Innholdsfortegnelse for 08/02/2017 i Autocar

A SERIES OF trademark applications filed by BMW has further fuelled rumours that its M performance car division is close to introducing a limited range of powered-up CS (Coupé Sport) models. Information provided by the World Intellectual Property Organisation reveals that BMW has moved to protect a series of new model names, including M1 CS, M2 CS, M3 CS, M4 CS, M5 CS, M6 CS, M7 CS and M8 CS. Although not all of these models are expected to make production, Autocar understands that at least three of the new CS models identified in the recent trademark applications — the M2 CS, M4 CS and M6 CS — have already been given the green light for production. At least one of them is expected to go on sale in the…

New Volvo S90 and V90 Polestar models won’t launch until at least 2018 but will use high-performance hybrid power as the Swedish firm seeks to further differentiate itself from German rivals. The decision to launch with hybrid power is motivated by Volvo’s desire to be perceived differently from the likes of Audi’s RS, BMW’s M and Mercedes-AMG. However, company bosses have indicated that developing electrified performance cars will take time, pointing to a 2018 launch. At last month’s Detroit motor show Lex Kerssemakers, president of Volvo America, said the new-look Polestar won’t launch for around two years, but added: “There’s a plan, but nothing to talk about. We will talk soon, but we’re still working on it internally.” Volvo UK’s managing director, Jon Wakefield, declined to reveal specifics, but said:…

ONE OF THE first Ford GTs coming to Europe is being offered for sale for £171,000 more than the retail price — even though no cars have been delivered on this side of the Atlantic yet. Supercar dealership Fragopoulos, which is based in Switzerland, has listed the GT for sale, with delivery in September this year. Although the car’s official price has not been confirmed by Ford, in Europe the GT is expected to cost up to €550,000, which is around £472,000 at current exchange rates. The dealership’s owner, Simon Fragopoulos, said the first GT it sells will carry a premium of €200,000 (£171,000). That means the buyer will pay up to €750,000, or £643,000. Fragopoulos said third-party Ford GT retailers in the US were putting price tags as high…

Mercedes-AMG has revealed the world’s quickest wagon yet, the E63 Estate, which achieves 0-62mph in 3.5sec in S 4Matic+ guise. The fastest Audi RS6 Avant takes 3.7sec. It will go on sale in the UK this April. The 563bhp E63 4Matic+ Estate is expected to cost around £80k and the 603bhp E63 S 4Matic+ Estate around £90k. Both use the same twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 as the E63 Saloon. The boot capacity is 640 to 1820 litres, which, Mercedes claims, is the largest in the performance estate class.…

Torotrak has opted for a two-stage set-up on its Ford Focus 1.0T demo car. The V-Charge works in conjunction with a larger-than-standard turbocharger in order to provide enough boost to generate the high top-end power output. The V-Charge fits neatly on the rear of the engine, close to the front bulkhead, and is driven by a belt from the crankshaft, like the other ancillaries. A valve on the intake system allows intake air to bypass the V-Charge from around 3500rpm onwards, when the Ford’s conventional turbo takes over. The V-Charge could be switched on and off at will, providing a back-to-back comparison, albeit one with an oversized turbo. From about 1200rpm the response really is punchy and diesel-like, even at slight increases in throttle opening. That flexibility remains through the…

There’s something refreshingly unpretentious about the Kia Rio. Based on the 2016 Hyundai i20 and fitted with a new turbocharged 1.0-litre petrol engine (available in 99bhp guise with a five-speed manual gearbox as well as the 118bhp, six-speed version driven here), this seems to be a car that sets out to do a job well and without fuss. But is that enough to make it worth your wedge of cash? Well, not really. The three-pot motor thrums along quietly when you’re pottering around and is just as flexible as its rivals, but there isn’t the fun, goading-you-on character that the Ford Fiesta 1.0 Ecoboost, Mazda 2 1.5 and Skoda Fabia 1.2 TSI have in their favour. Handling is a similar story. The steering is light and quick enough to suit…

MODEL TESTED S CABRIOLET Price £73,025 • Power 503bhp • Torque 516lb ft • 0-60mph 4.6sec • 30-70mph in fourth 6.1sec • Fuel economy 21.1mpg • CO2 emissions 208g/km • 70-0mph 43.8m We didn’t road test the recent Mercedes-AMG C63 coupé, on account of the fact that we’d already tested the saloon and were hoping that an even more extreme Black Series version might come along at some point, and therefore doing so might prove to be AMG overkill. However, there’s something quite compelling about AMG at the moment, and the roll Mercedes’ performance division is on makes the C63 S Cabriolet worthy of your, and our, attention. Besides, we haven’t road tested a current C-Class Cabriolet yet, so this model represents an intersection of what the two separate labels…

“Euro NCAP was contentious at irst, but the industry has learned to work with it” The sight of a 1997 Rover 100 crumpling into a ball of scrap as it impacts a test barrier remains alarming. Yet the comparative ease with which a 2017 Honda Jazz handles a similar collision is a graphic illustration of the safety advances made in the past 20 years of the Euro NCAP consumer crash test regime. As Euro NCAP celebrates its landmark with this vivid back-to-back test, it is also eyeing the next 10 years of testing and will ramp up its famous star ratings to evaluate a new generation of electronic safety aids while also refining the crash test itself to achieve more realistic results. Euro NCAP organises its test regime into five-year…

ROAD TEST Tesla Model X Full test of the electric SUV that aims to give the established set a bloody nose INVESTIGATION Faraday Future How seriously should the new EV start-up be taken? We find out FIRST DRIVE Toyota Prius Plug-In Has the Prius finally become as good to drive as it is cheap to run? HOW TO Buy your first Ferrari Steve Cropley reveals how it might not cost as much as you think SUBSCRIBE autocar.co.uk/subscribe or see p36…

“As a track day fan, I’m looking forward to this Clio’s primary role more than anything” At Autocar in years gone by, I imagine the thought of a lowly photographer running a fast Clio would have provoked grumbles from a horde of looked-over road testers. Insert the word ‘Trophy’ as it applied to the 182 version of the model and I suspect wholesale rebellion would have ensued, with tears and shouting and bonfires built from tripods and flashguns. Now? Not so much. You’ll hardly need to be told that the addition of an automatic gearbox and a less than brilliant turbocharged 1.6-litre engine has led to a conspicuous lowering of the Renault Sport Clio’s previously stellar reputation. In regular format, this infamy was not undeserved, but Renault’s second go –…

“These cars are maintained to the highest standard using the best parts” Fancy copping a used car bargain? Then choosing an ex-police vehicle could be a good way to avoid being robbed. There are substantial savings to be made if you don’t mind making a few compromises – and that doesn’t mean choosing any colour as long as it’s white. So why does a former police car make sense? Gareth Brooks from specialist seller Ex Police Car says: “These cars are maintained to the highest standard with the best parts. They have to be reliable, so services are never missed and items like tyres are always replaced before they’re worn down.” Police cars don’t necessarily have huge mileages, either. A lot of smaller cars, such as the Ford Focus and…

Mercedes-Benz S-Class From £66,000 Opulent, advanced, incredibly refined: the S-Class is the classic limo, expertly realised and utterly persuasive. Range Rover From £73,000 Whether outside the Dorchester or atop Ben Nevis, the Rangie shrouds you in an invincible sense of expense. Tesla Model S From £59,900 Superior range doesn’t just make it a standout electric car; it’s also one of the best luxury options around. BMW 7 Series From £64,000 Rules the roost on in-car entertainment and diesel powertrain sophistication — but otherwise too bland Jaguar XJ From £56,000 No other ›irm is currently mixing sportiness and aloofness with the skill of Jaguar. It makes the XJ a rare blend.…

WHAT’S COMING WHEN EADON GREEN BLACK CUILLIN | 2018 Morgan’s Aero and Plus models occupy a tiny part of the market with few rivals. However, at next month’s Geneva motor show, London-based company Eadon Green will reveal a retro-styled performance coupé that could take on Morgan. The model, named after a mountain range on the Isle of Skye in Scotland, is expected to go on sale next year. FEBRUARY BMW 5 Series, Dacia Duster update, Isuzu D-Max update, Kia Rio, Land Rover Discovery, Mini Countryman, Peugeot 5008, Seat Leon, Volvo S90 R-Design, V90 R-Design, V90 Cross Country MARCH AC Cobra 378, Atalanta sports car, BMW 670Li xDrive update, Ferrari GTC4 Lusso T, Honda Civic, Hyundai i30, Jaguar F-Type update, F-Type 400 Sport, Nissan Micra, Renault Captur update, Seat Leon Cupra…

“The new M5’s 0-62mph time is expected to at least match the 3.5sec of the Mercedes-AMG E63 S” BMW will turn 32 years of rear-wheel-drive performance car tradition on its head this year with the introduction of its first four-wheel-drive M5. The German super-saloon is set to run a reworked version of the outgoing fifth-generation model’s twin-turbocharged V8 petrol engine, producing upwards of 592bhp, along with a standard eight-speed automatic gearbox. The four-wheel-drive model is described by senior BMW officials as not only the most powerful and fastest-accelerating but also the most dynamically capable and technically advanced M5 yet. BMW senior vice-president Hildegard Wortmann told Autocar last month that the model will be as significant as the latest 7 Series in defining the next generation of performance models. Wortmann explained…

The next Porsche 911, including the GT3, will be powered exclusively by turbocharged six-cylinder engines when it arrives in 2019, marking the end of naturally aspirated units for the line-up. The GT3 will produce more than 500bhp, while the standard models are set to get an extra 10-15bhp over today’s Carrera and Carrera S when they arrive. The current 991-generation Carrera and Carrera S deliver 364bhp and 414bhp respectively, so the 992-generation 911 will produce from around 375bhp to 429bhp. A hybrid 911 will also be introduced in 2020. The flat six engine will be combined with an electric motor which will provide limited pure-electric driving as well as performance-boosting functions. The 992, which has been spotted in the Arctic Circle testing for the first time, remains the same length…

CITROEN HAS REVEALED its C-Aircross concept, which previews a production model that is set to rival the Nissan Juke and indirectly replace the current C3 Picasso. The C-Aircross is expected to be seen in production form later this year, with UK sales set to begin early next year. Its styling eschews the MPV look of the C3 Picasso for more of an SUV shape. The concept’s dimensions are very similar to those of both the C3 Picasso and the Nissan Juke, and it has 18in wheels, a panoramic sunroof and rear-hinged rear doors for easy access. Citroën says aerodynamics have also been a focus, with the model featuring air inlets on the bumper and front door guards and a diffuser at the rear. The interior features a head-up ‘vision board’…

The lucky winner will get to drive a Ford Fiesta ST200 for three months, and the prize even includes insurance. All we ask is that the winner posts one social media post per week showing the fun they’re having with this brilliant car. To enter, go to the website autocar.co.uk/fiestacompetition and upload an image that best demonstrates what you love about driving. Anything goes, from hand drawings to paintings or photographs. A joint Autocar and Ford judging panel will pick four finalists, before putting them to a public vote on Instagram and Facebook. The image with the most likes wins the prize. TERMS AND CONDITIONS Competition closes on 22 February. Social media vote takes place between 23 February and 3 March. The car will be delivered to the winner by…

We might forgive American founding father Benjamin Franklin, were he alive today, for averting his attention from what’s currently going on in his homeland. He wasn’t a man short on hobbies. But if, for argument’s sake, he adopted the state of the European car market as a welcome distraction instead of messing about with electricity or North Atlantic currents or whatever else might take his fancy in 2017, perhaps he’d modify his famous adage about life’s only dependable certainties. They are death, taxes – and, it seems to me at any rate, the indomitable Volkswagen Golf. VW can mire itself in a toxic emissions-fiddling scandal, it seems; it can be subject to a fallout that costs tens of billions of euros and key executives their jobs at many levels; it…

It won’t have escaped your attention that Mercedes-AMG makes expensive cars, and the C63 S Cabriolet is in that mould: an equivalent BMW M4 costs £7000 less, and the Audi RS5 Cabriolet was a sub-£70k buy when its production ended. But when your product is as singular as this – unmatched on power, performance and handling reward and one of the only cars of its kind with a bombastic V8 – people will pay. The C63 S has the material richness, tactile quality and infotainment sophistication to feel like a true luxury product. It has the practicality and good manners, too, to be used on a range of occasions. The strings to its bow are many. And yet it’s a dedication to sporting purpose almost unprecedented in a car of…

To the naked eye, the Dartford street occupied by Caterham Cars doesn’t much resemble the ‘broad sunlit uplands’ of Churchill’s famous speech, even though the statesman lived nearby. Instead, Kennet Avenue is crowded, down at heel and industrial, and its best vista features a sandwich van at the end of the road. Even so, when you consider Caterham’s rapidly improving financial performance and prospects, maybe the allusion works. This manufacturer of the now 60-year-old Seven sports car has sprung back to its best after a decade of uncertainty that was fuelled first by the collapse of its engine and chassis suppliers, and then, bizarrely, by its own over-ambition. Today, led by an optimistic and financially savvy CEO, Graham Macdonald, Caterham Cars is working again at full capacity. There’s a 12-month…

Bravo Bentley The Bentley Bentayga is superbly engineered and quite unique in the market at the moment, so it should be seen as an impressive achievement by anyone who appreciates great car design in the broadest sense. Steve Cropley is clearly enjoying the one he’s driving, noting that “we racked up 2000 miles over Christmas without even thinking about it” (Our Cars, 18 January), although at 21mpg, those 2000 miles would have cost more than £500 in fuel and sent nearly a tonne of CO2 into the atmosphere. Rodger Bending Via email Our long-term fleet is incredibly diverse. Often parked either side of the Bentayga in our garage are a Renault Twizy and Nissan Leaf – DR Box of tricks I sympathise with Vicky Parrot’s frustration with the Nissan Leaf’s…

“The Navara garnered respect from my colleagues for hustling around the track” It was only right that our Nissan Navara NP300 Double Cab pick-up truck was plunged straight into the action when it arrived last July. This is a no-nonsense utility vehicle, after all, and from day one it was put to work transporting my bulky camera gear to myriad video shoots around the country. It rarely got a rest thereafter and in six months covered 11,880 miles. That’s one of the Navara’s many impressive numbers. Some of the other most important ones relate to its impact on my wallet. The Navara is classified as a light commercial vehicle, so the flat £140 VED rate takes the sting out of our CO2-based road tax system, despite its claimed 169g/km output.…

The Hyundai is a remarkable car thanks to its hydrogen fuel cell, yet it is positively unremarkable to live with. For all the technical wizardry going on out of sight, I am going from A to B with scarcely a care in the world. With the refuelling infrastructure in its infancy, there is the issue of range anxiety, but even that’s hardly an issue. I can comfortably get 200 miles from a tank, so I haven’t ventured beyond the Heathrow and Teddington fuel stations in southwest London. But should I need to, existing fuelling stations make trips to the south coast, west Wales or as far north as Sheffield possible. But there are barriers, because, as with battery-electric cars’ charging points, not all fuelling stations are run by the same…

For a month or two there has been a mysterious squeak from the teenager’s toy car. It was definitely the front suspension, and one might assume it would be bush related. Trying to find some Polo downtime was difficult, but when we did it was dropped off at the garage. They replaced the front wishbone in a couple of hours and it was back on the road. Apparently this sort of wear is common on the Volkswagen Group’s supermini products. The whole job was a quite reasonable £153.28. They also had a look for the phantom water leak into the rear footwell, but without success.…

“Condition, service history and provenance are more important than year or model type” Hot hatch lovers of a certain age have the Peugeot 205 GTi to go misty-eyed over, but what if you aren’t pondering retirement? Say hello to the younger petrolhead’s must-have: the Renault Sport Clio 172 and 182. At launch in 2000, the 172 cost around £16,000, with the result that good runners with history are seriously cheap today. In fact, we came across one for £990 at a dealer, with the ‘sold as seen’ car described as having lots of history and a new timing belt and water pump. The downside? The MOT had expired. Never mind, because just £500 more gets you a 172 with a full MOT, full history and the crucial cambelt and dephaser…

BMW 5 Series From £31,900 Performance, efficiency, handling sophistication, practicality, desirability and value all rolled into one. Excellent. Jaguar XF From £29,900 Outstanding ride and handling and a rich, pleasant cabin. Not as roomy as some; four-cylinder engines disappoint. Audi A6 From £32,300 Perfect for anyone looking for a smart of›ice cubicle on wheels. Supremely well constructed but somewhat soulless to drive. Mercedes-Benz E-Class From £34,900 A bit on the pricey side and less sporting to drive than its key rivals. Four-pot diesels are a bit sluggish. Lexus GS From £33,495 Restrictive engine range limits the GS’s appeal, but outstanding re›inement and cabin quality make amends to a point.…

The boot of the new Vauxhall Insignia Sports Tourer has 100 litres more space than that of the old model. Now offering up to 1640 litres, it beats the rival Ford Mondeo Estate by 35 litres. The engine line-up for the estate, which will be unveiled at next month’s Geneva show, will consist of a 247bhp 2.0-litre petrol, a new 1.5-litre petrol with 163bhp and 1.6 and 2.0-litre diesels. Equipment includes LED headlights, Intellilink connectivity and the Onstar assistance service. Pricing is expected to be similar to that of the outgoing model, which starts from £20,229.…

VOLKSWAGEN HAS HALTED development of the 1.5-litre four-cylinder diesel engine originally scheduled for introduction next year in the upcoming Polo. In combination with the turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol unit launched in the facelifted seventh-generation Golf, the cancelled powerplant was set to form part of a small engine offensive by Volkswagen. However, high engineering costs, increasingly tough CO2 and NOx emission standards and waning demand for diesels in Europe’s B segment in the wake of the Dieselgate scandal have led to VW abandoning its small diesel engine strategy. Instead, the firm will focus on small-capacity petrol-electric hybrids, according to VW’s head of research and development, Frank Welsch. Welsch singled out the high cost of developing an after-treatment system for a successor to the existing 1.6 TDI unit. “The added cost is…

Seat is considering whether a new “sports car-like crossover” could become its flagship model for a launch around 2020. A third, large SUV is pencilled into Seat’s future plan at the pinnacle of its range, but the exact design and positioning has yet to be determined. Seat boss Luca de Meo said: “A crossover — a [Porsche] Macan kind of concept — could be the emerging kind of model — a model that is a mix between a sports car and an SUV. This is one of the segments we see growing.” Seat’s design chief, Alejandro Mesonero, also said “a bigger SUV than the Ateca” is coming at some point, a model he also described as “something different”. The new model would be at the top of a range of…

MCLAREN AUTOMOTIVE AND BMW will develop combustion technology together as part of a new collaboration. The technology is intended to deliver a higher output per capacity than is currently possible, according to McLaren. It said the aim is to help reduce CO2 while increasing engine output. Both the British car maker and BMW confirmed the technology is “destined for application in future [McLaren and BMW] engines”. McLaren told Autocar it expects the technology to be implemented in a McLaren engine by 2020. The project also includes a number of other partners and is part-funded by the British government through the Advanced Propulsion Centre. Led by McLaren Automotive, the project includes McLaren’s existing engine manufacturing partner, Ricardo, as well as BMW Group and Grainger and Worrall, which will provide complex, lightweight…

“V-Charge is designed to support the trend towards the extreme downsizing of petrol engines” British company Torotrak is pressing ahead with plans to commercialise its unique V-Charge supercharger system, despite suspending development of the technology last month. The V-Charge is a new type of mechanical, belt-driven supercharger that is designed to support the trend towards the extreme downsizing of petrol engines and provide better performance and response than can be achieved by using a turbocharger alone. It can also be fitted to diesel engines to improve throttle response and reduce nitrogen oxide emissions. Other benefits claimed for the V-Charge are that it is small and quiet, reducing the need for costly noise suppression, and it is light, weighing only 6kg, compared with around 10kg for a typical Roots-type supercharger. Unlike…

VOLKSWAGEN HAS ENDED Toyota’s four-year stint as the world’s largest car group by sales volume. The German giant’s car, van and truck brands sold a total of 10.3 million vehicles last year, putting it ahead of Toyota’s 10.2m. VW also recorded a 3.85% sales rise, despite the eponymous car brand’s ongoing legal claims in the US in wake of the diesel emissions scandal. Felipe Munoz, an automotive analyst with JATO Dynamics, said VW was in a strong position by leading in two of the three largest car markets, Europe and China: “The other reason why the Volkswagen Group is the biggest manufacturer globally is the gap between the perception of consumers and the reality. “Despite the reputational problems, excellent quality standards continue to win over consumers.” VW boss Matthias Müller…

Perhaps the most important thing to know about the new Civic is that Honda couldn’t have tried any harder. In sweeping aside its previously regional approach to development, the firm poured fully a third of its total research and development budget into the new global model. Marrying the five-door European car with international requirements means the hatchback gets the longest wheelbase in the C segment, but the new steel unibody is stiffer and lighter, too. It also receives a fully independent rear suspension where once a modest twist beam sat. Also considerably less humble is the petrol engine choice. The sadly outmoded naturally aspirated 1.8-litre VTEC motor has finally been replaced with the cutting-edge (and inevitably turbocharged) options of 127bhp 1.0-litre three-cylinder or 180bhp 1.5-litre four-cylinder units. The newness underneath…

“The Seven symbolised the in-built confidence and scrupulous yes-we-can ambition of the 1950s” Caterham could hardly have picked a better week to send us its new retro-look Seven Sprint. Two days earlier, I’d been summoned to the semi-detached house my grandparents called home before infirmity and chronic forgetfulness finally ushered them into full-time care. With a place in the estate agent’s window beckoning, the immediate family were there to siphon treasured memories from a six-decade mountain of dusty clutter. Occasional poignant moment aside, this wasn’t difficult – until, that is, the jumbled shelves and ancient boxes of my grandad’s workshop spilled their secrets. Often still in their original wax paper or packaging, the most achingly beautiful hand tools, still sharp or shiny or else solid like a lump of…

Nothing changed the world like the car. A car is not just a convenience, a means of carrying people and things long distances in short periods of time. For more people in more places around the world than anything else, the car is freedom. It is something that lives outside your house that will take you pretty much anywhere you like, any time you want to go there. In almost all cases, it can be counted upon to be quiet, comfortable, fast and reliable. It is the most extraordinary device, man’s greatest creation to date. But there are cars and there are cars. Most simply try to improve on what’s gone before. But a few have sought not merely to be better, but to be different. Sometimes it doesn’t work…

“The dream for me is F1. It’s the pinnacle of motorsport and where every young driver wants to be” If you type the words ‘girls in motorsport’ into a Google image search – probably best you don’t if you’re in public – the vast majority of results are of scantily clad women. You have to skim past nearly two dozen pictures before you arrive at the first race suit-wearing person. This is bad. It’s also surprising because, unlike many other sports, motor racing is gender neutral. Neither sex has a natural advantage when driving a racing car. Yet here we are, more than 120 years on from the world’s first motor race, and women are still, by and large, under-represented. Things are changing quickly, though, and one of the UK’s…

Why Alfa needs a supermini Steve Cropley said he feels pangs of regret at the loss of the Alfa Romeo Mito, leaving the marque without a small car as a legacy to the delightful Alfasud (My Week in Cars, 18 January). I couldn’t agree more, especially as superminis are gradually moving upmarket in style and sophistication, without costing the earth. The problem is how to make a small car – even a premium, sporty one – profitable without big volumes. The ‘Punto beneath’ didn’t help the Mito. Maybe a next-generation Mazda 2 could assist. Rodger Williams Via email WIN Letter of the week wins this ValetPRO exterior protection and maintenance kit worth £58.95…

“This third-generation Jazz does well nearly everything that you’d expect it to do well” How do we measure the popularity of a long-term test car here? Easy. It’s not a matter of worldwide sales or cornering prowess. It’s measured simply by the number of times the car’s keys are borrowed from the owner’s desk while the vehicle is in our tenure. I have run cars on 12-month loans, most notably a posh Jaguar, an on-trend Nissan Qashqai and a smart Lexus SUV, where the keys were off my desk so much that I began to wonder if I’d actually dreamt them up. By contrast, in six months with my little Attract Yellow Honda Jazz, only two people actually asked to borrow it of their own volition and, having driven it…

Barry Dodkin had a diesel Fiesta Ghia that was written off in a low-speed accident, but he had a plan. “I bought a 1.25 Zetec in a pub car park for £600,” he says. “I swapped the alloys and bespoilered rear door from the Ghia. Since then I have rustproofed it every year and kept it serviced as a second car, which I use once or twice a week for my gardening work. I plan to lower it 30mm with a suspension kit, fit 15in black alloys, a brake upgrade and, ultimately, have a 1.7-litre Puma engine and gearbox professionally fitted.” SEND YOUR USED CAR TALES TO james@bangernomics.com…

An expert’s view CARL SMITH, REPAIR & RESTORE BODYSHOP “We’re Renault Sport specialists. There’s nothing we don’t know about the bodies on Clio RS 172s and 182s, and how to repair them. The cars are getting on now and have had multiple owners. Some have had track day smashes, been patched up and passed on to unsuspecting buyers. Others have just been repaired on the cheap after a trip into a hedge. We can spot them a mile off. Rust is another thing, around the rear wheel arches and the rear subframe. We know where to look and can get to it before it takes hold.” Buyer beware… • ENGINE Check the engine doesn’t rock on its mounts. Cambelt and tensioner change is every five years or 72,000 miles (have…

Elemental RP1 From £75,000 A tweaked Ford Ecoboost engine makes it fast, but it’s the beautiful handling that leaves a lasting impression. BAC Mono From £79,000 A sublime attempt to recreate the single-seater driving experience for the road. Utterly incomparable. Radical RXC500 From £143,000 Radical’s revision of its road car delivers the power previously missing. A Nürburgring record holder in waiting. KTM X-Bow From £143,000 Austrian motorcycle maker’s take on a track day special. It’s hard not to fall for the wonderful driving manners. Vuhl 05 From £60,000 Mexican track day car has a pragmatic and forgiving chassis. Turbo engine isn’t the most characterful.…