Innholdsfortegnelse for 27/09/2017 i Autocar

The Huracán Performante’s record-breaking 6m 52.01sec Nürburgring lap time set earlier this year has earned Lamborghini new-found cachet for its handling and aerodynamic capabilities, according to commercial director Federico Foschini. “Firstly, everyone understands the value of a lap time – it proves you are the best in one regard,” he said. “But it also proved a point that is important to Lamborghini – having the most acceleration and the most power is something special; to be the very best in the class, you also need the best ride and handling package. “The first thing customers look at are the numbers – what can this car do? But the numbers alone don’t reveal the dynamic capabilities of a car, nor the level of innovation that goes into achieving those dynamic capabilities.…

Aston Martin is set to produce more high-performance models in the spirit of the Valkyrie hypercar after strengthening its partnership with Red Bull Racing — and is seriously considering a Formula 1 engine programme for 2021. The British firm has sponsored Red Bull’s F1 squad since 2016 as part of a tie-up that involved Red Bull designer Adrian Newey penning the Valkyrie. This relationship has now been expanded in a deal that will involve the two firms collaborating on more products and Aston serving as the F1 team’s title sponsor. No details have been disclosed about what products Aston and Red Bull will collaborate on, but Aston referred to the Valkyrie as the “first in a line of incredible products” resulting from the agreement, suggesting similar limited-run machines could eventually…

LAND ROVER WILL introduce a new three-cylinder petrol engine to its range in the upcoming plug-in hybrid version of the Range Rover Evoque. Recently seen testing near the Jaguar Land Rover base in Coventry, Warwickshire, the plug-in hybrid SUV uses a 1.5-litre petrol unit mated to an electric motor. It will also be capable of limited mileage on electric-only power. The car’s lithium ion battery pack will be hooked up to new 48V electrical architecture. Such a set-up was used by the Evoque mild hybrid Concept e of 2015, which placed its batteries beneath the boot floor and retained an eight-speed automatic gearbox to drive all four wheels. Like the concept, the production Evoque’s electric motor is likely also to serve as the engine’s starter motor. Land Rover has refrained…

Stadler’s mention of “new ideas” is believed to refer to an electrified hypercar that the firm has under development and which is scheduled for launch around 2020. The model will create a physical link between Audi’s participation in the Formula E race series and its road cars. Winkelmann didn’t confirm a hypercar but did say the brand is currently working on ideas for its next halo model. The car would likely sit above the current halo car, the R8, and would not replace it. Winkelmann said the proposed model must reposition the brand rather than “just put an expensive car on the road”. He said if it were a low-volume model then it would be a hypercar — a rival, in effect, to AMG’s recently revealed Project One — and…

MAZDA IS ON COURSE to begin testing autonomous technology in 2020 ahead of a 2025 launch, and the firm’s R&D boss Kiyoshi Fujiwara has said its system is designed to enhance the driving experience of its cars by aiding, rather than replacing, drivers. “With our Co-Pilot system, the driver must always be behind the steering wheel and driving the vehicle,” Fujiwara told Autocar. “Behind that, the car is using autonomous tech and always computing, but it won’t intervene in the driver operation. “But if the driver gets into a dangerous situation or sick, then the computer can take over. That means that, even if you’re very elderly, you can enjoy driving, because you don’t have to worry about something happening.” While Mazda has yet to begin testing an autonomous prototype,…

TESTED 13.9.17, SPAIN ON SALE NOW PRICE £144,900 When you invite an uncouth German death metal rocker to a bourgeois English dinner party, you do it in expectation of trouble. But there’s no doubt that Aston Martin knew exactly what it was doing when it took the decision, four years ago, that would lead to the DB11 getting a twin-turbocharged V8 engine from Mercedes-AMG as an alternative to the Cologne-built twin-turbo V12 with which the car launched last year. This engine is an integral part of Aston’s future, in all sorts of models. But here’s the thing: Aston’s pair of DB11s now have torque-to-weight ratios of 373 and 384lb ft per tonne; and, because Aston’s V12 is a heavy old lump and AMG’s V8 can get away with one less…

TESTED 18.9.17, FRANCE ON SALE NOVEMBER PRICE £19,525 Deciding to make the replacement for the Citroën C3 Picasso an SUV rather than an MPV must have been about has hard as deciding whether to get out of bed in the morning. So here we are: the C3 Aircross, a B-segment SUV/crossover/call it what you will. It’s a 4.15m-long, C3-based, 1.6m-tall funkmobile that looks, I think, pretty interesting; in a fun, striking, slightly aggressive and angry Jelly Baby way. A bit like a Fiat Panda 4x4. Only, being a Citroën, it’s only ever a 4x2. That’ll be because of the C3 supermini (and Vauxhall Crossland X) platform, which means this is a front-drive tall hatchback rather than a full-on SUV. Albeit one with 175mm of ground clearance, and hill descent control,…

NISSAN SUNDERLAND FOUNDED 1986 MODELS PRODUCED Nissan Qashqai, Juke, Leaf; In initi Q30, QX30 EMPLOYEES 7000 (4400*) TOTAL PRODUCTION 2016 507,000 (332,000*) *2005 igures “After our four-hour trip, the fuel gauge still reads half full as we arrive” JLR HALEWOOD FOUNDED 1963, irst Jaguar 2001 MODELS PRODUCED Range Rover Evoque and Convertible; Land Rover Discovery Sport EMPLOYEES 4200, plus 1800 contractors (2370*) TOTAL PRODUCTION 2016 182,000 (60,000*) *2005 igures BENTLEY CREWE FOUNDED 1938 aero engines, 1946 cars MODELS PRODUCED Continental, Continental GT Cabriolet, Flying Spur, Mulsanne, Bentayga EMPLOYEES 2200 (manufacturing) TOTAL PRODUCTION 2016 11,000 VAUXHALL ELLESMERE PORT FOUNDED 1963 MODELS PRODUCED Astra, Astra Tourer EMPLOYEES 1900 (3700*) TOTAL PRODUCTION 2016 180,000 (131,000*) *2005 igures TOYOTA BURNASTON FOUNDED 1992 MODELS PRODUCED Auris, Auris Tourer, Avensis, Avensis Tourer EMPLOYEES 3000, including Deeside…

The ‘known unknown’ of Brexit makes the prospects for another tour in 12 years’ time hard to call. The optimistic view is that there’s no reason for the big factories to shut, the UK runs several of the world’s most efficient car plants and Europe already buys many cars produced outside the EU, with British-manufactured vehicles already containing a significant percentage of parts from outside the free trade area. The pessimistic view is too depressing to give serious consideration to yet and it would be a tragedy if Britain was to lose the expertise that has made it, as a nation, a bigger car producer than Italy and snapping at the heels of France. For smaller and specialist manufacturers, the future looks rosy, though. Aston Martin has committed to opening…

“Arguments rage to this day as to what engine from BMW’s standard range the McLaren F1’s was based on” So the new Aston Martin DB11 is now available with an engine not made by Aston Martin, but Mercedes-Benz (page 24). Aston Martin might be able to tune it a little to produce a bespoke power output or sound, but these are relatively minor mods that affect in no way the truth that this is someone else’s engine. The question is: does it matter? To me, the answer is emphatically that it does not. The truth is that engines are abominably difficult, expensive and time-consuming things to design, and most small sports car companies simply don’t have the resources to do it (and even if they did, they’d be much better…

“In my heart, I was wounded because it was my invention and it was given away” Stability control has saved countless lives. The guardian angel that constantly monitors steering wheel angle, tyre grip and the behaviour of cars in corners may be taken for granted these days, but it is widely regarded as the biggest advancement in road safety since the introduction of the seatbelt. Yet few of us realise that it was invented literally by accident. In 1989, a young Mercedes-Benz engineer, Frank Werner-Mohn, skidded off an icy road in the north of Sweden during winter testing. Sitting in a ditch, waiting for a tow truck to be summoned from the nearest town (mobile phones were still an emerging technology back then), he had a brainwave. What if the…

“I’m still marvelling at just how far BMW has moved this new 5 Series on” FIRST REPORT WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT The BMW 5 Series is the go-to executive saloon for those who enjoy driving. But is it also a great family car? The BMW range may have mushroomed over the past decade or so, with the brand moving into every market niche imaginable, but that doesn’t mean it has taken its eye off the ball when it comes to traditional models like the 5 Series. Blending supreme ride comfort with a cutting-edge interior and – whenever it takes your fancy – exciting and entertaining rear-wheel-drive dynamism, the latest 5 Series’ numerous talents make it our pick of the current executive car crop. Predictably, it was close when we tested…

QUESTION My Hyundai Getz is broken. I am considering an online car recycle scheme that offered me £70 for it. What are the alternatives? Gajan Soori, London ANSWER It is important to get competing quotes, not just one. Provided the car is not on the road, you could advertise parts online, ideally for more than £70. Once you are bored or neighbours complain, a scrapper may take the bare bones for free or even pay a fee for them. Try not to sell the wheels so that it stays mobile. QUESTION Which will be the most reliable 100,000-mile car to buy used: a diesel or a petrol? Kenny Kee, via email ANSWER I always prefer to buy high-mileage petrols. There is less complex plumbing than in a diesel, and petrol…

You could have a 113,000-mile 2006-reg Range Rover 4.2 V8 Vogue SE for £10,000. But how about a 40,000-mile 2003-reg Hummer H2 6.0 V8 auto for the same money? Once the chariot of choice for Premier League footballers but today more likely to be the school-prom limo, the Hummer H2 is the Buzz Lightyear of SUVs: from guardian of the universe to Mrs Nesbitt. That’s a shame because there’s a vehicle of real substance here. Too big and thirsty? There’s the smaller H3 powered by a 3.5, later a 3.7, petrol engine. It’s more than competent off road too, being able to wade through two feet of water, climb a 407mm step, crawl up a 60deg incline and traverse a 40deg slope. A 46,000-mile 2006-reg H3 3.5 converted to LPG…

Ferrari F12 Berlinetta From £240,000 Thrilling in a way that only a front-engined V12 Ferrari could be. Crushing performance and unparalleled drama. Rolls-Royce Wraith From £230,000 An intimate and involving Rolls-Royce; less grand, perhaps, but only in the measures that serve to make it great. 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 lagship. Bentley Continental From £140,000 It may have lost four cylinders, but the new Audi-sourced V8 is so good that it completely reinvigorates the Conti. Mercedes-BenzS-Class Coupé From £125,000 So long in the legs that continents lash by mid-stride. Has a business-like opulence. The AMG 63 is the best.…

“The younger buyers Volvo is targeting are looking for practicality as well as style” The Volvo XC40, the first model to be built on the firm’s new compact platform, will rival the Range Rover Evoque and Audi Q3 when it goes on sale early next year. The XC40, which sits below the XC60 and XC90 as the third SUV in Volvo’s line-up, is being launched into a booming part of the market. Volvo estimates that global premium compact SUV sales are likely to exceed a million by 2020 – a tenfold increase on volumes in 2010. But it also marks a dramatic expansion in the brand’s portfolio, and the start of a final move away from the Ford architecture that has underpinned its smaller cars since the turn of the…

“Concept Two will be in a league with Bugatti and Koenigsegg, Rimac says” Rimac will reveal its new supercar in the first half of next year — and it will be more comfortable and more expensive than the Concept One, but also capable of even better performance, according to Monika Mikac, the Croatian firm’s chief operating officer. With the working name of Concept Two — it definitely won’t be called that, said Mikac — the model will offer “comfortable luxury” and be a little bit bigger than the Concept One but still a two-seater. Mikac said there are no plans to build a four-seater. It will be “even more high-performance” than the Concept One, she said. That car delivers 1224bhp and 1180lb ft of torque and has a 0-62mph sprint…

A HARDCORE VERSION of the BMW M2 coupé is under development and looks set to bring the CSL name back to production for the first time since 2004. The M2 CSL, due as a run-out model at the end of the current M2’s production life, will be based on a revised M2, which is due next year. It will follow the template set by the E46-generation M3 CSL with a stripped-out interior, bucket seats and weight-saving carbonfibre parts. The M2 CSL is predicted to have around 400bhp from a turbocharged 3.0-litre straight-six petrol engine, which is likely to be borrowed from the M3 and M4. Sources believe this S55 unit will be used in detuned form rather than developing a highly strung version of the M2’s older N55 engine due…

Mitsubishi will revive the Evolution name for an electric SUV-coupé concept that will be unveiled at the Tokyo motor show next month. The e-Evolution, which is not confirmed for production, has four-wheel drive and uses artificial intelligence, which is likely to include connected and autonomous driving systems. Mitsubishi said the concept is “an exciting insight into the brand’s future direction” and signals a new era that will bring long-term growth as part of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance. The Evolution name hasn’t been used on a Mitsubishi since the Lancer Evolution Final Edition, which was sold in 2015 but not in the UK.…

VAUXHALL AND OPEL will find it much easier to develop new models sharing platforms with the PSA Group than it did with General Motors, according to design boss Mark Adams. “We have a much better toolkit to work with, because PSA platforms are designed for Europe,” he said. Under GM ownership, Vauxhall-Opel was sharing designs and structures with American brands that often required bigger models built to a lower price, and this tension has been cited as one reason why Vauxhall-Opel struggled to make a profit. Besides the differences in size, price and quality, models shared across Europe and the US also had to be designed to meet differing emission and crash regulations across the two continents. That will no longer apply, at least in the near to medium term,…

“It may not look quite like a Lamborghini but it attracts attention every bit as powerfully” TESTED 21.9.17, DERBYSHIRE ON SALE NOW PRICE £420,000 A grand total of 100 examples of the new Ford GT supercar will be sold officially to UK buyers over the next four years. That’s roughly four times as many as Ford sold of the last-generation GT in the UK – and yet each one of the newbies will cost three times as much as the previous ones once did. The company had more than 6000 written expressions of interest in the car, it says, to fill a production run that will extend to only 1000 cars; a quarter as many as it built last time around. Ford plainly understands the value of rarity in the…

TESTED 19.9.17, GERMANY ON SALE OCTOBER PRICE £18,500 (EST) Funny name, Stonic, isn’t it? It actually comes from the words ‘speedy’ and ‘tonic’. Somehow these are supposed to evoke youthfulness and fun. Still, at least it helps the new Kia to stand out from the crowd, which it needs to as one of the later entries to the burgeoning small-SUV market. It’s designed to go up against the Nissan Juke, Seat Arona and in-house rival the Hyundai Kona. It’s not a dynamically gifted segment. Even dynamism masters Ford couldn’t shake up the category with the troubled Ecosport. Kia is facing an open goal with the Stonic, then. All it has to do is make a well-built, frisky-handling small SUV for the right price. Don’t let the fact that nobody else…

MODEL TESTED 2.0 BITDI 240 R-LINE 4MOTION Price £39,955 Power 237bhp Torque 369lb ft 0-60mph 6.5sec 30-70mph in fourth 7.4sec Fuel economy 37.8mpg CO2 emissions 152g/km 70-0mph 56.1m Flagship: it’s a term that confers prestige and, as such, it doesn’t always sit comfortably with the likes of Volkswagen. Think Mercedes-Benz, think S-Class; yet consider the marque whose name translates as ‘people’s car’ and it’s the Golf that comes to mind. The utilitarian if increasingly plush hatchback defines the brand and serves as its economic bedrock, but it is resolutely not flagship material for an organisation that manufactures more than 10 million cars annually. Which is why we now have this, the Arteon. Although the Arteon might seem to be a direct replacement for the Passat CC of 2012 – both…

Frank Werner-Mohn is due to retire later this year after 35 years with Mercedes-Benz. His final project is working with his fellow engineers on autonomous car technology that we won’t see for years to come. Ironically, the autonomous tech being developed today would not be possible without his invention of electronic stability control. As someone who loves driving, Werner-Mohn says he understands why some people may be concerned about control being taken away from the driver. “The driver should always be in control but, as with [stability control] there will be systems that keep you safe without the driver knowing,” he says. “Without technology, we would not save as many lives as we have already today.”…

Giardiniera of judgment It is a pleasure to celebrate with Fiat the 60th anniversary of the birth of its wonderful ‘Nuova 500’ and the success of the current company-saving ‘new’ 500, but one thing remains a myster y to me: where is the 500 Giardiniera? Surely this is a no-brainer for Fiat: all the desirability and cuteness of the 500 with some extra room for a pushchair/shopping/surfboard (depending on your need). A small estate would be handy and quite different from a Panda. It seems that, sadly, Fiat often shoots itself in the foot: think of the lack of a Barchetta (pictured) in right-hand drive or the underdevelopment of the brilliant Fiat Coupé. Please listen, Fiat: I want one! WP Benn Kettering WIN Letter of the week wins this ValetPRO…

MILEAGE 7150 WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT For one last glorious hurrah to Aston Martin’s era of VH-based cars with big normally aspirated V12s When somebody far too good for you walks into your life and then, upon realising they’re far too good for you, walks straight out of it again, leaving you heartbroken, there is grieving. On a not unrelated note, soon this Aston Martin Vanquish S will be leaving Autocar Towers to return to its maker. The Vanquish exudes a kind of passing-era feeling, doesn’t it? I know, it’ll stay on sale until 2019, but what with it being the last of the naturally aspirated V12s, and what with it being the last Aston that will die with the VH architecture beneath it, it will be, when it goes,…

MILEAGE 101,752 MINI COOPER I finally got round to whipping the wheels off the smallest vehicle in the garage and giving them a once-over with an air hose. It is a small thing, stopping the squeals and squeaks, but it seems to be worth it. The way I use the little thing means I will probably have to do this every few months. The great news is that all the fluid levels are present and correct and, apart from doing bits and bobs around the edges, I’m tempting fate by suggesting that it has never run better – in the past 38 years since I’ve been in charge, anyway.…

YEARS PRODUCED 2000-2005 PRICE RANGE £600-£5000 POWER 73BHP A visceral driving experience, whether it be through the brute force of a powerful engine or the satisfying delicacy of a good chassis – or ideally both – more often than not provides the perfect recipe for an interesting car. But it is not the only approach one can take. There are few better exemplars of that than the Audi A2. Sold in the UK from 2000 until 2005, when a shortage of demand and an excess of production costs resulted in its early demise, the A2 is not a noteworthy car for the helmsmen among us. This, though, can be forgiven in light of the fact that Audi pitched the A2 not as a hot hatchback but into the same market…

An expert’s view NEIL MCDONALD, FOUNDER, PARTS USA “We’re all ex-Bauer Millett here [the UK’s first official Hummer supplier, based in Manchester]. When the business closed at the end of 2014, I set up Parts USA near Stockport. They were great days at BM. We sold loads of Hummers to footballers and celebrities. It was an easy sell. They’d order the car. Then they’d buy £6000 of accessories for it. They had to have a better one than their mates. We supercharged a few: an extra 120bhp and 120lb ft was possible. The H2 and H3 still do it for me. You buy a Hummer for the looks and its sheer presence.” Buyer beware… • ENGINE H2’s 6.0 V8 is tough and simple. Around one in 10 UK cars was…

Ford Focus RS From£32,265 Simply the most exciting hot hatchback money can buy. Considering the performance on tap, it comes at a bargain price. Volkswagen Golf R From £32,710 Blends the formerly unblendable: VW sophistication with frenzied driver appeal. Like the Focus RS, it is fantastic value for money. Mercedes-AMG A45 From £41,875 Engine is short on character, but the A45 makes up for it with massive grunt. Chassis does the same with grip and balance. AudiRS3 From£44,300 Colossal price made to look worse by cheaper Golf R. Frenzied ive-pot makes it brutal, though, and not a little addictive. BMW M140i From£33,680 Endowing a hatchback with a six-cylinder engine still makes for fun; the rear-drive chassis isn’t quite the entertainer it should be.…

The front-running model for production is currently a front-engined, four-door four-seater Concept work on an all-new Lamborghini for launch around 2021 is understood to have begun. It is part of Lamborghini boss Stefano Domenicali’s plans to set out a roadmap for sustainable growth after the Urus SUV is launched later this year. A fourth model line – beyond the Huracán and Aventador supercars and Urus – has long been the subject of debate at the firm. Discussions have centred on how Lamborghini could take advantage of platform developments at the Volkswagen Group to make profitable cars despite its relatively low volumes. Asked about the possibility of a fourth model line, Federico Foschini, Lamborghini’s commercial director, said: “We must be humble. The Urus is only at the pre-production phase and, while…

RENAULT WILL IN future extend its range of electric vehicles beyond dedicated cars such as the Zoe to other models, including an SUV. The French firm was a pioneer of EVs and chose to create dedicated models, like the Twizy and Zoe, to launch the technology, rather than convert existing core models. However, sales and marketing boss Thierry Koskas said the technology is now mature enough — and range anxiety no longer enough of a problem — for the firm to offer “bigger electric vehicles in bigger segments”. He said there would be a “broader range of electric vehicles” from Renault in the future and that it was “preparing future models not limited to the B-segment” in which the Zoe competes. On the idea of an electric Renault SUV, Koskas…

TESTED 19.9.17, WYE VALLEY ON SALE NOW PRICE £82,200 For those of us who like to present well-balanced thoughts on the subject of any new car we might test, the new Mercedes-Benz S-Class provides a confoundedly difficult task. The car it replaces was, like all previous generations of the S-Class for at least the past 30 years, head, shoulders, knees and toes better than anything else in its class. And still Mercedes found more than 6000 components it felt could be improved. The result may look scarcely altered but is in fact the most comprehensively facelifted S-Class that has ever been presented. Perhaps you could argue the technology is too baffling. This, after all, is a car with Level 2 autonomous functionality, which means it can park itself when you’re…

There are very good reasons why Volkswagen tends to struggle when it comes to making expressive, desirable, luxurious cars – and they’re often the same reasons that make its biggest-selling models so good. It has always championed ‘progressive design’, by which it means the gradual, careful refinement and evolution of its cars. With the Arteon – and the forthcoming T-Roc and Touareg – it’s trying to find a more imaginative way and a freer hand, but it’s plainly struggling a bit. The Arteon has mostly been executed with the thoroughness we expect of VW, but on style, richness, rolling refinement and driver appeal, it’s short on the makings of a great mid-sized exec option. For space, in-car technology and value, it’s more commendable. History may judge this the product of…

Future diesels “We believe they will continue to sell. First, they’re clean. Second, we need them to meet CO2 targets. Third, they suit a lot of customers. So we will go on promoting diesels, although perhaps not for the smallest models. We will invest in a new diesel generation, too, in about 2019 or 2020.” Autonomous cars “My view is the first step will not involve you and me. It will be for taxis and parcel delivery in urban areas, where speeds are low and the driver is the most expensive part. Years later, when systems are developed and the cars can go faster, they will go into the mass market.” VW’s mid-term prospects “Our past success has been based on our product portfolio, and this is the answer for…

The Ford Cosworth DFV reigns supreme and this year celebrates its 50th anniversary. Best known for its Formula 1 applications, where it won 12 out of 15 driver’s titles between 1968 and 1982 and at its mid-1970s peak powered often every single car on the grid save a pair of Ferraris, the engine and its derivations were far more successful even than that. In turbocharged guise, it won 10 Indy 500s and crowned nine Indy champions, it won Le Mans twice in the back of sports cars and, as recently as 2001, helped Bentley back to Le Mans by powering the development prototype before Audi engines were available. Once, it even powered a Transit van, as those who recall Supervan 2 from the 1980s will recall.…

DRIFT MODE Ford Focus RS 2016 All hail electronic trickery – for it gave us the first-ever Drift mode, in the Focus RS Mk3, which allows the car’s attitude to gracefully and gradually build with power and the RS to dance through the latter part of the bend with a few degrees of opposite lock applied. Others have since followed. QUAD-TURBO Bugatti EB110 1991 Ten years after the first twin-turbo engine was introduced, Bugatti built the world’s first road-going production car with four turbos. How long until we see a six-turbo engine? FIRST CAR Benz Patent-Motorwagen 1886 It was the world’s first car, and although the layout of Karl Benz’s three-wheeled design didn’t share much with the cars of today, it still changed the world as we know it. VVT…

SUPERCAR SPECIAL ISSUE Lamborghini vs McLaren Aventador S or P1? Matt Prior and Dan Prosser drive two very different takes on the supercar — and debate their future FEATURE How to buy a supercar Why you don’t need to be a millionaire to buy one INTERVIEW Meet Mr Lamborghini We sit down with development boss Maurizio Reggiani EVERY WEEK FIRST DRIVE Hyundai i30N Hyundai has made its first hot hatch — and we’ve driven it USED BUYING GUIDE Lexus LS400 Why the car that launched the Lexus brand is such a great used buy ROAD TEST BMW 330e Fast, frugal, fun. What’s the catch? BMW’s plug-in gets the full works SUBSCRIBE autocar.co.uk/subscribe or see p22…

MILEAGE 10,220 WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT To find out if Alfa has regained its mojo with this BMW M3-bashing super-saloon An email from a reader on the subject of Alfa Romeo dealers prompted me to pay one a visit recently – not because there was anything wrong with our Giulia QV, I hasten to add, but simply out of curiosity. Our reader said he wouldn’t consider owning an Alfa, largely on the grounds that, come servicing time, he wouldn’t want to be directed to a “Portakabin at the rear of a Fiat dealership”. Dealer performance plays a big part in how satisfied most people feel about owning any brand’s cars, of course, and I’m well aware that Alfa dealers have a poor reputation, but I have a hard time believing…

Mercedes-Benz C180 We don’t do car ads as such but Derek Milner has retired from caravanning and downsized to an Up, so he has a 2001 Mercedes-Benz C180 to sell for £550. “I have owned the car since 2004,” he says. “It has done 141,496 miles, with a current MOT certificate (at the time of writing). It’s being sold with a Witter tow bar with a demountable ball, towing electrics, six wheels, four new tyres and a new Bosch battery. Regrettably, the ABS does not operate and all of the hydraulic side of the braking system requires replacing.”…

Ford Mondeo There’s a good reason the Ford Mondeo is as ubiquitous as summer rain: it’s a great family car. Practical in hatchback form, it’s even better as an estate and a friend in the trade reckons it’s the best way to carry the family for an outlay of £3000 and up. You can get high-milers for much less, but this sum bags you a 90,000-mile 1.8 TDCi diesel in Zetec or Titanium trim, so you get all the kit you’d expect of a much newer car. Check the air-con puffs cold and the central locking works, and be sure the power steering is free from wheezes. Otherwise, this wagon will swallow all you can throw into it while also being good fun to steer. BMW i3 A chum in…

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 the 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. VolkswagenPolo From£11,300 Still the sensible choice in a lot of ways: usable, re ined, easy-going, desirable and very solidly built. Nissan Micra From £11,995 An attractive replacement for the dowdy Micras of the past. Lacks a stellar engine and the practicality of the best.…

JAGUAR XJR 575 | NOVEMBER As part of updates to the XJ range, the hot XJR has gained some styling tweaks and a 25bhp boost. Using the same supercharged 5.0-litre V8 engine as the F-Type SVR, the XJR now has 567bhp and 516lb ft. Top speed is 186mph and 0-62mph takes 4.4sec — 0.2sec faster than before. Price from £93,170 SEPTEMBER Alpina B5 and D5 Touring, BMW M4 CS, Citroën E-Berlingo Multispace, Fiat 500L update, Ford Fiesta, Fiesta Active, Honda Civic Type R, Maserati Levante S, Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabriolet, Peugeot 308, 308 GTi (left) and 308 SW updates, Renault Trafic Spaceclass, Skoda Kodiaq Scout, Smart Fortwo ED, Fortwo Cabriolet ED, Forfour ED, Volvo XC60 OCTOBER Aston Martin V8 DB11, Vantage AMR, Audi TT RS, BMW6 Series GT, Hyundai Kona, Jaguar…