NEW FERRARI Slick, smooth but no F-Pace OCTAVIA SCOOP £9K USED GUIDE EVERY WEEK THE WORLD’S MOST BEAUTIFUL ROAD TRIP Est. 1895 | autocar.co.uk | 14 September 2022 EXCLUSIVE PICS It’s a 715bhpmid-enginedV12(phew!) Skoda reinvents its smash hit SECRETS OF TV’S WHEELER DEALERS WILL PORSCHE EVER RE-ENTER F1?RSGT4CaymanPorsche|2022September14 BMW’s forgotten hot hatch 14 – 21 September 2022 £4.50 NEW LEXUS RATED IMAGE FIVE-STAR ROAD TEST ULTIMATESun,CAYMANseaand800epicmilesThe most controversial Ferrari ever. Just don’t call it an SUV…
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SURPRISE: LIZ TRUSS is the new prime minister. But what does this mean for the automotive world?
Jaguar E-Pace Concerning electrical issues fixed 67
Truss’s actions suggest she supports the roll-out of EV charge points and the creation of UK battery gigafactories, both desperately needed.
New cars A-Z Key car stats, from Abarth to Zenvo 72 Road test index Track down that road test here 81
Honda HR-V Final verdict after 12,000-mile test 64 Land Rover Discovery Spotlight on six-pot diesel 66
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For motorists, she must address the terrifying cost of the fuel that keeps the UK’s businesses running. The alarming cost of electricity doesn’t help the EV motoring agenda much, either.
Purosangue Exclusive photos, all the details 4 Skoda Octavia EV Plus four more electric Skodas 10 Jeep Avenger Baby EV to lead firm’s new Europe bid 12 Horiba MIRA boost Expansion at vital UK R&D site 14 Pagani
‘We’re about shape, a bit Sophia Loren’
She and her new transport secretary will also need to quickly defi ne rules around the combustion-engine ban touted for 2035, given it’s still unclear which hybrids will be allowed to stay. The outcome will have profound effects on the UK car industry.
Further ahead lies vehicle taxation. Road pricing is the phrase du jour, but remember when our own Matt Prior suggested using cars’ connectivity to reward efficient driving via taxes? He should have a word with the new PM…
She needs to tackle two crucial areas: how to facilitate the car industry doing business in the UK and how to fi x the cost of living crisis for motorists.
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facebook.com/autocarofficialyoutube.com/autocartwitter.com/autocarautocar_official NOBLE’S NEW M500 SUPERCAR RATED 24 ROAD TEST: PORSCHE 718 CAYMAN GT4 RS 32 KIA EV6 GT: ROAD TRIP AROUND NORWAY 42 FERRARI PUROSANGUE: ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW 4 ❝ THERE’S THIS SLOT INTO WHICH YOU PUT THE KEY, YOU TURN IT AND THE CAR STARTS! AMAZING❞ NOBLE’S NO-NONSENSE M600 SUCCESSOR SPEAKS MATT PRIOR’S LANGUAGE 24
EXCLUSIVE PICTURES 4 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 14 SEPTEMBER 2022 NEWSGOTASTORY? Email our news felix.page@haymarket.comeditor Ferrari breaks the mould with V12 Purosangue SUV First four-door, four-seat Ferrari trumps Lamborghini Urus at 715bhp, £390k
Ferrari has held true to its heritage, employing its revered V12 in the Purosangue. The naturally aspirated 12-cylinder engine is a heavily reworked version of that used in the 812 Superfast, with a 65deg angle between cylinder banks, a 6.5-litre capacity, a dry sump and high-pressure direct fuel injection. It has been developed for the Purosangue to ensure that
car with the comfort and versatility of a less extreme car. For us, the strategy was to develop a sports car in a different segment.”
The Purosangue is 4973mm long, 2028mm wide and 1589mm tall (compared with 5112mm, 2016mm and 1638mm for the Lamborghini Urus). Along with its 185mm of
T
ground clearance, that puts it very much in SUV territory. It is also four-wheel drive.
he Purosangue is the most radical Ferrari yet, as the first four-seat four-door model to be graced by the Prancing Horse.
Ferrari refuses to describe the Purosangue as an SUV, but the car’s proportions and functionality are very much intended for this segment –one in which Ferrari until now has been markedly absent while rivals such as Aston Martin, Lamborghini and Porsche have forged ahead to capitalise on the ever-growing worldwide popularity of SUVs.
The engine is mounted behind the front axle, while the eight-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox sits at the rear, creating a sporty transaxle layout. This helps deliver the 49:51 front-to-rear weight distribution that Ferrari engineers deem optimum for a front-mid-engined sports car.
The Purosangue becomes the most powerful SUV on sale, with its maximum power of ◊
Originally there were three models in contention. These were made up into full-size models, and ultimately what we see here won contest.the
V12 PERFORMANCE
● First word of a Ferrari SUV appeared in Autocar in 2017
While Ferrari has a long history with 2+2 cars, most recently with the Roma, this is the first time a four-door model with four fully sized seats has made production.
maximum torque is available at lower revs to counter the extra weight of an SUV while not losing the linear power typical of Ferrari’s V12s.
Enrico Galliera, Ferrari’s marketing and commercial chief, said: “We believe it’s a game-changer. It has the performance of a sports
Ferrari first started sketching the Purosangue in 2017.
14 SEPTEMBER 2022 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 5
Although its proportions and functionality are unprecedented for Ferrari, it has retained some of the brand’s fundamental features, having a front-mid-mounted V12 and being claimed to be “a true sports car”.
The only previous four-door badged as a Ferrari was a Pininfarina-designed concept car of 1980, named the Pinin, which company founder Enzo Ferrari reportedly liked but never signed off.
∆ 715bhp arriving at 7750rpm and its torque peaking at 528lb ft at 6250rpm.
Ferrari has been very confident about the design compromise of the Purosangue: that its customers will instinctively recognise the car as an SUV, even though it looks little like its rivals. I’m not so sure, but the ultimate test will be how much more usable those customers find the car than a typical Ferrari GT. If the Purosangue is spacious, comfy, versatile and inviting, and can entertain and excite like a true modern Ferrari sports car as well, how many of us could fail to see the appeal? That won’t be an easy brief to meet – but clearly we should expect this car to both look and drive like a breed of its own.
The platform consists of aluminium alloy in its lower structure, while the car has a carbonfibre roof as standard to reduce weight and lower its centre of gravity.
In line with Ferrari’s claim that the Purosangue is a “true sports car”, it achieves the benchmark sprint of 0-62mph in just 3.3sec and 0-124mph in 10.6sec.
SPORTS CAR DYNAMICS
Pinin concept car of 1980 was the only previous four-door Ferrari
At the declinedunveilingPurosangue’sinItaly,Ferraritotalkaboutother
The different shape of the Purosangue created “a ◊
STEVE CROPLEY
SOTHEBY’SRM 6 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 14 SEPTEMBER 2022
MATT SAUNDERS
As much as I hesitate to admit it, the concept of a GTC4 Lusso on stilts, only with far better rear-seat access and luggage space, isn’t exactly lacking in appeal, especially for those who will actually tour in the thing. After all, riding high is intrinsically comforting, and if Aston Martin can make the DBX 707 so dynamically well sorted, you have to imagine that Ferrari can at least hit the same heights. Expect the Purosangue to feel supremely light on its toes, agile and balanced. How well the atmospheric V12 will suit it, though, I’m not so sure.
MATT PRIOR
AUTOCAR TESTERS ON THE PROSPECT OF A FERRARI SUV
powertrain options, but it’s also expected to use either the V6 plug-in hybrid powertrain of the 296 GTB or the V8 equivalent from the SF90 Stradale in future electrified guises.
The result is a platform that’s lighter than previous four-seat Ferraris’, despite being larger overall.
Owners of Ferrari FFs and GTC4 Lussos tend to love them and use them a great deal. The Purosangue should lift that usability yet another notch and, I suspect, significantly increase the 3000-mile average that most modern Ferraris cover each year. Chief engineer Raffaele de Simone said Ferrari resisted making an SUV/crossover/whatever “until it could be a genuine Ferrari”. I guess we’ll see.
Shape and details were designed with aerodynamics in mind
Galliera said there were many discussions about which powertrain to use, but he believed the V12 was the right one: “It’s the most iconic engine in the company. We’re looking for extreme performance combined with comfort. And for as long as customers have been asking for this car, they’ve been asking for us to keep the history of Ferrari, and that is the V12.”
The Purosangue’s new platform, which Ferrari said was created from scratch, is designed to cater primarily for a V12, but adapting it for other powertrains would “not be very hard”, according to product boss Gianmaria Fulgenzi.
The thing that has always struck me about Ferrari is how extremely successful it has been at making its new models feel different from rivals: special steering feel, special sounds, special responses from the foot controls, even special seats. When we first saw the FF, a very different car from the others in the range at the time, it was readily apparent just how much it still felt like a Ferrari. So I would back Ferrari to keep its family character feel, even in a vehicle of a brandnew format. Chuck in the good parts of crossoverdom –space, comfort, convenience and easy access – and I’m pretty confident that we’re looking at an extremely good car. Especially since latecomer Ferrari will have learned much from the experiences and the mistakes of others.
RICHARD LANE
V12 engine from 812 Superfast has been adapted for heavier car
The original Porsche Cayenne is in part responsible for the birth of the dedicated sports SUV, having spurred its maker on to new heights after years of financial difficulty. Today, the combined sales of the Cayenne and its smaller sibling, the Macan, are more than 3.5 times higher than those of the 911. Many rival firms have since tried to replicate this success…
Martin DBX SALES IN THE FIRST HALF OF 2022
■ Model sales ■ Total
The UK firm beat most rivals to the punch with the Bentayga in 2016, and it proved a near-instant hit. The following year, it accounted for 39.5% of Bentley’s international sales. Of the 7398 cars sold in Bentley’s record-shattering first half of 2022, 40% were Bentaygas. Now an extendedwheelbase version is poised to become the brand’s flagship.
❝ The V12 is our most iconic engine. We want extreme performance combined with comfort ❞ Purosangue 812 Superfast Price £390,000 (est) £253,000 (new) Engine V12, 6496cc, petrol V12, 6496cc, petrol Power 715bhp at 7750rpm 789bhp at 8500rpm Torque 528lb ft at 6250rpm 530lb ft at 7000rpm Kerb weight 2033kg (with lightweight options) 1630kg 0-62mph 3.3sec 2.9sec Top speed More than 193mph 211mph HOW THE FERRARI SUV COMPARES WITH THE FERRARI GT
Sales EUROPEAN
ASTON MARTIN
key 20002500150010005000
BENTLEY
LAMBORGHINI
14 SEPTEMBER 2022 AUTOCAR.CO.UKNEWS7
Reducing
HOW SUV s BOOSTED OTHER LUXURY PERFORMANCE BRANDS
Bentley Bentayga Lamborghini Urus brand
The 641bhp Urus was arguably the first proper modern super-SUV, as well as one of the most successful. It has already broken Sant’Agata’s alltime production record and passed 20,000 examples in June. It accounted for a staggering 61% of Lamborghini’s 5090 total deliveries in the company’s also record-setting first half of 2022.
salesAston
Building an SUV doesn’t guarantee success, and doesn’t Aston Martin know it. Although the DBX took 40% of the brand’s global sales by the end of June, Aston Martin still lost an eye-watering £285.4 million. This was partly because nearly 350 examples of the even hotter 707 version were delayed in production, victims of the semiconductor shortage. weight and lowering centre of gravity were
8 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 14 SEPTEMBER 2022 Instruments screeninfotainmentandsharebehindwheel ❝ Ferrari’s new active suspension system is intended to deliver the same handling as a sports car ❞ The socalled givenandrear-hinged,doors’,‘welcomewhicharehelpegressingresstotherearseats,thePurosangue’sshortwheelbase.TheB-pillarshadtostayforrigidity,tothedisappointmentofthecar’sdesigners.
∆ completely new challenge” for Ferrari’s aerodynamics team. No drag coefficient figure has been released yet, but the Purosangue has been designed to create a smooth flow of air over its front surfaces, has integrated louvres in its ‘floating’ wheelarch trims and at the rear uses a suspended spoiler and a nolder on the lip of the boot. The SUV gets the same dynamic control systems as many of Ferrari’s sports cars, including independent four-wheel steering and ‘ABS Evo’, with a six-way chassis dynamic thanmoreput“WhatevercompatibilityAutoinsteadbuilt-ininlitres,hasthehingedinsized,sportsstillwhileStradale,resembles“sportylayouthandlingthepatchescornersintendeddebutwithsuspensionFerrari’ssensor.newactivesystem,developedMultimatic,makesitsonthePurosangue.It’stocontrolbodyrollinaswellasthecontactoverbumpstodeliversameperformanceandasFerrarisportscars.InsidethePurosangue,theisintendedtoreflectalounge”.ThecockpitheavilythatintheSF90usinga10.2indisplay,theseatingpositionislow,intendedtoconveyacarfeelforthedriver.Accesstothefirstfull-adjustablerearseatsFerrari’shistoryisviarear-doors,whilenaturallybootisthebiggestthefirmofferedtodate,at487comparedwith320litresthe812Superfast.Ferrarihasabandonedsat-navaltogether,relyingonAndroidandAppleCarPlaytofillthatvoid.Gallieraexplained:navsystemweinourcar,itwillneverbeupdatedoradvancedoneonaphone.”
Q&A
ENRICO GALLIERA, CHIEF MARKETING AND COMMERCIAL OFFICER, FERRARI
What does the average Ferrari owner’s car collection look like?
Already this year, Ferrari is on track to sell more cars than ever before – easily topping 12,000. So once Purosangue
While SUVs now account for a large share of many rival firms’ sales volumes, Ferrari is adamant that the Purosangue will retain its exclusivity and never take more than 20% of the brand’s total sales.
our existing clients to reward them for their loyalty. They made Ferrari what it is today.”
sales are up to full speed, expect it to account for no more than 2500 units per year. The Purosangue is likely to be priced from around £390,000 – substantially more than any of its obvious rivals.
Who will buy a Purosangue? “As soon as we announced the V12 powertrain, interest exploded. So now we have a long list of requests coming from non-existing customers as well as current customers. But we’re not expecting early cars to be delivered to non-existing customers. When we learned there was a huge appetite for this car, we decided to give priority to
RACHEL BURGESS
UK deliveries will start next summer, a few months after the left-hand-drive versions.
How important is this car for Ferrari?
14 SEPTEMBER 2022 AUTOCAR.CO.UKNEWS9
Design blurs the lines between SUV and grand tourer
Front passenger gets own digital cockpit; air-con dial is retained
“A few years ago, we decided to develop a complete product range from Ferrari. It started with having the most performance in the market, and that was the SF90 Stradale. At the same time, we wanted to fulfil another position. The 296 isn’t the best-performing, but it is the most fun to drive. Then the Roma and Portofino were created for potential customers intimidated by our other cars. The Purosangue covers the last remaining segment of our product offering. You can now have a Ferrari with a family. This answers all our clients’ needs.”
“Every time I’m invited to see a Ferrari owner’s garage – they’re typically Ferrari collectors – [I see] they also have an SUV or a bigger car to use with family or when they need more space. They all say to me: ‘But this is your fault, because you don’t have a Ferrari that I can use with my family every day, to go away for the weekend, to go skiing.’ Now we do. We have research on the average size of a Ferrari owner’s fleet, but I can’t tell you [about that]. I can tell you, though, that the average size has tripled compared to 10 years ago.”
Best-seller will go electric and join at least four other new Skoda EVs in the line-up
When the electric Octavia arrives, it will join a seven-seat
In addition, Cropley will take your questions each week.
every aspect of the 50 years.
Autocar is revamping its entire podcast offering, making its industry-focused Autocar Business interviews plus insights and discussions supporting its groundbreaking Great Women initiative available to download on every podcast platform.
To listen and subscribe to the podcasts, search your favoured provider for the podcast’s title (eg ‘My Week In Cars’) or type in ‘Autocar’ and then hit subscribe.
electric SUV (previewed by the newly revealed Vision 7S concept), an urban EV, a crossover – all due by 2026 – and a mini-SUV Fabia replacement in Skoda’s new electric-focused line-up.
A new episode will be released every Wednesday, initially on a 10-week run.
The next Volkswagen Tiguan will be launched in 2023 with a significant style overhaul, similar to the Golf. It will retain the current model’s petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrid powertrains. A switch to electric is expected for the following generation.
The podcast is shaped by Cropley’s legendary magazine column, with additional chat on subjects ranging from what he and Prior have been driving and where they have been, to what has caught their eye or been on their mind.
Octavia joins Skoda’s EV blitz
evelopment of an electric Skoda Octavia is under way and the model is primed to go on sale later this decade as the Czech firm rapidly bolsters its EV line-up. Before a zero-emissions
However, Zellmer didn’t rule out the suchaudience.toformOctaviacombustion-enginedcontinuinginsometoenableittocontinueappealtoawiderglobalIfthatwasthecase,amodelwouldbelikelyto
Listeners are invited to email any questions they want posed – or feedback –roadAutocar’snotesofotherBMWacommatthew.prior@haymarket.towiththesubjectline‘MyWeekInCars’.AutocarisalsolaunchingpodcastseriestocelebrateM’shalf-century.NobrandhasthevarietyofferingorconsistenthighofM,andinthispodcastvastlyexperiencedtestersgetstuckinto
IMAGE
Electric Octavia is likely to have a range in excess of 370 miles
FRESH LOOK FOR 2023 VW TIGUAN
version of the brand’s biggest seller is launched, Skoda will refresh its current ICE and plug-in hybrid Octavia variants, due to hit showrooms in 2024.
Tesla’s Model Y has set a new Euro NCAP record for the highest score in the safety assist category. It achieved a 98% rating in the category and five stars overall. “Tesla is setting the standard,” said safety specialist Thatcham Research.
Autocar premieres new podcast
D
10 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 14 SEPTEMBER 2022
Skoda CEO Klaus Zellmer said it is currently investigating an electric Octavia ahead of Europe’s potential ICE car sales ban in 2035. The car maker is targeting 70% of its profits to be from EV sales by 2030.
FIVE-STAR MODEL Y SETS NCAP RECORD
A NEW PODCAST called My Week In Cars with Autocar’s Steve Cropley and Matt Prior can be downloaded now from all the usual podcast channels.
Speaking about what the model means to the brand, Zellmer told Autocar: “The Octavia is rock solid. It has got its customer base and we are market leaders for the [estate] segment. Never change a winning team.”
“We do not want to do this because we know it is not working, so this car [the Vision 7S] is big and is very solid and it’s powerful and prestigious, whereas the smaller car will look a bit more sporty, more aggressive, more fun. So there will definitely be distinctions.
The GM Europe studio won’t just work on “Europeanising” existing models, said Thomson. Its remit will be as wide as any other GM design facility’s and it will have real-time contact with American, Chinese and Korean“Mikecolleagues.Simcoehas made it clear that he wants us involved in the whole global network of GM design,” said Thomson.
remain on the current platform, while the electric Octavia would adopt a Volkswagen Group electric-only platform.
This battery is expected to power two front motors on the standard car and four motors (one fitted to each wheel) on any sportier vRS variants.
Given that the electric Octavia will arrive later in the decade, it is likely to eschew
The establishment of the studio is understood to have been sponsored by GM’s Detroit-based vice-president of global design, Mike Simcoe.
Designers say they are focused on creating a rugged-looking car that follows similar design cues to the newly unveiled Vision 7S concept – itself a preview of an electric seven-seater to come in the same year –but it won’t be a copy of it.
The former world’s biggest car maker left Europe saying it wanted to concentrate on more profitable truck sales, mostly in
Stefani added: “It is something we as designers are discussing every day.”
The electric Octavia is expected to get a more rugged look than the current model, in keeping with Skoda’s recently announced ‘Modern Solid’ design language reboot, which places a focus on SUV-type styling. When the Octavia EV does arrive, it is expected to use a more advanced version of Skoda’s new 89kWh battery, which is due in 2024/25 with a WLTP range of more than 370 miles and a charging rate of up to 200kW – far quicker than any mainstream Volkswagen Group EV on sale today.
Although Thomson will be based in the UK, the Brit said his studio, which will initially have 35 staff, will participate in all global GM projects and have freedom to suggest new ones.
Ex-Jaguar design boss to head up new GM studio in UK
The move is part of GM CEO Mary Barra’s well-publicised plan to get back into Europe’s car markets “in a significant way” with its American brands, having sold Opel and Vauxhall to the PSA Group in 2017.
This was confirmed by Skoda’s head of design, Oliver Stefani, who said that creating a fleet of cars all with their own looks
ICE Octavia (above) may continue to be sold alongside the EV
arguably the world’s most sophisticated EV market.
SKODA’S URBAN EV TO GET ITS OWN ‘SPORTY, FUN’ LOOK
The smaller cars will not be the Vision 7S made smaller.”
Kia is reusing Soul EV batteries to store energy as part of a tie-up with start-up firm Encore.
PORSCHE 912 GETS MODERN MAKEOVER
Hungarian firm Kamm Manufaktur has created a 750kg Porsche 912 – with nearly double the original power. Changes to the 1965 car include polycarbonate windows and a carbonfibre body, and its 90bhp 1.6-litre engine is now a 168bhp 2.0.
same throughout the range.
FORMER JAGUAR DESIGN boss Julian Thomson has been named director of a General Motors Advanced Design Europe studio that will open in the Midlands later this year.
❝
go off road, to accommodate more people, to have a bit more of a bold appearance, but we need to do both – [this and the“ItOctavia].isreally important for our brand to stay true to our values and to our heritage.”
WILL RIMELL
NEWS 14 SEPTEMBER 2022 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 11
KIA TRIALS SECOND LIFE FOR BATTERIES
“is really a challenge”.
❞
Simcoe believes that as GM moves completely into EV markets, it needs more influence from Europe –
the MEB architecture currently being used for mainstream cars such as the Volkswagen ID 3 and ID 4 and instead be one of the early models to adopt the Volkswagen Group’s SSP architecture, which will be launched in 2025.
IMAGE
Urban EV will be influenced by Vision 7S, as our render shows
Skoda’s urban EV will look sporty, aggressive and “fun” and won’t just be a smaller version of other cars in the line-up, the brand’s chiefs have told LaunchingAutocar.in2026, the as yet unnamed car will be positioned near the foot of Skoda’s electric range and take the form of a mini SUV.
He added: “I think that car is Skoda [through and through], but when you look at the future position [of the brand] and we talk about Modern Solid as attributes to our design language, yes, this will be more cars that are in the market to
the US, but it has since missed having an influence over here.
Cadillac will lead GM’s EV charge; Thomson (inset) to play key role
“There are several things that we want to do differently to other car makers, and I would start with this,” said Skoda’s board member for sales, Martin Jahn, about how some line-ups look the
The electric Octavia is expected to use a more advanced version of Skoda’s upcoming 89kWh battery
Zellmer said: “The Octavia is a fantastic car that we of course will have to keep in the family as long as we can as we have such a huge customer base.”
Currently, 24 modules store 72kWh of surplus energy at Encore’s Berlin base. The project will look at how to deploy this tech to the wider public.
“We will be a kind of think-tank, a contributor to everything that goes on inside the mothership.”
Zellmer also hinted that as part of the brand’s push for more SUV-type cars, the Octavia could get a variant with higher ground clearance –designed for light off-road use. He said: “We want to bring some surprises to the market.”
“What makes it different is its capabilities,” continued Bruno, confirming the Avenger will be “equal or better than” the Renegade 4xe plug-in
While Jeep by its very nature has been on the front foot with the SUV trend, it hasn’t been quick off the mark with electrification, which probably hasn’t helped its cause here.
I would bet that Jeep will always be a left-field brand this side of the pond, but with the backing of Stellantis and these electrified model launches, this is its best chance yet to conquer territory beyond America.
RACHEL BURGESS
the US first), then another as yet unannounced EV that Jeep CEO Christian Meunier described as a look into the future of the brand.
J
The Avenger has been built around the “right size” for Europe, said Jeep’s boss in the
Anyway, now it is owned by the Stellantis empire, famous for its cost-cutting and profit-making and all the benefits of sharing platforms and tech, which plays perfectly to a quicker transition to electrification.
Jeep has long tried to make inroads in Europe, but despite it being familiar and much loved, that hasn’t translated to sales success.
region, Antonella Bruno, with the model being the smallest ever produced by the brand.
Add in the new Avenger, which, being a mini SUV and electric, could be the car to catapult Jeep into the stratosphere, as it so desires.
12 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 14 SEPTEMBER 2022
Youth-targeted Avenger will be built in Poland on same platform as Vauxhall Mokka
Avenger will be smallest car Jeep has ever produced
The Avenger will be launched in the first half of next year (an exact date will be confirmed in October) and adopt a new version of Stellantis’s ECMP
STELLANTIS UNLOCKS OPPORTUNITY
The Avenger will be joined in Europe by a range-topping Wagoneer S and an extremely off-road-focused Recon (both of which will be launched in
OFFICIAL PICTURES
hybrid (directly beneath which it will sit in the Jeep line-up) when driven off road.
eep will launch an entrylevel electric SUV named the Avenger early next year, then a further three EVs bound for Europe by 2025. It is hoped that the baby Jeep will draw new customers to the American brand – now
Avenger retains classic Jeep design cues so isn’t obviously an EV
part of Stellantis – in Europe, with a particular focus on younger women.
Traditionally, the quality coming from America (a lower standard than Europeans expect) hasn’t helped, and naturally the brand must also be in the most relevant segments with the relevant powertrains to be in with a shot.
Jeep primes baby EV for Europe
NEW ‘ROAD SIGNATURE’ TECH AIMS TO PUT AUTONOMY ON THE MAP
The US-built Wagoneer S, which will top the Jeep line-up in Europe, will come with a raft of premium features, although further details have yet to be confirmed. It will be powerful, too, packing 600bhp for a 0-60mph time of 3.5sec. The range will be 400 miles.
allowssignature’,expectsBoschits‘roadwhichcarstopinpointtheirpositiononthemap,toappearin2023
Meunier added that the new line-up will reposition Jeep in Europe as an EV brand, with a target of 100% of sales to be electric by 2030.
“The scale of Stellantis is absolutely fantastic and means we can really bring the best technology possible to a lot more people than we could before,” said Jeep design boss Ralph Gilles.
In use, each car will analyse the environment it ‘sees’ with its on-board sensors and compare it with the image
WILL RIMELL
Avenger
This is where what autonomous vehicle engineers call ‘localisation’ comes in: the ability of a vehicle to know its exact position on a map with the same degree of accuracy as a human driver can. At least, that’s the theory. Bosch is tackling the problem by creating what it calls a ‘road signature’ using data gathered anonymously by VW Golf Mk8s. Data is sent to the VW cloud (or that of any other car-making customer) and shared with the Bosch cloud to keep multi-layer high-resolution maps updated. Although Bosch calls this data a digital twin of each physical car’s environment, it stresses that only information needed to improve the map layers is sent to the cloud.
THEUNDERSKIN
Recon
PEUGEOT’S BATTERY FARMING
Peugeot estimates that it will assemble 10,000 batteries a month for its electrified cars by 2023 and a further 7000 for its light commercials. A 50kWh battery can be assembled in 60 minutes and a 75kWh battery in 90 minutes. After that, it takes 15 minutes to test each unit, which is guaranteed for eight years or 100,000 miles to retain at least 70% of its capacity.
Claimed range is 248 miles, although Jeep has yet to disclose the battery’s size.
Recon EV, due in 2025, will be electric equivalent of Wrangler
Power will come from 94bhp electric motors, two or four of which will be fitted depending on the variant’s configuration (front-wheel drive and fourwheel drive will be offered).
The Avenger will also be offered in hybrid guise, although further details of this variant will be revealed at the Paris motor show in October.
Both EVs will arrive in the UK in 2025 and be among the first cars to sit on the STLA Large platform.
The work is part of a two-pronged effort. The fi rst is to improve SAE automation levels one to three, which covers ADAS to “conditionally automated systems”, where a vehicle can take control of most driving tasks but remains supervised by the driver. The second is level four – high automation where the car can perform all driving tasks but again remains supervised by the driver. That doesn’t mean we can expect to see fully autonomous level-four cars suddenly appearing in the near future. The perception is that the market initially lies within the logistics sector, which could mean autonomous trucks fi rst, or autonomous vehicles operating locally in last-mile delivery situations.
Wrangler-esque off-road EV will go into production in the US in 2024, then exports to Europe will begin the year after.
A sizeable boot and a modern interior are also aimed at attracting a new customer base, added Bruno.
Made in Poland, Jeep’s smallest SUV yet will be sold in Europe and the UK from early 2023 but won’t be shipped to America.
It will be built at Stellantis’s state-of-the-art, highefficiency plant in Tychy, Poland. The model will also be sold in Japan and South Korea but won’t be offered in the US.
Prices for all three EVs will be announced at the Paris show, before Jeep starts taking Avenger orders on 17 October.
platform. The current version of this architecture is used for EV and combustion forms of the similarly sized Vauxhall Mokka and DS 3 Crossback.
Wagoneer S US-built range-topper (on a different platform to the existing V8 Wagoneer) will enter luxury SUV market in 2024, Europe in 2025.
Wagoneer: Range Rover rival
JESSE CROSSE
held by its digital twin. Bosch says this will allow cars to pinpoint their position on the road to a few decimetres (so perhaps less than half a metre) relative to the map. Final positioning and obstacle avoidance is taken care of by the vehicle sensors and controls. This should mean that the localisation is accurate even in poor visibility.
HOW AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES fi nd their way around is usually associated with hardware like cameras, lidar and ultrasonic sensors, but Bosch says digital maps are also a kind of sensor. Its point is that the information contained on a high-resolution digital map extends much further than the detection range of any hardware sensors a vehicle may have.
Bosch acquired mapping specialist Atlatec this year, a fi rm that has developed its own kit consisting of hardware and software to collect raw data. AI analyses the data, which is then enriched with specific information such as details of signage, structural features, severity of bends and so on. As the AI code continually learns, the detail in its understanding of the road features and environment increases, building a picture accurate enough for the car to pinpoint its position.
JEEP’S ELECTRICOPENINGSALVO
The Recon, meanwhile, will be positioned as a raw take on Jeeps of old, with options including removable doors and an open-top design, like the existing ICE Wrangler. It will get similar power and range to the Wagoneer S.
NEWS 14 SEPTEMBER 2022 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 13
Earlier this year, we looked at how Volkswagen has integrated swarm data (gathered by loads of cars – the swarm –and shared) to increase the power of its advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), such as lane keeping. Since last year, Bosch has also been working with VW to harvest real-time information that can be used for developing and improving high-resolution maps.
Drive around the site, recently expanded to 850 acres, and you will soon spot
BEVs are developed at MIRA, but Gillespie wants a wider focus
14 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 14 SEPTEMBER 2022
British automotive hotbed to gain several new engineering and manufacturing sites
t’s not just HoribaconstantlyexperimentalthecarscirculatingMIRA’ssecret
“That’s why at MIRA we’re installing our electrolyser to produce green hydrogen. It’s going to be hugely important.”
“WE’VE REACHED PEAK BEV HYPE”
“I believe we’ve reached peak BEV hype right now. The harsh realities may well hit us in a few years’ time,” he said.
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British car firms compete for all-important postwar export markets by pooling research to cut costs. The business was gradually commercialised from the 1970s, then bought by Japanese technology company Horiba in 2015.
Estate fills countryside near Nuneaton; Assured CAV site tests autonomy
The Horiba MIRA business itself – already unique for the way it combines a very large, overarching engineering consultancy with an elite community of 40 independent technical centres – is starting a new acceleration phase.
“The industry is making wonderful cars,” he said. “Driving them is a dream. But they’re expensive, and
Horiba MIRA in major expansion
A requirement is to anticipate and invest in the facilities and expertise that will be needed in a few years
up to 300 engineers. These operations – likely to carry well-known names – are far bigger than anything the site currently contains.
Other important aspirations include establishing several advanced formerinwhichResearchoccupant,theveryexplains,chairmantheproducewillameantimebesized”andhasoperationsmanufacturingontheestate(whichsofarfocusedonresearchdevelopment).A“medium-gigafactorycouldevenapossibility,andintheworkisunderwayonsolarfarmthatfromnextyearpoweranelectrolysertogreenhydrogen.AsHoribaMIRA’sCEOofpast13yearsandnowGeorgeGillespietheexpansionwillbemuchincharacterwithaimsofthesite’soriginaltheMotorIndustryAssociation(MIRA),wasestablishedhere1946(onthesiteoftheRAFLindley)tohelp
For all the BEV development and production activity at Horiba MIRA, boss George Gillespie believes the true story has yet to be told.
60 miles of test track at its 850-acre site in Warwickshire that demonstrate a frequent facility for rapid acceleration.
the journey experience can be grim and is getting worse. Early adopters and technical enthusiasts can handle that, but average consumers not so “Politiciansmuch. say the answer to the future is simple: we should go all-out BEV. But the realities are going to hit us, in agriculture, off-highway vehicles, trucks, buses, aircraft and ships. Legislators should set outcomes, not ban technologies as they’ve done.
Work will soon begin to develop several new sites beside its existing boundaries, designed to encourage several powerful but as yet unnamed mobility businesses to open large automotive technical centres there, each housing
He cited BEVs’ looming problems as being the cost of components, which will elude lower-income buyers, and the inadequacy of charging.
“Still, I’m pleased to see people talking more about hydrogen and e-fuels, which have to be part of the solution.
On Gillespie’s watch, MIRA’s progress has been impressive. Current turnover of around £75 million is three times what it was when he and his team took over, and has doubled in just five years, despite the Covid-19
“MIRA’spandemic.aimsback in 1946 still apply to what we do today,” said Gillespie. “Back then, the government and the RAC co-operated to open this place as a way of helping the British motor industry compete and thrive, and that’s what we’re still doing now.”
One requirement, Gillespie said, is to anticipate and invest in the facilities and expertise that will be needed in a couple of years’ MIRA’stime.well-known features include wind tunnels, batterydevelopment facilities, excellent wet and dry test tracks, various surfaces, NVH laboratories and much more.
A kWh of electricity from home, in contrast, costs around 30p on average (but can be substantially less).
Unless you’re dead set on comparing the best-case scenario with the worst-case one, the scope for savings with an electric car today remains evident.
If economics are the driver, the maths is worth a moment of reflection. Today, a gallon of petrol costs an average of £7.71 and a gallon of diesel £8.35, which we can generously say will get you an average of 50 miles (or, more specifically, between 30 and 75 miles). For petrol that’s 15.4p per mile on average, or 10.3p at best and 25.7p at worst.
buildings that constitute the Mira Technology Park that began growing in 2011.
Today, the Mira Technology Park is a well-planned estate comprising several dozen modern buildings. Many bear the car industry’s greatest
How has the government’s Test Bed UK investment programme come to be?
14 SEPTEMBER 2022 AUTOCAR.CO.UKNEWS15
invested £300 million across the country. With industry input, that made £600m, and the result is the UK is now the leader for the validation of autonomous tech in Europe.”
HOW THE UK BECAME EUROPE’S LEADER IN AUTONOMOUS TECH
That will power a car on average three miles (but can be anything from 2.5 to five miles). That’s 10p per mile on average, or 6p at best or 12p at worst (although those prices could be far less again if you have a low overnight tariff, some of which are less than 10p per kWh).
“Before that, we were an engineering consultancy that rented out a few buildings,” explained Gillespie. “The fact that these were nearly always full made me think about a new kind of business. People were paying for pretty ordinary premises so they could use the rest of our test facilities. What if we made that a lot easier?”
Gillespie (second from left) keeps a close eye on engineering projects
The former prime minister’s plans for rapidly raising mandates on brands’ sales mixes (starting at 22% of all sales being EVs from 2024) and a ban on sales of new combustionengined cars from 2030 put the UK among the frontrunners of change. Yet he has barely been gone a week and there are already suggestions that the current anti-green agenda, which has been triggered by the cost of living crisis, could spill over to a reappraisal of those plans. Today, the rhetoric covers a return to fracking but opposing solar panels on third-rate agricultural land; tomorrow, as the crisis deepens, who knows?
Gillespie believes level-four cars or level-five mobility pods can be built already in geofenced areas. By now, he said, we were all expecting to be travelling home from the pub in robotaxis. The reason we’re not doing it isn’t due
He elaborated: “When we drive, we take liability that’s divided among thousands of insurance policies. With the vehicle in charge, the liability becomes corporate, spread over a small number of high-value isprotectcorporate“Findingorganisations.waysforlawyerstotheiremployersthestumblingblock.”
But, of course, electricity prices are rising, to an expected average 51p per kWh by the end of 2022. That places the average cost of an electric car at 17p per mile, or a best of 10.2p and a worst of 20.4p. Still cheaper than petrol or diesel, but tight, and it’s possible by that point that oil prices may have slumped further, too, edging electric towards, maybe beyond, the unwelcome point of parity (although you still have to factor in the potential benefits of variable tariffs). That’s tight long before you layer in any extra costs of public fianswerlonger-termor,incentivisehavepoint,healthbringingcarmomentumfeedingpayingmathscrisisForgetcharging.theenvironmentalunfolding:placethatinthecontextofyourheatingbillsoryourfamilyandthebehindelectricsalescouldquicklyfalter,thecarindustry’sdownwithit.Atthatthegovernmentmaytodoubledownandthetransition–tragically,castasidetheglobalcrisistoamoreimmediatenancialone.
For diesel, it’s 16.7p per mile on average, or 11.1p at best and 27.8p at worst.
STEVE CROPLEY
Horiba MIRA boss George Gillespie explained: “A few years ago, people started saying we should position the UK as the world’s centre for autonomous driving. One view was that this required a big computer at Oxford University; my feeling was that the big R&D was already being done in the US or China and less of it was in the UK.
Will a BEV still be cheaper to run than an ICE car by 2023?
names (Aston Martin, Bentley, Jaguar Land Rover, Polestar) but are interspersed with tech companies (Bosch, Haldex) and start-ups like Viritech (a hydrogen vehicle maker), REE (an Israeli maker of flexible chassis parts for electric trucks and delivery vans) and Warwick Acoustics (a new-tech audio company planning a car-based future). Some Horiba MIRA-labelled buildings are home to the firm’s own 600-strong engineering staff, their inmates standing ready to help clients with projects or to progress their own future-facing research.
Also, it has just completed a £50 million update for its autonomous vehicle testing facilities, now part of a nationwide governmentindustry investment to create what’s called Test Bed UK.
Jim Holder
“What we do have, however, is congestion.world-classSoinstead of trying to be the next Silicon Valley for autonomous cars, it made more sense to position ourselves as the test bed for Europe. That needed a simulator, a proving ground, semi-public roads and an integrated network, all of which we have at MIRA. The government understood and
REGARDLESS OF YOUR political stance, it’s hard to argue that Boris Johnson was anything other than front-footed – in principle, at least, if perhaps not in thorough planning – when it came to forcing the pace on electric car adoption.
to a shortfall in the tech but “boring” legal considerations.
Level-five pods are being trialled in geofenced areas of the UK
INSIDE INFORMATION
Fitted with ’boxdifferential,electromechanicalanthenewdrivesanuprated version
Prices for the X-Bow GT-XR start at €284,900 (£245,600) before local taxes.
Interior and exterior designs are evolved from Zonda, Huayra
It will surely be spellbinding for those few who can afford it.
he successor to the Pagani Huayra, called the Utopia, has been revealed, fitted with a manual gearbox, a naturally aspirated V12 engine and a lightweight design.
The car’s carbonfibre tub ensures that it tips the scales at just 1280kg – 67kg less than its predecessor and 716kg less than the electric Pininfarina Battista.
Pagani has also ditched the Huayra’s seven-speed sequential automatic gearbox. Instead, the Utopia uses a lightweight seven-speed manual gearbox from Xtrac with a gated design.
It also shares the race car’s turbocharged 2.5-litre five-cylinder engine, albeit detuned from 600bhp and 531lb ft to 493bhp and 429lb ft. Sourced from the Audi RS3, the rear-mounted powerplant revs to 7000rpm.
less drag than the Huayra. At the rear, Pagani’s staple quad-exit exhaust remains. Inside, customers will be familiar with the milled metal switches and close attention
OFFICIAL PICTURES
In stark contrast to rivals’ moves into electrification and the inevitable resultant weight penalties, the Utopia –the Italian marque’s third hypercar – has been built around more traditional character traits of lightness and “driving pleasure”.
Paganis are curious in that they don’t drive much like they look. The sight of a Zonda or Huayra feels kaleidoscopic. There’s physically so much car to take
16 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 14 SEPTEMBER 2022
However,in.once you’ve settled into the cockpit, there’s a purity to dynamics that belies the visual onslaught. The sense of the car’s lightness is profound, the steering is so delicate but also detailed and linear. All of this feeds into an
The Utopia’s design has also been influenced by a push for a “timeless” and “simple” look, said company owner and chief designer Horacio Pagani.
It ditches add-ons such as spoilers in favour of a functional design that nevertheless achieves increased downforce and
This has resulted in the car getting a softer look than that of its predecessor, which was covered in aggressive active aerodynamic elements.
of Pagani’s Mercedes-AMGsourced 6.0-litre twinturbocharged V12 engine, which now produces 864bhp and 809lb ft. That’s 58bhp more than the most powerful Huayra, this year’s one-off NC.
PAGANI’S UTOPIAN VISION RICHARD LANE
OFFICIAL PICTURE
Utopia: a V12 and manual ’box
Radical new look includes closed bodywork and lift-up canopy
KTM X-Bow turns 493bhp coupé
T
WILL RIMELL
mastery of the gearchanges,” said Pagani on its decision to bring back the manual.
In a nod to usability, this can be switched into an automatic mode for urban driving.
“However intelligent automatic transmissions may have become, nothing can replace the driver’s own
to detail. The new hypercar will be limited to just 99 units, all of which have already been sold. A price has yet to be revealed.
Called the X-Bow GT-XR, the low-volume sports car is the Austrian company’s second road-legal creation after the open-top X-Bow,
New Pagani gets 864bhp from upgraded 6.0-litre AMG engine, revives stick-shift
which has been sold in various forms for the past 14 years. It shares much of its underpinnings with the GT2 race car and fundamentally is based around the same Dallara-designed 80kg carbonfibre monocoque as the X-Bow, which KTM said “has been tried and tested in a dozen crashes since 2008”.
It also addresses the Huayra’s principal weakness – its automated manual gearbox – and uses an H-pattern manual.
IN OTHER LIGHTWEIGHT car news, KTM has launched a road-legal version of its titlewinning X-Bow GT2 race car, complete with an 80kg chassis and a 493bhp powerplant.
intuitive whole, which is no accident. Horacio Pagani gets seriously hung up on drivability; he needs his creations to feel cohesive from behind the wheel, and this aim will have been no different for the Utopia.
Compare and contrast with TVR, which is still asking that customers place a £5000 deposit to secure a Launch Edition (LE) Griffith, a car that was first shown five years ago this week, at the 2017 Goodwood Revival, at which TVR said deliveries were due in late 2018, and yet which still shows no imminent signs of arrival.
What struck me is that, 120,000 miles into its life, how together it still feels. I don’t mean because it’s been particularly well looked after (I’m not sure it has been), but in terms of how it goes about things. It has an airy interior, with sensible switchgear that
Matt Prior
Fully vegan interiors will be available as an option for BMW and Mini models, although it is not yet clear whether they will be offered as a no-cost option.
And that’s not true any more: 1997 gave us cars like the Alfa Romeo 156, Mercedes-Benz A-Class and Volvo C70. Eminently usable motors you would see quite happily today, I think, without considering them as classics. The Honda Integra Type R was two years into its life in 1997, and yet it’s still a benchmark car today, with a still-ripping engine.
I wonder if the rate of progress in cars has, effectively, slowed. A new Lexus RX is incredibly refined, it’s true, but you can have a quiet conversation at speed in an old RX 300. And I wonder if 2000-era cars are just built better than those made up to, say, the 1980s: my daughter has a mid2000s Audi A3 that has no discernible corrosion on it anywhere, to an extent
HOLY VEGAN COW BMW
What struck me is that, 120,000 miles into its life, how together this RX 300 still feels
That, or it’s me settling into middle age. Which, I’ll admit, is also a possibility.
I Noble supplemental: the company says that it has a list of around 50 people who have expressed an interest in buying an M500 (driven, p24), but that it won’t take a firm order from them yet, and it won’t take deposits from them either, because it isn’t yet sure when the finished car will arrive, or how much it will cost when it does.
VENOM F5’S HUE CREW
hen Lexus USA couldn’t borrow an original RX 300 SUV from Toyota’s museum in Japan to celebrate the firm’s 30th anniversary in 2019, it decided to buy one itself.
The BMW Group will launch its first vehicles to feature completely vegan interiors in 2023. The move comes as demand for leather-free and fully vegan interiors is on the rise – and predicted to increase further – in the US, China and Europe markets.TheBMW Group says its vegan alternative to leather will look and feel like leather and feature throughout the cabin, including on the steering wheel, which, it said, posed the hardest challenge. This is because it “must fulfil demanding criteria when it comes to feel, premium appearance and wear resistance”.
John Hennessey said: “We think about how the cars will look together in the future. We have always had the mindset of having a situation where, in 20 years, we are out in Pebble Beach or Quail and have 20 Venom F5s all lined up on the lawn. How will all these cars look if they are seen together?
The first RX was launched as the Toyota Harrier in Japan in late 1997 and was sent overseas badged as the RX 300 from 1998. This one’s a 2002 model, but the 2000-model-year facelift was pretty mild so you’re basically talking about a 25-year-old design.
I don’t think the same would have been the case if, in 1997, you had got into a car launched 25 years before that. Something like 1972’s Triumph Dolomite, Renault 5 or Jensen-Healey would have felt like museum pieces.
GET IN TOUCH ✉ matthew.prior@haymarket.com @matty_prior
that it’s as habitable as a new one.
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Today’s cars are built brilliantly, marketed deftly and powered by cleaner motors and engines than ever. But in terms of usability, perhaps they’re building on the big step-changes in design durability that took place a couple of decades ago.
TESTER’S NOTES
14 SEPTEMBER 2022 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 17 ❝
So it sent a bloke to browse through the classifieds and pick one up. He looked at a few, spotted a fairly well used one – a little tatty but fundamentally sound – and bought it so it could be on display at the company’s celebrations. Last week, alongside testing the new RX (see p28), I drove it.
W
Lexus USA’s RX 300 was sourced from the classifieds
The owner of US supercar brand Hennessey says the firm doesn’t allow dull colours to dominate its production run of the £1.5 million Venom F5 and he has personally refused customers’ requests.
Noble won’t take deposits for the M500 until it’s sure about price and delivery
doesn’t feel overly dated. The seats are accommodatingly plush, the steering wheel adjusts (albeit for rake only), the heating and ventilation system is good, the ride deft, steering positive and light, engine quiet, and performance fine. With a thorough service and detailing and some new bushes, I think it would still feel convincingly modern.
This idea came about three or four years ago at Quail when Lamborghini did a similar thing, in a homage to the Miura, and they had half a dozen there in Skittle-esque colours.”
NOTEBOOKTHE
MY WEEK IN CARS Steve Cropley & Matt Prior Simply search for ‘My Week In Cars’ and hit subscribe via Apple, Spotify, Amazon, Google Podcasts or your preferred podcast platform SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEW WEEKLY PODCAST CA
I was instructed to cease, desist and move on
Given the pervading gloom, it hardly seems right to start talking about an enjoyable day at Hampton Court for this year’s Concours of Elegance, but we had one anyway. Autocar readers enjoyed it as much as I did, judging by the number of cheery conversations I had while wandering the shiny ranks with the Steering Committee. Everything was right: the stable weather, the wonderful surroundings, the superbly presented cars (if a shade thinner on the ground) and a generally Goodwood-esque feeling of a happy community united by its car obsession. One quirk was a ratty-sounding celeb auctioneer at the Gooding & Co Saturday sale, who seemed to feel customers weren’t progressing their bids as quickly as he’d have liked. It’s a market, mate, I was tempted to shout, but was instructed to cease, desist and move on by Herself.
AND ANOTHER THING
TUESDAY
MY WEEK IN CARS
WEDNESDAY AM
Back home from an overnight foray into lower Wilts in the Disco, whose fi nal fortnight as my office smoker is upon me. How am I supposed to cope without it? It’s the fi fth car in our household, and we have something for practically every kind of duty – camping to competition – yet this Discovery has wormed its way into my life. Lucky next owner, I say.
My Week In Cars (see p10 for details). We’ve had a few tries, and office listeners have given it the okay. This afternoon, we’re doing one within the portals of the British Motor Museum, Gaydon, because MP lives close by and I’m here for a meeting. Let us know what you think.
About the time you read this, Matt Prior and I will have launched our fi rst podcast together, called
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SATURDAY
COMMENT 14 SEPTEMBER 2022 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 19
WEDNESDAY PM
Lotus had a big presence and crowned it by displaying the imposing Eletre SUV – with Lotus design boss Peter Horbury on hand to explain it, which he did with elan (geddit?). Although I wrote Autocar’s introductory Eletre piece, I must have been too obsessed with scribbling to get full value from the beautiful and spacious interior. In every sense, it’s an impressive car: not sure I’d know it was a Lotus if I met one in a busy street, but I guess recognition will come.
GET IN TOUCH ✉ steve.cropley@haymarket.com @stvcr
Some PR agency has persuaded the boss of Halfords to “issue a warning” about the advancing age of British cars, as if this were some kind of disaster. It’s not brilliant for car dealers, true. Things are tough in the new car business. But many have been coining it for ages by selling very profitable nearly news. In any case, I’d have thought that for a car parts and service business like Halfords, older cars were a godsend. It will also help sustain the MOT-and-mend places that pepper our neighbourhoods, run (in my experience) by honest and enterprising people. Of course, we want a booming new car market, but if we can’t have one for the time being, I’m glad to see the smaller operations survive.
Lotus design chief Peter Horbury supplied inside knowledge on the Eletre
MONDAY
I’m writing this with one light bulb burning in my study (aka the dining room, colonised during lockdown and never returned) instead of the usual four. Liz Truss’s £150 billion plan to cap energy spending is upon us, so reducing illumination seems the least I can do. So does using less fuel. I’m usually pretty cavalier about that, but I’ve started keeping an eye out for low pump prices (while not wasting fuel on diversions to places I know are cheaper), which is something I’ve never done before. Can’t help thinking that if I’m doing this, others who’ve never bothered will be doing it too. Perhaps this new pressure will encourage retailers who’ve traditionally added a few extra pence for luck not to do so.
Disco’s long-term test now seems not nearly long enough
I was writing this column when they announced the death of Her Majesty at Balmoral – an instant source of sadness. But then I thought about her special love for that place and her well-chronicled delight in driving machines like this Landie 110 there, nowadays an exhibit at the British Motor Museum. Oddly, it made me feel better.
…
Steve Cropley
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MOTORSPORT
RACING LINES Damien Smith
mid this flurry of classic Francorchamps,grandsEuropeanprix(Spa-
AUDI’S SWISS OPTION
team. Now it seems a process must be followed for Audi to complete a majority buyout in a style that might echo the BMW arrangement of old – and on that count at least, time is on its side.
There’s no way either will come in quietly or with passive deference
loses such a manufacturer from its hook.
At Spa, Audi confirmed its entry as a future power unit supplier but fell short of naming the Swiss Sauber team as its partner despite a link-up being common knowledge. Meanwhile, Porsche had been expected to seal its long-rumoured alliance with Red Bull, only to announce ahead of the Italian Grand Prix that negotiations had broken down. The door is still open to an F1 entry, but with whom and how is not at all clear. It’s a significant blow for F1 if it
in 2026 that now correlates to its road car business. But why didn’t Audi CEO Markus Duesmann name Sauber as its partner? When pressed, he insisted: “We will inform you as soon as we know. The decision on the team we will do this year.”
But the alliance could have been with McLaren, which engaged last year in highlevel talks over a deal that would have been likely to involve the British company’s automotive arm too. Instead, McLaren resisted. Power and control? Perhaps there was too much to lose. But given how the F1 team has plateaued this year, might the spurning of an Audi tie-up prove a decision to regret?
PORSCHE NOW IN DOUBT
Audi’s announcement at Spa revealed only part of the story, oddly. After so much success in rallying, touring cars and at Le Mans, the company has finally taken the F1 bait thanks to a revised hybrid engine formula due for introduction
The failure of Porsche and Red Bull to forge an alliance drives to the very heart of the Austrian-owned team’s DNA. On the one hand, Dietrich Mateschitz – the enigmatic founder of the energy drinks brand – is 78. Partnering Porsche looked a clear and obvious path to securing the team’s future beyond his lifetime. But since it became a team entrant in 2005, Red
As ever in F1, money will be at the centre of everything. But in this case there’s much more at stake. Power and control define F1, off track as well as on, and there’s no way either of these great German brands will come in quietly or with passive deference to their allied teams’ current working methods – as, say, Honda did with Red Bull. Porsche was always going to demand to be in full control of its own F1 destiny, which is why the Red Bull deal folded.
Audi has confirmed F1 entry, but who will build its car?
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Exactly how both Audi and Porsche might represent the Volkswagen Group in Formula 1 from 2026 are new-entry stories off the scale of significance, especially given how these automotive giants have eschewed motorsport’s top echelon for decades.
Yet everything points to Sauber, with Duesmann also making it clear that Audi going it alone and starting a team from scratch was out of the question. A few hours later, Alfa Romeo announced it was ending its sponsor arrangement with the team at the end of this season. But it didn’t trigger an AudiSauberconfirmation.isaperennial F1 midfielder but does boast well-regarded facilities at its Hinwil base. It also has a distant race-winning record (just the one: Robert Kubica in Canada in 2008) from when it was the BMW factory
22 AUTOCAR.CO.UK XX MONTH 2016
Zandvoort and then Monza), speculation is rife within Formula 1 about a subject that is still three and a half years from becoming reality.
A
Audi is set for F1, but Porsche? A failed Red Bull deal puts it in doubt MORE QUESTIONS THAN ANSWERS
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Young Indycar ace Colton Herta could be in line for an AlphaTauri F1 drive – except he doesn’t qualify for an FIA Superlicence, despite being a proven frontrunner in America’s top single-seater series. Time to revise those regulations, then? Don’t hold your breath.
GOODWOOD MOTOR CIRCUIT GREATS
COMMON SENSE
Team principal Christian Horner is close to completing the foundation of Red Bull’s own UK-based powertrain division; the team is about to secure a glorious 2022 title double powered by Honda engines now badged as Red Bull following the Japanese giant’s decision to withdraw from F1; and it’s self-funded, thanks to a strong portfolio of commercial partners.
Why would Horner want Porsche to come in and take over, as it surely would? The alliance could well have marked the beginning of the end of his time at a team he has built up from the mess that was Jaguar Racing in the mid-2000s. It’s all about power and control.
MOTORSPORT
BAD WEEK
The Petty GMS Racing Chevrolet driver saw off a tough challenge from former Joe Gibbs Racing team-mate Denny Hamlin for a win that he described as “redemption”.
team itself and go it alone as a new entry? Unlikely. That’s a massive task and full of risk. So who else could it partner with? Williams? How about McLaren? Given how the Audi talks fared, the chances on that one don’t look good.
The Porsche statement read: “The racing series nevertheless remains an attractive environment for Porsche, which will continue to be monitored.” That might be all it can do for now.
But does this mean F1 has now lost Porsche as an entrant for 2026? Rebadging what will be the Audi engine (but which started out as a Porsche research project!) isn’t an option under current F1 rules – and it’s hardly in keeping with Porsche traditions. The two brands exist under the same umbrella, but in sporting terms they despise any suggestion of collusion, as seen during their intense rivalry in the hybrid LMP1 World ChampionshipEndurancedays.CouldPorschesetupa
Newey and Horner took Red Bull to the top, so will guard it closely
Chase about to be taken out of the chase by Chase
Chevy driver Jones held off attack by Toyota’s Hamlin
OSCAR PIASTRI
Bull has thrived on its proud ethos of independence.
Gibbs let Jones go at the end of 2019, despite him taking victory in the Southern 500 that year, replacing him with Christopher Bell – so his first win of 2022 and the third of his Cup career tasted extra sweet.
As it stands, 15 October is the deadline for a new F1 manufacturer to make a financial commitment in return for a say in future rules direction. Audi is at the table – but Porsche? Winning Le Mans for a 20th time and striving to lift its underperforming Formula E team is, in truth, enough to have on its motorsport plate. It’s F1’s loss.
There was also heartbreak for Chase Elliott. In the first round of the playoffs for the Cup title, the regular-season points leader fell to ninth in the standings after he spun and was collected by Chase Briscoe.
NUMBERS MATTER IN Nascar, and none more so than #43. That was the hallowed number carried by The King, seven-time Cup champion Richard Petty. And in the Southern 500 at the Darlington Raceway oval, Erik Jones took it back to the winner’s circle for the first time since 2014 – and for the 200th time in Nascar history.
The waters had been muddied further by talk that Honda is regretting pulling out of F1 and contemplating a return for 2026. Previously, it was a dream of a manufacturer engine partner for Horner and technical director Adrian Newey, who were left free to largely maintain full control of operations with a hybrid powertrain that evolved to become at least an equal to the benchmark Mercedes. Renewing that partnership would make obvious sense for Horner, if it is indeed back on the table.
GOOD WEEK
MOTORSPORT 14 SEPTEMBER 2022 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 23 POOLCONTENTBULLRED
Formula 1’s inwithbotchedagainstMcLarenhischampioninRecognitionContractBoardruledfavouroftheFormula2signingtomakegrandprixdebutwithnextyearandAlpine,whichhasitsrelationshipadriverithadinvestedasajuniorforyears.
Just to rub salt into Gibbs’ wounds, the team suffered further humiliation when both Martin Truex Jr and Kyle Busch lost the lead through Toyota engine failures, the latter after heading the way for 155 laps.
Nascar Cook Out Southern 500STEPTOP
It’s time once again for what continues to be a major highlight of the motor racing season: the Goodwood Revival. Founded in 1948, the circuit situated near Chichester in West Sussex was among a fresh breed of race tracks created from perimeter roads around newly redundant wartime airfields in the UK. The new use for the site was the brainchild of the duke Freddie Richmond, and for the next 18 years ‘Goodwood on a summer’s day’ became a motto beloved by racing drivers and enthusiasts alike. It never hosted a world championship grand prix, but in the days when non-points Formula 1 races carried meaning (as well as prize money), it became a firm favourite of Stirling Moss and his rivals, while the Tourist Trophy –established in 1905 – at least brought World Sportscar Championship status to the venue. By 1966, motor racing was judged too fast for its sweeps. It then endured years of decline as an informal test venue, before Charles March (the current duke) achieved his ambition of reigniting the spark lit by his grandfather, launching the Revival in 1998. Now having long surpassed its period length of active service, the Goodwood Motor Circuit thrives on a time-warp vibe that captivates all who pay a visit.
24 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 14 SEPTEMBER 2022 FIRST DRIVES NEW CARS TESTED AND RATED Twelve years since launching the M600, the niche British supercar firm presents a cheaper, V6-powered successor NOBLE M500 TESTED 1.9.22, LEICESTERSHIRE ON SALE EARLY 2023 PRICE £150,000 (EST)
14 SEPTEMBER 2022 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 25
(most of them wouldn’t get out of bed for a number starting with a six these days), while the six-speed manual gearbox and the absence of anti-lock brakes have become bigger anachronisms over time – but not necessarily unappealing ones.
oble is back – only it never really went away. I’m inclined to think of Leicestershire’s supercar maker as the antithesis of TVR. With that, there’s plenty of noise, loads of bluster, lots of promises, a huge (unopened) facility and loads of customer demand… but no car. And Noble? It has a small unit in which it has been making M600s since 2010. No fuss, no bother. It’s there if you want it. It’s just that not so many people do.
A new Ferrari, wonderful though it is, has an automated hybrid engine, an automated gearbox, an automated limitedslip differential, an automated slip control… You can see where I’m going. For a certain kind of buyer, the kind who mourns the demise of the Lotus Exige, maybe there’s still a niche in that market. Lotus is fast selling out of its relatively straightforward Emira, after all. ◊
N
That’s a shame, because the M600 is a belting car to drive. At launch, the 650bhp from its twin-turbocharged YamahaVolvo-Judd 4.4-litre V8 was a heady amount for a supercar
Rear-driven, this prototype has an open differential, but customer cars will get a mechanical limited-slip one.
The body on top is now glassfibre rather than carbonfibre – heavier but much cheaper to put together. And there are two seats inside, plus a pretty accommodatingly sized boot at the front.
What’s lovely about it is that it’s entertaining at lower speeds, too ❞
There’s power steering and there’s a traction control system, but other than that, it’s just you and machine –which feels no bad thing to me.
Mid-mounted, it drives through a six-speed manual gearbox, which is supplied by Graziano and used to be offered in the Audi R8.
pedals themselves are perfectly spaced, and even though the brake has a bigger servo, middle-pedal feel is still strong.
M500 rides exceptionally comfortably by supercar standards
I meet the M500 at the factory for our road test. Inside Noble’s unit, the V6 braps to a noisy, powerful idle, but it has an easy throttle response from low revs and the clutch has a smooth take-up. The gearshift is mediumweighted, fairly short of throw and exceptionally positive, drawing itself home within its deliberate
Settling inside is like being dropped into a cocoon of Alcantara –an atmosphere that I rather like. The pedals are slightly offset to the left and the steering wheel, not quite round, is fairly small. But the
And get this: there’s this little slot next to the steering wheel, into which you put the key to hold it securely, and then you turn it and the car starts! It’s amazing. So simple. This could catch on.
This prototype has quite a heavy body, on account of it being made with crude moulds (although fit and finish is actually pretty good); Noble is still productionising the M500 and seeing where weight can come out of it. As a result, it weighs around 1400kg in its current form, but Boutwood is targeting a number in the 1200kg range. (The M600 tipped Autocar’s road test scales at 1305kg even when fully fuelled, so it’s an intrinsically light set-up.)
The steering rack, meanwhile, has been changed since the M600’s days. This new one, sourced from the Audi A4, is around 2.6 turns lock to lock, but on the road it keeps all of the things that made the M6oo’s so good. It has a benign response and
26 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 14 SEPTEMBER 2022
Anyway, Noble’s new car, the M500, aims to sit in that niche. It’s more attainable than the M600 that it replaces, less powerful and cheaper to make, so out goes the 4.4-litre V8 that arrived in Leicester in a crate and took a heap of work before it made its way into the car. (Noble has a few left; you can pick one up on eBay.) In comes Ford’s Ecoboost 3.5-litre V6, which is rather easier to turn up to the 506bhp it gets.
Digital dials, air-con, a stereo and a reversing camera: that’s your lot.
The machine itself has a steel spaceframe, as per the M600. In fact, it’s about “70% M600”, according to Peter Boutwood, Noble’s managing director, although with lower sills to aid entry and a slightly wider track.
There’s still no ABS, although the brakes are more assisted than in the unnervingly heavy-pedalled M600.
Rolling very smoothly, too, I have to say. The suspension set-up is as per the M600, with Eibach springs and Bilstein dampers, which is no bad thing. It always rode exceptionally well and had terrific body control, and that never goes out of fashion, does it?
Terrific body control and feelsome steering combine for entertaining cornering
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metal gates (slightly sharp edges on the strakes, watch your thumb). The steering is relatively light at low speeds and we’re rolling.
It’s close to ready and there’s a lot of promise here. Is the market more prepared for an M500 than it was the M600? Noble is still working on the price. The volatility that affects our daily lives is replicated in parts prices, and it’s even worse if you want to buy only a handful. The target was about £150,000. More than that puts the M500 in difficult territory; less than that and it still has the Lotus Emira and Chevrolet Corvette to worry about. But Noble’s sales targets are small and the car’s abilities are tall.
RIVALS Audi R8, Lotus Emira
feel, weighting up nicely as cornering forces build and giving you plenty of clues as to what the front wheels are up to but with no unwanted kickback. If there is an issue, it’s that the low-speed over-assistance drops away markedly bang on 30mph in a too-noticeable step. Noble knows it too and will either dial back the low-speed assistance, up the higher speed assistance, or extend and smooth the transition. But this isn’t much of a gripe. Our route takes us to another throwback: Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground, which closed its doors to magazine testers a couple of years ago, although makers of cars and, more frequently, motorbikes still
TESTER’S NOTE
The great thing about Ford’s Ecoboost 3.5-litre V6 engine, compared with the 4.4-litre V8 that sat in the M600, is just how tunable it is. For a start, it already comes with two turbochargers, rather than needing to be sent away for them to be fitted, as with the previous unit. In the F-150 pickup, it already makes 400bhp, and in the GT it packs 647bhp and has to be dialled back for racing. So the M500 could even be turned up –and one suspects Noble would if you asked particularly nicely.
Alcantara cocoon is pleasingly simple in its complexity and layout
The gearshift is fabulous, stability is great and 150mph comes up without drama before I’m inclined to lean on the brake pedal, whose firmness – and the pedal placement and predictable engine response –
Back on the road, what’s lovely about it is that it’s entertaining at lower speeds, too. Great steering is always great steering, a good gearshift and pedal weights are always rewarding. And the whooshes and whistles when you do get the
WHY NOBLE CHOSE THE ECOBOOST V6
NOBLE M500
All instruments are digital, so is the aircon and the stereo is on a touchscreen. But there’s not so much in here that it’s difficult to use. MP
Top speed
Keeps all that made the M600 great in its ride, handling and steering. Deserves more customers V6 sits behind you, leaving space for a few bags under the bonnet
It also helps that Ford’s Component Sales division is geared up for this kind of thing. People have been fitting Ford powertrains to hot rods and sports cars for decades, and Ford is happy to supply engines in tiny, even singular, quantities to aftermarket tuners and small-scale manufacturers.
I can’t give a star rating until it’s finished and priced, but I loved it.
MATT PRIOR ft at 4000rpm (est) (est) 190mph (est) (est) (est)
The M500 turns with a natural agility, too, although this might change with the fitment of a limitedslip diff; and on the passive springs and dampers retained from the M600, it adopts a pleasingly sorted cornering stance. Just the right amount of lean, and deftly controlled.
@matty_prior Price £150,000 (est) Engine V6, 3496cc, turbocharged,twin-petrol Power 506bhp at 5200rpm Torque 550lb
0-62mph 4.0sec
means rev-matching on downshifts is utterly natural. I can’t remember the last time a car’s drivetrain felt like it was so on my side.
It may be over its intended weight and down on power from the M600, but there’s still genuine urgency here. The V6 has a notable step in urge at around 3500rpm and it rips around to its 7000rpm hard limiter.
chance to apply a bit of throttle would take a while to become boring.
14 SEPTEMBER 2022 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 27 FIRST DRIVES
pound down its runway. Having completed around 1000 road test miles, this is the first time the M500 has seen a test track, and after a brief sighter with an engineer monitoring the temperatures, I’m told to give it everything along the main straight.
Gearbox 6-spd manual, RWD Kerb weight 1300kg
Economy 30mpg
CO 2 , tax band 230g/km, 37%
system, which uses two motor generators and the petrol engine mated via a planetary gearset so that the engine and one drive motor can spin at whatever speed the electronics dictate, regardless of
SUV offers three types of electrified powertrain but one type of motive character LEXUS RX New RX is the same length as before but its wheels are further apart
Then there’s the meat of the new range, the RX 450h+ plug-in hybrid, whose 2.5-litre engine makes 182bhp and which has the same 180bhp front and 54bhp rear motor. And yet because it has an 18.1kWh lithium ion battery (as well as the NiMH one), total power is 304bhp and there’s an electric-only range of 40 miles, with selectable hybrid or full EV mode and a 6.6kW battery charge speed. Once the big battery’s depleted, it’s back to the regular hybrid system, as per the RX 350h. In our brief experience, it looked like it would probably manage that distance, too, albeit that was in hot weather. Keeping up?
It’s based on an uprated version of Lexus’s GA-K platform, which underpins the smaller NX SUV, and it remains the same size as the outgoing RX, at 4.89m long, albeit with wider front and rear tracks and a 60mm-longer wheelbase, which increases interior space.
TESTER’S NOTE
he Lexus RX SUV is a quiet, understated seller in the UK and this “95% new” version looks like it’ll pick up from where the last one leaves off when it goes on sale in early 2023.
The most straightforward is the RX 350h, which has a 2.5-litre four-cylinder inline engine mated to Toyota/Lexus’s trusty hybrid
Interior door handles are electric. At first you wonder why, but they stop the door opening if the blindspot cameras spot a bicycle. MP
28 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 14 SEPTEMBER 2022
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The hybrid uses an NiMH battery of undisclosed size. All up, the maximum power is 247bhp and its rivals are typically smallish-dieselengined alternatives.
Then I’ll continue, to the car “for the most demanding petrolheads”, the RX 500h, which is sillier because it combines a turbocharged 2.4-litre
With more torsional rigidity because of some strengthening at the rear of the chassis, it has a new multi-link rear suspension system and, like the NX, MacPherson struts at the front.
The new RX comes in three different flavours, each electrified to an extent, but all quite differently.
the wheel speed. (It’s incredibly hard to explain until you see a model of it.) In this guise, the petrol engine makes 188bhp and the front electric motor 180bhp, but there’s also a 54bhp motor for the rear axle.
TESTED 8.9.22, CALIFORNIA, US ON SALE FEBRUARY 2023
Cabin exudes an air of solidity and, like the boot, is spacious
The 500h is a little more rewardingly thrummy but not actually much quicker than the PHEV
There’s also, despite the relatively big differences in how they’re powered, a consistency to how RXs drive. The steering is smooth and the ride settled. Refinement is really high, with low wind noise and just a little road noise.
Gearbox 6-spd automatic, 4WD
Flagship 500h combines a 2.4 turbo engine with two electric motors for 366bhp and 406lb ft
Kerb weight 2100kg
focus on ornamentation, more on texture and feel”, according to Lexus bosses, which means that the materials feel well put together and the switchgear is mostly clean. There’s a 14.0in touchscreen but even Toyota advises that phone integration is the way forward.
All of that means the RX can deliver either 256.8mpg (the cleanest PHEV) or 34.0mpg (the least clean RX 500). And thank heavens we don’t get the regular combusted RX 350 because I’m already halfway through this first drive.
Power 366bhp
Engine
gearbox, is a little more rewardingly thrummy and responsive, but not actually much quicker than the plug-in (the 0-62mph times are 6.2sec versus 6.5sec). And while there’s adaptive damping on the topspec model to keep a firmer control of body movements, it’s still nothing like as rewarding or angry as, say, a Jaguar F-Pace SVR. It’s just a way to burn a lot more fuel and pay more tax than in a plug-in hybrid.
The rest of the RX is – also thankfully – similar between all models. The interior is good. Solid of ambience and spacious in the back and the boot, with “less
Under acceleration, the 350h and 450h hum a bit because Toyota’s hybrid system puts them in a highrev range and leaves them there. The 500h, with its smooth six-speed
There’s no pricing yet because it’s not on sale until next year and Lord only knows what’ll happen between now and then, so I can’t honestly give it a star rating. But I don’t know how much that’ll matter: the
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Slick and smooth if unexciting new Lexus SUV picks up from where the old one left off
In fact, if you’re looking for fun –although, let’s face it, you’re probably not – the 350h is the one to go for because it’s the only RX whose kerb weight starts with a ‘1’ and it’s a little more agile and responsive by dint of being 130kg lighter than the 450h+ or 500h, both around 2100kg, although these things are relative. It’s a stable, steady drive rather than an overtly dynamic one.
CO 2 , tax band 182-189g/km, 37%
FIRST DRIVES 14 SEPTEMBER 2022 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 29
LEXUS RX 500H
dealer and ownership experience is generally the five-star thing, with the car almost secondary, and I don’t imagine that’ll change that much this time around – no matter the powertrain.
engine (268bhp) directly linked to a single electric motor (another 86bhp) where the flywheel would be, with a single clutch between them and a six-speed automatic gearbox. At the rear axle is a 102bhp electric motor, making a system total of 366bhp and 406lb ft.
Economy
0-62mph 6.2sec
Top speed 130mph 34.0-35.3mpg
Torque 406lb ft
@matty_prior
❞
Price £70,000 (est) 4 cyls, plusturbocharged,2393cc,petrol,twoelectricmotors
MATT PRIOR
RIVALS BMW X5, Jaguar F-Pace
SCAN ME
Use AUTOCARcodewhenyoubookONLINE* *Saving offered on advanced tickets available online until midnight Thursday 10 November 2022. To benefit from £2 discount the code must be entered at time of booking.
Battery 16.6/14.9kWh (total/usable)
official figure rising from 217 to 225 miles. It’s hardly a transformative increase, but it’s definitely useful: you can now actually get around 200 miles from a full charge.
MG electrifies bargain family SUV to accelerate its astonishing growth
Price £34,345
The engine is the same 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol unit that appears in the regular HS, but with a 121bhp electric motor, the PHEV is a healthy 95bhp more powerful.
Active Premium+ trim now gets dark-tinted rear windows, automatic windscreen wipers and automatic aircon, while Allure Premium+ models feature the aluminium styling pack
Torque 273lb ft
More substantially, there are updates to the powertrain to improve its efficiency, including a new final drive ratio and a more efficient heat pump. If that sounds familiar, it’s because it’s the same upgrade made to the related Vauxhall Corsa-e and Peugeot e-2008 we tested last week.
TESTED 7.9.22, LINCOLNSHIRE ON SALE NOW
Range, economy 225 miles, na CO 2 , tax band 0g/km, 2%
Gearbox 1-spd reduction gear, FWD Kerb weight 1455kg 0-62mph 8.1sec
car than as main family transport. And with entry-level models starting at £30,195, it’s also close in price to many larger, if less dynamic, EVs. Still, an appealing blend of dynamism and style means it remains one of the best small electric cars you can buy.
JAMES ATTWOOD
Two trims are available. We’re sampling Exclusive, which is priced from £33,595, while Excite comes in at £31,095. Either way, the HS is a long way under the Kia Sportage PHEV, which costs £41,795 (or at least it would if you could buy a plugin Kia at the moment #chipcrisis).
RIVALS Mini Electric, Renault Zoe, Vauxhall Corsa-e
The e-208 uses that instant electric power to offer the sort of zip and response that you expect from a supermini. The responsive steering and relatively soft suspension give it a pleasing fluidity around town, even on the 17in wheels of our GT Premium test car. It’s not quite so composed at higher speeds, though.
MG
In this spirit of ‘if it ain’t broke…’, this is a relatively mild makeover, with extra kit for certain trim levels.
Economy 155.8mpg
The HS family SUV does the grunt work for the Chinese brand, earning more than 40% of sales and outselling stalwarts like Volkswagen’s Tiguan. No wonder, then, that MG has now introduced a plug-in hybrid version.
This HS PHEV doesn’t do anything radically different to the norm. Five seats, electric-only running of just
We would prefer the option for greater use of regenerative braking: there’s a single mode, and it doesn’t quite allow one-pedal driving.
Price £33,595
Lacks the polish of some rivals, but you can’t argue with the price.
over 30 miles, a 10.1in touchscreen: so far, so 2022. But its price tag, even if it is about £10,000 more than the petrol HS, is a marker of MG’s intent. Its sales totals are only going one way.
PIERS WARD
Top speed 93mph
Electric range 32 miles
Gearbox 10-spd automatic, FWD Kerb weight 1775kg 0-60mph 6.9sec
Most PHEVs happily run in electric-only mode until they’re down to sub-quarter battery charge, but the HS prefers to combine both powertrains. This is especially odd,
n increase of 75%: MG’s recent sales success is in danger of becoming a cliché, but even against the backdrop of the constant headlines, that quarter-onquarter gain is quite the statement.
because it’s not like the EV mode is particularly gutless. You can force EV running by pressing a button, but this isn’t the default setting.
The interior is well isolated, thanks partly to quiet suspension, which also does well to soak up most bumps at average speeds. It’s only when you up the pace that it bounces too much from one undulation to the next without really settling.
Remains stylish, desirable and good to drive and is now just that little bit more practical
Torque 192lb ft
CO 2 , tax band 43g/km, 12%
14 SEPTEMBER 2022 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 31 FIRST DRIVES
as standard, a 7.0in touchscreen and a 3D-effect digital driver’s display.
Of course, the relatively compact hatchback body that helps give the e-208 its verve does have drawbacks in terms of capacity. The boot is on the small side and bigger adults won’t be entirely comfortable in the rear, so it’s still better suited as a second
TESTED 3.9.22, SURREY ON SALE NOW
Engine 4 cyls in line, 1490cc, turbo, petrol, plus electric motor Power 255bhp
The engine is reassuringly quiet when it fires up, which is a good thing, as it does so quite early when you apply modest throttle pressure.
Electric supermini receives efficiency-raising upgrades and extra standard kit MG HS 1.5 T-GD i PLUG-IN HYBRID PEUGEOT E-208 GT PREMIUM
Both come with MG’s seven-year warranty, so I would go for Excite. It doesn’t get leather or a powered tailgate, but if you’re looking in the bargain bucket, keep it that way.
What hasn’t changed is the performance of the motor (134bhp and 192lb ft of torque). Which is fine: it was already the most potent 208 powertrain, and you won’t find it lacking power when driving it.
A family-size SUV for the times
Top speed 118mph
Battery 50kWh (total)
RIVALS Kia Sportage, Mazda CX-5 E-208 GT PREMIUM HS 1.5 T-GD i PLUG-IN HYBRID EXCLUSIVE
A
Engine Electric motor Power 134bhp
Acceleration and top speed are on a par with rivals, but the economy can’t quite match the Sportage (8% company car tax plays 12%), so it’s better for families rather than fleets.
The changes result in a small but significant increase in the range, the
T
he e-208 is one of our favourite small electric cars, and now Peugeot has given it a number of upgrades to ensure it stays so.
PEUGEOT
AAAAC AAABC
32 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 14 SEPTEMBER 2022 Porsche 718 Cayman PHOTOGRAPHY EDLESTONMAX ROAD TEST N o 5591 Porsche’s legendary GT department finally lets loose on the mid-engined Cayman Price £113,700 Power 493bhp Torque 332lb ft 0-60mph 3.9sec 30-70mph in fourth 7.1sec Fuel economy 22.1mpg CO2 emissions 299g/km 70-0mph 41.5m GT4 RSMODEL TESTED
718 Cayman GT4 414bhp £81,700
P
l With the engine being in the middle, you know these bonnet vents must serve a different purpose: brake cooling. The scoop feeds cooling air into the wheel arch; vent on the top of the wing sucks it out again. Sculpted arch section also helps to evacuate hot air.
The overhaul that takes this Cayman fathoms deep into track-dayready supercar territory is the stuff of legend. A story of development carried out in clandestine fashion so the bean-counters and killjoys couldn’t abort the car before it had a chance to exist; and of a vision powered by gut instinct and pure curiosity but backed by the passion of a thoroughly enthusiastic team of engineers.
Cayman 4.0 GTS manages with 394bhp
For its axles, the GT4 RS likewise mixes componentry from various GT and RS 911s. It retains MacPherson struts at both ends, although they are fully rose-jointed to the chassis for optimum feedback and wheel control. The car rides 30mm lower than a regular Cayman, and its coil springs are between 40% and 66% firmer even than those of a GT4 and feature helper springs at each end. The axle tracks are also wider and its PASM dampers and passive anti-roll bars have been uprated, the latter being manually adjustable, along with wheel camber and toe angle.
ENGINES POWER FROM
character, rather the engine’s new carbonfibre induction system, which sucks air through new intakes located directly behind your head, where the Cayman’s quarterlight side windows might otherwise be.
718 Cayman GT4 RS 493bhp £113,700
But for now we celebrate the old. The GT4 RS’s 3996cc atmospheric flat six is an entirely different engine from the 3995cc one used by the regular Cayman GT4. With a significantly oversquare cylinder design, an eyebrow-raising 13.3:1 compression ratio and rocker armdriven valves, it produces 493bhp at 8400rpm and 332lb ft at 6750rpm, and it revs all the way to 9000rpm.
14 SEPTEMBER 2022 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 33 ROAD TEST
◊ We don’t like We like l Performance, flexibility and response of that GT3 PDK powertrain is sensational l Combustive noise and drama is even more spectacular l Remains a usable sports car and an acceptable on-road dynamic compromise l Lack of a manual option is a shame, given the car’s other strengths l Doesn’t work brilliantly on rougher B-roads l Getting one will be a challenge, even if you’ve got the cash to splash
6-spd manual
DESIGN AND ENGINEERING AAAAA
Lightweight door panels, lightweight glazing, lightweight
Range at a glance
The GT4 RS is built by those who wondered: ‘Could we put a GT3 engine in a Cayman?’ The ‘should we?’ part, admits Preuninger, didn’t really figure until there was a working prototype and Weissach’s key decision-makers had been convinced, both by its mere existence and by the driving experience, that the car demanded a place in showrooms.
This week, then, the Autocar road test records the benchmark numbers without which the story of Weissach’s latest top-level hero sports car couldn’t be complete. We are about to document exactly how fast, how loud and how special is one of the most anticipated new Porsches of recent years: the 718 Cayman GT4 RS.
Downstream of the screaming flat six, meanwhile, there’s a seven-speed PDK dual-clutch automatic gearbox, which uses the shortest gearset on the Weissach shelf (it was originally developed for the ‘991.2’ 911 GT3 RS) and should answer the many criticisms of the regular Cayman GT4 that it was over-geared. There’s also a mechanical limited-slip differential, because it would have been impossible to squeeze an active diff into the available space.
l Swan-neck rear wing is the very same as the one on the 911 GT3 but for the model branding on the side. It adjusts through three pitch settings; all you need is a set of Torx screwdrivers.
718 Cayman 2.5 S 345bhp £57,700
The engine is exactly as it appears in a 911 GT3, says Porsche. It produces slightly less peak power and torque here because it needs longer and more complicated exhaust tracts, each of which has a rear axle to navigate, than would any 911. But it’s not those exhausts that define so much about this car’s audible
l Standard Cayman’s rear quarterlight glazing is thrown out, replaced by vents for the induction of the 4.0-litre GT3 engine just inboard.
718 Cayman 4.0 GTS 394bhp £68,700
718 Cayman 2.0 T 296bhp £55,200
We have had both 981 and 982 generations of 718, before which there were 986 and 987 generations of the Boxster and, latterly, Cayman. Given the way Porsche tends to couple up generations of its cars developmentally, leaving big technological shifts for alternate model leaps, we expected a fresh technical take for the next car anyway. With full electrification on the way for next year’s all-new Boxster and Cayman, we’re getting a pretty bold conceptual overhaul.
l GT4 RS’s exhaust is made mostly of steel, but Weissach package cars get this titanium-look pipe styling at the rear, which references the jet turbine look of the iconic 935 race car.
Porsche’s 718 range remains characteristically broad even six years into the current model’s life cycle. Both four-cylinder derivatives remain on sale, the T model having been added at a similar time as the GT4 in 2019.
TRANSMISSIONS
7-spd dual-clutch automatic (£2000-£2300; standard on GT4 RS)
An open-topped Boxster version of each of the above will cost a £2000 premium, the exception being the 718 Boxster 4.0 Spyder, which is slightly cheaper than an equivalent Cayman GT4.
718 Cayman 2.0 296bhp £47,700
orsche’s architectPreuninger,Andreasthechiefofeveryone of the company’s revered, hardcore GT sports cars since the original ‘996’ 911 GT3 of 1999, has described the subject of this week’s road test as “a wild child”. Coming from someone well used to the savagery of so many 911 GT2 and GT3 RSs, those sentiments land loud and clear – not that the car he was talking about needs much introduction.
The Cayman has always made a surprisingly usable, habitable kind of two-seater. The funny thing about
not too much of it. Neither is there much at all to take away the focus from what you’re here to do. The 9000rpm rev counter dominates the driver binnacle, while the steering wheel itself hasn’t got a single switch or knob on it. Quite plainly, Porsche isn’t expecting GT4 RS owners to care much about how easy it is to switch between radio stations.
DIMENSIONSPARKING l Standard sports seats are low-set and snug around the hips but comfy enough even over longer trips. Standard Cayman’s ‘sports seats plus’ are a no-cost option. l New engine demanded this whole new intake system made of carbon-composite. Note the number of fixings needed to secure it and stop it from vibrating. 460-610mmHeight Width 700mm Length 400mm l Overall cargo space is reduced a little over other Caymans: there are 125 litres in the front and 136 at the rear, with the former being more useful for bigger cases. 2482mm1060mm 914mm Kerb weight: 4456mm1415kg 6712mm125 litres 136 litres 0.33 1060mm 980mm 2000mm (with mirrors) 3780mm Typical parking space width (2400mm)heightgarageypicalT 2150mm 80mm 40mm Centre Weights and measures
The car’s optional half roll-cage obviously hasn’t been fitted at the expense of any back seats. That swan-neck rear wing is connected to the usual hatchback bootlid, under which lies a reasonably useful amount of cargo space, even more of which can be found under the carbonfibre-composite nose panel.
the GT4 RS, wild and madcap as it undoubtedly is in so many ways, is that it doesn’t change that too much.
Forward visibility in the GT4 RS is good by sports car standards, but the over-shoulder view is curtailed owing to those quarterlight air intakes and rear-view visibility takes a hit from the presence of that rear wing. Merging from offset junctions can be tricky as a result, at which point you will be worryingly aware of this car’s looming blindspots. It’s nothing you couldn’t tolerate, though, or that doesn’t come with such rarefied sporting territory.
You’re couched down extra low at the wheel but feel intimately connected to and at close quarters
∆ carbonfibre bucket seats and carbonfibre-composite bodywork all save weight on the car, which comes in at a homologated 1415kg as claimed – some 35kg lighter than an equivalent Cayman GT4 PDK. The car could be lighter still, of course, allowing for optional carbon-ceramic brakes, magnesium wheels and various deleted interior fittings.
Our test car did without many of those optional lightweight touches but still weighed 1444kg fuelled and in running order. That’s 14kg heavier than the ‘992’ GT3 PDK we tested in 2021 but still light by modern Porsche GT car standards.
34 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 14 SEPTEMBER 2022
INTERIOR AAAAB
WHEEL AND PEDAL ALIGNMENT
with the car’s major mechanicals, just as you would want to be, with the steering wheel poking straight out at your sternum. The engine is an unmissable presence so clearly right behind your shoulder, and once the car is moving it rolls around an axis that feels aligned perfectly with your body’s own chest-high centre of mass. As one tester so astutely put it, driving a Cayman feels a lot like paddling a canoe.
◊
Bi-xenon headlights with LED running lights are standard, although our test car had Porsche’s adaptive LED lights fitted as an option. No opportunity to test them.
HEADLIGHTS
The car’s lightweight bucket seats are snug around the hips and need to be berthed a little carefully, but they are perfectly comfortable over longer distances. They are seats whose cushion thickness you can even have tailored to your own body shape and preference, if you like.
The cabin around you is dark and its layout and specification undoubtedly betray the age of the 987-generation base car, with its dinky infotainment screen, mostly analogue instruments and buttonbusy centre console. In our test car, the whole dashboard came wrapped in dark Dinamica suede for that extra dose of race car flavour. There is carbonfibre decorative trim, too, but
Left-sided brake offset isn’t so unusual for a sporting Porsche, but the Cayman’s is slightly more pronounced than the current 911 by our measurements. Steering has plenty of adjustment.
Porsche includes an eight-speaker, 150W Sound Package Plus audio system as standard, which sounds decent and certainly is welcome on longer journeys. You can boost this to a 10-speaker, 505W Bose premium audio set-up, which will cost £834 and some additional weight.
Multimedia system
AAACC
The GT4 RS’s ‘PCM’ touchscreen infotainment system is pretty basic by contemporary standards. It has a 7in screen and wired smartphone mirroring for Apple handsets, but it offers nothing for other formats.
14 SEPTEMBER 2022 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 35 ROAD TEST
l Clubsport pack includes a steel half roll-cage; add the Weissach package and it’s made of titanium (although the titanium cage isn’t FIA approved for competition).
Some networked functionality is offered via a 4G data sim, as well as the PVTS+ vehicle tracking system. But the system’s most popular menus are likely to be those of the Porsche Track Precision lap-timing and performance logging app, which works very well. Regular circuit drivers should consider the loss of these before deciding to have the whole system deleted (as a no-cost option) in order to save weight.
l Fire extinguisher is also part of the Clubsport pack, as is preparation for a battery cut-off switch and a sixpoint harness. Just aim it at a track and away you go.
l If a future buyer doesn’t spot the extra Race-Tex synthetic suede or carbonfibre bodywork, this badge will reassure them that you paid for the right options.
The car’s turbine exhaust howl is one that fast 911 owners are likely
The GT4 RS splits the difference between the two. There’s an edge to its alertness and adhesive tenacity, even on regular Cup tyres, that will reassure Cayman regulars that they’re experiencing something special, but there’s a shortness and firmness about the ride that can get a little spiky on a choppy B-road and over bigger low-speed inputs. There’s
HANDLING AND STABILITY AAAAA
Here is one of the all-time great performance engines applied in a new way ❞
and addictive dramatic character of the GT4 RS’s whole powertrain that stays with you. It feels like an agent of performance driving from a higher plane.
Is it fast? Every bit as much as it needs to be, both on the road and the track – although there are, of course, more rapid sports cars you could spend this kind of money on if going fast is your ultimate priority.
The 4.0-litre flat six has all of the dizzying strengths that prior experience of a 911 GT3 would lead you to expect: big power, supreme response and transformative range and freedom of operation. But here it hits new heights for noise and sensory rawness. You might not expect to read this of a near-500bhp Cayman, but there may not be another sports car in the world that better bears witness to the relative insignificance of outright power and torque compared with the impact of such a dramatic style of delivery.
PERFORMANCE
Our test car’s optional carbonceramic brakes have good bite as well as impressive outright power and great fade resistance. The crispness and speed with which you can row up and down ratios on the PDK gearbox as you play tunes on that engine, meanwhile, is incredible.
AAAAA
The proximity of the flat six to your ears puts all of the audible theatre at even closer range than you are used to, accentuating every beat and flare. Then there’s the new induction noise: a symphony of sucking and hissing of air, and of reverberating combustion hammer, which is unlike anything that the vast majority of owners of modern performance cars will ever have heard before.
What the GT4 RS offers here, in a vaguely abstract sense, is one of the all-time great performance engines applied in a completely new way, ready to leave you dumbstruck and awe-inspired all over again.
But it’s the otherworldly combination of smoothness, rev-hungry operating range, fizzing outright mechanical animation
l On track the GT4 RS displays impeccable balance and control, but on the road it manages to remain supple and connected; steering is tactile and deeply communicative.
Porsche’s track record with its RS products suggests you might be in for an uncompromising experience, but the Cayman has always been a subtly suspended sports car that has never needed firm chassis rates or a highly strung temperament to achieve its dynamic aims.
❝
36 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 14 SEPTEMBER 2022
The car’s claimed 0-62mph time of 3.4sec would need to be matched on the super-sticky Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tyres that are available as an option. On a dry and hot test day, and on Porsche’s standard Cup 2s, the car only managed a two-way average of 3.9sec to 60mph, and it needed 8.3sec to hit 100mph – at which point, thanks to that engine, it’s only just out of third gear. Even so, a full-fat 911 GT3 is less than a second quicker to that point, while a BMW M4 Competition is a tenth slower.
to recognise instantly; likewise the rhythmic chatter of rocker arms, and the percussive stab of revs and instant sneeze of mechanical activity that come with every paddle-shift gearchange. No other sports car sounds as alive with almost hypnotic mechanical commotion as a Porsche with this motorsport-derived engine.
BRAKING 60-0mph: 2.43sec
Standing quarter mile 12.4sec at 117.3mph, standing km 22.7sec at 143.6mph, 30-70mph 3.6sec, 30-70mph in fourth 5.9sec
l Limit chassis poise is incredible, but nowhere better through the long, fast T3, where the attitude is so finely adjustable.
Lotus Exige Sport 390 Final Edition (2021, 18deg C, dry)
Even in its finished state, with the car’s tacho needle approaching 9000rpm and the exhaust in ‘noisy’ mode, our decibel meter recorded 109dBA in the cabin – a figure the likes of which we had never recorded until we assessed the Caterham Seven 420 Cup a fortnight ago. A McLaren Senna makes 101dBA in cabin at maximum revs in third, the
l Turn off the electronic controls and the chassis is communicative and forgiving. It’s fun but no quicker.
1min 08.8sec
Typical cruising noise levels are much lower and wouldn’t necessarily induce you to only ever drive the car with a full face helmet and ear plugs.
engage with, few seem to disturb it or jar the chassis.
ACCELERATION
Lotus Exige Sport 390 Final Edition 1min 12.3sec
The GT4 RS makes perfect sense on track where the chassis, which can feel so within itself on the road, hits a spectacular stride. Handling is perfectly balanced; it’s stable on a trailing throttle in a way that Caymans tend not to be, so you can attack braking zones hard, trail brake to apices and carry huge speed. Midcorner grip and stability are titanic, with a progressive breakaway from the rear if you approach it gradually.
Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS
roofless Ariel Atom 4 only 105dBA.
The supreme powertrain plays its part. Such a linear delivery and a wide, high-rev range make it possible to take corners at close to 9000rpm when you might otherwise expect to need a higher ratio and lower revs.
DRY CIRCUIT
Lotus Exige Sport 390 Final Edition 1min 11.6sec
010s 150mph 19.2s 140mph 16.2s 130mph 13.7s 120mph 11 .6s 110mph 9.9s 30mph 40 50 60 70mph 80mph 90mph 100mph 1.8s 2.5s 3.14.8s 3.9s 5.8s8.3s 7.0s 30mph-0 50mph-0 70mph-0 2142.2m7..6m 9m 1020m m 030m40m 010s20s 150mph 26.1s 140mph 21.1 s 130mph 17.4s 120mph 13.0s 110mph 11.1s 30mph 40 50 60 70mph 80mph 90mph 100mph 1.5s 2.4s 3.2s5.1s 4.0 6.9.4s 4s 7.6s 30mph-0 50mph-0 70mph-0 41 21.5.5m8.m 0m 1020m m 030m40m Track notes Star t/finishT2T1 Star t/finish T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 T7 Star t/finishT2T1 T4 T3 T5 T6 T7 T8 Star t/finish T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 T7 14 SEPTEMBER 2022 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 37 ROAD TEST
The GT4 RS delivers greater touring comfort than you might expect. It isn’t quiet, but you would never criticise it for lacking refinement, and its rawness and buzzing mechanical feel are at the heart of its appeal. Apparently, that carbonfibre induction system used to be a lot noisier before steps were taken to reduce its harshness – at its worst, the noise was compared by those who experienced it to that of a chainsaw cutting through your temples.
Nonetheless, the car’s suspension deals with most UK road surfaces amazingly well, keeping close control of body movement without a jiggle or nag, remaining settled and steady when you’re touring and generally declining to ram home its tracktuned purposes except along those kinds of roads and surfaces on which you would expect a car of this nature to begin to come unstuck.
Like other Caymans, this one steers with measured pace, but it also displays a new level of weight and feedback that allows you a really clear tactile connection with the road and a real gauge of the available grip level from, and the load going through, the front contact patches. On an uneven surface you’ll need to keep both hands on the rim, and then use plenty of physicality on track. But while there aren’t many bumps that the chassis will willingly
BUYING AND OWNING AAAAA
Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS
l Cup tyre gets into trouble with standing water but mostly simply struggles with maintaining the temperature to work well.
AAACC
1min 22.7sec
Lotus Exige Sport 390 Final Edition (2021, 18deg C, dry)
Standing quarter mile 12.1sec at 122.5mph, standing km 21.6sec at 155.8mph, 30-70mph 3.0sec, 30-70mph in fourth 7.1sec
plenty of unfiltered road noise, too, and connected feel from both axles.
If you have got an order in, you’re unlikely to be disappointed by the ownership proposition. CAP’s residual forecasts on exotic cars are a little conservative if anything, but even they expect very slow depreciation indeed. ◊
COMFORT AND ISOLATION
The car’s outright grip level, even on standard tyres, is very high, and its directional responsiveness and chassis composure at normal road speeds are both such that it can seem unchallenged by normal driving. Even so, it is by no means aloof or uninteresting.Thegentle,effortlessly checked pitch and roll that normally characterise a Cayman’s handling need really big track speeds to present themselves, but the GT4 RS’s steering and handling are so perfectly pin-sharp that you feel totally immersed in the car’s motive mystique in any case.
Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS (38deg C, dry)
It is a universal truth that you don’t choose to buy a Porsche GT car. Rather, you are chosen. It’s not a limited-series car, but with time for the ‘982’ Cayman running out and only about a year of production left, the chances are that if you haven’t got an order in now, you won’t be making one. Weissach expects to make about 7000 examples, with a fraction of that likely to come to the UK.
Handling is less forgiving if you approach the limits less judiciously, and the hardcore temperament needs quick, deliberate responses to stabilise it at times. But there’s still an exploitable character. New-found grip and precision has first-order pace and composure layered over the top of it.
l Lap times are largely the tale of Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 (Porsche) versus Pilot Sport 4 (Lotus). The Porsche’s performance and drivability are both superior in the dry.
You hardly think about the mechanics of driving this car. It’s almost as if you guide it by impulse, as an extension of yourself, feeling plugged into the chassis by your synapses in the same way as you are to that incredible engine.
WET CIRCUIT
Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS (38deg C, dry)
ABS, ASR, ESC, PSM Euro NCAP crash rating Not tested
911 GT3’s high-revving flat six is spun through 180deg to fit ahead of the 718’s rear axle line, with the necessarily longer exhaust system accounting for the marginal deterioration in peak power output. Mechanical PTV diff is fitted in place of the GT3 PDK’s electronic one, downstream of a short-ratio seven-speed dual-clutch ’box. Weight was distributed 42% front, 58% rear on the weighbridge scales.
Tank Test
Power to weight 348bhp per tonne Torque to weight 235lb ft per tonne Specific output 123bhp per litre
3057/3494 THE SMALL PRINT Power-to-weight and torque-to-weight figures are calculated using manufacturer’s claimed kerb weight. © 2022, Haymarket Media Group Ltd. Test results may not be reproduced without editor’s written permission. For information on the Cayman GT4 RS, contact Porsche Customer Interaction Centre, Porsche Cars GB Ltd, Bath Road, Calcot, Reading RG31 7SE (03457 911911, porsche. com/uk). Cost-per-mile figures calculated over three years/36,000 miles, including depreciation and maintenance but not insurance; Lex Autolease (0800 389 3690). Insurance quote covers 35-year-old professional male with clean licence and full no-claims bonus living in Swindon; quote from Liverpool Victoria (0800 066 5161, lv.com). Contract hire figure based on a three-year lease/36,000-mile contract including maintenance; Wessex Fleet Solutions (01722 322888). mph 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 20-40 1.9 2.8 4.5 30-50 1.7 2.7 3.8 4.6 5.5 40-60 1.6 2.4 3.6 4.6 5.6 6.6 50-70 1.7 2.3 3.4 4.4 5.4 6.6 60-80 2.2 3.2 4.2 5.3 6.6 70-90 2.3 3.0 4.1 5.3 6.7 80-100 3.0 3.9 5.3 6.7 90-110 3.1 3.8 5.2 6.9 100-120 3.4 4.0 5.0 7.1 110-130 4.4 5.3 6.9 120-140 4.9 5.7 7.2 130-150 5.6 6.5 140-160
Valve gear 4 per cyl Power 493bhp at 8400rpm Torque 332lb ft at 6750rpm Redline 9000rpm
Porsche’s own PCP finance scheme could put the car at your disposal for a surprisingly affordable figure, thanks to its residual strength (assuming you could find one to buy). This deal is at 7.9% APR, with a balloon payment of just under £82k.
ENGINE
Weissach package (including titanium roll-cage, carbonfibre finish for bonnet and miscellaneous exterior parts, ‘PORSCHE’ decal on rear window, titanium exhaust, extended Race-Tex trim, six-point harnesses) £11,186 Leather and Race-Tex interior trim £1242 Chrono pack (analogue and digital stopwatches, performance displays) £194
exceedingly
Track 10.0mpg Touring 27.1mpg Average 22.1mpg
PORSCHE 718
Parking sensors and reverse camera £825 Cruise control £228
Installation Mid, rear-wheellongitudinal,drive
Weight/as tested 1415kg/1444kg Drag coefficient 0.33 Wheels 8.5Jx20in (f), 11.0Jx20in (r)
BRAKES
3rd 1.72/11.2 4th 1.34/14.4 5th 1.11/17.3 6th 0.96/20.0 7th 0.84/22.9 Final drive ratio 4.17:1 MPH TIME (sec) 0-30 1.8 0-40 2.5 0-50 3.1 0-60 3.9 0-70 4.8 0-80 5.8 0-90 7.0 0-100 8.3 0-110 9.9 0-120 11.6 0-130 13.7 0-140 16.2 0-150 19.2 0-160 23.4 l GT4 RS’s residual values
Options in bold fitted to test car = Standard na = not available
CHASSIS & BODY Construction monocoqueAluminium/steel
Type 6 cyls horizontally opposed, 3996cc, petrol
CAYMAN GT4 RS
TYPICAL PCP QUOTE
PDLS Plus LED headlights £1322
Tyres 245/35 ZR20 95Y (f), 295/30 ZR20 101Y (r), Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 N1 Spare None (mobility foam optional)
Rear 380mm ventilated carbon-ceramic discs
PASM suspension, manually adjustable for toe, camber and anti-roll stiffness 20in forged alloy wheels
PCM touchscreen navigation with Apple CarPlay, vehicle tracking, 150W audio Lightweight bucket seats, door panels
0 2 years 4 years3 years1 yearNew (£1000s)alueV 10600140180120208040160 Porsche 911 GT3 PDK Lotus Emira V6 First Edition auto Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS 0 0 2000 80004000 6000 10,0000 Engine (rpm) 332lb ft at 6750rpm 493bhp 8400rpmat (bhp)outputPower ft(lbrqueTo)600400300200400600300 500500 100200100 64 litres 38 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 14 SEPTEMBER 2022 POWER & TORQUE MAX SPEEDS IN GEARACCELERATION ACCELERATION IN GEAR RESIDUALS Read all of our road tests autocar.co.uk ROAD TEST N o 5591 Data log 1 2 3 4 5 46mph 9000rpm 73mph 9000rpm 101mph 9000rpm 129mph 9000rpm 6 156mph 9000rpm 7 180mph 9000rpm 196mph* 8560rpm * claimed ECONOMY TEST CLAIMEDMPG
Handbrake location Right of steering column
Low 12.8mpg Mid 23.0mpg High 25.2mpg Extra high 23.3mpg Combined 21.4mpg
Price as tested £138,879 Value after 3yrs/36k miles £81,400
TECHNICAL LAYOUT
On-the-road price £113,700
Anti-lock Standard, with brake assist
3 years/30,000 miles, 25% deposit £702
TRANSMISSION
range 311 miles EMISSIONS & TAX CO 2 emissions 299g/km Tax at 20/40% pcm £701/£1402 SUSPENSION Front MacPherson struts, coil springs with helper springs, adaptive dampers, adjustable anti-roll bar Rear MacPherson struts, coil springs with helper springs, adaptive dampers, adjustable anti-roll bar CABIN NOISE Idle 59dBA Max rpm in 3rd gear 109dBA 30mph 70dBA 50mph 76dBA 70mph 78dBA STEERING Type Electromechanical, rack and pinion Turns lock to lock 2.6 Turning circle 11.4m
na Insurance
Front 408mm ventilated carbon-ceramic discs
Handbrake type Electric
Made of Aluminium block and head Bore/stroke 102.0mm/81.5mm Compression ratio 13.3:1
Type 7-spd dual-clutch automatic Ratios/mph per 1000rpm 1st 3.75/5.1 2nd 2.38/8.1 are unlikely =
Front axle lift system £1835
Contract hire pcm na Cost per mile 50/£1195
PCCB ceramic-composite brakes £5597 3D-printed bodyform bucket seats £1895 Fire extinguisher £105
EQUIPMENT CHECKLIST
SAFETY
to disappoint, even if they’re not quite in 911 GT3 territory.RPM in 7th at 70/80mph
size 64 litres
l Add softer, wingdenuded ‘touring’ model, plus a manual option.
l Make it possible to mix and match Weissach pack parts, like the mirror caps, air intakes and carbonfibre bonnet.
l Get some overpriced Porsche Design earplugs among the Accessories’.‘Tequipment
Power,Price 0-62mph,torquetop speed CO 2 , economy 1 2 3 T A feast of noise, revs, handling poise and thrills. Incredibly special VERDICT p72newonVerdictseverycar, LOTUS EMIRA V6 FIRST EDITION More hardcore special versions will come later, but for now the Emira is a step behind the RS on power, pace and thrills. AAAAC 400bhp,£76,415 310lb ft 4.3sec, 243g/km,180mph25.0mpg M c LAREN 600LT COUPE To match the Cayman’s hardcore temperament and beat it on outright pace, this is how far you need to go. Two-year-old cars now comparable on price, too. AAAAB £185,500 (2019) 592bhp, 457lb ft 2.9sec, 276g/km,204mph23.2mpg PORSCHE 718 CAYMAN GT4 RS A Cayman for near-GT3 money would need to be sensational to justify its place, but the GT4 RS emphatically is. Intoxicatingly raw and beautifully poised. Sublime. AAAAA 493bhp,£113,700332lb ft 3.4sec, 299g/km,196mph21.4mpg BMW M4 CSL It’s not often a ‘CSL’ M car goes head to head with an RS Porsche, but that’s what this dialled-up M4 will do later this year. Should be fireworks at our Handling Day. 542bhp,£128,820479lb ft 3.7sec, 225g/km,191mph28.5mpg CHEVROLET CORVETTE STINGRAY Z06 Performance numbers and prices on the European version of the hot ’Vette are expected soon; deliveries next year. £150,000 (est) 670bhp, 460lb ft nana AAAAA
theJobsSpecnotesTesters’adviceforfacelift
What this car represents is every bit as wonderful as what it does: a new way to immerse yourself in the character of a truly wonderful combustion engine and savour and cherish its every detonation, vibration and impulse. That feels like a particularly timely invitation, and whether Weissach intended it that way or not, you can’t help interpreting this Porsche as a celebration of the combustion-engined sports car at the most vivid and affecting height that it may ever reach.
VERPRAETILLYA
he 718 Cayman GT4 RS is one of the most thrilling and special Porsche GTs yet. Its configuration makes it more raw and exciting, arguably, than any fast roadgoing 911, while its mid-engined chassis gives it a dynamic purity and instinctive handling poise that few sports cars have known, the best GT3s included.
14 SEPTEMBER 2022 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 39 ROAD TEST
ROAD TEST RIVALS
Even if you’ve waited 17 years for a GT Cayman, I can’t imagine the GT4 RS could disappoint. Getting one might well be impossible if your name’s not down already, but this must count as a special production worth special efforts to acquire.
SAUNDERSMATT That better-cooled?brakesCanisaroundsculptureamounteye,catcheswingyourbutthesheerofaerodynamicandventingthefrontwheelsevenmoresensational.aroadcar’sfronteverhavebeen
Yet you don’t need sentimentality to build a case for a five-star score here. Few sports cars have offered such a spectacular blend of dizzying dramatic performance, supreme handling accomplishment, sublime track-day purpose and all-round sensory involvement as this spine-tingling new RS. It deserves every plaudit we can give.
We would have a Weissach package (no roll-cage) in dark metallic Gentian Blue with magnesium wheels (£10,521), ceramic brakes (£5597) and a nose lifter (£1835), plus model designation and PCM infotainment deleted (no-cost option).
42 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 14 SEPTEMBER 2022
PHOTOGRAPHY MAX
EDLESTON Green day
Can the simple joys of driving live on in the electric era? Felix Page seeks answers in Norway – home to some of Europe’s finest, most EV-friendly roads – with a mighty new battery-powered Kia for company
Towering powertrain stats and lurid green brake calipers aside, though, it is very much a car ◊
R
Driving out of necessity is one thing, however, and driving for pleasure a different ball game entirely. Not only is there a marked deficit of bona fide electric sports cars on sale while we await plugand-play propositions from Ferrari, Lotus, Alpine and others, but the best driving roads around tend to be far away from civilisation (and therefore charge stations) and taking an EV to
the limits of its performance is not conducive to maximising range per charge. A V12-engined supercar won’t crack much more than 10mpg when pushing on, sure, but at least you’d be sure of a fill-up in the next village, town or supermarket car park. Plus, there’s the whole debate around electrification versus emotion; deprived of a manual gearbox and a roaring exhaust note, and with a flat torque curve, an electric driver’s car inherently falls short on sheer sensory appeal compared with a fossil-fuelled equivalent.
KIA EV6 GT ROAD TRIP 14 SEPTEMBER 2022 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 43
ange anxiety is fast becoming a fear of the past, in line with electricincreasingvehiclesales and growing public awareness of their generally agreeable enduranceCertainly,credentials.therearefew electric cars on sale that couldn’t manage the average weekly commute without charging, and while there is still a long way to go to make the UK’s EV infrastructure fit for today’s demand (let alone that predicted by 2030), comfortably covering large swathes of ground in a modern electric car is no longer an insurmountable feat.
All of which calls into question the raison d’être of a car like the Kia EV6 GT, a 577bhp, four-wheel-drive superhatch with adaptive dampers, sticky Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres and a dedicated drift mode. On paper, this is one of the most rapid and fearsome cars available for less than £70,000, and certainly well beyond the realms of what would have been conceivable for a car from Kia a few years ago.
It’s not an especially auspicious start, it must be said, when we take to the E6 motorway and head northwards from Oslo towards Trondheim, cruising quietly at a strictly enforced 110kph and pondering our agreeable, rather than mind-blowing, environs. For a couple of hours, it seems as if Norway will not prove itself a haven for the eco-conscious car nut in years to come – the EV6 stays in Eco mode and snapper Max Edleston’s Canon remains zipped in his suitcase.
Knowing a charger is never far away gives you licence to explore an EV’s upper reaches
In 2021, a jaw-dropping 86% of new cars sold here could have left the forecourt without consuming so much as a sip
In need of some dynamic and visual inspiration, we head for a web of intriguing, wiggly lanes that’s popped up on the sat-nav. Surprisingly and happily, they turn out to be tight gravel tracks that weave through impenetrably dark
It’s bold, all things considered, for Kia to so confidently proclaim the mile-munching credentials of a car whose genuine utility credentials are so markedly contingent on the shaky and underdeveloped EV infrastructure on which it ultimately depends. The luxury appeal of even an oligarch’s bespoke Rolls-Royce limousine would be dented were they forced to spend an hour jabbing at an unresponsive charge point touchscreen at Toddington services in the rain just to get it back to Knightsbridge.
But as you might have clocked by the astounding backdrop, we’re in Norway. And Norway, in every single way you could possibly imagine, is not like Toddington. Nor any other country in the world, really, in terms of preparedness for the electric era.
of melted dinosaur. Meanwhile in the UK, that figure stood at just 18.5%. Norway – which will ban new combustion car sales at the end of 2025 – is so far ahead of the curve on electrification that several new EV brands in recent years have headed here first before rolling their cars out to the wider European market, and the local importer for Volkswagen cars has just made the landmark announcement that it will only import EVs from 1 January 2024.
Here is one of Norway’s 17,000 public chargers, of which more than 3000 are ‘rapid’
44 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 14 SEPTEMBER 2022
∆ defined by the badge it wears on its rear. Take Hyundai-Kia engineering boss Albert Biermann’s word for it: “It’s not a car for the racetrack. It’s a different story. This is designed for long-distance touring, and it offers good speed, while being enjoyable to drive.”
So where better to put Kia’s sinister willdriver’soncescenerydrivingonmostcountryitsIfcrossoversupercar-killer-cum-family-throughthewringer?anelectricdriver’scaristoproveworthanywhere,itissurelyinathathostsnotjustoneofthefullyformedEVinfrastructuresEarth,butalsosomeofthefinestroadsandawe-inspiringgoing.Isthiswhereweprove,andforall,thatnotjustthecarbutthedriver’sholidaysurviveintothissilentnewage
pine forests, loosely packed enough to send the EV6’s rear axle scrabbling for traction under load but not too tight that we can’t realise our vision of a full-bore electric Scandinavian rally stage. Even here, several miles from the nearest town – and Tarmac – the automotive sphere’s transformation is evident. For every well-loved Volvo XC70 or Suzuki Ignis we stop to let pass, a Nissan Leaf or Volkswagen ID 3 glides towards us – kicking up a cloud of dust in its wake that feels like an obvious metaphor for the lack of any other fumes.
for personal transportation?
Back on solid ground and with a juiced-up battery, we tear up to the foothills of the Østerdal valley, which we quickly declare one of the most fabulous fast-car playgrounds in Europe. It is scarcely believable that if we were to take a sharp left now and
launch ourselves hard enough off Norway’s western coast, we’d crash down on familiar UK soil. The landscape here is simply other-worldly, not just in its awe-inspiring ruggedness and severity, but in the sheer variety of backdrops and topographies it throws up. There are hints of the Highlands and Shetland to be found in the inhospitality of the barren rolling hills and vast, mistcovered lakes – naturally, given the geographical proximity – but the emptiness of the roads (save for the odd brave camper heading for a night in the freezing cold) and smoothness of the Tarmac give this an immediate edge in driving terms. Setting aside its touring credentials for a moment (and flagrantly ignoring how Kia would ◊
KIA EV6 GT ROAD TRIP 14 SEPTEMBER 2022 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 45
It touts performance statistics that would have had heads hanging in shame in Maranello ❞
❝
Engines are a dying breed in Norway, with plug-in cars like our Kia already commanding more than 80% of the new car market
Like the UK, Norway is beginning to phase out laws and incentives introduced to encourage EV uptake as it progresses towards a zero-emission car parc, but the difference is that Norway’s were introduced far earlier and have always been more wide-reaching and generous.
arduous road roar that might have been expected – which, together with generously padded sports seats, a resoundingly competent sound system and pleasingly navigable infotainment interface, means there’s little to complain about after a several-hour stint at the helm.
In a little over two years’ time, the final new ICE car will be sold in Norway – a decade ahead of the UK.
∆ around would be any great hardship: one other stark difference between Toddington and your average Norway charging station is the ambience – infinitely more preferable to make phone calls and sip service station coffee while standing next to a lake, in the looming shadow of a mountain, than around the back of Little Chef next to some bins. Would we be so comfortable covering so many miles without the safety net of this well-resolved charging network? Well, it’s hardly a long walk over hot coals; the EV6 GT, true to Biermann’s word, is as well balanced and unflappable for long periods at steady speeds as it is on the tighter, quicker sections. The overhaulperformance-flavoureddoesn’tbringwithit the uncompromising secondary ride and
1990 Removal of import and purchase tax for EVs 1996 No road tax for EVs (ended 2021) 1997 EVs exempt from road tolls 1999 Free parking in public places for EVs 2001 Axing of 25% VAT on EVs 2009 Free ferries for EVs 2017 Goal to phase out combustion car sales by 2025 2025 New cars, buses and LCVs to be zero-emission
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Ferry rides partly powered by diesel meant our journey wasn’t entirely zero-emission
NORWAY’S RECIPE FOR EV SUCCESS
Boredom certainly isn’t on the gripes list, either. Despite being one of the most direct routes between Norway’s capital and its third-mostpopulous city, the E6 is as quiet and pretty as anything you’d find in the Trossachs or Brecon Beacons, and progress is slow as we wend our way upwards along the deliciously smooth, sweeping R27 from Ringebu to Hjerkinn, stopping every five miles to gulp in lungfuls of sharp, unpolluted air, before picking up the E6 trunk road once again for the
The Norwegian government first started incentivising EV adoption 18 years before prime minister Gordon Brown announced plans for Britain’s ‘green car revolution’. The result? In 2020, Norway became the first country in the world where electric car sales outstripped those of combustion-engined cars, and in May this year the 500,000th EV hit Norwegian roads.
This is performance to stir even the most ardent defender of combustion technology ❞
So we timed it perfectly, really (or just got lucky). But a trip like this in an electric car would have been simply unthinkable even five years ago – in Norway or anywhere else – so the fact that we both achieved it and enjoyed it can surely only give reassurance and hope for anyone whose car is more than an A-to-B appliance.
An early-morning detour along the E39 coast road the next day proves fruitful, clouds rolling in thick and low from the Norwegian Sea as we head slightly nervously towards the more isolated islands of the Ålesund region, where bridges are few and far between and ferries are the preferred means of crossing fjords. This wouldn’t be a problem, but the temperature dipped in the night (we saw 1deg C up in the hills), so the battery is emptying fast and we’re on a time limit: we need to be on the boat to our hotel in Sylte at 4.30pm. Fortunately, a 250kW
Here’s where we finally have to do some actual calculations: it’s 276 miles to the airport, we have 230 miles showing on the dashboard, it’s six hours until we need to drop the car off and we need to leave it with around 100 miles left in it. We run the numbers and play it safe – 15 minutes at a 250kW charger around the halfway mark (running frustratingly at ‘just’ 120kW) gets us within spitting distance of the destination, and another gas-and-go at a rapid charger in the final few miles means we don’t have to greet the man who
charger in Einset gets us on the way quickly, and we can save some miles by powering down for the ferry rides –though we realise this means our EV road trip is being facilitated in part by diesel power… By 2030, though, 40% of Norway’s ‘short shipping’ will be carried out by low- or zero-emission boats, or on biofuel power.
KIA EV6 GT
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Sylte, a popular resort town mostly populated by fuel-burning motorhomes and family SUVs, has just one public charger – a lonely 50kW unit to the side of a pizza restaurant – but it gets our steed from 39% to 100% while we have dinner and it’s three and a half hours before we have to think about stopping again the next day on the sprint back to Oslo.
comes to collect the EV6 in the departures lane at Gardermoen with red faces. At no point do we stand around kicking pebbles with our hands in our pockets; these charge stops are barely longer than we need to empty and fill ourselves, and because the provision is so generous at the busiest sites, having to wait for a device to become free is very rare indeed.
Norway’s roads are great to drive on, offer stunning views and are often deserted
final push through to chic but quiet Trondheim, where the EV6’s brutalist angles and imposing paintwork click neatly with the Scandi-cool modernist architecture.
As the dust-caked Kia slips silently back into traffic and out of sight, it feels like we’ve proved something here. A couple of months later and lower temperatures – the enemy of battery efficiency – might have played havoc with our timings, and a couple of months earlier each town and charge station we visited would no doubt have been thronged by like-minded holiday-makers, meaning much more downtime while waiting for an unoccupied plug. Plus, busier roads would have made the drive a far less pleasant exploit.
Clamshell bonnet, new bumpers and special 21in alloys distinguish GT from regular EV6
KIA EV6 GT ROAD TRIP
L Engine Two electric motors Power 577bhp Torque 546lb ft 0-62mph 3.5sec Top speed 162mph Battery 77.4kWh (usable) Range 263 miles Economy 3.4mpkWh
While a cynic might argue that the two are therefore less alike than us and Pinky down on the local farm, you can’t dispute the marketing power of Porsche’s GT department.
T
Apex twin
The Cup car has integrated air jacks, which drop it to the asphalt with a satisfying ‘hiss’ when it’s time to go.
The front track of the Cup car is greater than the rear track to improve turn-in. Those massive flared arches give the Cup car an extra 332mm of front width over the road version.
Porsche’s 911 GT3 and Cup racer share a production line, but how much do they really have in common? Neil Winn heads to Donington Park to find out PHOTOGRAPHY JOHN BRADSHAW
behind. Speaking to us at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed, GT division boss Andreas Preuninger said: “We [GT and Motorsport] are essentially the same department, so we decided that if we developed the road car to have the strength and reliability to compete as a race car, it would be mutually beneficial.” Hence, the engine in the Cup car is the same one used in the road car, with only the air intake and exhaust being swapped out for dedicated race parts. Incredibly, Porsche recommends that the 503bhp flat six only needs a maintenance check after 100 hours of track time (long enough to squeeze in two full seasons), so you can stop worrying about the toll the odd track day does to your road car. And the same goes for the suspension: while the dampers and springs of the Cup car are bespoke racing items, the doublewishbone front suspension and rear axle essentially remain unchanged compared with the production car. Notable differences? Well, the race car benefits from a lightweight six-speed sequential racing gearbox in place of the standard seven-speed PDK.
And should you park both side by side, you immediatelywill
Our first job, then, is a static comparison of the two cars.
It’s important to understand that the road car was developed first, with the racer following close
hey say we share 99% of our DNA with the chimpanzee. But then we also apparently share 98% of our DNA with pigs and even 60% with bananas, so the lesson here is that we should be wary of headline stats.
Porsche says there is a 90% similarity between the 911 GT3 road car and its GT3 Cup racing sibling.
But what does that 90% figure actually mean? Well, that’s what we’re about to find out, thanks to the kind folks at Duckhams Yuasa Racing with Redline, who have given us the opportunity to compare its 992 GT3 Cup car directly with the road-legal GT3 on track at Donington Park. The team are previous Carrera Cup champions and currently sitting third in this year’s championship, courtesy of lead driver and Porsche Carrera Cup Junior Adam Smalley, so it’s safe to say that they know how to prepare a 911 for the track.
TROFEOHURACANLAMBORGHINISUPEREVO2
No traction control or ABS, but in the end no problem
notice that while the aero stays true to the road car (see the swan-neck rear wing, pugnacious nostrils and aero vanes behind the front wheels), all of these enhancements are a fraction larger than on the regular road car, as if someone upped the scale on a 3D printer.
PORSCHE 911 GT2 RS CLUBSPORT
The bonnet of the road car is made out of carbonfibre; the Cup car’s is made out of aluminium, which lowers repair costs in the case of an accident.
It is rumoured that with the 991 Cup car, the limit had been reached with how big a tyre you could fit due to the load being put on the MacPherson strut. No such problem with the 992.
A clear example of how tenuous the link between road and race can be. Not only does the RS3 WTCR ditch the standard RS3’s Quattro for front drive, but it also uses the S3’s fourcylinder EA888 motor over the regular car’s five-pot.
CATERHAM RACECARCHAMPIONSHIPSEVENUK
CARRERA CUP CAR DRIVE
A favourite with Pikes Peak regulars. Not built for any specific racing series, the Clubsport is essentially a GT2 RS road car with less weight and more downforce. It even uses the standard car’s seven-speed PDK gearbox.
since 2003, it has crowned 13 champions across 19 seasons, with six of those winners having earned professional drives. Le Mans winner Nick Tandy is arguably the greatest success story.
Similar in concept to the 488 Challenge Evo but taken to a greater extreme with wild aero and a nose that looks closer to the hybrid Sián FKP 37 than the roadgoing Huracán STO.
Peer through the race car’s polycarbonate side window and you’ll see a rather intimidating-looking cockpit. But once you’ve opened the lightweight CFRP door and climbed over the substantial side impact bars, you’re met with a spacious, driver-friendly environment. The steering column, for example, is fully adjustable and the racing seat has two height settings, allowing me to get my driving position close to where I was in the road car. It even has air-con – a lifesaver on a day when the mercury hit 35deg C.
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Porsche says there’s a 90% similarity between the 911 GT3 road car and its Cup racing sibling ❞
It’s a racer designed for the upper rung of Caterham’s fourtier single-make series, but the Seven Championship UK Racecar is almost identical to its road-going counterpart, the Caterham Seven 420 Cup.
CUSTOMER TRACK VERSIONS OF ROAD CARS
Uses the engine and gearbox from the road-going 488 with minor changes to the brakes, suspension and body. Traction control and ABS let gentleman racers get close to their limits without overstepping them. Or that’s the idea…
20 YEARS STRONG
AUDI RS3 WTCR
FERRARI CHALLENGE488EVO
The Porsche Carrera Cup GB, the ‘fastest single-marque GT championship in the UK’, is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Having supported the British Touring Car Championship
Before heading out on to ◊
Speaking of aero, you might have also spotted two additional air intakes, not seen on the road car, sitting aft of the rear doors. This is because the Cup car’s body is sourced from the Turbo and not the Carrera 4S, as it is in the street car. Again, the aim is to improve air flow.
∆ Donington Park’s fabled asphalt in the Cup car, I was given permission to sneak out on track in the ‘regular’ GT3 during the lunch break, the catch being that I was limited to just two laps. This was far from ideal, but I’ve been fortunate enough to spend some quality time with 911 GB over the past year, including a road trip to North Yorkshire a week before this test, so it didn’t take me long to getEverythingcomfortable.Iremembered from tackling the North York Moors was still there. The turn-in is every bit as crisp, the steering feedback (courtesy of the GT3’s new double-wishbone
Cup I was invited to drive was the property of Duckhams Yuasa Racing with Redline, a joint project between Chris Hodgen from Absolute Agency and Simon Leonard from Redline Racing. The idea behind the concept is to support young up-and-coming race drivers who have an abundance of talent but maybe not the funding to progress in motorsport. The concept certainly appears to be working, with lead driver and Porsche Carrera Cup Junior Adam Smalley currently in third place in the 2022 championship.
NEW STARS
front suspension) lets you know in detail exactly what’s happening at surface level and the chassis never feels anything but stable, even when mid-flight. But arguably the best part of the GT3 is that even when you’re not giving it ten-tenths, it is beautifully adjustable and super-dependable. It’s a trait that should be beneficial to the race car, should it translate.
14
I fully intended on heeding. And when to expect from my time spentFamiliar road car is benign and adjustable
Smalley is a series front-runner
52 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 14 SEPTEMBER 2022
into the racer. With no ABS and
I didn’t have to wait long to find out. It’s not often you get to jump straight from a road car into its racing sibling, but that’s exactly how it played out, with the pit-lane lights going green just as I was strapped into the racer. With no ABS and no traction control, the team mechanics advised me to wait four or five laps before pushing, just to make sure everything was up to temperature – advice that I fully intended on heeding. And then I turned into Redgate.
Road and race cars have centre-lock wheels, but the racer’s are colour co-ordinated: at a glance the mechanics know the red set are a lefthand thread and the blue set are a thread.right-handTheGT3
There is a clutch pedal for setting off (an extremely grabby clutch, we should add), but once rolling the sequential gearbox changes exclusively through the steering-wheelpaddles.
Instead of finding a car that was snappy and recalcitrant when cold – a trait I’ve come to expect from my time spent in single-seaters – the Cup felt not too dissimilar from its road
Despite all of their differences, not least the Cup car’s significantly higher limits, both share an innate chassis balance that allows even amateur drivers to keep upping their commitment levels without fear of punishment. And that, let’s face it, is the key to a rewarding car, regardless of whether it will live its life on the road or the track. L
2022 Porsche 911 GT3
The team were generous enough to give me two sessions in the Cup car. And I’m grateful they did, because it was in the final minutes of the second session, when the tyres had started to go off and the car began to move around, that I could really feel the race car’s connection to the road car.
The
ZR20 97Y (f), 315/30 ZR21 105Y (r), Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 294g/km,1557mm1588mm 37%
CARRERA CUP CAR DRIVE 14 SEPTEMBER 2022 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 53
6£200,000cylshorizontally opposed, 3996cc, petrol 503bhp at 8400rpm 347lb ft at 6150rpm
in ZuffenhausenStuttgart-astheGT3roadcar.Atrueturn-keyracer.
Where the Cup car really shines, though, is through corners that are high speed but not quite flat out. It shares this characteristic with the road car, the only
the
6-spd dog-type sequential 170mph+3.4sec1260kg (dependent on set-up) 300/65 ZR18 (f), 310/71 ZR18 (r), Michelin Pilot Sport Cup N3 na1902mm1920mm
difference being that the speeds you can carry into, through and out of every corner are much, much higher. This was particularly noticeable through the fast right-hander at the Old Hairpin and up through Starkey’s bridge, where the front end simply refused to break away, allowing the car to run right out to the red and white kerbing in a perfectly controlled manner. Perhaps I wasn’t going fast enough…
2022 Porsche Carrera Cup car
Within a couple of laps I even managed to catch and pass a pair of Ferrari Challenge 488 GT3 Evo cars, which were no faster than the Porsche down Donington’s back straight. This was somewhat unexpected given the turbocharged 488 road car would certainly out-pull a standard GT3, but I suppose when you consider that the Cup car benefits from a punchier dog-’box sequential and weighs around 150kg less than its road-going counterpart, it’s no surprise that it’s an absolute rocket ship in a straight line.
CORearFrontTyresTop0-62mphKerbGearboxTorque Power Engine Price weight speed axlewidth axlewidth 2,taxband
6£135,700cylshorizontally opposed, 3996cc, petrol 503bhp at 8400rpm 347lb ft at 6100rpm 7-spd dual-clutch automatic 255/35198mph3.4sec1435kg
Cockpit is comfortable once you’re in; bonnet is aluminium, not carbonfibre
car counterpart. Thanks to the six-cylinder engine’s familiar and reassuringly linear torque delivery I was able to get on the power far earlier than expected even on frigid tyres, and its solid front end allowed me to run deeper and deeper into the braking zones, despite not having the safety net of ABS.
Not only is the sequential racing gearbox around 45kg lighter than Porsche’s PDK but it also fires the gears through in a more ferocious manner. Cup car rolls off same production line
Even if you leave the air conditioning off, the central air duct on the bonnet of the Cup car provides air to the cabin.
for each other and for the job,” says Brewer. “I’ve been fortunate to have worked with some great people in the past. Edd China was amazing at what he did, and just how close we were came across on camera over 13 years. When Edd departed, I had already worked with and had a friend in Ant Anstead. With Elvis, we first did Wheeler Dealers: Dream Car, trading up to the car a viewer always wanted. When not working, we’re on the phone talking about cars, restoring and fixing them, as we have a genuine passion for keeping them on the
At the last count, Wheeler Dealers had 100 million viewers in Europe and 200 million worldwide and could be seen in 211 of a possible 217 territories. That’s telespeak for
W
doing rather well. The face of the programme is cuddly car dealer Mike Brewer, alongside his heart-throb ex-Formula 1 mechanic Marc ‘Elvis’ Priestley. They’re currently working with some of their core audience: a dozen-plus car enthusiasts who happen to own a Europa.
A little less conversation…
That leads to the interesting side issue concerning the blokes with the spanners who make the show work.
“You can’t fake this; there has to be a genuine respect in this relationship
road.”
Brewer has the answer: “It’s an honest car show with a very simple formula. We showed viewers how to buy a car, fix it up and sell it. Other shows go for drama and excitement around the restoration and we don’t, focusing purely on the car itself. As we always say, no matter who my co-host is, the car’s the star.”
ho knows what the collective noun is for more than one Lotus Europa (a Euphoria, maybe), but it’s relevant today, as I’m surrounded by numerous versions of the little Lotus, all on hand for the filming of the next series of Wheeler Dealers, the evergreen television show that has proved a massive hit on Discovery.
enthusiasts, but what’s the secret of their wider success?
54 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 14 SEPTEMBER 2022
Wheeler Dealers hosts Mike Brewer and ‘Elvis’ Priestley and the mechanic
Ahead of a new series, James Ruppert goes behind the scenes with the presenters of Britain’s long-running smash-hit car television show. (No, not that one…) Mike
At the world-renowned Shelsley Walsh Hill Climb, Priestley prepares to gun the S2 Europa he has restored up the course while Brewer regales the assembled crowd with stories and Elvis-targeted jibes. It’s easy to see how these on-screen automotive charmers inform and entertain
Fiat 600 (series 17b)
Mini 850 (series 17a)
the new
Brewer and Priestley know this much and more, and that’s the key: an integrity of knowledge that remains at the core of Wheeler Dealers. L
So why no more American shows?
Priestley nominates the Fiat 600 in the new series. He says: “Because it was only a tiny car, we had the scope to go back to bare metal and really build it up from scratch. You don’t always have the budget or time. This is one of the most detailed cars I’ve ever done.”
“I don’t want to go on social media again and see comments from Australia that I haven’t done a Holden Commodore or a ute,” he says. “This show is established enough to go around the planet, so that’s what I want the future of Wheeler Dealers to be. I just have to convince my bosses, but I relish the chance to do that, and I know that Elvis would too.”
(17b) on Discovery. It’s also available
Suzuki SJ410 (series 1)
How do they choose the cars?
Brewer has no doubts: “If I could break into the Discovery library and delete one show, it would be the Suzuki from series 1. We were inventing the show and really mucked it up. It failed the MOT, then we sold it to a farmer and his son to destroy in a field.”
RUDLANDJAMES/UKCHANNELDISCOVERY
Ford Transit (series 17b)
“It’s a difficult process, and over the years I’ve built up lists of cars I want to get to,” says Brewer. “The list ebbs and flows: some drop off, some pop on, and these days I listen very carefully to our audience. What’s most important is that each car has a story to tell. The car has to celebrate an anniversary, be the first of its kind, one that changed the idea of what motoring is or fashion sense. Predominantly, it’s me who chooses the cars.”
of Wheeler
Brewer has clear views about today’s Europas, adding: “[Lotus] founder Colin Chapman said ‘add lightness’. We’re just about to lose that with Lotus… It has moved into electrification with a 2.5-tonne car and an SUV: everything you don’t expect from Lotus. So as a last hurrah, we thought we would celebrate what made Lotus great: lightweight pocket-rocket sports cars that are challenging, difficult, hot and oily.”
The Wideboys.bytuneDealersWheelerthemewascomposedelectronicmusicduoTheirbiggesthit,Sambuca,reached15inthechartsin2001.
stream on Discovery+.
“This is from the next series: a LHD, twin-wheel, ex-German fire brigade with 10,000 miles,” says Brewer. “Ninety-five per cent of British bank robberies involved one…” He shows the film as they crash it through cardboard boxes with a Lotus Cortina cop car in pursuit.
I can watch series Dealers to
Indeed, chips in Priestley: “Who knows where it will go next? Hopefully I can inject something new into it, but Mike keeps us true to the original format.”
meansaudience.”tohim:Brewer
WHEELER DEALERS
Restored Lotus S2 Europa starred at Shelsley Walsh
social media again and see comments from Australia
You
BEST AND CONVERSIONSWORST
At the end of a long day, it starts to rain. The Europa owners don’t mind, because their cars are plastic and, as someone points out, the only way to do anything meaningful to the Renault engine is to take it out.
ON SET 14 SEPTEMBER 2022 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 55
It’s clear how much it means to him: Brewer is animated and happy as he chats to us about their plans for the future.
For Priestley, “the challenge running through that show was just how fast we can make it go”. He continues: “With a basic standard engine, I utilised all my skills from my past in motorsport with all the tips and tricks. I got to take it to a runway and get it to over 90mph.”
“The number-one reason is that my mum is very poorly and I needed to be back in the UK near my family,” Brewer says. “Discovery has given me full support for over 20 years. “In the future, I would love the opportunity to work in the US again. In fact, the next iteration will be Wheeler Dealers Down Under, Far East, South America, Germany, Spain etc. This is a global show with a global audience.”
The new line-up will comprise five mainstream models, ranging from an unusual replacement for the Giulia saloon to a flagship SUV and a small SUV to sit beneath the new Tonale. And amid this mainstream, volume and revenue-generating plan are ambitions for several specialty models intended to restore Alfa’s reputation for glamorous cars.
56 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 14 SEPTEMBER 2022
BETTER BY DESIGN A
ILLUSTRATION BEN SUMMERELL-YOUDE 1 2 3
lfa Romeo’s fresh range of cars, to be launched at one-year intervals from 2023, are intended to trigger “a visceral wow effect”, says design director Alejandro MesoneroRomanos. They will be “bold, assertive and sculptural” and some “will be pretty shocking”.
The first of these specialties will appear as soon as 2023, when a highend sports car concept that Alfa boss Jean-Philippe Imparato describes as “exciting, selective and expensive” appears. This is strongly rumoured to draw inspiration from the Tipo 33 cars of the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Elegant beauty is a crucial aspect of Alfa Romeo’s revival plan. Richard Bremner meets its design director
the original 33 Stradale, and the MC20 basis allows for a repeat. 4 UNIQUE PANELS The 33 will be designed around MC20 hard points and should point to Alfa’s future look. 5 NOT
Sibling brand Maserati’s new MC20, a mid-engine sports car, is a potentially excellent basis for the new 33. It is the right size, and has a carbonfibre core, scissor doors and a chassis developed to very high standards. Alfa’s job would be to reskin it, and perhaps replace Maserati’s Nettuno V6 with its own V6, used by the Quadrifoglio
At
It’s a long way off, but Imparato is keen to reintroduce a permanent sports car to Alfa showrooms and talks of a Duetto, this the popular name for the Spider that lived from 1966 to 1994. An electric two-seater, it’s unlikely to appear before 2027,
His boss, Alejandro MesoneroRomanos, says that this work is about “horizontality and reducing sections”, so reducing the bulk of the main dashboard structure, as well as “floating elements”. “Lightness is an
Interiors are also getting a rethink, under the guidance of Alex Pérez.
As with all the new core models under development, the sports cars will benefit from Alfa’s reinvigorated design ambitions. The refresh is being driven by Imparato in league with Mesonero-Romanos, who describes his boss as suggest“awhich(andthathard”hisMesonero-Romanos“hyperactive”.saysthatdesignteamis“workingreallyoncreatingcarssoarrestingtheyprovokeaninvoluntaryhopefullypositive)reaction,hesays“isdifficulttodo”.Theteam’saimistoachieveboldstanceandproportionsthatsportiness,togetherwith
Could
The switch would reserve the highly praised Nettuno for Maserati while providing one last hurrah for the equally admired 690T. It would mean at least 533bhp, albeit a lower output than the Maserati’s 621bhp.
ingredient of modernity,” he says. “Heaviness is the past.”
1 CARBONFIBRE TUB its core, the is thought to use Maserati MC20 hardware. MID-MOUNTED V6 be Alfa’s twin-turbo unit or a detuned version of Maserati’s new Nettuno.
These featured
33
variants of the Giulia and Stelvio.
Current Alfa cabins are made very well, if not class-leading
New Alfa sports car(main pic) is expectedto draw on 33 Stradale
At the recent Le Mans Classic, Stellantis boss Carlos Tavares drove a 33/2 Daytona race car –the basis for the road-going 33 Stradale, considered by many the most beautiful Alfa ever, a mere 18 examples of which were produced.
Production is likely to be limited, unlike with the MC20. It should undercut its £187,000 sibling. 4 5
LIGHTER AND BOLDER INTERIORS
Bold new materials and colours are also on the agenda, both for interiors and exteriors, as Alfa’s colour and trim department is keen to innovate and underline the brand’s premium design credentials.
3 SCISSOR DOORS on TOO MUCH
Giulia’s somesuccessorcrossovermightbekindofwagon
The concept is believed to be a warm-up to the real thing, which should appear by 2025 at the very latest, because it’s expected to be purely petrol-powered, and this date is when all Alfas will come with only electrified powertrains.
It wouldn’t be the first time that Alfa had used Maserati hardware to produce a high-end limited edition: the 8C Competizione of 2007 was heavily based on the Granturismo.
assuming it’s signed off, as Imparato prioritises the stabilisation of the firm with new mainstream cars.
◊
2
FUTURE ALFA ROMEO DESIGN INSIGHT 14 SEPTEMBER 2022 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 57
Zagato’s Coda Troncahas inspired new Alfas
“It was 10, now it’s 20-something,” he says. “We need to grow up. It’s the smallest team I’ve ever had, but I’m very happy with how it’s going.”
This attention to aerodynamic form isn’t merely about achieving a distinctive look but about maximising driving range, as from 2027 all new Alfas will be EVs.
“On electric cars, we’re 200% in,” says MesoneroRomanos. “We aren’t going to make our cars look electric. Everyone will be electric, so there’s no need to say ‘I’m electric, I’m weird’. The only thing that changes is the power source.
Now launching in the UK, this crossover’s design is a neat evolution of the Giulia and Stelvio look. The last new model to be introduced on a Fiat Chrysler platform.
Imparato has promised a major model action annually from 2022. In 2023, there will be major facelifts for the Giulia saloon and Stelvio SUV. Don’t expect hybrid powertrains, but bolder looks are likely.
A preview of the high-end limited-edition sports car, described as “very exciting, very selective, very expensive” by Alfa boss Imparato.
❝
2022 Tonale
2025 33 Stradale
At the same time, the Spaniard has been “simultaneously developing a new strategy together with the new cars that sit within it”.
Alejandro Mesonero-Romanos’s daring attitude has resulted in Alfa’s design personnel more than doubling.
early 1960s; and it’s now set to appear on at least some of Alfa’s new-generation models.
A limited-edition, mid-engine sports car celebration of Alfa’s shining history with internal combustion engines and potentially a swansong for the magnificent 2.9-litre V6 of the Giulia and Stelvio Quadrifoglio models.
RomanosMesonero-was at Seat, Renault
Giulia and Stelvio
∆ an assertive front end, but not one that’s too aggressive”, MesoneroRomanos being critical of brands whose models present particularly thrusting front ends. “It’s also about a certain attitude and spirit,” he says.
2023
Likely to offer at least the 540bhp of the Giulia GTA.
58 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 14 SEPTEMBER 2022
CHANGES TO THE DESIGN DEPARTMENT
There’s a lack of daring attitude with the current cars ❞
“Alfa’s design processes have also been aligned with those of the rest of the brands within the [Stellantis] group,” he says. “It’s not a big change; the big change is building a new design team with the old and the new.
below the floor, where it needs to be for a low centre of gravity. So we have a long wheelbase and short overhangs, otherwise the car will be huge. We will put betweeneverythingthewheels.
2024 Brennero
“There’s a new breeze blowing through [Alfa], because there’s a new president, a new role for the brand in the group [now that it’s teamed up with DS and Lancia] and new product planning. We remain faithful to the values of the brand, but we have to take it forward.”
They’repenknifeexplains:market’srangewithinareathecarryheMesonero-Romanos,continuesalthoughintendsforAlfa’sSUVstolessheightthanexpected,aimbeingtoreducefrontalanddrag.theAlfashowroomisinevitablegiventheappetiteforthem,he“SUVsarelikeaSwiss–theydoeverything.goingtostay.Theonlyissues
TIMELINE
2023
To aid their quest, his team has drawn inspiration from the treasures in Alfa’s museum, in particular the 1961 Giulia Zagato SZ Coda Tronca. This has an abruptly cut, vertical tail that dramatically reduces drag. Called a Kamm tail after the professor who discovered its turbulence-quelling effect, it was later deployed on the 1962 Giulia saloon and the Series 2 Spider, as well as the Zagato TZ race cars of the
A compact crossover to sit below the Tonale, this will be Alfa’s new entry-level model featuring hybrid and electric drivetrains. It’s the first of the new-look Alfas, the brand’s first EV and a car intended to lot.bysalesboosta
The cars will be taller because of the batteries,” variationsbyneedareThey’repenknifeexplains:market’srangewithinareathecarryheMesonero-Romanos,continuesalthoughintendsforAlfa’sSUVstolessheightthanexpected,aimbeingtoreducefrontalanddrag.TheproliferationofSUVstheAlfashowroomisinevitablegiventheappetiteforthem,he“SUVsarelikeaSwiss–theydoeverything.goingtostay.Theonlyissuesweightandfrontalarea.SUVstogodowninheight.”Thatheightwillalsobedisguisedbiggerwheels.Thosewillallbeontheso-calledtelephone-
Stradale concept
“The technology changes because of the battery pack
“They will be fun to drive and agile,” says MesoneroRomanos of these electrified Alfas, “and will still convey emotions. It’s not a problem to achieve. Don’t be obsessed with the fact that it’s an electric car.”
To that end, he intends for Alfas to look athletic and light on their feet, with less of an emphasis on the fat, bodykit sills to which many makers resort to give a car presence.
2026
He also describes the new cars as
Giulia
they also need to be “daring as a complement to the visceral”, because “there’s a lack of daring attitude with the current cars”. Aside from abruptly cut tails and low-slung SUVs, Alfa is also planning an unusual replacement for the Giulia saloon, at the behest of Imparato. Alfa had seriously considered an estate version of the current Giulia but decided against it, because potential sales were too small. Imparato has mentioned the possibility of a car that’s a mix of saloon and estate, although the shooting brake or sportswagon style has enjoyed limited success in recent years.
Original Giulia’s Kamm tail will come back into fashion
Duetto
Imparato has tasked his designers with producing something different, and that combines the appeal of a saloon and an estate. It could be a fresh take on the shooting brake.
The Stelvio’s replacement will be fairly conventional but electrified, lower-slung, more athletic-looking and less aggressive than most competing SUVs.
Alfa is also investigating the carryover of several major suspension and steering components from the much-praised Giulia and Stelvio SUV, combining them with a Stellantis EV baseplate. This would prolong the life of at least part of the Giorgio platform of these two cars, which has proven a hugely expensive investment of marginal returns. Besides working an asset, the aim is to retain the exceptional dynamic qualities of the Giulia and Stelvio, which are to be substantially facelifted in 2023 before being replaced in the middle of the decade. These two, then the mooted 33 Stradale limited edition, will be the last purely petrol-powered Alfas. L
FUTURE ALFA ROMEO DESIGN
Stelvio was well received but sales could have been better
“sensual”. He continues: “You want to touch it, to confirm with your hands what you’re looking at. Alfas will be bold, assertive and sculptural. We’re about shape, a bit Sophia Loren.”
dial alloys that have long been an Alfa speciality, this wheel design one of the few that’s indelibly associated with a specific marque.
This is a model that Imparato is keen to see, but not before several mainstream models are on sale and commercially successful.
It’s a similar story for its Giorgio-platformsibling,theGiuliaBrennerowillbefirstEV,slottingbeneathTonale Reborn Spider is a “dream car” for Alfa boss Imparato
2027
This model is easier to offer, because some hardware will be shared with Maserati. A highperformance Porsche Cayenne and Range Rover Sport rival, this EV may be developed in the US, a major potential market, along with China.
2027
2028 GTV A advancedartificialaandplatformonwithdoorthisrevivingnice-to-have-additionafamousname,willbeapowerfulfive-coupé,almostcertainlyaKammtail,ridinganall-newStellantisofferinghybridelectricdrivetrains,5Gdataconnection,intelligenceanddrivingsystems. an
INSIGHT 14 SEPTEMBER 2022 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 59
2025 Stelvio
Flagship SUV
Besides new Alfas being shapely, Mesonero-Romanos emphasises that
Having driven modern sports cars with big turbocharged engines that were fast but felt synthetic both from a tactile and auditory perspective, I had great hopes for the new Griffith.
I shop in the Bangernomics price bracket, so value for money, space and a simple specification would be at the top of my priorities if I were to
Martin Hilder Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire
YOUR WRITEVIEWSTO
Andy is still besotted by Dino 246’s V6
What a killjoy
I hope that TVR produces a Griffith that’s resolved and properly reliable. If the car doesn’t make it, another link to an era when sports cars were sports cars will be lost.
Peter Jenks Salisbury, Wiltshire
EVs losing big advantage
I’ve ended my 14-month, 10,000-mile experience of a Tesla Model 3 and returned to an ICE car. Why? This EV is a soulless appliance. It sucks all the fun out of driving, compensating with the promise of cheap motoring. It destroys spontaneity and makes the idea of travelling far from urban centres and motorways stressful.
I read with interest Luc Lacey’s first article on running the new Dacia Jogger (Our Cars, 17 August), and I have some ideas on the ideal specification of a car such as this.
The sound of the Dino’s V6 engine was magnificent, and I was therefore surprised to read Richard Lane claim in his 296 GTB review (3 August) that Ferrari had never previously used a V6 in a road car. I concede that the V6 Dino never wore the Ferrari badge, but everyone, Autocar included, always referred to it as a Ferrari.
Looking at the Volkswagen ID 3, which does around 3.4 miles per kWh, this would make costs rise from 8.2p per mile now to 15.3p, 23.2p and then 28.5p.
buy a new car. The Jogger appeals for my lifestyle, because I have similar needs as Lacey regarding space and a vehicle being fit for purpose. I’m running a 59-plate Citroën Grand C4 Picasso diesel at the moment.
Unfortunately, I never did get to drive a Dino, but I’m delighted to hear that it now has an equally sonorous spiritual successor in the 296 GTB.
Pasquale Mansi Via email
One further issue that will develop over time is what the government will do about reducing tax take as ICE cars are replaced by EVs. Fuel duty and VAT are predicted to raise £44 billion in 2022/23. The same mileage by EVs all charged at home would generate just £6bn, or publicly charged £24bn. Either way, this results in a huge reduction, which ministers will have to recover elsewhere somehow, perhaps via some sort of tracking…
WIN Letter of the week wins this ValetPRO exterior protection and maintenance kit worth £48
So soon my Jaguar will be cheaper to run than an ID 3 when previously EVs gave substantial daily savings, eliminating one of the key reasons to change. Perhaps I will hang on to the Jaguar for quite a while longer!
As for the looks, I think one needs to actually stand by the car before making a final judgement.
Simplicity is key to the Jogger’s appeal
autocar@haymarket.com
Andy Richardson Via email
Going for a jog
60 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 14 SEPTEMBER 2022
LETTER OF THE WEEK
As a comparison, I get around 40mpg from my car (a Jaguar XF Sportbrake 3.0 diesel). At the current average diesel cost (£1.83 per litre), this equates to 20.8p per mile. In stark contrast, fuel duty and VAT are 89.3p per litre, representing a 10.2p-per-mile take to the government.
Hope for the Griffith
I know that at some point in the next 10 years or so, I will need to change to an EV, but October’s rise in the energy price cap and the predicted further rises in January and April give me pause for thought as to how costly it could be to fuel an EV. Home charging could be 28p per kWh now, then 52p from October, 79p from January and 97p from April.
Spirit of the Dino
This with VAT at just 5% (or 1.4p per mile from April), so giving the government a very limited tax take – although public chargers incur VAT of 20%.
Gordon Murray’s design genius manages to capture the original cars’ practicalities of luggage space, relative ease of ingress and egress and straightforward drivetrain with a body that looks like it has pretty effective aero, enough ground clearance and a width that doesn’t make a London bus look slim-hipped. All in all, it’s a car that could be a daily driver if it’s also reliable.
My guess is that the new Griffith will have that American muscle car feeling about it that gave the original Griffith and Tuscan an attitude that was akin to a Shelby Cobra with a roof. If you’ve ever driven one, I think you will know that the Ford V8 gave the car a special dynamic that was more than just loads of horsepower.
Many readers will recall a 1970s TV series called The Persuaders. Roger Moore and Tony Curtis starred, but we petrolheads tuned in to hopefully catch a glimpse of the supporting Aston Martin DBS and Ferrari Dino.
The car makers and media seem to believe everyone is gagging for an EV. Wrong. I shan’t return to one unless and until I’m forced to do so by law.
Robert Bell Via email
The two letters in the 24 August edition concerning TVR were very interesting. I would like to add that it would be such a shame if TVR didn’t make it with the Griffith, because it has much going for it when looking at the individual elements that combine within its design to make it exciting and usable in a way that’s generally missing in the new car market today.
Oh, and for me, it would have to have the 1.5-litre diesel engine from the Dacia Duster.
fit a heated windscreen, which is very necessary in the winter. This would give owners what they really need day to day, and it should make Comfort trim cheaper. Who needs automatic wipers?
I think the ideal Jogger should be as Comfort trim, with a large push-button stereo and no automatic wipers, automatic lights, reversing camera or cruise control. Then
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COMPARISONONSALE
Bangers still popular.
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With modern computer power and adjustable air suspension, why no manufacturer offers the ability to personally set the ideal height for entering and exiting an SUV is frustrating and beyond me. Not only would it be simple to engineer but it would also give a distinct marketing advantage. Parents of young kids, old people, short people, tall people and people with mobility issues would not just welcome this feature but probably choose one brand over another for it.
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With a disabled family member, I’m always on the lookout for the vehicle that best fits our needs. Ease of entry and exit is our top priority, followed by utility, performance and design. Our current vehicle fits all of our criteria but is no longer sold new. It’s a BMW 6 Series Gran Turismo, which is higher than a sedan but lower than an SUV. Its size and large hatch are real bonuses.
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GREAT REASONS TO BUY
Why is DAB radio still so rubbish in cars? I drive an early F30 BMW 3 Series with the iDrive Professional system. I tend to listen to commercial radio, and the number of times that the signal drops out in and around Harrogate is beyond a joke and hasn’t improved in the eight years I’ve had the car. I test drove a G20 3 Series a few weeks ago and was surprised to hear no tangible improvement. I had assumed that the intervening years of development in transmission and reception would have yielded some. Is anyone hassling anyone about this?
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SUVs could meet our requirements but for ease of entry and exit. I’ve looked at numerous SUVs, and they either have a very limited vertical range of adjustment or none at all.
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®
“Components are erected separately and fitted to the chassis as it proceeds slowly on a conveyor.
“[Alfa Romeo’s Giuseppe] Campari, the Italian favourite, was first off the line; [Duesenberg’s] Tom Milton stalled and went away very leisurely at the end of the procession.” Soon the other Duesenberg of Peter Kreis had captured the lead, the Alfas bunched up behind him, but in a flash his gearbox failed terminally.
“There are special ovens for the
Slough went on to build the Traction Avant, 2CV, Bijou and DS before being closed in 1965.
By 1923, we were big business for the French firm, with almost 25,000 of its cars on our roads.
THE FIRST CITROEN rolled out of the Paris factory in March 1919, and in that first year of production some 750 Type As went to Britain.
14 SEPTEMBER 2022 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 63
MOTORSPORT
The initial British Citroën range was a three-seat tourer (£6155 in today’s money), a four-seat tourer (£8065) and a saloon (£9550).
ON THIS DAY IN 1925
Italy beats America to inaugural grand prix world title
Portable wireless for cars
It chose Slough, Berkshire, and opened the plant in February 1926 with 500,000sq ft of space and “the most modern machinery in the world”, employing some 5000.
“Words fail to describe the wild excitement of the crowds as he won the Italian Grand Prix and the [inaugural] world championship.”
Citroën to build cars in Britain
Kégresse fleet cross Africa
KRIS CULMER
He held on for the final 10, taking the flag after five hours, 14 minutes, ahead of Campari and the 1.5-litreclass Bugatti of Meo Costantini.
From 1915, the UK government had imposed the McKenna Duties, a one-third tax on foreign luxuries,
Formula 1 last weekend visited Monza, which is one of the most historic circuits on the roster, having been opened and hosted its first Italian Grand Prix in 1921. In 1925, we watched trackside as the old world defended against the new world.
plant has been installed for dealing with the plate glass for windows.”
Citroën was also making news on the other side of the world as one of its Adolphe Kégresse-designed halftrack cars reached Cape Town, nine months and some 11,000 circuitous miles after leaving north Africa. Its fleet of siblings got to Tanzania, Kenya and Mozambique before being shipped to Madagascar. Kégresse vehicles – which use rubber or canvas belts, rather than interlocking metal bits like on a tank – became popular in Russia, rural Europe and even the British countryside. They also played major roles in the Second World War.
painting system, and a compressed air plant has been installed to run the drills and mechanical spanners used in the assembly,” we reported.
Radio – or rather wireless, as it used to be known – was quite a technical hobby in the early days, especially if you wanted your set to be portable. For reasons of cost, most motorists would build their own in-car radio –although they had to stop driving to listen to a symphony from the BBC. Radio sets were bulky items, and even more so if you wanted a loudspeaker (pictured) rather than headphones. “The proper container is not a wooden cabinet but a cheap suitcase,” we said. A home-made receiver would have cost you about £28, which is £1900 in our money.
“There’s a very elaborate system for nickel-plating various parts, and it’s interesting to note that a
The red cars of Gastone Brilli Peri and Pete De Paolo pitted on lap 33, giving Milton the lead, with Campari suffering engine trouble as he rejoined the race.
to pay for the Great War. They were ended in 1924 but reimposed a year later, so Citroën quickly decided it had better start making cars here.
The white-and-blue Duesenberg then followed suit with a broken oil pipe, and although Milton recovered well from this 20-minute setback, he was only back up to fifth by lap 70, while Brilli Peri led De Paolo by seven minutes.
UK contributed to the 100 Type As Citroën made per day
The first hint of that potential being realised emanated from the interior. I really liked how it was laid out, with its clear analogue/digital instrument dials; small, tabletstyle touchscreen perched atop the dashboard; and physical dials and buttons for the air conditioning. Also clever little touches such as the dash-dimming button behind the steering wheel, or the alternative setting for the driver’s air vent that directed air around my head, not straight into my face. And range-topping Advance Style trim
HR-V went about its business in a smooth,comfortable manner
i X VOLKSWAGEN ID 4 GTXFORD
ometimes the unlikeliest of friendships can be forged, between people from totally different walks of life who find they share a special something in common, or even between people who initially saw each other in a negative light.
BMW MUSTANG MACH-E ROVER DISCOVERYHONDA HR-V JAGUAR E-PACE
It might come as a surprise to you (or not) that I instinctively have a strong disdain for crossovers and SUVs and that I’m by no means a committed fan of electrified cars. When the Honda HR-V’s keys fell into my hands a few months ago, then, I
HONDA HR-V
LAND
through its cream-coloured leather, which made such a pleasant contrast to the typical sea of grey plastic.
It wasn’t the easiest start to our friendship. My vivid first impression was of how noisy the petrol engine became under acceleration, due to the e-CVT, followed shortly thereafter by how intrusive the active safety systems were. Mostly here I’m talking about the car fighting my steering inputs when it detected –rightly or, more worryingly, wrongly – that I was too close to a white line. Sometimes it would even try to stop me from changing lanes despite the fact that I was indicating. But, hey, I
Then, as summer got into its stride, I came to appreciate the crossover bodystyle. First as I brought my mountain bike out of shed hibernation and discovered that I only had to remove one of its 29in wheels for it to slide right into the rear boot (with the car’s rear seats flipped down, of course, although this was a very easy process). And second as I took three other adults to a far-away football match and heard only a chorus of positivity from that bench. As well as the comfortable
felt nothing more than commitment to my journalistic duty. Hybrid crossovers are in heavy demand, unlike the kind of models that sparked my passion for cars long ago. Would you believe, then, that now the HR-V’s gone, I genuinely miss it?
OUR CARS
FEATURED THIS WEEK Half a year, three seasons, 10 countries and some 12,000 miles together have forged an unexpected firm friendship FINAL REPORT MILEAGE 16,006 WHY WE RAN IT To see if a hybrid-only mini-SUV can be an efficient long-distance commuter car S 64 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 14 SEPTEMBER 2022
broke her nose at a concert, so maybe there was still potential…
SECOND OPINION
seats and plentiful room, they enjoyed another benefit of the fancy trim: a seven-speaker sound system with a subwoofer. This really was very good for all kinds of musical genres.
There was loads of space in the boot. Mountain bikes? No worries. And plenty for passengers, too.
INTERIOR
I was also starting to enjoy the way the HR-V drove. These days I’m trying my best not to be highly strung about things in life, and this smooth, comfortable and sensibly paced car did its best to further the cause. (I would have said refined, too, because it is around town, when it’s driving mostly electrically, but the petrol engine starts screeching nastily under acceleration at higher speeds.)
The driving position also was one of the most comfortable that I’ve
403002010)(£1000salueV 2 years 4 years3 years1 yearNew£32,210 £15,625 14 SEPTEMBER 2022 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 65
Its relaxed demeanour meant the HR-V often made drives less stressy than they might have been.
Here’s one crossover hater humbled, if not converted. If it’s good enough for Super Max, I’m sure it’s good enough for me.
Everything was laid out sensibly, it looked great and no important control was on the touchscreen.
KRIS CULMER
Even screaming along at 103mph didn’t make the HR-V a guzzler; hugely helpful in the energy crisis.
experienced in a long time. Never was there endless fiddling or an aching lower back in here.
For a bit of fun after our two days
If you like the sound of a relaxed, very well rounded and economical car (it stubbornly stuck to 47mpg), and aren’t fussed about overtly engaging performance and handling, I would suggest that you test drive an HR-V.
Its talents were confirmed by drives in two rivals: the Toyota C-HR and the Nissan Juke Hybrid. It was a close-run thing in each instance, because both of those are accomplished hybrid crossovers in their own right, but each time I preferred the more mature attitude of the Honda, both in its material choices and its lack of sporting pretensions.
ECONOMY
PRACTICALITY
OWN ONE? SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE kris.culmer@haymarket.com Don’t try this at home: 100mph felt fine on a derestricted autobahn Fold the rear seats and a pair of bikesfitted inside easily Culmer whitegrille-enhancingthoughtsuiteditwell ❝ One day I drove for 11 hours, and then happily hopped back in the next morning ❞ HONDA HR-V E:HEV ADVANCE STYLE MILEAGE At start 4050 At end 16,006 PRICES List price new £32,210 List price now £34,850 Price as tested £32,760 OPTIONS Meteoroid Grey paint £550 FUEL CONSUMPTION AND RANGE Claimed economy 52.3mpg Fuel tank 40 litres Test average 47.2mpg Test best 53.0mpg Test worst 42.5mpg Real-world range 415 miles TECH HIGHLIGHTS 0-62mph 10.7sec Top speed 106mph Engine 4 cyls, 1498cc, petrol, plus electric motor Max power 129bhp at 6000rpm Max torque 97lb ft at 4500rpm Gearbox e-CVT Boot 304-1274 litres Wheels 18in, alloy Tyres 225/50 MichelinR18,Primacy 4 Kerb weight 1380kg SERVICE AND RUNNING COSTS Contract hire rate na CO 2 122g/km Service costs None Other costs None Fuel costs £1920 Running costs inc fuel £1920 Cost per mile 16 pence Faults None PREVIOUSDEPRECIATIONREPORTS 2 Mar, 23 Mar, 30 Mar, 13 Apr, 4 May, 18 May, 8 Jun, 6 Jul, 20 Jul, 3 Aug, 17 Aug, 24 Aug, 31 Aug TEST DATA
RELAXATION
ENGINE NOISE
of mountain biking, we even made a little advert for the HR-V, filming it driving up spectacular cliffside switchback roads from a drone. We would try flogging it to Honda, but they’ve made one of Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen doing some light off-roading (come on, guys), which is probably cooler.
LOATHE IT
LOVE IT
What really sealed our unlikely friendship, though, was a mega road trip with my best mate, from home in Brighton all the way down to the Dolomite mountains in Italy, traversing 10 countries and 1900 miles. At no point did the HR-V ever feel anything other than suited to the job, even when the German autobahn lost its speed limit, and I never felt bored, save for the final few hours back to the tunnel. It says so much that on one day I drove for 11 hours, with an interlude of only a couple of hours for lunch, and then happily hopped back in the next morning.
CVTs are not acceptable. This is a hill that I will die on. Honda’s e-CVT is little better.
Having run the HR-V for its first month here, I broadly concur with Kris. To me, the styling inside and out was modern but nicely understated. It had the feel of a well-styled affordable car, although not a price to reflect that. Overall, it was unpretentious and capably did what it needed to do. LL
Talking seats, there’s good space in the second row, especially since the vertical seating position ahead means front passengers don’t have to use much fore-and-aft movement. Second-row room is okay, too, though a mite claustrophobic for those of smaller stature, especially if the car has a black interior like ours. The third row is tolerable for two average adults, but not for too long.
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M
The problem is its body width. It’s hard to park at the supermarket and won’t slip easily down a country road or a tight suburban street.
OWN ONE? SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE steve.cropley@haymarket.com
In few other cars will nearly 10,000 driven miles be so effortlessly amassed
admittedly at a current cost of £150plus. There’s enduring satisfaction in knowing I can cruise a long way without stopping, especially in a vehicle so obviously built for long distances. The comfort matches the long legs: the fabric-covered front seats are supportive over many miles, with the front-seat side bolsters especially effective at locating occupants against the side forces that sometimes go with fast progress in such a high-riding SUV.
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Mild-hybrid diesel straight six helps deliver smooth progress
Even so, I see from lots of time spent following other people’s full-sized Land Rovers that the six-cylinder has become a popular choice – and I’m rapidly learning why. It idles smoothly and quietly. It pulls strongly from low revs (assisted no doubt by the MHEV’s integrated starter-generator). It is very smooth when operating in its maximum
The ride quality is often on my mind. There are times when I reckon the primary ride (the overall body
D300 HSE R-DYNAMIC Price new £67,290 Price as tested £75,120
To discover whether the increasingly crowded Land Rover world still has room for a full-sized family SUV
Faults None Expenses None Economy 37.6mpg Last seen 7.9.22
ROVER DISCOVERY
LOATHE IT LOVE IT
Better still is the touring range of 650-ish miles I’m promised when I fill the Disco’s mighty tank,
WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT
TEST DATA
y mileage in the Disco has climbed rapidly to around 8500 in just a few months, and in all that distance I’ve given very little thought to the engine. I guess it’s because it’s so refined and unobtrusive – and because Land Rover slipped the 2996cc straight-six version of its mild-hybrid diesel into the range with only a fraction of the fanfare that greeted the original Wolverhamptonmade Ingenium range.
STEVE CROPLEY
Whatever I need (comfort, cabin or load space, off-road ability or motorway competence), the Disco can provide it.
torque band (1500-2500rpm), and it easily supports a very tall top gearing. I continually find myself rolling smoothly along at 1500rpm in seventh or eighth gear, which helps deliver the Disco’s other overarching characteristic – effortlessness.
Hustling this car doesn’t always suit it, both because of its sheer size (width can be a problem in tight urban driving and on single-lane country roads) and its rather supple, luxurious low-speed ride. But when I do boot it, I find that the suspension tightens and the powertrain shows it can deliver 0-60mph in around 6.5sec (impressive for a 2.4-tonne car) while still yielding MPG in the late 30s. That’s a cool 10-12mpg –or a hefty 40% – better than the V6 diesels in Discoverys made a decade ago, and the fact that the manufacturer gets scant credit for this improvement gets on my nerves.
LAND ROVER DISCOVERY
So what’s wrong with the Disco? Recent constant sun showed that, at least the way I sit in the car, there is often distracting glare from the shiny steering-wheel spokes. And because it’s my habit (perhaps not a good one) to jump into the car and get going quickly, there can be an uncomfortable period while the air suspension, which adopts a lower access mode when stationary, catches up with the driver’s intentions.
ALL-ROUND ABILITY
control) could be better: the Disco can buck about quite a bit on bumpy roads taken fast. But the secondary ride (the way it absorbs ripples and deals with coarse surfaces) gets close to a Range Rover level, which gives an overall impression of luxury.
Last thing: that T-bar gear selector. You have to depress an oblong button at its leading edge to move out of Park or select Reverse, and the action is neither convenient nor intuitive. I’ve had 8500 miles of driving to think about this, and it’s not getting any better. What’s more, it’s the second time that JLR has adopted an ergonomically poor transmission selector. Please do better, Land Rover, but don’t change the Disco’s fundamentals. They’re terrific.
WIDER THAN A MILE
aware of the broader issue. On told
always a pleasure sliding into
Plug-in hybrid system becomes home to some gremlins JAGUAR E-PACE
T
LOATHE IT LOVE IT
BMWMILEAGEiX
Naturally, I returned the car to Jaguar for a fix. Having investigated, they said: “The E-Pace PHEV has now been repaired and assessed through our workshop. We’ve run all the latest software updates and our checks reflect a resolution to the issue. Any customers experiencing similar performance issues should contact their retailer for advice.”
his plug-in hybrid Jaguar E-Pace has been a fine companion for the past few months and in terms of driving dynamism and comfort particularly, it feels one of the best in its class.
Ford Mustang Mach-E
What to call the recess under the bonnet of an electric car? Americans like ‘frunk’, as in front trunk, but we’re not American. Regardless, it regularly proves useful. It’s an odd shape and not enormous at 136 litres, but it comes in useful for either storing the charging cable or squeezing in the last few bits of loose cargo that would else roll around. JH
It’s the driver’s seat, thanks to its cosseting comfort.
is far from a best-case scenario.
The lack of electric power naturally affects the overall fuel economy, so our current 44.3mpg
There has been one major, recurring hiccup, though: on occasion, the electric side of the powertrain doesn’t work, and when it doesn’t, nor does the stability control, lane keeping assistance, regenerative braking or parking sensors. This has been far from ideal, and just to add insult to injury, the battery’s charge decreases even when this fault is occurring.
3211 LAST SEEN 7.9.22
Jaguar Land Rover is acutely aware of the broader issue. On the topic of quality and reliability, CEO Thierry Bolloré told us two months ago that promised improvements are being delivered. “We have progressed everywhere, but especially with our newest models,” he said. “The new Range Rover is now setting an extremely high standard, and we are doing very well with the new Defender, too.” It sounds like everything is going in the right direction, then – and Bolloré will know that it needs to, considering his grand plan to reinvent Jaguar as an ultra-luxury electric car brand from 2025, going up against the likes of Bentley.
Volkswagen has given its cabin light themes some very cheesy names, but each looks great in action. The blue Desire theme is my go-to, as I find it to be the most calming. I would choose the red Euphoria theme, if it didn’t remind me of the urgency of the IQ Light, which beeps and flashes red when it detects a potential collision. JW
Recurring electric problems are annoying on a £50,000 car. Happily, they’re now resolved.
I’ve been very impressed with just how efficient the iX is. We’re still learning which mpkWh figures are good (this being the EV equivalent of MPG), but anything below three isn’t great and anything above four is excellent. The iX is averaging about 3.5 – no mean feat for something that weighs 2510kg and testament to BMW’s long-term development of electric motors and batteries. MT
MILEAGE 6422 LAST SEEN 7.9.22
MILEAGE 14,987 LAST SEEN 7.9.22
MILEAGE 1102
WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT Have a new platform and PHEV power made Jaguar’s cub fully fighting fit? OWN ONE? SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE rachel.burgess@haymarket.com JAGUAR E-PACE P300E R-DYNAMIC S Price £45,995 Price as tested £51,645 Faults Electrical issues Expenses None Economy 44.3mpg Last seen 31.8.22 TEST DATA 14 SEPTEMBER 2022 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 67 OUR CARS
Volkswagen ID 4 GTX
When it first started happening, turning the car off and on seemed to reset it and everything worked fine, but over time, even that old trick stopped doing the job.
Since returning, the E-Pace has been running like clockwork. It’s an incredibly usable day-today car, which deserves its place among the best luxury compact SUVs. But, of course, reliability is crucial for all car makers, not least premium ones.
SITTING COMFORTABLY
GOING HAYWIRE
A far rarer but scarier issue arose when I was when trying to move off from standstill, say at traffic lights or a roundabout: there was seemingly no power when I put my foot on the throttle. It eventually came through, although I was never quite convinced that it would, and it felt dangerous, not being able to move off instantly.
RACHEL BURGESS
Put your foot down and nothing happens
CARSUSED
This capacious MPV can carry seven people in well-equipped comfort. Oliver Young examines the Blue Oval’s space invader
You will be choosing from fairly different cars depending on age, mind you, and this is due to some noteworthy changes that have been rolled out over the years. There was the facelift of 2020, bringing with
Not only is Zetec more common at cheaper price points than higher trims, but you also get all the basics plus creature comforts such as climate control. Front and rear parking sensors are useful,particularlytoo.
INTERIOR WEAR AND TEAR
Some early examples fitted with optional adaptive LED headlights might suffer with a software glitch that can switch the headlights off. Any Ford dealer will be able to upload the updated software to prevent any future problems, free of charge.
You’re probably waiting for us to address this large MPV’s USP: space. Climb inside and the cabin
FORD GALAXY
68 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 5 JANUARY 2022
BUYER BEWARE
HEADLIGHTS TURNING OFF WITHOUT WARNING
it refreshed styling and an and187bhpdieselpreviousdroppingwentthesystem.infotainmentupdatedIn2021,modelalsohybrid-only,allthepetrolandoptionsfora2.5-litrepetrolelectricset-up.Lookforexamplesprior
paytomuchhowanditbuytowherebuy,toWhat
ong before the Puma birthed a small SUV from beyond its coupé grave, another Ford performed a similar act. The Galaxie, once a large saloon in the late 1950s, returned as the Galaxy MPV in 1995. The name stuck, too, as evidenced by the two generations that followed, including the latest one you see before you.
What’s more, the current Galaxy has been around since 2015, meaning there are plenty to choose from on the used market. You only need around £13,000 to get yourself an early car with a mileage of less than 60,000, while year-old examples go for a reasonable £35,000.
The Galaxy is in its third generation
Another decision you’ll have to make is which trim level to choose,
but never fear because andsensors,andalloycomeslevelallgenerousequipmentstandardisacrossofthem.Entry-Zetectrimwith17inwheels,frontrearparkingclimatecontrolan8.0intouchscreen
system with Bluetooth and DAB radio. Titanium adds rear privacy glass, cruise control, lane keeping assistance, sat-nav and automatic lights and wipers. Go for top-level Titanium X and you’ll get a rearview camera, an electric tailgate, leather seats that are both electrically adjustable and heated in the front and, finally, a panoramic sunroof.
to that and you’ll find most Galaxy models are powered by a 2.0-litre diesel engine of 118bhp, 148bhp or 178bhp outputs, and there’s even a 207bhp twin-turbo version. Revisions in 2018 tweaked the latter two to 187bhp and 237bhp respectively. You also have a choice of a 158bhp 1.5-litre (revised to 163bhp in 2018) or 237bhp 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engines.
ASASGOODNEW
L
The Galaxy’s reliable, practical workhorse credentials are irrefutable, so large families love them – as do minicab companies. Make sure all of the seats fold properly, including the rearmost row, and that the interior trim is in good condition.
OUR TOP SPEC ZETEC
Breaking down is never good , but at least with old cars you stand a chance of fixing the analogue bits with some gaffer tape and a jubilee clip. Neither, though, was used on the Baby Shark as the Solex carburettor failed to do its job. I’ll let you know what happens next.
The GT86 and BRZ fit the bill as something for the driver who cares about driving
James Ruppert
PICKOUR
❞ W
Just at random among the multimilers, I found a private example that did not have a lot of description but if nothing else had some fairly new tyres and a price that tempts. So £999 gets you a 2002 1.8 coupé, the 200bhp one, here with three previous owners and over 170,000 miles. Obviously the MOT history would tell more of the story. No advisories since 2017 but, of course, the impending November 2022 visit might show up all sorts of things. But it should be fun finding out, shouldn’t it?
The Galaxy goes big on space and practicality.
On top of all that, the Galaxy is good to drive and a comfortable thing in which to travel. Perhaps its dynamic competence isn’t such a surprise, though, given Ford’s success with the similar yet slightly smaller S-Max. The Galaxy’s standard six-speed manual gearbox is precise and slick, while the optional six-speed (later eightspeed) automatic flits between gears smoothly and reacts quickly when you kick down for more acceleration. The hybrid has a CVT.
NEED TO KNOW
KICKING TYRES
It’s worth noting that the 2.0 TDCi 150 is as economical as the lesser 2.0 TDCi 120, at a claimed (NEDC) 56.5mpg and 129g/km, or 52.3mpg (WLTP). The 1.5 Ecoboost petrol propels the Galaxy well, with a claimed 43.4mpg and 149g/km. The Hybrid averages 44.1mpg. Insurance groups start at 17, for the lowest-powered diesel, rising to 26 for the 2.0 petrol.
Audi TT: an affordable classic in the making, yours from just £999
14 SEPTEMBER 2022 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 69 USED CARS
After the RCZ, one starts to struggle for alternatives, but the Toyota GT86 and near-identical Subaru BRZ fit the bill as something for the driver who cares about driving. Let’s start with the least obvious option in the shape of the BRZ, which still commands strong
240 TITANIUM X
If you fold all five rear seats flat, you’ll make available a vast amount of space, but even in five-seat mode, the Galaxy has a bigger boot than most estate cars. Bear in mind, however, that when all seven seats are in place, the amount of load bay room shrinks to that of a small car. This is true of almost all cars in the class, but at least the Galaxy has a handy hidden storage compartment below the floor that liberates a bit more space.
2.0 TDC i 150
is supremely spacious, no matter whether you’re in the front, middle or rear seats. The middle row has room for three six-foot adults in reclining chairs that individually slide forwards and backwards. Like the Seat Alhambra and Volkswagen Sharan, the rearmost sixth and seventh seats will comfortably take average-size adults.
The popular 148bhp 2.0 TDCi offers a good mix of performance and economy for a reasonable price. It suits the car well, with the torque to haul a load of people, luggage, shopping or anything else.
Safety and security includes six airbags, stability control, an alarm and an immobiliser.
Enthusiast cars that turn into desirable modern classics don’t come along too often, but these are all worth buying and enjoying.
GARAGERUPPERT’S
TTs are for you and me, then, but are there any alternatives? I suppose the most obvious one has to be the Peugeot RCZ, which is a French TT lookie-likie. They’re not quite TT-cheap but not far off. I did see a ‘part exchange to clear’ 2010 example, a 1.6 THP GT that needed some tidying, according to the dealer (clearly something they didn’t want to do). This 100,000-mile example was just under £2000. There are lot of cheap RCZs with warning lights and other niggly problems at the £2000£3000 price point, so up the budget to £4290 and suddenly a 1.6 THP GT with 78,000 miles and a fresh timing chain seems like a smart buy.
2.0T ECOBOOST
money, not least on account of its exclusivity. A 2012 example, which has had a new clutch and a recent service and covered just over 80,000 miles, is £11,995, and that’s with a full history. There are rather more GT86s to choose from, so a 2012 Toyota with 87,000 miles and three previous owners is here for £8950. The interesting thing is that so many of these are being sold privately.
If you want the power to match, the most potent engine can be found in the Titanium X examples on Autocar’s used car buying pages.
❝
ithout wanting to state the obvious, the nailedon, cast-iron, 24-carat guaranteed future classic is the Audi TT. They remain fabulous value for money whether in coupé or roadster guise. As we recently pointed out, the TT has been one of the most consistent high-mileage used car buys, regularly topping 500k without too much drama. And here’s the proof.
CARDWILD
The M135i didn’t ride on run-flat tyres. Instead, it initially got very serious-sounding and extremely grippy Michelin Pilot Super Sports. All told, its ride is firm, oh yes, but it never threatens to offend.
The M135i was launched in 2012 and ran until 2016, with one mild upgrade in 2015 when the even more willing M140i replaced it. That means there are now plenty of M135is on the used market, with prices from as low as £9000. So what do you get? A muscular 315bhp 3.0-litre turbocharged straight-six engine with a wall of torque and an awesome soundtrack, the whole lot expressed
There are plenty of M135is on the used market, with prices from as low as £9000
The steering is smooth, accurate MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE
via a deliciously playful rear-wheeldrive chassis. You also had the choice of a six-speed manual or an eight-speed automatic gearbox, and a three- or five-door bodyshell.
smooth and happy to be rolled out from low engine revolutions. It’s odd to think that once upon a time the gently blown six and smooth-shifting automatic would have seemed at odds with the M badge, but now such things don’t bat an eyelid. It is, of course, as responsive and keen a set-up as you’d expect.
❝
Sport+, it could also be specified with electronically controlled adaptive M Sport dampers that brought faster reaction times. Sport and Sport+ modes tighten up the car’s body control, add a little weight to the variable-ratio steering and progressively dial back the stability control system’s eagerness to intervene. Most owners settle for the default Comfort mode most of the time, switching to Sport on more interesting, well-surfaced roads.
ever judge a book by its cover. The secondgeneration BMW 1 Series was no looker – nor was the first-generation version, come to think of it – but hidden beneath its sodden flanks was one of the most spirited hot hatchbacks of the past dozen or so years.
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So you want to go from a standstill to 60mph? Just 4.6sec. From 30-70mph using only third gear? It will take just 4.1sec. Even in sixth –which is barely past idle at 30mph – the BMW wants only 8.1sec, which is amply brisk. For all its power, the M135i’s unit is exceedingly flexible,
While the M135i came as standard with Drive Performance Control, which provided a range of driving modes from Eco Pro through to
N CULT HERO BMW M135 i The M135i lacks M-car looks but, says Mark Pearson, it packs a performance punch
■ ENGINE Water pump and thermostat issues are not unknown. Coil pack issues are another occasional weak spot. Too many short journeys and not enough motorway blasts can coke up the internals, which puts the coil packs and ignition system under pressure. Scroll through the on-board service computer to check the car’s past maintenance and its future needs.
Buyer beware…
An expert’s view KEVIN FOUNDER,BIRD,BIRDS
WHAT WE SAID THEN 18 APRIL 2012
the M135i is quite pleasingly balanced and adjustable at the limit, but seemingly it would be overly tailhappy were it to wear the same width rubber on the front as the back. As it is, it’s a rather enjoyable steer down most roads, with just the right level of adjustability when you get serious. Add in a classy cabin, decent practicality and a top-notch infotainment system and you’ve got yourself one dead-cert hot hatch page-turner, even if the cover won’t set you on fire.
■ TRANSMISSION Manual gearbox can feel a bit rubbery from cold but should ease up as temperature builds. The auto is supposedly sealed for life, but a 60,000-mile fluid and filter change is recommended.
USED CARS 14 SEPTEMBER 2022 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 71
Also worth knowing
How much to spend
One we found
“We’ve still got Autocar’s old modified M135i long-termer here from 2018. It’s running really well and hasn’t put a foot wrong. For my money, it’s smoother, more comfortable and quicker than any other 135i. On the whole, you’d probably be better off looking out for an M140i now, but find a good, standard M135i and you’ll enjoy it. Fuel injectors can be a problem and watch out for any warning lights. When buying, check all the gadgets such as the iController work. Those things can cost a fortune to fix.”
£9000-£11,999
HOW TO GET ONE IN YOUR GARAGE
BMW describes it as ‘M Sport suspension’, which suggests that it’s not much different from that of a cooking 125i M Sport, for example. There’s an aluminium-rich MacPherson strut suspension set-up at the front and an independent multi-link rear end, all supported by model-specific springs and dampers. Adaptive dampers were offered as an option. Passive variable-ratio power steering was standard.
Potent 315bhp sixpot meets playful rear-drive chassis
More early to mid cars with up to 60,000 miles. Again, check service history and bodywork carefully.
The car is rare in having rear wheels and tyres that are wider than those at the front. It’s to transmit the fat portion of torque to the road by the driven rear wheels, you suspect. But it has no mechanical locking rear differential, which in our view is a black mark against the name of anything with an M badge.
■ BODY
£16,000-£20,000
■ STEERING, BRAKES AND SUSPENSION
and quick, providing a quicker ratio once you get off-centre than it does at the straight-ahead. It’s a common trick that gives straight-line stability allied to a feeling of agility once you’re on lock. The whole plot weighs 1545kg, yet the M135i turns with the
That’s what the M135i looks like on paper, and that’s what it turns out to be in practice: a car that retains the mainstream 1 Series range’s sensible appeal but with the wick turned up to cast a larger glow. It’s a compromise that works. T his is a fine driving companion and a car with both a spectacular set of performance numbers and a determinedly alluring price.”
BMW M135 i AUTO, 2013, 66,000 MILES, £13,500
willingness and accuracy of a car a couple of hundred kilos lighter, no doubt aided by the fact that only 52% of its weight is on its frontTypically,tyres.
Front- and rear-wheel bearing failures can happen. Front ball joints wear too. Check the rear brakes for abnormal wear caused by hard driving initiating the stability control to act on the rear brakes while under power. Feel through the steering wheel for vibration from bent wheels. Check the tyre life front and rear and that they’re a premium brand.
A cared-for car with a full service history and a spec as long as your arm, including sports seats, dual climate control, DAB, 18in M Sport alloys and a Milltek exhaust upgrade. Seller reckons it’s a ‘superb example’, and we’re inclined to agree.
■ INTERIOR
The M135i is built on the 1 Series’ Leipzig production line, not by the M division in Munich. But the same had been true at that point of every important M car since the E39 M5.
£12,000-£15,999
“
Nearly but not quite an M car.
Best late-plate 315bhp M135is. Facelifted 2015-reg 321bhp M135is start here, too.
Any rust is likely to be the result of poor crash repairs. On that subject, check the panel alignment and for overspray on window rubbers. Be suspicious of new front wing bolts, and check for rippling of the bonnet slam panel, rear cross-member and boot floor. Ensure the headlight dates correspond with the registration year.
On an option-heavy car, check that every last thing works. Electronics such as head-up displays and iControllers can cease to work properly, and it costs a lot of money to put them right.
Launch to around 2014 cars with mid to large mileages. Check service history and condition carefully.
It’s well equipped and options were many, but check it all works
Audi’s smallest SUV is a decent stepping stone from the A3 to the Q range. LxWxH 4191x1794x1508 Kerb weight 1205kg
2.0 40 TDI quattro 188 137 8.0 37.7-40.4 84-195
2.0
DBX 5dr SUV £168,420–£192,420 AAAAB
3.0
4.0
1.0 30 TFSI 114 122 10.3 44.8-47.1 135-143
72 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 14 SEPTEMBER 2022 Power(bhp)Topspeed(mph)0-60/62mph CO2(g/km) Power(bhp)Topspeed(mph)0-60/62mph CO2(g/km) Power(bhp)Topspeed(mph)0-60/62mph CO2(g/km) Power(bhp)Topspeed(mph)0-60/62mph CO2(g/km)Economy(MPG/range) Economy(MPG/range) Economy(MPG/range) Economy(MPG/range)Economy(mpg) Economy(mpg) Economy(mpg) Economy(mpg) ALFA ROMEO Giulia 4dr saloon £38,929–£73,999 AAAAB Handsome and special dynamically but lacks finesse and comes as an auto only. LxWxH 4643x1860x1436 Kerb weight 1429kg 2.0 Turbo Petrol 200 197 146 6.6 36.2 176-184 2.0 Turbo Petrol 280 276 149 5.7 33.6 195 2.9 BiTurbo Quadrifoglio 503 191 3.9 28.5 230 Stelvio 5dr SUV £45,999–£78,719 AAAAB Alfa’s first SUV is a solid effort. Choosing the petrol version gives it charisma. LxWxH 4687x1903x1671 Kerb weight 1604kg 2.2 Turbo Diesel 190 187 130 7.6 45.6 159 2.2 Turbo Diesel 210 Q4 AWD 207 134 6.6 42.8 168 2.0 Turbo 200 Q4 AWD 197 134 7.2 30.1 206-209 2.0 Turbo 280 Q4 AWD 276 143 5.7 30.4 208 2.9 BiTurbo Quadrifoglio 503 197 3.8 24.6 261 ALPINE A110 2dr coupé £49,990–£60,040 AAAAA A much, much greater car and achievement than the sum of its parts suggests. LxWxH 4180x1980x1252 Kerb weight 1080kg 1.8 Turbo 248 155 4.5 39.2 162 1.8 Turbo S 288 162 4.4 38.7 163
1.5 35 TFSI 148 128-131 9.2-9.6 38.7-42.2 153-166
AAACC Competent. Above average in some areas, average in others. Outstanding in none.
So, to provide as fair and clear a basis for comparison as possible, you’ll only ever read WLTP combined fuel economy and CO 2 figures in Autocar’s first drive reviews, features and comparison tests – and on these data pages. Those are the aggregated results of four lab tests carried out across as many different cruising speed ranges – although they’re sometimes expressed as a range rather than as one specific figure to show the different results recorded by the heaviest and lightest available examples of the car in question (depending on optional equipment).
RS quattro 93kWh 646 155 3.3 283 0
AACCC Off the pace. Below average in nearly all areas.
AAAAC Very good. Very competitive in key areas, competitive in secondary respects.
quattro 93kWh 528 152 4.1 296 0
Q4 E-tron 5dr SUV £43,290–£67,610 AAABC Practical, pleasant and efficient – if not quite a superior premium product. LxWxH 4588x2108x1632 Kerb weight 1890kg 35 125k 168 99 9.0 201 0 40 150kW 201 99 8.5 307 0 50 quattro 220kW 296 111 6.2 298 0
STAR RATINGS EXPLAINED ECONOMYABARTHEXPLAINED 595 3dr hatch/2dr open £18,325–£29,775 AAABC The Fiat 500’s Abarth makeover makes it a true pocket rocket. LxWxH 3657x1627x1485 Kerb weight 1070kg 1.4 T-jet 145 143 130 7.8 38.7-39.2 162-164 1.4 T-jet 165 162 135 7.3 37.7-38.2 161-166 1.4 T-jet 180 Competizione 177 140 6.9 36.7 171 1.4 T-jet 180 Esseesse 177 140 6.7 36.7 171 695 3dr hatch/2dr open £31,765 AAABC A convincing track-day 500 with decent dynamic ability, but overly firm ride spoils it. LxWxH 3657x1627x1485 Kerb weight 1045kg 1.4 T-jet 180 Esseesse 177 140 6.7 36.2-36.7 171 AC Cobra 2dr open £89,500–£145,000 AAAAC Can’t match modern supercars but is pure driving indulgence. LxWxH 3657x1627x1485 Kerb weight 1100kg 140 Charter Edition 350 na 6.0 na na 378 Superblower 650 155 4.1 na na Series 1 Electric 650 308 6.7 150 0 Economy(MPG/range) Economy(MPG/range)
2.0 45 TFSI quattro 243 146 5.8 32.5-32.8 195-197 2.0 45 TFSIe 242 130 7.3 141.2 44-45 2.5 RS Q3 quattro 396 155 4.5 27.7-28.5 223-231 2.0 35 TDI 148 126 9.3 48.7-51.4 14552 2.0 35 TDI quattro 148 126 9.3 40.4-44.8 166-183 2.0 40 TDI quattro 188 134 8.3 38.2-39.8 185-195
Vantage
drive.
Doesn’t try to be the biggest, fastest SUV, and may be all the more appealing for it. LxWxH 5039x1998x1680 Kerb weight 2245kg 4.0 V8 550 181 4.5 19.8
CCCCC Inherently dangerous/unsafe. Tragically, irredeemably flawed.
2.0 45 TFSIe 242 130 7.3 141.2 44-45
Q3 Sportback 5dr SUV £34,425–£65,105 AAABC
AAAAA Brilliant, unsurpassed. All but flawless.
While ‘average’ represents the overall economy returned by a new car over a full road test and ‘track’ is relevant only to intensive performance testing (the length and conditions of which can vary slightly), ‘touring’ gives the best guide of the kind of economy you might see from a car at a steady 70mph motorway cruise.
AAAAA
BCCCC Appalling. Massively significant failings.
AABCC Acceptable. About average in key areas, but disappoints.
2.0 45 TFSI quattro 243 147 5.8 31.0-31.7 201-205
We do real-world efficiency and range testing on electric cars, too, expressing the former in terms of miles per kilowatt hour, as manufacturers do increasingly widely by convention.
323 4.0 V8 DBX 707 697 193 3.3 19.9 323 AUDI A1 Sportback 5dr hatch £20,265–£28,500 AAABC Quite pricey, but a rounded car with plenty of rational appeal. LxWxH 4029x1746x1418 Kerb weight 1105kg 1.0 25 TFSI 94 118 10.8 48.7-50.4 128-133 1.0 30 TFSI 114 126 9.5 46.3-51.4 124-139 1.5 35 TFSI 148 137 7.7 44.1-44.8 142-145 A3 Sportback 5dr hatch £25,495–£61,905 AAAAC Bolder design and improved dynamics make the A3 stand out more than ever. LxWxH 4343x1816x1425 Kerb weight 1220kg 1.0 30 TFSI 108 127 10.6 48.7-51.4 125-132 1.5 35 TFSI 148 139 8.7 46.3-50.4 128-138 2.0 40 TFSI quattro 188 150 6.9 38.7-40.4 159-166 2.0 40 TFSIe 201 141 7.6 235.4 29 2.0 45 TFSIe 242 144 6.8 235.4 29 2.0 S3 quattro 308 155 4.8 34.4-34.9 183-186 2.0 RS3 quattro 398 155 3.8 31.0-31.4 205-207 2.0 30 TDI 113 128 10.1 61.4-64.2 115-122 2.0 35 TDI 148 142 8.3-8.5 56.5-62.8 112-130 2.0 40 TDI quattro 198 151 6.8 47.9-50.4 148-155 A3 Saloon 4dr saloon £27,460–£62,905 AAAAC Undercuts the case to own an A4. Upmarket interior and good to drive. LxWxH 4495x1984x1425 Kerb weight 1225kg 1.0 30 TFSI 108 130 10.6 50.4-51.4 124-128 1.5 35 TFSI 148 144 8.7 47.9-50.4 127-134 2.0 40 TFSI quattro 188 154 7.0 39.2-40.9 157-165 2.0 S3 quattro 308 155 4.8 35.3-36.2 178-181 2.0 RS3 quattro 394 155 3.8 31.4-31.7 202-205 2.0 30 TDI 116 130 10.1 62.8-64.2 114-119 2.0 35 TDI 148 142 8.5 58.9-67.3 111-127 2.0 40 TDI quattro 198 155 6.8 48.7-51.4 145-152 A4 4dr saloon £33,965–£51,130 AAAAC High quality and competent but leaves the dynamic finesse to its rivals. LxWxH 4726x1842x1427 Kerb weight 1320kg 2.0 35 TFSI 148 139 8.6 40.9-46.3 140-157 2.0 40 TFSI 187 155 7.3 40.9-44.8 143-187 2.0 45 TFSI quattro 242 155 5.6 34.9-35.3 181-184 3.0 30 TDI 132 133 9.5 50.4-55.4 133-146 2.0 35 TDI 148 136 8.9 50.4-55.4 133-146 2.0 40 TDI quattro 187 146 7.4 50.4-54.3 137-148 3.0 S4 TDI 342 155 4.8 40.4-40.9 181-183 A4 Avant 5dr estate £35,365–£86,795 AAAAC Classy and demure estate lacks the dynamic sparkle of rivals. LxWxH 4725x1842x1434 Kerb weight 1370kg 2.0 35 TFSI 148 136 8.9 39.8-44.8 143-162 2.0 40 TFSI 187 148 7.5 39.8-43.5 147-162 2.0 45 TFSI quattro 242 155 6.0 33.6-34.4 187-191 3.0 V6 TFSI RS4 Avant 448 155 4.1 28.1-28.2 220-226 2.0 30 TDI 132 131 9.8 49.6-54.3 137-150 2.0 35 TDI 148 132 9.2 49.6-54.3 137-150 2.0 40 TDI quattro 187 143-144 7.6-7.9 47.9-52.3 141-154 3.0 50 TDI Allroad quattro 282 155 5.3 38.2 194 3.0 S4 TDI quattro 342 155 4.9 39.2-39.8 186-189 A5 2dr coupé £40,045–£91,750 AAAAC Refreshed coupé gets a sharper look and a refreshed interior. Still mundane to drive. LxWxH 4673x1846x1371 Kerb weight 1390kg 2.0 35 TFSI 148 140 8.9 41.5-45.6 141-154 2.0 40 TFSI 187 150 7.2 41.5-47.1 141-154 2.0 45 TFSI quattro 242 155 4.8 34.9-38.8 180-184 2.9 V6 TFSI RS5 quattro 448 174 3.9 29.1 220 2.0 35 TDI 163 162 8.2 51.4-55.4 133-144 2.0 40 TDI quattro 187 146 7.4 50.4-54.3 135-146 3.0 V6 S5 TDI quattro 339 155 4.6 39.2-40.4 184-188 A5 Sportback 5dr coupé £39,885–£90,675 AAAAC Refined, good-looking four-door coupé is sadly short on charm and finesse. LxWxH 4733x1843x1386 Kerb weight 1425kg 2.0 35 TFSI 148 139 9.1 40.9-44.8 144-158 2.0 40 TFSI 187 150 7.5 40.9-44.8 143-158 2.0 45 TFSI quattro 242 155 5.8 34.4-35.3 183-187 2.9 V6 TFSI RS5 quattro 448 174 3.9 28.5-28.8 222-224 2.0 35 TDI 148 135 9.1 50.4-54.3 135-147 2.0 40 TDI quattro 187 146 7.6 49.6-54.3 137-149 3.0 S5 TDI quattro 345 155 4.9 39.8-40.4 183-187 A5 Cabriolet 2dr open £44,190–£58,375 AAAAC More practical than smaller options. Lower-powered, steel-sprung trim is best. LxWxH 4673x1846x1383 Kerb weight 1600kg 2.0 35 TFSI 150 136 9.8 38.7-40.4 160-165 2.0 40 TFSI 187 150 7.9 38.7-40.4 160-165 2.0 45 TFSI quattro 242 155 6.5 32.8-33.2 192-196 2.0 40 TDI quattro 187 145 8.0 47.1-48.7 152-157 A6 4dr saloon £40,205–£80,640 AAAAC Supremely well constructed but a bit soulless to drive. A smart office on wheels. LxWxH 4939x1886x1457 Kerb weight 1645kg 2.0 40 TFSI 201 152 7.3 37.7-39.2 163-171 2.0 45 TFSI quattro 242 155 6.0 35.3-37.2 172-182 2.0 50 TFSIe quattro 299 155 6.2 217.3 31 3.0 55 TFSI quattro 335 155 5.1 32.8-34.9 184-196 2.0 40 TDI 201 152 8.1 47.9-51.4 145-155 2.0 40 TDI quattro 201 153 7.6 45.6-47.9 155-163 3.0 50 TDI quattro 282 155 5.5 38.7-40.4 183-191 3.0 S6 TDI quattro 344 155 5.0 36.2 203-205 A6 Avant 5dr estate £42,355–£118,150 AAAAC A capable and high-tech throwback that’s a timely reminder of what Audi does best. LxWxH 4939x1886x1467 Kerb weight 1710kg 2.0 40 TFSI 201 149 7.5 36.2-38.2 168-178 2.0 45 TFSI quattro 242 155 6.2 34-36.2 177-189 2.0 50 TFSIe quattro 299 155 6.3 217.3 31 3.0 55 TFSI quattro 335 155 5.3 31.7-34.0 189-201 4.0 RS6 quattro 596 174 3.6 21.9-22.6 283-294 2.0 40 TDI 201 149 8.3 45.6-49.6 150-162 2.0 40 TDI quattro 201 150 7.8 44.1-46.3 159-167 3.0 50 TDI quattro 282 155 5.7 38.2-39.8 187-195 3.0 S6 TDI quattro 344 155 5.1 35.3 209 A7 Sportback 5dr coupé £52,475–£121,805 AAABC Easy on the eye and to live with, but let down by stolid dynamics. LxWxH 4969x1908x1422 Kerb weight 1880kg 2.0 45 TFSI quattro 242 155 6.2 35.3-36.2 177-183 2.0 50 TFSIe quattro 299 155 6.3 134.5-141.2 46-47 3.0 55 TFSI quattro 335 155 5.3 32.1-34.0 189-199 4.0 RS7 quattro 596 174 3.6 22.2-23.0 280-287 2.0 40 TDI 201 152 8.3 47.9-49.6 150-156 2.0 40 TDI quattro 201 155 7.0 45.6-47.1 158-163 2.0 45 TDI quattro 242 155 6.4 40.9-43.5 171-180 3.0 50 TDI quattro 282 155 5.6 38.2-39.8 186-193 3.0 S7 TDI quattro 344 155 5.1 35.3-35.8 205-208 A8 4dr saloon £77,135–£103,010 AAAAC Technical tour de force benefits from Audi’s knack of making very good limousines. LxWxH 5172x1945x1473 Kerb weight 1920kg 3.0 55 TFSI quattro 335 155 5.6 28.2-29.4 217-228 3.0 55 TFSI quattro LWB 335 155 5.7 28.2-29.1 219-228 3.0 60 TFSIe quattro 449 155 4.9 100.9-113.0 57-64 3.0 50 TDI quattro 282 155 5.9 38.7-40.9 180-192 3.0 50 TDI quattro LWB 282 155 5.9 38.2-40.4 182-193
2.4 K24 i-VTEC
ARIEL top 10 list of our favourite cars. A revelation and a to LxWxH 3215x1850x1425 Kerb weight 670kg 235 125 3.4 na
2.0 SQ2 TFSI 298 155 4.8 32.8-33.2 192-195
Q5 5dr SUV £45,975–£74,645 AAAAC Appealing combination of Audi allure, affordable SUV practicality and attractiveness. LxWxH 4663x1893x1659 Kerb weight 1720kg 2.0 45 TFSI quattro 242 147 6.4 31.0-33.6 191-206 50 TFSIe quattro 249 148 6.1 128.4 49 55 TFSIe quattro 363 148 5.3 108.6 56 40 TDI quattro 187 136 8.1 41.5-44.8 165-179 SQ5 TDI quattro 344 155 5.1 32.8-34.4 216-224 Sportback 5dr SUV £48,425–£77,095 AAABC
Power(bhp)Topspeed(mph)0-60/62mph CO2(g/km)Economy(MPG/range) Power(bhp)Topspeed(mph)0-60/62mph CO2(g/km) Power(bhp)Topspeed(mph)0-60/62mph CO2(g/km)
ACCCC Very poor. Fails to meet any accepted class boundaries.
In road tests, you’ll also see our own independently produced real-world fuel economy test results for comparison with the lab test claims. We produce an average, track and touring figure for each car we test, as often as possible on a brim-to-brim test basis.
DBS 2dr coupé/open £251,920–£271,620 AAAAA
2.0 35 TDI quattro 148 131 9.3 39.2-40.9 182-188
AAAAB Excellent. Near class-leading in key areas and in some ways outstanding.
ABCCC Poor. Within acceptable class boundaries in a few areas. Still not recommendable.
Combines striking looks with a high-class interior and never feels short of pace. LxWxH 4989x2158x1396 Kerb weight 2276kg
A more sporting take on the compact SUV, with similarly stable handling. LxWxH 4500x1856x1567 Kerb weight 1460kg
riot
na
2.0 35 TDI quattro 148 131 8.1 45.6-47.9 155-163
2.0 40 TFSI quattro 187 136 7.4 31.0-32.5 197-207
Typically refined and competent but feels more like an A3 than an Audi SUV. LxWxH 4388x1831x1608 Kerb weight 1385kg
2.0 35 TDI 148 128 9.2 47.9-49.6 150-154
The
Reduced accommodation and practicality, but still a refined and solid steer. LxWxH 4689x1893x1660 Kerb weight 2010-2150kg 2.0 45 TFSI quattro 263 149 6.1 31.7 33.6 192-202 2.0 50 TFSIe quattro 297 148 6.1 176.6 188.3 36-38 2.0 55 TFSIe quattro 364 148 5.3 156.9 166.2 41-42 2.0 40 TDI quattro 201 137 7.6 42.2 44.8 166-176 3.0 SQ5 TDI quattro 336 155 5.1 33.2 34.4 216 222 E-tron 5dr SUV £62,035–£103,435 AAAAB A rounded, uber-luxurious addition to the premium EV niche. LxWxH 4901x1935x1629 Kerb weight 2490kg 50 quattro 71kWh 308 118 6.8 190 0 55 quattro 95kWh 403 124 5.4 237 0 S quattro 95kWh 503 130 4.5 223 0 E-tron Sportback 5dr SUV £63,835–£105,435 AAAAB Quick and classy EV builds on the solid foundations of its more upright sibling. LxWxH 4901x1935x1616 Kerb weight 2480kg 50 quattro 71kWH 308 118 6.8 192 0 55 quattro 95kWh 403 124 5.7 242 0 S quattro 95kWh 503 130 4.5 224 0 Q7 5dr SUV £59,820–£99,840 AAAAC Unengaging to drive and light on feel, but the cabin is both huge and classy. LxWxH 5052x1968x1740 Kerb weight 2060kg 3.0 V6 55 TFSI quattro 338 155 5.9 25.4-27.4 233-253 3.0 V6 55 TFSIe quattro 376 149 5.9 108.6-113 56-58 3.0 V6 60 TFSIe quattro 462 149 5.4 97.4-100.9 65-66 4.0 SQ7 quattro 435 155 4.1 29.4-30.1 245-251 3.0 V6 45 TDI quattro 228 142 7.3 32.1-34.0 217-230 3.0 V6 50 TDI quattro 282 152 6.3 32.1-34.0 217-230 Q8 5dr SUV £70,340–£128,465 AAAAC Striking and effective coupé-SUV range-topper leaves us wanting more. LxWxH 4986x1995x1705 Kerb weight 2145kg 3.0 V6 55 TFSI quattro 335 155 5.9 25.9-26.4 243-248 3.0 V6 55 TFSIe quattro 381 149 5.8 94.2 67-68 3.0 V6 60 TFSIe quattro 462 149 5.4 94.2-97.4 66-68 4.0 SQ8 quattro 503 155 4.1 31.0-31.7 234-239 4.0 V8 RS Q8 quattro 592 155 3.8 20.2-20.5 314-318 3.0 V6 50 TDI quattro 282 152 6.3 32.8-33.2 222-226 Power TorquefromTopspeed 0-62mph CO2from Power TorquefromTopspeed 0-62mph CO2from For full reviews of every car listed here, visit our website, autocar.co.uk NEW CAR S ATOZ
DB11 2dr coupé/2dr open £161,370–£175,020
2.0 40 TFSI quattro 188 136 7.4 30.7-32.1 199-208
E-tron GT 4dr saloon £81,915–£136,305 AAAAB
2.0
2.0
Between the various figures produced on the old-style NEDC, transitional NEDC Correlated and new-style WLTP laboratory emissions and fuel economy tests, it has become tricky to compare manufacturers’ claimed efficiency on the latest new cars. When you see a fuel economy and CO 2 figure reference elsewhere, it’s often without explanation.
Q5
Effortlessly fast, intoxicating to drive: the big Aston is better than ever. LxWxH 4712x2146x1280 Kerb weight 1693kg 5.2 V12 715 211 3.7 20.9 306
2.5 RS Q3 quattro 396 155 4.5 27.7-28.8 222-230
ASTON MARTIN 2dr coupé/2dr open £130,020–£159,020 AAAAB faster, cleverer, more hardcore entry-level Aston tops its class. LxWxH 4465x1942x1273 Kerb weight 1630kg V8 503 190-195 3.6-3.8 25.7 276 4.0 V8 F1 Edition 527 195 3.6 24.3 264
1.5 35 TFSI 148 126 9.6 39.2-41.5 154-163
Q2 5dr SUV £25,080–£47,675 AAAAC
2.0 30 TDI 114 125 9.9 58.9-60.1 124-129
1.5 35 TFSI 148 131 8.5 42.2-44.8 142-151
Q4 E-tron Sportback 5dr SUV £44,790–£69,110 AAABC Fastback variant of Audi’s mainstream electric SUV is agile and terrifically refined. LxWxH 4588x2108x1614 Kerb weight 1895kg 35 125kW 168 99 9.0 211 0 40 150kW 201 99 8.5 318 0 50 quattro 220kW 296 111 6.2 302 0
The stunning replacement for the already seductive DB9 is tyreshreddingly good. LxWxH 4739x2060x1279 Kerb weight 1875kg 4.0 V8 503 187 4.0 25.1 254 5.2 V12 AMR 630 208 3.7 21.1 303
2.0 40 TFSI quattro 187 141 6.5 34.0-34.9 184-187
AAABC Good. Competitive in key areas.
Q3 5dr SUV £31,625–£63,955 AAABC
Atom 0dr open £40,669 AAAAB Simple, purist concept remains but everything else has changed… for the better. LxWxH 3520x1880x1122 Kerb weight 595kg 2.0 turbo 320 162 2.8 na na Nomad 0dr open £37,549 AAAAA Well inside the
1.5 T5 Recharge PHEV 258 112 7.3 117.7-141.1 45-55 2.0 B4P 197 112 8.4 36.7-39.2 162-176 2.0 B5P 246 112 6.9 36.7 174-176
XC60 5dr SUV £47,460–£67,780 AAABC
XC40 5dr SUV £26,515–£51,600 AAAAC
last,
Abarth
V90 5dr estate £44,725–£68,525 AAAAC
2.0 T6 Recharge PHEV 335 112 5.9 na na 2.0 B4D 197 112 8.8 44.8-49.5 149-164
Volvo’s take on the crossover aims to rival BMW, Mercedes and Audi. LxWxH 4425x1910x1658 Kerb weight 1626kg
and
WHAT’S COMING WHEN
N,
XC90 5dr SUV £61,990–£81,925 AAAAC Clever packaging, smart styling, good to drive:
Brings height, all-wheel drive off-road body cladding. 4784x1916x1499 Kerb weight 1792kg
V90 Cross Country 5dr estate £53,590–£59,860 AAAAC
Volvo’s closest thing to a class leader. LxWxH 4950x2008x1776 Kerb weight 1961kg 2.0 B5P 246 112 7.7 32.4 198 2.0 B6P 296 112 6.7 90.7 210 2.0 T8 Recharge PHEV 384 112 5.8 217 28-76 2.0 B5D 232 112 7.6 41.5 178 WELLS Vertige 2dr coupé £40,000 AAAAC Brings traditional British sports car values to an exclusive audience. LxWxH 1450x1752x1142 Kerb weight 850 2.0 209 140 4.6 45.0 na WESTFIELD Sport 2dr coupé £19,950–£35,800 AAAAC Sport Turbo is very quick and fun but not a patch on the Caterhams. LxWxH na Kerb weight na 1.6 Sigma 135 na na na na 1.6 Sigma 155 na na na na 2.0 Duratec 200 na na na na 2.0 Ecoboost 252 na na na na Mega 2dr coupé £16,950 AAABC Mega engine makes it rapid, but isn’t as fun as Caterham’s R range. And you have to build it yourself. LxWxH na Kerb weight na 2.0 VTEC S2000 240 na na na na ZENVO TSR-S 2dr coupé £1,300,000 AAAAC Danish supercar employs a hammer-blow V8 and extreme aerodynamics. LxWxH 4815x2038x1198 Dry weight 1495kg 5.8 S/C V8 Auto 1177 202 2.8 na na
Volvo’s mid-sized exec majors on comfort, style and cruising ability. LxWxH 4963x2019x1443 Kerb weight 1665kg
Astra Sports Tourer 5dr estate £25,515–£29,410 spacious Astra wagon is as attractive as the hatchback. We have yet
Polestar
SEPTEMBER Grecale, Qashqai e-Power, Cat, Cayenne Mégane Enyaq iV Coupé, Subaru Solterra, Tesla Model Y RWD, Toyota bZ4X, Corolla Cross, GR86, Yaris GR Sport, Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer
DECEMBER
On sale December, price £35,000 (est)
E-Tech Electric, Skoda
Looks like a small XC90 and carries on where the old one left off. A good, capable cruiser. LxWxH 4688x1999x1658 Kerb weight 1781kg 2.0 B5P 246 112 6.9 36.7-38.1 168-176 2.0 T6 Recharge PHEV 335 112 5.9 282.1 23-64 2.0 T8 Recharge PHEV 384 112 5.5 282.1 25-64 2.0 B4D 194 112 8.3 44.8-45.5 161-166
NOVEMBER
Luxury estate takes on the 5 Series and the E-Class. Comfy and a good cruiser. LxWxH 4936x2019x1475 Kerb weight 1679kg
V60 Cross £46,105–£50,595 AAAAC
update, Renault
2.0 B5P 246 112 6.9 36.6-40.4 159-175
At long BMW has an Audi RS4 rival
OCTOBER
2.0 B5D AWD 228 140 7.5 40.9 181
EV, Aston Martin Valhalla, Audi A4 update, Q6 E-tron, Bentley Mulliner Batur, BMW M2 Coupé, M3 CSL, XM, BYD Atto 3, Bugatti Mistral, Ferrari 296 GTS, Fisker Ocean, Ford Mustang, SUV EV, Honda Civic Type R, e:Ny1 ZR-V, Jeep EV, Kia EV9, Koenigsegg CC8S, KTM X-Bow GT-XR, Lamborghini Aventador replacement, Huracán Sterrato, Urus update, Land Rover Range Rover Sport, Lexus RZ, Lotus Eletre, Maserati Granturismo, Granturismo Folgore, Grecale Folgore, Mercedes-AMG GT, Mercedes-Benz CLE, Mini Countryman, hatchback Nissan X-Trail, Peugeot 408, Polestar 2 update, 3, Porsche Macan EV, Panamera, RollsRoyce Spectre, Smart #1, #1 Brabus, Ssangyong Torres, Suzuki Swift, Tesla Model S Plaid, Model X Plaid, Toyota Yaris Cross GR Sport, Volkswagen ‘ID 6’, Wey Coffee 01
to drive it. LxWxH 4642x1860x1480 Kerb weight 1346kg 1.2 Turbo 110 108 124 10.8 52.3-53.3 125-127 1.2 Turbo 130 128 130 9.9 49.6-51.4 127-133 1.6 Hybrid 178 140 9.3 201-256 24-31 1.5 Turbo D 128 130 10.8 62.8-64.2 115-119 Crossland 5dr SUV £19,105–£26,165 AAABC Still only a mid-pack player in a busy crossover market, but simple and easy to operate. LxWxH 4212x1765x1605 Kerb weight 1245kg 1.2i 83 81 105 14.0 47.1 142 1.2i Turbo 110 108 117 10.6 47.1 140 1.2i Turbo 130 128 128 9.1 44.1-48.0 136-146 1.5 Turbo D 110 107 111 9.9 61.4 120 Mokka 5dr SUV £22,265–£31,995 AAABC Radically overhauled crossover now comes with the option of battery-electric power. LxWxH 4151x1791x1531 Kerb weight 1750kg 1.2 100 99 115 10.6 51.4 124 1.2 130 128 125 9.1 47.1-50.4 126-137 50kWh e 134 93 8.7 201 0 1.5 Turbo D 110 108 118 10.8 64.2-65.7 114 Grandland 5dr SUV £26,720–£38,125 AAACC Does well to disguise its 3008 roots but too bland to stand out in a congested segment. LxWxH 4477x2098x1609 Kerb weight 1350kg 1.2 Turbo 130 128 117 10.9-11.1 45.6 141-147 1.6 Hybrid 223 140 8.6 192.0-210.0 34 1.5 Turbo D 130 128 119 10.2 54.3 136 Combo-e Life 5dr MPV £31,110–£31,710 AAABC Van-based people carrier is usable, spacious and practical, and now electric-only. LxWxH 4403x1841x1921 Kerb weight 1474kg 50kWh 132 84 11.7 174 0 VOLKSWAGEN Up 3dr/5dr hatch £13,940–£24,085 AAAAC It’s no revolution, but VW’s hallmarks are in abundance. LxWxH 3600x1428x1504 Kerb weight 926kg 1.0 65 64 100 15.6 54.3 119 1.0 115 GTI 113 119 8.8 51.4 125-126 e-Up 81 80 12.4 159 0 Polo 5dr hatch £18,855–£27,805 AAAAC A thorough going-over makes it more mature, but the Polo is still a bit boring. LxWxH 4053x1946x1461 Kerb weight 1105kg 1.0 80 78 106 15.4 51.4 125 1.0 TSI 95 93 116 10.8 48.7-53.3 120-127 1.0 TSI 110 108 121 9.9 53.3-54.3 118-119 2.0 TSI GTI 204 149 6.5 39.8-41.5 155 Golf 5dr hatch £25,340–£42,190 AAAAB New strengths and familiar ones carry it back to the class lead, but only marginally. LxWxH 4284x1789x1492 Kerb weight 1231kg 1.0 TSI 110 108 126 10.2 53.3 121 1.5 TSI Evo 130 128 130 9.1 51.4-53.3 121-124 1.5 TSI Evo 150 148 139 8.9 50.4-51.4 124-128 1.4 TSI eHybrid 201 137 7.4 235.4 21-26 1.4 TSI GTE 242 140 6.7 235.4 27-28 2.0 TSI GTI 242 155 6.4 38.2 169 2.0 TSI 300 GTI 296 155 5.6 38.2 167 2.0 TSI 320 R 4Motion 296 155 4.7 36.2 177 2.0 TDI 115 113 126 10.2 67.3-68.9 107-110 2.0 TDI 150 148 139 8.8 64.2 116-117 2.0 TDI 200 GTD 197 152 7.1 54.3 137 Golf Estate 5dr estate £26,690–£44,535 AAAAC Wagon puts on a growth spurt and adopts the eighth-generation hatchback’s tech. LxWxH 4633x1789x1497 Kerb weight 1295kg 1.0 TSI 110 108 126 10.5 51.4 124 1.5 TSI 130 128 133 9.4 52.4 123 1.5 TSI 150 148 139 8.7 49.6 128 2.0 TSI R 4Motion 316 155 4.9 35.8 178 2.0 TDI 115 113 126 10.5 64.2 114 2.0 TDI 150 148 139 9.1 61.4 121 2.0 TDI 4Motion Alltrack 198 142 7.1 50.4 147 ID 3 5dr hatch £33,835–£40,550 AAAAC A very mature electric car whose substance of engineering is central to its appeal. LxWxH 4261x1809x1568 Kerb weight 1730kg 107kW 58kWh 143 99 9.6 263 0 150kW 58kWh 201 99 7.3 261 0 150kW 77kWh 201 99 7.9 336 0 Passat 4dr saloon £28,205–£40,820 AAAAC Lands blows on rivals with its smart looks, civilised refinement, quality and usability. LxWxH 4767x2083x1476 Kerb weight 1367kg 1.5 TSI Evo 150 148 137 8.7 46.3-47.9 139-146 1.4 TSI GTE PHEV 215 138 7.4 217.3 30 2.0 TDI 122 120 127 11.3 58.91 125 2.0 TDI 150 148 139 8.9 58.9-60.1 124-127 2.0 TDI 200 197 147 7.4 53.3 138 Passat Estate 5dr estate £32,215–£43,770 AAAAC All the Passat’s redeeming features in spacious, practical estate form. LxWxH 4767x2083x1516 Kerb weight 1395kg 1.5 TSI Evo 150 148 133 8.9 44.8-45.6 144-151 1.4 TSI GTE PHEV 215 138 7.6 201.8 33 2.0 TDI 122 120 123 11.5 57.6 129 2.0 TDI 150 148 130-132 9.1 56.5-57.6 128-132 2.0 TDI 200 197 145 7.6 52.3 143 Arteon 4dr saloon £38,255–£55,210 AAABC VW’s flagship saloon is well made and luxurious but rather bland to drive. LxWxH 4862x1871x1450 Kerb weight 1505kg 1.5 TSI 150 148 137 8.9 42.8-44.8 144-151 2.0 TSI 190 187 149 7.9 36.2-38.2 168-178 1.4 TSI eHybrid 218 138 7.8 217.3 30-31 2.0 TSI R 4Motion 316 155 4.9 31.0 207 2.0 TDI 150 148 137 9.5 55.4-58.9 126-134 2.0 TDI 200 197 147 7.9 51.4-54.3 137-145 2.0 TDI 200 4Motion 197 145 7.4 46.3 159 Arteon Shooting Brake 5dr estate £39,485–£56,085 AAABC Hybrid option and estate bodystyle’s extra versatility enhance the Arteon’s appeal. LxWxH 4866x1871x1450 Kerb weight 1529kg 1.5 TSI 150 148 135 8.9 42.2-43.5 145-153 2.0 TSI 190 187 145 7.9 35.8-37.2 171-179 1.4 TSI eHybrid 218 138 7.8 217.3 31-32 2.0 TSI R 4Motion 316 155 4.9 31.0 207 2.0 TDI 150 148 135 9.4 54.3-57.6 128-136 2.0 TDI 200 197 145 7.9 50.4-53.3 139-147 2.0 TDI 200 4Motion 197 143 7.4 46.3 161 Touran 5dr MPV £32,735–£35,730 AAAAC Dull overall, but it’s a capable MPV, well made and hugely refined. LxWxH 4527x1829x1659 Kerb weight 1436kg 1.5 TSI Evo 150 148 118 11.4 39.8-40.9 154-162 T-Cross 5dr SUV £22,130–£30,150 AAAAB Compact crossover delivers a classy, substantial feel on UK roads. LxWxH 4108x1760x1584 Kerb weight 1270kg 1.0 TSI 95 93 112 11.5 47.9 132-133 1.0 TSI 110 108 117 9.9-10.4 42.8-48.7 132-149 1.5 TSI Evo 150 147 124 8.5 46.3-47.1 136-138 Taigo 5dr SUV £23,155–£30,555 AAABC Crossover-coupé-SUV-type thing fills a niche. Likeable enough. LxWxH 4266x1757x1518 Kerb weight 1407kg 1.0 TSI 95 95 114 11.1 51.4 124 1.0 TSI 110 110 119 10.4 51.4-52.3 124-125 1.5 TSI 150 150 132 8.3 47.9 138 T-Roc 5dr SUV/open £25,810–£41,750 AAAAC VW’s junior SUV is beguiling and sophisticated. It drives rather well, too. LxWxH 4234x1992x1573 Kerb weight 1270kg 1.0 TSI 110 108 115 10.8 43.5-46.3 133-146 1.5 TSI Evo 150 148 127 8.3-9.6 40.9-47.9 144-158 2.0 TSI 4Motion 188 135 7.2 36.2 177-178 2.0 TSI R 300 4Motion 298 155 4.9 31.7 201 2.0 TDI 115 113 116 10.4 56.5-60.1 137-146 2.0 TDI 150 148 124 8.8-10.8 50.4-53.3 140-146 Tiguan 5dr SUV £29,550–£48,540 AAAAC An improvement on the previous model and will continue to sell by the bucketload. LxWxH 4486x1839x1654 Kerb weight 1490kg 1.5 TSI Evo 130 128 119 10.2 44.1-44.8 143-146 1.5 TSI Evo 150 148 126 9.2-9.3 38.2-42.2 143-168 1.4 eHybrid 242 127 7.5 148-176 36-44 2.0 TSI 4Motion 188 133 7.4 33.2-34.0 187-192 2.0 TSI R 316 155 4.9 28.5 225 2.0 TDI 150 148 125-127 9.3 47.1-50.4 146-157 2.0 TDI 150 4Motion 148 124-125 9.3 43.5-45.6 163-171 2.0 TDI 200 4Motion 197 134 7.5 42.8 172-177 Tiguan Allspace 5dr SUV £33,785–£45,520 AAAAC Has all the Tiguan’s sensibility and refinement, now with the bonus of seven seats. LxWxH 4486x1839x1654 Kerb weight 1490kg 1.5 TSI Evo 150 148 123 9.5-10.0 37.2-39.2 164-176 2.0 TSI 4Motion 188 132 7.7 32.5 193 2.0 TDI 150 148 126 9.7 44.8-47.1 164-165 2.0 TDI 150 4Motion 148 123-124 9.8 41.5 177-179 2.0 TDI 200 4Motion 197 132 na 40.4-41.5 176-184 ID 4 5dr SUV £36,550–£57,270 AAAAC Impressively refined and versatile SUV marks VW out as a maker of fine electric cars. LxWxH 4584x1852x1640 Kerb weight 1890kg 109kW 52kWh 148 99 10.9 213 0 125kW 52kWh 170 99 9.0 213 0 150kW 77kWh 204 99 8.5 317 0 220kW GTX 299 112 6.2 301 0 Touareg 5dr SUV £59,690–£71,170 AAAAC Hints of ritziness and sportiness don’t impinge on this functional luxury SUV’s appeal. LxWxH 4878x2193x1717 Kerb weight 1995kg 3.0 V6 TSI 340 335 155 5.9 25.2-25.7 249-252 3.0 V6 R 4Motion PHEV 462 155 5.1 97.4 66-68 3.0 V6 TDI 231 228 135 7.5 33.6-34.4 214-219 3.0 V6 TDI 286 282 148 6.1 33.6-34.9 213-219 VOLVO S60 4dr saloon £44,580–£56,480 AAAAC Fresh-faced saloon now sits comfortably among the ranks of its German peers. LxWxH 4761x1916x1437 Kerb weight 1616kg 2.0 B5P 246 112 6.7 41.5 153 2.0 T8 Recharge PHEV 384 112 4.6 122.8-176.5 42 V60 5dr estate £41,325–£55,630 AAAAB Spacious and comfortable, with a characterful, Scandi-cool design. LxWxH 4761x1916x1427 Kerb weight 1729kg 2.0 B3 161 112 9.1 40.9 155 2.0 B4 197 112 8.0 41.5 152 2.0 B5 246 112 6.8-6.9 37.7-40.4 157-170 2.0 B6 297 112 6.0 36.2 175 2.0 T6 Recharge PHEV 335 112 4.6 362.6 18 2.0 B4D 197 112 7.6 47.0-50.4 146-156
NEW CAR PRICES
3 is sporty large electric SUV
Alpina B3 update, BMW iX M60, M3 Touring, X1, Honda Civic, Kia Xceed update, Maserati MC20 Cielo, Mercedes-AMG One, Mercedes-Benz EQE, MG 4, Renault Austral
Audi E-tron update, E-tron Sportback update, BMW i7, iX1, SP3 Daytona, Hyundai Ioniq 5 Ineos Grenadier, Kia EV6 GT, Mercedes-Benz EQS
Ferrari
More
Country 5dr estate
Alfa Romeo Tonale, Alpine A110 Tour de Corse 75, Bentley Bentayga EWB, Continental GT Mulliner, BMW 3 Series update, M4 CSL, Bowler CSP 575, Chevrolet Corvette Z06, Citroën Ami, Cupra Formentor VZ5, Ferrari 296 GTB, Genesis Electrified G80, Electrified GV70, Hyundai Ioniq 6, GMA T50, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Kia Niro EV Lotus Evija, Maserati
Porsche
Mazda 2 Hybrid, CX-60, McLaren Artura, MercedesAMG C63, GT 63 S PHEV 4-Door Coupé, S63 S PHEV, SL 43, SL 55, SL 63, Mercedes-Benz EQT, T-Class, MG 5 SW EV update, Morgan Super 3, Nissan Ariya, Juke e-Power,
2.0 T8 Recharge PHEV 384 112 5.1 na na
EARLY 2023 595
2.0 B5P AWD 250 140 7.4 32.5 196
2.0 B4P 197 112 7.9 40.9 158
69kWh Recharge 228 99 7.4 261 0 78kWh Recharge 402 112 4.9 249 0
C40 Recharge 5dr SUV £47,100–£61,950 AAABC Kit will appeal to many but twin-motor potency isn’t a natural fit for relaxed dynamics. LxWxH 4431x1910x1582 Kerb weight 2185kg 69kWh Recharge 231 99 7.4 269 0 78kWh Recharge 402 112 4.9 273 0
Honda CR-V
SUV
Ora Funky
S90 4dr saloon £63,075–£67,825 AAAAC
1.5 T4 Recharge 208 112 8.5 113-135 47-57
Volvo’s large comfy estate given a jacked-up, rugged makeover. LxWxH 4936x2019x1543 Kerb weight 1826kg
2.0 B5P 248 112 6.9 35.8 180
1.5 T3 160 112 9.3-9.6 38.7-40.4 158-166
2.0 B4D 197 112 8.2 47.9 155
2.0 B6P AWD 310 140 6.3 32.5 196
Aston Martin DB11 update, DBS update, Vantage update, BMW Z4 update, Ferrari Purosangue, Ford Ranger, Honda CR-V, Land Rover Defender 130, Lotus Emira, Mazda MX-30 REx, Mercedes-Benz GLC, Seat Tarraco update, Skoda Enyaq iV vRS, Toyota Prius, Volkswagen Amarok, ID Buzz
2.0 B6P 297 112 6.2 34.4-36.2 178-184
extra ride
78 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 14 SEPTEMBER 2022 Power(bhp)Topspeed(mph)0-60/62mph CO2(g/km) Power(bhp)Topspeed(mph)0-60/62mph CO2(g/km) Power(bhp)Topspeed(mph)0-60/62mph CO2(g/km)Economy(MPG/range) Economy(MPG/range) Economy(MPG/range) GR Supra 2dr coupé £46,505–£54,395 AAAAC Brings welcome muscle, fun and variety to the affordable sports car class. LxWxH 4379x1292x1854 Kerb weight 1541kg 2.0i 250 155 5.2 38.7 167 3.0i 335 155 4.3 34.5 188 VAUXHALL Corsa 5dr hatch £17,340–£31,160 AAABC Improved in many ways but lacks the appeal to match its price. EV is more likeable. LxWxH 4060x1765x1433 Kerb weight 1141kg 1.2 75 72 108 13.2 53.3 125 1.2 100 97 121 9.9 48.7-52.3 126-134 50kWh E 132 93 8.1 209 0 1.5 Turbo D 102 98 117 10.2 70.0 109-110 Astra 5dr hatch £24,315–£35,325 AAABC Eye-catching, refined and polished to drive, but less practical than its predecessors. LxWxH 4373x1860x1441 Kerb weight 1341kg 1.2 Turbo 110 108 124 10.2 54.3 119 1.2 Turbo 130 128 134 9.9 54.3 119 1.6 Hybrid 178 140 9.3 201-256 24-26 1.5 Turbo D 130 128 130 10.6 64.2 115
LxWxH
1.5 T2 126 112 10.9 40.4 158
The all-new CR-V is bigger than today’s car, creating space in the Honda range for the ZR-V to slot below it in 2023 and putting it in competition with the Toyota RAV4. Sitting on the new platform heralded by the Civic, it also gets a rugged new look and improved performance. Its new e:HEV powertrain combines a 2.0-litre four-pot petrol engine with a pair of electric motors for 204bhp and 247lb ft. Honda also claims the CR-V is more refined than before and has tuned the suspension and steering for heightened handling and responsiveness.
14 SEPTEMBER 2022 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 79 Dealers in quirky cars and great plates at realistic prices We only sell plates we own. Good old fashion service. Been in the business 25 years. Tel 07961 808069 • Email Silverspeedlondon@gmail.com SILSILVERSPEEDVERSPEEDURGENTLYINTERESTINGWANTED!SHORTNUMBERPLATESshortdatelessregistrationscashpaidandnotsellingonyourbehalf FLASH SALE 10% DISCOUNT ON ALL PLATES OVER £2K AUTOCARMENTIONJUST “URGENTLY WANTED FOR CASH SHORT DATELESS PLATES UNLIKE MOST DEALERS WHO PROMISE CRAZY PRICES WITH SIMPLY ADVERTISING THEM AND NO RESULTS I ACTUALLY BUY THEM. GENUINE SELLERS ONLY!” 1 VDN 1 VTv THD1 £24,995 thd3thd2thd1 AMAZINGOPORTUNITYNUMBER 1 PLATES–ULTIMATE INVESTMENTS 1 XOX £24,995 INTERESTING PLATES 1998AM £5,995 AU70CAR £8,495 140 C £29,995 14 O £POA 650AA £7,995 PREMIUM RANGE BARGAIN PLATES 17SDM £5,995 650 AA £8,995 spy 17 £9,995 G1VME £3,995 £69995 £59995 for the set! Will look amazing on your possessions!!!!prized KUI 166 £995 £395 J1DRX £1295 £795 AAZ550 £995 £695 447LBF £1495 £995 RO51GAY £995 £199 V1JCE £1495 £995 M4XVW £3995 £1995 HOO600H £2995 £1295 RFO447 £1495 £995 80 VXP £1995 £1695 2093 FS £2995 £1695 GREAT PLATESSHORT NYK 2 £8995 (NICK!) 2 RHT £7995 5 DPE £5995 10XWE £1995 30 VYP £1995 44 OAY £1995 44 XAM £2495 60 XKY £1995 80 XYX £1995 PLATESNAME gul74m £5995 £4,500 max4r £8495 mus55a (MUSSA) £16995 NAD74A (NADIA) £3995 51lla £6995 UDD1P £2995 YOU63F £6995(YOUSEF)£5995 PLATESCOOL aam11f £2995 £1399 givme £3995 h00600H £2995 SILAG £3995 MAA2A (Mazza!) £4995 mad111x £3995 OCT4V £3995 vex50 £4995 YOU1G £2995 3X3’S GREAT VALUE PLATES! 333 OXU £1495 333 UXX £1495 444 XAA £1995 500 OYS £1695 (Merc) 600 VUY £1695 (Merc) 666 VRX £1695 747 OYE (Pilot) £2695 777 UEX £1495 999 EKK £3995 £3495 SUMMER BONANZA SOME PLATES 80% OFF AMAZING !!! 286 R £16,995 440A £29,995 6AE £44,995 £34,995 1 00C £34,995 £19,995 £19,995 £17,995£19,995 £15,995 Amazing opportunity! Brand new Range Rover D350HSE 2022 Dark Grey Ivory Leather, amazing spec including electric side steps. Genuine buyers with funds please call to discuss £134,995 9XM £30,995NEW MED14A NEW NEW NEW £14,995 RRK 2 KBU 1 £7,995 £11,995 GREAT VALUE K3I AAR AAZ 858 N28 ABE J29 ABY R87 M800J222K600ABYACEL25ACKB9ACNJ26ACSM24ACTR2IADDJ25ADDS400ADYAFZ553P27AGSJI2IAJCP900AJCJ26AJDJ24AJGK25AJLJ29AJPJI2IAJRKI23AJTR90AKEJ28AKRK3IAKSK27ALAS30ALAJ23ALBP28ALDJ28ALEK25ALGP27ALGP23ALHL25ALLJ29ALLK24ALNL25ALPP29ALPR29ALPP80ALSJ26ALTL3IAMAAMBY55AMCR23AMEJ24AMLR24AMMK27ANSP27ANSN8APGK27ARBARDK26ARRR27ARRKI23ARTPI5ARWR3IARYL3IASAT88ASA A20 ASE J24 ASN PI2 ASP L28 ATH G83 ATH K2I ATS K23 ATT R32I AUD D2 L400P28KI23K28K28AUGAVAM2IAVEBADT26BAGL28BAKBALBAMK26BARBARK24BASM29BASK28BATBAZ6I63N2IBBSN29BBYP2IBEDL24BEDKI23BEKNI23BEKL28BETE282BEVPIIBJBK27BKRL24BLUJ27BMCB2BORM26BOSK20BOXS26BOXL3IBRAP24BRUR25BRUK25BRYT20BUCR24BUDW24BUGGI2BUKL24BUKP24BUNL26BUNP2IBUSL2IBYSL2IBYYP2ICACR23CAFK24CAFL27CAFR27CAGK27CAHL25CANP23CAP T500 CAS W555 CAS JI2I CAW M2I CCK M2I CEL P23 CES L24 CES M24 CES J24 CFC K27 CHE J26 V500S900CHZCHR966J32ICJBCJDJ32ICJMLI23CJPJ29CJRJI2ICJSL6CLEJ26CLMK29CLRK24CLWJI23CMBCMSL2ICOBK24CODM29CODR29CODGI8COEP27COEM47COEM24COMJ25COOS66COOGI6COPR26COPL28COPK24CORT23COSL29COTK2ICOWB474COXS28CRAK27CRSW8CSDL6CTRCUJ442P2ICUNP24DABY23DACL2IDAGM26DAGK27DAHK27DALT90DALKIIDAPJI23DARK23DASGI4DATP29DAT AI6 DCR L2I DCS K2I DDO L28 DDY N29 DDY EI5 DEK R2I DEK K24 DEK M26 DEK PI23 DEM M2I DER N3I M200M23R24K26Y222KI23K24DEWDEXL24DEXDJCYIIDJFK23DJGDJHJ29DJPK29DJRJ27DJTKI2IDJWJ29DLBJ25DMCDMGLI6DMHJ3IDMWCI8DOBK24DOBL25DOBL2IDODK24DOLSI8DORL23DOWDOWK29DOWK23DRBJ99DRSP24DRUN27DRUM3IDRUV9DSTK23DUBDUBJI2IDUBK27DUCP29DUFF2IDUGP23DUGK26DUGK24DUNL29DXNM2IEARK26ECKJ28ECSL27EDSN27EDYK27EENJ27EFCELA PI4 ELE N3I ELE L24 ELF L27 N32IJ7I3R24ELMELYJ25ELYK27ELYL27ELYEMAEMMS32IEMSM3IEMYKI2IEONN4ERLR29ERNK25ERSJ28ERTM2IESSM26ESTL27ESTM26ETHN3IETHL3IETTMI2IETTP60EVALI00EVEP24FABT6FADHI5FARS24FATR29FATL6FEBL2IFEEEI9FENR29FENN28FERK29FERFIL6I40L27FOSFPL893GI6FRYR26FRYM28FRYRI2IGAB J26 GAL P23 K32IM24M34GAMGAPK27GASY9GBRGBZ933K23GEEHI0GEFSI5GELJ28GEOX9GLEGORP24GORL29GORM29GOSM60GRAGYC207HAMPI9HASP2IHATM24HAWR27HEDP24HELL22HEMK24HENN23HEPR23HERHIG939K24HLLP9HMBK3HMWK2IHOBL2IHOBT88HOBR99HOBP24HODL27HODR23HOWT66HULL25HUNL99HUWP2IJAFL28JAFN2IJAL J32I JAP J3I JAR K27 JAW JAZ 4769 Y5 W600R555R32IJBWJCBK23JCCJ55JCDJI4JCGP23JCMJI2IJCSN7JCTK27JCWJ29JDCSI5JDEJ28JDPK28JEBK24JEDL27JEDJEDT555JEDKIIJELCI5JELR29JERK99JERR23JHNP26JHNP333JJBJI2IJJCKI23JJHJJMJ29JJWL32IJLBPI2IJLCK27JLHKI2IJLMJI23JLSR55JMAVI4JML K23 JMM A20 JMR RI8 P333X300P23JMWJODK27JOSJOYV333JOYPI2IJPCJ28JPHK29JPMJ24JPRK29JPSJI2IJPSJPWJI23JRCJ27JRDLI2IJRHJI23JRMJI23JRSJ32IJSHL2IJSMJ28JSMJ29JSSK28JSWM2IJUDR23JUDN2IJUN K23 JUS P28 KAB P23 KAL KI2I KAM Y9 M666N23KANKARP23KASJ3IKAST66KASP28KEEK24KEYJ32IKJBJ2IKJHKJI6I3AI5KMCP23KNGK3IKTYL26KYLKYMN23LABN23LACK90LACR25LADKI23LAMK28LANN2ILARK26LAR K3I 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All are subject to VAT and the £80 Dept. for Transport transfer fee. Prices may fluctuate. See website for full terms. We have been trading for over 45 years. THOUSANDS MORE AVAILABLE. Write: P.O.Box 100, Devizes, Wiltshire, SN10 4TE Tel: 01380 818181 elitereg.co.uk All priced £550at + VAT + £80 DfT fee REGISTRATIONS URGENTLY WANTED FOR IMMEDIATE OUTRIGHT PURCHASE
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VOLVO XC90 D5 SE TESTED 19.2.03
ROAD INDEXTEST
Healthy low-end torque was smoothly deployed by the optional five-speed auto, and while the XC90 was left trailing in the performance stakes by the equivalent X5 and Mercedes ML, it yielded comfortable and relaxed progress. All-round ventilated disc brakes were powerful but grabby in town.
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Just as every new car is different, however, the road test has developed to be versatile enough, week by week, so as to best assess and reflect the suitability of each test subject to its intended purpose. It now includes modular sections describing in detail the limit handling of a new car, or its semi-autonomous assisted driving technologies or its off-road capability.
how
independently sliding middlerow chairs and stowable sixth and seventh front-facing seats made the eminently practical interior more MPV than SUV.
With both suppleness and impressive resistance to roll, the XC90 was bettered for handling by only the X5. Grip was excellent. Off-road ability was limited by relatively poor ground clearance, though.
The XC90 added width, length and wheelbase to the V70.
14 SEPTEMBER 2022 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 81 ROAD TEST
A road test in any other magazine might well be a short, subjective summary of a new car produced under almost any circumstances, but the Autocar road test is different. Specific, rigorous and detailed, it’s the closest examination we can give of any new model. It appears over at least eight pages and is close to 50 man-hours in the making every week.
A split tailgate, a big flat-floored boot, three
Volvo was late to the SUV party with its XC90, but the firm’s talent for practicality, safety and comfort suited the genre well.
All of this goes to bringing you the most thorough, relevant and fair test of a new car we can produce. The scores from the most recent road tests reproduced here are the ones we gave the cars at the time so they don’t necessarily represent what those same cars might score today were they rejudged using current class standards. But you can dig deeper into their attributes by using the magazine publication dates listed here to look up an old test in your own collection or on The Motoring Archive (themotoringarchive.com), or you can order a back issue by phoning 0344 848 8816.
Matt Saunders, road test editor
The original XC90 proved such an enduring sales success that it remained in production until 2014, with the help of a facelift in 2007. A Mk2 model arrived in 2015 and employed a similar formula. However, it was lower, longer and wider than its predecessor and initiated Volvo’s shift to the SPA platform and the use of solely four-cylinder engines. Facelifted in 2019, it remains on sale. An electric successor is expected to be revealed in the coming months.
The only Autocar knows
At 4798mm long, it even outstretched BMW’s X5 but was 1kg lighter. Haldex four-wheel drive normally sent 95% of drive to the front axle but could shift up to 65% rearwards if required.
FOR Packaging, ride, safety, equipment, price AGAINST Performance FACTFILE Price £30,400 Engine 5 cyls in line, 2401cc, turbo, diesel Power 163bhp at 4000rpm Torque 251lb ft at 1750-3000rpm 0-60mph 12.2sec 0-100mph 43.4sec Standing quarter mile 18.9sec, 74mph Top speed 108mph Economy 24.4mpg WHAT HAPPENED NEXT?
Power TorquefromTopspeed 0-62mph CO2from
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Most of what the road test process entails is designed to be strictly repeatable and fair. We benchmark standing-start and in-gear acceleration at a purpose-built test facility every week. We carry out both subjective and objective handling tests on both road and track, on the latter up to and beyond the limit of grip, so as to fully assess stability, drivability and limit handling appeal. And while benchmark lap times are sometimes taken, they’re never an end in themselves.
124ABARTHSpiderAAAAC 22.3.17 ALFA ROMEO Giulia Quadrifoglio AAAAB 29.3.17 Stelvio 2.2D 210 Milano AAABC 3.1.18 Quadrifoglio AAAAC 9.1.19 B3ALPINA Touring AAAAA 4.11.20 B8 Gran Coupé AAAAC 22.9.21 A110ALPINEPremiere Edition AAAAA 16.5.18 Légende GT AAAAB 9.3.22 AtomARIEL4AAAAA 9.10.19 Nomad AAAAA 24.6.15 ASTON MARTIN Vantage V8 AAAAB 23.5.18 F1 Edition Coupé AAAAC 1.9.21 DBS Superleggera AAAAA 21.11.18 DBX AAAAB 28.10.20 A1AUDISportback 35 TFSI S line AAABC 2.10.19 A3 Sportback S3 AAABC 18.11.20 A4 S4 TDI AAAAC 18.9.19 RS4 Avant AAAAC 14.2.18 3 Series 320d M Sport AAAAA 15.5.19 330d xDrive M Sport AAAAB 15.1.20 330e M Sport AAAAB 1.7.20 4 Series M440i xDrive AAAAC 6.1.21 M4 Competition AAAAB 21.4.21 5 Series 520d M Sport AAAAB 31.5.17 545e M Sport AAAAC 20.10.21 M5 AAAAB 18.4.18 M5 CS AAAAA 14.7.21 6 Series GT 630d xDrv M Spt AAABC 18.11.17 8 Series 840d xDrive AAABC 16.1.19 M8 Competition Convertible AAABC 5.2.20 M8 Competition Coupé AAABC 3.6.20 i3 1.3S Range Extender AAAAC 21.2.18 i4 M50 AAAAC 19.1.22 iX xDrive50 M Sport AAAAB 2.3.22 X2 M35i AAABC 25.9.19 X3 xDrive20d M Sport AAAAC 17.1.18 X4 M Competition AAACC 13.11.19 X5 xDrive30d M Sport AAAAC 2.1.19 X7 xDrive M50i M Perf’nce AAAAC 9.9.20 SevenCATERHAM 620S AAAAC 9.3.16 420 Cup AAAAB 31.8.22 CorvetteCHEVROLET LT3 Coupé AAAAC 22.6.22 C3CITROENAircrossPuretech 110 AAABC 7.3.18 C4 Puretech 130 Auto AAACC 26.5.21 C5 Aircross BlueHDi 180 AAABC 13.2.19 BornCUPRA 204 58kWh V3 AAABC 6.7.22 Leon 310 VZ3 Estate AAAAC 8.9.21 2.0 TSI 245 VZ2 Hatch AAAAC 27.7.22 Ateca 2.0 TSI 4Drive AAABC 23.1.19 Formentor 2.0 TSI VZ2 AAAAB 3.2.21 SanderoDACIAStepway TCe 90 AAAAC 28.4.21 Duster SCe 115 Comfort AAAAC 22.8.18 Jogger 1.0 TCe 110 Comfort AAAAB 20.4.22 StradaleDALLARAAAAAB 16.10.19 3DSCrossback Puretech 155 AAACC 10.7.19 4 E-Tense 225 AAABC 29.6.22 7 Crossback Puretech 225 AAABC 19.9.18 9 E-Tense 225 AAABC 2.2.22 488FERRARI Pista AAAAB 7.8.19 812 Superfast AAAAC 25.7.18 SF90 Stradale AAAAC 3.11.21 PandaFIAT4x4 Twinair AAAAB 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110 P400 X AAAAB 13.5.20 Discovery Sport D180 AWD AAAAC 8.1.20 Range Rover Evoque P300e AAAAB 10.2.21 Range Rover Velar D240 AAABC 30.8.17 Range Rover Sport 3.0 TDV6 AAAAB 2.10.13 SVR AAAAA 15.4.15 Range Rover D350 HSE AAAAB 13.7.22 LCLEXUS 500 Sport+ AAAAC 18.10.17 NX 350h Prem’m Plus Pack AAAAC 16.3.22 RC F AAACC 18.2.15 ES 300h Takumi AAABC 6.2.19 LS 500h Premier AWD AAACC 6.6.18 EliseLOTUS Cup 250 AAABC 29.6.16 Exige Sport 390 Final Edit’n AAAAB 21.7.21 GhibliMASERATI Diesel AAABC 12.3.14 Quattroporte Trofeo AACCC 4.8.21 Levante Diesel AAACC 30.11.16 S Granlusso AAABC 8.5.19 2MAZDA 1.5 Skyactiv-G SE AAAAC 22.4.15 3 2.0 Skyactiv-X AAAAC 6.11.19 MX-5 1.5 SE-L Nav AAAAB 2.9.15 MX-30 145PS AAABC 10.3.21 CX-5 2.2D Sport Nav AAAAC 28.6.17 M c LAREN 570S 3.8 V8 AAAAA 30.3.16 600LT Spider 3.8 V8 AAAAB 22.5.19 620R 3.8 V8 AAAAC 23.12.20 GT 4.0 V8 AAABC 27.1.21 720S 4.0 V8 AAAAA 24.5.17 Senna 4.0 V8 AAAAA 10.10.18 P1 AAAAA 7.5.14 A-ClassMERCEDES-AMG A45 S 4Matic+ Plus AAAAB 4.3.20 C-Class 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AAABC 26.7.17 EclipseMITSUBISHICross 1.5 2WD AAACC 14.3.18 Outlander PHEV GX4hs AAABC 16.4.14 PlusMORGANFourAAABC 12.8.20 3 Wheeler AAAAA 6.6.12 MicraNISSAN 0.9 N-Connecta AAAAC 26.4.17 DIG-T 117 N-Sport AAACC 27.3.19 Juke 1.0 DIG-T 117 AAABC 29.1.20 Qashqai 1.3 DIG-T 158 AAAAC 28.7.21 GT-R Recaro AAAAB 16.11.16 208PEUGEOT e-208 Allure Premium AAAAC 6.5.20 308 1.2T Puretech 130 GT AAAAC 25.5.22 508 GT BlueHDi 180 AAAAC 24.10.18 Hybrid 225 Allure SW AAAAC 8.7.20 PSE Hybrid4 SW AAAAC 5.5.21 2008 e-2008 GT Line AAABC 30.9.20 3008 1.6 BlueHDi GT Line AAABC 18.1.17 5008 2.0 BlueHDi GT Line AAABC 1.11.17 POLESTAR 1 AAAAC 21.10.20 718PORSCHE Boxster AAAAB 8.6.16 Spyder AAAAB 1.4.20 Cayman S AAAAB 10.8.16 Cayman GTS AAAAB 9.5.18 Cayman GT4 RS AAAAA 14.9.22 911 GT2 RS AAAAC 18.7.18 Carrera S AAAAB 29.5.19 GT3 PDK AAAAB 11.8.21 Turbo S AAAAB 10.8.22 Cayenne Turbo AAAAC 5.9.18 Turbo S E-Hybrid AAABC 27.5.20 Turbo GT AAAAC 20.7.22 Taycan Turbo S AAAAA 29.7.20 ClioRENAULT TCe 100 Iconic AAAAB 27.11.19 Mégane 1.5 dCi Dyn. 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AAAAC 23.12.15 Touareg 3.0 TDI R-Line Tech AAABC 8.8.18 Grand California 600 AAABC 2.1.20 Transporter Kombi SWB AAACC 30.3.22 C40VOLVORecharge Twin Ult’ate AAABC 13.4.22 XC40 D4 AWD First Edition AAAAB 7.2.18 S60 T8 Polestar En’d AAABC 24.12.19 V60 D4 Momentum Pro AAAAC 27.6.18 XC60 D4 AWD R-Design AAABC 5.7.17 S90 D4 Momentum AAAAC 13.7.16 V90 T6 Recharge R-Design AAAAB 11.11.20 XC90 D5 Momentum AAAAC 17.6.15 SportWESTFIELD 250 AAAAC 29.11.17 E10ZENOS S AAAAB 7.10.15 A5 S5 AAABC 11.1.17 A5 Sportback 2.0 TFSI S line AAABC 8.3.17 A6 40 TDI S line Avant AAAAC 14.11.18 50 TFSIe S Line Quattro AAAAC 5.1.22 RS6 Avant Carbon Black AAAAC 11.3.20 A7 Sportback 50 TDI Sport AAABC 11.7.18 A8 L 60 TFSIe Sport Quattro AAABC 17.6.20 TT RS AAAAC 7.12.16 E-tron 55 Quattro AAAAB 26.6.19 S Quattro AAABC 2.6.21 Q2 1.4 TFSI Sport AAAAC 9.11.16 SQ2 Quattro AAAAC 20.3.19 Q4 E-tron 40 Sport AAABC 7.7.21 Q5 2.0 TDI S line AAAAC 15.3.17 SQ5 Quattro AAABC 21.6.17 SQ5 Sportback TDI Quattro AAABC 3.8.22 Q7 SQ7 4.0 TDI AAAAC 26.10.16 Q8 50 TDI S Line AAAAC 26.9.18 R8 V10 Plus AAAAC 30.12.15 ContinentalBENTLEYGTW12 Coupé AAAAB 2.5.18 Speed Coupé AAAAC 22.12.21 Flying Spur W12 AAAAB 15.7.20 Hybrid Mulliner AAAAB 17.8.22 Bentayga W12 AAAAB 18.5.16 BMW 1 Series 118i M Sport AAAAC 30.10.19 2 Series 220i Coupé AAAAC 1.6.22 M2 CS M-DCT AAAAB 19.8.20 218i Gran Coupé M Sport AAACC 8.4.20
We record and publish stopping distances, too, as well as taking cabin noise measurements at various cruising speeds and benchmarking either indicated or brim-to-brim fuel economy. We independently measure leg room, head room, boot space and certain key exterior vehicle dimensions, and we also weigh every car we test.
AC Ace
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Lotus Europa
This large, Farina-designed saloon was almost identical to models made by Austin and Wolseley. All were powered by a 2.9-litre straight six, but only the Princess was taken a stage further.
MGB
The original ’Vette didn’t sell well when it was introduced in 1953 with a straight-six engine.
Vand en Plas Princess
Sunbeam Alpi ne
Two years later, it became available with a brandnew Chevy small-block V8, originally in 4.3-litre form but later extended first to 4.6 and again to 5.4 litres. Corvette sales rose dramatically, and a car that might have been abandoned at an early stage remained in production until 1962. Six decades later, its latest descendant continues to do well, still powered by a V8.
SOTHEBYS 82 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 14 SEPTEMBER 2022
Chevrolet Corvette
DAVID
In 1964, it was given a new name – Princess R –following several revisions, the most dramatic being the fitment of a 3.9-litre engine developed by Rolls-Royce. The result was a far quicker Princess and more effortless high-speed cruiser.
The AC Ace roadster was introduced in 1953 and was fitted with several engines during its production run, the most powerful being a 2.6-litre Ford straight six. Its handling made it an effective road-legal competition car, but over in Texas, Carroll Shelby reckoned it would be better if it had a lot more power. Rather than dismissing this thought and moving on to something else, he created the AC Cobra, a reworked Ace with a Ford Windsor V8 engine initially measuring 4.3 litres and later 4.7 litres. The Cobra proved to be a mighty car in racing, even more so when it went into a new generation with a 7.0-litre Ford FE V8 under the bonnet.
Fiat 500
The story of the Tiger mirrors that of the earlier AC Cobra. Both cars were suggested by Carroll Shelby, who (in the Tiger’s case) thought there was nothing wrong with Sunbeam’s Alpine sports car that couldn’t be fixed by giving it more power. As with the Cobra, the Alpine was converted to accept the Ford Windsor engine and given a suitably aggressive name. This time, though, there would be no progression to a larger Ford V8.
The 500 was originally available with a variety of four-cylinder petrol engines. Three years after its 2007 launch, Fiat added the two-cylinder Twinair, the first engine designed from the start to use Multiair technology that had previously been added to existing units. Getting anywhere near the official MPG figures was a challenge and there was a lot of vibration until Fiat decided to add a dual-mass flywheel – but with the Twinair purring away, the 500 sounded as cute as it looked.
SLIDESHOW
The Europa started out in 1965 with the Cléon-Alu engine from the Renault 16, and it also used that car’s transaxle, which, unlike any transmission available from usual supplier Ford, could easily be adapted to suit the mid-engined layout. Lotus continued using the transaxle through the Europa’s production life but eventually swapped the engine for its own Ford-based Twin Cam. Power outputs shot up, initially to 105bhp and later 126bhp, boosting straight-line performance.
e all know of cars that were fitted with an outstanding engine right from the start. There are also many others that were more or less ordinary in their original forms but became more desirable because a new engine was added to the range or because an existing engine became available in a significantly altered form. Here are some of those cars that received a new lease of life.
WFINLAY
The MGB roadster was launched in 1962, and the MGB GT coupé three years later. In an attempt to create a high-performance variant, MG first fitted a 2.9-litre straight six and called the result the MGC, but this was abandoned after just two years. MG tried again in 1973, creating the MGB GT V8 by fitting the 3.5-litre Buick-derived Rover engine into the coupé. It didn’t last much longer than the MGC had but was a far superior car.
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