Innholdsfortegnelse for July 1, 2020 i Autocar

So you’re not a car designer? “No, at least not until now. I grew up on a farm in Derbyshire around tractors and Land Rovers, but I was interested in cars. “When I was about nine, I wrote to Austin Rover with some car sketches. They wrote back politely, basically saying the cars were terrible but that they had a design department and, when I was old enough, I should try to join their training scheme. Until then, I didn’t realise design was an actual job, and that really sparked my interest to know how things were created.” How did you get into design? “I trained as an architect and then got into boat design – long projects, 80-metre superyachts and for private customers. That’s how I got to know…

The Volkswagen Tiguan has gained a new 316bhp R range-topper and a plug-in hybrid powertrain as part of a major mid-life refresh. The Tiguan is Europe’s favourite SUV, with more than six million examples having been sold since it came out in 2007. The second-generation model was launched in 2016, and this is the first major upgrade it has received. The new Tiguan R joins the larger Touareg R as part of the performance division’s rapidly expanding line-up. It uses the fourth-generation EA888 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine. Performance and efficiency details have yet to be disclosed. As usual, this four-cylinder unit is mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, four-wheel drive and the Dynamic Chassis Control system, which lowers the ride height by 10mm. The Tiguan R also benefits from a…

McLAREN HAS LAUNCHED legal action in a bid to resolve a dispute over an “urgent” round of refinancing. The British company, incorporating both the road car and Formula 1 division, says it has “fallen into severe and unexpected financial difficulty” due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. McLaren Holdings Ltd is seeking to secure capital by issuing a bond for more than £650 million against its factory in Woking, Surrey, and its collection of historic racing cars. But a group of investors claims these assets are already employed as security in a bond dating from 2017, so McLaren is taking legal action. The judge in the trial has agreed to expedite it, with McLaren claiming it will become insolvent if a declaration in favour of the firm isn’t issued by 10…

Audi has refreshed its Q5 SUV with a subtle redesign, an upgraded infotainment system and mild-hybrid engine technology in line with the recently updated A4 and Q7. Just one engine is available from launch: a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel equipped with a belt-integrated starter-generator for 12V mild-hybrid functionality. This technology, already available on several other Audi models, allows for engine-off coasting and can activate the engine start-stop function at speeds below 13.7mph. The engine is also equipped with twin-dosing selective catalytic reduction (SCR) for reduced NOx emissions. The upgrades enable the 40 TDI to record 43.6-44.4mpg on the WLTP cycle, depending on spec, compared with 37.2-39.8mpg before. This means CO2 emissions have also come down, from between 200g/km and 185g/km to 139-143g/km. Performance figures are slightly improved, too, with the…

The software issues that have hampered the build-up to the launches of Volkswagen’s new ID 3 EV and eighth-generation Golf demonstrate how important such systems are to modern cars – and how complicated they have become. The software required for the previous Golf contained around one million lines of code – compared with 10 million for the ID 3. For companies traditionally focused purely on building the mechanical elements of cars, that increasing need for software presents a dilemma: do they buy in the new software that’s needed or make it themselves? The Volkswagen Group has bet heavily on the latter, creating the new Car.Software unit, which officially becomes fully operational today. Headed by Christian Senger, who was previously in charge of the firm’s ID models, by the end of…

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Just the road. No race track, no test track, no airfield; just the road and an open-top 710bhp supercar with the instruction to keep the roof open. Or, if it’s raining, keep the roof open but go faster. Seriously, with this shiny head? The downside of not looking like Dave Lee Travis if the barber is closed for three months is that I can’t have the roof open for long on a day like this. But trying open-top driving for a while reveals something about the new Ferrari F8 Spider, the convertible version of the F8 Tributo: I don’t think it’s quite as rigid as an equivalent McLaren (which at the time of writing is a McLaren 720S Spider, but might be a new version or special edition by the…

MODEL TESTED PLUS 8 The Morgan Plus 8 was Britain’s fastest-accelerating production car for a time during the 1960s. In Morgan’s modern era, however, in which traditional roadsters are built alongside aluminium-chassis Aero models and the 3 Wheeler, Morgan’s grunty old V8 model has been missed. The Plus 8 is bigger than a traditional Morgan roadster. It uses the same BMW-sourced V8 as the Aero coupé and Supersport, as well as the bonded and riveted aluminium chassis that has marked out Morgan’s Aero 8 and its progeny since 2001. Peak power from the 4.8-litre mill rises from 367bhp to 390bhp with our test car’s optional sports exhaust. Another interesting claim made by Morgan is that the Plus 8 is the lightest V8-powered production car to meet EU safety standards. It…

When the hotly anticipated M2 arrived in 2016, it was heralded as the spiritual successor to the original E30-generation M3 on account of its sensible dimensions, traditional layout and very punchy engine. In 2018, that car then morphed into the even more powerful and capable Competition specification, and now we have the track-day-friendly CS, which begs comparison with the most fearsome E30 of them all: the rare M3 Sport Evolution of 1990. On paper, there are some similarities beyond the obvious. Both cars feature improved aero, although whereas the Sport Evo’s wing was adjustable, the M2 CS has a fixed Gurney flap. Both also use power-assisted steering, although the setup is now electromechanical rather than hydraulic. There is, you might be surprised to learn, only 125mm difference in wheelbase, but…

Earlier this year, the UK government announced that it was considering bringing a planned ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars and vans forward from 2040 to 2035 – or maybe even earlier – and extending it to include hybrids and plug-in hybrids. As part of the process, the Department for Transport and Office for Low Emission Vehicles launched a public consultation to find out what the public thinks of its proposals. The consultation asks for views on: • The phase-out date. • The definition of what should be phased out. • Barriers to achieving the above proposals. • The impact of these ambitions on different sectors of industry and society. • What measures are required by government and others to achieve the earlier phase-out date. This is…

Things are slowly returning to normal in the world of rallying. And although there won’t be a Rally Finland this year, the forests around Jyväskylä are already alive with the sound of cars. Home team Toyota, as well as Hyundai, got the action under way again with a test to help their factory drivers blow away the cobwebs after more than three months of lockdown. And although the testing ban imposed by the FIA has been lifted since 1 June, nobody yet knows when exactly the cars will return to competition. Just how rusty drivers can get when they’re not regularly competing was exemplified by Thierry Neuville, who managed to turn his car into a ball of scrap after tripping over a rock in a corner-cut. This was the second…

SPECIAL ISSUE Autocar Awards 2020 The star cars and the even brighter stars that have made them: once again, we name the industry’s best of the best FIRST DRIVE Mercedes-AMG CLA The A45’s AMG drivetrain meets this shooting brake’s swooping body ROAD TEST Peugeot 508 SW Estate version of impressive executive car is put under the microscope EVERY WEEK USED BUYING GUIDE Audi RS6 Is Mk1 version of this performance giant a wise second-hand choice? LONG-TERM TEST Ford Focus ST Andrew Frankel now has a hot hatch on his drive. What’s it like to live with? SUBSCRIBE autocar.co.uk/subscribe or see p20…

QUESTION I was due to collect a Mini Countryman on 27 March, but then lockdown began. Now the price is £330 higher because the car wasn’t registered by 1 April so comes under new VED rules. What should I do? Rachael Grant, via email ANSWER The rises in VED were announced by the government last year, but nobody could have foreseen this pandemic. We’ve heard from some other people in a similar position, but the dealers in those cases have absorbed the extra VED cost. If you would be happy with a different Countryman, you could check out the deals on offer at other dealerships, and online to see if you can get a bigger discount elsewhere that will negate the higher VED rate. CE QUESTION My Peugeot 3008 went…

Vauxhall Zafira VXR £6950 It would be fair to say that nobody has a burning desire to buy an MPV these days. It is a car you don’t want but might very well need. There is, however, a way to make the ordeal a lot more palatable if you’re an enthusiast: buy one that’s been fitted with the engine for the hot hatch you’d rather have bought. Enter the ultimate fast MPV, the Zafira VXR. Critics will be quick to point out that it doesn’t drive like a sports car, and that’s a fair point. Then again, what vehicle from this period (2005-10) with a roofline this high ever does? The Zafira VXR is still a laugh to drive, dealing with the torque steer that its turbocharged 237bhp and 236lb…

An owner’s view ▪ ZAC JIGGINS “The VTRs came with free insurance originally, so that led to a lot of those being written off, and the VTS – like any Saxo – suffers quite badly with corrosion. Also, they were from an era of Max Power styling, so they were modified heavily – given bodykits and lowered – and that kills the car as well. With so much money put into a car, rather than sell it, owners strip the parts and scrap the shell to get their money back.” Buyer beware… ▪ BODY Where do they rust? Where don’t they? Your first port of call should be under the ECU and fuse box in the front wings and under the rear arches, but a ‘finetoothed comb’ approach to the…

GOT A STORY? Email our news editor lawrence.allan@haymarket.com Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s rugged new off-roader, the Ineos Grenadier, has broken cover with a variety of clear design references to the old Land Rover Defender and a specification that could easily pass for a modernised version of the 1948 original. Despite this, the Grenadier is an all-new 4x4 created by a ground-up team and brand, with modern components, a state-of-the-art powertrain and possibly an even more singular purpose than the icon that it seeks to supplant. Similar in size to the latest Mercedes-Benz G-Class and powered by a modular range of six-cylinder BMW diesel and petrol engines, it’s expected to be priced from £40,000 when it hits the market late next year, initially as a five-door station wagon then “soon afterwards” as…

Bentley is hoping to restore its place at the pinnacle of the luxury SUV segment with its redesigned Bentayga, which is set to go on sale in the coming weeks before deliveries in the autumn. The update includes an altered look, new technology, more space and – in the UK and Europe – the removal of the unique W12 engine option. The Bentayga has become a core model for Bentley, with more than 20,000 examples finding homes since it was launched back in 2015. The changes aren’t radical as a result, rather serving to bring the SUV into line with the brand’s newer models, the Continental GT and Flying Spur. The exterior changes echo this, with design director Stefan Sielaff claiming that he wanted to create more of a “family…

LAND ROVER WILL revive the Hard Top name for the forthcoming commercial version of the new Defender, with the firm promising the new machine will offer “a unique combination of cargo space, practicality and comfort”. The Hard Top moniker was first used by the British brand in 1950, when a removable roof was introduced for the Series 1 Land Rover. The new commercial Defender will launch later this year in three-door 90 and long-wheelbase, five-door 110 forms, with pricing starting from £35,000 plus VAT. While Land Rover has yet to reveal full technical information, it says the Defender Hard Top is designed to offer maximum cargo space, while maintaining the premium features from the passenger versions of the new Defender. Both 90 and 110 Hard Top models use independent coil-sprung…

Citroën says the new C4, which will be offered with an electric ë-C4 version from launch, will “put compact hatchbacks back on the map” through an SUV-influenced design and a focus on comfort. The previous C4 hatch was discontinued in 2018, and when the new model goes on sale, it will also replace the C4 Cactus crossover. The Ford Focus and Volkswagen Golf rival will be the first PSA Group model in this segment to offer a fully electric version from launch. The new model adopts more conventional styling than the C4 Cactus, with a higher-riding stance intended to bridge the gap between hatchbacks and crossovers. Citroën says the C4’s 156mm ground clearance, combined with short front and rear overhangs, is designed to offer a higher vantage point and better…

THE MERCEDES-AMG One has been spotted testing at a private facility, as the firm pushes to get the delayed project back on track. The Formula 1-engined halo model was first revealed in 2017 as a concept destined for production in 2019. However, engineers have found it difficult getting the 1000bhp hybridised 1.6-litre V6 (shared with Mercedes-AMG’s championship-winning 2017 F1 car) to comply with WLTP emissions standards, and customer deliveries are now tipped for 2021. One of the problems, Autocar understands, is that the race engine idles at 5000rpm and the production version will need to idle smoothly at around 1200rpm. Even then, the highly strung motor will reportedly require a full rebuild at 31,000 miles. The carbonfibre-bodied, all-wheel-drive hypercar was said to be capable of 218mph and an electric-only range…

AS MANY AS 1.3 million Renault and Nissan diesels and 100,000 petrol Nissan Qashqais could be fitted with illegal emissions ‘defeat devices’ in the UK, a specialist law firm has claimed. Harcus Parker, which is preparing a class action lawsuit against the two manufacturers and calling for owners to come forward, says a Freedom of Information request sent to the Department for Transport (DfT) yielded “previously unseen documents” showing up to 100,000 1.2-litre petrol Qashqais breach emissions limits by “up to 15 times”. The Nissans concerned are the Juke, Note, Qashqai and X-Trail, while the Captur, Clio, Espace, Mégane and Scenic are named on the Renault side. Cars made between 2009 and 2018 are reportedly affected. The Freedom of Information request revealed, it is claimed, that the UK government tried…

“The electric motors add performance, eliminate turbo lag, offer torque vectoring and enhance braking” Much is familiar in Maranello but more is different. My day with the SF90 Stradale starts outside the famous entrance to the Ferrari factory but with a group of technicians wearing surgical masks. I’ve got one myself, and my temperature is taken by a thermal camera system. There’s none of the drama normal for a big car launch nor the interaction with executives; the technical presentations were shared by video before I flew out. And ‘my’ SF90 really is mine for the day, with no co-driver and stern warnings that nobody else can enter until it has been thoroughly sanitised. Italy may be bouncing back from Covid-19 and Maranello is back to full production, but no…

Look, I’m not your mother. It’s not up to me to tell you whether or not you need a four-seat, five-door coupé that weighs (let me check… cripes, that is a lot) 2145kg and returns (yikes, that’s not a lot) 24.8mpg. Let’s just go with it for now. This, then, is the Porsche Cayenne GTS Coupé (you don’t have to have the coupé; the regular SUV bodystyle is available as well). It’s designed to sit, as Porsche’s GTS models routinely do, between the ‘regular’ line-up and the Turbo models. They’re meant to be sportier. For sure. Here that means it gets a twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre petrol V8 engine. The previous GTS had a V6, so this is rather nice news for aural purists, and it makes 454bhp at 6000-6500rpm and 457lb…

VERDICT It may no longer quite be the most effective route there is to cutting your company car tax bills; and it may never be the very best-handling saloon of its esteemed breed. And yet the BMW 330e’s pre-eminence as our plug-in hybrid compact executive option of choice is absolutely plain. Unlike so many of its electrified rivals, this car hides the complexity of powertrain so well. It continues to handle like a powerful, poised, rear-driven sports saloon no matter how hard you care to push it. It has plenty of sporting character, and can be as quick across the ground as almost any other 3 Series, and as engrossing to drive, too, in its own way. And yet it can also play the near-silent, super-efficient urban cruiser. As unused…

DESPITE THE BROAD disruption to its operations brought by the Covid-19 pandemic, BMW’s M division still plans to reveal both the all-new M3 and M4 this September, prior to the start of production and sales by the end of the year. Before they get that far, though, there’s a final phase of development testing to be completed and a validation sign-off by the BMW board later in the summer, ahead of which we’ve been invited to drive them both in prototype form here. Wearing heavy camouflage, the high-mileage M3 and M4 development hacks that BMW M has brought to the Sachsenring have clearly had a hard life, but we’re assured they represent the latest technical standing of the car. Ignore the heavy cladding and plastic wrap in our pictures and…

To the uninitiated, Alpina’s nomenclature can seem an incomprehensible broth of letters and numbers. In this particular case, not always has the combination ‘B3’ corresponded simply to a petrol-powered model based on the BMW 3 Series, as it does today. The first red herring is the 3.0 CSi B3 of 1973, where ‘B3’ meant the modified BMW E9-gen coupé in question had the most powerful of Alpina’s three upgrade packages for the straight-six M30 engine. Do keep up at the back, please: it gets harder. This 3.0-litre B3 engine never even made an appearance in the early E21 3 Series, although it was fitted later on to the E28 5 Series. Point is, before 1988, the B3 moniker was entirely unrelated to the 3 Series. Only with the appearance of…

Four weeks ago, the news from Williams Grand Prix Engineering seemed dire indeed. After two awful Formula 1 racing seasons topped by the ravages of the Covid-19 pandemic and a parting with its principal sponsor, the team revealed a £13 million loss and announced an immediate strategic review of operations that might, in the most extreme of various options, lead to outright sale to a new owner. That could mean the departure of the Williams family from the Oxfordshire team after more than 40 years. At first, the news was hard to swallow. A unique and world-renowned team – built in the 1970s on the sweat and inspiration of Frank Williams and Patrick Head and the winner of 114 races, nine constructors’ championships and seven drivers’ championships – might be…

FIRST REPORT WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT To see whether the latest version of Renault’s top-seller can unseat the Ford Fiesta as the UK’s favourite supermini Renault’s most popular model has been a sales success across Europe for four generations now, although it hasn’t managed to claim the supermini top spot here in the UK for quite some time. We Brits just can’t seem to shake our love for the Ford Fiesta – which is a shame for Renault, because the Clio’s claim to the throne has never looked stronger than at the start of its fifth generation. In a group test back in the spring, the new Clio proved that it could rub shoulders with both the Fiesta and the Volkswagen Polo as one of the best superminis on sale.…

MILEAGE 131,726 LAND ROVER SERIES 3 Never throw anything away. There was a garage purge a year ago and I’m sure I didn’t chuck two old Lorry door mirrors in the bin, but clearly that is what happened. I went through the 50-year-old cardboard boxes I had not binned and found a wing mirror on a stem that was on some sort of BMC product I may have owned. With a modern, this would be a world of pain. Cost a fortune. Take weeks to sort out. Instead, I made a simple bracket and got some old nuts and bolts together to cobble together a door mirror that I rather like. And intend to keep.…

Remember the days when a Jag was either a gloriously fast roadster or an iconoclastic luxury saloon beloved of rather raffish company directors? Get real, sunshine: this is the 21st century and every landlord’s favourite car brand is now more likely to be an SUV or, even more on-trend, an all-electric SUV. Enter the I-Pace, a stunning-looking zero-emissions car that has taken its class by storm since 2018. In fact, Jaguar was the first established luxury car brand to design its own electric vehicle from scratch. It then charged into a marketplace seemingly dominated at that stage by Tesla and it has come out the other side triumphant: the I-Pace has won fans for its styling, SUV practicality and long-range capability. Under its floor is a huge battery pack that…

RENAULT CLIO V6 RENAULT SPORT The story goes that when the boss of VW got wind that Renault was making a ‘three-litre’ Clio, he assumed it was an economy model (three litres of fuel per 100km). But Renault was actually planning was a roadgoing, fuel-guzzling 3.0-litre V6 Clio – a gloriously mad mid-engined pocket rocket with blistered composite wheel arches more flared than a Bee Gee’s trousers. This particular one is a left-hand-drive import, but that still didn’t stop it making a strong £21,870. Condition is often key with these because, if any of those bespoke exterior panels is damaged, the repair bills will be huge.…

THE BENTAYGA HAS been a huge hit for Bentley, accounting for 45% of the brand’s global sales in 2019. But the need to keep it fresh in the face of increasing competition – such as fellow Brit, the Aston Martin DBX – has resulted in a mid-life refresh. Not that we got to see the new look on the heavily disguised prototype we drove in South Africa back in February, before the coronavirus pandemic hit. On some of the many fine roads close to Cape Town, the petrol V8-powered prototype’s effortless low-down muscularity felt familiar, with instant torque and lag-free responses. It will also pull hard and make some pleasant noises while it does so. Although some will mourn the passing of the W12, the V8 is hardly a slouch,…

KIA HAS INTRODUCED a new entry-level version of its e-Niro electric SUV, with a smaller battery that offers a range of up to 180 miles and a starting price of £29,595 after the government grant. While Kia has previously offered the popular EV only in one handsomely equipped specification in the UK, it has launched the cheaper version as part of an expanded three-model line-up, with trim levels branded 2, 3 and 4+. The e-Niro 2 has a 39kWh battery and a 134bhp electric motor, enabling it to achieve 0-60mph in 9.5sec and a range of 180 miles. It also gets 7.2kW AC charging and 100kW DC rapid charging. The 3 and 4+ grades both continue to come with a 64kWh battery pack, paired with a 201bhp electric motor, giving…

LAMBORGHINI HAS RELEASED the first images and details of a new track-only hypercar that could form the basis of a mooted 2021 Le Mans entry. Called the SCV12, it has been developed by the firm’s Squadra Corse motorsport division. The new images show it in full prototype livery ahead of an unveiling this summer. The Italian firm says the car has the most powerful version of its naturally aspirated 6.5-litre V12 yet, capable of “exceeding 830hp” (819bhp). The SCV12’s motorsport-centred development means it produces more downforce than a GT3 racing car, according to the firm. Although it is based on an Aventador underneath, the bodywork is entirely bespoke, with features such as a roof-mounted ram air scoop, large front splitter and custom-built carbonfibre rear wing. The SCV12 adapts its Aventador…

BISG SOUNDS LIKE something you might nibble on with a flat white, but it’s actually yet another example of tech jargon. It stands for belt-integrated starter-generator, which is a device at the heart of mild-hybrid systems, which in turn are synonymous with modern 48V electrical systems. Ford recently announced that the new Puma’s 48V mild-hybrid system – in which a BISG provides extra torque for a 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol engine – is now available in the Fiesta as well. In what Ford calls ‘torque substitution mode’, the BISG produces up to 18lb ft of torque, reducing the amount of work the engine has to do. In ‘torque supplementation’ mode, it can boost the engine’s peak torque by 15lb ft. Other tricks include being able to reduce the engine’s compression…

MODEL TESTED M SPORT We like • Slick, punchy, well-rounded hybrid powertrain • Handles like a proper BMW – and a good one at that • Classy cabin now a clear 3 Series selling point We don’t like • Big wheels and run-flat tyres adversely affect the ride • Small impact on boot space • Multi-modal complexity of driving experience may be a turn-off for some When BMW introduced the current version of its evergreen compact executive option, the 3 Series, at the start of 2019, the proportion of UK sales it expected to be accounted for by the plug-in hybrid version – the 330e – was about a quarter. That was then; and so much has changed since. The UK company car system now gives plug-in cars two or…

1 BMW 330e M SPORT Classic 3 Series driver appeal meets grown-up interior quality and low costs of ownership. Slick operator goes to the top of the class. AAAAB £41,450 289bhp, 310lb ft 5.9sec, 143mph 31g/km, 201.8mpg 2 SKODA SUPERB iV SPORTLINE PLUS PHEV value champ can actually be had for under £34k in a different trim. Roomy, comfy and easy to drive, if unexciting. AAAAC £40,130 215bhp, 295lb ft 7.7sec, 139mph 33g/km, 192.3mpg 3 MERCEDES-BENZ C300de EQ POWER SPORT EDITION Pricey Mercedes is the only diesel-electric option in the class. Plenty of luxury appeal, and not slow. AAAAC £43,015 302bhp, 516lb ft 5.6sec, 155mph 32g/km, 176.6-235.4mpg 4 VOLVO S60 T8 RECHARGE R DESIGN Looks increasingly wrongly positioned. Expensive, with power to spare. Could be more fun to drive. AAABC…

BMW M GmbH sold 135,829 cars worldwide last year. On its own, this number isn’t especially powerful, so let’s put it into context. Formally created in 1972 with 35 employees, BMW’s motorsport arm initially kept itself busy developing championship-winning touring car racers, the occasional supercar and Formula 1 engines capable of firing Nelson Piquet’s Brabham to the title. Momentum grew, but limited manpower meant that even in 1985, the annual production target for the new road-going E28 M5 – the inconspicuous but brilliant super-saloon that set the template for every M car since – was still just 1200 cars. Things changed three years later when the now legendary E30-gen M3 became the first M car to be assembled on the main BMW production line, rather than by hand at Motorsport…

Any attempt to identify the greatest ingredients in the M3 back catalogue is fraught with difficulty because the car means different things to different people. Usability is one of the M3’s most enduring traits, and if, for example, that means the more GT-flavoured E92-generation car hits the sweet spot for you, we fully understand. However, if you’re going to try to include every generation to date but still follow the original roadracer template first laid down in 1987, this is how we’d create our perfect M3. The engine has to be the 8200rpm S54-based straight six from the E46 M3 CSL. It’s one of the finest road car engines in existence, being powerful and pin sharp – plus it’s sensationally vocal, with revised induction plumbing fitted over that of the…

Alpina and BMW? It’s a partisan crowd. You’re either an M5 person or a B5 person because, while there’s an obvious overlap in the ingredients, the cars can be chalk and cheese in terms of personality on the road. Despite this, it’s difficult to overstate just how intimately intertwined the pair have always been. Had Alpina founder Burkard Bovensiepen not successfully campaigned the BMW 3.0 CS in touring cars during the late 1960s, he may never have been able to convince the suits in Munich that a lightweight 3.0 CSL version was paramount were the cars to remain competitive against the lighter Alfa Romeos and rocketship Ford Capris. And without the existence of the Batmobile, as the now-legendary road-going homologation version of the 3.0 CSL was nicknamed, there may have…

F1 has announced a long-term initiative, We Race As One, to highlight global efforts to fight Covid-19 and racism. Rainbow logos will appear on the cars and at the circuits, along with ‘racism must end’ messaging. F1 will also set up a task force to “make conclusions on the actions required to improve the diversity and opportunity in F1 at all levels”. Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton – F1’s first and to date only black driver – will create his own commission “to engage more young people from black backgrounds with science, technology, engineering and maths subjects”. Mercedes loses F1 engine boss Mercedes’ F1 engine boss has left the firm. Andy Cowell, who had led Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains in Brixworth for the past seven years, has been replaced by Hywel Thomas.…

I’m outraged to read how badly the car industry is doing with depressingly low car sales and poor prospects for a quick bounce-back. I tried to buy or lease three new and used cars recently and was so disappointed by the lack of staff who knew their product and were diligent in following through. The number of people who didn’t respond to enquiries or took my details but never got back to me was incredible. The pandemic made mattersters worse in that I was dealing with only the most senior managers, yet even they left me dangling. I ended up leasing a new Renault Zoe (great little car) in March. I booked a second, but then the pandemic began, so the dealer closed and wouldn’t engage by email. I cancelled…

MILEAGE 2621 WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT To continue our exploration of Skoda’s flagship range and find out whether PHEV beats diesel for everyday use Yes, this is indeed yet another Skoda Superb long-termer you haven’t seen before, and it’s one we hope will teach us more about the latest dimension added to the Czech brand’s portfolio. Welcome, then, to the iV petrol-electric plug-in hybrid. This car comes after the 2.0 TDI 190 4x4 Laurin & Klement Estate with which we started this exercise and the 2.0 TDI 150 SE L Estate that we swapped into a few months ago. That the iV is a hatchback should give me good perspective on how much extra practicality is added by the estate bodystyle. Moreover, the fact it’s a plug-in hybrid will reveal…

BMW 728i Richard has a great story to tell: “In January, I was looking for a Jag XJ for a road trip to celebrate my 50th. I’d walked past this 728i previously, wondered what it was like and remembered your Shed 7. Then I was offered the car via a friend: £650 secured the deal. “Much oily nonsense later – I like tinkering with motors – the car is now as finished as I can make it, and clean and tidy. I’ve had lots of fun sourcing rare parts. My local BMW service independent was really helpful getting some parts and free with his advice. “I’ve had to postpone the road trip but I’ve been driving locally and it’s a dream car to waft around in.”…

Suzuki X-90 Price £2795 If anyone moans about the number of niche SUVs and wishes we’d go back to a time when 4x4 meant mud-plugger, point them in the direction of this. On the one hand, it was a four-wheel-drive off-roader (yes, there was a 2WD version, too), and on the other, it was a two-seater with removable roof panels. It was so out there that Suzuki withdrew it from sale after 18 months because few were willing to be seen in it. But the X-90’s time may yet finally come, in this SUV-obsessed world, and it could suddenly be seen as a trendsetter, decades ahead of its time.…

Well, nobody saw this coming. Hot versions of Citroën’s Saxo supermini, once the preserve of the Max Power brigade and more commonly found lurking in police impound lots, have become genuinely desirable modern classics, and ones that are exceedingly tricky to get hold of, to boot. Souped-up Saxos could be had in two flavours when new: VTR and VTS. Both are a blast on a B-road, but the VTS’s 16-valve 1.6-litre engine packs a noticeable 29bhp advantage over its sibling’s same-sized eight-valve unit, making it tangibly faster and, now, substantially harder to find. There were just a handful for sale at the time of writing, with rust, exuberant young drivers all playing a big part in their endangerment over the years. That’s not to say untouched examples are completely extinct:…