Innholdsfortegnelse for April 1, 2020 i Autocar

The electric ID Buzz ‘Microbus’, due in 2022, will indirectly replace the Touran and reinvigorate the MPV segment through ‘emotional’ design, according to Volkswagen’s board member for R&D, Frank Welsch. Although the Mk7 Golf-based Touran is still on sale, the larger Sharan will be axed later this year and production of its Seat Alhambra sibling has just ceased (p6). It’s expected that the Touran won’t survive beyond the next couple of years as Volkswagen focuses on SUV demand and its huge investment in electric vehicles. MPV ownership peaked in the noughties but has since waned considerably as consumers have favoured SUV styling. In the Touran’s peak year in Europe, 2004, 191,414 examples were sold, compared with 75,427 last year. Name-checking the model as one of his two favourite to develop…

Aston Martin’s hybridised V6 (News, 25 March) will rapidly be deployed across most of the marque’s range once it has made its debut in the Valhalla supercar, Autocar has learned. The all-new powerplant, due to enter production in 2022, will replace the Mercedes-AMG 4.0-litre V8 that’s used in the Vantage, the lower reaches of the DB11 range and the soon-to-be-launched DBX SUV. “Mercedes have made no secret of where their engine technology is moving to, and obviously we don’t foresee four-cylinder engines in our Astons,” CEO Andy Palmer told Autocar. “So we’ve got to make our own journey.” With integrated electrical assistance, the Aston Martin V6 should effectively be a modular replacement for the AMG V8, with Palmer confirming that it can be mated to existing transmissions. Just as important,…

IT’S NO SECRET that less is more when it comes to engineering cars, especially where weight is concerned. But this concept also plays an important part in getting rid of lingering unwanted heat in powerplants. The new Ampere motor-generator from British firm Equipmake is a small and light package that makes very high power. Its low weight, low-inertia components, less mass in which unwanted heat can be stored and superior liquid cooling all contribute to a power-to-weight ratio more than four times greater than that of existing EV motor tech. The Ampere is made using additive manufacturing, which is the industrial term for 3D-printing using metal powder rather than, say, a plastic you might use in a home 3D-printer. Making parts by adding only the material needed rather than starting…

VERDICT Contrary to opinion quite popularly held by petrolheads the world over, there are some things that a really great Porsche flat-six engine cannot do. It cannot and will not, for example, automatically perfect the driving experience of a top-of-the-range 718 sports car, it seems – although this one undeniably does the 718 Spyder a power of good. For its free-revving flexibility, sensory richness and so much more, the performance of this mid-engined Porsche is now very special indeed. Its ride and handling on both road and track are likewise brilliantly judged, creating a brand of dynamic appeal that’s more precise and purposeful than is any Alpine A110 but can also make you giggle at times. Better-chosen gear ratios would, however, better-distinguish the real-world speed of this car and its…

Almost all cars reckoned to be true pioneers turn out to be nothing of the sort. The Range Rover wasn’t the first luxury off-roader, the Renault Espace wasn’t the first MPV, the Volkswagen Golf GTI wasn’t the first hot hatch and none of the Saab 99, Porsche 911 or BMW 2002 was the first turbocharged road car. And the Audi Quattro wasn’t the first high-performance four-wheel-drive car. That, of course, was the Jensen FF produced between 1968 and 1971. But like all of the aforementioned, the Quattro was the one that perfected and popularised its innovation. The problem with all previous four-wheel-drive cars, Jensen included, was that they needed to direct their power forwards through a heavy, clunky and bulky transfer box. This solution was impractical and expensive, which perhaps…

I first drove a BMW i8 in 2014. And when I was done, seeking to compare it to anything else that might remotely be considered a rival, I sat down and wrote: “It is the odd one out only because it is so demonstrably far ahead of its time. Others will react and may well do an even better job than the far from flawless i8, but for now it has the field to itself and its every success will be deserved.” Well, I got that wrong. Others didn’t react. It was then and remains today the only car of its kind. Truly, I don’t think it occurred to me that it might fail, but fail it has: the fact that BMW has chosen not to replace it tells you…

“It takes roughly four years of solid practice to be able to drift like a pro” An S-chassis Nissan rounds the corner with the length of its heavily modified body wildly perpendicular to the apex. Its highly strung gazillion-horsepower engine is screaming in furious protest as it bounces off the limiter, while plumes of white smoke erupt from the rear wheels with the ferocity of a full-on pyroclastic flow. A metre or so from its rear bumper, a similarly modified Mazda RX-7 matches the leader’s absurd angle of attack, and in tandem the two cars link slide after dramatic slide as they make their way around the tight, technical circuit. But despite the cacophony of thrashed engines and screeching tyres, their movements are all beautifully composed and coordinated. In fact,…

The BTCC is due to be electrified in 2022 through the addition of mild-hybrid technology. The 60V systems will consist of an electric motor inside the mandatory Xtrac gearbox (adding 7.5kg to the transmission), a battery and cabling. The complete system will add a total of 64kg – 10kg less than the maximum ‘success ballast’ weight used previously. Away from the gearbox, the cars will require some changes to cooling and intercooler hoses, an upgraded Antares electronics suite from Cosworth and some new electrical connections. Regenerative braking is adjustable by the drivers, who will have an extra 40bhp or so available to aid overtaking or defending for up to 15 seconds per lap once the first lap has been completed. Pit-lane driving will be under electric power only and the…

USED SPECIAL How to buy a cheap used car Read James Ruppert’s ultimate Bangernomics guide to buying a second-hand motor at a bargain price DRIVEN Porsche 911 Turbo Latest 911 morphs from sports car to supercar. We rate it DRIVEN Audi E-tron Sportback We’ve already driven a prototype, now for the finished product EVERY WEEK MOTORSPORT Silverstone Experience Steve Cropley takes a tour of Silverstone’s brand-new museum USED BUYING GUIDE Mk3 Jeep Grand Cherokee It won’t be for everyone, but there’s still plenty of appeal in this big 4x4 SUBSCRIBE autocar.co.uk/subscribe or see p30…

MILEAGE 7720 WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT To see if Mazda’s bold claims about its revolutionary Skyactiv-X tech ring true All mainstream family cars are basically the same, right? That’s what some of the more outspoken (read: cynical) voices within the motoring media and wider industry would have you believe. This is a view that appears to have been amplified as the march of electrification gathers momentum. But, actually, many manufacturers have distinctly different approaches to the phenomenon, and these numerous strategies end up creating more motoring variety as a result. Deputy editor James Attwood and I are running a pair of long-termers that illustrate this point perfectly. Both are Japanese, they are similarly priced, they offer broadly comparable on-paper performance and each features a hybrid powertrain. But the difference between…

E is for E-Class Safe, solid and spacious, the W211 oozes quality and is way better than the W210. Indeed, this Mercedes-Benz E-Class can almost match its S-Class contemporary for gadgetry and equipment. Much of the technology is focused on making the handling sportier, but it mainly ensures a very smooth ride; most bumps in the road hardly upset progress. There’s lots of room inside (although taller rear passengers might find their heads too close to the roof) and the boot is massive. The driver gets a clear dashboard and the quality of the materials is first class. A diesel engine is the sensible option; a 2004 E220 CDI Avantgarde will cost £2795.…

Volkswagen Golf R32 Price £7995 After all the flash red cars, something reassuringly black and Golf. Perhaps it’s because the Mk4 GTI was so disappointing that the more exotic R32 is regarded with such affection. Contemporary rivals, the Ford Focus RS and Honda Civic Type R, had the edge, but today it’s the R32 that will have weathered the passing years with greater aplomb. There are enough in the classifieds to make choosing one an absorbing experience. Prices start at around £5000, but we settled on a really nice 03-reg with 132,000 miles and a solid service history.…

Powered by a naturally aspirated 4.2-litre V8 producing 414bhp at a heady 7800rpm and 317lb ft of torque at 5500rpm (90% of it from 2250rpm to 7600rpm), the B7-generation Audi RS4 of 2005-08 made quite an impression – and that was before anyone even drove it. When they did, you could hear the cries of surprise emanating from the world’s motoring press, not least from Autocar, which judged the RS4 a landmark car for Audi and “really rather likeable” – even with a price of almost £50,000. Today, this really rather likeable car looks to be a future classic. Muscling in is a new breed of owner who takes maintenance rather more seriously than previous custodians and is prepared to pay top cash for the best. How about £30,000? Fortunately,…

“The 400Z is expected to be rear-wheel drive and capable of 0-62mph in less than 5.0sec” The long-awaited successor to the Nissan 370Z is finally becoming a reality – and the all-new sports car could be revealed to the world within the next 12 months. Tipped to be called the 400Z, it’s set to make use of a twin-turbocharged V6 offering greater levels of performance than its predecessor. With the 370Z having been on sale with only minimal changes since 2009, rumours of what will replace it have been circulating for years. Nissan recently filed a trademark application in Canada for a redesigned Z badge. It uses a retro font that harks back to the original Z car, the Datsun 240Z, and the later 260Z and 280Z. The badge won’t…

THERE’S LITTLE ROOM left in Volkswagen’s line-up for more SUVs, according to the firm’s R&D boss, Frank Welsch. VW has 14 SUVs in its range globally, up from two just a few years ago. Although Welsch wouldn’t go so far as to confirm there would be no more, he said the brand has ample numbers for its need: “I don’t think [the growth in SUVs] is over, but we have enough. We do not need 10 more. We have to take care. We must have a portfolio that is efficient as a volume player. If we have too many models and sell 30,000 or 40,000 units a year, we can’t make money. We will focus on the cars that can be successful.” SUVs confirmed for launch are in the electric…

LAND ROVER WILL introduce new mild-hybrid diesel engines to the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport in the coming months, effectively spelling the end for the V8 diesel engine, Autocar has learned. After introducing its first mild-hybrid systems in four-cylinder engines for the new Discovery Sport and Range Rover Evoque last year, Land Rover will add the technology to two new six-cylinder diesel units. The firm hasn’t officially confirmed details, however. It’s understood that a 296bhp 3.0-litre MHEV unit, badged D300, will be offered on the HSE, HSE Dynamic and Autobiography Dynamic versions of the Range Rover Sport. The electrical system will give a moderate efficiency boost and aid smooth stop-start driving, thanks to an integrated starter-generator. A more potent version of the same engine putting out 345bhp (badged D350)…

Automobili Pininfarina’s Battista electric hypercar will set the stage for an electric SUV that’s due in 2022. The new Italian car maker’s high-rider will make its debut in concept form at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, which is currently due to take place in August. The Pura Vision will remain under wraps until its public unveiling in California, but Pininfarina has given Autocar a preview at its historic design house in Turin, Italy. Paolo Dellachà, the firm’s chief product officer, said that his team’s goal was to define a new segment. He referred to the Pura Vision as a sustainable luxury vehicle (SLUV). The concept is no hardcore off-roader. Rather it’s a wide, low-slung four-door model characterised by a long bonnet, short overhangs, a steeply raked windscreen, broad shoulders and…

This, allegedly, is the year of the electric car. “Wait, wasn’t that last year, or the year before?” I hear you cry. Well, this time, we’re inclined to believe it. Or rather we were, were it not for this global pandemic forcing mass factory shutdowns and sending car company shares plunging at an alarming rate. This is the first year that new EU corporate fleet average emissions targets come into play, prompting certain manufacturers to flood the market with the lowest-CO2-emitting cars possible (namely, EVs and plug-in hybrids) to help avoid hefty fines. Yet estimates for new car sales in the coming months are bleak at best, and understandably so, which could put some makers in difficult situations. But, hey, there’s enough doom and gloom around these days. The new,…

1 ALPINE A110 LEGENDE Still the greatest sports car money can currently buy. Nimble, engaging, real-world fast and impressively comfortable, too. A truly fantastic machine. 2 LOTUS EXIGE SPORT 410 Hardcore swansong for the Exige flatters on the road. It drives and handles exactly like a Lotus should and its unhinged engine is phenomenal. 3 PORSCHE 718 SPYDER It doesn’t quite provide the same level of accessible fun as the Alpine on UK roads but is nonetheless supremely well judged. AAAAB 4 BMW M2 COMPETITION Hairy-chested coupé makes much of its rear-driven architecture and provides laugh-a-minute driving thrills. One of BMW’s best. 5 MERCEDES-AMG C63 S Heavy-hitting V8 coupé comes across as a bit of a hot rod in this company but remains impressively agile given its size. Practical, too.…

F1 gets creative Formula 1 will “experiment and try new things” to ensure a 15-18 race 2020 season takes place, boss Chase Carey has said. June’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix was added to the list of postponed races recently, but Carey said F1 is making plans to start the season in the summer, with racing extended beyond the current planned finale on 29 November. Carey said the experiments to “evolve the sport” could include esports, more series in the style of Netflix’s Drive to Survive and “other creative ways”. McLaren switch to Mercedes still on McLaren says it will still switch to Mercedes-AMG powertrains for the 2021 season, despite F1’s new technical rules being delayed until the following year. The British team currently uses Renault power units and had been designing…

FIRST REPORT WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT To see if the Juke can continue to hold its own in a crowded compact SUV market Is there a car more polarising than the Nissan Juke? Maybe. But there’s no denying it’s a love-or-hate kind of car. It’s one that’s done Nissan no harm, though, with the brand having sold more than one million Jukes since launching the innovative model in 2010. Despite the arrival of no less than 21 rivals in the interim, Nissan will be hoping that this second-generation model – our latest long-termer – is able to emulate the original’s best-selling year, during which it tipped the 100,000 sales barrier. In the early days of this latest Juke’s development, Nissan designers wondered how far to deviate from the first-generation car.…

QUESTION I drive a Mondeo ST220 Estate, on which I’ve spent £5k. I’m considering changing to an Octavia vRS or Golf GTD and can afford £12k. My Ford garage values the Mondeo at £700, but online they go for £2.5k. What should I do? James Marson, Manchester ANSWER You’ll get a 2015-reg Volkswagen Golf GTD Estate with 70,000 miles or a same-age Skoda Octavia vRS TDI Estate with 60,000 miles with your budget. Both cars are good, but the Skoda is more practical. Regarding your Mondeo, given what you’ve invested in it, why not keep it and enjoy its performance, its rarity and the admiring glances of fellow enthusiasts? JE QUESTION My current car is a 2013 Vauxhall Astra, but its steering is too light and lacks feel. Previously I…

Our round-up of flash motors opens with this Ferrari F430 F1 with a difference. It’s a left-hooker, which explains the ‘low’ price. Don’t worry about that, because where are you going to put a Ferrari through its paces in camera-filled Britain? And in any case, would you risk its suspension, tyres and steering at speed on our pockmarked roads? Thought not. Better to save it for road trips abroad, where you’ll blend in nicely. And when you’re finished, you’ll have all of Europe to offer it to. On that point, it helps that our find is resale red with a black leather and carbonfibre interior – although we’re concerned that it has ‘service history’ rather than ‘full service history’. The F430’s rear-mounted 4.3-litre V8 produces 483bhp and uses chains rather…

An expert’s view DAVID STRINGER, WORKSHOP MANAGER, ADS AUTOMOTIVE “We’re seeing more RS4s through the workshop now as people cotton onto the model and realise it’s worth preserving. Of course, it’s getting on now and many RS4s have a long list of problems, mainly because they were owned by people who didn’t appreciate what they had and so didn’t have them maintained properly. A popular request is to replace the standard Dynamic Ride Control system with a coilover kit such as the Bilstein B14 or KW Street Comfort. KW’s V3 fully adjustable coilover kit is also popular. It’s personal preference how low you want the car to sit, but many people are choosing to run with the original ride height, which at least saves the sump from whacking speed humps.”…

Just over a week after the UK government effectively ordered the entire population to stay at home in a bid to contain the coronavirus pandemic, motorists are naturally unsure how to interpret the rules. Autocar has compiled this guide to help you understand what you can and can’t do until the restrictions are lifted. Can I still go for a drive during the lockdown? Although driving hasn’t been banned, you should take your car out only if you have no realistic alternative. For example, it’s safer to drive than take public transport to reduce human contact. The government has said trips to get essential goods from places such as supermarkets, pharmacies, fuel stations and pet stores are permitted, as is commuting for key workers, but simply driving for pleasure isn’t…

The replacement for the Toyota GT86, due to be called the GR86, will appear next year with a 252bhp turbocharged petrol engine, alleged leaks from US dealer presentations reveal. Images from a Toyota-branded slideshow posted on Instagram and understood to be accurate, reveals the sports car is scheduled for a summer 2021 launch, between an all-new crossover and a ‘CUV’. There’s no clear indication that the Subaru version, the replacement for the BRZ, will arrive at the same time, but it’s entirely likely. The post also claims that the GR86 and BRZ will sit on a new platform (set to be the TNGA modular underpinnings) and produce 252bhp from a forced-induction engine – two things that Autocar revealed earlier this year. The engine is likely to be the 2.4-litre flat…

MORGAN IS OPEN to reinventing its design language, according to its styling boss. The British marque’s roadsters have always featured a 1940s look, but Jonathan Wells said that needn’t be the case forever. “We have always believed that Morgan’s design library is incredibly flexible and in no way constrained by the nostalgic influences we deploy in our cars,” he told Autocar. He cited the Aero range and the stillborn electric EV3 as examples. Both stretched the boundaries of Morgan’s visual identity but didn’t look amiss in its line-up because they still kept a high degree of purity. “Every part of a Morgan should communicate its function and be there for a reason,” Wells said. Morgan will follow these strict guidelines as it creates newer-looking cars, which Autocar understands is a…

APEX, THE FIRM behind the recently revealed £150,000 electric AP-0, will create a range of models over the next decade, going beyond sports cars and adding more practical four-seaters to its line-up. While the firm is run by Hong Kong-based brothers Jason and Gary Leung, its design, engineering and manufacturing base is in the UK. The AP-0 will be produced at a not-yet-built site in Woking, Surrey, that will be capable of producing 500 vehicles annually from 2022. Following that, Jason Yeung said Apex plans to open a plant in China, which is likely to build its next model: a smaller, more affordable electric sports car. Yeung said this model will cost less than £100,000 and that, although built in China, it will be designed and engineered in the UK,…

Since its introduction in 1999, the Audi A3 has been the conservative and consistent, if somewhat predictable, option in the premium family hatchback class. Now into its fourth generation, it’s no longer available with a three-door body, but to compensate Audi has created a more appealing design for the five-door Sportback version. Just like its new-generation Seat Leon, Skoda Octavia and Volkswagen Golf relations, the new A3 uses an evolution of the Volkswagen Group’s ubiquitous MQB platform, with enhancements to accommodate a wider spread of powertrain options that will include mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid variants. Three main trim levels will make up the A3 range: Sport, Technik and S line, with each receiving subtle exterior styling differences. In the case of Technik and S line, the headlights feature a small…

MODEL TESTED PORSCHE PORSCHE 718 SPYDER 718 SPYDER Price £73,405 • Power 414bhp • Torque 310lb ft • 0-60mph 4.3sec • 30-70mph in fourth 7.9sec • Fuel economy 25.2mpg • CO2 emissions 249g/km • 70-0mph 41.1m It’s a recipe with almost limitless appeal: just two seats, a modest kerb weight, rear-wheel drive and a naturally aspirated engine. Plus, of course, a manual gearbox. Any one of these five ingredients is to be welcomed with open arms in the world of the driver’s cars but the truth is that, these days, seldom do we see even three of them together in the same machine. And four? Depressingly rare. The subject of today’s road test has the full quintet. Porsche is the manufacturer to deliver it, although not long ago, with legislation demanding…

The 718 Spyder delivered a curious reversal of expectations at the track, showing marginally better-balanced limit handling on the narrow, slower MIRA Dunlop circuit than the Cayman GT4 we tested at Anglesey last year. It has excellent mechanical grip once its Cup tyres are warm and carries lots of apex speed. It stays stable on a balanced throttle but becomes more suggestible than the GT4 was to shaking its rear end loose on a trailing throttle, allowing power-on oversteer to develop very controllably and benignly thereafter – with the stability controls disabled. Leave them on instead, and you can still have lots of fun and carry plenty of speed. With heat building into the car’s mechanicals, however, some apparent and disappointing fade emerged from the car’s optional-fit carbon brakes, while…

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Over the past couple of weeks, as the full impact of the Covid-19 pandemic began to really hit home, it became clear that British motorsport’s governing body had no option but to close everything down. By removing all event permits from mid-March until at least the end of June, Motorsport UK signalled that no racing in this country will occur for 13 weeks. It may well, of course, be on lockdown for longer. Nobody can argue with the validity of the decision: the movement of people and crowds generated would have been socially irresponsible. An early major casualty was the Goodwood Members’ Meeting, planned for the last weekend of March. The team at Goodwood has said it hopes to reschedule the event for later in the year, but fitting such…

At the start of each British Touring Car Championship race, something like 13,000bhp is unleashed before an excited crowd. Engine builders, although quietly confident, may admit to the odd flutter of butterflies, too, because their efforts are vital to every driver’s chances of success. Since 2011, when BTCC organiser TOCA established the New Generating Touring Car (NGTC) rules, teams have been able to use a race-prepared factory engine or a generic TOCA unit supplied by Swindon Powertrain. All use an Xtrac six-speed sequential gearbox no matter their engine choice. The ‘unbranded’ TOCA engine is based on a standard 2.0-litre, direct-injection, 16-valve, turbocharged four-cylinder engine purchased from a major road car maker. Swindon has built nearly 200 examples since 2011, each one taking around 45 hours to complete. The race engines…

I wasn’t surprised to read Jonathan Cohen’s ‘Vanished without trace’ letter (11 March), as I’ve had an identical situation occur with my 2019 Range Rover P400e Autobiography. I watched the event on our business’s CCTV footage; it showed two young men in hoodies using a laptop to open my car and drive away in 15 seconds! The police believe my key was cloned while I was driving, followed by the thieves. The InControl tracking system fitted as standard by Land Rover was disabled within two minutes of the car being driven away. It’s the proverbial chocolate teapot of trackers and Land Rover should be ashamed that it fits this to very expensive top-end cars. It just isn’t good enough. A word of warning relates to insurance: owners should make sure…

MILEAGE 4832 WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT To find out if the magic touch Volvo has with its premium SUVs translates to this compact executive saloon After a busy few weeks crisscrossing the UK, the Volvo has been in desperate need of some TLC, its once resplendent Fusion Red paint becoming hidden below a deep layer of road grime. Most of the dirt was accumulated during thousands of miles of motorway drudgery, but some of the muck was picked up on a blast over Scotland’s Old Military Road, in particular the epic stretch from Glenshee to Braemar. Now I’m aware we’ve talked a lot about the S60’s family-friendliness and its ability to soothe away long distances, but there’s not been much mention of its ability to entertain. Well, this rollicking stretch…

MILEAGE 107,112 PORSCHE CAYENNE Something else has gone awry with the rear parking sensors on the Flying Pig. I don’t use them myself, but the regular pilot says that there’s a long buzz and red lights, accompanied by a warning light. So when the car went in for surgery at Porsche, I asked “please can you plug it in to check?” and then forgot all about it. It was only when the Flying Pig’s pilot went through the colossal invoice that she reported a £25 charge for plugging it in. It needs a new sensor, apparently, though that’s the least of my automotive worries.…

Who would have thought it: a Jaguar SUV? That buyers didn’t appear to be too fazed by the F-Pace’s arrival in 2016 says much about the way it met their expectations of what a Jaguar should look and feel like. However, four years is a long time, and it’s fair to say that the F-Pace has since been overtaken by newer rivals in buyers’ affections. No worries; that only means prices of used ones are a little softer than they once were, making this classy, stylish, roomy, well-equipped and, above all, fun-to-drive SUV even more attractive. There’s a version for most appetites and budgets, from an entry-level, rear-wheel-drive diesel to a full-on supercharged 5.0-litre V8 SVR. The diesels make the most sense, although they aren’t as economical as you might…

ALFA ROMEO 164 CLOVERLEAF There are only around 90 examples of the 164 left on UK roads now, with a further 300 on SORN. So it’s rare, which isn’t exactly surprising, given that it’s a big old Italian executive saloon. It is an Alfa Romeo, though, which makes it more interesting than most of its ilk. It was launched in 1988 and, in addition to the regular 2.0-litre Twin Spark version, there was the much more charismatic 3.0-litre V6 Cloverleaf. One of these, a 1991-reg with 146,000 miles, passed through auction recently, making a solid £4240. Remarkably, it had been owned by the same family from new.…