Innholdsfortegnelse for March 4, 2020 i Autocar

‘UNPRECEDENTED TIMES’ is a phrase we’ve used frequently over the past decade to describe the impact that the credit crunch, Dieselgate, electrification and Brexit have had on the automotive industry. Now you can add another to the list: coronavirus. Late last week, it caused the cancellation of the Geneva motor show, the world’s biggest and most important motor show. Almost all the cars you see over the news pages that follow this one were due to make their public debuts in Switzerland but instead were left with their covers on in empty halls. The impact of coronavirus on the automotive industry runs much deeper than the cancellation of Geneva (p31). The travel restrictions and quarantining of huge numbers of people are already affecting factories worldwide that rely on China for…

THE NEW GIULIA GTA is the most powerful road car Alfa Romeo has built and packs a raft of mechanical and dynamic upgrades over the current Quadrifoglio range-topper. The historic GTA nameplate, which stands for Gran Turismo Alleggerita, has been revived to indicate the new car’s lightweight construction and performance potential. Alfa referred to the car’s unveiling as “a momentous comeback”, signifying a return to performance car construction. The GTA takes its power from the same twin-turbocharged 2.9-litre V6 engine as the Quadrifoglio, but calibration tweaks and the addition of a titanium Akrapovic exhaust help to boost its output from 503bhp to 533bhp. They’re also claimed to give the car a unique soundtrack. Performance figures have yet to be confirmed, but it’s likely the GTA will eclipse the Quadrifoglio’s 3.9sec…

BAC HAS REVEALED a lighter, much faster new Mono, the £165,950 Mono S. The new model adopts turbo power for the first time as a way of meeting forthcoming emissions regulations in its 40 global export markets. The single-seater is powered by a Mountune-developed 2.3-litre Ford engine developing 330bhp, a boost of 25bhp over the outgoing car’s normally aspirated version of the same unit. More significantly, torque rises by nearly 30%, from 229lb ft to “over 295lb ft”. Bosses claim it should be around four seconds a lap quicker on the Silverstone grand prix circuit. Its official 0-60mph time is 2.7sec, with a top speed of 170mph. The new Mono S weighs just 570kg, uses a new steel spaceframe chassis and is clad with graphene-enhanced carbonfibre panels. The styling closely…

MORGAN HAS LAUNCHED the new Plus Four, the second of its latest BMW-powered models to use the new CX-Generation bonded-aluminium platform that was pioneered last year in its traditional-looking but all-new Plus Six. It replaces the steel-chassis 4/4, Plus 4 and Roadster and is expected to account for roughly half of the firm’s annual volume of around 900 cars once customer deliveries begin in late spring. Prices start at £62,995 for the entry-level six-speed manual model, while the eight-speed automatic is £64,500. Although very similar-looking to the outgoing Plus 4, the new car (which adopts ‘Four’ for its name instead of ‘4’) is entirely different from its predecessors under the skin; just 3% of parts are carried over, says Morgan. The Plus Four’s version of the CX platform is almost…

The hot Mercedes-AMG E53 has also been given a makeover. It now features a more aggressive design, intended to make it stand out further from the regular E-Class, while retaining its 423bhp mild-hybrid 3.0-litre twin-turbo petrol powertrain. The new version of the four-wheel-drive performance car features a bolder, bespoke AMG grille, revamped lights and a restyled aerodynamic diffuser. The standard 19in wheels are aero-optimised alloys, a design that also features on the optional 20in version. The 3.0-litre twin-turbo six-pot offers 423bhp and 295lb ft of torque, with a 48V starter-alternator electric ectric motor adding an extra boost of 21bhp and 184lb ft when needed. The saloon maintains a 0-62mph time of 4.5sec, with the estate 0.1sec slower. While the powertrain and nine-speed auto gearbox remain, E53 product manager Philipp Uttikal…

When discussing the UK debut of the new Mini Electric, the company’s Oxford bosses see no case for modesty. “We believe this launch will be a tipping point for the adoption of electric cars in this country,” declares David George, head of the marque. At last week’s UK launch event in Oxfordshire, there was a strong consensus that George is right. The Mini’s appearance in battery form will be a bigger market event than any of the other two dozen electric debuts this year – and arguably the biggest since the Jaguar I-Pace two years ago. So far, the omens for the car’s success are excellent. Two thousand UK customers have placed orders before driving the car, and most for the most expensive model. Electric production is already running at…

1 BMW M2 COMPETITION Revised suspension and an M4 engine transform an excellent sports car into one that’s truly exceptional. Old-school fun and good value. 2 HONDA CIVIC TYPE R Neither as fast nor as complex as the A45 S but phenomenally rewarding for a front-driven machine and oozes maturity and poise. More affordable, too. 3 MERCEDES-AMG A45 S Feels worthy of the AMG badge and a true M2 rival in terms of pedigree, even if its handling is not quite so expressive. Scores high on usability and raw pace. 4 FORD FOCUS RS M520 Mountune enlists a new turbo for this extreme makeover of the Mk3 RS, which outguns even the AMG for power and does so with good practicality. 5 AUDI RS3 SPORTBACK Monstrous five-pot engine lends the RS3 inimitable character,…

As an Autocar reader, you’ll understand how it felt to be the last person to turn off the Zafira’s engine for the final time. I thought of the countless occasions it had been turned off over the past 99,000 miles and 18 or so years but always with the certainty of being restarted. Turned off after taking the kids to the theme park, on holidays, to the shops, to Grandad and Grandma’s at the weekend. Turned off after the drive to work each day, to the airport from time to time and to the garage for routine, and not so routine, work. And now turned off for the very last time here at a vehicle recycling centre, where a car goes to be stripped, crushed and recycled but with no…

The cobalt quandary While I understand that we must reduce global vehicle emissions, I believe the technology isn’t ready. And I don’t mean electric cars aren’t good enough or that there aren’t enough charging stations: I mean electric cars aren’t the answer. Cobalt is a key ingredient of lithium ion batteries. Thirty years ago, it was a worthless element; now it’s called blue gold. More than 60% of it is mined in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), some of it by children and most of it for incredibly low wages, and it’s listed by the World Health Organization as a possible cause of cancer. Obviously, the big battery makers all say their cobalt is ethically mined, but where are they all getting it from if two-thirds of the…

MILEAGE 5903 WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT To find out if Toyota can cut it with the best in the cut-throat family car class I have decided to call it the Corolla murmur. Although it’s really more of a “mmmm…”. That, as best I can describe, is the vocal reaction of most people to a trip in the Toyota Corolla. It’s normally accompanied by a polite, relatively subtle nod of the head. It’s a delayed reaction. When friends, family and colleagues first clamber into the Corolla, there’s little to no reaction. So I wait. It might take 10 minutes. Maybe half an hour. But eventually there’s an “mmmm”. In an industry often preoccupied with chasing emotion, the Corolla murmur is befitting of the car itself: not wildly exciting but genuinely pleasant…

MILEAGE 65,254 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF Back to the Golf: here is a broken radar surround that was bought a year ago to replace a cracked one. My daughter feels that the world is against her most of the time, but the truth is that she’s a proper road warrior and racks up an impressive five-figure mileage each year. Not only that, but there’s also now a crack in the windscreen on the driver’s side. We will have to monitor it with the MOT just a couple of months away. We will be buying another piece of rectangular plastic soon and possibly a big bit of laminated glass.…

With prices ranging from £3000 to £30,000 and engines in more capacities and outputs than you can shake a stick at, there’s probably a used BMW 1 Series for you. We’re talking about the generation built from 2011 to 2019, punctuated by a 2015 facelift that substantially raised the car’s game. But first a word or two of warning: it’s not the best-packaged hatchback. Blame the fact that it’s rear-wheel drive, although from a driving perspective this should be a positive. It’s a classic rear-drive BMW; ergo, it should be a hoot, right? Sadly, it’s not, quite. A front-drive Audi A3, Volkswagen Golf and Ford Focus are more agile more of the time. Those quibbles aside, we can get on with appreciating the 1 Series’ abundant qualities. They include a…

MERCEDES 190E 2.5-16 COSWORTH A BMW M3 E30 of this vintage costs from around £45,000, making this 1989 190E Cosworth a bit of a bargain at £11,500. The M3 is more sought after but the 190 has its own place in motoring history, including sparring with the M3 to create some of the best DTM racing of all time and paving the way for the Mercedes-AMG models we know and love today. Early versions had a 2.3-litre engine but from 1988 it became a 2.5-litre. The example here was registered in 1989 and had covered 138,000 miles. An under-the-radar classic with investment potential.…

An expert’s view CHRIS HUTCHINGS, MORES MOTOR COMPANY “I used to rally cars and the RS Mk1 reminds me of those years. The ride is unforgiving and the Quaife diff is pretty crude. The engine is terrific: placid in traffic but picks up beautifully. In many ways it feels almost current. If I had a long drive in prospect I’d take a Mk2 with its torquier five-cylinder engine, but for a blast down a favourite road it would be a Mk1 every time. Rust is the big problem now, especially behind the sill covers. People are afraid to remove them for fear of damaging them but you should sneak a peek behind and check all is well.” Buyer beware… ■ ENGINE If the car has stood idle for some time…

The new, eighth-generation Volkswagen Golf GTI has been revealed, with the company’s technical chief promising that it’s more of a “true GTI” than its highly regarded predecessor. The newest version of the genre-defining hot hatchback is based on the Mk8 Golf, which was unveiled last year. It sticks closely to the established template for the model, retaining the Volkswagen Group’s familiar ‘EA888’ turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine and sending power to its front wheels exclusively. However, the standard version of the new GTI features all the additions fitted to the GTI Performance version of the Mk7 Golf, including boosts in power to 242bhp (from 228bhp) and torque to 273lb ft (from 258lb ft), a limited-slip differential and upgraded brakes. To please enthusiasts further, the GTI retains a six-speed manual gearbox as…

VOLKSWAGEN TECHNOLOGY chief Matthias Rabe says the company has chosen to base its first electric performance model on the ID 4, a 4.6m-long SUV, so it can take advantage of four-wheel-drive. As first revealed by Autocar, Volkswagen is set to introduce the GTX badge for a range of hot ID models. But while the Golf-size ID 3 seems a natural choice for a sporting model, Rabe confirmed our report that Volkswagen’s first hot EV will be a version of one of the two SUVs that are set to spawn from the ID Crozz concept. Rabe noted that the initial GTX cars would appeal to “different customers” from long-time GTI fans. He said using the ID 4 “makes sense” because it has a twin-motor set-up that offers four-wheel drive, whereas the…

“It gives the 911 Turbo S a 0-62mph time of just 2.7sec and a top speed of 205mph” The range-topping icon has returned to Porsche’s latest 911 line-up with the launch of the new Turbo. The 992-series sports car has been re-engineered to create the biggest step up in performance in the boosted variant’s 45-year history. Unveiled in both coupé and cabriolet bodystyles, the Honda NSX rival retains a turbocharged 3.8-litre flat-six petrol engine. However, the rear-mounted unit is described as being “completely new” as well as having a new cooling and intake system. The variable-vane turbochargers introduced on the previous 911 Turbo have also been revised, with larger turbine and compressor wheels. In combination with a host of other changes, power has risen by as much as 69bhp and…

McLaren’s all-new Super Series flagship is the 765LT, the firm’s fourth ‘track-focused’ Longtail model and an even lighter, sharper and faster version of the 720S that it launched at the Geneva motor show three years ago. The 765LT shaves an impressive 80kg from the 720S’s kerb weight, leaving it at a class-leading 1229kg. As with the three previous LT models, McLaren lists enhanced driver engagement, minimised weight, track-focused dynamics, refined aerodynamics, increased power and rarity as the car’s standout properties, and again its creation has entailed “hundreds of detailed engineering and design changes”. McLaren’s familiar mid-mounted twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 engine gets stronger, lighter forged aluminium pistons and a three-layer head gasket from the Senna. These plus a higher-flow fuel system, a recalibrated ECU and a lower-back-pressure exhaust system lift power…

The Bentley Mulliner Bacalar spearheads a new era for the British car maker’s coachbuilding division, which will now launch an ultra-exclusive model as often as every two years. The £1.5 million Bacalar, an open-cockpit grand tourer, is limited to just 12 units, all of which have already been allocated to loyal customers. The two-seat design is heavily inspired by the EXP 100 GT concept, which was revealed for Bentley’s centenary last year, with the two cars having been designed side by side. Features echoing that concept include the single front lights, rather than the twin arrangement found on current-generation Bentley models, and the dark bronze brightwork. The strongest similarity is the dramatic rear end, including the blade design of the tail-lights. Head of exterior design JP Gregory said: “This is…

Mercedes-Benz has given the fifth-generation E-Class a refresh, with revised styling, new electrified engines and more interior comfort and technology, in a bid to take the fight to the BMW 5 Series. The current version of the long-running executive car was launched in 2016, and for this facelift the saloon and estate versions have received subtle styling tweaks. These include new-look front and rear lights and bumpers and a grille that features a three-pointed star as standard. Cars in top-spec AMG Performance trim gain extra design revisions to bring their styling closer to that of Mercedes-AMG models such as the E53 (see story below). The rugged All-Terrain estate version has received extra changes that tighten the visual links between it and Mercedes’ SUVs. While the exterior changes are minor, Mercedes…

MW’s upcoming i4 electric saloon has again been shown as a concept, this time as a thinly veiled production preview. The all-new four-door model will be an integral part of an extended range of BMW i electric cars that are due for launch by 2025. Planned to go on sale in the UK in mid-2021 as a direct rival to the Tesla Model 3, it is claimed to make as much as 523bhp and have a range of up to 373 miles. The i4 is based on the second-generation 4 Series Gran Coupé, which is set to be revealed later this year. Like its combustion-engined sibling, it takes a three-box silhouette with a distinctive cab-rearward profile. This is to help it appeal to traditional BMW customers, moving away from the…

DS HAS REVEALED a bold electric concept that matches a motorsport-derived electric powertrain with an aerodynamically optimised exterior and a radical interior. The French brand says the Aero Sport Lounge, a five-metre-long coupé-SUV, is “a new shape of car” that’s intended to showcase how cars designed for maximum efficiency “can exist without giving up character and strong design”. It also says the concept reinvents interior design by minimising the use of screens. Instead, there’s artificial-intelligence voice control and haptic feedback provided by 3D ultrasound. The powertrain is based on that used by the DS Techeetah Formula E single-seat racer. Comprising a 671bhp electric motor and a 110kWh battery, it offers a claimed range of more than 400 miles and a 0-62mph time of 2.8sec. No production intent has been declared…

NEWS THAT PORSCHE was giving us back its glorious, naturally aspirated flat-six engines in the both the GT4 and GTS versions of the 718 Cayman and 718 Boxster was as unexpected as it was welcome. Whether you like it or not, turbochargers enable a reduction in capacity without compromising power and torque and smaller engines have fewer parasitic losses, consume less fuel and produce less CO2. So, to retain power, torque and drivability while switching back to natural aspiration, engine capacity has been stretched to 4.0 litres, more than that of the old naturally aspirated 3.8-litre GT4 and significantly more than the 3.0-litre turbocharged 911. To maintain efficiency, Porsche introduced cylinder deactivation (which it calls adaptive cylinder control) when the engine isn’t working hard. Between 1600rpm and 2500rpm in the…

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If the e-Niro is to be thought of as Kia’s ‘normal’ electric car, you get the sense that the Korean firm wants you to regard the Soul EV as its cool cousin. You know, the one who vapes and listens to bands you’ve never heard of. Its looks are key here. The third-generation Soul retains the unabashedly boxy profile and boosted ride height of its predecessors, although it’s not quite as energetically styled as it once was, perhaps due to the almost sleepy look that the new headlight design lends the front. Nevertheless, there’s still a healthy amount of quirky appeal to the design, which is an increasingly rare phenomenon. The Soul uses the same electrified powertrain as the similarly expensive and similarly large e-Niro, with a 64kWh battery pack…

As with so many good driver’s cars, there’s more than one way to drive and enjoy an A45 S on a track. The car offers uncompromising grip, composure and high-speed stability when you go looking for outright speed but it can also be driven in a more expressive and ostentatious style if that fits your mood. The car’s torque-vectoring four-wheel drive system feels more natural than the one in the old Ford Focus RS. Rather than seeming to pitch the car into bends as the Ford can sometimes do, the A45’s driveline allows for lots of mid-corner stability, confidence and feel. In most driving modes, it gently but effectively neutralises the car’s attitude under power. Drift mode isn’t like disengaging the front driveshafts, but it does allow you to accelerate…

Someone has just cleared out the memory cache and pressed the refresh button on the European market for small, affordable hatchbacks. The Renault Clio, Peugeot 208 and Opel/Vauxhall Corsa are consistently three of the segment’s top-six annual sellers, between them accounting for more than three-quarters of a million cars sold on this continent alone last year. And in an interesting convergence of timing, all three have been replaced by new-generation models built on all-new platforms over the past four months. Since all three are now officially on sale here in the UK, we thought it was about time we introduced them to each other and found out how the sudden flurry of renewal is affecting the prevailing class order. So here we are. Those newbie superminis will meet three other…

FEATURE The greatest driving loops and where to find them We reveal our favourite driving loops, then brave the cold and tackle the North Coast 500 in a Porsche 718 Boxster (with the roof down) ROAD TEST Audi RS6 Avant Few cars are able to tick as many boxes as this – on paper, at least MOTORSPORT Your new weekly fix Autocar’s new weekly motorsport section kicks off with an F1 preview EVERY WEEK LONG-TERM TEST Vauxhall Corsa It’s Vauxhall’s most important new car, and it’s about to join our fleet FIRST DRIVE Volkswagen T-Roc Cabriolet After the SUV-crossover-coupé comes this oddball SUV-crossover-convertible USED BUYING GUIDE Lexus IS-F Lexus’s compact sports saloon was dominated by an epic V8 engine SUBSCRIBE autocar.co.uk/subscribe or see p34…

MILEAGE 12,075 WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT To see whether the modern-day Jimny is as worthy as its iconic predecessor Tuning companies typically devote their time to high-end cars such as Range Rovers, Lamborghinis and the like. But just once in a while, something cult-like comes along that deserves such attention. You guessed it: the Jimny is that very car. Walking through Mayfair recently (not reflective of my means…), I spotted a – sorry – pimped version of a Jimny, courtesy of tuner Liberty Walk, typically purveyor of bodykits for Lamborghinis and Ferraris. There’s no point pretending I like tuned versions of models. I don’t. Yet, yet, yet… doesn’t this Liberty Walk Jimny (the black car, above right) border on super-cool? There are a few firms that offer Jimny modifications, including…

Volvo XC90 Huge thanks to Ian, who is back with us to reveal his latest magnificent purchase, a Volvo XC90: “After the BMW 525i came to a premature demise, I got this XC90 D5. It’s done 157,000 miles but has 15 Volvo stamps in the book. In 30 years (and 30-plus cars) of car ownership, it’s my first diesel and my first 4x4, and I rather like it. It’s the later 185bhp model, so it averages 30mpg-plus and has plenty of kit. I’m a convert! Oh, I can fit my bike in it, too. It cost £3750, including a cambelt change and two front tyres.”…

Fiat’s new 500 city car will be electric only when it reaches the UK early next year. Arriving first in convertible form, the new 500 is only the second iteration of the Italian icon after the original of 1957. It sticks closely to the look of the model that was launched in 2007 and went on to become an incredible sales success for Fiat. Although the styling suggests otherwise, it is all change under the skin for the 500. This is the first dedicated electric car from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), and it makes use of a new architecture that allows the 500’s footprint to grow by 6cm in length and 6cm in width, to 3.63m long and 1.69m wide. It is also 4cm taller than before, at 1.53m. The…

THE NEW V12 Speedster is an “uncompromising, visceral two-seater” from Aston Martin. Limited to 88 examples and with deliveries due in early 2021, it’s priced from £765,000 and available to order now. The roofless, windscreenless V12 Speedster was created by the Q by Aston Martin bespoke division and was taken from conception to production in just 12 months. Using a bonded aluminium architecture, it’s built on a mixture of DBS Superleggera and Vantage underpinnings to create a bespoke platform. The bodywork, described by Aston Martin as “inspired by fighter jets as much as it is by our history”, is constructed almost entirely from carbonfibre and shown first in a livery reflecting the F-18 Hornet aircraft. Its 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12 puts out an estimated 690bhp and 555lb ft, giving it a…

Audi has revealed the fourth-generation A3 Sportback, with a dramatic overhaul inside and a mild-hybrid powertrain for the first time. The tried-and-tested styling of Audi’s best-selling model in Europe remains, although the company has tried to make it look sportier to address the absence of a three-door model, which was culled during the previous generation. Audi’s new A3 has a nearly identical footprint to its predecessor, at 4.34m long and 1.43m high, but is 3cm wider, at 1.82m, giving more elbow and shoulder room for passengers. The model receives digital daytime-running lights for the first time, made up of 15 LEDs, allowing each trim derivative to have an individual light signature to set them apart. The engine line-up at launch is a 148bhp 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol unit (TFSI) and…

The Peugeot Sport Engineering (PSE) version of the 508 Fastback will be launched later this year, previewing an expanded range of electrified performance models. When shown in concept form last year, the 508 PSE used a 197bhp 1.6-litre turbo petrol engine and two electric motors – a 110bhp one for the front axle and a 200bhp one for the rear. For production, it could use the 355bhp 1.6-litre plug-in hybrid powertrain announced last week in the platform-sharing DS 9. The 508 PSE concept could hit 0-62mph in 4.3sec, while an 11.8kWh battery provided it with an electric range of 31 miles.…

THE AMI IS a quirky, electric two-seater that’s intended to propel Citroën into a new era of car-sharing and urban mobility. The French firm hopes that the Ami, which remains true to the Ami One concept shown a year ago, will appeal to a new generation of buyers as the appetite for more traditional entry-level cars, such as the C1 (which is unlikely to be replaced), wanes. It will be launched in Europe this summer, although UK sales have yet to be confirmed. Crucially, the Ami is classed as a quadricyle, like the Renault Twizy, which means it can be driven across Europe without a driving licence by those aged 16 or older. The Ami is 90mm longer than the Twizy, at 2.41m, and has a 40mm-wider turning circle of…

Skoda’s longest-serving sporting model, the Octavia vRS, has moved to a new generation and will be the first to feature a plug-in hybrid powertrain. The Czech brand has released details of only the vRS iV plug-in version so far, which has a 1.4-litre TSI turbocharged petrol engine mated to a 114bhp electric motor for a combined system output of 242bhp and 295lb ft. That’s enough for a 0-62mph time of 7.3sec and a top speed of 152mph. Official fuel economy figures have not been divulged prior to homologation, but Skoda is targeting CO2 emissions of about 30g/km. The Octavia vRS iV can also cover 37 miles on electric power alone on a full charge. Revealed in both hatchback and estate forms, the fourth generation of the hot Octavia receives typical…

Car makers are scrambling to soften the impact of the coronavirus on their businesses as efforts to contain the resulting Covid-19 disease threaten production. Closures at supplier plants in China and now in northern Italy are threatening to halt car production lines that are reliant on regular parts deliveries as part of their cost-efficient ‘just-in-time’ operations. Last week, MTA, an Italian supplier of fuseboxes and other electronic equipment, warned that the enforced closure of its plant in the infected Lombardy region would cause the stoppage of four Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) factories in Italy by the end of the week, with plants operated by BMW, Renault and Peugeot shutting from 2 March. It also said that its lack of supply would affect Jaguar Land Rover (JLR). FCA eventually obtained a…

BMW’s M division has been actively hinting about the introduction of electric propulsion for some time now, but it clearly thinks the traditional combustion engine still has some decent life left in it – as witnessed by the launch of the new X6 M, the German car maker’s most powerful and fastest-accelerating production SUV model to date. The new performance SUV builds on the various strengths of the already highly capable X6 M50i, launched in the UK late last year. It also shares its mechanical package with the arguably less flashy but more versatile X5 M, alongside which it is assembled at BMW’s Spartanburg factory in the US state of South Carolina. But rather than provide the X6 M with the electrified drivetrain that the times we live in might…

MODEL TESTED A45 S 4MATIC+ PLUS Price £56,570 • Power 416bhp • Torque 369lb ft • 0-60mph 4.1sec • 30-70mph in fourth 6.2sec • Fuel economy 31.1mpg • CO2 emissions 192g/km • 70-0mph 49.8m The new Mercedes-AMG A45 S 4Matic+ looks like a significant landmark in the evolution of the hot hatchback. Depending on how public opinion continues to view outlandish and excessive performance cars like this over the next decade, it may even turn out to be a high-water mark of a sort. With 416bhp on tap from its new turbocharged four-cylinder engine, this is nothing less than the most powerful series-production example of its performance breed there has ever been. It is, in short, the very hottest hot hatchback in the world. The new A45 S is more powerful…

VERDICT If the Mercedes-AMG A45 S does go down as the most powerful combustion-engined hot hatch in history, it will be worthy of its fame. This potent 2.0-litre engine may not sing, but the performance it spawns is remarkable and there’s character in the heady power delivery, if not quite as much as we’d like in the exhaust note. Perhaps the most impressive element of all, however, is how tractable and well mannered this complicated and brutally stressed driveline is when it isn’t being fully exercised. Indeed, it’s the all-round usability of this package that will make A45 S ownership so tempting to many. Given its cast-iron control of the body at speed, the chassis demonstrates genuine compliance. The loss of half a star is only because, although the A45…

“You could make a convincing case that any one of the three should be our ultimate winner” The truth is, there isn’t only one outstanding small car in this group; there are three of them (if you’ll allow the slightly contradictory waft of that suggestion). The Renault Clio, Ford Fiesta and Volkswagen Polo make up a triumvirate of strength so readily apparent that there could be little doubt, in the end, about which cars should make up this top-three showdown. That can only be fantastic news for the European motoring public, because between them these three will drive up class standards in a way that’s likely to make your next new small car better whichever one it happens to be. You could make a pretty convincing case that any one…

Hummer H2 £16,790 There’s no replacement for displacement, so this week we’ve gathered together a quintet of big-bore bruisers, kicking off here with the mighty 6.0-litre V8 Hummer H2. Not to be confused with the weapons-grade Humvee, the H2 was a civilian SUV sold between 2002 and 2009. It takes platform sharing to a new level, being based on not one but two of the things derived from the Chevrolet GMT800 truck. Its V8 makes a lowly 316bhp but a more useful 423lb ft. Of course it’s a vulgar old thing and left-hook only (make sure you get sight of the import paperwork), but no one’s going to scoff as you nose through the traffic. There are a few for sale. Our find is a 2003-reg with 74,000 miles. It’s…

Ford Mustang Bullitt £45,950 We’re sticking our neck out here because this Bullitt special is a cynical piece of marketing designed to cash in on the original, right down to its Highland Green paint. Even so, it was a hit with buyers who appreciate its colour (it’s also available in black), Recaro seats and six-pot Brembo brakes. It also has a little more power: 453bhp, compared with the regular 5.0-litre’s 443bhp, courtesy of a modified induction system and the powertrain calibration from a Shelby Mustang GT350. Our price is for a 2019 car with optional adaptive suspension.…

Some cars require years of dogged marketing to establish themselves, but the Ford Focus RS Mk1 did so in little more than 12 months and 4501 copies. Today, 18 years after it was launched in 2002, it is regarded as a modern classic. Don’t think, however, that is code for unaffordable. Prices for the best may be nudging £25,000 (and there’s a mint one with 3000 miles going for £33,000) but, as we discovered, you can still find tidy ones with good histories for less than £9000. The RS Mk1 has an impressive specification, major highlights being a supremely flexible turbocharged 2.0-litre engine producing 212bhp at a heady 5500rpm but 229lb ft at 3500rpm, a front-mounted Quaife differential for secure, front-wheel-drive cornering and a close-ratio five-speed gearbox. Other notable features…