Car UK - June 2018

ISSUE 671
£ 4 . 8 0
LIGHT & MIGHTY
ALPINE A110 & NEW FIESTA ST

B-ROAD DRIVING HEAVEN, FROM £18K!
AT
A celebration, starring the gorgeous 356, ballistic 917 & wild new GT3 RS
+ e
356 917
Driving the genesis of Inside the 235mph
Porsche’s genius Le Mans monster
ALSO INSIDE:
A-Class goes first class

Faster than a Chiron, all electric
GT3 RS
Flat-out in the hero 911
CLS vs A7 vs Quattroporte
FROM THE EDITOR
THIS MONTH ON PLANET
Are you not

entertained?
‘ANYONE SEE THE Grand Prix at the week-
end?’ I ask, hopefully. Tumbleweed.
Eventually: ‘Nah, I don’t watch it any more’,
‘Haven’t seen a race for years’ and an exasperated
‘Soooooooo tedious’.
Even the CAR office – a place that hums with
automotive discourse, and that loves the smell
of hot rubber in the morning – would rather talk
Champions League football than F1. Ross Brawn,
F1’s poacher-turned-gamekeeper (CAR, April
2018) clearly has two big tasks. Not only must he
improve the spectacle, he must also convince those long since
tuned out that F1 is again worthy of their time.
But I’d argue it already is. Four races into the 2018 season I’ve
yet to fall asleep in front of the TV – really.
Previously dominant like Real Madrid, Mercedes only just
won their first race in 2018. In China, Daniel Ricciardo’s drive
from sixth place to the lead (and win) inside 10 laps was the kind
of different-level spectacle most considered long-gone in F1, up
there with Senna at Donington or Fangio at that scary German
circuit. Azerbaijan was scintillating: Red Bulls knocking lumps
out of each other (literally, in the end); Sebastian Vettel deliver-
ing a race weekend masterclass, right up until the lunge, lock-up
and flat-spot that kept him from the podium; rookies hauling
Apprentice meets the master in points like pros; veterans clonking walls like rank amateurs.
urite haunt of the naturally
Sun-soaked southern Spain is a favo And that was just the race – qualifying yielded the YouTube clip
write r Jake Groves found out
aspirated warm hatch, as staf Baku 2018 will be remembered for, a full-chat near-miss that
out there testin g the boos ted and more grown-up new
while
ation Sport was nicely battle freezes your breath in your lungs every time you see it.
Swift Sport. The red second-gener
-use d hot hatch should be, and a timely In short, the Baku race was everything F1 should be: prepos-
scarred, as a hard
efer vescent hatches, Suzuki has
reminder that when it comes to terous, outrageously fast, visceral and underpinned by layers of
plenty of previous.
strategy, technical intrigue, history and politics to be ignored or
Swift Sport First Drive, p32
revelled in, as you wanted.
The next race is Monaco,
May 27 – if this season can de-
liver a thrilling race there then
it truly is a vintage year. Don’t
miss it.
Enjoy the issue.
Ben Miller
Editor
The Holy land: Stuttgart WE’RE ALSO

Porsche’s 70th anniversary,
Much of this issue is dedicated to PUBLISHED IN:
ue justice without a pilgrimage AROUND THE WORLD
and you can’t hope to do the marq
gart. Art edito r Mal Bailey and ace photographer John
to Stutt
out in early April to shoo t the cover and Ben
Wycherley flew
on Porsche’s three greatest endurance CHINA INDIA ITALY KOREA
Pulman’s dazzling story being Porsche, the
but, Pors che
racers. We were ofered a studio
men t car park was so phot ogen ic we opted for that.
base
Porsche at 70, p54 MALAYSIA SPAIN THAILAND TURKEY GREECE
June 2018 | CARMAGA ZINE.CO.UK 3

JUNE 2018
104
FEATURES
54
INSIDER
6 EXCLUSIVE! Merc and AMG’s sports car future
8 Design guru Stephen Bayley on Rolls-Royce’s SUV…
10 The new supercar wearing Sir Jack’s name
8
Rolls-Royce’s
Cullinan rolls in
Porsche at 70
Celebrating the world’s greatest sports car maker
56
12 The rapid rookies queuing up to race for Red Bull F1
14 Meet the new boss of post-Dieselgate VW Origins: driving the 356
That Porsche feeling? It started here
16 It went BMW, Infiniti… glory? Karim Habib talks
18 60 years of the British Touring Car Championship
TECH
60
The racing icons: 917, 956 & 919
22 Fuel from thin air? Time to believe
Competition pedigrees come no finer
24 Nissan’s ProPilot versus the M25
26 Incoming tech from BMW’s biggest brains
70
FIRST DRIVES New 911 GT3 RS driven
28 Mercedes A-Class Like an S-Class inside Caution: 9000rpm flat-six being exercised
31 McLaren Senna Silverstone, monstered
32 Suzuki Swift Sport The giantkiller gets a turbo
33 BMW i8 Roadster Gains oomph, loses roof
78
The 70 greatest Porsches
34 Bentley Continental GT The world shrinks a little more
From tractors to Turbos
114
37 Mercedes G-Class Same face, new undercrackers
38 Pick-ups Quick Group Test Merc X-Class versus rivals
94
OPINION Alpine A110 & new Fiesta ST
42, 44, 46 Gavin Green, Mark Walton and Sam Smith Audi A7 vs Merc In common, a ferocious appetite for being thrashed
49 CAR Interactive: your hopes, fears and photos CLS vs Maser
104
Inside Ariel Motor Co
From Atom and Nomad to an EV hypercar – no, really
114
Mercedes CLS Giant Test
Foxy four-door battles new A7 and Quattroporte
REAR END
94
124 Icon Buyer
Cerebral future icons, starring A2, C6 and Yeti
130 Our Cars

Audi RS5, Civic Type R, Merc E-Class All-Terrain…
A110 & Fiesta ST: 143 GBU: every car rated!

fun makes its Plus how to spec a sublime VW Up GTI
comeback
162 The CAR Top 10
Corners to book trackdays for
60
The blue! The orange! The fact that it won
pretty much everything! Under the skin of
the Porsche 917 (and the equally brilliant
956 and 919 that followed)
ALL-NEW PHONE EDITION

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as well as tablets. Get the app then visit www. facebook.com/CARmagazine @carmagazine @CARmagazine CARmagazineTV
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Cars, people, scoops, motorsport, analysis: the month according to CAR
MERC’S ICONIC
SL REBORN
(WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM THE GT)
Twinned with the next-generation GT coupe, 2020’s new SL roadster
will combine 2+2 seating, a canvas roof and mild hybrid power
By Georg Kacher
6 CARMAGA ZINE.CO.UK | June 2018

M
ERCEDES’ ENTIRE sports car portfolio is
about to undergo a radical reinvention, led The SLC roadster will
by AMG: the next SL roadster will be bigger
and switch from a folding hardtop to a clas-
be sent to the scrapyard
sic soft-top, the GT sports car becomes more
agile and driver focused, and the smaller
in the sky as part of this
SLC roadster (previously badged SLK) will be sent to the great
scrapyard in the sky.
major AMG-led revamp
Mercedes’ performance division AMG, which is developing
the 2020 SL and 2022 GT, now has increased responsibility
within Mercedes’ R&D structure, taking charge of all V8 and
V12 engine development, while beavering away on this year’s
Project One hybrid hypercar and AMG GT 4-Door coupe. It also mirroring the Ferrari Portofino’s layout. It will also ditch the
had significant input into the all-new G-Class (driven on p37). folding hardtop roof used on the last two generations, adopting
But sports cars are AMG’s brot und butter, so it makes sense the classical canvas folding roof instead.
that Tobias Moers, AMG’s ambitious CEO, got the nod to lead A longer wheelbase is necessary for the two extra seats, but
the project. The next SL – codenamed R232 – will be so trans- ditching the bulky roof will save weight and improve boot space.
formed that it’s very likely to be marketed under the Mercedes- The all-new, aluminium-intensive architecture houses six- and
AMG banner – or potentially solely as an AMG. eight-cylinder engines in a front/mid-engined position.
It will grow from housing two people to being a 2+2-seater, Together with rear-wheel steering, the engine location should
make the SL more nimble than its size suggests. Active anti-roll
bars and 4Matic all-wheel drive also promise to strike a good
compromise between sportiness and comfort.
The SL will have a 48-volt battery electrical system to power
various functions and provide mild-hybrid capability, including
energy recuperation and 20bhp of additional power, while the
flagship SL will run a twin-turbo V8, not a V12, with an e-motor
capable of punching out 204bhp and plug-in battery charging.
The full line-up is set to comprise a 435bhp SL43 with a turbo
3.0-litre six and 48-volt mild hybridisation, two flavours of
hybrid-boosted, twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 (a 522bhp SL53 and a
612bhp SL63) and a range-topping SL73 plug-in hybrid sum-
moning 800bhp from its V8 and e-motor working in concert.
All 43/53/63 powertrain combinations will be available to
the SL’s sister car, the AMG GT replacement codenamed C192.
However, the plug-in hybrid is not currently earmarked for the
coupe – AMG could be waiting for the ‘EQ Power +’ boost system
that’s under development. If this proves viable, it will pair the
combustion engine with two small yet powerful e-motors left
and right of the transaxle transmission.
The GT will retain today’s transaxle layout, where the trans-
mission is sited at the rear, but that doesn’t mean the second-gen-
eration GT won’t undergo big changes elsewhere. Although its
architecture is shared with the new SL, it will have a shorter
wheelbase than the upcoming convertible, but will still be more
2020’S SL spacious than today’s GT. And, crucially, it will be lighter and
Gone is the old more agile than both. No convertible versions of the strictly two-
hardtop roof in favour
of lighter, more compact seat AMG are currently planned.
canvas which helps create The new SL was initially set to share its architecture with a
more space in the back – it’ll new-generation SLK/SLC rather than the GT. But the dwin-
be a 2+2. The range-topping
SL73 features a twin-turbo
dling popularity of the SLC and rivals such as the BMW Z4 and
V8 and e-motor putting Porsche Boxster encouraged Mercedes to prioritise the AMG GT
out 800bhp. as a partner for the SL. And when talks to buddy up with Nissan
for the next Z-car or Renault for a version of the Alpine failed,
ILLUSTRATION: ANDREI AVARVARII
2022’S AMG GT
Shares the new SL’s
Mercedes decided to abandon the segment altogether.
architecture but will have The two-door S-Class models are equally under threat. With
a shorter wheelbase. AMG the roomy E-Class coupe and cabriolet nibbling away at them
says it will be more spacious from below, and the new SL expected to be similarly spacious
and agile than the current
GT, though it won’t have thanks to its extended wheelbase, the case for S-Class spin-
a convertible version – offs is looking decidedly shaky. What’s more, Mercedes could
that’s SL territory. develop a fixed-head SL off this platform if required...

‘They should have called it
the Rolls-Royce Taboo.
Or perhaps the Silver Kitsch’
Is the Cullinan just another big, luxurious SUV – or is it a
betrayal of the spirit of Rolls-Royce? By Stephen Bayley
ALLIKRATES AND IKTINOS, look away now! mercial logic. There are enough credulous people who would
K The architects of the Parthenon, whose pediment

inspired Rolls-Royce’s most distinctive feature, used
a system of ‘refinements’ to make the building’s
composition and proportions appear perfect. These included
subtle curvatures to account for natural optical illusions: a true
buy a Bangkok tuk-tuk if a Spirit of Ecstasy were attached to
the handlebars. But brand extension is ultimately ruinous:
Pierre Cardin briefly made a fortune applying his name to fry-
ing pans, but that simultaneously robbed his couture business
of prestige. What will Cullinan do to Phantom?
straight line will appear depressed, unless it is bent out a little. Taste is the last threshold of shame. No one has ever said:
We must allow for the possibility that design director Giles ‘Do you know, I wish I had worse taste.’ It is in this context that
Taylor has employed refinements so that this engorged pile the new Rolls-Royce SUV excels so effortlessly. The problem of
of pharaonic de luxe grossness appears an exercise in delicacy discovering new and toxic forms of vulgarity has been taken
and tact if only its real size were known. But I don’t think so. away from ‘high net-worth individuals’. How delicious to
The excellent Ian Cameron, designer of the last Phantom, got drive something which says, using the artistic equiv-
cross with me when I said: ‘It’s all very well, but you’d have to alent of a permanently deployed middle finger: ‘Get EXPLORING NEW
have a severe psychological problem to want to own one.’ Same out of my way. I’m rich.’ TERRITORY
applies here, but you’d also need very poor eyesight too. They should have called it the Rolls-Royce Rolls-Royce expects the
USA to be the Cullinan’s
There is not much subtle in this new Rolls-Royce, including Taboo. Or perhaps the Silver Kitsch. biggest market, followed by
the name Cullinan. This rough diamond was discovered in But most depressing is that Rolls-Royce has China and the Middle East,
the South African goldfields in 1905. That it has now been ignored the option of inventing future excellence while also extending its
appropriated for diamond geezers is eloquent of astonishing and chosen instead to join the hysteria which has reach in new markets such
as Scandinavia, Russia
insensitivity by Rolls’ marketeers. In 1905 South Africa was already caused Porsche, Lamborghini, Bentley, and India.
still a British dominion and the name evokes colonial exploita- Maserati, Alfa Romeo, Jaguar and, soon, Maybach,
tion, beaming piccaninnies and notions Aston Martin and Ferrari to have psychotic delusions
of theft, largesse and servitude. and make cars profoundly at odds with their original
The original Cullinan diamond was spirit. In the Premiership, only McLaren remains to be
shipped to London, cut in Amsterdam contaminated.
and became part of the Crown Jewels. They say Cullinan’s a new definition of luxury. Last word
Still, they say if you want to know what now to Coco Chanel: ‘Luxury is not the opposite of poverty,
God thinks about money, just look at the it’s the opposite of vulgarity.’ M’elle Chanel would have found
people he gives it to. nothing luxurious here.
Then there is the problem of product STEPHEN
Next month in CAR: Gavin Green meets the
semantics. The grandeur and dignity BAYLEY
team behind the Cullinan
The former
which are the source of Rolls-Royce’s CAR columnist
credibility, the basis of all its ‘brand is a curator
values’ – so effortfully exploited here – are and author.
surely compromised when axle-deep in He shifts his
gaze between
organic slurry, or up to your beltline in politics, food,
desert sand and dessicated camel poo. The travel and
absurdity does reinforce the old truth that architecture,
the single known fact about consumer but you can find
behaviour is that it’s irrational. highlights of
his automotive
And all this is compounded by the phil- writing at
osophical horrors of brand extension. Of carmagazine.
course, it is easy to understand the com- co.uk

Lexus says
ES to new
saloon
The old switcheroo: Lexus
swaps out GS saloon for
new ES, and it’s hybrid-only.
By Jake Groves
Y
THE OU’LL BARELY NOTICE,
QUARTER OF BIGGER
A MILLION? THAN A
GREAT but Lexus is quietly shuffling
INDOORS
NOT ENOUGH BENTAYGA the GS saloon out of Western
Individual rear seats
Deliveries start by year’s At 5.34m long the Cullinan Europe to be replaced with this:
in Bavarian leather are
end, with pricing expected to is shorter than a Phantom
sit between the Ghost and the swb, but 200mm longer than a
standard, along with various the new ES. It’s a model familiar in
permutations of picnic tables. the US and Russia, but it’s the first
Phantom at around £275,000 Bentayga. Four-wheel steering Reclining ‘sleeper seats’ are an
– although few Cullinans are will help it manoeuvre its generation of the mid-sized exec to
option, as is a conventional
likely to leave the Goodwood bulk. Power comes from the folding bench. A fixed glass be sold in the UK.
factory without a host of same 563bhp 6.75-litre partition is available, to The ES uses Toyota/Lexus’s
personalised options twin-turbo V12 as the separate luggage
at extra cost. Phantom. from cabin.
GA-K platform also seen in the
fresh ’n’ chunky new RAV4, so it
swaps the GS’s rear-driven wheels
for front-wheel drive and features
adaptive suspension lifted from the
LC coupe. Inside, it’s still trad Lexus
with luxurious materials, a track-
pad-based infotainment system and
digital dials.
F Sport spec uses a ‘Hadori’
metallic trim inspired by Japanese
sword makers. Lexus’s ‘Safety Sense
+’ semi-autonomous safety kit is
standard, while a booming Mark
Levinson audio system is optional.
Want conventional petrol or
diesel power in Western Europe?
Tough. Lexus, like Toyota, is
phasing out diesel power, and
the turbo petrol 200t engines
are quietly being bumped from
the range due to poor sales, so the
only ES powertrain over here is
the 300h hybrid. A 2.5-litre At-
kinson-cycle petrol engine linked
to an electric motor cranks out
212bhp, and Lexus says it’s capable
of achieving 60.1mpg. UK deliveries
are coming in January 2019.

Brabham’s back,
marrying a 5.4-litre non-turbo V8
good for 700bhp with a compos- Decades of
ite-intensive structure weighing innovation
with a McLaren 972kg dry. The engineering is

decidedly race-inspired: carbon
brakes, integrated air jacks,
1960 S: MRD ORIGINS
Initially born of Jack
Brabham’s frustration
Senna rival double-wishbone suspension with

top-spec Öhlins dampers, a pneu-
matic sequential transmission and
at Cooper’s reluctance
to evolve its mid-en-
gined racers, Brabham
the constructor briefly
Outrageous track-ready hypercars are all the rage. The motorsport-grade driver assists.
Inside, it’s the same story. Climb
carries the name
latest is from legendary motorsport name Brabham into the FIA-approved carbon seat, MRD – Motor Racing
Developments.
click your Brabham carbonfibre
F
OR FANS OF a certain age, the Brabham name is steering wheel into place, secure the six-point harness and
synonymous with two things: the fast and unflap- adjustable pedalbox, go shatter lap records.
pable ’60s F1 driver Jack, the man without whom the No performance figures are yet being claimed but the
constructor would neither exist nor have a name, and BT62 should compare favourably with the 211mph, 2.8sec-
the innovative Gordon Murray-designed F1 cars of the ’70s to-62mph Senna (the McLaren is 90bhp more powerful but
and early ’80s. Both, admittedly, were a while ago. 200kg heavier – as you’d expect of a car that’s also road-legal:
But now David Brabham – son of Sir Jack and a multiple the Brabham is not). With ‘more than 814bhp’, the upcom-
Le Mans winner – is bringing the name back, eschewing ing Senna GTR promises to take the fight to the Brabham. 1966: F1 GLORY
a premium electric vehicle for 2018’s other big trend: an Sales are underway now via Brabham Automotive’s web- Using a Repco V8,
ultra light and powerful track-ready hypercar with the aero- site (brabhamautomotive.com). Buyers will receive a driver Brabham takes his
light, quick and
enhanced grip to make you feel a little unwell. training programme bundled in with their Brabham, to reliable BT19 to the F1
The BT62 is a McLaren Senna GTR rival of sorts – a ready them for the not inconsiderable challenge of piloting drivers’ title in ’66.
£1 million (before taxes), limited-edition (70 units) machine their new baby to something like its full potential.
1970 S: BRABHAM WITHOUT
BRABHAM (OR TAURANAC)
AERO Brabham retires, out
APPARENT goes co-founder
Vast wing and Ron Tauranac and
faintly ludicrous in comes Bernie
difuser aren’t mere Ecclestone, who
token gestures: makes Gordon Murray
peak downforce chief designer. His
is a claimed BT44 and BT44B’s
1200kg. good looks are
enhanced by Martini
sponsorship.
1978: NUMBER ONE FAN

BT46B ‘fan car’ beats
the ground-efect
READY FOR Lotus by sucking itself
LAUNCH to the track.
Brabham’s
heritage is all about EARLY 1980 S: NEW
racing, and so’s the ENGINES, MORE SUCCESS
cabin. Nothing Brabham switches to
retro, nothing Ford power for 1980
superfluous. and in 1981 wins the
drivers’ crown with
Nelson Piquet. He
triumphs again two
years later with the
BMW-powered BT52.
LATE 1980 S: DISARRAY

Bernie’s busy taking
over F1. Murray joins
McLaren. Brabham
slides into the midfield
and then obscurity.

You’re Red
Bull: who
to sign?
Daniel Ricciardo is the F1 driver
everyone wants. Fortunate then
that his potential replacements
look just as fast… By Tom Clarkson
D
ANIEL RICCIARDO holds all of
the cards. The 2018 season may only
be a few races old but Formula 1’s
PIERRE
2019 driver market already revolves GASLY
around the Australian. He’s being courted by
Mercedes, Ferrari and his current employer
Red Bull – and that was before he blitzed the
field in last month’s Chinese Grand Prix.
The bad news for Mercedes and Ferrari,
though, is that – perhaps unfashionably in
modern sport – Ricciardo values loyalty. Red
Bull gave him his F1 break and if they can offer
a winning car, he’ll most likely stay for a sixth
successive season. But he won’t come cheap.
He’ll demand at least the same €20 million a
DANIEL CARLOS
year that the team is paying Max Verstappen.
But Ricciardo might lose faith in Red Bull’s RICCIARDO SAINZ
limited power unit options (either Renault or
Honda) and leave. Here, then, is the three-way
battle for the second Red Bull seat.
▲ DANIEL RICCIARDO ▲ PIERRE GASLY ▲ CARLOS SAINZ

HOW HANDY? He’s a smidgen slower than Max HOW HANDY? The Toro Rosso (Red Bull’s HOW HANDY? Fast. He out-qualified Max
Verstappen in qualifying (13-7 to Max last year), B-team) driver is in his first full F1 season but Verstappen 10-9 in 2015 but was overlooked
but Ricciardo’s clinical race performances looks like the real deal. Magnificent in Bahrain, in favour of Verstappen when Red Bull came
more than make up for any lack of one-lap Gasly started fifth and finished a career-best calling with a spare seat. Worryingly, he hasn’t
pace. He’s consistent, opportunistic and you fourth. But he’s still prone to mad moments – looked good against Nico Hulkenberg at
won’t find a better overtaker in the business. witness his hero-to-zero collision with team- Renault. In their opening seven races together,
Ask Lewis. Or Valtteri. Or Sebastian. mate Brendon Hartley in China. Could benefit the Hulk has out-qualified him on six occasions.
from a second season at Toro Rosso in 2019. Carlos needs to reverse this trend.
MARKETING GOLD? Whether it’s his
Hollywood one-liners (‘Holy Testicle Tuesday’) MARKETING GOLD? He’s quick-witted and MARKETING GOLD? He’s got it all: multi-
or his A-list smile, he oozes star quality. His punchy in conversation – very ‘Red Bull’, in fact lingual, good-looking, engaging and he has a
charisma is such that he’s created a comedy – which makes for good interviews, although famous dad. (Carlos senior is a two-time world
niche among his peers that’s his alone. this sometimes earns him the wrath of Helmut rally champion, who once had a trial for Real
Marko, the boss of Red Bull’s young driver Madrid.) Also likes eating burgers.
TEAM PLAYER? Happy-go-lucky outlook programme, who prefers a more conservative
brings out the best in everyone, including outlook. TEAM PLAYER? Knows the Red Bull set-up
Max Verstappen. The Dutchman is naturally inside out, having been on the payroll since he
introverted and Red Bull’s engineers believe TEAM PLAYER? Like all young drivers, he’s embarked on his single-seater career in 2010.
that Ricciardo’s joshing and messing around in it for himself. But he’s afable and willing to He’s on loan to Renault this year, but Red Bull
helps Max to relax, making him a better racing please, and he can be called upon at any time have first dibs on his services for 2019. Where
driver. When he’s not crashing. of the day or night, according to his engineers. do his loyalties lie?
RED BULL IN 2019 – HOW LIKELY? 70% RED BULL IN 2019 – HOW LIKELY? 40% RED BULL IN 2019 – HOW LIKELY? 50%

That’s all, Volks:
why Matthias Müller
stepped aside for
Herbert Diess
Sales may be strong but the stench of Dieselgate still
lingers over VW. That needs to change. By Georg Kacher
V
OLKSWAGEN SHOCKED the industry and investors
by installing a new group chief executive, Herbert
Diess, in mid-April. By VW standards, he’s an out-
sider, having left BMW to take over the Volkswagen brand
in July 2015 – just two months before the diesel emissions
scandal engulfed the company. Within days of VW’s flouting
of emissions standards becoming public knowledge, CEO
Martin Winterkorn was forced to resign – and then-Porsche
chief Matthias Müller stepped up to be caretaker group leader.
His reign lasted two-and-a-half years, and VW insiders hint
that Müller didn’t have much notice of his time being up. He’d
announced record earnings, and expected to continue in the
role into 2019. But union leaders and political representatives
from the state of Lower Saxony, who have significant clout on
Volkswagen’s supervisory board, were demanding change.
The 64-year-old chief was accused of letting some of the
group’s brands run on too loose a leash – with Skoda intruding
on VW turf, for instance. And despite outlining a plan for VW
to embrace electrification, some key stakeholders complained
of a lack of clear strategic targets group-wide. Another faction
on the supervisory board, the four Porsche and Piëch family
members, disagreed with a proposal to sell off Ducati. And
chief shop steward Bernd Osterloh never stopped calling for a
tougher CEO to fight for worker job security.
Toughness goes to the core of engineer Diess,
whose cost-cutting ways as BMW’s chief of
procurement put him into conflict with parts
Diess comes
suppliers. Ferdinand Piëch recruited him to across as
boost efficiency at VW, and Diess immediately a more Now it’s the turn of Diess to try to re-engi- The outsider: ex-
BMW man Herbert
clashed with Osterloh. But soon Diess was find- neer the VW Group and its sprawling brand
ing ways to forge alliances and wring conces-
resolute portfolio, and project the cultural change
Diess’s relatively
short time within
sions: agreeing a €3.7bn cost-saving plan with decision that will help consign Dieselgate to history. VW means he’s not
tainted by scandal
the unions in early 2017, and safeguarding VW maker who’s The 59-year-old will keep hold of the VW
jobs through to 2025 in return for the workers brand reins and run the new volume car group
embracing the shift to e-mobility. Meanwhile, willing to which also includes Skoda and Seat, as well as
Müller’s handling of Dieselgate was criticised take risks indirectly oversee Audi as chairman of its su-
as clumsy. He seemed too willing to turn his pervisory board. A super-premium group – of
back on the diesel engine, where others wanted Porsche, Lamborghini, Bugatti and Bentley –
to emphasise its benefits. He all too often let it will also need to find synergies and bed down.
be known that he’d been happier at Porsche. Diess has bet big on electromobility and expects 2020 to be
Diess – whose CV also includes running a Bosch plant, and the year volumes soar. If demand rises slower and later, VW
who owns a small tapas bar in Munich – seems more comforta- could have a problem. But the new CEO isn’t worried. ‘We’re on
ble addressing the big picture than Müller. He comes across as track,’ he says. ‘In Europe, MEB will help consolidate VW’s po-
a more resolute decision-maker who’s willing to take risks. And sition as the top player in the volume segment.’ There’s growth
now he’s getting the credit for driving forward the electrifica- in Latin America, the US and China – and that’s before VW
tion strategy, underpinned by the electric MEB architecture. introduces a new budget car to China in 2019.
One trait Diess does share with Müller, however, is his refusal ‘Competence is not the issue here,’ says Diess, ‘but better
to compensate European owners of dodgy diesels. coordination is.’

The CAR Inquisition: Karim Habib
‘This is the rebirth of a brand’
Infiniti’s new design boss Karim Habib explains why he left BMW to
help reinvent Nissan’s premium brand – and why a big hit is now vital
I
ILLUSTRATION: SENOR SALME
T WOULD BE an understatement to say eyebrows were chance to be part of the rebirth of a brand and design differently.
raised when Karim Habib quit the comfort of BMW’s The potential to make something out of this brand could be the
design director role in January 2017 to reappear in July at most rewarding thing I’ve ever done.’
Nissan’s perennially underperforming premium brand The brand turns 30 in 2019 and is certainly in need of a rebirth,
Infiniti. Something was up at BMW Group back then – several having bumped along for most of those years as an also-ran
high-profile designers had already left before Habib during 2016 premium player behind Lexus in perceived quality and sales
– but did the Lebanese-born, Canadian-raised design star need success. Infiniti registered 246,492 units globally in 2017 but
to go all the way to Japan to escape? Were his feet really that itchy most were in the US (168,740), while Toyota’s upmarket marque
in Munich, where his design hits included the 2007 Concept CS, recorded 668,505 worldwide. Infiniti sales remain low in Europe
2015 M2 and 2016 Vision Next 100 Concept? (16,625), just breaking through in China (48,408) and the brand
Habib, now 48, sighs and pauses a while before answering: is still not available in its mother country.
‘There are certain moments that are frustrating, but I’m an adult There’s a pattern here: Japanese companies want their luxury
and have seen much worse. Really, if it was not Infiniti I wouldn’t brands to become established overseas first. Toyota waited years
have changed. Infiniti offered me something I didn’t have: the before introducing the Lexus badge to Japan, Honda barely uses

CAR’S
the Acura name in Japan despite its
CURVEBALLS long success in the US. Habib feels that
6 questions only
we would ask Infiniti selling in Japan is ‘inevitable’
Tell us about your first car...

although there is no concrete plan yet,
and concedes that the brand needs a
Connect 4
‘A [Plymouth] Reliant handed
down to me by my father. This
breakthrough product to match the MODERN MAYBACHS
kind of innovation that saw Infiniti Maybach dates back to 1909, but these are some
was the car that brought back
Chrysler, so not to be snifed at.’ invent the sporty SUV coupe segment of the most OTT cars in recent memory
with the 2002 FX well before any rivals.
Which achievement makes ‘We do need a hit record and that
you most proud?
‘I don’t know if I’m proud of it needs to be the QX50. It was done
or not, but being a father has before I arrived by Alfonso Albaisa
been really important to me. I [now head of Nissan group design]
have two children, aged four and
six. It is an adventure having them
and I think it’s a very good package,’ he
in Japan, discovering everything. reckons.
Work-wise, the act of building Sales of the second-generation
the BMW CS concept was very mid-size SUV are just starting in the
rewarding. Spending a few
US but it won’t arrive in Europe until
The new one
months in Turin, discovering
the whole Italian tradition and 2019. It reflects the maturation of Vision Ultimate Luxury concept (2018)
eating Italian food every night Apologies if you’re looking at this while eating. Maybach’s
Infiniti’s design and a slight upward latest concept is a mix of saloon and SUV and uses four
was a real highlight.’
curve in the brand’s fortunes – 2017 electric motors for emission-free all-wheel drive and a 200-
What’s the best thing you’ve sales were up seven per cent on 2016. mile range. Four-seat cockpit makes liberal use of white
done in a car? Habib’s job is to build on that upholstery, rose gold and even has its own tea set.
‘Driving to the Alps in the
momentum and create the next
summer with a bunch of friends
in an old Alfa. We went from generation. ‘I don’t want it to sound
Munich to Tegernsee. There’s like a spiel,’ he says, well aware that
a lake there; it was just a designers can often sound vague,
beautiful day.’
verbose or both, with or without the
Tell us how you screwed up… marketing department’s help.
‘I was probably a bit too insistent ‘We focus a lot on how we design
or brash about certain things
in the structure of my previous
“form”,’ he says, ‘but we need to The gorgeous one
employers. You have to believe understand we have a role in how 6 Cabriolet concept (2017)
in yourself, but on the other hand customers experience the product too. The other end of the aesthetic scale from Maybach, though
you have to be conscious you Not just by looking at it, but how they just as ostentatious. Stole the show on 2017’s Pebble Beach
might be wrong.’ concept car concourse lawn and it’s not hard to see why. It’s
live with it.’ 5.7m long (making a long-wheelbase S-Class look stunted),
Supercar or classic? The first hint of that direction was good for 750bhp of all-electric oomph and features a
‘Classic. My Alfa Giulia Sprint.’ the Q Inspiration shown in January yacht-inspired ‘360° open-air luxury lounge’.
Company curveball… Infiniti 2018 at the Detroit show, but as Habib

launched in 1989 with two cars, had joined the previous July, the
the Q45 and which other, and concept was well advanced and he only The safari one
what vehicle was it based on?
‘Was it the J30?’ [No. It was the
had influence on ‘reworking propor- G650 Landaulet
M30, a two-door coupe based on tions, details, graphics and readapting (2017)
the Nissan Leopard. The J30 was the interior’. The question ‘can the
a sedan from 1992.] That concept is about creating an G-Class get any more
over-the-top?’ is posed once
‘enriching’ experience and embodies every couple of years, almost as if
the first of four brand attributes Mercedes is keen to keep outdoing itself. ‘Landaulet’
Infiniti is pushing (all beginning with the letter E). The second has a convertible roof for rear passengers, uses a 621bhp
V12 and was thankfully limited to just 99 units.
is ‘enabling’, using technology to help users do things more
easily and will be reflected in Infiniti’s 2019 Detroit concept.
‘Engaging’ is all about making the car more captivating to drive.
The final E – ‘enchanting’ – is by Habib’s own admission more
abstract. ‘I still don’t know how we are going to do this,’ he says,
smiling, ‘but I really would like us to achieve that moment when
something is created and the customer goes “how did they do
that?”’
Alongside all that conceptual brand positioning, production
car realities loom. The first design Habib has had real influence
on arrives in 2020 (he’s not divulging details) but whatever it
looks, feels and functions like, you can be sure he’ll have put a lot The rapper’s one
of creativity into the process. Infiniti is lucky to have him, and Exelero (2005)
A one-of using the chassis of a 57 limousine with a 5.9-litre
through his design tenure may yet gain the clearer identity and
V12 good for 690bhp and a top speed of 218mph. It was the
associated sales the marque needs and craves. epitome of Noughties bling – so much so that it featured
GUY BIRD in Jay Z’s video for Lost One.

1957 1958
DIAMOND THE FIRST RACE
First season for the British
Saloon Car Championship (as
SEARS IS FIRST CHAMP
At season’s end Sopwith tied
on points with Jack Sears.
GEEZERS IN it was originally called) was

1958, but Boxing Day 1957
was the first race, at Brands
Hatch. Tommy Sopwith won,
The solution: a shootout in
identical Rileys – two races,
swapping cars in between.
They took a win apiece, but
DENTED VIVAS driving a 3.4-litre Jaguar. Sears’s times were quicker.
60 YEARS OF THE BTCC

The British Touring Car Championship 1964
CLARK IN A CORTINA
is celebrating its diamond jubilee – In the days when F1 drivers happily raced anywhere
time to break out the T-Cut and wind and everywhere, numerous heroes graced the BTCC,
including Hill, Gurney and Brabham. Jim Clark won
back the clock. By James Taylor the ’64 title, his three-wheeling exploits in a works
Lotus Cortina the stuf of legend.
1988 1987 1975

TURBO TIME THE NAME CHANGE ROUSE’S REIGN BEGINS
Ford’s Sierra Cosworth RS500 The British Saloon Car Andy Rouse (right) is the most
dominated in the late ’80s, Championship was renamed successful BTCC driver of all
with many of those win at the the British Touring Car time, with four championship
hands of Andy Rouse, and Championship. An odd, titles. His first was in ’75,
ingraining Sierra Cossie vs antiquated term, but ‘touring driving a Triumph Dolomite
BMW M3 battles into touring car’ has become the global Sprint. He raced right up
car folklore. generic name for saloon/ to 1994, and ran his own
hatchback racing. engineering firm.
1991-2000
THE GOLDEN ERA
Regs changed from confusing multi-class engine formula to
2.0-litre cars only, and the Super Touring era was born: a plethora
of factory teams, superstar drivers and the most exciting racing
1996
you can imagine, broadcast on Grandstand, frequently with QUATTRO!
Murray Walker bouncing of the limiter in the commentary box. Audi put its A4’s four-
wheel drive to good
efect against the British
1992 1994 1994 weather to run away with
TOCA TAKEOVER TARQUINI ON A ROLL WAGONS ROLL the title. Weight penalties
BTCC came under the control of Tim Harvey tipped Gabriele Tarquini Volvo also attempted to ended its dominance and
TOCA, which marketed it like crazy. into a roll at Knockhill, reducing his change the shape of touring 4wd was later outlawed
The ’92 season finale was a John Alfa Romeo 155 to kit form. It didn’t cars, entering its 850 estate from BTCC.
Cleland vs Steve Soper slugfest. stop Tarquini taking the title, nor his in search of lower drag (and a
Cleland indicated his displeasure 155’s spoilers changing the shape higher public profile). Volvo
with a middle-digit salute, prompting of BTCC cars. Incredibly, 24 years gamely reacted to the taunts
Walker’s immortal line: ‘I’m going for on, Tarquini is regularly winning in by putting a stufed collie in
first, says John Cleland.’ World Touring Cars. the boot for a parade lap.
2017 2001
A WAGON WINS ALL CHANGE
Super Touring costs had
Ash Sutton won the
spiralled out of control, and
title in the Subaru
things had to change. Cost-
Levorg estate –
cutting regulations made
maybe Volvo was
BTCC cars slower and smaller,
right all along. Official
but the racing was still close.
factory teams are now
all but gone but grids
Vauxhall’s Astra Coupe 1999
remain packed and 2017 dominated the BTC-spec era,
winning 62 races from 96
INDIE SILVERWARE
the racing’s as hard- PLATO HITS 96 NOT OUT Matt Neal became the
starts. first independent driver
fought as ever. Here’s Jason Plato has won more
to another 60 BTCC races than any driver in BTCC to win a race outright
1957 IMAGE: MPA CREATIVE
Subaru’s Ash birthdays. history. In 2017 he scooped in his family-run team’s

Sutton is up his 96th victory, 20 years Nissan Primera, pocketing
against four other after his debut. a £250,000 award from
past champions TOCA as a result.
this season

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W AT C H E S Porsche Design
Time to get Monobloc Actuator

Chronotimer
Flyback
chunky £6000
If you’re going to buy a
Porsche, you want one with
Some big names are back with a fresh a Porsche engine, right?
Ideally the Mezger, of course,
– and hefty – batch of new oferings and definitely not something
bought in from VW. Same
THE ANNUAL BASELWORLD watch fair is like all the year’s with Porsche watches. The
motor shows at once: nearly every new, high-end watch of note is Monobloc Actuator got a lot
of love at its launch last year
launched there. It’s just taken place again, and the big news was for its brutal ’80s retro look
the return of Rolex’s classic ‘Pepsi’ blue-and-red bezel stainless and the chronograph pushers
steel GMT after years in the back catalogue. Rolex’s junior brand cleverly integrated into the
Tudor was also somehow allowed to reveal its own ‘Pepsi’-bezel side of its case. But it used a
standard Swiss movement:
GMT, which is arguably closer in spirit to the original and half this new limited edition gets
the price at £2790. But for the more car-focused we’ve picked Porsche Design’s in-house
three interesting new watches which you might have missed. Werk 01.200 engine.
porsche-design.com
BEN OLIVER @thebenoliver
TAG Heuer Breitling Navitimer 8 B35

Monaco Bamford Automatic Unitime 43
£6600 £6500
Every car maker in the world This is probably the best
has now forged a partner- watch in Breitling’s new
ship with a watch brand, so Navitimer 8 range. The Unitime
TAG Heuer has been forced travel-watch movement is
to do a deal with JCB? No, only otherwise available in
not quite. George Bamford much bigger, blingier 49mm
is a scion of the JC Bamford cases, and with a chronograph
dynasty and a customiser of function which complicates
high-end watches. He has the dial with its extra sub-dials.
designed a limited run of This smaller, simpler version
Heuer Monacos with carbon focuses on the brilliant move-
cases and his hallmark ment, whose counter-rotating
aqua blue detailing which outer discs allow you to snap
will be made and sold (and the main hands to any new
guaranteed) by TAG Heuer. timezone, and read the time
They look great, and their in any time zone instantly. It
rarity and bespoke feel even allows for daylight-saving
might make them a decent time: hard to believe it’s a
long-term investment. mechanical watch.
tagheuer.co.uk breitling.com
NEW CAR DEBRIEF What’s AMR, So it’s just What else is How much?
ASTON MARTIN DB11 AMR 1 again? It stands

for Aston Martin
Racing, and while
2 cosmetic?
Thankfully there’s
more to it than that,
3 diferent?
Darkened lighting
clusters, a black
4 AMR DB11s
can be yours
from £174,995
Gaydon is using the as the AMR road roof and subtle – around £17k
AMR abbreviation cars are also about splitters all feature more than the
chiefly for its in- performance. The outside. Liberal basic asking
house motorsport DB11 AMR’s 5.2-litre use of leather and price for Aston’s
division, it’s also twin-turbo V12 alcantara inside is standard V12 GT
deploying the develops 630bhp complemented by car. The more
three letters on – 30bhp more than more lime green, exclusive version
special versions of the regular model’s and there’s a new is limited to just
some of its road – for 0-62mph steering wheel. 100 units and
cars. In the case in 3.7sec, 0.2sec You can up-spec costs a smidge
of the new DB11 quicker. A 208mph to a limited-edition under £202k. In
AMR, it involves top end makes version for bonus both cases, get
carbonfibre, new the AMR DB11 carbon, satin your order in now
alloys and striking the fastest car in chrome and more for a summer
lime green trim. Aston’s range. leather. 2018 delivery.

The innovations transforming our driving world 2
ADD HYDROGEN
In a separate process,
hydrogen is generated by
electrolysing water using
Alchemy! Fuel
green energy such as wind
or solar power. Deserts are
an ideal location for their
solar eficiency.
made from air

1
A BIG FAN OF CO2
Direct Air Capture requires
banks of fans, known as
gets closer
contactors, to draw in air from the
atmosphere. The air then passes over
sheets of corrugated plastic coated
in potassium hydroxide to separate
out the CO2. A typical installation
would capture up to 984,000
Scientists are discovering ways to extract tons of CO2 a year, equivalent
to the emissions of
carbon from the air and use it to make 250,000 cars.
synthetic fuel – and give the car a new
lease of life. By Ian Adcock

S
YNFUEL MIGHT SOUND like the polluting ries a particular target. ‘It’s easier to capture CO2 from in-
stuff already being burnt in cars, but it’s actually the dustrial complexes and transform it into an energy source,’
opposite: a saintly new invention that is carbon he reckons, and this year sees the start of a €500 million joint
neutral and cheap, and may save the internal com- EU and German government-funded programme to develop
bustion engine from extinction. a business case for capturing carbon from industrial smoke
Produced by extracting CO2 from the atmosphere in a pro- stacks, with pilot production starting around 2025.
cess known as ‘direct air capture’ and combining it with hy- But there’s a second potential method for creating synfuel
drogen produced by renewable energy, synthetic fuel (synfuel that’s even more ambitious, using bacteria. Mazda is in-
for short) can be used as a blend with conventional fossil fuels volved in the development, working with scientists in Tokyo
or as a complete substitute in internal combustion engines. and Hiroshima to produce synfuels which are extracted
Burning synfuel does release CO2 back into the air, but from laboratory-developed strains of E. coli.
because it can be recaptured, the process is a closed loop ‘These fuels are considered carbon neutral, as the CO2 re-
which could help cut the 10 billion tonnes of carbon added to leased when they burn is offset by the CO2 that was absorbed
the atmosphere annually. by the micro-organisms that originally formed the bio-fuel,
The fuel also produces lower levels of particulates and no and will be re-absorbed again in the production cycle,’
sulphur, reducing localised air pollution. claims John Love, professor of synthetic biology at Exeter
SOURCE MATERIAL: CARBON ENGINEERING. ILLUSTRATION: AERIFORM

There are a number of research projects being undertaken University and a leading bio-fuels expert.
around the world, with Audi having bought into Switzer- Crucially these bug-based synfuels do not impact the food
land’s Climeworks, while Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates is chain, as bioethanol from fermented sugar cane does, and
partially funding Carbon Engineering in Canada, which because these fuels are tailor-made, it would also be possible
predicts its synfuel would cost less than 70p a litre once pro- to reduce NOx and particulates or boost octane ratings to
duction is scaled up in the next decade. increase engine output while minimising emissions.
Synfuels could be the product that reduces the burden The challenge is industrialising the process: currently
on electrification to meet the tough targets set by the Paris only ‘micro-litres’ are being produced, says Love. But a pilot
Climate Agreement, says Dr Oliver Malwald, technology and plant could be running by 2025 with commercialisation by
innovation vice-president at supplier Continental, and there mid-century – the same timescale Mazda has for its bio-fuel
are many ways to capture the carbon, with industrial facto- Skyactiv engines.
Governments around the world are talking tough on
banning internal combustion-engined cars in a couple of
decades. But if synthetic fuels are successfully industrial-
ised, the internal combustion engine could go from being
the problem to being part of the solution.
NOW THE SCIENCE BIT

The hydrogen and CO2 are
then combined in the first of
two chemical processes. The first 4
creates syngas, which is reacted
DESERT POWER
again to produce the synthetic fuel.
The inhospitable Sahara
This can be burned in pure form, or
desert could be an ideal
blended with conventional fossil
location, given the abundance
fuels, with the CO2 recaptured
of sun and air. Bath University’s
and lower levels of particulates
Jamie Turner estimates that
too.
just 770 Saharan square miles
could supply Europe’s
transportation needs.

Does it work?
ProPilot Leaf vs the M25
T
HINGS TO SAY no to in life #437: would you like to
do a lap of the M25? Most people would back out po- JUNCTION 17 PROPILOT ON!
litely there, before anyone’s mentioned the compli- I press the blue ProPilot button there an air-con Eco mode? It’s
and lock cruise control at already on because the Leaf’s
cations… Like the fact that the car is a pure-electric
70mph. On the display, green default mode is Eco, rendering
Nissan Leaf! Using its autonomous cruising mode! Without
lines beside the image of the the accelerator pedal as
touching the steering wheel or pedals for 117 miles! Leaf confirm lane control is insensitive as the Home Ofice
Naturally, I say yes. active; cross the dotted line to the Windrush generation.
So with 22˚C making it the year’s hottest day so far, I leave #4
without indicating and a buzzer I contemplate foregoing TIME
Nissan’s HQ just a mile from the London orbital’s junction sounds. Not fancying swimming air-con but that’s as unrealistic 2:10
17. Chiefly we’re testing ProPilot, the cruise control driving with the sharks in the outside as cruising at 60mph: electric MILES
aid capable of Level 2 autonomy. But there’s an extra frisson lane, I settle down in lane two. cars can’t be riddled with 117
generated by range anxiety. The Leaf is certified at 168 miles, The 163-mile projected range compromises or they won’t
RANGE
the M25 measures 117 miles. Should be a doddle. But Nissan’s has already dipped below 159. Is catch on. 28 MILES
PR man suggests limiting the cruise to 60mph ‘to make sure’. CHARGE
Of course I ignore him. And off we go... START/FINISH 16%
#1
PHIL McNAMARA TIME
0:13 17
MILES
10.3 JUNCTION 11
RANGE DICING WITH A JAZZ
HOW IT WORKS 155 MILES The next two brake dabs
CHARGE are triggered by the same
92% Honda Jazz, first when it
joins the road a little close
for comfort, the second
10 miles later when it cuts
12
back in from lane three. I
never find out if the Leaf
1 would have coped: a mix
POP THE BLUE PILL of etiquette and self-
Press ProPilot to prime the autonomy, preservation forces me to
then accelerate up to speed and press react and make way.
‘Set’ – just like a typical cruise control.
JUNCTION 12
MY FIRST BRAKE
Today, ‘This vehicle is limited
to 56mph’ signs are my friend. 11
We ebb and flow with the trafic
ahead, cruising closer to 60
than 70. Drop my hands from
the wheel and after five seconds
2 the display issues a warning,
then starts beeping. You have
RADAR KEEPS ITS DISTANCE
to cling on like Bashar al-Assad
Distance from the car in front,
monitored by radar, can be adjusted to register suficient pressure,
by the driver. The Leaf self-brakes or or give it a little wrist twist: the
accelerates to maintain the gap. assisted steering feels as tense as
a proctology patient.
Fifteen miles pass without a
brush of brake or throttle. Then
I pull into lane three, too close
behind an incumbent lorry which
ProPilot doesn’t appear to react
to. Nervously I stamp on the
brake, then press Resume. So in
3 15 miles all I’ve done is reassure
EYES ON THE SIDE the steering wheel that I haven’t
Camera monitors the lane markings, bunked off to the back seat.
and communicates with the electric Clever.
power steering to remain in lane.

#3
TIME
1:39
MILES
85
RANGE
73 MILES
JUNCTION 27
CHARGE
41%
HOME STRETCH
I’ve driven this like a marathon,
conserving energy in the first
half. Now it’s time to splurge the
remaining 41 per cent charge,
27
with a few spurts of acceleration
to overtake a dithering SLK or
merge smoothly with the Transits
in the outside lane. These clock
up a couple more pedal pushes.
DID IT WORK?
#2 After 130 minutes, we return
TIME
1:13 to base, with 28 miles of range
remaining. I’ve touched the
MILES
58.8 brake or accelerator eight times,
on average about every 15 miles.
RANGE
98 MILES And if I’d stayed in one lane
with the steering warning and
CHARGE DARTFORD TUNNEL
58% my habits disabled, I probably
could have lapped the M25
without touching the wheel too.
You just need your wits about
you when other cars merge
4
with your lane. And that’s why
5
6 Level 3 autonomy, when control
switches between car and driver,
will be the most hazardous
era in the development of the
driverless car. But this was
generally stress-free, and I ate
JUNCTIONS 6-5 SNARL UP! JUNCTIONS 5-4 AUTOSTEER!
a sandwich at the wheel more
The only jam comes at 50 miles, with the The Leaf’s lane-centring is better than
safely than ever before. In
overhead signs prescribing 40mph. The Leaf (for example) VW’s, keeping on the
short, this car really can cruise
brakes naturally down to 18mph, before the straight and narrow rather than veering
autonomously in lane.
trafic speeds back up, then grinds to a halt: the within the lane. It’s impressively stable
Nissan has accurately surfed these spurts. If it’s on the sweeping slip road at the M25/
stationary for three seconds, the driver has to M26 junction, but dithers for 30 seconds MADE IT!
launch the Leaf by pressing the Res button. Of it before locking onto the rejoined M25’s TIME 2: 10
goes, keeping in lane, accelerating and braking markings. It’s less sure about the dipping,
MILES 117
smoothly and accurately for 1.4 miles, before we curved, narrow lanes of the Dartford
pass the hazard and the trafic flows again. The Tunnel, so I grab the wheel to assist. RANGE 28 MILES
Leaf excels in stop/start trafic. Sandy-coloured tarmac confuses it too. CHARGE 16%

KLAUS
FRÖHLICH
Schwarzenbauer leads
customer engagement and
digital business innovation;
PETER Frölich is boss of product
development. Smart guys
SCHWARZENBAUER
> PS: SECURITY AND PRIVACY will

be our first priority with connected cars,
business will be second. We will lose
our premium customers if we go too far.
> KF: THE CURRENT DISCUSSION
about stolen [Facebook] data shows
that people are becoming more and
more aware. Privacy will be very impor-
tant in connected cars.
> PS: WE SEE RIVALS such as Daim-
ler as ‘frenemies’. We compete as car
makers, but if you look at what both
companies are trying to achieve in
places like China and America, it feels
right for us to work together in this new
The next big things mobility market. We will achieve more together.
> KF: VIDEO CONFERENCING WILL become very popular
in cars and 5G will help us deliver these connected services.
Secrets from BMW’s tech But we will sacrifice quality for safety – the car will slice band-
width from a video or voice call and prioritise emergency data
rulebook for tomorrow if it affects your safety or that of others around you.
> PS: THE FUTURE IS collaborative. Why would we build our
own music services, when we can partner with specialists like
Digital business and R&D leaders at BMW Spotify? That’s why we have built a scalable cloud platform
reveal what’s cooking in Munich’s tech labs that links to our secure back end.
> KF: WHEN LEVEL 3 autonomous cars become more com-
> KF: WE ALREADY HAVE 11 million connect- mon you will be on the motorway with your family and it will
ed BMW Group cars out there today. We are be more like a living room. We are working on a very relaxed
aiming for 100 million by 2025. seating position. We call it Interiors Of The Future and you
> PS: I DON’T BELIEVE we are ready to jump will see more next year.
straight to Level 5 autonomous driving. This will not happen > PS: WE HAVE LEARNED a lot about car sharing with our
overnight. We will do it step by step, to get people used to it – pilot studies. We’ve had to close some of our car clubs, like
and win their trust. Even if the technology is there, it will take in San Francisco. The city was not ready to give us more car
people time to adapt. We know that. parking spaces – and if people have to walk eight or nine
> KF: CAR OWNERSHIP IS changing fast and we want minutes, they won’t bother. They will only walk two to three
BMW to be there whether people want to own their car minutes to collect a shared car. We have to fit around human
outright or rent from a membership club. Some people won’t behaviours.
mind sharing their car; others will. INTERVIEWS BY TIM POLLARD
FRESH THINKING Drone/car mash-up

ItalDesign, Airbus and Audi think they’ve cracked it
Flying cars. Really?! either/both. Jörg Astalosch, top speed of 62mph and a
Keep an open mind here. boss of ItalDesign, sees it as claimed 81 miles of range
The idea has been around a way to ‘open up mobility between charges. Both
for decades but the latest in the third dimension to can be juiced up in just 15
partnership involves some people in cities.’ minutes… apparently.
serious players and their Are there any tangible Brave. When will this be a
idea sounds like it might specs here? real thing?
work. The typographically The drone uses eight Still just a concept, even
adventurous Pop.Up Next 20kW electric motors and if Airbus is keen to stress
has no fixed wings but is a 70kWh battery pack the amount of work that’s Air module
made up of three parts: a for around 210bhp and a gone into the drone. Peter (above) can clip
supersized drone-like ‘air 31-mile flying range, while Mertens, Audi’s R&D boss, to passenger
module’, wheeled ‘ground the roving ground module says: ‘There’s only one way capsule, pictured
module’ and a passenger has a 60kW/80bhp electric to go and that’s up. But it on ground module
capsule that connects to motor, rear-wheel drive, a will take 10 years plus.’

11 cars tested, starring Mercedes A-Class & G-Class, Suzuki Swift
Sport, Bentley Conti GT, BMW i8 Roadster & premium pick-ups…

MERCEDES-BENZ A-CLASS
Entry-level
for A-listers
A little bit bigger, a lot cleverer and far more premium than
before, the new A-Class brings a sprinkle of S-Class magic
to the once-humble hatchback. By Georg Kacher
Longer and prettier
on the outside,
stunning on the inside
T
MERCEDES- WENTY ONE YEARS ago the begin (for now) with the A200 at
BENZ A250 radical first A-Class set out to £27,500; the A250 is £30,240. There
> Price £30,240 conquer the bottom end of the are three spec levels: SE (seven-inch
> Engine 1991cc premium segment, and failed. touchscreen, 16-inch alloys), Sport
16v 4-cyl, 221bhp @ Through the generations it’s become (LED lights, 17in wheels) and AMG
5500rpm, 258lb ft
@ 1800rpm more conventional and more successful. Line (18in wheels, bodykit, sports
> Transmission The new Mk4 continues this trend, steering wheel).
7-speed dual-clutch arriving with no hybrid powertrain Options can be bought grouped
auto, front-wheel
drive
and no quirky packaging – but it’s more into packages: Executive (10.25in
> Performance proudly premium than ever, with some touchscreen, parking assistance,
6.2sec 0-62mph, aspects of the interior worthy of the heated front seats), Premium (10.25in
155mph, 141g/km S-Class. Forget about the Golf – this is instrument display to go with your
CO2
> Weight 1455kg built, and priced, to compete against 10.25in central touchscreen, 64-colour
> On sale Now the Audi A3 and BMW 1- and 2-series. cabin lighting, audio upgrade, rear
There are plenty more variations in armrest) and Premium Plus (cleverer
the pipeline, but for now there are three lights, panoramic sunroof, memory
engines, all front-wheel drive, and one seats). Advanced Navigation, available
body style. The weight is down by 20kg with any of those packages, brings
– impressive given that it’s wider, taller augmented reality into your Merc
and 120mm longer. That growth allows by overlaying the nav display with a
a cargo bay that can hold an extra 29 camera image of the road.
litres of luggage, while shoulder and We drove all three engines available
elbow room have increased marginally, at launch. Least impressive is the
and tall front passengers no longer A200’s 1.3-litre 161bhp petrol unit co-
brush the ceiling with their scalp. developed with Renault. This relatively
UK prices start at £25,800 for the rough powerplant becomes noisy when
most basic A180d, while the petrols pushed, and the new seven-speed DCT

£2395 upgrade
nets you this
spectacular S-Class
inspired effort
applies to engine, gearbox and steering.

Although Sport sharpens the helm,
it adds a dash of nervousness to the
drivetrain; Eco is an electronic sleeping
pill, Comfort a happy compromise.
Clean but slow
180d engine
The new model’s interior quality is
doesn’t do the a big improvement. The dashboard in
package justice particular is a class act, and if you’re
prepared to pay for it the new A-Class
transmission is a little vague (the UK UP One day, there will be a 300bhp A35 can be stuffed with just about every
doesn’t get the manual option). AMG and a 400bhp A45 AMG, both S-Class extra bar shiatsu massage seats
Although it dishes up a useful 184lb
AGAINST with 4Matic all-wheel drive. Right now, and assisted-closing doors.
ft of torque at a leisurely 1620rpm, the though, it’s front-wheel-drive only, and Just check out voice control. Say ‘Hey
four-cylinder unit – which becomes a BETTER THAN this shows in the wet as the Michelins Mercedes’ and the car will understand
part-time two-cylinder unit when the The last A-Class struggle to stay composed on tricky you, talk to you and obey orders. Say
driver feathers the throttle – needs to be New one classier Croatian tarmac. Especially in the ‘I’m cold’ and the temperature goes
revved to deliver. Top speed is 140mph, in every way bottom two gears, steering fight is an up, say ‘Open the sunroof’ and it slides
0-62mph takes only 8.0sec and average WORSE THAN issue which gets worse when lane assist back until you say stop. I like the direct-
fuel consumption is claimed to be a BMW 1-series is activated. Why? Because now ESP access buttons on both sides of the
miserly 55.3mpg. Great to drive feels compelled to intervene as soon padded wrist rest and the Discreet mode
The 1.5-litre diesel in the A180d is as a white line enters the cornering which reduces the read-outs to the legal
WE’D BUY
another German-French effort. Rated BMW 116d equation. Another computer-controlled minimum, Saab 9000 black panel-style.
at 114bhp and 192lb ft, the diesel has a Cheaper than the item that prioritises the hunt for five- But most of all I like the clean, modern
punchy sweet spot between 1500 and Merc; get one star NCAP ratings is the power-assisted simplicity of the interior.
3000rpm, although its priority is clean before 1-series electric steering. There’s nothing wrong Dislikes? The eerily passive touchpad
running rather than performance. The goes front-drive with reducing the effort at parking which replaces the Comand controller.
acceleration to 62mph takes a chewing- speed, but in Sport mode there’s too The flimsy plastic column stalks. Lane
gum-slo-mo 10.5sec. Attempting to much nipping and tucking going control and other features which you
reach the top speed of 125mph requires on without evident need or benefit. turn off, only to find they’ve returned
a lot of patience, and at 68.8mpg the A similar artificiality applies to the whenever you restart the engine. And
diesel is only about 15 per cent more brakes: capable, but lacking feel. the sheer depth of some sub-menus.
economical than the base petrol unit. The base A-Class again makes do Getting in and out is, as before,
So don’t bother. with torsion-beam rear suspension, compromised by the tucked-in roofline,
Go for the A250 instead. MB’s own but a multi-link arrangement is also and the rear door openings are small,
2.0-litre four musters 221bhp and 258lb available, and was fitted to the cars as is second-row space once you’re in.
ft, sounds much more like a Benz than we drove – money well spent, as it The seatbelts are no longer height-
a Renault, and takes no prisoners by makes the car track with enhanced adjustable, and you must again pay
flying from 0-62mph in 6.2sec and precision and adds a tangible measure extra for seats that give decent body
maxxing out at 155mph. of compliance. Both versions are support and the full adjustment range.
LOVE susceptible to a momentary lack of For now, the new A-Class feels far
Classy, modern lateral poise when high g-force meets more accomplished and is available
interior
uneven turf. But on smooth blacktop with a long, impressive list of driver
HATE the A200 keeps body roll perfectly in assistance and infotainment features
Overly intrusive check, turns in with the right mix of – much of it standard, and plenty more
driving aids eagerness and progression, and strikes optional. Dynamically the Mercedes
a fine handling balance. It’s fun. isn’t perfect, but it’s ready to go into
VERDICT Drive Select, standard across the battle with the BMW 1-series and Audi
Impressively plush
premium hatch range, lets you choose between Sport, A3… while making the Golf look like
+++++ Comfort, Eco and Individual, but it only quite a bargain.

MCLAREN SENNA minimal distraction. Good job, too.
We’re in Race mode, which drops the
ride height by 50mm and increases
Blink and you’ll miss it downforce by 40 per cent. Gearchanges

are finger-snap fast, via a seamless-
shift seven-speed dual-clutch ’box,
steering response is instant – but it
McLaren’s most track-focused road car so far is insanely fast, yet also doesn’t feel like a racing car, because it’s
surprisingly easy to drive. But mostly insanely fast. By James Taylor on road tyres (bespoke Pirelli Trofeo
Rs) and there’s a resultant movement
I
N MANY WAYS, the McLaren representative of the finished article. in the tread blocks that you wouldn’t
Senna drives exactly as you’d expect: feel on slicks. That movement is part
it’s impossibly, can’t-breathe-or-blink Eight-hundred is the magic number and parcel of the feedback through
fast in a straight line, accelerates just A quick recap: the Senna is road-legal steering and chassis that makes the
as hard laterally and stops so well you but it’s a car with a one-track mind. It’s Senna communicative and surprisingly
wonder if you might actually injure built for absolute cornering and braking reassuring.
yourself if you use maximum braking performance, and the swiftest lap times Before the drive I’d wondered if it
pressure. What you might not expect possible. That’s why it looks the way it might all be a bit too much; that my
is that it’s also a malleable, friendly, does; every surface is there to generate LOVE eyeballs might melt as Silverstone
confidence-inspiring car to drive – downforce, 800kg of it at 155mph. Brutally fast, rushed past at unfeasible speed,
crucially, it’s fun as well as fast. Its 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 delivers beautifully biddable and that my head might fall off with
First things first: this isn’t the final no less than 800 metric horsepower the g-forces. Okay, it was a very
production Senna. By the time you (789bhp) and 800Nm (590lb ft), but HATE brief drive and I was being very
Looks more brutal
read this, it will have been through without fluids the Senna weighs less than beautiful careful, but the main thing I took
its final sign-off and the McLaren than 1200kg. from the experience was just how
Technology Centre will be knuckling You’d never describe it as pretty, but VERDICT friendly the Senna is. Whatever your
It’s a trackday
down to build the final production it’s quite captivating in person in a way car by McLaren – ability, it can hold your hand as you
run of 500 cars. it isn’t in photographs. You need to enough said get up to pace, or egg you on as you
This is a short, sharp Tabasco walk around it in three dimensions, to +++++ whisk it on to light speed.
taster drive in one of the original appreciate the intricacies of its surfaces,
validation prototypes, at a sunny and the sheer scale of that rear wing, V5 says it’s road
springtime Silverstone the day which actively moves in tandem with legal. JT’s outfit
says it’s not a car
before the Senna’s sign-off. So there the front aero blades to trim drag for popping down
were still a few calibration details to and downforce, and adjust the car’s the shops
finalise, but this car is still very much aerodynamic balance on the fly.
MCLAREN SENNA Fast but not furious
> Price £900,000 > Engine 3999cc
twin-turbo V8, 789bhp @ 5500rpm,
You sit low and reclined, in a figure-
590lb ft @ 5500rpm hugging yet comfortable carbonfibre
> Transmission 7-speed dual-clutch auto, seat. The wheel wears no buttons,
rear-wheel drive > Performance 2.8sec and the door releases and some of the
0-62mph, 211mph, n/a mpg, n/a CO2
> Weight 1198kg (dry) > On sale Now (all switchgear live in the roof above the
500 sold) rear mirror. There’s minimal clutter,

SUZUKI SWIFT SPORT
Look at you,
all grown up
Previous Swift Sports were afordable, rev-hungry
and hilarious to thrash. And now? By Jake Groves
T
URBOCHARGING HAS confidence on tricky roads. But the its tighter, more rewarding dynamics put LOVE
claimed another victim. This, suspension makes the Sport the best- a bigger smile on your face. Torquey mid-range,
the third-generation Suzuki damped Swift in existence, riding over Go just a smidge further up the hot looks, seats, ride
Swift Sport, has joined the ruts unfazed and keeping body roll to a hatch pricing ladder and you’re into
ranks of hot hatches with forced minimum. territory hotly contested by the new
HATE
Lack of steering
induction, leaving the free-breathing Further good news? I’ve handled Ford Fiesta ST, Peugeot 208 GTi and feel, no longer such
opposition pretty much non-existent. heavier balloons. This Swift Sport is Renaultsport Clio. good value
The main promise of turbocharging 80kg lighter than the Mk2, which means So the Swift Sport sits in a bit of a
VERDICT
the Sport was torque – something the decent acceleration and agility that’s miasmic middle ground in terms of Suzuki’s wild child
previous two iterations lacked – so easily egged on into lift-off oversteer. pricing, where the performance and has sobered up
Suzuki has slotted in the 1.4-litre The ventilated brakes are strong, too. interior quality aren’t quite enough to +++++
Boosterjet turbo engine already found Looks the part too, with unique fully convince you it’s good value for
in the very sweet Vitara S and chunky honeycomb alloys and, on the inside, the money. That said, the Sport looks
S-Cross crossovers, squeezing out gorgeously bolstered sports seats. the part, the engine is more flexible in
138bhp and 170lb ft of torque. Shame the generic hot hatch flashes of mundane driving situations and the
The pound-footage available allows red do little to distract you from the just- damping and brakes are bang-on.
you to ride a wave at around 3000rpm, about-acceptable interior quality. But why bother having a good hot
but the trade-off is the top end feels and And that’s not what you want when hatch when you can have a laugh-a-
sounds strained. On a twisty road you’re your warm-ish hatch costs £17,999 minute great one from VW for £3000
more inclined to use the mid-range in – three grand more than a five-door less, or a properly sorted Peugeot for a
third gear than rinse it in second, as in Volkswagen Up GTI. little more?
the old naturally aspirated Sports. It’s On paper the Swift Sport is more
not as much fun. powerful, lighter and a more practical, SUZUKI SWIFT SPORT
Added to which the steering, although but previously it was about bargain fun, > Price £17,999 > Engine 1373cc 16v turbo 4-cyl, 138bhp @
5500rpm, 170lb ft @ 2500rpm > Transmission 6-speed manual,
heavier, is as lacking in communication and this is less the case now. The Up front-wheel drive > Performance 8.1sec 0-62mph, 130mph,
as a regular Swift, which dents your sounds fruitier, feels almost as fast and 47.1mpg (WLTP), 135g/km CO2 > Weight 975kg > On sale June

head-up display and a loudspeaker that
pumps out EQ’d engine noise make the
driving experience more dramatic too.
Performance is nearly identical to the
coupe’s, so the Roadster gets to 62mph
in a respectable 4.6sec. Electrical power
has risen to 141bhp (combined is now
369bhp) and the car’s EV-only range is
up to a marginally more useful 33 miles.
Bite to match the byte

The i8 loses a roof, but finally gains
some supercar character to match its
unique looks. The Roadster still isn’t as
agile as a similarly priced Porsche 911,
nor as violently quick as a Honda NSX,
but it’s tighter, more intuitive and more
rewarding to push.
CURTIS MOLDRICH
BMW i8 ROADSTER
BMW i8 ROADSTER
Once more with feeling > Price £124,730 > Engine 1499cc 12v
turbo 3-cyl, 228bhp @ 5800rpm, 236lb ft
@ 3700rpm, plus 141bhp e-motor, 369bhp
combined maximum > Transmission
6-speed auto, all-wheel drive
HE i8 IS BACK, and this time cockpit, the Roadster looks even sleeker > Performance 4.6sec 0-62mph, 155mph,
LOVE
T the roof’s gone. But there’s more

to the Roadster than meets
the eye – tweaked suspension,
weightier steering and an uprated
battery make this a serious upgrade.
and more striking than the coupe.
More to work with

The Roadster’s product leader Rainer
Rump reckons the i8 looked hotter than
Good looks,
increased drama
HATE
Price still makes it a
bold choice
134.5mpg, 46g/km CO2 (WLTP)
> Weight 1595kg > On sale Now
it drove so the tweaks, which will follow

Roadster prettier-than-coupe shock on the coupe, aim to put things right.
VERDICT
Lots to like but still
The i8’s futuristic design looks all the The carbonfibre shell ensures the that pesky 911 gets
better when the fabric lid has been Roadster is still skateboard stiff but in the way
electrically stowed. revised steering gives more feedback +++++
From its shark-like nose to rear through the wheel, and means it can be
buttresses, a more raked windscreen and thrown at apexes with greater accuracy Losing the roof leaves chassis rigidity intact,
a duo of swooping nacelles behind the and confidence. A rev counter on the if not your carefully arranged parting
If the hardtop’s ABARTH 124 GT

on, stand back –
serious drive in
progress
Abarth sticks a lid on it
BARTH 124 GT. Sounds 4kg each) but also adds a tiny bit more
A great, doesn’t it? Is your mind’s

eye picturing a little rally-
tuned fixed-head coupe? This
is nothing like that.
But it’s still nice. The GT is the new
torsional rigidity, and wind noise. You
can feel the additional stiffness on the
road, but only if you’re concentrating on
it, as the difference is very slight.
The hardtop, wheels and upgraded
range-topper for the Abarth version of Bose stereo are the GT version’s
Fiat’s 124 Spider, the primary difference highlights. Otherwise, it’s the regular
being it has a removable carbonfibre Abarth 124: same peaky 1.4-litre turbo,
hardtop that fits over the existing soft- same gurgling exhaust, same flawed but
ABARTH 124 GT top – a rather clunky solution compared fun dynamics – not that much precision,
> Price £32,000 (est) > Engine 1368cc 16v turbo 4-cyl, 168bhp @
to sister car Mazda MX-5’s RF version. but plenty of appeal.
5500rpm, 184lb ft @ 2500rpm > Transmission 6-speed manual Instead, remove four bolts and a Just a shame there are no suspension
(auto also available), rear-wheel drive, limited-slip diferential clamp, clear space in the garage and you or power upgrades: the GT is a missed
> Performance 0-62mph 6.8sec, 144mph, 44.1mpg, 148g/km CO2 can enjoy sun-seeking business as usual. opportunity to add more substance to
> Weight 1060kg > On sale May > Rating +++++
The roof adds 16kg (offset by the GT’s the 124’s considerable charm.
V E R D I C T Still fun, still flawed, still expensive – now with a hardtop OZ wheels which, coincidentally, save JAMES TAYLOR

BENTLEY CONTINENTAL GT
Miles easier
The motor car replaced the horse, just as the horse had been less efort than
walking. And now there’s a new Conti GT, to make miles easier still. By Gavin Green
N
OW THAT THE problematic drive across the mountains (including BENTLEY
SUV launch is out of the the Grossglockner Pass) from Austria CONTINENTAL
way, Bentley can get on with to Italy. GT
what it does best. Grand But don’t go thinking it’s just a big > Price £159,100
tourers. And what a fine car the new soft high-speed cruiser, all muscle and > Engine 5950cc,
48v bi-turbo W12,
Continental GT is. mass, like the old charmer. That old
626bhp @ 6000rpm,
It’s blisteringly fast, superbly Bentley had character and comfort in 664lb ft
comfortable and beautifully appointed. spades, but when the road got tight @ 1350rpm
As this is the first new Bentley after the and speeds got high, it always felt more > Transmission
8-speed dual
Bentayga, it’s also a relief to see that it’s luxury limo than two-door coupe. clutch auto, all-wheel
a handsome beast, too. This new one can entertain, as well as drive
There is surely no more complete GT pamper. It’s a luxury GT that can play > Performance
3.6sec 0-60mph, And the screen’s… gone! The trad ambience
car, especially if grand touring is your the high-speed sports car. 207mph, 23.2mpg, versus tech conflict resolved
mission. Its supposed calling in life – It may look rather like its long-hooded 278g/km CO2
cross-continental high-speed touring predecessor, but underneath it’s all- > Weight 2244kg (barely above idle) to 4500rpm.
– may be whimsical ’30s nostalgia, as new. Even the W12 engine is different, > On sale Now It can hit 60 from rest in 3.6 seconds.
relevant to modern travel as the Bentley though the capacity (a whopping 6.0 If the gendarmes aren’t looking, you
Boys are to 21st century motorsport. litres), the compact W configuration, can do 207mph on the Autoroute du
(Bentley customers nowadays go to and the twin turbocharging, may be Soleil, on your way south to the sun.
Nice by BA Club World, or private jet.) familiar. Power is a massive 626bhp, Fuel economy isn’t great – what do
Yet, given the choice of any car for a up 7.5 per cent on before. Torque is you expect? – but at least six of the 12
London-to-Nice dash, I can’t think of a inflated by 25 per cent and, what’s cylinders can rest when not needed. A
better choice. Nor could there have been more, its meaty maximum of 664lb ft V8 comes later. (In fact, on the previous
too many better cars for my all-day is developed all the way from 1350rpm generation, it powered the better car.)

Not for Gavin the
tiresome glare of
an infotainment
screen
Actually relishes
mountain roads,
thanks in part to
48-volt anti-roll
control
Out goes the old VW Phaeton- LOVE customised by Bentley for more torque. weighty) DB11. Rather, it powers
carryover platform, and in comes a new Storming The body is aluminium and its seamlessly forward, firmly planted and
performance, great
one, co-developed with Porsche (some cabin, ride comfort, panels are ‘super formed’ – heated sure-footed.
underpinnings are shared with the body control to 500°C before being shaped. This We find three driving modes:
latest Panamera). While the Phaeton allows for more complex and sharply Comfort (two-door limo mode;
platform was a hand-me-down, the HATE defined body lines. Inside, we find sit back and relax); Bentley mode
Heavy, thirsty, not
Bentley engineers helped create this much room in the an exquisitely crafted cabin, with 10 (recommended by the engineers; fast
architecture. They got what they back square metres of varnished wood and and majestic); and Sport (elevates the
wanted, not what was available. The 15 leather hides. A new central rotating Conti into a whole new dimension of
difference is manifest. Though an VERDICT display can serve up a minimalist entertainment: just 17 per cent of drive
A cad’s dream.
improved car in every way – from looks, Family men may plank of varnished wood, three trad goes to the front wheels, the exhaust
to levels of luxury, to liveliness – it’s the need a Bentayga instruments, or a large touchscreen, note now barks and burbles and, if
new chassis, and its extra agility, that +++++ as you please. This is a nice piece you’re so inclined and brave enough,
really transform this car. of drama, never mind it costs an you can even do powerslides).
Of particular note is the new extra £4700. The rear seats, though So it can play the comfy GT
four-wheel air spring suspension and beautifully finished, are best avoided. sophisticate, the luxury limo and
48-volt electronic anti-roll control – It’s a 2+2, at best. also the thrilling two-door sports
which reduces body roll and boosts At 2244kg – about 80kg or so coupe. Does any other GT have quite
suppleness. Ride quality and body less than the old bruiser – it’s still this bandwidth? I don’t think so.
control are outstanding. We find an no featherweight. Yet it doesn’t feel What’s more, a cheaper, lighter and
engine sited 150mm further back anything like this heavy, especially on almost certainly more nimble V8
and a new eight-speed dual-clutch winding mountain roads. It may not version (engine courtesy of Porsche) is
gearbox, crisp shifting and satisfying. dance over the tarmac, light-footed on its way. And that will probably be
It’s the excellent Porsche PDK system, like a supercar, or even like the (less even better.

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MERCEDES-AMG G63 flabbergasted by its brute speed,
animal character and what can only be
Digital dinosaur
described as the loosest of relationships
between steering wheel and front axle.
The chassis wizards of Stuttgart have
excelled themselves here, for the new G
Still expensive, still brutal, still complete overkill – but now Mercedes’ bears no relationship to the haphazard
most rugged 4x4 is also a great car to drive. By Tim Pollard way in which the old one drove.
The 577bhp AMG launch model
T
HE FUTURE HAS finally manners and the latest connectivity. hammers down a road at a lick to
caught up with the venerable Surely incompatible bedfellows? trouble sports cars (0-62mph in 4.5sec!)
Mercedes G-wagen, a member Climb onboard and the first thing but it’ll no longer scare the bejeezus out
of the elite dinosaur club after that strikes you is the bigger interior. of you at the first corner. Ride comfort
28 years in the same guise. But while The old G-Class was cramped front LOVE is exemplary, even on 22-inch wheels, as
Land Rover had to dispatch its Defender and rear, but a 64mm stretch in width Tough as old boots, new double-wishbone front and rigid-
stylish as Gucci,
to pasture after three decades and has means there’s finally space for niceties clever as sin axle rear suspension soak up bumps
yet to reveal its successor, Daimler has such as your elbows and rear-seat and keep body sway as under control as
seamlessly replaced its off-road icon. passengers’ feet. The boot capacity’s a HATE 2.5 tonnes of hurtling metal can be.
Sky-high prices,
This is no mere update or engine decent 454 litres too, though the side- fear you’re over-
But the steering is the biggest
implant designed to stave off the hinged tailgate remains heavy and blinging yourself achievement: no longer do you saw
legislators. Codenamed W463, this awkward while the loadbay is pinched away at the helm like BA Baracus in
G-Class is all-new, with just three by the sub-woofer on the left and fuel VERDICT an episode of the A-Team circa 1985
Brilliant update
parts carried over: only the clicky tank on the right. of a modern-day – instead the G-Class flows with a
door handles (fab), spare wheel cover I drove the outgoing G63 a week of-road icon pleasing accuracy and responsiveness.
(huge) and headlamp washers (squirty) before the new car’s launch and was +++++ Fine on-road manners are all the
remain – everything else is new. more surprising when you consider
Under that same-again skin lurks a its off-road mettle: the new G scarpers
tough new ladder-frame skeleton for up inclines you’d struggle to manage
core strength, while the 4x4 hardware on foot, three separate locking
is of the serious, trail-rated variety; off- differentials and a low-range transfer
road ability is a must for Merc’s military box making mincemeat out of hills
icon. But so are superior on-road even with a startling 1:1 gradient.
With up-to-date infotainment,
MERCEDES-AMG G63 giant E-Class screens and digital
> Price £143,305 > Engine 3982cc 32v trickery galore, there’s no stopping this
bi-turbo V8, 577bhp @ 6000rpm, 627lb G-wagen. It’s finally caught up with the
ft @ 2500rpm > Transmission 9-speed zeitgeist. Only steep prices starting at
Now with
auto, all-wheel drive > Performance 4.5sec cupholders, £145k for the G63 (the only UK model
0-62mph, 137mph (149mph with AMG connectivity
Driver’s Package), 21.6mpg, 299g/km CO2 and elbow room
until the diesel arrives in 2019) and its
> Weight 2560kg > On sale July outré character will hold this one back.

Whether you’re
felling trees or
swinging from
branch to branch
in a loincloth,
these are the
wheels for you
VW FORD
AMAROK V6 RANGER 2.2
DARK LABEL LIMITED
VW AMAROK V6 DARK LABEL FORD RANGER 2.2 LIMITED

What exactly am I What exactly am I
gawping at here? gawping at here?
The bulky pick-up with a The UK’s best-selling
name that means ‘wolf’ pick-up has been with
in Inuit. Came into the us since 2011. A 2.2-litre
world in 2010 with a four-cylinder with either
By far the best to drive, without A disappointing drive; 3.2
2.0-litre four-cylinder compromising practicality
128bhp or 158bhp and
version is less strained
diesel, but shifted to a warbly 3.2-litre five
diesel V6s in 2017. This is a new-for-2018 Dark Label edition, (197bhp) are your diesel-only engine choices.
with 201bhp – a new 255bhp version is on the way…
Looks perfect for my #blessed #lifestyle…
Looks perfect for my #blessed #lifestyle… Relatively low-key in this company, despite more chrome
It’ll certainly look menacing on Instagram. The Amarok is in its grille than Lil’ Wayne. Limited spec, as seen here,
a sizeable beast, and this sleek gunmetal grey/matt black piles on the chrome but range-topping Wildtrack is the
special edition accentuates its vastness. Shame Dark Label one for today’s flat white-sipping pseudo outdoorsman.
sounds like a reduced-to-clear aftershave.
Anything tough under the skin?
Anything tough under the skin? An electronically selectable four-wheel-drive system is
The V6 is twinned with VW’s 4motion permanent four- engaged via a switch; turn to 4L (low-range, four-wheel
ANGUS MURRAY
wheel drive and eight forward gears. This one thinks it’s drive) for serious of-roading. Relies on tech like hill-
clever enough to get away with just having an ‘of road’ descent control and hill-hold assist to fill in any remaining
button for particularly hairy mud-plugging, but a £300 of-roading blanks. Of-Road Pack with underbody
dif-lock and additional underbody protection are optional. protection and locking rear dif a £300 option.

Get loaded and
have a good time
Tax-friendly workhorse during the week,
fun family wagon at the weekend. It’s a lot
to ask of a car – and this foursome adds
FIAT up to a lot of car. By Jake Groves
FULLBACK
CROSS
MERCEDES
X250D
POWER
FIAT FULLBACK CROSS MERCEDES X250D POWER

What exactly am I What exactly am I
gawping at here? gawping at here?
The Italian sibling to the The first proper pick-
Mitsubishi L200, as Fiat up from Mercedes.
Professional does its Digging deep into its
best to flog a range of partnership with Nissan,
almost entirely badge- Extravagent bed rails help Merc has nicked the Navara dull moment… no,
disguise L200 borrowings sorry, it’s a Mercedes
engineered commercial Navara’s undercrackers
vehicles. Like the L200, the American football-named Fiat and dialled the chintz up a few notches. Two four-cylinder
comes in trims aplenty, and uses a 2.4-litre diesel four with diesels are available, with a V6 coming later in 2018.
148 or 178bhp. All are four-wheel-drive double cabs.
Looks perfect for my #blessed #lifestyle…
Looks perfect for my #blessed #lifestyle… Of the four this is the one that attracts most interest from
Fullback Cross is aimed more at the kitesurfing/BMX-ing/ bystanders. ‘Power’ spec is as bling as you can go, with
extreme ironing folk than the tradesmen targeted by chrome on the bumpers, 18-inch wheels, LEDs all-round
the L200, so it has thick body cladding, black alloys and and not a single bit of black plastic in sight.
swoopy rails. Looks dinky when parked next to the others.
Anything tough under the skin?
Anything tough under the skin? Navara chassis and engine layout includes switchable four-
Five-speed auto, switchable all-wheel drive, with lockable wheel drive (which Merc cheekily sticks a 4Matic badge
centre diferential and low-range options. Cross also has on) with low range as standard. X250d is seven-speed auto
lockable rear dif as standard, plus hill-hold and trailer assist only. Rear diferential lock on options list for £495, as is
standard like its rivals. Beefier underpants a £170 option. 20mm of increased ground clearance for £220. CONTINUED…

CONTINUED…
VW AMAROK V6 DARK LABEL FORD RANGER 2.2 LIMITED

Is it like sitting in a wheelie bin? Is it like sitting in a wheelie bin?
There’s a lot of hard plastic. Most of the buttons are robust Centre console apparently fashioned from triple-
enough for you to operate them with gloves on. Dark thick Tupperware and dash a button-fest that’s both
Label version has familiar VW infotainment with nav and unfathomable and mostly inaccessible due to the
reversing camera plus heated front seats. gearlever. Limited spec is generous and seats comfy. –
Not cutting edge Plenty of gear,

but very neat and with a cooler
easy to operate in the armrest
A decent steer or something to fear? A decent steer or something to fear?

The most car-like pick-up here to drive. Steering and ride Engine is loud and as gruf as Barry White with a stubbed
quality are almost as easy and sophisticated as a Polo’s. toe, but heavy-duty gearbox and plentiful torque allow for
The V6 is gravelly and torquey, and feels even quicker high-gear starts. Jiggly ride compared to VW and Merc,
than the stats say, despite a slightly indecisive gearbox. and steering more rubbery and lifeless than a dog’s chewy
toy, but reasonably hushed inside at speed.
Does it actually stack up as a workhorse?
There’s a wide-reaching and business-orientated Does it actually stack up as a workhorse?
options list, decent-ish legroom in the back for three of Load bay can handle the most weight of the four, at 1155kg,
your crew to clamber into, and it has the widest load bay and can tow a braked trailer up to 3500kg. Double Cab
here by 60mm. Can carry up to 1068kg without falling is fine for five adults, and usability points are gained from
apart, but braked towing limit is 3100kg – 400kg less neat details such as a sunglasses cubby and (optional but
than the Ford and Merc. cheap) three-pin 230-volt socket.
VERDICT Best all-rounder here: quick, capable, VERDICT A properly useful tool and great value, but
tough, sophisticated and a blast to drive. stodgy and crude from behind the wheel.
VOLKSWAGEN AMAROK V6 DARK LABEL FORD RANGER 2.2 LIMITED

> Price £41,423 (£34,570 ex-VAT) > Price £31,965 (£26,637 ex-VAT)
> As tested £41,729 (£34,774.17 ex-VAT) > As tested £33,837 (£28,197 ex-VAT)
> Engine 2967cc 24v turbodiesel V6, 198bhp > Engine 2198cc 16v turbodiesel 4-cyl, 158bhp
@ 3000rpm, 369lb ft @ 1250rpm @ 3700rpm, 284lb ft @ 1500rpm
> Transmission 8-speed auto, all-wheel drive WINNER > Transmission 6-speed manual, all-wheel drive
> Performance 9.1sec 0-62mph, 114mph, > Performance 11.8sec 0-62mph, 109mph,
34.9mpg, 212g/km CO2 40.4mpg, 184g/km CO2
> Weight 2178kg > Weight 2115kg
> Example insurance quote* £809.37 > Example insurance quote* £715.02
> On sale Now > On sale Now
Rating+++++ Rating +++++

FIAT FULLBACK CROSS MERCEDES X250D
Is it like sitting in a wheelie bin? Is it like sitting in a wheelie bin?
*Insurance quotes are from mustard.co.uk and are based on a 41-year-old married male living in Sufolk with nine
Least sophisticated interior here, mainly due to belligerent Even if anoraks will be able to spot the Nissan switchgear,
years’ NCD and no claims or convictions. Insurance quotes will vary depending on individual circumstances.
and low-rent infotainment system, overly notchy auto ’box the dash layout is almost all Mercedes’ own doing. Climate
action, instrument cluster reminiscent of Casio calculators control, and much more, is standard. Ours had car-like
and unsupportive seats. Plenty of kit, though. options: 360º parking aids (£915) and online nav (£2225).
Seats and sat-nav Vent-based

sub par, but lots humour is now a
of kit as standard thing, it seems
A decent steer or something to fear? A decent steer or something to fear?

Fullback is 300kg(ish) lighter than anything else here, so it’s Best ride quality here by some margin, smothering
quick of the line and keen to pelt around bends. Makes no potholes as if the shocks are filled with Royal Jelly, and
bones about telling you it’s accelerating, though, and ride pleasingly weighty steering. But it needs to go on a diet;
comfort similar to sitting on a jackhammer. the 187bhp 2.3-litre diesel doesn’t feel anywhere near
enough, and the brakes are both spongy and weak.
Does it actually stack up as a workhorse?
Diminutive dimensions means Fullback has least payload Does it actually stack up as a workhorse?
capacity here, the smallest load bay, and a braked trailer Load bay is the longest here and as wide as the capacious
weight limit of a modest 3100kg, like the VW. Still, it’s Ranger, and the braked towing limit is as much as the Ford
roomy in the back and it’s the most manoeuvrable truck too. Rear will be a smidge tight for the lankiest of your
here with a teeny turning circle. Hashtag-lifestylers will be construction crew colleagues. Go for a less glam trim for
pleased by ski/bike/kayak/windsurf carriers on options list. maximum toughness points.
VERDICT Sporty, sprightly and well-equipped, but least VERDICT Comfy and luxurious – but if you’re going to
capable here and feels last-decade inside. pay big money for a posh pick-up, wait for the V6.
FIAT FULLBACK CROSS MERCEDES-BENZ X250D 4MATIC POWER

> Price £34,534 (£27,995 ex-VAT) > Price £40,920 (£34,100 ex-VAT)
> As tested £35,023 (£28,395 ex-VAT) > As tested £47,124 (£39,270 ex-VAT)
> Engine 2442cc 16v turbodiesel 4-cyl, 178bhp > Engine 2298cc 16v turbodiesel 4-cyl, 187bhp
@ 3500rpm, 317lb ft @ 2500rpm @ 3750rpm, 332lb ft @ 1500rpm
> Transmission 5-speed auto, all-wheel drive > Transmission 7-speed auto, all-wheel drive
> Performance 10.4sec 0-62mph, 111mph, > Performance 11.8sec 0-62mph, 108mph,
37.7mpg, 196g/km CO2 35.8mpg, 207g/km CO2
> Weight 1860kg > Weight 2234kg
> Example insurance quote* £715.02 > Example insurance quote* £846.56
> On sale Now > On sale Now
Rating +++++ Rating+++++
June 2018 | SUBSC RIB E TO CAR & G E T 6 ISSUES FOR £19.50! G RE ATMAGA ZINES.CO.UK /CAR 41
‘When Lehman
Brothers went bust,
most car makers
cut investment. Not
Jaguar Land Rover’
I N APRIL 70 YEARS ago, the Rover Company
launched a civilian all-terrain vehicle aimed at
farmers and those who worked on the land. The
‘Land’ Rover was a stopgap to earn easy cash
until serious production could recommence,
post-war, of luxury Rover saloons. It had
minimal new tooling to save money. Simple (and
cheap) wooden formers were used to shape the
body. This is why it had so many simple shapes. (Why
such an uncomplicated design remains beautiful when so
many fussy modern SUVs are so ugly is surely a subject for all car
design students to ponder.) It was surely one of the most enlightened, if high-risk,
Land Rover, including Range Rover, is now the UK’s biggest corporate decisions in recent UK motor industry history. As the
and most profitable car brand. The Rover marque is long dead. world awoke from recession, JLR had a host of new cars.
But the Land Rover isn’t the UK car industry’s only 70th I first interviewed Ratan Tata in 2010 at his company’s global
birthday pin-up of 2018. Seventy years ago this October, the first headquarters of Bombay House, in the heart of Mumbai’s
sports car from the newly rebranded Jaguar Cars – the XK120 – business district. In India, his family name appears on more
starred at the Earls Court show. products than any other brand, from big trucks to small cars,
These are key milestones for Jaguar Land Rover, now Britain’s from mineral water to mobile phones. But for a man whose
biggest car maker. But there’s another important anniversary. name is everywhere in India, Ratan Tata likes to keep out of
March this year saw the 10th anniversary of Tata’s acquisition. the limelight. He gives few interviews. Extravagances include
As with China’s Geely, and its successful transformation of (occasionally) taking the controls of one of the corporate jets (his
Volvo, Tata invested heavily in distinctive new product. It gave uncle and predecessor as Tata chairman founded Air India). He
JLR management a far freer rein than previous owner Ford. It also owns a Ferrari, in keeping with his enthusiasm for cars.
invested in new platforms and engines, realising that premium Back in 2007, after Ford announced its decision to sell Jaguar
cars should not share components with lesser vehicles. It and Land Rover, CEO Geoff Polites met the suitors – including
invested in new factories, including in China. Jaguar and Land Tata. The Heritage Motor Centre in Gaydon was a strange place
Rover became more British in design – and, paradoxically, more to greet potential new owners. It is the graveyard of the nation’s
international in outlook. motor industry. They’re all there; from Austin to Triumph,
But Tata’s finest moment came soon after the takeover, when Albion to Rover, Alvis to Wolseley. All the great old car names,
Lehman Brothers went bankrupt. Most car makers slashed all now gone.
investment, as sales and revenues collapsed. JLR, bankrolled by Polites told the suitors the Heritage building had two floors.
Tata, did the opposite. ‘On the ground floor below us are all the great old British brands
‘Of course there were many moments when we wondered what in the museum. Every one of them is dead. They died because
we’d done,’ Ratan Tata told me a few years later. ‘We needed more they didn’t change. But we’re up here on the first floor and we
ILLUSTRATION BY PETER STRAIN
products. With great new products the company had a chance. want to stay here.’ Poor Polites was suffering from cancer when
Otherwise, it had no chance. So we invested.’ he spoke, and died a month after the takeover.
Gavin joined With financing mostly from Indian banks, JLR began an Ratan Tata recently stood down as Tata chairman,
CAR just 33 ambitious new model programme, far exceeding anything that having unobtrusively overseen one of the great car-industry
years ago.
His 70-year had gone before. It included the latest aluminium-bodied Range transformations. Jaguar and Land Rover now prosper, their
anniversary Rover and Range Rover Sport, the Jaguar F-Type and XE, and the saviour an unlikely Indian businessman who must surely be the
remains some
way of Evoque, which become the fastest selling model in JLR’s history. most important British motor industry figure of the past decade.

‘This engine soldiers
on, no matter what
you put in the tank:
low-octane fuel, tar,
jelly babies or sand’
D RIVING ON THE motorway is stressful for me.
I drive everywhere as quickly as possible, always
late, my right foot mashing the accelerator so deep
it’s like I’m trying to fish something out of the
footwell with my big toe.
The problem is, motorways are busy and the
outside lane is always jammed with cars. If the lane
clears and I get a few moments of freedom, it fills me
with such a strangely disproportionate sense of joy – a
sudden, ecstatic rush of dopamine – I feel like a convict
sailing away from a prison island.
But it never lasts. Soon I’m braking hard and backed up again
by slower cars, asking myself once more, ‘Is it actually illegal to break, to park in a layby and somehow massage my own buttocks
undertake or just a polite convention?’ (Answer: it’s not actually back to life without getting arrested. My Land Rover’s seats are
illegal, never has been.) not the ribbed, shapely Deluxe items offered as an optional extra
Fast-slow, fast-slow, frustration-joy, frustration-joy back in the day, oh no; they’re the standard cushions – flat, vinyl-
– motorway driving is like riding on an emotional fairground big wrapped foam, about as supportive as sitting on a ham sandwich
wheel for me. for four hours.
So let me tell you about an epiphany I had the other day: So the time came, and off I set, early one Saturday morning. I
driving at a constant 50mph is actually a pleasure. This revelation joined the A1 and immediately swept up – galloped up – through
came about because I bought another old Land Rover, this time the gears to a dizzying 50mph. Fifty! Result! And – wow – I could
a 1978 Series 3. Previously owned by one family from new, it’s actually withstand the ear-crushing combination of engine, road
a short-wheelbase 88 with a hardtop, a little worn but basically and wind noise! This journey was going to be so much smoother
solid, original and honest. I found it locally, but I bought it as a than I thought.
project to share with my dad, who lives up in North Yorkshire. And then I settled. And I mean really settled. Settled in the
Which meant driving it up there, a 160-mile journey, so the car slow lane, settled into my destiny for the next four hours, settled
could live in his shed. at a uniform, monotonous, unalterable 50mph. No overtaking,
I don’t know why I was so nervous about this drive north. I no undertaking, no accelerating or braking, no impatience with
mean, Land Rovers have explored the world, there are all those the cars ahead. When we reached a restricted section of the A1
stories about families in the ’70s piling into Series 3s and driving with speed cameras, I did my usual flinch for the brake before
overland to Baghdad or Singapore or Nouakchott. All I had to do looking down at the speedo – oh no! It’s okay! I don’t have to do
was reach Scotch Corner on the A1. anything, I’m already going slow!
And my car is powered by Land Rover’s legendary 2.25-litre Driving at 50 was so relaxing, so serene… who knew? If it
four-cylinder petrol engine, designed to soldier on, no matter wasn’t for the incessant roaring noise – and the fact that I had to
what you put in the tank: low-octane fuel, road tar, jelly babies continually steer in order not to wander out of my lane and into
or sand. certain death under the 16 wheels of an oncoming juggernaut –

Still, undermining my confidence were other considerations. it was rather like lying in a bath. A time to think, to ponder, to
Editor-at- Like, it’s 40 years old, it was built by British Leyland in the ’70s; admire the lovely Land Rover typeface on the speedo, to watch
large Mark is and the most sophisticated thing about the whole car is the blue the world go by.
renowned for
how rarely he dash-light that indicates you’re on high beam. I thoroughly recommend it. And best of all, I really felt that
fills fuel tanks Forging ahead with the plans, I calculated I’d maintain a other road users appreciated my new-found tranquility too. At
with tar or jelly
babies steady 40mph, making it a four-hour journey plus a half-hour least, I think that’s why they were beeping.

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‘175mph in Utah,
visibility to the
horizon in both
directions and no
humans for miles’
Y ESTERDAY I BROKE a law. I live in America,
so those words could mean almost anything.
On one end of the Stateside illegality
spectrum you have acts like murder: ethically
straightforward; often requires mucking about
with messy human fluids; generally a bad idea.
At the other end of the list you have a host of
silly civic leftovers from when my relatively young
country was even younger, sussing how to operate a
government. Laws that made sense long ago and now do
not, but were never struck from the rolls. (Fact regarding the state
of Arizona: it is illegal there for a donkey to sleep in a bathtub.) 175mph in Utah, visibility to the horizon in both directions and
And then, somewhere in the middle, you have speeding. no other humans for miles. California’s deserted Mount Shasta
(Missouri: the law there prohibits you from driving a car in winter, nothing to hit but the side of a mountain, doubling the
containing an uncaged bear.) 30mph limit between hairpins on an old BMW R90S motorcycle
We can bifurcate this into two types of acts. First, there is the made of frame flex and torque reaction. A 997 911 GT2 far outside
kind of speeding that puts pedestrians, other drivers or just about Las Vegas, in the explosive part of fifth gear, asphalt so rough
anyone but yourself at risk. Undeniably a bad idea, practised only the front tyres were basically wafting in the breeze. That weird,
by selfish troglodytes and professional nose-pickers. The second whole-body zen-ballet when you find the speed at which some
type of speeding, however, is wonderful. It is the sort of thing car or motorcycle will turn a road into a glissade, hanging on
that keeps me up night, eyes bolt open, wondering why I’m not the algorithm of weather and machine ability and pavement
in a car. It is what happens in the middle of nowhere, not a living condition, making you feel so alive it almost hurts. (Kentucky:
soul for miles, when you beat the living wee out of the pavement one may not dye a duckling blue and offer it for sale unless six
and maybe feel as if your pulse was built solely from caffeine and other ducklings are also for sale at the same time.)
laughter. (South Dakota: it is illegal to sleep in a cheese factory. Or last night, in the Cascade Range east of my house, the drive
These are all real state laws, by the way. Ask Google.) that got me thinking about all this. So good that describing the
Velocity can be fun. That should be obvious. It can also be moment would ruin it. (I lived in Kentucky once; that last one is
dangerous, as statistics have long told us. A recent study by perhaps reasonable. Five ducks would have been enough.)
America’s National Transportation Safety Board found that Change is coming; black boxes and data collection mean that
speeding was the main factor in 31 per cent of US traffic fatalities this brand of risk-only-yourself civil disobedience will become a
from 2005 to 2014. Set aside issues of driver training, autobahn thing of the past. Do we offset that through a way to legally vent
statistics or situational awareness – speed is a form of energy, and vehicular steam outside a circuit? Deserted nowhere highways
traffic accidents dissipate that energy. Energy dissipated into the accessible only with a special driving licence, gained through
human body tends to dissipate the human body. training? And why is the appeal of this sort of thing so different
To be clear: don’t speed in a way that puts others at risk. from driving on a closed circuit, or a derestricted autobahn –
But oh, the other thing. pastimes I also enjoy? (Texas: it is illegal to sell one’s eye.)
I wonder, sometimes, why we demonise that bit. Why, in Laws exist for a reason. I’m not saying you should break them.
US journalist
Sam is equal my country, the penalty for doubling the speed limit across an (Florida: A person cannot have sex with a porcupine.)
parts helmsman, empty Nevada desert is roughly the same as the penalty for going I’m just asking questions. (I just searched ‘porcupine quills in
car geek and
speed freak. 70mph across Manhattan at noon on a Tuesday. (West Virginia: human body’. Do not do that.)
He’s editor at
large at Road & it is prohibited to whistle underwater.) Okay, maybe not some questions. (Good law, that porcupine
Track magazine I have so many memories, all of them illegal. A Ferrari Lusso at bit. Should probably stay on the books.)

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That’s one fine

looking jacket
> VIA EMAIL
I began the Lexus LC500 adventure story in the

April issue thinking ‘That’s my Rab down jacket,
it’s very effective – but Ben Miller is in California,
surely no place for clothing like that.’
I read on, and evidently it’s necessary in the
early morning shade. Anyway, putting that
to one side, I’m emailing to say how brilliantly
written the story was. After reading car mags
for over 20 years I’ve developed a cynicism
towards car reviews. It’s writers like Ben that
make the time spent reading so thoroughly
enjoyable and entertaining.
Ed Datson
Defender the indefensible How to It’s 70 for a reason Magee of the Ferrari Portofino in your
> VIA EMAIL
have your > VIA EMAIL April issue – especially the shots with the
Loved that old Land Rover stuff in the say: What is the point of 200mph cars? I would Piaggio Ape providing quite a contrast
May issue. And yet… however much I limit all UK traffic to 70mph. It would to the arguably less functional Ferrari.
love the idea of Land Rovers, and admire @ save us from ourselves in terms of deaths, Dream garage? Maybe so, especially
the design and engineering, and feel VIA EMAIL injuries, fines and blocking up the courts. if you throw in that fancy bike too.
a little glimmer of pride at this British CAR@ Ronald Feeney Nick Hughes
contribution to the world, on the couple bauermedia.co.uk
of occasions when I’ve driven a Defender Whatever it is, it’s good
they’ve actually been pretty poor. If it was > VIA EMAIL
once the best of its type, it was long ago. VIA TWITTER With regard the Giant Tests in your March
The prospect of a new Defender doesn’t @CARmagazine and April issues (the X2, XC40, T-Roc and
thrill me at all, not when there are so many so on), I suggest you stop trying to label
other good 4x4s from JLR and others. them as SUVs or crossovers. They’re just
Ian Travers VIA FACEBOOK cars. Yes, higher than used to be normal,
facebook.com/ but a visit to any retail park will make it
Smoothly does it CARmagazine clear these are the new normal. Talking to Ben Barry fails to grasp the lack of engine. ‘But
> VIA EMAIL some car dealers recently, they assured me why would you do that?
Chris Waite’s letter in CAR, April, ‘Too that customers never call them SUVs or
fast to live’, suggests the days of fast VIA POST crossovers or indeed 4x4s… just cars. Forgotten hero
driving on public roads are over. I think CAR magazine, Mike Wise > VIA EMAIL
we should concentrate on driver training. Media House, I would love to have seen an extra car in the
It’s great fun, however experienced you Peterborough Horses for courses… 600 of April issue’s Giant Test: my BMW 335d
Business Park,
are. Safe driving is the only true measure Lynchwood, them xDrive M Sport Touring. Having recently
of driving ability. Peterborough, > VIA EMAIL taken delivery of one I am constantly
Bill Ellis PE2 6EA Some lovely evocative shots from Charlie amazed by its on-road performance,

tractability and practicality. While it Only the agile
ers on test in CAR, March, it seems the
most certainly doesn’t deliver anything need apply natural partners ‘low’ and ‘sleek’ are no
like the aural pleasure of an AMG V8 longer the aspirational words that man-
or the sheer delight of a decent Alfa, the ufacturers used to bend over backwards
BMW betters the rivals you tested on to achieve. William Lyons would gag if
fuel consumption (it’s a dastardly diesel he saw that frumpy thing they’re selling
after all) and price. using part of the old Jaguar line about
grace, space and pace. In the case of the
E-Pace, 10.1 seconds to 60 is hardly ‘Pace’
and as for ‘Grace’ – hah!
Yes, yes I know that it’s like Porsche:
everyone went berserk about their first
SUV, but now they account for 60 per
Low blows cent of profits, so if you want bonkers

performance 911s you’ll have to put up
with the means to get there.
> VIA EMAIL
I’ll give myself a pass; up here in the
LETTER OF What is with the mantra North Carolina mountains, my Range
THE MONTH
of ‘longer, lower, wider’ Rover gets to use every one of its amazing
for new cars? When my features almost on a daily basis. But in
I am not aware of another four-wheel- VW Golf GTI was due for replacement recently the city? Are we now living in an auto-
drive car that offers the ‘bang per buck’ I assumed I’d get another, and booked a test motive equivalent of The Emperor’s New
of this particular BMW and feel that it is thrash in the latest model. Getting almost Clothes? What has got into everyone?
too often overlooked; it’s most certainly Nigel Horbury
all the car I could ever need and with
6ft 6in of 70-plus body in the car aided by
dealers offering new ones at less than gravity wasn’t a problem. But exiting was, and If Ikea made iPads…
£40k it really is a bargain in comparison if parked next to a kerb virtually impossible. So > VIA EMAIL
to the cars tested. I had to go the SUV route. Could the ageing I can’t believe anyone remotely interested
Michael Peters population be a reason for their increased in driving can be seduced by a Tesla.
popularity? They are bland enough from the outside
I was thinking the same thing recently, As an aside, Mercedes and BMW ruled but in your May article on the Model 3
prompted by a similar car – the BMW the photo of the interior looks as sterile
themselves out of my
530d xDrive I ran in the Our Cars pages Letter of the month as a reject from an Ikea flat pack. I can’t
last year. Certainly it hadn’t the punch or list – I cannot abide tablets wins £25 worth of be alone in wanting some emotional con-
the soundtrack of an M3 (or an M5) but its stuck on top of the dash. tickets for the Dream
Car competition held nection with the interior of the car I’m
composure, easy speed, practicality and Jefrey Box by botb.com driving but there’s absolutely nothing to
relative economy were pretty compelling get excited about with this one. I use my
recompense. I guess it’s about how regularly iPad all the time but I don’t want to take
you work to exploit the dynamic and perfor- the damn thing for a drive!
mance edge cars like the Giulia QV and the Peter Bond
AMG C63 undoubtedly have, and therefore
how acceptable their compromises are. BM CAR unplugged
> VIA EMAIL
Nobody liked the original… I have been a rabid car enthusiast and fan
> VIA EMAIL for just about ever, and I’ve had plenty
I don’t know what Nissan were using of exposure to car books and all the
as inspiration while designing the new best magazines. But I’m sick to death of
Leaf but to my eyes it’s almost a 4/5ths reading about electric stuff. To me it’s
copy of the old Peugeot 3008 – ugly. all a total yawn, starting with Musk and
Why do some car companies frequently, I look forward to riding in moving out from there.
insist on making their alter- the new electric London taxi reviewed on Your magazine is the best non-classic
native-fuel vehicles so very your website. New technology in a tested car magazine in the world, but increas-
challenging stylistically? I design is a good strategy. Contrast this ingly much of the content leaves me cold.
give thanks that the likes of with Ford, who could have updated the Steve Quinlan
Jaguar with the new iPace US-market Crown Victoria with a more
– and to a lesser degree Tesla advanced powertrain but didn’t. Now, Right writer
– are manufacturing handsome nine times out of 10, I have to ride in a > VIA EMAIL
electric cars. hateful Prius from the airport. Sam Smith’s great, isn’t he? I’ve enjoyed
Jack Silver Paul Henriques his writing elsewhere for a while, but
it feels right that he’s now a regular in
Black magic Same on the ‘Pace’ in what sense? my favourite magazine. I really like the
outside, all new
> VIA FAC EBO O K
inside: the latest
> VIA EMAIL fact that (despite his passion for cars)
As a US reader who travels to the UK London cab Looking at that clutch of mini soft-road- he doesn’t write like a typical motoring

Do it again > INSTANT RE ACTIONS
VIA FACEBOOK
> VIA EMAIL
As an avid Steely Dan fan it was great to NEW TOYOTA
read your references to the incredible mu- RAV4
sic from Donald Fagen and Walter Becker
Like all other mini-tractors,
in the April Quick Group Test. Such a
high-seated, non-aerodynam-
shame Fagen didn’t get to build his Kam- ic, non-luggage friendly, and
akiri [the futuristic steam-powered eco car slow in trafic, not to mention
journalist. His voice has a youthful featured on his solo album Kamakiriad] in the draft behind on wet
vibrancy that I find very welcome. He’s in Sam Smith 1993 – such a revolutionary machine. roads... this class generates
the right place. making his mark Stephen Holding only wiper fluids.
I thought all that before I read the Tesla Linda Aasvang Hanssen
cover story in the May issue, and now I That’s gonna hurt Identity crisis. Is it trying to be
think it doubly. Nobody else who’s written > VIA EMAIL
a Jeep Cherokee/Compass,
about Tesla has come close to giving me I just re-read Tom Clarkson’s interview a Lexus NX or even a Volvo
such a clear understanding. with Ross Brawn (CAR, April) in the wake XC40 ?
Frank Edmunds of the Chinese GP, and feel that someone André Veldsman
is being less than honest with himself.
Now that is seriously ugly.
Braun says Liberty wants to see closer We have a better looking
racing, by making the cars easier to race, cheese grater.
through the use of ‘benign downforce’, Iain McDonald
allowing the cars to run closer together.
The Volvo is perfect. This is
The close racing in China was caused
very of indeed.
almost entirely by the various collisions, Simon Hunter
and the ramifications of the virtual safety
car thereafter and the tactical decisions Ugly. Fix the squared-of
taken by the teams. fenders and it will look much
Closer racing inevitably means more better. Michael Corliss
collisions. More collisions inevitably I do like the Lexus front end,
means more safety risks, and there must but this has too many sharp
be a big question over whether a Nas- edges. Helene Ringer
CAR ONLINE daq-listed company would support the Mad Max reborn. Looks like a
5 most read stories on carmagazine.co.uk implied decrease in safety… or the FIA, or mini garbage truck.
the mainstream auto makers. Ian Walters
New Mercedes A-Class review: How can Liberty knowingly increase
finally worthy of the Benz badge? Are Toyota and Peugeot
the risk to safety in search of new fans
locked in a battle to produce
BMW X2 vs Volvo XC40 vs and increased popularity? And yet the the world’s ugliest cars?
Jaguar E-Pace triple test human reality is that closer racing, Dan Scott McCallum
with all the risks it entails, is what the
New Lexus ES revealed – sport needs. Sorry Toyota, looks like a poor
GS replacement has arrived Chinese idea of what a RAV4
Roger Adshead
should look like. Tim Elsey
Everything you need to know about
the new Ford Focus hatch CAR collection This car is distinctive and looks
> VIA EMAIL great, the complex creases
Lamborghini Urus review: master of all trades?
My husband Brian Shaw has always been are especially commendable.
an ardent fan of motoring in all its forms, Martin Pacemski-Jones
and has collected all your magazines from Is this the Toyota version of
THE CAR POLL issue one onwards. But now we need to that dreadful Pontiac Aztek?
downsize. I’d like them to go to a good Haris Iftikhar
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CARMAGA ZINE.CO.UK | June 2018
PORSCHE’S ORIGINS might date back much further, but
2018 marks 70 years since the 356, its first road car. Ferdinand
Porsche would find his company vastly different today, now
selling more SUVs than sports cars and edging towards
electrification, but the template he laid down with the 356 still
resonates. Drive any Porsche and you feel that influence.
The success of the 356 opened the door to one of the richest,
most colourful automotive stories of all time: to the 911, which
remains the benchmark sports car, to the Champagne-soaked
celebrations and iconic liveries of Le Mans, to the 959 that
pushed boundaries in 1986 just as the Carrera GT and 918 Sp-
yder have in more recent times. And to the dance with death in
the ’90s, and salvation via water cooling, Boxsters, Caymans,
and those much-hated/much-bought SUVs…
HE 70
C
S AT
P O R S C H E AT
THE FIRST: PORSCHE 356
ONCE UPON
A TIME…
Born from Volkswagen’s people’s
car, the 356 is the first chapter in
the Porsche story. Still relevant?
Like you wouldn’t believe
Words James Taylor | Photography John Wycherley

w HY DO PEOPLE get so passionate
about Porsches? Could be the seven
decades of heritage, or the rock-solid
engineering, the instantly recognis-
able styling, or the reinforced trophy
cabinets groaning under the weight of all those Le Mans wins.
But above all, it’s how the cars feel to drive. The company may
make the bulk of its revenue from SUVs these days, but they
still handle like cars half their height. And when the electric
Porsches on the drawing boards and CAD screens in Stuttgart
reach showrooms, you’d put money on them still driving like
proper Porsches, too.
Like many great marques – Ferrari and Enzo, Lotus and
Chapman – Porsche was built by the passion of one man; or
in this case, one family. And the story really gets going with
the 356 in 1948. This was Porsche-the-company’s first proper
production car, masterminded by Ferdinand Porsche’s son
Ferry. It was funded partly via licence fees from sales of the
Ferdinand Porsche-designed Volkswagen Type 60 – better
known as the Beetle – and remained in production until 1965,
two years after the 911’s arrival.
The Beetle genes are evident in the 356’s rear-mounted, air-
cooled boxer engine and torsion-bar suspension, and early ver-
sions borrowed a few other Beetle bits, too. A, B and C upgrades
refined the 356 throughout its life, as power climbed from 40 to
95bhp. This car is a 1958 356A. Among the headline changes
when the A launched in 1955 were a curved windscreen in place THE MORE YOU TUNE
of a split screen, the availability of a bigger 1600cc engine, and
JT takes all various suspension and interior upgrades. YOURSELF INTO A PORSCHE
measures
necessary
This one’s a particularly rare brew: it was originally export-
ed to Australia, making it a sought-after right-hand-drive 356.
356, THE MORE YOU FALL
to combat
understeer The colour was specially mixed for Oz, a gorgeous not-quite- UNDER ITS SPELL
green, not-quite-cream hue, like a cup of
peppermint tea someone’s accidentally general essence-of-old-car, you would. The car’s previous own-
poured milk into. er also commissioned a set of tan leather luggage to match the
Showing just 7000 miles from new sets originally available in the ’50s. Charming doesn’t begin to
and fresh from a mechanical and body cover it.
restoration co-ordinated by Porsche Twist and pull the chromed choke lever outwards, turn the
Centre Leeds, it’s properly mint too, as if key and the engine putters into life and settles to a smooth,
it’s driven through a convenient tear in throbby idle. Another twist of a chromed handle releases
the space-time fabric from Zuffenhaus- the parking brake, buried far under the dash. You do a lot of
en in 1958 straight to a quiet road near stretching in a 356. The pedals are offset to the left, so you drive
Kielder Forest, 2018. with your torso at 12 o’clock, your legs at 10 o’clock. Push the
Inside, it’s a retrophile’s dream. spongy, long-travel clutch into the floor, taking care not to
If classic-style fridges, toasters and catch the sole of your left shoe against your right – the pedals
radios are your thing, you’ll be in design are close – tickle the throttle and pull away. There’s such a long
heaven. The radio itself, a Blaupunkt throw to the spindly gear lever it feels like you need to reach
with neat plastic switches, was another under the dash for first gear, and into the back seat for second.
upgrade introduced for the 356A. I There’s a similar distance between each ratio – shift up too
daren’t switch it on: if it were playing early and the engine begins to struggle. Time it right, though,
anything newer than Buddy Holly or and it’s immensely satisfying.
the Everly Brothers the illusion would The more time you spend in a 356 and tune yourself into
be shattered. Like modern Porsches, it, the more you fall under its spell. The steering is light, and
quality feels top-drawer, and the details surprisingly accurate. Some old cars demand you saw at the
are lovely: the perforated headlining, wheel like Sean Connery in that Dr No car chase, but the 356
the ultra-comfy springing system in goes exactly where you point it. The thin-rimmed wheel, big
the seats. And the smell… If you could enough to almost skim the top of your thighs, gets heavier as a
bottle that aroma of leather, plastics and corner goes on, but remains full of feel.

PORSCHE 356 (1958 356A) P O R S C H E AT
> On sale 1948-1965
> Price then £1996 (£250k now)
> Engine 1582cc 8v flat-4,
59bhp @ 4200rpm,81lb ft @ 2800rpm
> Transmission 4-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
> Suspension Trailing arms, torsion bars front;
swing axles, torsion bars rear
> Performance 14.1sec 0-60mph, 102mph, 32mpg
Does a Porsche 356 feel fast today? Not so much. Rumour has it
Steve McQueen fitted a foot switch to his 356 to kill the number
Writing the rulebook
plate lights so the police couldn’t identify him hustling the 70 years on, Porsche still plays by 356 rules
car around the hills at night, but a modern police car could
probably read the 356’s chassis number by torchlight without Rear-mounted Curves, curves, Motorsport Hewn from
breaking a sweat. Hills are a challenge. You need to anticipate engine curves success solid
them to make the most of the 59bhp available, and you might With the Arcing roofline, The 356 entered The 356 is light,
have to resort to first gear for particularly steep climbs – cylinders laid elliptical everything from but feels solid.
remembering that there’s no synchromesh on first, so you flat, naturally. headlights in short sprints to Close the doors
must first be stationary to select it. The 356 two barrelled cross-continent and you’ll get
Long-winded gearshift apart, all the touch-points feel great. inherited this wings, rounded epics, including a reassuring
layout from the shoulders – the Liège-Rome- thump; every
Even the window winders feel slick, and the brackets, hinges
VW Beetle; now these signatures Liège rally touchpoint
and shutlines appear almost at the standard of a modern car a road-going 911 are all still there – which it won. feels measured
when you lift the bonnet to fill the front-mounted tank. (It’s with its engine in the 911. And Lessons learned and carefully
best to use regular unleaded – it’s better quality than the fuel it positioned the 718, Macan, informed weighted. The
sipped in period, and if you fill up on super and you might get ahead of the Cayenne and development, same care is
flames from the exhausts…) rear axle is Panamera too, just as 911 race lavished on a
Jump behind the wheel of a Porsche 356 and you can abso- unthinkable. for that matter. cars do today. Cayman.
lutely see and feel the very special DNA still at play in Porsches
today, and not just the 911. The Porsche road car story started
here, and – thankfully – the 356’s influence shows no sign of
waning any time soon.
With thanks to the Porsche Classic Partner, Porsche Centre Leeds

for the use of the 356, which is for sale
P O R S C H E AT
THE GREATEST: 917, 919 & 956
With their otherworldly speed, Porsche’s racing

Words Ben Pulman | Photography John Wycherley

sports cars tend not to compete but to dominate

P O R S C H E AT
PORSCHE 917
From disaster, glory

THE 917 ALMOST never happened. Put off by the FIA’s requirement to
build 50 examples for the 5.0-litre sports car class, Porsche instead created
the 908 to compete in the 3.0-litre category. And even when that number
was halved in the spring of 1968, it took the deep pockets of VW (who
needed to promote the air-cooled engines of its ageing but profitable
Beetle) to fund two-thirds of the race programme.
Porsche’s tiny team started work in July ’68. A tubular aluminium-alloy
chassis meant the 917 weighed just 800kg. Engine designer Hans Mezger
added four cylinders to the 908’s motor to create a lightweight and in-
credibly reliable 180° flat-12. Less than a year after the project was given
the green light, Porsche presented the 917… And it was a dog. It led at Le
Mans that year, but when Richard Attwood retired from the race with
three hours to go, his only emotion was relief. ‘It was the worst time I ever
had in a race car,’ he tells CAR. ‘It was all over the place at 180mph but it These victories weren’t blips, either. Le Mans was part of the Sports
could do 235mph…’ Car World Championship, and the 917 won seven out of the eight races it
Yet the virtually untested 917 had set a lap record in qualifying and the entered in 1970. A year later it was no different: eight from 10.
fastest lap of the race, and when Porsche went testing in October 1969, it A rule change at the end of ’71 killed the 5.0-litre Group 5 sports cars,
discovered the problem. Aerodynamics in those days really were a black so Porsche focused on the fearsome North American Can-Am champi-
art, and the team used tin snips and aluminium sheet to raise the body- onship. With no engine limits, the turbocharged 1000bhp 917/10 Spyder
work above the rear wheels. It worked, creating much-needed downforce. ended McLaren’s dominance in ’72, and eight wins out of eight for the
‘We made it a perfect car, the opposite of before,’ beams driver Hans 917/30 Spyder in ’73 meant the rules were re-written to stop it coming
Herrmann. At Le Mans in 1970 he and Attwood finished first, with an- back. That decision killed Can-Am, while Porsche’s experiment with
other 917 in second (and a 908 in third). In 1971 it was Porsche atop the turbocharging led to the 911 Turbo – result.
podium again, this time with Helmut Marko (the old guy in the Red Bull In various guises the 917 dominated the Interserie (Europe’s version of
pit garage at F1 races) and Gijs van Lennep at the wheel. Can-Am) too, and its suspension, brakes and wheels were used to build
The pair also set speed and distance records in the race that wouldn’t be the 936 Spyder, which won Le Mans in 1976. And 1977. In 1981, when the
beaten until 2010. And they did it in a special 917 with a super-lightweight rules allowed for a bigger engine, Porsche pulled a 936 out of its museum,
magnesium frame so fragile it cracked during testing and never raced dropped in a turbocharged 2.65-litre from an old IndyCar project that
again after Le Mans. Porsche was so worried the pair might nurse it round never raced (another Mezger engine) along with the gearbox from a 917
for 24 hours, it simply didn’t tell the drivers about the one-off chassis until Can-Am racer, and won.
after the chequered flag. Not bad for a car that nearly didn’t see the light of day.

‘ I T WA S A L L O V E R T H E
P L A C E AT 1 8 0 M P H , B U T
I T C O U L D D O 2 3 5 M P H …’
R I C H A R D AT T WO O D
Looks crude but

this was cutting-
edge aero
Carrera GT pilots
will feel right at
home with the 917’s
wooden knob

P O R S C H E AT
PORSCHE 956/962
All but perfect

IN 1982 NEW Group C rules ushered in restricted fuel usage but entic- it back-to-back with the Can-Am conquering 917/30 in June 1983, despite
ingly allowed for completely free engine development. Porsche’s reliable narrower tyres and giving away 300bhp, the 956 was four seconds quicker
but stillborn IndyCar engine was its weapon of choice but everything around the lap.
else on its 956 race car was new. Porsche’s first monocoque chassis, built At Le Mans in 1982 the 956 finished 1-2-3 – and it was 10 per cent more
from riveted and bonded sheet aluminium, was 80 per cent stiffer than fuel efficient than the 936 that won the year before. A year later it was
the 936’s tubular frame despite a longer wheelbase. The 956 was Porsche’s more dominant still, with Porsche filling nine of the top 10 places (which
first ground-effect car too, with the engine tilted up at the rear to make led to the infamous ‘Nobody’s Perfect’ poster).
space for the venturi tunnels. The 1984 season was different, as Porsche refused to enter Le Mans – it
‘We knew ground effect was in Formula 1 with Lotus and it looked had met new fuel regulations, which slowed the 956, but rivals hadn’t and
easy’, says Norbert Singer, the engineer who played a part in every single were allowed to race without the handicap. It didn’t matter, as a customer
Porsche victory at Le Mans between 1970 and 1998. ‘We quickly realised 956 still won in the hands of Reinhold Joest (who would go on to oversee
it wasn’t! And yet we never changed the monocoque. We found the aero 14 more Le Mans victories for Porsche and then Audi) while seven other
balance within weeks, and it was just nine months between starting work 956s finished in the top 10. And despite its absence from Le Mans, the
on the car and its first race.’ works Rothmans-Porsche team would still win the drivers’ and manufac-
At the first test, the team thought driver Jürgen Barth had gone off the turers’ world titles that year – their third whitewash in a row.
track as the venturis were covered in dust – it was just the ground effect Joest won again in 1985, holding off the newer 962Cs, but the rest of the
literally hoovering up Porsche’s Weissach test circuit. The cornering decade was theirs. An evolution of the 956 with the wheelbase extended
speeds were of a different order of magnitude, and when Derek Bell drove 120mm to move the driver’s feet behind the front axle, the 962 was origi-

‘GROUND EFFECT LOOKED
E A S Y – W E Q U I C K LY
R E A L I S E D I T WA S N ’ T ! ’
NORBERT SINGER
Try to forget that

your ankles are
right at the very
nally built to meet America’s IMSA regulations. It was soon adapted for front of a 956…
Group C, then further developed with a bigger engine, larger wheels and
tyres, and Porsche’s first attempt at a double-clutch PDK gearbox.
Sticky Dunlops got
It won the world championship in 1985, did the same again in ’86 (to go a massive helping
with victory at Le Mans) and while the Silk Cut Jaguars won eight of the hand from ground-
10 rounds in 1987, one solitary car kept going for 24 hours to give Porsche efect aero
its sixth 956/962 Le Mans victory (and seventh in a row).
Just as the 917 didn’t die, neither did the 962. Despite being outlawed
from racing, Porsche found a loophole in the rules and helped Jochen
Dauer enter his insane street-legal 962 into the 1994 24 Hours of Le
Mans. It was in the same class as Vipers and F40s, but beat Toyota for
overall victory.
Even that wasn’t quite the end, because in crude terms the back half
of the 962 was welded to the front of a 993-generation 911 and entered
at Le Mans in ’96. It never won (a Porsche-engined TWR prototype run
by a certain Mr Joest took the chequered flag that year, and again in
’97) but it was still victorious in the GT1 category, finishing second and
third overall.

P O R S C H E AT
PORSCHE 919 HYBRID
The last crusader (for now)

IT’S OFTEN claimed that the profitability of the Cayenne gives Porsche over 200 people working for him (and a roof over their head).
the money to build its beloved GT roads cars and go racing with the 911 Not that Porsche was sure what it was working on. Even once the project
– yet it was the Cayenne that killed Porsche’s Le Mans challenge in the was underway, the regulations weren’t set in stone. A couple of different
late ’90s. Cash was needed, so its LMP2000 prototype was canned at the powertrains were tried. ‘There were two possibilities for the engine, so we
last minute and never got to race. And while an enlarged version of its V10 built both,’ Enzinger tells CAR. ‘There were different hybrid solutions for
engine lived on in the Carrera GT, Porsche was absent from the top-level each engine, too. It was the most difficult decision we made.’
prototype category for the next 15 years, watching from the sidelines as The final choice was a single-turbo, direct-injection 2.0-litre in a
Audi dominated. compact V4 layout. It revved to 9000rpm and generated over 500bhp, and
It was a rule change that finally bought Porsche (and Toyota) back. Porsche went with it because the regulations had an in-built bias towards
The revised regulations focused on fuel usage, but the flipside was fewer having a big hybrid system and a small engine, rather than vice-versa.
engine restrictions. Just as importantly, the amount of energy that could The hybrid side of the package was made up of two energy-recovery
be recovered and deployed from the hybrid system was dramatically in- systems. The first was an electric motor on the front axle, which charged a
creased. Come 2014 there were three different manufacturers on the grid, lithium-ion battery under braking, and redeployed its power through the
all with different engines and different energy recovery systems. front wheels under acceleration – for temporary all-wheel drive.
Toyota went for a petrol V8 and Audi stuck with what it knew, its The second system took advantage of the turbo engine. Instead of a
trusty large-capacity diesel V6. Porsche, meanwhile, started from scratch. wastegate, exhaust gases drove a second turbine, which drove a generator.
Fritz Enzinger was employee No 1 for Porsche’s Le Mans return, but This meant the 919 was the only car on the grid that recuperated energy
at the end of 2011 the new boss started with no staff and no facilities. under braking and acceleration, producing the electrical equivalent of
His brief? To build a Formula 1 car with a roof. Two years later he had around 400bhp and reducing fuel consumption by 20 per cent.

ENZINGER’S BRIEF? TO BUILD A
FORMULA 1 CAR WITH A ROOF
From farts to Formula E: the 919 story

Incoming genius Ventilation problems wrapped up before go, making way for 919 unleashed
Late 2011 and Fritz are so bad that when the final WEC round Porsche’s 18th overall A one-of Porsche 919
Enzinger joins from drivers break wind it in Bahrain – fifth is victory. Hybrid Evo breaks
BMW – his V12 LMR lingers in the cockpit enough for Webber the lap record at Spa,
won Le Mans in ’99. for hours. and co to take the 2017 spec beating Hamilton’s
Drivers’ title. Such is the pace of qualifying time from
Wanna join us? Into battle development that the previous year by
Enzinger cherry-picks The Porsche 919 New rules the 2017 car is 70 per 0.783sec. Unleashed
the best from Porsche, Hybrid is unveiled in Glory at Le Mans New 919 shown March cent new. At Le Mans, from FIA regs, the
calls old friends at March 2014. It scores June 2015 and two 2016: it’s lighter, drivers Bamber, Timo engine delivers
BMW and ofers a a podium finish on its 2015-spec 919s break and its V4 engine Bernhard and Brendon 720bhp and the
home to Peugeot’s debut at Silverstone in the seven-year-old now makes less than Hartley stage a huge hybrid system another
ace LMP1 engineers. April 2014. qualifying record in 500bhp due to stricter comeback, climbing 440bhp. Active aero
the first session at fuel-eficiency rules. from 54th to first, to ramps downforce up
Shakedown Le Mans disaster Le Mans. In the race At the same time Audi give Porsche its 19th by 53 per cent; weight
The car hits Porsche’s One 919 finishes 11th Nico Hülkenberg, and Toyota adopt the overall victory. is down 39kg.
Weissach test track in overall at Le Mans; Earl Bamber and Nick lithium-ion batteries
June 2013. The team the second 919 retires Tandy clinch Porsche’s favoured by Porsche. And we’re out
grows to 230 people. with engine failure. 17th overall victory. July 2017 and Porsche
They all count shocks the racing
Bad vibrations First win Glory everywhere Le Mans 2016 and world by announcing
Testing continues November 2014 and Porsche already Kazuki Nakajima’s it’s leaving LMP1 and
but the 919 is beset the 919 takes its first has the World Toyota grinds to a will instead focus on
by vibration issues. win at Interlagos. Manufacturers’ title halt with one lap to Formula E.

P O R S C H E AT
F1 car with ‘The drivetrain was the most advanced element of the 919,’ says
a roof? It’s Brendon Hartley, who raced for Porsche for four years. ‘Porsche was very
not far of ambitious, and the technology was incredibly advanced.’
It was this aggressive approach that would eventually give Porsche an
advantage, but it wasn’t smooth sailing at the start. The V4 was a stressed
member of the chassis, and for the first six months of testing the vibra-
tions either made the 919 undriveable or plain broke the car. An engine
redesign solved the problem, but other issues forced Porsche to homolo-
gate the car in the six-megajoule category rather than top-spec 8MJ class.
Its first season wasn’t one to be remembered. With testing curtailed by
those vibration issues, the 919 raced too soon. It finished outside the top
10 at Le Mans, over 30 laps behind, and only came good for its first win at
the final round of the FIA World Endurance Championship.
Then Porsche got in its groove. For 2015 it trimmed 30kg out of the car,
allowing it to take full advantage of the downsized engine and run in the
8MJ class. This unlocked more electrical power and took the total output
to approximately 1000bhp. The 919 broke the lap record in qualifying at
Le Mans, started 1-2-3, and finished 1-2.
It was Toyota’s heart-breaking mechanical failure with a lap to go at Le
Mans in 2016 that gave Porsche its second win in a row; to finish first, first

WITHIN WEEKS OF ITS 19TH
O V E R A L L V I C T O R Y, P O R S C H E
A N N O U N C E D I T WA S E N D I N G
ITS PROGRAMME
you have to finish… Which was true again in 2017: a fiasco in the pits and
a collision with an LMP2 prototype ended the race for both Toyotas and
put Porsche into lead. But out in front by 13 laps, it too lost a car, meaning
that for the first time in history the race was led by an LMP2 car.
Porsche wouldn’t be beaten. Its second car, having had problems early,
re-joined 19 laps down. At 7.35pm on Saturday evening it was in 54th
place; at 12.50pm the following afternoon it was back on the lead lap; 17
laps later it was out front; and 20 laps after that it took the chequered flag.
‘We drove our hearts out in that race, and the team in the garage
worked so hard too,’ says Hartley. ‘I had tears in my eyes when I finished
my stint and passed the car on to Earl [Bamber] and Timo [Bernhard]. It
was such a special moment to be part of. We hadn’t even won the race at
that moment, but Le Mans means so much.’
It was a bittersweet victory, though, as within weeks of its 19th overall
victory, Porsche announced it was ending its programme a year early – it
was switching to Formula E. It’s a seemingly sad end to Porsche’s history
at Le Mans, because this latest chapter started from nothing, rose to beat ‘What do you
Toyota and end the dominance of Audi, before fizzling out abruptly. mean you can’t
remember what
Then again, it would take a brave punter to bet against Porsche one day the blue one does?’
returning for that 20th overall win.
CHE GT 3 RS
T E S T : P ORS
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QUIET Words Ja
mes Tay
lor | Pho
tography John W
ycherley

P O R S C H E AT

Both bumpers are new, there are new tail lights, reshaped
vents to better channel air, and a broader spoiler lip at the front
that works together with wider sideskirts to create a little extra
underbody surface area, and therefore more downforce. That’s
something the GT3 RS never did lack. The 2015 RS generated
350kg of negative lift at 186mph – as much as the 918 hypercar
on paper, yet with drag comparable to the regular GT3. The
new car’s reported to possess eight per cent more downforce,
and a smidge less drag too. Not a bad effort.
A usable proportion of that downforce gets working
early, too, around half from 90mph. And that’s discounting
mechanical grip from the giant tyres, which barely fit in
T
RS just did 6:56.4 the arches. Those stunning centre-lock forged wheels, with
at the ’Ring.
Quite quick at flared, curving spokes, measure 21 inches at the rear and 20
Kielder too inches at the front, giving a slight rake to the RS’s widescreen
stance, another ingredient in its serious kerbside appeal. This
particular car’s wild lime theme extends to the rims’ edges
pinstriped in the same Lizard Green as the body – and half
rollcage (a no-cost option as part of the Clubsport package),
the dashboard stitching, cotton centre marker in the alcantara
wheel, go-faster stripes down the gear selector and fabric door
HERE’S A PARTICULAR sound the pulls have all gone gecko, too. Nothing so heavy as an interior
GT3 RS makes, just after 8500rpm. It’s a door handle adds to the RS’s kerbweight, and even the usual
metallic-edged shriek, like an ascending hinged doorbins make way for miniature cargo nets.
firework overlaid with an old F1 car. It’s Stripped it might be, but creature comforts remain – air-con,
one of the best sounds any 911 has ever the 991.2’s latest touchscreen – and the feeling of quality and
made, and once you’ve heard it, it’s a rush attention to detail is quite something. You get the impression
you’ll keep chasing again and again. And the designers had as much fun as the engineers. The seats are a
eight and a half is just the start – this new particular high point: they’re sculpted carbonfibre shells, clad
RS’s tacho needle doesn’t meet a solid red in a choice of finishes – alcantara in this car, with cleverly grad-
line until it reaches the number nine. uated perforations growing in diameter until they arrange
It’s a sensory overload kind of car, the themselves into a semblance of racing stripes. It’s gleefully
GT3 RS. Aurally, visually, haptically. If over the top, yet somehow avoids being garish.
the standard 911 GT3 is the purest driver’s 911 of the current Turn the key and the engine buzzes into a rattly idle. This
range – no turbos, no rear seats, no mucking about – the RS is a good sign; it seems a good rule of thumb that the more a
is its ultimate expression: wider track, wider body (with a few 911 sounds like a bag of spanners at tickover, the better it’ll
more holes for cooling), a rear wing that looks borrowed from a sound when it gets going. Revised induction, exhaust and
GT3 R race car, and a similar obsession with lap times. management electronics have helped the 4.0-litre flat-six’s
It’s not the fastest, or the maddest, 911 in the range (the power rise to 513bhp from the previous RS’s 493bhp, making it
twin-turbo, near-700bhp GT2 RS plays that role) but it is the the most powerful naturally aspirated 911 yet – although given
nimblest, the most agile – and potentially the most fun. That’s Porsche’s tendency to underplay its numbers, most customer
why we’re here, in the Scottish borders, to let the RS stretch cars will likely develop even more power.
its legs on the kind of roads it was made for. This is also a Gravel rattles in the arches like a rally car as we pull away, a
curtain call for the current 991.2 generation of the 911 before product of the deleted sound deadening compared to regular
the spotlight switches to the all-new 992 family, due to make
its first appearance later this year. The GT3 RS is the final 991
to get the .2 update, making this the concluding chapter of a 4.0-litre can’t
go all the way to
911 generation that first appeared on the front cover of CAR in 11, but gives it a
January 2012. damn good go
It’s not going quietly, that’s for sure. Lizard Green is the
official launch colour (another eight hues are available), and
when I meet the car for the first time it’s so bright I swear I can
see a glow on the horizon as it approaches. Subjectively, it looks
fantastic, especially with ’70s-style stickers along its flanks.
Standard fit (or stick) for the 991.2, they’re the easiest way to
tell it apart at a distance from its predecessor, 2015’s 991.1 GT3
RS. There are a few more clues close up – two extra NACA ducts
in the CFRP bonnet supply air to the front brakes, and while
there’s no missing that rear wing, unless you look closely you
might miss its new end plates and supports, making it sit even
higher than before.

P O R S C H E AT
T H E F L AT S I X ’ S P O W E R R I S E S T O 5 1 3 B H P, M A K I N G T H I S T H E
M O S T P O W E R F U L N AT U R A L LY A S P I R AT E D 9 1 1 Y E T
Passenger can
be colour-coded
green with just
one lap

P O R S C H E AT
Downforce,grip,
lap times… but
GT3 RS still does
entertainment
EVERY MOVEMENT OF YOUR WRIST IS MET

W I T H I N S TA N T R E S P O N S E F R O M T H E T Y R E S
You can’t enjoy

UK roads these
days. Trafic,
speed cameras,
weather’s awful…

911. There’s something else chattering away, too. From the first Part-cage is a
no-cost option.
hundred metres, it’s clear the steering feel is a marvel. When Essential for full
electric power steering first appeared on 911s it felt a touch RS vibe
numb, wooden, but a lot of current’s flowed under the bridge
since then. It’s comparatively light and extremely sensitive, but
doesn’t feel nervous or darty. They make potholes big out here,
and dodging them is like playing an advanced level in Space
Invaders – there’s not a hint of slack, the very first movement
of your wrist met with an instantaneous response from the
tyres. And quite apart from the feedback flowing through it,
the wheel itself feels great, its spokes free from buttons and its
rim clad entirely in alcantara, as is the top of the gear selector.
The word ‘selector’ gives the game away; the RS still can’t
be specced with a manual gearbox. While the regular 991.2
GT3 offered the option of either a manual or PDK dual-clutch
gearbox in response to customer demand, the RS remains
PDK-only. It’s not the end of the world: the RS is designed to be
A titanium
the fastest moving object around a track, after all, and PDK’s megaphone
ideal-shifts-every-time/both-hands-on-the-wheel remit fits for 4.0 litres of
flat-six to shout
perfectly. The six-speed manual gearbox in the regular GT3 is down. Lovely
a thing of joy – short-throw, ultra-precise, perfectly weighted
to the pedals – but the seven-speed PDK is an emotive thing
to use in itself, especially in the RS, with its shorter ratios
and swifter shift map than a standard 911. Upshifts at higher
revs are dispatched with a metallic ping, like you’re midway
through a personal-best game on a pinball machine, and the
crisper-than-crisp downshifts feel no slower. When you’re
not on the paddles in manual mode, select PDK Sport and it’ll
shuffle down the gears faster than a pro card-shark through a
deck, and in normal auto mode it’s one of those rare self-shift-
ing gearboxes that actually chooses the right gear, at exactly
the right time.
You can punch the selector lever itself forwards to shift down
or pull back to shift up if your hand position means you can’t
get to the shift paddles, but the RS requires so little lock to get
around tight turns, you hardly ever need remove your thumbs
from the neatly shaped dimples at quarter to three on the
Details to die for: 991 vs 991.2
wheel. That’s due largely to the GT3 RS’s rear-wheel steering, Two GT3 RS 911s, both alike in dignity…
a refined version of the system fitted to the previous car, and
various other 911 variants.
It works uncannily well. Some high-performance cars
with rear-steer – Merc-AMG’s GT R, for example – can take a
little while to tune into, and occasionally feel peculiar, the car’s
overall yaw rate out of sync with your inputs to the wheel. The
GT3 RS doesn’t. It feels natural straight away, the only unusual
manifestation of the swivel-hipped rear axle an occasionally
slightly floaty (but not unpleasant) feel to the steering. You
i Aerodynamics i Stickers i Titanium exhaust
notice it too in the surprisingly tight, city car-like turning cir- 8% more downforce, Standard on the 991.2 GT3 Titanium silencer and
cle, where the rear wheels turn in the opposite direction to the helped by a new difuser, RS – just in case onlookers tailpipes. No wonder it
fronts to help spin the 4.5m long RS around in an improbably wider skirts, broader were in any doubt. sounds so good.
small amount of real estate. front spoiler lip and new
At higher speeds, the rear wheels turn minutely in parallel rear wing end plates and i Bodywork i Forged wheels
supports. New tail-lights at the back, 20s up front, 21s at the
with the fronts, effectively lengthening the wheelbase for
LED indicators at the front. rear as before, but now
increased stability. That’s something the GT3 RS has in i Powertrain NACA ducts on bonnet 100g lighter. Every little bit
abundance. With adaptive dampers, dynamic engine mounts Power is up 20bhp to help cool brakes, and all helps, you know.
stiffening and unstiffening to transmit loads as effectively 513bhp; torque is up 7lb vents are reshaped to get
as possible, torque vectoring and an electronically controlled ft to 347lb ft. The 4.0-litre air in and out. i Weissach Pack
locking differential, not to mention all that aero, there’s so flat-six’s extra oomph Ofers the option
much going on behind the scenes to put each and every horse- comes largely from i Suspension of carbon roof and
revised valvegear, new Rose-jointed, with similar magnesium wheels.
power through the rear tyres effectively. Suspension settings exhaust and induction spring rates front and rear
are now similar to the GT2 RS, with spring rates hugely systems and tweaked as GT2 RS. That’s double i Technology
increased versus the regular GT3, and a whole bouquet of rose electronics, lifting the the previous RS at the Gets latest 991.2
joints deployed front and rear. redline to 9000rpm. front, up 50% at the rear. touchscreen inside.

THE GT3 RS
CONSUMES THE
ROAD, BUT YOU
C A N E N J O Y I T AT
A R E L AT I V E LY
GENTLE PACE TOO
76 SUBSC RIB E TO CAR & G E T 6 ISSUES FOR £19.50! G RE ATMAGA ZINES.CO.UK /CAR | June 2018
Xxxxxxxxxxx 911T and 911 GT3
P O R S C H E AT
Looks like it’s just

driven of a track;
feels totally at
home on British
B-road
The engine warmed through, the road unfurling into fast, The thinner glass and lack of sound deadening
pothole-free sweeps ahead of the louvred front arches, another means the cabin echoes a bit, and on coarser surfac- PORSCHE 911 GT3 RS
upshift pinged away, you could be mid-stint in the Nürburgring es you might need to raise your voice to chat with > Price £141,346
24 Hour. The brake pedal’s position presents itself to your left a passenger, but otherwise almost everything that > Engine 3996cc 24v flat-six,
513bhp @ 8250rpm, 347lb ft
foot as readily as your right, and it’s full of feel. The ABS can makes the regular 911 such an usable sports car
@ 6000rpm
be triggered comparatively early, but the pedal is so easy to still applies. The ride is surprisingly supple, even
> Transmission 7-speed
modulate, you can hold it just on the threshold of intervention. with the dampers in the firmer mode. The seating dual-clutch, limited-slip
Front-end grip is colossal, and there’s huge traction out of cor- position is low-slung, but vision past the upright, diferential, rear-wheel drive
ners, too. And there’s something spookily right about the gear relatively slim windscreen pillars is good and you > Suspension MacPherson
ratios; not too long, not too short. Brief straights disappear quickly feel comfortable. Up ahead you can just strut front, multi-link rear
in one lunge towards the redline, 4.0-litre flat-six shrieking about see the tops of the front wings, glance in the > Performance 3.2sec
through its new titanium exhaust like a banshee mic’d up to mirrors and you can see those giant rear arches ei- 0-62mph, 193mph, 22.1mpg,
a Marshall stack. Every degree you flex your Achilles tendon ther side. As for the wing, it’s so high you look clean 291g/km CO2
nets another rpm. That linearity (and that sound) is why the underneath it. There’s still decent space under the > Weight 1430kg (with
lightest options)
GT3 doesn’t have turbos, the last remaining 911 to hold on to front luggage lid, and it’s so light you fear you’ll
> On sale Now
natural aspiration. On a circuit some chinks might appear in throw it over the roof when you first lift it. The car-
> Verdict ★★★★★
its armour – it must have some – but on the road, it’s mighty. bon shellback seats should be a one-size-fits-some
As much as the GT3 RS has the ability to consume the road compromise, but they’re surprisingly comfy over a
ahead like a video set to two-times speed, you can enjoy those long journey, helped by electric tilt adjustment for
same sensations at a relatively gentle pace, flowing down their base, and they can be heated as an option.
the road, enjoying all that sensory feedback – the sound, the As the GT3 RS ticks cool, it’s another chance to drink in its details:
touch-points and all those messages from the chassis you’re the new titanium tailpipes, gradually turning a deeper shade of blue
constantly plugged into. And you never miss an apex, because with use; the gigantic composite brake discs (the full-house PCCB ce-
the steering and front-end grip are so good. This particular car ramics are a further £6k option); the three sections that make up the
was fitted with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2s, although many magnesium roof (carbon is an option as part of the Weissach pack,
customer cars will be fitted with Dunlop Sport Maxx Race 2s, together with magnesium wheels); the scoops in the rear arches to
which promise comparable performance. ram air into the giant rear airbox. They’re an easy way for 911 spotters
to clock the RS at a distance if they’ve missed the stickers, another
Perfect seat,
being the extractor slats over the front wheelarches, contributing to
alcantara rim, front-end downforce.
and lots and lots On the sense-of-occasion scale, the GT3 RS is like a royal wedding
of glorious noise
on Christmas day. Is it worth the near £30k premium over a regular
GT3? The vanilla GT3 is still a very special experience to drive, and in
some ways a purer one than the excess-all-areas RS, which is harder,
faster, stronger. But jumping in the RS is like seeing the road through
new lenses, where everything’s sharper, faster, and responds as fast as
you can think.
By pushing the boundaries of the 911’s platform with the GT3 RS,
Porsche has stretched the envelope of what’s possible for 911-kind
to achieve in terms of dynamics. The GT3 RS is one of the greatest
driver’s cars on sale, maybe even the greatest. It sums up everything
we love about Porsche, because it engages every sense in a way few
other cars can.

P O R S C H E AT
AND THE
GREATEST
PORSCHE IS…
70 years. One hell of a back catalogue. One winner
Words Chris Chilton | Photography John Wycherley
70.
Porsche-Diesel Standard 218
Always ahead of the field
Built: 1957-1963 I Engine: 1644cc diesel twin-cylinder, 25bhp I Top speed: Steady
Plenty of badly driven Porsches have end- with a choice of single-, twin-, three-
ed up in fields, but some were designed to or four-cylinder engines – air-cooled,
be there. Ferdinand Porsche began work of course. While Porsche toyed with the
on a tractor in the ’30s, but it wasn’t until idea of four-wheel drive, production ver-
after the war that they entered production sions were rear-drive – purists rejoice.

69. Cayenne GTS 68. 911 Targa 4S 67. Lohner-Porsche
Stick-shift sports SUV Targa recovers its cool Porsche’s zero-emissions pioneer
Built: 2008-2010 I Engine: 4806cc V8, Built: 2016-present I Engine: 3800cc Built: 1900-1905 I Engine: 10-14bhp
400bhp I Top speed: 157mph flat-six, 395bhp I Top speed: 184mph e-motor I Top speed: 37mph
Makes our greatest list by virtue of its absurd- After years in the wilderness the Targa What were you doing at 18? Ferdinand
ity: the Cayenne GTS could be ordered with a returned for 2014 with an ingenious sliding Porsche was designing battery cars. Familiar
six-speed manual ’box. Few were, naturally.. roof that mimicked the late ’60s original. bugbears: range, no infrastructure etc.
66. Mercedes 500 E 65. Panamera GTS 64. 924

Porsche’s Mercedes Hideous styling, heavenly handling Right car, wrong badge
Built: 1991-1994 I Engine: 4973cc V8, Built: 2011-2016 I Engine: 4806cc V8, Built: 1976-1988 I Engine: 1984cc
322bhp I Top speed: 162mph 424bhp I Top speed: 179mph four-cylinder, 123bhp I Top speed: 126mph
Engineered by Porsche for Mercedes, the Couldn’t touch the Turbo’s pace, but the Commissioned by VW-Audi, front-engined,
500 E is possibly the greatest Q-car ever. unblown GTS’s throttle response and chassis water-cooled 924 was a radical departure.
Subtle arch flares hint at the 322bhp 5.0 V8. balance made it the driver’s choice. Ace handling but slow, until turbo option.
63. 356/1 62. 964 Carrera 4 61. 944 S2

A Boxster they built earlier One foot in the present The 924 finally comes of age
Built: 1948 I Engine: 1131cc flat-four, Built: 1988-1993 I Engine: 3600cc flat-six, Built: 1989-1992 I Engine: 2990cc four-
35bhp I Top speed: 84mph 247bhp I Top speed: 163mph cylinder, 208bhp I Top speed: 150mph
First Porsche sports car was mid-, not Using 959 tricks, Porsche updated the 911 20bhp and 500cc were added to the 944S
rear-engined. Flat-four was shifted aft for 356 with power steering, ABS and four-wheel to create the S2. More drivable than the S or
production to make space for rear seats… drive, all without harming the 911 silhouette. Turbo (whose sexier nose it borrowed).
60. Panamera Turbo Sport Turismo 59. Audi RS2 58. Macan S
Wicked wagon for Cayenne haters Porsche’s Audi Benchmark ‘small’ SUV
Built: 2017-present I Engine: 3996cc V8, Built: 1994-1995 I Engine: 2226cc Built: 2014-present I Engine: 2997cc V6,
543bhp I Top speed: 188mph five-cylinder, 311bhp I Top speed: 163mph 335bhp I Top speed: 158mph
Porsche built a 928 estate for Ferry Porsche in Audi’s first RS was a Porsche-fettled Never read too much into a shared platform.
the ’80s but it took until 2017 for the concept 80-based wagon. Unlike the discreet Merc The brilliant Macan shares its roots with the
to materialise, this time as a Panamera. 500 E, iconic Cup wheels let everyone know. strait-laced Audi A4. Turbo even quicker.
57. 968 Club Sport 56. 911 Carrera (996) 55. 550
When lightweight Porsches cost less The water-cooled 911 starts here Porsche’s racing legend starts here
Built: 1992-1995 I Engine: 2990cc Built: 1997-2004 I Engine: 3596cc flat-six, Built: 1953-1956 I Engine: 1498cc
four-cylinder, 237bhp I Top speed: 157mph 315bhp I Top speed: 177mph flat-four I Top speed: 140mph
To boost flagging 968 sales, Porsche cleaved Cheapest way into a 911 and underrated for Four-cam, mid-engined spyder took Por-
100kg and £7.5k. No more power (and no too long. Forget the blobby styling – it’s all sche’s first big win at the ’56 Targa Florio. Best
more back seats) but heaps more fun. about the drive. 2001-on 3.6 your best bet. known as the car James Dean died driving.

54. 911 Speedster 53. Volkswagen Beetle 52. 911 Targa
California Carrera channels 356’s cool Porsche-engineered icon Safety scare creates style icon
Built: 1988-1989 I Engine: 3164cc flat-six, Built: 1938-2003 I Engine: 1131cc flat-four, Built: 1966-present I Engine: 2195cc flat-six,
228bhp I Top speed: 150mph 25bhp I Top speed: 62mph (1953) 140bhp I Top speed: 134mph (’70 911E)
Porsche borrowed from the legendary 356 No Porsche badge but such a titan it has to When car makers thought cabrios would be
Speedster, cutting the screen and fitting a be here. Hitler’s KdF-Wagen stayed in mass outlawed on rollover safety grounds, Porsche
flimsy hood. Lots of fun, less so in Britain. production for almost 60 years. came up with the timeless Targa.
51. 911 (997, with PDK) 50. Cayenne 49. 911 Carrera S (991.2)
Dual-clutch, thank you much Porsche’s pig-ugly cash cow Forced induction democracy
Built: 2008-2011 I Engine: 3800cc flat-six, Built: 2002-2010 I Engine: 4511cc V8, Built: 2015-present I Engine: 2981cc
380bhp I Top speed: 186mph 444bhp I Top speed: 165mph flat-six, 416bhp I Top speed: 191mph
Porsche’s brilliant doppelkupplungsgetriebe, Hate it all you like but Porsche’s first SUV Downsizing revolution hit Porsche and turned
or PDK dual-clutch ’box, debuted on 997 was great to drive and racked up sales that all non-GT3 911s into turbos for 991 facelift.
facelift, but was first seen on 956/962 racer. funded sports cars. That face, though… Stacks more torque but light on tunes.
48. Boxster Spyder 47. 911 GTS (997) 46. 911 GT3 (996)
Boxster gets buff (and GT4 motor) Carrera price, extra spice Racing improves the speed
Built: 2015-2016 I Engine: 3800cc flat-six, Built: 2010-2011 I Engine: 3800cc flat-six, Built: 1999-2005 I Engine: 3600cc flat-six,
370bhp I Top speed: 180mph 402bhp I Top speed: 190mph 360bhp I Top speed: 187mph
Second version of Boxster Spyder got a hood Run-out special ahead of 991 got wide-arch Hot 996 was named to reflect its FIA GT3-
that didn’t demand a degree in Lego Technic, shell, 22bhp boost and a stack of perfor- class intentions. Better Mk2 got bigger brakes
and a Cayman GT4’s 3.8-litre six. mance features. Best 997 this side of a GT3. and extra 20bhp, and in ’03 the RS returned.
45. 968 Turbo S 44. 924 Carrera GT 43. 911 Turbo ‘flatnose’
Turbo’d punch for ultimate 968 Porsche’s cub grows some fangs 935-inspired aero for the street
Built: 1993 I Engine: 2990cc four-cylinder, Built: 1979-1981 I Engine: 1984cc Built: 1983-1989 I Engine: 3299cc flat-six,
305bhp I Top speed: 175mph four-cylinder, 207bhp I Top speed: 150mph 325bhp I Top speed: 170mph
The Club Sport was good, but could have Eyeing FIA Group 4 competition, Weissach Pricey Flachbau, or flatnose, option added
handled more power. Turbo S combined 968 pumped up the 924 Turbo with wide arches 935-look wings and flip-up lights to the 930
block and 944 Turbo head to deliver it. and more boost. 242bhp GTS even wilder. Turbo. The ultimate yuppie plaything.
42. Mission E 41. 911 Carrera Club Sport 40. 935

Porsche goes for Tesla takedown Spirit of the RS 911 racer scalps the prototypes
Built: 2019-on I Engine: Twin e-motors, Built: 1987-1989 I Engine: 3164cc flat-six, Built: 1976-1981 I Engine: 2865cc flat-six,
660bhp (est) I Top speed: 155mph+ (est) 228bhp I Top speed: 152mph 552bhp I Top speed: 183mph
Due in 2019 with up to 660bhp, a 300-mile Blueprinted engine with hollow valves and Evolved from 911 RSR, 935 gained its droop
range and the ability to recharge to 80 per higher rev limit, plus a 70kg diet and those snoot after Porsche discovered a loophole in
cent in 15 minutes. Elon who? graphics helped it channel the ’73 RS. the rules. Outright Le Mans winner in 1979.

P O R S C H E AT
39.
911 GT2 (996)
Turbo in a bondage club
Built: 2001-2004 I Engine: 3600cc flat-six, 476bhp I Top speed: 198mph
By the dawn of the millennium Porsche’s the air-cooled 993 – but it was the first
high-performance 911s had split of in designed primarily for the road, Porsche
two directions. There was the Turbo, all having switched its racing activities to the
ruched leather and rapid but with secure, GT3. Which makes it all the more insane
four-wheel-drive pace. And there was the that having taken away the Turbo’s front
GT3 with its sky-high 8000rpm redline driveshafts and swapped its KKK blowers
and tyres that mixed with standing water for a bigger pair that helped lift power
about as happily as oil does. beyond 450bhp – and eventually nearly
So Porsche did the most obvious (if un- 480bhp – Porsche didn’t bother fitting
hinged) thing possible and combined the any form of electronic stability control.
two. This wasn’t the first 911 GT2 – that was Feel lucky, punk? Well, do ya?
N E A R LY 4 8 0 B H P A N D N O F O R M O F E L E C T R O N I C
S TA B I L I T Y C O N T R O L S Y S T E M

P O R S C H E AT
38.
914/6
914 takes on 911. Loses
Developed jointly by Porsche and it transformed the 914’s performance,
Volkswagen, the 914/4 had weird push- helping it reach 62mph in 9.9sec. Trans-
me-pull-you styling that made it hard to formed the price too, making it barely less
know if it was coming or going – and with expensive than a 911, and a sales bomb as
only 80bhp from a 1.7-litre flat-four, you’d a result.
be hard pressed to tell from behind the That’s not the end of the story though.
wheel, too. Porsche did build a handful of S-pow-
But the real Porsche version was the ered cars called simply 916, and even
914/6 featuring the 911’s flat-six. Not the stufed flat-eights from the 908 into
S’s screaming 160bhp version, sadly, but two cars – one for Ferdinand Piech, and
the humble T’s 109bhp derivative. Still, another for Ferry Porsche.
T H E F L AT- S I X T R A N S F O R M E D T H E 9 1 4’ S
PERFORMANCE… AND ITS PRICE

36. 936
Le Mans success for 917 successor
Built: 1976-1982 I Engine: 2142cc flat-six,
533bhp I Top speed: 220mph
Derived from the 908 and 917s, the 936 was
designed to contest FIA Group 6 races. Won
Le Mans outright in ’77, ’78 then again in ’81.
37.
911 Carrera RSR Turbo 2.1
First turbocharged Le Mans racer
35. 911 Carrera (993)
Built: 1974 I Engine: 2142cc flat-six, 500bhp I Top speed: 190mph
The classic 911 bows out
Number 37 in our countdown but without wheels like oil drums that measured a stag- Built: 1994-1998 I Engine: 3600cc flat-six,
doubt the best-looking Porsche race car gering 17 inches across. 268bhp I Top speed: 166mph
ever. Martini colours? More vents than bod- Meanwhile fibreglass panels and an Last hurrah for one of the 911’s most distinc-
ywork? Turbo pipework like a sewer main? interior strip more ruthless than an acid bath tive features – ergonomic design by shotgun.
Delicious. Imagine a delicate Carrera 2.7 RS pegged the kerbweight to just over 800kg. Oh yeah, air-cooling died with this one, too.
captured by a seaside caricature-cartoonist That was still more than the featherweight
and you’ve got a decent approximation of prototypes on track at Le Mans in 1974, but
the wild Carrera RSR Turbo. Humongous Porsche very nearly beat them anyway, a
flared arches and a giant rear wing helped damaged gearbox meaning they eventually
deliver its 500bhp to the ground through had to settle for second behind Matra.
34. 904 Carrera GTS

H E AV I E R T H A N T H E L E M A N S P R O T O T Y P E S Versatile race and rally winner
B U T I T V E R Y N E A R LY B E AT T H E M A N Y WAY Built: 1964-1965 I Engine: 1966cc flat-four,
This 718 successor, available in flat-four, -six
and -eight guises, won the Targa Florio and
Tulip rallies, but could also cut it at Le Mans.
33. 911 SC/RS

Rare, wide, special
Built: 1983-1984 I Engine: 2994cc flat-six,
Porsche built 20 examples of the Turbo-bod-
ied, naturally aspirated SC/RS to qualify for
Group B while the 959 was in development.
31.
911 (964, re-imagined by Singer)
911 gets hot-rodded
Built: 2008-present I Engine: 4000cc flat-six, 390bhp I Top speed: 180mph
Singer wasn’t the first to build back-dated If Dickinson’s cars look good in the
32. RSR 911s, but it’s the most famous, and prob- pictures, they’re even better in the metal.
911 with a Boxster complex ably the best. Starting with a 964 911, Except it’s mostly not metal but carbonfi-
Built: 2016-present I Engine: 4000cc Singer’s craftsmen – and craftsmen they bre, while the once mildly tuned flat-sixes
flat-six, 503bhp I Top speed: n/a are – apply some classic So-Cal hot-rod become 3.8- and 4.0-litre monsters after
Is a mid-engined 911 still a 911? Heretic magic in a recipe perfected by owner and a visit to co-conspirator Ed Pink’s engine
mid-engined RSR battles Ferrari’s 488 and ex-shoegazing muso Rob Dickinson on his shop. Imminent Williams collaboration
Ford’s ferocious GT. own 911s years before. promises to be transcendental.

30. 911 Turbo (996) 29. 911 Turbo (993) 28. 962
911 closes in on 200mph The 911 Turbo, tamed 956-derived Group C weapon
Only Carrera punch now, but this was mas- Four-wheel drive finally calmed the Turbo, Based on a 956 with a 120mm wheelbase
sive power for the time, and the X50 power or it might have if Porsche hadn’t added a stretch, 962 was hugely successful in IMSA,
kit option from ’02 boosted it to 444bhp. second turbo for over 400bhp. Le Mans and the Interserie championship.
27. Boxster (986) 26. 356 Speedster 25. Cayman R (987)

Finally, a real baby Porsche Stripped-down and top-down The Cayman with a snap
Built: 1996-2004 I Engine: 2480cc flat-six, Built: 1954-1958 I Engine: 1488cc flat-four, Built: 2011-2012 I Engine: 3436cc flat-six,
Too slow (and too little like the sexy Boxster The ‘other’, forgotten, Bullitt car, the light, Only a mildly massaged S on paper, much
concept) but the 986 was a landmark car and simple Speedster was conceived for more on the road thanks to 55kg diet, 10bhp
now the biggest bargain – go 3.2 S for £6k. California by importer Max Hofman. boost, revised suspension and an LSD.
24. 718 23. 911 RS (993) 22. RS Spyder

The RS legend starts here The RS refined and sophisticated ALMS champ, 918 donor
Built: 1957-1962 I Engine: 1587cc flat-four, Built: 1995-1996 I Engine: 3476cc flat-six, Built: 2005-2010 I Engine: 3400cc V8,
148bhp I Top speed: 143mph 296bhp I Top speed: 172mph 478bhp I Top speed: n/a
Not the rebadged Boxster but the ’50s Bigger on torque, better on bumps than LMP2 car designed in co-operation with
original, successor to the 550 spyder. First in previous 964, 993 RS had Varioram intake Penske dominated ALMS from ’06-’08.
class at Le Mans and Targa winner outright. and multi-link rear. Big-wing RSR the ultimate. Outlawed in ’11. Engine lived on in the 918.
21. 911 GT1 20. 911 GT2 RS (991.2) 19. Ruf CTR
Mid-engined 911 wins Le Mans 690bhp, rear-drive? Emergency 911 Tuner’s ‘Yellowbird’ busts 200mph
Part 993, part 962, this cheeky interpretation The most powerful road-going 911 ever built The fastest sports car in ’87 wasn’t the new
of GT1 rules was a class winner at Le Mans is a 211mph monster that’s as easy to drive as F40 but a narrow-arch 911 forced to eat
and sired 25 crazy homologation specials. a Carrera. GT3 purer, sounds better. tuning parts like a fois gras-bound goose.
18. 911 GT2 (993) 17. 911R 16. 911 GT3 Touring (991.2)
The GT2 madness is born For schnell, add lightness Less wing, more wonderful
Built: 1995-1998 I Engine: 3600cc flat-six, Built: 1967-1968 I Engine: 1991cc flat-six, Built: 2017-present I Engine: 3996cc flat-six,
Arches held on with rivets and tyres bonded Packing as much power as the legendary 2.7 Road-friendly GT3 package borrows ideas
to the road via a vast spoiler, the GT2 was a RS Lightweight but weighing 160kg less, the from the original 2.7 RS Touring, ditching the
Turbo turned rear-wheel drive for racing. R was cut like a Mr Olympia on contest day. spoiler and building in the leather and luxury.

P O R S C H E AT
15.
928
The new 911 that wasn’t
Built: 1978-1995 I Engine: 4474cc V8, 237bhp I Top speed: 142mph
The idea seems almost ludicrous now, tailgate, while the Alfa-style transaxle
like Coke responding to the sugar tax ensured a comparatively revolutionary (by
by launching a nice cup of tea. But in 911 standards) 50:50 weight distribution.
the ’70s Porsche genuinely believed it The 928 was European Car of the Year in
could replace the 911 with a front-engined, 1978, a worthy winner.
water-cooled and V8-powered GT. But it wasn’t a 911. And though it earned
The 911 was feeling its age, having been praise and received regular updates, its
developed little in almost 15 years. And the fate was sealed when Porsche boss Peter
928 was good: technically advanced and Schutz realised the importance of the 911
hugely capable. Its body was made from and reversed a decision to put the ballistic
a mix of steel and corrosion-resistant alu- Beetle out to pasture. Instead, it was the
minium and fitted with a practical opening 928 that died.
P O R S C H E G E N U I N E LY B E L I E V E D I T C O U L D R E P L A C E
T H E 9 1 1 W I T H A F R O N T- E N G I N E D , V 8 G T

P O R S C H E AT
14.
Carrera GT
A Porsche by Ferrari’s rules
Built: 2003-2007 I Engine: 5733cc V10, 603bhp I Top speed: 205mph
Everyone remembers the Carrera GT’s car in the 2000s hypercar battle. (Let’s
beechwood gearknob, a nod to the lami- forget about the McMerc SLR, shall we?)
nated balsa ones fitted to 917 racers. But Debate continues to rage in garages
the fact that there was a gearknob at all and pubs between people who haven’t
seems remarkable now. Here was Porsche driven either as to whether the Porsche
ofering a 600bhp supercar: the fastest or Ferrari is better. But one thing is sure:
thing around the old Nürburgring Nord- despite costing around £700k now (com-
schleife; a state-of-the-art carbonfibre pared with around £2m for a Ferrari) the
weapon with a V10 engine once destined Carrera GT looks like conspicuous value
for F1. And you still shifted gears yourself, in a classic Porsche market that values old
unlike its rival the Ferrari Enzo, the other 911s like they’re fashioned from solid gold.
C A R R E R A G T O R E N Z O ? T H E D E B AT E R A G E S O N
B E T W E E N P E O P L E W H O H AV E N ’ T D R I V E N E I T H E R

12. 911 GT3 RS (991.2)
(Even) harder then you think
Built: 2018-present I Engine: 2018-on
3996cc flat-six, 513bhp I Top speed: 193mph
It’s the same shtick: a GT3 with more aero,
more power (up 20bhp) and louder in every
sense. Also our favourite new-era 911 (p70).
13.
911 Turbo
Wait for it, wait for… boom!
11. 356 Carrera
When Carrera meant something
Forty-three years on it’s still hard for some period ’70s tartan and efortlessly quick, it Built: 1955-1965 I Engine: 1498cc flat-four,
of us to hear the ‘T’ word in any context was more GT than race refusenik, although 100bhp I Top speed: 120mph
without being transported to a whaletail it actually had a track cousin in the RSR Now the equivalent of ‘Zetec’, Carrera badge
daydream, specifically the one with the big, Turbo. once meant a racing-derived four-cam
fat underside that arrived with the intercool- But it was also flawed, with even more engine that made a giantkiller of the 356.
er and an extra 300c of capacity in ’78: the weight slung out beyond the rear axle, and,
911 Turbo is the turbo. until 1989, available with just four forward
The original blown 911 was a radically dif- gears that only drew attention to the lag.
ferent car from the 2.7 Carrera also available Who cares? Still got the Athena print. Still
that year. Heavier, more plushly trimmed in want the car.
10. 919 Hybrid

F L AW E D B U T W H O C A R E S ? S T I L L G O T T H E Triumphant sports car send-off
Built: 2014-2017 I Engine: 2000cc V4
AT H E N A P R I N T. S T I L L WA N T T H E C A R hybrid, 900bhp I Top speed: 211mph
Porsche’s first LMP efort since the RS Spyder
cleared up in WEC (p60). Now retired so
Porsche can focus on Formula E.
9. 911 GT3 RS 4.0 (997)

Mezger’s six bows out
Built: 2013 I Engine: 3996cc flat-six,
The car that silenced the water-cooled
haters. Carbon panels and another 200cc in
final evolution of Hans Mezger’s flat-six.
7.
911 RS (964)
Stuttgart’s fast-appreciating street racer
Misunderstood when new but idolised fit big racing rubber there are aluminium
8. 917 now, raw RS is hard work but massively hubs, Turbo front brakes, lower suspen-
Le Mans and Can Am legend rewarding. Especially for anyone selling sion and anti-roll bars that are fatter at the
Built: 1969-1971 I Engine: 4900cc flat-12, one: 15 years ago they were £25k; now nose and slimmer at the rear, changing
630bhp I Top speed: 246mph they start at £150k. You get a 964 Carrera the handling and ruining the ride.
A flop in its first season, ever-adaptable 917 2 with a measly 10bhp more, a lightened Left-hand-drive cars did without power
(p60) soon became unbeatable in sports car flywheel, shorter final drive and solid rub- steering. All made do with door pulls and
racing before switching to Can Am. ber engine mounts. Under arches rolled to manual windows. Brutal and brilliant.

6. 5.
Cayman GT4 956
Underdog gets teeth The definitive Group C racer
Built: 2015-2016 I Engine: 3800cc flat-six, 380bhp I Top speed: 183mph Built: 1982-1985 I Engine 2650cc flat-six, 620bhp I Top speed: 217mph
Hidden in the back of the ware- But the Cayman GT4 gets us as How dominant was Porsche’s the competition. At Le Mans in ’83
house that feeds Porsche’s mu- tantalisingly close. It doesn’t have aluminium ground-efects 956 there were nine 956s in the top
seum is the car we always wanted a genuine GT3 flat-six, making (p60) and its 962 ofshoot in the 10. It’s a wonder the other teams
but Porsche dare not build: a do with a much less exotic 911 early Group C era? Just look at the even bothered turning up. The
Cayman GT3. A development car Carrera S 3.8, but the suspension stats. Almost 40 World Sportscar 956 gleefully ran without any real
built to satisfy curiosity, this prop- is GT3, you could only have a wins. World Sportscar champion chinks in its armour, its ferocious
er motorsport-engined first-gen manual and it’s so good to drive every year from 1982 to 1986. Le early thirst soon tamed and the
Cayman never made production, that the £64k list price looked like Mans winner from 1982 through tendency for the downforce to
presumably because it was too a bargain. More fun than almost to 1987 inclusive. Even within vanish over lumps and jumps only
good for the 911 to cope with. any other Porsche ever built. those races, the 956 decimated an issue at the Nürburgring…
T H E C AY M A N G T4 I S S I M P LY M O R E F U N T H A N A L M O S T
A N Y O T H E R P O R S C H E E V E R B U I LT
4. 3.
959 918 Spyder
Year one for the supercar Ushering in the un-Prius hybrid era
Built: 1986-1993 I Engine: 2849cc flat-six, 444bhp I Top speed: 195mph Built: 2013-2015 I Engine: 4600cc V8 hybrid, 875bhp I Top speed: 211mph
Designed for a Tarmac Group each 959 is rumoured to have Along with the £1m+ McLaren In the Porsche power comes
B championship that never cost Porsche twice the £155k P1 and LaFerrari, the compara- from a 608bhp V8 augmented by
happened, the 959’s adjustable it cost customers. Its only real tively budget £650k 918 Spyder a pair of electric motors generat-
suspension and four-wheel-drive competition success was a rescued hybrid cars from the ing 279bhp. Waft through town
system, near-200mph pace and Paris-Dakar win in ’86 (it recorded vegan aisle of whole-food stores. for 18 miles in EV mode, or sum-
Civic-like drivability made it seem a one-two, with Jacky Ickx – the Before these three the concept of mon all 875bhp and rip to 60mph
like a military jet compared to the man who’d badgered Porsche to lugging around an engine, elec- in 2.5sec. A one-time Nürburgring
creaky supercar opposition. build the car – in second place) tric motors and a battery pack record holder (6 minutes and 57
Unfortunately the development but its impact is still being felt in seemed fundamentally at odds seconds) and the only of the three
costs were military-grade too: modern supercars. with driving fun. brave enough to declare a figure.

P O R S C H E AT
2.
911 2.7 RS
The new 911 that wasn’t
Fully 15 years after Porsche stopped that iconic ducktail rear wing. Even the
making the ’73 911 RS our now long-dead body was a special lightweight item – until
spin-of mag Supercar Classics stuck one unexpectedly rampant demand gobbled
on the front cover with the line: ‘Porsche up the diet bits Porsche had set aside.
should still build this 911’. A further 30 Production eventually reached 1580
years down the road you’ll still find an units, most of them luxurious Touring
entire Wembley’s worth of Porsche fans versions; a few, the bare-bones Sport, and
who couldn’t agree more. even fewer, the 2.8 RSR racing version that
Evolved from the 187bhp 2.4S, the won the 24 Hours of Daytona and the last
first Carrera RS featured a stretch to 2.7 real Targa Florio. 1974’s RS 3.0 evolution
litres, a new 7-inch wide rear tyre under was more special still, but the ’73 is the
voluptuous wings, Bilstein dampers and one everyone wants.
1 9 74’ S R S 3 . 0 E V O L U T I O N WA S M O R E S P E C I A L S T I L L
B U T T H E ’ 7 3 I S T H E O N E E V E R Y O N E WA N T S

P O R S C H E AT
THE 911R IS ABOUT HOW IT FEELS TO DRIVE A 911. OR, IF

Y O U ’ R E F E E L I N G U N C H A R I TA B L E , H O W I T U S E D T O F E E L

1.
911R (991)
The greatest 911
At a basic level, it’s a GT3 RS with a manual it squirm is vindication in itself.
’box and no spoilers. But the 911R sums Not everyone will agree with us
up everything we love about the 911 and placing the R at the head of our greatest
Porsche. It’s usable, pliable and, though Porsches list. Not Porsche’s hardcore
everything Porsche did to create it also racing fans. Not the air-cooled-or-bust
made it faster, that was almost a peripher- crowd. And definitely not the mugs who
al benefit. The 911R is all about how it feels were persuaded to part with up to $1m
to drive a 911. Or, if you’re feeling unchari- for almost-new 911Rs after prices went
table, how it used to feel to drive a 911. stratospheric and are now sitting on a car
The R is built around a GT3 shell rather worth around half that – though still twice
than the wide-boy RS version, but does the list price back in 2016.
get the RS double-bubble magnesium Perhaps the name is slightly disingenu-
roof, carbon bonnet and a pair of carbon ous, too. The original 911R from 1967 (p84)
front wings. There are polycarbonate rear existed only to go racing. This one will be
and side windows, no back seats, but lucky if it escapes its climate-controlled
no roll cage option either. At 1370kg, the carcoon for fear of eroding its value.
result is the lightest 991 911 ever. But even two years on this 911R (and the
Predictably then, with the RS’s 493bhp similar-in-ethos GT3 Touring it inspired
flat-six stufed up its jacksie, it’s shockingly – p84) feels like a pivotal car, one we
urgent, though slicing through the manual needed to remind ourselves that the
transmission’s six gears by hand makes experience of a journey is more important
it slower against the clock. Who cares than how fast and eficiently we complete
about that, or the fact that the spoiler-free it. Let’s grab onto that while we’ve still got
tail feels less tied down? That you can feel a wheel to hold.
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A110 & Fiesta ST

New Fiesta ST
and Alpine A110
revive the dying
art of guilt-free,
flat-out driving
Words Mark Walton | Photography Alex Tapley

ONFUSED? No, you’re absolutely right, these
two cars don’t belong together. They’re not
competitors and they never hang out as friends.
So why bring them here?
Well, because it’s 2018, and the news these
days is all about autonomous electric cars and
ride-sharing apps. Life is getting safer and
more sterile and we all use hand-sanitisers and
drink filtered water and conkers are classified
as dangerous weapons. Speed is bad, loud ex-
hausts are frowned upon and overtaking on
the public road is now likely to provoke a furious reaction in
people, similar to how they’d behave if they saw you clubbing
seals or torturing bunny rabbits.
But in the midst of all this – when enthusiasts like you and

A110 & Fiesta ST
me are wondering if we might have to pack it all in and take it is a hot hatch with a much newer, brasher reputation to de-
up stamp collecting or (God forbid) football – these two arrive. fend: the new Ford Fiesta ST. It follows in the footsteps of the
Two new cars that share the same purpose, and I don’t just 2012 Fiesta ST, a car that caught everyone by surprise with its
mean wishy-washy ‘driving fun’. It’s deeper than that. These defiant, giant-killer attitude and amazingly cohesive dynam-
two are both built to thrash: find a good road, clear your mind ics. The new car hopes to repeat the same recipe, with a revised
of distractions, and wring their scrawny necks until your chassis, an improved interior and – controversially perhaps – a
palms sweat and the fuel tank is drained. They unashamedly new 1.5-litre turbo triple, replacing the 1.6-litre four-cylinder.
celebrate petrol engines, do-it-yourself steering and the nuanc- The new three-door Fiesta is only four metres long and un-
es of a Michelin tyre. der two metres wide, but when you approach these two parked
Unless you have actually been collecting stamps or playing side by side it’s the Alpine that appears to be the delicate
football the last couple of years, you’ll know about the Alpine. miniature. The French car is a tiny, lovely thing: 20cm lower
Revived by Renault and inspired by the Alpine A110 that won and 14cm narrower than the Fiesta. It’s 20cm shorter than a
the first World Rally Championship back in 1973, this bright Porsche Cayman, its more typical playmate.
blue sports car is new from the ground up, and powered by a The A110 is also a strikingly unusual shape. By following
mid-mounted, 1.8-litre, turbocharged four-cylinder. Alongside the styling of the original A110 – a car that dates back to
T W O N E W CA R S B U I LT T O
T H R A S H – C LE A R YO U R M I N D
A N D W R I N G T H E I R S C R AW N Y
N E C KS U N T I L T H E F U E L TA N KS
ARE DRAINED

A110 & Fiesta ST
D O N ’ T B E FO O LE D
BY T H E F I E S TA’ S
APPEARANCE – ON
T H E R I G H T R OA D IT
C O U LD E M B A R R A S S
A S U P E R CA R
hug your sides and allow you to sit deeper in the car than the
old ST, and the leather steering wheel is flat-bottomed, fat-
rimmed and full of promise. Sitting in the ST is like holding
a perfectly weighted baseball bat in your hand – suddenly you
have an overwhelming urge to swing it.
I like the exterior styling of the new Fiesta, with its a
Three-note rif
blasting from scowling fish-face and honeycomb grille. CAR’s James Taylor
under here soon reckons it looks like a miniaturised Galaxy – a grown-up,
one-box shape with understated rear
lights – which he doesn’t see as a good
thing. It certainly looks more mature than ORIGIN S: THE
the outgoing car, and if you deleted the B IRTH OF THE
ST badge it wouldn’t stand out much in
traffic. But don’t be fooled by its low-key
FAST FIE STA
appearance – on the right road, this little
gem could embarrass a supercar.
And no, I don’t mean the Alpine when
I say that. Despite its mid-engined layout
and head-turning looks, the new A110
isn’t a supercar: producing just 249bhp, it
can’t even match the hottest of hot hatches
Launched in 1976, the Fiesta, Ford’s
in terms of raw power. first ever front-drive, transverse-
But don’t worry, because it makes the engined hatchback, was a gigantic
most of what it has with an extraordinary success, with a million sold in just
1961 – the new car has proportions and details that I don’t kerbweight. From the outset, the Alpine 32 months.
think any modern car designer would dream up, if they started engineering team took a Lotus-like It was originally available with
with a blank sheet of paper. Like those quad lights on the nose, approach, fretting about every last gram. 950cc and 1100 engines, but Ford
mimicking the rally lights of the original, or that long, swept- That led to some big, fundamental deci- clearly had sportier aspirations for
back tail that originally wrapped a rear-mounted engine, sions, like the all-aluminium chassis and its hatch.
though it now contains a little boot. Add in little details like body; and some little decisions, like those In 1979, a front-drive Group 2
Fiesta made its rally debut on the
the rear badge, made up of individual chrome letters, and the Sabelt sports seats that weigh just 13.1kg
Monte Carlo Rally – Ari Vatanen
Alpine fuses modernism and classic appeal without spilling each, and the handbrake built into the finished tenth, with soon-to-be
over into pastiche. main rear Brembo caliper, saving another Prodrive founder David Richards
If the exterior styling is a success, the interior is a triumph: 2.5kg. The result is an unladen weight of as his co-driver.
the lightweight door swings open to reveal a two-seater 1080kg in standard trim, and 1103kg for The rally car was followed by a 1.3
cockpit, narrow and low-slung and full of character. From a the car you’re looking at here, one of the Supersport in 1980, and in 1981 Ford
mass-market make like Renault, it’s a surprise the bean-coun- limited-edition launch cars. That’s 250kg launched the legendary Fiesta XR2.
ters allowed such playfulness – like the deep, fixed-back race less than a PDK-equipped Porsche 718 Powered by a 1.6-litre engine that
seats with their diamond-pattern stitching, the arching centre Cayman. put out a frothy 84bhp, it wasn’t
console, the toggle switches and metal foot plates. Sure, the That kind of dedication is refreshing, exactly a ‘hot’ hatch (the Golf GTI
put out 108bhp); but with its plastic
stalks are straight out of a Megane, but they don’t detract from when everything seems to gets bigger
wheelarch extensions, pepper-pot
the overall impression of a low-volume car. That vivid, metallic and flabbier. Lightweight cars create a alloy wheels and those Monte Carlo
blue ‘A’ in the centre of the steering wheel persuades you: this is virtuous circle: lightness means narrower Rally-inspired round headlights, the
something new, something different and original. tyres, smaller brakes and softer springs, XR2 set a generation of boy racers’
The Fiesta’s interior is, of course, a world away from such and so it is with the Alpine. Climb in and hearts racing, even with a 0-60mph
luxury detailing – it’s less than half the price, after all. But like settle into the wonderfully snug bucket time of around 10 seconds and
the Alpine it too screams ‘DRIVE ME!’ as soon as you open the seat, and press the big red start button a heady top speed of just over
door. The interior is a significant improvement, with a cleaner under your elbow in the centre console. 100mph.
dash dominated by a big colour touchscreen. The Recaro seats The 1.8-litre fires with a snarl behind

ST trying to prove
it’s as light as the
Alpine. Nothing
to see here...
Wag a wheel like

you just don’t
care. Because, of
course, you don’t

Safe, predictable
understeer is the
A110’s metier.
Obviously…
Ideal for the rush-

hour commute.
Emphasis on the
rush bit, of course

A110 & Fiesta ST
T H E S T E E R I N G I S LI G H T made your head wobble on your shoulders, and the engine was
powerful enough, but a bit vanilla.
A N D LI M B E R , S P RY A N D Ford promises it has fixed both complaints in the new model
S H A R P, C O N S TA N T LY with some impressive jargon: the suspension now features
‘non-uniform, non-interchangeable, directionally-wound
J O G G I N G A N D J I G G LI N G . force vector springs’; and the 1.6 four-pot is replaced by an all-
IT I S N O T H I N G S H O R T new 1.5-litre, three-cylinder EcoBoost that puts out 197bhp at
6000rpm, the same numbers as the last iteration of the old car.
O F S E N S AT I O N A L On that notoriously hard ride, the new car may have sof-
tened a bit, but without driving old and new back-to-back it
seems very marginal – this is still an incredibly stiff ride, the
compromise you have to make to access everything else.
But the new power unit – wow, Ford has performed miracles.
your head and ticks over with a low burble. Although this Despite its three cylinders, this is an exhilarating wasp of an
engine can be found in the new Renault Megane RS, Alpine engine, full of energy and enthusiasm. The way it propels the
says the intake, exhaust, and turbo systems are all unique. car down a road defies belief, losing nothing in terms of speed
It drives the rear wheels through a seven-speed Getrag over the old car, yet it’s gained so much, in terms of personality,
paddleshift with both auto and manual functions – so pull a better soundtrack (thanks to an active exhaust valve and a
back the right-hand lever and you’re off. bit of electronic manipulation) and better fuel consumption,
Within 100 metres of travel you notice the most remarkable thanks to pioneering cylinder deactivation – when you’re
and distinctive thing about this car: the electric power steering cruising, it’s actually a frugal 1.0-litre twin.
almost feels unassisted, it’s so loose and Not that you’ll be cruising much, because the good news is
free and light. Most manufacturers equate the core appeal of the ST remains undiminished: this car loves
ORIGIN S: THE sportiness with artificially stiff steering, to be spanked. There are changes over the outgoing model –
as though all that sticky, rubbery grip at the track is wider, the monocoque is torsionally stiffer, the
BIRTH OF ALPINE the front is travelling up the steering col-
umn to give you a big, beefy steering effort
in your forearms. Grrr! Macho! Trouble is,
it never feels real – the fake stiffness just
feels like the rack is trapped in a vice, lined
with banana skins.
The Alpine takes a completely different
route: its steering is light and limber,
In 1950, Dieppe-born Renault spry and sharp, but not over-assisted or
dealer Jean Rédélé started rallying
numb. It’s restless, constantly jogging and
a rear-engined Renault 4CV, despite
jiggling in your hands as the car follows
its tiny 747cc engine and three-
speed gearbox, and went on to the road, communicating its lightness
develop some 4CV-based specials. beautifully, lending the Alpine its own
He was good at it. In 1954 he had distinctive character. Within minutes,
a class win in the Coupe Des Alpes you understand this is a key appeal of
rally and the following year created the car – the thing you’ll mention first, if ‘I pressed this,
his own car company, named after someone asks you what it’s like, the factor drove, and before
his happy hunting grounds in the I knew it the tank
that might well make you choose it over a was empty’
Alps, using rear-engined Renault Porsche. It is nothing short of sensational.
4CVs and Dauphines clad in more
And so is the ride. The lightness that in-
stylish aluminium and glassfibre
forms everything is combined with softly
bodies.
However, for the 1961 A110, sprung double-wishbone suspension at
instead of using 4CV or Dauphine each corner. The result is a deftness, a kind
parts, he upgraded first to the R8 of parkour athleticism that makes you feel
Gordini engine and then the 1.4-litre like you’re skimming over bumps rather
from the Renault 16 TS. than crashing into potholes. The lightly
With a good power-to-weight sprung body rolls a little in the corners,
ratio and a steel-backbone chassis, but its centre of gravity is so low, it’s not
the A110 was lightweight and intrusive. More importantly, the Alpine’s
plucky, and it won rallies all over
appetite for soaking up back roads gives
Europe.
you licence to press on hard…
Renault bought the Dieppe-
based operation in 1973, and the The ST’s approach couldn’t be more
deal was crowned when Alpine different. The last-generation Fiesta ST
won the first ever World Rally was a tight little fist of a car. It somehow
Championship manufacturers’ title pulled off a careful balance of confident
that year. composure with playful adjustability, but
it also suffered from a rock-hard ride that

This happens a
lot, but gives you
a chance to finally
blink and breathe
steering is faster; but importantly, it safe understeer if you prod the throttle mid-corner. It can be
W E ’ R E LU C K Y all still works as a cohesive whole. You provoked, of course, with a hard lift, but it takes commitment.
T O H AV E T H E S E hustle it into a bend, stand on the brakes, Drive it clean and fast, and the traction (aided by a 44:56 rear-
quickly drop through the manual gear- ward weight bias) will just see you power cleanly out of even
T W O CA R S . box and pitch it in. the tightest of bends.
ENTHUSIASTS The turn-in bites so immediately, so At first I felt a pang of disappointment at this, because I
confidently on the Michelin Pilot Super love rear-wheel drive, but then I had to give myself a slap – it’s
LI K E U S N E E D Sport tyres that the swerve of the nose not all about banzai tail-sliding stuff. Is it? No. You sure?
CA R S LI K E TH I S introduces a whiff of yaw, bringing the No, really, it’s not. The Alpine feels best when you drive it
tail round to tighten your angle. If that hard but you keep it neat, revelling in that amazing steering,
TO KEEP THE sounds unnerving, it’s not. It’s playful the feedback through your hands, the way it responds to your
FA IT H and adjustable but always under control. smallest inputs.
Now, as you accelerate out, the new ST We’re so lucky to have these two cars. I hope they find success
deploys its secret weapon: a mechanical – the Alpine is expensive, and the ST is far too stiffly sprung for
limited-slip diff that ensures none of your average Fiesta shopper. But I think they’ll carve out a cult
your 197bhp will spin away uselessly. appeal in their respective markets. I hope so – enthusiasts like
Available as an option, it helps catapult the ST out of tight us need cars like this, to keep the faith, to prove we don’t have
bends with little scrub and modicum of torque steer. There’s to give up our steering wheels just yet. And I hate football.
even a new ‘flat shift’ function that allows you to grab the next
gear without dipping the clutch. A110 isn’t far away
All this means that the Fiesta ST really can keep up with an from the ST. It’s
equally thrashed Alpine on a twisty road, which is impressive. just very, very tiny
However, the A110 driver is enjoying a very different driving
experience.
Like the ST, the Alpine has three driving modes, Normal,
Sport and Track. As you switch up, everything from throttle
response to gearshift and exhaust note are changed, but im-
portantly not the ride, which is perfect as it is. I drove the A110
in Track the whole time – it allows purely manual gearshifts, it
makes a great noise and the digital display gives you a beeping
shift light. That means you can concentrate on the impor-
tant stuff, like the way it accelerates with a faint lag but still
powerfully in every gear, the exhaust growling on the throttle
and popping loudly off it.
Turn-in is just as sharp as the Fiesta but – counter-intui-
tively perhaps – the Alpine doesn’t have the oversteery feel of
the Ford at speed. Instead the handling is definitely set-up for

A110 & Fiesta ST
ALPINE A110 PREMIÉRE EDITION

> Price £51,805 (Pure spec from est £48k,
Legende from est £51k)
> Engine 1798cc 16v turbo 4-cyl, 249bhp
@ 6000rpm, 236lb ft @ 2000rpm
> Transmission 7-speed twin-clutch
paddleshift auto, rear-wheel drive
> Suspension Double-wishbone
front and rear
> Performance 4.5sec 0-62mph, 156mph,
46.3mpg, 138g/km CO2
> Weight 1103kg
> On sale Now
FORD FIESTA ST
> Price £18,995
> Engine 1499cc 12v turbo 3-cyl, 197bhp
@ 6000rpm, 214lb ft @ 1600rpm
> Transmission 6-speed manual,
front-wheel drive
> Suspension MacPherson strut front,
torsion beam rear
> Performance 6.5sec 0-62mph,
144mph, 47.1mpg, 136g/kmCO2
> Weight 1205kg (est)
> On sale Now (August deliveries)
IN SID E ARIEL
WE’RE
DOING WON’T
WHAT
THE BIG
CAN’T
BOYS DAREN’T
Ariel Motor Co has always done things diferently, but a
1180bhp battery-electric supercar good for 0-150mph in
7.8sec? Time for a trip to the Somerset rebels…
Words James Taylor | Photography Stuart Collins

Inside Ariel

T RY THESE NUMBERS on for size. 1180bhp.
Oof. 7302lb ft at the wheels. Bloomin’ heck.
0-100mph in 3.8sec. 0-150mph in 7.8sec. Can
you even imagine that? Can you think how
strong a stomach you’d need to jump through
time and space that quickly?
Those toppiest of Top Trumps figures
belong to a car currently in development
not in Maranello, Molsheim or Ängelholm, but Crewkerne in
Somerset. And an electric one at that. This is the latest creation
from Ariel, currently at the early prototype stage and headed for
production in 2020. It doesn’t have a name yet, but it’s the fruit of
Project Hipercar – an apt name if ever there was one.
We’ve come to expect the unexpected from Ariel. The tiny,
still-young company with the very old name has changed gears
Finished product
won’t be much
heavier than
cardboard dummy
Hipercar: High-
from minimalist sports car (Atom) through tailor-made motor- Performance
cycle (Ace) to off-road weapon (Nomad) in the past 18 years. And Carbon Reduction,
obviously
now it’s creating a tarmac-meltingly quick EV.
‘We’re lucky in that we can announce we’re building a hyper-
car and no one seems surprised,’ says company founder Simon
Saunders. ‘But there are plenty of obstacles to overcome. A lot of
the technology involved with Hipercar doesn’t exist yet.’
It’s one hell of a leap from Atom to Hipercar, yet it makes sense
to Saunders: ‘When we started out we wanted to make low-vol-
ume cars that were intrinsically unsuitable for high volumes.
This fits that approach absolutely. We looked at an electric Atom
but it made little sense. This is different, it’s viable, and it springs
from the performance advantage the likes of Tesla have demon-
strated. That’s of interest to us and our customers.’
We’re in a display room inside Ariel headquarters. Around
us sit various vehicles from the brand’s previous life – an 1870
Ariel Ordinary penny-farthing here, a vintage motorcycle there
– and Saunders gestures to a 1901 Ariel Quadricycle to his right.
It’s from a time when steam cars vied for sales with petrol and
electric cars, and technology moved at such a pace that what was
new in March was obsolete by June. ‘We’re kind of there again
now.’ There were no petrol stations in 1901, just as today there
are many unanswered questions about electric vehicles. ‘At some
point,’ says Saunders, ‘you have to draw a line in the sand.’
This new car scribes several deep lines in the sand for Ariel. It
will be not only the company’s first electric car but also its first
with a closed body, and it won’t be cheap. Hipercar (a contraction
of High-Performance Carbon Reduction) is actually the fruition
of several projects, with three main companies involved: Ariel
(overall concept, chassis, suspension); Delta Motorsport (bat-
tery, range extender, control electronics); and Equipmake

Inside Ariel
Henry and Tom run
Ariel day-to-day –
and rarely get time
for a sit down
THE
HIPERCAR
SCRIBES
SEVERAL
PRETTY DEEP
LINES IN THE
SAND FOR
ARIEL

THE
HARD CELL
Lithium-ion battery
is 150mm thick, hence
ONLY the deep-sided chassis,
THE BEST and weighs more than an GOT
FOR YOU Atom. Battery is actively GRIP
Hipercar project is a heated and cooled, Big tyres mean this
corners machine, albeit to maximise Ariel will run power
with great acceleration. performance. steering. Electric or
WHAT, Suspension is double- hydraulic? To be decided,
NO TUBES? wishbone, milled from with system bulk and
No tubular frame solid to reduce weight the key factors.
this time: folded, weight. Target car weight is
bonded aluminium sub-1500kg.
monocoque designed
to be modular for
possible future-ready
derivatives and
evolutions.

Inside Ariel
(motors, gearboxes and the electronics thereof).

Its progress has been aided by a £2m grant from govern-
ment-funded Innovate UK, along with no little investment
from Ariel itself. The external funding stops in 2019, the year
we’ll see the finished car. Its name is still being decided, but it
will be a name, not letters and numbers.
THE ARIEL PROMISES We step into the design studio, where the next chapter in
Ariel’s ‘Whatever will they do next?’ story is hovering on stands,
NEGLIGIBLE RANGE a body-less blank canvas. It’s bigger than an Atom, but smaller
than most supercars. Two prototypes currently exist, both at the
ANXIETY THANKS TO rolling chassis stage. This car, ‘the red one’, is all-wheel drive.
The absent yellow one is rear-wheel drive. Both layouts will be
A TURBINE RANGE available, with the all-wheel-drive flagship reaching production
first. ‘And we might be able to retrospectively convert rear-wheel-
EXTENDER drive cars to four-wheel drive, just as we currently retro-fit super-
chargers for Atom customers,’ says Saunders. ‘There’s a moral
responsibility to give customers a car with performance they’re
comfortable with.’
Pricing is yet to be set. But it’ll be of a different order of mag-
nitude to anything Ariel’s offered to date. ‘We wanted to get the
two-wheel-drive car to start with a ‘1’ [as in more than £99k and
POWER less than £200k] but this is looking increasing unlikely as the
One 220kW
(291bhp) motor per technology is just so expensive,’ Saunders says. The four-wheel
wheel, driving through drive will cost even more, while dramatically undercutting the
an epicyclic gearbox likes of Bugatti’s Chiron and the Koenigsegg Regera.
at 5.5:1. Total torque on Performance comes from tiny but mighty inboard electric
the four-wheel drive is
motors, one per wheel. Each packs more power than a standard
equivalent to 15 BMW
twin-turbo diesel Atom. Vectoring electronics to mete out the twist at each wheel
engines. will ensure the Hipercar is a guided missile rather than a loose
cannon. A giant battery pack fills the aluminium monocoque’s
base, and extends into the central tunnel-like section, but this
promises to be an EV sports car with negligible range anxiety,
thanks to a range extender – in this case a tiny turbine engine
driving a generator.
It’s not fitted to the prototype when we visit, but project
manager Neil Yates says it’s incredibly compact. ‘A combustion-
engine range extender would have been long, clunky – it would
go against everything we’re about.’ He adds: ‘We’re tuning the
turbine’s sound. It makes a great noise when it starts up and
in particular when it winds down, but at steady revs [it runs at
Actual bodywork
122,000rpm steady-state] it can sound strange at the moment.’ a brave new world
Yates says one of the project’s targets is to all but eliminate for Ariel, and a risky
range anxiety, and Ariel maintains that no matter how aggres- one – with it come
hinges, seals and
sively the Hipercar’s driven on the road, its battery won’t be fully the terrifying world
depleted – the range extender’s always got your back. Track of fit and finish…

‘IT WILL BE A DRIVER’S
CAR – IT NEEDS TO
HANDLE AND FEEL LIKE
AN ARIEL’
young, several of them graduates fresh from Formula Student,
alongside experienced hands. ‘The best thing about working
with these guys is that they can change things quickly,’ says
suspension consultant Richard Hurdwell, whose fingerprints
can be found on all sorts, from Senna’s active Lotus 99T F1 car to
the Metro 6R4 rally car. You get the impression Hipercar will be
quite well set-up. Active suspension is being considered.
Heat management has been a massive challenge. The proto-
type runs eight coolers, and Delta Motorsport has even had to
reinvent some of its simulation software to deal with the car’s
unique powertrain, but is encouraged by the results. ‘Designing
a car with a petrol engine seems pretty simple in comparison,’
Saunders smiles.
This will be Ariel’s first closed-cockpit car, which means
designing doors for the first time, and all the extra cost and
complication that comes with testing and manufacturing them.
But it won’t look like a closed coupe with a solid form – this will
be a car with layered surfaces, shaped partially by aerodynamic
and cooling demands. Designer Ralph Taylor-Webb’s sketches
show a distinctive cab-rearward form. As Saunders points out: ‘It
doesn’t have to conform to established supercar shapes because
it doesn’t have an engine.’
Taylor-Webb’s design started with the battery as the first hard
Ariel’s special driving is different. The team estimate the all-wheel-drive Hi- point to work around, necessitating a driving position higher
relationship with
Honda ensures an
percar will need plugging in after 15-20 minutes of hard lapping, than a conventional supercar; the roofline will be about the
enviable supply and the two-wheel-drive car after around 30 minutes, as the same height as an Aston Vantage. A traditional foam and wood
of utterly reliable, range extender won’t be able to keep up with demand. seating buck mock-up stands in the design studio. This is proper,
high-performance
engines ‘One problem we chewed over for a bit was whether or not hands-on, first-principles design work, hand in glove with bleed-
the car should be track-capable. To an extent it’s the fault of the ing-edge technology. ‘It’s remarkably easy to get in and out,’ Neil
media,’ says Saunders, explaining that motoring journalists Yates says. ‘The doors will open upwards and outwards, and
love a track test as much as R. Kelly loves an after party. ‘Track we’ve positioned the A-pillar far forward in relation to the seat.
use is the nightmare scenario,’ says Yates. ‘It increases battery It’s a two-stage process – sit down on the sill and swivel in.’
use by a magnitude of 10.’ So quick will the Hipercar be, you sus- I do just that to take a seat in the prototype. At the moment
pect the driver might run out of energy before the battery. ‘We’re it’s a high driving position by sports car standards, but that will
traction-limited until just over 100mph,’ Yates says. ‘60-100mph change. Don’t expect a luxurious interior. ‘Plush Le Mans’ is the
takes 1.3sec, and it takes another 3.0sec to be at 150mph.’ Yeesh. neat phrase the team uses.
So how do you put all that power down? The XL tyres (325/30 You could easily worry that the Hipercar will be everything
R21 Michelin Cup 2s) are one thing, but Ariel is also talking Ariel has successfully steered clear of thus far (bodywork, doors
about some intriguing aero solutions, perhaps even fans as per and windows, mechanical complexity); with its power steering,
the short-lived Brabham BT46 F1 car (raced once, won once, weight and huge tyres, it is in some ways a world apart from the
banned after protests from rivals). ‘The ultimate goal is down- Atom. But listen to the Hipercar team and you start to believe it
force at a standstill, to help the car launch,’ Saunders says. ‘We’ve really can share the family DNA.
previously built an experimental titanium-chassis Atom with ‘The interior, while enclosed, will feel like an Ariel – we’re not
two electric fans. F1 cars have the luxury of being low, however going to try to complete with Porsche; leather and veneers,’ says
– Hipercar has to go over road humps and so on.’ Simon Saunders. ‘Yes the doors have given us sleepless nights
It won’t just be about dragster acceleration, though. ‘It will ab- but the car needed them, and we have a specialist door designer
solutely be a driver’s car,’ says Yates. ‘It needs to handle and feel working on the project. And while it’ll have power steering, it
like an Ariel. Part of the Atom and Nomad DNA is that they’re won’t be dumbed down – it won’t isolate the driver. It’ll be involv-
fun at 40mph. One of the criticisms petrolheads have of EVs is ing to drive, as an Ariel should be.’
that they aren’t emotive – we want this car to change that.’ Some of that distinctive Ariel flavour must, you suspect, come
‘We’re not interested in top speed,’ says Saunders. ‘It’s great from the company’s remote geographical location. It stays small
that a Chiron can do that. But speeding is becoming like and occupies its own, carefully curated niche. ‘We’re here by
drink-driving [socially unacceptable].’ circumstance, really – we’re happy here,’ says Simon’s son Tom
The engineering team behind the Hipercar are strikingly Saunders as he shows me round. Tom and his brother Henry

Inside Ariel
Keen to ensure
consistency? A bit
of wood does the
job nicely
Ace motorcycle is
aptly named. Frame
is trademark Ariel:
Hipercar ploughs its
THE UK’S TOY STORY
own furrow A health check of Britain’s cottage sports car industry
BAC MORGAN
Liverpool-based BAC make Malvern’s finest. Founded in
the stunning – but incredibly 1909 and doing the timewarp
pricey – single-seat Mono. 25 ever since. 205 employees, 800
employees, 25 cars a year. cars a year.
GINETTA ELEMENTAL
Acquired by Lawrence Makers of aptly named Elemental
Tomlinson in 2005. Backbone RP1 road-legal trackday weapon,
of the British racing scene. 80 founded 2012. Six full-time staf,
employees, 80-100 cars a year. 10-15 cars a year.
RADICAL CATERHAM
Makers of the fastest moving Keeping the Lotus Seven alive
objects on any given trackday, (and defying depreciation) since
including the mighty RXC. 140 1973. 130 employees, 550 cars
employees, 180 cars a year. a year.

Wild, irrepressible
Atom remains
Ariel’s ‘volume’
seller

Inside Ariel
‘OWNERS CAN COME

AND WATCH THEIR
CARS BEING BUILT. WE
DON’T WANT TO LOSE
THAT ESSENCE’
Those same technicians carefully constructing the Atom and

Nomad will build the Hipercar, although its extra complexity
means it may require two people per car. Ariel currently employs
around 30 people, and the workforce will expand to maybe 50-
60 people to handle Hipercar production. Ariel will move to a
larger, purpose-built site by 2020 – but will stay in Somerset. ‘We
only want to move once, and never again,’ says Simon Saunders.
Ariel’s customers are a loyal bunch. Tom tells me they’re
expecting one soon who frequently travels down from Cumbria
to visit; another owns an Atom, an Ace and a Nomad. Ariel
is the point of contact for all its customers – there isn’t a dealer
network. It doesn’t even have an automated telephone system.
Call Ariel and a human will answer.
‘We know all our customers on first-name terms. They can
come down and watch their cars being built. We don’t want to
lose that essence. We’re not chasing massive profits or turnover –
that brings its own difficulties. A lot of people think we’re much
bigger than we are’, Saunders continues. ‘But we want to stay
small. We did a study a few years ago about how big we should
be – it’s bigger than we are, but not that much bigger. The prob-
lem with automotive is you need to be big or small. At the size of
what I call “old TVR” – 900 cars a year – you’re not big enough for
economies of scale but neither are you small enough to be agile.
(Top) Hipercar handle the day-to-day running of the company, and manage the ‘We’ve made the decision to sell 300 cars a year. If you want to
styling set to be
aero-led and building of the cars. Seven cars are currently under construction try to take on the Porsche 911, you’d need billions. We’re doing at
‘layered’ in style in a neat, tidy hive of calm, methodical activity, trellis Atom and Ariel what the big boys won’t, can’t, daren’t. The bronze-welded
cage Nomad chassis sitting cheek by tubular jowl opposite three chassis on the Atom and Nomad, for example. You could never
(Above) Keeping
it real with a shop- Ace motorcycles, beautifully detailed machines Ariel builds at a do that in mass production. It’s a case of a process that takes two
floor meeting rate of 30 a year. The cars’ chassis are built by specialists Arch in weeks versus 45 seconds.’
Huntingdon – the rest of the build happens at Ariel. Ariel’s small, nimble size also enables it to be an early adop-
‘One technician builds the whole car,’ Tom explains. ‘It isn’t ter of new technology, as in the Hipercar project. ‘A lot of the
finished until they’re happy.’ The plaque each Arielbears with technology involved doesn’t exist yet; there’s an opportunity for
its builder’s name is anything but marketing flim-flam. ‘Our the UK, and us, to become experts in it. If people wonder why a
technicians are fastidious,’ says Simon. Each car is built to order, sports car is getting funding, we’re the stepping stone to valuable
and one Atom can take anything from 100 to 200-plus hours, intellectual property and a supplier network in the UK. These
depending on the complexity of the build. A 14-month lead time things are not taken lightly; it has been a colossal undertaking to
on Atoms and Nomads gives Ariel and its suppliers consistency. get the grant; hundreds and hundreds of hours’ work.
The modern-day Ariel story really starts with the Atom, ‘Why do it? Because this is the way things are going. We can’t
which began as a lightweight sports car project Simon Saunders bury our heads in the sand and keep making things with V8s. I
initiated while lecturing on Coventry University’s transport think the electric car started in the wrong place. A lot of technol-
design course. Saunders had been playing around with ideas ogy that’s now mainstream began on high-end luxury cars first,
for a ‘new Lotus Seven’ while working as a designer for the likes such as the Mercedes S-Class. EVs started with cheap cars first,
of GM, Aston, Porsche and Norton. Student Niki Smart (now and had to compromise on interior quality, for instance, to get
a design manager at GM) worked on the detail design together the price down.
with Saunders, and by 1999 the Atom was born. ‘Part of the idea of the Hipercar is to help make the electric
But why brand it Ariel? ‘I wanted to make sure another name car aspirational: we want it to be a poster boy for EVs. If I can
didn’t disappear into history. Ariel is like a potted history of the Top-Trump a Veyron with an EV, people will think they’re cool.
British automotive industry; it made cars, bikes, trikes – every Hybrids, EVs, diesel, petrol, hydrogen… The next few years
form of transport. It embodied what we wanted to do. It’s impor- are going to be an interesting time for new cars.’ And with the
tant that Hipercar doesn’t dilute our previous work; it must have ambitious, innovative Hipercar among them, it’ll be anything
the Ariel ethos.’ but dull.
Mercedes-
Benz CLS
Maserati
Quattroporte
One man’s compromised saloon is another’s

ultra-desirable four-door coupe. New Mercedes
CLS and Audi A7 meet Maserati’s Quattroporte
Words Steve Moody | Photography Dean Smith

Giant Test Exec sports saloons
Audi A7
Sportback

I
T MUST BE horribly tough being a top executive in the
current politically-correct business landscape, shifting
unfathomably as it is beneath your feet. You can’t pat an
underling on their bum while inviting them for a cheeky
after-dinner drink, indulge in long liquid lunches or lock
the office geek in the cupboard any more for fear of the HR
Gestapo. And the second you take a small bonus for that
speedboat you’ve always wanted, those Corbynites from
the ground floor will be marching on your second home
in Cornwall. All that’s left for a person to enjoy about the
business of businessing these days is a flash car – and,
fortunately, there’s quite a choice. In fact, too much choice.
Choice to the point that there are choices within choices,
cars spewing out of other cars and spawning whole new
cars. The Mercedes-Benz CLS is almost entirely to blame:
14 years ago, with a sweep of a designer’s pen, it morphed from
the blocky E-Class into one long arc of a saloon. Four doors,
droopier boot, less room. Made no sense; people loved it.
The Audi A7 followed a similar if slightly more practical
course, and now they both have new versions on the old theme.
Where the CLS is very much a sexed-up E, the A7 is more of a
downsized A8. They meet in the middle at a sales territory
known to some as Executive Sports Saloons.
Today’s CLS, complete with spanking new 335bhp 3.0-litre
inline-six diesel engine and 4Matic all-wheel drive, comes in at
£60,410, while the A7, with a 3.0-litre V6 diesel sprouting mild
hybrid technology and a swanky new cabin, is a couple of grand
less. Depending on your starting point, and the value you put on
style, that’s either a steeply priced E-Class variant or a keenly
competitive A8 spin-off.
And coming in from left field, as it usually does, here’s a
Maserati that isn’t new but which actually fits in with the
Germans remarkably well. The Quattroporte is a saloon with
sports heritage hanging off its three prongs, and here fitted with
a 3.0-litre V6 diesel. Such exclusivity (and there is no doubt you
will be in a more exclusive club for choosing the Maserati) can be
found for £79,375.
Of course, should you be the type of businessperson who revels
in filling out a spreadsheet and cross-referencing parameters
and value-driven goal expectations, your computer would not
suggest any of these cars as an answer, being as there are any
number of more practical and efficient ways to get about.
But if you’re not head of the accounts department, all three
offer a fizzle of pizzazz and a USP or two – none more so, at least
on first acquaintance, than the A7. The only disappointment is
that there is not a glamorous model stood by the front wheelarch
KEY TECH: MERCEDES

State of the diesel art
The 400d is the new top-of-the-line
engine in Merc’s diesel range, with an
aluminium engine block, steel pistons,
an F1-inspired ‘Nanoslide’ coating
of the cylinder walls, ‘stepped-bowl’
pistons (for cleaner emissions), two-
stage turbocharging and, for the first
time, the use of Camtronic variable
valve-lift control. It’s a peach.

There are any number of more
efficient ways to get about, but
these all ofer a fizzle of pizzazz

Awkward-looking air vent plonked
on top is A7 cabin’s only prosaic
moment. It’s more driver-focused
than the similar A8 cabin.
Fabulous chrome
detailing straight off a
concept car; best carry Dual touchscreens have
Mr Sheen at all times. razor-sharp clarity but
sometimes act a bit dim,
needing repeated prodding.
and a man with a soft cloth dabbing it every has been ploughing this particular furrow for a long time now.
30 seconds, because it looks inside and out Compared to the other two it’s less a coupe and more a three-box
like a concept car on a motor show stand, luxury saloon with the nose whittled down. (And on that nose,
even on a rainy day in Lincolnshire. Within a it must be said, is a rather cheap looking plastic trident badge.)
few minutes of parking it on my drive I had a Setting off in the Audi, a vibration through the accelerator
builder, a tree surgeon, two neighbours and a pedal makes me think I must have run over a rabbit. But then
dog crowded round it. Even my wife came out it seems I’ve taken out a whole colony because the pedal keeps
KEY TECH: MASERATI to look. I should have charged admission. doing it. But no, it appears the car is telling me to drive in a more
While the outside stuff is pretty impressive economical way, not reporting a wildlife cull.
You sure it’s diesel? in the sense that it’s an Audi chamfered and This will become a trend, because the Audi is a very clever
Two sound actuators modulate
the exhaust gases passing chiselled to an especially muscular degree, the car, and it knows it knows better than you. It features plenty
through the tailpipes according cabin is something else again. Even before I of mild-hybrid tech for fuel saving too, with a 48-volt system
to your driving style; they
accentuate the effect most could switch it on and start the digital Fantasia and regenerative braking feeding a lithium-ion battery and
markedly in Sport mode. The it was drawing gasps from my impromptu starter-generator, so the car can coast whenever it needs to at up
result is a diesel V6 that does a audience, thanks to the arty brushed metal to 99mph, while the start-stop starts stopping before you stop,
fine impression of a petrol V8.
sculpting and swathes of jet-black panelling cutting the engine at 14mph if it considers this wise.
promising new worlds of automotive I eventually prod my way through some sub menus far enough
adventure beneath the inky facade. It’s the future, and it’s in a to find a way to switch the virtual rabbit murderer off, and
four-door diesel car that looks like it might fly. set about trying to convert the A7 into a car I’m in charge of. I
Making less of an immediate impact is the Mercedes. While a eventually get about halfway there, I’d say. As an example, the
good looking car, albeit with a hint of Mustang in the nose and lane-departure warning switches itself back on every time you
outgoing Peugeot 508 at the rear, the CLS is not as distinctive as restart the engine. It really knows best about departing lanes, so I
its forebears, lacking the baroque splendour of the first version decide to let it win that one. I fall out with the drivetrain, though.
in particular. In a less fabulous colour and without those highly In a car which in many ways is so utterly focused on moving the
spoked AMG wheels, it might well be anodyne. game on, it is strange that the powertrain feels like a regression.
But what a colour. It’s called Ruby Black, and at £685 it’s a For a decade Audi diesels have been leaders in the field, but this
fairly good-value option. But it’s more than that. The black paint one is an oddity.
with deep red undercurrents sparkles more brightly in sunlight For your information and clarification, it’s the 50 TDI, which
and looks like a velvet cat: Guinness with a port in it. in the old days would have been a 3.0-litre V6 TDI, but unlike
The Quattroporte is a more familiar shape, having in this the old days where you could be guaranteed a wave of insistent,
iteration been around for nearly five years, although in truth it consistent torque to spirit the car along, now propulsion comes

Merc’s dash a bit chintzy and

twinned screens hardly the
most elegant solution. Vents
a thing of beauty and have
colour-changing LED ringlets.
Once you start seeing the

CLS steering wheel as a sad
robot face it’s hard to stop.
But it works a treat.
Seats are wonderful: sporty

buckets that are all-day
comfortable. Like the CLS as
a whole, they make multi-
tasking look easy.
Carbonfibre beautifully
deployed around the Maserati
cabin. Seat using fabric from
workman’s trousers not so
universally appealing.
Gurkha knife-shaped
metal gearshift paddles
are gorgeous –
but a £710 option.
Infotainment has all the style and

sophistication of Sonic on the
Sega Megadrive, while the heft
of the steering wheel harks
back to burlier times.

The Maserati’s steering has two
settings: heavy and bloody heavy
in the form of either feast or famine. Whatever gear you’re in,

below about 2000rpm results are desultory. The whole car feels
monstrously hungover. Above 2000rpm it leaps into tantrummy
life, throwing all 50 things at you at once with a roar, splatter and
heave of its nose. When all 50 whatsits are deployed it is pretty
quick, but the progression from zero to 50-something lacks any
finesse whatsoever.
And then there’s the gearbox, a torque converter tiptronic
rather than dual clutch because of the diesel’s torque output.
It will do nothing, then drop two gears if your right big toe
even thinks about flexing. Put all this together and you have a
drivetrain that is dull, manic, snarky and placid pretty much all
at the same time. How it has come to this is rather hard to say.
Not since Audi embarked on those CVT misadventures in the
early 2000s has it got it so weirdly wrong. Stressed executives
need cars that will relax them on the drive back from firing all
those people, not infuriate them.
But this is the dichotomous nature of the A7 throughout.
There’s the ride on the air suspension and 20-inch wheels, which
is niggly over small stuff, yet composed over bigger undulations,
While the A7’s
cabin is a leap while the steering weight varies from shopping-trolley light to
into the future, barge heavy in the blink of an eye. The steering in the Maserati
dynamically it’s a
step backwards
has no such problems, having two settings, heavy and bloody
heavy, managed by a wheel of such impressive, softly leathered

Uppingham school: at
least as handsome as
the A7. Similar monthly
payments, too
girth that turning the big Italian is a hairy-chested macho

pursuit, like sheep shearing or tree felling. Fortunately the CLS’s
chassis has the talent
I feel rather apologetic starting the 3.0-litre V6 in the Maserati to tame the 400d
when anyone’s within earshot, because anyone unaware that engine’s grunt
it’s a diesel will be waiting for a Ferrari-bred bark to shatter the
silence but then quickly horrified by the noise of percussively
squeezed heavy oil. The proverbial diesel damp squib. But then
as it gets up to speed, things improve markedly, especially in
Sport mode, when the big Maser gets a lovely deep throb on. A
diesel engine that is genuinely enjoyable to listen to through its
four lovely exhaust pipes – what a very clever trick. And while the
Quattroporte is not as fast as the other two, it can still get a move
on, and it has mighty brakes.
The Quattroporte works its rear Pirelli P Zeros very hard,
the grunt from the big diesel, the length of the car and the
consequent shifting centre of balance placing a lot of demands
on traction at speed. It does need to be in Sport mode with the
stiffer dampers enabled too, otherwise it can feel like a more
nimble S-Class, which is no bad thing.
Over in the CLS, no such Maserati aural treat awaits. and in Sport Plus mode with traction control reduced it can be
Arkwright’s Spinning Jenny was less clackety but at least from very lively as fronts and rears slide about. In other modes it will
the inside the CLS is well soundproofed and, as it builds speed, get into understeer fairly quickly if you overdo it. But the steering
the noise becomes a level drone rather than a dysfunctional roar. is far more communicative and precise than the other two, and
And anyway, you won’t be bothered about the noise because you with that mighty motor too, it will leave the other two well
will be too busy holding on for dear life. behind in no time.
The new 400d is an engine of remarkable muscle. I go up a few The Audi’s engine comes to life once you get through the
steep hills and it makes no difference to the rate of acceleration, midrange muddle and push it hard, and the gearbox makes its
which ranges from brutal to beastly, whatever gradient it’s mind up too, but the A7 suffers from a lot of bodyroll through
presented with. Even going slowly, you go everywhere quickly, corners and you can feel the four-wheel steering chattering away
reaching corners a few mph quicker than you mean to, because at the both ends to keep you on a consistent arc.
the CLS surfs on an unending breaker of torque, shifting It’s incredibly tech-laden, the Audi, but you get the sense that
seamlessly between gears. some very, very clever people have been locked in rooms for many
Mind you, the explosive power of the Merc has to be managed, years dreaming up all manner of gadgets and gizmos they

Mercedes-Benz CLS400d Audi A7 Sportback 50 TDI Maserati Quattroporte
4Matic AMG Line Quattro S-line Diesel GranLusso
Price | £60,410 Price | £57,840 Price | £79,930
As tested | £66,140 As tested | £77,045 As tested | £93,100
Engine | 2925cc 24v Engine | 2967cc 24v Engine | 2987cc 24v
twin-turbodiesel 6-cyl twin-turbodiesel V6 turbodiesel V6
Transmission | 9-speed auto, Transmission | 8 speed auto, Transmission | 8 speed auto,
all-wheel drive all-wheel drive rear-wheel drive
Suspension | Air suspension, Suspension | Adaptive air Suspension | Double wishbone
multi-link front and rear suspension front, multi-link rear
Made of | Steel Made of | Steel/aluminium Made of | Steel/aluminium
1422mm
1481mm
1435mm
1890mm 4988mm 1908mm 4969mm 1948mm 5262mm
Power and torque Weight Power to weight

We say | The Merc is young Arnie, We say | Part-aluminium means the bigger A7 and We say | Might is right. Despite extra weight, the
easily outmuscling the A7 and Maser Quattroporte are lighter than heavy CLS Merc still bosses performance
335bhp @ 4400rpm
Mercedes
516lb ft @ 1200rpm
Audi
Audi
282bhp @ 3750rpm
1880kg
457lb ft @ 1250rpm
Mercedes Maserati
Maserati
271bhp @ 4000rpm
1935kg 1885kg Mercedes Audi Maserati
443lb ft @ 2000 rpm 173bhp 150bhp 144bhp

per tonne per tonne per tonne
0-62mph Official and test mpg Top speed

We say | CLS is We say | No car exactly covered in eco glory. And We say | All are brilliant big high-speed
faster on paper, remember, these are the diesels cruising machines
and miles faster
still on the road
Mercedes Mercedes 100

5.0sec 155mph
Audi (limited)
15
50
Audi Test Maserati
0
Mercedes
5.7sec
Test
29.5mpg Test Audi
Official 29.6mpg 155mph
Maserati 31.5mpg (limited)
s
50.4mpg Official
e
d
20
Ma
6.4sec e
0
M erc Official 45.6mpg

0
Au
se
at di 47.9mpg Maserati
r
i 157mph
Fuel tank Range C02 Lease rates

We say | Quattroporte displaying We say | We drove winding, hilly We say | Higher end company car We say | Audi £2k a year cheaper; no
limo-like tank capacity roads. These three will go much tax for all. But then, you can aford it deals yet on newer CLS
further on business trips
Maserati
Mercedes £956
36 months, 15k miles pa, £8607 up front
163
Mercedes Audi Maserati Mercedes: 457 Mercedes g/km
Audi £748
66 63 70
Audi: 408
Maserati: 453 156
g/km
Audi
litres litres litres

150
g/km
Maserati £939

would love. But they didn’t ask normal hidden behind perfunctory grilles shaped like melted Toblerone.
people what they wanted. As an example, After the wide open spaces of the other two, the CLS feels
you can change the brightness of the tiny, like a hot hatch. The seats are magnificent deep buckets,
blind-spot warning lights. Why do we but comfortable too, while the steering wheel, which looks like
need this much choice? The whole thing a sad robot, is thick and grippy. While the wide infotainment
is mind-boggling. screen isn’t particularly elegant or easy to operate, at least you
The Audi’s beautiful touchscreens soon can mooch around and get lost using the centre wheel and clicky
become hard work, as you try in vain to mouse thing, which means more time looking at the road rather
find the correct level of finger pressure than performing piloting operations with your finger on the
KEY TECH: AUDI needed to provoke the graphics to buzz Audi’s touchscreen.
Looking out for you in response and do your bidding. It’s And while the silver wood may not be your thing, the air vents
The nose of the A7 has more sensors, somewhere between poking a bloke in the are objects of beauty, with their rotors and little LED ringlets.
lasers and radars that GCHQ’s roof. chest to start a fight in a bar and stroking When this much time has been spent on air vents, you must
There’s HD Matrix LED with laser a mouse’s scrotum. But it’s not intuitive expect great things of the rest of the car.
lights, City Assist, Adaptive Cruise
and the capability for autonomous and doesn’t consistently feed back, and It doesn’t have as big a boot as the huge Audi, and nowhere
steering up to 37mph (currently for this I am very sad because since I was a near the limousine levels of rear legroom of the Quattroporte,
switched of in UK cars). 3D parking kid watching Logan’s Run and Space 1999 and the cabin is beautifully finished but nothing that you might
pictures and self parking are fully
active, and they’re pretty useful. I’ve wanted car interiors to look like this not have seen already in an E-Class, yet the CLS is a fabulous car
– but now they do I’m harking back to the in nearly every respect.
old days of plasticky buttons. I really want to like the A7, because of the ambition of the
Like a lot of new tech, it has the initial delightfulness of thing, but it’s just not quite there in too many ways. Perhaps
discovery followed by the frustration of fact: excitedly asking Audi will send it an upgrade via the internet and it will magically
Alexa to buy your train tickets and her playing Go your own way become the car it should be. I wouldn’t be surprised. The
by Fleetwood Mac. Quattroporte feels from a different age to the other two, and
The cabin of the Quattroporte is also rather random, but in as always with a Maserati, is immensely likeable yet flawed. In
an entirely different way. It has one of the most sumptuously spite of the futurism of the A7 and cool of the CLS, it was the
leathered and cushioned armrests this side of a Roller, the thick Italian which got most of the attention.
metal shifters are the shape of Gurkha knives, the roof is clad in Which, when you’ve binned your spreadsheet, is what these
soft suede and the carbonfibre frills are a delight to touch and cars are all about: theatre. In which case the Maserati should win
look at. But then half the seats (the flat, hard uncomfortable bits) by default, but like that hefty raise you soon got used to having
are made of hard-wearing fabric from a roofer’s trousers, while and spent, it’s not just about instant gratification but everyday
the chrome trim seems to have come from an ’80s ghetto blaster business. And on almost every count the CLS is on a different
and the expensive-sounding Bowers & Wilkins sound system is level to the others.
3rd
Old-school and lovely,
with a lovely V6. Price
prevents it beating
2nd
Far too clever for its
1st
the Audi to second own good, the A7 is
place. nearly a great car.
But it’s not.
The CLS cruises
this test. Fast,
gorgeous, luxurious
and classy.
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> On sale 2009-2017
> Price then £20,805 (2013
2.0 TDI) > Value now £4k (early
diesel) to £21k (17-plate, delivery
mileage) > Engine 1968cc
turbodiesel 4-cyl, 138bhp,
236lb ft > Transmission
6-speed DSG auto, all-wheel
drive > Performance 9.9sec
0-62mph, 116mph, 43mpg,
169g/km CO2
Steam in and bag

a hugely practical
bargain while there’s
still a big choice
Skoda Yeti 2009-present

TELL A CAR-MATE you’ve bought TDI Elegance, up for £12,250 at Wings
a Nissan Qashqai and they glaze over. Skoda in Peterborough with 37k miles.
Tell them it’s a Skoda Yeti and their eyes Considering its cult reputation, the Yeti
light up. Perhaps it’s the underdog brand, feels almost disappointingly conventional
perhaps the playful name or the honest on first acquaintance, with a regulation
functionality, but the Yeti is that rarity: an VW interior and a sensible drive prone to
SUV embraced by car enthusiasts. abominable body roll and hairy understeer
The Yeti launched in September 2009 if you get just a little over-excited. But our
with three engines: a 135bhp 1.2 TSI, car’s turbodiesel engine is eager, the ride
157bhp 1.8 TSI, and a 2.0-litre TDI in smooth, plus there’s good headroom, rear
109bhp, 138bhp or 168bhp tunes. A 120bhp legroom to spare and a generous boot.
1.4 TSI and 103bhp 1.6 TDI Greenline With a relatively small footprint, four- Then you discover the VarioFlex rear Nothing
quirky
came later. Manual and DSG autos were wheel drive and a raised ride height, it’ll seats. They slide back and forth, the central here – it’s
offered, plus front- or all-wheel drive – be more than competent off-road too. It’s seat can be removed and the outer seats all standard
though only the base 2.0-litre TDI was a combination that makes the Yeti a very moved closer together to give two rear VW fare
offered with both. Our car is a 138bhp 2.0 able family car. passengers extra space, or the entire rear
row can be ejected. ‘I’ve had a grandfather
clock and a flat-packed kitchen in the
heated leather front seats,
NEED TO KNOW > Jan 2014 update ditched
automatic wipers and
back,’ says forum user Flintstone, from the
inset round lights, and Yeti Owners’ Club. ‘Three bikes are easily
> Front door wiring looms added extra equipment, bi-xenon headlights.
prone to breakage after
accommodated.’
with a better interior. > Yeti forum user Flintstone
four years. Can cause Used Yetis are easy to find, especially
> There are four specs: E, says his 108bhp TDI
central locking faults, up diesel manuals, with a good number of
S, SE and Elegance. E gets averaged 46mpg over
to £120 per side for the 100k miles. DSG autos like the one you see here. You
air-con, S nicer alloys and
looms, plus labour. can pick up an early Yeti from £4k, and as
electric rear windows, > 2.0-litre TDI has a
> Drainage channels SE is dual-zone air-con, cambelt so check any
it’s only just gone off-sale delivery-mileage
can block on panoramic cruise control, rear 80k-100k mile car has cars still exist, priced as high as £21k. For
sunroofs, eventually parking sensors, privacy had it changed, otherwise us, a cheaper but well-maintained early car
causing damp carpets. glass. Elegance adds you’ll be footing the bill. makes a very lovable workhorse.

Citroën C6 2005-2012
IF YOU WANT to avoid the obvious wipers, heated/folding mirrors and dual-
German executive smokers, the Citroën zone air-con.
C6 is like an automotive pack of Gitanes. CAR subscriber Shaun Lilley owns
It’s not wilfully different for the sake of an immaculate Exclusive, one of just 32
it, though – the C6 makes a strong case as 3.0-litre HDIs sold here. The interior
stylish luxury transport in its own right. immediately sets the tone for a relaxed
Produced from 2005 to 2012, today it drive: hugely comfortable seats, door bins
still looks otherworldly, and channels the like a high-end desk and – optionally in
spirit of DS with its short-tail/long-bonnet this car – TGV-style reclining rear seats fit
proportions. Three basic engines were for a president.
offered: a 215bhp 3.0-litre V6, 208bhp Riding on Hydractive 3+ suspension
2.7 V6 HDI (later upgraded to 3.0 litres (an evolution of the long-running
with 240bhp) and a 173bhp 2.2-litre four- hydropneumatic system), the drive lives up
cylinder diesel. to those first impressions: the chassis floats
Entry-level, Lignage and Exclusive trim serenely (though the secondary ride can engine, acceleration is sufficient rather Sumptuous
interior matches
levels were available, but all got cruise fidget), the steering is slow, light and oddly than generous. The C6 is always fabulously the soothing ride.
control, auto headlamps, rain-sensing remote, and even with the 3.0-litre diesel refined, though, and its nebulous feedback But check the air-
instantly soothes your temperament, con and complex
electric seats work
like you’re driving while mildly sedated. I
> Digital speedos can fail. A replacement on the 2.7 like it.
NEED TO KNOW new unit is £1k; specialists HDI. You’ll pay circa £500 Only 900 Citroën C6s came to the UK,
Somerset Technical at a specialist such as BL
> Citroën recommends with around 700 still on the road. Of the
Services ofer a £40 fix. Autos (blautos.co.uk).
two-year/20,000-mile 16 we found advertised, all were diesel,
service intervals, but most
> Check that the cambelt > Gearbox oil is officially the cheapest at £2900 with 190k miles on
enthusiasts suggest one-
year/10,000-mile fettling. change has been done on sealed for life, but some the clock. Prices typically start in the mid
time (10 years/100k miles) owners change it annually £3ks, while £6k opens the door to nicely
> The metal coolant pipe and that the 80k diesel as a preventative measure equipped examples with around 60k miles.
in the nearside front particulate filter service because the gearbox
The C6 isn’t for everyone, but limited
wheelarch can corrode has been carried out. can be troublesome –
on 2.7 HDIs – it’s often jerkiness can be down to supply and a keen following should
replaced with reinforced > Exhaust gas recirculation a simple blocked valve, ensure values stay strong once the abused
rubber hose. valves routinely require slipping is more terminal. examples have disappeared.
CITROËN C6
> On sale 2005-2012
> Price then £31,545 (2006 2.7
HDI) > Value now £3k-£7.5k
> Engine 2720cc 24v
turbodiesel V6, 208bhp, 325lb
ft > Transmission 6-speed auto,
front-wheel drive
> Performance 8.9sec
0-62mph, 143mph, 32.5mpg,
230g/km CO2
Audi A2 2000-2005
ALUMINIUM CONSTRUCTION and a 134k miles for £895. Most expensive was a surprisingly good shoulder-room in a car Doesn’t look 18
years old, does it?
1040kg kerbweight; a three-cylinder diesel one-owner 1.4 TDI with 69k miles for £4k. so tiny. Aluminium-tastic
good for 64mpg; a 3826mm-long body that Spend just £2k-£3k and you’ll get a tidy, The engine coughs to life a little rudely, A2 has future
seats four adults in comfort – the Audi A2 usable car. and thrums noisily, though not without classic status
nailed on
is so in tune with current trends it’s hard to The 1.4 (73bhp) and 1.6 (108bhp) character. The combination of high
believe it’s now 19 years old. petrols both claimed 47mpg, while the gearing and low power means progress
Even if you ignore the innovative three-cylinder 1.4 TDI (in both 75bhp and is leisurely, and some say the 1.4 petrol is
engineering, the A2 just looks cool, like 88bhp outputs) achieved 64mpg. Ours is the smoothest, sweetest unit, but there’s
a first-generation TT crossbred with a the punchier diesel, in mid-ranking SE a stoutness to the TDI’s low-down torque
Bedford Rascal – get an earlier car with the trim with 16-inch alloys. Climb in and that provides a certain energy, and the fun,
gloss-black ‘service hatch’ front grille for you notice the fabric seats that squish with chuckable chassis encourages you to keep
extra points. long-distance comfort, the centre console up momentum cross-country.
Today, this automotive milestone is that’s tall and narrow like an Amsterdam There’s a bit of bobble to the ride, so
yours for ridiculously little: we found an town house, the inches of headroom, perhaps the Sport’s inch-larger 17in wheels
honest but slightly scruffy example with and way the near-upright sides provide and stiffer suspension could irritate, but
this car strikes a fine balance.
The A2 was not the sales success it
bumper deteriorating. could’ve been, partly due to its cost when
NEED TO KNOW Requires removal of rear
> Expense of aluminium
repairs can lead to new. But today it stands as a kind of
> Choose from four- or five- bumper and wheelarch insurers writing of cars glorious failure, a car so far ahead of its
seat configurations. Rear liners to fix. with only minor damage.
time that the world hasn’t yet overtaken
seats of four-seaters can be
completely removed.
> Front control arms on > Engines are generally it. Surely – surely! – prices will soon reflect
post-2002 models are tough, but… FSI can sufer this special little car’s significance.
> Water can get into hollow steel and can intake/exhaust gremlins
the lower boot battery corrode. Some owners and 88bhp TDI can sufer Thanks to: Wings of Peterborough (Skoda),
compartment due to two favour replacement with variable-vane turbo and yetiownersclub.co.uk, Shaun Lilley, BL Autos (C6),
seals behind the rear earlier cast-iron units. intercooler issues. Julian Marsh, Audi A2 owners’ club
AUDI A2
> On sale 2000-2005
> Price then £15,410 (1.4 TDI, 2004)
> Value now £700-£4000
> Engine 1422cc 6v turbodiesel 3-cyl,
88bhp, 170lb ft
> Transmission 5-speed manual,
front-wheel drive
> Performance 10.6sec 0-62mph,
118mph, 64mpg,
119g/km CO2

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INITIALS INITIALS INITIALS INITIALS INITIALS INITIALS
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NAMES WORDS NAMES WORDS NAMES WORDS
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W4I SHE T84 CON BOII GHT CHU 26H DEL IIIA FAII LOW G2I3 VES JOII KER L333 EKS MCC 23A MUII VEY PI66 OTT ROL 4IID SOII YAS UTT IIIG YAS IIIR
BAD II4M BOU ID CLA I2A D3II HAM FAN 770M GI20 GAN JOS 53F LEE 350N MCE I20Y MUR 224Y PII6 HER RON 44N SOU 74R V4II NDA Y3 LLS
WES I3Y BAG 607T BOU I73R CI34 NER DEN I55E FAR I4A GI20 VES JUN 6G LEM II0N M63 WEN MUT 2 PI76 HER ROS 4IIE SOW 328Y VAR II3Y YEO II4N
BAII MER BOY 3R CI34 VER D3II VER FAR II0A GRU I3B K422 REN L309 ARD MCG 422Y NAD IIIE PI4 GUE ROS I7N SPE 6K VAS 3Y YEU IIG
DI YKE BAII HAM BRA 63Y CLO 53E DER 88Y F422 RAH GUM 5S KAR 2IIN LEV I7T MCG II3E NAH 4R PLA IIN ROS 720N SPI2 UCE VAS IIE YOI4 NDA
BAN 70N B240 LEY CII0 UGH DEZ 2 F422 ELL GUII MOW K473 LYN LOF 73D M66I YNN NAN 5 SPI2 ATT RI0 UGH S74I NER VER 2I7Y YOU II6S
ANN I8 B42 DEN 82 ADY CIII NGE DE5I ROY F457 DOG GUII NER KAU 53R LOR 3IIA MCG 247H NEI4 LES PI0 DGY RUD 63E STA IE VIII RGO YOII SEF
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A month in the life of 16 cars – starring the Kia Stinger, Alfa Giulia, Ford Focus RS & VW Golf hybrid…
Dawning of a new
age (possibly)
First impressions are good. But will living
with Kia’s 440i Gran Coupe rival tell a
diferent story? By Ben Barry

SERIOUS
CABIN SPEC
Roomy interior is generously

equipped: GT S comes with
heated and chilled eight-way
memory nappa leather seats,
15-speaker Harman Kardon
hi-fi, head-up display, 8-inch
touchscreen with reversing
camera. Only option on
the GT S is flash
paintwork.
JUST OVER A year ago, I was sitting inside and 376lb ft, enough for a 4.9sec 0-62mph dash and 168mph
HELLO a small hut on a frozen Swedish lake with top speed (BMW 440i: 322bhp, 332lb ft, 5.1sec, and a limited
MONTH 1 Albert Biermann, Kia and Hyundai’s head 155mph top end). The Stinger GT S is also 190mm longer
KIA STINGER of vehicle testing and high-performance at 4830mm and with a 95mm longer wheelbase (the boot,
GT S
development. We were about to slide a though generous, is 74 litres smaller at 406 litres). The strong
prototype of the new Kia Stinger GT S mechanical specification continues with four-piston Brembo
around on the ice, and Biermann – poached from BMW’s brakes, adaptive dampers, 19-inch alloys, a limited-slip diff
M division in 2014 – explained that the Stinger had been and eight-speed auto as standard.
benchmarked against the BMW 340i. He did, however. In fact, standard equipment is generous throughout, as it
concede that the 440i Gran Coupe was more relevant because needs to be when it’s up against premium German competition.
the Kia, too, is a ‘five-door fastback’ – the facelifted 440i wasn’t It includes adaptive LED headlights with auto full-beam, rain-
on the market during Stinger development, but the 340i was. sensing wipers, front and rear parking sensors, nappa leather
Anyway, a year later I’m considerably warmer, about to hand heated/ventilated eight-way adjustable memory front seats,
back a 440i Gran Coupe after over 9000 miles, and have just rear heated seats, electric steering column adjustment, heated
taken delivery of a new Stinger GT S. That’s a pretty sound steering wheel, keyless entry and start, head-up display,
bit of context, I reckon, ahead of running Kia’s first high- sat-nav with traffic updates, reversing camera, 15-speaker
performance rear-wheel-drive saloon to land in the UK. Harman Kardon stereo system, DAB radio, Bluetooth with
The Stinger is not a completely clean sheet for Kia: the music streaming and a very large sunroof. Phew.
platform is derived from the (Hyundai) Genesis G70 and All this costs from £40,535, with our test car increasing that
Kia K9, models that aren’t sold in the UK. It comprises 55 per to the maximum possible £41,180 courtesy of the ‘Premium’
cent high-strength steels, with a pretty unusual combination red paint. That’s not a huge saving over the £45,490 440i Gran
of MacPherson front suspension and five-link, double- Coupe (but note that our 440i is optioned to £57,605).
wishbone rear suspension. Kia claims ‘the Stinger exceeds all Without wishing to spoil the suspense, after a few early miles
competitors’ for crashworthiness. I reckon the Stinger is a pretty fantastic
You can get sensible versions of the Stinger, drive, and I’ll have the space to explain why
with both four-cylinder turbocharged petrol LOGBOOK soon. But there could also be a sting in the
and diesels available. We’ve gone for the mad KIA STINGER GT S tail to this loan: Kia is quick to shout about
GT S version, which will sell in tiny numbers > Price £40,535 > As tested its incredible seven-year/100,000-mile
in the UK – Kia hopes to shift 1800 Stingers £41,180 > Engine 3342cc 24v warranty, but all petrol models require a
twin-turbo V6, 360bhp @
of all types in 2018, with the GT S accounting service every 6000 miles or six months, and
6000rpm, 376lb ft @ 1300rpm
for perhaps 400 of those units. The idea of one > Transmission 8-speed auto, fuel efficiency of 28.5mpg and 225g/km is
person a day buying a GT S seems optimistic, rear-wheel drive > Performance a lunar-mission from the BMW’s 41.5mpg
but it’ll be a pleasant surprise if they do. 4.9sec 0-62mph, 168mph, and 159g/km. At 1855kg, the Stinger is also
If the badge struggles to divert your 28.5mpg, 225g/km CO2 > Miles 165kg chunkier than the BMW. Will these
this month 250 > Total 761
attention from the default German > Our mpg 27.4 > Official mpg
downsides cause the Stinger’s downfall in
triumvirate, the spec sheet might: a 3.3-litre 28.5 > Fuel this month £49.79 regular use? A long-term test provides the
twin-turbocharged V6 produces 360bhp > Extra costs None perfect chance to find out.

the engine, or not. You can drive it economically, or not. You can
Not the saviour, but blitz your brain with stats and diagrams showing energy usage,
or not.
still much to savour By the end of our six months with the Golf I was essentially
treating it as a petrol car with a big battery and a small boot, and
was surprised when every so often I had the opportunity to plug
You can enjoy the GTE even if you’re not swayed by it in and get a few free miles, either of electric-only running (fine
its supposed green benefits. By Colin Overland in town, but a hopeless lack of top speed on the open road) or
mixed petrol and electric running. However often I plugged it
AS WELL AS the Count The Cost panel on in, and however economically I sometimes drove, and however
GOODBYE this page there could also usefully be a Count much I tried to fiddle the figures, it never got anywhere near the
MONTH 6 Your Blessings element. My final drive in official combined figure of 157mpg (that’s for the Advance; the
VW GOLF the Golf GTE involved meeting up with Ben smaller-wheeled regular GTE claims 166mpg). Based on our
GTE Pulman and swapping my calm, comfort- experience you can get around 60mpg rather than 40mpg if you
able, clever VW for his frantic, fidgety, fast give it a four-hour charge every 100 miles.
Ford. Not that there isn’t much to be said for the Focus RS, but As you’d hope when your car is less than 8000 miles old, this
to enjoy it you need to be on the right sort of journey and in the GTE still scrubs up very nicely, and everything still feels more
right frame of mind. If you’re not on a mission, you’re in the or less new. There are, however, a couple of things that want
wrong car. sorting out, namely some loose stitching on the pad of the front
The Golf, by contrast, is only sixth-tenths of a hot hatch, but passenger seat and a small dent on the rear offside passenger
nine-tenths of a very decent compact all-rounder. The cabin door. No one’s claiming responsibility, but these are damage
isn’t perfect but it is classy, comfortable, decently roomy and caused by us, not design flaws.
reasonably well equipped (in Advance form, which includes sat- When you consider the financial advantages (no road tax,
nav and heated front seats). The handling could be livelier and thanks to the low CO2 output, and very good benefit-in-kind
so could the engine, but the whole dynamic set-up is responsive rates for fleet drivers) you can see why the GTE makes sense.
and accurate. But would you buy this car two owners down the line? You’d
And, even though the Golf template is now 40-odd years have to think twice. Will there be a big bill for replacing worn-
old, it still looks very smart – and, at night, in white, downright out batteries? Will it still be compatible with whatever charging
striking, thanks to those C-shaped LEDs, borrowed from systems are then in operation? Will its electric-only range look
the rarely seen e-Golf. Loitering around while photographer even more hopelessly limited than it does today? You wouldn’t
Chris Teagles went about his business, not one passer-by was need to be much of a gambler to reckon that a petrol or even
remotely interested in it being a hybrid, but plenty admired it diesel Golf would be a smarter buy right now.
and several asked if it was an all-new model.
Which is the opposite of what it actually is. The Golf elements
are part of a long, evolving tradition that’s surely not finished LOGBOOK VW GOLF GTE ADVANCE 1.4 TSI
yet. But the hybrid aspect feels temporary; something better > *Price £32,135 > *As tested £38,510 > Engine 1395cc 16v turbo 4-cyl,
will be along soon, whether ‘better’ means lighter batteries, or 148bhp @ 2500rpm, 258lb ft @ 2500rpm, plus 101bhp electric motor
more range per charge, or something less foreseeable. (combined maximum 201bhp) > Transmission 6-speed auto, front-
wheel drive > Performance 7.6sec 0-62mph, 138mph, 40g/km CO2
CHRIS TEAGLES
In the here and now, the GTE may be flawed as an electrified > Miles this month 387 > Total 7799 > Our mpg 38.5 > Official mpg 157
future-car, but it’s a painless introduction to living with a hy- > Fuel this month £55.69 > Extra costs None
brid. You can plug it in, or not. You can charge the battery from *Plug-In Car Grant reduces prices by £2500
COUNT
T H E C O ST
Cost new £38,510 (including
£6375 of options)*
Private sale price £27,680
Part-exchange price £25,700
Cost per mile 16.7p
Cost per mile including
depreciation £1.64

Unintended ‘…then simply
unscrew legs
and stow in
benefits the garage…’
Hooning-enhancing e-dif
turns out to have a bonus
talent. By Chris Chilton
ALEX TAPLEY
If you go down to the woods today, leave the

low-profile tyres at home. But an e-diff helps
A key component in
MONTH 4
SKODA
the 245’s goodie bag
is an electronically
Tesla reinvents arithmetic
OCTAVIA controlled limited-slip Breaking the rules is one thing. But even by Tesla’s elastic
diff. Push the Octavia
hard through some
standards, this is barely a seven-seater. By Tim Pollard
tight turns, particularly on track, and THE MODEL S is
it’s a real help delivering the 242bhp unique in the premium
MONTH 4
(245ps) to the front wheels. Here’s another TESLA segment in offering sev-
benefit: the Octavia’s Pirelli P Zero rubber MODEL S en seats – usually found
is terrible in the snow – but the e-diff on people carriers or
brings some compensation. SUVs, not purportedly
A Ferrari engineer once told me that luxury saloons. Of course, this exec has a
during 458 testing if ever a car landed in hatchback, not a three-box boot, which
the gravel they would just grab the laptop is what makes the third row of seats just
from the passenger seat and tell its e-diff about viable. They’re a £2100 option, but
to lock solid. The 458 would escape the were already fitted to our pre-owned car.
sand without needing a tow. Clambering aboard in the name of sci- fold flat into the floor, leaving a large,
I didn’t have a laptop to hack the Sko- ence, using all my Twister-honed bodily uncluttered 894-litre boot. The powered
da’s ECU but, if I kept the wheels straight contortion skills, confirms what I thought tailgate lifts to reveal a sensibly shaped
and barely touched the throttle, the from the outset: these are titchy-tiny occa- loadbay, which can expand to 1795 litres
differential made sure both wheels turned sional seats for small children, and even with the 60:40 split rear seats folded away.
together instead of spinning power away, then only for emergency use. They really We tend to leave both charging cables and
and I managed to claw my way past sev- ought to be covered by a sheet of protective Chademo fast-charger adaptor sliding
eral other floundering open-diff cars up glass and a small hammer. around and should really stow them in the
steep snow-covered hills (‘Sorry, I’m sure It should come as no surprise that Porsche 911-style ‘frunk’ up front, with an
help is on the way!’). adults won’t easily fit in the back of the additional 150 litres.
Turning was more tricky – the vRS Tesla, but we’d question whether kids It’s worth mentioning the cabin space
just wanted to understeer – but there’s no would be much more comfortable. I for those not slumming it in the boot. The
doubt the e-diff saved me from sleeping in measured the shortest distance between front two rows are roomy and the absence
the car when the Beast from the East hit seatback and hatchback at just 26cm – it’s of a transmission tunnel means the floor
big in the south west. claustrophobic and maybe not that safe is pleasingly flat, with plenty of space for
(although it’s worth noting the Model S’s luggage, limbs and loafers. Our advice?
LOGBOOK overall five-star Euro NCAP rating). Stay up front – don’t slum it in cattle class.
SKODA OCTAVIA vRS 245 The reality of most third-row seats
> Price £29,930 > As tested £36,850 is that they are for occasional use only:
> Engine 1984cc 16v turbo 4-cyl, 242bhp @ squeezing in friends on a run back from LOGBOOK TESLA MODEL S 85D
5000rpm, 273lb ft @ 1600rpm > Transmission the pub or playing school bus. It’s nice to > Price £57,510 (approved used) > Engine Twin e-motors,
7-speed auto, front-wheel drive > Performance know you have jump seats as back-up, but 518bhp, 485lb ft > Transmission Single-speed auto,
6.5sec 0-62mph, 156mph, 146g/km CO2 all-wheel drive > Performance 5.2sec 0-62mph, 155mph,
> Miles this month 5803 > Total 9104
it speaks volumes that this family of four 420Wh/mile, 0g/km CO2 > Miles this month 792
> Our mpg 29.3mpg > Oficial mpg 44.1mpg hasn’t ever used them. > Total 19,217 > Fuel this month £35.01 (electricity bill)
> Fuel this month £1108.41 > Extra costs None The seats are cleverly engineered and > Extra costs None

Like the
glory days,
but better
To mark the return of Alfas to BTCC we
hook up with a 155 full of ’90s Touring
Car goodness. By Phil McNamara
JOHN CLELAND IS at the wheel of his
Vauxhall Cavalier Touring Car, chasing Tim
MONTH 9
ALFA ROMEO Sugden’s Toyota Carina E around Silver-
GIULIA stone. Out of nowhere, an Alfa Romeo 155
enters stage right – backwards – slews across
Cleland’s path and into the gravel trap, which
conveys driver Giampiero Simone helplessly into the tyre wall.
Look on YouTube and you’ll see the other 155 of Gabriele
Tarquini barrel-rolling through the air at Knockhill, all four
doors thrown open in flight like a butterfly’s wings. It’s chaotic,
exciting stuff that sums up the British Touring Car Champion-
ship in its 1990s heyday.
Every weekend Scott Austin would get home from his own
saloon car races and watch each round, complete with frenzied
Murray Walker commentary. Every smash, every overtake,
every podium carved the Alfa Romeo 155 a little deeper into his
heart. Today he owns five of them, including the mintest of 155
Silverstones, the homologation special for the 1994 cham-
pionship. And I’m on my way to meet him in the most
exciting Alfa Romeo saloon car since those days, the
Giulia Quadrifoglio Verde.
The destination is Thruxton Motor Circuit,
BARRY HAYDEN
host of the ’94 season’s first race. Closing in on the

track, the B3084 is deserted. I accelerate hard, the
biturbo V6’s pistons propelling the Giulia on its
wave of surging speed, the exhaust bellowing, the
overrun expelling gases with a gunfire rat-a-tat. car’s, leading to Alfa being docked
Clicking the crescent-shaped aluminium paddle points and flouncing out of a round in Cheeky lift kit,
imperceptibly slots the next gear: here we go again. protest. But ultimately the points were provided with the
Silverstone edition,
I line up the Giulia for a long, sweeping parabola and restored, other teams were allowed to add let owners raise the
keep feeding in the power, the car feeding back its unyielding wings and splitters – and Tarquini and Alfa wing clear of the
bootlid
grip. The A303 overpass looms, and I kid myself that this curve Romeo won both that year’s BTCC titles.
is the one emblazoned with ‘Dunlop’ at La Sarthe. Mate, this is Today’s Quadrifoglio has an active front splitter; its action
a Hampshire B-road. But it’s easy to get carried away by the Al- is reminiscent of a fish’s mouth opening and closing. Motors
fa’s sensations: its jink-jink steering, its begone-plodding-Astra separate the splitter to boost downforce in corners, then it be-
overtaking rush, the exhaust’s deep tuba blare. None of those comes one streamlined whole to reduce drag on straights. The
pleasures have faded, even after nine months of stewardship. motorsport-style rear diffuser helps sucker those P Zero Corsas
Scott’s cherry red 155 is waiting just inside the circuit’s pe- to the road, useful when they’re agitated by 503 horses.
rimeter. While the cab-backwards, rear-drive Giulia is clothed Its cutting-edge bespoke aero was honed in the wind tunnel –
in curves, the 155 is all pronounced straight lines. Up front, the the complete opposite of the 155 Silverstone’s wing. Scott makes
Giulia’s teardrop LEDs wink at the 155’s rectangular lamps, its me slide my fingers underneath the spoiler and there’s a recess
vast shield grille dwarfing its forebear’s. – ‘for the rear wiper on a 33 hatchback,’ he confides, amused by
More fascinating still is comparing the aerodynamics. The my incredulity that key aerodynamic parts were pilfered from
155 Touring Car was defined by its aero. The team’s mechanics the parts bin. The Silverstone’s wing came bolted flush to the
could extend its jutting front splitter and riveted rear wing in bootlid: to raise it, customers had to use the ‘lift kit’ brackets left
attack mode. It looks rudimentary today but it decimated the in the glovebox. The front splitter was similarly DIY.
1994 field. Tarquini took pole for five of the first six races, win- Of the 2500 produced for homologation, only 248 found
ning five of them. Ford and Vauxhall complained that the aero homes in the UK, painted strictly red or black with a sunroof
kit’s angles did not mirror the 155 Silverstone homologation the only option. Scott found his six years ago on eBay, up for

Giulia QV has nearly
five times the 155’s
power and none of its
straight edges
BARRY HAYDEN
£350 but haggled down to £50 when he saw the pages devoid of
servicing stamps. It had faded to pink, so Scott spent £500 on
a respray. He also lowered the body on the 16-inch wheels and
attached the lift kit. The 81,000-miler could be worth £7000 now.
While the Touring Car ran a modified Lancia Delta Integrale
engine, the Silverstone is fitted with an eight-valve 1.8-litre Twin
Spark producing a mere 110bhp – about a fifth of the Giulia QV’s
power. And sent to the wrong end: the 155 was developed under
new owners Fiat, who abandoned its predecessor’s rear-drive.
It took a quarter of a century for an Alfa saloon to return to rear
propulsion – thanks to a carbonfibre propshaft on the Giulia.
Any common ground? Arguably the quick steering, although
Scott admits the 155’s rack isn’t as rapid as its reputation would
have it. ‘But for me, it’s the look of the thing. Watching in ’94, I fell
in love with the shape, the heart grille and the blood-red colour.’
It’s definitely not about performance: for that, Scott drives a
wide-body 155 fitted with a Fiat Coupe’s turbocharged five-cyl-
inder, tuned to 400bhp. Or his 155 V6 race car. Or a Nissan R33
Skyline GT-R which won Ultimate Street Car at Santa Pod. With
nine cars, a van and a shed full of go-karts, it’s fair to say Scott
has the car thing quite badly. ‘I’ve been lying under cars from the What do you call a
man with five Alfa
age of eight – that’s where my love of cars comes from, and the 155s? Scott Austin
influence of my dad and brother.’ He’s raced at Thruxton plenty

of times, and lights up when the circuit’s group operations man- grip. The downside is more hip-wriggling lateral movement.
Aero was advanced ager, Pat Blakeney, comes over to inspect the cars. Pat was in a I cut through Wantage, then Grove, the home of Williams F1,
for its time, and regular 155’s passenger seat back in ’94 when Tarquini drove before being spat out onto the A34. At a cruise, there’s a rustle
caused controversy
in the BTCC some ‘reasonably quick’ sighting laps to familiarise himself of airflow which is omnipresent but not aggravating. Turn the
with the circuit. ‘Proper chap! Neither he nor Simone had raced rotary selector to Advanced Efficiency mode, and the Quadri-
here before that weekend,’ he recalls. They finished 1-2. foglio surfs at 2000rpm, a barely perceptible hum of engine
And an Alfa will be back on the grid when the Dunlop MSA melding with a low-level drone of rubber and the occasional
British Touring Car Championship returns to Thruxton on whine from the differential.
19-20 May: Rob Austin is campaigning a Giulietta, prepared by After 100-odd miles in the Giulia, Silverstone isn’t far now.
HMS Racing. ‘Touring Cars has changed enormously since the A day on the road resurfaces its digital deficiencies, such as
’90s. It peaks and troughs but it’s back on a high,’ suggests Pat. no smartphone mirroring and having to glance at the central
He’s expecting a 25,000-strong crowd, assuming the weather is screen for navigation directions, because the instrument
kind – which would be a similar attendance to 1994. A couple binnacle relays no reminders. But the standard sports seats
of weeks later, on 2-3 June, Thruxton will celebrate its 50th have proven comfortable as well as supportive, with the lumbar
anniversary with the official opening by Nigel Mansell and support stretching out my aching lower back.
Murray Walker of its £2m hospitality centre. It’s a big year for Off the M40, and it’s time to string together the A43’s
the Hampshire Speedbowl. stretch of roundabouts. Early on, I go in too fast and clumsily
But my thoughts are turning to another circuit, today’s final push the nose wide: soon I’m judging entry speed correctly so
destination: Silverstone, where the 1994 title was decided on momentum and grip form a perfect union, inviting me to get
the penultimate race weekend. I criss-cross the North Wessex back on the instantaneous throttle. Dynamic mode allows a
Downs with the Alfa in Dynamic mode, instrument panel little rear slip too, before the Quadrifoglio locks itself into the
glowing red. At the top end, the engine reso- next straight and hurtles onwards.
nates like a hive of bees stuffed into a tin pail. Silverstone is silent, the Grand Prix circuit well and truly off
LOGBOOK ALFA ROMEO The stiffer damper setting makes the ride limits, so a couple of photographic laps of Thruxton will have
GIULIA QUADRIFOGLIO uncompromising, like being lashed to a taut to suffice for today. With no jockeying and jostling between
> Price £61,595 > As tested £72,550
> Engine 2891cc 24v turbo V6, 503bhp @ trampoline. But Giulia project leader Philippe Scott’s 155 and my Giulia, I have to imagine the adrenaline rush
6500rpm, 442lb ft @ 2500rpm Krief came from Ferrari and he brought and chaos of being in the thick of a Touring Car race. But this
> Transmission 8-speed auto, rear-wheel some of its genius with him, including the lack of action hasn’t diminished Scott’s admiration for the Gi-
drive > Performance 3.9sec 0-62mph, bumpy road button. One press and it’s like ulia Quadrifoglio – it seems to have had the same effect on this
191mph, 189g/km CO2 > Miles this
month 973 > Total 15,864 > Our mpg 23.6
unbuttoning your trousers after a particularly Watford Alfisti as the 155 did all those years ago. ‘I’d have one in
> Official mpg 34.4 > Fuel this month gluttonous Christmas lunch: you can almost an instant,’ he says. ‘I just need the £72,000 price to drop a little
£248.43 > Extra costs None hear the Alfa sigh as its dampers relax their first…’ I know exactly how he feels, and I couldn’t agree more.

Welcome to my happy place
MONTH 4 AUDI RS5
Techy, expensive-
feeling and plush
Planning to take the fight to Audi?
Ingolstadt has chinks in its armour
but its interiors aren’t one of them.
It’s become a cliche, like great pedal
weights in Porsches, but cliches
can’t grow from dust: and Audi
Next month: Alfa’s really is the master of the premium
return to the British cabin. (For now at least; on the new,
Inshore Powerboat touchscreen-heavy era, debuted in
Racing Championship the new A8, the jury’s still at lunch.)
The obviously good…

Early on it’s the obviously trick stuf
that impresses; Virtual Cockpit’s map
display on the last critical mile or two
to a hard-to-find address, or the way
the relevant display on the digital
climate display swells in size as its
cool aluminium controls sense your
approaching digit. But in time, with
miles and months, the love blossoms
thanks to the less overt but plainly well
thought out stuf.
…and the less obvious

but still good
…like the handy of button for the
infotainment screen, so that when
you’re tired and know where you’re
Despite Giulia’s Race going you can kill its glare. There’s
mode, it’s a Giulietta also a user-defined button on the
that’s competing steering wheel that I’ve set to toggle
in BTCC drive modes, letting me optimise
the set-up – F1-driver style – on the
fly and without looking by casually
prodding it with my thumb.
Sitting very comfortably

Fundamental ergonomics are all
good: adjustability to send the seat
DTM-low; a slender, nicely sculpted
wheel that feels McLaren-inspired;
and an elegant, uncluttered dash
that promotes a welcome sense of
confident calm. Test drive an RS5 and
you’ll like its ludicrous turn of speed
and its incredible traction. But should
you take the plunge it’ll be the interior
you grow to love. BEN MILLER
LOGBOOK AUDI RS5

> Price £63,575
> As tested £80,015 > Engine
2894cc 24v twin-turbo V6,
444bhp @ 5700rpm, 443lb ft
@ 1900rpm > Transmission
8-speed auto, all-wheel
drive > Performance 3.9sec
0-62mph, 155mph (limited),
197g/km CO2
> Miles this month 1077
> Total 5444 > Our mpg
23.2mpg > Oficial mpg
32.5mpg > Fuel this month
£227.29 > Extra costs None

Trust me – I’m an AMG driver too, which lets you change tracks using
just a flick of your index finger.
You pay £1700 for assistance systems and they treat I’ve gone all virtual as well. The
you like an idiot? Time for a reboot. By Steve Moody head-up display, an £825 optional extra,
shows speed, revs and gearchange. I can’t
NOT ALL technology Package, something less panicky and remember the last time I looked at the
is great. The optional more encouraging, like having Bernd dials to see what was going on. I’d be lost
MONTH 6 without it, especially in manual mode,
£1695 Driving As- Schneider sat next to you: ‘Floor it, beat
MERCEDES- where it lights up like Piccadilly Circus as
AMG C43 sistance Package in those lights!’ or ‘Don’t brake, there’s ages
the C43 is extremely before that corner!’ At least there’s an you approach the rev limit. It’s especially
useful at pointing out AMG menu in the trip computer, so you useful in this car, as the first few gears are
the bleeding obvious and crying wolf at can track your g-forces or lap times (or, very, very short. Of all the options, I’d say
every opportunity. I think it has been more plausibly, your school-run times). this is the one to have.
taken out of a low-end A-Class and had But there is some tech that is very
very little fettling done to it to adjust for useful. For a start this car’s infotainment LOGBOOK MERCEDES-AMG C43 COUPE
a C43’s higher velocities (and possibly the is too old to be afflicted by the addition > Price £47,650 > As tested £56,870 > Engine 2996cc 24v
dafter driving of the occupant). of Apple CarPlay, surely one of the most twin-turbo V6, 360bhp @ 5500rpm, 378lb ft @ 2000rpm
Bong! I know I’m approaching a car glitchy, wobbly systems you can have. So > Transmission 9-speed auto, all-wheel drive > Performance
4.7sec 0-62mph, 155mph (limited), 183g/km CO2 > Miles this
quickly – I’m in an AMG. Instead Merc instead I’m on Bluetooth and it works month 974 > Total 5261 > Our mpg 28.1 > Official mpg 35.3
should have an AMG Driving Assistance perfectly. I like the touch-sensitive pad > Fuel this month £191.35 > Extra costs None
Bong! Did you have
ALEX TAPLEY
a wee before we left
the house? Bong! And
wash your hands?
Help! They
Base N on the right has
smaller wheels that LOGBOOK
improve the ride
HYUNDAI i30N
PERFORMANCE
stole my dif > Price £27,995

> As tested £28,550
> Engine 1998cc
Swapping our i30N for the less trick 16v turbo 4-cyl,
271bhp @ 6000rpm,
version is a revelation. By James Taylor 260lb ft @ 1500rpm
> Transmission
OUR HYUNDAI i30N is the top Perfor- 6-speed manual,
mance version: 271bhp, electronically con- e-LSD, front-wheel
MONTH 3 drive > Performance
HYUNDAI trolled limited-slip diff, 19-inch wheels with
6.1sec 0-62mph,
i30N big brakes, nice seats, £27,995. Worth it over 155mph (limited),
the regular, £3k cheaper, 247bhp i30N? One as each other. You do notice the absence of the Performance’s 163g/km CO2 >
way to find out. locking diff, but the i30N still finds plenty of traction through Miles this month
Visually, our Performance’s bigger wheels fill its arches far its torque vectoring by braking system, and feels similarly keen 936 > Total 3401
> Our mpg 28.4
more purposefully, like a bouncer in a doorway, but there are to turn in, despite its narrower tyres. Keener to oversteer, too. > Official mpg 39.8
benefits to the base N’s smaller rims on the move. It rides a little You’ll probably have 90 per cent as much fun in the standard > Fuel this month
more sweetly than our long-term test car, even though both i30N, but the Performance does feel more special – the diff £198.35 > Extra
versions have the same multi-mode adaptive dampers, and en- tugging at the steering, the pyrotechnics kit hidden in the active costs None
Seven seats and
joys
a big aboot
slightly
meansless enormous turning circle. Both cars have the exhaust, and so on. On balance, it’s probably £3k well spent.
same torque
excellent output, and in a straight line they feel about as fast
versatility Regular i30Ns might be a rare spot on the road as a result.
138 CARMAGA ZINE.CO.UK | May 2018

High road, low
road, whichever
one’s open
You’re spoilt for choice if you’re hunting
great roads in Scotland. By Ben Barry
FEELING OLD AND WISTFUL about my
university days in Glasgow, a Scottish play in
MONTH 5 the 440i beckoned. My wife and I struck out up
BMW 440i the A1 from the East Midlands early one morn-
ing, crossing east to west and latching onto
the M6 and M74 towards Glasgow. Thanks
to the 440i’s customary blend of comfort and easy performance,
we were soon in Glasgow’s West End, wandering University
Gardens where the linguistics department helped ready me for
the composition of sentences not unduly tangled.
That afternoon we skirted north past Loch Lomond, the roads
wet, largely empty and much more demanding. I tried to go
quickly enough to entertain myself, if smoothly enough so as not
to cause distress. Huge potholes contained the speed.
We climbed towards Glen Coe as a snowstorm blew in, blan-
keting the mountainsides, leaving the road mostly untroubled at
first, but thicker snow smothered the surface higher up. With the
rear-drive 440i wearing Bridgestone Potenzas, it was fortuitous
that an Astra slowed us all to a 10mph procession, and it was as-
tonishing to watch said Vauxhall repeatedly bash the verge while
maintaining some degree of control. The 440i never felt skittish.
We stayed in North Ballachulish that night, making for the
Isle of Skye next morning in better if still slippery conditions,
and following a well-driven Ford Ranger towards Invergarry and Snow enhances the
view, but rules some
onto the A87 to Kyle of Lochalsh – learn your craft up here and it of the best Highlands
shows. There was barely a soul around as we motored on through roads out of bounds
that snowy wilderness, and the Gran Coupe settled into an easy,
quick rhythm, its smooth-as-silk straight six and eight-speed Driven quickly on entertaining roads like these in Comfort
auto a fantastic cross-country combination. mode, the 440i topples just a little too readily onto its outside
We’d intended to cross straight onto Skye using the bridge, but springs after a disconcerting little pause, and with a lag to the
the A890 towards Applecross looked so inviting we gave it a go. It steering weight too. Sport is better, giving a control to the suspen-
was a great road with scenery to match, but various road closures sion compression and dialling that dead spot out of the steering
put a stop to that and we reverted to plan A. We didn’t spend long weight, but it’s pretty firm. This car handles well, but there’s a
on Skye, soon catching a ferry from the southern tip back to the middle ground waiting to be tapped somewhere.
mainland. We peered out from the deck, frozen but entranced by We passed just two cars on that entire 40-mile run to the
the rugged foreignness of the scenery – and astounded that one outskirts of Fort William, and the risk of deer jumping out was
couple were about to go camping. We used the ferry’s wi-fi to book obvious. Two were already walking over the road when I rounded
digs in Fort William, and kept a good pace down the A830 at one corner, picked out by the BMW’s adaptive LED lights. As
twilight, a road of long straights and fast corners. they moved, a third bounded from a bank. Those brakes certainly
work when needed.
Next morning we headed more easily south over a still-dramat-
ic Glen Coe, but avoided repeating Loch Lomond with a detour
over the fantastic – and better surfaced – A85 and A84 towards
Stirling before making for the border. A great trip, and one made
all the more enjoyable by the 440i.
LOGBOOK BMW 440i GRAN COUPE

> Price £45,490 > As tested £57,605 > Engine 2998cc 24v turbo
6-cyl, 322bhp @ 5500rpm, 332lb ft @ 1380rpm > Transmission
Glasgow’s gone a bit 8-speed auto, rear-wheel drive > Performance 5.1sec 0-62mph,
upmarket since Ben’s
155mph (limited), 41.5mpg, 159g/km CO2 > Miles this month 1631
now-hazy student
days, and so’s Ben > Total 9004 > Our mpg 28.2 > Official mpg 41.5 > Fuel this month
£315.16 > Extra costs None

COUNT
T H E C O ST
Cost new £35,390 (including
£3125 of options)
Private sale price £26,430
Part-exchange price £25,300
Cost per mile 22.9p
Cost per mile including
depreciation £1.65
CHRIS TEAGLES
hot hatch, and in black, with black wheels, it’s both subtle
Two jobs turns out to and sinister. I love that the intakes (of which the front end is
predominantly made up) are all real too. And – and this is very
be one job too many geeky – when you pop the bonnet, even after 7000 miles, it’s
clean. No water splashes, just a pristine piece of plastic covering
the engine. That shows how well sealed it is.
It excels in one role. But the RS doesn’t even turn Yet however much I enjoyed the Focus RS on the right road,
its alarm clock on for anything else. By Ben Pulman I didn’t much enjoy it for most of the rest of the time. It doesn’t
even start to do enough of the hatchback stuff well.
FORGET ABOUT THE family 4x4 being The big issues are: the awful interior quality (a Ford Focus
GOODBYE a Swiss Army knife, it’s the hot hatch we fault, rather than an RS-specific failing); the woeful range
MONTH 8 demand most from. It’s got to be comfortable and fuel consumption (250 miles at best, and never better than
FORD FOCUS for the school run yet able to carve round the 30mpg); and the ride, which is terrible. It never hinders you
RS flying down your favourite B-road, but day-to-day it’s dreadful.
Nürburgring in under eight minutes.
It’s why so many manufactures go down Plus the Recaro seats are set far too high, are far too tight, and
the route of making a hardcore hot hatch. It’s why Honda and are so thick they rob the rear passengers of any decent legroom.
Renault chase ’Ring lap times, why Hyundai’s first hot hatch And at that point the Focus RS becomes a compromised
– indeed, its whole performance division – is named after that second car, rather than a hot hatch with a little extra edge. For
German track, as is Toyota’s Yaris GRMN, or at least the N. £30k, you’d be better off buying a mint E90 M3 saloon – the
Doing it this way, with a narrower remit, is easier. It’s why BMW will ride better, have just as much space, and while the
when Ford’s Performance team first got their hands on the fuel consumption won’t be any different, the flipside is M divi-
Focus, they probably took one look at the cramped interior and sion’s chassis magic and a 4.0-litre naturally aspirated V8.
crappy plastics, and knew they’d be on a hiding to nothing if I’ve heard rumours that the next Focus RS will be a 400bhp
they went chasing the VW Golf R. Better to stick to one end of hybrid. I hope not. I want them to shoehorn the existing power-
the spectrum and make something rather riotous… train and four-wheel-drive package into the classy, roomy new
Which is exactly what they did. With clever four-wheel drive, Focus, and spend the development money on the suspension.
345bhp, and even more torque, the Focus RS is ferociously
fast. Its party piece is the old hot hatch favourite turned up to
11: demolishing any given road with a speed that a low-slung, LOGBOOK FORD FOCUS RS
rear-drive sports car couldn’t ever hope to match. While a GT3 > Price £32,265 > As tested £35,390 > Engine 2261cc 16v turbo 4-cyl,
345bhp @ 6000rpm, 347lb ft @ 2000rpm > Transmission 6-speed
might be struggling for traction or scuffing its nose, the Focus manual, all-wheel drive > Performance 4.7sec 0-62mph, 165mph,
RS just flies along. 175g/km CO2 > Miles this month 289 > Total 7106 >Our mpg 26.8
There’s more to like too. It’s by far today’s best-looking > Oficial mpg 36.7 > Fuel this month £57.16 > Extra costs None
140 CARMAGA ZINE.CO.UK | May 2018

THE REST OF THE FLEET
Suzuki Swift
MONTH 9 By Jake Groves
NOT MANY MILES of late, partly due to a long

spell of work trips, but also because the Swift
has been away at Suzuki. Once it returned, it only
took an hour’s spin during a lunch break for me
to get back into appreciating the Swift’s great
handling and perky engine. Suzuki wanted to
investigate the rattles and my complaint about
the gearbox, which I’ll describe in detail in my
next report. What I will say for now, though, is
Peugeot 5008 that all is well once more. @_jakegroves Volvo XC60
MONTH 2 By Alex Tapley MONTH 3 By Anthony french-Constant
LOGBOOK SUZUKI SWIFT SZ5 1.0 SHVS
THE 5008’S tailgate has been proving reluctant BOOSTERJET LIKE THE MOST inept of Camden cutpurses, I
to open under its own steam, so I’ve been > Price £14,499 > As tested £14,984 > Engine clearly need to work on my swiping technique.
helping it out – no big deal. At least until, on 998cc 12v turbo 3-cyl, 108bhp @ 5500rpm, 125lb How come the elder hooligan can flick free of
one occasion, it won’t let me lift it. None of the ft @ 2000rpm > Transmission 5-speed manual, the home screen, locate the auto stop/start
unlock or boot-release buttons help, a warning front-wheel drive > Performance 10.6sec 0-62mph, function and stab it to death with an outstanding
bong suggesting all is not well. I need my photo 121mph, 97g/km CO2 > Miles this month 280 irritating insouciance while, when I try, I simply
gear so I ease it open, but it then refuses to > Total 10,011 > Our mpg 43.9 > Oficial mpg 65.7 garner a vast list of DAB radio stations I shall
shut. Ah. Leaving the car open and unlocked > Fuel this month £39.67 > Extra costs None never, ever listen to? If I am to avoid inadvertently
simply isn’t an option, but closing it is a painful administering a screen-distracted punt up the
experience that also damages a strut. Peugeot is luggage to the car in front, there is clearly work
investigating, and I’ll keep you posted. to be done.
LOGBOOK PEUGEOT 5008 GT BLUEHDI 180 LOGBOOK VOLVO XC60 D4 AWD INSCRIPTION PR
> Price £36,215 > As tested £37,780 > Engine > Price £45,655 > As tested £49,535 > Engine
1997cc 16v turbodiesel 4-cyl, 178bhp @ 3750rpm, 1969cc 16v turbodiesel 4-cyl, 187bhp @ 4250rpm,
170lb ft @ 1750rpm > Transmission 6-speed auto, 295lb ft @ 1750rpm > Transmission 8-speed auto,
front-wheel drive > Performance 9.1sec 0-62mph, all-wheel drive > Performance 8.4sec 0-62mph,
131mph, 124g/km CO2 > Miles this month 0 > Total 127mph, 136g/km CO2 > Miles this month 734 >
2789 > Our mpg n/a > Oficial mpg 58.9 > Fuel this Total 2342 > Our mpg 30.6 > Oficial mpg 54.3 >
month n/a > Extra costs None Fuel this month £131.16 > Extra costs None
Jaguar XF Sportbrake Honda Civic Type R

MONTH 3 By Phil McNamara MONTH 4 By Curtis Moldrich
THE XF’S MAN-MACHINE interface is Jag’s THIS MONTH INVOLVED a little less Honda
best yet, but it’s not without irritations. You can’t than usual and a bit more 911 GT3. Yet I wasn’t
favourite a radio station unless stationary. And as disappointed by having to jump back into
despite pairing my iPhone 6S twice, it wouldn’t the Type R as you’d expect. Sure, the Honda
show my contacts unless I used Jaguar’s lacks the Porsche’s fizzing 8000rpm redline
InControl apps sub-menu – a workaround that or timeless looks, but it’s obscenely planted,
failed to cross-check incoming calls with my with just the right amount of power under that
contacts, so I’d just see 11 digits when someone gaping air scoop – and it’s begging to be thrown
called. But I’ve found a fix: drowning my 6S! Merc E-Class All-Terrain around. Its usability inspires confidence, and the
Going back to a 5S without Jag’s app has – hey looks are starting to grow on us, too.
MONTH 2 By Ben Oliver
presto – made my contacts appear.
LOGBOOK HONDA CIVIC TYPE R GT
A COUPLE OF long motorway trips have let me
LOGBOOK JAGUAR XF SPORTBRAKE 2.0 PRESTIGE > Price £32,995 > As tested £32,995
test the E’s Driving Assistance Plus pack, which
> Price £37,160 > As tested £49,615 > Engine 1999cc for £1695 makes it about as autonomous as a car > Engine 1996cc 16v turbo 4-cyl, 316bhp @
16v turbodiesel 4-cyl, 178bhp @ 4000rpm, 317lb ft @ can be today. The self-steering element reduces 6500rpm, 295lb ft @ 2500rpm
1750rpm > Transmission 8-speed auto, rear-wheel the strain on long trips, and I’d trust it to take > Transmission 6-speed manual, front-wheel
drive > Performance 8.8sec 0-62mph, 138mph, control long enough for me to open a drink, wipe drive > Performance 5.8sec 0-62mph, 169mph,
120g/km CO2 > Miles this month 1041 > Total 5414 a kid’s nose or gesticulate furiously at terrible 176g/km CO2 > Miles this month 1040
> Our mpg 40.4 > Oficial mpg 61.4 > Fuel this human drivers. But the automated lane-change > Total 5565 > Our mpg 28.65 > Oficial mpg 36.7
month £141.50 > Extra costs None function feels like a gimmick. The labour saved > Fuel this month £219.17 > Extra costs None
by not having to turn the wheel is outweighed by
my triple-checking of the car’s risk assessment.
LOGBOOK MERCEDES-BENZ E350D ALL-TERRAIN

> Price £58,880 > As tested £61,260 > Engine
2987cc 24v turbodiesel V6, 254bhp @ 3400rpm,
457lb ft @ 1600rpm > Transmission 9-speed auto,
all-wheel drive > Performance 6.2sec 0-62mph,
155mph, 179g/km CO2 > Miles this month 906
> Total 4180 > Our mpg 34.1 > Oficial mpg 41.5mpg
> Fuel this month £140.48 > Extra costs None
THE ULTIMATE IN
PERFORMANCE UPGRADES
AT DMS AUTOMOTIVE
WE’VE BEEN UNLEASHING
AUTOMOTIVE PERFORMANCE
FOR OVER 19 YEARS
DMS CLS63 AMG (EVO AUGUST ‘14) “ENGINE UPGRADE ADDS HUGE PERFORMANCE AND REAL CHARACTER”
DMS 1M (EVO MARCH 12) “THERE’S A REAL RIP TO THE WAY THE REVS PILE ON ABOVE 4000RPM”
DMS SL65 BLACK SERIES (EVO OCTOBER ‘10) “IT FEELS LIKE THE LOVE CHILD OF AN SL65 AND A PORSCHE GT2”
DMS 135I (BMW CAR MAY ‘09) “THE STANDARD CAR IS GREAT BUT DMS HAVE SOMEHOW MANAGED TO TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL”
DMS 997 TURBO 3.6 (EVO SEPTEMBER ‘08) “IT’S EPIC, HILARIOUS AND ADDICTIVE IN EVERY GEAR, YET DOCILE WHEN CRUISING”
DMS 997 TURBO 3.8 PDK (EVO JUNE ‘11) “DELIVERY IS ALMOST UNCOMFORTABLY FORCEFUL”
316D/216D/116D » 160 BHP C63 AMG 4.0T » CALL FOR DETAILS CAYENNE TURBO 4.8 » 578+ BHP
BELOW IS A SMALL SELECTION OF 318D/218D/118D » 225 BHP SL63 AMG 6.3 » 560+BHP (+DE-LIMIT, CAYENNE TURBO S 4.8 » 600+ BHP
OUR MORE POPULAR MODELS TO 330D E90 » 296+ BHP RE-MAP & LOWER ABC SUSPENSION) CAYENNE 4.2 DIESEL » 450+ BHP
UPGRADE. WE ARE ABLE TO UNLEASH 320D E90 » 215 BHP CL600 Bi-TURBO » 580+ BHP CAYENNE DIESEL » 315+ BHP
PERFORMANCE FROM SMALL FOUR 420i/320i/220i/120i » 275+ BHP SLK55 AMG » 420+ BHP (+DELIMIT) PANAMERA TURBO » 600+ BHP
CYCLINDER DIESEL ENGINES UP TO 435i/ F30 335i » 390 BHP 320 CDi V6 » 274 BHP PANAMERA DIESEL » 315+ BHP
V12 SUPERCARS. 428i/328i » 295 BHP 350 CDi V6 » 312 BHP
535D / 335D / X5 SD » 355+ BHP 420 /450 CDi V8 » 358 BHP
AUDI 640D/335D/535D/435D » 390 BHP EXOTIC / MISC
AUDI RS6 4.0 T V8 » 690+BHP (+DE-LIMIT) 730D » 305+ BHP ALL 2015 RANGE ROVERS AVAILABLE FERRARI CALIFORNIA » 487 BHP
AUDI RS6 V10 » 680+BHP (+DE-LIMIT) X5 4.0D / 740D » 370 BHP R ROVER SC 5.0 » 580+ BHP FERRARI 599 » 647 BHP
AUDI R8 V10 » 592+BHP (+DE-LIMIT) X5 3.0D » 305 BHP R ROVER 4.4 SDV8 » 395+ BHP FERRARI 430 » 525 BHP
AUDI RS4 B7/ R8 » 445 BHP (+DE-LIMIT) X6 X5.0I 4.4 » 500+BHP R ROVER 3.0 TDV6 » 315+ BHP GALLARDO » 546 BHP
AUDI RS3/RSQ3 » 420+ BHP (+DE-LIMIT) X6 M50D/X5M50D/550D » 450 BHP R ROVER 3.0 SDV6 » 345+ BHP LP560 » 608+BHP
AUDI S3 / GOLF R » 373+ BHP (+DE-LIMIT) EVOQUE/DISCO SPORT 2.2 DIESEL LP640 » 707 BHP
AUDI 3.0TDi (ALL MODELS) » 315+ BHP » 240+ BHP HURACAN » 640+ BHP
AUDI 3.0 Bi-TDi (ALL MODELS) » 380+ BHP MERCEDES-BENZ AVENTADOR » CALL FOR DETAILS
AUDI Q7/A8 4.2 TDi » 400+ BHP A200CDi/C200CDi/E200CDi » 175 BHP MCLAREN MP4-12C » 700 BHP
A250/C250 » 260 BHP PORSCHE MCLAREN 650S » 720 BHP
BMW A45/CLA45 » 420 BHP 997 TURBO/S 3.8 INC PDK » 611 BHP MURCIELAGO LP640 » 707 BHP
M5 V10 » 548+ BHP (205 MPH) C300 HYBRID » 285 BHP 997 TURBO 3.6 » 625+ BHP MASERATI GHIBLI 3.0S PETROL » 470 BHP
X5M / X6M » 618+ BHP A220CDi/C220CDi/E220CDi » 215 BHP 997 GT2 RS » 670+ BHP MASERATI GHIBLI 3.0 PETROL » 400 BHP
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M3 E90/92 » 445 BHP (+DE-LIMIT) E400 /C450 » 420+ BHP 997 CARRERA S PDK » 400+ BHP MASERATI GT/QPORT » 438 BHP
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Totally unique
guide to EVERY
car on sale in
the UK, with a
punchy view
on all of them –
yours included
The Good, the Bad & the Ugly

ABARTH ASTON MARTIN
NEW IN THIS MONTH
595 ★★★★★ VANTAGE ★★★★★
> Pricey pocket rockets with divine details, > A truly convincing 911 rival that’s
dodgy dynamics and a choice of 1.4-litre
turbocharged engines in various stages of
steroidal over-compensation > VERDICT Like a
small yappy dog: noisy, excitable and likely to
p143
Aston Martin
Vantage
Snorting 503bhp

NEW
ENTRY impressively aggressive and thrillingly
quick. Interior lacks fizz > VERDICT A
stunner to look at and rewarding to drive
V8 and poised VANTAGE V12/GT12 ★★★★★
give you a headache
chassis… new > Cramming a huge V12 into the V8-sized engine
124 SPIDER ★★★★★ Vantage was bay was apparently the easy bit; it took years for
> Tuning division’s take on Fiat’s take on the worth the wait. Aston to add a manual gearbox. Worth the wait
Mazda MX-5, with tweaked brakes, engine, > VERDICT Chassis finally has the stick shift it
steering and suspension > VERDICT A delight deserves. Buy it no other way
to drive, but the rational decision is to go for a
better-value Mazda DB11 ★★★★★
Ford Mustang
> Slick aero slinkiness, belting V12 turbocharged
ALFA ROMEO Sub-optimal p145 charmer and, crucially, Merc help with the
interior and still wiring > VERDICT Finally the right blend of
thirsty, but the much needed new stuf and classic Aston
MITO ★★★★★ crash ratings charm results in a cut-above GT
> Decent engines but generally rubbish to drive, are no longer
Alfa’s soggy-handling, hard-riding premium mini embarrassing. VANQUISH S ★★★★★
is crucified by the real thing and Audi’s A1 Bags of character. > Lipstick and sorted underpinnings come too
> VERDICT At least it’s got its looks. No, wait. It’s near the end of the Vanquish. DB11 is fresher and
an ugly Alfa. It’s got nothing cheaper. Oops > VERDICT Instant respect, even
though you’ve bought the wrong Aston
GIULIETTA ★★★★★ Mini Hatch/
RAPIDE ★★★★★
> Looked like a credible Golf rival for a while but p148 Convertible
now the game has moved on. Keen prices, but Bigger and > Take that, Panamera! Aston shows Porsche
several rivals are roomier, classier and more how to make a supercar/saloon cocktail. Forget
fun to drive > VERDICT Miles better than a Mito.
less charming, limo pretensions, though: it’s a four-door 2+2
Miles better than a 4C, even. But, unfortunately, but choice of > VERDICT Pretty, but interior more dated than
miles behind a Golf smooth, peppy a New York socialite and as hard on your wallet
engines. Ride has
4C/4C SPIDER ★★★★★ improved too. ALPINE
> Sexy carbon two-seater over-promises and
under-delivers on a double-your-dong-length
web-scam scale. Spider a step in right direction ALPINE A110 ★★★★★
> VERDICT Shoots for the moon, hits itself in > Desirable, cleverly packaged and dynamics to
the foot. Lotus Elise more fun, Porsche Cayman
a better bet
GIULIA ★★★★★
ALPINA
D3/B3 ★★★★★
B7 ★★★★★
> BMW doesn’t make an M7, but Alpina does.
Twin-blown petrol V8 delivers ‘bahn-busting
performance that’s best enjoyed in Germany

die for. A bit pricey and the interior lacks wow
but the Cayman should be worried > VERDICT
Reborn Alpine has smashed it out of the park
> Good grief – an Alfa Romeo we can finally > 3-series derivatives with twin-turbo petrol > VERDICT Niche Merc S63 AMG alternative AUDI
recommend that you buy. Auto-only 3-series and diesel stonk and smooth auto ’boxes hamstrung by the ugliness of the raw materials
rival has sharp steering, sultry looks, great driving mated to a quality chassis, but watch for some
position. Bellissimo! > VERDICT Note to dealers: questionable OAP-spec interior finishes XD3 ★★★★★ A1 HATCH/SPORTBACK ★★★★★
don’t cock it up > VERDICT Try an xDrive D3 Touring – it’s what > X3 35d-based high-rise hot-rod delivers > Posh Polo does it all, from 1.0 miser to S1 micro
the M3 wants to be when it grows up 350bhp, 516lb ft, and the horizon through your rocket. Not cheap, even before you’ve splurged
STELVIO ★★★★★ windscreen. Spoiled by a rock-hard ride on options; £30k is a mouse click away
> Either we’ve collectively entered another D4/B4 ★★★★★ > VERDICT Another niche BMW that Munich > VERDICT Classy Mini rival that doesn’t turn
dimension or Alfa has just built two excellent > Same blend of fast and frugal as above leaves to Alpina. Porsche Macan is better into Quasimodo when you tick the 5dr option
cars in a row. Now we just need everyone to start but slotted into slinkier 4-series shell. ZF auto
buying them again > VERDICT Worth the risk at not as snappy as M4’s twin-clutch, but much ARIEL A3 HATCH/S’BACK/SALOON
least once in your life smoother > VERDICT 53mpg and 62mph in ★★★★★
4.6sec? And you’re alright with this, BMW? > King of quality in this sector, but adrenalin
GIULIA QUADRIFOGLIO ★★★★★ ATOM ★★★★★ isn’t among the standard kit > VERDICT Brilliant
> Like a regular Giulia doped up by Lance D5/B5 ★★★★★ > Only the Pope’s lips get more up close and hatch and not much financial gulf to a Golf. Try
Armstrong, this 191mph, 503bhp rocket is > Twin-turbo B5 petrol V8’s 590lb ft could personal with the tarmac than an Atom driver, sporty S-line on supple SE chassis
a quadruple shot of espresso for Alfa’s long de-forest the Amazon while planet-loving D5 but there’s zero protection when the heavens
lamented soul. At last > VERDICT The closest you doesn’t let meagre 155g/km prevent 174mph open > VERDICT Spectacular toy. Great on A3 CABRIOLET ★★★★★
can currently get to a four-door Ferrari. Really. max > VERDICT You can’t have a real M5 track, barmy on road. Chassis doubles as a > Premium sun-grabber without macho sports-
That good Touring, but this comes close clothes airer, which is just as well… car posturing. A bit tight in the back, but pretty
tight in the bends too. Try a 1.8 TFSI Sport
NOMAD ★★★★★ > VERDICT Worth the £2k premium over Golf
> Not content with terrifying on tarmac, Ariel
The home for all your car maintenance and ownership needs now ofers the of-road Nomad. Gains a roll-over RS3 ★★★★★
structure but, like the Atom, still no doors > The superhatch/saloon for those lacking in
> VERDICT Don’t forget to put the hot water imagination and/or driving talent, RS3 struts its
on – you’ll be needing a long, hot bath when stuf best in a straight line > VERDICT Only feel
you get home a little bit ashamed for wanting one

AUDI > FORD The home for all your car maintenance and ownership needs
you’d want on your drive > VERDICT Expect to

A4 SALOON/AVANT/ALLROAD 2-SERIES COUPE/CABRIO ★★★★★
★★★★★ NUMBER be swearing at one soon
> Boot-faced booted 1-series is a Mustang with
> Captain Obvious in every way: lighter, smarter, CRUNCHING Q7 ★★★★★ a couple of A-levels. 218d is 8.9 to 62mph and
better to drive than the last one – and only SHORTEST CARS ON SALE > German heavy metal turns techno as Mk2 63mpg; 4-cyl 228i a cut-price, cut-down M235i
microscopically diferent to look at > VERDICT Q7 sheds weight despite megaload of extra > VERDICT Plainer than a margarine sarnie, but
As you were, except inside, where tech Five cars that focus on the basics: four gizmos. High-performance SQ7 TDI mind- TT and RCZ can’t touch its space/pace combo
obsession ofs elegance. Rivals remaining calm wheels, an engine and just enough bendingly adept > VERDICT They thought of
room for passengers everything but the charm M240i ★★★★★
RS4 ★★★★★ > Still hard to look at without squinting but sweet
> Estate-only hot A4 ditches free-revving V8 TT COUPE/ROADSTER ★★★★★ six-cylinder is even more grunty. The perfect
for RS5’s twin-turbo V6. Covers ground with > Brilliant coupe gets virtual dash and sharper 2-series if you pretend the M2 doesn’t exist
impressive pace and ease and just a tiny bit of handling. Try 2.0 TFSI. Boot big, but the rear > VERDICT Ignore the Golf R temptation
proper driver involvement > VERDICT An RS5 in a seat’s for handbags only > VERDICT A proper
parka and Timberland boots real-world sports car – but the same money M2 ★★★★★
buys an early R8 > 2-series coupe with M4 chassis and 365bhp
A5 SPORTBACK ★★★★★ turbo six – that’s some crowbar they’ve got
> More tech and even better quality doesn’t TT RS ★★★★★ at M division. All of the fun, all of the time
compensate for a lack of personality. Better > At the outer limits of the TT’s dynamic > VERDICT Best M car since the E46 M3. Buy
looking, then so is Dorking after eight pints. You envelope, a 17% power hike ekes 395bhp from with manual ’box and stacks of tyres
could buy worse but you’ll definitely get bored five pots and targets wounded Cayman
> VERDICT It’s better to live in than to drive SMART FORTWO > VERDICT Audi springs the ofside trap, rounds 2-SERIES ACTIVE TOURER ★★★★★
2695mm the keeper, but hits the bar. So close! > BMW in front-drive MPV shock. Decent
A5 COUPE/CABRIO ★★★★★
> Deceptive bunny boiler – looks normal until
you realise it’s killed a TT and is wearing its
It’s a little longer than it used to be,
but it’s still just short enough to
park sideways in a roadside parking
R8 V10/V10 PLUS ★★★★★
> Friday-afternoon restyle meets Monday-

BEST IN drive, great interior. Need to cart OAP
CLASS
relatives around? Get the 7-seat Gran
Tourer. Boom boom! > VERDICT The ultimate
face. Cue B-road mayhem. Not really morning mechanics. New R8 ofers no V8 for driving (to the park/crèche/post ofice) machine
> VERDICT Even more of an A4 in a frock bay without stopping the trafic. now, but V10 is back with 533bhp or Lambo-
than the last one, but still better to drive equalling 602bhp > VERDICT A Lamborghini i3 ★★★★★
Huracan for £50k less. Friendly but ballistic; > One of BMW’s best cars is home to its finest
RS5 ★★★★★ playful chassis a joy cabin. Electric version has short range; hybrid
> Like a bouncer in a tailored suit, the hot is noisy and has a fuel tank like a flea’s hip flask

A5’s power bulges through the creases in
its bodywork. Twin-turbo V6 has full-bodied
soundtrack and quattro provides grip in spades
BAC
MONO ★★★★★
> VERDICT Carbon-chassis supermini, electric
power and £30k price. Did we wake up in 2045?
3-SERIES SALOON/TOURING
> VERDICT A composed four-seat express
that has power to spare, but it’s not the most > Single-seat racer that took a wrong turn ★★★★★
involving sports car out of the pits. Pushrod suspension, > Celebrating four decades of overpriced,
A6 SALOON/AVANT/ALLROAD
★★★★★
CATERHAM SEVEN
3100mm
Cosworth-tuned 2.3 Duratec and bath-like
driving position > VERDICT Sublime track tool
with a six-figure price that’d net you a Porsche

BEST IN undersized family cars. New modular
CLASS
engines make it better than ever, 320d
(now sub-100g/km) still top choice > VERDICT
> Demure, refined and cheap to run. Allroad Cayman GT4 and an Ariel Atom Jag XE is treading heavily on its twinkling toes
an SUV for agoraphobics; twin-blown 309bhp
Some are wider than others, but
BiTDi a proper mischief maker > VERDICT Base all Sevens are short – regardless of BENTLEY 4-SERIES COUPE/CABRIO ★★★★★
models short on wow, but a solid alternative to whether it’s the cutesy 160 or the > 3-series in a shellsuit subtly better to drive,
better-handling Jag XF wild 620R. but same great engine choices and almost as
BENTAYGA ★★★★★ practical. Shame about the carryover cabin
RS6 ★★★★★ > Cynics will say it’s a Q7 in expensive jewellery, > VERDICT Crushes Audi’s A5. Folding hardtop
> For wealthy mentalists who think the S6’s but The World’s Fastest SUV matches 187mph cabrio weighty but worth it
444bhp isn’t enough, RS6 delivers 25% more top speed with superb chassis. We flambéed
and gives the R8 V10 a hard time at the lights the brakes, btw > VERDICT Super-lux options 4-SERIES GRAN COUPE ★★★★★
> VERDICT Beautifully finished all-weather include £110k Breitling clock. Or spend the > Pretty and practical, like a bikini car wash,
family wagon that scares supercars silly same on a two-bed semi in Crewe hatchback GC costs £3k more than 3-series but
has standard leather. Five belts but four seats
A7 SPORTBACK ★★★★★ BENTAYGA DIESEL ★★★★★ > VERDICT Smart and useful, much more than a
> Think a more stylish A8 rather than A6 spin-of. > They said it would never happen, but we knew niche exercise. But why isn’t this the 3-series?

Capable of incredible wafting ability and grippier
than Spider-Man covered in superglue. Petrol
properly refined but diesel will make better sense
in the UK > VERDICT Stylish GT with sensible
ARIEL NOMAD
3215mm
it would. Still fast, still heavy, still thirsty but now
you get to use the dirty pumps and only need to
stop every other minute > VERDICT You might
have to lie at the golf club or they’ll make you
M3/M4 ★★★★★
> Competition Pack breathes some life into this
staid M-car duo. £3k more = 444bhp and light-
Scafolding on wheels that’s ready
engines, but not quite a sports saloon use the tradesmen’s entrance up seat badges. Classy > VERDICT Buy an M2
to tackle a rallycross track or a road.
RS7 ★★★★★ Silly beyond belief but we’re so glad CONTINENTAL GT COUPE/ 5-SERIES ★★★★★
> Pricier, less practical RS6 with fastback rear, it exists. CABRIO ★★★★★ > Smart, semi-autonomous and still the best in
same guts, but gets clever rear dif as standard
for oversteer here, there and everywhere, given
room > VERDICT An Aston Rapide for the AA-
> The repmobile of millionaires. Reliable,
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well built and full of VW bits. Death Star-
smooth W12 sounds more rebellious, while
class > VERDICT Spirit-crushingly good
M5 ★★★★★
goraphobic, but we’d have the naughtier RS6 twin-turbo GT V8 S is joyful > VERDICT More of a > G30-generation V8 bruiser sends shove to
A8 ★★★★★
> Audi exec car in ‘good to drive’ shock.
sports car than hefty GT image suggests
FLYING SPUR ★★★★★ all four wheels now but you can still drift it like
Ken Block. The sharp-suited and refined yet
ballistically quick autobahn prowler > VERDICT

Ingolstadt’s limousine packs enough tech to
worry Skynet and avoids being wooden behind
the wheel so convincingly you’d think it had a
ARIEL ATOM
> Current Spur is sharper to drive, sharper
to look at, softer to sit in, and feels less like a
stretched Conti. Fridge and iPads essential
All-wheel drive hasn’t ruined the M5
6-SERIES COUPE/CABRIO ★★★★★
diferent badge on the front > VERDICT The options for rear-seat recliners > VERDICT Think > Anonymous big GT best enjoyed with mighty
new king in the exec tech arms race 3410mm of it as a bargain Roller rather than a pricey A8 40d diesel power. Plenty of room for four – if
Scafolding on wheels that’s ready you fire your passengers into the back via a
Q2 ★★★★★ MULSANNE ★★★★★ wood-chipper > VERDICT Under-the-radar GT
to tackle a tarmac track or a road.
> Odd-looking small SUV is like a Countryman > Huge, hand-built anachronism, with twin- bruiser, short on sex, but not on appeal
Don’t be fooled by that prominent
that’s lost a battle with a set-square. Nice turbo V8 born in the ’50s, bufed to perfection,
enough to drive but still a nerd to the Mini’s snout – it’s a tiddler. and a field of cows sacrificed > VERDICT Buy 6-SERIES GRAN COUPE ★★★★★
prom queen > VERDICT The Q doesn’t stand the Speed – any less outrageous display of > Coupe? It’s a bloody saloon! And £20k more
for Quasimodo. Probably consumption is just poor form than a same-engined 5-series! BMW must
chuckle at every sale. Still, rather nice
Q3 ★★★★★ BMW > VERDICT Desirable enough to leave the
> Dumpy dinky faux field forager is a yummy 6-series coupe in the shade/showroom
mummy fave. Forget 4wd and the diesels and
go for light, zippy, 1.4 TFSI > VERDICT So much 1-SERIES ★★★★★ M6 ★★★★★
better to drive than it looks. Which it’d have to > Only rear-driver in its class. Good for handling, > Six-figure old-M5 in a shiny suit. Two-door
be, right? Unless it was an Alfa not for cabin space. Facelift made it 3% less looks good value beside Mercedes’ S63 coupe,
grotesque. 118i petrol a brilliant all-rounder but can’t touch a Porsche 911 GTS for kicks
RSQ3★★★★★ > VERDICT Want a roomy, well-appointed hatch > VERDICT M6 Gran Coupe almost makes M5
> Audi’s first tall-boy RS model. Hearing of the TOYOTA AYGO that’s great to drive and look at? Then buy an redundant, but at £100k/18mpg you’ll need
£45k price or unleashing that 335bhp five-pot Audi A3 two jobs
both elicit same incredulous gasp > VERDICT
3455mm
Who needs this stuf? Short people in a rush? Sharply styled four-seat city car M140i ★★★★★ 7-SERIES ★★★★★
Better than a GLA45 AMG looks like a stretch limo next to the > Bavaria’s hot hatch shuns four-pot power > So high-tech BMW must have ram-raided
Q5 ★★★★★
> A4-MLB2 in Barbour, Q5 ups the comfort,
other cars on this list. C1 and 108
siblings oddly a bit longer.
and front-drive for sonorous 335bhp 3.0-litre
straight-six nuke and power to the rears. About
as practical as shorts in a Canadian winter but

BEST IN Google’s R&D bunker, confident the
CLASS
‘carbon core’ construction would enable it
to drive back out > VERDICT Gesture control,
tech, looks similar to the old one… textbook JATO Dynamics is the world’s leading provider of automotive
you won’t care > VERDICT An absolute riot, just remote parking, active anti-roll – it’s got it all. But
Audi v2.0 in other words, but still something intelligence. Check them out at www.jato.com don’t have kids not quite the kudos of the Merc S-Class…

sexy than Borat. And Plus? Plus what?
X1 ★★★★★ C3 AIRCROSS ★★★★★ PORTOFINO ★★★★★ > VERDICT Ahead of its time, and in danger of
> Ugly old one sold by the bucket load; all-new > Funky mattress on wheels takes C3’s style and > The transformation from California to Portofino being overshadowed by newer arrivals, but still
replacement is miles better to look at and to
drive. It’s a proper mini-SUV now…
> VERDICT It’s even based on the front-wheel-

puts it on stilts. Thankfully retains C3 Picasso’s
super-spacious interior and flexi seats
> VERDICT The Vauxhall Crossland X’s much
works a treat. It’s sweeter, sharper and more
practical, if ultimately lacking focus > VERDICT
Measurably better than the Cali in every way
pretty good as far as it goes
B-MAX ★★★★★
drive Mini platform. Swallow that bile now more characterful Gallic sibling > B-pillar-free Fiesta-based mini MPV gets rear
812 SUPERFAST ★★★★★ sliding doors for maximum practicality but not
X2 ★★★★★ C4 ★★★★★ > Proof that Ferrari can still make truly epic the sliding rear seats of some rivals. Firm ride

> Sportier, more stylish X1. Avoid M Sport X if you
don’t want your SUV to look like Bond villain Jaws
> VERDICT Great to drive and well-built inside
> All the edginess of a Hush Puppy, but it’s
useful, anodyne transport, and BlueHDi models
are very economical > VERDICT Nobody would

BEST IN GT cars that fly the naturally aspirated V12
CLASS
flag with pride. The screaming 800hp
engine is matched by laser-guided handling
> VERDICT Buy with a 1.0 EcoBoost triple and
Zetec trim for maximum school-run fun
FIESTA ★★★★★
hate you – or notice you – if you bought one > VERDICT GT? Supercar? Either way, it’s
X3 ★★★★★ astounding > Still a peach to drive and now has an interior
> Studiously un-gangsta SUV shuns petrol
power – and M Power – options for solid
diesel-only blend of handling and handiness.
C4 CACTUS ★★★★★
> Comfy, roomy, slightly sloppy family car, now
Airbump free. Citroën claims it’s a hatch; it’s in
LAFERRARI ★★★★★
> 1000bhp hybrid hypercar where the
design that isn’t from the dark ages, even if
material quality is still a bit ify. ST-Line suitably
sporty but Vignale too expensive to justify
Looking better post-facelift > VERDICT The
BMW SUV we don’t hate ourselves for liking
X4 ★★★★★
fact just as much a crossover as the previous
one > VERDICT A proper Citroën, with all the
pros and cons that involves

BEST IN electric bits exist to save tenths not
CLASS
icecaps. 499 to be built and all sold
despite the £1.2m asking price > VERDICT The
> VERDICT You can thank the heavens they
haven’t ruined it
FIESTA ST/ST200 ★★★★★
greatest single supercar of all time – except
> Blame the Evoque and people who bought the C4 PICASSO ★★★★★ maybe the FXX K track version > Bargain banzai hot hatch shreds that
X6 for this carbuncle. Priced at £4k-£5k more
than an X3, but better equipped and annoyingly
better to drive > VERDICT Depressing X3
> Defiantly anti-cool family shifter. Touches like
lower rear windows and sprogwatch mirror
make mums go weak at the knees for its peace-
GTC4 LUSSO ★★★★★
> Looking even more like a Z3 M Coupe

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tricky gyratory complex with style to
spare thanks to torque vectoring voodoo.
ST200 costs £5k more than base; misses
spin-of for grown-ups who still dream of being and-bloody-quiet ambience > VERDICT Drives battered by a giant spatula, this updated point spectacularly (if not the apex). Softer
a footballer like a shed, but it makes Satan’s brood shut up FF gets four-wheel steering to go with its suspension now > VERDICT This is the one that
improved four-wheel drive and 680bhp V12 you want
X5 ★★★★★ BERLINGO MULTISPACE ★★★★★ > VERDICT Closest Ferrari has got to an SUV
> One-time Premier League fave looking more > A wipe-clean tin lifeboat for cagoule-wearing FOCUS HATCH/ESTATE ★★★★★
like League 1 beside better-driving and -looking Thermos-sipping birdwatchers. Rattles and GTC4 LUSSO T ★★★★★ > Shows Ford’s chassis engineers know their
rivals. Skinflint sDrive 25d is a rwd four-banger drives like a van. Is a van > VERDICT Dogging > Deleting four cylinders and a driven axle stuf > VERDICT Great to drive but the VW Golf
> VERDICT Still impresses with engines and cheap seats for aspiring Bill Oddies sneaks the GTC under the psychologically is a more polished destination for your money
quality, but thanks to Landie it’s lost its lustre distressing £200k barrier, not that the news will
DACIA sell thousands more > VERDICT Less is a little FOCUS ST/RS ★★★★★
X6 ★★★★★ bit more, while also still very much a lot > Chip-controlled 4wd RS is an overclocked
> All the impracticality of a coupe and all the 345bhp mix of outrageous drift angles and
wasteful high-centred mass of an SUV. Genius. SANDERO ★★★★★ FIAT limpet traction. And we used to think the
If you must, X40d gives best price/punch/ > Cheapest new car on sale, not the worst. front-drive ST was impressive > VERDICT In
parsimony > VERDICT Pointless pimp wagon. Yoghurt-pot plastics and pre-Glasnost styling bhp/£ stakes, both are mega value. But only the
Buy a Porsche Cayenne or even an X5 can’t detract from a spacious sub-six-grand TIPO ★★★★★ RS does donuts
runabout with Renault engines > Fiat has another crack at the C-segment, this
Z4 ★★★★★ > VERDICT Austerity rocks. Right, Greece? time sensibly playing the value card. Dull, yet MONDEO HATCH/ESTATE ★★★★★
> Sports car for post-menopausal women still the best Fiat hatch since the last Tipo – and > Huge space and you can even have the plucky

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in lemon trouser suits. Coupe-cabrio roof
hits boot space when folded. Base 18i spec
sub-Wartburg > VERDICT No match for Boxster.
LOGAN ★★★★★
> Estate looks like a Sandero that’s reversed into
a phone box. Cavernous boot, but dreadfully
that dates from 1988 > VERDICT Only consider
buying Fiats with numbers, not names
124 ★★★★★
little 1.0 EcoBoost engine > VERDICT Everybody
wants them new-fangled SUVs these days, but
this is a great family car
Stick with mid-spec trim unrefined thanks to all the brittle plastic and tin
> VERDICT You put things in it. It will carry them > MX-5’s step-sister, seemingly intent on KUGA ★★★★★
i8 ★★★★★ for you. You can take them out. Job done undermining said darling hairdresser’s star turn > The best-handling mid-sized crossover, but
> Carbon-constructed 3-cyl hybrid supercar with its punchier 1.4 turbo blow-dryer. Awkward that’s not saying much > VERDICT If you must
that’s fun for four, as fast as an M3 and does DUSTER ★★★★★ style, for an Italian > VERDICT To drive, this is the
40 real mpg. Minor demerit: looks like it’s > No-nonsense SUV that’s ideal for wannabe MX-5 you’ve been waiting for EDGE ★★★★★
crimping of a 911 > VERDICT Fascinating peacekeepers on a ridiculously small budget. > Stupidest Ford name since Maverick, but looks
and fabulous futuristic sports car Buy the boggo 4x4 diesel in white for the full UN PANDA ★★★★★ good and drives like a Ford – a big, ponderous
efect > VERDICT The Neighbourhood Watch > Spacious city car with ‘squircle’ obsession, as Ford, hamstrung by 2.0 diesels and slower than
BUGATTI will never be the same again roly-poly as its blobby looks suggest. Two-pot continental drift > VERDICT Comfy, refined,
TwinAir willing but thirsty > VERDICT VW Up irrelevant amid premium rivals
DS costs less, drives better and is nicer inside
CHIRON ★★★★★ ECOSPORT ★★★★★
> ‘The Veyron was okay but why couldn’t it have 500/C ★★★★★ > Ford’s half-arsed stab at a crossover sold in
DS3 HATCH/CABRIO ★★★★★
30% bigger turbos and 300bhp more power?’
Bugatti answers the question nobody asked –
and answers it loud > VERDICT A riot
> Best-selling DS gets robo-croc snout and
Apple CarPlay as standard but ‘premium’ claims
got lost in translation > VERDICT The Gallic
> Delicate job, modernising a retro cash cow.
Fiat’s approach pairs a korma-grade facelift with
updated tech and even more colour palette
kitsch > VERDICT Fashion victims rejoice! The
droves despite being crap first time round. We’re
more comfortable recommending it, since
it now looks half decent and isn’t built out of
melted wheelie bins > VERDICT Better, but still
CATERHAM charm is wearing thin cupholders actually work now isn’t the best
DS4/CROSSBACK ★★★★★ 500L/MPW ★★★★★ C-MAX/GRAND C-MAX ★★★★★
SEVEN ★★★★★ > Range now split between regular hatch and > Bloated supermini-sized people carriers, > More a roomier Focus than full-blown MPV,
> For bobble-hatted Terry-Thomas wannabes jacked-up Crossback. Softer set-up and fewer desperately attempting to cash in on city car’s C-Max delivers driving pleasure to blot out
and the track-curious, the Seven comes in buttons a plus; rear windows still don’t open chic. Seldom has the point been so massively family pain. Seven-seat Grand version gets rear
flavours from 160 3-cyl to mental road racers > VERDICT Medium rare luxy-Frenchness. missed > VERDICT In-car cofee machine sliding doors > VERDICT Rivals are roomier, but
> VERDICT 80bhp 160 underpowered, 310bhp Germany reportedly not worried option the only purchase excuse none is better to drive
620R lethal, 180bhp 360 model just right
DS5 ★★★★★ 500X ★★★★★ S-MAX ★★★★★
CHEVROLET > Ofice joker in a world of Serious Business > Compact crossover is the Arnold > Exploits latest Mondeo’s undercrackers
Men. Lovely cabin > VERDICT Charming Schwarzenegger of the 500 range – steroidal to full efect. Pricey, but still the best of the
quirkiness and somewhat limited in its range of abilities, seven-seaters to drive. Toys include electric
CORVETTE ★★★★★ but actually rather likeable > VERDICT Worthy everything and speed-correcting cruise control
> Farm machinery meets Spacelab in fabulous DS 7 CROSSBACK ★★★★★ Nissan Juke alternative works the 500 thing > VERDICT Harder to beat than FC Barcelona
460bhp V8 symphony of composite materials, > France’s idea of a premium SUV. Sharp-looking surprisingly well
leaf springs and pushrods. Shame it’s left-hook interior and plenty of tech to boot, but looks like MUSTANG ★★★★★
only > VERDICT £60k for a bargain berserker. an Audi Q5 in half-baked drag > VERDICT Neatly PUNTO ★★★★★ > Sub-optimal interior quality and still
NEW
£20k more for the 650bhp Z06
CITROEN
done, but not quite there
ELEMENTAL
> Been facelifted more times than Joan Rivers
but is somehow still alive. Now reduced to bare-
bones range and budget price. We still wouldn’t
> VERDICT You might be tempted. Don’t be

ENTRY thirsty, but the crash ratings are no longer
embarrassing. Sounds great, bags of
character > VERDICT Go manual V8 with sports
exhaust for the full experience
C1 ★★★★★ RP1 ★★★★★ QUBO/DOBLO ★★★★★ GALAXY ★★★★★
> Trying hard to escape the clutches of its sister > As expensive as a used Cayman GT4, but more > Postman Pat’s wheels? Don’t be daft, Pat’s > Goose to the S-Max’s Maverick, current
cars from Toyota and Peugeot, the C1 can have refined than any Caterham – and it’s an absolute retired to the Caribbean and is living of Galaxy is based on the same Mondeo-derived
a funky Airscape cloth roof and half-hearted weapon on track > VERDICT Crazy, but worth it the royalties. Drives a red Bentley platform. Just as high-tech, but more spacious
personalisation options. 1.0-litre has most pep > VERDICT Van-based MPVs. Practicality > VERDICT Great if you need a big seven-seater
> VERDICT Good, solid proletarian urban fare FERRARI first, people second as it fits adults in all rows with no human rights
rather than hipster cool violations
C3 ★★★★★
FORD
488 GTB ★★★★★ GT ★★★★★
> Citroën produces a great small car by looking > We were worried the turbos would ruin it, but > Very expensive hardcore supercar from
up its own Wikipedia entry and remembering the 488 is more playful and even easier to drive. KA+ ★★★★★ Detroit that proves a global mega-seller can cut
what it’s good at; spacy, compliant and diferent A stunning achievement > VERDICT Even the > Hits the city car target bang-on by being the it against Ferrari when it wants to > VERDICT
> VERDICT Are Citroëns cool again? They’re looks grow on you after a while. Rivals better complete opposite of the old Ka (good to drive, ‘Race car for the road’ translates into ‘brilliant
certainly getting there dust of their gracious-loser faces decently spacious), but misses by being less fun but a bit coarse’

GINETTA > MERCEDES The home for all your car maintenance and ownership needs
GINETTA i40 SALOON/TOURER ★★★★★ QX70★★★★★ COMPASS ★★★★★

> Vast Mondeo rival with huge boot and lots of > Striking jumbo jeep comes with more kit than > Qashqai rival misses the mark. Looks imposing
kit. Facelift resembles a lizard with an Audi grille a Knight Rider convention but the lavish cabin is and Trailhawk very good in the rough, but
G40 ★★★★★ for a mouth > VERDICT Nearly-but-not-quite too small and the fuel and tax bills anything but smaller Renegade more charming > VERDICT
> Pint-sized road-legal racer. Two models: mainstream alternative plays value card well > VERDICT Taxi for Infiniti! Porsche’s Cayenne Almost as forgettable as the previous Compass
G40R (civilised version, with carpets) and has this one covered, old timer
GRDC (actually a race car with number plates) iX20 ★★★★★ CHEROKEE ★★★★★
> VERDICT Tiny, twitchy and top fun. Pick the > Compact MPV and Kia Venga’s ugly JAGUAR > Gimlet-eyed Discovery Sport rival looks like
£35k GRDC and get free entry to race series step-sister; roomy but ultimately forgettable the banjo-playing inbred from Deliverance.
> VERDICT Sorry, what were we talking about? Despite generous kit, we’d leave it on the porch
HONDA XE ★★★★★ > VERDICT Feels too cheap to be premium, too
KONA ★★★★★ > Straight-bat styling hides exotic aluminium pricey/ugly to beat Qashqai
> Hyundai does a Nissan by trying to make a chassis and class-leading handling. Bit tight on
JAZZ ★★★★★
> Brilliantly packaged supermini with typical
genius mismatch of brain and social skills.

forgettable crossover less so by over-styling it.
Rear space and boot tight but plenty of kit
> VERDICT You’d have to like the looks to pick it
space, though, and engines not a high point
> VERDICT Rivals are better packaged but this is
the driver’s car in the class and a proper little Jag
GRAND CHEROKEE ★★★★★
> Proper of-road credentials, but it feels cheap
inside. Ludicrous SRT8 version demolishes
Ordinary performance, more refined than over countless others 0-62mph in five seconds > VERDICT Makes
before > VERDICT If a Skoda Fabia had seats XF ★★★★★ sense at $30k in the US, but doesn’t drive or feel
this smart, other superminis would call it a day TUCSON ★★★★★ > Bigger inside, smaller outside, still a great like a premium car
> Promising initial impressions of shiny-looking steer > VERDICT Diddy diesels moo more than a
CIVIC ★★★★★ ix35 replacement tarnish quickly dairy; insert your own cats/cream joke WRANGLER ★★★★★
> The might of Honda’s engineering prowess > VERDICT Dull to drive, duller inside, unrefined > Incredible of-road, and better than a Defender
delivers more space, clever new engines XJ ★★★★★ on it > VERDICT Nigh on indestructible.
and an exterior that looks like it was drawn on a SANTA FE ★★★★★ > Questionable styling but unquestionably Replacement unveiled but still some way from
bus on the way into school > VERDICT Easy to > Biggish SUV has always led Hyundai’s an excellent steer – although passengers the showroom
admire, loving requires recreational drugs assault on the European market from the front. may mutiny. Interior looks luxurious but lacks
Comfortable, self-assured and easy to live with intelligence, even if it’s fitted with the latest KOËNIGSEGG
CIVIC TYPE R ★★★★★ > VERDICT A Hyundai you can choose without infotainment > VERDICT Hollywood baddies’
> Its many angles hide a much more rounded shame. Looks fresher than Waitrose parsnips limo of choice. Flawed
hot hatch than ever before. Driving one day to AGERA ★★★★★
day much easier now but its speed and agility i800 ★★★★★ XJR ★★★★★ > Evolution of Lex Luthor’s original CC8S
can still take your head of > VERDICT Fast, > Massive van-based people carrier that’ll seat > Absurdly track-ready limo builds on already supercar features carbonfibre wheels and
practical, agile and easy to live with eight and still have space for their luggage. Ideal ballistic XJ Supersport, but bumps power up twin-turbo 5.0 V8. R version even runs on E85
for part-time airport minicabbers > VERDICT It to 543bhp and tightens chassis at expense of biofuel > VERDICT Yahoo! Yin to Volvo’s yang
HR-V ★★★★★ is what it is: a van with seats in. But it’s a nice van ride > VERDICT Spectacular – if you’re sitting keeps Sweden’s car output balanced
> It took Honda 10 years to build a second HR-V, in the front
and you’re left wondering why they bothered. GENESIS ★★★★★ KIA
Almost wilfully generic > VERDICT Platform’s > Luxury saloon hamstrung by unsuitable petrol F-TYPE COUPE/ROADSTER
magic packaging the only saving grace engine and they-must-be-joking price tag ★★★★★
> VERDICT Start of Hyundai’s move upmarket. > Posh pauper’s Aston Martin sounds superb, PICANTO ★★★★★
CR-V ★★★★★ Well, it worked out well for Infiniti. Oh, wait… and goes well too. Forget the basic V6 and > Now has an angry face and there’s a feisty turbo
> Roomy but unremarkable SUV with a choice choose from V6S and mental V8S. Now with triple. GT Line comes with amped-up looks
of two- or four-wheel drive. Unlike most Hondas IONIQ ★★★★★ manual and 4wd options > VERDICT So nearly > VERDICT Accomplished; avoid base 1.0
won’t need ear defenders to drown out road > Korean take on the Prius. Hybrid, EV or sublime, but Cayman/Boxster duo cost less,
noise > VERDICT Ford Kuga has the chassis, upcoming PHEV – something in all shades of entertain more RIO ★★★★★
Nissan Qashqai has the style, but neither is as green > VERDICT Challenges neither pulse nor > Long on space, short on enjoyment, life with
practical as a CR-V helmsmanship F-TYPE R ★★★★★ a Rio is no carnival. Diesel refinement will have
> Supercharged 543bhp almost too much fun in you driving to a favela in the hope of a carjacking
NSX ★★★★★ INFINITI rear-wheel-drive form (but still less knife-edge > VERDICT White-goods car gets the basics
> ‘We’ve blown all our development cash on an than V8S); 4wd available if you’ve left bravery right but there are many better rivals
insanely complex hybrid drivetrain. Do you think pills at home > VERDICT All this drama or an
anyone will notice if we fit an interior from a Q30 ★★★★★ ‘ordinary’ 911? Tough choice… STONIC ★★★★★
Civic?’ > VERDICT Like a 918 for half a mil’ less – > It’s an A-Class in an alternative frock – a > Her name is Rio and she’s put on a bit of weight.
mind-blowing to drive, crap to sit in slow A-Class at that. Suspension and seats F-TYPE SVR ★★★★★ Kia’s first stab at a bestseller has a hard ride but
comfy, just don’t look too closely at the dash > JLR’s SVO black ops division delivers a 567bhp it’s much more practical than a Juke > VERDICT
HYUNDAI > VERDICT The fat goth of the premium all-wheel-drive F-Type that goes and sounds Looks good but just as forgettable to drive as any
hatchback segment like an elephant on MDMA > VERDICT Quilted other baby crossover
leather and 200mph – but terrible hi-fi for a car
i10 ★★★★★ Q50 ★★★★★ that costs twice the entry V6 CEED HATCH/SW/PROCEED
> Five-door city car that balances mature driving > US-aimed Japanese premium product that’s ★★★★★
experience with strong value – even if it’s not as mostly forgettable. Sport Tech model has E-PACE ★★★★★ > Golf wannabe is big on equipment and not
cheap as it was. Five-year warranty, too stonking V6 > VERDICT The hot one is a surprise > Wears the Evoque’s undercrackers and bad to drive. Ceed is five-door, Proceed gets
> VERDICT Basic motoring done not just well
but with a dash of style. Mid-spec 1.0 our choice
i20 HATCH/COUPE/ACTIVE
but it’s not a car that will worry BMW or Merc
Q60 ★★★★★

can be had with same engine as the 4-cyl
F-Type, which are both very good things. Top
spec incredibly expensive, mind > VERDICT
three, SW is the wagon > VERDICT Now with
downsized turbo engines. Europe still ahead. Just
SOUL ★★★★★
> Shapely coupe has quirkiness in spades. Tech Handsome and filled with tech but lacks polish
★★★★★ overkill includes slightly odd drive-by-wire > Improved second-gen chunky spunky SUV
> Update adds Active crossover to 5dr hatch steering while porky weight dulls performance F-PACE ★★★★★ better to drive but ride and noise suppression
and 3dr ‘coupe’; suitable for somnambulant > VERDICT Capable and direct, but those words > Jaguar’s first SUV is a road-biased Porsche poor. Petrol version rubbish, but much cheaper
warranty fiends only. Turbo triple lumpy don’t scream ‘fun’, do they? Macan botherer. Built light to be nimble; body > VERDICT A Korean with character but other
> VERDICT Fur-lined tartan slippers, Horlicks control brilliance and pokey engines prove SUVs are more rounded (in both senses)
and early to bed; repeat Q70 ★★★★★ family DNA > VERDICT Macan remains most
> Does it look like a rubbish Maser QP, or a sporting choice, but more rounded F-Pace has OPTIMA ★★★★★
i30 HATCH/TOURER ★★★★★ slightly cooler Daewoo Leganza? > VERDICT plenty of bite > Sexless Mondeo clone cobbles together
> Where the current crop of Hyundais got Worth considering over a 5-series, but only if some mojo via the addition of sharp-suited
serious – which means it’s now in need of a Harald Quandt ran of with your wife JEEP Sportswagon and a plug-in hybrid > VERDICT All
facelift as the mainstream moves ahead again the car you’ll ever need, but not the car you want
> VERDICT Tries hard but lacks imagination QX50 ★★★★★
> Once more with feeling, eh Infiniti? Mid-size SUV RENEGADE ★★★★★ VENGA ★★★★★
i30N ★★★★★
> Korea’s first proper hot hatch is very good
indeed, and cheaper than a Golf GTI > VERDICT
An intergalactic leap ahead

looks good, has plenty of kit and clever variable
compression engine tech. Lack of diesel/hybrid
version may make interest wane
> VERDICT The best car Infiniti makes
> Strange but true: junior Jeep is built in Italy
alongside Fiat 500X that donates its platform.
Even stranger: it’s not terrible > VERDICT Only
the top Trailhawk cuts it in the rough
> Weird sit-up supermini-cum-MPV packs Focus
space into near-city-car dimensions. Hard to get
comfy though. 1.4 petrol best > VERDICT Too
pricey and too ordinary to drive for us to care

too, so pick 1.8. Alfa 4C is a pricey, pale imitation a 110kg diet) and modest 444bhp to deliver an
CARENS ★★★★★ RANGE ROVER VELAR ★★★★★ > VERDICT Still sensational, but a 10-year-old engaging driving experience. Epic noise
> Big, versatile, value-packed seven-seater. Go > Sport-lite or Evoque-plus? Either way, Land example does the same job for half the price > VERDICT Massively underrated. A GT3 for
diesel – 1.6 petrol is wheezier than emphysema- Rover’s centrally placed SUV is handsome, an Italian lothario with a ’Ring season pass
riddled asthmatic with a punctured lung capable, well finished and worthy of its name EXIGE ★★★★★
> VERDICT For all its pseudo-premium Euro > VERDICT The new benchmark Range Rover > Gym-bunny Elise with supercharged V6 retains LEVANTE ★★★★★
aspirations, this is the stuf Kia still does best beautifully connected unassisted steering. > Maserati’s long-awaited SUV is better than the
RANGE ROVER SPORT ★★★★★ Superb new 350 Sport turns up the wick Ghibli. And the UK is getting petrol, after initially
SPORTAGE ★★★★★ > As luxurious as a Rangie, as practical as a > VERDICT The Lotus our tyre-frying Ben Barry being threatened with diesel-only line-up
> All-new, all-turbo SUV truly handles and rides Disco, better looking than an Evoque and would buy. Make of that what you will > VERDICT Far from flawless but it’ll show you
but somehow a picture of Mr Potato Head’s face could follow a Defender cross country. Add in a good time
got mixed up with the final blueprints impressive handling and ballistic SVR and diesel EVORA 400 ★★★★★
> VERDICT Improved, except to look at versions > VERDICT Nobody likes a show-of > Thoroughly refreshed Evora loses its looks MAZDA
but gains easier access and thumping
SORENTO ★★★★★ RANGE ROVER ★★★★★ supercharged 400bhp > VERDICT The chassis
> Ambitious new flagship SUV reckons it’s a real > A benchmark in luxury SUVs. V6 diesel and steering are Lotus at its sparkling best. 2 ★★★★★
Land Rover rival. Now bigger than ever, and so is BEST
the price: up to £40k. Only engine is a 2.2 diesel
> VERDICT Impressive, but lacks the badge and

IN
CLASS perfectly acceptable, supercharged V8
petrol hilarious > VERDICT The perfect car
for smuggling cash to Switzerland, skiing, turning
Sublime, but you’ll still buy a Cayman
McLAREN
> Shot-in-the-arm supermini packs good value,
handling and looks, leaving sweat marks on
the shirts of the VW Polo marketing team
performance of genuine premium of-roaders up at a ball, game shooting and being smug > VERDICT Under-radar Fiesta threatener
gatecrashes the top table
STINGER ★★★★★ LEXUS 540C ★★★★★
> Handsome four-door grand tourer has a > The world’s first decontented supercar is still 3 HATCH/SALOON/ESTATE ★★★★★

mountain to climb to win over German exec
buyers but it’s comfy and a head-turner. Interior
not as well-finished or techy as rivals
CT ★★★★★
> Pig-ugly premium Prius a mix of decent
worth donating a ball to put on your driveway.
Entry-level doesn’t get any better > VERDICT The
work of a very focused company somewhere
> Another Mazda that’s great to drive and cheap
to run. You like shifting gears? You’ll love the
118bhp unblown 1.5. If not, go diesel > VERDICT
> VERDICT A solid first efort; V6 GT-S is playful
KTM

STEER
CLEAR handling, woeful performance and a ride so
poor it makes a black cab feel like an
S-Class > VERDICT Wouldn’t merit a single sale
near the top of its game
570S/570GT ★★★★★
Don’t buy a family hatchback until you’ve tried
one. Oh, a Golf? Apart from that
6 SALOON/TOURER ★★★★★
if company car tax bills were less CO2-focused > Base McLaren ditches carbon body and
super-trick suspension, but keeps carbon > Boss won’t let you have a BMW 3-series? This
X-BOW ★★★★★ IS ★★★★★ MonoCell and twin-turbo 3.8-litre V8. Now makes an impressive alternative. Handles well
> 22nd century Ariel Atom mixes carbon > Sharp-suited, well-specced 3-series rival available with glass hatchback, too > VERDICT S but rides like the tyres have DTs > VERDICT
construction with hardy Audi turbo’d 2.0 four finally gets decent rear space. Good chassis, and GT performance near identical; both make Swoopily styled, tax friendly, entertaining
> VERDICT Big money, big grins, but single-seat but 250 V6 irrelevant, and frugal hybrid hobbled 911 Turbo S feel too normal alternative to po-faced VW Passat
BAC Mono gives more race car-like experience by nasty CVT > VERDICT So close. Give this a
proper auto ’box and it would be right up there 720S ★★★★★ CX-3 ★★★★★
LAMBORGHINI > Big Mac’s 650S replacement turns the wick > Late arrival to the compact crossover party,
GS/GSF ★★★★★ up and is measurably better in every way than but worth a look thanks to smart cabin and
> Twin-pronged petrol hybrid cooking range a 488. Maranello won’t be pleased crisp, engaging drive. Pity about the firm ride
HURACAN ★★★★★ now spiced up by GSF 5.0 V8. Lack of turbos > VERDICT Obscenely fast and engaging – > VERDICT Pricey, but better than most and well
> Way more accomplished Gallardo successor, admirable but like hunting M5 bear with a we just wish it was louder equipped. Ideal MX-5 social life support truck
twinned with new R8. Dual-clutch gearbox peashooter > VERDICT 300h makes company
mandatory, 602bhp V10 flicks Vs at turbos car sense, wilfully diferent GSF good fun 675LT ★★★★★ CX-5 ★★★★★
> VERDICT Beats 488 for aural and visual thrills > Upgraded 650S with 666bhp, stifer > How an SUV should drive. Better than ever, still
but nothing else. So we’ll have the Spyder LS ★★★★★ suspension, faster gearshifts, quicker steering unfairly ignored over inferior rivals > VERDICT
> Looks great, and interior materials are and 100kg less weight. Whatever deal Woking’s It’s the closest you’ll ever get to a five-seat MX-5
AVENTADOR S ★★★★★ to die for, but hybrid powertrain less than done with the devil, it’s worked > VERDICT This
> Aventador hits the sweet spot: old enough to convincing > VERDICT You’d have to REALLY is the McLaren you’ve been looking for MX-5 ★★★★★
sort the gripes from new and young enough want to be diferent > Shorter than the ’89 original, and in real terms
to not yet be the subject of 31 run-out limited P1 ★★★★★ half the price. 1.5 sweet but a little slow; 158bhp
editions. Semi life-afirming > VERDICT Pose NX ★★★★★ > £1m hybrid hypercar with aero straight from 2.0 quicker but charismatically challenged
to talent ratio heading in right direction > Trumps Audi Q5 with a fabulous interior and McLaren’s F1 brains. All sold, and if you haven’t > VERDICT Brilliantly uncomplicated budget
arrest-me (for persecuting curves) exterior got one you can’t have track-only GTR either sports car. Dink the GTI for this
AVENTADOR/SV ★★★★★ design. Fwd or 4wd with electric motor at rear > VERDICT Astounding, but LaFerrari feels
> The F12 may be better in every respect, but > VERDICT Doesn’t work as a driver’s car, so take more special (as it should for £400k more) MX-5 RF ★★★★★
this is what a supercar should look like. Limited- the NX300h hybrid over faster, costlier NX200t > When a folding fabric roof above your head is
run Aventador SV closes that gap with shocking MASERATI just too common to contemplate, pay more for
power and agility > VERDICT SV is the one RX ★★★★★ the heavier and more complicated RF and never
to have. Sub-7min ’Ring lap makes the hybrid > Looks like Lord Vader’s helmet with wheels on, fold the bloody roof down anyway
hypercar crew look stupidly expensive but interior opulence and general tranquillity GHIBLI ★★★★★ > VERDICT Right car in the wrong spec
make up for idiosyncratic infotainment issues > The small exec you wish you owned still
LAND ROVER > VERDICT Build quality and refinement to save drives great, still looks the business, still doesn’t MERCEDES
the galaxy, even if the hybrid tech won’t have the four-cylinder diesel that will get it on
your shopping list. A shame > VERDICT An
DISCOVERY SPORT ★★★★★ RC/RCF ★★★★★ alcohol-free Quattroporte A-CLASS ★★★★★
> ‘Educated, professional luxury SUV > RCF’s old-school unblown V8 completes > Midlife refresh has softened the A-Class, but
desperately seeking decent diesel engine.’ charismatic package that shocked M4 in our QUATTROPORTE GTS ★★★★★ it’s still a little tasteless > VERDICT Expensive
Ingenium replied. Happy ever after? > VERDICT Giant Test. Elegance of regular range can’t > A brilliant blend of Maranello turbo V8 and cramped – A3 and 1-series do it better.
Comfy silence a promising start. We’ll know it’s overcome lack of diesel option > VERDICT wrapped in some gracefully ageing Maserati About to be replaced by a new version with a
love when they get the interior decorators in Deserve more success than they’ll likely get bits. Remains the coolest four-door car money much better interior
can buy > VERDICT It won’t let you in unless
DISCOVERY ★★★★★ LC500 ★★★★★ you’re in a suit or chinos A45 AMG ★★★★★
> Gen-5 Disco can climb mountains and social > A serious sports car from the most serious of > Mad turbo four-pot now makes 367bhp and
strata with equal equanimity. Worryingly close makers gets clever hybrid or tasty V8, 10-speed GRAN TURISMO/GRAN 350lb ft. Goes like a banker who knows the
to Range Rover, slightly frustrating engine auto and less bovine acoustics. It’s quite sexy CABRIO ★★★★★ game is up; almost as expensive > VERDICT
choice > VERDICT The best seven-seat party > VERDICT No longer the Japanese Mercedes > Four genuine seats a rarity in this class, but fill Option the Dynamic Plus pack with LSD as well
wagon money can buy them and you’ll regret choosing the weedy 4.2
LOTUS over the 4.7 at the first snif of a hill > VERDICT B-CLASS ★★★★★
RANGE ROVER EVOQUE ★★★★★ Podgy, pretty, practical GT for folk who hate > Posh MPV big brother to the A-Class misses
> Posh mum’s SUV, now also a convertible, four-door faux coupes. And luggage out on the looks and the charisma, but is far
solving the interior’s claustrophobia-triggering ELISE ★★★★★ more homely and just as technically savvy
tendencies. Ingenium engines commendably > Reminds just how connected cars used to be. GT MC STRADALE ★★★★★ > VERDICT So boring the BMW 2-series Active
hushed > VERDICT Pricey, but perfectly pitched Slothful base 1.6 reminds how they used to go, > Defies hulking 1770kg mass (and that’s after Tourer actually begins to make sense

MERCEDES > PEUGEOT
unnecessary > VERDICT An A-Class for the rear lights a thorny issue for some > VERDICT Cheap, considering the craftsmanship, even at
CLA ★★★★★ bewildered Better than ever to own, even if you love it less £33k, but if you want an old car, buy an old car
> CLS clone based on the A-Class, now
GLC ★★★★★ COOPER S/JCW ★★★★★ PLUS 8 ★★★★★

FACELIFT with swoopy Shooting Brake estate. Lacks
SOON
gravitas of former and sex appeal of latter
> VERDICT Just because you can make
something smaller doesn’t mean you should
> GLK replacement project, now available in
right-hand drive. Sounds like you shouldn’t care,
but the interior might just make you moist
> Upsized BMW 2.0-litre four-pot-powered
228bhp JCW most powerful Mini ever. Terrific
turbocharged fun, if a tad overwrought and
> Don’t be fooled by tally-ho styling, 8 is built
on ‘modern’ bonded and riveted Aero chassis.
Fidgety like a child with worms > VERDICT
> VERDICT Rivals are cheaper, better to drive – synthetic > VERDICT Beware the cost of the Classic Morgan style, modern BMW V8 poke,
C-CLASS SALOON/ESTATE GLC makes you feel special inside options list manners like a five-term borstal veteran
★★★★★
> Latest C impresses with mini-S-Class looks G-CLASS ★★★★★ CLUBMAN ★★★★★ NISSAN
and almost all the same on-board tech. Denies > Cold War relic that’s so solidly built it could > Replace circus-freakery of old one with full
muttering it wishes the 3-series would drop ram raid a bank vault. Obscene special editions complement of portals, add longer wheelbase,
dead > VERDICT BMW still better to drive, but if a growing – literally – Mercedes obsession bigger boot; now bake > VERDICT Loaf-alike MICRA ★★★★★
you want a relaxing techno cocoon, this is it > VERDICT You shouldn’t want one, but… Will maxi-Mini freshness, the grown-ups’ choice > So much better than the old car, the current
outlast any Defender. And possibly the planet Micra is on Wikipedia right now deleting all
C-CLASS COUPE ★★★★★ COUNTRYMAN/PACEMAN ★★★★★ mention of its predecessor. Proves that a car
> All-new sexpot version of latest C-Class (no GLE/GLE COUPE ★★★★★ > A Mini SUV that drives like the hatch. Spacious, designed by Europeans will appeal to Europeans,
shrinking violet itself) now 10cm longer and > Rebadged M-Class is heavy, ponderous and solid inside and just funky enough, but amazingly > VERDICT Bigger and better, and
available with air suspension. Still tight in the depressingly cheap inside. Plug-in hybrid plays expensive > VERDICT A respectable family car now providing a serious alternative to the latest
back > VERDICT Much more of an event than the tech card, new Coupe an alternative to X6 now, rather than just a chubby brand extension Ford Fiesta
the 4-series, but new A5 right back in the game > VERDICT As you were: it’s perfectly adequate
in a class dominated by the outstanding MITSUBISHI JUKE ★★★★★
C63 AMG ★★★★★ > Mould-breaking compact crossover; you
> Sounds madder than ever despite switch to GLS ★★★★★ think it would look like that if the mould hadn’t
bi-turbo 4.0 V8; coupe gets unique 12-link rear > Luxo-monster seven-seater lacks Range Rover MIRAGE ★★★★★ broken? Cheap interior and so-so dynamics
suspension for sharper responses > VERDICT panache but it’s comfy and refined, and the > Facelift can’t hide the Mirage’s catastrophic belie the hype > VERDICT Does it still count as
Saloon, estate or coupe, you get mega traction infotainment doesn’t come from Poundland lack of style or charm. As well suited to the small ‘diferent’ if everybody’s got one?
and one of the best turbo engines ever > VERDICT A brilliant bus car segment as a Sopwith Camel is to executive
short-haul flights > VERDICT Want your kids to NOTE ★★★★★
E-CLASS SALOON/ESTATE ★★★★★ SLC ★★★★★ stay of the roads? Buy them one > Like a Honda Jazz with middle-age spread,
> It may look like a fat C-Class but this techno > Buy the SLC43 AMG and it’s like an uglier but this is a small, practical MPV-hatch with limited
tour-de-force thinks it can drive better than you. cheaper F-Type with a nicer interior. Buy any ASX ★★★★★ aspirations to greatness > VERDICT An automotive
Exceptional interior out-luxes all comers other SLC and you’ve lost your mind > VERDICT > Box-ticking small SUV feels like it was designed cardigan: deeply uncool but good at what it does
> VERDICT New 4-cyl diesel so smooth it churns Come back 718 Boxster, all is forgiven on a spreadsheet. At least it’s relatively cheap
motorway miles into butter and well kitted > VERDICT Best bought on the LEAF ★★★★★
SL ★★★★★ internet > Less gawky then the pioneering first generation
E-CLASS COUPE ★★★★★
> Swish, clever and satisfyingly capable, as long
as there’s six cylinders up front. Like coupes
used to be before everyone decided they needed
> The plastic surgeon was worth every penny.
Turning up the sporty makes the most of the
super stif structure, too > VERDICT Think twice
about that Ferrari California. No, seriously
ECLIPSE CROSS ★★★★★
> The last of the old Mitsubishis or the first of
the new Renault-Nissan ones? Of-road ability

and promises better range to boot. Shame
about the dull and unintuitive interior > VERDICT
Version 2.0 of people’s EV now far more… normal
to be ‘Ring-meisters > VERDICT Middle age has says former, but cushy ride and renewed PULSAR ★★★★★
never been so appealing AMG GT ★★★★★ interior quality says latter > VERDICT Petrol-CVT > So dull it can only be explained by a
> SLS replacement is smaller (just), cheaper combination sounds wrong but it’s civilised and conspiracy theory claiming it owes its entire
AMG E63 ★★★★★ (considerably) and blessed with a 4.0-litre looks sharp existence to a long-range Qashqai sales-boost
> Only AMG would ofer the E63 with an twin-turbo V8 > VERDICT It’s got the muscle strategy > VERDICT Buy a Focus. Or a Golf. Or a
all-wheel-drive system that you can switch of but maybe not the finesse SHOGUN ★★★★★ Ceed. Or an Auris. Okay, maybe not an Auris…
in Drift Mode. Which is exactly why you should > Great-value old-school workhorse for those
buy one, and possibly open an account at Kwik AMG GT C ROADSTER ★★★★★ whose workplace is covered in mud, oil or bomb QASHQAI ★★★★★
Fit > VERDICT Go S or go home > Roadster delivers extra buzz without massive craters. Big, noisy diesel, chunky underpinnings > Crossover for the masses gets more luxury
compromise, at massive expense > VERDICT and reliable, with hose-down cabin > VERDICT and a facelift > VERDICT It’s no Volvo XC but still
CLS ★★★★★ Current GT sweet spot, for five minutes at least If you don’t think you need this car, you don’t has huge family appeal
> Comfy four-door coupe has great interior need this car
and loads of tech, although it can’t match the MG X-TRAIL ★★★★★
original for visual drama. AMG 53 is punchy OUTLANDER ★★★★★ > The X-Trail used to be a rough, tough of-
> VERDICT Slick > Midlife overhaul brings sleeker looks and roader designed on an Etch-a-Sketch. Now it’s a
MG3 ★★★★★ lifts cabin ambience by miles. Diesel still a bit Qashqai put through a photocopier at +10%
S-CLASS ★★★★★ > Tough-looking, spacious supermini has of a tractor but PHEV comfy and refined > VERDICT It still ain’t exciting. But it’s probably
> Enormously technically accomplished, with handling that lives up to the promise of that > VERDICT The UK’s best-selling plug-in hybrid going to sell a lot better
camera-guided ride quality and stacks of safety badge. As does the woeful build, crap engine finally makes sense
kit. Maybach and Pullman variants immensely and concrete ride > VERDICT The Chinese are GT-R ★★★★★
flash > VERDICT Makes 7-series/A8 seem like coming! But so far they’ve only got to Tajikistan MORGAN > Now with a slightly thicker veneer of luxury
toys. Captains of industry should insist on it (and another 20bhp) – but still basically a
GS ★★★★★ hardcase moments from rage > VERDICT
S-CLASS COUPE/CABRIOLET > Spacious, duck-faced SUV hamstrung by 3-WHEELER ★★★★★ Drivetrain sounds like a drum kit falling down the
★★★★★ coarse 1.5 turbo petrol, shonky gearboxes > As comfortable as riding over Niagara Falls in a stairs; leaves your brain feeling much the same
> Over 5m of barking mad indulgence; Coupe and shoddy interior. Handles okay, if you can barrel and equally sane. Not as quick as it feels,
carries it of like Errol Flynn on a bender but, like hack the firm ride > VERDICT Cheap, but not but quick enough for a three-wheeler on bike PAGANI
a model-turned-MP, will regret going topless suficiently so. Dacia will sleep well tonight tyres > VERDICT Brilliant Caterham alternative
> VERDICT Howard Hughes would approve, but without the macho trackday posturing
he went crazy in the end ZS ★★★★★ HYUARA ★★★★★
> Looks a lot like a Chinese knock-of of a Mazda AERO ★★★★★ > Spectacular cottage industry supercar with
S63/S65 AMG ★★★★★ CX-3 and has the knock-of driving dynamics, > Droptop was first of the new-era Morgans and active aero, AMG-built 720bhp twin-turbo V12
> Twin-turbo 577bhp V8 and 621bhp V12 S-Class build quality and price to match > VERDICT goes it alone since Aero Supersports, Coupe and and an interior more decadent than a Roman
variants, because being richer than the world Stone dead last in the most competitive sector Squify Perkins bought it at the Somme orgy > VERDICT Want one but they’re all sold
isn’t enough and you need to out-drag it, too > VERDICT Two worlds collide. And with 367bhp
> VERDICT S63 V8 is bonkers, S65 V12 utterly MINI they may not be the only ones doing the colliding PEUGEOT
certifiable. Does your chaufeur deserve it?
PLUS 4/FOUR FOUR/ROADSTER
GLA ★★★★★ HATCH/CONVERTIBLE ★★★★★ ★★★★★ 108 ★★★★★
> Confused A-Class on stilts with lifestyle > Bigger and less charming, but choice of > Entry-level Mog still with ‘traditional’ ash frame > Pug-faced city car. Go for 82bhp 1.2: the
NEW
pretensions and unnecessary surplus of interior
air vents. GLA45 AMG is entertaining but simply
ENTRY smooth and peppy engines, while ride has
improved without ruining handling. Britpop
and ‘traditional’ (ie, awful) dynamics. Four-seat
4/4 is surprise eco champ: 44mpg > VERDICT
68bhp 1.0 is so slow we were all monkeys when
it set of and it still hasn’t hit 60mph

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PEUGEOT > TOYOTA The home for all your car maintenance and ownership needs
> VERDICT Reasonable no-frills city car but you? Optional manual ‘box makes car nerds
boot and rear space tight. Skoda Citigo is better everywhere weak at the knees > VERDICT More
208 ★★★★★
accessible, more fun and more GT3-ish
911R ★★★★★
SPEC EXPERT
> Refresh more than just a prettier face as
dynamic update adds handling chops to 208’s
interior chic > VERDICT Pug’s recovered that
> The 911 that Porsche secretly wants the 911 still
to be. It’s an anti-991.2: a non-turbo 4.0 bruiser
BUILD THE PERFECT
VaVaVoom from the back of the sofa. No, wait –
that’s the other lot
in retro disguise, with 493bhp and manual ’box
> VERDICT Supple, poised, supreme fun. But
VW UP GTI
we’d still have a Cayman GT4 Bring out the best in the brilliant new pocket rocket without
308 HATCH/SW ESTATE ★★★★★
918 ★★★★★ sending the price sky-high
> Hushed 308 at its best when eating motorway
miles, or when you’re watching it out of the > Epic 4wd hybrid can waste GTis with 6sec
window of your Golf. Fiddly touchscreen 0-62mph electric mode, then slay Lambos by
> VERDICT Hatch isn’t up to scratch, but adding 600bhp V8. Superb electric steering,
roomier SW wagon is worth a look too > VERDICT Almost overshadowed in the In the market for a little ball Our Up GTI is finished in
P1-LaFerrari posturing war, but easily as good of fun? The new VW Up GTI Tungsten Silver with a
308 GTi ★★★★★
> Discreet styling hides playful proclivities; MACAN ★★★★★ is hard to beat. But which black roof (£645). The deal
version and which options? also includes black door

LSD keeps things tight up front while fantastic > Baby Cayenne is even better than dad –
chassis delivers lively rear > VERDICT 250 and BEST IN and better than the rival Evoque too. Base Lisa Hartley, VW UK’s Up mirror caps and tinted rear
CLASS
270 variants both great, but 270 gets more kit car with Golf GTI 2.0 makes no sense when product manager, guides us windows. ‘The Tungsten
S and S Diesel are pennies more > VERDICT GT3 through the choices. Our Up Silver paint highlights the
508 SALOON/ESTATE ★★★★★ RS for trackdays, Cayman GT4 for weekends,
> Little-seen XL Pug with unconvincing cod this for everything else. Sorted
is a three-door model, ‘for that red brake calipers and
German accent. HYbrid4 gets 4wd via 37bhp sportier look’, complete with a the red GTI strips,’ Lisa
’leccy motor on rear wheels > VERDICT RXH CAYENNE ★★★★★ 114bhp 1.0-litre turbocharged says, while the black on
is poor man’s Audi Allroad. Rest of range is > A masterclass in how to make a big SUV three-cylinder engine good the roof and door mirrors
padding on your company car list handle. Slick Panamera-derived interior is great for an 8.8sec 0-62mph time. ‘complements the black
place to sit and be. Turbo brutally fast, too, but
PARTNER TEPEE ★★★★★ whole thing feels anally retentive > VERDICT The GTI has 17-inch alloys, red rear roof spoiler and the
> Spacious, versatile Tepee so useful it could Impressively capable but Macan more engaging trim, a mini boot spoiler and lower side decal stripes.’
almost be a van. Funny, that. More practical than chrome exhaust as standard. Running total: £14,400
a regular MPV, drives okay > VERDICT Make PANAMERA ★★★★★
Starting price: £13,755
your own clothes? Live in a yurt? This is the > The Mk1 was just throat-clearing; this Mk2 is
car/van for you the opera. Drips with tech, innovation and better Since it’s a GTI, the hot Up
dynamics – and it looks perfect > VERDICT A
2008 ★★★★★ lesson in making nonsensical niches make comes with VW’s iconic
> Welly-wearing 208 gets a facelift which hits perfect sense tartan print on the seats,
on the idea of actually resembling an SUV, and plus the steering wheel
at a stroke makes a decent car more credible RADICAL from the bigger Golf GTI
> VERDICT Not so much leaping on the SUV
and red detailing on the
bandwagon as hitching a ride… but it’s an
attractive hitchhiker SR3 SL ★★★★★ dashboard and gearknob.
> Properly street-legal SR3 gets a 300bhp ‘Top of my list of options
3008 ★★★★★ blown Ford 2.0 instead of a motorcycle engine, would be the 300-watt
> Tell friends you’ve bought one and they’ll laugh a heater and even a 12v socket. It’s almost Beats audio system (£370).’
until they see it. Sharp to look at, surprisingly lavish > VERDICT Toned down for occasional
good fun to drive and not too weird > VERDICT road use but still hairier than a cave man with
Crystal-clear sound is
Just make it clear you’ve not bought the old one hypertrichosis provided by seven high-
end speakers distributed
5008 ★★★★★ RXC TURBO ★★★★★ throughout the interior: two

> Edgy design inside and out hides genuine > Play out those Le Mans fantasies on the tweeters in the A-pillars,
practicality and, in the 5008, seven seats. commute with this Peterborough-built Polaris.
Rejoice as Peugeot demonstrates it really Sequential gearbox welcome in town like an EDL two woofers in the front
has got its act together > VERDICT Annoy the demo > VERDICT When you’ve outgrown your doors and two full-range
Germans and buy French Caterhams and 911 GT3s, here’s the answer speakers in the rear. For
For some extra creature deep bass, a subwoofer is
PORSCHE RENAULT comforts, our Up GTI has located below the luggage
climate control (£265). ‘I prefer compartment cover.
718 BOXSTER ★★★★★ TWIZY ★★★★★ the sleeker look of the interior Running total: £14,770
> The turbo revolution continues as Boxster bins > Part electric scooter, part social experiment, when climate control is fitted,’
the six for a brace of faster forced-induction it’s easy to love the doorless Twizy, especially says Lisa, ‘not to mention the
fours. Updated face now flatter than Brian on balmy evenings along La Croisette. Grimy
Harvey’s > VERDICT Whole lotta lag; chassis still days in Doncaster a tougher ask > VERDICT
benefit of climate control in
a stairway to heaven Transportation of the future, if it’s never wet in hotter and colder months,
the future and you like chatting at trafic lights and the allergy filter.’ Plus, the
718 CAYMAN ★★★★★ City Emergency Braking pack
> Eficiency march means sublime outgoing ZOE 40 ★★★★★
(£380) adds not only that
model ditches choral flat-six for punchy but > Splendid Zoe solves range anxiety by clever
industrial turbo four. Gets uglier in the process, new battery with more power, potentially key safety feature but
still handles like you wish all cars would induces wealth anxiety instead with £4000 also automatic coming
> VERDICT Better by the numbers but... know price premium. Unless you’re smart and lease it home/leaving home lights
any nice 981s for sale? of course > VERDICT At least you can guarantee and pre-crash protection.
the emissions are genuine
CAYMAN GT4 ★★★★★ Total price: £15,415
> Junior GT3 is the first Cayman to get more TWINGO ★★★★★
power than a current 911: 380bhp, manual > Rear-engined, rear-wheel-drive runabout isn’t
gearbox, limited-slip dif and a grin wider than as nippy as it sounds, but is roomy, with clever
a Glasgow smile > VERDICT Porsche finally smartphone connectivity. More cheeky than
admits that the Cayman and not the 911 is its real sister Smart, and cheaper > VERDICT Lower-
sports coupe power version with ’80s F1 Turbo paintjob the
way to go
911 ★★★★★
> 991.2 may not look much diferent from the CLIO ★★★★★
991 but under the skin lurks a whole new range > Welcome return to form for the five-door Clio
of turbocharged engines. The most grown-up with even boggo ones looking handsome, a
911 yet > VERDICT Rear-engined appeal well sorted cabin and sprightly driving qualities.
lives on. Proper Turbo now utterly ferocious, Three-cylinder turbo petrol a (slowish) hoot
Turbo S unhinged > VERDICT Fiesta more fun, Clio more stylish
911 GT2 RS ★★★★★ CLIO RS ★★★★★

> As close to a racing-spec 911 you can get and > Remember when Clio RS was king of the hill?
still deserves its Widowmaker nickname; raw, No? Probably for the best, because even new,
blisteringly quick and sounds truly evil more powerful RS Trophy can’t ofset awful auto
> VERDICT Is it REALLY worth £100k more than gearbox > VERDICT Brings its own Trophy but
the GT3? still doesn’t win. Rumoured RS Wooden Spoon
version is pure speculation
911 GT3 ★★★★★
> Yes, another brilliant 911, but you didn’t really
think Porsche would get this one wrong, did
CAPTUR ★★★★★
> It’s a Clio on stilts – but that’s not necessarily
TOTAL PRICE: £15,415
a bad thing. No 4x4 pretensions means focus is FR versions irritatingly don’t look that sporty any powertrain that dims the driving pleasure
on personalisation. Good engines. It’s no Juke to more > VERDICT Ibiza by name only KODIAQ ★★★★★ > VERDICT Another very niche Subaru
drive > VERDICT Technicolor clown car if you’re > Commendably vast SUV takes the Octavia’s
not careful with the spec, otherwise okay IBIZA CUPRA ★★★★★ approach by bulking out on a shared platform, FORESTER ★★★★★
> Update to 189bhp 1.8 turbo with manual ’box but unfortunately doesn’t share its dazzling > Appealingly functional square-rigger is the
MEGANE ★★★★★ makes this a brilliant budget blast. Great interior, personality > VERDICT The most comfortable kind of crossover that existed before we had
> All-new French Golf looks like a foie-grased finessed details, tempting choice > VERDICT place to die a little inside ‘lifestyles’. Good on road, great of it, not cheap
Clio outside and a low-rent Tesla inside. Is thus Fiesta ST for thrills, this for everything else > VERDICT A solid old-school Subaru, honest and
an instant improvement over the old one
TOLEDO ★★★★★
SMART charming. Tweed cap, pipe, sheep flock optional
> VERDICT Renault Sport-fettled GT with rear-
wheel steering a keen drive, too. Sacré bleu! > OAP special whose sole interesting OUTBACK ★★★★★
MEGANE RS ★★★★★
> Sport is a credible hot hatch all-rounder but

STEER
CLEAR feature is that while it looks like a boring
saloon, it’s actually a boring hatch! Massive
interior > VERDICT This and identical Skoda Rapid
FORTWO ★★★★★
> Wider than the last one, with a much better ride,
higher quality cabin and slicker auto > VERDICT A
> The unloved Legacy’s only UK legacy is this
Allroad-style crossover. It’s huge inside and
the 4x4 look isn’t all for show

it doesn’t thrill like the pokier Cup. Go for a
manual Cup version and you have a properly
sorted Civic Type R rival > VERDICT Hurrah!
duke it out for UK’s dullest car. Czech please!
LEON HATCH/ESTATE ★★★★★
brilliant city runabout
FORFOUR ★★★★★
> VERDICT Dependable, not desirable
BRZ ★★★★★
They haven’t ruined it like they ruined the Clio RS. > Mid-life evolution for Leon means new engines > Renault/Merc tie-up means ForFour is >Gloriously simple but under-nourished rear-
and tech, plus non-surgical facelift. Will still accomplished with a classy cabin, although drive boxer coupe, crying out for a supercharger.
SCENIC ★★★★★ be shunned for a Golf > VERDICT Eminently ludicrous pricing seem at odds with budget city Toyota GT86 twin marginally more fun
> Fourth-generation compact MPV trades the likeable, just by too few buyers car buyers > VERDICT Its sister car, the Renault > VERDICT Loveable car we wanted them to
practicality that made your wife want one for Twingo, is more than two grand cheaper. Work make but you don’t want to buy
an exterior sharp enough that you’ll consider LEON CUPRA ★★★★★ that out
having more kids, although the stif ride could > Much to the amusement of tyre manufacturers SUZUKI
see you arrive too early > VERDICT Console your everywhere, the front-wheel-drive Leon Cupra SSANGYONG
manhood with the fact that 20s are standard now has 297bhp. GTI who? > VERDICT Ballistic,
and best bought with a manual transmission CELERIO ★★★★★
KADJAR ★★★★★ KORANDO ★★★★★ > Braking-phobic city car otherwise spacious, full
> Nissan may rue the day it left the parts ATECA ★★★★★ > Borderline rubbish to drive but more practical of kit and cheap. Three-cylinder petrol only plus

BEST IN store door ‘Kadjar’, as Renault’s take on the
CLASS
Qashqai bests the original in every way
> VERDICT Aggressive pricing, smooth ride,
> Spanish latecomer to the SUV party gets
the dress code right, isn’t the life and soul
but neither will it bore you into leaving early.
than the Teflon-coated trousers you’re probably
wearing if you’re giving it serious consideration
> VERDICT Huge, handy and hellish value, but
all the handling vim of a B&Q Value wheelbarrow
> VERDICT Dowdy and rowdy. Be glad you’ve got
DAB and a cupholder
great refinement, squishy seats Another sangria please! > VERDICT SE, petrol, we’d have a pre-reg Nissan Qashqai or Mazda
Manuel (‘I am from Barcelona!’) CX-5 any day SWIFT ★★★★★
KOLEOS ★★★★★ > An unsung hero, and not just the excellent
> A five-seat-only X-Trail that took a gap year ALHAMBRA ★★★★★ REXTON ★★★★★ 134bhp Sport. Handles well, spacious and cheap.
living at a French vineyard and has come back > Subtlest of subtle facelifts belies 15% > SY’s poshest SUV yet, which admittedly isn’t Upgraded Dualjet motor sweet > VERDICT Buy
with an accent, more stylish clothes and an eficiency improvement. Still a big box with slidey saying a huge amount. Think old Discovery and one and challenge anyone who questions your
avant-garde view on life. Façade doesn’t hide doors and seven proper seats; put your family first you’re not actually that far of > VERDICT Far less choice to a fistfight
its Nissan roots > VERDICT Neither great nor for a change > VERDICT Genetically identical to rubbish than the last one
rubbish – c’est bof the VW Sharan, but nearly £2k less SX4 S-CROSS ★★★★★
TURISMO ★★★★★ > The cheap way to clone a Qashqai. Won’t score
ROLLS-ROYCE SKODA > Less odious than the old Rodius, but every bit as any points for style, in fact you might hide it at
practical, this giant seven-seater is slower than the the back of the school car park. Diesel is the best
Crossrail boring machine > VERDICT Has minicab bet > VERDICT A crossover to be cross over
GHOST ★★★★★ CITIGO ★★★★★ written all over it, or soon will, which will handily
> A Phantom for millionaires not billionaires > Skoda’s all but identical version of the VW Up help disguise the ugliness JIMNY ★★★★★
> VERDICT Perfectly built, highly individual and Seat Mii. Pick your badge – they’re all well > A box with four-wheel-drive bolted onto the
packaged but too noisy and slow > VERDICT TIVOLI ★★★★★ bottom, and a 1.3-petrol engine hanging out
WRAITH ★★★★★ Cheaper than the Up, but not by much. Hyundai > There’s no getting away from it: Korea’s also-ran front. There are seats too, if not much of a boot
> A 624bhp twin-turbo V12 sporting vehicle i10 also worth a look. Yes, actual advice! car maker has built a contender. Great value, > VERDICT Simple and highly efective, albeit
that drives like no other. Dismisses distance but spacious and – shock – well-finished inside extremely limited
would never lower itself to squealing through FABIA HATCH/ESTATE ★★★★★ > VERDICT Dross heritage now under threat
bends > VERDICT Whisper it, but Rolls has > Very mature little supermini with bodywork VITARA ★★★★★
produced an amazing driver’s car creases a Corby trouser press would be proud SUBARU > Two-tone cross-dresser to rival the Juke, with a
of. Estate version ideal for Jack Russells handsome body and usefully economical diesel
PHANTOM ★★★★★ > VERDICT Roomy, well made and unexciting – engine. Cabin could do with some work, though
> Enough opulence to make Blenheim Palace like a low-rent VW Polo. Which is what it is IMPREZA ★★★★★ > VERDICT Rutting rhinos and pink paint are a

look like an abandoned warehouse yet just the
right amount of tech and personalisation to
keep start-up tech billionaires happy
RAPID HATCH/SPACEBACK
★★★★★
SOON
> Yes, it still exists beyond WRX and STi. No,
REPLACED
you don’t want one. Boggo Impreza reduced
to a 1.6 petrol hatchback only with optional
thing of the past: it’s a serious family car now
TESLA
> VERDICT By far the world’s best luxury car > Long, narrow notchback hatchback. Big boot. CVT. Shudder > VERDICT Have you got a brand
DAWN ★★★★★
> Wraith with the roof cut of – although actually

Spaceback is shorter, more ‘stylish’, still dross
> VERDICT Unless you’ve got a lot of potatoes
and no other way to carry them, just don’t
new combine harvester? It’s probably a better
drive than this
WRX/STI ★★★★★
TESLA MODEL S ★★★★★
> Electro-rocket gets a new face and in P100D
80% of the exterior panels are new. Best-looking guise kidney-thumping amounts of acceleration.
Roller, it rides like a liner and costs more than OCTAVIA HATCH/ESTATE ★★★★★ > Sorry WRX, I’m breaking up with you. It’s not The future, with a cabin from the recent past>
a VW software decision > VERDICT Nothing > Basically the same as a Golf and A3, but you, it’s me. No, it is you, it’s definitely you and VERDICT Crush supercars, emit nothing
between the stars and the stars bigger, cheaper and more functional. Hot vRS your crashy ride, nasty dash and inflexible engine
versions old-school ballistic fun. 4x4s practical > VERDICT Brilliant, on its day, in its day. But that TESLA MODEL X ★★★★★
SEAT > VERDICT It’s a lot of car for the money was yesterday, so let’s call it a day > You can scare the bejeezus out of your six
passengers by reaching 62mph from zero in 3.1
SUPERB SALOON/ESTATE ★★★★★ LEVORG ★★★★★ seconds. Efective, albeit in one dimension
MII ★★★★★ > So vast inside it echoes. Sharp lines, stacks > Impreza estate with a silly name. Single choice > VERDICT Musky
> Tedious-looking city-box is far less funky than of kit, double the number of umbrellas. Shame of 1.6 petrol with CVT auto and 4wd means it’s got
Renault’s Twingo but roomier and good to drive. about dull interior and stif price > VERDICT All a silly drivetrain too > VERDICT Levorg is grovel TOYOTA
You don’t look at the mantelpiece, and all that the family car you’ll ever need. Only bigger backwards; dealers may need to. Niche, as is all
> VERDICT VW Up is more desirable, pretty too common with Subaru
Skoda Citigo is cheaper SKODA KAROQ ★★★★★ AYGO ★★★★★
>A miniature Kodiaq: practical, sharply styled and XV ★★★★★ > Cramped city car with a characterful three-pot
IBIZA ★★★★★
> Angular Spanish supermini nabs A0 platform
before VW, thoroughly grows up in the process.
comfortable in a good-value all-round package.
Shame it’s just not as likeable as its predecessor
> VERDICT RIP Yeti
> We admire the engineering that goes into the
XV but you have to pay through the nose for it and
you’re limited to a petrol, all-wheel-drive and CVT
motor is as cheap to run as it feels. See also
Citroën C1 and Peugeot 108 – both are basically
the same car, with details and dealers the only
TOYOTA > VOLVO
diferences > VERDICT As ‘Up’hill struggles go, hatch worth a thought; Rocks crossover flaccid Japanese have been building for years, except Skoda made more of the platform with their
battling VW with this is like climbing north face > VERDICT Revitalised by new 1.0-litre turbo this is much better quality and has a VW badge versions? > VERDICT No sex please, we’re VW
of the Aygo triple. Buy a paper bag and try it > VERDICT Not a revolution but a spacious small
car with a strong, appealing image TOUAREG ★★★★★
YARIS/GRMN ★★★★★ CORSA ★★★★★ > The people’s Porsche Cayenne. Do the
> Standard hatch is soulless, while clever but > Made-over Corsa looks like a candidate for UP GTI ★★★★★ people still want their own Cayenne? Well, it is

costly hybrid slashes fuel bills (and boot space).
Feisty GRMN limited edition is fun in a raw kind of
way but ludicrously expensive – and sold out in
any case > VERDICT GRMN is the only one that
When Plastic Surgery Goes Bad, but it is more
refined and better to drive. 1.0T a good motor
> VERDICT Vauxhall keeps trying, but Fiesta still
cheerfully waving from way out in front
> Pokey engine, near go-kart level dynamics

and great value for money all play second fiddle
to the simple fun this little tyke provides by the
skipload > VERDICT A compelling mini hot hatch
nearly £10k cheaper… > VERDICT Big, comfy,
competent SUV. Great on and of road
T-ROC ★★★★★
makes any kind of sense package > Golf-sized SUV aimed at hashtagging, selfie
AURIS ★★★★★
> Most Aurises sold are hybrids, mainly because
CORSA VXR ★★★★★
> Luton’s hooligan now smoother round the
edges. Unless you pay extra for the slippy dif
POLO ★★★★★
> Mini-Golf isn’t that mini any more. It’s practical,

stick-wielding millennials. Massive tech options
list and scope for personalisation make up for
brittle interior and hefty price tag > VERDICT
the rest of the range is pants > VERDICT Only and hardcore suspension > VERDICT Better but has a sharp interior and well built… but so’s the The funkiest VW
worth picking as company wheels if you have a still not best. Lacks Ford Fiesta ST’s sparkle Seat Ibiza > VERDICT Accomplished but lacking
Starbucks-like aversion to paying tax the fun factor VOLVO
ASTRA HATCH/ESTATE ★★★★★
PRIUS ★★★★★ > Massive step forward in terms of driving POLO GTI ★★★★★
> Prius v4.0 boasts entirely new structure, dynamics and interior design, plus added > Baby GTI right down to the tartan seats. V40 ★★★★★
improved suspension, and is no longer totally
joyless to drive > VERDICT A Toyota hybrid that
handles. Electric-only range still pathetic
techno-charm > VERDICT In hatchback
grandmother’s footsteps, Focus and Golf turn
round to find Astra standing right behind them

Responsive engine, sorted chassis, OTT
electronic aids. Wait for the manual
> VERDICT The new Fiesta ST should be nervous
> Smart Swede in a sector dominated by
Germans. Eficient D4 engine and impressive
kit, but it’s a bit bloated in seat, suspension and
steering feel > VERDICT Sitting uncomfortably
MIRAI ★★★★★ ASTRA GTC/VXR ★★★★★ GOLF HATCH/ESTATE ★★★★★ between Golf and A3. A rock and hard place
> Weird on the outside, Star Trek on the inside > 3dr stylish enough to stand comparison > What every rival would like to be if only it
and a hydrogen fuel-cell underneath. Drives just
like a very refined regular car > VERDICT We’re
convinced by the tech, but there’s nowhere to

REPLACED to Scirocco. VXR fearsomely fast but
SOON
moody > VERDICT The sexiest Vauxhall.
Let’s hope replacement doesn’t lose its mojo

BEST IN could get away with charging this much.
CLASS
Tweaked and preened but perpetually
desirable, made for a life of Waitrose car parks
V60 ★★★★★
> A Frenchman who can’t cook. A Jackson
who can’t dance. A Volvo estate which can’t
refuel it yet > VERDICT Never knowingly undersold carry much. Why? > VERDICT Handsome,
INSIGNIA GRAND SPORT ★★★★★ safe, eficient estate hamstrung by one rather
AVENSIS SALOON/TOURER ★★★★★ > Uninspired. Too close to how you’d hope an GOLF GTD/GTI/R ★★★★★ fundamental issue…
> Does little well – despite using diesel engines Insignia isn’t > VERDICT Fine if you’re given one > GTD is your dad in running shoes. GTI is
from BMW. Tourer marginally more stylish than
saloon > VERDICT White goods CROSSLAND X ★★★★★
> Practical Meriva replacement sits beside

BEST IN your dad when he was wild, young and
CLASS
free. R is your dad having a midlife crisis.
All are ace > VERDICT After seven generations,
V90 ★★★★★
> Sacrilegiously abandons the boot-space
race for style while prioritising comfort and
VERSO ★★★★★
> Safe, stodgy seven-seater with snore-worthy
chassis and a big-selling 1.6 diesel that feels like

the Mokka X for size. Designed to be the more
pragmatic choice > VERDICT Genuinely
practical if as dull as Luton’s skyline to drive
VW has this hot-hatch thing nailed
GOLF SV ★★★★★
refinement over German machismo. Lovely
inside. A genuine alternative to the 5-series,
E-Class and A6 now > VERDICT If there’s such
half its horses are asleep too > VERDICT Inferior > The artist formerly known as the Golf Plus. And a thing as Swedish zen, this is it; much more
to Ford C-Max and Citroën Picasso GRANDLAND X ★★★★★ by ‘artist’ we mean medium-sized MPV. The car successful in its class than the 60 is in its
> It’s a Pug 3008 in disguise, but diferent enough you always knew the Golf would grow up to be
C-HR ★★★★★ to appeal in its own right. Not exciting, but a very > VERDICT Not a bad choice, but now the BMW S90 ★★★★★
> Compact crossover that’s stylish outside, good family crossover > VERDICT Up there with 2-series Active Tourer is breathing down its neck > Smart-looking, well-crafted and adept-
huge fun and kooky inside too > VERDICT The the Astra as Vauxhall’s top car handling exec saloon dances a merry jig on
start of a more interesting new phase for Toyota BEETLE HATCH/CABRIO ★★★★★ the grave of unloved outgoing S80; four-door
ZAFIRA TOURER ★★★★★ > Although better to drive it lacks the design version of the V90 > VERDICT Loudly purring
RAV4 ★★★★★ > Large MPV with slick seating arrangement. purity of its predecessor and the charm of the Swedish cat enters the 5-series/E-Class pigeon
> Soft-road pioneer has settled for flufy slippers Struggles in the face of S-Max greatness original > VERDICT Even hipsters are, like, so enclosure
in its old age. Trump card is boot big enough for > VERDICT Accomplished but out-flanked by totally over this cynical marketing exercise, man
a casino table > VERDICT Roomy, reasonable, crossovers’ rise to dominance XC40 ★★★★★
unremarkable. Many more dynamic alternatives PASSAT SALOON/ESTATE ★★★★★ > No thriller to steer but fetching premium
LAND CRUISER/V8 ★★★★★

> Both bare-knuckle ladder-frame brawlers
MOKKA X ★★★★★
> Facelift filed under ‘about f***ing time too’,
Mokka gets a better cabin, some new engines
> Interior design and refinement so good it
shames some limos, cutting-edge kit and
elegant looks. If only it wasn’t so dull to drive

crossover has sharp look, practical interior and
charming personality > VERDICT Feels good to
be in and it’ll look after you. Many, many cosmetic
that wouldn’t know a latte if you spilt it on their and pointless sufix. Driving misery reduced by > VERDICT Mega mile-muncher for the and equipment choices
rigger’s boots > VERDICT Rough, but if we were half > VERDICT X marks the spot where the ball undemanding. Aesthete to Mondeo’s athlete
stranded in the desert we’d trust it over a Rangie was – about five years ago XC60 ★★★★★
ARTEON ★★★★★ > It’s now a shrunken XC90, which is no bad
GT86 ★★★★★
> The slowest fast car you can buy is slightly
better than before thanks to new aero, revised
VXR8 ★★★★★
> 577bhp Aussie import that’s £20k cheaper
than a BMW M5. Optional automatic gearbox’s
> Here we go again: Volkswagen tries to be

properly premium and almost pulls it of. Great
interior, huge boot and there’s standard safety

thing. Calming isolation chamber on wheels
> VERDICT Surprisingly good to drive now and
super safe
suspension and better cloth trim. B-road heaven bid to add sophistication is akin to serving lager tech aplenty, but it’s a bit dull > VERDICT For
> VERDICT As pure as Jon Snow. Both of them in cut crystal glasses. But who gives a 4X? SUV-resistant saloon fans… or those who can’t XC70 ★★★★★
> VERDICT Big, brutish charm aford a BMW > A V70 in breeches, with raised ride height and
VAUXHALL MALOO ★★★★★
4x4 option. Awd starts at less than 40 grand,
TOURAN ★★★★★ which is good value if you find SUVs crass
> Never before have so many stereotypes been > It’s still more Millets than House of Fraser, but > VERDICT If you don’t like having a dozen
VIVA ★★★★★ incorporated into a single vehicle. Spectacularly the current Touran does family stuf well brace of shot pheasant in your boot, don’t buy
> It may look like it was dropped before it had fast, absurd, useless, Australian and brilliant all > VERDICT MPV meets MQB, nearly goes VIP one of these
set, but it’s comfy, roomy and refined for a city at the same time > VERDICT The fastest way to
car, and comes with plenty of standard kit stick it to the taxman SHARAN ★★★★★ XC90 ★★★★★
> VERDICT More generous than it may appear > Large seven-seater sliding-door people carrier > It was worth the wait for Volvo to evolve the
at first glance. We’d still buy an Up, though VOLKSWAGEN > VERDICT Nice enough but made to look silly XC90 this far: luxurious seven-seat interior,
by all-but-identical and cheaper Seat Alhambra clever safety tech, choice of eficient 4-cyl and
ADAM/ADAM ROCKS ★★★★★ plug-in drivetrains, refined drive > VERDICT
> Obese Fiat 500 wannabe with huge options UP ★★★★★ TIGUAN ★★★★★ One of the most complete cars on sale, of any
list and comedy naming shtick. Adam S warm > Box on wheels is the kind of city car the > Accomplished but predictable. Have Seat or style, at any price
All prices inclusive of VAT and correct at time of going to press
LEASE ACADEMY: PREMIUM CROSSOVERS Dazzle the Joneses with these spangly soft-roaders
JAGUAR E-PACE D180 SE BMW X2 XDRIVE 20D LEXUS NX 300H F-SPORT VOLVO XC40 D4 R-DESIGN
£381pm M SPORT £347pm £413pm £344pm
F-Pace flair in a smaller package Great to drive, comes in mad colours Chilled-out drive, striking looks Comfortable, handsome, well built
> Spec 2.0-litre 4-cyl diesel, awd, 8-spd > Spec 2.0-litre 4-cyl diesel, awd, 8-spd > Spec 2.5-litre petrol-electric hybrid, > Spec 2.0-litre 4-cyl diesel, awd, 8-spd
auto, 178bhp, 50.4mpg auto, 147bhp, 60.1mpg awd, CVT auto, 194bhp, 54.3mpg auto, 187bhp, 56.5mpg
> List price £39,715 > List price £37,580 > List price £39,995 > List price £34,970
> Initial payment £3427.16; then > Initial payment £3121.47; then > Initial payment £3720.60; then > Initial payment £3094.47; then
£380.80/month for 48 months £346.83/month for 24 months £413.40/month for 48 months £343.83/month for 48 months
> Mileage allowance 10,000 a year > Mileage allowance 10,000 a year > Mileage allowance 10,000 a year > Mileage allowance 10,000 a year
> Via personalcarleasing.com > Via wearcarleasing.co.uk > Via fleetprices.co.uk > Via gbvehicleleasing.co.uk
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Brits have a big choice of fine racetracks within easy reach. Seems
churlish not to visit every one and tackle the best bends. By Ben Miller
1 2
GRACELANDS, ROCKINGHAM CORAM, SNETTERTON

Maligned for its insipid setting (Corby) Drive hard from the Bombhole
and its inability to fill even a row of and, without breathing or swallowing,
spectator seats, let alone its vast feed the car into the ultra-fast Coram.
3
grandstands, Rockingham hits back Mid-corner the car teeters on a
with Gracelands. Handily the braking three-figure knife edge: lift now and OLD HAIRPIN, DONINGTON
area is uphill, but a blind crest hides elements of your splintered bodywork What? Has anyone at Donington ever seen a hairpin? You endure them while
the late apex you need to stay out will come to rest some time later waiting for the good bits to arrive. The Old Hairpin is third or fourth gear, the
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Carrying big speed? You need to carry Silverstone pole lap, this sequence Cadwell feels narrow on a motorcycle: one really is a hairpin. It’s the best
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GP bike racers awake at night. Pouhon’s at the top of the pile: ultra-quick fast and endless right-hander with the quick and fly triumphantly through
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WARRANTY I SERVICE I MOT I REPAIRS I GAP I TYRES
Duncan McClure Fisher

Founder and CEO The smart way to run your car

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What are some of the highlights of Porsche's history mentioned in the magazine?

What are some of the highlights of Porsche's history mentioned in the magazine?

What corners are highlighted as ones worth experiencing on a trackday?

What corners are highlighted as ones worth experiencing on a trackday?

ISSUE 671

LIGHT & MIGHTY

ALPINE A110 & NEW FIESTA ST

A-Class goes first class

Are you not

The Holy land: Stuttgart WE’RE ALSO

June 2018 | CARMAGA ZINE.CO.UK 3

130 Our Cars

A110 & Fiesta ST: 143 GBU: every car rated!

ALL-NEW PHONE EDITION

6 CARMAGA ZINE.CO.UK | June 2018

June 2018 | CARMAGA ZINE.CO.UK 7

K The architects of the Parthenon, whose pediment

8 CARMAGA ZINE.CO.UK | June 2018

June 2018 | CARMAGA ZINE.CO.UK 9

with a McLaren 972kg dry. The engineering is

Senna rival double-wishbone suspension with

1978: NUMBER ONE FAN

LATE 1980 S: DISARRAY

10 CARMAGA ZINE.CO.UK | June 2018

▲ DANIEL RICCIARDO ▲ PIERRE GASLY ▲ CARLOS SAINZ

12 CARMAGA ZINE.CO.UK | June 2018

14 CARMAGA ZINE.CO.UK | June 2018

16 CARMAGA ZINE.CO.UK | June 2018

Tell us about your first car...

Company curveball… Infiniti 2018 at the Detroit show, but as Habib

June 2018 | CARMAGA ZINE.CO.UK 17

GEEZERS IN it was originally called) was

DENTED VIVAS driving a 3.4-litre Jaguar. Sears’s times were quicker.

60 YEARS OF THE BTCC

1988 1987 1975

Subaru’s Ash birthdays. history. In 2017 he scooped in his family-run team’s

18 CARMAGA ZINE.CO.UK | June 2018

OR £179 PER MONTH

Quality, reliability and with a

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Time to get Monobloc Actuator

TAG Heuer Breitling Navitimer 8 B35

ASTON MARTIN DB11 AMR 1 again? It stands

June 2018 | CARMAGA ZINE.CO.UK 21

made from air

22 CARMAGA ZINE.CO.UK | June 2018

SOURCE MATERIAL: CARBON ENGINEERING. ILLUSTRATION: AERIFORM

NOW THE SCIENCE BIT

June 2018 | CARMAGA ZINE.CO.UK 23

24 CARMAGA ZINE.CO.UK | June 2018

June 2017 | CARMAGA ZINE.CO.UK 25

> PS: SECURITY AND PRIVACY will

FRESH THINKING Drone/car mash-up

26 CARMAGA ZINE.CO.UK | June 2018

28 CARMAGA ZINE.CO.UK | June 2018

June 2018 | CARMAGA ZINE.CO.UK 29

applies to engine, gearbox and steering.

30 CARMAGA ZINE.CO.UK | June 2018

Blink and you’ll miss it downforce by 40 per cent. Gearchanges

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