Innholdsfortegnelse for August 18, 2021 i Autocar

BENTLEY FLYING SPUR MULLINER Bentley’s Mulliner coachbuilding division has turned its hand to the Flying Spur saloon to create the third member of the Mulliner Collections line-up, joining similarly conceived versions of the Continental GT coupé and convertible. Available with all three Bentley powertrains (V6 plug-in hybrid, V8 and W12), the new range-topping model is described as the flagship of the Bentley range. It’s marked out as such by way of a subtle makeover and a raft of bespoke features. Exclusive two-tone 22in wheels with self-levelling centre caps, a ‘double diamond’ mesh pattern for the front grille and silver-capped wing mirrors are the most obvious visual differentiators, but the changes are more extensive inside. There are deep-pile mats, illuminating tread plates, embroidered seats, a range of bespoke upholstery colour schemes,…

The new open-top version of Aston Martin’s Valkyrie hypercar is said to give “the most comparable experience to that of an F1 car, not limited to the track”. Revealed at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance as part of Monterey Car Week in California, the Valkyrie Spider is limited to just 85 examples, a build run that Aston says is already “oversubscribed”, ahead of customer deliveries beginning in mid-2022. Both left- and right-hand-drive models will be available. It’s the third derivative of the Valkyrie to be shown, following the near-ready standard coupé and track-only AMR Pro version, and it represents what is so far a unique opportunity for an open-roof, combustion-engined hypercar. The Valkyrie’s closest rivals, the McLaren Speedtail and Mercedes-AMG One, have not yet been shown in drop-top form. Power…

Mini has teamed up with British fashion designer Paul Smith – known in motoring circles for his brightly coloured takes on the original Mini – to create the Strip, a pared-back one-off that emphasises the firm’s sustainability ambitions. It follows the Urbanaut concept, revealed in 2020, as another statement of intent for Mini’s future as a maker of simple and sustainable cars with an emphasis on utility and efficiency. Unlike the Urbanaut, the Strip is related to the Mini Electric, with the principles of “simplicity, transparency and sustainability” guiding Smith’s makeover of the car. As its name suggests, the Strip concept does away with many of the standard car’s features and adopts several unique design cues in the pursuit of weight reduction and pure functionality. Only elements deemed “absolutely necessary”…

A NEW, LIGHTWEIGHT hydrogen engine concept from Israeli firm Aquarius Engines has been under development since 2014 and is close to maturity. Powered by hydrogen, the Aquarius Two Sided Free Piston Linear Engine (FPLE) is designed to generate electricity for plug-in series hybrids or range-extenders. The tiny engine consists of a mere 20 components, only one of which moves. Although originally designed to burn petrol, it could conceivably operate on a variety of fuels including the latest ‘drop-in’ carbon-neutral, synthetic liquid fuels, and a hydrogen version of the engine has been developed and tested. The Aquarius is called a linear engine, because instead of converting reciprocating forces into rotating forces via a crankshaft like a conventional piston engine, the single piston rod moves to and fro on a two-stroke cycle,…

Given the growth of the Hyundai Kona line-up to span multiple powertrains (ranging from mild hybrid to fully electric) and the simultaneous expansion of the firm’s N performance division, it was perhaps inevitable that the two would cross over into this Kona N. While hot high-riders may not please purists, they certainly make sense from both an economic and a philosophical standpoint, given the increasing popularity of crossovers and SUVs. And with the Ford Puma ST and the Volkswagen T-Roc R now on the market, why shouldn’t Hyundai get in on the act? To the Korean company’s credit, it didn’t use the inherent contradictions of a performance SUV as an excuse to not take the Kona N seriously. Alex Eichler, its executive expert for performance vehicle testing, said that the…

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MODEL TESTED 80 LOUNGE Price £40,505 • Power 201bhp • Torque 229lb ft • 0-60mph 8.3sec • Range 262 miles • Economy 3.4mpkWh • CO2 emissions 0g/km • 70-0mph 45.4m This week’s road test subject, the Skoda Enyaq iV, brings to mind a recent development in the product line of world-famous toy maker Lego. For a few years now, the Danish firm has been offering sets of building blocks that can be made into as many as three different menu-built models, as well as whatever else your imagination might inspire. You can make your blocky supercar and then disassemble it and turn it into a truck or a boat, before departing from your instruction booklet completely. And it just so happens that today’s automotive engineers may feel, to a greater or…

How much fun can you have within a budget? That’s the idea of this test. It’s Britain’s Best Affordable Driver’s Car, our annual assessment of the more attainable yet great-to-drive cars launched during the past 12 months, taken to some of the greatest roads we know. The idea of ‘budget’ is a movable one, depending on what has just been launched. This year, because the Volkswagen Golf R, BMW 128ti and Cupra Leon 300 have all arrived – serious hatches every one of ’em – we’ve upped our cap to £40,000. But there are more affordable cars, too: Ford’s Puma ST, a hot crossover, comes in at under £30,000 and the Hyundai i20 N looks every inch a hot hatch bargain in this company, costing less than £25,000. Then there’s…

MAZDA MX-5 1.8 £1595 Newer MX-5s are holding their value and the cleanest Mk1s are rising to silly prices, so your best bet for low-frills thrills is the Mk2. Prices start at about £1000 for modified, rusty and – shudder – automatic examples, but you can nab a respectably high-miler for not much more. Invest in Waxoyl. BMW Z4 COUPE 3.0si £6495 This Z4 Coupé is all the more desirable for eschewing the visual loudness of the full-fat Z4 M. It has a 3.0-litre straight six pumping 261bhp and 232lb ft to its rear axle, and although it’s best viewed as a baby GT, its pace is on par with the entry-level Porsches of its era and its handling won’t leave you wanting. FORD FOCUS RS £17,995 For the price…

“The i20 N feels like a big leap forward for Hyundai’s performance sub-brand” At the end of two long days and several thousands of collective test miles, our five-man jury agreed that they had been in the company of two driver’s cars truly fit for Aberdeenshire’s spectacular roads in this year’s Britain’s Best Affordable Driver’s Car contest – but only one was really a deserving winner. That car was the wonderfully – perhaps even surprisingly – purposeful Hyundai i20 N. As is the way with these things, each judge gave each competing car a score out of a maximum 25 marks on the basis of driver appeal versus value for money, because that’s how BBADC works. The i20 N was the only car impressive enough to score 20 marks or…

SPECIAL FEATURE New versus used Should you buy the latest model or spend the same amount on an arguably even better second-hand alternative? We pit old against new to find out ROAD TEST Hyundai i20 N It conquered all before it in this week’s group test. Now the i20 N faces the road test FIRST DRIVE Kia EV6 In design terms, this is perhaps the most distinctive Kia yet. To drive? We find out EVERY WEEK USED BUYING GUIDE Seat Leon Cupra Mk2 How to buy this aggressively styled and seriously quick hot hatch FIRST DRIVE Skoda Fabia Our first taste of the Czech brand’s all-new supermini SUBSCRIBE autocar.co.uk/subscribe or see p26…

MILEAGE 3200 WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT To discover whether a drop-top Mini could be the perfect car for summer S o southern am I that I was once part of a football crowd singing a rude song about the north to the fans of, er, Watford. Forgiveness is therefore begged for the fact that, until just recently, I had never visited the Peak District. Beautiful, isn’t it? Lush hills turn into sheer-faced mountains, conjoined by wide valleys, covered intermittently in heather and peat bogs and grazing sheep. Overlapping a railway line miraculously surviving from a bygone era, serpentine roads meander their way through a series of picturesque villages, flanked by flint walls and cottages that soothe the city-dweller’s soul. Not many of these roads are fast (not if you have any…

Thanks to Tim, who has relayed some rather important news: “I’m still driving my 2005 Ford Mondeo, bought at 16 months old for £7000. That’s less than £500 per year in depreciation. Indeed, it has gone up in value this year: when I thought about changing it last year, one online car buying service offered me £43, but this year said £80. Isn’t an old car that goes up in value a classic? “More seriously, it has never broken down or failed to start, except for when its idiot owner flattened the battery (although it has done only 80,000 miles), and the heated front window and air-con no longer work. “The only non-consumables that I’ve had replaced are the reversing-lights switch and both front springs, costing £280 from a mobile…

AUDI A8 50 TDI QUATTRO SPORT £2391 deposit, £797 per month, 48 months, 10,000 miles per year The A8 personifies relaxed driving with a near-silent ride while gliding effortlessly over imperfections. Inside, there are top-quality materials and plenty of head and leg room for tall passengers and drivers. BMW 730D £2917 deposit, £486 per month, 48 months, 8000 miles per year Thoughtful engineering has given the latest 7 Series impressive agility – it handles like much smaller BMWs while still cosseting its occupants. The facelifted model comes with more efficient engines, extra sound deadening and updated infotainment. VOLVO S90 2.0 T8 RECHARGE PHEV £2940 deposit, £490 per month, 48 months, 8000 miles per year The S90 stays true to Volvo’s long-held reputation with innovative kit to keep you and your…

No apologies for offering another soft-top – after all, it’s that time of year. The drop-top Evoque was built for only 12 months before Range Rover canned the model’s three-door body. Diesels are reasonably plentiful but we’ve zoned in on this rarer, and pricier, petrol – a 2018-reg with 10,000 miles. You’ll hate the dismal economy and near-£40,000 price, not to mention the absurdity of driving a roofless SUV, but one day it’ll be a much-admired curio.…

An expert’s view DARREN SPOONER, SPOOX MOTORSPORT “We’ve been servicing, modifying and racing Peugeots for years. My favourite era is the 1990s, and among the cars produced then, the 106 GTi stands out. It’s the one I would have over the two Rallye models. Being lighter but with a powerful engine, it can keep up with a 306 GTi-6. Even so, the Rallyes were very good, and you don’t really have to do anything to them to have fun. The S2 was brilliant out of the box, but I prefer the S1’s terrier-like responses. Rust is the number one enemy of Rallyes and GTis. It breaks out everywhere, so don’t be fooled by a nice paint job. For the Rallyes, original parts including air boxes and the S1’s red seatbelts…

ELECTROSTATIC PAINT SPRAYING might sound rather modern, but it has actually been in use since the 1940s. We detailed the efficiency-improving technique in 1959, as Morris was using it on the Minor. We explained: “They paint the bodies by charging the body and also charging the paint with the opposite kind of electricity. The tiny droplets in the paint spray fly eagerly to the body and search out hidden spots round the corner. “The same principle has been used for taking smoke particles out of power-station chimneys and even crop-dusting from aircraft.” The practice quickly became standard across the industry, due to its greater coating consistency and much reduced paint wastage. A fascinating development came in 2019 from Toyota, removing air from the gun to achieve 95% coating efficiency, up…

“Like the original Countach, it’s powered by a longitudinally rear-mounted, naturally aspirated V12” The Lamborghini Countach has been reborn as an ultra-exclusive hybrid hypercar with 803bhp and styling influenced by the legendary Bertone-designed 1974 original. The second of two V12-powered creations to leave Sant’Agata this year, following the Aventador Ultimae in July, the new Countach LPI 800-4 has been shown at the annual Monterey Car Week festival in California, as Lamborghini marks 50 years since the Countach LP500 prototype was given its debut at the Geneva motor show. Just 112 examples of the new Countach will be built, priced from €2 million (£1.7m) before taxes, and the majority are said to be spoken for already. Like its 1970s namesake, the Countach is powered by a naturally aspirated, longitudinally rear-mounted (longitudinale…

“The launch has been put back by two years due to the challenge of producing cars at the target price” Volkswagen is poised to give a first glimpse in the near future at the vital £17,000 ID 2 crossover, which will spearhead a major Volkswagen Group assault on the entry-level EV market when it goes on sale in 2025. The ID 2 will be the first model built on the new MEB Entry platform that is being developed to allow for ‘affordable’ small EVs, and will be followed by models from sister firms Seat, Skoda and possibly Audi. The Volkswagen Group had originally planned to launch the first MEB Entry model in 2023, but that has been put back by two years due to the challenges of producing cars that…

WATT ELECTRIC VEHICLE Company, a Cornwall-based EV start-up, has confirmed plans to produce a range of commercial vehicles in the UK, starting in 2023. The company will use its Passenger and Commercial EV Skateboard (PACES) architecture for a family of ‘last-mile’ vans, trucks and buses with highly customisable bodies. Weight reduction is a priority for WEVC and the commercial EVs will adopt a similar integrated battery design to the firm’s Porsche 356-inspired Coupé, revealed exclusively by Autocar in March. That model promises a range of up to 230 miles and will crack 0-62mph in 5.0sec. The first prototype will be revealed early next year, in van form, and production will begin in the Midlands in the third quarter of 2023. WEVC will retail the models itself, with its own branding,…

HONDA WILL REVIVE the fabled Integra next year as a new “compact premium” car. The Integra name was used for four generations of small sports coupé that were produced by the Japanese firm from 1985 until 2006. Its return was confirmed by Acura – Honda’s American premium brand – during the launch of the NSX Type S. Acura said that the Mk5 Integra will “rejoin the performance brand’s product portfolio as a new compact premium entrant”. It released a single teaser image showing part of the front end of the new car, featuring ‘Integra’ written beneath the front lights. Acura brand officer Jon Ikeda said the new Integra will offer “the same fun-to-drive spirit and DNA of the original”. No further details of the car were revealed, including whether it…

The conversion of classic cars to run on electric power was once seen as a hobby industry, something done by people in their garage in the same way as other, one-off modified car projects. Today, though, it is big business, with a constant flow of announcements about new companies either creating the powertrains themselves or converting classic cars. It’s a controversial subject among enthusiasts (see separate story, right), but whether you agree with it or not, it is becoming a multimillion-pound business. It even grabbed the attention of David Beckham, who recently became a shareholder in Silverstone-based high-end conversion company Lunaz. It is also an industry surrounded by a great deal of uncertainty when it comes to regulation, standards, safety and the question of cost versus value. With many classics…

MONDAY Decent week for quick cars. Today, the fastest Cupra estate (the 306bhp Leon 4Drive with seven-speed dual-clutch ’box) gets delivered to my place, mainly because it’s a handy dropping-off point for something the road testers have in mind. Rude not to take a quick whizz up the road so I do – and discover it’s much better than I expected. I’ve tended to file all Golf-based Volkswagen Group models under ‘G’, but in this case, it’s a mistake. This car has its own good looks, its own character and its own driving position, control layout and feel. It’s hugely quick for a dog-toter (0-62mph in 4.9sec) and the performance is easy to deploy. You can stroke it along pretty quickly on favourite A- and B-roads, enjoying a different kind…

Sorry to labour the 2030 point and to give the game away in the first paragraph, but we’re going to miss cars like this in nine years’ time. While accepting that something needs to be done to combat climate change, it’s a pity that it will inevitably curb machines such as the new Alpina B8 Gran Coupé. Nestled extremely snugly under the bonnet is BMW’s 4.4-litre twin-turbocharged petrol V8. Whereas the standard BMW M850i gets 523bhp and 553lb ft, Alpina’s wizards have pushed the B8 to 613bhp and 590lb ft. This was achieved by improving the cooling. While the intercoolers’ exterior size remains the same, the B8 has specific internals, leading to a 50% increase in cooling capacity compared with its BMW sibling. It translates to a car that can…

The arrival of the sloped-roofed Q5 Sportback may have stolen the show, but Audi’s most recent round of updates to the Q5 also gave the plug-in hybrid versions of the familiar family SUV some love, by way of a larger drive battery. Where the outgoing Q5 PHEVs had a 14.1kWh battery that was good for 26 miles on electricity alone, the latest models get a 17.9kWh pack that should manage close to 40 miles, whether you opt for the 55 TFSIe or the less potent 50 TFSIe tested here. That will come as great news to company car drivers, first for the healthy benefit-in-kind tax savings over the equivalent ICE-only Q5 and second because their daily commutes can now be managed more comfortably in EV mode. Both the 50 TFSIe…

TRANSMISSION 1-spd reduction gearing ■ Skoda offers a choice of two battery sizes in the UK: the 58kWh 60 model and the 77kWh 80. An even smaller 50 exists but isn’t available over here at the moment. With Sportline models, you can add a front motor for extra power and all-wheel drive. In lieu of trim levels, Skoda offers interior design themes (Loft, Lodge, Lounge, Suite and EcoSuite) and a selection of other option packages. Details of the range-topping vRS with 302bhp and all-wheel drive are to be announced soon.…

In the still relatively new market for affordable EVs, we’ve seen manufacturers try to score headlines with outrageous power outputs, longer ranges and lower prices. The Skoda Enyaq, by contrast, aims for a sensible, middle-ground compromise. It doesn’t pioneer any new technology, and it’s built on a model architecture that has already had some kinks ironed out by Volkswagen and Audi. This, however, might well be the sweet spot for the family EV market. It impresses with a roomy and cleverly thought-out cabin that is a match for the Audi’s on tangible quality; with a rounded and mature chassis set-up; with performance that should satisfy most drivers; and with an attractive base price. Only a handful of awkward design decisions, some slightly annoying active safety features and drivability quirks and…

Even by Pikes Peak standards, the 750bhp Bentley Continental GT3 Pikes Peak brought a striking presence to proceedings as it lined up at the start of this year’s event. Any chance of the team taking the overall course record had already been dashed by freezing conditions with snow and ice near the summit, forcing the organisers to site the finish line at 12,780ft rather than the usual 14,115ft. But there was still a lot to play for, such as class and outright wins and proof that it’s possible to blow all comers away with a car powered by renewable fuel. Through its GT3 customer racing programme, Bentley has plenty of experience of a variety of fuels and octane ratings around the world, so tackling Pikes Peak using a ‘drop-in’ ExxonMobil…

F1 Sprint races to continue in 2022 The new Sprint qualifying format trialled by Formula 1 bosses at the British Grand Prix is set to continue next season – although only “historical” events will hold them. F1 boss Stefano Domenicali recently told investors: “We have ideas to create a special format for certain historical grands prix.” Ericsson crashes but still wins in Indycar Marcus Ericsson took an unlikely victory in the Indycar race on the streets of Nashville recently. The Swede damaged his car and received a drive-through penalty after crashing into the back of a rival during an early restart but used pit strategy to jump into the lead mid-race and then held off Chip Ganassi-Honda team-mate Scott Dixon for his second Indycar career win. McLaren to take full…

Donington Park has never hosted the British Grand Prix, but it did succeed Brooklands as Britain’s most prominent racing circuit and played an important role in establishing the UK as a major motorsport player in Europe. Between 1935 and 1938, the Donington GP was Britain’s biggest race. In 1937 and 1938, it attracted the might of the Auto Union and Mercedes-Benz teams, with the great Bernd Rosemeyer and Tazio Nuvolari winning the respective races. It was requisitioned by the Ministry of Defence during World War II but reopened in 1977, thanks to energetic new owner and enthusiast Tom Wheatcroft. He eventually achieved his dream of attracting Formula 1 to the East Midlands in 1993, when Ayrton Senna put in a wet-weather masterclass to win the European GP.…

Renewable concerns Jim Holder’s Inside Information column of 4 August sets out how National Grid believes it can cope with the shift to electrification. The energy generation sector has made significant progress towards net zero, but that progress appears to be stalling and isn’t keeping pace with the rapid acceleration in electrified vehicle uptake. Renewable sources are increasingly important in UK power generation (a record 42.9% in 2020), but fossil fuels were still responsible for almost as much (41%), and the pace of investment is slowing just when EVs are rising. In the first quarter of 2021, renewable power generation stood at 34.7TWh, a 16% year-on-year decrease, with government figures showing that growth in renewable capacity has slowed since the start of 2020. Plug-in vehicle registrations, meanwhile, rose 140% in…

FIRST REPORT WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT To see if Cupra’s classy crossover is up to the rigours of day-to-day running S ome enthusiastic horn-tooting accompanied my first drive in the latest addition to Autocar’s long-term test car fleet: the alluringly different Cupra Formentor. There was I, waiting at the traffic lights when I looked to my right and saw an excited man gesturing at me to lower my window. “What is that? I like it so much.” I told him. Maybe now he’s a Cupra customer-in-waiting. Evidently this is a car that has an effect on people, and that alone ought to make the coming months interesting. I remember finding it similarly arresting when I first saw the Formentor concept on a motor-show stand a couple of years ago (the production…

QUESTION I own a Mitsubishi L200 for towing my rally car on a trailer and a Jaguar F-Pace 3.0 S for towing my caravan. Which EVs could do these jobs and let me get to places without needing hours of charging? Alan Stark, via email ANSWER There are a few electric cars that can do both of those jobs, notably the Tesla Model X, which can tow up to 2268kg and generates instant torque of 800lb ft. Its range will take a hit, of course, but Tesla’s Supercharger network is the best. A 2017-reg 100D with 50,000 miles costs around £60,000. Too much and too precious for rally duties? Try that halfway house, the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. This hybrid’s towing limit is a reasonable 1500kg and its pure-electric range 28…

Evora production ended this year as Lotus clears the way for a new family of sports cars. The mid-engined two-seater (two rear seats were available as an option) was launched in 2009. The Evora was powered by a Toyota 3.5-litre V6 making 276bhp, and a supercharged Evora S arrived the following year with 345bhp. Both models can hit 62mph in under five seconds. The S is more desirable but the real attraction of the Evora lies not in its outright performance, which is strong, but in its steering, handling and ride. Evora prices start at around £25,000 for 276bhp cars. Our find is a 2010 example with 39,000 miles. Its Aquamarine paint gleams and its black leather interior looks unmarked, but what really appeals are the seven Bell & Colvill…

Were you nervous before you showed the design to Marcello Gandini? “Like a young boy! For me, Marcello Gandini is the greatest. I was happy when he liked the car, and he has said that he likes that I’m taking his philosophy into the future – that I’m studying his designs. For me, his style remains the ideal one.” Stephan Winkelmann is on the record as hating retro design, so what was his reaction when he discovered this project was under way? “Let me say that the work began before Stephan, but we have finished the car with Stephan. If he didn’t like it, it wouldn’t have happened… Most of the work was done in the lockdown period, which was a huge complication: I was in Germany, I had designers…

Seat has described its take on the entry-level electric crossover as having the dimensions of the company’s big-selling Arona, itself a Volkswagen T-Cross sibling. Like the Volkswagen ID 2, the car will target a starting price of around £17,000 when it is launched in 2025. Seat CEO Wayne Griffiths has said it’s “more than a car” for the firm: “It’s the future of the car industry in Spain.” Seat is leading development of the MEB Entry platform, but it has not yet been confirmed which branding it will use for the first model. The Cupra Born was branded as the Seat El-Born until late in its development, so a decision on whether the new model will be a Cupra or a Seat is not expected until nearer launch. Potential designs…

SKODA’S ELECTRIC CAR development programme is making your fuel-burning model even more efficient. No, really it is. Design boss Oliver Stefani pointed out the rear spoiler of the facelifted Kodiaq to us and said: “Working on EVs and ICE cars at the same time means you learn a lot. We worked hard on the Enyaq’s aerodynamics to reduce drag and we put that to good use on the Kodiaq.” IT’S AMAZING THAT Lamborghini’s designers got the reborn Countach past CEO Stephan Winkelmann, given his forward-looking approach. Not even the 2006 Miura reboot makes his eyes misty, as he told us: “I’m not in favour of redoing cars. I look at the Miura and think it’s great, but I think we really need to be focused on the future and we…

REPORTS FROM JAPAN suggest Toyota has halted or even cancelled development of its GR Super Sport hybrid hypercar following the crash of a prototype at Fuji Speedway that caused serious damage. The hypercar is inspired by Toyota’s GR010 Hybrid racer, which will head to Le Mans in 2022 and is likely to be unaffected by recent events, according to motorsport publication Racer. Autocar contacted Toyota, but the company had no official comment to make. The plan was for the Super Sport to serve as a 986bhp halo model for the nascent Gazoo Racing performance sub-brand. Although an open-roof version was shown in 2020, production cars were set to have a fixed roof. Toyota was originally developing the model to comply with Le Mans Hypercar homologation rules and continued with the…

The short-term answer is no, at least for now. If you remove the handcrafted engine from a 1990s Ferrari Testarossa and replace it with second-hand batteries from an accident-damaged Tesla, which is what many of the conversions use, then most people feel that what you have is a Tesla in a Ferrari suit. Models officially classed as historic or vintage can even have that status removed. FIVA (Fédération Internationale des Véhicules Anciens), the historic vehicle association that operates across Europe, was adamant on this when we spoke to its chairman, Lars Genild. “To FIVA, having a historic vehicle is not a question of making things as easy as possible but to protect, preserve and promote our cultural heritage,” said Genild. “When changing the whole drivetrain of a historic vehicle, the…

So sorry to hear of the death of Graham Robson, engineer, motorsport team leader, commentator, proud author of nearly 170 books and lifelong friend of Autocar (he worked here during the 1960s). He was constantly helpful to me, with his greater knowledge and experience, and because he was a practical man who understood the challenges of obituary writers, he wrote his own obit a couple of years ago. Here’s an excerpt, referring to his 1972 decision to become a full-time independent motoring writer. “That word ‘independent’ cannot be stressed too highly because whatever his links with the manufacturer he was writing about, Robson’s research was always thorough and he never pulled his punches.” This, along with his fine writing style, is the reason his work will live on.…

For anyone experiencing déjà vu, yes, we have driven a current-era Renault Mégane plug-in hybrid before, but that was the estate, last September. This time around, it’s the hatchback. Quite why there has been such a delay between the two isn’t clear; even Renault personnel are unsure as to the reasons why. No matter, the car is here now, with its chief rivals including the Seat Leon eHybrid and Volkswagen Golf eHybrid. If ever the vast majority of the public will be convinced to shift to EVs, they will probably make the transition via cars like these. The C-segment still represents 40% of Europe’s new car market, after all. The Mégane E-Tech PHEV has a rear-mounted 9.8kWh battery powering a front-mounted 66bhp motor, which works with an 89bhp naturally aspirated…

Gone are the days when Hyundai’s top-billing SUV was available solely with diesel engines. Not only are the two engines in the line-up now petrol-fuelled but both are also electrified. We’ve already tested the Santa Fe Hybrid, praising its elegant interior and generous seven-seater ergonomics, and now we’re experiencing the Plug-in Hybrid. With 262bhp and 36 miles of electric-only range (versus 227bhp and, well, almost nothing), the PHEV is clearly the stronger proposition than the regular hybrid in terms of both performance and fuel economy. What’s more, in base Premium trim, it will set you back only around £3600 more than a commensurately equipped Hybrid; and for company car drivers, the BIK tax rate is far kinder, at 11% compared with 32%. One thing worth noting, however, is that the…

1 SKODA ENYAQ iV 80 LOUNGE Skoda hits a sweet spot with plenty of space, a high-quality feel, a pleasant if unexciting driving experience and a reasonable entry price. 2 VOLKSWAGEN ID 4 PRO PERFORMANCE LIFE Premium appeal and a similar drive but worse value and slightly less range. A simplified, intuitive EV nonetheless. 3 FORD MUSTANG MACH-E STANDARD RANGE RWD Good to drive and spacious. Cabin feels lower-rent and not as convincing in standard-range form as elsewhere. 4 HYUNDAI IONIQ 5 PREMIUM RWD It has design appeal, interior space and luxury feel to burn. Yet to undergo a full road test, so its score may yet improve. 5 TESLA MODEL 3 STANDARD RANGE PLUS Less versatile, practical and refined than rivals but too potent to ignore. Supercharger network is a huge plus but…

Certain race cars gain a cult popularity that belies their on-track success. One of the best examples is the Volvo 850 Estate that contested the 1994 British Touring Car Championship. It never even scored a podium, but I would wager the Swedish racer is better remembered than Gabriele Tarquini’s Alfa Romeo 155 TS title winner. The reason why is obvious: it was different, standing out in a pack of comparatively svelte saloons. And while it is an extreme example, others too have stood out for their design. The Benetton B192 is remembered now as the car that Michael Schumacher used for his first Formula 1 win, but in the 1992 season it was also notable for having a high nose at a time when most of the grid featured drooping…

RUNNING FOR 3.7 miles, the Mulsanne Straight on the Circuit de la Sarthe was one of the most fearsome sections of racing track in the world. So fearsome, in fact, that it could well have proven the downfall of the iconic Le Mans 24 Hours. When this straight was first used in 1921, 130mph would have been the fastest achievable speed. Come the advent of turbochargers in the 1980s, though, and 200mph-plus was reached – resulting, unsurprisingly, in some terrifying crashes. The all-time record of 252mph was set in 1988 by French firm Welter Racing’s WM P88, whose Peugeot V6 was tuned for ultimate power over dependability. It was perhaps this that resulted in Le Mans being cut from the 1989 World Sportscar Championship at the last minute. That winter,…

I am currently thinking of buying a new Porsche Macan and am in the process of discussing this within my group of 50-to 60-year-old man-cave dwellers. It has been put upon me by them that I should get a bumper sticker stating: “It may be a Porsche, but it’s still cheaper than a Transit.” Which brings me to the Ford Tourneo Custom PHEV (a Transit with windows and a fluffy carpet) that you’re currently running: does it really cost £63,000, or was that a typo? Because at which point in life did a Transit become more expensive than a lot of high-end cars out there? It’s probably a marketing strategy that a lot of car companies could take on under the heading: “It’s still about the same price as a…

MILEAGE 1953 WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT To see if a plug-in hybrid family SUV can justify its eco credentials I ’m as guilty as anyone of bemoaning an SUV when it suits, but there’s no denying they’re handy to have in a tight spot – and no spot comes tighter than a family holiday. Our kids are now at the age where a buggy is no longer required, but the Kia’s boot was still packed full to capacity, with a PhD in origami required to fold all the luggage into the 604-litre space. We’ve hardly used the rearmost seats but that was no bad thing for this trip, because folded flat they do free up a decent space. Off we toddled to Suffolk, where it soon became obvious that the Sorento’s…

The queue for an MOT test at our place is getting longer, and until the Baby Shark gets its ticket, we can’t move onto the next one. Just at the moment, it could be given a clean bill of health, with some suspension arm cover replacement. My local garage sort of dropped me in it by suddenly saying that they couldn’t source a new exhaust for the old girl. That’s now down to me. More updates are hopefully coming soon once the postman delivers some boxes (middle and back) from Europe. Meanwhile, I’ve dug out my Innocenti Mini, and the slow puncture it had seems to have fixed itself. I had a close look at all of the tyres and took sample pressures. What fun.…

The small car market has long been dominated by the Ford Fiesta and Vauxhall Corsa, but what if you fancy injecting some pseudo-Spanish flair into your motoring? Then check out the edgy Seat Ibiza. This fifth-generation model was launched in 2017 and established itself as a competitive player, thanks in part to its distinctive styling and spacious interior. Initial engine choices were three 1.0-litre petrols, two 1.6 diesels and a 148bhp 1.5 petrol. The line-up was later streamlined to the 1.0 80, 95 and 115 petrols and the 1.6 TDI 95. In time the diesel was dropped, and a 1.0 110 petrol has recently replaced the 115. Entry-level S cars got 15in steel wheels, a height-adjustable driver’s seat, Bluetooth and hill hold control as standard, plus a 5.0in monochrome infotainment…

We hope the person who bought this 45,000-mile 2002 C70 Cabriolet is enjoying it. The one-owner motor is a lovely looking car in an attractive colour and has a full history, much of it Volvo main dealer. The hammer fell at £7900. That seems strong for a C70, a feeling that was confirmed when we found a nice 2003 2.0T with 54,000 miles for £3500, or less than half the other car’s hammer price. It too has one owner and a full service history (17 stamps), although it’s not clear whether they’re all main-dealer ones. Downside? It was in pensioner gold.…

Can’t find a Peugeot 205 GTi for sensible money? Fortunately, the car maker has a garage full of other equally talented hot hatches from yesteryear that are cheaper. How about a 306 GTi-6 for £4500? The 1999 T-reg car has done 93,000 miles and has a good service history and a fresh cambelt. Other hot Pugs for normal money include the subjects of this week’s guide: the 106 GTi and 106 Rallye. Prices start at £2000 for the GTi but a smidgen more for the Rallye, while at the other extreme they peak at around £13,000. They may both be 106s but the GTi and Rallye are quite different from each other. In fact, there were actually two Rallyes. The first, called the S1, was launched in 1994. A pared-down…

Autocar’s annual Drivers of Change initiative is a terrific venture to promote industry talent. I’m probably contractually obliged to say this, but I also honestly believe it. The short of it is that if you come up with an idea that would benefit and improve the automotive industry, you could win £5000, and perhaps other opportunities will follow. This year’s deadline is 24 September, and there are more details on Autocar’s website. Last year, to help promote the initiative, some Autocar staff were asked to come up with their own ideas. So, what with it being during peak Lockdown v1.0, I put on a pair of pants and walked to my shed to record an idea on video. And I thought it was all right, you know. An engineering company…