Innholdsfortegnelse for 11/06/2014 i Autocar

ASTON MARTIN hasn’t exactly gone gangbusters since Ford sold it, but you can’t say that it has failed, either. In fact, there’s a buzz about the place, thanks to a raft of new models, motorsport activity and the flourishing global economy. Yet at the same time, Aston desperately needs a new generation of engine and electrical technology if it’s to compete on the global stage against pioneers such as Ferrari, Porsche and McLaren. Step forward Mercedes’ parent company Daimler, which now owns five per cent of Aston. As our exclusive story, on p8, reveals, AMG will become a crucial supplier for the next generation of models. However, we can’t help thinking that Aston’s future could be even rosier if Mercedes took full control. Imagine a scenario where Aston had full…

Lightly disguised prototypes of the facelifted Porsche Cayenne have emerged from the firm’s Weissach R&D centre in Germany ahead of a public debut at the Paris motor show in October. The revised SUV is set for a UK introduction early next year. The changes initially appear quite subtle. However, close inspection reveals that some significant re-engineering has taken place, notably to the front end and in the engine bay. Key among the modifications is a newly designed bonnet. It now extends further into the wing panels, providing a larger opening and, according to Porsche sources, the scope for a larger engine bay with added cooling capacity. Further stylistic changes include newly formed headlamps. Their leading edge now extends further into a deeper front bumper, which has gained added structure, altered…

Mercedes-Benz is finalising preparations for the introduction of a lightly facelifted CLS. Spied here in prototype form wearing only minimal disguise, the new upmarket four-door coupé is scheduled to get its first public airing at the Goodwood Festival of Speed later this month before going on sale in the UK in October. Stylistic changes to the exterior are slight and focused mainly around the front end. The CLS receives a revised bumper, altered grille and modified headlamps with freshened internal graphics — all of which provides it with a more aggressive air. At the rear of the car, there are new LED graphics for the tail-lamps, a lightly reprofiled bumper and new chromed tailpipe accents. Inside, Mercedes has modified the dashboard to create a free-standing central monitor similar in appearance…

Williams is plotting a significant expansion of its road car and engineering consultancy business by targeting electric/hybrid powertrains, carbonfibre body structures and advanced chassis work. Under the banner ‘Williams Advanced Engineering’, the company is already working on 14 projects — the bulk of them automotive — and is taking on more engineers at its base in Grove, just outside Oxford, to expand into a new workshop and engineering facility. “We are commercialising the technology and the know-how of our F1 operation and, while we are still a young business, it is developing fast,” said Mike O’Driscoll, Williams Group CEO and former boss of Jaguar. O’Driscoll was instrumental in boosting Williams Advanced Engineering by contracting the company to engineer the Jaguar C-X75 hybrid supercar, a project cancelled just before low-volume production…

Bentley is to launch a flagship rear-wheel-drive performance version of the Continental GT, Autocar has learned. The model, badged GT3, aims to link Bentley’s race and road programmes and position the Continental as a truly sporting GT. Bentley has just made a winning return to GT racing with a Continental GT3. The 700bhp Continental GT3 road car is expected to be launched at the Goodwood Festival of Speed at the end of this month. One of the main themes of the hot new road car will be weight-saving. Even the lightest V8-powered Continental GT road car weighs 2295kg, a full 1000kg more than the racer. To that end, Bentley has ditched the Continental’s four-wheel drive system in favour of a lighter and more sporting rear-wheel drive set-up. The Continental GT3…

FIRST VERDICT A serious track tool with a glorious V8, but it’s let down by its weight SO GOOD Fabulous naturally aspirated V8 Tremendous grip levels Pace on a circuit NO GOOD No official UK sales Too heavy Short on steering and brake feel TESTER’S NOTE Why keep rear seats in the Z/28? Chevy: “We already have a two-seat sports car [the Corvette].” MN Z/28: IT’S AN iconic badge in the American muscle car world, dating back to late 1966. Chevrolet needed a homologation special to battle the Ford Mustang on the race tracks of North America. Behind the wheel of a Camaro Z/28, the great Mark Donahue helped Chevrolet to win the SCCA Trans-Am championship in 1968 and 1969. He stood on the top step of the podium 10…

FIRST VERDICT Big, frugal Skoda offers low running costs without too much compromise THIS ECO CHAMPION in the Skoda Octavia range measures its credentials not in bhp and lb ft, but in mpg and g/km. It returns 88.3mpg on the combined cycle and emits just 85g/km of CO2. Those figures make it an attractive proposition for company car drivers. It sits in vehicle excise duty band A, meaning it is free from car tax, and attracts a benefit-in-kind rating of 13 per cent. This engine produces 5bhp more than the one in the standard 1.6 TDI and is connected to a six-speed manual gearbox with long ratios instead of the regular car’s five-speed ’box. As with other eco models, the Greenline has a raft of features reduce fuel consumption to…

MONDAY 2 JUNE, 11.30AM It’s the start of race week on the Isle of Man. The paddock on Douglas’s Glencrutchery Road is teeming with a goodly proportion of the 40,000 bikers, spectators and traders who, once a year, double this island’s population – all for the adrenalin-fest that is the Tourist Trophy. Outside – on what you might call the pit straight of the TT’s Mountain Course, if it wasn’t a main road – the streetlights and telegraph poles are padded like rugby posts. The bumps, drains, gradients, kerbs and walls look as unyielding as ever, though. This week, motorcycle and sidecar riders will line up in their hundreds to go absolutely flat out at this legendarily treacherous event – the most famous proper road race still running anywhere in…

JLR’s infotainment system remains unaltered, and while our familiarity with it has by now helped to iron out some of its many kinks, it doesn’t alter its rather obvious outdatedness. The decision to rely on touchscreen alone would be fine if the interface was sufficiently well organised to accommodate every feature, but it isn’t, and too much time is spent reminding yourself where everything is. Even if you’re confident of the button-pushing required, the bit of screen you’ll be aiming at is often only slightly bigger than your fingertip. That said, the system is well stocked with features. Navigation is standard, and while it lacks the detail found with some rivals (and produces some outrageously optimistic arrival time predictions), it is decent enough. Connecting a phone via Bluetooth is easy…

The Turbo R is heavy on its springs. As a guide, you should be able to fit four fingers between the top of the front wheel and the wheel arch, three at the back. Worn inside edges on the front tyres are another clue. New springs cost around £2500. Steering racks can leak, so check the fluid level regularly. If it needs topping up, check the gaiters on the rack, as they fill up with leaking fluid. A rack rebuild will cost around £400. Check the rear spring housings, as the cups holding the springs are a water trap and can corrode right through. Look around the door handles, boot lock and badges for corrosion. Later cars have rubber and plastic spacers to prevent this, but they’re not fail-safe. If…

Aston Martin has begun work in earnest on reinventing itself with new technology and a fresh design language as it strives to become a self-sustaining supercar manufacturer fit to take on Ferrari. The plan is described by the company as the “biggest product offensive” in its history. The new model range promises to herald an updated design language under Aston’s long-term design boss, Marek Reichman. Insiders say that in response to criticism of today’s line-up, the new models will be significantly differentiated from each other, putting them more in line with the clearly defined and executed models in Ferrari’s range. It is understood that work is well under way on the first new model, a new DB9, which will be powered by a Mercedes-AMG engine built specifically for the British…

ASTON MARTIN IS still harbouring plans for a full-blown revival for its Lagonda brand. It first floated the idea on its controversial SUV concept at the 2009 Geneva motor show. The marque is set to be given a limited lease of life as a low-volume, upmarket long-wheelbase saloon based on today’s Rapide but with styling influenced by both the classic razor-edged 1970s Lagonda and the one-off four-door DBS built by Aston’s former owner, David Brown. Test mules of the car, which is understood to have been designed and engineered by the special Q by Aston Martin in-house skunkworks, have been spied near the firm’s Gaydon headquarters. Attaching the Lagonda badge to a low-volume saloon such as this could prove to be a suitable way to reintroduce the name, particularly in…

McLAREN AUTOMOTIVE has confirmed that its P13 Porsche 911 Turbo rival and a track-only version of its P1 hypercar will go into production next year. The announcement came as McLaren confirmed that it made a profit in 2013, only its third year of sports car production. The Woking-based firm reported a £12.4 million operating profit and £4.5 million pre-tax profit for the year, describing it as a “significant achievement for an independent British car company operating in such a highly competitive global market”. As a result of on-target global car sales — it delivered 1359 examples of the 12C and 36 range-topping P1s during the year — revenues rose by £18.8 million to £285.4 million in 2013. The company expects the strong financial performance to continue in 2014, largely driven…

THE ELEMENTAL RP-1, a lightweight sports car rival to the Ariel Atom, will make its debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this month. A 276bhp 2.0-litre Ford EcoBoost engine powers the 450kg two-seat, road-legal, track-oriented model. A six-speed, race-derived sequential paddle-shift transmission sends drive to the rear wheels. The RP-1 “incorporates a carbonfibre tub, motorsportderived aerodynamics, dramatic styling and ownertuneable suspension and will be available with a range of engines to suit all uses and driving styles”, according to Elemental, a start-up firm. It “has been designed specifically to have low-cost consumables and easily swapped body panels”, the company added. The RP-1 line-up is understood include Ford’s 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine in an entry-level model. Elemental says that it plans to launch the car later this year. Small-scale production at…

TESLA IS “SERIOUSLY considering” opening a research and development centre in the UK next year, company boss Elon Musk has revealed. “It’s probable that we will establish a centre to supplement the work that we do in California,” he said. “But if we want to attract the top talent we can’t just be modifying cars for Europe — it has to be complete programmes.” Musk admitted that a site has not yet been found but that he would be focusing on the Midlands and that it would create “hundreds of jobs”. Tesla’s line-up will soon be expanded by the arrival of two more electric models, Musk also revealed. The first model to join the existing S luxury saloon will be the Model X SUV, arriving next year. Company insiders indicate…

Red Bull plays it smart off track Adrian Newey has been busy in recent months trying to get Red Bull to be competitive against the all-conquering Mercedes team. In Canada, with a certain amount of good fortune involved, Red Bull took its first win of the year with Daniel Ricciardo’s exciting victory. Just before the race, Red Bull announced that Newey would be staying on with a new “multi-year agreement”. The announcement caused ripples because it made the point that Newey would be stepping back from F1 activities and working on “new Red Bull Technology projects, as well as advising and mentoring Infiniti Red Bull Racing as it develops its F1 cars”. The team has not revealed what these projects might be but it is clear that the primary aim…

The Z/28’s Multimatic DSSV (Dynamic Suspension Spool Valve) dampers have been factory fitted to only one other road car: the £1.4 million Aston Martin One-77. The F1-style independent spool valves allowed Chevrolet engineers to precisely tune low and high-speed compression and rebound, substantially improving body and wheel control. The non-adjustable dampers are a substantial part of the tremendous performance offered by the Z/28, especially considering the Camaro’s hefty weight. They are matched to dramatically stiffer springs (up 85 per cent front and 65 per cent rear), yet the Z/28 still has a decent ride quality on the street, especially considering the track performance offered.…

Porsche is back at Le Mans. Words to savour, and to perhaps encourage several thousand racing enthusiasts to dig the tent out of the attic, dust off the English-French phrase book and convince themselves that they can make it to La Sarthe by Saturday lunchtime. Of course, the Stuttgart manufacturer’s race-bred 911s are a staple in the Grand Touring classes, but this year there’s a brace of 919 Hybrid prototypes preparing to do battle with Toyota and Audi at the sharp end. Porsche cannot return to the front quietly. It has won the race more times than anyone else – 16 in all – and that brings an enormous level of expectation. And there’s definitely no dampening down the excitement when its two warm-up races in the World Endurance Championship…

This is the second Caterham that I’ve built. The first was almost 20 years ago, and the excitement of when all of the boxes arrived, the fun of the build and the sense of satisfaction when I fired it up and drove it out of the garage is as clear as if it were yesterday. That car was the simplest model that Caterham offered at the time: live axle, 1600cc Ford cross-flow engine with single carb, Escort four-speed gearbox and Marina back axle. Skinny tyres, no more than 100bhp and only a mild excess of power over grip. In other words, the forebear of the Caterham Seven 160 that is sitting before us in Haymarket’s large photographic studio. We’re not trying to break any records for build time, not least…

I SECOND THAT Most onlookers who hope for a bright future for MG will concede that more ‘mainstream’ products, like an SUV, are needed to allow SAIC to achieve sustainable sales. But a classically styled front-engined, rear-drive sports car will surely bring the marque many new customers into the showrooms, as well as reawakening old friendships here and in the US. David A Knowles Ruislip, Middlesex FROM MPV TO SUV I think Paul Raper has missed the point and is talking about two completely different markets (Your Views, 14 May). The functional off-road 4x4 still exists, but nearly all SUVs are now marketed to the buyers who used to own standard MPVs before they became seen as a bit ‘mumsy’. The buying rationale (size, space, vision, kid-carrying ability) is identical.…

It was with some surprise that I realised that I’d been driving the Mazda for over 10 months. That alone was indicative of how easy it had been to live with and with how little grief it had slotted into my lifestyle. After all, I’d found it an impressively competent all-rounder — despite being a compact two-seat sports car. It could seat two 6ft adults with ease, had enough storage for short trips and was comfortable on motorway schleps and powerful enough to keep up the pace across country. Sure, there were a few foibles. I wasn’t a great fan of its styling — you’d never find me looking back at it in a desiring fashion — and I never quite found the seat and steering wheel to have enough…

B-road blaster for only £3000 The Mégane RS 225 is a certifiable hot hatch. We found a well specified 2004 car in orange paint with a healthy 69,000 miles on the clock. It comes with three months’ MOT and the peace of mind of an HPI check. The dealer is asking £3289. Call 0121 448 0911 Halo Mégane with F1 pedigree If you’re after a limited edition that’ll hold its value well, you can’t go wrong with an R26 F1. This 2008 example has covered just 64,000 miles and comes with a full dealer service history and an MOT until December. It’s advertised for £5750 at a dealer. Call 028 9016 0664 Oil-burner that’s fast and frugal You can have your cake and eat it with a Mégane 2.0 dCi…

ACCORDING TO THOSE who have seen the new-generation Aston Martins, there is no danger of them being accused of all looking the same. They move away from the needle-nosed litheness of the current family and towards something more curvaceous. While we won’t see anything too radical from chief designer Marek Reichman’s studio, it is understood that the new cars are more rounded, taking some inspiration from the styling of the iconic DB4 GT Zagato and the fuller volumes of the DB5 and DB6. The sources also say today’s instantly identifiable side window graphics — and the distinctive rear window — have both been changed significantly. The CC100 roadster concept is said to have hinted strongly at the new design language, particularly the way that the more voluptuous forms of the…

BMW has revealed a second-generation version of the X6, the upmarket coupé-like SUV that pioneered a new and lucrative market niche when it was launched in 2008. Set to make its public debut at the Moscow motor show in August, the second-gen X6 is the latest in a long line of new BMW models revealed in recent months. It is due to go on sale in the UK in December, priced from £51,150. Despite a slow start in the midst of a global financial downturn, the first-gen X6 has proved highly successful. BMW claims global sales of more than 250,000; that’s an annual average of more than 40,000 throughout its six-year production cycle. The second-gen X6 has been comprehensively re-engineered in a joint development programme with the recently introduced third-gen…

FORD’S US ENGINEERING division has unveiled a super-light version of Europe’s next-generation Mondeo. The re-engineered car weighs the same as the much smaller US-market Fiesta saloon. The prototype has had 361kg stripped out from a regular 1556kg Mondeo. Ford’s US engineers worked on the project with Cosma (a subsidiary of supplier giant Magna) and the US Department of Energy’s Vehicle Technologies Programme. The Mondeo’s steel monocoque was completely rethought and reconstructed with mixed materials. The front strut carriers and inner wings are made from a single aluminium casting, as are the bases of the A-pillars. The sills are an aluminium extrusion and the B-pillars and roof frame are from “advanced high-strength steel”. The rear window is polycarbonate and the side glass and windscreen use lighter, chemically hardened glass. The weight…

Racing driver Jack Sears asked his wife to tell the journalists that he was out whenever they called. And they called a lot. He didn’t want to speak to the tabloids. The reason? A front-page splash that had the nation talking. AC Cars had taken a 4.8-litre Ford-powered, self-styled Cobra Coupé GT car on to the M1 motorway to do a high-speed test run before the Le Mans 24 Hours. Sears had recorded 185mph during the outing in the early hours of 11 June 1964, and the national media had heard about it. Sears kept a low profile until the furore died down — and, 50 years later, there are still a few things that he is keen to get straight. “There was an awful fuss,” says Sears, now 84.…

FIRST VERDICT Better than ever — but still not quite good enough, given its rivals SO GOOD Stonking drivetrain Fabulous trim Extravagant option list NO GOOD Occasionally pimply ride Outdated infotainment Extravagant price of option list TESTER’S NOTE The four-seat cabin option is highly recommended if you plan to stay in the back. NC BENTLEY HAD ITS most successful year yet in 2013. From its modest range of two-door GT, four-door Flying Spur and plutocratic Mulsanne, the British brand has shifted more than 10,000 cars. By 2018, it hopes to sell 15,000. That may seem optimistic when you consider that it took Bentley 95 years to get to the first number, but because the much heralded SUV will be launched in 2016, one suspects the firm of deliberately low-balling its…

FIRST VERDICT Entry-level Leon 265 won’t be the most popular Cupra — but it’s the best FOLLOWING THE FULL road test of the headlining 280 version in March, a UK steer of the entry-level Leon Cupra 265 was the last item required in our rigorous inspection of this hot hatch. All things considered, this is the version we’d buy – despite it being marginally slower and a little less capable. And short of two doors. What it does possess – in spades – is the kind of user-friendliness that seldom comes naturally to a hot hatch well qualified to knock off the 0-62mph sprint in less than six seconds. Chiefly that’s because on smaller, slimmer 18-inch wheels, and in its comfiest suspension set-up, the 265 smooths out the 280’s ride…

When we compare one car with another, we usually like to save the verdict for the end. It gives you something to read and us something to say. But there really doesn’t seem much point here. So if you’re ready, I’ll give it to you straight: a Caterham Seven 620R is more exciting to drive than the new Caterham Seven 160. Not much of a revelation, is it? One is powered by a 660cc engine from a Suzuki microvan; the other has the power-to-weight ratio of a McLaren P1. One would need to try hard to drop a Renaultsport Clio down a quick road; the other would make a Bugatti Veyron driver wonder which way it went. So what are they doing here? We rarely compare cars from the same…

TOP OF THE STOPS While you might imagine them to be the preserve of F-type R buyers, Jaguar has made its Carbon-Ceramic Matrix (CCM) brakes an option on the V6 S. Ticking the box swaps the already large standard steel discs for a set made of a much harder-wearing mix of carbon and ceramic, measuring 398mm at the front and 380mm at the rear. The size upgrade means opting for the bigger 20in Storm wheels, which is no bad thing as their larger rims’ colours — satin grey anthracite as standard or optional gloss black — make for a better contrast with the CCM set-up’s conspicuously large, yellow monoblock calipers. Jaguar says the greater heat generated by the carbon-ceramic discs is dealt with not only by air intakes on the…

In the same week that we read of the gorgeous Mini Superleggera Vision (News, 28 May), there are fresh rumours of an MG sports car. I hope not only that the rumours are true, but also that the decision makers ignore the implication that “the company might conclude that Mazda has this market sewn up”. It was that kind of blinkered thinking which meant the Rover Group went for the mid-engined MGF, whereas Mazda was brave enough to go for the purer front-mid engine/rear drive layout. MG needs a desirable roadster in the vein of the MGA or MGB. If other MGs are to make inroads into crowded markets, a sports car can open the door for them. BMW knows this, and it is hardly a novice at making desirable…

Even a blind man should be able to see what’s so beguiling about the Audi RS4 Avant. Not only does it have the showroom appeal to sweep buyers off their feet with its handsome looks and classy cabin, but it also comes with the built-in street cred of being the direct descendant of the finest RS model Audi has ever made: the B7 RS4 of 2006-2008. On top of that, it’s one of the few cars that ticks all the boxes if you’re looking for a fast, premium estate with the security of all-wheel drive. Apart from other Audis, of course. The RS4’s towering reputation, and my fond memories of the B7 version, left me breathless with anticipation at the prospect of running this new one, but I was also…

Condition and use are more important than dealer service stamps. Higher mileages needn’t be a worry, either In new Bentley terms, £7000 is an audio upgrade or a duo-tone paint finish. But £7000 could also buy you 6.75 litres of turbocharged V8 housed under the lengthy bonnet of a Turbo R. That’s a starting point, of course; the finest, rarest and most collectable of the Turbo R and RT models cost from £50,000, although for a savvy and/or brave buyer, there’s probably no way of buying more metal for your money. The two-and-a-quarter-tonne Turbo R doesn’t exude sportiness, but the big saloon’s 298bhp was enough for it to trouble its Avon tyres as it scrabbled to 60mph in less than seven seconds before the electronic limiter stopped play at around…

Test date | 4.9.85 Design and engineering As the R suffix (for ‘Roadholding’) is meant to imply, it is the suspension of the Turbo R which makes the car different from the Mulsanne Turbo. The changes include damped engine mounts, a slightly increased weight to the power steering and a modified front air dam. Interior The car is still very much a Rolls-Royce inside, with its illuminated vanity mirrors, map lights, puddle lights, highly polished wood panels and all the other attributes for which the marque is well known. The delightful steering wheel, whose thinness of rim complements the lightness of effort, is leather covered. Performance It is an astonishingly fast machine when you consider how much bluff frontal area this 2.25-tonne machine has to push through the air. The…

Fast five-cylinder Ford for under £6k FAST FORDS have been around longer than the road-going offerings from Renaultsport. And while the Mégane RS 225 is a hoot, the Focus ST is perhaps a tad better. Powered by a Volvo-derived 2.5-litre, five-cylinder turbo engine developing 222bhp, the Focus ST can crack 0-62mph in 6.8sec and go on to 152mph. But it’s not all about performance numbers with the second-generation ST; it’s also superb to drive. Dig deep and you’ll find an adjustable chassis that thrives on controllable lift-off oversteer, too. It also has a more compliant ride than the Mégane. Before you dive in, be sure to check that the timing belt has been changed by 60,000 miles, otherwise you could be facing an engine rebuild. For £5750, you should bag…