Innholdsfortegnelse for 13/09/2017 i Autocar

AUDI SPORT TOOK the wraps off a second car at Frankfurt: a new lightweight version of the R8 V10 that, instead of the quattro four-wheel drive system of the standard model, has a new rear-wheel drive set-up mirroring that of the company’s R8 LMS race car. The R8 V10 RWS (denoting rear-wheel standard drive) will be produced in a limited run of 999 examples in both coupé and convertible bodystyles. The UK order book for the new model will open during the fourth quarter of 2017, with deliveries due to get under way early next year. Audi Sport boss Stephan Winkelmann said: “The R8 V10 RWS is made for purists — a limited-edition model for customers with an appreciation for essential driving enjoyment. With a V10 and rear-wheel drive, it…

THE NEW SEAT Leon Cupra R will produce 306bhp from its 2.0 turbocharged petrol engine when equipped with a manual gearbox. That’s an increase of 10bhp over the current Cupra 300, with the extra power being teased out by way of engine remapping. The Cupra R will also be offered with an optional DSG transmission. That version will put out 296bhp. The front-wheel-drive hot hatch will also feature a new exhaust system, a package of aerodynamic improvements, Brembo brakes, adaptive suspension and tweaked front camber to improve handling. The Cupra R will be available with an exclusive matt grey body colour that’s not available in the broader Leon range. In the cabin, bucket seats will distinguish the car from the standard Cupra, and there will be a new instrument cluster.…

SUBARU HAS REVEALED its all-new Impreza, making bold claims for its high levels of safety and good handling. Built on Subaru’s latest underpinnings and with all-wheel drive as standard, the fifth-generation Impreza serves as a left-field hatchback alternative to the likes of the Ford Focus and Vauxhall Astra. Following the new XV, the Impreza will be the second model to use the firm’s new Global Platform that is claimed to vastly improve handling and refinement. Subaru said it has set the car up to be “firm, but comfortable”, promising quicker responses and higher-quality damping. Powering the new Impreza is a choice of two horizontally opposed four-cylinder petrol engines: a 1.6-litre unit used by the previous Impreza, with the same 112bhp and 111lb ft, and a direct injection 2.0-litre unit with…

Jaguar has unveiled the Future-Type, its autonomous, electric vision of the car for 2040 and beyond. At its heart is an ‘intelligent’ steering wheel that, Jaguar suggests, could be the only part of a car you own in future. A driver would take it from car to car, with the wheel able to carry out hundreds of tasks. Called Sayer, after E-Type designer Malcolm Sayer, the voice-activated wheel uses speech-recognition software to answer questions, connect to news, organise travel and select entertainment. Jaguar said the wheel is, in essence, a member card for its on-demand service club, which would offer either sole ownership or car sharing. The Future-Type has 2+1 seating and a narrow body to optimise urban driving and parking. There is also the option for face-to-face seating in…

AN ELECTRIC JAGUAR E-Type called Concept Zero has been unveiled by Jaguar Land Rover Classic, the company’s fast-growing heritage division. The Concept Zero is identical to the classic original except that its conventional XK engine has been replaced by a 295bhp electric motor and a battery big enough to give a 170-mile “real-world” range. The new model, aptly dubbed Project Marmite in the early months of its 18-month gestation, is the brainchild of JLR Classic chief Tim Hannig. An avowed old-car lover with his own classic collection, Hannig is quick to acknowledge that an electric E-Type won’t suit everyone and may outrage a few. But he has nevertheless coined the motto ‘We future history’ for JLR’s newest division, believing it must look to a time when big cities have zero-emissions…

The next-generation Suzuki Jimny will retain the rugged character of its predecessor, rather than following the larger Vitara’s lead in becoming a more road-orientated small SUV. The fourth-generation model, which has been spotted testing in Spain, is being developed with feedback from existing Jimny owners, who rank its effective off-road capabilities and rugged robustness more highly than its on-road performance. The Jimny’s on-road handling will still be improved, but a Suzuki spokesman said the car’s unique selling point had been its hardy nature, so that will remain a key focus during development. Due for reveal at the Tokyo motor show before arriving in 2019, the new car’s simple, box-shaped body reflects its off-road abilities and takes influence from earlier-generation Jimnys. Much of the design appears similar to that of the…

TVR has finally revealed its long-awaited sports car at the Goodwood Revival, where it also confirmed that the upcoming Porsche 911 rival will be called Griffith. It’s the first model to be launched since TVR’s resurrection by its current owners, led by Les Edgar. The Griffith is built on an all-new platform that uses Gordon Murray’s innovative iStream architecture. Its design takes inspiration from the original TVR Griffith but adopts more advanced aerodynamics to boost performance. The car’s iStream structure features inner panels of carbonfibre bonded into a steel frame. The bodywork is also made from carbonfibre, helping to keep the Griffith’s weight down to 1250kg. The car has a 50/50 weight distribution. Under the bonnet is a highly strung version of Ford’s 5.0-litre V8 engine, fettled by Cosworth to…

Mazda will become the first major car maker to introduce a compression-ignition petrol engine — and the firm believes it could be cleaner than pure-electric power over its lifecycle. The pursuit of this technology sets the Japanese manufacturer apart from other car companies that are focusing on improving hybrid and pure-electric systems to make their vehicles cleaner. However, Mazda officials insist they aren’t deliberately following an alternate path. “We never want to be different,” Hidetoshi Kudo, Mazda’s head of product strategy, told Autocar. “We just want to do the right thing. As a result, we are different. But it’s not on purpose.” The direction taken by Mazda has been shaped by the philosophy it has adopted as a far smaller company than many of its rivals. With limited resources, Mazda…

TESTED 5.9.17, GERMANY ON SALE NOW PRICE £139,855 Markus Hofbauer, Mercedes-AMG’s chassis team leader – who used to work at Porsche – says he prefers a 911 Turbo to a 911 GT3, which tells you more than a little about the Mercedes-AMG GT range. It’s in the way the 911 Turbo goes about things, see; and Hofbauer knows, because he helped engineer 911 dynamics before he moved to AMG. You don’t have to be absolutely ‘on it’ all the time to make decent progress in a Turbo. It’s fast, but secure and unflappable. Which brings us to the car Hofbauer is here to talk about today: the Mercedes-AMG GT, which has, conveniently for the purposes of this article, become available in C specification as a coupé, almost completing the two-door…

Any car enthusiast is excused if they’ve never heard of Chongqing. Populated by 30 million people, this city in the centre of China is 1100 miles south-west of the capital, Beijing, yet it can easily claim to be China’s motor city as home to 30 car factories. There’s enough capacity to produce three million cars a year, about 12% of China’s total car output. For context, the output from this one city outstrips the UK’s production record (two million, set in 1972). Much of Chongqing’s automotive focus is Changan Auto, a state-owned enterprise that has built cars since 1959, starting with a military truck modelled on the World War II US Jeep. Today, its range has expanded to 17 Changan-badged models, including an EV, and output is around one million…

“Details stand out, such as four USB ports, 230V power point and wi- i” In most London taxis, the intercom microphone to talk to the driver is located in the roof of the car. But in the new London Electric Vehicle Company (LEVC) TX taxi, the microphones are in the window pillars in front of the rear seats. A trivial change? Not at all, because when most passengers talk to the driver, they lean forward – lining up almost perfectly with that pillar-mounted microphone. Sure, there are bigger things to admire about the TX taxi, such as the powertrain, which features a 145bhp electric motor alongside a range-extending petrol engine. By default, that 1.3-litre engine (which doesn’t recharge the battery, so it doesn’t encourage inefficient driving) only kicks in when…

MODEL TESTED 1.4 T-GDI PREMIUM SE Price £24,155 Power 138bhp Torque 178lb ft 0-60mph 9.5sec 30-70mph in fourth 12.8sec Fuel economy 39.2mpg CO2 emissions 129g/km 70-0mph 46.1m As recent industry feats go, Hyundai Motor Company’s incursion onto the European continent must rank among the most impressive. A decade ago, when the original i30 was launched, the Korean manufacturer was little more than a sideshow in volume terms. In 2015, it registered 470,130 vehicles here – which was nearly 11% more than it managed the year before. Its success story owes something to good fortune (the scrappage scheme of 2008 benefited no other firm quite so vigorously) but mostly it has been achieved by adroitly supplying buyers with what they want: build quality, equipment, keen pricing, practicality, reliability and a long,…

Do we need the M5? I write this as a confirmed petrolhead, but I was somewhat aghast to see the headlines regarding the performance of the new BMW M5 (News, 23 August). I owned an M5 almost 20 years ago. Even then, it was something of an oddity and rather pointless. Once you’d travelled at a three-figure speed, there wasn’t a lot more you could do with it, while the wheels appeared to be made of cream cheese and crumbled at the very sight of a kerb. However, to still be producing such a vehicle in today’s speed-camera-saturated, eco-sensitive and safety-conscious world is a total anathema. It’s about time BMW’s management grew up and started leading the transport revolution needed to sustain the future of the planet. The i3 and…

MILEAGE 31,706 WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT To delve into the world of aftermarket modifications and discover how to respectfully improve on factory efforts Perhaps the single biggest upgrade we’ll make to our used M135i is also the first – the suspension. Out goes BMW’s Electronic Damper Control equipment in favour of a set of Eibach springs with passive Bilstein dampers, both tuned specifically for the M135i. Birds, the specialist we’re working with on this project, recruited former racing driver James Weaver and experienced race engineer Peter Weston to tune the new suspension. Between them, Weaver and Weston chose appropriate off-the-shelf springs for the car while also specifying their own damper curves to Bilstein, which built the damper kits accordingly. The result is that the Birds suspension upgrade for the M135i…

MILEAGE 76,998 BMW X5 Well, that went well. On a whim I decided, on a dry, windless Sunday afternoon, to respray the rear section of the X5 that I mentioned in this column last week. Obviously I should use masking tape, plain brown paper and, essentially, a spray booth. Instead I used some old rugs, clear wrap and Sellotape. However, decades of spraying things badly has paid off. It took a couple of coats to look good enough to pass for decent in a supermarket car park. Mind you, I'm not sure whether it will help if we decide to part-exchange the X5 in a few years’ time...…

 YEARS PRODUCED 2005-2008 PRICE RANGE £2000-£7000 POWER 197BHP “The quoted figures are 197bhp and 207lb ft but, in truth, it feels stronger than that” Elated motoring journalists heaped praise on the then-new Volkswagen Golf GTI back in 2005. They proclaimed in bold print that the once-proud name had risen from the ashes and that this GTI was a welcome change after years of lacklustre performance offerings from Wolfsburg. Fast-forward 12 years and where has that praise got this GTI? Early Mk5s are available for less than £2000 and more presentable examples are only a little bit dearer at £50000-£7000 – a tiny amount, given its original £20,000 price. Despite all those years, it still looks remarkably fresh. Golfs have always evolved slowly over time, so all the classic GTI design…

An expert’s view MARK ROSE, HR OWEN “Gallardo prices are all over the place. The model is far more complicated to buy than anything else. We don’t deal with older ones much, but check for track-day use — feathered tyres, worn brakes, gravel stuck in panel gaps. Lots of Gallardos get vinyl wraps so check for paint nicks where it’s been de-wrapped. A surprising number have been clocked, so if the steering wheel is shiny or the driver’s seat bolster is worn but the odometer says 5000 miles, walk away. Check the seller has title to the car; being the keeper on the logbook is one thing, but who actually owns it? I’d buy a 2013 Superleggera LP570-4 — around £115k in the trade but £140k retail.” Buyer beware •…

“Despite the car’s price of £2 million, the order book is claimed to be fully subscribed” Mercedes-Benz’s AMG performance car division has joined the exclusive ranks of high-end hypercar manufacturers with the unveiling of a spectacular new 992bhpplus coupé known under the working title Project One. The advanced new model has been conceived to provide a direct link between the German car maker’s Formula 1 racing activities and its road car division. It is powered by a heavily reworked version of the turbocharged 1.6-litre V6 petrol engine and electric motor set-up used by the W08 race car, as driven by Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas. Performance figures quoted by Mercedes-AMG put the carbonfibre-bodied Project One’s 0-124mph time at 6.0sec and its top speed at more than 218mph. However, Mercedes-AMG boss…

EQA The Mercedes-Benz EQA concept previews the second car in its EQ electric car sub-brand. Unveiled at this week’s Frankfurt motor show, the hatch joins the larger EQC SUV, shown in concept form last year. The entry-level car in the EQ line-up will go on sale in 2020 with a claimed 249-mile range and a price that, Mercedes officials suggest, will pitch it against the BMW i3. That model currently starts from £33,070 before government subsidies. The three-door concept is expected to morph into a more practical five-door production model with accommodation for five and interior space “considerably larger” than today’s A-Class. The EQA concept car uses a driveline being developed for a range of EQ models. The set-up of two electric motors, similar to that in the EQC, delivers…

The Audi RS4 Avant is back after the fourth-generation model was unveiled by Audi Sport boss Stephan Winkelmann at the Frankfurt motor show. Set for UK delivery during the second quarter of 2018, the hot new estate builds on the developments brought to the RS5 Coupé earlier this year. That means it adopts a turbocharged 2.9-litre V6 petrol engine developed in a joint venture between Audi and Porsche. With 444bhp and 443lb ft, the new unit delivers the same amount of power but a significant 125lb ft more torque than the third-generation RS4 Avant’s naturally aspirated 4.2-litre V8 petrol engine. It is also 95bhp and 74lb ft more than that delivered by the turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 used by the latest S4 Avant. With a kerb weight of 1790kg, the RS4…

“The sole engine offered in the SVX is a 518bhp, 461lb ft, 5.0-litre supercharged petrol V8” An extreme off-road version of the Land Rover Discovery is the latest project from Jaguar Land Rover’s fast-expanding Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) division. The new Discovery variant is the first in a series of models that will carry the SVX badge. So far, SVO’s work has focused on making high-performance and more luxurious versions of JLR models, badged SVR and SVAutobiography respectively. But with the off-road-focused SVX nameplate, it now has a third product line. The Discovery SVX will enter production next year. Its special modifications over the standard fifth-generation Discovery on which it is based will be hand-fitted by SVO’s workers at its bespoke Oxford Road facility in Coventry. The external tweaks of…

The new Porsche Cayenne Turbo has been revealed at Frankfurt as the pinnacle of Porsche’s SUV range. With outputs of 534bhp and 568lb ft — 29bhp and 15lb ft more respectively than the current model — the two-tonne SUV can hit 62mph in 3.9sec with the optional Sport Chrono Package. That’s 0.4sec faster than the outgoing Cayenne Turbo and 0.2sec faster than the previous-generation Cayenne Turbo S. Without the package, the Cayenne Turbo matches the 4.1sec sprint time of the previous Turbo S. The turbos are arranged inside the V of the car’s V8 engine, making the engine more responsive in its power delivery. Porsche also claims that the new Cayenne Turbo has more 911 DNA inside than ever before, with 21in alloys, widened wheel arches and quad, oblong tailpipes…

THE LONDON ELECTRIC Vehicle Company (LEVC) has said there is strong overseas interest in its new TX electric taxi, after showcasing a German-spec model at the Frankfurt show. LEVC, which recently changed its name from The London Taxi Company, has designed the TX to have worldwide appeal. The model can drive more than 400 miles via its electric motor and petrol range extender. The TX at Frankfurt was painted in Eifelbein, a shade of beige required by German law from 1971 to 2005. However, most German taxis remain painted in the colour. LEVC has taken a large order for the TX from Rotterdam and says it has interest from other European cities. European TX models will be built at LEVC’s new, purpose-built electric-car facility in Coventry. LEVC is also building…

PORSCHE LOOKS SET to return to Formula 1 as an engine supplier from 2021, when the sport introduces new, lower-cost engine regulations. Lutz Meschke, deputy chairman of Porsche’s executive board, told Autosport that F1 “could be one of the right places” for the brand, which has already announced plans to close its LMP1 sportscar programme at the end of this year and enter a factory team in Formula E from the 2019/20 season. “Formula E is important for us now, and F1 is always good to think about,” he said . “We are in quite good discussions regarding the new engine.” Porsche’s interest is linked to F1’s planned shift away from today’s complex hybrids to simpler V6 turbo systems. “We have to cut costs in F1 and it’s a good…

Mazda says Skyactiv-X engines combine the economy and torque of a diesel engine with the performance of a petrol unit — and an early test of a development engine hinted at a unit combining diesel and petrol characteristics. We drove manual and automatic versions of development cars featuring the 2.0-litre Skyactiv-X engine and new platform, housed in the shell of the current Mazda 3. The engines we tried were fresh from Japan and performance data wasn’t available, with speed limited to 100mph. At lower speeds, the new engine sounded and behaved more like a diesel, occasionally rough, perhaps reflecting that it is still being refined. But once up to speed, it became smoother and quieter like a petrol unit, yet still with notable torque. Even in sixth gear, it could…

A tour around the Shanghai motor show in April was enough to convince you that China’s own-brand car makers have made phenomenal progress in the past decade. Driving the latest products from Changan Auto, the five-seat CS55 and seven-seat CS95, just confirms that impression in their all-important and likeable on-road behaviour. In driving manners, rolling refinement and interior quality, these two models bear comparison with equivalents from Dacia, Ford, Kia and Skoda. The involvement of UK chassis engineers has clearly had a big influence of the fluency of the steering, compliance of the chassis, consistent weighting of controls and smoothness of brakes. The CS95 feels very well isolated from road noise, for example. For the home market, though, with its madcap traffic and brutally potholed and undulating road surfaces, there…

Passengers hop into taxis for mostly short journeys. But for cab drivers, a taxi is their business — and office. To make them economical as a business, London taxis are built to last. They have a lifecycle of 15-20 years. That includes the battery, which, LEVC reckons, will retain 75% charge capacity after 15 years, based on a worst-case scenario of 9000 cycles. They’re durable, too. Cold-bonded exterior panels can be easily replaced. (Taxis aren’t allowed on London’s roads if they sport damage.) And while the interior is comfortable, it forgoes luxury such kit such as autonomous emergency braking (AEB), a digital instrument display and a touchscreen. There’s sat-nav, too. It’s largely to aid sales outside London, but it helps in the capital as well: although London taxi drivers have…

As most members of the C-segment hatchback fraternity tend to do, the i30 typifies all that is good and bad about its maker’s approach to building cars. On the one hand, there is an attention to detail that speaks to Hyundai’s ruthless inclination for benchmarking. Much of what the i30 Tourer does well – its quietness, comfort, practicality and functionality – feels like the product of an objective measuring tape. But on the other hand, where a subjective, imaginative or emotional input is required – be it in the tuning of the chassis or the polish of the engine or the ambience of the interior– all too often, Hyundai defaults too readily towards the nondescript centre of a marketing Venn diagram or the aggregated outcome of several focus groups. What…

COMPARISON BMW, Audi, Mercedes: now and then Were things really better in the old days? Andrew Frankel checks on the progress made by the industry FIRST DRIVE Mercedes-AMG E63 Estate Is this the perfect everyday supercar? We give our verdict FEATURE Zenos: from the ashes The car maker is back, under a new owner. We catch up EVERY WEEK ROAD TEST Renault Koleos France’s take on the big SUV gets an in-depth examination FIRST DRIVE Vauxhall Grandland X We drive Vauxhall’s version of the all-conquering Qashqai-sized SUV LONG-TERM TEST Jaguar XF Our year is up. Has Jaguar perfected the executive saloon formula? SUBSCRIBE autocar.co.uk/subscribe or see p42…

MILEAGE 6351 WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT For one last glorious hurrah to Aston Martin’s era of VH-based cars with big, naturally aspirated V12s It would be easy to sit here and spew out another 600 words covering all the great things there are about an Aston Martin Vanquish S. Lord knows, I’ve already done that. So let’s try something harder. What, exactly, is wrong with this car? Not ‘broken’ wrong, you understand, because there’s none of that. We’re about to accrue the kind of mileage, in less than three months, that an owner will likely take a year or two to amass, but there’s nothing ‘wrong’ with the Vanquish S in that sense. I sometimes notice a squeak from, I assume, a rear wheel bearing; but then it goes away.…

Saab 9-3 Vector Spencer May is a live caricaturist drawing at weddings, parties and corporate events and needed something less thirsty than his Hyundai Santa Fe. “I didn’t want to dip into my savings and found this Saab 9-3 Vector with a trader at £1900. It is a 2006 model, with 90,000 miles, excellent history and it is unmarked. I part-exchanged the Santa Fe and gave him £1500 cash. I felt like I got a good deal. "It runs perfectly, is fast, smooth, not too thirsty, and I only slightly look like a hairdresser.” SEND YOUR USED CAR TALES AND READERS' QUESTIONS TO james@bangernomics.com…

Peugeot RCZ It’s funny to think that a car as pretty as the RCZ slipped from Peugeot’s new car line-up with almost no mourning. Two years down the line, that makes this coupé a great prospect for used buyers. Even the last-of-the-line 267bhp R models can be had for £17,000; or, at the other extreme, just £6000 buys a 1.6 THP model with around 80,000 miles, a full history, climate control and leather upholstery. Listen for knocks from the suspension that indicate loose shock absorber mounts. Check the gearlever doesn’t slip out of third under acceleration and make sure the ABS warning light goes out on the dashboard. Nissan Cube If ever a car was aptly named, it’s the Nissan Cube. It was officially imported to the UK between 2009…

Porsche 718 Boxster From £39,600 Our idea of drop-top perfection is also an outstanding sporting two-seater. Exceptional to drive. Audi TT Roadster From £32,000 Plenty of pace and driver reward, along with Audi’s distinctive brand prestige and design-icon style. Mercedes E-Class Cabriolet From £42,000 Genuine four-seat cabrios are rare birds, particularly one as re ined and sophisticated as this E-Class Cabriolet. BMW 4 Series Convertible From £34,900 Mixes sporting driving dynamics with ine engines and usable back seats. Folding metal roof provides security. Vauxhall Cascada From £24,500 Lacks a premium badge but little else. Competent, comfortable and not troubled by sporting ambition.…

“At no point has the team sacrificed fun – which means agility – for top speed. That is never our goal” The new Renault Mégane Renault Sport will be powered by a 1.8-litre engine producing 276bhp and 288lb ft – but its maker says any performance deficit to rivals is more than compensated for by the car’s four-wheel steering system. The 4Control technology is claimed to boost the agility and stability of the car, whose competitors include the Honda Civic Type R, Ford Focus RS and new Seat Leon Cupra R, all of which have more than 300bhp. “Fitting four-wheel steering was the biggest decision we had to make,” said Renault Sport chief Patrice Ratti. “We did a lot of studies and computer simulations and then put [the system] on…

Porsche has unveiled an alternative to the rare and expensive limited-volume 911 R in the form of a new 911 GT3 model with a so-called Touring Package. The new 911 GT3 with the Touring Package is the latest in a line of road-focused models aimed at purists intent on securing one of the last remaining 911s featuring a naturally aspirated engine. However, unlike the similarly conceived 911 R, which was limited to just 991 units and has commanded exorbitant prices on the used market since its introduction last year, the 911 GT3 Touring Package will be built as a regular model without a cap on volume. The 911 GT3 Touring Package harks back to a variant of the 911 Carrera RS offered in 1973 and, like the 911 R, it…

The Volkswagen ID Crozz, the brand’s electric SUV, will launch in 2020 alongside the car maker’s ID hatchback, VW has announced. The recently confirmed ID Buzz microbus will follow in 2022. VW showed a near-production version of its ID Crozz at Frankfurt, following its reveal as a concept at the Shanghai motor show. The Crozz has a power output of 302bhp from two motors and offers a range of up to 311 miles. It features electric all-wheel drive and an innovative ventilation system, which VW said means “top air quality” inside the car.…

The X family’s new top model redefines the concept of luxury for the brand BMW has unveiled the Concept X7 iPerformance, which previews plans for a luxurious SUV to sit above the X5. The new six-seat SUV presages a planned production version of the X7 that is due to reach showrooms late next year, offering conventional petrol and diesel models and, as showcased by the concept, a plug-in petrol-electric hybrid with a zero-emission range of up to 62 miles. The styling of the Concept X7 iPerformance has clear links to BMW’s earlier Vision Future Luxury Concept, which was revealed at the 2014 Beijing motor show. “The Concept X7 iPerformance introduces the BMW styling DNA to the luxury SUV segment,” said BMW Group design boss Adrian van Hooydonk. “It employs just…

LAMBORGHINI HAS launched its most powerful drop-top Aventador at Frankfurt. The Aventador S Roadster has a 730bhp, 509lb ft 6.5-litre V12, can hit 62mph from rest in 3.0sec and reach a maximum speed of 217mph — just one tenth of a second and 2mph down respectively on its hard-top sibling. Like the Aventador S coupé, the S Roadster gets an active rear wing and aerodynamic addenda to increase downforce by 130% over its predecessor. The addition of the removable roof adds just 50kg, bringing the kerb weight to 1625kg. Drive is sent to all four wheels via Lamborghini’s seven-speed robotised Independent Shifting Rod transmission, which is said to switch ratios in 50 milliseconds. The Aventador S Roadster is on sale from £301,754, making it £30,608 more expensive than the regular…

Jaguar will launch the I-Pace eTrophy race series, the first FIA-backed production battery electric vehicle race series. Featuring modified race versions of the upcoming electric I-Pace SUV, it will be the support series for the FIA Formula E championship, starting in late 2018. With up to 20 I-Pace race cars on the grid, Jaguar said the move would give future Formula E stars the chance to race. It will also help promote the I-Pace, which is Jaguar’s first electric car. Jaguar entered the Formula E series in 2016.…

TESTED 4.9.17, MIDDLESEX ON SALE NOW PRICE £81,141 The lower end of the Porsche Panamera range is already a confusing place. There’s the entry-level Panamera, the Panamera 4, the 4S and the 4S Diesel down here, sub-£100k options all, powered by no fewer than three different engines between them. Into that mix enters the four-wheel-drive 4 E-Hybrid, adding V6 petrol-electric power to the existing choice of V6 petrol or V8 diesels – and that’s not counting the V8 petrol or V8 petrol-electric options on offer if you spend upwards of £100,000 on a Turbo. This hybrid slots in between the regular Panamera 4 and the pair of 4S models, being slightly slower-accelerating than both on paper despite having more power. Given that you’re getting an extra 22bhp and 110lb ft…

The defining sound of this year’s most-wanted luxury car, the new Range Rover Velar, isn’t generated by its multi-cylinder diesel engine, some clever active exhaust or even its 17-speaker audio system. It’s the rhythmic sequence of gentle whirrs and puffs made by the car’s pillowy, beautifully upholstered ‘massager’ driver’s seat as it sets about discreetly but determinedly kneading the tension out of your lower back. It’s a sound you can hear because the noise of the car’s V6 motor descends to a barely audible background hum at a motorway cruise – and also because there’s little more than the faintest flutter of wind noise creeping around the door seals at that speed. And what it sounds like – honestly – is a polite but persistent case of robotic after-dinner flatulence.…

FINAL REPORT MILEAGE 17,458 WHY WE RAN IT To see if BMW has created the world’s best all-round executive saloon “Do you know what?” my partner asked me as we homed back in on Calais after 1500 miles in a week in the BMW 320d xDrive, adding those to the 15,000 miles racked up in the previous 11 months. “I’m really going to miss this car.” Why did she think that? “I don’t know why…” Ah. But as strange as it sounds, I’m with her on that. Well, I do know why, but I understand what she meant: the 3 Series is one of those cars that gets pretty much every little thing right, in such an unassuming way, that it makes life with it so easy, enjoyable and rewarding…

QUESTION Hi James, I’m looking for something for my daughter to learn to drive in. The budget is £1500, a supermini is preferred, and I want it to be as safe as possible. Bob, Hertfordshire ANSWER Bob, the safest supermini you can get for that sort of cash is probably going to be a Renault Clio. Renault was particularly hot on safety in the late 2000s, and this era of Clio is now well within your budget – and cheap to insure, too. Spend your £1500 on a tidy pre-facelift 1.2. We found one in Extreme spec with 72,000 miles and a service history that looked about right. QUESTION My elderly mother has £6000 to spend on something high-riding and reliable. What would you recommend? Josh Burningside, Surrey ANSWER If…

With striking looks and explosive performance, the Gallardo was a hit I REMEMBER IT NEW The Gallardo wasn’t just cheap: more spacious and usable than the V12 cars, it was easier to get into and to see out of as well. Now that they’re around from £50k, it’d be tempting to use one like a less-exotic sports car. Just don’t expect to service one on the cheap and get away with it If you think Lamborghini Gallardos are crazy, you want to meet their owners. Like the lurid shades many of the cars are famously painted in, there’s not a shrinking violet among them. The model attracts all sorts, from the track-day hero who roasts the car’s brakes to the vinyl fetishist who wraps it in ‘chrome’. It’s why…

Mercedes-AMG C 63 S From £69,200 Another superb creation by Mercedes-AMG, with the coupé huge fun out on the open road and docile enough to use around town. BMW M4 From £57,000 Has the grip, precision, pace and all-round civility but lacks some dynamic charm of its rivals . Mercedes-AMG C 43 From £47,600 Not as bombastic as the full-fat C63, but the 3.0-litre V6 is compelling in its own right. Its also luxurious and well-built, like all Mercedes. Alpina B4 From £59,000 Twin-turbo engine is more dramatic but less well-mannered than the BMW M4’s, but it is better on road than on the track. Audi S5 From £47,000 The S5 is a great grand tourer, with a relaxed cosseting nature, but lacks the handling dynamism that its rivals have…

Volkswagen Sharan From £25,500 Full-sized seven-seater offers outstanding versatility and space with tidy handling and VW-brand desirability. BMW 2 Series Grand Tourer From £24,200 Brings a proper premium brand badge to the MPV table, but that’s only the start of its broad-batted appeal. Volkswagen Touran From £22,200 The medium-sized people-carrier done conservatively. Re ined and wieldy, with excellent infotainment options. Ford S-Max From £23,300 Better looking and better to drive than most, but not quite the class leader its predecessor was. Cabin a bit plain. Seat Alhambra From £24,900 A cheaper, plainer and less desirable sister for the Sharan. Spacious, versatile and decent to drive.…

LOTUS EVORA 400 ROADSTER | DEC The wait for an open-topped version of the hottest Evora has been long, but the car is due at the end of the year. It will be powered by a 400bhp V6, have a chassis as stiff as the coupé’s and feature two removable roof panels weighing 3kg each. The car will weigh just 1395kg. Price from £60,000 (est) SEPTEMBER Alpina B5 and D5 Touring, BMW M4 CS, Citroën E-Berlingo Multispace, Fiat 500L update, Ford Ecosport update (below), Fiesta, Fiesta Active, Honda Civic Type R, Maserati Levante S, Mercedes E-Class Cabriolet, Peugeot 308, 308 GTi, 308 SW update, Renault Trafic Spaceclass, Skoda Kodiaq Scout, Smart Fortwo Electric Drive, Fortwo Cabrio ED, Forfour ED, Volvo XC60 OCTOBER Aston Martin V8 DB11, Vantage AMR, Audi TT…