Innholdsfortegnelse for February 10, 2021 i Autocar

Will the E-tron GT be as much of a success story for Audi as the Taycan has been for Porsche? “We are happy with all cars we are able to sell. We can say the pre-order level is very high and our capacity is a bit less [at Böllinger Höfe] than we have on the Taycan side. That means we will sell more Taycans than E-tron GTs, but we are very positive on what’s happening in the market and how big the interest is, so probably we will see higher numbers [of the Audi] than we expect.” Does building it on the same production line as the R8 open the door to electrifying the R8 in future? “That wasn’t the original idea. On the other hand, it could make sense…

Having sold more than 2.5 million examples of the Mk4 C-Class, Mercedes-Benz was never going to stray too far from it when developing the new W206. The similarities between the old and new C-Class are clear even though it’s wearing a light disguise ahead of its premiere later this month. Its cab-backwards shape emphasises its classic rear-wheel-drive mechanical layout, while the design is instantly familiar, even if every panel and detail has been altered. Distinguishing features include new ‘power domes’ on the bonnet (standard across the range), larger wheelhouses and a wider front track. Christian Früh, development boss of the past three C-Class generations, is our chauffeur for today. He tells us the saloon is 65mm longer than before, with an additional 10mm in its front overhang, 30mm within its…

Sales of specialist sports cars rose by 7% year on year in 2020 to take 2.9% of the overall market for new cars. During a pandemic with lockdown periods and limited ability to go out and have fun behind the wheel, that’s quite impressive. Most of these were models like the Audi TT and Mazda MX-5, but what about supercars from marques like Ferrari and Lamborghini? Here’s where the picture isn’t so rosy. With the exception of Ferrari, sales numbers were down. Felipe Munoz, an analyst at Jato Dynamics, said supercar prices also fell by 0.8% across the three major European markets (the UK, Germany and Switzerland). “It’s mostly the result of the introduction of cheaper versions and lower demand for the most expensive ones,” said Munoz. That view is…

This isn’t the first time we’ve heard that the days of the unremarkable Vauxhall are behind us. But if the new Mokka is any indication, that statement might finally be true. The compact crossover has been reborn for its second generation, dropping the questionable ‘X’ from its model name and adopting radical new styling that promises to eventually influence the British brand’s entire line-up. And, for the first time, it will also be sold in electric form. Such a departure from what came before might seem bold given how popular the original Mokka eventually became with customers. It found more than a million homes across Europe after its introduction in 2012, including more than 200,000 here in the UK. But this is an intensely competitive corner of the market, with…

The Mercedes-Benz E-Class is the cliché of estate cars. If anyone with many things to cart around ever asks a motoring journalist which estate car they should buy, the reply is quite likely to be the big Merc. And this facelifted version does nothing to change that. Its styling has been tweaked front and rear, while there are more advanced driver assistance systems, as well as 48V mild-hybrid tech in most models (not this 400d, mind). The E-Class gets the MBUX infotainment system, so the cockpit and digital screens feel a lot fresher. It’s either two 10.25in screens or two of 12.3in on top-spec models. There’s also a new steering wheel design featuring capacitive touch controls. The middle screen is touch sensitive but you rarely bother as it’s easy to…

VERDICT For a maker with so little experience of plug-in hybrid models, Land Rover has done particularly well here. The Evoque P300e will appeal for rational reasons to company car drivers especially – but not just to them. It feels slick, responsive and ‘together’ when driven both around town and out of it and this effectively separates it from so many plug-in rivals that have complicated-feeling, easily flustered powertrains. A more refined look may have taken away some of the visual charm of the Mk1 Evoque, but a more practical and rich-feeling cabin has added plenty of luxury-car sophistication, which the P300e backs up with impressive isolation and rolling refinement. And, for the most part, handling seems likewise uncorrupted by the extra mass that electrified powertrain has brought. There’s an…

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 251 461. All savings are based on the UK cover price of £3.80. Please allow 35 days for delivery of your first issue. 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 cancel your subscription, it will be cancelled on expiry of the current term, which will not be refundable, other than in exceptional circumstances. Details of the Direct Debit Guarantee are available on request. Offer ends 2 March 2021. SUBSCRIBE TODAY DISCOUNTS Exclusive discounts from carefully selected partners…

Although global luxury car sales fell 6% in 2020 to just under 10 million, this decrease was considerably better than the total market slide. Counterintuitively, Chinese luxury car sales were actually up in 2020, by 13% – a remarkable result, considering the damage wrought on global economies by the pandemic. “Actually, the big boost in China allowed this country to outsell Europe and become the largest market for premium cars in the world,” says Munoz. One in every three luxury cars is now sold in China. The biggest winners in global terms were Tesla; Chinese manufacturers Hongqi and Nio; and Hyundai’s posh sibling, Genesis. The biggest losers, meanwhile, were Land Rover, Acura (Honda’s luxury arm), Infiniti, Jaguar and Alfa Romeo.…

If you’ve been anywhere near social media in the past year, you’ll know that BMW’s design has weathered a fair old storm. In the words of Adrian van Hooydonk, senior vice-president of group design at the Bavarian firm, “it can be brutal”. But if you think that’s a hint that van Hooydonk and head of BMW design Domagoj Dukec are about to change their ways, think again. The kidney grille is here to stay. The reasoning is simple: van Hooydonk and Dukec want BMW to stand out, so they’re happy to make it the distinguishing feature. They rationalise it by pointing out that it’s part of BMW’s past, so it will remain part of the future. Listening to both men talk about all aspects of BMW’s design, it’s clear that…

During the 1990s, Mazda’s short-lived Autozam brand specialised in budget-minded kei cars for Japan (and, curiously, briefly served as the official Lancia importer), but it’s perhaps best known today for one of its less successful models. This feisty little gullwinged oddity is the AZ-1: a mid-engined two-seat coupé weighing just 720kg and powered by a buzzy turbocharged 657cc three-cylinder engine producing 63bhp and 63lb ft. Like its Honda Beat and Suzuki Cappuccino contemporaries, it’s a huge amount of fun to drive without risking your licence. Sadly, fewer than 5000 examples were produced and prices for imports are soaring, so many are being tucked away rather than enjoyed. Why not rectify that?…

Let’s get one somewhat uncomfortable truth out of the way immediately: a new Ford Fiesta ST or 2.0-litre Mazda MX-5 will keep pace with a Ferrari Mondial on a sprint to 62mph and a new Porsche Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid – weighing nearly a tonne more – will eat it for breakfast. Indeed, even the most potent form of the Mondial offers just 296bhp, and its most common and accessible variant brought a piddling 215bhp to the table. It’s not an unhinged homologation special like the same-aged 288 GTO, then, nor an outlandish, tough-to-tame analogue spaceship like the Testarossa. In fact, although its name sounds suitably exotic when pronounced in its native accent, the Mondial was christened in reference to its compliance with global safety and emissions standards – hardly…

An owner’s view • ALLAN CARLI “My Mondial has been great to own. It still drives well and I still enjoy it every time I take it out. It handles great with the right tyres but can also be taken on long journeys. The seats can get a little hard and uncomfortable on long trips and the QV lacks power steering, but you notice it only on slow, tight turns and while parking. I run slightly smaller front tyres and higher air pressure to overcome the heavy steering.” Buyer beware… • BODYWORK The gas struts on the front hood and engine cover weaken over time, but new ones cost less than £50 per pair. Be more worried if there are signs of rust about the arches, battery tray and door…

A performance-focused RS version of the E-tron GT is part of the model’s launch line-up. Priced from €138,200 (£121,330) in Germany, it is described as the “dynamic spearhead of electric mobility at Audi” and offers key upgrades over the standard model. Unlike with Audi’s combustion-engined RS models, external changes aren’t extensive. Besides RS-specific badging, Audi lists only standard-fit matrix LED headlights, “more dynamic” light animations and wheel options of 20in or 21in. Instead, the main focus has been on upgrading performance. Total system output rises to 590bhp thanks to a more powerful rear electric motor and torque is up to 612lb ft. In boost mode, power rises to 637bhp, and the RS E-tron GT is capable of 0-62mph in 3.3sec, with a top speed of 155mph. The estimated range reduces…

THE FUTURE OF the Audi A1 is in doubt, due to the costs of electrifying small cars relative to the list prices that they can command, Audi boss Markus Duesmann has revealed. Speaking at the unveiling of the E-tron GT (see p6), Duesmann made it clear that a successor to today’s premium supermini – now in its second generation and sharing its platform with the Seat Ibiza, Skoda Fabia and Volkswagen Polo – is looking unlikely. He said: “We do discuss what we do with the small segments. In the A1 segment, we have some other brands [in the Volkswagen Group] who are active there and very successful, with very high production, so we do question the A1 at the moment.” “We will certainly offer Q2s [small SUVs] and the…

Manufacturers in Europe must sell substantial numbers of electrified cars to avoid heavy EU fines, but several industry figures have questioned whether emissions regulations should take into account the environmental impact of a vehicle’s entire lifespan. For 2020, car makers had to hit a CO2 emissions fleet average of 95g/km for cars sold, and by 2025 that target is set to come down to around 81g/km. This will be achieved by the increasing use of electrified powertrains, but some in the industry are increasingly resisting the notion that electrified cars are true low-carbon transport. Last year, Polestar chose to publish a life-cycle analysis of its new 2, revealing that it could take as much as 45,000 miles of driving before the electric hatchback would leave a smaller energy footprint than…

Vauxhall clearly has high hopes for the Mokka-e, but the ICE versions of the Mokka are still expected to sell in big numbers. We tried the PSA Group’s familiar 1.2-litre triple in its more potent (128bhp) form, which feels more than sufficient for a car of this size. It’s refreshingly quiet in town, becoming properly vocal only if worked hard. The eight-speed automatic gearbox isn’t especially quick on downshifts, either using the wheel mounted paddles or relying on the pedal kickdown, but still feels more responsive from a standstill than recent Volkswagen Group efforts. It’s surprisingly keen to hold onto gears under heavy acceleration, and without a floor full of batteries the Mokka feels that little bit more composed through bends. Unlike the Mokka-e, though, it has no shortage of…

MK, producers of the Caterham esque Indy that we tried in bike-engined form the other week (Autocar, 20 January), has had a rather good idea. With an £8533 self-build kit from MK and a single-donor Mk2 Mazda MX-5, mechanically sound but bodily iffy examples of which are available very cheaply, you can put a lightweight roadster that looks like this together and on the road for less than £10,000 in around 250 hours. MK will build it for you if you insist (complete from £18,995) but the idea is that it’s for those who have more time than spare cash and want the hobby of making it themselves. This test example is, perhaps obviously, built by MK. But it also comes with a turbo – you can buy that kit…

Verdicts on every new car, p82 RANGE ROVER EVOQUE P300e R-DYNAMIC HSE Luxurious, refined and slick second-gen Evoque gets plug-in powertrain worthy of the price. AUDI Q5 55 TFSIe S LINE COMPETITION More power and performance than the Evoque, but less tax efficient. Roomy and slick. PEUGEOT 3008 HYBRID4 300 GT PREMIUM Being a 6% BIK player makes a strong fleet case, but it isn’t as pleasant to drive as the Evoque. MERCEDES-BENZ GLC 300e COUPE 4MATIC AMG LINE Bigger and roomier in some ways than the Evoque, but less than 20 miles of real-world EV range. VOLVO XC40 T5 RECHARGE INSCRIPTION PRO Handsome, usable enough and cheaper than some but limited electric range.…

Now seems like a bold time to be launching a new kind of hot hatchback. If it’s a particularly special or brilliant kind – say, the Toyota GR Yaris, which is probably both – it’ll no doubt be fine. If it has drive batteries and electric motors as well as a combustion engine, meanwhile, like the ones Peugeot Sport is rumoured to be working on? Well, that might be all right, too. But what if it’s a classic, fossilfuelled, front-driven performance five-door you’re introducing; one with a sense of buttoned-down German conservatism about it? Without a Nürburgring lap record with which to grab attention or a tax-saving plug-in powertrain, would such a car be able to cut through? We’re about to find out because the new BMW 128ti is exactly…

The last few months of 2020 suggest that 2021 might herald a return to the growth that has eluded the world’s biggest car market for the past two years. Part of China’s growth will come from EV sales, while Tesla, Toyota, the German premium brands and home-grown manufacturers Changan and Hongqi will hope to continue their winning streaks. On the other hand, Volkswagen, Geely, Hyundai and General Motors will be aiming for significantly better performances. TOP 10 BRANDS IN CHINA…

Discretionary spending on a high-image supercar during an economic crisis might be expected to take a knock, and so it proved in 2020. There are also more models than ever – at least 20 – battling for attention, so a market down by 5% to 82,097 units makes life difficult for all. Except the Porsche 911, which leads the segment imperiously. The new mid-engined Chevrolet Corvette made a strong debut, increasing sales over its predecessor and, so far, allaying fears that the dramatic change in layout might alienate its traditional buyer base. Also a new model, the Bentley Continental GT proved resilient, while the Lexus LC made strong gains, overtaking more established models after a convertible version was introduced. Aston Martin’s troubles were well documented through the year, but it’s…

How extraordinary is it that these two little sports cars, one pretty and delicate, the other more pugnacious and purposeful, span a third of the entire production history of Lotus Cars? It’s extraordinary for me, because I remember the beginning so well: a secret road trip right at the start of 1996 (it might even have been the end of 1995) with a talented young chassis developer called Matt Becker (now chief engineer of vehicle attribute engineering at Aston Martin) and an amazing new Lotus. It’s also extraordinary because if you look at Lotus 25 years before the Elise was born, you will find that its model range included the original Elan and Europa, which feel like ancient history. And 25 years before that, Lotus didn’t exist. So there was…

F1 offers carfirms a ‘fresh image’ Several manufacturers are considering entering Formula 1, according to new series boss Stefano Domenicali, but “prefer to stay quiet”. With Honda quitting at the end of this season, just three engine makers (Ferrari, Mercedes and Renault) will remain in 2022. However, Domenicali believes more could join soon, recently telling Sky Sports that F1, which has committed to continuing with hybrid powertrains, offers a “fresh image that they maybe need for the future”. Sainz’s Scuderia start Carlos Sainz Jr had his first test as a Ferrari racer recently, driving a 2018-spec F1 car at the Italian team’s Fiorano test track. He described the test as a “very special day” but will have to wait until the official pre-season test in Bahrain later this month to…

Fifty-six races. That’s all it has taken for Phil Hanson to reach his first motorsport summit. The Berkshire lad was a relative latecomer to karting and graduated straight to racing sports cars five years ago. Still only 21, he’s already a veteran of four Le Mans 24 Hours and, in the strange intensity of the 2020 season, became an LMP2 class winner in the great race, in a year when the United Autosports team he drives for completed the triple by winning not only the World Endurance Championship in the deeply competitive secondary prototype division but also the European Le Mans Series (ELMS). A champion in two series and a winner at Le Mans: it has been quite a rise for Hanson, even if he remains firmly under the radar…

Is the grid really ready? Jesse Crosse’s view on the future of UK electricity demand (‘Challenge accepted, 13 January), suggesting that there will be plenty of it available for future EVs, is somewhat out of line with the recent government white paper ‘Powering our net zero future’. That forecasts widespread ead electrification in all energy usage areas and a doubling of electricity demand by 2050, which will require significant additional nuclear power station capacity (or some alternative) and more renewable power generation on a serious scale. Vehicle-to-grid (V2G) charging is a possible answer, as the critical matter is the distribution of EV charging demand evenly over 24 hours and the elimination of demand peaks that just can’t be met. The issue with V2G is that each charge-discharge-to-grid-recharge cycle is at…

MILEAGE 2347 WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT It won our electric SUV mega-test, but is it a Tesla-beater in everyday life? Yes, it has been cold lately, with frost a regular Y fixture and the occasiona flurry of snow paralysing the roads even in these locked-down times. No big deal, you might think; it happens every year. But for an EV driver, the cold really is the enemy. This latest scenario has been fascinating for noting the impact that it has had on the EQC’s range. In the simplest terms, the answer appears to be the immediate loss of 25 miles of predicted range, or around 15% of the battery’s charge when it’s above about 10deg C. In my experience, that’s actually an impressive result for the EQC in comparison to…

Here’s John, who has an inspiring story for us all: “The one upside to last year was that I got back into running a cheap car. I found this Mitsubishi Galant 2.4 auto for £500. Only 79,000 miles, with every bit of paperwork from the day it left the dealer. Eleven months’ MOT and its timing belt had been done twice! I am back to Bangernomics to stay, I think. A few more things about it: it is smooth to drive, very comfy and, remarkably for an 18-year-old car, everything works (apart from a slightly sticky door lock). It is a great car and, after I had a bit of a look, appears to be surprisingly rare. Underappreciated, but not by us.” SEND YOUR USED CAR TALES TOjames@bangernomics.com AND READERS' QUESTIONS…

There’s nothing like several months of forced confinement to inspire a bit of nostalgia for the good old days, and there’s a growing consensus bubbling away across the motoring enthusiast sphere that said golden era took place towards the end of the previous millennium. The best cars of the 1990s are increasingly sought after, partly because they still perform impressively without leaning heavily on software or electronic systems but also because, by and large, anything that age worth preserving is on its way to bona fide collector car status. Fortunately, you can get ahead of the game by picking up one of these next-generation classics now. And because an old car should always be more than an investment, you should make sure that it’s fun to drive, too. The Porsche…

“Audi’s predicted range is 303 miles for the base GT, with a 4.1sec 0-62mph time and top speed of 152mph” Audi’s long-awaited riposte to the Tesla Model S, the E-tron GT, has been launched and the first examples are due to arrive in showrooms in the spring. Described by Audi as “the gran turismo of the future”, offering an “emotional and fascinating” take on electrification, the E-tron GT has been revealed and will go on sale from day one in both ‘standard’ and hot RS forms (see separate story, p9). The launch variants will start from €99,800 (£88,110) in Germany, although UK pricing has yet to be confirmed. Exterior design and dimensions Audi has attempted to retain as much as possible from the first E-tron GT concept of 2018. To…

The all-new DS 4 will play a key role for the French premium brand by straddling two sectors, taking on rivals in the premium hatchback class as well as a growing number of crossovers. Trading on France’s heritage of haute couture as well as the latest technology, DS hopes the 4 will vie with cars as wide ranging as the BMW 1 Series and the Mercedes-Benz GLA. The car’s styling is key to this strategy. Bold double daylight running lights and matrix LED headlights (standard on all trims) dominate the front end, while the side view features striking creases and up to 20in wheels (optional on the range topping petrol) pushed to the extremities of the car. DS is keen to emphasise the coupé-style lines at the rear of the…

LEATHER TRIM WILL not be offered on future Minis, according to design boss Oliver Heilmer. “We don’t need leather any more in the future, because we don’t believe it’s sustainable,” he said. “We’re totally convinced that we will have modern and high-value products without leather.” Last year, 54% of new UK Minis had leather. Heilmer said the fabric in Mini production seats is “now 100% recycled”, with the lining underneath 70% recycled. “It’s inventive simplicity,” he said. “Materials will be recycled, but they’re luxurious at the same time. And inventive in terms of function.”…

LAND ROVER CLASSIC is building 25 heavily modified versions of the original Defender, inspired by the formidable Camel Trophy off-road expeditions. The Defender Works V8 Trophy uses a 5.0-litre petrol V8, packing 399bhp and 380lb ft for a significant performance increase over the 4x4s that took part in the event in the 1980s. It is finished in a retro inspired shade of Eastnor Yellow and features 16in steel wheels, a winch, a heavy duty roof rack, underbody protection, LED spotlights and chunky off-road tyres. Upgrades inside include black leather upholstery, Recaro sports seats and a modern infotainment system. Both the 3dr 90 and 5dr 110 variants are available, priced from £195,000. All buyers will be invited to a three-day off-roading expedition at Eastnor Castle later this year.…

IT’S ALWAYS FUN when some little known technology that has been around for a century or more yet never really made it becomes topical again. So it is with the free-piston engine, an internal combustion piston engine with pistons not attached to a crankshaft – or anything, for that matter. Free-piston engines have great potential for use as generators for range-extended electric cars or even driving a full series hybrid in place of a more conventional crankshaft-based engine. The advantage is that they’re simple, with few moving parts; light; inherently well balanced; efficient; and – this is the important thing – ideally suited to running on a sustainable, carbon free fuel, such as bioethanol. A typical free-piston engine consists of two pistons in a cylinder, sealed at both ends, which…

In the early stages of the electric car era, so much of the talk is around numbers and how big they are. Range, battery capacity, power and torque, price• Now Audi has added another larger number to its new E-tron S Sportback: three. The car, launched alongside an S version of the regular E-tron, adds an extra motor over the lesser 55 variant. That means a large motor powers the front axle and two smaller motors power the rear axle, allowing torque vectoring and fully variable torque distribution between the wheels for a promised increase in agility. Three motors also, of course, means plenty of power and torque: 429bhp and 596lb ft, or 496bhp and a mighty 718lb ft on overboost in Sport mode. Such hefty reserves require an equally…

MODEL TESTED P300e R-DYNAMIC HSE Introduced right at the end of 2018, the second generation Range Rover Evoque has had a busy opening few years on sale. It received new RDE2-compliant diesel engines in the spring of 2019; and then, in summer 2020, the particular subject of this week’s road test – the P300e plug-in hybrid version – was announced. Shortly after that came a 2021-model-year update for the Evoque range as a whole, which added a new infotainment system and active safety technologies, as well as an all-new range-topping Autobiography trim level. Given that the L551-generation Evoque has yet to have a full Autocar road test of any kind, then, we’ve got plenty of ground to cover this week. And as for what we already know? Well, the car…

China was the first country to report Covid-19, so its market was hit earlier than others, but its recovery has also been faster: the market finished 2020 with sales down just 2%. Given its drop a year earlier was 8%, that’s a solid result. “The virus, the lockdown and the initial panic explain most of the drop everywhere in the world,” says Jato Dynamics analyst Felipe Munoz. “However, we must remember that the global market was already posting declines in the months before Covid-19 arrived.” The US (-15%), Japan (-12%) and Germany (-19%) experienced double-digit market drops but still suffered less than France and Brazil. Significantly for the UK, its even steeper decline allowed Brazil to climb into seventh spot – the first time it has done so since 2014.…

Toyota regained its global title in 2020, thanks to its expertise in hybrid powertrains and strong market positions in Japan and the US. The winning margin looks pretty decisive, too, with Toyota having ended the year on 7.27 million sales – a significant 1.86 million ahead of German rival Volkswagen. “VW was more exposed because of its strong position in China and Europe, where Covid-19 hit hardest in the first six months of the year,” says Munoz. However, Volkswagen’s recent expansion into multiple SUV and crossover segments has insulated it from further decline. The global switch to EVs rewarded the investment efforts of BMW, Kia, Hyundai and Mercedes, which strengthened their positions relative to rivals. In previous years, we have classified General Motors in this table, but for 2020 we’ve…

A significant sales highlight for Jaguar Land Rover was the new Land Rover Defender. With 26,500 examples sold, it is shaping up as very good business given the much higher price point compared with its predecessor. Land Rover will be delighted that it looks as though the US – the world’s biggest SUV market – has taken to the new model. Jato’s preliminary figures show the five-door Defender 110 selling in the American market at a rate of two to one over the UK – a spectacular success. A note of caution, however: Discovery sales fell by nearly 12,000 (-34%), so there must be questions over cannibalisation by the family-friendly Defender.…

The significant drop in luxury saloon sales stemmed from some dramatic decisions. Among them, Cadillac dropped the XTS and CT6, Lincoln killed the Continental and Porsche introduced a rival to its own Panamera in the shape of the electric Taycan. “The XTS sold well in China and the Continental was a victim of Ford’s strategic decision to axe four-door models in favour of SUVs,” says Munoz. Sales of the Lexus LS – just three years old – have dwindled, too. “Lexus has almost disappeared from the segment with its LS, which isn’t appealing to Europeans,” adds Munoz. TOP 10 LUXURY SALOON BRANDS…

Ask United Autosports co-founder and team boss Richard Dean whether Phil Hanson measures up to his new status as a gold-standard sports car driver and you get a resounding answer. “I get frustrated at some people’s opinions of him,” says the Yorkshireman. “They automatically make presumptions because he has only been racing for a short period of time. It’s still easy for people to think Phil is the rookie, the understudy, and they don’t really look at the true data and see how much he had stood on his own, side by side with Filipe [Albuquerque] and Paul [di Resta]. “You have to watch him from within the team, how professional, focused and fit he is, how much he wants it and how he delivers on track. People’s opinions are…

FEATURE Stellantis and Renault The great car makers of France and Italy have all been relaunched. See what’s next from them – and what they’re leaving behind COMPARISON The best 911 Porsche makes a lot of 911 variants, but how different are they? ROAD TEST Skoda Octavia vRS The world’s most practical hot hatch is back again. We rate it EVERY WEEK FIRST DRIVE Ruf CTR What looks like a 911 but is built like a Lamborghini? Ruf’s 700bhp CTR USED BUYING GUIDE Smart Fortwo There’s no nimbler way to get around the city than in a Fortwo SUBSCRIBE autocar.co.uk/subscribe or see p38…

MILEAGE 10,098 WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT To find out if the class-leading crossover is as good to live with as it is to drive When I was first handed the keys to the Puma, I admit to not really knowing much about it. I find it can be fun to go in blind with these longer loans, only to discover a feature or option you didn’t know had been fitted. Plus, as I’m the third person to take ‘ownership’, I figured my colleagues would have spotted all A good example? The Puma’s mildhybrid powertrain. I’ve done plenty of miles over the past few months, but it still took a reminder from a colleague that there’s more under the bonnet than a turbocharged three-pot petrol engine. This is clearly a credit…

I finally got a battery for the Lorry, but obviously it wasn’t straightforward. The existing power pack took a charge but not enough to turn the old 2.25-litre lump. If the weather was mildish, it would fire; anything close to zero and it struggled. Anyway, at a specialist, I put in an order for all sorts of parts plus a battery. Then, later that day, they said the courier would not take the parcel. Odd, so I had to cancel everything and keep looking. The usual suppliers were charging £100, but I found a battery specialist who would deliver a four-year warranted job for £70 all in. Incredibly, it arrived the next day. All I need is a spare five minutes. Then there’s that service……

The Audi A8, now in its fourth generation, is probably the most discreet luxury limousine around. But don’t mistake discretion for indifference: this is a techno-fest, with a host of features that maintain the A8’s reputation for nnovation There’s the choice of a 282bhp 3.0-litre diesel (the 50 TDI) or a 335bhp 3.0-litre turbo petrol (the 55 TFSI). Both engines have a mildhybrid system (a small battery and electric motor) and can cut out while you’re coasting for up to 40 seconds at a time in the name of efficiency. If you want a plug-in hybrid, the 443bhp 60 TFSIe has an electric-only range of 28 miles. Or if you care little for fuel-saving, there’s the 563bhp 4.0-litre petrol V8 in the new S8. When launched in 2017, there were…

There are those who argue the historical significance of the Gulf Oil racing livery has been diluted by its inauthentic application on all manner of cars; and those who think it suits just about every vehicle going. Take the original Fiat 500, for example: it never jostled with Ferrari 250s and Porsche 907s at 200mph on the Mulsanne Straight and couldn’t be further removed in its conception from the Ford GT40 that did, but it wears that hallowed blue-and-orange livery remarkably well. Just £9056 bagged this lightly restomodded 1972 example, and the new owner can always paint over the stripe if it proves too controversial……