Innholdsfortegnelse for 06/04/2016 i Autocar

THE CONCEPT OF a Mini saloon is not alien. Saloon versions of the Mini were added to the original car’s line-up in 1961 as the Riley Elf and Wolseley Hornet. They, too, were designed to push Mini more upmarket, something that is being echoed with the company today. The pair were lengthened from the B-pillars backwards and a saloon boot was added. Other additions were new grilles at the front and plusher interior trim. The two cars stayed in production until 1969 and 59,367 examples were sold, according to aronline.co.uk , before being replaced by the Clubman in Mini’s range as the more upmarket and spacious model.…

AMERICAN SOFTWARE experts Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek made headlines last year by hacking a Jeep Cherokee via the mobile phone network. The demonstration resulted in Fiat Chrysler recalling 1.4 million cars thought to be vulnerable to attack. Miller and Valasek were able to connect to a communications chip in the Jeep’s infotainment unit — ironically, a Harman Ucontrol system designed some years previously. From there, they were able to access the Jeep’s Controller Area Network and some crucial functions. At the Def Con hacking conference in Las Vegas, Miller said it was a “super-difficult” task that took three and a half months to complete. The pair also had full access to the header unit and other areas of the Jeep, which they purchased for the experiment. According to the…

Renault Sport is considering launching a high-performance version of the Renault Zoe battery-powered supermini after extracting “encouraging” performance from an initial prototype built last year. The project became possible at the beginning of 2015 when the Zoe adopted a smaller, more sophisticated motor and an improved software package sourced from its own engine plants, having been launched and sold for its first two years with a set-up supplied by Continental. No decision about a showroom Zoe RS has yet been taken because initial tests have shown the extra performance comes at the expense of a dramatic fall in driving range. Renault Sport boss Patrice Ratti confirmed both the progress of the project and its drawbacks. “The performance and the way it is delivered are very promising,” he said, “and so…

The ride is very good on the standard setting and still good on the firmer one QUICK FACTS PRICE £51,450 ON SALE JUNE The third time he drives past, I begin to think he’s not just hanging around for the scenery. He’s in an Austrian-registered BMW X3, atop a Montenegrin mountain, presumably while on holiday, where he’s been surprised – although whet her pleasantly or not his face never gives away – to find a Jaguar F-Pace at the summit. The F-Pace, then, the curiously named and curiously late entrant into the BMW X3/Audi Q5 class. By the time most manufacturers are releasing their sixth or seventh SUV/crossover/off-roader/4x4/callitwhatyouwill in their range, this is Jaguar’s first. Maybe it hasn’t wanted to step on Land Rover’s toes. The F-Pace’s supposed dynamism is…

Be prepared to be surprised by how much verve and vigour these cars offer for the price of a mid-range diesel motorway hack Welcome to the domain of the accidental hot hatchback, the somewhat limelight-shy, affordable driver’s car. It may not be a place you’ve been seeking out, but it could become so once you’ve read the next six pages. So prepare to be surprised by exactly how much verve and vigour the best examples of this breed now offer – and for the kind of money you might otherwise spend on a mid-range diesel motorway hack. This is the niche of the ordinary family five-door made just a little bit extraordinary. Specially engineered performance front-drivers exist somewhere else, in an altogether less accessible place. The cars we’re lining up…

Mileage 12,305 The Nissan Qashqai I once ran as a long-termer had a false boot floor that split into two parts. By pulling one half of it out and then propping it up, you could use it as a boot divider. This was ideal for stopping your shopping from falling over mid-drift. Alas, the NX does without such cleverness, but lifting up its false boot floor reveals a couple of sturdy plastic trays that work as useful compartments in which to prop up your groceries. I’m presuming the only reason Lexus didn’t bother with the full Qashqai-style arrangement is because it expected anyone who could actually afford to buy and run an NX to be able to fill the whole boot with shopping, rather than just part of it. Or…

Buy a Ferrari because you want one, but make sure you can afford to run it “Is this car worth purchasing?” I mean, what sort of question is that? Well, it is a very good one. Readers often ask me if they should buy this or that. Sometimes I get it right. Indeed, anyone I’ve told to buy a Ferrari has always ended up extremely happy. So I was going to write about something else, but let’s take a look at Ferraris. I promise I’ll only do this once a year on cars that cost more than a grand or so, but it does seem that if you are considering buying a mostly red car from Italy, you are on to a winner. Once upon a time it was usually…

Super-GTs 1 Ferrari F12 Berlinetta From £240,000 Thrilling in a way that only a front-engined V12 Ferrari could be. Crushing performance and unparalleled drama. 2 Aston Martin Vanquish From £190,000 If your money is only intended to buy dazzling exterior beauty, it is best invested in Aston Martin’s flagship. 3 Bentley Continental GT V8 From £140,000 It may have lost four cylinders, but the new Audi-sourced V8 is so good that it completely reinvigorates the Conti. 4 Ferrari FF From £227,000 A mighty engine, and the drivetrain to handle it. Not the purist’s Ferrari by definition — but a more usable one for it. 5 Mercedes-AMG S 63 Coupé From £125,000 So long in the legs that continents flash by mid-stride. Has a business-like opulence. Not as evocative as some.…

THE MINI ROCKETMAN city car and Superleggera Vision roadster concepts could yet make production. Mini product chief Ralph Mahler said the firm was looking at whether a small car “can be a possibility or not” and Mini had “nothing against” making a smaller model such as the Rocketman in the future. The Rocketman concept was first revealed in 2011 as a tiny 3.2-metre-long ‘mini Mini’. Bosses at the time talked up its production chances, but the lack of an available platform and the challenge of engineering such a compact model meant it was never built. However, Mahler hinted that the rise of electric technology meant the Rocketman could make production as an electric-only model, because it was easier on a car with a small footprint to package electric components than…

PSA PEUGEOT CITROEN boss Carlos Tavares has declared the firm open to more joint-venture partnerships after unveiling his six-year ‘Push to Pass’ growth plan for the group in Paris on Tuesday. PSA currently has partnerships with companies such as BMW, Fiat, GM and Toyota, covering car, van and engine development. However, after taking the helm of the loss-making firm in 2014, Tavares declared that it would not enter more agreements until it was on a more sound financial footing. Despite reported overtures from firms that include Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) and Jaguar Land Rover, Tavares has held firm in his refusal to discuss proposals. Now, however, he says he is willing to open talks. “The ‘Push to Pass’ plan is deliberately focused on organic, sustainable growth, which we can achieve…

QUICK FACTS PRICE £50,695 ON SALE NOW Seven eighteen. Not seven one eight, apparently. But, then, after 20 years (twenty, not two zero), will we notice? Or will we just keep calling it the Boxster? I’ll tell you something you’ll notice. Three numbers might have been added to the Porsche roadster’s name, but rather more significant is that two things have been deleted: engine cylinders. Gasp. The old flat six, that glorious, high-revving, naturally aspirated thing of wonder, is a thing of wonder no more. At least, except in GT variants, where it might still crop up. It’s the usual story: downsizing and artificial blowing is in, high revs and swept capacity are out. This is the first Porsche fitted with a flat four since the 914, then, and even…

It’s 7am and I’m staring at one of the most stunning examples of colonial architecture India has to offer. Mumbai’s central railway station, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus), was built in 1877 and is now a Unesco World Heritage site. Even at this hour, it’s bustling with activity, with locals beginning their morning commutes and tourists, cameras out, snapping away. In front of the station, being reversed into position by Autocar India’s chief road tester, Rahul Kakar, is the new Renault Kwid, a hatchback that has pricked up the ears of the automotive industry around the world and whipped the Indian market into a frenzy. The main cause for the fanfare surrounding it, and why I’m about to spend a day driving it, is its scarcely believable price. You…

CAYMAN THE CANNIBAL I think the cannibalisation of 911 sales by the Cayman has now begun in earnest. I attribute this shift to a few factors. Firstly, they are really good cars to drive and underline the benefits of mid-engined cars for handling. Second, Caymans have lost their ‘non-911’ stigma (well done GT4!). Third, despite their expanding list prices, they still represent good performance and handling for your money. And fourth, I think the gentlemen formerly attracted to classic 993s/964s or tasty 911 GT3s/Turbos now know that for the same money they can get some seriously good Cayman metal. Jamie Chester Esher, Surrey FRACTURED FORMULA All that’s wrong with Formula 1 in a word: greed. The Grand Prix Drivers’ Association complains about the ruling classes, but it needs to…

Eking out the best economy will be a battle of wills between me and the gearbox’s ECU Never mind Elon Musk’s prediction of an artificial intelligence apocalypse and the human race’s enslavement by robots; if the new car registration data and the product strategies of every manufacturer from Ssangyong to Rolls-Royce are to be believed, we are destined to be taken over by crossovers and SUVs. So, with appropriate subservient deference, we welcome onto the Autocar fleet one of our future automotive overlords, the Renault Kadjar (emphasis on the ‘jar’). As you probably know, the Kadjar is sister car to the current Nissan Qashqai, sharing much of its mechanical make-up and a range of engines. Renault, perhaps, would prefer us not to dwell too long on that Japanese/British engineering association…

The Superb continues to exude straightforward, utilitarian charm from all angles. Skoda, I suspect, wants desperately to be thought of as the maker of the one well-made, unobtrusive and faultlessly reliable object in your life. The Superb has these qualities off pat — mostly because it is simply too big not to be useful, too well equipped not to be convenient and too economical not to be thought efficient. That the appeal seems plain-spoken when laid out does not make it simple, though. There is a highly developed car beneath the extraordinary rear leg room and ginormous boot — one that I’m only just starting to get to grips with. This week I’ve mostly been tackling the drive modes. The Superb defaults, when you start it, to Normal and, frankly,…

READER’S CAR: SKODA FABIA ESTATE Steve Lee has a 2003 Skoda Fabia 1.9 TDI Estate that was given to him by his son. “Prior to my son, there was one previous keeper and it had only ever been serviced and maintained at the supplying dealer,” says Steve. “It has done 127,000 miles and has a few dings but it’s sound, it never misses a beat and it does 50-60mpg. “I’ve just serviced it, changed the timing belt and water pump, put three tyres on and it has flown through the MOT test. It’s nice and simple and doesn’t have all the new technology that goes wrong.” SEND YOUR BANGERNOMICS TALES TO JAMES Twitter: @Bangernomics Email: james@bangernomics.com WHAT CAUGHT MY EYE THIS WEEK: POA Can we ? put I…

Sports SUVs 1 Range Rover Sport SVR From £93,000 The debut act from the new SVO wing, and boy, do they know what we like. Not perfect, but an SUV for the soul. 2 Porsche Macan From £43,000 Few rivals challenge the Macan’s completeness or polish, and where it excels, there’s simply nothing else like it. 3 BMW X5 M From £90,000 A staggering concoction — especially the underbonnet contribution. Suffers from tunnel vision, though. 4 Alpina XD3 Biturbo From £54,000 Low volume may make it difficult to get, but Alpina’s first SUV is judged to perfection. Price to match, though. 5 Audi SQ5 From £44,000 Serious ground-covering ability with the bi-turbo engine aboard. For more involvement, see the above. Visit autocar.co.uk for all of our Top Fives…

Expect a length of around 4300mm, which would still make it one of the smallest saloons on sale The fifth model in Mini’s new-look range is likely to be a saloon as part of its global push upmarket, Autocar understands. The new model could even, in theory, result in a return of the Riley name, for which BMW owns the trademark. Although there’s no official confirmation of the addition of a saloon to the Mini range, sources have revealed that it is on the cards as part of Mini’s new look and ethos and the brand’s next logical evolution. In its third generation of models under BMW ownership, Mini has pledged to focus on making five distinct model lines. These will be more rounded and mature models, moving the brand…

‘We want to accelerate the transition to sustainable transport’ Tesla has unveiled its new Model 3 at a launch event in California. Early reports suggest the car will be a huge success for Tesla, with figures showing that 276,000 deposits from customers were taken in the first 72 hours. The Model 3 is the fourth all-electric car to come from Tesla and is the affordable model that company owner Elon Musk said he set out to build from the very beginning. The Model 3 will rival the likes of the Audi A4, BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class. Deliveries are expected to kick off late next year, with cars priced from $35,000. That equates to about £25,000, although this is expected to rise once external and UK import costs are…

Tech company Harman, supplier of infotainment systems to brands such as Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Porsche, has launched new software to tackle the increasing threat of car hacking, having acquired two software security companies. The purchase of Towersec and Redbend means their technology contributes to Harman’s new ‘5+1 cyber security framework’, which provides five layers of protection against attack, from the hardware level right up to the vehicle network. Harman’s director of technology marketing, Hans Roth, said: “As we move forward towards autonomous driving, cars require more built-in connectivity embedded deeply into the car, so cyber security has become a priority.” Towersec, a specialist in ‘intrusion prevention’, has developed software to protect military weapons systems from hacking, as well as two automotive software products, ECUshield and TCUshield. TCUshield prevents unwanted wireless…

THE REVISED CONTINENTAL GT Speed is Bentley’s fastest production model yet, with a top speed of 206mph. The Speed’s updated twin-turbo 6.0-litre W12 engine now produces 633bhp, up from its predecessor’s 626bhp, and 620lb ft of torque, an increase of 15lb ft. Peak torque is delivered between 2000rpm and 5000rpm. The added reserves result in even stronger acceleration than before. The Speed can now reach 60mph from rest in a claimed 3.9sec, shaving 0.3sec off the previous time. Bentley has also introduced a special-edition Continental GT Speed called the Black Edition, which offers a high-gloss black finish to exterior brightwork, black 21in wheels and red or black brake calipers. Other colour accents are available for the front splitter and side skirts, with contrasting leather cabin trim to match the exterior…

QUICK FACTS PRICE £32,115 ON SALE NOW The Tiguan is an important car for Volkswagen. It has been around since 2007 and UK sales have increased year on year, with last year being its best yet and making the Tiguan VW’s third best-selling car in this country. VW has been careful to build on existing strengths with this all-new, second-generation version. Beneath the solidly handsome exterior is the VW Group’s familiar MQB architecture. Length and width are increased over the old model, but clever use of high-strength steels mean it’s marginally lighter. Initially the Tiguan will be offered with a small selection of 2.0-litre engines, including the ever-popular 148bhp turbodiesel and the 178bhp TSI petrol that we’re looking at here. Opt for this most potent of the available petrol engines…

Mark Tisshaw asked if anyone had seen their old car again after getting rid of it (‘Ever spotted your old car again?’, autocar.co.uk , 21 March). In 1989 I owned a Sunbeam Stiletto, using it on 12 road rallies and a gymkhana fun day. Fast forward 20 years and after a chance conversation at a classic car show, I drive to Llanelli and there’s my car rotting in an old barn. So I bought it. Five years later, it’s all back on the road, modified and much faster. Graham Gillings via email…

Once you’ve had a test car for a while, it’s always interesting to see what your colleagues make of it. So when road tester Nic Cackett borrowed my CX-3 for a week recently, I was intrigued to hear his opinion, because his last encounter with the CX-3 was one fitted with the 1.5-litre diesel, rather than the pokier 2.0-litre petrol in our car. Here’s what he thought. “My previous experience of the CX-3 was limited to a brief go in the car we road tested last year. That model, featuring the diesel engine, was an oddly patchy affair, lumbered with an unsettled ride and inconsistent steering. However, with the petrol engine aboard, the Mazda 2 hidden beneath the CX-3’s crossover skin bubbles up to the surface, making the car feel…

1 Porsche Boxster (2004-2012) Open-top motoring rarely gets better than a Porsche Boxster. The Mk2 model offers spectacular driving abilities and head-turning good looks in a reliable package, and it can now be had for the same price as a new Dacia. Both engine options are powerful enough, but the 3.2-litre S model is the enthusiasts’ favourite. However, the 2.7-litre version hardly leaves you feeling shortchanged and can sprint from rest to 60mph in 6.0sec. Few things go wrong on the Boxster, but make sure your prospective purchase has a full service history. This gem can be found in 2006 2.7-litre guise with 74,000 miles showing for £10,500. 2 Audi S4 Cabriolet (2005-2009) Conservative and understated styling has helped the S4 to age well. In fact, you’d fool many into…

City cars 1 Volkswagen Up From £8000 VW’s city car is no revolution — just a trademarked effort to beat its rivals on finish, refinement and economy. 2 Hyundai i10 From £8000 The latest i10 prioritises maturity over its former liveliness, but the refined result is still a first-rate city car. 3 Suzuki Celerio From £9000 Pleasing to drive, cheap to buy and decent to sit in, the Celerio is a no-nonsense option — and very likeable for it. 4 Fiat Panda From £9000 While the Panda may not have quite kept pace with its rivals, it still sells robust, practical charm better than any. 5 Vauxhall Viva From £8000 A derivative and charisma-free take on the modern city car, but not devoid of usability or space. Cabin decent, too.…