Auto Express 1756

ONE of the most talked-about cars in the US right now comes from start-up brand Lucid, led by Brit Peter Rawlinson. Its all-electric Air saloon famously offers more than 1,000bhp and a 0-60mph time of 2.6 seconds. So when I was out in the US recently on World Car Awards judging duty, the Lucid Air was one of the first sets of keys I grabbed – as you can see from the picture above. And as expected, it was something else. The power and performance figures are almost a side issue; the ability of the Air to travel around 500 miles between charges is the bigger story. Yes, it has a big battery – a whopping 112kWh in the version I drove – but with Lucid it’s all about the…

John_McIlroy@autovia.co.uk @johnmcilroy ● Abarth 500e is based on Fiat 500, but with more powerful motor ● Faster around Balocco track than petrol-powered predecessor FIAT has committed the iconic 500 city car to a pure-electric future – and now it’s time for the company’s performance brand Abarth to deliver its take on the model, with the Abarth 500e. The first all-electric Abarth in history takes the regular 500 EV’s recipe and adds several key features to give it a more sporting flavour. Chief among these is a boost to the front-mounted electric motor, which delivers 152bhp (up from the 117bhp of the Fiat version) and 235Nm of torque, to bring a 0-62mph time of seven seconds. Exterior styling tweaks include a more aggressive front bumper, side skirts and a rear diffuser,…

● Limited edition adds extra ride height and off-road modes “Off-road touches include towing lugs front and rear, while the car will also be offered with an optional 42kg roof rack” IN 2002, Porsche launched the first-generation Cayenne SUV – a landmark moment for the Stuttgart sports car maker that transformed the brand’s fortunes. Purists were critical, doubly so when the Cayenne spawned a smaller and even more lucrative sibling in the form of the Macan. The cash generated by these big-selling models has ensured a steady flow of investment into an increasingly diverse 911 line-up. Perhaps, then, there’s a strong degree of irony to this new model, made possible by the profits generated by the brand’s SUVs. It’s called the 911 Dakar, and as the name – and its…

911 Dakar Rally Design Package FOR an extra £18,434, buyers of the new 911 Dakar can opt for the Rally Design Pack, which is a nod to the rallying 911s of old below. The tribute livery is based on the 1984 Paris-Dakar Rally-winning Porsche 953, and customers can choose their own ‘racing’ number. 911 SC Safari (1978) Two SC Safaris were entered in the 1978 East African Safari Rally. Using a 3.0-litre flat-six developing 247bhp, the SC Safari had an additional 280mm ground clearance. 911 (953) (1984) Winning the 1984 Paris-Dakar rally, the 953 designation 911 came with a near-standard 3.2-litre flat-six, while four-wheel-drive was used for the first time on a 911. 959 Paris-Dakar (1986) Porsche’s stunning 959 supercar of the 1980s took victory in the 1986 Paris-Dakar rally,…

Alastair_Crooks@autovia.co.uk @AllieCrooks ● Fifth-generation car arrives later this year ● Plug-in hybrid set to follow next spring A FIFTH generation of Toyota’s Prius is due to arrive later this year, but the UK will not be getting the latest version of the car that defined the start of the hybrid era when it was launched in 1997. The popularity of the hybrid C-HR and Corolla in the UK has seen Prius sales decline and a Toyota spokesman said: “Over the years we have launched a much greater selection of self-charging hybrids, covering all the main segments of the market and meeting a much wider customer base.” Toyota will continue to offer the Prius with series-parallel hybrid tech when it’s launched towards the end of this year, with a new plug-in…

LAMBORGHINI has joined Porsche (page 10) in offering a raised-up version of one of its performance cars, teasing the new Lamborghini Huracán Sterrato. The firm hasn’t issued full technical details for the Sterrato, but it promises to take the new off-road genre to supercar levels of performance, boasting naturally aspirated, mid-engined, V10 power. It could, in fact, be the last Lambo made without an electrified powertrain. From the teaser shots we can make out the larger arches housing wheels shod with thick-sidewalled all-terrain tyres, and LED spotlights on the nose. The Sterrato will be revealed in full on 30 November.…