Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2020 i CAR UK

‘While Palmer’s ambition was admirable, the challenge was dizzying’ I told you so? Hardly. As Andy Palmer leaves Aston Martin and AMG man Tobias Moers takes over, prattling on about how the clues were there all along would be disingenuous. I sat down with Palmer in early 2019, to have him talk me through Aston’s bold move onto mid-engined turf, and I came away pretty convinced, if also a little confused. Convinced? Because now the V12 Valkyrie hypercar made sense, to help the world get its head around a mid-engined Aston Martin. Convinced because Palmer was proposing relatively affordable aluminium for his 488/F8 rival (the Vanquish), rather than terrifyingly expensive carbonfibre. Convinced because the new hybrid V6 would future-proof Aston in a world moving rapidly away from big V8s and…

‣ Dropping the TT and R8 was one of the last announcements made by departing Audi CEO Bram Schot, who handed over to Markus Duesman on 1 April. But just weeks into his new job, Duesman is said to be reconsidering that decision. Encouraged by the reportedly friction-free and fertile co-operation with Porsche on the all-electric PPE platform, Ingolstadt top brass is looking with fresh interest at the possibility of keep TT and R8 alive as the brand’s emotional spearheads. If all goes to plan, we should see results in 2023. ‣ Current thinking is not to use PPE but instead to resurrect the on-off MTP (multi-traction premium) idea, turning it into a plug-in hybrid sports car platform jointly developed and separately marketed by the two brands. It consists of…

1 He’s prodigiously talented Vettel showed searing speed as a BMW test driver and then–at times–in his first season with Toro Rosso in 2008. Then it clicked. At Monza Vettel was fastest in two of the three qualifying sessions, took pole and won the (moist) race by more than 12 seconds to become the sport’s youngest race winner. 2 Doesn’t play nicely with the other kids 2010 saw the dawn of an era of crushing Vettel/Red Bull dominance, though Seb had to work hard for his first title, overturning a big points gap to Alonso in the last race of the season. He also smashed into teammate Webber in Turkey–for the second time. Their relationship became, er, strained. 3 Not much of a team player Malaysia 2013. Vettel ignored team…

Here’s looking at you BMW’s 3-series isn’t unattractive. But Alpina’s new evolution of it, the D3 S, is heart-achingly pretty, from the square-jawed splitter through the tweaked stance to the trademark 20-inch 20-spokes, which save 14kg. A diesel that revs Giving itself an unfair advantage from the off by adopting BMW’s 3.0-litre, twin-turbo diesel six, Alpina adds tweaked engine management and an uprated cooling system for 345bhp and a mighty 538lb ft. Alpina’s first hybrid! Okay, it’s baby steps and not a serious PHEV. Instead the D3 S retrains the BMW 48-volt MHEV starter/generator for modest boosting, fast ’n’ smooth engine stop-start and improved efficiency. Saloon or Touring dreams Whether you go saloon or estate, the D3 S’s magic is likely to be the chassis tune (see almost every previous…

Thought the CAR watch page was the one place you could come to escape the coronavirus? Think again! Three watches have just been launched with some tenuous link to the current pandemic, or to medicine generally. You might not want to remember Covid-19 every time you check the time, but each watch is interesting in its own right and two are limited-edition models issued to raise funds for medics. The watch industry has long fetishised the military: good to see it now celebrating those who seek to save us. 01 | Breitling Superocean Heritage ’57–Frontline Heroes From £3790 The Superocean Heritage ’57 was launched in April and Breitling has now announced that a run of 1000 will be made with a blue underlying dial, with £425,000 of the proceeds to…

Tools for the job Interesting final report on your Citroën C5 Aircross (Our Cars, May). Three years ago a move from suburban Hampshire to Edinburgh prompted me to swap my beloved BMW E46 M3 for a C4 Cactus–345bhp to 82. After wondering for a while why Citroën had not bothered connecting the steering to the wheels, or put an engine in, I came to love that car. It changed the way I drove and how I felt after a journey. As Phil McNamara says, for me the experience recalibrated what a car should be and gave me a useful reminder that the fastest, tautest machine is not always best–it’s about fitness for purpose, and the key task in choosing your next car should be defining that purpose. Chris Clipson Sold!…

4 - SERIES A COUPE TO SAVAGE AND SAVOUR ANY ROAD (OR TRACK) YOU CARE TO POINT IT AT Regardless of whether or not you like them, BMW’s move to bigger, slimmer, deeper kidney grilles is at least logical. In a chaotic world of limitless choice and 24/7 noise, no one can afford to whisper: go big or be invisible. And if, at the same time, that new identity evokes halcyon days (as BMW’s new logo and kidney grilles surely do; days of elegantly wrought and perfectly balanced sports saloons with the world at their feet), well, then there’s scope for a little amateur psychological analysis on our part. When you’re facing challenges as seismic–as existential, even–as those that loom in BMW’s near future (and it is by no means…

Aston Martin DB6 EV No beautiful bodywork is harmed in the making of Aston’s in-house EV creation, which swaps the DB4/5/6 series’ straight-six for an all-in-one battery/motor/control module. It’s reversible, so you can swap the engine back in later. You’ll need £200k plus a car. VW e-Bulli Volkswagen partner company eClassics swaps classic ’66 Camper’s boxer engine for an e-motor and gearbox combo. Yours for £58k fully built or less as a conversion kit. 45kWh battery gives more than 120 miles of range and a handy 82bhp. Jaguar E-Type Zero Immortalised as Harry and Meg’s wedding car, Jag’s electric E-Type conversion swaps the straight-six for a 40kWh battery without need for mods to body or chassis. Plans for customer cars have quietly gone away, perhaps because you’d be rightly branded…

Stuck in the mud During the ’70s, lots of people get their wheelbarrows stuck in mud. But only one, James Dyson in ’74, comes up with a solution: the Ballbarrow, which replaces the skinny wheel with a go-anywhere sphere. Bags for life? No Frustrated with the way vacuum cleaners become less powerful as their bags fill, Dyson spends the ’80s developing a bag-less version and fruitlessly pitching it to manufacturers–they aren’t keen to give up the revenue generated by selling replacement bags. He sets up Dyson Ltd in ’93 and launches the DC01 vacuum cleaner. Down the drain Dyson’s contra-rotating washing machine, launched in 2000, isn’t a roaring success–it’s discontinued in 2005. A year later Dyson lands a hit with the immensely loud but efficient, hygienic and effective Airblade hand…

PORSCHE TAYCAN TURBO S BMW M5 COMPETITION TESL A MODEL S PERFORMANCE POLE STAR 1 £ AFFORDABILITY £138,826 (£159,267 tested) Representative PCP £1141 (35 payments), £30.6k deposit, 5.9% APR, 10k miles Typical approved used value n/a (too soon) £98,135 (£107,725 tested) Representative PCP £725 (35 payments), £30k deposit, 3.9% APR, 10k miles Typical approved used value £66k (2019, 4k miles) £96,790 (£96,790 tested) Representative PCP £1000 (36 payments), £29k deposit, 4.9% APR, 10k miles Typical approved used value £62k (’16, 35k miles) £139,000 (£139,000 as tested) Representative PCP n/a (too soon) Typical approved used value n/a (too soon) POWERTRAI N Engine 93.4kWh battery, twin e-motors Transmission Two-speed, all-wheel drive Engine 4395cc 32v twin-turbocharged V8 Transmission Eight-speed auto, all-wheel drive Engine 100kWh battery, twin e-motors Transmission Singlespeed, all-wheel drive Engine 1969cc…

I love gazing out the window at the i-Pace. Stubby nose like a mid-engined supercar’s, hatchback rump, a wheelbase the length of an Audi A8 limo’s (but overall 453mm shorter), SUV-sized wheels and a roofline that sits midway between saloon and SUV. Jag’s designers reallocated the space no longer required for combustion-engine gubbins to the passenger cell. Audi e-Tron take note. Rear passengers get copious legroom, and the wide footwell allows my kids to walk across to their child seats. The 577-litre boot is pretty big too, but it’s deep rather than tall. Still, the other day it swallowed two small bikes and a scooter, plus a back-up pram. Jaguar i-Pace S Month 4 The story so far Living with Jag’s EV is full of pleasant surprises +A design and…

ABARTH 595 > Pricey pocket rocket with divine details, dodgy dynamics and a choice of 1.4-litre turbocharged engines in various stages of steroidal overcompensation > VERDICT Like a small yappy dog: noisy, excitable and likely to give you a headache 124 SPIDER > Tuning division’s take on Fiat’s take on the Mazda MX-5, with tweaked brakes, engine, steering and suspension > VERDICT A delight to drive, but the rational decision is to go for a better-value Mazda ALFA ROMEO GIULIETTA > Looked like a credible Golf rival for a while but now the game has moved on. Keen prices, but several alternatives are roomier, classier and more fun to drive > VERDICT Miles better than a Mito. Miles better than a 4C, even. But, unfortunately, miles behind a Golf–the old…

Think of Morgan’s new Plus Four as a lighter, less powerful version of the Plus Six. It weighs just over a tonne and is powered by a BMW-derived 255bhp turbocharged four. We’ve opted for the six-speed manual gearbox, but an eight-speed automatic transmission is also available. Morgan’s online car builder is intricate, but we’ve kept it simple with a single-colour Metallic Ice Blue finish (£1434) and retained the standard silver wheels. We have, however, added a very retro spare wheel (£474) on the tailgate. Our choice of biscuit-hued quilted leather seating with grey piping, stitching and grey carpeting (totalling £3090) keeps the interior light. More colour choices, with Zebrano lightcoloured wood (£714) on the dashboard, a beige soft-top roof (£834), grey beading buried in the wings (£354) and polished mesh…

1950 The blind inventor’s vision Ralph Teetor, born 130 years ago in Indiana, blinds himself in one eye while playing with a knife, age five. The other eye stops working a year later because of a merciless condition called sympathetic opthalmia. But he studies mechanical engineering and goes on to be an inventor with a keen (if belated) interest in safety. His Speedostat system, patented in 1950, is a mechanical way of nudging drivers who were about to breach a speed limit. 1974 Spoils of war In 1973 OPEC, the Organisation of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries, stops selling oil to countries that it believes backed Israel in the Arab-Israeli war. The price of oil soars. In response, a national speed limit of 55mph is imposed in the USA in 1974.…

Give the option to M5-ify it The cleaner look front and rear is welcome, but Munich is giving you free rein to tart whichever variant you pick to look like the rip-snorting super-saloon. Sporty wheel designs, diffusers for M Sport versions, braver new colour options and a Performance Parts catalogue the size of War and Peace allow for much more customisation. M5 too rich for you? The brutal 523bhp V8-powered M550i xDrive makes it to the UK for the first time. Make it like a 7-series inside The pre-facelift 5-series wasn’t too far off limo standards, but BMW has upped its game anyway. There’s an M Sport Edition trim limited to 1000 units and a raft of fresh upholstery options. BMW’s latest iDrive operating system finally reaches the 5-series, too,…

THE INNOVATIONS TRANSFORMING OUR DRIVING WORLD Sharper, sportier, stronger but still recognisably a GTI–that’s the visual takeaway when you first clap eyes on Volkswagen’s eighth-generation Golf GTI, and it’s exactly what the chassis dynamics team wants you to feel at the wheel. Different ball games, same goal, and this month we’re getting the lowdown from the people who made it possible Design has become increasingly digitised over the last decade, as complexity has increased and VW Group design teams have expanded globally. Design boss Klaus Bischoff estimates there are now some 415 Group designers worldwide. ‘Car design is so complicated now on the technical side that it can’t be done by one designer, it is always a collaboration,’ he says. The Mk6 and Mk7 Golfs increasingly embraced digital design over…

The first drive is great. This Seven–like all Sevens–is in its element on sunny B-roads, tiny wheel wriggling in your hands, soft-ish suspension breathing with the dips and crests. Normally you’d also be mesmerised by the front wheels turning with your inputs, but on the Super Seven they’re shrouded by long, flowing arches. That’s because it’s styled to recall the original Lotus Super Sevens (so-called because they had a bit more poke than regular Sevens) and the first cars made under Caterham in the early ’70s after it acquired the rights from Lotus. Caterham’s previous retro-inspired models (the Seven Sprint and cafe racer-style Super Sprint, released in 2017) sold out in a matter of days despite very modern prices. The new old-fashioned Super Seven is not a limited-run model but…

Illustration by Peter Strain In normal times, CAR columns are about cars. But these are not normal times. So today I will write about the sole form of onroad entertainment encouraged in these days of lockdowns and lack of loo rolls. I have been a keen road cyclist for 32 years. Many other CAR writers are also passionate about pedal power, including Messrs Miller, Oliver and Whitworth. So, too, was the late, great CAR columnist Russell Bulgin, who encouraged me to buy my first road bike. (The 6ft 7in Bulgin got his frames handmade by Roberts in south London. He also owned a Moulton, designed by the man who developed the suspension of the original Mini.) LJK Setright was designing a new form of recumbent bicycle before his death. Former…

Then: Alec’s original The Mini could have put its engine at the back, as per the Fiat 500, but Alec Issigonis (left) realised that mounting it transversely up front and driving the front wheels would free up more space. The bobbing motion on the move is a product of the suspension’s rubber cones, the great handling a by-product of pushing the 10-inch rims to the far corners of the car for minimal wheelarch intrusion. Now: BMW’s all-electric Mini It might be a forced-to-fit job, using architecture intended for Minis with engines, but it’s a neat one. The Electric travels down the same Oxford line as regular models, and weighs 145kg more than an auto petrol Mini–not bad. The body’s 18mm higher–blame the battery–but you’d never notice. Space inside is unchanged;…

Lister LFT LFT stands for Lister F-Type. New components up the supercharged V8’s power to 666bhp (although it’s been tested to 700bhp), and top speed to 208mph. Yours for £140k. Lister Stealth Originally named the LFP, the Stealth is based on the Jaguar F-Pace SVR. Using the same engine as the LFT, it too can hit the double-ton. It’s priced from £120,000. Storm EV Whittaker-era’s first all-new car was to be a modern take on the Knobbly. After a volte-face (pun intended) it’s now planning an electric super sports car with an unnamed partner company.…

Matty Graham & Getty Images 4 TIME FOR A DETOUR Why hurry home? On countless occasions over the last year or so A14 roadworks have forced me to divert, with the A1 North closed. This time I take the B660 for fun, the sun now above the horizon and the road carpeted with windblown tree debris. Fast and free, the Aston’s in its element. Somehow the car silently communicates its preference for a smooth, Jenson Button-esque touch at the wheel rather than Mansellian flailings. 2 NEED. COFFEE. NOW The M25 is never quiet but the storm’s helping persuade people to stay home. I get a clear run at the fabulous slip road from T5 onto the M25 (clockwise), then neatly dispatch a roundabout or two before picking up a 24-hour…

The angry stare, the slab sides, the cliff-face nose and that gigantic plateau of a bonnet–the modern G-Wagen has a sturdy, imperious presence on the road, which probably accounts for its appeal among Hollywood celebrities. If you had a dozen stalkers and a mosquito cloud of paparazzi following you everywhere, maybe you too would want a car that screams ‘DON’T MESS WITH ME!!!’ over a loudhailer. This, in turn, explains why a generation of social-mediaaddicted 20-somethings absolutely love our G350d, even though it simultaneously rubs salt into all their environmental anxieties. My older daughter (a millennial) often posts pictures of my test cars, but nothing can get a reaction like the G. The comments–and these are genuine–run along the lines of: ‘That sh*t is SWANK AF’ and ‘OMG stopppp’. The…

In the weeks leading up to the UK’s lockdown I spent a lot of time in the 508–a combination of family trips out of London most weekends and a few trips up to CAR HQ that avoided the public transport I’d usually use. Solo work journeys saw my phone wirelessly charging in the centre console, a podcast playing clearly through the Focal hi-fi, and fuel consumption ticking above 35mpg too. The family trips, being short visits, didn’t tax the boot, which can seem annoyingly small. The countryside’s combination of leaves and mud accumulating inside saw me purchase a handheld vacuum to keep the 508 clean, a sure sign that I rather like it. Peugeot 508 SW GT 1.6 225 Month 5 The story so far Is this the Peugeot that…

JUST AD BLUE With the mileage slowly approaching 10,000 it’s time to give the Superb a slurp of AdBlue. As prices are wildly inflated at fuel stations it’s worth having some in your garage, or doing a bit of internet buying if you’re able to. Mine was sourced from Euro Car Parts. DECLUTTERED Rear passengers get generous legroom, which counts for a lot, but little else in the way of luxuries here in this mid-spec SE L version. No heated seats, no charging points, no independent rear climate control. BYOL (bring your own luxuries) makes sense in a Skoda. OFF PISTE I think it’s safe to say the ski hatch is very unlikely to see any actual ski action in this Superb, but it does come in very useful on…

1 VW TOURAN They forgot to spend any time on style and gimmickry, but there’s no need when the product is so fundamentally right. Drives like a car, because it’s basically a Golf SV with a longer boot. Thirdrow seats aren’t massive, but the interior has brilliant flexibility. Not many left; £29,260 buys a 2.0-litre diesel S. 2 SKODA KODIAQ Best value of the seven-seat SUVs, but run very close by Seat Tarraco sibling, Nissan X-Trail and Peugeot 5008. Roomy, comfortable and a decent steer. For £27,455 you can get the nice 1.5 petrol engine with manual gearbox and front-wheel drive, or head the far side of £30k for gruntier diesel. 3 VAUXHALL COMBO LIFE XL See also Peugeot Rifter L and Citroën Berlingo XL. It’s based on a van,…

SEAT IBIZA 1.0 TSI 95 XCELLENCE LUX £197 Well-equipped and stylish Spec 1.0-litre three-cylinder, front-drive, 94bhp, 126g/km CO2 List price £19,805 Initial payment £2000; then £197/month for 36 months Mileage allowance 10,000 via zen.auto FIAT 500 HYBRID LOUNGE £175 Updated and greener city car Spec 1.0-litre three-cylinder, front-drive, 69bhp, 119g/km CO2 List price £14,500 Initial payment £1250; then £175/month for 36 months Mileage allowance 10,000 via zen.auto RENAULT KADJAR S EDITION TCE 130 £187 Roomy SUV a stealthy bargain Spec 1.3-litre four-cylinder, front-drive, 138bhp, 151g/km CO2 List price £24,095 Initial payment £1500; then £187/month for 36 months Mileage allowance 10,000 via zen.auto FORD PUMA TITANIUM ECOBOOST 125 £197 Winner of a recent CAR Giant Test Spec 1.0-litre three-cylinder, front-drive, 197bhp, 132g/km CO2 List price £20,845 Initial payment £2000; then £197/month…

MOTHER-LOVED LOOKS Visual echoes of the latest RAV4 and Lexus RX L don’t quite gel, but the seven-seater has been a US success based on function, not style. Inside, expect hints of C-HR and kit including an Evoqueesque digital rear-view mirror that lets you ‘see through’ stuff on the rear seats and in the boot. HYBRID POWER (OBVIOUSLY) What else would Toyota use? The Highlander has a 2.5-litre petrol engine and two electric motors for a combined 241bhp and all-wheel drive. It shares its platform basics with the Camry and RAV4, not the Land Cruiser. A Trail setting optimises those e-motors for muddy lanes. STADIUM-LIKE SPACE But, fortunately, seats better than those at your average footy ground. The middle row slides by up to 180mm, and when rows two and…

Illustration by Peter Strain Do you have to be a complete nutso to run a car company? This question came to mind the other day when Ford CEO Jim Hackett gave a first-quarter financial briefing via a conference call. Hackett’s an unusual figure in Detroit: he worked for a furniture company for 33 years before becoming Ford’s leftfield choice for boss in 2017. Why leftfield? For a start, he doesn’t follow the corporate-speak rules. Last year he sent an email out to employees that began with the immortal line: ‘2018 was mediocre by any standard. Yes, we made $7 billion…’ You can imagine the factory workers rubbing their chins, saying: ‘Hmm, yes, only $7 billion, how disappointing.’ Meanwhile Hackett was paid a mediocre $17.8 million that year. But Jim raised…

If you can remember the ’60s, you weren’t really there, so they say (‘they’ being the operative word since, appropriately enough, nobody can quite remember who came up with that line first). But Mini cannot–will not–forget the ’60s. How can it, when the entire brand is built on (and in) the image of the original Austin Seven Mini? The Austin, and its Morris Mini-Minor twin, were launched in 1959, and through the ’60s came to embody that decade’s penchant for style and the breaking down of class barriers. In perfect step with the explosion of pop culture, the cheeky Mini is as symbolic of the ’60s as Merseybeat, Twiggy and the Moon landings. That was then, this is now, and a time-warp 1960 Austin Seven is sitting on a West…

Why is it here? Because it’s a Porsche, an EV, and Porsche’s first (modern) EV. But where exactly does it fit in? Is the Taycan good for an electric car, or good full stop? Are we simply relieved that Porsche hasn’t embarrassed itself? Does the Taycan offer much beyond the EV double-act of ridiculous acceleration and silent running? And would you take one over our reigning supersaloon king, the BMW M5? Any clever stuff? Nothing but clever stuff. There’s a two-speed rear gearbox where most EVs keep their ratios fixed, for efficient high-speed running and a bludgeoning launch. The engineering in the motors makes them expensive but power-dense. The brakes offer way more feel than we’ve come to expect from EV regen systems. But perhaps the Taycan’s most significant innovation is that…

1 1954: The golden era Part of an engineering dynasty, Brian Lister begins constructing his own racing cars in the early ’50s. His Lister-Jaguars become giant-killers in international sportscar racing, winning on a smaller budget than rivals and driven by heroes including Stirling Moss and Archie Scott Brown. 2 1986: The monster era Laurence Pierce acquires the rights to Lister and begins a new chapter in Surrey, converting the Jaguar XJS into the £115k, 200mph Lister Le Mans. In the ’90s Lister’s at Le Mans for real with the brutal Storm racing car. The roadgoing version becomes the fastest four-seater in the world. 3 2013: The modern era Andrew and Lawrence Whittaker buy up the various companies and intellectual property rights associated with Lister, making it a wholly owned subsidiary…

For some reason the only photos I took were of patio furniture, but fortunately my memory of last June’s Renault Clio launch is crystal clear. The weather was glorious, the roads were good and both versions of the car I drove in Portugal were very impressive. I was particularly keen on the manual gearbox and the two-tone cabin trim of the lower-spec model. And for the next few months I’m driving the opposite of that: the higher-spec model with an automatic gearbox. Not complaining, of course, but it adds to the list of questions I want to answer during my months with the Clio. Because plush cabins and automatic gearboxes completely contradict what my prejudices tell me is important in a hatchback. Hatches are light and simple and require the…

You return to your car at the supermarket to find a large van has parked next to you. With zero visibility of oncoming traffic until you’ve moved back at least two metres, reversing out is a game of Russian roulette. But our V60 has two features to make it less terrifying. One is a rear-view camera with a hugely wide field of vision; the other, a rear Cross Traffic Alert system that’s part of our car’s optional £1600 Drive Assist safety suite. The audible warning about passing cars and pedestrians is useful, but it escalates to lurchy braking far too early, often when pedestrians are miles from the back of the car. Volvo V60 Cross Country Month 3 The story so far Volvo’s V60 protects pedestrians; gives heart attacks to…

We’ve already got a Renault Zoe that my wife mainly drives and which, being electric, is of course utterly dependent on our wallbox for power. She selfishly hogs it too. Every time I come home, there’s the Zoe sucking juice out of the house, like a big blue greedy baby, leaving the Grandland hybrid’s batteries flat and desperate for a quick fix to restore its 24 miles of electric range. I’ve got a granny cable which I am running out of the garage, under the door, and is being used as a much slower, trickly, substitute. On the standard ‘big’ cable, the Grandland takes less than two hours to recharge. On the little one, three times that, though. Vauxhall GrandlandX Elite Nav Hybrid4 Month 2 The story so far Batteries…