Innholdsfortegnelse for April 29, 2020 i Autocar

Maserati’s racing history (before 1957, when it moved solely to road cars) is second to none, but the past five decades have been a series of real highs and lows. Many view the brand’s golden era for production cars as between 1957, with the creation of the 3500 GT, and the early 1970s, when the stunning Bora, Khamsin and Merak were introduced under Citroën ownership. This period turned sour after barely six years, as the oil crisis of 1973 focused attention on the profit-dwindling Italian company. Its number of employees had tripled under its French masters, yet the number of cars it built had reduced. In 1975, Citroën declared Maserati bankrupt. Enter Alejandro de Tomaso, who bought a chunky stake in Maserati, trimmed its management, halved its workforce and began…

Jaguar Land Rover’s chief financial officer has admitted that if the UK “crashes out” of the EU with no deal, it would cost the firm £500 million per year in tariffs on parts imports alone. Autocar found the remarks in a record of a meeting between Adrian Mardell and investment banks at the end of January. Mardell said he “fully expects” the current transition period to last until 1 January 2021, after which there will be “a different relationship”. Mardell also said: “We’ve gone through two versions of potential crash-outs already, in the end of March [2019] and the end of October, and what we did was to protect ourselves by closing the plant for a week. “We’ll decide at the back end of this calendar year whether that’s an…

As countries pass what is hopefully the peak of their coronavirus outbreaks, focus is shifting onto ways to ease lockdown restrictions and restart society. For the automotive industry, that means getting back to making cars. The disruption has been huge. The European Car Manufacturers’ Association estimates that across the EU and the UK, shutdowns have resulted in the lost production of more than two million cars – billions of pounds of lost revenue. The Volkswagen Group, PSA Group, Toyota and Volvo are among the firms to have resumed operations at some European plants. But with business very much not as usual, making cars has become a lot more complicated. New cars are assembled from thousands of components by hundreds of staff, working in close proximity and handling the same tools…

It hardly seems to have been on sale long enough. But Audi has already rung the changes to the second-generation RS5 Coupé. The 2020 model adheres closely to the car it replaces, both in technical terms and driving character. The surprise is just how closely. Audi is convinced that the mechanical aspects of the three-year-old rival to the BMW M4 and Mercedes-AMG C63 Coupé are competitive enough to see it through to 2023, when it is due to be replaced by an all-new third-generation model that features a hybrid component to its downsized drivetrain. So Audi has directed its efforts here mainly at fine-tuning the RS5 Coupé’s exterior design in a bid to provide it with greater engine cooling efficiency, among other, aesthetic factors. Even ardent Audi fans will need…

When KERS – that’s kinetic energy recovery system – was introduced to Formula 1 back in 2009, it seemed an excitingly forward-thinking innovation. In fact, its complexity made it so expensive that the teams agreed not to use it for the 2010 season. Just over a decade later and not only are F1 cars now full hybrids, but also KERS technology is being fitted to everyday road cars. Perhaps surprisingly, it’s Suzuki – a mainstream manufacturer less suited to billion-dollar motorsport you couldn’t find – that has become the first to apply it to every car in its UK line-up. Of course, such systems are far from as comprehensive as that you’ll find in Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes, but it is an upgrade on that pioneered by Suzuki in 2016, with…

The outgoing F-Type’s ageing infotainment system has been replaced by Jaguar’s latest 10.0in InControl Touch Pro set-up, via which you can stream online music either by downloading Jaguar’s app or simply by using Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. It’s a decent system rather than a great one, truth be told. Although the layout makes for fairly good usability, there’s still a little bit of latency in the time it takes to respond to your finger, and the home screen layout isn’t quite as flexible or configurable as you might like. There are two options available for audio systems, both supplied by Meridian. The standard one has just under 400W and 10 speakers and the premium one (£990) gets 770W of amplification and 12 speakers. Our test car was fitted with…

MODEL TESTED C63 AMG BLACK SERIES We’ve already driven the hardcore, £100k Mercedes C63 AMG Black Series extensively on road and track, and it has entertained us greatly. Even so, there are sound reasons for a full road test, the main one perhaps being the investigation of exactly how well this track special holds up to extended circuit use. This C63 is to be one of the last in the AMG range to use the firm’s big, naturally aspirated 6.2-litre V8 engine. Here, it has adopted SLS pistons, conrods and crankshaft to produce the most powerful C-Class to date, at 510bhp and 457lb ft of torque. The new internals have reduced moving masses and overall engine weight by 4kg, and maximum engine speed has risen from 6700rpm in a regular…

WHY NOT TRY OUR OTHER GREAT TITLES? View all of our offers on themagazineshop.com TERMS AND CONDITIONS This is a UK-only offer; for overseas offers, please visit themagazineshop.com or call +44 (0) 1604 251 450. All savings are based on the UK cover price and are correct as of January 2020. Please allow 35 days for delivery of your gift and first issue. The gift will be sent under separate cover from the magazine and won’t be dispatched until your first payment has cleared. Should we run out of gifts, you will be offered an alternative gift; there is no cash alternative. Direct Debit rates are valid for one year, after which they are subject to change; should prices change, we will inform you in writing. Should you wish to…

The good news is that natural wastage has been gradually increasing the quality of the remaining W124 population. Most cars that have been in regular use will have had steady expenditure to keep them in fettle. The biggest risk remains rust, both cosmetic corrosion in panels, especially front wings, and more serious rot underneath, notably in the sills and jacking points. Electrical issues are quite common, as we discovered with the car we owned, and later six-cylinder petrol cars like this one have a tendency to overheat their under-bonnet wiring looms, causing insulation to fail. Suspension bushes and ball joints wear out over time, and if previous owners haven’t kept up with replacements, the need to do lots at once can lead to big bills. W124 expert Nick Froome says…

Don’t part-exchange your car because the trade will fleece you and don’t even think about selling it privately because you’ll suffer time-wasters, scammers and nit-pickers who’ll only want their money back. These and other discouraging words of wisdom are so hammered into us that the idea of just pushing your old car off a cliff and buying its replacement unencumbered by the thing begins to look appealing. But wait: before you release the handbrake and send it crashing onto the rocks, consider your other options. Granted they’re not much better but, depending on your circumstances, one of them might just suit you. SELL IT TO A CASH - FOR-CAR We’ve all heard the stories about companies offering an enticing online price for your car before reducing it substantially after inspecting…

“When to quit is a bigger deal than people realise. I found it tough” When to quit and what to do with the rest of your life: those are the two biggest, most daunting questions for any professional sportsperson. You’ve dedicated yourself from childhood to the pursuit of excellence, you’re still relatively young, perhaps only halfway through your lifespan – and you still love what you do. But what now? “It’s a bigger deal than most people outside of professional sport realise,” says Johnny Mowlem, who spent 20 years being paid to race sports cars around the world, then finally called time on his professional career in 2017. “I found it tough. I was fortunate to reach the level of racing internationally but it involved so much travel that for…

I’m one of the many who believe that Sir Stirling Moss wasn’t just the greatest British Formula 1 driver but the greatest of them all. Alan Henry, Autocar’s F1 writer for very many years, agreed in his book The Top 100 F1 Drivers of All Time. Many confuse greatness with successfulness; if it were the latter, it would be a straight choice of Michael Schumacher or Lewis Hamilton. It’s right to wax lyrical about Jim Clark, but many F1 writers never saw Moss drive. I saw both, and there’s no doubt in my mind Moss was greater. He was the supreme stylist – leaning back, arms relaxed, making it seem so effortless when it was so dangerous, and so often waving to us. Moss transcended the sport like no other…

WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT Because a soft-top SUV is the perfect type of car for supermarket runs during the lockdown – possibly… The government’s rules of the lockdown raise many questions. What constitutes essential shopping? How long are you allowed out for your daily exercise? When will it end? Another question I’ve been pondering recently: in an age of social distancing, is it acceptable to lower the roof of a convertible while driving to Tesco? I ask this because Autocar’s great lockdown lottery left me as the temporary custodian of a Volkswagen T-Roc Cabriolet. A soft-top SUV. Yes, in these times of essential travel only, I’ve landed perhaps the most frivolous mainstream new car to be launched in recent years. Still, the strangeness of the ongoing situation means I’ve been…

Renault Espace £2995 Although we’d naturally rather not dwell on the consequences of what might be, safety is an important factor when picking a car. These days, a new car not getting the full five stars from Euro NCAP is headline-worthy news. Back in the early 2000s, such a rating was the exception. Renault made full use of this and the safety sells mantra by quickly building itself a reputation for making safe cars after the arrival of the Laguna in 2001, and the 2002 Espace was something of a flagship. The fourth iteration of the MPV was an in-house design, following 22 years with Matra. It featured all sorts of cutting-edge passive safety tech to earn it one of the best scores awarded. Every second- and third-row seat had…

Maserati is starting to enact its most ambitious revival plan yet, with billions of euros of investment, a model line-up overhaul and a target to nearly triple its sales in less than three years. The Italian brand’s new dawn will be spearheaded by an all-new, in-house-designed mid-engined “super-sports car” called the MC20, which is set to be revealed this September. The big relaunch – one of many throughout Maserati’s history – was meant to begin in May with the MC20’s debut. That has been postponed due to the disruption caused by the coronavirus, but we still know a substantial amount about Maserati’s first supercar since the Ferrari Enzo-based MC12 homologation special of 2004. It will be no watered-down Maranello model this time. In fact, the MC20’s very existence is permitted…

FORD HAS NO plans to create a range-topping RS version of the current Focus, the company has confirmed. Previously, it was understood that a fourth generation of the hot hatch would depend on the development of a high-output hybrid powertrain to minimise CO2 emissions. However, Ford has now confirmed that development of such a system has been deemed not cost-effective. This means the 276bhp Focus ST will be the fastest variant for the foreseeable future. “As a result of pan-European emissions standards, increased CO2 taxation and the high cost of developing an RS with some form of electrification for a relatively low volume of vehicles, we are not planning another RS version of the Focus,” said a Ford spokesman. He also affirmed a commitment to Ford Performance cars in Europe,…

So, here it is: two and a half years after we first saw that extreme concept car at the Frankfurt motor show, the new Mini John Cooper Works GP has finally arrived. Yes, it has been a rather drawn-out development cycle for the fastest road-going Mini model yet. Indeed, there were times when it appeared plans for a new GP had been abandoned for lack of any official confirmation on its progress. Still, you know what they say about things that come to those who wait. Like its distinguished predecessors, the GP will be produced in a limited run of just 3000 examples, of which 575 are reserved for the UK. At £33,895, it’s a big (£7935) step up from the standard John Cooper Works. Two versions are on offer:…

There are few mid-life changes to the Audi RS4 Avant beyond a very subtle facelift and updates to the infotainment’s operating system – and that’s a good thing. Few cars manage to combine such strong performance qualities, outstanding all-season capability, top-notch interior ambience and overall usefulness as the latest incarnation of Neckarsulm’s go-fast estate. Like its coupé sibling (left), this 2020 model receives an altered front bumper with newly styled air ducts and an additional air inlet above a lightly reworked high-gloss black single-frame grille. The headlights also get new graphics in a move that gives the daytime-running lights a more technical look than previously. The changes at the rear are even slighter, with new-look tail-light graphics similar to those at the front and an altered lower bumper section that…

MODEL TESTED P575 R AWD COUPE Jaguar is striking out into a fresh design era under new design director Julian Thomson and so it seems right that the subject of this week’s road test should be a sharpened-up, redesigned version of its talismanic F-Type. With design lead times being what they are, it’s likely that this car was signed off long before former design boss Ian Callum departed the scene in June 2019. Be that as it may, as your eyes will confirm, this all-aluminium classic front-engined British-built sports car has never looked better. Now to address whether such an effective facelift has come accompanied by handling and usability improved to similarly striking effect. DESIGN AND ENGINEERING You needn’t look very far to see where the majority of the F-Type’s…

VERDICT The Jaguar F-Type remains at heart a simple prospect designed for those who want a sports car to look and sound great, to go fast and to offer accessible driver thrills. It now succeeds in those respects better than ever. And while seven years ago, the comparison may have felt fresher, it remains valid today: there is no better example of what a modern-day TVR might have been than a Jaguar F-Type with a snorting V8 engine. Except that the range-topping F-Type has more appeal as a daily driver than any British sports car built in Blackpool ever had. Those who like to go in search of really distinguishing dynamic poise and immersive on-the-limit handling from their two-seaters will continue to find greater hidden depths in one or two…

Silverstone, early March 2020. The home of the British Grand Prix is buzzing with activity. Ah, those pre-lockdown halcyon days. A touring car media day means the track is seeing action, while there’s construction work on a new hotel and a business park expansion next door. The vast, swanky new visitor centre is open. As well as the main business, there are dozens of engineering and motorsport companies outside the gates and hundreds more within a few miles, seeded and grown in the vicinity of one of the world’s most important motorsport hubs. But what if Silverstone wasn’t one? Let’s take an alternative history tour. Peter Grimsdale’s entertaining book High Performance tells how, in 1947, the farmer whose land became RAF Silverstone offered to let a motoring club use the…

THREE-TIME WORLD champion Ayrton Senna, who died in an accident during the San Marino Grand Prix at Imola on 1 May 1994, is one of the most compelling and complex characters in Formula 1 history. He had phenomenal talent, but his ruthless determination also led to several controversial incidents. Here are five standout moments, both good and bad, from the Brazilian’s career. 5 1991 Brazilian GP Senna won his home race only twice, and his first win at Interlagos was far from simple. Having dominated the race, he suffered gearbox issues with two laps to go and ended up stuck in sixth gear, yet he somehow clung on. He was so drained that he had to be lifted from his McLaren-Honda. 4 1984 Monaco GP Senna’s talent was showcased in…

FEATURE The Coventry cultural tour Coventry is Maranello, Stuttgart and Detroit all rolled into one. We celebrate Britain’s motor city FEATURE Launch diaries The stories behind some of our most memorable drives of recent times BUYING GUIDE Leasing special Inside the world of new car leasing – and the very best deals around EVERY WEEK ROAD TEST Peugeot e-208 It beat its rival electric superminis in a group test. Now read the road test FIRST DRIVE Lambo Huracán Evo Spyder Revised supercar loses its roof to let that sonorous V10 into the cabin SUBSCRIBE autocar.co.uk/subscribe or see p36…

MILEAGE 84,492 BMW 320 I’m trying to summon up the time and courage to change the BMW’s dreadful Solex carburettor for something that actually works. I have a cardboard box full of parts that should make some sort of sense. It’s possible to fund this madcap scheme by no longer paying road tax. The good news is the Baby Shark, more than a year after turning 40, is now officially a historic car. Zero VED, then, until they change the law. Meanwhile, here’s a picture of a couple of bins I made out of some mini beer barrels when I should have been spannering under the bonnet……

While everyone rightly loves the attention-seeking Type R, the milder versions of the 10th-generation Honda Civic have always been a little overlooked. Derided for not being as good an all-rounder as the Volkswagen Golf (few things are) or as competent as the Audi A3 Sportback (ditto), there’s still a lot to like about this low-slung family car, not least its stand-alone, if slightly divisive, looks. Honda threw the kitchen sink at it and really upped its game in areas such as driver enjoyment and interior quality. You can now put one on your drive for as little as £11,000, so for anyone after a smart and frugal hatchback, it’s well worth a look. Ignoring the explosive Type R (difficult, we know), you can seek out the Civic with a 124bhp…

MERCEDES-BENZ CL500 A well-kept CL is a lovely, wafty barge on long trips. It also handles pretty well, considering its size, because it has a very sophisticated interlinked damper system that limits body roll. This can be costly to put right, but then the values of CLs today are often a tenth of what they were new, and the rest of the car will be pretty solid, provided regular maintenance is carried out. This particular example could be classed as being pampered, because it had just one owner, a full service history and matching Yokohama tyres all round. That’s perhaps why it sold for above-market value, at £6105.…

The Audi Quattro, Lancia Delta HF and Peugeot 205 GTi have soared in value in recent years, not just because of the surge in demand for 1980s performance cars but also because of their relationship with the most fondly remembered era of the World Rally Championship: Group B. But what of the cars spawned from that thrilling category’s successor, Group A? Clean, early examples of the Audi Coupé, Subaru Impreza and Toyota Celica are remarkably easy to find and available for a relative pittance, but one from this period is quickly entering the upper echelons of cult car desirability: the insane Ford Escort RS Cosworth. Here was an affordable family car modified to accelerate as fast as the Ferrari Testarossa, hit 150mph and tackle some of the most brutal terrain…

Maserati Bora Featuring one of Giorgetto Giugiaro’s most widely revered bodies to reach production, the Bora of 1971 was also the first mid-engined Maserati model. It used a 4.7-litre or 4.9-litre V8 and was capable of up to 174mph. Maserati Merak Effectively a baby Bora, the Merak of 1972 took much of that car’s structure and some of its bodywork but was more compact and cheaper, featuring a 3.0-litre V6 engine and a pair of tiny rear seats. Maserati MC12 The jaw-dropping MC12, which emerged in 2004, was effectively a Ferrari Enzo underneath and signalled Maserati’s return to racing after 37 years. Capable of 217mph flat out, just 50 road-going models were made.…

“It’s 240mm longer than the Yaris to provide more interior space” Toyota has unveiled the Yaris Cross, a small SUV honed for Europe that uses a hybrid powertrain and offers four-wheel drive. The all-new rival to the Nissan Juke and Ford Puma, originally due to be revealed in March at the cancelled Geneva motor show, will go on sale in the UK and mainland Europe early next year. It is based on the Japanese manufacturer’s TNGA-B platform and shares a number of parts with the similar-size new Yaris supermini, alongside which it will be built at Toyota’s factory in Onnaing, France. Toyota aims to sell 150,000 examples of the Yaris Cross next year, with the goal of taking an 8% share of the European B-SUV segment. It estimates the Yaris…

MG IS SET to introduce a new electric estate in the UK later this year, the brand’s sales and marketing boss has confirmed. Daniel Gregorious revealed last week that the 5 will appear in UK showrooms as soon as they reopen after the pandemic restrictions are relaxed and will be delivered to customers in the fourth quarter of this year. He also confirmed that a petrol-electric plug-in hybrid version of the HS SUV will become available this year. While no UK-specific details have been released yet, it’s understood that the 5 is effectively an updated and rebranded version of the Chinese-market Roewe Ei5. That car uses a 52.5kWh battery pack and a 114bhp electric motor for a top speed of 93mph and an NEDC range of 261 miles. It’s possible…

ZENVO IS ANOTHER of those niche supercar makers that spends more time seeking better ways to perform an old trick than mainstream manufacturers have either the time or money for. Its new 1177bhp TSR-S hypercar is equipped with not a sequential, dual-clutch transmission for fast shifting but the firm’s automated manual ‘dog ’box’ transmission based on lighter, more aggressive motorsport principles. Dog ’box is the moniker given to dog engagement gearboxes typically found in all manner of race and rally cars. It’s simple, strong and fast shifting and lacks the usual synchromesh that enables crunchless shifts but blocks super-fast gearchanges. Most gearboxes, aside from torque-converter-based automatics and CVTs, are fundamentally similar and the selection of a gear ratio depends on temporarily locking a gear that is usually free spinning (neutral)…

Few compact load-luggers deliver as much visual clout as Mercedes’ CLA Shooting Brake. The four-door coupé-cum-estate melds dramatic styling with seats-down practicality, courtesy of an extended roofline and sloping tailgate that deliver more spaciousness than its CLA saloon sibling. And now this 35-badged performance version adds powertrain potency to the mix. It has the same turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine as the A35 hatchback and sends an identical 302bhp and 295lb ft through a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox and 4Matic all-wheel drive. Power usually goes to the front wheels, but an electromechanically controlled multi-disc clutch can send as much as 50% towards the back axle when needed. This allows for a 0-62mph sprint in just 4.9sec. Mercedes’ AMG performance division hasn’t dialled up the aggression too far but the 35 stands…

1 PORSCHE 911 CARRERA S PDK Has the Jaguar clearly beaten for handling poise and driver involvement. At its very best, as ever, with one driven axle. 2 JAGUAR F-TYPE P575 R AWD COUPE Fast, loud, likeable and still loutish, now with better looks. Probably even better in RWD. 3 LOTUS EVORA GT 410 SPORT For undiluted driver appeal and mid-engined handling poise, look no further. Not as usable as rivals, though. 4 MERCEDES-AMG GT COUPE EDITION 476 As much hot-rod charm as the Jag. Even more brutish, though. Currently £10k off via an offer. 5 NISSAN GT-R TRACK EDITION Ageing left-field alternative is still seriously fast and wickedly purposeful, although it’s rough around the edges.…

While the combustion engine still has a way to go before its emissions-enforced retirement, we’re getting close to the end. And that has triggered the instinct to both celebrate but also quantify some of its high points. Plenty of cars are going to be fighting it out to be remembered as all-time greats in an argument that will rage for longer than petrol and diesel lasts. Yet there’s one car that we’ve already described as being the greatest of all time, albeit of a relatively small bit of the pond: the W124-series Mercedes-Benz E-Class, in production for just over a decade from the mid-1980s onwards. In 2008, Autocar’s then editor, Chas Hallett, let me spend some of the editorial budget on buying an example to answer the question: ‘Is this…

Land Rover’s new Defender may only have been on sale a month or two but, in some of the toughest third-party testing ever conducted, it has already shown itself to be the most capable off-roader the company has ever built. Given the excellence of Land Rovers past, that’s a huge achievement. But if you include the fact that the Defender’s accompanying on-road performance makes it a prime candidate for the most versatile off-roader ever – and that its new-age electronics also make it the best-connected off-roader ever – you really are talking about an extraordinary machine. You’re also talking about a uniquely talented team who dreamed up such a vehicle and brought it into the world. Some of these people have been working on the project for as long as…

As it stands, following the latest raft of pandemic-induced cancellations, the next round of the World Rally Championship is scheduled to take place on 16-19 July, in the height of summer. And it will be a momentous occasion because, for the first time since 2002, when Colin McRae took his last WRC victory, the Safari Rally is back. The African classic was always one of the emblematic events on the calendar, renowned as the toughest challenge of them all. That was not only down to the nature of the terrain, with impossibly broken-up roads punctuated by rocks, craters and mudholes, but also the length of the stages, or ‘competitive sections’, as they were known. These were hundreds of miles long, on open public roads, where drivers had to contend with…

WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT Because sometimes life maroons an Italian supercar outside your front door for an indeterminate period of time When the music suddenly stopped, I was left with the keys to the rear-drive version of Lamborghini’s Huracán Evo. Lockdown has not only scuppered our opportunities to drive so many new cars but has also made updating the long-term test section of the magazine far harder, with plenty of fresh arrivals being postponed. Whatever car each staff member had been babysitting on the evening of Monday 23 March was therefore going to be their new de facto long-termer, whether they liked it or not. And while some of us had our usual wheels to write about, many didn’t. Deputy editor James Attwood duly put out the call: “Who has…

TRADITION SAYS IT takes hours and miles to assess a car properly, but restricted life with the Bentley Flying Spur has put the lie to that. Over the past five weeks, I’ve amassed 80 miles on four-mile return journeys from our village to the nearest market town. The road has funny cambers and surfaces, ruts, spoon drains, closing-radius corners – everything but bouts of sustained high speed. It’s all so very familiar that I instantly know a good car performance when I see one. And this excels everywhere. I’m getting very close to believing my initial suspicions were right: this is the world’s best luxury saloon. SC TEST DATA BENTLEY FLYING SPUR FIRST EDITION Price £168,300 Price as tested £238,040 Faults None Expenses None Economy 22.4mpg…

Vauxhall Astra 1.4 Here’s Karl and his spectacularly brilliant purchase: “This is my 2004 Vauxhall Astra 1.4 Club, which I bought yesterday and only cost me £50! It’s a nice little runner, although the paint is a bit faded in places. The MOT is until June, there’s some service history and the cambelt was done in 2018. Due to the current lockdown in the UK, I’m using it only to travel to and from work. I’m a key worker with my local NHS trust (Community Equipment Service), and it’s a very busy time right now.”…

Land Rover Freelander Price £1580 Hear us out: the first-generation Land Rover Freelander could legitimately become a classic, because it played a significant role in popularising small SUVs. What’s more, it was genuinely quite handy off road and even had hill descent control, just like the larger Discovery. Of the pre-facelift Freelanders available, go for one built this side of the millennium, because those had a raft of improvements made over the notoriously problem-riddled early cars.…

An expert’s view JAMES WILLS, AUTO DYNAMIX “This is the ultimate cult car. The one we all wanted. The poster on the wall. Low-mileage examples can go for £80,000 and, once one sells to a collector for that sort of money, it commands the price for all the others. That’s why prices rocketed in just a few years. Look at Renault 5 Turbos, Vauxhall Novas and the like: they have also risen to mind-boggling figures for pristine examples.” Buyer beware… ▪ ENGINE Dripping oil will usually be coming from the cam cover, so check the side of the block and the cambelt for signs of a slick. Some smoke under acceleration is forgivable, but excessive puffing at idle could give cause for concern. Any modifications carried out unprofessionally definitely will.…