Innholdsfortegnelse for November 18, 2020 i Autocar

BMW’s bold new electric iX SUV, pictured here in near-production form, will serve as the firm’s “technology flagship” when it goes on sale late next year. The five-seat SUV, which was previewed by the Vision iNext concept, will offer up to 500bhp from two electric motors that drive all four wheels. According to BMW’s R&D boss, Frank Weber, it will have a 0-62mph time of less than five seconds and a range of more than 373 miles. The iX is BMW’s second dedicated fully electric production model after the seven-year-old i3. Weber said the iX nameplate was chosen to signify the new model’s position at the top of the electric i line-up and its role in showcasing technology. It uses the new, fifth-generation version of BMW’s electric drive system and…

Nissan is building up to the launch of a new generation of its Qashqai best-seller and has revealed key details ahead of the car’s debut early next year. The third iteration of what’s described by the brand as the “pioneering” crossover aims to build on its segment-leading success, with more than three million examples of the first two generations sold across Europe and five million globally. It will use a new platform, is designed, engineered and built in the UK and, for the first time, won’t feature a diesel engine. The Japanese manufacturer has released only disguised prototype shots and a preview image zoomed in on the headlight detail of the new model. However, the prototype images show that the overall profile of the new car is familiar. The front…

AUDI HAS UPDATED its SQ5 sports SUV, ushering in design revisions, new technology and performance enhancements. Subtle changes include new vertical air intakes at the front, a lightly reshaped grille and an altered rear end, while inside there’s now Audi’s latest-generation MMI 10.1in touchscreen infotainment. Revisions to the 3.0-litre diesel V6 and 48V mild-hybrid system are claimed to boost efficiency and performance. While power is slightly down, from 342bhp to 336bhp, the peak arrives earlier than before and maximum torque of 516lb ft is available across a wider rev range of 1750-3250rpm. The SQ5 can still dispatch the 0-62mph sprint in 5.1sec and achieve an electronically limited top speed of 155mph. The updated powertrain officially achieves 34.4mpg and emits 216g/km of CO2. Prices begin at £56,600 for the standard SQ5…

BMW LOOKS SET to ramp up online sales after the successful completion of a pilot project in South Africa. The strategy would mean customers dealing directly with BMW concerning pricing, purchasing and invoicing. The appointment of Peter van Binsbergen as the new boss of BMW SA is likely to mean plans to export the business model to other markets are imminent; he has been instrumental in expanding other strategies worldwide for BMW, including the Five Star customer rating and Product Genius concepts created by BMW UK. Outgoing BMW SA boss and former head of BMW UK Tim Abbott, who managed the pilot, told Autocar that now is the perfect time to expand the sales model because the way people buy cars has changed during the Covid-19 pandemic. Under the strategy,…

The UK’s ban on car repossessions is set to be lifted at the end of January, sparking an increase in the supply of used cars and thus a fall in values in the first quarter of 2021. Finance companies haven’t been allowed to repossess vehicles since 27 April, when the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) introduced an effective ban to protect people affected by the coronavirus pandemic. That ended on 31 October, but an updated version was introduced on 4 November in light of England’s month-long second lockdown, so repossessions now can’t take place until 31 January. However, while the entire repossession process was forbidden during the initial period, only the final act of recovering the car is now prohibited, allowing finance companies to ready collections during the current ban. The…

MODEL TESTED S3 SPORTBACK Price £36,975 • Power 306bhp • Torque 295lb ft • 0-60mph 4.8sec • 30-70mph in fourth 7.0sec • Fuel economy 29.9mpg • CO2 emissions 178g/km • 70-0mph 52.7m As a concept, the Audi S3 possesses not one jot less appeal now than it did when the model first blazed the ‘sports premium compact’ trail four generations ago in 1999. You take an upmarket interior and blend it with four-wheel drive – and, of course, power. All very Audi. But the brilliant bit is that the concoction is then wrapped up in the skin of an ordinarily sized family hatchback (albeit, in the case of the S3, more recently one with five doors rather than three). The S3 therefore represents everything modern Audi does well, only distilled into…

VERDICT For any new Audi S3, the judging criteria is well-defined. Too raw and involving and you invite accusations of being unfit for purpose, of lacking the day-in, day-out approachability owners will pay for. Equally, if the car is too relaxing and aloof, we’d not hesitate to call that out as an undesirable trait. The S moniker must stand for something. An S3 should therefore offer a good level of engagement but never forget its manners or true calling: a firm sense of security underwheel, whatever the weather. This latest iteration certainly hits its target it terms of composure. It grips the road superbly well, understeers less markedly than before, and inculcates an enjoyable sense of confidence in the driver. The S3 is easy and quietly enjoyable to guide along…

Acloying autumnal mist hangs over Exmoor as we muster, early doors, for the start of our two-day Britain’s Best Affordable Driver’s Car contest. The murky conditions, a brisk wind that cuts through to the bone and a shortage of vendors of piping-hot tea should sap enthusiasm, but in fact the opposite is true. You see, not only are these moorland roads epically good, but we’re also going to be driving them in a quartet of cars that prove you don’t need a bank account under the name of Bezos to access a billion-dollar experience behind the wheel. Speaking of which, you’ll notice we’ve gone for an all hot hatch line-up this year. Well, sort of, because delve a little deeper and you’ll discover that each one stretches this decade-sold descriptor…

Being able to look back twice as far as any other judge, I can say with confidence that this, the 32nd Britain’s Best Driver’s Car (BBDC) event, was the toughest yet. Everything was against our doughty troupe of contenders. Of all British tracks, Castle Combe and its notorious bumps present the greatest challenge for a road car, and that’s when it’s dry. When wet, bring your A-game or stay home. When damp, wet, with hints of a dry line and flooded all at the same time depending on where you are, it’s a bloody nightmare. The route from Combe across to quick and open roads around Wantage and Lambourn was easier for the drivers perhaps, but just as likely to expose the frailties of the cars. And then there was…

Five judges, each with 50 points to distribute per car, and we still end up with a two-way tie. But on countback and by dint of two versus one first places awarded, the Atom becomes one of those rare cars that successfully defends its winner’s position at Britain’s Best Driver’s Car. Frankel said: “It would be hard to overstate my admiration for this car. The way the Atom 4 dealt with the conditions was one of the most impressive things I have ever witnessed in three decades of Handling Days.” It was a recurrent theme. We all thought that an Atom would mate less well with late October than vehicles with a roof, or at least a heater, or perhaps bodywork, but none of it. “Another lightweight might have been…

Andreas Mikkelsen has had a career bumpier than Ouninpohja and twistier than the Tour de Corse – and he’s still only 31. The Norwegian started precociously with a Ford Focus WRC in his teens – perhaps the most lavishly funded beginning for a rally driver recently seen. And he became the youngest driver ever to score WRC points in 2008 – just before the world went into financial meltdown and he was left on foot. Mikkelsen tried to build himself back up on national events but met with tragedy: the name Elise is still on his helmet today, a tribute to the 10-year-old girl who lost her life when he went off the road on Rally Larvik in Norway in 2009. Then Mikkelsen signed for the Intercontinental Rally Challenge with…

MILEAGE 108,505 PORSCHE CAYENNE Well, that was a worry: an MOT test for the Flying Pig. I dropped it off in hope, and you know what? It left several hours later with a no-advisories pass. While it was there, it had an oil and filter service, which added a couple of hundred quid to the bill, most of that for the oil. The only thing they had to do was replace a bolt in the exhaust sleeve, so hopefully I’ll have another year of Pigging about. I think the life-saving operation it had earlier this year was worth it. The rear parking sensor still works only when it feels like it, but that’s not a big worry. A year on budget tyres has worked out pretty well, despite a few…

Okay, so small SUVs may not be the sexiest form of transport, but they can be practical, eminently good value used and, if you pause for a moment and consider the car photographed here, actually quite handsome from certain angles. The T-Roc, which was introduced in 2018, has certainly jazzed up Volkswagen’s range: it’s undeniably more stylish than the Polo and more rugged and raised-up than the Golf. Indeed, it seems to offer pretty much all of what they do: there are four turbocharged petrol engines and a diesel to choose from, for starters. The entry-level 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol has a useful 113bhp and makes relatively easy work of motivating the T-Roc. If you regularly drive five up, there’s the 148bhp 1.5-litre petrol for not much more money. Need four-wheel…

ASTON MARTIN VIRAGE Recognise those headlights? Yep, last seen on the Audi 200. The brake lights are German too, being lifted from the original Volkswagen Scirocco. Elsewhere, you will find parts from Ford, Jaguar and even GM, but don’t let that put you off. The Virage was Aston Martin’s bold new successor to the V8, serving as the flagship for a brand then thriving under Ford ownership. And while the age of Gaydon’s production line was evident from the various outsourced components, it still knew how to churn out a hard-hitting grand tourer. This British Racing Green example was a snip at £36,224.…

GOT A STORY? Email our news editor lawrence.allan@haymarket.com “The Urbanaut is entered through a single large side door with a slide-and-swivel mechanism” Mini is plotting the most radical addition to its growing line-up yet in the form of a spacious new MPV, previewed by the Vision Urbanaut concept. The striking design is the result of an in-house project focused on developing solutions for the future of urban mobility in 2030, showcasing new packaging ideas and the latest electric and autonomous technology. While it so far exists only in digital renderings, Mini bosses are seriously considering a production version of the model, although not until at least 2027. Mini boss Bernd Körber also said the Urbanaut previews design features that will be seen on the brand’s next generation of models, beginning…

Ferrari’s new SF90 Spider is the most powerful series-production convertible in the world, taking the title from the firm’s own 812 GTS. The Spider is Ferrari’s second hybrid convertible, following the 2017 LaFerrari Aperta, and is claimed to offer the same “record-breaking performance” as the SF90 Stradale coupé while bringing “further driving pleasure and versatility to the mix”. Customer deliveries are set to get under way in the second quarter of 2021, with prices in its home market of Italy starting at €473,000 (£425,000). The Stradale’s four-wheel-drive plug-in powertrain is carried over wholesale, meaning the Spider’s 769bhp twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 is mated to a pair of electric motors on the front axle and one at the rear. Combined, the electric units produce 217bhp and contribute to an overall power output…

The forthcoming new Vauxhall Astra will echo the bold styling direction taken by the Mokka SUV rather than adopt a more conventional look, according to the brand’s design boss. “What [the new Mokka] is to this segment, that car [the Astra] will be to its segment,” Mark Adams told Autocar. “The boldness and the key elements [of the Mokka] will be coming through. We’re not going to take the same design and morph it into a different shape. We’ll take the same ingredients and develop it around them.” The next-generation family hatchback, which is expected to be revealed next year and go on sale in 2022, is set to share its platform and underpinnings with the next Peugeot 308. However, Adams claims that he’s able to give Vauxhall’s cars a…

The enforced need to dramatically reduce the CO2 emissions of cars sold in the European Union and UK this year has led to expensive stumbles from manufacturers including BMW, Ford and Jaguar Land Rover as new electrified technologies faltered at the crucial moment. The task to reduce average CO2 emitted to the 95g/km required by the EU (although this differs slightly for each brand based on the average vehicle weight) was always going to be massive. The average was 122g/km in 2019, and it had actually risen over the preceding three years as buyers ditched diesel for petrol. Many companies chose to wait until this year to roll out expensive new plug-in hybrids and electric cars to comply. They may have been costly but, under the rules, any car sold…

The latest addition to the fast Ford family is a car about which even the staunchest critic of modern market trends and showroom tastes might allow himself to get at least a little excited. Disregard the rather confusing route by which the Puma ST has made it off the drawing board if you need to and concentrate instead on the alluring technical detail. This is, after all, a five-door, 4.2m-long hot hatchback of around 200bhp with driven front wheels, a six-speed manual gearbox and a Quaife helical limited-slip differential (although that’s optional). And so while it’s technically a crossover by segment, mechanically it’s unlike even what you might consider its closest performance crossover rivals, which are usually four-wheel drive and automatic. For outright size and weight, the Puma ST is…

Three weeks ago, we established in our twin test that the Focus ST is a better hot hatch than the new Volkswagen Golf GTI, so there can be few doubts over the Ford’s overarching performance and desirability. The question that hangs over this seven-speed automatic version is whether the gearbox is worth the extra £1450 you spend on it. The most obvious visual difference is that a six-speed gearlever gives way to a rotary selector on the centre console, plus a pair of small (arguably too small) plastic paddles behind the steering wheel. Like the rest of the interior, they’re not very impressive to look at but function well enough. The auto has the same mechanism as the manual for picking up Normal, Sport, Slippery or Race Track driving modes…

1 BMW M135i xDRIVE A very complete hot hatch, with plenty of muscle and precision. May be supplanted as the driver’s 1 Series by the 128ti but is a fine four-wheel-drive performer. 2 MINI CLUBMAN JCW Good, simple and addictive fun – a car very much in possession of modern Mini’s hallmark agility. Not without its quirks but has plenty of charisma and usability. 3 MERCEDES-AMG A35 4MATIC Less fluent than its BMW Group rivals and neither is it quite as practical, but it’s still supremely quick across the ground and packs some interior sparkle. 4 AUDI S3 SPORTBACK Fast and effective but difficult to warm to both in terms of cabin atmosphere and dynamic character. Would surely do better with those adaptive dampers. 5 FORD FOCUS ST 2.3 AUTO Interior and lack…

This year’s BBDC was necessarily a scrambled-together affair. One day’s track access was all we could secure, when typically we would have at least twice as long to do the testing, benchmarking, photography and video associated with these occasions. We knew ahead of time, therefore, that the lap times we usually generate wouldn’t be possible; and even if we’d decided differently, the drastically changeable weather on the day would have made a fair comparison of lap time performance entirely impossible. Instead of apex speeds and lap times, then, here are some impressions of which cars impressed where around the famous bumps and cambers of a Castle Combe lap, and why they did so. TRACK NOTES AVON RISE The 911 was untouchable piling into big, slightly kinked braking areas like this.…

You and I aren’t looking at the same car. What you’re looking at is a racing version of a Porsche 911 and, until I had driven it, that’s what I would have done too. But now I’m looking at… well, I think I’ll use Porsche’s words for that: a single-seat racing car built for the FIA/GTE category. Which means Le Mans and the other rounds of the World Endurance Championship. But surely this car called the 911 RSR-19 is a 911? Perhaps. But ask someone who knows to point out parts that can be carried over from even a 911 GT3 RS and they will take you to the plastic covers on the lights at the rear and the badge on the bonnet. That’s literally it. Put another way, compared…

I reached page 56 of the 14 October issue and thought “these fellows look familiar!”. The Porsche Centre Kendal is the exemplar of automotive dealerships, and doing businesss with them has always transcended that of just buying a car. There’s always a warm northern welcome and conversation to be had with people who really know their cars. Add to this the A6 Shap road, which must be the best test route of any dealership in the UK, and I would defy anyonene not to be captivated by a Porsche after a visit. The new premises will undoubtedly be slick, and I dare say that there are some good driving roads in the vicinity too. But if the Parkers maintain their focus on people, product and place, they deserve to be…

MILEAGE 5013 WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT To find out exactly what kind of sports car this is and if it lives up to its name I’ve realised, fully three months into our time with the Supra, that a topic I haven’t properly addressed is how good it is to drive. That hasn’t been deliberate, more a subconscious act of cowardice, stemming from the fact that it’s quite a complex car to decipher and about which to draw rock-solid conclusions. I certainly don’t envy those asked to attend its launch last May, because launches are already hard enough with the early flights, bombardment of information, unfamiliar roads and sometimes only an hour or two at the wheel without the car itself being entirely new, quite coy and reluctant to give you…

Toyota Yaris Darren Smith is back with more Toyota news: “The black Yaris has gone to pastures new. It finally had to go after 170,000 miles, because it was using oil at a phenomenal rate and was looking too expensive to repair, given it wasn’t worth much. I traded it in for a 2005 Yaris with 86,000 miles, a year’s MOT and full service history. I had to have another, because they’re such great little cars. I got £250 for my trade-in so had to put only £1049 towards it. I wasn’t about to take one of those finance deals; I actually want to own my car.”…

BMW 320td Compact £1400 For one reason or another, BMW was late to the premium hatchback sector, ushering in the 1 Series a full eight years after Audi did the A3. Before that, there was the oddly proportioned 3 Series Compact. It’s a shortened version of the 3 Series saloon, and although its back is indeed of the hatch variety, it retains a quasi-coupé profile and was available with a range of engines larger in capacity than others in its segment. This one is motivated by a 2.0-litre turbodiesel so is hardly the keen driver’s choice, but it’s nice to see an unmodified example.…

Here’s a small, no-frills Morris that was designed by Sir Alec Issigonis, was powered by an A-series engine, sold like hot cakes and has come to be seen as one of the most important British cars ever built. No, not that one, the other one (although confusingly the two did half-share a name for a few years). It’s easy to overlook the Minor, given the cult appeal of its smaller Mini sibling and the comparatively overwhelming global success of foreign rivals such as the Fiat 500 and Volkswagen Beetle, but strong showings in the UK sales charts and Issigonis’s commitment to uncomplicated engineering mean there are plenty of clean examples at sensible prices to choose from today. The Minor is more than worthy of consideration as a first foray into…

The bold kidney grille of the iX showcases new ‘self-healing technology’, with BMW claiming that it can repair minor scratches within 24 hours. With the sensors protected behind the iX’s grille, BMW says it is vital for accuracy to keep it in optimum condition. As a result, the grille is manufactured using a new nanoscale vacuum-based coating process developed by BMW, with the 3D-effect grille produced using laser technology in a high vacuum. The surface of the grille is then covered in an additional layer of polyurethane, which, BMW says, reduces its susceptibility to damage. BMW claims this also means that minor scratches are automatically repaired, either by being left for 24 hours at room temperature, or through a five-minute supply of warm air.…

Audi is celebrating 40 years of its quattro four-wheel-drive brand this year and the latest project to mark the anniversary is this: the RS6 GTO concept. Designed and developed by a group of apprentices at the firm’s Neckarsulm factory, the GTO is based on Audi’s 591bhp performance estate. It’s been styled in homage to the marque’s 90 quattro IMSA GTO, a five-cylinder racer that achieved success in America’s IMSA series in the late 1990s with Hans-Joachim Stuck at the wheel. The concept’s livery stays true to that racer and there are prominent white one-piece hubcaps and a red rear spoiler. The front end has also been reworked extensively, while side exit exhausts feature. Inside, there’s a roll-cage and carbonfibre Recaro racing seats. The ideas came from Audi’s students, with head…

FORD HOPES TO revolutionise the commercial vehicle market with an electric version of one of the world’s best-selling vans. The E-Transit, which has been revealed before going on sale in early 2022, will be available in up to 25 different bodystyles and weights and has an estimated range of up to 217 miles. Its floor-mounted lithium ion battery pack has a usable capacity of 67kWh, giving it a range that Ford claims is “roughly three times the distance the average European fleet driver covers daily”. On-board 11.3kWh charging allows a full charge in eight hours, while 115kW DC rapid charging can top up the battery from 15% to 80% in around 34 minutes. Customers will be given access to the extensive FordPass global charging network. The socket is mounted in…

THE USE OF natural fibres to make a composite material that’s more sustainable than carbonfibre is something mainstream car manufacturers have been looking at for a few years. One of the favourite materials is flax, an ancient plant widely grown in the UK and elsewhere for the linseed it produces. Tellingly, its fibres are also used to manufacture linen. Swiss firm Bcomp has made great strides with the new material, producing a reinforcement called Amplitex that consists of woven fabric made of flax fibres that can be impregnated with standard epoxy resin. Like carbonfibre, it can be woven in different ways and weights to suit various applications. For semi-structural use such as body panels, Amplitex is bonded on inside surfaces with ‘Powerribs’, also made from flax but resembling a kind…

You know the Ferrari that’s so amazing and quick that they called it the Superfast? This is just like that, but with no roof. In losing the Superfast tag, as is Ferrari’s way (the F8 Tributo with no roof is simply called the F8 Spider), the 812 GTS gains a folding hard-top and 75kg because of the mechanism and the body-stiffening required. What it retains are the elements that make the 812 Superfast special. Up front is a 6.5-litre V12 petrol engine with no turbochargers that revs to nearly 9000rpm and on the way makes 789bhp. It drives the rear wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. And if that amount of power through only two driven wheels sounds hairy, holding it together is a complex array of electronics that…

The new Mercedes-Benz S580e is the most powerful petro-lelectric plug-in S-Class yet. But what raises eyebrows even more than its 503bhp is the electric range: 64 miles on the WLTP cycle. The drivetrain behind those figures combines the turbo 3.0-litre petrol engine used by the S450 and S500 with a gearbox-mounted electric motor and a large battery. Drive is channelled through a nine-speed automatic to all four wheels. All up, there are four driving modes: Battery (which keeps the petrol engine running to top the battery up), Electric, Comfort and Sport. An Individual mode lets you tailor the steering, throttle and damping responses to your tastes. The S580e’s ability to set off in complete silence and travel for truly extended distances on its electric motor alone is impressive. With 148bhp…

Being heavier than your typical hot hatch and with a greater emphasis on stability and security than agility and dynamism, the S3 is perhaps not the first car you would choose to subject to the Hill Route at Millbrook Proving Ground. And that’s a little unfair. This Audi isn’t the most rewarding car we’ve tested this year, but it’s surely among the quickest over this undulating and tortuous course. The chassis responds very well to power, and thanks to the car’s uncompromising body control it generates such high levels of grip and traction that the driver soon feels compelled to get onto the throttle much earlier in the corner than initially expected. The ESP intervention is also impressively smooth, although disabling it reveals a car only too happy to adopt…

Autocar’s annual Britain’s Best Driver’s Car shootout never looked likely to happen in 2020. In the event, the grim October weather had more than a frisson of foreboding about it; as if we’d angered the fates by even contemplating it. Nevertheless, we did. The greatest driver’s cars of the year have just had their pockets emptied for your reading pleasure. We’ve slithered and splashed our way around Exmoor and Wiltshire, in supercars, sports cars, track cars and hot hatchbacks, because who’d let a bit of rain prevent that? Usually we have separate Best Driver’s Car and Best Affordable Driver’s Car tests. This year, for practical reasons peculiar to our present times, we’ve run both starting grids together into one big package. What you’re about to read is what resulted from…

Toyota has tested its new Le Mans Hypercar for the first time ahead of its debut in next season’s World Endurance Championship. The as-yet-unnamed racer, which will be the basis for a road-going hypercar, completed three days of running at Circuit Paul Ricard in France. Technical details have yet to be released. Miami F1 race delayed Plans for Formula 1 to race on a street circuit in Miami, Florida – originally planned for 2021 – are on hold due to the pandemic. F1 boss Chase Carey told investment analysts that the sport is “still actively engaged” in plans for the new event and described growing F1’s popularity in the US as an ongoing long-term project. F2 and F3 make big changes to cut costs The FIA Formula 2 and FIA…

TWIN TEST Chevrolet Corvette vs Porsche 911 The new Corvette has reached the UK as a mid-engined model for the first time. Can it topple the best of the sports car breed? FEATURE Carlton: 30 years on The Lotus Carlton’s impact is still being felt today, as Matt Prior discovers INTERVIEW Mike Flewitt Twelve cars that have had the greatest impact on the man who runs McLaren EVERY WEEK ROAD TEST MG 5 MG is the success story of the UK car market this year. We rate its new EV FIRST DRIVE Volkswagen Golf GTD Surprisingly, VW has renewed its diesel hot hatch. A wise decision? SUBSCRIBE autocar.co.uk/subscribe or see p38…

Jeep CJ-7 £17,999 As you will have noticed, cars are getting bigger. Many think that also means they’re getting less exciting, less charismatic and a good deal more ubiquitous, but that doesn’t have to be the sad truth of the matter if you step outside the world of PCP deals and boot-space bragging. Some hilarious SUVs can be found on a stroll through the classifieds, each serving as proof that opting for a bit more height doesn’t mean having no enthusiasm for cars. Take the Jeep CJ-7, for example – a high-riding runaround that couldn’t be further removed in its conception from today’s crop of jacked-up hatchbacks. Preceding the better-known Wrangler and packing a whole host of refinements and luxuries not afforded to its military forebear, the Civilian Jeep is…

An expert’s view RICHARD PLANT, MINORPARTS OF OXFORD “A shabby original car that has just been used and well maintained can be a much better buy than one that looks shiny because somebody has painted over all the rust. If you’re unsure about roadworthiness, it’s always worth offering to pay the cost of an MOT certificate if the seller is prepared to take it to the garage.” Buyer beware… ▪ ENGINE The Austin-derived side-valve engines are poor performers and have a weak bottom end, but the later A-series is peppier and more durable, particularly in its later 948cc and 1098cc guises. Head gaskets don’t like hotter-burning modern fuels but valve-seat recession is rare. Some owners get an unleaded conversion or use lead additive, but others report no issues with an…