease the possibility that MINI could go beyond the traditional, though “A MINI doesn’t always have to have four wheels and a roof,” she said

That does point towards the recently confirmed new MINI Cooper convertible, with production returning to Oxford Wurst also revealed plans for further hot MINIs with both internal combustion and electric power She said: “We will have a JCW strategy don’t worry about that ”

MINI also hinted recently of a closer collaboration with British designer Paul Smith A Paul Smith trim level is expected to be offered on some upcoming MINIs

DISGUISE Production Aceman EV is already undergoing testing

SPIED

“A MINI does not always have to feature four wheels and have a roof”

ACEMAN

‘Gamified’ concept has digital users as its main potential sales target

Stefanie Wurst Head of MINI

Avarvarii

Q8 e-tron heralds Audi ran

● New name for Audi e-tron ● Efficiency tweaks raise range

EVOLUTION improves the breed, and that’s exactly what Audi is doing with its e tron electric SUV, treating the car to major technology updates, more subtle styling changes and an all new name, as part of a mid life refresh.

The e tron SUV becomes the Q8 e tron, with the new car still available in a choice of two bodystyles the regular SUV and the swoopier Sportback model as well as with three powertrain options These Q8 e tron models go on sale this month, with prices from around £69,000 and deliveries commencing in February next year.

The entry level Q8 e tron 50 features an upgraded 95kWh battery with up to 305 miles of range for the regular SUV and a claimed 313 miles for the more aerodynamic Sportback The Q8 e tron 55 and Q8 e tron S both use a larger 114kWh

battery For the 55 model this delivers up to 361 miles in the SUV and 372 miles in the Sportback, while the hot SQ8 e tron does up to 306 or 318 miles for the SUV or Sportback versions respectively This represents an increase of more than 80 miles over its e tron S predecessor

The greater efficiency has been achieved by optimising battery cell chemistry, Audi says, along with more advanced energy management software and packaging of the cells, plus tweaks to the rear motor windings There are now 14 coils instead of 12, allowing the motor to generate more torque from the same electrical current

Outputs stand at 335bhp and 664Nm of torque in the 50 models for a best 0 62mph time of 6.0 seconds. The 55 model serves up the same torque output, while power increases to 402bhp, dropping the

“Even the entry-level Q8 e-tron 50 features an upgraded battery with up to 305 miles of range”

INTERIOR Audi has made few changes to the cabin, but it didn’t need to

Sean Carson sean carson@autovia co uk

LOOKS

Audi has given the new models updated front end styling that will fit in with the rest of its EV range

OFFICIAL

RANGE REVISIONS

nge revamp

0 62mph time to 5.6 seconds. The hotter S variants feature a three motor set up that delivers 496bhp and 973Nm of torque, with 0 62mph taking 4 5 seconds

The smaller battery 50 model can charge at a maximum rate of 150kW, while the bigger battery cars push this up to 170kW As a result, a 10 to 80 per cent charge takes 28 or 31 minutes respectively All Q8 e tron models feature standard 11kW AC charging (nine hours and 15 minutes for a full charge on the 50)

Audi Board Member for Technical Development Oliver Hoffmann said: “We were able to increase battery capacity and charging performance This allowed us to achieve an optimal balance between energy density and charging capacity We also improved the motors and the dynamic characteristics that are typical of Audi in all versions of the Q8 e tron.”

Modified air suspension, a new ESC calibration and tweaks to the progressive

steering are said to boost the car’s agility and responses, combined with more rigid suspension bearings in the front axle

For the Q8 e tron, Audi’s designers have tweaked the front end styling to redefine its look as part of the brand’s e tron electric range There’s a new e tron GT inspired grille, with a gloss black panel surrounding the main air inlet, while the revised LED clusters (digital matrix LEDs are standard on top spec cars) are joined by an LED strip at the top of the grille Audi says aerodynamics played a significant part in the new car’s styling, with the SUV’s drag coefficient dropping from 0 26 to 0 24Cd, and the Sportback improving from 0 28 to 0 27

The cabin isn’t too far removed from that of the model it replaces Boot space stands at 569 litres for the SUV and 528 litres for the Sportback, while both cars feature a 62 litre front storage area.

With an increasing focus on sustainability, the Q8 e tron features a significant number

AUDIA6E-TRON

of recycled materials in its construction There’s also a new 2D four ring Audi logo on the grille, while the lettering and Audi badge on the B pillars are new touches

The Q8 e tron updates are part of an Audi range revamp The next A4 saloon will be renamed the A5, while the A6 model will become the A7 as the A6 e tron all electric saloon takes its place in the line up Indeed,

the brand has already revealed a sleek A6 e tron concept, which will become a production reality next year, based on the firm’s PPE platform for pure EVs and sharing technology with the 2023 Q6 e tron Expect an A4 e tron model in time, with the A7 and A5 to be sold alongside the A6 e tron and A4 e tron models, giving Audi buyers a choice of powertrains

Audi’s fossil fuelled models will have odd numbered model names, while electrically powered vehicles will get even numbers

Sleek SUV to lead the charge for new Italian EV company

Alastair Crooks Alastair Crooks@autovia co uk @AllieCrooks

AEHRA is a new car company aiming to upset a forming EV establishment And you’d be forgiven for not knowing the brand (which is based in Milan, Italy), given that it was only launched earlier this year What you see here is AEHRA’s first vehicle an as yet unnamed SUV which will be followed by a saloon next February The company says its new SUV “rewrites the automotive design rulebook” and takes inspiration from motorbikes and supercars.

Given its size, the car has remarkably sleek proportions, with short overhangs and a windscreen that extends over the front axle for a huge glasshouse There are also no protruding door handles, which should aid the SUV’s efficiency, along with the tiny digital door mirrors AEHRA claims active aerodynamic elements at the front and rear of the car will help reduce drag further.

The sloping roofline means the luxury EV brand’s creation is very much a coupé SUV, but with a cab forward stance; the most eye catching design feature is undoubtedly the butterfly wing doors The SUV’s monocoque body uses carbon fibre in its construction, and AEHRA claims that this will deliver “exceptional agility and driving pleasure”.

That body features a lengthy three metre wheelbase, with AEHRA CEO Hazim Nada previously explaining to Auto Express that

STYLING

According to AEHRA,

the brand hopes to have a 120kWh battery one of the largest in an EV mounted under the floor between the axles. AEHRA says its cars will have “leading edge battery platform technology, targeting a range of at least 497 miles and awe inspiring performance”

Charging will compete with the fastest in the EV world, with plans for an 850V architecture

This platform should also benefit practicality, with AEHRA saying the SUV will accommodate “four full size NBA players, while leaving room for a six foot adult in the middle of the rear seat row”

The SUV will be a rival for the Lotus Eletre, but AEHRA isn’t looking too closely at its competition “We have a price bracket in mind, so we’re targeting high premium, £140,000 £160,000, but we don’t have a specific benchmark”, said Nada.

The SUV and saloon car are planned to launch in 2025, with a third model, an all electric 2+2 sports car, also in the works

Ferrari readies extreme version of SF90 Stradale

THE Ferrari SF90 Stradale is already the fastest road car ever to lap the brand’s Fiorano test track, but Ferrari is set to push the performance envelope of its V8 hybrid supercar even further with a new, more hardcore ‘Version Speciale’ model

Our spy photographers have captured the car testing, and despite the camouflage it’s clear that the new track-focused model will boast more sophisticated, aggressive aerodynamics to boost downforce and cut

lap times. Expect a stripped out interior to help reduce weight, as well as an even more extreme chassis set up than the Assetto Fiorano pack equipped SF90.

The standard car’s 4.0 litre twin turbo V8 and electric motor system develop 986bhp, but it’s thought that the three motor hybrid set up could be tuned to deliver more power, as well as improved handling through tweaks to the torque vectoring system

The car will be unveiled next year

PLATFORM

AEHRA is developing an 850V architecture, giving super fast charge times The firm is aiming for a range of almost 500 miles, plus an extremely spacious interior

FOCUSED Despite camouflage, more aggressive aerodynamics of ‘Version Speciale’ are clear

HAZIM NADA AEHRA CEO

● First car shown by AEHRA

“We’re targeting high premium, but don’t have a specific benchmark”

SUV’s design takes inspiration from motorbikes and supercars

Porsche dials up the style on 718 ranges

PORSCHE is bolstering its 718 Cayman and Boxster ranges with new Style Edition versions of both models

Based on the entry level variants, the new cars are priced from £51,600 and £53,600 respectively, and offer the option of Ruby Star Neo paint, as well as other hues. Black exhaust tips, silver badging and 20 inch alloy wheels also feature.

Cyclists should be insured,

drivers say

ONE in three British drivers believe cyclists should be banned from public roads and restricted to cycle paths. According to a Yonder survey of 12,000 drivers, one in three feel that too much funding has been allocated to cycling infrastructure. Meanwhile, seven in 10 said they thought cyclists should need insurance to ride on the road

The Highway Code was updated earlier this year to give bicycles more priority over cars Former Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps then suggested cyclists may be required to have number plates and insurance, and observe speed limits, but backtracked before leaving the role

UK firm aims to turn London buses green

LONDON could enter a new, greener era as British firm Equipmake looks to ‘repower’ the reimagined Routemaster bus with a fully electric drivetrain

The diesel hybrid set up is replaced by a 400kWh battery and an electric motor system delivering 546bhp, 3,500Nm of torque and an ‘in service’ range of 150 miles enough for a day’s duties in the capital. A prototype is undergoing testing for six months

Vegas hosts the extreme stars of the SEMA show

EACH year, Las Vegas in the US plays host to a very different sort of motor show: the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show, where tuners and mainstream manufacturers gather to show off their wild sides

This year, Volkswagen, Lexus, Jeep via tuning arm Mopar (along with truck brand Ram) and Nissan obliged in creating some special models, with the latter two offering up particularly eye catching collections

Nissan revealed six concepts, with two based on its US market Frontier pick up The Nismo Off Road V8 concept includes a big engine, wide body conversion and bespoke, off road suspension, while the Street Truck concept goes the other way, with lowered suspension, a custom bodykit and a livery harking back to the US mini truck scene of the 1990s.

Electrification plays a role in Nissan’s SEMA offerings, too, with a 1987 Sunny pick up borrowing power from the Leaf, as well as adding lowered suspension and a bodykit inspired by the iconic C10 “Hakosuka” Skyline Elsewhere, the Ariya Surfwagon concept gives Nissan’s new electric SUV a touch of West Coast retro, with a faux wood panel makeover.

Finally, the new Nissan Z sports car appeared as a 1,300bhp Formula Drift conversion and as a GT4 racer

Mopar has been thinking about the future of Jeep modification with the CJ Surge concept Based on a classic CJ, it features a 268bhp bolt in electric motor, numerous bespoke design touches, off road tyres and raised suspension

Alongside it, two Ram concepts include the eye catching 702bhp Ram 1500 TRX Gold Shot, and the Backcountry X Concept, showcasing a pick up truck with maximised cargo storage

Volvo drops its S60 saloon

THE future of the compact executive saloon in Europe is open to question, and Volvo is the latest manufacturer to pour fresh doubt on the segment’s viability by removing its BMW 3 Series rivalling S60 from sale in Britain.

The Swedish firm cites a “temporary re evaluation” of its line up as the

reason for its disappearance from the range. While it remains on the brand’s UK price list and Volvo hasn’t confirmed that the S60 has been completely axed, the car is listed as out of stock.

Meanwhile, the V60 estate remains fully on sale, suggesting the S60’s issues stem from its saloon bodystyle

Frontier pick up has a Nismo makeover, while Sunny truck features Leaf powertrain

ROUGH STUFF

Off roaders are a show highlight, with Ram and Jeep building one off models

GONE Four door S60 is being ‘re evaluated’ by Volvo

RACE READY Nissan Z GT4 is a turn key racer based on firm’s latest coupé

James Brodie mail@autoexpress co uk @JPBrods

McLaren eyes saloon and SUV as part of electrification plans

● New boss floats SUV plan

● Greater focus on quality

MCLAREN’S new CEO, former Ferrari Chief Technical Officer Michael Leiters, has said the British firm isn’t thinking of a pure electric supercar just yet, but a sports saloon to rival Porsche’s Taycan (previewed in our exclusive image, right) and an SUV are part of McLaren’s electrification plans

Speaking to Auto Express’s sister title evo, Leiters revealed that he wasn’t presented with any shocks when taking over from former McLaren CEO Mike Flewitt, saying that: “Some things were worse, some things were better ” He added that some areas were as poor as he expected, with quality being the top of that list.

“What I heard from my team is that in the past, we accepted a non mature product and would launch it and deliver it to customers The Artura was the first project where we didn’t do that We saw that the car wasn’t mature, so we stopped deliveries Doing this risked the financial position of the company, but I think this was important.”

While sports and supercars will remain at the heart of McLaren’s product strategy,

EXCLUSIVE IMAGE

Leiters will also guide the company into its electrified future, which has already begun with the hybrid Artura. However, while the obvious next step would be for McLaren to produce a hypercar EV to rival the Lotus

Evija, Leiters believes the technology isn’t yet advanced enough, so instead he intends to task his team to focus on more conventional electrified vehicles

“The technology is much more mature [and allows us to] customise it to have a more lifestyle, a more utility purpose.

“Words like ‘utility’ or ‘lifestyle’, you’ll obviously leap to certain conclusions I think the key measure for McLaren is potentially something with the ability to share with more occupants in the car Not necessarily higher riding, but it could be ”

Any electric McLaren will need to meet Leiters’ strict lightweight philosophy and

McLaren’s dynamic DNA, that’s a given, but it will also need to command a price tag of at least £200,000, a figure he believes should be the entry point to McLaren ownership “We need to focus on profitability, not volume,” he said

In order to deliver on his strategy, Leiters is also well aware he’s going to require a technology partner However, the rumours of Audi buying McLaren have been categorically put to bed. Nevertheless, there is an expectation that BMW, which helped McLaren with the development of the Artura’s hybrid powertrain, is open to expanding its relationship with McLaren.

Mobility is

THE rush to EVs severely threatens disabled mobility, the Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle Converters Association (WAVCA) has warned.

A government ban on pure internal combustion (ICE) car sales by 2030 means firms are quickly dropping regular models.

“We are desperately worried that manufacturers switch prematurely to EVs and the supply of suitable ICE vehicles will end, leaving our industry reeling and wheelchair users disadvantaged,” said WAVCA spokesman Rob Hookway

“In the UK there is a wide range of ICE WAVs providing users with lots of choice. There isn’t that level of choice in suitable EV base vehicles,” he said “WAV users with life limiting conditions who need their vehicle as soon as possible will be most affected.”

According to WAVCA, disabled drivers switching to an electric base vehicle face increased cost, reduction in usable internal

put at risk’ by EVs

height and available payload. Options under threat are small car conversions,

the ability for wheelchair users to sit next to other occupants

WAVCA wants car makers to urgently engage with the issue, to ensure future EVs can meet disabled needs and meanwhile to maintain supply of suitable ICE vehicles

ISSUES

Limited-edition Toyota Aygo X takes to the air

TOYOTA has revealed its Aygo X Air Edition, a special version of the pumped up city car with a roll back roof as standard It’s available in four colour themes and with chunky 18 inch alloys that also feature a splash of colour Equipment specs mirror that of the Edge model, so an eight inch screen with smartphone connectivity, a reversing camera and parking sensors are all fitted as standard The limited run model is powered by a 71bhp 1 0 litre three cylinder petrol engine and is on sale now, from £19,045.

Among problems for wheelchair users switching to EVs are higher cost, less space inside and lower payloads

‘

SUV McLaren CEO says brand is looking at developing an EV sports saloon

“In the past, we accepted a nonmature product and delivered it to customers. The Artura was the first project where we didn’t”

MICHAEL LEITERS McLaren

CEO

Stuart Gallagher

Avarvarii

and

New car deals still playing the

Tristan Shale Hester tristan shale hester@autovia co uk @tristan shale

AS anyone who has looked at buying a new car recently will know, lead times in many cases are far longer than they normally would be Just as Covid restrictions wound down, allowing pent up consumer demand to be unleashed, a global shortage of semiconductors (along with other supply chain issues, not least because of the war in Ukraine) comprehensively throttled manufacturers’ ability to build new cars

For buyers who are in a hurry to get their hands on a car, this situation has suddenly made pre registered and second hand

models much more appealing, resulting in inflated prices across classified sites and dealer forecourts

That said, it’s not impossible to buy a brand new car, particularly if you’re not too fussy about make or model and are willing to wait a while for delivery Furthermore, some car industry bosses reckon 2023 could be the year that the situation becomes significantly better

The situation with new car lead times is fluid and some brands simply can’t provide specific estimates, but we’ve rung round major manufacturers to get as much information as possible Read on to find out how long you’ll wait for a new car.

THE LATEST UK LEAD TIMES DIRECT FROM THE MANUFACTURERS

ALPINE

ALPINE makes just one car the A110 The Renault owned brand told us that buyers can expect to wait up to six months for a car

ALFA ROMEO

MOST of the Alfa Romeo range is subject to a lead time of four to six months Giulia customer will have to wait between four and seven months, however, with buyers advised to ask their dealer for information.

AUDI

AUDI has said its lead time situation is changing on a frequent basis, with wait times for individual models impossible to pin down The German firm is working hard to find ways around the problem and advises customers to contact their dealer if a delayed delivery is causing issues

BMW

BMW has an average lead time of around four months, but this varies depending on model and retailer The four month average takes into account a transit time of between two and eight weeks for some models The brand also warned of exceptionally strong demand for plug in hybrid and electric models, which means longer lead times for these in many cases

CITROEN

CITROEN currently has lead times of between two and four months Its bigger selling electric and plug in hybrid models (the e C4, C5 Aircross Plug in Hybrid and C5 X Plug in Hybrid) are included and all available for delivery by the end of March 2023 if ordered now. Again, the French firm advises that customer queries should be directed to dealers

DACIA

DACIA says all of its models are subject to production delays, but the length will

depend on the specification of each vehicle A spokesman said customers can typically wait up to six months for their cars.

DS

WITH the exception of DS 9, which has lead times of up to six months, customers can expect to wait between two and four months for most DS models DS buyers are being asked to speak to their dealer for more specific information.

FIAT/ABARTH

MOST Fiat and Abarth models are currently on a five month lead time for factory orders. Dealers can offer more precise information about model specific wait times and what cars are available from new stock

FORD

FORD told us that its wait times are varying widely at present Buyers can expect to wait three months for an EcoSport, five months for a Puma or Focus, and six months for a Kuga, S Max or Galaxy It’s expected to take seven months for an electric Mustang Mach E, meanwhile

For commercial vehicles, Ford says buyers are likely to have to wait between six to eight months for a new Ranger and, depending on spec, between six and 12 months for a Transit or Tourneo.

HONDA

HONDA told us: “Lead times for new cars vary across models and derivatives. We are keeping our dealers updated, and we therefore advise customers to check with their dealers for lead time information Some vehicles are currently available immediately, while others have several months’ lead time ”

HYUNDAI

IN a statement, Hyundai told us: “We have limited amounts of stock available across

our dealer network, with further availability within our production pipeline For specific requirements it is often necessary to factory order cars for customers, with lead times varying across models and model derivatives We keep our dealers updated with the latest production lead time availability so they can best manage customer expectations ”

JAGUAR

JAGUAR says buyers of its XE, XF saloon and Sportbrake, F Pace, I Pace and F Type Convertible models can expect to wait around six months for their car. Indeed, orders of some E Pace models have been suspended, while others are subject to wait times of between six and nine months F Type Coupé delays are up to six months, or between six and nine months, depending on the trim level purchased

JEEP

THE Jeep Wrangler is currently available from stock, although most other models are expected to take between four and five months to order from the factory Jeep advises customers to speak to their local dealer for more specific information

KIA

KIA told us its facing increasing demand for its models in the UK and Europe, with supply chain issues also being felt

The company said Sportage, Niro Hybrid, Picanto and several Ceed variants have a lead time of between 10 and 25 weeks depending on specification The facelifted XCeed is likely to take around 10 weeks for delivery, while Rio, Stonic and Soul are currently estimated around 10 14 weeks Other models that are seeing high global demand, particularly those being shipped from Korea, such as Niro EV, EV6 and Sorento, are currently taking between 30 and 36 weeks

LAND ROVER

LAND Rover Defender 90 and 110 models are delayed by between nine and 12 months, while the Defender 130 is subject to a wait of up to six months Discovery models are being held up for between six and nine months, while orders of petrol and diesel Discovery Sport models have been suspended; only P300e PHEV models are available, with a wait of nine to 12 months

Range Rover Sport and Velar models are taking between six and nine months, while the new Range Rover faces delays of “more than 12 months” Orders of around half of Evoque trims have been suspended, with the remainder expected to be delivered within six to nine months.

Customers should also be warned that Land Rover dealers are asking some customers to agree in writing not to sell their new car outside of the franchised dealer network within six months of receiving it (as we reported in issue 1,752) The Motor Ombudsman suspects this part of the contract can be refused under the Consumer Rights Act 2015

MAZDA

MAZDA is now shipping UK bound cars directly from Japan, rather than via Belgium, so lead times have been reduced As a guide, Mazda says CX 5 and CX 60 are available for immediate delivery, as are a limited number of CX 30s, although factory orders should take around four months, the

OFFICIAL Manufacturers are making noises about lead times coming down, but it won’t be for a while yet

Inbox Your views

waiting game

same as it is for Mazda3 and MX 30 models MX 5 orders should be fulfilled in four to five months It’s better news for Mazda2 and Mazda6 buyers, who could receive their cars in as little as one month

MERCEDES

MERCEDES hasn’t yet replied to our latest enquiry, but when we posed the same question to the German firm in February, it told us that customers should check with their dealer for information on any car they want to order All dealer stock can be viewed on the Mercedes website.

MINI

A MINI spokesman said it wasn’t possible to provide lead times on a model by model basis In a statement, the firm told us: “The average lead time on built to order MINI models for retail customers is approximately four months, although this will vary by model and by retailer. Individual retailers are best placed to answer questions relating to lead times We see exceptionally strong demand for PHEV and EV models and waiting times for these vehicles will exceed the above in many cases ”

Dealer stock of new MINIs is more limited than usual, but some cars are available

NISSAN

IN a statement, Nissan said: “Supply of different models varies significantly by model, grade and colour. Lead times will also vary depending on the stock available to individual dealers If customers are

RENAULT

RENAULT hasn’t responded to our latest query, but in February the French brand was looking at lead times of approximately six months, with a decent amount of stock also available for customers willing to compromise on model and specification

SEAT/CUPRA

SEAT is instructing customers to contact their local dealership for delivery timings Its sister brand, Cupra, said the same and added that it was “working hard to find solutions to supply chain issues”.

SKODA

SKODA lead times vary by model, with a two month wait for a Fabia, two to three months for a Superb and three months for a Kamiq or Karoq, while the Kodiaq is subject to a delay of three to four months Delivery times for the electric Enyaq stand at between five and six months, while the Octavia could take up to eight months

TOYOTA/LEXUS

TOYOTA said some models are impacted minimally, others face a 12 month delay A spokesman said that customers should contact their local retailer for information

VAUXHALL

VAUXHALL lead times are currently sitting at around two to three months for internal combustion engined versions of its Corsa, Mokka and Astra, and up to around six months for its electric models Customers are asked to speak to their dealers for more specific information, including about models available sooner from stock

VOLKSWAGEN

VOLKSWAGEN told us: “Delivery times for some of our model lines are longer than we would normally expect ” Customers are being asked to speak to their local retailer to provide delivery times and advise on the limited supply of cars available from stock.

HOT

Contact Tristan Shale-Hester

TOPIC

Ford Fiesta axed

FROM: David Douglas FORD is shooting itself in the foot here I’ve driven Fiestas for the last 14 years they’re great little cars, although £19,000 for an entry level model is a joke Even so, I think the Fiesta is a model that should be kept on sale

FROM: Oliver Percy IT feels as though Ford is slowly pulling out of the UK First we lost the Ka, then the Mondeo and now the Fiesta. Sounds like the Focus will be next It will be a shame if Ford is no longer a major UK car brand in five or 10 years from now

■ “A bold move, but SUVs are taking over and the Fiesta has taken a kicking in sales charts ” Robert Black

Poor website cost me dear at Budget Get in line to save money on fuel bills

willing to be flexible on their selection, then it is possible for orders to be filled in a matter of days or weeks If a customer’s selection is not available from dealer or Nissan central stock, and a new build is required, waiting times will be longer.

“Approximate lead times for new builds are as low as one month on the Qashqai and LEAF, three months for Juke and the new X Trail, and five months on Ariya. This is a continually evolving situation ”

PEUGEOT

THE majority of Peugeot’s range has lead times of between two and four months, including its electric and plug in hybrid models However some models, including the e Rifter and e Traveller, will take longer. Peugeot retailers will advise customers about specific vehicle lead times

A Juke is available in just three months Spec

VOLVO

A VOLVO spokesman said lead times can vary hugely from car to car, with timings often dependent on the specification of that model Some models ordered now are expected in February, while others could be longer. Currently, a mild hybrid XC90 is likely to take around five months, while a plug in hybrid version of the same car is expected to take six months

FROM: Dugan Cummings GOOD review of car rental sites (Issue 1,752) My recent experience with Budget was poor Its website stated no issues for a driver aged over 80, but when I picked up the car, it had a list of conditions for drivers aged over 75 that I couldn’t meet immediately

FROM: Glyn Pritchard I RECENTLY had a wheel alignment done on my car The following weekend, I travelled 1,000 miles on a weekend trip to Cornwall and noticed an improvement in fuel economy from 36 5mpg to 37 5mpg By my calculations, this saved me about £15 over the course of the trip

Renaultsport model would make Austral Keep your distance to stay safe at speed

FROM:

IT’S definitely a busy time for Renault The Austral E Tech looks like a competent SUV, not least due to its ergonomic interior. The price point is interesting; my key question is whether a Renaultsport version will be available I think that would make it a solid contender.

FROM: John Jones I USED a motorway the other day where some sections instructed drivers to keep two chevrons apart. Most seemed to do quite well at this, except when changing lanes Many cars that overtook me pulled back in with less than two chevrons’ space.

Faisal Rafique

■ “I’ve owned eight Fiestas and still have one now, as does my daughter It’s a shame ” Grant Stoodley

■ “Not everyone wants an SUV. Pensioners will always want a small runabout like the Fiesta ” Kirsten Farr

Most readers are shocked that Ford will drop Fiesta as the firm moves to all electric line up

We want to hear your views. Send your questions or opinions to the E mail address below

INSIDESTORY

Tackling the motoring issues that matter

ANOTHER day, another Porsche 911 based restomod, hot rod, retromod; call them what you will. That’s certainly how it seems, sometimes Of course, it isn’t just 911s that get the restomod treatment, but you could be forgiven for thinking so Why does the 911 lend itself so well? Well, think cult appeal, motorsport heritage, Porsche’s own mix and match parts bin, and a healthy aftermarket of tuning and styling parts Plus, of course, the desire to create something bespoke, and a ready supply of donor cars, too, thanks to the 911’s unprecedented near 60 year production run

That said, the early, pre 1974 cars are considered sacrosanct when it comes to modifying They are already uber classic and have a value that would be wiped out if they went under the knife The sweetspot is with the later impact bumper cars and beyond, with the 1989 1993 964 model in particular being a firm favourite However, more recently the 993 model 911, which has the distinction of being the last the air cooled car, has been gaining traction with the restomod crew

And what of the water cooled cars the 996 and beyond as they become modern classics in their own right? As surely as night follows day, their time will come, but for now, here is the Auto Express guide to the air cooled 911 restomod scene

RUFDADDY

1987 Ruf911 CTR 1‘Yellowbird’

Based on: 911 Carrera 3 2

THE genesis of the modified Porsche 911? Well, there were Ruf modified 911s in existence before the CTR 1 ‘Yellowbird’ came along, but they didn’t capture the collective imagination in quite the same way.

In its native Germany, Ruf is classified as a manufacturer in its own right Alois Ruf took over from his father Alois Ruf senior at the family garage in Pfaffenhausen, near Munich, in the mid seventies. Beetles were a starting point, and then came Porsches

The Carrera 3 2 litre based ‘Yellowbird’ was the star of a video sensation, when they really were a physical format. The film showed Ruf test pilot, Stefan Rosser, manhandling the 469bhp, 211mph turbo monster around the Nürburgring in one tyre smoking powerslide, expertly captured by helicam, plus onboard footage at the wheel and of his grey slip on shoes playing the pedals.

Later generations will know the ‘Yellowbird’ from its starring role in the Gran Turismo games To drive? It’s a fairly rudimentary experience by modern standards A monster turbocharger strapped to the 3 3 litre, flat six engine means lots of lag and then a mass of power.

Ruf is still very much the daddy of the Porsche tuning scene Current CTRs have the classic look, but with carbon tubs and carbon bodies, plus 700bhp+ flat six engines. A Porsche 911, but very much in shape only.

The film showed Stefan Rosser manhandling the 469bhp, 211mph turbo monster around the Nürburgring in one tyresmoking powerslide

SINGWHENYOURWINNING 2009 2022 SingerClassic

Based on: Porsche 964

THINK restomod now and it’s probably Singer (or Singer Vehicle Design, for the full title) that comes to mind, along with a host of pretenders and lookalikes

The Singer name is a reference to Los Angeles based Brit Rob Dickinson He was the singer in a rock and roll band, as well as a graduate from the renowned Coventry University, where he studied vehicle design He worked briefly for Lotus Cars, before emigrating to the USA, where he mixed music with a passion for Porsches

As well as the LA music scene, Dickinson was also in the epicentre of all things US Porsche, with a well established 911 hot rod scene Dickinson was a notable player with his own 911 builds, but had a clear vision of what could be created. Others had taken the unloved 964 model 911 and given it the retro look, but in muso terms, Dickinson took the concept and turned it up to 11 (fittingly a Singer’s rev counter goes to 11, too), to create the productionised yet customer bespoke Singer Classic.

Singer can be credited with creating a whole new look, taking classic 911 styling cues but adding a modern twist and 21st century build and materials Exquisite detailing abounds in what are in effect ground up builds from carbon fibre bodyshells and a £500,000 plus price tag

Engine specs vary, but 350bhp from 3 8 litres is the norm, which is plenty in a car that weighs not much more than 1,000kg To drive it is to understand it It’s about the quality of performance over quantity, and to their credit, most Singer owners do actually drive their cars

The Classic is no more after a run of 450 cars, so it’s time now for the ‘Turbo Study’ to take the centre stage It’s based on the 964, but styled in homage to the earlier ‘impact bumper’ 930 Turbo And then there’s the £1.5million DLS (Dynamic and Lightweight Study), built in conjunction with Williams Advanced Engineering All 911s, but again, just not as we know them

NOT SO MELLOW YELLOW Ruf’s ‘Yellowbird’ was a video sensation before becoming a star in the Gran Turismo games series

Steve Bennett

ALL MOD CONS

There’s something about the Porsche 911 that makes it a favourite for the restomod treatment. We explore the world of restoring and modifying the German classic

ROCK AND ROLL Singer is at the heart of the Los Angeles Porsche 911 restomod scene. It all started with the Singer Classic, which is based on the 964

ARTFORART’S SAKE

Paul StephensAutoart 993 R

NOT Pfaffenhausen or Los Angeles, but Little Maplestead on the Suffolk/Essex borders. It’s home to Paul Stephens, the purveyor of all things classic Porsche and the UK’s most established constructor in the custom Porsche scene, with nearly 20 years of build excellence from his small team under the Autoart heading Rewind to the early days, when donor cars were cheap as chips, and it was the ’73 RS look that dominated. But times change, as do markets Stephens was the first to capitalise on the 964 and now the 993 forms the basis of the latest customer build. Five years in the making, it’s a one off and the very definition of bespoke, but such has been its reception that the order book is open for more, and subsequent customers will benefit from the development that has gone into this prototype machine

Whereas Singer and Gunther have that slightly more glitzy American vibe, the PS Autoart 993 R is devoid of any such bling But it shares the very same

ground up build ethos and attention to detail And subsequent builds will inevitably differ in detail, while retaining the core elements and underpinnings.

The 993 R isn’t a backdate as such nor even a restomod If anything, it looks more like a 993 that been projected a few years into the future, enhanced by the front and rear apron treatment and the 996 GT3 wheels The 3 8 litre engine has been built with torque and road traction in mind, rather than outright power. Nevertheless, 330bhp is far from shabby in a car that weighs just 1,200kg It also features bespoke electronic damping similar in concept to Porsche’s own PASM (Porsche Active Suspension Management), which is five way adjustable and perfectly dialled in and tuned for the UK’s er, unique topography. Seriously, of all the hot rodded Porsches we have driven, this the gold standard A snip too at £400,000, which comfortably undercuts most of the competition here.

SILVER STREAK

Paul Stephens Autoart’s 933 R is the company’s latest project

BESPOKE

Drivers can select one of five electronic damper settings that are tuned for UK roads

Based on: Porsche 993

INSTASTAR GuntherWerks 400R

Based on: Porsche 993

PERHAPS even more so than the Singer, a day in the Gunther Werks 400R is like being some sort of auto/ Porsche celebrity Just 25 examples have been built and most have only ever been seen on Instagram, with just one residing in the UK.

It’s hard not to draw comparisons with Singer, but mainly because Gunther Werks is another California based build, in Huntington Beach Gunther CEO Peter Nam is a passionate Porsche fan, and already had the technical wherewithal from launching and running hi tech bodywork outfit Vorsteiner

His self imposed brief was to imagine how Porsche might have built a 993 GT3 RS (the GT3 was introduced with the following 996 generation of the 911) Oh, and Gunther Werks takes its name from a renowned German American mechanical engineer at NASA in the sixties named Gunther Wendt.

Yes, it’s another half a million pound custom 911, but once you’ve seen what goes into the build, you probably wouldn’t begrudge that figure Head to Youtube for the full factory tour. In brief terms here, the super wide bodyshell is a carbon fibre masterpiece,

with barely an original panel left save for the steel doors and some crash structure It’s no stripped out special, either, and the interior is a stunning mix of carbon fibre, aluminium and leather, with jewel like details

But underneath the bodywork it’s seriously hardcore. The 400R’s stretched wheelarches demand an equally stretched wheel and tyre combination No other custom 911 wears boots this wide: 295/30x18 inches up front and 335/30x18 inches rears, wrapped around GW’s signature Fuchs inspired gold rims

Power comes from a 4 0 litre Rothsport Racing flat six, crammed with racing hardware and individual throttle bodies to produce the 400bhp.

A sense of the hardcore extends to the driving experience, too The power delivery is both noisy and savage, the ride is aggressive on JRZ coilovers, and yes, those incredibly wide front tyres with aggressive camber are quite a handful In a word: exciting

Long since sold out, the next offering from Gunther Werks is the twin turbo 993 based Project Tornado, with 700bhp and again limited to 25 cars. Any more would just be too common

KAMMIKAZE Kamm Manufaktur912C

Based on: Porsche 912

AND now for something very nearly completely different and from Hungary, no less, which is almost certainly not the first country you might think of when it comes to Porsches, be they standard or modified

Instead of taking a 911 and rewinding it, Budapest based tuner Miklos Kazmer takes the four cylinder 912 and sort of puts it into fast forward mode.

Kind of makes sense The 912 is lovely, light on its skinny wheels, and Porsche made plenty of them As far as classic Porsches go, they’re relatively affordable and not nearly as revered and sacrosanct as a classic 911, so modding is kind of fair game

The standard 912 weighs in at 950kg, but the Kamm car is claimed to be 750kg thanks to you guessed it copious amounts of carbon fibre outside and in.

Porsche’s standard 1 6 litre flat four has been taken to 2 0 litres, with lightweight internals and throttle bodies to mix fuel and air The resulting 168bhp might not sound like much, but then you don’t need much power to propel 750kg, and it sounds distinctive and downright rorty at its 7,200rpm red line

The manufacturer’s gearboxes of the era (it’s a Type 901) were rather vague, so on top of that it has a dog leg first gear, giving a shift pattern that is the reverse of what we’re all rather more used to It’s a classic Porsche, however, and it feels very much like a classic, but one that’s rather lighter on its skinny wheels and tyres and a good deal faster than its original donor Definitely one for the purist, we reckon And at £285,700, a wealthy purist at that

LIGHT WEIGHT Kamm makes good use of carbon fibre (right) in the 912C to reduce the car’s kerbweight from 950kg to 750kg

KAMM

Hungarian

AND

GET

IT

uses the 912 as the basis for its restomod

TURNING ITUPTO 11

Tuthill Porsche 911K

Based on: G Series 911

BACK in Blighty renowned Porsche rally experts Tuthill Porsche have long been in the game of modifying the German brand’s cars under founding father, Francis Tuthill and in recent years, Tuthill junior, Richard.

Up until now, the Oxfordshire firm has concentrated on the historic rally/race scene, but recently stole the show at the Quail in California (that place again)

It’s all about the numbers with this one: 11,000 and 850 Whereas the rev counter on a Singer might intimate that it will go to 11, the 3 1 litre engine in the Tuthill really will rev to 11,000rpm Blimey! And 850? That’s 850kg, thanks to a largely carbon fibre bodyshell and other weight saving measures such as a titanium

roll cage that if not bolted down would probably float And according to the Richard, that weight is without really trying There are no power figures yet, but we would guesstimate at 300 plus bhp, which will provide a pretty impressive power to weight ratio

Rather like the Paul Stephens car, the Tuthill 911K has been built with and for a specific customer, but his vision and the development will result in more, although no more than 33 in homage to the early seventies racing 911ST, which didn’t exceed that number

As yet, no one has driven this particular Tuthill 911K, but we’ll be trying our best to fight to the front of what will be a disorderly line to get behind the wheel.

Instead of taking a 911 and rewinding it, tuner Miklos Kazmer takes the four-cylinder 912 and kind of puts it into fast-forward mode

KNOWLEDGE

Tuthill’s 911K is a one off, so far, but the knowhow gained will be used for the other 32 cars the firm is planning to build

company Kamm Manufaktur

Visit

MG5 EV Long Range

FIRST UK DRIVE A new face helps to give electric estate broader appeal

what, on the face of things, is one of the most pragmatic cars on sale today

UK motorists might know the MG5 EV pretty much the only electric estate on sale as the Uber drivers’ chariot of choice But far from being a put down, that’s actually a strong endorsement Think about it: a taxi needs to be affordable to buy and run, spacious, efficient and reliable

The original MG5 was all of those things, and so is the new car But in an attempt to add a little more appeal while retaining the rational elements, the Chinese owned British brand has given its electric load lugger a facelift and we’re trying it in the UK

Hot on the heels of the fantastic MG4, the MG5’s styling has been updated with a modern, sleeker design at the front, while the rear end has been smartened up to balance the look. Sharper LED light clusters front and rear, a slimmer grille and deeper bumpers give just a hint of sportiness to

Inside, there’s a fresh fascia to boost perceived quality, while the MG5 also gains a 10.25 inch touchscreen infotainment system with the brand’s iSMART connected services tech It needs it to keep pace with the ever advancing level of connectivity cars at this price point are now packing.

And on the subject of price, the MG still undercuts pretty much everything on sale that offers this level of practicality and range Our top spec £33,495 Trophy Long Range model features 360 degree cameras, heated front seats, tinted windows, automatic wipers, climate control and 17 inch alloys on top of the already generous level of kit fitted to the base SE Long Range version (a Standard Range model won’t be offered)

For £30,995 you get MG Pilot driver assistance tech (adaptive cruise with lane centring, pedestrian detection and collision warning, autonomous emergency braking

and auto high beam assist), that 10.25 inch multimedia set up with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a seven inch digital dash, air con, full keyless go and vehicle to load charging, so you can power external devices.

The exterior design tweaks definitely help and the MG5 looks more European, even if an electric estate might not be quite as appealing as an SUV to some. The same is true inside, because the car’s new dash design looks smart and freshens up a basic but uncluttered cabin

Material quality could still be better in places, but remember this car is priced at a similar level to some supermini EVs, with the space and range to match an electric family SUV, and you can accept some compromise. Even in range topping Trophy trim the MG is

only £50 more expensive than a top spec Peugeot e 208 GT, while it undercuts the Fiat 500 La Prima model by £150

Yet its 61 1kWh battery offers up to 235 miles of range (SE spec claims more, at 250 miles) and with DC charging at up to 87kW, a 10 80 per cent top up takes just 35 minutes Plug in to a 7kW wallbox at home and a full charge will take 10 hours.

On our test with a mixture of motorway and urban driving, and everything in between these two extremes, the MG5 EV recorded efficiency of 3.6 miles/kWh, which means that with a usable capacity of 57 4kWh a real world range of 206 miles should be achievable In cooler conditions with the heater and heated seats on, and temperatures not conducive to the best

“The 61.1kWh battery offers up to 235 miles of range, or up to 250 miles in SE spec”

Sean Carson

sean carson@autovia co uk

“There are improvements to its design and technology, but MG5’s space and versatility remain”

NEWCARS

range from the battery, getting this close to MG’s claims is certainly respectable. Plus, the MG5 consumed energy at a predictable rate, which makes it easy to plan ahead always a welcome trait in an electric car

The battery supplies a 153bhp front mounted motor, which delivers enough performance for a 7 7 second 0 62mph time On the move, it’s the 280Nm of torque that’s more obvious, no matter whether you’re in town, on a country road or the motorway It gives the MG5 enough grunt to be swift rather than sporty the chassis means there’s not much in the way of fun, but the light steering is direct and body roll is relatively well controlled It feels secure

The ride control is fine too The platform doesn’t have the same level of finesse found in the new MSP architecture that underpins the MG4 hatchback, but it dampens bigger bumps relatively well so that while there is obvious body movement, it doesn’t throw passengers around inside too much It feels relatively fluid and there’s travel in the suspension to deliver enough compliance Things get a little more bobbly on broken roads, but the MG does a good job of smoothing out the worst imperfections and never breaks down into crashiness

When cruising, refinement is good There’s not much wind noise, and there’s barely any whine from the motor, even with the most aggressive regenerative braking mode engaged

There are three levels to choose from: 1, 2 and 3. The top of the brake pedal’s travel is difficult to modulate, so it needs finesse But the highest setting provides a fair level of retardation when you lift off, even if you still have to drive with anticipation because it won’t deliver one pedal driving like some more advanced feeling but admittedly more expensive EVs

Value

This is where the MG5 EV excels what it offers for what you pay and while we’ve seen improvements to its design and technology, space and versatility are constants On the subject of value, while the cash price is enticing, representative finance deals of £428 a month on the Trophy (based on a £6,699 deposit and a three year/30,000 mile contract with a £250 deposit contribution) are competitive Plus MG says you will be able to get one easily, with 1,250 cars in stock by the end of the year and a 14 week wait time on orders

Space inside is good, with rear passengers treated to a relatively generous level of legroom, thanks in part to a 2,659mm wheelbase, but headroom is a little tighter, especially in the front Given the estate car’s low ish roofline, you sit high up in the driver’s seat, but this does at least give good visibility The 479 litre boot means families won’t struggle for luggage space either; at least it’s comparable with an SUV such as the Kia Niro EV, which offers 475 litres.

MG matches Kia with a seven year warranty too, and this approach characterises the MG5 In many areas and certainly the ones that count the MG5 EV already made a solid case for itself But its extra style and technology mean it’s even more convincing

INTERIOR

Rotary gear selector is similar to MG4 hatch’s, while dash design has been freshened up New 10 25 inch multimedia set up gives a more hi tech feel and boosts the level of kit on offer. Material quality could be better, however

“The MG5 smooths out the worst imperfections and never breaks down into crashiness”

Verdict

DESPITE a small increase in price (let’s face it, which brand hasn’t had to hike its prices?) the new MG5 is very much a worthwhile update It adds some great tech and smarter styling inside and out without compromising the previous car’s strong points: practicality, affordability and efficiency. The range is genuinely usable and charging is acceptably quick MG is on a roll, with more products coming down the track, and this refreshed MG5 shows it’s serious about its European line up.

BMW i7 xDrive60

Excellence

Price: £108,305

Powertrain: 101 7kWh battery, 2x e motors

Power/torque: 537bhp/745Nm

Transmission: Single speed automatic, all wheel drive

0 60mph: 4 7 seconds

Top speed: 149mph

Range: 367 388 miles

Charging: 195kW, 10 80% in 34 mins

BMW i7

FIRST

AS we transition from petrol to electric, manufacturers are forging their own paths when it comes to construction, body shapes and styling. Some build bespoke EVs with unique platforms, others adapt ICE cars to house bulky battery technology

BMW thinks it has one solution to suit all: first pick your model, then your powertrain. In the case of the new 7 Series, that means each customer gets what is ostensibly the same 5 4 metre body, with a choice of petrol, diesel, plug in or fully electric powertrains

In focusing its efforts on what luxury limos such as the 7 Series and Mercedes S Class do best, BMW has refused to cut corners when it comes to comfort By keeping that familiar shape, the new 7 Series offers imperious rear seat practicality

Technology is placed front and centre, even before you get in You can option automatic doors, which open and close at the touch of a button They have sensors to prevent them opening into oncoming hazards, but the downside is they rarely operate seamlessly. To open the driver’s door, you need to be standing rearwards of the B pillar; it doesn’t feel that intuitive Inside, you’re greeted by BMW’s latest single piece curved display and software. The dashboard is clean in its design and the materials used are first rate The centre

console has a minimalist feel, with no bulky gear selector Thankfully, BMW has opted to retain the easy to use clickwheel. The tall roofline means rear headroom is generous, while the long wheelbase ensures there is loads of legroom in the back, too

That hi tech experience is elevated to another level in the rear Nestled in the doors is a pair of touch sensitive remotes, operating everything from the blinds to the temperature. They also control the 31 inch Theatre Screen. This £4,000 display folds from the roof, granting access to things like Netflix and YouTube It’s slick, and with 8K graphics, the visuals are fantastic The Bowers & Wilkins stereo has ‘exciters’ in the seats, vibrating to add cinema like sensation to whatever you’re watching

And yet despite the car’s gargantuan wheelbase, it all feels a little close set. Even with the front seats pushed forward, there’s limited scope to position the screen further away It’s a bit like sitting in the first few rows of a theatre; immersive, but not that comfortable If your driver has particularly long legs, the screen won’t fold down at all

But as has always been the case, BMW wants the 7 Series to be the luxury car for drivers, as well as those who like to be driven From launch there is just one i7 available: the xDrive60 It boasts 537bhp and 745Nm of torque, plus all wheel drive.

As you can imagine, with that kind of power the i7 pulls strongly at any speed,

forcing the car to sit back on its rear axle if you plant your right foot from a standstill. And yet the car’s new active roll stabilisation makes a decent fist of keeping the 7 Series level during fast cornering; select the Executive Drive Suspension for £3,500 and the car will “actively adjust the body height on the corresponding side of the vehicle” to reduce lean It works well, although we’d argue this is of greater benefit to those in the back, since it removes engagement you might have enjoyed as a driver

It’s impressive how something of this style and stature blends refinement with deft, executive car composure, however. The i7 seems to ride beautifully

We struggled slightly to determine how many miles the i7 would cover on a charge, with the car’s trip computer swinging wildly in fairly consistent conditions Overall, we think a real world range of just over 300 miles is feasible

BMW has shied away from the 800V electrics found on cars like the Porsche Taycan and Audi e tron GT, favouring the larger peak charging plateau of 195kW A 10 80 per cent charge takes 34 minutes.

Prices for the i7 start from £108,305, including adaptive LED lights, a fixed glass roof, four zone climate control and all round air suspension. M Sport costs £4,500 more and features gloss black trim, bigger wheels and M Sport brakes

“By focusing its efforts on what luxury limos do best, BMW has refused to cut corners when it comes to comfort”

Richard Ingram

Richard Ingram@autovia co uk @rsp ingram

STEPPING from the i7 to the 760i, you’re immediately aware of sounds and vibrations that weren’t there in the EV. The V8 is refined, but it’s hard to ignore these muted interruptions through the seat.

On paper, the 760i is half a second faster to 62mph than the i7, but it doesn’t have the same instant punch. Where the petrol motor comes into its own is on character; the i7’s soundtrack can’t match the bassy tone of a V8.

You might expect the 760i to feel a little more agile, too, being almost 400kg lighter And yet while the V8 is no more direct or fleet of foot, it still handles with grace for a car this big and heavy.

BMW’s decision to align the i7 with the standard 7 Series rather than build a standalone EV like Mercedes did was a stroke of genius. Cars like these are bought to be chauffeured in, and Merc’s loss is BMW’s gain; the i7 is a fantastic luxury car, with a spacious cabin and heaps of tech. We’d leave the Theatre Screen off the options list, though; it’s a bit of a gimmick

SIZE

Despite being on sale for 50 years, the Caterham Seven hasn’t really grown, so it feels delightfully old school today, if a little exposing

Caterham

Ingram Alex Ingram@autovia co uk @AxleIngram

IT’S 50 years since Caterham bought the rights to the old Lotus Seven, and to celebrate this half century of small sports car history, this new Super Seven 2000 marks the occasion with lots of seventies flair

While Caterham has been building the Seven, it has become one of the biggest and best names when it comes to lightweight performance cars, and the Super Seven 2000 doesn’t buck that trend It’s one of two specials to mark the 50th anniversary, the other being the Super Seven 600

The most obvious period touch is the long, flowing front wings like those used on a host of Caterhams in the seventies and eighties Other nods to the past include the chrome fuel filler cap and polished exhaust, although the bright LED tail lights add a modern safety element.

Four new colours are available that are exclusive to the 600 and 2000 Our car’s

Tobacco Brown finish is a £1,250 option. Inside, the traditional theme continues. Instead of a suede trimmed, quick release steering wheel, there’s a handsome, leather Moto Lita rim The Smiths gauges really look the part, as does the ‘ginger’ leather upholstery, which not only looks achingly period but smells wonderful, too We could take or leave the dashboard’s mock wood finish, though. At least it’s an option.

Mechanically, the Super Seven 2000 is much the same as the existing 360 model Under the bonnet is a 180bhp 2 0 litre Ford Duratec engine that sends drive to the rear wheels via a five speed manual gearbox There’s no traction control, no ABS and not even a radio, contributing to a kerbweight that starts from just 585kg. Firing the Seven up is done by the turn of a key under the

dash, and then a prod of the red starter button beside the wheel The engine chunters into life with a lumpy and bassy rumble, and thanks to a lightened flywheel, revs quickly with every prod of the throttle.

As with other Caterhams, every drive is an event There’s noise and vibration, but also a smooth and easy flow that comes with such little weight to move around The manual gearbox’s shift action has some heft to it, but the ratios click into place in a way that gives huge satisfaction The ride isn’t harsh, but the tiny dimensions mean that you get jostled around by larger bumps.

Performance isn’t in short supply At 4 8 seconds from 0 62mph, the 2000’s figures match those of the regular 360 and put it well into the territory of some serious hot hatchbacks But those cars are often

Alex

NEED TO KNOW

accompanied by a flat turbocharged drone and fake exhaust bangs What you get here is a naturally aspirated four cylinder unit that snarls under load; the engine hisses as you open the throttle, gulping in as much air as possible The exhaust, exiting right beside the driver’s right hip, will occasionally pop on the overrun

Perhaps one Super Seven 2000 change that makes a bigger difference to the character than any other, though, is the wheel and tyre arrangement The Minilite look 14 inch wheels are wrapped in Avon ZT1 tyres that are a very modest 175mm wide at the front and 185mm at the rear Not only does this mean that the steering is light while still maintaining the instant response and wonderful feedback we’ve come to expect from all Caterhams but also that grip levels are slightly lower than in other high performance Sevens.

It drops the limit of adhesion to a level that’s wonderfully exploitable On a damp

surface, the mix of skinny tyres, low weight and punchy engine means that, if you’re a little too keen with your right foot, it’s quite easy to spin up the rear wheels from a standstill. But while that might seem a bit lairy, it only highlights how approachable and much fun the Super Seven 2000 is

The chassis balance is perfect, the responses are instantaneous, and you’re fully aware of exactly what’s happening at each corner of the car at all times There’s little else you can buy today that’ll involve you so deeply in the process of driving.

Prices start from £39,990 in kit form, or £2,495 more if you’d rather put your trust in the professionals and let Caterham build it for you. That’s £4,000 more than the standard 360 model Our car featured £9,995 of options, including the build fee, paint, but also a wider chassis and lowered floor, at £2,750 and £600 respectively. They’re both worth considering if you happen to be of above average build

COSTING £4,000 more than the equivalent Seven 360, some people might find the Super Seven 2000’s price premium hard to justify However, for a car where individuality plays such a big part, we don’t see too much of an issue with the hike, especially when it’s one of the most approachable yet fun models Caterham has produced in its 50 year history.

Skoda Enyaq

Coupé iV vRS

THERE’S an interesting divide between the approaches of Skoda and Volkswagen when it comes to labelling their hot EVs. While VW has repurposed the GTX badge for go faster versions of the ID 4 and ID 5 instead of using its sacred GTI tag Skoda sticks its vRS branding on various parts of the fastest Enyaq Coupé, and soon the equivalent Enyaq SUV.

It makes some degree of sense The vRS badge is applied on a variety of fast Skodas, including reasonably swift diesels and plug in hybrids, as well as quick petrol models. And the statistics of the Enyaq Coupé vRS certainly seem to warrant the badge, with the 295bhp twin motor powertrain delivering a 0 62mph time of 6.5 seconds.

As with the rest of the Enyaq line up, power comes from an 82kWh battery (77kWh useable), giving an official range of up to 309 miles. In reality, you can expect more like 250 270 miles A 10 80 per cent top up is possible in 36 minutes thanks to 135kW charging, but some rivals do better in this regard.

For all this, Skoda is expecting customers to hand over some £54,370 Thankfully, as well as the extra performance, you get additional standard equipment, including 20 inch wheels, acoustic glass, matrix

an illuminated grille Is the

NEED TO KNOW

Skoda Coupé

FIRST UK DRIVE Is elect

latter impressive or ostentatious? We’ll leave that up to you to decide

The Enyaq Coupé vRS is a couple of tenths faster than a petrol Octavia vRS from 0 62mph, but from the driving seat it doesn’t feel that quick You brace for that typical EV instant hit of searing acceleration, only to find such measures are unnecessary It feels reasonably punchy up to about 30mph, but less so beyond that

The silence doesn’t help Believe it or not, we found ourselves wishing for some cabin sound augmentation, as used by rivals. Scoff at such set ups all you want, but cars like this prove they do have some merit

In truth, the combination of a linear EV power delivery and a hefty kerbweight (the vRS is nearly 2 2 tonnes) mean you need a lot of power and torque to provide thrills But

LED lights and

vRS badging has been carried over to Skoda

PRACTICALITY

RIDE AND HANDLING

Enyaq iV vRS

tric SUV worthy of sporty badge?

hampering the vRS further is the fact you don’t always get the full beans, as explained in the small print of the brochure

Maximum output is delivered for up to 10 seconds at a time, and only if the battery is at a certain temperature and charged beyond 88 per cent However, most of the time it’s advisable to charge EVs to 80 per cent and no more for the sake of battery longevity, as also noted in the very next sentence of Skoda’s disclaimer

The vRS’s underwhelming dynamics continue in the corners, too. It feels heavy and unwieldy in tighter turns, and while its rear motor is far more powerful than the front, don’t expect a rear led attitude the Skoda feels neutral for the most part, except when its bulk pushes the front end into understeer Body roll isn’t too significant, at

least, especially in Sport mode, but there’s an unfortunate trade off in terms of ride comfort

In this firmer setting, the adaptive dampers feel harsh, making for bouncy progress over a B road. You’re better off avoiding this mode altogether (and the optional 21 inch wheels) because it makes little noticeable difference to other driving parameters, besides slightly increasing the steering weight and engaging a paddleshift operated, three level regenerative braking system In any case, you can mix and match settings in the Individual profile. It’s also possible to engage the full ‘B’ regenerative braking set up

The Enyaq vRS disappoints when driven quickly, calling into question the point of paying extra for this version. It’s far more impressive when driven at a relaxed pace Then, you might notice that the cabin seems

quite awkwardly for Volkswagen far more premium than the ID 5’s, with better use of materials and fewer cheap feeling parts Refinement is brilliant and the cabin is further enhanced with a panoramic roof plus a 13 inch touchscreen It’s still a little laggy, and having to use it for climate controls remains a distracting pain Meanwhile the touch sensitive volume control underneath the screen isn’t the most intuitive feature

In terms of practicality, you lose little in choosing the Coupé over the SUV Boot space drops by 15 litres, with 570 litres on offer The sloping tailgate means some bulkier items that’ll fit in the SUV won’t go in here, but that’s no surprise Taller passengers might need to duck a little more when getting into the back, but they’ll get on just fine with the headroom

Verdict

THIS first drive on UK roads hasn’t changed our minds about the Enyaq Coupé vRS it doesn’t feel fast, engaging or exciting enough to wear the vRS badge, and even with its extra standard equipment, it’s not worth the premium over lesser powered derivatives of Skoda’s first bespoke

EV All its best attributes can be found across the Enyaq range, so you’re best off saving your money. It is, at least, a better bet than the closely related Volkswagen ID 5 GTX, but the rapidly growing performance EV sector features many more convincing rivals.

Enyaq feels chunky, and despite decent power and torque, the weight dulls straight line performance and agility

“The Enyaq vRS is faster than an Octavia vRS from 0-62mph, but it doesn’t feel that quick”

Shale Hester tristan shale hester@autovia co uk @tristan shale

BELIEVE it or not, there was once a time when you needed to leave your home if you wanted to buy something Today, however, you can get just about anything you want delivered to your front door.

The advent of online ordering means that city streets are becoming increasingly crowded with couriers Bicycles and mopeds are the favourite choice for some particularly those delivering takeaway food but large grocery and retail orders require the use of a car or, more often, a van This poses the question of whether there’s a happy medium, something with more storage capacity than a scooter, but smaller and cheaper to buy than a van.

Citroen thinks it has the answer in the form of the Ami Cargo This is the commercial version of its electric quadricycle, with the passenger seat removed to make way for a set of shelves that packages can be placed on.

To put this innovative vehicle and its 260 litre load capacity to the test, we got back in touch with Amore Bakery which impressed us with its Tesla delivery cars back in Issue 1,557 and were given permission to deliver some of the company’s baked goods to customers in central London

Delivery

We meet up with Dalius from Amore in West London to receive the two boxes of sweet treats that need delivering in the city He arrives in one of the firm’s Tesla delivery cars, a Model 3, as he prepared to visit customers further afield

It’s fair to say few cars receive more attention than the Ami, with countless pedestrians and cyclists stopping in the street to ask about it Dalius wants to have a poke around the Citroen, too, and we set off when he’s finished Our first delivery is a box of biscuits for a software company in Holborn, which means a seven mile journey into the city centre during the morning rush hour

The most obvious route is the Westway, but the electric Ami only has a top speed of 28mph It can’t be driven on motorways and, although it is technically legal for use on dual carriageways, Citroen advises against this

Our route instead takes us through Shepherd’s Bush and down Holland Park Avenue At no point do we encounter a speed limit higher than 30mph, and much of the time we are on 20mph roads in heavy traffic, so the Ami’s modest top speed is no issue

But its diminutive size is no great advantage, either The Ami only takes up half of a parking bay, but it can’t filter through stationary traffic in the way a moped or bicycle can, so we still find ourselves sitting in jams

The journey takes the best part of an hour, by the end of which we’re fairly uncomfortable. The Ami’s ride is incredibly harsh and the thin plastic seats offer minimal support That said, there is a huge amount of legroom for the driver, because you sit right over the back wheels with your head almost touching the rear window

We pull up at our first delivery location having just had a conversation at a set of traffic lights with a passer by who asked about the Ami and go inside Here we meet Jakub, who has placed the order It turns out he’s a car enthusiast who has read about the Citroen Ami, but hasn’t seen one in the metal (or plastic in the Ami’s case)

He comes outside to get a quick look and is intrigued. Jakub has to get back to the office, so he signs for the biscuits and goes on his way Our next delivery is a large crate of

cupcakes for an investment firm in the City of London, which means driving another 3 5 miles to the east Much of this time is spent on larger roads where, to the Ami’s credit, we feet perfectly safe We even get plenty of stares from tourists making their way to the Tower of London, while other people take the occasional photo

Eventually, we park the Ami up outside an enormous skyscraper and are greeted by a security guard, whose initial reaction to the Citroen is one of confusion He is interested, though, and more importantly allows us to take our cupcake delivery up to the sixth floor

Handover complete, it’s time to traverse back across the city Traffic has eased up by this point and we wonder if aggression from impatient drivers wanting to go more than 28mph might be a problem, but no such issues are encountered. In fact, other road users’ attitudes towards the Ami are positive; indeed, there is no busy junction we don’t get let out of

At the end of this journey around the capital, we are impressed overall by the Ami Cargo as a concept. It isn’t the most comfortable vehicle in the world, but the little Citroen has kept us warm and dry for the duration

There’s no doubt the Ami wouldn’t be suitable for all purposes, but if we were working for Amazon or Deliveroo on a cold, rainy night, we’d pick it over a moped any day

Tristan

“Much of the time we are on 20mph roads in heavy traffic, so the Ami’s modest top speed is no issue”

“If

TRISTAN SHALE HESTER Current affairs editor

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IT’S a Saturday evening in 1990 something. You’ve just switched off the radio which was playing wall to wall Britpop and flick on the chunky TV to watch Noel’s House Party A Blockbuster VHS is sitting on the coffee table ready to view, while just outside the window, ready for tomorrow’s Sunday drive, is parked… one of the cars we’re about to discuss over the next 30 pages, perhaps.

Or maybe one or more of these cars was your motoring dream? You might have read about them in a car magazine such as Auto Express, or they may have adorned your bedroom walls in poster form.

The nineties was a fantastic decade for cars, wasn’t it? As the boxy styling trends of the eighties gave way to organic curves, and technical innovations appeared at an incredible rate, anything seemed possible Yes, there were plenty of outlandish supercars and fire breathing homologation specials, but also stacks of more ordinary cars that were brilliant enough to raise a smile each time you got behind the wheel.

It’s also a great era from which to buy a car today New enough to still feel fresh and be reasonably reliable, yet old enough to offer something very different to the modern equivalent, a nineties car can easily slot into your life to make it a whole lot brighter. A lot of them are still pretty affordable, allowing you to get that hit of motoring nostalgia without raiding the savings account too heavily

We’ve picked out 50 favourites, ranging from affordable heroes to high end supercars. On page 58, we’ve put our top three together for a retrospective road test to celebrate this great motoring decade

Matt Robinson Matt Robinson@autovia co uk @matt 201

BEST CARS OF THE S

Stuart Milne

SINCE the days of Buster Keaton, cars have played a vital role in some of the world’s best loved films. In fact, the cars are often more widely remembered than the actors Who could name the main characters in Ronin, or the actor who played Garth in Wayne’s World? But you’d probably recognise those films’ Audi S8 or AMC Pacer. With non stop streaming, it can be hard to reflect on cars from the big and small screens of today But there are no such worries when looking back to the start of the 1990s, at a time where cars really were the stars. Read on to see our pick of the most memorable

1. AMC Pacer (Wayne’s World, 1992)

MIKE Myers’ film provided cameos from superstars including Meat Loaf and Alice Cooper, but it was Wayne’s AMC Pacer that stole the show in the iconic Bohemian Rhapsody scene The Pacer was a forward thinking model that was among the first hatchbacks, but its role as the ‘Mirthmobile’ propelled it to superstardom

2. Porsche 911 Turbo 3.6 (Bad Boys, 1995)

THE plot might be standard buddy cop action comedy, but few will forget director Michael Bay’s textbook scene as the stars escape an exploding aircraft hangar in a 964 generation Porsche 911 Turbo 3 6, chasing down an AC Cobra driving villain Less than 1,500 Turbo 3 6s were built, and as star Will Smith says, it is “one of the fastest production cars on the planet”.

3. Batmobile (Batman Returns, 1992)

THERE have been many Batmobiles, but Tim Burton’s Batman Returns car is regarded as the most popular His slick jet turbine Batmobile featured kit to rival James Bond’s Aston Martin DB5: ejector seats, a roof top missile rack and oil slick dispenser. Technical details are scarce, but it’s said to dispatch 0 60mph in just 3.7 seconds.

4. Audi S8 (Ronin, 1998)

FEW films are so defined by their car chase sequences as Ronin The plot doesn’t really matter; what does is the breathless action, especially the gritty chase involving the Audi S8 and a rather incongruous Citroen XM. The sights of the pair threading through crowded French streets are sensational Rarely has a big, luxury saloon looked so threatening in celluloid

5 Ford Sierra Sapphire RS Cosworth (Spender, 1991)

IT’S hard to imagine that 14 million people regularly tuned in to see Jimmy Nail as DS Freddie Spencer; the BBC police drama has rarely surfaced since Buoyed by the success of product placement in The Sweeney and The Professionals, Ford supplied the car which has fared better than the series Corgi even produced a Spender Sierra, now proving surprisingly collectable

6 Ford Explorer (Jurassic Park, 1993)

THE most garishly painted car on our list, and another to be immortalised as a die cast model, Jurassic Park’s Ford Explorer starred in one of the film’s most iconic scenes The SUV was turned over and destroyed by a T Rex, which escaped from its enclosure while the power was switched off. But the Ford nearly didn’t feature at all; in the novel, EXP 04, one of the cars destroyed by the giant theropod was actually a Toyota Land Cruiser

7. Ford Thunderbird (Thelma & Louise, 1991)

AS emotional endings for films and cars go, Thelma & Louise is up there The two heroines embarked on a road trip in a 1966 Thunderbird convertible, before a series of unfortunate events sees them pursued by the police culminating with the pair driving over a cliff to evade capture At least one of the five cars used escaped, was signed by Geena Davis (Thelma) and fetched $71,000 at auction in 2008

8 BMW 7 Series (Tomorrow Never Dies, 1997)

AS you might expect, James Bond has no ordinary 7 Series in Tomorrow Never Dies Pierce Brosnan takes to the road in the long wheelbase 750iL, which has been fettled by MI6’s mastermind Q. While kit like stinger missiles remain outright fantasy, front and rear video cameras, fingerprint recognition, voice recognition and remote control operation are all surprisingly prescient.

9. Mini (Mr Bean, 1990)

MR Bean actor Rowan Atkinson might be a well known aficionado of classics and supercars, but he’s most associated with something altogether more pedestrian It’s hard to pin down the definitive Bean Mini, because there were at least six of them. Not that it matters, because as long as it has Citron yellow paint, the black bonnet and a padlock on the doors plus occasionally an armchair on the roof it can’t fail to raise a smile.

10. Jaguar Mk II (Inspector Morse, 1987 2000)

CRIMES came and went over 33 episodes of Inspector Morse, but one thing remained: the eponymous character’s Jaguar Mk II Perhaps having fond memories of the ‘blaggers’ Jags during his time in The Sweeney, John Thaw insisted on the Mk II the original novels had the character behind the wheel of a Lancia Thaw’s fondness for the Jaguar was probably rooted in the styling rather than its dynamics He once described it as a “beggar to drive”

Vauxhall Vectra (B)

Years produced: 1995 2000 Price then/now: £14,000/£800 Engine: 2 0 litre 4cyl petrol, 134bhp Top speed: 131mph 0 62mph: 9 6 seconds

THE Vectra B the last car Vauxhall made in its Luton plant may not have been quite as competitive as the Cavalier it replaced, but its significance in the nineties can’t be overstated. It was affordable and made a great long distance cruiser, and fleet managers adored it. The platform proved its potential in the BTCC Super Touring era inspired Supertouring 200, too

Fiat Multipla

AUTO Express once described the Multipla as “a family car that not only scares children, but makes their parents wince, too” But we’ve grown more appreciative of what the Fiat was trying to do: be a little different in a class that offered little in the way of visual excitement The car worked well as an MPV, with its three abreast front seating arrangement helping it to accommodate six people within its relatively short footprint. Huge windows meant it felt airy inside, too, but many couldn’t look past the styling

Saab 9-5

Years produced: 1997 2010 Price then/now: £23,000/£1,000

Engine: 2.3 litre 4cyl turbocharged petrol, 168bhp

Top speed: 141mph 0-62mph: 8 5 seconds

GENERAL Motors ownership meant the replacement for the ageing 9000 had to use the same platform as the Vauxhall Vectra B, but that didn’t stop Saab adding all its usual quirks These included the strange ignition slot placement, the jet fighter inspired ‘Night Panel’, and Saab’s own H engine with vast quantities of turbo boost. Aero HOT models made 227bhp and later 247bhp, all shoved through the front wheels German rivals always drove better, but the 9 5 was a great alternative

Skoda Felicia

Years produced: 1994 2001

Price then/now: £6,000/£1,000

Engine: 1 3 litre petrol 4cyl, 67bhp

Top speed: 94mph 0 62mph: 15 5 secs

THE Felicia is a milestone car for Skoda It was the first model the firm built under Volkswagen Group ownership, and while the supermini shared much with its Favorit predecessor, it was a huge leap forward for the brand. The Felicia transformed Skoda’s image from that of a maker of old fashioned, poorly built cars to one that could produce dependable and great value products Judging by various ownership surveys, drivers loved the Felicia

BEST CARS OF THE

Years produced: 1996 2002 Price then/now: £23,000/£1,500 Engine: 2 2 litre 4cyl diesel, 113bhp Top speed: 111mph 0 62mph: 14 5 seconds

Renault Espace III

IT was the boom time for the MPV segment in the nineties, much like it is now for SUVs. Buyers could go one of two main directions: opt for something conventional and, it must be said, a little boring like the Ford Galaxy and its SEAT/Volkswagen relatives, or be interesting and go for a Renault

Espace Oddball details included a centrally positioned digital dashboard with a huge glovebox underneath, incredible front visibility and a body made of fibreglass.

It was also an important milestone in automotive history, being the last car built by Matra, which went bust a year after production of the model ended

Vauxhall Corsa B

Years produced: 1993 2000

Price then/now: £8,500/£500

Engine: 1 4 litre 4cyl petrol, 59bhp

Top speed: 96mph 0 62mph: 14 seconds

BRINGING the Corsa name to Britain for the first time, the ‘B’ replaced the boxy looks of the outgoing Nova with an in vogue curvy aesthetic, plus a considerably roomier and more refined cabin More than 600,000 were sold in the UK alone, with attractive pricing and an easy going nature making the Vauxhall ideal for all sorts of drivers. It’s not the kind of car people look to preserve, so only a fraction of those sold now survive

Volvo 850

Years produced: 1991 1997 Price then/now: £22,500/£3,000 Engine: 2.3 litre 4cyl turbo petrol, 225bhp Top speed: 149mph 0-62mph: 7 3 seconds

THE 850 will be best remembered for its outrageously quick performance derivatives, particularly the T5 R, whose turbocharged inline five provides a 0 62mph time of around six seconds; we’d still consider that fast today Volvo also raised eyebrows by racing an 850 Estate in the BTCC, further enhancing the car’s sporting credentials. But really, you had a great car whatever 850 you bought, fast or not. It provided a credible alternative to a BMW or a Mercedes, and included the first use of side impact airbags

Years produced: 1995 2005

Price then/now: £28,000/£2,000 Engine: 3 0 litre petrol V6, 220bhp Top speed: 155mph 0 62mph: 6 5 secs

THE GTV proved Alfa Romeo could do great if somewhat flawed things even with front wheel drive Fiat platforms Adopting underpinnings commonly used by the Tipo, Alfa fitted a more sophisticated independent multi-link suspension, added a sleek and beautiful body (with the choice of a drop top ‘Spider’ version), and offered the package with a cracking range of engines, including the cracking V6

Honda Insight

Years produced: 1999 2009 Price then/now: £17,000/£7,000 Engine: 1.0 litre 3cyl hybrid petrol, 72bhp Top speed: 112mph 0 62mph: 12.5 seconds

THE first Honda Insight looked like nothing else on the roads when it arrived near the end of the nineties, but its spaceship like teardrop shape wasn’t there to turn heads It was all about aero; the Insight needed to cut through the air as cleanly as possible to increase fuel economy,

which was stellar thanks to the car’s innovative hybrid powertrain and 835kg kerbweight. Officially it would do 69mpg, but owners will tell you it’s good for even more Unfortunately for the Insight, the more practical Toyota Prius came along the next year and was far more popular

Jaguar XJ (X308)

Years produced: 1997 2003 Price then/now: £35,000/£2,000

Engine: 3.2 litre V8 petrol, 237bhp Top speed: 140mph 0-62mph: 8 1 seconds

THIS version of the XJ might have been pretty old underneath, using the ageing underpinnings of the XJ40 generation car, but Jaguar proved the old dog still had a few tricks left The interior had a welcome makeover from the outgoing X300, and the inline six engines were ditched for an all new V8 the ‘AJ’ engine Jaguar Land Rover still makes today. Ride and refinement were top drawer, even in the XJR with its 370bhp supercharged AJ. It’s XJs like this that make us sad Jaguar has all but given up on the model line

BEST CARS OF THE S

Alfa Romeo 156

Years produced: 1996 2007 Price then/now: £20,000/£1,000

Engine: 2.0 litre 4cyl petrol, 153bhp Top speed: 134mph 0-62mph: 8 6 seconds

Years produced: 1998 2005

Price then/now: £22,500/£1,000 Engine: 2 5 litre V6 petrol, 174bhp Top speed: 137mph 0-62mph: 8 2 seconds

Rover 75

DESPITE an increasingly strained relationship with parent company BMW making for a difficult development, Rover launched one of its best ever cars in what ended up being the company’s twilight years The 75 looked great, had a fabulous interior and drove beautifully.

The motoring press received it warmly, and owners loved them. It probably had a few more years of life left in it when MG Rover’s collapse ended production in 2005, but at least the company delivered the significantly re-engineered, rearwheel drive, Ford V8 version before the 75’s end

ALFA Romeo’s attempts to make a credible alternative to the BMW 3 Series didn’t come to fruition until the release of the brilliant (if slightly flawed) Giulia in 2016 But the 156 was a decent earlier effort, and did commendably well, considering its less than exciting Fiat base It still looks great today from outside, inside and even under the bonnet, where you’ll usually find the silver rocker cover of a Twin Spark inline four, or sometimes the gorgeous chrome inlet pipes of the V6. Infamously, the estate version had a smaller official luggage capacity than the saloon How very Alfa

“

Nissan Micra (K11)

Years produced: 1992 2002

Price then/now: £8,000/£800

Engine: 1 0 litre 4cyl petrol, 54bhp Top speed: 93mph 0 62mph: 15.0 seconds

THE K11 version of the Nissan Micra is one of the least exciting cars here, but it’s also one of the most important. Its cute, bubbly proportions make it not just the most recognisable generation of the Japanese supermini, but also one of the most easily identifiable Nissans of all It scooped the European Car of the Year award in 1993 becoming the first Japanese car to ever do so and sold by the boatload. Strong sales combined with robust build quality means K11s are still a reasonably common sight on UK roads today, doing exactly what the car set out to do originally: provide dependable transport for the masses

Vauxhall Calibra

Years produced: 1990 1997

Price then/now: £27,000/£1,500 Engine: 2.0 litre 4cyl turbo petrol, 204bhp Top speed: 152mph 0 62mph: 6 8 seconds

THE Vauxhall Calibra was one of many coupés of the nineties that brought great looks in a practical package to the masses. It had a USP, though with a drag coefficient of just 0.26Cd, it was the slipperiest production car of the time, and remained so until the Honda Insight (see number 43) usurped it nine years after the Vauxhall’s UK launch It was also properly quick in Turbo form, with a turbocharged inline four and four wheel drive providing a 0 62mph time of 6.8 seconds and a top speed of 152mph.

Fiat Coupé

Years produced: 1995 2005 Price then/now: £22,800/£4,000 Engine: 2.0 litre 5cyl turbo petrol, 220bhp Top speed: 155mph 0-62mph: 6 4 seconds

IT’S hard to believe the Fiat Coupé is nearly 30 years old It looks as head turning today as it did in 1995, with its sharp lines and ‘baby Ferrari’ vibe, which it owes to Chris Bangle, better known for his later (and controversial) work as design chief at BMW Under that striking two door bodywork lies a rather less exotic front wheel drive Fiat Tipo platform, but as demonstrated by the Alfa Romeo GTV (see number 40), those underpinnings had great potential. It helped that Fiat didn’t hold back in the engine department, with the most potent version using a boisterous turbocharged inline five

“ THE MICRA BECAME THE FIRST JAPANESE CAR TO BE EUROPEAN CAR OF THE YEAR ”

BEST CARS OF THE S

Citroen ZX

Years produced: 1991 1998

Price then/now: £13,000/£1,500

Engine: 1 9 litre 4cyl diesel, 90bhp

Top speed: 114mph 0 62mph: 12 0 seconds

RETURNING to the C segment some years after abandoning it was no mean feat for Citroen, but the ZX certainly hit the spot; Auto Express named the ZX its Car of the Year in 1991, after all The ZX was comfortable and fun to drive, with a passive rear steering system helping that latter attribute. It didn’t have the fancy hydropneumatic suspension Citroen was once famous for, but deft chassis engineering meant that didn’t matter

Audi A4 (B5)

Years produced: 1995 2001 Price then/now: £21,200/£1,000

Engine: 1.8 litre 4cyl turbo petrol, 148bhp

Top speed: 127mph 0-62mph: 8 3 seconds

AS with a lot of the entries on this list, the A4 was the right car at the right time Audi’s sales were tanking amidst the global recession, and much of its line up seemed old fashioned Enter stage left, the A4, with its sleek, curvaceous design, lashings of then very impressive tech and bumper package of safety gear. It was the first Audi in a while that really was Vorsprung durch Technik, and it became the must have company car for many Brits It’s aged far better than most nineties cars inside and out, too

Years produced: 1993 2004

Price then/now: £11,000/£1,500

Engine: 1 6 litre 4cyl petrol, 90bhp

Top speed: 115mph 0-62mph: 12 0 seconds

Peugeot 306

PEUGEOT took the great starting point that was the Citroen ZX’s underpinnings, and went one better by clothing it in far more handsome bodywork to create the 306.

A dizzying array of trim levels, special editions and engine options meant there was something for everyone, from barebones

models to a luxurious hot hatch in the form of the GTI 6 so called for its then exotic six speed manual gearbox. Many regard the stripped out Rallye version as the best of the breed, and we’d agree. But the GTI 6 and Rallye demanded much from the driver, with a reputation for lift off oversteer keenness

Bugatti EB110

Years produced: 1991 1995

Price then/now: £285,500/£1 5million Engine: 3.5 litre quad turbo V12, 552bhp Top speed: 202mph 0-62mph: 3 6 secs

BUGATTI’S Italian revival under Romano Artioli who also owned Lotus for a time in the nineties was short lived in the context of the brand’s 113 year history, but still spectacular The sole model produced in the Artioli era was dubbed EB110 in a nod to Ettore Bugatti and the 110th anniversary of his birth. It was powered by a 3.5 litre V12 force fed by four turbochargers. The four wheel drive car held the title of the fastest car in the world until the McLaren F1 arrived

Citroen Saxo

Years produced: 1996 2000 Price then/ now: £7,500/£500 Engine: 1.1 litre 4cyl petrol, 59bhp Top speed: 102mph 0-62mph: 15 secs

IT’S not often a car’s cultural impact was defined by a sales promotion, but that’s exactly what happened in the UK for the humble Saxo Citroen’s free insurance deals for the Saxo, combined with competitive pricing, turned the supermini into catnip for younger drivers, with that youthful audience giving rise to a significant modifying scene. It was a fun to drive in any guise and a great starting point for the hotter VTR and VTS, the latter still sought after today Sadly, the Saxo’s successors failed to capture the same magic

BEST CARS OF THE S

Mazda

Years produced: 1992 1997 Price then/now: £25,000/£20,000

Engine: 1.3 litre rotary petrol, 276bhp Top speed: 155mph 0 62mph: 5.5 seconds

27

TVR Cerbera

Years produced: 1996 2006 Price then/now: £46,500/£22,000

Engine: 4 5 litre V8 petrol, 414bhp Top speed: 170mph 0 62mph: 3 9 seconds

THE Cerbera is the point at which the much celebrated Peter Wheeler TVR era really hit its stride Eschewing the firm’s usual approach of borrowing engines, the Cerbera had a TVR developed 4 5 litre ‘Speed Eight’ V8, replaced at the end of the century by an easier to maintain but still mighty ‘Speed Six’ 4.0 litre inline six. Those powertrains were combined with the usual TVR attributes of low weight, wild looks and an absence of driver aids A 2+2 seating arrangement meant you could have three passengers

(FD)

Toyota Supra

(A80)

Years produced: 1993 1996 Price then/now: £42,500/£40,000

Engine: 3.0 litre turbocharged 6cyl petrol, 326bhp Top speed: 155mph 0-62mph: 5 0 seconds

THE Supra is an unusual entry in this list, because it owes much of its reputation not to what the original car could do, but what people did with it after taking the keys Perhaps the definitive nineties Japanese tuner car, the Mk4 ‘A80’ Supra was, and still is, an excellent platform for modifications, thanks partly to its 2JZ GTE inline six which can be tweaked to four figures without exploding. It was already a legend in 2001 when an orange Supra appeared in the first Fast & Furious film, cementing its status for good

BY 1995, Audi had produced its fair share of exciting models, including the rally bred Quattro monsters and (with a little help from Porsche) its first RS model in the form of the RS 2 The rest of the line up looked rather more ordinary, but the reveal of the TT concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1995 signalled things were going to change It took until 1998 for the production version to arrive, but it was worth the wait, looking little different to the minimalist but beautiful show car The availability of punchy engines and all wheel drive ensured the driving experience mostly lived up to the looks

BUYERS

Renault Clio

to it immediately. The Clio was crowned European Car of the Year soon after its launch, and the French brand couldn’t sell enough of them It was simple, honest transport for most, but those after something a little spicier were catered for by the now very valuable Clio Williams hot hatch.

25 www.autoexpress.co.uk Special Issue 49

Porsche Boxster (986)

Years produced: 1996 2004

Price then/now: £42,000/£4,000 Engine: 3 4 litre 6cyl petrol, 250bhp (S)

Top speed: 162mph 0 62mph: 6 0 seconds

IT’S hard to believe Porsche was in such a bad way in the early 1990s, but the Boxster came to the rescue It borrowed bits from the 996 generation 911, so it didn’t cost too much to build, and the price was tempting enough for it to sell in big numbers. But this was no cash grab the mid engined platform and flat six engine made for a fine drive worthy of Porsche’s crest

Peugeot 406

Years produced: 1995 2004 Price then/now: £15,500/£1,000 Engine: 2.0 litre petrol inline four, 110bhp Top speed: 126mph 0-62mph: 10 0 seconds

PEUGEOT had quite the task in replacing the 405. Back then, the family saloon segment was a massive deal, and the inbound 406 had a fight on its hands thanks to the ubiquitous Ford Mondeo Peugeot pulled it off, however, with a model that sold well and won plaudits for its ride and handling. You could even have one with a big V6 petrol engine if you wanted, and/or a gorgeous, Pininfarina designed ‘budget Ferrari’ coupé body The car’s successor, the 407, proved a backwards step

Nissan Skyline GT-R (R33)

HEAVIER than the R32 it replaced, without the same motorsport pedigree, and not as handsome as the R34, the R33 has become the least loved of the Skyline GT R dynasty. That’s unfair, because the R33 is an astonishing machine. Like a lot of cars produced under Japan’s 276bhp ‘gentleman’s agreement’, it was in reality far more powerful, while packing better aero than the R32 and an improved all wheel drive system. Its potential was effectively demonstrated at the Nürburgring Nordschleife in 1996, when it became the first production car to clock a sub eight minute lap

Ford Ka

Years produced: 1996 2008

Price then/now: £7,500/£500 Engine: 1 3 litre petrol 4cyl, 60bhp

Top speed: 104mph

0 62mph: 14 1 seconds

IT’S a shame to see the decline of the city car segment, because it was once a place of such great innovation. And few cars in the class caused as much of a stir as the first generation Ford Ka, with its use of huge (originally unpainted) plastic bumpers to help shrug off bumps and reduce repair costs when they couldn’t

With that robustness combined with a fine handling chassis, it’s unsurprising there’s now a budget endurance racing series based around these things They’re still a relatively common sight, thanks to strong sales over a lengthy production run

Land Rover Freelander

Years produced: 1996 2006

Price then/now: £17,500/£1,000 Engine: 2 0 litre 4cyl diesel, 96bhp Top speed: 96mph 0 62mph: 14.6 seconds

WITH its eye on a slice of the burgeoning ‘soft roader’ category pioneered by the Toyota RAV4, Land Rover went way outside its comfort zone with the Freelander. It was the brand’s first vehicle built around a monocoque structure, to use a transverse engine and to have independent rear suspension But it still came with the usual Landie off road ability and proved astonishingly popular it was Europe’s best selling 4x4 five years on the bounce, and over half a million were sold worldwide during its lifetime. Today, the Freelander is one of the cheapest Land Rovers you can buy used

Honda NSX

Years produced: 1997 2004

Price then/now: £60,000/£45,000 Engine: 3.0 litre petrol V6, 255bhp Top speed: 168mph 0 62mph: 5 0 seconds

BEFORE the NSX, supercars were not easy to live with They were difficult to get in and out of, had laughable all round visibility and were often unreliable. Then Honda designed its take on the genre with the world’s first aluminium monocoque, a fighter jet inspired glasshouse you could see out of and a singing V6, all backed up with the company’s famed dependability It probably stuck around a little too long for its own good, but for a while, the NSX was up there with and often superior to the best.

Ferrari F50

Years produced: 1995 1997 Price then/now: £350,000/£3 million Engine: 4.7 litre V12 Top speed: 202mph 0-62mph: 3 7sec

THE F50 has long been overshadowed by its F40 predecessor, but while the latter is more iconic and probably clung to more teenagers’ bedroom walls in poster form, the truth is the F50 is the better car to drive It’s the closest Ferrari has come to putting an F1 car on the road the 4 7 litre V12 engine can be traced back to Alain Prost’s 641, there’s motorsport style pushrod suspension, and the F50 was built around a carbon fibre tub when the material’s use on production cars was still rare. Overlooked, then, but not undervalued F50s are worth far more than F40s nowadays

BEST CARS OF THE S

“ THE DC2 HONDA INTEGRA TYPE R IS THE BEST-DRIVING FRONT-WHEEL-DRIVE CAR EVER MADE ”

Honda Integra Type R

Years produced: 1995 2001

Price then/now: £19,500/£15,000

Engine: 1.8 litre 4cyl petrol, 187bhp Top speed: 145mph 0 62mph: 6 2 seconds

WE don’t say this lightly the DC2 Honda Integra Type R is the best driving front wheel drive car ever made. Some may have surpassed it in terms of outright capability, but its blend of feedback, traction and laugh out loud entertainment is yet to be beaten 27 years on from its launch. The chassis is enough to give the DC2 legendary status, even before you factor in the high revving VTEC inline four under the bonnet. It’s no wonder that prices are on the rise, especially in the US, where some low mileage examples have sold for more than £100,000

Lamborghini Diablo

Years produced: 1990 2001

12

Price then/now: £155,000/£135,000 Engine: 6 0 litre V12 petrol, 493bhp

Top speed: 202mph 0 62mph: 3 8 seconds

THE Diablo looked quite restrained when compared with the Countach that it replaced, but its near 500bhp V12 meant the Diablo had enough power to hold the title of the world’s fastest car. It became much easier to drive throughout its life thanks to the adoption of four wheel drive and power steering, as well as updates from new owners Audi from 1998 onwards

Years produced: 1994 1999

Price then/now: £99,000/£80,000 Engine: 3.5 litre petrol V8, 375bhp Top speed: 183mph 0 62mph: 4 6 seconds

PERHAPS the prettiest Ferrari of its era, thanks in large part to Italian design house Pininfarina taking a ‘less is more’ approach The F355 is far more elegant than the 348 on which it’s based, but the transformation goes much further than skin deep

Ferrari bored out the 348’s V8 to 3.5 litres and added five valve cylinder heads, improved the handling and made the car easier to live with It’s aged brilliantly, and remains for many the kind of car that they picture when thinking of ‘a Ferrari’. Today, the F355 is more sought after now than the 360 Modena that replaced it in 1999

Ford Puma

Years produced: 1996 2001

Price then/now: £14,550/£1,000 Engine: 1.7 litre 4cyl petrol, 123bhp Top speed: 126mph 0-62mph: 9 6 seconds

ADDING a swoopy body to a supermini chassis doesn’t sound like a great recipe for a sporty coupé, but the fourth generation Fiesta is no ordinary small car. Ford was on a roll when it came to making excellent handling mainstream cars at that time, and the Fiesta was a clear dynamic class leader

And so, with a new shell and some suspension tweaks, the Puma was destined to succeed It was cheap to buy, cost peanuts to run and was more fun than cars twice the price. There are still loads around today that cost buttons you just need to be wary of rust

WITH A NEW SHELL AND SOME SUSPENSION TWEAKS, THE PUMA WAS DESTINED TO SUCCEED ”

Vauxhall Lotus Carlton

Years produced: 1990 1992

Price then/now: £45,000/£48,000

Engine: 3 6 litre 6cyl petrol, 377bhp

Top speed: 170mph 0 62mph: 5.2 seconds

“IT should not be available for public purchase,” uttered MP Alex Carlile in the House of Commons in November 1990 about the Lotus Carlton As a family car capable of hitting 170mph, ministers condemned it. The tabloids frothed with rage. Even one major car magazine wasn’t on board with the idea. All that free publicity and the transformation from Lotus weren’t enough to boost sales, but its iconic status was assured

“

Years produced: 1992 1996 Price then/now: £20,500/£60,000 Engine: 2 0 litre turbocharged petrol 4cyl, 224bhp Top speed: 137mph 0 62mph: 6 2 seconds

Ford Escort RS Cosworth

PERHAPS the most famous Escort of them all isn’t really an Escort at all. Ford wanted to turn the Mk5 version into a rally car, but its transverse engine and front-wheel-drive layout weren’t fit for the job. And so, the solution was to clothe the longitudinal Cosworth running gear in Escort body panels, spiced

up with bonnet vents, wheelarch flares and that now iconic ‘Whale Tale’ spoiler which believe it or not was toned down from earlier designs. Ford only had to make 2,500 to satisfy the WRC’s homologation rules of the time, but thankfully the Blue Oval elected to build more than 7,000 examples

McLaren F1

MCLAREN F1 creator Gordon Murray will tell you his seminal supercar had no equal until the GMA T 50 follow up arrived While the F1 snared headlines for its top speed records, they were merely a by product of its capabilities It was designed to be the most driver focused car ever made, with its central driving position, responsive normally aspirated V12, manual gearbox and low weight figure. Supercars may have got much faster, grippier and more complicated since, but are

Ford Focus

Years produced: 1997 2004

Price then/now: £13,500/£500

Engine: 1 8 litre 4cyl petrol, 113bhp

Top speed: 123mph 0 62mph: 10.0 seconds

BY the mid nineties, the illustrious Escort badge had fallen from grace The Mk5 model that arrived in 1995 was a rehash of the sub par Mk4, and well behind in its class But its replacement, the Focus, put Ford back ahead in the family car game in 1997. Benefitting from multi link rear suspension and the handling wizardry of engineer Richard Parry Jones, it provided a world beating driving experience and sharp looks both inside and out

Lotus Elise S1

Years produced: 1996 2001

Price then/now: £21,850/£12,500

Engine: 1.8 litre 4cyl petrol, 118bhp

Top speed: 126mph 0-62mph: 5 9 seconds

IN the nineties, Lotus wasn’t in the best way. It needed a hit, which was duly delivered in the form of the Elise Staying true to Colin Chapman’s ethos of ‘simplify and add lightness’ with a small inline four engine and a kerbweight of just 725kg, it was innovative at the same time. The car used a then groundbreaking extruded aluminium backbone for its structure, which would serve as the basis for all Elise and Exige generations until the models went out of production in 2021. Many people including us would argue the original version of the Elise is still the best, though

LOTUS NEEDED A HIT, WHICH WAS DULY DELIVERED IN THE FORM OF THE ELISE ”

“ THE SOLUTION WAS TO CLOTHE THE LONGITUDINAL COSWORTH RUNNING GEAR IN ESCORT BODY PANELS ”

“

BEST CARS OF THE S

There can be

DECIDING which cars to extract from our list of 50 models for our top three wasn’t easy But after setting some ground rules, the dozens of cars we’d begun with soon started to thin out. Our finalists, we decided, had to be attainable both when they were new and today because the best cars

are the ones that are relevant to the most people. They also had to be culturally significant, with their greatness going beyond what the vehicles themselves could do. We wanted three cars that each filled very different briefs, too And so, we find ourselves with a saloon car, a compact SUV and a sports car. First up, there’s the Ford Mondeo, a car which turned around an ailing brand and put it back on a path of greatness, while becoming synonymous with a newly defined Briton and their ambitions in life Next is

You’ve seen the rest, so here are the best. But will

Matt

Robinson Matt Robinson@autovia co uk @matt 201

the Toyota RAV4, a car which challenged the 4x4 norms of the day and played a huge role in launching a new kind of car, the repercussions of which we’re still feeling in 2022 and will do for years to come Finally, there’s the Mk1 Mazda MX 5 With production starting in 1989 but the first examples not arriving in the UK until 1990, it makes the cut for our nineties special It brought driving fun to the masses allied to stout Japanese reliability, democratising the sports car

Pete Gibson

BEST CARS OF THE S

Timewarp

MODELTESTED: Ford Mondeo 1.8 GLX

YEARS PRODUCED: 1993 2000 PRICE THEN/NOW: £13,000/£1,500

ENGINE: 1.8 litre 4cyl petrol, 118bhp TOP SPEED: 121mph 0-62MPH: 10.5 secs

Rise of the Mondeo Man 3

THE concept of ‘Mondeo Man’ is intrinsically linked to the world of politics Former Prime Minister Tony Blair gave rise to the term via his description of the kinds of voters the Labour Party needed to win back, but ironically, it wasn’t the Mondeo he’d originally mentioned

In a 1996 speech, Blair recalled someone he’d met when canvassing for the 1992 general election as an MP. That was a year before the Mondeo’s launch, so he owned not a Mondeo, but a Sierra But with that car fading into memory by the time of Blair’s speech thanks to the far more successful models that replaced it, Mondeo Man was born as something of a misquote.

In any case, Mondeo Man was a whole lot better off than ‘Sierra Man’ when it came to the car he drove Ford had ploughed billions into the development of the Sierra’s replacement, and it paid off. This is a car that dragged the Blue Oval out of the doldrums, with the engineering wizardry of Richard Parry Jones a man who’d go on to be the driving force behind some of the brand’s best cars of the nineties delivering a true world beater The Mondeo’s name, then, was fitting it means ‘world’ in the international language of Esperanto Sliding behind the wheel of this example kindly loaned by Auto Express’s own Chief reviewer Alex Ingram it’s hard not to focus on the slight sense of drabness compared with something more modern But look closer, and there are all sorts of neat details

Fold the front armrest back, and it provides a pair of cup holders for rear seat passengers, the base of each slightly angled to keep your beverage flat despite the lid resting on a slight slope There’s a coin slot no doubt a handy feature when contactless payments were still many years off and a pen holder just by it. Hidden away from view in some examples is a storage drawer that pulls out from under the front passenger seat

Despite its age, the Mondeo still feels really solid, and the cabin materials deserve kudos However, things get really impressive when you drive it. The ride is superb, with the dampers deftly soaking up imperfections in the road surface to give a sense of smoothness, backed up by plenty of refinement, even

at speed This particular example isn’t far off 30 years old, yet you wouldn’t think twice about doing a long journey in it

This GLX saloon is on the more comfortable end of the Mondeo spectrum (at the other end are the Si and, post facelift, the V6 powered ST24 and ST200 models), but it still changes direction with a certain degree of enthusiasm. The steering is slow by modern standards, but there’s no dead spot in the middle as you can find on some older cars, and while there’s a reasonable degree of body roll, it’s not excessive

Powering this fine chassis is a 1.8 litre four cylinder petrol engine driving the front wheels The Zetec engine (originally a ‘Zeta’ before Lancia’s lawyers got involved) is a smooth, refined 16 valve unit that needs working fairly hard to return its peak power of 118bhp and the Mondeo’s 0 62mph time of just over 10 seconds Each ratio of the five speed gearbox slides into place with a beautiful feeling of accuracy, and the pedal action feels slick, too

The transverse, front wheel drive nature of the Mondeo and its multilink, independent rear suspension was a big departure for Ford, the old Sierra having featured a longitudinal, rear drive arrangement with a live rear axle But then that was the Mondeo all over. Road testers of the time were taken aback by just how little there was in the car to tie it to other Ford models It felt alien in the best possible way, and when it started chalking up group test wins with ease, the shock merely continued A crowning as European Car of the Year in 1994 followed.

Buyers lined up in the hundreds of thousands, but over its generations the Mondeo badge delivered diminishing returns, and the last European model rolled off the line in Spain earlier in 2022. The name is returning, but for a Chinese market focused vehicle we won’t ever see here The Mondeo’s demise can largely be attributed to shifting buying trends, which our next car played a big part in

Performance

Naturally aspirated 1.8 needs working, but Mondeo is great to drive

This example is well preserved, including a wallet full of receipts and service info

“ THE RIDE IS SUPERB, WITH THE DAMPERS GIVING A SENSE OF SMOOTHNESS, BACKED UP BY PLENTY OF REFINEMENT, EVEN AT SPEED ” Interior

WHEN the RAV4 came along, buying an SUV predominantly for road use was far from a new idea. Thanks to the likes of the Land Rover Discovery, the Range Rover and the Jeep Cherokee, such a vehicle was not always something people bought to herd sheep around farm fields and the like

But on the asphalt, the 4x4s of the day weren’t all that much fun, primarily because of how they were built Back then, the norm was to use a body on frame construction A separate chassis topped by a bodyshell and with long travel suspension is great for off road toughness, but for on road refinement and handling? Not so good.

Toyota wanted to do things another way Its starting point for the RAV4 or “Recreational Active Vehicle with 4 wheel drive” was not a ladder chassis, but a monocoque platform largely derived from the Corolla’s. Shorter travel, car like suspension went in at each corner, and in the front was a 2 0 litre in line four cylinder petrol engine

It came with a four wheel drive system, a still very reasonable amount of ground clearance and the option of a locking centre differential, but no low range gearbox This was a car designed for on road first and off road a distant second And that meant it actually drove like a car

Today, the RAV4’s steering feels slow, and its body is prone to quite a lot of roll But compared with the traditional SUVs of the day, the difference is huge You can hustle it along a twisty road and have a surprising amount of fun, so long as you keep your expectations in check; get a little carried away and understeer will follow The dampers take bumps in their stride, but the Toyota’s ride quality is a little jittery

The 16 valve 3S FE engine was old even when the RAV4 was new, having been in use for some time in the Camry when the RAV was launched Inevitably, given its age, it’s not the most refined unit, and it’s particularly coarse

when revved hard to extract the available 128bhp Fairly light by modern standards, at around 1,200kg, the RAV4 feels brisk, and is able to crack the benchmark 0 62mph sprint in less than nine seconds That was enough to leave traditional 4x4s of the time in its dust, and even embarrass a few supposed performance cars of the day

The flip side is that it sits at a fairly noisy 3,500rpm on a 70mph cruise Soundproofing wasn’t quite so abundant in the nineties, so a long journey in the RAV4 can get quite tiring There’s also precious little in the way of gadgetry to speak of, with the Mondeo feeling like a Mercedes S Class in comparison, with its front electric windows, electric mirrors and (admittedly manual) sunroof But hey, as in the Mondeo, you do get a cup holder here a rarity in the mid nineties and a similar coin holder, which must have been useful for storing those £1 pieces for the Dartford crossing

The cabin is a little on the dreary side, but everything feels like it’s built to last This 1995 N reg from Toyota GB’s heritage fleet certainly wears its miles well, thanks in part to a meticulous restoration completed in 2020 On the outside, the RAV has more of a sense of fun In three door form, it looks fab, especially with that prominent body coloured B pillar. It wouldn’t look out of place parked up at a beach somewhere in southern California It didn’t take long for the RAV4 to gain a list of rivals Other brands wanted a slice of the pie, including makers of traditional 4x4s like Land Rover, whose Freelander could be seen as an answer to the RAV The Toyota’s influence went beyond direct competitors, of course; in time, most SUVs would be built around monocoque platforms for a more road orientated driving experience. This widened the appeal of SUVs, shifting car buying trends and thus leading to the demise of cars like the Ford Mondeo, while also sadly not doing wonders for the modern equivalents of our next car.

PAPERWORK

Toyota GB heritage fleet’s RAV4 still has all the original documents it came with, including the owner’s manual and service history book

BRITISH sports cars of the 1960s were brilliant. Low kerbweights, peppy engines and cheap buying and running costs combined to bring fun to drivers regardless of budget Except, they were also less than brilliant in many ways. Poor build quality and unreliability were common, and in the 1970s, the oil crisis did them no favours

At the end of the decade, however, the ethos of the classic British roadster was put on a course for revival, quite improbably via the suggestion of an American to a Japanese company It all started when Motor Trend writer Bob Hall mooted the idea of a roadster based on existing Mazda components to the firm’s R&D chief Kenichi Yamamoto

The first model codenamed NA took a long time, not arriving until 1989, with the UK’s first cars landing in 1990 Mazda’s approach to the driving experience with its ‘Jinba

ittai’ philosophy (horse and rider as one) paid off thanks to factors like lightness and equal weight distribution Keen drivers were won over, while those less interested in a low centre of gravity and a rear drive layout warmed to the car simply because it offered a cute looking convertible package for not much money at all It was a masterstroke

We can see why it appealed to both camps The NA MX 5 never fails to raise a smile, with its dainty proportions and a grille that appears to grin at you The 38,000 mile 1990 example you see here is from Mazda’s UK heritage fleet, and it’s entirely original, right down to the audio head unit and the adorable 14 inch, Minilite aping alloy wheels.

From the driver’s seat, the cabin feels disarmingly simple No matter, because the view is immediately improved

And our winner is...

WHEN it came to putting our final three in order, we were not just thinking about what these cars are like to experience today, but the legacy they left behind The cultural, political and industrial significance of the Ford Mondeo cannot be overstated, and in a modern context, it still drives beautifully. We found ourselves wishing it was the car we were driving home in, rather than the RAV4, thanks to the Ford’s ability to carve up the twisty bits, yet settle into a relaxing waft for the boring dual-carriageway and motorway work.

It’s relegated to third place, however, because the model failed to make a lasting impact It didn’t matter how good the first Mondeo and its successors were stratospheric growth in SUVs largely consigned the car to the history books. You have to wonder how all that might have played out if it hadn’t been for the RAV4 It led to enormous change in the industry in terms of product line ups, buyer habits and more.

The first generation model is good to drive in its own right, even if it doesn’t hold up as well in a modern context as well as the others here. It finishes in second place partly for this reason, but also because its impact hasn’t been purely positive. For instance, by tempting buyers into SUVs, it’s played a big part in very nearly wiping out the affordable sports car segment. And yet, against this backdrop, the Mazda MX 5 is still with us.

Not only that, but the fourth generation ‘ND’ Miata of today also remains remarkably true to the ethos of the NA we have here It’s still small, light, low powered, affordable, and a hell of a lot of fun, just as all MX 5s have been. The original is the most enjoyable car here to drive, and the only one to spawn descendants that have stayed faithful to the original recipe over 40 years since Kenichi Yamamoto and Bob Hall’s meeting kicked the whole thing off. It’s an incredible story. Oh, and did we mention the pop up headlights?

rts car

twist on the right hand stalk, which raises the pop up headlights Is there a single car feature that better embodies the spirit of sports cars from the era?

Sliding the stubby gearlever into first reveals one of the MX 5’s greatest assets. Its shift quality is sublime, offering a precise change that slots into each position with ease, while giving a strong sense of mechanical connection Of the few modern performance cars that still offer a manual gearbox, it’s probably only rivalled by the current MX 5, actually More on that later

The compact pedal box is also perfectly spaced for heel and toe downshifting, seeing the revs of that nicely rorty 1.6 litre inline four spiking with an accompanying rasp from the exhaust The 113bhp and 129Nm of torque outputs for the engine don’t sound like much,

MX

but the MX 5 has a low kerbweight on its side, tipping the scales at comfortably under a tonne

It’s still no rocketship, but its diminutive size means it feels plenty quick, and there’s just enough shove from that four pot to get the rear end moving a little in more committed cornering Meanwhile, the front end provides plenty of grip, and while there is some fairly pronounced body roll, the lean isn’t excessive

In standard form, it’s a joyous, life affirming thing to drive But with its rear drive layout, compact dimensions and double wishbone suspension layout, it’s a brilliant platform for modifications The world’s your oyster with these cars from some basic chassis tweaks to sharpen up the drive to V8 engine swaps, there’s a huge support network out there to facilitate projects of all scales

BEST CARS OF THE S

Tommi Mäkinen

1996, 1997, 1998 and 1999 World Rally Champion

YOU know a driver has hit stardom when they’re known simply by their first name. Tommi is one of the most successful WRC drivers of all time, with four back to back titles in the late nineties

That’s impressive, especially when you consider he was in his thirties when he landed his first works drive, but by then there was no stopping him He dominated the 1996 season, beating reigning champ Colin McRae by 31 points and taking the teams’ title in 1998 along with Richard Burns.

Like McRae, Mäkinen is synonymous with his most iconic race car: the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo All but two of his WRC wins came in the model, and today the most valuable Evos are the VI Tommi Mäkinen Editions Last year, a mint example owned by Mitsubishi UK sold for more than £100,000

Nigel Mansell

1992 Formula One World Champion

BY the start of the 1992 F1 season, Britain hadn’t produced a champion since James Hunt in 1976 coincidentally the same year that Nigel Mansell switched from karts to Formula Ford His father disapproved, but his results were astonishing: he won six of the nine races he entered; the following year he won 33 races from 42 starts and became British Formula Ford champ, despite breaking his neck in qualifying at Brands Hatch It was in 1978, while competing in Formula Three that he gained the attention of Colin Chapman, who signed him for Lotus in 1980, initially as a test driver, before making three F1 starts that year

For the 1985 season, he moved to Williams and took the top step of the podium at the European GP at Brands Hatch three months after a 200mph crash at Paul Ricard. In 1986, 1987 and 1991, Nigel finished second in the championship; but 1992 was his year, winning nine out of 16 races, achieving pole position in all but two and taking the title with five rounds to go. Rarely has someone dominated so comprehensively, especially against rivals of the calibre of Ayrton Senna

Colin McRae

1995 World Rally Champion

FEW drivers are more fondly remembered than the late Colin McRae The man from Lanark, Scotland was son to five time British Rally Champion Jimmy and brother to WRC ace Alister, but his flair and natural ability put him way above them both He finished first in class on his rally debut, despite working as an apprentice plumber for the family firm He made his World Rally Championship debut in 1987, finishing third in class in his Vauxhall Nova.

He really hit his stride in 1991 after turning pro with Prodrive, and took his Subaru Legacy to back to back British Rally Championship victories before graduating as a works WRC driver in 1993. Two years later, Colin won the WRC championship, the youngest driver to do so until Kalle Rovanperä’s title earlier this year The achievement cemented his status as a legend of the sport and ensured the Subaru Impreza Turbo became a performance car icon. Rarely have the achievements of a single driver been so intrinsically linked with the success of a road car

THE nineties were an undisputed high-water mark for motorsport. The British Touring Car Championship was in the ascendancy, WRC made superstars of its cars and drivers, and Formula One’s screaming V10 and V12 engines became the soundtrack to enthusiasts’ weekends. Perhaps more impressive was that so many of the now legendary drivers were Brits: Hill, Mansell, McRae, Burns the list goes on. Will we look back at the 2010s in the same way? Lewis Hamilton is certainly the standout of the current era. Here, though, we reflect on pick of the

Stuart Milne

crop five nineties motorsport legends

The Era of Icons

Michael Schumacher

1994, 1995, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004 Formula One World Champion

IT was long considered that Michael Schumacher’s remarkable F1 success would never be repeated. The list of records he still holds today is staggering, and it took 16 years for his seven world championships to be equalled Schumacher’s dominance can’t be understated, which makes his catastrophic brain injuries following a skiing accident all the more tragic

Like many, Michael came through the karting ranks, but such was his ambition he picked up his licence in Luxembourg at 12, rather than wait until 16 as required in Germany With several championships under his belt, he rose through the ranks in single seaters until, in 1991, he signed for Jordan, with whom he’d complete a single round before switching to Benetton.

Win number one came in 1992, with his first driver’s title following in 1994 Throughout his career he was surrounded by controversy: collisions with Damon Hill, allegations of Benetton’s rule breaking, and disqualification from the 1997 championship But if ever a driver defined his era, it was Schumacher and there was rarely a dull moment

Damon Hill 1996 Formula One World Champion

MURRAY Walker’s iconic “I’ve got to stop because I’ve got a lump in my throat” line as Damon Hill took the chequered flag at Suzuka to win the 1996 F1 world championship was one of the defining motorsport moments of the nineties

It was also when the son of a racing legend became one himself, two years after losing out to Michael Schumacher by a single point following a controversial collision during the Australian Grand Prix. That moment galvanised the nation, and Hill’s 1996 driver’s championship victory was irrefutably the highlight of his career

Despite his two time world champion father Graham, Damon started his competition career on motorcycles Following a plea from his mother, he switched to four wheels, competing in Formula Ford and British Formula Three A lack of funds saw him flit between second tier championships, before signing for the financially unstable Brabham F1 team and eventually for Williams in 1993

After his championship win and an infamous Pizza Hut advert with old friend Murray Walker, Hill drove for the Arrows and Jordan teams, before swapping Nomex for the commentary booth

THE estate car segment is split into very distinct categories On the one hand, there’s the sensible, practical workhorse one where desirability takes such a distant back seat that it might as well just sit in the vast boot instead. At the other end of the scale, there are the style led alternatives These cars sacrifice some of the ultimate carrying capacity in order to produce a striking silhouette a shooting brake that holds your attention better than your stuff

With the 308 SW, however, Peugeot reckons it can offer buyers the best of both worlds The latest model has already shown plenty of promise in hatchback form, with several significant improvements over its predecessor

It’ll be up against the toughest competition of all, though, because the Skoda Octavia Estate has been largely untouchable in this class Previous versions have been all about space, but the latest model injects a little bit of elegance itself

So do these cars manage to combine style and substance? And is the 308 SW finally the car to wrestle the estate car crown away from Skoda?

Pictures: Pete Gibson

Sean Carson Associate editor

MODELTESTED:

THE load lugging Peugeot 308 SW is available with the same engines and in the same trims as the hatchback, and the wagon carries a price premium of £1,200 over the five door The range starts from £26,580, and here we ’ re testing the Allure Premium model, which is one level below the top spec

Design & engineering

FOR this version of the 308, Peugeot has used an evolution of the EMP2 platform found under the previous generation model Around 70 per cent of the components are new, though, while mild hybrid, plug in and all electric powertrains can be accommodated A zero emissions e 308 is coming in 2023, but for now engines comprise a 1 2 litre PureTech three cylinder turbo petrol, a 1 5 BlueHDi four cylinder diesel both making 129bhp and a 1 6 plug in hybrid in two power outputs

For the SW estate, the 308’s wheelbase has been stretched by 55mm, while the car ’ s overall length is increased by 300mm In profile, it’s clear that the changes to the SW take place from the B pillars back, with an extended roofline with roof rails, a single piece of glass for the rear doors and large windows added to the C pillars as part of a longer rear overhang At the back, the number plate is moved from the bumper to the tailgate, while sharp angles and creases give the Peugeot a distinctive look

This angular appearance continues inside, with a dashboard that features sharp edges, a bank of toggle switches and plenty of glossy screens on this Allure Premium model Peugeot has used its i Cockpit layout in the 308, and while the design looks smart, the arrangement of high set dials that you look at over the top of the small steering wheel is an acquired taste It means that many drivers will probably need to alter their seating position to be able to see them properly it’s still a feature that we’d recommend trying out before signing on the dotted line

If you can live with this layout, then you’ll be able to take advantage of the 308’s premium build quality It’s packed with upmarket materials and has decent switchgear, while the Allure Premium model has all the kit you could possibly need What’s more, it manages all this while coming in at a significantly lower price than the Skoda Octavia here

Driving

WHILE the 308 SW’s small, chunky steering wheel offers a sporty feel in your hands, the driving experience doesn’t really live up to the promise There’s nothing much wrong with the way that the Peugeot drives, it’s just geared more towards comfort than sharp handling

Peugeot’s 1 2 PureTech turbo petrol three cylinder engine features here, but while it provides decent performance, it’s hampered somewhat by the standard fit automatic gearbox The eight speed transmission is rather slow witted in its responses, taking a moment to react to your inputs with the throttle It’s especially frustrating at low speeds, where the brake pedal responds sharply and makes it difficult to be smooth in stop start traffic

Matters improve the faster you go, and on the motorway the 308 SW is a refined cruiser There’s next to no wind noise at 70mph, but road noise can

On the road 308 is agile, but soft suspension and a sluggish engine mean it’s better suited to taking things easy

Design

308’s exterior stands out thanks to sharp details, but ride on 17 inch wheels isn’t as settled as in similarly equipped Skoda

ROAD TESTS

Peugeot

be quite harsh when travelling over rough surfaces The ride is pretty smooth for the most part, although bumps can upset the car a little

The small steering wheel is linked to a fast rack, so the car turns sharply, but the suspension wallows a bit, discouraging you from pushing too hard in corners

Practicality

THERE are lots of useful storage cubbies in the front of the 308 SW, with a deep centre console bin and two more recesses ahead of that There’s a wireless charging pad for smartphones, as well as two USB C sockets One of the recesses is designed for phones, and features a hole in the bottom to feed a charging cable through to one of the charging points Unlike older 308s, the glovebox isn’t hindered by a fusebox and is a decent size, although it’s still not as big as the Octavia’s

If an estate car is to do a good job as family transport, then it needs to offer useful passenger space in the back Unfortunately, the 308 SW is compromised when compared with the Octavia

For starters, the rear door openings aren’t as wide, so access is a bit trickier Once in, the SW’s extended roof line over the hatch means there’s an extra 16mm of headroom, and there are no complaints in this regard, but as in the hatchback model, rear legroom is compromised With a tall driver, the legroom behind is only really suitable for smaller occupants, while the transmission tunnel restricts foot space for the middle seat, too

There are two sets of Isofix points located behind zips in the upholstery, while a pair of air vents and USB C sockets are also on offer That’s the same as can be found the Octavia, but the Skoda has brighter rear cabin lighting than in the Peugeot

Ownership

PEUGEOT put in a very impressive showing in our 2022 Driver Power owner satisfaction survey It took fourth place out of 29 brands overall in the manufacturer category, while its dealer network was rated the third best, behind only Honda and Lexus Skoda’s ratings were much lower in both surveys It could only muster 20th in the manufacturer category, while its dealers finished 16th out of 17

Running costs

THE desirability of its striking looks works in the Peugeot’s favour when it comes to residual values After three years and 36,000 miles, the 308 SW is predicted to hold on to 51 8 per cent of its original value, compared with 47 6 per cent for the Skoda

That means that you’ll lose around £2,000 less over that period if you buy the Peugeot something private buyers should certainly take into account

Testers’ notes

“Choose the top spec 308 SW GT, and the climate control monitors the air quality inside and out to give occupants the freshest cabin possible ”

Dean Gibson Senior test editor

308 SW vs Skoda Octavia Estate

THROUGH THE RANGE

THE Skoda Octavia has been the Best Estate at our New Car Awards for three years running, so it’s clearly a tough act to beat Here we ’ re testing the 1 5 TSI e TEC mild hybrid model, which comes only in well specced SE L trim with a DSG gearbox (a 1 4 PHEV is pictured) However, at £30,360, it’s £1,760 more than the 308 SW Allure Premium here

Design & engineering

IT’S common knowledge that all of the VW Group brands share technology, but arguably Skoda makes best use of the tools at its disposal The regular Octavia is larger than most compact hatchback rivals, while the estate model tested here is 54mm longer than the 308 SW It’s taller, too, but although it isn’t as wide and its wheelbase isn’t as lone, this doesn’t have a detrimental affect on passenger space

Power for the model tested here comes from VW’s 1 5 litre TSI four cylinder turbo petrol engine

This features cylinder deactivation tech to boost efficiency, while the DSG auto equipped model has also been enhanced with Skoda’s e TEC package

This mild hybrid system was first offered with the 1 0 litre TSI three cylinder, and comprises a 48 volt battery and belt driven starter alternator that helps take loads off the engine, which allows for longer periods of running with the engine off

The rest of the Octavia Estate is as conventional as you would expect The bodywork has evolved to incorporate some subtle curves, while the large grille has grown over time, and the Skoda badging across the tailgate adds a bit of class, too However, it really does fade into the background when compared with the extravagant looking Peugeot Inside, the Octavia is also more restrained than its rival here, but that’s no bad thing Build quality is first class, while the black and white displays with Skoda’s subtle green highlights feel high class, whereas the 308 SW’s graphics are quite showy Choose the 1 5 TSI e TEC DSG, and it comes exclusively in SE L trim, which is pretty well equipped, albeit for a higher list price than the 308 SW in Allure Premium spec

Driving

WITH 148bhp to the Peugeot’s 129bhp, the Octavia Estate was always going to be the faster car in a straight line Its 0 62mph time of 8 7 seconds is 1 2 seconds faster than the 308 SW’s, and the combination of the engine’s linear power delivery and slick changes of the seven speed DSG twin clutch gearbox means progress is a lot smoother than in the 308 with its hesitant shifts The four cylinder configuration is more refined, too, not that the Peugeot’s three cylinder growl is particularly intrusive

The Skoda’s gearbox is keen to move into the highest gear possible to boost efficiency, while the mild hybrid system smooths things out at lower speeds The engine cuts out before you ’ ve come to a halt and the brakes aren’t as sharp as the 308’s when you press the pedal while the motor quickly comes back to life when you ’ re ready to move off again One surprise for any driver getting behind the wheel of the Octavia is how agile it is Under the skin

On the road Octavia is surprisingly agile, while 1 5 TSI delivers smooth hybrid assisted performance

Details

It’s not exciting to look at, but Octavia has a solid feel Ride on 17 inch wheels is comfortable

ROAD TESTS

Peugeot 308 SW vs Skoda Octavia Estate

is the VW Group’s MQB platform architecture, which always manages to deliver engaging handling, no matter the size or shape of the car it’s been used with A quick steering rack helps with this feeling of agility, and while the suspension is soft, body roll is well controlled, so the Octavia is a lot more fun than its conservative looks would lead you to believe

Practicality

ESTATE cars need to be spacious, and when it comes to the raw numbers, the Octavia is still the front runner in the class There’s a 640 litre cargo capacity on offer in five seat mode, which is 32 litres more than is available in the 308 SW Fold the seats, and you have 1,700 litres to play with, which is 66 litres ahead of the Peugeot

Rear seat space is also more generous, with greater leg and headroom for all three passengers If you ’ re only travelling two up in the back, then the centre seat backrest folds down to create an armrest that is kitted out with a pair of cup holders

One area where the Octavia could be better is front cabin storage There’s an armrest cubby and twin cup holders that feature Skoda’s clever grip system, which means you can open bottles one handed, but none of it is as generously proportioned as the Peugeot’s centre console storage

Ownership

THE Octavia scooped the maximum five stars from Euro NCAP when it was assessed back in 2019 Eight airbags are fitted as standard, while active safety systems include lane assist, which can warn you if you veer towards the edge of your lane, and gently steer you back if necessary, although this can sometimes be unnerving as the wheel moves in your hands

The 308 was tested in 2022, but it achieved only four stars, albeit under a tougher regime than the Octavia’s 2019 exam The Peugeot’s 76 per cent score in the adult occupant category is the lowest so far this year While it didn’t score highly for its standard safety tech, its active safety brake system is able to detect both cyclists and pedestrians, even at night

Running costs

OFFICIAL economy figures for both cars stand at 52 1mpg, and our test results were pretty even, too, with the Peugeot returning 46 5mpg and the Skoda slightly ahead, at exactly 47mpg

The Skoda will likely have a slight advantage if you do more urban driving, courtesy of its mild hybrid system, but both cars feature stop start to help conserve fuel If you cover longer distances, then the 308’s 52 litre fuel tank is seven litres bigger than the Octavia’s, so it can go further between fills, even when based on our test figures

Testers’ notes

“If you tow a caravan, then the Octavia Estate has an advantage thanks to a maximum towing weight of 1,500kg, which is 300kg more than the 308 SW’s ”

Dean Gibson Senior test editor

Interior Cabin is dark, but there’s no faulting the build quality Digital dials are standard across the full Octavia range

Boot Level load floor and a low load lip are useful, but Octavia gets a ski hatch instead of three folding seats like the 308

THROUGH THE RANGE

Infotainment

Peugeot 308 SW

i-Cockpit Standard

Key feature: Wireless phone charging

THE 308 SW benefits from Peugeot’s latest 10 inch touchscreen set up It’s a great looking system with high resolution graphics and fancy animations as you move from menu to menu The touch sensitive shortcut keys beneath the main display are useful, too, because they can be customised to show the controls you use the most Loading times are fast, too However, some quirks of Peugeot’s older set up still remain, chiefly the need to use the touchscreen for all functions This can be frustrating when it comes to temperature control or scrolling through radio stations, because the system isn’t the easiest to use when on the move Voice control is offered, though Wireless smartphone connectivity is also included, although we found it a little temperamental when using Apple CarPlay it wouldn’t recognise our device to start off with, then suffered a few system crashes

FOR AND AGAINST

High resolution screen, neat touch panel below, fast loading

Smartphone connectivity glitches, a few too many menus to navigate

Skoda Octavia Estate

Columbus navigation Standard

Key feature: Virtual cockpit

SKODA’S Columbus navigation system also comes with a 10 inch display, but while the graphics are sharp, the Peugeot has the upper hand for screen quality Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay are included, but there’s no wireless charging, just the standard USB C connections

As with the Peugeot, there are no physical climate controls in the Octavia Instead, the left and right temperature controls are integrated into the bottom of the touchscreen, while there are advanced functions in a separate menu screen, so if you want to warm your feet or cool your face, it optimises the system to do exactly that The digital dashboard is a plus point that’s fitted to all models in the Octavia range It’s operated via the multifunction steering wheel, and can be set up to show lots of different information

FOR AND AGAINST

Responsive screen, solid Apple and Android phone connectivity

A few analogue controls would improve the user interface

Which multimedia system is best for music, sat nav & connectivity?

Display Widescreen set up has super sharp graphics. Custom shortcuts below are handy, but too many functions are accessed via the screen above

Contrast White on black text with green highlights looks neat, but displays aren’t quite as sharp as the Peugeot’s Touchscreen climate controls are frustrating

£30,860/£30,860 £14,699/47 6% £16,161 £1,776/£3,553 £1,897/£3,161 20/£664/£155 £456 (2 years) 4,689/2,686mm 1,468/1,829mm 4cyl in line/1,498cc 148/5,000 bhp/rpm 250/1,500 Nm/rpm 7 spd auto/fwd 45 litres/repair kit 640/1,700 litres 1,437/473/1,500kg 10 4 metres 3yrs (60k)/3yrs 20th/16th 92/88/73/79/5 (’19) 8.7 secs/142mph 47 0/10 4/465 miles 52 1mpg 11 5mpl 123g/km/29%

Eight/yes/f&r/yes Yes/yes/yes/yes Yes/yes £250/yes £660/yes Yes/£870 Yes/yes Yes/yes £355/yes/yes

SKODA

THERE’S still only one choice if you want the most practical family estate of all, and that’s the Octavia. While the Peugeot undercuts it on price and runs it close in some areas, especially cabin storage, there’s no escaping the all round ability of the Octavia Estate. It’s worth the extra outlay for its bigger boot, as well as the more rounded driving experience

Peugeot 308 SW PureTech

Allure Premium

£29,100/£29,100 £15,074/51 8% £14,026 £1,787/£3,573 £1,917/£3,195 19/£701/£165 £637 (3 years)

4,635/2,735mm 1,442/1,850mm 3cyl in line/1,199cc 129/5,500 bhp/rpm 230/1,750 Nm/rpm 8 spd auto/fwd 52 litres/dealer fit 608/1,634 litres 1,345/515/1,200kg 10 7 metres 3yrs (60k)/1yr 4th/3rd 76/84/68/65/4 (’22)

9.9 secs/131mph 46 5/10 2/532 miles 52 1mpg 11 5mpl 131g/km/31%

Six/yes/f&r/yes Yes/yes/yes/yes Yes/yes £2,050/yes £545/yes Yes/£850 Yes/yes Yes/yes Yes/yes/yes

PEUGEOT

THE latest 308 SW feels like an upmarket product, looks distinctive and is one of the bigger estates available in the class, but there are a few too many niggles for it to take victory here If you can get along with the driving position, then there’s still the jerky automatic gearbox to contend with, while the cramped back seats mean it’s a less practical family car than the Octavia

Head to head

BOOT SPACE

HAVING a generous boot is one thing, but thoughtful features are always welcome when it comes to practicality.

Both cars have low load lips, but the Peugeot’s tailgate doesn’t open quite as high as the Skoda’s, so if you’re six feet tall or more, then the boot latch is at a height where you could catch it with your head.

Despite it opening higher, the Skoda’s tailgate is easy enough to close, thanks to the long grab handle that’s mounted to the inside of the back door

The 308 SW claws back some practicality with its 40:20:40 folding seats, while both cars have levers inside the boot to fold the backs (below). In addition, the 308 has moulded bag hooks on either side of the boot, too.

The Peugeot’s boot floor can be mounted at two levels one for maximum space, the other for a level load lip while the Skoda has decent under floor storage. Both cars have load covers that can be rolled back with a simple tap on the leading edge of the cover

Porsche Taycan CT

McIlroy John McIlroy@autovia co uk @johnmcilroy

ENGINEERS can be an annoying

bunch You spend six months with one of their creations, finally manage to come up with a couple of areas where there might be scope for improvement and then you find that they’ve fixed them in general updates Not even the decency to wait for a mid life facelift Pfft

You can understand my frustration, because after half a year with a Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo, I am obliged to report that this £100,000 odd EV is every bit as accomplished as you might expect Its performance is staggering and our car is a ‘ mere ’ 4S yet its overall efficiency has been constantly north of 3mi/kWh Its cabin has been comfortable, and stayed beautifully finished, with no obvious rattles or squeaks, and an admirable resistance to the sort of scuffs and stains inflicted by my nine year old son My own grubby fingers

did make a bit of a mess of the control screen on the centre console, mind

On the road, the Taycan has felt perhaps a little wide and long for school rat runs, but its mix of sublime body control and a firm yet comfortable ride gave great confidence in most situations

It never felt like a compromised, jacked up version of the base model, although it was at its best as a long distance cruiser I particularly enjoyed a run to Folkestone; through roadworks, driving rain, heavy traffic and then empty motorway, it felt absolutely rock solid and supreme

Even this round trip of well over 200 miles was completed with only a cursory glance at the range readout, too Most recharging took place at home, where the car ’ s GPS based location specific settings proved a handy way of only taking electricity during my Octopus tariff’s off peak hours Few of my journeys required mid trip recharges; on those

that did, the Taycan would happily hook up with Gridserve and Instavolt points, gaining enough juice in half an hour to get me back to a cheaper plug

If I am to nitpick and let’s be honest, we ’ re at that point in the conversation the CT did let me down once An electrical glitch after an overnight thunderstorm sent the onboard charger (an optional three phase affair that most customers wouldn’t bother with) into a right old hissy fit The car refused to charge, and then also refused to select anything but neutral in its transmission so it had to be pushed off my driveway and taken to the workshop on a low loader

It came back fixed, complete with a note politely pointing out that the offending piece of code in the software had since been amended

If I had to name one area where I felt the Taycan was a little behind the curve, it was its infotainment I’m a dyed in the wool Android man, with Google stitched into every facet of my existence So while the built in navigation did seem to have a

better handle on live traffic than many others I’ve tried, it was always going to be one step behind my lifestyle in a way that Android Auto conspicuously absent from our car simply wouldn’t be

Sure enough, I ended up compiling 16GB of MP3 files onto a memory stick, and found myself cursing at the Apple CarPlay logo on the Taycan’s screen

For a while it seemed that this was an open and shut case of Porsche being a bit too slow to the game Even when an updated car was announced earlier this year, complete with a new infotainment set up offering Android connectivity, there were no immediate prospects of these improvement being backdated to older models Bang to rights, yes?

No For as our Taycan returns to Porsche GB, there’s already a job sheet to treat it to the latest infotainment It’s a dealer only fix, but one that introduces the prospect of further adjustments over the air I shudder to think how those engineers will use this feature and what minute gains they’ll be able to achieve on such a complete package

On the road Taycan prov

High class Infotainment (far left) was one blot on copybook. Car’s practicality and quality were both excellent

FINAL REPORT We loved our EV, and Porsche is already fixing the few issues we had

John

Turismo

WE DON’T Navigation is restricted to Porsche’s own, unless you have an iPhone. But this has recently been corrected, not just in new for 2022 models but also as a retro install on 2021 spec Taycans like ours

Verdict

IT’S not cheap, but the Taycan 4S Cross Turismo is surely one of the most complete models in Porsche’s line up, combustion powered or otherwise Six months with the car have only allowed it to impress us even more, with its blend of sledgehammer performance (even as a ‘mere’ 4S), comfort, tech, range and surprising practicality And Porsche seems committed to making it better with every software flash, too.

BRAKES

BMW iX3

Ingram Richard Ingram@autovia co uk @rsp ingram

AS a populace, we ’ re averse to change We like things the way they are, and often believe that upsetting the status quo can have disastrous consequences As the old adage goes: if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it Nowhere is this quite as evident as it is with fast changing technology How many times have you bought a new phone, or updated your computer’s OS, only to find it less intuitive and more confusing than before? It can be infuriating

But if there was one constant in the car world, it was the simplicity of BMW’s iDrive infotainment systems Dating back to 2001, the click wheel controlled menus and logical user interface have been among the best in the business for over two decades And yet apparently, the ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ mantra doesn’t apply here; every brand new BMW for the foreseeable future will get an iteration of iDrive 8

Little did I know, I’m one of those people who doesn’t much like change It pleases me no end, therefore, that the iX3 I’ve been running for the past few months is one of the very last cars to feature the company ’ s old style infotainment set up Instead of the sleek looking single curved display you’ll find in the BMW i4, iX, and even

THIRD REPORT We fall for the relatively old school charm of our electric SUV

Practicality

Boot (seats up/down) 510/1 560 litres

the updated 3 Series, my car comes with two separate displays, plus tactile buttons for the climate control and other main functions

The layout is bright and easy to operate The graphics to my eyes are sharp, and there’s very little I think my car is lacking in the way of functionality It’s even got wireless phone connectivity, which despite an occasional issue with my iPhone’s battery overheating, has been a boon

You see, I’ve driven both the i4 and the iX, as well as BMW’s new 7 Series (see Page 28) all of which feature the newer iDrive 8 And while I’m sure it’d be fine if you stuck at it, the set up doesn’t offer that jump in and go sense of satisfaction you find in almost every new BMW since the early 2000s

But that got me thinking; if we never embraced change, would we all still be using an abacus to tot up our monthly bills, or wood burning stoves to heat our hot water? Would we be travelling to work on steam powered trains, or tapping up stories like this on a typewriter?

What about BMW’s recent design language? It may be polarising within my circles friends, family and colleagues but it doesn’t seem to be putting off the people who are actually buying these cars It’s

something my iX3 is once again immune from, but I’m seeing plenty of modern BMWs on the road Whether that’s the pig nosed i7 or the beaver toothed 4 Series, they’re certainly more distinctive than any of Mercedes or Audi’s recent efforts

Ultimately, I expect there were plenty of people who questioned why we needed screens at all when iDrive launched all those years ago, in the same way that some may lament the more recent demise of the diesel engine Perhaps in 10 years I’ll wonder how I ever managed without a curved display, 64 colour ambient lighting, or digital mirrors

Yet right now, the iX3 is a really easy car to live with The mild autumn weather means I’m still seeing 230 240 miles on a charge, and being able to toggle the strength of the regenerative braking using only the gearlever is genius, too it means I can use the more aggressive setting in traffic, and easily switch it off when the road clears ahead

I’ve had a couple of back road drives where I’ve genuinely enjoyed driving the

iX3 as well It really is more agile than a car of this style and size has any right to be, at the same time as managing to be a quiet and comfortable companion on the motorway Even on 20 inch wheels

So although I’m sure I’ll miss the simplicity of the iX3’s relatively old style infotainment set up and the car ’ s subtle good looks when they’re gone, I hereby promise to embrace change and look at how the bigger picture may benefit the many, not the few In the meantime, I’ll return my daughter’s abacus to her toy box

“It pleases me that the iX3 is one of the last cars with BMW’s old-style infotainment”

iX3’s brilliant one pedal driving sends power back to the battery but more on that in a future report

Richard

DRIVING

HI-TECH

Essentials

BMW iX3 M Sport Pro

On fleet since: May 2022 Price new: £65,865 Powertrain: 1x e motor/80kWh battery, 282bhp CO2/tax: 0g/km/£0 Options: Towbar (£850)

WE DON’T The above is made more important in the winter months; I’ve found the heated door mirrors take an awful long time to clear in the morning

Verdict

THERE is plenty that’s pleasingly familiar about the iX3, but I do wonder whether its simplicity in terms of both its design and tech may limit its longevity alongside the current crop of cutting edge electric cars and SUVs On the other hand, some may consider BMW’s latest styling direction a little polarising, or that its infotainment systems are overly complicated But we said much the same about EVs 10 years ago, and look where we are now.

Land Rover Defender

EDITOR in chief Steve Fowler came across a bit of an issue with the rear door of his Defender recently. Put simply, if someone parks too close behind him, the door can’t swing fully open. Not such a big deal, you might think. But when Steve’s using the Defender to transport Goldendoodle Sky all 33kg of her it’s easiest to get her to jump up into the car, or if she’s feeling lazy, use the Land Rover pet ramp that Steve has on standby.

On a recent walk, a Nissan Leaf parked so close that the door wouldn’t open fully, Sky wouldn’t jump in and there wasn’t enough space to use the pet ramp So with a puff and a blow, Steve had to lift Sky in himself!

To be fair, this is the first and only time the problem has occurred out in public it usually happens when Steve backs up close to his house so that he can top up the Defender’s battery. He’s seeing around 25 miles of EV power on each charge, when the already quiet Defender descends into eery silence apart from the noise of an excited Goldendoodle in the back.

GETTING to know a new car is always a voyage of discovery and in today’s motors, with more gadgets than you can shake a stick (or a key fob) at, that process takes a little longer.

As the temperatures drop and the hours of daylight get shorter, products editor Kim Adams has been enjoying some of the hitherto hidden touches on his Lexus NX 450h+.

For example, it’s little things like the light in the charging port that make topping up the PHEV Lexus a breeze rather than a fumble.

Early starts are increasingly chilly, and the automatic heated steering wheel is very welcome, taking the cold edge off quickly and keeping Kim’s hands pleasantly warm. The large touchscreen kicks the heated seats into life and Kim can turn down the climate control to maximise the electric range It all means the NX’s cabin is a really pleasant place to be

Blocked Rear door of Defender can’t open if another car parks too close

Boost More range from lower temps

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IF the closest you’re going to get to driving a Lamborghini Huracán or Aventador is through a driving game, why not take the experience to the max by tackling it in a Lamborghini chair.

The black and ash grey suede finished design is the result of a year long collaboration between Secretlab and the House of Sant’Agata Bolognese. Not only is it good for gaming, but it can also double as an office chair

The design has its roots in the Secretlab Titan Evo 2022 Series, which has a cold cure foam base and back that aim to provide the perfect balance between comfort and support The base is sculpted to guide you to a healthy sitting posture plus there is a four way L Adapt lumbar support system designed to adjust vertically and horizontally to tuck into the curve of the user’s lower back The set up flexes to suit

your position This is combined with up to 165 degrees of recline, or the backrest can be locked with the base and leaned back

The Lamborghini edition comes with a magnetic memory foam with a cooling gel head pillow worth £59 included This is attached by magnets and can be adjust to suit the user The armrests are fully adjustable and the aluminium base uses PU coated castors for quiet running The chair costs £734, but look out for offers

A A

Q Q

I’VE moved to a house with a separate garage, which I use as a workshop Do you have any tips for keeping it usable during the winter?

Colin Brown, E mail

WITH energy prices high, you want to maximise the heat generated in the garage, so block any gaps between the walls and roof, plus any air bricks Depending on the type of building, consider minimising heat loss through the roof by installing a ceiling. This also cuts the space to be heated Our pick of the heaters for small areas is the Erbauer BGP2108 25 1 (above)

What’s causing road noise?

I’VE got a car with nearly new tyres on the front and just over 2mm tread of on the rear At low speed, road noise is higher than I was expecting. Could it be the tyres and if so, which ones?

Paul Lester, E mail

YOU don’t mention the makes, but if both are premium brands, the fault is more likely to be the worn tyres Much of the tyre generated road noise is air compressed in the tread as a wheel rolls, and the sound can increase as the space reduces with wear. If the rears are a premium brand, try getting a matching set for the front For ultimate safety, put the newest tyres on the rear

Is service a waste of money?

MY car’s service interval is 10,000 miles, but I have done less than half that in a year Is it worth getting oil and filters changed after so little use?

Gavin Milne, E mail

A

SERVICE intervals are mileage and time limited for a reason. While the oil may be serviceable for a few more miles, the other things done at a service, like inspecting the suspension, belts, hoses and filters, still need to be done These can be more important on a car that has seen little use than one driven often A full service history will also enhance the car’s retail value

“It has a cold-cure foam base that’s aimed at providing the ideal mix of comfort and support”

New shirts celebrate crowd favourite Gerry Marshall

NEWPRODUCT

RetroClassic Gerry Marshall T-shirts

Price: From £24

Contact: retroclassicclothing com

BRITISH race fans of a certain age will remember fondly the saloon racing feats of the larger than life Gerry Marshall, whose seventies and eighties heyday is celebrated in a series of RetroClassic T shirts

Gerry’s son Gregor was involved in the design of the three strong range, which recalls his Vauxhall and Triumph British saloon plus later Aston Martin historic racing

The big man started racing in 1963, but leapt to prominence when he linked up with Dealer Team Vauxhall This early seventies period is represented by the Vauxhall Firenza nicknamed Old Nail, which Gerry took to 64 wins and was the only racer he kept until his death in 2005

At the end of the seventies, he competed in the Production Saloons and the British

NEWPRODUCT

ARB BASE rack

Price: From £945 76

Contact: truckman co uk

IF you use your 4x4 as a load lugging workhorse, then the latest addition to the Truckman range may be a solution when the cabin is full, but you still need to carry more Maker ARB says the BASE rack with its fully welded cross beam design means there is no need for extra support from a sub frame The result is a ‘super low profile’ for improved clearance and better integration with the vehicle

The rack is available in a range of lengths and widths to suit a large number of 4x4s, plus the dovetail mounting system makes it easy to attach a variety of kit. There is also a range of vehicle mounting options including T slot

LOWDOWN

With no need for a sub frame, BASE rack gives better clearance

news, deals& events

OLD NAIL

Firenza racer is recalled in one shirt (left), while others feature a Dolomite and an Aston F1 car (top)

VW rolls out chair inspired by pick-ups

PLENTY have turned a car seat into an office chair, but nobody’s done it quite like Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, with a one off seating concept inspired by its own vans and pick-ups (above).

The chair is capable of driving at a top speed of 12mph for around 7 4 miles. It’s also fitted with a rear view camera, all round sensors, a seat heater, lights and signals, tow hitch and stereo all things you’d find on a VW van. The chair is sadly not road legal nor is it likely to be sold. But it might have given you some ideas for your next office project

Top Zap-Map sub for Select EV customers

Championship, a period which is remembered in the 1979 Triumph Dolomite Sprint he raced in the latter competition During this period he also won five Production Saloon titles

Despite being the oldest vehicle in the line up, the 1957 Aston Martin DBR4 F1 car was raced in historic events towards the end of Gerry’s career, taking several wins in the championship.

The T shirts can be ordered in four colours, with men’s sizes spanning XS 4XL, and women’s 8 18, alongside a range for children

SELECT Car Leasing is the latest firm to team up with chargepoint mapping service Zap Map, handing every customer who leases an electric car with the company three months’ free access to Zap-Map’s ‘Premium’ service. Usually £7.99 a month, this features enhanced filtering by chargepoint, locations, what3words addresses and user ratings, as well as the ability to use the app via Apple CarPlay or Android Auto For more information on Zap Map, visit zap map.com.

Europe’s ‘harshest’ rally is on next month

THE Historic Endurance Rallying Organisation (HERO) is presenting its LeJog rally, calling it the harshest endurance event in Europe. Taking place from 3-6 December, the rally requires an RS Clubman MSUK licence and is open to pre 1991 vehicles

Competitors face a gruelling 1,300 miles in 75 hours, heading from Lands End to John O’Groats via challenging tests across the country The entry fee is £4,670, but if you’d simply like to watch a leg or two, you can find the schedule at heroevents.eu.

Mini test

NEWPRODUCT

Thinkware X800

Price: £139 (including 32GB SD card)

Rating: Resolution: 1440P

Contact: thinkwaredashcam eu

THINKWARE’S X800 might be brand new, but it has a distinctly retro style, resembling a 1960s camera with its leather look case

For a new product at this price level, its specification seems a little old fashioned, too. A GPS receiver that will allow you to add location and speed stamps to footage costs an extra £24.99. Being a separate unit, it adds to the clunky appearance of the mountings and cables

We were also surprised to see that there’s no app or WiFi connection to view your files you have to watch them on the camera’s screen or remove the SD card from the car

The footage itself is reasonable, and the X800 copes better than the DDPAI on rougher roads and in lower light conditions But there is no advantage in daylight and it struggles to cope with glare in bright conditions.

books, games & apps

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution

Brian Long (VelocePublishing, veloce.co.uk)

Thinkware sets sights on beating the best

VALUECHOICE

PREVIOUS WINNER

WHEN an established brand like Thinkware launches a new product, we sit up and take notice The company has been in the business since the very start of the dash cam revolution, but its products in the past few years have been a little off the pace in terms of tech and value

Could its new X800 be the product that turns the tide? It’s aimed right at the best selling core of the market, priced at £139 including a 32GB memory card A rear camera is available for an extra £30 and there’s also the interesting option of easily hardwiring the unit to a power source using an OBD plug connection rather than tapping into the fuse box although this won’t work with every car.

That connection seems to be the X800’s only innovative feature, though It lacks several of the features we think are essential in a dash cam and doesn’t look great value next to these rivals

DDPAI Mola N3 Package

Price: £80 (including 128GB SD card)

Resolution: 1600P Rating:

Contact: store ddpaicom

THERE are a few choices for packages and options when you’re buying the DDPAI Mola, and all of them seem excellent value For this comparison, we opted for the 128G Package, which includes a big capacity SD card and a GPS receiver to add a speed and location stamp to the footage

The Mola also has superior footage quality to the other pair here, with 1600P versus the rivals’ 1440P In ideal conditions that results in clear pictures, with better defined details such as registration numbers In darker conditions, both rivals manage marginally better, but at this price, it’s hard to fault the Mola

Kenwood DRV-501W

Price: £99 95 (including 16GB SD card)

Resolution: 1440P Rating:

Contact: kenwoodshop co uk

WE’VE been fans of the Kenwood 501 for a while, because it has all of the features we like in a dash cam in a neat looking unit There’s a quick release magnetic mount with a choice of suction or adhesive attachments, built in GPS and a decent app to view footage over a WiFi connection Its three inch rear screen makes it easy to scroll through the menus, too This package also includes a polarising filter, which makes a real difference to the footage in bright sunlight, reducing glare and reflections from the dashboard and windscreen It’s a close run battle with the DDPAI, but the Kenwood just loses out on cost

FEW cars are as intertwined with a sport as the Mitsubishi Lancer is with rallying so it’s no surprise that this history book exists, focusing on the car’s WRC career from 1993 until its close more than a decade later. It packs in details of every entry, results and reference charts plus lots of contemporary photography and rally snappers don’t hold back from making sure they get thrilling shots

Three-Wheelers

Price: £19 99 Rating: Ken Hill (ShireLibrary, bloomsburycom)

Price: £6 99 Rating:

CHEAP, with just 32 pages listing more than 200 makers, so you’ll need to do your own research for any detail. Such a chopped down page count can only touch on the rich history of the three wheel brigade, but there are a few decent photos. It’s best as a kicking off point if you’re starting an interest in three wheelers

Used Car Tycoon

Available for: iOS, Android Price: Free Rating:

SURPRISINGLY more compelling than most Tycoon games of this type, and it’s quite good fun either to leave idling or to get involved in haggling, buying and selling and upgrading your sales lot As we’ve come to expect, there’s a heavy push on watching ads for faster progress, but you can still enjoy playing without having to stare at too many Cute graphics and a simple interface are nice touches

App of the week

TomTom Go! Ride

Available for: iOS, Android Price: Free Rating:

THIS motorcyclists’ app is useful for drivers keen to avoid main roads With Fastest, Thrilling and Super Thrilling route settings the latter two taking you on increasingly challenging roads it’s great for a weekend blast

“Could the new X800 be the product that turns the tide for Thinkware?”

Tom Barnard

BEST BUY

Draper Auto & Manual Ranging

Digital Multimeter (92433)

Rating: Price: £41 80 Contact: drapertools com

2022

THE Draper impresses at every turn, with a large backlit display and torch helping in dark or confined places The metre long leads are good quality and stow snugly in the back of the protective rubber sleeve Its non contact voltage detector is a nice touch, but the amount it sticks out seems unnecessary. The instructions are excellent, and it is the only unit here to bundle a case, stand and hanging strap. A competitive price and the highest overload protection seal the deal

RECOMMENDED

Kewtech AC/DC Multimeter & Temperature Probe 600V

Rating: Price: £59 17 Contact: screwfix com

THE Kewtech partly misses out on top spot due to its high price. Its robust construction impresses, and the metal temperature probe is the best here It’s very easy to use, with colour coding to link dial functions, options accessed via the push buttons, and in depth instructions Being able to turn the unit off either side of the dial is handy, and we like the options to hold the reading as well as display minimum and maximum values, plus the differences It has a stand, but there’s no case or strap

Every week, we extensively test all the latest car kit, from tyres to trim cleaners. Log on to www.autoexpress.co.uk to look through our huge online test archive

Rating: Price: £34 99 Contact: drapertools com

THIS Draper is the only unit here with automotive specific functions, such as an inductive clamp to read engine revs It defaults to automotive appropriate DC, and has a temperature probe, too. The unit is compact and is easy to grip, making it useful in tight or awkward spots Like its bigger brother (above), this Draper also comes with a flip out stand and a carry case, while its instructions are just as clear and comprehensive. For workshop duties, especially on older vehicles, it’s in a class of one.

TIS 258 Digital Multimeter With Temperature Probe

Rating: Price: £19 99 Contact: toolstation.com

THERE’S much to recommend the bargain priced TIS 258, but its manual ranging might put some buyers off. For the more experienced user, it’s a compact and well equipped package We like the clear display and bright backlight, good-quality leads and a general feel that belies its price

It’s bulky, so not quite as easy to hold as others here, but it does have a stand and hanging slot. The clear labeling around the dial and buttons means it’s easy to find the mode you want quickly

Stuart Milne

A MULTIMETER is an essential piece of equipment when you’re doing work on your car’s electrics It’ll measure electrical values, which allows you to check a battery’s state, or keep an eye on component failure or continuity to ensure a circuit is sound Some products even have automotive specific functions, temperature probes or non contact voltage ability to detect live cables. So which will reveal all on your car? We’ve switched on eight to find our current bright spark

DIGITAL MULTIMETERS

We reveal our current favourite for tackling car electrics

Howwe tested them

USING a regulated power supply, every multimeter passed our voltage and resistance accuracy tests within the margins in the instructions We assessed cables, backlighting, protective sleeve and additional features, looking for the best device for the automotive electrics beginner rather than seasoned engineer.

We also preferred auto ranging units, which don’t require manual selection of electrical value spreads Finally, we took price into account

Verdict

DRAPER’S unit trumped its rivals with its package of features and a keen price. Only the lack of a case and the £17 extra it cost consigned the impressive Kewtech to second place The final podium place went to Draper’s Automotive multimeter.

1 Draper Digital Multimeter

Kewtech Multimeter 3. Draper Automotive Multimeter

TIS Autoranging Digital Multimeter

Rating: Price: £51 98

Contact: toolstation com

THE TIS Autoranging Digital Multimeter posted a solid set of scores, but it looks pricey in this company That’s a shame, because what we like about the TIS 258 (left) also applies here, while auto ranging means it’s simpler to use The unit defaults to DC, which is handy for automotive applications, and the backlit screen is clear. The brightly coloured buttons are easy to identify, and the dial’s labels are large and clearly printed, while having two off positions prevents unnecessary twiddling of the dial. A two pin temperature probe is useful, too

LAP AC/DC Digital Multimeter

Rating: Price: £8 24

Contact: screwfix com

SCREWFIX’S fully functioned multimeter represents remarkable value It’s not surprising that there’s no case, auto ranging, buzzer or back lighting, but you do get a tough, rubberised cover, while the build quality flimsy stand apart is pretty good

During our electrical tests, it performed just as well as the rest here, meaning it’s perfectly fine for occasional use in fact, one diagnosis or repair may well mean it pays for itself. But you’ll need to know what you’re doing, because it’s manual ranging, and the instructions are brief

Sealey Professional Auto-Ranging Digital Multimeter

Rating: Price: £69 54

Contact: sealey.co.uk

THE pocket sized Sealey is a strong performer for the novice. The hardwired leads mean there’s no confusion over which socket to use and there are just four options on the dial, plus three buttons. That’s just as well because the instructions are the poorest here.

It impresses as a package, though, because as well as its user friendliness, it has non contact voltage detection and a torch (though no backlighting), and good probe storage. But there’s no getting away from that high price tag

Clarke CDM45C 11 Function Digital Multimeter with Temperature Probe

Rating: Price: £41.99

Contact: machinemart co uk

THE Clarke is the biggest here, but with a bewildering range of dial positions, this manual ranger is more suited to an electronics expert’s workbench

On the plus side, all options are clearly displayed, rather than requiring a press of a button But while the display is large, there’s no back lighting and the buzzer isn’t nearly as loud as the best. The Clarke claws back points with a temperature probe and a two pin plug for a range of transistor testing

“We looked for the best device for the

KIA is a company that regularly performs well in Driver Power, but the Stonic is the least satisfying model in its range, according to owners’ responses to our latest 2022 results

The Stonic isn’t considered exceptionally good or bad in any section, with rankings that hover around average in almost all categories Its highest rating is 16th for servicing costs, and the lowest is 66th for the smoothness of the gearbox. Rear legroom is also cited as a problem area by quite a few respondents to the survey

An above average 19 5 per cent of owners say they have experienced an issue with their Stonic, with electrical gremlins being the most common problem

“My Stonic has responsive steering and good acceleration when required.”

VAUXHALL has a long history of producing mass market family cars, and although it embraced the SUV segment a long time before many rivals, the company offered more than its fair share of humdrum cars. Models such as the Frontera and Monterey in the 1990s, and more recently the Antara and the Mokka X

When PSA (later to be part of Stellantis) bought Vauxhall from General Motors in 2017, the seeds were sown for a more desirable line up, and one of them was the Grandland X It has never been a class leader, but there’s still plenty to like about this mid sized SUV, especially for those whose priorities are comfort and value rather than sharp dynamics or badge prestige

History

THE Vauxhall Grandland X went on sale in October 2017, with a choice of 128bhp three cylinder 1.2 litre turbocharged petrol and 118bhp four cylinder 1 6 litre diesel engines Both were available with six speed manual or automatic transmissions

In May 2018 an all new 128bhp 1.5 litre diesel replaced the previous 1.6 litre unit; it came with a six speed manual or eight speed automatic transmission A fresh range topping Ultimate trim in December 2017 coincided with the introduction of a 175bhp 2 0 litre diesel engine which came only in eight speed auto form

A four wheel drive plug in hybrid arrived in early 2020, along with a front wheel drive edition A facelift in October 2021 brought a fresh nose design and dashboard, and new tech, including adaptive LED headlights, while the X was dropped from the name.

BUYER’SGUIDE: Vauxh

Richard Dredge

NEED TO KNOW

THE plug in hybrids are fitted with a 13.2kWh battery pack, which is enough to give an official electric range of 34 miles; expect more like 22 26 miles in the real world. As standard, the hybrids come with a 3.3kW on board charger

hall Grandland

YOURVIEW

HAVING made its Driver Power new car survey debut in 2020, in 69th place (out of 75 entries), the Grandland X then shot up to seventh place the next year, before dropping to 24th place in 2022 Owners like the performance, low running costs (especially maintenance), cabin space and versatility They’re less keen on visibility, switchgear placement, cabin finish and reliability, but overall the results are impressive.

CASE STUDY

PETER Cotter from, Redditch, Worcs, owns a 2018 Grandland X 1 2 Turbo: “A great deal was the key reason I went for the Vauxhall I didn’t expect to be thrilled by it, and I’m not, but I do like its roomy cabin, ample equipment and refinement. I’ve been surprised by the balance of performance and economy, but some of the cabin materials feel cheap and there have been a few software related glitches ”

FROM

Expert’s verdict

Rosamond Contributing editor

IT’S easy to knock the unremarkable contenders in such a fashion focused segment of the market, but if you’re spending your own money on an SUV, the Grandland’s positive qualities of decent practicality, affordability and looks are highly appealing. Not everyone needs a fancy badge or ‘look at me’ styling, and we reckon the Grandland can make a fine choice for pragmatic buyers

Common faults

THE 1 2T and 1 5D have an oil lubricated cambelt that can disintegrate, wrecking the engine. We don’t know how common the problem is, but the cambelt’s material and oil spec have both been changed Otherwise, any issues tend to be relatively minor software or electrical faults.

DETAILS

Grandland shares its

platform with the Peugeot 3008, but the Vauxhall has a plainer look Ride on smaller alloy wheels is comfortable

NAMING Vauxhall started off by adding an X to the names of its SUVs, so the Crossland X and Mokka X also existed, but mid life facelifts for all three saw the suffix dropped

“The Grandland’s decent practicality, affordability and looks are all appealing”

Chris

PRACTICALITY

Panoramic glass is offered on top spec models, and helps to give the cabin a spacious feel

Howmuch? Running costs

WE

Interior

ONE big difference between the Grandland X and the Grandland is the dashboard; the later car’s is much more sophisticated, with its large digital displays, one of which is a user friendly infotainment system

The dash is generally easy to live with either way, and the Grandland’s front seats are comfortable with plenty of adjustment and support. Rear seat space is impressive, with plenty of head and legroom. However, boot space is merely average, at 514 litres, or 1,652 litres with the back seats folded. Those numbers drop to 390 and 1,528 litres in the hybrid

ALL Grandlands need to be serviced every 12 months or 16,000 miles. Every other service (first, third, fifth etc.) is an Interim, which is priced at £215 using OE parts, or £205 if pattern items are fitted Services two, six, 10 etc are classed as Main and these are priced at £235 regardless of whether OE or pattern parts are fitted. Services four, eight, 12, etc, are Major; this involves replacing the petrol fuel filter, spark plugs and air filter

For diesel engined Grandlands, the cost is £385 (£335 using pattern parts), whereas for the 1.2T you’ll pay £415 (or £355), and with the hybrid the price is £485 or £435.

The 1 6 litre petrol in the plug in hybrid is chain driven, but the 1 5 diesel and 1 2 petrol have a cambelt that needs should be replaced every 10 years or 112,000 miles

Dealers charge £569 for this

DRIVING Grandland won’t set the world alight with its performance, but it’s comfortable for everyday use

INFOTAINMENT Shortcut buttons help to take the strain out of using the touchscreen all of the time

Partwatch

Recalls

VAUXHALL has recalled the Grandland eight times The first was in January 2018 because some cars built in late 2017 were fitted with faulty pistons that could lead to engine failure. There were two recalls in July 2018, one for oil leaks from the 2 0 litre diesel, the other because of front seat mounted airbags failing to deploy correctly Diesel particulate filter glitches led to the next campaign in April 2019; five months later came recall number five, because some Grandlands left the factory with poorly secured rear seatbelts Recalls six and seven came in October and November 2020 because of exhaust emissions limits being exceeded and faulty diesel particulate filters The most recent recall, in March 2021, was due to faulty radiators; affected cars were made in September 2019

Which one?

ALL Grandland engines and transmissions are good to drive and reasonably efficient If you do lots of long distance motorway drives, a diesel can still make sense; otherwise a petrol or plug in hybrid might be better. The entry level SE (or later SE Premium) has dual zone climate control, auto lights and wipers, 17 inch alloys and cruise control Tech Line Nav adds ambient lighting, electrically folding door mirrors, a powered tailgate, satellite navigation, 18 inch wheels, keyless go and front parking sensors

The Sport Nav has the same equipment, but with a black roof and mirrors, while Elite trim adds leather, heated front seats, 19 inch alloys, panoramic glass and a heated windscreen. The range topping Ultimate also has heated outer rear seats, a Denon hi fi, adaptive cruise control, a rear camera and adaptive LED headlights

Alternatives

MID sized SUVs are incredibly popular, so the Grandland is in a very crowded sector and there are plenty of alternatives. The Kia Sportage and Hyundai Tucson are both well equipped and come with excellent

PRACTICALITY There’s a decent boot capacity in the Vauxhall, and back seat passengers have plenty of room, too

warranties, while related to the Grandland are the Citroen C5 Aircross, Peugeot 3008 and DS 7 Crossback, all of which offer smart design and decent value

Three other SUVs that are related to each other are the SEAT Ateca, Skoda Karoq and VW Tiguan, which offer user friendly cabins, impressive build quality and great engines The Nissan Qashqai and Renault Kadjar share much under the skin, while the Ford Kuga is good value and fun to drive, and the Mazda CX 5 has smart design inside and out

Verdict

THE Grandland is easy to respect, but hard to love When we ran a 1 2 Turbo Sport Nav on our test fleet in 2019, we came away with the view that “You choose a Grandland X for the pragmatism and space it offers, not because it’ll stir the soul”

However, a three way test with the facelifted Grandland in June of this year saw the Vauxhall beat Nissan’s Qashqai, but not the Skoda Karoq, which is a

formidable opponent A key thing that we learned from running our petrol engined Grandland around town a lot was its poor fuel economy of just 22mpg, although on a run we could get closer to 40mpg

Buy the right engine for your needs and you’ll have a family friendly SUV that’s easy to live with, if ultimately rather unexciting

Contacts

Official vauxhall co uk Forums grandlandforums co uk facebook com/VauxhallGrandland vauxhallownersnetwork co uk vauxhallownersclubcom

Newworldorder?

Long-establishedPolofacesuptochallengeofnewerrivals

THEVWPolo was once an undisputed superminifavourite,combininga premiumfeel with a reputationfor quality. Butthe glow providedbytheVWbadge has worn off alittlein recentyears,asthe competitionhasbeen steadilyhomingin.

ThelatestPolo received a mid-life update in2021,designedtoimproveits appealin

thishighlycontested

sector.It’s now a more attractive optionthan ever,buthow doestheVW match uptokeyrivals as a used or nearlynew choice?

Tofind out,we’re comparingitto a couple ofits more popular competitors,including the closelyrelatedSeatIbiza,which as a fellow product oftheVWGroupstable –

shares much ofitsbasicdesign and engineeringwiththePolo.TakingontheVWGroupduoisthe Hyundaii20,buttheKorean companyis nolongerthebargain basementbrand some still considerit.Infact,thei20in Premiumtrim costs more as a new car than either rival.Howtimes change!

“TheglowprovidedbytheVWbadge onthebonnethaswornoffalittle inrecentyears,asthecompetition hassteadilybeenhomingin”

THE Hyundai i20’s Premium trim level delivers a decent haul of kit, but regardless, the cabin trim feels a bit cheap and plasticky compared to the VW Polo’s That’s pretty much the only area the i20 loses out to its VW Group alternatives, though, and the trio are certainly evenly matched for practicality All provide a decent boot capacity of just over 350 litres, and acceptable space for two rear passengers

The trio offer similar performance too, although the VW and SEAT lack the advantage of mild hybrid tech. The i20’s 1 0 litre three cylinder 48V system with its ‘drive by wire’ clutch pedal feels a bit more lively on the road, as well as offering efficiency benefits that should help eke out filling station stops. Being able to coast when the engine’s off, the i20 can return a couple more miles per gallon than either rival

The i20 is also more entertaining to drive than the VW Group cars, with more responsive steering and a bit more mid range punch shaving the best part of half a second off the 0 62mph time With the bulk of a five year new car warranty left, and the promise of holding its value well, the i20 is our pick of this bunch.

st Hyundai i20

THE i20 will be nicer to drive and should be cheaper to run than either of its rivals, yet it’s just as practical. There’ll also be more left of its five year warranty when buying used

IT’S widely understood that the SEAT Ibiza is fundamentally similar to the VW Polo, but the German car’s Spanish relative is a bit less conservative in feel, thanks to more extrovert exterior and interior design The focus is on generating a bit more flair, but in truth the differences are only skin deep However, the SEAT badge is a little less in demand than its VW stablemate’s, which makes it a slightly more cost effective option on the used market when shopping for similarly equipped trims. However, watch out for the lower specs of the entry level Ibiza model, unless you’re looking for a bargain basement purchase

Servicing costs in the SEAT franchised dealer network are likely to be lower than in VW’s, so that’s also something to factor into a nearly new purchase And ultimately it’s the slightly lower potential cost of running and owning the Ibiza that gives it the nod over the Polo as a second hand buy.

It’s not a clear cut choice, though, and anyone wanting more of a premium feel may think the Polo’s better quality justifies a higher price, in which case they’ll quite reasonably reverse our running order.

Red inserts liven up design; decent storage up front is complemented by enough room for two adults in rear

THE VW Polo and SEAT Ibiza provide essentially the same driving experience from the same 1 0 litre three cylinder petrol drivetrain That is, unless you choose the Ibiza FR; this features supposedly more sporty suspension, but is mostly just more uncomfortable on the UK’s pockmarked tarmac

The difference in feel is quite marked, though, because for starters the VW looks more restrained and conservative on the outside, and it’s also a slightly more refined and comfortable proposition inside That’s thanks to the VW’s still marginally enhanced standards of fit and finish, which give the Polo a small but noticeable edge when it comes to plushness. Unfortunately, that means higher prices.

This may matter more if you’re looking for a cost effective small family runaround, but the Polo should appeal to drivers with fewer family commitments

If you’re looking at the latest Polo, though, make sure you are happy with the touch sensitive air con controls on all but the base trim level called Life We also recommend the 94bhp engine option, for the optimum balance of economy and power.

THERE’S much to like about the VW Polo, and if you rate a premium, traditional feel over ultimate value for money, we’d happily recommend it over the related SEAT Ibiza

Life trim’s simpler air con set up is better than system in other versions; rear space impressive for supermini

NEWCAR PRICES

HOW OUR GUIDE WORKS

PERFORMANCE: This is the manufacturer’s claimed acceleration time for a car, and is measured from 0 60mph or 0 62mph (0 100kph), in seconds

ECONOMY/EMISSIONS/RANGE: Combined WLTP economy in miles per gallon, emissions in grams per kilometre of CO2 and maximum claimed range for EVs Figures are achieved in the latest WLTP tests, but will vary according to equipment and are unlikely to be representative of everyday efficiency

INSURANCE: Group rating as quoted by the Association of British Insurers

WARRANTY: Next to each manufacturer’s name is the basic warranty period in months and miles for the mechanicals, corrosion and paintwork EVs and hybrids will have dedicated battery cover

LIST PRICE: This is the on the road figure and includes VAT, delivery to dealer, 12 months’ road tax, number plates and first registration EVs do not include the Plug in Car Grant

WILL IT FIT? Is your garage big enough? Our measurements show the length and width of each model, but remember estate and performance variants may be bigger.

DRIVER POWER POSITION: Auto Express’s survey canvasses results from tens of thousands of motorists Models are rated by drivers, then ranked against others on sale in the UK The lower the number, the higher the score a model achieved

ROAD

VEHICLES BELOW £40 000

Electric vehicle: £0 Alternative fuel: £155 Petrol/diesel: £165 Alternative fue s include hybrids plug in hybr ds, b ethano and LPG fuels

VEHICLES OVER £40 000 Electric vehicle: £0 Alternative fuel: £510 Petrol/diesel: £520 After five years vehicles costing more than £40,000 revert to the ower rates

Pick up trucks: The models listed here pay a flat rate of road tax, at £295 per year

EURO NCAP RATING: At the start of each model is its Euro NCAP crash test safety rating (if available) The maximum score is five stars although the test has been made tougher over the years so ratings aren’t comparable between vehicles

Lewis in hunt for first 2022 win

YousufAshraf Yousuf Ashraf@autovia co uk @ashrafoncars

IN the hands of Max Verstappen during the second half of 2022, Red Bull’s RB18 has looked unstoppable Having taken the record for the most wins in a season (14) last time out in Mexico City, Verstappen will be aiming to drive home his dominance this weekend in Brazil, carrying momentum into the Abu Dhabi season finale

Increasingly, a resurgent Lewis Hamilton appears the man most likely to stop him. Updates introduced at the US GP in Austin brought the Mercedes W13 closer to the sharp end, addressing some of the car’s flaws that have prevented him and

teammate George Russell from tapping into its full race potential

With Red Bull’s 2021 cost cap breach renewing the focus on last year’s events, Lewis will be driven to break his team’s winless streak, and the Brazilian GP could be the last real chance to do so The W13’s aerodynamics perform better at higher altitude, as evidenced in Mexico With the Sao Paulo circuit sitting at over 700 metres above sea level, Hamilton could be in the hunt

Ferrari will certainly be hoping to improve on its last outing, when Carlos Sainz could only cross the line almost a minute behind

Verstappen. The Italian outfit hasn’t tasted victory since Austria, and Sainz’s teammate Charles Leclerc is locked in a tight battle with Sergio Perez for second place in the standings.

Further down the grid, Alpine and McLaren head to Brazil in a fight for fourth place in the constructors’ championship Just seven points split the two teams

Delta Integrale reborn as WRX EV

GCK Motorsport is reviving one of the most decorated rally car nameplates in history, with its all electric Lancia Delta Integrale inspired Evo e RX Built as a stocky, competition ready World RX challenger around a tubular steel chassis in a retro inspired boxy body shell, the Delta Integrale EV produces 671bhp and can accelerate from 0 62mph in less than two seconds.

GCK has already built a road going version of its Delta EV, and the squad’s new competition car will make its debut this weekend at the Nürburgring, mixing tarmac and gravel in traditional rallycross style.

The German event will serve as a shakedown ahead of the Integrale’s full 2023 campaign, with GCK president Guerlain Chicherit behind the wheel.

“I’m really excited to be back in World RX, a year on from my last appearance in

the championship,” he said “One thing is for sure our Lancia Delta Evo e RX will stand out from the crowd in this ultra spectacular series ”

Maserati Formula E seat for Günther

AS Formula E’s Gen3 era draws closer, Maserati has confirmed its drivers for next season Maximilian Günther (below) will line up alongside Edoardo Mortara to spearhead Maserati’s return to single seater racing, with both bringing race winning pedigree Mortara is already part of the Venturi Racing squad, which will morph into Maserati for 2023, but 25 year old Günther will want to establish himself in the team As Formula E’s youngest ever race winner, he has the tools to do so.

● Closer to Red Bull since US GP ● Brazil circuit will suit W13

Ferrari was off the pace in Mexico; Ricciardo (left) stormed to seventh

following the Mexican round after Fernando Alonso’s Alpine suffered engine failure, resulting in his fifth DNF of the season Daniel Ricciardo won’t be on the grid next year, but his storming drive to seventh last time out was reminiscent of his successful Red Bull performances At the time of going to press it’s unknown if Ricciardo will stay in the F1 paddock for 2023, or in what role.

CHARGING

Delta will be driven by GCK Motorsport president Guerlain Chicherit (below)

WEDNESDAY 2 November: I step out of my car and almost trip over a bloke ‘dressed’ in a blanket sitting on the wet pavement outside a Costa Coffee Politely, he asks if I have spare change for a cuppa! I have little cash, but hand him the two £1 coins in my pocket He’s thankful and says he’ll put them towards the hot drink he craves. You’ve guessed it: Costa charges £2 25 for a paper cup filled with hot water, a tea bag and dash of milk. The collective cost of those raw materials is pennies (below 10p, I’d estimate), so the mark up is massive.

The clearly vulnerable bloke is needy, Costa is plain greedy. Its parent is America’s Coca Cola Company mission statement: “Refresh the World Make a Difference”. But fewer slogans and greater generosity are required from the giant whose latest annual gross profits totalled almost $25billion (£22 3bn)

Another global company adversely impacting needy folk is BP In March, I revealed that some BP stations were charging £2 a litre Yet now, with prices easing, numbers remain high on some BP forecourts Surprise, surprise the oil giant’s latest quarterly profit is $8 2billion (£7 3bn) Greedy enough for you, dear beleaguered, ripped off energy consumer?

Several car firms are more hungry for profits, too An old friend proves the point by tearfully reminding me that throughout his long working life he’s needed and bought new, reliable, mid sized family cars. But he can no longer afford such vehicles despite still working Huge jumps in showroom prices have outstripped the modest pay rises he and millions of others have received.

Another major concern for him is that, apart from needing a suitable car for his high mileage day job, his evenings and weekends are dominated by his comparatively new, part time (but unpaid) additional roles as a carer for his disabled son and 80 something mother Public transport users enjoy state support via subsidised trains and buses How about similar subsidies from the state and wealthy car companies?

It’s time for rich global businesses to think less about corporate wealth, more about citizen health. Perhaps they should follow the examples set by three (of many) UK based charitable organisations BEN (Motor & Allied Trades Benevolent Fund) offers everything from financial to mental health support for motor trade/industry folk. Also linked to the car business is WOMAC (Women on the Move Against Cancer), which does a great job raising funds. And via its Dream Rides initiative, the SBMC (Sporting Bears Motor Club) has not only raised millions of pounds for children’s charities and foundations, but has faithfully delivered those millions to kids wherever they need help.

The likes of Coca Cola/Costa, BP and certain car companies really need to acquire the skill of taking less and giving more. This they can do by first looking at, then learning from, the likes of BEN, WOMAC and SBMC, who give, give, give and then some ● MikehasaskedthathisfeeforthiscolumnisgiventotheMarcusRutherfordFoundation KitchenatPaul’sHouse, theLondon ‘homefromhome’foryoungcancerpatients

Motoring’s most outspoken and opinionated columnist sounds off