Innholdsfortegnelse for 18/05/2016 i Autocar

CAR MAKERS MUST “reduce friction” for customers trying to buy online, according to Google. Speaking at the Future of the Car Summit, the firm’s automotive expert, Hugh Dickerson, who works with manufacturers to market their cars through Google, said: “Companies that are easiest to buy from will ultimately prosper.” Dickerson believes buyers’ expectations only get higher as their patience reduces. “You can order a pizza with a single click, but it takes pages of forms to go out on a test drive,” he said. Google’s planned self-driving car is likely to draw on the company’s work with established car makers.…

FERRARI IS PRIVATELY offering selected individuals the chance to buy a spider version of its LaFerrari hypercar ahead of a 2017 launch. New CEO Sergio Marchionne confirmed in an interview with the Automobile website that a LaFerrari Spider was in development. Potential customers have already been shown the car. It is an open-top version of the fixed-head LaFerrari, all 499 units of which have already been sold. The biggest difference between the LaFerrari coupé and spider will, of course, be the roof. Ferrari’s most recent convertible models, the 488 Spider and California, have been folding hard-tops, and the same is expected for the LaFerrari Spider. A removable targa-style top is an option rather than a fully retractable hard-top, due to the extra weight of a full convertible and the tight…

Owners can earn up to £600 a year with xStorage Nissan is launching a new vehicle-to-grid charging scheme in the UK with its all-electric Leaf. The set-up will enable owners to sell extra energy stored in their cars’ batteries back to the electricity grid for money. Nissan has been working with the UK’s National Grid and global power management company Eaton to develop a storage system called xStorage, which can transfer additional energy from a Leaf’s batteries to the grid. Nissan Europe chairman Paul Willcox said a fully charged Leaf can power an average home for two days, and contributing to the grid with xStorage can earn owners as much as £600 a year in income. “Currently, there are about 18,000 Leafs in the UK, with energy equivalent to about…

When you talk to people at Aston Martin, ‘Andy’ comes up a lot. Andy Palmer, still a relatively new incumbent to Aston’s top job, has been driving product development like no one at Gaydon before him. The hope is that profit will accompany it like at no other time for Aston Martin, too. Models need to feel distinctly different from each other, Andy says, and they should arrive more frequently and be augmented by twice-yearly special products. And, oh yeah, always make sure there’s a manual gearbox option. This is that. When the V12 Vantage S replaced the V12 Vantage, the old six-speed manual gearbox was dropped (although you can still have it in a V8), because few buyers really wanted one. A seven-speed automated manual – a single-clutch transaxle…

Idaren’t take my eyes off the track ahead to look at the speedo, but the rate at which the posts to the right are flashing past confirms we’re travelling at one hundred and something. Focusing on the kerb ahead and to the left, the sage advice given yesterday comes to mind: “Be as close to the wall on the right as possible, and go over the left-hand kerb with half, maybe even three-quarters of the car.” Easing off feels like a good idea at this point, but the car is capable of carrying more speed into the corner, so my right foot remains buried into the carpet, revs still rising. The flat yellow and red-striped kerb comes up fast on the left and the car charges over it, vibrations channelling…

I recently ordered a new Focus RS and was told there were only around 500 left to buy in the UK. Deliveries are now taking place for customers who placed orders in early 2015, and the few models that are being sold on have a premium of a few thousand pounds over their list price. Ford’s strategy is normally to limit production of its high-performance cars to maintain demand, exclusivity and residuals. I’m taking a punt that, despite demand, Ford won’t make more than the 4000 units promised to the UK, so I’ve ordered a second RS which I intend to sell. It’s purely a speculative purchase. If I can see a 10% return I’ll be happy, but there’s a slight risk, because these premium rates might die down by…

After arriving at Bentley’s flagship Crewe showroom and engaging the salesman in pleasantries, you expect him to take an interest in certain things, such as your Swiss watch or Barbadian suntan — assuming you’re in a position to offer such easy conversational pickings. You don’t expect him to be interested in the Skoda estate that you’ve parked right outside. And yet it happened to me recently. That I presented pale-faced and without a timepiece worth commenting on gave the poor chap few other options, but our Superb’s classlessness gives it a selling point to almost anyone. I was at Bentley to drive the new Bentayga, and the employee in question divulged that he had a Superb Estate on order and wanted to know about practicality, cabin quality, driveability, ride and…

1 Audi R8 V10 Spyder (2010-2012) The R8 V10 may lack the draw of a top-notch supercar, but it has the heart and soul of a super-quick and well-balanced sporting convertible. It’s thrilling, too, thanks to a mid-mounted 518bhp 5.2-litre V10 that’s related to the one in the Lamborghini Gallardo. It drives all four wheels, providing enough thrust and traction to hit 62mph from rest in 4.1sec and a breezy 194mph flat out. A canvas roof keeps weight low and the handling is rear biased for fun. You can choose either a six-speed manual or an automated R-tronic transmission. Quality is first class and problems are few, but you’ll need deep pockets to buy such a thing. Prices start at £60k for a 2011 example. 2 Bentley Continental GTC (2006-present)…

MG is planning to extend its line-up with two new SUVs. One will be of a similar size to the Nissan X-Trail and the other will compete in the same sector as the Nissan Juke. The new models will complete a three-SUV MG line-up that will include the mid-sized GS, due to be launched next month. Speaking to Autocar at the London motor show, MG sales and marketing boss Matthew Cheyne said: “You have to be playing in the right segments, and clearly the SUV segment is a growth market. “Next year we’ll be launching a B-segment SUV — the GS’s baby brother, if you like,” he added. The Juke rival is tipped to go on sale towards the end of 2017. “We’ll have the B and C-segment SUVs in…

THE JAGUAR F-TYPE looks set to get a four-cylinder petrol engine option as part of a facelift next year. The entry-level engine will either be the turbocharged 2.0-litre unit already used in the XE, or the upcoming petrol version of Jaguar Land Rover’s new Ingenium. Power output is expected to be around 300bhp in either case. A prototype of a four-cylinder F-Type coupé, with minor tweaks to the styling of its nose, has been seen lapping the Nürburgring in Germany. Its front bumper has lost the outer air intakes that feature on existing V6 and V8 F-Types and instead makes do with slimmer gaps below the grille. This creates a cleaner, more aerodynamic look. The facelifted F-Type also has LED headlights, which are likely to feature adaptive technology. Similar revisions…

Suzuki’s much-loved Swift Sport will switch to a turbocharged engine with its next-generation model. The new Swift Sport is due to reach the UK by the end of next year following the launch of the new standard Swift supermini in the summer. Power for the Swift Sport will come from a more potent version of the 138bhp 1.4-litre Boosterjet engine already used in the Vitara crossover. This will replace the high-revving 136bhp normally aspirated 1.6-litre engine used in the current car. Expect all of the traits that have given the first two generations of Swift Sport cult status to carry over to the new car, including the engaging handling, impressive body control, slick manual gearbox, subtle bodykit and low kerb weight, which could even drop to less than 1000kg in…

VOLVO IS EXPECTED to reveal its all-new V40 and XC40 today (Wednesday) in concept form after teasing their existence on picture-sharing social media site Snapchat. The two cars will sit on the firm’s all-new CMA platform, which has been co-developed with Chinese owner Geely and will underpin Volvo’s smallest model range. The architecture is designed to be premium enough to allow Geely to develop more upmarket products while supporting a more profitable, wider range of Volvo’s 40-series models. Volvo’s use of Snapchat to tease its new models reflects a desire to attract younger buyers with its range of smaller cars. For the latest on Volvo’s unveiling of the new V40 and XC40 concepts, visit autocar.co.uk.…

This is the first Fiat in quite some time that hasn’t relied on retro charm to help sales. It may have a name that harks back to 1989’s European Car of the Year, but the new Tipo is a clean-sheet design. Not that there’s anything ground-breaking here. The Tipo’s engineering is entirely conventional, with styling that’s unlikely to offend. Where this car really excels, however, is with the amount of space it offers for what is a relatively small outlay. You can spend less than £13,000 on a five-door Tipo, while even a top-specification diesel-engined Station Wagon with a dual-clutch automatic gearbox is less than £20,000. With Ford Focuses, Vauxhall Astras and other C-segment contenders now stretching well beyond that higher figure, the Tipo is certainly worth a closer look.…

Sir Alec Issigonis is famed for his quotes as well as his Mini, and looking at the new Clubman All4, I’m reminded of one in particular: “The public don’t know what they want. It’s my job to tell them.” Could that apply to the All4? Do we really want a four-wheel-drive Clubman and will many buy one? The four-wheel drive works on demand, so when you are bowling along in roughly a straight line, all the power goes to the front wheels, which saves around 30% in frictional losses. When things get tricky, an electronically controlled ‘hang-on’ clutch mounted in front of the rear differential can switch power to the rear wheels in an instant. It’s designed not just to react to wheel slip but also to predict it, using…

Best cars, most influential designs, biggest corporate crashes, greatest recoveries: each of these automotive jigsaw pieces – and those that fill the spaces in between – goes towards making up a unique 120-year, boom-bust-boom history of Britain’s motor industry. Most of the saga is chronicled today in the unique museum at Gaydon, formerly called the Heritage Motor Centre but recently reorganised, renamed and reopened as the British Motor Museum. It’s easy enough to find, beside Jaguar Land Rover’s huge test track and technical centre (with Aston Martin in one quieter corner) that nowadays occupies an entire former V-bomber base just off the M40 near Warwick. From the creation of Wolseley cars in the late 1800s by a company whose real money came from selling sheep-shearing equipment to Australia, to a…

Mileage 7564 Recently I dictated a text message to my wife while driving at 70mph (and not one mile per hour more) on the M6. And do you know what? The words that came out of my mouth went into my phone and emerged on the other side of the satellite just as I’d said them. This remarkable occurrence didn’t get me out of the doghouse for being three hours late home from work, but it did mean that I arrived to my gently smouldering dinner with a twinkle of excitement in my eye. Maybe it’s my age showing, but I’m used to voice recognition systems being utterly hopeless — so much so that I can’t remember the last time I actually used one for any purpose other than to…

A Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet makes sense. You wouldn’t go wrong with one of those The used car-buying conundrum I was set the other day is more interesting than it first appeared: a four-year-old, four-seat, sporty convertible for £15k. It sounded like a tall order, not least the ‘four-seat open-top’ part. You usually have to compromise when it comes to carrying rear-seat passengers in a cabriolet, but the great news is that the car makers’ dash to fill every conceivable niche is starting to pay off in the used market. The obvious choice is a BMW 1 Series Convertible. For £15k, you can get a fairly new (2013) example that’ll be fun to drive, and a 120d will also provide impressive fuel economy, with a claimed 60mpg combined. It’ll be a…

Lightweights 1 Ariel Nomad From £36,000 If there were simply a list of our top five favourite cars, the Nomad might just top it. A revelation and a riot. 2 Morgan 3 Wheeler From £31,000 The eccentric, characterful and deftly brilliant Morgan is a three-wheeled testament to English creativity. 3 Caterham Seven From £31,000 The sweet spot in the revised range, its remapped 2.0 Duratec provides just the right level of performance. 4 Ariel Atom 3.5R From £64,000 Everything learnt by Ariel during the past decade has been poured into this update. It shows. Sublime. 5 Zenos E10 From £24,995 The latest in a line of British mid-engined marvels. Earns its stripes immediately. Expect a dedicated following. Visit autocar.co.uk for all of our Top Fives…

The Stelvio name signals Alfa’s intent to put a sharp focus on dynamic appeal The first-ever Alfa Romeo SUV, strongly tipped to be called Stelvio, is expected to be launched as an ultra-high-performance model powered by the firm’s potent V6 engine. The decision to launch the new SUV in 2017 with a top-end performance model mirrors the strategy currently being applied to the roll-out of Alfa’s BMW 3 Series rival, the Giulia, with which the Stelvio will share many of its underpinnings and powertrain options. In doing so, Alfa hopes to signal its unabashed confidence in taking on the fastest performance SUVs from Audi, BMW, Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche. Insiders say the firm’s bosses have given engineers the go-ahead to develop the car to challenge the class best for on-road…

DESIGN HOUSE KAHN’S next partner model will be the Jeep Wrangler, it has confirmed to Autocar. Kahn was responsible for the Aston Martin DB9-based Vengeance and various Land Rover Defender projects. This new project follows the end of the Defender’s production. A Kahn spokesperson said: “We’ve just launched a wide-body styling package for the Jeep Wrangler, and we’re looking for that car to take over where the Defender finished.” Around 500 Wranglers are sold in the UK each year, with the Kahn-owned Chelsea Truck Company accounting for a fifth of these. The US, on the other hand, buys 160,000 Wranglers a year, so this is where Kahn is eyeing expansion. The Kahn spokesman also hinted at the possibility of an electric model. “We’ve got other programmes in the stages of…

Infiniti’s European boss has given the strongest hint yet that the firm is looking to develop high-performance hybrid powertrains for a new generation of sports cars to rival models from the likes of Audi’s RS, BMW’s M and Mercedes’ AMG divisions. Since taking on the role of vice-president of Infiniti’s operations in Europe, Africa and the Middle East in 2014, François Goupil de Bouillé has consistently said the company will not succeed if it copies the product line-up of its established premium-brand rivals. “Following the established pack will only lead to failure,” Goupil de Bouillé said. “We must forge our own path.” Now, in an exclusive interview with Autocar, Goupil de Bouillé has hinted that using hybrid technology could be key to offering a more modern interpretation of a fast…

NISSAN IS TO buy a 34% stake in Mitsubishi Motors for £1.5 billion. The deal, which will make Nissan the firm’s largest single shareholder, comes in the wake of revelations that Mitsubishi has rigged fuel economy tests on certain models over a period of 25 years, including some built under license for Nissan. Since the scandal broke, shares in Mitsubishi have fallen in value by more than 50%. Speaking about the deal, Renault-Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn said: “We will support Mitsubishi Motors as they address their challenges and welcome them as the newest member of our enlarged alliance family. “This is a breakthrough transaction and a win-win for both Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors. It creates a dynamic new force in the automotive industry that will co-operate intensively and generate sizeable…

It’s a sweeter engine than the Boxster S’s. Its voice is less gruff and its power delivery is smoother You could call this the Porsche Boxster lite. The diet Boxster, if you will. The last time Porsche launched a car powered by an engine this small was 40 years ago; the motor came out of a Volkswagen van and went into a thing called a 924. From 2.7 litres of snarling flat six, the Boxster has been downgraded to 2.0 litres of warbling flat four. Many who have already driven the 718 Boxster S with the 2.5-litre version of this engine have emerged with their admiration for some aspects of this new powerplant under close control. What chance, then, for what is essentially the same car but with the one…

The previous Boxster, barely old enough for the grave, was notoriously great. The first had been great enough to save Porsche; the outgoing one was great enough for us to briefly scrap the top five list in which it appeared, so distant was it from whichever also-ran we considered installing in second place. I still remember driving it at launch in manual 2.7-litre format and, at high revs in third gear, pulling a face not usually associated with being outdoors or even sitting up. On a sunny day, on an empty road, it could be truly intoxicating by providing the prerequisite qualities of sound, speed, size, breeze, handling, feedback and soul in uncannily precise measure. So palpable was the effect that you needed no expert ability or bravery to access…

Magnetic levitation is already used by some trains and consumes relatively little energy Of all the clichés in a motoring writer’s repertoire, the term ‘reinventing the wheel’ has to be one of the worst. This time, however, it’s true: Goodyear’s 360 concept, a spherical wheel and tyre combination, literally reinvents the wheel. Even more radical is the fact that there is no mechanical connection between the wheels and the car at all. Instead, the body is supported over the wheels by magnetic levitation. So is this an inspired idea, a moment of genius or maybe just plain bonkers? Far-fetched though it may sound, there’s certainly a serious element to it. Like many emerging technologies, this one was prompted by the rapid approach of autonomous vehicles. “We envision that by 2030…

I’m into my second month with the Tucson and, generally speaking, everything is going well. It probably helps that the car has had an easy introduction to the swing of things, with a lot of to-ing and fro-ing between home and airport parking — although later this month I’ve got a trip to the Isle of Skye planned that ought to be a proper test of its practicality and comfort. The early word on that is good; the last (or first) two people to experience travel time in the rear seats seemed satisfied. But that was for 15 minutes; after seven hours of back-agitating motorway furrowing, we’ll know for sure. I should also have a clearer picture of fuel economy. At the moment it’s hovering around 38mpg, which isn’t exactly…

READER’S CAR: BMW 530i Ryan Thomson’s E39 BMW 530i Sport had 47,000 miles on the clock when he purchased it for £4500. “It was originally a demonstrator [in 2000],” says Ryan. “Then it was sold for around £35k to an owner who kept it under a cover in his four-car garage next to his Rolls. It never went out in the rain or salt. I have updated the software and sat-nav maps, the driver’s door speaker was replaced (£7 off eBay), the heater controls are getting brittle, so I’m slowly replacing those, and the headlight bulbs have just been replaced.” SEND YOUR BANGERNOMICS TALES TO JAMES Twitter: @Bangernomics Email: james@bangernomics.com WHAT CAUGHT MY EYE THIS WEEK: DIESEL BACKLASH A car for sale that announced itself as a diesel…