Innholdsfortegnelse for 11/01/2017 i Autocar

The Volkswagen ID Buzz concept, unveiled at the Detroit motor show, previews a retro-styled but technically advanced four-wheel-drive electric MPV that is tentatively planned to go on sale in 2020. Although the ID Buzz draws heavily on the Microbus first launched in 1950 for stylistic inspiration, it uses a new electric car architecture that helps to maximise cabin space. The tall, one-box concept has seating for up to eight people. The ID Buzz is part of a multi-model electric car initiative masterminded by VW boss Herbert Diess, who is aiming to thrust the company to the front of the electric car ranks in the next decade following the financially crippling effects of the Dieselgate scandal. The ID Buzz is the second of five dedicated electric models being developed by VW…

“Outputs of 443bhp and 516lb ft are enough for the Q8 to hit 62mph from rest in just 5.4sec” Audi has previewed a new flagship SUV that’s due to go on sale next year with the unveiling of this Q8 concept at the Detroit motor show. The concept sports a striking exterior design that aims to combine the large footprint of an SUV with the sleek lines of a coupé. It is powered by an e-tron-badged plug-in hybrid powertrain made up of a 3.0 TFSI petrol engine, which produces 329bhp and 369lb ft, and an electric motor. A 17.9kWh lithium ion battery is located at the rear. It gives a claimed all-electric range of 37 miles and takes two and a half hours to fully charge via a 7.2kW charger.…

Faraday Future’s all-electric FF 91 is on course to be the quickest-accelerating car on sale. A claimed 0-60mph time of 2.39sec would beat the Tesla Model S P100D by 0.01sec. Since the new SUV was revealed in the build-up to the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, more than 64,000 people have expressed an interest in buying one, the company claims. The unveiling comes weeks after Chinese backer LeEco entered financial difficulty. Faraday Future also has issues with its Nevada factory, which is yet to be completed. The FF 91 uses a multi-motor set-up that enables real-time torque vectoring to the rear wheels. The drivetrain is said to have a peak output of 1050bhp. The FF 91 is powered by a 130kWh battery and uses Faraday Future’s patented FF…

Toyota showed an autonomous EV called Concept-i at CES that aims to demonstrate the effectiveness of artificial intelligence (AI) in cars. The car’s AI system, called Yui, adapts its services to the user’s preferences through machine learning. It can also communicate via spoken messages, lights and touch-sensitive features. Toyota US’s Bob Carter said: “The important question is the experience of people who engage with vehicles. Vehicles that can engage with people in return are the future.”…

“With the restraints dialled back, the Macan’s underlying controllability was revealed” The chaps at Porsche tend not to do things by halves, so here, then, is the new Porsche Macan Turbo Performance Package. “A package,” you say, “not a Turbo S?” That left us a bit befuddled too, especially seeing as this is a standalone model, not an add-on kit. There’s Turbo S-style substance here, starting with a slug of extra power. A few software tweaks to the regular Turbo’s 3.6-litre V6 has it making another 39bhp, giving a total of 434bhp. That’s exactly the same output as the 2.9-litre V6 in the new Panamera 4S and a good indication of where the engine for the next-gen Macan Turbo will come from. There’s also an extra 37lb ft, albeit spread…

Forgive the disguise, but the Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace – a stretched, seven-seat version of its mid-sized SUV – was only revealed at the Detroit motor show this week, so its makers were keeping its final look under wraps in the lead-up to the big day. The location of its public debut is significant, because the Allspace is intended to play a key role in persuading US buyers to consider VWs in the wake of Dieselgate and has been designed very much with that market in mind. US versions of the car will be nearly identical to those sold here, apart from the engine line-up and an even less snappy name: Tiguan Long Wheelbase. The Allspace is 22cm longer overall than the standard Tiguan, with 11cm of that length incorporated in…

“I’m struck by how the space appears to diminish in size the closer to it I get” We’re standing on a large expanse of asphalt contemplating a small group of cones arranged in a box a little longer than a Ford Focus. One side of the box is open and the asphalt next to it is covered in lurid black smears of melted rubber. “Basically, you’ve got to pull on that handbrake like you’re taking it home with you,” says Paul Swift, making his famous ‘parallel parking’ stunt sound like a walk in the park. I’ve come along to Thruxton circuit in Hampshire to join in with one of Paul Swift’s Stunt Driving Experience events, which Paul and his team hold throughout the UK. The idea is to learn the…

For once, I’m making no apology for writing this long-term ‘goodbye’ report partly from memory. It wasn’t supposed to be like that. I’d planned to live with the Sportage for several weeks before it was scheduled to drive off to a new owner, but the opportunity eluded me. Why? Because, as had continually occurred throughout this handsome mid-sized Kia SUV’s time with us, it was swiped by a colleague on the excuse that he had a special mission for which only the Sportage would do. It returned and then it was gone. All of which provide a convenient bottom line for this story: the Sportage is one of the most ‘suitable’ cars you can buy – suitable for commuting and parking in city centres, suitable for carrying normal-sized families and…

Last month was party season and not just because of Christmas. For some reason, a lot of kids seem to have their birthdays in December, so I donned my taxi driver’s badge and ferried various children – my own and their friends – to football parties, laser tag parties and even a party at a farm. Three kids in the back has proved no problem whatsoever for the Baleno. Granted, they’re only little kids, but thankfully they’re now all past the stage of needing a car seat or booster. So with three in the back and one in the front with me, I can happily scoot them from one venue to another – and there are no complaints from the back about elbows sticking into ribcages. The only thing that…

If proof were needed that I am redundant as a sort of low-level car tinkerer and possibly as a dad, here it is. When the wipers on the teenager’s Polo couldn’t clear the windscreen properly, it was time for a new set. At times like these, my trade discount card comes in handy and softens the blow of £27 for a pair. Once back from the factors, I explained to the youngster that this was a highly technical procedure. But while I was donning thermals, gloves and steel-capped boots, the teenager was back in the house announcing a job well done. It was, too.…

“Porsche’s decision to strip the VW Touareg and start again no longer looks so mad” It does 0-62mph in 5.5sec and tops out at 165mph, and when new in 2003, it cost £70,000 in standard trim. Today, 13 years and 124,000 miles later, you can buy this car, a Porsche Cayenne Turbo, for £6750. Don’t fancy a private buy? Then try a 2003 Turbo S with the same mileage for £8000 from a dealer. It’s in black, has full history and, like most Turbos, is fully loaded (extended nappa leather package, 20in upgraded alloy wheels, widescreen sat-nav, dual-zone air-con, privacy glass and quad pipes). It goes from zero to 60mph in slightly less than five seconds. All of a sudden, Porsche’s decision in 2002 to strip the Volkswagen Touareg to…

Range Rover Sport From £61,300 Now bigger and better. A cut-price Range Rover rather than a jumped-up Discovery — and the best here by a mile. Volvo XC90 From £45,800 The XC90 is cleverly packaged, smartly styled, competitively priced and a pleasing thing to drive. Porsche Cayenne From £49,600 The current model is more agile, more stylish and more sporty-feeling than before. A great interior, too. Land Rover Discovery From £41,600 Looks like an outmoded hulk in this list, but it can still do everything you’d ever want it to. Seven seats, too. Audi Q7 From £47,800 Biggest Audi is typically unengaging to drive but fast and light on its feet. Cabin is both huge and brilliantly classy.…

“The Stinger is a special event because no one expects such a car. It’s a whole different animal” Kia is aiming to become a maker of credible performance cars following the creation of a rear-wheel-drive sports saloon powered by a twin-turbocharged 3.3-litre V6 engine that can outpunch an Audi S4’s. A star of this week’s Detroit motor show, the Stinger has been honed at the Nürburgring under the watch of Albert Biermann, whom Kia poached from BMW’s M division in late 2014. The Stinger is closely related to the GT concept of 2011, a car Kia says it never lost sight of in the intervening years and always intended to use as inspiration for a production car. The twin-turbo V6, which produces 360bhp and 376lb ft, powers a range-topping GT…

MERCEDES-AMG PULLED the wraps off its GT C Coupé at the Detroit motor show alongside updated versions of its GT and GT S. AMG’s new coupé slots between the GT S and GT R. It features a reworked twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 that produces 549bhp and 502lb ft of torque, which is 28bhp and 14lb ft shy of the GT R. The GT C Coupé weighs 1660kg, some 35kg less than the GT C Roadster. It covers 0-62mph in 3.7sec and has a top speed of 196mph, just like the GT C Roadster. As with the GT R, its rear track is 57mm wider than the GT’s and GT S’s and it has rear-wheel steering. Additionally, a wider rear apron, also taken from the GT R, improves airflow. AMG has also…

MORE DIESEL CARS were registered in the UK last year than ever before, despite the fallout from the Dieselgate scandal and looming implementation of stricter Clear Air Zones in major cities. The market share of diesels dipped slightly from 48.5% to 47.7%, but a record year of car registrations meant that more new diesels than ever were registered. In total, 1,285,160 diesel cars were registered, up from 1,276,871 in 2015. Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) chief executive Mike Hawes said: “There are pressures on diesel, but it remains a popular fuel because it offers certain economic advantages. The car makers have made big strides in terms of emissions and the latest engines are a huge step forward, but it certainly remains true that there are pressures on its…

BOSCH’S CES FUTURE cockpit concept aims to demonstrate how a car can be a ‘third living space’, after your home and workplace. Sitting in the driving seat, I ‘steer’ onto an autobahn and hand control over to the car by using both thumbs to press touch-sensitive buttons on the wheel for three seconds. The seats then automatically slide backwards to create a lounge setting, with two large, central OLED touchscreens to provide the entertainment. Relaxing in the ‘back’, all that’s missing is a fridge for that cold after-work beverage. But thanks to its household appliance expertise and the Internet of Things, Bosch offers the next best thing: a video link to your home fridge. Bosch’s virtual kitchen assistant, Mykie (short for ‘My kitchen elf’), can be directed via voice commands,…

Bentley has revealed its fastest-accelerating model yet, the new Continental Supersports, which achieves 0-60mph in just 3.4sec. The Supersports will be a swansong for the current Continental GT, launched in 2011, before an all-new model arrives next year. It is also the most powerful Bentley yet, with 700bhp, and 750lb ft of torque between 2050rpm and 4500rpm. Its top speed is 209mph. By comparison, its Aston Martin rival, the new DB11, hits 62mph from rest in a claimed 3.9sec (about 3.8sec for 0-60mph) and achieves a top speed of 200mph. Sitting alongside the Supersports coupé is a new Continental Supersports Convertible, which accelerates to 60mph in 3.7sec and runs to 205mph. Bentley claims the two models are the fastest four-seat coupé and four-seat convertible cars in the world. Bentley has…

Kia is stretching its wings here. The Optima GT is the most powerful production car it has sold in Europe. It is Kia’s second performance derivative, after the Cee’d/Procee’d GT of 2013, and the first model to benefit from the influence of Hyundai-Kia performance car supremo Albert Biermann, formerly the engineering boss of BMW’s M division. The story goes that Biermann asked to drive a prototype Optima GT when he learned of its existence in 2015 – only to be told that he was actually driving it at the time of asking. “This is not a GT” is reportedly how he responded, before ordering a transformative job be done on the car, including suspension, braking, steering, engine, transmission and interior. The Optima GT, just launched in European markets, is the…

Launched 10 years ago, the Audi A5 proved to be the sort of rampant success about which car makers daydream: easy to understand and with minimal investment requirement for maximum return. When the A4-derived coupé was confirmed in 2006, Ingolstadt hadn’t built a two-door model since the 80-based Coupé of a decade earlier. But with the saloon already a recognisable feature on our roads, the concept hardly needed explaining – nor did its potential as a status symbol. That BMW launched the 4 Series a model generation later is testament to the overwhelming success the A5 has enjoyed with its middle-management customers. Unsurprisingly, a quattro-only S-badged version was conceived from the outset. The original S5 was introduced with a detuned version of the R8’s 4.2-litre V8 and could even be…

You can get a sense of how ancient and immobile the leaders of world motorsport have become from watching the buzz that has run through the entire racing community following the rapid rise of Zak Brown, McLaren Technology Group’s newly appointed executive director and sponsorship specialist. Brown, an LA-born stripling of 45, is widely viewed as the kind of new blood Formula 1 needs. He loves racing, has already been successful as a driver and team owner and has made so much money from founding (and subsequently selling) the world’s biggest race-orientated marketing business that (a) he need never work again and (b) he has been able to amass a carefully curated collection of 45 superb road and race cars, including a dozen race-winning F1 and Indy single-seaters. So great…

Paul Swift’s career as a stunt driver started at the age of seven when he told his dad, stunt driver Russ Swift, that he wanted to be part of his act. Russ took the cutting deck off a ride-on mower and put a skid on one side to prevent it from toppling over while Paul learnt to drive on two wheels. At eight years old, he was practicing for about two hours a day. Then Russ set Paul a challenge: “Drive the length of the field and I’ll build you a miniature car.” Paul did and got his first car, a Vauxhall Nova, joining the act as ‘Swift Half’. He set the first of many world records as the youngest driver of a motor vehicle on two wheels. A further…

It has been easy to appreciate the Q30’s strengths during its first month with us. Cruising along the M3 motorway once a week is a treat. The calm ride comfort at speed, a lovely lump of overtaking power and the quietness of the cabin team up to create one of the most relaxing automotive spaces I’ve experienced. Couple these with a high-quality sound system and adaptive cruise control and the Q30 transforms the usual 80-minute slog into one of the most chilled-out periods in my life, and I look forward to the journey throughout the week. The only thing that could make the experience even more pleasant would be massaging seats, although that’s quite a rare option at this price level. An early opportunity to find out how well the…

Ian Leech has been here before with a lovely £900 BMW 5 Series, which recently expired after three years’ service. And the replacement? “It’s a CLK320 petrol, so it’s got a bit of poke — a 52-plate, with 154k on the clock,” Ian says. “It’s in great nick. Everything works, including the ancient sat-nav, and it has a service book with 18 stamps in it from real garages with three-pointed stars — not a ‘my dad has serviced it for the last 80k’ story. I bought it from a nice chap who trades from home. And the price? £1850.” SEND YOUR USED CAR TALES TO james@bangernomics.com…

An expert’s view ROLY BALDWIN, EPORSCH “I’ve sold many Gen 1 Cayennes and, on the whole, they’re good cars. They have their issues, but doesn’t everything? The Turbo is the most desirable but hugely expensive to run. The cars are usually specced to the roof, because people who could afford the Turbo could afford the options. The S models are generally less well equipped and the entry-level 3.2s have little extra kit. The pre-2007 cars are seriously good value. For example, we have a 73k-mile 2003/03 4.5 S with full service history for £7995. Prices for post-2007 Cayennes, though, are off the scale. You can easily pay over £12,000 for 2007 3.6s and 4.8s.” Buyer beware… • ENGINE Plastic coolant pipes on 2003-2006 V8s can crack and weep. They were…

Ford Fiesta From £10,000 Not a class-beater in every regard, but its dynamics are so far ahead of the curve that it’s currently unassailable. Mini From £14,000 Three-pot engines and cleverly recycled interior make the Mini a superb choice. Second to Fiesta on value, though. Mazda 2 From £12,000 A very grown-up and well-made supermini. Drives with real charm, too. Engine not quite so appealing. Volkswagen Polo From £11,300 Still the sensible choice in a lot of ways: usable, re›ined, easy-going, desirable and very solidly built. Renault Clio From £11,100 An attractive and practical proposition and still pleasingly French. Ride and handling great, interior less so.…

Infiniti’s Audi Q5 rival, the QX50, is set to use the brand’s innovative variable-compression-ratio engine when it goes on sale next year. Infiniti said a “mid-sized SUV could be one of the ideal applications for the 2.0-litre VC-Turbo power unit”, which promises petrol-like performance with diesel-style fuel economy. The production-ready powertrain is due in 2018, which tallies with the QX50’s launch date. The QX50 will showcase Infiniti’s latest semi-autonomous systems, which the firm describes as serving “as a co-pilot” to drivers. “Drivers will retain ultimate control over their vehicle as Infiniti autonomous drive support technologies remain a step removed from full autonomy,” Infiniti said. An evolution of the 2016 QX Sport Inspiration, the QX50 was shown in concept form at the Detroit motor show.…

Jaguar’s E-Pace baby SUV has been spotted for the first time as a full-bodied mule, ahead of its unveiling in early summer. Sitting below the F-Pace and similar in size to the Range Rover Evoque, the five-seat E-Pace will rival models such as the Audi Q3. The new SUV is set to use the Land Rover Discovery Sport’s steel platform and could be built alongside that model at the brand’s Halewood plant. Spotted near JLR’s Gaydon HQ, the E-Pace resembles the F-Pace, with both the gr ille and roofline reminiscent of those of its larger sibling. It will also feature the latest development of Jaguar’s Incontrol Touch Pro infotainment system and showcase the firm’s improving interior quality. It is expected to use 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol and diesel Ingenium engines, which…

NISSAN BOSS CARLOS Ghosn has confirmed the next-generation electric Leaf is under development. Ghosn said the next Leaf would use Nissan’s Propilot autonomous system, which allows full autonomy on single-lane roads. The car is expected next year and is set to have a range of up to 340 miles. One possibility is for the more expensive cars in the Leaf line-up to feature a bigger battery pack. Volkswagen is planning a similar approach with its ID electric models. The Nissan CEO’s keynote at CES also featured an artificial intelligence system, developed from NASA technology and called Seamless Autonomous Mobility (SAM). The system combines human inputs with artificial intelligence (AI) in order to deal with unusual driving situations, such as police waving people through traffic lights, that would go against an…

The punchy Puretech 110 petrol engine in the latest Citroën C3 may have impressed us, but this Puretech 82 version is likely to be far more popular. In losing 27bhp and a turbocharger, you save yourself £1200 in mid-spec Feel trim. If you’re really looking to save a few quid, it’s also the most powerful motor available in entry-level Touch guise. The 1.2-litre three-cylinder engine is mated to a five-speed manual gearbox, with no automatic option. (You’ll need the 110 for that.) If the engine sounds like a carry-over from the old C3, then that’s because it is, along with the rest of the platform that underpins the car. That’s not to say Citroën has been idle, though. To differentiate the C3 from its main rivals, suspension travel has been…

“Implicit in all the fizz is Alfa’s new 2.2-litre diesel engine. In its 178bhp guise, it’s a peach” We’ve waited for the Alfa Romeo Giulia for so long that there’s no little irony that I’m stuck waiting for it now. Stuck in the office, staring at the ceiling. Waiting and staring. How long have I been waiting? Well, it has been five years since the Alfa 159 dropped, old and unloved, off a production line cliff face. But it represented only part of the waiting period, not its beginning. Before that, there was the 156 and the 155. Both were pretty. One was good. Neither, though, was the front-engined, rear-wheel-drive saloon that we felt Alfa should be building if it wanted to be Italy’s BMW and a proper volume contender.…

“This journey has never been done in a vehicle before” Is it cheating? It feels like it might be cheating. We have a plan, see, and it is this: to drive from one side of Britain to the other. No big deal. Even at its widest, to go from west Wales to East Anglia, you could be looking at a 400-mile journey. Which wouldn’t necessarily be a problem, were the plan to use public roads. There’d be some B-roads and a spot of M4, M25 and A12 and the job would be about done. But what I’d like to do is drive from one side of this scepter’d isle to the other without using the public highway at all. And you can’t cross Britain without using public roads, you see,…

“I announced I’d never driven another car that tried so hard to kill me” Those visiting Autosport International at the Birmingham NEC this weekend will doubtless want to see the display of more than a dozen Ford Sierra Cosworth RS500s gathered there. But I wonder how many will be stopped in their tracks by the reason these cars are on display: to celebrate 30 years since the birth of, by some measures at least, the most successful touring car design yet created. Thirty years. It seems like yesterday. Indeed, although there is an ocean of information and killer stats to speak for the Cosworth’s utter dominance of its sport, I think, on this occasion, there is need for only one: in the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC), the Cosworth RS500…

Currently, autonomous driving would have to be separated from mainstream traffic due to laws of liability and just plain common sense. Can you imagine what a convoy of eight autonomous cars would do trying to get past an 18-wheeler that was trying to get past Mildred in her 20-year-old Nissan Micra stuck in the middle lane of the M4? We already have autonomous transportation that requires no input from us, just selection of the destination. How? We get on a bus, train, plane or any combination. With dedicated train lanes, this method of moving people might just catch on. WIN Letter of the week wins this ValetPRO exterior protection and maintenance kit worth £58.95…

EARLY FEARS THAT the Edge wouldn’t be practical enough for my requirements have proven unfounded. In fact, I’ve found it to be a capable all-rounder. As the number of photo shoots ramped up on the approach to Christmas, not a day went by without the Edge being filled to the brim with people and my camera gear. Drop the rear seats and you’re presented with a flat floor and virtually no load lip, making it easy to load anything from awkward tripods to heavy lighting rigs. Most impressive of all, though, was its ability to accommodate the nine sets of 222cm-long wooden slats required for my new living room floor. It wouldn’t have been possible with a front passenger, but with the rear bench folded in its 60/40 arrangement, there…

When all you need is space… You might expect a Citroën C8 to be even more interesting than a C6, but it isn’t. It’s just another people-carrier that was also made with Fiat and Peugeot badges. It’s spacious, though, and rare to find one like this with a petrol engine, which may well extend its useful life. This 2.0 SX with 74k miles from 2005 is also cheap, at £1590. It screams if you want to go faster It seems that the only way to get a reasonably priced Honda S2000 these days is to find a decent private seller. Dealer examples are five figures or more. This is an early one, from 2000, with 58k miles and it seems to have been well looked after. The hard-top has gone…

“We found a 2015 Ford Focus 1.0 Titanium with 33k miles from Hertz selling for £10k” One careful owner: Hertz. So goes the old joke about buying a used car that started out in life with a rental firm. However, times have changed and ex-hire cars can make an astute used buy, especially as some of the biggest players in the rental market now sell direct to the public. Many of these cars are less than a year old and have been looked after much more carefully than myth would suggest. Rui Ferreira, vice-president of remarketing for Hertz, says: “Every car is checked after each rental return, so we know exactly what condition the vehicle is in. Also, if the car needs a service, it gets it immediately. Almost all…

Porsche 718 Cayman From £39,800 Scalpel-blade incisiveness, supreme balance and outstanding driver involvement. A practical two-seater, too. Mazda MX-5 From £18,500 Brilliantly packaged, brilliantly priced and even more vibrant and perfectly poised to drive than the original. Toyota GT86 From £22,700 Who knew Toyota had another dynamic masterstroke in it after the Lexus LFA? BMW M240i From £35,500 Towers over most German rivals. Outstanding engine, characterful handling, strong usability. Lotus Elise S From £30,800 If you want a delicate, vivid and unfettered drive, none does it better. If you want a daily driver, shop elsewhere.…