Innholdsfortegnelse for 27/06/2018 i Autocar

AUDI BOSS RUPERT Stadler was “ready to talk” on Dieselgate, according to prosecutors in Germany, as Autocar went to press. In a surprise development, he was taken into custody last week by officers investigating the scandal through fears that he might influence witnesses. So shocking have been the Dieselgate revelations that it’s possible to become blasé about news such as Stadler’s arrest. But do not underestimate how significant it is that the chief executive of one of the most famous companies in the world is in custody, and the reasons why. Audi has so far escaped the most intense of the post-Dieselgate scrutiny because attention has been trained on Volkswagen and the parent company, VW Group. But be in no doubt: the Dieselgate storm has now engulfed Audi and at…

AUDI HAS BEEN dragged into the epicentre of the diesel emission manipulation scandal with the arrest of its chairman, Rupert Stadler, over concerns that he could seek to suppress evidence in connection with the ongoing investigation. Stadler was taken into police custody following a raid on his private residence in Ingolstadt, prompting the German car maker’s supervisory board to suspend him. Stadler has strenuously denied any direct involvement in the decision-making processes that led to the fitment of illegal ‘defeat devices’ to manipulate diesel emissions in some Audis. As Stadler faced questioning by officials from the Munich public prosecutor late last week, Audi announced its board member responsible for sales and marketing, Abraham Schot, would assume the role of acting chairman. Schot, who joined Audi in 2017, formerly headed sales…

Volvo has committed to producing pure-electric versions of its existing models, rather than developing a range of bespoke EVs – starting with battery-powered versions of the XC40 and next-generation XC90. Volvo design boss Thomas Ingenlath confirmed the EV version of the XC40 would follow soon after the Polestar sub-brand – which he heads – launches its 2 SUV next year. The next XC90, due in 2021, will be launched with a pure-electric version alongside the hybrid. Because of the differences in powertrain and battery placement, several manufacturers are developing bespoke EV ranges with entirely new models. But Ingenlath said: “We will not establish products beside our hybrids. We will introduce electrification as a powertrain variant within the existing portfolio. “You could say that is different to a lot of the…

The V60 met Millbrook’s Hill Route in resolute fashion. In fact, it’s no exaggeration to say body control is a cut above what we’ve come to expect from Volvo estate cars and the resulting grip and traction allowed this front-driven chassis to make quick, sure-footed progress at all times. A similarly powerful BMW 3 Series Touring – rear driven, of course – would undoubtedly negotiate this place with greater panache and a more natural balance, but you’d need timing gear to confirm any objective superiority. If the V60 is deficient in one particular area, it is steering. The front axle that this rack directs remains faithful at commitment levels far beyond what most owners will ask of it, but a crisper response just off centre would endow the car with…

Displacement-defying frugality? Given Mercedes-Benz is, as you digest these words, amid the ordeal of recalling nearly a quarter of a million cars by order of the German government, you might be surprised to learn we’re not talking about electronic ‘defeat devices’ here. What we’re actually contemplating is less nefarious. That’s because with the CLS 450, its integrated starter-generator betwixt straight-six engine and nine-speed gearbox is said to improve not only performance but also economy. It’s a defeat device, all right, but only if your foes are lethargic throttle response and redundant combustion at a cruise. In one form or another, such 48V mild hybrid systems are destined to become commonplace in the near future. Mercedes’ EQ Boost set-up is relatively new to the brand, having only seen action in the…

“Mark my word, a combination airplane and car is coming. You may smile but it’ll come.” Henry Ford in 1940 As a private pilot, I know from personal experience that airfields and airports are almost always irritatingly far from your final location. The airport in Exeter, for example, is a cab or bus ride from the city. There are exceptions, however. When you land at Goodwood, you’re right in the middle of where you want to be and at Le Mans it’s a short walk from airport to circuit. The obvious solution is an aeroplane that doubles as a car. It’s simple: drive to the airfield, unfold the wings and take off. At the other end, you reverse the process and drive to where you want to go. The fantasy…

Brembo supplies braking systems to almost every major motorsport category: Formula 1, sports cars, Nascar, Indycar, MotoGP, World Superbikes and more. Asked to pick which category presents the biggest challenge, Brembo technician Gianluca Zonca is emphatic: “Rallying. Rallying is a disaster for brakes.” How so? “The drivers are pushing the pedal all the time and trailing their braking, which builds up heat, but the speeds are not so high, so there’s no cooling. Then you have to cope with dirt and dust, and the slow road sections between stages. It’s so difficult to cope with.”…

ON SALE 4 JULY DRIVEN New Ford Focus Matt Prior’s verdict on Ford’s fourth-generation Focus. Does it once again set the dynamic benchmark for family hatches? INTERVIEW Meeting Daniel Ricciardo We sit down with Formula 1’s most likeable driver DRIVE Honda NSX vs Route 66 An epic road trip along America’s iconic highway — in time for 4 July EVERY WEEK ROAD TEST Mercedes-Benz A-Class We’ve group-tested the diesel, now we rate a petrol-powered A-Class FIRST DRIVE BMW X4 It’s BMW’s second attempt at a Range Rover Evoque rival. Is it any good? USED BUYING GUIDE Honda CR-Z Why Honda’s hybrid makes for a much better used car than a new one SUBSCRIBE autocar.co.uk/subscribe or see p64…

MILEAGE 5885 WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT To determine whether Hyundai’s first stab at a hot hatch can stand up to its more established foes in everyday life Forget Goodwood, Le Mans or Spa – for me, the greatest motorsport event is the Nürburgring 24 Hours. How so? Because nowhere else lets you get so close to such incredible racing. Trust me, once you’ve seen GT3 cars scream past old Calibras in the dead of night at the toughest circuit in the world, everything else seems sterile. Hyundai was competing at this year’s N24 with a pair of i30 N TCR cars, and invited us to bring our long-termer along. Rachel Burgess, our i30 N’s custodian, wasn’t available, but I most definitely was, and along with photographer Dafydd, I set off…

Although big rear-wheel-drive saloons could always be bought posh German badges, we think that our traffic cops had it right with those white Vauxhall Senators and Omegas — German built, of course. The Omega is a big old barge that is very forgiving, feels safe and, in top trim, is very comfy. They are now starting to get old, so choose carefully because neglected ones will cost money. Tyres, suspension, brakes and now rust are the issues which cause MOT failure. You can get a 2.6 V6 with 120k miles in full-on CDX trim for £795.…

An expert’s view PAUL DE TURRIS, FOUNDER, DTR SPORTS CARS “I love the car. It’s easy to drive and reasonably sporty. It’s reliable too. The problem is rust. Even in 2002 they were rusting. Today, you should be very suspicious of any used Barchetta. Rust may not be immediately obvious so check the floor and inner arches, and for signs of welding. Our free pre-purchase inspection could save you a lot of money. A low-mileage, rust-free, pre-facelift LE in silver is the car to buy. The best are around £10,000.” Buyer beware… ▪ ENGINE The variator is a known Barchetta weak spot. A seized one makes the engine sound diesely, especially on the overrun, causes it to stall and increases fuel consumption by around 10%. Replace it at every second…

BMW M5 Price new £100,995. Price now £62,500 All the noise on the street is about the new M5 lately, but the hammering its arrival has inflicted on prices of the old F10 means that version bears closer inspection too. This Competition Edition can have 592bhp — the same output as the new car, but powering the rear wheels rather than all four — as well as the Competition Package mechanical upgrades and a glut of options as standard. It’s lost a staggering £40k of its original value in just a year, making it feel like a very reasonable, and very tempting, alternative to the new model.…

“It is based on the underpinnings of the DB11 and shares the same turbocharged 5.2-litre V12 engine” The new Aston Martin DBS Superleggera is the fastest and most powerful car the company has yet produced — and the 211mph super-GT has the Ferrari 812 Superfast firmly in its sights. The British manufacturer has revived the DBS nameplate last seen in 2012 for the new model, which effectively replaces the Vanquish S as its performance range-topper. The Superleggera suffix means ‘super light’ in Italian and harks back to the original DBS from 1967. The Vanquish name will now be saved for the firm’s McLaren 720S-rivalling mid-engined supercar, due in 2021. While it effectively replaces the Vanquish S, the new DBS Superleggera has a different brief. Aston Martin’s exterior design chief, Miles…

“The T8 S60 will be offered as a Polestar Engineered model with 409bhp and 494lb ft” The new Volvo S60 saloon will be a “true driver’s car” that will stand out from rivals such as the BMW 3 Series and Audi A4 by staying true to Volvo’s values, according to company bosses. The new machine, which goes on sale in the UK next year priced at around £30,000, is based on the same Scalable Platform Architecture (SPA) as the V60. It uses the same suspension and running gear as the estate, tuned to offer a more dynamic response and sharper steering – but without compromising traditional Volvo strengths. Lex Kerssemakers, boss of Volvo’s commercial operations in Europe, said: “We didn’t try to make a straight head-to-head competitor to the 3…

Suzuki will launch its new, retro-inspired Jimny into the UK market at the start of next year with the aim of substantially growing the 1100-1200 annual sales achieved by its long-serving predecessor. Incorporating a boxy, no-frills design, the new Jimny echoes the look of the much larger and more expensive Mercedes-Benz G-Class while maintaining the previous version’s short wheelbase and back-to-basics interior, albeit in a much more modern form. The Jimny will use a ladder chassis to maximise its off-road ability. At each corner there is multi-link, rigid axle suspension, while drive can be sent to the front wheels or to both axles. A low-range gear set is also used to maximise its capability off-road. An upright seating position remains, while the gate label on the car’s gearknob confirms the…

Ford and the VW Group are forging a co-operation deal that could deliver new models on joint platforms, shared battery-electric powertrains and secure the future of a new Mondeo. The two car giants announced last week that they had signed a memorandum of understanding to explore a “strategic alliance to extend capabilities, strengthen competitiveness and better serve customers”. Joint development of “a range of commercial vehicles” was the only specific product area identified in a short statement confirming the tie-up. But it is easy to see how VW and Ford’s operations could be complementary given the all-encompassing nature of the announcement. With VW’s reputation in tatters in the US over Dieselgate, a shared project for a full-size pick-up could restore faith in its brand. In Europe, Ford is short of…

There has always been something rather refreshing about the Dacia Duster. Here is an SUV that, in an incredibly simplistic sense, offers you everything you need in a car – namely, an engine, four wheels and a steering wheel – and absolutely nothing you don’t. The entry-level version of the original Duster didn’t even come with air-con or a radio, which is certainly saying something in this day and age. Welcome, then, to the new second-generation Duster that, in base-model specification, still doesn’t have a radio or air-con. However, this almost puritanical approach to excess means that the Duster is incredibly affordable. That suitably named Access model will set you back just £9995, a rise of £500 over its predecessor. Aside from the new styling, you now get electric power…

Volvo’s recent string of SUVs, estates and saloons has been striking something of a chord not just with buyers but with us Autocar road testers too. Here is a manufacturer that has - for the most part - consistently produced vehicles that look great and are impressively well rounded, dynamically and practically. By and large, the V60 continues this trend to the letter while also touching on one of the original cornerstones of Volvo’s appeal by having a considerably larger boot than any immediate rival from the likes of Audi, BMW and Mercedes. That it looks as good as it does, offers surprising levels of dynamic ability and has a genuinely desirable and spacious interior only adds to its broad appeal. There are some caveats, mind. The ride can jostle…

Predicting which cars will achieve classic status is an uncertain art. One of the surest indicators of a nailed-on future classic for many years was motorsport pedigree, but in more recent times it’s become less of a factor. Homologation regulations aren’t what they once were, after all, and manufacturers are no longer obliged to build road-going facsimiles of their competition machines. So which factors do apply? Scarcity, for one, and reputation for another. If a car is rare and widely reckoned to be one of the best of its type to drive, it’ll probably reach classic status. Beauty is another factor and so too is significance: a car that changed the game in its sector is bound to be held in high regard for years to come. Every car we’ve…

In this price bracket, you’re looking at an E39 M5 approaching, possibly exceeding, 100,000 miles, but that needn’t put you off. A rebuilt VANOS variable valve timing system and rock-solid service history should see you straight. Then you can look forward to enjoying arguably the best M5 of the lot: manual ’box, 400bhp V8 and a chassis that’s almost as happy to play B-road stormer as grand tourer. Don’t let the understated coachwork fool you into thinking this isn’t a massively characterful super-saloon.…

FIRST REPORT WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT To find out if BMW has finally created a credible alternative to the Merc S-Class This is not the first time I’ve run a BMW 7 Series on this magazine’s long-term fleet. Nine years ago, I had an early example of the previous generation and, after 12 months at its helm, concluded thus: “It failed substantially to endear itself to me. It is a car to admire and respect as a machine tool for doing a specific job very well. What it lacks is that sense of occasion that has kept the S-Class Merc on top of successive generations of Sevens for a period measurable in decades.” ’Twas ever thus for BMW’s biggest saloon. So why repeat the process, especially given the fact that…

QUESTION My wife wants a convertible, but we haven’t got much money to spend. I’m thinking of a Renault Mégane CC, but I’m a little worried about the electrics. Am I justified? Paul Henry, Worcester ANSWER Partly. Older Renaults don’t have a great reputation for electrical reliability. I’d also be concerned about the potential problems you might incur with that complicated folding hard-top. My money would go on a tidy Golf Cabriolet instead — you’ll have to go for a slightly older car, but it should be more dependable and feel tighter. AR QUESTION A neighbour is thinking of parting with his 2010 Range Rover TDV8 Vogue, and I quite fancy it. It’s done 50,000 miles and has a full history. How much should I offer him? John Sams, via…

Peugeot 306 GTi-6 £1800 It’s easy to throw one’s hands up in the air in despair at the seemingly ceaseless rise in classic car prices. We’ve all done it. When a Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth an sell at auction for £112,000, and a Peugeot 205 GTi for £38,000, one has to wonder where it all might stop. But amid the madness, there are still some properly good old cars to enjoy for peanuts – and ones that might prove to be savvy buys now if their values also climb out of reach in the future. The 205’s spiritual successor, the Peugeot 306 GTi-6, is one such car. The 306 dominated hot hatch group tests throughout the 1990s, and it’s easy to see why. It is underpinned by a nimble, playful…

Audi is developing its next RS6 with a new twin-turbocharged V8 engine to give it substantially more firepower in its fight against the BMW M5 and Mercedes-AMG E63. The new RS6 is due to make its debut at the 2019 Frankfurt motor show and will be built alongside the technically related RS7 at Audi’s Neckarsulm plant in Germany. Like its bigger brother, the RS6 will pack a twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 petrol unit, as used by the Porsche Panamera Turbo and Lamborghini Urus, to offer around 605bhp. That’s the same power output quoted for the limited-volume RS6 Avant Plus and 43bhp more than the previous regular RS6. The new engine is also said to deliver an extra 37lb ft, at 590lb ft. By comparison, the M5 offers 600bhp and 553lb ft,…

RENAULT WILL LAUNCH an even faster version of its new Mégane RS hot hatch later this year with the intention of stealing the front-wheel-drive Nürburgring lap record from the Honda Civic Type R. Due to be revealed at the Paris motor show in September, the Mégane RS Trophy 300 will use a tuned version of the Mégane RS’s turbocharged 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine. It will produce 296bhp and 295lb ft, which are gains of 20bhp and 7lb ft respectively over the Mégane RS. The additional performance should push the Trophy 300’s 0-62mph time below 5.8sec, making it quicker off the mark than the Civic Type R and Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport S, which are the current and former Nürburgring front-wheel-drive lap record holders. Honda’s current benchmark at the ’Ring is 7min…

The BMW X6 turned 10 years old this year. Like it or loathe it, it’s still here. When the original ‘sports activity coupé’ was launched in 2008, there was much doubt in car journalism circles about how many buyers would be ready to pay a premium for a slightly less practical X5, made only very debatably better looking and more interesting to drive – if at all. The answer, we predicted, couldn’t possibly be ‘very many’. Amusingly enough, it turned out to be ‘quite a lot’. And so, as BMW homes in on what would be an equally commendable and surprising half-million X6 sales in the car’s first decade, what chance of similar success should we give the new Audi Q8? It has marginally more distinguishing features than the X6…

Mitsubishi UK’s new flagship SUV revives the Shogun Sport model name and is billed as an altogether more refined and luxurious 4x4 than the venerable Shogun, the current version of which is being put out to pasture. It doesn’t take long to look beyond the bold exterior design to determine that the Shogun Sport – which shares its underpinnings with the L200 pick-up, albeit with revised rear suspension – puts the emphasis on functionality. There’s plenty of room inside, although boot space trails that of competitors such as the Kia Sorento and Ssangyong Rexton. The trade-off is generously sized third-row seats that should prove suitable for most adults. Up front in the cleanly arranged, if a little charmless, interior, the high driving position offers good forward visibility. Although its extremities…

MODEL TESTED D4 MOMENTUM PRO AUTO Price £36,610 • Power 188bhp • Torque 295lb ft • 0-60mph 8.9sec • 30-70mph in fourth 9.2sec • Fuel economy 34.5mpg • CO2 emissions 119g/km • 70-0mph 46.2m If you fancy a challenge, try understating the transformation Volvo has undergone since it was offloaded by Ford eight years ago. Under chief designer Thomas Ingenlath, the brand has since unleashed a series of beautiful, powerfully styled concept cars and then followed them up with recognisably related production models. Its engineers have developed an economically viable, effective powertrain strategy whereby four-cylinder diesel and petrol engines are adapted to a broad range of mission briefs with the use of supercharging, turbocharging and, increasingly, plug-in hybrid technology. There are 48V mild hybrids to come in 2019 as Europe adapts…

Like all the best prototypes, the DBS Superleggera is dark and scuffed. Bits of tank tape dangle off it where engineers have fashioned crude concealments of its final appearance. Compared to normal press cars, which have been prepped, polished and preened to within an inch of their lives, it’s a mess. Not that I or its driver, Aston Martin chief engineer Matt Becker, could care less. One minute ago that ‘Aston Martin’ read ‘Lotus’ because that’s what my fingers type automatically whenever Becker is about. We first met when he took me for another passenger ride, that time in an original Elise 23 years ago. And whatever the travails faced by Lotus since them, praise for the ride and handling of its cars has continued unstinted and for that we…

While Le Mans prototypes and other track cars feature carbon-carbon brakes – with carbon discs and pads – don’t expect to see them on road cars. “It’s just not possible – they need too much energy,” says Brembo’s Gianluca Zonca. “You couldn’t use them at 30mph, or after three hours on the motorway, because they wouldn’t be hot enough.” Contrary to belief, the Le Mans 24 Hours isn’t about going as fast as possible for a full day. For around three hours and 15 minutes or so, it’s all about stopping as quickly as possible. It’s those 3hrs 15mins (or four hours for cars in the GTE classes) that concern Brembo, the Italian company that supplies brakes to the majority of the entries on the Le Mans grid. Since it…

Have we reached ‘peak car’? By that, I mean have the best cars ever to be made already been built? As a car enthusiast with a family fleet of five vehicles including this Porsche 911 (993) cabriolet, I realise that the youngest is already four years old and that I feel no desire for the new products that are featured on your pages each week. I don’t want nannying driver aids, hybrid drivetrains, level-three autonomy or more fiddly screens to navigate around. My fleet includes cars that are blisteringly fast, satisfyingly economical, soothingly comfortable and splendidly compact. No car embodies particularly complex technology and I sense that each will make it to its 10th birthday without major expense. Why should I spend a heap of money updating my garage when…

MILEAGE 3964 WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT To find out why UK drivers are turning to pick-ups in increasing numbers, and to determine whether the X-Class is as refined to live with as Mercedes’ cars I love the dump. Who doesn’t? It’s a wondrous place of organised destruction, Bracknell’s Household Waste Recycling Centre (to give it its full name), and has been seeing a lot of our Mercedes-Benz X-Class recently, because I’ve been clearing out a house. We’re talking a full-on house clearance: carpets ripped up, walls taken down, loft emptied, doors taken off hinges, and all lobbed (you don’t place things in a pick-up, you lob them) into the back of the X-Class. Compared with similar tasks previously carried out in big estates and SUVs with the seats folded down,…

The cliffhanger was a huge number of dashboard warning lights on the Porsche’s dashboard. It could have been the end, but my garage is a good one, so instead it was £100 for a new sensor. I also got them to check the auxiliary belt. When stonecold, it screeched on starting. I thought it might be loose, but the automatic tensioner is working properly. Rob at the garage said the belt was a tad stiff, so must be fairly old and, appropriately, is a pig to change. It was replaced at another £100 but, days later, the tiny screech is back. I’m inclined to put earplugs in for the nanosecond it screeches.…

The Fiat Barchetta two-seat convertible of 1995-2005 is a sort of thinking driver’s Mazda MX-5. Without question, the Mazda is the easier decision to make, but plump for the Fiat and you’ll be rewarded by a sweet and surprisingly tenacious front-drive set-up, more artful styling and a degree of rarity that will have onlookers doing double-takes. True, you’ll have to sit on the wrong side of the car to steer it but that’s just part of its charm. The big issue is corrosion. Old MX-5s rust badly, too, but the Barchetta fell prey from day one. The floor and the rear wheel arches suffer worst. A faulty rear hood seal and UK cars’ generous underseal (it traps water, causing the floor to rot) are the culprits. Another, although far less…

The DB9 is far from the best Aston Martin ever produced in dynamic terms, but who gives a flying fiddle when it looks the way it does? Even now it’s every bit as glamorous as the day it was launched. Stick a personalised plate on it, and you’d never imagine this example was 14 years old. Yet one like this — with 54,000 miles on its clock and a resale-friendly silver-over-black colour combo — can be yours for less than £30,000 these days. In fact, this one sold at Silverstone Auctions’ May sale for just £27,563.…