Innholdsfortegnelse for 22/06/2016 i Autocar

WHICH IS YOUR favourite BMW? After deliberation over a pint of IPA, I narrowed my shortlist down to two. The first is rather predictable: the M3 E30, the M car that chimed perfectly with my teenaged self’s blossoming obsession with cars and one that continues to deliver a rare and exquisite kind of driving pleasure today. The second is a racing car that adorned my bedroom wall: the M1, specifically one in the red and white BASF livery that raced at Le Mans and in the short-lived one-make Procar series in 1979/1980. I was pleased to see both of my favourite models make it into Andrew Frankel’s rundown of Bayerische Motoren Werke’s greatest cars, which we’ve included as the German giant prepares to celebrate its centenary in a major way…

Renault is preparing to take the lead in setting what it predicts will be the next big-hitting industry trend after the crossover SUV. The firm believes that trend will be for sleek, high-riding five-door coupés, and Autocar understands it is working on a new concept car that will be part of a series of concepts developed over the next few years under the watch of design chief Laurens van den Acker. With Renault’s core new-look range now complete, the manufacturer is looking to position additional models in its line-up and discover new market niches. It sees the development of the crossover as the natural next step. Renault’s designers are understood to have admired the Mazda Koeru concept from the 2015 Frankfurt motor show — a lower, sleeker, sportier SUV than…

EFFICIENT AERODYNAMICS are a major factor in car design, influencing fuel economy, emissions and range. That’s because aerodynamic drag is a powerful force that increases with the square of the speed, so as the speed doubles, drag quadruples. The use of ultra-slippery shapes for cars can be traced back to the early 20th century. Designers understood early on that air passing over a blunt shape detaches at the rear, causing low pressure and literally sucking the car backwards. Lengthening and streamlining reduces that effect; an early example of that is the 1934 Chrysler Airflow. But huge teardrop shapes are impractical in car parks and, in 1936, Wunibald Kamm invented the Kamm tail by snipping off the end of the teardrop. The ‘Kamm effect’ created prevents the air from detaching, reducing…

THE ALL-NEW V8 designed by Audi for use in the wider VW Group may be the last of its kind, a company source has told Autocar. The source said another all-new V8 engine family is unlikely because of the shift in investment towards all-electric and hybrid powertrains planned for the future by Audi bosses. The source said: “By 2025, the plan of Audi management is to have between 25% and 35% of Audi’s output as battery-electric vehicles. “It would be very difficult to justify the huge investment in another new V8 because of the cost of developing electric drivetrains and battery packs. You have to ask what is the best use of investment money.” The new V8 engine has just made its debut in diesel form in the Audi SQ7,…

The session ends late with no improvement in lap times, and we crawl into bed at 2am WEDNESDAY An epic weekend begins early. Into a black Ford Mustang V8 coupé to drive to Le Mans in company with a Ford GT and a GT40, both owned by Ford of Britain. The GT is a car I’ve driven a few times at Goodwood, bagged this time by other hacks. The GT40 is a £5 million mobile masterpiece destined for a parade to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Ford’s 1-2-3 race victory in 1966. After some fuel pump problems with the old car, we drive easily enough to La Sarthe, the Mustang feeling even quicker, sounding better and seeming more appealing than in previous encounters. THURSDAY AM Big day: today I meet…

Another week, another SUV. At least this one could prove a little more interesting, seeing as it’s from one-time sports car manufacturer MG. The now Chinese-owned brand promises handling that stays true to the company’s roots, at a price that starts at less than £15,000. That’s not bad for a Nissan Qashqai-sized SUV with significantly more punch than its rivals. While the diesel from the MG 6 would fit, for now a 1.5-litre petrol engine is the only choice of powerplant. Still, a turbocharger boosts output to a healthy 164bhp, making this one of the more powerful small SUVs available at this price point. Add a decent level of standard kit, a five-year warranty and a roomy interior and things are looking good, although you need to look elsewhere if…

Both cars are cracked up by their respective makers as the key pace-setter in the class This week’s twin test has its roots several months ago, on a frozen lake at Jaguar Land Rover’s Revi proving ground in northern Sweden. On that packed and polished ice, Dave Shaw, vehicle engineering manager for the Jaguar F-Pace, made an unusually frank admission, in a conversational context in which men in his position rarely go further than a grunt of acknowledgement. “The F-Pace wouldn’t be the car it is now if not for the Porsche Macan,” he said. “The Porsche put our project back months when it came onto the market in 2014. It made us take some big decisions and retune the car’s suspension and steering. It set a handling benchmark we…

Depreciated Defender As a former owner of a Twisted Defender 90, I can agree they are special vehicles (First Drives, 25 May). But get ready for what can only be described as colossal depreciation. How does £11,500 sound to you on a £43,000 car after just 10 months? This might be to do with the fact that the British public do not rate modified cars, but as far as the Defender’s legendary reputation for avoiding depreciation goes, this was clearly not the case. I asked Twisted if they would buy it from me, but I wasn’t happy with the offer so I accepted a trade-in against another make of car. I got a trade-in value of only £31,500, which is extremely poor, and a value that was less than if…

Do this job for long enough and you can get into most cars and just go. You’d don’t need to spend hours with the handbook, figuring out how the damned thing works. The i8 is not like this. Experience of other BMWs will tell you how the nav works, but in most other respects this is a car that needs to be learned, at least if you’re hoping to make the most of it. To me, this is an entirely positive thing, because it means I’m making new discoveries every single day. The last time a BMW sports car did this was back in the 1970s with the launch of the M1. For example, I’m still getting used to doing all local journeys on electric power. You don’t have to,…

Mileage 7420 The Superb Estate was called upon for the Summerell-Youdes’ annual pilgrimage to the Dijon Prenoix circuit in France, to watch friends compete in the Coupes Moto Légende classic bike event. With five adults, camping gear and supplies for four days to carry, the Skoda was begging to be taken. My youngest brother, Patrick, always draws the short straw and had to sit in the middle seat, which he said was too hard and upright, so he struggled to get a few hours’ sleep. The other two, including musician Harry Treble, loved the S-Class-rivalling leg room and even had space by their feet for extra camping gear, while Harry had enough elbow room to keep us entertained with his ukulele. We all loved the amount of cubbyholes and especially…

READER’S CAR: VOLVO 440 David Sharp’s Volvo is a lightly modified 440 that cost £700. “It’s awesome,” he says. “It had been owned by one family for more than 20 years. I fitted some 480 E alloys and a couple of new tyres. It wasn’t all plain sailing, though. It needed a new starter almost immediately after I took up ownership, but since then I have covered 3000 trouble-free miles. The 440 graphics and tartan trim are my addition. The powered glass roof is a standard feature on the 1.8 SE and my kids are continually opening it.” SEND YOUR BANGERNOMICS TALES TO JAMES Twitter: @Bangernomics Email: james@bangernomics.com WHAT CAUGHT MY EYE THIS WEEK: FORD COUGAR After seeing a Ford Cougar that belonged to a reader on these…

Rolls-Royce joined Mini last week in unveiling a futuristic electric-powered concept as part of the centenary celebrations of parent company BMW. Rolls-Royce’s own Vision Next 100 concept showcased the styling, construction, packaging, electronic and driveline solutions of its future models. The electric-powered, self-driving luxury coupé shuns a steering wheel and traditional controls while acting as a personal chauffeur. The Vision Next 100 is described as the first visionary concept to be built by Rolls-Royce — as opposed to its previous EX experimental prototypes, which were based more on existing models. The new concept is based around a lightweight carbonfibre structure and is powered by a zero-emissions powertrain with two 335bhp electric motors — one at the front and the other at the rear. Together, they provide the car with 670bhp,…

The VW Group will build between two and three million electric cars a year — around one in every four vehicles it produces — by 2025, according to group boss Matthias Müller. Speaking at the launch of the VW Group’s ‘Strategy 2025’ in Wolfsburg last week, Müller also revealed that the company would make a “big reduction” in the number of model variants it produces — currently around 340 — as well as slashing the number of individual modular architectures from 12 to four. As Autocar predicted at the start of the year, this platform cull could cause future large Audis based on Porsche’s MSB platform and Audi’s longitudinally engined MLB architecture to be dropped altogether. VW’s stand-alone NSF platform, which underpins the Up, could also be killed off. In…

The 3.0 V6 diesel is a mighty thing, serving up 457lb ft and making it ridiculously easy to pile on speed This is the all-new (but not all that different-looking) A5 coupé, Audi’s understatedly elegant rival to the BMW 4 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupé. You could glibly call it an A4 in drag, but that’s not such a bad thing these days because it means it sits on the same lightweight and sophisticated MLB Evo platform, which trims around 60kg off the kerb weight compared with the nine-year-old outgoing A5. The downside is that it could also mean A4-like laid-back dynamics that might be desired by high-mileage saloon buyers but not, we’d wager, by those interested in a two-door coupé. Fortunately, Audi agrees, so although the A5 shares its…

According to Bentley, the new Mulsanne represents “everything the brand knows about building the world’s most powerful, most luxurious cars”. That’s confidence for you, especially when the Rolls-Royce Phantom has arguably been the limo of choice for the past decade. The Mulsanne line-up is now three models: the standard car, the Extended Wheelbase and this, the most powerful and driver-orientated Speed. What’s new? Well, a restyle forward of the A-pillars delivers new wings, bonnet and grille, which has wire mesh inserts overlaid with Pantheon-like vertical blades. The headlights are now adaptive LED units, while the tail-lights and bumpers have also been tweaked. Inside, the infotainment system now features an 8.0in touchscreen, a 60GB hard drive, 4G wi-fi and the option of Apple CarPlay and MirrorLink apps. Such modernity cosies up…

These, then, are they: the cars we consider to be the five greatest BMWs of all, here to celebrate the centenary of the brand as it takes centre stage at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this weekend. We didn’t agonise over choosing them; we bent double and writhed around on the floor, banged our heads against the walls and wailed and gnashed our teeth over their inclusion. Actually, that’s not true. The top three were always going to be there (although not necessarily in that order) and probably the fourth-placed car, too. But what should come fifth and, more to the point, which cars should fail to reach this final reckoning drove us almost to distraction. We knew, for instance, that a sizeable constituency would look at these pages and…

Volkswagen has an uncanny knack for recognising the notional epicentre of any vehicle class and then consistently dropping its cars on a sixpence right on top of it, in turn forcing every other manufacturer to move around them on the margins. It’s done that for decades with its hatches and saloons and now it’s claimed the juiciest territory with its much younger SUV. The Tiguan feels like everything the stereotypical British family would want from their everyday car. Big enough to seat four adults in comfort and carry all the trappings of their lives, it also does refinement and driveability better than most rivals. Whether you want power, off-road ability, dynamism, outstanding safety or multimedia sophistication, the Tiguan can probably provide it. Probably, because so far we’ve only tested one…

Mileage 1206 I’ve grown to really like the way our Ibiza Cupra looks. It’s not particularly eye-catching when viewed at a glance, but look closer and the angular edges, LED lighting and compact body shape make it, to my eyes at least, one of the meanest-looking cars in its class. The interior may have too much of a generic Volkswagen Group look for some, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. I mean, there’s no denying that VW interiors are brilliantly functional. All of the parts of the cabin that you touch on a regular basis, from the leather-wrapped steering wheel to the responsive multimedia touchscreen, feel like they’re part of a quality product. It’s only when you run your hands down sections that you don’t normally come into contact…

1 Audi A4 Avant (2004›2008) The average cost of a holiday for four is said to be around £4800, but for a similar outlay you could be ferrying your family around in an Audi A4 Avant. There’s more than enough room for your other half and the kids, while the load bay will take the family retrievers. Audi’s customary build quality and plush interiors make the A4 popular, while the Avant excels on comfort and refinement. There are plenty of engines and specs to choose from, but while S line models look great, their ride is quite firm. Check for rear suspension bush wear and oil pump failures and get a full car check before you buy. We found a 2007 2.0 S line with 61,000 miles for £4988. 2…

City cars 1 Volkswagen Up From £8800 VW’s city car is no revolution — just a trademarked effort to beat its rivals on finish, refinement and economy. 2 Hyundai i10 From £8700 The latest i10 prioritises maturity over its former liveliness, but the refined result is still a first-rate city car. 3 Suzuki Celerio From £7000 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 £9400 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.…

Mid-sized execs 1 BMW 5 Series From £31,900 Performance, efficiency, handling sophistication, practicality, desirability and value all rolled into one. Excellent. 2 Jaguar XF From £29,900 Outstanding ride and handling and a rich, pleasant cabin. Not as roomy as some; four-cylinder engines disappoint. 3 Audi A6 From £32,300 Perfect for anyone looking for a smart office cubicle on wheels. Supremely well constructed but soulless to drive. 4 Mercedes-Benz E-Class From £34,900 On the pricey side and less sporting to drive than its key rivals. Four-cylinder diesels are a bit sluggish. 5 Lexus GS From £31,500 Restrictive engine range limits the appeal, but outstanding refinement and cabin quality make amends. Visit autocar.co.uk for all of our Top Fives…

Mini has unveiled a futuristic compact four-seat concept as part of the 100th anniversary celebrations of parent company BMW. Called the Mini Vision Next 100, the electric-powered, self-driving concept is one of three similarly named concept cars revealed to mark the centenary. It was revealed alongside the luxury Rolls-Royce Vision Next 100 concept, also an electric-powered, self-driving car, with coupé styling (see overleaf). Earlier this year, BMW unveiled its take on the Vision Next 100 theme with a sleek electric-powered sports car concept. The Mini Vision Next 100 showcases a new design lineage intended for use on future Minis. Shunning the retro look of today’s Mini models for a more contemporary appearance, it has been developed in response to what the British car maker describes as an ever more digitalised…

Manufacturers are moving away from wind tunnel testing and opting to use virtual simulation techniques instead in their quest to reduce aerodynamic drag. By switching to computer simulations, engineers can model a car’s aerodynamics without even building one. Virtual simulation techniques are not only quicker and less costly than using a wind tunnel but also yield better results. One company, Exa, produces a software package called Powerflow that has now been adopted by many leading car makers, including Tesla, Jaguar Land Rover, BMW, Ford and Volkswagen. The package was used on Jaguar’s most aerodynamic production cars to date, the XE and XF, as well as the F-Pace. The XE was the first Jaguar whose aerodynamics were modelled entirely in a virtual environment, a feat involving 1200 computer simulations. Tesla is…

FUTURE GENERATIONS OF the Ariel Atom could use hybrid power as engine supplier Honda continues to electrify more of its range. Speaking exclusively to Autocar, Ariel boss Simon Saunders explained that his company is happy to follow the path of Honda, which is expected to adopt more hybrid technology into its range following the launch of the NSX. “The technology in the NSX is cutting-edge and expensive, but it will work its way down the food chain to the hot hatches,” he said. “At that point, it becomes achievable for us to use in the Atom.” Saunders said Ariel had already considered integrating other Honda hybrid powertrains into the Atom but had concluded that none was powerful enough or appropriate for a sporting application. “Obviously, for Honda it’s more about…

The Nürburgring, then. Changes to the track over the winter, to make it a little safer, don’t seem to have stopped car makers using it to set lap times. At least, it hasn’t stopped makers of hot hatchbacks. This one will lap the Nürburgring Nordschleife quicker than any other front-wheel-drive production car. It’s called the Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport S, a limited-run hot hatchback that’s 1.5sec faster than a Honda Civic Type R around das Nürburgring, if such things are important to you – as they are to at least four car makers in recent times: Renault, Seat, Honda, and now VW. The Clubsport S follows the Clubsport, which was built to celebrate the Golf’s 40th anniversary and itself sits above the regular GTI. The Clubsport has 261bhp plus a…

The 2017 Maserati Quattroporte has been given the very definition of a mild facelift. Mechanically, there’s nothing much new to see here. Visually, there is – a bit. First, then, to the outside of this… this what? This sporty luxury saloon, which costs from £70,000 to £115,000, depending on the engine. Consider the Quattroporte’s rivals to be anything from a BMW 7 Series and Mercedes-Benz S-Class to a Porsche Panamera, Jaguar XJ and maybe even an Aston Martin Rapide if you spec the V8-powered Quattroporte GTS, as tested here. Outside, it has a new front end with an electrically controlled ‘air shutter’ behind the grille, which keeps the engine at a more constant temperature. It’s open at lower speeds and/or higher temperatures and closes if it’s colder or you’re going…

The 507 is the car BMW was trying to emulate when it built the Z8 1927 3/15 Dixi BMW started life making aero engines, so the Dixi was the first BMW-built car. It wasn’t a BMW but an Austin Seven built under license with British components. Still, we’ve all got to start somewhere. 1933 303 saloon Not quite the first proper BMW but easily the most significant of the early cars, introducing as it did both the six-cylinder engine and the kidney grille that is the cornerstone of the marque’s identity to this day. 1934 315/1 This was BMW’s first performance roadster: the Z4 of its era and the father of the 328. 1937 327 An attractive and successful tourer but lacking the sex appeal of the 328. 1940 328…

This new eco Golf hasn’t lost the assured handling of its more potent range mates It’s a decidedly disconcerting feeling, standing in a packed car park and trying to work out which vehicle is yours. Thankfully, I’m not suffering the premature onset of Alzheimer’s; the reason for my apparent forgetfulness is that we’ve swapped our previous Mk7 Volkswagen Golf for a brand new one. So I now regularly stand in car parks knowing I’m looking for a Golf but not sure which one is mine. At a glance, the only difference between the pair is their colour. There’s far more to the change than that, though. Appropriately, post-Dieselgate, the previous 1.6 TDI Bluemotion, run from new by sister publication What Car? for the past three years, has been switched for…

The Isle of Skye, it’s fair to say, is a bit of a slog. It’s a slog if you live in Fort William; from Hertfordshire, it’s like driving to Alpha Centauri. But when you’re the only one of five overgrown children to own a family-sized car, the responsibility of driving 1200 miles for a group holiday is pretty hard to swerve. Secretly, of course, I jumped at the chance. Prodigious road trips are the long-termer leveller: if you can’t mollify a gaggle of basically happy people for eight hours, then you’re not worth your weight in tyre rubber. The Tucson’s start was inauspicious, but I’m inclined to forgive its failure to accommodate every item of clutter in the boot. This, after all, was a trip that involved rock climbing, fishing,…

A 1995 3.8 V8 Ford Mustang at £4500 is a fun way to enjoy your touring holiday I understand that a third of us Brits are too scared to drive abroad. It has, however, never been easier, what with sat-navs and all that. I was on the radio telling listeners not to be so wussy. My ‘kiss the kerb’ mantra went down well enough with the listeners. That’s because in a right-hand-drive car in a left-hand-drive country, drivers will always be adjacent to where the pedestrians are. Why not, though, make it all so much simpler for those who plan not to Brexit and simply buy a left-hooker? Unlike the old days, it may not make motors that much cheaper, just more difficult to sell — unless you know how…