Auto Express 1413

Visit autoexpress.co.uk for all the latest new cars news YOU can see how the bean counters at Land Rover have been seduced by the idea of an Evoque Convertible. The increasing appeal to buyers of anything even vaguely SUV-like is hard to ignore, while in the UK at least, we have a totally irrational love of open-top cars. And when I first saw the Evoque Convertible last year, I have to admit to being a bit surprised. As a concept it works – and this week we get to find out how the car drives, too. You can bet that every other car maker will be keeping a very close eye on Evoque Convertible sales to see if the luxury SUV cabrio is another bandwagon they should all be jumping…

Essentials TESLA has yet to allow journalists the pleasure of a test in its Model X crossover in Europe, but we’ve finally managed to get behind the wheel of one of the radical allelectric SUVs on the streets of New York. The Model X is Tesla’s third car, after the original Roadster launched in 2008 and the Model S saloon, which earned the brand its reputation for bold engineering, followed in 2013. This newcomer builds on that; it’s the ‘practical’ Tesla, with dramatic ‘falcon wing’ doors that slide upwards before opening. The X sits on the same chassis as the Model S, and gets the same all-electric powertrain. Lower-powered versions with smaller batteries will be offered eventually, but for now, you have one decision to make: the P90 or the…

“Alfa boss Harald Wester revealed there is scope for cars to be added to product plan“ John_McIlroy@dennis.co.uk @johnmcilroy “Adding a coupé and conve rtible would be a cost-effective way for Alfa t o widen portfolio” ALFA Romeo could still insert a sports car and convertible into its new-model programme over the next three years, the company’s boss has suggested – and our exclusive images show what could be in store. The Italian brand recently realigned its product plan, nudging back some launches from 2018 to the end of the current decade. The priorities after the new Giulia executive saloon are two SUVs – the first due to be unveiled later this year and likely to be called Stelvio, the second in 2018 – and a replacement for the existing Giulietta.…

“The way the 911 R achieves such agility yet remains supple and composed is a credit to the engineers” THE Porsche 911 R was one of the stars of the Geneva Motor Show, and just two weeks after its debut, we’ve had the chance to sit in the passenger seat. It’s the seat next to it we’d like to be in, admittedly, but as the car is being driven by Porsche’s GT boss, Andreas Preuninger, we won’t grumble. Developed in just 13 months, the 911 R features the same 493bhp 4.0-litre naturally aspirated flat-six as the GT3 RS. But here it’s paired with a bespoke six-speed manual gearbox in a body unadorned by big wings, flared wheelarches and huge air intakes. It weighs around 50kg less than the RS, while…

BOSSES have admitted that Porsche will introduce a rear-wheel-drive turbo GT2 RS model late in the life of the current 911, and now the car has been spied testing. As the most powerful 911, the GT2 RS is likely to offer almost 700bhp from its twinturbo 3.8-litre engine, paired with the chassis, transmission, steering and suspension from a GT3 RS. This test mule shows a different exhaust designed to help the engine breathe more freely. Speaking at the Geneva Motor Show, Porsche GT chief Andreas Preuninger said his engineers were working on a new GT2 RS. “We’ve always had a GT with a turbo,” he told us. “The ‘kick in the butt’ you get with a turbo; this has sexiness. We wouldn’t want to ditch that model.” Preuninger suggested the…

MITSUBISHI will attack the SUV sector with a range of small, medium and large models in a bid to become an established 4x4 manufacturer like Land Rover. A total of five new SUVs will comprise a Nissan Juke-sized crossover based on the eX concept (right), a larger ASX and a revised Outlander that will sit in the class above. On top of this, Mitsubishi will reveal fullsize Shogun and Shogun Sport models to compete with the likes of Land Rover’s Discovery. The current ASX will remain on sale until 2020, sitting beneath the new, larger model with which it’ll share a name. The focus will be on electric drivetrains, with UK boss Lance Bradley outlining the firm’s plan to shift around 45,000 cars a year by 2021 (up from 23,000…