Innholdsfortegnelse for 6/9/2017 i Autocar

Porsche is investigating whether to put a more rakish coupé-style version of its all-new Cayenne into production as part of an expanded SUV line-up. Company boss Oliver Blume confirmed to Autocar at the third-generation Cayenne’s unveiling that Porsche “is thinking about” a Cayenne coupé to rival the BMW X6 and Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupé, but it is “not decided yet”. He added: “We analyse different segments and this can be an option in the future. Today, no decision has been taken. We have to make a calculation and talk to our customers.” Porsche design boss Michael Mauer confirmed that such a model had been created as an internal design project, but he echoed his boss in saying no decision has been taken. Mauer pointed towards Porsche’s “strong history” in creating derivative…

MERCEDES-AMG IS RAMPING up development of its GT Black Series, a range-topping super-hot version of its sports car. Spotted at the Nürburgring, the test car has bodywork inspired by AMG’s GT4 racing car, with a fixed rear wing and exhausts sited farther apart. It uses a polycarbonate rear window to save weight and a pair of sports seats — likely to be standard on a Black Series — can be seen in front of a rollcage. AMG will use a tweaked version of the standard GT’s twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 engine. Currently, the most potent version of it in the GT range powers the GT R, which has 577bhp and 516lb ft. However, the unit is also used in the E63, where it makes 603bhp and 627lb ft. Sources think even…

A HOT VRS version of the Skoda Kodiaq SUV will be launched next year. The performance variant of the five-seat and seven-seat model is still in development and no details of engines are available yet. Like the Octavia vRS, it is likely to come in both diesel and petrol guises. A Skoda source described the car as having “lots of torque,” suggesting the focus will be on the diesel version. The bulk of Kodiaqs sold are diesel models. The most powerful diesel in the current Kodiaq range is a 2.0-litre model that produces 187bhp and can reach 130mph. To ensure a Kodiaq vRS has a performance edge over standard editions, Skoda could use a 240bhp twin-turbo diesel from elsewhere in the Volkswagen Group range. That would almost match the power…

Flat-pack battery module Williams’ new concept chassis also showcases a rigid composite battery pack design, made by a process it calls ‘223’ because it starts in two dimensions as a sheet of material but eventually forms a skeletal, compact but extra-strong 3D component. FW-EVX’s central battery module — its outer carrier etched into components as a sheet, then folded and bonded into its final form — is strong enough to contribute to the rigidity of the total system and to protect it very effectively in a crash. Formed in carbonfibre, it’s also extremely light. Recycled suspension parts Another FW-EVX refinement is a Williams-developed process to make light, strong suspension wishbones from recycled carbonfibre. The pressed parts can use 80% recycled material and weigh roughly 40% as much as conventional forged-alloy…

The sixth-generation Volkswagen Polo represents a big break from its predecessor. Based on the latest generation of the German car maker’s MQB architecture that is here specially adapted for the compact car class, the new Polo has grown significantly: it is 4053mm long, 1751mm wide and 1446mm high and has a wheelbase of 2564mm – or 92mm longer than that of the previous model. The car’s track widths are up by 62mm at the front (to 1525mm) and 49mm at the rear (to 1505mm), too, giving it a considerably larger footprint. It will be produced in five-door hatchback form only and the initial line-up comes with the choice of two naturally aspirated 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engines, with either 64bhp or 74bhp. The sweet spot in the range, though, is the…

★★★★☆ Two years ago, we rated the pre-facelifted RS3 Sportback with four road test stars and placed it, warts and all, among the most exciting hot hatchbacks on the road. Today, the RS3 Saloon deserves at least the same kind of recommendation. The competition in the £45,000 sports saloon segment gives the Audi a higher bar to aim at on handling appeal, granted. And, as in 2015, the RS3 relies disproportionately on the all-pervasive impact of its five-cylinder engine to cover for deficiencies in driver appeal elsewhere. If this Audi were a young footballer, he’d have a hammer of a shot but you’d worry about the wider development of his game. To keep up with the pace of progress shown lately in this arena, the RS3’s dynamic game definitely needs…

When Mario Alvisi returns to his office, he quite often finds a sketch on his desk. Today there’s another one, from no less a man than Roberto Giolito, the chief designer of the current 500. Giolito’s pencil sketch is of a sexy little coupé of just the kind for which Abarth was once famous. It’s labelled ‘Bialbero 750’, clearly referencing the Fiat-Abarth 750 Zagato, a tiny, pretty little thing from the late 1950s. Alvisi is Abarth’s head of operations and his office is located at the heart of the brand’s Officine Abarth headquarters, a purpose-built complex that includes a large workshop where tuned cars are prepared and another workshop where Abarths are restored. In the stylish foyer and beyond are displays of historic and current Abarths. There’s also a recreation…

“I’d been boasting about how the trip computer showed 100mpg for 1200 miles” FIRST REPORT WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT Is it a logical next step towards full electrification or an expensive distraction? Few cars intrigue more Funny how friends, usually those who don’t care much about cars, get straight to the heart of car matters. “This thing’s all about fuel economy, isn’t it?” said someone who’s never bought a decent car in his life, on first clapping eyes on my Toyota Prius PHEV. I’d not have put it so baldly. To me, the plug-in Prius is a bundle of intriguing new technology. It is built on Toyota’s bold, better-packaged TGNA architecture, has its electric-only top speed lifted from 53mph to 84mph, boasts a remarkably low aero coefficient of 0.25 and…

Audi’s first supercar is a steal At some point, a first-generation V8 R8 is going to suddenly be worth a staggering amount of money. At the moment, though, it is suffering the drift of gentle depreciation, which means you can buy this 2008 example, with 37,000 miles on the clock, for £41,990. It has five-spoke alloys finished in Audi Titanium with Pirelli P Zero tyres and nearly a full year’s MOT. Behold the Great Wall of China If you all you want is a hard-working 4x4, then the last thing you need is anything with a Land Rover badge on it. Instead, why not go for something rather more Chinese? Here is a Great Wall Steed that certainly does a job. This 2013 version, which has accumulated 116,000 miles, isn’t…

This car strides along motorways as though it is sitting on a cushion of air TESTED 23.7.17, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE ON SALE 1988-1996PRICE £4000-£6000 If you saw a Pirelli P7 tyre from the early 1990s unmounted and out of context – perhaps resting up against a wall in somebody’s living room – you wouldn’t know if you should take it to your local fitter or slip it around your waist and leap into the nearest swimming pool. The tyre’s 135mm sidewall is so doughy and voluptuous that, by today’s ultra-low-profile standards, the P7 looks less like a car tyre and more like something you’d kick out of the way as you walked back from the hotel bar to your sun lounger. You just don’t see tyres like this on modern cars, let…

Porsche 718 Cayman From £39,700 Scalpel-blade incisiveness, supreme balance and outstanding driver involvement. A practical two-seater, too. Mazda MX-5 From £18,495 Brilliantly packaged, brilliantly priced and even more vibrant and perfectly poised to drive than the original. Toyota GT86 From £22,700 Who knew Toyota had another dynamic masterstroke in it after the Lexus LFA? Almost as fun as you can buy on a limited budget. BMW M240i From £35,100 Towers over most German rivals. Outstanding engine, characterful handling, strong usability. Lotus Elise Sport From £30,800 If you want a delicate, vivid and unfettered drive, none does it better. If you want a daily driver, shop elsewhere.…

PEUGEOT 508 | EARLY 2018 The 508 must step up its game to challenge the new Vauxhall Insignia, and using the platform of the 3008 and 5008 is a great start. On top of that, it promises a higher-quality, higher-tech interior. Engines are expected to be a 1.6-litre petrol and 1.5 and 2.0-litre diesels. Price from £25,000 (est) SEPTEMBER Alpina B5 and D5 Touring, BMW M4 CS, Citroën E-Berlingo Multispace, Fiat 500L update, Ford Ecosport update, Fiesta, Fiesta Active (right), Honda Civic Type R, Maserati Levante S, Mercedes E-Class Cabriolet, Peugeot 308, 308 GTi, 308 SW update, Renault Trafic Spaceclass, Skoda Kodiaq Scout, Smart Fortwo ED, Fortwo Cabrio ED, Forfour ED, Volvo XC60 OCTOBER Aston Martin V8 DB11, Vantage AMR, Audi TT RS, BMW 6 Series GT, Hyundai Kona, Jaguar…

“With 400bhp per tonne, the TVR’s performance figures should be similar to the McLaren 570S’s” TVR has finally revealed its new-generation car in the shape of a fully finished 480bhp two-seat GT coupé prototype. It is being revealed to the world in the Goodwood Revival’s Earl’s Court Motor Show pavilion surrounded by a supporting squadron of TVR classics. It’s a day that diehard enthusiasts feared would never dawn: the big-hearted, big-performance sports car marque born in Blackpool 70 years ago ceased production in 2006 under the ownership of Russian ‘mini oligarch’ Nikolai Smolenski and resisted all attempts at revival until TVR’s current owners began a lengthy restoration process in 2013. The all-new TVR prototype will be a full-house version of the car that’s due to hit the market in 18…

PORSCHE IS PLOTTING the launch of a “purist” version of the 911 that will be available as a regular production model and not just a limited special like the 911 R. Speaking to Autocar at the launch of the new Cayenne, Porsche R&D boss Michael Steiner said the firm sees “potential for more purist versions of sports cars with no limitation” on production numbers. Last year’s 911 R was created as the ultimate 911 for the road, much as the GT3 is considered the same for the track. It focused on simple driving pleasure rather than top speeds or lap times. Steiner said it is important for Porsche to have 911s that are “fun on the road, not just on the track”. On the 911 R, he said: “What we…

The electric Smart Vision EQ Fortwo showcases the solutions and technology being considered for the brand’s future city cars, according to Smart boss Annette Winkler. Such cars are destined to form a key role in the Car2Go car-sharing programme of parent company Mercedes-Benz by 2030. The self-driving two seater, which will make its debut at Frankfurt motor show later this month, is a “vision of future urban mobility — fully autonomous, with maximum communication capabilities and electric,” said Winkler. The centrepiece of the new Smart concept car is an advanced Level 5 autonomous driving system. Winkler said: “In the future, car-sharing users will not have to look for the next available car. [The car] will find them and collect passengers directly from their chosen location.” Smart regards the development of…

Skoda will launch a Nissan Juke rival to sit alongside the larger Karoq and Kodiaq SUVs in the Czech firm’s line-up. The model is due to enter production in 2019 alongside a new Rapid Spaceback estate, which will be built on the same version of the Volkswagen Group’s MQB A0 platform. The two models will form part of a major product offensive from Skoda, which will include the launch of at least two new cars each year until 2025. The new model is being billed as a crossover rather than an SUV, but it is likely to follow the Alaskan-inspired naming convention of the Karoq and Kodiaq, with styling to ensure that it fits in with Skoda’s growing SUV family. Although it will be built on the same basic platform…

Anew composite chassis concept, aimed at showing car makers an efficient way of changing from petrol to electric cars, is being launched this week at the Cenex LCV show by Williams Advanced Engineering (WAE). The new concept, dubbed FW-EVX, shows how car makers can create all-new plug-in hybrid or full-electric models without going through the comparatively inefficient stage of building electrified versions of conventional cars. FW-EVX is a highly optimised all-electric rolling chassis — in effect, a scalable and self-supporting ‘skateboard’. It uses a rigid and compact composite structure to carry electric motors (up to four), to mount traction batteries in a low and safe location, to manage airflows for both component cooling and aerodynamic efficiency and to provide mountings for new, Williams-designed carbonfibre suspension parts (see separate story, above…

The last time Jaguar revealed an estate version of the XF, four years had elapsed since the launch of the saloon. Flu pandemics come and more quickly. This time round, with Gaydon’s impressive, investment-heavy playbook now on a metronomic footing, it’s two years on the nose. That’s progress. The model, meanwhile, is a recognisable descendant of the first generation. It is still frumpily dubbed Sportbrake because the car is ostensibly meant to prioritise looks over practicality. Really, of course, its maker wants it both ways – and thanks to the styling department’s efforts, that’s precisely what it gets. In the metal, the wagon is a corker. There’s no special recipe here not already deployed on any number of rivals (low, raked roofline, the high, chaste shoulder, wraparound lines, tapered bottom),…

Jaguar and Alfa Romeo are car makers with an awful lot in common, when you come to think about it. And although I dare say the management at neither Gaydon nor Turin would particularly welcome the observation, they seem fated to compete more closely than ever in the developing premium car market of the near future. Both brands attract a certain sort of buyer; one with a preference for a classically good-looking driver’s car and, quite possibly, a subscription to a car magazine not unlike the one you’re now reading. A certain sort of buyer like you and me, in short. And both car makers have aspirations one day to stand shoulder to shoulder with the German premium-branded automotive industry powers – although it won’t be any day soon. Jaguar…

Ten or 20 years ago, it was Subaru Imprezas and Mitsubishi Evos. For the past decade or so, it has been the Nissan GT-R. So where will the UK tuning scene go next? According to powertrain specialist Ricky Elder, European supercars are set to be the next big thing. “Over the last two years, I’ve really felt it change,” says Elder, founder of Swindon-based RE Performance. “The GT-R has been the king of the UK tuning scene for a long time, but now we’re starting to see the rise of the supercar – Audi R8s, Lamborghinis, McLarens and even Ferraris.” In North America, modifiers have been switched on to supercars for a long time already and, according to Elder, the UK is ready to follow suit. “US companies like Dallas…

Call a spade a spade Your news article on the next-generation Audi A3 (Autocar, 16 August) used no fewer than five adjectives to describe cars: liftback, hatchback, sportback, saloon and shooting brake. In recent years the motor industry has seemed to be continually inventing a plethora of ways to classify its cars: MPV, SUV, PHEV, crossover, city car, supercar, hypercar, touring, avant, sportbrake, hot hatch… The list seems endless. When I was younger, life seemed so much simpler. If it was a three-box design it was a saloon, if it had a sloping back and a fifth door it was a hatchback, a continued roofline mean an estate, a two-seater was a sports car, two small seats in the back meant it was a coupé, and if it had four-wheel…

MILEAGE 76,724 BMW X5 This section is rapidly turning into ‘pictures of jobs I should be, but won’t ever actually bother, doing’. The latest one is on the nearside of the X5. When the rear window jammed open, I covered the gap with some protective plastic. When there was a monsoon, I was feeling smug that I’d done it, but in the fierce sun that followed, the matt black paint became discoloured where the plastic overlapped the bodywork. I have spent a lifetime playing with tins of paint, so repairing it should be a doddle. More next time……

“When considering a 1980s 2CV, its precise age or mileage is irrelevant: condition is all” A good Citroën 2CV – one that’s rust-free but needs the odd dent removing here and a lick of a paint there – costs from around £5500, with fully restored examples (new chassis and bodyshell, respray and retrim) starting at around £9000. So one 2CV that is for sale for £93,495 must be pretty special. Indeed, it’s a rare 2CV Sahara 4x4 from 1963. The front wheels are driven by one 12hp engine, and the rears by another. Although each engine has a gearbox, there is, fortunately, only one gearstick, one clutch pedal and one accelerator. Only 694 Saharas were built, a figure dwarfed by the almost four million 2CVs that were made during the…

Seat Ateca From £17,990 Fine-handling Seat looks great, has strong engines and stands out for its impressive dynamic execution. Typically great value, too. Nissan Qashqai From £18,795 The de ining modern crossover. Second-gen version better in all areas, most notably fuel ef iciency, space and re inement. Skoda Yeti From £17,610 Almost a blueprint for crossover appeal: chunky looks, hatchback handling and compact MPV practicality. Renault Kadjar From £19,145 Renault’s Qashqai-based crossover is a good one. As practical as the Nissan but falls a little short on re inement. Toyota C-HR From £20,995 An interesting, refreshing and genuinely good addition to the crossover class. Shame the engine isn’t better.…

NISSAN WILL REVEAL an electric SUV at the Tokyo motor show in October as the company looks to extend its zero-emissions car family beyond the Leaf. The new battery-powered model will go on sale in 2019 and rival models such as the forthcoming VW ID Crozz. Nissan’s electric line-up, which is also likely to include a saloon, will not be called ‘Leaf’ in the manner of, for example, VW’s ID electric-only brand. Design boss Alfonso Albaisa told Autocar the model will be “a little bigger” than the Nissan Qashqai, which uses traditional petrol and diesel powertrains. The introduction of a range of electric models based on the new Leaf platform is part of Nissan’s plan for EV sales to be 20% of its business by 2020. At an advance viewing…

A NEW ELECTRIC car called the Alcraft GT is being launched by a team that includes Charles Morgan, formerly of Morgan Car Company, ex-SMMT boss Christopher Macgowan and former Toyota and Michelin executive Mark Carbery. Alcraft’s GT is a two-door shooting brake with lightweight, carbonfibre construction, a four-seat layout and a 500-litre boot. Alcraft says the GT has 600bhp and 840lb ft. This closely matches the Tesla Model S P100D’s 603bhp but eclipses its 713lb ft of torque. A range of 300 miles is also quoted, although this could grow with the addition of a range-extender engine, which the company is considering. A three-motor four-wheel-drive set-up is planned, which, Alcraft claims, enables a 0-62mph time of about 3.5sec. The GT’s powertrain was engineered by Delta Motorsport, a Silverstone-based company that…

The next-generation Kia Cee’d line-up will include a model previewed by this shooting brake concept. The striking model will sit alongside the hatchback and estate. It’s thought it will feature the more sporty styling of the outgoing three-door Procee’d but with added practicality, including four doors and a bigger boot. The concept version will make its debut at the Frankfurt motor show next week. Kia described it as a “bold vision” with “extended hot hatch styling”. The third-generation Cee’d is expected late next year.…

Ask 10 random strangers which is the world’s biggest maker of electric cars and, unless you happen to have stumbled across a team of battery scientists out to lunch, you can bet most will answer with Tesla. But they’d be wrong. Truth is, if we ignore the hype and excitement around Elon Musk’s Californian car brand and concentrate on just the numbers, Tesla falls short of the world’s true EV champion: Nissan. The Japanese manufacturer has sold more than 283,000 Leafs since its electric hatch went on sale in 2010, ranking this one model about 40,000 units ahead of Tesla’s entire range. And while the 400,000-odd orders for Tesla’s newly launched Model 3 suggest that gap will soon be diminished, it shows that up to now, Nissan has brought the…

The Edge Vignale is the Ford that’s priced well above £40,000 even before you tick any of the option boxes. A lot of money, yes, but it should hold plenty of appeal – in theory, at least. The market can’t get enough of SUVs, and SUV buyers more than most appear to be willing to pay for top-spec models and are fairly neutral when it comes to the badge on the bonnet – so long as the car is good enough. As with all other Vignale models, the Edge has been fitted with chrome trim big alloys on the outside and coated in leather on the inside, before heading off to the technology department in order to heat, power, illuminate and automate anything that can be converted into a switch,…

MODEL TESTED RS3 SALOON Price £45,250 Power 394bhp Torque 354lb ft 0-60mph 4.0sec 30-70mph in fourth 7.1sec Fuel economy 28.7mpg CO2 emissions 191g/km 70-0mph 46.8m It may be hard to say exactly when the letters ‘RS’ on the rump of an Audi stopped identifying the German firm’s particular performance machine of the moment and started distinguishing a model in a performance sub-brand – but it plainly happened some time ago. The easy answer would be 1999, when the original RS2 Avant was succeeded by the B5-generation RS4 Avant. But that’s also the simplistic answer because, for another decade after that point, the Audi factory tuning house formerly known as Quattro GmbH was very careful never to have more than one RS on sale at a time. Buyers could trade one…

A 255bhp V6 diesel-powered Porsche Macan S Diesel would have filled the gap between the Jaguar and Alfa Romeo in this test very neatly, so why not include it? It’s certainly not because we don’t rate the Porsche’s remarkable handling or its premium-brand allure. Rather, as a comparison test run-in with a Jaguar F-Pace last year proved, we don’t consider the Macan a true rival for these two family SUVs. Porsche itself calls the Macan a unique fusion of compact SUV and sports car forms . The car’s concept allows it to handle and engage the way it does but it prevents you from using it like you might a proper family SUV. The Macan’s back seats are no larger than those in a compact crossover like a Seat Ateca…

Minis: they’re becoming multi-purpose, more practical and more completely equipped, and some are far from small. If all this has you wondering where Mini is going, you’re not alone. Not that there’s any doubting the success and appeal of this reinvented marque. More than four million Minis have been built over the past 16 years, close to four-fifths of the 5.4m originals sold over 41 years. There have been 10 bodystyles, the brand is sold in 110 countries and the hatch is a frequenter of Britain’s top 10 best sellers list. Last year Mini scored 360,000 sales, a post-2001 record and a result that entirely justifies BMW’s decision to keep the Mini brand after disposing of Rover and Land Rover in 2000. But this broader success has not been without…

COMPARISON Range Rover Velar vs premium SUV rivals Its four-pot engine has disappointed, but what of the V6? This more potent Velar takes on rivals from Porsche and Audi USED CARS New-look used section More deals, more drives, more advice and more James Ruppert NEWS Frankfurt show: AMG Project One Merc’s 1000bhp hypercar leads our Frankfurt show coverage EVERY WEEK ROAD TEST Hyundai i30 Tourer Bigger-booted version of Hyundai’s staple hatch thoroughly appraised FIRST DRIVE Mercedes-AMG GT C Latest AMG GT sits below the range-topping R. Matt Prior drives it LONG-TERM TEST BMW 320d xDrive A year in BMW’s all-weather sports saloon is up. Is it a class leader? SUBSCRIBE autocar.co.uk/subscribe or see p24…

MILEAGE 1399 WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT UK doesn’t get new cars with factory-fit LPG tanks. So what are we missing? My first credit card bill since I took ownership of the LPG-powered Sandero Stepway has landed, and it makes for happy reading. Which is good news, given that I signed off my first report on the car last month by noting this was the long-term test of the calculator and credit card as much as the car itself, to assess the viability of LPG as a fuel to help improve the UK’s air quality problem and save motorists a few quid in the process. We’ve had two brims of the 40-litre tank so far: a 28.17-litre fill that took me 213 miles, and a 30.76-litre replenishment that got me 234…

Vauxhall Vectra After scrapping his Volvo S60, Wayne Healey needed a reliable and comfortable car with a decent boot to take his family to Disneyland Paris: “This Vectra is a 2.2 petrol, not economical but so comfortable to drive and with a very high specification. I paid £700 for it. “It was great in France for two days, then decided it didn’t want all the spark plugs to remain in their cylinders and promptly blew one out. Luckily, I had European assistance with Green Flag, which was wonderful and sorted the repatriation of the car. It is now back with me and repaired. It cost £56 in total to fix it myself and the car is driving better than ever.” SEND YOUR USED CAR TALES TO james@bangernomics.com…

An expert’s view ALAN BRADFORD, SILLY CVS “I call the 2CV ‘the big boy’s Meccano’. It’s that simple to work on. The first thing I ask when buying one is: ‘Does it have a galvanised chassis?’ A fresh MOT is no guarantee of condition. The chassis may just have been patched up with a bit of welding. I’ve known sound-looking cars break in half going over speed humps because the chassis was rotten. To be on the safe side, buy one with a galvanised chassis but, even then, you need to check the condition of areas like the lower bulkhead.” Buyer beware • ENGINE Check for crankcase oil pressure problems surfacing as leaks in the air filter or at the pushrod tube seals. The oil cooler can get bunged up…

Mercedes-AMG C63 S From £66,800 Mercedes-AMG’s best hot four-door. Chassis is uncompromising but engaging with it. Wonderfully tactile and playful. Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio From £59,000 Hot Giulia’s handling dynamism is unmatched, but engine, gearbox and interior aren’t on the same level as the Mercedes-AMG. BMW M3 Competition Pack From £56,600 Sharp, lean and as precise as a surgeon’s scalpel. Incredibly well mannered but a bit reserved at low speeds. Audi RS7 Performance Pack From £94,500 Titanic V8 engine and four driven wheels makes this a genuine sub-4.0sec 0-60mph prospect. Handling not as natural as some. Jaguar XJR From £92,400 Doesn’t quite ape the bang-for-buck value of the XFR, but has chiselled style and performance kudos to burn.…