Innholdsfortegnelse for 28/05/2014 i Autocar

Mercedes-Benz has offered the clearest look yet at its upcoming £120,000 Mercedes-AMG GT sports car ahead of its official launch this summer. An official video released by Mercedes last week showed the darkened silhouette of the new model. When a still image taken from the video was lightened using Photoshop software, it revealed the first exterior styling details of the new model, which Autocar has interpreted in this artist’s impression. Mercedes has already revealed the interior of the AMG GT, which eschews ‘Benz’ in its name. The company plans to reveal information on its driving dynamics next month before performance details in July and the exterior design in August. A new website to preview the model has been launched and Mercedes says the car will “thrill with breathtaking design and…

A FOUR-WHEEL-DRIVE 4Matic variant of the new Mercedes-Benz C-class estate will reach the UK in the middle of next year, development chief Thomas Weber has confirmed. Weber also said the manufacturer has “some other ideas” for further variants of the new C-class — beyond staple offerings such as the new saloon and estate and imminent coupé and cabriolet body styles — thanks to the flexibility of the car’s MRA architecture and the C-class’s global production footprint. A plug-in hybrid version of the C-class estate is also in the works, according to Weber. The C300 Bluetec Hybrid model will emit 99g/km of CO2. He also confirmed that the next Mercedes GLK SUV, which is due next year, will be based on the C-class’s underpinnings and be offered in right-hand drive for…

The new Volkswagen Passat will feature the most powerful four-cylinder diesel engine on sale in the UK when it’s launched next January. The 2.0-litre diesel will have 238bhp and 369lb ft of torque. It will feature twin-turbo induction, with a variable-geometry small turbo for low-speed response and a bigger turbo to provide the oomph at higher speeds. Based on a new Volkswagen Group engine architecture — the ‘EA288’ introduced on the Golf Mk7 — the BiTDI’s significant torque output means it will only be offered with 4Motion all-wheel drive and a new seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. VW has yet to release performance figures, but a 0-60mph time of about 7.0sec looks possible. VW claims fuel economy equivalent to 56mpg. The BiTDI is the range-topping engine in a line-up of five…

Volvo has shown off the luxurious seven-seat interior of its new XC90 three months ahead of the car’s official debut in August in the run-up to the Paris motor show. Most striking about the clean, modern-looking interior of the big SUV is the way Volvo has almost completely done away with traditional buttons on the centre console, instead placing most of the functions and displays on a large central touchscreen. The new system, known as ‘Sensus’, is “designed to keep eyes on the road and hands on the wheel as much as possible”, according to Volvo design chief Thomas Ingenlath. Volvo claims that with the new system it has “completely reconceived the way drivers operate their cars”. Other key information is shown on a digital instrument cluster for the driver,…

KAHN DESIGN, THE Bradford-based company best known for its customised Range Rovers, is about to launch a business that will build unique cars designed and engineered within an expanded Kahn group. After a heavily modified Land Rover Defender, the company will launch a retro-styled barchetta later this year. That will be followed in 2015 by a completely restyled Aston Martin, which uses a bespoke aluminium body. Company founder Afzal Kahn told Autocar that the company’s first stand-alone model would be a ‘long-nose’ Land Rover Defender powered by a V8 engine driving a six-speed automatic gearbox. Dubbed the ‘Flying Huntsman’, the Defender has an extra 400mm of bodywork inserted into the nose, just ahead of the windscreen. Under its bonnet is a 550bhp 6.2-litre General Motors LS3 V8. This engine, which…

FIRST VERDICT Practical, affordable and appealing despite some refinement issues SO GOOD • Diesel engine’s efficiency • Capacious, comfortable and sturdy interior • Easy-going road manners NO GOOD • No USB or Bluetooth • Shortfall in diesel refinement TESTER’S NOTE Cabin is generally very good, but there are oddities, such as a lack of a passenger vanity mirror. LK THIS IS THE CLEANEST, most efficient variant of Skoda’s Rapid Spaceback hatchback. Power comes from a 1.6-litre diesel engine, which sends 89bhp and 170lb ft to the front wheels via a five-speed manual transmission. Offering a claimed 74.3mpg and tax-free CO2 emissions of 99g/km, it’s likely to appeal to the frugally minded. Helping this Greenline variant achieve those figures, apart from its economical diesel engine, is a host of minor upgrades…

FIRST VERDICT Zesty new petrol engine boosts appeal of Luton firm’s drop-top cruiser WE’VE BEEN IMPRESSED by Vauxhall’s convertible since it arrived in 2013. Back then, though, the petrol engine range was rather limited – hence the reason for this 1.6-litre turbocharged engine. This new unit produces maximum power and torque outputs of 197bhp and 207lb ft and, teamed with a six-speed manual gearbox, is capable of a 0-62mph sprint in a fairly fleet 8.5sec. Curiously, when pulling away from a standstill, the engine doesn’t initially impress, perhaps due to the weight that it is being asked to pull. Added to that are the underbody strengthening elements and reinforced A-pillars that give the Cascada good levels of torsional stiffness. Once on the move, however, the engine is flexible, free-revving and…

HOW TO SAVE ALFA ROMEO Once again, it seems all hot air from Alfa Romeo. The 2005 Bera, the 2006 159 and the 2006 Spider were beautiful cars and the new cars are not expected to depart too far from the design language. Does Alfa not understand that you have to go forward, not backwards? These cars may well have looked beautiful but the sales were not out of this world. Also, those who think that having rear-wheel drive will sort everything out and sales will soar are sadly mistaken. What Alfa needs very badly is a new look and a new car, not a rerun of an old car that did not sell. The only way to save Alfa is to sell it to Volkswagen, a company that knows…

Test date | 18.5.88 Design and engineering Using materials and techniques adopted from Ferrari’s F1 cars, the F40 is built by cladding a particularly strong and rigid tubular steel platform chassis and cabin section. The panels, moulded from light but incredibly tough Kevlar, are bonded to the frame. The precision and beauty of the engineering is breathtaking. Interior Nothing covers the raw carbonfibre on the inside of the doors, in the footwells and on the buttresses down each side of the cockpit. The doors are opened with cords that you tug. If the outside styling hasn’t told you this car means business, the cabin certainly does. Performance The F40 runs through a short period of tameness, then, approaching 3000rpm, it begins to take off. As the tacho needle nudges 3800rpm,…

Mid engine, open top and £2k The second-generation Toyota MR2 is a timeless design that’s also an underrated sports car and very reliable. We found this 1994 2.0 GT T-bar with 118,000 miles showing. It appears in good condition and has service history. The dealer wants £2250. Call 01992 809058 Six-pot BMW coupé is £2500 BMW’s E46 3-series coupé has stood the test of time well and remains popular for its looks and dynamics. This 2001 330Ci Sport has 12 months’ MOT, six months’ tax, 118,000 miles on the clock and service history. Private seller is asking £2500. Call 07838 660725 Porsche 911 for Subaru BRZ cash For the same price as a new BRZ, you could have one of the most iconic sports cars of all time. A bit…

Mini’s long-held plans to take on the Mazda MX-5 with a uniquely styled roadster model have taken a decisive step towards production reality with the unveiling of a stunning two-seat concept created in co-operation with Italian design and coachbuilding house Touring Superleggera. Called the Mini Superleggera Vision, the new one-off made its debut at the Concorso d’Eleganza at Villa d’Este in Italy last weekend. Described as blending modern Britishness with traditional Italian design flair, the Superleggera Vision points to a new open-top Mini conceived as an indirect replacement for the company’s existing Roadster and Coupé. The new roadster is expected to crown a future range of Minis, all of which will be based on common underpinnings and offering the choice of either front or four-wheel drive and powered by a…

THE NEW LEXUS NX is a “game changer” for the brand, say company chiefs. The new model is charged with stealing sales from premium SUV rivals such as the Range Rover Evoque and Audi Q5 with its bold design and frugal hybrid powertrains. The NX was shown in Europe for the first time last week following its global debut at the Beijing motor show. It is Lexus’s first foray into the growing compact SUV market. The Toyota-owned brand anticipates that it will swell its annual sales volumes by as much as a third from 2015 onwards. For Europe, that equates to sales of about 20,000. Lexus UK expects to sell 3500-4000 units, which is roughly the same as its existing IS and CT models. Two powertrains will be offered in…

PORSCHE IS CONSIDERING a break in tradition by adopting a turbocharged engine for its next 911 GT3 RS. The 911 GT3 on which the more potent 991-generation GT3 RS would be based has had widely publicised fire problems with its highly tuned 468bhp 3.8-litre flat six engine. Porsche engineers are understood to be concerned at the prospect of trying to reliably extract enough extra power from the naturally aspirated engine to warrant an RS badge. As such, a turbocharger is being considered for the engine, which would comfortably extract the extra power needed without compromising reliability. It would also fit in with the current turbocharging ethos in the supercar segment. Meanwhile, the 911 GT3’s rear-wheel steer system is understood to be under consideration for the Cayman for later in the…

FIRST VERDICT Sportier than an X3, but at the expense of rear seat comfort SO GOOD • Good poise and agility for an SUV • Accurate and wieldy steering • Brisk performance NO GOOD • Compromised rear packaging • Not so different from an X3 • Less dynamic than a Macan TESTER’S NOTE An infotainment display provides a 3D graphic revealing the X4’s body roll and pitch levels. RB IT’S A CAR THAT many road testers loved to hate. Big, profligate and about as subtle as a Hummer parked on your lawn, the BMW X6 has been politely vilified by critics, this one included, for its unashamed excess. And yet the public have duly ignored this advice, snapping up the X6 by the hundreds of thousands. Over a quarter of…

FIRST VERDICT Stylish and practical, but this four-pot lacks sparkle and refinement SO GOOD • Athletic appearance • Broad spread of ability • Slick-shifting auto gearbox NO GOOD • Engine lacks outright punch • Interior quality below rivals’ • Excessive tyre noise TESTER’S NOTE The driving position is excellent, but the dashboard uses a lot of cheap-looking plastic. GK FOLLOWING ON FROM the BMW 4-series coupé and convertible, the 4-series Gran Coupé is designed to appeal to a different audience while using the same platform and mechanical package. In its styling, the new Gran Coupé shares bodywork and detailing with the coupé and convertible up front. But from its B-pillars aft it boasts its own look, most notably, and uniquely in the 4-series line-up, receiving four frameless doors. It makes…

You might have already read our first drive verdict on the BMW i8 and think you know what direction this test is set to take: the Porsche 911 walks it. However, the i8 is one of the most advanced road cars ever: carbonfibre construction, plug-in hybrid driveline, myriad drive modes, the capability to run in either zero-emissions electric front-wheel drive or petrol-electric four-wheel drive, two gearboxes… the list goes on. It is the most sophisticated car ever to wear a BMW badge. With a price of £94,845 after the government’s EV grant, the BMW is also more than just a flight of fancy for the mega-rich. Granted, it’s not exactly a bargain but, unlike some of the hybrid hypercars that we’ve seen of late, you don’t need an absolutely outrageous…

The end appears to be near for Lancia – a brand once known for its technical excellence and innovation. At the recent marathon presentation revealing the next five years’ model plans for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), any discussion of Lancia’s future was conspicuous by its absence. Days before, FCA boss Sergio Marchionne told the Italian paper Republica that Lancia would be shrunk down to just one model – the Ypsilon supermini – which would be sold in just one market, Italy. The deeply embarrassing badge-engineering tactics of the past few years have been swept under the corporate carpet. Rebadging the Chrysler 200 and 300 as the Lancia Flavia and Thema and sticking a Lancia logo on the Grand Voyager MPV plumbed the depths of brand degradation. Indeed, a couple of…

Few cars have a forebear as fresh in the memory as the S1’s. The A1 quattro was introduced as a limited run in 2012 with a 252bhp version of the same 2.0 engine. Despite being left-hand drive and costing over £40k, each of the 19 cars destined for the UK sold out almost immediately. The badge itself has a much older vintage: the Sport Quattro S1 was Audi’s brilliant short-wheelbase addition to the phenomenon that was Group B rallying (although the homologated road car ditched the ‘S1’ bit).…

FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE MEANS NEW SUSPENSION Usually, the Audi A1 comes with a torsion beam rear axle — a compact set-up that most small cars need if they’re going to retain competitive boot space and, more crucially, to be sold at a competitive price. But that doesn’t work with a four-wheel drive system like the one on the S1. Fitting the system “wasn’t a simple job at all”, says Ulrich Hackenberg, Audi’s research and development boss. “We had to reconfigure the whole rear end of the car.” Doing so has created the space for a four-wheel drive system that, although dubbed ‘permanent’, usually pushes the majority of power to the front wheels. However, the hydraulically controlled multi-plate clutch on the back axle diverts power (up to half of it) to the…

I have owned two Alfa Romeos in the past and ordered a new Giulietta a few weeks ago. I have always liked the way that this car looks and chose to purchase one over its more ‘obvious’ rivals. Imagine my dismay to read in Autocar (News, 14 May) that those in the know at Alfa don’t consider the car that I have ordered to be true to the brand’s DNA at all. Rather, it seems that my chosen car is merely a conformist front-drive machine that its makers are itching to replace with a ‘true’ Alfa in a couple of years. Is patronising and disrespecting your existing customer base the way to increase sales, I wonder? Simon Masters Cheshire…

By modern supercar standards the F40 is indescribably crude — an unapologetically raw, visceral machine Just 499 LaFerraris will be produced. That’s 99 more than the Enzo, while only 349 F50s and 272 288 GTOs were ever built. Combined, that’s 1520 cars. The marketplace for Ferrari’s mega-money hyper-performance machines is a rarefied one indeed. Then there’s the F40 — arguably the most coveted of Ferrari’s exotic, extreme creations, despite the fact that a relatively extravagant 1315 were built between 1987 and 1992. All were left-hand drive, and 78 (58 with a catalyst and 20 without) were sold in the UK. The price in 1987 was £193,000 — enough to buy nearly six 328 GTBs. The F40 wasn’t just the fastest car you could buy; it was also among the most…

The Audi A7 Sportback has been refreshed. Styling tweaks, reworked engines and new transmissions are among the key changes. UK deliveries are scheduled for the final quarter of this year. A new addition to the A7 Sportback line-up is the 3.0 TDI ultra version. This front-wheel-drive model has 215bhp, 60.1mpg combined economy and CO2 emissions of 122g/km. In front-wheel-drive versions of the A7 Sportback, a redeveloped seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox replaces the eight-speed Multitronic CVT. The main cosmetic changes include Audi’s new ‘single-frame’ grille and resculpted front and rear bumpers. New trim options feature inside.…

DESPITE AN IMPENDING reduction in Peugeot’s total model count, marque boss Maxime Picat believes that the company needs three new models to boost its international footprint: an SUV, a D-segment saloon-coupé and a pick-up. Speaking in Paris, Picat explained that the large SUV — similar in size to a Volkswagen Touareg — would help to meet rapidly growing demand in China, where a VW CC-style four-door coupé should also do well. Picat has already said a production version of the recent Beijing show saloon, the Exalt, could be a reality in about two years’ time, helping Peugeot to move upmarket without leaving mainstream price sectors. A new pick-up would help Picat to meet a chorus of requests from export markets, especially in Asia and South America.…

VOLKSWAGEN HAS ISSUED official design sketches of a radical open-top concept car that is set to be unveiled at the Wörthersee fan meet in Austria this weekend. Called the GTI Roadster, the new two-seater was originally conceived as a three-dimensional computer model created by VW for inclusion in the Gran Turismo computer game. But enthusiasm for the concept at VW was so strong that it has been turned into a full-size concept. The low-slung GTI Roadster is claimed to combine various styling themes being considered for future VW production models, with cues to be included on the upcoming track version of the seventh-generation Golf. The look is extreme. The new concept flaunts a distinctive wedged-shaped silhouette, prominent ducting to cool the front-mounted engine, a shallow wrap-around windscreen, sizeable wheel arches…

How close a look at the new Land Rover Discovery is this concept? It’s us putting stuff out there. It’s getting reactions to a future Discovery and moving it forward. It doesn’t represent anything in particular. There’s a clear understanding of what it’s meant to be; it’s a visionary concept looking at design and technology. What makes this concept a Discovery? Above all, it has great proportions, something that’s not just a Discovery trait but one true of all Land Rovers. It sounds easy to do, but it’s not on such different-sized cars with their own unique design and engineering pressures. This has the Land Rover ethos of a ‘less is more’ approach. Why the radical departure from the Discovery 4? Land Rover has a history of innovation. Most people…

THERE ARE PLENTY of tech options to be had, from BMW’s excellent head-up display to a so-called Proactive Driving Assistant, which harnesses the nav system’s route data to highlight situations that will require slowing down, such as speed limits and roundabouts, and then provides fuel saving advice. BMW’s optional ConnectedDrive services now include access to apps such as AUPEO! personal internet radio and the Deezer music platform. The iDrive controller’s built-in mousepad allows you input navigation instructions with your index finger, although some may find this fiddly. There’s also an optional concierge service to handle restaurant bookings and the like.…

FIRST VERDICT Excellent high-efficiency, low-cost diesel feels far from a ‘budget’ model The new A6 ultra is a fleet-focused version of the Audi’s big saloon. Besides a comparatively low price, key changes include a new 187bhp 2.0-litre diesel and the adoption of a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. This replaces the CVT from older four-cylinder diesel A6s. Both help to reduce emissions and boost economy, with Audi claiming 64.2mpg and 114g/km of CO2, compared with the outgoing 175bhp diesel’s 56.5mpg and 132g/km. For a 1735kg saloon, that’s an impressive feat – especially because it can go from 0-62mph in 8.2sec and hit a reputed 144mph. Despite its four cylinders, the diesel engine is a refined affair. It’s hardly lacking in punch, either, proving more than capable of accelerating the A6 with…

A few notes from a long, long-distance drive. Norway is bleakly captivating as it emerges from its winter coating of snow. France is a country of many varied beauties, but not when you’re travelling along the interminable, too-much-more-of-the-same autoroute spearing from Paris to Bordeaux. Sweden is a very long country and has many hidden lakes. The surface of a Mazda 6’s dashboard is curiously, spongily soft. And there are two mode buttons on its air conditioning control panel, one marked, one unmarked, both doing exactly the same job. These are the kind of things that you notice when you idle away 12 hours in the front seats of a car, all in a single day. A day that was one of five, taking us from Norway to Spain via Finland,…

The Audi S1 is an easy car to like but a rather harder one to recommend. At least with the A1 quattro, buyers knew that they were getting a limited-edition collector’s piece. Here, it’s harder to escape the feeling that although there have been sophisticated engineering alterations and deep changes to the A1’s underpinnings, you’re buying a moderately powerful small hatchback that offers fewer thrills than you can get elsewhere. For the same money as our options-equipped test car, you can buy Volkswagen’s deeply, deeply impressive Golf R. For much less money than an S1 in standard form, the idea of a Ford Fiesta ST is a no-brainer, even before you consider the price difference. And if drive to the rear wheels is really a deal breaker? Well, there’s always…

With Stuart Price’s transformation from in-house snapper to subscriber now complete, the Mazda 3 is short of a dance partner until its card gets permanently filled next month. Fine with me; faced with a 200-mile round trip to my parents in Northamptonshire, the hushed hatchback seemed just the ticket. The 3 ticks the box for such mundane work almost the instant it’s out of the car park. It is a comfortable cruiser able to ride in unflustered style over almost any surface, and its interior is well appointed, although the overall refinement of the package does tend to mask the somewhat underwhelming petrol powertrain. Yes, the 2.0-litre engine is mostly quiet and muted, but getting to motorway cruising speed requires some leg work on the part of the driver. As…

Service history can be patchy because many of these cars have stood idle in collections. Have your intended purchase checked by a recognised F40 expert before parting with any cash. Ferrari’s Classiche documentation can bump up the sales price markedly; so, too, can the correct tool roll and fitted luggage sets. For many people, originality is key. Have a good look underneath. The F40’s underbody is prone to damage. Also check out the tubular chassis and suspension parts for signs of corrosion. Check the engine meticulously for any oil leaks. Do this regularly because the engine and turbos run very hot. Should oil get on them, it can result in engine fires. Any smoke or loss of performance points to worn turbos. Any problems should be obvious. Modern bearings help…

RX-8: join the rotary club for £2500 HOW COULD YOU go coupé shopping with £2500 in your hand and not consider the award-winning Mazda RX-8? The first RX-8 rolled off the production line in 2003 and it won 37 international motoring awards before production ended in 2012. Powered by a 1.3-litre (654cc twin-rotor) naturally aspirated unit, it was available in standard 191bhp and 228bhp ‘high power’ versions. With an RX-8, you’re getting a rear-drive four-seat coupé with quirky styling and one of the most involving and rewarding steers out there. Thankfully, there’s no shortage of RX-8s on the used market, possibly because of the woeful fuel economy, high tax bracket and thirst for oil. For just £2500, you’ll find plenty of tidy examples. We found a 2007 RX-8 ‘192’ with…