Auto Express June 24, 2015

I’M lucky enough to drive a lot of cars, some more memorable than others. The Land Rover Defender is undoubtedly among the unforgettable. One of my early experiences of it was certainly eventful. On the streets of Haringey, north London, I got stuck in a Defender as a big fight broke out around me between Turkish football fans and local Kurdish rivals during 2002’s World Cup. To be honest, I was glad I was in something elevated and robust, although on the bumpy roads of the capital the Defender has rarely made as much sense as in the great outdoors, where as we all know, it’s unstoppable. This week, the two millionth Defender was built – a tribute to its enduring popularity. The current model is, of course, now on…

WE’VE been chauffeured around in a camouflaged prototype (Issue 1,373) and seen countless spy shots, but it’s only now that Mercedes has fully revealed its BMW X3 and Audi Q5 rival, the GLC. Replacing the GLK SUV in its global lineup (a car that was never converted to right-hand drive or sold in the UK), the GLC is based on the same underpinnings as the new C-Class, but offers more interior space than the saloon and is claimed to have class-leading off-road ability. Elements of the C-Class’s design are everywhere on the GLC, from the converging creases along the flanks to the soft-edged grille housing a huge three-pointed star. Unlike the smaller GLA – which takes the form of a lifted hatch rather than a true SUV – the GLC…

WE got our first idea of the GLC’s styling from the GLC Coupé concept revealed at the Shanghai Motor Show in April, but that wasn’t its only purpose. It previews a sportier sister car that won’t be far behind the GLC. Uli Zillmann, project leader for development of the GLC, told us: “The GLC Coupé is extremely interesting as it lets us have a much sportier version with mixed tyre sizes, 20-inch wheels and sports suspension.” And when we asked about the possibility of a full-fat AMG-tuned GLC 63, using the new twin-turbo V8 from the Mercedes-AMG C 63, Zillman clarified the strategy: “I don’t think a full AMG V8 version is right for the GLC, but perhaps something like that – like an AMG Sport model. Full AMG is…

ALREADY 2015 was shaping up to be a stellar year for new hot hatches, and now Peugeot has waded in with a full-fat performance version of the 308. Badged GTi, not R (as hinted at by the 2013 308 R concept), it’s available with a choice of two power outputs – 247bhp and 266bhp – both with their chassis tuned by the brand’s motorsport arm, Peugeot Sport. The 308 GTi is positioned above the warm 308 GT, but directly opposite the 247bhp Ford Focus ST and 276bhp SEAT Leon Cupra. It follows the RCZ-R and 208 GTi 30th Anniversary Edition as the third model to be tweaked by Peugeot Sport – and it’s a typically thorough job. Unlike its rivals – most of which use 2.0-litre turbocharged engines – the…

THE GTi may not be the hottest 308 for long... According to one of the top engineers at Peugeot Sport, Patrice Delannoy, it’s a question of when, not if, the company will put the bonkers 308 Hybrid R concept into production. Seen at April’s Shanghai Motor Show, it uses the 308 GTi’s engine to drive the front wheels plus two electric motors at the rear for a total of 493bhp and a 0-62mph time of 4.0 seconds. “The technology definitely works, that’s not the problem; it’s a question of money and time,” Delannoy told us. “It’s technically possible to do this, but it’s not for now, it’s for later. Clearly there is space for a sporty hybrid of some sort.” Even with the hot hatch power war escalating weekly, the…

THE driving test is a rite of passage for many people, and each has their fair share of funny experiences while out on the road. To mark the 80th anniversary of the test, RED Driving School surveyed a host of motorists who’d recently failed – around half of UK drivers do so each year – to discover what had caught them out. Many responded with the more common reasons, having been marked down on manoeuvres like reversing around a corner and parallel parking, or for not checking their mirrors enough. But others had a more elaborate explanation for not achieving a pass. Read on for the top 10 most ridiculous reasons for failing the test... 1. DRIVING ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE ROAD “I drove out of the test…