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IT’S a tough, and sometimes cruel, business. But the news of Andy Palmer’s departure from Aston Martin was greeted with sadness, if not surprise. The very fact that the company and its products are in a much better place than when he joined in 2014 is testimony to the guy’s brilliant leadership. Palmer’s been fighting battles since he joined and, ultimately, economic headwinds that nobody could possibly have predicted have led to his downfall. Luck has not been with him, and new chairman Lawrence Stroll is obviously keen to make his mark and appease his own backers. Since Palmer’s departure was announced, I’ve been contacted by a stream of owners who are united in saying two things: he has led a transformation of Aston’s product line-up, and he had a…

James_Brodie@dennis.co.uk @jimmybrods ● Controversial coupé’s new design revealed for the first time ● Plus, we talk to BMW design boss, and look forward to M4 flagship FEW big car makers have as much history and presence in the coupé market as BMW. And here is the brand’s latest offering: the new 4 Series, which aims to finish a job started by its predecessor. That’s because, while the 4 Series is still a rival for cars such as the Mercedes C-Class Coupé and Audi A5, BMW has started to dramatically change the way the car looks. The last 4 Series saw BMW separate the coupé and the 3 Series it was based on. What was once the 3 Series Coupé became the 4 Series, although outsiders saw it as little more…

“WE can’t see the 4 Series being knocked from the top spot in its class,” we said following an early drive in a prototype (Issue 1,624). We knew the look of the coupé was going to be controversial, but from behind the wheel, it was immediately obvious BMW hadn’t messed it up. “You sit low, cocooned by the cabin, and it feels tight and taut on fast roads,” we said at the wheel of the flagship M440i xDrive model (left). The 369bhp 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo packs plenty of punch, but the engine “feels as if it has more to give,” we thought. Perhaps BMW wants to keep its core models at a distance from the hot M4 that is also in the pipeline (Page 9).…

SITTING at the top of the 4 Series line-up will be an all-new M4, which is expected to join the range next year. One big change with the arrival of the new M4 will be the powertrain. For the first time, the two-door coupé will employ four-wheel drive. However, just like the system on the larger M5 saloon, it will be a selectable set-up, so drivers can engage a rear-wheel-drive mode if they want. The M4’s 3.0-litre six-cylinder engine will be lifted from the X3M, and is expected to develop upwards of 500bhp in Competition spec. A lesser-powered model will also be developed, although it’s unlikely to be sold in the UK. Further down the line, we can expect a stripped out, lightweight M4 CS to appear, too. In terms…

Head of BMW Design DUKEC has been in charge of the BMW brand’s various design teams since April 2019, and has been at BMW for nine years. Previously, he was the chief designer for the M and i divisions of the company. Q Can you explain the design of the new 4 Series? A “It’s not a car you should understand rationally. It’s irrational. You don’t just have parallel lines, you have treatments which are very central and sculptural, and combine with the low centre of gravity. And then some very iconic and expressive design elements. For example, the kidney grille on this car is very prominent.” Q Why did you separate 3 Series and 4 Series even more than before? A “We were differentiating 3 and 4 in the…

Jonathan_Burn@dennis.co.uk @Jonathan_burn ● Next-gen hot hatch on the way ● No hybrid drive for new model “It’s almost certain that the Type R will retain its six-speed manual and front-wheel drive set-up” HONDA is well under way with developing a replacement for the Civic Type R. And it should delight enthusiasts when it arrives in 2022 by shunning a hybrid powertrain. The current Type R only landed in showrooms three years ago, but Japanese manufacturers work on significantly shorter production cycles, typically between four to five years, as opposed to the eight years employed by European rivals, such as Renault, Peugeot and Volkswagen. Our spy photographers have caught the very first prototypes of the upcoming hot hatch on the road, which clearly show that the Type R will increase in…